star-telegram.com: G. Chambers Williams III

Host of changes brings more technology, better performance to TSX

Fri, 09 May 2008 17:23 CDT

The newest generation of Acura’s entry-level sedan, the compact TSX, is now arriving at dealerships as an early 2009 model.

Unveiled in late March at the New York auto show, the TSX has been updated throughout, but prices have been raised just 4.3 percent on average over the 2008 model, officials of Honda’s premium brand said.

The base TSX is priced at $28,960 (plus $715 freight), while the TSX with the Technology Package is $32,060.

Because the TSX is designed and marketed as a sport sedan, Acura offers a choice of a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission, and there is no extra charge for the automatic.

The changes in the new model are numerous, and Acura hopes that the car can help revive the brand’s sagging sales. It’s one of two redesigned Acura models coming to market this spring. The other is the flagship full-size RL sedan, which was shown in February at the Chicago auto show.

"The all-new TSX is loaded with more technology, better performance, additional comfort and enhanced safety to make it one of the most desirable sedans in its class," said Dick Colliver, Acura’s executive vice president for sales.

Acura calls the TSX’s new exterior "Keen Edge Dynamic" styling, intended to give it a cutting-edge appearance to resonate with the youthful consumers the car is intended to appeal to – typically, young, single professionals or couples.

The car is 2.4 inches longer and 3 inches wider than its predecessor, and it has a 1.3-inch longer wheelbase. For greater stability, it has a 2.6-inch wider track, which adds to the car’s sporty driving experience.

Under the hood is a normally aspirated, double-overhead-cam, 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine with 201 horsepower and 172 foot-pounds of torque (170 with the automatic). This is the only engine available, but who needs more power than that when gasoline is spiking to record levels daily and $200 a barrel oil is predicted by summer.

The automatic transmission gives the car the best fuel economy: 21 miles per gallon city/30 highway. With the manual, the EPA ratings are 20 city/28 highway. Actual mileage will vary based on driving conditions and habits, of course.

The TSX comes with a new suspension system engineered to give the car great handling along with improved ride quality – two features that often are at odds with each other. Tuning a suspension for crisp handling usually means making the ride rougher, and premium cars often have to emphasize handling or comfort, rather than embracing both fully. Although I haven’t driven the TSX yet, reports are that the car’s balance between these two attributes is remarkable. But don’t expect it to ride like a Buick. That’s never going to happen in a TSX.

Even at the base price, the TSX is very well equipped. Standard amenities include leather interior, a power moon roof, high-intensity headlights, Bluetooth hands-free phone link, and a great audio system with standard XM satellite radio and USB connection point.

As with all other recent new vehicles from Honda, the TSX comes with the automaker’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering front body structure, designed to minimize damage to other vehicles and injury to pedestrians hit by the car (at low speeds, of course).

Acura has a consumer base that loves high-tech features, so to please those customers, the Technology Package brings a variety of gadgets.

They include a GPS-based navigation/communications system with Voice Recognition, Zagat restaurant information, and an integrated rearview camera; the AcuraLink satellite communications system; real-time traffic with a new rerouting function; AcuraLink weather; a 10-speaker Acura/ELS premium sound system with multi-format, six-disc DVD-audio changer; and a GPS-linked, solar-sensing, dual-zone automatic-climate-control system.

The upgraded audio system is named for and designed by Grammy award-winning sound engineer Elliot Scheiner. Acura says the sound from DVD surround-sound audio discs played on this system is 500 times clearer than from a traditional compact disc.

Other high-tech features on the new TSX include a drive-by-wire throttle system, which has no direct mechanical link between the accelerator pedal and the engine. Fuel is delivered by a computer-controlled programmed fuel-injection system.

The automatic transmission has a manual sport-shift feature that allows the driver to choose when to shift, without having to worry about a clutch.

Among standard safety features are four-wheel antilock disc brakes with electronic brake assist; electronic stability and traction control; front seat-mounted side air bags; roof-mounted side-curtain air bags for both rows; front and rear crumple zones; and a tire-pressure monitoring system.

The perforated leather seats include heaters for the front buckets. The driver’s seat has eight-way power adjustment, and the passenger seat four-way power adjust. The steering wheel is leather wrapped.

Volvo’s redesigned V70 lives up to brand’s safety reputation

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:29 CDT

Boxy wagons have been the hallmark of Volvo for as long as I can remember, going back to the one my parents owned in the early 1970s.

Volvo wagons are still alive and well, but a lot more complex – not to mention more expensive – than they were in those early days.

The thing I remember most about the Volvo my parents owned was the ordeal they often went through when the car needed refueling.

Their dealer told them to put nothing but "white" gasoline in the tank. The problem was that the only place you could buy white gas back then in the Southeast, where my folks lived, was at Amoco stations.

