1992 Cadillac Eldorado:
44,000 miles. 4.9L V8 is as big on torque as I remembered. Smooth, quiet, and distinctly American. The big square "bread loaf" steering wheel hub is ugly but easy to rest your hands on. The Bose system sounds like the speakers are covered in sweaters. Brought back fond memories of my 1992 Seville STS.
2009 E63 AMG:
A velvet hammer. Glides over speed bumps and ruts. Serious drama when you hammer the throttle. Perfectly weighted steering that leans toward light at low speeds.
Beautiful stitching and precisely assembled upholstery. A lot of car for under $30k.
2007 Camry SE:
Past Camrys felt like baby Lexuses, but not this one. Looked and felt a bit cheap inside and out. Gutless. Held up well for 130k with no funny noises from the engine or suspension.
2009 Mercedes S-class:
Looks aside, still the best mass-market luxury car in the world. Leans in corners and throttle feels a bit detached from reality, but that's made up for with massaging seats and a spectacular sound system. What's with the PCMCIA slot?!?
2001 Mercedes E320 (W210):
Cheap interior. Overall build quality came across more like a Chrysler than a Mercedes-Benz. Smooth ride and comfortable seats. Pales in comparison to the W124 or today's E-class. Would not buy one.
2012 Chrysler 300 V6:
Impressive car for the money. Wood trim looked and felt terribly cheap. Silver trim is made of real metal including the inside door handles. Easy to use infotainment system, gobs of acceleration, annoying electronic shifter. Some cheap/creaky interior bits here and there but nothing unforgivable for the price. Massive step up from the previous 300. The new 3.6L V6 is smooth and rockets the car forward after shifting down and building revs.
2009 Audi Q7: GARBAGE
http://jesda.com/2012/11/24/quick-drive ... udi-q7-v8/
Talk about cars you've driven recently
-
MinisterofDOOM
- Moderator
- Posts: 30928
- Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 5:51 pm
- Car: 1962 Corvair Monza
1961 Corvair Lakewood
1974 Unimog 404
1997 Pathfinder XE
2005 Lincoln LS8
Former:
1995 Q45t
1993 Maxima GXE
1995 Ranger XL 2.3
1984 Coupe DeVille - Location: The middle of nowhere.
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
The office manager at work just bought an '06 Fusion with the manual trans. It's charcoal grey and looks nice despite the goofy headlights. Nice alloy wheels. I'm hoping to finagle a drive in the thing. Especially since I haven't driven a car with three proper pedals in quite a while.
I completely agree. I have a friend who owns an '07 SE. The Pontiac-wannabe glue-on plastic bodywork does nothing to offset the cheap feeling, but the interior genuinely caught me offguard with its cheapness. The cheapest car I've been in in a VERY long time. It just felt overtly cost-cut. I didn't realize you could buy sedans without rear HVAC vents anymore. The upholstery was cheap with thin-feeling cloth. The door panels made the rock-hard grey sculpted plastic of my '95 Ranger seem classy. The backseat felt monumentally down-class. I CANNOT fathom the source of the love people have for these cars.Jesda wrote:2007 Camry SE:
Past Camrys felt like baby Lexuses, but not this one. Looked and felt a bit cheap inside and out. Gutless. Held up well for 130k with no funny noises from the engine or suspension.
-
Bubba1
- Moderator
- Posts: 16082
- Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 1:42 pm
- Car: 2003 Nissan 350z
2024 Honda HR-V
2008 Toyota Corolla S
2001 Toyota Avalon XLS
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
I was just at VIR a couple weeks ago, so I got to spend some significant time with a couple cars.
2012 Nissan 370Z stock. I drove a 370 once at Carlisle and liked it, but only got to toss it around a little in 2nd gear. This time I had a beginner student with one for two days, and I like it a lot more. I got to see the auto-blip system in action. He did not know anything about heel/toe yet his downshifts/approaches to tight turns were smooth to the point I thought he was riding the clutch. But looking at his tach, there was the dang blip. I was both impressed and disappointed as Nissan has essentially idiot proofed heel/toe downshifts. Otherwise, the car felt a little more nimble than my 350, and Nissan addressed the cheapie center storage compartment lid in the dash. Its still a bargain turnkey track day fun car. Those who claim Nissan lost touch needs to drive one of these.
If Nissan discontinues the Z's manual transmission and replaces it with an annoying CVT, then I can see the argument. But until that happens, it's a winner.
