Motorviews ... Automotive Reviews of Cars and Trucks

2011 BMW 535i

2010-10-02T10:41:00.001-04:00

Recently I had the opportunity to get my hands on a 2011 BMW 535i. This is BMW's latest revision of their popular 5series mid-sized sedan. The redesign of the popular car was necessary after the either love it or hate it comments that plagued the previous generation. The new car looks worlds better with lines that help to deceptively hide its growing waist line. The newest iteration is longer and wider... much akin to previous generation 7series models, but by the design of the car, it looks much smaller. The lines are similar to the newer 7series, just smaller.

The engine is powered by BMWs three liter turbocharged (down to a single twin scroll turbo from the previous twin turbo design) engine. The car provides excellent off the line power with almost no perception of turbo lag thanks to it's unique design. Power is a plenty and torque is available from 1700rpm in the power band to almost red line. What is unique in design is BMW utilizes the turbo design to help boost low end performance and torque but tapers off boost pressure in the higher RPM ranges because the engine already had plenty of punch in that area and added turbo pressure is not necessary.

The engine is mated to a new eight speed transmission which is silky smooth. One could argue that it has too many gears, but at the same time to achieve sports car acceleration while maintaining economical fuel ratings, many gears are needed. And this car accomplishes that, acceleration for a car of this size is more than adequate and with a fuel consumption of over 30 miles per gallon at 70mph, it is enough to keep many happy.

The interior is also revamped to be more spacious while accommodating for the desires of the newer demanding customer. The dash is redesigned with a unique layout featuring illuminated gauges that fall to complete black when powered off. The center console is very functional with common buttons easily reachable and the iDrive controller which quick reach. iDrive speed is quick and navigating the menus is fast and direct.

The ride of the car is smooth and while many have said it feels spongy compared to previous cars, I beg to differ. The car does what it is designed to do... be smooth and responsive and as such, it takes away a little from it's raw nature. As an overall package, it is an excellent car and as such no doubt will outsell it's previous counterpart with ease.

Go drive one, you will be impressed.

2009 Dodge Viper Roadster

2009-11-09T17:49:00.010-05:00

What's this?! The keys to a Dodge? Looks like it is going to be another boring week. With shoulders sagging and a cloud of gloom looming over my head, I take a gander outside looking for what excuse for a car we will be reviewing this week. As I look down the line of cars all I see is bland, blah, boring, mediocre, and hmmm, something shiny and red. I like shiny!

Hit the alarm key fob and the shiny red blinks and my gloom and doom turns into devilish excitement. The nice shiny red thing is a 2009 Dodge Viper... convertible. Oh boy, the gas bill is going to be high this week. With a hop in my step, I scoot on over to the monster and open the door and slip behind the wheel. Hmmm, kinda tight. Maybe I need to shed a few pounds and shrink a few inches. Negligible and not important.

First things first... the top must go down, this is a convertible after all. Looking around, there is no sign of a power top down switch. Fathering this is a pure sports car, they could not be bothered with heavy electrical motors, so we grab what looks to be the emergency release for the cargo drop from a C130 and pop the top flies off. With a quick toss of the hand, I throw it back and uh... Houston, we have a problem. The top will not sit snug. Open the door and fall out (we will discuss this later) and stand there scratching head for about five minutes trying to reverse engineer what the people at Dodge were thinking. Finally, I give up and look for the manual. Ah Ha! The trunk must be open to put the top down. Twenty seconds later, the top is down and I am grinning once again. Sitting in the car going over the dials and cluster, you can see that this is pure sports car, no frills. Insert key, push (and HOLD) Engine start button and the monster beneath the hood roars to life.

Instantly, you know this is going to be fun. Figure while I wait for the monster to catch its breath and warm up, let's take a look and this snarling monster. Looking around the driver's tunnel, there is no sign of a hood release. Check the glove box, the center console, the driver's door jam... Nothing. Argh! Pull out the manual again... OH the release is up front, go figure. Fiddling with the releases, the hood flies open and 8.4L of shimming engine stands before me breathing deeply and patiently waiting for instructions. I must point out that the design of the engine is simply breath taking. The red engine covers, the silver intake manifolds all connected to a very forward air box which reads in big letters 8.4L V10. I start jumping up and down like a little school girl giddy with excitement.

Jump back into the driver's seat and that takes some work as that exhaust tunnel is now breathing hot exhaust on your shoes and it takes quickness to jump in so you don't smell like exhaust fumes. Snug in the cabin, adjust all the mirrors and hmm, can't find a seating position that allows me to see over the rear trunk area. Pfft, oh well... What is behind me is of no consequence!

First thoughts, ugh... gastly. Why exactly is this car so much money again? The steering is heavy, the clutch is super long, the gear shift is awkwardly placed and the throttle response is down right dismal and I haven't even made it to the exit of the parking lot. Ok, I'll give it points for having a extremely awesome exhaust note that will scare the neighbors, but so far... this thing is looking to be a failure. The people driving this car must love punishment, and what's going on, why is the foot well so hot. Too anxious to figure it out, flip the A/C on even though the top is down to help offset the heat.

Muscling the car out of the parking lot and through traffic filled roads really makes me second guess my decision for taking this car out. It is far from comfortable, clutch travel is long and throttle response is quite poor which I'm guessing is just a function of all the rotational mass under the hood. The monster that I thought was there seems to be a soaring bear instead of a snarling tiger. I'm beginning to think this car was highly over rated and I am going to ask for a refund. Flip the visor down to block some of the sun light beaming through the windshield only to find out the sun visor blocks all forward visibility because it extends right down to the steering wheel. Not waiting to give up, I proceed on squinting in spite of blinding sunlight. And why is my seat hot and my legs roasting?!? Please god, let me find some open road before I get cooked.

Up ahead, I see an opening! Blinker goes on manage to get over and make the turn and on to the express way we go. With second gear firmly engaged, my foot goes to the floor to merge on to the highway. Holy hell! The once sleeping bear that didn't want to move has turned into a snarling 400lb tiger that is now sitting on my chest. The force of acceleration is blinding! As the RPM swings near redline, sink the clutch grab third and continue on. The acceleration knocks you back and you watch the speedo fly north. Everything is a blur. The numbers on the speedo have changed from your typical digits to legal, illegal, jail followed by time travel and spontaneous combustion as the needle flies past. Fearing for my life, I come off the accelerator hoping that the fire breathing monster under the hood decides to spare me. As I coast back to sanity, I think unbelievable thoughts to myself. My eyes are bug eyed open and my heart is trying to slow itself down so it does not burn up. For those brief seconds everything in the world did not matter. My only focus was enjoying the car, all my complaints had become null and void.

When driving, acceleration is a mere moment a way depending on what gear you are in. The lower the gear, the wider the grin from ear to ear. Even in sixth gear when cruising at 70ish mph and the engine turning a piddly 1500rpm, the massive monster under the hood has enough torque to increase speed without hesitation. However, this isn't a car to be driven lightly. You want acceleration, drop from 6th to 3rd and mash the gas. Doing that little gear change turns the sedate sleeping bear into a angry tiger who has been kicked in the private parts. Anything around you turns into a blur of color as reality turns into a 80s version of star wars rendition of light speed.

"Enough about the speed already" you say. Well, we will come back to the speed part, but you may be wondering, how does it handle? Can it turn? Yes, it can turn, and turn well. Once moving at a decent speed, the massive 275mm wide tires up front can be turned with minimal effort. Push it through a few corners and you will find that the massive tires up front have tenacious grip but will start to under steer at the limit. Boo, under steer is no fun. Solution? Apply more throttle. That's right, that 8.4L V10 cures under steer with massive amounts of over steer. However, be on your toes as those 345mm tires out back have gravity altering amounts of grip, but when they let go, they let go with a mighty snap and before you know it, you have your hands scrambling for opposite lock over steer correction. Do not ask me how I know this, just take it for what it is.

As you can imagine, with massive front tires, braking ability is down right superb. I recommend often braking as hard as possible from speed because if you are like me always taking advantage of the 600hp for earth rotation altering starts, you have to help contribute to keeping the rotation in check by using the brakes to counter act your fun. That's right, by far, this car has the best braking ability tested from 80mph. Repeated tests from high speeds just were not possible due to the shear capabilities of this car, but I have no doubt reassuring you that if you have to stop more than once from light speed, you should not have a problem. Should you decide to travelling into the spontaneous combustion area of the speedometer though, you are on your own.

What I have learned from having the chance to drive this car though is that it is down right awful. The visibility out of the car is poor, the handling through the city is atrocious, the gas mileage is down right dismal. However, when you are out on your weekend and you have your foot to the floor listening to the angry beast under the hood roar from the exhaust pipes just past the door sill, all of those problems become not important. The only thing you think to yourself is, how far can I go without running out of gas, because I do not want this feeling to end.

BMW Performance -- Upgrade your 335i or just buy an M3

2009-08-29T13:06:00.005-04:00

This is not really a review, at least not yet (unless someone wants to supply us with a DINAN 335i S2). DINAN has long been a tuner of BMWs and up until recently was available and numerous BMW dealerships (as they were DINAN authorized). However, with BMW bringing their own performance products to the table, some BMW dealerships are starting to drop their partnership with DINAN in favor of installing their own performance products.

This story comes from an interesting question found on the internet. Given the choice, would you purchase a DINAN 335i S2 or a original BMW M3. http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1296196. Key arguments against the DINAN 335i S2 is that by the time you put all of the items available from DINAN on a 335, you are within 3-5k of the price of an M3 and you don't get some of the trick items available on the M3. Other claim that buying a DINAN 335i S2 makes you different than the crowd, making you more unique and more of a "sleeper" keeping prying eyes at bay and keeping insurance premiums low (compared to the M3).

So what say you... stop by the link and vote. It will be interesting to see the outcome. http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1296196

2009 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT Coupe

2009-08-29T12:08:00.004-04:00

The first words out of your mouth... "This is a Hyundai?" Looking at the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe, you wonder how a car company has gone from being something that you would be ashamed to see in let alone drive ten years ago to a marvelous masterpiece that manages to out price its competition. Years ago, I would not dare think of bringing a Hyundai to a car show, if I did, it would be parked around the corner out of clear view. Today, I am sitting in a new Hyundai Genesis Coupe and let me say, it is garnering a whole bunch of attention from passers by. The first words out of their mouth... you guessed it, "This is a Hyundai?"

What I am going to talk about today is the new Genesis 3.8 GT Coupe. Price, as equipped, $29,000. It is OK, you can pick your jaw up off the ground. For that price, you get a 3.8L V6 engine pumping out a whopping 306HP which is tied to the rear wheels making this one of the few cars in this segment for this amount of money. You also get such niceties such stability control, automatic climate control, tire pressure monitoring system, heated seats, a sport tuned suspension, keyless entry, bluetooth connectivity, xenon headlights and the list goes on and on. The list rivals that of a car costing thousands more than what we are sitting in.

Sitting in the car you feel well supported by the seats bolsters and comfortable by the way of nice padding. The steering wheel, while small, is easy to grab with an abundance of controls littered all over the front of the wheel and paddle shifters behind for those who opt for the automatic transmission. The guages are nothing fancy, but communicate what the driver needs to know. Interior space for front passengers is ample and even with a 6'3" front seat passenger there is still enough room for an adult in the back seat. They will not be happy about it, but if their compare it to walking, it will be a welcomed place to park their rump for a an hour or so.

Now, when the rubber meets the road you may think that Hyundai short changed the driving experience in a car that is this cheap. Nope, put your foot down and your are planted in your seat by an abundance of torque off the line. Keep your foot down and the engine swing easily through its power band and quickly accelerates to speeds that would easily land yourself in hot water with your local law enforcement. The sound the engine and exhaust make give you a grin from ear to ear and you wonder why other sports cars can not figure out how make noises like this. Power is ample at engine speeds, but the car designed to be a sports car, is quick to down shift if you ask for power to move forward. It is itching to run. Ask for some passing power and it will skip down a gear or two to make sure you get what you want. Things in the rear view mirror will start disappearing quickly if you are not careful.

The handling of the car is nice and smooth. The steering, while a little delayed (one might thing because of the tall tires), points the front of the car where you want to go easily. Push the car and you are greeted with a little bit of understeer which can be countered by less throttle application to bring the front end back, or if you are a daredevil, feeding more power in to rotate the rear of the car with a nice tail out slide if desired. Lift throttle oversteer car also be accomplished easily on demand should you want. The beautiful part about it, is the car is so easy to control in all situations. Almost nothing comes as a surprise and countersteering or balancing is easy to accomplish (if you know what you are doing -- don't try this at home kids). The suspension manages to communicate to the driver what is going on... the harsh conditions are soaked up while the feedback the driver is looking for remains in tact. One downside, which we were unable to figure out was a strange vibration noise apparent at 70-90 mph. As you cross past the 75mph mark this weird vibration would become quite annoying. The noise would slowly go away as the speeds dropped below 65. We are hoping that this noise had something to do with the tires on the car and was not a design flaw. Another car will have to be tested to figure that out.

Braking... now you must be thinking, this has to be where the car falls on its face. No way can a sub $30k car do everything well. You would be wrong. From 70mph, the braking of the car was rock solid. It actually out brakes many cars twice the price. Braking from highway speeds was predictable and balanced. There was no sway from side to side, and the ABS worked as it should stopping the car in a quite respectable distance without any crazy nose dive found in other cars. The tires did squeal as if they were being tortured, but that is expected from an all season tire. Repeated braking I would imagine would be just fine as the pedal showed no signs of fade or sink after a few hard braking attempts. Again, quite a surprise when compared to other cars.

