@@ernestocarrillo7 you have no room to talk considering you haven't uploaded a single video or have you been planning a video out for the last 11 years?
You're correct regarding performance car interiors, it blows me away that I still hear anyone complaining about it. It goes all the way back to 1960's muscle cars that had flashy exterior styling, a rumble coming from the exhaust, fancy wheels as well as whatever other add-ons. The interior wasn't supposed to look like you were riding in a Cadillac, the old saying about performance cars was "everything you need and nothing you don't". For the most part still the way it is.
I've had quite a few cars with raty interiors. My first few cars were fixer uppers but the first thing you had to do was make them haul ass and turn corners. Interiors are secondary with performance cars imo.
The Cobalt's shitty interior actually rose to the level of being a major safety hazard, because the ignition switch was too easy to accidentally switch off while driving.
My 2002 Maxima came stock with a 240+hp V6 and it looks like a economy box. It prefers premium and I've gotten 0-60 times under 6 seconds ! I've also had it up to 140 mph ......with a little more room to go before being floored ! I paid $2500 for it with 120,000 one owner miles on it ! Been driving it for many years without a problem ! Good luck !
Yes and hard to find like mine were prelude square body but finding one with pop up headlights would be amazing but always loved nissan and Toyota myself me i own a 1987 Toyota Camry square body just took all door panels out its my grandpas hes having issues for 5 years with it my personal car is a Oldsmobile intrigue 3.8 v6 sleeper can't even hear the car running for a 98
The 2005 300c is a good sleeper. Not the str8 but the C. Looks like a grandma car but with a hemi making 340hp and 390tq. Yeah its heavy but with a 0 60 time of 5.6 seconds And a great mod list to accommodate the 5.7 hemi, it screams sleeper.
@@kengreenwell9854 I mean Chrysler is not the best but a 300 hemi c is no joke of a car yeah it is a gas guzzler if u know how to take care of a car then it will last u long u probably had one and probably didn’t take care of it that’s why u say it’s garbage.
Another great sleeper is the Lincoln MKS, basically a fancy Ford Taurus and it comes with the taurus sho drivetrain and a fancier interior. Everyone talks about the taurus but not the lincoln version that your average senior citizen would drive
One better is the MKZ. It has a 400hp/400lb.ft 3.0L twin-turbo V6. 0-60 in 4.8. I owned one for a year and a half. Mine was also the drivers package and actually did pretty well on a road course. So, not just a straight line sleeper.
I drive a 2010 Taurus SHO, so I know the Flex has the same drive train. My Taurus is stock minus the Livernois Stage 4 93 Octane tune. 400 HP and 440+ lbs ft of torque afterwards.
I had a debadged black on black 2015 SHO with every bolt on known to man and the same Livernois tune and mine was good for around 450 or so at all 4 wheels with full intake with TIAL BOV, full Borla exhaust and down pipes. It was quite a bit louder than I wanted (I’m older now and like to fly under the radar) but my favorite thing was the ‘WTF just happened?’ look on the unsuspecting Mustang or Camaro driver’s face that had no idea what had just blown their doors off!
Only car I could drive and own out of these would be the Acura TL! I always thought “ALL” Acuras were a step up from Honda. I owned a 91’ Acura Integra I got from a female SeaBee that was super low mileage and un-molested with NO auto zone bolt-ons. I drove the wheels off this car and to date was my 2nd favorite car I have owned! Only car I liked better was my 92’ Mustang 5.0 (5speed) I got new and don’t have to tell you how Gnarly this car was. I’ve owned 4 Honda Civics so they would be my favorite till this day & currently driving the 20’ Civic 1.5L Turbo that gets 33cty/44hwy mpg! All the rest were trucks but I really like the Acura TL and would love to get one as my 2nd vehicle.#AcuraTL
We upgraded the turbos to a gerrett GTX 70mm and 88mm with full custom exhaust, tune, transmission, transfer case, axles, and fuel system and made 1023.8 HP on the wheel on a dynojet.
@@chrissilverio1279 don't have one unfortunately. Just imagine an all black 09 flex with two turbos coming out of the hood and a sequential shifter in the center console 🤣other than the turbos it looked stock. It turned into a huge fire ball during the 4th pass down the strip so shes in car heaven now ☹️
I had a Saturn Aura XR. Two of them, actually. Those 3.6 motors in them are genuinely one of the best sounding v6's of all time if you get exhaust work done to it. It's too bad they're unreliable piles of crap though
It’s basically a Camaro motor and maintenance proves best with any car. The premium interior are still stunning. Ram intake relocating battery cat dumps and tuned. Nasty sleeper
Rode in a 1992 one guy grabbed asphalt gear dropping at 55mph from 3rd back into 2rd. I don't remember where it red out but it was at 75 when he geared to 3rd again. Thing had 355,000+ on it.
My favorite sleeper would be the 07 Camry V6. Does a 0 to 60 in high 5 second range and looks nothing like it. To amplify the sleeper persona, I'd personally stick two Uber stickers on the front and back too
To add to the sleeper look, get the cheapest hubcaps you can find. 3 wheels have non-matching hubcaps, the 4th tire no hubcap at all. Then hose clamp something to the exhaust so it rattles like a loose heat shield.
@@ROCKNROLLMODS th-cam.com/video/HB6DoW77OaA/w-d-xo.html Here you go. Not '80s-'90s, but certainly faster than those. And before you stay "StOcK vS sToCk!", of course the supercar will be faster. Don't be daft.
@@NaruSanavai most certainly you can put 600+ horsepower in anything with tires 3x the size of stock.and go really fast when you only weigh 2000lbs. But put that 600 hp in a stock civic, with stock tires and you have a 14 second car. The same in a rear wheel drive 2k lb car (miata for example) with stock-ish tires and you're running 12s. What I'm getting at is, that rwd vehicle is going to hook way better than fwd cars (unless you've driving in reverse) and in order to put down those times in a fwd you need enormous drag radials that stick out (stupidly) way past the wheel lips. Put those same meats and engine in a miata and you will smoke that cvcc
I have a 07 Saturn Aura XR as a daily , 183K still going strong, did 1/4 14.72@93mph corrected elevation 2500FT. Definitely has surprising acceleration. Did a rear muffler delete and K&N filter , exhaust does sound great for a V6.
I want to dispute " All car enthusiasts care about is performance" bit. I don't think that's entirely true. fast doesn't always equal fun to drive. See every British roadster. but even more than that there are those of us like myself who love interesting, quirky, pretty cars and don't really car how fast they are... as long as it makes me smile.
“Performance” as a whole has never been just about very high speed or ultra-rapid acceleration in a straight line. Although, it certainly isn’t about “luxury” interiors, nor a vehicle’s attractiveness. I agree that “car enthusiasts” is a very broad category, and “performance driving enthusiasts” may be a better subcategorisation to encompass those who care most about power/handling/braking/steering feedback.
Have a Saturn myself and it’s fast at least for being stock especially after 60 mph it still pulls hard. Wanting to do some work on it for a while but it’s such a weird platform
Get yourself an exhaust if you haven't already, and if you want to. You'll have to go custom since, like the rest of the car, no one makes anything for them as I'm sure you're already aware lol
My brother had an 03 L300 saturn “Malibu chassis” well I think it rode like a bu anyways it’s 3.0 made a noice 270 and it was quicker than all the Honda’s and mustangs at our high school With leather and a tv in the roof with army of darkness stuck in the busted disc tray
My favorite sleeper is the 1957 Packard: 289cid with supercharger standard, 275hp, much smaller and lighter than previous Packards. Google gives it 0-60 in 8sec; top speed 116mph.
The 2004-07 Saturn VUE V6 was powered by a 250 hp Honda 3.5 with VTEC and a 5 speed auto. Both were.th3 same as the Acura MDX. The lack of hydraulic power steering and the lighter weight of the plastic body panels made it the ultimate sleeper. I had one and loved it especially the VTEC system.
Another with huge potential is the last generation Lincoln Mark VIII. Not the prettiest car, but it has the InTech 4.6L DOHC V8, basically a toned down SN95 Cobra engine. With the correct deletes(air bag suspension, restrictive exhaust manifolds, excessive weight) and a few upgrades(freer flowing manifolds intake and exhaust, bigger throttle body, ect) you can make a serious hot rod Lincoln.
a 3.5 ecobbost can reach 400+hp with just a tune and exhaust work... should mention simple mods that help out a lot in the vids to give people a better perspective of what theyre capable of
When my Lincoln is paid for and I have a second car to drive (just in case), I might just seek out this tune you're talking about. My car at 355 HP and 5.4s 0-60 is pretty damn shocking as it is, but I do find myself yearning to gap people a little more than I currently do lol.
@@nalsra0 I meant tune wise. a 2016+ 3.5 ecoboost should run easily 500 hp with a tune. (Not sure about other parts, but the engine itself) Because a 2.3 can do 400+ with a tune.
Well, the TL does look fast, at least with the aftermarket wheels and aero like in the video. I think the tsx is a little girly, but any Honda with v tec is dope in my book.
My favorite sleeper car is the Hyundai Genesis Sedan. I’m talking about the 2013 model for this but the earlier models are also great. The genesis coupe is obviously popular but the sedan? 333 hp in the base model and 429 hp in the top trim. All while being a luxury vehicle with genuinely GOOD features for the price. I’m not sure of the brand genesis and their current lineup of cars, they seem to have potential but those original Hyundai sedans are underrated!
THIS. I didn't even know these things existed until one came into the shop for me to work on last year. Did a double-take when I saw a V8 in a Hyundai. That thing was really fun
@@spicymeatball3297 I think the rwd-Ness of it is more shocking than the v8. Kia's now have several rwd options as well, and if Hyundai and Kia hadn't made their cars way way way too expensive over the last 10 years they would be slaying all of the Japanese, American, and European cars.
I was an Acura technician when the TL was released and I fell in love with the first one I saw come in on the transporter. A few years later, I picked up a well taken care of black on black 2006 TL and would still own it had to not started to develop the dreaded 5AT transmission ‘flare’ issue at about 140k miles. I knew what it would cost to fix it since I was no longer in the car business, I decided it was time for something new. I loved that car so much and did the few bolt ons that were available at the time and it surprised quite a few much more expensive cars in its day. The generation after those are getting cheaper now too and if you could find a SH-AWD MT6 you would have a car that was not only safe and reliable but fun to drive fast that can handle with the best of what Germany has to offer.
@@thethugpoet2009 um, yeah, I knew that. The boxes in the parts department that all said ‘Honda’ was a dead giveaway. 😆 The TL was actually never sold in Japan and the 3rd and 4th gen cars were all assembled in Marysville, OH. Not sure what any of that has to do with my comment.
