Suzuki aims XL7, SX4 at rise to prominence in U.S.
CARLSBAD, CALIF. — The automobile business in the United States has been frustrating for Suzuki, and from a personal standpoint, I must say that SuzukiÂ’s cars have been mostly a frustration to me. That could all change for 2007, when the company known for exceptional motorcycles and outboard motors, and for being only a bit player in cars, introduces two vehicles – the XL7 and SX4 – that could lift Suzuki to the prominence it deserves.
For those who scoff at the words Suzuki and prominence in the same sentence, consider that in Japan, Suzuki ranks third in vehicle sales, behind only Toyota and Nissan, and ahead of such powerhouse companies as Honda, Mazda, or Subaru.
In Japan, and other countries more sensitive to congestion and fuel-efficiency, smaller cars have been big for decades, and Suzuki makes outstanding small cars. The new SX4 is the newest of those. In the U.S., Suzuki sold vehicles on its own through a small network, but made some noise through an alliance with General Motors, where its Samurai became the Geo Tracker, and its Sprint became the Geo Metro.
The Metro was a popular and dependable economy car with a tiny 3-cylinder engine that was great for kids with no money and pizza delivery shops that didnÂ’t want to spend much. Virtually unnoticed, the Sprint was available in a sizzling turbocharged 4-cylinder model that was a hoot to drive.
From that hot-rod Sprint, and its GSR road-racing motorcycles, I knew Suzuki could make special things that worked, and provided world-class fun. So I looked forward to the new Verona and Forenza models a year ago, and while they proved adequate, it was disappointing to learn that those cars are the result of SuzukiÂ’s recent alliance with General Motors, and GMÂ’s recent takeover of the South Korean Daewoo company. ThatÂ’s where Chevrolet gets its Aveo subcompact now, and GM fives Suzuki the larger Verona and Forenza from Daewoo. Both are pretty nice cars, but if I buy a vehicle with SuzukiÂ’s name on it, I want a Suzuki engine in it.
That brings us to the SX4. It is a small, compact, 5-door hatchback that will ultimately replace the fun and flexible Aerio in Suzuki’s fleet. It is more stylish, and it resembles a progressive extension of that late and lamented Sprint GT. Suzuki calls it an “X-over†design, meaning “cross-over,†and it is aimed directly at the Dodge Caliber, Toyota Matrix, Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, Scion xA or xB, Subaru Impreza, Ford Focus, and Mazda 5, among others. Though more compact than some of those, SX4 is within 95 percent of cargo space of anything else in its class.
A more thorough review will follow, but for now, consider these points: The SX4 lists for a base $14,999, making it the most inexpensive all-wheel-drive vehicle available. The three-mode switchable AWD can be locked in front-drive, all-wheel-drive, or low-range AWD, which is for snow or other severe conditions, and switches to normal AWD at 36 mph in case you forget. It has a Suzuki-built 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with chain-driven dual overhead camshafts, 143 horsepower at 5,800 RPMs, with 136 foot-pounds of torque peaking at 3,500 RPMs.
The Aerio had a 2.3-liter 4, and the Grand Vitara uses the 2.0, which has been renewed with electronic (drive-by-wire) throttle control, four-cam phasing, and a controlled crossover intake manifold that provides more low or high end power. A 5-speed stick or 4-speed automatic makes it go, and it has EPA estimates of 24 city and 30 miles per gallon highway with the automatic transmission.
The base SX4 is quite well equipped, including alloy wheels. Add $1,400 to get the Sport model, which includes electronic stability control with traction control, keyless entry, a 6-CD audio with a subwoofer, cruise control, leather steering wheel with remote controls mounted on it. Safety is also a major element, with six standard airbags for front and side up front and side curtains. The automatic transmission is the only option on the Sport model, adding $1,000 more.
Already being sold in other markets, the SX4 is being built in Japan, with the European version being built in Hungary. Suzuki officials say they are aiming the SX4 at predominately single men, age 18-30, 35 percent of whom have at least some college, and with a household income of $50,000. If this is entry level, itÂ’s a sophisticated entry level.
My biggest complaint is that in spirited curvy-road driving, the SX4 could use either a 6-speed manual, or closer ratio between second and third, because I found myself having to choose between too many revs in second or not enough in third.
