2009 Corvette ZR-1 Exclusive Road Test

ZR1 Put to the Test: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Full Test

Brute force, a quality we can't help but assign to any car generating 638 horsepower, is by definition anything but subtle. Yet the 2009 Chevy Corvette ZR1 manages at once to be both brutally quick and remarkably mild-mannered. Its quarter-mile acceleration is quicker than any production car we've ever tested, its chassis is benign but highly capable and its carbon-ceramic brakes are mind-bending in their effectiveness. This new Vette offers an unlikely combination of performance and real-world usability that we're proud to experience in an American car.

This combination is as rare as truth in a presidential debate. Honestly, most of the ZR1's competition (think Dodge Viper ACR) or Nissan GT-R)) is less capable and makes a much larger compromise in typical road driving. With the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 we have a machine that is engaging to drive, capable of making insane numbers on the test track and also a legitimate road car.

Honda Civic Hybrid vs. Honda Fit Sport Comparo

hey're not fast, they don't corner hard and they're certainly not the most pulse-quickening cars we've ever tested at Inside Line. But if fuel-efficiency and utility are priority items in your next car purchase, then the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid and 2009 Honda Fit Sport are unbelievable machines.

Combining economic operation and utility like few other cars sold today, either of these Hondas is a responsible choice for the buyer looking to save fuel, minimize emissions and haul the family. Each has its own unique qualities — important distinctions that can't be overlooked.

The question, then, is which is the better car? To figure it out, for two weeks we used the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid and the 2009 Honda Fit as they're designed to be used. We drove them to work, loaded our families in them, packed our groceries in them and took them to the track to measure their performance. We argued the merits of the Civic's superb fuel economy vs. the Fit's exceptional utility.

In doing so, we designed this test to suit the priorities of a buyer looking for reasonably priced utilitarian transportation. Accordingly, fuel economy and price make up the majority of each car's total score at 25 percent each. Performance, feature content and our 29-point evaluation score make up 15 percent each, while editors' personal and recommended picks combine for the remaining 5 percent.