Since I'm low man on the totem pole when it comes to the long-term car clipboard, chances are that I'll usually end up with the Smart or the Jetta TDI. Not complaining but it's just funny to see what consistently gets passed over by the editors.
But I've noticed that our 2009 Nissan 370Z has joined the other two at the bottom of the barrel more often. And last night, it was the only car left on the list. Meaning, someone actually picked the Smart Fortwo over the Z. Wuuut?
Curious why this happened, I first asked someone at the top of the list why he skipped over the Z. "I saw the GT-R and the Z and I took the GT-R," said Karl Brauer matter-of-factly. OK, well maybe a fellow low man would be the person to ask. So I asked Automotive Content Editor Warren Clarke who is two above me on the list and who actually picked the Smart.
"I don't like its visibility and it's hard to get out of," he said of the Z. "It's a good-looking car and if I was doing something tonight where I needed a good-looking car I would have picked it. But I'm just going to the grocery store. So I don't want to have to worry about backing out of a space and not being able to see [in a crowded parking lot]."
Other editors, most with longer commutes, have said that they don't like its harsh ride for their everyday needs.
As for me, I like fast cars so yay.
Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 7,480 miles
carguy622 says:
10:35 AM, 06/10/09
I just got back from a 2.5 hour trip up the Garden State Parkway and Turnpike, and although I could have taken the Miata, I took the TSX instead. Sometimes you just want serenity and easy access over fun.
It's all about the right tool for the job.
joegibes says:
10:48 AM, 06/10/09
"But I'm just going to the grocery store."
...in an $80,000 supercar. Besides, doesn't carrying dairy/grain products in the trunk void the warranty?
carfreak8394 says:
10:56 AM, 06/10/09
"...in an $80,000 supercar. Besides, doesn't carrying dairy/grain products in the trunk void the warranty?"
It said in the blog that Warren picked the Smart.
joegibes says:
11:12 AM, 06/10/09
Oops. I suppose the Smart is the better car for errands around town like that. I'd take looks and performance over convenience though :P
stovt001 says:
11:17 AM, 06/10/09
"It's all about the right tool for the job."
+1. For example,
I'm not at all a fan of the Challenger - it is big, heavy, retro-for-retro's sake on the outside, boring on the inside, and just doesn't perform. However, I took a short roadtrip from LA to Tucson last weekend for my wife's grandparent's 50th anniversary, and I could think of very few other car's I'd rather have for that trip than a Challenger. However, once I got there I found out the party was on Roller Coaster Road, which was named that for a very, very literal reason. So in my fantasy world, I would have parked my Challenger just off the freeway and hopped in an MX-5, GTI, or something along those lines.
dougtheeng says:
11:54 AM, 06/10/09
I'm glad to see there is some sensibility in the Edmunds garage, but it seems unfair that there is a constant pecking order for the cars. Isn't the idea to share them around and try them all? Disappointing.
bkochuk says:
11:59 AM, 06/10/09
do any of you people own your own car??
e10rice says:
12:04 PM, 06/10/09
I say good for you Caroline! All the stars alighned and you got your hands on a great car! I think maybe once a month or so the clip board should be passed around in the reverse direction, this will ensure the people on the bottom have a fare chance!
e10rice says:
12:06 PM, 06/10/09
Oh have you even had the chance to drive the GT-R? I bet that thing is always gone within the first few picks!
blueguydotcom says:
12:42 PM, 06/10/09
"if I was doing something tonight where I needed a good-looking car I would have picked it. "
Huh? What does someone EVER do where they need a good looking car?
iancar says:
12:42 PM, 06/10/09
This is what happens to real world car sales. G8 400+ hp and GT-R gets every journalist excited, but in the end, most wives and girlfriends will choose a Toyota Camry or a Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 instead. Why? "Toyota" "Germans" and "Quietness" win, all the time.
caroscuro says:
12:56 PM, 06/10/09
dougtheeng & e10rice, I agree! Heh.
blueguydotcom, Def an LA thing, i.e. going to some fancy restaurant.
desmolicious says:
01:10 PM, 06/10/09
Does the Kogi BBQ truck count as fancy? Sure tastes that way!
equ says:
03:29 PM, 06/10/09
Had that car been a cayman, what the 370Z takes as a benchmark, this would not be happening.
Mad_Science says:
05:00 PM, 06/10/09
@iancar: my wife vetoes from consideration all vehicles that can't be had with a stickshift and refuses to allow me to ever sell my Wrangler.
But then again, I'm a lucky guy ;)
s1gins says:
06:55 AM, 06/11/09
I love taking the GTR to Costco! No issues with defrosting the frozen foods and it always give me a kick that I can fit everything in the trunk. And the warranty is still good...
vvk says:
09:35 AM, 06/11/09
> Had that car been a cayman, what the 370Z takes as a benchmark, this would not be happening.
Equ, well said indeed.
kingkhalas says:
11:08 AM, 06/11/09
kogi!
jakoye says:
02:39 PM, 06/11/09
C'mon, equ. The Z is not a Cayman. The designers may have been emulating a Cayman, but anyone who claims the Z is as good as a Cayman is fooling themselves big-time. You can buy TWO 370Z's for the price of one Cayman! I would hope that the Cayman was a better car for that price difference!
That said, these Edmunds test drivers sound like a bunch of suburban moms who need to be equipped with minivans. "Can't see out of the rear"??? What do you think properly adjusted side mirrors are for? "Ride too rough"? It's a SPORTS CAR, for Pete's sake! What did you expect, a 1950's era Cadillac ride?
I don't know... I'd be happy to be low man on the totem pole and be getting to drive the Z every day!