Passat grows into, and fulfills, large car role for VW
Having gotten over the surprise at how much Volkswagen had altered the appearance of the 2006 Jetta, it was easier to accept the 2006 Passat. Picture the new Jetta being pulled, stretched and elongated by almost nine inches, and, if you squint just a little, you can visualize the Passat.
While the Jetta remains VWÂ’s bread-and-butter midsize sedan, the Passat is its full-size sedan. While the Jetta has good front, rear and trunk space, the Passat has significantly more front, rear and trunk space. Personally, I like the look of the new Jetta, although I thought the outgoing 2005 model was almost precision-cut perfect in understated but Germanic styling. So IÂ’m surprised to read some magazine critics saying the Passat looks so much better than the Jetta, because they are quite similar.
Both cars have the new pronounced nose, with the large “U†shape to the grille, made more prominent by liberal use of chrome in the outline, which traces the bumper as its bottom segment. Critics have said the Jetta rear and taillight layout is Toyota-like, and there is a great similarity with the rear image of the Corolla, but the Passat has very similar taillights.
The difference is that the sweeping, smooth lines of the silhouette seem to be better proportioned on the bigger Passat, which has grown by three inches, than on the chopped-off Jetta.
I attended the introduction of the new Jetta, and the separate intro for its hot-rod GTI version. That one was my favorite, coming with AudiÂ’s fantastic direct-injection 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, brought to life by an engine management system that parlays a low-pressure turbocharger to attain maximum torque almost as soon as you start up, and carries it all the way into the midst of the horsepower peak region.
That 2.0 turbo got my full attention when I first attained 34.5 miles per gallon in an Audi A4 FrontTrak, and again when I unintentionally screeched the tires of an Audi A3 all the way across an intersection.
But I missed the Passat introduction in September because, ironically, I was over in Germany, viewing the same new PassatÂ’s worldwide unveiling, among other things, at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
Finally, this past week, I got my paws on a Passat test-fleet car. The car can be obtained in various versions, with the top two being powered by a 3.5-liter V6 with 280 horsepower, and the same model with 4Motion all-wheel drive. The model I tested came equipped with the base Passat engine, which is – trumpets please – my favorite 2.0-liter, dual-overhead-camshaft, four-valve-per-cylinder four, with variable valve timing and that low-pressure turbocharger.
While I havenÂ’t yet driven the much-acclaimed 3.6 V6, the test-car with its 2.0 four had 200 horsepower at a plateaud peak range from 5,100-6,000 RPMs, and 207 foot-pounds of torque that peaks at a mere 1,800 RPMs and holds that output all the way to 5,000 RPMs. The direct-injection trick means that a computer controls the precise dosage of air-fuel mixture, including its pressure and temperature, and feeds it independently into each of the four cylinder to attain optimum burning, and, therefore, efficiency.
If you donÂ’t get any more technical the putting fuel in the tank, all you need to know is that the power comes on quickly and the six-speed Tiptronic transmission, which runs just fine as an automatic, or can be hand shifted to your own liking, transforms that power to smooth acceleration. Sure enough, EPA estimates are 22miles-per-gallon city, 31 highway, and I got 27 in combined city-highway driving.
Seats are comfortable and supportive, and the PassatÂ’s handling is exemplary, for a large sedan or a runabout. A greatly stiffened chassis and well-tuned shock absorbers leave a little bit of body-leaning in the most severe cornering, but confidence-inspiring flatness in general attitude.
The satin-finished trim on the console is bright – surprisingly bright for the usually dour Passat – with heat/air controls on the center stack, below a navigation/information screen that accommodates the audio controls.
The Passat sticker price starts at $23,900, which is a distinct bargain for what comes standard. The list is long, and it includes the wonderful engine, electro-mechanical power steering, the strut-front/multilink rear suspension, electronic stabilization program, anti-slip regulation, electronic differential lock, and antilock brake system on the four-wheel disc brakes, Michelin all-season tires that stuck well on some brief icy spots, front/side/side-curtain airbags, side-protection door beams, tire-pressure monitoring system, split folding rear seats, reading lights front and rear, remote gas filler door, central locking, keyless entry, 16-inch alloy wheels, in-dash CD player with MP3 format, and an antitheft alarm with immobilizer.
