I want another car. It’s not just the fact that my daily
driver is a Pontiac Grand Am whose 1-2 upshifts are as graceless as a mule’s
kick, or the fact that the old girl is well over 17 years of age. OK, that’s
part of it, but that isn’t the real issue. After all, our 2012 Nissan Altima is
much quicker and sure-footed and more agile (comparatively), and yet it isn’t
fun; not like real fun is.
The other night I finished reading Automobile Magazine’s
test drive of the much-anticipated Dodge Challenger Hellcat (penned by Jason
Harper). This super-Dodge cooks its rear tires faster than a flamethrower; it
has 707 horsepower, giving the car more muscle than any factory automobile on
American soil. If you can keep its throttle application under control the
Hellcat will run to 60mph in 4.0 seconds and defy the doubting Thomas in us all
as it completes the quarter mile run in 11.2 seconds. It is the meanest,
coolest, most exciting thing to come out of Dodge dealers in a long time (sorry
Viper; that includes you too). I halve zero doubts that it’s a very, very fun
car.
Ah, daydreams. They sure are pleasant. But sooner or later
one must descend from the clouds and put both feet back on firm ground. I want
a Challenger Hellcat; who wouldn’t? But at just under $60K, this Detroit demon
isn’t exactly skewing to the thrifty crowd. And that’s OK. Because I don’t
normally dream of this sort of car; nor do I often get lost in the thought of a
new Ferrari F12 in my driveway. Honestly, I tend to dream most often of the
cars that not only excite me but are actually in my financial wheelhouse (and
by in my wheelhouse I mean after my daughter graduates and the house is paid
off). I don’t need 707 horsepower; I don’t even need 300. All I need is
something fun, and there are plenty entries out there just waiting to prove it.
So I thought I’d put together a short list of some
affordable, sporty autos. I’ll pick my favorite out of each price bracket
(separated by $5000 increments). Here are the rules: I’m basing each pick off
of the base price of the particular model. Base price will almost certainly
include a manual transmission, which not only keeps the cost down but ups the
fun-factor. I’m picking what I believe to be the sportiest yet cheapest, best
value for each car in each category; oh, and I’m also picking what I like the
most. I’m not guaranteeing you’ll agree
with my choices. But I would challenge you to go drive them yourselves, cuz
next summer I sure plan to.
$15,000-$20,000
Wow, don’t I feel stupid. As it turns out, there is nothing
cool and/or fun that finds itself in this price range. Readers will hate me for
this, but I’m going to include (virtually by default) the Honda CR-Z as my pick
for this category. #1: There are no other sporty cars to choose from. #2: The
CR-Z weighs under 2700lbs and comes with an optional 6-speed manual. #3: Honda
just began offering an optional, factory supercharger for this car, boosting
horsepower from 130 to 197 (cost of the supercharger kit is just under $5500,
which would effectively eliminate the CR-Z from this bracket). And yes, for the
record, it is a hybrid. Sue me. Moving on...
