Cars you test drove

The Vanishing Boy

The Vanishing Boy

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Vanishing Boy
đź’ˇ No one has come up about this topic, so I'll give it a shot.

You heard these cars from magazines/websites/TV shows, but you're still skeptical about the car, so you went to a dealership to test drive a new/used car. And what was the result?

Tell us your opinion!!

I'll post mine soon. :) đź‘Ť
 
When I was car shopping this spring, I tried a bunch of interesting cars in the $30-40k USD range. I wrote a lengthy review of the Subaru WRX STi and Pontiac GTO in my shopping thread.

I also drove a...

Mitsubishi Evolution (VIII), awesome steering, chassis, rock hard ride, cheap interior.
Infiniti G35 Coupe 6MT, gorgeous car, deep plentiful torque, questionable suspension tuning, notchy 6-speed.
and Mazda RX-8, balanced, balanced, balanced, Renesis a little buzzy but smooth, a little cramped.

I always play the field a little before I buy a new car, so over the years, I've driven a few. But I think my funniest car story has to be the WRX Test Drive.

A few years ago, a fellow BMW M3 autocross buddy was looking to get a second car so he can retire the M3 for a project car. So we headed down to the local Subaru dealership. The WRX had been out for maybe two weeks.

We had a mutual friend along just for the ride. Well it turns out that mutual friend knows the Salesman and it was no trouble getting a drive in the WRX demo. Mutual friend did not tell salesman friend that my autocross buddy and I were going to take the car out to the old airport where the course was already laid out for the following day's event. :trouble:

And did I mention that it began raining as soon as we pulled out of the lot? :lol:

To make a long story short, me and mutual friend hop out and stand under a tree, while my buddy puts the WRX, with a mere 108 miles on the odo, through the course at full speed --with the salesguy in it-- in the rain ---TWICE. Even though the course was "disguised" to throw off sneaky competitors, there was stilll plenty of hair-raising action... you can make quite a rooster tail sliding around on a wet course.

When it was my turn to check out the car, I hop in the driver's seat. Next to me, the salesguy looks visibly shaken. "Don't worry man, " I offer gaily "I'll be gentle."

The salesguy deadpans, "you know, I heard airbags HURT when they deploy."

That's when I learned that if you shift too fast in a WRX, the tranny will make this horrendous BANG!!! while the center diff figures out where to send the power. I ended up liking the WRX quite a bit. Easy to drive fast except for this one spot where I lifted (and shouldn't have) and got it completely sideways. "Heh, whoops"

Unfortunately for the saleguy, who was being a totally good sport about this most unusual test drive, did not get the sale as my buddy ended up getting an S2000.


M
 
my bro rented a Mazda 3 for a week when his car was in the ship. The thing was REALLY quick, toylike handling and really nice brakes. To top that, the Tiptronic allowed me to all the way to redline and it STILL didn't shift up on it's own (but unfortunately, there was a bit of a delay when I shifted up.

But then again, I'm used to driving my mom's accord which is very VERY sluggish and understeers like mad...
 
Monday I was able to drive a Colorado. I'm interning at General Motors this summer adn they let me drive a Colorado crew cab with the off road suspension. It was the burnt orange color and it was fully loaded. Here are my thoughts.

Exterior: Has to be one of the ugliest trucks I've ever seen. The front fascia looks terraible and so does the rest of the vechile. They should have taken the front clip off a Trailblazer, would have looked a million times better. The reason for the odd design though is that its one of GM's fully international vechiles, therefore GM Brazil, GM Europe and GM of Asia all had a say in the design.

Interior: It reminded me of a Chevy LUV truck, that should be all I need to say. So cheap and way to much plastic. Once again thank you international design.

Power: At first I thought an I-5? What the hell? But once I got behind the wheel and stomped on the gas...all I could do is hang on and say wow. So much more power then the S-10 ever had. I was really impressed how much care was taken in the motor. Thanks GM America for that one.

Driving Impression: It handled fine in the city and took Michigan bumpy roads with ease. Also the interior noise wasn't to bad. I really enjoyed how the thing road and I wouldn't mind driving one across county.
 
To date i have only test driven an Infiniti G35 and a Lexus RX330. The Infiniti was supposed to be for my grandpa and me whereas the RX330 was for my mom. Let me begin my review.

The G35 was amazing. That is the absolute shortest way to describe it. The man that was with me from the dealership was my uncle and like 2 blocks from the lot he looks at me and he says you know you want to go faster. I whipped around the bend and the moment i was out i took it to 3/4 throttle momentarily and it handled beautifully. Straigthened itself out with minimal rocking and took off on the straight line. The braking however felt a bit loose and that plus the fact it was pushing 50k loaded well is what stopped us from purchasing.

