[BHarvey]

Drove one today and while it was an automatic, it is set up to shift early at light throttle. It would shift at 1400 rpm and the motor made sufficient torque to pull well even in 6th gear at 1000.

The tranny was not eager to downshift either unless you gave it some peddle, so you could lug around town all day at speeds of 45 mph or less and stay under 1500 rpm.

And when you did give it the berries she would sure scoot. The much more massive bottom end torque would let it eat my Sonata in a race, and the top end pull was good too.

I can honestly say I have never driven a 2.5l gasser that would rip like this.
A manual would be pretty sweet.

Brakes and handling were very nice, typical German stuff.

Overall a nice car...