2011 Dodge Challenger SR-T 8 modded (about 470hp). I was prepared to not like it as it's such a big heavy beast of a car, but I was completely surprised how well this big girl can dance. SRT-8 engineers did a nice job, but you can feel its heft in the tight turns as the 20" Goodyear Eagle F1 protest more than other cars and they start giving up their grip earlier than normal. But the suspension is quite poised even when disrupted on the VIR turtles (inside upper esses curbing). The Brembo brakes are well suited for the heft making repeated hard braking a non-event. The traction control, which my student left on, had a surprisingly high engagement point making it ideal for an inexperienced driver. The thrust was intoxicating. Effortless acceleration. We were hitting 150 mph on VIR's back straight without issue and with plenty of braking room. Since you sit so high, and this car had a real shaker hood (which particially obscured some apexes like at Roller Coaster), you don't feel like you're hitting those speeds as you would in a Viper. Besides the heft (the car feels 1000 lbs too heavy), my only other gripe is the pedal placement. They're too far apart for heel/toe. It's more set up for an overweight American drag racer with hiking boots than a roadracer in sneakers/driving shoes. I suggested to the owner that since this was technically a muscle car, he should buy a barefoot gas pedal and heel/toe using the barefoot pedal's "big toe" by turning his ankle.
Overall, a surprisingly competent and stupidly fast car. I have no desire to own one, but it was sure great fun.
2012 Nissan 370Z stock. I drove a 370 once at Carlisle and liked it, but only got to toss it around a little in 2nd gear. This time I had a beginner student with one for two days, and I like it a lot more. I got to see the auto-blip system in action. He did not know anything about heel/toe yet his downshifts/approaches to tight turns were smooth to the point I thought he was riding the clutch. But looking at his tach, there was the dang blip. I was both impressed and disappointed as Nissan has essentially idiot proofed heel/toe downshifts. Otherwise, the car felt a little more nimble than my 350, and Nissan addressed the cheapie center storage compartment lid in the dash. Its still a bargain turnkey track day fun car. Those who claim Nissan lost touch needs to drive one of these.
If Nissan discontinues the Z's manual transmission and replaces it with an annoying CVT, then I can see the argument. But until that happens, it's a winner.
2011 Dodge Challenger SR-T 8 modded (about 470hp). I was prepared to not like it as it's such a big heavy beast of a car, but I was completely surprised how well this big girl can dance. SRT-8 engineers did a nice job, but you can feel its heft in the tight turns as the 20" Goodyear Eagle F1 protest more than other cars and they start giving up their grip earlier than normal. But the suspension is quite poised even when disrupted on the VIR turtles (inside upper esses curbing). The Brembo brakes are well suited for the heft making repeated hard braking a non-event. The traction control, which my student left on, had a surprisingly high engagement point making it ideal for an inexperienced driver. The thrust was intoxicating. Effortless acceleration. We were hitting 150 mph on VIR's back straight without issue and with plenty of braking room. Since you sit so high, and this car had a real shaker hood (which particially obscured some apexes like at Roller Coaster), you don't feel like you're hitting those speeds as you would in a Viper. Besides the heft (the car feels 1000 lbs too heavy), my only other gripe is the pedal placement. They're too far apart for heel/toe. It's more set up for an overweight American drag racer with hiking boots than a roadracer in sneakers/driving shoes. I suggested to the owner that since this was technically a muscle car, he should buy a barefoot gas pedal and heel/toe using the barefoot pedal's "big toe" by turning his ankle.
Overall, a surprisingly competent and stupidly fast car. I have no desire to own one, but it was sure great fun.-
krash
- Posts: 4836
- Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 10:43 am
- Car: 1993 Nissan 240sx Convertible
- Location: Memphis, TN
- Contact:
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
2001 Toyota Highlander Limited: Thoroughly satisfactory. Nothing more, nothing less. Its 4WD but its not the best 4WD system. It tows a trailer with the school's baja car on it with no issues. The interior does feel kind of cheap, but they did attempt to make it fancy inside, with plastic wood grain and fake leather. The interior colors match well, but everything feels cheap. It has variable valve timing, it picks up a little at the higher rpms, nothing spectacular though. Passenger space is good, loading space is also good. Its a car that can I drive to school and not remember the drive, so that kind of sucks.
2007 Honda CR-V: I hate most of it. The interior looks nice, kind of safari-ish. It handles surprisingly well, compared to the highlander. Its slow as all hell though. Even when vtak kicks in y0, it's barely moving. Everything about it is thoroughly bland.
