I've driven virtually every make car/truck sold in the US over the years either on track or street, and I thought as I get older that adding to the list might slow down. Uh, nope. I just realized that I've added a few the last week or so. I won't bother listing trucks (too many to list) just the cars...

2017 Chevy Cruze (rental). A pleasant surprise. More roomy than I thought. Just drove one to Massachusetts yesterday. Not bad. Steering was light but a little numb, great A/c. Spirited in the acceleration dept, but not fast by any stretch of the imagination. It had that annoying engine turn off feature. if you sit 15 seconds the car turns off to save gas. Unfortunately it also turns off the A/C compressor, so the interior heats up quickly on a hot day. I assume there's a way to turn it off, but there was no owners manual. Oh well. Cruised nicely at 80mph and good mpg.

2016 Chrysler 300C. yep hemi. Loved the dash, comfortable seats. Drove very nicely. But like most Chryslers, it feels good now, but you get that same ol' feeling that something is about to break. Still a car to lease, not buy. Some things don't change.

BMw Z3. I had only driven one on track, this time it was on the street. Nice little bugger to drive, but it's still an ugly momentum car and I still like the Miata more. The cheapie plastic back window is a disappointment.

2002 Acura RL. This one had about 150K miles on it. first RL I've driven. I was surprised how rattle free it was. Yes, bland and not sporty but felt very comfortable. Nice for a long highway stint.

I agree with your observations on the Acura!

My wife has owned this brand for her last two cars (a 1997 Acura CL 2.2 purchased in 1996 and replaced in 2012 with a 2011 Acura TSX).

These two cars have been the least costly to maintain for all the cars we have owned. Her 2011 is still rattle free - even though she has had a few fender benders that required repair.

Z

My last rental just this past week was two separate cars - one was the usual Infiniti (I am used to it) and the other was a pain (usual Mercedes stupidity) in some ways.

2017 Mercedes CLA 250

Small and cramped inside. With my driving position (I am only 5' 10"), there was little room for anybody to sit behind me. With my wife (5' 5.5") in the passenger seat, she had to keep her seat quite pulled forward (her knees about claustrophobically 1" to 2" away from the dash) to allow my 5' 10" son to sit behind her without being in trouble on a long drive.

I truly detest the "engine-turnoff at stops" feature that Mercedes uses - this was my second experience with it. It was too jerky when starting up again after you let go of the brake and simply became too irritating after a while. Fortunately, I did not experience it too much since we were on a longer trip (little city driving), but I can assure you that I would not consider this a viable mode AT ALL on my usual stop-and-go commute to work!

Somewhat underpowered too, but that may also have been due to the hill conditions - climbing on highway 70 from Denver Colorado at 5k feet to Vail Colorado at 8k feet. Some of the highway stretches top 11k altitudes.

Stupidest gear selection approach I have ever seen in a car - even the old 1960's Dodge Dart push-button system was better! Unbelievable that they think a small stalk that requires double-clicks and pulls to get going can be a good feature. One time, my wife reached over to turn on what she thought were the wipers because I was looking for that and put the damn car into neutral ... at highway speeds! Not her fault at all, because the stalk looks exactly like a wiper control or turn signal control.

The front passenger seat bottom was uncomfortable according to wife. She felt that it had a big seam that cut into her thighs badly and she had to keep moving occasionally because it would get sore. After we switched to the Q60, she gave a big sigh of relief!

2017 Infiniti Q60 AWD

Also cramped inside. The two doors made it awfully tough to get in and out of the back. One time, my wife fell (sat) on the ground behind the passenger seat and getting her out (she is not that big and heavy!) was not trivial - even with the seat moved forward as far as possible.

The rear seating room was as bad as the Merc, but with two people, the passenger seat could be moved back pretty decent amount. I guess my next Infiniti will be a Q70L or a two-seater (I am considering a Miata) - my old bones cannot tolerate this bending to get into the back anymore.

When my son sat in the back, his head was way less than an inch from the glass! If I had hit a bump, he might have hit his head on the rear glass ... too tight a roof line in the back. Even though he is 19 years old, he has decided that the only two door cars he will ever consider in the future will be two-seaters!

A bit twitchy on the highway, but that may well be due to the tires. They were properly inflated, but keeping the car going straight without tramlining a bit was a chore.

