Another Look

2006 Volvo S40 T5 AWD: Running with the big dogs

I love being wrong.

It’s not that I’m a masochist. It’s just that it happens so rarely, I revel in the novelty of it all. Like a solar eclipse, it would become bothersome were it to be a regular occurrence, but because of its infrequency, it is quite an attraction. So let me now say those words unlikely to be repeated – or necessary – for a generation or more:

I was wrong.

The last time I drove the Volvo S40, shortly after the second generation of the smallest Volvo on US shores came out, I wasn’t impressed. Actually, I was downright cranky. I did not then think the S40 could become what Volvo needed: a bona fide contender in the entry level luxury Euro sport sedan category.

Thank God I’m such a wonderful individual I always keep an open mind, because the sound you hear is my mind changing. (No, not that sound. That’s a whoopee cushion. I hope.)

The 2006 Volvo S40 T5 AWD sedan very definitely establishes Volvo as a competitor in this marketplace. Even better, it comes in at a price that will save more than a few dollars over much of its competition.

The S40 comes in a variety of trim and performance levels, starting with the base S40 2.4i, which has a MSRP of $23,755. The T5 starts at $26,615 and my T5 AWD (all-wheel-drive) begins at $28,390. Destination for any of them is $695, and Volvo estimates that you can actually get the S40 up to just over $40,000. I’m not sure what incredibly extravagant options you’d need to get the price up that high, because my well-equipped S40 came in at $33,720 including destination.

The only obviously missing options on mine were a navigation system and a moonroof, but for the price, I got a boatload of features, everything from heated seats to spoilers and headlamp washers.

But you come to expect all that in this class. What I wasn’t sure of going in was the performance. You expect Volvos to be safe and sturdy and take a Scandinavian, Garrison Keilor-like stab at styling, but sports handling hasn’t been synonymous with Volvo for a long time.

Old time Volvo lovers, rejoice! The S40 demonstrates that when the Swedes want to have fun, they know how.

The 2.5-liter, 5-cylinder inline turbocharged engine is just the start, and quite a start it is. The S40 only weighs 3,447 pounds, and the 218 horses and 236 lb.-ft of torque the engine puts out is enough to get you zooming from place to place, or, more likely, trying to hit all the curvy detours in between. A revelation is the 6-speed manual transmission that controls the power. I liked the clutch and loved the transmission. Had I been blindfolded, no-one could have convinced me this was a Volvo transmission.

The transmission throw was relatively short and very crisp. In a long commute up Route 7, made almost unbearably longer by road construction and rush hour traffic, the virtues of this transmission in a commuter became apparent. Shifts were second nature, requiring little effort, and unlike in many high performance sports sedans, never became burdensome.

But get on the open road and Dr. Jekyll becomes Mr. Hyde. The same stick that was so easy to shift suddenly tried to glue itself to my hands, forcing me to fly with it through first, then second, third, fourth, fifth, ah…sixth. Actually, the whole car transformed from this reliable, undemanding commuter to all-out sports sedan.

Thankfully, I did not need to explain to any of those nice state troopers why I was grinning maniacally and shifting like a race car driver. But I’m sure if I’d let them use the S40 as a pursuit vehicle, they would have understood.

I detected very little turbo lag in this engine, and an overwhelming desire to devour pavement at great speeds. Making sure the tires stayed connected to the road were the independent strut suspension in front and multilink independent with coil springs in the rear, tuned to be sporty enough to give the road feel crucial to making driving a sports car fun, but not too stiff as to be uncomfortable.

S-curves were candy to the S40, it ate them all up and kept begging for more. The only downside was I was unable to get the tires to squeal. The all wheel drive and traction control kept the tires firmly planted and gripping at all times. But the buzz you felt moving off the line more than made up for it. Accelerating at cruising speed also was no problem. There was lots of torque available all through the curve. It was a beautiful thing.

As would be expected, the high performance T5 AWD is the thirstiest of the S40 family, with EPA estimated mileage of 20 city/29 highway with the six-speed manual. You will be pulling up to the premium pump, by the way.

In case, I haven’t made myself clear, this was one fun car to drive. And for those concerned with safety, stopping was just as spectacular. Braking is, as one would expect from a car company devoted to safety, superb.

The safety features are…hey, it’s a Volvo. Of course it’s as safe as you get. Safety features are too numerous to mention, but rest assured Volvo’s Intelligent Vehicle Architecture combines passive and active safety measures to ensure world-class protection. In the front structure alone, for example, four different grades of steel are used to provide maximum safety.

As for looks, beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. The external design of the S40 is what I’d call interesting. It does have lines and curves and is clearly a Volvo and is certainly not unpleasant, but my reaction to it varied from day to day. To my eye, it seemed a little squeezed, almost stocky.

Inside is different. This sedan is anchored visually by Volvo’s gorgeous ultra-slim center console. For those who’ve never seen it, think one of those sleek Bang & Olufsen stereos, but with all the controls where they should be. This is a car you sit in and immediately know where everything is. Volvo very successfully designed the instruments and controls to be eminently readable and intuitively usable. The dash is clean, the design and layout more than just neat, it’s elegant, and that brushed aluminum console which forms a gracious Brancusi-“Bird-in-Space”-like curve down the center of the dash is a museum quality design statement.

As if all this weren’t enough, guess what’s new for ’06 on the T5? Oh, c’mon, guess! Fine, I’ll tell you: new, improved cupholders.

Be still, my heart!

How much more could anyone want? Smooth, fast, stylish, safe and with good cupholders – many of us have spent half our lives looking for Swedes like that. A test drive in the 2006 Volvo S40 T5 AWD may well be enough to make Absolut (or Ann-Margaret, for you older folk) your second favorite Swedish import.

posted by Andy Mais @ 3:11 PM 0 comments

2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara AWD: Compact price with style and performance

Many, many years ago, when I had hair, I drove a Suzuki compact SUV. It’s been a long time, but the memory lingers on. I couldn’t wait till it was time to give back that vehicle, and even now, when I saw the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara on my schedule, that memory came flooding back and I wondered what the best excuse for not accepting it would be.

Unfortunately, “the dog ate my schedule” just didn’t cut it, and so I prepared to be inflicted with one of those weeks that remind you being an auto reviewer isn’t all fun and games. Fortunately, I kept an open mind.