2001 BMW M3: Pretty cool car. I wasn't SUPER impressed with the power, but it was definitely there. Handles very nicely. The RPM gauge has lights that create the redline, they disappear as the engine reaches operating temperature, thats pretty cool. Its a very smooth ride, I was going 140mph without even noticing. Its missing some "oomph" though. When you it WOT, the butt-dyno is happy, but not as happy as it should be. I didn't like the interior. The pieces were nice, but it all felt kind of cramped. Theres not enough sunlight in there, and too much black. It gave that "cave" affect, even more than my vert does with the top up.
1980 Toyota Pick-up: I loved it. paint wasn't great, 4-speed manual, slow, and had a small exhaust leak. I'd rather daily drive this than the highlander or the CRV. M/T gives you something to do while you're driving, instead of just wallowing in a pool of rolling bland. This truck had a personality, unlike the CRV or the Highlander, which to me are just people movers.
2007 Honda CR-V: I hate most of it. The interior looks nice, kind of safari-ish. It handles surprisingly well, compared to the highlander. Its slow as all hell though. Even when vtak kicks in y0, it's barely moving. Everything about it is thoroughly bland.
2001 BMW M3: Pretty cool car. I wasn't SUPER impressed with the power, but it was definitely there. Handles very nicely. The RPM gauge has lights that create the redline, they disappear as the engine reaches operating temperature, thats pretty cool. Its a very smooth ride, I was going 140mph without even noticing. Its missing some "oomph" though. When you it WOT, the butt-dyno is happy, but not as happy as it should be. I didn't like the interior. The pieces were nice, but it all felt kind of cramped. Theres not enough sunlight in there, and too much black. It gave that "cave" affect, even more than my vert does with the top up.
1980 Toyota Pick-up: I loved it. paint wasn't great, 4-speed manual, slow, and had a small exhaust leak. I'd rather daily drive this than the highlander or the CRV. M/T gives you something to do while you're driving, instead of just wallowing in a pool of rolling bland. This truck had a personality, unlike the CRV or the Highlander, which to me are just people movers.
After all this time of CVT cross-cabrio horribleness, the 370z is one thing that Nissan really did right. It really gives me hope that they didn't forget how to build an awesome car.Bubba1 wrote:I was just at VIR a couple weeks ago, so I got to spend some significant time with a couple cars.
2012 Nissan 370Z stock. I drove a 370 once at Carlisle and liked it, but only got to toss it around a little in 2nd gear. This time I had a beginner student with one for two days, and I like it a lot more. I got to see the auto-blip system in action. He did not know anything about heel/toe yet his downshifts/approaches to tight turns were smooth to the point I thought he was riding the clutch. But looking at his tach, there was the dang blip. I was both impressed and disappointed as Nissan has essentially idiot proofed heel/toe downshifts. Otherwise, the car felt a little more nimble than my 350, and Nissan addresed the cheapie center storage compartment lid in the dash. Its still a bargain turnkey track day fun car. Those who claim Nissan lost touch needs to drive one of these.
If Nissan discontinues the Z's manual transmission and replaces it with an annoying CVT, then I can see the argument. But until that happens, it's a winner.
-
bundy26
- Posts: 1044
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:52 am
- Car: 2011 Buick Regal turbo
- Location: Dover NJ
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
1995 MB C280, 101000 miles
For being 17 yrs old this car is in great condition, really like it a lot.
2006 Corvette C6 Z06
A total beast, to me it's the most affordable supercar, the interior rattles a lot and doesn't match the car's exterior styling or performance ( hope they get this right with the C7 )
For being 17 yrs old this car is in great condition, really like it a lot.
2006 Corvette C6 Z06
A total beast, to me it's the most affordable supercar, the interior rattles a lot and doesn't match the car's exterior styling or performance ( hope they get this right with the C7 )
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
2009 Honda Accord Sedan, I4.
Friend's rental, don't remember the mileage.
All the controls felt pretty decent, ride felt slightly harsher than past Accords, interior was pretty nice.
It was the 4 cylinder model so it wasn't all that fun to accelerate in.
2006 BMW X5
200k+ miles. 3.0 I6. Previously owned by my grandpa. He gave it to us and bought a newer X5.
Very car like. Suspension feels nice and stuff, but it's very comfortable.
Steering is really heavy (is this how all BMWs are?). Brakes feel great. Power isn't all that bad.
Shifting is nice and smooth. I put it into the manual shifting mode for laughs, it's fun to play with, but the response times are really slow.
Interior is great, all the leather is still in very nice condition.
Loves to consume oil. I think we should sell it and buy something else.
First gen Mazda 6
Manual, I6 Don't remember the miles, owned by my friend's father.