The car also felt heavy compared to the loaner Q50 I got last week while the dealer changed my radiator (that is another story!) but that may have been the AWD system playing a role.

I was very irritated by the inability to change the height of the seat belt attachment point on the car. It was digging into my neck and I would have liked to lower the attachment point a bit to allow the belt to sit flatter on my shoulder! Given that the belt does not stay "stretched" - constant high pull pressure - this was painful on long trips.

Z

I agree about the idle shut off feature sucking, though I guess some are worse than others. I didn't care for the Volvo Diesel I rented last year in Germany that had it either. the time lag for it to restart got annoying quickly. The owner's manual was in German, which I can't read, so I couldn't figure out how to shut the feature off. In city driving, I ended up lightly touching the gas pedal (+ brake) for anticipated short stops to keep the engine running. I can't imagine that feature getting better when the cars get old.

Just wondering, seeing as how you have the opportunity to drive many makes and models, if you've had any experiences with Mazda's?
I'm looking at the CX-5, and/or the Mazda6 as new vehicles to replace my aging rides.
Any feedback, positive or negative, is appreciated.

P.S.-- NO to the CR-V.

I've driven tons of Mazda's, dating all the way back to the ol' rotary RX-2.. As far as newer Zoom-Zooms. I actually just rented a CX-5 for a one way trip to Massachusetts a few weeks ago. It was a base Fwd model. I didn't mind it and I'm not a crossover fan. Reasonably comfortable, peppy feeling but not fast, cruised nicely at 80, strong a/c and still got great gas mileage. The one minor annoying thing was the blind spot sensor alarm. There's a little light that goes on in the mirrors to alert you if a car is beside you. That's fine. But if you pass someone and use your turn signal to move in front of them after passing, an annoying alarm goes off if you're 4 full car lengths or less in front of the car you just passed. you'll get angry quickly if you're a northeastern driver as crowded roads force you to move over in less space. I remember yelling at the dang alarm "shaddap!!!!" every couple of minutes during the trip, with chuckles from my passenger . Perhaps there's an adjustment to shorten that distance or turn it off, but since there was no owner's manual in the rental, I had little choice but to vent, as most northeasterners enjoy doing. Overall, I thought it was a pretty nice car for what it is.

As for as the 6. I had a student that showed up to a track event in a bone stock one a couple years ago. I think it was a 2013 model. I liked it. I was pleasantly surprised how agile it was. Nice predictable, comfortable sedan. No drama is the best way I'd describe it. Far from blazing but you'll be entertained driving it, moreso than the CX5. Unfortunately I had no street miles in the 6, just track miles. But I think either vehicle is a good choice. Hope that helps.

Funny you ask about the CX-5, because we just purchased one a few months ago to replace our Kia Sorento that got totaled out.

We have a 2015 CX-5 Grand Touring AWD. Basically the top of the line model, with every single option they offered on it. The only complaints I have about it is that the infotainment system can be annoying at times and it has limited cargo space, but it makes good use of the limited space it has. The rear cargo area is the main place it could use more space, but honestly it's only frustrating because our Kia had more space. As Joel mentioned, it is plenty peppy and it is surprisingly fun to drive around for what it is. It seems to always make good use of it's power for what it is and it seems to always know the right gear to be in, which doesn't happen much. It gets decent fuel economy, but I would have expected better. We average around 24 mpg. We have the blind spot monitoring too and it can be a little annoying, but you get used to it. Ours also has the automatic braking too, but thankfully hasn't been put in use yet but it's nice to know it's there. The only other annoyance I've had with it is the cup holders suck. You can fit two large cups in it, but they get squeezed together and it's annoying to get them out if you're driving. Overall though, it's a great small SUV and it does everything well, along with the fact that it's one of the best looking vehicles in it's segment. It's shortcomings aside, I highly recommend them to people.

The only thing I hate to admit is I do have days I regret not purchasing a new Nissan Rogue instead. I KNOW - I CAN'T BELIEVE I SAID IT EITHER. It's powertrain shortcomings aside, it was surprisingly good and if we didn't get such a good deal on our CX-5, we likely would have bought a Rogue instead. It had the most room, got the best fuel economy, drove really well, and really was the most well rounded for what you would expect from it. That being said though, at the end of the day I didn't feel like I could trust it and that's why I didn't buy it. I feel like I could drive the Mazda for 10+ years and not worry one bit, where the Rogue I would want it gone as soon as the warranty was up.

