Chalk. It’s the term college basketball prognosticators use to describe picking the higher seeds in their NCAA Tournament brackets. Pick chalk in each region and you’ll have all four No. 1 seeds in the Final Four. The annual Motor Authority Best Car to Buy competition is a bracket of our own, and if you were handicapping this year’s finalists, the new Porsche 911 would be the No. 1 seed. The color of the 911 4S we drove during our BCTB testing in North Georgia and on the track at Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP)? Chalk.
The 911 squared off against the BMW M850i, BMW Z4, Hyundai Veloster N, Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, and Toyota Supra for top honors this year. We flew five editors to Georgia to test them all at AMP and the roads in and around the Chattahoochee National Forest.
We compared the street and track performance of all six cars, evaluated their value, considered their technological and engineering advances, and argued about all of it. In the end, the chalk held, and the 911 was our clear winner. However, a few higher and lower seeds swapped places in the final tally.
Below, we present the final order of our judging with comments from our crew on each of our six contenders.
2020 Porsche 911 - Best Car To Buy 2020
2020 Porsche 911 - Best Car To Buy 2020
2020 Porsche 911 - Best Car To Buy 2020
2020 Porsche 911 - Best Car To Buy 2020
Winner: Porsche 911, The Master
Our team cycled through every other competitor at Atlanta Motorsports Park before strapping into our 911 4S tester, and that played into the Porsche’s hands. Like Larry Bird playing horse against the guys in your Monday night pickup game, the 911 showed the others what’s what. It not only bested the competition, it annihilated them. Managing Editor Aaron Cole said “the 911 showed up and asked who’s playing for second.”
The 911 4S showed poise in the corners, poise under braking, poise when the tires were ready to break away, and poise when we kept beating on it. “Is there anything this car can’t do well?,” asked Editorial Director Marty Padgett, noting the 911 4S “grips and squats like a powerlifter as it circles the big carousel at AMP” and its suspension “deflects pavement bumps but doesn’t get in the way of great steering feel.”
Of all its strengths, cornering ability could be its greatest. “The Porsche was the most planted for me on the track, most precise, most flattering of any ability I may have behind the wheel,” said Cole. “The tail never wavered, never yelped or complained no matter how hard I tried.”
The 911’s stability made our editors feel like better drivers. Senior Editor Robert Duffer said he could push it beyond his capability. Interactive Content Manager Joel Feder agreed, saying the 911 was “unflappable” and “It instantly instills confidence at speed as it begs to be pushed faster around corners.”
2020 Porsche 911 - Best Car To Buy 2020
The 911 4S’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-6 makes 443 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. That made it only the third most-powerful car in our fleet. And yet, it reached the highest speed. Two of us reported reaching 130 mph heading into turn 1 on the front straight. The next closest was 127 mph in the 630-hp Mercedes-AMG GT 63S 4-Door Coupe. The 911 was faster than them all because it could carry more speed through the hairy high-speed turn 16 slight right-hander and because it seems to make more power than its ratings would indicate.
We were also taken with the 911’s street behavior. Padgett pointed to the 911’s spacious head room and wonderful seats, and noted that “the switchgear has the heft of real luxury.” Feder said the seating position provides perfect forward vision. We agreed that it rides well.
Not everything was positive, though. Feder pointed to some hard plastics in the interior and said the electric razor-like gear selector seems like a bad design choice. “Can we please have the 991.2’s interior back?,” he asked.
We all agreed the 911 was the clear winner, and Cole honed in on why. “Decades of engineering have made a beautiful sports car better every iteration. The 911 has a 60-year head start on perfection. It’s not fair.”
Buyers benefit from Porsche’s single-minded effort to constantly make the 911 better and better with each generation. In the end, 57 years of engineering improvements made the Porsche 911 the Motor Authority Best Car to Buy 2020.
2019 Hyundai Veloster N - Best Car To Buy 2020
2019 Hyundai Veloster N - Best Car To Buy 2020
2019 Hyundai Veloster N - Best Car To Buy 2020
2019 Hyundai Veloster N - Best Car To Buy 2020
Second place: Hyundai Veloster N, The Overachiever
The cheapest car in our group, the Hyundai Veloster N, proved to be the most surprising. “I was prepared to relegate this one to the bottom of the pack, but the Veloster straps on its high-output turbo-4 and manual shifter and grippy tires and sets its sights on GTIs and Type Rs, some of our favorite affordable performers,” said Padgett.
