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The Test Drive That Shattered Your Dream

55 messages,  Last post on Sep 11, 2008 at 3:58 AM

You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires

What is this discussion about? Car Buying, Automotive News, Coupe, Truck, Sedan


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#31 of 55
Acura NSX by huyracing
Aug 19, 2008 (9:13 pm)
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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?!
#32 of 55
Re: Acura NSX [huyracing] by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Aug 20, 2008 (7:43 am)
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Replying to: huyracing (Aug 19, 2008 9:13 pm)

I had a similar experience with the NSX. It was a GREAT handling car...I think anybody with a shred of competence could run it up to 160 mph with confidence.
 
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" .
#33 of 55
Re: Acura NSX [Mr_Shiftright] by ajvdh
Aug 20, 2008 (11:38 am)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Aug 20, 2008 7:43 am)

Ah yes. I remember the first time I saw an NSX with the hood (or whatever you call the bit that covers the powerplant on a mid-engine car) open. I thought, "Hey, this looks like a Legend engine in a mirror." As opposed to Ferraris, where the mechanical bits look either race-car purposeful if they're old, or high-tech sexy if they're new.
#34 of 55
New mustang by madmanmoo
Aug 23, 2008 (6:38 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.
#35 of 55
Re: New mustang [madmanmoo] by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Aug 23, 2008 (7:00 am)
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Replying to: madmanmoo (Aug 23, 2008 6:38 am)

I had a similar experience. I remember thinking that the last generation Camaro handled better. You hit a rough patch on a turn and the Mustang liked to pogo-stick.
 
But you know, for what you pay you can't expect world-class handling. That's not really fair.
#36 of 55
Re: New mustang [Mr_Shiftright] by graphicguy
Aug 23, 2008 (9:56 am)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Aug 23, 2008 7:00 am)

Just a bit of a "time warp" thing for me. My older sister had long lusted after the Mustang of her dreams.....not a new one, mind you....but a '67 Fastback with a 390 big block. For a female (especially one in her 50s) you'd never consider her a "motorhead". But, there's always been something (someone?) in her past that made her lust after this particular car.
 
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).
#37 of 55
Re: New mustang [graphicguy] by texases
Aug 23, 2008 (11:32 am)
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Replying to: graphicguy (Aug 23, 2008 9:56 am)

To me, the current Mustang is the ideal replacement for buying that '65-'72. I know it's not the same thing, but in every way it's better. My on-and-off interest in getting an old one always ends up "Sure, it'll be fun to look at and tinker with, but for the same money I can get a new GT that's fun, period." And they come in 'arrest me red'.
#38 of 55
Re: New mustang [texases] by fezo
Aug 23, 2008 (12:16 pm)
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Replying to: texases (Aug 23, 2008 11:32 am)

I know that color! I had always called it speeding ticket red....
#39 of 55
Re: New mustang [fezo] by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Aug 25, 2008 (6:18 am)
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Replying to: fezo (Aug 23, 2008 12:16 pm)

Also known as:
 
Resale Red
Mid-Life Crisis Red
Steal Me Red
 
Not sure why Red gets such a bad rap
#40 of 55
Re: New mustang [Mr_Shiftright] by graphicguy
Aug 25, 2008 (12:34 pm)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Aug 25, 2008 6:18 am)

Seems to me that any car that has even a pretense of being sporty has to be either red, black, maybe bright blue (none of that robbin's egg blue, either).
 
Another car that I had high expectations of (maybe too high) was driven a few years ago. This time, it was Lingenfelter Corvette. Without a doubt the very fastest car I've ever driven. But, the quality of the conversion seemed haphazard. This 'vette only had 20K something miles on it. Perhaps they were the hardest 20K miles anyone could have imagined. Maybe it was because this car was made and converted in the early 90s. Maybe Corvettes of that vintage really weren't made all that well.
 
No matter. The car did what it was supposed to do. That is go fast....very, very fast. The mere fact that it also felt like every bolt holding it together felt loose may very well be a by-product of the conversion. Or, typical Corvette build quality of the time.

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