White gas – which at Amoco was the premium grade – was lead-free, something that was rare for U.S. gasoline in those days. Lead-free wasn’t introduced as a required fuel at U.S. gas stations until the mid-70s, when catalytic converters became standard equipment on new cars.

My parents traveled a lot to see the sights and check out the back roads. But it seemed that they often spent more time trying to find an Amoco station than they did sightseeing. It got almost comical at times, with the gas gauge heading toward the "E" and my folks frantically searching for the white gas.

The only other place you could get white gas was at a camping supply store that sold Coleman stove and lantern fuel in gallon-size cans. The Coleman fuel was lead-free because it wouldn’t have been safe to use leaded gasoline for cooking. To my knowledge, my parents never had to resort to using the Coleman fuel – which cost probably $2-$3 a gallon, can included. But I’m sure my Dad had that in the back of his mind more than once as the Volvo’s tank neared empty with no Amoco in sight.

My own experiences with Volvo wagons began with a used ’71 that I bought in 1978. Later, I owned an ’80 wagon as well.

And as nice and fun to drive as those Volvos were in their day, the 2008 V70 wagon I tested recently was a great improvement.

Volvo, the Swedish automaker owned by Ford Motor Co. since 1999, has evolved into a premium brand over the years. But the V70, which was redesigned for 2008, actually has a quite-affordable price tag considering what you get for the money.

Base price is $32,465 (plus $745 freight) for a fairly roomy midsize wagon loaded with premium features, including Volvo’s renowned state-of-the-art safety systems.

Still, though, it took me back a bit. Even though the designers gave the new V70 a "more athletic stance and sporty attitude" for a more-modern look, the automaker said, the car still is instantly recognizable as a Volvo wagon.

This is the third generation of the V70, and it benefits greatly from sharing components with the also-new S80 sedan, Volvo’s flagship model. The previous V70 shared its architecture with the smaller S60 sedan, so this is a real step up.

"Building upon 54 years of continuous wagon refinement and improvement, the all-new V70 raises the bar in Volvo’s global leadership of the premium wagon sector," the automaker said in a release detailing changes from the previous generation. Under the hood is a new, normally aspirated 3.2-liter, 24-valve inline six-cylinder engine rated at 235 horsepower and 236 foot-pounds of torque. That replaces the previous-generation’s inline five-cylinder engines, which ranged from 165 to 300 horsepower, depending on the model.

The six-cylinder engine is connected to a new six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission, which allows for manual or fully automatic shifting.

While not exactly a speed demon, this car has plenty of power for everyday driving, and top speed is 130 mph, which isn’t legal on any American road.

With this engine and transmission combination, the V70 is EPA rated at 16 miles per gallon in the city and 24 on the highway. That’s not great in these times of $3.50 and up gasoline, but somewhat better than what a larger, bulkier SUV would offer.

Most people think of safety when they think of Volvo, and to that end, the new V70 lives up to the brand’s reputation. Among standard safety features is the latest version of Volvo’s whiplash protection system, along with electronic stability and traction control, four-wheel antilock disc brakes, a tire-pressure monitoring system, and enhanced impact protection for pedestrians and cyclists.

Other safety features include seat-mounted side air bags for the front, and side-curtain air bags for both rows of seats. The V70 seats up to five people; there is no third seat offered in this model.

The V70 also comes with a new height-adjustable integrated child booster cushion, along with power child locks. This creates what Volvo says is "the industry’s best passenger-safety system for children of different sizes."

Check out these coolest of the cool, affordable cars

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:54 CDT

Gasoline prices are setting new records just about every day, and people’s driving and car-buying habits are changing.

Small, affordable, fuel-efficient cars are selling well, while big pickups and traditional SUVs are dead in the water, auto dealers and manufacturers report.

But don’t despair: Just because a car is small and gets great fuel economy doesn’t mean it has to be boring.

There are plenty of cars out there that can offer easy payments and an easier time at the gas pumps, yet allow us to drive around in style.

With that idea in mind, the editors at kbb.com – the automotive consumer Web site of the Kelley Blue Book organization – has just announced its annual list of the coolest of cool, affordable cars on the market now. All are 2008 models except for the Pontiac Vibe, which is an early 2009.

"The vehicles on our Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000 list are very fun to drive and feature-filled; first-time buyers and frugal down-sizers have never had it so good," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director for kbb.com.

"Manufacturers are finding ways to nicely equip their entry-level vehicles while still keeping the price reasonably low, and consumers are reaping the benefits more and more each year."

All of the ones on Kelley’s list are worthy, but there are a few I would add to my own list, and I’ll tell you about them as well.

