Archive for March, 2010
2011 Jaguar XJ: An AW Flash Drive:
What is it?
2010 Mazda CX-7, an AW Drivers Log:
EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: Of all the car companies out there right now, I think Mazda is one of the best at having all of its cars–no matter the size or configuration–have the same feel.
Inner Beauty: Getaway Weekend With The Acura TL SH-AWD
She’s not a looker, unless you dig a Cyrano schnoz and a can-opener smile. Nonetheless, that’s the face Acura designers gave the fourth-generation TL. So until she goes under the knife in about four years, when Gen V debuts, I say it’s time to accept her mask — for better or worse — and move on. At least that’s what I attempted to do when I spent a weekend with Motor Trend’s long-term 2009 TL SH-AWD.
Given that it was our first extended stay away from our baby, my wife Diane requested that we take something fancy for our long weekend in San Francisco. “Can we drive up in one of the BMWs?” she asked, referring to our long-term 335d and M3. “Both taken,” I told her. Oh well. I scanned the sign-out sheet and saw that the TL was still available. Perfect, I thought: She would think it was fancy, what with the sumptuous Milano leather interior, high-end ELS audio, and jumbo nav screen, and I was confident it would be a nice road-tripper for, well, those same reasons (not to mention the 305-horsepower V-6 and “super handling” all-wheel drive). “I got an Acura,” I told her. “You’ll love it.” Uh-oh. Was I overselling the TL? And if so, did my ultra-perceptive wife sense that I was overselling it? Skepticism was sure to follow.
With the TL’s 18.5-gallon fuel tank full of premium unleaded, we merged onto L.A.’s bustling 101 freeway and pointed our buck-toothed chariot towards the Bay Area. I snuggled into the nicely bolstered sport seat and was quickly reminded why I enjoy being behind the wheel of this $43,995 SH-AWD model. I was able to place myself in an ideal, comfortable position — arms slightly bent, clear view of the big gauges, and pedals resting eagerly under my feet — a prerequisite, as far as I’m concerned, for a vehicle to be considered a true driver’s car. Whether our route presented twisty roads or straight highways, I felt like I’d be able and willing. The TL SH-AWD’s best attribute — and I mention the “SH-AWD” part because it’s unique to this top-level trim — is its thick-rimmed leather-wrapped sport steering wheel with contrast stitching (standard TLs get a thinner wheel with color-matched stitching). I’m always amazed when a so-called performance car — the Camaro comes to mind — slights drivers with an awkward and/or ugly wheel that delights neither the hands nor the eyes. The TL, conversely, is a car you want to get in and drive, if only to enjoy the helm’s tactilely pleasing leather and contours. “Why are you caressing the wheel?” Diane asked. “Sorry,” I said, “but this one’s really nice.”
As I waxed poetic on the virtues of the steering wheel, she quickly lost interest, grabbed her copy of Us Weekly, and began spilling dirt on the participants from this season’s “The Bachelor” reality show. I couldn’t really blame her. To Diane it was just a steering wheel. She’d probably rather hear me babble on about 18th century Russian poetry (trust me, I can go on for nanoseconds about 18th century Russian poetry). To me, however, it was the gateway to a lively chassis whose spiffy 19-inch wheels and sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 2 summer tires were capable of clawing for 0.91 g of lateral acceleration. Effortlessly traversing the sweeping curves of Highway 154’s San Marcos Pass, which links Santa Barbara to Los Olivos, I began to wonder: If I were a bachelor, would I own a TL?
Probably not. For a single guy, who, let’s face it, can use a snazzy car as a date magnet, I think there are more attractive alternatives (pun intended). The Audi A4 2.0T Quattro, Infiniti G37x, and BMW 335i xDrive each offer all-wheel-drive security, more handsome facades, comparable if not better cachet, and performance stats on par with the Acura’s. But in my current situation — married, one child — probably yes. The TL’s strong value ($44K with everything), solid reliability (great track record for previous generations and our long-termer has displayed not one problem thus far after 23,000 miles), and impressive safety scores (five stars across the board) make it a top-of-the-list contender for a family man. Sure, style still matters to me, but not nearly as much as it used to. I’d happily sacrifice looks for substance, especially if it meant saving a few grand while getting all the technology and performance I could want. But does the TL SH-AWD offer all I could want?
