Freshman Vanek steps in, steps up to pace Gopher offense
When the chips are on the line in WCHA hockey, tradition says depending on a freshman to do the scoring is risky. For the Univesrsity of Minnesota, however, putting the pressure on freshman Thomas Vanek has led to amazing rewards and results, and with only two weekends to go in the regular season, this topsy-turvy season is far from over.
The Gophers, in fact, seem to be masters of connecting seeming opposites. Their motto, in fact, could be both: “What a difference a year makes†and, “How similar can two years be?Ââ€
A year ago, the Gophers were starting a phenomenal 11-1 closing surge to win the NCAA championship, behind the glorious leadership of seniors Johnny Pohl (27 goals and a national best 79 points) and Jordan Leopold (20 goals, 58 points and the Hobey Baker Award), plus the 34-goal scoring of junior Jeff Taffe. All three of those fellows are gone, as is goaltender Adam Hauser, who set a WCHA record with 83 career victories. The goal-happy Gophers of a year ago showed eight players in double figures for goals, with Taffe (34), Pohl (27), and Leopold (20) followed by Troy Riddle with 16, Grant Potulny 15, Barry Tallackson 13, and 10 each from Matt Koalska and Keith Ballard.
Obviously, it’s impossible to replace such impressive leadership as Pohl, Leopold, Taffe, Hauser and the other seniors provided. The Gophers have struggled to score some times this season, with only Riddle rising to show improvement over last season’s stats. Riddle has 22-23—45. But here’s the astonishing part: No other Gopher has hit double figures in goals – except for Vanek.
But the second part of this season’s motto is not to be trifled with. Despite hurting for balance and consistency in goal-scoring, the Gophers stand 13-6-5 in the WCHA, good for 31 points and third place behind Colorado College and Minnesota State-Mankato. Now look back to last year’s fantastic season – at the exact same point in the season the Gophers stood 14-7-3, for 31 points. Exactly the same!
From here on the parallel requires close scrutiny, because the Gophers finished 11-1 a year ago, and they take that knowledge into this weekendÂ’s series against preseason WCHA favorite Denver, while being fully aware that Mankato is at Colorado College, a series that ends MankatoÂ’s season, while the Gophers still have two games with St. Cloud State and a chance to move higher than third.
Points and victories matter far more than individual goals, but the emergence of Vanek, who is dueling North Dakota freshman Zach Parise for the nationÂ’s rookie scoring lead, is providing the ignition for the Gophers.
A rookie from Graz, Austria, by way of Sioux Falls from the USHL junior ranks, Vanek may have no knowledge of last yearÂ’s individual achievements, but he certainly doesnÂ’t shrink from the challenge. A lanky, 6-foot-2, 210-pound winger, Vanek cruises to his own beat when heÂ’s on the ice. Instead of the hustling, whirling-dervish two-way workers that populate teams throughout college and pro hockey, Vanek seems to coast and avoid congestion, almost disappearing until the puck touches his stick, at which time his game turns positively electrifying.
That style has led to some whispered criticism about how he doesnÂ’t get involved, doesnÂ’t hustle, doesnÂ’t like contact, although even the whisperers know that a lot of players can make it into the National Hockey League if they possess the puck-skills Vanek displays everytime he gets the puck on his stick.
“He plays under control,†said Gopher coach Don Lucia. “Vanek is not going to be first up on the forecheck, or using his body. But heÂ’s very strong on the puck, and very dangerous. HeÂ’s got a chance to score 30 goals as a freshman. HeÂ’s far and away the best natural goal-scorer we have.Ââ€
An interesting note is that when the game gets serious, VanekÂ’s determination seems to rise as well. Of his 24 goals, 13 of them have been scored in the third period. A perfect example came last Friday night at the DECC in Duluth. It had been a strange game, scoreless for one period, then 2-0 for Minnesota, on goals by Ballard and Riddle, before UMDÂ’s Jon Francisco and T.J. Caig countered for a 2-2 tie before the second period ended.
Marco PelusoÂ’s goal at 0:16 of the third put UMD ahead 3-2, and Luke Stauffacher boosted UMD to a 4-2 lead at 7:00.
