2013 Scion FR-S Sport Coupe by txGarage

Like I mentioned, we’re in Vegas, but not on the strip. Toyota/Scion put us up in a hotel right on the west edge of Vegas. Looking out east from our hotel room, we saw all the lights and excitement of the “strip”. Looking west, there was nothing but desert and mountains. After hearing a lot of marketing and technical talk from the team at Scion, we finally headed out to the front of the hotel where we were greeted with our ride. Looking at the FR-S, you already know what this car is about. It’s small, shorter than a 370Z, and it becomes more apparent the closer you get to the car. The FR-S is also very low to the ground; you’re butt sits just over a foot off the ground. The styling of the body is made to exude sportiness, but also be functional with low drag and good visibility. The arches over the front wheels stick up above the hood, and are purposely larger so you really can see where your front wheels are hitting the road.

I sat down in the first car that was ready to go as most of the other journalists were still mingling and procrastinating; I was ready to hit the road! Sitting in the FR-S, the first thing you notice is the bolstering in the seat. They’re large, yet quite comfortable, and as we’re headed to the track, I immediately realize that they will really come in handy later in the day. Next, I started paying attention to the detail of work and materials used within this car. Jumping into a Scion usually means hard plastics and unpleasant fabric. To our delight, the FR-S has a great interior. There is only one place on the dash where they used hard plastic to break up the dash, but it’s really done well. The steering wheel is wrapped in leather and has a good width and grip points. Directly behind the wheel, I noticed paddle shifters. I took a second look at the gearshift, and sure enough this was a FR-S equipped with an automatic transmission. The shifter is a little deceiving as it looks like it would be a manual. No worries, it’s time to see how this thing drives!

After the safety talk, we went back outside. Using the same group of cars we’d arrived in a few minutes before, we headed toward the track; only this time, I found one with a 6-speed manual transmission. We took 4 laps following the track instructors to help us get down the lines and braking points. This was good as the track had many late apex’s and a few hard braking turns.

It was now time to see how well rounded the FR-S really was. We already had a great time on normal road driving, but could this car go straight from the road to the track and really perform? I was in the FR-S with the manual transmission, so I reached down and pushed the traction control button twice to disable all driving aids. Now it’s just me, a steering wheel, clutch, shifter, and rear-wheel drive. Off the line, the 200 horsepower from the 2.0-liter boxer-4 wasn’t quite enough and didn’t feel very fast. Once you get into the higher rev’s, though, you never really feel a lack of power. You can feel the balance of the car, though. It has a very low center of gravity, only weighing 2,758 pounds, and has a weight distribution of 53% front and 47% rear. If you push hard into a corner, you’ll feel the understeer, but using your braking points correctly and turning tight into a corner, you can feel this car gripping, and if anything, it’s ready to give up the rear-end. When you do lose the rear end, which we did on occasion, purposefully of course, it’s easy to control and bring back into line. This car was designed for fun, sideways driving and it shows.

The controllable chassis gives you so much confidence; you’ll be running faster and faster lap times each run. We didn’t record lap times on the big track, but I could feel myself improving each run and it was all made easier by this well-balanced car.

2012 Toyota Prius V three

That’s right, we now have the Prius, the Prius V, and shortly, we’ll see the Prius C hitting showroom floors. You can go back and read what we think about the standard Prius here, and you can also check out our comparison between the Prius Plug-in Hybrid vs. the Chevrolet Volt.

Our tester this week, though, is the Prius V. The “V” stands for versatility and its size shows proof of that. The V sits on an extended wheelbase of the Prius while keeping the same basic hybrid powertrain. The transmission has been tweaked a little to offer up more torque faster to get this bigger, heavier car on the move.

Inside, it’s easy to notice the extra room from the lengthened wheelbase and bigger body. The V offers more headroom as well as leg room over the standard Prius. Open up the rear hatch, and there’s a world of room back there for all kinds of things. It makes you wonder why this car isn’t offered with a 3rd row option. Well, actually it is, in the Japanese and European markets. For America though, Toyota’s market research showed that the extra cost of the smaller batteries needed to fit the 3rd row wasn’t appealing enough to American shoppers. That might be true right now, but soon enough, we’ll have the Ford C-Max that’s going to be offered only as hybrid and electric models, and those should be offered with a 3rd row. I think Toyota might have missed out on an opportunity here, but only time will tell.

