With auto show season over and all those hyped-up new vehicles heading to dealer lots, it’s time for driving season.
In a recent drive program featuring 80 vehicles from more than a dozen automakers, several vehicles exceeded expectations and affirmed that you can still get a great car at a good price. And there were one or two that proved money can buy you happiness, at least behind the wheel.
In the sun and the fog, the heat and the rain, vehicles were tested on the streets of bucolic Elkhart Lake, Wisc., off-road, on autocross and controlled track laps at one of America’s greatest race tracks, Road America, for the Midwest Automotive Media Association’s annual spring rally.
If you’re in the market or just like to test drive new cars, here are five that impressed with overall quality and value, excluding the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon pickup truck covered last week. The only regret is being last on a line cut short to drive the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350. Based on my love for the Bullitt Mustang and the reactions of a handful of other drivers who drove the Shelby, it certainly would have made this list.
Best affordable sports car: 2019 Hyundai Veloster N
On two 4-mile track laps, once in the damp fog and once in the dry sun, two things held firm: it was easy to control in corners both wet and dry and the braking was outstanding. In fact, in back-to-back laps with the BMW M2, which has been a favorite since 2016, the Veloster N braked with greater control and harder inputs than the autocross master M2. Later, in trials on the tight, serpentining autocross course, the front-drive Veloster N never understeered, and was easier to control than the Nissan 370Z, the Volkswagen GTI, the M2 and other available vehicles. There are quicker cars than the 275-horsepower 2-liter turbo 4 Veloster N, and the M2 was the autocross champ with its hearty acceleration and willingness to rotate. But the Veloster N impressed everyone I spoke with who got behind the wheel. Most impressive thing? Fully trimmed out, the new Veloster N costs under $30,000. That’s less than half the price of the M2.
Base price: $26,900
As driven: $29,885 (including $885 destination)
Best family vehicle: 2020 Kia Telluride
Kia’s large three-row SUV has Land Rover styling, American spaciousness, and Kia pricing. The roomy third row is easy to get in and out of with push buttons on the top of the mid-row seats, and there’s still room enough in the cargo area for a carry-on for all seven or even eight passengers. The premium SX V-6 I tested was smooth and quiet on the street, even with 20-inch wheels, but also had modest off-road capability. The AWD-system handled muddy ruts, the 8-inch ground clearance helped get it over the humps, and the center differential sends up to 252 pound-feet of torque equally to both axles, same as in the Kia Sorento. It’s great for slick conditions, and is capable for heading out to hunting grounds or down the long unpaved path to a lake house. At a loaded price just under $47,000, it’s hard to see why customers would opt for the Sorento over the larger, better Telluride. It’s not as hard to see why consumers would choose it over the Volkswagen Atlas and other three-rows crossovers.
Base price: $43,490
As driven: $46,860 (including $1,045 destination)
Most curious ride: 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI
Unlike American automakers, Volkswagen is not shying away from sedans. It showed off the Audi-ish Arteon full-size sedan, which replaced the sleek but low-selling CC. The real curiosity was Jetta GLI. Consider it a budget alternative to the Golf GTI in sedan form. Everything about the GTI feels right, and most of that carries over to the GLI, including the 2-liter turbo four-cylinder with the effortless six-speed manual churns out 258 pound-feet of torque. In back-to-back autocross laps the front-drive GTI Rabbit plowed more than the GLI with the same sized wheels and all-season tires. It was most likely due to driver expectation. Even with the GLI starting $3,000 less than the $29,995 GTI, I would have to spend a lot more time behind the wheel of both to recommend the GLI over the GTI, and even then, I doubt I would due to hatchback versatility. But if you’re considering the GTI, a test drive of the GLI is in order.
Base price: $26,995
As driven: $27,890 (including $995 destination)
Best interior: 2019 Mercedes-AMG CLS53 Coupe
With nearly every model getting an AMG performance variant, including the boxy G-Class SUV, the Mercedes product lineup has never been more varied, confusing and pricey. Yet the AMG CLS53 might be that perfect balance of supersmooth cruising and gut-dropping power with exquisite interior design that is not ostentatious. The spartan black dash with natural grain grey ash wood extending to the doors and throughout the center console is the expression of luxury. It’s silvery, almost chrome looking, but textured so that if you rub your hand on it you feel the wood. On a quick street drive, it was so quiet and insulated it felt electric, but hammer the throttle and the 429-horsepower 3-liter turbo inline six cylinder with nine-speed transmission roars into a blistering sports coupe.
Base price: $79,900
As driven: $106,980 (including $995 destination)
Everyday supercar? Acura NSX
Discontinued in 2005 and resurrected for 2018, Acura was touting this everyday supercar long before McLaren’s Sport Series and Audi’s R8. Acura’s oxymoron consists of an advanced hybrid powertrain featuring three motors and a mid-engine twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 with a nine-speed dual clutch transmission putting out 573 horsepower. Two motors power the front wheels for AWD hold, while standard Continental SportContact 6 tires upgraded for 2019 provide more grip. It gets 21 mpg combined, but not on the track. I got behind the wheel while the fog was still heavy, the course still wet, and the ride-along instructor less than enthusiastic. Despite the conditions, the NSX takes the breath away and leaves you shaking for more. The cornering and braking, enabled by carbon-ceramic rotors for $10,600, inflated my sense of ability. Just what you want out of an everyday supercar with $37,900 in options. With a base price of $157,500 including gorgeous Indigo blue leather with Alcantara seats standard, the NSX easily outperforms the BMW i8 as an everyday supercar and is more practical than the McLaren 570S. Is practicality a concern for two seats just under $200,000?
Base price: $157,500
As driven: $196,500 (including $1,800 destination)
