McLaren
Premium
- 46,322
- Texas
Yes, I'm still on the hunt for a track car, but today, I went to dealers for that potential car. I had to. While looking at BMWs, I suddenly became attracted to any good deal I saw, whether it be a 325i or a 740iL. I wasn't looking for a track car, I was looking for a BMW. And to help cure that want, I decided to look at something different.
So, I went to various dealers from my own Acura, to Subaru, Ford, & even Scion.
Scion tC RS 4.0:
Ok, the only reason I got attracted to this car was due to the dealer offering $139/month on lease deals on nearly any model. It seemed to good. Now, the RS 4.0, or Release Special 4.0, is a limited tC model of only 2,300 units. It has a few exclusive features such as Alcantara seating. Test driving this car, I discovered it has a good amount of pick up for such a car, and it's not hard to go above 50mph without knowing. However, go to 30Mph or lower, and it just feels bland. It goes where you want it to, almost without any feeling. I nearly have this car scratched off due to the lease payments at the end of the deal being around $18,000 paid for a $22,000 car. The salesman though, said to he has good news, and to call him back Monday. We'll see.
Ford Fusion w/ Sport Package:
I've always been curious about this package, because it's rarely seen here. So, stopping in, and going through what I was looking for, I got a test drive in the only one on the lot. The package includes black with red inset seats, and a little more umph in acceleration. A little. Being serious, this car has some serious get up and go for a sedan. It's in the turns though, that this car loses its sporty feel, and goes back to being a regular ol' sedan. Til' you hit the gas again. This car is def. within consideration, but I don't know why because it may be a lease. However, that's if the dealer doesn't play games. It was $3,000 down and $300 a month for 36 months. Now, it's $3,000 down for $302-$306/month and more crap. At most, I'll be seeing what other Ford dealers offer.
Acura TL & RSX:
The TL doesn't need a whole lot of words to be described. It's fast, drives great, and is a fantastic car. The payments though, are asking for 6 years at a potential rate of $450-$550 a month. I think the Type-S will do fine. I'm not missing much besides a softer ride.
The RSX though, is an amazing car. It's extremely agile through the turns here, and best yet, it was a standard. The clutch is nothing but simplicity to use, and it just sounds great to get on the accelerator. I really don't have a lot to say about it other than it drives very well. It only takes a few minutes to master the clutch, and when you do, it can put a smile on your face. We didn't talk payments with this car, but it's definitely going to be looked at again, or maybe even it's Type-S sibling.
2008 Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan:
This car, will go down as one of the most surprising cars in my life. I originally went to look at a regular sedan, but I couldn't stay away from the WRX models. The 5-door looks good, but I have fallen in love with the 4-door sporting a Premium PKG spoiler, fog lights, dual exhausts, & a 10-speaker system.
Now, I drove a rival Lancer GTS (as well as an Eclipse GT) last weekend, and they're fun cars, but the excitement is nothing like the Impreza and it's because of 1 simple thing. Standard transmission. An auto is available, but it's rare, and it kills the mood of this car so much. They only had one, and the fun of putting it into a sequential-like mode just can't touch the excitement of 5-speed power with 224 horses on tap. Sure, that's no TL Type-S power, but it's enough to make you have some serious fun. It also taught me 1 thing. With an automatic, I would normally feel like getting more horsepower from modifications. But with this car, I was brought to reality again, that when you have a standard, 224 horses is more than enough to have fun with.
This car, though, has a stiff clutch, and that may be due to it being brand new. Despite this, as soon as I pulled out onto the road, the sound of its boxer engine got my blood running. The engine sounds just freaking amazing, and shifting in this car is just nothing but pure adrenaline. I was grinning from ear-to-ear. The only problem I had was turning corners from a stop because it takes a while to get the clutch and the gas coordinated. At one point, I actually killed it, and had to start her up again. But this just made me even more happy for an unknown reason. The stiff clutch will build the legs muscles quick, but it's all worth it. The roads here allowed me to really get her going, even up to 80 off a freeway.
Of course, she's no STi, but that monster is simply out of the picture. She, like the Evo X, are just too damn expensive at this time, and too new to get any deals on. They sell way too well here. And while this would be a lease, I felt the deal was great. The avg. lease deal on a WRX (according to the KBB) is around $476/month. With $3,200 down for 41 months, I managed to talk them down to $339, which came down from $454 a month. I'm still considering this car, and maybe even the used 2005 STi on the lot in the oh, so gorgeous Blue Mica, but we'll see. Next Saturday, I'll be seeing how the VW GTI stands up against the Subaru, and possibly what Mazda has to offer.
