New sedan gives Saturn line a whole different Aura
SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. — You could say that Saturn is taking on an entirely new Aura for 2007, and youÂ’d be correct, although you also might be arrested by the Bad Pun Police. The Aura is the name of SaturnÂ’s newest vehicle, a no-nonsense sedan that could indeed change the way consumers perceive the Saturn brand in particular, and General Motors in, ah, general.
Saturn started up when a group of loyal workers who believed General Motors could compete with the innovative technology of the Japanese companies was sent off almost as outcasts to defy corporate logic and prove their point. They did it, featuring advanced vehicles, attentive customer care and no-hassle pricing. They also aroused the envy of the other corporate branches, which demanded enough attention to detract from needed upgrades to Saturn models.
Before the proud Oldsmobile branch was discontinued, one Olds official – explained plans to me for upgrading the brand, and he repeatedly used the phrase “Saturnization of Oldsmobile.†Then he made me promise not to quote him using that phrase. Meanwhile, Saturn and its loyal customer base wound up languishing on the back burner for the next decade, as its products became dull and dated.
In its current corporate restructuring, GM has rejuvenated Saturn. The Sky roadster is the boldest new car, and it will have a high-powered version with a turbocharged engine as well, and new crossover SUVs will bolster the brand. But the Aura could become the focal point for all of Saturn, and it just might be the best sedan GM is building, this side of Cadillac, at least.
It is a front-wheel-drive sedan with spacious room in the rear seat and the trunk, and it is good-looking enough to take a real competitive run at Honda Accord and Toyota Camry buyers – which also includes those considering Mazda6, Nissan Altima, Volkswagen Passat, and other prime import sedans.
While GM is not without other sedans, its dependence on large truck-based SUVs has left its sedan fleet in the background. One of its latest advances involves the “epsilon†platform, which underpins the Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6, Opel Vectra from Germany, and Saab 9-3 from Sweden. Opels don’t come to the U.S., and the Malibu and G6 are nice cars without high-tech engine choices, so I’ve said that the Saab 9-3 might be the best of that batch, because it gets a turbocharged 2.8-liter version of the Cadillac “high-feature†V6.
The Aura shares that epsilon platform, and if you choose the XR upgrade, you get the Cadilla engine – not turbocharged, but also not reduced from that full-size 3.6 displacement.
The introductory press drive was through the mountains adjacent to Santa Barbara, where we got a chance to wring out the new models pretty thoroughly. The base XE Aura comes with a 3.5-liter V6 with 12 valves from the pushrod family of corporate V6es. The XR comes from a whole ’nother branch, much higher on the GM family tree – the Cadillac-built dual overhead camshaft “high-feature†3.6-liter V6 with 24 valves.
The 3.5 has 224 horsepower with 220 foot-pounds of torque, and for those consumers who donÂ’t care about being high-tech, it will be fully adequate. For those who do care about having a high-tech engine (and why wouldnÂ’t you?) the 3.6 has variable cam timing on both intake and exhaust valves, and it puts out 262 horsepower and 251 foot-pounds of torque. ThatÂ’s enough to send the Aura winging from 0-60 in less than 7 seconds.
In addition, the base XE gets the old 4-speed automatic, while the XR gets the new 6-speed auto, with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. It is the first use of the 6-speed with a front-wheel-drive car. The stiffened chassis has struts up front and a four-link rear suspension, and it definitely feels more Saab-ish than Chevy or Pontiac-like. If it falls a bit short of an all-out sport sedan in handling, the Aura is a 3,600-pound vehicle.
The EPA estimates are 20 city and 29 highway miles per gallon for the 3.5 XE model, and the 3.6 is only a tick behind, at 20/28. My guess, however, is that GM is exceptional at coaxing big figures out of the EPA calculations, and after a few break-in miles, the 6-speed 3.6 might get better real-life fuel economy with the overhead-cam efficiency.
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As impressive as the Aura is, the price tag is remarkable. The XE starts at $20,595, and the XR at $24,595. The 3.6 engine is worth the difference, and beyond the standard 4-wheel disc brakes, the XR has bigger wheels (17-inch instead of 16), advanced audio, and StabiliTrak on top of the conventional traction-control.
A large, bold, silver insignia bar runs across the top of the grille, flanked by very large headlight enclosures that offer a distinct European (Opel Vectra?) appearance; the side silhouette has a sweeping roofline that is almost BMW-like; the rear has a high-rise trunklid with large angular taillights, not unlike the G6. The Aura rides on the elongated, 112-inch wheelbase of the Malibu Maxx, with very little front overhang.
While the Aura performs well, a significant effort has gone into the interior, where sound-deadening has been impressively executed from engine and suspension bushings, to double-walled acoustic glass, and even the decklid. All the latest safety inclusions enwrap the occupants, and Saturn designers insist that despite similarities to the attractiveness of the Opel Vectra, they were able to design the Aura from a clean sheet of paper.
