January 2010 ~ Launch Modern Car

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Infiniti M35 Review

10:59 PM

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Picture Paul Newman and Robert Redford in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". Fast-forward to the pursuit scene, where they're looking over their shoulders at the posse on their tail and wondering aloud:

That's the mental image I get every time Infiniti ups the ante with one of its sport sedans. Infiniti's the posse. BMW is Butch and/or Sundance.

For a car company that looked like odd man out 20 years ago as Lexus conquered luxury and Acura virtually invented near-luxury, these guys have put together one impressive mission statement:

Aim for the blue-and white propeller.

As with the G37 and its target, the 3-series, the M35 isn't quite a match for the 5-series...but the gap closes each time around. And if you're not obsessing about BMW the way Infiniti does, you may find this one wins your car-buying dollar (okay, 47,950 of them before options) on its own.

303 horsepower, 262 pounds per foot of torque. A 5-speed automatic with Drive Sport mode. 18-inch alloys. Dual exhausts with quad chrome finishers.

And while it's fairly dripping in tech (two different packages as options...the Technology Package and the Advanced Technology Package...were on this car, adding surround sound, lane departure warning, lane departure prevention, intelligent cruise control, navigation with XM NavTraffic, voice recognition, rear view camera and a 9.3 gig hard drive for your music), it's nowhere near as obtrusive and overwhelming as the same pieces were in the FX 35 crossover. Perhaps its because the M35 has such a strong presence as a car before all the tech gets laid on.

Even with the as-tested sticker reading $54,915 and the EPA estimates far from stellar at 16 city/22 highway, I'd have a hard time talking myself out of recommending this to drivers looking for a strong, capable midsize sport sedan.

Volkswagen Jetta TDI Review

11:01 PM

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A lifetime of exposure to noisy, smelly city buses and 18-wheelers (not to mention passenger cars of the 70s and 80s) has given diesel a bad reputation.

Time to shake that once and for all. And a great way to do that is with a drive in a Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

TDI is Volkswagen's clean diesel engine...a terrific marriage of ultra-low sulfur fuel and a technology that burns fuel so efficiently, there's very little waste.

Kneel down by the tailpipe of a running TDI and there's no diesel odor whatsoever.

The 140 horsepower made by the 2-liter four-cylinder engine isn't a world-beater, but diesels are all about torque...and the TDI makes 236 pounds per foot of it...it's a cliche, but it really does pull like a locomotive.

Inside, the Jetta TDI is all business, no frills...but not cheap or austere. Everything is logically placed, falls easily to hand, and moves with a solid, high-quality feel.

The big payoff here is mileage. The EPA says 29 city, 40 highway...and we managed 42 and a half in a week of 50/50 urban freeways and surface streets, which makes it as good as our real-world experience with both the new Honda Insight and the Mercury Milan Hybrid.

Where the Jetta TDI pulls ahead is in the value equation. $22,830 base price (our tester had a six-speed automatic for $1,100 and a sunroof for $1,000...which, after destination charges, put the bottom line at $25,640.) and diesel longevity...250,000 miles is equivalent to 100,000 miles or less in a gasoline engine. 400,000 miles or more is not uncommon.

It doesn't scream "hey, look at me, I'm saving the planet!" the way Toyota Priuses (Prii?) and Insights do...it just gets the job done...and there's a very good chance it will be doing that job a lot longer. The Jetta TDI earns its place not only on TireKicker's Top Ten Fuel Savers, but also on TireKicker's Top 20 Cars.

7:06 AM

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Well, you certainly can't hang a truth in labelling complaint on Nissan...the Cube is exactly that...a Cube...but with wheels.

The Nissan Cube has been a big seller in Japan for a decade...in fact, this is generation 3 for them.

Here, it parachutes into an increasingly crowed market of unconventionally styled cars...Honda Element, Scion xB, Kia Soul.

The quirky things (like the "jacuzzi lounge ceiling", shag carpet dash mat and fake wrap-around window...really black glass masking a conventional pillar) that differentiate the Cube can only be amusing for so long. And in standard trim, the Cube blows off things like killer sound systems that attract the core demographic to this type of vehicle.

The base price of $13,990 is attractive...but a decent audio system means stepping up two trim levels and nearly three thousand dollars...go for the top of the line Krom model and you'll crack 20 grand...a long way from $13,990.

Mileage: 28 city/30 highway. And how they managed to get so little difference between city and highway is a bit surprising too. Is it that the 122 horsepower engine has to work too hard at highway speeds to get optimal economy?

Bottom line: I'd say it's more fun than the Element (which is getting very long in the tooth), could be a tie with the Scion if it weren't for a 20 plus horsepower deficit and loses out to the surprisingly entertaining Kia Soul.

Kia Forte Review

4:22 AM

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Imagine you're Toyota or Honda...secure in the knowledge that you build high-quality small cars, that even if you slip a bit, it will take a long time before the perception diminishes after 30 years of performance.

About three years ago, though, you see a tiny dot in your rearview mirror. Long way back...don't worry.

But the dot gets closer and bigger faster than you could imagine. Now it's on your bumper. If you're Toyota, recent recalls, controversies and suspension of production and sales could erase the narrowing lead.

The dot is the 2010 Kia Forte. Base price 2 grand lower than Corolla and Civic. Base horsepower higher. EPA mileage estimates a virtual draw.

But what puts Kia into tailgating territory is a quantum leap in exterior styling and interior quality. Kias have always been not quite there when it comes to the details. In the Forte, they're there. There's not a hint of cheapness or corners cut.

Victory? A new champ? Well, the Forte is certainly deserving of notice, but in terms of winning the hearts and minds of compact buyers, there's that perception issue we mentioned. It will take Kia a while to convince millions of compact car buyers that they have something to offer beyond price...and that "resale value" and "Kia" are not mutually exclusive terms.

Once that happens, though, watch out.

3:20 AM

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3:18 AM

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3:17 AM

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Subaru Forester 2.5 XT Limited Review

4:50 AM

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The Subaru Forester has long been a favorite of ours...a no-nonsense small SUV that really blazed the trail for what has been a hot segment.

Even as Subaru has refined the Forester over the years, they've managed not to lose the thread.

But, as we've noted before...good basics can be obscured by too much stuff...and ponying up for the Limited trim level might be going a bridge too far.

There's nothing wrong with what you get...especially the 225 horsepower turbocharged engine...but the moonroof, leather and upgraded audio system carry a price: $29,995.

That's right...a mere five bucks shy of 30 grand for a Forester.

And our tester had XM Satellite radio as an option (the only one), so with delivery charges, it bottom-lined at $31,143.

Ouch.

Especially since the base Subaru Forester is $11,000 less than that. Yep...your basic 2.5X is only $20,295...and gets 20 city/26 highway.

Now, admittedly the extra 55 horsepower of the turbo at a penalty of one mile per gallon city, two highway is pretty appealing...but you can get that starting in the 2.5 XT Premium at $26,495...a price point that still makes some sense for the Forester.

Don't get me wrong...there's not a single bad thing about the XT Limited apart from price point and mission creep. If you want a luxo Forester, go for it. But, frankly, I hope the demand is small...lest Subaru be tempted to think there's a market worth chasing at the expense of its absolutely on-target lower-margin machines.