First, here’s kbb.com’s list, in alphabetical order, along with my comments about them:

Ford Focus, base price $15,280. Redesigned for 2008 and now available only in sedan and coupe styles, the Focus is a lot more stylish than before. But even better than the styling is the availability of the Microsoft SYNC system, which allows for voice-command operation of your iPod through the car’s audio setup. EPA ratings: Up to 24 miles per gallon city/35 highway.

Honda Fit, $14,585. This is Honda’s subcompact hatchback, introduced last year. I’m not a big fan of it, but it’s selling well and has great fuel economy along with Honda’s legendary quality. EPA ratings: Up to 28 city/34 highway.

Jeep Patriot, $16,055. Who says you can’t have an SUV in these days of high gas prices? This is styled and sized like the original Jeep Cherokee, and is even available with a trail-rated four-wheel-drive system (for a higher price, of course). This is a roomy small-family SUV with the price tag and mileage of a small car. EPA ratings: Up to 23 city/28 highway.

Mazda 3, $17,230. Probably the most fun-to-drive car in the lot – possibly even the most-fun car under $25,000 – the Mazda 3 is the successor to the Protégé, and comes in sedan and hatchback forms. It’s also roomy and well-equipped. EPA ratings: up to 24 city/32 highway.

Mitsubishi Lancer, $14,615. Redesigned last year, the Lancer is a great economy sedan that benefits from the DNA of its street-racer sibling, the Lancer Evolution. It doesn’t have the awesome performance of the Evo, but looks almost as cool, especially with the optional spoiler. EPA ratings: Up to 22 city/29 highway.

Pontiac Vibe, $15,895. A sibling of the Toyota Corolla Matrix, this and the Matrix have been redesigned for 2009, and are great alternatives to the gas-guzzling SUV. They offer sporty good looks, a fun driving experience, and lots of interior space. EPA ratings: Up to 26 city/32 highway.

Scion xB, $16,270. This is the second generation of Toyota’s nifty box-on-wheels, sold under its Scion youth brand. Secret: Although aimed at people under 30, this mini-SUV appeals to all ages, and is a super great package for the price. EPA ratings: 22 city/28 highway.

Subaru Impreza, $17,640. A cure for the common small car, the Impreza offers a stylish exterior, a roomy interior, a fun drive, and – get this – even all-wheel-drive as standard equipment on all models. EPA ratings: Up to 20 city/27 highway.

Suzuki SX4, $15,395. Another great small car for little money, the SX4 comes in two body styles, a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback. The hatchback is available with all-wheel drive, and both are roomy and comfortable while also being quite fun to drive. EPA ratings: Up to 23 city/31 highway for the sedan, and 22/30 for the hatchback.

Volkswagen Rabbit, $16,250. This is the newest generation of VW’s Golf hatchback, which has been given the reprised Rabbit name just for the North American market. This car brings back some of the old fun of the VW brand, but with modern performance and amenities. EPA ratings: Up to 22 city/29 highway.

Those are the kbb.com selections. Here are some that I would have put on the list:

VW returns to its roots with sensible, economical vehicles

Fri, 02 May 2008 16:05 CDT

Volkswagen could be the next foreign automaker to build a plant in the United States, thanks to the current low value of the dollar against the Euro and the German automaker’s ambitious plans for the U.S. market.

The company said last week that it would decide by summer whether it would build a new plant, and that if it does, it would put it in Tennessee, Alabama or Michigan. The weakness of the dollar makes it cheaper for Volkswagen to build cars here than in Europe.

Now just a bit player in the United States, with less than 2 percent of the market and only 240,000 vehicles sold last year, Volkswagen wants to become the "people’s car" once again, just like it was in the middle of the 20th century when sales totaled over a million a year.

At the Chicago auto show in February, Volkswagen of America President and Chief Executive Stefan Jacoby said the automaker’s goal is to achieve that million-sales mark once again by 2018, with 800,000 of those sales coming from vehicles bearing the VW trademark, and 200,000 the Audi badge. Audi is Volkswagen’s premium brand.

To do that, Volkswagen plans to introduce several new vehicles to the U.S. market, including lower-priced models to replace the pricey compact Jetta and midsize Passat.

Finally coming to the realization that volume sales depend on having affordable cars, Volkswagen seems intent on returning to its roots as a marketer of sensible, economical vehicles in the vein of the original Beetle, which itself probably would be a big seller in today’s market with gasoline spiking toward $4 a gallon.

VW is not new to North American manufacturing, though. The company has been building Jettas at a factory in Puebla, Mexico, since the mid-80s, and also builds the New Beetle there.

And until 2004, in a separate building in the VW manufacturing complex at Puebla, the automaker also was still assembling the original Beetle for Mexico and South America. During a tour of the plant in summer 2003, I was overcome by waves of nostalgia as I watched those old Beetles winding along the assembly line, then being loaded onto trucks for transport to dealers.

