Jeep Commander rises beyond Cherokee territory
Writing about new cars for more than three decades has generated a fiar number of questions from readers, and discussing new cars on WCCO radio with Charlie Boone at 7 oÂ’clock every Saturday morning has generated hundreds of new contacts by email. One of the better questions was: Will the new Jeep Grand Cherokee have a third-row of seating?
I couldn’t be certain, because the trend seems to be to introduce a model and then introduce various spinoff versions, and with the Grand Cherokee being all-new a year ago, it might take some time for word to come down from Mercedes, to Chrysler, to Jeep, and then to get applied. My hunch wasnÂ’t bad. I was wrong about a new version on the Grand Cherokee, but I was right about JeepÂ’s intention to add a third-row seating arrangement. But instead of merely squeezing ianother row of seats into the cargo hold of a Grand Cherokee, Jeep went over the top.
The 2006 Jeep Commander is an entirely new vehicle that takes fully into account the demands of traditional Jeep buyers, but also expands into that segment that insists on seven-passenger, three-row seating. With SUVs expanded beyond a million and, optimistically maybe, headed for two million, and 50 percent of prospective buyers wanting a third-row of seats, it would be foolish to overlook that gang.
Big, bold, and perfectly suited to taking large numbers of people on their appointed rounds with startling, Hemi quickness, the Commander meets or exceeds any on-road requirements anybody could have for a large SUV, and previous testing at the vehicleÂ’s introduction indicates that off-road ventures are easily acoomplished.
Entirely new, from stem to stern, the Commander sits on the same platform and wheelbase of the new Grand Cherokee, but itÂ’s two inches longer, and considerably larger, in every dimension. Parked next to a Grand Cherokee, the Commander is taller, which helps house the seats of Jeep’s first three-row-seat vehicle. If Jeep wanted to simply build a three-row-seat SUV, I think it may have overshot its aim; the Commander will take on a lot of luxury SUVs, costing much more.
The look is striking, if not ultramodern, which also is by design. The Commander makes an attempt to recapture the image of the old Jeep Grand Wagoneer from decades past. That was a squarish, but luxurious, sport-utility vehicle that was very popular, although my personal opinion of it was that it seemed like a lot of spare parts somehow fastened together – and not always solidly.
Instead of a steeply-raked windshield, the Commander has a blocky but readily identifiable grille and front end, and from the side it has wheelwell openings outlined with bulletproof molding, which has neat little allen-screw-looking indentations that seem intent on convincing bystanders that somebody took their new vehicle to an after-market shop to be reinforced. Actually, the illusion is a counter-illusion, because the flares are replaceable.
The test vehicle is “Trail Rated,†which is Jeepspeak that means you could go crashing and careening off-road, through the underbrush, and where roads may not necessarily lead. The inherent ruggedness is countered by the Commander’s luxury appointments. The $42,225 as-tested sticker might be an indicator, although I was surprised it was that low, with a $38,205 base price, because I’ve driven a lot of over-$40,000 SUVs recently.
On snow or ice, or congested traffic, the Commander I test drove was smooth and very managable, but always potentially overpowering. ThatÂ’s because it has a Hemi. Yup, just like the commercial might say. that thing has a Hemi in it. The 5.7-liter hemispherical-head V8 churns out 330 horsepower at 5,000 RPMs and 375 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 RPMs.
So even though the Commander weighs in at 5,169 pounds, it can accelerate with sports-sedan quickness, and carries itself extremely well. It handles with what my wife, Joan, called sports-car-like precision, considerably better than most other large SUVs weÂ’ve driven, in her view.
As impressive as the Hemi power is, the Commander also benefits from the cylinder-deactivation system that effectively cuts out half the cylinders at cruising speed, moving it up from gas-hungry to reasonable in fuel efficiency. WeÂ’re talking a vehicle that would be impressive if it got 14 miles per gallon, and improving it to the 17-18 neighborhood.
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Opening the door reveals more luxury than you might be prepared for. The test truck was jet black, which was more stunning as we encountered a couple of midweek snowstorms hit. Inside, what is called “Saddle Brown Yuma Leather†greets you from all the seats, and with three rows-worth, that’s a lot of seats, arranged in what they call stadium seating. Movie theaters do it, putting the seats on risers so everyone can easily see over the bushy-haired giant sitting a row ahead. In the Commander, occupants in the second row can see over the front row, and third-row sitters can see over the second row. The taller body means more side glass, and a more, uh, commanding view.
The roof is stepped, so itÂ’s higher to accommodate the rear seat, although the step itself is physically obscured by the well-positioned roof rack. The seating and all the appointments are nothing if not totally luxurious. The rearmost row of seats fold down independently, making a flat carpeted stowage surface. ThatÂ’s a good idea, too, because while everybodyÂ’s market research says that SUV buyers are adamant about wanting a third-row seat, it is even more dramatic in pointing out how rarely those third-row seats are used to sit in.
The second row is used frequently, though, and on the Commander the stock formation is a 40/20/40 split that can fold up to separate the outer seats if youÂ’re hauling four instead of five. Or seven. If there are only two of you, and a lot of stuff to haul, you can fold both the second and third rows down flat into the floor. On a trip, you could probably find room to sleep back there, which would mean SUVs have finally figured out how to capture some of the best assets of vans.