One of our biggest complaints with the last Prius we tested was the interior of the car. It’s made of cheap materials to help cut costs, but also to be environmentally friendly. With nicely made and well equipped cars like the Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra, it seems like a bad decision. Well, the quality of the materials is about the same in the new Prius V, but the instrument panel is rearranged with a new look and some new features.

Our tester was equipped with Toyota’s new Entune system that allows you to connect your phone via Bluetooth and run applications. You can listen to Pandora Radio, iHearRadio, search Bing, and enter addresses into the navigation system. It’s a pretty good system and a big step up from their old one.

You can have the V in a few different packages. This includes the Prius V two, the Prius V three, and the Prius V Five. Don’t ask us how they came up with that, or what happened to one and four. All we know is that our tester was dubbed the Prius V three. This gave us features like the 7” display with the Entune system, but not much else. Step up to the five and you’ll get the panoramic moonroof, led headlights, fog lights, and SofTex-trimmed seats (fake leather). The base price for the Prius V is $26,400. The V three starts out at $27,165 and the five is $29,990.

So with a bigger, heavier body on the same platform, what kind of fuel economy did we see? The official numbers for the Prius V are 44 city and 40 highway. Our average after a week of normal driving in the Prius V was 44.0-mpg, and that’s really pretty good. I maintain though, if this came in a 3-row setup, I think it would be a pretty big hit. For me, I’d just buy the more efficient, smaller Prius and fit the same amount of people unless you haul a bunch of stuff around everyday.

2013 Buick Regal GS reviewed by txGarage

First, we listened to some people talking about the technology, sportiness, and marketing strategy of the Regal GS. While this was informative, we were ready to jump into the Regal GS and really see what was what. We did a full review on the 2011 Buick Regal Turbo last year – find that review here – and we quite liked it. That car was equipped with a 2-liter turbocharged engine pushing 220 horsepower, and if you read the review, we were left wanting more power. At the end of that review, we also hinted at Buick bringing this GS to the American Market.

So what’s so different about the Regal GS over the Regal turbo? You still get a 2.0-liter engine, but this one is pushing 270 horsepower. The people at Buick made a lot of fuss about this being a true twin-scroll turbo, which reduces turbo lag. While the car we drove was an automatic, we still felt that this car had a good amount of lag when putting your foot to the floor. Once that lag time is over, though, the push from this engine is fantastic. It’s not hard for the front-wheel-drive car to screech the tires while pulling away from a stoplight.

Some have complained that this car is front-wheel-drive only instead of all-wheel-drive, but Buick had a good rebuttal for that as well. It features a four-wheel-independent suspension design with a complex High Performance Strut front suspension that allows the car to change how stiff it is. Much like the standard Regal, you have the option to choose how you want this car to behave, only in the GS, you have 3 settings instead of only 2. You start off in a standard, more comfortable setting that allows for more rebound and softer suspension setup. Push this “sport” button on the dash and everything is firmed up a bit and becomes more responsive. Push the “GS” button and you get the full potential from the engine, suspension, and steering.

We were in Dallas so we left the car in comfort mode at first while getting out of downtown. We jumped up on Central Expressway and switched the car into sport. You instantly recognize that the steering is starting to feel a little heavier in your hands and that there’s a bit more urgency in the throttle response. We knew we needed to find some good roads to test the handling of this car, but in our limited time with the GS, we couldn’t travel too far, so we headed to White Rock Lake. The roads around the lake are curvy and smooth, and as long as there isn’t a lot of traffic, or bikes, or policemen around, it’s a great place to test the handling of a car. Once we pulled off the main road, we switched into the holy GS mode. Pushing this car around tight corners and planting your foot to the floor makes you realize how all of a sudden everything starts to make sense. The Regal GS corners flat and puts its power down well. We would still have liked to see the steering be a little heavier or more engaging, but after some time, it was easy to get acclimated.

