Picture Gallery: 2010 Testfest Gallery | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Discuss
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Before today I had squared away six categories, ensuring at worst case I would need to drive six cars on Friday. Today I finished off two more categories: SUVs under $35,000 and Luxury Cars over $50,000. This means, worst case, I have to drive four cars on Friday. This is where the gambling comes in — for the rest of the day I attempted to drive vehicles that I thought had a chance of winning their categories. I did not get to all the categories, and as it sits, my best case scenario on Friday is that I only have to drive two cars.
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What did I drive today? As mentioned I started off with SUV’s under $35,000, which consists of Subaru Outback, Toyota Venza and Chevrolet Equinox. A small category, so I decided to not gamble and just drive them all. They were all close; I give the nudge to the Venza but I really enjoyed the Equinox and would not be surprised at all if it came out victorious.
Next, I decided to complete the Luxury Cars over $50,000, which includes the BMW 335d sedan, the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan. To be honest I actually did not drive the Mercedes based on comments that made the BMW sound like the sure winner, but I drove the CTS as I feel it is also a strong competitor. As much as the Mercedes-Benz is a great car and don’t want to say “I hope it loses,” I just did not have time to drive it, so I’m betting against it.
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Another large category with some tough competition is SUV/CUVs between $35k and $60k. With seven vehicles, I took a stab and drove the Audi Q5, the Mercedes-Benz GLK350 and the Acura ZDX. Everyone seemed to enjoy the ZDX’s driving dynamics, including myself, but interior space is limited and in this category that is a major factor. The Audi Q5 seems to hit all the right buttons, so I’m betting on it as the winner. I drove the Benz as I feel it is the most stylish and it also presents great value in the segment and I actually liked it the most.
Another tough category to choose a winner from is the Best New Family Car (under $30,000) category. This one features the Ford Fusion, the Subaru Legacy Sedan, the Toyota Prius and the Golf Wagon in TDI form. At the end of the day, I had a good feeling the Golf was going to take the category so I grabbed the keys; another journalist convinced me that despite everyone’s love for the Golf, he thinks the Prius will win, so I ended my day in the Prius, “just in case.”
Tomorrow, the winners are announced at 10am EST. Look for the news story on CanadanDriver around that time — hint hint.
to our site.
November 02, 2009, 05:17:29 pm
There is no joy either when kicking someone's car door. Unlike a certain other manufacturer where you can gain access to a locked car and steal them blind, all you get with a VW is a sore foot. I guess its safe to assume Mazda got that little problem fixed?
People don't target VWs for theft. They're too worried about getting stranded with electrical issues...
November 02, 2009, 05:42:00 pm
There is no joy either when kicking someone's car door. Unlike a certain other manufacturer where you can gain access to a locked car and steal them blind, all you get with a VW is a sore foot. I guess its safe to assume Mazda got that little problem fixed?
People don't target VWs for theft. They're too worried about getting stranded with electrical issues...
Ha ha, touche!
November 02, 2009, 05:43:40 pm My posting was not meant to be a jab at VW, just mt perception. If I wanted to be nasty I would have mentioned premature failing of Clutch cables.
Railton
November 03, 2009, 09:55:38 am I'm liking the Audi S4 more and more each time I see one.
At first, I dismissed it because of the lack of the V8...that sounded soooo good. Now, I see it won its category and I also see that Car and Driver picked it over the RWD 335i...pretty impressive.
Hey...I can also get one in Red with a Red tone interior...cool. $60,000...ouch...well...maybe not.
November 03, 2009, 10:14:00 am
Railton
An RX-8 owner talking smack about reliability?- only on the internet lol.
FYI The Rabbit is one of the most relialbe small cars according to Consumer Reports. The Mazda3 isn't even in the top ten.
November 03, 2009, 10:35:51 am Points should be deducted for any vehicle that does not connect the driver's dashboard instrument lighting to the rear lights. I'm tired of following Toyota/Hondas in stealth mode during the long winter evenings on the 401.
I'm surprised the Elantra Touring did not out-score the Mazda 3. Having test driven the former, I thought it represented an amazing value proposition.
November 03, 2009, 09:04:54 pm
There are ghost cars all over these highways!
November 03, 2009, 10:54:01 pm
There are ghost cars all over these highways!
Minivans usually...
November 04, 2009, 08:19:26 pm How hard is it, to turn on the lights?. It took me O' about a minute b/c if don't on MK8 Civic the dash is much brighter at night. On the Van I got out and checked. Simple pimple easy peesy.
November 04, 2009, 10:06:37 pm
My Corolla is much more obvious lights on versus off.... and it has a auto on/off system so I rarely even have to do anything.
