Escalade EXT gives Cadillac a ‘much-needed’ pickup
If you went back 10 years and told someone that Cadillac would have a sport-utility vehicle, your credibility would be questioned, at best. If you then said that they also would have a pickup truck, your credibility would be shattered.
ThatÂ’s where weÂ’re at, however, in this rapidly changing world of automotives.
The Cadillac Escalade came out a year ago as a Cadillac version of ChevroletÂ’s popular Tahoe, a large, full-size SUV. And for 2003, the Escalade not only has grown a few inches, but it has added the EXT version, which is an Escalade SUV for the front 2/3, and upscale pickup truck for the rearmost 1/3.
With the amazingly increasing number of SUVs flooding the market, it gets more and more difficult to trace their lineage these days, but this one can still be tracked. Chevrolet came out with the Avalanche a year ago, and it was a far-out styling exercise that saw Chevrolet take a Suburban – the world’s longest SUV – and cut off the body after the second row of seats, turning the third row and the cargo area into a pickup box.
A wall, of course, was necessary to separate the occupant compartment from the box, but Chevy had an interesting idea there and put a movable partition there. With very little effort, you can lower the rear window and fold down the midgate, elongating the cargo-hauling box considerably.
The Avalanche met with rave reviews, or considerable scorn, whichever side you happened to be on. It was an extremely long and large SUV/pickup, and its lower parts were covered with all sorts of plastic cladding. It almost looked like a vehicle for one of those contemporary action-figure toy dolls.
Well, when GM gave Cadillac its Escalade, as a considerably upscaled Tahoe, with a fancy grille and all sorts of interior features to separate it distinctly from the Tahoe. When next the Escalade ESV was added, it was either an elongated Escalade or a refaced Suburban, riding on the SuburbanÂ’s 130-inch wheelbase instead of the Tahoe/EscaladeÂ’s 116-inch wheelbase.
So it probably was quite natural that the Escalade ESV would now beget the EXT, which is basically an Avalanche with all sorts of upgrades.
When Cadillac first got the Escalade, a lot of us might have been completely unaware that Cadillac needed its own sport-utility vehicle. The Cadillac Escalade EXT causes me to reiterate: It is a captivating vehicle if Cadillac needed an SUV/pickup truck combination, I just was never aware that Cadillac needed a pickup truck.
Financial reward, however, is a compelling reason why everybody needs every vehicle that might fill a niche and make a profit, not necessarily in that order. And with a price sticker of $53,799 on the Escalade EXT that I test-drove, itÂ’s obvious there is some serious income to be made with this beast. When it comes to upgrading a vehicle, few can match CadillacÂ’s proficiency.
The Escalade has stunning looks, from its front end that was obviously influenced by the new-wave cutting-edge wedginess of the Cadillac CTS sedan that came out a year ago, then on to the sweeping long body and longer rear pickup box. Cadillac calls it a “sport-utility truck,†and that’s pretty accurate, based on the versatility.
The timing of my road-test of the Escalade EXT was perfect, because, I had recently published and printed my first book, “Return to Gold Country,†about last year’s University of Minnesota’s NCAA hockey championship season. I had the chance to drive to Sentinel Printing in St. Cloud, Mn., to pick up a few boxes of books. The Escalade EXT’s pickup box couldn’t have come in handier. The boxes of books rested with unshifting firmness on the heavy-rubber lined pickup box, and with a hard-cover topper that folds down and fastens tightly to the tailgate, the books, hot off the press, couldn’t have had a more luxurious ride.
I never opened the partition from the club-cab to the pickup box, and although you can stretch the cargo box from 5-foot-3 to 8-foot-1 by doing it. Excepting an occasion when you might be hauling lumber, I remain skeptical about why anyone would want to open that partition, especially a Cadillac buyer. But, at the going price, you take all the features you can get.
Other than the same 130-inch wheelbase of the Suburban/Avalanche, the EXT has significant differences. It weighs over 300 pounds more than the Avalanche, and has a 6.0-liter, 345-horsepower V8 with full-time all-wheel-drive instead of the AvalancheÂ’s 5.3-liter, 285-horse powerplant with either rear-wheel or four-wheel drive. Even the optional 8.1-liter V8 thatÂ’s available in the Avalanche has 340 horsepower, still yielding a slight edge to the Caddy.