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You could go a long way, in front-wheel-drive winter security, with that package. The test car, however, listed for $31,565, but its appointments were opulent. The beige leather seats were part of a package that includes power sunroof, a multiple CD changer, satellite XM radio, leather steering wheel and shift knob covers, and five-stage heated driver and passenger front seats. The six-speed tiptronic shift, with premium sound-system upgrade with surround sound, and rear side airbags are other options.
The blue-numbered gauges with bright red-orange needles are impressive, and quite Audi-like. The black, padded steering wheel has remote controls at thumbÂ’s reach, and all controls have a solid, German, ergonomic placement.
From the outside, the rear is stylishly tapered inward as it rises, with a neat spoiler lip on the upper edge, all of which covers a spacious trunk. The rear doors end with a nicely tapered chrome outline coming off the roofline. There’s that stylish silhouette, andthen we’re back up front, where the glassed-in headlight enclosure has a little scalloped underline where the main headlight shines. Then you have that large, “U†ahaped grille with the angled sides, and the large, very large, “VW†in the middle.
It looks good, if quite Jetta-like from a distance. If bystanders mistake the two, so much the better for Jetta-buyers. But for those who spend the extra money to get the Passat, the extra room and the well-proportioned lines are worth the difference. Especially with that potent but surprisingly economical 2.0-liter engine.
Volkswagen may have taken a misstep and was soundly criticized when it brought out the still-large and more costly Phaeton. The new Passat doesn’t get VW off the hook. In fact, it’s luxurious enough to prove the critics right about the Phaeton. Who needs it?
Mazda5 stretches popular Mazda3 into new segment
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA. — The strangest thing happened before the Mazda5 was officially introduced to the North American media, right adjacent to the Southern California surf. For about a month before the introduction, the cars started appearing in West Coast Mazda dealerships. More than just appearing, they started selling.
The Mazda5 will be something truly new and different in the U.S. auto market, and Mazda executives are smiling but keeping their fingers crossed at its early success. The smile is because over 700 Mazda5s were sold at the few dealers that got some in the past month without a word of advertising or promotion. The crossed fingers are because the compact Mazda3 sales have exceeded supply, and, with the Mazda5 based on a stretched Mazda3 platform, that could be a further problem.
“The worldwide demand (for the Mazda3) has been 40 percent greater than what we anticipated,†said Jay Amestoy, MazdaÂ’s vice president of public affairs. “The biggest issue we have is supply. We canÂ’t get enough Mazda3s. The Mazda5 is already at West Coast dealerships, and migrating east, and weÂ’re anticipating building 10,000-15,000 for the first partial year, depending on demand.Ââ€
I must admit, after looking forward to the third generation Miata, and being impressed with the Mazda6 and Mazda3, the Mazda5 snuck up on me. It is a rare vehicle that is easier to describe with words than with photos – a reversal that claims “a sentence is worth a thousand pictures.Ââ€
In photos, the Mazda5 looks sleek and well-contoured, but some might mistake it for a minivan. It is decidedly NOT a minivan. Mazda has the MPV, which is a very good minivan, and the Mazda5 is significantly smaller and more compact, resembling the whole segment of active-people-movers so popular in Europe and Japan. Such a segment hasnÂ’t hit the U.S. yet, but the Mazda5 could change that.
A Sport model starts at $17,995, with the Touring model starting at $19,500, with trim upgrades. Loading it up with virtually everything from the option bin would still leave you on the near side of $23,000.
Both the Sport and Touring models come with the Mazda3Â’s superb 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine, with variable valve-timing extracting 157 horsepower at 6,500 RPMs, and 148 foot-pounds of torque at 3,500. Quick, responsive steering, large disc brakes (11.8-inches front, 11.9 rear), strut and multilink suspension, front and rear, respectively, and 142 cubic feet of interior space with all the seats folded down, on a platform stretched 5.5 inches longer than the Mazda3 makes the Mazda5 more of a modular people-mover than a minivan or station wagon.
We hurled a Mazda5 with a 5-speed stick shift around some twisty turns in the hills above Huntington Beach, and the vehicle is both quick and agile. It feels strong in acceleration, easy to steer and turn in traffic, and EPA estimates of 27 miles per gallon highway and 22 city should be easily attainable with the 2.3. The 4-speed automatic has a manual shift gate.
Perhaps the most unconventional thing about the Mazda5 is a new marketing plan. Aiming at youthful, active vehicle buyers, there will be no television advertising, no conventional splashy print displays that catch the attention of the usual consumer. Instead, Mazda has worked out some deals for product placement, where the stars of some new fall NBC television show might drive up in a promotion bit driving a Mazda5.
