Revenge of the Mini-Cars

G and I went to the Auto Show today. I envisioned it only being a three-hour trip. It turned into a six-hour marathon of looking at and sitting in all manner of cars, trucks and two-wheeled implements.


G enjoyed pushing all sorts of radio and climate control buttons, which was really funny. She also enjoyed calling things cute, including the flame job on a Harley. Go figure. S'okay, because I got caught calling a smart car "cute", as well. She was also amused by the up-down motions of the windows on an Infiniti G35 Coupe. They open slightly when you open the door, and then close when you close the door. This makes it easier to close the door, without having to fight against the internal pressure built up in a well-sealed car. She's also teasing me. She likes the motorcycles, but doesn't want me to get one. Stop toying with me! :)

This year, the entrance to the south building at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre seemed to be broken. So we had to trek *outside* through to the SkyDome. At which point, we were told to go outside again, and enter at a different gate. Feh.

The one thing that I hate, and it happens every year, is that either the booth people, or idiots in the crowd pull off the shift knobs on the cars, leaving this threaded rod to greet your hand. Doesn't really let you get a feel for what's like to drive.

I have to admit that every year, I have the same problem, that I make a beeline for the stick-shift cars, and play around with the shifter, and don't take the time to sit down, and actually make sure that it has good sightlines, and I can adjust the mirror and all that sort of good stuff.

One of the first interesting stops on the way was the guy selling vintage car brochures. For $10, I could have picked up a brochure for the ol' Skyhawk, direct from 1982.

G really liked the trucks. Giant, honking, really bad on gas trucks. I don't know why. I do know that I have a soft spot in my heart for the base-model full size Chevy Silverado with a manual transmission. Although, upon further inspection, I noticed that once aboard, there's nowhere to put anything. Everything has to go into the truck bed. Which means getting a bed box. Whatever - despite it's low, low price, I don't think I could afford the amount of gas that it would burn. I really liked that Chevy - it didn't pretend to be more than it was; work-a-day transportation that was bare-bones and tough as nails. And the shifter was really tight and precise.

The Chevrolet Aveo/Pontiac Wave/Suzuki Swift were on my list of cars to look at. Despite being all exactly the same, the reason for which, I won't get into. The price is right - around $15k, the quality is...sort of there. The shifter had about as much slop as a stick in the mud. But it was reasonable inside. Enough space for four people, and stuff for two of those four. Or two people and lots of stuff. Worth a test-drive.

The Chevrolet HHR was nicely proportioned. But really hard and grained plastic dominated the interior. The gauges were also really jewel-like and very small, which hampered its chances. There was quite a bit of space in the cargo area, which is the main reason that I looked at it. Rear legroom (not that I would care as much, if it were my car) was acceptable. The one fault was the sunroof, with which my noggin fought with. But no manual transmission equipped car was on hand. Poo.

The Mazda 3 Sport (Mazda-zoom-zoom speak for "wagon") was much as I remembered it - a very well appointed car that had a nice snick-snick shifter, space in the back... I'm glad I also fit into the MX-5 (née Miata), although it's still a really tight fit. However, somebody should have moved the seat back in the RX-8; absotively no space for me in there.

The Honda Fit is definitely one that I'm going to keep my eye on. I actually called Honda Canada a couple days ago to inquire if they were actually being brought to the Auto show. They couldn't give me a straight answer. But they did at least tell me that it was coming to Canada. The rear seats flip both ways, for all sorts of cargo versatility. The shifter was nice and tight, like all Honda gearboxes I've had the pleasure of using. Most importantly, unlike the out-of-control-costing Civic, this one was reasonably priced, and didn't look it. They make it to dealers on the 1st of April. I made sure that this wasn't an April Fools' joke. I also chided the guy whom I asked when he talked about how all sorts of different items "fit" into the car. He had that look of "Damn, it happened again." I may very well take a test drive then, so long as I don't have to fight through the hordes of others that are thinking about doing the exact same thing.

The smart car exhibit was fun. Met up with Justin from the Mississauga dealership. I took one test drive nearly a year ago, and he still remembers me...and the Skyhawk. Which is pretty darned cool. He was also surprised to learn that I knew thebitterguy. As nice as the smart car is, as a first car, I can't justify paying some $5000 more for a car that gets only slightly better fuel economy. G was impressed by how much space there appears to be...until you look backwards.

At the nearby Mercedes display, I sat in my if-I-had-a-million-dollars car, the E320CDI. Which, were I to buy it, would immediately be driven down to Vermont, to have a GreaseCar conversion. I also asked about importing a Euro-engined, but Canadian-specced E280CDI, which is available with a stickshift. Much as I expected, it would probably be possible, but would cost quite a bit. Considering that I'd probably have quite a bit of money if I were to buy the car anyways, it wouldn't be that big a deal. One thing I love about the German cars is closing the doors. Like closing a bank vault door. Just like the silence that's gained within when that happens.

The Toyota Yaris is also one of the top contenders. Well built, solid stick shift, insanely frugal fuel consumption. It also had the same kind of door slam like the Germans. A solid thunk. The hatchback closed with a small *whoosh*, without any fanfare, and without the need to slam it shut. The hood, oddly enough, seemed to be missing its prop rod, but I'm sure either I missed it, or somebody else would point it out to me. About the only thing that I couldn't get used to (yet) is that the gauges are mounted high up and in the centre, rather than down by the steering wheel, where I expect them.

So, it's looking like a toss-up between the Yaris and the Fit. That the Fit comes out in two months' time is good, because only then will I have enough saved up to make any kind of down payment.