Along with the assurance that the GM flagship line will have the most power, the Escalade EXTÂ’s full-time all-wheel-drive gave me a few moments of curiosity early in my test-drive. The EXT had exceptional traction during a light little snowfall, and I couldnÂ’t find any of the usual lock-up switches that might permit selecting a range for 2-wheel drive or AWD, or even a low-speed lock for serious off-road duty.
Silly me. If you wanted to buy a vehicle to do anything approaching serious off-roading, youÂ’d buy a less-refined truck, including the Avalanche, with all that rock-dispersing cladding and a ruggedness, instead of the Escalade. Anyone willing to spend an extra $15,000 beyond the Avalanche to get the EXT is probably a buyer who considers his or her driveway as about as serious as off-road driving should be.
The interior is refined and tastefully done, with light tan leather seats and wood trim and my favorite new GM interior feature – a new and somewhat flat, contemporary steering wheel, instead of that tiresome old dished thing that not only lacked style but wouldn’t allow you to reach any of the remote steering-wheel-mount switches unless you had 8-inch fingers. Full instrumentation is in classic analog form, and the dash computer allows you to program whether to activate or cancel the sometimes-maddening array of warning buzzers and light-flashers that accompany the remote power lock-unlock switch.
All sorts of gadgets prevail, including something like 100 little bitty lights to indicate which switch is for what. Also included is GM’s unbeatable OnStar system that is both a global-positioning system and a personal connection to some on-call “slave†housed in some computer room, ready to respond to every request you might have, from booking a motel ahead to getting a reservation for dinner – in addition to locating you if you’re lost or have a mishap.
A DVD player entertains the two or three rear-seat occupants in the roomy back seat, and a Bose AM-FM-6-disc audio system is augmented by an XM Satellite radio. The driver and front passenger have 10-way adjustable seats, with both the seats and back cushions heated, and the pedals are adjustable with another power control to accommodate short or long legs for optimum comfort.
Impressive as all those features are, they shouldnÂ’t obscure the real-world items, such as the Stabilitrak stability system as well as traction-control, a road-sensing suspension, automatic level control, ultrasonic rear parking assist to beep when you get close to crushing a subcompact, 4-wheel disc brakes on 17-inch alloy wheels, on which are mounted all-weather tires instead of the bouncy off-road tires of hard-core SUVs.
There is nothing hard-core about the Escalade EXT. It may be capable of heavy-duty work, but it is decidedly “soft core†where luxury matters to Cadillac’s audience.
Zach-attack sets blistering tempo for Fighting Sioux
Zach Parise is only a freshman, but he has taken the WCHA, and the nationÂ’s college hockey scene, by storm this season, while helping North Dakota vault back from a rare noncontending season into the thick of the title chase.
In fact, while going into an idle weekend (Jan. 24-25), the Fighting Sioux (10-1-5) are tied for first place in the WCHA with Colorado College (11-2-3). And Zach Parise shares the national collegiate scoring lead with Colorado College star Peter Sejna at 47 points. Sejna (25-22—47) is matched by Parise’s 18-29—47, although Parise took three weeks off to star for the U.S. Junior National team over the holidays. Parise’s 29 assists are one reason why Brandon Bochenski, his sophomore linemate, has 28-18—46, third in the nation in points, and first with 28 goals.
“I’m having a great time, and the season is going great,†said Parise, an unassuming young man who just scored four points or more for the fourth time this season with a hat trick plus one assist in the 11-2 Sioux romp at Alaska-Anchorage last Friday. He added an assist in Saturday’s 3-0 sweeper, to extend his point-scoring streak to 12 games.
As if leading the nation in scoring wasn’t enough, the versatility of Parise’s play is underscored by breaking down his goals and points. In all games, he is fourth in the WCHA in goals with 18; he is second in assists with 29; he is fifth in power-play points with 6 goals, 11 assists and 17 points; and he is first in shorthanded points with 3-2—5.
Beyond the points, however, Parise is a complete player already, covering his man and finishing his checks on defense, even though those acts are overshadowed by his offensive skills, where he is always moving, always in the right place, and a compelling figure to command the attention of teammates, foes and fans every shift.
While his scoring touch seems heaven-sent, Parise can trace his work-ethic to his father.
Jean-Paul Parise played most of his NHL career with the Minnesota North Stars, where he became a fan favorite because of his constant hustle and irrepressible work-ethic. Tough in the corners, constant in his conscientious backchecking and always alert for any opportunity, J.P. Parise scored a lot of goals – and a lot of big goals, after which he was at his best in the dressing room after games.
