Thumbs Up: A domestic sedan that beats the imports in style & quality

Thumbs Down: Engine lacks low end and top end power

Buy This Car If: You want a sound value in a domestic, compact sedan

It’s no secret that both Mike and I are fans of the 2011 Chevy Cruze. In my detailed review, I called it “the first entry-level sedan from Chevrolet that’s ready, willing and (more than) able to beat the Japanese at their own game.” We named the Cruze to our “Top 20 Cars of 2010” list, and Mike called it “an American small car that just rewrote the rules on what an American small car should be.” It goes without saying that we’d both recommend it to buyers, and based on the latest sales result the public agrees with our reviews.

In May, the Chevy Cruze outsold the Ford Focus, the Hyundai Elantra, the Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla and the VW Jetta. If you’d prefer to look at April numbers, which really weren’t affected by the twin disasters in Japan, the Cruze still outsold the Hyundai Elantra, the Toyota Corolla, the Ford Focus and VW Jetta, losing only to the Honda Civic. That’s an impressive performance against cars that have led segment sales for a long, long time.

What’s the secret to the Cruze’s success? It’s a compact economy car that somehow never manages to feel small or inexpensive. Take the exterior styling, for example: I’d raise the argument that the Cruze is the first entry-level Chevy in years with character and presence. The lines may be conservative, but they’re far from bland and appeal to a broad demographic. Better yet, the car’s styling isn’t “trendy”, which means it will look good parked in your driveway next month, next year, or even a decade from now.

Inside, it’s easy to see that Chevy put a significant amount of thought into the interior. The front seats are superb, offering just the right blend of comfort and support. The leather seems to be fairly stout, and the contrasting stitching is a nice touch that adds to the upscale feel of the car. Front seats are heated, but that’s something we’ve come to expect from even entry-level cars these days.

Rear seats are good but don’t offer much bottom cushion support support. The Cruze’s sloping roofline means that taller passengers (much above six feet) won’t like the Cruze’s back seat accommodations. For cross-town trips, the rear seat is fine, but longer trips with four friends (especially big friends) will require regular rotation of the shotgun seat.

Chevrolet did a great job of styling the Cruze’s dash without spending a lot of money. Mesh fabric is used to provide a contrasting texture on the dash face, and it works well to add detail. There’s just enough contrast between material, color and shapes to keep the interior interesting, and it’s surprising how much better the Cruze’s interior is compared to more expensive automobiles (like the Chevy Camaro, Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger, for example).

The Cruze’s 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder yields 136 horsepower and 123 ft lb of torque. That’s best described as “adequate”, but it isn’t enough to capture the attention of driving enthusiasts. The Cruze may stack up well against the base Honda Civic, but there’s no Cruze variant to compete with Honda’s Civic Si. Higher trim models of the Cruze don’t even have an available six-speed manual transmission, and that’s a shame. With a little bit of effort, Chevy could easily broaden the appeal of the Cruze to the enthusiast market.

While the 1.4-liter engine may not be exciting, it is reasonably frugal. The EPA rates the Cruze at 24 mpg city and 36 mpg highway, and I saw an actual 26.6 mpg in city-centric driving.

On the road, the Cruze continues to impress. The LTZ comes with a “sport tuned” suspension, but don’t get the idea that this is a sport sedan. Instead, it’s a confidence-inspiring compact sedan that provides a reasonably entertaining ride when the roads get twisty. Steering is nicely weighted and there’s good communication from the front tires. Turn in is reasonably quick and there’s not much body roll as long as you don’t push too hard. Brakes aren’t up for extended track duty, but they are more than sufficient for street driving. In short, the Cruze won’t disappoint behind the wheel, unless your expectations are particularly lofty.

