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With the ETA of the STi coming up soon (we hope), and with my refundable deposit sitting in the dealers bank account for 6 months now, I decided to try to verify that the STi is indeed what I want in my next ride. As the current owner of a WRX, I do believe the STi is going to elevate all the great qualities of the WRX to a new level. However, being that we are living in a time where some of the best cars ever built are available, I decided to check out what everyone else has to offer.
The only criteria I selected was a modicum of performance, rear wheel or all wheel drive, some level of limited availability, a back seat, and less than 40K in price. The cars I selected were the Evolution, Mustang Cobra, and G-35 Coupe. I did not consider items like stereo, climate control, navigation, etc., as for my purposes they are superfluous.
Before anyone jumps on the band wagon, I realize I can't do a real comparison and agree that bench racing an un-driven, new-model car (the STi) against these others is fruitless as anyone who has drive a WRX knows that the driving experience far outweighs words to describe it. Therefor, I'll compare it to the WRX as I'll assume the STi will retain all of it's better qualities.
I let each dealer know that I had a deposit down on the STi, but that I wanted to cross shop before I took delivery to be sure I was getting the best performance bang for my buck, along with a car I could live with as a daily driver.
I went to test drive all 3 yesterday and here are my impressions:
Evo: They had a canary yellow one on the showroom floor. About 31K with only two options (sorry...can't remember what they were). First impression is it is a good looking car. Even the rear wing looks ok, and the CF definitely is a nice touch. Interior is acceptable, but I don't know what all the fuss is about the recaro seats. I honestly believe the WRX seats fit better. I'm 5'10 and about 185lbs, and the WRX seat feels perfect. The side bolsters on the Evo do not extend out as far as the WRX, so I was a bit disappointed there. <this makes me wonder about the STi seats being "widened" for the North American market> The shifter was pretty tight and gear selection was about perfect, with the selection easy and fluid both up and down. The clutch take-out was a bit light for my tastes, and the pedals were standard rubber tread, so slippage would be a factor here. The entire interior was plain, with textures and plastic on par with something in the 15-20K range. Steering wheel felt great, and lock to lock was very short. The exterior was OK, but there was a noticeable misalignment on the hood, with about a 1/4" difference in the gaps between left and right nose column to the lip of the hood. Even more noticeable was the front left A-pillar's bottom seam was about 1/2" and the front right A-pillar bottom seam was about 1/4". Almost like the car had been hit in the right front corner and then repaired. The Brembos looked great, but I didn't care for the appearance of the rims. Driving? What drive. The dealer wouldn't let it out of the showroom. Even after explaining to him my reasons for driving it, and that I am 42 years old, could easily buy 4 or 5 of them if I so desired, and that I would respect an RPM limit as the car wasn't broken in, he just kept shaking his head. I even let him know my preference was for a different color and would he call me to test drive one when it came in? Nope "Not the way we do things with the Evolution"
<can you hear the trumpets in the background>. I respectfully pointed out that I was the customer and he was the seller, but that didn't phase him either. Soooo...I just informed him that I too did not do business that way, shook his hand, let him know that if he changed his mind to call me, handed him my card and walked out. I can't really rate the car as I wasn't able to drive it. But to be honest, with salesmanship like that, I can only imagine what follow up service is like.