“What about that goal, J.P.?†one of the gathering of reporters would ask.
“Well,†Parise would start, a serious look on his face, “I saw a small opening on the short side, so I dipped my shoulder and looked to the far side and then I shot for the openingÂ…Ââ€
As reporters would feverishly write down J.P.Â’s carefully detailed description of his key goal, he would let a sly smile spread across his face, then heÂ’d laugh heartily. “Are you kidding?†heÂ’d say. “I just put my head down and shot and it went in.Ââ€
That routine would reoccur every time Parise scored, because scoring goals was always a bonus with J.P. Parise.
A couple of decades later, when Parise had chosen as his retirement occupation the opportunity to lead the entire hockey operation at Shattuck-St. MaryÂ’s prep school in Faribault, Minn., he has guided a program that is unique among Minnesota high schools. Shattuck doesnÂ’t play in the vaunted Minnesota state high school structure, but instead plays nationally and internationally in an elite schedule, at the top youth age groups as well as high school.
The program has developed many outstanding prospects, but the one who has made the greatest impact at the next level is Zach Parise, J.P.Â’s oldest son. And while J.P. observed and nurtured ZachÂ’s developing talent from the start, there is no question that Zach will never adopt the familiar routine J.P. used to pull on the media when he scored. When Zach lets fly with a shot, he seems to know where the openings are and he hits them with great precision.
In fact, meaning no disrespect to his dad, Zach Parise is being compared to current NHL standouts.
“People say Zach plays a lot like Paul Kariya,†says Dean Blais, North Dakota coach. “But I think heÂ’s more like Peter Forsberg. Kariya and Forsberg are both great offensively, but Zach is more like Forsberg – first on the forecheck and he finishes every check.Ââ€
Before going to Alaska, Zach Parise and the Fighting Sioux faced a huge test at Minnesota. With both teams ranked among the top five in the nation, North Dakota beat the Gophers 4-2, with Parise getting the gameÂ’s first goal and assisting on two others. The next night, the Gophers shut down the Sioux 6-3, although the score doesnÂ’t indicate that two late Minnesota goals were empty-netters when Blais gambled to try to maintain North DakotaÂ’s unbeaten streak, which ended at 16 games.
It was a huge weekend for Parise, who was returning close to his Bloomington home for the first time as a collegian, and the Gopher fans were primed and ready. Parise had passed up Minnesota when he chose North Dakota, which has been the source of a curious, ongoing controversy. After he made his decision last year, former Gopher and later North Stars player and general manager Lou Nanne, and Glen Sonmor, current Gopher announcer and former coach, as well as a coach of the North Stars, drove to Faribault to try to convince Parise to change his mind and go to Minnesota. That was an NCAA violation that caused the Gophers to self-report.
This season, word spread that Herb Brooks, another former Gopher coach, had advised Parise to go to North Dakota to join the best program with the best coaching staff. Brooks said the report was taken out of context, and that he had answered J.P. Parise’s question by suggesting various colleges for various reasons – including Harvard or Yale for academic emphasis, Notre Dame for prestige, Big Ten colleges Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota for a strong combination of hockey and academics, and North Dakota for its emphasis on a strong hockey program and its great coaching staff.
Regardless, the fans were ready to let Parise have it in the first game, but Parise got the last laugh.
“It was awesome, I canÂ’t even describe it,†Parise said afterward. “I had about 30 friends and family here. It was very emotional. The fans cheered when I got a penalty and booed when I got a goal. But I expected it. I thought it would be like Keith Tkachuk going back home to Phoenix.Ââ€
Those NHL comparisons just keep on coming. Kariya, Forsberg and Tkachuk are all worthy parallels, but for the present – and the future – Zach Parise being just Zach Parise will be all the Fighting Sioux want and need.
Rooth returns to UMD women’s lineup with same speed, flair
Maria Rooth is scoring less this season, and sheÂ’s happier than ever. For the previous three seasons, Rooth established herself as one of the top players and an inspirational leader for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, who continue to carve out a reputation as the greatest success story in any sport.
“Our team has improved a lot every year,†said Rooth. “Our first year, we had some walk-ons and some players from the club team, but we had a good team. We’ve gotten better each year, and this year we have more depth, and this is the best club team I’ve ever played on.
