[jcp123]

Diff'rent strokes. I tried the handling thing (Focus ZTS in high school, where I was near lots of twisty hill roads, later an SVT Focus), it didn't really appeal to me that much. The Echo is more than satisfying enough for me in the corners, and it's not that good at it. Speaking of the Echo, it uses the torsion beam setup which seems to be a decent enough compromise.

IRS does not in and of itself make a sporty handling car though. The spring and shock rates have to work, plus the geometry of the setup, and weight balance plays a big role too. Then there's the centre of gravity, the roll centre...it goes on and on.