Appropriately, MazdaÂ’s introduction for the car was at the U.S. base facility for Quiksilver, a modern company that specializes in making equipment, clothing and accessories for surfers, skate-boarders and snow-boarders. Quiksilver originated in Australia, where a couple of surfers had the idea to outfit fellow-surfers with the casual stuff they prefer. It has grown into a $2-million global conglomerate.
Officials at Quiksilver agreed fully with MazdaÂ’s executives that the Mazda5 and the surfer/boarder lifestyle were a good match. Quiksilver, based in Huntington Beach, uses such mottos as “Youth is a state of mind;†or “Live the life, embrace the vibe;†or “Inspiration comes from within.Ââ€
The mindset, Mazda officials say, is similar to MazdaÂ’s own “zoom-zoom†campaign, which might show a baby playing with a tiny car as soon as he can say “zoom-zoom,†followed by a mellow voice saying: “One day theyÂ’re born, then they want to go ‘zoom-zoom.Â’Â… Luckily, some never lose that spark.Ââ€
Mazda connected with buyers of all ages – including younger, active types – with the Mazda3, which is built on the extremely strong Volvo S40 platform, thanks to both companiesÂ’ affiliation with Ford. The Mazda3 comes in either a neat 4-door sedan or a 5-door hatchback, both with seating for four – or five in a pinch – and a bit of cargo space as well. Above all, it has Mazda’s strong 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine, which makes it sporty and fun to drive, even while fulfilling all sorts of utilitarian functions.
For those who need a little more room than the Mazda3 offers, it made perfect sense to stretch the Mazda3 platform by 5.5 inches, maintain all the safety characteristics, use the same engine and drivetrain, and adhere strictly to Mazda’s “zoom-zoom†philosophy of being fun to drive. Just like that, the Mazda5 was created as a new, different, and potential worldwide winner.
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The third row of seating means the Mazda5 will seat six, two each in first and second row bucket seats, and two more on a bench in the rear. Even those over 6-feet tall can get back there and fit. Mazda made it happen with a stepped floor, which has a 2-inch rise from the first to second, and another 2-inch rise from second to third. The seated hip points also rise in 2-inch increments. So people in the back can see over those in front of them from the tiered seats.
Sliding side doors take care of getting in and out of both the second and third rows. Some might think sliding side doors make the Mazda5 too minivan-like, but extra-wise rear doors were mandatory for third-row seat access, and conventional doors that big would mean instant crunches in parking lots. So arguably the easiest sliding doors in the industry make good sense.
Both the second and third rows fold down flat, leaving a 5-foot-3 cargo length behind the front buckets. Enough for the kid to take a nap, if not an adult. But perfect for a surfboard or skateboard equipment.
A couple with two youngsters could fold down the right-side seats in the second and third rows, load up the surfboards or snowboards or skateboards, and take off for a contemporary family weekend, all fitting comfortably in a vehicle that also will make a great commuter.
Bridgestone Winter Driving School alters icy instincts
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLO. — If anyone has thoughts of adding one more holiday gift – for a son, daughter, spouse, or the whole family – a trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, might be perfect. True, there is a wonderful setting for skiing, snowboarding, or resort-hanging, but Steamboat also is where the Bridgestone Winter Driving School is located, and attendance guarantees an unforgettable experience.
Driving on ice or hard-packed snow is always an adventure, sometimes exciting because you survived a treacherous challenge, sometimes exciting because you didnÂ’t. Did you analyze what you did to make it around that slippery curve, or to avoid crashing into that parked vehicle? Did your instincts work, or did you just get lucky? If you got lucky, do you feel secure trusting to luck, or would you prefer to sharpen your winter-driving skills so that such lucky escapes become instinctive?
I feel pretty confident in my winter driving skills, because I learned to drive on the cliffs of Duluth, sometimes without snow tires, and IÂ’ve learned how to adjust to varying handling of a variety of cars and trucks while test-driving different vehicles every week. But there is plenty of learning to be done, regardless.
IÂ’ve always been impressed at the way Bridgestone Blizzak tires stuck stubbornly to ice where most tires would spin freely, although my enthusiasm was tempered because the Blizzaks were a little clunky to drive on, and wore out quite swiftly, on dry pavement. Frankly, IÂ’ve been advocating Nokian tires, made by the same Finnish company that started the Nokia cell phone industry.
