Mazda3 runstogether compact size, feature upgrades
Despite the flurry of extremely worthy candidates for 2004 Car of the Year, some of us on the voting jury may have realized this past week that we may be missing the best new vehicle. The reality check
came after Wednesday’s first hands-on media exposure to the Mazda3 – the all-new compact car that replaces the Protégé.
Mazda seems intent on running numbers into letters, and a cynic might
suggest that a Mazda3 must be about half of a Mazda6. That, in itself, would be impressive, but the Mazda3 actually takes the compact category to a new peak of proficiency, and it would just as soon take a winding road to get there.
The Mazda3 comes in either a sleek four-door sedan or a five-door wagon, with the two aimed at different targets, both filled with features and a choice of two engines, starting at sticker prices under $14,000 for the sedan and under $17,000 for the squareback.
“We like to think of ourselves as taking the ‘Road Less Traveled,’ ” said Jay Amestoy, Mazda’s vice president for public and government affairs, when introducing the car at a makeshift parking-lot site on the University of Michigan campus. “For Mazda to succeed, we have to do things differently, and be far more clever.”
The Mazda3 is about as clever as a compact can get, although Mazda didn’t submit it for Car of the Year consideration, even though it is a 2004 model-year car, and will reach showrooms by the end of November. Mazda didn’t want to dilute the chances of the RX-8, or to duplicate last year, when the Mazda6 was delayed reaching media test-fleets, so it pretty well got overlooked by the jury of the nation’s
top selected automotive journalists.
Actually, I voted for the Mazda6 first last year, followed by the
Mini-Cooper, Nissan 350Z and Infiniti G35. My 2-3-4 picks wound up 1-2-3,but my No. 1 choice was justified when the Mazda6 gained car-of-the-year status in a dozen different countries, and piled up numerous other technical awards elsewhere before finding belated success in the U.S.
At the compact level, meanwhile, the Protégé has been very competitive against the best – Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Nissan Sentra. Still, a brief trial
run in both models of the Mazda3 indicate that by taking distinct cues from the RX-8 and the Mazda6, the Mazda3 sets new standards of sportiness, sophistication, and upscale features for the compact market.
Compact buyers always have been willing to compromise, accepting obvious cutbacks in rear-seat and trunk room, and knowing that lucrative features of larger and costlier sedans wouldn’t be available. Those include structural strength and safety; four-wheel disc brakes; high performance power, handling and braking; interior amenities; navigation systems; alloy wheels; even tire-pressure monitors.
The Mazda3 includes some of those features standard and the rest within a lengthy option list, which includes a navigation system with a pop-up screen atop the nicely textured dash, leather seats, alloy wheels in 15, 16 or 17-inch diameter, and even the Xenon high-intensity discharge headlights generally available only on premium luxury cars. Overdoing the option list to get all the airbags and audio items could jack the four-door price from $13,680 up to around $18,000, or take the five-door from $16,405 up to $23,000.
But even in base form, the Mazda3 meets the company’s objectives for stylish design, technically advanced driving dynamics, and quality craftsmanship inside and out. All Mazda3 models, for example, come with four-wheel disc brakes – no compromising or “decontenting,” as some of Mazda’s top competitors cloak it.
Mazda benefits by its worldly alliance with Ford Motor Company, which also owns Volvo. “This is the most successful collaboration so far,” said Robert Davis, senior vice president of marketing and product development for Mazda. “The Mazda3 is built on a shared platform that also is being used by the new Volvo S40 and the European Ford Focus. In the shared engineering, Mazda was responsible for the powertrains, Volvo for the chassis structure and safety, and the suspension came from Ford of Europe.”
From there, each manufacturer designed and built unique features into the cars. The Mazda3 is by far the most adventurous in styling, from the Mazda6/RX-8 look of the grille on back.
Mazda took its exceptional new 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, designed and built as the base powerplant for the larger Mazda6 a year ago, and spun off a 2.0-liter version by shortening the stroke. The 2.0 is the base engine for the Mazda3 “i” model, and is quick and lively in the 2,700-pound car with 148 horsepower and 135 foot-pounds of torque. The 2.3 is available as an option, and is the only engine in the five-door. It boosts levels to 160 horsepower and 150 foot-pounds.