“We werenÂ’t playing well, we had turnovers,†said Vanek. “Down two goals, we had to get going. Play hard. We have to have some players step up, and IÂ’m one of the guys to step up and get a goal.Ââ€
At 7:42, Vanek went to work. “I was behind the net,†he said. “I saw the goalie cheating one way, and I yelled to Matt DeMarchi, who passed it to me and I got a wraparound.Ââ€
Sounded simple. But the Gophers still trailed 4-3. Riddle got his second goal of the game by coaxing the puck to trickle across the line on a power play at 11:45. And with 3:31 remaining, Vanek turned it up, considerably. Koalska knocked the puck ahead after a center-ice turnover, and the Gophers charged. It was a ragged rush, and nobody was really open, but Vanek had the puck.
He simply charged for the net, irrepressibly, and didnÂ’t stop until he had jammed the puck past goaltender Isaac Reichmuth.
“It is loud in this arena,†Vanek said. “The fans are right on top of you. But I like it. I donÂ’t know what it is about the third period, but I wanted it.Ââ€
And, he got it.
Strangely, however, the Saturday rematch had an even more spectacular finish, but was a reversal. Again the game was scoreless through one period. Again Minnesota struck first, but this time it was for a 3-0 lead in the second period, as Garrett Smaagaard and freshmen Gino Guyer and Tyler Hirsch scored consecutive goals. Evan Schwabe got one back for UMD, but the Gophers seemed in solid command at 3-1 with a period to go.
Nick Anderson got an early goal for the Bulldogs, but Paul Martin countered for Minnesota, and it was 4-2. At that point, however, UMD rallied. Tim Stapleton, yet another freshman, scored on a one-timer to make it 4-3, and the Bulldogs pulled goalie Rob Anderson, which led to one of the weirdest final minutes anywhere. With the goalie pulled, the Bulldogs couldnÂ’t get out of their own end. Vanek shot one just over the crossbar, and two or three other good Gopher chances either missed or were blocked by defensemen.
The ‘Dogs couldn’t escape their end until 20 seconds remained, just time for one frantic rush. They charged, with Stapleton getting the puck on net. Justin Johnson caught it, but juggled it, and it dropped into the crease next to him, just as UMD captain Francisco arrived and knocked it in, tying the game 4-4 with 11 seconds to go.
Overtime started, Hammond got the puck back to Steve Czech at the right point, and CzechÂ’s blast found the back of the net, courtesy of the slightest deflection by Francisco. “The ref asked me if I got it,†said Francisco, who earlier turned down a similar goal that would have meant a hat trick. “I said I touched it, but give the goal to Czech.Ââ€
Instead, the official properly awarded it to Francisco, for a hat trick, and a sweet 5-4 shocker for UMD.
“We have to learn how to close out games like this,†said Lucia. “We could have clinched home ice for the playoffs tonight. We were playing well when we got up 3-0, and I thought we could have done better after that, but Duluth did some good things too.Ââ€
The loss snapped an amazing streak in which the Gophers had gone 17-0-4 in the second games of WCHA series, over two seasons. The Gophers were only 13-11-2 in first games. But they also haven’t lost two games in a row in 77 games – the longest streak ever for any WCHA team.
Meanwhile, stopping Vanek proved decisive for UMD, just as being unable to stop him had been pivotal for the Gophers the night before. Along with his two-goal third-period outburst at UMD, Vanek scored the game-winner to end a 5-4 victory at Michigan Tech, he scored twice in the third to lift the Gophers to a 5-5 tie with Michigan State, and his third-period goal tied Colorado College and sprung the Gophers to a 3-2 victory.
And while the rookie may not know it, only one year ago the Gophers had to fight to gain a split at Duluth, and many of those older Gophers recall that as the springboard to MinnesotaÂ’s closing rush to the championship. “It was a very disappointing loss,†said Potulny, the captain, who was sidelined with a broken ankle for the first half of the season. “But it could be exactly what we need to make us realize what we have to do the rest of the way.Ââ€
‘Accord’-ing to Honda, newest sedan should return to No. 1
Over the past few decades, the Honda Accord has risen from being a good Japanese imported sedan, to the top-selling car in the United States, and on to being built primarily at a U.S. plant in Marysville, Ohio, from which it became the leading U.S.-built EXPORTED sedan.
With each new generation of the car, it continues to improve, although the competition gets tougher each year as well. The seventh version of the Honda Accord has just been introduced for 2003, and test-drives indicate it very likely could reclaim the position of top-selling sedan in the U.S. Challengers keep increasing in number, improving in quality and coming from all directions, but the Honda Accord just keeps on cruising to its own high standards.
