My work with Hooniverse and other outlets affords me seat time in some pretty awesome machines, usually well more than I can afford, and often more capable than I should be allowed. I’m a writer, usually a mediocre one, who takes pictures, usually mediocre ones, and drives cars. It’s a pretty awesome gig, and at the end of the year, I like to sit back and look at what I drove throughout the year, and this year, to spice things up, I decided to rank them. The closing of the year also allows me to thank to thank the owners of the cars for their generosity in letting me behind the wheel. I am 100% thankful that the great readers of this site still read what I have to say, and that there are those out there willing to let me flog their beautiful cars in order to facilitate me writing about it. Thanks for helping make 2015 a great year, each and every one of you! Now, here’s the definitive list of all of the cars I got to drive this year. Yes, a lot of them were Porsche and Audi.
Cayman GT4 –
This isn’t just the best car I’ve driven this year, it’s the best car I’ve driven ever. I was invited by Porsche on assignment for FlatSixes.com to Road Atlanta to test drive this car on track with the legendary Hurley Haywood leading the way. It drives like I’ve always dreamed a sports car would drive. It’s so poised. It’s not too heavily powered. It has that sense of neutrality that everyone seems to be craving, but very few manufacturers can do right. Even in heavy rain on a race track, the Cayman was always fighting in my corner, and never seemed to get out of sorts. This car proves that you don’t need a million horsepower to have a superb driving experience. I can only hope that this is the car that signals the end of the horsepower arms race. Car of the year. Car of the century. Car of All Time.
Sharkwerks Tuned 997 GT2 –
Okay, I know I just said that you didn’t need a million horsepower to have fun, but dammit if this car isn’t the exception to the rule. The Magnus Walker-designed livery hints at the kind of insanity a car like this delivers, but only just. The car is so far beyond the crazy paint and tartan seats. It is just subdued enough to avoid the straight jacket treatment, though it’s not far away from it. According to Master of all things Sharkwerks, Mr. Alex Ross, the car was absolutely transformed by the new generation of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, as the old Cup didn’t provide enough grip or usability to make the car fun. With the new tires fitted, the car was a joy. It was exactly like a 997 GT3, but so much faster, which is exactly the idea. With 700ish horsepower, the car was a handful, but never felt out of sorts. Whatever formula they used, it worked. Really well.
Boxster Spyder –
The Boxster Spyder takes everything that is great about the Cayman GT4 (the 981 generation chassis, the Carrera S derived 3.8 liter engine, and the best manual gearbox in the business) and makes it just a little softer for street use (normal Boxster Sport Suspension instead of the GT4’s GT3-derived kit, nicer interior appointments, and an opening top). Because of these changes, the car is made into possibly the nicest street car I’ve ever driven. The Boxster is a bit softer, but not really all that much slower. It still handles like a dream, it still has all of the grunt, and it doesn’t feel like you’ve been kidney punched when you get out. Where the GT4 was a bully, the Spyder is your best friend. This is a car that I’d legitimately spend my own money on if I had it to spare.
Renegade Hybrids 987 Cayman LS7 –
Like the Sharkwerks car, this thing is a special level of fun. It’s not for mere mortals to experience, and I’m not sure how I wormed my way into the driver’s seat. Renegade built a 7-liter Chevrolet LS7 engine (They claimed something over 700 to the rear wheels, and it felt like it) to stuff into the middle engine compartment of one of Porsche’s best chassis, and somehow it didn’t completely upset the balance. The car still handled with all of the engineered-in goodness that Porsche designed it to, but it had so much more shit with which to ‘git. There were no wide fender flares or big wings to give away the power figures, it just looked like Porsche intended. For a shop-built car, it’s really hard to get better than that thing. They also had a 400 horsepower 986 Boxster that was pretty damn good as well. Torque lives well in that platform.
Porsche Boxster GTS –
This car is artificially higher than it might otherwise be, mainly for sentimental reasons. I asked for this press car on behalf of FlatSixes.com while I was in Los Angeles for my honeymoon. It served very well for around-town drivng, but when we got up into the canyons north of the city was where it shined. The GTS is at once both a comfortable cruiser and a performance maniac. While it doesn’t have the power levels of the Spyder, it provides mostly the same driving experience with a slightly altered look and a smaller engine displacement. If I hadn’t driven some truly amazing cars this year, this one might well be at the top.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS –
The GT3 RS I drove in conjunction with the GT4, but in this car the leader was David Donohue. I was honored to meet David as I’ve watched his career for many years. He’s a really amazing person, and a joy to talk to. The GT3 RS, however, lacked something for my taste. It was an excellent car, and it was amazingly ludicrously stupidly incredibly quick around the race track, but it just didn’t have that special-ness that I was looking for. I’ve driven a few of Porsche’s other “GT” division cars, and they all had a certain something about them that I didn’t see in the 991 GT3 RS. I hope this doesn’t come of as too negative, as I really loved the car, but it felt more artificial than any previous GT car I’ve driven. Too much GT-R, not enought Carrera GT.
