By Anson Tse

Pros:

• Gutsy 4-cylinder with V6 power
• Lots of value for the money
• Huge interior space

Cons:

• Styling has a bit too much going on
• Navigation system could be improved
• Missing a V6 option

Hyundai continues to improve its product line up in the US by leaps and bounds. Typically it takes an automaker several generations to make some serious headway in to the US market and Hyundai has been at it for over 20 years. However, the latest generation of products that have come from Hyundai are homegrown–designed in California and built in Bama. The Hyundai Sonata has been getting progressively larger just like the average American. Is this another Korean game changer?

Driving Impressions

The Sonata is a family sedan that comes very well equipped with features that you’d expect on a luxury sedan. The interior has a slightly high class look to it. For example, the push button keyless ignition system is the first thing that you’ll encounter when you get in the car. No need to take your keys out of your pocket or purse. Just put your foot on the brake, hit the big button on the dash and the engine fires up. No V6 under this hood, although you might not miss it either. Instead you get a direct-injection 4-cylinder engine which generates 198 HP and 186 lb-ft of torque. This engine is a pretty smooth operator and power delivery is excellent for a 4-cylinder and comes close to matching a V6’s power just a few years back. A 6-speed automatic is paired up with this engine which makes for a perfectly matched combo. The result is a refined powertrain and many passengers will not initially realize that there are a few cylinders missing.

The Sonata handles well and feels light on its feet. It should since the Sonata is the lightest vehicle in its class tipping the scales at around 3200 pounds. The 2.4L four cylinder engine minimizes the weight over the front axle compared the additional heft of a V6. The electric power steering allows a high amount of power steering boost at low speeds and makes the car feel easy to drive. The Sonata SE doesn’t quite handle as well as a Mazda 6, but it is better than a Toyota Camry. That’s not a huge achievement since the Camry has never been known for its handling prowess anyways. The test vehicle that I drove was a Sonata SE which included power seats, 18 inch wheels and more aggressive tires, stiffer springs and roll bars, and a dual exhaust which adds 2 extra horsepower, totaling to 200 HP.

In the styling department, the Sonata seems to take some styling cues from Mercedes and Toyota. The design aesthetic is a bit busy with extra details on along the top of the hood into the grille as well as the sides of the hood by the fenders converging to a point in front of the bumper. The front of the vehicle really seems a bit overdone, while the rear and sides look fairly attractive. In my opinion, Hyundai got this 85% right, but there are a couple details that just don’t look right.

Build

Hyundai was able to make the new Sonata lighter than the outgoing model despite the fact that the new version is quite a bit larger than the previous version. Extensive use of ultra high strength steel has increased the torsional stiffness of the vehicle while shedding extra weight and improving safety. The body structure felt stiff with no apparent body flex although normal road conditions in northern California didn’t permit me to subject the vehicle to more challenging situations. The doors feel very light weight and don’t shut with the same solid quality found on European vehicles. However, that shouldn’t present a big safety concern since the Sonata has earned top ratings from the IIHS for their battery of crash tests.

The choice of interior materials is pretty good for a family sedan. The quality and texture of the plastics is well done. The fit and finish inside is high quality with no squeaks and rattles and good isolation from wind noise and outside elements. One thing to note is that the cloth used on the seats strikes me as being a bit low grade.

Fit and finish of exterior body panels was excellent, although I was totally unimpressed by the paint quality on the sides of the car. There was a fair amount visual roughness in the paint, commonly referred to as “orange peel” derived from the surface of an orange. I bring this up because Hyundai is running TV commercials about how great the paint job is on the new Sonata and how it’s better than the Mercedes CLS. Vertical surfaces are very difficult to get a good smooth paint finish for high volume vehicles and it appears that the finish on the Sonata is no better than average. I’m not even sure why Hyundai decided to brag about this since there are far more important things consumers in this segment care about. I wouldn’t have even brought this point up if I hadn’t seen these commercials on TV.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics

The new Sonata has a cavernous interior which is the biggest mid-size interior for a vehicle in this class. There’s ample amount of rear seat space to seat a total of 5 adults comfortably and their luggage. For front seat passengers there is plenty of leg room and storage space in the center console below the radio and underneath the arm rest. The Sonata SE comes standard with cloth seats, the next trim level has leather seats as standard and I think that would really upgrade the already nice visual appeal of the interior.

