Sunday Driver: El Guapo vs. Lex & T-Bob in Pamplona

Art by David Finch and Boulder Hill

Sunday Driver is no longer just for Sundays. In COVID times, one less restriction is welcomed. I have kind of told the story of how El Guapo came to live at A Good Place To Be within The Hub of the Universe. However, just like every origin story, you never really share it in one telling. Otherwise, there would never be a prequel in our multi-verse. What you know: El Guapo is a Real Legend born in Japan and since 2006 has diligently applied his craft under the pseudonym RL. What you don't know: Who else was vying for our hearts and minds? What else was tested? Who are Lex and T-Bob? Did we run with the bulls?

As noted here, there were 6 criteria to our selection. There were other cars that loosely met or were borderline in checking all the boxes. Cost and variability in defining reliability were typically the criteria that were not met. The cars considered whether seriously or in passing were the Buick Regal GS, Audi S4 and S5, Cadillac CTS, Lincoln MKZ, and Toyota Matrix AWD. However, the finalists were Lex and T-Bob; not Lex Luthor or T-Bob from M.A.S.K., but Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota Motor Corporation and The Blue Oval Boys, more formally known as the Ford Motor Company.  

Now if you have read anything car related here, you might know that I like Fords. I have owned a  Focus ST, Focus SVT, Contour SVT, Thunderbird SC, Contour SE and even shared ownership of an Escort. In addition, my family is big on Ford and Toyota. We have purchased other brands, but we have either owned or currently own a Camry, Avalon, Venza, Corolla, Highlander, F-150, Escape, Expedition and Explorer. Our Ford choices go back to days of the Fairmont and LTD. As it relates to Honda? The Lady had Paquito, her Honda Civic, for like 15 years. This is in addition to the Honda products my sister and extended family members have owned (Accord, Civic and Integra). All of this makes a choice of Toyota, Ford, or Honda a natural starting point from which to select.

2012 IS 250, Credit: Bergey's Chrysler

So with all the main parties identified, we started with 2007-2012 Lexus IS 250's. The Lady really liked the IS 250. It fit her like a glove. It was cozy, but even for her, the cabin felt slightly smaller than Paquito. It was a touch too small and tight for me as well, but at the time I could have spared to lose a few pounds. I was more interested in the IS 350 because of the horsepower difference, but it was more money than we wanted to spend. In addition, the 250 is very common and I see these 2nd generation 250's everywhere. It speaks to their popularity, second hand market price, and their reliability. However, I like cars with a touch of personality and uniqueness; and although The Lady simply likes getting from point A to B and back to A with no fuss, she also likes nice things. Yet, we don't like outrageously styled cars. She had a Civic DX for almost 15 years and the styling cues of my Fords brought attention in the same way you might notice someone's new hairstyle; easy to miss at a glance, but easy to notice if you were paying attention. The Legend's styling is clean, understated, memorable, yet forgettable. It's styling appears to have been a blessing and curse as it also was described as bland and uninspired. A lack of a V8 undoubtedly impacted the outward image of this flagship sedan. Getting back to the IS 250, it would have objectively been a no-brainer for point to point transportation with some style that could accommodate most of our driving needs, but there is nothing memorable about it. I think we all understand there is a level of subjectivity and personality that goes into this kind of choice for good or for bad. The 250 looks good in photos, but in person demonstrates no personality and is akin to background music; and there is not a lot to say about background music it. Either you hate it, like it or don't even realize it is playing.

The Ford choices boiled down to 2013-2014 Taurus SHO's and 2010-2012 Fusion Sport's. I have always been a big fan of the SHO (Super High Output) trim since the 1990's, and the Taurus itself was pretty groundbreaking in its own right. When I was in the market for one, I happened to buy a Contour SVT, so no real loss there in my opinion. Without getting too much into the history, eventually the Taurus lost its way and was briefly discontinued in the mid 2000's. Starting in 2010, Ford brought back the SHO trim level. However, the Taurus now tried to complete with the likes of Audi and BMW instead of taking on Accords and Camrys which had been it's competition in the past. However, this was now the Fusion's job. Today in the North America market, amongst a sea of SUV's, both the Accord and Camry (and Avalon) are still in production, while the Taurus and Fusion are not. Unfortunately, that says a lot but it is story for a different day. In any case, why the SHO or Sport trims instead of trim levels such as a Limited, SEL or Titanium? In at least the Taurus's case, it would offer similar amounts of power as the Legend, would be newer, and generally have lower maintenance cost. Well honestly because of the type of Fords I have owned. I simply continue to prefer their performance variants.

