The Car Shopping Round (Round 9)

[nerd]

2016 Rado O-400 2.0 DXi:

O stands for "Ordures" the french word for Garbage and Rado's midsize sedan since 1966.
At this point, Rado is still cleaning up unsold Hatch-7 stock, some models going all the way back to 2009.
Anyway, the O-400 features an all-new AlSi 2.0L Inline-4 with a turbo on it that produces 225 HP and 220 ft-lbs of Torque.
The power is completely sent to the rear wheels, through a 6-spd manual and an open diff.
This isn't the base model though, and it comes with a Premium Leatherette interior with woodgrain accents on the dashboard, and a 10-speaker sound system with SatNav and climate control. Thankfully, there is no stink in the interior as the cranky used car guy is not with us right now. As for performance, it gets to 60 in 7.1 seconds and has a top speed of 160 MPH thanks to a lightweight Aluminum body.


All this for just 23100 Automation Units.

[Sebesseg]

We are proud to introduce a new face to the American public. That face belongs to the 2016 Teshu Flourish MXJ 266. A long name for a big purpose, to present the best of Chinese auto-manufacturing to the international market place. Thanks to Luther Motor Company, the Teshu MXJ 266 is more than ready to prove that it should be your next car. It makes use of industry leading technology to bring you a premium level vehicle at entry level prices affording you a variety of top-of-the-line amenities. Luther and Teshu hope to provide to the American people the most feature complete best mid-size vehicle on the market today. It is the next driver’s sedan.

The MXJ 266 is an AHS steel monocoque shell covered in corrosive resistant panels with independent suspension on the front and back. Inside you’ll find a premium leather interior with heated seats that have fully electronic seat adjustment for the driver seat and three programmable presets for multiple drivers. An industry standard infotainment system with an 7.5 inch touch screen that controls everything from phone connectivity (hands free calling, messaging and more), control of the AM/FM/XM radio with USB connectivity for independent audio devices (Bluetooth connectivity is also linked in so Bluetooth capable devices and phones can be synced wirelessly), climate control and navigation. Power steering, antilock brakes, electronic stability, traction control and even launch control are all standard. Electronic stability and traction control have buttons located by shifter which allow for easy activation/deactivation. (Launch control is installed to allow for even acceleration and reduced wheel spin and is active by default. Deactivating launch control can be done, but see manual for more information)

The vehicle is powered by a 2.6L (2598cc) naturally aspirated direct injected 24V DOHC inline six producing 279 peak horsepower and 253NM of torque. The engine makes use of Luther VITALS II, a variable value lift and all cams variable value timing system allowing for a silky smooth torque curve. The engine is hooked up to a six speed automatic and limited slip differential. Power is transferred to the front wheels via all season medium compound tires with 18 inch Alloy wheels allowing for a superb mix of drivability and a sporty feel. This combination allows for a 0-62mph of 7.5 seconds and a top speed of ~163 MPH. Vented disc brakes at every corner prevent brake fade and bring this 3500lb+ sedan to a stop in 124 feet. Of course it's also able to achieve a combined average of 30 US MPG.

All of this and more await you in the Teshu MXJ 266, which can be yours for $22,995! Visit your local Luther dealer to test drive the Teshu today!

[koolkei]

^ if that rear end what i think it is. then congratulation. that is an impressive job

[AirJordan]

For 22 050 we can provide sublime driveability and safety, with comfort and economy to match. With a flexible V6, properly tuned suspension and DTC gearbox, canyon roads will be a treat. Please make sure you check our personal message for all the details.

[titleguy1]

Entries are closed! Good luck everyone, and results will come later this week.

[DeusExMackia]

Good to hear. Good luck with the write up!

[rcracer11m]

I wasnt able to submit my car because I couldn't come up with a name.

[titleguy1]

Part 1 of 3 - The first day

(Decided to release this in 3 parts: the first day, the second day, and the decision. It's so that I can give you consistent information at a reasonable rate of speed to keep you guys updated. )

Date: March 1st, 2016: 11:30 AM:

First day of dealership-hopping. Oh, what a day I’ll have. My friends had to ferry me around, but it’s only a 10 minute ride to the strip of roads with the dealerships. Coming my way were hours upon hours of boring, bland, gray shapes in places with crappy free coffee and unknowing salespeople. Anyways, I digress, and I’ve got to go make a break for it. Can’t wait, right?

12:00 PM: After getting a lift, I went around to decide what dealership to go to. I could have gone to 20+ different dealers… But specifically, I noticed the Bogliq dealer immediately with their flashy French Blue cars, and decided to approach the dealer.

