2025 Bentley Flying Spur Speed Is Where High-Luxe Meets Hi-Po
The Flying Spur’s 771-hp plug-in-hybrid powertrain offers hustle when you want it and silent EV motoring when you don’t.
At first glance, the updated 2025 Bentley Flying Spur looks an awful lot like last year’s model. Look more closely and you’ll see that the grille and front bumper have both been tweaked, and a few new wheel designs have joined the party, but the biggest changes are hidden under the sedan’s long, sultry panels. The performance-oriented Speed model is the first to launch, and it carries a plug-in-hybrid powertrain that’s the most powerful of any previously installed in a Bentley four-door.
Developed jointly with Porsche and shared with the two-door Continental GT Speed, the Flying Spur Speed’s PHEV setup pairs a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 and an electric motor for a combined 771 horsepower. Acceleration is predictably brisk, with Bentley estimating a 3.3-second sprint to 60 mph, which feels accurate given how quickly the Flying Spur hustles when we pin the gas pedal to that plush carpeting.
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View Exterior PhotosBentley
Even when running in EV mode, acceleration feels effortless and ample. Bentley says the Flying Spur can go 47 miles per charge on the European WLTP cycle, which should equate to about 40 miles on the U.S. EPA cycle. The powertrain will stay in EV mode at speeds up to 87 mph, though velocities like that will certainly eat into the plug-in’s ability to go the distance. There’s an occasional stumble in the handoff from electric to gasoline power, but it’s highly dependent on throttle input and the current drive mode.
The Bentley’s battery can be charged the traditional way, by plugging in at home or at a public Level 2 charging spot, and charge times are quick (less than three hours) thanks to the Flying Spur’s 11.0-kW onboard charger. But if you are away from home and unable to charge via public infrastructure, there’s a mode for charging the battery as you cruise under gas power. Regenerative braking also helps add juice back to the battery, but instead of incorporating an aggressive one-pedal driving mode, the Flying Spur’s system requires the driver to use the brake pedal, presumably to avoid any uncouth lurching, which could upset the car’s relaxed demeanor (and occupants’ heads).
View Exterior PhotosBentley
In Comfort mode, the powertrain tends to favor electric motoring and seems reluctant to fire the gas engine, resulting in a more noticeable tremor when the V-8 does spring to life. It’s a minor complaint, as the hybrid’s operation is otherwise remarkably smooth. When it’s running, the V-8 adds a muted rumble to the cabin, but it’s never intrusive. Quite the opposite, in fact: We think it adds a certain charm that would be missing if Bentley decided to convert the Flying Spur Speed to a pure EV.
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Chassis changes have resulted in a Flying Spur that feels both more athletic and more isolated from pavement imperfections. New dual-valve adaptive dampers are partially responsible for the improvements here, dialing in more plushness in Comfort mode and sharpening handling when in Sport mode. However, unlike its mechanical sibling, the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, the Bentley doesn’t get the Porsche’s active-suspension tech. The middle-ground Bentley driving mode proved to be our preferred setting, as it kept things from feeling too floaty or too stiff.
View Exterior PhotosBentley
Rear-wheel steering, torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, and an electronic limited-slip differential are standard on all Flying Spur Speeds. In addition, Bentley says the placement of the PHEV system’s battery under the floor in the trunk gives the Speed a slightly rear-biased weight distribution. The result is a luxury limo that can hang with sports sedans half its size.
Changes within the cabin are relatively minor too, although they serve to enhance the ultra-luxe experience. New diamond-quilted leather on the seats and door panels adds a layer of detail to the upholstery, and a wellness-inspired massaging-seat feature is available for all four outboard seats. The feature is called Postural Adjust, and it makes small adjustments to the seat’s position and lumbar support to keep occupants from feeling stiff after a long drive. It works quite well in our experience, and a related automatic climate-control setting senses your body temperature and adjusts the seat’s heat and ventilation based on its findings. A traditional massage function with several settings is also included, should you wish for a more targeted (or simpler) form of relaxation.
View Interior PhotosBentley
Onboard tech also gets upgraded for 2025, including the infotainment interface, which can now support downloadable apps from popular services such as Amazon, Spotify, YouTube, and Zoom. The Flying Spur’s climate-control system now includes air ionizers and can detect poor air quality inside and outside of the cabin and work to filter it. It can even use data from the car’s navigation system to determine if you’ve ventured into a part of town with higher amounts of pollution and adjust the vents to suit.
Personalization options are nearly endless. The Flying Spur boasts over 700 color combinations for the two-tone leather upholstery (22 primary colors, 11 secondary shades), as well as 11 trim options, eight of which are wood veneer. There are 101 different exterior paint colors, many of which can be combined into unique two-tone schemes, but the company will also do bespoke paint for you or let you choose from any color in the brand’s 105-year history. In a time when most mainstream cars are sold in varying shades of gray, Bentley’s candy-colored hues—ranging from Swedish Fish red to M&M’s green and Skittles violet—is refreshing. Of course, subdued grays are part of the palette too, if you’d prefer to stay demure.