I had an 09 Chevy Cobalt SS. I really liked that car. It was the last car I owned before my dad passed away from cancer in 2014 and was the last car my dad drove.
YES! finally a list that is mostly (if not entirely) sleepers that havent been blown up by channels and are still affordable at a budget a highschooler could afford
2:31 I have to agree with you. Here in the UK they’re known as the Vauxhall Vectra. And the VXR model has a pretty nasty engine. Definitely a sleeper car. People sometimes even push it to 480bhp! For a Vauxhall/Opel that’s not what you’d expect 😂
Well thought out list of cars, the Lincoln MKS EcoBoost should make that list also, basically the flex engine in a luxury sedan. Great call on the Buick special.
I worked at GM Lordstown in the mid-2000s. That's where they produced the Chevy Cavalier and Pontiac variant as well as the Cobalt in Pontiac variant. They also produced the Chevy Cruze there. I really enjoyed being able to drive all those different vehicles. Unfortunately I left the job before they put the two lesida turbo into the Cobalt. I did however get to drive it in the Saturn Sky Redline as well as the Pontiac Solstice GXP. That is a phenomenal engine! It produced a heck of a lot more performance than I expected. If given the choice between a Miata or a Saturn Sky Redline Pontiac Solstice GXP, I probably go with the Saturn Sky Redline because of how different it looked. The Pontiac Solstice GXP is superior and handling to the Miata. I've driven both and would prefer the Pontiac / Saturn.
I'm from the Mahoning Valley area too and It's crazy and sad to think Lordstown isn't a thing anymore. I took a tour of the factory in the early 2010s with my dad. It was really impressive to see.
I also got to drive some really cool low production vehicles while I was there. Including the 1st Gen Cadillac CTS-V and STS-V. I also got the drive Jay Leno's personal first 1000 run of the Pontiac Solstice and a pre-production Pontiac G5 GT sedan that was shipped to Mexico. I don't believe they ever mass-produced them here in the states. The random Corvette and Pontiac GTO would also make it in there to be shipped out on the rail cars. These low production vehicles would come in to be shipped out anywhere in North America that the rails would take them. Definitely one of the most fun jobs I've ever had.
The 2009-2014 Hyundai Genesis is a sleeper too it comes with a 3.8 V6, 4.8 V8 or 5.0 V8 for 2012-14 model years it's one hell of a car, the 5.0 V8 makes 0-60 in 4.9 secs
5:00 the Chevy Cobalt SS came turbocharged and supercharged. Four door, two door and naturally aspirated. The N/A model was trimmed as an SS with a 2.5 auto and the big 18" wheels meaning a larger turning circle. It was exclusively a 4 door and got about 20 mpg average due to the 5 speed transmission.
biggest sleeper out there that actually has good performance is the 2006-2013 Lexus IS350, it can do 0-60 in 4.9 secs and a quarter mile in 13.7 in stock form, u can beat manual C5 corvettes at a stop light if you're a good driver
@The Real VR yeah and you own it with the 8spd. Different buddy. Mine had true dual exhaust and PPE headers and was consistently hitting 4.7-4.9 all day. The 6spd is what truly makes the difference
@The Real VR the only factory IS faster than the 6spd 350 is the F with the 5.0. Your 8spd is slower sacrificing for economy and producing the world's first 8 speed I believe
Are they bad on top end? Late 4th gen camaros 0-60 in 5 seconds flat and run a 13.0 quarter. I know it's only 0.7 seconds, but it seems like they should be closer to the 13 mark if not under
@The Real VR official time given by Lexus is 5.6 but people can achieve 4.9, cuz of the high compression ratio and gearing ratio of the car most peak torque is available at 2000 rpm just look around everywhere on forums and TH-cam channels
The ltz are fun had a rental guy was on my rear was going 70..so i floored it got squirrley then hooked up pulled all the way to 140..felt good so slowed down tried it again
I had a LS4 Impala SS for my previous vehicle, and besides the transmission being made of glass, I loved that car. It was so unassuming bc it looked like any other Impala rental car, but it screamed when you put the hammer down.
monte carlo SS with the same LS4 and trans, on the cars 3rd trans, but with extra built in to make it last a little longer, most ppl with money just swap it for a caddy trans, the 4t80
@@StevenGilbert88 I have a 6th gen project Monte that I plan on doing that LS4/4t80 swap to. I had 3 trans swaps in my old Impala too before I traded it in. It was actually doing fine on that 3rd one, I was surprised lol
I really like the 2003 Buick Regal GS. It's kind of a precursor to the LaCrosse featured in this video, except that it looks even more like a grandpa car and you would NEVER expect something that looks like THAT to be fast.
Lincoln MKZ. 400hp, twin turbo V6 has a 0-60 in 5.7 in the AWD model. And it’s just been discontinued and has some new ones still on lots. You can basically get a 400 hp car for in the $20,000.
I raced one of these on the highway in my old 99 mustang gt, and we we're neck and neck the whole time until he slowed down to take the off ramp...I was legit shocked and impressed lol
Nice video. Thanks for including the Ford Flex Limited. Mine is a 2017 twin turbo 365 hp and I luv it. A power chip a somewhat aggressive tune and cat backs will get 380 hp to 400 hp😊
Pretty sure everyone knew the cobalt came in ss trim. It came supercharged or turbo and you could get a 4 door too. You also had options from factory for chevy racing suspension and better supercharger.
There was also a Saturn version of it called ion redline made from 04-07 way better looking than the Chevy and then in 08 they dropped the Saturn and then turbo’d the cobalt, and hhr
@@vcall6121 I think the video is forgetting the original supercharged ones were coupe only in the 05-07 models then the second quarter of 2008 they released the SS Turbo coupe and then in 2009 only offered the turbo SS in coupe and sedan. They did make a non supercharged version of the ss for coupe and sedan using a 2.4 liter engine and after 2007 they called it Cobalt Sport because it only produced 171 hp as a naturally aspirated engine and had a 0-60 at 7.1 seconds and wasn’t really an SS if it didn’t have the supercharged or turbo engine… my aunt has a blue 04 Saturn Ion Redline quad coupe in her garage with 8,700 miles on it. Maybe one day it will appreciate In value… it’s a waste of you ask me.
I think the Saturn aura was the American version of the European Opel astra and they made those in the “opc” sporty version with a turbo 2.8 liter v6 with all wheel drive. BOYYY that’s literally a European r35 gtr wagon 😂😂😂
you're thinking of the Saturn Astra and maybe the Opel Insignia OPC/Buick Regal GS. the Aura wasn't European like he said, it was a Malibu with a slightly different body. As for the 2.8 TT v6, the US only got that in the SRX and Saab 9-5.
@@ajscott5238 my bad I thought the astra was bigger than it actually is haha, the car I was thinking is the Opel vectra. I mean it at least looks identical to the aura
I've wanted a Flex forever. I remember reading an article when it and the Edge came out with an Ecoboost version. Both ran 13s at the track, bone stock. It's like a car that a kid would draw, but with turbos
Another sleeper No one ever thought of: Buick LaCrosse 2010-2016 with the 3.6 engine. Push out a robust 300 horsepower. We have one and it does 0-60 in roughly 5.5-6.0 seconds depending on the weather. Had it up to 130mph before the limiter kicked in. Comes with a nice interior as well
It's the same car as the saturn with 2 extra gears and about 1000 more lbs. The saturn is faster. My parents owned a 2008 Aura XR, and now own a 2017 lacrosse ironically.
@@vinnyschuld7565 the extra engineering that goes into a Buick vs a Saturn will more than make up for the weight. And just so you know, ironically, the worst Buick is a major step up from the best Saturn
I'm liking the buick lacrosse super I've always liked the impala ss, monte carlo ss, and grand prix gxp models with the fwd v8 just cause it was unexpected to me as a kid that they'd be quick and have v8s and now I'm likeing them more and more lol (I knew about the monte carlo ss having a v8 but not the others)
As an owner of one I would say be wary. They're not built as well as 90s Buicks, I've had to replace and repair way more on it than I ever did a Park Ave or Bonneville. I still love it, definitely the best option between the SS and GXP in my opinion, since their interiors are garbage
I think the 2004-2006 Cadillac STS non-V Northstar should’ve been on there. I’ve owned 4 of them. Nobody expects that vehicle to have 400+ HP or have as much high end power as it does
I bought my STS V for 7700 though. That thing was rad. Although you can't be out here telling people your 4.6 is making 400. They don't. They are cool though. And do belong on this list.
320, excuse me. My Escalades 6.2 does 420, I get their specs confused. Regardless, the RWD Northstar was an excellent engine that never blew. FWD Northstarts are touchy though, I agree.
I had a 2010 Flex Limited with the "EcoBeast" engine. Scary fast, super comfortable and tons of room. Probably the best car I've owned. Also, don't forget the Cobalt SS started years before under Saturn's Ion Redline platform. The Ecotec was introduced under Saturn years before it made it to Chev/Pontiac vehicles. You could do a whole segment on Saturn Redline models. Great video. Keep up the great content
2004-2007 S60R/V70R Fast, reliable, safe, and classy. S60R 6 speed 0 to 60 - 5.4 seconds. It also has a amazing engine sound coming from the 2.5l turbocharged 5cylinder.
How in God's name do you consider an s60r/v70r reliable? Probably one of the most notoriously unreliable volvos made (angle gear/bent rods/skitzoid electronics anyone?). I will say though, nasty sounding engine. I've got an 850 turbo wagon with a turbo-back full exhaust and it sounds glorious.
Oh snap I never realized that. I have a 2005 6MT. I noticed they were painted body color originally with Acura on them. I got it used a little over a year ago, its been pretty GG. I also found my sister a 2008 Type S, it was an auto otherwise I would have bought it myself. She just wrecked it yesterday though, pretty sure its done for. Finding out tonight. 😭
I got an 03 Accord V6 6 speed that's had a 3.2 from the TL swapped into it.( It's a drop in fit. No mods necessary.) It surprises people with how quick it is. Bumper held together with zip tie sticking and lots of paint fading. Nobody suspects it lol.
I think one of the more slept on sleepers is the 2007 Lexus IS350. 4.7 0-60 and nearly a 12 second quarter mile from its V6! The ISF is also a bit of a sleeper but I feel it isn't as much of a sleeper as it actually looks somewhat aggressive in comparison to the V6 IS350. Id choose the ISF over the IS350 for sure though.
@@b58forever I never said it WAS a 12 sec car, I said it was NEARLY a 12 sec car and with bolt ons it literally is in the 12s. The ISF does under 12.4 stock and with bolts ons and tune will do 11.6. In my eyes they're both sleepers for what they are. They just pass off as another Lexus to the untrained eye.
I'm amazed the Buick Regal didnt appear here. But the list is nice and compact. With the appearance of the TL, the same gen Accord V6 in 6spd form is a fast option as well and uses regular gas.