Honda CR-Z Hybrid
$20,000-$25,000
Easily the toughest category here. With six possible
contenders, this bracket is packed shoulder to shoulder with awesome autos. At
the cheaper end we find the Ford Fiesta ST ($20,915); this little guy wields
197hp from its 1.6Litre Turbo-four. On the spendy side of this bracket is the
VW Golf GTI 2-door ($24,395) making 210hp from its long-trusted 2.0Litre
Turbo-four. There are two upscale foreigners present: The Fiat 500 Abarth
($22,195) and the Mini Cooper S Hardtop 2-door ($24,100). That leaves us with
two others: The Honda Civic Si ($22,790), which makes 205hp from its 2.4Litre
naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine. The last is certainly not least: The
Fiesta ST’s big brother, the Ford Focus ST. This barnstormer pumps an
incredible 252hp from its Turbo-four. And if that’s not enough to turn your
head, its 270lb-ft of neck-wringing torque sure will. Lauded as one of the best-driving
front-wheel drive cars period, the Focus ST hits the wallet at a mid-pack
$23,625. Oh, and buying one (of either the Focus ST or the Fiesta ST) gets you
complimentary admission to St. Octane Academy in Utah (Google it!). No contest
here. Gimme the Focus ST, right now…
Ford Focus ST
$25,000-$30,000
Far fewer entries in this bracket: Three cars from two
brands, both Japanese. If you have a beef with my selection or you think I’m a
communist (or, technically an imperialist), scroll down to the next section,
where you’ll find three V8 American muscle cars. Back to my current crop: We
have the Subura BRZ ($25,695), the Subura WRX ($26,295), and the Nissan 370 Z
($29,990). Instinctively my first choice is the range-topping Nissan. After
all, as a Nissan fan, I not only appreciate the brands general ergonomics, but
its styling as well; especially when it comes to the 370 Z. Plus, as the only
one here with a V6 (and a big V6 it is), the 370 Z is very tempting indeed. The
Subura BRZ is out. Yeah, I’ve read its one of the best driving cars for its
price (or actually, any price), but it nearly matches its brother’s (WRX) base
price but comes to the table with nearly 70 less horsepower and over 100lb-ft
less of torque. Meanwhile, the WRX gets double points for not only being a very
spirited car, but a (semi) practical one as well. It’s got four doors and
all-wheel drive, not to mention 268hp at your command. Sure, the Nissan 370Z
has 332hp, but no back seats. And if I’m ever to convince my better half of
purchasing a “fun” car, the odds favor an auto that is car seat friendly…
Subaru WRX
$30,000-$35,000
OK. We’ve covered hybrids, hot hatches, and four-door
horizon chasers. But none of these are muscle cars. Technically the Detroit
three offer their Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger all at well below $30K. The
Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro start out nearly neck-and-neck: A base Mustang is
$23,600 and the comparable Chevy Camaro is $23,705; pretty close. The Dodge
Challenger’s base price is quite a bit more at $26,495 and in my opinion features
the crappiest V6 of the three. Of course, one can (and should) consider
upgrading to the V8 versions of each model. The jump from a V6 to a V8 is
widely different from car to car. The Mustang costs roughly $8500 more (for a
GT base price of $32,100). Graduating the Challenger to V8 is totally worth it;
the increase is only $3,900 more, bringing the base price of a Challenger RT to
$30,400. The Chevy, however, plagues its potential buyers with greater sticker
shock. Jumping from V6 power to V8 power will cost you nearly $11,000 more,
with an SS Camaro costing $34,500. Ouch! These numbers don’t really tell the
whole story though. Sure, a V8-equipped Camaro (with 426hp) is the most
expensive one here, but it also packs over 50 more horsepower than the Challenger
RT, which is easily the cheapest here with a V8 but makes “only” 375hp and
weighs the most. The Mustang GT though, has more power than the other two (at
435hp) and weighs the least (179lbs less than the Camaro and 353lbs less than
the Challenger). And don’t forget it’s nearly $2500 cheaper than the SS Camaro
and only $1700 more expensive than the Challenger RT. So we’ve covered all the
technical points worth arguing about, but what about the emotional ones? I’ll
be frank; I’m not a huge fan of the Camaro’s looks since its rebirth. Too
aggressive, too in-your-face, too dimensionally characterized. I love the big
Challenger, but sometimes I wonder if it’s too big; and to that point, I wonder
if it’s too similar to its 1971 ancestor. But the Mustang…. I could see myself
in a Mustang GT. Its new-for-2015 design is steadily growing on me. Plus, 2015
finally sees a Mustang with first-ever multi-link rear suspension. These three
are really difficult to argue over; fans of muscle have been doing it for fifty
years. There is no right or wrong answer year. But my answer is still the 2015
Mustang GT.
Ford Mustang
Post script
I thought $35k was a good ending point. Justifying that kind
of cash for a vehicle would be hard enough to stomach for something practical
and utilitarian, like a mini-van or an SUV. And even though my wife loves me
enough that she’d one day (probably) let me shell out that kind of green for a
fun-oriented driver’s car, I’d first have to convince myself it was worth it.
But today is not that day, nor will it be for a long time. And that’s OK; my
daydreams aren’t going anywhere.
photo by the author
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
No comments:
Post a Comment