Our "own" car reviews

[NooDle]

Mods, if this is inappropriate or in the wrong section please move it accordingly.

Someone did a review of a new Audi A6 a while back, I thought it would be good if we all had a thread in which we can all rant/rave about cars we drive ourselves.

Doesn't have to be something particularly interesting or fast, I just wanna know how you would rate cars yourself. Only one rule : you can't "review" your own car. Has to be someone elses, rentals, whatever.
The verdict on any car is, of course, highly subjective

Post away!

[NooDle]

I'll get the ball rolling with a review of the current car I'm driving today(sadly)

Citroen C3 1.1



Well where do I start. I’ll start by saying that I did not select this car, and it is just a case of “car in garage to get stupid things fixed, so you’ll drive whatever they have lying around”.

Last time it was a regular old Xsara, which had no options at all (not even electric windows) but did have a relatively large 1.6 engine that produced what sounded like 800 hp at 19,000 rpm.
Not having a rev counter made me think this.

It was Okish, as in theres not much that could go wrong with it, and the engine was quite good for such a smallish car that weighed nothing. It revved until the end of time too, which I liked.

Now they’ve upgraded me to the C3, and Oh. My. God. First impressions are bad when I find that you either sit completely upright with your knees against the dashboard and your chest dangerously close to the wheel, or you can lie completely flat on your back with your legs barely touching the pedals. These are the only 2 ways you can use the seats. Since I like seeing where I’m going, aswell as some control over the car, I chose the “knees against dashboard”’ option

Then I found out I was given the weakest and crappiest of all petrol engines, the magnificent 1.1. This produces some hp, but they’ve yet to make a dyno that can measure in 100ths of a hp.
You can say sure, but it’s a small hatchback, no need for a million hp, and you’d be right.

But then again I do like some control of where I’m going. The C3 is equipped with a type of steering that’s very very light. So light infact, that at first it feels like it isn’t connected to anything at all. The first half turn of the wheel does nothing, but when you’re not expecting it, the second half does everything. Because its so randomly sensitive you drive everywhere either completely in the left side of the lane or jerking around left to right. This I did not like.

Furthermore, the ride is very smooth, but as soon as you get to a bump in the road, it gets bone-jarringly hard, and at the same time the wheels loose grip so you litterally bounce over bumps in the road.

Overall : 5/10, back to the drawing board for Citroen.

[TopGearDog]

Nice review.

My sister has one of these. She bought it slightly used from the main dealer with warranty, which was nice cause a week later the gearbox completely broke. Few months later the engine started behaving erratical and was due to some computer malfunction and a new chip had to shipped from france. Luckily, all under warranty, but not the best of first impressions.

It's not very big, but for some reason, her husband, who is 6' 9" (207cm) can drive it with no problem.

[Elvis313]

Nice idea! And nice Review.
I think I'll do that for my Fiesta later this week.

Edit: just noticed the "someone elses car" thing, so I'll write something about my parents' V50

[smib]

I'll give it a go.

My car is also being repaired after getting rear ended and the only thing on the lot was this:


A Chevy 2008 Silverado 1500 LT(base model)
Now, my view on trucks has always been that while I kinda like the look and sound of them, I'd never want to drive one; too big and bothersome as well as the fact that I have no need for the utility they offer. This has changed slightly. I actually enjoyed having the high vantage point as well as the feeling of "I can do anything I want, I have a big truck." But onto specifics.

Looks and interior
As far as trucks go, I'd say this one is pretty simple and understated in the looks department, not nearly as aggressive as a Dodge or Ford equivalent. I can certainly appreciate this design, but I personally prefer the more aggressive look, especially in trucks.
On the inside it is extremely simple. The huge dash is mostly empty and the stereo is as plain and understated as they could make it, and that's fine because I'm pretty sure that most people who are interested in this truck over the competition would prefer the simple, more classic dash. I didn't like it at first, but got used to it and found the large buttons and dials to be very user friendly.
The stereo plays nice with mp3 cds, although the cd-RW I burned seems to be giving it problems. If I get a chance I'll make a regular mp3 cd to make sure it's the disk type that's the issue as I have heard of that happening. It has a three band EQ with about 10 presets as well as a custom setting. Trust me, if you're used to two band, you will fall in love with three. Having an adjustment for the mid range was something I forgot I needed after not having it in the car before. Also of note, the stereo is XM satellite ready, although it wasn't activated, as would be expected on a base model rental.
There are lots of small to smallish storage compartments tucked away in the center console and a few more in the dash, and although I didn't have much use for them in the time I've had the truck, I'm sure many of them would come in very handy to someone who actually owns one.
I haven't been in the back seats other than to load and unload groceries, but I would say that two adults could sit back there with relative comfort.

