Doog's Reviews (New: Family Feud Part I)

[Doog]

I've done a car review thread before, but that quickly died after two reviews due to a lack of interest. Earlier this week, I began thinking of writing another car review for fun. Three cars and a few hours later, I had six pages worth of words that I felt was acceptable to post here. I may or may not post more reviews after this, but I felt like posting this one just because. So thanks for giving this thread a click, and feel free to pitch in with your comments and feedback. 👍

-The Reviews-

• Three for the Road
• Senior Citizens
• Family Feud Part I

-Three for the Road-



The Sciaru Breezefreeze has made quite a splash in the automotive world after being launched at the beginning of the year. Enthusiasts around the world have been seduced by its simplistic charm, with an emphasis on driving pleasure. Of course, the Sciaru isn't the first of its kind; several manufacturers have tried to do the same thing before and have ultimately failed. I've chosen two of the Sciaru's contemporaries for a jaunt around Suzuka to see how it stacks up against its peers from Honda and Mazda.


Honda S2000 '06

The Honda S2000 was introduced for the 1999 model year and was met with a great deal of publicity. The world already had experience with Honda sports cars, with the Type Rs and the NSX representing Honda's performance aspirations in the 90s. The Type Rs' roots could be traced back to normal Hondas, and the NSX was quite expensive. The S2000 was the perfect balance of both virtues: it was buttoned down and focused like an NSX, but yet inexpensive like a Type R, and certainly more livable. It featured a two liter four cylinder mounted behind the front axle, giving it remarkable balance in tricky situations, mated to a six speed manual gearbox with performance in mind. With high horsepower and low torque, this was the quintessential Honda motor, and it revved to 8800 RPM. With its high-revving four and a focused, fun personality, the S2000 was regarded as the superbike of cars.

I've never really found the S2000 to be very attractive, but it's certainly not unappealing by any means. It's a very simple, clean design, with a long flat hood that flows into the cockpit and rounds off at the back. But because Honda went with a basic design theme, the S2000, now going on fourteen years old, still looks nice, especially in face lifted guise. Inside, the S2000's black leather interior sort of hugs you like your best coat; it's a very driver-centric theme. Look over to the right...or left, if they're put your steering wheel in the wrong spot, and you literally see nothing but some air conditioning vents for your passenger. The driver's seat is where all the action lies. In front of you sits a black, leather wrapped steering wheel with the large Honda emblem staring back at you. Behind it, you're met with a bike-inspired digital gauge cluster, which you either love or you hate. Personally, I hate it a little; digital gauges only look good on cars from the 80s, when they were in style. I do commend Honda for opting to go with a digital speedometer; your speed is represented in those relaxing red digital numbers that you find on alarm clocks. It's extremely easy to see, and it lies within your peripheral vision.

It's a good idea that the speedometer lies within your peripheral view, because the S2000 is a handful- but in a good way. Acceleration is strong off the line, but the slightly long gearing detracts from the sensation of movement- more power or a closer ratio gearbox would do the trick. The S2000 takes a rather long time to get to redline, and its F20C four cylinder makes its presence loud and clear at the highest of revs. Speaking of high revs, you don't really feel that trademark Honda V-TEC pull; that sweet spot at the top of the rev range. The power just gradually builds until redline, but you never really feel that exciting surge. 240 horsepower is quite good, but 167 pound feet of torque means that it really feels like 200 horsepower. It's a little slow to be honest.

For what the Ess Two Kay lacks in straight line speed, it more than makes up for in the curves. Punt the Honda around a series of sweeping bends, and you'll find this car's element: handling. Thanks to its longitudinally-mounted four that sits behind the front axle, very few pounds of weight, and rear wheel drive, you can produce oversteer in just about any situation. Just entering the corner? Why not oversteer? Exiting? Why not oversteer? Oversteering already? Why don't we oversteer some more? Oversteer, when you can manipulate it to your advantage, is good fun. When mismanaged, things can get hairy. Luckily, it's rather simple to maneuver the S2000 in a way that's entertaining enough, but quick as well. Suzuka's famous S-bends are perfect for the Honda (and they should be, Honda owns the place after all).

That said, if you want the S2000 to dance in your hands, you'll have to get it riled up. If you're new to it, an S2000 can be a right pain in the ass at first. Get your braking wrong, and you'll likely stop too early or go careening off the track and into something dangerous. Turn in at the wrong moment of time, and the little Honda feels downright clumsy, darting to the inside of the corner too soon, starting to oversteer, reaching for that nice grassy area inside the corner. Luckily, you can do whatever the hell you want with the pedal on the right and nothing really happens. Too much throttle? Oversteer. Too little? Probably some more oversteer. But get all the moves right, and you can guide the S2000 into a perfectly-composed ballet; you'll start sliding a little entering the corner, you'll slide to the outside in the middle, and you'll clip the edge of the outside of the corner on your way out and slide back into a straight line. It sounds pretty simple, but once you do it perfectly, it's hard to replicate.

Overall, there is nothing about the S2000 that I hate, but yet, there is nothing that I really love about it either. I mean, it's a fantastic piece of work from Honda, and the way the suspension, the engine, and the gearbox simultaneously work in harmony is admirable. The problem is, nothing really gets stirred up when I see one, or drive one. The interior is quite nice, but if you're just cruising along, you'll notice that it's a little barren. I'd even say it's a bit lonely in there. The main problem is that it's not really bonkers. Acceleration, as I've concluded, isn't quite enough, and the gears are just too long. Handling never feels insane; it just works. It takes time and effort to pull it off like a master, but you can still get it to drive nicely at seven tenths. And that's why I've never lusted over the rev-happy machine from the folks at Minato: it's a little too composed. Too finished; too refined, perhaps. Either way, the S2000 is a great sports car, but it's just not for me.

Mazda Roadster RS (NC) '07

Whichever name you know it by, whether it's MX-5, Miata, Eunos Roadster, or just Roadster, Mazda's little two seater is one of the most famous cars from the past two decades. The basis for the idea was a good one; make a British roadster, keep the fun, but put Japanese mechanicals in it so that it actually works. Mazda followed that thesis so closely, that it was rumored that they kept sound clips of old roadsters lying around. Creepy. Nevertheless, the MX-5 was essentially the shot heard around the 90s, setting the stage for the inexpensive roadster. It inspired several other manufacturers (read: the Germans) to come up with their own interpretations of the idea, which resulted in the BMW Z3, the Mercedes-Benz SLK, and the Audi TT.

