Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2012 i MotorTrend

LAMBORGHINI unveiled its Urus crossover/utility concept at Beijing, in a country where sports cars and sport/utilities aren’t yet as coveted as long-wheelbase luxury and premium sedans. The Lambo Urus comes hot on the heels of the controversial Bentley EXP 9 concept from Geneva, updated with a mild face-lift for Beijing. “I personally think this is a good pick” for Lamborghini’s third model, after the Gallardo and Aventador, brand CEO Stephan Winkelman said in an exclusive preview in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy. Like über-parent Volkswagen AG’s Porsche with the Cayenne, and Bentley with a crossover based on its EXP 9, Lamborghini sees the Urus as a way to expand its market exponentially. Lambo sold 1602 cars in calendar 2011, and Winkelman estimates he could sell 3000 to 3500 Uruses annually. About 45…

He created an icon in 1963, and lived to see the seventh generation of his 911 make it to the marketplace early this year. Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche was the grandson of the company founder, Ferdinand, who designed Volkswagen’s Type 1 (Beetle) and was chairman of the board of VW until the end of World War II, and was the son of Porsche $56 designer Ferry Porsche. Ferdinand Alexander died April 5 in Salzburg, Austria. F.A. Porsche was born in Stuttgart on December 11, 19$5. In 19)$, his family and the Porsche company left Germany for Zell am See, Austria. Grandfather Ferdinand was arrested, but not tried, for war crimes in December 19)5. By 1952, father Ferry was building Porsche $56 models using VW engines, transmissions, and suspensions. F.A. joined…

“ WITH ITS REAR-ENGINE PLACEMENT AND TEARDROP SHAPE, THE 911 IS ALREADY WEIRD ENOUGH; A DIESEL WOULD ONLY COMPLETE THE UNIQUE PACKAGE.” ON WEDNESDAY, March 28, I heard on the car radio that the Mega Millions lottery was up to $500 million. I took statistics in college, and I remember the professor saying that playing such games only made sense when the jackpot was over…well, I don’t actually recall the exact amount, but it was certainly well below $500 million. So on my way home, I stopped at a local Chevron station, pulled out my wallet, and gave the clerk all the money I had—$10. Nevertheless, Alexander Hamilton’s picture netted me 10 quick picks, and I was confident one of them would deliver me the jackpot (which ended up at…

RANDY POBST“GOOD MID-RANGE TORQUE, BUT FEELS DISTANT AND RUBBERIZED, DETRACTING FROM ON-TRACK GRATIFICATION.” It was an odd experience. I was reading my notes and those of my fellow comparison-test participants on the all-new 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T when I realized something: Everything I was reading, I'd read before. So I sifted through the scribbles from our 2010 Car of the Year program, as I was the one who did the write-up for the then-all-new 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. And, wouldn’t you know it, the notes were almost identical—even though they were written by different people and separated by more than two years. Then and now, multiple editors experienced troubles with the Hyundai’s manual gearbox, specifically when trying to quickly downshift from third to second gear, while either aggressively motoring…

RANDY POBST“THERE'S A REASON 80 MX-5 MIATAS ARE ON THE PRE-GRID AT ROAD AMERICA, AND IT'S THE SAME REASON THIS IS THE ONLY CAR IN WHICH I DID AN EXTRA LAP SIMPLY 'CAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA STOP.” If you know anything about the Mazda MX-5 Miata, you probably enjoy driving. Well, you’d best relish these pages, because this is likely the NC-generation Miata’s comparison curtain call. From here on out, all eyes are on the back-to-basics, even more lightweight next-gen car due out next year. A model of consistency, the MX-5 Miata has delivered unadulterated motoring pleasure for more than 20 years, even spawning its own dedicated racing series. From its inception, it became the dynamic benchmark for all small cars. If any kind of hot, new metal claimed to…

IN THE BEGINNING, there was nothing. Then there was a big bang. At the time, it wasn’t called the Big Bang, as it was the very first bang, so there were no other bangs to compare it with. Eventually, life evolved far enough to create everything from spatulas to literature, and the original M5 was born. The motorsport version of the e28 5 Series of 1985 was conceived to deliver sports car-like performance with the useability of a four-door sedan. As with that original bang, we didn’t have much to compare it with at the time, and it was easy to call it the best BMW performance sedan ever. With each generation, BMW continued to add power, first with a bigger inline six-cylinder, then moving up to a V-8, and…

