One of two special editions celebrating the 50th anniversary of the original Mini, the Camden offers unique White Silver metallic paint, seventeen-inch wheels, white interior trim, and white leather/cloth seats. Besides the cosmetics, the Camden package includes front fog lights and a Harman/kardon stereo. Mechanically, the 1.6-liter I-4 produces 118 horsepower and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

The most notable thing about the Camden is called Mission Control. It involves three separate voices (two male, one female), taking over for the various audible signals of the car. Didn’t put on your seatbelt? Instead of an annoying dinging, you will actually get a light scolding.

Isn’t that interesting!!!

The Sonata was going to need some big chops to even be considered against stalwarts like the Camry and Accord. Upon climbing in the Sonata, the first thought was that there was no way this was a sub-$30K vehicle. The Sonata’s interior easily outclasses most of the competition.

On the road, the Sonata is a comfortable, if somewhat disconnected, ride. The steering just felt too vague and too light, especially when looking at competition like the Suzuki Kizashi and Mazda6. The other big gripe was with the transmission. A six-speed automatic is great, but it isn’t so good if those six gears won’t cooperate with each other. Stepping on the throttle resulted in an annoying wait, and then a jerk as the transmission sorts itself out. The steering and transmission just didn’t have the level of refinement that was expected from Hyundai lately. The Sonata has huge potential in a highly competitive marketplace. The arrival of turbocharged and hybrid models is only going to help that. But those will remain relatively niche vehicles. The bread-and-butter model is going to be the naturally-aspirated, gas-only Sonata, and with a bit of improvement, Hyundai has another game changer on its hands.

The new Sonata may be an out-of-the-park homerun for car buyers in general, but it’s more like a ground rule double for enthusiasts. The car is totally competent, even when you turn up the wick a little, but it doesn’t really want me to share in the fun that’s going on under tire.

And, while the 2.4-liter four is a nice motor versus the standards set by Camry and Accord, it isn’t quite ballsy enough to offer real depth of character.

Pros

• Outstanding interior for this price point
• Exterior styling stands out against the competition
• Optional extras turn the Sonata into a near-luxury car

Cons

• Transmission could use some refinement
• 2.4-liter engine is good, but we want the turbo already!
• Steering feel and suspension tuning create an uninvolving experience

Compared to its car-based SUV competition, the Nissan Xterra‘s on-pavement performance is not as comfy or refined, but if serious off-roading is part of your routine then we’d recommend it as one of the better new or used sport-utilities on the market. The Xterra features solid build quality and a reliable nature, which translates into confidence-inspiring peace of mind as you head off into the wilderness of the urban — or more distant — jungle.

Pros

• Plenty of room for friends and gear
• Surprisingly refined for an off-roader
• Beefy looks have a wide appeal

Cons

• Bring a map, navigation isn’t an option
• Off-road suspension borders on stiff
• Exhaust note isn’t very appealing

Filed under: Automobiles Tagged: 2010 Nissan XTerra, enhanced off-road capability, Nissan XTerra S, no navigation system, Suman Das Auto, SUV competition, Xterra SUV review ]]> http://theultimaterenaissance.com/2010/07/03/nissan-xterra-s-at-a-glance/feed/ 1 theultimaterenaissance 2010 Nissan XTerra S Nissan XTerra SUV 2010 Nissan XTerra - Rear View http://theultimaterenaissance.com/2010/07/02/2010-toyota-tundra-at-a-glance/ http://theultimaterenaissance.com/2010/07/02/2010-toyota-tundra-at-a-glance/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:54:59 +0000 theultimaterenaissance http://theultimaterenaissance.com/?p=498 Continue reading →]]> Toyota pitches the 2010 Tundra Double Cab 4×4 (Limited Edition) at a starting price of $23,155 for a Regular Cab model, plus an extra $1,000 with the new 4.6 engine. The Double Cab is $25,495, or $25,460 with the 4.6-liter V8 and the Crew Max gets the 4.6 standard for $28,465. (In Canada, the 4.6 is the new base engine with pricing starting at $24,995 CAD for Regular Cab and $31,725 CAD for the Double Cab. The standard CrewMax engine is the larger 5.7-liter V8).

For our money, given the level of performance and fuel economy available from the new 4.6-liter V8, you’re almost better spending the extra $1,000 for the 5.7-liter iForce unit, which offers considerably more grunt and capability with comparable fuel economy. Toyota says that it aims to sell more than 20 percent of Tundras with the new 4.6-liter engine but based on our assumptions (even in these economy minded times), much like the 4.7 before it, there’s still little reason to consider this motor over the larger mill.

