Click here to view the embedded video.

Pros:

• Smooth, powerful and high-revving engine
• Incredible transmission
• Nimble, responsive handling

Cons:

• Strange RPM behavior when shifting
• Schizophrenic interior

Introduction

The Honda Civic first appeared in 1973 as the no-frills economy car Americans needed due to climbing gas prices. In the mid 80’s Honda offered a spiced-up version called the ‘Si’ which added horsepower and handling improvements to the lightweight Civic, proving that a practical car could also be fun to drive. It turned out to be a winning formula and the Si badge has been in Honda’s line ever since. The 2012 Si showcases 30+ years of evolution in the breed, and as we had hoped, this is the best Si yet.

Driving Impressions

The Civic Si has two sides. Most of the time it’s a smooth, quiet and no-frills economy car for spinning around town and commuting. But give it more throttle and let the RPM’s spin up past ‘VTEC’ to redline and you’ll find the Si’s dark, aggressive side that hunts down and slaughters lesser sport compact cars. There’s a light, effortless feel in the steering, pedals, shifter and motor that serves both the Si’s personalities well. But the suspension belies the Si’s true colors; ride quality is on the firm side. The Si is dialed for corners first and rough roads second.

Build

The Civic Si displays the quality we’ve come to expect of Honda—it’s well made with an apparent sense of quality throughout, but not exceptionally plush. Slam the doors or trunk on a German sedan or a more expensive Japanese car and you’ll get a muted, airless ‘thunk’. The Si’s doors and trunk feel thin in comparison; not necessarily cheap, but perhaps lacking some sound deadening material. This observation echoes throughout the rest of the car—overall the Si feels like a well-made car but there’s no denying its economy car genetics.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics

Honda chose a several materials, textures and colors for the Si dash and door panels. It’s all quality but the variety gives a somewhat disjointed feel to the design. Worse than that, the split-level dash and gauge design looks like someone’s overdone impression of futuristic. Honda has several sub-screens showing random bits of info, including a power gauge showing how far VTEC is engaged on the left side, and on the upper right there’s a user-configurable screen that shows percentage of power used, audio system display, clock, or nothing. This format is used on the rest of the Civic line and it does a fine job of displaying a lot of information at a glance, but it doesn’t match the SI’s personality. We’d like it better if Honda chose classic sports car dual analog speedometer and tach gauges, or the F1-inspired digital gauge from the S2000.

Front seats are well-bolstered and grippy, something you’ll appreciate when flicking the Si into tight corners. Our test drivers are not tall people, yet all noticed that head room both front and back was not exceptional. Tall drivers and those with a penchant for big hats may find this to be a problem. Also, the rear seats fold down, though it’s a cumbersome process. The switches are conveniently located at the edge of the trunk, but you may need to crawl into the trunk to push the seats forward. We managed to stuff a mountain bike into the back of the Si, but it was not as easy as it should have been.

Performance

Honda’s F1-inspired naturally-aspirated motors are legendary for their smooth, high-end power thanks to what’s known as VTEC, a sophisticated variable valve timing and cam positioning system that allows a small motor to act like a larger one past a certain RPM. This is where the Si’s dual personalities come from. Stab the throttle and the motor spins up effortlessly, but really comes to life past %555 when VTEC kicks in to deliver 201 horsepower, which is more than enough to get the lightweight Si hauling up to ticket speeds in a blink.

But Honda’s brilliant VTEC motors have always been anemic on the torque side. The 2012 Si has more torque at a lower RPM than any previous version (170ft/lbs at %555) thanks to the upsized 2.4 liter motor stolen from the Acura TSX. Still, the Si lacks the instant low-end kick that you get from turbocharged competition from the likes of Volkswagen, Mini and Subaru. If you’re cruising along and feel the urge to accelerate, a mere mash of the gas pedal won’t be enough—-you’ll need to downshift at least one gear.

