The original Mazda6 is one of my favorite cars simply because it was an overtly sporty car that could fit a whole family and some luggage in it. Mazda purposely made the car a performer, but in ways you wouldn’t normally think of. Usually car companies say “look we made a sport sedan!” but in the end they just took an old boring sedan they’ve been making for years, stiffened the suspension, and made it supremely uncomfortable. This definitely wasn’t the case for the Mazda6.
Mazda designed a truly great chassis from scratch and then rather than slapping on cheap suspension technology and hoping everything will work out they took everything a step farther. The old 6 (new one too) featured complicated double wishbone front suspension and multilink rear suspension which is really the best you can hope for and the road manners of the old 6 proved that.
In addition Mazda used hydraulic power steering and other “old school” things like that to make the car feel sharper and more driver oriented. The good news was that it all worked because it was impossible to find a mid-size sedan that was more fun. The car was so good in fact, that it won well over a hundred awards across the world… so quite a tough act for the new one to follow.
The new Mazda6 is now walking slightly away from being a raucous family sedan for those who want more in their life than just waiting for their children to grow up and is now chasing after Camry and Accord buyers. To do this Mazda had to tackle the issues that made the average boring person buy a Camry over the 6. The average boring parent loves the Toyota Camry because it’s a big, comfy, quiet place to be which are attributes the old 6 wasn’t known for. So, the new Mazda6 is now enormous compared to the old one, and everything seems to have gone upscale.
The new 6 is now much quieter than the old one, the interior quality is much improved, and the ride is indeed much more comfortable. In fact everything has been done so well that I genuinely think Mazda has cracked it. Even the cloth seats in the base models have a nice luxurious suede feel to them, and everything else about the interior fitment and quality is at if not better than Toyota and Honda standards. In addition the exterior styling of the car makes the Mazda look much more expensive than it is. You can probably park one in a parking lot full of German luxury cars and no one would feel that it’s out of place.
Naturally the one worry is that due to adding all this refinement, the fun and sporty nature of the 6 would be lost. In truth, during my short Mazda sponsored drive of the car I did genuinely think that the new 6 isn’t nearly as fun as the old one. The car is of course bigger and heavier than the outgoing model and you can really tell this is the case when you drive it. The old 6 felt small and nimble despite being a reasonably large mid-size sedan, but the new 6 doesn’t quite pull off the same feat. This all sounds rather negative but the new Mazda6 is still a nice car to drive. If you compare it to its direct competitors you will find that it is still the best to drive and the most fun.
Since Mazda keeps stressing that this is a completely redesigned 6 the new car obviously gets a pair of new engines too… sort of. The four cylinder engine is pretty much the same as the old four cylinder engine only it’s a bit larger and a bit more powerful. Like in the old car the base engine doesn’t feel underpowered, but it definitely isn’t what you would call quick. I haven’t had the opportunity to try out the all new V6, but considering that it has an extra 102 hp, I’ll assume that it’ll make the Mazda into a fairly brisk drive. Unfortunately unlike in the past, the V6 engine is now only available with an automatic transmission. So if you want to use Mazda’s slick shifting 6 speed manual, you’ll be getting the much weaker four cylinder engine. Fortunately though, the manual transmission will make the base engine much quicker.
In the end though, Mazda has made a car that gives you the best of all worlds. The new Mazda6 is very stylish, built incredibly well, fun to drive, quiet, comfortable, and not all that expensive when you think about it. I like the old 6 better because it was catered towards people like me who enjoy a good drive and it was never meant to be an all rounder; but since the new 6 is a real all rounder, there’s simply no reason to buy anything else.
Random Specs: Engine: 2.5 liter I4 170 hp 167 lb-ft torque; 3.7 liter V6 272 hp 269 lb-ft torque EPA fuel estimates: 20 city 29 highway (i models) 17 city 25 highway (s models) Basic Price Range: 19,220-28,930
I don’t think I can even remember when Mazda first started those annoying zoom zoom advertisements, but I do remember that when they started them, it was more or less a lie.The modern image of Mazda is very different than what it was as little as six years ago.As of 2008 Mazda makes the excellent RX-8 and MX-5 sports cars; the 3 and the 6 which drive like they’re sports cars in disguises; and the supposedly very sporty CX-7/CX-9, which I haven’t driven.Right now, the zoom zoom adverts really make sense because Mazda is chasing after those who enjoy a brisk fun drive, and they now have the cars to lure these people.
If we think back to six years ago though, Mazda didn’t really make anything that seemed exciting.They had the MX-5 Miata which was exciting but it looked like it was designed specifically to appeal to women… then there was the Millenia, the 626, the tribute, and the weird B-Series pickups, which definitely weren’t all that exciting.Many people think that in 2003, Mazda really went out of its way to reinvent itself and stun the world with the sporty Mazda6, and that the 6 is what kick started the real zoom zoom movement for the company… but these people are completely wrong.