The ride
At first it seemed like this thing could flip at any moment, but that was really just because of the huge difference between this and my car as over a few days I got used to the setup and found that falling over at a stop light or even most corners wasn't going to be an issue. The steering it pretty light, too light for my liking. but not so much as tou cause the kinds of issues Noodle had with his rental.
The ride itself was a bit stiff and bouncy, but that's because this thing is designed to have up to an extra 1000lbs in the bed, so I imagine that once some extra weight is thrown in there it would be a bit smoother. The seats are big and comfortable while providing good support (my back has actually been hurting a lot less since I've been driving this), but being someone with a smallish frame, I think that it'd be a little tight for a bigger person when the center console is down.
Driving on the highway was quite nice, much better than in my car. With the engine at 1800rpm when going 70 and a good amount of sound deadening, all I hear is the V8 rumble in the background and a little bit of wind noise in the for of a slightly annoying whistle, which may be something to do with this particular truck and not the entire line.

The Power
There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of it. I know that there is, but it doesn't feel like it. I've been told however, that this is largely due to the fact that Chevy goes for the "best fuel economy in class" mark, making thier trucks a bit sluggish compared to their competition. This was particularly annoying at times when coupled with a transmission that also tries to save as much fuel as possible. It seemed to resist shifting down all the time, and that almost caused a highway accident as when I gunned it to merge it took 2-3 seconds to shift down a couple cogs and take off. This sort of thing is unacceptable to me and is a major part of why I hate auto 'boxes. I know some are good, but any car close to my price range is going to act similarly, so I'll stick with a proper 'box.
Four wheel drive is awesome. When you turn it on you really feel like absolutely nothing can stop this thing, and tenfold when in 4Lo. I was tempted to drive over cars instead of going around them, and I have no doubt that it could have worked.
This truck has a V8, I like V8s. I need more of them in my life. I came dangerously close to buying a Firebird I simply cannot afford just so I could have that noise. Granted, the Silverado is actually very quiet, but that sound still comes through when you bury the throttle(and the damn thing downshifts).

The Verdict
This truck has shown me that I actually like trucks and would seriously consider buying one if I could afford the gas, which I can't comfortably do right now. It overall is pretty good, with the biggest exception being a lack of oomph for my liking and an automatic transmission, but I think a more reasonable person who doesn't have such a juvenile need to drive a bit faster than in necessary would be much more ok with these things.

7/10

[LeVeL]

Lets see... whats the last un-modified car I drove that wasnt a boat like my maxima? This is hard... Great thread though!

[NooDle]

Originally Posted by LeVeL

Lets see... whats the last un-modified car I drove that wasnt a boat like my maxima? This is hard... Great thread though!

doesn't have to be unmodified or even interesting,and it can be boatlike. Just write whatever you want

[Polly]

I drive one of these at work. Aircon works like a charme. 10/10

[smib]

I drive my girlfriend's Maxima once in a while and it doesn't feel like a boat to me. It can get out of its own way well enough, is pretty comfortable, looks decent enough. Kinda shitty a/c though.

[Vector]

I drove my girlfriend's Mazda 3 and I have nothing but good things to say about it.

Handles really well, suspension really takes the corners and there feels like plenty of grip. The ride is a little firm however, and noisy on the highway. Steering was great, it was firm and felt really connected to the road (power steering is getting really good these days, I reckon). It's fast -- I had it up to 110 mph from about 70-75 in a passing maneuver in what felt like only a few seconds -- and brakes great -- I had to brake from that maneuver with a fair amount of urgency as I encountered oncoming traffic! But the car stayed straight, didn't pull, and barely even shuddered as I quickly steered in behind a caravan. The manual mode for the automatic transmission is really fun around town. Even though it's no replacement for a real manual, just being able to select the right gear going through a corner makes all the difference.

BTW she has the GT option which includes bigger wheels and brakes (and these brakes really look big, they look bigger than ones on a Mustang). The interior looks very nice indeed, with high quality plastic throughout and leather on the steering wheel for added comfort and grip. She has the upgraded cloth seats which look great without the hassle of leather, and they are really supportive too in the bends. The fit and finish is near perfect. She's had it for a few years now, driving through snow and rough potholed roads and there are still NO squeaks or rattles from the car. Feels very solid. The only gripe is that the stereo lacks a jack for audio in, so we had to buy an am/FM receiver for the iPod.

Styling is nice, if a little cutesy for my tastes (hey, it's a Mazda) and the factory rims look nice enough on it.