Audi S3 –
Audi’s S3 is the best Audi I’ve driven in a long time, and the best Sedan I’ve driven perhaps ever. It has the B5 S4 feel to it that Audi people have been wanting since it was discontinued. It’s the perfect size. It’s got just enough power to be properly quick. It has one of the best AWD systems on the market right now. It sounds great. It looks great. Hell, it’s even comfortable for a big dude like me. Like the Boxster Spyder, this Audi is one that I’d seriously consider adding to my stable if I hadn’t just signed a 30 year note with the bank on a house.
The Porsches of Camp4 –
The Mecaglisse ice course in Canada is pretty awesome. I actually drove a number of Porsches while there, including a Cayman, a Carrera, and a Carrera 4S, but as I only got a few hours in each car, I didn’t figure it was fair to rank them individually, and grouped them together here. The Camp4 program that Porsche hosts is an amazing activity if you want to learn winter weather driving skills and drive some awesome German sports cars. I learned a lot. I loved it. I would recommend it to all of my friends, and probably even a few of my enemies.
Porsche 911 GTS Coupe –
I didn’t really get much seat time in this car, though I’ve driven a number of GTS models in the past, but that’s mostly because this car was my mode of transport back and forth between the hotel and Porsche Rennsport Reunion V at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. That minimal time with the car was still enough over four days to make a major impression. Beautiful wide-body curves and a nice powerful engine. It doesn’t get much better than this for street cars.
Project Boxster Clubsport –
I’ve made a good bit of progress on this project car this year. Not everything has been excellent with this car, as it did leave me stranded in the middle of the Nevada desert for a night. Aside from that one minor instance, the car has been pretty much flawless otherwise. I put wider wheels and tires on the car, did some more weight shedding, and made a few personal preference choices on aesthetics. It’s slowly morphing into what I envision it will be one day. The road for this project car is still a long one, but we’re making progress. Check out continued progress over at FlatSixes.com.
Project Rowdy The Audi –
Rowdy has been neglected for far too long in 2015, and 2016 will hopefully correct that. I’ve ordered all of the parts for a complete brake overhaul, a timing belt and waterpump job, and a few other minor items. I’ll be navigating this project over on to QuattroWorld.com, so check over there occasionally for semi-regular updates.
Datsun 200SX Roadster –
This is a strange car that fell into my lap. I don’t own it, but I’ve been nominated to be the temporary custodian of the car until I can road-trip it back to its owner in the spring. The story around this car is a long and convoluted one, but I’ll make the time to tell it when it’s appropriate. For now, I’m just driving it occasionally on my daily commute, say once every two weeks, just to keep everything tip top. There are only three known examples still in runnable shape, so I want to take as good of care as I can. This is a strange and special car. I love it more every time I drive it.
Nissan Rogue –
Nissan was nice enough to lend me a Rogue for my bachelor party weekend and for shuttling things and people to the wedding venue back in June. It was an excellent car for car purposes. It would be a great car for someone like my mother who enjoys the benefits of a small SUV, but personally I didn’t exactly enjoy the driving experience. It was too big, it was a little ungainly, and it was far from dynamic. That isn’t really what the car was built for, but that’s what I look for in a car. Ho hum.
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid/PHEV –
Hyundai was nice enough to invite me (Dear Hooniverse Representative) to Southern California for a lovely couple of days driving their new Sonata. The weather was fantastic, the car drove exactly like you’d expect a mid-sized front drive sedan to drive. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t exactly inspiring, but it certainly was comfortable. Hyundai has made a lot of progress in the last decade, and this is an excellent example of that.
Volkswagen Passat –
Volkswagen flew me to Vermont on behalf of Hooniverse to try out their “new” Passat. The car made use of essentially the same engine and same drivetrain, but the sheetmetal and interiors were revised a bit. It was a good trip, and I enjoyed the drive route that Volkswagen had laid out for us, but I couldn’t help but think that the US-market Passat is a bit old-hat these days, and deserves to be replaced by the European version with a better chassis. Maybe if Volkswagen had allowed me to drive the VR6 model, or the R-line trim model, I’d be less salty about it.