My LTZ trim level tester carried a sticker price of $22,975, including a destination charge of $750. That isn’t a lot of money for the content the car provides, and the Cruze stacks up well against the competition. A similarly equipped Honda Civic EX-L would list for $22,705, a comparable Toyota Corolla LE would sticker at $20,964 (but doesn’t offer a leather interior) and the new Hyundai Elantra Limited would price at $21,205. That may make the Cruze LTZ seem expensive compared to the competition, but it offers up content (like OnStar) that rivals can’t match. If you’re in the market for a compact sedan, the Cruze is certainly worthy of a test drive.

The 2011 Kia Sportage SX Turbo. Image: Kia Motors

Kia Motors, like their parent company Hyundai, seems to be doing everything right these days. Take their Optima sedan for example, which has gone from a boring, disposable econobox to an object of desire (especially when fitted with their 274 horsepower turbo motor) with edgy, contemporary styling. It looks like their engineers and designers have been let loose on the Sportage as well, since Kia is now rolling out a completely new Sportage compact crossover for 2011. Why should you care? Because they’re building an SX Turbo variant with the same 2.0 liter turbo motor, and it’s available in either front wheel drive or all wheel drive. If you want a fun ride, but need a compact crossover to accommodate your family or just your stuff, you’ve now got another legitimate contender to add to your shopping list.

If there’s bad news, it’s that the Theta II 2.0 liter turbo motor loses a little horsepower and torque in the move to the Sportage SX Turbo. Compared to the Optima’s 274 horsepower and 269 foot pounds of torque, the Sportage gets 256 horsepower and 264 foot pounds of torque, which is still better than any competitor I can think of in the price range. Even the Subaru Forester XT’s turbo motor only puts out 224 horsepower and 226 foot pounds of torque, and the Subie is over 250 pounds heavier than the Sportage.

It’s taken Kia some time to create an image for themselves, but they seem to be the brand most focused on affordable performance. Look at it this way: if Hyundai is GM, Kia is what Pontiac was meant to be. Let’s just hope that the Korean automaker gets better support from their parent than Pontiac did.

Source: Kia Motors

The 2011 Honda CR-Z EX

Brussel sprouts. Small, yappy dogs that couldn’t hold their own against a squirrel. The Dallas Cowboys. Hybrid cars. I have no issues if you like any of the above, but they’re simply not for me. I’ve never eaten a brussel sprout that didn’t make me gag, I’ve never met a small dog that I’ve liked, I can’t stand the Cowboys and I’ve never driven a hybrid that was tolerable, let alone enjoyable.

Until now, that is. If you think you hate hybrids, go test drive a CR-Z when they hit dealer showrooms at the end of this month. If you’re like me, I think you’ll be more than a little bit surprised, especially if you drive the six speed manual CR-Z.

Yes, that is a manual gearbox in a hybrid. Photo: American Honda

That’s right, I did say six speed manual. Sure, you can get the CR-Z with a shiftable CVT, but you can also get it with a superb six speed manual transmission. If you punch the “Sport” mode button on the left of the dash and run the CR-Z up through the gears, you’d probably never know you’re driving a hybrid. Is it fast? No, not by today’s standards, with a zero to sixty time of 8.7 seconds. Still, it’s a very engaging ride, and it certainly isn’t slow. As a driver, you feel connected to the car, much like the original Honda CRX, and even the exhaust note of the CR-Z is satisfying. The clutch, the steering and even the brakes give you a very good amount of feedback, and you get the sense that Honda may be onto something here. Maybe there can be such a thing as a hybrid for those of us who like to drive.

The CR-Z mode selector. Photo: American Honda

If you select the “Econ” mode, on the other hand, the CR-Z feels rather emasculated. The A/C compressor runs intermittently to save power, not a good thing on a summer afternoon in Miami. A shift arrow feature prompts you to change gears at 1,500 RPM or so, which robs the car of anything resembling reasonable acceleration. Steering feel changes, and the overall steering effort is reduced; in fact, it’s like you’ve pressed a button that turns the CR-Z into a Honda Insight.