One neat feature is the use of the six-section sunroof that tilts or slides to create an enormous opening. With it wide open, the Aura was still quiet enough to exchange conversation. With it closed, and the windows up tight, the car is almost eerily silent.
During my driving phase of the introductory test, I repeatedly rolled down the window, just so I could hear the powerful strains of that V6 engine revving toward its 7,000-RPM redline. We were, of course, driving the XR. Inside, we also had one stint in the optional Moroccan brown leather interior, which would be my choice of interiors. The Aura also comes with a choice of fake woodgrain or a brushed silver trim. IÂ’ll take the silver, because clean sheet or not, give me real wood or keep it out of my car.
Because the customer satisfaction and no-hassle pricing remain, there is plenty for the traditional Saturn buyer to appreciate. However, after walking in and seeing the Sky , customers might wonder what showroom theyÂ’ve entered when they get their first glimpse of the Aura. SaturnÂ’s brand new Aura, as they say.
BMW 650i makes you try to live up to ‘cool’ image
MILWAUKEE, WIS. — Among the good reasons to be driving a BMW 650i from Minneapolis to Milwaukee a couple weeks back was that the national collegiate hockey tournament was going on there at the time. Another is that there was so much construction going on downtown that the sheer beauty of the car stood out even more dramatically against the rugged geometric bits of rubble where buildings once stood.
Another good reason is that it gave me time to get to know the “Nav Lady” voice, and learn to coexist with the outrageous iDrive control system on the console that she was trying to interpret for me. But perhaps the best reason of all was to be able to spend a full five hours behind the wheel of a BMW 650 with no interruptions. Just me, and one of the worldÂ’s great cars, collaborating while switching the Sirius satellite radio back and forth from the comedy stations to Margaritaville, with various stops between them.
When it comes to engineering excellence, any BMW vehicle deserves scrutiny. When it comes to styling, some BMWs run the gamut from exotic to controversial. But when it comes to sheer, stunning beauty, the BMW 650i leaves no room for controversy.
There are Mercedes and Cadillac competitors on the market now for the 6-Series coupe and convertible, and they are excellent in their own way, and meet specific objectives known best to each company. But the BMW 645i is sleek and classy, and also fierce-looking and aggressive. And it is loaded up for power to put either extreme on display.
The BMW 7-Series sedans drew criticism for the tacky, add-on look of the trunklid and its spoiler. The 5-Series midsize sedans did it much better, and the 7s have been altered by now. But the 6-Series came out later, and got it right from the start, at the 645i. With a rear end that looks built for speed in a smooth swath wrapping from side to side and encompassing the taillights, that sleek silhouette, and a front end that looks like a little like a crazed raptor about to pounce on the rest of traffic as if it were nothing more than a collection of wayward rodents.
One of my favorite touches is the outer ring around the quad headlights, which glow as the parking lights, and left me finding all sorts of reasons to turn on my parking lights.
The 650i might throw you off for a bit. I kept calling it a 645, because that’s what it used to be. It also used to be that every digit in a BMW’s numerical name meant something – the 530 was a 5-Series sedan with a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine, for example. Well, the 645 has moved up to become the 650i, and the V8 engine displacement is measured at 4.8 liters. For some reason, BMW chose to round it off to 50, rather than stay precise with a 648.
The engine has dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, with BMWÂ’s Double Vanos variable valve-timing. The smooth-running V8 delivers 360 horsepower at 6,300 RPMs, and 360 foot-pounds of torque at 3,400 RPMs. ThatÂ’s enough oomph to cover 0-60 sprints in about 5.3 seconds, which is not bad for a 3,814-pound vehicle.
That weight, incidentally, is a surprise, because its look and its feel indicate light and lean, rather than hefty. ItÂ’s possible that having a six-speed manual transmission further added to the light-on-your-wheels feeling, but the car was pretty much a pleasure to drive in every moment of the trip down and back on I94.
With a coefficient of drag of a mere 0.30, the wind-cheating 650i attained 22-24 miles per gallon, although the EPA estimates are only 16 city and 22 highway.
Naturally, the technology and exotic image are costly. Base price is $72,495, with sport suspension and the six-speed stick, and such subtle upgrades as aluminum front end structure, hood and doors. Add in Active Roll Stabilization, 18-inch wheels, active cruise, heads-up display, the audio upgrade with satellite radio,and you’re up to $76,695, and you could go higher with the splendid active steering option.
Cruising along the freeway, a couple of the newest features on the feature-laden car made the trip more pleasurable. A heads-up display allows you to keep track of your speed, other vitals, and an arrow indicating any upcoming turns you might need to prepare for, all transposed unobtrusively on the windshield. ItÂ’s easy to look right past it, or through it, but itÂ’s also simple to train your consciousness to pay attention to your speed and other important items.
