Friday Fleet Notes: 04.20.2007
In this week’s edition of Friday Fleet Notes, our staff chimes in on a number of cars recently reviewed on Cars.com, as well as one that was in the fleet for an upcoming faceoff.
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
The manual transmission is a gem. It has the solid feel of a Mazda3’s shifter with the precise operation of a Honda Civic’s. I like the engine, too; it revs quickly and delivers plenty of punch, and it sounds much nicer than the empty-garbage-disposal drone of the Hyundai Elantra. The downside is that there isn’t much going on at the low end, which really hurts when you’re coming out of a turn in second gear and need some oomph.
I’m not a big fan of the interior. It’s typical Mitsubishi — a lot of style without much substance. The air conditioning knobs have a cheap click, and the radio display is so dim I thought it had stopped working at one point. Yes, I had the brightness turned all the way up.
Kelsey Mays, assistant editor
It’s been too easy putting my cyclocross bike in SUVs and wagons; I wanted a challenge. The Lancer did surprisingly well, taking the 58-cm bike with only one wheel removed. There were only three issues — one of which you can’t blame the car for.
1. The GTS came to us with a nice, big subwoofer in the trunk. (Sigh.) After gently guiding the bike in, there were only a couple of inches between the woofer and the fork of the bike. If I were driving it anywhere (it was parked for this test), I’d want to firmly secure the bike to keep it from bashing the subwoofer. Or just delete the thing. Who needs to hear their music outside their car? [Besides KickingTires’ David Thomas, who loved the sound it produced inside the car. –ed.]
2. Normally, I stand the wheel(s) I’ve removed behind the passenger and/or driver’s seat. With the seats adjusted to fit two 6-foot-plus guys, there just wasn’t room. This isn’t the end of the world, but it’s worth mentioning.
3. This isn’t the Lancer’s fault, but if you ride a larger bike, the cargo opening will be just wide enough to accept the frame without lowering the seat. You should plan on taking your time and gently maneuvering, finagling and tilting the bike to get it in. Length isn’t an issue, which was a nice surprise. Only one wheel had to be removed, and that’s huge when you’re going to a race.
Bill Jackson, Buying Guides editor, resident triathlete
2007 Hyundai Elantra
My time behind the wheel of the Elantra consisted of a trip from Chicago’s North Side to O’Hare International Airport to catch a flight to New York for the auto show. Piled into the small sedan were two other Cars.com staffers, and the trunk was filled with our luggage. Even with this relatively full load, the Elantra’s four-cylinder engine pulled the car surprisingly well and got us up to highway speeds without a hitch. At high rpm, though, engine buzz soaks the cabin.
Mike Hanley, assistant editor
2007 Volkswagen GTI four-door
I’m sorry to feed such an obvious stereotype, but when I was shopping for my current car several years ago, I was far more concerned with how it looked than the size of its engine. I like little cars — even sedans look too big to me, hence my 1997 Honda Civic coupe. It’s little, it’s cute and it gets me where I need to go.
It’s only been in the past few years, as my job has put me behind the wheel of things like a Shelby GT500, Subaru WRX STi and Audi S6, that I’ve realized even I can appreciate much more in a car than “cute.”
After driving the GTI, I’m convinced I really can have it all. That “cute” car, with its turbocharged engine and six-speed manual, was an absolute blast to drive. Even making right turns was fun; the tight handling made me feel like a much more adventurous driver than I really am.
The GTI also sports a large, covered cargo area that would make everyday luggage- and grocery-hauling a breeze. Plus, there’s significantly more space inside the GTI than in my Civic, so I’d no longer have to hear the constant stream of complaints I currently get from my taller passengers.
My only nitpick with the GTI was that the ride is a little rougher than I’d like, but I guess that’s a necessary tradeoff in a car that’s actually fun to drive. It’s something I wouldn’t mind getting used to.
Beth Palmer, copy editor
I was expecting the GTI to be a quick car, but I didn’t expect it to have the grunt or torque to pull hard like it did. The power didn’t come on suddenly, like it does in most turbo cars, but there wasn’t much power below 3,000 rpm, either. I would have liked to see a boost gauge for the turbo, as well as a gear shifter with lighter effort; this shifter was a little tough to shove into gear sometimes, especially during faster shifts.
The interior was basic, just the way I like it, and my only gripe is that the extendable center armrest prevented the handbrake from being pulled up with the armrest fully extended.
I thought the car had way too much tire spin for only 200 horsepower; I wasn’t even pushing the car and the tires would lose grip. This was explained when I pulled over to take pictures and noticed the front tires were completely bald — at 9,000 miles. Considering it’s a fleet car for journalists, that’s equivalent to, like, 30,000 miles.
Joe Bruzek, assistant editor
2007 GMC Acadia
GMC nailed the ride and handling with this one. The SUV tackles potholed roads with ease and steers with a light touch, which seems appropriate for this kind of vehicle. It’s relatively easy to get accustomed to the Acadia’s size, but rear visibility isn’t the greatest, especially when checking your left-side blind spot.
Around town and at slow speeds, the V-6’s power is entirely acceptable, but it feels burdened by the Acadia’s substantial bulk when accelerating hard — and that’s with only one person onboard (maximum capacity is eight).
Interestingly, the test Acadia came with the optional head-up display that’s similar to the one offered in the Chevrolet Corvette.
Mike Hanley, assistant editor
Cars.com Expert Reviews:
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
2007 Hyundai Elantra
2007 GMC Acadia
2006 VW GTI