In between these two extremes is the “Normal” mode, which is the default setting when the car is started. In the Normal mode, you feel a slight reduction of steering effort and a more linear delivery of power than in Sport mode. Air conditioning functions normally, and the car feels almost like the old base model CRX, at least from what I remember.

The best way to think of the various modes is like this: Sport mode is what I’d use 90% of the time, because it really does make the CR-Z a fun car to drive. Normal mode is what I’d use on the highway, especially if I had a long commute to contend with each day. Eco mode would be reserved for those times when I was just too lazy to stop for gas on the way home and wanted to squeeze the highest mileage from a tank. The fact that one car can give you three distinct personalities is pretty cool by itself.

Outside, the CR-Z looks like a modern rendition of the CRX, and Honda gets two thumbs up from me for keeping the production car as close to the original design sketches as possible. Even the vertical glass tailgate “window”, a trademark of the original CRX, is back and gives an enhanced look to the rear of the car while helping rear visibility. The wide track and low profile give the CR-Z an aggressive appearance that says. “this is no ordinary hybrid”.

Instruments are bright, easy to read. Photo: American Honda

Inside, the cloth seats are comfortable and controls fall easily to hand. The steering wheel in the CR-Z EX models is leather wrapped and well shaped for spirited driving. The instrument cluster has an electroluminescent center tach with a central digital speed display. On the left, the tach is flanked by the battery charge indicator and the battery discharge meter; on the right, the driver sees the fuel gauge and the multi information display.

Cloth seats are comfortable and supportive.

Bins behind the seats hold small items and offer covered storage if the rear partition is folded flat. With the partition folded, rear space is surprisingly large, which adds to the CR-Zs functionality. An included cargo cover can be used to keep larger items (backpacks, computer bags, etc) out of sight.

The CR-Z offers surprising cargo space. Photo: American Honda

The CR-Z is powered by a 1.5 liter four cylinder motor and a 10 kW electric motor. Combined, they give the CR-Z 122 horsepower and 128 foot pounds of torque. That may not sound like a lot, but consider this: peak torque is available at 0 RPM, so the CR-Z pulls surprisingly well from low RPMs in Sport mode. If you want to compare it to the original CRX, power-to-weight is the best way to do so:

• 2011 Honda CR-Z has 21.6 pounds per horsepower
• 1991 Honda CRX Si had 20.1 pounds per horsepower
• 1985 Honda CRX Si had 20.8 pounds per horsepower

As the numbers show, a stock 2011 CR-Z is comparable to an early CRX Si. If you still think the CR-Z isn’t fast enough, just wait until this year’s SEMA trade show; rumor has it that the CR-Z will be the most popular tuner car in this year’s show.

So here’s the key question: would I buy one? The answer, surprisingly, is “yes, if my circumstances required it”. I used to commute 110 miles per day in New York traffic, and the CR-Z would be just about ideal for a drive like this. The cockpit is a pleasant enough place to grind out the miles, and the driving experience is entertaining enough that I wouldn’t mind taking the long way home on occasion. Factor in the fully loaded EX Nav sticker price of just $23,200, and the CR-Z really does look like a great bargain in a sporty commuter car. Don’t get me wrong; the CR-Z isn’t a sports car and I don’t think it would be very satisfying for track day use, but there are plenty of inexpensive used cars to fill that niche. If you like to drive and you’re in the market for a hybrid, the CR-Z should go to the top of your “must drive” list.

Hats off to Two Seats Or Less for finding this immaculate E28 BMW M5 for sale in southern California. It’s a no reserve eBay auction, and bidding is currently less than $13k. The current owner looks to be fanatical about maintenance, and he’s disclosed a little bit of rust at the wheel wells and rear bumper. As with anything on the internet, buyer beware; still, if this car is as good as it looks, someone may be getting the buy of a lifetime on a car that will still look good 20 years from now.