Next stop was the Mustang Cobra. They had two on the lot (with 3 Saleens right next to them). Prices were 34K and 35 K, with the difference being one had chromed rims. The exterior was actually a bit smoother than I was used to for a mustang. The rear wing is actually more of a large lip now, and when compared to the GT, Mach1, or 6 cylinder, looks much nicer. I still hate the faux side vents but that is a personal thing. The tires are HUGE, and the rims satisfactory. Exterior fit was very good, with nothing out of alignment. Interior was not too bad, with the seats not quite as supportive as the WRX and obviously made with larger people in mind. The power controller for the drivers side was very strange, (combo of lever and buttons and located where you can't see it) but I'm sure I could get used to it after owning. The fabrics and plastic were OK, but again, probably not up to par for a mid 30's priced car. The clutch take-out was just about perfect, but a bit too much effort to hold in the down position for extended periods. The shifter throws were very tight and close, with no position indicator (which I think is necessary for any tight 6 speed). One thing I didn't like on the ergonomics was even with the seat bottomed out, my forward view was obstructed at the top by the low overhead of the roof where it meets the window. Driving? "Why yes sir, here are the keys...lets go". No problems with the dealership there. As a previous owner of 2 GTs, 1 T-bird Turbo, 1 T-bird SC, and a 99 Lightning, I thought I would be familiar with the power and handling of the Cobra. Let me just say there is a night and day difference. SVT really did their job well on this car. Acceleration is there, in any gear you want. The torque range on this car must be huge, as even in 4th gear at 30 MPH, the car still accelerates with authority. I limited my RPMs to 4K, but even so, the tires broke loose every time right around 3 grand in 1st gear. Shifting was easy, but twice I lost track of what gear I was in, which is a credit to the torque of the car, and granted, I wasn't familiar enough with the tight shifter. Long term owners will likely be able to tell by feel what gear they are in. For handling, the car was way beyond my expectations. I suspect it will slalom with the best of them with minimal body roll, incredible traction, and believe it or not, no cowl shake or juddering on large bumps and uneven surfaces. The independent rear in this thing totally changes its character. Again, I am impressed with SVT...they know their stuff. Dealer said I could take delivery on my choice of colors (white, black or silver) within 3 to 4 weeks with a $500 refundable deposit.
The last car to drive was a G35 coupe, 6MT. I got lucky and found a place where they had one that a customer had dropped out on. As I was leaving, they sold it over the phone. These things are very hard to find. This one was bright red and listed for about 37K (Premium package and aero kit were only options) Now as everyone already knows...these cars are sexy and it is very easy to be seduced by their looks alone. Sits very low, musclecar shoulders and just very different from anything else out there. Cudo's to the Infiniti/Nissan designers. Exterior was above standard for fit and finish, with no imperfections that I could find. The rims were very nice, but looked a bit heavy. They could probably fit more tire in the wells, but not too bad a fit when stock. This one had the aero kit, but I felt the rear wing broke up the lines of the car too much. The interior was nice, above the Cobra and the Evo as you would expect. Don't like the clock in the dash, but that is an Infiniti thing so it could be lived with. Seats were very supportive, but again, the side bolsters could be more aggressive. 6 way power adjustable, heated, with memory though is hard to argue against. The shifter was OK, just a bit vague for my own preference. Clutch take out was waaaay to light for me, but some people like this. Fabric and materials were nice. This one had the aluminum strips replaced with wood trim. I like this better as the aluminum/titanium looked a bit fake in the sedans that I could see. Driving? This is one sweet ride. It pulls like a V-8 and the sound is suuuweeet!! Easily flips the rear out with throttle application. Again though, the shifter felt a bit vague. Steering was about perfect, but might have needed just a tad more boost at higher speeds. The sound isolation and suspension bushings was too good/soft for my tastes, as it was too easy to get up to higher speeds without audible/tactile feedback to warn you off. Overall, a very impressive car.
As I said, the Evolution can't be rated as I couldn't drive it, so I'll leave that out.
Between the Cobra and G-35....surprisingly a very tough choice. I went in with some bias towards the G-35, but the Mustang really impressed me. I still can't get over the torque and handling of the car. My final thoughts are still a bit divided. Love the G-35s looks and handling, but the torque of the Mustang is hard to compete with.
I've posted this here to help me put my thoughts in order and to offer the opportunity for others who have driven these cars to give me feed back. I'd really appreciate your comments on these cars also, as I prefer real world feedback as opposed to magazine feedback. These guys are becoming to removed from the real world for my tastes so let me know what YOU think.
Also, any other suggestions for other cars to cross shop against would be appreciated. Considered but discarded were the Maxima (not enough performance) the 350Z (no rear seat), a BMW 3 series (to many on the road) and all of the standard 4 cylinder front wheel drive cars (won't own a front wheel drive "sports" car).