But that doesn’t mean Blizzaks aren’t exceptional at what they’re aimed at – getting you safely and securely through the worst winter snow and ice that winter can throw at us. The Winter Driving School, meanwhile, is a great idea, and I was flattered to be one of a dozen journalists invited to go through the school, which is conducted near the legendary Steamboat Springs ski resorts.
Morgan Kavanaugh, one of the schoolÂ’s instructors, offered a lot of common-sense items that are worth storing away.
• If you find your tires spinning, release the accelerator.
• If you find that you’ve locked up your brakes, release your brakes.
• If your car has transferred its weight balance to the rear, take steps to get more weight to shift back to the front by letting up on the gas or lightly braking.
• If you have antilock brakes, don’t assume you will stop in a shorter distance – ABS can’t do that, but it can allow you to keep some steering control on ice while slowing down.
• If you don’t have ABS, you can learn to control your stopping by pumping the brakes, but it requires some attitude adjustments: For example, pump the brakes hard enough to lock up, then release, and don’t pump again until you are sure the wheels are rolling, not skidding, then pump them again. As you go slower, you can pump more, but be sure to leave enough gap between pumps to let the wheels begin to roll again.
• If you end up in a skid, pumping your brakes will virtually assure that your car will continue to skid sideways.
• The ability of four tires to grip those small patches of pavement they are on lessens when it gets cold enough to freeze, but traction can be worse right at 32 degrees than at 0. At 32, the ice surface can melt and form a thin film of water on top of the ice, which is more hazardous than normal ice.
• Don’t always trust your natural instincts, unless you know your natural instincts are correct.
As Kavanaugh explained, some instincts are completely incorrect. For example, understeer (the car doesnÂ’t turn in as much as your steering input calls for), and oversteer (the tendency of the car to turn in more abruptly than your steering input), are both problems, but must be dealt with differently.
With understeer, you turn the wheel for a curve, but the car keep heading forward, or “plowing,†is most common in front-wheel-drive vehicles. Your natural instinct is to turn the steering wheel more, and more, and if it still won’t turn enough, to hit the brakes. “Those two things are the worst two things you can do when you’re understeering on ice,†said Kavanaugh.
“The problem is too much speed for the tires to keep gripping, so you need to restore the tiresÂ’ grip. If you turn the wheel more, the skid is likely to continue or worsen, and if you hit the brakes too hard, you could lock them up, also causing you to skid straight ahead. You need to let up on the brake, as you straighten the steering a bit. Those two things seem opposite of your instincts, but letting up on the brake and straightening the steering a little will allow the skidding wheels to rotate, which will allow them to start gripping again. Once they start to grip again, you can steer more, and apply the brakes more.Ââ€
Oversteer occurs when the front of the car turns in too sharply, which is often accompanied by the rear end swinging out, and is common in a rear-wheel-drive car. Hitting the brakes and turning the steering wheel more can worsen oversteer. “In oversteering situations, you steer in the direction of the skid, and instead of braking, you should accelerate smoothly, as you regain traction.Ââ€
Those comments were made during a classroom session on car control and techniques for countering problems that occur. Afterwards, we headed out onto the track, driving front-wheel-drive Toyota Camrys and four-wheel-drive 4Runners. Cavanaugh said that the school doesnÂ’t use rear-wheel drive cars, because the spinout problems and lack of traction would be too easy to induce.
While high performance drivers, dry-weather drivers, and auto magazine writers who enjoy pushing powerful vehicles through race-track maneuvers, all might prefer front-engine/rear-drive, those vehicles tend to lose traction easily. Serious winter drivers – even those who have always driven rear-drive vehicles – know the advantages of front-wheel or all-wheel drive on snow or ice, because the majority of weight is over the front wheels, which both steer and drive the car, while the rear wheels simply follow along without trying to overtake the front unless the driver makes a serious mistake by steering and braking too much.
So front-drive or all-wheel drive are the choices for test-vehicles for the Winter Driving School, because there is a serious difference in driving techniques for front or all-wheel drive vehicles, which may be opposite to many common-sense instincts.
Kavanaugh and former Minnesotan Bob Ames (from Afton) were our primary instructors. We went out to the Bridgestone facility, which has an oval skid pad, and a multi-turn road course with hills and varying degrees of curves. It was repeated to all of us to look far enough ahead to evaluate the terrain, the conditions, and where the road goes next. But also, always be aware of what the car is trying to tell the driver.