Audi A5, Scion FRS, and Mustang V6 –
I only got a handful of minutes in each of these three cars at an event to test a new BF Goodrich sporty all-season tire. The A5 seemed nice, I enjoyed driving the FRS on a small autocross course, and the Mustang seemed well adapted to street-car life. Sadly all three were automatic transmission models with almost no options, and my time with each was limited, so it’s not exactly fair to judge them.
Volkswagen Jetta Rental –
I had a Jetta rental when I visited my mother for her birthday. I didn’t hate it.
Mazda 3 –
I own this car. I really hate driving it, but I’ve grown to love the fact that it asks for nothing in return. We’re now over 100,000 miles logged on this little hatchback, and I’ve made peace with the fact that I’ll probably own it until at least half-a-million miles.
James’ Toyota Pickup –
My friend James had a bare bones no-nonsense Toyota pickup from the early 1990s. Single cab, short bed, stick shift, 114 horsepower 22R-E, maroon paint. That’s about it. It was hot, uncomfortable, and too small. Unfortunately James ran out of fuel while riding his motorcycle about 50 miles from home, so he had me take his truck out to pick him up. It wasn’t the worst car/truck I’ve ever driven, but it was close.
Toyota Yaris Rental –
Absolutely abysmal. I had to drive this pig from Los Angeles to Reno, NV with no cruise control. It was awful. Worse than a Versa rental I had once.
Everything I drove In 2015 (Ranked!)
About
21 responses to “Everything I drove In 2015 (Ranked!)”
-
Here’s everything I drove in 2015, ranked:
1. 1993 Volvo 240 wagon, aka Blanche. I’ve never had so much fun winter driving… except for all the times I got horrifically stuck in my own damn driveway.
2. 1999 SAAB 9-5 wagon, aka Alice. Awesome 2nd and 3rd gear pulls keep the gas mileage way lower than it should be. That is, when the car ISN’T GODDAMN BROKEN. Has some gnarly handling characteristics thanks to the 190,000 mile suspension. This car is for sale, btw. :)))
3. 1997 SAAB 900 convertible, aka Markus. Has the rigidity of a wet noodle and if there’s so much as a HINT of precipitation, the roof will piss ice cold water all over your lap. Lovely exhaust note though.
4. 2004 Volvo S80 2.5T, aka Annie. Very luxurious, scary handling (even after replacing the lower control-arm bushings.) Also, why are so many trim pieces well on their way to falling off?
5. 1991 Volvo 240 sedan, aka Agnes. This is my girlfriend’s little brother’s first car. For a while it sounded like a WWII fighter because it blew the exhaust manifold gaskets out after replacing the muffler. It’d be rated higher if the seat bottoms hadn’t collapsed; having your ass waffleironed over every bump sucks.
6. 2012 Honda Fit. This car’s been in two major accidents, and has that god awful CVT Honda swears isn’t a CVT but really is. It drives exactly how you’d expect. Gets 34mpg easily, though.
7. 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser, aka Lucy (or Loser, depending on who you ask.) Possibly the worst car I’ve ever driven, after my sister’s very badly crash damaged 2001 Honda Civic. Consistently got 19mpg regardless of driving style, had the handling of a box truck (and a turning radius to match,) and ate through suspension components with wild abandon.-
I saw some of your wrestling with Scandinavian divas over at WW, and you reported here, too: acknowledging nod for doing this, especially for the Saabs.
-
-
You have a Mazda3 hatch that you hate driving? I’m thinking all that P-car seat time has clouded your judgement. 😀 Compared to other options in the segment, what else would drive better?
I’ve loved my 2005 Mazda3 hatch and have put over 160K miles on it (with little fuss) over 10 years. I miss driving it every day now that I’ve handed it over to my daughter.-
It is absolutely ruined by the automatic gearbox. It’s terrible.
-
Inquiring minds want to know: worse than a THM125 bolted to an Iron Duke in a late-Reagan-administration Pontiac Grand Am?
(Oddly specific, I know, but that particular combination was a car that I actually kind of liked when it was a $600 beater and part of the family fleet about 14 years ago.) -
Ah, mine’s a 5 speed. Wouldn’t have it any other way.