The 2017 version of the CX-5 seems to have a lot of improvements.
The drivetrain is pretty much the same, but they seem to have addressed the noise level issues quite nicely.
I like the 2017 changes in design/looks as well.
Now, if they would just take the 2.5T from the CX-9 and drop it in the 5 and 6, we'd have something to think about.

The Mazda6 has only had minor updates to it's current design. Apparently an all new 6 is coming in 2019, so the 2018 will be unchanged.
I might wait for that.
The other car I'm eager to see is the Kia Stinger.

I agree about the Stinger. I saw one at the Philly auto show earlier this year and liked the looks. It was on a turntable so I couldn't sit in it. It's a bigger car than I thought it'd be, but I'd love to test drive one.

Bubba1 wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 13, 2017 10:16 am

I agree about the Stinger. I saw one at the Philly auto show earlier this year and liked the looks. It was on a turntable so I couldn't sit in it. It's a bigger car than I thought it'd be, but I'd love to test drive one.

I've already been to my local Kia dealership, and have put my name on a list for a test drive when the Stinger arrives.
I'm pretty excited to check it out.

Bubba1 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 12, 2017 5:44 am

I agree about the idle shut off feature sucking, though I guess some are worse than others.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee still has the worst stop start system I've tested. They don't use an accumulator or an E-pump or anything for the trans, nor do they use a permanently engaged starter or anything, so the delay is among the longest in the industry, and its also the loudest.
GM (like in your Cruz) typically has the best.

yeah, the Cruz one didn't seem that bad. It re-started quickly for me. But then again, it was a brand spanking new car. Fast forward 100K miles and I'm not so confident it'll start as quickly as it did at 1,200 miles. I suppose time will tell.

It might actually get better as everything wears in... and then start to get worse as everything wears out ha. 100k ain't s*** these days.

Just got back from driving a 2010 Ford F-250 Awd crew cab Lariot King Rancher something-er-other pickup with the turbo 6.4(?) diesel. not set for crop dusting which was nice. Had pretty much every conceivable option Ford offered and two tone paint. I can't imagine what this beast cost new. She had gobs o'torque. cruised very nicely. shifted smoothly, nice ride. The amenities were impressive. Not 2 but 4 cupholders 2 of which were supersized, and pretty much power everything. Even had the genuine imitation plastic wood grain looking dash. The leather seats looked plush, but felt kinda hard. Steering was kinda numb as expected, but heavily boosted so it was easy to steer. Overall a cool solid beast of a truck, but I wouldn't want to own a 6.4L Ford diesel when it breaks.

I also just drove a brand new Isuzu FTR truck. BIG sucker. It's a cabover design, so you sit pretty high, ideal for viewing plunging female necklines, and has a bouncy ride. This one was a cab and chassis (no box on it yet), so it was especially bouncy. Glad I ate a light breakfast...Also glad I didn't own it as it had a 100 gallon fuel tank.

Add a 2014 Ford Edge to the list. Put about 100 miles on one yesterday. Not what I expected. It's bigger on the inside than it looked. A bit funky on the interior styling, but you get used to it. The windshield reminded me of the ol' Pontiac Silhouette minivan. Raked and seemed farther away than it should. It drove ok, mildly peppy, fwd with the Ecoboost motor. Had to kinda flog it to get it perform. kinda numb steering but a pretty tight turning radius, touchy brakes, but it rode ok. Got good mileage. A/C was very good. This one had just 40K on the odometer and recently had it's transmission replaced. (Shifted ok for me). I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. It a bit better than "meh", but more like "okay". Pretty much a transportation appliance. Anyone else drive one of 'em?

I've actually heard decent things about the Edge, but I've never driven one. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I suppose it would make a good truck.

I'll play!

2017 Nissan Titan SL 4x4 CC
Nissan did a great job with the new Titan. Lots of neat features, including an option for the center gauge cluster screen that monitors your approach and departure angles for offroading. Around View camera system has offroad-specific camera angles to select. It's comfortable with tons of neat storage compartments. I could go on, but this truck deserves more recognition as a solid competitor to the big three. It destroys the Toyota Tundra in every single regard (which it should) but feels more planted and rugged than the F150.

