To find the contemporary breed of Slow Cars, you have to cast your gaze way down the totem pole. Not at the bottom-feeders condemned to rental-car fleets but one or two tiers up, where humdrum economy cars are tweaked to appeal to low-bucks enthusiasts. I'm thinking about the XR version of the competent Saturn Astra and the Mitsubishi Lancer GTS, which shares some of the rip-roaring Evo's DNA. Or a pleasant surprise like the Suzuki SX4 hatchback, a practical car with an unexpected complement of winning features - supportive seats, all-wheel drive, a gratifying gearbox, an engine offering both bark and bite. But the modern car that best embodies the Slow Car ethic is the Honda Fit, a tossable runabout with a tiny but willing engine and an agile chassis enlivened by feel-good steering. Of course, we'd expect nothing less from a company whose CRX was a perennial Slow Car standout.
Would I take a Fit over a Ferrari? Hey, I may be weird, but I'm not stupid. I savor every second of seat time I'm able to beg, borrow, or steal in Lambos and Astons. But for me, driving satisfaction is primarily a function of how much of a car's performance I can unlock, and I simply don't have the talent or the courage, not to mention the bank account, to explore the limit of an Audi R8 anywhere but on a racetrack. Granted, a Slow Car doesn't do much for the ego. But whether you're driving a thirty-five-year-old BMW 2002tii or a thoroughly modern Mini, it can get you to the grocery store and rock your world, all in the same trip, without alerting the authorities or voiding your insurance. That doesn't make a Slow Car the right weapon for every fight. But as the old adage has it, some races go not to the swift. ...next page >>