I joined Zip Car recently. $9 / hr to play around with so many makes / models was too good a deal to pass up. Last night, I booked a Honda Insight for an hour and a half and took a spin around Boston.

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Here's the thing: I own an Acura Integra (my beloved glorified Honda Civic).

A Scion xB trying to look retro?

There was a couple inside. I pity the poor girl (probably the guy's wife) for what she has to sit in (through) everyday. Nice huge squarish windows for the whole world to see who in the world drives this odd personalized crate. Most personalized cars are cool (if not slightly tacky sometimes) - racing stripes, Jaguar spots on a Jaguar, VW Beetles dressed up to look like Herbie. Even polka dots on a Smart car kind of makes sense.

But this? This just reminds me of home. Specifically, my microwave.

Hold on... I take that back. My microwave looks better.

It’s hard to write about a car like this. When we review a car, we usually compare it to others like it. And of course, this is MCM, so our regular automotive menu rarely consists of anything more elaborate than John’s GTI.

So what is this car doing on our site? Well, my dad owns one, and I get to drive it fairly often – how could we pass up the chance? Secondly and more importantly, it’s not as expensive as you might think ($10-15k for a pristine used one).

To be honest, before I drove this car, I wasn’t sure what to think of it. It looks sporty, but there are many sporty-looking cars out there that aren’t really (e.g. the Toyota Celica). Also, compared to serious sports cars like the Nissan GTR or something from Stuttgart, the RX-8 looks a little small, and slightly… er... lumpy. It’s certainly not as gorgeous as, say a Porsche or a Z4. The front also looks a little strange because the RX-8 doesn’t have a nose. Of course, you could argue that no nose is better than a displaced nose (Chevy Aveo) or a crow’s beak (hello Acura TL), but I digress. In short, I never knew quite what to make of it.

All that changed quickly when my dad bought it. This thing is fast... 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds. Hit the gas at 2000 rpm in 2nd and watch it climb… 3000 and it hits a powerband, 4000, okay that was great I’m ready to shift! Wait hold on, -bam- the next powerband hits at 5000… then 6000. And by then I’m just reaching the end of my safe-buffer-over-the-speed-limit so I jump straight from 2nd to 6th. It’s a far cry from the Miata for sure – the Miata is fun like snorkeling in lagoons of corals; the RX-8 is like scuba diving with sharks. The tiny rotary engine easily revs up to 8500 rpm and feels silky smooth – and even a little scary. It may not be insanely fast but it’s definitely capable of much more than its scrawny looks may imply. Steering is nice too – direct but not paranoid – and the ride gives you a good clear sense of the road without making you nauseous.

But the best part of this car is, without a doubt, its handling. It feels stable and planted like there were oak roots growing out of those fat tires. Sometimes when I’m taking a long corner, I can imagine the front wheels under those arches twitching with every flick of the steering wheel like in an F1 car or an Atom. Get past the apex of the corner and press a little harder on the gas, and that rotary engine gladly pulls you into the straight with a brash sense of eagerness. I’m not sure which I’m more impressed by: the enthusiastic acceleration or the illusion of infinite grip. Awesome.

Surprisingly, the RX-8 feels decent at average speeds too. I come from a family of four, so (believe it or not) this car functions as our family car as well as my dad’s daily commuter. The half-doors make access to the back easy and the back seats are actually quite usable as long as no one’s close to 6 feet tall (or 2 feet wide, which rules out about a third of Texas). I’m frequently behind the wheel, with my sister riding shotgun and both parents in the back, and who wants to drive that fast with Pops in the back seat? So I’m usually quite compliant when they’re in the car - it feels pretty comfortable. More so than I’d otherwise expect anyway. The ride isn’t too bumpy and I don’t find myself itching to go 20mph faster (much). The cabin's also quiet enough for my dad to be usually tuned to the classical music station.

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It’s good to note that aside from a few minor things to get used to (like the notchy weird-looking shifter and the gearbox that begins heating up the cabin after 15 minutes of driving), the RX-8 doesn’t have some of the shortcomings that more serious sports cars would have. For instance, outward visibility is actually pretty good. While many sports cars sink the driver pretty low into the cockpit, the RX-8 not only allows you to see the hood of the car but the front wheel arches as well, giving you a nice idea of where the car’s actual corners are. Trunk space is also, surprisingly, big enough for a few medium suitcases or a really large grocery run. No complaints in the interior design department either. Controls are laid out pretty sensibly and neatly, aside from nonadjustable headrests and that strange hole in the front seats shaped like the rotary engine’s rotor (which creates an unusual head-bruising predicament for short people).

The build quality is good too, but at the same time there is a pretty intentional rawness about this car. It’s definitely much more brash than a Porsche. Its leather seats are firm and not very supportive; the steering sometimes feels a bit too light and can be twitchy if you’re impatient; the shifter is a tad notchy. The engine is eager and smooth but certainly lacks the refinement of more sophisticated competitors. It’s a car that takes itself rather seriously, and it expects the driver to too (you can tell Mazda got a little obsessed over the rotor-engine theme – check out that rotor shape in the headrests, front and rear bumpers and even as a dent in the hood). That being said... it’s not as raw as a modified Nissan Skyline or even a Subie WRX. It feels much more serious; much more solid and well engineered; more grown-up. It may not be half as fast as a Ferrari, but it certainly feels like it was built on track-racing pedigree.

You might be able to sense my confusion. Despite 4 years of having this car in my family and several days of mulling over how to review it, I find that I’m still at a slight loss as to how to think about it. There just isn’t another car like it. It demands to be taken seriously, but at the same time comes with amusingly-useful half-back-doors and a usable trunk. It’s solidly built and incredibly engineered with one of the smoothest engines I’ve ever heard, but also draws out uncouth Need-for-Speed-esque street racing desires. And it’s a joy to drive, but will certainly lose out to other more luxuriously decked competitors on the track.

