Posted by George Peterson on February 12, 2015 at 3:05 pm
Fun to drive can be defined an infinite number of ways. The sports car driver will say power and acceleration, braking and handling are the main contributors to fun to drive. There is also the element of sexy head-turning styling ringing the sports car driver’s bell. The sport utility driver will add functionality to that equation. A smart fortwo driver may think its quirky styling, minuscule size (even with its funky transmission) add to the fun to drive experience.
The most fun to drive vehicles in AutoPacific’s New Vehicle Satisfaction Research – those with 85 % or more of their drivers totally satisfied with its fun to drive characteristics include:
1. Chevrolet SS: We can certainly understand this one. Fully loaded 4-door sedan with a Corvette V8, the SS is a great value and adds sedan functionality to a high performance platform. Not a big seller, the SS buyer certainly understands the special car they are driving. One hundred percent of the respondents were totally satisfied with its fun to drive characteristics.
2. Chevrolet Corvette: Corvette is the quintessential American sports car. Big with dramatic styling and powered by a large displacement push-rod V8, the Corvette not only has the dynamics for a fun to drive winner, but also the looks.
3. Porsche Cayman: Curvaceous styling with Porsche DNA, German precision and sprightly dynamics have 94% of Cayman drivers totally satisfied with the fun to drive of their car.
4. Porsche Panamera: The most expensive of the fun to drive vehicles is the Porsche Panamera 4-door sedan with 93% of its owners totally satisfied. Sometimes criticized for its ungainly looks, it checks the boxes for fun to drive. Panamera is in the top ten in power and acceleration. Panamera is top ranked for braking. Panamera is in the top five for handling. Not bad for such a large car.
5. smart fortwo: There are fifteen cars that score 85% or higher in fun to drive. Surprising is one of them is the smart fortwo with 92% of its drivers totally satisfied with its fun to drive. Acceleration and powertrain performance clearly are not strong suits for the fortwo. Only 28% of fortwo owners are totally satisfied with power and acceleration, so there are other things contributing to its fun to drive. Maybe it is handling? – 72% are totally satisfied with its handling. Maybe getting good fuel economy is a contributor? – 76% are totally satisfied with fuel economy. Maybe just fortwo’s quirky styling just puts a smile on their face?
6. Porsche Boxster: The first of the “baby” Porsche entries has sometimes been called a chick’s car, and maybe it is if you watched the episode of Two and a Half Men where Alan buys one, but its owners 91% of its owners are totally satisfied with how fun to drive it is. Owners rate the Boxster in the top ten of totally satisfied with power and acceleration, braking, and handling – all strong contributors to fun to drive.
7. Nissan 370Z: A “classic” sports car, 90% of Z-Car owners are totally satisfied with its fun to drive attributes. It is in the top ten in power and acceleration, but comes up shy in handling ranking 12th and poorly in braking where it ranks 53rd.
8. Jaguar F-Type: Jag’s new sports car entry has 90% of its owners totally satisfied with its fun to drive. F-Type is in the top ten in power and acceleration, 11th in braking and 25th in handling. Clearly, F-Types powertrain strongly contributes to its fun to drive and combined with its classic styling owners score the car very strongly.
9. Subaru BRZ: The BRZ may be a new category of sporty coupe. It is built to be extremely maneuverable and fun for a young person. Small, rear wheel drive, and with the ability to drift around corners, 89% of its owners are totally satisfied with its fun to drive. In the case of the BRZ, its power and acceleration does not deliver on its looks or fun to drive image. Only 30% of BRZ owners are totally satisfied with its power and acceleration ranking it 225th. About 56% BRZ owners are totally satisfied with its braking. Where BRZ shines is in handling with 84% of its owners totally satisfying. It appears that Subaru could improve the standing of the BRZ if engine power was increased substantially.
10. Chevrolet Camaro: A classic American muscle car, 89% of its owners are totally satisfied with its fun to drive attributes. Camaro ranks 17th in power and acceleration with 73% totally satisfied. It ranks 18th in braking with 77% of its owners totally satisfied. Camaro ranks 10th in handling. These are solid results for a sporty coupe showing Camaro succeeds not only on the basis of its iconic image and styling, but also on dynamics.
