Our "own" car reviews

Yeah, it would probably be quite nice car on a track, but in any case it's not a track car. It's a cheap (for a flat six Porsche I mean) roadster, so it should be fun everyday, and not occasional track days. Maybe I was bit harsh, but that was because the car was totally different than my expectations. I wanted to know how much fun Boxster makes in normal driving, and except the excellent engine characteristics, it left me totally cold. I mean, I'd love to drive one for a year as my only car if I'd live in a world where it would be reasonable, it's certainly much more fun on a winding road than your average saloon car, but I was looking how it works as a second car to purely enjoy driving, and in that it's not good enough.

I don't know if the cause was the lack of power. I certainly was satisfied by its acceleration, but maybe more power would bring the whole car closer to it's limits, thus making it more exciting. I don't really know, but anyway I didn't have any regrets giving the key back.
 
1999 Cadillac Seville SLS (Friends car with 190k miles) Quick review

Exterior: The car is long and wide, it literally takes up the whole parking spot its parked in. Compared to my car it is like a limo (but it is a cadillac, they are big cars). The car looks really nice in white, a Cadillac's true color. Nothing too controversial about the style.

Interior: Wow, the seats were comfortable, but I absolutely hated the steering wheel, it was really ugly. Speedometer looked really cool when you started up the car. Inside was very spacious, especially the backseat which was like the plushiest sofa ever. Center console was pretty much easily laid out with nothing distracting. Nothing too over the top, except the climate control buttons on the steering wheel. When I adjusted the rearview mirror, I swear it felt like it was going to break off when I turned it.

The Drive: Brakes or steering didn't have much feeling to it. I didn't feel like I was really steering a car. I had more feeling outta my old fisher price car that I had as a child. Acceleration was pretty good, shifted pretty smooth, but had some torque steer to the steering.

Overall I give it a 4, it wasn't an exciting car to drive, but really comfortable.

Sidenotes: I hated the keys of the cadillac, they screamed cheap, even the keyless was cheap (cheap plastic with 4 cheap buttons)
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2007 VW Golf 1.9TDI Comfortline

My cousin has graduated from college, and to celebrate on being accepted into university (and to get himself there), he traded his student-special Hyundai Accent in for a four-year old Golf diesel.

The old adage that a Golf is timeless and classless is true. This car could have been built last week, and it would not look out of place in the palatial driveway of a countryside mansion. Likewise in a McDonalds carpark, full of discarded Coke cups and chips. Which is likely where this one will be found. Not only do the doors close with the reassuring quality "thud" one expects of something as Germanic as a Volkswagen, but it opens with a sound which oozes quality. The interior greets you with soft touch plastics, no panel gaps to speak of, some of the best seat fabric I've seen this side of an E-Class and a warm glow from the numerous ambient lights around the cabin. At night, two small red LEDs glow from the roof console, shining a soft light over the dials in the centre console. It's touches like this which make the Golf such a nice and rewarding place to sit.

The 1.9TDI is a fairly old oil-burner, but you couldn't tell this inside the cabin. Good noise insulation means at idle the Golf's cabin is nicely separated from the engine's tractor-like clatter. Once on the move, three things make it apparent you are driving a car which runs on the stuff from the black pump. Under acceleration, the engine lets off a very satisfying diesely growl, a noise that is actually much nicer than most dreary petrol four-pots in cars this size. The torque is instant and at no point does the car feel underpowered, especially when the turbo kicks in with a noticeable yet smooth surge. I was not driving in a way that could even be remotely considered economical, yet through my mostly urban drive through a hilly area, the consumption barely went over 6.5L/100km.

The six-speed manual gearbox made great use of the engines immense torque. At 100km/h the engine speed was more or less idling. The clutch, however, was less than perfect. Saying it was as though it was made of moss would be far too firm. It was more like it was made of air. I thought this might just be me coming from my heavy-clutch Renault, but my cousin confirmed that the Golf even made the light-as-a-feather clutch in his old Accent feel firm.

The ride and road noise were well taken care of when equipped with the standard Comfortline trim 16? alloys, much better than the equivalent Astra. While my route didn?t have many opportunities to get to grips with the handling, it felt planted and went about with no drama. The Golf was very much on par in this respect.

The Golf is, simply put, a great car. It does everything expected of it, and does it well. While it may not be a sports car, and it certainly won?t set your world on fire, but it?s the sort of car which you could get in every morning without feeling any regret, without feeling that maybe you?d be better off if you bought something else. It is the superlative family hatchback, and for good reason.
 