Pros

• Awesome V-8 and a great exhaust note to go with it
• Good transmission, with an obedient manual mode
• Plenty of cabin space for a four-man work crew

Cons

• Starting to show its age compared to the competition
• Numb steering does little to inspire confidence
• Feels much bigger than it actually is

This is the first time Subaru has offered the flagship STI model in 4- and 5-door packages. Both models receive slightly revised bodywork, but no words on the availability of gold BBS Wheels. The 305hp boxer-four carries over from 2010, but suspension tweaks abound in the new STI, including stiffer springs, larger stabilizer bars, and lighter wheels.

2011 Hyundai Equus

The Equus is the latest push in Hyundai’s efforts to join the upper echelon of the auto world. Designed as an executive limo and aimed directly at the Lexus LS460 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, it has the looks and content to take the fight to the stalwarts from Germany and Japan. The sedan is loaded with tech and luxury items, including a lane-departure warning system, electronic car suspension, smart cruise control, and a 17-speaker 608W Lexicon stereo. Prices are expected to start around $50K. That is, about $15K less than an LS 460 and a massive $31K less than an S550.

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

556 hp and 551lb-ft of torque from a supercharged 6.2l V-8 make the CTS-V wagon the absolute quickest way to get to your nearest grocery store. Magnetic Ride Control, Brembo brakes, sticky Michelin Pilot Sport PS-2 tires, and optional Recaro sport seats guarantee the CTS-V is as at-home on a country backroad as it is at the drag strip. The CTS-V Sport Wagon hits dealerships late in 2010, but get your name on the list now; supplies will be limited. Cadillac expects broader availability in 2011.

2011 Infiniti QX56

The 2011 QX provides 400hp and 413lb-ft of torque from its direct-injected 5.6l V-8. Customers have the option of rear-wheel drive, or Infiniti’s All-Mode 4WD. The QX is packed full of standard tech, including Infiniti’s hard-drive based navigation, Bose Stereo, USB Connectivity, Intelligent Cruise Control, Frontal Collision Warning, and Intelligent Brake Assist. Rather impressively, Infiniti is offering a majorly improved QX for the same price as last year’s model. The range starts at $56.7K for rear-wheel drive, and $59.8K for four-wheel drive.

2011 Scion tC

With a design inspired by the Toyota ST-86 concept, the Scion tC improves on its already handsome sheetmetal. The interiors have also received a much-needed F5 (refresh), with a new instrument cluster, radio layout, steering wheel, and seats that feature more bolstering. The 5-speed gearboxes are gone, replaced by 6-speed ones for the 2011. No word on pricing just yet, but under $20K could be a safe bet. Toyota expects the tC to be at dealerships and ready for customizations later this fall.

Step on the gas and you may get a downshift (or two), plus angry sewing machine noises from under the hood, but you won’t see the PT moving forward with much alacrity. Steering is positive and reasonably direct, yet it also feels slightly elastic—a sensation that’s only amplified by the fact that this is one of those cars that exhibits a moderate degree of body roll before finally taking a set and then delivering meaningful amounts of turn-in response. As a result, handling is actually not too bad, though it is also not particularly fun or responsive.

The interior is a mixed bag. As mentioned above, it’s a marvel of space utilization, and material choices are fairly good (especially in light of the vehicle’s low sticker price), but certain surface treatments (for example, the matte silver applique that covered our tester’s dashboard center stack) convey an unfortunate, slap-dash feeling of cheapness (personally, I feel the first-generation PT was better in this respect than the second-generation version is). At the end of the day, though, the PT Cruiser states its case by offering an awful lot of utility value, complete with a modicum of style, for a very modest price. That’s the basic value proposition that has kept this model alive long after theoretically more appealing competitors have come and gone. The PT Cruiser is, in a way, emblematic of Chrysler’s problems these days.

It is a pretty good car that seems tired mostly because of familiarity. It doesn’t seem like it would have taken much to get around this problem, but Chrysler didn’t have what it takes, however small that was. You have to admire the idea of an affordable, stylish car that has impressive functionality, and the PT Cruiser tries hard on all three fronts. Base price is $18k, which is reasonable. The design is different, and there is evidence of non-generic thinking inside and out. And the rear seat room, along with cavernous carrying capacity, really makes this a practical choice. So, after driving it for a week, you start to wonder why it seems tired. In my observation it starts with the styling.