“Instead of thinking outside the box,†said Jeep spokesman Don Renkert, “we made a better box.Ââ€
I don’t like fake wood trim, but the woodgrain inside the Commander, which I’m sure is “genuine simulated wood,” is as attractive as any I’ve seen. The instrument panel is well laid out, as are center stack controls, right on down to the console, which has the shift lever for the five-speed automatic transmission, and a little grasp-handle if you want to lock the beast into low range to creep down some steep off-road decline.
An oversized sunroof fits because of the straight-up walls, and can be augmented by fixed-window skylights over the rear, which further brightens the luxury concept.
Going through the snow is a breeze, no matter which type of four-wheel drive you choose. Jeep has enough systems to satisfy the most demanding buyer, with QuadraTrac, QuadraTrac II, Quadra-Drive II, and then thereÂ’s the two-wheel rear-drive version.
You get the Hemi, and you get the Quadra-Drive II, which has electronically controlled shifting of torque to assure that the wheel with the most traction gets the most power. It even can send 100 percent of available power to just one wheel, and when youÂ’re talking Hemi power, you obviously can still get where you intend to go with one wheel doing the work.
Side-curtain airbags shield all three rows, augmenting the normal airbag-equipped safety stuff, which starts from structural safety with solid rear frame rails designed to take off-road boulder hits, which pretty much mean anything on the road should be easy.
The rear end has a solid-axle build with five-link suspension, again designed to handle the most rugged use. All Commanders get that treatment, whether you choose the 3.7-liter V6, the 4.7-liter V8, or the 5.7-liter Hemi. If you choose the top Limited model, the base is $38,205, and it drops off to $36,280 for the Limited, $29,985 for the basic 4×4, and $27,985 for the 4×2.
Impressive as the Commander Limited 4×4 Hemi is for charging through snow, ice, traffic congestion, to say nothing of dry pavement, it seems to me that anyone who would buy such a vehicle would want the 4×4. I mentioned that to Michael Berube, one of the Jeep officials at the CommanderÂ’s launch.
“Twenty-five percent of Jeep buyers buy them in 4×2 form,†Berube insisted. “But thatÂ’s in the sunbelt. In the snow belt, especially in places like Minnesota, 4x2s are bought byÂ…almost zero percent.Ââ€
Sanity, as they say, prevails. Sometimes.
Mitsubishi adds Raider, enchants with Evolution IX
PORTLAND, OR. — The scenery along the Columbia River was spectacular from the Mitsubishi Raider pickup trucks we were driving during the mid-August North American media introduction of the 2006 Mitsubishi fleet, but the best was yet to come. The scenery at Portland International Raceway wasnÂ’t as spectacular, but driving the new Lancer Evolution IX at the track was mind-blowing.
Mitsubishi officials gushed with enthusiasm about their new products, particularly because the companyÂ’s financial scare of a year ago made an abrupt upturn with the early introduction of the new Eclipse, a stylishly bulgy sports coupe. “We seem to have turned a corner, thanks to the success of the Eclipse,†said Dave Schembri, executive vice president of Mitsubishi Motors North America. “Eclipse sales have nearly doubled what we had expected, and l;uckily our Normal, Ill., plant is flexible enough that we can increase production.Ââ€
A lot of hyperbole followed, including the boast that Mitsubishi ranked No. 1 in a market research study of which Japanese company was most-recognized. Mitsubishi officials claim thatÂ’s because other companies are disguising their Japanese heritage at a time when people perceive Japanese products as high-tech and well-made. Frankly, I donÂ’t think companies such as Mazda and Honda are hiding their heritage, itÂ’s just that millions of Americans might recognize MitsubishiÂ’s name from its exceptional lines of television and electronics, which other Japanese car companies donÂ’t produce.
Regardless, Mitsubishi may have lost out on some financing from DaimlerChrysler in the past year, but their connection with Chrysler continues to flourish – obviously. Mitsubishi has a long history of producing cars such as the Colt, Stealth, Champ, Conquest, Expo, Talon and Laser, and it produced a couple of decades of outstanding 3.0-liter V6 engines to bolster the runaway success of Chrysler Corporation’s minivans. And DaimlerChrysler is currently negotiating to buy more Mitsubishi engines.
But here’s a twist. One of the vehicles Mitsubishi made for Chrysler was the Montero, which was rebadged as the Dodge Raider SUV. It’s been a while since that was built, so now Dodge is producing its hot new Dakota pickup for Mitsubishi – as the Raider. It is Mitsubishi’s return to the pickup game for the first time since the old Mighty Max.
After a lengthy description of the Raider’s assets, I innocently asked whether, aside from the exterior and interior, there were any engine, drivetrain or suspension alterations from the Dakota, and Mike Evanoff, manager of product strategy, said, “No.†He later added that Mitsubishi was comfortable that the styling of the Raider, done in the Cypress studios in California, was sufficient to differentiate it from the Dakota, even while it is built alongside the Dakota in the Warren, Mich., plant.
