Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2005 i MotorTrend

LOW WEIGHT and a stiff body structure distinguish the 2007 Jaguar XK convertible, which will make its public debut at the Detroit show. Despite the mechanism for the traditional cloth top and the Volvo SIPS-derived pop-up rollbars (which breaks through the rear glass if the top is up), the XK convertible weighs just 88 pounds more than the 2007 coupe’s 3516 pounds. Design chief lan Callum began working on the convertible eight months before the coupe, which he sees as an edgier, sportier car that'll appeal to Porsche 911 buyers, whereas the convertible will continue to appeal to traditional Jaguar owners. And Jaguar portrays its six-speed automatic with Sequential Shift as a better alternative to a sequential manual gearshift. The system is standard on both body styles, uses steering-wheel-mounted paddle…

MINPS TRAVELLER concept stands 3 out for its “barn doors” at the rear, with a large Mini emblem. But the concept’s other styling cues hide the facelifted 2007 Mini in plain sight. The headlamps and interior show what; BMW plans for the next car. Headlamps are more swept back and aero-looking, and the center speedometer is part of a “free-hovering” dashboard. In the concept, at least, the seats also hover: They're connected to the center console by load-bearing extensions. These : elegant details could help mask the fact that the next Mini is all about decontenting to make it a more profitable small car. The two-door, wagonlike Traveller will share its extended wheelbase with an all-new five-door version of the Mini. The three-door and convertible models will be upgraded and…

FORD PIONEERED the sport/utility pickup truck in the 2001-model year with its Explorer Sport Trac, a V-6-only version based on the now-defunct two-door Explorer. It looked like Ford had trumped Nissan, which showed its SUT concept first. But perhaps not. The Sport Trac didn't exactly take the market by storm. Now, with the Honda Ridgeline floundering in the marketplace, Ford thinks it has a better idea: Offer a V-8. Thus, the 2007 Explorer Sport Trac. This time, it’s based on the popular full-size Explorer and includes its independent rear suspension and optional V-8 engine. All the sheetmetal forward of the B-pillar is from the Explorer, and the 2007 is more than five inches longer and nearly two inches wider than the Sport Trac it replaces. The new model’s wheelbase is…

THIS LARGER, more upscale WW Cabriolet replacement uses Golf and Passat components, but it’s the smallest of the three here, with a 101.5-inch wheelbase and 173.5-inch overall length. It also has the most elaborate top mechanism. It folds in just two pieces, but also has a built-in sunroof for a total of five folding panels. The launch engine is VW’s excellent 200-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbo FSI four, but, in the U.S., the optional engine will be a 250-horse, 3.2-liter FSI. VR6. About 15,000 per year are bound for the U.S. at an expected base price of about $30,000 when it goes on sale in May. Six Shooters YOU'LL FIND lots of juicy behind-the scenes gossip—plus plenty of Interesting lore—in “Six Men Who Built the Modern Auto Industry” ($37.95, MBI Publishing Company),…

sweet memories I was intrigued by the reference to a 1949 Riley sedan (“The Big Picture,” September 2005). In 1962, a Riley Saloon was my first car, and I never expected to read about one in a U.S. magazine (I'm a Brit who’s been living in the USA for just over four years). Mine was a 1.5-liter, distinguished by dark-blue enamel in the badge. I still look back on that car with good feelings—it wasn’t the getting there that counted but the manner of the going. Thanks for the nostalgia. Michael Bryant Ellicott City, Maryland shameless plug Is Dodge insane? Shouldn't the Dodge Challenger concept be the next Charger (“Trends”)? The only things remotely resembling a Charger on the new Charger are the Coke-bottle flares at the rear end. Is…

HURRICANE KATRINA exposed a major weakness in our energy production and distribution infrastructure and efforts to reinforce it are sure to keep costs high for way longer than it'll take to re-anchor the drilling rigs and patch up the refineries. Katrina will be remembered as the OPEC oil embargo is, and we can probably expect her to alter the vehicle choices we face five years from now just as OPEC did. The original Corporate Average Fuel Economy law was passed in 1975 with the aim of improving the gas mileage of Our cars so we wouldn't be crippled by another oil embargo. The legislation resulted in shrunken, boxy sedans, a brief proliferation of diesel cars, and a newfound interest in the trucks CAFE ignored. In case you missed it, a…

