If you've been following me on Twitter and were wondering what on earth all those descriptions of cars were all about, they were supposed to be my impressions of a car after twenty to thirty minutes with it. I went into what I was attempting to do in a Saturday post on Clunkerture, but mercifully no one noticed. I didn't realize the sheer amount of cars I drove, and honestly, I think so many tweets about a lot of cars definitely came off a bit obnoxious, so I'm probably never undertaking that experiment again. But I promised to embed all the tweets in one post. So in this post are all my reactions to the cars I drove during the Western Automotive Journalists 2014 Media Days event.
RR Sport S'Charged: The off-road car you can track around @MazdaRaceway while passing other cars. Though take your braking points early.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 10, 2014
Chevy SS: Very fun and very, very loud. However @mt_loverman just had to say it's getting a stick and MagneRide in 2015. So wait.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 10, 2014
BMW M235i auto: Thought it was brilliant on a winding road. Then took it around @MazdaRaceway, where lack of steering feel came to the fore.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 10, 2014
Mercedes S550 4Matic: Has things you never thought you needed, like heated armrests. Also handles better than the last 750 M-Sport I drove.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Corvette Stingray Z51: Has limits you never thought possible compared to past models. Would recommend it over a base 911 in a heartbeat.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
NISMO Juke RS manual: Have absolutely no idea what it's supposed to be, but I really like it. Get it over a MINI Clubman or Countryman.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Audi RS5: Fast. Sticks in corners. Comfortable. Not memorable like M3 though. Can sort of understand why America doesn't receive RS cars.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
VW Jetta GLI manual: Fun. Both on road and on track. And very practical. Then again, I could be biased due to MkV Jetta 2.0T ownership.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Subaru WRX STI: Best car I drove during #MediaDays2014. Was amazed at how good it was. There's no reason to buy M235i or CLA45 over it.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Lexus IS F: Way too many gears to have fun while tracking it. And using the paddles doesn't help all that much. Hoping the RC F is better.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Cadillac CTS VSport: No reason to buy current 5 Series when this is so good. Though SS might beat it on track despite similar power figures.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Jaguar XJR: Big sedans with powerful engines are awesome. #GoodToBeBad hashtag is perfect for it. Still wish XJ had the B&W audio.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Mercedes CLA45: I've been spoiled by the C63 (which I love) with the RWD and V8. Somehow didn't meet my expectations of an "AMG experience."
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Ford Fiesta ST: Complete riot to drive. Among the best cars under $25K. More practical and powerful than Abarth, which helps its case.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
KIA K900: Has a seriously strong motor. And very comfortable. Not a well-handling car. The entire package reminds me of a W126 S-Class.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
BMW M5 manual: Among the best fast sedans out there. But get it with DCT for a much better experience. And getting the 1-2 upshift right.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Mazda 6 manual: I took it around @MazdaRaceway and didn't imagine I'd enjoy it so much. Why do so many people only shop Accords and Camrys?
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Chrysler 200S AWD: PR people were nice enough to let me track this one. Haven't driven old 200, but found the 2015 to be quite a good drive.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Scion FR-S: Not as fun on track due to less power on straights. However, entertaining on wet winding road. Also very tempting to slide it.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Mitsubishi Evo X GSR: Very much a point-and-shoot car on track. Didn't even feel like I needed the MR and its dual-clutch gearbox.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
FIAT 500C Abarth: Brilliant exhaust and manual makes it hoonable. Makes you want to create a course out of your neighborhood streets.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Mercedes E63 S: Very, very fast when you put your foot down. But surprisingly easy to mistake for normal E-Class. Miss the old M156 though.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Honda Civic Si HFP sedan: Loves to rev. Short-throw shifter helps tremendously. The sticky tires make it a good track car too.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014
Chevy Camaro 1LE: The track day version of the SS, yet very usable in town. Good value at around $40K since ZL1 and Z28 can crest $55K.
— Satish Kondapavulur (@kondapavulur) May 11, 2014