“The Dakota is more of a working truck, while the Raider is aimed at being more of a sporty truck,†he said. And the dramatic, clearly Mitsubishi sweep of the front end of the truck will be its clear attraction. Chrysler, naturally, also supplies the two engines, a 3.7-liter V6 with 210 horsepower and 235 foot-pounds of torque, and either a 6-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic, and a 4.7-liter V8 with 230 horses and 290 foot-pounds of torque, peaking at only 3,600 RPMs, through a 5-speed automatic, and with a 6,500-pound tow capacity. Either an extended cab or full 4-door double-cab style, in LS, DuroCross, or XLS trim levels, and in either 2-wheel or 4-wheel drive, the Raider can be had with either a 6.4-foot bed, or a 5.3-foot bed with the double cab.
The Raider – available in late September starting below $20,000 for base models — follows the Eclipse as the second of six corporate makeover vehicles in a two-year stretch. The Eclipse Spyder (convertible) will be next, then the Outlander SUV, then the compact Lancer sedan, and finally the Evolution X will follow. So many companies are using alph-numeric designations these days, and most of them use “X†in some fashion, but in the case of the Evolution, the “X†is strictly a Roman numeral.
And, indeed, “X†marks the spot for the Lancer Evolution. Always a tidy and efficient compact, the Lancer took a stride toward performance fun with the Evolution back in 2003, while also making a bold stride in professional rally racing with a high-performance specialty version using all-wheel-drive, turbocharged power. As those models evolved, they became more powerful and also more user-friendly.
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The Evo VIII last year boasted 276 horsepower and 0-60 times of 4.6 seconds in Road & Track magazineÂ’s tests, with an electronically limited top speed of 155 miles per hour. For the Evo IX in 2006, Mitsubishi completely reworked the engine, strengthening the block and components, and put its MIVEC variable valve-timing scheme to work, and the superb little 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, with its dual overhead camshafts and 4-valve-per-cylinder heads was hiked to 286 horsepower at 6,500 RPMs, with torque increased to 289 foot-pounds at 3,500 RPMs.
We can only imagine what the Evolution X will be like two years from now in its all-new, 10th iteration, but for 2006, the ninth version – the Evolution IX – will more than suffice. The RS and IX models share the body-lightening tricks, such as an aluminum roof and a hollow rear spoiler, with the top-of-the-line MR (Mitsubishi Racing) model. The RS and IX come with a 5-speed stick shift, while the MR has a 6-speed.
Obviously, the car has improved quickness, and while we donÂ’t have an actual number yet, putting the Evo IX through its paces on both a tightly coned autocross course, and around the Portland International road-racing course, proved the carÂ’s fantastic stability, suspension, and steering control, all of which complement the tremendous power and the all-wheel drive system, which has an active center differential to distribute torque, and a front limited-slip differential to further regulate the power split.
All the assembled journalists got two turns at the autocross. I enjoy those, and usually do pretty well in them, and I thought I had accomplished pretty near the Evo IXÂ’s maximum, with a 48-second run on my tire-screeching second try around the circuit. Anything more, I thought, might be considered abuse. Later, we learned that a couple of journalists who race regularly stayed on the course for 20 or so turns and, while thrashing the car through some tire-lifting runs through the turns, recorded a 42-second time. Astounding.
By then, I was on the road course, where the Evo IX showed exemplary manners, particularly the true Recaro sport bucket seats with perfect bolstering and also a slightly gritty material in the center to keep your butt from moving to port or starboard while you are aiming full-speed ahead. I hit 120 mph on two different spots for several laps in succession, and only occasional stabs at the great brakes was necessary before hurtling around the tightest turns by using the gas pedal and modulating the traction.
There are some other true compact rockets out there these days, with the Subaru WRX STi most notable as the EvoÂ’s top competitor, but interior refinements make the car greatly adaptable to real-world driving, too. Evolutions will reach showrooms by early October, with prices starting at $29,000. The full-boat MR model at $36,000.
Deep down, I still favor little engines that over-achieve to engines that depend on mere largeness to supply power, and while the Eclipse continues to attract great attention, it performs because of a larger 2.4-liter 4-cylinder and a larger 3.8-liter V6. The Evolution, of course, puts it away with a 2.0 in turbo, all-wheel-drive form – which was the way the original Eclipse came. Won’t that drivetrain fit in the new Eclipse? Hiroshi Fujii, an engineer who is also the manager of the ongoing Evolution project, preferred to discuss the vehicle through an interpreter. But he understood that question, and just smiled, broadly.
The 2.4 is in the Eclipse because that car is on the larger Galant platform, while the Evolution is a more compact car, and Mr. Fujii-San explained that the 2.0 is a different engine family – thereby successfully dodging the question. I asked if it was near the limit of its potential, and he just smiled again. He, of course, is in charge of the still-secret and unseen Evo X. But for the next couple of years, the Evo IX will suffice. It is about as much fun as you can have in a compact 4-door sedan with race-track capabilities, real-world pleasures, and even budgetary considerations.