The Pontiac Bonneville SSEI has the factory equipped 3800 Supercharged V6 in it and totally fits in the sleeper category, its fast but it don't look fast.
the 2.0 ecotec in the cobalt ss is originally from the pontiac solstice gxp and saturn sky redline. and with a big turbo kit your looking at 400-450 whp without having to touch the block.
W-body Buick Regal GS & Oldsmobile LSS with the L67. Easy to modify, bulletproof (if you build it right), easy to find interchangeable parts across the GM parts bins and nobody looks at it
This. I had a W-Body Grand Prix with the L67 and with just a few supporting mods you can really get some impressive numbers out of it. Unfortunately I ended up selling mine about 2 months ago but damn do I miss it.
Just found this vid, and by chance yer channel. Yea the flex blew my mind, got to rent a Limited a few years ago. The rental was speed limited to 110, but my god it got there quicker than a fair number of vehicles I've had or driven. Super spactious, easy to drive (extremely responsive and neutral feeling), and moves out ricky tick. Another sleeper worth a note is the late 90's Ford Ranger 4.0 w/5-speed, those things were frackin silly given their exterior.
Was the ranger considerably faster than the explorer? I drove a 90s 5 speed 4.0 explorer for a while and it was slow. 4wd never left me stranded, but it wasn’t much for speed. Drove a 2001 automatic that was much quicker.
That blue Volvo XC60 in the background at 7:24 is also a sleeper. The only clue you get is the silver mirror caps. This indicates that it's an R-Design. That car in T6 trim comes with both a turbo and supercharger. Good for 316hp. The Polestar tune would bump it up 330 and optimizes shifting if you wanna dump another grand at the dealer.
That's an interesting lineup. Another one I'd consider is the 2012 Kia sorento. My gf has the 3.5L V6 with 273hp. The engine really winds out even under modest throttle, and is surprisingly powerful.
I had a 07 cobalt ss and it was the supercharged version. Loved it!! But... unfortunately it's not the interior you have to worry about... well actually the glass panel on the passenger side always leaked in car washes and in rain so yes worry about the interior but not because it's just cheap. But this car had I believe 14 recalls? First month of owning it I had to spend an arm and a leg to get wiring done on it because the car went into limp mode. The awkward tire size that apparently no one carrys. My e-brake failed and no one carrys that. Maybe now they carry that stuff but when I owned it 5 years ago I could barely get parts for it. BUT!!! it was a ton of fun! I did end up trading it for a mustang gt though.
As someone who owned a Cobalt SS... I'm glad it finally made someone's list. Sleeper for sure. As someone who was part of a Cobalt group I knew guys who made anywhere from 400-800hp with them. From bolt-on to fully built. The aftermarket for them is super extensive. Companies like ZZP who specialize in the ecotech motor. Selling mine was one of my biggest automotive regrets. 😔
1:39 Notice the 4 black & silver holes at the top left of the fender. Those are called "Cruiserline Ventiports". They are not real vent ports, only a cosmetic statement, but they date back to the original Buicks. Originally, Buick made fast cars with big pipes coming out of the sides of the hoods, similar to the old Cords of the 1930's. Over the years they stopped making the pipes, but kept the holes. Eventually by the 1950's the holes became 4 round metal ornaments, which eventually disappeared on later model Buicks. Buick was the only car that had these distinctive markings, and eventually, Buick brought them back, although in a different form, the ones you see in this video at least pay homage to the original "Cruiserline Ventiports" of the fast Buicks of the past.
The 2006 Pontiac G6 gtp is an impressively obscure sleeper, 240hp/tq, even torque band from 1500 rpm to 5500 rpm, great handling and it is completely unassuming lol, even got the same 5.7 second 0-60
I agree about the sleeper status but my 2015 Ford Flex has the N/A (non eco beast😝)2nd gen 3.5 motor and sounds really good with a k&n (somewhat) cold air kit! I’ve beat some quick sports cars with it and some v8 trucks and suv’s..yes I know it can’t beat everything and I’m not saying it’s real fast but it’s very quick and does have a hard pull to redline….it’s an overlooked and under the radar vehicle for sure😉
@@GreenHawkDrive how about the Lucerne Super? Same idea as the Lacrosse Super, but with the Northstar instead of an LS under the hood. Nearly the same power but very different engines!
@@SPARTANLuis067 lol yeah, well it's great until and unless it fails. And didn't they apply a fix for the main problem with that engine, for the final few years of production? (which would include Lucernes)
The Accord and Camry V6 cars, especially from the 2007 model years are sleepers too. I had a 2011 Camry, and I've taken out several G37's, Jaguars, and Chargers(V6 models).
2005-2012 Toyota Avalon and 2007-2014 camry both with the 2gr-fe v6 featuring quad cam, quad VVTI (dual vvti per head), aluminum heads and block, and Toyotas bulletproof reliability... My 2006 avalon touring blows the doors off those TL's, and all it has is an Intake that I made for it...it's a serious contender for this list because everyone looks at the Avalon as an "old man" car, but the newer avalons aren't to be underestimated...it also beats the v6 challengers and chargers, (not the avenger R/T tho), and it's beaten a 2002 mustang GT convertible too...so I'd say the Avalon is an excellent contender for this list, thanks to its 2gr-fe engine that's also used in the lotus evora R and exige...as well as the sienna, highlander, Venza, rav 4 sport, and Camry.... The camry is a whole other animal as well, you'd know what I mean if you ever drove one...definitely impressive, and not worth buying the 2.5L version once you drive the 3.5L variant, you won't want the 4 banger version...I sure as hell wouldn't lol Don't get me wrong, I'm a complete fan of the 3rd gen TL's, I LOVE their timeless looks, and the performance is definitely up there, but their weak transmissions I feel take a lot of performance away from the car unless you're talking about the 6mt version which is the one I would want if I ever get into one for myself sometime...but I was definitely surprised seeing my Avalon blow the doors off of one, and that dude had a second or two head start too, I started after him, passed him up, and kept pulling away pretty hard...
I owned a standard 2006 Cobalt 5-speed manual, that car was "quick" for being a base model and handling was pretty good. I'm still looking for a good SS. I went to a car show where they debuted the Cobalt SS, and everyone thought it was insane. I believe at the time it came out it was the fastest FWD car on the market. I'm also lucky enough to have owned a 95 Impala SS, which the two would make a great pair of cars to own.
I always hated those Saturn Auras. Now if we finna talk cool Saturn's I love the Ion Redline and the Saturn Sky. I actually didn't know they were still making the Ford Flex either. I always thought it was discontinued like you did.
Actually had a brand new 2007 Saturn Aura XE with the big alloy rims and black paint. The power was okay but it weighed a shit ton so it wasn’t really fun and something you would have fun with on back roads. The ride quality was also atrocious, the back tires always made noise no matter how much they were rotated, the backseat legroom was an inch short of being a sardine can, and the trip computer read in real time 16 mpg. As pretty as it is on the outside, it’s still a Malibu. If you ever want to experience the fun and joy of waiting in line at the DMV, these rides mimicking it in it’s almost mind numbing forgettable ride quality, and it’s cheap quickly scoring plastic.
I had a Cobalt SS and ran a 13.7 second q.m at the track. 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds no mods only thing I did was throw on lighter wheels and super soft summer tires. Absolute beast matching STi's who wanted to smoke me but looked up n I was still next to them. Loved that car but needed a trick for a new jo. I would definately consider looking for one again to gut and tune to the max that motor was a monster couldn't imagine what a few mods could do. You should do one on SUVs like the Forester XT, Dakota RT 5.9 liter, Ford Edge Sport Silverado High Country all sleeper trucks n suv video
Ohhhhh you came SOOO close to revealing my sleeper car. But it's bound to happen as so many cars share this powertrain in the Ford Lineup, unless you bundle us together, you're less likely to mention my car. But that Ford Flex shares that platform with the Ford Taurus SHO and the true sleepers, the Lincoln MKT Ecoboost and my car the Lincoln MKS Ecoboost. Though there was an "Ecoboost package" you could have ordered my car with to make it looks more performance-y, my car looks exactly like one with the less powerful engine with the "Ecoboost" badge on the back being the one and only difference. Being such a lesser-known car people are highly unlikely to ever get hip to it's existence. So I'll just keep shocking people at stop lights that think they're gonna use the turning lane to illegally jump in front of me at the other side of the intersection. Didn't think gramps could move so fast did ya?