Lastly, I still plan on getting the STi, just so you know. But until I take a drive in it, I won't know for sure.
Regards,
Scott
The only criteria I selected was a modicum of performance, rear wheel or all wheel drive, some level of limited availability, a back seat, and less than 40K in price. The cars I selected were the Evolution, Mustang Cobra, and G-35 Coupe. I did not consider items like stereo, climate control, navigation, etc., as for my purposes they are superfluous.
Before anyone jumps on the band wagon, I realize I can't do a real comparison and agree that bench racing an un-driven, new-model car (the STi) against these others is fruitless as anyone who has drive a WRX knows that the driving experience far outweighs words to describe it. Therefor, I'll compare it to the WRX as I'll assume the STi will retain all of it's better qualities.
I let each dealer know that I had a deposit down on the STi, but that I wanted to cross shop before I took delivery to be sure I was getting the best performance bang for my buck, along with a car I could live with as a daily driver.
I went to test drive all 3 yesterday and here are my impressions:
Evo: They had a canary yellow one on the showroom floor. About 31K with only two options (sorry...can't remember what they were). First impression is it is a good looking car. Even the rear wing looks ok, and the CF definitely is a nice touch. Interior is acceptable, but I don't know what all the fuss is about the recaro seats. I honestly believe the WRX seats fit better. I'm 5'10 and about 185lbs, and the WRX seat feels perfect. The side bolsters on the Evo do not extend out as far as the WRX, so I was a bit disappointed there. <this makes me wonder about the STi seats being "widened" for the North American market> The shifter was pretty tight and gear selection was about perfect, with the selection easy and fluid both up and down. The clutch take-out was a bit light for my tastes, and the pedals were standard rubber tread, so slippage would be a factor here. The entire interior was plain, with textures and plastic on par with something in the 15-20K range. Steering wheel felt great, and lock to lock was very short. The exterior was OK, but there was a noticeable misalignment on the hood, with about a 1/4" difference in the gaps between left and right nose column to the lip of the hood. Even more noticeable was the front left A-pillar's bottom seam was about 1/2" and the front right A-pillar bottom seam was about 1/4". Almost like the car had been hit in the right front corner and then repaired. The Brembos looked great, but I didn't care for the appearance of the rims. Driving? What drive. The dealer wouldn't let it out of the showroom. Even after explaining to him my reasons for driving it, and that I am 42 years old, could easily buy 4 or 5 of them if I so desired, and that I would respect an RPM limit as the car wasn't broken in, he just kept shaking his head. I even let him know my preference was for a different color and would he call me to test drive one when it came in? Nope "Not the way we do things with the Evolution"
<can you hear the trumpets in the background>. I respectfully pointed out that I was the customer and he was the seller, but that didn't phase him either. Soooo...I just informed him that I too did not do business that way, shook his hand, let him know that if he changed his mind to call me, handed him my card and walked out. I can't really rate the car as I wasn't able to drive it. But to be honest, with salesmanship like that, I can only imagine what follow up service is like.Next stop was the Mustang Cobra. They had two on the lot (with 3 Saleens right next to them). Prices were 34K and 35 K, with the difference being one had chromed rims. The exterior was actually a bit smoother than I was used to for a mustang. The rear wing is actually more of a large lip now, and when compared to the GT, Mach1, or 6 cylinder, looks much nicer. I still hate the faux side vents but that is a personal thing. The tires are HUGE, and the rims satisfactory. Exterior fit was very good, with nothing out of alignment. Interior was not too bad, with the seats not quite as supportive as the WRX and obviously made with larger people in mind. The power controller for the drivers side was very strange, (combo of lever and buttons and located where you can't see it) but I'm sure I could get used to it after owning. The fabrics and plastic were OK, but again, probably not up to par for a mid 30's priced car. The clutch take-out was just about perfect, but a bit too much effort to hold in the down position for extended periods. The shifter throws were very tight and close, with no position indicator (which I think is necessary