2004/12/23
shoppers car mart
my opinions, rambling as they may be...nobody held a gun to your head to get you to come here....
I must confess that over the past couple of months I have not been living in Peterborough. Or Kingston. I've been living in Vice City. I know what you may be thinking...are you some kind of sociopath? Not entirely. But the game is really enjoyable, with an exciting mix of first-person-shooter and driving. And a great plot. But I figured it was time to take a break from virtual driving and talk about real driving (how's that for the worst segue ever?). I looked at a lot of cars before purchasing the Focus, so I thought it would be fun to review how I made my decision.
Used
I went to new car dealerships, but got talked into checking out a couple of almost-new used cars. I was interested, because they were both sought-after models that were out of my range in new-car form.
Mazda Protege5
This was a decent car. The thing that surprised me about it was the lack of room on the inside. Now don't get me wrong, this isn't a tight squeeze, especially when compared to other cars I drove. However, this car seems like a big car from the outside. Yet inside - especially in the back seat - it seems smaller than its dimensions. This could have just been perception, I haven't checked the numbers...perhaps I was just expecting something more. Anyway, this car really moved. It felt great, handled great, looked great. It actually reminded me of the Focus I landed on: the fit and finish was there yet one cannot help but wonder about the quality. This car had something loose in the drivers door that rattled enough to shake a tooth loose. In the end it's a car that I would've been proud to own; practical performance wrapped up in a real purdy package. The price just wasn't right from the Toyota dealer it was at.
Fuel Economy: 3.8 stars
Handling/Performance: 4.2 stars
Practicality: 5 stars
Looks: 5 stars
Toyota Celica
Um, wow. I loved driving this car more than any other car I tested. This despite the fact that it had 72,000km on it! The thing handles like a go-kart...meaning it has no body roll (think about how your parents' minivan leans over while turning - this car had none of that). Grip was phenomenal. Acceleration was heart-stopping. I picked my mom up from work in this car, and on the way home I did 160kph. She didn't even notice; that's how well this car rode. The only thing that kept it out of the winner's circle: it had even less room than the Corolla SR5 I was trading up from. This car's backseat was so small, I would've seriously considered removing it for more sound system/cargo room. Even the front seats were..."cozy".
Fuel Economy: 4.5 stars
Handling/Performance: 5 stars
Practicality: 2.2 stars
Looks: 4.5 stars (as tested. The brand new GTS's are 6 stars out of 5!)
New
I went into this with little criteria. In fact, the only criteria I set out was that it had to be a manual transmission. After that, I judged each car by it's own qualities. This meant that I tested cars that I otherwise would've overlooked.
Toyota Echo Hatchback
This car had a distinct disadvantage coming into my test: I had extreme expectations for it. I was really excited when this car came to Canada last year. Based on the Vitz out of Japan (called Yaris in Europe), this car is popular the world 'round. In the end this car disappointed me. First off, Toyota Canada decided to call it the Echo Hatchback instead of Vitz or Yaris. To me, that's a mistake considering the disdain people have for Echo styling (I myself love the redesigned Echo of the past couple of years...the only problem with it is that - although quite attractive itself, especially in sport form - it's reminiscent of the older ugly one). Secondly, this car is CHEAP. And I do mean cheap in the truest sense - my tester had a piece of plastic in place of where the radio should be. The quality is there; I have no doubt in my mind that these cars will outlast my Focus by a factor of two, and get phenomenal mileage while doing it. They just feel aweful: cheap plastics, power nuthin, cheap shifter (all cars I tested were manual trannies - cause only losers drive autos /rant). Plus, the three door I tested (I wanted a five door) was the same monthly payment as my Focus ZTS! This because Toyota doesn't feel it needs to offer rebates or financing. Now, I can understand no rebates, but they - along with the other Japanese manufacturers spare Mitsu - are making a serious mistake by not offering 0% financing. If they offered 0% for 60 months, they would destroy the domestic automakers.
