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By: JOE PHILLIPS
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Want a cookie-cutter car? Buy a used Taurus. But if bland isn’t your bag, nothing beats a tuned-up tuner car.
Most scream personality, with spoilers, low fenders and flared wheels. Inside, they’re even hotter.
Basically tweaked versions of popular entry-level coupes and sedans, tuner cars offer lots of added speed, style and drama.
Honda Civic Si
$20,500
Mpg: 23 city/32 highway
0 to 60: 6.6 seconds
Frugal, durable and reliable, the Civic Si is definitely not boring, thanks to a zippy 197-hp engine, sport-tuned suspension and a sassy spoiler.
The all-new Si is sleeker and more powerful than past Civics. It’s also tighter, with keener handling through the curves and a firmer feel on slippery roads. Full of airbags, the roomy Si is packed with other features: keyless entry, 17-inch wheels, satellite radio and a voice-activated navigation system.
A two-tiered dash with space-age digital speedometer at the base of the windshield seems quirky at first, then like a smart design move to keep eyes on the road. The ghost-like equalizer readout on the stereo screen is way cool.
MazdaSpeed6
$28,500
Mpg: 20 city/26 highway
0 to 60: 6.2 seconds
Mazda’s zoom-zoom advertising mantra is perfect for its Speed6. But this hot-rod sedan, with its whopping 274-hp turbo engine and stiff sport chassis, has a rather button-down look.
Instead of the large rear wing or big hood scoop on similar four-door tuners, the Speed6 has a subtle spoiler and low-key side skirts. That’s good for chic urban execs with a secret NASCAR fetish.
Shiny alloy pedals and stainless-steel scuff plates add to the scene, and standard all-wheel drive is a plus on twisty roads. Along with one-touch windows and heated seats, there’s also a keyless startup system, steering-wheel audio/cruise controls and bright xenon headlights.
Mitsubishi Evo
$33,500
Mpg: 20 city/31 highway
0 to 60: 4.7 seconds
Like Dame Edna, the Mitsubishi Evo is anything but subtle. Check out the roaring exhaust, aggressive hood scoop, racing Recaro seats and a large wing that keeps the rear end firm to the road.
A pure street-legal racing machine, the Evo comes in three trim levels, including a stripped-down RS model with thinner metal, no power windows/locks, and one of the roughest rides around.
The top-of-the-line MR offers better handling and suspension, along with crisp Brembo brakes. Yet all models offer just as much thrust and thrills as high-test Euro sedans costing twice as much.
Subaru WRX STI
$33,000
Mpg: 18 city/24 highway
0 to 60: 5.0 seconds
Big wing, muscular hood scoop, and Brembo brakes. Sound familiar? With virtually the same parts, price and exhaust rumble as the Mitsu Evo, is Subaru’s WRX STI any different? Well, sort of.
The STI cranks out 300 hp, about 14 more than the Evo. Yet the Evo is 1.1 seconds faster when rocketing from 0 to 100 mph.
The tasteful Subaru interior features more comfortable seating and easier-to-read gauges, but the Evo gets better mileage and stops a bit more quickly.
Like choosing a partner, the choice really boils down to personal taste: the Evo is more rugged, the STI more refined.
VW GTI
$22,000
Mpg: 25 city/31 highway
0 to 60: 6.3 seconds
VW mavens, rejoice! This fifth-generation GTI is the best one yet.
Entertaining and exciting, the slick hatchback sports a sprightly 200-hp four-banger. Coupled with a smooth 6-speed shifter and solid-yet-forgiving suspension, the ride is superb, even over pothole-strewn streets.
Safety fare is abundant, including side/head airbags, daytime running lights, and heated turn-signal mirrors. It’s a bit over the top, but there are also heated windshield-washer nozzles and high-pressure washers for the headlamps.
Most VWs offer upscale cabins, and this one is no exception: one-touch windows, 10-speaker CD/MP3 stereo, satellite radio, chrome-trimmed gauges and quick, easy access to the backseat.
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