Currently in its third phase of life, the NC Miata is heavier than ever, but not by much, and is slightly more powerful than the original. That added weight went largely to reinforcing the structure to make it more crash-resistant through the years; the interior remains pleasantly simple, but stylish. The exterior still echoes the simplistic design cues of the original, with the long hood, the small cockpit, and petite proportions all around (it's only grown two inches since 1989). Inside, the interior features much more pleasant styling than the S2000's. The nice, thin Mazda steering wheel with the chrome Mazda badge sits just in front of you, and behind it lie two nicely sized gauges: one to tell you how fast you're going, and one to tell you how loud the engine is. Both are illuminated with a pleasant shade of orange at night, and do wonders for your peripheral vision.

This pleasant vibe continues with the driving experience, which has always been the MX-5's selling point. Few other cars, especially rear wheel drive ones, have such a neutral, well-balanced but fun quality to them. The little Mazda grips remarkably well on its stock-grade comfort tires, and it rarely oversteers unless you provoke it by pulling the handbrake. Grip isn't always fun, but luckily, the MX-5 has a fun type of grip. It's a very nimble car, and it gets through the tightest of hairpins with ease, whereas the S2000's relative heft would start to show. In normal corners, it's still a very nice experience, and it's much more involving than the Honda. With the Honda, you seem to be more focused on maintaining a slide. In the Mazda, you actually get to focus on having fun and driving.

What's most surprising about the MX-5 is that it actually understeers a little on Suzuka's S-bends. It's not a very strong understeer that completely overpowers the car, but rather a very subtle force that's pulling the car to the edge of the corner. It's as if gravity's decided to work sideways. Luckily, it's easily correctable by letting off the throttle, where the MX-5 returns to its senses. Meanwhile, when you're not cornering, you'll be pleasantly surprised with the brakes, which effectively slow this one ton car down in a pinch. They're nice and smooth, and it's easy to brake gently.

The MX-5's engine is another strong point. Though its buzzy sound isn't flattering, it makes a great pair with its six speed gearbox, whose gears are spaced just about perfectly, though you'll often bounce off the red limiter when launching in first gear. The engine itself has a nice character to it; it's very smooth, and offers good power across the board. It redlines at a nice 7000 RPM, and you feel a very slight increase in power as you come near it. It's what the S2000 should have been.

And that's what's so great about the NC Miata: despite over twenty years of existence and three iterations, it's remarkably true to its roots. It's ever so slightly larger and heavier, but it's more powerful, and still has a slightly unrefined nature to it that makes it so nice to drive. It's an honest little car that doesn't make bold claims, but even if it did, I reckon it could walk the walk.

Scion FR-S '12

Without a doubt, the Sciaru BreezeFreeze was the most anticipated car of 2012. After years of press coverage and concepts and leaks, the BreezeFreeze finally hit the market at the beginning of the year. Expectations were high, and the Freezer met just about all of them, and netted an instant following. If you're a car guy, you know about this car. A revival of the much loved Toyota AE86, or the Hachi Roku, if you're a loyalist, the Scion FR-S follows the original recipe very closely. If you just crawled out from under a rock (congratulations on not dying under there), you should have little trouble understanding the FR-S. It's a smallish two door coupe with a Subaru-built two liter boxer four mounted behind the front axle. It's mated to a six speed manual gearbox which sends the power to the two wheels at the rear of the car. What you get in return is a car that's very agreeable to being driven hard. It has a pretty neutral personality, but it enjoys a good thrashing, and it doesn't like to punish its driver.

From a styling standpoint, it shares nothing with that certain wedge-shaped hatchback of the 80s. Instead, it has a contemporary curvy style to it, with a long, low hood, a low cockpit, and a fastback profile that tapers into a pinched rear. I personally prefer the Subaru BRZ, but the Scion is still a nice looking car. Both feature nicely sized wheels at each end, the rear ones putting the power to the ground, and two small exhausts at the back. These are cars that are made to be modified, and if you subscribe to any sort of automotive news source, you've likely heard of some tuned Sciarus already. Inside, the Scion is rather bland, with a leather wrapped steering wheel with some oddball red inserts on each side, as well as more redness on the side bolsters. It's like both are blushing at each other. The rest of the interior is a black oasis of plastic with some air conditioning vents in it, but it's largely plastic. It looks fine, but the Miata's interior looks more upscale.

Like the Miata, the FR-S's grip is quite good, even on downgraded comfort tires. It grips very well in the corners, and unlike the Miata, mysterious sideways gravity doesn't plague the FR-S, and it remains understeer free. Being a low-powered car, the FR-S rarely storms up enough power to start oversteering, but it's possible, and it doesn't require the handbrake. Otherwise, the FR-S is simply unflappable in the corners. If you somehow manage to flap the FR-S and start spinning out, it's rather agreeable to correction, and getting back with the pack is refreshingly easy. Some cars punish you for driving them wrong, but the Scion seems to understand, and it helps you as you try to correct your mistakes. The brakes are quite good, and while they are a bit grabby, a common Toyota trait, they are quite effective.

The FR-S's flat four of 1998 cubic centimeters (the same displacement as the Miata's) is the oddball here. It feels the fastest of the trio, and it pulls very well up to its mid pack 7500 RPM redline. It also sounds nice, producing a unique, hairy sort of sound. It's hard to describe, but it's not particularly refined, but it does sound nice for a while. However, I found myself tiring of the exhaust note after a few laps and resorted to shifting at around 7000 RPM to keep things civil. The six speed manual is another strong point here; it has six evenly spaced gears which are packed closely enough that you're always in the warm embrace of the power band, which is perfect for the FR-S's natural hobby of finding the best route around the corners. However, the nice gearing comes at a price: cruising at highway speeds yields a slightly loud drone from the exhausts at the back, and it's not a nice sound either. Bring earplugs, or find a radio station you like, or else that drone will burrow into the back of your head and haunt you for the rest of the journey. It's not pleasant.

I think that I would like the FR-S significantly more if it came in convertible guise, because after you drive it for a while, you start to feel a bit lonely in that plastic black oasis of an interior. It's dark in there, and a little dowdy; it works in contrast to the FR-S's happy character. The Miata, for example, while it also sports a black plastic interior, it has a nice design to it that makes it feel special. When you drive the Miata around for a while, you continue to have fun, and it never gets old, whereas the FR-S is also good fun, I think I'd like a break from it every once in a while. The same goes for the S2000, which I tired of quickly when testing it.

That's why the Miata wins the test; it was consistently the most entertaining car of the test, and I never tired of it. As I write this, I'd like to be driving the Miata right now. The simple but attractive styling and the upscale interior that welcomes you, combined with excellent handling characteristics that don't try to kill you, but rather work with you to squeeze out the most fun possible from every corner you approach. It's not a fast car, and it's not the best looking car, though it looks nice enough, but it's a fun car, a very fun car. When you drive it, you don't immediately start brainstorming all the modifications you're going to have to stuff in the engine bay to improve the experience. Sideways gravity is likely the Miata's biggest issue, and as I said before, it's really not a big issue at all. The Miata quite possibly has the most neutral oversteer I've ever encountered; all you have to do is ease up on the throttle, and it gathers itself back together.

