The march of the computer machines to take over the entire planet (and eventually the known universe) is proceeding apace, which will no doubt please all the geeks waiting patiently to Assimilate into the Collective. This is not to say that all computers and associated technologies are bad, of course, and in fact most are doing great things especially on the automotive front. Far be it from me to attack all the wondrous changes happening in the cockpits of automobiles, but the point I’m trying to make is there’s so much of it (and it’s happening so fast) that I can’t help but wonder how much is here to stay or just passing through. A great example of this is all the magic beans found in Audi’s formidable S6 sedan, which is a pretty fascinating car on all fronts but especially in the loaded-with-the-latest bells/whistles/lasers/radar/infrared/surveillance/speakers/it nearly drives itself/wow department. It’s also an impressive sports sedan with a potent drivetrain and chassis, as well as a heaping helping of creature comforts.

The mere mechanical car stuff includes a 420 horsepower Twin-Turbocharged V8, mated to a 7-speed Automatic transmission and Audi’s Quattro All Wheel Drive. It’s a bit of a rocket as you would imagine a midsized sedan with a fire-breathing inferno under the hood would be, and it is a gas to thunder around on your favorite twisty tarmac. Handling is sound, although ride quality deteriorates a bit over broken pavement as it’s definitely on the sporting side of the sport/luxury equation. Oh, and there’s a lot of road noise, which seems odd on a car like this. But then there’s excellent steering, and the brakes are massive beasts with rotors you could bake pizzas on and they haul the car down in short order. Great stuff, right? Of Course.

But this is just nuts and bolts and other hardware. Almost as if this car crashed into a Radio Shack there are enough wiring looms, electronics and microchips scattered throughout the car to build a server farm. This starts right when you hit the starter button (found on the right side of the center console, oddly enough). Like a small flying saucer invasion, a brace of tweeters for the optional $5,900 Bang & Olufsen sound system rises out of the corners of the dashboard as if to announce that the audio is active. Wild, and yes, the sound quality is excellent. But as cool as this is, the real fun starts with the Innovation Package. Yeegods, this $5650 option could also be called “The Future is Now” package, for it includes Audi Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go function, Active Lane Assist and Side Assist, Head(s)-up Display, Topview Camera System and Night Vision Assistant.

Let’s look at these one a time, eh? The Adaptive Cruise control can deal even with compressed traffic events that mean crawling along slowly. Seems to respond pretty well, too, although like all adaptive systems it doesn’t see traffic as well as most humans do in situations such as sharp curves or the dual lane scenario when a car slows to turn left in the lane next to you. Active Lane Assist is a real trip, as it actually keeps the car in the lane (including ghost-like steering wheel takeover and course correction if you start straying out of your lane). The car knows when your hands are off the wheel and it’s having to intervene too much, and prompts you to quit texting, eating or building a small wooden ship and steer the damn thing. The Head-Up Display (I still say Heads-up, but whatever) can be switched on to project the car’s speed (or other info you can set on a menu deep within the car’s interface) on the windshield, where you can see it as you drive. This type of visual enhancement has been around for quite some time, and I personally am not thrilled by it. In theory it makes sense, but it just doesn’t really help me keep my eyes on the road any better. Maybe it’s because I don’t monitor the car’s speed instrumentation much as I tend to use feedback from the road and other factors to help keep an eye on velocity. My response may be a motorcycle thing, and naturally your results may vary.

Next: the TopView camera system. There are small video cameras located at the front, back and both sides of the car, which give you an excellent view around the car as you crumple the bodywork on all those Teslas taking up two spaces. It’s actually a great feature to see all around the car when maneuvering about, as you could spot far more precious objects than just machines.