All in all, I’m extremely happy with the results of the Regal GS. It’s exactly what I was craving after driving the standard Regal turbo. With a price tag of around $38,000, the Regal GS is a big commitment for your average car buyer. This really is a car that you can live with in comfort everyday, and when it’s time to have fun, push that GS button and it’s go time. And when comparing that price to the likes of BMW and Audi – and you can – the Regal GS is actually a bargain.

2012 Mazda 3 with SkyActive

Mazda is a brand marketed heavily towards the enthusiast crowd. Their commercials ask if your car is inspiring or just an appliance. They claim they build cars for people that care about what they drive, how it drives, and the way it makes the driver feel. In pursuit of Mazda’s “what do you drive?” manifesto, they have often sacrificed fuel economy for driving pleasure. I’ve always given Mazda props for doing this given the current trends automakers are following. This year though, Mazda has introduced a new technology to focus on making their cars more fuel-efficient. They call this technology SkyActiv, and I’ll admit, I’m a little worried hearing that Mazda is going in this direction.

So let us get a bit cerebral and talk about exactly what SkyActiv is. What it’s not is a hybrid platform, and unlike many other manufacturers, Mazda didn’t opt for smaller displacement turbocharged engines. SkyActiv all starts under the hood where you’ll find a big, blue plastic engine cover. Under that cover is a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine. This engine is made lighter, it uses newer direct injection technologies – much like Ford and Hyundai – and it takes advantage of a uniquely high compression ratio.

The first big question is has all of this SkyActive stuff worked? Do you get better fuel economy thanks to some engineering voodoo? That answer is, simply, yes. On our second day with the car, we reset all the computers and made a normal highway run in Dallas morning traffic. On that run we averaged 40.9-mpg. That’s 0.9-mpg better than Mazda’s official fuel economy rating. When we left the computers alone for a few days though and really tested out the average economy in the Mazda 3 is when we were really shocked. By day 4 we were still showing a 37.1-mpg rating and we stayed in that ballpark until day 7 where we were really being hard on the car doing video.

So we know the SkyActiv is a little more powerful than the normal Mazda 3; we know it’s a light and stiff chassis; we know it really does equate to better mpg, and we know the interior is still a nice place to be, but the next big question is does it really still have that unique Mazda feel? That is answered simply as well. This is still a fun to drive little car.

I’ll have to admit, I’m completely sold on SkyActiv. It seems that Mazda has found a way to get great fuel economy with none of the normal sacrifices. This isn’t just a great car for the young buyer or the enthusiast, this is a great car for just about anyone!

Full photo gallery on Facebook or Google+
Check out the Video review on YouTube

The 2012 Toyota Yaris 3-Door Hatch by txGarage

The Yaris is one small hatch that’s been on sale here for a while now, and this isn’t our first experience in one. I’ve driven the 2010 Yaris sedan, and was extremely unimpressed. At the same time, I know many enthusiasts who sing the praises of the 3-door hatch. It seems that Toyota has caught on to the popularity of the hatch. For 2012, the Yaris can only be had in a 5-door or 3-door hatch; the sedan is no longer offered. So now that we have our hands on this 2012 Yaris 3-door hatch, what do we think?

Let’s start with the exterior. As far as Toyota and the Yaris go, it’s not a bad design at all. You can see the new Toyota front end taking shape and it looks like a leaner, sleeker design over the previous generation. When you compare it to the styling of other small hatchbacks on sale now, it’s a little bit of a different story. The Yaris compared to the likes of Hyundai, Chevrolet, or Ford now looks a bit dull.

Inside is a great improvement over the previous generation Yaris. The instruments have been moved into their proper location in front of the steering wheel instead of the middle of the dash. It’s all cheap plastic, but this is a pretty inexpensive car. The interior reminds me more of a Scion than a Toyota though. The stereo is inserted in just a way that replacing it for a better one would be easy. There is decent room inside this 3-door hatch. Driving position is comfortable. In the rear seat, there is a lack of legroom but you could squeeze two adults back there if you had to do so. Open the hatch and you get plenty of room for groceries and day-to-day items. If you need more room, the back seats do fold down.

The biggest problem we found is the cheapness of the car. It might be expected when you’re spending your money on such an inexpensive car, but our tester had just over 4,000 miles and already developed an annoying rattle from the dash. Road and wind noise are pretty harsh as well. It could be excused, but there are so many other options on the market now. They might be more money, but could be worth it if you’re into a quieter ride and better build quality and materials.