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small

A friend of mine took couple of pictures, this one was the best.

F430 Spider F1

I had an incredible trip to Modena last weekend with my friends, and between drinking coffee and eating we also visited the Pagani factory and Maranello. There are couple of Ferrari rental companies near Galleria Ferrari museum. Their noble business idea is to take away all the money from tourists.

I was a tourist, so I thought why not? I had to do it now, or when I visit Maranello next time, because in Finland getting to drive a Ferrari is not so easy. 100 euros for 20 minutes is of course way overpriced, but then again it's only couple of laps around the ring with fuel expenses included.

I could choose between nice dark grey coupe and red Spider with chromed tasteless wheels. I choose the bling wheel one hoping to hear the engine better in topless car.

The first few meters in the car park were a surprise. Steering was as in any other car, as were the brakes. The often criticized F1 gearbox worked well except slow uphill creeping. It really felt a car I could use everyday. Sadly the interior was a bit too ordinary. Some switches were a bit plasticky, but the the whole design was not as special as it should be. Maybe it felt like that because of the missing gear lever, because I love how the Ferrari manual shift looks like. I'm sure the F1 system is a joy to use on a race track and on fast B-road blasts, but because the whole car is so easy to drive on normal roads, it could benefit from a smallish challenge of manual gearshift.

And then there's the engine. I actually tested how it pulls from 1200rpm in sixth gear, and while acceleration was not rapid, it didn't hesitate at all. Then there's the noise when the flaps in the exhaust system open. Company had a stupid rule not to use more than 4000rpms in first two gears (I was actually going to break the rule, but I waited too long to find a good place, which I never did), but I to gave it a try in third, and while I didn't reach the redline, it revved to around 7000 rpm or so. At that point it really flied, but of course the best parts come only after 8000 or so. The change in the noise when the flaps open was a bit too strong for my taste maybe, but I loved the way engine sounded in any kind of situation. There was always something special to hear.

Of course in 20 minutes I can't say anything about the handling. It felt really flat in corners and not a single bit intimidating, so maybe it really is a car you could enjoy driving even on normal open roads.

So was it worth the 100 euros? No. But do I regret? Hell no. Twenty minutes in a Ferrari is just a small glimpse of the car, but a very positive one. If I had the money I'm not sure I would buy one though. As a driving tool it's probably incredible, and thanks to all that technology everybody can enjoy driving it quickly. It also really felt like a car I could enjoy every day in the summer. This might sound a bit stupid, but how long would it feel special, if you drove it every day? It's interior and exterior (I've never been a fan of the F430's looks) are not any more special than any 911 and the F1 gear change is soulless, so all that Ferrari experience comes from the engine and how it feels to drive. But if you use it every day, would it feel special after a year? I'd certainly like to find out, but to be honest, if I had enough money to buy F430 (or may 458 Italia), I'd seriously consider something a bit older, like the F355 with manual gear change (and the saved money I'd use for other daily driver). F355 would probably be totally rubbish compared to F430, but then if I only drove the car during weekends, the specialness would last much longer, and at least the exterior would be as pretty as it can be. It's actually exactly the point Clarkson said after Ferrari 599 test when he drove old 275.

The F430 is a great, great car with an engine full of awesomeness, but it also felt a bit like a Ferrari made for young IT millionaires. There's nothing wrong with that, that's how you selll supercars today. Software geniuses have replaced Steve McQueen. It's just that I want to learn to drive the car, and not a car that learns how I drive. But so are all the cars today, and I'm still stunned how Ferrari has managed to built so user friendly supercar.
 
How much are they asking for it? Could you get a good W201 or a W124 for the money? Of course, ask Matyas - nothing really feels like a W126, if you ask him.

Having never driven the W201 or the W124 I cannot say driving wise. Parts for the W126 can be more expensive, but not necessarily so. A lot depends on the level of extras. I would go for the W124, as it is bigger and more spacious than the W201. And as for the W126, that is bigger than the W124, and in my opinion it has a better interior. But yeah, I am a W126 fanboy :p
 
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the Smart fortwo (2010 61hp petrol mhd)

I wasn`t too disappointed when I got a Smart forTwo as a replacement car when I dropped off my Car at the Garage because I had never driven one. I never even had a ride in one, and I?ve been rather curious about how it drives and stuff. I know the ForTwo is probably one of the most hated Cars on this forum, especially with our American Members but personally I?ve always had a soft spot for it. I?ve lived downtown in a City for quite some time and I?ve always looked at the forTwo with envious eyes when I couldn?t find a parking space big enough with a Audi A4 while forTwo drivers could always find a spot.
So I got a all black forTwo with 61hp petrol engine and smarts "micro hybrid drive" - which is only a fancy name for a start-stop system - for a day.

