My Extensive McLaren Artura VS. Corvette E-Ray VS. Acura NSX Comparison
Posted by eaglerulez@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 54 comments
[removed]
Posted by eaglerulez@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 54 comments
[removed]
randeus@reddit
Do people drive a C8 on the street and actually starts to wish it had more power?
4r4r4real@reddit
Not quite as quick, by my 6th gen Camaro SS 1LE had largely the same engine and by the end of my ownership I wanted more power.
Thankfully it's pretty easy to stoke significantly more out without having to resort to forced induction.
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
Yes actually! I daily drove a model 3 performance and owned a base C8 stingray. While I loved the Stingray's handling, it just never felt fast to me coming out of my model 3 performance.
randeus@reddit
Well most cars will feel slow compared to that. The C8 is just so much power for the street, you can never really use it.
xlb250@reddit
I drove a Model S Plaid recently. It wasn’t great overall, but the brutal acceleration is something that I crave.
dezratt@reddit
No one cares.
thelearner18@reddit
I am actually xross shopping the nsx, e-ray, gt-r, and r8, so I also care.
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
Perfect! Hope this writeup helps with your decision making, happy to answer any questions you may have!
thelearner18@reddit
Have you ever driven a c8 stingray that you could compare vs the e-ray? I really want my next car to ha e a "supercar feel" and as much as I want to like the e-ray I am guessing it wont fulfill that. I've driven an r8 before and it definitely felt more special even if it was slower than modern corvettes. Any comments on if the nsx felt special to be in?
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
I used to own a C8 Stingray!
To be honest the E-Ray feels almost exactly like the Stingray it just pulls harder and has even higher handling limits. It's still a significant improvement, but the experience is fairly comparable.
The Z06 feels much more special and is more "supercar" to be in. The experience is almost twice as exotic feeling as the base Stingray and E-Ray are.
The NSX also feels noticeably more special to be in than the E-Ray. It has more unique styling, and the engine has much more of a presence in the cabin compared to the E-Ray. NSX definitely checks the super car check box in my eyes.
thelearner18@reddit
That's pretty much what I expected for the e-ray.
The nsx has always looked a bit plain to me in photos of the interior. SO your opinion is that it definitely feels more special in person?
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
Yes definitely feels more special in person.
Proportions work a lot better in person than they do on photos.
Cockpit and seating position feel more supercar esque than they may seem in photos.
You also feel a healthy amount of engine vibration and the exhaust feels like it has much more presence in person.
Hard to describe, but it also drives in a way that feels a bit more super car esque compared to the C8 (just in terms of throttle inputs, steering feel, etc.)
In fact one of my initial impressions of the NSX was "oh yeah this is proper feeling".
thelearner18@reddit
Thanks for all the replies, definitely helping me get a better picture!
Final question- out of all the cars in the 150k is range you've driven, do you have a clear favorite? One that you would take home tomorrow?
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
The challenge is that $150K range is sort of a no man's land.
To me you're either buying bad versions of cars in the $180K-$200K range. Or high spec versions of $120K cars where that $30K premium probably isn't worth while.
I'd probably spring for a C8 Z06 on my end or try to stretch myself into an Artura.
If I was feeling exceedingly practical I'd look for the highest spec 991 I could get myself into.
r00000000@reddit
Me too with those exact same cars lol, I drove an NSX in Japan last year and became obsessed with mid-engined AWD cars so this was super relevant to me. Although the GT-R seems kinda overpriced now just like the NSX, so it's probably down to the E-Ray and R8 for me now, but I've also played around with the idea of splitting the difference and just getting a Taycan + Boxster to replace my two current cars.
Vhozite@reddit
I definitely care. I’ll take 100 of these posts over circle jerking about hating trucks/SUVs or the latest clickbait trash from Motor1.
Recoil42@reddit
I care. Thanks, OP.
gluten_heimer@reddit
Awesome write-up. I do have a question though: which of these three cars, if any, would/do you actually want?
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
I have a complicated list of requirements at the moment. I'm looking for the ultimate road tripper, that is as sporty as I can get, while still being as easy to drive in unfamiliar places as possible.
I like the E-Ray a lot, but the C8 Z06 speaks to me a lot more, especially since it's so comparable in price. So if the E-Ray started at like 95K I'd probably have one, but if I'm paying the same money my heart tells me I have to go with the Z06.
The problem with both C8's though is they don't have adaptive cruise control and I find myself in traffic often, so adaptive cruise control is kind of a must for me on my next purchase.
