The Test Drive Thread

[Chiquae07]

Alright, I'm making a thread about the cars that i have been driving and seeing what was out there in the market while i was looking at used cars. the price range ws 10-14k. Feel free to add your own review to a car's test drive and have the thread going.
im just getting the list of the cars going with pros and cons, then adding experences.

its kinda hard to do this while watchin the horrible show of shot at love with tila tequila, so some of it might not get done right away lol...

[Chiquae07]

2002 Celica GTS

Pros :
6 speed manual
1.8L I4 engine
high compression
great throttle responce
easily modable
toyota reliability

cons:
too expensive for the price they wanted (carmax wanted 14k everything for 76k miles no hassle, only one in my area within 75 miles)
bad blindspot
the brakes were kinda iffy
gauges were hard to read in the sense for economical driving, it makes you want to drive faster(idk if thats a bad thing)
suspention seemed a bit too soft for a 'sporty coupe'
when turning hard, it seemed to have a bunch of understeer

when i saw it on the lot, and i saw it was a 6 speed and not the 4spd auto, i told the carmax guy i wanted to test drive it asap. i was pretty stoked being able to actually drive it after wanting to for so long. the clutch was nice and easy. it has a couple blind spots, but thats where spririted driving comes into play . it was interesting to say the least. 1st gear is just about perfect, 2nd as well, and 3rd is great. diddnt do any full throttle pulls in 4th-6th though. its weird at first when you hit 7k or so and you hit toyota 'vtak'. sure its great, but it sucked as it only lasted for like 1k or so. i think with a 2000 ecu it would be more fun reving to 8400.

the shifter felt nice and easy. it was in the exact right spot. no annoying arm rest to get in your way either. the throws were a little too long, so i couldnt chirp 2nd, but then again maybe i couldnt shift it fast enough, as i was being easy on the car as the reverse thing is pretty wierd for me anyway.

[Chiquae07]

2000 VW Jetta VR6

Pros:
v6
roomy interior
easy to read gauges
everything was put in the right place
no large blind spots
comfy seats

Cons:
auto trans
brakes seemed 'mushy' (think they needed to be replaced. had to push the pedal almost to the floor to stop)
lack of 'power'( felt like driving my friends 1.6 cavi)
suspention was really jumpy
seemed kinda bland on the interior, nothing that hit me saying oh this is what a vw is like...

it seeme this car needed some work. i swear it needed new spark plugs and a compression test, as well with a brake test with new pads and check for air in the lines at least.

brother saw it, as it might have been his first car. had tints and wheels and the whole 9 yards. auto tranny. that was a plus about it for him. one thing i noticed right away, was the seats were interesting. they felt semi-bucket- semi not. you have to sit in one to know what im saying. the gauges were rather plain as well. nothing really striked me on the inside that said this car was a VW. seriously. started to drive the car, and i could tell right away that i wouldnt like the car. gave the car some gas, it moved at its own pace. the gas pedal felt mushy. i came from a dead stop and took a right turn. i floored the car, 0-60 was slower than my sentra. every turn i made with the steering wheel, the car shifted, like the suspension was out or something. the brake pedal was really mushy as well, and diddnt feel like it had any pressure either. had a bunch of body roll. felt like the car had a leaking head gasket or something. no power once so ever. i would rather drive my parents sienna tank of a van than that car.

[Chiquae07]

2002 Mtsubishi Elipse GTS

Pros :
v6 power
car demands to be driven
leather bucket seats
trans shifts smoothly
brakes seemed lacking

Cons:
car seems heavy
understeers when you dont want it too
nasty blind spot( mirror helps to an extent)
long shifting throw
everyone almost has one around here(deemed a girls car here)
thing screams to me ugly

dont get me wrong, the car is decently comfortable. the gauges easy to read, but the dash looks like it came right out of a fast and the furious movie. part of it was black, part of it was dark blue. i woulda kept it one color...

eitherway, the clutch pedal was kinda a problem for me, as you had to push it so far down to shift it smoothly. i diddnt like that at all. but, if i was in 1st or 2nd, and mashed the gas, the car moved quickly in a straight line. too mad it wasnt the same when i was turning hard. it honestly reminded me of the mazda 6, but a little better. it feels like the suspension on this car doesnt have a lot of travel in the rear, and it understeers like crazy. the brakes are fine, and the gear box is good too. i diddnt like the blind spots you get from it. cant look over the shoulder to those small windows to see if someones there. gotta adjust the side mirrors, or put those ball mirror things on your mirrors.

the car looks decent while moving, but thats the extent. goes quick in a straight line, but start turning it, and its like the mazda 6. its heavy and understeers liek crazy.

[Chiquae07]

2003 Sentra SE-R Spec V

Pros:
brembo brakes
smooth shifting gear box
limited slip
basically same car as the one i have now
TQ monster for a fwd I4
gears are too short

Cons :
TQ steer is a b*tch
the low redline makes me hurl
very limited aftermarket
car diddnt have a header, was scared of the butterfly screws and the precat dieing

it overall wasnt a big difference than driving my sentra. started it up, gave it a little gas, and was on my way. it felt a lot like my car, but a little stiffer, as the spec is a little stiffer than mine. the brembo brakes worked nicely. i liked the fact that i could be in any gear and not have to shift out to pass someone. 6th gear, 45mph. floor it and pass someone easily. i liked the 6 speed, but the gears were too short. 04-06 are said to have a little bigger gears, but its not that much of a difference. the qc rawred when the butterfly's opened, but felt that they should stay open after 5200 period. 1st gear 5200 open, and keep them open until the driver stops giving the car full throttle. think it would help a bit.

overall, its the same car, diff engine, tighter suspention, and short geared tranny. not worth spendin a bunch to get one.