View Interior PhotosBentley
Our drive example was draped in Neptune blue paint and featured a matching interior scheme of Imperial Blue and Light Blue leather with open-pore walnut wood trim. At $276,450 to start and $334,690 as equipped, our Flying Spur Speed also came carrying the optional 19-speaker Naim stereo system, predictive adaptive cruise control, and even a night vision feature. Sure, you could save some money by skipping over a few of these options, but if you’re going to spend this kind of money on a car, you may as well go all out.
If you think that’s a lot of money, just wait until the even more expensive, more luxurious, more customizable Mulliner variant comes out. Bentley says it will get the same plug-in powertrain, but the Mulliner wears a slightly different exterior appearance with more brightwork and starts at $298,250—before customization.
View Interior PhotosBentley
Like all Bentleys, the Flying Spur enjoys a clientele with six-figure car budgets and a wholly different perspective on luxury convention. Thankfully, the Speed has the pedigree to back up its gargantuan window sticker. If you still need help justifying such a purchase, just think of the Flying Spur Speed as two cars—one sports sedan and one luxury sedan—each with its own purpose to fulfill in your personal fleet.
Specifications
2025 Bentley Flying Spur Speed
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, all-wheel-drive, 4–5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base: $276,450
POWERTRAIN
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve 4.0-liter V-8, 591 hp, 590 lb-ft + AC motor, 188 hp, 332 lb-ft (combined output: 771 hp, 738 lb-ft; 22.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack; 11.0-kW onboard charger)
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 125.8 in
Length: 209.3 in
Width: 78.3 in
Height: 58.0 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 59/52 ft3
Trunk Volume: 12 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 5850 lb
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PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.1 sec
100 mph: 7.3 sec
1/4-Mile: 11.1 sec
Top Speed: 177 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 19/18/22 mpg
Combined Gasoline + Electricity: 50 MPGe
EV Range: 40 mi
Reviewed byDrew Dorian
Managing Editor, Buyer’s Guide
Drew Dorian is a lifelong car enthusiast who has also held a wide variety of consumer-focused positions throughout his career, ranging from financial counselor to auto salesperson. He has dreamed of becoming a Car and Driver editor since he was 11 years old—a dream that was realized when he joined the staff in April 2016. He’s a born-and-raised Michigander and learned to drive on a 1988 Pontiac Grand Am. His automotive interests run the gamut from convertibles and camper vans to sports cars and luxury SUVs.
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Compared: 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera vs. 2009 BMW M3
Do push-button transmissions kill the fun? We compare two automated-manual, high-performance icons to find out.
Aaron Robinson
Save Article
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
From the February 2009 issue of Car and Driver.
Is the squeaky-clean, push-button, microchip-managed future of motoring grim? It’s hard to say. Ignition keys are disappearing. So are clutch pedals. And toxic gases. And the risk of violent death.
Your outlook may depend on whether you’d rather pilot a real 427 Cobra or an X-Wing fighter, the prices of which are about the same. Luke Skywalker can’t drive a stick, but his switch-throwing skills are legendary. Then again, Carroll Shelby could probably kick Luke’s bony butt. The debate rages.
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We put our bony butts in two examples of the future of push-button, high-performance driving. Summoning the Force to safely pick a champion, we headed for the coiled back roads of California and the corkscrewing ribbon of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
The new BMW M3 is well-known to us and to you, now that you’re digesting our fourth—fourth! When will your letters pleading for more ever end?—comparison test of the M3 in 15 months. Like a solid Hollywood franchise, BMW’s ranking joy toy and its 414-hp V-8 fusillade have us churning out endless popcorn sequels. The M3’s lineup includes a sedan and a convertible, plus a coupe. Our coupe, base price $59,625, has silver-blue paint over rust-colored leather, with $13,895 in options. Almost all the boxes were checked, including the Premium, Technology, and Cold-Weather packs, plus the new $2900 “M double-clutch transmission with Drivelogic,” a $10 way of saying paddle-shifted seven-speed with programmable shift maps.
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
We’ve seen the M3 dispatch a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and an Audi RS 4, a Lexus IS F, and the stupendous Nissan GT-R. So much for the prelims. This time, the M3 is pitted against a Porsche sneering, “I must blake you!” The revamped, direct-injected Porsche 911 Carrera makes 345 horsepower from its six-cylinder engine and has an optional transmission called PDK, or Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe. It’s a 10-euro way of saying a “double-clutch” seven-speed, and it costs $4080 on top of the Carrera’s $76,395 base price. To make the 911 and M3 prices better match up, we begged Porsche for a stripper Carrera (the Carrera S has 40 more horses and starts $10,600 higher). Porsche complied—perhaps for the last time—lending us one with a $750 XM radio and $140 floor mats and painted, fittingly, in New York–taxi yellow. You talkin’ to me?