Just in case you needed more convincing, the E28 M5 made 252 horsepower from its inline six motor, good enough for a zero to sixty time of six and a half seconds on the way to a top speed of 148 miles per hour. All U.S. spec E28 M5s were sold as 1988 model year cars, even though production ran from 1986 through November of 1987 and all U.S. versions were black with a tan interior. Only 2,191 E28 M5s were built, making it one of the rarest cars ever produced by BMW Motorsport.

If you’re interested, you’ll find the car on eBay here. The auction ends on Sunday night, so you still have a little time to get your financing arranged.

Sorry, you can't buy a Tata Nano here yet...

Just the other day we gave you some tips on buying a $1,000 beater car from Craigslist. Let’s say your financial circumstances are a little better, and you actually want to buy something new, with a warranty. Fun really isn’t in your price range; instead, you’re looking for practical and affordable. I’ve got good news for you, Mr. Bargain Hunter: you can still buy a new car for under $15,000, and in some cases quite a bit under $15k. If you’ve got good credit and put some money down, you can be rolling in low budget style for less than the cost of breakfast and lunch out every day.

There’s some variety on the list as well, since it includes sedans, hatchbacks and even a coupe or two. You’re not buying luxury here, so you’d better be able to drive a manual transmission and, in some cases, go without air conditioning. The prices I’m showing are the sticker price for the cheapest version of the model, including destination charge. Ranked in order of cheapest to most expensive, the award-winners are:

1. 2010 Hyundai Accent Blue Coupe, $10,690.00

2010 Hyundai Accent

For about the same money as a liter class sportbike, the Hyundai Accent Blue Coupe is as cheap as you can get four wheels, a motor and some doors in the United States. You won’t get A/C at this price, and you’ll be shifting your own gears, but it sure beats waiting for the bus in the snow or the rain.

2. 2010 Nissan Versa 1.6 Base Sedan, $10,730.00

If you need four doors and a trunk, this is as cheap as you’re going to get them in the United States. Like the Hyundai Accent Blue, the Nissan Versa doesn’t come with A/C, so you may need to keep looking up the list if you live south of the Mason-Dixon line.

3. 2010 Kia Rio Base Sedan, $12,390.00

We’re still in “no A/C” land, but the Kia and the Hyundai both come with 10 year, 100,000 mile warranties. You may be sweating in the summertime for a lot of years, but at least your powertrain is still covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. Ironically, Kias are hot commodity on the used car market, so clean used examples hold their value better than you’d think.

4. 2010 Chevy Aveo LS Sedan, $12,685.00

There are two Chevy Aveos on this list, and the cheapest comes in the form of the LS sedan. You’re still not getting A/C at this price, but you can order an Aveo LS with A/C ductwork and dealer installed air conditioning. I’m guessing, but it would probably cost you about another $1,500 to have A/C installed, which may be cheap enough if you want a bowtie logo and year-round comfort.

5. 2010 Chevy Aveo5 LS Hatchback, $12,835

You can also get a Chevy Aveo in five door hatchback flavor if you’re willing to spend an extra $150. Like the sedan, the five door hatch can be ordered with A/C ductwork, and your dealer can add the rest for a nominal fee.

6. 2010 Toyota Yaris 3 Door Hatchback, $13,365.00

If you’re a fan of Toyota, the cheapest one on the list is the three door hatchback Yaris. The good news is that the Yaris is the first car on the list that comes with A/C as a standard feature. If you live where summer starts in May and ends in October (like Florida, for example), this is probably where you want to start your new car shopping.

7. 2010 Toyota Yaris 5 Door Hatchback, $13,665.00

If you need two more doors, the Toyota Yaris comes in five door hatchback flavor for just $300 more. The additional two doors almost make the larger Yaris look like a real car instead of a Mini that shrank in the wash. As with the three door, the five door includes A/C as a standard feature.

