Vagabond142
11-16-2006, 09:00 PM
Well, everyone knows that I love to test drive cars and/or dealerships as a blind test (ie no setup, no warning, just walk in and start rating stuff right away, ie secret shopper).
However, despite reporting my findings to the dealerships themselves to give them a customer's eye view, I also test cars for reviews so I can post them here, as I know that many people on Beyond are pondering new cars over the typically cheaper winter months.
THese "5-minute" reviews are so called because I try to write out each review so that it takes no longer than 5 minutes to read it and get the major facts, as I see them. I review: appeal, interior, straightline power, cornering feel, rough-road feel, transmission (all MT), and my overall impressions. I don't worry about economy, heater performance, etc... my job here is to give a basic overview... if you wanna know more, there are people paid to review these cars in far more depth :D
For this set of reviews, I targetted cars that one would be looking at if one were coming fresh out of post secondary and into a good job and needed a good "second car" per se (ie not the rustbucket that got you through post secondary ;) )
In this batch of reviews, I test drove:
-2007 Volkswagen Rabbit 2.5 3-door
-2006 Mazda 3 Sport (aka miniwagon)
-2006 Ford Focus ZX3
-2006 Dodge Caliber base model
-2006 Mini Cooper Classic
-2006 Toyota Corolla base mt
-2006 Nissan Sentra 2.0
Reviews will be ordered worst-to-best, in my personal opinion. Remember, these are JUST MY OPINIONS, as this is a totally and utterly subjective review of these cars and dealerships.
1) Cars:
2006 Ford Focus ZX3
Well, as I said, I start with the worst.
The Focus has never really grabbed me as anything other than a cheap car for people on a super tight budget or those that are really frugal. It's at a perfect price point for them too, $16k for a base model. WIth $4k down, and on a good finance deal (something american retailers ARE known for), you can get a car for cheap.
But do you get what you pay for? Unfortunately, yes. You pay cheap, you get cheap. The car looks... flimsy, even just walking up to it. It doesn't LOOK solid, and things only went downhill from there. The interior is, in a word, horrid. Everything feels cheap, plasticky, not well put together, including the steering wheel. The seat offers little bolstering, and feels, honestly, like it was made with a hemp bedsheet. Rough.
The car does have a couple of bright points though. The steering is, suprisingly, very good. It was fast, responsive with moderate feel. Cornering was done confidently until a low limit was reached, when the car suddenly understeers, with no real feel when it will go, as one gets from something like a Civic or an older Corrola. Unfortunately, these limits are usually found on off and on ramps. Ride quality was bouncy and a little scary with the lean in corners, but once the car is set into the turn, it's not all that bad. I would like stiffer springs and wider tires to give better cornering, though.
Clutch was very easy to manipulate. Contact and slip points were easily found, and the clutch pedal itself travels very positively and smoothly. Shifter is typical cheap car, meaning it feels like you're stirring a vat of liquid honey. Not much engine sensation, muddy gates. It's not like you won't find your gear, it'll just feel soft and negative.
Power is delivered sluggishly at lower revs, and more positively the higher up the rev band the needle goes. About 3/4's of the way to redline, the engine decides to take a coffee break, and becomes a little wheezy. Moderate acceleration effort results in a leaping front end, which doesn't inspire much confidence in a FWD car.
Overall: As a cheap car, this car is the definition. It is cheap, cheaply built, and cheap to run, apparently, as it takes regular gas. My feelings are that if you have to choose between this and a Hyundai Accent... I'd go with the Focus. Otherwise, save up that little bit more and go for a different car.
2006 Toyota Corolla
Wow. A Toyota in second to last place. What happened here?
What happened is that Toyota has really lost sight of where they have been. THey have had EXCELLENT cars in the past, such as the much loved rwd Corollas, the Supra and Celica lines (back when they were good), the venerable MR2 Mark I and II's. They used to be a company that thought driver experience first. Now, it seems that they are just chasing the buck.
