2011 Infiniti G37 Sedan 6MT

Versatile sport sedan for driving enthusiasts

By Nina Russin

2011 Infiniti G37 Sedan

At the same time, a versatile interior, spacious trunk and tech-savvy features including Bluetooth, XM real-time traffic alerts, keyless start and navigation make the sedan a practical choice for commuters in large urban areas.

Power for the G37 comes from a 328 horsepower V-6 engine, mated to a close ratio six-speed manual transmission. Both the block and heads are aluminum, to keep weight off the chassis. The sedan’s hood is also aluminum, for the same reason.

By locating the engine behind the front axle, engineers achieved a near-perfect front-to-rear weight balance: 53/47 in the sport model tested. Because of the engine’s high compression ratio, the G37 requires 91 octane premium unleaded gasoline.

The sport is the only grade which comes with a manual gearbox in lieu of an automatic transmission. Base price is $39,450, not including the $875 destination charge. High friction brake pads on the test car add $370, bringing the MSRP to $40,695. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Mazda RX-8 Grand Touring

Iconic Sports Car is Forever Young

By Nina Russin

2011 Mazda RX-8

The Mazda RX-8 is as much a product of the 1960s as it is the twenty-first century. It is the only mass-produced car which uses a rotary engine, based on the design Felix Wankel developed in 1957. The engine uses a triangular-shaped rotor rather than reciprocating pistons to compress and ignite gasoline. The engine, which is shaped like a cocoon, is a fraction of the size of a traditional block; yet it can develop exceptional power.

When I was a kid growing up in the 1960s, the Wankel engine was big news. I remember seeing one on display at the 1964 World Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York, and I also remember seeing its first production application, in the Mazda Cosmo 110S. I was amazed that such a small engine could produce so much power. Frankly, I still am.

Even after the advent of computer controls, the rotary engine continues to outperform other engines of its size in terms of horsepower and torque. For example, the 1.5 liter engine is the Mazda2 develops 100 horsepower, as opposed to 232 horsepower from the 1.3-liter rotary Mazda RX-8 engine.

There is a downside to the engine: that being fuel economy. In order to produce adequate power for a 3100 pound car, the rotary engine revs very high: about 3500-4000 rpm under normal driving conditions. Fuel economy for the test car is about 18 miles-per-gallon on average, and the high-revving engine requires premium gasoline. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS Convertible

Soft top adds open-air dimension to Chevrolet’s muscle car

By Nina Russin

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

Car aficionados often describe the Camaro as a baby brother to the Corvette, or Chevrolet’s answer to the Mustang. While both monikers fit, the Camaro is first and foremost, its own animal. When Chevrolet reintroduced the model in 2009 after a lengthy hiatus, fans flocked to the showroom, despite some bad blood over discontinuing it in the first place.

Unlike the previous F-body, the current generation pays homage to Camaro’s muscle car era roots, with styling reminiscent of 1968 and 69 models. However unlike those cars, the newest Camaro is truly an international endeavor, since development took place at General Motors’ Holden division in Australia.

Chevrolet debuted the production version of the convertible at the 2010 LA Auto Show. Convertibles began arriving in dealerships this past February, offering similar V-6 and V-8 options to the coupe.

The test car is the 2SS V-8, powered by the same 6.2-liter LS3 engine as the base Corvette. A six-speed Tremec manual gearbox is standard, though buyers can opt for an automatic instead. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Porsche Panamera 4

Porsche adds a V-6 engine to its four-door GT line-up

By Nina Russin

2011 Porsche Panamera 4

Porsche rolled out the four-door Panamera for the 2009 model year: the name comes from the Carrera Panamerica races in Mexico during the 1950s. As its moniker suggests, the Panamera is the ultimate road trip car for automotive cognoscenti.

Proportionately, the Panamera more closely resembles a coupe than a sedan, with a bullet profile reminiscent of Porsche’s two-door sports cars. But the Panamera is no more a stretch version of the 911 than it is Porsche’s answer to the 7-Series. It is, in short, its own animal.

This year, Porsche adds a V-6 engine to the Panamera line-up, including an all-wheel drive variant. 2011 models also get standard Bluetooth interface and MP3 compatibility. Porsche’s communications management system and bi-xenon headlamps are standard on the all-wheel drive Panamera 4.

