Montego perfectly designed for winter’s worst blasts
As I listened, the well-meaning radio announcer raved about canceling all regular programming to keep listeners informed of the impending blizzard, and I could hardly wait to go out and play. I donÂ’t take hazardous driving lightly, but I was road-testing a Mercury Montego, which has succeeded in sneaking under the radar of higher-profile new 2005 cars, including the Ford Five Hundred, MontegoÂ’s corporate twin.
The Five Hundred styling is so conservative that it takes subtle to a new definition. Customers are likely to walk past it in a showroom to get to a salesman and ask, “Where’s the new car you’ve got?†The Montego is not what you’d call boldly styled, but it does have a more distinctive grille, which has the vertical bars Mercury folks call their “signature waterfall.†That, alone, makes the Montego more stylish to look at.
Like the Five Hundred, the Montego is a large, roomy sedan with an enormous, 21 cubic foot trunk. You can extend total load length to 49.9 inches by folding down the rear seat. If the trunk had running water, you could rent it out as a one-room dwelling. But probably not when itÂ’s15 below. For the ice that comes along with such cold, the Montego has all-wheel drive, and itÂ’s the superb Swedish Haldex system, which sends all the power to the front wheels until the tendency to spin apportions torque to the rear. In all-wheel-drive form, the Montego comes in just about at $30,000.
We Upper Midwest dwellers have pretended to have winter the last few years, even up on the northern side of Lake Superior. We may have been lulled into complacency by the lack of both extended sub-zero temperatures and large snowfalls, although weÂ’d never complain about getting through December, January and February with ease. Maybe this year is payback. Just up the North Shore from Duluth, the area has been blanketed by over 40 inches of snow, and counting.
One of the heaviest of those storms came in a classic, three-pronged assault: Steady rain at 35 degrees, plunging temperatures after that, coating all those vertical avenues with a glaze. After the thermometer hit 15-below, the glaze hardened, and an 8-inch snowfall descended on it.
Perfect.
My wife, Joan, thinks I’m a little weird because I get excited to drive in really foul weather. The adrenaline rush clicks my instincts and reactions to “high,†because I’m usually test-driving a vehicle, or some special tires, and looking for the opportunity to practice the latest winter-driving techniques. Nothing risky or dangerous, just a chance to see how a vehicle’s much-promoted electronic traction and stability gadgets really work when it matters.
On that particular stormy day, when the radio guy scared a lot of people off the road, I strode boldly out to the Montego and climbed aboard.
The spacious interior belies the fact that the Montego is not a huge car, just huge inside. The overall length is helped by the design, which, based on the Volvo S80 sedan, calls for a front crumple zone against crashes, and houses a transverse-mount engine. In the Montego test-carÂ’s case, it was fitted with FordÂ’s corporate Duratec V6, a 3.0-liter engine with dual overhead camshafts, but, for reasons known only to Ford engineers, lacking the variable valve-timing enhancement that would give the hefty (3,950-pound) sedan more than 203 horsepower and 207 foot-pounds of torque.
Critics have complained that this engine is underpowered, and that’s a perfect example of why the numbers alone fail to tell the story. A new continuously-variable automatic transmission, and computer-controlled engine functions, it works out surprisingly well. The transmission works on a flexible, steel-toothed belt, wrapping around two pulleys. As needed, the belt’s loop grows smaller at one end or the other as it shifts. It never feels like it’s shifting because it’s always shifting – always in the computer-designated proper gear ratio for the speed and power required.
It takes some getting used to, because when you step on the gas for a normal-to-aggressive start, the revs come up, then plateau at around 3,500 instead of increasing to 6,000 or so, while the speed keeps building. That means the sound also plateaus, and it can fool you into thinking youÂ’re not going very fast. The vehicle, however, moves on out with adequate if not neck-snapping power for any and all normal driving task, except possibly drag-racing your neighbor kidÂ’s hot rod.
But IÂ’d driven the CVT before, and now, on ice, was time to try the AWD. So I drove up a half-dozen steep avenues in Duluth, and was pretty disappointed. The guy on the radio was still raving about how treacherous it was outside, and how nobody should drive if they can possibly avoid it, and I simply drove up these hills without spinning a wheel. I stopped completely on a few avenues, and started up, and the Montego just climbed. The standard Pirelli M+S tires did just fine, and while I didnÂ’t floor the thing, it just went where intended.
Moving out into rural territory,I found a smooth stretch of hard-packed snow under the icy covering for the appropriate challenge. From a stop, I floored the gas pedal, and, sure enough, I induced a spin, but only for a couple of seconds, and then the Montego took off, and in a straight line.
The most care had to be used when stopping, because no matter what kind of drive you have – front, rear, or all-wheel – nothing helps stopping on ice except reducing speed long before you need to stop. The Montego gives you enough confidence that you could drive it too hard up to a stop and get in trouble, although the four-wheel disc brakes and the antilock system worked well.