The Puebla plant isn’t the only one Volkswagen has had in North America, either. VW was the first import automaker, at least in modern times, to build an assembly plant in the United States.

That plant, in New Stanton, Pa., opened in 1978 and built the Rabbit until sales dropped off so dramatically that the automaker was forced to close the factory in 1988. A body-stamping plant that supplied the New Stanton facility was located in my hometown, South Charleston, W.Va.

As a lifelong fan of VW products, I’ve owned my share of the company’s vehicles, including a variety of the original Beetle models, along with a Squareback, Fastback, 1960 panel van, 1971/73/75 Transporters (Bus), 1980 and ’85 Vanagons, and even a 1998 New Beetle.

I was hoping to see Volkswagen produce the retro-styled re-creation of the 1970s-era Bus that was shown at the 2001 Detroit auto show. But after promising that vehicle for several years, the automaker canceled plans for it in 2005, much to the disappointment of my dentist, Dr. John Covert, who was looking forward to the new Bus just as much as I was. He wanted it to replace his aging VW Eurovan, but has since bought a Volvo instead.

VW’s U.S. dealers were eager to get the new Bus as well.

What they’re finally getting, coming this fall, is a new minivan with a design by Volkswagen but the underpinnings of a Dodge/Chrysler minivan, built at a Chrysler LLC factory in Windsor, Ontario.

What’s ironic about that arrangement is that Volkswagen is generally credited with inventing the minivan, but Chrysler revived the concept and brought it into the mainstream with the early 1980s introduction of the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager.

Jacoby introduced the new van, called the Routan, at the Chicago show in February, and said it will start at just under $25,000, which makes it affordable for a lot of average families,

Although it’s not going to be built by Volkswagen, the Routan has the look and feel of a VW, and should appeal to people who have a fondness for the brand.

During the Chicago rollout, Jacoby played on that angle, saying, "There is a lot of love out there for Volkswagen." Nearly everyone he meets in the United States has a VW story to tell, he added.

"The Volkswagen brand is part of the fabric of American popular culture," he said.

The move to expand U.S. sales – with the possible addition of a U.S. factory to help facilitate that – could work for Volkswagen if it forgets its recent efforts to become an upscale car company, and again focuses instead on building sensible cars for today’s rapidly changing market.

In the world of crossovers, Honda Pilot shines

Thu, 01 May 2008 16:17 CDT

The second generation of Honda’s popular midsize crossover utility vehicle, the Pilot, is on its way to dealers as the automaker ramps up production at its Alabama plant.

Production began April 17 on the 2009 Pilot, and Honda says it’s scheduled to go on sale officially on May 22, although some dealers will have it before then.

The Pilot shares the spotlight with the Toyota Highlander, as these two are the top-selling midsize crossover vehicles.

Toyota introduced the Highlander first, for 2002, and Honda rolled out the Pilot for 2003. Even with the Highlander’s head start, the Pilot quickly caught up.

Oddly, though, Toyota now seems to be trying to separate the Highlander from its "crossover" label, while in literature promoting the new Pilot, Honda touts it as a crossover.

That notion is odd because crossovers are the rage now. But a Toyota Motor Manufacturing spokesman quickly "corrected" me recently when I said something to him about the "Highlander crossover."

"The Highlander’s not a crossover," he said emphatically.

Well, yes it is, and so is the Pilot. "Crossover" is defined as a sport utility vehicle that is based on the chassis of a car rather than a truck, and the Highlander, which is based on the Toyota Camry’s architecture, and the Pilot, based on the Honda Accord, fall smack-dab in the middle of the crossover genre.

Corresponding to the rapid rise in gasoline prices, crossovers over the past couple of years have become the hottest thing in family-haulers, having surpassed traditional truck-based SUVs in overall sales.

Because they are lighter and more nimble, thanks to their unibody car-type construction, crossovers generally have better fuel economy than the heavier, traditional truck-style SUVs.

But it’s more than that fueling consumers’ shift to these vehicles from the SUVs that consumers embraced heartily during the 1990s, including the industry-leading Ford Explorer.

The other big draw of crossovers is their carlike ride, handling and comfort. And in those three departments, the Pilot shines.

While its underpinnings are derived from the Accord, the Pilot actually is more-closely related to the best-selling import minivan from Honda, the Odyssey. The Odyssey, of course, has the same Accord roots as the Pilot; the biggest difference in the Pilot is that it doesn’t come with the traditional sliding rear-side doors of the minivan. (Odyssey and Pilot models come down the same assembly line in Alabama.)

This newest Pilot is larger and roomier than its predecessor, and it’s also both more powerful and more refined, Honda says.