The dilemma: how to sit in judgment. Should we pick the car that best re-creates the analog, gear-jamming, life-in-your-hands rush of the old days in the digital, fingertip-operated, safety-netted world of today—or the one we just like better? Here’s our answer.
2nd Place: Porsche 911 Carrera
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
Every new 911 is a solid dose of Porsche tradition. You want to connect with the past? Plug yourself into one of these rear-engine babies. Tire noise, a stiff ride, tightly wound steering; the 911 is for folks who still want to touch the road, get their hands dirty, and work up a farmer’s sweat.
Well, be cool.
HIGHS: Cockpit efficiency, wondrous brakes, goes as fast with less, Porsche pedigree.
LOWS: Jumpy in turns, abrupt throttle, crunchy ride, Porsche pricing.
VERDICT: Despite the technology, it’s still the old-school 911.
The aggressive throttle linkage demands concentration, indeed punishes those who lack it. In corners, the restless body is always in motion, 62 percent of the car’s weight out back looking for opportunities to get out front.
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
As undulating pavement works the suspension and the weight transfers around, the steering can respond with surprises. Sometimes a gentle plow suddenly locks into a vicious bite, which spirals quickly into tail wag if you lift, as your right foot is seemingly screaming to do.
Tip: Don’t lift.
Slow in, fast out. That old saw should be engraved on the dash of every 911, especially since the rear weight bias and big stoppers make for fabulous braking. When the M3’s brakes softened after a few hard laps, the 911’s were still shutting it down, lap after lap, with authority.
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
Thumbs nestle comfortably onto the ergonomically shaped buttons on the steering-wheel spokes. A mere squeeze shifts the transmission: forward for upshifts, back for downshifts. In auto mode, the PDK operates with fuel economy in mind and an almost seamless efficiency—except in crawling freeway traffic. Instead of locking in first gear to roll along slowly, the PDK more often putt-putts forward by repeatedly goosing the clutch.
More 911 Carrera Reviews From the Archive
Actually, we never took a shine to the plastic buttons, which are incongruously cold and computer-like in such a primal machine. They imply a future where cars are operated by nose twitches and lip smacks, and a poorly timed sneeze causes a pileup. If we can’t operate a clutch and shifter, have the satisfaction of pushing pedals and sliding shift forks, we’ll take the M3’s paddles. At least you have to move your fingers.
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
The 911 has statistical appeal: It’s lighter than the M3 by 380 pounds without using Millennium Falcon materials, and it keeps the pace with an identical 4.1-second 0-to-60-mph sprint despite being down two cylinders, 385 cubic centimeters, and 69 horsepower. Midrange torque even feels stronger than that of the cammy, not-much-below-4000-rpm V-8 in the M3.
This 911 lacks options but never feels economy-class inside, the black-leather manually sliding buckets still welcoming after all-day sits. We’d recommend adding only the $1320 Sport Chrono pack to give the PDK “sport” and “sport plus” modes for faster shifts when you want them, plus launch control.
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Almost a half-century of evolution has kept the 911 current, and Porsche’s storied badge is undeniably more desirable—indeed a couple of rungs closer to exotic status. But standing on tradition eventually means watching others move forward.
1st Place: BMW M3
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
The M3 M DCT simply does everything well except tow a hot-dog stand. It may even be the second-best car in the world after the M3 manual.
Everything is configurable on this hyper-tech machine, especially compared with the one-form-fits-all 911. The orthopedic seats have electric adjustments for lumbar and side bolsters, and the thigh cushions slide to taste. The “power” button adjusts the throttle response; the dynamic stability control turns the skid nanny to zero or to an M Dynamic mode for fun but crash-free lapping.
HIGHS: Amazing grip, enough balance to be a Flying Wallenda, 8400-rpm redline, lower price.
LOWS: Light steering, not as pretty, slurps more fuel, just a BMW.
VERDICT: Proof that a thrilling package can still be wrapped in silicon.
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
You can change the shock stiffness, vary the steering weight, and pick the shift speed and harshness from one of six settings. All for a price that, with the other options, still undercuts our Amish Edition 911 by $7845.
More M3 Reviews From the Archive
- Tested: 2008 BMW M3 Borders on Perfection
- 2009 Nissan GT-R vs. BMW M3 and Porsche 911 Turbo
- 2012 BMW M3 vs. Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG
Voters found the classic 911 shape more pleasing, but the M3’s slick wrapping includes a fast, hardtop roofline and a hood with more bulge than a Jockey billboard. The BMW is longer and heavier, but some things are worth the price, including a usable—indeed, commodious—back seat and a significantly quieter cabin.
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
With the M3’s many buttons, you can make of it what you want: loafing commuter, track animal, high-speed touring express. But no matter how you set it, the M3 astounds. There’s more front-end grip than most people have the guts to exploit, the steering wheel able to carve perfectly elliptical arcs up a winding road at foolish speeds. Where the 911 battles each corner, sometimes in a nerve-jangling sine wave of alternating grip and push, the M3 is dead calm. It shows hardly any body roll or bobble, the chassis balanced with the poise of a Bolshoi star. Call it insulation, or call it stupendous competence, but the M3 chewed 1.1 seconds off the 911’s best Laguna lap time and was quicker through the lane-change maneuver.