“If a car begins to spin or skid, there is a reason for it, and a way to recover,†said Kavanaugh, who noted that a car gives a lot of feedback, but the driver must be receptive to read them and anticipate whatÂ’s coming. The primary theme is to adjust speed for existing conditions. “Remember,†Kavanaugh said, “go into a turn slower than you thought you should, and youÂ’ll come out faster than you thought you could.Ââ€
To heighten the learning process, the Camrys and 4Runners all had switches to deactivate the antilock brakes and traction control. Those devices can make life on snow and ice less stressful, but in learning how to regain control of a car in such situations, eliminating those tools increases the amount of individual control required, and heightens the appreciation of the techniques.
We took turns driving down a hill at a sustained 30 miles per hour, until an instructor on a two-way radio yelled, “Brake.†At that point, hit the brakes with antilock, letting the vehicle chatter to a stop just an inch or two short of a wall of cones. Later, with ABS turned off, we practiced cadence braking – hard stab to lock up, complete release to assure the wheels begin turning, then another hard stab, in repeatedly quickened cadence. After a couple of tries of instinctively braking just short of the lock-up threshhold, I finally got it right and stopped the same Camry about 10 feet short of the cone barricade.
That proved conclusively that proper pump-braking can stop you in a shorter distance than a good ABS system. Kavanaugh agreed with me, however, that in real-world driving, it might be good to make sure the first pump is short of lock-up, just to see how slippery the surface is.
On the road-course, the emphasis was on approaching a curve by trying to stay wide until late, then cutting in so that your apex point is well beyond the actual apex at the middle of the curve. ThatÂ’s the same as “late-apex” race-driving technique. Most safe-driving schools might distance themselves from racing, but Kavanaugh stressed the beneficial similarities.
The Blizzaks gripped impressively, and allowed us to zoom around curves and up or down icy slopes much better than seemed feasible. The school offers no hard-sell on the Blizzaks, which have an outer compound made of open-cell design, with microscopic cells that open to expose tiny biting edges as the tires wear.
I got into a quite spirited debate with a Bridgestone engineer over Nokian tires, because my personal experience in Duluth winter driving disproves the shortcomings he suggested of Nokians. I find that Blizzaks are absolutely unexcelled on sheer ice or hard-packed snow, but that Nokians are quite good in those circumstances, while also functioning better on dry pavement an in long-wear circumstances. Apparently, Bridgestone’s parent company agrees with my take. A Bridgestone public relations official responded to my mention of “Nokian†tires by fetching an email she had received that morning. It was an internal message saying that Bridgestone’s European arm had just acquired 18.9 percent of the Nokian tire company, becoming the argest shareholder, but that Nokian will retain its autonomy, while the two companies work together on future technology for winter tires. The debate is settled, because Bridgestone will benefit from both in the near future.
There is no debate about the benefits of the Bridgestone Winter Driving School. All sessions include classroom and driving course instruction, and range from a half day at $245, a full day for $445-$795, or two full days for $1,550. For what you learn – and what you may learn to survive – it’s a bargain with real-winter benefits. Northwest Airlines has one nonstop flight into and out of Steamboat Springs from Minneapolis every day, and the usual lure of spectacular skiing or snowboarding becomes even better when you incorporate learning to improve your winter driving instincts. Those interested for themselves, their spouses, or their sons or daughters, can call (800) 949-7543 for more information, or email the Bridgestone Winter Driving School at info@drivingsciences.com.
Dodge takes high-Caliber shot at changing market
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — The desert of Arizona doesnÂ’t have much in common with Chicago in midwinter, notwithstanding some pretty elaborate McCormick Place simulations during the Chicago Auto Show, which started with February 8-9 media previews. But there was a significant connection this year.
Chrysler showed that its most compact commuter vehicle will be of a higher Caliber as a 2007 model when it held media introductions in Arizona, then proved in Chicago that along with the rest of the automotive world, Chrysler Group might be adding distance in another direction from General Motors and Ford, its United States competitors. The vehicle in the middle of that breakaway is the new Dodge Caliber, which is a combination downsized SUV and upgraded sedan/wagon, with a completely flexible and fun-to-drive conglomeration of the best assets of both.
