Toyobaru haters: “But a minivan could beat it in a drag race.”

Sure is dusty in here...

Don’t you know, car guys are more than just car guys these days.

As we say around here:

Bro... your bug deflector’s upside down.

Too bad they don’t do COTD on Saturdays, because I’m sure you would’ve had it any other day of the week.

I was quite taken with the IDx concept when it came out. In retrospect, that thing is horribly unattractive.

Close to the $30K mark? The current car is $27-30K. The tS will probably be $32K minimum.

But the 599 is one of the few good looking Ferraris...

His Honda is an automatic, though.

I really wish my 160 hp Mazda3 had an LSD, too. Sam exact problems.

Because if it isn’t cute or doesn’t have a face, it doesn’t count as an animal.

Man, they just don’t build ‘em like they used to.

Current 06 Mazda3 owner chiming in to back that up. I can actually break 30 mpg at a consistent 65-70 mph.

That those transmissions shift like truck transmissions. He literally said that they couldn’t make a transmissions that could handle the power and offer the shift feel they wanted.

I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with Quintus, I’m just pointing out that he never said anything about dropping the manual option from base model cars.

Where in the article did anyone say that you won’t be able to buy a base-model 3-series with a stick? This is specifically about M-cars that make too much power to offer a good manual and be reliable. Nothing to do with base model cars whatsoever.

It serves the exact same purpose as the back seat in most coupes. See Toyota 86, Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro.

I mean, seriously, do you know anyone who’s got a Buick?

It’s not like base-trim 3-series are anything special either. None of the base trim luxury compacts have great interiors. You have to step up to at least mid-level trim to get anything nice.