Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2013 i MotorTrend

Billed as the biggest change to the venerable small-block V-8 in its 57-year history, the Gen 5 edition retains the trademark bore spacing, overhead-valve/cam-in-block valvetrain, and other key details, but the engine bristles with high-tech features. Direct fuel injection? Check. Variable-valve timing? Got it. Two starter bolts, a piston pin, and a retainer bolt or two are all that remain of the LS3. Chevrolet expects 0-60-mph performance for the base C7 to be under 4 seconds, with efficiency to make it among the least-thirsty 450-hp vehicles extant. That’s right, Chevrolet expects at least 450 hp at 6000 rpm and 450 lb-ft at 4000 rpm, yet with a 26-mpg-plus EPA highway number. The LT1 will be the first pushrod engine with gas direct-injection, and a key enabler to the power-efficiency equation…

Pundits have warned about Honda losing its way since at least the early 1990s. With the last few generations of Acuras, the 2011 Civic, and the just-replaced Accord, those warnings finally came to roost. Enter the 2013 Accord, a return to form with good dynamics, and the big-on-the-inside, smallish-on-the-outside, low-cowl design that Honda calls “Man Maximum, Machine Minimum.” It comes on the tail of Honda’s announcement last year that it would design, as well as build, the sinewy 2015 Acura NSX in Ohio. American Honda president and CEO Tetsuo Iwamura also serves as executive vice president of Honda Motor Company. He spoke of changes and updates for Hondas and Acuras that give us hope the automaker has turned the corner, and is on its way back to the kind of…

On the face of it, the two stories seem to have no connection beyond car sales. As the North American market lurched toward recovery by the end of 2012, European car sales slid 9.4 percent for the third quarter of the year. Story two is that Toyota, never big in Western Europe, has reclaimed its lead over General Motors as the world’s largest automaker. Toyota overtook GM in 2008. GM regained the lead in 2011, when the Japanese maker was beset with inventory shortages resulting from the natural disasters in its home market. It has long been taken for granted that automakers must do significant business in Europe to thrive. In 2012, the combination of a failing European Union economy and severe automaker overcapacity made the region a market pariah.…

Hyundai intends to put its fuel-cell Tucson into what executives call, oxymoronically, “small-scale mass-production.” By 2015, total production will have reached 1000 units, mostly for Europe. After 2015, the aim is to ramp output further, the company’s European boss saying it could be “up to 10,000 units a year after 2015, mostly for California and Europe, provided the market and infrastructure are up to it.” The car will be built on the regular Tucson assembly line in Ulsan, Korea. It will be lease-only to selected fleets, at launch. After 2015, it will be made available for private buyers, at a projected $52,000. It has a 100-kilowatt stack, and the company claims it’s capable of 100 mph, with a 12.5-second 0-62-mph time. The range on a full tank of hydrogen is…

Best ‘Best Driver’s Car’ Mail Must admit I held my breath and peeked ahead to see your “Best Driver’s Car” number-one pick. I feared Motor Trend might join the queue with all those oh-so-subjective car magazines that sheepishly tagged a Subarota as Best Something. OK…the Subaru BRZ, Toyota GT-86, and Scion FR-S are nice, little sporty cars that handle great primarily because they’re so light, have virtually no torque, and prove that 200 hp is just dandy. Got it. But Best Anything they are not. It’s a mystery that the BRZ made MT’s final nine—or at least it was until I reread the criteria and understood why cars like the Corvette Z06 and Nissan 370Z were excluded. And Jonny Lieberman did make it clear at the outset that 0-60, 0-100,…

The wading depth of under 3 feet seems the new Rover’s most pertinent advance. Just as Hurricane Sandy was ravaging America’s East Coast, a separate freak storm was lashing Morocco on the diagonally opposite African shores of the Atlantic Ocean with horizontal rains strong enough to provoke flash flooding and wreak havoc on the arid coastal roadways. Such weather would surely spell disaster for most new vehicle launch programs, but it merely heightened the experience of our first drive in Land Rover’s all-new, all-aluminum Range Rover. After dashing to the test vehicles and plodding through growing puddles from the kite-surfing paradise of Essaouira to an area of coastal sand dunes, we get our first taste of the new Terrain Response 2 system. Its optional Automatic mode lets the computer choose…