Don't get me wrong, Toyota makes very good cars. They are solid, well put together, IMMENSELY reliable (look up "Top Gear" and "Hilux Diesel" and watch the videos as they try to destroy a toyota diesel), and very good as city commuters. But with what I drive, I want to have fun, feel like it's something just that little bit special.
The Corolla is, well.... plain. It just doesn't say "look, I'm worth the $18k you'll pay for me." It's very well built (just give the door a good slam and hear that lovely *thunk* of a well made car), but nothing in it stood up and waved it's arms about at me.
The steering is good, good feel, but understeers slightly even at low speeds in a corner. I could feel the slight push which settled out with a slight throttle lift. This may be down to the tires on the car or the gravel on the road, but even on clean corners it pushed a little. I think this may be due to the fact that the Corolla pushes a little too much weight forward.
Ride quality is good but not great. Bumps and cracks sent sensations up the spine with a little jolt, but nothing as backbreaking as the Focus. Road noise is there, but not rippingly loud. Under moderate to vigorous acceleration, the engine does like to perk up and haul you off at a decent rate of knots, without the diving and leaping of the focus, which speaks loads about the chassis and suspension setups.
Interior feel is typically toyota, meaning it's functional, but done on a decent budget. It's no Bentley or BMW, but it does have very good interior fit and finish for this price sector.
Overall: I would recommend this car to the newly minted graduate with a family. As a family car, it feels just right. If you were buying this for fun, then I would again pass it up. It has pep... it just doesn't have character.
2007 Dodge Caliber SE w/ 2.0 engine
This car was a little weird. It is a newer design, the second generation of said model, with a moderately good concept, that of the mini-Crossover Utility Vehicle. I still think of it as a 5-door hatch, but then again I'm not in marketing :P
When I approached the Caliber, it looks like it means business. Bulges, hard lines. It has a certain menace about it. It also feels well made, with the door giving a good thunk, the seat bolstering well, good headroom, and a shockingly good interior. It feels like they brought in a German to do the interior, and it shows. The plastics are very decent, the console itself is intelligently laid out, and everything is instantly and easily available. Another neat feature that i think the newly minted graduate will like is the iPod holder that you can get with the car, and the iPod input plug right in the center console. It shows that Dodge, shockingly enough, are thinking about customers.
THe engine even sounds good on startup. It gives a good purr when you first start it, then settles down into an almost muscle-car burble, but still sounding refined. It likes to zip up the revrange in neutral without delay, and gives a good throaty tone. During acceleration, too, it likes to kick up the dirt and launch you down the road. For a car of this size and weight, the 160 horses and about 17 million lbs/ft of torque like to send you on your way.
Unfortunately, the Caliber fails in the place that many american cars do... the ride and the transmission. The clutch is too light for my tastes, with no real contact or slip feel, which is done mostly by ear. The shifter likes to leap about in the center console, each touch of the throttle setting it a-shudder. Gates are reasonably well spaced and feel positive, but the engine sends pretty much nothing down the linkage to your hand unless you push the shifter hard into the gate, against the rubber stops.
The ride is soft ("comfortable") and as such the car likes to pitch lightly in corners. If you do a smooth entry and exit, then the car stays settled and very controllable during cornering, with no understeer until well past reasonable cornering speeds :angel:, even in adverse conditions such as Calgary regular weather. I could feel the back wanting to bobble a bit, however, so one would have to watch their throttling during cornering to keep it even. The ride is also bouncy and rough over uneven roads and cracks. On smooth pavement, though, the Caliber is surprisingly well tracked.
Overall, I would put this car (as tested ~$18k) in the middle range of consideration. It is a good little city utility. It's got a donkey's assload of torque, decent power, and feels like the kind of car one would want if they wanted a domestic car that had a bit of design thought put into it. I would not discourage someone from getting it if they were prepared for the lackluster transmission feel and wobbly suspension over rough and cracked roads.
2007 Nissan Sentra 2.0
I will come right out and say it, I usually don't like lower end Nissan's. They, to me, are like Toyota's... unimaginative, playing to the cheap end of things. HOWEVER, Nissan does have one thing going for it... they at least still have character in what they do.
