Auto Trends

(…Continued)

6. The 1999 Dodge Durango adds another strike to our list. Electrical, transmission, and suspension problems are the most common, with most of these starting soon after the 50,000 mileage mark. The most common problem you will hear from its owners is, “It’s falling apart.” If you smell anything coming from the engine with this model… sell it or drop it off at your nearest dump… whichever is more convenient at the time!

5. As much as we’d hate to burst the Honda Accord bubble, they weren’t all good. Take the year 2003 for example. This line of vehicles has problems with the transmission, brakes, and interior. The build-up of heat in the transmission can cause premature failure and a recall was put in place in 2004, for fluid that appeared discolored and foul smelling. Honda has done a fantastic job covering up the problems on this car and their loyal customers have already forgave them.

4. Having a 2003 Ford Explorer on this list is no surprise at at… and in fact I have a premonition this will not be the only time we will see this loser. The infamous transmission problem tops the list, as it has for just about every year the Explorer has been built. Beyond this, there are plenty of paint and body problems as always to fill in the time between getting other things fixed.

3. The 2002 Chevrolet Impala has its share of electrical Gremlins. It features a theft alarm that is so good, that sometimes not even the rightful owner of the vehicle can start it. The next most common problem in a traction control that has a mind of its own, turning off and on at its own whim, whether it’s needed or not. The battery drains easily on these cars, and similar to just about every other car on the list, the transmission is known to fail early. But don’t feel bad if you own one of these… even the police fell for the slick advertising!

2. You would think that after the 1999 Dodge Intrepid failure they would have made some improvements, but it only went further downhill. The same sludge problem in the engines of the 2000 Dodge Intrepid 2.7 liter V-6, sent many of these cars to an early grave with unhappy customers. Consider yourself lucky if a little engine knocking is the only thing disintegrating your engines integrity.

1. As promised, the 2002 Ford Explorer shows up here once again… and guess what? Yup, more transmission and body problems. Early transmission failure and a body that begins to fall apart the minute you drive off the lot, is the biggest complaint. The only way to protect yourself from these lemons is to just not buy one. Most any mechanic will tell you that you would be lucky to reach 100,000 miles on the odometer without a an engine and/or transmission re-build. I guess that is why is has been nicknamed the Ford “Exploder”.

When it really comes down to it, no matter how good the economy, or what price we have to pay; what many of us really want is a car that performs well. In some instances we not only want a car that performs well, but also performs better than just about every other car on the road. It is a soccer mom eat soccer mom world out there and when we have appointments to make and kids sporting events to get to, we need a vehicle that is capable of the task.

To make it easy on you, we are going to headline the best performers out there for each manufacturer… but we are not only going to headline the best and fastest, we are also going to break it down to the “best for your buck”.

We can’t all spend $100,000 plus for a car… and those of us who can’t, deserve to have some fun too.

Let’s Begin:

Acura

By far the best performer here is going to be your 2009 Acura NSX, which is perceived to be capable of 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and has a rather beastly 550 horsepower V-10 to command its 3,000lb curb weight. But at $150,000 a pop, this is definitely not be for everyone.

The 2007 Acura TL (Type S) with a $38,000 base price, 6 second 0-60 time, and a happy 286 horsepower engine, would be your best bet for the buck in the current Acura line-up.

Audi

Between the R8 or the RS6, you really can’t go wrong. The 2008 R8 features a 420 hp engine capable of rocketing from 0-60 in 4.3 seconds. It also however caries a price tag of $109,000. The 2008 RS6 has a beautiful twin turbo V-10 that is capable of a 4.2 0-60 second time using its 550 horsepower 5.2 liter engine. Best of all it also features a slightly decreased price of $95,000 in comparison.

But if you are really looking for the best bang for buck, you can’t beat Audi’s 2008 TT-RS for $60,000, featuring a 365 horsepower motor that can do 0-60 in just under 5 seconds.

BMW

The BMW M3 may be good, but if you really like to go fast the BMW M6 should be your German tool of choice. With a price tag of around $98,000, you could be rocketing from 0-60 in 4.2 seconds, and this is all with a 500 horsepower V-10.

If money has you limited, then the BMW Z2 M roadster is not too much of a downgrade on speed, with its 0-60 in 4.9 seconds. It is however a noticeable downgrade from price, with its reachable $39,000 price tag.

(…to be continued)

The Acura name has been around for a long time… it was Honda’s luxury flagship back in the 80’s and has gained due respect with its quality automobiles that seem to last for many years with very little problems. Well, there has been perhaps one small problem with some of us…

These cars are not known for their horsepower that is for sure. In fact, in the mid eighties muscle car era… a lot of Chevy and Ford fans would consider the Acura as closer to that of a lawnmower than a daily driver. And this is coming from a time in history when the Chevy Camaro Z28 was pumping out a meager 185 horsepower or so through its big V-8.

But over the past few years there has definitely been a staging of a new respect for the Acura name. It is not just a luxury flagship anymore… no, not since the NSX has been around. But even with it respectable 300 or so horsepower, the NSX has still undergone a lot of criticism for being underpowered. Underpowered for that of a $75,000 plus import that is.

This is where it became quite common for buyers of the Acura NSX to buy a turbo kit to compensate for the lack of pep. Many would just hardly get the car off the lot and they would be pulling into the closest performance tuner and ordering a Garrett turbo with the works. A set-up like this would really wake up the six cylinder NSX to read dyno numbers above the 400 hp mark and this is with a car that is relatively light (3,000 lbs or so, give or take a few seats and stereo equipment pieces).

All of this is about to change according to talk over at Acura for the new 2008 NSX. Their experience with F1 has given them the inspiration to propose a new 4.5 liter V-10 version. Can you say Viper, in the body of a go-cart as compared to the lumbering Dodge. They will also feature a decent 3.6 liter all-wheel-drive, but for the price tag of $100,000, the best bang for the buck is looking to be the potent V-10.

Yes, you heard right, an all-wheel-drive. This means that your chances of talking the wife into such a dream super car have gone up at least a half of a percent… Good Luck!