DetroitPro03

i'd have to disagree with the specv on that comment

while the evo and srt4 have been beaten with the ugly stick, i feel the se-r is quite an attractive car.

please omit the se-r and add the nissan murano in its place

i know its not a sport compact, but someone has to realize how hideous this car/suv/crap it is

mygreenmazda

Anyone can say that the specv is ugly the srt is ugly and the lancer is ugly but guess what all of those three can beat us, and I know what everybody is going to say, But those cars are worth 10k more than ours well to tell you the truth the srt is not as ugly as past neons, I mean for 20k you are getting a 14.1 quarter mile and a car that can keep up with the 350Z. Well about those 10k I would definetely be able to beat a lancer, man 10k is a lot and it is always fun hooking up a car other than having it come with 17's turbo, racing seats, racing suspension, etc. But to answer the question of this forum, the fastest of them all is the srt followed by the lancer then the mazdaspeed and last the specv.

leungwingkei

I couldn't agree more. The only way to see how a car really handles is to drive it yourself, not to gauge it entirely from magazine numbers. Magazines numbers provide only background information. The details are which you have to discover yourself at the wheel.

I can't stand how Matrix XRS owners constantly state that because the Matrix outslamlomed the P5 in one test in Motor Trend, they have the better handling car. Did it occur to them that the P5 has 195 all season rubber and the Matrix had 215 summer rubber?

And they also claim that because the Matrix outgripped the P5 in a Car and Driver comparison it handles better. Again the tires.

This is why I like Car and Driver so much. It's because they put an emphasis on the subjective attributes of how a car behaves and drives, and not the numbers. It also puts sportiest as priority which I can like also.

And the P5 does and will outhandle the Matrix.

jstand6

In defense of Road & Track, from which I quoted the slalom speeds for the Evo VII and MP3, they named the Ferrari 360 Modena as the best handling car. The MP3 had some pretty impressive numbers and the Lotus blew the competition away on the handling tests, but the Ferrari was deemed the best handler after their subjective ratings were thrown in. I was just disputing the previous claim that the Evo VII could beat the MSP in the slalom.

What really matters most is what puts the biggest grin on your face. For the money, the MSP is one of the best values out there (just don't pay attention to the Miata in the corner).

Installshield

The SRT is not faster than a EVO...Also it is another example of this countries discusting fascination with straightline performance. The chassis has no where near the refinement of the MSP. So define "beat". A LSD equiped MSP would destroy a SRT on anything with a decent amount of turns. The SRT is just a crazy muscle car like little funny looking compact. Just because it is faster in the quarter mile does not mean it is faster in every situation...

wakeupcall

In terms of the best slamon time occouring with neutral cars this is true as they are the most predictable etc. However, much like the old praised integra's, not to mention the Peugot 206's or many other small fwd europen touring car, the MSP will accually also exibit mild oversteer while at the limit of adheasion especially when fulling getting off the gas.