Pros:

• Great improvement over the successful 350Z
• Nice body lines, Rays wheels are icing on the cake
• Powerful motor with great sound
• GTR influence

Cons:

• Manual transmission not as slick as the competition
• No lumbar support or telescoping steering wheel
• Either less weight or more power and this could be an exotic challenger for a fraction of the cost

41 years ago Nissan (Datsun in the US) launched the 240Z onto our shores and turned the sports car market on its head. Here was a light, nimble, reliable, value oriented sports coupe for two which had decent cargo capacity. I had the pleasure of owning and wrenching on various Z cars through the 300ZX and still found the 240Z to be the purist of them all. Only when Nissan introduced the 350Z in 2003 did it appear that they had something of real value that could match their original Z sports car.

Just like the Porsche 911, Nissan has raised the level of performance and comfort through the years while paying tribute to its Spartan roots. Sure Porsche got a big head start (approximately 6 years), but Nissan has paid close attention to the formula which Porsche, and Chevrolet with the Corvette, have successfully followed through the years. Now the latest incarnation of the Z has brought this car very close to the level of its big brother GTR, but falls short in a few areas we will discuss later. Address these issues and keep the sticker under $40k, and except for some small back seats, the Z could overtake the GTR. Sound like the Cayman-911 argument? déjà-vu.

Design

From the early days of the 240-Z through the 300ZX years, Z cars were influenced by everything from the likes of Jaguar, Chevrolet, Ferrari and even Lotus; a Japanese version of these cars if you will. With the 350Z, Nissan took its La Jolla California design studio concept and brought it to production, and it was an instant hit. This sixth generation 370Z has improved the concept further by building out the fender flares and sharing design cues from the GTR, which share the same E platform as the current Infiniti G Coupe, FX, and Renault Alpine. It’s wider than the 350Z (read grip), and shorter than the previous Z (read quicker turning.)

The exterior fender flares results in a menacing look without being portrayed as a silly phallic symbol. When traffic approaches from the rear side, eyes will be pinned on the fenders and the beautiful Rays wheels our test car was equipped with. From all angles, the Z looks like it means business. The front bumper has GTR influences and also looks equally menacing on approach, so much so that mothers with small children quickly gathered the tykes as we rolled down neighborhood streets. It makes a statement like no other car with an under $30k base price. Our test car had an unusual Black Cherry paint finish, but the 370Z really looks best in bright silver….trust us here.

Pros:

• 100 miles on a full charge
• Eco Mode for dummies
• Drives like a car, not an enclosed golf cart
• It actually looks good and not a social statement
• Batteries are mounted very low so out of the way physically and lowers the center of gravity
• Total energy cost for a year is about $500
• It turns a new leaf in the saga american motoring

Cons:

• 100 miles on a full charge (run it down, you’re stuck)
• 14-16 hour charge using 110V household current
• Front seats are very basic
• $35k base will keep it away from the masses.

Video from Roadfly.com (click ’360p’ to watch in HD)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Remember the first time you rode/drove an EV? It could have been a battery powered toy car, a golf cart, or even a gas powered car converted to electric, but they all had one thing in common; acceleration like an on/off switch….no modulation. More than 10 years ago Toyota brought the hybrid Prius to the United States and it was one of the first cars with fantastic modulation and packaged in a base car that was previously gas powered. I currently have a second generation Prius in the stable and our staff was lucky enough to test the Chevrolet Volt a couple of months back.

Though electric vehicles and the concept has been around for many years, the car companies are finally putting the ingredients together for EV Nirvana. First you had the gas-electric Prius, then more recently the electric-gas Volt, now comes the 85-100 mile range full EV LEAF. What’s EV Nirvana you ask? We define it as an electric-gas (Volt-like) vehicle with a 300+ mile EV range, then another 300+ miles on gas with a solar roof that would help charge the 24 KW-HR (LEAF-like) battery while in use or parked. The great news is that the three aforementioned models have traces of this EV Nirvana within their DNA.

Design

Early test and design “mules” of the Nissan LEAF used the Versa platform as the test bed and this basic structure carries over to the LEAF. The difference is the Nissan engineers have put a lot of effort into shaping the front and rear of the car for better aerodynamics and since they build the car on a low production line, the attention to detail results in what is seemingly a well built car….almost like a Versa built for Infiniti.

Nissan took a bold shaping approach with the lighting (LED low voltage) and bumpers of the LEAF making it stand out as a very noticeable car…nothing offensive, but it does make a visual statement.

From the side the car looks pretty standard except for the large Zero Emissions decals along the rocker panels. Let’s be clear, the car isn’t a lithe and lovely BMW 3 series coupe, but you’ll read later on that it does serve the general transportation purposes well. Compared to the Volt and Prius, the Volt still reigns supreme on design and the Prius and LEAF are almost a tossup with LEAF getting the edge because of the bold head and tail lights. The LEAF is a little longer (mostly bumpers) and taller than the Prius though they maintain about the same wheelbase.

