PortlandRL

What cars have you driven recently that not only exceeded your expectations but blew them away?

For me it's the Audi A3 for the Germans have built a go-kart for four. I had noticed these cars on the road but kind of saw them as European half-luxury econo-boxes. Then I started working at the local Audi dealer and the first time I drove an A3, I fell in love immediately!

Even with the turbo four-cylinder engine, the A3 is very peppy with great get-up-and-go. Passing power is bountiful and 50 to 70 comes in the blink of an eye. Keep an eye on the speedometer or you'll find yourself hitting 80 mph without realizing it. Straight-line fun is not the A3's only specialty. In corners the little Audi handles like it's on rails. The body never leans and hard corners are devoured without drama.

The cockpit is very simple and straightforward although it suffers from the German syndrome of being very sterile and dour. It's black with aluminum trim. "No color for you!!!" But the lack of color in the cockpit doesn't distract from the A3 driving experience. Drivers will have no trouble settling into the car and finding a position. The A3 is designed for lanky-legged Germans and the driver's seat will pretty much go all the way back until there is no room in the rear seat.

If the A3 suffers from two shortcomings, it's the fact that Quattro is not available with the four-cylinder engine, only with the heavier V6, an engine whose presence on the option sheet is totally unnecessary. Having driven the four-banger I can surmise that the V6 will not handle as well not to mention get the four's stellar fuel mileage (27 mpg in mixed driving). Second drawback is the tiny backseat. I pity anybody stuck behind the driver who is long of leg. Headroom in the rear leaves much to be desired for those with tall torsos (yours truly included). In its essence the A3 is very much a driver's car. If Audi was looking to target the single male in the 25 to 30 crowd, they hit their mark dead on. The A3 is a fabulous little car that I would love to have in my garage.

Audi A3 2.0T:

Pros: Go-kart acceleration, handling, braking, and persona, great road manners, decent ergonomics, fabulous sound system, huge dual sunroofs.

Cons: Occasionally jerky DSG transmission, Quattro not available with four-cylinder engine, back seat for nobody.

F23A4

The BMW 330i Steptronic with its 255hp/220 lb-ft seemed quite a bit quicker than those power numbers would have one to believe. Off the line, it seemed to launch a bit harder than the 335i, though the latter will blow past it VERY soonafter.

einsatz

Lexus SC430 - I expected it to handle like a boat and be generally sucky. Once I got behind the wheel and pushed it a little, I was amazed it was nothing like what I thought it was. It was actually a fun car to drive!
I'd still rather get a Cayman

TCM 01 CL-S

You for real? I thought it handled pretty boat-like in general. Using that RWD did help at time though. Althought it was a lot more enjoyable once we got rid of those factory run flats and got some pilot sport SP2s (non run flat) tires.

07 Camry v6, wow does that thing have power, luxury and class all into one. I punched it and man did it take off, smooth shifting as hell and as confortable as any high end lux car. It is definitely quicker than my friends G35 by a nice run. Toyota is bringing some balls back to its cars and at the same time making them more classy. The only negative I see if that it could have been styled better.

poohlikeshunny

car that surprised me when it first came out was the s2k...that thing had a lot more power than I thought once I hit vtec...at first i thought it was very anemic until I forgot to upshift going downhill...WOW...

on another note...i was very surprised with the last gen eclipe when it first came out....that thing handled like crap, had no power, and was so cheap...i test drove it after my buddy got a blue one...he was raving about it until I drove it...toally blew..

SuperTrooper169

iTrader: (2)

My new Accord, well, new for me, it's an 03 6mt. I figured since it had 20 less horsepower than my CL-S auto did it wouldn't pull nearly as much as the CL, but it feels so much quicker and tighter overall. It also seems to have less body roll and doesn't nose dive as much getting on the brakes. The only thing it lacks compared to the CL-S are those comfy-ass seats.

Before that it was my 88 CRX Si. I was shocked at how quick it felt from 0-60 when I first drove it, considering it barely had 100 horsepower. God I miss that car.

Moog-Type-S

MINI Cooper...I knew the handling would be great, but this great?!?!
Never had so much fun in a FWD car.

srika

+1

I drove an SC430 once as well and I found it to feel very boat-like, as well. The high seating position and view, floaty feel, ridiculous bump-soaking-up-ness, ultra-smooth power delivery, primarily wooden steering wheel - yep, I was pretty much looking for the anchor when it was time to park.

F23A4

with einsatz. Though not exactly a Z4, I thought the SC430 handled better than I had anticipated.

Crazy Bimmer

Subaru WRX.