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What?s it like to drive? Like a shopping cart. Very maneuverable but not one bit of comfort. The car is very stiff so it directs every little bump to the driver. That?s fine for short trips around town but I really wouldn?t want to spend 2 or more hours at a stretch in those seats. Speaking of seats - I?ve had worse. I get back pain quite easily especially in bad car seats, and on the longest stretch of driving I did (1 hour) I didn?t feel a thing. A lot of small hatchbacks I?ve driven over the years might have been more comfy on balance - but they?ve had far worse seats.
Performance - well, I didn?t give the car a proper shakedown. Most of the time I was in town and I did one blast along some b-roads with up to 100km/h and all I can say is that the 61hp petrol engine does suit the car well. It?s not too little power that it doesn?t move - but of course it?s also far from "fun" or exciting. The car also doesn?t feel at home over 80km/h. It feels rather nervous on it?s tiny wheels and side-winds felt quite strong. The top speed is supposed to be 145km/h, but I doubt you?d actually want to do that in a forTwo. I certainly didn?t feel the need to do so.
Concerning the much criticized gearbox - I?ve had worse. It?s not as bad as some reviews that I?ve read have led me to expect. It isn?t brilliant, but i think it suits the forTwo well. What I didn?t like was that the button to change from automatic to manual mode is on the side of the gear-leaver where you accidentally hit it quite easy. And then you only notice it when your ears start to bleed and you ask yourself why it doesn?t shift up.
The "micro hybrid drive" system in the car was the first start stop system that I?ve ever driven. It didn?t feel natural at first (it feels like you?ve stalled, especially when maneuvering), but after a while I hardly noticed it. And of course, you can turn if off when you want to. But the worst part about the car for me have been the brakes. There is no feeling in the pedal. I?ve driven a lot of cars, but I don?t think I?ve ever had a car where pushing the brake felt so awkward. A part of the problem is that when you push the pedal hard, the front dives quite a lot - so in order not to be seasick, you try to avoid that - but that?s really hard. Don?t know If i would have gotten used to it with more time, but as it was it was my biggest issue with the car.
What about the space inside? For two, there?s plenty. In the cabin at least. Visibility is excellent of course, never been in a car so easy to park. The boot was bigger than I expected, but then I expected nothing. A trip for two to the airport would definitely be a problem, while your weekend shopping (for two - again, it?s in the name) would fit. But the boot also get?s quite warm as the engine is underneath it, you wouldn?t want to put frozen stuff in there.
The inside design is pleasing, while the plastic used has a very cheap feeling to it. The steering wheel in particular is pretty bad. On a summers day with sweaty hands I could see it slipping through my hands easily.

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On balance - would I want one? Yes. I know I?ve pretty much been telling you how bad it is - but in the end driving one wasn?t so bad that it could put me off buying one if it fit my lifestyle, if I lived downtown in big city again. It?s 2.70m short - that?s all there really is to say. If that?s not a point that get?s you interested in a forTwo - don?t bother. It?s funky looking and for town-traffic the performance is reasonable, the lack of comfort ignorable. Dunno about the mhd petrol though ... I think I would rather go the whole 10 yards and get a forTwo with Electric drive when they come 2012.
 
the Smart fortwo (2010 61hp petrol mhd)

I wasn`t too disappointed when I got a Smart forTwo as a replacement car when I dropped off my Car at the Garage because I had never driven one. I never even had a ride in one, and I?ve been rather curious about how it drives and stuff.....

Very nice review. I've always had a thing for the Smart but was disappointed about hearing the US car's fuel economy. Since we only get the gas engine, the ForTwo only gets
41 on the highway, 33 in the city. The city number is impressive, but you can get a Yaris 3 door automatic that gets 29 and a Insight hybrid that gives you 30...thats a lot more car and you don't have to use the semi auto gearbox, or pay for pricey premium fuel.

Speaking of that...did you keep it in auto the whole time? Here, the shift lever on the ForTwo is patterned after a traditional automatic:

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While the ROW car is different. As such, I suspect most people who drive the ForTwo drive it expecting a creamy shifting traditional auto box and walk away disappointed, instead of trying to use manual mode for better results.
 
