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Car Talk Test Drive Notes

Fiat 500C


  • Loveably cute and original. Fun just to look at.
  • I think this is what they mean by "European Flair."
  • Fun car to drive.
  • Super easy to park.
  • Neat, airy, simple interior.
  • Very impressive tracking and handling for its size.
  • Surprisingly stable stance.
  • Very comfortable (optional) leather seats.
  • Did not feel mortally imperiled driving it, even driving at fast highway speed.
  • Nifty, powered, roll-back, canvas top. When the top is back 2/3rds, entire roof is open, but you still can see out the back through glass window. Benefits of a convertible without the structural weakness.


  • Good, but not great mileage for its size.
  • Dealers still few and far between.
  • Fiat has a long history of producing hopeless rustbuckets.
  • Doesn't feel unsafe, but objectively, it's very small and wouldn't fare well in a crash with a bigger car (i.e. practically every car)
  • Not a performance car in any sense of the word.
  • Very poor visibility out the back with the rollback top fully down.
  • Propensity to hydroplane at higher speeds.
  • Not a full convertible feel with the rolltop down, due to A, B, and C pillars at the front, middle and back of the passenger compartment.
  • Back seat is okay for a very short drive, lousy for a road trip. Another two inches of length would have made the back seat more comfortable.
  • Sure to be called a "chick" car.

Other notes:
"It's a winner in our book."



Kia Optima (2011)


  • A lot of car for the money
  • Loaded -- with heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel, navigation, etc. -- lists for $27,500.
  • Very competitive with Accord and Camry (the Optima's less handsome corporate twin is the highly rated Hyundai Sonata).
  • Great looking exterior
  • Spacious, calming interior
  • Ergonomically sensible controls
  • Plenty powerful 2.4L four-cylinder engine. No one needs more than this.
  • Six-speed automatic transmission
  • 24 city, 34 highway in a family-sized sedan
  • Honda Accord-like size
  • Honda Accord-like feel
  • Twice the Honda Accord-like warranty (10-year powertrain)
  • Impressive ride and handling
  • Very smooth powertrain


  • Slightly firm ride, like Accord
  • Rear headroom a little tight for taller riders
  • Relative dearth of Kia dealers in many areas
  • Rear and rear-side visibility is terrible due to rising belt line.
  • Optional ($2000 Tech package) back-up camera is essential, and helps with
  • parking, but even then, you may have to go Braille. And backup camera is no help when changing lanes.
  • Electrically assisted power steering feels a bit sticky at times.


Chevy Volt (2011)


  • We've gotten a taste of the future. Very impressive engineering.
  • A real car. Just happens to run beautifully on electricity a lot of the time.
  • Treat it like a cell phone. Plug it in when when you go to bed, and start the next day all charged up.
  • Large electric capacity. 35 miles per charge all-electric under good conditions. We drove it for a week, charging it up every night, without ever using any gasoline.
  • Back up gasoline engine always ready to kick in when battery runs down, which eliminates range anxiety.
  • Seamless transition between electricity and gasoline.
  • Great, quiet, whoosh of acceleration under battery power.
  • Plenty of power for acceleration.
  • Comfortable, soft-ish ride.
  • Solid, stable handling.
  • Quiet in electric mode.
  • Hatchback practicality.
  • Blows away plug-in Prius in battery capacity.
  • $7500 Federal tax credit.


  • Electric range effected by weather, use of climate control, and driving style.
  • Can be a lot less than 35 miles under certain conditions, especially cold weather.
  • Reliability unknown, compared to well-tested Prius.
  • Small gasoline engine can be a little loud and buzzy when it kicks in.
  • Some body lean -- ride is tuned more for city driving/comfort than handling.
  • White center console's attempted "futuristic" look a bit tacky.
  • Desperately needs a rear window wiper.
  • Visibility limited due to thick A pillars and C pillars.
  • Optional backup camera should be considered a necessity.
  • Back up camera is necessary, and should be standard instead of a $600 option.
  • Should have keyless entry for $41K.
  • Noisy suspension, especially in the rear.
  • Too quiet, making it dangerous for pedestrians.
  • Gasoline vehicles just seem so "dirty" after driving the Volt!

