Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2007 i MotorTrend

Sport/Utility Spectacle Eleven prequalified, but only one vehicle would leave Lake Arrowhead, California, as the 2008 Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year. After dissecting each machine in terms of its technology and features, design, functionality, price, and market segmentation, our panel of 12 judges sat down to a secret vote. Flip through the pages of this issue, then follow the process from start to finish through the lenses of our video and photo teams as we put all these candidates through a grueling week of testing, evaluation, discussion, and argument. You can find the videos, photos, and our complete online coverage here: motortrend.com/oftheyear.…

THE UNITED auto Workers released a version of General Motors’ five-year plan to make its members feel better about their job security. Didn’t do much for GM's security, though, as it’s become a boon to competitors and journalists. The plant list doesn’t include production plans for Canadian plants, so we have no official information on what rear-drive cars GM might build in addition to the Chevrolet Camaro at Oshawa, Ontario. BUT HERE'S WHAT WE DO KNOW C7 CORVETTE AND CADILLAC XLR New versions are scheduled for Bowling Green, Kentucky, production in 2012, which means the 2013 model year. That's another year's delay confirmed since our November cover story on the "2012"C7. VOLT Begins production at Hamtramck, Michigan, in 2010 (2011 model year). While most of the entries list cars by…

HOLBEM has released details of the new Commodore ute, however, and GM execs are looking hard at whether this car-based unibody pickup could be added to its U.S. lineup. The ute rolls on the same 118.5-inch wheelbase as Holden's upscale Statesman/Caprice (which is, of course, sold in China as the Buick Park Avenue) and—unusual for a load-carrier—has the same independent rear-suspension layout. Holden engineers have increased spring rates almost 60 percent compared with equivalent sedan versions, but the payload is limited to 1100 to 1750 pounds, depending on the variant. That's not a problem, because 80 percent of the orders for the new Commodore ute in Australia are for the sporty versions. And here in the United States, customers wanting serious load-carrying can of course pick from dozens of truck-based…

OUR NOVEMBER issue, complete with its C7 cover story, was on the presses when the name Chevrolet will apply to its 650-horsepower, supercharged and intercooled Blue Devil C6 Corvette came in a lightning bolt of inspiration from a conversation with a well-placed source. Super Sport is out for historic reasons: "All Corvettes are Super Sports," Zora-Arkus Duntovsaid in the 1960s, thus blunting any plans fora Stingray SS. The name Stingray doesn't work, in that it represents a body style and not a performance package. So the Blue Devil's official name is ZR1. Chevrolet will unveil it in January at the Detroit auto show. Latest spy shots from Brenda Priddy show a Z06-like ZR1, but with more carbon-fiber in the body, including A-and B-pillars and the roof, a wider, taller lip…

IT’S TOO BAD that car noises don't translate well to print. But the most committed among us know what “Wumwum-wum-whhoooooooooom-pahhh or “wwaaaaaAAAAhhhhhhHHHH!” sounds like. Or what it means to talk about a car while using your hands to illustrate the curve of the; road you just smoked through, or what steering inputs it takes to negotiate a) - Particular Comer: If all this makes sense to you, then-you'll feel the emotional heat that boils out of Ferrari's new 430 Scuderia. Enzo Ferrari managed Alfa Romeo's racing team in the 1930s; the operation's name was Scuderia Ferrari. That a modern-day production model has been honored with such a legendary name tells us what this amped-up, trimmed-out, faster/lighter/louder F430 variant is all about. Recall the Challenge Stradale version of the 360 Modena?…

LET’S THINK BIG FOR THE NEXT FEW PAGES. BIG SEDANS sized for four fat-cats. Big engines dishing out 400ish horses. Big price tags ganged near $100,000. And, most important, BIG egos in the driver's seat. See, regular sensible rich people have plenty of roomy and luxurious sedans to choose from with window-stickers around $80 grand. Therefore, we hoi polloi can only assume the high-rollers forking over a $CK note for one of these are trying to tell the world something. Maybe they're letting their subordinates at The Firm know “the corner office is mine for keeps”; maybe they're marking their neighborhood as the alpha dog on the block; or maybe they're showing the boys at The Club who's Mr. Big without visiting the steam room. Whatever the message, we decided…