Naturally, I never advocate speeding, but sometimes on a freeway trip it might be safer to blend with the traffic flow, even if it’s a tad over the limit. I found a nice rhythm at 75 miles per hour for certain stretches, letting the car’s active cruise control maintain a preset interval. I tried several different intervals, and all worked very well – slowing the car when a slower car was directly ahead in order to maintain the increasing speed to reestablish the proper interval summoned.
The iDrive is brought to life by a knob on the console. You tip it in any of four directions and you engage navigation, audio, climate-control and information, refining it with subsequent clicks to operate everything. The readouts come onto the navigation screen. You also can induce a voice-control system, whereby a pleasant feminine voice gives you little tips about upcoming turns necessary to reach your pre-established destination.
John Drewitz, an old friend in the auto biz who sells BMWs and Mercedes products at Sears Imports in Wayzata, has prompted me often enough that the iDrive is to be considered a tool to be programmed, rather than a nuisance to be resisted – and/or detested. So I thought I’d coexist, and overlook the fact that you have to continue to glance at the navigation screen repeatedly whenever you wanted to change radio stations. I found that if you programmed it right, you could then switch to your preset favorites by merely rocking a switch on the steering wheel. And the pleasing and soothing voice of the Nav Lady prodded me if I was going to miss a turn.
There is one odd thing about BMWs. ItÂ’s not that you feel superior driving one, but there seems to be a prevailing attitude among other drivers that you must be a smug son of a gun because you have such a fine car. So you find other drivers speeding up, maybe stealing a glance at your ride, and then acting almost rude, as if they are achieving something by getting ahead of a Beemer. So you have to take on a bit of an attitude yourself. You may not be better than those in the other cars, but the BMW may make you a better driver, so youÂ’d better pay attention.
With everything in place, I cruised in on 94 to reach Milwaukee, and a few signs tipped me off to impending difficulties. Road construction ahead, the signs said. I wasnÂ’t worried, although I had left just barely enough time to cruise on in and get to Bradley Center for the drop of the first semifinal puck. Once I got to Milwaukee, however, I had more reason to be concerned.
It appears that the kind of nuisance road construction I’m used to in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area was not in force. What was in force was an all-out assault on every exit that might allow you to get off I94 anywhere remotely close to downtown Milwaukee. The Nav Lady said, “Take the next exit.†Hmmmm, the next exit was also closed. “…Take the next exit,’ the Nav Lady said again, and then again, and again. If I wasn’t sure, I thought I detected some frustration, if not impatience, from that sweet computerized voice.
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But there was nothing I could do. The Nav Lady was giving me good advice, but the only vehicle I could think of that could take the “next exit†was a helicopter, and I didn’t have one handy. Pretty soon, I was through town, past the tall buildings near Lake Michigan, and heading north, as if I was headed for Sheboygan, or Green Bay.
Finally, amid the gathering rubble, I found an exit, and veered off the freeway. As soon as I got up to the stop sign, the Nav Lady got busy saving me. “Take the first left,†she said, and as I did, she added, hastilyÂ…Ââ€prepare to take the next left turn.Ââ€
Soon I was headed back down a quite messy street that was something of a frontage road that led to 6th Street, and on the navigation screen, I could see a group of buildings that included Bradley Center. I kept heading toward it, and when I got close, I pulled over and parked, locking up the car and walking six blocks to the arena.
Good game, too, although North Dakota lost to Boston College 6-5, and I wanted the Fighting Sioux to win. Two days later, Wisconsin beat Boston College 2-1 for the NCAA title. I had predicted beforehand that Wisconsin would win both the menÂ’s and womenÂ’s NCAA titles, and that final made my hunch look prophetic.
I gave a friend a ride further downtown to catch a quick and late dinner on the night between games, and later dropped him at his hotel. The next day he mentioned that the group of cool-looking folks inside waited until I was driving away, then went, “Wow! Did you see that BMW?’†It is that special, although passers-by prefer to withhold such impressions if you might witness them. As a driver, I am reminded of Gene Wilder in the movie Silver Streak, where he blackens his face and tries to strut with his buddy, Richard Pryor, but has a bit of a problem walking cool. Naturally, he overplays his part to hilarity, but in a way, you have to drive cool in a BMW.
Sunday morning, time to hit I94 westbound, cruising effortlessly. Of course, I wasnÂ’t alone. The Nav Lady was with me, and she was the perfect companion. She didnÂ’t ever complain about my choice of satellite radio music or humor, as I cruise-controlled my way across Wisconsin. The miles melted away, and I was sure to drive cool, all the way. In a BMW 650i, it would be impossible to NOT drive cool.
Azera lifts Hyundai to its own bargain-luxury niche
LA JOLLA, CALIF. — Hyundai doesnÂ’t need the Azera to to establish the companyÂ’s prominence in the United States auto market. It already has statistical evidence of that. Instead, Hyundai needs the Azera to lift its image into the uncharted reaches of luxury cars.
