Vagabond142
04-06-2006, 08:12 PM
EDITED: Fixed a couple of technical errors in the civic review, added pictures shamelessly ripped from dealer websites, familycars.com, forbesauto.com, and google pictures.
EDITED 2: fixed some spelling errors -_-
Ah, spring is in the air! (glares at the rain)
Anyways, with spring and summer coming up, I have been out doing some test driving of cars that I've had my eyes on for some time, either as an interest purely for the fact to see what it was like, or for possible future purchase (maybe as early as the end of the year o_O!)
First of all, let me state that the opinions expressed in these reviews are mine and mine alone. You don't have to agree with them or even like them, but you don't have to post any rude comments telling me how stupid my opinions are or that I am wrong. :P Also, being somewhat of a performance oriented person, I'll be reviewing mostly along those lines, skipping over minor details like how many settings the radio has, or if the seats are heated or not.
Anyways, over the past 2 weeks, I've tested 5 cars between $15,000 and $50,000 that I think will attract buyers (and that I've wanted to test anyways), with three more tests scheduled for next week (scheduled so I can do extended tests).
On with the reviews, in the following order:
2006 Mazda MX-5 GS
2006 Pontiac Solstice (convenience package)
2006 Toyota Yaris hatchback
2006 Subaru Impreza WRX
2006 Honda Civic coupe
2006 Acura TL (next week)
2006 Ford Mustang GT (next week)
2006 Dodge Magnum (next week)
2006 Mazda MX-5 GS
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http://members.shaw.ca/vagabondreviews/mx-5-0.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/vagabondreviews/mx-5-1.jpg
Base price ~$33k before taxes and options. Tested with 6MT, A/C, LSD, upgraded shocks. Tested price ~$35-36k
Okay, I'll come right out and say it. I've always loved the MX-5, and yes I'm secure in my sexuality. So when the new one came out and looked like it did, promised what it did, and even got the large honking thumbs up from such reliable and impartial (cough) reviewers as Top Gear :D, I just had to drive it.
And so I did.
The new MX-5 hints at the first generation with the oval smiling air intake at the front and the playfully simple rear. It takes the headlight idea from the second generation and makes it its own. From any angle, this car is at the same time like a hyperactive two year old screaming "PAY ATTENTION TO ME" and a sophisticated, muscular, modern sports car that is raring to go. It looks superb.
The MX-5 is known to be one of the best handling cars out there, and this new model is no letdown. Steering feel was precise but not jarring, allowing me to feel the bumps and wiggles of the pavement but not shattering my wrists. Turn in is EXTEMELY precise, with the car leaning just a tad towards the outside wheels, but the chassis gives you confidence to just bomb around a corner at a very happy speed. Weight is near perfect 50/50, so quick lane changes, hard turns and even just regular driving was incredibly tactile. Along with the shifter (talked about in a bit), you really do feel like the organic beating heart of a surgically precise machine.
The shifter in this little monster is WONDERFUL. And I seriously mean that. It's chunky, notchy, but still smooth and short throw. It really makes you feel like it's connected to the engine and you're throwing a massive sports shifter, but it's as easy as shifting in a luxury sedan. I could and did shift with one finger, but when your whole hand is involved on the shifter, it's tactile and very positive. It's up there with the S2000 as perhaps the best shifter on the market. Ever. Pedals are also well placed for heel-toe downshifting, although the brake pedal when the brakes are cold is INCREDIBLY sensitive, allowing maybe 1 inch of travel. Once the brakes are up to temperature, that rises to around 3-4 inches. Clutch pedal feel is quick and precise, engagement point is controllable allowing for 1st gear slipping without worrying about jerking the car, and feels positive for the rest of the gears.
This is the first MX-5 that I can fit in properly. That is in itself a grandiose achievement, as I am 6 feet tall and usually have to poke my eyes over the windshield to see out of a convertible. The MX-5's seats are lowslung, huggy buckets that allow for us big guys to sit comfortably with good lateral and under-thigh support. The wheel is adjustable rake, didn't try for reach as it was the right distance at any rake anyways. This car, much like an S2000, is driver centric, with the center tower controls angled just slightly towards the driver, all controls and dials easily reached without any stretch whatsoever. With the roof up, there are some headroom issues, but this is a convertible. It's a sin to have the roof up. Roof down during deerfoot (ie highway) speeds, win buffeting in the cabin was minimal, wind roar was strangely quiet, and I had a great, normal volume conversation with the salesdude without having to yell. Engine noise penetrates a little into the cabin under hard acceleration, but it's a deep throaty roar that makes you want to grab another gear.
The engine, while only 170 bhp and 140-odd lb-ft torque, pulls HARD from 2000 rpm and smooths out around 4500, with impressive acceleration in both 1st and 2nd from stop and slow roll, respectively. Redlines 6600-ish. Exhaust note is pleasant but non-intrusive. Trunk space is existant, but wouldn't hold much more than a duffel bag for extended trips
Conclusion: If I were to buy a convertible for tossing around a windy backroad and couldn't afford an S2000, I would buy the MX-5 in a heartbeat. It's tight, responsive, tells you what's happening without being intrusive, yet allows you to putter around town like a regular joe if you want. The butt-dyno estimates 6.5 to 7.5 seconds 0-100 kph, and it feels a lot more powerful than it's engine numbers.