What makes the Miata special is that you don't have to drive it on a race track to have fun. Even in everyday stop and go traffic, the Miata still feels special. On the highway, it turns at a relatively high number of RPMs, but it's more tolerable than the Scion. You can drive the Miata spiritedly around a winding country road in a perfectly legal manner. You can drive it at ten tenths on the road, and you'll barely break the speed limit. It's such a down to earth car, such a simplistic but fun car, and I love it.

Third Place: Honda S2000 '06

The S2000 is definitely the most involving car of the bunch, but it just takes too much effort to get to the sweet spot, and it's not rewarding enough to make you want to come back and drive it again.


Second Place: Scion FR-S '12

The FR-S is a solid effort from Toyota, and it does everything very well. A dowdy interior and a lack of refinement at highway speeds make it slightly tiresome after long distances, ultimately leading to a second place finish.


First Place: Mazda Roadster RS (NC) '07

The Miata is a fun car to drive. All the cars in this test are. But what sets the Miata apart is that it's always fun to drive. Whether you're in traffic, on the highway, or on a twisty back road, there's a certain something that always makes it entertaining. It's small, noisy, and it can get antsy on banked corners, but it all combines to create an unforgettable character that makes the Miata so good.

 

[Mac K]

Reminds me of an article from EVO Magazine, excellent work, pleasure to read and look at! Looking forward to the next one.

 

[Ryk]

Excellent read. You're wrong by the way, but still good to read. Understeer is a bad vice.

Very nice pictures, but what happened to Suzuka!

How do they perform in the wet and at Night? Are the lights up to the task? Do the wipers clear the screen, or waft about like the Queen in a carriage? (The Wet weather test is good to show how much the rag tops have stepped up from the Elan and Healeys of 60 years ago.)

 

[Doog]

Excellent read. You're wrong by the way, but still good to read. Understeer is a bad vice.

Very nice pictures, but what happened to Suzuka!

How do they perform in the wet and at Night? Are the lights up to the task? Do the wipers clear the screen, or waft about like the Queen in a carriage? (The Wet weather test is good to show how much the rag tops have stepped up from the Elan and Healeys of 60 years ago.)

Thanks for the comments.

But how am I wrong? I never implied that understeer is good...

 

[Vince]

Do more! Great read, but I would have chosen a color other that white for a Miata

 

[Ryk]

I was kidding around. I hate understeer, so to have three cars and your best choice being the one afflicted with a light case of the understeers triggered a kneejerk reaction from me. Oh the white car has Understeer, it will be last then.

But you pointed out each cars good and bad qualities, power band, engine note, balance in corners. All good - I guess you could put points to various aspects of the cars - and the Understeer may have been a -3 point flaw, but the lack of grunt in the S2000 could be a -7 point flaw. Other people see a car and would say the most powerful car is the best -

Looking forward to the next road test.

 

[Doog]

I was kidding around. I hate understeer, so to have three cars and your best choice being the one afflicted with a light case of the understeers triggered a kneejerk reaction from me. Oh the white car has Understeer, it will be last then.

But you pointed out each cars good and bad qualities, power band, engine note, balance in corners. All good - I guess you could put points to various aspects of the cars - and the Understeer may have been a -3 point flaw, but the lack of grunt in the S2000 could be a -7 point flaw. Other people see a car and would say the most powerful car is the best -

Looking forward to the next road test.

Yes, the Miata had understeer, but overall, it was the most fun experience, therefore it wins.

Also, I'm debating what kind of test to do next...

Senior Citizens: Mercedes-Benz SL500 VS Lexus SC430

or

Family Feud: Honda Accord, Mazda 6/Atenza, Subaru Legacy, etc.

 

[O.G]

Great stuff!! Keep it up dawg!
And obviously the Mercedes next...

 

[Doog]

Great stuff!! Keep it up dawg!
And obviously the Mercedes next...

You picked the right choice; I'm working on Senior Citizens right now. Haven't gotten to the SL yet; still working on the SC. Hopefully it'll be up later today.

 

[MOTORTRENDmitch]

nice read good job

 

[rams1de]

Very good read OP.

It would have been good to see some interior shots since you made the comparison.

 

[Doog]

-Senior Citizens-


If you're old, and you have money, and a sedan is too proletarian, chances are you own a Lexus SC or a Mercedes-Benz SL. I grabbed my AARP card and a day's worth of Depends and hit the road in these two boulevard cruisers to find out which one's best for your rich grandparents.


Lexus SC430 (US) '01

The SC430 was introduced around the turn of the century, replacing the popular SC300 and SC400 coupes, but with a distinctly different flavor this time around. The first generation SC could be argued as a vehicle in a class of its own; it was a four seater car with a choice of six or eight cylinder power, and a choice of automatic or manual transmissions. On one hand, you had a somewhat sporty luxury coupe, and on the other hand, you had a full-fledged grand tourer. Though the Mercedes-Benz SL filled a similar niche, it was much more expensive, had completely different mechanical options, and was a hardtop convertible. The second generation SC gravitated towards the SLs niche, with a much more tucked in, curvy design theme, it shaved off some 14 inches of length, and was within an inch of the R230 SL which was introduced a year later. Lexus wanted the SC to be a more ostentatious boulevard cruiser; they even sent several designers to Cote d'Azur to take in the scenery and find inspiration for the SC's new theme.

For whatever reason, the designers picked the yachts that lined Monaco's waterfront as their inspiration, and the SC that resulted could best be described as bubbly. The whole body was a large-looking, rounded shape, with a large, curving hood that met a small cockpit which tapered into a rounded stern with a little wing topping it off. As was trendy at the time, the SC switched from a fixed hardtop configuration to a hardtop convertible, which was one of the SC430's biggest features. Under the hood lied the same 4.3 liter 3UZ-FE V8 that had debuted that year in the larger LS430 and the smaller GS430 sedans, mated to a modified 5-speed automatic. Inside, the revamped SC was quite luxurious, featuring leather on everything, and where there wasn't leather, there was wood and soft carpet. Seeing as the SC was the most exotic car in the Lexus stable, it was fitting that its miles of leather came in a vast array of colors over the years. There was light beige, there was dark beige, there was saddle brown, there was red, there was wine, there was grey, and there was white, and there was black. The Eternal Jewel Edition, which was a 200-unit limited edition which marked the end of the SC lineup mixed these leather combinations together, and featured contrasting roof color schemes. For a few years, there was a Pebble Beach Edition as well, and there were numerous Japan-exclusive special editions. If you wanted an SC in a particular color scheme, there was probably a special edition for that.