It was the Mazda Protégé that really kicked off Mazda’s reformation, but no one seems to realize that.I honestly have no idea why, but everyone in the world seems to have forgotten about the fantastic Mazda Protégé.In 1999, Mazda made the Protégé into a proper driver’s car which had all the handling dynamics to shame all of its competitors, but no one noticed.In 2001 the Protégé was face lifted into something rather attractive and sporty looking, and made even better to drive.A limited edition factory tuned Protégé MP3 was even released to showcase the sporting potential of Mazda’s small car.By this time, a select few finally took notice, but it still took Mazda one more push before anyone took the Protégé seriously.In 2002, Mazda released the coveted turbocharged Mazdaspeed Protégé and the Protégé5 sport wagon (really more of a hatchback than a wagon).These two cars in particular caught the eye of car reviewers in the U.S. and they received rave reviews, but unfortunately in 2002, no one in the US liked hatchbacks and thought they were ugly so the Mazdaspeed Protégé was left to show the world that Mazda and their stupid advertising slogan should be taken seriously.There was still a problem because the hardcore Mazdaspeed Protégé appealed to such a small market that once again, not many people took notice, and once the Mazda3 came out in 2004, the Protégé was almost forgotten… and that’s a real shame.
If you read my Mazda3 s review you may remember me saying that one of my favorite cars of all time is the Protégé and that I was glad to see that the 3 was a proper replacement for it.It has now been many years since I’ve driven a Protégé, and during that time the Mazda3 has been busy blowing my mind as to how good it is.So the question now is: is the Protégé still as magical as I remember it, and can the old car still give the 3 a reminder of who it owes its roots to?
Positives:When you see a Mazda3, the first thing you’ll notice about it is just how well put together these cars are.The interiors look like they belong in a car that’s twice as expensive and the outside looks like a solid structure.The Protégé5 is no different.I simply cannot believe that a small car originally released in 2000 (in Asia) has such a nice interior.Cars released around this time, Corollas and Civics included, had really beige interiors made out of nasty looking plastics; but, the Protégé5’s interior is just different.You’ll be hard pressed to find any hard, cheap plastics (only bit I found were the locks and they weren’t all that bad); everything’s put together properly so nothing’s loose and nothing rattles once you get up to speed; the interior has a very attractive black and silver contrast; the car comes with remote locks, CD player, air con, and cruise control as standard, and you even get silver faced gauges that glow red at night… very sporty.
In terms of practicality the Protégé5 is very good indeed.There’s plenty of room in the back for your passengers, and since this is technically a wagon, the trunk has loads of space too.Also, the Protégé5 comes standard with a roof rack, so if you can’t fit everything into the car, you can just tack it onto the roof.So, this car is very easy to justify if you’re a family man/woman.
The exterior in my opinion is gorgeous.The huge fog lamps, the 16 inch alloys with low profile V rated tires, and the body kitting around the Protégé5 genuinely give you the sense that this car means business in the sports department.Also, I think the Protégé5 easily looks better than the rhino looking 3 wagon.In fact many people agree with me when I say that this is easily the best looking “wagon” ever made.The exterior admittedly does look flimsier than the 3 but it still looks fairly solid and well built.
Naturally the Protégé5’s party piece isn’t the styling but the driving experience.The steering wheel in the Protégé is reasonably weighty and it feels connected and analog.The steering ratio is very quick and the car goes wherever you point the wheel, just like any proper sports car does.The steering wheel itself provides loads of feedback about grip levels and really makes you feel involved in the whole driving process.In short, it feels brilliant to drive and it feels like you’re driving a proper sports car.Seriously, go and take one of these cars through a twisty bit of road, and I guarantee you’ll fall in love.
I praise the Mazda3 day in and day out, but there’s something about the Protégé that’s even more fun and magical.Overall, the Protégé5 just feels lighter on its feet, grippier, and more agile, but if you look up the hard numbers, it isn’t…All the figures including skid pad figures, acceleration, lane change speeds, and other mundane things all point to the Mazda3 being the vastly superior car; however, having driven around mountain passes in both cars I almost can’t believe that because genuinely, hand on heart, the Protégé5 just feels more fun… It’s kind of like staying at home and hanging out with your best friends instead of going to an embassy ball.It’s not as classy, and on paper it’s not as socially exciting, but you’ll probably have a lot more fun.
I do have to mention something that sounds rather boring, but I promise you it is relevant.The Protégé5 comes with rear disk brakes!Even the newest 2009 Corolla (non XRS admittedly) doesn’t come with rear disk brakes.What this means is that the Protégé5 stops incredibly well.The brakes feel really strong, simply because they are.What’s more, if you step on the brakes, you’ll find that they provide perfect feel by not biting too hard upon the initial press and by not requiring a lot of travel before they properly kick in.This allows you to modulate the brakes with excellent precision.The Protégé had best in class stopping distances in 2003, and I’d be willing to bet, having not looked up the figures that it can still beat most of the modern competition.