The Montego worked so well that after my exploratory drive that I got back home and climbed out of the car at my somewhat-shoveled driveway. I reported that it wasnÂ’t anywhere near as slippery as everyone was claiming, and just as I spoke, my feet shot out from under me. Once airborne, I levitated for an instant, then made a one-point landing on my elbow. That gave me the opportunity for a close look at the ice-coated asphalt.. Hmmm, maybe it was slipperier than I thought!
The benefits Ford gained from working with its Volvo affiliate are unmistakable. The Haldex system is what helped the Volvo XC90 win Truck of the Year for 2004, and it works so swiftly and surely on the S80 and S60 Volvo sedans that it ranks with the best all-wheel-drive units in the world. Various luxury cars, including BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac and the new Chrysler 300/Dodge Magnum, now offer all-wheel drive options, and while Audi and Subaru systems work well, most of the other ones IÂ’ve tested remain rear-wheel biased, offering a shift of something like 30-percent power to the front when the rears spin.
On the Montego’s Haldex system, 100 percent of the power goes to the front wheels in normal circumstances – a clearcut advantage in moderate slippery conditions because the weight and the drive is over the wheels that steer the car. When it’s slippery, the Haldex electro-hydraulic limited-slip system can sense any tendency of the front drive wheels to turn ever so slightly faster than the rear wheels, and that signals an instant transfer of up to 100 percent of the torque from the front to the rear. None of this 70-30 stuff, the Montego’s system can shift any amount – from 0-100-percent – to the rear or the front, wherever traction is better.
Inside the Montego, whether you‘re in the driver’s seat or admiring the class-leading head, knee and legroom of the rear seat, you are impressed with the tasteful use of brushed metal and leather on the dash, console and trim. You may be oblivious to the fantastic technical stuff going on under the skin, knowing only that you keep on keepin’-on, trusting the computerized system to calculate gas-pedal pressure and traction, then coordinate the engine’s revs, the optimum gearing, and how much power it wants to send to the front or rear, and in what ratio.
ThatÂ’s the way it should be, in our technological age, but it is frankly remarkable when it comes together on ice-slicked highways and avenues.
The next day, after the 8-inch snowfall, my adrenaline had to be put on hold while I forced the outside door of the house open against a heavy barricade of still more snow. Then I shoveled my way out to the car, to drive to Minneapolis. My elbow still hurt, making it seem like a reminder that, thanks to the MontegoÂ’s all-wheel drive system, trudging out to the car was the riskiest part of the trip.
(John Gilbert writes weekly auto reviews, and can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Rejuvenated Michigan Tech sweeps stunned Gophers
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. — Finishing first in the WCHA means you get to play at home against the last-place team in the first round of playoffs. But if Michigan Tech stays in last place, there will be a terrific scramble at the top to try to avoid facing the Huskies. Of course, if Michigan Tech continues to play the 2005 portion of the schedule the way it played the first two weekends of January, the Huskies have no chance to remain in last place.
Michigan Tech swept two games from Minnesota at Mariucci Arena last weekend, winning 6-3 and 3-1 against the nation’s No. 3 ranked – and previously No. 1 ranked – college team. Maybe some credit should go to an eight-inch snowfall on Friday that transformed the Twin Cities into “Houghton West,†but it was the first time Tech had swept the Golden Gophers ever at the new Mariucci Arena, and the first time any Tech team had swept any Gopher team in Minneapolis since John MacInnes’s Huskies inflicted two losses on Herb Brooks’s Gophers in 1975.
That’s not all. The only other WCHA series Tech has played in calendar 2005 was at Denver on January 7-8, when the Huskies stung No. 5 Denver 3-0 before losing the rematch 1-0. So Tech is 3-1 since the first of the year – and now stands 4-14 for the season.
“Yeah, and we should have won the other game out at Denver,†said John Scott, Tech’s gigantic junior defenseman. Scott would be gigantic under any circumstances, at 6-foot-7 and 255 pounds, but he looks even more gigantic in Tech’s lineup, which features Chris Conner, Lars Helminen, and Mike Batovanja, all of whom are 5-foot-7, and Jimmy Kerr and John Hartman, both of whom are 5-foot-9.
With Tech returning home to engage Colorado College in Houghton, all those technological students at Tech might be wondering if “turnaround†is one word or hyphenated. Also, is “road warrior†two words or hyphenated? The term “player-of-the-week†is easier; it can be hyphenated, or it can be spelled “Ellsworth,†although goaltender Cam Ellsworth was deflecting credit after stopping 39 of 42 Minnesota shots in the 6-3 game, and 37 of 38 in the 2-1 second game to earn defensive player of the week laurels.
“The best thing about it is we got two wins,†said Ellsworth. “Goaltending is an easy job when the team is playing well, and itÂ’s tough when the team is playing badly. IÂ’m not doing much different, but now that weÂ’re winning, itÂ’s a lot easier.Ââ€
Now that weÂ’re winning? How about now that weÂ’ve gone on the road to beat two of the best teams in the country? Ellsworth apparently found an invisible shield under his Christmas tree, because he has stopped 189 of 196 shots in his last five games, which also includes a 6-2 victory over Notre Dame at Green Bay, on the way to Minneapolis. So Tech goes home 4-1 for January.