Upon first examination, at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September, and again at DetroitÂ’s Auto Show in January, I was dazzled by the looks of the Cobalt, and I assumed it might be a personal/luxury crossover that might cost from $25,000-$35,000. I was surprised to learn the base SE model Caliber starts at $14,000. Then I got to drive one at the media introduction in late January in the mountains surrounding the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale, and I am convinced that as a project, the Caliber is of extremely highÂ…ahÂ…caliber.
I predict that the Caliber will prove enormously popular by both what it isnÂ’t and what it is — first, being NOT enormous in size; second, being surprisingly a kick to drive; and third, being remarkably inexpensive to operate, and particularly to buy.
Flash forward to media days at the Chicago Auto Show, and Jason Vines, Chrysler’s unceasingly clever public relations coordinator, pulled on a wig portraying “Wink Jasondale†to play a Dating Game parody called Driving Game, and unveiled three vehicles – first, a new Nitro R/T; last, a new Dodge Rampage concept pickup; and between the two, the new SRT-4 – which is a turbocharged, 300-horsepower version of the Caliber.
On either side of Chrysler’s introduction, General Motors and Ford both unveiled their newest large trucks – GM with the new Chevrolet Avalanche and Ford with a redesigned Lincoln Navigator. Let’s see, now…two new large trucks, from two companies that are in financial crisis-mode because of the serious dropoff in large-truck/SUV sales. Hmmmmm.
Meanwhile, the rest of the automotive world seems to have realized that smaller, more compact “crossover†SUV sales are going right past the big-truck versions in 2006, and are scrambling to enter that more rational compact-SUV segment, the Dodge Caliber seems to be another blast out of the park for Chrysler. Caliber fulfills all the requirements of larger SUVs with the obvious assets of a compact crossover SUV, but if it’s a crossover, it’s coming from the compact sedan driveability end, more than the truck end. It is being built in the Belvidere, Ill., assembly plan, right on I90 as you drive westward from Chicago.
Going against the flow has become a standard for Chrysler, from days of the Prowler, to the Viper, to the PT Cruiser, to the 300, Magnum, Charger and upcoming Challenger. For now, it is the Caliber. “We monitor the industry,†said Chrysler Group product communications director Rick Deneau, “and when everybody else goes right, we go left.Ââ€
Consider that the Neon was ChryslerÂ’s successful little compact/subcompact that had a good life but has now disappeared from ChryslerÂ’s product list. The Caliber, actually, is the replacement for the Neon. And yet, at $13,985 (including destination), it starts $410 below the Neon, with huge upgrades in content. It may meet all responsibilities of a compact family car, but with its Dodge cross-hairs grille, hump-backed wagon-back roofline, and flexible utility inside, the Caliber crosses over to cover virtually all features that people have been getting from outrageously expensive SUVs.
ChryslerÂ’s recently arranged collaboration with Mitsubishi and Hyundai on engine-building pays off with a World Engine variety for the Caliber. Hyundai first came up with a design, which Chrysler officials didn’t think was workable, so Hyundai created a totally redesigned idea six weeks later, and Chrysler officials considered it perfect for their U.S. application, as well as on the worldwide stage.
Built in a new plant in Dundee, Mich., but also being built in Japan, South Korea, and elsewhere in the world, the base 1.8-liter engine has 148 horsepower, the 2.0-liter has 158 horsepower, and the 2.4-liter has 172 horsepower. All three are from the same family, but the days of simply boring out an engine are gone. Computer-selected optimum sizes for balance and refinement meant varying bores and strokes on all three, but they share concept, chain-driven dual overhead camshafts, and variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust sides of their four-valve-per-cylinder layouts. (The just-announced SRT-4 takes the 2.4 and turbocharges it up to 300 horsepower and 260 foot-pounds of torque, but thatÂ’s a later story.)
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Calibers start out as front-wheel drive, and the top R/T comes with all-wheel drive. Transmissions range from a five-speed manual up to a second-generation continuously-variable transmission (CVT), which can be selected with an AutoStick feature that simulates manual choice of six automatic gear stops. All Calibers built with 40-percent high-strength steel throughout the body cage, plus magnesium and hot-stamped steel reinforcement beams for side-impact protection and hydroformed front and upper cross-members for further structural rigidity. Standard side-curtain airbags augment the other safety features.