The sentra, to me... is honestly a touch on the ugly side. I mean, not as nasty as a focus by far, but still a little stubby and fat-at-the-hips. The car does feel really solid, however, once inside. Everything is well put together, and despite my *ahem* unintentionally leaning on teh center console, seat sides, etc, nothing squeaked. This impressed me. The interior is a little bland, but is functional and centralized. Everything is withing about a vertical foot and a quarter, and clearly marked. The steering wheel was pleasantly chunky but not too thick.
On the road, I came to appreciate the work that went into the Sentra. It may be ugly, but it was designed by people that were working for more than just a paycheque. It feels, honestly, fun. It's decently nimble, doesn't mind sudden maneuvers, stays confident in cornering without a hint of understeer, and, if you lift off the throttle suddenly in a corner, the back end even does a teeny tiny bit of wobbling about. I get the feeling with spirited driving, this car could be massive fun.
The engine also impresses. It feels like it belongs in a higher end model car. It revs hard and happy, not losing steam until just before redline, where it tapers off into a constant powerband, not a wheezy gaspy engine like many of the previous cars. I get the feeling that the engineers took the best power bits from the 3.5 V6 that powers the 350Z and applied them to the rest of the model range.
Clutch feel is present, but again not nearly as active and positive as I personally like, but for a regular driver, I can see it being pleasantly communicative. I could find contact and slip with blinders on and sound cancellers on my ears. It is MUCH more communicative than modern Honda clutches, which is nice, as I do like to feel the interface between tranny and engine. Shifter is snickety, a little wobbly, but still sends good vibration and engine information to my right hand during shifts.
Overall, I would have no problems recommending the Sentra to a blind man. If it weren't so incontrovertably ugly, it would be much nearer the top of my list. It's a damned good car for $18k.
Two way tie for second!!
2006 Mini Cooper Classic
Ah, the Mini. BMW's little FWD wonder. I will come right out and say it: If you have the money, the desire and the patience to deal with BMW typical pricing and service... then the Mini is the car for the graduate that wants a car that can be driven to the bollocks and back and still be fun.
I love the look of the Mini. "A modern vision of the classic" is the common catchphrase, and it does hold true. Inside, it's all quirky and funky and FUN. Big chunky door handles. Centralized controls. MASSIVE speedo in the center console. Rev counter in the line of sight. Steering wheel that feels like it came out of an M5. This car, despite it's cutesy image, is built incredibly well, and I get the feel is designed to go rippingly fast through corners.
On the road, the peppy little fourbanger with 115 horses does a very appreciable job moving the Mini about. It feels very positive and clawing when accelerating, like it wants to go faster. The engine does get a tad wheezy near 5800 rpm, but that's almost redline so it's not too much of a bother. It gives off a LOVELY engine note, though, so you'll be shifting a LOT in this car just to hear it.
Clutch is communicative and very positive. Because the engine is less than a foot and a half from your left foot, the linkages are short, and as such shifter and clutch feel from the engine are almost sports car perfect. I didn't once need to look at any dials or lights to know exactly what the engine was doing at any time.
Cornering in the Mini is go-kart perfect. It turns in VERY hard, with no understeer, holds your line, and delivers a confident exit, all without a single squeak of a tire. I even tried a bit of tossing about, and the car just took it in stride (did so in a large, empty parking lot near a movie theater in the morning). Lock to lock steering was almost tossing me out the side windows, it just grips and turns. I think one could get into loads of fun times at a track with this car. Ride was also superb, handling cracks and bumps with stiffness but not tossing you about or wobbling all over the place. The center of gravity in the car is low and it shows.
Overall, this car is for those that don't have that much to haul about but want a car that is at the same time docile yet full of verve and vim and ready to take anything you throw at it. Highly recommended
2006 Mazda3 Sport (aka miniwagon)
As the spiritual succesor to the Protege 5, the M3S has a fair bit to live up to.