The aluminum engines both have chain-driven dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, and using a chain means there is no worry about changing a timing belt. Horsepower peaks at 6,500 RPMs, which is also the redline for maximum revs, conservative though that may be. The larger 2.3 has variable valve-timing. A five-speed manual transmission with pleasantly wide ratios, and an option is a four-speed automatic with a manual-shift gate.
The Mazda3 is 2.9 inches longer than the outgoing Protégé, with a wheelbase of almost an inch longer, and 2.2 inches taller and 2.0 inches wider. That translates to more interior room in both versions, except in front legroom, which is compensated for by a slightly raised seat position, which have a higher hip-point and therefore legs are slightly more vertical from the knees down, so a 0.3-inch decrease in legroom equates to more room. Besides, there is almost a full inch increase in rear legroom.
Chief designer Hideki Suzuki created the Mazda3 with careful integration of the interior and exterior. He has worked both at the California design studio and at Mazda’s home in Hiroshima, Japan. His English is pretty good,and he has mastered such phrases as the stress on “the emotion of motion” of Mazda’s corporate objectives, involving an attitude both “athletic and energetic,” featuring the “unexpected details” such as the head and taillights and even the door handles, enhancing “greater function and practicality” than a buyer might anticipate from a compact, as well as the promise of “agile movement” from “muscular form.”
The four-door and five-door have completely different shapes and all
different body panels, with the four-door expected to attract buyers who prefer a touch of sophistication, prestige, and maybe even elegance, while the five-door is intended for the more aggressive, athletic and advanced-utility buyer. Suzuki said that he was striving for a tasteful fusion of “sporty excitement and comfort.”
A standard of compacts is fuel economy, and the Mazda3 hit EPA marks of 35 highway/28 city for the 2.0, and 32 city/25 highway for the 2.3, while achieving such low emissions that Davis said that in California, “the Mazda3 exhaust is cleaner than the air taken in.”
Safety starts with the redoubtable Volvo structural design, which has a strengthened unibody that is 40 percent more rigid to flexing, and is augmented by Mazda’s structural design to disperse force of impact three ways, down and around the passenger compartment. Antilock brakes and six airbags are available, while softer, rounded interior features, a rear structure to limit intrusion, and whiplash-countering seatbacks are standard, and Davis said in-house tests make Mazda confident the Mazda3 will attain the highest five-star awards in government crash-tests.
Davis bristles at questions about demographics discovered through market research. “We don’t do demographics, we do psyche-graphics, because we’re concerned more with lifestyle than age of our customers,” said Davis. “Our buyers like a little fun in their driving, they enjoy driving, and they might be more youthful and active.” He acknowledged the versatility of the Mazda3, but added, “Our buyers may be looking for enjoyment rather than
utility.”
Mazda overall is slightly down in U.S. sales for 2003, but company officials say that’s because Mazda moved away from fleet sales, which made up as much as 15 percent of their sales, and they anticipate a 3-4-percent increase overall by the time 2003 ends. They would like to increase by a modest 5 percent for the 2004 model year, which would be between 290,000 and 300,000 vehicles.
Of that total, the Mazda3 is anticipated to account for25-30 percent, or about 70,000 cars. About 40 percent will be the five-door, which comes only as the “S” model, with the larger engine. As for packages, 20 percent of the total should be the basic “i” model, and 30 percent the “S” upgrade, with the sport package, and the rest will be somewhere in between.
Maybe Mazda is the victim of its own cleverness. They could have withheld the Mazda3 for introduction for another two months, declared it a 2005 model, and immediately become the front-runner for next year’s Car of the Year.
Mavericks start shocks UMD women, WCHA, NCAA
Jeff Vizenor found himself in a new and unusual position this week. He was being interviewed by telephone, and he had to excuse himself because it was time to go to practice. He did so, but falteringly, and for good reason. ItÂ’s the first time Vizenor, in his third year as head womenÂ’s hockey coach at Minnesota State-Mankato, has ever been threatened with being late for practice by anything resembling media attention.
