[IAMCANADIAN]

Tonight, my friend and I went to the automall and test drove four cars. I wanted to look at compact cars and see what the competition has to offer in that segment. I’m not getting rid of my Grand Prix right now but I think I would like to get a compact car next time around. I sat in a few other cars as well. My friend wanted me to test drive the G35 (he’s an import lover BIG TIME) and forgot his license so he practically begged me to drive it.

I test drove:
-2008 Ford Focus SE Coupe
-2004 Infiniti G35 Coupe
-2008 Volkswagen GTI
-2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5

Ford Focus:
Pros:
-Price
-Comfort
-Equipment
-Quietness

Cons:
-Exterior styling
-Brake pedal feel
-Seating position

The Focus is new for 2008 and comes in a coupe or sedan. My tester came with a 4-speed automatic transmission and a few options. Right now Ford has their “Family Pricing” so I could’ve gotten that one for $18 grand – although if I was getting the Focus I would get the SES Coupe. I think the sedan suits the Focus’ new styling a lot better than the coupe which looks rather awkward. Power comes from a 2.0L L4 with 140 HP. Acceleration is not bad but definitely needs to be revved to get the most out of it. The 4-speed auto shifts well however I think the manual will offer better performance. I wasn’t able to throw it around the curves on my test route but it rode nicely and soaked bumps with ease. I was really disappointed with the brake pedal feel, it was soft and sloppy and the Focus didn’t feel like it would handle emergency braking that well. Steering feel is on the lighter side but it’s nicely weighted for the most part. One of my dislikes is the seating position – you feel like you sit really high in the car even though the height adjustment was on the lowest position and I’m only 5’ 10”. Overall the Focus isn’t a great car, but it isn’t a bad car. It gets the job done and does it well but it’s certainly not a standout in its class. For the price it’s a good value.

Infiniti G35:
Pros:
Acceleration
Steering/Handling
Styling

Cons:
Visibility
Interior Materials
Engine Noise

The G35 is Infiniti’s entry level luxury car. Power comes from Nissan’s highly regarded 3.5L VQ V6 and my tester came mated to a 5-speed auto. This one is used and was on sale for $28 grand CDN$. This car is definitely fun to drive no doubt about that. The VQ V6 has great performance and the 5-Speed Auto shifts smoothly and performs well in manual mode. Steering and Handling are also excellent with this car. The brakes do a good job as well. I felt that the G35 only excelled in the performance department and was really lacking in almost every other way. The interior for a luxury car is incredibly cheap and the controls are not very driver friendly. Also, it feels like a bigger car than it is which makes parking a bit of a chore if you’re not used to it. Also, the engine is incredibly noisy and unrefined. While I usually don’t mind engine noise in a sporty car because it gives it a sportier feel - the VQ V6 made a lot of noise and yet it wasn’t doing very much. In fact, at 4000 RPM it sounded like it was at redline. A few months ago I sat in the new G37 Coupe and thought it was a lot better. The interior is more comfortable, more refined and the extra power and improved dynamics makes it a far better choice over the 1st gen G35. If you want to get a vehicle like this, I would either spend less and get a 350Z or spend more and get a new G37. Still, aside from its obvious negatives, the G35 is a fun car to drive that will certainly satisfy the performance enthusiast.

Volkswagen GTI:
Pros:
Acceleration
Handling
Interior Materials
Build Quality
Fuel Economy

Cons:
Price
DSG performance

The Volkswagen GTI was one of my favorites. It is really fun to drive, comfortable and has a great feel to it. It’s a little on the pricey side, however you’re not going to be let down by it either. I was also impressed with how easy it is to park and how great the visibility is. Power comes from a 2.0L turbo 4 with 200 HP and my tester was mated to VW’s 6-Speed DSG transmission. While the DSG transmission sounds like great technology, it was incredibly disappointing. In regular mode it didn’t like to downshift that easily and shifts were rather abrupt and sluggish. In sport mode or manual mode it suffered from the same problems. Also, the brake pedal was rather dull and soft. Overall it’s a good balance between performance and practicality. If you’re looking for a sporty compact the GTI is definitely one you should add to your list.

Volkswagen Jetta:
Pros:
Interior Materials
Build Quality
Acceleration
Ride

Cons:
Brake pedal feel
Fuel economy
Price
Steering feel

The Volkswagen Jetta is a real dilemma. On one hand it has good acceleration, a comfortable ride and a nicely finished interior. On the other hand it’s incredibly overpriced when you add options, it suffers from poor brake pedal feel like the GTI and the steering was the worst of the bunch. Also, its fuel economy is nothing outstanding with the 2.5 and while the automatic transmission was better than the DSG, it was still nothing to be proud of. It’s like the Jetta wants to be like a Toyota Corolla while still offering a German feel. This is rather disappointing because people expect European cars to have solid steering and handling and be able to cruise the Autobahn whereas this Jetta feels like it can barely keep up on a US Interstate. A fully loaded Jetta 2.5 with 5-Speed Manual is around $29 grand CDN$ before taxes. That’s a fair amount of money for something that doesn’t offer a pleasing driving experience and doesn’t offer anything significant in the way of features and options. I liked the Jetta enough that I would get one, but certainly not for $29 grand. The reason why I would only consider a top model is because I want leather. For thousands less there are much better compacts out there that have more features (and leather!) than the VW Jetta.

Also, I was unimpressed with the VW salesman’s sales techniques. He tried to make every other car out there pale in comparison to the VW. While there’s nothing wrong with saying the VW is a good car, I find it really lame when he has to make every other car look bad in order to make the VW look good – it makes me wonder whether there’s really anything good about the car or whether they’re just trying to sell on hype. None of the other car salesmen were like this and they were actually a pleasure to deal with. I’m not letting a salesman affect my view of VW of course. Still, while VW’s are nice cars overall and generally pleasing to drive, they’re really overpriced and that puts them in an unfavorable position versus the competition.

Afterwards we went over to the Mazda dealer and I sat in the Mazda 3. The Mazda 3 fully loaded is only a bit cheaper than the VW Jetta; however it’s a MUCH better car in my opinion. While it has a few more hard plastics than the VW, it has a nicer look and feel to it. The car feels more solid and the seats surprisingly feel more European than the Jetta. While it’s only slightly cheaper than the Jetta it offers way more features and gets better fuel economy. For example the 3 has automatic headlamps, rain sensing wipers, Bose audio system and automatic climate control. While a lot of people don’t care about those features, when you’re spending almost $30 grand for a compact car, you expect it to deliver and considering the high amount of praise that the 3 gets from journalists, the 3 is worth that price. The Jetta in my opinion isn’t. Anyway, I was quite impressed with what the Mazda 3 offers and while I didn’t have time tonight to test drive it, I’ll try and take it out for a spin next time.