Test drove Rio5, Fit, and Yaris all today

[kmf123kmf]

So I'm looking to take advantage of the CARS program later this month and spent the day driving possible replacements for my current "commuter" vehicle. (A '99 Ford Explorer with 127K miles)

In order of test drive:

I wasn't really enthusiastic about this car going into it, but since I already own a 2008 Sedona, which I like well enough, I figured I should give it a try. The Rio5 was competent, but the engine sounded unrefined to me and was a little rough when pushed. The car seemed pretty well equipped though and is definitely still in the running. Price will be a big factor in choosing this vehicle.

Next up was a base Fit auto. I'm a bit biased here as my last car was an 07 Civic Si sedan which was simply amazing and I've always been a fan of Hondas. (Don't ask how I ended up with a Kia minivan and an old Exploder instead of the Si...it's complicated) The Fit turned out to be everything I expected. Interior is very nice for its class. Handling was tight though there was a touch more body roll than I thought there would be. The sport trim is probably better in this regard but I didn't drive one since it's out of my price range. Engine is classic Honda, very smooth and loves to rev, even in the automatic. Torque takes a while to come on but is plentiful once you get there. After all was said and done the Fit jumped strongly to the top of my wishlist. The whole car just "feels" right in a way which is difficult to explain.

Finally I took out a Yaris 4dr LB followed by a sedan. Both base models, automatic, no power package. I was actually quite surprised by these little cars. After reading all of the expert reviews and comparisons I expected the Yaris to be some super floaty boat ride ready to fly off the road at any moment, but as it turns out, things weren't nearly as bad as I'd been led to believe. Engine feels stronger than the Fit where it counts. The power just comes on a bit earlier and is accentuated by the lighter curb weight of the Yaris. The dealer let me drive on my own so I got a really good run with each of them. (In hindsight, this is bit unfair to the Rio5 and Fit as I had the added weight of a sales person sitting in the passenger seat during those tests, oh well) Took the LB onto the highway and could find no major fault. It did seem to nosedive a bit more than normal when braking which is a slight concern. Makes me wonder what might happen during a hard stop. It was plenty quiet for my tastes, quieter than the Fit for sure. Passing power at speed was workable, good enough for commuting in any case. After that I took the sedan around town which includes some roads which approach highway speeds. Overall I preferred the handling of the sedan over the LB. The front end didn't dive like the LB did and I think the longer wheelbase makes it a bit less darty. The two were very close however and if I didn't know the sedan existed I'd still consider the LB. Where it loses to the Fit in handling it compensates for in ride comfort. So this is one point where I really have to decide what I'm looking for in a commuter car.

That's all for now. I got a few weeks before the cash for clunkers program goes into wide-effect, so I'll be weighing my options till then. Just thought I'd share my experience so far.