It was a completely unexpected and pleasant surprise to drive the all-new Grand Vitara. After a week in this new compact SUV, I was actually looking forward to seeing what else Suzuki would be coming up with. Given the vast improvement this Grand Vitara is over the previous model, Toyota and Honda and Ford had better start looking over their shoulder in Suzuki’s direction.

This is not to say the Grand Vitara is perfect, but it is that great combination of pricing and performance that adds up to a good value. Whatever its other faults, the Grand Vitara has always been a capable off-road vehicle, but now it’s also much better on road, and much closer to entry level luxury with a plain old entry level price.

The new Grand Vitara is a four-door compact SUV much like a RAV-4 or a CR-V, but without the annoying letters. It seats four very comfortably – five could cram without much discomfort – with good luggage space. It holds 24.4 cu. ft. with the rear seat up, 68.9 with the split seats down. The one really weird thing about the Vitara is that the side-opening rear door opens on what I think is the wrong side for American driving. It opens on the left, swinging open to the right, so if you’re parked as most of us do with the driver’s side (the car’s left side) nearest to the street, you have to walk around to the street side to load the back and you’re blocked by the tailgate from loading it from the sidewalk.

Let’s turn to the price, because that’s easy to quantify. Grand Vitaras will run you somewhere between the high teens and the low mid-20s. The top end of the range would include stuff you would expect to find on luxury vehicles, like the Smart Pass entry and start system, which dispenses with the need to take your key out – and we know what a pain that can be if you’ve got gloves on or somehow dropped the keys in the bottom of a bottomless pocketbook like my wife’s – in order to open or close the doors or start the car.

My test vehicle was the 2006 Grand Vitara 4WD with premium package (the luxury package is the next step up). Base price was an affordable $22,099, and the price as tested was, get this, $22,099. That comes with a 2.7-liter V6 (most compact SUVs use a 4-cylinder), 5-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel-drive, electronic stability program with traction control, and antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution.

Creature comforts and safety features included front and rear curtain airbags, front passenger side airbags, climate control, a 6-disc CD system with subwoofer that’s XM satellite radio ready and plays your MP3s among other things, cruise control, tilt steering with remote stereo controls, fog lamps, roof rails, power windows, locks and mirrors and remote keyless entry.

Also included in the deal was roadside assistance and Suzuki’s 100,000 mile, no deductible, fully transferable warranty. Oh yeah, you get a full tank of gas too.

All this, as I said, cost just $22,099.

But cost is only part of the equation. As I mentioned, the Suzuki was always a competent offroader, and for those looking to go off-road without ending up out of wallet, the Grand Vitara delivers. With an approach angle of 29 degrees, departure angle of 27 degrees and ground clearance of 7.9 inches in a unibody chassis on a ladder frame, the Grand Vitara should be able to handle most trails with ease and still provide a comfortable on-road ride.

On road, the Vitara did reasonably well. EPA mileage figures of 19 city/23 highway aren’t anything to write home about, even with that 24-valve V6. Towing capacity is 3,000 pounds, sufficient for a small boat or trailer carrying all that stuff away to college.

The engine surprised me. For the most part, acceleration was good, though I wasn’t fond of the transmission change points. For a V6, the engine was louder than I would have liked and seemed to strain much more than I would have expected. I couldn’t tell if the engine was actually straining or just sounded like it. Horsepower is 185 at 6,000 rpm and torque is 184 at 4,500 rpm, which should be more than adequate for a relatively light SUV, but it didn’t seem like it. My guess would be that the torque distribution isn’t optimized in the midrange, but I didn’t get a chance to look at the torque curve, so that’s just a guess.

Handling is good, not sports car quality, but everything’s fine if you stay within the limits. The ride is smooth and stable, close to carlike given the off-road capabilities of the Grand Vitara.

I know I keep mentioning the price, but that is a big part of the attraction of the Grand Vitara. The sticker is so low that one expects Suzuki to have cut corners somewhere, but they didn’t. Exterior styling of the Grand Vitara is very good, smooth and sleek and friendly while retaining just enough of that hint of machismo so you know this is a SUV. For some reason, it struck me as very California, with the kind of beauty that wouldn’t be out of place on Venice Beach. There’s no comparison between this and previous versions.

The interior lives up to the expectations the exterior promises. Fit and finish were excellent in my test car; controls were well-laid out and easy to use. Granted, as with any car in this price range, there is more plastic than carbon fiber or brushed aluminum, but Suzuki has managed to make it look good.

Overall, Suzuki has done a great job with the new 2006 Grand Vitara. Anyone who wants a compact SUV with luxury features, a great warranty and on- and off-road performance at a fabulous price should be sure to put this on the shopping list.

posted by Andy Mais @ 1:35 PM 0 comments

2006 Volvo XC90 V8 AWD ASR7: Safety First

Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Sen. Joe Lieberman and a TV camera – some relationships are so passionate and burn so brightly they live on long after the lovers are gone. Others – George W. Bush and books, for example – just never seem to work. The ingredients are there, but no sparks fly.

The latter comes closer to describing my relationship to the 2006 Volvo XC90 V8 AWD SUV. I drove the XC90 when it first came out, and though I liked and respected it, it didn’t grab me. I couldn’t understand it then, because in general I love Volvos, and this was a vehicle that had all the expected Volvo attributes – well-designed, safe, flexible and attractive. But there was no passion. I wanted to be just friends.

Perhaps it was a matter of power, I thought. The original XC90 had the V6, which was adequate I guess, but about as exciting as a fiber-filled diet cookie. I asked for the V8, hoping that perhaps more power would ignite the flames of desire. After all, the billions of people driving the XC90 on Fairfield County streets can’t all be wrong.

After a week in the 2006 Volvo XC90 V8 AWD, I’m sure they’re not, but I’m still not singing “I wanna come over.” I’ve become resigned to being good friends with the XC90, but no trips up Brokeback Mountain for us. Falling in love is just not going to happen.

Like and respect – that’s a different story, and one worth telling. After all, without the passion, you get to focus on what really binds you. No, there is no great literature written about platonic relationships, but you also don’t hear about people killing themselves because a friend left, and many friendships long outlast the passionate flings. You go to Paris once with lovers, you go to Starbucks every few days with friends, which may explain the popularity of what the New York Times once called the “Starbucks Utility Vehicle.”

Part of your relationship with longtime friends involves knowing things about them lovers don’t, which gives you the info necessary to set them up with others who would be a good match. That’s why I still feel good about my relationship with the XC90 – I know lots of friends I’d like to set it up with.

