Egg 2.0

The quest for a new car is over. Last Friday morning I picked up Egg 2.0.
I took my time (sort of) figuring out exactly what type of vehicle would be a worthy successor for Egg 1.5. I knew the following were deal breakers:
* it needed to be less than 21k
* if couldn't be a truck
* it needed to have a hatchback
* it needed to be able to have a roof rack attached
Based on that criteria I made a list of the possible replacements and came up with the following list:
* Mini Clubman
* Suzuki SX4
* Mazda 3
* VW Rabbit
* VW Jetta SportWagon
* Honda Fit
* Toyota Matrix
* Subaru Outback Sport
I ruled out the Scion xB because it was too much like a truck. The Scion xD and the Nissan Versa didn't make the list because the Fit got much better reviews. I ruled out the Saturn Astra because I was uncertain about GM future.
From the long list I ruled out the Clubman (despite the fact that I really, really wanted to make it work) because it was a) too expensive, b) too small, and c) it takes premium fuel. I also ruled out the Suzuki because I couldn't find a local dealer and I wasn't sure about the overall quality of Suzuki's cars.
The other six cars on the list got test drives at dealers along the Auto Mile in Norwood.
The Mazda 3 had the sportiest styling of all the cars. It also had the steepest price tag to get it decently equipped. The inside on the top of the model line was OK. The seats were comfortable, but the rest of the cockpit felt a little cheap. The stereo was the best of the bunch. The interior was a lot like the feel of the car on the road. It felt really sporty, but didn't really handle that well. The suspension was stiff, but not stiff enough to give it a sport car feel.
The Toyota Matrix drove like an old station wagon that was wrapped in flashy packaging. The interior was gaudy. The suspension was stiff, but the handling was sloppy. The seats were not comfortable. The shifter was in an awkward location. The engine lacked punch.
The Honda Fit was a nice little car. It has comfortable seats, a nice stereo, and a polished interior given its bargain basement price. The stereo comes with built-in iPod integration. While not exactly sporty, the Fit handles nicely. It has decent pep and it takes turns crisply. Its ride is pleasant and the rode noise is minor. The Fit also had the 2nd largest cargo space of the group. Of all the cars I test drove the Fit surprised me the most. The only downside I found to the Fit was that it did not impress me as something I'd want to take on long highway drives with a couple of sea kayaks strapped onto the roof. It would make a great city car or a great short trip car though.
The VWs were both excellent drives. They share the same engine and drove nearly the same. Both had comfortable and polished interiors although the door wells seemed a little too deep. The controls also seemed a little too complicated in their layout. The engines had plenty of power and they accessed it smoothly. The suspensions were stiff but not jarring. They both cornered nicely. The models I drove were 6 speed automatics with triptronic shifters. It was nice to be able to manually shift the cars if desired.
The Subaru was a familiar ride in a lot of ways. The new Outback Sport looks completely different from the Egg, but much of the platform is the same. The new version is quieter and the heated seats are a nice bonus as is the upgraded stereo. The new cup holder layout is also much better. It had plenty of power that transferred to the road smoothly. It handled very well. The new suspension is a little more plush, but still stiff enough to give a sporty feel. It felt like driving my car, but just a tad nicer.
After the day of driving, I narrowed the field down to two cars: the Jetta SportWagen and the Outback Sport.
I gave them both a second drive and this time I made sure to get a 5 speed Jetta. The 5 speed Jetta was marginally zippier than the automatic Jetta. The shifting was very smooth and the golfball shaped shift handle was comfortable. The only strange thing was the shift pattern. VW puts R to the left of 1st.
The decision came down to features because I liked how they both drove.
The Jetta has 30 more sq ft. of storage area. It also comes with 30k of free maintenance. It has 5 stage heated seats, turn signals on the mirrors, anti-pinch windows, and the ability to shut the windows using the keys. It also gets better gas mileage and costs about $600 less than the Subaru.
The Subaru has AWD, fog lights, more ground clearance, a windshield wiper deicer, and a heavy duty suspension. Inside it has a rubber cargo mat and a 10 speaker, 6 disc changer with controls on the steering wheel. The Subaru also comes equipped with a custom roof rack system that is super easy to remove.
Ultimately, I decided that the Subaru was the proper choice to be Egg 2.0. The AWD, the fog lights, and the heavy-duty suspension are more important to me than the extra cargo space. Besides, the Subaru is a sexier looking car.
After two trips to RI this weekend, I can say that I am happy with the car.
One super bonus is that the car has an auxiliary jack that I can use to play my iPod through!! No more radio dead-zones!! (All of the cars in the list have auxiliary jacks and the ability to have iPod integration installed.)