There’s still one more thing I haven’t mentioned about the Protégé5 that adds to the list of good things.The manual transmission in the Protégé has to be one the easiest in the world to use.The clutch is light, and the engagement point is more of a range than a point, so starting off in first gear, or reversing is incredibly easy. You really have to not be paying attention to what you’re doing to stall this car. In fact people who’ve never driven a manual before can fool people into thinking they’ve had plenty of practice… Complementing the easy clutch is the shifter itself; gear changes feel solid and precise, though I will admit that the Civic offers better shifting feel.
Negatives:I’m fairly tempted to just put nothing here because I absolutely love the Protégé5, but that would be childish and irresponsible because there are indeed some issues with the car.
The biggest issue with the Protégé5 is the engine.The Protégé5 is an incredible fun dealing car in the corners, so it really is a shame that the engine is on the weak side.If you drop down a gear and soar over 4000 revs, the engine picks up stride and sings for you up to the 6500 RPM redline, but you will wish for more power because the car doesn’t actually pick up that much speed.The good news though is that the engine feels urgent and lively so if you’re in the right gear at the right revs, you’ll at least feel like you’re going fast; however, if you floor the throttle when you’re at low revs (even if you’re in second gear) there’s almost no power at all.In short there’s no real low to mid-range punch which makes the car even slower.The figures look okay, 130 hp and 135 lb-ft of torque, but it’s not a very sophisticated engine so it doesn’t do much with that power.The 2003 Corolla puts out slightly weaker figures, but since it has Toyota’s complicated VVT-I witchcraft it’s actually reasonably quick and the Protégé5 just isn’t.A car that handles this well, and feels this good to drive really deserves a better engine.
The unsophisticated engine is also the cause of the car’s sub par fuel figures (25MPG city and 32MPG highway).These figures aren’t SUV bad, but compared to a Civic or a Corolla which get the highway mileage of the Protégé in the city, it’s not great.
The final complaint is something that is fairly common in all small cars.When you get onto the highway and up to 60+ mph you’re going to wish you had a sixth gear.The car will get up passed 3000 rpm at these speeds, and as a result it’s not exactly the quietest car I’ve ever been in.Compared to a cars from the same year though, it’s really not that bad, but if you’re used to driving modern compact cars it will seem a little bit on the loud side.
Conclusion:The Mazda Protégé5 is in my opinion even more fun to drive than the already incredible Mazda3, but I will admit that the 3 is definitely more refined, more powerful, and as something to live with everyday, it’s probably better.I do wish that the Protégé5 came with a better engine in it, but other than that it’s hard to fault the car. The Protégé5 is an amazingly fun car, it’s well put together, it’s reliable, and it still looks modern despite being over five years old.
If you do go out and look for a used Protégé5, you will run into something that makes the laws of economics look wrong.First off, they’re thousands of dollars cheaper than Civics and Corollas of the same year and mileage; however, you can find Civics and Corollas everywhere on the used market, but it’s nearly impossible to find a Protégé5.The basic supply and demand model for economics hasn’t been disproved here though because, for the majority of the population, the Protégé is indeed a forgotten car, so most used car buyers don’t look for one… but why aren’t there many on sale then?That’s because everyone who’s bought one doesn’t want to let go of it because they like it too much.I’m not making this up neither, ask any Mazda dealer and he/she will tell you the same thing I just said.
So, if you’re in the market for a used car and you find a Protégé5 (or an ES sedan which is kitted the same) I would recommend buying it because you can’t possibly do better for the money.The Protégé5 is an excellent car, and I guarantee you’ll fall in love with it.I did… in fact I even bought one!
Summary:
The Good: Fun, reliable, well put together, cheap… what else do you want?
The Bad: The engine is lively, but too weak to properly pay homage to a great chassis
Verdict: It’s impossible to find a daily driver that’s this much fun for cheaper
I’ve always wondered what would happen if you put cloth seats onto a BMW 3 Series, an Audi A4, or a Mercedes C Class, made the rest of the interior a bit more rubbish, then put it on sale for thousands less and sold it with a less prestigious badge.Would anyone actually bother to buy one of these cars?If you talk to people who buy these baby luxury vehicles and ask “why didn’t you buy something like a Mazda 6 or a Honda Accord instead… which are cheaper and bigger?” Many will tell you that these baby German sedans are superior in many non superficial ways, which in some instances is actually true; but, the honest ones will tell you that these cars are superior simply because of the prestige and that saying “I own a BMW” always seems more impressive than saying “I own a Honda” but honestly who are you really going to impress?
I strongly believe that well over 90% of baby luxury car drivers, especially those who own a 3 series are jerks because they’re trying very hard to look more important and wealthier than they really are. Also, I'm sure we can all testify to this, most of the time you get carved up on the road it's usually a baby luxury car that did it... either that or some teenager in a modded car. I’m sure if you survey all the owners of these cars and ask why they haven’t got a 5 series, an A6, or an E Class, the overwhelming majority will tell you they can’t afford one.So what this ultimately means is that if you own a baby luxury car, you want to look rich and successful but you aren’t because if you were you’d have a larger car… That doesn’t seem very impressive to me.