Alpina B7 Turbo 1978-'87 The E12 and E28 5 Series spawned European-market B7 models, whose turbo inline-six engines made between 296-326 hp and 341-384 lb-ft. Note the cool profile stripes. Alpina B7 2007-’08 The initial U.S. B7 had a supercharged 4.4-liter V-8 good for 500 hp and 516 lb-ft. Our track test produced a 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds and a quarter-mile run of 12.8 at 110.9 mph. Alpina B7 2011-’12 The second B7 to come Stateside once again had a 4.4-liter, but this V-8 was all-new and twin-turbocharged. Coincidentally, output remained the same, at 500 hp and 516 lb-ft. Alpina Roadster 2003 The Roadster ditched the Z8’s M5 4.9-liter, 400-hp V-8/6M powertrain in favor of a 4.8-liter, 375-hp/5A setup. Only 555 were built, with 450 coming to the U.S.…

They’d watched quietly, their motorcycles cooling in the parking lot, as he struggled to get behind the wheel of the big, bronze-colored roadster. They were there when the roadster returned 20 minutes later, the 6.2-liter V-8 snap-crackling on the overrun and settling down to a basso rumble as it idled into the parking lot. They were silent as he walked back toward the small ristorante, almost certainly ascribing his measured pace to his 82 years, and not the collection of screws and pins holding his ankles together. Just as he reached the door, they politely applauded. They hadn’t been born when he’d stormed past this very spot 57 years ago in a snarling silver sports car, drifting it from corner to corner like a rally driver, his head cocked back…

For the 2013 Truck of the Year event, we tested these trucks in several ways to get a feel for how they do the jobs they’re designed to do. After evaluating the ride, comfort, amenities, and fuel economy on the highway as we drove to the Chrysler Automotive Proving Ground in Arizona, our test team set up shop there and tested each truck’s performance, starting with acceleration, braking, and maximum lateral grip at the proving ground while unloaded. Once performance testing was complete, the judges drove a course at the APG that included high-speed cornering, a gravel road section, and areas that duplicate city traffic. For the next phase of our evaluation, we tested the four with a load, keeping everything at 75 percent of the as-equipped maximum. Three of…

Bullfights unfold in three distinct acts, or tercios, of about 5 minutes each, separated by trumpet blows. In the suerte de varas (trial of the lances), the bull enters the ring and is in charge. Picadores on horseback and toreros with capes draw the bull’s attention in an attempt to let the matador observe which horn the bull leads with, whether he charges straight, etc. The picadores poke the bull with sharply pointed lances to see how he reacts when “punished.” Next comes the tercio de banderillas, in which 3-foot poles with barbs on the end are jabbed into the neck muscles, preferably on the side with the horn the bull favors, to weaken the neck and prepare the bull for the third act, the tercio del muerte. Now the…

“Our 528i possesses many fine driving qualities—lithe handling and a fine ride among them. But has it become possessed as well?” Service life / 10 mo/21,082 mi CO2 emissions / 0.77 lb/mi Energy cons / 134 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 23/24/27 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 25.1 MPG Although Halloween has long passed, our long-term 528i still seems haunted. Its paranormal antics began simply. All I did was open the door to get in, and the power trunklid started to open. Weird. I walked back, closed it, got back in, slammed the door, and it started opening again. Got out and slammed it again. It stays closed as long as it thinks I’m staring at it,…

“Even after a long week in some of AMG’s mega-HP rides, #MyBoyBlue still wows me w/its great steering + chassis feel.” @nate_martinez Service life / 4 mo/8606 mi Avg CO2 / 0.73 lb/mi Energy cons / 127 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $89.95 (1-oil change, oil filter, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 25/31/28 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 26.6 MPG My CX-5, nicknamed Blue, is a true traveler. In just over a month, it’s managed to crack the 8000-mile mark. Its first checkup was in order at 7500 miles. Star Mazda in Glendale, California, performed Mazda’s recommended Schedule 1 service, for owners who drive in normal conditions. For $89.95 ($45.71 in parts; $44.24 in labor), our CX-5’s oil and oil filter got…

