It's a Sportscar! It's a Practical Car! It's a Sportscar! It's a Practical Car! It's....

It's the best choice for someone wanting sports car fun in a practical and affordable package.

Briefly:

I get 30-32 mpg driving around town - and that's NOT "conservative" driving.

No mechanical problems.

No "manufacturer defect" problems.

Looks cool.

Handles great.

Cost less than than my Saturn it replaced.

Fun.


There are no shortcomings to this car. It handles GREAT - not "great for a cheap car" but GREAT. Almost like a rear wheel drive car. Very precise steering, very confident turn in, predictable... everything you'd want.

Engine - sounds nice, pulls strong - much stronger than it's HP rating would imply. Low end torque "fun", starts pulling around 3000.

Transmission - fairly steep 1st, but that's useful... the rest are very obvious, clutch is very predictable. 3rd-4th is tight, no problem once you're used to it or if you speed-shift properly.

Interior - well laid out, nice seats; they secure you but aren't annoying like a real racing seat. Decent sounding stereo, rear speakers are mediocre. Trunk room is excellent for a car this size - MUCH larger than my Saturn that was basically the same exterior size. Much better ergonomics inside than the Saturn as well.

Exterior - it looks like it cost much more than I paid for it. On the one hand that's nice, on the other people think I'm making more money now than I actually do...

Overall the feeling is "utilitarian Toyota quality combined with a great sportscar feel". It's perfect; great gas mileage, great handling, great performance and looks - and it's affordable. Nothing else in this price category approaches it.