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Esmond's review(s)
Owner Reviews written by Esmond
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Economical, basic A to B transportation
PROS:
- great little city car
- good on gas
- fun to drive if you don't push its limits too far
- decent space for a small hatchback
CONS:
- lackluster 4 cyl engine; but that's the point of this car
- interior design leaves much to be desired
- ok but forgettable exterior styling
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1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
Solid feature-laden car lacking character
PROS:
- comfortable, sporty, and supportive seats
- lots of features for the money
- interesting styling
- decent power and driveability
- solid feeling structure; confident in its reliability
- good shifter and clutch action; easy to drive manual tranny
CONS:
- lacks character for a vehicle with such distinctive styling
- interesting styling
- does not feel as sporty as it looks - by far
- handling is only average/mediocre; not sporty
Summary:
- a better over-all car than the Fiat 500 Abarth, but needs a heavy does of character and sport
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2 out of 3 found this review helpful.
Charming and fun with some flaws
PROS:
- great fun to drive on city roads
- peppy engine
- charming character and styling
- garners attention from both males and females
CONS:
- gearbox/shifter made in a Rubbermaid factory
- gearbox/shifter as notchy as old manual tranny's from the early 90's
- cramped inside
- ergonomics leave much to be desired (i.e. far reach audio controls for taller drivers, dashboard menu buttons not easily accessible)
- choppy ride
- body twitches and crashes over bumps
- rattles apparent on a car with just over 11,000 kms
- quivery structure
- reliability questionable / non-confidence inspiring
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practical, powerful, reliable CUV
- powerful V6 engine for a CUV; excellent acceleration and passing ability
- comfortable seating
- fuel economy is not so good for the CUV class (V6)
- boring interior; however, designed for practicality (i.e. excellent cargo and storage space
- boring exterior styling; forgettable - doesn't offend but not my cup of tea
- typical Toyota buildmanship and reliability
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1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
good all-around CUV
- very comfortable and supportive seats
- excellent build quality and reliability (no issues during its stay with us)
- fuel economy about average for the CUV class; better than most
- interior doesn't excite nor does it offend; however, it has a good layout and ergonomices are fine -- likely will gain better praise from typical CR-V buyers
- exterior styling has odd proportions from certain angles; however, the shape doesn't crimp on practicality and cargo space
A CUV you just can't go wrong with -- especially with Honda's legendary reliability. If you want something sportier, take a look at the Hyundai Tucson or Mazda CX-5.
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boring & forgettable, but you can't go wrong with this bulletproof family sedan
- very reliable
- build quality felt solid everywhere - just a good sense of quality engineering all around
- comfortable
- good fuel economy (4 cyl)
- ok power and acceleration (4 cyl)
- interior design doesnt offend nor does it excite
- good ergonomics
- spacioius interior
- boring forgettable styling
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good all-around sporty family sedan
- sporty and clean styling compared to Pontiac's of yesteryear
- clean and upscale interior design compared to Pontiac's of yesteryear -- but still impressive compared to other models in its class
- fuel economy is decent for vehicles back in 2006, especially for a V6
- performance could have been better over-all; although it felt decently torquey and powerful from a stop (i.e. more torque than HP equals false sense of power around town)
- no problems during its stay with us
- not Buick comfortable, but seats provide good support for long drives
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Good looking sporty family sedan
- strong 3800 Series 2 V6 engine; very reliable and bulletproof
- decent handling on GT model; a bit soft compared to GTP model suspension
- interior/dashboard not that attractive
- good looking exterior styling
- rides nicely with good handling balance
- very reliable over-all; no warranty issues whatsoever
- performance is good enough for this car, but if you want more power, opt for the GTP and its 3.8L supercharged V6
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good over-all family sedan with some issues
- infamous 3100 V6 engine intake manifold gasket leaks
- brake rotors warp easily
- wheel bearing issues/abs sensor issues
- decent power with the V6 engine
- once you fix the leaking intake manifold gasket, the engine is reliable
- good styling inside and outside
- ergonomic interior with decent space and good comfort
- won Motor Trend's 1997 Car of the Year award
- most of the minor issues were fixed in model year 2000 (chalk it up to teething problems for a new model)
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Fun CUV
- fun handling through turns and curves
- peppy engine performance
- good over-all comfort and interior space
- styling inside and out is fine but not up to my standards
- fuel economy not as good as Honda CRV or Mazda CX5
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average mid-size pickup truck
- poor fuel economy
- forgettable interior
- ok exterior
- good V6 engine
- average reliability
- small truck bed
- limited interior space; feels cramped, borderline claustrophobic
- can do tough truck duties
- drives and handles fine for a truck
- would prefer larger Dodge Dakota for extra space, more cargo capacity, and more powerful engines
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good driving SUV with transmission problems
- good handling for an SUV
- strong power with V6 engine
- poor fuel economy (seems equal or worse compared to a 4.2L GMC Envoy)
- forgettable styling inside and out
- good in snow
- high ground clearance
- good cargo capacity
- strong heater/HVAC system
- weak A/C at 130,000kms
- transmission failed at 120,000kms
- good AWD system
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benchmark family sedan
- very reliable