“Reluctantly traded our long-term VW Passat TDI’s keys with Julia LaPalme, who drove the loaded 2.5 SEL from L.A. We kept the ice scraper.” @MT_Lassa Service life / 8 mo/18,976 mi Avg CO2 / 0.76 lb/mi Energy cons / 152 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / Squeaking driver’s seat Maintenance cost / $0 (oil change, rotate tires, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 22/31/25 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 25.5 MPG MT photographer Julia LaPalme’s dad doesn’t like to fly, and so the two took a road trip to trade Mike Febbo’s long-term Volkswagen Passat 2.5 SEL for the Detroit Bureau’s long-term Passat SE TDI. Father and daughter drove from San Francisco in the SEL to a family reunion in Wisconsin, then Mr. Coonen attended a high-school reunion…

“It’s too small to be a legit crossover, and too big to be a legit Mini, but the Countryman proved to be fun and functional during its stay.” @MT_Floyd Service life / 12 mo/23,936 mi Base price / $27,650 Options / Premium Pkg ($1750: sunroof, autotemp, harman/kardon sound), connected navigation ($1750: incl keyless starting, Bluetooth, USB); automatic trans ($1250); Sport Pkg ($1000: 18-inch wheels, xenon headlights); Cold Weather Pkg ($750: heated seats, mirrors); Park Distance Control ($500); metallic paint ($500); cargo net ($250), center armrest ($250), rain sensor and auto headlight ($250), adaptive lighting ($100) Price as tested / $36,000 Avg CO2 / 0.80 lb/mi Energy cons / 140 kW-hr/100 mi / Problem areas Occasional accel shudder Maintenance cost / $0 (1-oil change, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 (front brake…

We’re on Instagram @MotorTrend! Before a James Bond-ing viewing of “Skyfall,” the MT staff enjoys a martini or three, shaken, not stirred, by Vance and Lieberman. Thanks to Aston Martin’s Matthew Clarke and Viana Mehl for the support! Tesla’s Elon Musk hoists the Golden Calipers at the NYC celebration of the Model S winning Car of the Year. Just prior, Loh, Vance, and Tesla’s Franz Holzhausen repair the trophy, which was broken in transit. This magazine uses the Instagram(tm) API and is not endorsed or certified by Instagram or Instagram, Inc. All Instagram(tm) logos and trademarks displayed on this magazine are property of Instagram, Inc.…

Of all the high-tech kit being introduced in commodity and luxury cars, the one item that caught our attention most is the new Skoda Rapid’s ice-scraper, attached to the inside door of the fuel-filler flap. Volkswagen AG’s Czech unit calls this part of its Simply Clever solutions. Yes, the ice scraper is pretty small, but it will do in a pinch. The executive holding the scraper is not likely to make this year’s Power List, coming next month, but if Skoda keeps up with these Simply Clever solutions, watch out. He’s Werner Eichhorn, Skoda board of management, sales, and marketing.…

Joe Rundell, a retired machine repairman at the Flint, Michigan, Chevrolet V-8 engine plant, recently finished his bronze statue of David Dunbar Buick (1854-1929). The statue will join one of Louis Chevrolet in a Flint park, while Buick’s hometown of Arbroath, Scotland, considers whether to buy a copy of Rundell’s sculpture or commission its own statue. The now-obscure automotive pioneer was a plumbing inventor/supplier in Detroit when he headed a team that developed Buick’s “valve-in-head” overhead valve gasoline engine in the mid-1890s. The Flint Wagon Works bought Buick’s automobile company in 1903, and moved it to Flint, about 60 miles north of Detroit. William C. Durant bought Buick in 1904, and folded it into his newly formed General Motors in 1908. David Dunbar Buick left the company in 1909.…