Shifting is excellent, with a slick, precise shifter and smooth clutch engagement. But the light and lively motor seems to hold RPM’s for an unusually long period of time between gears. This works out well when driving hard, holding the motor up in the power band even if your shifter hand is slow, but when driving casually, it gives the impression that you’re a manual transmission noob. It’s distracting until you adapt.

It’s a car that’s easy to drive, and it begs to be driven hard. The Si feels fast, possibly faster than it really is, considering the 0-60mph times in the mid 6-second range still put it behind the competition. But unlike many of those faster gars, the Si still gets over 31mpg after a week of angry test driving during which spins up to redline were the norm. Impressive.

Pros

• M heritage
• Powerful and smooth revving 3.0 liter Twinpower Turbo inline 6
• Unmistakable styling with an aggressive edge

Cons

• Rubbery shifter diminishes that precise feel of the car
• Minor exhaust drone
• Some minor body aesthetic details

I love BMW M cars. I’ve fancied all the generations of M3’s over the years, of course starting with the E30 back in the late 80’s. I love the uniqueness that these special cars bring to the table. I love the double take that I often have to give to these cars when they drive by. And admittedly, I love the hype that builds every time a new M car is due to be released. It’s always interesting to experience the launching of a new BMW. But for car enthusiasts, we always wait to see when the M version will be coming.

BMW has been the undisputed market leader in the European sports and luxury segment here in the US. Over the years, they’ve had Audi closely tailgating behind waiting for the opportune time to pass, but that opportunity has never come up. As long as BMW keeps pushing innovation with cars like the 1 Series M, it will be tough for the Audi brand to supplant that position.

Bring in the 1 Series M. Conveniently, a nicely spec’d 1 Series M will run you about $55k. Right smack dab in between the $35,000 WRX STI and $75,000 Audi RS4 (*). And impressively, you’ll find potentially perfect middle ground with this rev happy 335HP, twin turbo inline six.

Our test car came in at $50,460. This is virtually considered the base spec here in the US: Premium Package, heated seats, Xenon headlights, and automatic climate control. Our test car came covered in the unique Valencia Orange paint (**).

Driving Impressions
Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. I remember the initial launch of this car and all the hype that came with it. I always had a thing for the M cars, so getting the keys to this car for a few days was a bit surreal.

Sliding into the driver’s seat, the first thing you notice is the layout of the cockpit. It’s clean and simple. You begin to get the hint of how BMW is the “Ultimate Driving Machine.” It’s pure.

Information is laid out in a clear manner, transmitting the information that you need to drive this car hard. The tach is on the right and the speedometer on the left. Vital statistics are low and center, but always visible.

Details such as the fat M Sport steering wheel help to make a strong connection between driver and machine. It’s tangible. It’s the right diameter and angle. It feels perfect.

The leather dash and Alcantara gauge shroud are soft touches that showcase the quality level of this car. There are no hard plastic details and no potentially rattle prone components that may show wear over time. There is no mistaking this interior as a BMW M. And don’t forget the seats. The seats have nice upper support with decent side bolstering, covered with a very supple Boston leather covering which brings nice and elegant to the touch.

I referenced the exhaust note earlier. Upon start up, you can tell that this car is not just a sporty 1 Series. For a six, this car just sounds sweet.

I was a little cautious during my first outing with the car, but this 1 Series M has a way of making you want to drive it harder and harder; and faster. It wasn’t too far into the drive that you discover just how willing this car is to rev higher and higher. You feel like you need to drive this car to redline at every opportunity. The motor is so responsive to driver input and control. It’s a visceral experience that I recommend everyone to experience at least once with this car. In short, it’s an utter blast to drive!

This car encourages you to drive it at the higher range of its limits. Sure, the über-balanced suspension, the M Variable diff lock, the M Dynamic stability control, and the rev happy motor make this car “easier” to drive. But the adrenaline rush that comes along with it is, frankly, addicting.