The Mavericks not only havenÂ’t ever been a womenÂ’s hockey power, they have never before appeared on the radar screen of the media.
But that all changed two weeks ago, when Minnesota State-Mankato stunned three-time defending NCAA champion Minnesota-Duluth – the nation’s No. 1 ranked women’s team going into this season – 3-2 for an opening-night victory that was the biggest upset in school history, then the Mavs claimed a 4-3 second-game triumph that completed the most shocking sweep in the four years of the WCHA-Women’s competition.
Vizenor insists he was not surprised by the opening-game outcome, which sent shock waves all around the WCHA.“The way our team had practiced, I thought, ‘Wow, this is different,’ †said Vizenor.
“I was confident in Game 1. I really felt this was our chance, our turn. The reporter who covers our team said he couldnÂ’t come to FridayÂ’s game, and I told him he might really miss something. He didnÂ’t come, but he came Saturday.Ââ€
The sweep knocked UMD off the No. 1 perch, and it also elevated Mankato into the national rankings for the first time ever. The Mavericks came off their cloud last weekend, beating North Dakota – a team that will enter the WCHA next season – for 5-2 and 3-2 victories.
A year ago at this time, Mankato was 0-4 and had scored four goals; this year they are 4-0 and have scored 15 goals. That means Minnesota State-Mankato takes a 4-0 season record and the No. 9 rank in the nation to Bemidji this weekend, where the Mavericks could, conceivably, become 6-0.
“I donÂ’t think weÂ’ll be over-confident,†said Vizenor, mentioning another concept heretofore unheard of at the Minnesota River Valley school. “We watched tape on Bemidji, and theyÂ’re a team similar to us, so IÂ’m expecting it will be a good WCHA matchup. WeÂ’ve matched up with them well over the years.Ââ€
However, the Mavericks are obviously not the team they’ve been “over the years.†In Vizenor’s first season at Mankato, the team doubled its victories. Last year, in his second season, they doubled them again, to finish 10-21-3. This is his third year, and the first time the Mavericks have ever been over the .500 mark, let alone 4-0 and ranked nationally.
Nine of the Mavs 15 goals have been scored by an impressive first line, with Melanie Salatino with 6 goals and 1 assist, Devon Nichols 1 goal and 5 assists, and Kate Hainrich 2 goals, 3 assists. Salatino scored four goals in the sweep against North Dakota, when the team played less effectively, but still managed to win, Vizenor said. In the four games, four freshmen have contributed goals, with Shera Vis scoring twice, and Autumn Conway, Alycia Wilson and Cara Hendry 1 each.
But if there is to be a watershed weekend in Mankato women’s hockey history, it clearly was the opening set against UMD. Vizenor said he and his players gained confidence they could spring their first-ever victory over the nation’s most successful women’s program. Mankato had lost 2-0 at the end of the season two years ago in their closest call against the Bulldogs. “But we had Shari Vogt in goal, and the shots were something like 50-15,†Vizenor said.
This time, UMD came without its lost graduation class that included world-class stars Maria Rooth, Hanne Sikio, Erika Holst and several other four-year regulars, as well as coach Shannon Miller. The UMD coach had been smacked with a controversial one-game suspension for improperly contacting a member of the opposing team at the league playoffs in Grand Forks last year, when she allegedly knocked on the wrong door in the teamÂ’s motel late at night. Miller went recruiting, and didnÂ’t come to Mankato for either game, leaving things up to long-time assistant Stacy Wilson and rookie assistant Ira Turunen.
In addition, star players Caroline Ouellette and Krista McArthur were off playing for the Canadian National team, leaving the Bulldogs further short. But nevertheless, history and tradition were still solidly on UMDÂ’s side.