2017 Toyota 4Runner Limited
Looking to replace the Rogue with something larger down the road, we looked at this because we both love the 4Runner. However, wife's SL Rogue with Premium package requires us to step into a Limited 4Runner to retain the feature set she is used to. That means $50,800 for a new 4Runner. That's a hard sell for the territory $50k puts you into these days. Will say this - the 4Runner is good at what it does. The Limited trim is a bit more cushy than the TRD trims are, which is to be expected. The Limited trim at $50k tries to convey a luxury SUV kind of thing, which it should, but falls short compared to something like a QX60 or even a Mazda CX-9 Signature edition. While stuff in that price range is less rugged, it's still going to be a DD and the amenities are important. The 4Runner is the 370Z of SUVs - it occupies a strange niche no one else plays in, but has a cult following.

2017 Infiniti QX70S
I had it as a loaner while I was getting my wheels/tires mounted, balanced, aligned, etc. I freakin loved it. The steering was amazing compared to my Q50 (I'm finding that's not a terribly difficult feat to accomplish, though I stand by my non-DAS car all day). It moved extremely well for the big girl she is. Suspension was great. It looks like a roided up bullfrog. The infotainment was snappy (also not hard to beat InTouch in that regard). Was just a lot of fun overall. Seats were a bit firm but very supportive - on a longer trip I could see my Q50 winning out because the seats are really well done in my car. Fuel economy was pretty abysmal (I burned an eighth of a tank tinkering around town for a day). Overall... I have to say I could easily DD one of these things. I found that admission to be strange coming from my taste in cars... my Q50 is the largest vehicle I have ever owned by a good bit.

2017 QX30
Another loaner. This car is a gold plated turd nugget. Everything is cheap. My wife's 15 Rogue SL with 50k on it had less interior rattles than this thing with 5k miles on it. Yeah, it was a loaner, but our Rogue is a daily with two big dogs and a kid - I would say the wear is about even if not worse on the Rogue. Start/stop is annoying. Car falls flat on its face after 4k RPM. Seats are garbage. Transmission is meh. Suspension felt sloppy. This is Infiniti's Chevy Cavalier. At least it looks neat. Infiniti needs to backpedal on this Mercedes partnership in a bad way - I'm far less than impressed. This car is a throwaway lease at best.

2016 QX60
Pretty nice car. Drives very differently from its Pathfinder sibling in a good way, most notably in the suspension department. Selectable drive modes go a long way. Interior is nicely laid out... seats are GREAT. Giant sunroof from front seat to third row is cool. Bose system actually sounds good. Extremely comfortable on the interstate with gobs of interior space. CVT feels so much better paired to a VQ V6.

2015 QX80
This is how the other half lives - a giant sport utility completely isolated from the outside world. It needs a giant V8 to move it and it does ok in that regard. Super quiet inside, and this was before the noise cancelling bose made it into the car. The rear seats are heated and cooled. Each row has its own climate controls. This might be the silliest thing I have ever driven in the luxury realm. Definitely a giant beast of a car I could see retired Zack rocking while yelling "get off my lawn".

2017 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax Z71
HOLY TORQUE. New Duramax diesel with Allison Trans. Torque - 910lb-ft of it. As far as trucks go, this thing is quite insane. However, I felt larger than the earth in it. I could feel no road below me nor see road markings beside me. I dub thee Torque-a-saurus Rex. Did I mention it has insane torque? The torque has insane torque. Make America Torque Again. However, in true GM fashion, its leather seats are already showing wear with less than 2000 miles of seat time - don't buy a light colored interior in one of these if you frequently wear jeans. Apple CarPlay is nice and so is the Bose it's connected to. Not a bad looker for a truck either. Also torque. For dragging a boat, or for dragging a house off the foundation, I imagine this has all you need to get the job done.

2017 Corvette Stingray - Z51 James Sisson edition
Short version - I now want a Vette. A lot. What a machine. GM really got this car right - it's a daily-livable sports car. The suspension is great for both cruising and hammering corners. Power for days. The transmission is great, shifter feel is great. Pretty well appointed for interior features and such. TONS more rear cargo space than I expected. Thanks for letting me drive, my friend! I have begun looking into Camaros since they fit kids and wives better than Vettes do, and there's a ZL1 at my local dealer... hmmm...

I have more but I have to pick up a kid.