Fuel Economy: 5 stars
Handling/Performance: 2.5 stars
Practicality: 4.4 stars
Looks: 3.8 stars
Chevrolet Cavalier
This little lady was the shocker of the group. In the end I only agreed to test it because I liked the saleswoman so much (she sold us our minivan). This car is archaic. It is basically the same car that they were producing 20 years ago. The J-body has had many forms: through many Cavalier facelifts as well as Sunbird and Sunfire iterations. However, age has done this car no harm, as GM has had lots of time to tinker and improve on the design. Perhaps there is something to be said for manufacturers to keep the same car for a decade at a time. Meh, it won't happen: it's all about marketing. Anyway, I tested the fully loaded Z24 coupe. If I had purchased I would have gone with the equivelent Z24 sedan. It's Ecotec engine was very peppy, with a clutch/shifter second only to the Celica. It was comfortable, and with the Z24 gold package, quite attractive. The only downside is the lack of respect this little number gets. But, I for one no longer look down on these cars.
Fuel Economy: 3.8 stars
Handling/Performance: 4.7 stars
Practicality: 3.8 stars
Looks: 4.7 stars
Chevrolet Optra5
GM recently aquired the bankrupt auto manufacturing division of Daewoo. The rebadge-Nazi's at the General took this opportunity to water down the corporation's brandnames even further. Taking all of Daewoo's cars, they gave them facelifts and put gold bowties on them. Now, that might not sound too bad, until you realize just how bad of a car Daewoo was. There was a reason they went out of business! Think Hyundai in the mid-80's. Yah. That said, I decided to be open-minded and give the hatchback iteration of the Optra lineup a try. It actually really impressed. It was the only car that I tested that I could comfortably sit behind myself. By this I mean that I adjusted the driver's seat just the way I like it (way back and way reclined - like the gangsta that I'm not) and then sat in the backseat behind. With the driver's seat adjusted, I could still sit in the backseat without my knees rubbing. Truely impressive. The car's interior is huge; with the backseat folded down the cargo room is mind-boggling. It comes well-equipped with options. For $20,000 you can get one that's basically fully loaded (no leather or heated seats, but it does have a sunroof). The engine, though, is weak and inefficient. Fuel economy is atrocious. If they put the ecotec of the Cavalier into this attractive and practical body, GM would have a real winner.
Fuel Economy: 2 stars
Handling/Performance: 2 stars
Practicality: 5 stars
Looks: 4.4 stars
Kia Spectra5
I would've bought this car. The only problem is, Kia has decided it's Mazda and is going to produc too-few vehicles and charge full price. So be it...I wouldn't pay full price for a Kia any more than I'd pay full price for a Ford. Anyway, this car is phenomenal. I only sat in it, but the reviews say it drives really nice. It's got a great fit-and-finish, it's roomy, it's got some really cool interior features, and the MSRP is right (there are just no incentives). Chances are I'll look here again when the time comes.
Fuel Economy: 4.2 stars
Handling/Performance: N/A
Practicality: 5 stars
Looks: 4.8 stars
Hyundai Elantra
Even moreso than it's cousin company Kia, Hyundai has made leaps and bounds over the past few years. Elantra is one of those cars that could suit anyone's needs. It's roomy and drives ok. The fit and finish is great, and the entire car is just nice to be in. It also has that quality - like the Focus - of blending in with the five trillion other cars just like it. Oftentimes, that's just what we want. The only thing I didn't like was the body-roll. Perhaps my parents would enjoy that kind of handling, but for me it was just too soft. For me, if I'd gone with Hyundai I would've gone with Elantra's little sister.
Fuel Economy: 4.2 stars
Handling/Performance: 2.8
Practicality: 4 stars
Looks: 4.5 stars
Hyundai Accent5
Officially making the original Accent redundant, the Accent5 is a tremendous vehicle. It does everything well, but in a bland sort of way. If I couldn't have found anything more exciting, I would have been satisfied with this.
