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comment by kleinbl00
kleinbl00  ·  2681 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: VW: Diesels are Dead in the US.

The XT was a not-fucking-around commitment to '80s wedginess. I still dig that car, despite the fact that it has aged...poorly. I'd heard the same about the BRZ; that's why they deserve to sell one BRZ for every three FRS.

Ever driven a WRX? You can literally count to three between stepping on the pedal and feeling the engine do anything. They aren't even fun in a straight line. I'm not sure why the Japanese and Europeans hate throttle response so much; I want the fucking car to go now not "when you get around to it." It's like the Honda S2000: Sure, it'll wind to 9k RPM but in order to get it out of its own way you have to drive it like a GSXR600.

Hate to break it to you, hoss, but I rented a Mustang convertible for the Hubski adventure. I was trying real hard to wrap my head around one. And granted: automatic. And granted: V6. And granted: ragtop. But it handled like the '77 Buick I used to hate. The shift points were shit. Throttle response was lacking. And the visibility was awful.

I test-drove a CTS Coupe about a year back and didn't find it particularly sporty. It scooted when you stepped on it and it seemed to sense that corners were things to go around, but it had a definite Cadillac-ey feel to it. In retrospect, though, it was faster and tighter than the 'stang by a fair margin.





user-inactivated  ·  2681 days ago  ·  link  ·  

There's s good reason I chose the FR-S over the Mustang. Handling. That said, it's not a very torquey engine especially with the dip around 4k. Which is perfectly fine for me. I don't race it, but I love taking it on country drives. What the America muscle cars seem to have going for them, especially the Charger/Challenger, is that they are a bit of a softer ride. Sometimes that must be nice. A harsh ride is really tiring on long drives, almost enough to make me want a Buick. :)

Cadillacs really are nice. If I ever fall face first into money, I'd take a good look between them and Lexus.

kleinbl00  ·  2681 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Almost positive I linked to that video about six months ago.

The best articles I've ever read about the FR-S is that it's a perfectly flawed sports car. It isn't thumpingly fast, it doesn't have perfect handling, but it's completely and delightfully predictable enough to make it a joy to drive. Again, if it had a back seat I'd be all over it. I've got a good five years of child safety seats in my life; maybe I'll re-evaluate after that.

Challengers/Chargers are HUGE. they feel like driving an iceberg. I literally felt like I had more connection to the road in a Ford F-350 crew cab with a 29' gooseneck than I did in a 2016 Challenger. And the F-350 felt like being behind the viewscreen of the Starship Enterprise.

user-inactivated  ·  2681 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Motorweeks retro reviews are a lot of fun. Cars from the '80s seemed to be finding their stones again and you can tell car makers were having fun experimenting with new tech and design ideas. It's also interesting to see 1/4 mile, 0-60, 60-0, HP and MPG numbers compared to today It really makes you appreciate how far things have come.

For most people, I wouldn't recommend an FR-S as a daily unless you a) have a spouse who has a "normal" car for a backup and b) are really comfortable driving a car that really is min-maxed with a driving experience in mind. Seeing as how you still rock the Stealth though and like to talk cars, I think you know what you want. Five years from now? You might get a used one for a really decent price. Fit and finish might be a bit on the iffy side by then, especially if it's a DD. Seeing as how it's got a Subaru engine though, provided it's been well taken care of it'll probably have years of life left.

It's funny that you compare the driving experience of the Challenger/Charger to a truck. Earlier when you were talking about how boring most of today's cars are, I half though about saying "Have you looked into a Tacoma? If you're gonna have boring, you might as well have boring and useful." So . . . uh, have you thought about a Tacoma?

kleinbl00  ·  2681 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Yeah. Can't remember who but they pointed out that a modern Hertz rental Mustang, v6 and all, performs better than a '93 Mustang Cobra.

My spouse has a Honda Fit. My other ride is an Italian hyperexotic. Five years from now? Well, we'll see.

My father-in-law has a Tacoma. A TRD one, even. It's huge and burns gas like it's free. But yeah - it's handy when you need a truck, I tell you what.