“The biggest difference in our team?†said captain Colin Murphy, who was offensive player of the week. “Goaltending. WeÂ’ve had a lot of close games, and we know we can play with anybody.Ââ€
Tech coach Jamie Russell said: “IÂ’m proud of Ellsworth the way heÂ’s turned his game around. The first half was frustrating for our whole team, but everybody kept working. There are still some areas where we need to improve, but we want to be playing our best hockey at the end.Ââ€
Consider that through the 2004 half of the schedule, Tech was 1-13 in WCHA games, and that 5-1 victory against Alaska-Anchorage seemed a long time ago – because it was, coming back on October 29. After that came a couple of losses at St. Cloud State, a couple of losses at Colorado College, a couple of losses against North Dakota, and a couple of losses against Denver. December ended with a couple of tough losses at the Great Lakes Invitational Tournament in Detroit, 4-2 to Michigan and 4-3 against New Hampshire.
The outlook for January was pretty bleak, with a return series on the road at No. 5 ranked Denver, then a series at No. 3 rated Minnesota, before returning home against No. 1 Colorado College, then a trip to Duluth to face preseason favorite UMD. “We’re ALWAYS playing top teams,†said Ellsworth.
At Minnesota, Tech also was running into a determined foe. Getting past Minnesota State-Mankato twice had hardly healed the sting the Gophers felt from losing twice at home to Colorado College. Those were the first home losses after a two-year streak of Mariucci invincibility for Minnesota. Besides, the Golden Gophers had beaten Tech 16 straight times, nine of them at Mariucci.
But Tech struck first in the Friday game, on a goal by defenseman Lars Helminen, and silenced the crowd of 10,147 in the second period when Taggart Desmet converted MurphyÂ’s feed for a 2-0 lead, and made it 3-0 when Murphy rapped in a 2-on-1 pass across the goal-mouth from Chris Conner.
The big crowd got fired up when Gino Guyer countered with a goal for Minnesota, and Even Kaufmann cut the deficit to 3-2 before the middle period ended. But Jimmy Kerr skated in to play the ricochet as the puck caromed off the corner boards to the right circle, and golfed a one-timer high and to the short side against Kellen Briggs for a 4-1 Tech lead early in the third period.
A Gopher goal was disallowed because of a dislodged net later, and Ellsworth and the Huskies weathered a furious Gopher attack, then most of a power play, during which frustrated Gophers winger Ryan Potulny crashed right over Ellsworth, knocking him out of the crease. When freshman defenseman Alex Goligoski scored from the point before that power play ended, it was 4-3, and a Gopher comeback seemed inevitable.
Conner, the 5-7 dynamo who had worked hard for minimal rewards all season, wouldnÂ’t let the Huskies falter. “It was tough scoring early on, but I was still getting chances,†said Conner. “ThatÂ’s something weÂ’ve had to work on. We used to let down when things didnÂ’t go our way, but weÂ’re starting to learn that youÂ’ve got to keep working.Ââ€
Conner kept working, retaliating 54 seconds after GoligoskiÂ’s goal with a rush up the left side. He battled defenseman Chris Harrington all the way to the net for a shot, then when Briggs left the rebound in the crease, Conner hopped over the sprawling Harrington and Briggs to score. Conner said he thought Harrington, who was sprawled, might have knocked it in with his hand, and Harrington said he had no idea what happened in the tangle. What did happen was TechÂ’s lead expanded to 5-3, and it ended 6-3 when, on a last-minute penalty kill, Ryan Markham rifled a 150-footer into the empty net with 14 seconds to go.
Tech started the second game with the same resolve, but Minnesota wound up with a two-man power play for a 1:15 span when Schwartz went off for slashing at 11:00, and Scott was whistled for cross-checking at 11:45. Minnesota scored when Tyler Hirsch’s shot from the left circle glanced off teammate Danny Irmen’s skate and then Tech defenseman Jake Wilkens’s skate, finding the net at 12:17. A two-man power play double deflection goal, and it turned out to be the only puck to elude Ellsworth all night. The crowd of 9,677 continued to chant “Ellsworth sucks,†however, meaning their script prevented them from paying attention to what was happening. If Ellsworth sucked, as they say, what does that say for the Gopher shooters?
Justin Johnson was in goal for Minnesota, making it the second weekend in a row he got the second game. Before that, Briggs had started 21 straight, but had yielded 20 goals in his last four starts. Trailing 1-0, Tech played an amazing second period, outshooting Minnesota 18-14 even while killing three penalties, and the Huskies scored twice, as Scott and Conner connected in a 1:05 span.