The only issues she's had with it have been the security issue that Mazda's have, with it being easy to pop the locks open by simply banging the door in the right spot. But the dealership installed knock sensors for no cost to address this. Now, however, she is having some issues with the automatic door locks unlocking and locking themselves randomly. We suspect this could be due to the installation of the knock sensors however. Also, while on a trip to Victoria over a few days, the check engine light went on unexpectedly. We called Mazda and they said that it's mostly related to the emissions equipment and if the car is still running smoothly, then not to worry. So we finished our trip and sometime along the way home, it goes off again. No clue what the deal was, but it doesn't seem to have been serious and perhaps corrected itself. Other than that, it's been a solid little car for her over the last few years. (It's a leaser and I'm trying to convince her to trade it in for an RX-8 next time! )

[GM_IV]

I work at a rental car company so I drive several base model cars all the time of several brands. The only main brands I've not yet driven a single model are Subaru, Mercury, Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Lexus, Infiniti, Saturn and Acura. I could review by request, the smaller the car the more likely I've driven it since I've driven all of the subcompacts and almost all the compacts except the Lancer.

[smib]

Originally Posted by GM_IV

I work at a rental car company so I drive several base model cars all the time of several brands. The only main brands I've not yet driven a single model are Subaru, Mercury, Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Lexus, Infiniti and Acura. I could review by request, the smaller the car the more likely I've driven it since I've driven all of the subcompacts and almost all the compacts except the Lancer.

If you guys have Scions, what do you think of the tC?

[KaJuN]

1997 Land Rover Discovery Series One



Looks
A good mix between tough off roader and sensible every day car. It makes you feel like every trip you take is on safari yet you don't feel weird driving it around. Discoveries are somewhat few and far between in this area so the vehicle is a real head turner.

Interior
This is a nice place to be with seating for five and up to seven if the situation calls for it. Ample headroom and a good driving position. The plastics feel like quality materials and everything has held up extremely well over the years. My only two complaints are about the seats and the windscreen. The front chairs are a bit on the hard side and you sit on them more than in them. Although the rear seats are hands-down the most comfortable rear seats I've ever been in. Due to Land Rover's 'command driving position' you sit up quite high and for some reason the top of the windscreen frame is very low. You have to stay well back at traffic lights or you'll be doing the 'Disco duck' to see when the lights change.

On-Road Driving
The 4.0 V8 and automatic transmission are adequate for most of what you'll encounter on the roads. 0-60 in about 10 seconds isn't bad considering the thing weighs 4500 pounds. One annoyance is that the transmission likes to go up a gear when driving at a constant speed so that makes you lose a bit of power but it's nothing a quick press of the throttle won't fix. The brakes are merely adequate and could do with a bit more stopping power. It gets a pretty consistent 15mpg which I'm happy with considering the size of the thing.

The ride is mostly smooth but can get a bit bouncy at times. It doesn't feel as top-heavy as you would think and I've never had the sensation that it was going to topple over. Steering is a bit on the heavy side but it's nicely responsive.

Off-Road Driving
This is where the Discovery really shines. Full time four wheel drive with a locking center differential make this a very desired vehicle for trail use. Mine is currently in factory stock setup with all terrain tires and I've easily been able to follow the other club members with their suspension lifts and chunky tires. In fact I've made it through places where they really struggled. It's a very easy vehicle to drive off road. You just point the nose in the direction you want to go and it does the rest. It has done things that I thought were impossible for it to do.

Reliability
This is a major drawback of Land Rovers and one of the main reasons people shy away from them. They aren't Hondas that keep going on forever even if the owner never opens the hood. They require constant maintenance and even then the breakdowns are unpredictable and parts are pricey but fortunately they are very easy vehicles to work on. The Lucas electrical system has a lot to do with this because most breakdowns seem to be because of faulty engine electrics. With that said this Discovery has been the most reliable vehicle I've ever had even with 143,000 miles under its belt. It's gotten me home every single time even when the radiator hose exploded or when it was gushing out power steering fluid. It has also survived being rear ended by a Buick. I'm tempted to say it's invincible.

I know it's cliche to say a vehicle has character but I really do think this one does. There are days where it just does weird things like it's not happy I woke it up to go somewhere. It's almost like it's alive and has mood swings.

[GM_IV]

Originally Posted by smib

If you guys have Scions, what do you think of the tC?

Canada doesn't get Scions, they're a US only brand. Much of the problem with Scion is Canadian dealers do not want or don't have room to allocate space for a separate brand. My company only buys directly from the dealer, also very rare exceptions do certain branches get anything remotely "sporty" like BMW 323i, or Cadillac CTS(I did drive this), this is only because those dealers want us to service their customers with their own cars. Honda also prefers not to sell rentals, I did work at a branch that does deal with Honda dealer willing to provide cars but only Fits and Civics.