When the M3’s tail wags, as it so often does in hot lapping, a finely calibrated throttle makes it easy to ride out the drift and ease it back into line. The wheel effort is lighter than the 911’s, too light for some, but the talk-back is solid, as is the sense of immutable control.
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
Where the low-slung 911 feels more sporting, the M3 wears like a sedan. The seats seem higher, the dash layout more conventional, the foot and leg space more generous. Upshift lights ring the tach, and the 8400-rpm redline actually moves depending on the engine temperature. Stitching in BMW M tricolor and bands of upholstery pressed with a carbon-fiber weave enhance the motorsports theme.
This isn’t the single-clutch, neck-jerking, hateful sequential manual gearbox (SMG) of old. BMW’s new M DCT is also a twin-clutch box like the 911’s but with two paddles—left for down, right for up—to change gears in a fluid eye blink. We found it easier to make friends with, and missed shifts were less common. Even the launch control is adjustable: The step-off rpm can be varied using the cruise-control knob.
View PhotosDavid Dewhurst|Car and Driver
Have it your way, says BMW. We’ll have ours in blue or red.Car and Driver
Specifications
2009 BMW M3
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $59,625/$73,520
ENGINE
DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 244 in3, 3999 cm3
Power: 414 hp @ 8300 rpm
Torque: 295 lb-ft @ 3900 rpm
TRANSMISSION
7-speed automated manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 14.2-in vented, drilled disc/13.8-in vented, drilled disc
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
F: 245/35ZR-19 (93Y)
R: 265/35ZR-19 (98Y)
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 108.7 in
Length: 181.8 in
Width: 71.0 in
Height: 55.8 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 51/37 ft3
Trunk Volume: 11 ft3
Curb Weight: 3700 lb
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C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.1 sec
100 mph: 9.9 sec
1/4-Mile: 12.6 sec @ 113 mph
150 mph: 25.9 sec
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.8 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.4 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.2 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 161 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 157 ft
Roadholding, 200-ft Skidpad: 0.93 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
300-Mile Trip: 12 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
City/Highway: 14/20 mpg
—
2009 Porsche 911 Carrera
Vehicle Type: rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $76,395/$81,365
ENGINE
DOHC 24-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 221 in3, 3614 cm3
Power: 345 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque: 288 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
TRANSMISSION
7-speed automated manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.0-in vented, drilled disc/13.0-in vented, drilled disc
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
F: 235/40ZR-18 (91Y)
R: 265/40ZR-18 (101Y)
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 92.5 in
Length: 175.8 in
Width: 71.2 in
Height: 51.6 in
Passenger Volume, F/R:48/16 ft3
Trunk Volume: 4 ft3
Curb Weight: 3320 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.1 sec
100 mph: 9.9 sec
1/4-Mile: 12.5 sec @ 113 mph
150 mph: 25.2 sec
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.8 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.4 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.5 sec
Top Speed (drag ltd, mfr claim): 178 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 158 ft
Roadholding, 200-ft Skidpad: 0.93 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
300-Mile Trip: 14 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
City/Highway: 19/27 mpg
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UNMUTE
2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser vs. Ford Focus, Pontiac Vibe, Mazda Protegé5, Suzuki Aerio, Toyota Matrix
Boxes, size small: It’s a new class of not SUVs, not station wagons, not minivans. We gather six nots for less than $20,000, make them show ID, and confess their missions.
Reviewed by Patrick BedardSave Article
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
From the June 2002 issue of Car and Driver.
It’s a sign of desperation in the auto industry, and of tapped-out imaginations in the marketing departments, when the season’s hot new category is the “crossover vehicle.”
Whatever.
Actually, that’s what the industry is trying to say: “Whatever you want, these cars will do it.”
Oh, yeah? Since when has fuzzy thinking ever created a great car?
Instead of latching onto the season’s buzzword and building a test around it, we returned to a time-honored axiom: Bigger on the inside is better.
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
We’ve been noticing that a number of automakers have created extra-roomy models on their small-car platforms. Each company seems to have its own formula. There’s no common denominator to describe a class of cars distinct from all others. Well, they’re all sort of loaf-shaped, if that helps. But think of them as station wagons in denial, and you’ll be close.
As a concept, we’re talking personal-transportation boxes, size small. Arguably, the old Chrysler Corporation put the idea into play with its 1998 Chrysler Pronto Cruizer concept car, a retro-flavored high-roof hauler that went into production as the 2001 PT Cruiser. This little five-door has made everybody a winner. It’s been huge for DaimlerChrysler, which turned out 144,717 of them last year, more than the combined total of Plymouth and Dodge Neons on which the Cruiser is based. And the rest of us get to smile at every one we see on the road. Has practical transport ever been more exuberant to the eye?