HYUNDAI UPGRADES from a company that competes with Toyota and Honda at used-car prices to one that sells Lexus luxury and refinement at Toyota prices with its new Veracruz. This big, seven-passenger crossover sport/utility further solidifies the upstart South Korean manufacturer's reputation for providing quality and luxury at bargain prices. The cordovan leather seats are stylish and well made, and the topline Limited trim model has a long list of features, including Bluetooth, adjustable pedals, driver-side power lumbar control, analog aux input, mood lighting that includes classy step-plate “Veracruz” emblem lighting in blue, and a navigation system. There's a nice leather-wrapped, power-adjustable steering wheel and plenty of front-seat storage bins for phones, iPods, parking cards, and all the detritus we carry around these days. The third row is for kids…

THE LR2 is based on the same unibody chassis architecture as the Volvo XC90 and uses a variant of its transverse-mounted straight-six. But the result, which replaces the outdated and generally less-than-stellar Freelander, is one that still gets it done as a Land Rover. The LR2’s look is right, inside and out. You get the square-shouldered design and command seating position. You also get a somewhat ergonomically confused audio system and switchgear, but it's better than in past Landies. The aforementioned 3.0-liter six spools out a smooth 230 horsepower—less than the class average, but enough. It's backed by a six-speed automatic with standard drive, Sport drive, and manumatic modes that make the most of the powerplant. While the LR2 doesn’t offer a low range, it has full-time all-wheel drive, excellent…

INTRODUCED JUST three years ago as the B9 Tribeca, this new iteration is completely reworked inside and out. While all the sheetmetal sans the roof has been changed, the most noticeable modification is at the front: The unique three-grille nose is replaced by a front fascia featuring a chrome "spread-wing” design many judges found less attractive than the original, with less personality. The other significant change is under the hood. Subaru has replaced the 3.0-liter, 250-horse engine to 3.6 liters, adding six horses, and a noticeable 32 pound-feet of torque, while switching from a premium-fueled motor to a 3.6-liter, 256-horse regular-fueled one. The interior remains relatively unchanged visually, but Subaru has added a few functions to better manage second-row ingress/egress than in the previous-gen version. The second-row seat now has…

YOU’VE HEARD Mazda's marketing spiel before. From ‘'Zoom-Zoom” to the Soul of a Sports Car,” the brand's ad gurus have pushed harder than starving telemarketers to convince shoppers that Mazda's Cars and trucks are sportier and more fun to drive than the competitions’. Generally, those slogans hold true, as Mazda's vehicles—from the rotary-powered RX-8 and the exuberant MX-5 to the minivan-esque Mazda& and the rakish CX-7—indeed deliver quick, agile (okay, zoomy) sensations that are akin to, well, a sports car. As the only Japanese car company ever to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, Mazda knows a thing or two about sports-car DNA and, more important, how to inject it into just about everything it slaps the winged badge on. But could Mazda really inject that DNA…

THIS IS ONE of those stealthy Germanic facelifts. Audi claims heavy updates, but there are no new bends in the aluminum, and dynamic improvements to this already exceptional car will be subtle to the most discerning A8-o-phile. New grille mesh designs give you that “something's different, but I don’t know what’ feeling, with horizontal chrome strips for the V-8s, vertical chrome strips for the W12, and a “radiator-style” grille for the new, not-for-U.S. 3.2-liter FWD model. Add chrome door-handle accents, 58 LEDs in each taillamp, 10-spoke/18-inch wheels or handsome five-spoke/19-inch wheels or a sport package with the S8's 20-inch wheels and new aluminum interior trim. Throw in four new paint colors, three new interior colors, and three new interior trim options. Emphasize Audi's personalization program, with two-tone interiors, like the…

FOLLOWING victories in two comparison tests—“Crossing Over" (October 2006) and “Dune Devils” (August 2007)—in which the RDX spanked the likes of BMW X3, Land Rover LR2, Lincoln MKX, Mazda CX-7, and Toyota RAV4 V-6, Acura's first-ever compact crossover earned an invite to join Motor Trend's long-term fleet. Of course, there’s much more impetus to the RDX joining our fleet than just two trophies: It represents Acura’s, as well as parent Honda Motor Company's, foray into turbocharged engines for a U.S. production four-wheeler. Big deal? When “motor” is in the company name and that company comes out with a new motor, you could say that. The RDX's engine displaces just 2.3 liters; yet, thanks to a variable-flow turbocharger that spools up 13.5 psi of maximum boost, dispenses 240 horsepower at 6000…

