Test Drives
Back in November of 2008, I was looking to buy a new car due to the unfortunate fate of my previous Civic. I wanted something somewhat fun…not boring. The Civic was certainly a great car; it would never have any mechanical issues, and would last forever, but I thought it was time for something a little better…something more fitting with my infantile mindset.
After some research, I narrowed my list to three sub-$25000 cars, and did some test drives.
Ok, let’s just preface this by saying that my test drives were of varying length, weather condition, time of day, and passenger. I have had the most amount of time driving the Speed3 mostly because Ry has one, and I “borrow” it fairly often. When I test drove the SI, the dude was a bit of a douchebag, and we only went about a mile or two in it due to it being a busy-ish Saturday morning. That does not excuse that dealership’s conduct toward a potential buyer. I drove the GTi the night before, and drove it in the rain when it was dark outside. Took it through some back roads, some highway..dude was pretty cool about letting me get on it.
Anyway, onto my reviews.
2008 Mazda MazdaSpeed3
Pros: It’s a fast car. No matter what gear you are in, it just wants to go. Some noticeable turbo lag, but once it hits about 3000-3500 it goes “hello!”. Braking is awesome, it stops on a dime pretty much. Handling is great…there is very little body roll, but then again, with it not being my car I haven’t really pushed it very hard. Interior is well made, the controls are within easy reach, it’s fairly comfortable, and has a decent amount of room in the back. The glovebox is xbox huge for storing stuff. It’s a four door, so the backseat passengers are happy. It looks good…I mean…really good; from almost any angle.
Cons: It has a hard ride. The suspension is stiff and the tires are low profile, so you feel everything. They overdid the red in the interior. Everything is red, from the dash, to the climate controls, to the radio. Don’t get me wrong, I like red as much as the next guy, but goddamn. The speedo is a bit weird as well (not a big thing, just nitpicking), as the separation takes some getting used to… the 60mph mark is where I’d think 35 is in any other car. Visibility isn’t that great with the way the hatch is, there are a few blind spots, but not too bad. It has a few weird rattles, especially in the hatch and the seats. The hatch cover moves around, and the seats squeak a bit as you move around in them. The backseat isn’t very comfortable, but I wouldn’t be spending much time there.
Other comments:You also can’t really feel speed in the car. Cruising at 90mph, it feels like you’re standing still, which is both good and bad. The steering is very touchy. The slightest movement makes the car change direction…I like feel in my steering, but without having to worry about moving the wheel too much.
2008 Volkswagen GTi
Pros: This is a fun car. Less turbo lag than the Speed3. The DSG transmission is like having god himself shift for you…it’s quite an amazing experience. It’s fun around corners (it was rainy so I took it easy), with very good braking and handling (Although people say it’s worse than the speed3..I wasnt really able to notice the difference due to lack of being able to push both cars hard). The 2 door looks pretty awesome, but not like some of the classic GTIs (not that I care). The one I looked at had a moonroof, premium sound, 6 cd changer with mp3 and sat radio, ipod connector..the works. Hatch is roomy, and contoured well. The interior is also very well put together, no rattles, everything is within easy reach and easy to see. The coloring of the interior is beautiful…when it’s dark and the dash lights up, it just looks amazing. The ride is very comfortable, virtually no road noise, and the bumps are nicely handled by the suspension. Under the hood it is very well designed and clean. Great fuel economy also (yea…dont care). 0% financing for 60 months.
Cons: Not quite as fast as the speed3. As tested, it came out to be a bit more expensive than the speed3 and the SI. The backseat isn’t quite as roomy as either the SI or the 3, but it is also the only 2 door that I tested. With it being a two door as well, passengers might not be all that satisfied. Volkswagen has some weird seat adjustments as well. In most cars, your seat angle is either electrically chosen, or you pull a lever and move the seat backing forward or back; in the GTi, there is a knob. It takes some getting used to. Parts for VWs…Im just kind of expecting them to be more expensive.
2009 Honda Civic SI
Pros: It revs to 8000 rpms and loves being in the high revs. It does about 30mpg with an engine that makes 200HP. The ride is very comfortable for both front and backseat passengers. The clutch and trans are one of the best 6 speed manuals I have ever driven…it is very very smooth. Trunk is roomy…the exterior looks pretty damned good, while still not drawing much attention to itself. It’s a Honda…so it will pretty much never break. Cheapest of the bunch.
Cons: it makes no power down low. It does nothing until you hit 6000 rpms. The interior is ugly…I have no idea who decided that having a dash that is long enough to use as a dinner table was a good idea. That same person probably also thought that having your tach by itself, and then having a digital speedo were a good idea. Guess what…it’s not. The car just wasn’t very fun to drive…unless you’re just revving the shit out of the engine, no instant power if you want to just GO. With the way the gearing is, you’re doing over 3000 rpms just going 60mph on the highway…wtf?!
So…those were my initial impressions of the cars I test drove last year. Did any of them change since then? Did my car of choice turn out to be great or a mistake? Tune in next time.