Pros

• Exterior styling – share some visual cues with the big brother Cherokee Series
• Roomy – the passengers get a decent amount of leg and shoulder room for long distance comfort, although some cargo room is sacrificed
• Heritage – shares the same Jeep off road bloodlines that began with the original Wrangler
• Relevance – the 2.4-liter I4 motor is efficient – 21 mpg city and 26mpg highway

Cons

• Small storage area for its class – 60.7 cubic feet vs. 73 cubic feet in the popular Toyota RAV4
• Sparse interior – hard plastics and a simple dash – some consider this a good thing, but on the Compass, it doesn’t look like an interior belonging to a $27k SUV
• Blind spot visibility – the rear c pillar design adds to the exterior aesthetic appeal, but hinders blind spot visibility

“Evolution of a Legendary Bloodline”

I’ve always liked trucks and SUV’s; to be more clear, rugged trucks and SUV’s. I’ve even had my eyes open for a rugged Jeep Wrangler sometime down the road. To me, that model is synonymous with Jeep and it embodies what is pure about the brand: its rugged and well-rounded capabilities.

I’ve owned a few SUV’s over the years, and have test driven a number; most recently, the new Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The new Jeep Compass is similar in price, size, and value, so the timing was good to get some miles on this small SUV. I recognize that not everyone takes their SUV off road, so I evaluated the Compass from an image, value, and capability standpoint, given the compact SUV class that it belongs to. It seems to be a growing segment with worthy competitors, and the Jeep performed well overall, but not without a few issues.

Driving Impressions

Doing the initial walk around, the Compass looks sharp. It was given some of the same visual cues as the larger Grand Cherokees, and it also boasts aggressive fender flares. Nice touch for a compact SUV, where image always has meaning. The trademark front grill makes no mistake in screaming Jeep.

After taking a seat behind the wheel, the cockpit felt comfortable. The optional height adjustable driver seat, albeit slightly flat and less supportive for my taste, placed me in a good driving position. The leather wrapped steering wheel diameter felt right, along with the thickness of the wheel.

The disappointments inside were the cheap feel of the shifter movement and the hardness of the dash. I prefer a shifter to have a little weight to it when shifting from gear to gear. In the Compass, it had a light feel which made it feel flimsy. It did not inspire confidence as a rugged compact SUV should. The Compass and the Outlander both have their share of hard plastics, but the dash layout in the Jeep was even more sparsely laid out, almost highlighting the lack of features and amenities.

Jeep’s 2.4-liter inline 4 cylinder motor with dual variable valve timing and double overhead cams felt quiet and smooth. This is one of Jeep’s smaller motors, but they say it boasts some high tech features. The end result is a very efficient motor providing very good fuel economy, which is definitely competitive in its class. Additional features such as the forged cranks and rods, and an aluminum block, indicate that Jeep was not skimping on the construction of the motor.

Our test SUV came equipped with the optional five-speed CVT2 transmission with the AutoStick feature, which allows for manual shifting through the gears. This is not a dual-clutch system, but the AutoStick feature provides a more aggressive way to drive the car as the driver can control the shift points (within the computer’s safety parameters).

Pros

• Great balance – the car did everything well, from managing a mundane highway commute to ripping along a spirited windy road.
• Styling – you can’t miss the profile of an Audi on the road, and as the first brand to embrace LED lighting technology, the car has a trademark stare. It’s sinister seeing the lights come towards you at dusk.
• The 3.0 liter supercharged V6 – Audi’s awarding winning engine building skills have paid off again with the supercharged 310hp V6. It’s lively, smooth, and efficient with plenty of get up oomph to hustle down the road, especially considering the size of the car. The 325 ft-lbs of torque are easily accessible at a very reasonable range from 2900 to 4500 RPM.

Cons

• Tire noise – The 19-inch sport package wheel and Pirelli P Zero tire combination proved to be a bit on the noisy side. Depending on road surfaces, the degree of annoyance varied.
• Somewhat flat seating surfaces – the A6 Sport Package does not come with more aggressively bolstered S-Line seats that come with some other Audi Sport Packages.