The Korean hot hatch’s on-track behavior is what shot it up the bracket from perhaps the sixth seed all the way to number two. I thought its turn-in response was the most responsive of our group, and it trailed only the masterful 911 for stability in the high-speed left-to-right transition in turn 16.
That stability inspired confidence in several of us. “The steering was direct, handling gave enough confidence to push it more each lap, which is great on a track,” said Duffer. Padgett found that front-stretch transition undramatic and said he really enjoyed hammering it through the track’s tight kinks.
We also lauded the turbo-4’s power delivery. “The engine is just happy to give everything it has at all times,” said Feder, while Cole commended its response at low revs. Both Cole and I hit 115 mph on the front stretch, which was about the same as the Toyota Supra, which has 60 more hp and 105 more lb-ft of torque. That says something about the confidence we had in both cars.
2019 Hyundai Veloster N - Best Car To Buy 2020
Opinions were mixed on the manual shifter. Cole found it ropey, and Feder liked it but said it’s not as good as those in the Mazda3 or VW GTI. None of us complained about missing shifts.
The brakes were also a mixed bag. Duffer felt there was too much pedal travel, but Padgett said the brakes registered above his expectations. The Veloster N’s Performance Package comes with bigger brakes at 13.6 inches up front and 12.4 inches in the rear, but they use only single-piston calipers. Hyundai sells accessory brake pads for track days and that’s what our car had. They proved up to the task of a half-day of track time.
On the street, the Veloster’s foibles are easier to spot. The ride is hard, and N mode firms up the adjustable dampers to the point of pain. The economy car roots show through in a budget-grade cabin, and Feder pointed out that the four-door hatchback design is compromised for space.
None of that, however, was enough to damp our enthusiasm for an affordable car that can work as an everyday driver and an occasional track car. Duffer said the Veloster N “had the most tactile, visceral feel, and you had to work it but it was worth it.” Feder called it a better value than a VW Golf R and more fun to drive than a GTI. Cole dubbed it “the working man’s middleweight champ,” while Padgett summed up our thoughts: “For under $30,000, the Veloster N’s more a joy to drive than either of the less-expensive sports cars on our list, and even if it doesn’t win in this ranking, it’s still a win.”
2020 BMW Z4 - Best Car To Buy 2020
2020 BMW Z4 - Best Car To Buy 2020
2020 BMW Z4 - Best Car To Buy 2020
2020 BMW Z4 - Best Car To Buy 2020
We were enamored with the Z4 and disappointed by it, too. On the street, it’s a dream. On the track, it has a serious flaw.
Both the Z4 and its spin-off, the Toyota Supra, suffered from a rear end that became unsettled in long, sweeping turns. The cars bounded side to side like the traction was being passed from one tire to the other and back again. It likely has to do with the locking percentages of the electronic limited-slip differential teamed with rear suspension damping that can’t handle those motions. The issue only became apparent when we pushed the cars hard on the track, much harder than is prudent on the street. However, it made for some hair-raising moments that cost the cars speed through those turns and into the long straight at the end of the front stretch. The good news for BMW is the Z4’s tail was better controlled than the Supra’s.
“It’s just not settled enough to put in the same echelon our past Best Car To Buy winners,” Padgett said, while Duffer said the rear end gets loose pretty easily with a tendency to skip or hop.
The Z4’s other dynamics are spot on. “Everywhere else, the Z4 exuded a charm from the inside that felt bright, light, and instantly improved any of my foul moods,” Cole said. We liked the sharp steering and the feel through the small, thick steering wheel. The Z4 turned into corners quickly and proved nimble in quick changes of direction. The tires also did their best to hold on for dear life, and that contributed to a top speed of 121 mph into turn 1 for me, but only after I grew confident that the rear end wouldn’t let loose despite its shuffling.
2020 BMW Z4 - Best Car To Buy 2020
Another reason for that speed is the turbocharged inline-6 that spins up 382 wonderful horses. “BMW’s turbo-6 needs a fast-pass to the engine hall of fame, it’s fabulous,” Cole exclaimed. We all agreed, and Feder noted that the 8-speed automatic is one of the best in the business as well.
As a street car, we could scarcely be happier. “If the PCH were my playground, I’d have a Z4 in the garage,” Cole said. Duffer called it sweet to drive and Padgett said the steering, convertible top, and power send all the right signals.
We picked at the niggly bits, too. Duffer didn’t like the gear lever, instrument cluster, iDrive controller dial, or voice recognition. Padgett decried the Z4’s mission creep, noting that original Z3 was aimed at the Miata, but our tester cost a dazzling $70,245.