Stuff I want to drive:
2018 Acura TLX A Spec - I'm wildly curious about this car. Looks good, and its 8 speed dual clutch and SH-AWD setup sound nice for a luxury/sport setup.
2017 Chevy Camaro ZL1 - Because Sisson. and because why not?
2017 Nissan Frontier Pro4X CC 6MT (okay... maybe just want to buy one of these straight up.)

fwiw, I'm expecting to get some seat time in a new Camaro ZL1 1LE in November. A buddy recently replaced his Z28 with one and has begun tracking it. I'm not sure about the viability of a Camaro as a family hauler. Those backseats look pretty cramped. You might consider looking at a bigger Hellcat. I recently spent 2 days in a Charger Hellcat at the Glen. Impressive car.

I've been in a few of the new C7's' like James'. I really like 'em a lot to the point it's on my short list as a Z replacement.

RicerX wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 21, 2017 12:34 pm

2017 Corvette Stingray - Z51 James Sisson edition

No problem man. You had the luxury of driving it with the roof out on a beautiful afternoon too. That definitely adds to the fun.
If you get one, be careful with the options. They can price it pretty sky high and you really don't use a lot of them day to day (or ever for that matter).

Just added another one this week.
2017 Toyota Corolla rental: Of course I immediately thought of Jesda, who despises them. I actually didn't mind it. It's certainly old school, and yes, you measure acceleration with a minute hand. But it felt tight and nimble, and reasonably comfortable. It also got over 30 mpg. It's certainly an evolutionary design. I noticed there are several small touches that haven't changed since my son's 2008 Corolla, like remote mirror controls. Same exact controls. The climate control/radio controls are obviously more updated but they're located in the same exact place. There were a couple of little items I didn't care for, like an annoying green "eco light" between the tach and speedo that presumably lights up to let you know you're applying the throttle in the most fuel efficient manner. Though I must admit as an enthusiast, I felt the need to play the how- long-can-I-keep-the-light-from-coming-on game. You also can no longer manually adjust the fan speed, (no vent feature). You must set a specific temperature let the computer handle it automatically. Minor annoyances aside, it's still difficult to argue against a comparatively old-fashioned small reliable car like this. It's not exciting but I'd buy one for a non-enthusiast family member..

The Corolla used to be fun and scrappy. In between it became numb and dull. Now it's fairly refined but still pretty soulless. It's a much better car than it used to be.

Infiniti is completely dead to me. I couldn't tell a Qwhat from a Qwho and aside from the Q50 they're kind of bad to look at. It's too bad because they're mostly nice cars.

A friend of mine bought a Ford Edge and it's been surprisingly excellent. I do worry about the transmission and electronics.

I had a weekend with a Camry. It was... okay. Right before the new one came out they were discounting the crap out of them.
http://jesda.com/2017/12/04/farewell-to-the-camry/

Jesda wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:59 pm

.

I had a weekend with a Camry. It was... okay.

wow! I'm amazed to read that ^ . How did those words taste coming out of your mouth....?

I have a 2017 Toyota Rav4 for a rental car for a yet to be determined amount of time (someone rear ended my new Titan before I even got tags on it). It is an AWD XLE trim.

Engine, transmission, and suspension destroy the Rogue on every facet. Everything else sucks. The interior layout is just awkward, it's really difficult for me to find a comfortable seating position, and trim-for-trim, it has far less to offer inside than a comparable Rogue (no power driver's seat, no proximity key or push start, and I have already accidentally stabbed myself in the balls with its awkward giant keyfob/key combo). It absolutely sucks for installing car seats - some element of a bordering seat is in the way no matter which seat you choose. Also, the rear camera is really open to rain/road debris, so it's completely useless on a rainy day.

I want my truck back.

RicerX wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 09, 2018 7:58 am

I have already accidentally stabbed myself in the balls with its awkward giant keyfob/key combo

Dude, that will make you hate any car.

RicerX wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 09, 2018 7:58 am

I have already accidentally stabbed myself in the balls with its awkward giant keyfob/key combo

Note to self: be extra careful if I testes drive a new Rav4..