The Toyota Camry is AccordÂ’s biggest challenger, and the competition between the two has aided both of them, and consumers, by the ever-escalating achievement of their virtues. Two years ago, the Accord led in sales, but Camry, bolstered by the introduction of a new model in 2002 against the final year of AccordÂ’s sixth generation, leapfrogged back ahead of Accord to become No. 1 in U.S. sales with 434,983 models sold during the 2002 model year. Accord sold 399,213, compared to the third-place 325,493 Ford Tauruses.
Honda also captured the fourth spot in U.S. car sales with the CivicÂ’s 316,055. All of these cars tend to grow slightly with each evolution, and the current Civic is about the same size as the Accord was 15 years ago, which means combining the traditional midsize Accord sales with the near-midsize Civic puts Honda clearly at the top.
Accord and Camry both have become legendary for not needing anything more than routine maintenance and virtually assuring buyers of 200,000 trouble-free miles. Accord has always enjoyed a slight edge on Camry from the subjective standpoint of being slightly more high-tech and sporty feeling. ThatÂ’s not important to many thousands of buyers, who are just looking for transportation, and the more appliance-like a car can be, the better. But if the new Accord maintains its slight edge in fun-to-drive, it must now look at the Volkswagen Passat, NissanÂ’s year-old Altima and the sensational just-released Mazda6 as raising the bar on sporty driving.
The Accord always has been obtainable as base DX, mid-range LX and top-of-the-line EX models, and the styling is the same on all, except for upgrade elements such as alloy wheels. The new Accord looks good from the front, and has improved aerodynamics from 0.33 to 0.30 coefficient of drag. From the rear, it is a bit more controversial, as it has a tall trunklid that may increase trunkspace, but looks large, and has high-beltline horizontal taillights that buyers will either like or dislike. It does reach all the way to the bumper, for low liftover height of grocery bags, golf clubs or luggage.
I recently had the chance to test-drive a pair of EX models, one with the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and the other with the 3.0-liter V6. Both were impressive, with HondaÂ’s high-tech VTEC system of variable valve-timing, and both carried the new sedan to unprecedented heights. The 4-cylinder deserves inspection, because the vast majority of Accord buyers would be happy with its performance, even though the V6 almost has become a reflex option among buyers. Going to the V6 and a few other options can cause the sticker price to rise from $23,000 to over $26,000.
The 4-cylinder revs freely, with dual overhead camshafts driving the 16 valves. It adds 161 foot-pounds of torque to its 160 horsepower, and at only 3,120 pounds it runs swiftly and smoothly. I got 23 miles per gallon in mostly around-town driving, although EPA estimated highway mileage goes to 34 miles per gallon.
The V6 model had more features and increased weight by about 300 pounds. The engine itself also has four valves per cylinder, but only a single overhead cam on each bank. Its 240 horsepower are complemented by 212 foot-pounds of torque, so the increase in power is substantial. ItÂ’s just that in real-world driving, it is unlikely anyone this side of a drag-racer would notice the benefits. While some tests show the 4-cylinder can go 0-60 in 7.5 seconds, the V6 is a bit quicker, at 7.0, but thatÂ’s pretty negligible.
Most impressive to me was that I was able to get a legitimate 25.2 miles per gallon on a trip from Chicago to Duluth with the V6 – quite comparable to the 4. So the question comes down to whether it’s worth the extra few hundred dollars.
As EX models, both were similarly equipped, although the V6 model had seat-heaters, which are features IÂ’ve never had on cars IÂ’ve owned, but which are greatly appreciated when the temperature on the northern ridge of the Great Lakes plunges below zero.
Both cars have 4-wheel disc brakes and double-wishbone suspension at all four corners, with stabilizer bars front and rear, and both came equipped with HondaÂ’s slick 5-speed automatic transmission. Both also have a rear seat that folds down to increase stowage space. When the rear seat is up, it has a pass-through door to the trunk that becomes very useful when hauling things like skis or hockey sticks. A glass moonroof with slide and tilt, 16-inch wheels, an impressive audio system with 6-disc in-dash CD player and steering-wheel remote controls are other features.
The seats are comfortable and supportive, with lumbar support, and I liked the leather seats and steering wheel, and the various storage bins and cupholders are well designed. I even liked the fake woodgrain on the console and door panels.