8. 2010 Kia Soul Base, $13,995.00

I’ll admit it: I like the Kia Soul and it’s cross brand competitor the Nissan Cube (which would have made the list if I dragged it out to 15 cars). It’s as close as you’re going to come to “fun to drive” in this price range, and it’s probably the most practical vehicle on the list so far. Like the Toyota Yaris models, even the base Kia Soul has A/C. If I were shopping in this price point, this is probably where I’d begin my search.

9. 2011 Ford Fiesta S, $13,995.00

If I were handing out the award for best value on the list, it would go the the new Ford Fiesta S (which is the only 2011 model on the list). Ford has packed a lot of content into the Fiesta, including power mirrors, capless fuel filler, aux in / USB jacks and A/C, yet has managed to keep the price reasonable for the entry level model. I was pleasantly surprised at the handling of the Ford Fiesta, and can easily say that it’s the sportiest ride on the list. If you enjoy getting your freak on with a twisty road, this is where you should begin shopping.

10. 2010 Suzuki SX-4 Base Sedan, $14,094.00

The Suzuki SX-4 is one of the better looking cars on the list, but no air conditioning would be a deal breaker for me at this price. If that’s not important to you, shop on, since the Suzuki is nearly as entertaining to drive as the Fiesta.

One more word of caution: it isn’t easy to find base models on dealer lots, since they take up as much room as loaded models, have less margin and can be hard to move. If you have to special order one, expect to pay full sticker price instead of haggling over invoice plus $500. On the other hand, sometimes a dealer can be very motivated to sell a year old entry level car, even if it’s in a higher trim level. It may take some time (and travel) to find exactly what your looking for, but I’ve always thought that the hunt is half the fun.

Times are tough, and it doesn’t look like there’s going to be any major economic recovery in the near future. A lot of people, myself included, have cut way back on spending just to make ends meet. Still, you can only cut back so far: ours is a culture based around the automobile, and you need a reliable set of wheels to get to and from work, the grocery store, your therapist, etc.

I paid $700 for my first car, but that was over 25 years ago. Is it still possible, I wondered, to score a car for under $1,000 if you shopped carefully on Craigslist? Searching the listings for Jacksonville, FL, I can safely say the answer is yes, as long as you’re not particularly concerned with what you’ll be driving. If you want to get from point A to point B for under $1,000, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Look at private party sales only, and avoid dealers. Car dealers can’t make profit on cars that sell for less than $1,000, and anything you see advertised at a dealership is likely to be “money down”, not the purchase price of the vehicle. For example, a local dealer has a 1999 Chevy Tahoe listed for $1,000; sure, it’s got over 217,000 miles on the clock, but that still sounds like a good deal. Click on the listing, and you realize that they want $1,000 down on the purchase price of $4,295. Good luck with that.

'Trust me, I'm in sales.' Not.

• Avoid anything with a story. If the car “ran great when parked”, chances are it doesn’t run at all now. If it “needs a little work”, expect it to need a lot of work. If the owner specifies “needs $2,500 worth of work”, expect it to need double that. At this price point, you’re buying temporary transportation only. If it doesn’t run today, chances are it won’t be a cheap or easy fix. If it was, the current owner would have fixed it himself.

'Needs some work, but ran great when parked'

• Don’t worry about appearance. In this price range, all you care about is “does it run”, “does it have brakes” and “does the owner have a title”. Expect any $1,000 car to have rust, Bondo, body damage, a shredded interior, mismatched body panels, a rattle-can paint job or all of the above. In fact, you should embrace this; consider dents and scratches as battle scars, and sleep well knowing your car isn’t likely to get broken into or stolen.

'Custom, two toned paint scheme'

• Look for cars that have license plates in pictures. No plates tell me the car isn’t currently driven, and you have no way of knowing how long the car has been parked. You could take the word of the seller, but chances are he’ll be less than entirely truthful. He’s trying to get this heap out of his front yard, and his choices are pay to have it towed away or sell it to some other victim for as much money as possible. Which would you choose?