So what happens when you’re ready to drive enthusiastically? Our tester was an LE trimmed Yaris. This gave us a 4-speed automatic transmission mounted to our 1.5-liter engine. We also had to settle for the 15-inch wheels. You could turn off the traction control, but as soon as you travel over about 25 mph it would re-engage automatically. There is still something to be said about having a short wheelbase and low weight, though. You could definitely have some fun when throwing it around corners.

If you’re really into the sporty ride, you’ll want to opt for the SE trim. This gives you a 5-speed manual and bigger, wider 16-inch wheels. It’s suspension is also tuned more toward sportiness, so cornering and wheel screeching should be much better in this trim.

The powertrain is the same basic setup as in the previous models. This puzzled me as, like I said earlier, we had a 4-speed transmission. Most of the Yaris’ competitors are now being sold with 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions. If the Yaris was equipped with such a transmission, this car could easily hit the 40-mpg range. Unfortunately, you have to make do averaging around 32 mpg.

So would I buy one? No, but if I was a high school or college student I wouldn’t be embarrassed rolling in one. This car is made to be cheap to buy and cheap to maintain and it can be pretty fun when you really want it to be. Step up a little in price though and you can get cars with better design, better fuel economy, and much more fun. I’d definitely look at the Fiesta, Sonic, and Accent before pulling the trigger on a Yaris.

More photos on Facebook and Google+

We’ve driven the Buick LaCrosse a few times, starting way back in 2009 when it was launched. With the LaCrosse, Buick aimed their sites straight for the likes of Lexus, Acura, and Lincoln. We’ve talked plenty in our last two reviews about the impressiveness of the interior quality for the money and how we think that Buick has made good on their goal. So what’s different about this LaCrosse over others we’ve tested? Something called eAssist.

Check out the video and Subscribe on YouTube!

The eAssist platform was created to make a more fuel efficient version of the LaCrosse. It uses the hybrid system you would have found in the now dead Saturn Aura Green Line with a few more modern tweaks. The engine is a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder. This is matched up with a small electric motor that allows this car to enable a start/stop function. This is where the engine shuts down when you are stopped at a stoplight and kicks back on, seamlessly, when you are ready to set off again. Doing this allows the eAssist LaCrosse to post pretty impressive fuel economy numbers. This large, luxury sedan is good for 25-city mpg and 36-highway mpg.

Buick has also thrown in GM’s next-generation six-speed automatic transmission. This is supposed to improve on the old transmission by reducing friction losses and improving shift response. They have also fitted the car with low resistance tires, which are supposed to not sacrifice any grip, unlike the ones you would find on a Prius. The fuel tank has been messed with as well. Instead of the 18.4-gallon tank in the normal LaCrosse, you only get 15.7 gallons. This is said to limit the maximum curb weight of the car. In the front grille, much like the Cruze Eco, you get electronically controlled shutters that help with aerodynamics.

So it’s a hybrid? Who wants to be seen rolling around in a flashy hybrid these days? Well, for us, the cool thing about this car is that you won’t find any indication that this is a hybrid car. Besides the battery that takes up a little room in the trunk and a few “eco” phrases on the dash, your friends will be none the wiser.

All of this sounds impressive, and in the case of saving fuel, it works well. In our week of driving the car all over the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, we averaged around 34 mpg. My biggest issue with the car is with the start/stop feature. I’ve driven other cars, mostly much more expensive ones, that utilize the start/stop feature, and in the LaCrosse, it was much more jerky then I expected. If you are in heavy traffic or doing a lot of rolling stops and starts, the system doesn’t seem to handle it that well. I also have the same gripe about this car as I did in my last review; the power just isn’t there for such a big heavy car. I know the point of this car isn’t to be powerful, but it really felt to be too down on power. The V6, although nowhere near as fuel efficient, is much easier to drive.

When it comes to price point though, the eAssist LaCrosse is undoubtedly in a class of it’s own. You can pick up a base LaCrosse with eAssist for just under $30,000. To me, that’s an immense bargain for such a large and fuel-efficient car, no matter its powertrain woes.