I was actually talking to someone yesterday – a typical young, upscale suburbanite – whose wife was looking for a new family car and who was falling in love with the XC90. There’s someone for everyone, and for many people, the XC90 will be a perfect fit.

Let’s start with the obvious – the engine. At 4,610 lbs., the XC90 is not a lightweight, and I thought the V6, while a nice enough engine, just didn’t provide the power needed to compete in the luxury SUV segment. That, by the way, is where you’ll find this Volvo firmly ensconced. My test car came in at $49,480 (cost of the XC90 ranges from mid 30s to high 50s), and did not include necessities like a satellite radio and navigation system, rear video system or a personal masseuse, but back to the engine.

This may be a Volvo, but the engine is Japanese (17% of the parts come from Sweden, 23% from Japan, including the engine and transmission) and is much better matched to the XC90. This 8-cylinder is a 4.4-liter, throaty alloy engine with 32-valves and continuously variable intake and exhaust valve timing (CVVT) pushing out 311 horsepower at 5,850 RPM and 325 lb.-ft at 3,900 RPM. All this basically means is that you have more than enough power to go from 0 to 60 when you’re getting on 95, or from 55 to 75 to avoid that truck that just swooped into your lane. Top speed is 130 mph. The new 6-speed Geartronic automatic transmission does a good job of managing that power and getting you there.

EPA estimated gas mileage is 15 city/21 highway (premium fuel), not great but decent for a 7-passenger vehicle and smack in the middle of its class. Better news is that this, the most powerful engine in Volvo’s history, is relatively environmentally friendly. It is the first V8 to meet the stringent Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) II standards.

So there are no more power problems and the engine sounds good, removing one of my big complaints about the 6-cylinder version. That’s a definite plus for this version. I’m still not thrilled about the handling. This is a car-based SUV, so the ride is very forgiving and comfortable, but it is more luxury than sports. It seems softer and less interested in throwing itself into corners than in cruising down the straight and narrow.

While that explains my lack of desire, it also helps explain the popularity of the XC90. This is a handling characteristic that makes it a great, comfortable, undemanding commuter vehicle. If you’ve got a family of five stuck back there and you have to referee the fights, you probably are not particularly concerned about the slalom times (that’s how you measure handling, btw).

What you will be concerned with is what Volvo is famous for – safety. The XC90 won’t let you down. There are few vehicles I’d rather be on the road in.

Safety has always been Volvo’s passion, and the engineers clearly got the green light from the marketers to make this as safe a vehicle as they could. It starts with the basics, like All Wheel Drive. This is standard on the V8 version of the XC90, coming with what Volvo calls “Instant Traction.”

Volvo has a long, detailed and extremely boring explanation of what this does, but this is the highlight: “Prior to Instant Traction, if the AWD system sensed that the front wheels were losing traction, one-seventh of a wheel rotation occurred before it began redirecting torque to the wheels with traction. That rotation could influence performance under certain conditions.”

This has changed, as you probably already knew, because “Instant Traction adds a one-way pre-charging valve to the AWD system that maintains a torque load of 59 foot-pounds, which is available instantly.”

I think what they’re trying to say is you really never need worry about your wheels slipping in the snow. Fortunately, they’re much better engineers than they are writers.

All XC90 models are equipped with Roll Stability Control (RSC), Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC), Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) with side airbags and inflatable curtains for all three rows. Also on the list of safety acronyms are ROPS (Rollover Protection System) with a boron steel reinforced roof that’s tougher than even my skull, and WHIPS, the Whiplash Protection System. I’m sure you’re not surprised. Safety is Volvo’s middle name (Actually, Volvo has no middle name. Volvo is Latin for “I roll.” Rock on, Swedish dudes!).

SUV and pickup test results just released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (those insurance guys love safe cars so they don’t have to pay out big bucks) had the Volvo XC90 as one of the few models to earn top ratings for whiplash protection systems. Only 6 of 44 vehicles tested offered effective protection against whiplash. Volvo’s was among the best. Somewhere, a personal injury lawyer is crying.

Volvo dealers aren’t, however. I may not have bought one, but lots of people did, as you can tell from the Starbucks parking lot. In December, perhaps coincidentally one of those months where the need for a safe car is obvious, the XC90 had record sales in 2005.

Inside, the XC90’s Scandinavian influences are obvious. Styling, both internal and external, is clean and neat, although I am struck by the nagging thought that at this price point, the dash looks less minimalist than just plain bare. Materials are top quality and fit and finish excellent. Controls are easy to use and well laid out.

I’m still on the fence about the seating for seven. It does eliminate an awful lot of cargo space, but given the flexibility of the seating and storage arrangements and the possibility that if someone doesn’t get the XC90, they may go for something bigger and much more polluting, I’ll live with it. The seats themselves are Volvo comfortable and supportive.

There really isn’t much not to like about this Volvo. If, like me, you demand driving excitement and, unlike me, can ignore the handling bias to the luxury side of things, there’s just about nothing not to like.

Mos def, if you have a family and need size, safety and good handling, be sure to test drive the 2006 Volvo XC90 V8 AWD. Let me know if you fall in love. It’s always nice when you set somebody up and it all works out.

posted by Andy Mais @ 3:54 PM 0 comments

2005 Land Rover LR3 V8 HSE: Empires could be built on this

Modern empires are no different. Planes, trains and automobiles have been essential to everything from the German blitzkrieg to the invasion of Iraq. The armed forces of many empires became identified with a particular mode or vessel of transportation, creating icons that marketers were only too happy to exploit.

For Americans, World War II and Korea meant the Jeep. Japan’s growing economic empire made the Toyota Land Cruiser a familiar face on unpaved trails in many a Third World country. For those of us who grew up in what used to be the British Empire, there was only one four by four worthy of the name: the Land Rover.

While Americans were more familiar – and awed – by the upscale Range Rover, the Queen’s soldiers and her subjects spent much more time and had more respect for the working class member of the family, which is what the Land Rover was. It carried soldiers and policemen across inhospitable terrain in places adventure travelers only now are starting to visit.

They’re probably using Toyotas now.

That’s not a commentary on the abilities of the Land Rover, which in its new LR3 V8 HSE edition is still able to take on any comers, but on its price and its market.