The air-conditioning has an air-filtration system, and dual controls allow you to adjust the climate control setting for left or right. That, however, leads to my only complaint about ergonomics with the Accord. Honda always has been the king of ergonomics, that subjective talent of laying out the switches right where personal logic and instinct tells the driver they will be. In recent years, the Accord has had a large round knob just to the left of the audio system for turning the thing on and off, and cranking the volume up or down.
On the new car, the audio system is positioned above the heat-air system on the center dash, and there are three large round knobs laid out in a slight “V†shape. Close inspection will show you that the center knob is the one that is used for turning the audio system on or off and turning up the volume, while the left knob is for turning the left side temperature higher or lower, and the right knob takes care of the same chores for the right side occupant.
The trouble is, being in a slight “V†reinforces the instinct that the left knob must be to control volume. I lowered the window to talk to someone, but when I hastily tried to turn down the audio, I instead lowered the temperature setting to 55 degrees, while Mark Knopfler’s guitar kept on blasting away. At least once a day I mistakenly reached for the left knob to adjust volume. Now, THAT’S ergonomically correct. Thankfully, there also are steering-wheel remote controls.
(John Gilbert writes a weekly auto column. He can be reached by e-mail: jgilbert@duluth.com.)
Sertich plans to psyche Huskies to regain Tech glory years
There are two types of media folks covering the WCHA these days – the ones who don’t quite get Mike Sertich’s deadpan humor, and those who thank their laptops that Sertie is still coaching, because he is certain to enliven every post-game discussion with a few barbs, one-liners, or clever metaphors.
In this age when coaches are concerned about their jobs to the point of being nervous about letting the media have free access to their players, it is no wonder that they choose their words carefully. Most of them select their own comments carefully, reverting to the CoachÂ’s Cliché Book to talk about working hard, getting outworked; getting breaks, or not getting breaks; or about the need for players to “step up to the next level.Ââ€
And then there’s Sertich. He spent 18 years as head coach at Minnesota-Duluth before he “got resigned.†Not even a year later, he was hired in midseason to take over at Michigan Tech, and he now is in his third season of trying to lift the Huskies up through the rugged WCHA to respectability, on their way to contention. It’s been a tough rebuilding process, but through it all, Sertich’s collection of zingers has continued to expand.
Two weeks ago, the Huskies had to go to Grand Forks, N.D., to face a North Dakota team that had just been thumped twice at Colorado College to fall from the nationÂ’s No. 1 rating in the spectacular new Engelstad Arena. Almost predictably, the Fighting Sioux spent a stiff week of practice under coach Dean Blais, and came out firing on all cylinders. The result was an 8-0 rout of Michigan Tech.
After the game, a reporter asked Sertich if, out of such a drubbing, he could find anything to take away. Sertich shrugged and said: “I donÂ’t knowÂ…IÂ’m going to take a walk around the building and see if I can find something to steal.Ââ€
Sertich then was asked if the goal barrage was something like an avalanche, and he proceeded to verbally wander through a deadpan explanation of what an avalanche really was. It went something like this: “You may not understand what an avalanche really is, but it can begin when a mass of snow gathers on an esker,†he said. “After it builds to a certain point, a tiny bit of snow might start to fall, and it may gather momentum enough to overcome inertia. And you know, a body in motion tends to stay in motion, and due to the angle itÂ’s falling, it accumulates mass, and speed, and thatÂ’s what does the damageÂ…Ââ€
Uhhh, coach? What was my question?
“You know,†said Sertich, “IÂ’m at a technological university.Ââ€
If the reporters wander off in a quandary, Sertich uses his own humor and some interesting psychological ploys to keep his youthful Huskies from getting too dismayed when things donÂ’t go their way. Obviously, it can work, because 24 hours later, Tech stunned North Dakota 5-2 in the rematch.
Without putting too much emphasis on it, Sertich explained that he had gotten to know Don Simila, a clinical psychologist who works at Marquette General Hospital, and used to play hockey. “We exchanged some ideas,†said Sertich. “HeÂ’s very laid back, but heÂ’s dynamic and he observes everything. We brought him in as a sports psychologist, and we have a group meeting once a week.Ââ€
ItÂ’s not that Sertich didnÂ’t feel up to the task of psyching his troops. Far from it. But he knew that things had changed in the overall aura of Michigan Tech hockey, from the glory days of John MacInnes, back when Sertich was a player at UMD.
“I think our meetings have addressed what was wrong,†said Sertich. “We had developed an attitude where maybe even coming here there was an expectation of losing, it had permeated the program for a long time. We’re kind of isolated up here at Houghton, and it’s a tough school. We felt we had to redefine our culture. I think they’ve learned some things about the program, some values, and we empowered them to create their own standards.