Kids today DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT A TRUE SLEEPER IS!! So let me go back in time to around 1967 (when I was just three years old myself) and talk about WHAT a "sleeper" actually WAS!!! For example lets start out with the lowly Ford Falcon, a car that "could be" a true sleeper! And in this example lets keep this car simple as a four door, 1962 Ford Falcon back in the 1970s was as "sleeper" as they came!! 1) Base Cars: What most kids these days don't understand is a sleeper IS NOT a factory car you buy!! It was a car you built, typically out of mixing, altering, swapping and salvaging parts from other cars to make a sleeper a sleeper!! And the Ford Falcon....like a Chevy Nova is a perfect "Sleeper Platform" car!! cars generally used were cars that mostly caught the eyes of Aunt Bertha or your dear old grandmother, that in their starting form came from the factory with a small inline six cylinder that was under powered, and got great gas mileage!! Too often a sleeper was also a four door, but not limited to that, because back then nobody wanted the four door Buick Skylark, or a four door Mercury Comet or Dodge Dart. But what the guys who built sleepers under is "interchange"!! 2) Interchanging parts: Kids today DO NOT UNDERSTAND Interchangeable parts!! And cars from the 1950s through till the 1980s had a lot more interchangeable pieces!! Again using our Ford Falcon as any example the whole front suspension for a 1962 Ford Falcon literally swaps almost directly into a 1964 to 1969 Ford Mustang SO much so that the front springs for a 390 1968 Mustang WILL fit a 1962 Ford Falcon and you can even use the motor mounts off a Mustang with a 351 Cleveland Motor to place that engine into a Ford Falcon as well!! The rear axle in a Falcon and Mustang interchange as well too!! So you can literally have the ONLY Cobra Jet powered four door 1962 Ford Falcon in town (with stock hubcaps) blowing the doors off all the 1972 Z28 Camaros you can feed it!! The whole point to a "sleeper" was to "pretend it wasn't fast" and to down play its horsepower!! Pulling up in a brand new 1979 Corvette next to a four door 1971 Chevy Nova didn't always mean that the Corvette was the fastest car at the stoplight!! And many a sleeper could be hiding a well tuned and build Chevy Big Block under the hood in "Grandma's Old Grocery Getter" four door as well!! You also have to remember they put insane motors in damn near ever car on the road back then!! Like opening the hood of a family station wagon could net you a 396 or even a 348 or 409 engine without much of a problem and 350 Rocket motor Oldsmobiles and 383 four door Imperials were literally EVERYWHERE, so it wasn't hard to stuff a bigger motor into a much smaller car with the right parts, and a little imagination!! And the Plymouth Valiant four door might just have a 383 lurking under the hood with a six pack manifold and custom built headers!! You just never knew what was sitting next to you in traffic!! And on certain Chevy cars that parts off a 1968 to 1974 Nova interchange with Monte Carlo, Chevelle and Oldsmobile Cutlass as well as Buick Skylark and so on!! And I am talking about suspensions, and sub frame options NOT sheet metal!! Beauty is after all only skin deep, and some guys understood how to swap the right parts into one car to make it something that "never was" from the factory!! Even other components could interchange like faster steering boxes, bigger and better braking systems, rear axles and other "direct bolt on" factory parts! So in a couple of afternoons on a weekend you could turn your "lame Aunt Linda's four door Dart" into a car that would dust any GTO, 442 or even Ford Mustang you lined up against!! And the list of "platform cars" is huge, because there were Ford Mavericks, Chevy Biscaynes, Pontiac Venturas, Plymouth Dusters, and the list goes on and on and on from there!! All you needed to understand was how the parts interchanged and what cars swapped part with what other cars!! 3) A lot of younger folks today don't understand "tech", and I am not talking about computers in cars as much as I am pointing out that the proper mix of machine work and parts can make an older car into something it wasn't before!! In the late 1960s when the 1968 Nova came out, Chevy produced the 307 cubic inch engine!! Basically this engine was a 327 block with a smaller engine bore, of only 3.48 inch pistons!! BUT it you have this engine bored out to a 4 inch bore, and swap out the pistons, basically you have a large journal 327 as the bore is now correct and the stroke was already exactly the same between the 327 and the 307! Likewise ANY small block Chevy engine parts fits nearly ANY other small block Chevy parts between a 283 to 350 cubic inch block that was build between 1964 to 1980, with only limited exceptions to this rule! OR to put it another way, that four barrel intake WILL FIT any 283 to 350 engine as well headers, valve covers, timing chains, most camshafts (unless they are some wild cut) and so on!! You just had to understand your clearances and ratios, and what is "too big" or "too small" to fit properly!!! Kids don't understand 9.5 to 1 compression ratios or valve spring heights. And I am not going to say "young guys are stupid" because they are NOT!! But there are many who don't understand the relationship between machining parts to make speed, and some of that too, is the lack of speed shops anymore also!! 4) Lastly and most importantly a true sleeper was a "cheap car"!! It was the car you bought for $200 to $500 and with the right mix of time, machine work, and swapped parts it was basically a "race car hiding in plain sight"!! Some of us old guys would run original hubcaps, a slightly quieter exhaust, and even "dirty up" the bodies so it looked like a pile of junk with two different colored fenders and a door from another car (whiskey dents happen)!! They were not "perfect cars" and a lot of times they looked like something half pieced together, almost Rat Rod style!! And you never knew when you pulled up next to our cars what we had "lurking under the hood" until you caught us at the end of a run and we showed off all our hard work!! Sleepers could be built out of spare parts for around $2000, an afternoon of wrenching and a case of cold beer! And there was no shortage of "can do attitude" to boot either!!!
my only disagreement is the reliability of the tl. the automatic transmissions are honestly pretty bad. thats the way it is with 99% of v6 hondas. I part out junk cars and go to many junkyards all over florida for a living and the acura tl is one of the most common hondas in the junkyard that aren’t crashed. im almost guaranteed to see a newly arrived one every time i go to the yard. never once seen a manual one tho… just somenfood for thought
I'll give you one... 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora Autobahn. "Rare" doesn't even begin to describe it. 4.0L second gen Northstar with a redline of 7,600, producing 250hp in a body that weighed 870lbs less than a stock 3.5L "Shortstar" equipped Aurora due to some aluminum body panels, door skins, hood and trunk, plus weight reduction in the subframe and rear. 0-60 was 5.0 seconds, and 60-100mph only added another 1.8 seconds. I owned one and, for what looked like a luxury car, it was scary fast and handled like a sports car. It even has speed sensitive steering and pneumatically controlled ride height that kicked in at 85mph, dropping the car a whole 1.5 inches. If you find one, buy it, but bring a magnet to be sure you're getting what you're paying for. Only the a,b and c pillars and roof frame are steel.
Also I think there was a 2000’s Malibu SS too? I may be wrong but I remember seeing one on the road. Not sure how quick they are but when I saw one it looked like a normal car until I peeped the SS badge.
I think the 2004-2006 lancer Ralliart is the perfect sleeper! Stock, it only has 162hp but with turbo kit on stock internals they can easily make 250+ hp and a built engine can get 700+ hp for less than $10k total
Too bad about 200 hp is about all a fwd car can actually use. But having 500 extra horsepower just for destroying tires is awesome! What's that you say? It's AWD? That drive line would be lucky to stay in one piece with 300hp
![6 Forgotten Performance Cars of the 1990s [Can We Find Them?]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2mnWIXuspNo/mqdefault.jpg)
V-TECCCCCCCC
yes sir😂
2nd gen tls even more sleeper 3rd gen look faster than 2nd gen I mean they are but still
@@GreenHawkDrive in
@@GreenHawkDrive Dude your horrible. Your all over the place, didn’t mention years nor prices. Make a plan before you start filming.
@@ernestocarrillo7 you have no room to talk considering you haven't uploaded a single video or have you been planning a video out for the last 11 years?
You're correct regarding performance car interiors, it blows me away that I still hear anyone complaining about it. It goes all the way back to 1960's muscle cars that had flashy exterior styling, a rumble coming from the exhaust, fancy wheels as well as whatever other add-ons. The interior wasn't supposed to look like you were riding in a Cadillac, the old saying about performance cars was "everything you need and nothing you don't". For the most part still the way it is.
I've had quite a few cars with raty interiors.
My first few cars were fixer uppers but the first thing you had to do was make them haul ass and turn corners.
Interiors are secondary with performance cars imo.
The Cobalt's shitty interior actually rose to the level of being a major safety hazard, because the ignition switch was too easy to accidentally switch off while driving.
My 2002 Maxima came stock with a 240+hp V6 and it looks like a economy box. It prefers premium and I've gotten 0-60 times under 6 seconds ! I've also had it up to 140 mph ......with a little more room to go before being floored ! I paid $2500 for it with 120,000 one owner miles on it ! Been driving it for many years without a problem ! Good luck !
2500 for that is an absolute STEAL. WOW
Yes and hard to find like mine were prelude square body but finding one with pop up headlights would be amazing but always loved nissan and Toyota myself me i own a 1987 Toyota Camry square body just took all door panels out its my grandpas hes having issues for 5 years with it my personal car is a Oldsmobile intrigue 3.8 v6 sleeper can't even hear the car running for a 98
Try 76 gas if you have it in your area
The 2005 300c is a good sleeper. Not the str8 but the C. Looks like a grandma car but with a hemi making 340hp and 390tq. Yeah its heavy but with a 0 60 time of 5.6 seconds And a great mod list to accommodate the 5.7 hemi, it screams sleeper.
To bad 300s are garbage
@@kengreenwell9854 lol haters gonna hate probs got smoked by one
@@georgevesta1703 not that they don't go fast. Chrysler is just garbage.
@@kengreenwell9854 I mean Chrysler is not the best but a 300 hemi c is no joke of a car yeah it is a gas guzzler if u know how to take care of a car then it will last u long u probably had one and probably didn’t take care of it that’s why u say it’s garbage.
@@masterjgames7319 i would never buy a Chrysler.
Another great sleeper is the Lincoln MKS, basically a fancy Ford Taurus and it comes with the taurus sho drivetrain and a fancier interior. Everyone talks about the taurus but not the lincoln version that your average senior citizen would drive
Yes but the MKS doesn't come with Twin Turbos like the SHO does
@@danyst-pierre4621 the fully loaded one does. The base models come with a 3.7 instead of a 3.5
One better is the MKZ. It has a 400hp/400lb.ft 3.0L twin-turbo V6. 0-60 in 4.8. I owned one for a year and a half. Mine was also the drivers package and actually did pretty well on a road course. So, not just a straight line sleeper.
@@meierb75 I was about to say the same . I have a 3.0 mkz
So true I can make a list of all the Cars and SUVs they made with sleeper performance??
I'm pretty sure Oldsmobile made the "Aurora"...the Saturn "Aura" is a different car
Exactly like wtf
I would add that This vid forgot to mention Oldsmobile was the first brand (out of the others mentiined) GM cut from the lineup
I actually have a aurora
I said the same thing.
I caught that too
I drive a 2010 Taurus SHO, so I know the Flex has the same drive train. My Taurus is stock minus the Livernois Stage 4 93 Octane tune. 400 HP and 440+ lbs ft of torque afterwards.
But you lose about 30% of the transfer case
@@Bill-bi7sk those were dyno numbers, not crank.
I had a debadged black on black 2015 SHO with every bolt on known to man and the same Livernois tune and mine was good for around 450 or so at all 4 wheels with full intake with TIAL BOV, full Borla exhaust and down pipes. It was quite a bit louder than I wanted (I’m older now and like to fly under the radar) but my favorite thing was the ‘WTF just happened?’ look on the unsuspecting Mustang or Camaro driver’s face that had no idea what had just blown their doors off!
@@rickybobby5950 right on SHO brother!! I am looking to have my 92 rebuilt soon!!FOREVER
One of my many dream cars hehe
1: Buick LaCrosse super
2: Saturn arura X-ray
3: Ford Flex limited
4: Chevy cobalt ss
5: Acura TL
Only car I could drive and own out of these would be the Acura TL! I always thought “ALL” Acuras were a step up from Honda. I owned a 91’ Acura Integra I got from a female SeaBee that was super low mileage and un-molested with NO auto zone bolt-ons. I drove the wheels off this car and to date was my 2nd favorite car I have owned! Only car I liked better was my 92’ Mustang 5.0 (5speed) I got new and don’t have to tell you how Gnarly this car was. I’ve owned 4 Honda Civics so they would be my favorite till this day & currently driving the 20’ Civic 1.5L Turbo that gets 33cty/44hwy mpg! All the rest were trucks but I really like the Acura TL and would love to get one as my 2nd vehicle.#AcuraTL
I’ve seen those Flex at the track. They can make 400hp/425tq at the wheels with an exhaust and tune. They can be crazy fast
We upgraded the turbos to a gerrett GTX 70mm and 88mm with full custom exhaust, tune, transmission, transfer case, axles, and fuel system and made 1023.8 HP on the wheel on a dynojet.