The 2005 Land Rover LR3 V8 HSE replaces the old Discovery, but that hardly says enough about what, even in a year when many very good and near great automobiles were released, stand out as one of the best. More details on that later, but it’s enough to say that if Ford can keep the quality and reliability high, this Land Rover will be the first in a long time that should have the competition quaking in its boots.

But first, the bad news. Unless you’re one of those looking fondly on the huge Bush tax cuts, this may not be the car for you. This is no longer a working class vehicle. My top-of-the-line 2005 model came in at a hefty $53,245 (including $665 delivery), with a base price of $49,330. The pricing has changed some for the 2006 model year, as has the standard equipment. The 2006 LR3 V8 HSE has a MSRP of $53,700 (including a $715 destination charge). More affordable is the regular V8 SE at $45,700, or the V6 starting at $39,000.

The good news is that if this is your kind of neighborhood, the LR3 is a bargain. Land Rovers may not yet spring to mind as a value proposition, but once you see all the LR3 offers, they will. But back to the bad news.

The LR3 is not a cheap date. In addition to the chunk of change you need to get acquainted with it in the first place, your wallet will get a good workout keeping it on the road. EPA estimated mileage is 14 city, 18 highway, and EPA estimates tend to be a trifle optimistic. That’s premium gas, in case you’re wondering. And why shouldn’t it be? Everything else about this vehicle is premium.

My test LR3 was Zambezi Silver outside and black leather inside and gorgeous everywhere you looked. I really like the styling of this vehicle. It is proof that form following function can still look fresh and beautiful. Not for this Land Rover the million twists and curves; this is a rectangle, designed to provide as much space as possible for the people and cargo inside, as unadorned as fine Shaker furniture, and as attractive.

It only gets better inside.

Looking up, one first sees, depending on where one sits, the power and tilt sliding sunroof or the fixed alpine roof, letting the sun shine in. The HSE now comes with the third row seating standard (it was an option on mine), allowing for space for 7, though at the cost of drastically reduced cargo space. What’s special about the HSE, as opposed to so many SUVs where the third row is only useful for small children, is that adults can sit comfortably back there for extended periods. That third row is also raised so passengers back there get a good view out the front windshield. Second row seats also benefit from stadium seating.

I, being selfish, was most concerned about the front seats. No need to worry here. These were among the most comfortable, supportive seats I’ve ever been in outside a sports car. Sure, they’re that soft, buttery leather and can be adjusted a million ways till Monday, but the important thing is that if you fix them once, you don’t have to. There was no fidgeting or changing positions. These were seats that fit like gloves, and I don’t mean OJ’s.

Land Rover, at heart, is still about the driving experience, and on or off road, this Land Rover is supremely competent. It starts with tires specially developed for Land Rover – in the case of the HSE, big 19-inchers. This is powered by a 4.4-liter, alloy V8 engine developing 300 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 315 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm and controlled by a six-speed “intelligent shift” ZF automatic, which allows the driver full control over the gear shift, should the driver want it.

The Jaguar-derived V8 puts out sufficient power and torque even for this heavy (5,426 to 5,796 lbs.) SUV. According to Land Rover, with the V8, you get 0-60 times of 8.5 seconds with a top speed of 121 mph. Interestingly, the weight of the car makes the much less powerful V6 (216 horses, 269 lb.-ft of torque) almost identical performance to the V8 at the pump, with a 14 city, 19 highway estimated fuel consumption.

The drive system is, as expected, permanent four-wheel-drive with traction control and “Terrain Response.” As Land Rover explains it, “By selecting one of the five terrain programs, Terrain Response automatically selects the most appropriate settings for the vehicle’s advanced electronic controls and traction aids – including ride height, engine torque response, hill descent control, electronic traction control and transmission setting. The five programs are for general driving, grass/gravel/snow, mud/ruts, sand and rock crawl.”

Towing capacity is 7,700 lbs. in low range, but the really important news is that the LR3 has 11 standard and one optional cupholders, with a total capacity of 37 pints. Don’t ask me how they measured it, and don’t ask me pints of what.

The LR3 being a complete luxury car, all the luxury and safety features one would expect are there, and they work well. From the voice-controlled navigation system to the two-piece aluminum tailgate, everything worked as well as it looked. The 550-watt, 14-speaker, 6-CD Harmon Kardon sound system worked perhaps too well for these aging ears, but the teenage princess loved it.

That’s perhaps the greatest prize of all. The teenage princess, who once turned down a ride in a BMW M3 because she didn’t like the color and has long insisted that a Porsche Boxster S is her designated - and the only suitable - graduation present actually was moved to enthusiasm by the 2006 Land Rover LR3 V8 HSE. She would, she proclaimed, accept the LR3 instead.

If Land Rover knew how rare such praise from the teenage princess was, they’d forget mentioning the 20-plus awards the LR3 earned from the US press and focus on her approval instead.

I can’t imagine the Land Rover finding an audience that would be harder to please. If the build quality holds up, I can’t imagine any audience that would not be pleased by the 2005 Land Rover LR3 V8 HSE.

posted by Andy Mais @ 12:39 PM 1 comments

2006 Mercedes-Benz C350: Starting the year off right

Still, like Springsteen, every journalist hack considers him or herself an artist of some sort, with art as experience transformed to wisdom, informed by the past as it informs the future. We guard that past jealously, because those accumulated experiences are all that differentiate us, and our opinions, from your loaded Uncle Larry who considers himself an expert on everything after a few cheap beers.

Truth is, no matter how bad you are at something to begin with, if you do it enough, sooner or later you stumble upon some truths. Experience really is the greatest teacher. I’m sure it does help to have some talent and to start with some knowledge of your field, but I wouldn’t know.

As for my experience, there are cars that I remember all my life, though some have changed, some forever, not for better, some have gone, but some remain (man, this should be a song).

I remember probably a decade ago when Mercedes-Benz was redefining itself in the American market. It was going from that stuffy giant best personified by the blocky S-class at the time to a fun brand that said excitement and performance and not just staid safety, and ran ads making fun of itself. Looking back, that was one of the most successful brand transformations in a long time. Mercedes has managed to retain much of its aura of exclusivity while becoming a mass-market brand, the Louis Vuitton of cars.

But back in those days, who knew? Then I drove the AMG version of the 190’s successor, the C-class, through the Litchfield hills. It was magic, a very sporty, very different kind of Benz, and the start of a long love affair. True confession here: The car I own is an E-class, so there may be a pro-Mercedes bias.