“They were missing some key players, and I have great respect for what Shannon has done as coach,†Vizenor said. “This year, they’ve got a young team, and maybe it was the first time they’ve been in that situation, where they had 10 or11 new kids playing, and in the same boat as our freshmen. Maybe they had growing pains like they’ve never experienced before. Up and down the lineup, we probably had more of a veteran lineup than they did.
“I think, as the week leading up to the series moved on, we were confident they would be games – that we could compete,†Vizenor said. “We believed we could win. For two days, we stayed so well within the game-plan, and everybody did exactly what we asked them to do.Ââ€
The secret formula?
“We worked to keep the puck to the outside, and to try to smother anything that came to the middle. We wanted to stay out of the penalty box, and shut down Jenny Potter as much as possible. We put a defensive pair, sophomore Amber Sharrat and freshman Richelle St. Croix, out against her.Ââ€
Vizenor credited his assistant coaches, Ruth Ann Kragh and Dan Lichterman, for vital roles in the sweep over UMD. “Being at home, we got the matchups we wanted, and my assistants are responsible for seeing that we get the right lines out at the right time, and they did a great job of making sure we matched up,†he said.
“The shots werenÂ’t bad the first game. We gained power and strength as game went on, and once we won the first game, we knew theyÂ’d be focused to come back after us and they shot from everywhere. The second game, we were a little more nervous. But the confidence grew for us, and the best stat of all was that we only trailed for a total of 1:20 the whole series. That was Friday night, when they scored about three minutes in. Then we scored, and we were either tied or winning the rest of the way. We were 5-for-17 on the power play for the two games, and that helped.Ââ€
Hainrich scored both her goals in the second game, giving that line five of the team’s seven goals in the series, while Vogt held the fortress in goal – earning league defensive player of the week honors – and the Mavericks struck again.
“I guess some people might say the games could have been the biggest upsets in the leagueÂ’s history,†Vizenor allowed. “But the gaps continue to close. There are more players around who will be good players, and maybe there arenÂ’t as many Maria Rooths, or Jenny Potters or Caroline Ouellettes out there. The WCHA has been blessed with incredible players, but the gap is closing.Ââ€
And if Minnesota State-Mankato is responsible for closing a major part of that gap, Vizenor is not about to translate that, or the team’s 4-0 record, or its No. 9 ranking, into a favorite’s role against Bemidji State – a team that was shut out twice by UMD last weekend.
“WeÂ’re still going in as underdog,†Vizenor said. “…WeÂ’ve made up some new rankings this week.Ââ€
(John Gilbert has covered the WomenÂ’s WCHA since its inception. He can be contacted by e-mail at sports@jwgilbert.com.)
S80’s all-wheel drive seeks better grip on midwest sales
SHAKOPEE, MN. — WeÂ’ve been known to actually have a touch of snow in Minnesota by mid-October, although thatÂ’s probably not what “Minnesota Nice†advocates refer to when discussing the regionÂ’s quality of life. Volvo officials considered both features – MinnesotaÂ’s quality of life and snowy winters – when it introduced its new S80 sedan.
Instead of summoning the automotive journalists to some flashy resort on the West Coast, Volvo decided to go to the people, the core of its consumers, and introduced the S80 at something called the Volvo All-Wheel-Drive Test, on the asphalt parking lot of the Valley Fair the amusement park in the Minneapolis suburb of Shakopee. The event, held both Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, provided an opportunity for potential buyers to check out the new S80, by look, by feel, and also by putting it through emergency-handling and evasive maneuvers between the cones of a twisty layout, which also included a slippery skidpad.
Volvo officials were careful to warn the drivers that it wasn’t a race, or even a timed autocross event, just the chance to experience the car’s capabilities. Through three sessions each day, most of the drivers came away impressed with the S80, although very few of them tried to push the cars beyond a respectful, careful pace. In short, it was what you might expect from a “traditional†Volvo event. Volvo didn’t intend for the event to be a media introduction, although the company had allowed me to road-test the first S80 to arrive, and also invited me to come out to the introduction. So somebody pushed the S80 to tire-squealing limits.
