Help me with my short list

[mdm]

Thanks again everyone for your advice and comments. I think I made my decision. But as this is basically a good-bye post (see below), I think I'll give you some details, maybe someone will find them useful or interesting.

So after additional research and contemplation I ultimately reduced my list to:
Juke SV FWD
Veloster Turbo DCT
FRS/86 AT

The Abarth would be too small and cramped, I could tell it even from the pictures.

Mini: I realized I don't like the design so much, that even if drives well, I won't buy it, so why waste my time.

GTI: again, don't like the looks, don't like the price, and would think obsessively about the cost of repairs/maintenance. The latter applies to the Mini as well.

Mazda 3: the more I looked at it, online or IRL, the more meh I was.


Today I drove the three finalists: the Juke SV (but AWD, FWD wasn't available), Veloster Turbo, and the 86 (MT, AT wasn't available, nor was FRS).

Juke is really not a good car. I like the looks (many don't), the one I drove was really cute: black with yellow mirrors, spoiler and other accents, but it drove terribly. It has 188 hp and a decent torque figure, but it feels very lazy. I don't know if it is the CVT (even in "Sport" mode), or the weight, but the horsepower just does not translate to acceleration, at least as measured by my butt dyno. Manual shifts were slow. It swayed a LOT in turns. The steering was far too light, I could basically turn the wheel with one finger, the feel was completely artificial. Also, the seats were not comfortable. It is actually a very important factor, especially that my wife usually commutes with me, and she has much better legs than whoever is used by auto manufacturers to design seats, so she's often uncomfortable. Some other details were not good either, for example the armrest was in the way of my elbow when driving.


Of the Veloster and the 86, after careful consideration of pros and cons, I think I'm gonna choose the Veloster.

Yes, I know I am choosing a cheap Accent on steroids over a proper sport car .

I must the say that the 86 has this great raw feel when accelerating, it was seriously exciting. Even after upshifting to 3rd or 4th, the acceleration was good enough to throw my back against my seat. A lot of fun. Veloster is more tame and power delivery feels slower (turbo lag?), but still acceleration feels and sounds really good, much better than I expected and incomparably better than the Juke. I was actually impressed how the Veloster behaves after suddenly pushing the gas all the way down while cruising at a medium speed. I expected some jerkiness after downshift due to lack of rev-matching, but it was nice and smooth.

Yes, the 86 is perfectly planted in turns and handles with super precision, while the Veloster does have some body roll (not bad though, I felt absolutely comfortable doing a simulated emergency lane change at high speed).

Yes, Veloster does not have a donut, only a puncture kit, though I am waiting for the dealer to tell me if a replacement is possible.

But taking into account the practicality (the trunk, the rear seats), the price, and, actually some of the interior design, I like the Veloster better. Also, it does not help that all 2016 AT FRS (and most MT FRS) are gone in my area, so I'd probably have to go with a more pricey 86.

About interior design: yes, Veloster has a crowded steering wheel, probably 10 different buttons, here the 86 (and especially the FRS) wins easily.

The gauges in the 86 are so nicely old-school, I like them better.

But frankly, the clock, the emergency blinkers buttons, and especially the AC controls in the 86 are pretty horrible in real, much worse than in internet pictures. I do not mind things looking a bit old, but those controls don't look just old, they look super old and super cheap, as if they were designed 40 years ago in an Eastern-block communist country. I know what I am talking about, I drove Eastern-block designed and built cars.

In the 86, I did not like the new suede-like material on the dash and the doors, and I am afraid it will look far worse in a few years.

There was really little space for stuff in the car.

Still, this wouldn't be enough to disqualify the car. What really made me decide was - again - the seat design. I liked the upper part, the bolster. But the lower part was only so-so, though adjusting the height helped a bit. I felt much more comfy in the Veloster, and automatically connected to the car. It just fits my body better.


And for my wife the 86 passenger seat was really bad, she started to feel uncomfortable after a few minutes. The seat was barely better for her than in my old Corolla, but due to the floor in front of the seat being so high, she could not even cross her legs in a way that helps her in the Corolla. Or in any other Toyota, I think she has never been comfortable in any Toyota.

So, if these are seats in which I am going to spend at least an hour or two a day for the next few years (and my wife almost the same amount of time), no amount of fun from acceleration and handling can beat uncomfortable seating.

Also, I think that 86's MT would be great on track and in spirited driving for fun, but it would make me tired in daily commute, due to the way the clutch feels and how the gear ratios are set up.

In summary, I see how the 86 is a great car for certain purposes, and I'd love to have it just for occasional fun, but it wouldn't work so well for what I need.

So, thanks again for the advice, thanks for fun I had reading these forums and posting, but I guess there is not much sense in doing it much more, so good bye! (Though, maybe, I won't resist coming back for the people ).

[R_E_L]

NVM, see you already made you choice. Good luck with the car.