Sonata’s new tune lifts Hyundai higher on hit parade
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. — A shiny 2006 Hyundai Sonata parked out front of the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel indicated how far Hyundai has progressed in sophistication. I mentioned to a Korean company official that I thought it looked good, “very much like an Accord.Ââ€
The fellow seemed genuinely hurt.
The new Sonata challenges the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, and there are some design similarities to those midsize icons, but I assured the Korean official that my comment was intended as a compliment. His reaction, however, indicates that Hyundai has advanced to where it can take offense at being compared to the very vehicles itÂ’s seeking to be compared to.
Hyundai has worked as hard as any auto manufacturer in the world to both establish and refine its identity – harder, maybe. But identification has come slowly and with great difficulty. Some think Hyundai is Japanese, others, when they learn it is South Korean, dismiss it for being Korean, and therefore not a serious player in the automotive world. Fortunately for Hyundai, acceptance of its vehicles has come easier than its identity.
The 2006 Sonata should help Hyundai accomplish both objectives. If a “sonata†is a piece of smooth-flowing music, this Sonata is pleasing enough to attain considerable “accord†(no offense). Sonatas are offering more size, more features and the usual unsurpassed warranty to combat the Accord/Camry popularity, and you will be able to buy a larger and roomier Sonata for significantly less than a comparable Accord or Camry model – in fact, a fully loaded Sonata with a V6 is still less expensive than the four-cylinder versions of the Accord or Camry.
The Sonata was introduced to automotive journalists during the past week with a drive northward from the toney Nob Hill area of San Francisco northward along the stunning backdrop of the Pacific Coast. The longer, sleeker Sonata is completely redone inside as well as outside, and it has two new engines – a 2.4-liter “Theta†four-cylinder and a 3.3-liter “Lambda†V6 – both built by Hyundai, and the five-speed automatic transmissions have a manual shiftgate.
The introduction comes almost a month before the official opening ceremonies of Hyundai’s $1.1-billion plant in Montgomery, Ala., the facility in which the Sonata will be the first product, which seems like the cart preceding the horse for what Hyundai of America president and CEO Bob Cosmai says is the “most important launch†for the company. That’s significant, because the Sonata is the second, after the Tucson SUV, of seven new Hyundai vehicles in a 24-month period.
The Sonata redesign comes on the heels of the current Sonata being named No. 1 in initial quality among midsize cars by J.D. Power, and being named the auto satisfaction winner of Good Housekeeping InstituteÂ’s “What Women Want†survey that generated 100,000 responses, 43,000 of which were women. The survey responses showed that safety was the No. 1 consideration, but that engine performance was “very important to women, even slightly more so than to male drivers.Ââ€
In a power-point talk by John Krafcik, HyundaiÂ’s vice president of product development and strategic planning, noted among his impressive statistics that the new Sonata would be bought by 47 percent males. During lunch, I asked Cosmai that if 47 percent male buyers meant 53 percent women buyers, why was the male minority listed rather than the female majority. Cosmai said that the company didnÂ’t want to market to females, because the corporate reasoning, paraphrased loosely, showed females will buy a car being marketed to males, but males wonÂ’t buy what they perceive as a “chick car.Ââ€
If being long, nicely styled, powerful, and with good handling and steering response is what chick cars have to offer these days, we should all be buying them. But we can sympathize with Hyundai’s dilemma, even if we don’t agree with it. “There are image targets, and consumption targets,†said Cosmai, explaining how a company can market for a certain image and accept consumption from a completely different demographic.
“We have had a 364-percent increase in total sales since 1999,†said Cosmai. “In 1998, Hyundai was not in the top 10 among top-selling imports in the U.S., but something like 12th or 13th. We are now the fourth-best-selling import, after Toyota, Honda and Nissan, with sales of 3,046,333 vehicles. WeÂ’ve gone from a niche company to full-line mainstream in five years. And we generate 57.6-percent repeat buyers. It was 18.6 percent in 1998.Ââ€
In that time span, Hyundais also took over Kia, another Korean company, and builds the engines used in those vehicles as well. While increasing production and sales in whirlwind fashion, not everything has fit into place smoothly. Hyundai envisions the midsize Sonata and the compact-to-mid Santa Fe SUV to be the big sellers, but the compact Elantra outsold the Sonata and the new Tucson is outselling Santa Fe right now.
The new Alabama plant my take care of that, however, because the new Sonata appears to be the best thing Hyundai has produced so far, and an all-new and larger Santa Fe will be built off the Sonata platform as the second vehicle coming out of the new plant. Hyundai anticipates building 150,000 Sonatas in 2006, its first full calendar year, and it can build about as many Santa Fes.
The new Sonata chassis has independent suspension, with double wishbone front and multilink rear, with stabilizer bars front and rear. I found the suspension a good compromise between comfort and firm-handling support. I also found the steering to be good, but not quite as quick-reacting as IÂ’d prefer. Hyundai engineers had benchmarked the BMW 5-Series for handling, the Lexus ES330 for interior noise quality, and the Audi A6 for interior craftsmanship. Not a bad hat trick to aspire to.
Power is good from the 3.3-liter Lambda V6, an all-new engine built in the Sohari, Korea, factory, and which will be built at the Alabama facility from July on. It is aluminum, with dual overhead camshafts, and continuously variable valve-timing on the intake side, which is good for 235 horsepower at 6,000 RPMs and 226 foot-pounds of torque at 3,500 RPMs.
