OK Today I test drove alot of cars I started early since the day was nice.
All were new and on the lots. If I miss anything in the review that your curious about let me know and I will do my best to answer your questions.

First off the Eclipse 06 GT fully loaded with the factory kit. Orange with the terricota(sp?) interior.
I looked at a couple on the lot both with and without the facotry body kit.
I have to say I really like the looks and what they have done. I wasn't sure at first but in person its really nice. Alot better than the previous generation, which to me looked like a Stratus with ferrari rakes in the side and smushed in nose. Ok back to the present. This new Eclipse is nice. The v-6 puts out about 260 both in HP and Tq. I think are very good numbers and almost on par with the V-6 in the 350(( I know Z lovers are gonna get pissed I even compare the 2) ) Looking around the inside its very ergonomical and everything seems to be in the right spot. From the cup holders to the switches. I felt very at home in the car right away. The only thing I didnt like was how the window buttons were placed way low in the door. I did also notice and take advantage of the new heated seat options and found that it got my ass pretty toasty very quick and I put it on low after that and it was fine. The stereo is Rockford Fosgate which I do like since all Rockford is 100% American made. The sound was crisp and the sub that comes in the car and sits off to the drivers side in the trunk puts out a good amount of bass to keep most audiophile happy even with its small size. The back seat is smaller than the previous gen recalling the older version from 99 back. I had a hard time fitting back there being 6ft but if it meant a ride to and from a club so I could drink I wouldnt bitch too much. Once your seated its not bad and my head doesnt hit the glass like it did in the 99. The trunk space is alot like the 350, but you have back seats you can fold down and make a little more room with. I find this to be a good option since I usually have a good amount of luggage when I travel.

Ok now on to the good stuff... The DRIVE. I was in Fairborn which is a nice suburb with a highway near by. Plenty of potholes too...lol
Around town its nice and smooth. Im very impressed with its small town handling and parking abilities. There is a small blind spot just like the 99s but it doesnt hinder lane changes. The suspension is pretty firm and handles very well. You do feel the potholes though, but hey its a performance car so what do you expect. On the highway it was great. Since I didnt have the salesman with me I was able to have some fun. I came to a complete stop on the entrance ramp with no one behind and traffic clear off to the side. I was able to drop it at about 3200 RPM into first and burn a little of that new tire off. It grips right away but I did feel more tourque steer in first than I expected. I dont think it has a LSD either...once again I forgot to check. Although it does come with TCS which can be turned on and off. I think its more for winter driving than really helping performance though.
After the unexpected tourqe steer in first though everything is smooth and like clockwork going up through the gears. I stopped at 120 and cruised in 6th gear for abit. It handle lane changes and hugged the road fine at the higher speeds. The breaks I have no complaints but I didnt slam on them to drop me to a standstill either. The car does push you back into the seat and you do hear the engine come to life but I was disappointed in the little noise that actually was emitted from the back. I expected more of a growl but was welcomed with more of a grrr... If I buy one the exhaust would be the first change. Overall I enjoyed the looks/ ride/ speed this vehicle has to offer although in my opinion the price for a fully loaded model should be about 1 grand cheaper to compete better with the Mustang and put it closer to the price range of those looking to buy a SCION TC/ COBALT / SRT-4 because I think it would be worth stretching your bank account to get this new Eclipse.
Although you can get a stripped down V-6 for around 24... but then I didnt drive one of those or the 4cy which comes in just under 20.

So yeah thats my opnion of the Eclipse... next was the Stang!

 

The 2006 Mustang GT was my next toy.