Almost. The 3.7-liter V-6 is a refined engine that sings sweetly and loves to rev. The SH-AWD system is brilliant, albeit a little heavy (the TL weighs nearly 4000 pounds), rotating the car through corners with surprising eagerness and precision. Inside, the TL’s got Bluetooth phone and audio capability, nav traffic and weather, satellite radio, Zagat restaurant guide, and, here’s the zinger, a nav system that can be operated while on the move. Now, I understand the dangers of a driver operating a nav system while on the move — seems somewhat akin to driving and texting on a cell phone, if you ask me — but preventing the front passenger from using the nav while on the go seems ridiculous. Numerous times during our weekend, Diane entered addresses and searched for points of interest while I was getting us lost as we meandered our through Union Square, Golden Gate Park, and Fisherman’s Wharf. Had we been in, say, a Lexus, we would have had to pull over and stop to use the nav, even though Diane could have fully and safely operated it from the passenger seat.
After nearly 900 miles of wheel time in the TL, I concluded that there were just a few changes needed to make it Kiino garage worthy. First, it desperately needs a six-speed automatic. The current five-speed delivers slow, rough shifts by today’s standards, and the 6.5-second 0-60 time is proof that the gearbox requires a swift update. Acura, no doubt, will give the TL the brand’s new six-speed slushbox, which debuted in 2010 ZDX and MDX, this fall for the 2011 model year. (For shift-it-yourself enthusiasts, the SH-AWD’s newly available six-speed manual is also a welcome option.) Second, the interior could use some ergonomic and aesthetic enhancements; specifically, a simplified center stack with fewer buttons, and real wood trim or carbon fiber inserts to replace the cheap-looking “3D metallic” bits on the dash and doors. Finally, the grille needs to be de-emphasized. I know I said style doesn’t mean that much to me anymore, but it still matters – at least a little. If an unattractive feature can be easily made appealing, or at minimum inoffensive, then why not, right? Obviously, the billet grille is an integral part of Acura’s design language, but it can also be toned down so as not to frighten children. The TSX, for instance, wears a similar face but its grille is smaller and doesn’t extend up onto the hood, creating a look that is more distinct than disturbing.
That said, after writing this, Diane peered over at my computer screen and read the first line. Her response? “You don’t think she’s a looker? I think she’s good looking.” Go figure. It’s not the first time we disagreed on something, and it certainly won’t be the last. Luckily, we agree more than we disagree. “I do like the ‘Inner Beauty’ part — it is a fun car to drive,” she said. Indeed, it is.
BAY AREA: SpoCom San Mateo Prescreening Announcement
SpoCom is pleased to announce 3 prescreening events to qualify to compete at the inaugural SpoCom, in San Mateo, CA.
2010 Honda Accord Crosstour EX-L, an AW Drivers Log:
SENIOR EDITOR FOR NEWS BOB GRITZINGER: When you trade in and out of so many vehicles as we do here at AutoWeek–not that I mind; the breadth of knowledge is highly valuable–it is surprisingly pleasant to spend nearly two weeks in the…
FIGHT THE POWER: Utah Bill to Ban the Use of Aftermarket Exhaust Systems
Utah Bill to Ban the Use of Aftermarket Exhaust Systems is on the Move
2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track, an AW Drivers Log:
SENIOR WEB REPORTER GREG MIGLIORE: I had a very enjoyable lap to and from work in this speedster. It looks great, and I like the headlights and the lines on the hood. The car has an aggressive stance that seems to be wide yet sleek.
Spyker Saab Created, Now the Hard Part Begins
Saab Automobile’s new management is considering how it might design and produce a modern, teardrop-shaped 92 small car. “Yes, of course, we’ve been thinking about it,” says Victor Muller, chief executive officer of Spyker Cars, which completed its deal to buy Saab from General Motors, taking it out of liquidation proceedings. “At the moment, it would not fit in the business plan, because it’s not funded. We feel the market for a Saab 92 would be very attractive.”
And so, as the deal to sell Hummer to Tengzhong Heavy Industries continues to languish in Chinese politics, Saab — a brand with very loyal customers, albeit too few of them — lives to see another day. Of Hummer, Saturn, and Saab, the third was the least likely brand to find a buyer because its brand equity was in low-volume quirkiness and its production in Trollhattan, Sweden is very costly. Sell too many Saabs, and the loyal customers who want something “different” go away.
Muller and Saab Automobile CEO Jan Ake Jonsson say that the brand’s sale to a small, specialty sports carmaker gives the company more freedom to purchase components from a number of automakers and suppliers. Presumably, it also means that Spyker is happy with very low production numbers, say 200,000 per year globally — far higher than its own production numbers — although their short phone conference didn’t allow for the question.