@@Hunglikeagrimsmo whats your instagram? I wanna see it
@@chrissilverio1279 don't have one unfortunately. Just imagine an all black 09 flex with two turbos coming out of the hood and a sequential shifter in the center console 🤣other than the turbos it looked stock. It turned into a huge fire ball during the 4th pass down the strip so shes in car heaven now ☹️
Oooohh dangit man. I was planning to scoop a eco boost flex and sleeper it out.
@@madmodvideogames4084 still go ahead. Just buy a fire extinguisher
I had a Saturn Aura XR. Two of them, actually. Those 3.6 motors in them are genuinely one of the best sounding v6's of all time if you get exhaust work done to it. It's too bad they're unreliable piles of crap though
It’s basically a Camaro motor and maintenance proves best with any car. The premium interior are still stunning. Ram intake relocating battery cat dumps and tuned. Nasty sleeper
The later ones are pretty good and the early ones really aren’t that bad.
VQs the best sounds v6 of all time
@@SpeedMaxima they're overrated. They sound pretty weak compared to LY7's
m.th-cam.com/video/A52S0J1u4hY/w-d-xo.html
A Camry 3.5 V6 does 0-60 around 5.5 seconds. A great sleeper in LE or XLE trim.
Rode in a 1992 one guy grabbed asphalt gear dropping at 55mph from 3rd back into 2rd. I don't remember where it red out but it was at 75 when he geared to 3rd again. Thing had 355,000+ on it.
5.9 seconds****
But at the cost if your dignity
The v6 Rav 4's were the quickest vehicle Toyota built in their day.
This car is wrong wheel drive and is not fast
My favorite sleeper would be the 07 Camry V6. Does a 0 to 60 in high 5 second range and looks nothing like it. To amplify the sleeper persona, I'd personally stick two Uber stickers on the front and back too
Definitely a fun car I like to do stupid stuff with, burnouts for days, thinking about getting a custom exhaust just for a tiny boost in power
It's wrong wheel drive, but I would love to see a junk fwd turn 80s-90s supercar numbers!
To add to the sleeper look, get the cheapest hubcaps you can find. 3 wheels have non-matching hubcaps, the 4th tire no hubcap at all. Then hose clamp something to the exhaust so it rattles like a loose heat shield.
@@ROCKNROLLMODS th-cam.com/video/HB6DoW77OaA/w-d-xo.html Here you go. Not '80s-'90s, but certainly faster than those. And before you stay "StOcK vS sToCk!", of course the supercar will be faster. Don't be daft.
@@NaruSanavai most certainly you can put 600+ horsepower in anything with tires 3x the size of stock.and go really fast when you only weigh 2000lbs. But put that 600 hp in a stock civic, with stock tires and you have a 14 second car. The same in a rear wheel drive 2k lb car (miata for example) with stock-ish tires and you're running 12s. What I'm getting at is, that rwd vehicle is going to hook way better than fwd cars (unless you've driving in reverse) and in order to put down those times in a fwd you need enormous drag radials that stick out (stupidly) way past the wheel lips. Put those same meats and engine in a miata and you will smoke that cvcc
I have a 07 Saturn Aura XR as a daily , 183K still going strong, did 1/4 14.72@93mph corrected elevation 2500FT. Definitely has surprising acceleration. Did a rear muffler delete and K&N filter , exhaust does sound great for a V6.
Same at 220,000.
I want to dispute " All car enthusiasts care about is performance" bit. I don't think that's entirely true. fast doesn't always equal fun to drive. See every British roadster. but even more than that there are those of us like myself who love interesting, quirky, pretty cars and don't really car how fast they are... as long as it makes me smile.
I've only recently got into cars a few years ago, and back then I would have disagreed with you, but now, I understand why you would say this.
VW Karmann Ghia was a very fun little car.
I drive a Fiesta ST. I feel this.
“Performance” as a whole has never been just about very high speed or ultra-rapid acceleration in a straight line. Although, it certainly isn’t about “luxury” interiors, nor a vehicle’s attractiveness. I agree that “car enthusiasts” is a very broad category, and “performance driving enthusiasts” may be a better subcategorisation to encompass those who care most about power/handling/braking/steering feedback.
Have a Saturn myself and it’s fast at least for being stock especially after 60 mph it still pulls hard. Wanting to do some work on it for a while but it’s such a weird platform
Get yourself an exhaust if you haven't already, and if you want to. You'll have to go custom since, like the rest of the car, no one makes anything for them as I'm sure you're already aware lol
Exhaust, intake and get a dyno tune. They don't really have email tunes for the LY7, but you can get around 280 crank HP
@RickReviews not the Malibu based Saturn's lol you mean the Saturn sl series was made of plastic
Modded Saturn's get me so excited. I love the 90s ones
My brother had an 03 L300 saturn “Malibu chassis” well I think it rode like a bu anyways it’s 3.0 made a noice 270 and it was quicker than all the Honda’s and mustangs at our high school With leather and a tv in the roof with army of darkness stuck in the busted disc tray
My favorite sleeper is the 1957 Packard: 289cid with supercharger standard, 275hp, much smaller and lighter than previous Packards. Google gives it 0-60 in 8sec; top speed 116mph.
Bet you won't line up with my miata😉😏
@@jasperduncan5846 unless you got a small block v8, you're slow
@@monkey.moments8272 lol okay🤣🤣
@@monkey.moments8272 you ever heard of boost?🤣🤣🤣
@@jasperduncan5846 yeah i have, line up with my civic ;)
The 2004-07 Saturn VUE V6 was powered by a 250 hp Honda 3.5 with VTEC and a 5 speed auto. Both were.th3 same as the Acura MDX. The lack of hydraulic power steering and the lighter weight of the plastic body panels made it the ultimate sleeper. I had one and loved it especially the VTEC system.
my papaw has an 05 VUE with a 5 speed manual, thing is pretty sick
Another with huge potential is the last generation Lincoln Mark VIII. Not the prettiest car, but it has the InTech 4.6L DOHC V8, basically a toned down SN95 Cobra engine. With the correct deletes(air bag suspension, restrictive exhaust manifolds, excessive weight) and a few upgrades(freer flowing manifolds intake and exhaust, bigger throttle body, ect) you can make a serious hot rod Lincoln.
a 3.5 ecobbost can reach 400+hp with just a tune and exhaust work... should mention simple mods that help out a lot in the vids to give people a better perspective of what theyre capable of
When my Lincoln is paid for and I have a second car to drive (just in case), I might just seek out this tune you're talking about. My car at 355 HP and 5.4s 0-60 is pretty damn shocking as it is, but I do find myself yearning to gap people a little more than I currently do lol.
What about the 2.3?
@@ASeeds-uc8to 2.3 slow
@@nalsra0 I meant tune wise. a 2016+ 3.5 ecoboost should run easily 500 hp with a tune. (Not sure about other parts, but the engine itself) Because a 2.3 can do 400+ with a tune.
All these wrong wheel drive cars and the silly people who think they're fast. Lol
Well, the TL does look fast, at least with the aftermarket wheels and aero like in the video. I think the tsx is a little girly, but any Honda with v tec is dope in my book.
My favorite sleeper car is the Hyundai Genesis Sedan. I’m talking about the 2013 model for this but the earlier models are also great. The genesis coupe is obviously popular but the sedan? 333 hp in the base model and 429 hp in the top trim. All while being a luxury vehicle with genuinely GOOD features for the price. I’m not sure of the brand genesis and their current lineup of cars, they seem to have potential but those original Hyundai sedans are underrated!
That actually fits. It's actually a rwd which is a must for not being a major knob.
THIS. I didn't even know these things existed until one came into the shop for me to work on last year. Did a double-take when I saw a V8 in a Hyundai. That thing was really fun
@@spicymeatball3297 I think the rwd-Ness of it is more shocking than the v8. Kia's now have several rwd options as well, and if Hyundai and Kia hadn't made their cars way way way too expensive over the last 10 years they would be slaying all of the Japanese, American, and European cars.
My friend found a mint condition grandma-owned genesis sedan like you’re talking about, low miles and got it for dirt cheap. He is a lucky guy
I bought a 13 Genesis Coupe 3.8 r spec rwd 6 speed I fuckin love that car its so fun to drive.
I was an Acura technician when the TL was released and I fell in love with the first one I saw come in on the transporter. A few years later, I picked up a well taken care of black on black 2006 TL and would still own it had to not started to develop the dreaded 5AT transmission ‘flare’ issue at about 140k miles. I knew what it would cost to fix it since I was no longer in the car business, I decided it was time for something new. I loved that car so much and did the few bolt ons that were available at the time and it surprised quite a few much more expensive cars in its day. The generation after those are getting cheaper now too and if you could find a SH-AWD MT6 you would have a car that was not only safe and reliable but fun to drive fast that can handle with the best of what Germany has to offer.
Ricky if you worked for acura you would know they are Japanese cars which are made by Honda its a fancy Honda.
@@thethugpoet2009 no shit
@@thethugpoet2009 um, yeah, I knew that. The boxes in the parts department that all said ‘Honda’ was a dead giveaway. 😆 The TL was actually never sold in Japan and the 3rd and 4th gen cars were all assembled in Marysville, OH. Not sure what any of that has to do with my comment.
i wonder if anyone did a awd swap from a ua8/ua9 and put it on a ua6/ua7??
@@buhketz he ended his comment by saying the best of what Germany has to offer when they are from Japan assembled in Ohio...
I had an 09 Chevy Cobalt SS. I really liked that car. It was the last car I owned before my dad passed away from cancer in 2014 and was the last car my dad drove.
I have a 2008 Acura TL and I love it. It's so comfortable and has a very respectable amount of performance! Happy to see it make it on the list
YES! finally a list that is mostly (if not entirely) sleepers that havent been blown up by channels and are still affordable at a budget a highschooler could afford
2:31 I have to agree with you. Here in the UK they’re known as the Vauxhall Vectra. And the VXR model has a pretty nasty engine. Definitely a sleeper car. People sometimes even push it to 480bhp! For a Vauxhall/Opel that’s not what you’d expect 😂
I miss my 06 TL.. with the manual it also came with upgraded suspension, lsd, brembo brakes, and more FOR FREE when new.
Well thought out list of cars, the Lincoln MKS EcoBoost should make that list also, basically the flex engine in a luxury sedan. Great call on the Buick special.
The Saturn Aura XR is my favorite gets to 60 quick and sounds amazing I ❤️ the paddle shifters
One of my realistic dream car is a 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD, with the 3.7 liter and 6 speed manual.
Sadly it's very rare and in high demand.
and impossible to find parts for when it breaks. cant find those 3.7L motors ANYWHERE.
Find one take care of it, Some never heard of an OIL change.