Scott, a junior at age 22 who has somehow been missed in the NHL draft, played a mighty game on defense, and moved in forcefully from the point after great forechecking by Nick Anderson and Murphy, and drilled his shot at 16:37. It may have looked routine, but it was only the second goal of the season for the big blueliner. “Whenever you get a chance like that, youÂ’ve got to put it in,†said Scott, who laughed about the infrequency of his goals. “My other one was a one-timer from the point against Alaska – it was a pretty good goal, actually.Ââ€
A minute later, Conner was in deep, pestering the defense as usual, when defenseman Clay Wilson shot from center point. The shot deflected off the end boards to the right of the net and came right back out, where Conner bunted it in at the right post. “That one barely made it, too,†said Conner, who leads the Huskies with 10 goals.
Murphy had passed to Wilson, so he got an assist on ConnerÂ’s goal, his nation-leading 30th assist of the season. It ended a productive week for Murphy, who had four assists against Notre Dame, and his seventh goal along with three assists in the first Minnesota game. Murphy plays right wing on a line with Desmet at center and Conner at left wing, and is a superb player and strong captain.
But the Huskies know that their chances of success increase greatly if Conner keeps scoring. “Chris is a big-time player,†said Ellsworth. “HeÂ’s fast, he has all the moves, and heÂ’s probably the strongest player in the league. HeÂ’s also a special type of person.Ââ€
Scott attests to ConnerÂ’s strength. “Conner is impossible to check in practice,†said Scott. “He practices just like he plays, going all-out. HeÂ’s the most laid-back guy off the ice, but in practice, heÂ’s so strong I have trouble knocking him down.Ââ€
The Gophers won’t question the strength of Scott, the giant among some jockeys. A pretty lively scrap erupted during the second game, and everybody but the goaltenders were involved. Scott and Minnesota’s Hirsch were paired up, “I had 23 (Hirsch),†said Scott. “Then I saw 15 (Mike Vannelli) jump on one of our guys.†So Scott grabbed Vannelli as well, and for the last half-minute before order was restored, the 6-7 Scott casually held Hirsch harmlessly at bay in one hand and Vannelli in the other.
Harrington, outside the Minnesota dressing room, said, “WeÂ’ve got to remember how we won all those games early. Tech won the way youÂ’re supposed to – with hard work. They did all the little things you have to do to win.Ââ€
Which, as the Yoopers like to say, is better than doing the things you do to lose.
Volvo V50’s AWD conquers borders, subzero cold
QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC — We were doing some slalom testing on a frozen lake and later at a ski resort in Quebec when I found something I didnÂ’t like about the Volvo V50 station wagon. Oh, I did well when my turn came to zig-zag through the cones in serpentine fashion, but I had trouble turning the full 360-degrees for the return run.
I finished the last cone going down, and swung into a wide turn to come back. As I hit the gas pedal, the car chattered and hesitated as something called DSTC – for Dynamic Stability Traction Control – took over and limited the power it would allow to reach the four wheels. When I finally got it back into the cones, my time was pretty good, but several seconds from the best.
On my second trip, I was much faster through the cones, then I tried to circle in a much tighter turn at the far end, cranking the steering wheel hard and hitting the gas again. The V50 started to turn, but then it bogged down, hesitating almost to a standstill even though I was flooring it. The DSTC is smarter than the driver in some cases, and it sought to prevent a spinout that the driver seemed intent on causing. My time was significantly slower than my first run, because I was the victim of too much traction control.
So my new-found thing to dislike about the V50 wagon was, simply, that the traction-control system was too good!
Obviously, in real-world driving on ice and snow, that sort of thing is a tremendous advantage, which we had proved earlier, on the frozen lake. We had done other slalom tests with Volvo’s XC70 – the newly renamed wagon that used to be the V70 XC – and also ran the V50 around a plowed, prepared road-course with varying curves going both directions. We drove with the DSTC off, and then with it on. The difference was remarkable. Most impressive was how swiftly you could hurl the all-wheel-drive V50 and still maintain control, without the DSTC, after which the next lap with DSTC engaged was much easier, indeed.
I realilzed later that if IÂ’d had one more run at the later slalom, I could have tried switching off the DSTC at the end of the first run of cones, and probably induced a 360-degree spin for a faster return and overall time.
Quebec was the perfect site for the whole trip, but then Quebec City is one of the greatest cities on the continent, with its ancient buildings blending with all-new ones. We drove across the river, through a little village, and visited a chocolate shop where they make real hot chocolate and candies, at the start of our daylong drive. We also stopped to tour an ice hotel, built with rooms and corridors and an adjoining lounge and chapel, all out of ice. They thought I was serious when I asked if they had a special rate for July.
In that setting, we could fully appreciate the hardiness that always has been identified with Volvo. But Volvo is doing some extraordinary things in the automotive market these days, expanding its unequalled conscientiousness for safety, while adding heightened performance to its S60 and S80 sedans, and further benefiting from its first SUV, the XC90, which captured truck of the year for 2003.