But in seriousness, if you haven't driven the new Impreza WRX, do so. To me, it's just an amazing car, and I simply can not decide whether to get one in Obsidian Black or Blue Mica. But honestly, drive one when you can. Ignore the new look, and just drive one. The fun that can be had with this car can not be ignored so easily.
So, I went to various dealers from my own Acura, to Subaru, Ford, & even Scion.
Scion tC RS 4.0:
Ok, the only reason I got attracted to this car was due to the dealer offering $139/month on lease deals on nearly any model. It seemed to good. Now, the RS 4.0, or Release Special 4.0, is a limited tC model of only 2,300 units. It has a few exclusive features such as Alcantara seating. Test driving this car, I discovered it has a good amount of pick up for such a car, and it's not hard to go above 50mph without knowing. However, go to 30Mph or lower, and it just feels bland. It goes where you want it to, almost without any feeling. I nearly have this car scratched off due to the lease payments at the end of the deal being around $18,000 paid for a $22,000 car. The salesman though, said to he has good news, and to call him back Monday. We'll see.
Ford Fusion w/ Sport Package:
I've always been curious about this package, because it's rarely seen here. So, stopping in, and going through what I was looking for, I got a test drive in the only one on the lot. The package includes black with red inset seats, and a little more umph in acceleration. A little. Being serious, this car has some serious get up and go for a sedan. It's in the turns though, that this car loses its sporty feel, and goes back to being a regular ol' sedan. Til' you hit the gas again. This car is def. within consideration, but I don't know why because it may be a lease. However, that's if the dealer doesn't play games. It was $3,000 down and $300 a month for 36 months. Now, it's $3,000 down for $302-$306/month and more crap. At most, I'll be seeing what other Ford dealers offer.
Acura TL & RSX:
The TL doesn't need a whole lot of words to be described. It's fast, drives great, and is a fantastic car. The payments though, are asking for 6 years at a potential rate of $450-$550 a month. I think the Type-S will do fine. I'm not missing much besides a softer ride.
The RSX though, is an amazing car. It's extremely agile through the turns here, and best yet, it was a standard. The clutch is nothing but simplicity to use, and it just sounds great to get on the accelerator. I really don't have a lot to say about it other than it drives very well. It only takes a few minutes to master the clutch, and when you do, it can put a smile on your face. We didn't talk payments with this car, but it's definitely going to be looked at again, or maybe even it's Type-S sibling.
2008 Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan:
This car, will go down as one of the most surprising cars in my life. I originally went to look at a regular sedan, but I couldn't stay away from the WRX models. The 5-door looks good, but I have fallen in love with the 4-door sporting a Premium PKG spoiler, fog lights, dual exhausts, & a 10-speaker system.
Now, I drove a rival Lancer GTS (as well as an Eclipse GT) last weekend, and they're fun cars, but the excitement is nothing like the Impreza and it's because of 1 simple thing. Standard transmission. An auto is available, but it's rare, and it kills the mood of this car so much. They only had one, and the fun of putting it into a sequential-like mode just can't touch the excitement of 5-speed power with 224 horses on tap. Sure, that's no TL Type-S power, but it's enough to make you have some serious fun. It also taught me 1 thing. With an automatic, I would normally feel like getting more horsepower from modifications. But with this car, I was brought to reality again, that when you have a standard, 224 horses is more than enough to have fun with.
This car, though, has a stiff clutch, and that may be due to it being brand new. Despite this, as soon as I pulled out onto the road, the sound of its boxer engine got my blood running. The engine sounds just freaking amazing, and shifting in this car is just nothing but pure adrenaline. I was grinning from ear-to-ear. The only problem I had was turning corners from a stop because it takes a while to get the clutch and the gas coordinated. At one point, I actually killed it, and had to start her up again. But this just made me even more happy for an unknown reason. The stiff clutch will build the legs muscles quick, but it's all worth it. The roads here allowed me to really get her going, even up to 80 off a freeway.
Of course, she's no STi, but that monster is simply out of the picture. She, like the Evo X, are just too damn expensive at this time, and too new to get any deals on. They sell way too well here. And while this would be a lease, I felt the deal was great. The avg. lease deal on a WRX (according to the KBB) is around $476/month. With $3,200 down for 41 months, I managed to talk them down to $339, which came down from $454 a month. I'm still considering this car, and maybe even the used 2005 STi on the lot in the oh, so gorgeous Blue Mica, but we'll see. Next Saturday, I'll be seeing how the VW GTI stands up against the Subaru, and possibly what Mazda has to offer.
But in seriousness, if you haven't driven the new Impreza WRX, do so. To me, it's just an amazing car, and I simply can not decide whether to get one in Obsidian Black or Blue Mica. But honestly, drive one when you can. Ignore the new look, and just drive one. The fun that can be had with this car can not be ignored so easily.