Now, It would not be fair to tell you all the good things about this car and leave out the bad things. You want to know what we think, not being a complete sales pitch to go out and buy one. The downsides are few, but there are some. The throttle on the car is very twitchy. Ask for just a hint of throttle from a stop and you get a bag full. Do not be surprised when you first drive the car that the rear tires chirp on smooth surfaces from over application of throttle. With practice, you can smooth that out, but the throttle is twitchy from a get go. The interior trim items are a little flimsy to the touch. Some of them feel as if they are going to break off in your hands, but we were unable to break them during our testing period. So they are attached well, they just feel flimsy. The door line of the car feels rather high. To accommodate viewing, one may want to raise the seat up so you don't feel as if you are sitting in a bath tub... this is mostly due to the design cues of the car though. Another thing is rearward visibility over your shoulder and through the back glass. The design makes for a rather large C pillar area making sometimes turning into traffic a mission. Plus, with such a raked rear window and high trunk, rearward visibility is a bit interesting. Using you rear mirrors will be key here. Plus, from our chief in charge of design explains that with such a raked rear window combined with no rear wiper, seeing backwards in the rain will be downright impossible as the rain will just sit on the back window. Final complaint, the trunk, while copious, suffers from a high lift over and an extreme small opening. The trunk is large enough to suck up many suitcases, but you would be hard pressed to get them up and over the trunk lift over plus, having them fit through the small opening would be a mission. You are better off carrying the suitcases in the back seat and just sticking all your clothes in the trunk. You can pack the when you get where you are going.

All in all, for the money you are spending. You are going to be hard pressed to find a better car. The value is definitely there, the performance is definitely there and the warranty without a doubt is there. With Hyundai offering a 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty (on certain items), it is very likely this car will last for a very long time. These days, Hyundai is really giving the other manufacturers something to think about. Driving a Hyundai these days is no longer something to be ashamed about. I would be happy to stand next to this car and call it my own. Not only does it scream performance, it also screams value... showing others I know what I like and I don not need to spend twice as much to get it.

2009 Porsche Cayman S

2009-08-05T17:56:00.004-04:00

Our loyal readers may know that we already reviewed the Porsche Cayman so they may be asking, why are we reviewing it again? Well, the answer is simple... it is a Porsche Cayman... and to top it off, it is an S versus the non-S we drove earlier. What is even better, our Cayman S came equipped with the Porsche flappy paddle gearbox, known as Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK).

From the outside, the Cayman is slightly face lifted over the previous version that we drove. New headlights and front fascia liven up the appearance some. We are not sure if the new looks make the car look any better, but it definitely looks different than it's predecessor so those that know, will know you are driving the newer hotness. The rear also gets revised tail lamps which are bigger and more bulbous. Again, not sure if it enhances the appearance, but it is definitely different. Otherwise, the exterior is little changed from the previous year. It still looks gorgeous in white and almost could double as a piece of art rather than a car. When looking at it, you pray for good weather as driving it in inclement weather would only make a little bit of you die on the inside.

The Cayman S features a 3.4L direct injection flat six cylinder engine producing 320hp (as opposed to the 2.9-litre engine in the standard Cayman delivering 265 hp). One of the complaints with the previous car was that the while the handling was everything you would expect from a Porsche, the power was not up to par. Well, the Cayman S fixes that in the right way. Where you had to really push the Cayman to get it moving, the Cayman S moves with grace and efficiency. Push the go pedal and you are off. Engine response is snappy and it pulling power is greatly improved. It is not too much power, but it is the added power the car needed. However, with the added power, there is a noise penalty associated with the car. Driving sedately with yield no difference in noise, but bury your foot and you are pleased with a nice engine growl which unfortunately gets taken over by an annoying engine noise after 5000 rpm. Winding through the RPM is a emotional rollercoaster. As you plant your foot, and the RPM swings up, you start to smile more and more as the growl warms the soul, but as the RPMs get near redline your happiness is and hearing are swallowed up by the engine noise which is located right behind you. We suppose that it side effect of having a mid-engine car, if Porsche is listening, some more sound padding back there would not be a bad thing.

Being that this is a Porsche, handling was superb. Think of where you want to go, let you hands deliver those instructions to the steering wheel and the car answers with extreme scalpel like precision. Those with fists made of ham need not apply. This machine requires a person who knows where they want to go, not one that will be flailing around behind the wheel. The suspension is setup to be smooth yet firm. The perfect balance of yin and yang. Being that it is a Porsche, we darned not push the limits of adhesion due to our lack of available facilities to really see what it could do... but we have no doubt it would excel just as a Porsche should. Smooth yet have the ability to tear up tenacious amount of tarmac if required with its available grip.

As one would expect, the Porsche Cayman S came with some impressive anchors on all four corners. Colorful red calipers behind typical Porsche wheels definitely will make your car buddies jealous. We would expect that this car with such nice looking brakes would stop just as quickly as its older cousin. We however where slightly disenchanted to find that braking distance for this car were longer than the previous car. We believe however this was due to worn equipment on the car. Every other Porsche that has been tested have had brakes equivalent to hitting a brick wall on demand. So we will overlook this one's slightly poor performance.

We will skip the interior because... well, it is the same as the previous Cayman. Small, low to the ground and extremely purposeful with leather and carbon fiber adorning nearly every visual eye piece. It's beyond nice, that's all your really need to know.

Now, revisting the Porsche PDK. Some of you may remember we were graced with a 911 equipped with the PDK and while fun, it still had some downsides that we were less than thrilled with. Well, the Porsche engineers read our feedback and they heard and tried to address our concerns best they could. One of the biggest complaints with the previous iteration was that the low speed crawling assistant was far too peppy and far to fast to be considered a low speed assistant. Parking lot maneuvers would often lead you to riding the brake to keep it from rolling too fast. It would creep too fast for comfort. Thanks to some enhanced software, the crawling speed has been greatly reduced and now crawling through parking lots or really slow traffic are accomplished with ease and without having to ride the brakes.

The PDK is also more advanced when it comes to on/off throttle response. The jumpiness attributed to the harsh clutch activation is all gone at all speeds and especially starting from a stop. Transition to throttle is now nearly perfect provided the car has the fraction of a second to be in the right gear. From the outside and from the inside you can give people the impression you are an accomplished drivers without lunging and head bobbing.

Unfortunately however, there are some mistakes with the latest iteration as well. With this version, we noticed that gear changes at full throttle and redline have been slowed down some. So full throttle shifts while smooth leaves some power on the table that can not be extracted. Full throttle redline shifts are effortless, but no chirp of tires can be accomplished. We also noticed that the Cayman S did not come with a launch control feature. So massive acceleration can only be achieved by smashing the gas pedal through the floor board. There is a momentary pause in acceleration though as the RPMs skyrocket and then the clutch engaged... then it is bye bye birdie.

The Cayman S is a great car... it does everything well and we believe it is a great addition to the Porsche lineup. It gives you that perfect roadster feeling with the security of a roof over your head. Price starts at $60,000... but after equipping it with options you can easily surpass $100,000. When you are flipping through that Porsche Exclusive option book... make sure you check those addition boxes sparingly.

2009 BMW 335d - Revisted

2009-05-31T16:35:00.002-04:00

Was lucky enough to have a BMW 335d available this weekend. I know we already spoke about this car, but it was worthy of a supplement write up because we love diesel so much. The car was unchanged, so everything in the previous article still stands. However, having more time behind the wheel reminds us why we love this car so much. It is still a 3 series and drives as it should.

The diesel power plant is still as wonderful as ever and acceleration between 60-80mph is just intoxicating when you have 425ft-lbs of torque on tap. Most of the time spent driving the car was just spent pushing the go pedal down to feel the wave of torque plant you in the seat. With all of the shenanigans that took place during our revisit to this car, it was still able to achieve a whopping 26 miles per gallon. I have no doubt that with civilized driving, reaching the claimed 36 miles per gallon would be possible.

Now that is the best compromise... give up a little bit of throttle response to turn a thirsty car into a long hauler and it still drives and handles like a BMW should.

2010 Aston Martin DB9 Volante

2009-04-04T13:09:00.014-04:00

Beautiful ... it is the first thing that comes to mind when you look at the Aston Martin. The lines are to die for. Ever angle that you approach the car, you find yourself just giggling like a little school girl knowing that you are one of the few people to know what it is and if you are lucky enough (like today) even fewer to be able to drive one.

Yes folks, that's right... I currently hold in my hands, the key fob to an Aston Martin DB9 Volante. Before even getting in the car, I just want to say again, this car is beautiful. Every angle, ever piece of body work... every assembly of the car just fits and fits perfectly. Even the key fob seems to have elegance written all over it due to the large chunk of crystal that is attached to the end of it. Don't lose it though as the key fob alone will set you back a hefty $1000. When you are driving a DB9 though, what is a few thousand dollars between friends?

Open the doors to the car and you will see that the Aston Martin retains its upwards swinging doors to make sure the elegant doors do not come close to brushing the curb should you part on a roadway with an evil tilt. Climb into the plush interior and the seats swallow you up like a cleverly crafted glove designed just for you. The leather is like no other leader found in an automobile to date. The stitching is flawless and the smoothness of the leather feels much akin to the backside of a newborn.

After you are done oooohing over the seat, you take that wonderful key fob and insert it into the dash center console... the emotional control unit as they call it. Conviniently, you push the key fob into this key hole and the crystal on the end of the key fob replaces the crystal that was in the dash covering the key hole. Wow, they thought of it all! Push the key fob all the way in and the electronics come to life. Push the key fob further in and the engine starts to spin. This is when you realize, they really did not think of it all because it is not a simple push button start like many newer cars. You have to push the key in and hold it for the engine to fire to life. A simple push only turns it over once and not enough to fire the mighty motor. Hold the key in and the starter spins bringing the massive V-12 to life.

That's right ... a 6.0L V12 throwing out numbers that would make almost any car envious. At idle, the silky smooth V12 sits there barely muttering a whisper as if not to wake the angry neighbors. Drive away from a stop at mild throttle any a quiet wave of torque ushers you out and away from trouble. People's heads all turn and gawk as you drive by quietly and smoothly. They can't take their eyes off the amazing lines of the car. Plant your foot though and anything subtle about this car is thrown out the window. The quiet V12 starts to rumble and as the tach swing around it passes a magic number an exhaust muffler flap open. That's when the innocent V12 turns into a snarly monster. The volume of the exhaust double and hte sound goes from subtle to snarling. As the RPM climbs, the sound turns into a symphony of mechanical noise and cars and people around you start to move out of your way for fear of being eaten alive.

The speed this work of art gathers is amazing. The gear changes happen quickly and smoothly by the torque from the engine makes acceleartion in any gear almost a piece of cake. Watching the mirror faced guages swing around is almost as if watching the smooth motions of a precise clock being adjusted. While this is not a sports car, but more of a grand touring car, it does a great impression of being just that, a sports car. The acceleration is phenomenal, the nimbleness of the cassis in comparison to it's weight is astounding and the brakes are big enough to serve a small pizza on if you really wanted to.

Cruising in this car is what it is all about. With the top down, the wind noise is there, but not annoying. However, the non-stop vibration of the rear view mirror makes seeing what is behind you well, impossible. It is almost required to have a passenger to help hold the mirror in place so you can make out if that is a car full of beautiful women following you are an angry police officer trying to pull you over. I will be honest, the radio, entertainment and navigation features of this car were not amazing. At least, they were not $200,000 amazing. So we left them off. If we want to sample how they work, we can find another car with a similar setup... probably a Volvo to play with them. That's right, this is all about the drive, not the gadgets, or lack their off.

On the subject... the Aston Martin lacks the latest gadgets found in many other $200,000 cars. I guess because of their limited production they are more focused on the car rather than the gadgets that you would be busy figuring out how to turn off anyway so you could just drive. The only real buttons you are concerned about on the dash -- oh sorry, the emotional control unit are the starter button and the drive button. That's right, button. This car has no gear shift lever or automatic transmission knob. It has button on the dash. P for park, R for reverse, N for neutral and D for drive. You push the button you want and that is the direction you go in. Optional gear changes can be handled by paddles on teh steering wheel. Oh and that's the way you want it to be.

Now... this has to be easily one of the nicest cars in the fleet. Comfortable, fast, quite the looker and extremely unique. It is something that you can buy and drive and don't have to worry about somebody else having one at the local Starbucks. Aston Martin makes a very limited number of cars per year so exclusivity is something that rolls hand in hand with them. Unfortunately though, Jaguar is not. Jaguar is mass produced and the designer for the Aston Martin is also the designer for the Jaguar. That design team has an eye for beauty but unfortunately, to maximize their dollar, has to use a very similar design for the Jaguar cars. One of the biggest turn offs for this car is the fact that everywhere you go, please are going to ask you... "Is that the new Jaguar?" After you have managed to simmer your boiling blood you explain to them it is an Aston Martin and even what an Aston Martin is. Next on the negative list is the fact that the rear view mirror is about as useful as sunglasses in the middle of the night. Then there is the fact that the purchase of Aston Martin by GM has muddled with the cars pristine heritage. To save money, parts from various other automobiles have been added to the DB9. For example... as to my understanding, the key fob for the DB9 is actually nothing more than a repackaged Volvo XC90 key fob with a nice slab of crystal on the end. The wing mirror have a Volvo part number and logo stamped under them and as mentioned earlier, the navigation and radio units look to be the same as those equipped most premium american cars ... all items you wouldn't expect in a $200,000 super car.

If you can overlook the small oddities, this car is definitely a super car to be had becuase of it's exclusivity and awesome design. The attention this car brings is awe inspiring and the smile from ear to ear is almost worth the price of admission. As a whole package, it is wonderful. Plus, the sound it makes blasting around town with the RPMs up is intoxicating.

Ok, I'm off to go check my couches for spare change...