The Azera, which was introduced this past week to the nation’s automotive media for initial drives in and around the coastal hills near San Diego, is Hyundai’s first attempt at a true luxury-level car. And the preliminary reaction is that the car will be a certain success – especially since it offers over-$40,000 stature for an under-$30,000 sticker price.
At a glance, the Azera doesn’t look exactly like any other car, although if it weren’t for that stylized “H†on the grille, my first impression would have been that it must be a new offering from Lexus or Acura. That’s good company. From the side, the Azera silhouette is nice, if not particularly noteworthy. The front and rear make up for that. The front has a low, strong look, flanked by precise projector headlights, and the rear is not only well-designed but it gets its start from stylish contoured outlines of the rear fenders, tapering back to where 132 light-emitting diodes comprise the taillight/brakelight array.
Japanese automakers Toyota, Honda and Nissan have been the “big three†in United States sales by import companies for as long as anyone can remember. South Korea’s Hyundai ranked 13th in 1998, and shot up to No. 9 – ahead of BMW – by 1999’s records.
At first, its reputation was staked out on a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty, to support its first offerings, which were faithfully built, and then copied, versions of Japanese Mitsubishi cars. The warranty attracted skeptical buyers, and the upward trend continued. In 2000, Hyundai cars passed Mercedes and Lexus in total U.S. sales to reach seventh, and in 2001 it passed Mitsubishi, its old benefactor, and Mazda to reach fifth. In 2002, Hyundai surpassed Volkswagen to become fourth-best in U.S. sales by import companies.
Hyundai is still fourth, trailing the traditional big three of Toyota, Honda and Nissan, but it is threatening to change that to a traditional big four, having enlarged itself by 364 percent from 1998. By now, Hyundai has a technical and design center in Irvine, Calif., a new $117 million research and development center in Detroit, and a new manufacturing plant in Alabama, and its vehicles have expanded from those first Excel subcompacts to include the Accent, Elantra, Sonata, Tiburon, XG350, and the Tucson and Santa Fe compact SUVs.
The Azera is the newly rechristened replacement for the XG350 – a car that had attained a corps of supporters who liked the classy features without the exorbitant price. The Azera’s impact is expected to be sufficient to help Hyundai go over 500,000 total vehicles sold for the 2006 model year.
While Azera is the largest car Hyundai has made, it also is deceptive. It looks agile and sporty, and while it is not as long as the elongated new Toyota Avalon, it has more interior volume (123.5 square feet) than Avalon, Mercedes S-Class, or BMW 7-Series.
Under the hood, the new 3.8-liter V6 is all aluminum, with 263 horsepower and 255 foot-pounds of torque. No longer is it a Mitsubishi derivative, but Hyundai has learned its craft well. Under H.S. Lee, the engineer who was trained in the U.S. but is now known as the overseer of all Hyundai engine-building, the 3.8 is derived from the 3.3-liter V6 in the Sonata, with both the bore and stroke enlarged for more power.
Still, it qualifies as an ultra-low-emission vehicle (ULEV), and should easily reach the mid-20s in fuel economy. The engine’s sophistication is shown by its dual-overhead camshafts and continuously variably valve timing, with electronic stability control and antilock four-wheel disc brakes with emergency brake distribution – all standard on all Azeras. The stability control system is a proprietary system designed by Bosch and built specifically by a Hyundai subsidiary. Foul-weather drivers will appreciate that the Azera retains front-wheel drive, without any hint of torque-steer.
I got a computer-measured 21.9 on a 70-mile stretch curving down from the mountains and along the freeway, where, I admit, I ran at about 80 miles per hour to avoid being a roadblock for the impatient California natives. Zero-to-60 acceleration is claimed at 6.5 seconds.
Handling is precise, thanks to a platform that starts with 68 percent improvement in stiffness over the 2005 XG350, and that helps easethe task for the suspension, which features double-wishbone front and independent multi-link rear, plus coil springs, gas-charged shock absorbers and stabilizer bars front and rear.
A five-speed automatic transmission worked very well in the California hills and highways, and I appreciated the ability to shift the console lever over to the right for manual downshifts when we descended or drove into residential areas. That console was covered in brushed silver metal, which is part of an extensive focus on upgrading the look and feel of the interiors.
Available in base LE or Limited models, we drove a couple of different Limited models, with their larger10-spoke, 17-inch alloy wheels. Not as long as the Ford Five Hundred, Avalon, or Nissan Maxima, the Azera is wider and taller than all but the Five Hundred.
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The luxury feel of the Azera is bolstered by features such as fold-down rear seats, cupholders placed in eight different spots, a power-operated rear window sunscreen, concealed struts for the trunk props, a hydraulic hood prop, power front seats with memory, power adjustable foot pedals, and rain-sensing wipers. Hyundai also gives it eight front and side airbags and anticipates a five-star safety rating.
