Lincoln MKT Review

From the back, in black, it looks like a 1940's hearse.

For several thousand dollars less, you can get a Ford Flex...which is what this is based on.

The above two lines are the sum total of the downside to the Lincoln MKT.

There's a ton of upside.

First of all, for better or worse, Lincoln's breaking some styling rules and creating distinctive automobiles. And since the new family grille is a modern interpretation of 40s Lincolns, I suppose the "40s hearse" rear-end isn't a surprise.

Number two, 16 city/22 highway (the EPA estimate, which, for the first time in a long time in a Ford Motor Company product, we didn't achieve or exceed), while not great, is also not bad for something this big, with this kind of power. The MKT packs the twin-turbo EcoBoost engine...and, in fact, 16/22 is the mileage cited for the Flex when equipped with EcoBoost.

And as for the MKT/Flex comparison, well, Lincoln deserves a major pat on the back for putting distance between the two vehicles. This is shared-platform as opposed to "badge engineering". You could drive the MKT and Flex back-to-back (which Ford was brave enough to allow a group of journalists, yours truly included, to do around the fall '09 introduction of the MKT) and spend the next few minutes remarking on how they really are completely different vehicles.

That price difference? Well, it's there...a base MKT starts about where a loaded Flex leaves off ($44,000) and it's not difficult to load an MKT beyond the $50,000 point with 2nd row bucket seats (in place of the standard bench), a 2nd row console with a built-in refrigerator, and Active Park Assist. Put simply, it parks the car automatically. Yes, Lexus got there first, a couple of years ago, but the system wasn't flawless. We've used the Lincoln's ourself. It is.

But here's the thing: It's that distance between the two vehicles I mentioned two paragraphs up. You have to have X-ray vision and a set of blueprints to know that there's commonality with the Flex. The Lincoln is a cut above in style, luxury, percieved quality and cutting-edge tech...including voice-activated navigation. Save home, say "home" and you're guided on your way.


Our most recent test vehicle came courtesy Sanderson Lincoln/Volvo in Phoenix.

Here's a very cool promotional video about the MKT from Lincoln and Ford Motor Company:

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Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon Review

For a country that invented the station wagon and pretty much couldn't live without it for 30 years after World War II, America has shunned the concept...while Europe has bought in big, producing some wonderfully useful, sporty wagons.

Now, Cadillac, never a station wagon builder in the glory days (unless you count ambulances and hearses),  has decided to get in the game by taking its most European vehicle, the CTS sedan, and making a wagon version.

Competition? BMW sells wagons in their 3 and 5 series in the U.S. and.....well, that's about it.

                         

There's no denying it's a slick looking piece. And it drives almost as well as the CTS sedan, with the usual 304 horsepower V6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

                       

Prices start just south of $40,000, but the one I drove for a week was the "Premium Collection" model. It takes almost everything on the option list, converts it to standard and jacks the price of admission up to $51,720.

Even then, Cadillac found one way to add to the bottom line: The 19" Summer Tire Performance Package. You get 19 inch wheels instead of the standard 18s, summer-only tires instead of the all-season radials, a sport suspension system, steering wheel mounted shift controls, a performance cooling system and performance disc brakes. $2,000. Bringing the total, with destination charges, to $54,635.

You couldn't quite get to that price by loading a 3-series wagon with everything available, and 5-series wagons start at $55,950...so it's possible that Cadillac has found the sweet spot here...at least in the target market.

But just how big a market is that? Not very. To be a success, Cadillac will have to win converts...get people to step out of SUVs and crossovers into a smaller package...always a tough sell in America, even in tough times.  But grading purely on the product, Cadillac has scored yet again.

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Ford Flex with EcoBoost Review

Looking for a Ford Flex? Here's a tip: Make sure this badge is on the tailgate.

EcoBoost transforms the Flex from adequate power to impressive power...replacing the standard 262 horses with 355...at a penalty of only one city mile per gallon and two highway (dropping from 17 to 16 and 24 to 22). Torque is way up too...from 248 pounds per foot to 350.

How'd they do it? Well, EcoBoost is a twin-turbo...taking the 80s favorite means of boosting power without sucking down prodigious amounts of fuel and doubling it. Hopefully, they've addressed the issues that caused turbos to fall out of favor, but I'd change the oil more than the owner's manual recommends just in case.

I liked the Flex the first time I drove it, but having some power makes it all that much better.

This time around, the tester was a top of the line SEL All Wheel Drive...and that means it wasn't cheap: Base price $36,115...$7,600 more than the entry-level model. Fortunately, Ford kept the options down to...well, one. Rapid Spec 208-A AWD adds 20 inch bright painted aluminum wheels, a convenience package and a 12-speaker Sony sound system for $3895.