I don't know if it was due to the heavy aftermarket wheels and slim tires, but on the freeway the steering was really numb and way too light.
All the pedals have a short stroke, but feel solid. Engine felt pretty weak.
Friend's rental, don't remember the mileage.
All the controls felt pretty decent, ride felt slightly harsher than past Accords, interior was pretty nice.
It was the 4 cylinder model so it wasn't all that fun to accelerate in.
2006 BMW X5
200k+ miles. 3.0 I6. Previously owned by my grandpa. He gave it to us and bought a newer X5.
Very car like. Suspension feels nice and stuff, but it's very comfortable.
Steering is really heavy (is this how all BMWs are?). Brakes feel great. Power isn't all that bad.
Shifting is nice and smooth. I put it into the manual shifting mode for laughs, it's fun to play with, but the response times are really slow.
Interior is great, all the leather is still in very nice condition.
Loves to consume oil. I think we should sell it and buy something else.
First gen Mazda 6
Manual, I6 Don't remember the miles, owned by my friend's father.
I don't know if it was due to the heavy aftermarket wheels and slim tires, but on the freeway the steering was really numb and way too light.
All the pedals have a short stroke, but feel solid. Engine felt pretty weak.
-
OriginalWheelman
- Posts: 5668
- Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2006 3:38 am
- Car: '15 Ford Focus Electric
- Location: Portland, OR (or what?)
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
2004 Honda Civic. It's a soulless boring car with almost no redeeming qualities other than great gas mileage and dependability.
-
flohtingPoint
- Posts: 3564
- Joined: Tue May 13, 2003 2:46 pm
- Car: 2004 Z16 Corvette Z06
- Location: Washington DC
- Contact:
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
04 C5 Z51: Car drove ok, but too many miles on the car for what the owner wanted for it.
03 C5 Z51: Car drove outstanding. Minor issues with the lca bushings and minor leak from oil seal. Like the above, too much wanted for it.
99 C5 FRC: 36,000 miles on it, drove like a wonder. No problems with the lower shock mount (big issue with C5's), no leaks, 2nd gear shifted fine, 17750 out the door. Called Strano and had the parts sent over for A-Stock prep, awaiting first Test N Tune event with it on the 15th.
03 C5 Z51: Car drove outstanding. Minor issues with the lca bushings and minor leak from oil seal. Like the above, too much wanted for it.
99 C5 FRC: 36,000 miles on it, drove like a wonder. No problems with the lower shock mount (big issue with C5's), no leaks, 2nd gear shifted fine, 17750 out the door. Called Strano and had the parts sent over for A-Stock prep, awaiting first Test N Tune event with it on the 15th.
-
elwesso
- Posts: 30810
- Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2003 4:52 pm
- Car: 94 Infiniti Q45t 5 spd
2007 BMW M Coupe
2007 Infiniti G35 S 6MT - Location: Indiana
- Contact:
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
2005 CTS-V.. Extremely comfortable, but noisier and rougher than you might expect from a caddy. Stock shifter is garbage. With a short throw, the car is much nicer to drive. Interior is very rattly.
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera... This particular example seemed to be ragged out, interior didn't feel as nice for a car that expensive. Was surprisingly slow as well, but had lots of headroom. Overall, you'd be better off owning a 370Z over this.
2001 Porsche 911 turbo... The only way I can describe it is "uselessly fast".. While it doesn't have the torque the CTS-V has, once it gets up in the powerband (about 4k) it goes like a rocket. Since it doesn't have a ton of torque, it doesn't feel as fast as it's actually going. Limited leg room, but overall a pretty comfortable car and cool to drive..
2012 Buick Lucerne- Quite possibly one of the quietest, smoothest cars Ive ever driven. Sound system is amazing. Interior is very nice for any car of it's class, espeically GM.. Everything is tight and well made, I am very impressed with that car. If you want to have a car to drive down the road comfortably and smoothly this is the one to have.. Don't expect magic when you go to brake or throw it into a corner. It's got enough power to get out of it's way, and delivery is very linear and smooth.
1997 Buick Regal- In my opinion, the Regal was the best car that GM made in 1997-2002, overall. Interior is extremely comfortable, AC is ICE cold, drives down the road very nicely... Again, doesn't really turn well or brake well, but that's OK the car doesn't really tempt you to do that. 3.8L V6 has low end power but lacks at the high end. Great gas mileage on the highway.
2006 Porsche 911 Carrera... This particular example seemed to be ragged out, interior didn't feel as nice for a car that expensive. Was surprisingly slow as well, but had lots of headroom. Overall, you'd be better off owning a 370Z over this.