For 2005, Volvo introduced a completely revised S40, which is its most compact sedan, and later brought out the V50, which is the wagon version of the S40. The wagon, with its slightly arched roofline, might be even better looking than the well contoured sedan. If asked how good the S40 and V50 are, I would vote that they are the best new vehicles on the market. In fact, I did vote that way. In real-world driving, in wintertime or when safety is foremost to a young family, I think the S40/V50 are the most significant new vehicles of the year, and on my ballot for North American Car of the Year, that entry earned a slight edge in points over the winning Chrysler 300, Ford Mustang, Corvette, Dodge Magnum, Acura RL and Audi A6.
The V50 is shorter in overall length, by 2 to 10 inches, and in wheelbase by 1-3 inches, compared to its prime wagon rivals, the Audi A4 Avant, Subaru Legacy and Volkswagen Passat, but it has almost the same front and rear headroom and legroom. The trick is that Volvo installed the engine crosswise, and the transverse-mount means a shorter hood than its rivals, which allows better frontal visibility, and means the overall length can be reduced without intruding on the interior.
Volvo uses four different grades of steel in the structure, putting the softest of the four where it wants the car to absorb impacts, then stronger steel up to the strongest, which protects the occupant compartment from intrusion. In addition, a steel rod runs crosswise under the seat cushions to also reinforce the strength of the seats.
The drivetrain is outstanding, with the base 2.4-liter 5-cylinder developing 168 horsepower and 170 foot-pounds of torque, and the 2.5-liter 5-cylinder with a low-pressure turbocharger providing 218 horsepower and 236 foot-pounds of torque. A very good automatic transmission is fine, but I prefer the new 6-speed stick, which can be selected in either front-wheel drive or the Haldex all-wheel drive. The AWD system sends all its power to the front wheels, but any tendency for the front wheels to slip, by turning even imperceptibly more than the rears, causes a shift in torque that can send some, the same, or all of the power to the rear.
That means the V50 is strong in protection against impacts – as strong as the larger sedans, Volvo engineers say, and undoubtedly the safest compact vehicle on the road today. It expands on the very adequate size of the S40 with the usual wagon’s versatility, and performs with good power and fuel efficiency, with a large fun-to-drive quotient, particularly with the manual transmission.
From an aesthetic standpoint, the seats are superbly comfortable and supportive, and the center stack of audio and heat-air controls is simply the best in the industry. Instead of a massive wall to house all the controls, the S40/V50 has a slender, inch-thick panel that curves delicately down to the floor, leaving extra storage room behind it.
While the safe, solid, compact and fun V50 handles every challenge usually conceded to larger vehicles, the price is right. The 2.4 front-wheel-drive version with automatic transmission starts at $25,990; and going to the 2.5 turbo engine, it goes to $27,610; moving up to the T5 all-wheel-drive model with the six-speed stick is $29,385.
The S40/V50 pair have helped Volvo attract younger customers. The median age of the V70 with front drive was 57, while going to the sportier XC70 lowers that to 52. Volvo’s XC90 sport-utility vehicle has a lower-still 45 median age. But early results are that the V50 has lowered the median age to between 35-40 – a segment all manufacturers are seeking.
After all our driving, we pulled off our fur-lined hats, unlayered, and toured the Laval Chapel, a museum that is part of Laval University. It was a church built in 1677, and expanded in 1694. A fire damaged it in 1701, but it was rebuilt, a process that was repeated after another fire did more damage in 1705. It flourished, from then up until it moved into retirement as a museum, which proved a spectacular site for dinner, complete with a live, classical music serenade.
Just in case we enjoyed ourselves too much, our flight out of Quebec the next morning was delayed several hours, and the Northwest Airlines captain said: “ItÂ’s 30 below, and we canÂ’t start our right-side engine because of the cold.Ââ€
They must not do jump-starts with DC9s.
The new Volvos, meanwhile, needed no jump-starts, and buyers are sure to be happy with the new wagons, especially driving in the Great White North. Just remember, though, if you try to spin the car out, itÂ’s far too intelligent to let you do it.
Both Gophers, UMD needed rivalry sweep, but got split
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. — ThereÂ’s nothing like a good old-fashioned rivalry, such as when Minnesota faced Minnesota-Duluth at Mariucci Arena last weekend. You can throw away the record books when those two play. Come to think of it, both teams might prefer if you threw away the current record book.
Minnesota’s “Border Line†seems to have become borderline, while UMD shows indications of coming out of a lengthy scoring slump, but, as they say, none of that matters in a rivalry like this.
Minnesota-Duluth, located on the tip of Lake Superior, is a campus of the University of Minnesota, so Bulldog hockey games against the “Main U†annually are the biggest sports event in Duluth. There are seasons when UMD is Minnesota’s biggest rivalry, too, but from both competitive and regional impact, Minnesota also looms as the biggest natural rival for Wisconsin, North Dakota, and St. Cloud State.
A split of their weekend series only seemed appropriate, although it wasnÂ’t what either team wanted — or needed. Minnesota held off UMDÂ’s late rally for a 4-3 victory in the first game, and the Bulldogs secured a 2-1 victory in the rematch.
