In the open-wheel race cars I had driven previously, wind buffets your helmet violently, and the noise is deafening--nothing relaxing about it.

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Overall, if driven responsibly, a vehicle with all-wheel drive, decent ground clearance and a relatively low center of mass is best, confirms Champion.

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Still, the company determined that buyers of 11 out of 25 hybrids analyzed can expect to come out financially ahead over five years behind the wheel (at 15, 000 miles driven annually).

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Reducing that to its core meaning, a well-engineered rear-wheel-drive car can be adapted to more easily and driven more aggressively.

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The fantastic front-wheel-drive Mini Cooper is as hairy a car as you might ever want and it can be driven hard from mile one.

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