John Cooper Fitch was a renaissance car guy, a quintessential car guy. Born in Indianapolis on August 4, 1917, the great-great-grandson of steamboat inventor John Fitch and grandson of Fitch Chewing Gum founder Asa, his father, Robert, was a pioneer in the horseless carriage business in Indiana. His parents divorced when he was 6, and Fitch’s mother married Stutz Motor Car Company president George Spindler. “I was taken to the Indianapolis car race at 10 years of age or so, but I wasn’t impressed at all,” John Fitch told Frank Markus in a 2010 interview for Motor Trend Classic (number 9). “My stepfather had cars in the race, but it didn’t seem very interesting—just ’round and ’round an oval at pretty ordinary speeds.” Fitch later inherited $15,000 from his grandfather,…

Funny Numbers Thank you to all the staff for providing a great magazine that I have thoroughly enjoyed monthly as a new subscriber. I dug deep into the November 2012 issue’s “Best Driver’s Car,” reading the article, reviewing, and comparing all nine cars’ stats and savored every morsel of information normally glanced over without second thought. When comparing the Porsche 911 Carrera S to the Ford Shelby Mustang to the Subaru BRZ, the lengths seemed comparable but heights and widths seemed oddly different. My quick math came to the conclusion that the height listed as 73 inches for the Mustang equated to a 6-foot-tall car and the 54-inch width equaled 4 feet and change. While it took a few seconds to realize the numbers were transposed, in that short span…

“I think the problem here is that we’ve got three second-place cars,” I said to my colleagues Scott Evans and Mike Febbo as we sat down to a late lunch after a day of hard driving. The task at hand was to sort out a finishing order for our three contenders. Surprise, surprise—there are no perfect cars. But in terms of the $50K six-cylinder luxury sport sedan segment, we were stymied—at first—by three of the best. In order of newness, the closely competitive cars are the Cadillac ATS 3.6, the BMW 335i Sport, and the Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport. At around $42,000, each car has an engine good for north of 300 hp, an automatic transmission, four doors, and rear drive. Between the lightest and the heaviest is a scant 107…

Let me posit this up front: Single-clutch automated manual transmissions are no good. That’s why Audi has followed the enlightened footsteps of BMW (remember SMG? Blech!) and binned its R tronic for a new, seven-speed dual-clutch transit called S tronic, built from the ground up for the R8. Why the, ahem, shift? Look no further than Stephan Reil, the mastermind behind all things fun from Audi’s in-house go-fast shop, Quattro GmbH. When I asked why Audi didn’t initially offer the R8 with a dual-clutch, Mr. Reil explained that, back in 2005 when they were developing the R8, dual-clutch technology was prohibitively expensive and simply not that good. Today, things are different. How long has Audi been working on a dual-clutch for the R8, I asked? Stephan smiled at me, cigarette…

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about comparing the Chevrolet Volt with the new Prius Plug-In is what it says about us. Before explaining what I mean by that, let me back up a bit. Well, actually, a lot. In the broadest terms, these cars are two peas in a pod. You plug them in before driving, and then travel a meaningful distance as an electric car before their batteries are spent. After that, their gas engines seamlessly start, and they carry on like familiar hybrids. To do this, they need bigger batteries than hybrids. And right now, before we go another inch, let’s be sure we’re all thumbs-up with the idea that the language for battery size is “kW-hrs.” Yes, it looks alien. But it’s just another unit of energy,…

Anyone who follows the ups and downs of the pickup-truck industry knows that the last five years have been brutal. When the Great Recession hit, it put a major damper on research and development spending on new trucks. That isn’t to say that nothing happened in the last five years—far from it, actually. What it does mean is that instead of having the funds to build trucks and vans that are all-new from the ground up, truck-makers’ priorities shifted to improving and building upon already existing vehicles. Which brings us to the 2013 Truck of the Year event. There are three contenders this year. We saw the Nissan NV Passenger Van in its Cargo Van form last year, and for 2013 it offers 12-passenger capacity and a people-friendly cabin. Then…

