Review written on 1/1951.
Some say we're never kind enough to Donut. Face it, we don't pull our punches when it comes to vehicle reviews. Just look at what we call the South Korean. That doesn't mean we don't sing praises when someone makes a good Compact Car like the Lackawanna. So where does the Allegheny stand in the Compact Car segment? After spending a few days with the Allegheny. We have made our judgment.
The first stop for the Donut Allegheny was the track. I won't lie. I was scared. This Compact Car is built for performance. Donut cut no corners when designing this vehicle for speed. The vomit stains on the carpet prove that the 68 hp @ 4202RPMs 1803 cc Wankel  engine roars this rocket to a top speed of 102 mph in an impressive 26.449s 0 to 60 mph. If that wasn't enough with the 68 lb-ft of torque will melt the tires off the rims. When hooked to a trailer, this baby will haul an amazing 22 lbs! I'm guilty wanting to steal this one for my self. On the track testing the Donut Allegheny did have some slight issues. Of course it was not designed to be a track car. But as a Compact Car it should have better handling than it does. In most cases in the real world this shouldn't be any problem. But it is still sub-par at best.
Looking at the interior we fell in love with the Donut Allegheny. The Allegheny has all the features you expect and more. The materials are soft, and the quality is good. Equally impressive was the comfortability of the seats. Donut did a great job.
The Donut Allegheny's 17 cu-ft of cargo and passenger space is plenty for the typical consumer. It is certainly better than average for this type of vehicle. While there are some areas that could be improved all in all we think the Allegheny is good.
While not exactly handmade, Donut did put a bit of extra work into the Allegheny and it shows. Panels actually fit and are made to last. The finish doesn't fade in the sun, and all the bolts have washers. It begs the question why buy a lower quality car every 5 years, and not buy the Donut Allegheny which should last a few generations?
The Donut Allegheny is not a particularly reliable car. In fact, it is quite downright bad. We suffered a catastrophic brake failure in just a couple of days testing a new car. While this might be a fluke, we wouldn't bet on it from the complaints we've heard.
Donut Allegheny's fuel economy can only be summed up as one word, Amazing. At 36.6 mpg it will save you heaps of money over the competition. This is the vehicle you need to pick if you're a heavy commuter looking to save a buck.
The extra effort from Donut to make the Allegheny feel safer pays off. The reinforced frame makes the vehicle much more impact resistant. Don't go driving into walls your self, just take our word for it.
All in all, the Donut Allegheny is a good choice among its peers. It checks just enough boxes in our Compact Car tests for us to give it our recommendation. There are a few other Compact Car that are better than the Allegheny. But for some buyers, the Allegheny is still a good choice.