Test Drive
Today I had the opportune to test drive a Scion xA and a Mazda 3. Both are new offerings for 2004 and were the finalists in my list. Yep I am car shopping. Suggestions invited.
Heres my cent worth of review on those two. Let me start with the Mazda 3. Its the successor to the successful protege from the Mazda stable. It has been made bigger and sportier. Its got the looks, kinda of not too weird but different enough to be noticed. I had heavy expectations on the performance of the car after reading about its reviews. The manual transmission 2.0L vehicle din't disappoint me. The steering was just right. Great response and handling. Dint tilt/sway on high speed turns. Breaks were strong and even and solid on all 4 wheels. The issues I had with it were with respect to the clutch. It was much higher to my liking. I prefer to use the clutch with the back end of left foot still on the floor. In this car, the clutch was positioned higher and hence I had to lift my foot from the floor to use it. That can be painful in stop and go city traffic. Try keeping one foot a couple of inches above the ground for a few minutes. Also, when I took off from a signal, trying to get maximum acceleration from the car, I got a screetch - a slight spin from the back wheels. But I don't think the push I gave to the car warranted that. Dint expect that from a car that screemed sporty all over. The gear shift was precise but I dint like the short throw. I would prefer a longer stick since I use my elbow and not my wrist for gear change.
Coming to the Scion xA, I test drove a 1.5L manual version. Not too many frills. Just the car I would look for. Just the car I wished more people would opt for - small, safe, fuel efficient, and one that will last an eon. While people already claim the first three for this car, the last one cant be said about it since it was introduced only this year. Given that it is made by Toyota in Japan, I would not have any doubts with its durability, reliability and resale value. The vehicle looked kinda of strange. It did appeal to me, it appealed as an autorickshaw to some. This car might not turn so many heads in Europe or Asia, where people are used to such tall boy small cars, where small is the norm. Here in the land of milk and honey and hummer and chevy tahoes, this, along with Mini Cooper, Mazda Miata (my other favs. - just in case u want to gift me something) will appear like a bunch of ants racing with a school of cockroaches. The Scion xA handled like a dream. I really don't care what the top speed for a car is. I don't believe in driving my car above 80-85 mph max. And most cars on the road can do that speed with no sweat. Its the handling, the feedback from the road, the cornering and suspensions that matter to me. If I can take a sharp turn at high speeds without fear of tilting and pushing my copassenger to my side, without fear of breaking my suspensions, I would be happy with the vehicle. As long as the back doesn't decide to get its own steering and go in its new path in high speed turns, I am satisfied. If the car can pick up and leave the signal for others to say goodbye and take leave, I am happier than the kid with the christmas gift of his choice. This car did made me feel more than just delighted. It dint make me feel guilty. With a mileage of atleast 35mpg, I am sure I will make a few friends at Green Peace. One issue with the car is space at the back. If the people at the front are tall and are going to push the seat way back, the back benchers may experience coach class on Most Stingy Airlines. In my case, I am not tall and for my height, I tend to sit closer to the steering than what the norm is. So it is not such an issue. The ride is not the smoothest and I cant expect 5 star service at 1 star price. With most roads being free of back breakers and bumps, I can live with a not so smooth ride. Drive in 1st and 2nd gear is louder than normal but that is expected out of a very small engine. The gear shifts were exactly what I would like and the acceleration what I would enjoy. The rpm of the engine was higher than what would be expected for a cruise at 60mph. Again the size of the engine is to be blamed for that. As long as I get a neat mileage, I am not going to be bothered with the rev. The view was panoramic in the front and dint have any problem with the blind spots or view at the back. The speedometer and other gauges are placed just above the music system console (bang in the middle) instead of behind the steering. Din't feel odd. Instead it was staring right into me, making sure I dont fail to notice it. It helped since before I realized, I had accelerated to 70mph. On a high speed turn, given its height, there was a slight tilt but that's something that could be fixed with some of the performance accesories. The Cold Air Induction system might be a good one to add to jack up the power a bit more. This car with a full passenger load and luggage could use a little bit more power, but then, you would not be allowed to go fast by your copassengers. So should not be such a deterent. The music system was good - a Pioneer cd/mp3 system comes standard. So does power windows/locks, mirrors, rear wiper. On the whole, I feel this is a pretty good substitute for all the expensive tinny winny ones that I long to have. Not a pocket burner. Can seat 4. Handles beautifully. Gives great mileage. May not touch 100mph, but neither do I. Will make heads turn, especially if dressed up in a bright yellow or indigo or red. (Or a combination of those - front and back or left in red and right in green.)
