Better Than Ever--Five Immensely Improved Cars

Subaru WRX - Power, power and more power. After years of playing a distant second fiddle to its STI big brother, the little turbo that could now has a whopping 265 horsepower and 244 poundfeet of torque motivating all four of the 17 inch wheels. And with the body kit as a standard feature, it now looks more the part. Suspension tweaks are there too, and all of this makes for a heck of a package at around $ 25,000.

Ford Mustang GT - More power (315 HP), more style, and despite the infamous live rear axle in a world of independent suspension, better handling. One hard corner during a recent test drive was a pleasant surprise, and lane changes were snappy as well. Other than a price heading towards forty thousand, the Ford Mustang GT convertible with premium package is better in every way. Pay no attention to that 2011 model behind the curtain, with an extra hundred ponies on tap.

Mazda MX-5  - The all time best selling roadster picks up some more power, some more refinement, and makes a serious move away from bare bones fun up the food chain. And yet, the essential low cost, highly involving car is still there. how good is the Miata, excuse me, MX-5? One retired racing driver I know has one in the garage.

Jaguar XF  - Wow, what a difference an owner makes. Ford made the Jaguar more reliable, always a good thing, but Tata is bringing it into the 21st century.  You want James Bond controls? Check. You want real performance to go with your luxury? Check. You want fresh new styling? As you wish. You want an affordable luxury car? Hey, you can't have everything.

Nissan 370Z  - Much has been inked about the superiority of the new Z versus the old Z. It is all true. I have driven both, and it is as if they smoothed out all the edges from the 350Z. the engine sounds and pulls better. The interior is worlds better, as befits a premium sports car.
The usable storage space and rear visibility has been improved as well. The handling, always excellent, benefits by larger wheels. The sport shift that allows you to do things on a manual never seen before, is the icing on the cake. Cheap? No, but worth it. Now if only you could see out of it a little better.