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 »

2010 Dodge Caravan SXT

Minivan is a living room on wheels for active families

By Nina Russin

2010 Dodge Grand Caravan

The minivan seems poised for a resurgence. The do-everything car Chrysler invented twenty five years ago is finding new fans in young, active families who appreciate its versatility. Because a minivan’s exterior is more aerodynamic than the typical, two-box sport-utility vehicle, it tends to get better fuel economy, reducing the cost of ownership.

Chrysler has dominated the ALV awards in the minivan category since introducing the current models two years ago. Athletes are impressed by Chrysler’s combination of excellent road manners and unique interior options.

The newest of these is called Swivel ‘n Go seating. Second-row seats swivel to face the third row. A pop-up table in between turns the back of the minivan into a family room. The seats meet all federal safety regulations in both front and rear-facing positions, and the table meets similar standards once deployed.

A rear DVD player, satellite television and a 115-volt outlet for plugging in games give kids a myriad of entertainment options. Built-in child booster seats are a stand-alone option.

This week, I spent time behind the wheel of the Dodge Grand Caravan SXT. The SXT is more upscale of two Dodge minivans. Three rows of seating hold up to seven passengers. Power comes from a 4-liter V-6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission.

Base price is $26,730, not including an $820 delivery charge. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Mazda6 Touring Plus

Five-passenger sport sedan is an ALV best value

2010 Mazda6

Considering all it has to offer, it’s surprising that there isn’t more of a buzz about the Mazda6. The mid-sized sport sedan combines outstanding ride and handling, seating for up to five passengers, a high level of comfort, convenience and safety features, with pricing that starts under $20,000.

Mazda introduced the current iteration of the Mazda6 for the 2009 model year. This year, the automaker combines some popular comfort and convenient features such as Bluetooth interface, blind spot monitoring, and a power moonroof in a Touring Plus model.

Buyers can choose from two engines: an inline four-cylinder block in the Mazda6i, or a V-6 in the Mazda6s. The test car comes with the 170-horsepower four-cylinder engine and a five-speed automatic transmission. Base price for the Touring Plus model is $23,750, not including a $750 destination fee. Read the rest of this entry »

2009 Toyota RAV4 Sport 4X4

Compact sport-utility vehicle with an active focus

By Nina Russin

2009 Toyota RAV4

Twenty-five years ago, Toyota introduced a pint-sized sport-utility vehicle with a big mission: to meld the fuel economy of a passenger car with the cargo capability of a light-duty truck. RAV4 stands for Recreational Active Vehicle with four-wheel drive. As the name suggests, the RAV was one of the first cars designed specifically for urban athletes.

The original RAV debuted in Japan in 1994: it came to the US two years later. The first RAV4 was essentially an all-wheel drive Camry with two-box architecture. While the ’96 RAV got mixed reviews from automotive enthusiast magazines, it was a hit among its intended buyers. The four-cylinder RAV was thrifty at the fuel pump, small enough to parallel park, and had enough room in the cargo area for a road bike.

While the current RAV4 is slightly larger than the original, it remains one of the smallest sport-utility vehicles on the market. The Sport grade tested is positioned between the base and upscale Limited models. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Mazdaspeed3 Sport

Form meets function in Mazda’s five-door hatchback

By Nina Russin

2010 Mazdaspeed3

Of the hundred or so cars I test drive each year, a handful are models I can envision myself owning. The Mazdaspeed3 is one of those few.

Simply put, Mazda’s performance-driven hatchback fills all of my squares. It’s affordable, stylish, versatile enough for my modest cargo needs, and a lot of fun to drive. The turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine is thrifty at the fuel pump, while providing an abundance of power.

The six-speed manual transmission has a light enough clutch pedal to function in traffic, with plenty of range in each gear. Steering response is positive, yet fluid.

Stabilizer bars on the front and rear axles keep the car flat in the corners. Yet the suspension has enough compliance to provide a comfortable ride on uneven road surfaces. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXL

Global design team reinvents Buick’s full-sized sedan

By Nina Russin

2010 Buick LaCrosse

My love affair with cars began with a ‘64 Buick Wildcat convertible that lived down the street from me. Its 401-cubic inch V8 engine seemed to stretch from one side of the county to the other. The exhaust note was epic. A standard three-speed manual transmission made it easy to melt the tires: something my parents never shared my appreciation for.

Over subsequent decades, Buick lost its way, acquiring a reputation for lackluster performance, with styling to match. It was heartbreaking to see the brand that revolutionized car design with Harley Earl’s Y-Job concept car relegated to the far reaches of nursing home parking lots.

Recently, Buick reversed the tide with the Enclave crossover vehicle, geared towards active lifestyles. Last summer, Buick introduced an all-new LaCrosse, using a global design team to recreate the full-sized sedan for younger buyers.

Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Toyota Sienna

Third-generation minivan features new sport grade

By Nina Russin

2011 Toyota Sienna SE

What was once old is new again. The minivan is, after all, the original active lifestyle vehicle. At its peak in the late 1990s, the minivan segment commanded a million unit sales annually.

Minivans are more aerodynamic, and hence get better gas mileage than sport-utility vehicles; yet they hold as many passengers and carry as much gear. The 2011 Toyota Sienna that rolls out in February is available with all-wheel drive. Three rows of seating hold up to eight passengers. The V6 model’s 3500-pound towing capacity meets our ALV minimum standard.

A new sport grade with a unique exterior, larger wheels and special suspension tuning rivals like-sized crossover vehicles. Read the rest of this entry »

2009 Toyota Corolla Matrix S

Compact hatchback has an active lifestyle focus

By Nina Russin

The Matrix is the five-door version of the Toyota Corolla, combining the sedan’s positive fuel economy with a larger, more versatile cargo area.

Every time I drive the Matrix, I find a new reason to love

2009 Toyota Matrix

 the car. The hatchback averages 29 miles-per-gallon on the highway, has a standard 115-volt outlet in the center stack, and can hold my mountain bike without removing the front wheel.

Tracks in the cargo floor hold tie-down hooks to secure large cargo.  A cargo light illuminates the back of the car, making it easier to load up at night.

For this test drive, I have the mid-level S grade, with a 158-horsepower, four-cylinder engine and five-speed automatic transmission. The S adds a couple of important features over the base model: the 115-volt outlet, and a fold-flat front passenger seat. A hard seatback surface serves as a work table. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Subaru Legacy

Sport sedan takes a ‘go anywhere’ attitude

By Nina Russin

2010 Subaru Legacy

Subaru was one of the few automakers to turn a profit last year. While the company has never been a volume leader, Subaru has maintained a loyal following by staying true to its mission and listening to its customers. Subaru was one of the first car companies to pursue buyers with active lifestyles: sponsoring the US Ski team in the 1970s.

The Legacy is Subaru’s flagship sedan: geared towards upscale buyers. Having said that, Subaru approaches the luxury audience with its own, unique strategy. The base Legacy comes with a cloth interior: easier to clean after a day on the trails. All-wheel drive is standard, giving the Legacy moderate off-road capability.

The six-speed manual transmission, standard on the base model, comes with a reverse lockout ring. While not all of its owners will drive the Legacy for sport, the lockout ring gives the gearbox extra durability. Read the rest of this entry »