Still sin auld lang syne, we twa – Mercedes and I – hae run about the braes, and pou'd the gowans fine, but we've wander'd monie a weary fit, sin auld lang syne, and I wondered if the latest iteration of the C-class could stand up to the memory of the old.

It wasn’t necessarily a fair fight. Last time, it was the AMG version of the C, which is now the C55 AMG. This version was a lot less expensive, the C350 sport.

To explain, much has changed over the last model year for the entry level Benz. Gone are the value leader coupe and the young suburban favorite wagon. Now the C-class will only be available as a sedan. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that gone too should be the perception that these Mercedes models cannot compete with BMW in sportiness. New engines and more horsepower are rewriting the terms of this debate. In addition to the flagship 5.5-liter V8 of the AMG version, performance galore is available in the 3.5-liter V6 powering the 2006 Mercedes-Benz C350 sports sedan. The Double Overhead Cam, 24-valve V6 pushes out 268 horses and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, making for a 0-60 time of 6.4 seconds.

The cost of the new C350 is actually less than that of the C320 it replaces. Mine came in well-optioned at a bit over $43K. Power is up by about 25% while fuel efficiency is about 12% better, at an EPA estimated 20 city/28 highway on premium fuel.

There’s at least one set of numbers missing from that story, however. The torque curve is a measure of the smoothness of the power distribution, and here the numbers don’t lie. Maximum torque is just about flat from about 2,500 to 5,000 rpm. Approximately 87% of the torque is already available at 1,500 rpm. What that means is that the power is smoothly distributed over the practical driving range. The real benefit is that whenever you want to, whether it’s avoiding a kid running out into the street after a ball or avoiding a tractor trailer that decided to occupy your space on the highway, just step on the gas and the power you need is there.

One thing we probably learned looking at the world over the past year is that power is nice, but you must be able to control it. My test C350 was the rear-wheel-drive version with the 6-speed manual (all-wheel-drive is also available, as is a 5-speed and a 7-speed automatic).

I almost screamed out loud when I first put that transmission through its paces. I wanted to jump on Oprah’s couch so the world would know how much in love with this shifter I was. It’s a short-throw stick that’s smoother than Bill Clinton in a roomful of interns. I kept shifting gears just because I could, running the car through its paces just to feel how smoothly the engine’s power was flowing to the 17-inch wheels. It’s almost like the anesthesia I had at my last operation. There, you felt that tingle and knew you were going to another place. Here, you touch that shifter and your whole body starts tingling, because you know where you’re going feels so good it would be illegal were Pat Robertson president.

Those big tires and the Mercedes sports suspension kept the C350 glued to the road. Hard as I tried to shake its composure, I couldn’t. The ride was definitely sporty, but not so stiff as to be uncomfortable. You felt connected to the road in that Zen-like bliss that can only be interrupted by a stop sign.

That’s when the brakes kick in, reminding you this is a Mercedes, and as much fun as it is, it’s never going to forget about safety. This is Mercedes, and it comes with all the standard safety features one would expect from a leader in the field. But the best way to deal with an accident is to avoid one, and the performance of both the engine and the brakes on the C350 Sport certainly help. Steering is excellent, and that’s all I’ll say about it here. I could spend much more time waxing rhapsodically about it, but that would mean you’d get down to the dealership that much later.

Outside, the C350 looks much like the model it replaces – sexy in a Brooks Brother-ish, executive suite kind of way, masculine but not louty. Inside, improved styling means the C-class now offers a more distinguished look, with instruments and the minimalist looking black-on-white gauges easy to use and understand. Seating for four is comfortable, though the back seats may not be where you’ll want to stash Shaq on that cross-country trip.

Overall, the C350 is a sports sedan that makes Mercedes a contender again for anyone in the market for a great-handling, upscale vehicle. The 2006 Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport sedan provides the kind of experience that may well drive you to smiling, if not grinning foolishly, at absolute strangers, and wishing even the most annoying person in your office a Happy New Year.

Me, I’m smiling at the memory, and since I’m not driving, there's a hand my trusty fiere, and gie's a hand o thine, and we'll tak a right guid-willie waught, for auld lang syne.

Happy New Year.

*-Auld Lang Syne translation (from www. hogmanay.net)

• auld lang syne - times gone by
• braes – hills
• fiere - friend
• fit – foot
• gowans – daisies
• guid-willie waught - goodwill drink
• monie – many
• pou'd – pulled
• twa - two

posted by Andy Mais @ 12:35 PM 0 comments

2006 Audi A3 2.0 T Auto DSG: Small really can be great

This, our last column of 2005, is as good a time as any to look back on some things that brought a few moments of light to what, from New Orleans to Baghdad, has not been a very good year.

Before we get all snide and snarky, let’s take just one minute to be utterly serious, and offer a prayer of hope for those who have been the victims of natural disasters – of famine in Niger, drought in the Amazon, earthquakes in Pakistan and Kashmir, hurricanes in Louisiana and so much more. Let us offer a prayer of remembrance for those who need not have been victims but were – of genocide in Sudan, of terrorism and war in London, Iraq, Israel, Palestine and beyond, of hunger and neglect here at home.

Let us offer a prayer for our troops in harm’s way, not because we agree with those who sent them there, but because they are ours. Let us pray for their souls, and ours – all humanity’s – that we may someday remember the meaning of the season, and live in peace.

This year, we have found solace where we could, whether it be behind the wheel of some fine new machine or in front of the fireplace listening to Sonny Rollins blow. There have definitely been some bright spots this annus horribilis.

John Legend was one. The Ivy League-educated crooner destroyed stereotypes and hearts with equal alacrity, ripping his way up the charts with the best single of the year: Ordinary People. The album on which this came, Get Lifted, did just that, lifting both your spirits and the chance she’d be looking at you with love, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, as you turned the lights down low.

My pick for best album of the year came from across the pond. One of my favorite whipping boys, Coldplay, finally delivered. Their album X&Y is an astounding example of why a man’s reach must exceed his grasp. The results show this is what heaven is for. By about the fourth track, Fix You, you’ve discovered a new musical geometry, and Chris Martin is its axis.

Best television show? I’ve got three. On Showtime, Weeds was funnier than a bong full of prime Columbian, or whatever they smoke these days, and you didn’t get the munchies afterwards – fabulous, given my weight problem. HBO’s Rome started off very slowly, then built into the dramatic spectacle only HBO seems capable of. As Caesar lay dying in the Senate, “sic semper tyrannis” seemed so simplistic, the kind of black and white thinking that the shallow resort to in times of trouble, bloodshed its inevitable end.

