David vs. Goliath
Gary listened to the road under the car. He could feel it, smell it. The engine hollered its story, and over the black hood, he could see the horizon.
It would help, he thought, if he knew which car that black hood belonged to. In the dream, it had all been so clear, the decision simple and easy. But now, as he recalled the two cars he’d driven, he wondered if that was true. He’d been poring over spreadsheets all night, and come to a few conclusions that at least gave him a starting point.
First, Goliath. The Valkyrja GS-6x4, offering a lot. All-wheel-drive, a huge engine with a ton of power, and undeniably the faster, more fun, and more capable car. The styling, though, was a little weird.
While pretty, it had much more of a luxury or stately feel. The old-school split windscreen was a throwback to cars Gary saw in old movies as a kid. The big triple grille was certainly intimidating, and the styling was unique and creative without being bad. But, it wasn’t really as sporty as Gary would hope, despite the black-on-black that was somehow fitting the big super saloon like a glove.
On the other hand, there was David. The Somervell Sinclair SBP. Where the Valkyrja was no-compromise, the Somervell was for the smart shopper. It offered less, of course. Front wheel drive only, softer suspension and a worse ride experience overall, as well as reduced speed from the smaller engine. But… it was hardly uncomfortable, unfun, or slow. It was cool, too.
The styling was unrepentant and American to the core, reminiscent of other modern American aerodynamic front ends. But where the big F dropped the ball on cohesion and had an awkward forehead, the Sinclair is smooth, collected, and well put together. The aerodynamic front is mated with a clean, simple, and well-executed all around look.
So, while it was slower and not as nice, Gary did like the Sinclair. But for road trips? Well, the Valkyrja was hands-down more comfortable, no real sugarcoating there. And it was quieter at highway speeds, operating at a slightly lower RPM around 60. The Sinclair had the edge in fuel economy and reliability, though- rather handily in both cases, though reliability was more of a concern to Gary. That said, the Valkyrja was quite a bit easier for the wife and kids to drive if he needed a break.
The coin refused to land heads or tails. The aluminum body on the Valkyrja made it effectively rust-proof. The Sinclair was definitely cheaper, but over time it would fall victim to Virginia’s nasty rust without proper, continuous care. Of course, the lower cost of ownership would mean that taking it to a wash or even hiring a professional detailer would not be a big deal.
He thought for a long time about it. Weighting cost to performance was hard. There was no tried-and-true metric for really comparing these cars, even though he was trying. They were in different markets completely. They both spoke to him anyways. Tapping his finger on the desk, Gary pushed aside all the papers, charts, magazine articles, and photos. He cleared his mind. When it came down to it, he’d be happy to own either car. Which one did he want to see in the morning?
The Winner
The sun shone down on Gary’s driveway, catching the red and gold leaves of the Shenandoah fall in the light. He breathed in the air, and clutched his key in his hand. First drive in the new car- first real drive, anyways. It had been taken to a detailer he new personally for unwrapping, polishing, cleaning, and prep. It had been delivered late at night due to unexpected traffic on the highway and some difficulty getting the truck up here, so he hadn’t even been able to get a good look at it. He’d been thinking about it all night, almost worrying it would disappear before he got to take it for a drive.
Of course, it was right where he wanted it.
Results
Congratulations to @Texaslav on the victory and @moroza for an incredibly close second! In the end, while the Valkyrja was undoubtedly the better car, Gary does car a little bit about money… but that wouldn’t have swayed him alone. The Sinclair has an underdog spirit, and strong American styling, rare in the world of post-malaise Automation challenges. It refused to do the popular thing and instead stuck to realistic, believable engineering, yet still put the beatdown on a ton of other cars.
It has spunk, and Gary liked that. He’s an entrepreneur, a businessman who worked hard and got lucky. The Sinclair embodies that to him. It’s not as gentle, not as capable as the Valkyrja, but it’s reliable and plucky. It was a hard-fought won, but it should be savored nonetheless. Congrats to both of you!
What a wonderful challenge with a great showing from many entrants. Thanks everyone for reading and being patient through the delays. I hope your holidays are nice and relaxing despite the update that just destroyed all your cars! 