“ItÂ’s funny, but that first year seems such a long time ago in some ways, but in other ways the four years has gone by so fast. I canÂ’t believe itÂ’s almost over. ItÂ’s too sad to even talk about.Ââ€
Rooth is a coachÂ’s dream come true. Not only is she a supremely skilled, swift-skating and highly competitive star player, but she has the kind of humility that sets apart the truly great players from those who think theyÂ’re great. For example, every coach would love to have players who arenÂ’t consumed by their own point totals, and most players will insist they donÂ’t pay attention to their individual startistics. Rooth, however, proved it decisively when her University of Minnesota-Duluth womenÂ’s hockey team was playing Dartmouth a couple of weeks ago.
Rooth got an assist when Joanne Eustace knocked in her rebound in the first period, and she got another to help break a 2-2 tie when Erika Holst scored in the second period. When the second period ended, each team was given a penalty after the buzzer, and UMD coach Shannon Miller sent Rooth, UMDÂ’s captain, out to get a clarification from the referee.
“When I went over there, the linesman gave me the puck,†said Rooth. “He said, ‘Give this to the player on your team who just scored her 200th point. I said, ‘OK,Â’ and brought it to the dressing room. I asked [assistant coach] Shawna Davidson who on our team had gotten her 200th point, and Shawna said, ‘I think YOU did.Â’ Ââ€
Sure enough, Maria Rooth, whose scoring tally is lagging behind her pace of her first three years this season, was the first player in UMD women’s hockey to have reached 200 points. Although she’s in her fourth year, there is still some confusion about pronouncing her name. Some, including the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center public-address announcer, pronounce it “Roth,†as though that’s the English translation of Rooth. She laughs, and points out that it’s pronounced the same as “RUTH,†although more like “ROOT,†with a tight little “th†sound at the end. Whatever she’s called, Shannon Miller knows what she should be called.
“She can be the best player on the ice without ever scoring a point,†said Miller. “If we need some speed or a big play to ignite the team, itÂ’s either Maria, or Shmiggy [Jenny Potter] who I send out there to do it. Shmiggy is leading the nation in points, and we can always depend on her, but often Maria is our most effective player at both ends of the rink.Ââ€
When Miller was brought to Duluth to start the UMD program, she found a lot of homestate players were looking beyond UMD to larger and more established colleges. Miller, the highly competitive coach of the 1998 Canadian women’s Olympic team, had two choices – she could recruit second-tier Minnesota girls just to get the program established, or she could use her international connections, bring in some world-class players, and see that the program hit the ice flying. Knowing Miller, there really was no choice in the matter.
She went to Sweden to get Rooth and Erika Holst, young National team members, and to Finland to get forward Hanne Sikio and goaltender Tuula Puputti. When Potter, then Jenny Schmidgall, before her married and mom days, transferred to UMD from the University of Minnesota, the Bulldogs had the nucleus for a team that won the very first championship in the womenÂ’s WCHA first season. UMD also went off to what served as a national tournament that year, but it wasnÂ’t until their second season that the NCAA decided to start a national tournament in womenÂ’s hockey.
Rooth and Schmidgall were both named to the WCHA first team all-stars after that 1999-2000 season, as Schmidgall led the nation with 41 goals, 52 assists for 93 points, while Rooth had 37-31—68 in 32 games. Both were finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top college player in women’s hockey.
With Schmidgall out of school the next two years, having a baby and playing for the U.S. Olympic team, Rooth took on the role of inspirational leader. She led the Bulldogs with 41-31—72 in 35 games, was all-WCHA first team, All-America, and again was a finalist for the Kazmaier Award, but her most prized accomplishment was that UMD won the first-ever NCAA women’s championship. Rooth scored three goals and one assist in the third period to lead a 5-goal barrage that buried Harvard 6-3 in the semifinals, and she added another goal and assist in the 4-2 title game victory over St. Lawrence.
Last season, with Schmidgall having become Jenny Potter, but still away at the Olympics, Rooth again took charge. She and Holst tied for the team scoring title with 38 points, Rooth with 22-16—38 and Holst 16-22—38. For the third straight time, Rooth was named first team all-WCHA, and Kazmaier Award finalist, and for the second straight year she was named All-America. Once again, however, it was the team-first attitude that prevailed, as UMD won the second NCAA championship.