Even our decked out tester only ran up to just over $36,000. This sticker price included navigation, heated seats, backup camera, side mirrors that slid down when the vehicle is put into reverse, comfortable leather, and a great interior feel. It might be the stereotypical “grandpa” car, but it really is perfect for someone that wants to get around in comfort and class while still being fuel efficient.

Check out our full photo gallery on Facebook and Google+
Check out the video and Subscribe on YouTube!

2012 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ reviewed by txGarage

Driving a big, 3-row SUV is usually a telling sign that the driver has a larger family and needs the extra seating to pack everyone in one vehicle. This isn’t always true in Texas, as you’ll see many people driving Tahoe’s or Expedition’s and never carry more than 3 or 4 people at a time, but this is no Tahoe. The car we are reviewing this week is the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse. It’s built as a crossover SUV, and not an all out big SUV built on the frame of a truck.

All this space comes at a price though. The Suzuki XL-7 I owned was loaded with leather seats, a sunroof, a built in DVD player, and more. It cost me $28,000. The Mitsubishi Outlander GT we reviewed was also packed full of goodies, but had a MSRP of just over $32,000. Our fully decked out Traverse will hit your pocketbook at $43,895. That seems like a lot, and quite frankly, it is. You could pick up the GMC Acadia for the same kind of money. To be fair though, the Ford Explorer we reviewed, that was a 3-row and decked out, cost even more! The more cramped Explorer’s MSRP was just over $45,000. So for the size of this thing and the amenities we got, it’s not a horrible price compared to the market.

Even though this was a top of the line Traverse with leather, heated seats, rear DVD entertainment system, navigation, and the works, it never really felt premium. The leather was nice, and better than that which was in the Suzuki XL-7 I owned, but much of the other items in the car seemed to still be lifted straight from the 2007 model. The dash and steering wheel controls were laid out almost the exact same as my 07 Suzuki. I’d have to say that the interior in the $23k Chevrolet Cruze was much nicer and a more premium feel than this almost $44k SUV.

So what about the looks? The Traverse looks pretty good. It looks big, and it is big. It’s got stylish lines and the now unmistakable Chevrolet front grille. But when it comes down to it, it still has a more “mini-van-ish” look. This is a great look for the true “soccer mom” looking to haul her kids back and forth, but as a man, I’d probably look at the GMC Acadia.

We’ve established that I have a big family, and I’m actually in the market for this type of vehicle as I reviewed it, so here are my final thoughts. I do like this SUV; it rides good, it has plenty of room, it’s easy to get in and out of, and even though the interior isn’t as premium as I’d want for the price, it’s something I could easily deal with. After driving this Traverse, it’s helped me move another vehicle up on my list. Not the Traverse, but the GMC Acadia. The Acadia is built on the same platform and has the same seating arrangement and the same quality of interior, but for a man driving an SUV in Texas, I like the looks of the Acadia more.

For more Photos check out our photo galleries on Facebook and Google+
Also don’t forget to head over to YouTube and Subscribe and watch the video!

The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze 2LT reviewed by txGarage

We’ve been looking to get into the Chevrolet Cruze for a full week review for a while now. We’ve actually driven a few different models of the Cruze at some events, but have never had the time to really check out the details. Well, we finally got our hands on one, so what’d we think?

The last two times I was behind the wheel of a Cruze, one was a base and one was an eco model. Both had cloth seats and a lackluster performance. Our tester was a 2012 Cruze 2LT. This afforded us leather seats, navigation, 17” alloy wheels, remote start, and a 1.4 liter turbocharged engine matched up to a 6-speed automatic transmission. This decked out Cruze has a window-sticker of just under $24k (23,980) and is spec’d out the exact way I’d want one if I was dropping the money. But would I drop my own money for this car? Let’s get more into the driving, looks, and feel and find out.