“The meetings have been pretty much the playersÂ’ meetings, and itÂ’s fun to watch their success grow.Ââ€
The victory at North Dakota was a shocker, but it gave the Huskies another step on their climb. Picked for last in the WCHA by the coaches in the preseason Grand Forks Herald poll, the Huskies had climbed to eighth, putting some distance between themselves and Wisconsin and Alaska-Anchorage with a 6-11-3 record. That is nowhere near where Sertich wants them to be, but it also represented the benefits of a six-week stretch of 6-5-1.
The Huskies went back home for their legendary Winter Carnival series, against Minnesota-Duluth, and the Bulldogs – on the rise to contention themselves – smacked the Huskies twice. “They came in here very well prepared and certainly took it to us,†said Sertich. “TheyÂ’re pretty good. I was impressed.Ââ€
As for the record, Sertich said: “I don’t pay much attention to that. We’ve still got a way to go, but we’re at the point where we can make it miserable for somebody else.
“We only have two seniors in the lineup, Greg Amadio and Chris Durno, and four juniors, so we’re extremely young,†Sertich added. “Our scoring has been pretty well spread around. We don’t have a big scorer, but we have a line of Jon Pittis, Colin Murphy and Chris Connor. They’re fun to watch, and they’re pretty intimidating – Pittis is 5-5, Murphy 5-10 and Connor 5-6.
“Back on defense, Justin Brown is a junior, and Clay Wilson is a sophomore, and the rest are freshmen. All of them have had their moments in the sunÂ…and in the doghouse.Ââ€
Wilson, a smooth puck-handling defenseman, has shown signs of true stardom. And another sophomore, goaltender Cam Ellsworth, has been the key figure in TechÂ’s rise, giving the Huskies consistent play that often tends toward spectacular.
With Tech somewhat secured in eighth place, thatÂ’s better than ninth or tenth, and it also puts the Huskies in position to cause some grief in the playoffs. Up above them, the race for everything from second through seventh is a scramble, with six teams separated by eight points, with six games remaining. Minnesota State-Mankato has a two-point edge in second place, but has played two more games than its pursuers. After Colorado CollegeÂ’s pace-setting 37 points, Mankato has 31, Minnesota 29, North Dakota 28, UMD 25 and both Denver and St. Cloud 23. So UMD, Denver and St. Cloud are all battling to claim the fifth and final home-ice position.
As for the Huskies, there is no reason to look ahead to a potential playoff rival. There is, however, considerable evidence that they will be “psyched up†to make things difficult for every team they might face. And while the present looks good for Tech, the future only looks better.
‘Forgotten’ senior seizes chance to bolster surging UMD
Rob Anderson has no illusions about regaining the No. 1 goaltending slot for Minnesota-Duluth. He knows freshman sensation Isaac Reichmuth has that pretty well wrapped up. But Anderson, a Bulldog senior who had more than paid his dues the past three years, also found it distasteful to trade his hopes for “All-WCHA goaltender†for qualifications of “forgotten man of the year.Ââ€
If one game could count as the comeback of the year, Anderson pulled it off, making 33 saves for a 2-1 victory over Denver that might have been UMDÂ’s biggest victory of the season, because it vaulted them from seventh place, past Denver and into a tie for fifth with St. Cloud State as the battle intensifies for a top-five finish and home ice in the playoffs.
Anderson did his best to help UMD rebuild from last place during his first three seasons, and he finished last season with a strong 9-11 record, including a 4-2 finish with a 2.45 goals-against mark in his last seven starts. And he didnÂ’t play poorly to start this season, but while he gave no reason to lose his position, Reichmuth took over the job with a flourish and Anderson has had to admit he, too, has become a fan.
“Isaac Reichmuth is the best goaltender IÂ’ve ever seen play,†said Anderson. “HeÂ’s constantly been standing on his head, and for three months he never let in a bad goal. HeÂ’s a great kid, too, and I like him a lot. But no matter how well heÂ’s playing, it doesnÂ’t mean I donÂ’t want to get in there now and then and show that IÂ’m still part of the team.Ââ€
Reichmuth was playing for the Trail Smoke-Eaters in the British Columbia junior league the past two seasons, while Anderson was toiling to become the mainstay in the UMD nets while a new coaching staff under Scott Sandelin tried to redesign the Bulldog program.