Blood was shed, in glorious color on my 50” Panasonic HD, on Fox’s House. You’re right, this is not a new show this year, but I only started watching it this year and this column, like the rest of the world, is all about me. So’s House. About him, I mean. Seeing this drug-addicted, misanthropic, totally self-centered genius actually cure people each week made me realize there’s hope for everyone, and if I get sick, boy, do I want him. It was also nice to know there’s someone else as self-absorbed as I am.

As for real doctors, my two favorites right now are Marvin Den and Kirk Zachary in Norwalk. One took the time out from dealing with the insurance companies to push me to go get an undesired colonoscopy at Norwalk Hospital because whatever med society does these things had changed the age at which blacks should get their baseline colonoscopy to 45. The other brought me much relief when, after my second colonoscopy of the latter half of 2005, he was able to tell me this time all the new biopsies came up negative. As a thank you to them, please allow me to urge you to get your ass in gear, literally. The prep work is, er, moving, but the procedure is easy as, ah, pie, and the life you save may be the only one you’ll get.

What happens next has always been one of mankind’s biggest questions. As Don Rumsfeld will tell you, the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence, which is why the afterlife remains the greatest known unknown. Mary Roach confronted the evidence or lack of it for the afterlife in the hilarious Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife. I’m not sure how much science was involved in this, but it was the best read of my year.

My favorite news story of the year was the revelation that Vice President Dick Cheney is Santa Claus. Many of us in the business have long suspected this. A fat, white guy with a cholesterol problem who’s rumored to exist but never seen during the year, a guy with a fake laugh who shows up on Christmas Eve all over the world making warrantless intrusions into homes everywhere – the signs were all there. But when The New York Times revealed and the White House confirmed that under an heretofore secret program he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good, well, that’s as good as saying here’s Santa. I could tell you more of what I’ve heard, but I hear he’s making a list and checking it twice…

I’ve had the good fortune to drive many very good cars this year, and one of the best was the 2006 Audi A3 2.0 T Auto DSG, a car much more compact than its name.

German luxury carmakers (VW aside) have long struggled to bring their smaller, less expensive cars into the US market. BMW’s 318ti was an abject failure in the American marketplace for reasons having nothing to do with its performance. The Mercedes C230 coupe brought much scorn on the boys with the three-pointed star for bringing out a Mercedes with cloth seats. Now it’s Audi’s turn to try, and they’ve done something different. They’ve decided to go with the smaller, but leave the less expensive part out of the equation.

The A3 is a great little car with a big car price. My A3, very well-equipped to be sure, came in at $34,610 – not an inconsiderable price for a compact wagon considering this did not have the famed Quattro all-wheel-drive and had the base, but fun, 2-liter engine. Granted, you can get an A3 starting at $24,740 (plus $720 destination), but Audi lovers, and I am one, know that options always kill you on Audis. My test A3 started off at base price of $26,140 plus the destination.

Also available is the new 3.2-liter V6, kicking out 250 horses with Quattro for a base of $33,980. The good news there is the destination charge remains the same.

So why would one even consider the A3 at this price? Good question, and one I would have struggled with were the darn thing not such flat-out fun to drive. I ended up deciding it should best be compared with the TT sports coupe, but with a lot more space for people and groceries. When you look at it that way, the price seems downright reasonable.

My A3’s 2.0-liter double overhead cam turbocharged four-cylinder pushed out 200 horses, transmitted to the ground through some fat, and phat, 17” wheels. The FrontTrak front wheel drive system puts the lie to the Eurosnobs who claim front wheel drive sports cars are an oxymoron. My only disappointment with my test A3 was that it came with the optional 6-speed automatic. This Direct Shift Gearbox did allow you to shift manually, but I’m too old to prefer the paddles to the stick off the track, and I would have loved the full control of the six-speed manual. Still, while this thing looked like a wagon, it handled like another 3-series from another German manufacturer, this one with three letters.

I do have to praise the Direct Shift Gearbox, for those who like this sort of thing. Gear changes were fast and smooth. For those more used to iPods than LPs, this could be the transmission of choice. Audi did a fabulous job making this transmission worthy of the car.

The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, which is replacing the venerable 1.8-liter turbo that has powered many an A4, kicks out more than enough power for the A3. My concern with an engine this strong with the artificial boost on a front-wheel-drive car was the possibility of torque steer – that’s when there’s so much power going to the front wheels that they can’t really do their other job: be the driving wheels. That’s when the driver feels the wheels take on a life of their own, pulling the car where they, not the driver, want it to go.

While the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence, absent was any evidence of torque steer in the A3. The car went where you pointed it.

I’m running out of space to list the A3’s many temptations, but Audi fans already know Audi interiors set the standards for design and finish, and the A3 does not disappoint. One option I loved was the open sky system, which turned almost the entire top of the car into a sunroof. Comfort and style were all premium Audi. So are the looks. Avant fans looking for something smaller will be pleased.

This is a wagon, which implies some precious cargo, and safety is paramount. A whole list of safety features is standard, which may be why the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety named the A3 a “Top Safety Pick.” With all its safety and luxury features, this is a car that lacks little. The four circles rate five stars.

In the back, you can pack all those holiday presents for your trip over the hills and through the woods. Have a great time, and, at the risk of offending Bill O’Reilly, Happy Holidays!

posted by Andy Mais @ 12:31 PM 0 comments

2005 Porsche Boxster: One vote for endless summer

All that snow and sleet and Christmas carols and newspapers fat with ads depicting happy people with no money left can mean only one thing: ’Tis the season to be tipping.

This, as you’ve long figured out, is no ordinary auto column. No, we aspire to be your lifestyle guide, your constant consultant, your serious source of truth, justice and the American way. We’ve heard your pleas this holiday season. We know you need to know how much to tip, and we have the answers for you.

Actually, the answers came from The Emily Post Institute by way of MSNBC.com, but given that the alternative was actually doing the work and looking it up ourselves, we’ll take this instead.

Here are some of the important people in your life and how much to tip them: The mailman supposedly can’t accept cash, but any gift up to $20 is OK. May we suggest an American Express gift card. It isn’t actually cash, you know, and you wouldn’t want those racy catalogs accidentally delivered to your neighbors now, would you.

