3 Car Comparo. Nissan Altima; Chevy Spark; Dodge Charger

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GTwannabe
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri Nov 08, 2013 4:21 am

3 Car Comparo. Nissan Altima; Chevy Spark; Dodge Charger

Post by GTwannabe »

Hey Yall,

My company sent me on an away mission, and decided that I needed a rental car. Enterprise was happy enough to let me swap cars at my liesure, and so I am writing a comparison of these three 2013 models. My driving history prior is largely based on the vibe, a mini, and a Chevy Avalanche. Why my company gave a rental car to a 22 year old with a right foot problem is beyond me :D So, rest assured I tested many of the performance characteristics of these cars.

First off:
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I was originally offered the Nissan Versa, but the 4 speed tranny did not sound too fun. I asked what else they had, and was offered this mid-size, uhh, beauty? My coworker promptly responded, "feeling altimate?" The Nissan has some looks going for it. You notice the wheel front wheel flairs, and the rest of the car could grow on you. Entering the cabin you will notice a lot of space. My car had a fake suede like finish on the comfy seats. Dashboard controls were nice and easy to use. The biggest issue with the interior is that it is too American. It feels like a full size car from the inside, which will bother someone who likes to know where every bit and piece of their vehicle is at all times. The seats also lack any kind of directional support. If you like to corner, prepair yourself to be tossed side to side.
All Alitmas come with a CVT transmission. This was probably one of the best features of the car. Compared to many cheap "slushboxes," Nissan's CVT makes you forget you are driving. You seem to just float from one part of town to the other, controlling your speed with two depressable levers located on the floor. Well, maybe not entirely, but the CVT is nice. For all the "rubber band" and "scooter" comments people make about it, you might find it growing on you. Owning this car means you will never again have to expierience the harsh auto-shifts of most other sedans on the market. It also means you can get about 40mpg on the highway. City mpg wasn't as good as acclaimed, about 20, but did I mention that right foot problem?
Interestingly enough, the Altima makes a pretty sweet snarl when you start it up on cold mornings. Adding a preformance exhaust might give you some driver satisfaction, but you might also be confused for a bumblebee due to the CVT's ability to stay in the powerband. The Altima is about as quick as the Charger, despite a 100+ hp difference, but lacks the driver involvement. This would be a great car for someone who likes family sedans. Ride and handeling performance is mediocore. Mine had a "S" badge, but I wasn't quite sure what it stood for. Going hard into corners gave incredable amounts of understeer. Overall the Altima would be a good car for the average American.

Numba 2!
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To truly enjoy this car you have to be a motorcyclist. It was like someone took a Honda CBR 600 and bolted it to 2400lb mini car. Some might not like the external looks, but they grew on me from first sight. This car is small, but doesn't look like the older aveo or any other cheap American small car. Everything comes off as being well put together. Entering the car this is a good amount of space and alot of headroom. The flat floor annoyed me, but the seats were firm and supportive. Two very annoying features exist inside this car. The insturment pannel is very cool, and motorcycle-isk, but, for someone 5-9 you cannot see your digital speedometer as you drive down the road. The car probably won't ever get above the speed limit, but more on that later. The other, very, annoying feature is the radio. Someone at chevy decided to give this car a full touch screen radio/monitor. That someone should be shot for how annoying it is to use. You will hit the same button multiple times before it selects, and the graphics delay is close to a second.
Most people will look at this car as cheap transportation. They will say, "its gutless and crampt." That might be true, but I would take the 84 hp Spark with a stick over the 300 hp charger. Of these three cars, the Spark is the only one that felt like it was trying. The engine sings to you as you go through 3 gears to make it to 35 mph. First gear, which goes to about 15, pulls harder off the line than the 300 hp charger. Going around the city puts a smile on your face as you stomp on the gas pedal at every chance and still get 35mpg. The freeway is.. well... try not to take a Spark on the freeway. The ride is sharp. This car wants to go into corners, and it tells you what the pavement is doing. At times it is a bit harsh, but it is also a cheap car. Of these three cars the Spark is the only one that feels like it is trying to impress you. Have any 16 year olds ready to learn stick? A Spark will make a great starter car.

FINAL!!

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I probably would have kept the Spark, but it smelt like bublegum detergent had been sprayed everywhere, and the steeringwheel was turned 15 degrees while going straight. When I turned it in I asked about what cars they had left, and the beautiful enterprise.... uh.. rent-a-girl??? told me that they had a charger! This is the V6 292 hp 5 speed, and it looks mean. This car is big, and it feels big inside and out. The interior has cool aluminum trim, and the seats were the most comfortable here. If you want a car to impress the impressionable, this is it.
So coming from a 132 hp i4 vibe to a 300 hp v6 would seem like a shock, but it wasn't. This is the most horribly geared car in near existance. Driving it is like talking to that girl you liked in high-school. She is totally uniterested in you and what you want. 1st gear goes to about 60mph at 6500rpm, which means there is no pull from the line. Driving it at over 4000rpm is statisfying, but you only experience it in first gear; 4000rpm in 2nd is about 65. So why does this car have 3 more gears? I am not sure. Newer models have an 8 speed tranny option that shaves a full second off the 0-60. I would recomend that if you want real performance out of this beast.
That said, the charger is fast, in a swooshing kind of way. It goes up above 80mph with no problem. I avoided any high speed test, but this car seems made for high-speed dashes across the country. Back roads offer the most pleasure, with shifts between 1st and 2nd being rewarding, even if they annoyingly remind you that thouse are your only fun gears. On tight sweepers the charger is at home. Corner entry and high rpm exit feel secure, and put a smile on your face. The steeringwheel seems to have been injected with morphine, but directional changes come quickly. The charger shows little body roll, and moderate understeer. Sadly you cannot do a burnout or doughnut (hey its not my car lolz). The traction control takes car of that, and it cannot be totally turned off. With some changes to gearing and handeling, the charger could be a bargain sport saloon. Sadly its all show and no go.

Hope you guys like the reviews. I'm pretty bored at work hahaha
Kendrick Lamar agrees... Keep your Vibe alive and well...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF8aaTu2kg0
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vibenvy
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Location: Sandwich, IL

Re: 3 Car Comparo. Nissan Altima; Chevy Spark; Dodge Charger

Post by vibenvy »

Great read! I find it interesting that you seemed to favor the Spark out of the 3. I am seeing more and more of them around my area and I really like the looks of them. I just can't imagine driving something that small though :|. My mom and I parked her Vibe next to one yesterday when we went to visit a friend and the Vibe seemed like a Hummer compared to the little Spark :P!
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Chiadog
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Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2012 9:41 am
Location: Abrams, wisconsin

Re: 3 Car Comparo. Nissan Altima; Chevy Spark; Dodge Charger

Post by Chiadog »

Nice write-up! Thanks GTwannabe.
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