2006 Pontiac Solstice
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http://members.shaw.ca/vagabondreviews/solstice-0.jpg
Base price: ~$26k before options, packages, taxes. As tested (convenience package) ~$28k before taxes
Well, this is a touchy car to review. There have been mixed opinions, arguments, debates, PM fights, everything about this car on this board that I've seen. So I thought I would test it to get my own opinion on it.
My very first opinion of the car is that while it looks nice from some angles, from others it looks like a snot-faced mutant. It is U-G-L-Y from the front, and the roofline with the top up just doesn't work. I also found that the rear trunk line makes the back wheels look relatively small.
Anyways, to driving. The steering wheel is big and chunky in your hands, giving some confidence, but is let down by a mushy feel through the column. While there is connection to the front wheels, and you know that there is with your tactile senses, it's just not as sharp or as present as I personally like. It may be fine for other drivers, however, so I do urge that if you're interested to go and test one for feel. Corners were handled shockingly well, with the front end pushing out slightly at speed in tighter corners, but not so much as to cause shit-your-pants understeer before flying off the road into a fireball of death and doom. It's progressive and lets you know without scaring you that you're pushing the limit a bit on the turn. A simple and tiny let up on the throttle gradually allows the front to come back into line and the car to settle back into a good turn. Suspension was a little soft for my tastes (I like a hard, razor sharp car), but handled road bumps and wiggles without upsetting the car. With the club sport package, I think that the car would gain about 15% better feel. While the handling was good, it was a little front heavy, and didn't instill the same confidence as the MX-5 did. I'm not saying it's a slouch tho... just that it's not as sharp, which may be perfect for someone wanting a nice looking car (in their opinion) that is more of a city cruiser than a back-road monster.
Shifter in the Solstice has a slightly mushy feel, not telling me much information about what it's connected to. Throws are medium-short, about 6 inches, with the gates well spaced. Quick up and down shifts are possible, although heel-toe might be a problem unless you have big feet. Clutch is grippy from a standstill, the engagement point a little floaty, but I expect that after owning the car for a week, one would be used to it and it'd seem normal.
Inside the cabin is a mixed feeling. The dials are present and nicely placed, but the handbrake was awkward to reach. Most controls are easily reached from a standard driving position, although I would have liked the shifter a little farther forward than it was. The seats are cushy and comfortable, and do grip in hard cornering. With the top down, there is some buffeting in the cabin, with some included wind roar, but nothing that would tire you out during long drives.
The engine in the Solstice is an inline-4, the same as an MX-5 and an S2000. The solstice comes in with 7 more bhp than the MX-5 and 63 less than the S2000, at 177 bhp and 225 lb-ft of torque. While those numbers are good, the butt-dyno was telling me that this car wasn't as happy to go to higher revs as the MX-5, and felt slightly slower 0-100, I'd say 7-8 seconds average. Power starting to wake up around 2000 rpm, but died off around 4000, feeling raspy and a little tired as the engine neared the 7000 rpm redline. Exhaust is deep and growling, engine noise is not too bad under hard acceleration, although I would like to hear it more.
Conclusion: for a city cruising convertible, I would not tell someone to walk away from a Solstice. I would not buy it myself, but that is me. It does have good handling, decent low end acceleration and grunt (good for stop and go traffic), and a very decent cruiser at highway or freeway speeds. While I personally would not buy it, the Solstice does show that Pontiac actually knows how to do a car mostly right (at least the top goes up and down o_O! and it knows what a corner is), and those that know me will know that I very VERY rarely say that about an American car.
2006 (2007 named) Toyota Yaris RS hatchback
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http://members.shaw.ca/vagabondreviews/yaris-0.jpg
Base price ~$15k, as tested $16.8k before taxes
Ever since watching the Aygo video from Top Gear, I've wanted to try out the Aygo's bigger brother, the Yaris. I was going to test a standard base model, but it was already out on a drive so I took out a Yaris 3-door RS hatch instead.
For such a tiny car, the Yaris lets itself be known. The RS has a big, aggressive RS badge on the front grille, much like Honda and the Si badging. It's big, there, in your face. I like that kind of aggression, even on a mini-car. The Yaris does have a high roofline, but it's raked with the windshield to allow for a smooth, flowing look to the car. For a hatch, the Yaris looks pleasing if even a tad aggressive and sporty from all angles.
Handling is nothing stellar, but it is confidence inspiring. The wheel is big and easy to hold, feeds good information and turn in at decent speed does feel good, if a little understeery, which isn't all that unexpected, as this is a decent family hatch, not a grocery-getter-go-kart. Suspension on the RS is a little harder than on the standard model, as I'm told, but still didn't shatter my spine or toss me around over road bumps and wiggles. The car feels nicely planted, although there is some lean during quick lane changes.