The interior of the XG350 was black, black or black – take your pick. John Krafcik, vice president of product development and strategic planning – and a man who could easily impersonate television’s Dana Carvey – said the company had heeded media criticism. The Azera can be had in a light grey or tan interior, as well as black, with the leather seats and dash material contrasting with a two shades of woodgrain trim. They were impressive, but I preferred the black interior, even though the dash is needlessly massive with only a thin strip of woodgrain along the top and on the steering wheel.
That leads to my only nitpick. You can get tastefully light or dark woodgrain trim, but it is NOT real wood. ItÂ’s a personal thing, but when it comes to leather and wood interior stuff, I prefer real wood and real leather. IÂ’d prefer to have no wood trim if itÂ’s going to be phony, just as IÂ’d prefer some other fabric if the leather was fake leather. The AzeraÂ’s leather seats are real, and I think theyÂ’re great; the woodgrain trim is fake, so IÂ’d choose to exclude it, but that canÂ’t be done.
The 2006 Azera comes out amid a flurry of new products from Hyundai, which includes the all-new Sonata that made its debut earlier in 2005. The Azera was accompanied by a newly redone Accent, while promptly following will be an all-new Santa Fe in the second quarter of 2006, a new Elantra and a revised Tiburon later in 2006, and a new and larger SUV to be introduced early in 2007.
The impressive warranty is still there, for any remaining skeptics, but itÂ’s difficult to imagine any skeptics after exposure to the Azera. Exposure, in fact, is the only remaining challenge, it would seem. Hyundai anticipates selling 30,000-40,000 Azeras in its first year, although it may have to upgrade that estimate. While it wonÂ’t reach U.S. showrooms until November, the Azera made its debut in South Korea in August and has been outselling the hot new Sonata since then.
Hyundai may have been hoping to push its way into the entry-luxury segment, but instead the Azera may have created a unique new niche exclusively for Hyundai — call it bargain luxury.
Revised Miata keeps $20,000 roadster niche to itself
KAAÂ’UPULEHU – KONA, HAWAIÂ’I — The 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata is improved in every dimension, but the best news is that the car that personifies the companyÂ’s “zoom-zoom†attitude will stay within its guidelines of providing the most automotive fun you can legally enjoy for $20,000.
Zipping along in a two-seater with the top down is paradise to most driving enthusiasts, which made it appropriate for Mazda to summon the world’s automotive journalists to paradise – Hawaii – for the first actual driving exposure to the third-generation Miata.
In the year 2000, the Miata entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling two-seater in history. After considerable planning by designers and engineers in California, Hiroshima, and Germany, every element of the new MX-5 Miata has been attended to, keeping intact the idea of tightening the technology of a true sports car, while enhancing the fun-to-drive quotient. The 2006 MX-5 Miata is a bit longer, a bit wider, a bit heavier, a bit more powerful, but the much-improved new car remains a $20,000 gem, without compromising its objectives. Length and width are both increased 1.6 inches, the car is 0.6 inches taller, and wheelbase is increased 2.6 inches. Instead of providing more room inside, the main feature of the extra wheelbase is moving the engine back 5.3 inches, which allows 50-50 weight distribution for even better handling than its predecessor.
The new car is a throwback with refinement. It summons all the glorious enjoyment of the old MG-B or Triumph or Austin-Healey days but you won’t need to know your neighborhood mechanic on a first-name basis. The MX-5 Miata doesn’t intend to vary from its troublefree heritage, but it does intend to rekindle the passion of its own edgier first edition – all while staying at a price that is eminently affordable. The basic MX-5 Miata lists for $20,435, while a Limited Edition version, which will accompany the new unveiling, has special colors, larger wheels, a larger stabilizer bar, and various trim upgrades, priced at $26,700.
At that price, the MX-5 Miata remains the best of both worlds. Mazda is trying to phase out the U.S.-only use of the name Miata. In Japan, the car always has been known simply as “the Roadster,” while in Europe it has been called the alpha-numeric MX-5 – more in keeping with the similar Mazda 6, Mazda 3, and RX-8. But the company decided to stay with “MX-5 Miata†in the U.S., at least temporarily, because the name “Miata†is so well established. After Mustang and Corvette, few if any other cars are as universally identified as Miata.
Mazda officials say the first Miata was introduced in 1989 in Hawaii, which is roughly the halfway point from MazdaÂ’s Japanese home to the lucrative U.S. mainland. Communications director Jeremy Barnes pointed out that the company easily shaved more than a week off organizational time for its introduction by stopping off in Hawaii, so the choice had merit beyond dazzling the media. Still, the site probably prompted the quickest acceptance rate for invitations. Heck, Motor Trend alone had three staff writers on the scene.