Fuel Economy: 4.2 stars
Handling/Performance: 3.1 stars
Practicality: 4.5 stars
Looks: 4 stars
Mitsubishi Lancer OZ Rally Edition
Gorgeous. This was the car I wanted more than any other car. Almost as much fun as the Celica, but with a practical dose of room. The OZ Rally has the look of the Ralliart/Evolution, but without the engine to back it up. Which is fine with me, because I like my gas mileage anyway. In fact, I like this car so much I think I'll post a pic of it. What are you going to do? It's my blog.
Fuel Economy: 4.2 stars
Handling/Performance: 4 stars
Practicality: 4.7 stars
Looks: 5 stars
Ford Focus ZTS
I would not have considered a Focus, especially a non-hatchback Focus, except for the price. And even then, it had to be the nicely equipped model. But, the Focus has a good balance of performance, handling, space, looks, and fit-and-finish. The quality remains to be seen, but hopefully this "new generation of Ford" really is new. The handling is really quite something on the Focus. Since its introduction, I had heard wonderful things about how fun the car is to drive. But when I took the car on a test drive, it seemed to ride pretty soft. It seemed like there was a lot of body roll and other such cushiness through cornering. I didn't push the car anywhere near its limits, though...I just toured. However, once I purchased the car and broke the engine in, I started running it through its paces and lo and behold, the handling performance remains composed no matter what you do. Turn the traction control off, and this thing flies. The 2.0L zetec provides some quick zip. This car defies logic; it appears cushy when cruising, but sporty when pushed. Now, it's no sports car, but it provides more fun to city driving than almost anything else I drove. Add to that complete luxury and 48% off the MSRP, and my name was on that dotted line faster than a fat kid on a Smartie. A word to the wise: if I had known about the 2.0L zetec's thirst, I would have reconsidered my purchase. I'm not saying I would have turned the car down, but at what point is luxury and performance worth the wallet crunch at the pumps and damage to the environment?
Fuel Economy: 2.8 stars
Handling/Performance: 4.7 stars
Practicality: 4.7 stars
Looks: 4.8 stars
I must confess that over the past couple of months I have not been living in Peterborough. Or Kingston. I've been living in Vice City. I know what you may be thinking...are you some kind of sociopath? Not entirely. But the game is really enjoyable, with an exciting mix of first-person-shooter and driving. And a great plot. But I figured it was time to take a break from virtual driving and talk about real driving (how's that for the worst segue ever?). I looked at a lot of cars before purchasing the Focus, so I thought it would be fun to review how I made my decision.
Used
I went to new car dealerships, but got talked into checking out a couple of almost-new used cars. I was interested, because they were both sought-after models that were out of my range in new-car form.
Mazda Protege5
This was a decent car. The thing that surprised me about it was the lack of room on the inside. Now don't get me wrong, this isn't a tight squeeze, especially when compared to other cars I drove. However, this car seems like a big car from the outside. Yet inside - especially in the back seat - it seems smaller than its dimensions. This could have just been perception, I haven't checked the numbers...perhaps I was just expecting something more. Anyway, this car really moved. It felt great, handled great, looked great. It actually reminded me of the Focus I landed on: the fit and finish was there yet one cannot help but wonder about the quality. This car had something loose in the drivers door that rattled enough to shake a tooth loose. In the end it's a car that I would've been proud to own; practical performance wrapped up in a real purdy package. The price just wasn't right from the Toyota dealer it was at.
Fuel Economy: 3.8 stars
Handling/Performance: 4.2 stars
Practicality: 5 stars
Looks: 5 stars
Toyota Celica
Um, wow. I loved driving this car more than any other car I tested. This despite the fact that it had 72,000km on it! The thing handles like a go-kart...meaning it has no body roll (think about how your parents' minivan leans over while turning - this car had none of that). Grip was phenomenal. Acceleration was heart-stopping. I picked my mom up from work in this car, and on the way home I did 160kph. She didn't even notice; that's how well this car rode. The only thing that kept it out of the winner's circle: it had even less room than the Corolla SR5 I was trading up from. This car's backseat was so small, I would've seriously considered removing it for more sound system/cargo room. Even the front seats were..."cozy".