I will say that from the front, a Mazda3 looks nice... from there on back, though, it gets a little too crazy and wonky for my tastes. Interior is nicely done, though, feeling very solid and well built (and yes, I know Ford owns Mazda, but Mazda still manufacture all their own cars in their own factories). Steering wheel was small but thick, and all information and dials and knobs and such are all easily within reach.
On the road, the Mazda3 Sport impresses with readily available power that, while not as vigorous as a lot of other cars, is INCREDIBLY smooth in delivery. No hiccups or chugs at any point in the revrange, no sloggings either. Any revs, any speed, put your foot down and the engine responds. Very nice for a near $22k car.
Clutch is a little disconnected but still gives enough feel for good driving. Shifter delivers all engine information comfortably, but not too muted.
However, where this car shines and lives up to the P5 is in the cornering. This car likes corners. It is friends with corners. It doesn't understeer, doesn't wag its ass about, just corners with confidence, even at decent speed. The front end remains planted and doesn't protest. One of the best handling cars from Mazda, right up there with the MX-5 and RX-8, in my opinion.
Overall, for the grad with a family to move about, groceries to get, etc, this is pretty much THE car. It's large enough to haul a lot of cargo, and is also sensibly family sized. It can also be used as a personal play toy, which is where I think the car's strength lies.
And next year, there's a 263 bhp turbo version coming out :devil:
2007 Volkswagen Rabbit 2.5 3-door
What's this? Vagabond giving a VW the WINNING position? Is he on drugs? Has he suffered some sort of delusional episode?
No. The Rabbit, known as the regular Golf to the rest of the world, earns its place. I usually take a very dim view on Volkswagens because they are just too plain, too "standard" for my liking. The Rabbit, however, FINALLY brings some of that ingenious German design concept to our paltry shores.
I guess I am also biased because the Rabbit I drove was jet black, with alloys and 205/55R16 tires. It LOOKS menacing. I know, a VW looking mean? Well, yes. In black. Also, the headlights curving in sharply to the center grill make it look like it's scowling.
The interior is shockingly fresh (for VW). The center console is superbly laid out, with everything within easy reach, very tacticle and doesn't feel cheap. The steering wheel is the same style (not the EXACT wheel, but the same thickness, etc) that comes in the GTI, so it's thick, small and very pleasant to hold. The seats, despite being fabric, feel very high quality, and are bolstered well enough for spirited driving whilst remaining immensely comfortable. The dash instrumentation comes unabashedly from Audi, so it's very tasteful and has the central information center featured on pretty much all Audi's.
The engine is a very torquey 150 hp I-5, which is odd for a transverse FWD mounting. It does, however, go like the clappers. The suspension feels tuned for a very sporty edge, while remaning comfortable for high speed driving. I actually got up to 160 kph during the acceleration test before I even realized I was doing that speed.
Clutch feel is shockingly good. Every vibration, slip, contact, shudder... it was all fed (albeit a little muted, because of the hydraulics) into my left hoof, and made for quick, precise shifting. The shifter also feels lifted from an Audi, and as such is very positive and gated tight and fast. Shifter feel is excellent, giving me all the information I want from the engine without giving me too much.
Ride is very smooth over minor bumps and cracks, and slightly jarring over larger bumps and cracks, but that's not to say it's uncomfortable. It's VERY responsive, not letting the car lean more than half a degree or so before settling down during vigorous cornering. Lock to lock steering is fast and almost pointy, ie you think where you want to go and you're there.
Cornering is a joy. I'll put it right out there and say it. They took the lessons learned from the GTI (of which this car shares the same chassis) and applied them to a gentler, but still sporty car. Also of note: the Rabbit has a LSD. It makes all the difference. It really does.
For me, the VW Rabbit wins because it finds that perfect balance for me: Affordable price ($23-$24k after a few options and taxes), good city road manners but still full of character and sportiness. It wins because it melds those last two so well. So, for a new car, I would have to highly recommend the VW Rabbit 2.5
(note: it also comes in a Golf-ish 5 door version which is slightly heavier and a couple thousand $'s more expensive, but it does come with velour fabric for the seats, included seat heaters, and a few other extras).
