2016 WRX/STI

The Subaru WRX & STI have a cult following among car enthusiasts all across the globe. The STI essentially is a rally car meant for the streets. I’ll like to talk about both the STI & the WRX in this article & try and highlight the pros & cons of both. The basic recipe has been simple & Subaru hasn’t messed with it. It’s a 4 cylinder turbo charged motor which makes ample power with an all-wheel drive system. The STI produces 306 HP & 290 lbft of torque whereas the base WRX produces 268 HP & 258 lbft of torque. These are respectable numbers for a fairly small 4 cylinder engine. The STI has a lot of clever technology up its sleeve to makes this car handle like no other at this price point. The chassis & the suspension are perfectly dialed in for a spirited drive on a twisty canyon road. It has an option which allows you to lock the differential helping the distribution of power between the front & rear wheels. If I were you, I would just leave that setting in auto & let the car figure it out. The 6 speed manual transmission which thankfully is the only option on the STI is a treat. There is a short throw shifter option which I highly recommend. The WRX has the same 6 speed manual & have recently started offering a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) option. I’m not a fan of CVT’s but I must congratulate Subaru for coming out with one of the best CVT’s out there. I still will stick with the 6 speed manual.

The words shabby, shoddy & cheap have been often been used to describe the interior on this car. This was true until the last generation but Subaru has tried to address this gripe in the latest generation. While you won’t call the current interior luxurious by any standards, it a major improvement over the previous model.  You can get heated leather seats, Harmin Kardon music system, back up camera etc in an interior package which makes it a pleasant place to be in. Subaru is a smaller auto maker who essentially are not in the business of making pretty cars. They make sturdy reliable cars & some high performance cars with an excellent all-wheel drive system & pass on the savings to the customers. There is enough room in the back to fit 2 adults comfortably & a 3^rd one too if required. The boot is also big enough for everyday use.

There are some major differences between the WRX & the STI. The most important one is the motor. The WRX has the latest FA series motor which is new & modern. The STI has to do with the old EJ series motor which has been more or less unchanged for over a decade now. The WRX achieves peak torque at a mere 2000 RPM whereas the STI has to be revved up all the way to 4000 RPM. Below that, the STI feels gutless. Once the turbos on these cars have spooled up, they really start going with the WRX hitting 0-60 MPH in 5.5 seconds & the STI doing it in 5 seconds. I know most WRX/STI owners don’t care about fuel economy but I think it’s a point worth mentioning. Thanks to the WRX’s modern engine, it promises a higher fuel economy of 27 MPG as compared to the STI’s 20 MPG. The WRX is a couple of hundred pounds lighter than the STI because of the smaller motor & since it doesn’t have some of the technology that the STI has. This weight reduction does work in the WRX’s favor. The ride on the STI is stiffer than the WRX which on the track is great, but might become a pain in the back for daily driving. The price is another major differentiating factor. The WRX starts off at $26,590 & the STI starts at $34,690. Its upto you if you want to spend the extra 8 grand for the STI.

The STI on the other hand has its advantages. If you plan to take your car to the track, the STI is a clear winner. It’s sharper, faster & more agile than the WRX. The wing on the STI might look obnoxious & boy racer to some, but to me it looks absolutely awesome!! It’s functional & provides the car downforce at high speeds. Both the cars are very loud inside because of lack of sound deadening material. That’s one thing which I’ll highly recommend everyone to check out before getting any one of these cars.

For decades the competition for the Subaru WRX was the one & only Mitsubishi Evolution, but the Evo is now gone & the Suby is now in a class of its own. The closest rival I can think of is the Volkswagen Golf R but that comes has a higher price point. I highly recommend to wait for the Ford Focus RS which is expected to make north of 350 HP & is expected to be launched this year. If you are looking for a high performance car with excellent handling at a cheap price, then look no further.