Admittedly, I’ve always been an Audi guy. Over the years we’ve owned seven Audis, ranging from the fun to drive yet practical A3 to the vaunted RS4 muscle car. I’ve loved them all. I’ve loved them for their overall feel, comfort, sportiness, heritage, and emotion. And for a period, years ago, they weren’t everywhere on the road.

The A6 came as a surprise to me. Originally I was slated to hop into an SUV for my test week, but I wasn’t going to complain. I love cars, from stock econoboxes to sports cars, to lifted trucks and SUV’s. The A6 sits perfectly in the middle: roomy enough for a few passengers, cargo from Costco, and a slab of granite for the deck (all during the same afternoon trip no less); peppy enough to stimulate the need to drive briskly; efficient enough not to need a $4 per gallon fill up every other day; and serene enough to sooth the senses after a long day at the office. In short, the car did everything I asked it to do, and it did them well.

Driving Impressions

Entering the A6 and closing the door felt very familiar. The heavy door hinge feel accentuates each detent, helping to give the doors a very solid feel. I stepped on the brake pedal, hit the start stop button, and the supercharged V6 came to life. The engine has a great low rumble which is just loud enough to detect. It isn’t overbearing in the cabin, yet it provides great feedback on the road.

The supercharged 3.0 liter V6 is perfect for this car. Rated at 310hp, it performed flawlessly in virtually any situation, whether it was fast highway driving, where passing speed was needed, or attacking the twisties, where you’re constantly on and off the gas and brake. The combination of good power and plenty of torque makes for a responsive car that performs well in any normal driving condition.

The A6 comes with an 8-speed Tiptronic transmission. Audi says this unit is six percent more efficient than a standard 6-speed automatic. Impressively, highway cruising engine speeds are less than 2000 RPM. No wonder the car is so quiet and efficient under normal driving conditions. As with most other transmissions on the market, Audi also specs paddle shifters and a “manual” shifting option with the A6.

The 2012 A6 also has the exclusive Drive Select feature, which allows the driver to choose the throttle response, shift speed, and steering feel of the car. You can choose from Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, or Individual. Toggling between these settings is a multi-step process through the onboard computer. For long, sedate road trips down the I-5, Comfort keeps everything quiet and efficient. Step up to Dynamic and things get more interesting. Shifts are a tad quicker, as is the throttle response. It’s not a huge change, but enough to enliven the feel of the car.

Pros:

• Luxury look and feel – Platinum Edition Tehama Aniline and Nuance luxury leather seating treatment
• Entertainment – four DVD screens accompany the three row interior making this a road tripper’s dream car
• Sheer size – if you’re looking for a luxury utility vehicle that can carry the entire family and more, then the size of the Escalade ESV will work for you

Cons:

• Underwhelming power – rated at 403hp and 417 foot pounds of torque, the motor still comes up short considering that this is a 7400 pound SUV
• Dated interior feel – the interior was a major disappointment, especially given that this was the Platinum Edition, and the look and feel is more appropriate for a $45,000 Suburban
• Dated styling – the Escalade suffers from a design that was more relevant five years ago, and just looks bland and inconsistent compared to more current automotive designs

“This SUV takes on big missions — Beautifully.”

There is always a certain amount of intrigue and excitement that comes along with testing an $88,000 vehicle. That price point puts this SUV in the company of some of the newest offerings from Porsche, BMW, and Audi. Granted, the sheer size of the Escalade puts it in its own category, but given the close to six figure price tag, the expectations were high.

No doubt about it, the Escalade is full on “bling”. A big motor, lots of chrome, lots of leather, and lots of video screens. It would also seem to be the ideal family vehicle, as it can carry 7 people comfortably, and has a Magnetic Ride Control suspension lending to a smooth ride that would make road trip miles fly by. The interior is built for comfort, but the third row is easily folded to increase the already roomy cargo area.