In fact.... the Rabbit impressed me so much... I am actually considering buying one for myself come spring :eek: For those that know me, that's a surprising admission :P
However, despite reporting my findings to the dealerships themselves to give them a customer's eye view, I also test cars for reviews so I can post them here, as I know that many people on Beyond are pondering new cars over the typically cheaper winter months.
THese "5-minute" reviews are so called because I try to write out each review so that it takes no longer than 5 minutes to read it and get the major facts, as I see them. I review: appeal, interior, straightline power, cornering feel, rough-road feel, transmission (all MT), and my overall impressions. I don't worry about economy, heater performance, etc... my job here is to give a basic overview... if you wanna know more, there are people paid to review these cars in far more depth :D
For this set of reviews, I targetted cars that one would be looking at if one were coming fresh out of post secondary and into a good job and needed a good "second car" per se (ie not the rustbucket that got you through post secondary ;) )
In this batch of reviews, I test drove:
-2007 Volkswagen Rabbit 2.5 3-door
-2006 Mazda 3 Sport (aka miniwagon)
-2006 Ford Focus ZX3
-2006 Dodge Caliber base model
-2006 Mini Cooper Classic
-2006 Toyota Corolla base mt
-2006 Nissan Sentra 2.0
Reviews will be ordered worst-to-best, in my personal opinion. Remember, these are JUST MY OPINIONS, as this is a totally and utterly subjective review of these cars and dealerships.
1) Cars:
2006 Ford Focus ZX3
Well, as I said, I start with the worst.
The Focus has never really grabbed me as anything other than a cheap car for people on a super tight budget or those that are really frugal. It's at a perfect price point for them too, $16k for a base model. WIth $4k down, and on a good finance deal (something american retailers ARE known for), you can get a car for cheap.
But do you get what you pay for? Unfortunately, yes. You pay cheap, you get cheap. The car looks... flimsy, even just walking up to it. It doesn't LOOK solid, and things only went downhill from there. The interior is, in a word, horrid. Everything feels cheap, plasticky, not well put together, including the steering wheel. The seat offers little bolstering, and feels, honestly, like it was made with a hemp bedsheet. Rough.
The car does have a couple of bright points though. The steering is, suprisingly, very good. It was fast, responsive with moderate feel. Cornering was done confidently until a low limit was reached, when the car suddenly understeers, with no real feel when it will go, as one gets from something like a Civic or an older Corrola. Unfortunately, these limits are usually found on off and on ramps. Ride quality was bouncy and a little scary with the lean in corners, but once the car is set into the turn, it's not all that bad. I would like stiffer springs and wider tires to give better cornering, though.
Clutch was very easy to manipulate. Contact and slip points were easily found, and the clutch pedal itself travels very positively and smoothly. Shifter is typical cheap car, meaning it feels like you're stirring a vat of liquid honey. Not much engine sensation, muddy gates. It's not like you won't find your gear, it'll just feel soft and negative.
Power is delivered sluggishly at lower revs, and more positively the higher up the rev band the needle goes. About 3/4's of the way to redline, the engine decides to take a coffee break, and becomes a little wheezy. Moderate acceleration effort results in a leaping front end, which doesn't inspire much confidence in a FWD car.
Overall: As a cheap car, this car is the definition. It is cheap, cheaply built, and cheap to run, apparently, as it takes regular gas. My feelings are that if you have to choose between this and a Hyundai Accent... I'd go with the Focus. Otherwise, save up that little bit more and go for a different car.
2006 Toyota Corolla
Wow. A Toyota in second to last place. What happened here?
What happened is that Toyota has really lost sight of where they have been. THey have had EXCELLENT cars in the past, such as the much loved rwd Corollas, the Supra and Celica lines (back when they were good), the venerable MR2 Mark I and II's. They used to be a company that thought driver experience first. Now, it seems that they are just chasing the buck.
Don't get me wrong, Toyota makes very good cars. They are solid, well put together, IMMENSELY reliable (look up "Top Gear" and "Hilux Diesel" and watch the videos as they try to destroy a toyota diesel), and very good as city commuters. But with what I drive, I want to have fun, feel like it's something just that little bit special.