There’s no question that getting younger folks into luxury brands pays dividends for automakers, presuming they can keep these customers returning to the showrooms through the years. That’s a lot of the reason behind the new Acura ILX. Acura has smartly and completely reskinned the Civic from which the ILX receives both bones and guts. Love or loathe the exterior styling, it can’t be mistaken for its more pedestrian sibling. Acura has even gone so far as to stand the windshield up a little straighter—not an easy or cheap thing to do. The overall cabin layout is distinctly Acura, with a center stack design similar to that of the TSX. Materials and build quality are very good, at least on the optional leather interiors featured in our test cars. Two…

WHEN WE first got the opportunity to drive Ford’s new gas-powered F-650, we jumped at the chance to get behind the wheel. Who wouldn’t want to drive a truck that size? But if you’re going to borrow a vehicle like this, you have to do something special with it. After a little research, we found the perfect place to try out all the truck’s cool features. Dig This! (www.digthis.info) in Las Vegas is the only facility in America where anyone can learn to drive excavators and bulldozers, and use them to dig big holes, create hills of dirt, and have fun. All we had to do was get the truck to Las Vegas. So the adventure began. Several styling cues tie the looks of this truck to the rest of…

“Despite the Elantra’s 3 sets of XM presets, mine kept getting changed. A couple of talking-tos seem to have remedied that. @kougarov Service life / 8 mo/16,218 mi Avg CO2 / 0.72 lb/mi Energy cons / 125 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $289.13 (2-oil change, tire rotation, inspection; 1-replace air filter) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 29/40/33 mpg Average Fuel Econ 26.9 mpg WE’VE (ALMOST) hit 40! Associate online editor Christian Seabaugh had to suffer on I-5 for 7 hours with cruise control set at the speed limit (mercifully set at 70 most of the way) and the A/C off to do it, but he was able to get an entire highway tank to 39.77 mpg. He used 10.473 gallons and traveled…

“Lately, I’ve been thinking of how cool a Juke Coupe could be. If the Range Rover Evoque can do the look, the Juke can, too.” @Nate_Martinez Service life / 11 mo/22,639 mi Avg CO2 / 0.85 lb/mi Energy cons / 147 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $446.35 (3-oil change, rotate tires, inspection; 1-cabin air filter) Normal-wear cost / $719.86 (four Bridgestone tires) EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 25/30/27 mpg Average Fuel Econ 22.9 mpg WITH ONLY a month left on our loan, now is the best time to highlight some of the Juke’s amenities I’ve so far neglected to cover. I’ll start with privacy glass. The tint protects rear passengers’ skin from UV rays and keeps them cool, calm, and sunscreen-free. Not to mention, they can…

“BMW’s audio system is a must. It reveals new textures in favorite songs: production nuances, subtle bass rifts, ambient sounds.” @carloslago Service life / 11 mo/24,342 mi Avg CO2 / 0.90 lb/mi Energy cons / 156 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $25.88 Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 19/25/21 mpg Average Fuel Econ 26.1 mpg I STARTED the X3 one morning to find a Low Coolant warning message on the dash. After buying a gallon of the blue, BMW-branded coolant at a not-that-bad $25.88, I blended it 5$:5$ with distilled water and slowly filled the reservoir until the mixture reached a yellow marker, per the instructions in the owner’s manual. The X3 took about a quart, which is surprising considering its 6.5-quart capacity.…

EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: Not rated Average Fuel Econ 14.9 mpg “The Silverado’s interior could use upgrades, but the truck’s ability to haul and tow are top-notch.” @TruckTrendAH CHEVROLET revamped its heavy-duty line at a time when the Great Recession had hit hard. Part of the aftermath was that budgets were slashed, meaning GM had to prioritize functional improvements over styling upgrades. In the heavy-duty truck market, that’s what counts. GM’s challenge was to figure out how to keep the turbodiesel around with stricter emissions standards as well as add capability, all on a tighter budget. And the company succeeded—the new truck offered more torque and horsepower than before, plus higher towing and payload capacities. We were so impressed with the pickup that we named it Motor Trend’s Truck…

