@Texaslav Point taken and heeded. Here we go…
14. Rocket-Saturn Estate
by @toxicnet
Alex mildly liked the looks (80), but Valerie was quite unimpressed (65), especially by the rear, with the sloppiest taillights she’d ever seen. Also, showing seats normally enhances a car’s looks, but not when the rears are nearly jammed into the roof. Engineering is competent if unexceptional, the result having mediocre performance, especially in a straight line, with a 276hp 3.6L NA six pushing a portly 1778kg. Stats, however, are competitive - third-highest prestige, helped by a Luxury-grade CD player; second-highest Safety, thanks to the latest technology and size & weight; fourth-highest Reliability; third-lowest SVC; the highest corrected comfort of legal entries (50.2), beaten only by the binned Axxus and despite a Sport interior (see: comments on the “R”). That interior helps keep Sportiness from being as low as the performance, a not-bad 31.1.
13. Regnum SLX
by @thpethalK
Headlights aren’t 1998, taillights fit awkwardly, otherwise so-so design to Alex (75), good to Valerie (85), with attractive proportions and notable cohesion. Engineering has some highlights but isn’t great overall. Powerful and smooth 3L turbo straight-six makes good use of VVL, but the bottom end is underbuilt for the power. Suspension tuning is very firm and overdamped, resulting in the second-worst comfort. Very aggressive alignment contributes to the second-worst SVC ($2778) but also tied for the strongest overall grip. Handling ends up being merely good, however, thanks to the worst brake fade of legal entries (3.0%). This is due to the puzzling choice of non-vented rotors front and rear, which 4-piston front and 2-piston rear calipers don’t redeem. Neither does the 60 pad compound, further eroding comfort. Heavy AHS chassis and advanced high-quality equipment makes for a fourth-highest 64.0 Safety score. Good Sportiness (40.4), average Prestige (53.5), low Reliability (69.7).
12. Gipfe RS50
Alex gave the design a 75, Valerie 85. Engineering is solid and sensible (though a manual transmission would’ve been more appropriate) and the results reflect that. Turbo 5-valve motor and aggressive alignment yet reasonable $1698 SVC. 320hp yet 9.5L/100km. Modest tire width yet strong cornering and braking grip. Sport interior - and with plaid upholstery! - yet 41.5 corrected Comfort. Very average safety and reliability. Sport is a bit on the low side at 30.3, as is straight-line performance. Handling performance is second best of all entries, first excluding bins. Drivability (77.5 adjusted) is fourth-highest. More exciting looks and transmission might’ve earned it a win here.
11. Skríhra
by @Vento and @crwpitman1
Somehow this is a 3-door wagon and not a hatch. The bold and sorta well-executed styling earns an 85 design score from both. Engineering is a mixed bag, as are the results. The engine is a reliable and amply powerful but surprisingly rough 60-degree V8, with an iron block (still realistic in 1998) and heads (not so much). Its 281hp moves the 1501kg Skrihra competently if unremarkably, while the middling grip and excessive body lean (7.1 degrees) mean handling doesn’t quite keep up. With that all-iron engine, AWD, and no weight distribution engineering, the car is quite nose-heavy, exacerbated by overly front-biased brakes. The 60 pad compound is at least 6 points too aggressive, combining with a low-spec CD player and fairly firm (and sloppy) suspension tune to result in the third-worst comfort (30.6 corrected), while Sportiness is a half-decent 35.6. Prestige is second-lowest of legal entries, Safety fifth-lowest, and fuel consumption third-highest. Better news includes the very best reliability of all entries (88.5) and modest SVC ($1381).
10. Ponto Trieste 3.0 Sport
Alex liked the design, rating it a 90. Valerie was less thrilled (70), noting good execution but a tall, almost MPV-like profile and an unbalanced rear, with lots going on in the upper half and nothing in the lower. Engineering is competent, resulting in competitive Sportiness (39.4), Comfort (44.2 corrected), and Prestige (58.7), decent Safety (60.0) and Reliability (75.7). Performance is average but expensive, with the third-worst SVC ($2367), largely the fault of the turbo on the all-alloy 3.0 DOHC-4 straight six. The transmission is a welcome 6-speed manual with a rear-biased helical all-wheel-drivetrain, but the gearing is odd, with short gaps in lower gears and much larger ones in the upper half.
9. Katami Visage G4X
by @bang6111
(Grill textures didn’t import correctly, and were replaced with generics)
Pleasant but slightly outdated styling, earning an 85 from both. Not much noteworthy about the engineering apart from an under-built driveline and significant boost lag (idle at 1000, redline 7000, full boost at 3400). Average Sportiness (34.1), Prestige (54.1), Safety (61.1), Reliability (76.3), SVC ($1800), consumption (11.4), Comfort (39.2 corrected), Drivability (61.7), straight-line performance, and high Averageness overall, apparently. The only standout is a positive one: despite a little brake fade (0.2%), handling performance is the third-best here, thanks to being tied for highest overall grip due to aggressive alignment settings.
8. Asgard 400 R5
Alex found the looks of the Asgard somewhat appealing (80), while Valerie was more enthused (85), praising the clean, modern styling overall and especially at the front, while the rear was a good start but could use more polish of the taillight fitment. Functionally, this was one of the spicier entries, its 42.1 Sportiness ranking second thanks to a responsive 309hp 2.3 5-pot turbo, a high-quality 6-speed manual all-wheel-drivetrain, high-quality Sport interior, and a reasonably firm and well-tuned active suspension. Comfort, on the other hand, wasn’t bad per se - 31.8 corrected - but fourth lowest. SVC and consumption were reasonably good ($1776 and 9.1L), Reliability a bit above average (76.8), Safety ok (60.4), and the upfront price attractively under budget ($34700).
7. Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR
Polar opposite of the Katami, the Ayatsuji is anything but conventional and middle-of-the-road, starting with the looks. The bold colors and styling are unmistakable for anything else, and both Alex and Valerie liked it - 85 and 90 visual score. Valerie noted the swoopy, well-integrated taillights, distinctive center-mounted triple exhaust, and the overall curviness as highlights, countered by odd proportions - a long bulbous nose with a short and squished rear. Still, quite a Show, and with the Go to match; sporting the most powerful engine of any entrant - a 3.2L 5-valve twin-turbo straight-six making a fat lump of midrange power up to 426hp - it’s about tied for first place in a straight line. Handling, however, is rather lackluster, with so-so cornering and mediocre braking grip. Suspension tuning was done with admirable precision for spring and damper rates, but standard springs and a rather conservative alignment setting make the modest 225mm tires give modest results, though keeping the rather high SVC ($2343) from being even worse. Comfort is a low-ish 35.7 corrected, while Sport is a competitive 39.1. Prestige is an average 55.8, Safety rather low at 57.3.
