I went to every major insurance company and the 997 Twin Turbo is on average slightly more than two times more expensive to insure than the Lancer Evolution. If a feeble old man with a cane drives the 997 the rates will certainly drop. You are confounding driver age with vehicle type. It is unfair to compare the insurance rates of a 50yr old man to that of a 25yr old and then insist that one car is more expensive to insure than the other.

My Evos (2), with a perfect driving record, cost about $5500 a year. One 997 Twin Turbo would run me $8230 per year (that is the cheapest quote).

This was the case with me, and I started test-driving the various ones. Normally, I would also have an idea beforehand of what to expect, and which are the likeliest contenders.

A first happened this time: the first car that sold itself to me on the test-drive, and without being on my initial list, is the one I have currently owned for four years: The Acura TSX.

It was spring 2003, and the 2004 TSX had just arrived at the local dealership; I hadn’t even read much about it.

As I moved away from the RSX-Type S I came in to see, I was smitten by the high-quality materials and build of the interior. The design was wonderfully handsome as well. I sat in the driver’s seat, shut the door… what’s this? Very luxurious thud, and a quiet cabin. The instrument panel awoke into a soft glow to welcome me. Equipement list? FULLY EQUIPED! How much is this thing? $3K more (CDN) than the RSX-S I was just looking at. And because it is a 2004 in early 2003, it actually leased better. But the feel of this interior is an entirely different LEAGUE than the RSX-S. It brought back memories of my previous BMW 330Ci.

The dealer happened to be near some mountaineous switchbacks, and as I straightened the wheels after the first turn, having heel-and-toe downshifted smoothly in the setup to the turn, my whole mind became quiet and I heard with pure clarity: I. Am. Getting. This. Car.

A week prior to this, I had test-driven the Mini Cooper and Cooper S. Putting handling numbers aside, I had as much fun in the TSX as I did in the Minis. The connected-ness and whole-ness of the controls is greater than the sum of their parts.

After having aquired the TSX, I’ve described it as giving me 90% of what the 330Ci did, at a value bonus of 140%. Plus, I appreciate the anonymous, yet handsome-on-second-glance styling.

Four years on, I still smile on my daily drives.

This makes for good sales, yes. And, admittedly, some of those sales are deserved. But does it necessarily mean the product is great? More people eat white bread, but can you honestly say that it’s the best bread ever made?

If history repeats itself 99% of the time, ten years from now, Toyota, Honda and company will be teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, and Hyundai will be on the verge of passing Toyota as World’s Number One automaker. It’s history repeating… but with different players… right?

Years of stumbling have made the American companies a tiny bit smarter and warier of the traps and pitfalls that have put them where they are now. Whether this current semi-turnaround pans out or they slip back into the same bad old ways, no one knows… and no one can predict.

If no one ever gave a chance to the unknowns, Toyota wouldn’t be what it is today.

Thus, we vote for the cars in the here and now. Which is why I still object to the nomination of the Corolla. I agree, it’s everything a car needs to be, and it was a heck of a good compact-class car when it debuted… but it’s falling behind the competition. But, hell, if it makes the top twenty, I’ll grudgingly admit it deserves it.

But the good news is that Toyota made lots of money so far this year! Yipee! How does that help the sad souls who drive their vanilla cars?

Profitability is a good measure of product superiority, indeed. The most profitable car brand in the U.S. is Porsche; the second one is Lexus. They are certainly superior to their same-priced rivals (VW Phaeton vs Lexus LS460?).

The same can be said for other products as well. Guess who has more profit making TVs, RCA or Samsung?

Nino raises a good point, we should be evaluating the car as it stands at this moment, rather than the history attached to a particular model name.

Being best means best now AND best in the years to come. I hereby claim that Aura and Fusion do not have long term quality (not just reliability) as good as Camry/Accord. Why? Because their predecessors didn’t prove that way. Prejudice, maybe. But 99% of the times, history will just repeat. Fusion will be no better than Taurus(in relative terms), unless Ford goes bankrupt and all the management/workers get fired and replaced by other people.

