It says cruise test so I thought that meant high way since that’s the other stat aside from combined MPG that I usually see. The average cruise test is 85.9 MPG. The 68 MPH cruise test is 61.2 MPG. I tried to be as realistic as possible.
Resubmission opportunity
Well, I expectedly missed a few rule breaks and thus didn’t notify the participants in question. So, there will be a resubmission window, ending on Wednesday, the 30th at 12pm UTC.
Those who have broken a rule have received a DM from me. Additionally, I’ve not received a .car from @AMuteCrypt and @ldub0775. Please send that ASAP.
Everyone who needed to resubmitted and I received the file from amutecrypt and ldub. With that done:
Dave sits down after having spent the afternoon travelling and looking through various car magazines in passing. He comes home just in time to catch that evening’s Auto Driver broadcast.
Auto
driver
Tonight: Cheap utility for tight budgets
Welcome, Terry from Auto Driver here. Tonight we will be looking at cheap utility vehicles for under 8000 dollars.
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“Oh, how convenient.” Dave says, as he picks up a notebook and a pen.
Pingu Permutuus
Auto
driver
- First off is the Pingu Permutuus. at only 7290$, it certainly seems a steal, being a large pickup truck with a sizable 4.5 liter straight six. however, it is certainly made cheap, with many instances of bare minimum quality.
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Auto
driver
- The steering is especially bad, with a recicrculating ball which is both dead in feel and extremely difficult to operate. Along with that, the transmission often falls out of gear and fails to lock the differentials.
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“Hm…maybe this one isn’t for me. Too cheap.” Dave crosses out the Permutuus.
[OOC: This one is too cheaply made. You left 710 bucks on the table, and had -15 quality on steering and traction aids (if you had any traction aids, that is). Along with that, -7 quality on drivetrain isn’t the greatest of looks either. While this challenge does encourage the less good of all cars, this one is regrettably too bad. The styling, however, is wonderful and detailed. ]
SUMA M232 Camionero
Auto
driver
- The SUMA M232 Camionero feels almost like a luxury car in refinement in comparison to the Permutuus. It comes with an automatic transmission which is remarkably smooth and responsive, and a well-made standard interior.
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Auto
driver
- The cost savings seem to have been made in the engine department, where the 2.2-liter inline-4 makes a relatively anemic 72 horsepower. Fortunately, it only weighs 2500 pounds, so the acceleration is a tolerable 16.4 seconds to sixty.
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driver
- Although it is definitely not quick, it is fairly thrifty at a combined mileage of 24.7 mpg. It costs 7990$ to buy, and maintenance sits at 530$. The camionero also has a good track record for reliability. We can recommend the SUMA.
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“Hey, that sounds pretty good, all things considered, though maybe a bit more economy would be nice. Then again, it’s a truck.” He scribbles down a note or two next to the name and redirects his attention back at the TV.
Iris Sion
Auto
driver
- In Europe, the humble van reigns supreme. We are fortunate enough to receive one of those vans here in the states too, by the name of the Iris Sion. Powered by their 'Omelette Du Fromage' engine, it is practical and incredibly reliable.
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Auto
driver
- With a zero-to-sixty of 17.2 seconds and a top speed of 93 mph, it certainly is not fast, but it is certainly light on your wallet with a cost of 7910$ to purchase and a mere 335$ to keep it in good shape. Combined economy sits at 29 mpg.
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driver
- While it returns excellent value-for-money, people looking for an attractive face to their business will have to look elsewhere, and those who want more than 60 hp will also not be delighted. However, it is a good and cheap car.
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“Now do I really want to drive that…thing?” He thinks about it for a while while the presenter rambles on about some additional cost metrics. Ultimately, he decides against it.
[OOC: The Sion offers the highest reliability of all. It does not offer great economy, however, nor does it offer great drivability, safety, or good looks, although the third-lowest svc of the bunch make it a real edge case where the sensible mind would let it through. But unfortunately, it sacrifices too many stats for that incredible reliability figure.]
Valiant TouchDown LX
Auto
driver
- In the van space, there are also windowed vans. The Valiant TouchDown LX is one of those, and it is certainly a good one. It offers 33 mpg, good reliability, acceptable servicing costs and a price tag of 7880$.
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driver
- What we found strange however is the mere two seats in the front. There are no provisions for having more seats, despite ample room inside. The SUMA has three seats on a bench, and this one can't settle for something basic like four.
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- So while it is a high-quality, fun-sized and economical van, we can't exactly recommend it over a panel van variant. We recommend Valiant to procure a variant with additional seating, as that would much improve everyday practicality.
