2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8

Full-sized sport-utility vehicle tuned for performance

By Nina Russin

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8

The Grand Cherokee SRT8 is the fastest vehicle in the Jeep lineup: a different kind of animal than what the brand is known for. Chrysler’s street racing engineers utilized four-wheel drive to enhance power as opposed to off-road handling, delivering a zero-to-sixty time under five seconds.

Special ground effects limit the SRT8 model to paved roads. I had difficulty backing out of my driveway without hitting the front fascia, designed to enhance airflow, on the apron. Twenty-inch forged aluminum wheels come with run-flat tires can run up to fifty miles with no air pressure on the highway. The tires eliminate weight from a spare, but are completely impractical off-road.

Having said that, the Grand Cherokee SRT8 fits most of the other squares active buyers need to fill. It can hold up to five passengers, has a large enough cargo area to hold a bicycle, and tows up to 3500 pounds, meeting our minimum ALV standards.

Best of all, the hot rod Grand Cherokee is a hoot to drive. While Jeep enthusiasts will immediately see differences in appearance between the stock Grand Cherokee and its SRT cousin, most drivers cannot. There’s nothing more fun than pulling up next to a pony car at a stoplight, and blowing it away off the line. I found the stunt so entertaining that I had to repeat it half a dozen times during my test drive.

Base price on the Grand Cherokee SRT8 is $43,325, not including a $780 destination charge. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Acura TL SH-AWD

Luxury sedan has the heart of a sports car

By Nina Russin

2010 Acura TL SH-AWD

It took me about thirty seconds behind the wheel of the Acura TL to conclude that its development team had hit their target spot on. With its sleek styling and precision handling, the TL is a sexy, hot performer. New this year is an available six-speed manual gearbox, giving driving enthusiasts better opportunity to enjoy the TL’s wide array of talents.

All-wheel drive enhances four-season performance by automatically delivering engine power to the wheels with the best traction. It also enhances the sedan’s steering feedback on challenging roads.

The new manual gearbox is lighter than the standard five-speed automatic. A short-throw shifter makes it easy for the driver to snap between gears. While the close-ratio box is engineered for high-performance driving, the gears have plenty of range to function well in stop-and-go traffic.

A self-adjusting clutch reduces fatigue during commutes. Cars equipped with the manual gearbox come with a hill-start assist feature, which automatically applies the brakes on hills to keep the sedan from rolling backwards.

The SH-AWD grade comes with a 3.7-liter V6: the larger of two available engines. The bigger engine adds 25 horsepower and 19 foot-pounds of torque compared to the 3.5-liter engine. The manual transmission improves the bigger block’s fuel economy, making it comparable to the smaller engine with the five-speed automatic transmission. 

Standard nineteen-inch wheels give the TL a wide, stable footprint at speed. The test car comes with Z-rated summer performance tires. Buyers in four-season climates should expect to purchase a set of winter tires for the snow season. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Jeep Liberty Sport 4X4

Mid-sized sport utility vehicle with full off-road capability

By Nina Russin

2010 Jeep Liberty

Off-road driving is the heart and soul of Jeep, going back to the brand’s World War II Willys roots. Today most models in the Jeep line-up still carry the automaker’s trail rating, which certifies capability to traverse extreme off-road terrain and ford deep water.

The Liberty is Jeep’s mid-sized sport-utility vehicle, positioned between the compact Wrangler and full-sized Grand Cherokee. Its longer wheelbase makes it slightly less maneuverable on trails than the Wrangler; none-the-less, the Liberty is fully off-road capable.

The Liberty’s larger passenger and cargo areas suits families with children better than the Wrangler. At the same time, the Liberty is small and light enough to offer decent fuel economy: about 17 miles-per-gallon on average.

The Liberty can easily hold a couple of road bikes with the second-row seats folded flat. An optional towing prep package gives the SUV 5000 pounds of towing capacity: well in excess of our minimum ALV standards.

The current model is the second generation, which rolled out two years ago. This year, engineers enhanced the Liberty’s gas mileage with a fuel shut-off feature that cuts fuel during deceleration. The concept is similar to that used on the Dodge Durango hybrid, which cuts out fuel delivery to certain cylinders when power needs are low. An “eco” lamp in the gauge cluster helps the driver adjust his style to maximize fuel economy. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Cadillac CTS-V

Potent sport sedan

By Nina Russin

2010 Cadillac CTS-V

Driving the CTS-V can make the sun shine brighter and the road irresistibly beckoning. It’s that good. The tuner version of Cadillac’s sport sedan is basically a race car with back seats. With 556 horses under the hood, the Cadillac CTS-V is the Corvette Z06 of the sedan world.

To attribute the CTS-V’s other worldly performance solely to its engine would be doing the car a disservice. Features such as magnetic ride control transmit power to the ground in a highly refined fashion.