I never knew what people saw in them till i drove one. Damn its a blast to drive!

srika

ok so we got a draw on the SC lolz

uu

Even more so the new Subaru Forester 2.5 XT, 0-60 5.3 seconds... quarter mile 13.8... beats a 350Z... enuff said.

http://www.caranddriver.com/roadtest...5xt-page4.html

I think Subaru understates Forester's HP a lot.

teranfon

Sorry PortlandRL for falling outside of your parameters somewhat, but I still remember my first drive in a '86 Ford Taurus when first available. I'm serious. Having started driving in the early eighties I was exposed to more than a few of Detroit's less than desirable automobiles. Especially those of the four door family variant. I had the opportunity to drive one of the first Tauri's to arrive at a rental agency, and I was utterly amazed at its handling. Sloppy by today's standards, it was miles ahead of the disconnected land barges currently offered at the time.

My second thrilling experience in a new car was also in 1986. A Buick Grand National. The world got yanked backwards whenever I stomped the throttle. I bought it, and it still resides with me today.


Terry

JediMindTricks

volvo s60r. it was a pleasant surprise when i first saw one and drove one. it was and is the best looking volvo i've seen (other than the pics of the modified silver s80 that was going around), and the power and interior was impressive.

i'd also say the current camry se v6. i think it looks very good, and it's the first camry i'd consider buying.

oh, and the current vw gti. man, that thing was fun to drive.

charliemike

My stepdad's 84 533i is why I want a late 80s 635CSi or M535i ... But as the years pass clean cars get harder to find and I'm not making the kind of money to throw into a restoration

sho_nuff1997

iTrader: (2)

I'm with the OP about the A3. While in Germany we had an A3 wagon as a rental. 2.0 TDI 6MT with 180 hp. Although it was a diesel it was very powerful. The torque was excellent too. It had no problem going 200+ kph on the Autobahn for extended periods. We averaged 30-34 mpg even with the fast Autobahn driving. Although it was not a quattro, it handled like it was on rails. The only drawback was that it redlined @ 4500 rpm. Very fun car. I never thought a 4 cyl diesel would be that much fun!

srika

man that car's been out for 4 years!

Yumcha

The Porsche Boxster and the Acura NSX.


In the case of the latter, it was a used 1993 model...which I seriously considered to purchase. The test drive, to this day, is still one of the most memorable things I have ever experienced...and that means it beats transforming my first robot. Well...almost.

bigblackjohnson

2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT! Fun as heck to drive. Even with an AT. Still has me smiling.

Loseit

iTrader: (1)

SC430 .. i don't care what anyone says, I had a great time driving it. It wasn't razor sharp like a bimmer but that V8 sounds great and I had fun psuhing the car. The interior is comfortable as hell.

E46 M3...i have driven a couple of these lately. Man, that car is fun to drive. I even enjoyed SMG, once I got the hang of it. That car begs to be punished.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Well, you didn't say good or bad.

I drove a Chrysler 300 and man, what a horrible car. Granted it was the V6, but still. Interior was crappy, fit and finish was crappy, ride was crappy, and so on. I'm sure the V8 is better, but still, the car itself is pretty much the same between trim levels. I know it's a Chrysler, but that car is always getting praised. I hated it so much that as silly as this sounds, it helped me to remove the 300 SRT8 from my short list....

Loseit

iTrader: (1)

Drive a cherokee srt8 :evil:


I have been curious about those cars. I think the hemis and srt8's get a nicer interior.

stright-(paint)balling

SRT-4 Neon.
I've driven Neons for rentals and their at best okay.
I drove my buddy's SRT-4 grant it the fit and finish isn't as good as a Honda or Nissan but that thing got some smoke for sport compact.

mclarenf3387

The 335. I kind of thought they were over hyped before I really got to drive one around for awhile. Damn that car is incredible. I know people bitch about the price, but the performance for what you pay is well worth it IMO. That car is very civilized cruising around, but get on it and the power is brutal.

Dr. Colorado

2007 911 carrera: man did that car pull, revved up to 65 mph in 2nd gear and the exhaust note was like music to my ears. also tested the 2007 cayman s which had more hp and low end torque but a rather cheap, uncomfortable interior. can't wait to test drive the carrera s!

was mildly impressed with the sl 550. for an old man's ride it had plenty of pep with the upgraded engine and increased horsepower in the 2007 model. still not worth 105 K to me.

disappointed with 07 bmw 650 c. somewhat boat-like, heavy ride, cramped rear, spartan interior.

CarbonGray Earl

Ferrari 360 Modena. The surprise wasn't the car or how it performed....

What surprised me was how Honda-like its engine felt when it revved.....it was blender smooth, and was as rev happy as any 4-cylinder stock honda I've driven. Not an insult, but a testament to both companies' engines. With 8 cylinders, that's extremely difficult for it to sound that refined and at the same time, visceral. It had absolutely no hint of german stodgy-ness or substantial-ness. Its like a Honda, but injected with a whole lot of passion.

srika

umm.. i drove a 360 6MT recently and i totally disagree with your post. the car felt nothing like driving any 4-cyl Honda. it was REALLY nice, btw. felt solid and ver refined. sure it was rev-happy but it just didnt remind me of any 4cyl Honda.