Using that criteria, the Artura is the only car that really fits the bill. While the Artura is great, I'm not entirely sure it's worth the price premium (hard to tell the difference between a $100 steak and a $200 steak) and it's definitely a car that isn't easy to maneuver if you don't already know where you're going.
So I'd say the Artura appeals to me the most, but I wasn't exactly loving it the way I thought I would it.
_galaga_@reddit
It's funny/frustrating that features like ACC are available on many basic transportation cars yet haven't "trickled up" to many higher end cars. When the C8 first came out and reviewers said how compliant it was it looked like a great GT car, especially the convertible and how it retains the rear trunk, but I also noticed the lack of ACC which is just so helpful in gobbling up the boring miles on a road trip. Not to mention Super Cruise is one of the better systems out there.
Requiring ACC also excludes a lot of manual cars and again I find it funny/frustrating you can get ACC in a manual Toyota but not a manual BMW or Porsche. I get manuals with ACC won't help in traffic but for those long highway stints there's no good reason not to have it, imo. It's not like there are hardware or software limitations preventing it these days.
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
Yeah as I've driven more and more cars I've realized that it's important to really minimize the small inconveniences one can experience as they start to add up over time.
While some cars are great in the canyons, if you're stuck in traffic on the way up or down from the canyon (which happens all the time in a place like SoCal) that can really diminish how much "fun" you're actually having in the car.
I used to own a C8, which I enjoyed a lot. It was generally easy to drive around town, but one of the things I realized I didn't like about it was it just wasn't as easy in traffic as cars with adaptive cruise control which almost make traffic enjoyable in comparison.
Seymour_Tamzarian@reddit
I wonder how much the better NSX Type S would’ve faired instead of the base model.
hi_im_bored13@reddit
Not much, the drivetrain is a bit better sure, you get the feel of the front motors working a little more, engine pulls that little bit harder, but all the issues with packaging, practicality, interior, understeer, brake feel, etc. are still there.
Really you should a. not consider an NSX in this day and age amd b. if you do, get an earlier model, tune if it you really care about the Type-S tweaks and get the newer front bumper. It wasn't particularly competitive when it launched but it was ahead of the time - now that others have well surpassed the tech while also making up for the packaging, and at a lower price, bit of a no-brainer to go for the e-ray or save up for the exotics.
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
Great insight! Do you think the NSX can be modded to handle more confidently? I did a cursory search and didn't find much, but I'm not embedded in the NSX community either.
hi_im_bored13@reddit
Not really, just because the issue is with integration and packaging rather than just the tech, and adjusting that is all proprietary
And on top of that, the few places you can tweak the car is extremely pricey as is with quite a bit of standard equipment, much better off picking almost anything else to wrench on
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
Damn that's sort of what I thought could be the case.
Total bummer because otherwise the NSX is a great car.
TheGT1030MasterRace@reddit
The e-Ray has idle stop-atart.
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
Yes it does, but it never really reverts to EV power unless you turn the whole thing off and start it back up in stealth mode.
When I was trying the E-Ray it only did auto start stop a couple of times in like (6) hours driving it.
TheGT1030MasterRace@reddit
Does the electric motor help you off the line as the engine is starting?
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
No, the iCE engine turns on and then the car starts moving forward.
Whereas in the NSX and Artura the car will start rolling away on EV motor power for quite a few MPH before the engine starts.
CharacterMedium558@reddit
The NSX just makes zero sense IMO. A base stingray or even a GTR which was released years before the gen 2 NSX and offered a similar performance number and mpg for much less. And the worst part is when these launches you could get a 911 GTS or GT3 for the same money which threw any reason to get a NSX out the door.
Id quite literally only buy a NSX as an investment because of how bad the car was when new resulting in poor sales. If I remember correctly car sounded decent from the inside but from outside it was kinda bad (like most cars including the 911 and GTR turbo cars). All of them need an Exhaust to wake up and excite me like a small block from GM
Vhozite@reddit
Amazing post I learned a lot about these cars. I really enjoyed reading about the Artura as that was the one I’m least familiar with. These cars make me really excited about the future of sports cars and I’m hoping the engineering that went into these vehicles will trickle down into future, more pedestrian hybrid sports cars.
As an American car guy this exactly how I feel about almost every sporty car Honda makes. Not meant as a dig at all I love Honda it’s just funny seeing someone else say it about the NSX of all things.
PabloIceCreamBar@reddit
I think the E-Ray is super fascinating. I’d love to drive one.