2001 Porsche 911 turbo... The only way I can describe it is "uselessly fast".. While it doesn't have the torque the CTS-V has, once it gets up in the powerband (about 4k) it goes like a rocket. Since it doesn't have a ton of torque, it doesn't feel as fast as it's actually going. Limited leg room, but overall a pretty comfortable car and cool to drive..
2012 Buick Lucerne- Quite possibly one of the quietest, smoothest cars Ive ever driven. Sound system is amazing. Interior is very nice for any car of it's class, espeically GM.. Everything is tight and well made, I am very impressed with that car. If you want to have a car to drive down the road comfortably and smoothly this is the one to have.. Don't expect magic when you go to brake or throw it into a corner. It's got enough power to get out of it's way, and delivery is very linear and smooth.
1997 Buick Regal- In my opinion, the Regal was the best car that GM made in 1997-2002, overall. Interior is extremely comfortable, AC is ICE cold, drives down the road very nicely... Again, doesn't really turn well or brake well, but that's OK the car doesn't really tempt you to do that. 3.8L V6 has low end power but lacks at the high end. Great gas mileage on the highway.
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
White 2011 Saab 9-3 with 38,000 miles, one of the cars built under Spyker's ownership. It auctioned for just 10 grand.
The brakes had a bit of that classic Saab feel where they're firm and sporty but the ride was a bit crisp/rough compared to the 3-series and C-class. Loved the way the Ecotec turbo put the power down (though it lacked the smoothness of Saab's prior turbo fours) and the seats were very pleasing. The interior was better than I expected but again, not quite as good as BMW or MB. It had a couple minor rattles that the GM 9-3 is unfortunately known for. Better than the Jetta, easily, but the MSRP was too high.
I'd buy one because they're so darn cheap and fun to drive, if imperfect. Character counts for something and everyone and their dog has a C-class, which is now the top-selling small luxury car in America. I can't imagine ever paying MSRP, which few people did.
The brakes had a bit of that classic Saab feel where they're firm and sporty but the ride was a bit crisp/rough compared to the 3-series and C-class. Loved the way the Ecotec turbo put the power down (though it lacked the smoothness of Saab's prior turbo fours) and the seats were very pleasing. The interior was better than I expected but again, not quite as good as BMW or MB. It had a couple minor rattles that the GM 9-3 is unfortunately known for. Better than the Jetta, easily, but the MSRP was too high.
I'd buy one because they're so darn cheap and fun to drive, if imperfect. Character counts for something and everyone and their dog has a C-class, which is now the top-selling small luxury car in America. I can't imagine ever paying MSRP, which few people did.
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
Was this a 3.8 or a CXS with the Northstar? Never driven one but I'd like to just to see how it compares with the 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS.elwesso wrote:2012 Buick Lucerne- Quite possibly one of the quietest, smoothest cars Ive ever driven. Sound system is amazing. Interior is very nice for any car of it's class, espeically GM.. Everything is tight and well made, I am very impressed with that car. If you want to have a car to drive down the road comfortably and smoothly this is the one to have.. Don't expect magic when you go to brake or throw it into a corner. It's got enough power to get out of it's way, and delivery is very linear and smooth.
I wholeheartedly agree. A friend of mine bought one and put 40,000 miles on it with zero issues (recently traded it for a Mercury Marauder). It was smooth, quiet, dependable, and damn good in the snow. I loved how adjusting the volume on the steering wheel caused the motorized knob on the head unit to rotate. 30+ mpg. Some of the most comfortable seats I've ever been in.elwesso wrote:1997 Buick Regal- In my opinion, the Regal was the best car that GM made in 1997-2002, overall. Interior is extremely comfortable, AC is ICE cold, drives down the road very nicely... Again, doesn't really turn well or brake well, but that's OK the car doesn't really tempt you to do that. 3.8L V6 has low end power but lacks at the high end. Great gas mileage on the highway.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taWswiKUVr0[/youtube]
-
elwesso
- Posts: 30810
- Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2003 4:52 pm
- Car: 94 Infiniti Q45t 5 spd
2007 BMW M Coupe
2007 Infiniti G35 S 6MT - Location: Indiana
- Contact:
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
My brother has a regular Regal, however I have driven a Regal GS and what a great car. Hearing that thing pull makes me miss the old SC 3800.. What a brilliant engine, too bad 95% of the cars it went into were complete garbage (read: Grand prix 97-04).. The Regal GS was the exception.