You just have to change up a fashionable design like this more often, especially when the cues all date to the ‘30s or ‘50s and the group of people who fondly remember those eras is slowly going away. Then we get to the driving dynamics. Many cars from the former Big Three are rather softly sprung, and the PT Cruiser continues this tradition. Problem is, this approach makes the PT feel heavy and unresponsive. Too much Buick LeSabre, not enough Honda Fit. Compounding that problem is the fact that the PT is just plain slow.

It sounds worse than it is, and really the PT Cruiser is a nice car. But it could be better, and it needs to transcend its origins.

Pros

• Super spacious interior
• Styling is still unique after all these years
• Low base price

Cons

• 2.4-liter I-4 is noisy and underpowered
• Antiquated four-speed auto
• Soft suspension does little to inspire confidence

Filed under: Automobiles Tagged: automobile news reviews, Buick LeSabre, Chrysler cruiser classic car, Chrysler PT Cruiser 2010, good handling car, Honda Fit, low base price, positive and direct steering, space utilization in PT cruiser, Suman Das Auto, Suman HellBoy, truck champ usa, Vintage cars ]]> http://theultimaterenaissance.com/2010/06/13/chrysler-pt-cruiser-classic/feed/ 0 theultimaterenaissance 2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser 2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser 2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser Chrysler cruiser interiors 2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser interior 2010 Chrysler front http://theultimaterenaissance.com/2010/06/05/2010-cadillac-cts-drivers-car/ http://theultimaterenaissance.com/2010/06/05/2010-cadillac-cts-drivers-car/#comments Sat, 05 Jun 2010 13:34:09 +0000 theultimaterenaissance http://theultimaterenaissance.com/?p=482 Continue reading →]]> The cabin of the 2010 Cadillac CTS-V spoke to the nature of the car. The gear selector and steering wheel were clad in suede, begging to be held.

The instrument panel shone brightly, with the small boost gauge in particular catching our eye with a promise of some supercharged fun.

Prominent contrasting stitching on the dash looked classy and bold. The Recaro seats, though totally adjustable, will hold you firmly in a position of attention, the bolsters prodding us into alertness. The V-badged Caddy will remind you a bit of the Concorde jet—sleek, luxurious, supremely fast, yet odd to behold. There is no question, even before firing up the CTS-V, that this is a driver’s car.

Power delivery in the CTS-V is pretty much what one would expect from a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 in a Cadillac. It’s strong, smoothly rising, and absolutely wonderful. The same amount of power in other rear-drive sedans would be a lot more hairy, but the CTS handles it well, putting it to the ground evenly, and without too much noise. Regardless of how it sounds, with the pedal down, you’ll be handily aware of the ample power on offer. On loose or wet surfaces, the CTS-V took on a slightly different character. When driven hard, it still really wanted to give the appearance of great power being handled with ease. Without the advantage of all-wheel grip, however, the rear end floated from side to side behind us, within the limits of the electronic nannies. Despite losing traction, the car was determined to deliver the power to the ground, and took on a feeling of hovering down the road at the very brink of peril.

On the back of the wheel, rather than actual paddles available to shift gears, are two small buttons, similar in feel to those in other General Motors products we have tested, such as the Chevrolet Camaro (in whose case at least an attempt was made to simulate the shape of a paddle). In those other instances, while we would have preferred proper paddles, we didn’t think much of the buttons. In the Cadillac CTS-V, however, they felt truly out-of-place, and not just in the sense of an expected level of brand quality—the buttons were literally placed nearly out-of-reach for even our comically large hands. With hands at a relaxed ten-and-two, reaching for the button with the pinky required loosing grip of the steering wheel. With our usual east-west grip, buttons were just within reach of our longest digits.

Folks with normal- to smaller-sized hands may need to either lift to shift, or have hands placed awkwardly below the spokes of the steering wheel to easily reach the buttons (not a position we recommend). Alternately, full-time use of the gear lever is an option for drivers fed up with the buttons. But, that’s a small quibble in the grand scheme of things, particularly when the grand scheme happens to be a 556-horsepower luxury sports sedan with good looks and a great ride. Small only until one begins to explore the capabilities of the transmission. After managing to hit the button to upshift, the driver can expect to wait to the count of “one Mississippi” for the gears to swap. By that time, thanks in no small part to the curtness with which the engine revs through the low gears, one may often find the tach needle bouncing off the 6200-rpm limit.