ENGLAND invented it. America has attempted it. The Japanese perfected it. “It” being the moderately priced, front-engine roadster. How the tables have turned over the years. In little more than a decade, the Mazda Miata became the world’s best-selling sports car. The prides of Britain—Triumph and MG—are long gone. And America has never really been in the game. The balance changes with the arrival of the Pontiac Solstice, with its fraternal twin, the Saturn Sky, not far behind. By now, you know the new General Motors entries will run headlong into a new-from-scratch Miata—sorry, MX-5. The Miata name has been dumpstered for 2006, tossing away immeasurable brand equity for reasons nobody understands. The Solstice rides on GM’s new “Kappa” rear-drive chassis architecture and is powered by a 2.4-liter, 177-horsepower version…

DON’T BELIEVE for a moment the rekindling of America’s love affair with powerful rear-drive V-8 sedans and coupes is a flash in the pan. This stuff is visceral, deeply ingrained in the psyche of the American driver: The explosion in pickup-truck sales during the 1980s and 1990s was probably driven less by the need to haul stuff than a desire to recapture the fundamental spirit of the American automobile, lost when Detroit switched wholesale to producing ho-hum, appliance-like front-drive cars powered by asthmatic V-6s. Trucks are rear-drive, mostly have V-8s, and don’t look like jellybeans. Or Camrys. Curiously, it’s the Australians and the Germans who’ve kept alive the spirit of the American musclecar. Both countries have shown musclecars can survive high gas prices (they pay $4 to $6 a gallon)…

THE DIRTY DOZEN? Well at least they looked that way after a day negotiating the sand traps, frame-twisters, hungry rocks and rutted hills off-road evaluation course. Heat and dust and the sound of engines working hard: It must be Sport/Utility of the Year time again. Twelve contenders made the cut for this year’s judging, their Widely varying technical specifications and packaging reflecting the diversity of a market segment that’s come a long way from the days when four-wheel drive was a necessity for farmers, soldiers, and intrepid adventurers rather than a suburban-lifestyle statement. Engines included an I-5 and a flatsix and a bunch of V-6s. We had V-8s, too, including one with quad cams, a supercharger, 390 horsepower, and a Jaguar pedigree. We had live axles with leaf springs, live…

FROM CHASSIS upgrades and a new driveline to an interior makeover with fresh amenities, if refinement is what you've been wishing for in an Explorer, it’s been granted. It’s quieter (impressively so), smoother, safer, and better equipped. In fact, the 2006 Explorer was poised to dominate this year’s competition. So why didn’t it take home the Calipers? Why didn’t it even wrinkle the envelope it could've punched through? Sure, the V-8 sourced from the Mustang GT is admirable and so is the new six-speed automatic. To Ford’s credit, the new engine/trans combo is far more refined, returns better fuel economy, and can pull a (slightly) heavier trailer. The interior is tasteful and quieter than before, too. But all goes awry with the Explorer’s bizarre ergonomics. The driving position is awkward;…

DAIMLERCHRYSLER bills the Jeep Commander as the most (off-road)-capable seven-passenger 4x4 available. Unfortunately, there’s the issue of Land Rover’s LR3 and Lexus’s GX 470, both of which carry seven passengers and also are capable in the rough stuff. Built on the proven underpinnings of the Grand Cherokee, the Commander isn't a bad value; the price for our loaded Limited model with the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and the company’s most advanced Quadra-Drive II system totaled just over $40,000, which undercuts Land Rover and Lexus. Just like on the Grand Cherokee, three engines, three four-wheel-drive systems, two transfer cases, and two automatic transmissions are available. As a result, the Commander’s price range is considerably wide, but one drive in the V-6-powered model will have you wondering if the parking brake is still…