All the gauges are backlit in blue hue and the controls are located in positions that are easy to locate and make sense. Hyundai chose to layout the climate control in the form of a human which makes sense, although I’m not sure how long this aesthetic treatment for a climate control interface will really last.

The Sonata that I tested had the $2600 navigation system and power sunroof. The navigation system is a touch screen display that features XM® NavTraffic which displays real time traffic from XM® Satellite Radio. The radio has a 6 disc changer and is capable of receiving HD radio. The navigation system includes an external amplifier and subwoofer. This system works well and is what you’d get in a luxury sedan costing a lot more than the Sonata. However, I didn’t find the system as intuitive as some other systems and there are lots of buttons to press in addition to using the touchscreen. The touchscreen itself didn’t seem to be as sensitive as it should be and re-centering the map seemed counter intuitive — you have to touch the area that you want to be the new center of the map. This is a problem if that new area is not on the map. I also found that the nice lady’s voice isn’t as clear as it could be when giving me route guidance. Optional cables provide for the connection of a USB jack or iPod to the radio and control the playlist using the vehicles controls.

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>>> Review by Anson Tse | >>> Photographs by Derek Mau

Pros

• Loads of torque
• Fantastic handling
• Clean emissions and great fuel economy

Cons

• Powertrain lacks responsiveness expected from a BMW
• It’s just too expensive

The Ultimate Driving Machine. That’s BMW’s tagline that they use to describe the vehicles they make. Clearly this reputation has been well earned over the years and the 3-series always finds itself square in the cross hairs of its competitors. The 335i is a magnificent sport sedan with a very potent twin-turbocharged gasoline powered inline 6.  So what happens when the boys from Bavaria shoe horn a diesel powered twin-turbo 6 cylinder underneath the hood? No black smoke from this one, just a stump pulling 425 pound-feet worth of torque, more than enough to turn those rear tires into piles of molten rubber.

Driving Impressions
Slide the integrated electronic key fob into the dash and fire up the ignition. No loud diesel rattle to be found here, a testament to how far diesel technology has evolved since those horrific examples in the early 80′s. The Europeans have been working on diesels ever since then and we’re finally seeing the fruits of that labor over here. In fact, few would notice that the typical gasoline powered inline 6 doesn’t lurk beneath the hood of this BMW.

For those of us who have a heavy right foot, the 335d will put a nice grin on your face. After all, 425 pound-feet of torque tends to have that side effect, yet the car doesn’t get out of the starting blocks as one may initially expect. The 335d has a sequential turbo setup, which means that all 6 exhaust banks feed one turbocharger, which then feeds a second turbocharger. This creates some lag in response which reduces the amount of torque instantly available off the line. The engine only puts out 265 HP which becomes evident as the rate of acceleration slows while the car gains speed. This is where horsepower quickly becomes much more important than torque. The low revving diesel in the 335d revs very differently compared to the gasoline powered 335i.

Under light driving, the car drives like any normal 3-series. That said, BMW has probably achieved its first goal–make the car drive like any other 3-series. However, BMW’s true goal was to increase fuel efficiency while maintaining performance. The 335d delivers a class leading 23 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway, so you can easily cruise 580 highway miles between refueling. A comparable gasoline powered 335i gets 17 MPG in the city and 26 MPG on the highway.

Build
German cars are known for their rock solid chassis and everything on the 335d reinforces that reputation. The doors shut with a solid thud almost making you think that the doors were carved out of a single piece of steel rather than a couple of sheets of steel welded together. Exterior margins and panel gaps were tight and consistent.

For some unexplained reason, the xenon swiveling adaptive light control headlamps were not properly aligned. The headlamps were aligned too low to the ground so I had to drive at night with the high beams, which ended up giving me the visibility the standard low beams should have provided. I can definitely tell you that the headlamps do respond to the movement of the steering wheel as the low beams pointed about 10 feet in front of the car and it was clear that the lights were pivoting according to steering wheel.  The headlamp mis-alignment is clearly a quality control problem since this is something that should have never left the factory’s pre-delivery process, but easily remedied by a dealer.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics
On the inside, the quality of materials is excellent. As with all other BMW’s the dash is only available in black with a lighter interior accent color on the lower half of the dash. Controls are fairly well laid out and all the buttons are black making them stand out against other background panels like on the sunroof console. This approach clearly keeps costs and complexity down but cheapens the overall appearance compared to what other luxury car competitors do.