After some time, we found ourselves getting used to the predictable nature of the power delivery, and were able to click to shift in advance of actually wanting to shift, allowing us to minimize such frustrations. Still, the lag is more than one should expect to get used to in an otherwise outstanding performer like the CTS-V. Advice: put the lever into sport mode, then leave the shifting up to the machine, particularly if trying to reproduce Cadillac’s claimed 3.9-second 0-60 time. Or, simply opt for the six-speed manual.

2010 Cadillac CTS-V Specifications —

Engine: Supercharged V-8, 6.2 liters, 16v
Output: 556 hp/551 lb-ft
0-60 MPH: 3.9 sec
Weight: 4300 lb (est.)
Fuel Economy, City/Hwy: 12/18 mpg
Base Price: $62,020
Price As Tested: $68,445

The dominant color, apart from the soothing grays in the leather and dash of this tester on this cloudy Dutch day, is a vibrant, antifreeze green.

All instrument needles, some touch-screen sat-nav buttons, and several ambient lighting trim bits around the cabin shine with this traditional Saab hue.

There is no longer a standard key insert for the ignition by the driver’s inboard thigh–let’s just call it “that heritage anchor.” It has been suitably updated to a push-button StartStop with tiny light slots that glow green, too. The old-time, space-hogging handbrake lever is gone as well, all 9-5s now being fitted with a discreet electro-hydraulic handbrake. Looking straight through the three-spoke Aero-design steering wheel, inspired by recent show cars like 2006’s Aero X, you see a digital onboard data dial. Among other things, this little disc can show an airplane altimeter-style speedometer readout, which struck us as sufficiently cool. As we’ve always felt in Saabs, the full leather and its stitching can still be made to be more upmarket.

Not long after the midsummer North American launch of the 9-5, in fact, there will be a premium-level personalization program offered in part to help solve the puckered-leatherette feeling of the current material. The Aero sport seats could be more sporting as well, as regards their overall support especially at the sides. Any improvements to the outgoing 9-5’s exterior looks are going to be better than what Saab’s larger car was forced to live with in recent years. This 9-5 at least starts to rediscover formerly shunned airplane fuselage-style sleekness and angles. The shape of the car is very clean, and looks good in this lighter silvery gray. All of the lighting elements deliberately take on a chilly feeling, particularly up front where the term “ice block” is being used by Saab to describe the slight blue tint.

In back, a new look that will be part of all future Saabs is the bar of light running the width of the trunk—it’s a distinctive touch we like. Particular to the Aero look are the much meaner and larger front air intakes, nineteen-inch “turbine” wheels dressed in aggressive Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, adaptive cornering LED headlights, and the dual rectangular exhaust tips visible through the fascia. This exact car we got to drive, in fact, is the only model of the 9-5 initially arriving in North America. The 217-horsepower, turbocharged, 2.0T four-cylinder will arrive later in 2010, and the XWD and eLSD will be available as options for that motor, too. In a really evolved move, the new 9-5 Saabs for North America will all come available only with the 6-speed Tiptronic automatic. The manual shift linkage we’ve tried on European 9-5s and 9-3s is the worst we have ever had to live with in this century.

Get this worthy head of steam going, introduce long overdue improvements, and then the price can start creeping up to Audi territory.

2011 Saab 9-5 Aero Turbo6 XWD Specifications:
Engine: Turbocharged V-6, 2.8 liters, 24v
Output: 296 hp / 295 lb-ft
Top Speed: 150 mph
Weight: 4630 lb
0-60 MPH (est.): 6.7 sec
Base Price (est.): $49,000
Price as Tested (est.): $55,000

