Dark Horses: Worthy Cars You Might Not Have Considered
This is one of my favorite topics -- dark horses in the automotive world. Cars that fly below the radar of the general public come car shopping time. In the past, I've recommended a Pontiac Vibe to a friend looking for an economy car with some style and a large dose of functionality thanks to its space efficient design. Car people know that the Vibe's a platform twin to the Toyota Matrix, and thus sports Toyota running gear and the solid reputation that brings. The beauty of it is that chances are very good you'd get a new Vibe for less than an equivalent Matrix. The Pontiac doesn't have the all-important Toyota name so discounts are typically higher for the Vibe.
On a recent business trip, I had a Chevy Impala rental car. Okay, not exactly my (or any driving enthusiast's) cup of 93 octane, but I'm not ashamed to say I grew to like the car.
Why the affinity for the Impala? Well, I had to drive 400 miles (200 each way) for my business trip. This was through Kentucky and Indiana, on wide-open freeways where everyone was cruising 75-85 mph. I found the Impala's roomy cabin with its old-school bench seat (with a flip-down armrest) surprisingly comfortable, as was the ride. And this full-size family car averaged 28 mpg. That's four-cylinder subcompact sedan fuel economy.
Granted, in this day of 270-horsepower midsize sedans, the Impala's base V6's 211 hp pales, but in the real world, it's more than peppy enough for this car. I hate to admit this, but I remember the dark days when V8 engines made less than 150 hp.
The point of all this is to look beyond the obvious and you might find a bargain priced car that suits your needs perfectly, a dark horse that could prove to be a worthy steed.
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor
- Posted by
- johnnyturbo July 24, 2008, 1:44 PM
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- Chevrolet Impala, Pontiac Vibe
"Granted, in this day of 270-horsepower midsize sedans, the Impala's base V6's 211 hp pales, but in the real world, it's more than peppy enough for this car. I hate to admit this, but I remember the dark days when V8 engines made less than 150 hp."
Well, I think a lot of the reason for the 270 hp cars is marketing. I'm told an overwhelming number of these cars sold are the 4-cyl, which often make less than 180 hp...... I once went to a Honda dealership and test-drove an Accord. I drove the 190 hp EX-L. It was far faster than I expected......I didn't bother to drive the V6!
I agree with your post. But you'd be surprised at how difficult it is to tell people, especially Toyota/Honda buyers, to consider other brands. YOu always hear "Fords are not reliable.....I had one 7 years ago and it was just problems.......they don't have any resale value". It's hard. In fact, I wonder how Ford, GM and all the others can improve their market share with such attitudes. It sometimes seems like there's no hope for them.
I also rather enjoyed a couple of Impala rental cars. Lots of room, peppy enough engine. I totally dig the front bench seat. No center console = unlimited right knee space, which is hard to come by these days.
I think another under-appreciated dark horse is the Pontiac G6. Auto mags don't even put them in comparison tests very often, but it's one of the best midsize sedans I've driven. I had a G6 GT coupe as a rental car. I don't know exactly which engine it had, but I was going way over 80 mph for the better part of three hours and it never broke a sweat. (The damn flight I'd been rushing to catch was, of course, delayed. I was tempted to just drive all the way home the remaining 400 miles, and probably would have gotten there quicker). Very solid ride and handling. Fairly quiet interior. Nice fat leather-wrapped steering wheel. Great stereo. I came home wanting to buy one. They have terrible resale value, and I came this close to getting a used one for about $20K, and it had all the options - black leather, heated seats, automatic climate control, sun roof, fog lights. I'm telling you, that thing boogied like no Toyota I've ever been in.
I went onto Carmax just for kicks and am looking at a loaded GTP sedan with 6-speed manual for $17K... awfully tempting, but I need to get better mileage and love my little Mazda3.
I, too, am a big fan of finding the "dark horses" of the automotive world. The Hyundai Tiburon is a personal favorite of mine in the sport compact segment, since, despite its lack of outright performance, it's just such a sweet and enjoyable car to drive. The Vibe and Impala also represent good examples in their respective segments.
ahightower hit the nail on the head. Lots of good dark horses out there, but the Mazda3s of the world are so good, you never get to them.
way to go on your endorsement of the impala. even though it is lacking in the power department, it basically has what you need. some people get so high maintenance (no pun intended) when it comes to power, but for the purposes you used it for, it worked out great. again, good job on finding the most in an unassuming car. by the way, nice phrase "cup of 93 octane".