November 05, 2009, 09:41:57 pm Did you know that the BMW Z4 was disqualified from the test?
From today's Toronto Star section on test fest:
Although the BMW roadster is available with an optional, much more expensive seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox from the M3 sports sedan, the Z4s BMW Canada entered in this year's competition were disqualified for showing up with six-speed manual transmissions while the other convertibles arrived with slushboxes. - John Leblanc
WTF? This whole thing is more messed up than I thought...I call BS on the whole thing.
BTW: Our man picked this up and described it as a rumour on his Blog of TestFest Day 2.
November 05, 2009, 09:53:45 pm
From today's Toronto Star section on test fest:
Although the BMW roadster is available with an optional, much more expensive seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox from the M3 sports sedan, the Z4s BMW Canada entered in this year's competition were disqualified for showing up with six-speed manual transmissions while the other convertibles arrived with slushboxes. - John Leblanc
WTF? This whole thing is more messed up than I thought...I call BS on the whole thing.
BTW: Our man picked this up and described it as a rumour on his Blog of TestFest Day 2.
So Wing, any special arrangements provided by Audi in Niagara? Afterall, it is the sincity of Canada...
November 05, 2009, 09:56:20 pm
From today's Toronto Star section on test fest:
Although the BMW roadster is available with an optional, much more expensive seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox from the M3 sports sedan, the Z4s BMW Canada entered in this year's competition were disqualified for showing up with six-speed manual transmissions while the other convertibles arrived with slushboxes. - John Leblanc
WTF? This whole thing is more messed up than I thought...I call BS on the whole thing.
BTW: Our man picked this up and described it as a rumour on his Blog of TestFest Day 2.
That is totally wrong. No Z4 in Canada today has the M3s DCT; in fact, at present, no other BMW has it. The new M5 will get this DCT type transmission but that's a year or two away. Where do some of these journalists get their info??
EDIT - I was wrong above, apparently you can get the 7 spd DCT in the 2010 Z4 35S roadster as a $1950 option.
November 05, 2009, 10:20:41 pm At the time it was a rumour when I wrote it, I have no inside news. Yes BMW was disqualified for sending a manual.
Apparently the rules state only manual transmission cars are allowed to enter in the sports performance categories and the prestige. I don't agree with the rule either, a lot of journalists were perplexed as well.
November 05, 2009, 10:24:04 pm Oh and ovr50, I believe John got his info from BMW's website where they clearly list a 7-speed dual clutch transmission as a $1950 option.
The A5 is a DSG I believe though not a slushbox either...
November 05, 2009, 11:04:54 pm Well, that is news to me (obviously). It does say that for the 2010 Z4 35S model. I did not know until now that BMW was using that transmission in any other BMW than the M3, plus coming in the M5. I was wrong.
November 06, 2009, 06:40:50 am
Does this mean another trip to the dealer to try some new
Be careful, have the wife carry the check book
November 06, 2009, 07:12:24 am I wonder what the folks at BMW were thinking? They have the rules and know what is eligible and yet they show up with the manuals.
Were they hoping to have the rules bent to accomodate or was it merely a case of the only product that was available were manuals? We will never know.
November 06, 2009, 09:12:42 am Yeah, Inco, heaven forbid a company promoting / presenting a legitimate sports car -- a proper roadster no less, would provide it with a manual transmission! Oh the horrors!
What a shame.
November 06, 2009, 09:37:20 am I think there's a UK variation of the Testfest or some equivalent which disqualifies automatics. Each to their own....
November 06, 2009, 09:54:43 am I think the Z4 would have won best convertible.
November 06, 2009, 12:35:05 pm
Just saw this post now. Mazda3 is the same as the previous model? Which part is the same? Everything from the body, to the glass, to the interior, to the wheels to drivetrain is new! What more do you want for it to be new?!
***
As for James' contention that the Z4 would've likely won the convertible category if it had been allowed, I'd like to believe that would've been the case too, though I would've thought the 370Z would've made a stronger competitor than the A5.
November 07, 2009, 11:04:59 am
What a shame.
Well now that cellphones are banned you have to wonder what's next. It may not be a problem for BMW and anyone else if distractions are applied to what we can drive. You just knew this was coming.....
http://www.wheels.ca/article/782846
November 07, 2009, 12:38:52 pm
Apparently the rules state only manual transmission cars are allowed to enter in the sports performance categories and the prestige. I don't agree with the rule either, a lot of journalists were perplexed as well.
IMHO rules like this make a mockery of the entire test.
November 07, 2009, 10:40:06 pm ..wot happens in Niagra Falls .....stays in Niagra Falls..................