They heckled me when I nicked a couple of cones on a couple of the hottest laps I made. There was a bit of swaying and screeching in the hardest swerves, but the S80 was always predictable. On the skidpad, you could floor the throttle and feel all four tires grappling with the slipperiness but getting started, almost immediately, and staying in a straight trajectory. Zig-zagging around a slalom, or abrupt switchbacks, were no problem.
When it comes to problems, VolvoÂ’s biggest one is convincing buyers there may be some closet hot-rodders lurking back in Gothenburg in the engineering ward. The Swedish auto company, long known for unparalleled safety characteristics, has only recently started to accompany its ultra-safe vehicles with sporty design, and even high-performance handling.
The addition of a potent, 300-horsepower application to the S60 R midsize sedan, with a turbocharged five-cylinder engine, six-speed stick shift, all-wheel drive, and upgraded handling, was clear evidence as an early-2004 model. Now Volvo bolsters its largest and most luxurious sedan with some tendencies that might best be described as adventurous, if not high-performance.
Aimed at upscale cars such as the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class, Lexus ES-300, Cadillac Seville, Lincoln LS, etc., the S80 slipped under the usually-accurate radar screens of several top auto magazines, whose listing of the 2004 cars said the S80 would be unchanged, still with the in-line six-cylinder engine, mounted transversely ahead of the front axle, with front-wheel drive.
The S80 with the six, augmented by the extremely sophisticated “Four-C†suspension from the S60 R. But the big news – and the reason for the Valley Fair consumer introduction – is the S80’s newly available all-wheel drive, only when powered by the turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder. The turbo boost is turned down from the S60 R application to the S80, dropping from 300 to 208 horsepower, peaking at 5,000 RPMs, along with 236 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 RPMs.
One of the benefits of the five-cylinder over the more powerful six is that it takes up less room under the hood, which allows Volvo to install its latest, 5-speed automatic transmission, while the six can only accommodate the 4-speed. The five-speed automatic has a winter mode, to allow starting up in second, and is complemented by four-wheel traction control. Reducing some of the punch is compensated for by the added flexibility of the extra gear, so itÂ’s no drawback that the five-cylinder is the only way to obtain all-wheel drive.
All-wheel drive enhances the safe, sturdy feel of the S80. It reacts quickly to transmit power to the wheel with the best traction, although drivers wonÂ’t feel any lurches or jerks when the all-wheel drive power shifts, just smooth, driving-on-rails precision.
All-wheel drive shows how far Volvo has come. It wasn’t until the last decade that Volvo switched over to front-wheel drive, after traditionally remaining stuck on rear-wheel drive – and “stuck†might be the operative word, in some harsh winter storms. Volvo did install all-wheel drive, but only on its Cross Country wagons, about the time Volvo also abandoned the familiar boxy look by adding curvaceously appealing lines to its sedans.
The new S80 looks very similar to the 2003 model it replaces, and adding all-wheel drive and the well-proven five-cylinder will only help its image. The S80 is smooth, if not neck-snapping, with the five, and it holds pace at any freeway speed with ease while delivering startling fuel efficiency in real-world driving. I drove the first S80 to arrive earlier, and while pushing it pretty hard, I got 29.7 miles per gallon, which beats the EPA estimate of 27 MPG for sustained highway mileage. The EPA city estimate is 20, but I got 27 in combined city-highway driving.
Another big surprise is the price. While the S80 has enough refinement and firm comfort to compete with the best mid-luxury cars, its base price is $37,200. The test car was $42,525, outfitted with options such as leather seats, a power glass moonroof, power passenger seat, special seventeen-inch alloy wheels, a dynamic stability-control upgrade, and bi-Xenon headlights, which have reflectors that tilt up and down, so the powerful beam trajectory covers both high or low beams.
The S80 adds another notch on Volvo’s safety tradition, with high-strength steel surrounding the passenger compartment, airbags to cushion the front occupants, all the way up to head-height, with the side curtain, and the seats – unsurpassed for firm comfort – have pretensioning safety harnesses and anti-whiplash headrests.