Heres my cent worth of review on those two. Let me start with the Mazda 3. Its the successor to the successful protege from the Mazda stable. It has been made bigger and sportier. Its got the looks, kinda of not too weird but different enough to be noticed. I had heavy expectations on the performance of the car after reading about its reviews. The manual transmission 2.0L vehicle din't disappoint me. The steering was just right. Great response and handling. Dint tilt/sway on high speed turns. Breaks were strong and even and solid on all 4 wheels. The issues I had with it were with respect to the clutch. It was much higher to my liking. I prefer to use the clutch with the back end of left foot still on the floor. In this car, the clutch was positioned higher and hence I had to lift my foot from the floor to use it. That can be painful in stop and go city traffic. Try keeping one foot a couple of inches above the ground for a few minutes. Also, when I took off from a signal, trying to get maximum acceleration from the car, I got a screetch - a slight spin from the back wheels. But I don't think the push I gave to the car warranted that. Dint expect that from a car that screemed sporty all over. The gear shift was precise but I dint like the short throw. I would prefer a longer stick since I use my elbow and not my wrist for gear change.
Coming to the Scion xA, I test drove a 1.5L manual version. Not too many frills. Just the car I would look for. Just the car I wished more people would opt for - small, safe, fuel efficient, and one that will last an eon. While people already claim the first three for this car, the last one cant be said about it since it was introduced only this year. Given that it is made by Toyota in Japan, I would not have any doubts with its durability, reliability and resale value. The vehicle looked kinda of strange. It did appeal to me, it appealed as an autorickshaw to some. This car might not turn so many heads in Europe or Asia, where people are used to such tall boy small cars, where small is the norm. Here in the land of milk and honey and hummer and chevy tahoes, this, along with Mini Cooper, Mazda Miata (my other favs. - just in case u want to gift me something) will appear like a bunch of ants racing with a school of cockroaches. The Scion xA handled like a dream. I really don't care what the top speed for a car is. I don't believe in driving my car above 80-85 mph max. And most cars on the road can do that speed with no sweat. Its the handling, the feedback from the road, the cornering and suspensions that matter to me. If I can take a sharp turn at high speeds without fear of tilting and pushing my copassenger to my side, without fear of breaking my suspensions, I would be happy with the vehicle. As long as the back doesn't decide to get its own steering and go in its new path in high speed turns, I am satisfied. If the car can pick up and leave the signal for others to say goodbye and take leave, I am happier than the kid with the christmas gift of his choice. This car did made me feel more than just delighted. It dint make me feel guilty. With a mileage of atleast 35mpg, I am sure I will make a few friends at Green Peace. One issue with the car is space at the back. If the people at the front are tall and are going to push the seat way back, the back benchers may experience coach class on Most Stingy Airlines. In my case, I am not tall and for my height, I tend to sit closer to the steering than what the norm is. So it is not such an issue. The ride is not the smoothest and I cant expect 5 star service at 1 star price. With most roads being free of back breakers and bumps, I can live with a not so smooth ride. Drive in 1st and 2nd gear is louder than normal but that is expected out of a very small engine. The gear shifts were exactly what I would like and the acceleration what I would enjoy. The rpm of the engine was higher than what would be expected for a cruise at 60mph. Again the size of the engine is to be blamed for that. As long as I get a neat mileage, I am not going to be bothered with the rev. The view was panoramic in the front and dint have any problem with the blind spots or view at the back. The speedometer and other gauges are placed just above the music system console (bang in the middle) instead of behind the steering. Din't feel odd. Instead it was staring right into me, making sure I dont fail to notice it. It helped since before I realized, I had accelerated to 70mph. On a high speed turn, given its height, there was a slight tilt but that's something that could be fixed with some of the performance accesories. The Cold Air Induction system might be a good one to add to jack up the power a bit more. This car with a full passenger load and luggage could use a little bit more power, but then, you would not be allowed to go fast by your copassengers. So should not be such a deterent. The music system was good - a Pioneer cd/mp3 system comes standard. So does power windows/locks, mirrors, rear wiper. On the whole, I feel this is a pretty good substitute for all the expensive tinny winny ones that I long to have. Not a pocket burner. Can seat 4. Handles beautifully. Gives great mileage. May not touch 100mph, but neither do I. Will make heads turn, especially if dressed up in a bright yellow or indigo or red. (Or a combination of those - front and back or left in red and right in green.)
posted by d'na | 11:28 PM
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