11. Ford Mustang: The outgoing Mustang still has a lot going it with 88% of its owners totally satisfied with its fun to drive. Mustang owners rank its power and acceleration 28th with 68% totally satisfied. Mustang falls to 95th in braking with 65% totally satisfied. It is 55th in handling with 71% totally satisfied. Clearly, style, image and reputation have gone a long way in contributing to Mustang’s position among fun to drive cars.
12. MINI Paceman: The wierdly styled MINI Paceman is totally fun to drive for about 88% of its owners. 46% of its owners are totally satisfied with its power and acceleration ranking 156th, other MINI entries rank substantially higher. About 67% of its owners are totally satisfied with its braking ranking 52nd. About 75% of owners are totally satisfied with its handling – 27th. Head-turning styling and image strongly contribute to the fun to drive aura of the MINI Paceman.
13. Mazda Miata: Miatas, or MX-5s, are famous for how fun to drive they are. About 86% of its owners are totally satisfied with its fun to drive attributes. Miata is not supposed to be blindingly fast it is supposed to be fun and most owners recognize that. Still, ranking 109th, 53% of its owners are totally satisfied with its power and acceleration. About 68% are totally satisfied with its braking – 48th. About 64% are totally satisfied with its handling – 29th.
14. Mitsubishi Lancer EVO: The last Lancer EVO ranks 14th in fun to drive with 85% of its owners totally satisfied. Generally, a car sold for its performance never lives up to the expectations of its owners in power and acceleration, but the EVO seems to be an exception. About 71% of its owners are totally satisfied with its power and acceleration – ranking 22nd. About 78% are totally satisfied with braking – 13th. About 78% are totally satisfied with handling – 15th. This is a pretty good all-around performance for dynamic attributes. Sayonara EVO, you will be missed.
15. Scion FR-S: The FR-S is the Scion version of the Subaru BRZ. About 85% of its owners are totally satisfied with its fun to drive. Like the BRZ, FR-S owners want more power and acceleration – only 33% are totally satisfied – ranked 222nd. About 52% are totally satisfied with its braking – ranking 178th. About 73% of FR-S owners are totally satisfied with its handling – that is what the car is designed for after all – ranking 37th.
Top Ten Fun to Drive Brands: The ranking of brands includes the fun to drive results for all their entries. The top ten brands are: 1) Porsche, 2) MINI, 3) BMW, 4) Audi, 5) Jaguar, 6) Fiat, 7) Scion, 8) Cadillac, 9) Lincoln, 10) Mercedes-Benz.
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Posted by George Peterson on June 10, 2012 at 12:06 pm
Best in Class 2012 Sporty Car: Scion tC
2012 Scion tC Wins AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Award
Owners of the 2012 Scion tC give the car top ratings in thirteen of forty-eight characteristics included in AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award research. The tC has won the VSA in five of the past six years, an incredibly impressive result. Scion tC gets top marks in Exterior Size, Seating Capacity, Rear Seat Comfort, Cargo Space, Ease of Loading Cargo, Brand of Audio System, Tire Brand/Size/Appearance, Wheel Size/Style, Feeling Safe While Driving, Safety Features, Safety Ratings, Overall Quality, Price and Recyclability. With a possible high score of 5.0 rating points, a rating of 4.6 or higher can be considered very good. Scion tC owners give the car a rating of 4.6 or higher in: Overall Satisfaction, Exterior Size, Brand’s Reputation, Exterior Color, Exterior Styling, Fun to Drive, and Safety Ratings.
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Posted by Dan Hall on August 10, 2010 at 9:48 am
Today’s car business is becoming more risky than ever. While the dizzying number of new car startups almost suggests we are in the midst of a wild frontier, it has become increasingly clear how vulnerable even the powerhouse manufacturers have become. The growth of any brand over the long term requires diligence, hard work and sometimes, luck. So it’s with only some surprise that Scion, despite its edgy, cutting-edge image, has taken a rather safe route for the 2011 tC.
Family Jewels
The tC represents forty percent of Scions US sales, and is the sole reason for the brands youthful demographic. (According to Autopacific’s 2010 Research Suite® data, the tC has the youngest median age in the industry, at just 26 years of age.) Without a successful successor to the current tC, Scions sales and demographic success would be in serious jeopardy.