Anderson, from Superior, had backed up Brant Nicklin as a freshman, then, when Sandelin took over as coach, Anderson had to prove himself all over again and alternated with freshman Adam Coole in the UMD nets. The pair split the goaltending duties last season, too, but the UMD coaches gave a scholarship to Reichmuth, and even though the Anderson-Coole duo played well down the stretch, CooleÂ’s scholarship was pulled and he transferred to St. Cloud State.
So when the season started, Anderson was the senior veteran and Reichmuth the freshman flash who was Trail’s most valuable player two years in a row, with over 90 percent saves and a goals-against average of 3.63 last season. Anderson opened the season with a 2-2 tie against Notre Dame, and Reichmuth played a 4-3 loss to the Irish the next night. Anderson played both games against Colorado College, a 4-4 tie and a 4-3 loss to the eventual league-leaders. Then the ‘Dogs went to Alaska-Anchorage, and Reichmuth needed only 15 saves to win 3-2, and Sandelin gave him the start the next night, too, and UMD tied the still-winless Seawolves 2-2.
Sandelin continued to go to Reichmuth, who rose to the top of the WCHA goalie statistics while starting 21 of 22 games, with Anderson starting only an exhibition game against Bemidji State on Dec. 2. Reichmuth started 12 straight games after that, although at Minnesota State-Mankato, Reichmuth gave up all the goals in 5-3 and 4-1 losses. Anderson relieved with five stop in the second game.
Anderson had waited patiently, but he had no animosity.
“IÂ’ve never been through anything like that,†said Anderson. “I kind of wondered if IÂ’d ever get a chance to play again. I had lost a game by a goal to the No. 1 team in the country (CC) and then I went through a frustrating time. I was showing up for practice every day and working hard, but not playing. There was really nothing I could do, or say, because it wasnÂ’t about me, it was about the team. And he was playing well.Ââ€
When Denver came to Duluth last weekend, Reichmuth faced Adam Berkhoel, but instead of a goaltending duel, UMD outgunned the Pioneers 6-5. Sandelin decided to give Reichmuth a break, and started Anderson in the Saturday Denver game.
Anderson responded with eagerness, but he tried to temper it. “I was pumped up to play, but I didnÂ’t want to be too high,†Anderson said. “It was fun to finally get back in there.Ââ€
UMD struck first, with rookie flash T.J. Caig pulling a corner faceoff to Jesse Unklesbay, who scored at 8:19 of the first period. Less than five minutes later, the Bulldogs gave the speedy Pioneers a 3-on-1 break, and Connor James raced up the left side and drilled a hard shot for a 1-1 tie. But that was it. Anderson dueled league-leading goalie Wade Dubielewicz the rest of the way, with a busy night, because Denver outshot UMD 34-21.
“Denver is really good,†said Anderson. “They never give you an easy shot, and everyone in their lineup goes 90-frickinÂ’ miles an hour.Ââ€
But Anderson was quick and poised, and stopped everything. With only 3:27 remaining in the third period, Luke Stauffacher spun free and scored on Dubielewicz, and Anderson held firm through a wild, six-attacker finish to claim the 2-1 victory.
“Based on all that has happened, this was the biggest win for me ever,†said Anderson. “I have no idea if IÂ’ll get the chance to play at Michigan Tech this weekend, or when IÂ’ll get another start. Isaac is the most skilled and best goalie IÂ’ve seen in the league, but I may have to give a little wave and say, ‘Hey, coach! IÂ’m still here!Ââ€
Volvo’s cars offer stylish — and safe — alternatives
When Volvo captured the International Truck of the Year award at the Detroit auto show last month, it was because the Swedish automaker had successfully ventured into the sport-utility-vehicle segment to meet the demands of most SUVs while setting new standards of safety and ecological efficiency, while still being fun to drive.
That shouldnÂ’t have been so surprising, because Volvo has been making safe and substantial cars for 75 years. The style and fun have come later, but the new XC90 SUV shouldnÂ’t obscure the rest of VolvoÂ’s product line of sedans and station wagons. Its basic S40 sedan and V40 wagon start in the mid-$20,000 range and are safe and solid bargains. Moving upscale, I recently was able to spend a week test-driving a pearl-white S80 anniversary edition, which came shortly after I also had driven a V70 T5 station wagon, and its sedan twin, the S60.
