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Automotive News & Views The Test Drive That Shattered Your Dream
55 messages, Last post on Sep 11, 2008 at 3:58 AM
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We considered an Infiniti G20 when it first came out. On paper it looked good: Everyone raved about the handling and build quality, it got good gas mileage, the dealer experience was great, yada*3. Then we drove it: That the dealer practically threw the keys at us and said, "take it for the weekend," should have been a warning sign. The 4 banger was smooth for a 4 banger, but it was pretty gutless, even with the 5-speed. We wanted something with at least as much interior room as my fox chassis T-bird, and the G20 didn't quite qualify. Wound up with a Maxima, which gave up a little in handling, but it rode better, had far more guts and decent interior room. And it was cheaper. The EVO story, which happened to a friend, is even worse in that he wrote the check before having his dream shattered. He's a long time DSM (Diamond Star Motors - google if you need to) fan. The kind of guy who owned an AWD Eclipse that ran high 12s here in CO. So when it was announced that the EVO was coming to the US, he was about the first on on the waiting list. He put down his deposit and waited, and waited, and waited. Finally got the car, and at first it was everything he thought it would be. He took me for a ride, and I was impressed. There was one thing I found off-putting: At the time I owned an E36 M3 set up for track and auto-x, which translates to a suspension that would allow me to run over a quarter and tell whether it was heads or tails. Compared to the EVO, it was cushy. He wasn't too bothered, it was part of owning a hot car. His only objection was that the seats had too much lumbar. Then he and his wife went for a 3 hour drive in the mountains. When they got home, between the seats and the punishing ride, his back hurt so much his wife had to help him out of the car and drag him into the house. But he so loved the car, he spent weeks trying to figure out how to adapt it to him, or vice versa. He looked at replacing the seats with adjustable Recaros, but couldn't justify the eye-watering cost. So, he sold it. Naturally he'd owned it long enough that the initial feeding frenzy had abated, so he got normal used car money for it, instead of getting his money back as he might have done if he'd discovered the problem right off the bat. |
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Replying to: jakeinswitz (Aug 19, 2008 8:43 am) 
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Replying to: jakeinswitz (Aug 19, 2008 8:43 am) After driving a VW bug, you could put wheels on a rain barrel and feel like you upgraded  EVO -- fabulous car, but it can beat you up. Same with the STi Subaru. These cars are fast, great handlers, real bargains but boy are they crude compared to an M3. |
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Replying to: jakeinswitz (Aug 19, 2008 8:43 am) Regards: Oldengineer |
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My dream car for sooo long, especially because its so expensive and couldn't afford it... but then the time came when I could afford one, so I test drove a brand new 2002 Acura NSX in Pearl Yellow. So pretty! Sat in the car and my head hair was touching the top... so I removed the Targa top with the help of my friend. Then proceeded to drive... next thing i know I'm stepping on my own feet. Wide feet plus narrow wheel wells is not a good thing. So dream shattered. Fun car, good power, well handling... but i just don't fit! Maybe an automatic would work, but wheres the fun in that?! 
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Replying to: huyracing (Aug 19, 2008 9:13 pm) But you know, it sounded and felt like an Acura. It was, in a sense, too civilized for its own good. When I drove a similar year Ferrari, the engine noises vibrated through my whole body. I felt like I was attached to the camshaft---LOL! But in the NSX, I could have driven one handed with the stereo on and carried on a conversation at 130 mph. There simply was no magic in this othewise fabulous supercar. It would be like having a Superhero called "ACCOUNTANT MAN" .
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Aug 20, 2008 7:43 am) |
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Was in love with the new bodystyle. Drove a brand new one that a Ford salesman drove over to me. Hopped in, was underwhelmed by the interior. Drove it. Felt like the rear end wasn't aware that we might be going around corners once in awhile. That vehicle was a major let down for me.
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Replying to: madmanmoo (Aug 23, 2008 6:38 am) But you know, for what you pay you can't expect world-class handling. That's not really fair.
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Aug 23, 2008 7:00 am) Well, after years of searching she found one. Just as important, she found one that was meticulously restored. Calling her baby brother to give it a once over before she laid down the cash, I gave it a thorough inspection. Numbers matched. Researched the net. It had 3 owners (including the current one who did the restoration). As best as my untrained eye could tell, aside from the paint job (arrest me red) and some interior/exterior replacement trim pieces, it was original. I suspect at one point, the seats were reupholstered. But, even they were true to the original. Carpet and headliner were replacements. It would be an understatement to say the car is a "looker". Time to jump in and drive it. Not sure what I was expecting, but it was imminently clear from the get go how much automotive engineering has advanced in the last 40+ years. It makes great muscle sounds. Yes, it was fast.....in a straight line. All that torque will break the tires with little provocation, too. You have to plan your stops.......well in advance. Hit the brakes.....and wait....and wait (scary wait). Or, mash them harder and lock every thing up. It didn't seem like there was any in-between. To get it to turn a corner, it was more of a fight with the car to set a line around the bend. I'm not stranger to muscle cars, and given a bit more time with it, would probably smooth out the way I was driving it. But, it would have taken more than the 30 minutes I had behind the wheel. She bought it. For the most part, she doesn't drive it all that much. And, in truth, is better at getting the beast to do her bidding than I am. Great for parades and homecomings, though. She does enjoy looking at it as it sits in her garage, though. moo/Mr Shiftright....I owned a recent example of a Mustang GT ('05). They are what they are. V8 in a coupe (or 'vert) with a solid rear axle. Nothing real sophisticated or exotic about them. For roughly $22K-$23K (with rebates), you can get a car with V8 rumble. 0-60 in a tick over 5 seconds. And arguably, it looks good. No fancy intereriors, though. As long as you understand that, they're a lot of fun for the money. Then again, I've always like Mustangs (just can't drive a 40 year old one very well).
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