2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec

Value meets style and performance

By Nina Russin

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Hyundai’s success with the midsize Genesis sedan inspired product planners to introduce two-door version. The R-Spec model takes the stylish coupe and adds a dose of performance, with a turbocharged two-liter engine, six-speed manual gearbox, special suspension, wheels and tires.

Turbocharging gives the four-cylinder engine exceptional low-end power. The engine develops peak torque, 223 foot-pounds, at 2000 rpm. As a result, the coupe prances off the line past other vehicles, and can soar into high-speed traffic. Zero-to-sixty acceleration is under six seconds.

A short-throw shift lever allows the driver to transition quickly between gears. Two large overdrive gears maximize fuel economy on the highway.

A strut tower brace contributes to overall chassis rigidity for enhanced steering feedback. Nineteen-inch alloy wheels with low-profile summer performance tires give the R-Spec Genesis a wide, stable footprint. Brembo four-piston brakes can handle the demands of a race track and stop the car on a dime.

Despite its high-performance accouterments, the Genesis coupe is also a great value: under $25,000 including delivery charges. Hyundai’s industry-leading warranty contains maintenance and repair costs, making the R-Spec coupe a realistic possibility for car enthusiasts on a budget. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Nissan Frontier 4X4 Pro4X

Midsize pickup truck is big on off-road fun

By Nina Russin

2010 Nissan Frontier

The Nissan Frontier is a right-sized truck that’s maneuverable in dense traffic, yet big enough for serious cargo. A 261-horsepower V-6 engine and five-speed automatic transmission produce plenty of torque for acceleration and towing.

A quiet timing chain is more durable than a belt, saving buyers an expensive repair at about 60,000 miles. The four-wheel drive Frontier tows up to 6100 pounds.

A two-speed transfer case on the four-wheel drive model gives the Frontier true off-road capability. Transferring between two and four-wheel drive is easy, thanks to a rotary control on the instrument panel.

The crew cab truck seats up to five passengers. Despite its tough-looking exterior, the Frontier is available with a host of comfort and convenience features, including an MP3-compatible audio system, Bluetooth interface, heated front seats and a power moonroof.

An optional tailgate extender adds extra length to the cargo bed when necessary. Bed rails and adjustable tie-down cleats secure large cargo. An optional roof rack with crossbars can be fitted with a variety of overhead carriers. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Suzuki Kizashi SE AWD

Suzuki packs a punch with value and performance

By Nina Russin

2010 Suzuki Kizashi

The Kizashi is Suzuki’s newest flagship: a midsize sedan that the automaker hopes will extend its global reach. Because midsize sedans outsell all other passenger cars, the segment holds allure for companies trying to build volume. But entering it means swimming in shark-infested waters: full of heavy hitters such as the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Acura TSX.

While Suzuki can’t match the panache of some European luxury brands, it does offer a significant value to customers who seek style and performance on a budget. A base price of $22,749 for the all-wheel drive test car includes such upscale features as keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate controls, three-position driver’s seat memory, and an iPod compatible audio system.

All models come with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 185 horsepower, and the choice of either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The front-wheel drive manual model accelerates from zero-to-sixty in 7.4 seconds.

This week, I had the opportunity to drive the SE: one of four available grades. The continuously-variable automatic transmission has a manual gear select mode, allowing the driver to make the most of the engine’s available power.

Because the Kizashi comes with a large roster of comfort and convenience features, floor mats and premium paint are the only options on the test car. Suzuki includes the delivery charge in the base price: MSRP is $23,004. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Toyota Venza Five-Door Sedan

All-wheel drive adds four-season performance for active lifestyles

By Nina Russin

2010 Toyota Venza

The five-passenger Toyota Venza combines elements from the Camry and Highlander in a versatile, compact platform.

Available four and six-cylinder engines come with a six-speed automatic transmission, and a choice of front or all-wheel drive. The front-wheel drive four-cylinder Venza is the fuel economy king, averaging 29 miles-per-gallon on the highway.

The all-wheel drive V-6 averages 25 miles-per-gallon on the highway, but offers significantly more horsepower and torque. It can tow up to 3500 pounds when equipped with the tow-prep option, meeting our ALV minimum standards.

This week I spent time in the all-wheel drive V-6 Venza on an extended road trip through the Midwest. The drive route included highway, rural roads and city streets.