Having chosen Hawaii, Mazda bypassed Oahu’s scene with Honolulu and Waikiki, and Maui, which is probably the trendiest of the Hawaiian Islands, to select “the Big Island†– or Kona, or Kailua-Kona. This is the southeastern-most of the Hawaiian Islands. It is about 75 miles across, by 80 miles, and it is a study in contrasts, from luxury resorts to a volcano-dominated lifestyle featuring tropical rain forests, sandy beaches, crusty black lava rock, and breathtaking cliffs. No buildings over three stories in height are allowed on Kona, leaving the skyscrapers to Honolulu and larger cities. Discount stores, outlet malls, and billboards are other things conspicuous by their absence.
We were located at the fantastic but isolated Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, and when we drove on the island’s two-lane highways, we chose our bursts of acceleration carefully, because the normal driving mode of the residents is, shall we say, mellow. The biggest town on the island is Hilo, with 45,000 residents, rearranged by the last time Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea – the island’s two 13,000-plus-foot volcanos – erupted. The lava flow melted much of the town and covered it with 50 feet of lava rock. On a helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters we saw smoke coming out of several spots along the top of a volcano, and we saw lava, real and red, near the summit. Later we spotted plumes of steam where lava-heated rivers spilled into the blue Pacific, 25 miles to the west.
Hovering above the highest edge of the volcano, our helicopter pilot/guide stifled our amazement at the numerous pillars of smoke. “Those arenÂ’t volcanos,†he said. “TheyÂ’re just eruption sites.Ââ€
Oh, OK.
A live volcano, black lava rock formations it creates, lush rain forest beyond the peaks, 3,200-foot cliffs with their spectacular waterfalls, contrasted with the ultra-sophisticated resort, and set the stage for the Miata, which similarly stirs the primitive sports-car urgings in your soul, while its engine and razor-sharp handling reflect highly advanced technology.
We all owe a considerable debt of gratitude to the Miata for the expansive array of competitive models now available. During the 26 years of MiataÂ’s existence, most other roadsters were disappearing from the scene, or hadnÂ’t yet arrived, so it was up to the Miata to singlehandedly keep the heritage of pure sports cars alive. The new Miata again offers unequivocal doses of fun at a bargain price. Spare and without gimmicks in design, the new and revised Miata keeps its identity close to the car that became the gold standard for the ages-old tradition of wind-in-your-hair fun of roadsters.
Some critics could say the new car needs more torque to run with the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z4, more high-end power to compete with HondaÂ’s S2000, and more refinement to fend off the Audi TT roadster. Those evaluations are right-on. But those competitors all cost more. Mazda could have given the Miata a more potent demeanor, and jacked the price by $10,000 to run with those headliners. But its RX-8 big brother can handle those chores, and those prices, so the Miata can stay right where it is.
More torque would mean you could power around slower cars or accelerate up that hill without downshifting, while the Miata requires you to run through the gearbox – a pleasure in itself – to reach for needed power. Run up the revs in more powerful sports cars and you wind up exceeding the speed limits to reach the pleasure plateau, while in the Miata, you interact by picking the right gear and hitting the gas to get old-time exhilaration at speeds well below levels that alert radar patrolmen. By staying in its niche, Miata gives Mazda the niche to itself.
The refinement of the MX-5 Miata shouldnÂ’t surprise anyone. Mazda claims to have the greatest percentage of engineers to employees in the industry, and, in recent years came up with the Mazda 6, which competes with and outhandles the Accord, Camry, Altima and others; and the Mazda 3, which outclasses the latest Civic, Corolla and other traditional compacts. Those cars, plus the RX-8, extract great driving enjoyment.
But of all its cars, the Miata best exemplifies what program manager Takao Kijima described, via an interpreter, the Japanese concept of “jinba ittai†– the spirit of horse and rider acting as one. The original Miata had it, when it came out in 1989, and the second generation followed in 1997. Modern technology, and Mazda’s recent vehicles, promised a substantial upgrade of the still-fun existing car. Sure enough, engineers stiffened the body 22 percent in bending rigidity and 47 percent in torsional rigidity. Handling agility depends greatly upon weight and the stiffness of the car’s platform; if it’s not stiff enough, engineers must compensate with tooth-rattling suspension stiffness. The Miata platform is stiff enough that the suspension could be refined for more compliance, without inhibiting the superb cornering. Every spare ounce has been extracted from the new MX-5 Miata, paring it to 2,473 pounds, which also aids tossability.
Its devotion to detail includes the hand-operated convertible top, which drops to provide a hard cover for itself. I found only one complaint. Mazda says the seats are designed to allow anyone up to 6-foot-1 to find perfect driving position, but if youÂ’re on the passenger side, youÂ’re most comfortable if your shoe size is 10.5 or smaller. My size 11s would not rest flat on the floor, because of the intrusion of the air conditioning housing above the footwell. ItÂ’s annoying to have to sit with your feet at an angle, and lifting your heel to allow your toes to fit on the floor is like standing on tiptoes. Maybe thatÂ’s just another good reason to drive, where footroom is fine.
