2006 Mazda3 S Touring:Entry level zoom-zoom
Mazda is the car company that’s paying its Japanese employees to walk to work rather than drive, so one would expect them to, as the Apple ads used to put it, think different. Mazda has never disappointed, with an array of quirky cars with interesting styling – in other words, personality.
Personality, however, is not as easy to achieve when one has to keep the price low. Granted Mazda has always delivered cars that felt like they cost a lot more than the sticker, but a car that costs less than $20 grand, can serve as reliable transportation that you won’t be ashamed to be seen in, and that still has the soul of a sports car is rare indeed. Except on the lots at Mazda dealerships. There you will find the 2006 Mazda Mazda3 S Touring sedan. Unless some smart buyer just snatched the last one up.
If you’re in the market for what some would call an economy car, go get yourself some luxury and sportiness instead and try the Mazda3 S. This is an economy sedan that defies the image of boring, underpowered, barely adequate transportation that its price point might dredge up. For a mere $19,065 on my well-equipped Mazda3 S, I found myself in a car that’s as much fun to throw around corners as many far more acclaimed and far pricier sports sedans.
The Mazda3 is Mazda’s entry level compact car, replacing the Protégé, and you could get it for less than I did by skipping the 2.3 liter Double Overhead Cam 16-valve VVT inline 4-cylinder engine in favor of the base 2.0 liter, but why miss out on the fun. My upmarket S Touring edition with the 2.3 liter engine came in at a base price of $17,615. That included all the basics like air conditioning with a pollen filter, cruise control, power windows and doors, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, a Sirius satellite radio, a 6-speaker AM/FM/CD system, advanced dual front airbags and side impact airbags and curtains, antilock brakes with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), anti-theft engine immobilizer, remote keyless entry and much more, including fun.
All this comes in a body that can only be termed stylish – fun and aggressive without being overbearing, all swoopy lines and well-turned angles. The interior, apart from the glow of the electroluminescent instruments (Mazda likes the otherworldly orange look, and so would aliens attracted to the lights of Vegas) is pleasant with controls that are well laid out and intuitive.
Seats are comfortable, with more than enough space for four. According to Mazda, “the interior is longer, wider and taller than any other in its class, offering the most front and rear shoulder room among compact sedans and one of the best in its class for knee room.”
Fit and finish were excellent in the sedan I had. You can tell a lot about what went into a car just by looking at the layout of the dashboard, and the Mazda3’s dash said that lots of thought was just the start. Sure, the Mazda3 looks great outside, but you have to look on that dash every day you drive it, and with this car, that’s no sacrifice. The instruments look good, they feel good, they’re well-designed – again, much more expensive than the sticker is the impression the dash gives you. The cabin is quiet and refined. Build quality, overall, is superb.
There’s lots of storage space. The glove compartment, for example, can hold a laptop computer or 16 DVDs, Mazda claims. I didn’t verify the details, but it did look big. There are the usual cupholders and storage nooks. The trunk could hold a body or two, and the rear seats fold sixty-forty, in case the body you need to dispose of belongs to someone who spent too much time at the deli.
Speaking of the sticker again, by the way, the price I quoted on my test vehicle came after the addition of a power moonroof and in-dash 6-CD changer ($890 total) and delivery charge of $560.
Nor is there a price to pay at the pump. With my slick 5-speed manual transmission, which shares the same short throw as the five-speeds in the MX-5 and the RX-8 sports cars, EPA estimated mileage is 26 city, 32 highway. As if that weren’t enough, the engine is also rated as a PZEV – Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle.
But what about the Zoom-Zoom, you may ask? Rest assured, it is there.
With the five speed manual and the very responsive variable valve engine, the power you need is always there when you need it. Handling is superb, a Mazda hallmark, with tight cornering, good steering response and minimal torque steer. The ride is comfortable but sporty, with the suspension clearly tuned for roadholding, which means it’s stiffer than one normally gets in an economy car. The brakes worked well, although I will tell you they were tested less than I would have expected. Because of the handling characteristics of the Mazda3, one feels so
secure in its abilities that one does not hesitate to power out of a situation where in a lesser car, one might choose to stomp hard on the brakes and pray loudly. The chassis feels stiff and strong. The engine puts out 160 horses at 6,500 rpm, with 150 lb.-ft. of torque available at 4,500 rpm.
“The new s Touring and s Grand Touring models offer the value a compact-car buyer demands and the luxury appointments they would expect from a car costing thousands more,” said David Dildy, MAZDA3 vehicle line manager for Mazda North American Operations. Well, he has to say that, it’s his job, but after driving the 2006 Mazda Mazda3 S Touring sedan, I do have to tell you, he’s right.
2006 Hummer H3: Don't put Baby in a corner
Size is relative. At 6’ 1” and 305 pounds, left defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy is the smallest of the nine men who make up the feared Front Four of the New York Giants defense, if you measure by height. Measure by weight and 6’4”, 268-lb right defensive end Eric Moore is the puniest, by far. Next to a pair of defensive tackles like 6’4”, 325-lb. Fred Robbins or 6’6”, 315-lb Kenderick Allen, either man would look underfed. But next to a 6-ft tall auto columnist who’s forgotten what muscle feels like…let’s just say I know who you’d want on your side in a bar fight.
Remember this when you hear the 2006 Hummer H3 described as a “baby Hummer.” This newest bundle of joy from GM’s youngest division may look puny next to its siblings, but it’s still a Hummer, and that means that small as it looks, it is actually a mid-sized SUV, derived from GM’s Chevy Colorado truck platform.
Small as it may look, however, it is also indisputably a Hummer. The styling cues are all there – the macho faux-military/industrial touches, the squared-off corners, the barely usable gun slits for windows, the louvered front. Yet there is something much more cuddly about this Hummer, something that says more “take me home” than “stay away from me, girlie-man.” Compared to its siblings, the H3 may still look like a bad boy, but this is a bad boy you know you can tame and take home to mother. She’ll get used to the leather and chains.
The barely civilized Hummer H1 was much like Patton wearing khakis instead of camo. Unless your daily commute happened to be along the road to Baghdad Airport, it probably would be a little too much for you. The H2 was like a bodybuilder turned politician in a tuxedo – it looked great, but didn’t quite fit. The muscles still bulged and there were hints that ’roid rage was just around the corner. The H3, on the other hand, is the warrior finally and firmly settled into blue jeans. It can still do almost anything it used to, but it looks forward to coming home instead of going away. If the H1 and H2 were just for the boys, the H3 is tentatively, very tentatively, in touch with its feminine side. This is a Hummer that’s less scary than a Dick Cheney smile.
Yes, I know you’re about ready to reach for your keyboard and send me some hate mail. In the spirit of the season, please don’t. Send me Scotch instead. Glenfiddich 18 if you will.
Whenever I write about an SUV, I know to expect mail from those who think these lumbering beasts should not despoil the face of the planet. Like the Democrats of the last decade or the Republicans now, the writers know they’re right, and will brook no arguments to the contrary. SUVs are largely huge, gas-guzzling, environment-destroying, completely unnecessary objects of disdain that should all be melted down and turned into plowshares or Priuses. To which all I can say is this:
Yo, dudes, chill!
Don’t shoot me, I’m just the piano player. If you’d like a sermon, there are lots on TV Sunday mornings. That’s not what I’m here for. I’m here to review cars, cars that people drive, cars that people buy, and while every now and then I’ll slip in a reminder that the fate of the planet may well depend on your next shopping trip, my first job is to tell you what I think about how the cars I drive perform. As cars, not as statements. I’m saving the rest for my book.