The Pilot "is among an elite group of sport utility vehicles that helped elevate the 'crossover’ segment in the last decade by introducing a combination of smooth ride comfort, accommodating interior packaging and overall efficiency that traditional SUVs lacked," Honda said in announcing details of the 2009 model.

Among unique features of the original Pilot was its third-row seat; Toyota didn’t add a third row to the Highlander until after the Pilot’s debut.

The new generation of the Pilot "seeks to improve" on its formula "by adding more SUV-rugged aesthetics," refinement and "interior functionality," Honda said.

The Pilot is "designed around the concept of an 'intelligent adventure vehicle’ with the practical needs of a family in mind," Honda said.

As before, it can seat up to eight people, and it now has more "advanced technologies for safety, fuel efficiency and convenience," the automaker said.

Under the hood is a Honda 3.5-liter V-6 engine rated at 250 horsepower and 253 foot-pounds of torque, connected to a five-speed automatic transmission with lockup torque converter. Horsepower is up from 244 in the ’08 model.

Nissan, Chrysler reach agreement to produce pickup and subcompact

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:58 CDT

Just four years into building and marketing its first full-size pickup truck, Japan’s Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. has announced plans to give up the manufacturing effort and buy the next generation of its big truck from Chrysler LLC.

Beginning in 2011, a new full-size pickup based on the Dodge Ram will replace the Nissan Titan, and will be built by Chrysler in Mexico. Production of the current Titan at Nissan’s Canton, Miss., plant will end in late 2010, the company said.

As part of the deal, though, Nissan will build a new line of small cars for Chrysler in Japan. Chrysler will sell those cars, probably to be based on the subcompact Versa, at its U.S. dealerships and abroad.

The end of a Nissan-built Titan will leave Toyota as the only import automaker manufacturing and marketing its own full-size pickup. Toyota’s pickup, the Tundra, is assembled in the company’s San Antonio plant, as well as in a facility in Princeton, Ind.

Nissan’s latest agreement with Chrysler expands on a shared-product deal the two automakers announced in January, in which Nissan will provide a variation of the Versa for Chrysler to sell in parts of South America.

The announcement of the new deal, made from the Nashville headquarters of Nissan North America, Inc., said that Nissan would build the new small car for Chrysler LLC at a Nissan factory in Japan, while Chrysler would manufacture the light-duty pickup at its plant in Saltillo, Mexico.

Dominique Thormann, senior vice president for administration and finance at Nissan North America, said Nissan decided to go with a Chrysler-built pickup to replace the Titan because of the high development costs of a new model and weak sales of the Titan.

Because of changes in U.S. environmental and safety regulations, the current Titan would have to be extensively redesigned for 2011, he said.

With current sales of the Titan at just 60,000 a year – compared with more than 900,000 a year for General Motors Corp.’s industry-leading line of full-size pickups – the deal to let Chrysler make the new Nissan truck made more sense financially, he said.

Although Chrysler will build the new Nissan truck, its design will be "unique to Nissan," Thormann said. But it will use engines from Chrysler, and not the 5.6-liter V-8, built by Nissan that now powers the Titan. That engine is used in several other Nissan vehicles as well.

"This agreement will extend the offerings we have now" with the Titan, he said, which is limited to the one engine and two cab and bed configurations. Chrysler offers a variety of V-6 and V-8 engines in its Ram pickups, and also is planning to add diesel and gasoline-electric hybrid powertrains to the mix in the near future.

The arrangement "will expand cab styles as well as powertrain combinations and engine choices" for the Nissan truck, Thormann said.

"We’re not giving up on the Titan," he said. "There is a customer base we need to satisfy. We’re a small player now; we don’t compete in 100 percent of segment. We had to decide how we could satisfy our customer base."

As for the new small car, it will be based on a Nissan chassis, but will have a design developed by Chrysler, and will be sold through Chrysler’s present dealer network.

Chrysler has no small car in its lineup since the discontinuation of the Dodge Neon after model year 2006. The company is co-developing a small car with China’s Chery Automotive, but no decision has been made yet as to whether that vehicle will be sold in North America, Chrysler has said.

Because development of the designs of both the new pickup and the Nissan-based small car has yet to begin, Thormann would not speculate as to what they would look like or even what they would be called.

The discontinuation of production of the Titan will eliminate yet another product from the assembly line at the Canton plant, which also builds the Altima sedan, Armada full-size SUV, Quest minivan and Infiniti QX56 sport utility.

But there should be no downsizing of the workforce there, Thormann said, because Nissan announced earlier that it would begin building light-commercial vehicles for the North American market beginning in mid-2010 at the Canton plant.

Production will begin with one commercial vehicle, but expand over the next couple of years to include three vehicles designed for business and delivery use, the automaker said. Those vehicles also have yet to be designed, but are expected to be based on the architecture of light commercial vehicles Nissan already sells in Europe, Japan and other world markets.

