I agree as well. With the 6 speed auto and Pentastar, it's pretty quick and the drivetrain is reasonably refined. Gas mileage is decent for almost 300 hp. I tested a fully spec'd out one at the autoshow, and the leather and interior were pretty high grade, although I'm sure it was over 30k. I would certainly take one…

I got one as a rental car, less than 1000 miles on it, I could not believe how many weird noises the engine made. The Nitro-ized styling after the redesign sucks too.

Any of the 4 speed automatic subcompacts still available. Let's go with the xD for getting 33 mpg hwy with 125 hp.

Hyundai refuses to use the SAE horsepower testing procedures and their ratings are NOT certified by the SAE. As for EPA fuel economy ratings, the actual tests are performed by the manufacturers, and they provide the EPA with data. It is easy to game the testing and they are free to use whatever sample size of cars…

Yeah, they're selling very well, but popular sentiment is rarely a predictor of greatness. My point is simply that Hyundai seems to exaggerate their on paper horsepower and fuel economy. So, since you're talking about a hypothetical car that isn't available for anyone to drive, I wouldn't just assume that it's better…

and based on Hyundai's current track record, it will end up getting worse real world fuel economy and will be slower and less engaging to drive than the GTI.

That gets expensive with re-stocking fees when you do a special order and many used parts sources won't let you do returns or make it a pain. I lived that life in college, and it was a giant hassle and did not really enhance the ownership experience for me. I'm much happier working without significant time constraints…

Eh, I have a garage, many more tools than you list, and plenty of vehicles to get to work with when one of them is down. I haven't been to a mechanic for anything besides tires and alignment since I bought the house. However, sometimes repairs take a while, or a part is special order and you don't discover what needs…

I think you misunderstood my description as well as the design of these roads. I'm also talking hill country, west of Austin - not the crowded Austin / SA corridor.

I've driven some of the two lane highways out west of Austin that are currently marked 75 mph. I was actually blown away by the quality of most drivers out there. The roads have very wide shoulders, effectively another lane, and most drivers would get over into the shoulder to let you pass. It seemed the norm was to…

Well, I'm guessing Mazda is done reading our suggestions - but from the American perspective - it's a bit foolish to focus on safety (at least crash test ratings) beyond the minimums needed to be certified for use in various markets. The Miata has always done surprisingly well in crash tests, but anyone safety…

I do, but generally not when it rains. Houston drivers are terrifying enough in the dry, and trying to dodge them with standing water on the roads isn't my idea of a good time.

While I agree with the basic premise, I would suggest that the increased ability to socialize and interact with people over the web is more likely to be eliminating the impetus to leave the house than improved child, parent relationships. Still, I didn't get along with my parents well, and I'm into cars - but never…

The only benefit I've gleaned from driving modern rental cars with automatics is the transmission's ability to mask the throttle smoothing being employed on most new drive-by-wire cars. I'm still annoyed by waiting for the transmission to kick down after hitting the throttle, which seems even worse on modern…

BMW E24. You'd think it'd be fairly spacious, but at 5'9" I have the seat as far back as it'll go. I've never had to do that in another car, including my Miata or E30.

I believe it's only legal in California.

Loud pipes only result in reduced traffic awareness. It's very useful for me to be able to hear traffic over my bike, and I've found that both comfort and my situational awareness have improved dramatically since I managed to plug the holes the previous owner cut in the muffler baffles.

That's why I like the gas gauge on my euro E30 - they at least TRIED to calibrate it, even if the scale is very non-linear

I would think that driving a car is enough of a 'learned, cultural tool' that by the time you managed it, something like a number line would seem trivial by comparison. I think 'infographics' are sufficient to demonstrate that sometimes trying to convey information in a way that transcends culture and language ends up…

With that much power, I do wonder how much thrust the exhaust is generating at WOT