In the meantime, consumers are voting with their pocketbooks, and while sales of the bigger Hummers, like those of most large SUVs, have plunged precipitously as gas prices have risen, the H3 is doing a yeoman’s job of trying to save the Hummer brand. Taking a specialty item like the original Humvee mass market is no small feat, especially when the times suddenly conspire against you. The original H1 was a symbol of our stunning success in Desert Storm and basked in that glow. As the bodies pile up now in Iraq even higher than the ever-changing justifications for a war as poorly run as any in our recent history, so too the oversized power and might and master of the universe hubris of the H1 and its successor, the H2, seem woefully out of step with the new Zeitgeist.
Brought to market as an outsize representation of the American dream, it was Hummer’s destiny to see projected on it all that people felt was best and worst about SUVs, and about a nation where relatively cheap fuel – unless you count the cost in the lives – meant fuel economy and environmental impact were very secondary considerations to size and strength. For a while, that was good for Hummer.
Times have changed.
As we downsize our ambitions abroad and our fuel bill at home grows, GM’s and Hummer’s good fortune it is to have the downsized H3 on its lots. This is the first Hummer that comes with a reasonable fuel economy rating, and inside, this is easily the best looking, most comfortable Hummer ever. And that’s not just damning with faint praise. With the H3, Hummer finally has a vehicle capable of competing with the Grand Cherokees and Explorers, and at a very good price.
Let’s talk gas mileage first. The H3 comes with the Vortec 3.5-liter, double overhead cam inline 5-cylinder engine. If you’re looking for the mightiest powerplant on the planet, this ain’t it. If you’re looking for a respectable engine that will give you decent fuel economy, if not great towing capacity, welcome.
My H3 came with the optional four-speed automatic transmission, and EPA mileage estimates are 16 city and 19 highway, using regular gas. With the 5-speed standard transmission, mileage goes up to 20 highway. No, these are not Honda Civic numbers, but they’re adequate for a midsize SUV. The downside is that the 200 horses and 225 lb-ft. of torque mean the maximum towing capacity is a relatively low 4,500 pounds. Acceleration was good overall, although the engine didn’t seem quite as powerful as others in its class. There are always trade-offs, but the H3’s handling overall was surprisingly good, a good compromise between responsive and docile.
The biggest surprise for the H3 though was inside. No, visibility out those windows isn’t any better, but the interior seemed much more luxury vehicle than heavy off-roader. Fit and finish were very good, proving GM can do it when it wants to. The design was elegant, with controls easy to reach, to use and to understand. Overall, if you’re used to GM’s old practice of sticking the same cheap-looking plastic on every dashboard, you’ll be thrilled by the look of the H3. Seating for four was comfortable, in a cabin that was very spacious but much warmer than a H1’s.
Despite the comfort and convenience, the H3 has not forgotten its roots. Come the invasion by the UN, you’ll be able to take this deep into the forest and evade the black helicopters. As GM explains, “Among its off-road capabilities, the H3 can ford 16 inches of water at 20 mph or 24-inch streams at a 5-mph pace, climb 16-inch vertical steps and rocks, make its way through deep sand and race over sandy surfaces.”
There was a lot more to that, but you get the drift. Like the Staple Singers, the H3 will take you there. Wherever “there” is.
Oh, did I say the biggest surprise about the H3 was the inside? I lied. The biggest surprise on my H3 WAS on the inside, but only because they’d already removed the sticker. My H3, all-wheel-drive, naturally, with OnStar, traction control, dual front airbags, auto headlamp control, fogs, tire pressure monitor, air conditioning, cruise control and a 6-speaker AM/FM/CD player all standard came in with a base price of $28,935.
My dolled up H3 added leather heated power seats, a 7-speaker Monsoon sound system, Homelink, the previously mentioned automatic transmission with stability control, an off-road suspension package including an electronically controlled full locking rear differential and specially tuned shocks, a chrome appearance package designed to dazzle your enemies should they dare look at you in the sunshine, a huge power sunroof, XM satellite radio, trailer hitch and wiring harness, brush guard and running boards all for $38,785, including the $565 destination charge.
All in all, the baby Hummer has turned out to be the sales giant of the family for good reason. The 2006 Hummer H3 is a comfortable, well-priced, competent and definitely distinctive mid-size SUV. Who says an old soldier can’t change.
2005 Scion xA: Affordable quality
The teenage princess called the 2005 Scion xA 5-door a clown car, and with good reason. Remember back before PETA when you went to the circus and watched all the clowns stuff themselves into a VW Bug or the equivalent? We did pretty much the same thing, except that in lieu of clowns, we stuffed the entire contents of her dorm room into the back of the Scion. She owes me ten bucks on the deal too, having been silly enough to bet that I wouldn’t be able to get everything inside the deceptively small-looking Scion.
I just wished I’d gotten her mother to put some money down as well. A few of those bets and I’d have enough to buy the Scion.
By now, everyone knows the Scion story, but I’ll repeat it anyway. Scion is Toyota’s attempt to infiltrate the youth market by creating vehicles that have the reliability and equipment the spoilt little brats have come to expect at a price they can afford once they’ve gotten out of college and have to stop sponging off Mom and Dad.
I can’t believe I even got that sentence out. They never stop sponging off Mom and Dad. That reminds me, I have to call my mother now…
Anyway, given that they’re not going to stop sponging off you, the next best thing is to reduce the bleeding from your wallet, and that the Scion does well. My Spectra Blue Mica Scion xA was a limited edition Release Series 2.0 (the techie numbering clearly screamed “youth” to the Toyota marketers). That meant it was individually numbered and had shiny chrome number plates and individually numbered xA Release Series badging. It also had said Spectra Blue Mica exterior paint with color-tuned (whatever that means) dark charcoal fabric, sports grille, a rear spoiler, fog lights, a blue interior LED light kit and Release Series carpeted floor mats with cargo mats. All that added a hefty $1,035 to the price. The only other option on my car was a $650 package, which included driver and front passenger seat bolster side impact airbags and overhead front and rear side curtain airbags. Add in a $515 delivery, processing and handling fee and the cost of my 2005 Scion xA 5-door Release Series 2.0 was a whopping $15,530.
Even a reporter can afford that! And they throw in a full tank of gas, now worth almost $14,306.87 in some states!
Hyperbole aside, the Scion is clearly a great deal. It seats four comfortably with seatbelts for five, if you want to try stuffing the clowns in. The rear seats split 60/40, have adjustable headrests like the front seats, and fold down easily for all that cargo space.
The Scion may not be trade bait for Mercedes S-class owners, but for what it is, it is perfectly adequate, and that’s perfect. Toyota didn’t try to make more of the Scion than they needed to, didn’t try to add flash at the expense of substance to seduce the unwary. No, what they did is build a very good entry level car at a great price, and people have been flocking to the showrooms to buy them.
If you listen to the teenage princess, it’s not the looks. She’s not quite captivated by the Scion. Actually, the nicest word she had for it was ugly. But it is interesting, and that’s how Toyota has successfully marketed it.
Good marketing, however, is useless without a good product, and that’s where the interior of the Scion shines. Again, it is a car that knows what it is and what it has to do, and doesn’t strain itself reaching beyond that. The 1.5-liter 4-cylinder, 16-valve double overhead cam engine won’t make you long for the speedway at Indy, but it gets you up to 80, I mean 55, on the Merritt with ease, and gets you off the line when the light changes. The four-speed automatic transmission does its job, governing the power to the 15” wheels. The front suspension is supposedly sport tuned independent MacPherson struts, with a torsion beam rear suspension - no James Bond cornering, but it does the job.