2009 Audi S8

2009-04-04T13:08:00.003-04:00

Audi's flagship ... their greatest attempt at a big car the A8 stands to be a car that is probably the most bland looking flagship car out there. Looking at it and it doesn't specifically call out or shout lavishness at you. It looks sedate, calm and well ... uninspiring for that kind of money. What is even more boring is that Audi's high performance version of the same car, the Audi S8 is no better. More money... same bland look. You walk around the car and it looks like your typical Audi... nothing fantastic, it looks nice... but not shouty. The front looking simple and elegant, the side looks long as it should and the back looks well, like a German car. The only thing that gives away a bit of this car's character is the quad exhaust which is exposed under the bumper and a little badge denoting it is the S8 trim.

Get in and fire it up... and hmmm, it sounds different. Pulling out the sheet from the glove box and you will see that this car is powered by 5.2L V10 engine. Interesting... The paperwork claims that it boasts 450hp at 7000rpm and a monsterous 398ft-lbs of torque at 3500rpm. You sit there thinking to yourself... are they sure? The engine sitting beneath the bonnet is calm and quiet with a rock steady idle. You would start to think an engine with these types of numbers may have a erratic idle or may make noise akin to a performance engine... but nothing. It is calm, almost as if there was a sleeping bear under the hood snoring his hiberating period away.

I figure, let's set off and go for a drive and see what the S8 badge on the back of this car is all about. First, it is comfortable and smooth. The car soaks up bumps as a uber-large sedan should. Steering response as slow speeds seems to be right on par with the competition, throttle response while a little twitchy is acceptable and brake feedback at slow speeds is to be expected. However, we all know we don't by an S8 to lounge around parking lots and creep up on old ladies in the dark. Let's give this thing the beans and see what happens.

Foot to the floor and away we go. Remember that sleeping bear I mentioned earlier? Well, put the pedal to the floor and it is as if a child with no care for his life walked up to the hibernating bear and kicked him square in the face. The monster jumps to life making snarling noises and roaring right up to redline with a viceral snarl. Propulsion is sent to all four wheels and you are glad that it is to keep those tires gripping the pavement. The sound the 5.2L V10 makes sounds simlar to it's bretheren located in the Lamborghini Gallardo (that's right, it's that 5.2L motor). The speedometer climbs and climbs and climbs with no sign of stopping. Gear changes are ticked off with ease and smoothness and I have no doubt that given proper testing facilities, this one sedate pussy cat would turn into a lion at higher speeds. The motor just wants to go. A motor with this type of power, you would expect to see in a sports car and as you are gathering speed, you begin to think to yourself. The car that was huge just a few moments ago seems to have shrunk. Well it would have to shrink to be able to gather speed that fast, maybe it wasn't as big as originally though... maybe it was an optical illusion?

Through this monster into a corner or two and the Audi all wheel drive does what it does best. it moves the power around to keep you going forward and it keeps putting that power to the ground almost as if it is bending the laws of physics given a car of this size. Granted, tight corners do not do it justice due to the shear size of the car, but the bigger the corner, the better the car handles it. I'm sure if enough time in the car were available, finding the way to navigate those tight corners in a fast fashion would have become apparent, but in reality, how often are you going to throw a big uber sedan into a tight hairpin corner and slide out of it. It is a performance car, but nothing like what it does in the movies. If you push it thought and have confidence in the all wheel drive system, the laws that govern the traction of such a beast will be bent and you will find yourself wondering how you have managed to not just slide off the road and end up backwards... upside down... in a ditch... on fire.

Braking for a large sedan of this kind is good. It is nothing awe inpsiring like that of say an M5, but those brakes will get the job done. Not really much can be said about this because well, I was too busy enjoying the go to really feel out the stop part of the car. They do the job, they do the job pretty well, but let's face it. I spent majority of my time mashing the gas to listen to that harmonious 5.2L sing from beneath the hood.

To sum it up... while it may be sedate and a little bland to look at from the outside, the S8 is truely a awesome car to drive. I think many people over look it because it doesn't have the flying marks of the Mercedes Benz or the BMW or even the Jaguar, but it is a really good car. It does everything well and I think if more people gave them a chance, you would see them on the road more often. Well, that is if they managed to up the image to be more on par with the people who like to walk around bragging how they drive a Mercedes or BMW.

--- Side note, The S8 comes equipped with the Bang & Olufsen audio system. If you get this car, you must get this option. It is pricey for an upgrade at $7000, but if you are already spending $100,000 for an S8, what is another $7000 between friends? The audio that this upgrade puts out is absolutely astonishing. I could not find a piece of music that the system tripped over or sounded less that perfect trying to reproduce. At all volumes, the system was able to put out the lowest of lows and highs that almost sounded as if they could shatter glass.

Get this upgrade... you will love it.

2009 Porsche Carerra 911 S Cabriolet

2009-02-14T18:38:00.003-05:00

For 2009 ... Porsche has one upped themselves yet again. Upgraded, yet again... the 911 that we all loved from the past has come with a few tweaks and enhancements to make it even more of a superb car. The new car maintains its level of practicality while still flirting with the performance edge ... but for $102,000, you would expect nothing less. The 911 Carerra S Cabriolet was equipped with the Chrono Package, the Navigation Package and the new Porsche Double Clutch Transmission (DKG) and I must say, even with these few options, the price tag was still busting the six figure mark. Flipping through the 60 page Porsche option book may tag on another 20-30,000 if you are not careful.

First things first. The outside of the car looks well, the same. The most critical and discerning eyes will bark at that statement, but lets face it, to the average Joe... the outward appearance is little changed outside of the cometic upgrades to the lighting jewelry both front and rear. One really nice update is the front bumper is adorned with some nice LED lighting for turn signals and daytime running lights. The rear of the car still holds the engine and a picture window through which to view it to make sure it is still there and nobody has absconded with it. If you want to impress your friends, you pop the bonnet and show them what is in there... but don't dare try and explain what you see or how to work on what's back there without going under the car.

Interior, little has changed as well because let's face it... Porsche has the receipe for perfect already well figured out. One trick feature is the Chrono Package which adorns the dash board with a stop watch. However, this is no typical stopwatch... this stop watch is only something a Porsche badge could be associated with. The detail and precision with which is glows in the dark makes mere mortals drool with envy or question why you need a stop watch on your dash. The latter type of people do not concern us... Controls for the stop watch are available at the flick of a stalk behind the steering wheel or via touch controls in the navigation.

Another so nice feature of this car was Porsche's new DKG (double clutch transmission). Lets just say, it is not perfect. For their first iteration, it could use a little work, so we will get the negative out of the way first. First and foremost, it feels as if it has a gear specifically for idle crawling speed... booo. As much as it is dubbed as a manual, when you take your foot of the brake, you roll forward just like an automatic. What is even worse, it feels like an automatic which the idle RPM set at about 1500 RPM. So when you take your foot off the brake... you're rolling and you are rolling fast. Second, slow speed control is not quite right. Transitions on and off throttle need some help. Now the good stuff... the gear changes are Porsche perfect. Ask for a gear change and it is almost as if the car can read your mind and begin the execution of the shift before your hand touches the steering wheel mounted buttons or the console mounted shift lever. Downshifts are accompanied by a wonderful throttle blip which sends shivers down your spine with that exotic Porsche boxer engine note. Upshifts are quick and time off throttle is almost inperceivable. If you want more gusto, you engage the sport mode. The sport mode sharpens everything. The shifts are crisper, the throttle responser is faster and well, you will be happy if you have a canyon near by to drive on. Now, for the unfaint of heart, there is a "sport plus" button. Now, I must warn everyone who happens to come across this car and this button. Activation of this button will induce a smile that may be permanent or too wide for your face causing unknown consequences. The "sport plus" button maximizes everything. Shifts are now so fast, your brain will be smashed up against the back of your skull. Throttle response has tuned up to the utmost sensitivity and gear changes are now only executed at optimal performance times... meaning, you are going to shift at redline and when you do the shock to the brain will pull your brain back so far it will drag the corners of your mouth with it. It is the instant fun smile factor and it will make anyone look good. Downshifts happen quickly and with utmost perfection and if the car deems that the RPMs are falling too low, it will go down to the lower gear to keep the engine speed at close to maximum output as possible. Don't be suprised if you find yourself at 6000rpm as the car downshifts into first for a slow speed corner.

Now speaking of corners... let's touch on the handling aspect of this car. Given it's super light curb weight and wonderful balance it is an absolute joy to drive. Sicne you have the engine at the back of the car and not hanging over the wrong wheels, the steering and front tires have less work to do. The suspension no longer has to worry about holding up this massive engine as it tries to maximize grip out of the front tires. This means, the front suspension and tires are all business. Turn the wheel, and the front end goes. When driving this car around corners, the terms surgical precision comes to mind. Find yourself going around a bend and need to adjust your line... no worries. Adjust your steering angle, and the front of the car will follow. It is almost as if you have rubbed a magic lamp and the genie is more than happy to do as you please. Push the car harder and harder, and it is happy to ask for more and more. Finding the limits of this car are going to be dangerous. It has so much capability that when you find the razor's edge, you are going to be going VERY fast and while I have no doubt controlling the car at that speed will be easy as pie, it will probably be the fast pie you will ever eat.

Now let's talk about acceleration. With almost 350 horsepower and a curb weight of about 3300lbs, motivating this chassis forward is simple. Ask for it and you go it. Punch the gas, and you are gone. Acceleration from a stop leaves nice black marks on the road as the systems maximize forward momentum. Ask for more when you are on the highway and the torque from the motor is happy to usher you forward even in the tallest of gears. Want some fun though, downshift to the lowest gear possible and introduce the go pedal to the carpetting and you can almost see the shock and awe and jealousy of the people in your review mirror as you are passing them and disappearing into the distance. It is almost as if, this car was born to run.

Porsche will have a hard time making a better car than this... oh wait, they did. The turbo cabriolet. I can't wait until that one become available to drive. If this car was so good, I can only imagine what another 150 hp would do. Oh, I think I started drooling on myself again...

2009 BMW 750Li - First Look

2009-02-11T11:10:00.003-05:00

BMW redesigns the 7 ... and it looks impressive and it is packed with technology goodies that will blow the mind. Starting with the nose, it very forward and very flat. It gives an impressive stance. I'm sure lots of that nose adjustment had to due with safety regulations, but they still pulled it off quite nicely. Looking at the headlights, they are trimmed and noted with a new "BMW Dynamic Xenon" logo. Moving around the side, you will see mini camera located in the front bumper. These camera allow you to look right or left as you peak around the corner of possible a tight alley (not that you could really drive this in a tight alley anyway). Stepping further away from the car, you can start to really appreciate it's length. It's long... really long. The doors swing open with heft and one of those wonderful 7er features is that when you swing them open, they don't bounce back or bounce to a preset position. You open it... it stays where you leave it. Slide around to the trunk area and the rear is completely redesigned... some say with a hint of Lexus in mind. Taillights are very similar to the large Lexus sedan and so far the exhaust oval trimmings in the rear bumper. One interesting note is that the exhaust mufflers are not really connected to the exhaust trim and actually site a few inches behind the bumper. You can clearly see them and you can clearly see the exhaust flap that is used to adjust backpressure as needed.

In silver, it is about as bland and bland car be... but it's presence is still hard to miss. I'm not sure if that's because of its size or if that's because of it's shape. Only time will tell. More will come when a vehicle becomes available to drive. Who knows, it has become so technologically advanced, it may drive itself.

2009 Saab 9-3 Aero Sports Sedan XWD

2009-01-25T12:12:00.004-05:00

Oh boy... another Saab, the car from a company that used to build jets. With that tag line, I try to not be jaded from previous Saab cars, but so far, they have yet to make me feel like I am driving a jet or even a car inspired by one. Outwards appearances though do suggest that the aggressive nature of jet building is not completely gone. The exterior of the Saab is just wonderful. The only real complain from the exterior of the car is the small wheels the car is equipped with which no doubt is at attempt to keep rolling mass down or using lots of air in the tires to absorb road imperfections. The exterior has the perfect lines from the rear side and most importantly front. The headlight assemble and lighting configuration is almost a dream come true when it comes to aesthetics. It is one of those cars that looks great… but let us talk about how it drives.

Inside the car, the ergonomics are well… different. I get the feeling that the Saab engineers felt they wanted to tweak something to say they changed it but not move it too much so they would not feel like they were changing the arrangement of the keys on a keyboard. All the switch gear is slightly out of place and while still intuitive, just slightly annoying to constantly be fumbling to try and find something which you know is there, but slightly moved. It is much like looking for the light switch in a dark house. You know one is there, but you want to try and figure out where that wacky designer moved it too. The seats are comfortable and worthy of the price tag of the car, but unfortunately, the rest of the interior is not. The dash layout is different that your typical car with an eerie glow to it, but again not quite right. I’ve been in some of the most modern jets on the planet, but not once have I seen a cockpit this type of design… maybe it is based off an older Vietnam jet… who knows.

Reach for the steering console to find the key, fumble around a bit and then remember that Saab moved it to the center console. Turn key fire it up and everything comes to life and away we go. Being this is not the first Saab I have driven, I mashed the go pedal and expected to wait for the turbo to do its thing. Much to my surprise, the turbo lag was severely reduced (Editorial Note – At this time, I did not know the power plant was the upgraded turbocharged V6 motor… I still thought it was the anemic four cylinder turbo). Pleasantly surprised, I thought… maybe Saab is starting to make a turn for the better. So I wiped my slate full of previous Saab criticisms aside to give this a fair shot.

