Finals
Waking up nice and early and feeling refreshed, Scotty takes the keys to Tanya’s RCM Fox to get started on his dealerships visits of the day.
(Note: I’m not taking new screenshots as some cars have had wheel arch morphs reset. This is why ads/screenshots posted by the creator are useful!)
@asami @leedar – Harada Comet Cs
The first dealership on Scotty’s shortlist is Harada’s in order to get a look at the Comet Cs. His impressions on it being a standard enough to set a baseline make it the reasonable choice to start the day. Getting the keys from a salesman and jumping behind the wheel, Scotty takes it out for a drive that should give it a proper shakedown.
“The Comet Cs is very easy to drive and the engine’s pretty punchy. It’s quick off the line and handles quite well though stiffer than I’d expect. I do like how fun it is to drive. Safety features and rating are average, reliability is said to be average, service costs are average overall but on the high end for my shortlist… it’s really an average car. It does lose some practicality with one less seat, I don’t know where I might be in a few years.”
Returning to the dealership, Scotty is clad to have a nice baseline against which to judge the next ten cars.
@conan – Mitsushita Boarilla TCS
Taking the Fox for a short drive, Scotty ends up at the Mitsushita dealership and spots one of the gold Boarilla TCS’s in the lot. That’s the one he’ll get the keys for. Let’s see what makes the Boarilla so special.
“The Boarilla TCS is actually a bit of a disappointment compared to the Comet. It’s slower, worse on gas, feels harder to drive, and is generally less lively… That’s quite the disappointment. It’s said to be more reliable though, and it is definitely safer both in rating and safety equipment. I think where the Boarilla really stands out is how cheap it is to run. It also has all that aftermarket support, but those days are behind me.”
Returning to the dealership with some disappointment, Scotty can’t help but wonder if the low running costs can make up for its shortcomings.
@saddiseased – Kansei Proxima AWD
Conveniently across the street from Mitsushita is the Kansei dealership. Scotty is drooling at the Proxima AWD all the way to the showroom. This one was his favourite in the web search, so a good shakedown promises to be exciting.
“As great as this thing looks… comfort is very disappointing. Kansei didn’t skimp on interior features, but their suspension feels excessively stiff for day to day driving… Probably not the best idea with a baby. It’s not quite as good as the Comet in drivability and handling, but it’s better than the Boarilla. What it does have going for it is being the biggest car, and a wagon, so it’s pretty damn practical, and that AWD is also a great feature. But then it’s the most expensive to service and is expensive to buy as well…”
With that disappointment, Scotty returns to the dealership with his mind set about the Proxima AWD. He’ll always love looking at it yet it’s a shame that it didn’t match up his expectations from looking at it online.
@groov3st3r @marcus_gt500 – ELECTI Leo TSi-X by MV Design
A short drive away is the ELECTI dealership and Scotty’s next stop in his hunt for a new car. The Leo TSi-X by MV design has quite the mouthful of a name to stand out, but from a technical standpoint it wasn’t outstanding. Scotty gets the keys to take it for a spin.
“Alright, so far this is the most finicky to drive so far but it feels pretty sporty when doing so. It’s got quite the punch when putting the pedal down, way more than I’d expect at this price point. This car does have a bit of a classier flair… From the outside. God that stereo is complete shit, I’m enjoying the drive more with it off. The AWD is a nice touch to this car, and it does seem pretty practical except for the missing middle seat in the back. It should be one of the most reliable and fuel efficient of the bunch, and be cheap to maintain… Might be worth it even with its problems.”
Returning to the ELECTI dealership, Scotty is left with another car to chew on. The positives might outweigh the negatives, but he’ll have to drive a few more cars to make a final choice.
@ornate – Accursio Marinus
Down the road from ELECTI is Accursio’s dealership. Scotty remembers the Marinus to be by far the most fuel efficient, so that might make up for a rather generic design. Quickly signing some paperwork, Scotty is led out to the lot to try one out.
“Wow is this car ever well balanced. It’s as tame as can be if I want it, but I can also put the pedal down and it reacts as expected. It’s a bit slower than even the Comet, but it’s certainly more lively than the Boarilla. Like the Leo, the stereo’s garbage and belongs in a shitbox. No idea who thought it was a good idea to skimp on that in a sporty car. Even with this excellent fuel economy and cheap maintenance, it looks bland and needs a new stereo. It’s also supposed to have the lowest safety scores of the bunch…”
Returning to the Accursio dealership, Scotty decides to pass up on the Marinus. As inspiring as the drive was, it just doesn’t have the features and the look he wants. Time for some McDonald’s before heading to the next appointment.
@rk38 – Maesima Prova ST-R
The Maesima dealership was located in an auto mall some distance away, leaving Scotty with plenty of anticipation for his upcoming test of the Prova ST-R. It’s the only coupe of the bunch and certainly the least practical because of that, but maybe it can overcome that with its driving characteristics.
“Alright, I can just tell the lower trim levels of the Prova are cheap cars for people who only want to get from A to B. This thing is pretty fast off the line, pretty much like the Marinus, but the handling is not sporty. I’m pretty sure it’s still got shitbox suspension underneath the sporty stuff, just like the shitbox stereo. It’s still supposed to be reliable, but it doesn’t have the cheap car fuel economy to make up for it. I feel like this is more a sporty package on a cheap car than a real sporty car.”
Walking away from the Maesima dealership, Scotty decides the Prova is not for him. It’s too much like a coupe version of Tanya’s boring Fox sedan.
@nicking_hc @mr.computah – CSM Balendos Infinity
Next to the Maesima dealership in the auto mall is CSM. Scotty quickly spots the Balendos Infinity models on the lot as he walks up to the building to get the keys.