@@nknasi the 3.7 was in the TL RL MDX and zdx
I worked at GM Lordstown in the mid-2000s. That's where they produced the Chevy Cavalier and Pontiac variant as well as the Cobalt in Pontiac variant. They also produced the Chevy Cruze there. I really enjoyed being able to drive all those different vehicles. Unfortunately I left the job before they put the two lesida turbo into the Cobalt. I did however get to drive it in the Saturn Sky Redline as well as the Pontiac Solstice GXP. That is a phenomenal engine! It produced a heck of a lot more performance than I expected. If given the choice between a Miata or a Saturn Sky Redline Pontiac Solstice GXP, I probably go with the Saturn Sky Redline because of how different it looked. The Pontiac Solstice GXP is superior and handling to the Miata. I've driven both and would prefer the Pontiac / Saturn.
I'm from the Mahoning Valley area too and It's crazy and sad to think Lordstown isn't a thing anymore. I took a tour of the factory in the early 2010s with my dad. It was really impressive to see.
Used to ride past that place all the time when going from Cleveland to upstate NY from around 95-08 on a regular.
Huge place.
I also got to drive some really cool low production vehicles while I was there. Including the 1st Gen Cadillac CTS-V and STS-V. I also got the drive Jay Leno's personal first 1000 run of the Pontiac Solstice and a pre-production Pontiac G5 GT sedan that was shipped to Mexico. I don't believe they ever mass-produced them here in the states. The random Corvette and Pontiac GTO would also make it in there to be shipped out on the rail cars. These low production vehicles would come in to be shipped out anywhere in North America that the rails would take them. Definitely one of the most fun jobs I've ever had.
The 2009-2014 Hyundai Genesis is a sleeper too it comes with a 3.8 V6, 4.8 V8 or 5.0 V8 for 2012-14 model years it's one hell of a car, the 5.0 V8 makes 0-60 in 4.9 secs
The 5.0 sounds dam good with exhaust too.
5:00 the Chevy Cobalt SS came turbocharged and supercharged. Four door, two door and naturally aspirated. The N/A model was trimmed as an SS with a 2.5 auto and the big 18" wheels meaning a larger turning circle. It was exclusively a 4 door and got about 20 mpg average due to the 5 speed transmission.
The Buick regal t type and the pontiac gnx are legends..
Pontiac GNX?
Just to add, 3rd gen TL type s in the 6 speed (hard as hell to find and expensive) are very quick. Plus you get the 3.5L with the 11:1 compression.
There is a dude at my college who has one of those and it’s badass
biggest sleeper out there that actually has good performance is the 2006-2013 Lexus IS350, it can do 0-60 in 4.9 secs and a quarter mile in 13.7 in stock form, u can beat manual C5 corvettes at a stop light if you're a good driver
Agreed, I had the 06 with the 6spd auto, the gearing in that car was impressive and I kept up with V8s all day (up until 80 then I get pulled on)
@The Real VR yeah and you own it with the 8spd. Different buddy. Mine had true dual exhaust and PPE headers and was consistently hitting 4.7-4.9 all day. The 6spd is what truly makes the difference
@The Real VR the only factory IS faster than the 6spd 350 is the F with the 5.0. Your 8spd is slower sacrificing for economy and producing the world's first 8 speed I believe
Are they bad on top end? Late 4th gen camaros 0-60 in 5 seconds flat and run a 13.0 quarter. I know it's only 0.7 seconds, but it seems like they should be closer to the 13 mark if not under
@The Real VR official time given by Lexus is 5.6 but people can achieve 4.9, cuz of the high compression ratio and gearing ratio of the car most peak torque is available at 2000 rpm just look around everywhere on forums and TH-cam channels
My dad had a 2013 Impala Fleet car with the 3.6. In that application, it made 300 horsepower flat. It sucks that they're unreliable af though
Just depends, I'm 245k miles in on mine
The ltz are fun had a rental guy was on my rear was going 70..so i floored it got squirrley then hooked up pulled all the way to 140..felt good so slowed down tried it again
I've got a 2013 impala 9c1 (police package) and it's been great so far. 175k on it. Oh, and yeah, it's definitely a sleeper
Unreliable? My 2012 Impala with the 3.6 is by far the most reliable car I’ve ever had.
I own a 95 ss and it isn't stock!
I had a LS4 Impala SS for my previous vehicle, and besides the transmission being made of glass, I loved that car. It was so unassuming bc it looked like any other Impala rental car, but it screamed when you put the hammer down.
monte carlo SS with the same LS4 and trans, on the cars 3rd trans, but with extra built in to make it last a little longer, most ppl with money just swap it for a caddy trans, the 4t80
@@StevenGilbert88 I have a 6th gen project Monte that I plan on doing that LS4/4t80 swap to. I had 3 trans swaps in my old Impala too before I traded it in. It was actually doing fine on that 3rd one, I was surprised lol
I really like the 2003 Buick Regal GS. It's kind of a precursor to the LaCrosse featured in this video, except that it looks even more like a grandpa car and you would NEVER expect something that looks like THAT to be fast.
Lincoln MKZ. 400hp, twin turbo V6 has a 0-60 in 5.7 in the AWD model. And it’s just been discontinued and has some new ones still on lots. You can basically get a 400 hp car for in the $20,000.
I raced one of these on the highway in my old 99 mustang gt, and we we're neck and neck the whole time until he slowed down to take the off ramp...I was legit shocked and impressed lol
Nice video. Thanks for including the Ford Flex Limited. Mine is a 2017 twin turbo 365 hp and I luv it. A power chip a somewhat aggressive tune and cat backs will get 380 hp to 400 hp😊
Pretty sure everyone knew the cobalt came in ss trim. It came supercharged or turbo and you could get a 4 door too. You also had options from factory for chevy racing suspension and better supercharger.
There was also a Saturn version of it called ion redline made from 04-07 way better looking than the Chevy and then in 08 they dropped the Saturn and then turbo’d the cobalt, and hhr
@@vcall6121 I think the video is forgetting the original supercharged ones were coupe only in the 05-07 models then the second quarter of 2008 they released the SS Turbo coupe and then in 2009 only offered the turbo SS in coupe and sedan.
They did make a non supercharged version of the ss for coupe and sedan using a 2.4 liter engine and after 2007 they called it Cobalt Sport because it only produced 171 hp as a naturally aspirated engine and had a 0-60 at 7.1 seconds and wasn’t really an SS if it didn’t have the supercharged or turbo engine… my aunt has a blue 04 Saturn Ion Redline quad coupe in her garage with 8,700 miles on it. Maybe one day it will appreciate In value… it’s a waste of you ask me.
I think the Saturn aura was the American version of the European Opel astra and they made those in the “opc” sporty version with a turbo 2.8 liter v6 with all wheel drive. BOYYY that’s literally a European r35 gtr wagon 😂😂😂
you're thinking of the Saturn Astra and maybe the Opel Insignia OPC/Buick Regal GS. the Aura wasn't European like he said, it was a Malibu with a slightly different body. As for the 2.8 TT v6, the US only got that in the SRX and Saab 9-5.
@@ajscott5238 my bad I thought the astra was bigger than it actually is haha, the car I was thinking is the Opel vectra. I mean it at least looks identical to the aura
I've wanted a Flex forever. I remember reading an article when it and the Edge came out with an Ecoboost version. Both ran 13s at the track, bone stock. It's like a car that a kid would draw, but with turbos
You do the community a service with those intro clips reminding us all of the dangers from a certain car 😇 Bless your soul 😇
Another sleeper No one ever thought of: Buick LaCrosse 2010-2016 with the 3.6 engine. Push out a robust 300 horsepower. We have one and it does 0-60 in roughly 5.5-6.0 seconds depending on the weather. Had it up to 130mph before the limiter kicked in. Comes with a nice interior as well
Wrong wheel drive! In theory those times may jive but not enough traction in real life
@@ROCKNROLLMODS true. When you step on it the front wheels spin a lot
It's the same car as the saturn with 2 extra gears and about 1000 more lbs. The saturn is faster. My parents owned a 2008 Aura XR, and now own a 2017 lacrosse ironically.
@@vinnyschuld7565 the extra engineering that goes into a Buick vs a Saturn will more than make up for the weight. And just so you know, ironically, the worst Buick is a major step up from the best Saturn
@@ROCKNROLLMODS Buick’s are great cars. Ranked 4 out of all the brands for reliability. Ironically the rest of GM is ranked much lower
I love the Flex- crap flew off the dash when you floored it- lol
The Acura TL doesnt have 270 HP, in 2006 they revised the way they measured HP and it actually came out to 258 HP with a Type S at 286.
Definitely blew my expectations out of the water with the ford flex
I'm liking the buick lacrosse super I've always liked the impala ss, monte carlo ss, and grand prix gxp models with the fwd v8 just cause it was unexpected to me as a kid that they'd be quick and have v8s and now I'm likeing them more and more lol (I knew about the monte carlo ss having a v8 but not the others)
As an owner of one I would say be wary. They're not built as well as 90s Buicks, I've had to replace and repair way more on it than I ever did a Park Ave or Bonneville. I still love it, definitely the best option between the SS and GXP in my opinion, since their interiors are garbage
Those same engines in a rwd are great. It's just a noise maker in a front wheel drive. Never hold more than 200 horsepower worth of traction
That's me and my maroon supra doing the smoke out in first video
@@nicks66vette a supra is sure no sleeper
Four-door Altima 3.5 (07-12), Accord V6 & Toyota Camry V6. And we're available with a manual transmission within the last 10 years
I think the 2004-2006 Cadillac STS non-V Northstar should’ve been on there. I’ve owned 4 of them. Nobody expects that vehicle to have 400+ HP or have as much high end power as it does
I bought my STS V for 7700 though. That thing was rad. Although you can't be out here telling people your 4.6 is making 400. They don't. They are cool though. And do belong on this list.
Northstar engine are trash and make 200hp
@@vinnycevetello483 320hp is not 200.
320, excuse me. My Escalades 6.2 does 420, I get their specs confused. Regardless, the RWD Northstar was an excellent engine that never blew. FWD Northstarts are touchy though, I agree.
@@Lillyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yes, the RWD Northstars are fantastic.
I had a 2010 Flex Limited with the "EcoBeast" engine. Scary fast, super comfortable and tons of room. Probably the best car I've owned. Also, don't forget the Cobalt SS started years before under Saturn's Ion Redline platform. The Ecotec was introduced under Saturn years before it made it to Chev/Pontiac vehicles. You could do a whole segment on Saturn Redline models. Great video. Keep up the great content
2004-2007 S60R/V70R
Fast, reliable, safe, and classy.
S60R 6 speed 0 to 60 - 5.4 seconds.
It also has a amazing engine sound coming from the 2.5l turbocharged 5cylinder.