For now, at least, other makers are content to package their extra space in less imaginative wrappings. Newest on the scene, and dated 2003, are the Corolla-based high-roof twins from the Toyota/GM joint venture, the Toyota Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe. They’re almost identical under the skin, differing only in upholstery and exterior sculpting.
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
That said, the options list offers plenty of room to go your own way (both draw from a similar list). To show the possibilities, we’ve cast the Matrix in the sporting role, with the high-output 180-hp four-cylinder, six-speed manual, and 17-inch pavement-gripper tires. The Vibe plays the tourer, with the standard 130-hp four, five-speed manual, plus a GPS navigation system and a CD changer. All-wheel drive is available on both (with the mild engine), but we’re sticking to the base front-drive configuration for this comparo.
Also fresh-baked for 2003, and making its C/D debut, is the Suzuki Aerio SX. The SX counters the PT Cruiser’s retro theme with a sort of did-it-myself charm. You could tell folks you made this car in the privacy of your own workshop, and they’d readily believe you, at least till the malls become thick with them. And thick they will become, because the SX packs the most sought-after feature in automobiledom: a rock-bottom price.
Two older models also got the box makeover for model year 2002. Mazda’s Protegé four-door sedan has long been a favorite for its quality construction and sporty moves. The Protegé5 repackages that familiar goodness under a rakishly italicized station-wagon roofline.
Ford already had both a notchback four-door and a station wagon in its Focus line. New this year is a loaf-shaped five-door created by adding two more doors to the ZX3 coupe. Luggage capacity goes up 44 percent compared with that in the notchback.
Ford has been careful not to use the crossover moniker, at least not for this model within earshot of us, but Dearborn is quick to tell us that the ZX5 will appeal to “sophisticated young adults.” That’s exactly what the crossovers say, too.
Maybe. But we notice lots of graybeards driving PT Cruisers, and they’re grinning like kids. Astute cars appeal to everyone.
For sure, these boxes make an astute promise. “You can have it all,” they say—style, seating for friends, space for your stuff, and driving fun for less than $20,000. That’s a tall promise. Can they possibly deliver?
Let’s check the scoreboard.
Jump to:
- 6th Place: Suzuki Aerio SX
- 5th Place: Pontiac Vibe
- 4th Place: Ford Focus ZX5
- 3rd Place: Toyota Matrix XRS
- 2nd Place: Chrysler PT Cruiser
- 1st Place: Mazda Protegé5
6th Place: Suzuki Aerio SX
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
Although this cartoonish box didn’t exactly start a fist fight among the ratings jurors, it did engender a certain polarity. Some guys can’t get beyond looks, whether they’re in bars or parking lots. They’d rather go home with a foxy leper than a happy-hearted…well, face it, Suzuki is cruising for ugly tickets with this one. There’s no disputing that point.
What’s not so obvious is its sunny disposition—so easy to talk to, this mobile companion. The engine revs happily, with enough muscle to propel the SX to a 0-to-60 tie for second place. All the acceleration measures score in the top half of the class. And the 2.0-liter 16-valver is much less thrashy than the Ford, Mazda, and Toyota powerplants.
HIGHS: Honest and direct responses to all your control inputs, the easy step up to the list price, and you get a free plastic bucket in the trunk.
LOWS: Having to look at it and trying to defend it when the neighbors gather in your driveway with burning torches.
VERDICT: Dollar for dollar, inch for inch, your best buy for antler room.
The five-speed is quick and snickable; steering is light in its effort, and it responds promptly. Freeway cruising is remarkably serene. Ride quality is smooth enough, given the low-profile 55-series tires. Wind noise starts to pick up at about 55 mph, noticeably earlier than in the others, but it turns out to be a white-noise rushing sound that’s not annoying.
Make no mistake, there’s absolutely nothing athletic about the moves of this box, but it’s so willing to rush about, and so honest in its responses, that some of us managed to forget its looks.
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
Well, not really, because the dash is as blithely nonconformist as the beskirted exterior. A narrow tear in the padding reveals the cluster; it features a rising graph on the narrow end—that’s the tach—and a yellow digital speedo on the right. Small controls are stacked in the center; HVAC is on the bottom, down by your knees.
The front buckets are firmly padded and shaped for a proper posture at the controls. “Serviceable” is the right term for the upholstery, and the materials are fine considering the low price point.
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
Although the Aerio SX’s styling suggests odd proportions, the tape measures otherwise. Compared with the PT Cruiser, it’s 2.3 inches shorter (making it the shortest of the bunch), overall width is slightly greater, and the roof is actually two inches lower.
Inside, headroom is about the same as in St. Peter’s Basilica. Cargo room with the rear seats folded measures 64 cubic feet, matching the PT Cruiser’s and topping all the others’. For two passengers, the SX’s comfort in the rear is exceeded only by the Mazda’s, but the cushion shapes are wrong for three across, and the upper corners of the compartment crowd the heads of the outboard passengers.
Let’s move on to less controversial players, leaving you with this reassurance: The Suzuki drives as if it were pretty.
