First Impressions: 2007 Toyota Scion tC

by Scott Mosher

I’ve been driving an SUV for so long; I forgot how much fun a small car can be! I was asked to help give a review of the Toyota Scion tC. It was a bit of a change going from a 4WD Jeep Grand Cherokee with a bike rack on the back to a small, sporty get-you-there-looking-cool kind of car.

Pros:

• Small, very maneuverable with a tight turn radius
• Interior very clean looking
• Exterior has clean lines, looks very “aerodynamic”
• Shifting/transmission is smooth
• Sound from the sound system is well balanced throughout the car
• When the car is unlocked, trunk is unlocked automatically. No “Pop the trunk, please.”

Cons:

• Small cargo space
• Very little headroom in the back seats
• Rear headrests block a good amount of the rear view
• Driving position was either too close to the wheel and knees hitting the steering wheel or too far back to comfortably reach the pedals and steering wheel

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by Kurt Gensheimer

Blings:

• Gutsy 4-cylinder VVTi motor
• 30MPG on the highway
• Nausea-free styling
• Standard features list scrolls longer than Kerouac’s On the Road manuscript
• Aftermarket accessories brochure thicker than War and Peace
• Lexus-like qualities with a sub-Toyota MSRP

Dings:

• Lots of highway noise from tires and engine
• Portly and unsettled in the twisties
• Bulbous shifter
• Rear seat headroom fit for someone with no head
• What’s with the “R” instead of “E” on the gas gauge?

Ruling: For the money, this little Toy…er…Scion is a no-brainer.

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By Derek Mau

Crossover vehicles are so cool because they don’t feel like a lumbering truck when running errands, but you get the benefits and functionality of an SUV. For the busy family in perpetual motion from swim lessons, to baseball practice and to Cub Scout meetings, the Ford Edge offers plenty of room for 5 passengers plus the cargo space to carry everyone’s gear. Add a strong V6 engine to the equation and the result is a well-rounded vehicle that works well for a variety of different situations. For the family guy that doesn’t want to give up his “cool” image by driving a minivan, a crossover SUV could be the right solution.

Pros and Cons

• A fair amount of amenities for the price
• Nimble feeling when driving around town and parking
• Powerful engine and torque for its size
• Spacious rear seat room big enough for tall passengers

• Fold flat front seat not available in SE model
• Minor niggles with fit and finish

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By Alex Kramer

Pros:

• Excellent gas mileage (32 mpg average)
• Spacious interior
• Confident handling (for an SUV)
• Surprisingly powerful (for a fuel sipper)
• Seamless hybrid technology

Cons:

• Expensive for its size
• Questionable reliability (2 warranty repairs so far)
• No frills interior design

Introduction

I drove into the dealership in a sporty Ford Focus with tricked out rims and suspension. I drove out of the dealership in a hybrid SUV. Was I going nuts? Well, perhaps a little bit… but after a lengthy test drive (and the realization that I was turning 30 in a month, gas prices were going up, and I could use a bit more space) the Escape Hybrid just made sense. An impulse buy, yes, but one year and 13,000 miles later, I don’t regret the decision one bit!

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by Tony S.

Pros:

1. Benchmark motor.
2. Quite ride.
3. Towing and hauling capacities.
4. Great interior.

Cons:

1. Somewhat bumpy ride.
2. Tiny door rattle.

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By Becky B.

Thursday June 28, 2007

Location: Dublin, CA

Conditions: Clear and breezy

This vehicle is HUGE compared to what I drive, but I had a blast driving it anyway. The engine is massive, so I wanted to get it up to speed and see how it handled out on the open road. I was very pleasantly surprised. Even though the iForce 5.7L V8 engine eats little engines for snacks, it still gets decent gas mileage compared to other rides of its size. Acceleration is intuitive, as is deceleration…very nice transitions from fast to slow. (Vehicle specs page has the observed gas mileage for the Tundra test drive)

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By Kurt Gensheimer

Blings:

• V-8 power out the ying-yang with up to 20 MPG
• Interior nicer and more spacious than my office
• Terrific seats
• Slick features and accoutrements

Dings:

• What, no diesel option?
• Difficult to maneuver in tight places
• Major understeer

Ruling: Diesel or no, the Tundra is 100 percent American and 100 percent for real.

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Driving Impressions: 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan
by Tony S.

Photos by Derek Mau

Pros:

• Handling
• Interior and Exterior Design
• Sweet, High-revving Motor

Cons:

• Low Torque
• Terrible Speedometer Placement

A lot of words come to mind when thinking of Honda four-doors: practical, reliable, dependable, and mostly boring. There’s nothing wrong with making that type of vehicle….Honda has sold millions of them. But what do you do if you’re looking for a little sport in an economical and practical four-door and you don’t want to break the bank. Well, you could start off by looking at the four-door Honda Civic Si.

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