Nissan doesn’t have any other plans for alliances with Chrysler, including any kind of equity stake, Thormann said.

Santa Fe redesign adds size and zip

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:32 CDT

Crossovers are the family vehicles of choice for many new-car buyers in these days of record fuel prices, and one of the best is the Hyundai Santa Fe, which entered its second generation just last year.

In the makeover, the Santa Fe was upgraded to a midsize model from its previous compact size.

With the redesign, the Santa Fe now has a third-row seat and room for seven people, which puts it up against the segment-leading Toyota Highlander and other popular midsize crossovers with three rows, including the Honda Pilot.

It earns the "crossover" designation because of its unibody construction that combines the body and frame in one piece, giving the Santa Fe the ride and handling characteristics of a sedan rather than a truck.

The new model replaced a compact Santa Fe that already had been a hit. It was well-built, affordable, stylish, and easy on gas.

Hyundai didn’t abandon the compact segment, though, as it also offers the Tucson, introduced for 2005, which actually is in the same segment as the previous generation of the Santa Fe; the Santa Fe was just slightly larger and better-equipped, giving it a higher price.

This newest Santa Fe is 184.1 inches long, seven inches longer than its predecessor. It’s also an inch wider and almost two inches taller. Its track is 2.9 inches wider, which makes it wider than the tracks of the Highlander and Explorer.

Even though it is larger, the new Santa Fe starts at $21,150 (plus $695 freight) for the base GLS model with front-wheel drive and five-passenger seating. To get the third row, you have to move up to the midlevel SE model, which begins at $24,150.

Or you can go all-out and choose the top-of-the-line Limited model, which has a base price of $28,100 with front-wheel drive or, as in the case of our test vehicle, $29,600 with all-wheel-drive.

With a few extras, our tester’s sticker price went up to $32,165 (with freight), but it’s really not necessary to spend that much to have a nice Santa Fe.

The vehicle offers decent if not phenomenal fuel economy for a midsize sport utility.

The Santa Fe was the first production vehicle created by Hyundai’s new U.S. design center in Irvine, Calif. The center’s mission, Hyundai said, was to design a vehicle "to meet American consumers’ demand for safety, style, sophistication and performance."

Benchmark for the new Santa Fe wasn’t the Highlander and Pilot; instead, it was vehicles such as the Lexus RX and Acura MDX, which are the premium versions of the Highlander and Pilot, and the Volvo XC90.

The Santa Fe’s safety features include electronic stability control, anti-whiplash active head restraints, and side-curtain air bags for all three rows of seats.

The side-curtain air bags are standard on all models. Some of the Santa Fe’s competitors offer this feature as an option.

Electronic stability control also is standard on all versions. This system is designed to help maintain vehicle stability in extreme maneuvers to help prevent rollovers. This is a feature that is appearing as standard equipment on many of the newer vehicles, and is can help lower death rates from SUV accidents substantially.

. The 2.7-liter engine is rated at 185 horsepower and 183 foot-pounds of torque, which should be adequate for most people’s everyday needs.

For a lot more zip, though, with nearly the same fuel economy, the 3.3-liter V-6 in the uplevel models, including our Limited, is the best choice. It cranks out 242 horsepower and 226 foot-pounds of torque.

Those engines represent increases of 15 horsepower from the 2.7-liter engine in the 2006 model, and 42 horsepower from the 3.5-liter V-6 that was optional in the ’06 – with better fuel economy for the larger engine despite the huge spike in power.

EPA ratings are 18 miles per gallon in the city and 24 mpg on the highway for the base GLS model with the 2.7 engine, and 17 city/24 highway for the models with the 3.3-liter.

The baby Hummer line is getting a pickup

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:06 CDT

General Motors Corp. unveiled the Hummer H3T at the Chicago auto show in February, and it made its first Texas appearance at the recent Dallas auto show.

This is a new version of the compact Hummer H3 with a small pickup bed in place of the enclosed cargo area.

Roughly the equivalent of vehicles such as the Ford Explorer Sport Trac and Chevrolet Honda Ridgeline, but with a lot more off-road muscle, the H3T will seat five people and be offered with either a five-cylinder or V-8 engine, said General Motors Corp., which markets the Hummer brand through an agreement with Hummer parent AM General Corp.

AM General builds the larger Hummer H2 at its plant in Indiana, where it also makes the military Humvee, on whose design the first civilian Hummer was based.

The H3, though, is made by GM at its midsize-pickup plant in Shreveport, La., which will also build the H3T.

Introduced two years ago, the H3 sport utility vehicle was designed on the same architecture as the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups, also built in Shreveport.

The H3 is smaller, significantly less expensive, and somewhat more fuel-efficient than the H2 model, which shares its architecture with the Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon full-size SUVs.

