Well, recently I was in the market for a new Car. I needed a car that i could hold onto for a while, something sturdy enough to last for sometime. Now, i wasn't going to pick the first car i drove, so I planned on Test driving say some 15 cars
... It took me a month of test driving; I drove anything that had four wheels on it, from hyped up "high brand" cars to the lesser known ones, i tried them all. After having been to nearly every dealership in 4 States (yea you read it right 4!), I came up with list of cars i thought had something different about them.
Btw, I was looking for
Sport coupes only within an reasonable price range, a car which had some raw power and lots of real attitude. Not surprisingly there weren't many that met these criteria.
I didn't really care about how famous the brand was, my goal was to get a really good car which i can look forward driving every day. That is why you won't see a review below on a BMW or Mercedes (btw I test drove them too. Sorry Saurabh, i know you love your BMW, but it ain't my kinda car).
Following are my reviews for each of those cars. I am not going to give you the stated facts like most review sites do; you can get thousand of those by simply googling for it. Instead i going to share my personal opinion about each car from a prospective buyer's perspective, who wants the best value for his money.
Ok here we go, first up is a car that my friend Biz recommended to me.
Mazda RX8 '05
Mazda, the brand isn't known for sport coupes, but then again RX8 isn't a regular sport coupe, it is something no other car manufacturer offers. A highly buffed up version of RX7, this machine runs on a revolutionary engine which has no pistons, no valves and none of the other regular stuff; it's a Rotary Engine. I am not a mechnical engineer but what i know about this engine is that it gives really high RPM counts, (this one red lines at 9k) which results an extremely smooth ride; I don't have the words for what i felt during the short drive, all i can say is the car had a beautiful grip and before you know it, you are way over the legal speed limit.
A Car with an attitude of its own, featured in the movie X-men; yea it does have that look and power to back it up, equivalent to 238 hp on a manual shift. Interiors are very professionally done, giving it a rightful sporty look with all the correct mix of colors and with some classy touches such as matching color thread-woven design for the gear stick.
For comfort check, had an average height friend sit in the back, her thoughts were neutral but expressed that she would have loved to have some more leg room, but not a big concern for me (hell i am never gonna be there).
Btw, I hate when people compare two totally differently built cars; for example I have heard some comparing RX8 with Nissan 350Z, to that i just have to say, Drive'em both! Just feel'em out, apart from the Exterior looks, i don't think 350Z compares to RX8 at any level.
3 Good Things:
- The 6 speed Manual Transmission was a real smooth drive, very easy to get accustomed to
- Half Sport doors for the rear seat entry; a real handy feature and the doors do not interfere in the overall coupe look
- Nose dips beautifully around 90 mi/hr providing a true Aerodynamic body
3 Not so good ones:
- Like any true race-like car, needs careful maintenance, at times very precise requirements; known for overflow problems
- One of the worst Fuel Economy in its segment. This was a real concern, especially with current gas prices
- Gets a little steep on price after adding necessary accessories, especially for a car with a starting price of around 27k (for the manual)
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Starting Price: ~27,400 (manual)
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When appropriately equipped: ~34,000 (Rotary and Appearance package, Leather seats, 6-disc CD changer, cassette player - for mp3 player connectivity, rear wing spoiler)
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Dealership ready to make a deal: Hmm, hard to say, i didn't negotiate much, but seemed like he would have given me a good deal, especially if had the car i wanted. I felt if i was going to spend 34k, there might be other options worth exploring.
Mazda has reduced the price considerably from their last of RX series but i feel when decently equipped it is still a bit too pricy for the value you get. Wait Wait, before you RX8 fans bomb me with emails, i would like to say i loved the driving experience, handles really really well, it is the closest you can get to a race car experience at this price. But i feel it will make a great second car!
As I was looking for my first (in the US), this one didn't exactly hit me; there was something missing. The looks of the car were awesome but somehow didn't meet my taste. So makes it to my top 5 based on a great driving experience but falls short of the number 1 pick.