MSRP for the Panamera 4 is $78,900, not including the $975 delivery charge. Options on the test car include black metallic paint, heated front seats and steering wheel, a ski bag, special 19-inch rims, an audio upgrade with XM radio and headrests with the Porsche crest, bringing the price as tested to $86,690. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid Tiptronic

Full parallel hybrid system delivers powerful performance

By Nina Russin

2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid

Last year Porsche introduced a gasoline-electric hybrid version of its Cayenne sport-utility vehicle. The parallel hybrid system can run in fully electric or gasoline modes independently, as well as a combination of the two. The electric motor boosts power from the V-6 supercharged gasoline engine to mimic the performance of a V-8 with better gas mileage: about 24 miles-per-gallon on the highway according to the EPA.

For the German automaker to have developed a hybrid simply to reduce the car’s carbon footprint would have been out of character for the brand. Porsches are always first and foremost about performance. Engineers who developed the Cayenne’s hybrid system made sure that the new SUV was no exception, delivering a driving system which is both unique and distinctively Porsche.

Peak torque of 428 foot-pounds is available at 1000 rpm. As a result, the new Cayenne accelerates off the line with the alacrity of a quiet rocket ship. Once up to speed, on-board computer controls utilize large overdrive gears on the eight-speed automatic transmission to maximize gas mileage. It’s hard to make the car rev over 2000 rpm, except when accelerating.

Engineers also added a rather magical feature which they call “sailing.” When the Cayenne is travelling at steady speeds up to 97 miles-per-hour, the gasoline engine can cut out completely. An electronic clutch couples and decouples the electric motor and gasoline engine. The entire process is so seamless as to be imperceptible to the driver.

Base price on the Cayenne S Hybrid with Tiptronic is $67,700, not including a $975 delivery charge. Options on the test car include leather trim and a silver metallic exterior, 14-way power seats with memory, air suspension with an adjustable height feature, extended range fuel tank, heated front seats, navigation, park assist, a trailer hitch and bi-xenon adaptive headlamps, bringing the price as tested to $84,590. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon Technology

Dynamic performance meets active lifestyles head on

By Nina Russin

2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon

Being a car enthusiast with an active lifestyle can be an exercise in frustration. Cars and trucks designed to hold large cargo don’t necessarily burn up the road. I’ll admit it: horsepower is like a drug to me. Slow cars don’t make me happy.

Imagine my delight when the new Acura TSX sport wagon arrived in my driveway. Could this be the best of all possible worlds? The athlete-friendly version of Acura’s sport sedan combines the fuel economy of a four-cylinder engine with Acura’s unique talent for designing steering and suspension systems driving enthusiasts crave.

The best part is, the sport wagon can hold a bicycle in the cargo area, and a kayak up top. The wagon’s low lift-over height makes it ideal for smaller drivers, who might struggle to load similar gear into a high-profile sport-utility vehicle. The test car even has a power liftgate. How cool is that?

The test car is the upscale Technology model, which adds navigation, a premium surround-sound audio system, real-time weather and traffic updates, automatic climate control and the power liftgate. Base price is $34,610, not including an $860 delivery charge, bringing the MSRP to $35,470. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Saab 9-5 Turbo4 Premium Sedan

Mid-sized sport sedan with all-turbo engine line-up

By Nina Russin

2011 Saab 9-5 Sedan

Saab is to the Swedish car world what Porsche is to the Germans: a niche manufacturer focused on performance. While Saab shares Volvo’s safety focus, the automaker has more specifically targeted driving enthusiasts who enjoy its uniquely Scandinavian designs and small, peppy engines. The 9-5 mid-sized sedan is Saab’s bread-and-butter car, appealing to the largest segment of its buyers.

The newest model which rolled out last fall competes against European sport sedans such as the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series. There are four available grades in the United States: two four-cylinder turbo front-wheel drive models, and two all-wheel drive V-6 sedans. All grades come with a six-speed automatic transmission with manual gear selection.

The test car is the 9-5 Turbo4 Premium: the more upscale of the four-cylinder grades. A modified two-liter 220 horsepower engine can run on E-85: a renewable fuel.

Base price is $43,435, not including the $825 destination charge. A technology package adds a heads-up display, lane departure warning, xenon headlamps, automatic headlight leveling and park assist ($2490), bringing the price as tested to $46,750. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite

Minivan offers 8-passenger seating and great fuel economy

By Nina Russin

2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite

Unfortunately, buyers tend to write off minivans as being stodgy and unsexy. In fact, minivans are among the best active lifestyle vehicles on the market.