When the Miata was first introduced, it had a strong little 1.6-liter engine out of the Protégé. The 1993 model was stronger with the 1.8-liter four-cylinder, and a cast iron block. The new car has an all-aluminum 2.0-liter four, with chain-driven dual overhead-camshafts. It is the strong base engine in the Mazda 3, but with significant upgrades. Power is increased to 170 horsepower at 6,700 RPMs, with 140 foot-pounds of torque at 5,000 RPMs. The four valves per cylinder have variable timing. You can rev freely to the 6,700-RPM redline, and if you’re careless, the fuel system shuts off at 7,000 revs.
Choices are a five-speed or six-speed manual, or a six-speed automatic, which has two less horsepower but retains the sporty demeanor with steering-wheel paddle shift switches. Mazda used a lot of high-tensile steel and modern impact-deflecting techniques as well as aluminum to both improve strength and lighten weight, giving the car considerable safety beyond what its lean weight might indicate.
While the competition is much more expansive than when the Miata was the only available roadster, great sports cars like the S2000, Boxster, Z4, and TT all cost significantly more, and sporty coupes in the Miata’s price range fall far short of the true sports car experience. You could say that in the $20,000 range, the MX-5 Miata remains the true volcano. Everything else is just an eruption site.
(John Gilbert writes weekly auto reviews; he can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Avalon fills its own niche with all-new model for 2005
PHOENIX, ARIZ. — ThereÂ’s a new Toyota Avalon in the showrooms as a 2005 model. But before customers under age 65 stifle a yawn at the news, this one requires a test drive. ItÂ’s longer, much more contemporary in its styling, and much sportier – sportier? – with a new and more potent engine.
The Toyota Avalon could never be accused of being an ugly duckling. ItÂ’s always been too smoothly stylish for that, ever since it was introduced ten years ago. Back then, Toyota was hard at work expanding its universal movement toward becoming the worldÂ’s No. 1 automaker, and it seemed as though the Avalon was pretty much left in its own cocoon. For example, Toyota was selling as many Camry sedans as it could build, and it also produced the ES300, an impressive entry-level sedan for its upscale Lexus brand, which was basically a Camry with over 100 feature upgrades to justify its Lexus badge. In price, the loaded Camry could reach $32,000, which is about where the base price of the ES300 started.
That didn’t leave much room for any other models on that platform, but in1995, Toyota added the Avalon just the same. It was considerably longer and roomier than the Camry, and with fewer technical upgrades than the ES300. But in reality the Avalon was a stretched Camry with a larger back seat and trunk. The question was, why would Toyota try to squeeze another sedan into that tiny space between the Camry and ES300 – in essence, building a niche car for which there was no niche?
As usual, the world of critics and cynics were wrong, and Toyota was right on. The Avalon has sold, and sold, and sold – hundreds of thousands of them over the last decade. For 2004, the sales dipped to 65,000 – a number many competitive models would be boasting about – so Toyota, using its usual brilliant timing, has introduced the 2005 Avalon. It must be considered a 2005 model because production started before the first of the year, but the Avalon is as entirely new as any 2006. The automotive media got an introductory look at it in Phoenix in January, shortly before it started hitting showrooms with optimistic goals.
For one thing, the Avalon is on an all-new platform for the first time. In the next couple of years, the Camry and the ES300 may end up sharing that platform, but for now, almost like a good-conduct medal, the Avalon gets first crack at it.
Flying in the face of the recent trend to switch to rear-wheel drive, Toyota keeps the Avalon in its front-wheel-drive form, and flaunting the inherent advantages well-known to denizens of snow country. Avalon adds to the driving assets of FWD by stressing the floor in the rear. ItÂ’s flat, from door to door, with no driveshaft hump required in rear-wheel-drive cars, which makes the already spacious compartment seem even larger.
Toyota is marketing the Avalon as “the most American†car in Toyota’s lineup. Designed at Toyota’s Newport Beach, Calif., facility, and built at the Georgetown, Ky., plant, the Avalon is being built by Americans, for Americans. The new car is improved in every category, with four models that include a top-of-the-line Limited and a Touring model, which most capitalizes on the idea of being sportier. An Avalon that is sporty would seem to be a contradiction in terms, because Avalon’s past demographics say its average driver is 67 years old. And getting older.
Toyota makes no apologies to its established demographics. Other manufacturers are trying desperately to aim new cars at younger buyers, but Toyota clearly enjoys selling to more mature customers, who want more comfort than the firmer-suspended sporty sedans. Toyota officials laugh about the accusation that the first Avalon was “Toyota’s Buick,†and the car magazines’ oft-repeated question: “Can Toyota build a better Buick?†Yet by giving the Touring model some exterior alterations, including the hint of a rear spoiler sprouting on the trunklid, and a more serious-looking interior, and racier wheels, as well as the best outlet for the new manual-shift gate on its console-mounted five-speed automatic, Toyota is obviously willing to welcome new customers.