Which brings me to my favorite gadget on an already entertaining car: the Night Vision Assistant. A few years ago I reviewed a Cadillac DeVille (I believe it was) that had a similar infrared night camera. At the time I spoke with somebody in the know at Cadillac, who mentioned a “certain” European manufacturer was also working on such a system. I don’t remember if there was a relationship involving licensing, etc. with Cadillac but now the system has disappeared from GM and is now on the Audi. Other manufacturers have had a go at their own versions of the system, and it’s primary goal is to prevent hitting pedestrians in the dark. The problem I have with it is, through no fault of its own, it is an incredibly interesting thing to gaze at as it sits in the center of the instrument cluster. As it detects heat and renders warmer things brighter, it’s downright educational. Things like electrical transformers, the underside of passing cars, even the road itself is higher in temperature than the surrounding forest and is a displayed with a white hue. The software in this system can even locate a likely pedestrian and highlight it in yellow to help get your attention. While I didn’t encounter any humans, I did come face to infrared with a opossum that thought they could throw me off the track by actually acting alive and walking around. Good fun, actually. He/she wandered off but not before I was able to take a picture for your viewing pleasure.

Of course, there are even more wonders on the S6 like a Navigation screen that folds into the dash when you don’t need it (although you need it for a lot of things besides Navigation). It uses Google maps if you want to overlay a satellite image that can even display your house, which I find creepy. A track pad located next to the shifter and adjacent to Audi’s Multi Media Interface (MMI) knob lets you write some types of data entry, as Audi explains: “Just like drawing in the sand, your index finger allows you to enter navigation destinations and telephone numbers by simply “writing” with your finger on the touchpad.” Wild. I’m still not a fan of MMI or BMW’s iDrive, or Lexus’ whatever it’s called. These nods to computer mice and trackballs basically do nothing for me in these applications, but rather just make operations that were simple more complex. Yes, you can use voice commands if you desire, but again it takes longer to use the interface (with very rare exceptions) than most operations used to via well-engineered buttons and the like. But that’s me. I’m old enough to remember cars and motorcycles that didn’t even have airbags, ABS, fuel injection or across-the-board power windows, although they did have ashtrays. We could have used the latest electronics, too, to help avoid all the dinosaur poop on the roadways as we fire up another Winston.

What is most interesting about the S6 is not just its driving dynamics, which are impressive (and fun) on their own, or even the fantastic materials and workmanship that are found all over the vehicle. What really amazed me is how much electronic wildness is integrated into the car, and touches pretty much every aspect of it. With a price as equipped of $87,720 you pay for it, too. But I doubt anyone will take issue with the cost for this is clearly a very complex machine, with countless hours of R&D to make it such a contemporary ride. The night may be Dark and Full of Terrors, but at least you can see the Others and run them down.

One of the things that the silly people who tend to classify things into two categories tend to (for lack of a better term) classify into two categories, is the battle between the two primary rear-drive sports car design philosophies. Or, to put it another way, there are two types of people: the ones that categorize sports car design philosophies into two competing philosophies and the ones that don’t.

My God, what have I done? I have become a silly person. The evidence, sadly, is just above. Dang. I guess I should just live with it.

So, to recap, there are two kinds of rear-drive sports car design philosophies. I created these philosophies myself of course, based on my somewhat cursory observations of sporting machinery over the years usually from behind the wheel of said sports machines. These observations took place sporadically when I wasn’t doing other things (see my collected works, if you dare), and therefore may be quite suspect. However, let me share them anyway because they play a part in why I like the Scion FR-S so much. One philosophy for the sporting ride consists of brute strength, where you take a big, stout chassis, drop in a huge V8, add heavy duty suspension components and conquer the road like a knight with a broadsword. In bumpy corners this engineering approach seemed to be to smash the bumps flat rather than float over them. This is the Pony Car way of doing things, although it could be argued that this type of hoop is more like a draft horse than an equine compact.