The Theta 4-cylinder also has the aluminum, dual overhead cams, and other high-tech features and produces 162 horsepower at 5,800 RPMs and 164 foot-pounds of torque at 4,250 revs.
The engines also have chains – not belts – to drive the overhead cams, which means no worries about belt breakage. The engines solve another major problem in this era of $3 gasoline – yes, fuel stations on the drive through San Francisco showed regular gas at $2.99 per gallon – Hyundai engineers say you can use regular gas in the Sonata engines, or you can choose premium and get two additional horsepower and two more foot-pounds of torque.
By stretching the 2006 Sonata out over a longer platform with a longer, wider and taller body, the Sonata interior total volume goes from 114.1 cubic feet of the 2005 Sonata to 121.7 cubic feet of interior volume. That not only leaves the Accord (116.7 cubic feet) behind, but it also vaults the Sonata beyond the EPA’s interior-volume line of 120 cubic feet to delineate midsize from full-size, which means the Sonata qualifies as a large car on the inside while still midsize on the outside. Trunk capacity is 16.3 cubic feet – not quite as big as Camry’s 16.7, but much bigger than Accord’s 14.0.
Hyundai fulfills its other challenges to the establishment well. The basic GL model starts at $18,495 with the 2.4-liter four and is expected to consume 20 percent of brand buyers; the middle GLS with the four-cylinder starts at $19,995 and will account for another 20 percent; the GLS with the V6 starts at $21,495 and will be the largest-volume version at 35 percent; and the top LX with the 3.3-liter V6 starts at $23,495 and will comprise 25 percent of sales.
All models come with six airbags, including side-curtain, plus antilock on the four-wheel disc brakes and EBD (electronic brake distribution) to assure full braking in panic stops, plus an amazing standard feature of electronic stability control and traction control on the front-wheel-drive system. Hyundai officials are right in trumpeting that feature, as well as the insurance industryÂ’s evidence that cars with stability control show a 35 percent reduction in single-vehicle crashes, and a 30 percent reduction in crash fatalities. Projector headlights and foglights join power windows, keyless entries, air-conditioning and other standard amenities, and Hyundai just signed an agreement with XM Satellite Radio to include those devices as standard equipment in all Sonatas as soon as they can be factory installed.
It is commendable that Hyundai sought to improve its product more than worry about its identity, but the identity quest is not forgotten. A new global brand strategy will use the motto “Drive your way.†And a new ad campaign for the Sonata stresses it is “A Hyundai like youÂ’ve never seen before.Ââ€
Mottos and buzzwords should matter less than the bottom-line comparisons with comparably equipped Accords and Camrys. The Sonata is $1,880 cheaper than an Accord when both have 4-cylinder engines, and $4,000 cheaper using V6 models. The difference is $2,700 cheaper against the Camry 4-cylinder and $2,900 cheaper with V6es. And yes, the Sonata with the V6 turns out to be cheaper than the better-known rivals with 4-cylinders.
On top of that, the Sonata has traction control and stability control devices which may not be standard, or even available, on some of those rivals, plus a 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty and 5-year, 60,000-mile overall warranty, against, for example, HondaÂ’s 3-year/36,000-mile warranty for both. The warranty has never mattered with Hondas or Toyotas, where durability and maintenance-free reputations prevail. If Hyundai can match that, its warranty may not matter, either.
That unbeatable warranty used to be the only reason new buyers were attracted to Hyundai, even if the Korean company tended to copy rather than try for leadership. The Sonata will change that perception, because its style, features, and flexibility make it an valid competitor, and the warranty is just a nice add-on.
Hot Mustang sizzles with added convertibles
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — The suspense was growing by the minute, before the naming of the 2005 North American International Truck of the Year at the Detroit Auto Show. Would the jury of 48 automotive journalists pick a Ford, a Ford, or a Ford affiliate? The three finalists – the top three vote-getters – were the Ford Freestyle, the Ford Escape Hybrid, and the Land Rover LR3. All three deserved their status, and had to make Ford executives smile.
FordÂ’s chances were reduced to one in three for International Car of the Year, with the 2005 Mustang in an all-domestic showdown against the Chevrolet Corvette and the Chrysler 300. Of those three, the Mustang was my top vote-getter, and has been a rousing success since it hit the marketplace. While the Mustang may not need a boost so soon after being launched as an all-new model, Ford gave it a boost anyway, by introducing a convertible version as a public relations coup to kick off the opening of the major domestic auto show circuit this past week.
Car and Truck of the Year awards – free of the influence of advertising that accompanies all similar magazine awards – are announced at Detroit’s auto show, which starts this week as the nation’s most significant automotive extravaganza. The Los Angeles show started a few days earlier in its puzzling quest to be the country’s first major show, so Ford invited selected journalists for a first drive of the Mustang convertible last Tuesday in Los Angeles, the day before the first press day at the Los Angeles show. Because every media outlet were seeking a flashy way to preview the opening of the show, this gave them the chance to feature live shots of the Mustang convertible zooming along highways in and around Santa Monica.