An excellent suggestion. My first nominations for TAWWBDG would be Ford’s European Mondeo and Focus. And why is it taking BMW so long to bring the 1 Series across the pond? By the time it gets here, many won’t care anymore. I’m rapidly losing interest myself.

Meanwhile… despite its cheap interior and solid rear axle, I will second the nomination for the Ford Mustang GT. Quite simply, the car is probably the best performance bargain out there today. If you don’t need leather seats, you can drive away in one of these for 25k or less. With 300 horses under the hood. It’s a bit on the crude side, but tons of fun nonetheless.

The new Nissan Altima coupe equipped with the 270-hp V6, priced at 24k to start (the four-cylinder version will start at 20-21K) , may give a Mustang a run for its money when it hits the showrooms this summer. But, for now, you can’t beat the pony car’s bang for the buck.

Yes, I know all about the Mazda Speed3, Subie WRX and Mitsu Lancer Evo. And I think they’re great. But 300-hp V8’s go about their business in an entirely diffferent fashion than turbo fours. That and the fact that four-doors just don’t do it for me.

And to all those who keep nominating various VWs and Audi, I understand. Vee-Dubs are great cars to drive. But every person I know (and there are quite a few) who have owned VW and Audi-branded vehicles over the past five years have traded-in their cars early because they simply gave them too much trouble – particularly in the electronics department. I understand many of these nominations are emotionally based. And, as enthusiasts, nothing beyond driving enjoyment is supposed to matter. But VW’s dismal reliability (and corresponding lack of manufacturer support) would keep these cars off my personal list. Your results may vary.

First and foremost, it’s a car that makes you want to drive it. The combination of an 8000 RPM redline, the responsive chassis, and superb dynamics delivers sheer driving pleasure like sports car. It’s like a Miata, but with a better motor.

Honda quality, beautiful modern design, and ample room for four makes it practical; much more than a weekend toy. It’s like an Accord, but in a tidier package.

Good gas mileage, low depreciation, and low cost makes it affordable. All this (including a GPS) for under $23K?

Lots of fun, very practical, reliable, and actually affordable? Everyone talks about this, but the Civic Si actually delivers all three — and better than anything else does.

There’s simply no better all-around car on the planet.

1. Lexus IS250/350 – If I had to buy new, had to personally bear the brunt of operating costs/depreciation, and wanted something that would look stunning with minor modifications (wheels, ride height— NOTHING ELSE)… I would choose the IS and dare anyone to park any other vehicle beside it with similar wheel/ride height mods. Only a few taught German sedans would make the cut but alas, LONG-TERM reliability trends relegate almost every vehicle from the Germans a non-contender for TBAG… From VW with their never-ending electronics issues to M3’s sending pistons through their power dome… whats the point if the car only does its thing inside the safety zone of manufacturer warranty i ask?

2. 2007 Ford Mustang GT – From a Lexus IS to Ford Mustang? I tell you all, I would proudly park a 2007 Mustang GT alongside my IS250/350. Obviously an American icon, the current gen Mustang offers aggressive classy styling (look to the just released Shelby GT 500KR… all you need is the front bumper, hood, and wheels and all of the sudden an unassuming Mustang GT is drop dead gorgeous)… Beyond styling tweaks, the Mustang offers every person out there to personalize their vehicle a thousand different ways all the while providing no less then 300 RELIABLE horsepower that will melt the rear tires all day long… I absolutely love it and the fact that for a few thousand dollars, you can have an exhaust track that rivals the finest from Italy and I am not kidding when I say that….

3. Toyota Corolla: It’s suprising comfort and excellent economy coupled with reliability make it the perfect commuting vehicle.
4. Infinity G35 Coupe: for the most elegent bodystyle this side of $250k.
5. Civic Si Coupe: I have had exensive drive time with this car and though it’s acceleration is wanting the handling is superb. In many instances, if properly handled, the maneuvers that can be safely executed at one lane (public road) speed are very similar to the Lancer Evolution (on dry tarmac – preferably on a warm day).
6. 997 Twin Turbo:just a wonderfully dangerous piece of machinery.
7. MazdaSpeed3:crisp handling shoud be made available to all who want it – and Mazda will deliver.
8. Subaru Impreza: my friend has abused his Impreza in so many ways I don’t have the space to recount – suffice to say he put 110,000k on his vehicle in one year, neglected oil changes/tune ups and the engine sounds wonderful – the car still drives like its new. Maybe my friend was lucky, but Subarus have always served my parents well also(+200k miles).
9. Honda S2000:a truly beautiful gearbox – I wish my Evo(s) shifted with such fluidity.
10. Prius:I am certainly skeptical of anthropogenic global warming (especially after the Wegman report); that notwithstanding, I recognize the need to conserve/preserve what we have. The Prius, I hope, is the first of many steps that will enable the average citizen to remain as unfettered in their mobility as they are now without leaving as great of an ecological imprint.

