http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coup...oor_comparison/
| Zitat: |
| With the average transaction price of a new car in the U.S. at just under $31,000, it's tough going for many an American auto shopper. And if you're a prospective buyer of an "enthusiast" car, whose extra horses and performance parts tend to inflate bottom lines up to the top shelf, the outlook is even grimmer. Or is it? The launch of the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ twins has poured a double shot of buzz into the bang-for-the-buck tumbler. For well under 30 large, these two 200-horse coupes offer the tried-and-true formula of front engine, rear drive, and low weight, but add to that a limited-slip, summer Michelins, and a Nuerburgring-tuned suspension. Any questions? But rather than compare just the Scion and Subaru, we gathered today's hottest two-doors -- the refreshed 305-horse Ford Mustang V-6; the 274-horse Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T; the 2500-pound Mazda Miata, the benchmark for fun; and our front-drive champ, the twin-clutch VW GTI -- to crown the best driver's car, with stipulations that each start at around $25,000 and cash out below today's average transaction. Thus, the subsequent six machines boast average base and as-tested tickets of $24,640 and $28,523, respectively. Better yet, their statistical means -- 0-60 in 6.0 seconds, quarter mile in 14.7 seconds at 95.8 mph, 60-0 in 116 feet, and lateral acceleration of 0.93 g -- make this half-dozen comparable to a 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera 4. Whoa. To set fast laps at the Streets of Willow Springs, we put hot-shoe Randy Pobst behind the wheel of each. And after the tires and brakes cooled, we evaluated the six on our demanding circuit in Malibu. When the dust settled, one two-door left us cleaning out our garage. - Ron Kiino |