As for the new XL7, you might remember that the old XL-7 had a hyphen. The new one loses the hyphen, and it loses any resemblance to the old vehicle. The new one is based on an alliance with GM of Canada, and it is made in a joint-venture plant on the GM Theta platform, which underpins the Equinox. The Chevrolet Equinox is a good-looking midsize SUV, made in Canada, with a 3.4-liter V6 built in a GM facility in China – just to slow those who still chant “buy American†at the name Chevrolet.
Suzuki designed the XL7 to be close to the concept vehicle it displayed at the 2005 Detroit auto show, so it looks very good, particularly the stylishly shaped headlight enclosures that create a distinctive front end. Then Suzuki pulled off something of a coup when it also got to use Cadillac’s “high-feature†3.6-liter V6. Suzuki claims the engine is “designed by GM, but built by Suzuki,†and I’ve seen newspaper and magazine writers who should have investigated further who wrote exactly that.
In strategy with GM, Suzuki will build the smaller engines, and GM will provide larger ones, so Suzuki agreed to halt production of its own 3.5-liter V6. Yoichi Shimoda, a former engine designer who now bolsters the marketing staff, was accommodating when I asked him about the GM-design/Suzuki-built bit. Does that mean Suzuki gets blueprints, then goes out in search of aluminum? No, laughed Shimoda.
Does it get the blocks from GM? “Yes,†he said. The pistons? “Yes.†The valves? “Yes.†The injection system? “Yes.†The engine-management electronics? “Yes.Ââ€
Ah. So GM sends the parts to Suzuki, and Suzuki assembles them, basically. However, Suzuki does its own machining of the cylinder heads and block, and modifies some parts.
“Right now, this engine is almost exactly the same as the GM version,†Shimoda said. “But in the near future, we will do other things to it. Our soul is into this engine.Ââ€
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In the new XL7, with dual overhead cams, variable valve timing, and drive-by-wire coils on each spark plug, the 3.6 delivers 252 horsepower at 6,500 RPMs, and 243 foot-pounds of torque at a mere 2,300 RPMs. The vehicle is designed to take on the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mitsubishi Outlander, the Ford Explorer, and yes – the Equinox and all of its GM spinoffs. Suzuki – which intends to sell the XL7 only in the U.S. – could sell 150,000 of them in the coming year.
It will be difficult to choose a GM version over the XL7 when the XL7 offers arguably the best engine GM makes these days, plus the same unibody structure with reinforced lower side rails, and a Getrag 5-speed automatic transmission with a manual-control gate. All of those assets are buttoned into an attractive vehicle at a price that will undercut almost all rivals.
MacPherson strut front and multilink rear suspension let the XL7 corner with poise and precision, and with three rows of seats available, and a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds, the XL7 also delivers quite good fuel economy estimates of 18 city/24 highway for front-drive models, and 17 city/23 highway for all-wheel drive. With the seats folded down into the floor, storage can be increased to 95.2 cubic feet.
Pricing starts at $22,899 for the base model with front-wheel drive, Those basic models have six airbags, stability control with traction control, 4-wheel disc brakes with antilock and electronic brake distribution, and 16-inch alloy wheels. Moving up to the Luxury model, price starts at $24,599, and adds woodgrain trim, 17-inch wheels, leather interior and power 6-way driver seat. The top Limited model starts at $27,949, with moonroof, rear DVD player in the premium audio, remote start, foglights, and aluminum trim.
On all models, all-wheel drive can be added for $1,600. Stand-alone options include the third row of seats, self-leveling, auxiliary rear air conditioning and under-floor storage, for $1,350.
Curiously enough, I had a similar complaint about the XL7 as the SX4. With the 5-speed automatic, even in manual mode, the XL7 shift points left me wanting less of a gap between second and third. A new and contemporary 6-speed would handle the problem.
OK, so I don’t completely get my way with Suzuki engines. The 3.6 V6 in the XL7 is not a genuine Suzuki engine, but itÂ’s an outstanding engine — my favorite engine currently built by GM, underwritten by a dose of Suzuki soul. The SX4, meanwhile, is pure Suzuki, through and through.
