Comparison Tests
Why go long-faced and grumbling into the low-carbon future when you can grin all the way? Bring on the power toys, small cars with big muscles and no excuses.
The idea behind this roundup is simple - keep the price down and the thrills up. And the market was ready for us with four spanking-new choices for 2007.
Arguably, the Mini Cooper S was the original power toy, a bite-size parcel of impudence when it rolled into the U.K. spotlight 40-some years ago. Same old impudence, all new parts, is the story of this latest generation, new in the showrooms last winter. Of course, the snub-nosed styling carries on, but this newest Mini is a bit longer, 2.3 inches to be precise, mostly for crash protection. Consider it to be upsized all the way to micro; it's still nearly 20 inches shorter than any of the other players here. Under the hood scoop, the supercharger is gone, replaced by a twin-scroll turbo breathing into a new aluminum 1598cc four. Net result: 172 horsepower at 5500 rpm. Yep, it's a power toy.
Another old comer to this concept is Volkswagen. The original GTI swaggered onto German roads in 1976. It was a two-door Golf with more motor. Same idea now in the U.S., but for 2007 you can opt for a five-door. And we did. Today's engine, a 2.0-liter, is made more by a turbo. The take-away: 200 horsepower at 5100 rpm and a broad-shouldered torque curve. Power toys aren't necessarily cheap. Our heavily optioned test car - do you really need a nav system to find a playground? - bottom-lines at $29,290.
It ain't braggin' if this Mazda 3 in Mazdaspeed guise can do it. Turbocharged till its head bolts tremble, its 2261cc four booms out 263 horsepower. Outrageously wide tires fill its wheel wells. The body bristles with more slats, spats, and spoilers than a Harrier fighter. And yes, it comes in Probable Cause Red. The defense won't get much rest in this one.
Nissan's new Sentra SE-R Spec V is the only player to come to the games without a turbo; it relies instead on the group's highest redline, 7000 rpm. The Spec V is the all-in version of the Sentra, packing a close-ratio six-speed gearbox, powerful 12.6-inch front discs, 225/45WR-17 summer tires, and an optional limited-slip front diff.
We're measuring these new toys against that most enduring of benchmarks, the turbocharged all-wheel-drive Subaru Impreza WRX. This little motor scooter, now with 224 horsepower from 2.5 liters, has been charming us since its introduction as a 2002 model. It's friendly, it's quick, and it keeps on charging when the road turns to Cool Whip.
We know about that because the road did turn to Cool Whip as we ascended through 4600 feet on our climb into Prescott, Arizona, after an afternoon in misspelled Bagdad. Three of the five test toys made it to the hotel that night. Names will be named as you read on.