VehicleVoice Reviews the tC
Scion recently gave VehicleVoice the opportunity to evaluate prototypes of the second generation 2011 tC at a long lead press event in San Diego, California. Starting from a decidedly Scion hotel in San Diego’s hip gas lamp district, we reviewed the vehicle inside and out and drove several models over a few pre-selected courses in San Diego county.
Engineering Enhancements
Before hitting the road, we received briefings on the design and engineering of the 2011 tC which are many. It’s no doubt that Scion has made as many enhancements to the vehicle as the current economic environment would allow. The engine has increased in size from 2.4 to 2.5 liters. (Thanks to sharing with the Camry.) The new powertrain increases horsepower to 180 (+19) torque and torque by 11pound feet, while increasing highway fuel economy by two MPG for the automatic transmission and four MPG for the manual. The intake has been revised as has been the exhaust, in an attempt to give the vehicle a more aggressive note. Not surprisingly, new safety features abound this and every Toyota.
Exterior Design
First shown at the New York Auto Show in March, the tC’s design was influenced by the Fuse concept, with it’s racing helmet design. Blacked out A pillars are intended to give the illusion of a floating roofline. While clear on the Fuse concept, were not so sure it has the same impact of the tC, especially in darker exterior colors. We had the opportunity to drive a tC in Scion’s new “cement” color, which has a very cool look. From the rear three-quarter view, the 2011 tC sports more stylized rear tail-lamps and has a more aggressive stance than it’s predecessor. In profile, however, the more aggressive stance the rear cannot overcome the conservative front end. From the A pillar forward, the vehicle is hard to distinguish from other coupes in today’s market. The front headlamps do not carry the aggressive style of the Fuse concept. With so much on the line, you get the feeling that protecting the sales volume targets of the tC played a key role in it’s design.
Interior Design
The interior layout clearly driver focused fashion with easy to read orange backlit gauges and large HVAC controls. While we were not in final production vehicles, the materials fit and finish seemed to have the quality we have come to expect from Scion. The front seats are wider and taller and were very comfortable in our 90 minute loop. Headroom is fairly good up front. Ingress to the rear seats, a typical coupe challenge, is enhanced by front seats that glide far back easily and return to their previously set positions. Rear seat headroom gets tight for those over 6 feet in height.
The Drive
On noticeably smooth San Diego roads, the tC is well mannered and relatively quiet for a vehicle in its price point. We did not appreciate the changes to the tC’s exhaust, but suspect others might. The improved manual transmission is smooth and easy, with a very light clutch. Six speeds and more horsepower improve 0-60 times by almost .6 seconds on the manual,and .8 seconds on the automatics. Standard eighteen and optional nineteen inch wheels and tires and offer good cornering without sacrificing ride quality.
Verdict
With desintation charges the 2011 tC comes in at under $19,000 for the 6 speed manual and under $20,000 for the 5 speed automatic. Given its content and refinement, the tC remains a great value.
With the 2011 tC, Scion has clearly sided with enhancing the value proposition rather then pushing the design image of its sales leader. Can you blame them? In the current economic situation, even the coolest learn about conservatism.
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Posted by George Peterson on March 27, 2009 at 4:49 pm
We got the opportunity to briefly drive the new Ford Fiesta in Port Hueneme in anticipation of Ford’s “Fiesta Movement” program where they will place 100 5-door Fiestas with influential Millennium drivers. Millennium means they were born between 1979 and 1985 and influential means that they have over 500 Facebook friends and thousands of followers on Twitter. To get qualified participants – or “agents” as Ford is referring to them – Ford held a contest on their website. There were about 3,300 applicants. Since all 100 of these European Fiestas will have manual transmissions we hope Ford screened for ability to shift and clutch.
The Fiesta has been on sale in Europe since August 2008 and about 117,000 have been sold to date. With the assistance of the EPA, Ford has been able to bring in 145 into the states for testing and evaluation purposes. The 45 not in the Fiesta Movement program will be used for other drive duties. Those have automatic transmissions.