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Speaking of that...did you keep it in auto the whole time? Here, the shift lever on the ForTwo is patterned after a traditional automatic:

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The shift-lever layout is different here, sadly didn?t get any pics myself, but in this one you can see the tiny button on the side of the lever that changes from automatic to manual. It?s pretty much next to your knee ...
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I did drive it in "manual"-mode, but the improvements in gear-changing smoothness were tiny. Maybe, again like with the brakes I would have gotten better with practice ... but I didn?t think the Automatic mode was that bad in the first place. It is a tad more jerky than a good automatic, but really only a tad. Maybe in america where you are more used to drive automatics, you would notice it more. And it?s also been said that Smart improved on that subject in the last years quite a bit and that older models are far worse in that area. I can?t say anything about that of course, this has been my only one so far ...
 
I think I would rather go the whole 10 yards and get a forTwo with Electric drive when they come 2012.

Good review. How come you're only getting it next year? We've had one at our offices as a poolcar for a couple of months already....
Haven't seen it move so I'm not sure if it works at all :)
 
Remember getting tickets to see the band you loved as a kid? You used to get all the albums, blu-tack posters on your wall, talk excitedly with your friends about their best work and wishing you could one day see them live. Remember it all?

Hang on, I?m going somewhere with this.

I?ve always been a huge DeLorean fan. Blame Back to the Future, blame ?80s US pop culture that at some point completely engulfed me, blame Nike sneakers. I?m Marty McFly?s long-lost kid brother. I?ve read all the articles I could get my hands on and learnt all the little details by heart ? but I?ve never seen the car live, never touched its brushed stainless steel. So, when I found out that one of the two-three DMC-12s that have been imported in the country was residing only an hour?s drive from me, I just had to see it.

Finland?s pretty much as far removed from the States as is possible ? ever seen our gas prices? ? and yet we have our similarities. On the west coast of Finland?s wide open little America that is the ?sterbotten region, a car dealer had imported a DMC-12 for himself, across the Gulf of Bothnia from Sweden. An Aug ?81 model as the bonnet louvers and filling flap testify, it was an automatic one with black leather. Come a foggy Saturday morning, I fired up the Sapporo and drove up to Vasa.

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Walking through rows and rows of used Citro?ns, I looked for the stainless steel chariot. As I first laid my eyes on it, I guffawed. It?s pretty damn low. And wide. Next to the Citro?n Picasso, it looked just like the space ship it was taken for in the first BTTF film. I walked around it, taking it all in. A little dent here, a little scratch there. Ill-fitting EU plates. Nose cone repainted. Stickers from Sweden. Wide Cooper Cobra tires. Wide ass. Flawless design.

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No, the doors do not make that epic whooshing sound when opened, just the same ordinary one you hear when you open any hatch or tailgate. And with the door open, I just stood there for a while, looking at it all, having a silent moment.

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Sitting in the seat with the gullwing door open above me, I looked around the instruments. So this is what these are like, I thought. The steering wheel, somewhat worn, was surprisingly small and thin-rimmed in my hands. The correct Craig radio was there in the dash, above generic switchgear. And as the car was a 1981 US model, the speedo didn?t go past 85 MPH ? so no hitting 88 MPH in this one.

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Stretching up and closing the door, the car still felt like a spaceship ? albeit one built down to a price. I could sense the ?12? in the car?s name around me, a number that had originally referred to the envisioned asking price of 12 000 USD. With the lengthened gestation and development issues, the price had ballooned up to more than double, past the prices of Corvettes that DeLorean had planned to rival. But yet, the feeling inside was incredible. It was tight in there, I could smell the car?s age ? and cocooned inside a DeLorean is one of the best places I?ve ever been.

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Still feeling the wheel, I noticed you could move it up and down by 5cm even if it wasn?t adjustable. With the Belfast build quality being like this, I would never even dream of fitting all the time machine crap in and on the car. The creaking and racket with all the time circuit and flux capacitor props would probably be deafening when driving up and down your local high street ? and it all would only work to transform you from ?connoisseur of vintage ?80s machinery and all things ?80s? to ?Tron Guy?. So, the flanks are best kept unadorned with tack-on wires, like Giugiaro meant them.