Motoring down the road way, the car felt good. Power was adequate to pass cars on the motorway, acceleration was much improved from a stop… stopping power was marginal I thought, but that was mostly due to the lack of feedback from the brakes. Without knowing how much more was available, it was hard to really ask too much from them without wondering what would happen if you asked for too much. Cruising in the car was nice and smooth. I would not say it was reminding me of a premium car, but it definitely was much more than utilitarian transportation much like the Volvo. Throw it into a corner and the small wheels and super tall tires unfortunately take their toll communicated to the driver through body roll. However, once settled in the corner, the car grips the road with little drama. So quick transitions will more than likely scare the driver, but once settled in, it is pretty smooth and tranquil. It reminds me of a new born being thrown in a pool. They scream and thrash about violently until they realize that swimming is not that hard and is quite fun.

I attribute most of this handling prowess to the car being equipped with the Saab XWD. No, it’s not AWD, Saab calls is XWD (cross wheel drive). The XWD system is actually the fourth generation revision of the Haldex electronic AWD system. It transfers almost 90% of the power from the engine to the front wheels during normal conditions. It only starts to move power around when you ask for more than the front tires can handle. One almost dares to ask if it would make more sense to be the other way around, but I’m no Saab engineer. The XWD system also shifts power around should you try to bend the laws of physics. It will help you by shifting power to maintain grip, but in the event of you trying to shatter the laws of physics, you are on your own.

As an overall package, the Saab is not a bad car. It is quirky and slightly different than its counterparts. Equipped with the turbo six cylinder 280hp/295ft-lbs of torque engine, one would think it would have more oomph, but sadly no such luck. The XWD system is one of the latest and greatest, but unfortunately, mated to some small wheels and tires can make for some less than performance enthused driving. Maybe Saab should change their slogan from “Engineered by guys who build jets” to “Engineers by guys who build commercial airliners”. It is not fast, not razor sharp and by all means, can’t launch rockets from the headlights … even though they look like they could. However, looking at the car for what it is, it is a car that most people would be happy to drive around in. Smooth, quiet and safe… oh and did I mention quirky?

2009 BMW 335d

2008-12-31T20:12:00.006-05:00

d ... What's the "d" stand for? Well, since you asked. It stands for diesel. BMW has finally decided to bring its technology stateside. Somewhere lots of people are rejoicing that they get a decent performing car without suffering at the gas pump. Now, before "you people" start saying well "Diesel gas costs more at the pump." Yes, yes it does. However, you get more miles out of a gallon of diesel gas than you do our of premium gas. When was the last time you got 600 miles to a tank of fuel? So that squashes that argument...

Back to the point at hand... from the exterior, there is no discerning marks that would identify the 335 as a diesel car compared to a 335i. The only difference come to those with detailed eyes when you see a body colored port located in the rear bumper. This port is used to refill the "mystery" fluid that help to keep the diesel fumes from becoming an environmental problem. Every 15,000 miles you need to make a trip to your local BMW dealer and they will refill the container that holds the mystery fluid. Rumor has it that without this fluid, the car will self-destruct... well no it won't, but it will cease to run.

Interior wise little has changed. The only visible change is on the dash here the fuel tank indicator has a diesel indicator over it and the redline is much lower ... at around 4750 RPM. Other than that, the car operates just the same.

Start it up and initially there is a little difference in sound, but soon it settles into a low hum just like any other BMW. Only the most discerning ears will here a difference in tone over a traditional motor. Push the gas pedal and off you go. Like any other car, the power is smooth and effortless. You will see that there is much more torque... 425ft-lbs compared to the 300ft-lbs available from it's cousin. There is a horsepower penalty however, dropping from 300 down to 265. Not really a problem because torque is your friend anyway.

Driving this car, the boat loads of torque is instantly apparent. Ask for more go power and the car obliges. The torque pushes you forward almost making down shifts unnecessary. Highway speeds are easily attained and quite quickly. Once at speed response is almost instant, but from a stop, there is a slight delay while the turbo does what is has to do to build boost. Once you're up to speed though, response is almost instant. The average driver will not know the difference between a diesel and a gasoline powered car. They will notice however when they don't have to go to the gas station nearly as often. And that is a major bonus...

2009 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X (10) MR

2008-12-13T17:45:00.003-05:00

G R I P!

This car has it... and lots of it. First things first, the EVO is not your standard Mitsubishi Lancer. On the outside, it may look very similar and the interior may be just as bland, but the all the important bits have been not just upgraded... but completely replaced. Gone is the anemic four cylinder in the Lancer and instead it is replaced by a newly designed 2.0 L turbocharged, all-aluminum inline four cylinder engine. Now you may think... ugh, 2.0 L of engine can't do anything worthwhile. Well, let's just say this is 2.0 L of dynamite. This car pumps out a whopping 300hp out of a tiny package. Romp on it from idle and there is some turbo lag, but I understand there is a launch control feature available to solve that problem should you want to smash your brain against the back of your skull. Once moving, you roll on the throttle and a wave of torque propels you forward.

The transmission is new for the year. It is a new sequential semi-automatic six speed Twin Clutch SST twin-clutch transmission. This twin clutch system baffles the mind, but suffice to say, it does what it needs to do. Executes beautiful lightning fast upshifts and flawless downshifts at the flick of the steering column (not wheel) mounted paddles or the console mounted shifter.

Now the business end of the transmission is tied to an all new full-time all-wheel drive system named S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control). This is an advanced version of AWC system used in previous generations. The S-AWC uses torque vectoring technology to send different amount of torque to any wheel at any given time based on what many fancy computers think you are trying to do. The level of perceived grip that this translates to the driver is down right phenomenal. You can push harder through corners and fancy computers send power to the wheels that they need to so you can stay on your desired path. Laws of physics surely can't be broken, but the S-AWC has the ability to bend and even rewrite them at times. It has the ability to tell Sir Isaac Newton to look the other way as you power through corners like a man on a mission. If you aren't careful, you can easily turn the car one direction and have your lunch go the other.

Interior is nothing special... it basically is a slightly upgraded Lancer interior with really nice and supportive seats. Be forewarned though, if you are any bit out of shape, you're going to be too wide for these seats. They are very supportive, but you'll find yourself at the gym much much more to keep your weight down and your backside in check so you can fit comfortably in those seats.

Exterior enhancements included an upgraded front bumper, hood, bigger wheels and brakes, redesigned rear bumper and a much larger boy racer wing. This is the point where I tell you that the boy racer wing is "very" boy racer but some design monkey wasn't thinking when he put the rear spoiler right smack dab in the middle of the rear window. Looking through the back glass you get a great view of the spoiler, but not much else.

At 41,000 this isn't the cheapest pocket rocket on the market. Especially since the interior looks like that of it's 13,000 brother. However, when you drive this car, it's very evident that the extra 30,000 some odd dollars is all spent on the go fast goodies of the engine, transmission and all-wheel drive handling system.

You want to go fast? Then this is probably the best pocket rocket you are going to find for the price. Just be forewarned... you will need to spend some money to upgrade the exhaust because the Mitsubishi engineers did a great job of muffling the exhaust, but left you with the unmuffled sound of the overpowered blender under the hood. Plus... you will need to be prepared to start making three point turns to get in and out of parking spaces because it has the turning radius of a school bus.

It's all a small price to pay for the ability to bend the laws of physics at the flick of your wrist. Plus, with the amount of grip this car has, you can pretty much adjust the earth's rotation as desired. I heard that as a result of this car, too many drivers were going the same direction and the shear level of grip has cause engineers to think we are going to need to add another second to our clocks next year.

2009 Cadillac DTS

2008-12-04T18:09:00.003-05:00

This is your father's and even his father's Cadillac. It is long and flashy. Open the big door and slide into the big comfortable leather seat and it just swallows you up like a soft pillow. As you get comfortable, you can take note of the wood that covers various points on the dash and console.

Pop that column shifter into drive and float away from the curb as if you are gliding on a cloud of air. Stab the gas pedal though and that cloud of air gets a hurricane like gust behind it, but that's not what this car is about. This car is like riding on Aladdin's carpet. Float over bumps as if they never existed.

Reach down and flip on the heated massaging seat and take pleasure in the multipoint massage system that is now kneading away all your worries. The scenery almost starts to get surreal and blurry as you enjoy the heat which eases your aches and pains as if

*** insert sleeping & snoring noises here ***

Later... wow, it was so soft I fell asleep. Mental note, don't use the heated massaging seats on a long road trip. My grandfather may want one of these though.

2009 GMC Yukon Hybrid

2008-12-04T17:53:00.002-05:00

This review will be short because this is basically much akin to the 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid reviewed earlier, just cheaper and scaled back some.

The 2009 GMC Yukon Hybrid was brought to market this year with economy in mind. People who need large SUVs were tired of getting seven mpg on a regular basis. So GMC tossed some Hybrid technology in to help people cope with ever rising gas prices. The engine in the GMC Yukon is a 6.0L V8 combined with the same two 60kW electric motors found in the Escalade cousin. The horsepower rating is a however considerably down versus the Escalade at only 332hp on tap when demanded. However, as a benefit to less horsepower, you get a whopping 1 or 2 mpg increase ( I think I'll take the extra horsepower instead ).

The exterior of the GMC Yukon is drastically changed versus the Escalade which is almost identical to it's non-hybrid brother. Not counting the almost 13 badges advertising that you are a tree hugger driving a school bus, the changes could easily set you apart to the discerning eye. The front facia is changed on the Hybrid version for better aerodynamic as are the mirrors, side skirts and rear bumper. The roof rack was removed unless requested and the wheels were replaced with lightweight and some what stylish variations. So, these aero improvements are what help to contribute to that increase of 1 or 2 mpg we spoke of earlier.

Inside, you get basically the same dash and layout found in the non-hybrid version of the Yukon except for an added Hybrid feature found on the Escalade which shows exactly what the Hybrid system is doing at any give point in time. Definitely a neat gadget to show your friend so they know you are not messing around about being ecologically friendly. We know you are doing it to save gas, but your friends do not have to know that.

The suspension in the Yukon is slightly rougher than on the Escalade. Hitting bumps on the road seem to send noises and vibrations through the cabin that seem to never end in comparison to the Escalade. However, this vehicle also costs considerably less than the Escalade as well. With added incentives, the price of this vehicle comes down from astronomical to almost affordable putting it very close to the Chevrolet Tahoe which is not nearly as economical on fuel.

If you need a large SUV ... and I mean really need one, not because you feel safer driving a school bus to work. Get the Cadillac Escalade if you can afford it. If you are on a budget... get the GMC Yukon. Don't think that by buying a 9 passenger hybrid to drive only yourself to work is going to make you a better person. If you need the space this is the way to go. If you don't, get something smaller. You'll thank me next time you try to pull into a parking space and you won't have to do a 3 point turn to do it.

2009 Saab Aero 2.0T

2008-12-04T17:39:00.003-05:00

Where does the key go? That's the first thing I thought when I got in the car. Then I remembered that those crazy guy who build jets figured it would be neat to put it in the center console instead of up by the ignition. Turn the key at the mighty 2.0L fires to life. Gauges light up and this fighter jet is ready to launch. Move the shifter into Drive and away we go.

Saab Aero #7, you are cleared for departure runway 27.

Foot goes to the floor and response is much like that of a fighter jet. You start to roll forward while the power starts to come on and the finally the big turbine spins to life and away you go roaring down the street. As you reach maximum boost the turbo system starts to vent the excess which is clearly audible from the passenger compartment with the top down. Acceleration starts slowly but builds quickly once spinning. Unfortunately, that turbo lag is almost always there whenever you try to gain speed. You have to factor it into your driving style. Want to pass a car? Go full throttle, wait for the turbo to do it's thing, then pull out into the opposing lane. Pull out too early and the guy in front of you and behind you will think you are some drunk guy until you actually start moving towards the horizon.

Interior is comfortable for two, slightly tight for four. It seemed as if the rear passengers were sitting higher than the front passengers who took an almost fighter like position with almost naturally puts them in a more laid back position while the rear passengers are placed further back and up to be assaulted by the gail force winds over the low windshield. The dash does the job giving you all the information you need albeit with a fairly interesting boost guage to let you know whenever the turbo is actually doing something. Plus, it also has a nice little red area following the guage which I'm guessing is when you should start to look for the Eject handle should the needle start to enter that area.

Handling for this car is ... well, it looks pretty. However, combine front wheel drive with no roof for stability and suspension designed to be soft for all those passengers and convertible top machinery and you aren't going to win any contests. Sharp turns I guess aren't a requirement in these jets. I suppose they are more used to the wide turns that take a few miles. The suspension is soft, but it can easily be upset due to the lack of rigidity with the missing roof.

So... it's a great car to look at, nice car to drive if you want to be seen... but not a sports car. Saab could've done better, but I guess those guys used to build jets and there is a reason they aren't building them anymore. They want to retire with something soft and pretty.

2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid

2008-12-02T10:18:00.005-05:00

For those that are feeling environmentally conscious but still want to lumber around in their thunderous SUVs, Cadillac has something for you. They have brought hybrid technology to the king of the hill. The Cadillac Escalade is new for 2009. it is powered by the same 6.0L V8 engine found in its non-hybrid cousin. However, to supplement its output, Cadillac has outfitted it with two 60kW motors to help get you moving.

If you look in the engine bay, you will see a variety of orange colored wires indicating something you should not be messing with. Touching or cutting one of those will probably be the most electrifying part of your day. Strangely enough, even though the hybrid system has equipped the Escalade with a heap load of batteries under the chassis for added power, it still retains a battery in the engine bay. You would think that the battery in the engine bay would be not necessary considering the massive power station used to drive the rest of the vehicle.

Power in this monster is much improved. Those two 60kW motors snap to 'go' when you romp on the gas pedal. It propels the massive SUV to highway speeds in what seems like record speed for a vehicle of this size. Under full acceleration, the engine is pumping out 430+ hp combined with electrical assistance from the two electric motors making for a startling acceleration experience. But, that's not what this is about. This is about maximizing fuel economy. If you are gentle on the gas pedal, you can motive the beast from a stop using nothing but battery power up to about 20-25 mph before the engine kicks in to help bring you up to speed.