SENIOR EDITOR Ron Kiino took the Rubicon for some trail running—as in paved trails—and came away feeling like Marty McFly. “The Wrangler is a total time warp, as if Jeep refuses to let go of the 1950s. I mean this thing is so archaic in so many ways—front and rear solid axles, totally Spartan interior (although the navigation and power windows and locks are modern), high step-in, no side airbags—yet it's somehow endearing. I love history, and the Wrangler is like an automotive history book that shows you how cars used to be built.” History lesson aside, Kiino wasn’t amused with all that the Jeep offers: “The ride is rough, bouncy, and loud; bump steer is rampant; changing lanes is often scary.” ◼ Months/miles in service 5/8771 ◼ Avg econ/CO2…

STILL ABOUT 1000 miles shy of completing what must be the world's longest break-in period—4975 miles for the Jaguar—we've nevertheless been everyday visitors to the cat's lair, diligently but slowly fattening the XKR's odometer with jaunts to and from the office as well as an occasional road trip. Art director Foster, on a trek to Desert Hot Springs and Joshua Tree National Park, became annoyed with the Jaguar's “seatbelt retainer and its magnetic closing device, which incessantly allowed the belt to slip out, prompting a loud 'clank' with any movement in the seat.” Despite the belt retainer, Foster loves how the XKR tackles twisty roads—“in much comfort and with heaps of class.” He also notes that the “stunning exterior doesn't have a bad angle for photographing.” ◼ Months/miles in service…

THE GREAT horsepower war rages on, and automakers from Germany and Japan have been launching their latest specially prepped sport-sedan smart bombs on an already shell-shocked enthusiast community. To watch them fly, click over to motortrend.com for video segments of the Audi RS4, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and BMW M3 tearing up the tarmac; you can also watch Arthur St. Antoine in the Lexus IS F, the Japanese luxury brand’s V-8-powered missile. Catch them before they explode, starting November 12: motortrend.com/multimedia/videos/roadtests…

FASTER than a 911 Turbo, cheaper than a Z06. And now, according to our sources at the scene, Nissan has recorded a stunning seven-minute/35-second lap around the Nurburgring's Nordschleife with a stock 480-horsepower GT-R. That's sixth among production road cars and quicker than a Porsche 996 GT2 and Corvette Z06 (both 7:42). It's not as quick as a Koenigsegg CCR, Pagani Zonda F, Porsche 997 GT2, or Porsche Carrera GT, the top four quickest cars around the Green Hell. But, as we went to press, Nissan was working on possibly tackling the record again. Back to you, Chevrolet. Show us what you can do with the new Corvette ZR1. Meanwhile, for the full story on Nissan's stunning new supercar, check out our story on page 40. ■ ROAD CARS THE…

obviously It would seem there are only three distinct ways of writing the "Letter of the Month": (7) Extensive use of English vocabulary, whereupon persons of editorial prowess are Inundated with superfluous verbiage rivaling that of scholarly journals intent on educating premed students on the importance of neurons, synapses, and the myelin sheath coating, whereupon said editors are left comatose or giggling uncontrollably after wholly reviewing the received written material. (2) Angered and potentially hostile readers or subscribers send letters and e-mails of malice, threatening cancellation of subscription and likely spontaneous combustion if those employed at Motor Trend fail to cease mention of the BMW 3 Series. (3) Jovial readers send letters and e-mails of praise and adoration, rejoicing feverishly upon the arrival of such a fine publication. Captivating photos,…

NISSAN'S RIKUBETSU Proving Grounds lie deep in the hills of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island. The area looks a lot like Germany's Rhineland region, with steep mountains covered in dark evergreens. This is no coincidence; most of Rikubetsu's road course was cribbed from Germany's famous autobahn. Word is Nissan engineers contacted German transportation authorities and took tarmac samples during an official measuring session. They won't say where in Germany they took their laser levels, but it isn't hard to guess. Dotting the 4.5-mile test track are multiple blue-and-white Bundesautobahn 48 ausfahrt (exit) signs for the German city ofKoblenz-some comically pointing in opposite directions. Of course, it's also no secret that the Japanese have long been enamored of German automotive engineering. Nissan, in particular, has made no bones about the performance target…