During the short drive we were able to form some conclusions…
• Fast A-Pillars: The styling of the Fiesta is great – using Ford’s European “kinetic” design language. But, the styling comes with a price. Getting into the front seats is tough because the A-Pillar is so fast. The Fiesta is another car that you have to think about how to get in without injuring yourself.
• Shin Warmer: The left side of the console gets so hot that it is objectionable. “Shin Burner” may be a better term than “Shin Warmer”. This is an issue that needs to be addressed prior to launch in the USA.
• Lacks Peposity: A small high image B-Car… certainly personified by the Fiesta… needs to be “peppy”. The 1.6L 4-cylinder engine has 118 horsepower and, frankly, it feels like less. AutoPacific happens to be evaluating a Scion xD now as well. It is a 1.8L 4-cylinder with 128 horsepower with an automatic transmission. The Scion auto feels much better than the Fiesta with a manual. Very surprising.
Ford’s powertrain plan includes an EcoBoost version of the Fiesta, but, hopefully, Fiesta’s performance can be enhanced prior to its launch in the USA so you won’t have to spring for EcoBoost to get sparkling performance.
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Posted by admin on May 30, 2008 at 11:07 am
For the second year in a row, the
Scion tC brings home the Vehicle Satisfaction Award in the Sporty Car Segment. Owners are satisfied with tC’s stylish Exterior and relatively Low Price Although it has remained relatively unchanged since 2005, the tC continues to score high in Overall Quality, Safety and Reliability.
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Posted by admin on May 30, 2008 at 11:02 am
The youthful, edgy and economical
Scion brand has a winner in the all-new xD. Owners awarded the xD the highest satisfaction ratings in the Economy Car Segment for the 2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards. xD received strong satisfaction scores in critically important attributes for Economy Car buyers, including Reputation, Reliability and Overall Quality, making the xD the uncontested winner in the Segment.
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Posted by George Peterson on May 29, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Cadillac Top Brand, Mercedes-Benz S-Class Top Car, Toyota Sequoia Top Truck and Top Vehicle
Tustin, California, May 29, 2008 – A study released today by noted automotive consulting firm
AutoPacific, Inc. summarizes the results of its 2008 model year vehicle satisfaction research. AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award (VSA) is an industry benchmark for objectively measuring how satisfied an owner is with their new passenger car or light truck.
In a year that promises to be the toughest in a decade, owner-based awards like AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award will help customers make their purchase decisions.
The brand with the highest satisfaction rating is Cadillac. The vehicle – car or truck – registering highest overall satisfaction in 2008 is the new-for-2008 Toyota Sequoia Large Sport Utility Vehicle. The passenger car with the highest overall satisfaction score is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
There are twenty-eight Vehicle Satisfaction Award categories. At the manufacturer level, multiple top ranked award winners include:
General Motors (eleven categories), Toyota (nine categories), Ford (six categories),
Volkswagen (four categories),
Honda (three categories) and
Hyundai (two categories).
“Cadillac wins the Vehicle Satisfaction Award as the top brand in a close race. Strong satisfaction performance by Cadillac cars and trucks has Cadillac winning over other leading luxury marques including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW says AutoPacific president George Peterson. “Top ranked finishes by Cadillac’s Escalade, CTS and DTS helped cement their industry topping position.”
Peterson continues, “Vehicles that are all new received top rankings in several categories: Cadillac CTS, Honda Accord, Mitsubishi Lancer, Scion xD, Toyota Sequoia, Audi Q7, Buick Enclave, Hyundai Veracruz, GMC Acadia, Saturn Vue and Nissan Rogue. These new-for-2008 vehicles were strongly rated by their owners showing that the industry continues to improve as new vehicles are added to the hotly contested American car and light truck markets.”
From a vehicle type perspective, Traditional Sport Utility Vehicles received the highest ratings as a class closely followed by Crossover Sport Utility Vehicles. Peterson says, “Clearly, SUVs continue to be one of the most popular and satisfying vehicle types available in the USA today. Even with skyrocketing gas prices, SUVs are attractive and Crossover SUVs fill the bill for most SUV buyers with better fuel economy.” Cars scored slightly below industry average followed by minivans and pickup trucks.
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