2013 Taurus SHO, Credit: Marc Urbano, Car & Driver

So we came across a black 2013 SHO to test. This particular SHO was modified with a performance exhaust, brake upgrade and undoubtedly a performance tune. Now a SHO has a pretty high belt line which makes it feel bigger than it already is; but with lowering springs, it sits at a perfect ride height...just like Ford should have had it. The controls and interior cabin were visually familiar to us having been used to the Focus ST lay out and SYNC system. When The Lady sat in it and started it up with that lowered stance and exhaust growl...man, she was looking very hot. I was ready to ask her to marry me again. The Lady was born under the Taurus zodiac sign and it seemed appropriate that a Taurus was going to drive a Taurus. I was running with the bulls. Nevertheless, I ended up driving first and confirmed the car was faster than stock and definitely stopped better than stock. I probably should have done some more explaining to The Lady when it was her turn. Now in fairness to her, the SHO has 365 horsepower stock and she has driven a Civic most of her driving life with 115 horsepower. This particular car had more power than stock and the brake upgrade was a little grabby. She literally drove the car for about 10 seconds and was like "What the Hell!" When the power came on more than she was used to, she pressed on the grabby brakes, when the grabby brakes grabbed more than what she was used to, she released them and tried to press the throttle again, and the power came on. Well, it briefly like riding a Bull. She immediately pulled over and was like, "nope, what is wrong with this car? This thing is on cocaine. It is a coke car." And that was the end of that, I should have known better than to put two Bulls of equal will together in a confined space. Nevertheless, it gave us the phrase Coke Car that will forever be in our lexicon.

 

2010 Fusion Sport, Credit: Jordan Brown, Car & Driver

If the Blue Oval was going to win the day, The old Fusion Sport would have to salvage Ford Pride. Truth be told, this generation of Sport AWD Fusion is pretty hard to find in a decent condition. Also, the reliability record of this generation of Fusion was spotty. Add the complications of more power and all wheel drive and you really had to look hard to find one worth buying. It certainly was possible, but it would have to be someone's first choice and at the time the pickings were slim. During the search, that aspect did give it some additional appeal for me. So we saw a 2011 Sport, not the AWD version, but it would give us an approximation. It was in tough condition and just traded in. It allowed us to see it in it's nakedness and gave clues as to the previous ownership and it's life. We got into it and started it up. It idled fine, the interior looked cheap and nondescript and showed a lot of wear and tear. It left me with the impression of looking at a dirty concrete wall or rusty shipping containers: it might be strong and do the job, but I don't want to find out. The Lady gave a thumbs down given she had already driven an IS 250. So, we did not even feel compelled to drive this Fusion. When Ford reintroduced the Sport AWD in 2017, I was excited for the possibilities but again the price point was more than we wanted to spend on this purchase. Although they are now out of production, these will remain on my radar as time goes on. 

Look at the twinkle in his eye

At the end of the day, El Guapo comes from the same Honda family as Paquito, so he has good genes. He is a little younger, bigger, and more powerful. He has a wide driving envelope and offers us some versatility. The sight lines and visibility are very good and on par with the Civic and much better than the Focus ST's overall visibility. There are other options that are younger, bigger and more powerful. In this day and age, there are other options with more efficient technology and functions that are easier to use. However, when The Lady endorses the actual driving experience as effortless. You roll with it. El Guapo can bench 300 lbs., move like a gazelle, engage in the works of Cornel West, hem and seam clothes, and never tell you any of it unless you asked. Look at that early morning gleam in his eye. He has a plethora of gleam. When he and I are together, he is always ready to impose his will on the road beneath: wet, dry, straight, curved or otherwise. When he and The Lady are together, he dutifully takes her by the hand and whisks her away to destinations commanded by her instruction with grace. When all of us are out and about, he carries out his duties like a sentinel allowing us to enjoy the moment.