Koichi Suzuki, president of Amercian Suzuki, said the companyÂ’s goal is to sell 250,000 vehicles by 2010, and if you think thatÂ’s optimistic, Suzuki is up 62 percent since 2003, and in the first half of 2006, it beat out Volkswagen for having the largest increase year-to-year. The SX4 and XL7 are not likely to slow that upward surge.
Domesticized imports speed up market pressure
(Second in a series on the Detroit Auto Show.)
DETROIT, MICH. — There always seems to be a not-too-subtle attitude to defend domestic car manufacturers in Detroit – an understandable reaction in Motor City, hub of the U.S. car world. But even as U.S. manufacturers trot out all their best new products at the Detroit Auto Show, their struggle to cope with an obviously global market is surrounding them throughout spacious Cobo Hall.
Of course, prideful domestic car dealers and nationalistic backers conveniently overlook the hard, cold facts. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are reducing the number of U.S. plants and workers, in favor of building more and more cars and trucks in Canada and Mexico, because they can pay those workers less and still call the cars domestics, thanks to NAFTA, while more and more foreign companies are employing more and more U.S. workers in more and more U.S. plants.
Regardless, the U.S. companies have reacted well to the serious competition from Asia and Europe, and the current domestic cars are better than ever, with new vehicles displayed at the Detroit show indicating still better prospects for the future. But itÂ’s not as though the import companies are going to take a few years off to let the U.S. catch up. The U.S. companies still have a large passion for big, powerful cars and trucks, while foreign brands continue to rise in technology and fuel-efficiency, expanding the use of hybrid and diesel alternatives. At the same time, they are speeding ahead in power and performance.
Toyota, the company that already has passed Chrysler and is closing in on Ford and GM as the worldÂ’s leading car-maker, displayed the full complement of the new full-size Tundra pickups, and the impressive looking truck statistically seems to have an edge on all three domestic trucks with a CrewMax that combines SUV-like interior room with a high-tech, dual overhead-camshaft 5.7-liter V8 engine that has 381 horsepower, 401 foot-pounds of torque, and 10,800 towing capacity.
Toyota also showed a Lexus FT-HS concept sports car with a 400-horsepower hybrid powerplant, and an IS-F sporty sedan version of the Lexus IS. with a 400-horsepower V8 and an 8-speed automatic.
Not to be outdone, Honda counters with the production version of its FCX fuel-cell concept, and then dazzled everybody with the Advanced Sports Car Concept, which will become the successor to the sensational but limited-edition NSX, which remains beautiful after being virtually unchanged since its 1991 introduction – 26 years ago. The new one has a V10 engine with SH-AWD, and technology that will foretell styling ques for the next TSX and TL sedans.
Also, on the heels of the MDX, RDX CR-V and Fit models, all new for 2006, Honda introduced a new Accord coupe, which will be out this fall. The car looks as exotic as many of the flashiest concept cars, but instead it is ready to be produced as the eighth-generation model of the car that is 32 years old in the U.S.
Similarly, Nissan showed off new concept vehicles called the Rogue, and the Bevel, which will continue to expand the width and blur the lines differentiating crossover SUVs. But Nissan also quietly displayed the stunning new Altima coupe, which also looks exotic and smooth, a new contender for the established, but newly redone, Accord coupe.
Subaru brought out new versions of the Legacy and Outback. Mazda showed its new CX-9, a larger SUV than the finalist CX-7, plus a vibrant, low-slung sporty concept, called the Riuga – a name that phonetically sounds a lot like the honking horn of a Model T – the car Henry Ford introduced 100 years ago at the 1907 Detroit Auto Show. And Mitsubishi unwrapped its redone Lancer compact, and its sporty Prototype X, which will become the Evolution X.
Hyundai rolled out a new Vera Cruz crossover SUV with three rows of seats despite a tidy, compact size, leading the Korean contingent
China also had a presence, although it appears the Chengfeng Group is not nearly ready to come to the U.S. with competitive models of the compact SUVs it displayed.
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If the Japanese and Korean companies seemed to focus mainly on real-world vehicles, so did most of the new models from Europe. More restrained, and more pragmatic, for real-world objectives. Volvo and Saab had impressive concept vehicles to show off, as did Mercedes, and Jaguar, with show-stopping concepts intended for production in the near future. But most of the vehicles were ready to hit the highways.