That $13,330 base price gets you comfortable sport fabric (that means cloth, not leather) front bucket seats, driver and front passenger dual stage airbags, air conditioning, tilt steering, power door locks and windows and a first aid kit, among other things. Adding to the fabulous quotient is the standard 160-watt Pioneer AM/FM/CD player with 6-speakers, prewired for satellite. The instruments are all well laid out. The speedometer/tachometer cluster is center mounted, but instead of being some shuzzy distraction (yes, I made up one of those words), it works, somehow falling perfectly into the driver’s line of sight.
For the most part, you can avert your eyes when you see gas stations. I drove the Scion xA for a week, and despite the fact the cheapest regular gas I could find was about $3.20 a gallon, I spent a mere $27 on gasoline. I liked that. At those prices, the kids can afford to drive back home and ask you for money.
The EPA mileage estimate for the Scion xA is 31 city, 38 highway. It comes with a 36-month/36,000-mile comprehensive warranty, plus 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain coverage and a 5-year body panel corrosion perforation warranty.
Overall, the Scion xA is a comfortable car to drive, with enough space for both passengers and cargo. You can walk out of the showroom with one for $15,000, and given Toyota’s quality reputation, know you won’t be spending much on repairs in the years to come. The Scion may not be the first thing a Porsche-loving princess thinks of, but it may well be the first car she buys.
2005 Corvette Z51: America at its best
I’m not quite sure when it happened, when we reached what Malcolm Gladwell calls the tipping point, when we began to accept American goods as inferior and American technology as bloated and unreliable.
That certainly wasn’t how we felt after World War II, when the country that had saved the world basically ruled the free world. We had confidence then, and courage, and sent soldiers to college, rebuilt Western Europe and had no doubt we were the future, Khrushchev’s banging shoe notwithstanding.
Even after Kennedy won the Presidency with his mythical missile gap, we still dared to pay any price, bear any burden for freedom. We were not afraid, for example, to go to the moon, not because it was easy, but because it was hard.
But slowly, that confidence ebbed, that can-do spirit diminished. Perhaps it began with our failure in Vietnam, when we realized that despite all our power, we could not remake the world anew. Slowly, Sony went from an object of derision as a maker of cheap, cheap-sounding transistor radios to an object of desire for its exquisite machines. Japan’s cars followed, with Honda and Toyota becoming synonymous with quality, while, as with electronics companies, American auto companies increasingly looked like aged dinosaurs, unable to compete on aught but price.
NASA raised our spirits to the moon, then we watched in abject humiliation as incredibly expensive and over-budget space shuttles first proved near useless, then worse. When NASA tried to send a ship to Mars, it crashed and burned because somehow people had screwed up English and metric measurements. When NASA tried to grab stardust, sending a ship out to scoop a comet and back to Earth, it plummeted to its death because somehow someone had put a switch in upside down. Therein lies a metaphor.
Now the country that kicked Iraq out of Kuwait can’t secure the victory there; the nation that always responds to disasters elsewhere watches in horror as a hurricane turns New Orleans into some Third World backwater. When Afghanistan offers you aid, you’re in trouble.
And all the while, we watch this on our Asian-made televisions in homes to which we drove in our Asian or German cars. Like the government in a disaster, American automotive technology couldn’t be trusted anymore.
But, as historian Arthur Schlesinger pointed out a while back, history runs in cycles. Motorola may no longer be known as the maker of TV sets, but they make the best cell phones in the business. Boeing, long bashed by Airbus and its government subsidies, has suddenly returned to its accustomed place in aviation. And Coca-Cola’s only real competition is Pepsi.
So too with automobiles. The American consumer may still need some convincing, as witness the employee discount programs needed to lure them into the showrooms of domestic car makers, but they’ll get it. Given the innovativeness now being shown with consistency by American car makers, and given the much improved quality of American cars, the pendulum will swing back our way. Our time is once again coming.
Cars like the 2005 Chevy Corvette are leading the way. This is a technological tour de force that happens to be an incredible driving experience. Like almost nothing save the Mustang and the Jeep, the Corvette has long been an American icon. This 2005 model with the Z51 package says to a waiting world: Eat my dust!
Start with the looks. This sixth-generation Corvette is five inches shorter than the 2004 version, but has just as much usable space. That length and its taut, sculpted lines, as well as the corner jewel headlights, give the Vette a sophisticated appearance that while it never loses that air of muscular menace adds unmistakable beauty.
Put it this way, if you wanted to pick a car for James Bond to drive, the Vette would be a perfect choice.
Inside, the Corvette surprises again. Handling is the expected supercar quality, but comfort is luxury sedan style. Seats are supportive, so that when you check the head’s-up display projected on the windshield for how many g’s you’re pulling – yes, it tells you that and I had a blast throwing the Vette into corners as hard as I could to make that accelerometer climb as high as possible – you do it bolstered by great wings that hold you in place. That head’s-up display also included a tachometer and speedometer, so you never really had to look on the dash, but when you did, you weren’t too upset. The instruments and controls really are well laid out and easy to use, but not quite up to the rest of this Corvette.
This Corvette is easily the best ever made, but after a few minutes on the road, that’s not how you’ll measure it. You’ll start comparing it to the European supercars that are far more expensive both to buy and to own. It’s almost impossible to believe that, equipped with its removable roof panel for open air motoring, the Corvette comes in at $43,710. My car also had many options, adding many airbags, displays, heated seats, premium sound a lot more as part of the $4,360 preferred equipment group. The Z51 performance package was only $1,695, and included larger cross-drilled brake rotors and performance tuned tires, stabilizer bars, springs, shocks and gear ratios. With OnStar and XM, my silver metallic Corvette topped out at $51,585.
That was a bargain, considering that in a week I got at least a hundred grand worth of fun out of the Vette. The standard 6-liter sequential V8, well, I’m tearing up just thinking of how good that sounded, and how it felt even better. The six-speed manual transmission was a joy to shift, but my favorite was trying to break the grip of those big tires (18” front, 19” rear) in curves. I was never able to, but would gladly spend the rest of my life trying.
A sad few may think of Corvettes only as a car in which to pick up members of the opposite sex. Drivers know the truth, and drivers who’ve driven the 2005 Corvette with the Z51 package – and here that’s me – can testify that with this
iteration of its flagship sportster, Chevrolet has produced a car that takes a back seat to none. Its 400 not-quite-tamed horses comfortably take you on a journey you never want to end. The V8 will take you places from which your license will never return if a cop sees you (providing he’s in an F-16 and can catch you), and probably quite reliably, given its design. Fit and finish are as fine as you would expect in a top line luxury car. Even gas won’t be too bad, with EPA estimated mileage of 18 city, 28 highway.
And the ride, oh lord, the ride… America’s back!
2005 Dodge Ram Power Wagon: That's big
On the down side, this not being the New York Times, my editors do not allow me to simply make up entire columns, or even portions of one. They won’t even let me use anonymous quotes from unidentified sources, preferring to stick with old-fashioned concepts like “facts.” This explains why I have not yet won my Pulitzer.
On the upside, I don’t have to worry about going to jail, at least not until they start imprisoning people for crimes against the English language. Jail isn’t my idea of fun. For one thing, I’m too pretty. For another, unless you’re Diana Ross in Greenwich, they won’t let you order in your own food.
But, just as with Judith Miller and the New York Times, questions about my sources seem to be especially popular with readers. Which dealers, they ask, give you these cars, and don’t you then owe them something? That’s usually followed by, “Can I have your job?”