2002 Suzuki Aerio SX
141-bhp inline-4, 5-speed manual, 2747 lb
Base/as-tested price: $14,999/$15,499
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.5 sec
1/4 mile: 16.8 sec @ 82 mph
100 mph: 26.3 sec
Braking, 70-0 mph: 174 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.76 g
Passenger volume, F/R: 52/42 ft3
Cargo volume, seats up/folded: 21/64 ft3
C/D 650-mile trip: 26 mpg
5th Place: Pontiac Vibe
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
This magazine is about sexy-looking, fun-to-drive cars, and the same guys who shun the Suzuki for its amateurish shape shun the Vibe for its mundane attitude about forward motion. It’s a “sports bus,” quipped one tester. The steering brings same-day responses and jaunty roll angles. Even with the standard 130-hp engine, the path gets snaky under full power. There are no smiles in this car as it’s equipped (it could have had the same 180-hp engine as the Matrix, and more tenacious tires).
But the problems with the Vibe/Matrix twins run deeper. In concept, this is a Corolla with a high roof. Very high. Up there about eight inches. But the people inside don’t move up nearly that much. And the floor stayed low. You can make a big space this way, and the twins have a remarkable amount of room inside—118 cubic feet of interior volume by the EPA method, compared with 119 for the Camry, yet the Vibe is a foot and a half shorter. Unfortunately, when moving the driver up a bit from the Corolla position, the designers didn’t get the controls in the right places. The pedals are too close and the wheel and shifter are too far away. Also, the high-eye view that folks enjoy so much in their sport-utes didn’t happen here. Instead, we have the feeling of a high car around our eyes.
HIGHS: Less peculiar styling than the Matrix’s, less ride harshness than in the Matrix, and far, far less engine drone than in the Matrix.
LOWS: Unfriendly driving position, wind roar from the roof rack, nav system is at war with radio operation.
VERDICT: An appliance for the road.
The twins score low for ergonomics and driver comfort. We like the Vibe’s seats better than those in the Matrix—they’re firmer, with better back support. Rear space is simply huge. And headroom is towering. We rated the Vibe’s rear accommodations slightly lower than those of the Matrix for two reasons: The Pontiac’s lower-back support is too prominent by a small amount, and the CD changer (only on models with the navigation system) takes up foot space under the right front seat (those able to change CDs with their toes will like this arrangement, but normal folks would about as soon change the oil).
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
Considering the Vibe’s base engine, performance numbers are altogether satisfactory. Zero to 60 rolls up in 8.5 seconds, tying the Suzuki for second place, and the 83-mph speed in the quarter-mile tops all but that of the steroid-injected Matrix. Braking required 181 feet to stop from 70 mph, one foot longer than in the Ford, earning last place. The Vibe also ranked last in skidpad grip in a tie with the Suzuki, although, to be fair, all but the performance-equipped Matrix were tightly grouped in their capability. The Vibe’s 55-series Goodyears provided a notably good balance of grip, noise, and ride smoothness.
The twins are new; they have long lives ahead. And they will have happier lives if the designers get busy and jack up the front seats an inch or two. No excuses, please.
2003 Pontiac Vibe
130-bhp inline-4, 5-speed manual, 2778 lb
Base/as-tested price: $16,900/$20,000
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.5 sec
1/4 mile: 16.8 sec @ 83 mph
100 mph: 26.2 sec
Braking, 70-0 mph: 181 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.76 g
Passenger volume, F/R: 50/43 ft3
Cargo volume, seats up/folded: 25/57 ft3
C/D 650-mile trip: 31 mpg
4th Place: Ford Focus ZX5
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
This car gets nearly universal agreement on one point: The front seats are torture. Ford has done a thorough job of it, complete with a dial-a-pain crank down low at the front, allowing you to tune in that backache just the way you like it. For the seat alone, some of us would veto a Focus purchase. And what’s with the swing-up center armrest? When up, it bangs the elbow, and when down, it blocks the forearm reaching for the numb shifter. This car is alone in the group in providing a telescoping column (although all of them tilt), but the effort to toggle the control is absurdly high. Officially, the Focus scores lowest for driver comfort.
HIGHS: The imaginatively carved exterior, the grinning plumpness of the leather-wrapped wheel, and a telescoping column perfect for Stirling Moss reenactments.
LOWS: Marquis de Sade designer-edition front buckets, zigzag dartiness of the steering, the clopping 50-series Firestones that hate this car.
VERDICT: Less here than meets the eye.
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
Truth to tell, the ZX5 is a poor fit in this group. If you’re seeking a Focus with big space inside, look to the station wagon, which is an impressive packaging job. This box is a two-door coupe transformed with the addition of rear doors into a half-risen loaf just 56.3 inches high, lowest of the six. It’s a more useful conveyance than the ZX3, but it’s no match for the capacity of the four high-roof cars of this group (Mazda is the other low-roofer). Rear-seat comfort, particularly with three across, gets a low rating. Headroom for the outboard passengers is about an inch less than it needs to be. The sponge-cake cushion lacked support, too.