Shifter is 5 speeds, with a good solid engagement, but still supremely easy to shift gears. Clutch is easy on the leg and has a HUGE engagement area allowing for even the most ham-footed driver to find a good slip in 1st and feel confident throughout the rest of the gears
Inside, the Yaris, despite its small look, gobbled me up. It's HUGE. The sheer square footage in the Yaris would easily hold 4 adults comfortably for in city driving, and 2 plus a very decent cargo (thanks to the fold down rear seats) for inter-city travel. Seats are comfortable, although I would have liked a little more bolstering to keep my upper body centered during on-ramp/off-ramp turns, sharp 90 degree turns and the like. Still, for $16800, you really do get your money's worth. I've never been a fan of the central gauge cluster, as I like it in my line of sight, but the Yaris' is easy to read with a quick glance. Gauges are nothing to write home about, but they serve their purpose for an entry-level vehicle. Center tower is nicely equipped, easily reached, and the center console is just right for an economy car.
I do have to mention the storage space in this little monster. It's MASSIVE. With the back seats down, it looks like it could hold a couple of pregnant hippopotamuses (woo! I spelled that right!) without much trouble. For hauling groceries, computer equipment, anything with a basically square shape, it is perfect. Skis and snowboards I would use an aftermarket roof rack system.
The engine in the Yaris is rated at 106 bhp and 104 lb-ft of torque. While this may seem low, remember... the Yaris is light. It's tiny. So 106 bhp is more than enough to get the Yaris happily around town or even on the highway. Butt-dyno felt good acceleration from a standstill, although 2nd gear acceleration (ie coming off an on-ramp to merge or to pass another car) could be better. It's not horrible, just average. Engine is quiet and non-intrusive, with a good roar during hard, high-rpm acceleration (probably as the RS has a slightly modified exhaust to allow for a more sportier note).
Conclusion: For a small family or just-graduated-college/university vehicle, this little guy is perfect. It allows for fun when you want to have a little, but hauls a full month's groceries for a single person in an apartment with room to spare. For a couple with no kids and on a budget, this is a definite recommendation. If there are kids, I would recommend the 5 door LE or RS. Also, it should be mentioned that the Hatch pulls an impressive 40 mpg in city driving. Very nice hatch, I personally like it.
2006 Subaru Impreza WRX (w/o sunroof)
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http://members.shaw.ca/vagabondreviews/wrx-0.jpg
Base price ~$35k before taxes
Ah, we now come to one of my all time favorite cars. I've loved Subaru's since I first saw one with a hood scoop something like 15 years ago. They may not be the prettiest of cars, nor the most luxurious, but they just have that certain charm about them that all Subie owners will know what I mean :) I also personally thought that the new snubby nosed look of the Impreza (as well as most subarus) was a horrendously ugly thing to do, but with that lovely air scoop and slightly flared wheel arches, it actually fits well on the WRX.
Handling wise, the 2006 WRX is shockingly tight. For a car of its size and girth, it turns in so tight that I would even call it pointy. What I mean by this is that you turn the wheel where you want the front of the car to go and it goes without so much as a grunt of complaint. This car TURNS. Road feel is impressive, the wheel is thick and comfortable. Tactile response is excellent for an AWD car, with the car handling bumps and wiggles in the road without ripping your wrists apart. With the awd and the extremely good suspension, this car is confidence in a sedan shape. I took two 90 degree turns, a left-right chicane near in the industrial area near Blackfoot trail (yes, I test drove from Centaur) at... well, SOME decent speed, and the car didn't even lean. It just went BAM-BAM-DONE around the corners. Not even a tire squeak. Without a doubt, this car is so good that I would, dare I say it, put it as the best handling sedan money can buy in the $30-$60k range. I could find a back road with 400 corners on it in 5 kilometers, do it, turn around, do it again, and STILL want to turn around and do it all day long. It just feels THAT GOOD.
The clutch in the WRX takes a little getting used to, as you are disengaging and engaging a clutch that feeds power to all four wheels all the time. It's high on the pedal travel, and very sudden. 1st gear slip is manageable, but would need living with the car a bit to get fully used to. However, the clutch is very positive, solid, sporty. Heel-toe downshifts in the WRX are a mofugging dream. The engine revs quickly and the shifter snicks solidly home, with the pedals placed perfectly for my size 11.5's. Shifter feel chunky, mechanical and confident, happily snapping up and down the 5 speed range.
Inside the WRX can be a little tight for us bigger folk, but with the 2006 model there is a slight space increase inside and it feels miles bigger. The seats are hugely bolstered, holding you like superglue, as well as comfortable and pleasant to be in in stop-go traffic. Since the interior is tight, all controls are easily reached and the handbrake is well placed, out of the way but quickly accessed if needed. Controls are all within easy reach. Engine noise does penetrate into the cabin, but this is a good thing.