There is however one baby luxury car which I have no idea if this same principle applies, partly because it’s not German and partly because of the banner it flies… I am of course talking about the Lexus IS.The average age of a Lexus owner is sixty one… 6-1!And for years the baby of the range was the Camry based ES which is actually quite large and old people love it, but in order to entice more youthful buyers Lexus brought over the Toyota Altezza, put in luxury fitments and called it the IS 300.I certainly never saw anyone over forty in an IS 300 and likewise I haven’t seen anyone under forty in any other Lexus.So if you own an IS you could argue that you wanted a Lexus because they’re incredibly well put together cars, but you are much to young to be seen in any other model.
End Social Commentary… if you just want to know what this car is like start reading here!
Now though, there is a new IS (250 or 350) which is based on the sort of sporty rear drive GS platform which is a good start, but unlike with the GS, Lexus really pushed to make the IS a “sports sedan.” You can tell this is the case from the looks alone.The car has really sharp sporty edges, which some people don’t like for some reason… personally I think it looks amazing… huge alloy wheels with low profile tires painted on them, a small diameter steering wheel, flappy paddles for the automatic gearbox’s manual mode and there’s even warning lights on the tachometer to tell you it’s about time to change gear.Things look good but are they?
Positives:I’ll start by saying that yes Toyota still remembers how to make a sports car, despite not having made one for years.The new IS rides a bit harder than the rest of the Lexus lineup, but on the upside that means significantly less roll when you decide to corner too quickly and huge amounts of un-Lexus like grip!Everything about the way this car handles/corners is such a far departure from what Lexus usually does and it’s fantastic. Pretty much all Toyota products, especially the cars from Lexus, feel solidly built, but they also have a wallowy,floaty feel as well... the IS on the other hand is different in the best way possible. You can actually sense just how stiff the chassis is as you drive along because the car gives you a sports car sense of solidity on the road, and it just feels absolutely planted.
Another un-Lexus like thing appears instantly as well, the steering wheel actually provides feedback!I’ve never driven a Toyota product built in the recent past that fed cornering confidence to the driver through the wheel, so the IS is a welcome surprise.The steering feel isn’t nearly as good as what the 3 series BMW offers, but the fact that a Lexus has steering feel already blows me away. These facts won’t let you know just how good this car feels to drive, but I can say one line that probably will.This car almost demands that you drop your weekend plans and go to the nearest mountain to drive around.You actually feel bad for the car if you don’t because it genuinely is a fun little car.Also, the car just looks like it belongs on a racetrack or a nice twisty road rather than in a traffic jam.
If you don’t happen to live near a mountain or a race track, this car can still put a huge smile on your face in the city.The basic city weave is fairly entertaining in the IS, but you start to garner a greater appreciation for this car when you go up circular highway onramps or when you take turns a bit too quickly.The IS just feels light, nimble, and plain sporty whenever the moment takes you, and I really quite like that.
One thing I never understood about baby luxury cars is the necessity of having huge amounts of power under the bonnet… I’m not complaining, but it does appear to be compulsory.All the cars in this class are really no bigger than a Civic, yet if you had a BMW with a 1.8 liter 140 hp engine you would be angry about the miserable amount of horsepower.In fact to some the 2.5 liter V6 in the Lexus might seem a bit weak as well, but 204 hp is quite a lot for a car of this size.If you use the flappy paddles and drop into the right gear the IS 250 flies.It’s no super car, but for what it is it’s certainly quick.What’s more, the engine is very lively and happily revs to its redline which makes the speed sensation even greater.If you think the 250 is a bit slow though, there is a 3.5 liter 306 hp model, and the monstrous IS-F which will more than happily stick you to your seat, but honestly if you’re going to spend most of your time being a law abiding citizen the 250 is more than enough.
If you do opt for the 3.5 liter V6 version though, you won’t regret it… until your license gets revoked.The difference in speed from the 250 to the 350 is clearly noticeable.In the 250 you feel like you’re in a quick fun car, but in the 350 you get the feeling that you’re in something simply volcanic.The inside of the car is very Lexus like, in the sense that it just seems to be a relaxing place to be… so once you engage sport mode on the 350, drop it down a couple of gears and floor the car, you simply become amazed by the acceleration of the thing. It’s so easy in the 350 to just blow straight by the speed limit and simply not notice.What’s more the noise (though rather quiet), the sensation of the whole thing, and the excitement of seeing the speedometer shoot up so quickly in this comfort box is so intoxicating, that you just want to keep doing it.Obviously I would advise against that for legal reasons.