The RX330 we test drove just a couple days ago. I didnt really get to do any decent speed driving because imwas too busy gawking at the interior :dopey: . However, i felt it responded very well and braking was quite easy. Long bends could be taken with minimal effort and it stuck to the road. My dad also test drove a GMC envoy, Acura MDX and the Infiniti QX45. We both agreed on the Lexus and we plan on purchasing it this christmas.
 
Chrysler Crossfire:
Very fun car to drive, stiff suspension and almost no body roll. Very awesome low end torque in 1st and 2nd gear. The car is dead above 4500 rpms and any gear after 3rd you might as well forget about. Like driving a useless machine with the Traction Control on.

Chyrlser 300C HEMI:
Very fast car, 14.3 stock in the 1/4. Instant power at the touch of the gas pedal with luxury to top it.

Evolution VIII:
4G63 All Wheel Drive power... nuff' said.

Plymouth Prowler:
Felt like a million bucks driving it, but not even a million bucks could make it fast. Same engine as my dads minivan, and I think the minivan can keep up. Rides like crap, and interior is cramped. I'd buy the looks but trade the engine for a lighter twin turbo I-4.
 
I've been the passenger in an EVO8 RS, with Dad in the pilot's seat and the salesman in the back.. All I can say is this: Rides, handles, and goes like a go-kart.

Also a Nissan Pathfinder Armada, rides like, uhh, a really big SUV.

Chevrolet Suburban (ended up purchasing it), rides like crap, mainly because it's a 2500 with a big 496 (8.1), beefed up springs, trailer kit everything. Can give a Mustang V-6 a run for its money with the power though.

Volkswagen Jetta Wagon TDi. Torque galore in any gear. Zero turbo lag.

Scion xB and Toyota Echo. Pretty much rode the same (cause its the same car deep down underneath).

Mercury Marauder. Goes like, uh, can you really call it a 'genuine muscle car' like the older gearhead salesman said?

Subaru Forester. Rides well, but needs power. (problem solved with the new XT)

Ford Crown Victoria. Rides worse than the Marauder and even less go :grumpy:

Dodge Caravan 2.4. So slow it aint even funny.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 WT 4.3. Chevrolet's cheapest bread-and-butter trck. Goes, rides, and sounds like grandpa's 1983 Custom Deluxe. Thanks in no small part to the fact it has the same engine.

Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 6.0. The Duramax pulls hard in any gear.

Buick Century. Uhm, next.

Dodge Ram 150 5.7: Hemi is a joke, Quad Cab has less rear room than Dakota 4-door.

Dodge/Mercedes-Benz/Freightliner Sprinter: I feel sorry for those European delivery guys!

Pontiac WS6. Oh man, I still dream about that car.

Cadillac DeVille: Roomier than a Town Car, faster than a Marauder. Sounds like a winning combination to me!

Lincoln Blackwood. Like Motor Trend said some time ago, the ultimate dude-ranch cruiser. But good for absolutely nothing.

Chevrolet SSR. Blackwood's secret brother.
 
The only car I test drove and didn't buy was a Nissan Sentra GXE. A very nice handling car that had a wonderful shifter that I only wish my Subaru would have. Everything was what you would expect coming from a little low-price compact car, good car. Sometime I wonder if I had gone with that instead of the 2.5RS if I would of ended up with a 350Z.
 
BlazinXtreme
Monday I was able to drive a Colorado. I'm interning at General Motors this summer adn they let me drive a Colorado crew cab with the off road suspension. It was the burnt orange color and it was fully loaded. Here are my thoughts.

Exterior: Has to be one of the ugliest trucks I've ever seen. The front fascia looks terraible and so does the rest of the vechile. They should have taken the front clip off a Trailblazer, would have looked a million times better. The reason for the odd design though is that its one of GM's fully international vechiles, therefore GM Brazil, GM Europe and GM of Asia all had a say in the design.

Interior: It reminded me of a Chevy LUV truck, that should be all I need to say. So cheap and way to much plastic. Once again thank you international design.

Power: At first I thought an I-5? What the hell? But once I got behind the wheel and stomped on the gas...all I could do is hang on and say wow. So much more power then the S-10 ever had. I was really impressed how much care was taken in the motor. Thanks GM America for that one.