I pulled up to the lot and start searching for one I wanted. They all seem to be automatics now which really annoys me. I finally had the salesman find me one that was a stick but it was RED. I love the color dont get me wrong but Im not going to pay higher insurance or have the cops on me anymore than I have to. So ignoring the color I looked it over and did the usualy pop the trunk and kick the tires deal I always do. My impressions are as follows.
Wow Ford is reaching so far back in time its gotta hurt. I do like it though. It's about time they treated the Muscle Car Stang like it should be. The hood is long and impossing the car is low and lean. I liked the smoothness of it. And I appreciated the resemblance to the older 60/70s models. The only thing I didnt like was the back end. I was disappointed there. I like how they have leaned the car down from the bulky previous yrs from what was it 97 on when it was rounded anymore. The model I looked at came with the high end shaker audio system which never disappoints but never over achieves either.
It also had the neat and nifty (i say this cause I dont see it as a major selling point) color change dash. Which is sorta cool, but ehh not that special. Sitting it I did like the difference from the previous Gen. You actually feel more at one with the vehicle. The seating postion is excellent and not as high they have moved the gear shift within range of actaully being able to naturaly rest with your hand on the stick. It is a dramatic improvement to me. The throws were also much better and seemed shorter. The shifter also wasnt in the way of the stereo like previous yrs either. The steering wheel was blinged out as well as the dash. I like it but I dont think its as pratical if you get the convertible since the sun is likely to reflect off all that bling while your driving and reak havic on your eyes. Once situated I appreciated the seats and how comfortable they felt. They could of hugged more but I think the designers wanted this car to appeal to everyone including the FAT ASSES so they left it a little loose. Strapped in and ready to go I fired up the beast and loved the low tones I was welcomed with. Nothing beats American Muscle. I drove slowly out of the lot since I didnt want them thinking I was going to break there new car and took it around town before heading back out to highway 70. It cruises nice but you can tell its a soled rear end in the rear. To me though thats great for launching which is more important than my rear passengers butts. Speaking of which it was pretty cramped in the back but no worse than the Eclipse. The trunk was bigger than I expected to and the design of it opens well to putting in luggage I think. Back to the drive though.
After a little tooling around town I found an empty church parking lot and took the Traction control off. I had alot of fun burning out and sliding it around a little but one of the people that worked at the chruch came out. After a small discussion and agreeance that the car is nice but maybe I should play with it somewhere else I decided it best to leave. I went back out and ventrued to the highway. Traffic was a little heavy so I couldnt make a complete stop but was able to go from about 20mph up to a 100 damn fast and was pushed deep into my seat. I thouroughly enjoyed it and used the passing lane a few times. Every grear accelerates well and there is a growl that builds up with the revs perfectly. After my bit of fun I took it back to the dealer and moved on.

Overall though I love the flashback looks except for its ass and really enjoyed the changes in the interior. For it not being the beloved 5.0 it is still a great motor and 300hp is nothing to laugh at nor is its stock quarter mile times. It is a very quick car that can give you loads of thrills anytime you stomp the gas.
The down side was no sunroof option for the hardtop and it is a gas guzzler BIG time. The prices aren't really negotiable and there aren' any rebates at the moment which was sort of a downer too because the one I looked at sat right at 29Gs... All the commercials advertise right around 25 but to get that one I would have to pre-order and since Im leaving Ohio for VA real soon I dont have time for that.

Next was the GTO and Solstice... both manuals I'll post them after dinner.

 

You need to post kill stories on here. Your detail is great.

 

LoL..Thanks, I dont have my sol around at the moment though. Its still on the boat back to the states. My current two rides are whatever vehicle I bum off my parents to get around while on vacation..which are a Mercury Sable and a V-6 F150 extended cab. Don't think I will be killing anything for awhile.

 

My grandmother has a '99 Sable, but it's DOHC and has 24V. If they have the same kind, you might be killing.

 

This is a good post!

 

I concur. You don't write like a 6th grader. It's refreshing.

 

Thanks for all the positive feedback. I appreciate it. I just hope my reviews provide some information that might not be out there. Or encourage you to check out a car you might not of. Also.... maybe just to steer you away form some that are not as great as they appear to be on the commercials or in the mags that get paid in some form or another to write a positive or semi-positive review.

Plus Im a big car guy in general. I like knowing whats out there and try to stay abreast of all the new stuff. I also dont mind going to a dealership and putting up with the salesman so I can go play with a brand new car.

I was actually banned from 2 dealerships in San Antonio when I was in Tech School for the Air Force. They offer all the Airman in the dorms a free taxi ride to the dealerships as long as they look at some cars. They use High pressure tactics on these people and most are young kids who are aching to get a new car to show off. Well I was young but I have never been one to be pushed into something I didn't want to do and I had a lot of fun taking advantage of this "offer" of free transportation.