My Ratings:
- Driving Experience: 8.5/10
- Value for money: 6.5/10
After absorbing the power and uniqueness of RX8, i was in the mood for something different, something that was completely new and not many people had it, so i went for 06 model
Mitsubishi Eclipse GT '06
Mitsubishi, a brand not known for high quality and sturdy cars. The dealership guy told me upfront, if you are looking to sell this car later, it has one of the worst resale value (not the car but the brand in itself). Little disheartened by that not because i was planning to sell it but just because of this statement coming from the dealer himself. Later, the dealer tried to sell me a pre-owned Audi TT, it was then i realized this dude's main focus was to sell pre-owned cars and supposedly they make a bundle on that.
Either way, i had seen many photos of the car and i wanted it to experience it for real, so we went ahead. The first thing you see in this car, is its LOOKS ... Really nice appeal, especially the one i test drove, it was Black GT Manual edition. I took a lap around the car, admiring the beauty; the design was really neat, the real spoiler was built into the car and seemed like a true part of the body rather an after thought as in most cases.
After admiring it from all corners, i opened the car door, boom it hit, the interiors were so not at par. They pretty much sucked big time. Plastic type dash material, black stereo with a SILVER CD changer (what were they thinking). It had a Rockford Fosgate system, with a boastful power of 600 watts, 9 speakers and a sub-woofer in the trunk; I hate non-Bose audio systems, (apart from Harmon Kardon) as soon as i cranked-it up, the difference was obvious.
Ah well, i wasn't going back without really test driving it. So my same friend sat in the back again and this time she was disappointed. According to her it was really crampy and the roof was almost touching her head. If she sat with a relaxed posture, the roof ended rather quickly and her face was exposed to the rear glass end. Though i must say that is one of the cool design features which makes the car look bigger than it is, but its a killer for someone sitting in the back.
Nevertheless, i turned the ignition on, Nice sound, you could feel its a 263 hp engine roaring back at you. The manual gear shift was easy to adapt just like the RX8; so i took it out for a REAL test drive. The gear shift seemed to be inspired by Mercedes as it also has lift-click shift system for the reverse gear. I took it to a testing area, where roads were clear, pretty much no one in sight for miles, perfect for slam testing. Speeded up to the 6th gear (won't tell you the number
), and then just slammed on the breaks, felt nice! But while i was accelerating, i didn't feel quite safe in the car, not coz of the speed but the way car reacted, it was like the car wasn't built for those speeds. Somehow it wasn't completely stable, it wasn't wobbling or anything but it just didn't feel right.
Overall the ride was nice and smooth, but no comparison to RX8 on that. But then again, Eclipse has some positives. Better value for money, better fuel economy, and overall i liked the exterior looks somewhat better than the RX8. Hmm, i guess that's it. Nothing special about it.
3 Good Things:
- Manual shift, was easy to adapt
- More hp than comparable models at this price.
- Dunno for the 3rd, i guess the look in itself, its new and not many have it
3 Not so good ones:
- Very poor interior design, esp. the dash. Not so good audio system at this price. Non-bose just doesn't cut it.
- The door handles were egg shaped and opened towards the side, didn't make sense and quality felt cheap
- Steering mounted controls were on the back of the wheel, ... wwhhhy?!!!
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Starting Price: ~23,700 (manual)
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When appropriately equipped: ~29,000 (Premium Package, Aero Package, Accessory Package)
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Dealership ready to make a deal: Not, really. Well atleast not when i tried for it. It's a new car, with a new design and only limited dealerships have it. Also, the guy was trying to sell me a pre-owned Audi
After trying the RX8, this one just didn't come close to what i had experienced earlier. Frankly the only good thing was its appearance. If you are thinking about buying this one, I would recommend you to go for the base GT edition base only, the options just add more cost and frankly were not worth it.
My Ratings:
- Driving Experience: 7.5/10
- Value for money: 6.5/10
Ford Mustang GT '05
Ok, i would be really frank, i wasn't interested in a Mustang. It's just too generic, almost everyone has it. And also a really close friend of mine would never speak to me if i bought one. So i was very sure i will not go for this, nonetheless i was going to test drive it.