LITTLE DISTINGUISHES the new longer, roomier Mini Clubman's driving experience from that of the standard Mini. Which is great news: None of the coupe’s quick reflexes, playful nature, or overall Mininess is diminished. The differences are all about space: 3.2 inches more wheelbase (which yields an equal bump in rear legroom), 9.6 inches of increased overall length, and a cargo hold that grows from 24.0 to 32.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Plus a few more doors. From the driver's seat, you'll hardly know there's more Mini behind you. But your rear-seat passengers, pets, surfboards, golf clubs, shopping bags, swap-meet treasures, and mall haul will really appreciate the extra room. The Clubman notion isn't a new idea (see “Aychive," this issue), but it remains a good one. It's…

A TRUCK IN A TUX? Not any more. The sport/utility vehicle cuts a broad swathe through the 21st-century automotive landscape. Think of a car genre—sporty, family, budget, luxury, utilitarian, gas-miser—and you'll find its equivalent in today’s sport/utility segment. What once was the territory of a handful of off-road specialists is now a lucrative business for everyone from Jeep to Porsche, Kia to Cadillac, offering everything from gutsy rock-crawlers to fuel-sipping hybrids. For the majority of consumers, the ability of a sport/utility vehicle to keep going when the road runs out is no longer its raison d’etre. Instead, today's sport/utility vehicles tend to be defined by three key characteristics: (1) High ride height and high seating position relative to conventional automobiles; (2) a two-box body and multifunction interior that allows a…

ONE LOOK at the all-new Liberty, and it's clear where Jeep designers turned for inspiration—the longer, wider, more macho Dodge Nitro. Current statistics have almost 60 percent of Liberty buyers being female, so Jeep is using liberal amounts of its Dodge cousin to make a bolder statement. While the result is a better chassis and a more aggressive look for this Liberty, the consensus around here is that there's still plenty of work to be done. On the test track and on our high- and low-elevation test routes, the Liberty needed more attitude and pep in the form of a sufficiently powered engine (even “adequate” would be nice) and more functional transmission (where you have access to all the gears). A measly 210 horsepower from aV-6 when the rest of…

AS ITS NAME implies, the Nissan Rogue stands apart, particularly in the field we assembled this year. This brand-new Sentra-based cute ‘ute is one of the smallest contestants—giving up 2400 pounds to the Toyota Land Cruiser and 19 inches in length to the Buick Enclave. Sure, the Jeep Patriot is a hair shorter and lighter and also brought an inline-four and continuous variable transmission to our shooting match, but all jurors agree, these two SUVs couldn't be more different. For one thing, the Rogue is fun to drive—garnering much praise for its game paddle-shiftable CVT."[The] engine is predictably buzzy, “notes online editor Mike Floyd,” but it's a good buzz, especially with the CVT set to paddle-shift mode. It totally changes the character of the vehicle and makes the CVT much…

IT’S EASY to imagine the Highlander as a student who's been cramming for this exam for years, its guidance counselors (product planners and engineers) scrutinizing our SUV-of-the-Year criteria to find any opportunity for improving their protege’s scores. Indeed, almost every impression it makes seems worthy of mention in the winner’s feature. On superiority, the upgrades to an already solid vehicle are all laudable: more passenger and cargo space, myriad new features easily controlled via a user-friendly knob-centric dash, and a new standard 3.5-literV-6 delivering 270 strong horses that can tow up to 5000 pounds. Hybrids get standard all-wheel drive and new economy-boosting features. In the significance category, Toyota’s marketing efforts have helped make the Highlander a segment sales leader. With models ranging from front-drivers with cloth seating for five, to…

BENTLEY’S NEW Speed version of the Continental GT has 48 more horses than standard and manages just a four-mph increase in top speed, such is the obduracy of air when smitten at ultra-high velocities. Still, 202 mph ain't shabby, especially in the context of a super-luxury almost-four-seater rather than a cramped semi-racer. The Conti GT is four years old now and marks it with a mild facelift. The radiator grille is fractionally more upright and proud, and the front lower-bumper has larger air intakes. Few will notice except current owners, but then they didn’t want much change because the car's looks are the reason they've been buying a Bentley in the first place. They probably didn't deem its 552 horsepower inadequate, either, but just to be sure, the Speed version…