Filed under: Automobiles Tagged: 2011 Saab 9-5 dashboard, 6-speed Tiptronic automatic, Aero sport seats, electro-hydraulic handbrake, Goodyear Eagle all-season tires, ice-block, Opel Buick Cadillac, Push-button Start-Stop, Saab 9-5 Aero Turbo6 XWD, Saab Aero X, Saab in North America, Suman Das Auto, Turbocharged V-6 engine ]]> http://theultimaterenaissance.com/2010/05/28/2011-saab-9-5-review/feed/ 1 theultimaterenaissance 2011 Saab 9-5 2011 Saab 9-5 First Look 2011 Saab 9-5 Front View 2011 Saab 9-5 Dashboard 2011 Saab 9-5 Centre Stack 2011 Saab 9-5 Speedo 2011 Saab 9-5 rear lights http://theultimaterenaissance.com/2010/05/28/2010-world-car-of-the-year/ http://theultimaterenaissance.com/2010/05/28/2010-world-car-of-the-year/#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 05:51:15 +0000 theultimaterenaissance http://theultimaterenaissance.com/?p=464 Continue reading →]]> The sixth annual World Car Awards were handed out at the New York International Auto Show last month, and the Volkswagen Group made out handsomely. First to be given was the World Green Car award and the final three candidates were the Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, and Volkswagen’s range of BlueMotion cars. In a touch of a surprise—and perhaps a truer reflection of global preference, according to many present—the Volkswagen BlueMotion diesels brought home the victory with a point total of 203, with the Prius close on VW’s heels at 201. The Honda Insight earned just 151 points. After Green came World Car Design 2010 and, as there was no VW family design that made the cut when the votes of the 59-member international jury were counted, the victory went to the first American car ever to win a WCA, the Chevrolet Camaro with 229 points.

The Detroit muscle car was followed by the Citroën C3 Picasso at 205 points and Kia Soul with 197 points. Probably the most interesting trio of the day. World Performance Car this year saw the Audi R8 V-10 get the nod with a whopping 173 points versus the distant second place Porsche 911 GT3 at 107 points, and the Ferrari California ranking third best with 88 points. The Lotus Evora didn’t get on the final three for this. Last but certainly not least, for the overall and all-powerful World Car Of The Year, the trio of finalists included the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Toyota Prius (also Japan’s car of the year 2010), and 2010 European Car Of The Year, the VW Polo. In another slight upset, the wee Polo conquers all with 761.1 points, beating out the Mercedes E-Class which got 747.1. The third place Prius rounded out the illustrious trio with a tally of 715.4 points.

Congratulations to all the winners.

Though a hunter in darkness I must be
the feelings of guilt always come back
when I sink my teeth in another man’s neck
My conscience is the only light left in me.

All I want is to leave the shadows behind
And truly this time I will
For I no longer desire to kill
Thoughts of light are now on my mind.

I’m waiting for the sunrise today
On the lonely hill where I sit
And maybe, I’ll catch a glimpse of it
Before the wind blows my ashes away.

There was also a small fan in the rear, to help keep dogs cool during the ride. When the test dogs were brought to the car, they eagerly hopped in the back seat. They seemed at home on the seat covers, and it made us think of all the times in our own vehicles when it would have been nice to have seat covers like these. After taking the dogs to a wooded park, it would be nice to simply remove the seat covers, along with any dirt or slobber, and wash them. No need to lay down blankets or steam clean the upholstery. The rubber floor mats were also a good addition. The trouble came when you try to get the dogs in the kennel. First, the ramp is a bit awkward to remove and set up. With some fuss, it slides out from under the kennel, slides to nearly double in length, then rests precariously on the tailgate.

A stubborn dog won’t like the look of the ramp, itself sturdy, but unattached to the vehicle. And the height of the ramp would intimidate a smaller dog. After a bit of testing, we dropped the somewhat annoyed dogs back at home, and later took the four-wheel-drive Element for another spin. We were blessed with another Michigan winter snow dump, making the roads quite treacherous. The Honda Element handled wonderfully, communicating (in the way Hondas are known to do) the road conditions through steering wheel and seat.

Despite the rattling of the ramp in the back, we could feel the road beneath us, and the amount of grip it provided, inspiring some much-needed confidence on the sloppy highway surface. This, we thought, should be the selling point of a Honda Element—not some rather gimmicky option package. For someone who takes their dogs everywhere, some aspects of the dog friendly package could be hard to live without after trying them—particularly the additions meant to keep the vehicle clean. Many vehicles could benefit from optional well-fitting all-season floor mats and dog- (or child-) proof seat covers, though one could provide this oneself with little effort and money.

The ramp, while an excellent concept, is executed poorly. It needs to be easier to use, and more secure, both when stowed or in use. The dog friendly package would benefit greatly by simply better integrating the ramp into the cargo space. In general, though, I thought the Honda Element is already a dog friendly vehicle compared to most, even without the option package. For someone who absolutely must have everything for their dog, though, the Dog-Friendly package adds a bit of canine charm to the car, despite only modest improvements in functionality. For everyone else, we say buy the Element if you like it, but save the $995, and do the dog friendly upgrades yourself.