2013 Dodge Dart

Compact dimensions give midsized sedan big fuel economy

By Nina Russin

2013 Dodge Dart

Dodge is resurrecting its popular nameplate from the 1960s and 70s for its first sedan based on Fiat architecture. The all-new Dart which rolls into dealerships at the end of the second quarter is, like its namesake, both thrifty and fun.

Although the EPA classifies the Dart as a midsized sedan because of the car’s interior volume, its compact exterior dimensions are comparable to a Toyota Corolla or Chevrolet Cruze. This is a boon for buyers in urban areas who need to park on the street, and its relatively light curb weight (3200-3300 pounds) stretches fuel economy beyond what many drivers might expect.

The sedan is based off the Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform. It’s wider and longer than the Alfa hatchback, with distinctively American styling and three engines which combine the best of both worlds: a 2-liter naturally-aspirated Tigershark engine rated at 160 horsepower, 1.4-liter, 160 horsepower multi-air block, and a 2.4-liter Tigershark engine which produces 184 horsepower and 171 foot-pounds of torque.

Buyers can also choose from three transmissions, two of which are available at rollout: a six-speed automatic and six-speed wide ratio manual. A dual clutch automatic arrives in the third quarter.

Base price for the SE grade with the two-liter naturally-aspirated block and six-speed automatic is $15,995, excluding the $795 destination charge. Buyers of the slightly pricier SXT can choose between the two and 1.4-liter blocks. The turbocharged engine comes with the six-speed manual transmission. Both engine combinations are also available on the sporty Rallye, priced from $$18,995 and upscale Limited ($19,995).

The high-performance R/T with the 2.4-liter engine rolls out this fall. Read the rest of this entry »

Extended Drive: 2012 Kia Rio EX 5-Door

Versatile hatchback for athletes on a budget

By Nina Russin

2012 Kia Rio 5-Door

Last fall Kia introduced the third-generation Rio subcompact sedan and hatchback. As the least expensive cars in Kia’s model lineup, the Rio offers buyers who might otherwise shop for used cars the option of owning something new. Kia’s ten year/100,000 mile factory warranty adds additional value to a package loaded with safety and convenience features.

Better yet, the new Rio sedan and hatch are more substantial cars than the models they replace, with a new direct injection engine and six-speed manual or automatic transmissions. The new cars are also larger. The five-door hatch, with a 101.2-inch wheelbase and taller cargo area, meets our bicycle-friendly standards.
 
There are three available grades: the base LX, upscale EX and sporty SX. Only the LX is available with the manual gearbox; both the EX and SX come with a six-speed automatic with manual gear selection.

Base price for the EX five-door tested is $16,500, excluding the $750 delivery charge. The test car comes with a convenience option package which adds alloy wheels, on-off headlamps with fog lamps, power-folding outside mirrors with turn signal indicators, UVO infotainment system, rearview backup camera leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob ($1000). Carpeted floor mats cost $95, bringing the price as tested to $18,345. Read the rest of this entry »

2012 Toyota Prius c

Compact hybrid for active urbanites

By Nina Russin

2012 Toyota Prius c

The Prius may become Toyota’s best- selling vehicle, thanks to a new four-model strategy which adds midsized, compact and plug-in cars to expand upon the appeal of the original liftback. The compact Prius c is the final model to enter the Prius line-up.

The new entry-level Prius is geared towards young urbanites whose budgets kept them out of the other models. There are four grades, beginning with the Prius c 1 priced from $18,950 not including the $760 delivery fee. The upscale Prius 4 starts at $23,230. Toyota expects the Prius c 2 and Prius c 3 to be the volume leaders, priced from $19,900 and $21,635 respectively.

The compact Prius shares chassis components with the current Toyota Yaris. It is not only smaller than the Prius liftback but significantly lighter. Curb weight is about 2500 pounds.

 Weight-saving reductions in the battery pack and under the hood combined with aerodynamic enhancements give the Prius c 53 mile-per-gallon fuel economy around town and 46 mpg on the highway. Read the rest of this entry »

2012 Hyundai Veloster

Three-door sport coupe designed for active lifestyles

By Nina Russin

2012 Hyundai Veloster

The Veloster compact coupe is Hyundai’s answer to urbanites with active lifestyles. Designers modified a three-door liftback, adding a fourth door on the right-hand side. The rear door eases access and egress to the second-row seats.