-
-
-
I’ll toss my list out there for nobody to actually read:
1. 1990 Honda Prelude (mine)
It has great steering, pretty good seats, I put fantastic tires on it. I lowered it lower than makes sense, and still drive it to the ski hill. It only has a little rust, I never get asked to drive people around, it gets 27 MPG, and every time I see another 3rd gen Prelude I get the thrill of realizing I drive one of those cool cars.
2. The Offroad Tercel (friend’s)
It’s lifted three inches. It has ATV tires on the front wheels. Not much in the way of an exhaust system. It’s a 4-speed and it’s so hilariously fun that it could be a contender for first place. That carbeurated Toyota engine noise is awesome.
3. International 4300 (5-ton with 24′ box)
I drive this for my job. It’s the biggest vehicle I’ve driven. Great view; it’s at semi truck height. Surprisingly direct steering. Powerful brakes, even if the electric booster takes away all sense of connection between my foot and what’s actually happening. Smart automatic transmission that engine-brakes. Fantastic mirrors. Electronic limiter just below the highway speed limit can be immensely frustrating. The engine sound is grating.
4. 1999 Honda CR-V (sister’s)
It’s a comfy car that’s high enough to drive on lumpy forest service roads. I wish it wasn’t automatic. It ranks this high for overall good design and its balance between off- and on-road prowess.
5. 2003 Toyota Corolla (parents’)
The throttle tip-in is too aggressive and the brakes are overboosted. The steering wheel feels good in my hands. The car might never break. I don’t even really mind this car, despite it being literally and figuratively beige.
6. 2015 Ford Fiesta rental
Slow, but small enough to be fun anyway. Is this really how big small cars are now? Feels huge compared to all my friends’ older small cars. It has quick steering. Said steering offers little to no feedback, though. I liked the seat. I really want to try an ST.
7. Jeep Cherokee XJ (friend’s)
Possibly the least confidence-inspiring (on road) yet still fun off road. Supple suspension allows you to go fast over bumps. It will go just about anywhere and creak and clunk loudly the whole way. This is a high miles example and could use a lot of work. That’s why I’m ranking it so low. A good one could be near the top of the list.
8. GMC Acadia (friend’s)
Large. Thoroughly boring. Comfortable. Bright headlights. I respect the engineering it must have taken to make the turning radius a manageable size, because it was easy to park. I don’t understand how a company could get that so right, but still make the stereo so confusing.
9. Newish Ford F-250
Company truck. Really ungainly in parking lots. Otherwise unremarkable. Actually, the interior design is pretty bad, now that I think about it. So faux-tough.
10. GMC (Isuzu) COE medium duty truck
Another work truck. The cab over offers a unique driving sensation. It bounds over bumps with no apparent spring damping. Has bad tie rod ends that never seem important enough to actually fix – even though it does a death shake on the highway. It has over 400,000km. The slowest vehicle I drove this year.
11. 2005ish GMC Savana
Work van. Horrible ergonomics and driving dynamics, no AC, no cruise. Awful turn radius. Big blind spots. V8 sounds good though.-
i read it! you should try out an ST. i am planning to buy one. low-speed steering still feels weird though – nobody’s quite figured out that electric power steering yet.
-
That Offroad Tercel sounds like way too much fun.
It also makes me want to check my local Kijiji…
-
Yes, the former small cars are ranked as “micro” or similar. Also, “faux-tough” is a nice description!
-
-
I drove unusually few things this year. Ignoring off-highway vehicles, ignoring on-highway vehicles that were driven less than an hour overall, and sorting by accumulated miles:
1. 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T, 5.7/auto. Most of my 2015 miles were with this car. The ZF autobox is brilliant; the Super Track Pak suspension is fun, but moreso in corners and less on bumpy roads.
2. 2005 Dodge Dakota, 4.7/auto. The constant “updating channels” thing when the radio is in Sirius satellite mode is getting severely (or can I say, sirius-ly?) annoying, but otherwise it’s working fine.
3. 1996 Ford Thunderbird, 4.6/auto; a beater-project till it hits 200,000 miles and I come up with some other goal. Somehow racked up nearly 2000 miles for the year, getting just past 197,000 miles, though the longest trip was a county-collection effort from Beadle Co., SD to Tripp Co., SD which was only about 400 miles round-trip.
4. 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T, 5.7/manual. Traded for the 2015.
