It's been a while huh? Just been spending time with The King and his Mommy. I gotta get that kid to update his blog as well. Had a few minutes at lunch and wanted to put some words down about cars I've recently seen/driven/bought/sold.
GT-R. Finally saw one in the flesh (metal?). Going to get The King from daycare. Of course, Palo Alto would be where I would spot the Godzilla. Also saw a Can-Am Spyder there a few months ago. Both are pretty rare. And both will be mine one day. The Nissan was the same color as the one I own... in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.
Just got back from vacation and we got to "pick a car" off the Enterprise lot. We were slated for a Pontiac G6, but that's an ugly beast and it looked like your typical rental. Saw they had a 300C, Charger and a white VW Passat! (more on this later). We passed on those because they're considered 'premium' cars and would cost more. No need to waste $ on a rental. I saw a Malibu in the corner and asked if that was the same price. I was surprised that it was since it was bigger and newer than the Ponti-crap. Overall I was impressed with the Malibu, though I still wouldn't buy one myself. It had lots of room, decent power from the Ecotec and a decently finished cabin. GM really did up it's game with this one. Too bad 90% of it's lineup is still crap. I wouldn't chuckle-under-my-breath if someone told me they bought a Malibu. I'd consider putting my own cash down on a G8 GT or a CTS-V now.
I also drove a Jetta 2.5 "Wolfsburg Edition". I think the "WE" trim is just some cosmetic stuff, so I would have to say a base Jetta is a solid car. The motor has good torque, and no real top end - though it makes good grunting noises. The cabin is nice and it does the "euro sedan" thing well enough, at a competitive price. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cheap european car. I assume the Rabbit is equally competent given the shared chassis.
Speaking of which, the MKV also rides under the Passat. Which is why I was driving a Jetta loaner. We had to get the windshield replaced on our BRAND NEW car because the (other) VW dealership is staffed by idiots. We got the car in a dealer-trade, but it was missing a wiper and someone had turned on the wipers leaving a nice long scratch in the windshield. The service guys at Winn VW aren't the brightest bulbs either, but I insisted they replace it. It's just as bad as a long scratch on the side of the car, and I was looking at it every time I drove!
Other than that, the Passat Wagon has been a joy to drive. Sure it's nothing like the WRX, but that's the point. It's LARGE, quiet, comfy, gets good mileage and does a decent impression of an entry-level luxury car. It was such a logical decision that I feel like I've been slowly getting to know the car, and I like what I'm finding. VW ownership is like finding small gifts in the form of thoughtful features (tap-to-pass blinkers, driver-side glovebox, etc.). Well, at least until those things break and I end up in the service bay. AGAIN.
I also managed to put in a short drive in the G35 after about a month away. Wow. What a great car. I had forgotten how awesome the VQ35 was, and what a marvelous chassis the FM platform is. Just coming out of the driveway and around the first corner I was smitten once again. The G has held up very well over these last 3.5yrs and still is a joy to dive into a corner with. The power was nice, definitely missing from the Passat and a different experience from the WRX. The steering wheel is one of my favorite features, and makes the plastic-fantastic of the PW an even bigger letdown.
Which brings us to the WRX wagon. I was worried about smog testing, but a switch back to the stock exhaust and she passed with flying colors. Not bad for 300+hp. Now she's officially "not mine".
Now I just need to chip the Passat.
-Hong