2017 Ford Focus RS

Call me snobbish or snooty but until a couple of years ago I would never have recommended a Ford to anyone. Well, looks like Ford has been working hard to change my perception about them & today I would happily line up to buy one of their performance cars. They have done such a great job with the Mustang GT, the Mustang GT350 & now their latest offering in the form of the hottest hot hatch on the market, the Ford Focus RS!! I know that we people here in the U.S don’t like wagons or hatches which is why these cars haven’t done well here. That’s about to change now. The Ford Focus RS or Rally Stage has a long illustrious history & they started making these cars back in the 80’s. Europe has been lucky as they have been driving RS’s for a long time. As a matter of fact these are made in Germany & will be imported to the US.

For starters, I think the RS looks absolutely brilliant particularly in the Nitro blue color. Its 19 inch wheels come wrapped in Michelin Pilot super sports which I think are one of the best performance tires out there. The huge Brembo breaks painted in blue peak out from behind those black menacing wheels & make the RS stop on a dime. Then there is the 2.3L engine from the Mustang eco boost but in this configuration it’s tuned to make 350 HP & 350 lbft of torque, making it one of the most powerful four cylinder motors on the market. The car sprints from 0-60 MPH in a mere 4.7 seconds which is genuinely quick. Ford has put in that extra effort to make the exhaust sound really good & the pops & crackles make this a really cool car. The intelligent all-wheel drive provides loads of grip to annihilate those corners at great speeds. You can change the throttle response & damper settings through the various driving modes. The suspension is unreasonably stiff in the track mode & some people will find it really stiff in the sports mode too. Folks who plan to track their RS will appreciate the stiff suspension. Then there is the “drift mode” which everyone seems to be talking about. Anyone can drift like a pro in this car but you won’t really be able to use it unless you are on a track. I have to commend Ford on putting only a 6 speed manual in this! You can’t have it any other way & that’s absolutely amazing!!

Since it’s a 5 door hatch, there is plenty of practicality with a decent boot & room for 5 adults. You can get those amazing Recaro seats, SYNC based navigation system, back up cameras with sensors & some other creature comforts. This is no luxury car, so the interior isn’t great. It’s not bad either.  The one strike against the RS is that its turning radius is ridiculously small. With a starting price of $35,900, the Ford Focus RS makes an exceptionally strong case for people who are on the lookout for affordable performance. The issue right now is that dealers are marking it up above MSRP & I have seen RS’s for which dealers are asking for as much as 20k above MSRP. I would wait till middle of 2017 for things to cool down & expect some decent deals.

The other cars to consider in this class of hot hatches is the Volkswagen Golf R… &….ammmm…can’t think of anything else. Did I mention that we Americans don’t like hatches! The Golf R is a great car too. It has an excellent interior & the ride is a lot more sorted out than the RS. It however isn’t as much fun as the RS either. Jeremy Clarkson has the RS in his list of the top 10 cars in 2016 & Matt Farah from Smoking Tire has bought one! These are professional auto journalists putting their own money down & that is the biggest endorsement the RS could get!

2017 BMW 240i

There is one thing which BMW enthusiasts always crave for & that’s more power. Well BMW isn’t disappointing its fans on this front. They have already upgraded the 4 & 3 series with more powerful engines & now it’s the turn of their little brothers, the 2 series to get similar upgrades. The 228i will be upgraded to 230i making 248hp & 258 lbft of torque, an increase of 8 HP & 3 lbft from the previous models which frankly speaking isn’t whole lot. But we are here to talk about the already loved M235i which will be called M240i. What does the change in badge get you, well for starters you get 335hp & 369 lbft of torque, an increase of 15 hp & 39 lbft over the previous model. That’s a healthy bump in torque!  I can’t begin to imagine what this additional power improvement would do to this already great sports car.

