Musings on the Washington Auto Show part 2

This post is going to focus on my current shortlist of cars. I’m mainly looking at hot hatches, along with a few sedans, nothing V8-powered, and mostly four (or 5) doors so that it’s easier to get the kids in and out of the car. I tried out the following cars on my shortlist:

Ford Focus ST

I really like the interior of that one. Ford has finally gotten the memo that small, efficient cars don’t have to be penalty boxes inside, and really stepped up their game on the interior. Great steering wheel, nicely bolstered seats, high-quality materials, and the Sync audio/nav system that we like so much in the Flex. The shifter throw is a little longer than I’d like, but that’s fixable. I’m looking forward to being able to test-drive that one.

Volvo C30 T5 R-Design

I have to say that this one came out of left field. I wasn’t even thinking about this car, and I didn’t realize that Volvo were selling a version of their little hatchback with a 250hp 5-cylinder and a 6-speed. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Volvos, we had a 740 that was a great car. Not much fun to drive, but unstoppable and very comfortable. The C30 has the very Swedish and very comfortable interior, and (hopefully) will be interesting to drive. It’s a 3-door, but I noted that the seats motor back and forth very quickly, so I think it’d be manageable. I do have to say that the combination of the “male symbol” in the corporate logo and the use of the brand “Polestar” to signify their tuner package would make me think that one might be *ahem* compensating for something, but this car is so small that I doubt that’s the case.

Buick Regal GS

I know, I’m still totally amazed that there’s a Buick…anything on my list. Even 3 years ago, I was saying that the Buick brand should be killed as a part of GM’s restructuring, and in my mind, even considering a Buick would mean that your auto enthusiast card would be instantly revoked. But a lot has changed. Once Saturn was killed off (and it no longer had to compete with Pontiac’s positioning as the “performance” brand), Buick started becoming the US access point for rebadged Opels. As a result, they’ve actually been somewhat successful in distancing themselves from the two decades of cars which were only suitable for those retirees who couldn’t afford a Cadillac – rolling living rooms. The new Buicks have a nice Euro-style entry-level luxury design and sportiness. They’re running commercials that appeal to the driving enthusiast  and they’re putting a 274 HP engine and a 6-speed manual in the thing! I have to say that I was really impressed with this one. It’s comfortable, fuel-efficient, roomy, and the styling is pretty nice with the exception of a couple of fake vents on the body. I still can’t believe I’m seriously considering even test-driving a Buick, but I’m hopeful that this one is more Grand National than Park Avenue.

Audi

I had been considering 3 different cars from Audi – the S4, the A3, and the TT (either the S or RS variant) . One look at the TT in person was enough to remind me that it has a backseat that is simply not usable, so that is officially off the list. The A3 is a really nice car and I like the looks, but it’s very obvious that it’s just a very well-dressed Jetta Sportwagen, and the performance is really not in the right ballpark to compete against the other things I’m considering. I really don’t understand why Audi doesn’t import the S3/RS3. The RS3 has the turbocharged 5-cylinder that they sell in the TTRS, but is infinitely more practical than the TT. It’s not like they’d have to sell a lot of them to recoup the cost of Federalizing the car, given that it’s an engine and body that both are already certified, and a large percentage of the cars that Audi sells are custom-ordered anyway. The S4 is gorgeous inside and out. I really can’t think of another mass-market brand that does ergonomics and interiors better than Audi. The fact that it’s now using a supercharged V6 means that the fuel economy is at least adequate now, at the expense of the lovely V8 soundtrack that I fell in love with in Emily’s old S6 Avant. But it’s easily the most expensive car that I’m considering by half or more, so right now I’m of the mind that I’d have to be super impressed with the car when I drive it for it to justify the significant price premium that it commands over the other things that I’m considering. For what it’s worth, if I bought one of these, it’d likely be a lease, both to reduce the payments and so I don’t have to deal with the prospect of yet another German car that’s out of warranty. Great cars, sure, but paragons of reliability and cheap to repair they most certainly are not.

Mini Cooper Clubman 

I’ve been sort of intrigued by this one since it was announced. The regular Mini is too small, but this one is just large enough that it’s practical for more than 2 people. It has 4 actual seats (well, 2 are still basically kid seats, but that’s mainly what I need right now), the back hatch is actually two doors that open panel-van style, I fit in it quite well, and you can get it with the JCW tuning package that gives you 200hp out of the little 1.6. I’ve driven previous Minis and felt that they handled well but the engine was thrashy, but I’ve heard that the new engine is much better than the old one, so I’m looking to try it again. Hopefully the dealer won’t be such jerks this time either, as my last experience with Mini of Sterling was not one that would make me keen to rush out and purchase a car from them.

Hyundai – For a long time, Hyundai was in the same category for me as Buick, Toyota, Lexus, etc – I couldn’t even name the models or identify them on sight without looking at the badge like I can with most other marques because I simply. don’t. care. But they’ve been steadily improving. Two models caught my eye. The Veloster is a neat concept, with the rear door on just one side, and I really do like the exterior styling, but it’s so, so underpowered that I’m not really considering it, as even the planned turbo version takes the performance from awful to barely adequate, at least on my scale (keep in mind that my current car is 400hp and does 0-60 in 4.6 seconds – I’m a little spoiled in the performance department). However, I’m pretty interested in the Genesis coupe. This is the replacement for the Tiburon, but it’s really in a different class. It shares a lot of styling cues with the Infiniti G37, but it’s not a straight copy. Next year, they’re definitely catering to the enthusiast crowd with the new version – the V6 now makes 345hp and the 4 cylinder makes 271hp, both available with a 6-speed manual, and for a good bit lower price than the Infiniti. I’m still considering a G37 sedan, but that’s another one that is less likely unless it really wows me when I drive it.

Rounding out the rest of my shortlist are the aforementioned Mitsubishi Evo, the Mazdaspeed3, and the Subaru WRX STi. The Mazdaspeed3 is towards the bottom of the list, because it has strange styling, and from what I read, the torque steer is pretty bad and the gas mileage isn’t great. If Mazda puts in some of their Skyactiv efficiency enhancements (direct injection, idle stop/start, etc) before I’m ready to buy, I might give it more consideration, but it’s unfortunately showing its age and being outclassed by some of the other, newer designs I’m considering. I like the STi. I’ve driven my friend Chris’s standard WRX for a couple of hours, and so I know that it’s comfortable for me, and it handles great, but Scooby’s boxer is a thirsty engine even if you stay out of the boost, so the addition of the six-speed and more power to make the (lack of) fuel economy more worth it, plus the active differential to make the handling even better means that I’m still leaning towards the STi if I were to buy a WRX. Maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll have the new DI flat four from the BRZ turbocharged and ready to go in the STi by the time I’m ready to buy. Not much I can say about the Evo. In a lot of ways, it’s a poor man’s super car – it handles like a mega $ exotic because it’s bristling with technology, but the last time I drove one I was turned off by the turbo lag and the cheap interior. I didn’t have a chance to look at one because Mitsu pulled a no-show, so that’ll have to wait for the test drive phase I guess.