Under the hood, a direct injection 1.6-liter engine and six-speed manual transmission offer peppy performance with excellent fuel efficiency: 40 mpg on the highway, according to EPA estimates.

The car’s small footprint gives it maneuverability for weaving through dense traffic and parking in small slots on the street. A versatile interior is bicycle-friendly, and the driver’s seat has enough room for an extremely tall driver. A friend who’s six-foot-five got behind the wheel and had room to spare.

As with every Hyundai, the Veloster offers a high level of standard safety and convenience features at a remarkably low price. MSRP on the test car is $17,300, including delivery. The base car comes with antilock brakes, traction and stability control, a ten-year/100,000 mile factory warranty, alloy wheels, air conditioning, satellite radio, Hyundai’s proprietary telematics system, remote keyless entry, MP3 and IPod compatibility and Bluetooth interface.

A style package upgrades the wheels to 18-inch rims, adds a panoramic sunroof, chrome grille, leather interior accents alloy pedals and audio upgrade ($2000). A technology package includes a navigation system with rearview camera, keyless start and a 115-volt power outlet ($2000), bringing the price as tested to $21,300. Read the rest of this entry »

2012 Toyota Yaris LE

Subcompact five-door sedan offers more to love

By Nina Russin

2012 Toyota Yaris

When Toyota redesigned its subcompact Yaris for the 2012 model year, the objective was, to paraphrase Mies, offering more for less. Available as either a three or five door lift-back, the new Yaris has a roomier interior and cargo area than the models it replaces, yet uses less gasoline.

The new model’s 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine produces the same horsepower and slightly less torque than the former block, but with better gas mileage: about one mile-per-gallon more around town. Equipped with the five-speed manual transmission, the 2012 Yaris averages 38 mpg on the highway: two miles-per-gallon better than the 2011 model.

Engineers reduced the car’s aerodynamic drag with some careful work in the wind tunnel, and also lowered the chassis for better high-speed performance. What this means for the customer is that the new Yaris looks and feels like a more substantial vehicle. Taller passengers will be more comfortable thanks to increased headroom, and buyers with active lifestyles will have a larger cargo area to load their gear into.

Pricing starts just over $14,000 for the three-door version with a five-speed manual transmission. The upscale five-door SE grade with a four-speed automatic transmission begins at $17,200. Prices do not include a $760 delivery charge. Read the rest of this entry »

2012 Kia Rio 5

Sexy subcompact is value packed

By Nina Russin

2012 Kia Rio 5

This fall, Kia rolls out the third iteration of its subcompact Rio, beginning with the five-door hatchback. Although the Rio is the smallest car in the Kia lineup, the new five-door offers its owners a remarkably versatile interior with standard convenience features normally not found in the subcompact segment.

The volume-leading is EX sits in the middle of a three grade strategy, which also includes the base LX and sporty upscale SX. EX buyers might be surprised to find cruise control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, power folding mirrors and a soft-touch dashboard on a car priced from $16,500. Pricing does not include a $750 delivery charge.

Kia product planners knew that the gloves had to come off in order for the Rio to compete against the popular Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta and Nissan Versa. A new direct injection 1.6-liter engine delivers up to 138 horsepower as well as 40 mile-per-gallon fuel economy on the highway. Buyers can choose between a six-speed manual transmission and six-speed automatic on the base LX; both the EX and SX come exclusively with the six-speed automatic.

An Eco option becomes available at the end of this year, which will stretch gas mileage even further by automatically turning the engine off at idle. The engine automatically restarts when the driver lifts his foot off the brake pedal. The idle stop-and-go feature adds another mile-per-gallon to the Rio’s fuel economy in city driving.

Designers focused on sustainable technologies, constructing 85 percent of the vehicle out of recyclable materials. They also added a high level of standard safety features, since safety is one of the five biggest consideration factors among buyers in this segment. Antilock brakes, electronic stability and traction control are standard on all grades. Read the rest of this entry »

2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco

Chevrolet’s Cobalt replacement is big on fuel economy

By Nina Russin

2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco

It’s easy to attach an “eco” badge to a car’s rear fender. Backing the claim up is a whole different matter. Over the past week, I decided to see for myself whether Chevrolet’s new Cruze Eco compact sedan lives up to its moniker.