XF OR F-TYPE? Jaguar has made it official: The new sports car will be named F-Type when it goes on sale as a two-seat convertible in mid-2013 and as a coupe a year later. The delightful C-X16 concept previewed its design at the fall 2011 Frankfurt auto show. New to the Jaguar range, it slots below the XK. It has an all-aluminum body and a new all-aluminum, 3.0-liter supercharged direct-injection V-6 based on the 5.0-liter V-8, with balance shafts, a dual independent variable cam timing system, and a Roots-type twin vortex supercharger mounted in the engine’s vee. The V-6 will launch in the F-Type in two forms of tune: a 380-hp version and another making 340 hp. Transmission is a Jaguar-tuned ZF eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters and an intelligent…

HOW WILL Tata Motors pay for this new Jaguar and Land Rover product? Rumors have the company preparing an initial public offering, essentially spinning off the British brands Tata bought from Ford Motor Company in 2008 for $2.5 billion. Jaguar/Land Rover now is worth $14 billion, Bloomberg News reports, based on a survey of three analysts. Ford is the big loser in the deal, having paid a total of $5.3 billion for the two: $2.4 billion for Jaguar in 1990 and $2.9 billion to BMW for Land Rover in 2000. Ford sold the two to Tata in the depths of the global recession and has since stripped itself down to Ford and Lincoln. Another scenario has Tata issuing bonds to avoid diluting interest in its biggest profit-maker, Bloomberg posits. Jaguar/Land…

MERCEDES-BENZ unveiled its new, breakout third-generation A-Class at Geneva, and the car went on sale in Europe following its unveiling. While the A-Class hatchback eventually will come to the U.S. market, our first small, FWD volume Mercedes will be the mini-CLS previewed by the Concept Style Coupe unveiled at Auto Show China in Beijing. The CLA name combines the visual reference to the $72,175 CLS-Class “four-door coupe” with the car’s A-Class underpinnings. Like the CLS, the CLA will have a coupelike profile and character lines that Mercedes describes as “sinewy, sculptural and masculine.” The 20-inch turbine wheels probably will survive to production. The diamond-pattern grille and lower fascia front air dam mimic the A-Class’ AMG design option. The Concept Style Coupe has sleeker headlamps with sequential front turn indicators you…

WHILE LEXUS has spiked plans to power a GS-F with the LFA’s V-10, it may try to amortize a new low-volume luxury GT car like the LF-LC with a higher-volume Toyota version. The longitudinal engined, RWD-based platform could be the foundation for the return of the Toyota Supra, a source says. The long-rumored new-age Supra would fit CEO Toyoda’s promise to bring passionate models back to the company. It would be significantly larger and much more expensive than the new Scion FR-S. There are arguments, however, that a RWD sport-tourer positioned well below the Mercedes SL and BMW 6 Series belongs only to the Lexus brand.…

THE NEW rear-drive platform Chrysler Group is developing with Fiat Auto is codenamed LA, designating a smaller platform than the Dodge Challenger/Charger/Chrysler 300/Lancia Thema’s LX. The platform should be flexible enough to handle compact-to-midsize RWD models. For North America, this includes two cars, including the new SRT Barracuda planned as a replacement for the Challenger, and another Chrysler Group model, perhaps a RWD midsize Chrysler 200 replacement. In Europe, the LA platform is expected to underpin a number of models, especially Alfa Romeos. CHEVROLET has heavily promoted its second-generation Equinox since launching in the ’10 model year, touting the 32-mpg (highway) 2.4-liter four-cylinder/front-drive version. The Equinox has gone from compact crossover also-ran to third-best-seller in the burgeoning segment, behind Ford Escape and Honda CR-V, with 193,274 delivered. Chevy launches the…