A new Mini Cooper with a new engine is ready to be introduced, while Porsche offers the first revision of its popular Cayenne SUV, powered by a gas direct injection 4.8 liter V8., including a turbocharged version with 500 horsepower. BMW, which just rolled out its redone X5 SUV and 3-Series coupe, adds a retractable hardtop model to the 3.
Even smaller than the Mini is the Smart Fortwo, a solid, Mercedes-built traffic beater that is popular in major European cities for conquering congestion and parking issues, and was supposed to come to the U.S. the past two years. This year, auto racing magnate and prominent business magnate Roger Penske has the licensing rights to bring in the Smart within the coming year.
Audi showed off a 3.0-liter Bluetec turbodiesel, and showed a Q7 SUV with a 500-horsepower, 737-foot-pounds of torque V12 turbodiesel, along with its flashy conception of a new sports car aimed at challenging PorscheÂ’s supremacy.
Of course, narrow-visioned domestic boosters will criticize those “foreign†vehicles, even though Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Nissan, Mazda, Hyundai, BMW, and various other brands have factories in the U.S. that are more than just assembly plants, and employ American workers. It seems incomprehensible, but you can buy a Chevrolet made in Korea or assembled in Canada with an engine built in China, just as you can buy a Ford or Chrysler Group vehicle made in Mexico, Canada, or elsewhere – even while buying a Toyota, Honda, Nissan or other foreign-named vehicle, with its engine and parts both built and assembled in the U.S.
More than ever before, cars in a global market know no national boundaries.
Redesigned Outlander cruises beyond costlier SUVs
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. — There are so many new compact crossover SUVs bursting onto the automotive scene that it would be easy to overlook a few of them. Overlooking the 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander, however, would be a serious mistake for any consumer interested in a combination of good looks, advanced technology, attention to detail, fun-to-drive quotient, and a bargain sticker price.
Completely redone, the new Outlander has a tall challenge, trying to compete against the suddenly-expanding compact/crossover SUV segment against such stalwarts as the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe and Tucson, Kia Sportage, Ford Escape, Saturn Vue, Chevy Equinox, and flashy newcomers such as the Acura RD-X, or Mazda CX-7.
But the Outlander has blended features that can individual beat some of the best of those competitors, and it may, in fact, do a better job than any of them of offering all the right stuff. Its proficiency is something of a surprise, too, because Mitsubishi has just done away with the Montero, following the Montero Sport to the SUV sidelines. The company seemed to have lost its way a bit in recent years, even though it stuck with the small, 2.0-liter turbo to make the Evolution fly, but it went to a large, 3.8-liter V6 in the new Eclipse, veering away from its strength – small engines that over-achieve.
Mitsubishi has been impressive in its technical advances for nearly four decades, if not always under its own name. The Dodge Colt had a 1600 cc. overhead-cam four-cylinder with a third valve, called the MCA Jet, to create a swirling, better-igniting dash to the fuel-air mixture. That was a Mitsubishi engine, and it became instantly the smoothest 4 on the market a couple years later, when Mitsubishi ingeniously put counter-balance “Silent Shafts†inside the block to eliminate harmonic vibration. That was in 1971, I believe. Also, think of all those Dodge Caravans that cruised effortlessly for 200,000 miles with their 3.0-liter V6 engines. Those also were Mitsubishi engines.
But it will take something special to make it in this era of the fastest-growing marketplace segment, and the Outlander just could be that special. Consider the assets:
• Great looks, an all-new platform with a longer, wider, taller body, and wheelbase lengthened by 2 inches. That makes it 182.7 inches long, within two inches of the Santa Fe and CX-7, and longer than the RAV4, CR-V, RDX, Vue, and Compass. Some have written that it’s on the Lancer Evolution platform, but the fact is, it is a new “C†platform that will be assimilated into the next new models of the Lancer and Evolution. Use of high-strength steel in the lower body, and such top-lightening steps as an aluminum roof lower the center of gravity, improve the feeling of stability, while increasing torsional rigidity 18 percent and flexing rigidity by 39 percent over the outgoing Outlander.