Beyond the hustle, the Mustang convertible is an impressively tight version of the Mustang, free of the usual shuddering cowl shake that plagues virtually every coupe that tries to become a convertible. In the MustangÂ’s case, chief engineer Hau Thai Tang said, “From the start, we designed the Mustang to be both a coupe and convertible. In that way, it already was stiff enough so it didnÂ’t need extra reinforcement to become a convertible.Ââ€
One compromise Ford made with the convertible was to soften the suspension just a bit. But that worked, too, because in making the all-new platform, the coupeÂ’s stiffness was so improved against flexing, Ford could actually soften the spring rates and still have a firm but comfortable cornering attitude.
The power-operated soft top, with a full glass rear window, drops down behind the rear seat in only 16 seconds after you unlatch it. The carÂ’s aerodynamics include a special taper to the top of the steeply-raked windshield to make it surprisingly quiet instead of the anticipated wind-buffeting noise when the top is down. Yet the convertible is a mere 120 pounds heavier than the coupe.
I did, by the way, put the top down immediately, although some left the top up as they braced against the “severe†cold of 50-something temperature. That is cold for Southern California, but having flown to Los Angeles from Minnesota, where I had just been shoveling a nine-inch snowfall in minus-15-degree weather, 50-something was, indeed, convertible weather. OK, we turned the heat up a bit, but my driving partner hailed from more-tropical Toronto.
I was able to zoom around the mountain roads above Santa Monica in a variety of Mustangs. Most impressive was the GT, with its 4.6-liter V8, and a five-speed stick, which best put the 300 horsepower and 320 foot-pounds of torque down on the road. It will be priced at $29,995, a few thousand more than the coupe. The 4.0-liter V6 Mustang also can be had in convertible form, with the price rising from just under $20,000 to $24,495, with 210 horsepower and a fully adequate 240 foot-pounds of torque. Ford officials anticipate a 30-percent boost in Mustang sales with the convertible.
After the Mustang GT V8, I also drove the V6 version of the convertible, with FordÂ’s five-speed automatic. It displayed proper flair both in sound and acceleration, although it would be spunkier with the five-speed, which is the same one as in the V8.
Later, I also took a turn in one of several flashy Mustangs that had undergone after-market modifications. Some had more power, some were louder, some had flashy graphics, some had huge wheels. All of the modified Mustangs were impressive, but none matched the silky-smooth coordination of the stock Mustang. The body, chassis, engines, suspension, brakes, and even the tires, are all coordinated to make the Mustang a complete package. So maybe the best an after-market company can do is to not screw up the stock MustangÂ’s harmonious balance.
Even in styling, the Mustang, which IÂ’ve covered in previous columns, is extremely polished as it conjures up the best memories of the 1970 Mustang, the last and best version of the first batch of Mustangs. From that standpoint, the V6 version is even more similar, because it has the large open grille, without the GTÂ’s large, inset foglights.
The Los Angeles show is big enough to command star billing – Hollywood style – along with the Detroit, Chicago and New York shows as the big four of North American auto shows. But compared to maybe a half-dozen new vehicles unveiled at Los Angeles, there will probably be about 20 such introductions at Detroit in the coming week. To me, it would seem Los Angeles organizers would be smart to put their show off for a couple of weeks, and by letting Detroit be first, L.A. would get their half-dozen introductions, plus get 20 or so vehicles shown first in Detroit.
Back to the Car of the Year voting, this was the most competitive year in the history of the North American event, which is the only such award not conducted by a magazine or other outlet that might be accused of being dependent upon advertising money. Jury members on the North American Car of the Year jury have 25 points to split up among different picks. In some years, IÂ’ve given the maximum 10 points to one car, and split up the remaining 15 points among a selected few. The Volkswagen New Beetle, which won in its introductory year, was one of those that deserved the maximum, and the Mazda6, which didnÂ’t win, was another. But never in my 11 years on the jury have I had to split up my votes among so many worthy cars.
In my personal vote, I ranked the three finalists:1. Mustang, 2. Chrysler 300, and 3. Corvette. My ballot, however, reflects a responsibility to driving requirements in the Upper Midwest, so I gave the ultra-safe yet fun to drive Volvo S40 sedan and V50 wagon, as an entry, one point more than the rear-drive Mustang, which I tied with the Dodge Magnum, the wagon half of Chrysler GroupÂ’s dynamic duo. One point behind those two, I gave equal shares to the Chrysler 300, Acura RL and the Audi A6, a notch ahead of the Corvette, which is impressive enough to win in a different year.
In that company, the Mustang is not so much retro as an attempt to design a progressive extension of the car from when it established itself as a passionate icon. Hau Thai Tang, in fact, has been promoted from chief engineer on the car and will now supervise FordÂ’s upcoming performance cars, including the SVT (Special Vehicle Team) operation.