Speed is good and all, but if you sometimes just want to relax and have your car waft home quietly and comfortably, the IS 250 is still a Lexus so when you go from crazy teenager mode to civilized adult it’ll still float your boat.Compared to the GS or LS the IS does indeed provide a stiffer, louder, less comfortable ride, but honestly the IS is still a very comfortable car to be in.The suspension still irons out most road imperfections, and you can still hear classical music from the stereo at highway speeds. Nothing about this car will ever wear you out on a long journey.
The inside is still built with unrivaled quality, and all the material used to make the car is definitely top shelf.The leather used for the seats for instance definitely feels of a higher grade than Louis Vuitton hand bags.Also, like the larger Lexus cars, the IS’s engines are still smoother than a lotion model’s skin.I have no idea what witch craft Lexus engineers have done to these engines, but I have never seen smoother engines in my life other than the unorthodox rotaries.Even if you rev the engine hard and make the needle bounce off the rev limiter the engine still feels like it can rev another 5000 rpm just because it’s so smooth.Overall, the only major difference as far as the luxury drive feel from the IS to its larger siblings is that the IS feels like it’s hugging the road rather than gliding over it, which I like better.
What’s more, unlike a BMW 3 series the Lexus comes with plenty of standard kit (and it costs less to start!), and adding the two or three extra things that you could possibly want won’t cost you a Toyota Yaris.I was particularly pleased that the sunroof and the “Smart Access” keyless system comes as standard.If you don’t know what Smart Access is, it’s a system that allows you to keep your keys in your pocket and the car sort of detects if you’re nearby.After that it’ll unlock the doors for you (or you can push a button on the side of the car) then you get in, put your foot on the brake pedal (or clutch if you get the super rare manual) push the starter button and you’re off!I quite like that feature.
Negatives:I absolutely love this car, but I think it’s my responsibility to point out one or two issues.The first problem being the rear seats, which are almost useless.Even with a short guy like me at the wheel, you’ll have sparse legroom in the back and if you stick anyone six foot and over at the wheel, the back seats realistically can only be used to hold extra cargo.Then again this is an issue in most baby luxury sedans.
Let's see, I guess I don't like the fact that the automatic gearbox changes up for you sometimes in "sport mode"... but if you use the paddles a couple of times it stops doing that, so that's not really a problem...
The next bit is uh… I really can’t think of another fault this car has that isn’t expected when you buy anything from this class of car…
Conclusion: If I had to buy a baby luxury sedan for whatever reason, I would definitely drop by the Lexus showroom to sign some papers.The IS simply looks better than its competitors, it’s less expensive than its rivals, out drives all but the BMW, is more reliable than the others, and it seems to give off the smallest jerk vibe.I can find pretty much no drawback in buying a Lexus IS over its German rivals, but to those about to run off to the Lexus dealership, I would recommend paying a visit to Infinity for a look at the G35 as well.The G35 is priced to compete with the IS, but somehow I don’t feel that it’s really in the same class which is why I kind of ignored it’s existence this whole time; however it is definitely worth a look.
I started this review off asking if people would actually buy a stripped down version of the baby German sedans and I still don’t know the answer to that question, but I definitely would buy stripped down version of the IS because I couldn’t give a toss about the badge.This is a properly good car.
Summary:
The Good: Nearly as good to drive as a 3-series BMW, but much cheaper and better equipped!
The Bad: Interior is a little bit tight, but uh… that’s to be expected
GM seems to have a lot of random brands, and no one seems to know what each brand is supposed to “specialize” in.If you look at Toyota, things are pretty simple; Toyota for the “normal” cars, Lexus for the “luxury” cars, and Scion for the “youth” cars.GM on the other hand have Chevy, which I’m no longer certain if it’s the normal car branch of GM or the cheap car branch; Cadillac, which is American luxury apparently; Saturn which used to be the cheap branch, but with the addition of rebadged Opels from Europe Saturns aren’t that cheap anymore; Buick… I really have no idea, maybe the less luxurious Cadillac; and GMC, which as far as I can tell are just all the Chevy trucks and SUVs sold with a different badge.Then we get to Pontiac.With the exception of the G8 and the old GTO, which are rebadged Holdens from Australia, Pontiacs are essentially Chevys with prettier bodies.There was a point in time when Pontiac was the sporting branch of GM, but honestly 90% of their line up is no sportier than a fat man eating chips.
The car I’m here to review today is quite ironically named.The Grand Prix name makes this car sound like it’s something quite special, and as if it would be more at home at Daytona, rather than a day trip, but that definitely isn’t the case…
Positives (sort of):Okay I’ll make this short, because there’s no other way to do it.Now, if you’re looking for a car so big that parking becomes a bit of an issue, this is a car to consider.The Grand Prix is incredibly cheap too, considering the size, and if you buy one you can tell your friends “Yes, I have an enormous car with an enormous trunk… which is quite practical for the family outing and I only paid about 20k.”These days, you’ll be lucky to get a well equipped Mini Cooper for 20k, but if you go with the Pontiac, you get what’s essentially a full sized sedan for the same money.However, in this instance it’s like being able to buy 20 pounds of oatmeal for $20; very filling and it can feed you for a long time, but most people would rather have a $20 steak instead.