Driving Impressions

When I was a kid, my neighbors had a late 70’s Cadillac Seville. It was dark blue with a white leather interior and had a plush, smooth, and quiet ride. The Seville became Cadillac’s smallest, yet priciest car in their line at the time. Some thirty years later, Cadillac has definitely remained a luxury brand, but in the case of the Escalade, they have re-emphasized that size does matter.

This SUV commands a presence. The Carbon Flash Metallic ESV Platinum example that we had for a week measured just about 223 inches, or almost 19 feet in length. That’s about three feet longer than the length of two MINI Coopers placed bumper to bumper. The shape and profile are signature GM, as it carries the same general lines of the Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Denali. Both are considered full sized SUV’s, but the flashiness and feature level of the Escalade are definitely a few steps above. Walking around the vehicle, there is a generous usage of chrome trim and Cadillac badging.

Inside, the Platinum Edition boasts a luxurious leather interior, accented with a rich Olive Ash and Burl wood trim. It has the standard bevy of features that you would expect from a car at this price, but the first issue is the ergonomics and layout of the interior. It is very old fashioned looking, using a very small climate control screen that is positioned low, making it hard to read. The buttons seem to be the same buttons pulled from the Suburban line, and some buttons are oddly placed. For example, the traction control button is placed far away on the passenger side of the center console, and the column mounted shifter obscures a few of the information screen toggle buttons when the transmission was in Drive mode.

The seats, while covered in a rich Tehama Aniline leather, proved to be comfortable, but I would have preferred a softer touch leather on the seating surfaces, and a bit more support and contouring in the side bolsters. They aren’t bad, but they’re a little flat for my own preferences.

Pros:

• Efficient fuel sipper averaged over 34 actual mpg over the course of a week, with a boasted total range of about 600 miles per tank of diesel
• A great highway cruiser with a quiet and smooth ride. It’s serene cabin made for peaceful and pleasant road trips.
• 400 lb-ft of torque made virtually any maneuver seem easy for this relatively small 210 hp 3.0 liter turbo diesel V6

Cons:

• Hint of a 1978 Mercedes 240D diesel rasp at startup
• Somewhat flat seating surfaces
• More complicated SAT NAV unit that requires a semester at DeVry before becoming fluent with the system
• Only 210 HP for a car of BBW proportions

The Evolution of the Diesel Car Has Come a Long Way
I remember as a young kid seeing and hearing those early diesel cars rattling down the road, usually closely followed by a plume of dark, smelly smoke. Diesel super duty trucks notwithstanding, the appeal for diesel cars remained slim for years. Not until recently has the clean diesel concept begun to take off. We’re now seeing even race cars like the Audi R18 TDI performing at extremely high levels in rigorous conditions. As a result, it only seems logical that the evolution of diesel performance trickles down to normal every day driving cars.

The true benefit of the new Mercedes E350 BlueTEC lies in both the pure efficiency of the car as well as the huge amount of very user friendly torque, which makes the vehicle very responsive in virtually any situation. In addition, Mercedes uses a special solution called AdBlue that is added to the exhaust gases which basically neutralizes the emissions to just nitrogen and water vapor. Not only is this car clean, it still provides enough get up and go to stimulate most luxury car aficionados.

The starting base price for the E350 BlueTEC is $50,900, but our test car also came equipped with the $6,450 Premium Package 2, the $115 115V AC power outlet, and the no charge option Sport Package.

Driving Impressions

“You’re going to love this one…” he smiled.
These were the first words out of the delivery driver’s mouth when I met him outside my home. Coming from a number of Audi cars in the past, I told myself that I would not get too wrapped up in the mystique of an E Class Mercedes. It’s just another car, I told myself. Plus, it’s a diesel. How much nicer could it be?

The following days of driving the E350 were telling. I like the convenience of proximity keys. My first experience was with a Lexus, and this one was no less convenient. The fob itself provided all the access necessary just in case, but the beauty of the proximity concept is the pure convenience of just walking up to the car, lifting the door handle and opening the door. Upon exiting, a simple light touch of a button on the handle locks the door.