MERCURY’S marketing mavens describe the exterior of the 2006 Mountaineer as an “evolution of the Mercury design DNA” They're right, because, at first glance, it makes one ponder the logic of lining up the old Mountaineer for a shot at the 2006 SUOTY. Silly us. Although the sheetmetal appears basically the same, the interior, powertrain, and chassis have been revised. The laundry list of improvements is long, but here’s what’s fit to wear: Inside, a redesigned instrument panel, new seats, and richer materials enhance a functional cabin that features newly available power fold-flat third-row seats. Underhood, a gutsier 24-valve, 292-horsepower, 4.6-liter V-8 raises output to a competitive level and does so in tandem with a new six-speed automatic. Mercury claims ride and handling are superior due to a stronger frame,…

LET’S JUST say the Subaru Tribeca’s styling is, uh…thought provoking When it came time to vote, grumbling about its homely looks made it difficult to ascertain favorable comments regarding its road-holding abilities and exhaust note. Subaru’s first entry into the crossover market is a three-row SUV designed to help Subaru hold onto Outback owners looking to trade up. With 4281 pounds to haul around, the 250-horsepower, 3.0-liter flat-six struggles, but otherwise the Tribeca does a commendable job on paved surfaces of all types, with a chassis and suspension that initially feel surprisingly sorted and well tuned. The body rolls quite a bit for an SUV with as firm a ride as this, however, and the steeply raked hood leaves you with the impression you're actually behind the wheel of a…

THIS ISN'T the first time Motor Trend has been impressed with the Xterra. In fact, it received Sport/Utility of the Year honors in 2000, when the SUV first made its debut. Back then, the staff had to cut through the Gen-X-focused ad campaign to get to the genuine merits of the ’ute. One arena where it shined then, and still does, is off the beaten path. “In low-range, the lightweight 4x4 easily scampered up steep sandy hills that left the heavier vehicles struggling, and, try as we might, we couldn’t get it stuck.” Sounds familiar. Another aspect that impressed the editors was value. Six years ago, the entrylevel, four-cylinder-powered XE started at $17,869. and the V-6 could be bought for $19,019 Fully loaded models topped out at $26,148. For 2006,…

THE NATIONAL Hot Rod Association Top Gas ranks have always lived in the shadow of the faster, more exotic Top Fuel class. But Gas served as the stomping grounds for several drivers who ultimately became big names. There were also some interesting technological experiments going on during this era, such as these twin-engined rail dragsters popular in the late 1960s through 1971, the final year for Top Gas in NHRA. Twins were popular with the crowds, too, based, if nothing else, on the sheer audacity of the concept. The car in the foreground was named Night Train, while the one in the rear was Bill Mullins’ Tank. Typical quarter-mile times were just under seven seconds at 195 to 200 mph. Each of these blown early-gen Chrysler Hemis was good for…

HERE IN AMERICA, diesels power Peterbilts. In Europe, they're a way of life. In some countries, diesel-engined cars account for more than 60 percent of sales. If you don’t have a four-cylinder turbodiesel among your powertrain options, then you simply ain't a mainstream player in the European market. And diesels are now de rigueur in the automotive smart set, too: more than half the Mercedes-Benz S-Class models currently sold in Europe are diesel-powered, for example, and high-performance turbodiesel V-6 and V-8 engines are now a must-have for any self-respecting European luxury carmaker. When you're paying the equivalent of six dollars a gallon for gas, a fuel-efficient diesel makes sense, no matter how much money you spend on a car. But that’s not the whole story. Diesels are also great to…

NISSAN’S next-generation GT-R supercar continues its painful evolution. It’s taken two years for Nissan to move from the GT-R concept shown at the 2003 Tokyo Show, to this, the GT-R Proto, yet another concept for the long-awaited R35 version of Japan’s most iconic high-performance coupe. This one, however, is closer to the real thing. Blame Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn, who insisted from the outset the new GT-R be a profitable project. That meant engineering the R35 GT-R for world markets, including the United States (previous Skyline GT-Rs have been Japan-only models, with limited numbers exported to Australia and the United Kingdom). Japan wanted at win-turbo six under the hood, but the U.S. reportedly insisted on a V-8. Nissan insiders confirm the 4.5-liter V-8 from the Infiniti M45 will fit under…