The other design philosophy is very different, and in this approach you built a stiff but lightweight chassis, install a potent but compact engine and employ suspension components designed to dance lithely over bumps rather than crush them. Ultimately the idea is to cling to curvy tarmac through balance and finesse, rather than rely on sheer mass and massive rubber. Over the years this type of sporting platform has largely been pushed aside by the more expensive, heavy GT/Pony Car approach, but there have been occasional bright spots (like the Nissan 350Z, Mazda Miata, etc.) for those who think light is the way to go. And now, thanks to both Scion and Subaru who have joined forces to create a true featherweight sports coupe, you now have the ability to score a purist’s dream: a brand-new driver’s car (and you can pick either nameplate as the cars are nearly identical). Better yet, these coupes are as affordable as they are entertaining, too. I recently spent a week with the Scion version, and the FR-S is the kind of car that has such perfect styling and proportions that you almost think there’s no way driving it can live up to the seductive allure of the exterior. You will be disappointed if you want a tire-shredding hellbeast of a car, but if you fancy a really fun ride with near flawless balance and a very reasonable price tag, look nay further. In fact, you will be dazzled by the fine road manners and driving dynamics of the FR-S, which feels more engaged with the road than most of its more porcine competition.

Weighing in at 2,758 lbs. with the 6-speed manual (a 6-speed automatic is also available), the FR-S is powered by a 200-horsepower 2-liter Boxer Four that thanks to its compact, flat profile helps both mass centralization and the establishment of a low center of gravity. While there’s not boatloads of low-end torque the engine fits the car perfectly and will no doubt be the object of many tuning mavens who will squeeze more muscle out of it. But for enjoying a serpentine drive home, this is a really balanced approach that flat-out works. One friend at Toyota suggested that unlike most sports coupes you need not run away from the idea of getting the automatic transmission, because the Magic Box o’ Slush optimizes shift points really well and has paddle shifters for use in manual mode.

As for my test mule, I really loved the manual as the ratios and ergonomics of the shifter worked perfectly for me. The rear-drive architecture and surprisingly responsive electronic steering make handling naturally intuitive, and a Torsen limited-slip differential makes sliding drives out of corners completely predictable and user-friendly. The suspension does a fine job of handling road irregularities without harshness, and the brakes are excellent. The twin sport buckets offer excellent support and comfort, and the interior has a good mix of utilitarian aesthetics and the latest in electronic entertainment. The rear seats are (as the Road Gods intended) mere parcel shelves as opposed to actual seats, which is fine. This is a two-seater in my view, for lightweight intimacy is a private matter best appreciated with a lone passenger.

Which brings us to other great things about the FR-S, such as even though (as my notebook confirms) I was not being nice I still managed nearly 30 MPG. Nicely equipped the sticker came to $25K, which makes this a genuine bargain. Throw in the fact that considering its lineage it should be reliable, and it has that great Subaru oil filter placement on top of the engine for easy maintenance. But all this is just icing on the peacock compared to the great overall engineering of this car. Light weight, perfect balance, excellent composure, generous feedback and a great cockpit to enjoy it in make this is true pleasure unit that is even economical daily transportation. Take that, bloated pony cars.

2013 Toyota Corolla S

2013 Nissan Sentra SL

It has been a grudge match that has spanned generations. And by generations, I of course mean generations in an automotive sense because these two really haven’t been fighting all that long when you compare long battles like England and France, snakes and mongooses, politicians and reality and Donald Trump and his hair. That said, 30 years is a pretty long time and while this is no epic Ford vs. Chevy struggle it has been a huge motivator for improving the quality of compact sedans, and a number of manufacturers are now in the scrum. As is an integral part of Best Practices interweb commentary these days (which is to say pile it higher and deeper at every opportunity), I’m exaggerating the fight between the Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra for no good reason, except to point out that by competing with each other to build the best compact sedan for the money they’ve both fashioned pretty decent rides that are actually very different in personality. This ultimately means that it really does come down to your individual tastes (big tip-this is true for when you shop for most cars these days), and in the case of these two they should last as long as you take decent care of them. But will you outgrow them in a couple of years? Read on.

