I don't dislike my current Pontiac Grand Prix (201"/V6 200hp/3500lbs), but it does feel like it lumbers around everywhere. I'm sure the suspension is quite soft. Something like the Accord (191"/I4 189hp/3300lbs) would give me a smaller (than current) size, but with similar power in a lighter car with likely far superior suspension setup. Something that could feel at least a little fun on roads within legal limits, not feeling like the car was rolling over on it's side in a high speed on/off ramp like my GP. It's a car that fits my actual needs and wants, however disappointing it might be to my online ego. As much as it would be cool to buy a Fiesta ST or a Miata or something awesome like that, it would be a mistake.

Still working through the hybrid part, though they are losing ground since I don't drive much. The mental battle of efficiency vs ride quality/space is still going on. It's hard for me to justify rolling around in a big car when it's usually just me and an empty back seat and trunk, but the money doesn't really argue in the hybrid's favor.

So that's where I stand currently.

Depends which Accord. The '98 Accord was an absolute delight. Brilliant to drive for a family sedan, and very hard to fault aside from a spongey brake pedal. The late '90s were the absolute peak of quality and engineering from pretty much all of the Japanese car companies. The Maxima of that era was the best that car has ever been, and the Accord was a master class in how to design a mainstream sedan.

The '03 "Bionic Cheetah" Accord was still decent to drive for a family sedan, but a lot of the brilliance from the previous car had gone. The steering at least had some weight to it and it wasn't full of slop and Novocaine like Camry steering, but the on center feel was definitely worse, and handling was a lot more clumsy. Really uncomfortable seats too, unless you're somebody that likes the lumbar support in the full forward position.

The '08 "Honda 5 Series" lost the plot in terms of any sort of driving pleasure. The steering became ultra light and feel free, and any sort of precision was out the window. That was also when Honda lost the plot on interior ergonomics, which used to be their calling card. All of that was replaced with 10,000 buttons everywhere.

The latest Accord is at least back down to a reasonable 191" compared to the boat-like previous Accord, but it's kept the weight gain. I haven't driven it, but from what I've read it's still not really any fun at all, just more competent than the last one. If you actually want to enjoy the car at all, unsurprisingly the best choices are the Euro based cars (Fusion, Passat) and the Mazda6, and there's no way I'd recommend anybody actually purchase a Volkswagen. They keep promising to do better on quality, and those promises remain unfulfilled. Four year old Passats are still falling to pieces.

Most small mainstream cars are just that, small mainstream cars. Just being small doesn't somehow magically turn them into a BMW M135i. They have the same blah steering and blah handling as any other typical mainstream car.

I still think a '10 or '11 Fusion hybrid is a good idea. They are holding up very well, not awful to drive, have comfortable seats and good fuel economy. Motortrend averaged about 36MPG from theirs, with most owners netting somewhere around 38MPG. Acceleration is about the same as a typical 4-cyl sedan, and you get just under 12cu.ft. of space in the trunk which isn't that unreasonable for a hybrid. If you don& #039;t like the giant razorblade grill, the Milan hybrid is the same thing but in a slightly more handsome and reserved package. Mercury's demise also means that prices will probably be lower. Of course the Lincoln version is the nicest of the trio, but one of those will cost you about $27K.

Engine starts and stays on till the thermostat opens, then goes into shutoff mode.  Only a couple of minutes thanks to aluminum blocks.  Nothing opens up a thermostat faster than a turbocharger.    Well, apart from running a block heater.

Whether oil is an issue for a turbo on startup is a very relative question.  That's like saying all tube amps sound like.....

Tbh, I would be more concerned w/ coming home to hot and shutting down too fast.  A bad habit I had to overcome as I used to regularly come home in an old Corolla with the brakes smoking in the driveway.  Can't do that w/ the Subie even though it's more capable in everyway.  It's also more complex and impractical to toss around on the street.

Let me say this, there is a big difference between finding a car that benchmarks well as a legitimate track car and one that is very entertaining to drive on the street.  The two are quite inverse.  There is a reason fast drivers tend to drive small cars.  Montoya drives a first gen new Mini.  Gordon Murray drives an original Mini.  Small, light, underpowered cars are just more fun to drive on the street.  Yeah, you get smoked by a dickhead w/ a V8 at a stop light or some kid with a 911 or Ferrari or AWD boosted rice burner.  But guess what, that shit requires no driver skill and is simply boring.  To get the same driving excitement of a small box car, you have to get a very capable car past exceedingly dangerous speeds and thresholds on the street.  Margin for error is much smaller, mess up and people will die.  Look at all the idiots in Ferraris that turned into tomato paste after their Ferrari disintegrated into a telephone pole or off a cliff.  Unless you have an autobahn commute everyday, buy something fun at 45mph, not something for dick measuring.  A driver can only do so much, really fast cars are simply not designed for the street.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWi4HutNX5M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNOJ0R6C88Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdLHAqL8KJw