The SC's interior is a very nice place to be, albeit a little claustrophobic. In front of you sits the same leather-wrapped steering wheel that you find in the IS and the GS, with the chrome Lexus emblem in the center. Behind it lie the speedometer and the tachometer, each with their own little housings. Both are illuminated with white at night and are easy to read. There are two rear seats, but they don't actually hold life-sized humans. Instead, they're really there to keep insurance rates down, or to hold your golf clubs, or your Chihuahua, which if you own an SC, you probably have one; a surprising amount of celebrities have owned an SC430, most notably, Taylor Swift. Bet you didn't know that. Once you quit thinking of all the things you could fill the rear seats with, you look back and see that nice dashboard that caters to both you and your passenger, but sort of hugs the both of you in wood and leather. There is no navigation system available, but most SC owners aren't going to venture out of Beverly Hills anyways.

It's not hard to see why the lurkers of Rodeo Drive choose the SC430, as it's very well suited to cruising. In town, it wafts along quietly, but you'll have to shift down if you want to come into the power band. Luckily, when you do so, the big Lexus scoots along nicely, and the smallish V8 makes a nice, muscular sound. It's a very Japanese sort of sound; not rumbly or shouty, but rather refined, with a thrum to it. It's a unique sound. On the highway, you can cruise in 5th gear all you want, and you'll never have to shift down. It's quiet at speed, but it has enough grunt right around 3000 RPM to pass quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately, the SC430 shares a fatal flaw with its sibling, the LS430: it stops like a frigate. Indeed, the big Lexus' brakes are inadequate at best for the amount of mass it carries, with cringe-inducing braking distances that make an RV look competent. The rear tends to get a little unstable as well; it's a very light stirring, but it's noticeable, but easy to correct.

Once you finally come to a reduced speed, you'll find that the SC is an interesting car in the bends. It's a pleasant surprise actually; not as wallowy as you'd think. Being a heavy chunk of Japanese beef with a soft suspension, you get a fair bit of body lean upon corner entry. Luckily, the comfort-grade tires grip quite well, and understeer is light at best. But before you start to experience the sideways gravity of understeer, the big Lexus starts to default to its rear wheel drive nature, and begins to oversteer some. With some cars, oversteer is fun, and can be used to an advantage. But here, it's really more of that quick kick of the rear before it settles back into a straight line. If anything, it slows you down, but it does spice up the experience some. The SC430 sticks very well to the long curves of Circuit de la Sarthe, and it'll go very fast on the longer straights. Speaking of fast, flat out, the SC430 will do an impressive 173 mph. The SL500, in contrast, does 175. How does the SC get so close with less power? Gearing. Both feature a 5-speed automatic (the SL's actually slurs shifts like an automatic), but the SL has very long gears, whereas the SC's are much closer together. But when it comes to how smooth speeding is, the SL takes the cake, with slurred shifts that make each gear change unabrupt.

It should be noted that we came to la Sarthe in the late afternoon, which quickly faded into the night. The SC's headlights were more than up to the task, and made blasting down unlit country roads quite safe. It should also be noted that it started to sprinkle a little during the night. The SC was unphased, and maintained a confidence-inspiring amount of grip in the wet. That makes the big Lexus a very well-rounded car. If you live in the country, and you commute to the city, the SC is a very good car for you. It's good with driving fast down narrow roads, as well as driving in rain, and it's a quiet cruiser on the highway. It scoots around town with authority, and it sounds quite nice. And if you live somewhere where it snows, you can still drive the SC, as you can equip it with snow tires. You can't do that with the SL. Other than its poor brakes, the SC430 is a hard car not to like.

Mercedes-Benz SL500 (R230) '02

If the SC430's a posh convertible, than the SL500 is oozing with 1% charm. With a predecessor whose life spanned 11 years, the R230 had quite the act to top. Six years into the R129 SL's life, Mercedes-Benz began developing a new SL to replace it. Shortly after the turn of the century, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the new SL, and it was met with a positive response from the public. Gone was the old SL's boxy styling, its 13 different engine options, and a soft top on certain models. Instead, the new SL was a predominately V8 or V12 powered machine with only a few engine options, only automatic transmissions, and hardtop convertible roofs across the board. The new SL had quite obviously matured.

The exterior styling was typical of Mercedes-Benz's new curvy styling theme that debuted in the late 90s. Rather than the handsomely boxy, low slung R129, the R230 was a larger, sleek convertible that appeared taller, but was actually 0.3 inches shorter than its predecessor. The new SL became an instant favorite with Californians, business executives, and rappers around the world. Inside, the interior was a vast departure from the previous generation's boxy charm. This time around, a leather-lined interior that curved in a way that made it feel much larger than it was was crafted out of leather and carpet, with a sprinkling of wood. The low driving position and the interior which created the illusion of being vast and airy combined to emulate a sportier driving experience.

If you haven't already noticed, I don't sound too enthused describing the SL500, because quite frankly, I don't find it interesting at all. There's nothing about its specs or statistics that is abnormal, and its safety features make me want to go to sleep. Its styling is uninteresting, and I think the boxy R129 looked a whole lot better. But luckily, describing how the SL behaves on the road is interesting. So, let's talk about it. First of all, you'll notice that the SL doesn't actually seem very fast, at least until you look down at the speedometer. Because of its uber-long gearing and slurred shifts that remove the drama from accelerating, flooring it in the SL, at least above triple digit speeds, isn't all that interesting. You'll find yourself shifting early because the SL's 5 liter V8, though it is a spirited motor with a nice exhaust note, it does get monotonous when you're slowly climbing towards the abnormally high 7000 RPM redline.

Unlike the SC, the SL has good power amongst all the legal speed limits, and it does quite well in town without having to shift down. Unfortunately, it launches rather rough in town; first gear causes wheel spin and high revs, even when you're not trying to, and launching in second yields poor acceleration. On the highway, the big Mercedes does much better, with the V8 churning at low RPMs at speed, but passing power requires you to shift down to 4th for best results. Braking is vastly better than the Lexus'; this time around they actually do something. The SL is stable enough under hard braking, but it sort of squirms around like the Lexus.

Handling is surprisingly clumsy compared to the Lexus, where you quickly learn that a 4000 lb roadster really doesn't work. All that muscle from the 5 liter V8 comes handy on straights, but it serves as an anchor in corners, causing the nose to dive a great deal under harsh braking, and it causes the SL to lean quite a bit and ultimately understeer. Thankfully, it comes back to its Mercedes instincts by the end of the corner and starts oversteering. Unlike the Lexus' quick kick of the tail, the Mercedes exhibits a more linear slide. It should be noted that while we returned to La Sarthe at the same time as when we tested the Lexus, it rained much harder this time around, as in 65% after five laps, four of which were red laps, one of which was a totally bogus penalty. I swear, only one wheel was off the track on that Chicane. Pinky swear.

