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2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
The real problem is all the added content made them heavier, so it needed more torque. An original CRX Si was a feather weight.
People who love manuals should really like this car. It's a great deal for 22k.
The last engine was kinda weak for daily driving, or at least I've heard. Some people rev their engine to 7 k before shifting, but imho those people are a little nuts. Shifting at 3-5 k rpm in the new larger Si engine is very sweet. That thing just pulls and pulls at any rpm.
The shift knob is a heavy and cold piece of precision machined metal. Never felt one like that. I liked it a lot.
I never had an SI but I owned 3 early-1990s civics. they were great cars.
but my mountain-highway civic commute mpg dropped massively (>25%) when the RFG/ethanol/MTBE gasoline was introduced in california...
now all gas vehicles in USA get the "benefit" of significantly lower mpg thanks to ethanol! hooray.
I had a 2002 Honda S2000. The serious acceleration started around 7,000 rpm when the Vtec really kicked in. 9,000 RPM redline. A little noisy, but a lot of fun.
When I was fortunate enough to being able to buy a 911 in 2005, I seriously considered the GT3 with its 8,400 rpm redline. But no back seat. I ended up with a 911S Cab so I could cart around my wife and two young daughters in the "family car". Sold the 911 last year, but still miss my S2000 just about as much. At only $32k, it was an outright steal. It was absolutely the best sports car under $50k ever made by anybody. Period.
I think Acura is missing the boat with the new $120k NSX. I wouldn't take it over a Porsche 911. But if they came back with a slightly improved, refined S3000 for about $50k, I think they would be able to put the base Boxster, Z4 and SLK out of business.
Yeah but at least corn prices are much higher now.
So we get lower fuel economy on the way to the supermarket to pay higher food prices. A lose-lose proposition for the consumer.
The manual will only be available in the base model (called Premium trim in this case), and you can't get the optional moonroof and NAV that are available on all automatic-equipped Crosstreks. Boo!
Not to mention that the manual offered is still the crappy old 5-speed, with 10% worse fuel economy (EPA rating) than the automatic. Double boo! And from an automaker that I rely on to be one of the last defenders of the manual when all the big guys have dropped out of the manual business. :-(
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek Quick Drive: An Impreza, But Different
Oh well. I'm about ready to cross Subaru off my list for this next car.
Bastards! :P
I don't know which is worse, the stone-age 4-speed auto they had in the Impreza before, or the CVT they replaced it with! And the point is well made that power is seriously lacking for a vehicle this high and heavy.
Of course, a 6-speed manual with well-sorted ratios could be just the ticket for abating the worst impacts of that little engine's lack of oomph, but noooooo. And once again, we see an automaker treating the manual-shift buyer as the cheapskate - bare-bones base model only, and no ability to add options, even ones that are available IN THE SAME TRIM with an automatic.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I have a feeling that automatics are now probably less expensive to make than manuals due to quantity efficiency
Were they still using the 4-speed auto across their lineup (assuming we're still speaking of Subaru?), that wouldn't be the case by any means. That transmission had an exceptionally long run.
McLaren left the manual off of the car. DCT only. Probably a wise move.
I'm not doubting you that it is faster than some people can shift, but that still made me laugh out loud!
I know that a plain old AT on a V6 Honda can run 4-5K all together (and often get replaced), and a DCT is even more given how complex they are.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I'll shift my own , thank you, and save $4k up front, $10k if it ever breaks, and have more direct engagement and satisfaction in the process. But hey, I'm 55 and still play hardball baseball with wood bats on 90 foot bases, not softball with aluminum bats on 65 foot bases. With the better DC and PDK type transmissions, it's all about how much engagement YOU want to have rather than handing it over to a machine.
That 4 speed was a massive improvement over the ridiculous 3-speed AT they used as recently as 2002 (Corolla and Prizm).
If forced to choose between a 4-speed auto and a CVT, I would choose walking. ;-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Not bad at all.
Personally, I only like true manuals with 3 pedals.
I'm a 3-pedal snob, I admit it.
(Although I will say that the one time in my life I owned an SUV, a 4Runner, it was also a stick shift...not that much fun to drive on the street, but lots of fun to drive off the pavement. :-))
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
The Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5 both achieve close to 0.90g's on the skidpad. That happens to be equal to a 1996 Acura NSX at 0.89. Porsche's own 911 didn't break the 0.9g barrier until around 1995. And the V6 Cayenne can be ordered with a 6-speed manual. True enough, the Cadillac Escalades, Ford Explorers, Land Rovers and Lexus GX's of the world will still make you seasick around corners, but I was very pleasantly surprised when we went SUV shopping that BMW and Porsche have found a way to put a little "sport" in SUV.