“CLIMB ABOARD, PULL UP THE JOYSTICK CONTROLLER, RESTART THE ENGINE, TAXI, AND TAKE OFF.” NO. BUT THE era of the driveable airplane may be approaching, thanks to a 2004 FAA ruling that created a new class of light/sport aircraft and an easier, cheaper to obtain sport flying license (less training, for daytime, clear-weather LSA flying only). The ruling strove to make flying easier, and that same goal motivated the private equity-funded development of the Terrafugia Transition Roadable Aircraft. It seeks to remove such obstacles to sport aviation as uncertain weather, the lack of rental cars or taxis at most of our 5000 public airfields, and the cost of storing a plane. Those barriers fall when you can park your plane in your garage, drive it to the airport and take…

RANDY POBST“FEELS QUICK AND REFINED UP TO 80 PERCENT, BUT STUMBLES INTO FUN-SAPPING TERMINAL UNDERSTEER AT THE LIMIT, WITH INSIDE WHEELSPIN AND EVEN SOME HOPPING AT THE FRONT.” Meet the obvious oddball. Although its 2.0-liter turbo sends power to the wrong set of wheels (as assistant road test editor Carlos Lago quipped), and it’s a figurative brick in a group of rolling wedges, with enough seats for a family of five, the Volkswagen had to be included, mostly for two reasons. First, it met our pricing criteria, and second—and most important—it’s a blast to drive. As it is, the GTI stands 8.8 inches taller than the MX-5 and stretches 16.4 inches shorter than the Mustang. Its dimensions make for an upright seating position in the adjustable buckets, which are covered…

RANDY POBST“STABILITY CONTROLS HAVE ALLOWED SETUPS LIKE THIS—TOO LOOSE ON ENTRY, A REAL DRIFT CAR.” There’s no question that the FR-S’ second-place finish is one of the more difficult decisions we’ve had to make in recent comparison tests. You’re about to read about what an excellent sports car the Subaru BRZ is, and yes, the Scion is virtually identical in specification and capability. Plus, it’s cheaper. So why does it rank behind the Subaru? What gives? First, let’s be clear that both of these cars are an absolute hoot to drive. Each rewards with excellent steering (the BRZ’s helm has just a touch more heft), solid and easily modulated brakes, and a strong engine that’s paired to one of the best-feeling shifters we’ve experienced. The casual A-to-B driver will notice…

“WHY DID IT take you guys so long?” a colleague asked Infiniti’s vice president about the seemingly inordinate amount of time it’s taken for the company to bring its JX35 to market. “What really matters is that we’re here [in this segment] now,” VP Ben Poore calmly replied. “The G has traditionally been our volume seller. But now it’s time for us to have the JX take that role. Ultimately, we want to give buyers a great alternative to the usual choices.” Those choices include the Acura MDX and Audi Q7, two seven-passenger luxo-cruisers the product planners have in their sights. The JX, Poore explained, is a crossover for families seeking more interior room than an FX offers, but who don’t need a beastly QX56. They want an efficient, stylish,…

If you watched TV during the 1990s, you probably know the Tim Allen sitcom “Home Improvement.” Allen’s character, Tim “The Toolman” Taylor, had one solution to just about every problem: “More power.” It also happens to be a mantra AMG’s engineers often follow when designing cars. That’s the most logical explanation for the existence of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E63’s P30 Performance Package, which takes the big 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8’s output from an already hearty 518 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque to a pavement-pounding 550 hp and 590 lb-ft. This power lets the 4347-pound sedan sprint to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds. The best part? It emits a beautiful yet brutal growl that’s more fitting of a naturally aspirated American V-8. The downside is that unless you’re willing to…

IF THERE IS AN “Obama-mobile,” it’s not the Chevrolet Volt. It’s the 2013 Dodge Dart. The Volt’s development began years before the 2008 election, while Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne signed a deal with Obama’s Treasury Department in 2009 to earn his Fiat Corporation an extra 5 percent of Chrysler if it brought a 40-mpg (unadjusted) model to its new American partner by 2012. “This car didn’t even exist on paper in June 2009,” Marchionne told Steve Kroft on CBS “60 Minutes” days before the first press drive in Healdsburg, California—wine country. We drove the 1.4-liter turbo and 2.0-liter with the Honda-slick six-speed manual and the smooth six-speed automatic, though not the 2.4-liter R/T, nor the dual-clutch six-speed. “It’s got a little Italian flair,” Kroft noted. “Yeah. Just enough to…