Scoring was no problem for Minnesota all season, thanks to the “Border LineÂ’s†three non-native Minnesotans — Ryan Potulny from Grand Forks, Dan Irmen from Fargo, and Kris Chucko from Burnaby (British Columbia), The line scored 20 of MinnesotaÂ’s 43 goals in the first nine weeks they were together, but it scored only one goal in the two losses to Michigan Tech, and its only goal during the UMD weekend was when a power-play rebound scramble tally Saturday was reappropriated to Chucko.
Unlike Minnesota, UMD didnÂ’t have hot scorers to going cold, so much as cold scorers trying to warm up. Marco Peluso warmed up to broil by scoring two of the UMD goals and assisting on the other in the 4-3 loss, and assisting on two of the three in the 3-2 victory.
The first game was scoreless through one period, then the teams erupted for four goals in less than four minutes early in the second. Derek PeltierÂ’s goal staked Minnesota to a 1-0 lead, Peluso countered promptly for UMD, and Garrett Smaagaard and defenseman Judd Stevens scored Minnesota goals for a 3-1 lead.
UMD goalie Josh Johnson played very well to hold the 3-1 deficit, but with eight minutes to go in the third period, Nate HagemoÂ’s power-play goal gave Minnesota a 4-1 lead, and the standing-room Gopher crowd of 10,149 started to taunt the Bulldogs with their “Nah, nah, nah, nah, goodbye†song. “When we got that power play goal, I thought the game was over,†said Gopher coach Don Lucia. “But they made some good plays – theyÂ’ve got some good players.Ââ€
UMDÂ’s less-heralded big line came through, when Evan Schwabe fed Peluso, whose backhander was blocked by Gopher goalie Kellen Briggs, but Bryan McGregor converted with 3:04 left. On its next line shift, Peluso drilled a long rebound with 2:15 to go, and the Gopher fans stopped taunting at 4-3, but Minnesota held on. “The bottom line was, we won the game,†said a relieved Lucia. “And it was a very, very important win for us.Ââ€
Equally important was UMDÂ’s response with a much more inspired effort the next night. “Much more aggressive, more physical,†said UMD coach Scott Sandelin. “We played so well in the first period that I wondered if we could sustain it for three periods.Ââ€
Senior Bulldog defenseman Tim Hambly walked in from the point to whistle a high, hard one past Briggs midway through the first period, and while ChuckoÂ’s goal tied it, UMD outshot Minnesota 17-15 in a chance-filled session. UMD took charge in the second period when Nick Anderson and Evan Schwabe scored for a 3-1 lead in the first four minutes.
Tyler Hirsch knocked in Jake FlemingÂ’s rebound at 9:15 of the second period, and it looked like the game was percolating toward a wild finish. But goalie Isaac Reichmuth stood firm, and UMD resolutely kept the puck in MinnesotaÂ’s end, outshooting the Gophers 12-6 in the third period and 45-33 for the game. An even larger crowd of10,303 was poised to cheer and jeer, but departed unfulfilled.
“ThatÂ’s as good as IÂ’ve seen a team play against us all year,†said Lucia. “They were getting to the pucks first, they got it out of their zone, and they took control of the game. We got 17 of our shots on the power play, but 5-on-5, Duluth had much more energy.Ââ€
Each team could take heart in how their victory brought them closer to where they were.
Minnesota had been cruising along No. 1 in the nation, and it appeared inevitable that the Gophers would make up its games-in-hand to overtake WCHA leader Wisconsin. But the Gophers were beaten twice at Mariucci Arena by Colorado College, and lost twice in their next home series to last-place Michigan Tech. Two straight series sweeps by visitors to Minnesota hadnÂ’t happened in 28 years, not since the late and legendary Herb Brooks coached the Gophers through a rebuilding season in 1977, the year after their second NCAA title in a three-year span.
Despite flashes of strong play, Minnesota is 1-5 record in its last three WCHA home sets, and12-8 in league play, as the Gophers learned the other side of the games-in-hand opportunity – you still have to win them to gain ground. Especially when Wisconsin refuses to fade at the upper reaches of the WCHA, and took a week off with a lofty 14-4 record, while onrushing Colorado College and Denver joined them in the “4-loss club†at 15-4-1 and 13-4-1, respectively.
UMDÂ’s struggles have been longer. A Frozen Four appearance last spring led to being declared the coachesÂ’ preseason pick to win the WCHA, and a 5-1 start and the No. 1 national ranking followed. Then the Bulldogs quit scoring, and sputtered through a 3-12-2 stretch — 2-9-2 in the WCHA. Some hope was rekindled when UMD won the second game at St. Cloud, then tied and won at Colorado College, so the split at Minnesota means the Bulldogs, who had won just once in nine games, are on a 3-1-1 rise, even though their 9-10-3 record means they are, still looking for .500, and playoff home-ice.
As for big rivalries: A revenge motive is part of the Badgers upcoming weekend, because half of WisconsinÂ’s league losses came on an early-season weekend at Mariucci. And, for this coming weekend at least, the Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry is the biggest for both teams.