Transition from battery power to engine power is nearly seemless unless you are looking for it. If you are watching for it, you will feel a slight shudder as the motor turns on/off based on need. Now, as you are coming to a stop, if you are watchful of your surroundings, you can maximize your coasting time without using the brakes. While coasting, the vehicle goes into charging mode using the rotation of the rear tires as generators to charge up the juice in the batteries. If you are good with this procedure of easy starts and coasting to a stop... you will notice that this monster will turn in an impressive 20mpg city and 21mpg highway. Not bad considering it's size and it's retained ability to pull 6000lbs of stuff trailing behind.

Interior of the Escalade has changed very little from it's solely gasoline powered cousin. Upgrades include a dial on the dash board to help the driver keep an eye on 'efficiency'. A dial swings right or left letting you know you are doing something wrong. If the dial is in the 12 o'clock dial, you're making the most use of the hybrid technology. Too far to the right and you're too hard on the gas, too hard to the left and you're using the brakes too much. It's a game to see how well you can keep it straight up or away from straight up based on your financial situation and stock in the gas companies. The screen inside is also upgraded with a hybrid technology screen which diagrams exactly what is going on with the system at all times. It will impress your passengers should want to know what is happening and why it sounds like this vehicle is an oversized golf cart.

One of the nice features... when running on battery power. This oversized behemoth sounds like a mice at Christmas time. It's super quiet and all you can hear is the quiet hum of the AC compressor. Basically you get the ability to sneak up behind people in the parking lot and scare them as the engine turns on.

Added bonuses! As of today, I do believe in certain states, if you have a hybrid vehicle, you can drive in the high occupancy lane with only on person in the car. Plus I do believe if you qualify for all the necessary refunds, you can get up to $13,500 back in tax incentives for being more 'green'. As a side effect for this, certain states require you to put a special hybrid sticker on the vehicle. That means it will be covered by no less than 13 decals indicating to the world you are driving a hybrid vehicle.

2009 Cadillac CTS

2008-11-21T14:54:00.002-05:00

Cadillac brought one of its most popular cars to the show. The CTS designed to be more European inspired which is supposed to mix the values of an American luxury sedan with the performance of a German performance sedan is back. From the outside, the car looks stylish and refined. The headlights and huge trademark Cadillac grill definitely announce its presence. Trimmed in red, the car looks poised as a luxury brand should with a hint of performance hinted at by the large wheels and the trimmed exhaust hiding under the rear valance. The car looks square a much welcomed change from the jelly bean designs of most automobiles these days.

Inside the car, the passengers are welcomed by comfortable seats trimmed in leather and nicely appointed wood. Seats are very comfortable with separate heating and cooling functions for both driver and passenger. The center stack between the two front passengers is full of buttons and dial which can easily confuse some drivers. If you are at home in the car and have memorized the location of all the buttons, then you are set, but be prepared to answer questions from your passengers who are trying to play DJ from the right seat.

Interesting point of note is that the screen that houses the display for the radio actually extends out of the dash to reveal a much larger screen that houses the navigation and auxiliary functions. The screen is bright and easily read while moving.

Now, while moving, you are motivated forward by a 3.5L V6 engine pumping out 304hp. Stabs at the gas pedal will motivate the rear wheels to move faster than the car will allow. Our testing 'partnership' was not pleased when we left tire spinning out of the parking arrangement. The engine is a bit slow to respond once moving, but it's adequate to get you up to speed. Cruising is effortless with the power plant under the hood. However, while cruising, you will notice that something is not right. Remember the German inspired performance sedan they were shooting for? Well, they missed the mark just a tad. While driving, the suspension feels confused and never quite right. It's not Caddy smooth, but no where near as performance oriented as a German counterpart. The suspension is firm without a doubt and on smooth surfaces does the job it is supposed to do. However, over uneven transitions and bumps the suspension feels overwhelmed by the mass hanging over it. Rattle through the steering wheel lets the driver know what the front wheels are doing, but often they are lost as well with a numb feeling as they transition over difficult roadways.

The CTS is a good car, but not all it is hyped up to be, it definitely has Cadillac built into it's history, but it is pushing for a new direction. It needs to go further down the road of knowledge before it tries again though. Now, there is also a "V" edition of this car available. We are waiting for testing of that vehicle to become available... and hopefully those 558HP will be much easier to control and deal with.

2009 Pontiac G8 GT Sedan

2008-11-20T16:07:00.002-05:00

New for 2009, the Pontiac G8 GT Sedan explodes onto the scene with a massive presence. With a starting price of $28500, this is a car that is a force to be reckoned with. Exterior presence screams performance with functional ducts on the hood and a front facia that screams move it or lose it. Underneat that hood, sits a 6.0L V8 pumping out 361 very furious horses which are ready to run on command. Flex your ankle and your heart will start to race as the tachometer starts to the swing to the right and the rear tires struggle for grip. Nice thick black marks are left on the road way as you quickly hurtle yourself up to speed. The only thing left in your wake is tire smoke making even performance sedans costing twice as much envious.

Keep your foot in it and transmission shifts are met with smooth changes before engaging the next gear and the symphony of engine growl continues to chase you down the roadway. The growl that is chasing you is something akin to an American performance sedan. Not loud of obnoxious, but something smooth and deep which makes you want to dip into the performance band each and everytime you pull away from a stop light or a fancy sedan which thinks they are the baddest boy on the block.

Suspension refinement soak up bumps without overly upsetting the chassis. The firm suspension however does communication with the driver and it lets you know when something is wrong. I can only imagine that this car would be very talkative at higher speeds or traction limits. At docile roadways speeds, it is compliant enough to make driving comfortable.

The interior is nothing spectacular to write home about, but it gets the job done. Functional buttons combined with a large screen center mounted in the console make it easy to see what is being done at all times and buttons are easy to push and feel sturdy.

Our only complaint with this car is that massive engine under the hood has massive exhaust tubes which run down the center of the car and after lots of blistering runs tends to make the center mounted tunnel very 'warm'. You'll need to make sure the A/C is set to circulate air both top and bottom so your legs don't feel the heat. Well, as the saying goes, if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.

This car is a blast to drive and with plenty of room for your friends, is definitely something to be considered if you are looking for a combination of practicality and speed combined into a satisfying package.

Oh... and there is a GXP version coming out next year that will be equipped with a 450HP motor and a six speed manual transmission. If I were you, I'd start buying stock in tire companies now... cause that monster is going to roast the tires off of the best performance sedans out there.

2009 Hummer H3T Alpha

2008-11-20T16:01:00.003-05:00

New for 2009, Hummer is releasing the H3T Alpha. It is a cross between a Hummer that we are all used to seeing and a truck. Powered by a 5.3L 300hp motor, it doesn't feel very fast, but I'm sure it's got enough torque to pull a tree out of the ground. Gas efficiency wasn't all that wonderful and was not listed on the spec sheet, but I'm sure it is not on the top of people's minds when buying a vehicle like this. The truck is equipped with a four speed automatic transmission with super tall gearing giving a low cruising engine speed but pretty much eliminating the though of 'quickness' being associated with it.

Inside is typical Hummer. Nothing exotic to write home about. You do get four doors, and a some what comfortable cabin, but seats are a bit tough and the ride provided by the monster is every bit you would expect from a truck. We were not expecting luxury sedan smoothness, but chassis flex and ripple was easily aparent over the smaller road undulations. The bed was big enough to be considered usable. They lose points forever for making small 'look-a-like' air intakes on the hood a-la it's H1 big bretheren.

Wearing massive rims and off-road tires, this vehicle is best suited off-road. It should only be really used on paved road to go from on off-road location to another and even then, you should think about twice about it. Sad part is, it will probably be used to haul soccer moms around urban shopping malls or to the park to pick up little Bobby from soccer practice.

Miami International Auto Show Nov. 7 - 16th 2008

2008-10-27T14:50:00.002-04:00

We will be present at the Miami International Autoshow bringing back all the news and footage we will carry. Stay tuned for more information.

2009 Mini Cooper S

2008-10-06T10:59:00.003-04:00

The MINI has come a long way. Many of you may remember that the initial release of the MINI was welcomed with warm arms and words of praise, but those words of praise started to disappear quickly when daily driveability was affected by normal wear and tear and high ambient temperatures and heat soak. The 2009 MINI Cooper S goes a long way to rectify those problems, but make some more. Evolution I suppose has it's ups and downs.

First, the turbocharged four cylinder engine is words better than it's previous supercharged older brother. Before sloppy and poor throttle response lead to awkward slow speed driving and a lack of umph at anything below 4000rpm due to the supercharger using up more power than it's making. The new turbocharged motor does away with all of that. Throttle response is greatly improved and torque from slow engine speeds is readily available now. You no longer have to wind it out to make it go.

Handling is still superb, pushes in the wheels to the corners is a receipe for go kart like handling and nimbleness on a scale to which other cars barely make it to the halfway mark. The suspension is firm, maybe too firm for some, but for the enthusiast it's just right. You feel the road and you know exactly what is going on. Bodyroll is not excessive, but enough to let you know you are pushing your limits. The handling is fairly neutral with a hint of understeer when you get in over your head. Oversteer is available though if you know what you are doing and wish to rotate the car through a corner with lift throttle oversteer.

Unfortunately, the MINI is still front wheel drive, but due to some advanced suspension geometry, putting all that power down results in minimal torque steer. The traction control does a wonderful job pushing power to the other side to help balance your intended direction when too much power tries to find it's way out of one tire. However, the tight packaging of the engine and front wheel driving configuration leave lots of room for the rear of the car and passengers without awkward driveshafts taking up valuable floor space.

The interior of the car is where evolution goes a bit in the wrong direction. Everything on the interior gets bigger. The center mounted speedometer is now a good 20-25% larger than the previous generation making it awkwardly huge. There is no hiding how fast you are going from your passengers... or for that matter, the people behind or next to you that can see through your windows. I'd be willing to bet satellites from space could see this large speedometer if they wanted to.

Toggle switches remain the way of doing business in the cabin, but an awkwardly places knob on the speedometer and one below often confuse people as to which one to turn to adjust the volume knob. Best to just remove the knob and use the buttons on the steering wheel anyway. This way your passenger can't interfere with your musical selection.

For a resonable price, a MINI can be yours with all the bells and whistles of a much more expensive car. Dare I say it ... it's a premium priced vehicle in a MINI package and a MINI price.

2009 Chrysler Sebring Convertible

2008-10-03T11:07:00.003-04:00

If the only thing you want out of a car is a convertible and the ability to seat four, then this car is for you. If it is one thing I can say about this car, it is large and capacity for four is definitely possible. If you value anything else in life, survival, value for money spent, a good driving experience, the ability to feel like you aren't driving a blender without a top... run somewhere else.

Upon first look... the car hides its size well. From the outside, it looks decent sized, but when you sit on the interior, you get a true grasp for how limosine like this car is. The front feels like the hood on a Corvette... it ends in a different area code. The rear of the car feels like you are pulling around well... another car. The front leg room was spacious as was the shoulder room, but the head room was a little crampt. The rear room isn't meant for large adults for long trips, but children or short people would be comfortable back there provided the person in front of them was not a basketball player and they had uh... knees.

Our test car was equipped with the 2.4 liter four cylinder. If you are into fuel conservation, this is the engine for you. If you like getting where you are going... skip it and go for the six cylinder. The four cylinder was economical on gas, has to work really hard at highway speeds negating any savings in gas because it is always dropping down to the lowest gear to accelerate spinning the motor at high speeds and well... sucking up gas.

As with all convertible... the lack of a roof for rigidity plays a huge part on the driving experience and with this car it is no different. The smallest of bumps will upset the chassis and large bumps will make you almost seasick because of the rotational chassis twisting forces. Feels as if you are sitting in the middle of a ladder while people on either end twist in different directions. This is a car to definitely be seen in, not drive and in this case, that's not a good thing. Wind noise from the convertible top is horrible. The radio sometimes has a hardtime overpowering the noise at highway speeds.

However, putting the top down (while a long process) makes many of these problems go away as you are greated with endless headroom and the wind in your hair. Wind noise up front isn't bad, but wind noise for the rear passengers can make having a conversation almost impossible. In all reality, if they are in the back seat, you probably don't want to hear what they have to say anyway... that's why you put them back there.

For it being a cheap four seat convertible... it definitely does the job. However, I would much rather pay more for a car to do that or skip the convertible option all together. Cheap and convertible should not be in the same sentence together.

2008 BMW M5

2008-08-24T23:13:00.003-04:00

After 600 miles, the M5 is still just as much fun as the first mile. However, some of the appeal has been lost due to multiple trips to the gas station. That V10 is thirsty ... but you tend to forget about that when you are winding it out past 7000rpm. It gathers speed unbelievably fast and sheds it off equally as fast considering how large it is.

Let's go over the car from the beginning.

The sticker price on this car is just shy of $100k ... is it worth it? If you are looking for an autobahn crushing family cruiser, then the answer is unquestionably without a doubt. The looks of the car have been claimed by many to be less than perfect, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I behold greatness here. The interior while new and modern not typical of BMW's of the past has won me over and finding things is easy and intuitive.

The iDrive system, that many hate... does not phase me one bit. I'm able to use the voice commands and the control knob easily. Maybe this is because I am a computer person, maybe it's just because I spent more than two minutes reading the manual and playing with it ... who knows.

Now the stuff you are really looking for ... the performance. How does this thing drive? It drive good. Thanks for coming reading. Just kidding. The car drives really nice and not too firm. Even in the hardest of suspension settings (there are three -- soft, normal and hard) it is quite tolerable. The power is intoxicating. Getting it moving takes a moment because well, it is heavy and mass requires power to move, but once moving... any sort of acceleration is only a flick of the wrist away. The seven speed SMG unit executes down shifts with lighting speed and up shifts equally as fast. The faster you want to go, the faster it shifts gears. At speed well in excess of common, the car continues to gather speed.

