Launch Modern Car: Fiat

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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

2011 Chrysler 300 Review

6:14 PM

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The 2011 Chrysler 300.

This is the second 2011 Chrysler 300 the press fleet folks have sent our way in the past few months. I wrote about the first one for High Gear Media's Carnewser.com a couple of weeks back. That first car came option-free...sporting a price tag $7590 less than the 2011 Dodge Charger reviewed here on TireKicker in late September.

The Carnewser.com piece focused on my trying (and failing) to understand why Chrysler, working to set itself apart as an upscale brand would build and sell such reasonably priced examples of their flagship, the 300.

Since then, though, word has come that Chrysler's dropping the ax on the Dodge Grand Caravan. Come 2013, they'll only be selling the Chrysler Town and Country, setting off speculation that once Fiats, Alfa Romeos and Lancia-sourced Chryslers begin appearing in showrooms, the product mix between those brands, Dodge and Jeep may be very different from what we see now.

So let's assume a plan is in the works and assess the 300 on its own merits, absent percieved price crowding with its cousin, the Dodge Charger.

The 2011 Chrysler 300 rear view.

First of all, even in base form. the 2011 Chrysler 300 is drop-dead gorgeous. It's a completely different design from the last generation, relying on subtle cues to tie the two together. The details are superb and the effect sets the 300 apart as the only big American sedan of its kind.

The new Chrysler Pentastar V6 is a revelation...strong, smooth and economical. Even with a five-speed automatic (an 8-speed is on tap for 2012), the EPA says 18 city, 27 highway, and we saw a rock-steady 20 miles per gallon in a week of nothing but city streets.

The 2011 Chrysler 300 interior.

Like example number one, this 300 was the base model, with a base price of $27,170. Unlike the first car, this one had options...but just two. $295 for Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl Coat exterior paint, and another $295 for Customer Preferred Package 27E...Chrysler's Uconnect voice command with Bluetooth.

Fold that in with the standard equipment (4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, stability and traction control, brake assist, hill start assist, all the airbags a car can hold, power locks, keyless entry and pushbutton start, 8-way power driver's seat, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, an AM/FM/Sirius/CD/mp3 audio system with 6 speakers and USB and auxilary connections, and dual-zone climate control and while you don't have the pinnacle in luxury, you do have a remarkably equipped, very quiet, comfortable and reasonably quick big sedan for $28,585 with destination charges.

I've decided to stop worrying about why Chrysler offers this car for so little money. There are people who will be very glad they do.

2011 Chrysler 300

Base price: $27,170.

As tested: $28,585.

Likes: Room, quiet, fuel economy for its class.

Dislikes: Pairing and connecting phones with the Bluetooth system is a lengthy, hit-and-miss proposition.

EPA estimate: 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway.

2012 Fiat 500C Review

2:23 PM

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The 2012 Fiat 500C.

Regular TireKicker readers know I am hype-averse. The more something gets promoted, plugged, built-up, the more skeptical I am about it.

So, a dumb commercial featuring J. Lo and the Fiat 500C is a great way to turn me all the way off:

And, I'll admit...even before that started airing, I had my doubts about the Fiat 500. It looked like another super-sized re-creation (the original 500 could probably fit in the passenger space of the new one) of a cute car from 50 years ago that almost no one in North America has ever seen, much less driven. And the changes required by government regulation and consumer preferences in the intervening half-century insured that, despite a distinctive appearance, this would very likely be just another contemporary small car.

But, as Brock Yates once said about driving a Yugo for Car and Driver, "It's a car magazine. We drive the sunsabitches." So I did.

It went back to Fiat 24 hours ago after a week and 250 miles with me.

I miss it.

The 2012 Fiat 500C front and side view.

While still waiting for our time in a 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, I can tell you this: The Fiat 500 is a terrific little car. The styling is a mood elevator and conversation starter. You'll make a lot of friends just getting out of the car to run into the grocery store. Its 1.4 liter four-cylinder and 6-speed automatic provide a good blend of performance and fuel economy. It cruises at 80 on the freeway without the least bit of drama and with a surprising lack of noise and vibration. You sit upright and tall in the car, aided by the arching roof. I'm six feet even, and I had headroom to spare. And the seats might be the most comfortable chairs we've been in since TireKicker launched more than three years ago.

It is, as I thought it might be, a contemporary small car...but in the best possible way.

The charm factor was amplified by the fact that our tester was the 500C...the convertible. Or giant canvas sunroof model. Whatever. Just look at the photo at the top of this review and know that it opens to three positions...just back of the front seats, just behind the rear seats, or all the way down. And since it doesn't raise into the air or fold, you can open or close it while driving.

In the first two positions, wind noise and the feeling of a breeze through the cabin are muted. This is a convertible you can drive without mussing your hair. All the way back, and you get the sensation of the breeze circulating through the cockpit, but you still can carry on a conversation without raising your voice.

Interior of the 2012 Fiat 500C.

Our tester was the top-of-the-line Fiat 500C Lounge. Base price of $23,500, bringing with it leather seats, the six-speed automatic, a full batch of airbags and reactive head restraints, along with a driver's side knee airbag. There's also electronic stability control, hill start assist, rear park assist (a good idea, since the rear window is smallish with the top up and with it folded, the resulting stack blocks some of your rearward view), four wheel antilock disc brakes, speed control, power door locks, a security alarm, remote keyless entry, tire pressure monitoring, intermittent wipers, automatic climate control with micron filter, driver seat memory, power windows, a Bose premium AM/FM/Sirius/CD/mp3 audio system with USB and auxilary jacks, Bluetooth, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, tilt steering column, and a vehicle information center.