Honda rides innovative Ridgeline into pickup battle
LA JOLLA, CALIF. — After truck sales zoomed into the stratosphere, it seemed that every possible configuration of pickup trucks had been created — from small to medium to humungous, from long-bed to short-bed to covered-bed, and from regular-cab to extended-cab to crew-cab. Not so fast, there, pardner. ThereÂ’s still room for one more, and Honda, of all people, is the one filling that slot.
The Honda Ridgeline pickup will hit showrooms in about a month, and Honda aims to sell about 50,000 of them this year year, while hoping to double that in future years. Honda officials readily admit that after insisting for a decade that they’d never build an actual pickup truck, now they are saying, “Here’s our truck.†The shifting marketplace and the increasing profits from trucks are more than enough motivation for a corporate mind-change. But Honda hasn’t missed on many of its ideas so far, always creating clever vehicles with the highest technology, build quality and clean efficiency, and the Ridgeline seems to be another direct hit.
Honda gave itself quite a task, aiming for a pickup truck that can do it all, with full-size interior and all sorts of appointments, yet a compact exterior, for maneuverability and convenience, and the ability of competing – if not beating – the more powerful and larger trucks on the market. The Ridgeline is a full-four-door pickup, with styling that is daring and bold enough to defy the conservative look of Accords and Civics, as well as the aerodynamically astute look of Acura RSX, TSX, TL, RL and MD-X models.
For power, Honda always has taken on the argument of enlarging displacement by using superior technology, but tweaking the 3.5-liter V6 to be able to run with the numerous V8 and larger V6 engines of competitors and still be clean for emissions, was a big task.
Meanwhile, recognizing that virtually all trucks are compromises, with some being better off-road, others better on-road, some with suspensions designed for full loads, and others for light-load comfort, the Ridgeline aims to combine all those assets. It is designed with both a fully cross-membered frame and a unibody, fused cleverly into a tight package that is both superbly comfortable loaded and unloaded, while hauling a half-ton of cargo or towing a 5,000-pound trailer. The bed is all-composite, and itÂ’s ingeniously designed with a trunk under the bedÂ’s floor.
The people buying trucks will be the ultimate jury, but the gathered automotive media were pretty unanimous in being impressed at the introduction of the vehicle at a resort and ranch in the La Jolla, California, area near San Diego. (Those of us who are hardy Midwesterners might wonder where this place, pronounced “La Hoya,†is located, and hopefully we all figured out that it’s the Spanish pronunciation of La Jolla.)
Anyhow, cynics asked how Honda could possibly compete with full-size pickups with huge V8s, using that slick little V6 that has variations powering the Acura MD-X luxury SUV and RL luxury sedan. Honda officials didn’t make any outrageous boasts, and they insisted their intention is not to replace the F150 – Ford’s benchmark full-size pickup – but that we should wait until the demonstration drives to see for ourselves.
Honda had a Ford F150 available, with a 5.4-liter Triton V8, and hooked it up to a 5,000-pound trailer next to a Ridgeline with an identical trailer. Nobody was surprised that the F150 out-drag-raced the Ridgeline, but everyone was surprised at how slight the margin was. And the last remaining critics were silenced when the same two vehicles were run through a slalom course, where, typically, the trailer felt like it was wagging the dog a bit with the big pickup, yet the Ridgeline performed with sports sedan stability and agility.
Earlier, we visited Vessels Ranch, where thoroughbreds and quarterhorses are bred and raised, and where an off-road course was carved into the hillsides, through sandy gulches and small streams. The Ridgeline breezed through it.
The 3.5-liter V6 turns out 255 horsepower at 5,750 RPMs, and 252 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 RPMs, and preliminary estimates are for 21 miles per gallon highway and 16 city. It is the first pickup truck with an engine that meets Level II of the ULEV (ultra low emission vehicle) and Bin 5 pollution standards. Its five-speed automatic is reinforced, and is coupled with HondaÂ’s VTM-4 all-wheel drive, a system that runs front-wheel-drive until load or slippage calls for torque shift to the rear, then calculates and shifts up to 70 percent of the torque to the rear. For extreme conditions, you can lock the rear axle so that all four wheels churn together.
Honda says it spotted an opening in the crowded truck segment for an all-new and different type of pickup. Under cross-examination, though, Honda officials admit that if they hadnÂ’t found a self-styled niche, they would have still built a pickup, maybe a better Tacoma, or something similar. Instead, they claim to be filling a niche that their market research says is there.
Dan Bonawitz, Honda’s vice president of planning and logistics, said that with all its SUVs, Honda would sell 500,000 trucks in 2004, after having none to sell in 1994. Light truck sales account for 54 percent of all U.S. sales, and that is expected to rise to 58 percent, while car sales are expected to drop to 42-46 percent. Bonawitz also explained that among the 3-million total pickups, conventional 2-door models decreased 8.6 percent in the past year, while 4-door models have increased 9.5 percent, and “new variations†of cab design have increased 40.8 percent.