Does anybody need a car this fast ... no. Is it nice to have, you bet! There is nothing like having a car that can haul a family with luggage around and still be able to blitz a mountain pass when you want to.

Introduction / Update

2008-08-18T10:02:00.002-04:00

Well ... you'll probably notice that I am now using a blog to manage all the automotive reviews. As such, all the dates for the reviews are currently out of order. I'm hoping to fix that soon.

Also, we are going to be expanding this section to handing automotive, as well as motorcycle reviews and if it is promising, I may even branch out into personal watercraft as well (but that is in the future).

Enjoy the reading, I hope it helps you make a decision on what to buy/drive next.

2006 Honda Pilot

2008-08-09T11:38:00.001-04:00

Well... it's not every day that you get a full size SUV as a test vehicle for evaluation (well, there was that time I got the Cadalliac Escalade ESV, but that's another story). The Honda Pilot gets a subtle face lift for 2006 which includes a new headlight configuration using projector beams and a clear rear tail light assembly.

Performance is decent for a cheap SUV. Good power is available from all RPM bands and Honda's engine technology is easily noticeable by the high engine redline for an SUV. Downside to having all this power is that it is mated to an open differential up front which means that one skinny tire has the duty of lugging around a rather large vehicle which could lead to wheel spin if you ask too much too soon with an overly aggressive right foot. The problem is three-fold if you do it while going around a corner from a stop. Any sign of wheel spin and Honda's traction management system steps in and kills all power to reduce the wheel slippage. Once rolling though, there is adequate power available to move you to highway speed and passing speed if necessary.

Handling... well, that's something that should just be ignored because we are talking about a full-size top heavy SUV here. That being said... it has better road manners than some of the sedans I've driven. That doesn't mean it is an auto-x champ, it just means that some sedans have a piss poor suspension setup. The suspension is smooth and will soak up bumps with ease. It also has enough suspension travel to accomodate a full loaded cargo area (which is quite large when all the seats are folded down).

Brakes... that is where there is definitely room for improvement. Asking the brakes to slow this monster requires plenty of braking area and when you start to apply them, the nose starts to dive. Ask for excessive braking and ABS is trigger and the nose dives to the point where forward visibility is reduced to the nothing as you stare directly at the pavement ahead. You better make your first stop a good one, because ask you can imagine, they get progressively worse the more time you try to stop.

As for comfort... well, that is where this baby excels. With plenty of interior cabin room, cupholders for all and a center console that has enough room to take a large woman's purse plus an extra purse as a spare... there is no lack of storage space for the driver and passenger. Plus, with 12V outlets, there is enough room for a cellphone charger, radar detector and iPod provided you have the 12V adapter.

The controls up front are all very fitting and the AC/Heating system is by far the easiest of any vehicle I have been in. Set the desired temperature and push auto... and that's it. The inside of your vehicle becomes your own private climate controlled oasis which is always where you want it to be. No hot spots, and no cold spots ... just right. Honda also got all the controls right... except for the radio. Oddly enough, the radio comes with three large knobs... and you would figure (like every other radio) the one closest to the driver is the volume button... nope, wrong, it's the center knob. Oh well, can't get it all right. The steering wheel has controls for basic radio functions and cruise control functions which get you where you need to go if you do not want to take your hands off the steering wheel.

The added benefit of this Honda Pilot is the cylinder deactivation technology. Provided you are at a steady cruise and less than a specific speed (which I have found to be 82mph ... but could vary based on your location and altitude) the engine will deactivate three cylinders to help save on fuel usage. It is a nifty feature which helps reduce gas consumption of this thirst SUV.

Overall, it is a great SUV if you need the cargo space, but think twice because it's rare that anybody requires this much cargo on a daily basis to justify such a large vehicle.

2007 Mazda 6 V6

2008-08-09T11:36:00.000-04:00

Wow... the Mazda 6 has come a long way since its introduction. Jumping right in, it's isntantly noticeable that they fixed some of the problem areas in the dash from earlier. The center console that used to house the radio/tape/CD area has been redesigned so it doesn't start peeling on the first hot day. The seats feel changed, but not for the better. Of course, that could be because the car was new and needed some more seat time to get more plyable. Be foreward, the first couple of hundred of miles will make you stop frequently to stretch and relax your muscle as the seats initially are not very forgiving. Overall, the rest of the interior felt unchanged which is fine because why change what works.

The suspension of the car felt quite soft and made for a comfortable ride through the city and while on the highway. It soaked up smal and large bumps alike without upsetting the passengers too much. Through agressive turning and stopping though, you paid the price with quite a bit of body roll combined with excessive nose dive and tail squat. After all, it is a sedan... but I think they need to put a little more performance into the suspension.

The engine ... now that's a joy. The engine was very smooth and powerful at all engine speeds and travelling velocities short of supersonic speeds past the century mark. My only real complaint would be that the engine transition from off-throttle at idle was rather jumpy. No matter how gently you applied the throttle from a stop, the car would jump forward making every departure from a stop light look as if you are trying to drag race the guy next to you. That gandered a few strange looks from other drivers as the nose raised up into the air like a scared horse.

The transmission in the car has six gears which make for great fuel economy. An attempt to make any sort of pass on the highway though will drop down two gears from sixth to fourth which would send the RPMs skyhigh and passengers wondering if they crossed the starting line at the Indy500. However, when not in passing mode, the car is capable of crusing at anywhere from 70-90 with ease. Anything below 70 and the car wants to gallop faster while anything north of 90 made it communicate to you that it was unhappy that it was working that hard. It would do it if you asked, but it was not happy about it. You could feel the fight back from the gas pedal as the resistance was much higher.

One other large complaint ... the lack of brakes. Braking from speeds required much longer than you would think from a performance sedan. The brakes felt soggy and not very progressive. They need to do something about installing a larger brake booster, larger calipers or better pads or SOMETHING to help inspire a little more confidence under braking. For that very reason... high speed cruising often required much more stopping distance than normal due to the simply fact that the comforte level just was not there.

All that being said, the car is an excellent car and definitely would be a great car to drive around in on a daily basis to and from work and for long road trips.

2006 BMW M Roadster

2008-08-09T11:35:00.000-04:00

HOOO RAHHHH! Damn... this is a fun car. Granted, this car is not a test mule and is my own personal car, it's hard to give a full writeup as I'm not as likely to beat on my own car without having it properly broken in.

I can say this much so far ... this is going to be a fun car and it's also going to be a handful to drive hard. First of all... give up every notion you have about it being like an M3. It's nothing like an M3. The engine, brake and suspension may be similar, but when it comes to actually making them work in harmony... nothing like the M3.

The biggest thing you notice when you drive this car compared to any other car is the seating position. When you are in this car, you are not in the middle or in the center of all the activity. You are basically following the engine around as you sit in the trunk. Try it, go into your car and sit in the trunk and try driving it around... feels strange yes? It's not a bad thing... just different.

That being said, the interior of the car is purpose built... to drive. No frills, no extra storage space ... no nothing. I think it is one of the few cars where the glovebox is designed to hold just that, gloves ... nothing else. The only storage space you have it behind your right elbow (on US models) where you can store a few nick nacks but nothing large and definitely nothing odd shaped. The rest of the car is assembled, just for you and your briefcase ... or if somebody is lucky (or had paid you a healthy amount of money) a passenger.

Being that the car is new, the engine feels tight, but power output is definitely up there. Way more power feeling than that of say a Porsche Cayman (see the review). Punching the throttle at any part of the RPM band leaves you and your neck fighting the forces of physics trying to push you into the seat. The engine makes harmonious noises... nothing like that of an M3. No chainsaw like rasp, just a nice growl as it surges ahead. With the top down, you can also hear that hint of that marveloous engine growl out of the exhaust as you quickly depart from your current location.

Handling wise... there is definitely understeer preset. However, a stab of the throttle quickly turns that understeer into oversteer. If you are not paying attention, the traction control will jump in and reel you in with extreme vilagence... however, that's no fun, so traction control is off for really playing around (in a safe controlled environment). Be forwarned tho, that tail is very happy when at speed and will twitch and break free quite easily if provoked. Yes there is understeer, but there is also plenty of oversteer that will send you spinning into the scenery if you are not careful. The suspension, while tight is also very comforatle allowing it to soak up most bumps without having to adjust your spinal column. However, toss it into a corner and the suspension sets and the go-kart handling commences.

The brakes are quite potent but are typical BMW brake pads, dust like there is no tomorrow. No high speed braking tests were done because ... in all honesty, I didn't want to have to spend hours cleaning off my wheels from the baked on brake dust that would accumulate. More braking tests will be done after the pads are changed for something more dust friendly.

2007 BMW 335i Coupe

2007-08-09T11:44:00.000-04:00

When you look at the car from the front, it looks good, a bit like a Lexus IS, but substianally enough to not be confused as one. The front is nice, not aggressive, but nice ... very smooth if you will. From the side, the wheels do a good job of filling out the wheels (if you opt for the 18" sport package). Behind the 18" wheels are some complex looking calipers... you can tell those are not ordinary. There is something there requires additional machinery. I'll talk more about the brake drying, rotor wear indicators and panic brake preparation in a little bit. When you look at the rear of the car, you can visibly see that the car is longer. From the back, the car looks subtle, but again, you can see the added length by the visible rake of the rear window and the rear exhaust tips protrude just a little bit too much from the rear bumper. Somebody is going to sue BMW because they will inadvertently get burnt.

As the big door swings open, it is evident that it has BMW heft to it. The front part of the dash looks just like any other E90 3 series. However, that's about it. The center console now stretches all the way from front to bank eliminating the possiblity of a fifth passenger in the rear ... which is fine, nobody should be back there anyway. The passenger comparement has been completely redesigned for accomodate larger adults in the rear seats. I'm guessing that is where the added length went to.

When you close the door, the car utilizes a little arm if you will to push the seat belt forward from the B pillar to the drivers hand without the need to stretch... nice nifty feature, but I see it getting broken easily. Seats are much more supportive over the E90 3series sedan... Lots of bolster to keep you in place.

Insert key, clutch in ... push button start and the engine fires to life. The first words that come to mind are buttery smooth. Tapping the exhaust pedal yields nothing as again it seems throttle response is lacking from idle. Don't know if this is a function of the turbos or just the way the engine is designed... who knows.

Now we are off... Acceleration from a stop is good, very brisk. If you didn't know anything about this car, you would never know it is turbo charged. Full throttle from idle yields plenty of power, but no where near as fast or as powerful feeling as the E46 M3. E46 M3 felt much more brutal. However, that being said, the car does pull strongly. Suprisingly, it'll hit 110 in 3rd gear with ease. The shifts are crisp, but with BMW smoothness. There is no doubt that you are in a uber saloon as you change gears. Each gear change is precise and crisp. Power is available in all gears at all ranges of the powerband. In 6th gear at 40mph, you can mash the go pedal and the engine will pull you forward ... can't really do that in a E46 M3. The more you downshift, the faster you accelerate... but again, feeling of power is better in the E46 M3.

Brakes are beefy. Remember earlier when I was talking about the brake calipers? Well this car comes standard with some nice new braking features. Panic brake preparation - when you snap your foot off the go pedal, it pre-pressurizes the brake system and brings the calipers withing 1mm of the rotor so when you stab the brake, you get INSTANT stopping power and during that time it will maximize braking power without triggering ABS. If you trigger ABS it'll continue to work. The brake system also supports a Brake Dry feature. When driving in the rain, with the windshield wipers active, the brakes will periodically lightly apply the pads to the rotors to dry the pads and rotors so when you need braking power, you won't have to suffer from rain fade on the brake pad/rotor.

When it comes to handling... the car feels good, feels very tight, However, mid corner bumps can upset the chassis giving it an uneasy feeling, not all bumps, but certain bumps sent the chassis into an see-saw effect where you feel a bit unnerved. Loads of grip are available though which provides for lots of driving excitement. Throttle induced oversteer as power is readily on tap. However, by default, the car will understeer if you approach corners too swiftly. Traction control is switch to step in and act if needed.

Basically, it's a nice car... feels great, but it is no M. When the M comes out, expect a review from yours truly.

2006 Chysler Crossfire Convertible Limited

2007-08-09T11:43:00.000-04:00

Testing convertible... oooh fun! Well, lets just say if it wasn't for the convertible, this would be a much worse writeup.

First, with the top up, rearward visibility is almost nil. So, down it went. First attempts to lower the roof were met with frustrations and beeps. The convertible top is far from intuitive. Unlatch the roof... unfold, twist, pop, turn and the roof is detached. Push the button on the console... and BEEP. Nothing. Hold the button down, BEEP... nothing again. After about 15 minutes inside and outside the car and one kick of the tire. The top stayed up for the initial part of the test.

Air conditioning control work phenomenally. No confusion there, you can easily get all the cold air you want. The dash, well... it's good, gives you all the information you need, and a little marker down there to tell you what gear you are in. The radio... absolutely ghastly. While the sound is good... as it would have to be with a convertible and it's lack of sound deadening material, the usability of the unit is down right crap. Twist and turns of knobs get the circuitry to do what it is told, but the screen update is horrible slow and I would find myself scanning through stations while not knowing which station I was on because the screen took forever to update. I would often scan from one station to the next and the screen wouldn't update until a second or two passed. Who made this junk... bah. The interior is made of some cheap tacky looking aluminum substitute and causes plenty of glare.

Back to the top... not one to be defeated by any car. I went back to trying to tackle the top. After playing with the unit some, I found that eventually, I got to the top retract, but it required some forceful latching and unlatching to get it to work. I'm guessing a loose contact/sensor somewhere. So, let's try it again.