We Like: Best-in-class capability, EcoBoost power, excellent ride. We Don’t Like: Pricey topline model, changes don’t move the needle. Ford did not rest on its laurels for 2013. The F-150 now has a new trim level—Limited—that tops the Platinum and King Ranch and starts at $50,175. It comes with a unique grille and 22-inch wheels, a red and black leather interior, and just about every option Ford offers as standard, with the EcoBoost engine and Super-Crew cab configuration. As for the rest of the line, there are changes inside and out. Exterior styling tweaks include LED headlights and taillights, and there are new options like power telescoping tow mirrors and MyFord Touch. In addition, the 3.7-liter, V-6-powered F-150 is now rated to tow 6700 pounds, up by 600 over last…

If you’re reading this magazine, it’s a fair bet you recognize the rampant bull logo as belonging to Automobili Lamborghini. There’s an equally strong chance you’re aware that most Lamborghini model names have some connection to bulls or bullfighting. You may even have heard that the newest one, Aventador, is named for a bull that fought especially valiantly in 1993. We knew all that, and we now know plenty more about how the LP700-4 performs at its extreme limits, having driven one to an indicated 200 mph on the circular test track in Nardo, Italy; to a 1-minute, 35.4-second best lap around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (our fourth best in a production car); and having held on tight for a 2.9-second 0-60 run. But what do any of us 21st-century…

Bluesman Jonny Lang’s hit “Lie to Me” asks the age-old question: “If I’m happy being lied to, who’s getting hurt?” In the 12C coupe, you feel like Jenson Button behind the wheel, because the computer does its best to make the car perform like it’s Button driving, not you. The Spider has the same moves, and it’s not afraid to cut a rug. Body roll is supremely well-controlled, the steering is ultra-responsive and provides meaningful feedback, and the brakes are undefeatable. Pushed to the limits of your comfort zone, the car barely feels like it’s working, much less working hard. The worst you can do is invoke moderate understeer, which comes on surprisingly quickly but corrects just as fast with a lift of the throttle. The McLaren doesn’t allow for…

“New LT Passat for the first night. Love the TDI torque and manual, but no iPod connection? WTF? Time to upgrade to one with Bluetooth.” @MT_MikeFebbo Service life / 8 mo/17,332 mi Avg CO2 / 0.56 lb/mi Energy cons / 85 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 (oil change, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 30/40/34 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 39.8 MPG Our long-term Passats have been in the MT fleet roughly six months, and an opportunity presented itself to switch cars. The SEL 2.5-liter had been living the dream on the California coast while the SE TDI had been seeing America at its best in a recovering Motor City. After an uneventful drive out in the gasser, Julia LaPalme returned to…

“If I blow a tire out here in the middle of nowhere, I’m going to die. Can anyone read this? What have I gotten into?” @MT_Royer Service life / 8 mo/12,929 mi Avg CO2 / 0.71 lb/mi Energy cons / 123 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $106.56 (oil change, tire rotation, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 27/36/30 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 27.4 MPG An invite came to attend a friend’s campout in Northern California, and, despite my dislike of the outdoors, I said yes. As it’s located outside of town on some sketchy country roads, the campsite had provided a primitive map. I scoffed. Technology can do better. My plan was to find the location using Google maps, determine its exact…

General Motors is bucking trends with its continued investment in the small-block V-8. The 6.2-liter Gen 5 V-8, 99 percent new and called LT1 for the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette, is compact, lightweight, fuel-efficient, and sits low enough in the body of the C7 scheduled for unveiling at the Detroit auto show on January 13 to help the sports car meet European pedestrian protection standards. To GM, the pushrod V-8 is like the 911 is to Porsche—refined and updated, as perfect as possible despite inherent modern short-comings in the design. The 911 isn’t mid-engine, and the small-block doesn’t have the specific output of a DOHC engine, though the OHV mitigates that with its compact size. Corvette chief Tadge Juechter pointed to the 100-millionth small-block built in 2011, and preserved in a…