Options? Our car had two...Customer Preferred Package 22J, the Luxury Leather Package...leather-trimmed heated front bucket seats and an auto-dimming rearview mirror for $1,250...and $300 to upgrade the 15-inch aluminum wheels. With destination charge of $500, the bottom line is $25,550.

No, that's not cheap for a small car...but the Fiat 500C isn't meant to be cheap (although you can buy a base hardtop with a manual transmission for $15,500 and a less lavishly-equipped convertible, the Fiat 500C Pop, for $19,500). It's a premium small car. A Mini Cooper convertible can't be had for less than $25,650 base...$100 more than our 500C's as-tested price. Yes, the Fiat has 20 horsepower less than the Mini...but it weighs 100 pounds less.

So does Fiat beat the Mini? Maybe. It's been years since BMW has sent a Mini our way (save the high-performance, high-pricetage Mini John Cooper Works Convertible we reviewed a year and a half ago), so, as with the 2012 Beetle, we can't make a direct comparison yet. But we will say this much: The Fiat is a very strong contender. Underestimate it at your own risk.

2012 Fiat 500C Lounge

Base price: $23,500.

As tested: $25,550.

Likes: Interior room, 3-position convertible top, great seats.

Dislikes: Vehicle information center confusing. The trip computer in ours either didn't work or we couldn't understand it in a week. Neither of those is a good thing.

EPA estimates: 27 mpg city/32 mpg highway.

Nationwide Vehicle Contracts offer out a wide range of car lease deals including deals on Mazda contract hire.

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo X 4X4 Review

8:16 PM

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The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Best looking Grand Cherokee ever?

Jeeps are famous for being able to go anywhere. Well, the Grand Cherokee has been to hell and back, thanks to owners (especially Cerberus) who didn't understand what the brand was all about and rushed not-quite-Jeeps to market while letting the Grand Cherokee get long in the tooth and behind the competition.

There wasn't much in American automotive business the past few years to suggest a successful U-turn could be pulled off on short notice, but not only did Jeep's new masters hang such a U, they then put it in 4 Low, climbed the tallest hill around and parked the new Grand Cherokee on it.

Rear view of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

No, that's not hype. Yes, the new Grand Cherokee is that good. Easily the most solidly built GC ever, with the magnificent new 3.6-liter V6 Pentastar engine, a powerplant so smooth I would have bet you stupid money not long ago that Chrysler of all companies could never build it. And it transforms the driving experience with a 38% bump in horsepower over last year's six, and an 11% increase in torque as well. All it needs is a six-speed automatic rather than the five-speed. It would help mileage, which is about what you'd expect...16 city/22 highway.

The Laredo is the first rung on the Grand Cherokee ladder. Even the "base" Laredo comes with Quadra-Track 4WD, Electronic Stability Control, Anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, hill start assist, trailer sway damping, speed control, a power 8-way driver's seat with power 4-way lumbar adjust, a six-speaker audio system with AM/FM/CD/mp3, a one-year subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio and an audio jack input for your mobile device. They also come with Power windows, tilt and telescope steering column, audio controls on the steering wheel, and 17-inch painted aluminum wheels. There's no such thing as a "stripper" Grand Cherokee.

Most improved player: The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee interior.

And as good as the mechanicals are, Chrysler really knocked it out of the park with the interior. Chrysler was notorious in the Cerberus years for having some of the worst interiors in the business...poor fit and finish and 99 Cent Store materials. No more. All gone. They've gone from worst to first. Leader of the class.

Our tester got gussied up even further by the press fleet folks, who added the Laredo 26X Package: Leather trimmed bucket seats, power 8-way driver and front passenger seats, both getting the power lumbar adjusters. They're heated, too. The audio system gets bumped up to include DVD and a hard-drive, plus 9 speakers, a 506-watt amplifier and subwoofer plus a USB port. That's $4080.

How about the All Weather Capability Group? Ours had it. Now, I'd suggest that a Grand Cherokee is already plenty capable in all weather, but $695 buys the Selec-Terrain system, tow hooks (in case you exceed capability?) and an engine block heater.

And the piece de resistance...another audio system upgrade...this time to a 30 gig hard drive that can hold 4,250 songs and throws in satellite navigation for the low, low price of just $395. At that point, I'll drop my usual objection to in-dash GPS.

Result: One seriously luxurious Grand Cherokee for $38,085. A vehicle you can take to the opera and not have the valets turn up their noses. But the goodness and real-honest-to-God-Jeepness of it will have you plotting a course for the Rubicon Trail on the weekend.

Just proves the old saying: Never say never. Chrysler and Jeep were down, but clearly not out. And now, the Grand Cherokee is king of any hill it cares to climb.

2011 Limited Edition Fiat Abarth 500 Gulf cars wallpapers and reviews

7:02 AM

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2011 Limited Edition Fiat Abarth 500 Gulf cars wallpapers and reviews
http://masti-jokes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-infiniti-announced-fx30ds-price.html