C&D Ten Best
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 93,305
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From: Nowhere
2002-2003 repeats:
Acura RSX
BMW 3-Series/M3
Chevrolet Corvette
Ford Focus
Honda Accord
Porsche Boxster
Subaru WRX
2003 Additions:
Infiniti G35
Mazda 6 s
Nissan 350Z
2002 non-repeats:
Audi A4
BMW 5-series
Honda S2000
C&D's 10 best has generally made sense to me. Looking at last years list, the only car I had a hard time with was the A4, simply because it really didn't excel as an overall package. The previous generation was as good or better, IMO - at least in terms of being a nice car to drive. This year's list has me stumped. The Focus is now 4 years old, and has not aged all that well. It took 4th out of 10 cars in the econobox shootout (November issue). The Mazda Protege handles as well as the focus and is a better overall vehicle. The other repeats I don't have too many qualms about. The additions though, have me perplexed. The 350Z is a good car, and certainly deserves strong consideration. However the G35 is nothing the 350Z isn't (aside from having a backseat), and as mentioned is really the same car that is good for the same reasons. The G35, in my view, has made this list the 9 best. The 5 series deserves to be on the list in lieu of the G35. As I commented earlier, the Mazda 6s looks promising but it's not even readily available yet!
In all fairness, I don't think the S2000 really is "10 best" material simply because it's too extreme of a car to have mass appeal. Although it's always nice to see it getting its due respect
Acura RSX
BMW 3-Series/M3
Chevrolet Corvette
Ford Focus
Honda Accord
Porsche Boxster
Subaru WRX
2003 Additions:
Infiniti G35
Mazda 6 s
Nissan 350Z
2002 non-repeats:
Audi A4
BMW 5-series
Honda S2000
C&D's 10 best has generally made sense to me. Looking at last years list, the only car I had a hard time with was the A4, simply because it really didn't excel as an overall package. The previous generation was as good or better, IMO - at least in terms of being a nice car to drive. This year's list has me stumped. The Focus is now 4 years old, and has not aged all that well. It took 4th out of 10 cars in the econobox shootout (November issue). The Mazda Protege handles as well as the focus and is a better overall vehicle. The other repeats I don't have too many qualms about. The additions though, have me perplexed. The 350Z is a good car, and certainly deserves strong consideration. However the G35 is nothing the 350Z isn't (aside from having a backseat), and as mentioned is really the same car that is good for the same reasons. The G35, in my view, has made this list the 9 best. The 5 series deserves to be on the list in lieu of the G35. As I commented earlier, the Mazda 6s looks promising but it's not even readily available yet!
In all fairness, I don't think the S2000 really is "10 best" material simply because it's too extreme of a car to have mass appeal. Although it's always nice to see it getting its due respect
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,086
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From: St. Pete, Florida
Yeah, burden the S2000 with an optional (extra cost) hardtop, and it just can't keep up with metal-roof cars anymore in C & D comparos.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Thoe99
[B]It's C&D, you guys.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Thoe99
[B]It's C&D, you guys.
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 93,305
Likes: 820
From: Nowhere
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,956
Likes: 0
From: Land of the landeaus
The magazine has really dropped in quality over the past several years and woefully falls short when compared to the top euro automobile magazines such as EVO. This latest issue is simply another example of the editorial staff's increasing distancing from common sense. How can anyone take that list seriously with the Focus among it? My fiance's 2000 ZX3 had an appointment with the service department on a bi-weekly basis until she finally got rid of it.
The reliability record of an automobile should be of some consideration when determining its inclusion into a Top Ten list. The only such list I see the Focus in is a Top Ten Lemon List. The car, even by Ford's standards, is setting records for depreciation
and you can buy a used '00 for $5K in these parts. Hmmm, having given it more thought there is another Top Ten list for the Focus to be a member of...that being the Top Ten for depreciation.
Again, Motor Trend at least has the common sense to call it's car of the year BOTH the G35 coupe/sedan. The inclusion of the RSX I suppose is warranted because I don't see any other coupe in that price range topping it for overall performance/value. The Mazda 6 shouldn't have been included this year because at the time of the article's information gathering, the automobile wasn't even commericially available to the public. I would have either selected the G35 OR the 3-series but not both. One is clearly the better automobile. Sorry BMW.
If it's the Boxster S, you won't get an argument from me but seriously...how could anyone choose the standard Boxster over the S2000 when the Honda outperforms it for $20K less?
The others certainly have their place among the list but as we all expected, the newbie 350Z was a shoe-in. The new boy at school always gets the most attention, eh? Things haven't changed much since high school. BWHAHAHA
No problems here with the Z's inclusion, but I find it very interesting that the Z4 was omitted.
No bongo for Bangle this month, eh?
The reliability record of an automobile should be of some consideration when determining its inclusion into a Top Ten list. The only such list I see the Focus in is a Top Ten Lemon List. The car, even by Ford's standards, is setting records for depreciation
and you can buy a used '00 for $5K in these parts. Hmmm, having given it more thought there is another Top Ten list for the Focus to be a member of...that being the Top Ten for depreciation.
Again, Motor Trend at least has the common sense to call it's car of the year BOTH the G35 coupe/sedan. The inclusion of the RSX I suppose is warranted because I don't see any other coupe in that price range topping it for overall performance/value. The Mazda 6 shouldn't have been included this year because at the time of the article's information gathering, the automobile wasn't even commericially available to the public. I would have either selected the G35 OR the 3-series but not both. One is clearly the better automobile. Sorry BMW.
If it's the Boxster S, you won't get an argument from me but seriously...how could anyone choose the standard Boxster over the S2000 when the Honda outperforms it for $20K less?
The others certainly have their place among the list but as we all expected, the newbie 350Z was a shoe-in. The new boy at school always gets the most attention, eh? Things haven't changed much since high school. BWHAHAHA
No problems here with the Z's inclusion, but I find it very interesting that the Z4 was omitted.
No bongo for Bangle this month, eh?
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Dec 15, 2002 11:02 AM