With the base five-cylinder engine, the H3 is EPA rated at 14 miles per gallon city/18 highway. No ratings are given for the H2, because it is heavy enough to be exempt from EPA mileage reporting rules. But it’s generally considered to have overall fuel economy of about 10 mpg.

There also is a pickup version of the H2, known as the H2T.

The H3 was introduced with only the 3.7-liter five-cylinder engine used in the Colorado and Canyon, which produces 242 horsepower and 242 foot-pounds of torque.

But GM added the 5.3-liter V-8 engine from the Tahoe as an option for 2008, calling that model the H3 Alpha. The company said there will also be an H3T Alpha that uses the same engine.

That engine is rated at 300 horsepower and 320 foot-pounds of torque. It has EPA ratings of 13 city/16 highway. Don’t expect to see many of the V-8 models sold in these days of spiking gasoline prices, though, as consumers of even the pricier vehicles such as this seem to be embracing smaller, more fuel-efficient engines.

No prices have been announced for the H3T, but 2008 base prices of the H3 range from about $31,000-$40,000, including freight. That compares with a base price of $57,535 for the H2T.

Some recent TV ads for the H3 are touting its relatively decent fuel economy compared with larger, bulkier SUVs with V-8 engines. For its size and capabilities, include its extreme off-road agility, the H3 is among the best of the rugged sport utility class on fuel economy.

The new pickup model should appeal to the same consumers who would choose a similar vehicle such as the Chevrolet Avalanche or Explorer Sport Trac equipped with four-wheel drive. It will also appeal to some who might otherwise buy the Toyota Tacoma crew-cab model with four-wheel drive and the off-road package, which can approach the price of a base H3 when comparably equipped.

The design basically takes the five-passenger H3 and chops the top off of the cargo compartment to create a small pickup bed. From the nose to just behind the rear seat, the H3T will be virtually identical to the fully enclosed H3.

It’s hard to ignore the cool looks of the H3, and by extension, the H3T.

Off the road, the H3 is a bit more agile than the H2, which is 1,700 pounds heavier, 6.4 inches wider and nearly 2 inches longer. The narrower profile makes it easier than the H2 to negotiate forest trails.

In designing the H3, Hummer made sure it had the same beefy exterior as the H2, with the same signature Jeep-like seven-slot grille (which came to Hummer parent AM General Corp. through its previous ownership ties with American Motors, the former owner of the Jeep brand).

"With its unique size and Hummer traits, the H3T is ideal for the customer who works hard and plays harder," Hummer General Manager Martin Walsh said during a media introduction of the vehicle at the Dallas show. "It offers the combination of truck versatility and Hummer off-road prowess that delivers customers to the trail in style."

Pontiac’s new G8 sport sedan has an Aussie accent

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:42 CDT

Special to the Star-Telegram

With gasoline prices above $3 a gallon, the 2009 Pontiac G8 sport sedan might be regarded by some as the wrong car at the wrong time.

TV ads for this new large, rear-wheel-drive sedan hammer the point that it’s the “most powerful car under $30,000,” thanks to the starting price of $29,995 for the G8’s GT model. It has a 361-horsepower V-8 engine that can propel it from zero to 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds.

In what’s probably a concession to the realities of today’s market, though, there also is a V-6 version of the G8, with a starting price of $27,595. Both prices include freight.

Built in Australia by General Motors Corp.’s Holden subsidiary, the G8 will replace the Grand Prix and the previously discontinued Bonneville in the Pontiac lineup, and gives the brand its first rear-drive sedan in years.

GM used the much-more-expensive BMW 5-series sedan as the benchmark for the G8, although the company’s marketing executives acknowledge that there won’t be much cross-shopping between the two.

Even though the G8’s performance (with the V-8 engine) exceeds that of all 5-series models except for the high-performance and high-priced M5 model, people who buy BMWs usually aren’t considering an American car brand as an option.

What the favorable comparisons with the 5-series will do, though, is make G8 buyers feel a lot better about their purchases, GM believes. And of course, just having the ability to outperform a car that costs $17,480-$29,275 more (not even including the M5), can be a real kick in the pants.

A fully loaded GT model with the V-8 engine and all available options has a sticker price of just $32,700, compared with $82,705 for a fully-optioned V-8 powered top-of-the-line BMW 550i sedan.

Coming later this year will be the GXP, the highest-performance version. No price has been announced yet for this model.

While V-6 versions of the G8 come with a 256-horsepower engine, the base BMW 528i sedan’s inline six-cylinder produces just 230 horsepower. The 550i’s V-8 has 360 horsepower, nearly the same as that of the G8’s V-8.

The real comparisons of the G8, though, should be made against its most-likely competitors, which GM says include the Dodge Charger, Nissan Maxima and Infiniti G35.