The basic S40 has a turbocharged 1.9-liter 4-cylinder engine – for better fuel economy if less-potent performance. The S60 sedan ranges in price from $28,000 to the mid-$40,000 bracket, and the one I test-drove was not only loaded with options to total $36,635, it also came with all-wheel-drive. Volvo used to steadfastly build rear-wheel-drive cars and let Saab, its Swedish competitor, devote its engineering to front-wheel-drive. Over the last two decades, the obvious assets of front drive, particularly as they relate to driving in Swedish winters, and northern-tier, snowbelt driving in the U.S., led to a changeover to front-wheel-drive in Volvo car-building.
The S60 AWD sedan I drove had VolvoÂ’s 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine, with dual-overhead-camshafts, turbocharged to deliver 300 horsepower. With a 5-speed automatic transmission that allows clutchless-manual shifting, and the all-wheel-drive unit that transfers power from a 67-percent front bias to wherever a wheel has better traction, the price was only $32,175. Adding the touring and premium packages, which include power leather seats, a moonroof, trip computer and a quality-air filtration system, boosted it to $36,635.
Ironically, I drove the S60 AWD before we had anything resembling snow cover or icy roads on the North Shore of the Great Lakes, and it was iciere when I got the V70 wagon, which was a front-wheel-drive version with a smaller, 2.3-liter inline 5-cylinder, turbocharged to put out 247 horsepower. The wagon adds the flexibility of a spacious rear cargo area, and is the lower, less-rugged twin of the Cross Country wagon. It also had the touring and premium packages, taking the price from $33,870 up to $36,500, and the value is increased by the fuel economy, which reached a high of 28.4 miles per gallon in highway driving, and a low of 22.7 mpg in mostly city driving, compared to EPA estimates ranging from 20-28.
The V70 wagon also had an excellent audio system, which has needless complexity for setting the frequencies until you get used to it, but also had incredible separation of the layers of sound on every CD.
Both the S60 and V70 have VolvoÂ’s fantastic seats, which not only are comfortable and firm, like fine pieces of Scandinavian furniture, but they have slightly convex headrests that cradle the back of your head. ItÂ’s especially pleasant for the front passenger, who might have more reason to relax.
The S80 was a quantum leap up the scale, particularly the test car, being the pearly 75th anniversary model. This baby was loaded, and the price sticker reflected it – shooting from $45,995 to just over $50,000 with the addition of the anniversary gear and the navigation system, plus an amazing surround-sound audio system upgrade. The audio was so good that I was impressed BEFORE I realized that I hadn’t hit the right combination to set the sound and the balance, and it still sounded good with the bass and trebel turned down to negative digits, and the fade switch biased toward the rear. Once I reset everything, the 200-watt amplifier made those eight speakers truly come alive.
The S80 had the 2.9-liter in-line 6-cylinder engine, also with dual-overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, with 197 horsepower – less than the optional twin-turbo engine’s 268 horses, but however many the test-car had, it was plenty. The front-wheel-drive sedan moved out well with moderate throttle, and it turned into a screamer if you ever put it to the floor to merge onto a freeway, for example. It has a 4-speed automatic, with the clutchless-manual capability. Volvo packaging is so tight that the larger 5-speed automatic doesn’t fit with the longer 6-cylinder engine.
Along with the stunning paint job, what sets the commemorative S80 apart is the 75th anniversary edition package. You already get the navigation system, with its pop-up screen that rises out of the center of the dashboard. The package adds two more 7-inch video screens mounted into the rear of the front headrests. In case youÂ’d like to keep rear occupants occupied on a long trip, you can program those screens to play DVDs, CDs, video games or a 68-channel color television, with separate remotes and headphones, so viewers can switch from DVD to video games, etc.
Heated front seats are somewhat common, but this car has heated rear seats, headlamp wiper and washer, electric rear sun curtain, thicker carpeting, an umbrella mounted under the trunk panel, and 17-inch “Thor†alloy wheels.
All of this, of course, is just frosting on the Volvo cake, which starts out with vault-like safety for the occupants, surrounded by front and side airbags and an inflatable side-impact curtain that drops down from the roofline on either side to prevent heads from striking doors or windows in side-impact collisions.
It is surprising, and impressive, to see Volvo branch out from its basically secure and conservative posture with new styling and now enough gadgetry to satisfy the most particular customer.
(John Gilbert writes a weekly auto column. He can be reached by e-mail at jgilbert@duluth.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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