Joe O.

First off, anyone buying even a quasi-sports car needs to anticipate frequent and diligent maintenance to keep it running – I can’t beleive that is even a topic/consideration with these cars. You shoud check out the maintenance schedule and cost for REAL cars like the McLaren F1, Enzo, LP640 or Zonda.

Second, Porsche “out-scienced Physics for 40 years”!!!!????? Maybe if you were driving Porsches with $500k in modifications. Until the 996 series they were death traps unless heavily modified – only recently has the physics of chassis engineering advanced to a degree to enable a rear engined machine to remain dynamically stable in agressive maneuver. More proplerly, only recently has that technology been made affordable enough to incorporate it into a Porsche.

Third, with your comparison to the Evo surely you must be referencing the GT3?, certainly one of the higher end models of + $100k – and at that point the only thing the Porsche has on the Evo is acceleration. –Quite possibly you were not driving the Evo correctly?– That can quickly be remedied with a $750 Vishnu reflash. I cannot tell you how many times an angry 911 Turbo driver was wanting to humiliate me in my seemingly stock, “pathetic, poor mans wannabe race car” (those words were spoken to me at a stop light) and ended up getting his world rocked – even more so if we happen to be on a back country road. And thats not even with my track Evo!!! For the image conscious the Porsche is a great machine, but if your pursuit is truly performance, an Evo with $4000 of modifications could not be touched by anything made by Porsche. And hey, my best friend is Porsche driving instructor and while he can find owners of modified Porsches to take my track Evo in the quarter mile trap there has not been any that will make faster lap times with him driving(so far anyway).

I nominate all of Acura, for being the overall best-looking brand (the Cayenne, “C” of the Ugly Car Alphabet, kind of ruins it for Porsche), as well as for overall excellence.

I nominate the xB for being the coolest looking car out there, as well as incredible practicality.

The MX-5 for having perhaps the highest quotient of fun per dollar, as well as a high quality quotient.

However, the maintenance cost delta from homologated Japanese compact sedan to high perfomance German sports car has be pretty significant.

I only wish I lived close enough to take you up on the test drive offer. When I become dictator of America, my first edict will be No Autos in Performance Cars. Mad with power after that, I will then declare every Friday Hawaiian Shirt Day.

I’m not kidding.

Porsche might be expensive to maintain, but only from Subaru/Mitsubishi comparison. In it’s league, it’s one of the least expensive.

The EVO and such might offer acceleration times in supercar territory, but you don’t realize how far away they are from Porsche until you drive the two of them. No magazine data. Just drive them.

The EVO might belong on the list, but the Porsche definitely does. Plus, the 911 has out-scienced physics for 40+ years now and has remained an icon. I think it coined the term “pendulum effect”.

Joe O.

You drove the last year of the Corvette with the OLD 4-speed auto. No wonder it didn’t seem thrilling. Plus a Corvette has no business being mated to an auto. If you’re anywhere near the Boston area I will gladly let you get behind the wheel of my 06 with the proper 6-speed tranny. Better yet, I’ll take you for a spin and show you just how fun these cars can be. If you liked that glorified Toyota Echo (xB) there’s no way you wouldn’t like a Vette driven properly

Claude Dickson:

Your other points are vaild, but I would almost guarantee you that STi and especially Evo insurance is more expensive than insurance for a 911. The main cost of insurance is liability and there are far more kids driving reckless in STis and Evos than 911s. Usually by the time you can afford a 911 your testosterone level has dropped to a level sufficient to prevent extremely reckless driving. Although the 50 something in the 996 911 Turbo I raced on I-93 last Friday might beg to differ. He did give up after we hit 120mph though, I was ready for a little more ;)

The same goes for Dodge’s Internet golden boy, the SRT-4. Fastest car under $21k, etc. Then you drive one for a while and realize how much negative attention you get with the boy-racer (ricer?) look, and how the exhaust drone tenderizes your brain while the suspension rearranges your vertebrae. No thanks.