Among those, the Maxima and G35 – with horsepower over 300 – outperform the G8’s V-6. But neither is offered with a V-8.

And the Charger’s 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 comes up short against the G8’s V-8 engine, with 335 horsepower.

Prices are similar to these expected competitors.

Other cars that also might be considered competitors to the G8 include the Toyota Avalon, Chrysler 300, Hyundai Azera, Honda Accord, Acura TL, Volkswagen Passat, and even GM’s own Chevrolet Impala, Buick LaCrosse and Buick Lucerne.

One plus for the G8 is that it’s much roomier than most of its competitors.

“It’s an amazingly spacious car, front and back,” G8 Marketing Manager Brian Shipman said during a recent media ride-and-drive event for the car in the Atlanta area.

GM also touts the G8’s European styling, which was meant to give the car the same kind of curb appeal found in the European luxury brands.

“The styling was meant to be like that of an Audi or BMW,” Shipman said.

One of the features is the wheels-to-the-corners design that helps maximize interior space, while making the car handle better.

These hybrids are well worth the money

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:42 CDT

Gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles get a lot of media attention in these days of gasoline prices that are pushing toward the $4-a-gallon mark.

Not all of the attention is positive; some critics point out that there are many cars on the market that achieve fuel economy that comes close to that of some of the popular hybrids, yet have significantly lower purchase prices.

That’s true, of course, and I’ve written about these economical alternatives to the hybrids, too.

But there are some hybrids that are well worth the money, and among them are the two compact sport utilities from Ford Motor Co. – the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner.

For this report, we tested the Mariner, but because these vehicles are virtually identical, nearly everything said here applies to both. The Mariner starts a bit higher in price, though, because it includes more standard equipment.

And, unfortunately, I’ve found that these vehicles are in short supply, and that some dealers are charging hefty markups over sticker price. You might have to shop around a while to find one.

The Mariner and Escape in their gasoline-only versions already are good alternatives to the larger, heavier truck-based SUVs that once were the rage among American car buyers.

Both are considered to be crossover utility vehicles because they are built on car chassis. With gasoline prices at record levels, many consumers are embracing crossovers as their everyday family vehicles because they generally offer better fuel economy than the truck-based SUVs.

With the Mariner and Escape, though, an even better choice is one of the hybrid models, which cost about $3,000 more than a comparably equipped gasoline-only model, but offer an impressive increase in fuel efficiency. And depending on your tax bracket, you could be eligible for a federal income tax credit on the purchase of one of these vehicles that could give you back most of the additional cost of the hybrid model.

EPA ratings for the two-wheel-drive Mariner (and Escape) hybrid are 34 miles per gallon in the city and 30 on the highway, compared with 18 city/24 highway for the gasoline-only V-6 model, and 20/26 for the four-cylinder version.

All-wheel-drive hybrid models use a bit more fuel, with ratings of 29 city/27 highway, compared with 17 city/22 highway for the regular V-6 and 19/24 for the four-cylinder.

With the hybrid, though, you get the power of a V-6 (thanks to the combination of a four-cylinder gasoline engine and an electric motor) but even better fuel economy than a four-cylinder.

Although these hybrids have been on the market for a couple of years, they have been significantly redesigned for 2008 with new styling and interiors, as well as some changes that improved the hybrid drive system.

For this report, we tested the Mariner Hybrid two-wheel-drive model (base price $27,195 plus $665 freight).

This vehicle seats five adults comfortably and has room for plenty of luggage behind the second seat. There is 29.2 cubic feet of cargo space, which expands to more than 66 cubic feet with the rear seat folded.

The base price brings a well-equipped model, although our test vehicle had some extras that ran the total sticker up to $33,045. Options included the Hybrid Premium Package ($3,395), which added a navigation/audio system, heated front seats, leather upholstery and trim, a reverse-sensing system with rear parking aid, heated outside mirrors, a hybrid-system energy-flow monitoring screen, roof rack, and a retractable cargo cover; and the Hybrid Moon and Tune Package ($995), which brought Sirius satellite radio and a moon roof. For economy’s sake, both of these packages could be eliminated and you would still have a very well-equipped vehicle.

The biggest benefit to driving the hybrid is the fuel economy, which is about what you would get from a subcompact car such as a Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris, and better than that of some compact models.

For 2008, the styling of the hybrid is almost identical to that of the regular gasoline version, except for the special hybrid badging. The interiors are almost identical as well.

Under the hood is where these vehicles differ from their gasoline-only sibling. This car has a full hybrid system, with technology similar to that of the Toyota hybrids.

That differs from the mild hybrids, such as the Honda Civic, which use the gasoline engine at all times and have an electric motor just to beef up power for such situations as passing and freeway merges.