What Do You Think

[Porkchop]

Originally Posted by 101lifts2

I spent a full week with a Chevy Cruze. I loved the steering, brakes, chassis, interior and exterior, but HATED the auto transmission.

I also rented a Kia Soul...pretty nice car, but kinda boring and a weak chassis and funky fueling.

Did you look at a VW Golf, Mazda 3 or Ford Fiesta?

The thing I don't like about the Kia/Hyundia vehicles is their lack of chassis/suspension refinement. I don't know about the Elantra, but the Sonata's suspension is kinda harsh and the vehicle doesn't handle all that well. They are more focused on looks then the driving excitement. Also, the Elantra was tested and only returned a real world 29mpg...a far cry from the 40 claimed.

Oh yea. I hated that 6 speed auto with a passion. I ran out of time before work, but I'm going back Wednesday morning to get a nice long test with the 6 speed manual Cruze.

Like I said earlier, I really had no intention of testing the Soul. The dealer was trying to push it because of the price point, and because one was a manual. I also like the fantastic ins rates on the thing. But I've all but eliminated it unless I dont have the upfront money to get the other two.

Cars I tested.

VW Jetta - Hated the dumbed down, cheapened feel of the new model. A youtube tester likened the interior to a "black plastic coffin". I get that statement after driving it.
Mazda 3- It was my second favorite before I tested the Cruze this morning. It was eliminated because I felt really cramped in it, especially in the knees and calf area. On long trips I NEED leg room or i get fidgety and antsy.
Ford Focus- Did not test the Fiesta, but I tested the new Focus. I felt like I was sitting in a cave. The dash and the sills were so high I felt so disconnected from the road. Also with all the problems with my Taurus, I felt like I need to take a break from Ford and try something else.
Nissan Sentra- Liked the sporty drive, but the interior was just plain garbo. Felt like a retal.
Mitsu Lancer - Tons of road noise, and to get the features I wanted I had to step up to a higher level.
And then the other 4 I went into depth above....

As far as supension, are you talking about the muted "thud" that the Hyundai's give when hitting big bumps???