That put the price, before destination and delivery at $40,010...but there's a "Rapid Spec Savings" discount of $845...so the ultimate bottom line is $39,940.

That's a chunk of change for a Ford...but a lot of people spent that and more for Expeditions when they were in fashion...and this drives a lot better than the Expedition ever did.

By the way...five-star crash ratings all around...four star rollover.

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Toyota Venza Review

I get a laugh reading some of the reviews my fellow automotive journalists post sometimes. All too often, they review the concept or idea of the car and leave me wondering if they ever actually stuck the key in the ignition and...you know...drove it.

The prevailing bad rap on the Toyota Venza is "Oh, another crossover based on the Camry."

Okay, there is the Lexus RX 350, the Highlander and even arguably the Sienna minivan. And on paper, you'd be excused for thinking they were trying to cram vehicles into paper-thin niches.

But that's not the reality for the Venza, at least not as I see it. My view says you have to put the Venza up against its competitors (Ford Edge, Chevy Traverse, Nissan Murano). Is that a segment a full-line car company can afford to ignore? No way.

So I put the key in the ignition (well, actually, the Venza uses a starter button) and drove not one...but two Venzas. A loaded ($9,000 worth of options) V6 and a nicely equipped (no leather, DVD or navigation system) 4-cylinder.

Both of them are stylish (more than a match for the Edge, Traverse and Murano), solid, spacious and comfortable.

The loaded V6 at $37,624 as tested is about as good a value as loaded V6 crossovers get these days.

But the one I liked most was the less-loaded four cylinder. Yes, it gives up 86 horsepower and 64 pounds per feet of torque to the V6...but in normal, everyday around-town driving...a mix of city streets and freeways...I didn't miss the power. The four is perfectly adequate.

And the bonuses come on the price sticker...at the bottom line ($29,949) and the EPA estimate (21 city/29 highway as opposed to 19/26 for the V6). A believable number, by the way...the much larger 4-cylinder Venza delivered exactly the same in-town mileage for me as the Nissan Rogue (which is EPA rated 21/26, so the Venza should do better on the highway. And that Rogue bottom-lined at $27,800).

Think about that for a minute...less than $30,000 and 29 miles per gallon on the highway. For something that seats five comfortably and has room for quite a bit of luggage, groceries...whatever...behind the back seat.

I'd take the four.

But if you think you have to have the six, the price tag can still be reined in. The base price of the V6 is only $2,000 more than the four. Equip it like the four I drove (skipping leather, DVD and nav) and you're in just below $32,000. Which is still a strong value.

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Dodge Journey R/T Review

The Dodge Journey should be such an easy vehicle to ridicule. So how come I really enjoy driving it?

This is one of those few "answers to questions nobody asked" that leaves me wondering why we weren't asking. The Journey finds that sliver of middle ground between a crossover and a minivan and then steps down a size class.

The result is an efficient mover of people (5) and things (within reason). And, despite some plasticky and unimaginatively designed interior bits, it's pleasant to drive.

The $26,785 base price of the R/T model we tested buys front wheel drive (an AWD model is available), a 3.5-liter high output V6 mated to a six-speed transmission (no doubt responsible for the EPA estimated 16 city/23 highway miles per gallon...which would have been worse with a 5-speed), and just about every option you could ask for. 19 inch wheels are standard on the R/T.

In fact, the tester had just two extras: The Safe & Sound Group (Back-up camera and MyGig hard-disc music system) and a sunroof. With destination charge, the bottom line wound up at $28,900.

Five star crash ratings in all categories except rollover, where four's the max.

It just struck me: It's not a minivan or crossover at all. Dodge has just re-invented the midsize station wagon.

As the Firesign Theatre used to say: Forward, into the past!

Hey, a good idea is a good idea. And the Journey counts.

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Kia Rondo EX Review

Three rows of seats. It's virtually a condition of purchase for SUV buyers these days...prompting a lot of manufacturers to shoehorn a third row into vehicles that really shouldn't have one.

The Kia Rondo is a small vehicle...one that makes a lot of sense in a time of uncertain gas prices and other economic issues. With a base price of $20,195 for the uplevel EX trim, an EPA estimated 18 miles per gallon city and 26 highway and five-star driver and passenger frontal crash test ratings (as well as five stars for front seat side crash and four stars for rear seat side crash and rollover), the Rondo jumps right onto the list of intelligent choices for people looking for the alternative to SUVs, crossovers and minivans.

