Backseat Shopping

February 26th, 2007Blog0 comments

Car shopping is so much fun. Even better is helping someone else shop for a car — it’s an exciting purchase that someone else is making and you get to be a part of. Kind of like going with someone to the pound for a puppy or being a secret collaborator for the upcoming moleperson invasion. The joy of the quest is almost as fun as the quest object itself (puppy, world domination).

Capsule reviews from the back seat: Scion xA — An overall bargain for the price, but soon to be eclipsed by the upcoming xD with its bigger engine and more controversial styling. Back seat: Cramped. Toyota Yaris — The same low-yield engine as the xA in a more econoboxy interior. Lots of plasticky plastic. Back seat: Less cramped, especially in the sedan. Honda Fit — We couldn’t even test drive this because there was only one on the lot, and it was inside the showroom. Honda of Santa Monica is actually charging a premium of $2000 above sticker on these due to their popularity! Paint me surprised. But sitting in it felt OK due to the vertical size of the cabin. Backseat: OK.

Now, my personal favorite — so favorite in fact that I’m hoping it doesn’t sway the car purchaser — the VW Rabbit. Pound for pound, probably the best driving experience, and with a pretty good warranty to try to dispel the recent crappiness with V-dub’s reliability.

You can’t beat the solid feeling of a German automobile. Stepping on the brake is like pushing your foot against a horse’s back — it feels muscular and with just the right amount of give. Not squishy. Plus the Rabbit’s engine is in, as Dave put it, a completely different class than the Japanese cars tested that day. Also, the backseat is OK and on the cusp of being a little roomy even.

It got me looking at the GTI as my next car. Either that or a Volvo S40. Revs or baby yuppie refinement? Tiptronic makes me really happy though — “manual for lazy people”. I just love the feel of European imports.