Normally I shun driving work trucks and choose to drive my own vehicle. It was raining, sites were muddy and my tread was super low so I drove the work 2010 Toyota Tundra in the past week. There's a few project sites spread out around the county. I got to take it on some curvy roads through agricultural fields, the freeway with cruise control, through city streets and a nice long stretch of tight turns with no stripes and no traffic. It handles surprisingly well for a truck. It felt a lot like driving a sedan with higher point of view. Very comfortable and easy to get situated in. Controls for stereo and climate were intuitive. Had to use lower gears for a while and there's a tow package control arm thing that was new to me, but also easy to figure out. I came back really impressed. I liked the drive. I'll pick the Tacoma over my car for future work excursions.

Just logged about 100 night time miles on a 2016 GMC Denali. Not bad. Biiig luxobarge SUV. I suffered with nice heated seats, heated steering wheel, and pretty much every conceivable option. Had some nice torque for such a heavy beast. Everything was light to the touch and it road like a baby carriage. This had the 9 speed automatic. Very smooth shifting with one exception: Shifting to reverse. I was reminded this was a GM vehicle as it engaged reverse okay but it clunked into gear. The owner told me the dealer noted it's a common issue and evidently fixable (under warranty). A few minor annoyances. The headlight knob is in the traditional place on the left, but the drivetrain selection is an identical knob right beside it. At night it's lit, but I can see many owners twisting the wrong knob. There are also like 15 buttons all over the steering wheel. I'm sure it's fine after you figure them all out, but sheesh. Same for an excessive amount of buttons for windows. there's like a dozen identical buttons all with nearly identical tiny pictures identifying them. Kinda annoying to figure them all out. Overall I didn't mind it, but I'm not sure I'd buy one. Lease one, perhaps.

Thought I'd revive this thread. I'm still driving all different kinds of vehicles every week . This past week, I drove 3 that some of you might find interesting:

2013 Viper. It was an ex-show car up for sale. Lotsa carbon fiber goodies. Like the older Vipers I've driven, I had mixed feelings. This gen is more civilized compared to the older ones, even has ABS (pre 2000 did not), and 2 modes (street and track). The clutch was pleasantly light, brakes good too. 640hp + gobs of torque+wide tires tends to hide a lots of sins. The street setting is tolerable for the street, but I can't imagine going for long rides in one. while the pedals are set up nice for heel and toe, the "dead pedal" (place to put your left foot between shifts is quite narrow. I can see that getting annoying. Visibility still sucks but there's a back up camera which was nice. Overall, still a great track car for an experienced driver, but still awful as street car, but not quite as awful as the earlier ones.

Nissan NV200 2017. Nissan's mini-mini van. Many are being used as NYC cabs, but the one I drove is set up as a small parts delivery van. I was pleasantly surprised for the comfort given the cheapness. It's styling is a tad funky and annoying but it has a decent ride. Certainly not sporty, but for local deliveries, not bad. Yes, it has a dang CVT, immediate deal breaker. The funky styling has a few drawbacks. For example, the dash has an analog speedo and tach, (not sure the need or a tach with a CVT). Curiously, no water temp gauge and the gas is just small black bars. So, if it runs too hot, don't worry, the idiot light comes on to tell you it's too late. and the mini parabolic mirror is located in a terrible position. Otherwise, not bad.

2018 Nissan Rogue. I actually liked a lot things about it except that awful CVT. Very annoying. If Nissan offered a manual version, it'd be a vehicle to consider.

A few folks have asked me about the new Mustangs. Finally got some street seat time in one. My neighbor finally replaced his '88 Fox body vert with a 2018 Mustang GT. Sadly, he's a "hard parker" so it'll never see a race track plus it has an automatic.. I'm not a big Ford guy but it's nicer than I thought. The only thing he's done is replace the standard all season PzeroNero's with summer Michelin Pilot Sports (standard on the performance package that he did not get). The coyote V8's got a nice growl, and 460 hp means very brisk acceleration. It's fast but it's not gonna pin you into the seat like a Hellcat, but it's more than enough for a bad driver to lose it and wipe out car show spectators. The ZL1 felt like it had a bit more low end grunt, but build a few rpm and the 'stang evens things up quickly. It's a screamer. I also noticed Ford finally joined the 20th century and no more solid rear. Handling felt okay, very liveable. I didn't get a chance to really push it to feel what it does. The seats have bigger bolsters and seemed fit my old wide body well. The 10 speed automatic shifted very smoothly, even under hard acceleration. But then again it was in its tame setting. Overall I liked it, not loved it. My neighbor made a nice choice.

I'd be interested in seeing how you like some of the 4 banger pony cars.