I do hear the X1 will be available with the 4-cylinder turbo and a 6-speed manual (and RWD), and I am open to the possibility that it might be fun to drive - we will see.It will still be too heavy, but at least it will be closer to the ground and under two tons in weight.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Still didn't make it sporty....
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Not all CVTs are created equal.
I test drove a new Impreza 2.0 CVT and liked it better than the Mazda 3s (2.5l engine with 5EAT).
Much better than the CVT Lancer I rented in Puerto Rico. I'd rank that last among those 3 cars, all in the same class.
That said, if your needs and desires allow for a sports car or sports sedan, no need to test drive 5,000 lb SUV's. Just don't make the mistake of test driving 4,000 lb Mercedes SL or a 4,300 lb 650i. It's one thing for an SUV to weigh 2+ tons, it's completely inexcusable for a 2 seater or 2+2 to be that fat. I'll stick with a 3,000 lb 911 or 2,900 lb Cayman and leave the boat to something I attach to the back of our X5D.
Jeez, aint THAT the truth? I couldn't agree more.
My sister's X5 is a 2012 xdrive35D, yes, the diesel. I understand that for 2013 they will no longer offer the diesel - thought that was weird.
I didn't realize yours was exactly the same as the one I have so much seat time in, but I put this in the category of different strokes for different folks. I rent big vehicles like this when I need to use one (which is less than 1-2 times per year) and own vehicles with a "fun" character to drive the rest of the time.
Obviously those with a boat to tow will not be able to apply the same criteria to their car purchases....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Part of the problem is those sticky tires.
re: OFF ROAD---actually I'm wondering if a very low-geared automatic might not be better for crawling downhill (no chance of a stall, I mean)
It would be even harder to flip a Tesla Model S. And if Porsche doesn't get their new Cayman out of the laboratory soon, my number (6,700) for the Model S may get called first. :P
As for the SUV center of gravity thing, I'm sure I don't need to give you a lesson in physics, but its all related to CoG height, wheelbase and track that creates the angular pivot point (and stability). Our old Isuzu Trooper (5 speed manual, BTW), could probably have been tipped over by my daughter sticking her sippy cup too far out the window. But the Cayenne and X5 have managed to push the wheels out to the corners and a lot of their bulk is low in the chassis. on the other hand a Lexus GX is barely better than the Trooper and nothing made by Range Rover should be driven around a tight corner. I tested everything and within the SUV segment, the driving experiences can be night an day.
BTW, my former boss bought one of the first Miata's sold in America. He never tipped it over, but did lose it into a ditch after hitting a rogue puddle and hydroplaning. They had a different stability problem, at least in that early 1st generation with something like 13" wheels.
I had not heard that. I was shown an ordering form that indicated the 2012 X5D would be produced until 11/2012 (vs. the gas 2013 models which started shipping in July). From what I've read, BMW is going to be unveiling a new line up of clean diesels at the LA auto show. Sounded like there is going to be at least one, if not two, X5 diesels in 2013. Of the diesels I drove - ML350 Bluetech, Audi Q7 TDI, Touareg TDI, and Cayenne - the X5 felt the most responsive. It would be weird indeed if they discontinued it, now that they are finally catching on in the states.
My sister said the same thing, and she also tested everything in the segment with three rows. The BMW is head and shoulders above the rest for handling. Makes me wonder just how horrific driving a GX350 or an ML350 really is....
....but not enough to test drive them - they don't offer a manual transmission after all!
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
The new ML isn't BMW quality steering and handling, but not nearly as bad as the Lexus GX. The Lexus LX was not test driven as it is way too feminine for my tastes. Only missing a flower vase on the dash.
In checking out varous Porsche dealer websites, I am surprised that there are even more Cayenne V6 6-speed manuals popping up here and there. A least 3-4 within 300 miles of DC. I think Porsche's redesign of the Cayenne, in which it became much better looking, slightly bigger interior, shed 400+ pounds, etc. has made it the SUV of choice for someone that might consider rowing their own. It weighs nearly 900 lbs less than the X5 and over 1,300 lbs less than the Audi Q7. Audi, in spite of what others have claimed, is both a car and SUV fatso, still. No excuse for an A6 to weigh 4,000+ lbs.
Just out of curiosity, what kind of city/highway gas mileage does your sister's diesel actually get?