The answers to the latter question and the latter half of the first question are the same: No. But that doesn’t mean the question isn’t important (the first one, at least) and deserving of an answer.
Let’s debunk a popular myth first. The Hour Newspapers does NOT buy me a new car every week. I know readers, especially Hour employees, may find this hard to believe, but the publisher has refused to give me the expense account I need.
So how do I get cars? The old-fashioned way – I hotwire them. Oops, there’s that prospect of jail again.
Seriously though, most established auto columnists get their cars from the auto companies themselves. Ford or GM or DaimlerChrysler or Toyota or any other automaker isn’t going to give a car to just anyone for a week, but if you know the secret handshake and have the special decoder ring, they deliver cars to you each week so you can tell the world about them. Without the handshake and the ring, you have to convince them by virtue of having clips and an affiliation with some reputable publication – or The Hour – that you really do have enough of a readership to justify their sending expensive pieces of machinery to your driveway and saying go have fun for a week.
Why do they do this? Because they want you to buy their cars, and everyone knows free media (that’s what those old-fashioned newspaper people call “news”) is more valuable than paid media (normally called “advertising,” or “The Apprentice”). People tend to trust what they read in the “news,” even when it’s in the New York Times, so car companies are willing to send me their latest symbol of upward mobility in the hope that I’ll have something nice to say about it and you’ll spend your hard-earned dollars buying it.
The fact that it’s a car company sending you the car makes it so much easier if you have to say something bad about it. It’s not like having to report that your next door neighbor was caught stealing Dan Malloy posters. You’re dealing with huge, faceless corporations, not an auto dealer you may run into at the next Rotary meeting. This is much less personal, and even for heartless reporters, less anxiety-inducing.
But, you may ask, don’t car companies exert control by virtue of their advertising budget? Don’t they want you to write only nice things? The real world answer is that they could try, but usually choose not to. The few times they’ve thrown a snit, as with pulling ads from the LA Times, the result has been so counterproductive as to remind them why the wall between advertising and editorial serves both sides.
Frankly, I’m not going to be able to convince you to look at a car unless you think I’m giving you my unbiased opinion. Now I could tell you that my personal integrity would guarantee you no less, but one look at the New York Times (sorry, but don’t you just love bashing Mr. Perfect when he’s down) tells you that personal integrity could crumble when attacked by the right weapon.
No, your best guarantee of an accurate, unbiased review is that that’s what the car companies want you to have, because otherwise, all the money they spent getting the car to me and having me bash it into immovable objects would have been wasted. Of course they’d like that accurate, unbiased review to be filled with nice things about their cars, but if they’re not, that’s just a cost of doing business.
If I’ve done this right, you should now understand not just how we get cars, but why this column is at least as trustworthy as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, if not as funny. Now on to the car of the week:
2005 Dodge Ram Power Wagon
At $43,410 fully loaded, the Dodge Ram Power Wagon isn’t cheap. With my gas mileage barely making it into double figures, this truck doesn’t promise to be cheap to operate either. But if what you’re looking for is a mixture of on- and off-road capability, towing capacity, comfort and a 5.7-liter V8 Hemi to take you as far as that tank will let you go with best-in-class acceleration, this is a truck you should consider.
Normally this kind of gas mileage would rule out a vehicle for everyday use, but the Power Wagon is an extremely specialized vehicle, even for a 4x4. I’m no truck maven, but one look at that front electric winch with its 12,000-lb. front electric winch and 33”-tires, the largest tires on any production truck (hint: get the running boards) and you know this is a truck built for business.
The Power Wagon has a running height of 14.5 inches, and an approach angle of 35 degrees; the departure angle is 26.5 degrees and the breakover angle is 25.5 degrees. This gives the Dodge Ram Power Wagon significant clearance for navigating a variety of off-road trails, especially when tackling severe inclines and declines.
“The Dodge Ram Power Wagon is built for extreme off-road conditions, but will attract a wide variety of buyers,” said Darryl Jackson, Vice President, Dodge Marketing. “In addition to extreme off-roaders, Dodge Ram Power Wagon will be used in agricultural and forestry applications, and by enthusiasts in extreme recreational situations or on their daily drive route."
Those who are much more knowledgeable about trucks than I am love the Dodge Ram Power Wagon. Four Wheeler Magazine named it its 2005 Pick-Up Truck of the Year.
The Hemi gives you 345 horses and 375 lb-ft. of torque, handled by a 5-speed automatic. The truck is fast, with an extremely firm suspension, but the fact that it’s filled with luxuries like a navigation system, premium sound, all leather and much more is much more about making the ride to the worksite comfortable than about giving in and becoming a yuppie (remember that term) pick-up truck. This is a working truck, and one that’s especially useful if work takes you off-road. My regular cab (it is also available as a Quad cab) had an 8-foot cargo box capable of holding about 75 cubic feet of stuff. Cargo width is about five and a half feet, with the tailgate opening being just over five feet. Towing capacity is about 11,000 pounds.
Dodge gave the Ram Power Wagon enough safety features to match its horsepower. Included are a side curtain air bag system and power adjustable pedals , a standard anti-lock braking system (ABS), pretensioning and constant-force seat belt retractors, the largest brakes in its class and 17-inch wheels. Also standard are next-generation multistage driver and front-passenger air bags. The passenger side air bag may be turned off on regular cab Dodge Ram Power Wagons to accommodate child seats. The all-new 2005 Dodge Ram Power Wagon also includes standard Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH) child seat anchorage system. The LATCH system works in conjunction with the standard child seat tether anchors to make it easier to attach child seats.
The Power Wagon is based on the Ram 2500 SLT 4x4, which starts at $29,750 if your pocketbook won’t stretch to cover the Power Wagon, or if your needs aren’t extreme. But as it did with the 300C, Chrysler has once again come up with a vehicle worthy of a distinguished name. After 25 years, once again astride the land is a Dodge Ram Power Wagon, and once again, it is as capable an off-road production pick-up as you will find.
Quick Spins: 2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6, 2006 Chrysler 300C
As September ends and autumn’s splendor unfolds before us in turning leaves and morning chill, an auto reviewer’s fancy normally turns to the next group of cars to be rolled out, bearing the appellation of a calendar year still months away. But unlike Costco, Stop & Shop and Linens and Things, all of which have earned the undying wrath of this reviewer for their massive displays of Christmas merchandise long before the Harvest moon shed light on the autumnal equinox, we choose to look back, not ahead, and savor some of what brought us joy, a commodity all too fleeting in this year of pain and sorrow.
It’s also a great way to catch up on my backlog of cars to be reviewed, but that’s much less poetic.
In any event, our look back on the auto year begins this week with two cars we reviewed in a previous iteration within the year previous. Both have come out with new, improved models that really are new and improved. If you didn’t listen to us the first time we told you about them, we’re giving you a second chance.
Don’t blow it.
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6
The sleek, boat-tailed baby of Chrysler’s performance fleet had already made a good impression the first time around. Based on the last version of the Mercedes SLK roadster, the Crossfire offered an American take on a relatively affordable two-seater. While the Crossfire was no all-out sports car, it came close enough while maintaining an easy drivability in Summer Street rush hour traffic to make it a more than competitive alternative to its European cousins. The design pushed it over the top, all swoops and curves and that rounded rear that evoked America’s Art Deco past while hurtling Chrysler back into a future as a world class automaker.