The low-roof shape is better for freight than for people. One of our capacity measures includes loading the cargo area up to the bottom edge of the windows with beer cases (frat-boy know-how pays off!). With the rear seat folded, the Focus accepted 23 cases. That earned only a fifth place in the rankings, but the Focus is far better than the Mazda at 18 cases and accepts just one less than the tall-car Suzuki.
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
Never mind the 130-hp rating of the engine, same as in the Vibe and Protegé; the 2.0-liter four is most modest in its performance. Acceleration is the weakest of the group. It’s ambitious in its noise levels, though, and it makes lots of little vibratory tingles in the structure.
The optional 16-inch wheels are smartly sculpted, easily the most pleasing of the group, but the accompanying 205/50HR-16 Firestone Firehawk tires exact a high price. They clomp over the bumps, and their turn-in quickness is ill-suited to the hair-trigger power steering, which begins turning with just a tiny effort at the wheel. As a result, the steering is twitchy, zigzaggy, and always making little lateral thrusting motions over minor irregularities.
According to Ford, the ZX5 offers “contemporary, European, edgy design” with the convenience of five doors. Okay, but for space, we recommend the Focus wagon.
2002 Ford Focus ZX5
130-bhp inline-4, 5-speed manual, 2746 lb
Base/as-tested price: $16,355/$18,330
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 9.8 sec
1/4 mile: 17.2 sec @ 80 mph
100 mph: 27.5 sec
Braking, 70-0 mph: 180 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.78 g
Passenger volume, F/R: 53/45 ft3
Cargo volume, seats up/folded: 19/43 ft3
C/D 650-mile trip: 25 mpg
3rd Place: Toyota Matrix XRS
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
Nothing like 50 extra animals on the treadmill and one more ratio in the gearbox to add gusto. Also included are disc brakes all around, a sport-tuned suspension, and 16-inch alloy wheels.
But why stop there when, for an extra $150, you can replace the 16s with seven-inch-wide 17s wearing sticky 215/50 Z-rated Firestone Firehawks?
The XRS is a bad-boy box. Naturally, we liked it better than the solid-citizen version. It must be said, though, that we couldn’t find love for it. The 180-hp engine is an odd creature of just 1796 cc from which nothing much happens before the tach swings north of six something, at which point it explodes with thrust. And noise. In the zingy Celica GT-S, its high-revving nature is appropriate. In a sports bus…uh, couldn’t we just have a fatter torque curve, please?
HIGHS: Redline way up at 8200, plenty of tie-downs in the cargo area for those times when your lifestyle gets too active, backup beeper takes the confusion out of knowing which way you’re going.
LOWS: An engine that only comes to work above six grand is really, really ill-suited to an appliance.
VERDICT: A quick, noisy appliance for the road.
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
Still, the XRS equipment delivers the numbers, chopping a full second off the Vibe’s 0-to-60 time, down to 7.5 seconds, and easily outrunning the others. The brakes (together with the tires) stopped 17 feet shorter than the Vibe’s and bested all the rest. On the skidpad, nothing else came close to the Toyota’s 0.83 g.
We celebrate choices, and having the option to inject sport into an otherwise utilitarian hauler is the Right Thing. But the package has plenty of groans to go with the grins. This is a rackety engine, changing from whoops in the power zone to thrums when you lift for engine braking. You get to shift a lot, too, or be left in the dust by Gramps in his LeSabre, and he’s not even trying. The ride quality is abrupt. And the tires pick up lots of texture noise when the pavement turns to sandpaper.
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
Apart from the powertrain and chassis, the Vibe impressions are true here, too. The driving position is awkward, the red instrument markings are hard to read through sunglasses, and the dials seem peculiarly located down in dark tunnels. Although reflections in the windshield aren’t nearly as disturbing as those in the Focus and Suzuki, you often see images of the dials’ chrome trim rings high in the glass.
The Matrix seats have a plush layer of foam under their soft velour covers. That’s fine, but overall, they’re squishy in a way the Vibe’s were not.
The twins bring identical and impressive tie-down arrangements to the cargo hold. The walls back there have four chrome fold-out loops per side, arranged strategically, and more loops live in sliding tracks on the Rubbermaid floor. This is an excellent feature. We’re less enthusiastic, though, about the clattery, friction-free floor. Put something hard back there—a gas can, let’s say (we active-lifestyle guys haul those around a lot), and you must lash it down to keep it from caroming off the walls.
Lots of flavor here, and lots of reservations.
2003 Toyota Matrix XRS
180-bhp inline-4, 6-speed manual, 2847 lb
Base/as-tested price: $19,235/$19,705
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.5 sec
1/4 mile: 16.1 sec @ 89 mph
100 mph: 21.8 sec
Braking, 70-0 mph: 164 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.83 g
Passenger volume, F/R: 52/44 ft3
Cargo volume, seats up/folded: 22/53 ft3
C/D 650-mile trip: 26 mpg
2nd Place: Chrysler PT Cruiser
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
The Chrysler simply overwhelms in its sense of quality. It has fewer quivers through the structure, fewer thrums from the powertrain, and fewer thumps from the road. Wind noise is subdued. The Cruiser feels far more expensive than its price.