The Toyota Corolla has been a part of the American landscape since the 60s, and while the 2013 version is bigger and dramatically more refined that the early versions it still shares an important attribute in common: it’s still a solid, reliable compact automobile that’s inexpensive to operate. The price of everything had climbed steeply since the Corolla arrived on these shores and the car is a lot more expensive than it used to be in terms of unadjusted base price. The thing is, though, the level of standard equipment, as well as the fact that the car is so much quieter, more comfortable and loaded with the latest in state-of-the-art safety stuff makes it less of the tin box of old and more of a satisfying driver. The Corolla S in these photos was powered by a 1.8-liter Inline Four with its plucky 132 horsepower when teamed with the classic 4-speed automatic transmission gets the job done just fine, while delivering 32 MPG in my week of controlled thrashing. A 5-speed manual is also available, and yes, 6-speed units are becoming de riguer in both manual and automagic gearboxes yet these transmissions are a very good fit in this front-drive transport. It’s a good mix of performance and economy, and while the electronic power steering is a tad on the light side (OK, very light), it still manages enough feedback to be reasonably fun to whip around. I don’t know how it does this; it just does. Ride quality is firmish but still compliant enough to badly spank the compact sedans of the past in terms of overall comfort.

The interior is a very interesting mix of traditional and new, and I’m thankful that while Toyota has seen its way clear to install the seemingly mandatory touch-screen interface in their Entune system, it still has enough knobs and functionality about it to make it useful. The seating in the S is of stout fabric with good, firm support for the driver that doesn’t lose its charm as the day’s miles rack up. The rear seat is surprisingly commodious for a car with a 102.4-inch wheelbase, and the flat floor just adds to the overall room. There’s 60/40 seat back-folding access to the trunk to increase cargo versatility, and with 12.4 cubic feet of space in the trunk it’s no bathtub but perfectly usable.

What we ultimately have here is a very practical, functional car with more room than you would expect that’s actually fun to drive and feels built for the long haul. In this way it’s just like previous Corollas, only more so. With options the sticker on my test mule came to $21,729.

Given their identical missions, is the Sentra basically a Corolla from Nissan in terms of overall feel, or is it actually different despite the similarities? On the similar front, in the Sentra SL we have a 1.8-liter Inline Four with 130 horsepower, and the gearbox was an automatic but this time of the Continuously Variable (CVT) variety. This transmission was louder than the Corolla’s and overall the 0-60 times were in he same ballpark, yet it only delivered 28 MPG in this trim level compared with the Toyota’s 32. The general feeling with the Sentra is more relaxed as opposed to athletic, as the ride is smooth enough but not as well-controlled as the Corolla S and there’s noticeably more body lean during hard cornering. There is a Sport button that you can use to sharpen engine/transmission response with a slight penalty in fuel economy. The steering does offer better feel than the Corolla, and both cars had excellent brakes.

The top-of-the-range Sentra SL Sentra is a feature-rich environment with refreshingly logical controls for the most part and a bevy of electronic options including the NissanConnect package that has some of the latest hands-free technology. Seating in the SL I sampled was sheathed in excellent leather, although the driver’s perch was a bit on the flat side. The back seat was nearly as roomy as the Corolla’s and compromised only by a floor that wasn’t as flat as its Toyota nemesis. Otherwise the rear seat support was better than the front seats, and all in all a roomy, comfortable place to hang out. At 15 cubic feet the Sentra’s trunk is larger than the Corolla boot and very well-finished. Loaded to the rafters with goodies, the Sentra SL I enjoyed came to $23,655.

Two great compacts, that with a modicum of care should last for many miles and be economical to operate. The cool thing is, they’re both well-appointed cars that have many of the bells and whistles as much more expensive vehicles. Herein is the beauty of the modern compact, and the other offerings from Honda, Hyundai, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Kia et al share this as well: these rides have never offered more as a class, especially for the price. Most improved genre of cars over the last decade perhaps? You betcha.