Other notes:
Car Talk 2012 Volt Update



MINI Cooper Countryman (2011)


  • A four door MINI, with a real back seat.
  • Great, practical size.
  • Optional all wheel drive.
  • A bit of cargo room to boot.
  • No need to fear being crushed by Toyota Yarises on the highway
  • Great looks. Cool interior styling
  • Good, sporty handling
  • Available six speed stick.
  • Decent gas mileage.
  • Solid and stable on the highway.


  • Not as much fun to drive as the mini MINI
  • $35K by the time you get it all optioned up.
  • Grabby clutch
  • Firm ride. Noticeable on rough roads.
  • Some axle hop on rough curves
  • Noisy brake sounds
  • Audio controls could be a lot easier to use.
  • Inadequate reverse-lock-out on manual transmission.


Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (2011)


  • Can drive Rubicon trail with four people each having their own escape door
  • Rugged styling — now that Hummer's gone, it's the toughest looking thing out there
  • More comfortable than two-door Wrangler due to longer wheelbase
  • Makes it possible to carry four people in a Wrangler. Two-door rear entry was difficult.
  • Some civilized interior options, like satellite radio, heated seats, and steering wheel audio controls


  • Still barbaric after all these years
  • Questionable build quality — doors don't close well
  • Shakes, rattles, and wind noise galore
  • Pants splitter entry height
  • Fatiguing ride and disquieting handling
  • Small windshield
  • Inconvenient access to cargo area from outside
  • Only four speeds in automatic transmission
  • Lousy mileage (15-19 MPG)


Suzuki Kizashi (2011)


  • Relatively fun to drive
  • Comfortable
  • Good looks
  • Produces cabin heat quickly
  • Nice size
  • Available with all-wheel drive
  • Quiet interior
  • Excellent clutch on the manual transmission
  • Good price


  • Where's the nearest Suzuki dealer?
  • Long-term durability is an unknown
  • Some torque steer noticeable
  • Smallish backseat room


Scion tC (2011)


  • Styling
  • Predicted reliability
  • Better backseat room than you'd expect
  • Hatchback practicality
  • Decent mileage
  • Fairly comfortable front seats
  • Six-speed automatic transmission
  • Low price


  • Serious road noise
  • Muddy sound system, made worse by road noise
  • Sound system controls
  • Cheap interior, in general
  • Some transmission hunting during highway driving


Volvo S60 (2011)


  • Sleek styling, and not just "for a Volvo"
  • Most comfortable chair you'll sit in all day
  • Smooth, comfortable, powerful ride
  • Solid feel
  • Available AWD
  • Restrained but elegant interior
  • Sophisticated safety features
  • Advanced cabin electronics with relatively understandable controls


  • Mediocre gas mileage
  • Key fob AND push button combination needed to start car
  • Sticker shock: be prepared to pay 40K-plus


Honda CR-Z (2011)


  • Excellent mileage
  • Hybrid drive train
  • Available stick shift
  • Sporty handing
  • Honda reliability
  • Comfortable enough for daily use
  • Boy racer looks


  • Horrible visibility out back, especially three quarter view
  • No backup camera option
  • No back seat


Dodge Challenger SRT8 Limited Edition (2010)


  • Stand-out-in-a-crowd styling
  • Quiet, low-rpm highway cruising in 6th gear
  • Easy to use temperature controls
  • Well bolstered front seats
  • 100 times better, mechanically, than the original version


  • Styling screams "I peaked in high school"
  • Ridiculously large 6.1 liter engine
  • 14 MPG
  • Poor three-quarter view visability
  • Heavy, balky clutch makes stop and go driving tedious
  • Among the last of this type of overpowered dinosaurs

Other notes:
If the styling appeals to you, you'll almost certainly be happier with the base engine, which, at 3.5 liters, is about half the size of this monster. The automatic transmission would also be recommended. With those changes, it's not a bad car.



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