In all, we felt the Z4 is a sweetheart as a street car, but it’s just not a track machine.
2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door - Best Car To Buy 2020
2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door - Best Car To Buy 2020
2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door - Best Car To Buy 2020
2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door - Best Car To Buy 2020
4th place: Mercedes-AMG GT 63S 4-Door Coupe: The Monster
The Mercedes-AMG GT 63S 4-Door Coupe packs a 630-hp twin-turbo V-8, an advanced all-wheel-drive system with a drift mode, an electronic limited-slip differential, and a sport-tuned air suspension into a car the size of the Porsche Panamera. While the Porsche balances performance with luxury, the AMG GT wears its performance bias on its sleeve. It’s big, bold, flashy, firm, and oh-so-fast. Our tester was flashy to the point of gaudy, with its flat blue paint, big wing spoiler, and 21-inch chrome monoblock wheels. Almost all of us hated those wheels, except for Feder, whose overexuberance for cars sometimes clouds his taste. For the record, I think they look good in flat black, but chrome is right out.
The wheels’ platter-like design may have also trapped in too much heat. Our tester’s whopping $189,880 sticker price didn’t include carbon-ceramic brakes and the big beast suffered for that oversight. The brakes smoked and the gauge cluster’s brake temperature readouts (a nice touch) flashed red after a couple sessions in the car. “Want to track it? Bring brakes and a fire extinguisher,” Cole quipped. We had to take it out on the street to cool them off, then didn’t trust them for a final run. That was more due to an overabundance of caution than an actual problem. ”It’s true the brakes started smoking, likely due to its weight, but I never felt them actually fade,” noted Feder.
The 4,500-pound GT’s heft could also be felt on the track. The beast wanted to plow into tight corners and had trouble transitioning from side to side and back again compared to the four smaller cars we had on hand. However, it also impressed for what it could do given its size.
2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door - Best Car To Buy 2020
“While it never feels smaller than it is, both on the street and the track, it attacks corners with far more speed than it should be able to,” Feder said. Duffer agreed: “Really impressed by its high-speed handling through the long carousel, was able to maintain a line and speed.”
The twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 made the AMG GT 63S 4-Door Coupe the fastest car of the group, but not the fastest on the track. The V-8 stunned with sudden thrilling, violent acceleration, but the car’s weight meant we couldn’t go all-out in the high-speed transition from left to right in turn 16. That resulted in a 127-mph top speed compared to the 911’s 130 mph, even though the Benz has 187 more horsepower and 274 more lb-ft of torque. “This thing was clearly developed to devour the Autobahn at triple-digit speeds,” Feder said.
Our editors liked the 9-speed automatic transmission’s track behavior, but we weren’t happy with its street demeanor. “The transmission is a gem when driving hard but exhibits a few hiccups here and there with a lighter foot,” Feder noted. Padgett called it fiddly outside of its Sport modes and Cole said it isn’t well-behaved. The transmission has a tendency to search for gears at low speeds.
Our feelings were mixed about the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe’s interior. Multiple editors said the wide center console takes up too much space, and we find the rear seat is too small for a four-door. However, we liked the quality of the cabin. “I’m in love with parts of the personality here, from the glam bits of shiny trim to the gray wood and circular vents to the way the AMG coddles through high-velocity corners,” Padgett said. Cole agreed: “It’s full of beautifully rendered vents and buttons and feels.”
Our conclusion? The AMG is a great car but it’s not quite up to the standard set by the Panamera. “The AMG GT sedan’s like a Panamera, but not quite. It needs more time to proof before it comes off as fully baked,” Padgett said.
2020 Toyota Supra - Best Car To Buy 2020
2020 Toyota Supra - Best Car To Buy 2020
2020 Toyota Supra - Best Car To Buy 2020
2020 Toyota Supra - Best Car To Buy 2020
5th place: Toyota Supra, The Autocrosser
“I went into Best Car To Buy week with the Supra on a pedestal because the legend was back,” Feder said. “The Supra was the largest disappointment of the week.” Feder’s thoughts echoed those of our entire group.
The Supra is quick and nimble, but it isn’t the track car we hoped it would be. The problem is the unsettled rear end we experienced in the Z4, but here it’s worse. “The limited-slip induces side-to-side chatter between the rear wheels that makes it impossible to write a clean line around AMP—and it’s a small, kinky place that demands a carefully carved path through its long, off-camber carousel,” Padgett explained. That lack of stability made the Supra the slowest car into turn 16 at 114 mph. The turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 obviously has more than that, but we just weren’t comfortable enough to push it harder. “The Supra’s gyrations on the track were anything but confident,” Cole said, while Feder quipped, “the rear end argues with itself constantly as to which side should take the weight around a corner.”