So repeat Volvo buyers might be hesitant to floor the gas pedal, while new Volvo customers will find it pleasantly responsive. In either case, the new safe and secure S80 is now further armed with all-wheel drive – even if snow flurries don’t bother Upper Midwesterners until December.
(John Gilbert writes weekly columns and can be reached by email at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Sioux preview double ‘Parise factor’ to beat UMD 3-2
GRAND FORKS, N.D.—Sometimes the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game is just a nice way to give two teams the chance to work out the practice kinks before getting serious about the season. But this year, the game took on a more significant tone, because North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth are not only great rivals, but figured by most to be top contenders to preseason pick Minnesota during the WCHA season.
The game at Ralph Engelstad Arena figured to be North DakotaÂ’s high-scoring offense ignited by sophomore center Zach Parise and high-scoring winger Brandon Bochenski against UMDÂ’s pestering defensive concept, built around sophomore goaltender Isaac Reichmuth.
So how did it work out? North Dakota rallied for the last two goals to win 3-2, and it was no surprise that the first Fighting Sioux player into the interview room was named Parise. The surprise was it was not Zach Parise, a prime threat to win the WCHA scoring championship, but Jordan Parise, ZachÂ’s older brother in real life, but his younger brother scholastically.
Zach did his thing, to be sure, with a magnificent 2-on-1 set-up to Bochenski – the other guy most likely to win the scoring title – to gain a 2-2 tie, leaving it up to freshman Drew Stafford to score the game-winner, with 3:43 remaining.
But at several points, North DakotaÂ’s chances were up to Jordan Parise, North DakotaÂ’s freshman goaltending prospect. His biggest test was a toe save on Nick AndersonÂ’s second-period breakaway, and nine of his 20 saves came in the third period.
“All the freshmen stepped up,†said Jordan Parise, deferring any praise. But he also affirmed that the Sioux goaltending picture must include the rookie whose only nickname so far is “JP,†after his famous, former NHL-playing dad.
The crowd was announced at 10,399, although there were a lot of empty seats on the evening following a huge, last-second 29-28 football victory for North Dakota over St. Cloud State, after the Sioux trailed 28-3 at halftime. Compared to North DakotaÂ’s upset of previously unbeaten St. Cloud, the hockey victory was not really an upset and was only an exhibition, but it was at least as hard-fought — literally.
Several after the whistle scraps led to only two disqualifications among several potential DQs, as Mike Prpich of the Sioux and Marco Peluso of UMD sparred in a battle common to pro hockey but rare in college. They skated away from everyone, casting aside sticks, gloves, and face-masked helmets before a free-swinging tussle that drew an ovation from the crowd. “Not that I condone fighting,†said North Dakota coach Dean Blais, “but that WAS a good one.Ââ€
Both teams fought hard to score, too. Reichmuth stood firm with 24 of his 31 saves in the first two periods for UMD, while Jordan Parise had less work, with 12 of his 20 saves in the third period. Parise got the UND call, after returning veteran Jake Brandt was suspended for a game for a misdemeanor violation regarding stolen pull-tabs in his hometown of Roseau, Minn.
“Jordan Parise made two saves right at the start, then on that breakaway, he gave us a chance to win the game,†said Blais. “Reichmuth played good for them, but you expect that, because heÂ’s proven heÂ’s one of the best in the league.Ââ€
Reichmuth was primarily responsible for harnessing the big Sioux line of Zach Parise centering freshman Brady Murray and Bochenski, which contributed 13 missiles to North DakotaÂ’s 34-22 shot advantage. He also blanked all eight North Dakota power plays, while UMD went 1-for-6.
For good measure, UMD opened the scoring when Tim Stapleton glanced one in off the far pipe for a shorthanded goal five minutes into the game, meaning the Bulldogs outscored the Sioux 1-0 during the eight Sioux power plays.
Nick Fuher tied it 1-1 when he mishit a 4-on-4 set-up from Colby Geneway and the change-up fooled Reichmuth midway through the first period. Then the teams battled at 1-1 until early in the third.