Upon entrance, I was greeted by a friendly salesman and soon was directed to a new car of theirs, the Ambassador 30X. Sadly, the Ambassador fails to impress much on the styling front. It’s quite boring and it screams “I am a car and nothing more!” everywhere. While it’s not ugly, it doesn’t mean it looks great either. Anyways, I opened the driver’s door. Inside, I was shown an interior full of love and black plastic! While it appeared to be made decently well, it’s quite drab and only has 4 seats. The infotainment system is brand-new but still not very sophisticated. I’d still love a more upscale interior, since it feels cheap and, dare I say, a little out of the class. I asked about the specs and was handed a brochure. Oddly enough, the engine was composed by an advanced alloy of aluminum and silicon 3 Liter V6; an odd engine for a car of this price caliber. 200 HP, while pretty weak for a 3 Liter, was still pretty potent for the class. I’ve also heard from a friend who owns one that they get 31 MPG on average daily. That’s really not too shabby. Even stranger was the RWD platform on which the car was based on; maybe that’s why there’s no 5th seat. I did my research and read that the Bogliq is a very sporty in many car magazines. That said, in IIHS crash tests, I saw that it performed adequately in many tests but not exceptionally; it might hamper my decision to buy it. The Ambassador looks promising, and the price at $23,000 seems decent enough. I’ll go check it out later.

I proceeded to go to the Storm dealership. I’d heard of their Starfire model before, but never have I ever seen one on the road. Walking into the dealership, the main star of the show was a sun-bright yellow Starfire. The color may have given me temporary blindness, but the chrome left a burn on my eyes; there’s just so much of it! Hopefully the interior good redeem the exterior’s garish styling. I opened the door to what I hoped could redeem the exterior. It wasn’t. The inside of the Starfire was so bland that it wouldn’t be all that misplaced in a something much cheaper, like a Fiesta. The infotainment system appears to come from 2003, and overall was not even close to as comfortable as I wanted it to be. At least it was roomy enough to fit an average sized American. Even though the specs assure that this car is a performance knock-out and that it’s one of the fastest cars I’ll see this week, I don’t think I can come back to it after that interior. Sorry Storm, but it’s not my taste. Next up is the Solo dealership!

2:00 PM: Solo makes the Wolf for the midsize sedan category, and when I walked into the Solo dealership the Wolf was sitting there just waiting for me to drive it. First impressions tell me not to; the styling, while modern, was quite bland. Like the Bogliq, the Wolf utilizes a V6 made of composite alloys but produces 203 HP as opposed to 200 HP. Unlike the Ambassador, though, the Solo redlines at an absolutely drab 5700 RPM. However, this should pay off on-road, with an advertised MPG rating of 35.5 combined MPG; very economical not only for a V6 but also for a car with 200+ HP and AWD. That said, I would think much of the fuel economy savings is thanks to the interior and safety. Like the exterior, the interior is simply bland. 5 seats help to bring balance, but safety features are decent at best. Sure, it’s a fairly comfortable interior, but closer inspection revealed slight quality issues not found in the Ambassador. A low price entices me either way, so I’ll revisit Solo later.

Rado for their midsize class offers the O-400, a sedan which should offer some promise. It’s a little expensive, but I don’t know how mine will come out. I walked into the dealer and saw the O-400; I’ve seen it before and my thoughts still stand: it may look modern, but it’s so oddly simple that it’s not a looker. Sporting one of the first “normal” engines of the day, a 2-liter inline-4, the Rado appears to be a pretty standard run-of-the-mill sedan. The interior is quite good; I’m tempted to say it’s nicer than most of the other cars I’ve seen today and performance doesn’t appear to take a hit either. 0-60 is dealt with in a very decent 7.1 seconds and fuel economy is an extremely impressive 36 MPG combined. I really like this car so far, and I congratulate Rado for making such a well-rounded car. Sure, it’s not the cheapest thing on earth, but it doesn’t stretch the budget that much. If I can get around the styling, this could possibly be my number 1 choice. I’ll return the Rado for sure.

Well, it's already 3 PM. While I'd love to go try some other cars out, I'll call it a day to determine which ones I like most. Stay tuned!

[Madrias]

Ah, I guess I burned out the interior after making all those tiny little shoeboxes on a hair-strand budget. Not surprising.

[strop]

Reviews coming out in three parts??? Ok... But remember this is supposed to be a quick turnover contest and you're meant to be moving onto the next stage within 24 hours of the original deadline, so don't hold up too long!

[titleguy1]

Part 2 of 3 - The second day

(part 3 coming out later today)

Date: March 2nd, 2016: 11:30 AM:


Are you ready to go on a journey? I’m not. Let’s go out on another day of venturing into the wilderness.

The Erin dealership was first for today. The car they had to offer was the Berlose, a car that appeared sophisticated yet stylish. And better yet, it also appeared to be cheaper than all the other cars. The car itself, while not exactly bland, isn’t exactly desperately pretty. I see a trend in this class… Cars may be interesting, but it doesn’t at all mean they’re pretty. Regardless, the Berlose looks decent enough for me to retain interest. A look at the interior gets my hopes up and then smashes them with a hammer. I’ve heard all about the Berlose’s IIHS top safety pick+ award which really got me excited; I love myself a fun, safe car. And then I realize how Erin managed to cram all of their features into the car for such a cheap price; the infotainment system is straight out of a 3rd-world country car. Most of the cars I’ve seen had a full navigation and touch screen system. The Berlose has a radio and that’s about all. Thoroughly disappointed, my expression visibly droops. Maybe the performance could redeem the lack of infotainment, right? Of course it could! 0-60 in 6.4 seconds is great! 23 MPG, however, is… Let’s leave it at terrible. Sadly, poor fuel economy and a lack of a decent infotainment system boot the highly capable Erin off the list.