[edkwon]

Here's a review i wrote on another site, just copying and pasting it here:

I own a 2007 Subaru Legacy GT Spec B, which is the top trim level of the Legacy GT lineup. Powered by the same 2.5L single turbo motor found in the regular GT models, the Spec B distinguishes itself with some cosmetic upgrades (special alcantara interiors, chrome trim, standard sat nav with a manual transmission) and some mechanical differences (18" wheels upgraded from the factory 17", rear torsen LSD, bilstein struts derived from the JP market legacy GTs, and a 6 speed gearbox based on the box found in the Sti version of the Impreza, but with altered gearing better suited for long distance cruising, instead of fierce rally driving).

The current legacy lineup, being arguably the best looking, if most conventional of the subaru lineup (a marquee well known for its quirky if not universally likeable style) and coupled with the turbo engine, is quite a capable performance sports sedan, built to compete with comparable 4 door cars like the Audi A4 and BMW 3 series. The standard AWD system coupled with legendary subaru reliability and record safety crash ratings, make this car a very nice alternative to the more presitgious german marques.

Subarus have never garnered a reputation for nice interiors, esp compared to their european counterparts, but this current legacy boasts one of the nicest interiors of any subaru i've ever seen, altho it still falls a generation or two behind any corresponding audi, BMW or Merc.

On the road, the Spec B is a very capable performer with enough power to pull thru long highway straights or twisty country backroads and coupled with the uprated factory suspension, keeps its wheels well planted on the road for the AWD to maximize traction and power delivery. Push too hard in the corners tho, and the Legacy, much like the smaller Impreza, exhibits characteristic understeer that can be overcome with the stability control (VDC system) switched off and a bit of aggressive driving. Overall driving fun rates fairly high for what appears to be handsome if sedate looking sedan. Plus there is a lot of hidden power and performance to be unlocked thru engine and suspension upgrades, capable of turning this daily driver into a mountain path monster that can hold its own with the best RWD sports sedans.

On the subject of cost, the Spec B package does come at a $5-6K premium above the standard LGT 5 speed car, and this is something that the buyer must decide is worthwhile, wether it is the uprated factory suspension or the 6 speed box, which was honestly an attraction point for me. Plus the AWD makes this car quite thirsty for fuel, and even tho EPA ratings put highway mpg in the high 20s and some owners even claim to break 30 mpg, realistic daily stop and go driving without driving like an undertaker, puts avg real world fuel economy in the high teens.

Overall the Legacy GT spec B is a fun and fast sleeper of a sedan whose quirky subaru roots hide the fact its a great rival to the european sedan segment.
Pros: Good subtle looks, power, handling, AWD, classier more mature alternative to the WRX or Sti
Cons: Poor fuel economy, interior and appointments still not on par with the germans, lack of brand presitge.

[atombfield]

I work in Valet Parking, so I'll write up some of the more interesting cars I drive whenever I can

[katwalk]

Originally Posted by KaJuN

1997 Land Rover Discovery Series One



I know it's cliche to say a vehicle has character but I really do think this one does. There are days where it just does weird things like it's not happy I woke it up to go somewhere. It's almost like it's alive and has mood swings.

ok
*me goes to steal the one out in front of house*
COME DISCOVERY YOU WILL BE MY NEW FRIEND








I'd review my bug, but I know I'm to bias for that

[chilicoke]

ummm...

Originally Posted by NooDle

...
you can't "review" your own car. Has to be someone elses, rentals, whatever.
...

[NooDle]

Originally Posted by chilicoke

ummm...

i'll explain why I did this. We all love cars here, and we all think we know alot about them. So the car that we hand picked ourselves and chose to spend a large amount of money on, will always be 'the best' and 'awesome'.

I could bore the entire forum to death about how much I love my diesel hatchback, but that's not the point of this thread. We have a "heres my car, I love it to death" thread already

this is more about cars you drive because you don't have a choice (rental, company car, friend's car, etc. Sometimes you find little gems (my wife's last car was a puny 1.0l Opel Corsa, yet I loved it because it revved until a million rpm and was light and agile) and sometimes you get a super crap car (Rover Streetwise, don't ask)

I'll be updating this thread after the weekend, cause the company gave me a nice looking Alfa 159 for the weekend...be a nice chance from the boring Volvo V40 I usually get.

[NooDle]

Originally Posted by atombfield

I work in Valet Parking, so I'll write up some of the more interesting cars I drive whenever I can

I instantly get this flashback whenever I hear the words "valet" and "interesting cars"



Cookie for anyone who knows this movie without cheating...