WHILE IT’S better known in the United States for its motorcycles and perhaps even its outboard marine engines, Suzuki is nonetheless a force to be reckoned with on the worldwide automotive stage. In fact, the Japanese brand outsells BMW, Mazda, and Mitsubishi on a global scale. And in America? Well, for 2005 and 2006, it was the fastest-growing manufacturer. Suzuki is hot, and with its all-new SX4 Sport, it has no plans of cooling down. Meant as a sportier option to the SX4 hatchback on which it’s based, the SX4 Sport sedan ditches its sibling's all-wheel drive in favor of a lighter front-drive layout that helps drop curb weight by some 120 pounds. Complementing the sedan’s slimmer physique are 17-inch alloy wheels with 205/50 Dunlops (versus the hatch’s 205/60R'16s), an…

LIKE BRITNEY SPEARS, we had an "Oops, I did it again" moment in our long-term Lexus LS when, at around 11,000 miles, a small rock smacked the front windshield, leaving a two-inch eye-level crack in front of art director Andy Foster. Just three months prior, with road-test editor Scott Mortara behind the wheel, an equally feisty pebble had struck the windshield, depositing a similar blemish. While Mortara's road wound was purely accidental—the car in front spit up a suicidal stone—Foster’s wasn't. On his way out of the ghost town of Bodie, California, near the ski resort of Mammoth Lakes, Foster passed a group of slow-moving Harley-riding weekend warriors, which, unbeknownst to him, grew mighty upset over his fully legal, totally safe maneuver. So to teach Foster a lesson, one of…

IN ABOUT HALF the mileage it took the GL450 to wear through its tires, the Evo managed to convert its Yokohama ADVAN A046 tires into slicks, a clear indicator that new rubber was required. The Tire Rack sold us a fresh set for $1128 ($282 apiece); the installation, $115.66; final tally: $1243.66. The Mitsubishi was armed with tread and ready to point and shoot. Truck Trend editor Mark Williams writes in the logbook, “A quick squeeze of the throttle, and the Evo's turbo spools up fast to slingshot you ahead.” Even though Williams appreciates what the Evo is, he's “more aware that it wants to be beaten up and flogged much more enthusiastically than I care to drive on the commute home or to work.” ◼ Months/miles in service12/12,189 ◼…

WITH AN all-new exterior design—by far, the most dramatic visual change to the Miata/MX-5 in its history—highly revised structure, engine, suspension, and platform—we leapt at the opportunity to drive the third generation of the iconic two-seater. After all, it had charmed judges at Car of the Year with its fantastic handling, excellent balance, and purity of design. But would the new MX-5 thrill in the long run? Our Winning Blue Metallic long-termer came equipped with a black leather interior, manual cloth top, a 170-horsepower, 2.0-liter four, and a six-speed manual transmission, all standard with the Grand Touring model. The only option we added was a $500 Suspension Package, which includes sport-tuned suspension, limited-slip differential, and Bilstein shocks, bringing the bottom line to $25,495. The restyle certainly makes new MX-5s stand…

PONTIAC seems almost certain to get a G3 version of the forthcoming Holden Commodore wagon, photos of which leaked recently in Australia. The new Commodore wagon, said to roll on the same wheelbase as the sedan, is a much sportier-looking vehicle than the car it replaces. General Motors sources hint a G8 version would be positioned as a "sport wagon," along the lines of BMW's 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Powertrains will be identical to the G8 sedan's. That means an entry-level version with the 261-horsepower, 3.6-literV-6 and a five-speed automatic transmission, and a GT model with a 361-horsepower, 6.0-liter V-8 with a six-speed automatic. A six-speed manual also will be available. Though the market for an American-branded sport wagon is relatively untested (beyond the Dodge Magnum), GM’s sources…