That was before i saw the newly designed Mustang! Man, it looked nice, and this one didn't look generic by any standards. Even though I am not a big fan of retro designs, this one had an attitude, 'a thing' about it. This car boosts a 300 hp, V8 engine; not for those who put Fuel Economy before the power.
This one has to be the best Mustang yet, read any specifications review and you will say that too. The more i drove the car, the further i was inclined to forget everything else and go for this American Beauty. After a nice drive around the dealership, i was convinced and thought of making a deal for it but i needed a specific set of accessories. Before i could say anything, the dealership guy told me, there is no way he can find any 06. Ok let me say this again, not the one i was looking, just any! What the #$#%? Apparently, this Mustang has completely sold out.
Again another non-Bose Audio system failed to impress me. My loyal friend didn't accompany me for this test drive, so i do not have any of her comments on the rear seats but they seemed fine from where i was.
3 Good Things:
- New retro design
- Awesome Power for the price and quality handling
- MyColor feature, allows you to set the color of the dash with in-lighting based on your mood
3 Not so good ones:
- Sold out
can't find your customized version anywhere
- Little heavy on the drive for a coupe
- Cruise controls is missing some basic options
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Starting Price: ~27,700 (There are no on-going discounts on this Ford)
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When appropriately equipped: ~30,000 (Interior Upgrade Package, Color Accent Package,
Shaker Audio 1000, 18" Polished Aluminum Wheels)
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Dealership ready to make a deal: No way, this is one of the most hottest selling cars. Some say the markup on this is as much as 8,000!!!
Overall, all i have to say is i loved the car and for surely would have considered it, if there was any available!
My Ratings:
- Driving Experience: 8.5/10
- Value for money: 9/10
But lets go onto my pick of all,
Infiniti G35 Coupe '05
I am going to scrutinize this one in detail, coz i simply love it and took the time to check it in and out. Infiniti a luxury brand of Nissan has done very well for itself in the recent years. The G35 comes in a Sedan and a Coupe version, but i think i didn't even bothered to look at the Sedan. So, when i saw a black G35 coupe (that's the color i would go for), i was 90% sold. As usual i took a lap around the car ... absolutely gorgeous. With a rear spoiler which almost seems built in, this car gives a rightful sport look with a right mix of luxury appeal.
I went ahead and opened the driver side door, wohooow, was my reaction. Awesomely done interiors, classic blend of black and metallic color. With loads of controls perfectly balanced over the space. The next thing i noticed was the BOSE Audio
... popped in my test CD (filled with various genres of songs with which i can test any system in world and coz one of these songs will show the weakness, if any). Played Track 1, and i was sold! Clear crisp sound even at very high audio levels. The 6-disc CD Changer is also MP3 compatible, which enables it to stack up a good amount of play time. Option to categorize radio stations and CD's is also another cool feature.
Both front seats are powered and have a 8 way for the driver and 4 way adjustment mode for the passenger. The Steering wheel has powered shift for custom settings. It comes with a vale key, which limits the access to the glove compartment and the trunk. With all standard features, like electronic compass, dual temperature control, etc, etc, its fully loaded in real sense of the phrase.
Now, it was time to start up the engine. The 298 hp engine roared back at me with a very meaty sound. The dealership guy took me to a very long but full of curves stretch and dared me to hit the 6th gear at full blast... It was an AWESOME ride, the car handled like nothing i had driven before, great balance and with the VDC off (will tell you about it), it was just pure bliss.
For rear seating test, had another faithful friend of mine test'em. His response was 50-50, it was good enough for his height (5'10ish) but any taller, you would require a hard-hat or a bottle of aspirin. The rear seats fold down to allow a bigger trunk space, a handy option at times. The trunk also has a release button inside; you never know when you might to use this one.
Another distinguishing feature i noticed was Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), it is switched On by default and should be used in bad weather conditions but otherwise it can be switched off to provide more power to the engine to allow sharper and speedy turns.