• Excellent power, with an all-new 3.0-liter V6 (longer stroke, smaller bore than the old tried and true 3.0) with 220 horsepower, 204 foot-pounds of torque, a MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve-timing and lift Electronic Control) upgrade that works with a two-stage variable intake manifold, and some clever placement of catalytic converters to become the first V6 in its class to achieve PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) stature.
• A high fun-to-drive level, thanks to superbly bolstered bucket seats and a 6-speed automatic transmission with sequential manual capabilities that offer tall, vertical paddles made of magnesium on either side of the steering-wheel column. By being tall, they are easy to operate – right side for upshifts, left for downshifts – and by being fixed, they are always easy to locate, even if you need an immediate shift while in the middle of a sharp turn. A neat feature is that you can use the paddles in sport mode, without going into sport mode.
• Front-wheel drive standard on the base ES, LS and top XLS, with an innovative 4-wheel-drive system available on the LS or XLS. On 4WD models, the off-road heritage of those rugged Monteros is revisited by a round knob on the console that can select 2-wheel (front) drive, automatically fluctuating 4-wheel drive (front bias, transferring power to rear when called for), or lock it into 4-wheel drive to keep all four wheels churning (rear bias) in deep snow or off-road. Towing capacity is 2,000 pounds with 2-wheel drive, 3,500 with 4-wheel.
• An available third row of split-back seats is specified for kids. Four adults is a perfect fit, but another can sit in the middle of the 60/40 second row to make five. If the rear seats are up, two kids can fit back there, expanding capacity to seven, and the third row folds flat into what is a hidden storage bin in models that don’t select the third-row seats. Cargo room is 14.9 cubic feet behind the third seats, 36.2 with the third row folded down, and 72.6 with both second and third rows down.
• Safety features include front and side airbags, and side-curtain bags for the first two rows; four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and electronic brake distribution standard, as is traction control and active skid control.
Some of those many features would be impressive on an SUV that cost twice as much as the “low-$20,000†price Mitsubishi vowed for the base ES model, which comes pretty well equipped with front-wheel drive.
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Moving up to the LS gains some useful things, such as audio remote switches on the steering wheel, and the availability of 4-wheel drive, but those features shouldnÂ’t boost the price that much, which means the XLS, adding 18-inch alloys over the basic 16s, and the Sportronic remote shift paddles for the steering wheel column, should still come in under the $30,000 mark, which might only be reached by adding everything, including the luxury package, with leather seating.
Driving the Outlander with some, ah, spirit around the twisty highways coming out of the mountains north of San Francisco, heading toward the Pacific Ocean, showed off some impressive handling with the front-drive version, although I pushed it hard enough to get a little dose of drama from the understeer. Later, in the 4WD XLS, it seemed to be impossible to drive beyond the handling capabilities, thanks to the great suspension and the tight body.
The high-tech 3.0 V6 offers more power, more RPMs (the 220 horsepower peak is at 6,250), and fewer emissions, and it also has EPA highway estimates of 27 miles per gallon for FWD, and 26 for the 4WD. The fun of shifting with the paddles also makes the power seem more than the numbers imply by assuring youÂ’re in the right gear range for every circumstance. One other major asset is that the engine requires regular gas, a major saving at every fuel stop compared to premium-burning rivals.
A couple other impressive features include a couple of electronic touches – a hard-drive based navigation system that will house over 6 gigs of information and still have room to store 1,200 songs for replay through the optional Rockford Fosgate audio system. The AM-FM-CD-MP3 system has 650 watts and nine speakers, with a huge 10-inch subwoofer mounted in the rearmost wall, and a digital signal processor to best use the interior as a sound chamber.
If it sounds like the Outlander is loaded from front to rear, look at the extremities. At the front, a PremAir catalytic radiator is coated to turn 80 percent of all ozone molecules that pass by into oxygen molecules. At the rear, the top hinged tailgate flips up, leaving a small lower lip, and that folds down, then folds out, locking itself into an easy-loading shelf, or a prime seat for tailgaters.
Top Car, Truck ‘cats’ move to the front of the herd
The hay is in the barn, as they say, although a more appropriate saying might be: “The Car of the Year is in the garage.†Winners of the 2007 North American International Car (and Truck) of the Year are determined but remain secret until Sunday (January 7), when their disclosure kicks off media dayspreceding the Detroit International Auto Show.