How in God's name do you consider an s60r/v70r reliable? Probably one of the most notoriously unreliable volvos made (angle gear/bent rods/skitzoid electronics anyone?). I will say though, nasty sounding engine. I've got an 850 turbo wagon with a turbo-back full exhaust and it sounds glorious.
😂 can confirm the Ford flex is fun to surprise people with
The 3rd gen tl when equipped with a manual transmission, also received a brembo caliper package. Pretty cool and worth noting.
Oh snap I never realized that. I have a 2005 6MT. I noticed they were painted body color originally with Acura on them. I got it used a little over a year ago, its been pretty GG. I also found my sister a 2008 Type S, it was an auto otherwise I would have bought it myself. She just wrecked it yesterday though, pretty sure its done for. Finding out tonight. 😭
@@iamatlantis1 🤞
I got an 03 Accord V6 6 speed that's had a 3.2 from the TL swapped into it.( It's a drop in fit. No mods necessary.) It surprises people with how quick it is. Bumper held together with zip tie sticking and lots of paint fading. Nobody suspects it lol.
I think one of the more slept on sleepers is the 2007 Lexus IS350. 4.7 0-60 and nearly a 12 second quarter mile from its V6! The ISF is also a bit of a sleeper but I feel it isn't as much of a sleeper as it actually looks somewhat aggressive in comparison to the V6 IS350. Id choose the ISF over the IS350 for sure though.
Yep I have an ‘11 IS350 as a daily. Very quick car
the is350 is. 13.3 sec quarter mile time at best not 12 second even the isf is a 12.6 at best lol
@@b58forever I never said it WAS a 12 sec car, I said it was NEARLY a 12 sec car and with bolt ons it literally is in the 12s. The ISF does under 12.4 stock and with bolts ons and tune will do 11.6. In my eyes they're both sleepers for what they are. They just pass off as another Lexus to the untrained eye.
I'm amazed the Buick Regal didnt appear here. But the list is nice and compact. With the appearance of the TL, the same gen Accord V6 in 6spd form is a fast option as well and uses regular gas.
Yes do a video on the GXP, its one of the most underrated cars for under 7k.
okay, sounds good!
The Pontiac Bonneville SSEI has the factory equipped 3800 Supercharged V6 in it and totally fits in the sleeper category, its fast but it don't look fast.
Where are you getting gxps for 7 grand?? Do they have 300,000 miles?
Oh I thought you were talking about a g8 gxp
the 2.0 ecotec in the cobalt ss is originally from the pontiac solstice gxp and saturn sky redline. and with a big turbo kit your looking at 400-450 whp without having to touch the block.
may i note they the solstice and sky are both rwd too
W-body Buick Regal GS & Oldsmobile LSS with the L67. Easy to modify, bulletproof (if you build it right), easy to find interchangeable parts across the GM parts bins and nobody looks at it
This. I had a W-Body Grand Prix with the L67 and with just a few supporting mods you can really get some impressive numbers out of it. Unfortunately I ended up selling mine about 2 months ago but damn do I miss it.
Just found this vid, and by chance yer channel. Yea the flex blew my mind, got to rent a Limited a few years ago. The rental was speed limited to 110, but my god it got there quicker than a fair number of vehicles I've had or driven. Super spactious, easy to drive (extremely responsive and neutral feeling), and moves out ricky tick. Another sleeper worth a note is the late 90's Ford Ranger 4.0 w/5-speed, those things were frackin silly given their exterior.
Was the ranger considerably faster than the explorer? I drove a 90s 5 speed 4.0 explorer for a while and it was slow. 4wd never left me stranded, but it wasn’t much for speed. Drove a 2001 automatic that was much quicker.
@@papalog08 Yea because the ranger barely weighed 2700lbs in single cab short bed format, so shave about 2500lbs off your explorer.
Ahh man I had a blue ranger splash with the 4.0 and a 5spd..that thing was quick and so fun to drive!!! Had 3:73 rear gears factory too👍
That blue Volvo XC60 in the background at 7:24 is also a sleeper. The only clue you get is the silver mirror caps. This indicates that it's an R-Design. That car in T6 trim comes with both a turbo and supercharger. Good for 316hp. The Polestar tune would bump it up 330 and optimizes shifting if you wanna dump another grand at the dealer.
That's an interesting lineup. Another one I'd consider is the 2012 Kia sorento. My gf has the 3.5L V6 with 273hp. The engine really winds out even under modest throttle, and is surprisingly powerful.
I loved my Buick Regal GS supercharge. I named her the Mustang killer!
My dad had a 2008 Saturn Aura XE but had the XRs engine and it was a great car.
sweet! glad to hear that:)
I have the 2008 Aura XE V6, it has a 3.5L V6. XR got the 3.6L V6. The XE V6 is still fast!
That Ford Flex though... 365 hp! ... plus it still looks great.
Uh you left off 3.0 awd lincoln mkz. 400 hp 400 lb torque. 0-60 4.8 sec. As sleeper as it gets
I had a 07 cobalt ss and it was the supercharged version. Loved it!! But... unfortunately it's not the interior you have to worry about... well actually the glass panel on the passenger side always leaked in car washes and in rain so yes worry about the interior but not because it's just cheap. But this car had I believe 14 recalls? First month of owning it I had to spend an arm and a leg to get wiring done on it because the car went into limp mode. The awkward tire size that apparently no one carrys. My e-brake failed and no one carrys that. Maybe now they carry that stuff but when I owned it 5 years ago I could barely get parts for it. BUT!!! it was a ton of fun! I did end up trading it for a mustang gt though.
As someone who owned a Cobalt SS... I'm glad it finally made someone's list. Sleeper for sure. As someone who was part of a Cobalt group I knew guys who made anywhere from 400-800hp with them. From bolt-on to fully built.
The aftermarket for them is super extensive. Companies like ZZP who specialize in the ecotech motor.
Selling mine was one of my biggest automotive regrets. 😔
Building mines I have the ion redline bought a turbo kit from ZZP short shifter from otp rebuild motor etc
@@irlredline7965 that's sick. It's a fun platform!
My biggest automotive regret is selling my Cobalt. Best car I owned by far.
Your such an underrated TH-camr. You deserve so many more subs. Keep it up it’ll come soon!
WTH for the Flex 💪 flexin
1:39 Notice the 4 black & silver holes at the top left of the fender. Those are called "Cruiserline Ventiports". They are not real vent ports, only a cosmetic statement, but they date back to the original Buicks. Originally, Buick made fast cars with big pipes coming out of the sides of the hoods, similar to the old Cords of the 1930's. Over the years they stopped making the pipes, but kept the holes. Eventually by the 1950's the holes became 4 round metal ornaments, which eventually
disappeared on later model Buicks. Buick was the only car that had these distinctive markings, and eventually, Buick brought them back, although in a different form, the ones you see in this video at least pay homage to the original "Cruiserline Ventiports" of the fast Buicks of the past.
Ford Fusion sport. 2010-2012 are another sleeper car 💯💯
The 2006 Pontiac G6 gtp is an impressively obscure sleeper, 240hp/tq, even torque band from 1500 rpm to 5500 rpm, great handling and it is completely unassuming lol, even got the same 5.7 second 0-60
Don't for get the Pontiac G8
I agree about the sleeper status but my 2015 Ford Flex has the N/A (non eco beast😝)2nd gen 3.5 motor and sounds really good with a k&n (somewhat) cold air kit! I’ve beat some quick sports cars with it and some v8 trucks and suv’s..yes I know it can’t beat everything and I’m not saying it’s real fast but it’s very quick and does have a hard pull to redline….it’s an overlooked and under the radar vehicle for sure😉
The eco boost flex makes nearly 100lb/ft of torque more than the N/A, and when it weighs over 4600lbs it needs all the torque it can get 😅
I personally love the Ford Flex and I’m looking to buy one soon
The fact that it’s a square station wagon and is a sleeper best car ever
I was hoping the Lacrosse Super was on this list. It’s so massively underrated compared to the cars it’s related to
i agree, i had had no idea it had such amazing power under the hood!
@@GreenHawkDrive how about the Lucerne Super? Same idea as the Lacrosse Super, but with the Northstar instead of an LS under the hood. Nearly the same power but very different engines!
@@nthgthOne problem: Northstar 🤢🤢🤢
@@SPARTANLuis067 lol yeah, well it's great until and unless it fails. And didn't they apply a fix for the main problem with that engine, for the final few years of production? (which would include Lucernes)
The Ford Taurus SHO is a great sleeper. The last gen has the same engine as the flex mentioned in this video.
When talking about 2000s GM SS cars you forgot to mention the Silverado SS I’m not criticizing you I’m just pointing that out.
oh crap😂 you’re right, i appreciate it!
Green Hawk Drive No problem.
Or the trailblazer ss
The Accord and Camry V6 cars, especially from the 2007 model years are sleepers too. I had a 2011 Camry, and I've taken out several G37's, Jaguars, and Chargers(V6 models).
Camry is literally an animal. And sounds super aggressive and angry with intakes
My g37x beats chargers… (V8 models) even scats from a dig 🤷🏻♂️
Hmn this is actually good great job and great return
thank you so much, i appreciate it!
2005-2012 Toyota Avalon and 2007-2014 camry both with the 2gr-fe v6 featuring quad cam, quad VVTI (dual vvti per head), aluminum heads and block, and Toyotas bulletproof reliability...
My 2006 avalon touring blows the doors off those TL's, and all it has is an Intake that I made for it...it's a serious contender for this list because everyone looks at the Avalon as an "old man" car, but the newer avalons aren't to be underestimated...it also beats the v6 challengers and chargers, (not the avenger R/T tho), and it's beaten a 2002 mustang GT convertible too...so I'd say the Avalon is an excellent contender for this list, thanks to its 2gr-fe engine that's also used in the lotus evora R and exige...as well as the sienna, highlander, Venza, rav 4 sport, and Camry....
The camry is a whole other animal as well, you'd know what I mean if you ever drove one...definitely impressive, and not worth buying the 2.5L version once you drive the 3.5L variant, you won't want the 4 banger version...I sure as hell wouldn't lol
Don't get me wrong, I'm a complete fan of the 3rd gen TL's, I LOVE their timeless looks, and the performance is definitely up there, but their weak transmissions I feel take a lot of performance away from the car unless you're talking about the 6mt version which is the one I would want if I ever get into one for myself sometime...but I was definitely surprised seeing my Avalon blow the doors off of one, and that dude had a second or two head start too, I started after him, passed him up, and kept pulling away pretty hard...
good research! I love the TL's especially with a manual. Most of these were news to me - Especially a twin turbo Ford Flex.
I owned a standard 2006 Cobalt 5-speed manual, that car was "quick" for being a base model and handling was pretty good. I'm still looking for a good SS. I went to a car show where they debuted the Cobalt SS, and everyone thought it was insane. I believe at the time it came out it was the fastest FWD car on the market. I'm also lucky enough to have owned a 95 Impala SS, which the two would make a great pair of cars to own.