The Corolla is, well.... plain. It just doesn't say "look, I'm worth the $18k you'll pay for me." It's very well built (just give the door a good slam and hear that lovely *thunk* of a well made car), but nothing in it stood up and waved it's arms about at me.
The steering is good, good feel, but understeers slightly even at low speeds in a corner. I could feel the slight push which settled out with a slight throttle lift. This may be down to the tires on the car or the gravel on the road, but even on clean corners it pushed a little. I think this may be due to the fact that the Corolla pushes a little too much weight forward.
Ride quality is good but not great. Bumps and cracks sent sensations up the spine with a little jolt, but nothing as backbreaking as the Focus. Road noise is there, but not rippingly loud. Under moderate to vigorous acceleration, the engine does like to perk up and haul you off at a decent rate of knots, without the diving and leaping of the focus, which speaks loads about the chassis and suspension setups.
Interior feel is typically toyota, meaning it's functional, but done on a decent budget. It's no Bentley or BMW, but it does have very good interior fit and finish for this price sector.
Overall: I would recommend this car to the newly minted graduate with a family. As a family car, it feels just right. If you were buying this for fun, then I would again pass it up. It has pep... it just doesn't have character.
2007 Dodge Caliber SE w/ 2.0 engine
This car was a little weird. It is a newer design, the second generation of said model, with a moderately good concept, that of the mini-Crossover Utility Vehicle. I still think of it as a 5-door hatch, but then again I'm not in marketing :P
When I approached the Caliber, it looks like it means business. Bulges, hard lines. It has a certain menace about it. It also feels well made, with the door giving a good thunk, the seat bolstering well, good headroom, and a shockingly good interior. It feels like they brought in a German to do the interior, and it shows. The plastics are very decent, the console itself is intelligently laid out, and everything is instantly and easily available. Another neat feature that i think the newly minted graduate will like is the iPod holder that you can get with the car, and the iPod input plug right in the center console. It shows that Dodge, shockingly enough, are thinking about customers.
THe engine even sounds good on startup. It gives a good purr when you first start it, then settles down into an almost muscle-car burble, but still sounding refined. It likes to zip up the revrange in neutral without delay, and gives a good throaty tone. During acceleration, too, it likes to kick up the dirt and launch you down the road. For a car of this size and weight, the 160 horses and about 17 million lbs/ft of torque like to send you on your way.
Unfortunately, the Caliber fails in the place that many american cars do... the ride and the transmission. The clutch is too light for my tastes, with no real contact or slip feel, which is done mostly by ear. The shifter likes to leap about in the center console, each touch of the throttle setting it a-shudder. Gates are reasonably well spaced and feel positive, but the engine sends pretty much nothing down the linkage to your hand unless you push the shifter hard into the gate, against the rubber stops.
The ride is soft ("comfortable") and as such the car likes to pitch lightly in corners. If you do a smooth entry and exit, then the car stays settled and very controllable during cornering, with no understeer until well past reasonable cornering speeds :angel:, even in adverse conditions such as Calgary regular weather. I could feel the back wanting to bobble a bit, however, so one would have to watch their throttling during cornering to keep it even. The ride is also bouncy and rough over uneven roads and cracks. On smooth pavement, though, the Caliber is surprisingly well tracked.
Overall, I would put this car (as tested ~$18k) in the middle range of consideration. It is a good little city utility. It's got a donkey's assload of torque, decent power, and feels like the kind of car one would want if they wanted a domestic car that had a bit of design thought put into it. I would not discourage someone from getting it if they were prepared for the lackluster transmission feel and wobbly suspension over rough and cracked roads.
2007 Nissan Sentra 2.0
I will come right out and say it, I usually don't like lower end Nissan's. They, to me, are like Toyota's... unimaginative, playing to the cheap end of things. HOWEVER, Nissan does have one thing going for it... they at least still have character in what they do.