Driving:

You can have the Cruze in a few different engine choices. You can have a 1.8 liter 4-cylinder engine with a 6-speed manual transmission. This combination will be good for 138 horsepower and 125 ft-lbs of torque. If you opt for the 1.8, you’ll be looking at fuel economy numbers around 26 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. As I said earlier, we had the 1.4 liter turbocharged engine, the same as the Sonic we reviewed last week, that pushes out the same horsepower (138 hp) but ups the torque to 148 ft-lbs. This car is said to get 24 city and 36 highway miles and we easily averaged in the lower 30’s during our week with the car. If you are looking at the Eco model, you get the 1.4 liter engine with a 6-speed manual transmission that should be good for 28 mpg city and a whopping 42 mpg highway.

The extra torque from the small turbocharged engine helped push the small Chevy Sonic out of the corners well, but how did it fair in this heavier family sedan?

Well the power just wasn’t there to make this car feel real sporty or responsive. If you’re going for a fun and sporty ride, you might want to keep the Sonic on your test-drive list. Although it wasn’t as sporty, it was still enough power for trolling around town and merging onto highways. Also, because this is a European car, the handling and steering feel were “bang on”.

Looks:

If you pay attention to the European car market, this look might already be growing old as the Cruze was being sold overseas there a full year before it hit American showroom floors. If you’re seeing one for the first time, it’s intently recognizable as a Chevrolet with it’s big two tier front grille. The headlights and lines down the side give it a swooping and sporty look and the 17” alloys we had continued that theme well.

Unlike the Sonic, the Cruze doesn’t really have any radical styling. It’s more of a basic style that looks good but won’t really put anyone off either. The looks outside and the ride were not really the party piece of this ride though. In our tester, the real surprise is the interior. The leather seats and quality material used is very European like. The interior isn’t just good for its segment, it was even better than some Cadillacs I’ve driven and it’s what stood out to everyone that got into this car.

Feel:

Comparing this car to it’s predecessor, the Cobalt, just isn’t fair. Just like the Sonic we drove last week, it’s not just better than the car that came before, it’s a giant step forward for Chevrolet. You can actually buy a smaller family sedan without sacrificing quality and comfort. Compare that to the competition and there is really only one car that can compete. This Cruze sets it’s sites on the likes of the Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla, the Ford Focus, and the Hyundai Elantra.

I can tell you right now that the interior quality of the Cruze outshines that of the Civic and Corolla easily. It is also a much more enjoyable drive than either while costing less than an equivalent Civic. The Corolla is a little cheaper than the Cruze, but can’t stack up to the options you get. Also, the Corolla only has one engine option, a 1.8, and comes with a 4-speed automatic.

The Elantra is a nice car that has improved in quality over the years. I like the exterior design and what Hyundai is doing with their products. The interior quality is very good as well, but it doesn’t quite hold up to what we got in the Cruze.

The biggest competition for the Cruze is now the Ford Focus. We really like the Focus we reviewed last year, and it was also an all around good car. The interior is nice and put together well, the looks are great, it’s priced well, and it gets good fuel economy. Choosing between these two really comes down to what you personally think looks better. The Focus is probably the better to drive enthusiastically, but the Cruze isn’t bad.

Overall, we’ve been real impressed with the Cruze after our week long test. We’re impressed with the car, but also the attention that GM is giving it’s lineup. The only thing we really see lacking is a real sporty model. In Europe, they race the Cruze in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). I think GM would do good to make an RS model with a powerful 2.0 liter engine that’s not focused on fuel economy. Then enter that car into some racing series within the U.S.; maybe Grand-Am racing against the likes of the Mazda 3, Honda Civic, and Volkswagen Golf.

Check out more photos on Facebook or Google+

Subscribe to us on YouTube!

2012 Chevrolet Sonic turbo - reviewed by txGarage

First and foremost, let’s do some house cleaning. The Sonic is a replacement for the Chevrolet Aveo. Don’t look on this site for an Aveo review, because there isn’t one. I have driven a few versions of the Aveo. Back when running a small local dealership in Dallas we would stumble across an Aveo or two. This was always a tough sell as there was nothing particularly good about these cars, except maybe it’s price. I could never recommend it to anyone; not as a teenager’s first car or a cheap family car. There were just too many other products you could get that were much better.

Now we have the Sonic and GM says that it’s not really replacing the Aveo because it’s a whole new car. You see the Aveo was a car built by Daewoo and badged in the U.S. as a Chevrolet. The Sonic on the other hand is all Chevy and assembled in Michigan. So did Chevy do it right this time? Can I finally recommend a Chevrolet, compact hatchback, to friends and readers?

