Infiniti M35 |
|
|
- Seven-speed transmission
- Very nice handling
- Nice size, powerful
- All-wheel-drive option
- Very smooth ride
- Tight and well-built
|
- Rear-wheel drive
- Poorly located steering wheel buttons can result in changing radio stations
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Ford Focus |
|
|
- Much improved Ford reliability (best of the domestics)
- More pricing flexibility than Civic and Corolla (financial incentives)
- Good value
- Good mileage
- Comfortable ride
- Decent room, especially in front
- Standard side airbags
- Available stability control
- Nice, easily maneuverable size
|
- Dowdy "Return of the Escort" styling
- Not quite Honda or Toyota reliability
- Noisy on the highway
- Lousy back seat space, made worse if driver is tall, and pushes seat backwards
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MINI Cooper Clubman |
|
|
- Fun to drive
- Very good mileage
- Park anywhere
- No more "dwarfs-only" back seat
- Third door for rear seat access
- A little more cargo room than the Cooper
- Cute, cute, cute
|
- Mediocre reliability record
- Lousy visibility through rear cargo doors
- Pricey, for size and mileage (you're paying for driving fun)
- Rear cargo doors are cute, but not terribly useful
- Rear seats fit adults, but YOU sit there for a long trip
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Toyota Prius |
|
|
- Superb fuel economy
- Toyota reliability
- Free aura of superiority with every purchase
|
- Assumption of aura of superiority by other drivers
- Lousy in snow
- Hybrid premium in sticker price
- Redesign coming in 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nissan Altima |
|
|
- Great CVT transmission (V6)
- Very respectable fuel economy for car its size (V6)
- Great interior
- Exterior style
- Comfortable, easy to drive
|
- Slightly numb steering
- Slightly touchy brakes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Scion xD |
|
|
- Cheap
- Good headroom
- Fuel economy
- Predicted reliability
|
- Cheap. Bare bones interior feel
- Small and light, somewhat scary in high wind or next to Ford Expeditions.
- Cheap radio with lilliputian buttons
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