The sentra, to me... is honestly a touch on the ugly side. I mean, not as nasty as a focus by far, but still a little stubby and fat-at-the-hips. The car does feel really solid, however, once inside. Everything is well put together, and despite my *ahem* unintentionally leaning on teh center console, seat sides, etc, nothing squeaked. This impressed me. The interior is a little bland, but is functional and centralized. Everything is withing about a vertical foot and a quarter, and clearly marked. The steering wheel was pleasantly chunky but not too thick.
On the road, I came to appreciate the work that went into the Sentra. It may be ugly, but it was designed by people that were working for more than just a paycheque. It feels, honestly, fun. It's decently nimble, doesn't mind sudden maneuvers, stays confident in cornering without a hint of understeer, and, if you lift off the throttle suddenly in a corner, the back end even does a teeny tiny bit of wobbling about. I get the feeling with spirited driving, this car could be massive fun.
The engine also impresses. It feels like it belongs in a higher end model car. It revs hard and happy, not losing steam until just before redline, where it tapers off into a constant powerband, not a wheezy gaspy engine like many of the previous cars. I get the feeling that the engineers took the best power bits from the 3.5 V6 that powers the 350Z and applied them to the rest of the model range.
Clutch feel is present, but again not nearly as active and positive as I personally like, but for a regular driver, I can see it being pleasantly communicative. I could find contact and slip with blinders on and sound cancellers on my ears. It is MUCH more communicative than modern Honda clutches, which is nice, as I do like to feel the interface between tranny and engine. Shifter is snickety, a little wobbly, but still sends good vibration and engine information to my right hand during shifts.
Overall, I would have no problems recommending the Sentra to a blind man. If it weren't so incontrovertably ugly, it would be much nearer the top of my list. It's a damned good car for $18k.
Two way tie for second!!
2006 Mini Cooper Classic
Ah, the Mini. BMW's little FWD wonder. I will come right out and say it: If you have the money, the desire and the patience to deal with BMW typical pricing and service... then the Mini is the car for the graduate that wants a car that can be driven to the bollocks and back and still be fun.
I love the look of the Mini. "A modern vision of the classic" is the common catchphrase, and it does hold true. Inside, it's all quirky and funky and FUN. Big chunky door handles. Centralized controls. MASSIVE speedo in the center console. Rev counter in the line of sight. Steering wheel that feels like it came out of an M5. This car, despite it's cutesy image, is built incredibly well, and I get the feel is designed to go rippingly fast through corners.
On the road, the peppy little fourbanger with 115 horses does a very appreciable job moving the Mini about. It feels very positive and clawing when accelerating, like it wants to go faster. The engine does get a tad wheezy near 5800 rpm, but that's almost redline so it's not too much of a bother. It gives off a LOVELY engine note, though, so you'll be shifting a LOT in this car just to hear it.
Clutch is communicative and very positive. Because the engine is less than a foot and a half from your left foot, the linkages are short, and as such shifter and clutch feel from the engine are almost sports car perfect. I didn't once need to look at any dials or lights to know exactly what the engine was doing at any time.
Cornering in the Mini is go-kart perfect. It turns in VERY hard, with no understeer, holds your line, and delivers a confident exit, all without a single squeak of a tire. I even tried a bit of tossing about, and the car just took it in stride (did so in a large, empty parking lot near a movie theater in the morning). Lock to lock steering was almost tossing me out the side windows, it just grips and turns. I think one could get into loads of fun times at a track with this car. Ride was also superb, handling cracks and bumps with stiffness but not tossing you about or wobbling all over the place. The center of gravity in the car is low and it shows.
Overall, this car is for those that don't have that much to haul about but want a car that is at the same time docile yet full of verve and vim and ready to take anything you throw at it. Highly recommended
2006 Mazda3 Sport (aka miniwagon)
As the spiritual succesor to the Protege 5, the M3S has a fair bit to live up to.
I will say that from the front, a Mazda3 looks nice... from there on back, though, it gets a little too crazy and wonky for my tastes. Interior is nicely done, though, feeling very solid and well built (and yes, I know Ford owns Mazda, but Mazda still manufacture all their own cars in their own factories). Steering wheel was small but thick, and all information and dials and knobs and such are all easily within reach.