- excellent ride/handling balance
- decent performance from 2.4L VTEC engine
- good fuel economy for mid-size car
- comfortable and feature-laden interior
- ok styling; forgettable -- borderline bland if not offensive
- just a solid over-all vehicle that deserves the accolades its been given over the years
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1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
sporty affordable sub-compact sedan
- strong and torquey 3.3L V6 engine
- very reliable engine and transmission (385,000 original kms and was still going before it was sold)
- weak/troublesome alternator; some heater/HVAC issues arose over time
- comfortable seating
- sporty styling inside and out
- handling was weak on the SE models (GT suspension a definite improvement)
- fuel economy was ok for a 3.3L V6
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classic comfortable family sedan with a bit of class
- die-hard V6 engine
- reliable engine and electronics
- average fuel economy
- great sounding V6 engine
- good power, but slow
- very comfortable interior and seats; uplevel trim w/cloth doors and soft vinyl dashboard were classy back in the day
- great long distance cruiser
- gets through snow nice and easy (no traction control and ABS in those days)
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troublesome
- overheating problems
- average comfort
- forgettable styling inside and out
- performance and handling were fine for what this car was
- fuel economy was fine for a 4cyl engine
- this is the car that made me stay away from Ford (however, many interesting offerings from Ford today)
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comfortable full-size sedan
- comfortable and spacious interior
- base model suspension is soft and provides a good ride, but handling is compromised with the base suspension (SSEi model significantly improves handling while still providing good ride/handling balance)
- decent on gas for a big car
- interior and exterior styling were strong points for the Bonnevilles
- was very reliable; cannot go wrong with the bulletproof 3800 series V6 engines from GM
- the SE was not a bad car for basic big-car transportation, but if you wanted a bit more luxury and sport - you must opt for the SSEi, SSE, or even the SLE models
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fun new compact hatchback
- fun sporty styling
- fun handling in turns and curves
- easy to drive manual transmission
- ergonomic interior with good storage
- solid architecture/platform
- good on gas
- 1.4L turbo model recommended
- fun sporty looking dashboard
- a bit slow due to tall transmission gearing
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reliable compact sedan
- reliable 2.2L Ecotec engine
- decent comfort and room for its size; a bit cramped in the back seat
- Ecotec engine performs adequately and gives back good fuel economy
- interior and exterior styling is bland and forgettable
- ride/handling balance is fine; nothing sporty nor is it too soft
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affordable sporty hatchback
- sporty styling in GLS/Sport trim (i.e. optional alloy wheels, fog lights)
- seats are supportive and comfortable (drove this from Toronto to Cape Breton - 20 hrs of driving)
- underpowered, but expected for this class of car and engine size (acceleration is slow on long inclines, esp. with the a/c on)
- good on gas
- fun throw-around handling
- no ABS; no traction control -- but not overly important if you know how to drive in the snow (snow tires would help this)
- fun little city car capable of being a good companion on long trips too
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0 out of 1 found this review helpful.
very nice/affordable compact luxury
- nice styling
- comfortable seats (front and rear)
- lots of features for your dollar
- good engine performance for a 2.4L 4cyl
- solid handling for a Buick
- fuel economy is not so great for a 2.4L 4cyl
- so far has been reliable with no minor or major issues to report
- doesn't have a trunk release on the outside of the trunk (like many cars do these days)
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2 out of 2 found this review helpful.
great performing sports coupe from the 90's
- powerful infamous 2.3L H.O. Quad 4 engine
- good handling in GT model
- good fuel economy (although it required premium fuel b/c of its high compression)
- engine had many known problems (of which I also experienced)
- great styling
- fun-to-drive
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average sub-compact family sedan
- great fuel economy from the 2.2L Ecotec engine
- based on a European chassis, the handling through turns was surprisingly good; very good body roll control - and was actually borderline fun
- 2.2L Ecotec engine along with this cars transmission gearing allowed for peppy and strong performance
- traction control system was fantastic - it didn't bog the car down near as much as other systems do allowing the vehicle to actually propel forward
- comfortable and spacious interior/trunk
- boring exterior styling
- ergonomic interior, but very plain jane
- was very reliable if maintained (don't forget to change the timing belt/chain)
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Game changer for Chevrolet - highly recommended
- clean/simple yet sporty styling (LTZ w/upgraded wheels)
- comfortable and supportive seats
- decent room interior room; rear seat a bit cramped
- spritely performance for a 1.4L turbo 4cyl whose mission is fuel economy
- structure feels solid; good ride and handling compromise; feels very nimble in the curves, well-controlled body roll, no suspension float - yet it still manages not to punish its passengers over rough roads
- ergonomic interior with solid (if not class-leading) materials/fit-and-finish
If I were in the market for compact car - the Chevrolet Cruze would be my top choice.
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Amazing affordable rear-drive sports car!
- amazing handling
- sharp/accurate steering
- quick for a small naturally aspirated 4cyl engine
- confidence-inspiring
- affordable
- aggressive/sporty styling
- makes you feel like a race car driver; it's everything that the media and every car reviewer is saying it is..
Highly recommended.
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1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
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