On the other hand, I always hated the Scion xB. From the outside it’s a high-school freshman’s first autocad project and 103 hp? Pathetic. Then I finally drove one thanks to all the positive feedback on the net…and I loved it. This is a car that simply makes you happy everytime you hop behind the wheel.

My point is that it’s more than stats and torque curves. You have to drive the car to really feel the soul of it. Anyone can go “magazine racing” and simply pick the vehicle with the best stats or the highest rating from the paper pushers. I would expect more from self-proclaimed car nuts.

You elect the 911 but exclude the STI/EVO because they are “speciality” cars that are “expensive to buy, maintain and insure”??? You CAN’T be serious!!!

For the price of the 911, I could buy two STIs or EVOs and have plenty of change left over. Porsche is infamous for their maintenance costs and I would bet my last dollar the STI/EVO is far cheaper to insure.

As for “specialty” cars, the 911 is a very expensive 2 seater sports car. That is pretty special purpose to me.

Also, you need to check out the STI Ltd Ed. which is clearly aimed at a broader audience with its upgraded interior and the omission of the whale tail rear spoiler. The EVO has less extreme versions as well.

You need to find other reasons to leave the STI/EVO off the list.

D) The Accord is in the last year of its model cycle and it’s starting to show its age (though there’s not much wrong with the interior and the way it drives – let’s wish for an evolution, not a revolution)

(In no particular order):

1)Honda Fit. Right now, in its niche nobody can touch it when it comes to versatility and roominess. Did I mention that it’s also darn fun to drive?

2)The MX-5 Miata. It has not aged one bit since its inception. The S2000, Solstice or Boxster may go one better in certain respects but the Miata is still the benchmark by which the affordable sports coupes are measured.

3)The Chevy Corvette. The quintessential American sports car

4)The Honda Odyssey. The proof that a minivan is not necessarily only an appliance.

5)The 9-1-1. Call it 911, 993, 930, Carrera or anything, the 911 deserves its place in the pantheon of the automobile. ‘Nuff said.

6)The Lexus LS: What a Cadillac or Lincoln should be.

Now, IMHO, those I think don’t quite belong:

A) EVO / STI : These are specialty cars made for rallying, not-so-friendly on an everyday basis… not to mention very expensive to buy, maintain and insure.

B) Many VW’s and Mercedeses. The Veedubs have not shaken yet the ghost of long term reliability. The Mercs have deteriorated a lot in that respect too since the fusion with Chrysler. Sad but true…

C)The Panther cars. These

Nicest thing about driving through Novato (other than getting through it) was the Ferrari dealership. I’d be headed down 101 when I would first here that unmistakable shreik of the engine followed by the gorgeous form that almost defines the I-want-it-but-I-can’t-have-it car.

GMs reliability is among the best in the Camry, Accord segment? Uh Huh..Although yeah, the Camry is not fun to drive at all.

I have high hopes for the Aura, but I do not see it in TBAG. I agree with some of the comments that is should not be an most “improved” nomination category.

I would nominate the Civic SI.

Please understand this, that most people are simply suggesting what’s best for the midsized family sedan segment. And in the segment you’re referencing, the best has generally been considered to be the Camry or the Accord. Not the Altima and certainly not the Legacy. Don’t even get anyone started on the terrible “quality of the Altima or Legacy either. The only two that the Fusion and Aura have to beat are the Camry and Accord. So I’ll assume that you’re behind on your magazine reading or simply refusing to accept the opinion of those who have experienced these newer cars. The reality is that they’re doing extremely well in comparison to the standby Honda or Toyota. Sorry to break the news.
But the good news is that Toyota made lots of money so far this year! Yipee! How does that help the sad souls who drive their vanilla cars?