Toyota claimed back in late October that its Camry would be America’s best-selling car, again, for the 11th consecutive year. The family sedan’s sales were up 37 percent through September, over the year in which Japan’s auto industry was best by inventory shortages. Camry sales were 66,941 units ahead of the second-place Honda Accord, and Toyota was confident it would end ‘12 with sales topping 400,000. Of course, that’s good for a best-selling car. Ford had sold 463,733 F-Series trucks through the first three quarters. Volkswagen AG was leading General Motors in Chinese car sales through September, Bloomberg reported. VW’s third-quarter deliveries grew 21 percent, to 704,991 vehicles versus GM’s 664,765, though VW counts Macau and Hong Kong, but not trucks, while GM counts trucks, but not Macau and Hong…

“IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN HORIZONTAL ON A WATERBED, YOU KNOW THERE’S AN ENDEARING QUALITY TO THE SLOPPINESS.” Just by looking at the all-new 2013 Toyota Avalon—a car with a swooping, coupelike roofline; a big, bold face; available 18-inch alloys; and sheetmetal shaped with real tension—it’s evident the car’s personality has shifted. Dramatically shifted. Indeed, this Avalon is unlike any before—it’s sexy, sporty, and engaging. The old Avalons were anything but, with dowdy three-box exteriors, softly sprung suspensions, and loosey-goosey steering. They were akin to a waterbed on wheels. But, man, were they comfy cruisers. And if you’ve ever been horizontal on a waterbed, you know there’s an endearing quality to the sloppiness. So while I welcome the new Avalon with open arms, part of me is sad to see the…

Not long ago, we ran an online comparo between the turbo four-cylinder versions of the ATS and 3 Series. Each was equipped with a six-speed manual. At the dragstrip, the 328i pipped the ATS by a half-second to 60 mph (5.5 vs. 6.0), but that gap lessened to just 0.3 second through the quarter mile, with runs of 14.1 and 14.4 seconds, respectively. Around our figure-eight track, the race tightened. Our cars managed identical 26.3-second laps. Pure skidpad numbers give a 0.01g advantage to the ATS (and its wider rear rubber), and the Caddy also takes top braking honors, with a 108-foot stop from 60 to 0 mph, where the BMW required 113. Though dimensions and performance specs may be nearly identical between our two sport sedans, there are marked…

Did you know that in today’s world of $5-per-gallon gas and a struggling economy, there are no fewer than 20 luxury sedans offering at least 500 hp? The ol’ One Percent’s got it pretty good. And the median price of those 20? As the adage goes, if you have to ask, you can’t afford it. (Let’s just say “well into six figures” and leave it at that.) Of those 20, most fall into the category of midsize sport rocket (BMW M5, Cadillac CTS-V, Porsche Panamera Turbo, etc.) or long-wheelbase, ultra-posh barge bullet (Bentley Mulsanne, Rolls-Royce Ghost, etc). Only two fall in between and offer the following credentials: full-size classification, “short” wheelbase, German origin, and seating for five. They are the Audi S8 and BMW Alpina B7. The S8 and B7…

Mazda’s new entry into the white-hot midsize sedan segment is perhaps the single most important new vehicle the company will launch this side of the next-gen Miata, its touchstone car. The good news is Mazda’s gotten a lot right with the new 6. In terms of the current crop of midsize sedans swarming like frenzied piranha around the American consumer, it’s an A-game car. The new Mazda6 is the second car designed from the wheels up around Mazda’s Skyactiv suite of fuel-saving technologies. It shares engines, transmissions, and even some structural elements—the front and rear subframes, for example—with the CX-5. Among the changes made to CX-5-shared hardware are a revised front-strut layout to improve steering smoothness, revised brake booster characteristics for better initial pedal feel, and a reprofiled steering knuckle…

Despite its name, the 300SLR was not a racing version of the 300SL Gullwing. Instead, it was a sports car variant of the Mercedes W196 Grand Prix racer that ran in the 1954 and 1955 Formula 1 World Championships. The 300SLR had a space-frame chassis and bodywork made from an ultra-light magnesium alloy called electron. Under the hood was the same fuel-injected straight-eight engine as the Formula 1 car, though bored and stroked from 2.5 liters to 3.0 liters and developing more than 310 hp at 7400 rpm, running on an exotic blend of gasoline, benzene, and alcohol. The engine was laid over at a 33-degree angle to improve the aerodynamics, and it had a desmodromic valvetrain, which meant the valves were closed mechanically rather than by springs, eliminating valve…