My parents have had a Lucerne (3.8L), and (2) Lacrosse's both with the 3.6L.. The V6 is fine for them, however I'd like to try the northstar just for fun. We also drove the 4 cyl version, and it had a surprising amount of power for only having like 180HP... I tried to convince my parents to get the 4cyl since they're "old" and never see past half throttle anyway, and save on gas. The Lucerne was pretty nice too, it was very spacious with at least a 4-body trunk, but the overall build quality of the Lacrosse is WAY nicer. I would really like to drive the new turbo regal with 6-speed, that looks like a neat little car, and I bet the HP could be cranked up easy with the turbo.
My parents have had a Lucerne (3.8L), and (2) Lacrosse's both with the 3.6L.. The V6 is fine for them, however I'd like to try the northstar just for fun. We also drove the 4 cyl version, and it had a surprising amount of power for only having like 180HP... I tried to convince my parents to get the 4cyl since they're "old" and never see past half throttle anyway, and save on gas. The Lucerne was pretty nice too, it was very spacious with at least a 4-body trunk, but the overall build quality of the Lacrosse is WAY nicer. I would really like to drive the new turbo regal with 6-speed, that looks like a neat little car, and I bet the HP could be cranked up easy with the turbo.
-
elwesso
- Posts: 30810
- Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2003 4:52 pm
- Car: 94 Infiniti Q45t 5 spd
2007 BMW M Coupe
2007 Infiniti G35 S 6MT - Location: Indiana
- Contact:
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
Couple other cars I've driven recently...
1995 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham- My grandparents have one of these with 40k original miles. I forgot how much low end power this car has, it can easily roast the rear tires from a stop.. It has this vault like, commanding the road type feel. It's more scared of turns than a cat is of water, but who cares because in a car like this it's not about going fast in a turn. That car in my opinion is one of the last true "American" luxury cars.
2003 Saturn Vue- V6, 5speed auto. At the time it was unusual for a GM car to have a 5 speed auto, and that definitely makes this vehicle. Overall it's not a bad driving car, however it is greater than the sum of it's parts. The steering is light and garbage, brakes stop the car, stereo is garbage, seating position is garbage.. Interior is pretty cheap... Heck the gauge cluster isn't even backlit, it has lights that shine onto the face. I find the night time illumination annoying beacuse the lights in the instrument cluster are dimmer than the lights on the dash, so it's hard to get it where everything is a consistent brightness... DESPITE all this, it's overall a pretty nice driving vehicle. It's got a lot of power, and the trans shifts very nicely..
2011 Nissan 370Z Touring/Sport- First time I'd driven a newer Z, but I had been in a 350Z. Interior is miles better than the 1st gen Z. Power is very good but you gotta give it some revs for it to be in the powerband. The revmatching engine is cool, but it takes the fun out of heel-toe downshifting because it does it perfect for you every time. Shifter feels nice, clutch felt a little light for me, however most people would consider what I like to be heavy. Headroom for me was a little limited but overall interior space was very nice for a car that size.. You can apparently get (2) sets of golf clubs in the back.
1995 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham- My grandparents have one of these with 40k original miles. I forgot how much low end power this car has, it can easily roast the rear tires from a stop.. It has this vault like, commanding the road type feel. It's more scared of turns than a cat is of water, but who cares because in a car like this it's not about going fast in a turn. That car in my opinion is one of the last true "American" luxury cars.
2003 Saturn Vue- V6, 5speed auto. At the time it was unusual for a GM car to have a 5 speed auto, and that definitely makes this vehicle. Overall it's not a bad driving car, however it is greater than the sum of it's parts. The steering is light and garbage, brakes stop the car, stereo is garbage, seating position is garbage.. Interior is pretty cheap... Heck the gauge cluster isn't even backlit, it has lights that shine onto the face. I find the night time illumination annoying beacuse the lights in the instrument cluster are dimmer than the lights on the dash, so it's hard to get it where everything is a consistent brightness... DESPITE all this, it's overall a pretty nice driving vehicle. It's got a lot of power, and the trans shifts very nicely..
2011 Nissan 370Z Touring/Sport- First time I'd driven a newer Z, but I had been in a 350Z. Interior is miles better than the 1st gen Z. Power is very good but you gotta give it some revs for it to be in the powerband. The revmatching engine is cool, but it takes the fun out of heel-toe downshifting because it does it perfect for you every time. Shifter feels nice, clutch felt a little light for me, however most people would consider what I like to be heavy. Headroom for me was a little limited but overall interior space was very nice for a car that size.. You can apparently get (2) sets of golf clubs in the back.