Perhaps the weakest point was the engine. With 215 horses coming from the 3.2 liter V-6, power was fine for the most part, but the car still looked faster than it was. Now promise has become performance. Chrysler’s Street Racing and Technology team (SRT, did you notice?) has worked its magic, and this hand-built, intercooled, supercharged 3.2 liter V-6 (that’s the 6 in SRT-6) rumbles up to a massive 330 horsepower . According to Chrysler, this first Chrysler to sport the SRT badge goes from 0 to 60 in the low five seconds (Chrysler also says it does the sprint in “about five seconds”), 0 to 100 to 0 in under 16 seconds, and brakes from 60 to 0 in approximately 115 ft.
Yahoo!
All this power is managed by an upgraded five-speed automatic transmission with AutoStick. As an aged purist, I would have preferred a fully manual option, but I have no complaints about the automatic’s performance.
The new version also comes with SRT-tuned suspension, benchmark braking system and race-bred exterior and interior refinements.
“The Crossfire SRT6 has proven itself on and off the track as one of the most pleasingly balanced performance vehicles ever produced by SRT,” said Jeff Bell, Vice President – Chrysler, Chrysler Group. “From its awesome supercharged V-6 engine — the only forced-induction powerplant offered by SRT — to its race-bred chassis, benchmark braking system and performance-oriented exterior and interior refinements, the 2006 Chrysler Crossfire SRT6 offers all-around performance in a unique package for the Chrysler brand.”
My Crossfire was, alas, the coupe (I love convertibles), but that scarcely mattered as its performance lived up to that balance the Chrysler big guys speak of. Handling and the newly-tuned suspension are clearly more aggressive than in the original Crossfire. The ride also seemed sportier and stiffer, but not uncomfortably so. Chrysler said understeer is also reduced as compared with the original Crossfire, but my memory isn’t good enough to verify that.
Inside, subtle SRT-6 embroidered headrests top supportive racing-inspired seats. The interior, like that of the original Crossfire, is classic without being boring, but the most important thing for me was that 200 mph speedometer. Being a law-abiding citizen with at least half a brain left and no track access while I had the Crossfire SRT-6, I couldn’t test the high end of that speedometer. Given the driving characteristics of the German-built Crossfire SRT-6, I have no doubt it will handle quite well at the upper end of its range. That, by the way, is an electronically limited top speed of 158 mph.
The Crossfire runs on premium gas with an EPA mileage rating of 17/25 city/highway. It starts in the mid-40’s for the coupe, about $50K for the roadster, competitive with fellow Teutonic two-seaters like the Porsche Boxster S.
In addition to the SRT-6 badging, this Crossfire also features a chin spoiler and a fixed rear spoiler that actually adds to the beauty of an already attractive design. It encapsulates what the engineers and designers at Chrysler have done with the 2005 Crossfire SRT-6 coupe – taken a good thing and made it better.
2006 Chrysler 300C
Yes, it’s still got the hemi, and it still has the street cred. The Chrysler 300C is a runaway hit by any measure, and deservedly so. Introduced in Spring 2004 as a 2005 model, the 300C instantly became known for its combination of menacing styling, interior space and luxury and rear-wheel-drive performance at a fabulous price. If ever a car were underpriced, the 300C was it, and consumers knew it. For anyone who loved driving but also loved to take their family along, this spacious sedan proved that if your heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme.
I’m tearing up thinking how many dreams came true at Chrysler dealerships. Given the way the 300C tore off the lot, some of those dreams belonged to the dealers, the salespeople and the accountants. But who cares. The 300C was a definite win-win.
As before, the 300C is good old rear-wheel-drive, although an all-wheel-drive option is available. The engine is the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine, with cylinder deactivation for fuel economy, mated to the five-speed transmission, silky smooth and with all the power any Soprano would need to cart a whole bunch of golf bags, or anything else, in the roomy trunk and drop them off on some farm far, far away - long before anyone noticed. Even Ralphie Cifaretto could get ahead in the 300C.
Immaculate interior and exterior styling, superb handling, a comfortable yet responsive ride and that great price earned the 300C our Car of the Year award last year, and we’ve had no second thoughts.
“The beautiful styling and incredible performance of the Chrysler 300 created a package unlike any other in the marketplace,” said Jeff Bell, Vice President – Chrysler. “We are honored and proud of the recognition we have received for the Chrysler 300 and we plan to continue to delight our customers for the 2006 model year.”
Some younger customers will no doubt be delighted by the new DVD entertainment system. Back seat monitors allow the youngsters to thrill themselves playing video games, watching DVDs, listening to CDs, MP3s, Sirius satellite or just plain old radio. Mom or Dad behind the wheel will be thrilled to be able to concentrate on the driving enjoyment the 2006 300C offers.
EPA mileage is 17/25 with rear wheel drive, 17/24 with all-wheel drive. The 300C prefers mid-grade unleaded, but will accept regular.
The 2006 Chrysler 300C sedan refines the formula of the 2005 model, offering great value in an elegantly styled, luxurious, high-performance large car.
2006 Acura MDX: Queen of suburbia
A quick look around the parking lot of any suburban mall reveals the obvious: the Acura MDX has replaced the Lexus RX as the new Jeep, that is, the transportation of choice for a certain type of attractive suburban mother too restrained for a Suburban, for whom a car is just too little, and a minivan, too…too.
It’s easy to see why. Like most Hondas and Acuras, the 2005 Acura MDX 5-Door Touring R&N is exquisitely tasteful, both in looks and in handling. My test model with its steel blue metallic exterior and ebony interior merited no second look, a plus for a certain segment of the population. At the supermarket or at the country club, you will fit in almost unnoticed in the MDX.
If you detect a certain barely-disguised edge in these remarks, you’d be half right. The MDX evokes emotions varying between grudging admiration and overwhelming ennui. Like the Acura RL, this is a superbly designed vehicle that is a standout in its class, but somehow never manages to inspire what its incredibly exciting stablemate, the TL, does so easily: sheer joy in driving.
Still, having just clocked hours of driving each day for the past few days ferrying the princess back and forth to visit various colleges – hated Williams, loved Amherst, on the fence about Connecticut College – the MDX’s forte – an overwhelming competence – is not so easily overlooked. Again like most Hondas and Acuras, this is a vehicle on which you can depend, day and night, in all kinds of weather. You may not feel the urge to throw it into corners, but neither do you dread pulling out of the garage, nor are you ever concerned that you won’t make it back.
In between, the journey most resembles an extended vacation taken at a string of big chain hotels. Nothing surprises, but that is why we stay at chains. We know the rooms won’t be too small, the bed too lumpy, the décor too garish. We know the phones will work, we’ll have Internet access and the front desk clerk will smile. There’s an awful lot to be said for that. Excitement and astonishment may be good on that special vacation, but no weary road warrior wants an exploding volcano in her living room.
That’s kind of what it’s like with the Acura MDX: you know what you came for and that’s what you’ll get. At $44,345 for my fully equipped test car, the MDX may be a little rich for the Motel 6 crowd, and not exclusive enough for those who prefer the Ritz, but for the vast majority in the middle, it’s priced and it performs just right. Just check the parking lots and see the votes for the MDX.
Since we’re stretching the hotel analogy way past any reasonable limits, let’s touch on that price again. Remember those days when you’d go to a hotel, your room bill would be x dollars, but make a phone call, look at the minibar, or even take too deep a breath of the hotel’s air and suddenly your bill had ballooned way past any resemblance to what you’d originally expected? Buying a car has been like that for too long.
