For the entire test week I felt that it didn't have enough get-up-and-go (0-100 km/h in 7.6 seconds) in comparison to its rivals,
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| The SiR's 2.0-liter, 16-valve, DOHC i-VTEC 4 cylinder engine sports 160 horsepower at 6,500 rpm. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
like the MazdaSpeed Protegé (0-100km/h in 7.4 seconds), MINI Cooper S (0-100km/h in 7.4 seconds), Subaru Impreza WRX (0-100km in 6.5 seconds), VW GTI 1.8T (0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds), Dodge SRT-4 (0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds) and the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V (0-100km/h in 7.2 seconds); it is the slowest off-the-line. Actually, it's wasn't the horsepower I was unimpressed with, it was the lack of torque. Its 2.0-liter, 16-valve, DOHC i-VTEC 4 cylinder engine sports 160 horsepower at 6,500 rpm, which is pretty respectable. But its measly 132 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm left me saying, "Gosh, the 2004 VW Golf TDI I had the other week could kick the SiR's butt off the line." In actuality the diesel's 11.9 second 0 - 100 km/h "blast" doesn't quite measure up, but its initial kick in the pants makes it feel quick. Putting things back into perspective, the Honda redlines much later than the diesel and its optimal engine performance is reached at mid- to high-range rpm levels, not at the low range. So it's not the initial kick that really matters, but the power that it makes in the end.
I guess that is why on Sunday night, when I was driving out my frustrations and pushing the SiR to its limits, I realized that the
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| You have to push the car to 5,500 rpm or higher to wring out all of its benefits. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
SiR is a brilliant car. It's not everyday that I spin an engine to 5,500 rpm or higher to wring out all of its benefits, but that is how the SiR is meant to be driven and therefore that's when it performs best.
Before I allow the SiR back into my good graces, there were some attributes that I liked right off the bat - and I'm not talking about its quirky, slab-sided hatchback styling. I particularly enjoyed looking at and shifting the rally-style 5-speed manual shifter, as it is mounted high on the center instrument panel. What a great position! Because it was placed so close to the steering wheel, I found I was able to shift much faster and replace my hands at the proper driving positions (at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock as per the instruction I received at BMW Driver Training).
