2012 Acura TL Advance

New model gets a refreshed exterior and fuel economy enhancements

By Nina Russin

2012 Acura TL

The TL is one of three sedans Acura builds, positioned between the high luxury RL and smaller TSX sport sedan. The 2012 TL, revealed at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show is the third iteration of the model, which originally debuted in 2004. Designers refreshed the exterior with a new grille, front fascia and headlamps, a new rear bumper and revised tail lamps.

 A new six-speed automatic transmission provides better fuel economy but adds some appealing performance characteristics as well. A double click downshift feature can drop up to two gears during aggressive driving. The feature formerly available only on the all-wheel drive model is now standard on the front-wheel drive TL as well.

This year, Acura offers two platforms: a 280-horsepower front-wheel drive sedan and the 305-horsepower all-wheel drive model. The test car is the front-wheel drive advance grade. The advance option package upgrades the standard 17-inch wheels to 18-inch rims, adds blind spot monitoring and ventilated front seats. A technology option includes hard-drive navigation with voice activated controls and a premium audio system. Navigation includes real time weather and traffic updates and rerouting.

MSRP is $41,535. An $885 delivery charge brings the price as tested to $42,420. Read the rest of this entry »

ALV of the Year Announces Finalists

Organizers ready for ride-and-drive program on October 21

A national panel of automotive journalists has narrowed the field to the 32 finalists that will be invited to Phoenix next month for the eighth annual athletes’ ride-and-drive to determine the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year in seven categories.

The Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year is the only car-of-the-year program which combines the input of automotive journalists with elite and recreational athletes to determine the best vehicles for those with active lifestyles. Athletes participating in former events include professional ball players, elite marathoners, triathletes, cyclists, swimmers, beach volleyball players, paddlers and dragon boat racers. 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 »

2012 Buick Enclave AWD Premium

Luxury for the real world

By Nina Russin

2012 Buick Enclave

The Enclave is Buick’s full-sized crossover vehicle, with seating for up to eight passengers. While the 2012 car is basically a carryover, Buick has eliminated the CX and CXL badges. Four available trim levels for 2012 include the base 1SB, mid-grade 1SD, mid-grade with leather 1SL and 1SN premium.

Hill-hold assist, a safety feature which hangs onto the brakes to prevent the car from sliding backwards on steep grades, is now standard. So is electronic pedal override: a new technology which reduces engine power if the driver inadvertently depresses the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time.

Power comes from a 3.6-liter V-6 engine rated at 288 horsepower and six-speed automatic transmission. Buyers can choose between front or all-wheel drive.

The test car is the all-wheel drive premium grade, priced from $45,080. MSRP does not include the $810 delivery charge. Standard convenience features include leather trim, first and second-row captain’s chairs, remote keyless entry and start, a premium audio system with satellite radio, Bluetooth interface, heated and cooled seats.

Standard safety features include six airbags, stability control and OnStar emergency crash response. Adaptive headlamps, which swivel according to steering inputs to light dark corners of the road, are also standard.

A navigation and rear seat DVD option adds real-time XM traffic and weather updates ($3185). A power sunroof with a second-row glass roof panel costs $1400, while metallic red paint adds $395. Twenty-inch chrome rims are a $300 option, bringing the price as tested to $51,170. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X

Athlete-friendly sport-utility vehicle

By Nina Russin

2011 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X

It’s no surprise that the Nissan Xterra has dominated the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year competition in the best value off-road category. The Xterra was designed specifically for endurance athletes, with roof rack rails and cross bars, a draining gear holder, washable cargo area and true off-road capability.

This year, Nissan simplifies the model line-up with three available grades: a base X and mid-grade S models come with either rear-wheel or part-time four-wheel drive. The upscale off-road model is now called the Pro-4X.

Power comes from a 261-horsepower V-6 engine and five-speed automatic transmission. In addition to its two-speed transfer case, the Pro 4X comes with an electronic locking rear differential to minimize wheel slippage, hill descent control and hill start assist.

