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?
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
2009 BMW 335d
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...
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...
Saturday, December 13, 2008
2009 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X (10) MR
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.
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.
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