At Olympic time last February, Rooth and Holst joined SwedenÂ’s team at Salt Lake City, while Puputti and Sikio played for Finland. With Potter back in a UMD uniform this season, and again leading the nation in points, and Holst, Canadian Olympic rookie Caroline Ouellette and junior Tricia Guest scoring in large numbers, Rooth continues to be an inspirational force, but she doesnÂ’t have to score as much. And thatÂ’s just fine with her.
“In Sweden, some people know if theyÂ’ve got a lot of goals or points, but itÂ’s nothing like here,†said Rooth. “WeÂ’re not used to all the stats that people keep over here. On our Swedish Olympic team, I donÂ’t think anyone knew how many points they had. But you know, sometimes you can have a great game and not have a single point.Ââ€
In RoothÂ’s case, she can score in bunches, and she has the capacity to raise her intensity to an unstoppable level, particularly after she might get bodychecked or otherwise frustrated. Or when she just makes up her mind to take charge. When the Bulldogs played their biggest series of the season, at undefeated and No. 1 ranked Minnesota on Nov. 30-Dec. 1, Rooth scored three goals as UMD came from a 3-1 deficit to win 4-3 in the first game.
“No question, Maria was the best player on the ice that game,†said coach Miller.
The next day, Rooth was flying again, but she was checked from behind into the side boards late in the first period, and while the Bulldogs came from behind to win that one, too, with a 6-5 performance, Rooth was KOÂ’d for six weeks with a concussion and separated shoulder. SheÂ’ll miss more games while joining SwedenÂ’s national team in another week, so she may never get her point total up to its normal pace.
But her teammates depend on her for so much more than mere points. Last weekend, Wisconsin beat UMD 2-1 Friday night, for UMDÂ’s first loss in the WCHA this season, as the Badgers did a fantastic job of preventing Rooth and Potter from their usual dominant roles. But in the second game, Rooth scored with a big slapshot off a neat drop pass from Joanne Eustace at 1:24 of the first period. Potter made it 2-0, and when Wisconsin closed to 2-1 in the second period, Rooth scored another goal at 18:11, and assisted Michelle McAteer for what turned out to be a 4-1 victory.
The three-point game boosted Rooth to 11-14—25 for this season. ThatÂ’s a long way from the 24-32—56 of Potter, and also trails HolstÂ’s 39 points, OuelletteÂ’s 33 points, SikioÂ’s 30 points, and freshman Krista McArthurÂ’s 27 points. Still, she seems certain to claim an all-WCHA slot for the fourth consecutive year, and the fourth time could be her lucky year in the Kazmaier Award competition. None of that fazes Rooth, nor does being sixth in team scoring, or moving back in UMDÂ’s offensive-oriented attack from “torpedo†to “halfback.Ââ€
“We moved Shmiggy up from halfback to torpedo and switched Maria to a different line and moved her back from torpedo to halfback,†said Miller. “In our system, our halfbacks have a big defensive responsibility, and Maria is more effective in that role than any of our other forwards.Ââ€
“I think I like halfback better,†said Rooth.
ThatÂ’s no surprise to anyone who has watched Rooth dominate both ends of the ice. Now, with the Bulldogs ranked No. 2 in the country and the third NCAA womenÂ’s tournament scheduled for Duluth in March, there might be just enough time for the P.A. announcer to get her name right.
Outlander a perfect solution to counter outlandish SUV size
The Mitsubishi Outlander is evidence of the benefit the “crossover†sport-utility vehicle trend provides.
To the uninitiated, crossovers might seem to be vehicles that can be used for different purposes, but any vehicle can do that. A crossover SUV is one that bridges the gap from truck-based SUV to car-based SUV – simple as that.
When manufacturers started building sport-utility vehicles, they had sportsmen, ranchers and farmers in mind, people who had to haul and tow all sorts of things, including families of various sizes. So, rugged was the keyword, and it was important to have the ability to drive over the fields and through the woods to places other than grandmotherÂ’s house.
When SUVs became super-trendy, they replaced minivans, which had replaced station wagons, in the American lifestyle. Studies showed that something like 95 percent of SUVs purchased never were driven off the road, and probably about the same amount never hauled anything. If they did, it would be a lightweight boat trailer, which any car could tow.
So manufacturers started downsizing the rugged passenger compartments and clamping SUV-like bodies onto car platforms, rather than trucks. Voila! No more truck-like ride, no more top-heavy tippiness, no more multi-ton heft and gas mileage down low enough to challenge single digits. Some credit Subaru for starting the movement, although Subaru never really made a truck, so rather than crossing over, it just let its tough station wagons grow in ground clearance into the Outback variety. The real trend came when Honda and Toyota, battling at the top of the competitive heap, came out with the compact Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, then moved upscale with the Acura MDX and Lexus RX300.