Negatives:Since the Grand Prix is a sheer monstrosity on the outside, you really have to ask yourself why on earth the interior is so small.It’s far from being a squeeze festival but if you compare the interior space to the exterior dimensions of the car it’s astonishingly small.What’s worse is that the interior feels smaller than it really is.If you climb into a Camry, you get the feeling that you can swim inside the car, and that’s a good job considering the Camry is a smaller car!
Now if you’ve ever read a review I’ve written about a Toyota’s interior, you’ll see me use words like “quality,” “ergonomic,” and “well laid out,” but there’s no need for that vocabulary in the Grand Prix.The interior trim is simply appalling because it is made of plastics so cheap, that Barbie dolls suddenly think they have real breast.What makes it all worse is that Pontiac decided to make all the plastic bits a bit bumpy, which actually makes everything look even cheaper.Then there’s the layout of the dash itself, which is a mess.There’s air vents placed in a completely random fashion; there’s really small knobs and randomly placed buttons making it hard to make any mid-drive adjustments to the AC or radio; also, despite having a really large gauge cluster, the odometer readout is located on a separate display off to the right!
Well, enough about aesthetics and onto if the Grand Prix lives up to its sporting name… and oh dear…The one thing American cars usually have in the sporting department is power, and it’s no different with the Grand Prix.For the same money as a very basic Camry, 6, Altima, or Accord you get a large 3.8 liter V6 engine churning out 200 hp rather than a puny 2.3-2.5 liter I4.However, there’s a very good reason why GM can offer you a V6 for I4 money… this engine is plain crap. First off the fuel consumption is hilariously bad given the power rating… then, there’s the fact that Honda gets 190 hp out of the 2.4 liter engine in its Accord, which should make the folks at GM feel a bit embarrassed.Sure the Honda is down massively on Torque, but you have to remember, the Accord’s engine is smaller by 1.4 liters… and a 1.4 liter engine can make small European hatchbacks fly. What’s more is that the engine is really heavy and unsophisticated; add on the massive weight of the rest of the car and the Grand Prix will struggle to keep up with a Japanese mid-size sedan… of course if you get the GXP model with a big V8 the story will be a bit different, but so will the price.
I’m usually a proponent of handling rather than straight line speed, so perhaps the Grand Prix can claw back some points by proving to be more of an alpine handler rather than a dragster.Sadly, I’m going to have to say it can’t.I’ll be the first to admit that the Grand Prix is a better drive than a Camry… most things are… but compared to a 6, a sports car this isn’t.The reason for this is the fact that the Grand Prix has a big heavy engine over the front wheels and this really spoils the weight balance.In addition this enormous boat of a car is front wheel drive so the recipe for under steer is in the car’s design.I’m not going to talk about the steering and pedal feel because there isn’t any, so in all this isn’t an inspiring car to drive.
Conclusion:This review was a bit harsh because the Grand Prix isn’t a horrible car, but the problem is being okay doesn’t cut it anymore, especially when you can go and buy something better for around the same price.The only way the Grand Prix would make sense over an Accord or a 6 is if you like the idea that you can nearly jam a mattress in the trunk, or if for some reason you feel that a mid-size sedan just isn’t big enough and you only have around 20k to spend.However, if you want an utterly enormous sedan for cheap might I suggest the Ford Taurus instead?
Summary:
The Good: This car is properly big
The Bad: Size isn’t everything apparently…
Verdict: Well, if you want a large Pontiac… save up some money and get a G8!
I’m not 100% certain where the “sport wagon” idea came from, but it certainly was an odd idea. Of all of the things we can classify as “cars” (things that aren’t trucks, minivans, SUVs, etc) the station wagon is definitely the last thing you would expect for a can manufacturer to sell as the sporting model of the lineup. Despite this, Mazda has been able to sell this idea with great success with the Protégé5 and the Mazda3 “Sport Wagon;" then, Toyota decided to pick up on the idea. They took the mundane Corolla, decided to make a sport model of it, but made it in the shape of a wagon for some reason. Sure there is the Corolla XRS sedan, but we all know that Toyota really meant for the Matrix to hold the sporty pretensions.
The real question is “did it work?” Well you can certainly tell Toyota was trying. The Matrix has funky, “sporty” looks, bigger wheels than the Corolla, and the option of the high revving 2ZZ-GE engine out of the Celica GT-S. Things were firmed up and Toyota was really trying hard to advertise it as a “sport wagon” everywhere you looked. That’s all well and good, but in the end the answer to the question is yes, I mean no, definitely no… you’ll see what I mean after you read the rest of the review.
Positives: This car is easily a better, brisker drive than the normal Corolla. The body roll has been greatly reduced in the corners, the steering is sharper, and the pedal response is much better. More importantly, the Corolla tends to have rather twitchy handling but that has been solved here. If you nudge the steering wheel for a small correction, a normal Corolla tends to twitch about for a bit, but the Matrix... doesn’t! Everything about the Matrix is much sharper and more solid than the Corolla which it’s based on and that’s a good thing.