All but for that third seat. Points go to Kia for making it an option ($500). Yes, two people can fit back there...and kids probably won't find it uncomfortable...but the seatbacks are just too close to the tailgate for my comfort.

Past that, the Rondo beats expectations at every turn. It's quicker, quieter and nicer than you'd expect from a vehicle at this size and price point. The tester had the $1,000 Leather Package, which includes heated front seats, and the $1,200 Premium Package (a power sunroof and an Infinity AM/FM/CD Changer audio system). That, the third row seat and destination charges brought the bottom line to $23,495. Leaving off the third row gets you under 23 grand. This could be a very smart move for a lot of small families.

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Volvo XC70 Review

Timing is everything. Eight or nine years ago, Volvo took their V70 station wagon, added all-wheel drive and called it the "Cross Country". Sales were modest.

So about five years ago, Volvo whipped up a bigger crossover SUV on the S80 sedan platform and called it the XC90. Sales were much stronger, thank you.

Now, though, fluctuating gas prices have a lot of drivers thinking bigger is not necessarily better. Just in time, Volvo brings us...the Cross Country...but now it's called the XC70.

Frankly, it's a great move...bolstering a strong product with an association to the popular XC90. The XC70 is everything a Volvo wagon should be...strong, safe, rugged...and stylish inside. They haven't caught Audi yet, but Volvo interiors are among the best in the business.

Lower to the ground and lighter in weight, the XC70 handles better than the XC90 and gets better gas mileage, too (the EPA says 15 city, 22 highway). $36,775 is the base price. Our tester added metallic paint, a premium 12-speaker, Dolby ProLogic II surround sound system with AM, FM, CD and Sirius satellite radio, a Premium Package with a moonroof, leather, real wood inlays, a cold climate pakcage and alloy wheels, driving the bottom line up to $44,065.

Cheap? Only in comparison to a similarly loaded XC90 or other vehicle in its class. But if you don't need the extra weight and bulk of the XC90...the XC70 seems just right.

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Volkswagen Passat Station Wagon Review

Forget who killed the electric car. Who killed the American station wagon (my vote is the movie National Lampoon's Vacation and its four-wheeled co-star, an early-80s Ford Country Squire that looked like the J.C. Whitney Parts warehouse exploded around it)?

Whoever it was, it drove us into the arms of the minivan and the SUV. And now with the minivan considered as uncool as wagons ever were and gasoline credit card bills prompting re-evaluations of the wisdom of SUV ownership, a lot of smart drivers are saying "What we need is a....station wagon".

Fortunately, the Europeans (who also didn't abandon the utilitarian hatchback the way we did here in the States) never stopped making them...which means you get all the goodness of the basic station wagon concept...and about 25 years additional research and development in the Volkswagen Passat wagon.

Part with a sum this side of 30-thousand dollars and you get an efficient, well-built, refined vehicle just like the Passat sedan...but with room to carry stuff...lots of stuff...in the back. Better looking than a minivan, better handling too. And way better gas mileage than most SUVs, including crossovers.

Truth be told, a station wagon is a much better choice for a majority of minivan and SUV buyers...and the Passat is at or near the top of the class.

(test vehicle provided by Camelback Volkswagen)

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Ford Flex Review

I'm really looking forward to comments on this one, because I want to see if you have the same reactions to the Ford Flex that I did. One moment I see a lowered Range Rover, the next a stretched and chopped Scion xB, and yet another, I got flashes of 1960s and 1970s Ford wagons.

If you haven't seen one on the street yet (and apart from the one I tested for a week, I haven't), your first surprise is likely to be how big the Flex is. Photos and video don't adequately capture that.

Once you get inside (easy because the Flex is so low...it's like stepping into a sedan), it seems even bigger. It's a long way back to the third row of seats...and there's a significant amount of cargo space beyond that.

Entertainment? Oh, yeah. Our tester had the optional SYNC system (AM/FM/CD/digital hard-drive jukebox/Sirius Satellite Radio/DVD) with Ford's navigation system including live weather radar, sports scores and movie listings (Goodbye, Mr. Moviefone!).

Keep checking the option boxes and not only do the front seats have a moonroof, but the rear seats each get their own.

The seats are comfortable, though the headrests tilt a bit too far forward, the instrument panel layout (carried over from the Taurus) is logical and attractive. The engine has adequate power. But given that gas prices were at their peak the week of my test, I wasn't asking for more engine (which brings lower mileage).

Prices start in the upper 20s, but pack one with all the neat stuff, and you're at $45,000 before you know it. Will people pay that for a Ford station wagon? Or, will it be like the 60s, where we saw more mid-line Country Sedans than fully loaded Country Squires leaving the lot? Time will tell.

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