During the week-long trip, I drove through several large downpours on hilly terrain, putting the all-wheel drive‘s electronic torque distribution to the test. The route included every type of road surface imaginable, thanks to an abundance of construction, and the upper Midwest’s infamous potholes.

Base price on the test car is $29,550, not including a $750 destination charge. A rear seat DVD system, audio upgrade, convenience and security packages bring the price as tested to $34,759. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

Special Vehicle Team transforms Ford’s full-sized pickup into the ultimate off-road machine

By Nina Russin

Ford F-150 Raptor

If the definition of an active lifestyle vehicle includes getting jiggy on two wheels and eating mouthfuls of dirt, the Ford SVT Raptor may be the ultimate ALV. The automaker drew from its trophy truck experience to make a vehicle that can go off-road racing out of the box.

The difference between the Raptor and the race-prepared trucks it’s based on is that the Raptor is street legal. The test car, equipped with a luxury package, is actually pretty comfy for the daily commute.

While high-tech features such as Ford’s sync voice-activated controls proliferate through the interior, the off-road technology is pretty old fashioned. I don’t say this to be disparaging. Anybody who’s followed a Baja race knows that checkpoints can be few and far between. The drivers that win have tied-and-true technology that works, and after miles of pre-running, know how to make the best of it.

The Raptor chassis is significantly wider than the stock F-150 to accommodate large wheels and a wider suspension. Fox racing shocks become stiffer as they travel into compression to avoid bottoming out. High-profile tires serve the same purpose.

The suspension is soft, so it can glide over obstacles without beating up the driver.

Base price on the F-150 4X4 is $38,020, not including a $975 delivery charge. Options on the test car, including the Raptor package, custom paint, luxury interior, rear back-up camera, Sony navigation radio and a trailer brake controller bring the price as tested to $49,395. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 GMC Terrain FWD SLE-1

Five-passenger SUV delivers 32 miles-per-gallon on the highway

By Nina Russin

2010 GMC Terrain

These days, finding the right new car without breaking the bank is a formidable challenge; especially for families with active lifestyles.

Buyers who haul trailers require serious towing capability on top of a versatile cargo area. Fuel economy is important, since it impacts cost of ownership.

The GMC Terrain is designed to fill all of these squares, with seating for up to five passengers, and a choice of two fuel-efficient engines. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine on front-wheel drive model averages 32 miles-per-gallon on the highway. A 264-horsepower V6 is slightly less efficient, but can tow up to 3500 pounds, meeting our ALV standards.

Base sticker price for the front-wheel drive SLE-1 with the four-cylinder engine is $24,995 including delivery. The base car comes with most of the comfort and convenience features buyers need, and a few they might not expect.

A rear-backup camera display in the rearview mirror makes it easier to park. Standard XM satellite radio includes a three-month complimentary subscription. OnStar is standard on all models: the system automatically notifies police and emergency medical personnel if the airbags deploy.

Other standard features include a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, air conditioning, auxiliary and USB ports, remote keyless entry, and 17-inch alloy wheels. The Terrain received five-star federal crash test ratings for both frontal and side crash tests (four stars for rollover). It also received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick award for 2009.

Rugged exterior styling gives the Terrain familial resemblance to GMC’s larger trucks: the Acadia, Envoy and Yukon. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost

New engine technology raises the bar for luxury sedans

By Nina Russin

2010 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost

Rarely is a new car engine a game changer, simply because current technology is so good. Despite that, the Ford EcoBoost engine, available in the all-wheel drive version of the Lincoln MKS, goes to the head of the class. The engine is so powerful, smooth and fuel efficient that it raises the bar for every car in the segment.

Twin turbochargers give the EcoBoost V-6 engine power and performance comparable to a V-8. Thanks to its low compression ratio, the EcoBoost can run on regular gas, though premium is recommended for optimum performance.

According to EPA statistics, the engine averages 25 miles-per-gallon on the highway: a mile-per-gallon better than the Duratec V-6 on the front-wheel drive MKS. Not only does the EcoBoost produce 82 more horsepower and 80 more foot-pounds of torque than the Duratec, it compensates for parasitic fuel economy loss from the all-wheel drive.

Engineers have configured the turbochargers to be virtually invisible to the driver, with no turbo-lag. The six-speed automatic transmission is equally seamless: paddle shifters on the steering wheel allow the driver to change gears manually for more aggressive performance.