The 1.8 engine is standard in the SE and SXT. In the $13,985 SE base model, options include the 2.0, with the CVT. Same as the $15,985 SXT model, which adds more interior versatility, including a 115-volt household electrical outlet, and an expanded option list that includes heated leather seats, power sunroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, foglights, and electronic stability control. The top R/T model has all that the SXT offers, plus electromagnetic all-wheel drive at $19,985, and has the 2.4-liter engine standard, along with the CVT with the added AutoStick feature, plus antilock brakes, sport suspension, performance steering ratio, foglights, 18-inch alloys, and a chrome grille.
There is no resemblance to the Neon, but whatever the Caliber is, it takes care of those folks who wouldnÂ’t consider the Neon, or any subcompact, because of diminutive size. The Caliber is 4 inches taller, 1 inch wider, and 1 inch shorter overall than the Neon. It also measures 5 inches longer and 2.5 inches lower than the PT Cruiser. With a rear floor that is easily removable for cleaning, and split fold-down rear seats, it has enough interior room to appeal to a universal array of buyers. Chrysler intends to sell Caliber in 98 countries, and designed it to also handle right-hand-steering.
Every manufacturer is trying to attract the 20-something segment, and Caliber has certain appeal there, but with marketing projections of 50-50 male-female buyers, itÂ’s a logical contender for any commuter, any small family, any second-car seekers, and even for those looking for an inexpensive but safe car for an offspring reaching driving age.
The kind of details that can set a vehicle apart from competitors also are available in the Caliber. A rechargeable flashlight, for example, is a handy and useful feature. A second glove compartment, one high and one low, are also handy, and the lower one has a chiller box that will hold four 20-ounce pop or water bottles. The household electrical outlets, first seen on the Toyota Matrix, is a brilliant addition – no more searching for a cigarette-lighter adaptor.
And then thereÂ’s the audio system, which can be upgraded to a nine-speaker, 458-watt blaster. When youÂ’re at a picnic, or tailgating, swing open the rear and you can fold down a little hinged boombox from the ceiling, aimed outside, so you can fire off your tunes through the tailgate. Perfect for the conversationally-challenged.
The Caliber designers seemed to think of everything, including all kinds of parts intended to help satisfy the potential for after-market tuners, who will find an unlimited playground for personal alterations.
Mazda6 Sport Wagon zoom-zooms ahead into 2006
The 2006 Mazda6 Sport Wagon felt a little different when I test drove one last week, but it also felt comfortably familiar in the most important ways. With so many great midsize cars available the best thing about the Mazda6 is that getting back into one reassures the opinion that it can equal all the best features of any competitor – and runs away from them all when you add in the fun-to-drive factor.
Equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels and all-season Michelin tires, the front-wheel-drive Mazda6 breezed through the first little snowfall that swept across the Upper Midwest in the past week, never losing its poise even on icy patches of highway.
The Mazda6 is not up for Car of the Year for 2006. ItÂ’s not even a candidate, since itÂ’s in its fourth year since being totally redesigned for the 2002 model year, and has undergone only the sort of minor tweaks common to a carÂ’s model cycle. Trouble is, the Mazda6 didnÂ’t win back in the 2002 competition either, partly because it came out so late in the 2001 calendar year that many jurors didnÂ’t get any time with it. I voted for it then, and IÂ’d do it again today, only by a greater margin.
I often look back to reflect on how well past Car of the Year winners have sustained their importance. The best way to evaluate a car might be to measure how long it continues to be significant in the marketplace, and it would be difficult to imagine a more significant car than the Mazda6 when you look at its staying power.
It remains arguably the best-looking, best-handling, and best-performing midsize car out there when you put all the important characteristics up for consideration. When a car goes up against the likes of the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Volkswagen Jetta, and maybe a dozen others of that popular midsize, it requires quickness, comfort, good stability, and good looks.
The Mazda6 had all of those things, and the companyÂ’s executives apologized when it was introduced, for having lost their way in the worldwide attempt to copy the Accord/Camry whirlwind of durability and success. Mazda, a company with the most engineers per employee of any auto company, had matched the durability factor, but nobody could match the sales success Camry and Accord rack up, year after year.
Mazda added something special, though. The company promoted it as “zoom-zoom,†insisting the Mazda6 was the car that would return the company to its long-standing mission of building the most fun-to-drive vehicle in its class. To anyone who drove all the top cars in that class, there could be no argument that Mazda met its objective, with a redesigned suspension that kept the car firmly planted while the body stayed flat during the hardest cornering.