Once you crack open the doors you’ll find that the interior space on the matrix is huge. You can easily fit in bikes, medium sized furniture pieces, and other things inside; so, this is definitely a practical car. What’s more, when you sit down you’ll find the driver’s seat is very comfortable and body hugging like on any proper sports car.
The basic 1.8 liter 126 hp engine under the hood isn’t very powerful but that VVT-I business Toyota stuck on it has made it a decent power plant. The Matrix isn’t hugely fast, but that little engine is definitely gutsy enough to make the car feel reasonably quick. There’s loads of low down power which can make you snap into your seat from take off and that’s rather surprising from an engine with such weak torque figures. It genuinely is a good engine.
Oh dear I fear I ran out of good things to say about the Matrix…
Negatives: Usually when you make a car sporty, you’d want to give it a nice low down driving position to at least make the car feel like a sports car before you even start the engine… how did Toyota get this part so wrong? When you first get into the Toyota Matrix, you’ll notice that you’re sitting higher than people in SUVs. This means that you have to scoot the seat up much closer to the dashboard than most cars in order to reach the pedals, and this winds up giving you the same sort of driving position bus drivers are accustomed to.
Now I know that Pontiac makes a sister car to the Matrix called the Vibe, but that’s no excuse for Toyota to start using low end materials for the interior. You can tell that Pontiac was responsible for designing the interior because those odd shapes and random air vents are textbook Pontiac, but seriously why did Toyota decide to use the same materials? This is the first Toyota I’ve driven that has felt plain cheap on the inside. The dashboard and other bits of the car for that matter are made completely from really hard scratchy plastics. You won’t find any of this cheapness in the normal Corolla, so it’s a bit of a shame that it’s here in the Matrix with huge neon signs pointing at it.
I did say earlier that the Matrix feels shaper to drive than the Corolla, but the steering wheel is completely lifeless and feels like it’s turning the car via remote control. The gas and brake pedals are quite responsive but they’re so light, that you just can’t tell how far you’re pressing down on them. These things instantly kill any fun this car could have been capable of bringing, which honestly wasn’t all that much.
The Matrix just feels way too heavy to be an actual sports car. Even really heavy sports cars like the Nissan GT-R (yes a completely different league but it’s relevant) feel nimble and light despite the weight; however, the Matrix feels heavier than it actually is which is quite a difficult feat to pull off! The driving dynamics are on paper more composed than the Corolla but you always feel that extra weight through the corners and when you’re accelerating. Something about that weight really upsets the feel of the car and makes it feel “wonky.” If you go through a corner at speed you almost get the feeling the car is saying “okay, I can do that but I don’t want to do it again.” This sounds counter intuitive, but it’s seriously how I feel… the less sharp less sporty Corolla drives better and feels more fun.
Conclusion: Yes the Matrix is a sportier sharper wagon version of the Corolla, but Toyota seriously could have done much better. The real shame is that all the charm that you’d normally find in a Corolla has gone. The normal Corolla isn’t a driver’s car by any stretch of the imagination, but there was a weird essence of fun to it which is completely missing in the Matrix.
The only reason I can think of for getting a Matrix over a standard Corolla is for the extra space, but even then I would be telling people to head over to Pontiac instead. The Vibe is essentially the same car only cheaper and with a longer warranty, which makes it better. Overall though, go with a Mazda3 wagon. It’s roughly the same price, it’s more powerful, it’s better equipped, drives a million times better, and it doesn’t feel cheap on the inside.
Summary: The Good: Very spacious… and yeah… The Bad: This is just a wagon… that sport bit is a lie Verdict: How did Toyota let this happen?
If you’ve read enough of my reviews you’ll know that I’m not the biggest fan of the average BMW driver.The vast majority of people who buy BMWs only buy the car for the badge, and generally people who buy stuff only for the brand value aren’t the nicest people you’ll ever run into because they’re trying hard to show how their life is turning out to be a rounding success compared to yours.The irony about buying a 3-series BMW though is that you’re not actually showing the world that you’re rich and successful… you’re actually telling everyone you’re a bit of a fraud.I mean if you buy the cheaper Toyota Camry, no one will ever inquire about your financial stability, but buying a 3-series somehow raises questions.The reason for this is simple.If you are actually well off and somewhat rich, you’d probably have the larger more comfortable 5-series BMW, but having a 3-series kind of gives the impression that you bought one because you aren’t actually rich but you want to look it.Of course, things are even worse if you get a 1-series!
Fortunately, there’s actually a good car hidden behind that BMW badge.You would be hard pressed to find a car reviewer who doesn’t like driving a BMW 3-series.Most people in this profession use the 3-series as a benchmark in which to measure other cars with, because it’s just that good and BMW has made its name in making sport sedans, so they’re unlikely to ever screw it up.The 3-series has led its class in driving dynamics ever since dinosaurs roamed the planet, and that’s quite a feat.Now though, it must face the ultimate test, because finally, I got my hands on one.