The Car of the Year will come down to the voting points among the Honda Fit, Saturn Aura, and Toyota Camry. Truck of the Year will be the Mazda CX-7, Ford Edge, or Chevrolet Silverado.
Those of us automotive media types on the jury of 49 have voted, and this year for the first time, we voted to determine the top three point-getters, and then voted again on the three to make a more-focused winner. In past years, when the vote went in for finalists, the top three candidates were ranked 1-2-3, and only the agency that counts the ballots knew which of them was the winner. After years of considering the possibility – most persistently pushed by me – the membership agreed overwhelmingly to revote on the final three this year.
It is a good time to make the move, because this is clearly the most competitive year IÂ’ve ever seen in my 13 years of voting on the 14-year-old endeavor, which, unlike various magazine awards, is unaffected by advertising revenue, leading us to boldly proclaim that it is the most valid. As IÂ’ve often noted, you canÂ’t argue with the objectivity, because getting 49 ego-centered automotive media types to agree on anything is a lot like herding cats.
For example, Motor Trend’s annual car of the year award, announced in its current issue, went to the Camry. Two weeks later, Car & Driver magazine’s staff compared six intermediate sedans, voting on numerous criteria – including a couple of subjective segments, which allow a favorite to overtake one with more objective points – and in that competition, the new Camry came in fifth out of six! The Aura came in fourth, with the consensus ranking 1. Honda Accord, 2. Nissan Altima, 3. Kia Optima, 4. Aura, 5. Camry, and 6. Chrysler Sebring.
How can one magazine rank a car the best on the market among every category, while another ranks it fifth out of six in a six-car competition within its own segment? And how could two of our three finalists be ranked 4-5 by a magazine? Simple. Magazine writers apparently herd cats, too.
My personal choices have met with mixed success all through the process. First, I feel strongly that the best of the new vehicles for 2007 should include the Volvo C70 and Volkswagen Eos convertible-hardtops, plus the BMW 335 Coupe, and the Suzuki SX4 bargain all-wheel-drive compact. To me, those are cars of worldwide significance, along with the Honda Fit, Infiniti G35, Altima, Camry, and Aura. Since the C70, Eos, BMW and Suzuki all failed to make the reduction from the original field to the dozen candidates for cars and 14 for trucks.
When we vote to determine three finalists, we have 25 points to be distributed among all those cars we choose, in any order, with a maximum of 10 allowed for one and only one vehicle. My personal split the votes up, ranking the Fit high, then the Infiniti G35 — a fantastic mid-luxury sports sedan with all-wheel drive available — leading a cluster of the Altima, Dodge Caliber, Camry, Mercedes S-Class, and the Aura.
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My truck vote was similarly spread, and I found it even more difficult to give points to all the vehicles I thought were worthy. So dispersed were my points that I couldnÂ’t give anything 10 points. Because crossover SUVs are the hot-issue in automotives, I picked the Acura MDX a point ahead of a deadlock between the Mazda CX-7 and Acura RDX, then the BMW X5, Audi Q7, Toyota FJ Cruiser, Ford Edge and GMC Acadia. The Silverado remake is the best that truck has ever been, and while it captures numerous features from other trucks, and may be the only true truck in the field, it doesnÂ’t really break new technological ground like the vehicles I voted ahead of it.
Now for the revote. Here is a brief overview of the finalists, in order of my opinion.
Car of the Year:
Honda Fit — Fuel prices and traffic congestion have a new adversary in the Fit, which defines – and sets standards for – a new era of small cars. The expected over-30 fuel economy and creative interior layout are complemented by fun-to-drive performance and cat-quick agility, which prove boredom is not required to soothe a social conscience. A 1.5-liter high-tech four jumps at the touch of the steering wheel automatic paddle shifters, and foldable seats allow everything up to bicycles to fit inside. ThereÂ’s that word again.
Saturn Aura — The “I-canÂ’t-believe-itÂ’s-a-Saturn†Aura mixes an appealing design and luxurious interior with enough potency from the optional high-tech 3.6-liter V6 to create a new flair for Saturn in particular, and for General Motors inÂ…ahÂ…general. Big wheels help stability, a big trunk and roomy rear seat enhance livability, and the engine upgrade makes it an impressive variation of a vehicle first built by GMÂ’s European Opel subsidiary.