Fuel Economy: 4.5 stars
Handling/Performance: 5 stars
Practicality: 2.2 stars
Looks: 4.5 stars (as tested. The brand new GTS's are 6 stars out of 5!)
New
I went into this with little criteria. In fact, the only criteria I set out was that it had to be a manual transmission. After that, I judged each car by it's own qualities. This meant that I tested cars that I otherwise would've overlooked.
Toyota Echo Hatchback
This car had a distinct disadvantage coming into my test: I had extreme expectations for it. I was really excited when this car came to Canada last year. Based on the Vitz out of Japan (called Yaris in Europe), this car is popular the world 'round. In the end this car disappointed me. First off, Toyota Canada decided to call it the Echo Hatchback instead of Vitz or Yaris. To me, that's a mistake considering the disdain people have for Echo styling (I myself love the redesigned Echo of the past couple of years...the only problem with it is that - although quite attractive itself, especially in sport form - it's reminiscent of the older ugly one). Secondly, this car is CHEAP. And I do mean cheap in the truest sense - my tester had a piece of plastic in place of where the radio should be. The quality is there; I have no doubt in my mind that these cars will outlast my Focus by a factor of two, and get phenomenal mileage while doing it. They just feel aweful: cheap plastics, power nuthin, cheap shifter (all cars I tested were manual trannies - cause only losers drive autos /rant). Plus, the three door I tested (I wanted a five door) was the same monthly payment as my Focus ZTS! This because Toyota doesn't feel it needs to offer rebates or financing. Now, I can understand no rebates, but they - along with the other Japanese manufacturers spare Mitsu - are making a serious mistake by not offering 0% financing. If they offered 0% for 60 months, they would destroy the domestic automakers.
Fuel Economy: 5 stars
Handling/Performance: 2.5 stars
Practicality: 4.4 stars
Looks: 3.8 stars
Chevrolet Cavalier
This little lady was the shocker of the group. In the end I only agreed to test it because I liked the saleswoman so much (she sold us our minivan). This car is archaic. It is basically the same car that they were producing 20 years ago. The J-body has had many forms: through many Cavalier facelifts as well as Sunbird and Sunfire iterations. However, age has done this car no harm, as GM has had lots of time to tinker and improve on the design. Perhaps there is something to be said for manufacturers to keep the same car for a decade at a time. Meh, it won't happen: it's all about marketing. Anyway, I tested the fully loaded Z24 coupe. If I had purchased I would have gone with the equivelent Z24 sedan. It's Ecotec engine was very peppy, with a clutch/shifter second only to the Celica. It was comfortable, and with the Z24 gold package, quite attractive. The only downside is the lack of respect this little number gets. But, I for one no longer look down on these cars.
Fuel Economy: 3.8 stars
Handling/Performance: 4.7 stars
Practicality: 3.8 stars
Looks: 4.7 stars
Chevrolet Optra5
GM recently aquired the bankrupt auto manufacturing division of Daewoo. The rebadge-Nazi's at the General took this opportunity to water down the corporation's brandnames even further. Taking all of Daewoo's cars, they gave them facelifts and put gold bowties on them. Now, that might not sound too bad, until you realize just how bad of a car Daewoo was. There was a reason they went out of business! Think Hyundai in the mid-80's. Yah. That said, I decided to be open-minded and give the hatchback iteration of the Optra lineup a try. It actually really impressed. It was the only car that I tested that I could comfortably sit behind myself. By this I mean that I adjusted the driver's seat just the way I like it (way back and way reclined - like the gangsta that I'm not) and then sat in the backseat behind. With the driver's seat adjusted, I could still sit in the backseat without my knees rubbing. Truely impressive. The car's interior is huge; with the backseat folded down the cargo room is mind-boggling. It comes well-equipped with options. For $20,000 you can get one that's basically fully loaded (no leather or heated seats, but it does have a sunroof). The engine, though, is weak and inefficient. Fuel economy is atrocious. If they put the ecotec of the Cavalier into this attractive and practical body, GM would have a real winner.