Driving Impression: It handled fine in the city and took Michigan bumpy roads with ease. Also the interior noise wasn't to bad. I really enjoyed how the thing road and I wouldn't mind driving one across county.
Click to expand...


Because the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon is an Isuzu D-Max [ASDM](but in other markets its called Holden Rodeo). Actually the two pickups are made in Thailand along with the D-Max. Kinda reminds you about the Chevy LUV well that too is made by Isuzu in Japan.
Pics:
http://autoindex.org/images/cars/3349/3320/norm_1_D-max_Rodeo_2003_Thailand.jpg[IMG]

[IMG]http://autoindex.org/images/cars/3349/3320/norm_20_Holden_Rodeo_LX_Space_Cab_Pickup_2004_Australia.jpg

norm_11_Holden_Rally_Team_Rodeo_2004_Australia.jpg


norm_1_D-max_Cab4_2003_Thailand.jpg
 
Well about a few weeks ago I test drove the Srt-4.The car's handoling was ok but i felt to much lag from the turbo,felt like I was waiting forever for it it get to its powerband.Over all the car is ok for its price range I would not buy it becuase its a fwd car bad news for racing I would think.I really like my Evo Vlll had to sell my crx and truck to get it but damm do I love it...
 
Dodge Neon SXT, both wereused and the first had 23k mile and the other 89k miles. They really lacked power, I did two hours of highway driving in both of them and when turning onto the highway you could have this thing floored no joke and it took forever to get up to speed.
 
The Vanishing Boy
Because the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon is an Isuzu D-Max [ASDM](but in other markets its called Holden Rodeo). Actually the two pickups are made in Thailand along with the D-Max. Kinda reminds you about the Chevy LUV well that too is made by Isuzu in Japan.
Pics:
http://autoindex.org/images/cars/3349/3320/norm_1_D-max_Rodeo_2003_Thailand.jpg[IMG]

[IMG]http://autoindex.org/images/cars/3349/3320/norm_20_Holden_Rodeo_LX_Space_Cab_Pickup_2004_Australia.jpg

norm_11_Holden_Rally_Team_Rodeo_2004_Australia.jpg


norm_1_D-max_Cab4_2003_Thailand.jpg
Click to expand...

It's not because it is...its because the 355 truck is one of GM's international programs with different parts being designed by different countries. GM North America had very little say in to what went in to the truck. Japan/China had a lot to do with it along with Brazil and Indonesia.

So its not like Chevy or GMC took an exsisting truck and made it there own, they were designed acrossed the board all at once.

My thought on it, by far the worst GM truck ever porduced...well maybe next to the LUV. I'm glad GM made the right move with the ST's though. They were some of the best trucks out there, even though the motor was out dated.

And trust me you can't tell me much I don't already know about the 355 program, I work on them.
 
Moon Light Kid
Well about a few weeks ago I test drove the Srt-4.The car's handoling was ok but i felt to much lag from the turbo,felt like I was waiting forever for it it get to its powerband.Over all the car is ok for its price range I would not buy it becuase its a fwd car bad news for racing I would think.I really like my Evo Vlll had to sell my crx and truck to get it but damm do I love it...
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you felt that much lag from the srt4? shouldnt be that bad.
 
Did you check to make sure it wasn't an '03 leftover? I heard that the ECU was reprogrammed on the '04 model to cut down on the lag...

Great car though. Pure sleeper :D
 
It was the O4 srt-4. It had about 8 miles on it. My friend has the o3 with stage 2 mods its a good car dont get me wrong but yeah I did felt that much lag. My friend pulls a 12.7 in the 1/4 mile I can pull a 12.4 on a good day.Sorry im going of topic..The car was great for the 20k range but now that its about 23 or even 24k I would get the wrx better because of its awd..
 
i live in an area with car dealerships all over the place. one day i was bored and went around telling sales guys that i was interested in trading my 2001 grand prix gt. here are the results.


2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP Comp-G
==========================

Seemed like the first natural choice. I test drove a black/black leather fully loaded one. the seats were a huge step-up from the old style prixs, that was the first thing i noticed. the heads-up-display was pretty cool. this car was all about torque, lots of down-low push you in your seat torque. handling was pretty decent for a car this size, but still cannot hold a candle to imports when it comes to the feel. flat and composed in corners but the steering was a little numb. engine runs out of breath above 5500rpm. one thing that i did like was the touch-shift automatic. EVERY other automatic with a "manual mode" that i have experienced has been crap, but this one was surprisingly effective. quick responding upshifts and downshifts. it'll actually let you slam into the redline! overall, pretty fun car to drive.