Meanwhile, Saab is “in the middle of what the (next) 9-3 would be” Jonsson says. He confirms that Saab under Spyker will continue to use GM platforms for its upcoming models. After the new 9-5 and 9-4x, firmly in place for a few years, Saab is likely to find more diversity in its supplier base. Since GM announced its plan to sell or shut down Saab, “it’s amazing the number of propositions we’ve got from a number of suppliers,” Jonsson says.
It wasn’t getting shipments of materials to build cars until GM and Spyker announced an agreement in principle last month. The factory in Trollhattan now has materials to build cars, but it will be three or four weeks before assembly starts up and Saab can supply ‘10 models to its dealers.
Saab plans to begin production of the new 9-5 flagship sedan this year, and Spyker Saab expects the car to be in dealerships by this summer. It may be introduced as a ‘10 model, with the ’11s replacing them after just a few months.
The 9-4x, sourced from the same Mexican GM plant that builds the Cadillac SRX, will begin production next year, with the 9-5 SportKombi (wagon) following later. The 9-3, currently built on GM’s Epsilon platform, is still a few years off from a redesign, and will probably be built on the 107.8-inch wheelbase version of Epsilon II, the platform used for the Opel Insignia and Buick Regal.
Missing from GM’s deal to sell Saab to Spyker is the Antonov Group, a Russian source of finance that the Swedish government believes has ties to organized crime. That was the last of several roadblocks that nearly grounded plans to keep Saab going. Remember, this is the company that nearly was sold to Koenigsegg and whose suitors included Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone.
Under the deal with Spyker, GM gets $74 million in cash and $326 million in preferred stock, redeemable after 2013. Spyker has received a $550 million loan from the European Investment Bank to fund the creation of Spyker Saab.
Spkyer Saab Created, Now the Hard Part Begins
Saab Automobile’s new management is considering how it might design and produce a modern, teardrop-shaped 92 small car. “Yes, of course, we’ve been thinking about it,” says Victor Muller, chief executive officer of Spyker Cars, which completed its deal to buy Saab from General Motors, taking it out of liquidation proceedings. “At the moment, it would not fit in the business plan, because it’s not funded. We feel the market for a Saab 92 would be very attractive.”
And so, as the deal to sell Hummer to Tengzhong Heavy Industries continues to languish in Chinese politics, Saab — a brand with very loyal customers, albeit too few of them — lives to see another day. Of Hummer, Saturn, and Saab, the third was the least likely brand to find a buyer because its brand equity was in low-volume quirkiness and its production in Trollhattan, Sweden is very costly. Sell too many Saabs, and the loyal customers who want something “different” go away.
Muller and Saab Automobile CEO Jan Ake Jonsson say that the brand’s sale to a small, specialty sports carmaker gives the company more freedom to purchase components from a number of automakers and suppliers. Presumably, it also means that Spyker is happy with very low production numbers, say 200,000 per year globally — far higher than its own production numbers — although their short phone conference didn’t allow for the question.
Meanwhile, Saab is “in the middle of what the (next) 9-3 would be” Jonsson says. He confirms that Saab under Spyker will continue to use GM platforms for its upcoming models. After the new 9-5 and 9-4x, firmly in place for a few years, Saab is likely to find more diversity in its supplier base. Since GM announced its plan to sell or shut down Saab, “it’s amazing the number of propositions we’ve got from a number of suppliers,” Jonsson says.
It wasn’t getting shipments of materials to build cars until GM and Spyker announced an agreement in principle last month. The factory in Trollhattan now has materials to build cars, but it will be three or four weeks before assembly starts up and Saab can supply ‘10 models to its dealers.
Saab plans to begin production of the new 9-5 flagship sedan this year, and Spyker Saab expects the car to be in dealerships by this summer. It may be introduced as a ‘10 model, with the ’11s replacing them after just a few months.
The 9-4x, sourced from the same Mexican GM plant that builds the Cadillac SRX, will begin production next year, with the 9-5 SportKombi (wagon) following later. The 9-3, currently built on GM’s Epsilon platform, is still a few years off from a redesign, and will probably be built on the 107.8-inch wheelbase version of Epsilon II, the platform used for the Opel Insignia and Buick Regal.
Missing from GM’s deal to sell Saab to Spyker is the Antonov Group, a Russian source of finance that the Swedish government believes has ties to organized crime. That was the last of several roadblocks that nearly grounded plans to keep Saab going. Remember, this is the company that nearly was sold to Koenigsegg and whose suitors included Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone.
Under the deal with Spyker, GM gets $74 million in cash and $326 million in preferred stock, redeemable after 2013. Spyker has received a $550 million loan from the European Investment Bank to fund the creation of Spyker Saab.