The dealerships were closer to downtown than where the base bus system took us, plus it was a free trip so every Saturday for a few months I would call up the cab company to take me to the dealership and then proceed to drive a few cars around and then say I wasnt interested. I never gave up my social and always left a fake phone number for them to call. I enjoyed it since I know they had ripped off a few of my friends. After a while though the dealers realized I wasnt going to buy anything and informed the cab company to not pick me up. I used a different name a few times but after awhile all the salesman recognized me and on my last trip down I was informed that if I didnt but a car that day then the next time I came down in a cab I would be required to pay the fee ((its was like 20 dollars or somin)).... plus I dont think it helped they let me keep 2 different cars overnight and I never bought one. It was fun while it lasted though!

 

Ok onto the next car the Pontiac Solstice

Ok up until this point all the cars have been good if not great.
This one I cannot be nice about. This car sucks! It is a very sad attempt to steal some of the market away from the Miata. The only thing is it's not a great car. The positives though are it has chrome rims standard(or at least the 10 Ive seen) , the curves and look of the car are very nice on the outside and the colors offered are very good looking. Now onto the rest of it. The hood and the trunk both open up on the ends facing the cockpit(wasnt sure how to phrase it correctly) Now this isnt bad but the trunk has no space in it at all if your top is placed inside. The hood at its fullest extent still hinders the ability to fully work on your engine and I didn't like that. Now onto the cabin. Well its a two seat roadster pretty much just like the Miata but the Miata has years of experience with tiny cabins where the Solstice lacks severely. To begin with the cup holders are no where to be found unless you depress a popout set in the center console positioned on the back wall between the seats. Now I dont know about any of you but I cannot turn my arm completely upside down while trying to drive to ensure I can grab my drink... ok ok I know its just a cup holder and I shouldnt be pissed, but thats exactly my point they even FUCKED UP THE CUP HOLDER! How can you not get that right? They could of at least put it in the doors where it can be easily reached? Next was the fact that its all plastic..smooth and sleak but still plastic((not even carefully put together...looks like a model kit by a 6yr old)) and I know as well as you all do the first time you get into that car in a hurry your going to drag your shoe down the door or over some other piece of plastic and its now perfectly ruined and looks like ass. This wouldnt be too much of a problem but the car is very low, doors are small and with the roof up very difficult to "crawl" into. Once seated though the seats are alright they arent snug, but we have learned FAT people want cars too so its a compromise. The rest of the car on the inside isn't great either. The seat controls are a little hard to reach and there was no optimization of space for storage at all. The steering wheel adjust but doesnt telescope, which to me in a car that small it needs to. I dont know what it was but the car felt smaller, tighter, and more like a toy than the Miata or the S2000. along with this discomfort was the way the gauges were angled. They were angled to high and feel like they should of been brought down about half an inch...got the feeling I was looking out of bifocals when trying to read them.

Ok so now onto the rolling road and it doesnt get better.
The suspension was weak and wobbled way more than I expected. The acceleration felt like nothing. I honestly felt I could of walked faster even though my speedo read 60mph. You just do not feel at one with the car or road like you should in a roadster. I was pretty rough on it and was able to chirp the tires but I was still disappointed. The exhaust note was also very disappointing and only gave lively grr sounds at higher RPMS. Also with the top up and the tiny rear window you do have a blindspot bigger than I expected. So overall I hate this car and for me thats a big statement cause Im pretty forgiving. I really think GM should work on this one a little more before trying to put their hat in thee ring with the Miata. I do still want to drive Saturns version of the vehicle called the SKY which I think might be better from the pictures and info I have been able to find on the internet. So hopefully all is not lost for GM's attempt at gainning ground in the roadster department.

So yeah after that crappy car I was ready to get into somin a little better..faster...wider..lol Thats right the GTO! the Goat baby! I'll post that one next.

 

Do the new MX-5 after that!

Make sure you do try a new Mustang GT too. They're definitely at least a decent drive.