[Stealth]

More than a mite boxy, no?

hardly...

[Wild Fragaria]

Not every BMW driver has only half a brain you know 

Must just be in the UK, then.  BMW drivers are some of the worst there are; essentially inconsiderate bastards with a superiority complex because they own a well-engineered German car.

On the plus side, I had the nicest drive home today.  Snow Patrol CD blaring, sunroof open, nice winding country (well, suburban-stroke-rural) roads, and the sun out-yet peeping from behind the few clouds in the sky so I wasn't blinded and you had that neat shafts o' light effect.

Sounds like a lovely day, I could almost see and feel it here, 3000 miles away 

Could be. Its just that 9 times out of 10 when I'm on the motorway and the car behind me is being driven by an impatient tailgating moron it will be a BMW driver. I'm not joking about that. In fact I'm actually surprised when the car acting like a moron behind me isn't a BMW.

Maybe like shell suits it's a status symbol for wankers.

Heh. Here, on the thruway, the cars that are tailgaiting the most are Honda Odyssey minivans, and the various SUVs. God I hate SUVs. And I guess because Hobda decided to give the Odyssey 250 Hp, these annoying soccer moms think they're racing every little car on the road.

I agree with Raa.  Most 'SUVers' and soccer moms are really bad drivers.  They get worse when it's either snowing or raining.

[vyper]

Random tangent:

MG X-Power: http://wawawoum.images2.free.fr/images/uk/mg/2003_x-power_sv_1.jpg

Something in the region of 80k, and they only ever sold about five.

[aldo_14]

More than a mite boxy, no?

hardly...

Perhaps I was too subtle.  I just, ever so slightly, think it has - just a smidgen - the general appearance of a brick that was rejected from an ugly wall for being too right-angled.  But whatever floats your boat.

[CP5670]

Heh. Here, on the thruway, the cars that are tailgaiting the most are Honda Odyssey minivans,

That's what I generally use. I like it better than the corollas we have and my parents like those better, so it works out. Although I practically never go anywhere except for the hour-long commute to my university and back.

As for a dream vehicle, Cat 797.

I'm not really much into cars, aside from Lego ones.

[Taristin]

More than a mite boxy, no?

hardly...

Perhaps I was too subtle.  I just, ever so slightly, think it has - just a smidgen - the general appearance of a brick that was rejected from an ugly wall for being too right-angled.  But whatever floats your boat.

I'm inclined to agree. I'm not the sort to drool at the 17mpg 500 horse motor (perhaps I needn't compensate for other lackings), so I go by looks, and that car looks..... bad. To me.

[aldo_14]

More than a mite boxy, no?

hardly...

Perhaps I was too subtle.  I just, ever so slightly, think it has - just a smidgen - the general appearance of a brick that was rejected from an ugly wall for being too right-angled.  But whatever floats your boat.

I'm inclined to agree. I'm not the sort to drool at the 17mpg 500 horse motor (perhaps I needn't compensate for other lackings), so I go by looks, and that car looks..... bad. To me.

The thing that strikes me is, hp or not, how heavy is it?  Because it doesn't exactly look carbon fibre nor aerodynamic, and that'd impact performance and make that big engine seem less impressive in action.

[Stealth]

i think just the fact that it's 0-60 in under 5 seconds, yet still a cadillac... makes it great.

and cadillacs these days are less boxy than they've ever been since

[IceFire]

collin if you like mazda and are thinking about buying one i would recomend that you buy a toyota. they have damn good engines and are cheap to repair IF they break that is. toyota has most satsified customers here in sweden

Mmmm the Corolla isn't that much cheaper than a Mazda3 and I'm not nearly as impressed by it except by the fuel economy which is about as good as the Civic.  My problem with the Civic being that its one of the most stolen cars in this area of Canada.  Even the newest models with the disabler equipped apparently are still so highly sought after...

No doubt about it, Toyota and Honda make some great cars with great parts in them.  All will be revealed when I do a few test drives mind you.  But the Mazda3 looks so nice and all the Mazda drivers I run into with cars like the 3 or the Portege love them to pieces.  Must be something they are doing right.  I actually don't really mind a whole lot of it costs a bit more to maintain as long as its a quality car for the money and its fun to drive.  I'm very much about enjoying the driving...particularly on days like what Aldo was describing.  I had a great drive last summer on one of the local highways into the country and the sun was behind me and the whole place was sort of a golden colour and the road was wide open so I was having a great time crusing.  Would have been nicer in a better car

[Stealth]

and i still find this car to be awesome.  it's a performance sedan... sports car performance, from a 4 door car.  that's hard to find.  

somewhere around 440 lbs torque

4.4 liter engine.  DOHC, supercharged.

i think it's like 4300 lbs

[karajorma]

But the Mazda3 looks so nice and all the Mazda drivers I run into with cars like the 3 or the Portege love them to pieces.  Must be something they are doing right.

It's not just the Mazda 3 that gets that reaction. Personally I love mine to pieces too. Can't put my finger on what it is that they did right with the 323f but they did do something right there like you say.

[IceFire]

No doubt the 'Zoom Zoom' philosophy

I know what you mean...I haven't driven yet but just guaging reaction..Mazda does something that captures the people who drive their cars. It seems like they have of repeat buyers years later and a certain loyalty because of the good experience.  I'm interested to see what its about.  It may just be the very typical Japanese art of paying attention to the little things that make the experience on the whole better in terms of engineering...not sure.

[Taristin]

Late 90's Honda's had that reaction too. 95+ Honda/Acura cars were great fun to drive.
I cant speak for the newer ones, but the older ones are ****loads of fun to drive. And I dont think I could be persuaded to give up my Integra for anything less than an S2000.

[Roanoke]

More than a mite boxy, no?

hardly...

Perhaps I was too subtle.  I just, ever so slightly, think it has - just a smidgen - the general appearance of a brick that was rejected from an ugly wall for being too right-angled.  But whatever floats your boat.

You're talking to a guy who owns an 80s Caddy.....

Having said that, the recent Cadys are the best they're made in a long time.
I can see me selling my Manta and getting a more "normal" car, as it happens. It gets a cool reaction but I can see the tin-worm taking hold in the next year or so.  Wouldn't mind a Focus though. Cheap to run/insure and a lively drive.

If you want some genuine advice Icey, I'd think carefully before you get a car loan. A car looses money at horrific rate. I'm still paying for a Fiat I sold a year ago, with another 18 months or so left to go. 

[IceFire]

I hate loans.  Made it through university without one so I hope to be able to buy a car without one.  Probably not...but hopefully the idea will be to have enough to place a very large payment right off the bat and then pay the rest off at the quickest rate.  But yes that is good advice and always good to hear all sorts of advice.

[Taristin]

Icy; Get a Honda Fit, or a Toyota Yaris. They're both <15,000 USD, get ~40-50mpg and will last you forever. And from what I've read, they're all still fun to drive, despite having only ~110hp.

[Ferret]

VroooooooOOoooooooom!

[vyper]

Am I going crazy, or does the new Kia Magentis look quite stylish?

[aldo_14]

Looks like a cheap Passat to me.

[IceFire]

Icy; Get a Honda Fit, or a Toyota Yaris. They're both <15,000 USD, get ~40-50mpg and will last you forever. And from what I've read, they're all still fun to drive, despite having only ~110hp.

I worry about what happens when your driving cars that are so miniature like those and one of those SUV 40-something moms ram into you because they are trying to do their makeup, eat breakfast, and talking on a cellphone at the same time