2004 Mazda 6s
===========

the one i drove was silver with the charcoal cloth interior, not too loaded up. this car wasn't nearly as quick as the GTP, but it made up for it with the huge ****-eating grin it left on my face. amazing road manners, always planted in the twisty stuff. there is virtually no dead-center to the steering, VERY linear. engine loves to rev, 5-spd tranny was tight although somewhat tricky clutch engagement. interior is sporty but the materials a little too plasticky, maybe some different textures would help smooth things out. overall a huge step up from the boring 626.


2004 Mazda 3s 4-door
================

strato blue mica / black leather. this thing was LOADED and the sticker was only $2k cheaper than the 6! xenon lights, 6-disc changer, sunroof, tire pressure monitoring, this thing is a COMPACT?! i actually liked the interior MUCH better than the 6. the gauges are VERY cool, metallic blue rim surrounding bright red-orange electroilluminescent numbering. the 2.3l + 5-spd felt just as capable as the 6 with the v6. extremely competent road manners, grippy tires and superb suspension make for an outstanding ride. i'd take a loaded up 3 over a dumbed-down 6 any day of the week,
 
It wasn't out from the dealership, but almost new. I drove a fully loaded Mercedes S500 for a 3 days trip to Ontario this spring. It had distronic, parktronic, hydraulic suspension, GPS, well, every option except keyless entry. The feeling of quality and solidity this car gives is nothing short of awesome. The materials and attention to detail inside scream luxury from every angle, and I found the distronic to be quite useful instead of constantly adjusting the cruise speed manually. In the handling department I was surprised at how potent the car is, the chassis, suspension and the electronic gizmos do a great job at masking the car's weight. (I'd like to test drive a V12 version for a comparaison).

But, due to a non-existant $150K over in my bank account, I will probably never enjoy this kind of luxury in a daily drive for quite a while. :indiff:

Blah... my car is quicker than that :D
 
2002 Hyundai Accent GS hatch [Metro Hyundai, Las Vegas]
005302-E.jpg

->The cars performance is very impressive (especially for its price). In fact, it felt even faster than my lousy Protege5. Downside, no ABS, and hub-cap rims (alloy wheels available on the 2004 GT trim).

2002 Hyundai Elantra GLS sedan [Planet Hyundai, Las Vegas]
025441-E.jpg

->This is the value leader. The car is as decent as the '04 Corolla LE (later on that) but with a little more fun, and it handles a lot better than the Protege5. The bad part is that ABS is optional, and same as the Accent, it also has hub-cap. But I prefer the Elantra GT, even thou I havent driven it yet.

2004 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer (4.6L V8) 4WD [Ford Country, Henderson, NV]
025191-E.jpg

->The most dissapointing $40K SUV I've ever driven, the interior is worse than the first 2 cars I mentioned above, its steering is far the worst I've ever felt, and the engine performance is way subpar, gasping for air while going uphill. But I like the power folding 3rd row seats and its packaging (DVD entertainment system w/ Navi system).

Be back for Part 2... :)
 
I'm only 16 so I haven't driven too many cars unfortunately. :grumpy:

So Far:

2001 Lexus ES300 - Reliable, practical, luxury. A lot of low end power... the tires squeel if you push it... A family car that can have fun...
1999 BMW z3 - Good around the turns, could use a little more power....
2002 Honda CRV :dunce: my sisters car :crazy: ...It's alright, I mean what can I say? Its not great, it's not bad...good first safe car...my sister has crashed it twice...no body damage....they were all slow fender benders but the CR-V's bumpers are amazingly tough.
1989 Nissan 240sx - My car...I love it..., still stuck with the KA24, but I'm planning to get an SR20 in the future... :)
2002 BMW 530i - Suprisingly zippy, agile, and very easy to drive. The seats are a little hard, but the car definetly makes up for it in every way.
1995 BMW 530 - Disapointing, but fun. The car cannot accelerate if its life depended on it...even though it's not alive.. Anyway, the car was fun once you go over 5000rpm, but getting there was pretty slow. The car is good at turning and is very stable at high speeds.
2002 Toyota Sienna - Its a van.... đź‘Ž


Thats about it...
 
(on the SRT4)

8 Miles, no wonder! I heard the turbo takes about 500 miles to wear in to full output/response. Try driving a slightly used one.
 
Well im back dont get me wrong the srt-4 is a great car. good power and all but as I said before car was great in the low 20k rang but now that there selling for about 23 to 24k might as well just get the the wrx or even spend a few grand more and get the Evo rs great car for the buck...the evo rs is selling out the door I think for about 25,500 to 26,850k the most i hered for...