for any tight 6 speed). One thing I didn't like on the ergonomics was even with the seat bottomed out, my forward view was obstructed at the top by the low overhead of the roof where it meets the window. Driving? "Why yes sir, here are the keys...lets go". No problems with the dealership there. As a previous owner of 2 GTs, 1 T-bird Turbo, 1 T-bird SC, and a 99 Lightning, I thought I would be familiar with the power and handling of the Cobra. Let me just say there is a night and day difference. SVT really did their job well on this car. Acceleration is there, in any gear you want. The torque range on this car must be huge, as even in 4th gear at 30 MPH, the car still accelerates with authority. I limited my RPMs to 4K, but even so, the tires broke loose every time right around 3 grand in 1st gear. Shifting was easy, but twice I lost track of what gear I was in, which is a credit to the torque of the car, and granted, I wasn't familiar enough with the tight shifter. Long term owners will likely be able to tell by feel what gear they are in. For handling, the car was way beyond my expectations. I suspect it will slalom with the best of them with minimal body roll, incredible traction, and believe it or not, no cowl shake or juddering on large bumps and uneven surfaces. The independent rear in this thing totally changes its character. Again, I am impressed with SVT...they know their stuff. Dealer said I could take delivery on my choice of colors (white, black or silver) within 3 to 4 weeks with a $500 refundable deposit.
The last car to drive was a G35 coupe, 6MT. I got lucky and found a place where they had one that a customer had dropped out on. As I was leaving, they sold it over the phone. These things are very hard to find. This one was bright red and listed for about 37K (Premium package and aero kit were only options) Now as everyone already knows...these cars are sexy and it is very easy to be seduced by their looks alone. Sits very low, musclecar shoulders and just very different from anything else out there. Cudo's to the Infiniti/Nissan designers. Exterior was above standard for fit and finish, with no imperfections that I could find. The rims were very nice, but looked a bit heavy. They could probably fit more tire in the wells, but not too bad a fit when stock. This one had the aero kit, but I felt the rear wing broke up the lines of the car too much. The interior was nice, above the Cobra and the Evo as you would expect. Don't like the clock in the dash, but that is an Infiniti thing so it could be lived with. Seats were very supportive, but again, the side bolsters could be more aggressive. 6 way power adjustable, heated, with memory though is hard to argue against. The shifter was OK, just a bit vague for my own preference. Clutch take out was waaaay to light for me, but some people like this. Fabric and materials were nice. This one had the aluminum strips replaced with wood trim. I like this better as the aluminum/titanium looked a bit fake in the sedans that I could see. Driving? This is one sweet ride. It pulls like a V-8 and the sound is suuuweeet!! Easily flips the rear out with throttle application. Again though, the shifter felt a bit vague. Steering was about perfect, but might have needed just a tad more boost at higher speeds. The sound isolation and suspension bushings was too good/soft for my tastes, as it was too easy to get up to higher speeds without audible/tactile feedback to warn you off. Overall, a very impressive car.
As I said, the Evolution can't be rated as I couldn't drive it, so I'll leave that out.
Between the Cobra and G-35....surprisingly a very tough choice. I went in with some bias towards the G-35, but the Mustang really impressed me. I still can't get over the torque and handling of the car. My final thoughts are still a bit divided. Love the G-35s looks and handling, but the torque of the Mustang is hard to compete with.
I've posted this here to help me put my thoughts in order and to offer the opportunity for others who have driven these cars to give me feed back. I'd really appreciate your comments on these cars also, as I prefer real world feedback as opposed to magazine feedback. These guys are becoming to removed from the real world for my tastes so let me know what YOU think.
Also, any other suggestions for other cars to cross shop against would be appreciated. Considered but discarded were the Maxima (not enough performance) the 350Z (no rear seat), a BMW 3 series (to many on the road) and all of the standard 4 cylinder front wheel drive cars (won't own a front wheel drive "sports" car).
Lastly, I still plan on getting the STi, just so you know. But until I take a drive in it, I won't know for sure.
Regards,
Scott
