Car and Driver's Best in 2006

[Joey D]

Since M5 isn't around to post stuff like this I will just have to do it...

Best Sports Sedan - Acura TSX
Best Sport Compact - Audi A3 2.0T
Best Luxury Sports Sedan - BMW 3-Series
Best Performance Car - Chevrolet Corvette
Best Full-Size Sedan - Chyrsler 300C
Best Muscle Car - Ford Mustang GT
Best Family Sedan - Honda Accord
Best Roadster - Mazda MX-5
Best Sports Coupe - Maxda RX-8
Best Luxury Sports Car - Porsche Boxter

I agree with the TSX, that car is really freakin nice!

I disagree with the A3, it's not really a sport compact in my opinion...maybe a RSX would have been better there?

I disagree with the 3-Series, I think the CTS-V would have been a better choice there.

I agree with the Vette, best new sports car on the market...period.

I don't like the 300C, but I'm sure its a great car although I'm think a Benz might have fit better here or maybe a new Audi?

The Mustang GT is a good choice, but what was the competition here? Nothing really.

The Honda Accord is the logical choice, in fact I would have disagreed with anything else.

I disagree with the Roadster, the Soltice is better the the Miata (MX-5 whatever), even Autoweek agrees with that.

Best sports coupe RX-8? The RX-8 isn't even a coupe, try something else.

I hate the Porshe Boxter so I don't think it belongs there. Try a Benz, Audi, something else.

 

[VIPFREAK]

Hmm... Everyone says the RX-8 is ****ty yet... there it is.

 

[skip0110]

The Mustang GT is a good choice, but what was the competition here? Nothing really.

GTO? Or is it officially out of production now?

 

[Joey D]

I guess you could say the GTO, but I think the Mustang is probably a little better.

 

[Tornado]

I agree with the TSX, that car is really freakin nice!

Quite true, quite true.

I disagree with the A3, it's not really a sport compact in my opinion...maybe a RSX would have been better there?

Yeah, most likely.

I disagree with the 3-Series, I think the CTS-V would have been a better choice there.

But you have to realise, the BMW 3 series is, at it's roots, a better car.

I agree with the Vette, best new sports car on the market...period.

While I do agree with you there, what competition does it have? Porsche, maybe?

I don't like the 300C, but I'm sure its a great car although I'm think a Benz might have fit better here or maybe a new Audi?

The 300C is a Benz! Audi doesn't really make many outstanding cars anymore, judgjing by initial reception and comparisons to other sporty sedans. The only actual competion the 300C has from this area is really the superb (but aging) Lincoln LS and Cadillac CTS.

The Mustang GT is a good choice, but what was the competition here? Nothing really.

True, since it's only competition is the Pontiac GTO.

The Honda Accord is the logical choice, in fact I would have disagreed with anything else.

Maybe the Camry?

I disagree with the Roadster, the Soltice is better the the Miata (MX-5 whatever), even Autoweek agrees with that.

Both Motor Trend and Automobile agree with Car and Driver.

Best sports coupe RX-8? The RX-8 isn't even a coupe, try something else.

As you said for the Mustang, what else is there to compete with?

I hate the Porshe Boxter so I don't think it belongs there. Try a Benz, Audi, something else.

There really are no Mercedes sports cars that fit into the category by price ($76,000 I believe). And Audi has no sports cars period

 

[Joey D]

But you have to realise, the BMW 3 series is, at it's roots, a better car.

I, personally, don't think so. I would take a CTS over a 3-Series any day.

Both Motor Trend and Automobile agree with Car and Driver.

They are so close it's not even funny, but I think the Soltice is the better car, and next year it will most definatly be because GM will make it better.

 

[Tornado]

I, personally, don't think so. I would take a CTS over a 3-Series any day.
They are so close it's not even funny, but I think the Soltice is the better car, and next year it will most definatly be because GM will make it better.

This doesn't have to do with your GM bias, does it? The Solstice is a great car, and completly accomplishes it's goal of beating the Mazda Miata...of 1999-2004. Which, in all honesty, it was designed to beat. I mean really, it isn't Bob Lutz's fault that Mazda launched the new Miata a couple months before the Solstice launch. If they make the better looking of the two Solstice concepts (the coupe), it could be a better car. As it is, it's close, but I just don't think it quite does it. The Saturn Sky (assuming they don't plaster the new Saturn corporate face on it) has a better chance of being a better car, because it looks much better than both the Miata and the Solstice.
And the BMW 3 series, while being ugly (but the CTS is no beauty queen either) and rather cramped, is most likely a more fun car to drive. It doesn't even have iDrive.