We liked the Supra’s steering, and its ability to change directions quickly, but the rear end wanted to kick out in the turn 5 downhill left-hander that loads the weight onto the right front wheel. The Supra was easily the most tail-happy car of the group.
That behavior would make the Supra a great autocrosser. It likes to rotate and it’s easy enough to drive the car with the rear wheels. The rear end only bobbles when it’s loaded up in a high-speed turn, so it shouldn’t be an issue on tight autocross tracks. The problem also shouldn’t occur on the street as it only happens when the car is pushed near its limits.
2020 Toyota Supra - Best Car To Buy 2020
As it should, the Supra derives its power from a turbocharged inline-6. The BMW-sourced B59 3.0-liter feels more powerful than its 335-hp figure would indicate, and it plays well with the 8-speed automatic on the track and the street. “I wish the Supra were more settled, more hospitable, more up to the bountiful power put out by its turbo-6,” Padgett said. I noted that a sharp stab of the throttle can even disrupt the chassis. It’s not a good idea to jump on it when exiting a turn, unless you want the front and rear to swap ends.
Two of our guys felt the Supra was the best-looking car of the bunch, but many panned its interior space. “It’s first place for looks, if that’s any consolation,” Cole said. The roofline, which drapes down into the windows, is an issue in a couple ways. More than one of us hit our heads getting in, and Feder noted that it’s so low in front that it’s hard to see stoplights.
We’re glad Toyota teamed up with BMW to build the Supra, but this one doesn’t feel like a true successor to the fourth-generation car of the 1990s. “This one’s a sidestep, and a half-step back,” Padgett said, noting that maybe what he really wants is a turbocharged Toyota 86. I say send it back for some more fine tuning, especially in the rear end, and add a damn manual transmission.
2019 BMW 8-Series Convertible - Best Car To Buy 2020
2019 BMW 8-Series Convertible - Best Car To Buy 2020
2019 BMW 8-Series Convertible - Best Car To Buy 2020
2019 BMW 8-Series Convertible - Best Car To Buy 2020
6th place: BMW M850i xDrive convertible, The Cruiser
The M850i xDrive was behind the 8-ball from the start. We requested a track car and BMW sent us a convertible. The M8 wasn’t available yet, so the natural choice would have been an M850i xDrive coupe with the Cooling and Tire Performance package, which adds stickier tires, a more-powerful cooling fan, and an additional engine oil cooler. While our convertible certainly lacked the coupe’s body rigidity, it did come standard with the BMW M Sport electronic limited-slip differential and four-wheel steering.
Still, the lack of a roof and the 8er’s 4,736-pound curb weight meant it wasn’t made for the track. “At AMP the 8-Series convertible just couldn’t keep up, as it dove heavily into corners and slid its massive heft out of them with, as Hawkeye Pierce once put it, ‘the light touch of a German jazz band,’” Padgett quipped.
Still, the bones are there, and the big brute performed better than expected. “Loved it on the long carousel. Reminded me of the linebacker who can also play fullback because of the brute speed. But like that large mammal, it can get knocked off balance when it’s not a straight shot,” Duffer said.
2019 BMW 8-Series Convertible - Best Car To Buy 2020
It may fall to the bottom of the list, but the engine note from its twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 topped them all. “It’s the only truly musical machine we drove. Listen to its sizzling, roaring V-8 rumble from half a track away, and you might be convinced there’s only one true sports car out on the tarmac,” Padgett observed. The V-8 fired off pops and crackles on overrun and a “bwapp!” between gears, but its deep, rich note under acceleration was its best trait, not that power delivery was far off. Its power arrived low in the rev range and kept pulling past 120 mph in the straight.
The 8 excelled for street behavior. “It’s the one I enjoyed the most in the places I drive the most—traffic, interstates, and around town,” Cole said, while Feder said, “it doesn’t mind cruising winding back roads, just don’t push too hard.” Feder also noted that the materials in the luxurious interior are worthy of its $130,745 price.
Even though it was overshadowed by the competition on the track, the M850i xDrive had us longing for what’s next. “Pass the keys to the M8 coupe, please,” Feder pleaded. Hopefully, BMW will send an M8 coupe next year. It could vie for a number one seed.
