The other day was my birthday, February 27th and as a gift, a bunch of my friends gave me best buy gift cards. I had enough, well sorta, to buy something I’ve had my eye on for quite sometime.

You see, over Christmas, my wife and I won an XBOX 360 in a dance competition at her work’s Christmas party. At first I had mixed feelings because I have always been a Playstation type of guy, but beggars can’t be choosers. One of the prerequitsites for having a Playstation, if you’re a car guy, is Grand Turismo. But since my newly aquired gift was not an XBOX, I’d have to do with the Microsoft version of Grand Turismo; Forza Motor Sports.

When I played Grand Turismo, I always felt like something was lacking. Therefore, I had my eye on the steering wheel controller for the XBOX 360. I thought the controller would make things that much more real, but in truth, all it did was make things seem very disconnected.

Now this isn’t a criticism of Forza Motor Sports on its own, but mostly just the controller. It’s too disconnected and there seems to be a delay that makes it almost unusable.

I would like to say that I could blame it all on the steering wheel, but when it comes down to it, I’m probably just not that good. But, being the car enthusiast I am, that is a devastating blow to my ego so we will not talk about it any longer.

Do you remember the first time you rode a roller coaster?  I’m not talking about one of those kiddy ones at a carnival, I’m talking about a full-fledged, screaming upside down, bugs in your teeth roller coaster.  My first time was the summer in between 6th and 7th grade.  Some friends and I went to Six Flags Magic Mountain and the specific coaster that blew my mind was Viper.

This coaster had corkscrews, a huge drop, and a couple teardrops.  Now tear drops are like loops, but have you accelerating on the last half of the rotation.  It was pretty much glorious.  Now I want to say that after that first ride, I did not feel so good.  At the time I thought it was me getting motion sick or something like that,  but I just had the same feeling on Friday, and it had nothing to do with motion sickness.

A good friend came over that night and suggested we go for a drive in my car.  Now my wife and I own a 2008 Audi TT, and to be honest, I have yet to push the car and find its limits.  To be even more honest I doubt the limits I found on Friday had anything to do with the car, but mostly the saddening truth that my talent for spirited driving is crap. 

I spent 20 minutes driving through some of the most awesome twisty roads from southern Temecula to Fallbrook, and let me tell you, that was one of the coolest times of my life.  I just didn’t want stop.  So for all you adrenaline junkies out there, try it some time.  Go find a twisty road with a fun car and wring the snot out of it.  But remember, be safe

I don’t know what it is about Audi/Volkswagen vehicles, but they consistently ooze class.  And things are no different with the S5.  The designer, Walter de’Silva, says this is his most beautiful car to date.  And I would be hard pressed to find someone to disagree with him. 

Another noticeable quality of the S5 is the speed.  For a car that fits in size wise in between a BMW 335i and an Aston Martin DB9, it is very nearly on par with both.  And while you may say a Maserati Gran Turismo is prettier, it is in no way faster.  This is a video from a British show called Fifth Gear and it is a comparison between a BMW 335i and an Audi S5. And remember, you can actually fit people in the back of the Audi, while only amputees would fit in the back of the BMW.

So here is my question, Is the drool inducing Aston Martin DB9 with a price of around $195,000 or the heart stopping Maserati Gran Turismo that costs around $145,000, really worth it when you have an option like the subtle yet beautiful Audi S5?…….

That really is a hard one…….

As I turned a bend, there was the cherry on top of the sundae; An Aston Martin dealership.  The first  one I saw was an older DB7, which is in no way an ugly car, but now it is looking slightly dated.  And then. OH. MY. GOSH.  Three V8 Vantages in a row.  And in some of the coolest colors I’ve have ever seen them in.  I don’t even know how to describe them, they were just wow.  Seeing these cars in the flesh is absolutely 1000% better than in pictures in magazines or on the Internet.

So I can’t even imagine what this car will look like in person.  They are calling it just a concept right now,  but I can tell already, if I see this Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS in person I will have sinful thoughts.  My wife will slap me directly in the face as I drool and gawk over its shear beauty.  Some may think that the styling is a bit over the top but like all concept cars, they are likely to tone the vents and the gills down a bit.  I think that if Aston is slightly more restrained with this car than they were with the DBS, this very well may be the best looking Aston Martin ever.

Its not only the looks that have me salivating, but also the potential for mass amounts of speed.  Basically, they have wedged a 6.0 litre V12 from a DBR9 race car with 600hp and a beefy six-speed manual.  The rumour at the moment is that it will be a limited edition run and the price will be somewhere north of the newly released DBS.

So, enough with the talking, lets just stare in wonder at what may be causing accidents around an Aston Martin dealer near you sometime next year.

So what this post is about is what are some alternative MINIs.  Car that are small and economical, and also a hoot to drive and own.  Europe gets a crap ton of alternate choices, while us Yanks get pretty slim pickin’s.  So here are my top five eccentric choices for a cheap car that makes you smile.

#5 Nissan Versa

This is at the bottom of the list mostly for its very forgettable looks and the fact that even though I’m pretty affluent in the car culture, I couldn’t remember for the life of me what the heck its name was.  It does pretty well in the economic realm with a base price $12,810 and an MPG rating of 27/33 city/highway, but that isn’t what this comparo is about.  Nothing that looks that much like a minivan could be fun.  You might as well buy a Chevy Aveo.

#4 Saturn Astra

I have to say I think this car looks pretty good in the three door version but loses some of those looks in the five door.  Its just as green but not to boring.  Its starting price is a few grand more than the Versa at $15,995, but if you go for the three door, which is the one you want for style’s sake, its even more at $18,495.  So in that case you might as well just get the MINI.

#3 Scion XD

Now this one on looks, is top notch.  I personally think ti is the best looking of the Scion brand, and with all the extra throw on equipment that you can order from Scion, it can be made to be a very unique and special car.  The thing with being unique is that it usually comes at a price.  And at a base of$15,170, the price will go up very quickly with extras.  But if exclusivity is something that interest you, maybe it’s worth it. 

And its a Toyota product which means it will last for ever.  So if you buy one, you’d better be in it for the long run.

#2 VW Rabbit (Although Golf sounds a bit more macho)

Now I like the Golf , not because its got spoilers and bright colors like the others, but because its got class.  There’s something about it that just seems grown up.  It’s not the cheapest, but it does seem like the most well made with a quality feel that seems to be missing from the others.  It’s also the most powerful but in turn it hurts the most at the pump.  It’s not bad by any means, but in this group its seems a bit of a glutton.  Nonetheless, it’s a great deal and a great car.

#1 Honda Fit

With a base price of $13,950 its one of the cheapest here, but with those looks and the fun factor that is just oozing off of it, it easily takes my number one spot.  Let’s just call it the little Japanese MINI.  It doesn’t have the customizing features of the Scion, or the class and elegance of the Golf, but what it lacks there it makes up for in sheer fun.  There’s no other way to put it.  If I had to buy a funky little cheap car, I’d pick the reliable little Honda every time.

Yipee! Finally a place I can let out all my car frustration!  I really don’t know what to expect from this blog, but I really am looking forward to let loose and share my opinions and ideas with anyone who is willing to listen.  I’ll post as many cool pics and videos as I deem necessary and hopefully teach some of you about the fine art of fulfilling your automotive appetite