A license plate is a good sign; a current plate is even better.

• Expect the car to need some work. At this price point, you will be buying a car that’s been neglected, probably for years. The oil may look like axle grease, the tires will probably be bald and the brakes are likely to be shot. Be realistic about your own mechanical skills, and don’t buy a project that’s over your head. If you’ve never rebuilt a motor before, learning on a Saab 900 Turbo that you snapped up for $800 will only lead to heartbreak. On the other hand, if that $700 Dodge Caravan only needs brakes and tires, you’ll probably be home free for under $1,000 if you can turn a wrench.

Needs a little too much work...

• If you don’t know cars, bring along someone who does. If you don’t know what ‘rod knock’ is, you need to bring a friend who does. Likewise, it’s helpful to know if that valve tap is simply a hydraulic lifter that’s clogged or the sign of something far more insidious. You’re not going for perfect here, you’re going for serviceable, and you want the car to last you long enough to get back on your feet. If it dies on your drive home, it’s not like you have a warranty to fall back on.

Also needs too much work...

• Don’t worry about the interior. At less than $1,000, it’s likely to be hideous and will probably smell worse than the inside of a five-year-old-sneaker. If the driver’s seat has collapsed or if the carpet has mushrooms growing on it, you can always find replacements at a wrecking yard. Otherwise, cheap seat covers, a thorough cleaning and an air freshener should be good enough to make the interior bearable.

New floor mats, seat covers and an air freshener and you're good to go.

• Learn to compromise. Sure, A/C is nice (especially in FL), but don’t expect a $1,000 car to have working A/C. More important are working lights and working wipers, since a car you can’t drive in the rain doesn’t make a lot of sense. Likewise, don’t worry if the radio doesn’t work – you can always buy a cheap car stereo at a pawn shop if you can’t live without tunes.

You can always add A/C later.

• Avoid the exotic. Sure, a Mercedes Benz 300 diesel can be made to run nearly forever, but when something does break you probably won’t have the money to fix it. As cool as driving an old Mercedes diesel would be, you’re better off sticking to something from the U.S. big three, preferably something heavy duty with a long production cycle. The RWD Chevy Impalas or Ford Crown Victorias are great examples, and you can generally find older Chevy Blazers, Ford Broncos or Jeep Cherokees in this price range if you look hard enough.

Here's what a $1,000 Dodge Viper looks like.

• No picture = no call. Sure, it could be that the seller doesn’t have a digital camera, but damn near everyone has a camera phone these days. If there isn’t a picture with the ad, be suspicious and move on to the next ad.

• If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Craigslist is filled with scam artists who make a living separating trusting shoppers (or sellers) from their money as quickly and efficiently as possible. No one is going to sell a car below value unless it’s to a family member or close friend. If you find a pristine Porsche 944 on Craigslist for $800, be afraid; like honest politicians, deals like that don’t exist in real life.

'Ford GT for sale, $1,000. Need money for college tuition'.

I was able to find about five or six cars I’d call on if I were in the market for a beater car. I’m not right now, and I hope that I won’t be any time in the near future. If you are, good luck with your search and feel free to hit me up if you need any specific advice.

Hey, those exhausts aren't stock! Photo: Hemmings Motor News

At first glance, this looks like just another recently restored MG BGT, wearing mid-70s U.S. spec rubber bumpers and a set of Minilite wheels. The car seems to be lowered a bit, and it’s not until you take in the rear 3/4 view that your mind starts screaming, “Danger, Will Robinson. Danger!” Are those dual exhausts poking out from under the GT’s rear bumper? Why would anyone in their right mind do a dual exhaust conversion on a car that left the factory with a smog-equipment-choked, 1.8 liter inline four that made about 94 horsepower in U.S trim? And that’s when it hits you: there’s more to this car than meets the eye.