We all know how good the M235i is with its perfect size, excellent weight balance & gobs of power!! It’s already one of the best handling modern BMW’s reminding the Bimmer fans of the greatly loved E46 M3 which had similar dimensions as the M235i.  Equipped with the all-wheel drive option, this little gladiator can propel itself from 0 to 60 MPH in 4.3 seconds!! That in my opinion is properly fast! BMW will continue to offer the excellent 6 speed manual option on the non X drive versions & I really thank them for that. I’m willing to give up on those couple of one tenths of a second as far as acceleration goes in favor of that mechanical connection that a manual offers which makes driving this car so much more fun. The manuals will also come with a rev match option which will automatically blip the throttle for you when you downshift. This will make even the most ordinary drivers look like heroes. The excellent 8 speed automatic transmission will be a no cost option across the 2 series line up. Other standard equipment includes M sports suspension, 18 inch alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires which in my opinion are one of the best tires for a fast car like this, variable sports steering, upgraded M sports brakes etc.  All this equipment servers only one purpose, it makes the car go fast on straights & around corners & makes it stop in time when required.

We have to address the elephant in the room which is the BMW M2. The M2 has a more powerful engine, better tires, aggressive body kit & a lot of equipment from the M3 & M4 which makes it lighter, faster & stiffer. It will also do a 0-60MPH run in a shrieking 4.2 seconds. With a manual transmission & executive package the M2’s MSRP is just under $55,000. Similarly equipped, the current M240i will cost around $52,000. The M2 is no doubt a better track car & totally worth the extra cash which in this case isn’t a whole lot. The issue is getting your hands on one at MSRP right now. As of today, the M2 is extremely rare & dealers have huge markups. You can easily expect to pay 5 to 10 grand above MSRP which seems like a complete waste. Also one would need to wait 12-18 months to actually get one after booking it. On paper the new M240i is almost as good as the M2 & you can get your hands on one without the wait & won’t have to worry about the dealer markups.  It also might be a better daily driver than the M2. BMW is yet to announce pricing on the new 2 series but I don’t expect it to very different from the current pricing. If you shop smart, you can have a manual M240i for well under 50 grand in your garage & I think that that’s a steal!!  

2016 BMW 320i

This is the cheapest 3 series that money can buy and even then a decently optioned one would be well over 40 grand. I sampled the 320i in the beautiful wine country of Napa just north of San Francisco and my initial impressions on the car weren’t very good. My tester was a bare bone version with no navigation, no blind spot detection and not even a backup camera and Bluetooth. A Hyundai Sonata comes with more standard equipment for crying out loud!! Needless to say that there weren’t any leather seats either, the music system was ordinary, it had no parking sensors and the entire car just seemed bland. BMW will treat you with hard plastics which not only look and feel cheap but are also painful in places where one would rest their knees and arms. Is this the price that BMW would make customers pay for being poor and still aspiring for that glorious white and blue badge!! All this made me think that what in the world would possess someone to go out and buy one of these as when one could get a more powerful fully loaded Honda Accord or Toyota Camry for less money. I’m clearly not a fan of the Camry or the Accord when taking about enthusiastic cars but I would rather have one of  those over the baby bimmer any time.  

The horsepower and torque numbers aint great either, at a mere 180 HP and 200 lbft of torque. But for those numbers the 320i felt incredibly nimble. Peak torque is made at 1200 RMP and overtaking was never an issue. The power tends to fall off above 4000 RPM but for most daily driving maneuvers, this car has sufficient power. Don’t get me wrong here and line up your 320i against a 335i for a drag race as you will be beaten back n blue. All I’m saying is that the power feels more than what those numbers suggest. The transmission is top notch with the 8 speed automatic or the 6 speed manual. Mine was an automatic and I had no complains. Being a tiny engine, it’s incredibly frugal and will return up to 34 MPG on the freeway and 24 MPG in the city. It comes with the auto start stop feature that will help save a little more fuel. Thank god there is button to defeat this as it’s clunky and the entire car shakes when it kills the engine or brings it back to life. I’m sure BMW is working on this and will fix it soon. It has the same driving dynamics and balance that you would expect from a BMW and the car corners and handles decently well.

With a base price of $33,000 I would also look at the Lexus IS 200t, the Audi A3 and the Mercedes CLA 250 which would cost less and give you that premium feeling that you expect from a premium brand. In my opinion one should buy a BMW for their great driving dynamics which includes power, handling, suspension, transmission and so on and so forth and certainly not for the bragging rights of owning a BMW. If your heart is set on a BMW, then I would suggest spending the extra 5 grand and upgrading to the more powerful 328i or getting the 228i for similar money. That would be a better value proposition and would also have a better resale value. Overall the 320i is a decent car but in my book this it’s a sub $30,000 car.