Thankfully, the SL500 remained civil for the majority of the laps, exhibiting some more oversteer, but it was still stable and composed. However, the big German becomes unnerving on La Sarthe's narrowest country road, and I touched the grass a couple of times. Keep the triple digit speeds to a minimum, and the Mercedes is a much more agreeable rain cruiser. Unfortunately, if you live in the snow belt, you can't have an SL; Polyphony Digital will let you put snow tires on a Viper, but on an SL500? Hell nah. Back to the topic of handling in wet conditions; things were calm until about 45% of the track was wet, when the Merc became bipolar and irritable. On one corner, I was still gripping well and maintaining short braking distances. On the next, I was sliding at nearly 70 degrees, scrubbing off precious miles per hour quicker than they came on. Then, it returned to its senses and was stable again, but on the next corner, it was sliding out under braking. You can't reason with this car in heavy rain.

Overall, the SL500 is alright. It doesn't help much that I wasn't too enthused about it to begin with, but after experiencing it, I remain uninterested. It makes a fine Autobahn cruiser in straight, dry conditions, but it lacks that hint of sportiness that the Lexus exhibits on La Sarthe's fun country back roads. It's too hard to regain speed after a stop to be a suitable city cruiser, even if you do have to keep the Lexus in lower, louder gears for optimum acceleration, it's not overzealous like the Mercedes-Benz. On the highway, the SL requires hardly any effort, but having to downshift to overtake effectively means that it is more effort than the SC, even if it's only a downshift. It's the Lexus' well-roundedness that makes it win, and across the board, it's a better car, even with those bad brakes.

Second Place: Mercedes-Benz SL500 (R230) '02

A transmission that has its faults, clumsy handling, and excessive wheelspin on gentle launches land the SL a second place finish. It's a good car, just not as good as the SC.


First Place: Lexus SC430 (US) '02

A more refined overall experience combined with excellent high speed manners and more athletic handling net the SC a first place finish. If you're a platinum haired oldie looking for a highway cruiser with a kick in the pants, the SC's a good place to start.

 

[eran0004]

-Senior Citizens-
If you're old, and you have money, and a sedan is too proletarian, chances are you own a Lexus SC or a Mercedes-Benz SL. I grabbed my AARP card and a day's worth of Depends and hit the road in these two boulevard cruisers to find out which one's best for your rich grandparents.

If I'm old, and I have money, chances are that my rich grandparents are already dead and I've inherited their money

Nice work on the reviews though, keep it up!

 

[rams1de]

👍 Another fine review and nice interior shots

 

[Doog]

So I'm in the midst of working on a midsize sedan comparison. So far I've got...

Mazda Atenza
Alfa Romeo 156
Honda Accord
Citroen C5
Volkswagen Bora
Nissan Primera
Volvo S60

I think that's the whole bunch. Anyways, as I was picking out cars to test, I came across the Toyota Altezza. It's about the same size as the Bora, the smallest car in the test, but it has less power than the rest, but it is rear wheel drive, which could give it enough umph in the corners to help it keep up with the competition. I haven't tested or wrote about it yet, so I'd like to hear some input: should I include it?

 

[finnracer]

Yes! How about the 330i and Legacy 3.0 as well?

 

[O.G]

Or the Mercedes C Class...

 

[Doog]

Yes! How about the 330i and Legacy 3.0 as well?

The Legacy 3.0 is in the test (knew I'd forgotten one), but the 330i is for another test. BMW interiors may be sparse, but it's not on the same level as these cars.

Or the Mercedes C Class...

The only one I could pit against them would be a replica, but it would still overpower the rest, and I'm hesitant to do that. People may think I'm biased towards my replicas, or that the thread's just an advertisement for them, you know. That's a good question, actually. Should I test replicas along with normal cars?

 

[Doog]

Hate to be a double poster, but does nobody have a preference? Really, I'd like to know how you guys would feel if I tested a replica car in comparison to a normal car. It could open the door for several new comparison tests...

 

[Davis]

Really, I'd like to know how you guys would feel if I tested a replica car in comparison to a normal car. It could open the door for several new comparison tests...

I see it as coming off as either of these two ways:
​

1. You look like you are pushing for attention
2. Everyone thinks your replicas are cool for living up to their real life counter-parts.

I doubt option 1 will happen, and personally I would like to see how the replicas fare against cars in the game. I'm all for seeing replicas. It would set this review thread apart from the others, and make it feel more personal as people can then go make the replicas themselves if they so desire.

 

[Doog]

I see it as coming off as either of these two ways:
​

1. You look like you are pushing for attention
2. Everyone thinks your replicas are cool for living up to their real life counter-parts.

I doubt option 1 will happen, and personally I would like to see how the replicas fair against cars in the game. I'm all for seeing replicas. It would set this review thread apart from the others, and make it feel more personal as people can then go make the replicas themselves if they so desire.

Thanks for chiming in. 👍

I would have incorporated replicas from the get-go, but like you stated, I was worried it would look like I was pushing for attention. The mid-size comparison is still in progress (hoping to test and review the Vectra tonight), and we'll see what happens after that.

 

[wWsLack]

How about a "Soccer Mom" Station wagon test in GT5? Might find a sleeper...

 

[Doog]

How about a "Soccer Mom" Station wagon test in GT5? Might find a sleeper...

That could definitely happen.

 

[Doog]

Even though it's been some 11 days since I posted here (feels longer), I haven't abandoned this thread. I bought Forza Horizon soon after posting the Senior Citizens review, and that pretty much consumed my life for an entire week. Family Feud is well under way, and I'm almost finished writing about car number five out of eight. Rather conveniently, there are eight cars in the test, which means that I can split the review in halves, one, so I can at least get something out the door, two, it's less text in one post, so the likelihood for error is smaller, and I'm sure there's a character limit in a post, which would be rather awkward to have six or so reviews in one post, the other two in the next. The first four reviews are completely finished, pictures and everything, so all I need to do is post them, which I'm hoping to do some time tomorrow. 👍

 

[Doog]

Family Feud (Part I of II)


The midsize sedan is ubiquitous to the road no matter where you live. Unless you live in Antarctica (how's the weather there?), seeing a midsize sedan on the road is as inevitable as seeing fat people in McDonald's- or America in general, for that matter. Nonetheless, if you take a look at every midsize sedan, you'll find a variety of them; people just don't know which one's the best, though blind brand loyalty certainly plays a role here. But still, it's worth finding out which one's the winner because it enables you to congratulate all the people who you come across who drive the right car, and it allows you to mock the ones who drive the wrong car.
The midsize sedan is a car sold everywhere, and everywhere has a diverse spread of road conditions. To test this diversity, we sent the fleet to Route 97, with permission from its creator, NascarManiaco99 (a twenty-one gun salute to you!). Route 97 is a nicely sized highway loop, totaling in at over five miles of length. It features a unique layout, with uphill straights, downhill straights, and flat straights, with steeply banked corners bringing it all together. It's a very diverse track, and it brings out the best and the worst in every vehicle. Because this is such a large comparison, it will be split into two for the sake of keeping organized. The first half includes the Nissan Primera, Alfa Romeo 156, Vauxhall Vectra, and the Toyota Altezza RS200. So, let's get to the car-talk...