5. 2008 Cadillac DTS. My grandparents’ better car (with the other car being an ’88 Coupe de Ville, one of the rare ones without any sign of a vinyl roof). My aunt & uncle who live in California spent Christmas at my grandparents’ house, then I got designated as the driver to bring them from there to the Sioux Falls airport, using this car, this past Tuesday. It may not live up to modern luxury ideals per M-B/BMW/Lexus/etc. but it’s surely a nice car to drive and/or ride in for a vast number of miles at a time. -
the major characters for 2015:
1. my goddamned Volvo – still love it, even when it’s broken. i can think of a few grand in parts and repairs, which is stressing me out, but it’ll all be worth it…if it ever happens. until then, it soldiers on. after watching The Force Awakens a couple of times, i’ve decided it’s the Millenium Falcon. it may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid.
2. Fiesta ST – this car was stupid fun. i wish it didn’t have that shiny-ass screen in the dash but i’ll forgive it. the Recaro seats are controversial but i’m thin and they were very comfortable for me, as well as deliciously heated. god, i wish i’d been ready to buy right away. as it is i have to sell my Miata and secure a loan from the bank instead of the dealer, or else i’d be rushing back to that dealer and buying it today.
3. my 97 Miata – bought in May, already preparing to sell it. it’s also supremely fun to drive, but i’m getting sick of the leaky top, trunk, window seals, etc, it’s currently a little broken, and i need and can afford reliable transportation. it will have spent a short time in my hands before it leaves, but i’ll be forever grateful to it, and if i had space for three cars i would keep a miata in the fleet.
4. Fiesta 1.0 turbo – this was fun, but just in the way a normal Fiesta is fun. i spent months in love with the car from afar for the nerd factor, but when i drove one the dealer also had a used ST. after driving them back to back, the ST is just too good for me to want the 1.0. if you’re desperate for MPGs, go for it, but otherwise, at least give the ST a go.
5. Ferd Ranger – i actually hate driving these at the job i started this year, but i have to give them a nod. they work. they’re clunky pieces of shit to drive, and they break in the most incredibly stupid ways, and the interiors fall apart, but we beat the hell out of them and they show up to work the next day. respek.
6. Toyota MR2 SW20 – sold this before moving to Texas. i have fond memories of it, but selling selling was the right thing to do. if i had to rank it on its own merits, it belongs in the list before the second Fiesta, but this year i only drove it out of my mom’s garage and into the new owner’s garage, so it was only meaningful in closing out that phase of my life.
the Miata has been the car with the most impact on my life this year. it’s going to have been a fleeting presence, but one that leaves its mark. i’d never owned a car i could truly flog before, and exploring the limits of its handling has left me with a new appreciation for driving which has extended into my experiences with all the other cars i’ve driven since. selling it will be like an amicable breakup. maybe i never truly loved it; maybe it was never meant to be. but i loved what it taught me and i will always appreciate it for that. godspeed, you adorable red puppy. may you bring joy to the lives of many others. perhaps our paths will cross again someday. -
I really love that people used this as a jumping off point to discuss the cars they drove in 2015. Hooniverse readers (and commenters especially) are the absolute best. Thanks guys!
-
I enjoyed your reviews and has a good laugh at all the Porsches. I have to agree……the caymans, box sterns and 911 s are excellent sports cars. It’s been a good year ….and your ranking seems to be spot in.
As far as what I drove this year? My number one choice is my daily driver my 2008 corvette z51 m6 with npp… A few interior mods and a reprogram on its PCM to alter the drive by wire throttle response.
Second favorite and a close second was the latest Porsche boxster s with PDK. I liked that car a lot….almost bought one as it had excellent steering feel of a mid engine car and that wonderful PDK. Fun convertible and good looking too.
Bought a 1994 miata in mint condition this year on a whim. It was inexpensive and very very low mileage. Figured I’d use it as a snow vehicle for this upcoming winter….and it was owned by a 67 year old gentleman who literally only drove it 1000 miles a year for the past ten years…it was a great summer top down fun car. I had installed the flyin miata butterfly chassis brace and frame rails and it did stiffen up the spaghetti chassis of a unit body convertible that was 21 years on this earth…but when fall came this winter and it came time to put the top up for the season….the charms of this Lillie black miata faded away and so I sold the car in one day…to the first person who saw the car …for 50 percent more than I paid for it 4 months and 4 thousand miles earlier. Fun experience and a good lead in to the latest generation mx5.
As this July was the release of the latest generation mx5 that would according to mazda harken back to the first generation miata…I thought it would be fun in anticipation to the release of the miata…own an original version to compare.