(*spycam*) THIS IS Ford’s new midsize SUV crossover, built on the same CD3 platform that'll underpin the next generation Lincoln Aviator (and already forms the basis for the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln Zephyr). Called the Edge by Ford insiders—and rumor has it this name will make production—the new crossover will be built into the same Oakville, Ontario, plant as the Aviator and share its mechanicals, including FoMoCo’s all-new 3.5-liter V-6 and six-speed automatic transmission. It'll be available in entry-level trim as a front-drive model as well as with all-wheel drive. While the upscale Aviator is aimed at the Lexus RX 330, the Ford version is said to have edgier styling and is scheduled to appear as a 2007 model.…

–Ode to ZO6– Flowing contours please the eye What a way to fly Speed without motion Renewed America’s pride Power with grace Gives Italians chase Ponies run in fear Smacks you in the face Fresh in every way Legacy will stay Beautiful as ever Bow-tie rules the day Bryan Ness Fishers, Indiana write us at 6420 Wilshire Blvd; Los Angeles, CA 90048 e-mail us from motortrend.com letter of the month wins! Break out the nachos and root beer and ring up your buddies, Bryan. We're sending you more than 18 hour’s worth of high-speed motorsport action—including interviews with top drivers—in this DVD collection, courtesy bestmotoringvideo.com.…

AMERICA IS going through a tough patch. Our forces are taking relentless flak in Iraq, and the best place in the country for jazz music has been flattened by a bitch of a storm. Our beloved auto industry also is in big trouble. Too few Big-Three models have the sizzle to sell well without epic discounts, and high gas prices paint a bleak future for the jumbo guzzler pickups and SUVs about to make their debuts. As a result, GM and Ford now enjoy junk-bond investment status, while DaimlerChrysler clings to the next rung up the debt-rating ladder. Layoffs have been announced, bankruptcies rumored. Isn't there any good news out there? Why, yes! Look up at yon hilltop, where the morning’s first rays of sunshine are backlighting three American supercars,…

MAZDA AND PONTIAC take decidedly different approaches to going topless. The Solstice’s decklid is hinged at the rear and opens via the remote fob. The top unlocks via one latch on the windshield header and folds into the cargo area. It swallows much of the trunk’s 3.8-cubic-foot capacity in doing so, but it looks smooth when the rear deck is closed: The top is fully hidden, no tonneau is required, and those bulbous fairings are among the Solstice’s most interesting design touches. The MX-5’s top and trunk designs are more conventional, but easier to manage. Unlatch the top from the single latch on the header, and you can practically throw it over your shoulder at a stoplight. It clicks into place and was designed to look finished in the folded…

OUR MISSIONS wring out these two rally-bred machines at the dragsirip, on the handling course, and at the racetrack, and pick a winner—a dream assignment if these two cars weren't so damned evenly matched. If you're one of those who skips to the spec chart to see who won, let’s save you tire paper cuts. You'll find the following differences: 0.0 second to 60 mph. 0.3 second to 100 mph; 0.3 second and 0.1 mph at the quarter mile, 1.0 mph in the slalom, 0.01 g on the skidpad, and 0.39 second a lap on the racetrack. There. Go ahead. Pick a winner. For those keeping track, here’s a short list of mechanical changes since this duo was last featured in "Hatfields and McCoys" (October 2004). The Evolution MR has…

IT’S HARD to imagine people clamoring for big, thirsty sport/utilities these days, so perhaps the H3 is just the thing for the times. GM claims it’s as burly and rock-crawling-capable as a Hummer H2 (okay, we're with you), uses a powerful and efficient 3.5-liter five-cylinder engine (you sure about that?), and is easier to park than many of its kind (sort of). The reality of Sport/Utility of the Year testing proved different. The H3’s city/highway rating of 16/19 mpg is optimistic at best, and the pain at the gas pump is intensified by a 0-to-60-mph sprint that took over 11 seconds. The Hummer may be slow, but it sure is thirsty. In fact, it almost justifies buying the larger, marginally less fuel-efficient H2 with its whopping 6.0-liter V-8, which can…