This is a tall car, 63 inches from road to roof. It’s also relatively short in length. Chrysler carefully planned the interior for excellent flexibility. As a people hauler, space in the back for two earned top marks in a tie with the Matrix. A minor flaw in the seat—the cushion tends to slide us down and forward—caused a lower comfort rating. Still, this little box hauls four adults remarkably well for its size.
HIGHS: A great looker outside and in, solid construction, limousine silence within, sitting-on-a-chair driving position, unmatched flexibility of the cargo hold.
LOWS: Not much oomph in the 2.4-liter four, not much hustle in the heart.
VERDICT: For once, a pretty face and a sweet personality.
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
When you need to move stuff, only the Cruiser lets you take out the back seats, leaving room for 29 beer cases, one better than the twins’ score. Or you can tumble the rears forward against the backs of the fronts, which requires less muscle.
Although the ’03 PT Turbo will have 215 horsepower when it arrives this fall, for now, the 150-hp four is the only engine. This is a heavy car, 342 pounds heavier than the Matrix, next down on the list. Acceleration beats the Ford and runs about neck and neck with the Mazda, with far less racket. But no one buys a Cruiser for its lunge. This is a relaxed, mature-feeling machine, not a frisky critter like the Mazda or Matrix.
You can get married to this one and feel good about it years later.
2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
150-bhp inline-4, 5-speed manual, 3189 lb
Base/as-tested price: $16,840/$18,015
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 9.2 sec
1/4 mile: 16.9 sec @ 80 mph
100 mph: 26.8 sec
Braking, 70-0 mph: 174 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.77 g
Passenger volume, F/R: 52/49 ft3
Cargo volume, seats up/folded: 19/64 ft3
C/D 650-mile trip: 21 mpg
1st Place: Mazda Protegé5
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
We talk a great game. We invite you along on an in-depth evaluation of a new class of extra-roomy carryalls, then what do we do? Right, we fall in love with a low-roof model offering the least interior space. That’s the kind of guys we are—lots of promises upfront about deep conversations and pursuing the well-rounded life, but when the pretenses drop away, same as always, we’re here for the heavy breathing.
HIGHS: Athletic stride through the twisties, taut control responses, sporty cockpit feel, console perfectly shaped for painless bracing of your right leg.
LOWS: Same low eye point as in a sedan, buzzy vibrations at most speeds, loud engine.
VERDICT: A sports car in station-wagon clothes.
This Mazda, like the Protegé four-door on which it’s based, is really fun in the twisties. The ride is taut, body roll is tightly controlled, the 50-series Dunlops respond crisply, and they bite (0.79 g). You can set up a happy understeer with light braking on the way into turns, or push in hard under power, then lift a bit when you need to tighten the line. The knee bone is connected to the thigh bone, with no wobbles and no excuses. Precise. Predictable. Press on!
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
Not that you need to be on fast forward all the time to have fun. The clutch takes up with the trusty smoothness of the Supreme Court. The gearbox throws are short and succinct. The seat fits, the sports-car driving position says excitement, and the off-white gauges are legible and all business. The engine is rather loud, it’s true, and you feel it buzzing the wheel most of the time in a way the PT Cruiser’s never does. It’s an emotional thing. Some engines make you feel right, even though they don’t deliver special numbers. In fact, the husky-voiced Mazda and the laid-back Chrysler run side by side in the acceleration tests all the way to top speed, where the Mazda, at 113 mph, has a thin-sliced advantage of just 1 mph.
In concept, this is a notchback sedan redrawn into a hatchback. The roofline has been extended rearward some, but not far enough to give real station-wagon capacity. Still, the original notch is a darn good people hauler, an advantage that enables this Protegé5 to do well in comparison with the others here. It can’t match the space in the PT Cruiser and the twins, but there’s plenty in just the right places for two adults, and the seat is exceptionally comfortable, enough to earn our top rating.
View PhotosJEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver
For cargo, the rear seat folds station-wagon style, creating a small step down to the load floor behind. Frat boys may have to make two trips; capacity is only 18 beer cases, the least of all. But let’s talk barbecue skewers; the Mazda transports 117-inchers, two inches longer than in the second-best Suzuki.
Okay, maybe the numbers add up to a weak case, but check that red paint.
2002 Mazda Protegé5
130-bhp inline-4, 5-speed manual, 2795 lb
Base/as-tested price: $16,905/$18,485
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 9.2 sec
1/4 mile: 17.2 sec @ 82 mph
100 mph: 26.2 sec
Braking, 70-0 mph: 180 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.79 g
Passenger volume, F/R: 51/41 ft3
Cargo volume, seats up/folded: 20/24 ft3
C/D 650-mile trip: 26 mpgCar and Driver
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