Fuel Economy: 2 stars
Handling/Performance: 2 stars
Practicality: 5 stars
Looks: 4.4 stars
Kia Spectra5
I would've bought this car. The only problem is, Kia has decided it's Mazda and is going to produc too-few vehicles and charge full price. So be it...I wouldn't pay full price for a Kia any more than I'd pay full price for a Ford. Anyway, this car is phenomenal. I only sat in it, but the reviews say it drives really nice. It's got a great fit-and-finish, it's roomy, it's got some really cool interior features, and the MSRP is right (there are just no incentives). Chances are I'll look here again when the time comes.
Fuel Economy: 4.2 stars
Handling/Performance: N/A
Practicality: 5 stars
Looks: 4.8 stars
Hyundai Elantra
Even moreso than it's cousin company Kia, Hyundai has made leaps and bounds over the past few years. Elantra is one of those cars that could suit anyone's needs. It's roomy and drives ok. The fit and finish is great, and the entire car is just nice to be in. It also has that quality - like the Focus - of blending in with the five trillion other cars just like it. Oftentimes, that's just what we want. The only thing I didn't like was the body-roll. Perhaps my parents would enjoy that kind of handling, but for me it was just too soft. For me, if I'd gone with Hyundai I would've gone with Elantra's little sister.
Fuel Economy: 4.2 stars
Handling/Performance: 2.8
Practicality: 4 stars
Looks: 4.5 stars
Hyundai Accent5
Officially making the original Accent redundant, the Accent5 is a tremendous vehicle. It does everything well, but in a bland sort of way. If I couldn't have found anything more exciting, I would have been satisfied with this.
Fuel Economy: 4.2 stars
Handling/Performance: 3.1 stars
Practicality: 4.5 stars
Looks: 4 stars
Mitsubishi Lancer OZ Rally Edition
Gorgeous. This was the car I wanted more than any other car. Almost as much fun as the Celica, but with a practical dose of room. The OZ Rally has the look of the Ralliart/Evolution, but without the engine to back it up. Which is fine with me, because I like my gas mileage anyway. In fact, I like this car so much I think I'll post a pic of it. What are you going to do? It's my blog.
Handling/Performance: 4 stars
Practicality: 4.7 stars
Looks: 5 stars
Ford Focus ZTS
I would not have considered a Focus, especially a non-hatchback Focus, except for the price. And even then, it had to be the nicely equipped model. But, the Focus has a good balance of performance, handling, space, looks, and fit-and-finish. The quality remains to be seen, but hopefully this "new generation of Ford" really is new. The handling is really quite something on the Focus. Since its introduction, I had heard wonderful things about how fun the car is to drive. But when I took the car on a test drive, it seemed to ride pretty soft. It seemed like there was a lot of body roll and other such cushiness through cornering. I didn't push the car anywhere near its limits, though...I just toured. However, once I purchased the car and broke the engine in, I started running it through its paces and lo and behold, the handling performance remains composed no matter what you do. Turn the traction control off, and this thing flies. The 2.0L zetec provides some quick zip. This car defies logic; it appears cushy when cruising, but sporty when pushed. Now, it's no sports car, but it provides more fun to city driving than almost anything else I drove. Add to that complete luxury and 48% off the MSRP, and my name was on that dotted line faster than a fat kid on a Smartie. A word to the wise: if I had known about the 2.0L zetec's thirst, I would have reconsidered my purchase. I'm not saying I would have turned the car down, but at what point is luxury and performance worth the wallet crunch at the pumps and damage to the environment?
Fuel Economy: 2.8 stars
Handling/Performance: 4.7 stars
Practicality: 4.7 stars
Looks: 4.8 stars
# posted by Justin @ 13:57 