Nissan Primera 20V '01

Ask a hundred people about the Nissan Primera, and only a very small portion of them, if any, will know what you're talking about. Which is a shame, because the Primera isn't exactly a bad car- well, I shouldn't be so quick to say that. It has its faults, most of which are faults that I cannot accept in a car, but it's still competent at its purpose: a mid-range family car. But I have to knock on it some because it ultimately fails at its original purpose. You see, back in the late 1980s, Nissan was on something of a roll. It had recently launched its luxury division, Infiniti, it was seeing rising sales across the board, and it was introducing new and improved models in nearly every segment. Having revamped its bread and butter cars, Nissan were ready to take on another project. Nissan were dead set on beating the Europeans at their own game, the sports sedan game. The car Nissan introduced was the Primera, or if you're American, the more luxurious Infiniti G20.

The original Primera was a good car; it came with a competent four cylinder and a transmission that matched its drivetrain nicely. It was rather lightweight, and it handled pretty well. It enjoyed modest success in its first several years of life, and Nissan greenlighted production of the second generation model. As was typical of the early 2000s, the Primera bulked up. It was larger in every exterior dimension, heavier, more powerful, better equipped, and its sleek new love it or hate it design, which I certainly don't hate, gave it improved aerodynamics on the now dated first generation model. Unfortunately, Nissan forgot to increase sportiness, which is a shame, because it had all the right ingredients. Lurking behind that short, rounded face was a new SR20-VE four cylinder producing just over two hundred horsepower, mated to a six speed manual transmission. It sounds like a good combination, and it is- in a straight line.

Turn rather odd looking wheel and it all goes downhill from there. They would have been better off stating that the steering wheel is only for show, because it doesn't seem to be connected to the front wheels in any sort of way. Turn it in any which way and the response is lackluster. The Primera changes direction slightly, but the front wheels are so determined to keep accelerating that it just can't turn. Go around a corner at 40 miles per hour in most other front wheel drive sedans, and while they may exhibit understeer as well, they do get around the corner. The Primera on the other hand doesn't even seem to give an effort. Go around any of Route 97's long sweepers, downhill hairpins, or intricate esses, and the Primera just goes "NOPE" and continues going straight. Unless you slow down to well below the legal speed limit, just enough to get ticketed for going too slow, and the Primera does turn, albeit with protest. But take any sort of corner at speed and the car just will not turn at all. If you're so lucky that it does turn, you're met with a tire-screeching, body-rolling mess of an experience that can instantly ruin your day.

If you accept the Primera's nonexistent handling characteristics, you'll find that it's not actually a bad car in everyday situations. Close gearing means that the spirited two liter four feels sprightly, though power in low RPMs is lacking. It's a quiet cruiser on the highway, but again, you'll have to shift down and wind it up to tap into passing power. It's a smooth car to drive in town, and it launches from a standstill with authoritative power, without being excessively harsh. It handles decently around tight city streets, but it's really more of a straight line car.

This rather relaxed take on driving carries over to the Primera's curvaceous interior. It's a nice place to be, a soft, cloth-lined oasis of gentle curves and contrasting colors, typical of Nissan's early 2000s habit of making everything bubbly. The center of the interior is where all the action lies, where it's dominated by a plastic center stack that stems from the floor of the car and rises to the same height as the steering wheel. This stack, which bears an uncanny resemblance to a podium, houses all the controls, with a smattering of buttons on its most level surface, with an infotainment screen tucked away just above it. Look higher and you find a long, crescent-shaped sort of arch of plastic, which houses the driver's gauges under its wing. The Primera is one of those annoying cars where they put all the gauges in the center, which not only completely removes it from your peripheral vision, but it also broadcasts your speed to everyone in the car, beckoning for backseat passengers to chime in with their judgments.

If you see a car as an appliance, then the Primera is a very good appliance. It combines nice styling with a spacious interior with a neat take on a center stack with a spirited motor and a good transmission. However, its handling faults take away from the overall impression, which eliminates the Primera's chances of winning this test. Let me put it this way: If you seek fun in a car and you test drive a Primera, you're gonna have a bad time.

Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6 24V '98

Alfa Romeo were experiencing something of a renaissance in the late 90s. A heritage marred by years of subpar cars and financial issues was being turned around after being acquired by Fiat in 1986. The resurrection was slow at first, but things began to pick up around 1997, when the Alfa Romeo 156 was introduced. The 156 was a modestly-sized sedan whom was tasked with raking in most of Alfa Romeo's profits, and becoming a notable force in the entry level luxury segment, going head to head with the BMW 3-Series. Despite how highly Alfa Romeo must have thought of the 156, pitting it against luxury cars, the 156 was really more of a Mondeo competitor. In that case, the 156's job was even harder: convince people to buy a new face from an Italian company in the midst of rebirth over a now well-known British sedan that was universally loved.

The car itself was a solid effort. Alfa Romeo played it safe with the design and stuck with a traditional three box layout. A long, flat hood flowed into a boxy cockpit, which tapered off into a short, flat rear. The front featured two beady little headlights at each end, with the traditional chrome Alfa Romeo grille at the center. The hood was mostly flat, but had gentle creases which led to the grille. The side profile was very traditional, but the pillar-mounted rear door handles were the design element that caught the eye the most. At first glance, you might perceive the 156 to be one of those cheap coupes where they simply removed two door handles and called it a day- at least, that's what I thought for years. Only when I saw a reviewer note the unconventionally placed door handles did I realize it was actually a sedan. I personally hate pillar-mounted handles with a passion, especially if the front door handles are conventional. It just makes the front handles look odd and out of place, and it gives the impression that the automaker attempted to hide the fact that it was a four door car. Meanwhile, at the Alfa's very short stern, you find two long, slim taillights, with a single long, slim plastic strip that lines the rear bumper that does nothing for the car's image. Overall, it's a very safe design, but it's a nice one at that.

Inside, things get...disappointing. All first phase 156s are equipped with a very bland, basic interior that depresses you. Alfa made amends with the second phase model, but we're testing the first phase model, not the second. In front of you is a very thin, basic steering wheel with the Alfa Romeo badge in the center, and nothing else but that. The speedometer and the tachometer lie behind it in the wrong order in their own little housings, with a small vehicle information readout in between them. The center console is where the biggest letdown lies. It's a small, narrow console that comes in faux aluminum or hideous faux wood, and it has three white gauges at the top that look out of place. Below it is a tiny stereo with a million and one buttons crammed into that tiny slab of black plastic, and just below that are three air conditioning knobs which are disproportionately large compared to the itty-bitty buttons of the stereo. And below that is a very obvious bright red button for the hazards which would normally look more out of place in an interior than a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe in Monaco, but in the 156's cluttered center stack, it just sort of fits it.

