We normally stay away from trucks so our colleagues at PickupTrucks.com can have all the fun, but I snuck out with the Honda Ridgeline while nobody was looking. Why? Because I always doubted the picture Honda has on its website of a bicycle standing upright behind the driver's seat. I thought there was no way that was an adult's bicycle.
I was wrong.
Someone once told me it was painful to watch me cram my bike into a subcompact car. If you’re like that person, look away now, unless you have a masochistic side. And before you scream “Get a rack!” I hate to tell you that, on this car, I think that’s a bad idea.
Why is a rack a bad idea? Simple aerodynamics, my friends: This car is a sail. I don’t know if it’s because of the car’s upright stance or because it’s so light, but the wind really moved it around on the highway. Put a bike or two on a roof rack and you won’t need to learn how to drive, you’ll need to learn how to tack.
Before you scream “rear rack,” that’s not ideal, as I always say, because it blocks the hatchback. Do that and you might as well buy a sedan.
Now, this is exactly what I want from a car I'm taking to a race. It's fun to drive, holds my toys, has great visibility, looks quick without being obnoxious — and it moves. So, yeah, I'm in love with this car, but objectivity demands that Subaru be tested just like everybody else. As it turns out, in the cold, hard light of day, there are some flaws.
Once again, I got to revisit a car I'd already tested. Last week it was the PT Cruiser, and this time the Mazda5 rolled back into my driveway. Best of all, unlike some cars I test, I got to take this one on a long highway drive (from Chicago to Cincinnati for a cyclocross race). How did it hold up?
Awhile back, I tested the Chrysler PT Cruiser and folded the rear seats only partially before I put all my toys in. This creates a load floor that's not level, which I didn't like. Readers correctly pinged me about not folding the rear seats all the way, which does create a flat floor, so last weekend when I had a rental PT Cruiser to take to my cyclocross races, I thought, "Gosh, I should try folding the seats the way the others suggested."
How the heck does Toyota sell so many of these cars when the rear seat doesn’t fold down on half the trim levels? Still, even though the Camry SE and XLE can’t compete in the Weekend Athlete Olympics, they do warrant a look because they’re such common cars.
Before you say it, yes, you could just put a bike rack on it — if you owned the car. I’m really just borrowing it, so that option is out. I don’t think scratches from racks make friends in the world of automotive journalism.
As you will see, though, the Camry comes with a large trunk, though it isn’t large enough for my smallest bike, given how high I need to have my saddle. Shorter folks who run their seat lower might be OK.
This car is the perfect example of why I do this test. When you look at the EX, you see a teeny little version of Infiniti's FX. As is often the case with younger siblings, though, you shouldn't be lulled into thinking this car isn't capable.
Now this is what a $60,000-plus SUV should be like. I drove the Toyota Land Cruiser and was distinctly underwhelmed and put off by its price and impracticality. Now, I grant you, this Land Rover is not a true Weekend Athlete car (waaaaay too dressy) but it does show that a fancy car can still be capable in this test.
I drove the new Jetta SportWagen the day after I drove a Porsche Cayman S and — sorry boy-racer types — I'd much rather have this wagon than the Cayman S. It was more comfortable and more practical, which made it more fun for me to drive. It also had some surprising details that helped it score well on the Weekend Athlete tests.
In the movie "Popeye," Olive Oyl is trying to convince herself that Bluto is the guy for her, and while she easily lists his faults, the only good thing she can say is, "But he's large." So it goes with the Toyota Land Cruiser. It's large, and that’s the only good thing I can say about it.
Previous
Subscribe to our feed
Email us your tips!