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“Well, that’s pretty strange, but the figures are compelling. Argh.” He scribbles down a strongly worded note.
[OOC:I don’t exactly understand why this is two seats. It’s large enough for more, which would massively improve its practicality. It does get a pass. For now.]
AB-Monozukuri Scamp 1500 SX Phase II
Auto
driver
- The AB-Monozukuri Scamp 1500 SX Phase II - try saying that one when drunk - is a car with a bit of an identity crisis. It's small offroader shaped, yet it has medium-compound tires and is transverse FWD. Struts and live axle.
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Auto
driver
- Its light truck monocoque chassis doesn't seem right either. The 1.5 liter inline-4 seems to be the only thing that's fitting. Its power is quite anemic, and the torque doesn't inspire much confidence either. It is only 7800$, however...
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driver
- With the small engine, it gets 26.4 mpg, although you will have to floor it with its zero-to-sixty of 16.7 seconds. Service costs sit at a mildly high 638$. We can't recommend it, unfortunately, being a poor off-roader and okay on-roader.
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“Well, that’s unfortunate, I liked how it looked. Shame.” He crosses out the Scamp on the notebook."
[OOC: As mentioned above, it kind of suffers an identity crisis, not being sure whether to be an offroader or a regular old hatch. The stats are okay, but the SVC is quite high. It’s a shame, I really liked the look of it. I sure hope this crossover thing won’t take over the world in 2 decades!]
The television soon cuts to black, before next week’s broadcast announcement comes on.
Auto
driver
Next week: Design Board Vs. Design Bureau
- Join us next week for a face-off between communism and capitalism. Will the planned economy prevail over competition?
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Moves on to next round:
- SUMA M232 Camionero by @Banana_Soule
- Valiant Touchdown LX by @mart1n2005
10 Likes
…hoping the ARTC 150 can put it’s money where my mouth is…
A little explanation about mine, there is a “van” and a “people mover” variant in the body that look identical, however they split up the body into the load bit and people bit differently.
The people mover took me over budget so I had to use the van, the only reason it has windows is because the windows are a separate slot in the paint and I wanted a rear window you could see through and ideally the sides just painted panels. I couldn’t do that without tons of patchwork so I used the dark glass mod material for the sides and rear glass, and the cabin glass is much lighter.
Also I think it’s just too small for three front seats. In an ideal world I could have afforded two rows of two seats and then a solid bulkhead to make a separate cargo area to the rear.
I hope this overly wordy response has helped 
2 Likes
All understood, my wording was meant to say that the SUMA had three seats while yours only had two in comparison while the cabin is large enough for a second row. But yeah I geddit now.
Here’s a little fun fact about the Capable Expect! The model started production in 1990 and was intended as an export model to Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Phillipines, and also sold in Japan and South Korea! A comparatively few amount of Expect cars were for sale in the USA.
Ah, now that seems more reasonable. The 68mph cruise test is what you should quote in the future as your “highway MPG” score; the combined cruise test is a weighted average of cruising at several different slow and fast speeds always in the highest gear possible (real drivers are less likely to short-shift and lug a small engine at <1500rpm) that completely disregards the fuel burned to accelerate to those speeds in the first place, so it is impossible to match that figure even if you do drive exactly according to the testing profile.
A week later, Dave sits down at the television again to watch the week’s Auto Driver broadcast.
Auto
driver
Tonight: Design Board Vs. Design Bureau
[Thunder rumbling] - Good evening, Terry from Auto Driver here. We're here today to pit east and west against eachother. Soviet steel versus home-grown machinery.
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“Exciting stuff.”
Nocturne (off forums)
Brockwood Proxima
Auto
driver
- The Brockwood Proxima is a car new for 1995, with modern, attractive styling and figures to back it up. It is equipped with a 1.5-liter inline-4 producing 65 horsepower, enough to get it to 60 in 15.8 seconds.
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Auto
driver
- It also comes with a five-speed manual transmission, aiding in economy and acceleration. Front disc brakes are standard, with exciting new features like electric power steering. Progressive springs are too, but are a bit firm for comfort.
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Auto
driver
- The interior comes with nice cloth seats and a four-speaker stereo unit with a cassette player. Standard safety features are also included. Oddly enough, the vehicle is rear-wheel-drive, making it a bit harder to drive than most hatchbacks.
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Auto
driver
- All in all, the Proxima is a practical and modern hatchback for the masses, with its price tag of 7980$, service cost of 482$ and economy of 36 mpg. We can definitely recommend it.