 

[Joey D]

No trust me, there was no GM biases in my post. If I would have been biased I would have picked the Cobalt SS for Sport Compact (which while good isn't as good as the RSX), for muscle car I would have said GTO (I still think the Mustang is better), for family sedan I would have said Malibu (which while good isn't up to par with the Accord).

I honestly think the Soltice is a better car then the Miata, no body gives it the credit it deserves because it's GM. But still you know whats sad? The Miata has been around for 16 years and GM comes out with a new car that is just as good if not better. Give the Soltice 2 years, it will be running circles around the Miata and up into higher end roadster territory.

The Saturn Sky will be the same thing as the Soltice, just rebodied.

I personally love the CTS, I think it's one of GM's best cars. But honestly people give BMW too much credit, they aren't gods.

 

[Driftster]

I agree with the miata choice..

It's the faster of the 2 cars..

And even if it lacks in the masculinity department..

The Solstice looks like a Banglified car compared to...Anything else..

 

[Joey D]

Actually the Soltice is faster at 0-60 but the Miata is faster in the quarter

Soltice 0-60: 6.9 sec
Miata 0-60: 7.0 sec

Soltice 1/4: 15.5 @ 87.4 mph
Miata 1/4: 15.4 @ 87.2 mph

They look like they are the same to me

 

[Driftster]

I personally want to see all 3 go head to head...

New miata..
Old Maz speed miata..
and the Solstice

 

[Joey D]

Those numbers were posted by the new Miata. So it was a fair fight I would say.

But I want to see the Soltice GXP vs. Miata Mazdaspeed, that would be a good fight but I would put my money on the GXP.

 

[Driftster]

What's the new Maz speed going to be rated at?

PS...Good idea for the new Maz speed...Throw in the Mazda 6 motor

 

[Joey D]

What's the new Maz speed going to be rated at?

PS...Good idea for the new Maz speed...Throw in the Mazda 6 motor

Can't find any info out about the new one, but the GXP will have some where between 240-270hp depending on what rumors are true.

 

[a6m5]

Only selections I didn't like were 300C and RX-8. 300C, I hate the face and RX-8 in the Sports Coupe section? I just don't know about that. They do look nice though.

No trust me, there was no GM biases in my post.

It's getting deep in here, lets put our boots on...... j/k

 

[pik]

i'd say the 350z would do better as the best sports coupe...

for the sports compact, i would agree with either an rsx-s, or a vw gti (5th gen, 2006.5 model... comming out in february, not the current one that's been around since 1999). the a3 is hardly a compact... it seems just sort of a stationwagon to me... 4 doors, and an extra window's worth of length after that... how is THAT compact?

other then that no major quibbles...

 

[a6m5]

i'd say the 350z would do better as the best sports coupe...

There you go, I'd go along with that.

 

[Ev0]

I have no complaints with that list except for Sports Compact and Sports Coupe. I think the Cobalt SS or the RSX Type-S would have been a much better choice for this instead of a turboed A3 (which, while a good small car, is far from an exciting drive I have heard). As for sports coupe, I agree with pik and A6M5; the 350Z is much more deserving. While the RX8 is a great car, the rotary engine just lacks the punch that the 350Z's mighty VQ35DE has. It is for that reason I'd prefer the 350Z.

As for the whole Solstice vs. Miata debate, the Solsitce is a pretty damn good roadster, but it has flaws that make it lose out to the Miata. Both cars have brilliant handling, they are dead even in acceleration, but the transmission on the Solstice is not as good as the Miata's, which is hailed as one of the best gearboxes on the market. And then there's my biggest gripe with the Solstice; its trunk. Unless you're building a trackday car, a halfway decent trunk should be an important part of the design, since we all have to bring stuff with us from time to time. The Solstice has a pretty useless trunk... unless GM's marketing surveys found most roadster drivers carry nothing but sand in their trunks...

 

[TwinTurboJay]

I disagree with the Roadster, the Soltice is better the the Miata (MX-5 whatever), even Autoweek agrees with that.

.

I've got to say, the MX-5 is better in almost every catagory, and also doesnt have a troubled, reliability plaugues manufacturer backing it. The MX5 will spank it on the track or the drag strip. While it may not look as aggressive, it definitly is more so.