The engine on the WRX is one hell of a happy monster. 225 bhp and 230 odd lb ft of torque (depending on who you talk to) will get you going very quickly. 1st gear acceleration is necksnapping, and whatever gear you're in, if you're above 2500 rpm and put the pedal down, it's like going into warp. The engine is 2.5 liters vs 2.0 from previous years, so the turbo lag is significantly reduced and the engine absolutely hauls ass right up to the 6500ish redline. Butt-dyno was feeling low 6's for 0-100, maybe even high 5's if shifting fast enough. The engine chugs happily at idle, and even out of the turbo between 1000 and 2500 rpm, it has decent pull. But into the turbo and the speed multiplies exponentially.
Conclusion: For an all-season performance sedan, forget your audi S4's, your BMW M cars (too expensive for me anyways), forget pretty much anything else above $35k, because you don't need to think about them. The Subaru WRX is, in my personal opinion, *the* benchmark for the affordable peformance sedan market. It does everything right. Huge power. Great handling. Comfortable yet tight interior. Gauges bright but not intrusive. Magical downshifts. Powerful and positive upshifts. I love the WRX... and I love it even more now. If you're in the perfomance sedan market on a budget of under $40k, then this is your car, hands down, no argument.
2006 Honda Civic coupe (LX model)
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http://members.shaw.ca/vagabondreviews/civic-0.jpg
(special note) I talk about the coupe in my conclusion and intro with a family orientation, as I am pretty much comparing this car vs the Yaris, which I also saw from a family viewpoint with performance in mind. Hence, I only thought it fair to express my opinions in this review to even things out :D
Base price: $17.2k As tested: $21k
Yes... being a Honda driver, I couldn't let this review period go by without testing a Honda :D
I'm one of those that likes the new Civics... they look awesome, have a great aggressive and sleek feel to them, and are well within the budget of a person that is starting into the job market and wants a good personal vehicle for him and maybe a small family. While the Yaris reviewed above is perfect for the small family, I do have some arguments against the Civic as a small family vehicle. It is much more suited to the 2 to 3 kid family. But that will be explained in my conclusion.
Handling wise, the new Civic is a well planted, although strangely floaty car. What I mean by this is that with the looks and the engineering, I get the feeling that this car should feed me all the information I want through the steering wheel, yet it is somewhat dulled. I mean, there is road feel, no doubts, but it feels like the power steering system is being a little TOO intrusive. I get the feeling that there is such promise to the feel... it's just in the Si and the mainline models are dulled down a bit to suit the "generic" crowd. That being said, turn in was very sharp, the car understeering slightly during corners at speed, although that is expected of a front wheel drive. There was significant lean, although the car didn't squeal a tire or feel too out of shape. Confident, but meant perhaps for softer hands than mine.
Shifter in the Civic is an entirely different story. I get the feeling that they borrowed the idea from the S2000. The throws are relatively short, extremely positive, a good mechanical "click" able to be felt, and feeds HUGE amounts of engine information to your hand. Lovely lovely LOVELY shifter. Clutch is typical honda soft, meaning that the engagement point is somewhat floating but within an easily adapted to range, and 1st gear slip could be done in your sleep. Not as hard as I'm used to (my car right now has a cable clutch, so I'm used to feeling a good hard grip point), but it will leave your left leg feeling happy after a long drive. Pedals are well placed for heel-toe shifting, with good engine response for some sporty shifting if desired.
Interior of the civic is nicely done, and I personally love the two-tiered dash. One shouldn't really need a big glaring tach in their face, so Honda puts it out of the direct line of sight, but does leave the vital bits (speed and such) up in your line of sight. I found that I could read the speed without even having to look down at it, which means yours eyes are on the road. Very smart, very nice dash. Controls are easily reached, although some stretching was required for far-right side controls. Console is fairly standard civic fare. Seats are great, if a little hard. I expect that was just "new car" hardness, however. Engine noise penetrates the cabin, but not to the point of an S2000. You can hear throttle changes and small noises though, so it may be a little more intrusive than some would like, but I liked it.
The engine for the standard Civic is 140 (sae) bhp across the board, 197 for the Si. 128 lb-ft of torque for the standards, 137 for the Si. Redline is a pleasantly screaming 8000 rpm for the Si, 7000 for the others. The car lacks pull in the low revs, which is common to all Hondas, but once you get above 3000 rpm, it's goodbye Mrs. Marple. The first cam of the i-VTEC comes at 3000 rpm and you can hear the engine note change and the power appear out of left field. From 3000 on up to 7000, the car pulls confidently, to the point that I would be very confident passing on a back-highway with a quick heel-toe downshift and some good acceleration. Butt-dyno expected about a 7.5-9 0-100
Conclusion: Now, I stated that I wouldn't recommend this car for a small family. Why? Because, simply, the car is huge. It may be that other cars have less interior space, but the Civic feels like driving an old shark tailed Cadillac. The reason for this, I think is that the driving position is so far forward, the hood is short and the back seats are far back from the front seats. This car would be abso-smackin-lutely perfect for a family with two kids and a baby. Trunk space is generous, and it does have more power than the Yaris 5-door. It also has slightly lower MPG due to the performance i-VTEC system. For me, the standard coupe wouldn't be my car of choice. The Si, however, would be. But, for the average middle class taxpayer, this car allows for fun and family. The sedan is also an option, but loses some of the sporty look.