AFTER A two-year hiatus, the Sportage made its return as an all-new vehicle for the 2005 model year, but missed last year’s competition due to on sale timing. For 2006, minor changes—air filtration and_ tire-pressure-monitoring systems for EX trims—mean the 2006 model is essentially identical to the 2005. The Sportage (fraternal twin to the Hyundai Tucson) is promoted as the sportier of the two and thus features unique bushings, dampers, and spring rates, not to mention edgier, if somewhat more awkward styling. The entry-level Sportage comes motivated by a 2.0-liter, 140-horse fourcylinder mated to a five-speed manual and demands just $16,490 from the savings account—less than the 2002 Sportage swiped off the card. But it’s the available 2.7-liter, 173-horse V-6, which bumps the price up to $19,690, that’s required to…

EVERYONE’S GOT to have an SUV these days—even Pontiac, which made do with the misconceived, misshapen Aztek until just last year, when executives at GM’s excitement brand were wise enough to give it a date with the guillotine. SUV-less heading toward the 2006 model year, Pontiac quickly turned to its sibling, Chevrolet, from which it nabbed the handsome Equinox, then promptly rebadged it Torrent. Besides the obvious exterior alterations and the inappropriate name—really, can anything with 185 horsepower deliver anything torrential?—this Pontiac ‘ute is a Chevrolet, which is to say, a well-equipped five-passenger small SUV built in Canada. The Torrent’s standard equipment list is plentiful and includes a 3.4-liter V-6, a five-speed automatic transmission, automatic climate control, ABS, sport suspension, remote keyless entry, and an AM/FM/CD radio—all for a reasonable…

CHECK OUT the window sticker of Suzuki’s handsome new sportute, and you're bound to think it’s one heck of a deal: V-6 power, five-speed automatic, independent front suspension, and a four wheel-drive system with a limited-slip differential, locking center differential, and a low range. All this for $25,000! What a steal, right? Well, not exactly. On paper, this Vitara is grand, but from behind the wheel it’s a different story. The 185-horse V-6 lacks muscle and complains loudly when flogged, proof that engineering a power-plant with double-overhead cams and multivaives doesn't guarantee BMW-like performance and refinement. Although the Vitara features a unique unibody chassis with integrated ladder frame, this does little to assist its on-road handling. Its slalom speed is admirable, but flinging it around twisty canyon roads is another…

IN A MOMENT, JayLeno will climb into the cockpit of a Porsche Carrera GT in an attempt to set a speed record at Talladega Motor Speedway in Alabama. Leno, of course, is playing the comedian. Grand American sports-car racer David Donohue is playing the man. Both are at Talladega in an attempt to set six records—three apiece—to commemorate similar records set here 30 years ago by race driver Mark Donohue and a Porsche 917/30 Can Am race car. Mark Donohue was David’s dad. Soon, Leno takes to the track for his first solo practice run. Leno has a Carrera GT at home, so he knows how fast the car is, but until now he hasn't had a chance to explore its limits. Back in pit lane, Leno emerges from the…

IN A WORLD where paradigms shift with the speed of an SMG gearbox and tomorrow’s vision becomes yesterday’s news just as quickly, it takes guts to step out onto the automotive equivalent of a narrow ledge. Hardly surprising, then, to find the firm that brought us the rotary engine—twice, no less—again pushing the envelope of convention. Its latest leap of faith is the Mazda5. Mazda has dubbed this space station (a micro-minivan by form) a multi-activity vehicle in the hope of distancing it from garden-variety soccer-mom specials. The Mazda5 complements unique-in-class 2+2+2 flexible seating with free-spirited style and high-value pricing, the better to generate buzz among the iPod crowd. Sport or upline Touring, the Mazda5 shares basic platform elements with the Mazda3. Key changes include a wheelbase stretch from 103.9…

GM MUST be hoping history doesn’t repeat with the launch of its do-or-die GMT-900 sport/utilities. When Gas Crisis sucker-punched the Big Three in 1973, GM’s U.S. market share was more than 43 percent, most of it based on big gas-guzzling cars. Now it’s in the mid-20s. Some 33 years later, General Motors says big SUVs sell nearly 750,000 units annually, with 6.5 million owners total, and that it owns 62 percent of the segment. But the GMT-900s, rushed to market six months early, arrive just as Hurricane Katrina has walloped our oil supply and driven gas prices up to $3.50 per gallon and to the top of mind among anxious consumers. Against this background, even the most optimistic GM insiders must be concerned that the troubled giant’s future hinges largely…