Drive the 156 and everything starts to come together. Every journey begins with accelerating, and when you tap the gas pedal, you're introduced to the work of art that is the 2.5 liter V6 that resides under the Alfa's short, flat hood. It's one of the smoothest engines you'll ever experience, quite possibly as smooth as BMW's inline six. Imagine sliding down a freshly-cleaned wooden floor in your slipperiest socks. That's the same sensation that Alfa's V6 evokes. What's so great about it is that thanks to the six speed manual (in 1998!), you're always in the rev band. But even if you're not in the sweet spot, that's alright, because really, there's good power across the board. This is a very easy car to drive smoothly, and it's perfectly satisfying to just waft along in your little Italian machine, the chromed V6 churning away at low revs, not so much as to be quiet, but rather a low drone that would normally be a nuisance, but in this case, it's strangely relaxing.

That's what's so great about the 156; it suits my two driving styles perfectly. On one end, it can be therapeutic; quietly cruising along, passing others with little noise from the engine, quietly accelerating back up to speed after slowing down. But on the other, it's a whole other animal. Fling the Alfa around some corners, and even on its comfort tires, it sticks like glue; you can just feel its will to keep going and going. The brakes are superb, and they quickly slow the car down from high speeds; this is the perfect car if you're a late braker. On the other end of the spectrum, the Alfa's little V6 pines for redline with astonishing spirit, every input you make causes an eruption of power within the hood, with a mechanical, refined sound coming from the exhausts. The six speed gearbox keeps you within the action, and accelerating down a long, sweeping hill can be thrilling. And when you're not accelerating or braking, you're turning, and the 156's got that covered as well. Turn into the corner and it responds immediately; it may incite some understeer from the front wheels, but you can tell it's trying its hardest not to. Even when you are understeering, it's usually curable by letting off the gas. It's a very pleasurable experience.

In a nutshell, the Alfa Romeo 156 is a great entry-level sports sedan, but unfortunately, you'll be hard pressed justifying it to your spouse. While it's a very fun car to drive, and it makes you feel so special, it ultimately comes short on the practicality that so many look for in the midsize segment. Its interior is a sparse, poorly furnished place that will make your passengers despise you. Plus, that Alfa Romeo badge on the front brings with it rampant depreciation, and it'll be worth only a small fraction of the original price after a few years, though it's great if you're a second hand buyer. If you're fine with values that literally race to the bottom of the barrel, chances are you may be at peace with the car's pastime of making things break, where the only solution is to throw money at it. If you can live with it, the 156 makes a stellar companion.

Vauxhall Vectra 3.2 V6 '03

The Vauxhall Vectra is a car that is so boring, that after testing it, I promptly exited the game, turned off the Playstation, and went to bed an hour earlier than usual. No other car, save the Toyota Corolla, can make you so tired so fast. Sure, some cars provide a relaxing experience that eventually lulls you to sleep, but that's a good way of making you sleepy. The Vectra makes you want to sleep because you're so bored afterwards, and you're so tired out, that there is no better thing to do than to just end the day and go to bed, and hope you'll never have to experience the Vectra ever again. That's really all you need to know about this ubiquitous European sedan. But, if I were to end the review here, it'd be mighty boring, like the Vectra. And I hear that people like reading other people's rants, so let's go on.

Your sleep inducing journey courtesy of Vauxhall begins with the exterior. It becomes immediately obvious that this car was designed around mathematics, with the ultimate goal of being inoffensive. The entire car is a series of straight lines met with gentle corners. The cockpit? It begins with a curve, settles into straightness, and curves back into the bodywork. That's the entire car. The front is very flat; it's on a slight angle because it sits on one of the Vectra's many gentle curves, but it still lacks any flair at all. You get two squarish headlights, and a small, rectangular grille between them. The side profile is perhaps the most anonymous part of the Vectra, with its most prominent feature being the way the dashboard literally begins right as the front wheel well ends, which just screams front wheel drive. Not that that's a bad thing, it'd just be nice if it weren't so obvious, because then there'd be something interesting about the Vectra. "Is that thing rear wheel drive? Oh wait, it's a Vectra." See? While there was disappointment, there was a brief display of interest, a brief display of emotion. The Vectra is offensively inoffensive.

The interior is no better. If anything, it's worse. It's as if Vauxhall stocked its designers with rulers and protractors to design the exterior, but by the time they'd gotten to the interior, Vauxhall took all the protractors away from them, leaving them with a bunch of rulers. Take one look inside, and you'd have a hard time arguing with my theory. Like many Vauxhall interiors of the time, it makes you wonder if GM hated the Opel and Vauxhall twins. They gave most all the cars they made these awful plasticy wastelands of interiors and expected them to sell well. For whatever reason, people bought them anyways. Those people must have had to have been mad. Step inside the Vectra, and the plastic penalty box interior immediately starts to depress you. I wouldn't be surprised if people who were given a Vectra as a company car had a higher chance of committing suicide. It's just so awful in there.
It's a barren place of grey. Not even light grey, or dark grey, just grey, with fake aluminum accents. Eww. The abnormally wide center console dominates the scene, but not for good reasons. At the top, you find two average-sized air conditioning vents, with an itty-bitty screen in between the two, with vehicle information, or if the company you work for likes you, a navigation screen. Then again, if they really liked you, they wouldn't give you a car with a navigation screen the size of an air conditioning vent. They probably wouldn't give you a Vectra, period. Look below the three little rectangles at the top of the food chain, and you find this enormous plastic array of buttons. Buttons, buttons everywhere. But look closer, and there actually aren't many buttons at all, but rather lots of cuts and creases that give the illusion of buttons. The Vectra is one of those annoying cars where if you don't get the option, you get an unmarked button that's pressable, but does nothing. It makes you feel depressed; just imagine all the fun stuff you could've done with that button, but instead, there is none, and that gives a sense of limitation.

In the center of this mess is another mess in its own, the radio controls. In the center of the center (confused yet?), there's a large knob and four faux aluminum buttons surrounding it. Outside of this little setup, there's very conspicuous disk slots, another knob, and an oh-so 2000s number pad. Did anyone even use those? The outside of this smattering of buttons is dotted with four immediately noticeable holes, presumably for screws. Nice to know Vauxhall's making it easy to steal the radio. Below this are three more knobs and four buttons for the air conditioning. The steering wheel is an uninspiring black faux leather thing, much like steering wheels of newer Volkswagens. There are two gauges behind it, dotted with unappealing red lettering.
As one could preconceive that the Vectra is completely unremarkable to drive, and they're completely right. Never before have I had such a vanilla driving experience. The Vectra just drives; it doesn't have any specific bad traits, but it doesn't really have anything remarkable about it either. It's unfortunate, because the Vectra's engine, a 3.2 liter V6, has a spirit rivaled by few. It's a rev-happy engine that's eager to chase its redline, but yet it also has good power at city speeds. It's quiet and comfortable at highway speeds, and passing power is pretty good. This is a very capable Autobahn cruiser; I found myself creeping upwards of 90 without noticing it often; the power comes on smoothly and silently. Unfortunately, the five speed automatic transmission tries its best to overcome the V6's passion, and attempts to straddle it down and make it perform in a more civil manner. Unfortunately, it succeeds; its long, long gears make acceleration less exciting than it could be, which makes an experience that could be quite nice a dull experience. What a shame.