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“Well, I’d be damned if I didn’t put it on the list.” Dave scribbles the Proxima’s name on a post-it note.
ARTC 150
Auto
driver
[Archanan National Anthem plays]
- Meanwhile in Archana, Drivers are...blessed with the ARTC 150. It seems to not have changed since its introduction in 1984, but the vehicle remains on the market regardless.
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Auto
driver
[Archanan National Anthem]
- And while we speak about how nice a car looks, the ARTC 150 speaks to its existence. It is definitely a car. One could argue that that's all you need in a car, for it to be one. No bells and whistles.
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Auto
driver
[Archanan National Anthem]
- The 1.5-liter inline 4 will get you to your destination, with plenty of power to spare for the kids, dog, AKM, or whatever else you have to move, getting 37 mpg with it.
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Auto
driver
[Archanan National Anthem]
- And despite its toy car proportions, it is very roomy and has similar space on the inside compared to the Proxima, although the interior is clad in rough fabric and doesn't have the luxury of deadening.
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Auto
driver
[Archanan National Anthem]
- Less comfortable, but also much cheaper to service at a mere 377$, and only a hair more expensive at 8000$. It also seats five, surprisingly, and is easier to drive with FWD, though only a four-speed gearbox.
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“Less cost to run, easier to drive, but less comfortable, and a design from the 80’s…drat, this is kind of hard.” He thinks about it, but ultimately decides against the little wheeled box from Archana.
[OOC: There’s nothing really wrong with the ARTC 150, it’s just that the Proxima manages to do what the ARTC does, but a hair’s width cheaper, a good bit more comfortably, and a bit more reliably (somehow). It’s also more safe. The design would have also worked better if it was more detailed, although I can understand that the theme you were going with this doesn’t exactly allow for ‘bespoke’.]
Auto
driver
Conclusion: Design Board Vs. Design Bureau
Both cars have their own merits, however we will have to give the win to the Proxima, being more comfortable and plush compared to the ARTC's utilitarianism. Join us next week where we compare the latest in the hatchback market.
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Progresses to next round:
- Brockwood Proxima L by Nocturne
8 Likes
Blasphemy! ARTC will not stand by while the Capitalist plague spreads among the west!
(OOC: congrats for making it to the next round even though you aren’t on the Forum)
Another week passes, another time Dave crashes on to the couch to catch an Auto Driver broadcast.
Auto
driver
Tonight: The best of budget hatchbacks
[Theme song] - Welcome, Terry from Auto Driver here. Tonight we compare the best of budget hatchbacks.
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Kotatsu Macchia
Auto
driver
- The Kotatsu Macchia is an attractive little 5-door hatch. Released last year with a minor update this year, its equipped with a 900cc, 7800rpm screamer, producing 70 horsepower. That's good for an 11-second sprint to 60.
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Auto
driver
- It seats four in a roomy, comfortable cabin, with soft springs. This does cause a significant amount of bottoming out, and the lack of power steering makes it a bit tiring on long drives, but for 7950$, that's a good deal.
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Auto
driver
- It gets 45 mpg, and costs 547$ to service. With reasonable reliability, very good comfort and engaging driving dynamics, it is certainly a very good deal. We can definitely recommend this one.
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“Wow, great package it seems.” He writes down the Macchia.
Planar PG34 Genoace G1300
Auto
driver
- The Planar Genoace is a product of evolution. Introduced in '87, the three-door compact has been revised for this year. A 1.3-liter inline-4 producing 60 horsepower is good for 15.5 seconds to 60 and 29.2 mpg.
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Auto
driver
- It seats four in a basic cabin, with rough cloth seats. Compared to the Macchia, it is a bit less comfortable, mostly due to the hard springs. Its also a bit harder to drive due to being rear-wheel-drive.
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Auto
driver
- It does cost less to run if you ignore the thirsty engine, at a mere 344$ to service. The car costs 7990$. The Macchia does just do what the Planar does but cheaper and more comfortably, for a pricey service cost. Make of that what you will.
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“Fuel economy is a shame. Well, I guess I’m not missing out on a lot.” He crosses out the Planar.
[OOC: The engine’s thirst is what kills this, despite the great SVC. Mediocre other stats with suboptimal drivability also aren’t great.common lotto l]
Tallin (off forums)
Fenland Rose
Auto
driver
- THe Fenland Rose is another car new for '95. The attractive little car is equipped with a 1-liter straight-four producing 52 horsepower, good for a 16.1 second 0-60 and 42.4 mpg.