A V8 in an MGB GT? Yes, please. Photo: Hemmings Motor News

Pop the hood, and you realize that the 1.8 liter four cylinder has been chucked to the curb, in favor of a 266 cubic inch V8. The seller doesn’t make any horsepower claims, since the car is offered as part of an estate sale and intimate details are lacking. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that horsepower is “more than enough to provide hours of entertainment turning tires into smoke”. The V8 conversion, and indeed the restoration of the car itself, appears to be reasonably fresh, top shelf work. That makes the asking price of $21,995 seem rather reasonable for this Hemmings listing, assuming the car drives as good as it looks.

Looks innocent from this angle. Photo: Hemmings Motor News

Interior looks relatively unmolested. Photo: Hemmings Motor News

The previous owner probably got the conversion idea from MG, who built a UK-only MG BGT with a 3.5 liter Rover V8 from 1973 to 1976. The aluminum block V8 motor actually weighed some 40 pounds less than the GT’s cast iron four, making the car less nose heavy with the bigger motor than with the original inline four. I suspect that’s the case with this GT as well, and I sure would like to take it for an extended test drive.

The Smyth Performance G3F

When it comes to kit cars, very few of them make me sit up and take notice. Most take a humble commuter car (like the original VW Beetle or Mustang II) and turn it into some ugly, undriveable. fiberglass cocoon that lacks any kind of proper ventilation, handling or driving amusement. Beck Engineering is one exception to this rule, as is Factory Five Racing. When companies like this build a kit car, they take the time to do it right, and the finished product is a legitimate sports car.

I was pleasantly surprised when Autoblog reported that Mark Smith, founder of Factory Five Racing, had left to start a new company. The focus of his new business, called Smyth Performance, is building a kit to transform VW TDI Jettas and TDI Golfs into the rear-engined G3F sports coupe. If you’ve never driven one, the TDI is a great motor in a decent chassis. I wouldn’t call either the Golf TDI or the Jetta TDI sports cars, but they are entertaining to drive, great on gas and will run damn near forever if properly cared for. If you shave 800 pounds of weight off a Jetta and move the TDI motor to the rear, you could create something that’s both very entertaining to drive and very fuel efficient.

Smith has some ambitious goals, especially since the prototype G3F concept isn’t even completed yet and the company’s website won’t be online until sometime this fall. His plans call for the kit to sell for around $10k, and the car to take the average shade tree mechanic about 100 hours to complete. I’m running though a checklist of modifications in my head, and keep thinking about the serious engineering challenges that Smith faces, not the least of which are re-route the wiring harness, fuel lines, brake lines, HVAC ducts, coolant lines, etc. Challenges aside, I love the concept of an eco-friendly, do-it-yourself sports car, especially one with a reasonable price tag.

I’ll be tracking this story closely and will give you updates as they become available. I wish Smith the best of luck with his new venture, and I can’t wait to read the road test reports on the prototype. I’d even make the trek north if Smyth Performance is willing to toss me the keys for a full evaluation.

Now these are comparisons that I like to see. The BMW 3-Series has been the sports sedan poster child for the last twenty years. It has won just about every major comparison test it’s been in and at the end of the day, is the car that the other manufacturers are left chasing. We’ve got a 2008 335xi in the family and I have to say that aside from being a bit small, it’s one hell of an automobile. Edmunds’ Inside Line just posted a wonderful video comparing three BMW’s against each others and the results that they came up with may in fact surprise you. They took a 2002 BMW M3, a 2008 135i and a 2008 335i and pitted them against each other in a full barrage of tests to determine who the winner was. Obviously the two 2008 models are newer, but can they still best the older, outdated M3 of the past… click play and find out.