EVERY TIME I observe somebody calculating a hybrid’s “payback miles”—that is, its price premium (if you can figure that out) amortized by its mileage improvement—I cringe. For those who need simple answers, I guess it’s hard to resist, but the trade-offs embodied by these cars are more complex than simpleminded division. Let me flip the conversation: How many people figure out the payback cost effectiveness of a concert-hall-quality sound system? A bigger engine? Carbon-ceramic brakes? Nobody. But for some reason, the word “hybrid” brings the calculators out. If the value proposition of mainstream hybrids is prickly business, grappling with expensive, high-performance, Ÿberluxury ones is a cactus hug. And the three most recent examples of this predicament are perfect examples: the new Infiniti M35h, Lexus GS 450h, and Porsche Panamera Hybrid…

“Six months into its long-term visit, the Fiat still turns heads, though I’ve yet to receive a compliment from a guy. @Emiliana505 Service life / 6 mo/8295 mi, Avg CO2 / 0.60 lb/mi Energy cons / 104 kw-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 (oil change, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 30/38/33 MPG Average Fuel Econ 32.5 mpg SINCE BEING assigned our long-term Fiat 500 Sport, I haven’t gone much of anywhere besides to and from work (12 miles each way) and to and from Burbank every weekend. It was time for a quick jaunt to scenic Ojai, California. My mom, sister, and I packed one small bag each—that’s all the 9.5-cubic-foot trunk could hold—and settled in, with Mom in the back.…

“Back in the Cayenne for the first time in weeks, I can find every button without thinking about it, all 7843 of them. That’s good design. @MT_Evans Service life / 12 mo/25,929 mi Avg CO2 / 0.97 lb/mi Energy cons / 169 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $725.56 (2-oil change, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $2532.05 (4 Michelin tires, installation, four-wheel alignment) EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 20/24/21 mpg Average Fuel Econ 20.0 mpg WHEN WE found a bubble in the right front tire, Kiino and I ordered a new set from Tire Rack, choosing the $1$0-a-tire-cheaper Bridgestone Duelers over the stock Michelin Pilot Sport PS2s. Bad idea. The dealer, Rusnak Porsche, refused to mount the tires because they weren’t “Porsche approved,” indicated by the lack of…

“With its large windows and comfy seats, the Odyssey made for an excellent tour bus on a recent family outing to Joshua Tree National Park.” Service life / 11 mo/24,341 mi Avg CO2 / 0.89 lb/mi Energy cons / 155 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $187.82 (2-oil change, tire rotation, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 19/28/22 mpg Average Fuel Econ 21.7 mpg I AM constantly surprised by the capacity and versatility of our Honda Odyssey. Normally when people need to haul something, they think of using a truck or a large van like a Dodge Sprinter or Nissan NV. But I have found most of our hauling needs are easily taken care of by the Odyssey. Recently we had a photo shoot…

JAGUAR is pressing ahead with a new aluminum compact sport sedan for 2016. Early sketches for the car had it as a four-door fastback coupe, in the mold of the Audi A5 Sportback, but the company is leaning toward a traditional three-box sedan. The Audi Sportback gives you a clue why: It’s a four-door version of the A5 coupe, a niche car outside Europe and not sold in the U.S. Jaguar can’t rule itself out of big markets. And although Jaguar is different, it can’t afford to be too low-volume, Global Brand director Adrian Hallmark says. “We, with Alfa Romeo, are the emotive brands. Research says the established German brands are so, so close” to each other in image. “Consumers see them as relevant, but similar. And they all sell…

CADILLAC is road-testing Super Cruise, its tentative name for a “semi-autonomous” driving technology it says could be ready for production by the middle of this decade. Super Cruise combines such advanced, but proven, high technology as fully automatic steering, braking, and lane-centering for highway driving under certain conditions. The goal is to provide low driver exhaustion for daily freeway commutes and in bumper-to-bumper traffic, using radar, ultrasonic sensors, cameras and GPS map data. General Motors’ luxury division joins Google’s secret autonomous car development and Continental, which says its “automated” car technology program (“Trend,” June) could be on the market within three years, in moving toward the technology. Cadillac notes much of its technology is available this year on the 2013 XTS and ATS as part of their Driver Assist Packages.…