[Chiquae07]

1995 Mazda Miata

Pros :
coupe
2 seater
light as heck
near 50/50 weight distribution
great handling
small pedals (great for heel + toe)

Cons :
dash isnt exactly pretty
2 seater
rather small height (cant see over some wagon cars)
the rear window is basically useless
very bad blind spots with the top up
very small pedals
its a pita to maintain with such small areas to work in

i took it out from the lo. started it up, and the underpowered miata gave a little noise saying it was on. let it warm up for a minute and was on my way. the gears were smooth, and the throws were pretty damn short if you ask me. the car felt extremely balanced, and was fun to drive. i just wish it had more power. it could pick up and go with its own power, and handle even better. give the car maybe 170whp, and you will send the competitors running away.

send it into a corner, and it listens to your every input. car felt like it was one rails, everywhere. too bad its only a 2 seater, otherwise it could give the s2k a run for its money even more.

[Chiquae07]

2004 Saturn Ion RedLine

Pros:
Boosted LSJ stock
bunch of TQ
fun to drive
instant 'on' power
loves to be driven
like the view from the drivers seat

Cons:
its a saturn
the huge rear wing gets in the way of your view
reminds me too much of my cousins j body
diddnt like the shifter(might be the knob, idk)

[Chiquae07]

2005 Scion Tc

Pros:
same engine as the celica
nice and peppy
interior was nice
toyota reliabllity
shifting was quick and easy

Cons:
kinda heavy
same understeer problem like the gts
blindspot again
overpriced for what you get
are common around here

[Chiquae07]

2004 Mazda 6

Pros:
a bit bigger than the 3
more roomy
easy to read gauges
great for hauling people

Cons:
a bit on the heavy side
kinda slow(4 cyl)
throws were kinda long
seemed like i was driving a tank compared to the sentra

i drove my cousins. he had a couple mods, but nothing major. just intake, catback, and a clutch.

started the car up, let it warm up, and then had at it. put it into first, and the clutch was a little stiff, as he just broke it in basically with 1k miles. the gauges are huge and easy to read. shifted from 1st to second, and it was smooth, but the engine wasnt as smooth. it was pretty torquey if you ask me. reminded me of the spec v, but with bigger gears and heavier. it felt like it was hugging the road like the gtp i drove. it was a little wider, but felt like a tank. you do sit a little high up if you ask me too. took it around some turns, it went where i wanted it to go, but it felt like i was pushing the car rather hard where i wanted it to go, when it was so much easier in the sentra. if i wanted to take a turn hard, i would have to turn the oppisote way first, then my intended way to offset the weight on the wheels so it would understeer more in the direction i wanted. brakes were firm, and gripped, but it was something about the pedal that i diddnt like. it wasnt hard, or soft, but then again it just diddnt feel right. also, when you went over a bump or a change in tar to asphalt, you feel it. the big comfy seats are there since the suspention sucks. you feel every thing on the road. i hated it. feel every bump and not be able to handle? eh, no thanks. the car needs jenny craig.

[Chiquae07]

2001 Ford Mustang GT

Pros:
v8 powa
instant power
goes fast in a straight line
cheap parts

Cons:
diddnt like the handling
seemed like driving a tank
it was either a understeer or oversteer problem in slow turns
gas milage
i felt i was along for the ride, not controling the ride
felt like it was a car confensating for something
made me want to put on the local rock station and grow a mullet
would be scary to drive in the snow, if traction is hard to get on dry pavement

[Chiquae07]

1999 Pontiac Gran Prix GTP

Pros:
go fast in a straight line
cheap speed
comfortable enough
speed display on the windshield
turns when you move the wheel pretty quickly

Cons:
diddnt like the gauges
the leather felt really hard
kinda a delay when pressing the throttle(auto)
felt like a tank
suspention was really soft
horrible for autox

[rice(er)]

the celica gt-s is a 1.8L, not 2.0L

2000+ celica gt-s: if you look hard enough, they are 9k-12k cars

the scion tc has the same engine as the camry, not the celica

I'm glad you're finally upgrading chiquea, it's about time. Out of those cars, i would pick the celica gts, sentra se-r spec v, or the ion redline.

Whichever way, i'm happy you're getting a new car man

[silentscreams85]

didnt know u were selling the sentra, so ingore my reply in the previous thread. seems like you like the torque, so id rule out the celica gts. id pick between the ion and the gtp. there seems to be an abundant community for those two on AF, so im sure youd get plenty of help n advice. good luck choosing

[Sleepr awd]

2003 eclipse gt
pros:

V6 is torquey and give excellent responsiveness, while the top end leaves much to be desired.
Brakes ( on the non-abs) bite and bite hard
comfortable feel for the short commuter
responsive steering until the breakaway point
very reliable if treated properly

Cons
limited aftermarket
Understeers but is controllable and the understeer on mine has been compensated with firm rear bars
Expensive to maintain with the timing belt.
Limited by fwd
spoiler can cause a blind spot as well as the large c-pillar. Though easily compensated by attentive driving
driveline parts don't hold up well to abuse
quirks you'd have to get used to.
*fuel pump gurgle
*sunroof judder
*TOB rattle

[TorchedStealth]

I would say either the redline, sentra se-r, eclipse, or celica. The redline is the quickest of the 4, and the rest are probably close to each other. My friend has an Eclipse GT and i like it quite a bit. I like how it handles and how smooth and torquey it is, but when we raced i beat him pretty bad. I posted the race in the SR section a couple months ago if ya wanna watch. I've never driven a sentra or celica but i like both cars