Fold, Twist, Pop, Fold ... hold the button. Voila... here we go. The top start to retract in a confusion down on mechanical noises and motors. Finally we have unlimited headroof. Visibility is understandable much better, however the glare from the interior is even worse.

Now we are rolling... the car has excellent power. Definitely makes going fast easy and it's easy to go fast with this car. Handling feels decent, but transmission is definitely not up to part ... and the manual selection of gears doesn't even work. Any request to use a wrong gear while in manual mode sends it directly back into automatic mode. BAH. Brakes feel good and are met with good resposne. The massive tires up front no doubt play a good role in stopping ability.

Now, back to the convertible top... now remember earlier that it was broken when I tried to get it to go down? Guess what... same thing happens when I tried to put it up. Clouds rolling in... Thunder grumbling through the sky and flashes of lightning in the distance send me into a panic stop and feverishly attempting to find cover before the skies open up and turn this convertible into a bathtub.

You would think it would be easy easy as following the original steps in reverse... right? WRONG! Hold the button and the mechanical noises start to bring the top out of hiding and return it to it's original position over my head... when half way through the exercise, BEEP and the top feezes in it's tracks.

DAMMIT! The top is half way up... so now I'm stuck. I can't drive anywhere and I can't put an umbrella over my head. I pop the glove box as my 15 minutes I allotted myself in the beginning to figure this problem out were more like 2 minutes now. The manual says, in case of malfunction ... call your dealer. WTF?!

Some forceful manhandling of the roof bring to light that the rear part of the roof is not falling back into place as it should which is not allowing some mechical contraption to grab it and pull it snug there by halting the top closing process. With one hand, I help the top and with the other, I hold down the button and voila... finally the top continues to unfold back into place.

I lock it back into place and then proceed to take this pile of junk back to where I got it. What good is a convertible if the top doesn't work right. I'll tell you, It's as good as driving a car with no soundeadening material with only a windshield to see out of cause the other windows are spray painted black.

2007 Porsche Cayman

2007-08-09T11:42:00.000-04:00

What a nice car... just needs more power. Having the engine in the back of the car really gives you a different feeling (more so that just being chased around by a pile of angry bees). The front end feels nimble and connected to the road. The handling is precise and down right surgical. Understeer is present, but extremely extremely faint. Oversteer is easy to come by provided the RPMs are up and you ask for it the right way.

My only disappointment about the car is the lack of HP. The car is the refinded in every manner, but needs some more grunt... going from partial to full throttle at 4000rpms leave you with no added feeling of power other than the increase in engine noise and what you can see on the speedo. The feeling of speed just is not there.

Another downside to the car is the brakes. Now I know Porsche's are known for the shockingly awesome brake systems, so I'm going to chalk up the poor brake feeling to a test car that had just been overly abused. While the brakes did work awesomely and performed flawlessly each and everytime from triple digit speeds, the feedback through the pedal seemed non-existant. In other braking systems, you could feel the magical point jsut before lockup... in the Cayman, not so much. I often found myself going into ABS lockup instead of reaching the threshold braking point.

Unfortunately, I was so wrapped up with the performance and superb handling of the car, I really didn't pay much attention to the interior of the car as it was pretty much a base model equipped Cayman. The Guards Red seatbelts were a definite bonus tho giving the interior an added stab of color to the otherwise bland black.

Hopefully soon, I'll be able to get my hands on a Cayman S to see if the added power makes it a better drive. I can see what people rant and rave about Porsches though after driving this car. It's handling and suspension are top notch... if it only had more power...

2007 BMW 328i

2007-08-09T11:41:00.000-04:00

The E90 328 sedan really suprised me... this car is by no means slow. When I picked up the car... I was expected it to be slow and even slower because it was equipped with an automatic rather than a manual. Talk about pleasantly suprised.

Stab the gas pedal from a stop and the car accelerate quite quickly... it may be the smallest of engines available from BMW in the US, but it is quite powerful... enough to earn a mighty mouse title in my book. Accelerating from a stop to highway speeds happens effortlessly as quick and smooth shifts are done with the six speed automatic transmission. Granted, the mighty mouse motor starts to run out of breathe as you enter the triple digit arena, but think of what you are asking for this motor.

Move the shifter over into the sport mode and shifts become that much more crisp and gear changes happen at a much higher RPM. Stab the throttle ever so briefly before entering a corner and the transmission downshifts to a low gear as your proceed to then put the car through the corner.

Disable the first level of traction control and even tho the car does not have a limited slip differential, the brains behind the DSC try to simulate one as you attempt to power yourself out of a corner. With the DSC turned down a bit, power induced oversteer is available at slower speed and if you ask for too much throttle prompting the car to get out of wack, the car steps in to push you back in line. Physics are still very present, but with the DSC on a looser leash, it makes driving this car quite a bit of fun. Disable all of the traction control features and you'll find that the lack of limited slip differential is ever prevalent as the inside tires starts to smoke as you try to power out of corners prompting so quite flagrent tail wagging scenarios... while fun, not fast or comforting.

Even when equipped with the smallest tires available which sport some high profile tires, handling is quite nimble and communication to the drive is still present through the seats and steering wheel. The handling is excellent given this is a base model sedan which is supposed to just be basic transportation for those in the BMW family. The bumps are soaked up with ease, but grip is ever prevalent and with better tires could rival that of some other sport sedans in the class.

The brakes were readily available each and every time they were called upon, however fade did become an issue after a few attempts to drop anchor from highway speed. Feedback was excellent and ABS was extremely effective when needed.

I won't go into the interior details as ... well, most of us have already seen and experienced the interior.

As for options... the 328 is stripped down base model car, no frills... but as transportation, it gets the job done easily. Some options could easily push it up to the price of a 335, so you may want to take a look at what options you are putting on the car as some of them come standard on 335 cars.

Next time around that I am looking for transportation... the 328 will definitely be on the list of cars to get info about. Excellent car!

2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV

2007-08-09T11:39:00.001-04:00

This was an abbreviated test but... the first thing that comes to mind is PLUSH. For a astronomical price tag of about $65k, you can have one of the largest, most plus vehicle on the road. The test vehicle came equipped with the optional 22" rim/tire package and even still managed to soak up bumps with ease. The seats were soft, the ride was smooth and comfy and the steering, feel oddly almost like a steer-by-wire system with no road feel what so ever.

Power was supplied by a massive 6.2L V8 engine which was plenty good enough to accelerate from a stop to freeway speed. Stopping however felt as if it was lacking. I found the brakes in the '06 Suburban Z71 to be better. Handling... well, was none existant, however... turning radius was extremely tight and welcomed. Unfortunately, this test route did not leave the option open for an off-road test, but in reality, how many people are going to off-road a $65k school bus anyway. My comments on the 4wheel drive system would normally go here, but no off-road testing was available. The exhaust system on this vehicle was superb. It is almost as if half the money of the SUV went into designing and developing the exhaust note. It's PERFECT.

The interior is covered in look-a-like woods and leather almost everywhere. A large touchscreen control panel for radio and navigation was installed in this vehicle and I found it's use to be functional, but screen updates could have happened a little faster. Using the touch screen to operate the control of the radio is you best bet as the little button under the screen were complicated. When you toss it into reverse, a rearview camera is switch on which helps navigate the huge behemoth into a parking space. Oh, speaking of parking... at a length of over 9 feet... it will not fit into your standard parking space. It will stick out or crunch some expensive running gear in the rear.

My largest complaint is the want-a-be waterford crystal looking clock on the dash. It was a poor attempt and only a man on a galloping horse would confuse this with a quality piece of art. First, the clock is at an angle, so any sunlight what so ever renders it unreadable. Second, the thing looks like cheap plastic and setting it, well... lets not even tackle functionality.

The beast... is large, but comfy. Would I own one? Perhaps if I was a rap star or basketball player... however, I couldn't justify spending $65k on something this large that I would be scared to drive on anything more severe than pavement or small grass.

Now you may be asking... how was the gas mileage? Suprisingly... this logged an impressive 12-14mpg in the city while the Suburban logged a dismal 10-11mpg on the highway.

2007 Chevy Malibu LT V6

2007-08-09T11:39:00.000-04:00

Seeing as how 8 speed transmissions are on the horizon ... who the hell still uses a 4 speed transmission in a car?! I'll tell you who... Chevy and GM in the Malibu. One of the biggest let downs ... the 4 speed auto transmission.

Now... taking it into the account that this is a standard passenger sedan and a cheap one at that, we obviously can't expect supreme driving comfort and unsurpassed handling abd braking. However, being that as it is ... the car is not all that bad. The engine has plenty of low end grunt which is required for the long gears in the 4 speed tranny. The engine is more than happy to pull with force from idle through the RPM range. However, being FWD, ask for too much "go" power and you'll find that torque steer becomd a huge problem wanting to change your desired direction of travel to the left or right sharpely depending on where the scenery can do the most damage to your vehicle. All that go power is enough to get you up to just shy of triple digit speeds before starting to run out of passing power.

Handling is ... well, designed to be cheap and comfortable. So... it's not perfect but it gets the job done. Bumps are soaked up with ease but ask this monster to handle an on/off ramp at anything considered remotely fast and it'll have the tires screaming for mercy as your passenger wonder if you are pretending to be a NASCAR driver. Body roll and squat and dive are ever so prevalent and even more prevalent when the car has cargo.

Braking... well, I'm not even going to try to tell you that repeated stops from speed will give you any sort of confidence. The first stop from anything considered fast is decent and will leave you rest assured, but as you try more and more stop from speed, your confidence level drops considerably before you begin to wonder if it would be bail out and abandon car in fear of ending up as part of the scenery rather than asking it to do another stop from speed.

Interior erogonomics take a little while to get used to. The interior is made of cheap plastic, but it functions to get the job done. The high mounted shifter on the drift shaft is awkward and clumsy as shift controls for manual shifting are placed where the normal button for switching from reverse to drive is placed. The radio control do the job are are directly to the point. The buttons the steering wheel also serve their purpose, but there are two buttons mounted on the back of the steering wheel that you'll have to find before you know they are there that control the volume of the radio from the wheel rather than the dash.

Another sore subject for this car ... the horrible seats. They are far from comfortable and you probably would have a better driving exerpence if you took the seats out and replaced them with the plastic crate boxes. The seats are horrible.

Overall... for the price, it's a damn good car to drive, but that being said, you would be better off spending more money to get something a little more suited towards extended travel.

2007 Honda S2000

2007-08-09T11:32:00.000-04:00

What a sweet car ... if you can overlook it's numerous annoyances. The car is great when it comes to ragged edge performance. However, if you aren't prepared to drive it like that all the time, you will be sorely disappointed. The engine ... when not flying high at it's astonishing 8000rpm (lowered from 9000rpm when the upped the engine size) is rather docile and buzzy. However, once you get it up past it's 6000rpm sweet spot, it loses it's oversized blender like buzziness and trades it in ... for you guessed it... a higher powered oversized blender. Engine sound and exhaust not are not this cars strong point. I've heard lawnmowers sound better than this thing. That being said, the engine is quite potent above 6000rpm... ask it for anything below that and you'll be left wanting... another engine in the back to help.

Enough about the engine tho, the car is balanced... very well balanced. Steering is sharp, but lacks communication. Suspension is stiff and taught, but supple enough to handle small bumps and road inconsistencies. Understeer is very prevalent if you are not careful and steering it with the throttle requires that the RPM be up around that sweet spot or else you will just induce more and more understeer. The shifter is awesome... Honda has perfected the shifting technology when it comes to smooth short shifts. Now if they could only get the thing to stop shaking around like a hawaiian dancing girl duct taped to the dash, we would be in business. The shifter tho makes the car a joy to drive... downshifts and upshifts are a breeze and just want to make you change gears for the fun of it ... even if not required.

The cabin... is horrendous. Remember that gokart like feeling I spoke of earlier when it comes to handling? Well, it's even more apparent in the car because you feel like you are shoehorned into a go kart. The interior erogonomis are excellent ... if you are going be blasting to and from work and don't care to do anything else. Otherwise, I found that the buttons to the left of the steering wheel were too far to reach easily, the buttons behind the radio cover were too small to get to and damn near impossible if you were in 1st, 3rd or 5th gears. Plus, when the radio cover is open, the cover folds down flat (if the shifter isn't up in the upper gears) which then starts to annoyingly stab you in the leg.

The steering wheel sits down a bit and the cluster is easily seen through the wheel opening, but the cluster is a big difficult to see in direct sunlight. I guess you can deal with that. However, wheel placement and bad erogonomic make finding the ignition extremely difficult... especially in poor lighting.

The car drives great when you are driving it how it's supposed to be driven ... with your hair on fire. However, daily driving and comfort leave you wanting much much more.

2006 Ford Freestyle

2006-08-09T11:46:00.001-04:00

Upon arriving to pick up said vehicle, I was disappointed to see it was a Ford, even more disappointed to see it was a cross over SUV/Minivan type vehicle and that much more disappointed when it was in that faded Red woman color that Ford offers. I was pretty sure my weekend of driving was going to suck at this point in time.

However, I was pleasantly suprised. After sitting in the vehicle, you can see the typical ford dash and radio controls. Fired it up and off we went. First notable experience... WTF, a vehicle this size has no off the line power?!? Later, I would realize that it utilizes a CVT type of transmission which necessitates limiting torque shock to the transmission to prevent belt slippage. However, once moving, the vehicle has plenty of power... wow, it actually makes it easy to drive as power is readily available. The transmission simulates gears, but when power is required is gives up simulates gearing and just shoots the RPM high where they sit a-la jet turbine status.

Quick accerlations up onramps or massive pushes of the throttle are left with the RPMs high and pulling power to easily pass other vehicles. Impressive power, I will say that. I'm sure having the RPMs sitting that high like a jet turbine would probably freak some people out, but I knowing that the engine is in peak operating mode makes me feel better that the power is there. I was very suprised.