“Hmm… This is pretty fun to drive but it isn’t the most forgiving either. It’s not that much better than the Prova in that regard. Definitely more fun than it, though, but not as fun as the others. The handling is stiffer than I’d ideally like for a daily driver, it certainly makes for noticing bumps pretty well. Yeah, with the shitbox stereo in this one as well, upkeep costs that are supposed to be third highest of these cars, and things like fuel economy and safety being average at best, this isn’t what I want.”
Scotty returns the Balendos to the CSM dealership and walks over to the next appointment, still within the same auto mall.
@niuyorqciti – Ponni Sphera T4
The Ponni Sphera T4 was the first car to make his shortlist under the provision that it was good should nothing better come along. He clearly was still wet behind the ears in terms of car shopping, because this turned out to be one of the good ones. Getting the keys for it, Scotty heads out for his next test drive.
“Damn, this Sphera’s a hoot to drive. Sure it’s not quite the sportiest of the easiest to drive, but it’s pretty damn close to it. It’s the second fastest off the line so far, only behind the Leo, and handles very well. It’s not too stiff either, and with these premium seats, it’s by far the most comfortable. And it has a good radio! I was missing that from all the others. This is an awesome balance of fun and daily driver, and it’s pretty damn practical as well. Fuel economy and service costs are said to be pretty much middle of the pack, same with safety, but it isn’t particularly bad in any way. The AWD should be nice during winter as well.”
Scotty is feeling great about this one so far, as it made his visit to this auto mall worth it. Getting back in the Fox, he heads out for the next dealership.
@yangx2 – Huangdou Sprite Sport
Turning into the Huangdou dealership’s customer lot, Scotty still finds himself surprised to seriously be considering a Chinese car. As bad of a reputation as Chinese cars have, the Sprite Sport appears to be an interesting contender.
“Definitely the smallest car here, but the salesman told me that as a hatchback it should get a bit more cargo space than a comparable subcompact sedan, so it’s pretty practical. This car drives better than the Sphera, but not by that much. Just enough to be noticeable. It’s mostly in handling, where the Sphera was a strong straight line performer, the Sprite is slower but more nimble. It’s got an interior that’s pretty much the same in features but the suspension makes it a bit less comfortable. Still pretty much as good as the Comet. So it’s apparently the least reliable, but not by much, and the maintenance costs are a little on the high side. Hmm…”
Scotty returns to the Huangdou dealership feeling very impressed. It’s a shame most Chinese cars aren’t this good. The Sprite is very comparable to the Sphera , each being just different enough from the other to tickle different aspects of his fancy.
@highoctanelove – Bogliq Tineret Impuls
The next lot Scotty pulls into is Bogliq’s. It’s a sea of blue out there, and the red Fox he steps out of looks out of place. Time for another shakedown as the day winds down, this time in a Tineret Impuls.
“Right, I knew this radio was crap going in and it’s just as crap as I expected it to be. Still a bit of a letdown. This car’s actually more unforgiving than the Prova was, but it has a sportier drive to make up for it. Even with the LSD, there’s no getting around that this is at the bottom of the list for power. It’s not slow, but it’s slow compared to most of these cars I’ve driven. Not sure what it is, but even disregarding the shit radio, this is the least comfortable car I’ve tried out. Could be the suspension. One seat short… Shit radio… Not comfortable… But it’s dirt cheap…”
Scotty walks out of the Bogliq dealership having made his mind. While the Tineret Impuls drastically undercuts the others in price and running costs, it does so with too many sacrifices and he knows he’d later regret this purchase.
@johnwaldock – JHW Merquri 1.9 TSR
With the afternoon winding down, Scotty makes his way into the JHW dealership. The last stop of the day will have him giving the Merquri 1.9 TSR a go.
“A little disappointing to end my day with this one. As great as the Merquri looks, it’s not the easiest to drive and is also one of the least sporty to drive. The only one worse to drive was the Prova. It is pretty damn practical, so there’s that going for it, and pretty good fuel economy. The suspension’s pretty stiff and I could see that hurting my back in the long run, since the seats aren’t enough to compensate for it. Apparently it’s also one of the most expensive to service… Yeah, probably not worth it.”
Returning the Merquri to the dealership, Scotty heads back to the Fox for the drive home. With the radio off, he silently ponders his choices.
The Proxima, the Marinus, the Prova, the Balendos, the Tineret, and the Merquri were already not being chosen. The baseline that the Comet offered also proved itself to be inferior to other cars, so out it goes as well, and same with the Boarilla that only had low service costs as a selling point. The Leo ultimately proves itself to be no match for the Sphera and the Sprite. It’s between those two.
The Sphera is a little worse to drive and drinks a little more gas, but it’s much more comfortable and offers lower running costs. The Sprite is clearly the better driver but a little less practical. Being $39 apart makes the decision all the harder. Scotty is going to sleep on it.
The next day Scotty is heading out in the Fox again, this time as a passenger with Tanya driving him to the dealership to get his new car. He’s thought a lot about it and realised that the best choice is obvious.
While the Ponni Sphera T4 was slightly outclassed in driving characteristics, it more than made up for it with better comfort, a more prestigious aura, a higher safety rating, a more practical design, lower service costs, and of course that $39 lower sticker price.
Congratulations to @niuyorqciti for winning CSR87!
2: @yangx2
3: @groov3st3r @Marcus_gt500
4: @ornate
5: @asami @leedar
I have learned a few new tricks again in this round (as always) and to be more careful with engineering choices - and could have scored higher if I didn’t throw out that back bench and had a step softer setup maybe. But damn that is such a good feeling!
And NiuYorq, you more than deserve kudos for cramming so much into a cheap sedan. There is the “too many chefs” saying, but you avoided that like something fierce.
I actually like the idea of finalists providing their car to look at to compare to one’s own submission, gives another dimension of feedback!