On the road, the Mazda3 Sport impresses with readily available power that, while not as vigorous as a lot of other cars, is INCREDIBLY smooth in delivery. No hiccups or chugs at any point in the revrange, no sloggings either. Any revs, any speed, put your foot down and the engine responds. Very nice for a near $22k car.
Clutch is a little disconnected but still gives enough feel for good driving. Shifter delivers all engine information comfortably, but not too muted.
However, where this car shines and lives up to the P5 is in the cornering. This car likes corners. It is friends with corners. It doesn't understeer, doesn't wag its ass about, just corners with confidence, even at decent speed. The front end remains planted and doesn't protest. One of the best handling cars from Mazda, right up there with the MX-5 and RX-8, in my opinion.
Overall, for the grad with a family to move about, groceries to get, etc, this is pretty much THE car. It's large enough to haul a lot of cargo, and is also sensibly family sized. It can also be used as a personal play toy, which is where I think the car's strength lies.
And next year, there's a 263 bhp turbo version coming out :devil:
2007 Volkswagen Rabbit 2.5 3-door
What's this? Vagabond giving a VW the WINNING position? Is he on drugs? Has he suffered some sort of delusional episode?
No. The Rabbit, known as the regular Golf to the rest of the world, earns its place. I usually take a very dim view on Volkswagens because they are just too plain, too "standard" for my liking. The Rabbit, however, FINALLY brings some of that ingenious German design concept to our paltry shores.
I guess I am also biased because the Rabbit I drove was jet black, with alloys and 205/55R16 tires. It LOOKS menacing. I know, a VW looking mean? Well, yes. In black. Also, the headlights curving in sharply to the center grill make it look like it's scowling.
The interior is shockingly fresh (for VW). The center console is superbly laid out, with everything within easy reach, very tacticle and doesn't feel cheap. The steering wheel is the same style (not the EXACT wheel, but the same thickness, etc) that comes in the GTI, so it's thick, small and very pleasant to hold. The seats, despite being fabric, feel very high quality, and are bolstered well enough for spirited driving whilst remaining immensely comfortable. The dash instrumentation comes unabashedly from Audi, so it's very tasteful and has the central information center featured on pretty much all Audi's.
The engine is a very torquey 150 hp I-5, which is odd for a transverse FWD mounting. It does, however, go like the clappers. The suspension feels tuned for a very sporty edge, while remaning comfortable for high speed driving. I actually got up to 160 kph during the acceleration test before I even realized I was doing that speed.
Clutch feel is shockingly good. Every vibration, slip, contact, shudder... it was all fed (albeit a little muted, because of the hydraulics) into my left hoof, and made for quick, precise shifting. The shifter also feels lifted from an Audi, and as such is very positive and gated tight and fast. Shifter feel is excellent, giving me all the information I want from the engine without giving me too much.
Ride is very smooth over minor bumps and cracks, and slightly jarring over larger bumps and cracks, but that's not to say it's uncomfortable. It's VERY responsive, not letting the car lean more than half a degree or so before settling down during vigorous cornering. Lock to lock steering is fast and almost pointy, ie you think where you want to go and you're there.
Cornering is a joy. I'll put it right out there and say it. They took the lessons learned from the GTI (of which this car shares the same chassis) and applied them to a gentler, but still sporty car. Also of note: the Rabbit has a LSD. It makes all the difference. It really does.
For me, the VW Rabbit wins because it finds that perfect balance for me: Affordable price ($23-$24k after a few options and taxes), good city road manners but still full of character and sportiness. It wins because it melds those last two so well. So, for a new car, I would have to highly recommend the VW Rabbit 2.5
(note: it also comes in a Golf-ish 5 door version which is slightly heavier and a couple thousand $'s more expensive, but it does come with velour fabric for the seats, included seat heaters, and a few other extras).
In fact.... the Rabbit impressed me so much... I am actually considering buying one for myself come spring :eek: For those that know me, that's a surprising admission :P