Aprilia Shiver 750, shown with optional equipment

Introduced to the U.S. for the 2008 model year, the Aprilia Shiver may be the best naked v -twin bike with sporting intentions that you’ve never heard of. Equipped with an Aprilia designed, liquid cooled 750cc motor that puts out a claimed 94 horsepower, the bike also uses a throttle-by-wire system with three ECU map settings: Sport, Touring and Rain. Sport should be called “Hoon”, because it makes power delivery like flipping a light switch; crack the throttle even slightly, and the bike pushes you back in the seat as the front wheel tries to defy gravity. Touring is perhaps the best all-around mode, as it makes power delivery more linear. If you commute in stop and go traffic, this is how you’ll want to run the bike. Rain mode, which I didn’t test, reduces horsepower by about 22% and torque by about 26%. This would make a big difference in slick conditions, especially for new or returning riders.

The Shiver feels narrow, and the ergonomics are a bit strange when you’re used to a big sport-tourer. The seat height is listed at 32”, but I couldn’t flat foot the bike and I’ve got a 32” inseam. The riding position is very comfortable for your legs and knees, which maintain about a ninety degree bend. The reach to the handlebars is a little long, and I would have liked a bit more rise than the stock bar. No worries, since this is easily corrected by adding a riser or a replacement set of bars. The oddest thing (to me, at least) was the bike’s short wheelbase. At just under 57”, it’s probably about 10” shorter than my BMW K1200RS. From the rider’s perspective, the bike just stops at the instrument cluster; this isn’t bad, it just takes getting used to if you’re coming from a different style of motorcycle.

On the road, all sins are forgiven. The bike pulls hard from about 3,200 RPM but runs out of steam above 7,500 RPM, even though redline is 10,000 RPM. This isn’t a problem, since the bike makes plenty of usable power in the range where you’ll spend most of your time. The 90 degree v-twin is smooth, and the exhaust note is amazing. Italian v-twins sound like nothing else on the planet, and I’d almost say the Shiver is worth the price of admission just to park it in your driveway and listen to it run. Better yet, park it in your living room as art; just make sure the windows are open when you fire it up.

If you buy a Shiver, I guarantee it won’t spend much time parked. You’ll look for excuses to ride it, and ride it hard. It’s not a bike that promotes social responsibility; instead, it’s a bike that promotes lofting the front wheel and finding any excuse to take the long way home, especially if it involves a twisty road. It’s light, it’s flickable (and if that’s not a word, it should be) and it’s easy to ride fast. Or slow, for that matter, since the tall seat and semi-upright riding position give you a great view of traffic. The seat worked fine for me, although some reviewers have panned it. It’s a bit on the hard side, but it gives decent rear bolstering for when you whack the throttle in Sport mode. I wouldn’t call it an all-day-long seat, but it works great for the type of riding the Shiver was intended for.

It’s pretty clear that I loved the motor and liked the ergonomics, so what didn’t work for me? First, the under-seat exhaust looks cool and works fine when you’re moving, but it will roast Big Jim and the Twins when you’re doing the traffic light to traffic light shuffle. There are plenty of aftermarket exhausts that correct this problem, so that’s not a deal breaker. Switchgear is a bit funky, but it took me all of two minutes to adapt, so that’s only a minor complaint. Instruments are well laid out and feature a much-appreciated analog tachometer, but the information display gets a bit busy and some of the warning lights are difficult to see in bright sunlight. Again, no deal breakers here – it just means that you’ll spend some time bonding with your bike, and that’s not a bad thing.

The 2009 Aprilia Shiver 750 stickers at $8,999.00, but there are bargains to be had on the internet. Aprilia is introducing a heavily revised Shiver for 2010, which includes brighter colors, improved front brakes, narrower seat (which should improve reach for those with shorter legs) and taller handlebars, so dealers are likely to be motivated to move existing inventory. An ABS version is available for 2010, and those who want a bit more wind protection can opt for the Shiver GT, which features a quarter fairing and windscreen.

If you’re in the market for a naked bike, I’d strongly encourage you to ride an Aprilia Shiver. It may be the best kept secret in motorcycling.

Special thanks to Scooter Superstore for the test ride.