By Rob

Editor-in-Chief

Given the fact that the next-generation Titan will be built by Chrysler, I thought this would be a humorous match up. The Ram defeated the F-150 in the last full-size pickup showroom showdown, but I know there are a lot of Nissan fans on CarDomain, too. So, which would you choose, the 2008 Nissan Titan or the 2008 Dodge Ram?

By Rob

Editor-in-Chief

This is the second Showroom Showdown that has been too close to call. The last one was the Accord Coupe vs. the Altima Coupe in February. No matter how you look at it, these affordable RWD coupes will be game changers. Finally, another generation will be exposed to some RWD goodness. We will be following both vehicles' development closely in the CarDomain blog. I can't wait to see how they turn out.    

By Rob

Editor-in-Chief

Yes, both cars are about two years out, and details on each are still a bit sketchy. But we know a lack of information has never stopped you guys from having an opinion! Nissan is claiming they will have their car in the showroom first, and of course, they already have a strong following from the 240. But don't count out Subaru, who is developing their car jointly with Toyota. So, which cool, affordable RWD coupe would you choose: the Silvia or the Subie?

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

The CTS-V earned a convincing victory over the RS 4 in this week's Showroom Showdown. In general, style and the horsepower seemed to trump AWD and "German engineering." But my favorite quote was by Tony87: "Even if the Caddy was made in some mexican sweat shop. I'd rather have a burrito than a plate of sauerkraut, and i'm german." According to the UAW, the CTS is built in North America. Stay tuned for another match up next week.

By Rob

Editor-in-Chief

GM really stepped up to the plate with 2009 Cadillac CTS-V. I mean, come on, 550 hp!!! It seems to be aimed squarely at the BMW M5, but will be priced a lot lower--probably in the mid-$60k range. I had to look around a bit for a worthy challenger in that price range, and finally (with Sean's help) came up with the Audi RS 4. Now, the Audi only delivers 420 hp, but you get AWD and "German engineering." So, which would you choose, the Caddy or the Audi?

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Now, at least one Solstice forum found out about this week's Showroom Showdown, but I doubt that alone explains the fact that the Solstice won by a 4 to 1 margin. Ouch! Personally, I think the Solstice looks way better, but I'd still take the Miata...

By Rob

Editor-in-Chief

It's always fun to pit domestics vs. imports, and this is a pretty obvious match up. Plus, both Pontiac and Mazda have done pretty well in previous Showroom Showdowns. Let's keep the GXP out of this one and compare the 166 hp Miata to the 173 hp Solstice, since they are priced pretty close. And if you think you're too manly to drive either of these cars, just pretend it's a gift for your wife or girlfriend. So, which would you choose, the Solstice or the Miata?

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Given the fact that we have almost three times as many Tacos on CarDomain as Frontiers, it's not a huge surprise that the Toyota won this week's Showroom Showdown. The vote was more like 3 to 2 for the Taco, though, so the Nissan definitely has a lot of fans. Personally, I'd take the Frontier based on looks alone. What a hot truck! But both are great, and I agree with Mike--these can't really be considered "compact" pickups anymore, they are more like mid-size trucks. But then what are the Dakota and Colorado?

By Rob

Editor-in-Chief

If you're looking for a compact pickup, chances are you're gonna look at the Nissan Frontier and the Toyota Tacoma. We have tons of examples of both trucks on CarDomain, and they both have a great reputation on and off road. For the purpose of this match up, let's compare the V6 4x4 extended cab models with all the NISMO and TRD goodness. So, which would you choose, the Frontier or the Taco?

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

The MAZDASPEED3 scored a solid victory in this week's Showroom Showdown, but it didn't exactly trounce the GTI. By my count it was 43 to 30 votes in favor of the Mazda. Many people seemed to feel that the extra horsepower gave the Mazda the edge over the VW.

Let me know what cars you'd like to see in next week's match-up!

By Rob

Editor-in-Chief

If you want a hot hatch and have $23K burning a hole in your pocket, there are two obvious choices: the MAZDASPEED3 and the GTI. With the Mazda you get that whole Japanese reliability thing and four doors. With the GTI you get "German engineering" (what does that mean, exactly?), a choice of two or four doors, and the optional DSG tranny. Now, this isn't an even match in terms of hp--the Mazda has a big advantage there (263 vs the VW's 200) but hey, horsepower isn't everything, is it? The last time we pitted a VW against a Mazda, it was the Polo vs. the Mazda2, and the Mazda won. To be on the safe side I usually run these match-ups by Sean, especially ones involving imports. This one had him stumped, so I'm feeling pretty good about it (then again, Sean owns a GTI, so maybe he wasn't the right guy to ask this time). So, which would you choose, the wild child or the hopped up Rabbit?

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

While the C70 received its fair share of votes, the Saab 9-3 vert was the clear victor in this week's Showroom Showdown. Personally, I'm a big fan of these cars. I think the new front clip looks great, and I'm happy Saab hasn't been sucked into the retractable hardtop nonsense. The Saab 99/900/9-3 has always been one of the best balanced FWD sports sedans out there, and the convertible version is just plain cool.

By Rob

Editor-in-Chief

We've actually gotten a bit of sun in Seattle in the last few days and I've seen a few folks cruising around with the top down. So, in honor of the sun and our city's significant Nordic heritage, this week's Showroom Showdown features two topless Swedes. The Saab comes in the extra cool Aero version, but to keep it fair we're gonna compare the Saab 9-3 2.0T vert to the Volvo C70--both cars come in right around $40k. Both cars are FWD and have fairly modest hp numbers (the Saab's turbo four banger makes 210hp, the Volvo's turbo inline five makes 227hp). The Volvo sports a retractable hardtop while the Saab has the conventional cloth top. Neither of these cars will be terribly reliable or hold their value very well, so I would suggest a lease. But it would be a fun lease. So, which would you choose, the Saab 9-3 2.0T vert or the Volvo C70?

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Ok, so this one wasn't even close. The Saleen won by a 2-to-1 margin. Lambos haven't been doing too well in our Showroom Showdown. The last Lambo got smoked by a Ferrari. Oh well, maybe next time...

By Rob

Editor-in-Chief

The two coolest mid-engine exotics at the New York Auto Show last week were the Saleen Raptor and the Lamborghini LP560-4. The Saleen's supercharged 5.0 produces 650 hp, while the Lambo's 5.2 liter V10 makes a measly 560 hp. Saleen has not yet committed to building the Raptor, but if they did, which would you choose?

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

Despite cries of unfairness from both camps, our TSX-vs-Maxima Showroom Showdown was one of the closest yet, with the Maxima pulling ahead by only a scant 3 votes. In true CarDomain fashion, you picked the Maxima's burlier performance over the TSX's luxier extras—and only two of you opted for "neither."