Let’s start with the looks. The Sonic’s design was given high priority. With manufactures like Ford and Hyundai making not just good products but great designed compact cars, GM couldn’t afford getting it wrong. They haven’t disappointed either. The design is supposed to inspire sportiness and it’s said to be taken direction from motorcycles. I’ll have to say I really like the headlight and front fascia design. Looking from the side you can tell the car leans aggressively forward. This is no mistake as it’s given two character lines running from wheel to wheel showing off it’s aggressive stance.

Step inside and you’ll notice that this is a budget car. Unlike the Hyundai Veloster that offers a big touchscreen with navigation on even it’s base model, the Sonic doesn’t even offer one on it’s top-of-the-line LTZ trim. No matter though, what you really want to be looking at is the gauge cluster. This is more styling taking from “sport-bikes” with a large tachometer showing your 6500 rpm redline. Beside the large tachometer is every other output displayed onto a LCD display.

The rest of the interior is designed well and you don’t automatically notice its cheapness. There are a lot of plastics used but GM did a good job of breaking up the interior and keeping the driver focused on driving. In our tester we had cloth seats that were comfortable and supportive. There were a few times that I longed for leather/heated seats but after seeing the leather seats in the LTZ trim, I’ll stick with the cloth on this car.

The Sonic comes with two different engine options. You can get a 1.8 liter 4 cylinder that pushes 138 horsepower matched up with either a 6-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual transmission. You can also get a 1.4 liter 4 cylinder turbocharged engine with the same 138 horsepower but torque is bumped from 125 lb-ft to 148. This engine can be matched to a 6-speed auto or a 6-speed manual. Our tester was equipped with the 1.4 turbo and a 6-speed manual, so we’re expecting some fun driving!

Ride:

Driving a car with a turbocharged, small displacement engine is a lot different than what I’m used to. Living in Texas our sports cars are equipped with big V8’s or V6’s with lots of low down power. The Sonic’s 1.4 turbo doesn’t have that kind of lowdown power on tap. Cruising down the highway in 6th gear at 70 mph is smooth and fine, but what if someone pulls out in front of you and you need to slow down a little. Slow from 70 to 55 mph and then put the peddle to the floor and you get nothing. No power. Drop a gear to 5th and you get the same result, now people behind you are getting frustrated. Drop it another gear and finally that turbo is spoiling and you can use that 138 hp. It’s the same story around town. Corners I’d normally take in 3rd gear in my car require 2nd in the Sonic.

You might be thinking that this is a slow and un-fun car to drive then. Well you’d be wrong. You just need to adjust your driving style to get the most power of the small engine. Keep the rpm’s above 2500 or 3000 and you’re good. Keep them at the top of 5000 rpm and you’re having a blast! I know 138 horsepower isn’t that much but the suspension and the chassis are tuned for cornering. You can toss this car into corners at speed and you don’t get wobbling body roll. You get decent grip and balanced, level cornering. The steering has good feel as well so it’s easy to predict the amount of lock needed to attack a corner. This would be a great weekend time-attack car.

Economy:

This is a small hatchback and many will buy it not just for the price or utility but also for its economy. Our tester with the 1.4 turbo engine and 6-speed manual transmission is ratted at 40 mpg highway and 29 mpg in the city. Overall, with our fun spirited driving style, we averaged 32.8 mpg.

The Sonic is light and small but feels more spacious inside. I can easily get out of the driver seat and sit in the back without having to adjust the seat and I’m 6’ 1”. The hatch has decent space too and it helps that the seats fold down. The biggest thing that bothered me was the size of the fuel tank. Although you get great fuel economy the tank is so small you’ll be filling up ever few days if you drive a decent amount a day.

Comparison:

So the Sonic is giant leap above the outgoing Aveo and that’s great for GM, but how does it stack up to all the great compact hatches in the American market today? We really like the new Ford Fiesta and the hot new Hyundai Veloster. Not just that but the Mazda 2, Suzuki SX4, Honda Fit, Kia Rio, and Hyundai Accent are all decent cars.