Ford added to the festive occasion by following up the Mustang convertible drive with a trip to Leno’s Garage, Jay Leno’s private playpen. It houses the night-show star’s own collection of dream cars, vintage cars and motorcycles, ranging from ancient historic cars, some old Packards and Hudsons, up through such exotic cars as the new McLaren, and a new Ford GT parked alongside a vintage Cobra. Jay Leno was there to pay tribute to John Colletti, who just retired as head of SVT. I got the chance to congratulate Leno on remaining a true “car guy†underneath all the show-biz glitter.
On top of the dozens of fantastic vehicles, a car-fanaticÂ’s ultimate hat trick mingled as well, giving me the opportunity to renew acquaintances with Carroll Shelby, Parnelli Jones and Dan Gurney.
The Mustang convertible may have stolen the spotlight of the Los Angeles Auto Show, but there were some impressive unveilings of some 2006 models. My favorites were Audi’s dynamic new compact A3, and the completely rebuilt A4, while Volkswagen brought out its entirely redone Jetta, and Chevrolet introduced the HHR – a modern interpretation of a compact and retro 1949 Suburban. Dodge, which brought out a new coupe version of the V10 Viper sports car, and a beefed-up Magnum sport-wagon, was holding back a week to display the anticipated new Charger in Detroit.
Chevrolet compared the HHR to the PT Cruiser, although it failed to mention that shortly after Chrysler introduced the PT Cruiser, General Motors hired young designer Bryan Nesbitt away, and put him to work designing the HHR. If you like the Suburban/Tahoe trucks, and if you remember the first Suburban, you will be stopped in your tracks by the HHR, which is big enough to be versatile, and small enough to be powered by either a 145 or 170 horsepower Ecotec four-cylinder engine.
(John Gilbert writes weekly automotive columns. He can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Saab 9-3 models thrive on GM technology, personalities
The Saab 9-3 is one of the more pleasant surprises in the automotive industry for 2006, if youÂ’re a family-car person, a stylish show-off, or a high-performance driver. And, if you happen to be all-of-the-above, itÂ’s even more impressive.
Recently, I had the chance to drive a Saab 9-3 Aero “5-door†station wagon, and it blew me away. More recently, More recently, I spent a week with a 9-3 Aero convertible that was equally enjoyable – maybe more.
In the process, I also want to offer sincere congratulations to General Motors, which has subtly upgraded the Saab 9-3 and turning it from what seemed to be an orphan to arguably the most surprising and enjoyable brands in GMÂ’s vast array. Two men made the subtlety is less-subtle, GM public relations man Tom Beaman, and GM engineer Bob Jacques. Both of them play integral parts in this Saab story.
In recent years, IÂ’ve challenged several maneuvers by General Motors. Building superior high-tech engines but still installing less-costly, outmoded engines in mainstream cars is one item IÂ’ve addressed. Another is a recent ploy in which GM declares its vehicles better than the competition, then criticizes journalists who dare to say otherwise. Some autowriters who should know better now produce reviews that read a lot like GM press releases.
A few years ago, I got to know Bob Jacques, a clever, articulate and engaging fellow who builds engines at GM. His most recent project was the 3.6-liter V6 for Cadillac, used in the then-new CTS, and SRX, and in the recently restyled STS. GM continued to install the ancient 3800 and 3.4-liter pushrod V6 engines in many vehicles, while the 3.6 has more power, more flexibility, better fuel-efficiency and, with dual-overhead-camshafts and variable valve-timing, all the high-tech goodies that make most import engines superior. Jacques has an old Firebird with a huge pushrod V8, so I can heckle him about living in the future at work, and living in the pasture at home.
Ah, well.
One of my recent concerns about GM is that in buying out Saab, it was turning the Swedish auto-maker into a place to send all sorts of GM-affiliated vehicles. I owned and loved a 1980 Saab 900S for a decade, so I felt personally offended when the recent 9-3 – successor of the 900 – appeared to evolve into a Malibu/Saturn clone with the key on the floor. Meanwhile, GM forced everything from its own TrailBlazer to a Subaru model into Saab disguises. I grudgingly accepted the fact that at least GM allowed Saab to continue operating.
Late last summer, I got the chance to attend GMÂ’s 2006 vehicle introduction at the GM proving grounds just outside Detroit. My friend Tom Beaman had been transferred within the corporate public relations staff to Saab. I was afraid to say it, but with all the turmoil in the auto PR world, plus SaabÂ’s uncertain future, I wondered if that was figuratively like being moved to a desk near the exit.
I was among all the journalists that stood in line to drive the new Corvette Z-06, the hot Impala, Cobalt, HHR, and several other enticing things. I enjoyed the Z-06, but it was so smooth that it didnÂ’t give me the kind of feedback to make me feel comfortable with so much more power, so I didnÂ’t go over 135 miles per hour on my one lap that included circling the long, high-banked oval track.
After lunch, I noticed my friend Tom standing over at the far end of the gathered cars, with a Saab 9-3 wagon. He looked a little forlorn, alone with his car, while the media folks clustered around the others. So I walked over to Tom and asked if I could drive his Saab wagon. He said sure, and off I went. IÂ’d only gone 50 yards when I realized that the 9-3 wagon felt too good to believe.The bucket seats were firm, the instruments ergonomically perfect, and it had a six-speed manual shifter. Stepping on the gas and running the revs up in second gear, the 9-3 wagon took off like a scalded cat.