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Auto
driver
- The interior is not all too nice, unlike the mileage. Not all too comfortable, due to accomodating five seats and a relatively firm suspension tune. For 7940$ you cannot really expect much else.
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Auto
driver
- Really, this car's like most in the segment where it's just a thing to get from A to B. It's cheap, only 396$ to service, and that 42.4 mpg figure. We can recommend it for those who only need *a* car.
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“Interesting, sounds good.” He writes down the Fenland.
[OOC: You did violate the naming convention by not putting BBB in to the model name, but I’m not that petty nor in the mood to bin cars for little reason.]
Enso Bunto
Auto
driver
- Another new one, the Enso Bunto brings another hatch to the market. An 800cc inline-4 breathes with the assistance of a hot-air turbocharger, producing 68 horsepower. It is quite loud however, having no mufflers.
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Auto
driver
- The interior suffers, having only plus seating on the rear, and generally being quite uncomfortable. The suspension is also a bit firm, but not as much as the Fenland.
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Auto
driver
- At 51 MPG, the Bunto provides beyond excellent economy, and the turbocharger gives it a pretty quick 0-60 of 12.7 seconds. The turbo also hikes its service costs to a significant 583$. We can't recommend it, due to the comfort.
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“Ah shame, that fuel economy figure is very impressive. Surely nothing can outdo that.” Mildly disappointed, he crosses it out.
[OOC: It’s really impressive that you managed to fit a turbocharged vehicle in to the budget. However, the turbocharger also raises the SVC a lot, and the comfort is quite low. Three full seats would’ve put you 30$ over the budget and raised the comfort only marginally, so I see where it’s coming from, but either way it’s a bit unfortunate as the economy is very impressive, and the rest of the engineering is more than decent.]
[Sidenote: You also violated the naming convention after several times of mentioning that, but like, I’m not that petty, again. Your car should have had the following name:
I received this:
This makes it harder for us hosts to actually find out whose car this is and what its name is. I record all that in the sheet and be done with it because I have vaguely functional short-term memory, but some other hosts may find it VERY frustrating to have to look up the name of the vehicle and its submitter in question. Don’t take this as me getting mad at you, this is only advice, because some other people will definitely just insta-bin you for it with NO warning.
Capable Expect
Auto
driver
- The...Capable expect has been on the market for five years, but is revised for 1995. A 970cc inline-3 shakes this car to life, achieving an incredible 61.4 mpg, through low weight mainly, at a mere 1660lbs.
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Auto
driver
- It seats four in basic cloth luxury, has a five-speed manual, ABS, you name it. It has a firm suspension tune, and space isn't the greatest with its longitudinal engine. It also has quite significant brake fade.
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Auto
driver
- But the looks. You'd think that with such a well-engineered machine that they would hire good styling teams, but that appears not to be the case. We can recommend it for people not looking for anything special or good looking.
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“Darn, like the Iris…I don’t think so.” He crosses it out.
[OOC: Highest fuel economy, one of the four with 80+ reliability and lowest SVC. You’d think that it’d be a winner, no? But it brings very little uniqueness to the table, and its styling is wildly inconsistent. I have no idea what is going on with that side molding (which doesn’t really appear until later in the 2000s), there’s circular side markers while the car is mostly square and angular, the badges on the rear don’t even line up correctly, nevermind being symmetrical. Comfort, safety and sportiness aren’t exactly impressive either. If it was solely judged by reliability, service cost and economy, it would have won, handily. But styling kills it.]
Auto
driver
Next week: Cheap, cheerful city cars
- Join us next week where we compare six cheap and cheerful little city cars, for a budget. This was Terry from auto driver, have a nice week.
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Progresses to next round:
- Kotatsu Macchia by @azkaalfafa
- Fenland Rose by Tallin
forgot to put this here, sorry if it notifies you twice 
7 Likes
Damn straight it is!!! Someone please send help I need an intervention
Goddamn all I changed in the resubmission was upgrade the interior (and maybe safety) and sevice cost went up by $200
Another week, another Auto Driver broadcast, another time Dave sits down on the couch with the notebook.
Auto
driver
Tonight: Cheap, Cheerful City Cars
[Theme song] - Good evening, Terry from Auto Driver here. Tonight we show you the best of budget city cars.
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Primus Urbano CL
Auto
driver
- This generation of Primus Urbano has been on the market since 1986, and has been updated for 1995. A 1-liter inline-3 powers the four-seater hatchback. A five-speed transmission and 51 horsepower is good for 13.6 seconds to 60.
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Auto
driver
- The interior is relatively plush, although the suspension is quite firm and unbalanced, making it not all too comfortable. it does make it easer to control, but the dampers are too soft to benefit that.