With campaign finance and ethics reform, hot tubs no longer cut it for our politicians, but a brown paper bag filled with small bills - that’s a ticket that gets my vote.

As for your nanny, she deserves a week’s to a month’s salary, they say. That’s a broad range, but I guess you need to figure out how much you like your kid.

Your fitness trainer should get the cost of one session. The alternative is to, like me, ignore the concept of fitness entirely. The money you save can buy an awful lot of fatty, salty foods. After all, who wants to die healthy? That’s such a waste.

What about your newspaper deliverer? Well, Emily Post suggests $10 to $30, depending, I would think, on where your newspaper usually ends up. I would suggest whoever delivers your copy of the Hour deserves at least $50. Just take it out of what you’d give the other guys. They won’t mind.

That should take care of most of the people on your tip list, but you’re right, there is one glaring omission. What does one tip the auto columnist?

The rule of thumb is one does not tip “professionals,” and though anyone who’s read any of these columns would probably choke on that description of this auto columnist, etiquette demands it. One may, however – and by “may” I mean “should” – give a gift to said professional reflecting the high regard in which he or she is held (by himself, if no one else).

May I suggest the 2005 Porsche Boxster.

I’m not a greedy person, I’m not even holding out for the Boxster S, which starts at $53,100. I’m willing to settle for the old garden variety Boxster, which is a mere $43,800 with Porsche Stability Management and those beautiful 17” wheels. (Are you listening, Mr. Valiante?)

I remember my first Boxster. This was when Porsche had just introduced the model eight years ago, and no-one really knew what to expect. I came out of a 911 C4 into the Boxster and the difference was stark.

That model 911 was the last of the real German driving models. You had to be a man to step on the clutch, and a real driver to drive it. The replacement for that is a lot more American, a feeling reflected in the comments of a senior Mercedes engineer when we first saw the new 911 in Phoenix: “There goes a Boxster with a top.”

While the heart of Porsche will always be the 911, the Boxster has opened a new avenue for the legendary Stuttgart brand. That first Boxster was so much easier to drive than the then companion 911, with a much lighter clutch and more forgiving steering. It was, were such sacrilege ever to be uttered in Stuttgart, an American Porsche.

Since then, Porsche has become a lot more American, and sold lots more cars here. After all, what could be more American than an SUV? In the meantime, the Boxster became a victim of its own success. The mid-engine, two-seat roadster not only opened doors for Porsche, it opened up a brand new market for mid-priced performance roadsters, a market rapidly invaded by the likes of BMW’s Z3 and the Mercedes SLK.

Now, eight years later, Porsche no longer needed to reinvent the category, but they did need to freshen up a design that had lasted an eternity in this competitive segment. By and large they have succeeded.

First things first: Forget about looks. The important thing is how does the Boxster handle?

Let’s get real here. Why do you think I’m asking for one as a Christmas present from the publisher?

The new Boxster is simply sublime. This is as close to as perfectly balanced car as you will find in or near this price range. This is a car that calls out for open roads and warm weather, but is willing to handle the challenge of any road and weather and does so with aplomb.

The 2.7-liter, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine that powers the rear wheels of the Boxster pours out 240 horses and 199 lb.-ft. of torque. With that engine, the basic Boxster goes 0 to 60 in 5.9 seconds and tops out at 159 miles per hour. If you need more power, the “S” version comes with a 280 horsepower, 3.2-liter six, taking you to 60 from a standing start in 5.2 seconds and topping out at 167 miles per hour.

Of course, you probably won’t be doing that on Route 7, but I’m sure it’s good to know that if terrorists are about to attack and you have to take Jack Bauer all over the country in 24 hours to save us, you’ll have no problem.

The new Boxster borrows heavily from the 911 architecture, sharing about 55% of its parts with the 2005 911. It is still a very different car from the heavier 911, and different as well from the Boxster it succeeds.

That may not be the easiest thing in the world to tell at first glance. While about 80% of the second generation Boxster parts were not in the first generation model, Porsche chose evolutionary rather than revolutionary styling changes. With the Boxster, it works. An already graceful design has been made even more stylish by some subtle tweaking of the details. For example, wheels and tires are larger, while inside is roomier. The coefficient of drag has been reduced from 0.31 to 0.29. The manual gearboxes (five- or six-speed available) feature shorter throws, and Porsche said it’s also improved the Tiptronic. The stance is wider than the previous model’s, improving cornering as well as adding to the more masculine look of the new Boxster.

Price, though, is actually lower when one considers the addition of items like a trip computer and HomeLink, not to mention the stability management system.

What is larger are the brakes, 11.73” in diameter and .94” thick, cross-drilled for better cooling. Also increased is the braking assist you get. The brake power assist has been boosted a significant 18%. The frame itself is 9% stiffer than the previous version for a tighter ride.

The new Boxsters are the first roadsters to go into production with head airbags. You also get a convertible top that may be raised or lowered at speeds of up to 31 mph.

None of this would matter if the new Boxster didn’t handle like a Porsche, but it does, and that means the fun quotient is almost as high as the engineering competence. The Boxster’s handling invites one to take a long trip to Stew’s – by way of California, perhaps – just so you can hear that engine and feel those tires grip and know what true driving is all about. Unlike some of its competitors, Porsche has not engineered that sheer joy of driving out of its cars. The computer doesn’t rule, you do. Boy, do you.

Now for the downsides. Fuel economy is much improved, but you do still have to use premium unleaded and you’ll get an EPA estimated 20 mpg city, 28 highway. The really bad news is the one thing this has in common with the first generation Boxster.

That’s a slight exaggeration. Things have improved even here. The first Boxster I drove had cupholders popping out from right by the vents. They were these flimsy little afterthoughts that had already been broken, even though I was only the second or third journalist in the car. By those standards, the new cupholders are better. By almost any other standards, they suck.

But I’m willing to put up with them. Heck, I’m willing to give up coffee for the 2005 Porsche Boxster. I sure am glad I have a generous publisher who reads my column every week.

Please sir, may I have one, Mr. Valiante?

Pretty please?

With sugar on top!

posted by Andy Mais @ 12:29 PM 0 comments

On the road: 2005 Dodge Durango Limited, 2005 Lexus GX470, 2005 Toyota 4Runner

The first big snowstorm of the season reminded many of us why people drive SUVs. When it comes to getting around in a few inches of snow, SUVs do provide a certain comfort level as a result of both their size and their all-wheel-drive capabilities. So this is a good time to take a quick look at three of these people movers. Before we do however, there are a few points SUV drivers should keep in mind.