Junior Lessard put away a Tyler Brosz power-play feed for a 2-1 UMD lead to open the third, but the big Sioux line regained the tie when Parise got the puck from Murray, and ducked up the left boards for a 2-on-1. Parise, who had faked a pass to Bochenski before shooting one off the crossbar on a second-period 2-on-1, learned the easier route to a point by moving in for a shot, then passing across the crease, where Bochenski chipped in a deflection at the right edge.
Bochenski, who scored 35 goals last season, has the resident best Sioux scoring hands, but he might have an understudy in Stafford, whose game-winner came 10 minutes later, when he shot quickly in traffic from point-blank range after Quinn FylingÂ’s pass out from behind the net. “HeÂ’s got great hands,†said Blais. “Stafford might still be 17, or else he just turned 18, but heÂ’s got great hands, and we need some guys who can finish.Ââ€
The finish was not pleasing to UMD coach Scott Sandelin, but he shrugged it off. “It was just like I expected,†he said. “Some good, some bad, and it got a little sloppy defensively out there. But there was a lot of intensity, and thereÂ’s going to be a lot of these games – just like last year.Ââ€
Costly audio system has 2004 Acura TL for wrapper
SEATTLE, WA. — On October 6, audiophiles and common music fans alike can check out the newest boundary for contemporary audio systems. In fact, customers will even be able to purchase the system, for $33,000.
OK, so $33,000 may seem a bit excessive, even for the greatest audio system ever devised, but in this case, you happen to get the system encased in a very good automobile — the Acura TL. The completely renovated mainstream mid-luxury sedan from HondaÂ’s upscale branch, every Acura TL will come with the ELS 5.1 DVD Surround Sound audio system as standard equipment. The system was designed by Elliot Scheiner, in collaboration with Panasonic.
The car can command full automotive attention by itself. It is aimed at recapturing the lead in the mid-luxury segment, which has been gobbled up by an expanding array of vehicles, including BMW 3 or 5 Series, Lexus ES, the Audi A4 or A6, Mercedes C230 and Volvo S60 or S80. With a complete departure in appearance, the 2004 TL has a wedgy, edgy look to it, more like the newly introduced and smaller TSX sports sedan than the somewhat mundane styling that plagued the outgoing TL, and more seriously inhibited the larger RL.
The new TL also has power and performance to back up the new look, with 270 horsepower – up 45 over the past TL and up 10 over the Type S sports model of the old TL – and it is available with a six-speed manual transmission or a manually-controlled five-speed automatic. A larger and much more stylish interior, improved safety and electronic wizardry, and a more responsive driving “feel” make the new TL significantly improved.
On top of that, while competitors are rushing to revert to rear-wheel drive, Acura is a cinch to increase market share across the snowbelt states by retaining front-wheel-drive on the flashy new TL. Even with the slickest traction-control, the simple fact remains that in slippery conditions the rear drive-wheels spin when you step on the gas, as if attempting to pass the front wheels. With front-wheel drive, the rears simply follow where the fronts lead.
So the Acura TL can take its place among the numerous improved and impressive mid-luxury sedans. That brings us back to the audio system, which stands alone.
Think of the person with the finest ear for sound technicalities. It has to be the audio engineer who sits in the control room of a studio or concert hall, determining the absolute best intensity and separation of every voice and instrument, then encodes his finely-tuned preferences onto the next CD we might buy. Obviously, some sound engineers are better than others, and Elliot Scheiner is one of the best, having mixed albums by the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Van Morrison, and on and on.
Scheiner appeared at AcuraÂ’s media introduction of the TL sedan for 2004 in suburban Seattle, and gave a soft-spoken but heartfelt explanation of what and why such an audio system exists. Scheiner said heÂ’s always wished others could hear what he hears.
“I just make records,†Scheiner said. “I’m in the control room, in perfect conditions, without moving. We went from analog recording on vinyl, to eight-tracks, to cassettes, and to CDs. Now we’re moving on again, with DVD Surround. Every time a move has come in the music world, it has been motivated by cars.