Guess what? The new mx5 for 2016 was a much nicer sports car….the new car shifted nicely, rode smoothly and was a much better car overall. Technology and advancements made the new mx5 a much better car.-
Although the body roll of the new car was ridiculous. The new mx5 was much quicker than the older 1.8 5 speed as well. This new mx5 didn’t just harken back to the original mx5….it surpassed it in every metric. Just my opinion. I soon after driving the new mx5 sold the car once the summer weather ended and it was top up all the time.
Great experience…..fun to be able to actually drive to mx5 events and be able compare the original to the latest generation….but once done…it was all over for the ownership experience of the original. Made for a fun few months though…a happy little sports car -
At a quick glance, I thought I saw “PDI”, which I intuitively expected to be the Porsche Density Index. On that one, this post has probably surpassed BaT. I’m very jealous though.
-
-
Pretty exclusive group in which the Datsun is included. I hope you don’t lose your enthusiasm for it…
-
I think I have a pretty interesting list, it’s short but heavy on variety. Which means, I can’t really put things in order. So, no particular order:
* The Jeep. 2001 Wrangler 4.0L. It has 167,000 miles on it, 5-speed, 3.73 gears (tow package), relatively fresh bushings and relatively new tires on all four corners. I’ve owned it for five years now, and even as my daily driver, it’s still a highlight of my year driving vehicles. Having a car or truck you truly love is a joy. It’s great at being a Jeep, and all the things that are bad about it are quirks that I find charming. (Consumer Reports will do a better job enumerating its flaws than I could. Check your local library.)
* Yamaha TW200: Aka Little Bike. This is my first motorcycle. I bought it brand new in May, and I’ve since put 1700 miles on it. It’s lovable puppy of a bike. It ain’t fast, but it is easy to ride, and you can have good, casual fun on it. It’s everything Tanshanomi said: http://hooniverse.info/2014/12/23/bikes-you-should-know-yamaha-tw200/ It’s a great first bike, and it’s still fun to hop on it even now that I have a more powerful machine.
* Speaking of which: Yamaha FZ-07. Aka: Big Bike. Mine is a salvage bike that I had to re-title. It’s got 6000 miles on it, 700 of which are mine. It’s lived a hard life so far, but it runs strong and it’s an amazing machine. It’s fast, it’s agile, the chassis feels like it’s all business.
* Royal-Enfield Bullet 500: Got to take a short test ride on one of these over the summer. It was heavier than the FZ-07, only a little faster than the TW-200, and the chassis was adequate. The 500cc thumper vibrated quite a bit. It put a huge smile on my face. It was a lot of fun, even if it isn’t a great all-rounder bike. Definitely fun for back roads cruising.
* Honda Nighthawk 250: The front drum brake was a bit underwhelming in its stopping power, but otherwise a decent machine. It had taken the abuses of a couple new riders with grace and poise (even though I helped the friend who owned it replace the clutch when it gave out). Faster than the TW200, but not something you can get into a lot of trouble on.
* Honda CBR500R: Smooth. Everything about this bike was buttery smooth. The engine, gearbox, suspension, handling, all quiet and smooth. It was reasonably quick (the FZ is considerably faster though). It’s an excellent bike, but not enough of a hooligan machine for me.
* Honda Insight: It’s a hybrid Fit. It has Honda’s hybrid drive train. It isn’t fast. The CVT is terrible. But it’s got a well-appointed interior, it’s comfortable and has hatchback practicality. My friend loves it, and it’s a great car for her. It’s much too polite for me to ever want one.
* 1962 Ford Ranchero: You all know and love this car. It beat Top Gear’s Crown Vic. Also, if you’ve read the above, you know where this is going. I helped Tim swap a 200cid Inline Six into it, but it still has the 3-on-the-tree transmission. And that’s just the beginning of the butt terribleness. The seat is bolted into a fixed position that’s just a hair too far back. The clutch pedal is a little out of adjustment, it will return most of the way, but you have to flick it all the way out with your toe (feels just like up-shifting on a motorcycle). The 1-2 shift is amazing, it takes a very careful handle jiggle to find neutral without bouncing off the reverse synchros. Fortunately, you don’t normally use first on the track. The engine runs and apparently has Ok compression! It’s got leaf springs in the back that… Well, I’ll let Tim post the latest pictures. It’s loud. It’s slow. So, obviously, I loved it. The thing is a goddamn riot to drive.