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Auto
driver
- It does get you 47.4 MPG, and is very reliable, but there are simply more comfortable and cheaper vehicles for the same price. We can't recommend it, unfortunately.
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“Agh, why doesn’t this darn television work correctly. Well, car’s not all too good. Sad.”
[OOC: It’s a pretty good entry, just that it has a lot of things that should have been tuned out. The SVC is also pretty high, and comfort pretty low. Competition is strong, and this one folded under the pressure.]
[Sidenote: I’m stupid and took the pictures in the wrong resolution, pretend the television is broken and he can’t adjust the picture tube.]
Mara Zora 1.1K
Auto
driver
- For the same money, you can get a 1995 Mara Zora 1.1 Komfort. It won Letaran Car of the year, and we can see why. It seats five, and is powered by a 1.1-liter inline-3 producing 53 horsepower, good for 14.6 seconds to 60, and 50 mpg.
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Auto
driver
- It's a Mara, so of course it's dead reliable, but we've seen better looking cars elsewhere, but if you're buying a Mara you'll probably not care. It has a nice interior, and is comfortable, even with firm suspension, more than the Primus.
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Auto
driver
- WIth the 50 MPG, its running costs are fairly low, even with 535$ service costs, and for a car only costing 7960$, it is extremely good. We can definitely recommend this.
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“I’ve heard enough. That’s getting on the list.” He excitedly scribbles down the Mara.
LVC LC90 1.2 S2
Auto
driver
- The LVC LC90 recieved a major update this year, with a new "S2" version. It's powered by a shaky 1.2-liter OHV inline-3 producing 50 horsepower, enough for 14 seconds to 60. It features four-wheel vented disc brakes, unusual for such a car.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
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Auto
driver
- It seats four in a nice cabin, with a decent cassette stereo system as well. The plushiness of the interior is however hampered by a very firm suspension tune.
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Auto
driver
- With 49.1 MPG, it is very economical, but for the same price, the humble Archanan Mara offers more for less costs to service and less fuel usage. So while it has its merits, the Mara outperforms it.
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“And the design’s pretty bland. Don’t know if its that the Mara is really good or the LVC is bad…”
[OOC:It’s a good car, but the suspension is too firm, and the Mara just offers more for less SVC.]
VME Wren SE 150
Auto
driver
- The VME Wren SE has been here since '92. It's a quick little car, with a "monstrous" 1.5-liter straight-4 with DOHC. Producing 91 horsepower, it heads to 60 in 9.7 seconds, and has a top speed of over 120 miles per hour.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
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Auto
driver
- It has 2+2 seating, and relatively plush seats in a standard interior. Then you get to the springs. Its like a sports car. And immensely uncomfortable. And it gets drum brakes all around, with significant brake fade to boot.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
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Auto
driver
- So if you want something sporty, the Wren is a good choice. But the sportiness takes away the comfort, and economy, with a mediocre 37.1 MPG. 7960$ for this is still a good deal, but there's better out there.
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“Well, I’m not really looking for a hot hatch. It would be fun…but nah.”
[OOC: No comfort kills. And it killed the Wren in this case. While the sporty little engine is enticing, the hit in economy is significant (nevermind that it gets better economy than a Metro but other people have stupid amounts of economy for the same money)]
ひゆうんざり (Hiyunzari) Citrine Pico
Auto
driver
- The Hizu- Iun- Excuse me- Hiyunzari Citrine Pico is a cute little microcar introduced this year. Powered by a 68-horsepower inline-4, its VVL-assisted little engine propels the car to 60 in 11.9 seconds.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
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Auto
driver
- It's exceptionally easy to drive, very comfortable with nice seats and a nice stereo, and fairly sporty for what it is, with firm suspension. While only seating two, it is surprising how much it can carry in the boot, with a 820lbs load limit.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
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Auto
driver
- The tiny little car gets 48.2 MPG, is very reliable, and has decent service costs at 550$. For 7990$, it is a very good deal, and we can definitely recommend it.
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“Do I really need more seats? I want it.” He tries to scribble down the Citrine Pico’s name but fails, and just goes for ‘that little citron guy’ instead.
Mori IQ 1.0L EFI
Auto
driver
- Oh no, they've multiplied. The Mori IQ 1.0L EFI is another new microcar. It's powered by a 1-liter turbocharged inline-3, mounted longitudinally for Rear-wheel-drive, which is unusual to say the least. The engine develops 57 horsepower.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
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Auto
driver
- The good thing is while the interior is quite basic, it has a very nice CD player, and traction control. What is bad is the unreliable engine and poor economy from a five-speed manual which is all non-overdrive.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
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Auto
driver
- So while rear-wheel-drive is interesting, it is expensive to run, at 26.8 MPG, poor reliability and being not all too comfortable even without seating more than two people. It's not even fast, the Citrine faster.