(Again, all pictures used in this review section have been ripped from the net shamelessly, although credit given at the top of the post)
EDITED 2: fixed some spelling errors -_-
Ah, spring is in the air! (glares at the rain)
Anyways, with spring and summer coming up, I have been out doing some test driving of cars that I've had my eyes on for some time, either as an interest purely for the fact to see what it was like, or for possible future purchase (maybe as early as the end of the year o_O!)
First of all, let me state that the opinions expressed in these reviews are mine and mine alone. You don't have to agree with them or even like them, but you don't have to post any rude comments telling me how stupid my opinions are or that I am wrong. :P Also, being somewhat of a performance oriented person, I'll be reviewing mostly along those lines, skipping over minor details like how many settings the radio has, or if the seats are heated or not.
Anyways, over the past 2 weeks, I've tested 5 cars between $15,000 and $50,000 that I think will attract buyers (and that I've wanted to test anyways), with three more tests scheduled for next week (scheduled so I can do extended tests).
On with the reviews, in the following order:
2006 Mazda MX-5 GS
2006 Pontiac Solstice (convenience package)
2006 Toyota Yaris hatchback
2006 Subaru Impreza WRX
2006 Honda Civic coupe
2006 Acura TL (next week)
2006 Ford Mustang GT (next week)
2006 Dodge Magnum (next week)
2006 Mazda MX-5 GS
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http://members.shaw.ca/vagabondreviews/mx-5-0.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/vagabondreviews/mx-5-1.jpg
Base price ~$33k before taxes and options. Tested with 6MT, A/C, LSD, upgraded shocks. Tested price ~$35-36k
Okay, I'll come right out and say it. I've always loved the MX-5, and yes I'm secure in my sexuality. So when the new one came out and looked like it did, promised what it did, and even got the large honking thumbs up from such reliable and impartial (cough) reviewers as Top Gear :D, I just had to drive it.
And so I did.
The new MX-5 hints at the first generation with the oval smiling air intake at the front and the playfully simple rear. It takes the headlight idea from the second generation and makes it its own. From any angle, this car is at the same time like a hyperactive two year old screaming "PAY ATTENTION TO ME" and a sophisticated, muscular, modern sports car that is raring to go. It looks superb.
The MX-5 is known to be one of the best handling cars out there, and this new model is no letdown. Steering feel was precise but not jarring, allowing me to feel the bumps and wiggles of the pavement but not shattering my wrists. Turn in is EXTEMELY precise, with the car leaning just a tad towards the outside wheels, but the chassis gives you confidence to just bomb around a corner at a very happy speed. Weight is near perfect 50/50, so quick lane changes, hard turns and even just regular driving was incredibly tactile. Along with the shifter (talked about in a bit), you really do feel like the organic beating heart of a surgically precise machine.
The shifter in this little monster is WONDERFUL. And I seriously mean that. It's chunky, notchy, but still smooth and short throw. It really makes you feel like it's connected to the engine and you're throwing a massive sports shifter, but it's as easy as shifting in a luxury sedan. I could and did shift with one finger, but when your whole hand is involved on the shifter, it's tactile and very positive. It's up there with the S2000 as perhaps the best shifter on the market. Ever. Pedals are also well placed for heel-toe downshifting, although the brake pedal when the brakes are cold is INCREDIBLY sensitive, allowing maybe 1 inch of travel. Once the brakes are up to temperature, that rises to around 3-4 inches. Clutch pedal feel is quick and precise, engagement point is controllable allowing for 1st gear slipping without worrying about jerking the car, and feels positive for the rest of the gears.
This is the first MX-5 that I can fit in properly. That is in itself a grandiose achievement, as I am 6 feet tall and usually have to poke my eyes over the windshield to see out of a convertible. The MX-5's seats are lowslung, huggy buckets that allow for us big guys to sit comfortably with good lateral and under-thigh support. The wheel is adjustable rake, didn't try for reach as it was the right distance at any rake anyways. This car, much like an S2000, is driver centric, with the center tower controls angled just slightly towards the driver, all controls and dials easily reached without any stretch whatsoever. With the roof up, there are some headroom issues, but this is a convertible. It's a sin to have the roof up. Roof down during deerfoot (ie highway) speeds, win buffeting in the cabin was minimal, wind roar was strangely quiet, and I had a great, normal volume conversation with the salesdude without having to yell. Engine noise penetrates a little into the cabin under hard acceleration, but it's a deep throaty roar that makes you want to grab another gear.
The engine, while only 170 bhp and 140-odd lb-ft torque, pulls HARD from 2000 rpm and smooths out around 4500, with impressive acceleration in both 1st and 2nd from stop and slow roll, respectively. Redlines 6600-ish. Exhaust note is pleasant but non-intrusive. Trunk space is existant, but wouldn't hold much more than a duffel bag for extended trips
Conclusion: If I were to buy a convertible for tossing around a windy backroad and couldn't afford an S2000, I would buy the MX-5 in a heartbeat. It's tight, responsive, tells you what's happening without being intrusive, yet allows you to putter around town like a regular joe if you want. The butt-dyno estimates 6.5 to 7.5 seconds 0-100 kph, and it feels a lot more powerful than it's engine numbers.