Crusing on the highway is done with aplomb as the ride is smooth, power is available for you to choose your crusing speed, not be aerodynamically limited and the noise level is fairly quiet. The suspension soaks up bumps as required, but road feel is still decent so you can tell you are driving on a certain type of surface... but not down to the fact if you just driven over a painted strip on the road or not.

A major kudos (especially for a vehicle of this type) ... BRAKES! Woo hoo, Ford finally put some decent brakes on this type of car. Jabs on the brakes are left you feeling as if air brakes are deployed from the side and top of the vehicle to help slow it's momentum. Braking is met with some excessive nose dive, but that's expected as the height of the vehicle is on SUV like levels (just with smaller tires). A full panic stop is left you thinking that one of your rear passengers has tossed an anchor out of the rear to help haul you down from speed. It was very impressive to say the least.

The interior was comfortable... but anything more than 60-75 minutes became uncomfortable, not to the point of you needing a rest, just enough to make you figgity. The controls were typical FORD, in the event that they were blah and you really avoided trying to use them if you did have to. Seating was available for 7 however, only 4 of them could be adults with 3 small children sitting on the fold down rear seat in the very rear by the hatch.

Speaking of rear seats by the hatch... while they did fold away into the rear of the vehicle. The fit and finish just seemed to be after thought. While folded down they were far from flush and it happened on more than one occasion that items would slip between the cracks necessitating for you to remove all your cargo, fold the seat up grab you small items and then put everything back to how it was before. That was a royal pain in the arse.

Gas consumption was decent... but nothing to be proud of, and ground clearance while on SUV type levels was more to be compared with minivans that typical SUVs (I guess that's why it's a cross over).

That's all for now... questions are welcomed.

2006 Kia Sportage

2006-08-09T11:46:00.000-04:00

As a light SUV, it is a no frills cargo carrying machine... period. When you get inside the light SUV, it's spare interior gives no illusion that it is designed for very minimal. It almost begs you to wonder if the steering wheel and guages were optional with the purchase.

Twist the key and the engine fires to life and idles a bit high at just over 1000rpm. However, power output is great for a light SUV. When you mash the go pedal, it is very reminisent of the old 1980's Ford Mustangs as the front left corner of the SUV lifts up into the air as the chassis twists trying to motion itself forward. Power is abundant all the way up to highway speeds making driving on the highway easy. Steering will get you where you need to go, and the brakes... well, they leave lots to be desired as fade is apparent after the first attempt to haul it back down from those highway speeds. As note on it's highway potential. The SUV seems quite at home on the highway. Crusing at 80-85 is quite comfortable... however, there is a barrier somewhere just north of the 90 marker. It is not an engine power barrier, however, it is an aerodynamic factor. When you find that magic number which varies depending on wind speed and direction, you'll think that the mighty God himself has decided to reach down and try to shake the ever living soul out of you. Seriously at that speed, I was beginning to wonder if a) I was going to travel backwards in time or b) the parts that were bolted down with cheap screws were about to become road side debris.

A marvelous feature of this SUV was the extremely functional air conditioning. It goes from super hot Florida weather to ice cube in mere minutes which is quite a feet. Don't like your passengers? Set the A/C to max cool and point the vents at them... they'll be frosted over in a matter of minutes.

Cargo capacity is quite abundant with the rear seats up. Fold the rear seats down and you have enough cargo capacity to store enough materials to weigh the SUV down to the point where movement would cease to exist.

Overall... for the 15k SUV, it does its job rather well.

2006 Dodge Dakota Extended Cab 5.7L Magnum

2006-08-09T11:45:00.001-04:00

It's a truck... plain and simple. Very utlitarian. Interior ammeneties are few and far between, the dash is very functional. Clear and easy to use dials and easy to read instruments.

The seats were very uncomfortable, but I guess when you are looking for a truck, you aren't looking for luxury. The rear cab is essentially a shelf. People can't really fit back there. It will do the job for small packages and the like.

Power is made with a massive 5.7L Magnum V8. Lots and lots of power available. The harder you push the go pedal, the more and more the engine displays it's abundance of torque and it's thirst for fuel. Crusing is easy, and at low RPMs making the most possible out of the fuel in the tank until you ask that magnum engine to motivate the mass forward. The engine and chassis cruise effortlessly at low to mid speeds, but highway speeds are a bit unnerving due to twitchy steering, a ladder like frame and trucklike suspension.

The four wheel drive system is very functional. By default, it is a 2WD truck and changing to 4WD can be done on the fly which is very comforting when you've managed to land yourself axle deep in mud. Tossing it into 4WD will give you the gift of grip and the massive engine will bless you with roster tails of mud which you wear as a badge of pride. With the 4WD active the turning radius is drastically reduced and turning the front wheel to lock leave the front end chattering across any type of solid ground (best for use on slippery surfaces).

Brakes are adequate... nothing special to write home about, but they get the job done. The looks of the truck are basic and will do the job. It is not the prettiest but not the worst either.

2006 Chevy Suburban Z71

2006-08-09T11:45:00.000-04:00

What a big ... uh ... vehicle.

First off... this thing is huge... absolutely huge. You almost need binoculars to see the end of it if you are standing at the front. The inside, feels equally as large. Feels as if you could take a leisurely stroll for a few minutes and have dinner with the passengers located in the 3rd row. Of course, you'd want to make sure they are there for with a phone call.

Driving this behemoth takes some getting used to. While driving, feels as if you need to put one of those wide right turn stickers on the tailgate to warn others. U Turns... don't even think about it unless you are on a six lane highway or there is plenty of run off. Which brings us to a slight detour on the off-road ability. The off-road ability works good. In four wheel drive mode, it's unstoppable. And by unstoppable I mean, I couldn't find anything in Florida that could trip it up, curbs, sidewalks, mud holes, swap, gravel ... nothing, no problems. It almost feels at home on the off-road terrain (shame 1% if lucky will be taken off road).

On the highway... it's comfortable, but severely underpowered. Crusing speeds of 60 are capable, but much higher than that and you will find yourself lacking HP. How this beast is supposed to tow anything with the lack of HP is beyond me. Cruising speeds of 80 are possible provided you are travelling light... but be prepared for transmission downshifts should you encounter any sort of hill or overpass. With cargo... the transmission would probably send the RPMs through the roof trying to maintain it's speed and not crawl to a stop.

Brakes are suprisingly good for such a large vehicle. I expected the first panic stop to turn the braking equipment into molten steel followed by spontaneous combution of anything left anywhere near the brake discs/pads. Remarkable, numerous stops from 80+ were promising each time. Granted, fade was noticeable, but not enough to make you worry. All be it, I bet when they brakes do fail... you'll probably just plow through whatever you were trying to avoid anyway with little fanfare as aside from the brakes, I don't see much else slowing this beast.

Now... the best part. Fuel consumption. Considering most of the testing was done on highway miles... this vehicle averaged about 11mpg, I dare not attempt to drive this thing in the city... unless you decide to tow a fuel tanker behind you. Fill ups from empty require you to show two forms of identification and clarification to the gas station that you are indeed good for the money. Makes me want to think that even American Express would have a hard time letting you pump until it's full with this one.

I will say that it is comfortable and made long drives easy. If the gas tank didn't go empty so fast, I would be willing to bet you could drive this thing all day and not be tired. And... the off-road part... love it. Not once did I find myself wondering if I was going to have to climb out the window and wallow through near knee deep water or mud to call a more capable vehicle.

2006 Pontiac Solistice

2006-08-09T11:42:00.000-04:00

This car is one of those that I wouldn't wish on anybody. I'll start out with the good points because those will be quick. The car has a great air conditioner. It was a warm 95 degrees out... and the air conditioner was blowing extremely cold. Was very refreshing with the top down for open air motoring.

Now to the bad stuff... this car is absolutely dreadful. The looks, well... that's opinion based. I couldn't stand the way it looked ... it actually annoys me to look at this car. The front looks strange the back looks just as strange. The hood and trunk open in clamshell fashion revealing very very little free space.

This car gives new meaning to the words "pack light." Except for the center compartment that divides the two seats, there is abolutely no room to hold anything in this car. The trunk is consumed by the entire manual retractable hardtop. The engine bay is stuffed with a small underpowered (I'll get to that in a bit) engine. The passenger compartment is the void of all elements you are used to. No nooks, no crannies, no cupholders, no place to store you cellphone. I ended up storing mine in the dash rings that housed the speedometer and tachometers.

The performance of the car is absolutely dreadful. It's good for absolutely nothing except sitting in traffic with that wonderful A/C I mentioned earlier. The engine is anemic to say it lightly. Winding it out under full throttle makes you wonder if the engine is powered by two hamsters on a wheel. To get to sixty miles per hour requires a shift to third gear resulting in horrible acceleration times. Merging onto the highway is downright scary, especially when highwas speeds of the oncoming traffic are in excess of eighty miles per hour. The guages on the dash are far from accurate. Rev matches on the dash were often accomplished before the tachometer has a chance to properly respond. Steering of the car is very good, very firm... but without any power to actually push this car to it's traction limits, it is wasted.

The seating configuation leaves little to be adjusted. The seats only more foreward and backward and there is not a reclining function available. The seats did not move far enough back to comforatbly fit. I often found my knees rubbing on the steering wheel during gear changes and rev matching downshifts. The doorsills are high, giving you the feeling as if you are sitting in a bathtub. The hood is never ending and feels like you are driving a corvette because it goes on forever. The rear, well it's not as long, but it is high. Good thing is if this car had power, you would know it because you literally sit on the back wheels.

Hope this review is helpful to whoever those are looking...

2005 Ford Freestar

2005-08-09T11:38:00.000-04:00

After about 900 miles of driving... I learned that I will NEVER buy one of these and will do my absolute best to avoid driving one ever again. What a horrible vehicle. Granted, it has seating for 7 possibly 8... but that's only really useful if your familiy is the equivalent of it's own soccer team. Now you may ask, what is so terrible wrong with this vehicle? For starters, and this is a big big issue. The damn thing has no brakes! It is like driving a tractor trailor when it comes to stopping. Stopping distances require that you look into the next zip code to see traffic conditions and be wary if a panic stop must be initiated. Pushes of the brake pedal really do not slow the vehicle down, they more just attempt to change direction of the vehicle from a straight to verticle as if the vehicle was trying to drive underground with the massive nose dive.

Next negative issue ... while it just manage to have a decent amount of low end torque (I'm guessing to motivate the soccer team from stop lights), the power required to achieve anything over a snails pace is just not there. Highway cruising speed around here is 70, achiving anything over that requires a clear length of road that could double as a runway for a 747.

Well, it's a minivan, so we won't even bother to examine the lack of handling... next section.

As for comfort... the drivers chair is the only one I really sat in, but it's is like sitting on carboard ontop of a piece of granite semi molded towards the shape of your body. The headrest are nonadjustable, so if you head does not fit that particular curvature... you're out of luck. The support is pretty much non existant. You've have a better ride is you took out the drivers seat and replaced it with an upside down painters bucket.

The radio... well, it works. That's an upside, but controlling it while simple... leaves much to the imagination when it comes to quality. I guess, they made it that way so that if you crank it up you can hopefully drown out that soccer team with noise (it really wouldn't be music, just noise).

After my time behind the wheel... I don't think I'll every drive one of these things again. I can only hope their Japanese equivalents have much much more thought put into them or else the soccer mom era will soon be doomed to oblivion since the only thing left for these things to do is spontaneously combust to be any worse.

EDIT: By the way... the cupholders suck!

2003 Pontiac Grand Prix

2004-08-09T11:47:00.001-04:00

Pros
Good Speed Sensitive Radio
Decent Speakers
Good Power

Cons
FWD
No Limited Slip (or a poorly designed one)
Horrible Interior
Non Intuitive setup
Poor Transmission
Bad Blind Spots
Poor Headlights
No steering wheel controls for radio

I had a chance to drive a 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix base model the other day which had about 17000 miles on the odometer. The car left a poor taste in my mouth reminding me why I don't like American cars. The car had good power, but without any good way to put it down. As soon as you touch the accelerator pedal, the front wheels spin and god forbid you are going around a corner. A quick jump into traffic around a 90 degree corner will leave you with billows of tire smoke coming over the hood and into the cabin.

Ride was firm but handling was lacking. The car tracked dead straight and you felt everything in the road, but any attempt to change direction left you with an uneasy feeling in your stomach. Cruising on the highway was comfortable and effortless with that much power. The transmission often would get confused tho and gear hunt on specific occasions.

The cabin was lacking in my opinion. The dash, while pretty was a bit overwhelming. I'm partly thinking that the speed I once thought the car had was just an illusion of by how big the speedmeter is (it's huge). The radio controls were functional, but to this time for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to turn on the interior lights without opening the door.

Hope that helps somebody.

2004 Nissan Murano SL

2004-08-09T11:47:00.000-04:00

Pros:
Good Power
Firm Suspension
Good Radio
Good Interior
Great HVAC controls
CVT Tranny
Huge gas tank

Cons:
Horrible Torque Steer
Plasticy Interior
Huge blind spots

Summary

I got to drive a new Murano SL the other day. There were probably about 1200 miles on the clock. The car/SUV thing drove rather well. The CVT tranny made for an interesting drive as it mostly held it's RPM as long as I didn't do anything abrupt with the throttle. The highway drive felt good and the HVAC controls worked excellent. The controls on the steering wheel felt slightly awkward to me, but that's just personal preference. The screen in the dash could have been done better, but it served it's purpose.

The power was good, but with horrible torque steer, you constantly had to fight the steering wheel during corners. I think I'd opt to go with the AWD version to help eliminate that. The sound it made from the exhaust was good.

That's it...