Now everybody has one. Or two. With more on the way. It is my firm belief that while the big SUVs are either loved (by those who own them) or despised (by those who donÂ’t, and are irked by the intimidation and vision-blocking of SUVs), the industryÂ’s SUV dilemma will solve itself, because crossover SUVs are going to take over and dominate the marketplace. The vast majority of SUV buyers will buy crossovers, leaving the biggest SUVs to those sportsmen/farmer types who need them.
Because it takes a company a minimum of a couple of years to go from design to production, It is uncertain whether the Outlander is a trend-setter, a trend-follower or just jumping onto the bandwagon a bit late. Mitsubishi always has made very good but underrated cars like the Galant, Diamante, Mirage/Colt/Lancer, and Eclipse, and it got in early on the SUV trend with the Montero. But the Montero and the more recent Montero Sport are pickup truck-based SUVs.
By being a bit late, the Outlander might be right on time to thrust Mitsubishi into the thick of the crossover battle. In recent years, engineering and production have stiffened car chassis to the point of structural rigidity that makes them not only far safer in collisions but also capable of being much more precise in handling. You turn the wheel, even swerve, and the stiffness of the platform allows the car to respond without swaying. MitsubishiÂ’s most recent new car platform is on the Lancer compact, an enjoyable little sedan to drive.
The Outlander body was plunked down on that sophisticated Lancer platform, and the result is a quick, fun-to-drive SUV, with a lot of passenger room inside that somewhat blunt body shape – a surprising amount of room, actually, so that you not only have room for four or five, but also a large storage area behind the rear seat. The wheelbase is 103.3 inches, and its overall length is 179.1 inches – virtually identical to the CR-V in both dimensions.
The test-drive vehicle was the more basic LS, which means it doesnÂ’t cost as much as the XLS but has the same 2.4-liter 4-cylinder and 16-inch wheels. With a base price of under $19,000, you can load it up and still be around $22,000 with the top model. But the base LS is pretty impressive.
The single-overhead-cam engine has four valves per cylinder and produces 140 horsepower at 5,000 RPMs, with a 6,250 rev redline and a 6,500 rev shutoff. It also puts out 157 foot-pounds of torque at only 2,500 RPMs for good pulling power. At just over 3,200 pounds, that engine wonÂ’t win any drag-races, and the Outlander has been criticized for not being very swift from 0-60. While thatÂ’s a lot like criticizing a Corvette for not having much rear-seat room, I also have a theory about that.
The test Outlander had front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive as an option on both the LS and XLS. The magazine test figures I read of 10-plus seconds to 60 were for the all-wheel-drive version. Maybe I’m wrong, but the FWD Outlander felt very quick – much quicker than the CR-V, RAV4 or Forester it intends to compete with. Maybe it was just perception, or maybe the FWD version is quicker because its modest power doesn’t feed all four wheels. The upside in the less-than-huge horsepower compromise is that the Outlander gives you mid-20s for miles per gallon, and with regular fuel.
The 4-speed automatic transmission is another factor. It is also very simple, but also fun to drive. You come down with the floor shifter from park-reverse-neutral and into drive, and thatÂ’s it. The adaptive automatic will learn from your hevy-footedness how to shift, weÂ’re told. But you also can move the shift lever over to the right to a separate gate, and, sure enough, it goes into auto-manual mode where you can upshift or downshift manually with a spring-loaded tap. That also allows you to extract all the power you want from the engine, and it adds to the perception of quickness, where perception is as important as any statistics.
The front bucket seats are very firm, but comfortable, with bulges in the backrest for lumbar support. The rear seat is a split bench that can house three or fold down flat to stash long items.
Four-wheel independent suspension gives you maximum stability with that quick steering feel. Incidentally, while reading Motor TrendÂ’s December issue evaluation from which it picked the Volvo XC90 as SUV of the year, I scanned the test data used from the 14 finalists, which ranged from the Navigator and Hummer H2 to the 4Runner, Lexus GX470 and nimble Subaru Baja and Forester, as well as the Honda Pilot and Element.