The interior cabin seats five people quite comfortably, with ample foot space for rear passengers. As part of the $1,150 Cold Weather package, the rear seats fold down, the front seats are heated, and you get retractable headlamp washers. I grew up in Michigan and know all about salt spray and dirt, yet I’m still not convinced about the value of headlamp washers.

This tester came equipped with an optional saddle brown leather interior which is a $550 option. The seats provide firm support and plenty of adjustment which is perfect for long drives. To complement the heated seats, the steering wheel is also heated which is a nice touch for those chilly mornings.

The Sport package includes a thicker steering wheel with audio controls right at your finger tips. These buttons proved to be important for me since the LED display on the radio cannot be seen with polarized sunglasses. This is a big blunder in my book; it’s something that BMW should really have considered when designing the display especially considering that the LED display for the climate control does not share the same problem. The buttons for the radio are also quite small and not laid out quite as well as they could be for no look operation.

Perhaps BMW is trying to convince drivers that they should avoid all distractions while driving, akin to placing the cup holders in front of the passenger just above the glove box, conveniently out of the driver’s easy reach. There’s actually plenty of space for a conventional cup holder in the center console.

Our tester did not come equipped with the optional navigation system and latest iDrive controller. The standard radio is AM/FM unit with RDS display featuring an HD receiver and CD/MP3 player. An iPod and USB adapter was a $400 option which provides interface cables in the center arm rest console. This seemed to work well with the audio system allowing me full control of my iPod from the radio interface.

One glaring feature that was missing is an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a vehicle at this price point should really have this as a standard feature especially since BMW has so many other little features that are less important.

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By Anson Tse

Pros

• One of the best looking interiors
• Smooth and quiet V6
• Nimble handling

Cons

• Some ergonomic details are a bit off
• The V6 option is expensive
• Underwhelming audio system

The Acura brand has been around for over 20 years now but it’s not top of mind when thinking about Japanese luxury vehicles. Lexus and Infiniti always seemed to gather the most attention, which probably attests more to marketing efforts than the vehicles themselves. I have noticed an increased marketing effort from Acura to generate more awareness of the brand, mainly touting its 5 star safety ratings across its whole line. But what about the cars themselves, how do they compare with everything else out there in this crowded premium sedan market?

Most of the Acura line is directly derived from common Honda platforms, which makes for an excellent starting point. The Acura TSX is based on the European version of the Honda Accord, which is a bit smaller than the American version. This is now the second generation of the TSX, having debuted in 2004. The closest competitors to the TSX are the Lexus IS, Audi A4, BMW 3 series, Cadillac CTS, Lincoln MKZ, and Volvo S40. The Lexus, BMW and Cadillac are rear wheel drive platforms while the Audi and Lincoln are front wheel drive platforms with all wheel drive options.

Driving Impressions
The Acura TSX sedan is a smooth riding comfortable sports sedan that is a pleasure to drive. The car handles well and feels light on its toes, mainly due to the light steering feel which makes it easy to drive in any situation. Handling is solid which is to be expected from a vehicle derived from the European market. For those looking for a plush, luxurious ride with some performance characteristics, the TSX will foot the bill just fine. There’s no question that this feels like a front wheel drive car, especially when driven aggressively. Someone who desires a more sporty, performance tuned ride should look to the rear wheel drive competitors.

The presence of the new the 3.5L V6 engine doesn’t initially seem to detract from the TSX. The bigger engine adds about 200 pounds up front and the extra power it brings is welcomed. Previously, the TSX was only available with the 2.4L I4 engine, which didn’t exactly set the standard for power or refinement. It’s still standard and puts out 201 horsepower and 170 pound feet of torque. However, even with Honda’s well respected engine VTEC tuning, there’s a real limit to how much power can be squeezed out of a four cylinder engine. The 3.5 L V6 is shared with the Acura TL and the added power now makes the TSX a serious contender in this class. This powertrain is as well refined as one would expect from a front wheel drive setup; power delivery is smooth and quiet.