I think the Sonic can be thrown right up there with in the top 3. It’s got good looks, a good engine, and it’s great to drive. This could easily be a weekend time-attack car and still produce good economy on day-to-day runs. My only slight reservation is on the price. When you’re comparing it to the likes of the Fiesta and the Veloster it’s priced similarly, but offers a little less as far as standard equipment. When you start looking at some of the others though, like the Mazda 2, you can find an economical and fun car for a lot cheaper.

Check out our full photo galleries on Facebook and Google+

Subscribe to us on YouTube!!!

The 2012 Mazda 2 reviewed by txGarage

Small, compact cars are really making a comeback in America, and we’ve driven quite a few here, including the new Ford Fiesta. The all new Mazda 2 is based on the same platform as the Fiesta, so you’d assume they are pretty similar cars. While they’re similar in size, that might just be where the similarities stop. We’ve had the opportunity to drive a few different models of the Fiesta and on every occasion we’ve come back with the same opinions. It’s a great car for the money. Lots of fun to drive on tight, twisty roads and economical. So what did we think about the Mazda 2?

Mazda obviously has roots in racing and they have been branding their portfolio to remind you of that fact. So the first area where the Mazda differs from the Ford is in the weight of the car. Mazda knows lighter is better. The Mazda 2 is only a few hundred pounds heavier than the Lotus Elise, one of the best handling and fun cars you can buy. It’s also a few hundred pounds lighter than it’s cousin, the Ford Fiesta.

This really translates into less body roll and more agility around corners. The Fiesta is good on windy roads, but the Mazda 2 is great. We had this car zipping around Dallas, namely some of the back roads around White Rock Lake. If you’ve ever been out there, you’ll know you can’t pickup a lot of speed, but you can have lots of fun in the corners, and in this Mazda, we really had some good fun.

2012 Mazda 2 reviewed by txGarage

The Mazda 2 does have 1 less liter in the engine than the Fiesta. All models come equipped with at 1.5 liter 4-cylinder engine that pushes out 100 horsepower and 98 ft-lbs of torque. Our tester came equipped with Mazda’s 4-speed automatic transmission, but it can be had with a 5 speed manual. This is less than the Fiesta, but remember, you’re pushing less weight around. Obviously this is also the big letdown of these small hatchbacks. You can have fun zipping around the corners, but when it comes to really putting the power down, you’re always left wanting more. Highway driving is decent, but you need to plan ahead when overtaking.

One thing to look forward to with this car, though, is the aftermarket getting involved. We’ve already seen some great concepts from Mazda and others with some real racing potential. The lack of power in this 1.5 liter engine is just begging for an aftermarket turbo kit. It’s already a great handling, light car, all you need now is a few more ponies under the hood.

Standing back and looking at this car, it is unmistakably a Mazda. The “smiley-face” front end runs throughout Mazda’s lineup, and swooping lines down the side plays to Mazda’s key design language. The only real problem with the looks of the Mazda 2 is the looks of the Ford Fiesta. I think the Fiesta looks much better, but that might just be me.

Inside the car looks good, but isn’t as refined as what you get in the Fiesta. Mazda keeps it simple and straight forward. Our tester was nicely packaged for the price with steering wheel mounted controls and some nice red bordering along the seats.

Another difference between the two cars is fuel economy. Although the Mazda is lighter and has a smaller engine the Ford actually beats it out in fuel economy. I think this mainly comes down to the transmission as you get a better geared 6-speed automatic in the Ford. Either way you’re looking at the high 30 mpg range in either of these cars.

The last difference between the two is in price. Picking up a Fiesta hatch will set you back a minimum of $15,965 and the last one we tested with leather seats pushed up to just over $24k. The Mazda 2 starts at $14,370 and our tester as specked out at $17,460.

I can definitely see why these compact cars are catching on. If you live within a bigger city like Dallas or Houston where you’ll be negotiating tight corners and heavy traffic, these cars come in handy. With all the options in the American market you have to choose from now, though, is the Mazda 2 the one I’d buy? Maybe. I do like the way it drives and the way it feels on the road. My only slight reservation comes when comparing it to the Fiesta. I think I’d pay the extra money for the nicer interior and better looks.

More photos on our social sites! Check us out on Google+ and Facebook.