To paraphrase a line from the movie, the Odyssey is the Honda of minivans: it epitomizes the automaker’s talent for thoughtful design and clever engineering. The 2011 models improve on features such as variable cylinder management and the third row magic seat, and add some appealing new technologies.

The 3.5-liter iVTEC engine is more powerful than the block it replaces, while a six-speed automatic transmission on the Touring grade extends gas mileage. The Touring grade rides on 18-inch alloy wheels, with four-wheel disc brakes.

A three-mode design for the second row enables parents to move the center seat forward for better access to a small child, expand the distance between the three seats, or convert the center seat into an armrest with a work surface and cupholders.

Although the new Odyssey is wider and longer than the vehicle it replaces, it’s also lighter. The Touring model weighs about 100 pounds less than the equivalent 2010 model.

The Touring Elite is the most upscale of five available models. Base price is $43,250, not including a $780 destination charge. Standard comfort and convenience features include leather upholstery, navigation with real-time traffic updates, a DVD rear entertainment system, XM satellite radio, Bluetooth interface, tri-zone climate control, a ten-way power driver’s seat with two-position memory, heated front seats, a 115-volt power outlet, power tailgate, and auto-leveling high-intensity discharge headlamps. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Jaguar XF Premium

Sleek sport sedan offers three engine choices

By Nina Russin

2011 Jaguar XF

Recently, I was thinking about which of Jaguar’s stylish sedans I would choose to own, assuming that money was no object: the flagship XJ, or slightly smaller XF. I would choose the XF. Part of this has to do with lifestyle. I rarely travel with more than one passenger, so I don’t need the XJ’s spacious second-row seats.

But I also prefer the performance of the smaller platform. Even though the XF test car, equipped with a naturally-aspirated V-8 engine, was considerably less powerful than the XJ with a supercharged V-8, I had more fun behind the wheel.

While zero-to-sixty acceleration is important, to me at least, it isn’t everything. The XF test car reaches sixty miles per hour in 5.5 seconds, as opposed to 4.9 for the supercharged XJ. On a dragstrip, the XJ would blow the doors off the XF. But the XF’s shorter wheelbase makes it feel more nimble. It also gets slightly better gas mileage.

Base price for the XF premium is $56,500, not including an $875 destination charge. The five liter V-8 engine rated at 385 horsepower mates to a six-speed automatic transmission. Formula-style paddle shifters on the steering wheel allow the driver to downshift harder for more aggressive performance.

Standard convenience features include keyless entry and start, heated and cooled front seats, a premium audio system with satellite radio, navigation, Bluetooth interface, blind spot monitoring and xenon headlamps.

There are two, no-cost options on the test car: burl walnut veneer and a dove grey headliner. Price as tested is $57,375. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Jaguar XJ Supercharged

Sport sedan melds classic styling with forward-thinking performance

By Nina Russin

2011 Jaguar XJ

But what’s underneath the skin is as forward-thinking as any sport sedan on the road. Power comes from a 470-horsepower supercharged five liter engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The shift mechanism is similar to the XF: a rotary dial which rises out of the center console when the driver turns on the ignition.

Zero-to-sixty acceleration is under five seconds. The engine’s massive 424 foot-pounds of torque is available from 2500 rpm: a flick of the throttle. Fortunately, active differential control keeps the rear axle from sliding sideways off the line.

Active damping automatically adjusts the suspension to the road surface. Twenty-inch wheels and tires keep the XJ glued to the ground in the corners. Quick-ratio steering gives the sedan exceptional response at all speeds.

Jaguar first unveiled its flagship sedan at the Frankfort International Auto Show in September of 2009, with three available engines: a naturally aspirated five liter block rated at 385 horsepower, and two supercharged blocks. Engineers shaved weight off the body with extensive use of aluminum and magnesium. Still, the XJ is a fairly heavy car, weighing in at just over 4000 pounds.

Base price on the test car is $87,700, not including an $875 destination fee. Options include a heated windshield, upgraded 20- inch wheels, carbon fiber trim and a canvas headliner, bringing the price as tested to $92,025. Read the rest of this entry »