The test drives begin

"Aaron M - MasoFiST" (amarks563) 11/23/2015 at 18:29 • Filed to: None

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I went with a friend of mine to look at a couple cars today, having taken some time off work for Thanksgiving. First we headed to a Subaru dealer to look at a BRZ. Turns out, they are smaller than they look. The “test drive” ended quickly when neither my friend nor I could fit in the backseat in any comfortable way. I should have known that was the case, but still disappointing. I did get to check out a 2015 WRX in the “lightly used” category, about 9000 miles...the pricing actually falls into my range, unlike sticker. Still high for me, but very tempting.

Next, we went to check out a used Civic Si that was local to us. The car itself was not great...curbed wheels, gouges in the interior panels, just not reconned at all and not kept up. Still went for a test drive...I really like this car. Light on its feet, responsive...I had totally forgotten what it felt like to drive a car without turbo lag. So while there’s no way I’m buying *that* car, the Civic is definitely in my sights.

My dealer experiences at both places I went were very good. Upfront about pricing and any issues with the car...though since I’m not likely to buy anything I looked at today, there weren’t many real trials. Still, I was able to drive even though I made it clear I wasn’t buying today, and didn’t have to go through any hoops whatsoever.

Tomorrow, we check out a BMW 128i. I expect it’ll be nice, but unless it wows me, I’m probably going to be looking deeper at Civic Sis available around here.

scoob > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 18:33

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Why didn’t you check out any Lambos, dude?

JGrabowMSt > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 18:38

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For the Lulz you need to test drive a Mitsubishi Mirage. The older version looks way better than the new thing they just put out though....

Aaron M - MasoFiST > JGrabowMSt 11/23/2015 at 18:40

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I’m not sure it would be very nice to give Mitsubishi dealers false hopes. They’re suffering enough as it is.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 18:40

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How badly do you need a back seat? The Toyobaru is great, and should really be given another shot, if you don’t care about chauffeuring others around! haha

Matt Nichelson > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 18:41

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If you had an issue with rear seat room in the brz, I imagine unfortunately the same issue is going to be had in the 128 as well. I looked into getting one before I got my 3 but the rear seat area is pretty small. I am 6’1 though so that was a factor.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 11/23/2015 at 18:42

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I need to fit a minimum of three people in the car comfortably 1-2 times a week. Because I actually like my friends, that disqualified the BRZ.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Matt Nichelson 11/23/2015 at 18:46

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You’re probably right, and I’m prepared for that possibility for certain. Still, the dealership is right in town and I took the whole week off, so why not?

Bytemite > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 18:48

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You buy a car based on the comfort of your 2nd passenger?

You can fit 3 people easily if the shotgun just pulls his seat up a bit. Not hard, and certainly shouldn’t be a dealbreaker to an enthusiast.

This is why we can’t have nice things.

JGrabowMSt > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 18:52

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Not going to lie, I actually want to take a Mirage out on a test drive to see how it really is. I mean, it would be for my girlfriend, and that kind of car is literally perfect for her, but let’s be honest, for suffering through bumper to bumper rush hour traffic, it might be, dare I say it, fun?

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Bytemite 11/23/2015 at 18:55

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Alternatively, the BRZ is not better enough compared to the Civic to justify a) sacrificing the practicality and b) paying a good $4k more. People on the internet may fawn over x, y and z, but when you go actually drive the cars, the differences are miniscule. I was somewhat in awe of the NA Miata when I drove my uncle’s, and clearly the Civic is no NA Miata, but you know what? There’s not nearly enough middle ground between the two to get worked up about it. If I need four doors, I need four doors.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > JGrabowMSt 11/23/2015 at 18:58

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I can definitely see that. Honestly, I feel bad about test driving any car that I have no real intention to buy. But if you’re even remotely interested, I’d say definitely give it a whirl. I did have a lot of fun beating on a friend’s Geo Metro, and even more fun on a friend’s stick shift Yaris.

ZoopZoopLoops > scoob 11/23/2015 at 19:06

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Bytemite > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 19:20

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Okay. If you can’t see enough middle ground between a FWD economy car vs a dedicated chassis, rwd, Torsen equipped enthusiast car perfectly tuned for cornering bliss and driver engagement...then yeah you don’t see the difference and that is why the Civic is meant for you. :) nothing personal, just buyer preference. Same reason people buy crossovers and full-size trucks. They choose to buy cars for the .1% of the time they’ll need an extra 2 inch of ride height or a truckbed, instead of 99.9% of time they’ll be driving.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Bytemite 11/23/2015 at 19:28

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It is a daily, and practicality trumps incremental engagement. Besides, I’m carrying 3+ passengers 90% of the time I drive...the rest of the time I own a bicycle and a subway pass.

I am curious if you’ve actually driven all of these cars. Part of it is that the Civic Si is actually quite well dialed in...it competes with the BRZ more than you’d know. This is exactly why the BRZ/FR-S doesn’t sell in huge numbers...the return on the dedicated chassis and relatively high MSRP is minimal for a real world buyer.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 19:31

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My test drive of the BRZ ended when my son couldn’t fit in the back seat. We never even started the engine.