When the ground around is slippery and the snow is gently falling is no time to be calling if you’re behind the wheel. Many SUVs were not designed to minimize damage to either other cars or pedestrians. If your cell phone call is so important that you have to take it, please be so considerate as to drive into a wall instead of one of our cars. That way, when you head to the afterlife, you won’t need to explain to the gatekeeper why you killed someone else because of distracted driving.

· In general, all-wheel-drive helps you grip the road much better when you’re going in a straight line. It does almost nothing to help you get round that icy corner, and even less to help you stop before you hit that car filled with small children at the stop light. If you’re not bright enough to figure out for yourself why all-wheel-drive is not a reason to speed carelessly in bad weather, please see our enjoying the afterlife suggestion above.

How do I put this one nicely? Listen, you inconsiderate moron, the elderly lady in front of you is scared out of her wits but has to make it to her doctor’s appointment. You may be only nineteen and never had a broken bone or spun out on the highway, but she has. Quit tailgating her. The only place you’ll get any faster doing that is hell.

Our sermon for the day now concluded, let’s move on to the cars.

2005 Dodge Durango Limited

Not to annoy my friends at Jeep, but I still think the Dodge Durango is the best looking 7-seater Chrysler makes. The Durango was also one of the first SUVs designed with the safety of other cars in mind, so that if the Durango meets a small car and both attempt to occupy the same space, at least the smaller car won’t slide beneath the Durango’s bumper and be crushed, a common problem with many SUVs. The small car will just slide into the Durango’s bumper and be crushed. Just kidding, folks. The thing is many safety measures that activate in a collision have their effectiveness nullified if one car slides under the other, so the lower Durango bumpers could mean the person in that small car walks away shaken, but alive.

Another bit of good news about the Durango is that your Dodge dealer will probably deal. The bad news is that this is a result of the effects of gas prices on sales of large SUVs. My two-wheel-drive Durango with the 4.7-liter V-8 Magnum and a 5-speed automatic transmission used 14 miles per gallon in the city, 19 on the highway, according to the EPA. The Durango is also now available with the larger Hemi engine, for those who want to floor it on the way to the station. Base prices range from about $27K for the two-wheel-drive version with the 3.7-liter V6 engine to $36,855 for the all-wheel-drive Limited version. My two-wheel-drive Limited came in at $36,780, including $3,480 in options like a navigation system and rear seat video system. Kelley Blue Book suggests you should pay at least $1,500 under sticker.

The interior is clean and workmanlike, a Dodge trademark. The fanciness of the Chrysler interior is traded in here for neat, efficient styling that does the job without pretense. Handling is better than expected, with a tight turning circle and a smooth ride. The outside is pure Dodge, big and bold.

If you’ve got a large family, the Durango offers comfortable seating for seven with substantial cargo space even with all the seats taken. This is a big SUV, but it’s still smaller than much of its full-size competition.

2005 Lexus GX470

The gas mileage for this Lexus is only slightly better than that of the larger Durango. EPA estimates are 15 city, 19 highway from the 4.7-liter, 270 horsepower 32-valve V8 with full time four-wheel-drive and the 5-speed electronic automatic transmission. Base price on mine was an affordable $45,775, but options including the navigation and upgraded audio system, rear seat entertainment system, sport package, third row seat with rear air conditioner and a rear spoiler helped push the out the door cost to $55,698. Again according to Kelley Blue Book, buyers are actually paying about four grand under MSRP for this vehicle.

What do you get for all this? A Lexus, and that’s a lot. This was a car that I was prepared not to like, but on a long trip into the Berkshires, it won me over. I’m sure if I wanted to take it offroad, it would have done well there too, but all I wanted was a spacious luxury sedan equivalent and this job the Lexus filled admirably.

Handling and performance were both top of the class, and comfort was exceptional. Just about every goodie you could ever want was included. I hesitate to mention the navigation system because there really is nothing I could say about it that hasn’t been said already, but it is such a well-designed voice-activated system that I have to at least mention it. Much the same could be said of almost everything else to do with this car.

The only exception would be the third row seating. There is a limit to how many rows of seats can be jammed in to a vehicle, and this is it. While occasional seating of eight is fine, I really don’t see this as normal usage, not least because you lose all your cargo room.

But even then, given that this is a midsize SUV, the additional flexibility is welcome. There is a reason Lexus ranked number one in the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Customer Retention Study, climbing

3.5 percentage from 2004. This is a great product, built almost without compromise, guaranteed to increase your appreciation of the relentless pursuit of perfection.

2005 Toyota 4Runner 4-Door SR5 4x4

Call it evolution. Call it intelligent design. Call it 20 grand less than the Lexus GX470.

That Lexus, believe it or not, is based on the 4Runner platform, but you’d never know it. The difference is more than price. The Lexus is the princess in her private jet, the Toyota a working man taking care of his family. That doesn’t make either better than the other, but they are aimed at different markets, with the amenities to match.

What’s similar is build quality. Both these vehicles are well put together, but the Toyota is, as expected, much plainer and devoid of many of the electronic geegaws that add to the Lexus. The suspension is tuned differently, so the ride is not as luxury-comfortable as the Lexus, but still well within what one would expect in this price range. That price range, by the way, was $32,156 for mine. That included third row seats (same concerns as with the Lexus apply – no cargo space when they’re being used), curtain and side airbags, roof rack and cross bar and more. All this, along with the $565 destination charge, raised the sticker up from the $29,770 MSRP.

For that base price you do get four-wheel-drive, a 4-liter V6 engine with 5-speed automatic transmission, vehicle stability control and traction control, antilock brakes, auto air conditioning, AM/FM/CD player and much more, so you’re not getting a stripped down unit.

Like the Lexus, the Toyota proved itself competent at just about everything, perhaps the reason that in its fourth generation, it is still one of the top selling SUVs. The 4Runner makes a virtue of its plain style, inviting you to take it offroad or batter it without having to worry how it will look in the country club parking lot. My V6 provided enough power (a V8 is also available) at a cost of 17 mpg city, 21 highway according to the EPA.

If you’re going to spring for the Lexus, be my guest. If that’s out of your price range, know the 2005 Toyota 4Runner stacks up very well in that midsize sport ute market. Whatever you do, drive carefully, and watch out for the other guy.

posted by Andy Mais @ 12:15 PM 0 comments