A Couple of Reflections and Musings

Hey everyone, sorry for the long hiatus again in publishing. I have a somewhat more focused and lengthier post in the pipeline that should be up soon, but in the meantime, I just wanted to share some of my thoughts that have accumulated over the past week and after test driving two new cars: the Subaru Impreza, and the Mazda2. Full disclosure, both vehicles I was impressed with, even though that might not come across clearly for one of them.

 

No, they're not competitors, but oh well. (Photos: Edmunds)

First up: gauges. Specifically, this is about gauges that are useful and disappearing, and gauges that are not useful and cropping up more. The Impreza actually represents both of these recent trends.

Look out! Useless gauge in the lower right! (Photo: Subaru)

Let's start positive. What this instrument panel does have going for it is that it is very simple and easy to read. It is a bit odd that the information display in the middle lights up in a sort of ice-blue color while the dials light up red, it nevertheless is easy to read. It has what seem to be all the normal gauges, but with the gas gauge in the info display. But what's this? There's a funny little +/- gauge with the letters M-P-G next to it. What does it do?

As it so happens, the MPG gauge is about the most useless and gimmicky gauge I've ever seen in a car. Basically, when the needle points to the plus, it means you're getting good mileage and when it points to the minus, you're getting bad mileage. And since there are no numbers to accompany those signs, all it is is an extremely rough estimate of mileage. As I watched it bounce back and forth during the test drive, it seemed to more effectively say how hard I pushed on the gas pedal. More throttle and the needle goes to minus. Less throttle, the needle goes to plus. And I don't know, but I think most people can glean this information from how close their foot is to the firewall.

Hmm... Simple, but seems to missing something... (Photo: The Car Connection)

Now that we've gotten past the addition of a useless gauge, let's get to the matter of the lack of a useful gauge. Both the Impreza and the Mazda2 seem to be missing a gauge that, to my recollection, was a pretty standard feature. Nowadays, the temperature gauge has disappeared in favor of an indicator light that simply goes off when the engine reaches normal operating temperature. While this probably makes sense in that the average driver probably never looks at a temperature gauge, and modern cars don't overheat too often, it still seems to be a nice thing to have.

Moving on to my next main point: cheap doesn't have to be miserable. I'll be perfectly honest, the Mazda2 doesn't seem to offer a lot on the surface. The interior is pretty basic, not many infotainment options, and it lacks premium materials. It only makes 100hp, and less than 100 lb-ft of torque. If you want an automatic, it only has four speeds. It sounds like a 1990s economy car. And that's not a compliment.

No, I wasn't driving this 2. It sometimes felt like it though. (Photo: Car & Driver)

With that in mind, the Mazda2 has no business being as brilliantly fun as it is. As it turns out, the spartan interior and features list hides a car that has it's priorities right where a serious driver wants them.

While it's down on power, the 2 has enormous strength in handling, steering, and shifting. Through a twisty road, I experienced how excellent it all felt together. The 2 holds the road very nicely and corners with little body roll. The steering is quick, precise, and well weighted. The shifter has that satisfyingly flick-able feel. In fact, it felt a little like a Miata or Mini. It's very small size also made it easy to take tight roads with the utmost confidence.

I feel like there are a lot of cars that could take a lesson or two from the 2. A focus on driving quality over gadgetry would be the top one. I know it's a losing battle these days, but I still think that there's a real need to make cars that are enjoyable to drive as opposed to tech-laden transportation boxes. I don't have much against technology, I would argue that it has made cars better in many ways, but when I would take a Mazda2 over something like a fully loaded Camry, that has to tell you that there's more to cars than having the most equipment.

Anyway, I think this post running long for one that wasn't supposed to go too long. And once again, I apologize for the long delays in posts. If nothing else, this summer should result in substantially more, and I know I'll get at least one more out before then. Thanks everyone!