DESIGN CHIEF chris Bangle’s “flame surfacing’ finally has hit its stride with BMW’s Z4 Coupe." This is still a concept car, a study,” company chief Helmut Panke said at the Frankfurt show, but he added,“We will be building a Z4 Coupe.” There’s no reason to believe it won't look like this, save for its satin-primer gray finish (called “Glacier Silver”). The 19-inch aluminum wheels, by the way, use what BMW calls a “most elaborate casting technology.” The Z4 Coupe’s design nicely marries the Z4 roadster’s lower body with a 6 Series-like top and rear spoiler. The flame-surface scallop extending from the front fender to the back of the door melds perfectly into the flared rear fender. We expect the Z4 Coupe to launch at the same time as a facelifted…

STRETCH THIS Euro-market Toyota RAV4 long enough to accommodate a third-row seat, and you've got the North American SUV (to be built in a new Woodstock, Ontario, plant), Once much more diminutive than the Honda CR-V and other competitors, the new RAV has grown 15 inches, seven of those in wheelbase length. The new size will rival Toyota’s own Highlander and will be the most powerful Toyota V-6 model in the U.S. The optional engine is a 268-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 (off seven horses from previous reports, due to the SAE’s new power-measurement standard). A 166-horsepower, 2.4-liter I-4 will be standard. Toyota will offer base, Limited, and a new Sport package, the last with 18-inch wheels. All versions are available with front or all-wheel drive, the latter now with a manual…

TURBOCHARGING of supercharging? Which works better for getting more power and retaining good fuel mileage in a small-displacement engine? Both, Volkswagen says, with its new Twincharger, a 1.4-liter direct-injection FSI engine. VW says that, with the compressor producing high torque at low rpm, the driver can delay shifting for longer, while the exhaust turbocharger keeps fuel consumption low at highway speeds. VW rates the Twincharger engine at 168 horses and 177 pound-feet at 1750 to 4500 rpm and says it gets 39.2 mpg in Euro spec. The engine first appears in the Golf GT with VW’’s DSG direct-shift gearbox standard. The model slots below the GTI in VW’s European lineup, but there are no plans, so far, for U.S. import.…

WINTER IS just around the corner. know this because, well, it says “December” on the cover of this magazine. Also, the other day I saw Santa Claus sunning himself on the beach. Or maybe that was Billy Bob Thornton. Southern California can be confusing. I've been a resident of Munchkinland for well over a decade now, enough time to realize that a North Face Himalayan Parka looks silly with board shorts and flip-flops. But a part of me still can’t accept that there’s no winter here—although the weather can get so intolerable you can't enjoy your arugula burger without a patio heater. My memories of driving through more than a dozen Michigan winters are so vivid, even now it’s difficult to imagine life without sleet. Perhaps that explains the exchange…

RUMORS have been flying for the last few months, alleging that the pilot-build ZO6s driven and tested in conjunction with the car’s Nuburgring launch were juiced to well beyond their SAE certified 505-horsepower ratings. So we ran all three test cars on a new, state-of-the art 200-mph Mustang eddy-current dynamometer, courtesy of Wheel-to-Wheel Powertrain, LLC tn Madison Heights, Michigan. This dyno simulates actual road and aero dynamic loads to provide more realistic results (hence the rear-wheel-output numbers may trail those generated on less sophisticated dynos). According to program manager Dan Sienkiewicz, the typical drivetrain losses for a car with a manual transmission and independent suspension fall within 14 to 15 percent of crankshaft horsepower. Heavier rotating components (wheels, tires, axles, joints) increase losses, as do heftier gears, high viscosity lubricants,…

THE GOAT CAN GO. BUT IS IT QUICK ENOUGH TO BEAT THE CHARGER? EZRA SCATTERGOOD knew a thing or two about high voltage. Known as Los Angeles’s ‘father of power,’ Scattergood led L.A’s Department of Water and Power for 31 years, growing it from a one-employee institute into the largest municipal utility of its kind. Under Scattergood’s reign, the City of Angels exploded into one of the most influential and vital metropolitan areas in the world. As Cosmopolitan magazine wrote in 1947, “Probably nobody has contributed more to the creation of this phenomenal Western metropolis than Ezra Frederick Scattergood.” Knowledge may be power, but knowledge of power can be just as, um, powerful. Seeing we possess an endless knowledge of power—horsepower, that is—we thought it only fitting to bring the…