CarbonGray Earl

that's cool. Difference of opinion. Please note that I am referring solely the behavior of the engine and not driving, like you stated. the funny thing is, a friend of mine who rented a 355 said exactly the same thing to me.

Nonetheless, I stand by my impression of the engine behavior- blender smooth and free revving for an 8 cylinder car. I'll never mistake the 2, but I was surprised that the feelings were remniscent of each other. Hope this clears it up.

srika

yes, opinions.

mrproul

acura integra type R


The handling was awsome the reving was insane and man could that thing cook on the open road.

nokiaman

on the A3 and 335.As for me, I had the great opportunity to test drive an 06 M5 last year on a closed course. I knew it would be pretty good, but not only did it blow me away, I simply want it as my next car.The performance is utterly mind-blowing.
I also test drove a Charger SRT-8 two weeks ago, and man Dodge is coming strong. Not only that thing is a bad boy,but the performance is pretty good. A cheaper alternative to the higher priced german competitors.
Yumchah is right about the Boxster as well. I thought that it would be kind of underpowered, but the experience is addicting to say the least.I need one

Yumcha

You got to try out a Modena...?!?





I hate you.

Yumcha

Well, at the rate we're going...I'm waiting for a member or two to say they were "surprised about how" good/bad the Pagani Zonda/Aston Martin DB9/Ferrari Enzo/Koenigsegg blah blah blah was...







*cough*

ilitig8

Boxster, period.

It wasn't until I got to flog a friends on a track and all I can say is they are sublime. I am faster in a 911 but have to work three times as hard... and the 996 forward 911s are easy to drive fast!

As for a car I have owned it was the E46 M3, my first drive was at Performance center delivery and from the first balls out lap in BMWs car I was BLOWN away, my E36 M3 was a distant memory in about 4.6 seconds, the car just begs to be pushed.

poohlikeshunny

aother surprise I had was the mr2 spyder when it was first released...i heard it was like 138 hp, and laughed, but after driving one, they are zippier than they look! they dont handle quite like a miata or s2k, but damn are they close!

srika

don't h8. you can see pics of the 360 I drove here:

http://www.delobbo.com/gallery2/v/060807_gingerman/

So... after the guys had a full day of racing, we were heading out to eat. I wanted a ride in the GT3, it was nice. Got to the gas station first, then I wanted a ride in the 360. I asked the dude "do you mind a passenger?" he said "no, want to drive?" How could I say no. :P Thinking about it some more, as mentioned earlier, I had some trouble getting used to the revs and matching the revs because they fell so quickly - throttle response was ridiculous - but, I just didn't think "HONDA 4 cylinder" while driving the car . Steering wheel felt very nice and solid and response was again nice. I didn't get to drive it very fast but I did get on it a little. More guys notice the silver 360 than girls. I think girls notice red Ferraris more. Not sure why. /morethanyouprobablywantedtoknow

Yumcha

^

Wow, srika...wow. That's a day to remember for the rest of you lifetime.

Yumcha

And on the Honda 4-cylinder comment, I suppose I could just snark and say that the NSX felt like driving in a V6 Accord.













Not.

srika

yea it was fun. now, it made me want to get one of my own!

CarbonGray Earl

No disrespect Yumchah, but how would you know without driving it? I still stand by my comment....its as smooth and as tractable as a honda 4 cylinder (most of the press said this about the NSX too). I'm not going to sink to the level of pettiness that this could lead down, but I won't change from my impression, since ....well, its my opinion.

Just to elaborate on my opinion, to say that an exotic v8 is as smooth as a Honda 4 cylinder is a compliment. 2x's the cylinders being as smooth as the smoothest 4 cylinders is a compliment. The relative power wasn't downlow; you revved to get it- that's pretty honda 4 cyl like. that's what reminded me of my integra, so....I don't see the problem. I didn't say the power, sound, etc was the same now....its just that it was so smooth and easy going, so tractable. I think Ferrari got the message from Honda that easy driving exotics can be made....and they did it with the 360. Whats so wrong in seeing that?



Srika- the one thing I did hate was the gate style shifter with the 6mt. Did you feel the same? Too much metal on metal touching, clanking.

Otherwise, if you think you we're very visible in a silver Modena, how do you think me and my wife felt on our wedding day... in a Yellow Modena. It was a surprise, since she gave me the task of finding transportation for the day.

My wife had a difficult time fitting her wedding dress in it, but loved it. For me....well, driving a Ferrari, being in a tux, and having people in very nice cars slow down gawk, and give a thumbs up was awesome, and I highly recommend it.