Once in, your foot steps on the brake and you push the start button. An ever so faint diesel rattling sound emits from the engine bay, bringing me back to the late 70’s diesel car sounds. But once you get going, that faint rattle turns into a more normal, albeit quiet engine sound.

This car was equipped with Mercedes’ smooth seven speed transmission. The gears are set up to be responsive in around town traffic, with minimal shifting from gear to gear to find the right gear, and for fuel economizing low RPM traveling at highway speeds. Cruising at 70mph kept the engine speed down close to only about 2,000 RPM. That translated to a fuel sipping and quiet ride in virtually any condition. The car also came with slick black anodized paddle shifters on the steering wheel to allow for manual shifting whenever the mood required. I routinely found myself rowing down through the gears when slowing down especially. Rapid acceleration was equally as smooth, either letting the transmission shift on its own, or by manually clicking through all seven gears.

Pros:

• Feature and amenity laden
• Smooth design aesthetics
• Peppy 2.4L 4 cylinder motor
• Sporty handling suspension

Cons:

• A few oddly placed function buttons
• Narrow trunk pass through
• Awkward blind spots
• Light steering feel

Just what is an “average” sedan? This is an interesting question in a world dominated by Honda, Toyota, Ford, and Chevrolet. Is average boring? Is it plainly functional? Or should even an average car stimulate your senses and make you want to take a detour just to spend a little more time in it?

The marketing hype surrounding Kia’s new Optima, which culminated in an eye-popping Super Bowl commercial involving alien abduction and Mayan sacrifice, has absolutely peaked my interest. Having owned both Hondas and Toyotas in the past, I know what an average sedan feels like. I want to feel something different. Not often do thoughts of mid-sized sedans evoke passion and verve, but why shouldn’t they?

Driving Impressions

Our test car featured Kia’s own 2.4 liter Gas Direct Injection (GDI) four cylinder engine. At first glance, the Optima’s dimensions are on the larger side of the mid-size category and would seem to be more suited to a V6. But powered by this smooth motor, the car exhibited plenty of scoot for its relative heft. Coupled to a six speed automatic Sportmatic transmission, the Optima has a nice amount of pep. Pickup is strong and shifts are smooth and predictable. During both highway commutes and simple city driving, the car was never in need of more power. It managed itself well around town and cruised quietly on the highway. Given the increasing fuel prices, it was also nice to see the Optima achieve a very respectable 28 miles to the gallon over a mix of both city and highway driving.

The Sportmatic transmission has both a normal fully automatic mode as well as a “manual” option. This is not an electronic twin clutch system, but it allows you to manually control when the shifts occur. It was missing steering column mounted paddle shifters, but manual shifts can be made at the shift lever itself.  ABS is a common feature in today’s cars, but it shouldn’t be ignored. The Optima had no problem handling panic stops. While I didn’t have the opportunity to drive any extended descents, no fade was noticeable over the few limited on-road brake tests that I made.

The suspension is quite sporty and a bit firmer than I expected, but I actually like the slightly more taught ride. While it makes handling curves and twisty roads more enjoyable, most buyers might expect a slightly smoother ride. Expansion joints and larger potholes are felt with a bit more of a jolt, but windy zig-zagging was definitely more fun. Steering is a little light for my preference, but the overall weight of the car helps impart a good sense of stability. Otherwise, the ride is comfortable and retains a more playful,  sporty feel.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics

I was pleasantly surprised the moment I dove into the numerous features and amenities available in the Optima. Bluetooth wireless, an intuitive satellite navigation system, heated and cooled seats, dual glass roof, a cooled glove box, and the eight way power adjustable driver and four way power adjustable passenger seats are just a few of the luxury amenities on this car. In fact this car is loaded with many of the same features that made Lexus famous for their impeccable interiors.