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
It's a great car! Just a phenomenal blend of technology, it feels quite polished and well executed in my opinion.
One of the best things about it is its handling, it has this magic "get out of jail free" quality to it that just lets you do ridiculous things when taking turns.
You basically never have to worry about a Tesla beating you off the line either!
Ihate_reddit_app@reddit
It's funny that it's not really trying to be a traditional "hybrid" and is using the electric motor to get better launch, but it still gets good mileage and beats the other two.
GM always seems to do a really good job of getting performance and mileage out of their sports car V8's.
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
Yes I found that to be really funny too. Especially because of how EV centric the other two are by comparison.
ikilledtupac@reddit
Very interesting. Only Honda could make a great but kinda lame supercar.
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
I would say the NSX leans more towards the great side, it just needs better handling.
Rabo_McDongleberry@reddit
Nice writeup man. But in NSX's defense... It's old tech now. That car was being built when the others were in R&D phase.
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
Totally agreed! And I think the real story of the NSX is how ahead of its time it was. It totally holds its own against the Artura and E-Ray. Can't imagine what it must've felt like in 2017 against lesser competition.
WordWithinTheWord@reddit
Which one provides the best visibility? I’ve seen the NSX get praised for its intentionally small A-pillars. How does it compare to the other 2?
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
Artura EASILY has the best visibility. It just doesn't have blind spots, and forward visibility feels like you're almost in an open canopy.
To me, the NSX has slightly better visibility due to being a smaller overall car than the E-Ray, but the E-Ray edges the NSX out thanks to the tech it has (blind spots monitoring, rear view camera, etc)
nocabacon@reddit
Not that anyone's buying these for MPG you must've meant 25 MPG for the E-Ray. No one is getting 35 MPG in them. Quick Google search shows low 20s MPG and they're EPA rated at 24 MPG highway.
Seymour_Tamzarian@reddit
First he said it can reach 35mpg on the highway, and second epa ratings mean dick. I can hit low 30s mpg in my C5 Z06 (incredibly common with a quick google search too) but epa claims 26mpg highway.
nocabacon@reddit
Yes, C5 and C6s can hit 30+ MPG. Base C5s get better MPG than C5Zs since they're more aerodynamic. Forums where the E-Ray owners are worse than Tesla bros aren't bragging about their MPG. Hybrids get worse highway MPG than city generally. You'd think the E-Ray would have better city MPG. Also, OP mentioning the V4 mode as a positive when most owners hate it is odd. Especially given the wear on DoD lifters GM can't seem to get right.
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
You literally can't tell the difference between V4 mode and V8 mode aside from reduced fuel consumption. I know Corvette owners hate it for purity reasons, but it's literally one of the least intrusive fuel economy systems I've experienced.
-WhoLetTheDogsOut@reddit
I’ve averaged 12 in mine since purchase
Seymour_Tamzarian@reddit
If you weren’t on a new purchase like that I’d be concerned! That means you’re enjoying the hell out of it.
imperialtrace@reddit
Great read! And gotta say, I agree with most of your takes on the NSX. I was considering one but when I got the chance to drive it, I was left disappointed mainly by the lack of feel on the front end. It's a great car and nobody should be ashamed if they own one or want one, but it just wasn't for me.
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
Yeah the handling is a huge bummer, and honestly a bit of a head scratcher for me since it seems like the AWD setup is optimized to really improve front-end handling.
Still a really cool car through and through though.
TangerineBroad4604@reddit
Great in-depth review! Lots of people shit on the NSX for being an underperformer on paper but most people who've actually driven it say great things about it.
eaglerulez@reddit (OP)
The NSX is honestly an awesome car. I was really hoping the E-Ray wouldn't be so good because it would make justifying an NSX much easier. But the handling deficiency is noticeable.
maxlax02@reddit
I am not and likely will never be in the market for these cars but that was a fun read.
AutoModerator@reddit
It looks like you're posting about a currently popular topic. Your submission has been automatically removed and forwarded to moderators for review. If your post is about Tesla or Olympian, please see this thread for details. See r/TeslaMotors and r/RealTesla for indepth discussion. Want to prognosticate about car prices? Head on over here. YES, WE WILL REVIEW YOUR POST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NO, YOU ARE NOT ON A BLACKLIST. You do not need to send us modmail immediately. Your call is very important to us and will be answered in the order it was received. No, seriously, we're all volunteers. We'll get to it as soon as possible. In the meantime, please check r/cars/new to see if there is a discussion already underway.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.