The tests showed the all-wheel-drive Outlander slowest 0-60 at 12.3 seconds, but it also had the best skidpad results, with 0.79 g-forces – clearly better than the 0.75 of the co-runner-up Element and Baja, and far beyond the 0.64 of the surprisingly skittish Hummer H2. More impressive, the supposedly underpowered Outlander gave away a range of power from a minimum of 20 horsepower to the Element to a maximum of over 160 horses to the Aviator-Navigator or Hummer V8s, yet the Outlander recorded a 61.7 mph run through the 600-foot slalom course to beat everything else. Only the Volvo reached 60, while the Hummer could only manage 52.2 mph with its 315 horsepower.
From a driving standpoint, while itÂ’s fun to test and evaluate vehicles with all the goodies and gadgets, I donÂ’t need a lot of them intruding on my driving efficiency, especially when they take a toll on the sticker price and might be more nuisance than benefit. The Outlander comes through on that count, with simple gauges, and a neat center-dash stack of controls, topped by two round vents with slats that can aim heat or air (mostly heat, these days) wherever you want. Between them is a clock, a simple, what-time-is-it? Clock.
Right below the vents is the audio system, which was pretty basic on the test vehicle with AM-FM-CD player, and simple controls. Push the button on the left for on-off, and turn it for volume. Under that is the heat-air control, with three large, round knobs for fan, temperature and direction, and below that is a large 12-volt receptacle.
There are various storage bins in the Outlander as well, and the steering wheel is nicely styled, with bulges where you want to grip it, and four spokes angled downward so they’re not in the way of hands or eyes.
For $20,000, the Outlander is a tight, attractive package, with that beak on the grille giving it a distinctive place on which to mount the Diamondstar emblem. And from there on back, itÂ’s as impressive as it is cost-effective when it comes to crossing over.
(John Gilbert writes a weekly automotive column for Murphy McGinnis Newspapers. He can be reached by e-mail at jgilbert@duluth.com.)
Some auto show concept cars deserve to come to life
Now that the major auto-show circuit is well underway all across the United States, those who spend time wandering amid the shiny new products are either looking for a new car to purchase or they are just interested in seeing all the latest technology on display. The usual new and futuristic vehicles are always augmented by concept vehicles, that separate class of vehicles that might range from design experiments put out to dazzle the consumers, or design ideas that are out there to measure consumer reaction as a gauge to help determine if the concept will ever graduate to production.
This year is no different, but after spending several days in the mind-blowing company of a couple dozen such concept cars at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, there are some of those concepts that are ready for production, and some that are too far over the edge to worry about.
However, there are some concept vehicles that deserve consideration when it comes to decision-making time by the manufacturers. Here, at random, are three such concept vehicles that could make our real-world of driving more satisfying if their companies are willing to produce them for sale:
MAZDA WASHU
Mazda connected big-time with the Mazda6 sedan, which is quite probably the best midsize sedan on the market, and it certainly is the best midsize sedan for anyone who enjoys driving enough to want the family sedan to be far sportier than a mere appliance, and the soon-to-be released RX-8. So the Washu – which means “eagle’s wing†in Japanese – is the latest idea from a company on the upsurge.
It has the futuristic look of a space capsule, with sleek lines and aerodynamic excellence measured at 0.25 coefficient of drag, but inside that tightly skinned body is room for six occupants. In this era of crossover sport-utility vehicles, Mazda has followed up the MPV, Miata, Protégé, the new Mazda6, and the RX-8 with an intriguing crossover people-hauler and sports wagon with the Washu.
The front doors open wide, 90 degrees, and the doors wrap into the roof to make the opening seem even larger. The rear doors, instead of being the trendy “suicide door†style of being rear-hinged, instead pull out and then slide back. Mazda says it’s a lot like an airplane door, although those of us who spend more time on earth might say it’s similar to the rear sliding doors of most vans. Whatever the inspiration, the resulting opening is virtually the entire side of the vehicle, although a rollbar-like brace creates a side pillar that is even stylish on its own. While it doesn’t appear the Washu is large enough for three rows of seats, that’s exactly what it does have, so the large side opening is welcome.
Using “steer-by-wire†electronics, the steering wheel and controls fold neatly into the dash to open the front seat room even more. The seats are arranged to be switchable, with the rears folding away for cargo hauling, but the front seat giving the driver the choice of a cockpit-like sporty feel, or a relaxed, more upright cruising seat.