2017 BMW M2

One of the most awaited cars of 2016 is undoubtable the BMW M2. The M235i introduced a couple of years ago is a great car with plenty of punch, perfect size & weight, but alas it isn’t a full blown M product. One can only imagine what the M2 is like when you had a canvas like the M235i to start off with. There are a lot of car enthusiasts out there who believe that BMW has lost its edge as now their cars are growing bigger & softer. The M2 promises to put that argument to rest. They have the perfect recipe to make a great sports car. It’s a smallish rear wheel drive coupe with a perfect 50:50 weight balance, comes with a 3 liter straight six twin turbo motor producing a whooping 365HP & 343lbft of torque at very low down in the RPM range. Couple this with the excellent dual clutch transmission that is second to none or as most purists will prefer, the excellent 6 speed manual. Thank you BMW for keeping the manual alive!! The suspension is perfectly tuned for spirited driving & makes going around curves & bends a pleasure. It’s also fast in a straight line & this little beast can propel itself from 0-60 MPH in just 4.4 seconds & creating all the acoustic theatricals from the exhaust note which will make you giggle like a child!!  The car looks really mean from the outside as it gets the full M body kit with wide fenders, bigger wheels, breaks & bigger air intakes in the front & the sides. The interior is plenty spacious too considering this is a coupe. It has ample room in the back for two medium sized adults & has decent trunk space.  But that’s not the reason why anyone will buy an M2.

The 1M was an excellent car but unfortunately BMW just made them in limited numbers for a couple of years. That’s one reason why they have become instant collectables & have appreciated in value ever since. The M2 will not be a limited version & BMW will make as many as they can sell, and trust me, they will sell them by the bucket loads! I consider the M2 to be an even better track car than the much more powerful BMW M4. Even though the M2 is no match as far as horsepower & torque figures are concerned compared to the M4, its 0-60 time is the same as the M4. Its smaller, lighter & better balanced than the M4. Don’t get me wrong, the M4 is a hell of a car but if it was my money, I’ll get the M2.

Prices begin at $51,700 here in the US but expect it to rise sharply as you add options. I think if one can keep the options low, then this is a bargain for the kind of technology & fun that this car offers. Competition includes the Mercedes Benz CLA45 AMG which starts at $49,000 offering similar performance figures from a 2 Liter turbo engine. The CLA45 had some reliability issues when it was first launched 2 years ago but I’m sure Mercedes has fixed those initial teething issues. Audi S3 is another little pocket rocket to watch out for offering 295HP from its 2 liter turbo. The S3 & the CLA45AMG both come with an all-wheel drive system, Quattro in the case of the Audi & 4-Matic in the case of the CLA45. The M2 will be a rear wheel drive offering only. The S3 starts off at a more affordable $43,000 price tag. Bothe the S3 & the CLA45 AMG don’t offer a manual option which is a shame as both of these would be even greater fun to drive with a stick. Porsche offers the Cayman at this price point but if you want similar levels of performance you will have to upgrade to the Porsche Cayman GT4 or the 911 which is much pricier than any of the above mentioned cars. The M2 is a reincarnation of the E46 M3 & that was the car which helped BMW attain the status in sporty cars that it currently enjoys. This is the biggest complement that I can bestow on the BMW M2. I would go to the extent of selling my house, my possessions & a kidney if required to buy this car & I would highly recommend you to do the same!!

2015 San Francisco Auto Show

I just happened to be at the 2015 San Francisco Auto Show and I’m excited to report on some of the cool cars that this even had to showcase. Below are my top 3 cars that mere mortals like you and me can afford and the top 3 sports car they showcased which you and me can only drool over!!

