09/03/2010 09:00 AM
Reader Review of the Week: 2010 Acura TL
“JP2000” from Irvine, Calif., seems to be one of the few readers who genuinely appreciate the polarizing design of the 2010 Acura TL. Up until this point, he had stacked up 15 years owning and driving German-designed cars. Before he bought the TL, JP2000 looked closely at buying the Audis, BMWs, Mercedes and Volkswagens he has grown accustomed to. Only the Volkswagen CC came close to consideration, but ultimately this reader bought the TL and has been “absolutely delighted” ever since. Continue reading to find out why. Once you’re done with that, you can write about your own review here.
“I applaud Acura for finally taking the lead with a fresh, bold design for the '09/'10 TL. The last-gen TL was a great car, but I didn't care much for its Plain Jane exterior styling. The new TL's styling, in contrast, is simply brilliant inside and out. The ride is remarkably quiet and controlled (even on rough roads), the steering is precise, and there is plenty of low-end torque.
“Inside, the large high-res navigation system with rearview camera, the keyless entry system, the dazzling sound of the HDD-based ELS system and the premium leather seats (all of which come with the Tech Package at a bargain price) bring the car's substance on par with its stunning looks. Now, add to this Acura's legendary reliability and resale value, and you have a car that’s second to none in its segment.
“In the last 15 years, I had only driven German cars. Before buying the TL, I took a close look at the Audi A4, BMW 535xi, VW CC VR6, MB C300 and Infiniti G37x. In this group, the only close contender for the TL (with the Tech Package) was the VW CC VR6, but only for those who can live with its two- seater rear arrangement! So, all things considered, my final analysis led me straight to the TL. And I'm absolutely delighted!”
2010|Acura|TL
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09/02/2010 01:21 PM
Nissan Starts Taking Orders for Leaf
Nissan officially started to take sales orders for the Leaf this week for customers in California, Arizona, Tennessee, Washington and Oregon.
If you’re among the 18,600 people who reserved a Leaf in advance, you will receive an email on how to submit a solid sales order.
Because of various state laws, before you submit a production order with Nissan, you will need to contact a Nissan dealership to negotiate a final price and finalize the financing or lease agreement. After that, Nissan will place your order for production and give you a estimated delivery date.
The Leaf will be available in two trims: SV and SL. The SV starts at $32,780 and will come standard with recycled cloth upholstery, navigation system, 16-inch alloy wheels and three years of free roadside assistance. The SL starts at $33,720 and will come with a solar panel spoiler, fog lights, rearview camera and automatic headlights. A fast-charging port that can charge the Leaf’s battery to 80% capacity in 30 minutes will be a $700 option only on the SL.
Destination fees add $820 on both trims. Keep in mind that you might be eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit and various other state tax benefits. Nissan is also offering a lease program that will start at $349 a month.
The Leaf goes on sale in December in the states listed above and then in Texas and Hawaii in January. A nationwide rollout will occur in the spring.
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09/02/2010 05:55 AM
Navigation Systems Put to the Test: The Results
On Wednesday, we laid out plans to take several navigation systems — the pricey factory systems in an Acura TSX, a BMW 3 Series and an Infiniti G37, plus a $180 handheld Garmin Nuvi 255W — and see how they dealt with a range of simple and challenging routes. We started easy, then threw in everything from pit stops and missed exits to recently constructed highways and brand-new housing developments.
The results were illuminating. By day’s end, each of the systems had stumbled at least once. But when we tallied the evaluation, BMW’s Harman-supplied system won the day.
We’ll explain.
Leg 1: Easy downtown route
Winners: G37, Garmin
The G37 and Garmin emerged strong. Both made quick work of the first leg, which took us from our Chicago offices to U.S. Cellular Field — downtown to the Dan Ryan Expressway, exiting near 35th Street, turning right to the stadium. The 3 Series and TSX struggled: The TSX’s navigation system couldn’t locate the stadium’s address (333 W. 35th St.), and the 3 Series needed its ZIP code. We procured the destination from a smart phone, thus satisfying the BMW, and found it in the TSX under the point-of-interest finder. But the Bimmer’s problems weren’t over. Stymied by the loops of the downtown parking garage, the BMW took us on a six-block parade of right turns before finally tracking down a highway on-ramp. Arriving southbound at 35th St., BMW’s female navigation voice instructed a left turn. The Sox played, in fact, on the right.
Leg 2: Suburbs, missed exits
Winner: 3 Series
From the ballpark to Elmhurst, Ill., the G37 and 3 Series found expedient routes that put us immediately back on the highway — the same routing Google Maps would have us take. The TSX and the Garmin, however, routed editors down 2.5 miles of surface streets before finally merging onto the highway. (That jaunt would cost four extra minutes, according to Google Maps.)
Upon staging a missed exit near our destination — Elmhurst Memorial Hospital — the TSX, Garmin and G37 routed us to the next exit down the highway. (Our intrepid editors in the BMW ended up taking the exit everyone else remembered to skip, so we can’t evaluate how it would have fared. Yarg.) All but the TSX used a four-lane avenue just north of the hospital to reach it; the TSX picked a stop-sign-ridden two-laner west of the hospital to arrive. It costs an extra minute, according to Google Maps.
More concerning: Upon inputting “Elmhurst Memorial Hospital” into the point-of-interest finder, the G37 routed us to the hospital’s business center, some three miles away. (We arrived, found Audis instead of ambulances, and backtracked.) The Acura gave us the option of both locations — specifying that one was a business center — while the BMW and Garmin defaulted to the actual hospital.
“If you don’t know the hospital’s address and are in need of medical care, this would be a very annoying detour,” editor Amanda Wegrzyn noted. That’s putting it lightly.
