Best cars in a bad time....
11-05-2008, 12:01 AM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
Best cars in a bad time....
The latest Car & Driver selected 7 vehicles for preferences of driving styles and tasks. In other words, which vehicles make the most sense to buy and drive when gas prices are still relatively high and the economy is shakey?
Here are the categories and the winners: (I couldn't agree more.)
BEST SPORTS CAR: Chevrolet Corvette(16 city and 26 HWY)...You won't find a gas-guzzling Challenger or Viper in this article and with their horrendous fuel mileage, I can understand why not! It is easy to make a fast gas-guzzler, but Chevy has made a car that blows them all away when it comes to efficiency and power.
BEST FAMILY SEDAN: Toyota Camry Hybrid (33 city, 34 HWY)...its combination of limo-quiet ride and spectacular mileage for a 200 HP vehicle is no less than astounding.
BEST PEOPLE MOVER: Honda Odyssey (17 city, 25 HWY)....While the Toyota Sienna is quieter and a bit smoother, the cylinder deactivation and good handling of the Odyssey gets the top vote in this category.
BEST TOW VEHICLE: Chevrolet Traverse (16 city, 23 HWY)....With a 4600 lb load, this bad boy still got better mileage than most sports cars (17 MPG), and at only $31K, the all wheel drive 281 HP Traverse represents a good bang for the buck.
BEST LUXURY CAR: BMW 335d (23 city, 36 HWY)...Although not nearly as thrifty as a Camry Hybrid during city use, this diesel car handles very well AND does 0-60 in 5.7 seconds - not bad for a diesel!
BEST CAR, 0-60 in under 5 seconds: Lotus Elise (21 city, 27 HWY)...This Elise "quite possibly delivers the purest sportscar experience on the market today." However, at $47,200, it aint cheap!
BEST SMALL CAR: Honda Fit Sport (27 city, 33 HWY).....With as much room in its cargo area as in a Honda Pilot, the Fit seems to envelope you in an optical illusion once you step inside. An extemely fun car to drive that gets great mileage AND has more rioom inside than some SUVs, this Honda rules this end of the car spectrum.
Notably absent is the BEST LUXURY SUV. For that, I'd have to pick the Lexus RX400h (27 city, 24 HWY).......This vehicle really has no competition in its class. It is powerful, quiet, and super reliable - highly recommended!
So there you have it - the most efficient, best handling vehicles out there.
Here are the categories and the winners: (I couldn't agree more.)
BEST SPORTS CAR: Chevrolet Corvette(16 city and 26 HWY)...You won't find a gas-guzzling Challenger or Viper in this article and with their horrendous fuel mileage, I can understand why not! It is easy to make a fast gas-guzzler, but Chevy has made a car that blows them all away when it comes to efficiency and power.
BEST FAMILY SEDAN: Toyota Camry Hybrid (33 city, 34 HWY)...its combination of limo-quiet ride and spectacular mileage for a 200 HP vehicle is no less than astounding.
BEST PEOPLE MOVER: Honda Odyssey (17 city, 25 HWY)....While the Toyota Sienna is quieter and a bit smoother, the cylinder deactivation and good handling of the Odyssey gets the top vote in this category.
BEST TOW VEHICLE: Chevrolet Traverse (16 city, 23 HWY)....With a 4600 lb load, this bad boy still got better mileage than most sports cars (17 MPG), and at only $31K, the all wheel drive 281 HP Traverse represents a good bang for the buck.
BEST LUXURY CAR: BMW 335d (23 city, 36 HWY)...Although not nearly as thrifty as a Camry Hybrid during city use, this diesel car handles very well AND does 0-60 in 5.7 seconds - not bad for a diesel!
BEST CAR, 0-60 in under 5 seconds: Lotus Elise (21 city, 27 HWY)...This Elise "quite possibly delivers the purest sportscar experience on the market today." However, at $47,200, it aint cheap!
BEST SMALL CAR: Honda Fit Sport (27 city, 33 HWY).....With as much room in its cargo area as in a Honda Pilot, the Fit seems to envelope you in an optical illusion once you step inside. An extemely fun car to drive that gets great mileage AND has more rioom inside than some SUVs, this Honda rules this end of the car spectrum.
Notably absent is the BEST LUXURY SUV. For that, I'd have to pick the Lexus RX400h (27 city, 24 HWY).......This vehicle really has no competition in its class. It is powerful, quiet, and super reliable - highly recommended!
So there you have it - the most efficient, best handling vehicles out there.