When it comes to fuel economy, there’s no question that the I4 is the more frugal choice with an EPA rated 21 city and 30 highway. The V6 with the 5 speed yields a respectable 18 city and 27 highway. I managed to get 22 MPG over the course of my time with the car.

Build
The build quality on the Acura was excellent. The body structure is solid although you don’t get the same perception of stiffness as you get when you shut the door of an Audi A4. The TSX achieves a 5 star crash rating on all 5 dimensions of the federal safety ratings, which is testament to a well engineered body structure. The choice of materials is excellent. The texture and graining of the materials makes for a functional and luxurious interior. On some bumpy roads, I did notice a slight buzz coming from the rear headliner which sounds like a wire rattling. While this is a minor gripe, this is something that should be have been easily detected at the assembly plant and a little surprising. On the exterior, all of the body panel gaps illustrate just how well constructed this car is.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics
I think that the TSX has the nicest styled interior in its class, a perfect combination of luxury and aesthetics. All of the controls and displays are high mounted on the instrument panel which keeps the important things in the driver’s line of sight. Since this is what you’re always going to see and interact with, it’s important that this part of the car is well designed.

The interior cabin feels quite open and spacious although this is smaller than a Honda Accord, it seats five people quite comfortably, with ample foot space for rear passengers. Perforated leather seats provide a great level of support and comfort for front and rear seat passengers. The rear seats fold down providing access to the trunk.

Our TSX tester came equipped with Technology package which includes a navigation system with voice recognition, rearview backup camera, and real time weather and traffic. Other features include a 10 speaker Acura ELS Surround sound system and dual zone climate control system that is linked to the GPS system to provide self adjusting climate control depending on the sun’s position. Too bad it’s not really sunny enough at this time of the year to test it out. There are also a host of advanced technologies like Bluetooth integration with the AM/FM/XM Satellite Radio with a built in CD changer and USB jack tucked away in the center armrest console.

The navigation system worked well however the design of the main navigation control knob is poorly placed in my opinion. The central control is a large protruding knob that rotates with a button on the end to indicate up, down, left, right, or enter. It functions well but it’s almost too much like a video game control. The problem is that your right arm will have to hang in the air grasping this knob with no surface for your arm to rest on. If you’re trying to scroll through the menus or enter an address, your arm will get tired very quickly.

Furthermore, with all the functions on this control knob, it is not very easy to operate. If Acura repositioned this knob lower in the center console like the BMW iDrive, it would be much easier and more comfortable to operate. Perhaps Acura wants you to use the voice recognition system, which seemed to work fairly well.

The Bluetooth functionality worked well with my iPhone but I was unable to pair my phone without looking at the owner’s manual. Overall, I didn’t find this navigation system very intuitive to use. I was also underwhelmed at the maximum volume that this 10 speaker, 415 Watt system was able to put out. Sound quality was excellent, but it just doesn’t get that loud leaving me quite disappointed given the sticker price.

The TSX also came equipped with creature comforts like a power moonroof, heated seats, auto-dimming rearview mirror, Xenon HID headlamps, fog lamps, redundant steering wheel controls. I have normal sized male hands but positioning of the cruise control and audio controls were such that I had to reposition my hands so that my thumbs could reach all the buttons. When using the steering wheel control to change the radio channels, there’s a two second delay which is yet another annoyance.

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By Anson Tse

Pros

• Performance and value
• Solid chassis and suspension tuning
• Lots of standard features

Cons

• Manual transmission setup needs more polish
• V6 seems a bit more powerful on paper

Introduction

Hyundai has been making a pretty strong statement with its products lately. Remember the days of the Hyundai Excel? Well, times have changed. The new Genesis sedan has received accolades for going toe to toe with the best luxury sedans from Japan and Germany. Interestingly enough, Hyundai is on a mission to have pony car drivers watch out for the Genesis Coupe creeping up in their rearview mirrors. Being one of those rear wheel drive fanatics, it was time to see how the Genesis Coupe measures up.

The sport coupe has always been the ideal type of car for young adults. Americans have always had a certain passion for rear wheel drive sport coupes. Figuring out the right formula has been a formidable task for every automaker. The combination of volume and profitability has taken its toll on countless sport coupes. Ford has been the only one to stick with it — the Ford Mustang has been leading the way for over 40 years now. Toyota gave up after the Supra, Nissan is doing ok after it got back in the game with the 370Z, Mitsubishi and Dodge tried it with the 3000GT and Stealth. The Challenger is alive again, as is the Camaro after an 8 year hiatus. The Genesis Coupe certainly has no shortage of competitors to face in this day and age. The question is, does Hyundai have the right formula?