You’d go to the lot, test-drive the car, look at the sticker, figured what you could afford and decide to buy. But then came the extras. There’d be so much for a radio you could actually hear, non-plastic seats cost extra, the windshield would be a slight add-on charge and an engine was an extra-cost option. You’d leave the dealership, whether or not you’d bought the car, feeling used, abused and distrusting of the entire experience. No wonder you put off buying the next car.
One hopes the automakers’ experiment with fixed pricing (the employee discount program) has opened their eyes. We don’t go haggling at Costco, and we don’t have to triple check our bills at Tiffany. We shouldn’t have to do that when we buy a car. A pleasant buying experience means more repeat buyers.
But until we’re sure Detroit gets the message, we’ll sing Acura’s praises. The only extra on the MDX’s invoice was the $570 destination charge (Why do we need a destination charge anyway? We’re already there!). Anyway, that $570 brought the price up to the previously mentioned $44,345. That includes everything from the all-wheel-drive system, to three rows of seats (the third row for very little people), multiple safety systems, a navigation system with excellent voice recognition and a rearview camera, a DVD rear entertainment system with a 7” display and wireless headsets, moonroof, super sound system, auto headlights, fogs, 17” wheels, rain-sensing wipers, power everything, OnStar and XM. All this is included in standard equipment, giving you one number to be concerned with and probably lowering the cost overall.
Now I know some people will say I should have a choice, I should be able to pick what I want and leave the rest. Well, you’re entitled to be misguided, and you can do that if you want to, but I love Acura’s all-in-one pricing.
As for the MDX itself, how does it rate as a vehicle? To repeat myself, competence, not excitement is the key here. Probably the only obvious downside to the MDX is that it only comes with a 3.5-liter, 24-valve V6. There is no 8-cylinder engine available as with others in its class. But at a time when gas prices are hovering around $3 per gallon and our brave servicepeople are dying daily in the Middle East to ensure the continued availability of oil, we should probably be happy about that. Fuel economy is a relatively good for its class 17 city/23 highway according to the EPA, and the engine is, like many Honda engines, peppy and satisfying if not overwhelmingly powerful.
The engine, like the smooth 5-speed automatic transmission, is Japanese. The MDX is assembled in Ontario, Canada, and 65% of its parts are U.S. or Canadian. The size is all North American. This is a vehicle designed for the expansive American market, and by expansive, I mean fat.
Sitting in the MDX brings back no memories of early Civics. These seats are well-engineered to accommodate the American rear, providing comfort and support to a variety of physiques. Again, as with most Honda-designed cars, controls are so intuitive, you get behind the wheel and can figure out almost anything without ever having to refer to the manual. 
Visibility is top of the line, though after a little practice, you’ll enjoy using the rear view camera as you back up to see how close you can come to the car behind you without touching. The front two rows of seats are easily accessible, though the third row should be considered for emergencies and small children. Cargo space, helped by easily folded seats, is plentiful. Passenger safety is tops as rated by crash test results.
Handling and ride comfort are very good for an SUV. The MDX is, after all, a car-based vehicle and largely handles like one. It is not an off-roader, but its 8-inch ground clearance allows it to handle most obstacles.
We do hope Acura does a major design refresh soon. The MDX did supplant the RX as the RX supplanted the Jeep after Lexus and Jeep stayed too long with a design that then grew long in the tooth. The MDX’s design seems much less fresh than it used to, but overall, unless you need offroad capability or Porsche-like excitement, the MDX still gets a strong yes.
2006 Lincoln Zephyr: A fresh breeze
Someone at Ford must have a wicked sense of humor. Given that so many of Detroit’s recent troubles have a link with the East – consumers preferring cars from Far East countries like Japan or Korea; and rising oil prices from the Middle East, partially fueled by increasing demand from China, killing SUV sales – basing the invited media for an important new product launch at the deluxe Mandarin Oriental hotel in Manhattan seems almost in your face. But that’s not the attitude at Ford these days, and they think that’s not the feeling in the country either. So they told members of the press invited to last week’s press unveil of a brand new product with a very old name: the Lincoln Zephyr.
“We think this is the right time to not be in everyone’s face,” said Lincoln Mercury President Al Giambetti, “to not be so bold.” To a nation wearied by six years of Texan bravado and braggadocio, Lincoln Mercury, a company whose face was once the very bold and very big Navigator, is offering a quiet alternative, a very East Coast “understated elegance.” Instead of massive testosterone and horsepower, the Lincoln executives offered the assembled members of the press formerly foreign words like “fuel efficiency,” “value” and “build quality.”
This talk, this tone, was centered on a very special vehicle for the new Lincoln Mercury: The Lincoln Zephyr. The Zephyr may not be a huge seller in terms of numbers – Lincoln’s Marcus Oliveira said they were projecting sales of about 30,000 Zephyrs – but it is of prime importance for the future of the once distinguished Lincoln Mercury name.
“It is time for Lincoln to get ready for its future,” Mr. Giambetti said. “The Zephyr gives them (car buyers) an opportunity to get into the luxury segment…this vehicle gives us an opportunity to play where we haven’t played before.
“This should bring in a lot of new customers to the Lincoln brand.”
The foundation on which these hopes are being placed is the first entry-level luxury sedan offered by Lincoln in a long time. The Lincoln Zephyr is a midsize, five-passenger sedan, front wheel-drive, with a six-speed automatic transmission and for now, the 221-horsepower, 3-liter Duratec V6 powering the 17” wheels.
The Zephyr name itself reflects the division’s aspirations for the automobile. The original Zephyr was introduced in 1936 at a starting price of $1,400, while the Lincoln Model K cost $4,200. This broadened the market for luxury sedans, and while the new Zephyr is not opening its own market, it does offer what Oliveira called a “value proposition in a luxury application” that Lincoln thinks is likely “to attract a new generation of buyers.”
Let’s translate all that, shall we. You’re probably sitting there laughing at the thought of Lincoln attracting a new generation of buyers, or any generation not currently or soon to be resident in a cemetery, so let’s deal with that first. Lincoln expects to sell this car to thirty-somethings. It’s doable.
It wasn’t very long ago that Lincoln was selling lots of Navigators and Cadillac was the dying brand. I remember the tales of woe back then, some written by this very scribe. Things change fast given a few hot products, and Lincoln intends to introduce at least five new models over four years to keep momentum going.
You do need something to get you started, to get yourself in the mindspace of active buyers. Zephyr Brand Manager Gary Barham said many focus groups hours went into finding out what it would take to get the desired customers to try a Lincoln, and beyond a good car, a good deal (my interpretation, not his) was what it would take.
By that I don’t mean 50% off sales, but the kind of easily understood pricing and good value that would make consumers relaxed and comfortable with what they were getting. To that end, Lincoln priced the Zephyr at $29,660 (including $695 destination) to start, topping off fully loaded at $35,240. Standard equipment includes anti-lock brakes, traction assist, side airbags and side air curtains, gorgeous wood trim, six-disc CD stereo system, dual climate control, leather seats (power front and driver memory) and more. There are only six options, including a 14-speaker, 600-watt THX-II Certified audio system, DVD navigation, HID headlamps, chrome (replacing aluminum) wheels, cooled seats and a power moonroof. The one I had lacked only the moonroof and came in at $33,145, including destination. Seems like a good deal to me.
Lincoln seeks to represent “American Luxury.” I can’t resist pointing out, with just a tiny smirk, that for American car consumers, entry-level luxury means buying Japanese. The Acura TL, Infiniti G35 and Lexus ES 330 are among the main perceived competition for the Zephyr. Still smirking, I’ll point out that Lincoln’s bid to beat them is being built atop the Mazda 6 platform.