“Eighteen percent of all Honda owners also own pickups, and almost 25 percent of CR-V owners also have pickups,†Bonawitz said. “Until now, Honda owners have had no choice but to go outside of Honda to buy a pickup.Ââ€
Extensive market research went into the clean-sheet design of the Ridgeline. Among both Honda owners and potential pickup buyers, the research showed a strong interest in what they wanted in a pickup, and the priorities were family needs, commuting, hauling kids and kidsÂ’ stuff, hauling home-improvement products. They also denoted a weakness of current pickups as the inability to securely store things, poor fuel efficiency, and limited interior comfort, particularly for five or six occupants.
“So we wanted to create our own benchmark,†said Gary Flint, Honda’s large project leader. “We had to retain our core values of safety for everyone, being environmentally responsible, offer outstanding value, quality reliability, and be fun to drive. We also wanted a strong image, the ability to haul a lot of cargo, all-wheel drive, good driving position, storage, and with a focus on family needs. Plus, from our sedans, we had to have comfort, refinement, ergonomics, and good fuel economy.
“We also wanted to make the Ridgeline maneuverable, able to carry at least five passengers, and be kid-friendly, while still being fun, durable, capable of running off-road, and of hauling dirty cargo. So we created a recipe, offering a new approach for active families.Ââ€
The result is a truck that is 207 inches long – 1.5 inches shorter than an F150, but with greater interior room. Large rear-seat knee room and seatback angle that is the same as the front buckets are standard, with the capability of storing 2.6 cubic feet under the rear seat, and to flip up the bottom cushion in all or part of a 60/40 split. A mountain bike will easily fit, upright, back there, meaning you don’t have to worry about it getting ripped off when you put it in the bed and stop at a store or restaurant.
The pickup bed is truly a work of art. The composite design took a battering without being marred from a front-end loader dumping 600 pounds of boulders into the bed as we watched. Grooves in the floor of the bed are designed so that owners of 3.4 million Honda motorcycles will find the tires fit perfectly. At 49 inches wide (the F150 is 50 inches), a 4×8-foot sheet of plywood rides flat in the 5-foot bed, which goes to 6.5 feet with the tailgate down.
The tailgate itself is a work of art. It opens by folding down, and 300 pounds of weight can rest on it without a problem, and it also will open to the side, which is perfect for allowing easy access to whatever you want to load or unload.
The primary feature of the bed, however, is the trunk. At a touch, the rear floor section will tilt up, revealing an 8.5-cubic-foot trunkspace. It is large enough to store extra large duffel bags, three full sets of golf clubs, a stroller, or a 72-quart cooler, and you can get a divider and cargo hooks as well. The best part is that the trunk lid/bed floor is completely sealed, so you could haul a load of dirt in the bed, and none of it would get into the trunk. The crowning touch is that you could simply fill the whole trunk with ice, and when you pull up to a picnic or camping site, or to tailgate, pop the trunk and you have the perfect cooler. A drain plug is also standard. Also, when you lock the doors, the trunk locks as well. A temporary spare also is stashed in the trunk, although a full-size one will fit there.
In design, Honda knew that a unibody was best for body rigidity and safety, but a body on frame is best for towing and cargo. So even though it took 93 percent new and exclusive parts, an integrated frame with boxed frame rails and seven cross-members of high-strength steel was designed and fastened to a unibody structure. The finished Ridgeline is 2.5 times stiffer in bending rigidity and 20 times stiffer in torsional rigidity than “other midsize pickups,†Honda says. The bed is sheet-molded composite, so it won’t corrode or suffer “ding†damage, and it has three cross-members under it.
An independent rear suspension tracks well and aids handling and comfort. Rubber isolation points on the subframe help to quiet vibrations. The suspension system designed for the Pilot SUV has been reinforced totally, measuring a 30-percent increase in strength, and the result is lateral response g-forces and slalom speeds far better than the F150, Titan, Tundra or Colorado pickups.
Driving position is excellent, as is the switchgear, except for the headlight switch. I donÂ’t like the turn-knob on the left side of the dash for headlights, when every vehicle on the planet seems to have pull-push switches, or twisting the end of the directional-light stalk, to operate the lights. WeÂ’re nitpicking, here, however. Along with antilock brakes on the four-wheel discs, the Ridgeline has electronic brake distribution, and brake assist for emergency stops, as well as traction control and vehicle stability control, and a full complement of airbags and curtains, and it earns five-star crash-test ratings, with special attention to crash compatibility to make smaller vehicles and even pedestrians safer in collisions.
The Ridgeline has passenger-car-level interior noise, with a navigation screen, audio upgrades that include rear-seat DVD screen and wireless headphones, and it starts out well-equipped with standard features in base RT level, at $28,000, while an RTS that adds alloy wheels and a six-CD audio, and the top of the line RTL adds heated leather seats with a base price of $32,000.
Whether Honda is accurate in its assessment of what it calls this available niche in a “morphing†truck market, the Ridgeline seems certain to be a sellout.
(John Gilbert writes weekly auto reviews, and you can reach him 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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