THE GT-R IS the nearest thing Japan has to a Corvette. Those three letters have signified homegrown performance for millions of Japanese auto enthusiasts since the 1960s. The GT-R story began when an engineer for Prince Motors, Shinichiro Sakurai, chopped the company’s four-cylinder Skyline sedan in half at the firewall, lengthened the nose, and installed a 2.0-liter SOHC straight-six with triple Weber carburetors. Sakurai’s Skyline GT went on to become a giantkiller on the racetrack in Japan. Prince Motors, which started as an offshoot of the postwar remnants of the Nakajima and Tachikawa aircraft companies (another, larger offshoot became Fuji Heavy Industries, maker of Subaru), was merged into Nissan in 1966, but Sakurai and his team remained in control of the Skyline, which was now badged a Nissan. The first…

FOR MUCH OF THE DAY, the quiet Taunus mountains in Germany—rolling green hills, prosperous farmland, dark Hansel and Gretel pine forests, Volkswagens driven slowly by well-groomed women on narrow smooth roads—sounds like Darlington raceway. From sleepy hollow to days of thunder. You just don't hear sounds like this in Europe. Cars here have four-cylinder engines, coarsened by diesel rattle. Even performance cars, short of the big-ticket Ferraris, have turbocharged four- or six-cylinder motors. In this neck of the woods, V-8s—and only V-8s can make this kind of sound—are as rare as Ford pickups and Dunkin’ Donuts. But the brand-new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and the more mature Audi RS4, especially in thunderous sport-exhaust mode (yes, a switch dials up the Darlington on the Audi!), sound like Jeff Gordon's DuPont Chevy coming…

EVER SINCE Nissan introduced the front-mid (FM) platform back in 2002, it’s been the automaker's saving grace, under pinning a host of significant vehicles—namely, the iconic 350Z sports car and Infiniti’s core models, the G and M sedans and the FX sport/utility—and catapulting the brand back to competitive excellence. For Infiniti, this robust, adaptable architecture has garnered not only high praise (we declared the new G87 coupe superior to the benchmark BMW 335i in an August comparison test) but also strong sales (the G and the FX represent the brand's top-selling car and sport/utility) that resurrected the make and kept it from swirling down the drain. So imagine our delight when Infiniti announced at last April's NewYork auto show that, beginning late this month, it would start selling a fresh…

ON THE VERY first day of our SUOTY competition, before most of us had even driven it, the new Buick Enclave served notice that it's a player. “Hey, check out the Enclave,” said more than one editor, noting its designer curves and expensive presence. “Looks really good.” For sure, Buick is going to move a ton of Enclaves on appearance alone. Okay, maybe the nose is as prominent as Karl Malden’s, but this seven-passenger rig knows how to dress for the party. Under the hood, a DOHC 3.6-liter V-6 delivers a sturdy 275 horses through a six-speed automatic and, on our top-model CXL test car, optional all-wheel drive. For relaxed motoring, the powertrain feels up to the job, revving with a pleasing note and cruising with refinement. Unfortunately, the six…

THE ALL-NEW Patriot, Jeep’s newest attempt at wooing the crossover market, shares underpinnings with the Compass and Caliber. When the Patriot was first revealed, comparisons with the classic Cherokee were inevitable. After all, at a glance, it would be easy to mistake the new model as a reintroduction of the old. However, that's where the similarity ends. Cherokee fans may be surprised to learn that the compact Patriot actually has a longer wheelbase, is longer overall, and is taller than that model—but it's powered by an always overworked 2.4-liter inline-four, with 55 pound-feet less torque than the Cherokee's extinct inline-six. The four is noisy—multiple testers compared the din with that of a blender—and hard acceleration brought engine speed to a screaming 6000 rpm (near redline). Despite being the lightest SUV…

SATURN’S NEW Vue is one of the first in-the-sheetmetal manifestations of the brand's newly synchronous orbit with GM's European Opel arm, and, for the most part, color us impressed. In an ever more crowded field where being noticed is half the battle, the Vue’s exterior appearance made the judges think crossover cool. The praise continued for the cabin's new digs. The Vue’s interior packaging is worlds better than the outgoing model’s and is arguably the best Saturn effort to date—especially considering its relatively inexpensive base price. Save odd touches like the steering wheel that feels as big as a wagon wheel and a quirky cargo-net setup, judges now think the Vue is more than capable of holding its own in its five-passenger market niche—at least before you turn the key.…