Driving Impressions

The Genesis Coupe certainly has earned its right to partake in the pony car wars. The Genesis Coupe is nimble and light on its toes. Great handling starts with a solid chassis and Hyundai accomplished that by using a shortened version of the Genesis sedan’s. The suspension is tuned to soak up the bumps, yet provide a firm, sporty ride. Those that prefer a softer ride should avoid the Track edition package. The Genesis that I tested was equipped with the Track package which includes a cross-tower strut brace under the hood, 19-inch Gunmetal finish alloy wheels, high performance Bridgestone tires, 4 wheel Brembo brakes, Torsen-type limited-slip differential, and trunk mounted spoiler.

Performance is what you expect from a car thus equipped and it delivers. The Genesis is more refined than the American pony cars — it’s very quiet at low speeds with a subtle exhaust note. This refinement does take a little bit away from the whole experience of a sports car, but I don’t think many will complain. Below 3000 RPM, the engine lacks presence from both an auditory perspective, but also from the butt dyno perspective. This is not to say that the 3.8L V6 is a slouch, rather it just doesn’t make that much torque in the low to mid RPMs. Around 3500 RPM the engine note comes alive along with the power that you were expecting. The Genesis I tested was equipped with a close ratio 6-speed manual that helps overcome the lack of low RPM grunt.

Beneath the hood, you’ll find a 3.8L V-6 that rivals the Nissan’s vaunted 3.5L V-6 for power on paper. The engine is good for 306 HP and 266 lb.-ft. of torque, but the Genesis does lack mid-range torque. The Genesis is also available with a turbocharged 2.0 L I4, which also promises to be a screamer. I expect this to be embraced by the tuner crowed for all the potential that exists there. Transmission choices are a standard 6-speed manual, 5-speed automatic, or 6-speed automatic made by ZF. Both automatic transmissions are available with Hyundai’s SHIFTRONIC paddle shifters. The 6-speed manual I tested was EPA rated 17 city and 26 highway, I managed to get 23 MPG in my combined driving. Something else that will help at the gas pump is the fact that Hyundai calibrated this engine to run on regular gas instead of premium.

Build

Hyundai has made huge strides in build quality and the whole Genesis line shows that their work has paid off. In fact, the Genesis sedan has won several awards and compares well with what Lexus has to offer. With the Genesis Coupe, Hyundai went a little but less on the luxury and more on the sporty side of things. There is still a good choice of materials and fit and finish is excellent. The buttons do feel a bit hollow and cheap, there’s not much heft on the control knobs and tactile feedback is a bit lacking, however I recognize that I’m being nitpicky. A solid body structure is hugely important; it directly translates into higher performance and a quieter car. The chassis engineers have a much easier time tuning the ride and handling and the interior engineers have to worry less about rattles and noise. The chassis is rock solid resulting in no rattles that I could detect.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics

The interior of the Genesis is done very nicely, in fact I feel that it may be a little bit too well done. In many ways, it actually feels like it belongs more in a premium sedan that a sports car. Hyundai seems like they’re trying to make this more like a G37 than a 370Z, not a bad thing. All of the controls are properly positioned and there’s a good range of adjustment for larger people. Every V6 Genesis comes with leather seats as standard. On the Track Edition, black is the only color. The seats are firm and comfortable, with good lateral support, very closely resembling Recaro seats.

The interior feels quite open and spacious, certainly a different feeling compared to sitting in the new Camaro. As expected there’s not much room for rear seat passengers, only small children would be comfortable back there. The seats fold down providing access to the trunk. With the handling prowess of this car, passengers are sure to notice the absence of a passenger assist handle. Additionally, there are no coat hooks in the rear. All are nice features to have, but you won’t notice their absence until you spend a couple days with the car. It is curious why Hyundai decided omit these things since the Coupe comes with so many other features.

The Genesis Coupe was equipped with many nice amenities like pushbutton keyless ignition, power moonroof, heated seats, polished aluminum pedals, auto-dimming rearview mirror, Xenon headlamps, and fog lamps. There are also a host of advanced technologies like Bluetooth integration with the AM/FM/XM Satellite Radio with a built in CD changer. This is all hooked up to a 10 speaker Infinity audio system with redundant steering wheel controls.

