A definite improvement over the previous NFS titles
I especially found the new damage system to be a great addition to the game. Unlike previous NFS games, the damage incurred to your car plays a significant role in your car's performance. Not only that, but you are also made responsible for making repairs to your ride before competing in another event with that same car. I found this to be a welcome addition to the gameplay, in that it made the game not only more realistic, but more challenging as well.
The selection of cars this time around is a great balance of raw muscle Hot-Rods, superior handling corner-carvers, and exotic machinery. So many of my favorite cars are available here, and I've found myself competing in so many events just to be able to buy the cars I've wanted. At last check, I think I've built an army of about 20 cars.
One minor irritant that I found is when you make modifications to your car. Basically, you mod your car, make adjustments to certain settings (such as suspension, engine, etc.), then take her out to one of the events. I would much rather prefer a "test track" of some sort within the tuning screen, where you could test out the adjustments you've made to your car. I found it particularly irritating when making adjustments to my drift car, as I had to hop around from the event, back to the garage, then back again just to fine-tune and test the beast I've built. In certain cases, I'd jump at least several times before I got the settings I've wanted. To make matters worse, once you leave an event, your total score goes back down to ZERO...meaning to win or dominate the event, you'd need to start all over again. Granted, it does add a good challenge for most drivers, and is indicative of "real world" racing...but even in the real world, people still get to test out their race cars before heading out to an event. Perhaps if EA could release a patch of some sort to make this an option....hint-hint....
Regardless, I found this to be a very enjoyable game, with a high level of replayability. Definitely check this out if you're a race fan (like me), or if you just like cars (like me too!).