“When I did the 1994 Eagles Reunion album, the quad [quadrasonic] was simulated. Surround sound was the new frontier. I did the Fleetwood Mac ‘DanceÂ’ album in surround sound. It proves that old music has new life, and new music is something different. I thought that from the standpoint of clarity and definition, with discreet multi-channel imaging, we could give the listener the opportunity to be in the control room.Ââ€
Movies are now on DVD audio, which is why the sound in theaters is amazing. There also are about 600 DVD audio discs on the market, which can be played through the speakers of home DVD systems. DVD audio has something like 500 times the resolution of normal audio CDs. The ELS system — named after Scheiner’s initials — takes DVD sound out on its own, on the road, in the perfect-placement of an automobile interior.
Scheiner was advised to go to Panasonic, and they collaborated on his amazing new technique. At Panasonic, Mark Ziemba was the lead systems engineer to coordinate ScheinerÂ’s wizardry, his own skill, and AcuraÂ’s new sedan. Ziemba made sure where the front speakers were, with tweeters on the dashboard, other speakers in precise placement in the doors, an 8-inch subwoofer and other large speakers on the rear deck. Coordination of the eight speakers had to be perfect, including a 225-watt amplifier, XM Satellite radio, an active and amplified rear glass antenna, and five-mode steering wheel controls.
Ziemba got what he wanted. So did Scheiner.
“On the Eagles Reunion album, there are 14 guitar parts on ‘Hotel California,Â’ †Scheiner said. “I wanted people to hear them all. I put somebody playing a certain instrument where I wanted him, where the band wanted him, and where I wanted everybody to hear him.Ââ€
After the next dayÂ’s introductory drive, some skeptics among the automotive journalilsts had to be pulled from the cars where they wanted to stay to keep listening to the DVD demonstration CDs.
“I canÂ’t believe I got to work on this,†said Scheiner. “I mix records. ItÂ’s been a thrill to work on this, and itÂ’s a thrill to see this car here. No question, this is the best audio system ever put in a car.Ââ€
No argument there. Familiar music, now on DVD audio discs, exposed elements that had previously been so subtly blended into the whole as to be unnoticed. You can hear a musicianÂ’s fingers touch the strings of his guitar before actually strumming, as well as the full, rich tone he produces. If the system was an option costing $2,000, or $5,000, it would be noteworthy. The fact that it is standard equipment on every 2004 TL is going to hoist the competitive level of mid-luxury automobiles to unprecedented heights.
Meanwhile, the sounds only complement the performance and handling of the TL, which is so good, and so sporty, that there no longer will be a Type S sporty model.
Use of high-strength steel in key locations has increased the TL’s torsional rigidity by 24 percent, making it stiffer than the BMW 3 Series, according to Chris Dendis, AcuraÂ’s body-chassis chief engineer. Double-wishbone suspension, Brembo four-caliper disc brakes, and four-channel skid control help emergency handling, and the car attains much improved sound-deadening because of plastic sound-absorbing mats located between strategic areas and the exterior, and 3MÂ’s Thinsulate, deployed to block sounds from reaching the interior.
The voice-activated navigation system is the only option on the feature-laden TL. It has 7 million points of interest, and is voice-actuated via 293 recognized commands.
Styling touches include an angular rear, with dual exhausts that have trapezoid-shaped trumpets. The TL went from a sunroof that was smaller than the competing Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, and Infiniti models to the largest in that group. Shutter-controlled high and low beam headlights shine 50-percent farther down the road, and the 18-LED system in each taillight is much quicker responding to brake input. Standard Bluetooth wiring allows hands-free cell-phone use, without even using the cell phone, as long as itÂ’s on board and has been coded into the system.
Also noteworthy are the increased interior room in all dimensions, and the increased safety has supplemental side-curtain airbags to protect occupantsÂ’ heads, and top ratings for front, side and offset collisions. It even has collapsible hood hinges and fender brackets designed to cushion pedestrians who might be hit by a TL.
Chances are, any pedestrian close to be hit by a new Acura TL might only be trying to get closer to hear the spectacular tunes.
(John Gilbert writes weekly automotive columns. He can be reached by e-mail 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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