The Bluetooth functionality worked beautifully with my iPhone and the system was fairly easy to set up. There is also an iPod and USB connector in the center console which keeps things uncluttered and out of sight. A touchscreen navigation system with XM traffic’s service is optional.

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By Anson Tse

Pros

• Silky smooth power train
• Well balanced chassis that feels more like a sports sedan
• Great creature comforts and techno wizardry

Cons

• Very little rear seat leg room
• Overall size and versatility
• Can get pricey in a hurry

I’ve seen these small Infiniti SUV’s around mainly because they’re noticeably shorter than a lot of the other crossover SUVs that are out there. The EX35 is a great looking small SUV that seems to fit perfectly in the Infiniti vehicle line up. Every manufacturer has placed their efforts in the crossover SUV space and there are plenty to choose from. In the premium space, the closest competitors to the EX are the Acura RDX, Mercedes-Benz GLK, and BMW X3. Compared with Lexus, Infiniti has always positioned themselves in the sport-luxury segment. Naturally, I had to check out this vehicle to see what Infiniti has come up with and how it compares.

Driving Impressions

The EX is perhaps the best all around handling SUV on the market. It is easy to draw the similarities to the Infiniti G35 if you consider the EX to be the more athletic brother, but with a taller roofline, more upright seating, and a tailgate. This makes the EX more of a five door hatchback version of the G35 which provides a good frame of reference to how high you sit in this vehicle and the overall dimensions. Handling dynamics of the EX’s front mid-ship (FM) platform centers the vehicle’s weight to help deliver quick steering response and precise balance through curves. The EX is very responsive with quick reflexes which leads you to believe that it is quite a bit lighter than it actually is. We consider the EX a great handling vehicle that is focused on the driver.

Nissan’s award-winning engine has long been an industry benchmark of refinement and power for V-6 engines. Under the hood, you’ll find Nissan’s bread and butter 3.5L V-6. In the EX35, Nissan’s VRQ6 engine puts out 297 HP and 253 lb.-ft. of torque. Although this piston powerplant is happier higher up in the RPMs, when paired to the 5 speed automatic the gearing allows for quick responsiveness off the line.  In automatic mode a sophisticated learning algorithm adapts to your individual driving style and shifts to optimize engine performance. You can shift the gears manually by putting the transmission in “manumatic” mode and tapping the shifter fore and aft to row through the gears. Downshift rev-matching, which automatically adjusts engine speed output to smooth out shifts, accomplishes downshifts smoother than Jenson Button laying down hot laps at Monaco.

The entire powertrain in this car is first-class; few vehicles can match the level of refinement that Infiniti has been able to achieve. The version that I tested was rear wheel drive only so I can’t comment on the effects that AWD has on this car. According to Infiniti, the all-wheel drive system knows all and continually adapts to changing road conditions. When AWD is not needed, the system sends 100% of the power to the rear wheels. I love the feel of rear wheel drive vehicles and living in California, I would seldom need to use AWD. Locales that have roads slicker than butter on teflon might want to consider the AWD version. Then you get the best of both worlds — rear-wheel drive dynamics on dry pavement and all-wheel driving handling when the weather turns nasty.

EPA rated fuel economy is 17 city and 24 highway, I managed to get 21 MPG in my combined driving.

Build

Infiniti’s have always been nicely appointed and rich with the latest features, they (along with everyone else for that matter) have always been shadowed by Lexus in terms of overall craftsmanship. Specifically, the interior quality of the switches and controls always lagged that of Infiniti’s peers. That’s no longer the situation as witnessed by the EX. First rate materials are used in the interior with smooth lines and solid feeling components. On the outside, the margins and panel fits were superb. Nowadays these are table steaks for luxury vehicles, but it’s always great to see it well executed. There’s consistency with all of the switches throughout the interior and it makes you believe that there was a unified design concept, even though Infiniti uses many of the same components across their vehicle line. The doors and controls have a solid, satisfying feel which confirms you are in fact sitting in a luxury vehicle.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics

Behind the wheel, you find yourself situated in a richly appointed interior. I have to say the EX has one of the nicest interiors in its class. From the front seat all the controls are within reach and there is good isolation from the outside world. There are so many gadgets that this makes this SUV feel like a jet fighter cockpit. Not having driven an Infiniti lately, I needed some time to figure out how to operate all of the neat gadgets. Infiniti provides a quick overview on how to operate the gadgets, which certainly beats digging through the two inch thick owner’s manual, which is located in a zippered compartment in the rear cargo area.