We Like: More performance than is necessary; looks mean in black. We Don’t Like: Sparse, Ryan Air-style interior; poor air conditioning. What a difference a year makes! We don’t do second place in any of our signature “of the Year” programs, but last year the Nissan NV work van lost by a single vote to the winning Ford F-150. We loved the NV’s honest, utilitarian nature, saying, “It’s not a lifestyle statement, nor an ego-inflator. It’s just a really well-thought-out, heavy-duty van.” For 2013, the NV is back, only this time it’s filled with seats—12 of them, to be precise. And we didn’t like it nearly as much just 12 months later. The biggest problem is expectations. When you’re talking about a stripped-down work truck, the NV gives you more…

● Particularly brave French Camarguaise bulls: Coyotte and Ventadur ● Bravest bulls supplied by Ganaderia Luna Sistac: zAviador and Soñador ● Most memorable bull in matador Tomas Luna’s career: Pegajoso ● Best-sounding names from the Plaza de Toros de Zaragoza wall of fame: Acelerado (2009) and Jaramago (1988)…

The S60 is a stylish, fun-to-drive alternative to the same old Germanic spaetzle. @mt_loverman EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 20/29/23 MPG BASE PRICE $34,645 PRICE AS TESTED $38,170 After turning in the absolutely ridiculous Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon (weep), it was high time for me to fall back to automotive earth. A bit. When it came time to choose a vehicle for the next 12 months, our (mostly) benevolent executive editor Ron Kiino suggested I try out the new Volvo S60 T5 AWD. And with good reason. My colleague Rory Jurnecka just finished up his year with another Volvo S60, the T6 AWD. And he liked it. And the last time we had our collective hands on a front-drive S60 T5, that car finished in second place behind the most excellent…

“After a weekend in our new long-term 2013 Honda CRV, I really appreciate my Civic Si’s sporting nature!” @MT_DubDub Service life/11 mo/18,654 mi Avg CO2/0.78 lb/mi Energy cons/136 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems/None Maintenance cost/$121.83 (2-oil change, inspection; 1-rotate tires) Normal-wear cost/$0 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 22/31/25 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 24.8 MPG If you spend enough time doing a specific activity or living with a problem it becomes normal. Many of the initial gripes I had with the Civic’s interior and performance are still very much an issue, but during my daily commute, very little, if any, time is spent contemplating the car’s shortcomings. The car still lacks competitive performance. The Subaru WRX, Mazdaspeed3 and even the new Ford Focus ST have a 50-65-hp advantage. In terms of handling,…

“Banged, bumped and bruised, the NV still chugs along, hauling gear for our various shoots and productions without breaking a sweat.” Service life / 12 mo/20,063 mi Avg CO2 / 1.40 lb/mi Energy cons / 242 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $60.28 (2-oil change, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: N/A MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 13.9 MPG Photographer Mike Shaffer recently took the NV out to the desert for Motor Trend’s 2013 Car of the Year testing. He came back with a little more than he left with. “Our gas privileges here at Motor Trend are very generous, and that’s a generosity we don’t take lightly. It’s particularly helpful when big brutes like the NV are returning 13.9 mpg (worse when fully…

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport hauls lots of cargo, but with just 148 hp, this crossover can’t get out of its own way. @MT_JasonUdy Service Life / 12 mo/19,957 mi Base Price / $23,760 Options / Navigation ($2000: incl rear camera, 40 GB hard drive, aux jack), Premium Pkg ($1800: Panoramic glass roof, black roof rails, Rockford-Fosgate audio w/satellite radio), Exterior Sport Pkg ($995: spoiler, diffuser garnish, chrome trim, alloy fuel door), Cargo Pkg ($185: mat, tonneau cover, net), wheel locks ($55) Price as tested / $28,825 Total mileage / 20,277 miles Problem areas / None Maintenance cost / $255.65 Normal-wear cost / $0 3-year residual value* / $10,606 Recalls / None *Automotive Lease Guide EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 24/29/26 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 23.5 MPG While Mitsubishi would have…