An entirely new 3.5-liter V6 engine powers the Washu, with a six-speed automatic transmission activated by steering wheel switches. The roof is made of glass panels that can be switched electrically to be either transparent or opaque. And the headlights represent the latest industry trend, with the ability to not only shine brightly and with a distinct focus cutoff to avoid blinding oncoming drivers, but they also turn in the direction youÂ’re steering.
Great looking, functional and efficient. Build it, and the buyers will come.
GENERAL MOTORS HY-WIRE
First displayed at the Paris auto show a couple of months ago, GM brought its Hy-Wire to Detroit for the North American International Auto Show. It formed an interesting contrast, because most of the stuff GM was displaying was accompanied by boasts of more power than ever, with 300 horsepower here, 400 there, 500 over there, and a Cadillac Sixteen, which is so named because it has a 16-cylinder engine. Global warming, indeed.
Compared to all of that, if the Hy-Wire represents GMÂ’s corporate conscience, it was pretty subtle. But it is slick, if you look closely.
It is an alternative-energy vehicle, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell created by GM’s German arm, and with a drive-by-wire system developed in Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy. The whole motor – as well as transmission, steering and braking components – is contained in an 11-inch thick base chassis, which gave designers the ability to design a wide-open occupant compartment on top of it.
You can even change body panels, to make the shape of the vehicle conform to personal tastes. You also accelerate and brake by using hand grips, which you twist or squeeze.
ItÂ’s a spectacular vehicle, and its hydrogen fuel-cell power is one of the choices for the future, if we are to cut down on our dependence on gasoline. You need to load it up with hydrogen, and the fuel cell turns it into highly efficient electrical power, and your only emission is water.
Is it too futuristic to be feasible? Maybe. It certainly seems like it. But everybody is playing with fuel cells and other such technology. General Motors also has come out saying it will be putting hybrid power in an assortment of vehicles, starting with the Saturn VUE. But in those, theyÂ’re talking about a big, powerful gasoline engine, with little electrical motors to complement the power, and theyÂ’ll start appearing in 2005 and continue until the end of the decade.
However, Toyota and Honda have had that technology on the road for two or three years now, and while GM claims this will be high-volume production, something like the Hy-Wire represents something truly new, futuristic and possible.
TOYOTA FINE-S
Up at the forefront of technology, Honda and Toyota continue to try to outdo each other. While Honda had a fuel-cell vehicle on display, Toyota landed the stylistic haymaker of the Detroit show by launching the FINE-S. This is not only a stunning alternative-energy vehicle, it is just plain stunning, no matter what kind of styling you like.
The FINE-S is a slick sports coupe, powered by a hydrogen fuel-cell with electric power as a hybrid concept. So while some are trying to harness fuel cells, Toyota has already gone beyond that to complement it with hybrid technology, with which it already has proven success. While a fuel cell provides the main power, the FINE-S has little electric motors at all four wheels for all-wheel drive control.
Toyota has just delivered zero-emission hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles to the Japanese government in Tokyo and to the University of California campuses in both Irvine and Davis. Those vehicles are based on the Highlander SUV. But this FINE-S is something altogether different. With a long wheelbase and very short overhangs front and rear, and ground-hugging low center of gravity, the FINE-S has individual wheel torque control systems to provide performance handling. The spacious interior has four seats.
On the stage at DetroitÂ’s Cobo Center, Toyota introduced hybrid versions of its just-introduced RX330, the Lexus midsize SUV which had just been upgraded for 2004, and another little Jeep-like vehicle, the SU-HV, which also will get hybrid power. Then came the unveiling of the FINE-S.
While U.S. industry executives continue to talk about more power, and they and their lobbyists, and the conservative arm of talk-radio outlets continue to insist there is nothing to global warming or petroleum shortages, ToyotaÂ’s executives had a refreshingly different stance. One of them pointed out ToyotaÂ’s gain in market share around the world, then said that despite all the changes, Toyota believes that “our most dramatic changes are in our future. With global warming, and limited petroleum preserves, we want to make our engines the cleanest in the world. Success has not blinded us to the opportunities of the future.Ââ€
Kind of makes you believe Toyota not only has created a sleek beauty with the FINE-S, but that it intends to build it, too.
It couldnÂ’t happen soon enough.
In fact, that goes for all three of these concept vehicles. Certainly, there are a dozen more that would be popular and successful if built, but thatÂ’s part of the fun of going to auto shows. You go, and you get to pick your own. But the Washu, Hy-Wire and FINE-S would all make our world a better place in which to enjoy a vehicle.
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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