The Vectra's handling characteristics are hard to describe because there simply aren't any handling characteristics. The only good thing I can say about it is that it was more competent than I'd thought it would be. Turn into a corner, and the Vectra changes direction with surprising eagerness, something you wouldn't expect from a car with the majority of its weight hanging over its front wheels. Like all things with the Vectra, everything interesting stops before it can become too noticeable, and it defaults to slight understeer for the rest of the corner. It's not a very bad understeer, but it's enough to make the Vectra's overall handling only average.
And that is exactly what holds the Vectra back; there is not one interesting quality about it. The styling is average, the interior is dull and barren, the transmission is a dud, and the handling is unremarkable. It makes a fine commuter, but it's just so boring that you won't want to be stuck in it for an hour a day because it's depressing. If you own a Vectra, you've either given up on life, or your company hated you so much that they gave you one. If you own a Vectra, I highly recommend you invest in a good mattress and pillows, because you'll be running to bed to take a nap each time you drive the Vectra, because it's just so dull.

Toyota Altezza RS200 '98

The Toyota Altezza is a very, very good car. It's a car that combines timeless styling with a nice interior with an excellent chassis, a spirited engine, and a great six speed manual transmission. It's a car that combines everyday practicality with the ability to have a good time at legal speeds, and a better time at illegal speeds. The Altezza is much like the Mazda Miata, except better equipped, and more practical. It's fun all the time, but it also has a relaxed side to it when you want it. In other words, it's a very well-rounded sedan.

The exterior is a very conservative design, yet it's a timeless one at that. Despite being a nearly 15 year old car, the Altezza still looks modern. It's an upscale design. A short, flat hood blends into a boxy cockpit which tapers into a short, flat rear. The front features two headlights and a small grille in between them, which gives it a sort of aggressive look. The side profile is a traditional three box layout, but it looks nice. It's a very 90s design, with few dramatic curves, and a large greenhouse sitting atop its flat body. The most notable part of the design are those clear taillights at the rear, known as Altezza taillights, which spawned off a wide array of aftermarket copies, now a symbol of the ricer world. Luckily, being the car that created Altezza taillights, the Altezza's Altezza taillights look quite good on the Altezza. Try saying that three times fast.

The interior is a very nice place to be, and it does an admirable job of masquerading the fact that it only has a small amount of luxuries. Black cloth seats with a smattering of silver lines on them, a style that thankfully died after 2005, are tacky, but tolerable. The dashboard is where the action lies here; it's a very rectangular, narrow stack, but it's attractive. Up at the top are two small air conditioning vents, with three climate control knobs under them. Under that is a pretty large stereo, with a disk slot and a cassette slot, and several buttons and knobs. It's a very uniform look, but it's stylish, too. In front of you sits a grippy leather steering wheel, with the Altezza name staring back at you in the center. Behind it is that controversial speedometer, modeled after a watch. It looks good, and it's easy to see. Beside it is a much smaller tachometer, which redlines at an impressive 8000 RPM. Under the Altezza's hood lies a two liter four cylinder, pumping out an impressive 217 horsepower; a not so impressive 169 lb-ft of torque. It's mated to a six speed manual transmission that does its job well, and the power is sent to the rear wheels, which makes the Altezza the odd one out in a field of front and all wheel drive cars. This uniqueness carries over to the Altezza's driving experience, which is like no other car in this test.

Stomp on the throttle, and the Altezza surges forward, bringing forth a storm of acceleration. Its two liter four, the smallest here, reaches for redline with urgency, much like a cat reaching for that last morsel of food under the couch. Each shift comes on quick, and it shoots the Altezza right back into the ideal red band, presenting another surge of power. Once it's time to slow down, you'll find that the little Toyota responds well to urgent braking, and it's easy to find the right line into a corner, because no matter where you brake, the Altezza can cope with it. Speaking of turn-in, the Altezza quickly reacts to steering inputs, immediately turning into the corner, an advantage of its small, lightweight four. Continue through the corner, and you're met with two choices. The first is to let off the throttle and smoothly carry out through the curve, which works quite well, but isn't very exciting. The second way is the fun way; stay on the gas and the Altezza whips out its rear and sends itself into a slide, which, thanks to its precise steering and feathery engine, is easy to keep up, and can easily last through the longest of corners with the right taps of the steering wheel. No matter how good the chassis under it is, not even the Altezza can rise above Route 97's elevated switchbacks, and even it succumbs to understeer. Thankfully, it's never overwhelming, and it's easy to correct by letting off the gas pedal.

Transition back into the real world and join the rest of the world on normal roads, and the Altezza shows its soft side. No longer is it a fast, slidey beast, but instead a quiet, polite car. It keeps up with traffic nicely, thanks to a responsive engine and gears that are evenly spaced. It's quiet at cruising speeds, and it's very smooth. However, it does need to be riled up some to drop into the power band, and the engine's note could be more inspiring. But if you're starting to become a modest success, but you don't want to pay up for a Lexus, the Altezza combines timeless styling, a chassis with great potential, and a spirited motor. Unless you can't stand the thought of adding snow tires to a car in the winter, there's hardly a condition the Altezza isn't suited for.

As I stated before, this is only half of the review. No places will be stated yet because I don't know; I haven't finished testing all the cars yet. Part two of the review, which covers the Volkswagen Bora, Subaru Legacy, Citroen C5, and Honda Accord Euro-R will come in the near future. Stay tuned.

 

[Doodle]

Awsome reviews Doog, can't wait to see more 👍

 

[Michelin]

Yay, my track The Primera was my first car in the game, back in May 2011, and I don't remember it being that bad... but at that time I used all kinds of eletronic help (even SRF), so I can't really compare.

 

[Doog]

Yay, my track The Primera was my first car in the game, back in May 2011, and I don't remember it being that bad... but at that time I used all kinds of eletronic help (even SRF), so I can't really compare.

All the cars have been tested with comfort softs and no aids, with the exception of ABS. I've tried skid recovery force before; it's like an extra G of grip in any situation.

 

[fifomaniak]

Did you forget about Mazda 6/Atenza?

 

[Ameer67]

Nice work Doog.