STEERING-COLUMN-MOUNTED SHIFT LEVER BMW did it first, freeing up space on the center console for the iDrive controller. Now the S-Class shifts the same way. Jérg Summer, in charge of Mercedes luxury models, says it was the need for cupholder space that inspired the shifter’s move up. “Because there was no need for a manual transmission in the S-Class,” he says, “the column shifter was a no-brainer.” COMAND CONTROLLER Like BMW’s much-debated iDrive system, the S-Class’s multifunction COMAND computer is accessed largely via a round knob on the center console. Hans Multhaupt, S-Class project leader, says comparing iDrive to COMAND is like comparing two cellphones. “Some are completely frustrating to use,” he says, “and others—like COMAND-=—are easy and intuitive.” DESIGNER ATTIRE Unlike previous stoic, form-follows-function S-Class models, the new big…

IF THE pecking order of Land Rover’s latest products seems confusing, then let’s clear things up a bit: The new Range Rover Sport slots above last year’s of-the-year winner, the LR3, but below the flagship Range Rover. It’s Land Rover’s entry into the performance SUV market that’s already occupied by Porsche’s Cayenne, BMW’s X5, Infiniti’s FX, and Mercedes-Benz’s soon-to-come ML63 AMG. Although the Sport borrows a lot of its dashing style from the upscale Range Rover, it’s actually built using the LR3 platform. What this means is that, for about $20 grand less, you can have a Range Rover that'll run a photo-finish race with its big brother (choose between two V-8s: a 300-horse, 4.4-liter or a 390-horse, supercharged 4.2-liter) and turn just as many heads on Sunset Boulevard—especially in…

AND THE WINNER IS…With its live rear axle, and—in full off road specification—tall tires and simple transfer case, the new Nissan Xterra seems somewhat old-school against some of its more sophisticated (and more expensive) opposition. But there’s a compelling honesty about the Xterra that won over the judges. Nissan has built a sport/utihty vehicle that does exactly what its customers want; it’s tough, rugged, versatile, fun—and with the right options, it’ll take you and your stuff almost anywhere you want to go. Best of all, it’s not going to cost you a fortune. The Xterra’s apparent simplicity also belies a clever product-development process that’s allowed Nissan to deliver maximum bang for your buck by repackaging proven components and concepts. The Xterra is based on a shortened version of the versatile,…

ONE MORNING it happens. You glance in the mirror while stabbing at the wall outlet with the shaver plug to see a rumpled 47-year-old guy glancing back. A guy with a wife, a feisty five-year-old, a wailing newborn, Graco’s finest booster and reverse-facing child seats, and strong opinions about the LATCH system. And then—blink—you're also a guy with a big, illuminated light bulb over his head. Realization: All those automaton-driven Wonder Bread sedans, such as this comparison’s Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and newcomers Hyundai Sonata and Ford Fusion are your friends now—they can store a pallet of 40-count packages of diapers in a locking trunk so your single pals can't see them, ride comfortably in consideration of a newborn’s fragile neck, don't tumble laterally off a corner if you suddenly…

WHO IS Dodge kidding? One drive in a Neon-based SRT-4, and you'll know the advertised 230 horsepower is an underrated sham. Pull the trigger on a turbo-charged SRT-4, and it spins its front hoops harder than a nitrous-powered Vegas roulette wheel. For SRT-4 owners who desire even more torque steer, Mopar Performance offers a wealth of bolt-ons that up the SRT-4’s 2.4-liter |-4 by 10 horsepower (Stage l), 35 horsepower (Stage II), or even 120 horsepower (Stage III). Super Street, one of MTs sister magazines, recently finished a buildup on an SRT-4 that makes use of a combination of after-market parts and hardware from Mopar Performance.“In the slalom, you need to drive it like a Viper—small throttle adjustments make for large results,” notes test-driver Chris Walton. The tuner SRT-4 is…