Of course, that’s not as strange as it may seem. In order to keep costs low in a viciously competitive market, most car companies try to leverage their platform investment by building as many models as possible on the same platform. After all, Acura, Infiniti and Lexus models have much in common with their Honda, Nissan and Toyota stablemates.
No, given a good basic platform, which the Mazda 6 assuredly is, the question is what you do with it. Lincoln has chosen to reject the bold styling that brought success to Chrysler’s 300C or Cadillac’s entire car line in favor of something far less edgy. The Lincoln bloodlines are clearly there, but this is a sedan designed for those who’d never dream of slipping into the front seat of that Town Car. It is not, however, a car for those who think end zone celebrations are the highlight of the football game. As the Lincoln executives repeatedly reminded us, understated elegance is Lincoln’s game.
Please bear in mind that all my impressions are based on a three-hour drive, half of which was spent as a passenger, so they are basically first impressions. The good news for Lincoln is that those first impressions are mostly good.
Interior design is clean and elegant, highlighted in my test car by gorgeous polished maple wood accents. Instruments were clear and understandable, controls easy to use. The navigation system deserves special mention. The touch-screen DVD-based system responded quickly, was intuitive and had some little touches, like automatic centering, that really were fresh and helpful.
The seats, at least in front where I rode, were well-designed and comfortable, as attested to by the fact that both I and my co-driver felt the need to close our eyes and drift off when we were in the passenger seat. For those familiar with the Mazda 6 platform, welcome news is that Lincoln stretched the interior to provide noticeably more leg room. Fit and finish seemed good.
Lincoln put an awful lot of attention into keeping the car quiet, and they succeeded. Everything from the mirror design to extra insulation in the passenger compartment to thicker glass comes together keep out all the noise the monster sound system hasn’t already scared away.
Steering was remarkably precise for a front-wheel-drive model, with superb centering. Handling was comfortable, but with enough road feel to keep you connected to the pavement. This is not a stiff, high-performance suspension, but it certainly is a long way from the floaty ride that once was synonymous with Lincoln.
The engine did not thrill me. It’s the same 3.0 liter Duratec V6 that I thought left the Ford Five Hundred underpowered, and despite having 300 fewer pounds to pull, it still seemed not enough. The route on which we tested the Zephyr stretched from Manhattan through back country Greenwich into Westport, then down through the back roads of New Canaan and Stamford before heading back on the highway into midtown. That gave us ample opportunity to assess the driving characteristics of the Lincoln, and while they were pleasant enough, I think the addition of a stronger engine will do much to turn this into a world-class car. I would expect to see Ford’s upcoming 3.5-Liter V6, which should provide up to 300 horses, occupying the engine bay soon. I’d be thrilled if they also stiffened the suspension and put out a sports version of the Zephyr.
On the other hand, Giambetti pointed out that gas mileage 
was a concern for Lincoln (20 city/28 highway), and they thought they could keep the fun in driving without overwhelming horsepower. In addition, the Zephyr is rated Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle in California.
In the near future, there will be an all-wheel-drive version – now simply the price of entry into this market segment. For now, the Zephyr has great pricing with a luxurious interior among its many positive attributes. I think Giambetti was right when he said, “Zephyr will give us an opportunity, so stay tuned…we’ll have more to offer with the Lincoln brand.”
2005 Honda Civic Hybrid: Good for the soul
There are those people who feel doing good is its own reward. Not me. On that rare occasion when I do good, I not only want it to be tax-deductible, I want the entire world to know about it.
In my worldview, everything is all about me. The rest of the universe exists to revolve around me and reflect my glory. No hiding my light under a bushel for this baby, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Sad to say, this is why the 2005 Honda Civic 4-door Hybrid fails me miserably. This is a hybrid that embraces self-effacing virtue, and who wants that? What I want is a hybrid that says, hey, look at me, I’m saving the environment, aren’t I wonderful. I want a hybrid people will notice, primarily because then they’ll notice me. I want a hybrid that stands out more than a Hummer. Let’s get real: Do you think all those Hollywood folk who climb out of their private jets into Toyota Priuses are doing it because they really care about the environment? How much fuel do you think those jets burn anyway? How much pollution are they spewing? No, like me, they want to be conspicuously virtuous, and that the Civic Hybrid is not.
The Civic Hybrid looks much like any other Civic, primarily because, with the exception of some reduced trunk space and a smaller gas engine, it is much like every other Civic. A discreet little hybrid emblem on the back below the Civic badge is all that tells you this is an Advanced Technology/Partial Zero Emissions vehicle, saving the environment and saving you gas at the same time.
By the way, let me be upfront here and tell you all about the gas situation. According to the sticker on my test Civic Hybrid, the 1.3-liter, SOHC, 8-valve, 4-cylinder engine with Integrated Motor Assist’s hemi-beating (just kidding) 93 horsepower will cost you, when mated with the superb Continuously Variably Transmission (CVT), peanuts at the pump. Well, not actually peanuts, but the EPA estimates mileage per gallon of 47 in the city, 48 on the highway.
Not to seem too distrustful of anything coming out of Washington these days, but you’re more likely to find weapons of mass destruction in Baghdad than get that kind of mileage on Summer Street. My combined mileage was 35 miles per gallon over about 600 miles of driving. That was with the air conditioning going constantly, and Consumer Reports says it got 36 miles per gallon from the Civic Hybrid, so the numbers can be tweaked a little. In any event, though, take the EPA numbers with a huge grain of salt.
This, to be sure, has nothing to do with the Civic itself, but with the nature of hybrids and the way the EPA tests mileage. Any hybrid will probably not perform as well as one would expect given the sticker.
While we’re on the subject, performance should not be foremost on your mind if you’re planning to buy the Civic Hybrid. Unlike its sister Accord Hybrid or the Lexus 400RH, which use the hybrid engines to add power and performance in excess of that offered by their straight gas powered siblings, the Civic Hybrid is all about saving gas.
Handling is much the same as the regular Civic – that is decent but no longer overwhelmingly top of the class (the Civic gets redone for 2006). Acceleration is…hey, I did say you weren’t buying this for the performance, but you’ll get to 60 eventually. The thing I love most about the Civic Hybrid was the dash. It must be that little boy in me. I loved its eerie blue glow and how it showed the battery getting charged or discharged.
OK folks, time for the engineering lesson. The Civic Hybrid is not what I myself call a true hybrid. I reserve that term for cars like the Prius and the Ford Escape that can run solely on battery power. The Civic Hybrid doesn’t do this, relying instead on the electric motor to help the gasoline engine. The bottom line though is much the same – a much cleaner running car with improved gas mileage.
As Honda describes it, “The Civic Hybrid uses Honda's innovative Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) technology, employing a 1.3-liter i-DSI 4-cylinder gasoline engine coupled with a high output electric motor to provide excellent performance and fuel efficiency. The system's compact nickel-metal hydride battery module is automatically recharged during braking and deceleration. The hybrid system provides up to 93 horsepower and 116 lb-ft of torque with the electric motor ‘assist.’ Fuel economy is improved by up to 30 percent compared to other Civic sedans. All this is achieved by the hybrid powertrain while still meeting the stringent AT-PZEV standard.”
That means it’s all good.
I really did have fun playing with the engine, watching the gauge and figuring out how to charge, or run down, the battery. For those of you with more maturity, this could wear thin quickly, but not for me.
The car itself is, as I’ve alluded to often, pretty much the same as other Civics otherwise. That means it’s an intelligently designed car, one easy to feel comfortable in, that should give you years of worry-free ownership. The Advanced Technology/Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle version sold here starts at $20,050 for the 5-speed manual, $21,050 for the CVT. Destination and handling will add $515 to the sticker. Given that it runs on regular fuel, the occasional visit to the gas station shouldn’t be much of a hardship.