2006 Pontiac Solstice
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http://members.shaw.ca/vagabondreviews/solstice-0.jpg
Base price: ~$26k before options, packages, taxes. As tested (convenience package) ~$28k before taxes
Well, this is a touchy car to review. There have been mixed opinions, arguments, debates, PM fights, everything about this car on this board that I've seen. So I thought I would test it to get my own opinion on it.
My very first opinion of the car is that while it looks nice from some angles, from others it looks like a snot-faced mutant. It is U-G-L-Y from the front, and the roofline with the top up just doesn't work. I also found that the rear trunk line makes the back wheels look relatively small.
Anyways, to driving. The steering wheel is big and chunky in your hands, giving some confidence, but is let down by a mushy feel through the column. While there is connection to the front wheels, and you know that there is with your tactile senses, it's just not as sharp or as present as I personally like. It may be fine for other drivers, however, so I do urge that if you're interested to go and test one for feel. Corners were handled shockingly well, with the front end pushing out slightly at speed in tighter corners, but not so much as to cause shit-your-pants understeer before flying off the road into a fireball of death and doom. It's progressive and lets you know without scaring you that you're pushing the limit a bit on the turn. A simple and tiny let up on the throttle gradually allows the front to come back into line and the car to settle back into a good turn. Suspension was a little soft for my tastes (I like a hard, razor sharp car), but handled road bumps and wiggles without upsetting the car. With the club sport package, I think that the car would gain about 15% better feel. While the handling was good, it was a little front heavy, and didn't instill the same confidence as the MX-5 did. I'm not saying it's a slouch tho... just that it's not as sharp, which may be perfect for someone wanting a nice looking car (in their opinion) that is more of a city cruiser than a back-road monster.
Shifter in the Solstice has a slightly mushy feel, not telling me much information about what it's connected to. Throws are medium-short, about 6 inches, with the gates well spaced. Quick up and down shifts are possible, although heel-toe might be a problem unless you have big feet. Clutch is grippy from a standstill, the engagement point a little floaty, but I expect that after owning the car for a week, one would be used to it and it'd seem normal.
Inside the cabin is a mixed feeling. The dials are present and nicely placed, but the handbrake was awkward to reach. Most controls are easily reached from a standard driving position, although I would have liked the shifter a little farther forward than it was. The seats are cushy and comfortable, and do grip in hard cornering. With the top down, there is some buffeting in the cabin, with some included wind roar, but nothing that would tire you out during long drives.
The engine in the Solstice is an inline-4, the same as an MX-5 and an S2000. The solstice comes in with 7 more bhp than the MX-5 and 63 less than the S2000, at 177 bhp and 225 lb-ft of torque. While those numbers are good, the butt-dyno was telling me that this car wasn't as happy to go to higher revs as the MX-5, and felt slightly slower 0-100, I'd say 7-8 seconds average. Power starting to wake up around 2000 rpm, but died off around 4000, feeling raspy and a little tired as the engine neared the 7000 rpm redline. Exhaust is deep and growling, engine noise is not too bad under hard acceleration, although I would like to hear it more.
Conclusion: for a city cruising convertible, I would not tell someone to walk away from a Solstice. I would not buy it myself, but that is me. It does have good handling, decent low end acceleration and grunt (good for stop and go traffic), and a very decent cruiser at highway or freeway speeds. While I personally would not buy it, the Solstice does show that Pontiac actually knows how to do a car mostly right (at least the top goes up and down o_O! and it knows what a corner is), and those that know me will know that I very VERY rarely say that about an American car.
2006 (2007 named) Toyota Yaris RS hatchback
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http://members.shaw.ca/vagabondreviews/yaris-0.jpg
Base price ~$15k, as tested $16.8k before taxes
Ever since watching the Aygo video from Top Gear, I've wanted to try out the Aygo's bigger brother, the Yaris. I was going to test a standard base model, but it was already out on a drive so I took out a Yaris 3-door RS hatch instead.
For such a tiny car, the Yaris lets itself be known. The RS has a big, aggressive RS badge on the front grille, much like Honda and the Si badging. It's big, there, in your face. I like that kind of aggression, even on a mini-car. The Yaris does have a high roofline, but it's raked with the windshield to allow for a smooth, flowing look to the car. For a hatch, the Yaris looks pleasing if even a tad aggressive and sporty from all angles.
Handling is nothing stellar, but it is confidence inspiring. The wheel is big and easy to hold, feeds good information and turn in at decent speed does feel good, if a little understeery, which isn't all that unexpected, as this is a decent family hatch, not a grocery-getter-go-kart. Suspension on the RS is a little harder than on the standard model, as I'm told, but still didn't shatter my spine or toss me around over road bumps and wiggles. The car feels nicely planted, although there is some lean during quick lane changes.