IF YOU HAVE $400 million and envision a future for inexpensive electric city cars, Tata Technologies has a deal for you. Tata Technologies is a technology supplier distinct from Tata Motors, much like Porsche and Lotus have separate technology suppliers. It’s showing off a small, efficient, and cheap fourseat EV the company says could be built in an existing factory for an initial investment of just $400 million. The eMO, designed and engineered in Novi, Michigan, is a two-box four-door with no trunk or hatchlid. It's designed for a lithium-ion battery pack that would feed two electric motors placed just inboard of the wheels, and could be placed at either the front or the rear of the car. The eMO could be built with motors at all four wheels, though…

You Never Go Full R The Juke R finally shows us what the designers had in mind (“Future Cars,” April 2012). The only thing left is to add the oversized driving lights below the bumper (the spots are already there), write a script for another post-apocalyptic urban wasteland movie, add a few James Bond-style weapons, and star this dynamic duo (you said Nissan made two) for an awesome ad campaign released just before offering a limited-run production! Alan LoweFranklin, Tennessee When Porsches Win Reading “36-Hour Sports Cars” (April 2012), I came to your concluding lines: “In the Corvette, you’re always reacting to how the car behaves. With the Porsche, you’re only reacting to the road.” In a flash, I was 55 years younger, a 2nd lieutenant waiting for the base…

Randy Pobst Multiple winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona and World Challenge and SCCA championships, Pobst is one of America's quickest road racers. His finishing order, 1-6? MX-5 Miata, BRZ, FR-S, Mustang, Genesis, GTI. Willow Springs Raceway: 1.8-mile road course WITH THE AVERAGE transaction price of a new car in the U.S. at just under $31,000, it’s tough going for many an American auto shopper. And if you’re a prospective buyer of an “enthusiast” car, whose extra horses and performance parts tend to inflate bottom lines up to the top shelf, the outlook is even grimmer. Or is it? The launch of the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ twins has poured a double shot of buzz into the bang-for-the-buck tumbler. For well under 30 large, these two 200-horse coupes…

RANDY POBST“SURPRISINGLY BALANCED AND POWERFUL, WITH A LITTLE TOO MUCH SHIMMY SHUDDER IN THE CHASSIS AND NUMBNESS AT THE HELM.” Naturally, the sole Yankee in the group (we tried to secure a 312-hp Camaro V-6, but Chevy claimed not to have one in fleet) came into this fight carrying the most pounds—3511, to be exact—proving once again that America is a chubby nation. But old Red, White, and Blue can also be a fast and agile state, and despite its corpulence, the Mustang showed that it could accelerate, turn, and stop quicker than any car here. Take a gander at the spec sheet. With 0-60 mph in 5.3 seconds, quarter mile in 13.9 seconds at 100.1 (the only car to go under 14 and over 100), figure eight in 25.4…

RANDY POBST“BRAVO, SUBARU (AND SCION), AND THANK YOUWW FOR THESE PROPRIOCEPTOR-PLEASING INJECTIONS OF THE DRIVING DRUG. THE BRZ IS BETTER BALANCED.” The Subaru BRZ is a special car. This much is obvious after just a few turns on a curvy road, where a delicate balance between the steering, throttle, shifter, and tires emerges. It offers a pervasive sense of control, allowing you to place the tires within millimeters of your intended target. The engineers’ focus on a low center of gravity is evident: Every movement the BRZ makes seems to start below ground level. The BRZ is neutral at its limit, transitioning slowly between gentle push and slide, meaning the driver can choose between stability or drift on a whim. Each component feels like it’s working in harmony, especially the…

THERE WAS NOTHING really wrong with the old Escape, other than how old it was. Next to Ford’s latest products, the Escape looked ancient. This new Escape looks nothing like the old Escape, and if the lack of continuity is its biggest problem, Ford has nothing to worry about. And it doesn’t. So what if there’s no visual connection between this curvy new Escape and the old miniaturized version of the passé Expedition? The market has spoken, and the big, beefy SUV style is out. Car-like crossovers are in, and this Escape may as well be a lifted Focus, because not only does it not look like an old Escape, but it doesn’t drive like one, either. One doesn’t normally expect soccer shuttle crossovers to handle all that well, but…

