Panzerfrau
May. 7th, 2003 03:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mishakI took Tuesday off work so I could hit some car dealerships and do some testdriving. Started with Honda out in Fresh Pond, and they didn't have a Civic Si out on the lot, only one in the showroom that they weren’t going to let me drive unless I obviously had my heart set on buying it, which I didn't. The salesguy was shockingly sleazy; a hint for all you car salesman out there: don't deride your competitor's products, it makes you look like you're trying way too hard. I got the hell out of there and headed for Toyota of Watertown, where the people were nice enough but they didn't have a Celica GT-S in stock. 0 for 2.
Acura of Boston is totally relaxed, with pleasantly dim lighting. I see the new TSX; it's sweet, I can see how it's being marketed against the Audi A4, Saab 9-3 and BMW 325is. No way it'll have the oomph of any of those Europeans, but it's also only $23,000. But the RSX-S is what I want, the salesman takes me out, I ride passenger as he runs through his shpiel; we pull over into a parking lot on Soldier's Field Road and switch seats. If I think too much about the stickshift thing I'll just freak myself out so I just let my body's memory of lessons with Tiny Chicken, Rojogato and Photiq take over: brake, clutch, click into 1st, clutch out gas in…stall. Ok no problem no problem lets try that again…ignition, clutch, gas vroom! Ah yeah! This is it, baby! Clutch in gas up shift up to 2nd clutch out gas in zoom zoom zoom! I try not to giggle too loudly in front of the salesman, up to 3rd, rev it up to 6000 for the high RPMs that Honda's famous for, the car is a total blast. The stick shift is smooth and light under my fingers, there's an urgent push from the lumbar supports when I stomp the gas, the car seems to know exactly where I want it to go, it leaps into lane changes and turns with a grinning urgency. I'm in love.
I am, however, not one to jump heedlessly into commitment, there are other cars I can love just as much. For a few laughs I go to Herb Chambers Mercedes in Somerville, the one next to (I'm not kidding) the garbage dump. The Merc salesman's not nearly as snobby as I thought he'd be, he's pretty laid back, happy to let me drive the C-Coupe. Problem is there's no standard transmission C-Coupe on the lot, but there is a new 6-cylinder 320 (unfortunately not Kompressor'd), with one of them auto-stick thingies that I've always found a little silly, so what the hell lets try it. And it's nice. Very nice. There's an ever present solidity to the Mercedes, and it's not just the authoritative *thump* of the doors. Settled into the comfy yet firm seats, looking around the cabin, I feel safer than I've ever been in any other car. It's like I'm cradled in mother's arms, if mother's arms belonged to a 500-pound Teutonic cyborg with leather upholstery. There are no fewer than eight airbags, I think there's even an airbag that deploys in the trunk so your groceries are protected in event of a crash, after which the car will resemble nothing so much as a giant 15-foot kernel of popcorn. I'm also informed that Mercedes uses nothing but high-strength steel made from "virgin ore", as opposed to sheet metal that's been recycled from other dead cars and appliances. They also use a special extended-pressure welding system that results in tougher joints, the only other automaker besides Porsche to construct their cars with such loving attention. It's these and half a dozen other things that lead me to believe that, while Mercedes may be the highest-priced car in it's segment, it is certainly money well spent.
The problem is, after driving the Acura stick shift (which I can unembarassingly call "buttery"), the automatic transmission feels like there's something missing. It's like all my driving senses are dulled, somehow; I need something else to do but I don't know what. I think I'm hooked on this standard transmission thing.
So there I go. A few more test drives I need to do, but that RSX…mmmmmmmm.
Acura of Boston is totally relaxed, with pleasantly dim lighting. I see the new TSX; it's sweet, I can see how it's being marketed against the Audi A4, Saab 9-3 and BMW 325is. No way it'll have the oomph of any of those Europeans, but it's also only $23,000. But the RSX-S is what I want, the salesman takes me out, I ride passenger as he runs through his shpiel; we pull over into a parking lot on Soldier's Field Road and switch seats. If I think too much about the stickshift thing I'll just freak myself out so I just let my body's memory of lessons with Tiny Chicken, Rojogato and Photiq take over: brake, clutch, click into 1st, clutch out gas in…stall. Ok no problem no problem lets try that again…ignition, clutch, gas vroom! Ah yeah! This is it, baby! Clutch in gas up shift up to 2nd clutch out gas in zoom zoom zoom! I try not to giggle too loudly in front of the salesman, up to 3rd, rev it up to 6000 for the high RPMs that Honda's famous for, the car is a total blast. The stick shift is smooth and light under my fingers, there's an urgent push from the lumbar supports when I stomp the gas, the car seems to know exactly where I want it to go, it leaps into lane changes and turns with a grinning urgency. I'm in love.
I am, however, not one to jump heedlessly into commitment, there are other cars I can love just as much. For a few laughs I go to Herb Chambers Mercedes in Somerville, the one next to (I'm not kidding) the garbage dump. The Merc salesman's not nearly as snobby as I thought he'd be, he's pretty laid back, happy to let me drive the C-Coupe. Problem is there's no standard transmission C-Coupe on the lot, but there is a new 6-cylinder 320 (unfortunately not Kompressor'd), with one of them auto-stick thingies that I've always found a little silly, so what the hell lets try it. And it's nice. Very nice. There's an ever present solidity to the Mercedes, and it's not just the authoritative *thump* of the doors. Settled into the comfy yet firm seats, looking around the cabin, I feel safer than I've ever been in any other car. It's like I'm cradled in mother's arms, if mother's arms belonged to a 500-pound Teutonic cyborg with leather upholstery. There are no fewer than eight airbags, I think there's even an airbag that deploys in the trunk so your groceries are protected in event of a crash, after which the car will resemble nothing so much as a giant 15-foot kernel of popcorn. I'm also informed that Mercedes uses nothing but high-strength steel made from "virgin ore", as opposed to sheet metal that's been recycled from other dead cars and appliances. They also use a special extended-pressure welding system that results in tougher joints, the only other automaker besides Porsche to construct their cars with such loving attention. It's these and half a dozen other things that lead me to believe that, while Mercedes may be the highest-priced car in it's segment, it is certainly money well spent.
The problem is, after driving the Acura stick shift (which I can unembarassingly call "buttery"), the automatic transmission feels like there's something missing. It's like all my driving senses are dulled, somehow; I need something else to do but I don't know what. I think I'm hooked on this standard transmission thing.
So there I go. A few more test drives I need to do, but that RSX…mmmmmmmm.
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Grinning urgency
Date: 2003-05-07 12:45 pm (UTC)It's funny, I'd thought the Civic Si is the Prelude under another name, but I'm guessing it's the CRX.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-07 01:31 pm (UTC)http://home.earthlink.net/~glhomni/articles/hotrod/hotrod.html
no subject
Date: 2003-05-07 01:32 pm (UTC)http://home.earthlink.net/~glhomni/articles/hotrod/hotrod.htm
no subject
Date: 2003-05-07 09:54 pm (UTC)Surely you're forgetting the Aston Martin, with newer models hovering right around $245,000.00 . . . if you sold your old car and your soul you migh have enough for the down payment . . .
Did you go driving on Sunday? How'd it go?