WHEM THE all-new 2008 Land Cruiser creaked up onto our weight scales, it instantly earned itself an ignominious new name: the Land Crusher. At 5920 pounds, it's a three-ton rolling road dent. We're talking dense here. If it were on the Periodic Table of the Elements, it would appear somewhere between uranium and kryptonite (symbol, LC). But crack the throttle, and the Land Cruiser goes from lead sled to rocket sled in the time it takes to awaken its 381—5.7-liter Tundra V-8-based—horsepower. In just six-point-five seconds, it can spin its 285/60R18s to 60 mph, a crazy two seconds below its comparatively anemic, 265-horse, 5450-pound predecessor. Add in its slick-shifting, six-speed automatic transmission (swapped for last year's five-cogger), and you’ve got a combination that “will definitely make for faster U.N. getaways…

“MAKE A U-TURN when possible,” urged the navigation attempting to get us back on track toward the Hungarian capital of Budapest. As we whipped Volkswagen's all-new 2009 Tiguan around, we got an early indication of its turning radius (tight) and electromechanical steering (quick and light at low speeds). A few zigzags later, we were finally pointed in the right direction. Positioned as the Touareg's scrappy, smaller sibling, the Tiguan is arriving late to the crossover party. When it goes on sale in May next year with pricing starting in the mid-20s, the Tiguan will join an already crowded field littered with established offerings, including Honda's CR-V and Toyota's RAV4. But unlike others in its class, there's not a lot of “cute” in this ‘ute. The Tiguan strikes a more athletic,…

THE ENTHUISIAST media has posed the question: “Why doesn't the Blue Oval give us the smash-hit, European-spec Focus?” That car is based on the company’s C1 chassis architecture, which also underpins the excellent Mazda3. Ford asked itself the same thing about two years ago and made the business decision to go with a less-costly, potentially more profitable Focus for North America by giving the current car a substantial redo instead. Just about everything you can see or touch is new. Ford has pared the lineup to two body styles: a four-door and a two-door with a trunk, the latter replacing the previous three-door hatchback. The wagon and five-door hatch are gone. All sheetmetal is new, save for the four-door’s roof panel. The new styling is different from the old: clean…

WITH THE Silverado’s on-board computer system nagging us that it was about time for a tuneup, we took our 2007 Truck of the Year, with just shy of 12,000 miles on the odometer, for its first maintenance visit. The local Chevrolet dealer charged us $381.06—not exactly miserly—but the statement did include a lengthy list of welcome services: an oil change, a full inspection, a tire rotation, and cleaning of the throttle body, induction, and fuel injectors. In addition, the maintenance technicians performed a recall on the battery, which was under warranty (charge and test). During this same visit, the technicians also remedied the pesky passenger-seat airbag light that had been blinking at us unnecessarily from time to time. ◼ Months/miles in service 8/12,947 ◼ Avg econ/CO2 13.7 mpg/1.33 Ib/mi ◼…

JUST 21 miles short of the big 3-0, the Sedona is not only nearing the end of its term with us (sigh), it's also inching toward its 30,000-mile service, on which occasion we'll have some recent annoyances and concerns addressed. Photog Vance, who took the Kia to Kingman, Arizona, for last month's “The Science of Speed” story, discovered “an irritating whistle from the driver-side A-pillar, which seems to occur traveling above 70 mph in a crosswind,” adding that when you “drop below 70, the whistle goes away; nudge back up again, and there it is in all its ear-piercing din.” Other displeasures include a friction squeak from where the steering wheel meets the steering column and a loose door-hinge arm binding whenever the door is fully opened. ◼ Months/miles in…

WHEN BMW gave the Mini new life a half decade ago by reinventing the Mini Cooper and Cooper S, naysayers asked: “Where can it go from here?” The answer was found in the original Mini's history and model rollout. The order is different this time around: First came the coupe, then a factory convertible, and now, the new Clubman. But the last is hardly a new idea as it was long a staple of the Mini roster. The original Clubman’s wheelbase was no longer than the coupe's, but the car was longer aft of the rear axle, and the roofline was squared up to improve cargo room. Clubmans were go-to-school transport for an entire generation of children in the 1960s. But what really gave the Clubman its charm was the…