Many sports cars fell short of its sportiness, and you’d have to spend enough for a BMW 3-Series to find a worthy competitor – which was fitting, because the BMW was the benchmark Mazda’s suspension engineers used, while proving that a well-designed front-wheel-drive car can snake through curves with the best rear-wheel-drivers. The Mazda6 continued to prove and reprove itself with each passing year, and it still seems new and fresh, for 2006.
The station wagon is a more recent addition, and the Sport Wagon is newer still. Its nose is new, a little more dramatic in the “V†of the grille, and with a larger opening under the bumper, sort of RX-8 style. The glassed-in light enclosures now house four bulbs each, with standard halogen lights, and xenon headlights. As wagons go, this one looks sporty, with a roofline that tapers just a bit at the rear, finished with a spoiler on the back edge of the roof.
Station wagons themselves sort of faded from the scene when minivans became very popular, and then SUVs swept to prominence, without really dislodging minivans, but stopping their growth in market share.
Interestingly, wagons never went out of popularity in Europe, where BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Volkswagen, Volvo and Saab all sell station wagons in great number. They also are making a bit of a comeback in the U.S., where all of the above models, plus several from Japan, have worked their way back into our consciousness, simply for the logic and utility they offer.
So if the Mazda6 is the sportiest midsize sedan this side of BMW, then the Mazda6 Sport Wagon is a strong but less-expensive challenger for the best sporty wagons around from the prestigious European companies. The outstanding suspension feels even better on the new Sport Wagon, probably gaining an assist from the specifally larger 19-inch wheels, and stabilizer bars front and rear help as well.
I liked the interior of the Mazda6 when it was redesigned, but the 2006 Sport Wagon makes some alterations. The large round gauges are ringed subtly with silver, and come alive with a bright red-orange numbers and needles. The center stack is black, just a nice, simple, basic, black. Somehow it adds a classier touch than the somewhat swoopy mixtures of bright chrome and two-tone trim that seem to be growing in popularity.
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The seats, too, are basic but firmly supportive, and they were winter-friendly with the leather surface heated. The back seat is roomy enough for adults, and the storage area behind the seats is large, and gets larger if you fold down the second-row seats. A seven-speaker Bose audio system has a subwoofer and spews 200 watts of sound, and has as six-CD player in the dash. Safety also is stressed from the ground up, with side airbags and side air curtains standard. The climate control system has rear seat ducts, another nice touch as December approaches.
From a performance standpoint, of course, whatÂ’s under the hood matters greatly. In the Mazda6 sedan, the choice is the very strong 2.3-liter Mazda four-cylinder or a reworked version of the Ford Duratec 3.0-liter V6. Reworked is not just a buzzword here; in some Ford products the overhead-camshaft 3.0 V6 is adequate, but unexciting. When Ford gives the 3.0 to Mazda, the Mazda engineers rework it with variable valve-timing, and the same somewhat stodgy engine comes alive.
In the Sport Wagon, the 3.0 V6 is the only available engine. It has 215 horsepoewr at 6,300 RPMs and 199 foot-pounds of torque at 5,000 RPMs, and it runs just fine on regular gas – a feature not to be trifled with now that we know $3-per-gallon is not out of the question. The test car came with a five-speed manual transmission – setting the car firmly in the sporty bracket, although a six-speed automatic is available.
Along with strong engine performance, the Sport Wagon has standard four-wheel disc brakes, with antilock standard, and electronic brake distribution the car stops promptly and surely. When you want to go, the engine comes to life quickly, and the power goes to work through traction control, which prevents wheelspin and assures that takeoffs are sure and true, even in a snowstorm.
The sticker price for the Sport Wagon is $27,910, which becomes $28,470 with destination costs. If the 2006 Mazda6 was all-new, and not just the nearly perfected version of a well-established car, it would be right up there in the running with the newest Car of the Year candidates, such as the Ford Fusion. That proves how good the Mazda6 is. Ford is the chief investor in Mazda, and it shares more than just engines with its affiliate. The Fusion is built on the newest version of the Mazda6 platform, with a larger body, but its base engine is the Mazda 2.3-liter four, and the optional upgrade is the 3.0-liter V6 – Ford’s own Duratec V6, but done up by Mazda’s reworked heads with variable valve-timing.
The Fusion has a legitimate chance to win Car of the Year, and if it does, it will be a tribute to the Mazda6. Regardless, the 2006 Mazda6 commands complete respect on its own.
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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