The interior of EX is perhaps the best part of vehicle. The instrument panel and controls are all well laid out and everything is where you would expect it to be. There is no denying you are sitting in a luxury vehicle; it has power everything with memory, so finding and repeating that comfortable seating position is a simple affair. However, for rear seat passengers, they’re going to feel a bit cramped. Especially if the people sitting up front are taller than average. Infiniti Engineers knew space and comfort would be a challenge for passengers banished to the rear seat, so they carved out the back of the front seats to allow a little more space for knees for those cases when someone taller than 5′ 2″ has to ride in the back.

The EX has pushbutton keyless ignition, so there is never a need to fumble with keys. There are plethora of gadgets in this SUV, the version I tested did not have the optional $2250 “Technology Package” which adds lane departure warning, intelligent cruise control, distance control assist, and intelligent brake assist. The intent of this state of the art package uses various sensors to prevent collisions by warning the driver and in some cases activating the brakes if the warning is not heeded. For those that have spouses, they can affirm that many of those functions already exist.

The EX I tested did have Infiniti’s Around View Monitor system, which comes standard with the navigation system. The vehicle has four built-in cameras, one in the grille, one in each side mirror, and one in the tailgate. When backing up or even moving forward in a parking space, the navigation screen shows a top view of the vehicle with the 4 camera views integrated into the display. While in reverse, the display also gives color coded guide lines based on the direction that vehicle is currently facing and separate lines based on the angle of the steering wheel to show where it would go. The system also has radar sensors in the front and back of the car to give audio feedback on the proximity of any objects. The side view cameras are wonderful for actually seeing how close the wheels are to the curb to avoid curb rash. This is simply the best system that I have come across and makes parking a pleasure. Similarly, the Bluetooth® functionality worked beautifully with my iPhone. The Navigation system is integrated with XM® radio’s traffic service to show highway traffic conditions. The navigation screen becomes the focal point of many of the gadgets and it all seemed to function quite well.

Interior storage space is well thought out with a sizable center console to store things. There is a built in plug that controls your iPod and there are RCA jacks to plug in component level inputs, too. Unfortunately, my iPhone didn’t seem to be fully supported, but that’s bound to happen since car manufactures can’t work faster than cell phone manufacturers.

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>> By Anson Tse | >> Photos by Derek Mau

Pros

• Zero lag turbocharged engine that goes
• Well balanced chassis that pushes front wheel drive handling to the limit
• “No lift” shift algorithm
• Incognito appearance

Cons

• Cheap plastic interior panels
• Sub par craftsmanship
• Incognito appearance

I regularly get issued a Cobalt when I go the airport rental counter. To set things straight, this is something that I usually am not very happy about. When I learned that the SS version was available I had to give it a try. Afterall, this car was tuned by GM on the Nürburgring in Germany and set the compact class record of 8:22.85. I’ve had the opportunity to drive several competitors in this class which include the European Ford Focus RS and VW GTI R32 during my days as an engineer at Ford. I can tell you first hand that those cars are no slouches by any means.

Driving Impressions

You won’t appreciate this car by simply looking at it. Driving it slowly around the parking lot drive will reinforce the notion that there’s nothing special going on. It’s only when you start pushing the car when you’ll notice that this is not an ordinary Cobalt. The surprising thing about the Cobalt SS is that it’s very civilized, but it steps up to the challenge when asked and does so without a sweat. The Cobalt SS is clearly targeted at for those who would like to take on the import tuner crowd while remaining fairly anonymous.