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Opening the engine cover, I peered at the Douvrin V6. At the same time, it was hard and easy to believe it was the same engine that all the old guys in my town have under the bonnet of their Volvo 760:s. It?s the wrong engine for the car, but like all the other compromises in the car, it?s what DMC had to deal with. And nearly suffocated by period smog gear, it had only produced 97kW new, barely more than the 2350cc 4G64 in the Mitsubishi. It?s things like this that contributed to the DMC?s demise, and yet make it a bit more cult-ish. It wouldn?t be right to shoehorn anything else into the engine bay, except maybe for a rotary engine.

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As I closed the DMC-12?s doors for the last time (this is the point where you?re supposed to hear the wistful, mourning tones from the beginning of Alan Silvestri?s Back to the Future Overture), I just had to smile. By being just a car, it?s still so much more than just a car. By being an installation piece, it never had to show me how it feels to drive ? so the dream remains unshattered. Perhaps a more freely-breathing euro version would be better, perhaps a manual one. Perhaps you can get an example in just a bit better condition ? and you can, if you?ve ever visited the delorean.com website. Down in Austin, Texas, they can still assemble you your very own dream DeLorean, just the way you like it.

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And like that old favorite band of yours, it played the hits for me. You saw they were no longer young, you heard the sub-standard new material that they were touring, you heard the creak in their voices. But when you got home, you cranked up an old album of theirs, sat back in your chair and thought ?Damn, I really did see them live.?

And it?s the same with the DeLorean DMC-12 for me.
 
^
Best own review ever.

I prefer the non fuel bonnet flap version. ;)
 
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Here's a DeLorean brochure I had brought with me. Ordered it from the DeLorean Motor Company in Austin back in the summer :)


And to top off the review, here's the BTTF teaser trailer.
 
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Awesome review Public. I love those cars and would like to own one myself someday. I don't even care if it runs. I'll break down a wall of my house and push it into my living room just so I can see it and set in it, the way you did with the car above. It doesn't really matter that it wasn't perfect, it is still awesome.
 
I really hate you now, public
 
1999 Cadillac Seville SLS (Friends car with 190k miles) Quick review

Exterior: The car is long and wide, it literally takes up the whole parking spot its parked in. Compared to my car it is like a limo (but it is a cadillac, they are big cars). The car looks really nice in white, a Cadillac's true color. Nothing too controversial about the style.

Interior: Wow, the seats were comfortable, but I absolutely hated the steering wheel, it was really ugly. Speedometer looked really cool when you started up the car. Inside was very spacious, especially the backseat which was like the plushiest sofa ever. Center console was pretty much easily laid out with nothing distracting. Nothing too over the top, except the climate control buttons on the steering wheel. When I adjusted the rearview mirror, I swear it felt like it was going to break off when I turned it.

The Drive: Brakes or steering didn't have much feeling to it. I didn't feel like I was really steering a car. I had more feeling outta my old fisher price car that I had as a child. Acceleration was pretty good, shifted pretty smooth, but had some torque steer to the steering.

Overall I give it a 4, it wasn't an exciting car to drive, but really comfortable.

Sidenotes: I hated the keys of the cadillac, they screamed cheap, even the keyless was cheap (cheap plastic with 4 cheap buttons)

Forgive me if this comes off wrongly, but you seem to be quite harsh on cars that are not up to your expected CLK levels of comfort and refinement. If you go in with an open mind, sometimes cars can pleasantly surprise you:)

Judge inexpensive cars for what they are, do not try and compare them to a car which a previous review shows you have very strong feelings towards. For example, a Mazda RX-8 certainly wouldn't compare to Jeremy Clarkson's then-own Ford GT, yet he still managed to judge it for what it was and come up with a very positive review for it. Not saying you have to love everything you drive, but just try to have a bit more objective outlook:)

And keep it up with the reviews all, really enjoying them.
 
To be fair, he's talking about a late '90s Cadillac. With very high mileage. What would you expect it to be like?
 
Forgive me if this comes off wrongly, but you seem to be quite harsh on cars that are not up to your expected CLK levels of comfort and refinement. If you go in with an open mind, sometimes cars can pleasantly surprise you:)
Judge inexpensive cars for what they are, do not try and compare them to a car which a previous review shows you have very strong feelings towards.

I thought it was a pretty fair review. Besides, judging a Cadillac for what it is would result in an awfully short bit: "Cheaply made horrid GM pile of heap that only Punisherbass would purchase sober."

Cheap and high mileage is no excuse for being a crap car. Remember that, kids.
 
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