The new car looks good overall. It resembles the new Infiniti M45 from the front, is remindful of the BMW 5 Series a bit from the rear, and it takes on a similarity to the new Cadillac STS in silhouette. Those are among the sportiest vehicles in that mid-luxury range.
With Lexus above it, Avalon wears its Toyota name proudly, which is where the Buick analogies come in. ToyotaÂ’s market research indicates that Avalon owners love their cars, and had very few gripes, but were adamant about wanting to show off being smart, successful, and discerning, without needing the luxury-car identity to show it. That means theyÂ’d rather have a special sedan wearing ToyotaÂ’s insignia than flaunt the upscale image conveyed by Lexus.
The pricing is interesting, too. The base XL is starts at a Camry-like $26,350; the Touring model starts at $28,600; the XLS, which adds a sunroof, leather interior and 17-inch alloy wheels, starts at $30,800; and the top Limited model starts at $33,540, with navigation system, stability control and adaptive cruise control that maintains an interval as well as vehicle speed. At that, Toyota projects selling 85,000 Avalons in its first year, and Toyota has the capability of building 100,000 a year.
As big as Toyota is, and as accurate and successful as it’s been in overtaking Chrysler and Ford and setting its sights on General Motors, Toyota paid attention to its customers, who said they’d like a bigger car with a bigger engine, and differentiated more from Camry. They said they didn’t mind bland styling, leading to the unofficial slogan of “Thou shalt not covet style.†Furthermore, Toyota at first planned to put the shift lever on the dash, similar to the new Sienna van and Prius hybrid, but surveys indicated that 37 percent would be deterred from buying the car if the shifter wasn’t on the console. So it is.
The new engine has variable valve-timing on both intake and exhaust camshafts, and the 3.5-liter, 24-valve unit boasts a 70-horsepower increase over the 210 standard since 2000, and it runs away from the 192 horses of the 1995 original. The length of 197.2 is 5.3 inches longer than the previous model, and the 111-inch wheelbase is an increase of 4 inches.
Among improvements, the doors open wider, to almost 90 degrees, for easier entry and exit. The windshield wiper is one piece, and operates by rain-sensing, calculating the rain-drops hitting the windshield and the vehicle speed, while the washer spray comes from under the cowling, where it can be heated. The windshield glass is designed for sound deadening, as well. The gauges have brighter, optitron instruments, and a pull-out trap door conceals the audio system, which starts with a nine-speaker unit with a single CD player, and can be upgraded to a six-CD unit, or to a 12-speaker JBL unit. A cassette player also is included, unless you choose the navigation system.
Remote controls on the steering wheel operate the audio, the dual-zone heat/air, the navigation system, and the cruise. The seats are both heated and ventilated in the SLX and Limited, meaning interior air circulates through the seat cushion and backrest. The seat cushions can be adjusted in length to accommodate taller, longer-legged drivers, and the rear seat backrests recline 25-35 degrees. A rear shade is power operated, and there are turn-signal and puddle lights on the outside mirrors.
The Avalon also offers smart key at the Limited level. That means you can unlock the doors and start the vehicle without a key, so long as you have the key on your person. Touch the door handle and it unlocks, push the button and the car starts. In addition, the Avalon has remote starting. You push the key fob in a certain sequence and the engine starts, either for warm-up or maybe to run the air-conditioning in hot weather. The engine runs for 10 minutes, then shuts itself off. As safeguards, if you push the unlock button on the key fob from outside, open the door, or put your foot on the brake inside, the engine stops running.
The navigation system can recognize five million points of interest, and can be voice-actuated. For example, if you ask for “an Italian restaurant,†all the Italian restaurants in the area pop up on the screen.
ToyotaÂ’s target market is in two specific groups. One is the core of current owners, or Camry or other midsize buyers interested in moving up. The company research says that 40 percent of sales are from those replacing other Toyotas with Avalons. The second group are those moving to Avalon from competing brands, such as Maxima, Accord, and yes, Buick. Even though a lot of Avalons are from Camry owners moving up, Camry sales have remained constant enough that any departures are refilled by new customers, it seems.
Projections are for 14 percent of Avalon buyers choosing the XL, 12 percent going for the Touring, 45 percent for the XLS, and a solid 30 percent for the new Limited model. In ToyotaÂ’s scheme, adding the Limited will offer another upscale alternative with the comfortable Toyota name, and adding the Touring model will give buyers the option of a sportier model in looks and performance. At this point, who can question ToyotaÂ’s projections? If the Avalon was a niche car for which there was no niche, it simply carved out a niche of its own.
(John Gilbert writes weekly auto reviews, votes on the Car of the Year jury, and can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
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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