At number 3 is the Jaguar F Pace. This is the first SUV from Jaguar and I must say that it’s quite a looker. Its strong, muscular front has the aggressive Jaguar grill which makes the car look menacing. The rear end receives brake lamps straight from the Jaguar F Type, which I think is one of the best looking cars of the decade. The interior fit and finish is decent, though you do encounter hard plastics which reminds us that this is after all an entry level Jaguar SUV. The seats are very comfortable with ample support and adjustment. The rear leg room is also decent for a mid-size SUV. The cargo space is 33.5 cubic feet which is ample. I don’t have any driving impressions on this car which is expected to launch late next year. Power trains would include a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel to a 3.0L supercharged V6 churning out 180 to 380 hp. Expected 0-60 mph times for the most powerful variant is 5.1 seconds which is really impressive for a car this size. Base prices are will vary from $40,990 to $69,700. I think if one can keep a check on the options, then this will be a great car for under 50 grand. Competition would include the much more expensive Porsche Macan & the Range Rover Evogue. I would definitely wait to drive the Jaguar first before jumping to any conclusions.

At number 2 is another Jaguar, the XE. I wasn’t too impressed with the looks, but that might just be personal perception. I again, haven’t had a chance to drive this car yet as its brand spanking new. Of what I’ve heard, it drives really well. Motor Trend compared it with the BMW 340i (replacement for the 335i) and found the Jaguar to be more engaging and fun to drive, thanks to a sportier suspension set up and an excellent 8 speed automatic transmission which is perfectly calibrated to keep the car in the right gears across all power bands. Engine choices include a 2.0L turbocharger making 240hp and 251 lb-ft of torque at a mere 1750 RPM all the way to 4000 RPM. Expect 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds. They will also offer a diesel version making 180 hp. But we are interested in the beefier 3.0L supercharged V6 making 340 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm. Expected 0-60 mph is 5.1 seconds. All models will be offered in Rear Wheel and All Wheel Drive. Expect to pay $34,900 for a base 2.0L engine and $41,700 for a base 3.0L. Competition will include the BMW 3 series, Audi A4/S4 & Mercedes C300/C450 AMG.

At number 1 is the all new Audi Q7. Audi has more or less completely redesigned this flagship SUV. It somehow looks shorter and longer than the outgoing model. The headlamps and break lamps look fabulous. It’s considerably lighter than the outgoing model thanks to generous use of aluminum. That means that the car drives better and delivers much better MPG ratings. The entire cabin has been redone and the Q7 has the latest version of Audi’s MMI technology. It has a 12.3 inch display in the instrument panel which looks stunning!! It recognizes traffic signs such as speed limits, school & construction zones etc and displays this information in the center display. It has an array of driver assistance tools. The material used is top notch & fit and finish is worthy of a premium German SUV.

The engine option is a 3.0L supercharged V6 making 333 hp and 325 lbft of torque at 2900 rmp. Its surprisingly quick for a vehicle this size achieving 0-60 mph in just 5.7 seconds. The Quattro all-wheel drive system helps the Q7 negotiate tough terrains and frigid weather conditions. Base price is $57,000 and if you are looking at one of these, you have done fairly well in life so far. Competition includes the BMW X5, Mercedes Benz GL & Lexus LX among others.

Now let’s talk about the stuff that most of us can just dream of. They had showcased the highly provocative Pagani Huarya. This is one of the most interesting cars you’ll even see, if you are lucky enough to spot one on public roads. The twin turbo V12 engine manufactured by Mercedes Benz AMG division makes 720 HP, capable of catapulting this beast from 0 to 60 MPH in under 3 seconds. Majority of this car is made out of carbon fiber making it exceedingly light & exotic. Well if you want one of these, you’l have to come up with a check for $1.3M & possible your own private race track to utilize all the performance & speed this has to offer.

We also had one of the 3 top hyper cars of this decade, the Porsche 918 Spyder. This actually is a hybrid, but please don’t be naïve enough pit it against a Prius or a Leaf. The 4.6L V8 engine & the 6.8KWh Lithium-ion battery delivers almost 900 HP!!!! This makes the Porsche 918 one of the most powerful cars on the planet. 0-60 MPH comes at a ridiculous 2.2 seconds!! The only other boys who are capable of hanging out with this Porsche are the Ferrari La Ferrari & the McLaren P1. The price…well new ones were going for $850,000 when Porsche started selling this back in 2013. Since only 918 units were manufactured world-wide, the price has almost doubled over the years.