Also I love awd cars and I really dont like ff cars that much...
 
Moon Light Kid
Well im back dont get me wrong the srt-4 is a great car. good power and all but as I said before car was great in the low 20k rang but now that there selling for about 23 to 24k might as well just get the the wrx or even spend a few grand more and get the Evo rs great car for the buck...the evo rs is selling out the door I think for about 25,500 to 26,850k the most i hered for...

Also I love awd cars and I really dont like ff cars that much...
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Damn I haven't been able to drive the Evo or Srt-4. I've heard they're really quick, but of course that doesn't do any justice.

Also, AWD cars are great for racing in various weather conditions, but they tend to get understeer on corner entries/exits. They get good traction and more power down to the floor.
RWD is great if the conditions are right, and its nice seeing the cars tail slide out exiting a turn. đź‘Ť
FF cars....not a fan..... I jus dont believe in spending money on that type of drivetrain. RWD, AWD, MR...etc cars can handle much more power.
 
Part 2
2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 LT 4WD [Alamo Rent-a-car, Las Vegas]
002643-E.jpg

->This SUV drives way better than the Expedition, a lot of grunt especially for its size. The steering is very responsive although it has a numb feedback, the seats are very confortable but lacks support. And last of all, the interior although intuitive, its the cheapest I've seen on this price range its like you can punch through the dashboard already, but overall its pretty solid vehicle I'd pick this over the Expedition.

2003 Toyota Corolla LE A/T [Desert Toyota, Las Vegas]
026449-E.jpg

->The best car for middle-aged people, it is smooth and quiet very absorbant to any intrusion fron the outside world. Everything inside is top notch it doesn't feel like you're driving a US$16K car. Numb steering and slow acceleration (because its A/T) sometimes gets in the way, but its completely not for me, but to most people this car is a perfect fit.

2004 Dodge Grand Caravan SE (3.3L V6) [Budget Rent-a-Car, Las Vegas]
003257-E.jpg

->I know why this minivan is a bestseller, the powertrain is silky smooth, the ride is adequate (excuse my spelling), and quite roomy too. But when pushed to the limit the engine howl like the engine is falling apart but in a torquey kinda of way. Handling around the Arizona part of I-15 is quite impressive of its jellybean shape. Loyal to American cars will be very happy, in fact this is the best minivan from Detroit. But still, I haven't driven the '04 Honda Odyssey, but the Odyssey is still my top pick.

Be back for Part 3... :)
 
BeN_SpeC2
I'm only 16 so I haven't driven too many cars unfortunately. :grumpy:

So Far:

2001 Lexus ES300 - Reliable, practical, luxury. A lot of low end power... the tires squeel if you push it... A family car that can have fun...
1999 BMW z3 - Good around the turns, could use a little more power....
2002 Honda CRV :dunce: my sisters car :crazy: ...It's alright, I mean what can I say? Its not great, it's not bad...good first safe car...my sister has crashed it twice...no body damage....they were all slow fender benders but the CR-V's bumpers are amazingly tough.
1989 Nissan 240sx - My car...I love it..., still stuck with the KA24, but I'm planning to get an SR20 in the future... :)
2002 BMW 530i - Suprisingly zippy, agile, and very easy to drive. The seats are a little hard, but the car definetly makes up for it in every way.
1995 BMW 530 - Disapointing, but fun. The car cannot accelerate if its life depended on it...even though it's not alive.. Anyway, the car was fun once you go over 5000rpm, but getting there was pretty slow. The car is good at turning and is very stable at high speeds.
2002 Toyota Sienna - Its a van.... đź‘Ž


Thats about it...
Click to expand...
I'm not familiar with Nissan codes so is the 'SR20' a different motor or something? :confused:

Also, I'm not suprised about the RS's price. People are too reluctant to give up luxuries like air-conditioning and power door locks/windows for a car that, performance wise, is about as pure as it gets. It's a shame, but it's great for us because all those mark-downs help make it somewhat affordable. Plus no rear wing makes it more of a sleeper than regular Evos.
 
^ Yes its a very different engine. But I'm not very familiar on Nissan's engines and their specs.

I like the Evo RS with the 'Urban Protection Package', it has all those luxury packages like A/C, power windows, locks, etc. It has the sleeper image of the RS but 25% of the standard version's (aka. GSR) packaging, plus its still lighter than the GSR w/o the sunroof. :)
 

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