Shifter is 5 speeds, with a good solid engagement, but still supremely easy to shift gears. Clutch is easy on the leg and has a HUGE engagement area allowing for even the most ham-footed driver to find a good slip in 1st and feel confident throughout the rest of the gears
Inside, the Yaris, despite its small look, gobbled me up. It's HUGE. The sheer square footage in the Yaris would easily hold 4 adults comfortably for in city driving, and 2 plus a very decent cargo (thanks to the fold down rear seats) for inter-city travel. Seats are comfortable, although I would have liked a little more bolstering to keep my upper body centered during on-ramp/off-ramp turns, sharp 90 degree turns and the like. Still, for $16800, you really do get your money's worth. I've never been a fan of the central gauge cluster, as I like it in my line of sight, but the Yaris' is easy to read with a quick glance. Gauges are nothing to write home about, but they serve their purpose for an entry-level vehicle. Center tower is nicely equipped, easily reached, and the center console is just right for an economy car.
I do have to mention the storage space in this little monster. It's MASSIVE. With the back seats down, it looks like it could hold a couple of pregnant hippopotamuses (woo! I spelled that right!) without much trouble. For hauling groceries, computer equipment, anything with a basically square shape, it is perfect. Skis and snowboards I would use an aftermarket roof rack system.
The engine in the Yaris is rated at 106 bhp and 104 lb-ft of torque. While this may seem low, remember... the Yaris is light. It's tiny. So 106 bhp is more than enough to get the Yaris happily around town or even on the highway. Butt-dyno felt good acceleration from a standstill, although 2nd gear acceleration (ie coming off an on-ramp to merge or to pass another car) could be better. It's not horrible, just average. Engine is quiet and non-intrusive, with a good roar during hard, high-rpm acceleration (probably as the RS has a slightly modified exhaust to allow for a more sportier note).
Conclusion: For a small family or just-graduated-college/university vehicle, this little guy is perfect. It allows for fun when you want to have a little, but hauls a full month's groceries for a single person in an apartment with room to spare. For a couple with no kids and on a budget, this is a definite recommendation. If there are kids, I would recommend the 5 door LE or RS. Also, it should be mentioned that the Hatch pulls an impressive 40 mpg in city driving. Very nice hatch, I personally like it.
2006 Subaru Impreza WRX (w/o sunroof)
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http://members.shaw.ca/vagabondreviews/wrx-0.jpg
Base price ~$35k before taxes
Ah, we now come to one of my all time favorite cars. I've loved Subaru's since I first saw one with a hood scoop something like 15 years ago. They may not be the prettiest of cars, nor the most luxurious, but they just have that certain charm about them that all Subie owners will know what I mean :) I also personally thought that the new snubby nosed look of the Impreza (as well as most subarus) was a horrendously ugly thing to do, but with that lovely air scoop and slightly flared wheel arches, it actually fits well on the WRX.
Handling wise, the 2006 WRX is shockingly tight. For a car of its size and girth, it turns in so tight that I would even call it pointy. What I mean by this is that you turn the wheel where you want the front of the car to go and it goes without so much as a grunt of complaint. This car TURNS. Road feel is impressive, the wheel is thick and comfortable. Tactile response is excellent for an AWD car, with the car handling bumps and wiggles in the road without ripping your wrists apart. With the awd and the extremely good suspension, this car is confidence in a sedan shape. I took two 90 degree turns, a left-right chicane near in the industrial area near Blackfoot trail (yes, I test drove from Centaur) at... well, SOME decent speed, and the car didn't even lean. It just went BAM-BAM-DONE around the corners. Not even a tire squeak. Without a doubt, this car is so good that I would, dare I say it, put it as the best handling sedan money can buy in the $30-$60k range. I could find a back road with 400 corners on it in 5 kilometers, do it, turn around, do it again, and STILL want to turn around and do it all day long. It just feels THAT GOOD.
The clutch in the WRX takes a little getting used to, as you are disengaging and engaging a clutch that feeds power to all four wheels all the time. It's high on the pedal travel, and very sudden. 1st gear slip is manageable, but would need living with the car a bit to get fully used to. However, the clutch is very positive, solid, sporty. Heel-toe downshifts in the WRX are a mofugging dream. The engine revs quickly and the shifter snicks solidly home, with the pedals placed perfectly for my size 11.5's. Shifter feel chunky, mechanical and confident, happily snapping up and down the 5 speed range.
Inside the WRX can be a little tight for us bigger folk, but with the 2006 model there is a slight space increase inside and it feels miles bigger. The seats are hugely bolstered, holding you like superglue, as well as comfortable and pleasant to be in in stop-go traffic. Since the interior is tight, all controls are easily reached and the handbrake is well placed, out of the way but quickly accessed if needed. Controls are all within easy reach. Engine noise does penetrate into the cabin, but this is a good thing.
The engine on the WRX is one hell of a happy monster. 225 bhp and 230 odd lb ft of torque (depending on who you talk to) will get you going very quickly. 1st gear acceleration is necksnapping, and whatever gear you're in, if you're above 2500 rpm and put the pedal down, it's like going into warp. The engine is 2.5 liters vs 2.0 from previous years, so the turbo lag is significantly reduced and the engine absolutely hauls ass right up to the 6500ish redline. Butt-dyno was feeling low 6's for 0-100, maybe even high 5's if shifting fast enough. The engine chugs happily at idle, and even out of the turbo between 1000 and 2500 rpm, it has decent pull. But into the turbo and the speed multiplies exponentially.
