The US is contemplating a program that would be similar to Germany’s “Abwrackpraemie”. the intend is to get old fuel inefficient cars off the road and replace them by new cars. In the proposed legislation you would qualify for $3500 from the government, if your new vehicle gets a 4 mpg better gas mileage, or $4500 if it improves by\u00a0more than 10 mpg.<\/p>\n
Given that my 1993 Explorer with 150k miles on\u00a0 it is on its last stretch, I’ve been looking for possible candidates. The Explorer gets 18 mpg in combined driving, so I need a car that gets at least 22mpg.<\/p>\n
First I thought to buy a minivan, but neither the Honda Oddyssee nor the Toyota Siena get the required fuel efficiency of 22mpg, so that idea is out.<\/p>\n
Due to the heat in TX that produces a noticable performance loss, especially with the A\/C running at all times, I’ve been wanting a turbo charged or super charged engine.\u00a0Unfortunately either\u00a0system makes the engine less fuel efficient despite the fun you add. That threw out the Subaru WRX and the Mazda Speed3 (245hp!).<\/p>\n
Currently I’m looking at the Volkswagen GTI with its 2.0T (200hp) (turbo), the Mazda MX-5 2.0, 167hp (naturally aspirated), and the Mini Cooper S (167hp, turbo).<\/p>\n
The GTI with a DSG gearbox is very refined, but the DSG definitely takes some getting used to. After having read raging reviews, I had high expectations. I have to say I was disappointed. There’s still noticeable lag, when you switch gears, less so\u00a0than a traditional step tronic though. When launching from a full stop, it takes quite some time until the engine develops enough torque to catapult the heavy Golf forward. Dropping one gear isn’t enough to unleash the full power, but dropping two gears at a time causes even bigger lag.\u00a0The ride of the Golf is very refined, you’re almost removed from the engine noise and the road, but all this comes at the cost of fun. Under steer is still very pronounced as expected with this car. I liked the fit and finish of the car inside and out, the engine was OK (didn’t feel like a 200hp beast) \u00a0but the transmission disappointed.<\/p>\n
Then I drove the MX-5. The non turbo charged 2.0 liter engine is a good match for the lighter car. While not as strong as the GTI, and not as refined (vibration noticable at the stick shift), it is a good engine for this rear wheel drive car. The ride is low and stiff and the car communicates the road conditions well. The short throw of the shifter makes for a fun handling ride. The car feels like a previous generation technology car – everything is moving and shaking and when you drive you like it. You’re right in the middle of the action. The exhaust sounds good and if the weather is nice you can even drop the top. What you can’t do is loading another two kids in the back-seats – they’re not there. Overall I had a lot of fun with this very affordable roadster.<\/p>\n
Next to drive is the Mini Cooper S. I’ll update this post when it happens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The US is contemplating a program that would be similar to Germany’s “Abwrackpraemie”. the intend is to get old fuel inefficient cars off the road and replace them by new cars. In the proposed legislation you would qualify for $3500 from the government, if your new vehicle gets a 4 mpg better gas mileage, or … Continue reading Cash for clunker<\/span>