Review written on 7/1932.
The media has blown a lot of smoke over the last few months over Philadelphia Motors's new Phaeton. It has stiff competition though from market leaders like the Liberty Bell and even the bottom feeders like the Athletic. Does the Athletic live up to the hype? Find out more below!
On my first track run in the Philadelphia Motors Athletic suffered 2 cracked rips and a ruptured spleen. Not from wrecking it, but from the sheer raw power of this Phaeton. The Athletic's 72 hp @ 2971RPMs 4778 cc I3 engine drives you into the seats while you accelerate with an impressive 21.568s 0 to 60 mph time and a top speed of 88 mph. The Athletic is able to keep this speed all the way up to the the top speed of 88 mph. If that wasn't enough with the 102 lb-ft of torque will melt the tires off the rims. When hooked to a trailer, this baby will haul an amazing 158 lbs! The handling characteristics of the Philadelphia Motors Athletic is borderline acceptable for a Phaeton. We wouldn't buy it for a tracking or narrow city streets. But for most people, who care little for driving, it is fine. After my hospital visit, I came to the conclusion that this is the best Phaeton I've ever tested on the track. Buy IT NOW!!!
While certainly does not have the best features or materials. The Philadelphia Motors Athletic does provide the bare necessities required in a vehicle of this type. No more and no less. As well as it should. If you wanted to spend that extra bit you would of bought the better vehicle. Was Philadelphia Motors wise in this respect? Maybe, but we do think they should of offered at least a little more bang for the buck so to speak.
The Philadelphia Motors Athletic's 28 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 Athletic is good.
The Athletic isn't exactly a well-made car. In fact, it's a poorly made car. It is unfortunate that Philadelphia Motors did not invest a little more in build quality. Hopefully, future productions will improve the finished product.
The Philadelphia Motors Athletic is a reliable car that we would trust our dear old grandmother with. These things are almost bulletproof.
Philadelphia Motors Athletic's 17.3 mpg city and leaves plenty of room for improvement. We do truly believe that the engineers at Philadelphia Motors can squeeze a few more mileage out of this vehicle to get it up to at least average.
With some focus on safety, Philadelphia Motors Athletic has been able to outshine most in its class. It almost makes you believe the marketing hype that Philadelphia Motors does actually believe in the safety and security of your family.
All in all, the Philadelphia Motors Athletic is a good choice among its peers. It checks just enough boxes in our Phaeton tests for us to give it our recommendation. There are a few other Phaeton that are better than the Athletic. But for some buyers, the Athletic is still a good choice.