Conclusion: For an all-season performance sedan, forget your audi S4's, your BMW M cars (too expensive for me anyways), forget pretty much anything else above $35k, because you don't need to think about them. The Subaru WRX is, in my personal opinion, *the* benchmark for the affordable peformance sedan market. It does everything right. Huge power. Great handling. Comfortable yet tight interior. Gauges bright but not intrusive. Magical downshifts. Powerful and positive upshifts. I love the WRX... and I love it even more now. If you're in the perfomance sedan market on a budget of under $40k, then this is your car, hands down, no argument.
2006 Honda Civic coupe (LX model)
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http://members.shaw.ca/vagabondreviews/civic-0.jpg
(special note) I talk about the coupe in my conclusion and intro with a family orientation, as I am pretty much comparing this car vs the Yaris, which I also saw from a family viewpoint with performance in mind. Hence, I only thought it fair to express my opinions in this review to even things out :D
Base price: $17.2k As tested: $21k
Yes... being a Honda driver, I couldn't let this review period go by without testing a Honda :D
I'm one of those that likes the new Civics... they look awesome, have a great aggressive and sleek feel to them, and are well within the budget of a person that is starting into the job market and wants a good personal vehicle for him and maybe a small family. While the Yaris reviewed above is perfect for the small family, I do have some arguments against the Civic as a small family vehicle. It is much more suited to the 2 to 3 kid family. But that will be explained in my conclusion.
Handling wise, the new Civic is a well planted, although strangely floaty car. What I mean by this is that with the looks and the engineering, I get the feeling that this car should feed me all the information I want through the steering wheel, yet it is somewhat dulled. I mean, there is road feel, no doubts, but it feels like the power steering system is being a little TOO intrusive. I get the feeling that there is such promise to the feel... it's just in the Si and the mainline models are dulled down a bit to suit the "generic" crowd. That being said, turn in was very sharp, the car understeering slightly during corners at speed, although that is expected of a front wheel drive. There was significant lean, although the car didn't squeal a tire or feel too out of shape. Confident, but meant perhaps for softer hands than mine.
Shifter in the Civic is an entirely different story. I get the feeling that they borrowed the idea from the S2000. The throws are relatively short, extremely positive, a good mechanical "click" able to be felt, and feeds HUGE amounts of engine information to your hand. Lovely lovely LOVELY shifter. Clutch is typical honda soft, meaning that the engagement point is somewhat floating but within an easily adapted to range, and 1st gear slip could be done in your sleep. Not as hard as I'm used to (my car right now has a cable clutch, so I'm used to feeling a good hard grip point), but it will leave your left leg feeling happy after a long drive. Pedals are well placed for heel-toe shifting, with good engine response for some sporty shifting if desired.
Interior of the civic is nicely done, and I personally love the two-tiered dash. One shouldn't really need a big glaring tach in their face, so Honda puts it out of the direct line of sight, but does leave the vital bits (speed and such) up in your line of sight. I found that I could read the speed without even having to look down at it, which means yours eyes are on the road. Very smart, very nice dash. Controls are easily reached, although some stretching was required for far-right side controls. Console is fairly standard civic fare. Seats are great, if a little hard. I expect that was just "new car" hardness, however. Engine noise penetrates the cabin, but not to the point of an S2000. You can hear throttle changes and small noises though, so it may be a little more intrusive than some would like, but I liked it.
The engine for the standard Civic is 140 (sae) bhp across the board, 197 for the Si. 128 lb-ft of torque for the standards, 137 for the Si. Redline is a pleasantly screaming 8000 rpm for the Si, 7000 for the others. The car lacks pull in the low revs, which is common to all Hondas, but once you get above 3000 rpm, it's goodbye Mrs. Marple. The first cam of the i-VTEC comes at 3000 rpm and you can hear the engine note change and the power appear out of left field. From 3000 on up to 7000, the car pulls confidently, to the point that I would be very confident passing on a back-highway with a quick heel-toe downshift and some good acceleration. Butt-dyno expected about a 7.5-9 0-100
Conclusion: Now, I stated that I wouldn't recommend this car for a small family. Why? Because, simply, the car is huge. It may be that other cars have less interior space, but the Civic feels like driving an old shark tailed Cadillac. The reason for this, I think is that the driving position is so far forward, the hood is short and the back seats are far back from the front seats. This car would be abso-smackin-lutely perfect for a family with two kids and a baby. Trunk space is generous, and it does have more power than the Yaris 5-door. It also has slightly lower MPG due to the performance i-VTEC system. For me, the standard coupe wouldn't be my car of choice. The Si, however, would be. But, for the average middle class taxpayer, this car allows for fun and family. The sedan is also an option, but loses some of the sporty look.
(Again, all pictures used in this review section have been ripped from the net shamelessly, although credit given at the top of the post)