Bradley, I suspect we look for completely different qualities in the cars we drive. -
So, disregarding stuff I’ve moved around parking lots, I’ve driven a fair amount of vehicles over the past year – not really ranked in any order, moreso just by how I experienced them;
2014 Mazda2 – my daily driver. I still enjoy it (it’s enthusiast and engaging, if slow), although I’m noticing more of the road noise, it’s getting a few rattles, and the gearbox is a little less slick. Then again, I drive most other cars, and I remember why I like it.
2014 Chevrolet Cruze 1.4T – rental car. It’s pretty average and unexceptional, and the electric power steering had a weird engagement just off centre. That said, it hauled around four people and luggage just fine, pulled well, got decent fuel economy, and the turbo meant it wasn’t out of breath driving through Banff, AB (and further north), which is roughly a mile in elevation. I don’t love it, but it’s well-suited for rental duty.
So, I spent all summer working for an orginization that had a very GM-heavy fleet, and drove a bunch of the tollowing;
2015 Chevrolet Malibu Eco – dull, unmemorable, the front seat is sort of oddly shaped (or positioned?), and the back seat really is as small as you’ve read (not a problem for me, as I’m lacking of inseam, but it’s a detriment in this class). It’s a shame, as I quite like the ’08-’11 Malibus.
2015 Chevrolet Malibu Turbo – a lot of little things add up to make this quite a bit nicer. It’s quicker (with no real fuel economy penalty), it looks more aggressive, it’s a little nicer inside, it was my favourite car in the fleet. I wish Saab hadn’t gone under, because I’d love to see something like the Malibu Turbo with the weirdness dialed up just a little.
2015 Chevrolet Impala V6 – It’s big and comfortable, it looks nice, and it makes decent noises. It also doesn’t feel as quick as the numbers suggest as it doesn’t have that much low-end torque. It can hustle (and feel like it) if you play with the manual shifting, but with that toggle switch, what’s the point?
2015 Chevrolet Volt – unobtrusively pleasant for the most part, and I’d be interested to try out the 2nd generation. I also managed to make a 60km trip with no battery and the tank pretty much bone dry, so there’s that (who knows how conservatively the DTE is judged though). On the other hand, one had a weird issue where a battery cooling pipe cracked (as best as I remember), which sent it into limp mode. Fine in the neighbourhood around the dealer where we figured out the dealer didn’t fix it right the first time, less good when it originally happened to someone else on the highway.
2015 Chevrolet Trax – I’ve driven the Sonic, and I like the Sonic. A lot. I like it a lot less with extra ground clearance. The Trax is cramped, overpriced, and the stiff ride and short wheelbase make it unpleasantly jittery, without actually being much fun to drive. But, again, I like the 1.4T
2015 Chevrolet Equinox – Well, it’s roomy and doesn’t fall over itself, so it’s got that going for it. But, the four-cylinder is way overmatched for 4000lbs of trucklet. Like, keeping up with the flow of traffic, I got less than 20mpg highway (worse than the Silverado). We didn’t have any V6s, but by the time you’re paying for one of those, there’s a lot of more compelling options.
2015 Chevrolet Traverse – I hate to say these kind of grew on me. They’re definitely feeling dated at this point, but at the same time, I imagine if VW decided to rebadge a large crossover the way we got the VW Routan, this would be it. And then, of course, we’d all (probably justifiably) pile on it with criticism for that decision. Still, firm and kind of dull, and I’m okay with that. That said, it will fit 8 people, but that’s kind of cruel, and if you need to do that, you should probably just go ahead and buy a Honda Odyssey. Your passengers will thank you.
2015 Chevrolet Silverado – I remember liking the GMT900’s more, but it’s a truck. It’s big, it hauls stuff, it feels like you could drive over everything. It’s just not enthusiastic to do that quickly (but, 20mpg highway in something that weighs like three tonnes is pretty okay). Also, we had like 5 get really badly dented in the exact same spot (on the bed, passenger side, between the cab and rear wheel) because parking garages and big trucks don’t mix with people who don’t know how to use their mirrors).
2015 Chevrolet Express – I, uhh, I have a tortured relationship with these vans (I’ve probably logged at least an accumulated 100k miles in them). I hate them, I hate how they wander on the highway, I hate the lack of visibility out the back, they’re dated and cheap and crude, but Vortec FTW and Vortec noises FTW.
These were all assorted test drives – some on road, some on parking lot cone courses.
