Test Driving
Now that school has started and there is free time, it's time to test the newest and greatest road machines. I took my Mommy along so that I wouldn't do anything stupid like accidentally buying one.

Nissan Murano: I started with this one because my Mom's been dreaming about it for a while. Sure, it looks cute, but for an engine over 200hp it really doesn't drive well at all; the acceleration is pitiful. A neat feature it has is a continuous transmission. There are no "gears."

Toyota Prius: This car was chosen for its technical innovation. Indeed, the hybrid technology it uses makes for a great ride. It is the only car I've ever seen that has larger gas usage on highway than in city conditions. It's really neat how the motor turns itself off often for a very quiet ride. It's neat how they reuse inertia expended upon brakes to charge the system. It's awesome how they have a big fat power button in the car. I would recommend this car to anyone and everyone. However, I am looking for something with a clutch for now.

Mazda 3: I have a 1994 Mazda Protege. I love it. This new car is even sweeter, the price is right, it drives beautifully on all counts, and it has a clutch. My only disappointment is that the rear seats no longer fold down flat: not so great for sleeping.

BMW 325: This is the extreme end of my list. I went to the BMW dealership and they treated me much better than the others. I took over an hour of the dealer's time, and he explained everything. The features in the 2006 line is astonishing. Things I would never think of, technology that other makers haven't though of either. They've made it significantly more efficient. However, I don't like the new stylings very much; they redesigned the interior such that the window controls had to be moved from the middle console onto the door like every other car. Driving it, on the other hand: WOAH. The sales agent also let me go down the road behind the airport and even encouraged me to do some really fast turns, donuts, and "test" the acceleration to my desire. There is hardly a part in that car where they didn't pose the question: "how can we make this part better than the other car designers?" This vehicle is definitely on the top of my list, more than ever.

I think this testing gave me a better appreciation for new cars and their associated technologies. In the end, I will probably settle on one of the latter two. The driving differences between the Mazda and BMW are actually less significant than I imagined. But the BMW is the most refined vehicle I have ever driven.