Having said that, the Cadillac CTS-V is not a car for everyone. In addition to its high-luxury  price tag, the chassis is engineered for speed rather than versatility.

It’s not particularly suited for snow. Buyers who plan to drive the car in the winter should expect to invest in a spare set of rims and snow tires. The standard performance tires are too hard in cold weather to provide adequate traction.

Ground effects enhance high-speed handling, but make it virtually impossible to take the sedan off pavement without damaging components. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Infiniti FX35 AWD

Crossover vehicle melds form and function

By Nina Russin

Infiniti FX

The FX is Infiniti’s five-passenger crossover vehicle, with available all-wheel drive for four-season performance. Last year, the automaker introduced the second-generation FX, replacing the model introduced in 2003. The 2010 models come with a choice of V-6 or V-8 engines, and rear or all-wheel drive.

Engineers refined the 3.5-liter block in the new model, and introduced an all-new 5-liter V-8. The smaller engine produces 303 horsepower, coming close to the power of the 4.5-liter eight cylinder on the original car. A seven-speed automatic transmission minimizes shift shock, while enhancing fuel economy.

The new FX has a longer wheelbase and wider track than the car it replaces, providing a more stable footprint. Buyers can upgrade from the standard 18-inch wheels to 20 or 21-inch rims. The FX comes standard with V-rated all-season tires.

Infiniti’s crossover features a front midship platform similar to the M and G passenger cars: a more rigid chassis enhances steering feedback. The all-wheel drive model has a 53/47 front-to-rear weight balance, offering rear-wheel drive handling characteristics on dry roads.

Standard comfort and convenience features include keyless entry and start, leather upholstery, power front seats, 60/40 split folding rear seats, a Bose audio system with satellite radio and Bluetooth interface, four 12-volt power outlets, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel column with redundant steering wheel controls, and a power sliding glass moonroof.

This week, I spent time in the FX35 all-wheel drive model. A wet spring in Arizona presented an unusual opportunity to test the FX in rain, snow, and on some very muddy unimproved roads around Sedona.

Base price on the test car is $43,850, not including an $865 destination charge. Two premium option packages and navigation bring the MSRP to $52,920. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Nissan Altima Coupe 2.5 S

Sporty sibling to Nissan’s best selling sedan

By Nina Russin

2010 Nissan Altima Coupe

The mid-sized Altima is Nissan’s best-selling passenger car. Filling the space between the upscale Maxima and value-packed Sentra, the five-passenger Altima offers buyers versatility and style in an affordable package.

Three years ago, Nissan pumped up the Altima’s sex appeal with a sleek new coupe. The coupe’s profile is similar to the iconic 370Z. Designers shortened the car’s wheelbase four inches compared to the sedan, and concealed the B pillar behind glass, emphasizing the coupe’s bullet shape.

The Altima sedan and coupe share very little sheetmetal. Both have the same hood, but the coupe’s grille, headlamps, tail lamps and all other major body panels are unique. The coupe is about two inches lower than the sedan, giving it a sportier appearance, and enhancing high-speed handling.

Buyers can choose from two engines: a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder block, or a 3.5-liter V6. Both come with a choice of six-speed manual transmission or continuously variable automatic.

This week, I got some seat time in the 2.5 S, equipped with the 175-horsepower four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual gearbox. Base price is $22,440, not including the $720 destination charge. An option package adds leather trim, an eight-way power driver’s seat, automatic headlamps, and steering wheel mounted audio controls ($1070). Floor and trunk mats cost $175. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI

Turbo diesel hatchback is a fun, fuel-efficient package

By Nina Russin

2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI

Clean diesel is a win-win-win technology. It’s affordable, offers excellent performance, and produces fewer emissions than gasoline. With all there is to love about diesel, it’s surprising more Americans aren’t embracing it.

Part of the problem is the lingering memory of diesels three decades back: sluggish, smoke-belching vehicles that on the whole, were uninspired and unreliable. It’s hard to get a generation of drivers soured by their first diesel experience to give it another shot.

The other problem is that the new generation of diesel, called clean diesel because of its reduced sulfur content, sounds too good to be true. Wary car shoppers want to know what the drawbacks are. Now that clean diesel fuel is widely available in the United States, there are none.

The Volkswagen Golf TDI is a case in point. Base sticker price is $22,590: well within the limits of our best value category. The base model comes well equipped with comfort, convenience and safety features. The only obvious omission is Bluetooth connectivity, which costs $200.

Fuel economy is about twenty-five percent better across the board than the gasoline-powered version of the same model. Because the new common-rail diesel systems run on extremely high fuel pressures, there’s none of the lag that plagued older diesel powertrains. Zero-to-sixty acceleration is 8.6 seconds: about half a second slower than the gasoline Golf, but certainly acceptable. Read the rest of this entry »