Skid plates protect underbody components from damage on extreme off-road trails, while overhead off-road lights enhance visibility if the standard headlamps get dirty.

Base price is $30,100, not including the $800 delivery charge. There are four options on the test car: an iPod interface ($250), special floormats ($115), a tow hitch ($460), and leather trim ($1000), bringing the price as tested to $32,725. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Nissan Rogue SV AWD

Compact crossover goes to the head of its class

By Nina Russin

2011 Nissan Rogue

The problem for anybody shopping the segment is separating the wheat from the chaff, thanks to the proliferation of what appear to be similar products. Nissan, for example, has four vehicles in its lineup which meet this description: the Rogue, Juke, Versa five-door sedan, and Cube. While each vehicle is geared towards a different demographic, the products are similar enough to confuse the average buyer.

For 2011, designers refreshed the Rogue’s exterior, and added some appealing convenience options such as navigation and a rearview backup camera. But these changes alone wouldn’t distinguish the Rogue from the sea of competitors. What elevates the Rogue over like-minded products is its performance, which far exceeds the vehicle described on paper.

Over the past week, I drove the 2011 Rogue all-wheel drive model on a 400-mile road trip, with elevations ranging from 1500 to 7200 feet, and ambient temperatures between 50 and 115 degrees. The Rogue plowed its way through smog, forest fire smoke, mountain thunderstorms and wind.

Traffic over the Labor Day weekend was soul-crushing. Still, the Rogue kept its cool, even when crawling up a grade behind a slew of Winnebagos in the 110-degree heat.

The 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine lost surprisingly little power at altitude, and maintained the 24 mile-per-gallon fuel economy the manufacturer promised. On stretches of deserted two-lane road, the Rogue proved a surprisingly fun car to drive, with excellent traction. And its cargo area held lots of stuff, including a bicycle. Read the rest of this entry »

2012 Volkswagen Model Preview

Diversified lineup gives car lovers more to love

By Nina Russin

2012 Volkswagen Models

Car enthusiasts love German brands for the passion they inspire. The precision engineering which is the hallmark of all German cars elevates them from a means of transportation into something transcendent.

In today’s tough financial climate, luxury brands such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Audi are beyond reach for many customers. Volkswagen, however, is not. The most affordable German brand is making hay by offering car fans its most diversified model line-up. 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 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo

Third-generation bug puts enthusiasts in the driver’s seat

By Nina Russin

2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo

Everybody has a Beetle story. As a Midwesterner growing up in the sixties, I aspired to the Beetle’s hippie cache. At a time when Detroit iron dominated American roads, the German Beetle was exotic: as symbolic of the counter-culture as Haight Ashbury and the Summer of Love.

It was also a practical car. Before the days of front-wheel drive, the Beetle’s light weight, short overhangs and relatively high ground clearance made it a good snow car.

When the last of the original Beetles rolled off an assembly line in Mexico in 2003, I felt as if a chapter in my own life had drawn to a close. Although Volkswagen had introduced its replacement, the New Beetle, in 1998, the new model failed to capture the panache of the original “people’s car.” Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Audi Q5 2.0T Quattro Tiptronic

Elegance, Performance and Luxury in Smaller Crossover

by Jim Woodman

2011 Audi Q5 2.0T

My wife and three boys – ages 12, 10 and 6 – would put the Q5’s seating and cargo capacity to a stern test.

For those that may recall, the Audi Q5 was one of our ALV finalist vehicles for Luxury Onroad for 2009. When it was introduced in ‘09 as a smaller crossover alternative to the Q7 – and mainly to compete with the Mercedes GLK and BMW’s X3 – I was convinced it could be my next car. Of course, somewhere a few extra bundles of cash would have to fall my way as the Audi is certainly one of the pricier options when looking at smaller crossovers. Read the rest of this entry »