Leg 3: Detours, New Roads
Winner: 3 Series
Our third leg took us south to New Lenox, Ill. The G37 chose a westbound highway that would eventually join our southbound route. It would’ve cost three extra minutes, Google Maps says. No matter; we ignored it. We had a pit stop to simulate, and it required sticking to the southbound route — the route the TSX, 3 Series and Garmin had automatically plotted. The pit stop landed us right off the interstate at a well-worn Arby’s, with no immediate entrance back onto the highway’s southbound lanes.
After a few moments’ recalculations, the G37, TSX and Garmin had us on a 3.5-mile loop to get to the next on-ramp south. The BMW, meanwhile, instructed a U-turn to head west, back under the freeway and away from Arby’s, and onto a second westbound highway. It joined up with our original southbound route, incurred minimal surface streets and got us to New Lenox with time to spare. Editor Joe Bruzek, who travels the area often, says the BMW took the route he’d choose.
The Garmin-toting TSX group arrived second, having both taken the 3.5-mile detour toward the next on-ramp south of Arby’s. The systems differed near the end: The Acura wanted editors to exit the highway some four miles early to take rural roads to New Lennox. It would have added about six minutes, Google Maps says. We stuck with the Garmin’s highway route, which had the TSX arriving 10 minutes after Team BMW.
Alas, the G37 had a mind of its own. Like the TSX, it directed us toward the next on-ramp south of Arby’s, followed by directions for the next highway interchange — but toward the northbound off-ramp, the opposite direction of New Lenox. It had editors driving a mile north, exiting an overpass and re-entering on the southbound side.
Naturally, the G37 was last to arrive.
The Winner: BMW 3 Series
All four systems took recently completed sections of the I-355, and all four found a new subdivision in Plainfield, Ill., though the BMW’s showed a few more roads than the others. In the end, the 3 Series’ system put us on the most expedient routes, even lopping off some time at the end. After a rough start, it completed the evaluation with few of the G37’s wrong-headed instructions and none of the smaller routing issues the TSX and Garmin incurred. It’s not the cheapest or most feature-packed system, but for simply getting the job done, BMW’s system won the day.
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09/03/2010 08:37 AM
2011 Dodge Durango: First Look
Two weeks ago, we showed you a sneak peek at the new 2011 Dodge Durango SUV, and now Dodge has provided more photos and a little more information. The photographer took a few steps back this time, so you can see the full exterior. Unfortunately, the interior view remains an extreme close-up, but at least you can see what looks like a new Dodge logo. Check out the pictures below and click on them for larger versions.
It's no secret that the Durango is based on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, but the Dodge has three rows of seats, whereas the Grand Cherokee has two. The drivetrains are also familiar — a 3.6-liter V-6 and a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 with towing capacities of 6,200 pounds and 7,400 pounds, respectively. Credit goes to reinforced unibody platform and rear-wheel drive. Most of today's crossovers can't tow trailers this heavy.
Dodge's press materials boast "excellent fuel efficiency," defined not as mpg ratings but as a range of more than 500 miles. That could mean any number of things, including a large gas tank. (The Grand Cherokee's tank holds 24.6 gallons, which would work out to 20.3 mpg over 500 miles. Grand Cherokee 4x2 models are indeed EPA-rated between 20 and 23 mpg on the highway, depending on the engine.) It's not what we'd call excellent mileage, but we'll wait and see what the EPA says.
Front-seat active head restraints and side-impact airbags are standard, as are side curtain airbags for all three rows, Dodge says. An electronic stability system is also included. Options include a blind spot warning system, adaptive cruise control with Forward Collision Warning and keyless access.
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09/01/2010 05:11 PM
Luxury and Family Cars Avoid Sales Slump
Every headline may scream that new-car sales are slumping because of last month’s figures compared with the Cash for Clunkers-fueled August 2009 numbers. That slump is certainly real for mass sellers with low price tags and high mileage that got the highest government incentives in 2009, but sales for other more expensive models, luxury cars and thirstier trucks and SUVs saw gains in 2010.
Take Toyota, whose sales fell 33% in August compared with the same month in 2009. Sure, its two best-selling cars sold nearly 46,000 fewer units year over year – or roughly twice as many vehicles as Volkswagen sold in August 2010 total – but sales of the new Avalon and Sienna minivan as well as the FJ Cruiser, 4Runner and Sequoia SUVs were all up. While those sales pale in comparison — about 8,000 extra units — they are vehicles with higher price tags and typically more profit for the automaker. But even if there were enticing incentives on these models, that means car shoppers were willing to sign up for higher monthly payments than the folks lining up for Cash for Clunkers.
This trend at Toyota was seen nearly across the board. Honda saw similar drops with its Civic and Accord, with increases in Pilot and Odyssey. Ford saw its inexpensive Focus drop nearly 10,000 units, but the redesigned Taurus saw sales up 50%.
The only midsize sedan — arguably the most contested car segment — that saw sales up significantly was the redesigned Hyundai Sonata, gaining nearly 10,000 units or 80% and making another appearance in the top 10 best-selling cars in August.
The turnover in model years and number of new models also affected sales of the mainstream brands, with the Ford Edge and Explorer seeing dips with new models going on sale in the near future. The larger Ford Expedition SUV — with no news of a redesign in its future — saw its sales grow 57%. Sales of the Volkswagen Jetta were also down 30% as owners await the redesigned model going on sale in October.
What about luxury makers? Acura, Audi and Infiniti all saw sales go up in August. Even though Lexus' sales dipped 11.6%, the luxury brand saw its expensive cars like the LS up slightly and its larger SUVs like the LX and GX up 58% and 78%, respectively.
Add this to full-size domestic pickups all seeing sales increases, and it's clear that some segments are seeing healthy activity. It just seems that these buyers don’t generate huge headlines.
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