I'm very conflicted: Honda Hybrid ::wet condition trials::

I'm sure you all remember my post about my speed records with the Dodge Neon SRT-4. I love this car. Its torquey and has a lot of spirit, it handles like its on rails and the engine sounds aggressive and satisfying. The SRT-4 is a fun car to drive; a real thrill a minute machine. The only problem is we no longer own it. That's right my father sold his fun as hell Dodge Neon SRT-4. To add insult to injury he bought a Honda. On top of my already battered and broken shell he also bought it in Hybrid form and its the color of boogers. I was against it, morally opposed and venomously outraged to say the least....then I drove it.


The first thing I noticed was how far away the front of the car felt to me. The front is actually shorter than the SRT-4's, but because the digital speedo is so far away it felt otherwise. I then noticed how quiet it was, I was still disappointed every car needs to have good sound and this one didn't. I then backed it out of my drive way and noticed that I couldn't see over my headrest, no big deal really, then I tapped the brakes. These fuckers are sensitive right out of the box and it was weird feeling not being able to regulate my speed as precisely as I would have liked, but I must give them props because they do their job well. The next thing I noticed as I started forward were the controls. The controls are fluid and intuitive. Radio and Cruise are conveniently on the steering wheel. Upon my first full stop I noticed that the car shut itself off. I was told this would happen but I was still surprised at how seamless it was, granted there is a slight lag at engine start, but its nothing really. after turning onto a road I floored it and I was not impressed. The hybrid,as expected, has no spirit juice, no go go power, it just accelerated smoothly and boringly. Then I noticed it wasn't shifting. Again I was told it wouldn't, but the CVT transmission baffled me. I understand, fundamentally how it works, but its implementation is rather surprising. The next thing i noticed was seat comfort and ride noise. This is where the car really shines. It is a comfortable and roomy car, that in reality is very small. It is quiet and the ride is serene, yet agile as I commenced cornering and braking tests. To reiterate this car is magic when it comes to handling, It is not as harsh as the SRT-4's rail like reflexes,but it was still able to attack corners with precise balance. I the took it to the highway to see if it really could hang. I merged and jumped the passing lane without fear, then I stuck the pedal to the floor. There it was again, lackadaisical acceleration, but before you knew it the car was approaching one hundred miles an hour and the RPM band was inching closer to the red line. Once again I cannot emphasize enough how smooth that process was! Not once did I even feel apprehensive, the car was very stable and totally without shift shock. The brakes were phenomenal in bringing the car down to only ten miles over the speed limit and it was confident in aggressive lane changes.

To bring my disjointed review to summation. The only thing this car lacks is tire shredding spirit, but it makes up for it in balance, comfort, and handling. I'm sure if this hybrid were to gain a turbo charger it might be the perfect car. I'm still having mixed feelings. I've always felt it was my patriotic duty to buy American, but after this everything I've driven before seems harsh and unrefined. I don't know what I'm going to do.