 

[Joey D]

I've got to say, the MX-5 is better in almost every catagory, and also doesnt have a troubled, reliability plaugues manufacturer backing it. The MX5 will spank it on the track or the drag strip. While it may not look as aggressive, it definitly is more so.

Wrong. Look at the numbers I posted, the Miata is only a 1/10th quicker in the drag. Also Pontiac doesn't have a bad reliability at all, in fact they've won awards for having good reliability.

The Soltice will keep up or out perform the Miata in every catagory.

 

[TwinTurboJay]

Wrong. Look at the numbers I posted, the Miata is only a 1/10th quicker in the drag. Also Pontiac doesn't have a bad reliability at all, in fact they've won awards for having good reliability.

The Soltice will keep up or out perform the Miata in every catagory.

They've won awards from JD Power and Associates, a conflict of interest due to GM's ownership of JDPA.

 

[Joey D]

I don't care, JDPA gives awards out to Japanese companies all the time. You are just being to close minded to think that GM built a car that is just as good, if not better then the Miata. It's like trying to tell a GT4 fanboy that Forza was indeed a good game.

 

[TheCracker]

How come all the reviews i've read for the Soltice say it has poor handling, especially compared to the Miata/MX-5 then?

 

[Dave A]

Threads like go a long way to show how different car culture is across the world, I'd be interested to see what magazines have voted for the best in Japan as well. I could dig up what it is over here, we don't class all the cars the same though, we don't have a best luxury sportscar for example, we just have best sportscar, and Blazin I'm sure will be happy to hear that the Boxster didn't win it. As for the RX8, it is actually a coupe, it's roof slopes down towards the back, not very much, but it still does, so it fits the definition of a coupe, it's a similar shaped roof to the Audi TT's but with more subtle curves.

 

[Takumi Fujiwara]

The Solstice is several hundred lb heavier than the Miata. There is no way to make up for weight in handling. If the Solstice weighed 2500, it'd be the winner, for sure. But 2900? That's sedan territory.

 

[Dave A]

A cars weight isn't the sole defining factor to how well a car handles, look at the Veyron, I was saying for ages that just because it's heavy doesn't mean it will handle like a dog, and guess what all the review have said it feels light and easy to drive. You've got weight distribution, center of gravity, track width, suspenrion setup, wheelbase, the wheels and tyre's and more all go into how a car handles. An extra 400lbs isn't going to ruin a car if they got the rest right to compensate. I don't know how good the Solstice actaully is though, we don't get them over here. I'm just pointing out the flaw in peoples thinking that the lighter car always handles better.

 

[TwinTurboJay]

Solstice / MX-5
177hp 170hp
166 lbft 140 lb ft.

0-60mph (sec) : 7.2 / 6.5
1/4 Mile: 15.8@ 87 mph / 15 @ 91 mph
Braking 70mph-0: 165 feet / 157 feet
SkidPad : .88g / .90g
CurbWeight : 2888 lbs / 2482 lbs
TopSpeed: 124mph / 131mph

Fuel Econ
city: 20mpg / 25mpg
hwy: 28mpg / 30 mpg


its pretty clear...

 

[VIPFREAK]

GM OWNED by a gay car.

 

[TheCracker]

GM OWNED by a gay car.

If the MX-5's a gay car, i'll happily be a flaming homosexual! :gay:

 

[Wolfe]

A cars weight isn't the sole defining factor to how well a car handles, look at the Veyron, I was saying for ages that just because it's heavy doesn't mean it will handle like a dog, and guess what all the review have said it feels light and easy to drive. You've got weight distribution, center of gravity, track width, suspenrion setup, wheelbase, the wheels and tyre's and more all go into how a car handles. An extra 400lbs isn't going to ruin a car if they got the rest right to compensate. I don't know how good the Solstice actaully is though, we don't get them over here. I'm just pointing out the flaw in peoples thinking that the lighter car always handles better.

*cough4thGenSupra/M5/Cayenne/MostMercedes'/A8orS8/AstonMartincough*

Anyway, as for the MX-5 vs Solstice debate, the MX-5 wins it as far as I'm concerned, because it's more comfortable and practical (without compromising its sporty-roadsterness), just as performance-oriented as the Solstice, and more attractive (IMO).

But honestly people give BMW too much credit, they aren't gods.

YES THEY ARE!!!!!

...j/k