Positives:Now, the 3-series as I’ve said is praised by nearly everyone in the world for its excellent driving ability, and I have to say it’s all absolutely true.Great driving always starts from the steering wheel and the way it feels in your hands, and the BMW 328i has everything right. The steering wheel is fat rimmed, heavy, and very sports car-esque.The steering response is razor sharp and if you turn the wheel even the slightest bit the car will change directions.If you’re a heavy coffee drinker with shaky hands that might seem bad; but if you aren’t, it’s quite a good thing to have because the car will turn exactly to where you point the wheel, and that lets you carve corners with greater precision.Also, every time you take a turn, the steering wheel will give you all the feed back and information you could ever want and it let’s you know that if you wanted to, you could probably go around that same turn about 100 mph faster.Even if you do take a turn at an insane speed, the car doesn’t roll at all, and you never get the sense that you’ll ever overstep the bounds of what the chassis can handle.The car always remains planted and composed, so in the end you’re left with just pure driving fun.
In addition to the fantastic handling, the brake feel is excellent, the throttle response is superb, and the engine has plenty of power for you play around with.However, with 230 hp on tap in a car roughly the same size of a Corolla, I thought the 328i would be a lot quicker than it was.The car is still more than quick enough for the average person but for some reason it doesn’t feel quick, and in my world of avoiding speeding tickets, the feeling of speed is much more important than actual figures.
Another aspect that really adds to the driving experience is the seats which hug you in a race car fashion.If you’re wondering why I think this is a good thing… A. I think it’s more comfortable that way and B. It makes sure you don’t slide out of your seat when you’re cornering too quickly.With that said, if you’re considered to be on the fat side, you may find the seat to be a little… shall we say, non form fitting.
To summarize, I almost couldn’t believe that I was driving a four door sedan, because I’ve driven sports cars that have felt less sporty.I can easily see why the world’s automotive press love this car because this is a genuinely good car to drive.It’s a bit of a shame though that most people who own one probably don’t know just how good a driver’s car this really is.
Negatives: So I’ve established that the 3-series is an excellent car to drive, but unfortunately that’s where the fun ends.Most of what I’m about to complain about I wouldn’t complain about normally, but in a car costing this much, it has to be said.The base price of a 328i is around 32k (my test car was the base model) which is a lot for a small car.You can argue that since the BMW is a luxury car, a lot of the cost can be justified but I really think it can’t because there’s nothing at the 32k level that you can’t find in a mid level Civic.Also, if you do go ahead and add in all the options you’d normally want in a luxury car, you could have purchased a beach house instead.
If you want an example of things that are missing, there’s zero leather in the base model.The seats are made from a fancy vinyl and even the steering wheel lacks cow skin. I can’t think of any other car with some sort of sporting pretension that doesn’t have a leather steering wheel. In fact I can’t think of any car over 20k that doesn’t have a leather wheel. What’s worse is that BMW has added fake stitching to the plastic steering wheel to sort of mimic the leather wheel, which I think makes it feel plain cheap.
Sure this car has power windows and remote locks, but so does every car costing over 20k.Another thing cars costing over 20k have is a power seat, but there isn’t one in the base 3-series!BMW does have a reputation of making nearly everything an optional extra, but wow. If the base car was something like 25k this wouldn’t seem so bad, but it isn’t.Also, this high base price wouldn’t seem nearly as bad if Lexus didn’t make the IS250 because the base IS costs 32k as well, but it has leather everywhere and it has power seats and many other things the BMW doesn’t have as standard.
For the size of this car, the backseats offer reasonable leg room and the trunk size isn’t too bad.In fact I’d call it spacious compared to the Lexus IS, but let’s not forget the simple Toyota Corolla is actually larger all around.Sure the Corolla is in a completely different class, but you have to bear these things in mind when you’re going to be spending this much money on a small car.
Conclusion: So the 3-series is everything that I thought it was… an excellent driving overpriced, tiny car that only makes sense if you care about the badge value or if you just have some extra cash to blow.If you want a proper sports sedan, with leather, with power seats, with GPS etc for around or less than 32k, what’s wrong with a Mazda6 s?Sure the 6 doesn’t drive quite as well as the 3-series but it’s certainly good enough to make you feel like you’re not missing out on anything.Sure saying I drive a Mazda doesn’t have the same wow factor as saying I drive a BMW, but like I said before, no one will ever question how well off you are in a Japanese mid-size, and pretty much no one will think you’re a jerk for driving one.
Summary:
The good: Absolutely excellent to drive
The bad: The price is rather steep
Verdict: If you think the drive is worth the extra money it’s a hard car to fault
Advice: If you really want one, find a good lease offer rather than purchasing one... it's cheaper that way
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