We also had the king of the hyper cars. This car is responsible for setting the trend for 1000 HP cars & is an automotive miracle in itself. I’m talking about the Bugatti Veyron. Declared as the “Car of the Decade” by BBC’s Top Gear, this beast is capable of achieving speeds exceeding of 250 MPH!  It has a ginormous 8.0 L W16 engine which is essentially 2 V8 engines bolted together. This thing could drive a spaceship if required. If you have $1.5 M lying around, then I would highly encourage you to visit your local Bugatti dealer.

2016 Mercedes C300

Mercedes Benz posed serious competition for the BMW 3 series & the Audi A4 when they launched their all new C300 last year. Gone are the days when the “C” in the C class stood for “Compromise”. Mercedes has peppered this car with technology & luxury of the highest standards. I’ll start off with the interior first as most buyers shopping for a Mercedes other than an AMG are the ones who prefer luxury over performance. The Merc’s interior simply smokes that of its German rivals. You truly get a feeling of being in a mini “S” class. The seat leather quality is that of the highest standards with beautiful colors to choose from. Cranberry Red happens to be my personal favorite. Whatever you touch is either leather, aluminum or rich wood. The leather wrapped flat bottom steering wheel feels great in the hands with a perfect grip. The navigation & infotainment system is well laid out & easy to use. The knob & write pad provide options to enter destinations or look up places of interest of with ease. The front seats are comfortable though I did miss the bolstering that BMW offers in their seats, but again the Merc's seats were never designed to be so aggressive.  The rear seats are equally comfortable with plenty of leg room for 2 average size adults & possibly a 3^rd one on the way. You can get the front seats heated as well as cooled, an option which most of Merc’s rivals don’t provide. Even the front head rests are electronically controlled. The Burmister audio system according to me is the best in class & definitely a notch above BMW’s Harman Kardon & Audis Bang & Olufsen. The ambient lighting gives us an option to choose from 3 colors & is a gorgeous sight at night. The ride quality is sublime & the C class will gobble potholes & bad road surfaces with ease. The sound deadening in the car is great keeping wind & tire noise levels to a minimum.  The trunk room is limited but still would be ample for most users.

As far as exterior is concerned, I’ll let you decide what you think of it. Personally, I’m not a fan. The front looks sporty but the rear to me looks droopy.  The 2 liter turbo charged engine makes a sprightly 240 Hp & 273 lbft of torque. The good thing is that it makes peak torque at just 1300 RPM which makes this car feel quick enough for daily driving. There is a fair bit of turbo lag but once the turbo spools up, this car goes. It returns decent fuel economy at 25 city/35 Highway. If power & handling is what you want, then Mercedes has just come out with a 362HP C 450 AMG which is a replacement for the C400. I have driven the C400 & was thoroughly impressed with the 320 HP motor. I’m eagerly waiting to sample the C450 AMG!

This car feels and smells expensive. One reason…. because it is. You’ll have to pay $42 grand to get into a base sport trim C class which can easily push 55 grand with options. Its mind boggling that a base C class these days costs that kind of money, but then again you get lot for your money too. You can get this with 4 Matic or Mercedes’s version of all wheel drive for inclement weather conditions. The main rivals include the BMW 328i, Audi A4 & Lexus IS 250. BMW doesn’t even come close to the Merc as far as luxury is concerned. The Audi is fairly luxurious but seems dated as compared to the Merc. One should wait for the updated A4 version which is coming up in the next few months. The Lexus IS 250 is the Japanese version of Mercedes, offering luxury & creature comforts which are second to none. If luxury is what you are looking for, do look at the Lexus & I’ll say that you can’t go wrong with either one of these.

Mercedes has finally come up with a C Class worthy of wearing that shiny three spoke wheel badge. Its luxurious, possesses refinement of the highest standard & despite the high cost, I’m sure they’ll sell these faster than they can make them.