-
MinisterofDOOM
- Moderator
- Posts: 30928
- Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 5:51 pm
- Car: 1962 Corvair Monza
1961 Corvair Lakewood
1974 Unimog 404
1997 Pathfinder XE
2005 Lincoln LS8
Former:
1995 Q45t
1993 Maxima GXE
1995 Ranger XL 2.3
1984 Coupe DeVille - Location: The middle of nowhere.
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
Did it have the Honda V6, or the GM? The J35 was definitely the Vue's biggest selling point in my eyes: dirt cheap car with a refined Honda engine.elwesso wrote:2003 Saturn Vue- V6, 5speed auto. At the time it was unusual for a GM car to have a 5 speed auto, and that definitely makes this vehicle. Overall it's not a bad driving car, however it is greater than the sum of it's parts. The steering is light and garbage, brakes stop the car, stereo is garbage, seating position is garbage.. Interior is pretty cheap... Heck the gauge cluster isn't even backlit, it has lights that shine onto the face. I find the night time illumination annoying beacuse the lights in the instrument cluster are dimmer than the lights on the dash, so it's hard to get it where everything is a consistent brightness... DESPITE all this, it's overall a pretty nice driving vehicle. It's got a lot of power, and the trans shifts very nicely..
As for the gauge cluster: I believe it. Saturns have always impressed with the terribleness of their gauge clusters. One of my friends in high school had an SL2 sedan. The gauge cluster was poorly lit, weirdly angled (as though for very short people) and rather than being tucked back in the dash under a cowl, it was RIGHT UP AGAINST the steering wheel. It felt claustrophobic and awkward.
-
elwesso
- Posts: 30810
- Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2003 4:52 pm
- Car: 94 Infiniti Q45t 5 spd
2007 BMW M Coupe
2007 Infiniti G35 S 6MT - Location: Indiana
- Contact:
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
I think it's the honda V6, I don't think it's a GM made engine.
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
Yep, GM traded the V6 for Acura's access to Onstar
-
frapjap
- Posts: 13175
- Joined: Thu Jul 01, 2004 2:46 pm
- Car: '99 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
'07 Subaru Legacy - Location: South Coast Massachusetts
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
2009 Subaru Legacy: No, not the GT, just the 2.5 4 cylinder version. Good looks (really like the front) and styling for a sedan. Overall though, its well appointed with a smart package that contains everything you need and not a bunch of s*** that you don't. The one I drove has 'cold weather package;' heated windshield wiper things where they rest when not being used, heated seats, car phone. Anyway, the heated seats are probably the best in the business. The low setting is plenty warm, and the hot will keep any woman who gets cold easily very, very happy. The thing I like most about the seats is that you can feel them through a heavy coat and heat continuously & even. They don't pop off and on (screw you, Ford!) and heat up in moments. The car drives well handles well, and stops quite well, too. Suspension is comfortable and soaks up the bumps in the road with ease. Despite being a CVT, its not awful to drive and often found myself traveling at 80mph on accident. The engine is responsive and decently quick. It can move out of its own way and still achieve ~32-33mpg (thanks to the CVT). The chassis never feels too heavy, though you feel it in the corners. AWD helps to conter that and body roll isn't awful at all and the car remains poised. The car also sports a very large back seat. Good for...ummmm...carrying around 5 people comfortably. Yeah. Plenty of leg room and head space. Build quality and materials used were pretty decent, too. No large panel gaps, rattles, hard plastics; hell, even the sound system was decent. Very quiet on the highway. In comparison to a WRX or STI, this is a MUCH more refined car and should be the class leader- not the damned Camry. If I were in the market for a car payment, a used Legacy GT would be on my short list.
'09 Mitsu Eclipse: Insurance money be damned, I would torch this car if I owned it. Awful, touchy (NOT SPORTY) brakes, piss poor acceleration, terrible build quality and materials. You could fit two fingers in some of the panel gaps- especially the one between the door and dash. On the positive side, they're too far apart to rattle. Sound system, trash. Road/wind noise, awful. Seating position, terrible. It can handle decently (double wishbone) but doesn't have the guts to make use of the suspension.