Moments later, I pulled out on the oval test track, and I swept through the first turn high up on the banking at 135 mph. Fantastic! The thing had a turbocharged engine, and it was the most surprisingly impressive vehicle I drove all day. Others, including the Z-06, were impressive, but no more than IÂ’d expected. The 9-3 was over the top, beyond expectations. So I put in a request to get a Saab 9-3 for a weekÂ’s road-test when one got into the fleet.
It appeared, a couple of months ago. At first I thought the 9-3 Aero might be the same wagon I had driven, but it was no, because this one had an automatic transmission. More fun, because the six-speed automatic has a manual slot, and can be worked by large thumb buttons inboard of the steering wheel grips. The shifting was smooth, responsive, and every bit as much fun as the stick. Performance was excellent from the same turbocharged V6.
A little tracing of the engine’s lineage showed it is a 2.8-liter V6, with dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, electronic fuel-injection, and a turbocharger. I knew this was no Saab engine, so I immediately called Bob Jacques in Detroit. Good move. Jacques explained that his baby, the 3.6 “High Feature†V6 built for Cadillac and is now an option in the Buick LaCrosse, has spawned a family off offspring.
GM sends the engine to Holden, its Australian affiliate that built the Pontiac GTO, and Holden turns out a direct-injection 3.2 version of the 3.6 for Alfa Romeo, and a still smaller 2.8 – with both a smaller bore and shorter stroke than the 3.6. That 2.8 is upgraded from CTS form with a turbocharger, and is dropped into the Saab 9-3. With 250 horsepower and six gears, whether manual or automatic, the 9-3 whooshes up to freeway speed with sudden and easy swiftness. Careful, because it wants to go right on past reasonable freeway speed.
And now comes the Saab 9-3 Aero convertible. Same 2.8 V6 with all the valves, cams and 250 horsepower, and with a six-speed stick shift. Like the more sedate-looking wagon, which was “Fusion Blue Metallic,†the “Parchment Silver Metallic†convertible also has the same electronic stability program, all-season tires on 17-inch alloy wheels, four-link rear suspension that helps the front-wheel-drive vehicle track around tight corners, and sport-tuned suspension settings all around. Antilock brakes, mechanical brake assist, cornering brake control, front and side airbags, and the traditional Saab safety crumple-zone architecture.
Leather power seats, a 300-watt sound system with six-CD changer, Xenon headlights, and all the other creature features are installed on both the wagon and the convertible. The wagon had a navigation system, the convertible had rain-sensing wipers.
The wagon went from a base $32,900 to a sticker of $38,065; the convertible went from a base of $41,900 to a sticker of $44,915. On the sticker, it reads: U.S./Canadian parts content – 1%, Germany 33%, Sweden 19%; assembly plant in Graz, Austria, for the convertible and Trollhattan, Sweden, for the wagon; transmission built in Japan (for the automatic) and Sweden (for the stick); and the engine – built in Australia.
Right. But in Australia after being designed, refined, and planned by my friend Bob Jacques and his playmates in the white smocks at the GM tech center in Detroit.
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While tracking well over residential streets, freeways, and when pushed hard around a cloverleaf, both the wagon and the convertible were predictable and smooth.
The convertible is a wonder of mechanical design. Unlike the Solstice/Saturn tops that must be manually put down and stuffed under a manually opened rear hatch, the Saab convertible requires that you stop. Hit the switch on the dash, and you can hear soft whirring as the rear hatch rises, clamshell-like, and the fabric top lifts itself off the top of the windshield, folds back, and disappears, with the hatch snapping shut over it. Smooth and sleek, with no fabric showing. It goes up just as easily, when you stop and flip the switch the other way.
EPA fuel-economy city-highway estimates are 18-28 for the convertible, 17-28 for the wagon. I attained somewhere between those figures overall, and the convertibleÂ’s computer shows 22.3 miles per gallon over the last 1,800 miles, combined city and highway, by various drivers. And those are media drivers, who, presumably, had as difficult a time as I did driving either car moderately.
In the meantime, I also drove a Saab 9-5, the larger and more luxurious Saab model, and it had the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Now, I was pretty sure that was the familiar Saab engine of recent years, but to be absolutely sure, I put in a call for my friend Tom Beaman, at GM’s corporate PR station in Detroit. He was out, and his message said he’d be out for a while. The next morning, by complete coincidence, I got an email from Tom. Turned out he’s going to be “out†for longer than I thought – he has accepted a generous GM early-retirement offer, and is leaving the company.
IÂ’m not sure what the cosmic influence of all this timing means, but I called Tom at home, to congratulate him on deciding to go a different direction with his life, and also to say how much IÂ’ll miss our respectful exchanges of questions and information, free of hyperbole or sarcasm. By either of us.
Sure, Saab gets straightened out as a GM affiliate that can live up to the companyÂ’s heritage for high-tech jet aircraft and enjoyable automobiles, and he bails. I told him he could leave SaabÂ’s PR post assured that all is well, and the product is alive and dazzling. Nevertheless, my memory bank stores it as another life lesson: Be cautious about desks that are close to the exit.
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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