I always hated those Saturn Auras. Now if we finna talk cool Saturn's I love the Ion Redline and the Saturn Sky. I actually didn't know they were still making the Ford Flex either. I always thought it was discontinued like you did.
yes the ion redline is a beast of a car, very underrated for what it is. i appreciate the comments bro!!!
Actually had a brand new 2007 Saturn Aura XE with the big alloy rims and black paint. The power was okay but it weighed a shit ton so it wasn’t really fun and something you would have fun with on back roads. The ride quality was also atrocious, the back tires always made noise no matter how much they were rotated, the backseat legroom was an inch short of being a sardine can, and the trip computer read in real time 16 mpg. As pretty as it is on the outside, it’s still a Malibu. If you ever want to experience the fun and joy of waiting in line at the DMV, these rides mimicking it in it’s almost mind numbing forgettable ride quality, and it’s cheap quickly scoring plastic.
I had a Cobalt SS and ran a 13.7 second q.m at the track. 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds no mods only thing I did was throw on lighter wheels and super soft summer tires. Absolute beast matching STi's who wanted to smoke me but looked up n I was still next to them. Loved that car but needed a trick for a new jo. I would definately consider looking for one again to gut and tune to the max that motor was a monster couldn't imagine what a few mods could do.
You should do one on SUVs like the Forester XT, Dakota RT 5.9 liter, Ford Edge Sport Silverado High Country all sleeper trucks n suv video
Ohhhhh you came SOOO close to revealing my sleeper car. But it's bound to happen as so many cars share this powertrain in the Ford Lineup, unless you bundle us together, you're less likely to mention my car. But that Ford Flex shares that platform with the Ford Taurus SHO and the true sleepers, the Lincoln MKT Ecoboost and my car the Lincoln MKS Ecoboost. Though there was an "Ecoboost package" you could have ordered my car with to make it looks more performance-y, my car looks exactly like one with the less powerful engine with the "Ecoboost" badge on the back being the one and only difference. Being such a lesser-known car people are highly unlikely to ever get hip to it's existence. So I'll just keep shocking people at stop lights that think they're gonna use the turning lane to illegally jump in front of me at the other side of the intersection. Didn't think gramps could move so fast did ya?
@The Real VR Which car you talking about? They stopped making the MKS in 2016, did you perhaps mean the Continental?
2011 es350, 263hp had variable valve timing and extremely reliable. Honestly it's just a fancy Camry though
Kids today DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT A TRUE SLEEPER IS!!
So let me go back in time to around 1967 (when I was just three years old myself) and talk about WHAT a "sleeper" actually WAS!!!
For example lets start out with the lowly Ford Falcon, a car that "could be" a true sleeper! And in this example lets keep this car simple as a four door, 1962 Ford Falcon back in the 1970s was as "sleeper" as they came!!
1) Base Cars: What most kids these days don't understand is a sleeper IS NOT a factory car you buy!! It was a car you built, typically out of mixing, altering, swapping and salvaging parts from other cars to make a sleeper a sleeper!! And the Ford Falcon....like a Chevy Nova is a perfect "Sleeper Platform" car!! cars generally used were cars that mostly caught the eyes of Aunt Bertha or your dear old grandmother, that in their starting form came from the factory with a small inline six cylinder that was under powered, and got great gas mileage!! Too often a sleeper was also a four door, but not limited to that, because back then nobody wanted the four door Buick Skylark, or a four door Mercury Comet or Dodge Dart. But what the guys who built sleepers under is "interchange"!!
2) Interchanging parts: Kids today DO NOT UNDERSTAND Interchangeable parts!! And cars from the 1950s through till the 1980s had a lot more interchangeable pieces!! Again using our Ford Falcon as any example the whole front suspension for a 1962 Ford Falcon literally swaps almost directly into a 1964 to 1969 Ford Mustang SO much so that the front springs for a 390 1968 Mustang WILL fit a 1962 Ford Falcon and you can even use the motor mounts off a Mustang with a 351 Cleveland Motor to place that engine into a Ford Falcon as well!! The rear axle in a Falcon and Mustang interchange as well too!! So you can literally have the ONLY Cobra Jet powered four door 1962 Ford Falcon in town (with stock hubcaps) blowing the doors off all the 1972 Z28 Camaros you can feed it!! The whole point to a "sleeper" was to "pretend it wasn't fast" and to down play its horsepower!! Pulling up in a brand new 1979 Corvette next to a four door 1971 Chevy Nova didn't always mean that the Corvette was the fastest car at the stoplight!! And many a sleeper could be hiding a well tuned and build Chevy Big Block under the hood in "Grandma's Old Grocery Getter" four door as well!! You also have to remember they put insane motors in damn near ever car on the road back then!! Like opening the hood of a family station wagon could net you a 396 or even a 348 or 409 engine without much of a problem and 350 Rocket motor Oldsmobiles and 383 four door Imperials were literally EVERYWHERE, so it wasn't hard to stuff a bigger motor into a much smaller car with the right parts, and a little imagination!! And the Plymouth Valiant four door might just have a 383 lurking under the hood with a six pack manifold and custom built headers!! You just never knew what was sitting next to you in traffic!! And on certain Chevy cars that parts off a 1968 to 1974 Nova interchange with Monte Carlo, Chevelle and Oldsmobile Cutlass as well as Buick Skylark and so on!! And I am talking about suspensions, and sub frame options NOT sheet metal!! Beauty is after all only skin deep, and some guys understood how to swap the right parts into one car to make it something that "never was" from the factory!! Even other components could interchange like faster steering boxes, bigger and better braking systems, rear axles and other "direct bolt on" factory parts! So in a couple of afternoons on a weekend you could turn your "lame Aunt Linda's four door Dart" into a car that would dust any GTO, 442 or even Ford Mustang you lined up against!! And the list of "platform cars" is huge, because there were Ford Mavericks, Chevy Biscaynes, Pontiac Venturas, Plymouth Dusters, and the list goes on and on and on from there!! All you needed to understand was how the parts interchanged and what cars swapped part with what other cars!!
3) A lot of younger folks today don't understand "tech", and I am not talking about computers in cars as much as I am pointing out that the proper mix of machine work and parts can make an older car into something it wasn't before!! In the late 1960s when the 1968 Nova came out, Chevy produced the 307 cubic inch engine!! Basically this engine was a 327 block with a smaller engine bore, of only 3.48 inch pistons!! BUT it you have this engine bored out to a 4 inch bore, and swap out the pistons, basically you have a large journal 327 as the bore is now correct and the stroke was already exactly the same between the 327 and the 307! Likewise ANY small block Chevy engine parts fits nearly ANY other small block Chevy parts between a 283 to 350 cubic inch block that was build between 1964 to 1980, with only limited exceptions to this rule! OR to put it another way, that four barrel intake WILL FIT any 283 to 350 engine as well headers, valve covers, timing chains, most camshafts (unless they are some wild cut) and so on!! You just had to understand your clearances and ratios, and what is "too big" or "too small" to fit properly!!! Kids don't understand 9.5 to 1 compression ratios or valve spring heights. And I am not going to say "young guys are stupid" because they are NOT!! But there are many who don't understand the relationship between machining parts to make speed, and some of that too, is the lack of speed shops anymore also!!
4) Lastly and most importantly a true sleeper was a "cheap car"!! It was the car you bought for $200 to $500 and with the right mix of time, machine work, and swapped parts it was basically a "race car hiding in plain sight"!! Some of us old guys would run original hubcaps, a slightly quieter exhaust, and even "dirty up" the bodies so it looked like a pile of junk with two different colored fenders and a door from another car (whiskey dents happen)!! They were not "perfect cars" and a lot of times they looked like something half pieced together, almost Rat Rod style!! And you never knew when you pulled up next to our cars what we had "lurking under the hood" until you caught us at the end of a run and we showed off all our hard work!! Sleepers could be built out of spare parts for around $2000, an afternoon of wrenching and a case of cold beer! And there was no shortage of "can do attitude" to boot either!!!
Ok boomer
my only disagreement is the reliability of the tl. the automatic transmissions are honestly pretty bad. thats the way it is with 99% of v6 hondas. I part out junk cars and go to many junkyards all over florida for a living and the acura tl is one of the most common hondas in the junkyard that aren’t crashed. im almost guaranteed to see a newly arrived one every time i go to the yard. never once seen a manual one tho… just somenfood for thought
I love how the first 30 seconds of the video are just typical Mustang drivers
I'll give you one... 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora Autobahn. "Rare" doesn't even begin to describe it. 4.0L second gen Northstar with a redline of 7,600, producing 250hp in a body that weighed 870lbs less than a stock 3.5L "Shortstar" equipped Aurora due to some aluminum body panels, door skins, hood and trunk, plus weight reduction in the subframe and rear.
0-60 was 5.0 seconds, and 60-100mph only added another 1.8 seconds.
I owned one and, for what looked like a luxury car, it was scary fast and handled like a sports car. It even has speed sensitive steering and pneumatically controlled ride height that kicked in at 85mph, dropping the car a whole 1.5 inches.
If you find one, buy it, but bring a magnet to be sure you're getting what you're paying for. Only the a,b and c pillars and roof frame are steel.
Also I think there was a 2000’s Malibu SS too? I may be wrong but I remember seeing one on the road. Not sure how quick they are but when I saw one it looked like a normal car until I peeped the SS badge.
there could of been. i’m not entirely sure, i appreciate the feedback:)
Yes, they made a Malibu SS. It had the 3.9 V6 with 243 HP and 240 ft-lb. 0-60 was 7 seconds.
The Cobalt SS is a sleeper and even deeper is the Saturn ion redline which is a Cobalt SS with a Saturn badge.
I think the 2004-2006 lancer Ralliart is the perfect sleeper! Stock, it only has 162hp but with turbo kit on stock internals they can easily make 250+ hp and a built engine can get 700+ hp for less than $10k total
Too bad about 200 hp is about all a fwd car can actually use. But having 500 extra horsepower just for destroying tires is awesome! What's that you say? It's AWD? That drive line would be lucky to stay in one piece with 300hp
@@ROCKNROLLMODS What pos car do you own then?
@@sambear6079 I drive a pos hemi challenger with a 6 speed. Slow but fun
Keep it up bro Sleepers rule " Sleeper Nation all day"
Speaking of saturn, did you know that the saturn vue has a redline version of it?
they do?! i had no idea. they sure didn’t do a good job advertising it
It had a Honda 3.5 V6 with VTEC. Was quick the a true sleeper.
Don't be so hard on yourself - I enjoyed this video and found it to be very accurate so in my opinion you're doing great!