Because of the turbochargers, the engine develops peak torque as low as 1500 rpm: just off idle. As a result, the MKS can soar up hills and entrance ramps into high-speed traffic. Its power and nimble handling make the MKS feel like a much lighter and smaller car than its 4300-pound curb weight would suggest.

Since the EcoBoost engine is smaller than the Duratec V-6, it’s lighter and more compact, making it easier to package under the hood, and reducing overall curb weight. Since all-wheel drive adds weight to the MKS chassis, weight savings under the hood are important.

Base price on the EcoBoost MKS is $47,760, not including an $825 destination charge. Adaptive park assist on the test car can automatically parallel park the car ($535). Adaptive cruise control automatically maintains a preset distance from the car in front, enabling the driver to use cruise control in urban traffic ($1310).

Navigation is part of a convenience package that also adds an audio upgrade, rearview camera and dual-panel moon roof ($3500). Sirius travel link provides real-time traffic and weather updates. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Nissan Altima 3.5 SR

Midsized sedan gets refreshed styling for 2010

By Nina Russin

2010 Nissan Altima Sedan

The Nissan Altima is a bread-and-butter sedan that’s remarkably un-bread-and-butterish. Designers pulled elements from the 370Z lexicon to give the Altima enduring style that makes sense in the Nissan family.

For 2010, the Altima gets a redesigned front end: a slight hood bulge and more aggressive grille give the exterior a more youthful appearance. Nissan’s updated navigation system comes with a 9.3 gigabyte hard drive for downloading music. XM traffic and weather updates minimize delays on crowded freeways.

Buyers can chose from two engines: a fuel-efficient four cylinder with 32 mile-per-gallon highway fuel economy, or a more powerful V-6 that gives driving enthusiasts something to look forward to on the weekend.

A speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering system provides positive on-center response at speed, while producing enough assist for parallel parking in tight spaces. Four-wheel disc brakes with four-channel antilock braking stop the car on a dime, even on rain or snow-covered roads.

Base price on the 3.5 SR is $24,520, not including a $720 destination charge. A premium package on the test car adds leather upholstery, heated front seats, Bluetooth interface, satellite radio, a USB port, auto-dimming rearview mirror, a four-inch display in the dash, and air conditioning vents behind the center console ($2380).

A sport package dresses up the exterior with a rear spoiler, replaces the standard halogen headlamps with brighter bi-xenon beams, and adds dual-zone temperature controls ($2370). The technology package which includes the hard-drive navigation system costs $1780. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Infiniti G37 Sedan Journey

Sport sedan for driving enthusiasts

By Nina Russin

Infiniti G37 Sedan

The G37S melds the stylish exterior of the G coupe with four-door practicality. Its performance and handling is pure sports car.

In the early days of open-wheel racing, race cars had two seats: one for the driver, and a second for the riding mechanic. The G37S strikes me as a race car with seating for three riding mechanics.

Power comes from a 3.7-liter V-6 engine and seven-speed automatic transmission. The driver can shift manually using the shift lever or formula-style paddles on the steering wheel.

Large vented disc brakes stop the car on a dime, while standard 17-inch alloy wheels provide a wide, stable footprint at speed. Read the rest of this entry »

Pedestrian Detection Debuts in Volvo S60

New sedan automatically brakes for pedestrians

2011 Volvo S60

The 2011 Volvo S60 rolls out this fall, with a ground-breaking safety system that will make the streets safer for pedestrians. Pedestrian detection is the newest component of Volvo’s city safety technology. City safety, which debuted in the XC60, automatically applies the brakes if the driver fails to see a vehicle stopped ahead.

Pedestrian detection takes city safety one step further by applying the brakes if a pedestrian moves in front of the car. The system uses a radar sensor in the car’s grille and a camera in front of the rearview mirror to monitor for pedestrians.

The radar device detects objects within a sixty degree range: about five degrees to either side of the headlamps. If the on-board camera identifies the object in front of the car as a pedestrian and the driver fails to slow down, the vehicle automatically applies full braking.

At this point, the detection system cannot recognize bicyclists or small animals. Volvo engineers are currently working on expanding system capabilities to protect these groups as well.

Pedestrian detection can bring cars travelling under twenty miles-per-hour to a complete halt, and slow vehicles moving at higher rates of speed by as much as 22 miles-per-hour.

Volvo’s research indicates that eleven percent of all traffic fatalities in the US are pedestrians. Pedestrian detection has the ability to prevent or greatly mitigate pedestrian injuries caused by inattentive drivers.