EPA To Announce New Mileage-Rating System

[JCE]

The 2006 Kia Rio5 that I went to look at today has a screaming 1.6L I4 that puts down 110HP. Not too bad for a Korean car, she got moving pretty well.

My '93 Fox took about 11 seconds to hit 60, but it felt a lot faster than that. By comparison the Jetta I'm driving now takes about 10, so the Rio was noticeably quicker with 5 fewer horsepower and a few hundred pounds less.

...Just goes to prove how much not only cars in general have improved, but how much Korean cars have improved in the past ten years.

I agree that Korean cars are on the rise--which is a good thing as I like South Korea as a country. Most people I meet from there are really nice and respectful. But on to the Rio, it doesn't get very good gas mileage (yay for somewhat being on topic in this sentence) for a small petrol motor and either transmission was rubbish that I drove in 2005 models--hopefully they fixed that aspect for the 2006 redesign. You know what car is quite a good Korean car that even the TopGear presenters like? The current generation Tiburon coupe'. I really really like that car--especially if it's in black or the darker blue. Japan needs to watch the Koreans closely--they could be caught up before Japan knows it. The 2 new Hyundai saloons are actually really good cars and I'd put them easily right next to Honda in the build quality area and the warranty is good as well.

Sorry for being so offtopic but this is an interesting conversation.

 

[niky]

Off-topic is kind of a rule rather than an exception in this forum.

For Hyundais, I'm going to be doing a test-drive of Hyundai's excellent new Getz this weekend. It's the only supermini to beat the Fit head to head in "Car of the Year" comparos... once in Australia, and once here, in the Philippines. With a 1.5 turbodiesel, 110hp and a ton of torque, it'll probably be fast as ****. And it gets 50mpg (US gallons) or more, depending on conditions. I'm currently shopping between this and a Honda Fit... five years ago, if anyone had told me that I'd be seriously considering a Hyundai vs. a Honda, I'd have socked them.

I have the same definition of quick, fast and ****ing hell! as you guys, but driving for family and friends makes you a little more cognizant of comfortable acceleration rates. Every time you drive even an 8-10 second car at more than 50% of its acceleration capacity, people start getting sick.

Actually, although I've felt that most gasoline cars in the 10-14 second range were insanely slow, diesel engines in the same speed range don't feel as bad. That extra kick in the pants at light off actually makes them feel much faster than they really are... even though the kick doesn't usually stay there once you're past 30 mph.

And YSSMAN raises an interesting point... older cars in the same speed range as newer turd-a$$-slow ones don't feel slow. They have some extra pep from the light weight, yes, but it's the lower amount of insulation from road noise, wind noise and road irregularities, as well as the lower inertia that give you a better sense of speed.

That's what I love about my Proty. Going sixty miles an hour actually feels brisk in this car, while 80-100 mph is mind-numbingly boring in anything else.

Ergo... new cars aren't too slow... they're just too dull.

I'm willing to bet 40 mph would feel like 150 mph in a Suzuki Cappuchino.

 

[YSSMAN]

...That makes me think of a test done on Top Gear where they compared old racecars to modern street cars...

Top Gear Race Cars Vs. Road Cars

 

[Sniffs]

Suze's Cappuchinos never made it over here, unfortunately...i'd buy one in a heartbeat.

as one of those guys who's never been in anything foreign behind the wheel, except for a burned out old Camry, i couldn't tell you about the subjective feel of low power, light weight, or a high power to weight ratio.

that includes anything with less than four doors. best I had was an 85 Merc with a 3.8 that got what I describe as the WOHOO factor at 75 mph

 

[YSSMAN]

I can appreciate a low-power sports coupe any day. I've driven the ol' Miata many times, and I've even considered replacing my Jetta with one (the insurance, belive it or not, is actually CHEAPER in the '96 M-Eddition vs my Wolfsburg)...

Only problem is, MPG is a bit dissapointing (but not bad either), and living in Michigan, it might not be a good idea...