Well, this is interesting,,,

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike

Hmmm CTS-V? ATS-V? Plain ATS? Corvette? Charger? SHO? Mustang? Regal GS? Chevy SS? All have great reviews and Motor Trend said the SS is the car BMW and Mercedes should be building.



You don't get it...The cars you mention are sports cars for the most part and are pretty expensive. I'm talking about the most modest
subcompact/compact economy car (not the sports level trims). About the only one I can think of easily available here is the Ford Fiesta and even that is from Ford of Europe.

 

[ls1mike]

So tell what modest cars are connected? Corolla? Civic? Mazda does pretty good. So show me what you got. Because the good stuff from overseas is just a pricey.

 

[Mykl]

Golfs seem well reviewed, base Mini Coopers are excellent. Civics used to be, maybe still are, but there isn't as much of an enthusiast following for them anymore. Honda Fit, I hear the new Yaris is good. The Fiesta and Focus are apparently very good. The Dart is almost there, but I'm told that they didn't quite nail it.

Not much from Toyota or Nissan these days, or even Mitsubishi. GM has a nice driver in the Cruze platform, but most wouldn't necessarily describe it as agile or athletic.

 

[MCompact]

The Mazda 3 is also a great small car for those who like something that's a lot of fun to drive.

 

[Mykl]

Oh yeah ^

I didn't mention Mazda because it seemed like universal sentiment that they build great handling cars.

 

[ls1mike]

I did mention Mazda. I will give you the Mini, although the ones I have been in have a very harsh ride, and for me to say that is odd.
Yaris? I have had two as a rental...if that is connected, well maybe I am headed down the wrong path.

VW? Eh, I had a Jetta, quite frankly I like my W-bodies better. The GTI is a bit different, but in order to get a drivers car from any of the important Name plates stuff starts to get pricey, just like the US nameplate stuff.

 

[Mykl]

I did say the most recent Yaris, which is very very new. As I understand it the last one was "meh."

Also, it's impossible to account for taste here. I only tried to mention the general perceptions of the vehicles as I perceive them. You like what you like.

In defense of the Golf, which isn't a Jetta, the last generation received a very high amount of praise from a lot of different sources, and the one that was just released is also winning a very high amount of praise from a number of different sources. I'm guessing the Jetta you drove wasn't the latest one, which has had it's downs and more recent ups.

 

[Cujet]

Many, if not all of the new cars listed here don't perform anywhere near as well as posted, at the local dragstrip. I watch Altima's turn 17 second 1/4 miles at 80MPH. And the V6 Altima's break into the 15's, never the 14's.

Same goes for Accords and Camry's. Those test numbers must be done in cold temperatures and on high pressure days. Here in South Florida, the heat slows 'em down.

Contrast that with a classic V8 Mustang with modern tires, that will run low 13's all day long.

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
I really don't care today how fast it will go.

I wish the manufacturers would get better fuel economy.


While I really enjoy performance cars, and my current car is an 11 second Honda S2000. I agree that excellent MPG is desirable and there is no excuse for lack of proper efficiency.

Just don't ask me to drive a Prius (which is a wonderful, high performance car at what it does) because I hate the way they drive. I want to be firmly pushed into the seat when I accelerate, and I want to pass that slower car safely and quickly. I also want serious grip on corners and excellent braking power.

Forcing someone to drive what they don't like is not a recipe for happiness.

 

[artificialist]

The horsepower numbers of the 1960s cars are misleading. They were measured in SAE gross, which allowed the use of open exhaust manifolds, and no air cleaner.

Another thing to think about is the level of horsepower going to the wheels. Having a more modern transmission may reduce drivetrain losses, and having more that 4 speeds may mean keeping the engine closer to peak horsepower. I have also heard that an older 4-speed manual transmission requires more time to shift gears. In cars with automatic transmissions, the difference is even more dramatic.

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
Many, if not all of the new cars listed here don't perform anywhere near as well as posted, at the local dragstrip. I watch Altima's turn 17 second 1/4 miles at 80MPH. And the V6 Altima's break into the 15's, never the 14's.

Same goes for Accords and Camry's. Those test numbers must be done in cold temperatures and on high pressure days. Here in South Florida, the heat slows 'em down.

Contrast that with a classic V8 Mustang with modern tires, that will run low 13's all day long.



Interesting. That may explain the V-6 Camry that tried to "race" me when I passed him on a two lane and I didn't have much problem getting around him with my Challenger.