2015 Indian Scout – It looks fantastic. As a piece of design, I think it’s my favourite bike on the market right now. If I had Scrooge McDuck money, I’d have one sitting my my dream garage just to look at it. And, to be fair, it’s a pretty decent ride too. I’m still pretty green, and most of my time has been logged on a pre-historic 250, so enough of the ride was just holding on and trying to keep up with the other guys on the ride. I just had trouble getting comforable, and wouldn’t mine the pegs and bars just a little closer to me. But, it’s easy enough to ride, I felt like it had plenty more to give in the corners (with, with me in the saddle, I guess isn’t saying much), and it feels like a much more modern, smoother bike than what’s coming out of Milwaukee. Speaking of which…
2015 Harley-Davidson Sportster – I mean, I’ve ridden a few Sportsters, and I like them fine, and I suspect they feel the way they do because it’s what the Motor Company’s loyalists expect. There is something kind of satisfying about the gearbox, which feels like it’s more heft than your average Brunelian piece of engineering. The whole thing certainly feels more substantial than the new Street 500/750 (what I’d really showed up to ride, but they didn’t have one on the tour)
2015 BMW i3 – I’m intrigued. Unfortunately, I only got a quick spin around the block, in downtown traffic. Still, that at least suggested there’s potential for an Ultimate Driving Machine that uses some form of electric power. It looks weird, but then again, so does the X4/6, and we’ve mostly come to terms with that.
2016 Mazda Miata – I love it, I want it, everything you’ve heard about it is true, it’ll cure cancer and bring peace to the Middle East, I just wish it didn’t start at $33k Cdn.
2014 Mazda Miata – Mazda also brought out the NC for comparison. Until this summer, the only Miatas I’ve driven were NCs, and they felt exactly like I thought a Miata would. The ND makes the NC feel instantly dated, the ND is that good.
2015 Mazda CX3 – I was really underwhelmed. It’d probably feel better on the street, it probably would’ve felt better if I hadn’t just driven a trio of Miatas, but I’ve never felt something less than 3000lbs feel bloated before. Maybe just don’t take it autocrossing if you find yourself in one.
2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport – I knew the Discovery. I loved the Discovery. You, sir, are no Discovery. That said, not bad, I just wish it had vista windows.
2016 Jaguar XF – like the CX3, I don’t know if a cone course was the right environment to experience it in. Unlike the CX3, I at least had differing expectations of it – more grace and space than pace, but I’d love it for a sweeping highway drive (think Vancouver to Whistler, if you’ve ever done that).
2017 Jaguar XE – This can’t come to North America soon enough. It’s quick, and fun, and playful, and I admittedly went in biased to love it. My wife’s neck wishes I enjoyed it a little less.
2015 Scion FRS – I still like these a lot (especially when it’s over $6k less than a Miata), but I’m starting to see the powerband issues. It’s not underpowered, but in commuting, I could see the midrange lull getting frustrating.
2015 Scion iM – It’s not exciting, but it’s good in a way that suggests if you’re not comfortable with the long-term prospects of a VW Golf, or the Ford Focus’s transmission, this might be the car for you. Also, I suppose you have to ignore the existence of the Mazda3. Having driven a 2010 Corolla, the iM seems like a revelation.
2016 Toyota Tacoma – I still like these, but I don’t fit right (as slow slung as it is for a truck, I still don’t have enough headroom). Also, the 3.5 is a great car motor, but it’s not grunty enough for a truck.-
Vortec noises FTW, indeed.
-
-
Everything I’ve driven:
1. 1990 Ford Taurus SHO – My car. Love driving it. Love the engine. Hate that the sunroof rattles. Hate the transmission. Might keep it, might sell it and get something with 4×4.
2. 1991 Toyota Truck – My sister’s truck. Similar to Mr. Brownell’s friends, just rustier, with an extended cab. I also hate. In fact, when it’s her turn to drive, I take the bus.
3. 2000 GMC Sierra 2500 – My dad’s farm truck. It’s big, and hard to park, but it works hard and has been trouble free for over 200000+km.
4. 2006 Honda Odyssey – The family mini-van. There’s been no drivetrain problems, and it can hold the universe within its cavernous interior. Gravel roads have beat the undercarriage to shit, and the power doors have been nothing but trouble.
5. 2010 Mazda CX-9. The mini-van replacement. Surprisingly fun to drive. Surprisingly big blind spots. Surprisingly uncomfortable even in the second row.Plus a bunch of tractors, and skid-steers, but those all drive like you’d expect. Also, a Honda trike, quad, and John Deere snowmobile. Those are all way to much fun!
Leave a Reply