HOWEVER! The WRX fit fine. I bought one.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > TheRealBicycleBuck 11/23/2015 at 19:33

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My only real issue with the WRX is price. The one I checked out was really nice, and they solved most of the issues that my current WRX has in terms of interior and noise, at least from what I can tell. That all said, 7-8k higher than most of the other cars I’m looking at is a tough sell. I also have a bit of car ADD, so going to another WRX after my current one just doesn’t sit well with me. :-p

Matt Nichelson > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 19:40

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Oh definitely! I didn’t mean that to discourage you at all. Obviously I have a bit of a soft spot for BMW’s so I wouldn’t knock you for taking a look. They are cool little cars for sure. Are you looking at a convertible or hardtop?

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Matt Nichelson 11/23/2015 at 19:45

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I’d be looking at a hardtop, beyond the rigidity and weight I live in an area in Southern Boston where I’m not sure I’d be comfortable having a cloth top. I’ve looked a bit at the 3-series as well, but cars with a stick are really tough to find around here, and that’d be my preference. The fact that pretty much all the BMWs around here are AWD doesn’t strike the best chord with my enthusiast brain either, but it’s not a dealbreaker per se.

Bytemite > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 19:45

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I have driven a BRZ but not a Civic Si. I just know the Civic won’t have the low, almost ass to the ground ergonomics of the BRZ, and the low center of gravity that makes powersliding U-turns feel effortless. It won’t have the correct wheels being driven or have a balanced weight distribution. These cars were made from ground up to be a sports car, and every little detail has been treated to aid performance within the target range of retail price, wear materials, and fuel economy. These are the things even enthusiasts aren’t understanding. They yell moar power, without taking into account what that would do to weight distribution, fuel economy, wear items, price and most importantly the enjoyability on street tires and speed limits.

I’m sure the Civic is a nice handling fwd car. But let us be real here, it is a suped up economy car for the masses to enjoy a little more hp and stiffer suspension. Most people will be content with the combination of practicality and performance. That is why hot hatches sell nowadays while sports cars die off. But as small as we enthusiast group are, we created the brz/fr-s. Above all the masses not giving a shit, and all the other power hungry, penis envying enthusiasts bitching about it’s “shortcomings”. It is a triumph to be celebrated and will likely go down in history as one of the most fun-per-dollar sports cars ever. The most fun things to do and enjoy in the BRZ cannot be done in a civic.

But I know dailying a Miata ain’t for everyone. And dailying even a 2+2 seater sports car is tough for some. It is a good thing hot hatches exist then.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Bytemite 11/23/2015 at 19:53

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My experience in the BRZ was actually a tad underwhelming. As far as ass to the ground went, it had nothing on my old Celica, to say nothing of my uncle’s Miata. That’s not to say it wasn’t nice, it was. But it wasn’t additional $4000 nice, and as much as my engineering brain knows one is a bespoke chassis while the other is a “souped-up economy car”, it’s remarkably hard to tell when you’re just driving. And as I’ve said before, this is supposed to be my daily. One of the reasons I’m getting rid of my WRX, beyond the age issues which are legion, is that I’ve modified it to be hardcore and it’s tiring me out. A Comp Clutch sucks in traffic, the suspension has already been downgraded once to be more comfortable, the gas mileage blows, and the 380hp and 410 ft-lbs I have are used...essentially never, with my insurance rates showing exactly when they were used. I don’t mind getting the comfier car, the more practical car...and I really don’t feel like I’m giving up much. After this car my next big purchase is a house...and this house is going to have a garage where I’m going to put my NA or NB Miata as I trick it out. Until then, the Civic will do. Fortunately for me, I don’t feel like I’m giving up much.

Bytemite > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 20:02

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Get an NA :)

The pop-ups are a joy.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Bytemite 11/23/2015 at 20:03

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I love those cars, you have no idea. The minute I have a place to store it, I’ll be shopping.

Matt Nichelson > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 20:05

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I don’t blame you if you live that far north, not do I blame you for wanting rwd. I can imagine it is harder to find one up there compared to down south where I live. The 3 is a great car, but the coupe is pretty heavy compared to the 1.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Matt Nichelson 11/23/2015 at 20:10

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I was enamored with the idea of finding a stick shift RWD 3-series wagon...that is highly unrealistic, unfortunately.

Matt Nichelson > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 20:23

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You are probably right. Hell if you go that far into unicorn territory you may as well make it brown and diesel to get the full Jalopnik effect! Seriously though, are you needing the rear seats for adults or children?

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Matt Nichelson 11/23/2015 at 20:49

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Adults, sadly. The BRZ would have been go if it weren’t for the fact that I do need to use those rear seats as often as I do. The 3-series coupe may work out, but I’m looking for something both lighter and with more space...the 1-series is already pushing it at 3200 lbs, though the extra power compensates at least somewhat.

Matt Nichelson > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 21:32

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Ah yeah that makes sense then. I will say the rear seats in mine are comfy and have some room for it to be a coupe, but it’s never going to be as much room as a sedan. It also weighs a few hundred pounds more than the 1 series, just not sure by how much.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Aaron M - MasoFiST 11/23/2015 at 21:34

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Well, you do call yourself a masochist....