Toyota Camry — Revising a champion is challenging, but Toyota improved every facet of the Camry with a stylish 2007 redesign that offers models that stress luxury, economy, or – dare we say? – sportiness to the nationÂ’s largest seller. The base model is good, the sporty and luxury models are more than good, and the hybrid is impressive, although I got only 30 miles per gallon with one, driving conservatively with an eye on the fuel gauge.
Truck of the Year:
Mazda CX-7 — Crossover SUVs are the rage, and MazdaÂ’s seductively sporty CX-7 has the zoom-zoom of a sports car with SUV attributes. Few competitors can match the zip of a six-speed turbo four, winter-beating assets of all-wheel drive, and the CX-7Â’s bargain price. It lacks the sporty paddle shifters, but in the mid-$20,000 range, a direct-injection and turbocharged 2.3 pumps out 244horsepower and leaves large engines in its dust.
Ford Edge — The name Edge also describes the sharply-chiseled styling of FordÂ’s well-equipped entry in the crossover race. Comfortable interior appointments and well-planted SUV solidity may require extra heftiness, but it is adequately offset by the punch of a new 3.5 V6. Built on a lengthened and stiffened Mazda platform, and borrowing from VolvoÂ’s safety and traction technology, the Edge stays personal and leaves third-row seating to its larger siblings.
Chevrolet Silverado — While overdue for a renovation, the new Silverado got it right for Â’07, with vastly improved looks and chassis stiffness, outstanding interior design, plus the wise inclusion of some of the most-clever features from various competitors. Styling is definitely first-rate, but claims of 20 miles per gallon are strictly EPA-estimate fantasy, based on the 13.8 I got in a week of freeway driving.
So, what will win? ItÂ’s anybodyÂ’s guess. I have a hunch, though, that if the car result isnÂ’t the closest on record, the truck winner will be. The envelope, pleaseÂ…
A little icing alters luxury-performance car selection
Holiday time is always special, snow or no-snow, with family gatherings for Christmas that always seem to overlap to also cover New Year’s celebrations. This year became special on the road as well, because by chance, I had the opportunity to simultaneously road test three of the best mid-luxury sports sedans – the Infiniti M45 Sport, the Acura TL Type-S, and the Audi S6.
If you like winter, this Christmas season was pretty wimpy, especially in Minnesota. While the southern half of the state got a couple storms, the Duluth and North Shore area has been remarkably free of snow. It was, in fact, one of only four times in history that the Duluth area had a “Brown Christmas.Ââ€
Meanwhile, if you like luxury cars, but also want your car to rise above standard-issue models in quick and agile performance and handling, youÂ’d choose a car that lacked the ultra-soft or ultra-quiet features of pure luxury. In that mindset, if you had a choice of vehicles to drive across the country, but for combined comfort and excitement, the M45 Sport, Acura TL Type-S, and Audi S6 would be a perfect hat trick.
Two things made this exercise particularly worthwhile. First, the Infiniti M45 Sport, with a 4.5-liter V8 (325 horsepower and 336 foot-pounds of torque), is front- engine/rear-drive; the Acura TL Type-S, with a 3.5-liter V6 (258 horses and 286 foot-pounds), is front-engine/front-drive; and the Audi S6 with a 5.2-liter V10 (435 horsepower, 398 foot-pounds) is quattro-loaded with front-engine/all-wheel drive.
All three cars had high-performance automatic transmissions with paddle-control manual shifters on the steering wheel. All of them had the most sophisticated new traction-control and stability-control technical stuff.
So-called “performance†magazines universally prefer rear-drive, and it’s fun to apply power until you hang the rear end loose for an exhilarating way to take a tight turn on a race track. Conservative types in the worst winter climates prefer the security of all-wheel drive, although Audi’s quattro system was aimed at all-out performance handling, with the outer two wheels getting more power for cornering,, and handles foul weather as a side effect.
In the Upper Midwest, front-wheel drive not only was accepted but was embraced by all who ever white-knuckled a rear-drive car in a winter storm, and front-wheel-drive remains the preference, because they have most of the traction assets of all-wheel drive without the added weight or expense.
