Posts Tagged ‘compact’

Jill Ciminillo

I’d like to think the hatchback craze has finally started to catch on in the US. And when you have vehicles like the 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX 5-door, how could it not?

What an interesting, fast, attractive, functional and fun vehicle. The compact bullet shape is perfect for city driving, and the 265-horsepower, 2.5-liter turbocharged Boxer engine is pure glee.

This is exactly the kind of car I could own living in Chicago. The compact size and I-mean-business hood scoop had me at hello. The peppy engine power and smooth 5-speed manual transmission got me shortly thereafter.

My first foray onto the highway had me smiling with delight at the quick on-ramp acceleration. And the tight steering and stiff suspension had me weaving in and out of traffic like a race car driver. The ride and handling was all sport and not an iota of cheap.

Which is nice considering the base price of the WRX is $26,220 with destination. And that includes the standard all-wheel drive (AWD), steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth connectivity, iPod integration and Sirius Satellite Radio. Personally, that’s all I’d need in a car.

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Jill Ciminillo

I have to admit, my first impression of the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback was a kind of disappointment. It looked good on the outside, but the ride was a little slow and uninspiring.

Then again, it didn’t help that I had recently driven the all-new Mazdaspeed3. And. LOVED. It.

But to compare this version of the Lancer Sportback to the Mazdaspeed3 is like comparing apples and oranges. Sure they’re both fruit, but everything else is different.

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback

So, when you compare the Lancer Sportback to other apples, it actually stacks up pretty well. Other apples on the chopping block include: the Mazda3 5-door, the Toyota Matrix and the Subaru Impreza WRX 5-door. It beats everything except the Matrix on pricing, and overall its 5-year/100,000-mile warranty beats them all. Read the rest of this entry »

Jill Ciminillo

I have to admit that I’m not typically a fan of SUVs of any sort. They’re big brutish vehicles that overtake the road. And, many times, the people who are driving them are incompetent. I mean, really, just because you’re bigger than a car doesn’t give you the right to take up two lanes on the highway, straddle the line between two parking spaces or parallel park on the curb like an idiot.

That being said, there are a few select SUVs that have a nice sleek shape and drive like a car—even incompetent drivers can manage these. One of the best of that group is the Mazda CX-7.

Mazda CX-7

Straight off, I have to tell you there isn’t anything super special about this little SUV. But in a way, it’s that very lack of whistles and bells that makes this one of the more comfortable, intuitive crossovers I’ve driven.

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