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“Well, shucks. I thought it was pretty good looking and interesting.”
[OOC:Longitudinal rear-wheel-drive is an interesting choice for this vehicle and it suffers with subuoptimal drivability. Lots of money also went in to that CD player, with not all too much benefit. The non-overdrive transmission tops out at 150km/h which is just strange, and kills your economy, and the turbo engine has a nearly laughable 12.8% thermal efficiency (most competitors sat at 20-23%). The turbo isn’t even that good at boosting power, and the Citrine is similarly fast off the line without a turbo.]
Auto
driver
Next week: Budget sedans for moving your family in style
- Join us next week where we show you a handful of budget sedans.
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Progresses to next round:
- Mara Zora 1.1K by @AndiD
- Hiyunzari Citrine Pico by @Portalkat42
8 Likes
For future reference what sort of comfort score did the finalists get? I guess having the Wren described as uncomfortable but “like a sports car” is an improvement over the last challenge I entered where the car was both uncomfortable and lacking sportiness.
Most of the finalists sit around the mid-to-high teens in comfort, while the Wren had a comfort score of 6.7, the lowest score of all cars. The Kotatsu Macchia used to have a comfort score of exactly 1, but a resubmit fixed that.
2 Likes
That Mara is a tough little toy. Being outgunned by that seems acceptable, since my car is basically a mid-80s shoebox with makeup.
After Dave had bashed in his television with a hammer several times, it started displaying the pictures right again. He would note down that hitting things really hard fixes them. With percussive maintenance performed, he went to sit down on the couch, just as another Auto Driver popped up.
Auto
driver
Tonight: Budget sedans for moving your family in style
[Theme song] - Hello and welcome, Terry from Auto Driver speaking. Today we'll be showing you a handful of nice budget sedans.
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Sagdiyev 112 LE
Auto
driver
- On the other side of the (now unraveled) Iron curtain where we report, the Sagdiyev 112 was developed. Fortunately, the 112 Limited Edition has been made for the US market. How special!
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Auto
driver
- Powered by a 1.2-liter Inline-4, the car goes from 0 to 'fast' in 15.8 seconds, with 48 newly decollectivized horses. The interior's pretty basic, though the stereo is nice. Not all to spacious, and not too comfortable.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
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Auto
driver
- But it's dirt cheap to buy and operate, with 42.9 MPG and 372$ service costs, with a 7990$ price tag, all while there's nothing really to break, so it's fairly reliable, even with the injection. A car to keep an eye out for.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
“How interesting…another communist box. Lots of character though.” He keeps it in mind.
Slitrön Aromanzo
Auto
driver
- Dirt cheap to buy? Sorry, this is the one that is dirt cheap to buy. The Slitron Aromanzo costs only 6300$. That's right, a compact sedan for the price of a well built shed. You get a 60 horsepower engine, and...a ladder chassis?
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
Auto
driver
- Turns out, this car is made cheap. Who would have guessed. We brought a mechanic in to see the chassis and body assembly, and he told us that he hadn't seen anything worse in his entire career. We took it on the road despite his warning, and:
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
Auto
driver
- We were graced by its 3500lbs of weight and acceleration of 26 seconds to 60 and 83mph top speed. Even with the weight, you don't get the luxury of power steering, but you do get ABS. It also makes Alfa owners blush with reliability.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
“Yikes.”
[OOC:This car is terrible due to a few bad uses of -15 quality. With -15 in chassis, the weight skyrockets from 1300kg up to a massive 1600kg, combined with the 60 horsepower engine, it makes it nearly undrivable in modern day traffic, with a top speed of 135km/h, so good luck getting anywhere in a 70mph zone with a slight incline. 26 seconds to 60 is also an average acceleration of 0.109 g. The average driver at traffic lights accelerates at about ~0.2 g. The slower ones accelerate at around 0.16 g, and the maximum acceleration most cars can provide lay around 0.25 - 0.3 g. You’d have to absolutely floor this thing and you’d still not keep up with traffic. It’s unsafe by its lethargic pace, and unsafe in a crash too because its chassis is designed by putting sticks together in a barn. The use of a ladder chassis is puzzling as well. The darn Sagdiyev uses standard 60’s safety and has 10 more safety points. -15 in body also reduces the pain of your weight by about 80kg, but it also crashes your reliability from some 70-ish to 60.8, the lowest of all by far. Worst part is that you don’t even save that much money from this, only around 900$, while you trash all of your stats. And you gain 17 points by having 1700$ remaining, while you can gain 17 points bringing your reliability up to average. Which doesn’t cost as much.]