Now everything can't be perfect, so i noticed a few not so good things. The odd thing about VDC feature was its Off switch, it gets reset every time you turn off the engine; this can be really annoying in summer as during that time of the year you don't require this feature to be on. Also, it will flash the Off signal right next your speedometer which i felt was unnecessary. Another one was the CD based MP3 Player, while song plays, it shows only first 10 characters of the ID3 Tag.
I test drove the Manual shift, it seemed kinda hard to get used to as it required precise shift for smooth drive. I have driven stick shifts my whole life, so if its tough for me, i would have to say its tough for most people.
3 Good Things:
- "Looks", with a clear attitude, esp. with 19" inch forged alloy wheels
- Navigation System placement is great and very well thought
- Rear view mirror has a auto-dimming feature which is very useful for driving at nights
3 Not so good ones:
- Sunglass holder is little small for my Oakley's
- At this price tag, i expect an MP3 Player connector
- Again at this price I expected an Intelligent key, which is there in most cars these days, atleast the comparable ones.
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Starting Price: ~34,000 (manual)
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When appropriately equipped: ~37,000 (Power sunroof, Premium Package and Aero Package)
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Dealership ready to make a deal: Hmm, not really. I was looking for black on black with these options and no dealership in tri-state area had it. So i was given a quote pretty much equivalent to the MSRP, which i might add was higher than what i have mentioned above, simply because it had more options than i needed.
But overall this was the best i drove and am very sure this is the one for me. So will I buy this one? hmm dunno yet
but it surely is my favorite of all, especially the value it offers.
My Ratings:
- Driving Experience: 9.5/10
- Value for money: 9.5/10
I didn't get the chance to try the
Chrysler Crossfire. Partly because I didn't wanted to, coz its a 2 seater and i was looking for a 4 seater Coupe. Nevertheless, its a nice looking car and i would love try it out sometime.
Another one which i would looovve to try is the
Aston Martin Vanquish S Coupe, its a tiny bit over the price range i was looking for, around 200 thousand over
It was fun. I miss those days when every evening i used to hit a new dealership; seriously those were the days. Hey, i just remembered a friend of mine is looking to buy a SUV! ... so ...
P.S. All Prices are in USD - MSRP.
The Olympic Torch was here yesterday, in my home town of New Delhi. It was a moment of great pride for me to be present there while the torch was being carried through the ancient city. Thousands of people turned up to witness this great celebration of sports and its underlying spirit. Well..., I doubt that was the only reason for the turnout.
In here we all have a habit of finding something bad in every good thing, but many would agree with me when I say, this wasn't the event to be commercialized. From Filmstars to Hotel Chain Managers, every page 3 personality was there. 105 people got the opportunity to pass on the torch but it was very notable and a glaring fact that just less than half of them were sportsmen/women.
Every marketing and business strategist would obviously be offended, but then again, it was their fault for converting this event into such a commercial show rather a Patriotic one. The Olympics is for nations not for companies! It's not an event for Filmstars too come and showoff their sleek bodies when we all know they can hardly run a few meters.
Mr. Kalmadi (our Olympics org. head), please tell me what in the world was Miss Bipasha Basu doing there? Is she a big star, hell no! She is a nobody, not at all someone who is worthy of carrying the national pride. You can remember calling her but forget Ms. P.T. Usha who until recently was the only athletic medal hope we ever had. She did brilliantly at the Asian and Commonwealth games. She deserved that run! What about the multiple Gold medal winning team of Hockey, yes those great stars from the 60s are still around in Calcutta but to the plight of our federation never got a mention, leave alone an invitation to the event. While I am criticizing the non-worthy torch bearers our Filmstars, I must say I am highly impressed by Amir Khan, when asked whether he thinks he should be a part of this, he said, "No, only the sports men and women deserve it"; atleast he has the guts to admit that.
Some might say its too easy to point fingers but I have one thing to say, "It's just too difficult everytime to be so thoughtless and uncaring towards the little true talent we have in our country, yet our officials never seem to fail". Yes it was a great event but it was converted into a forgetful day, intentional or simply the federation style, its for you to decide.