Now we return to Christmas weekend. For the journey 150 miles north from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area to Duluth, the three vehicles were apportioned. I drove north first, in the Audi A6. My wife, Joan, came later that afternoon, in the M45 Sport, and our two sons would come the next day.
It was only drizzly with a chilly rain when I left, but I saw a few snow flurries on the trip, so when I heard that the rain had turned to snow in the Twin Cities, I called Joan. She had started, but said the driving was treacherous enough that she had slowed to 40-45.
“Oops,†she said, “the car next to me just went off the road.Ââ€
Because the storm had caught us by surprise, I hadnÂ’t worried about the M45 Sport being rear drive. The snow grew in severity and blew across the whole central part of the state, and Joan arrived late, but intact. Barely.
She then relayed the story about how, two-thirds of the way through the trip, she was driving 40 in the right lane, with no traffic around her, and only one car reasonably close behind. Suddenly, without any input from Joan, the M45 SportÂ’s rear end started to swing out to the side.
She knew she was on glazed ice, and she didnÂ’t panic. She said she tried to remember some of the things we had discussed after various emergency-driving courses IÂ’d been through.
One of them was to turn the steering wheel into the skid, but don’t make the common mistake of turning it all the way to lock – and, more important, once the car reaches the “point of no return†and is destined to spin out, bring the steering wheel back to straight ahead and take your foot off the brake and the gas.
Sounds strange, but if you keep the wheel turned, the skid will be encouraged to make the car go around and maybe around again. Bringing it back to neutral, and getting off the pedals, will cause the car to seek the path of least resistance in the skid – which is straight ahead, where the tires want to roll.
Well, she admitted she forgot the first part, but held her cool. The rear end of the M45 Sport swung briefly to the inside, then went to the outside — all the way around, a full 360-degrees. To her amazement and eternal relief, it finished the full spin and continued straight ahead, straddling the center line, but with no contact, no ditch expedition, no problem.
The engine had died from the skid, and before she could restart, the car behind her slowed and asked if she was OK. She gave them a wave and said she was fine. I wondered what went through the minds of the people in that car, when they watched, in some degree of horror, as this shiny new Infiniti up ahead gently and smoothly spun an entire 360-degree spin and all was OK.
Our whole family was relieved that Joan had come through her sudden emergency without a problem. We also had reinforced the belief in the inherent advantages of front-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive.
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Performance magazine writers ridicule front-wheel-drive cars for lacking the all-out performance feel of rear-drive, and whine about front-wheel-drive vehicles having a little torque-steer when driven beyond reasonable limits in tight corners. I would love to see one of those hot-shot drivers transplanted into the driverÂ’s seat of that M45 Sport at the moment Mother Nature decided to prove who is really in charge.
The M45 Sport is an exceptional car. Its high-tech V8 has variable valve timing, and the 5-speed automatic has a feature that matches revs whenever it is called upon to downshift. It also has a unique rear suspension that flexes enough to act as four-wheel steering. And, it has EBD, BA, VDC and TCS – which translate into electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, vehicle dynamic control, and traction control system. These are the sophisticated devices that cause rear-drive zealots to insist we could all get through winter with rear drive.
They overlook the obvious, which is that the same devices on front-wheel-drive cars enhance their ice-driving superiority. The whole point is merely one of physics. If the rear wheels push the car, then on slippery surfaces, the front wheels are coasting, while the rears spin with power and might want to try to pass the fronts – which, in a nutshell, is the definition of a spinout.
There are ways to make the best of a threatening situation, by installing winter or all-season tires. My preference remains Nokian WR all-seasons. But, again, such tires can help a rear-drive car survive winter, but they also can be mounted on front-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive, where their traction attributes can make winter driving enjoyable, rather than threatening.
Ironically, there wasnÂ’t a flake of snow in Duluth from that storm. So we didnÂ’t get a chance to test the comparative assets of the Audi S6, which is the high-performance upgrade version of the A6, or the Acura TL S-Type, which is the high-performance upgrade of the TL.
If we had encountered the same glazed freeway stretch, however, we would have slowed down and continued in a straightforward vector. It might have taken just as long to get there, but it would have been minus the heart-in-the-throat moment of terror during a 360-degree spin.
You donÂ’t have to take my word for it. Ask Joan.
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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