Novomobil Dominix
Auto
driver
- From Archana with love, the Novomobil Dominix was introduced in '85, and has remained in the same shape since then. A 1.6-liter inline-4 powers the rear-driver sedan, producing 67 horsepower, enough for a 17-second 0-60.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
Auto
driver
- The cabin is fairly plush, but what disappoints is the AM radio. Yes, AM radio, not AM and FM, just AM. You need to like everything in mono to find this interior comfortable.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
Auto
driver
- For that cost, it's not even economical, with a non-overdrive 5-speed transmission giving you a whole 19.1 MPG. Combine that with 500$ service costs and it simply isn't worth the money. Cannot recommend this.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
“Well, I’ve got a few tapes I’d like to play…”
[OOC: Because of the AM radio, the car is slapped with a -22.5% interior quality comfort penalty, even though it is at 0 quality, which relegates its comfort to the back of the pack. The complete lack of overdrive also severely hurts its economy, with third-worst fuel usage as a result. Unfortunate.]
Auto
driver
Extra: Sports done cheap
- BUt wait! Don't turn off the television just yet. We've got two 'sporty' cars for you to look at too.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
Aeon Centurion
Auto
driver
- First off, this big barge. Aeon's Centurion promises a 329-ci V8 producing 201 horsepower, a top speed of over 120 mph, a 0-60 of 9.3 seconds, discs all round, a premium interior, what's not to love?
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
Auto
driver
- Well, the transmission is a slushbox, so it isn't even all to engaging to drive. Nothing like the SUMA's autobox either, cause this one is really fiddly. Massive tiger stagger also results in a good amount of understeer.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
Auto
driver
- The V8 is also thirsty, giving it a combined economy of 13.4 MPG. No cassettes either, only a stereo-8 player. And that economy with electric power steering, and it's expensive to maintain. It has merits, but it aint sport.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
“Interesting, but…not that great.”
[OOC:I like the concept, the execution isn’t there simply. Like an autobox in this thing with super low quality just decimates your sportiness, along with the puzzling inclusion of absolutely soulless electric power steering. Combine that with the tire stagger, and its sportiness rating of 2.2 is hardly surprising. The average is 6.6 sportiness, by the way.]
Takahashi Selene GXi Cabriolet
Auto
driver
- Okay, so that wasn't all to great. maybe this one will be? The Takahashi Selene GXi Cabriolet is a cabrio (Wow). All that wind in your hair is provided by a 2.2-liter Inline-4 producing 96 horsepower, for a 14.5 second 60 time.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
Auto
driver
- The interior is pretty good, with a very nice cassette stereo. Discs all around, Traction control, this is an advanced little car, and easy to drive. It's not sporty though, mostly due to understeer and electric power steering.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
Auto
driver
- What gets it more than lacking sportiness is the thirst from the non-overdriven gearbox, and the height of the service costs at 1038$. That combined with suboptimal reliability keeps it from recommendation by us.
ACR® Plasmatron 480
PWR
“GAH! DARN. I want it. But I don’t. But I also do. But I don’t. Indecision! Grah!” After a few more minutes of indescernible shouting, Dave decides against it.
[OOC: Fuel economy and service costs sank the Takahashi. It’s super unfortunate too. The sheet really didn’t like it either, awarding it 98 points, one of three calculated to be worse than the baseline. Even with 10 score for uniqueness, that couldn’t save it. Very sad.]
With tens of vaguely coherent ramblings resembling the descriptions of cars, Dave was ready to start deciding which cars would fly off the list and which he would consider purchasing. These cars are the following:
- Kotatsu Macchia by @azkaalfafa
- Sagdiyev 112 LE by @missionsystem
- SUMA M232 Camionero by @Banana_Soule
- Brockwood Proxima L by Nocturne (off forums)
- Mara Zora 1.1K by @AndiD
- Valiant TouchDown LX by @mart1n2005
- ひゆうんざり (Hiyunzari) Citrine Pico by @Portalkat42
- Fenland Rose by Tallin (off forums)
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A **spoiler** is an [automotive aerodynamic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_aerodynamics) device whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion, usually described as [turbulence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbulence) or drag. Spoilers on the front of a vehicle are often called **air dams**. Spoilers are often fitted to [race](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_car) and high-performance [sports cars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_cars), although they have become common on passenger vehicles as well. Some spoilers are added to cars primarily for styling purposes and have either little aerodynamic benefit or even make the aerodynamics worse.
