02-23-2008, 10:56 PM
i was picking some stuff up at the subaru dealer and there are a cluster of dealers right up the street so i popped in to waste some time on a dreary saturday. hit the mazda and ford dealer and drove:
2007 mazdaspeed3 - it was that rarish blue mica color (Rex's color i think) on grey and thankfully the sales guy was a total pushover so i got to have alot of fun. really a superb all-rounder. very responsive, but relaxed to drive. the FWD is not apparent unless you're trying to put down all the power from a stop or in the middle of a tight turn...i nailed it in second and tach'ed out and couldn't believe the powerband. handling is very flat, actually felt flatter than the RX8 i drove next. nice driving position, tons of space...for the price i can't think of a better new FWD car. i came in expecting a steroidal economy car with boat anchor on the front end and left wondering if i should trade my car in for one.
2008 RX8 - been wanting to drive one of these for a LONG time. grey mica on black. got to drive it myself after returning the MS3 so i had that bad boy on the redline half the time. very focused car....its been said so many times but the weight distribution and chassis setup make it so much fun. nice interior but pretty bad visibility. the rotary felt alot stronger to me than i would imagine from reviews....i had no trouble taking off from stops at 1500 rpm and although it's not punchy like the MS3, you gain speed before you know it. taking it through some sweepers i ham-fisted it a bit and it's very easy to manipulate the attitude of the car mid-corner. i loved the interior and thought the suicide doors were awesome and practical, although the trunk blows. i'd love to own one but they have some caveats i don't think i could get over.
2006 Mustang GT - after getting to the ford dealer entrance and wading through a sea of F150's i finally found the damn ford building :lol: . i found a "redfire" on tan coupe that had a manual and the sales guy was pretty laid back but wanted to get it off the lot before i took over driving. well, he pulls out, gets the first red light, and when it turns green he pretty much lays a patch and slams second...so i knew i'd have some liberties driving this one too! i got to take over and the first thing is the sound, it's utterly addictive. the stang is also HUGE...you feel like you're piloting a fighter plane, with the high hood and lower side windows. you feel the weight too, i was impressed with the handling around bumpy sweepers but it still wallows compared to the mazdas. clutch/shifter combo was surprisingly light, almost too light. once on the highway....chill time. i could drive all day in it, such a relaxed cruiser. one thing that surprised me was how weak the 4.6 is down low, it doesn't really make progress until 4k rpm and up. all in all, it still feels like a stang...a car built around, and dominated by, it's engine.
biggest surprise: MS3
best handling: RX8
best dukes of hazzard impression: mustang
2007 mazdaspeed3 - it was that rarish blue mica color (Rex's color i think) on grey and thankfully the sales guy was a total pushover so i got to have alot of fun. really a superb all-rounder. very responsive, but relaxed to drive. the FWD is not apparent unless you're trying to put down all the power from a stop or in the middle of a tight turn...i nailed it in second and tach'ed out and couldn't believe the powerband. handling is very flat, actually felt flatter than the RX8 i drove next. nice driving position, tons of space...for the price i can't think of a better new FWD car. i came in expecting a steroidal economy car with boat anchor on the front end and left wondering if i should trade my car in for one.
2008 RX8 - been wanting to drive one of these for a LONG time. grey mica on black. got to drive it myself after returning the MS3 so i had that bad boy on the redline half the time. very focused car....its been said so many times but the weight distribution and chassis setup make it so much fun. nice interior but pretty bad visibility. the rotary felt alot stronger to me than i would imagine from reviews....i had no trouble taking off from stops at 1500 rpm and although it's not punchy like the MS3, you gain speed before you know it. taking it through some sweepers i ham-fisted it a bit and it's very easy to manipulate the attitude of the car mid-corner. i loved the interior and thought the suicide doors were awesome and practical, although the trunk blows. i'd love to own one but they have some caveats i don't think i could get over.
2006 Mustang GT - after getting to the ford dealer entrance and wading through a sea of F150's i finally found the damn ford building :lol: . i found a "redfire" on tan coupe that had a manual and the sales guy was pretty laid back but wanted to get it off the lot before i took over driving. well, he pulls out, gets the first red light, and when it turns green he pretty much lays a patch and slams second...so i knew i'd have some liberties driving this one too! i got to take over and the first thing is the sound, it's utterly addictive. the stang is also HUGE...you feel like you're piloting a fighter plane, with the high hood and lower side windows. you feel the weight too, i was impressed with the handling around bumpy sweepers but it still wallows compared to the mazdas. clutch/shifter combo was surprisingly light, almost too light. once on the highway....chill time. i could drive all day in it, such a relaxed cruiser. one thing that surprised me was how weak the 4.6 is down low, it doesn't really make progress until 4k rpm and up. all in all, it still feels like a stang...a car built around, and dominated by, it's engine.
biggest surprise: MS3
best handling: RX8
best dukes of hazzard impression: mustang
2010 Civic Si
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past: 03 Xterra SE 4x4 | 05 Impreza 2.5RS | 99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T | 01 Accord EX | 90 Maxima GXE | 96 Explorer XLT
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past: 03 Xterra SE 4x4 | 05 Impreza 2.5RS | 99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T | 01 Accord EX | 90 Maxima GXE | 96 Explorer XLT