The Civic Hybrid was also named one of the top four “Greenest Vehicles for 2005” by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy – more reason to feel virtuous, if inconspicuously so.
I hate “inconspicuous.” Maybe Honda should paint each Civic Hybrid green and put flashing lights on it, just so self-centered people like myself will know it’s cool. Let me illustrate what’s bugging me. I pulled up to Connecticut Coffee in Wilton in the Civic Hybrid, right next to a Prius driven by actor Joe Pantoliano. Joey Pants was sitting in front of the store, explaining to some guy all about the Prius. The guy didn’t even cast a sideways glance at the Civic Hybrid. I’d pulled in nose first, so to him, it was just another Civic.
I know I should be satisfied with that warm fuzzy feeling of knowing that by driving the 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, I’m helping to create a better world for my grandchildren, helping to make sure no one’s child has to go to
war to protect our oil supplies, helping to recreate a planet where clean air can once again be taken for granted. I know it shouldn’t matter - that in fact it adds to the mitzvah – that no one knows I’m doing such good deeds. But who am I, Mother Teresa? I want some flash for the Civic Hybrid.
But that’s never been Honda’s way. They’d rather make good, understated cars you can rely on. So for those of us with the need to show off, the 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid sedan proves you can’t always get what you want. But you do get what you need.
2006 Pontiac Torrent: GM opens the crossover floodgates
Politically minded types may be forgiven for thinking a Torrent was what nearly swept through Stamford Government Center when news of Dan Malloy’s surprisingly close win emerged, but car types know this is GM’s latest bid for victory in the increasingly important crossover sports utility segment.
As gas prices rise and sports utility vehicle sales plunge, crossover vehicles – the ones that look like SUVs but are actually car-based – have grown in both importance and sales. Once disdainfully dismissed as station wagons in disguise, these autos, like the Lexus RX-330 and the Honda Pilot, are the new darlings of automakers and drivers alike, with the carlike handling and SUV seating seemingly what consumers now favor in the post-SUV world.
Detroit has noticed, and this is actually one of the few market segments in which domestic automakers are taking market share from their Asian competitors. The Pontiac Torrent is one of GM’s newest weapons in this fight, and early sales numbers show solid market acceptance of this vehicle.
If you’re familiar with the Chevrolet Equinox, a crossover I liked for its price, handling and amenities, then you already know the 2006 Pontiac Torrent, and many of the arguments for buying one. Like its near-identical sibling, the five-passenger Torrent comes well equipped for its $24,300 price, with air conditioning, power windows and doors, a 6-speaker CD system, dual stage front airbags, fog lamps and
more among the standard equipment. My Pontiac Torrent was the all-wheel-drive version (it’s also available in front-wheel-drive), and for $27,240, added cruise control, side impact and head curtain airbags, OnStar and more to the basic package. Destination charge was an additional $590.
Like the Equinox, the Torrent is a clean design, not really edgy, but flattering nonetheless. The trademark Pontiac grille is one of the differences that leads to a more masculine look for the Torrent, but side by side, the family resemblance is unmistakable.
Inside, the Torrent’s design is even cleaner, and with its chrome accents, slightly more attractive than the Equinox’s. Seats in front are good, not great – they could be a little more supportive – but the seats in rear stand out. As Pontiac points out, “The multi-adjustable rear seat…can provide segment-leading legroom for rear-seat passengers when moved rearward or increase the length of the cargo area by nearly a foot when moved forward. The rear seat also reclines, providing more comfort. Also, the Torrent has the widest rear door openings in its segment, making entry and exit of both people and cargo easier.”
My rear-seat passengers were very favorably impressed. Both front- and rear-seat passengers liked the roominess of this cabin. This is a light, airy cabin, well-designed to suit the comforts of the passengers. There are lots of integrated storage areas, and cupholders galore. There are three 12-volt power outlets standard, so your Blackberry, your laptop and your iPod can all be charged at the same time.
The rear seats fold in a 60/40 split, and the front passenger seat also folds flat, allowing for an extended cargo area.
Pontiac says the competitors to its 
Torrent are the Ford Escape, Jeep Liberty, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda Tribute, Kia Sorento, and Toyota RAV-4. This may be true in price, and they all may be classed as compact sports utility vehicles, but the available interior space in the Torrent means it’s actually almost as spacious as the mid-size SUVs, a definite selling point for those looking for great value.
Let’s turn to performance. Crossover vehicles tend to look like full-fledged SUVs with the comfortable ride and handling of a car. For the most part, they are not, looks notwithstanding, designed to go off-road. The Torrent is no exception.
Pontiac claims: “And while customers will likely spend more time on the road than off, the Torrent nevertheless is a full-function SUV with all-weather capabilities providing excellent traction. Both the front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models provide almost eight inches (203 mm) of ground clearance and feature short front and rear overhangs for favorable off-road approach and departure angles. The on-demand automatic all-wheel drive system has no buttons to push. It engages automatically when wheel slip is detected.”
I claim I should be one of People’s 50 most beautiful people.
Neither claim should be taken without a few grains of salt.
Not that it matters. So long as my wife and my editor think I’m half as good looking as I think I am, who cares what the rest of the world says? And if the Torrent is going to get you safely through the snows of Fairfield County, who cares what it can or cannot do off-road. How many people in Stamford buy an SUV planning to take it through the wilderness?
No, the Torrent is not a full-fledged SUV, no matter what the Pontiac literature says. An easy way to tell is to look at the ground clearance. The Torrent has 7.9 inches of ground clearance. The 2006 Subaru Outbacks have 8.4 to 8.7 inches of ground clearance. Big deal! Most people buy SUVs for the space, of which the Torrent offers plenty, and the handling in bad weather, where Pontiac’s all-wheel-drive 
automatically switches on when needed. Towing capacity, if you’re interested, is 3,500 pounds.
The one potential downside for Pontiac is that the Torrent doesn’t offer what I’d consider driving excitement, at least not the full experience. John Larson, Buick-Pontiac-GMC general manager said, “With the Torrent, we’re applying the character of Pontiac performance to a different type of vehicle. It has the responsive driving traits that drivers would expect in a performance sedan combined with the capabilities of an SUV.”
It’s time to reach for those grains of salt again. The engine, a 3.4-liter V-6 mated to a 5-speed transmission, is actually quite peppy, feeling much more sporty than its 185-horsepower rating might indicate. The ride is comfortable, but the steering could use some tightening. Handling is, on the whole, adequate, but if Pontiac wants to distinguish this from the Equinox and make it really exciting to drive, it might consider stiffening the suspension and holding the steering closer to center.
Reality, however, would suggest that few people buy something like the Torrent for its sporty handling, and for most commuters, I think the Torrent is tuned just fine.
At the pump, the Torrent takes regular gas, which it uses at a rate of 18 city, 23 highway. The front-wheel-drive-version goes a mile per gallon farther in each category.
The 2006 Pontiac Torrent AWD is a well-priced, well-designed spacious new choice for the average American family looking for a crossover vehicle. If it succeeds in getting a few people out of the larger behemoths and saving a few gallons of gasoline, both GM and America will be well-served.
secure in its abilities that one does not hesitate to power out of a situation where in a lesser car, one might choose to stomp hard on the brakes and pray loudly. The chassis feels stiff and strong. The engine puts out 160 horses at 6,500 rpm, with 150 lb.-ft. of torque available at 4,500 rpm.