I drove like a gorilla fleeing the zookeeper. Jackrabbit starts became my stock and trade. I barreled through rush hour traffic, and bolted up the Beeline Highway between Phoenix and Payson. I never put the car in sixth gear and never used the cruise control.

At the end of a week and about 120 miles, I checked average fuel economy on a digital display in the Cruze’s gauge cluster. I had averaged 44.8 miles-per-gallon. While the cynic in me might doubt the display’s accuracy, I had to admit that there was still a lot of gas left in the tank.

The Cruze had equaled, or outperformed several popular clean diesel and gasoline/electric hybrids with a simple internal combustion engine. How, readers might wonder, is that possible? Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Kia Forte SX 5-Door

Sport grade adds wow factor to Kia’s compact platform

By Nina Russin

2011 Kia Forte 5-Door

Two years ago, the Kia Forte replaced the Spectra as the automaker’s compact offering. More recently, the Forte 5-door replaces the Spectra5. The Forte hatchback comes in both EX and SX grades. The sporty SX features a more powerful four-cylinder engine than the EX, larger wheels and a sport-tuned suspension.

Base price on the Forte SX 5-door model is $19,395, excluding the $695 delivery charge. Standard convenience features include Bluetooth interface, satellite radio, leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters, keyless remote entry, power mirrors, an ambient temperature display and a USB port.

The test car adds three option packages. Leather trim with heated front seats and an automatic dimming rearview mirror costs $1000. A technology package which includes keyless start, navigation and automatic temperature control adds $1800, while a power sunroof costs $750, bringing the price as tested to $23,640. Read the rest of this entry »

2012 Mazda5 Sport

Mazda’s mini-minivan is big on versatility

By Nina Russin

2012 Mazda5

Mazda’s new compact minivan epitomizes what active lifestyle vehicles are all about. It’s small enough to park on the street, fuel efficient and affordable. A versatile interior holds up to six passengers, as well as bicycles, camping equipment, skis, snowboards and wetsuits.

Best of all, the Mazda5 is a hoot to drive, with a peppy 2.5-liter engine and six-speed manual transmission. The smiling grille says it all.

While the front-wheel drive car doesn’t have the traction in rain and snow that an all-wheel drive crossover would, it’s a package that will fit the squares for a lot of readers, and their budgets as well.

The minivan comes in three grades: Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. Base price on the Sport model tested is $19,195, not including the $795 delivery charge. The upscale Grand Touring model starts at $23,875.

Standard comfort and convenience features on the Sport include remote keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, an AM/FM/CD audio system with satellite radio compatibility, steering wheel audio and cruise controls, and an auxiliary outlet for MP3 players. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited

Compact sedan is a super value

By Nina Russin

2011 Hyundai Elantra

It’s rare for a baseball player to hit consecutive home runs, and perhaps less common for a car company. But that’s exactly what Hyundai has done with its new compact Elantra sedan, following on the heels of the midsized Sonata.

 The new Elantra is a super-value, not only because of its sub- $20,000 price tag, but what the car offers: a fuel-efficient engine, extensive roster of standard convenience and safety features, and an industry-leading ten-year/100,000 mile warranty.

Power comes from a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 148 horsepower, and a proprietary six-speed automatic transmission. The Elantra averages 33 miles-per-gallon for combined city and highway driving according to the EPA. Mileage for my 100-mile test drive was slightly better: 34.5 miles-per-gallon.

Base price for the upscale Limited grade is $19,980 including destination charges and a full tank of gas. Standard comfort and convenience features include keyless entry and start, 17-inch alloy wheels, a power sunroof, XM satellite radio, USB and auxiliary ports, Bluetooth interface, leather trim, and a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with redundant audio, cruise and Bluetooth controls.

A premium package on the test car adds navigation with a rearview backup camera, automatic headlamps and an upgraded audio system ($2000). Carpeted floor mats and an iPod cable bring the price as tested to $22,110. Read the rest of this entry »