AT SOME POINT, everyone has to grow up. For some people—and cars—it happens sooner than for others. For the Acura RDX, it took about five years. The first-generation Acura RDX, launched in 2007, was a fun-loving CUV. It wasn’t the most luxurious vehicle in its segment, nor the cheapest, but with its 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and Super Handling AWD system, it stood out as one of the more enthusiastic entries in a market segment that—let’s face it—can be downright boring. Despite its turbo lag and a ride many thought too firm, we enjoyed the previous RDX for being both practical and a hoot to drive quickly. Alas, as Acura found out, being fun to drive doesn’t always count for much these days, especially when it’s middle-aged empty-nesters and young,…

EXPLORATION. Unless you’re sitting on the bottom of the Marianas Trench à la James Cameron, there’s not a whole lot of this planet upon which one member of humanity or another hasn’t already set foot. It's in our very nature to get up, get out, and explore the world around us. But just because someone else has seen somewhere first doesn't mean we personally shouldn’t explore it for ourselves. That’s why, when boss man Edward Loh asked me if I’d like to drive around Russia for one week with Land Rover, I said yes before knowing a single detail, checking my calendar, or asking my wife. I just knew I had to go. To celebrate the production of its one millionth Discovery, a vehicle called LR4 here (lame -- and…

Base price $29,165 Price as tested $29,435 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ 22/31/25 mpg “A first for the Motor Trend fleet. We will be evaluating two versions of our car of the year, a gasser in California and a TDI in Michigan.” @MT_MikeFebbo We obviously like the new Volkswagen Passat—we named it Car of the Year for 2012. Our COTY rules dictate that every winning car spend a year in our service as a long-term vehicle. Yes, I also wonder why the Porsche GT3 RS doesn’t win every year. The 170-hp five-cylinder mated to the six-speed automatic transmission is the volume seller of the Passat lineup. This made the powertrain choice easy for our new long-term SEL. Although it’s not the highest spec available, it arrived well-equipped with heated seats,…

“The Quest had me running on empty, but luckily it didn’t leave me stranded. Note to self: Don’t trust the range indicator below ¼ tank.” Service life / 10 mo / 30,595 mi Avg CO2 / 0.99 lb/mi Energy cons / 173 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $425.23 (3-oil change, tire rotation, inspection; 1-repl cabin air filter) Normal-wear cost / $720 (four Toyo Versado tires) EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 19/24/21 MPG Average Fuel Econ 19.5 mpg IN JANUARY, the Quest received a new gas tank and pump, part of a service bulletin to remedy fuel not being reachable when the tank was below a quarter full and the van was parked on an incline. So on a trip up to Santa Cruz, I figured the fuel…

“Devoid of extraneous flourishes, the cabin has held up nicely for 30K-plus miles. It’s had its issues, but cleans up well.” Service life / 11 mo/33,982 mi Avg CO2 / 0.57 lb/mi Energy cons / 86 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 (2-oil change, inspection, 1-rotate tires, fuel filter, cabin filter) EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 30/42/34 mpg Average Fuel Econ 39.1 mpg THE WINTER season will be long gone (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least) by the time you read this, but the Jetta TDI and I thoroughly enjoyed our wintry trek into the Rocky Mountains. Thanks to a set of Toyo Observe GSi! winter tires and cautious driving, the car sliced through snow, ice, and frosty conditions with just a few interventions from the stability/traction…

“Jumping into our long-term Nissan GTR after a week in a Porsche 911 Turbo S is a shock to the system—in good and bad ways.” @EdLoh Service life / 2 mo/4204 mi Avg CO2 / 1.40 lb/mi Energy cons / 242 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 16/23/19 mpg Average Fuel Econ 13.9 mpg FROM THE moment our new GT-R came into the fleet, I’ve barely had any time with it. After its break-in period, it was quickly whisked away for a cover shoot and head-to-head comparison against a 911 Turbo S (both for the June issue), followed by three separate videos for our YouTube channel. When I finally got the GT-R back, it had well over…