Comparison: Sport Compact Cars - Track Video - video Dailymotion

We head to Streets of Willow racetrack for part 2 of our $25

Transcript

00:00 Welcome back to round two of our 8 car bang for your buck comparison test.

00:08 We're out here at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosemont, California.

00:11 Here we're going to hot lap and push each car to their limits.

00:14 Let's go see how they do.

00:25 At the track, the lap times were pretty much what we expected.

00:28 The high-powered Speed 3 at 62.7 seconds.

00:36 The WRX at 62.1 seconds, finishing near the front of the pack.

00:41 And the fourth most powerful vehicle, Cobalt SS, at 61.7 seconds, finishing first.

00:49 Thanks to an excellent sport-tuned suspension, Brembo front brakes, and a flexible 2-liter

00:54 turbo engine, the Cobalt's top spot did surprise us.

01:00 After all, it holds the lap record for front-drive cars at Germany's Nurburgring.

01:05 We were surprised, however, with the Civic Si's last-place finish, a time of 64.9 seconds,

01:12 which can be blamed on its lowest in test, 139 pound-feet of torque, a spec that translates

01:18 to less pulling power when exiting turns.

01:20 Nonetheless, it offers one of the best and most capable chassis.

01:24 Both the GTI at 63.1 seconds, and the Rally R at 63 seconds, finished mid-pack, evidence

01:35 of their powerful 2-liter engines, seamless dual-clutch gearboxes, and forgiving suspensions.

01:41 Bringing up the back of the pack were the Mini Clubman S, at 64.1 seconds in sixth place,

01:48 and the Dodge Caliber SRT4 at 64.4 seconds, seventh place.

01:54 The Mini boasts the worst weight-to-power ratio, but offsets that with a firm, sporty

01:58 setup offering quick reflexes and lots of grip.

02:01 Conversely, the SRT4, boasting the best weight-to-power ratio, finished behind the Mini, a result

02:07 of its high center of gravity and excessive body motion.

02:10 So after round two, it looks like top honors goes to the Chevy Cobalt SS.

02:14 Not only was it the quickest around the track, it was also one of the most fun to drive.

02:18 But as we know, most consumers don't drive these cars at the track.

02:21 They drive in the real world.

02:23 So that's where we're going next, for our third and final round of this eight-car, bang-for-your-buck

02:26 comparison test.

02:27 Stay tuned.

02:28 [MUSIC PLAYING]

02:31 [TIRES SCREECHING]

02:35 (upbeat music)

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