The RX-8 sure ain’t for everyone. But if you care more about having a great drive than wood paneling from sacred willows and steering wheels wrapped in supple Kobe beef leather, boy will it hit the spot (and then some!). I must admit, it’s a bit too serious for me to drive every day… but hey, I can switch over to our other family car (a Civic) for a breather anytime.

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When we look back at 2010, automotively, what will we remember? the invention of terrible cross wagons like the Accord Crosstour or the BMW 5 series GT? the revival of Chrysler? the Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty Edition?

No, I think in the scope of time, it'll be clear that 2010 marked the ascent of the Koreans. (FYI, since Hyundai and Kia are both owned by the same parent company, so I'll really consider them one and the same: like a more modest version of Toyota and Acura).

So, to start off with, I'm not even going to count the Hyundai Sonata, which, as good as it is, is something expected from a brand in flux and looking to go upmarket: clean, derivative from higher end products (check out that infiniti-esque interior dial and those volvo-esque human figure on the dash for controlling the direction of the AC). Regardless, the Sonata is very good, but we expect it to be very good to stay competitive with the plethora of other good cars in the mid-size sedan bracket.

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The reason why I'm noting the resurgence of the Koreans is because the same excellence found in the new Sonata spreads through the rest of Hyundai/Kia's product line. For example, the new Elantra, which looks absolutely fantastic: clean fresh design, visually striking, upscale, competing in a space currently occupied by the civic, corolla, and ilk. I didn't get as much seat time as I liked on the new Elantra at the LA auto show, but what I saw impressed me, especially in the visual cohesiveness and design innovation department. those swoops are addicting.

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Even more surprisingly, the Kia Optima, a notch below the Elantra from a less distinguished brand is a well executed, clean, modern design. The interior is clean, upscale, modern, stylish. The exterior bold and unique, However unlike Honda who's gone for a futuristic spaceship look (which may or may not be what their customers are looking for), Kia's gone classy and subdued. It's not great; the materials are still a little cheap and the car lacks a certain air of distinction, but let's face it, it's a Kia. A BMW it ain't. But regardless, it's well executed, shockingly good looking, surprisingly good specs, and remains inexpensive.

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Likewise, although I was ambivalent about the Kia Soul on it's debut (with that terrible hamster commercial), it's really growing on me. Like the Optima, the interior isn't bad for a cheap car, the design elements and styling are very avant garde and edgy (like what Scion used to be when they first introduced the xB). The wraparound effect on the glass gives the Soul the perception of a storm trooper's helmet, especially in white. The interior is also funky, which is better than the blandness of it's competition. (with the exception of the Honda Fit, which, having just test drove this weekend, is jawdroppingly good).

Don't get us wrong, the new Hyundais and Kias aren't the best thing since sliced bread, but they represent a power play by the Korean automaker: going upstream and besting the competition. While Honda and Toyota are sitting on their laurels and marketshare, Hyundai, by copying what the Japanese have done further upmarket and bringing options and design lower down, have done wonders for bringing their game up to par with the best in the business--the Sonata, Elantra, Optima, and Soul are no longer the "other option" if you're looking to save money: they are now fully fledged competitors worthy of consideration and even besting their Japanese and American competitors (maybe i'll write another post about 2010 being also the year of the American comeback, but that one's less obvious). Timing-wise, this is perfect for Hyundai. Toyota hasn't innovated on design for 10 years and Honda has been busying trying to unlearn it's lessons of the past 20 years (CRZ? Crosstour? ZDX?). Their customers are prime for the taking.

However, there's a caveat: it boggles our mind that Kia continues to sell the Rio, which we all feel is the worst car.. in the world. The headliner is so rough you could finish a woodworking project with it, the seats feel like vacuum bags turned inside out, and the only cue that you're not in a prison cell is the steering wheel made out of industrial grade plastic. In fact, if you sit in a Rio and then in an optima, you have just an idea of how far along Hyundai's come in a few short years.

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So, good effort for 2010 Hyundai, we'll talk again when you refresh the Rio.

Now, about this guy...

What’s a carmaker to do when its flagship compact sedan occupies a
premium niche in one market (Europe), and is just another entry-level
sedan in another (North America)? Honda answered this question in
2006 by offering modified versions of the Civic for each
continent: the North American model received a lower quality
interior, a simpler dash, and a new rear suspension. The European
model was so nice that it won a Red Dot design award.

Fast forward 5 years, and VW seems to have gone the same route with
the 2011 Jetta. The U.S. version gets a lower quality interior, an
archaic torsion-beam rear suspension (versus the multi-link setup
that’s fitted to the Golf), and a significantly reduced price.

After checking out the car at the L.A Auto Show, we think this
tradeoff might work. The car looks great in all the right places, and
VW is clearly hoping that its customers won’t notice – or won’t care –
where they’ve cut corners. The interior materials are a noticeable
step down from the last Jetta or current Golf, but won’t upset anyone
whose alternatives are a Civic or Corolla. And the styling fits the
bill – especially those headlights, which look like they were stripped
from an Audi A5.

VW is clearly aiming for younger, entry-level car buyers who want a
car that looks urban and sophisticated (rather than surburban and
appliance-like), and who won’t really care how the car drives. And
even if they did, they could just buy a Golf.

Then again, Honda hasn't been doing exactly stellar cutting corners,
costs, and quality in an attempt to catch up to Toyota. We'll see soon
enough how that same game will go for VW.