The Finals
Let’s get straight in to it.
The following finalist cars earned less than 120 “Score”. 100 Score being the baseline values I set out.
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SUMA M232 Camionero (@Banana_Soule). Eliminated due to poor economy. 24.7 MPG is good for a truck but not in the league of econoboxes. It is fairly comfortable and drivable for being a truck, but unfortunately its not enough to save it. VAI SUMA NUMERO UNO
CAMPEO DE MUNDO is unfortunately not reality.
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SUMA M232 Camionero (@Banana_Soule). Eliminated due to poor economy. 24.7 MPG is good for a truck but not in the league of econoboxes. It is fairly comfortable and drivable for being a truck, but unfortunately its not enough to save it. VAI SUMA NUMERO UNO
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- Valiant TouchDown LX (@mart1n2005). Eliminated due to middling economy. It’s better at 33.3 MPG, but otherwise midfield stats and two seats put it in seventh.
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- Fenland Rose (Tallin, off forums). Eliminated due to poor comfort, at 9.9 points. It has good service costs and economy, but there is better, and the reliability is in the middle of the road.
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- Brockwood Proxima L (Nocturne, off forums). Eliminated due to middling economy. 36.1 MPG isn’t all too great. Low SVC and quite high reliability are stats that push it up, but lower drivability from RWD hatch push it back down. All in all, a good car, but there is better.
…and these earned more than 120 “score”.
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- Sagdiyev 112 LE (@missionsystem). Eliminated because of standard 60’s safety. Like did safety just stop existing or… Standard 60’s includes lap belts for front and rear passengers. No lap-sash three-points, just lap belts. And not even a collapsible steering column. You could have gone Standard 90’s safety with -2 quality and be out more safe and 10$ cheaper than with standard 60’s. All other stats are excellent and I love what you did to make the old little bugger look modern and cool, and it definitely deserves its place on 4th.
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Mara Zora 1.1K (@AndiD). Eliminated because of middling comfort, safety and sportiness. You know the competition is close when we’re reverting to one-star tiebreakers to decide. The Mara (expectedly) has superb reliability, but due to its toy car size comfort suffers hard. Small size also means not too much safety, and sportiness ain’t too great either. Service costs are on the lower end of the average, but still fairly high. The Mara sweep is NOT real.
common lotto prediction l
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Mara Zora 1.1K (@AndiD). Eliminated because of middling comfort, safety and sportiness. You know the competition is close when we’re reverting to one-star tiebreakers to decide. The Mara (expectedly) has superb reliability, but due to its toy car size comfort suffers hard. Small size also means not too much safety, and sportiness ain’t too great either. Service costs are on the lower end of the average, but still fairly high. The Mara sweep is NOT real.
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- ひゆうんざり (Hiyunzari) Citrine Pico (@Portalkat42). Okay. This one was a really hard decision to make. You and the number 1 finalist are like, neck on neck. But I feel that only two seats and a tiny microcar in the big US are enough of a turnoff to move it down to second place, despite arguably superior stats in most ways compared to number 1. It looks awesome, it fits perfectly for a budget car that is not trying to look cheap. It is stylistically perfect from name to the cute styling, but in the wide roads and high speeds of the States I feel it just doesn’t make the cut. Barely.
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- Kotatsu Macchia(@azkaalfafa). This is very surprising to me. It used to be on the list for cars to be eliminated first, perhaps even binned, because of awful comfort due to completely untuned suspension. But then you sent in that resubmission, and suddenly it rocketed up to being the winner. Reliability isn’t the best, and its score doesn’t seem like it should be first, but its super stylish, looks good, it’s funky with the wheels partially covered, it’s got four seats, the interior is nice, and it’s pretty quick for what it is, with an 11-second 0-60 time, with a top speed nearing 120 MPH, all while getting good economy (45MPG) and having reasonable service costs. It’s not the best in most stats, but it sits high for most of them. It’s not perfect, but then again, nothing is perfect, and especially not for 8 thousand bucks.
With that decided, Dave heads to the Kotatsu dealership, and drives off in a brand-new Kotatsu Macchia. It isn’t the greatest, but it will serve him well as he gets everything sorted. Maybe he won’t part ways with it once everything is back on track. Maybe he’ll keep it. It’s relatively fun after all. We’ll see.
Thanks for playing!
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