The Cobalt SS that I evaluated was a coupe, Chevy also offers the SS package with the sedan version. This is not one of those lame all show, no go sport appearance packages. It is very clear where Chevy spent time developing the SS package. The hard work has already been done with this one– high performance Brembo brakes, 18″ forged aluminum wheels, and upgraded suspension. Power starts off with a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine with direct injection and continuously variable valve timing. Chevy then adds a twin scroll turbocharger and air to air intercooler that manages to build up to 20 PSI of boost. The result is more power and gobs of torque without a hint of turbo lag. How much you may ask? 260 HP and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, while achieving 22 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway. I managed to get a combined total of 24 MPG with a 5 speed manual transmission, which is pretty good considering it consisted of some very aggressive driving. For those who prefer automatics, the SS package is offered with a 4 speed automatic, but most people who are interested in this car will opt for the manual. The only notable interior additions that the SS package gets you are the performance seats with the embroidered SS logo and the AutoMeter boost gauge that’s integrated to the A-pillar which are welcome touches to an otherwise bland Cobalt interior.

Build

The Cobalt suffers the most from hard plastic interior panels. Choice of interior materials is what consumers will solidify in their minds as either a cheap car or nice car. The Cobalt uses extensive amounts of the shiny hard plastic on instrument panel, center console, and door panels. It’s obviously a cost cutting move that the General made since the SS shares these pieces with the standard Cobalt, but criticism still remains… it looks and feels cheap. The overall fit and finish was good, but the fit of a few of the interior trim pieces could have been slightly better. On the outside, the margins and panel fits are far from perfect, especially where the bumper fascias meet up with the sheet metal, which earns a couple more bad marks against an otherwise decent looking coupe. The car was free from squeaks and rattles, but certainly lacks the solid feel that you get from the VW Rabbit, Ford Focus, and Saturn Astra, all of which were engineered in Germany.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics

The Cobalt suffers the most from its utilitarian interior styling and hard plastic interior panels. The choice of interior material is what consumers will define as either a cheap car or nice car. Functionally, it has a good deal of amenities for a car in this class. However, it’s clear that Chevy could only do so much to improve the interior for the SS. Overall seating position is very good and there is a wide range of adjustments to fit different sized drivers. Visibility is also good especially since the B-pillar is so far back. You’ll have no problems when you’re looking over your shoulders.

This car is very easy to drive…I’ve driven a gamut of factory high performance cars with upgraded clutches and I have to say that clutch effort is surprisingly easy and linear considering that it has been beefed up to handle the torque that flows through the 5 speed gearbox. The performance people at GM certainly did an excellent job here to make it very street friendly, while giving the driver no-nonsense performance when asked to. The 5 speed cable shifted gearbox provides fairly clean shifts, although quick downshifts from 4th to 3rd requires a bit of precision from the driver to avoid going into in 5th.

The SS features upgraded seats with a mesh type fabric and suede like inserts that work well with the extra side bolsters to keep you firmly in place. The foam is denser and more consistent with high performance racing seats provide support and comfort. I wish more manufacturers made seats which were like this.

The interior cabin noise levels are very good, the SS does well with wind noise and engine noise at all speeds. The side benefit of a turbocharger is that it acts like a second muffler. The turbocharged Ecotec engine in the Cobalt SS is very civilized; there is none of the thrashiness that plagues even the best 4 cylinder engines that hail from Japan. The Cobalt SS lays down power without the ruckus that one would otherwise expect and reinforces its civilized manners.

Performance

Straight line acceleration is a hoot, torque steer is reasonable. 0-60 takes a scant 5.4 seconds. That will take down a lot of car with twice as many cylinders. The car I test drove had the optional $495 limited slip differential which is well worth the cost in my opinion. Chevy has the no-lift shift feature, which allows you to keep your foot firmly planted on the gas while you hit the clutch and shift. This is only designed to work under full acceleration when the engine is near or at the red line but before you hit the rev limiter. Do it right and you’ll hear a nice pop from the exhaust. Try this on a normal car and you’ll see your engine quickly race to the red line and bounce off the rev limiter. The beauty of this turbo setup is the low end torque. This means less downshifts when you need to accelerate on the highway since the engine is capable of putting down power in the lower RPMs. With this little 2.0 liter, you won’t lack any passing power.

Stopping power is equally impressive, not that surprising with the 4 piston Brembo calipers upfront and single piston GM brakes in the rear. While I did not have the opportunity to drive this car on a track, I’m fairly certain that this hardware setup will provide fade free braking power. Pedal effort is progressive but not too firm. The brake booster is tuned for linear feel and travel as opposed to an aggressive bite that one might expected from a performance package.

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