Ah, look what we’ve got here: First Order Automotive. Sounds oddly conspicuous, doesn’t it? Well, I will say that like something else, the car misses the shot. Tiny tires up front and bigger ones at the rear confuse me especially for a FWD car of this price caliber. A lack of traction and stability control turns me off; 22 MPG make me turn away. A 2.5L turbocharged I4 seems promising until you see the fact that it produces not only less power than common N/A 2.4 4-cylinders, but also a 4500 RPM redline. Oh, and it weighs 3700 pounds. Sorry, not going to take up this one.

Now we move onto Revera. Entering the dealer was quite an experience; it must be one of the nicest dealers for companies of this type. Enormously famous for their gorgeous cars, the FS 250e is no exception. With sporty and sophisticated lines and great use of grilles and lights, the FS 250 looks stunning. It even looks dare I say Porsche-like. The interior was similar for better or for worse. Although the infotainment wasn’t as nice as I’d like it, the Revera looks great inside and out nonetheless. Sadly, I am concerned about weight; sure, the Revera may be AWD and have a very nice inline-6, but there was never a time where a car that weighs 3956 pounds was light. With a claimed 0-60 of 6.4 seconds, I’m afraid gas mileage suffers. I very much like the FS 250, though, so I will definitely check it out again.

Oh my lord. The Chinese have begun to build cars for America. Naturally, I am attracted to see what they’ve built for us; Volvo seems to be doing jolly well so I can’t wait to see what this new company Teshu has to show. The Teshu MXJ-266 certainly shows the part of “Chinese car” with symbols and number that I don’t know and don’t care to know. The car looks classy, but in a 2004 VW Passat sort of way. At least it’s not a carbon copy of anything. A semi-trailing arm rear suspension adorns the MXJ, which leads me to believe that Teshu hopefully managed to iron out oversteer, as that is a very large concern with these cars. In classic Chinese style, the interior is quite nice, but like many of the cars the infotainment is lacking something. Strangely, the Teshu also has launch control for the smooth 6-speed automatic; odd. 30 MPG is achieved by this car. This car is a Chinese car you’d actually want to buy; better keep my eye out.

The next dealer I’ll be visiting is Transport. While a very stoic name, their F-Line is a very stylish car in my opinion, but I’ve yet to try one out. I enter the dealer and am lead to an F-Line, the 20F to be specific. Appearance-wise, it looks like the Revera in a suit; constrained yet sophisticated. The interior is very similar to the Revera. Hell, the two cars both have 6 cylinders and AWD with similar interiors and styling. There are multiple differences, however. First off, the 20F has no ESP, something almost mandatory on all cars. Scary. Secondly, 0-60 is a poultry 9.3 seconds, which, let’s face it, is probably too slow for many roads in America. Third, when I asked to look at a baseline model, the salesman simply had a blank stare on his face. The car looks great and is very similar to another beautiful car. But I’m not stretching my budget by $2,000 for a car that’s slower than many of the cars on the road.

I’m feeling smooooooth today. This is totally and obviously not a pun about going to the Smooth dealership. Anyways, the car that Smooth presents to me is the Conti, in V6 trim. With… let’s leave it at interesting styling, the Conti shows a lot of promise when it comes down to performance in everyday conditions. One of the few cars here with an advanced safety system, the Conti is really quite safe. Packing an all-cast engine seems like a cost-cutting move, and the engine itself only produces 163 HP from its 2.3 Liter Naturally Aspirated V6. However, some redemption is shown with the addition of a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission routing power to the front wheels. 0-60 is done in 8.8 seconds, which by no means is fast, but it’s decent enough. What I find most intriguing is the fuel economy; with nearly 38 MPG, the Conti is one of the most if not the most economical car here. It may even be one of the most economical non-hybrids of the class. Smooth is definitely going to get another look, and the fact that it’s cheaper than all of the cars here is going to stick.

Alright, easy part done. Next, I've got to choose a car... Lord help us.

[koolkei]

waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait

where's MY car?

this guy


in fact, there seems to be a couple of other cars not in the review???

[titleguy1]

I forgot to mention this, sorry.

People who didn't make this cut (in which there are few)

- Wheelbase must be ≥ 105 inches.

If you don't know, that sign means greater than or equal to.

[CadillacDave]

I forgot to mention this, sorry.

People who didn't make this cut (in which there are few)

- Wheelbase must be ≥ 105 inches.

If you don't know, that sign means greater than or equal to.

So i'm guessing that my car is less lan 105inches, I thought it meant less than or equal shows why I failed maths

[ryutachi]

I was sure my car met the wheelbase rquirements.