'12 Chevy Malibu: I had this for 3 days as a rental. I actually liked it. Overall build quality was very good. Not the nicest materials, but they were soft and appealing where it mattered- dash pad, arm rests, steering wheel- and not just in the exact places that you put your elbows (looking at you Subaru WRX!). Also, this car LOOKS GOOD. Like damned good. Low hood line, and increasing body line on the door bottoms, low decklid and long, sweeping C pillars without making the windows too small creating the 'cave effect.' Another fine point- unlike most new cars, having all of the windows down and sunroof open doesn't make you feel like you're in that 'tornado booth' at the mall. I'm willing to bet this design has some damned good aerodynamics. Acceleration was brisk, and the traction control lets you have a little fun before cutting the power and intruding. Gas mileage was a decent 29mpg, even with some traffic and heavy footed acceleration. Sound system wasn't shabby, and the seat was hella comfortable for long drives. Loads of leg room for rear passengers, decent head room. Infintly adjustable drivers seat, good seat heaters, and a cusion you sit IN, not ON. The only thing I really hated about the interior was the huge, chunky rear view mirror. It ALWAYS seemed to be in the way, especially during spirited driving where you're looking at an apex/turn ahead of the car. That brings me to the handling- pretty fantastic for a large, heavy sedan. I brought it through hard, tight hairpins, long sweepers, banked and off-camber turns while driving some rural roads to the Redwood forest in California. The car was confident, and the stability control only kicked in subtly. The tires left a lot to be desired, but hell, its a rental car. They don't exactly outfit them with the best rubber. I also liked the option to finely tune the rate of speed on the windshield wipers (not just the 3 standard speeds on the stalk). Very few cars have this option anymore. I like this car, but unless I got a bitchin' deal, there are other sedans to consider within the same price point.
This weekend I have a Mustang GT convertible on reservation at Avis. I'm looking VERY forwards to this, especially since I had an SS Camaro 'vert for 7 days earlier this year.
'09 Mitsu Eclipse: Insurance money be damned, I would torch this car if I owned it. Awful, touchy (NOT SPORTY) brakes, piss poor acceleration, terrible build quality and materials. You could fit two fingers in some of the panel gaps- especially the one between the door and dash. On the positive side, they're too far apart to rattle. Sound system, trash. Road/wind noise, awful. Seating position, terrible. It can handle decently (double wishbone) but doesn't have the guts to make use of the suspension.
'12 Chevy Malibu: I had this for 3 days as a rental. I actually liked it. Overall build quality was very good. Not the nicest materials, but they were soft and appealing where it mattered- dash pad, arm rests, steering wheel- and not just in the exact places that you put your elbows (looking at you Subaru WRX!). Also, this car LOOKS GOOD. Like damned good. Low hood line, and increasing body line on the door bottoms, low decklid and long, sweeping C pillars without making the windows too small creating the 'cave effect.' Another fine point- unlike most new cars, having all of the windows down and sunroof open doesn't make you feel like you're in that 'tornado booth' at the mall. I'm willing to bet this design has some damned good aerodynamics. Acceleration was brisk, and the traction control lets you have a little fun before cutting the power and intruding. Gas mileage was a decent 29mpg, even with some traffic and heavy footed acceleration. Sound system wasn't shabby, and the seat was hella comfortable for long drives. Loads of leg room for rear passengers, decent head room. Infintly adjustable drivers seat, good seat heaters, and a cusion you sit IN, not ON. The only thing I really hated about the interior was the huge, chunky rear view mirror. It ALWAYS seemed to be in the way, especially during spirited driving where you're looking at an apex/turn ahead of the car. That brings me to the handling- pretty fantastic for a large, heavy sedan. I brought it through hard, tight hairpins, long sweepers, banked and off-camber turns while driving some rural roads to the Redwood forest in California. The car was confident, and the stability control only kicked in subtly. The tires left a lot to be desired, but hell, its a rental car. They don't exactly outfit them with the best rubber. I also liked the option to finely tune the rate of speed on the windshield wipers (not just the 3 standard speeds on the stalk). Very few cars have this option anymore. I like this car, but unless I got a bitchin' deal, there are other sedans to consider within the same price point.
This weekend I have a Mustang GT convertible on reservation at Avis. I'm looking VERY forwards to this, especially since I had an SS Camaro 'vert for 7 days earlier this year.
-
gwoods
- Posts: 3892
- Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:57 am
- Car: 2013 Infiniti M37x
1999 Nissan Altima SE limited 5spd
1992 Miata (soon to be turbo)
1965 Cj-5 with 327 v8
2012 Toyota Sequoia Limited - Location: Phoenix
Re: Talk about cars you've driven recently
The best thing I have driven recently was a 2011 Ford Focus 4door not the hatch. It was a rental and I put 130 miles on it in a day and used 2.8 gallons of gas. Acceleration is surprisingly quick. Ford is making some excellent small cars. The Focus and Focus hatch are some of the best rentals IMO.