Pros:

• Smooth lines, appeals to the female eye
• Bavarian Corvette in four seat clothing
• Anti-bling, subtle cues says this one means business

Cons:

• Thirsty
• Uninspired interior
• Bit of a Heavyweight

The BMW M3 has long been the benchmark for luxury sports cars. From the original E30 M3, which was created to homologate the M3 for Group A Touring Car racing, to the wildly successful E36 M3, offered in both sedan and coupe styles, to the E46 M3 with its screaming inline 6 and SMG (semi-manual) transmission, nothing else has offered such a sublime marriage of ultimate performance with luxury and daily driveability.

Since BMW wanted to keep pushing the performance envelope with the current E92 M3, but stick with a naturally aspirated engine, we now have a 4.0 liter 414 hp V8 shoehorned into an even larger body, and available in coupe, sedan, and hard-top convertible. We put the car to the test and found it still offers track-worthy performance, along with the convenience of a comfortable and stylish daily driver.

Design

Our test car was the lovely bodied coupe, which features smooth lines, subtle flairs, aggressive front and rear bumpers, and a carbon fiber roof (optional). When the M3 arrived some of our staff screamed nice car, for a female. It was the combination of smooth lines and a deep red color that exuded female ride, or at least a ride that a wife or girlfriend would gladly drive. Nissan GTR body, this is not.

The interior is where the E92 M3 falls short, not only to the competition (Audi & Mercedes), but also to its predecessor, the E46. There are several criticisms: the first is the dash, which is very flat and could benefit from more curves. Second is the rear seat, which doesn’t offer room for three due to the back seat center console. When back seat passengers are in the car, spirited driving probably won’t be taking place, so why not give that real estate back?

Pros:

• Great mileage
• Sporty Handling
• Decent Value

Cons:

• Lackluster acceleration
• Suspension a little crude below 20 MPH
• Seating not as comfortable as the competition

Sport utility vehicles, especially the front wheel drive kind, are essentially station wagons for those who don’t want to be seen in a station wagon.  Whether it’s the perceived ruggedness or the more sporty looks, small SUVs have been a hot market for young urbanites ever since the RAV-4 and CRV entered the scene many years back. With gas prices remaining high and car shoppers looking to downsize with the recession, this segment of SUV’s has continued to blossom over the past few years.

We recently received the slightly redesigned Nissan Rogue SV front wheel drive, which comes with new bumpers that give the sport utility a less egg-shaped profile and gets rid of the Pokemon face, a criticism of the earlier Rogue. Does the redesigned Rogue SV make the grade in the $25,000 and under field of cute-utes? Read on…..

Design

Next to sedans, this is probably the most crowded field of vehicles, with every major manufacturer at the table. The recipe is simple: take a small car from your line up, design an SUV body around it, make some minor suspension and drive train modifications, and cover your engineering costs by charging $3-$8k more per vehicle. Can you say great profitability?

The Rogue took its design origins from the larger Murano, while using the chassis of the compact Sentra. Like we mentioned before, the Rogue has shed its Pokemon face with a new front end, but the overall design remains the same. The Rogue features a high roofline, which makes for great headroom, but also has sides that come in to provide a sleeker look. Unfortunately, this slightly affects shoulder room for our back seat passenger, and the quarter window behind the rear side window is all but useless when looking to change lanes due to a thick pillar design. In Nissan’s defense, the thick pillars are there for side airbags. Given the choice between safety and viewing out the window, we say use the side mirror.

Drive

Let’s get this out of the way:  the Rogue doesn’t drive like a Sentra, and it might actually drive better. There’s something about this SUV that creates a different feel, and we think it’s due to something as basic as seat position. Because of the higher roofline and stance of the Rogue, you sit in a commanding position above most passenger car traffic, while still retaining the benefits of a decent handling car chassis.

Run the Rogue within legal limits and it will return a combined city-highway mileage of 26 MPG.  This comes from a combination of being somewhat lightweight (in comparison to the competition) and the use of the two speed (read simple) Xtronic CVT transmission, which delivers power efficiently under normal conditions. The Continuously Variable Transmission has been a Nissan hallmark since the inception of the Murano. The only downside is when you have to get on the accelerator, as it’s slow to react and gets a little noisy when pushed hard.

Pros

• Unflappable SH-AWD system makes for a great poor weather driver
• Smooth power delivery and very controlled in the turns
• Interior features and details

Cons

• Uninspired styling
• User interface for radio and satellite not best in class
• Rear seat leg room could be better

The sea of mid/large-sized luxury sedans has grown over the years, primarily because this is still a lucrative class of automobiles for manufacturers. Luxury car brands are fighting for those hard earned consumer dollars in the $45-$70k range and unlike their value oriented cousins, there is still a lot of margin in these vehicles.

The target demographic for this segment is middle-aged, male, relatively high income, a solid corporate job or owner of a business, and maybe a small family. So you probably guessed that style, technology and performance are pretty high on the list of attributes this demographic would be seeking. We drive the 2011 Acura RL to find out how well it delivers on these traits and more.

New for 2011

New to the powertrain is a six-speed Sequential Sportshift automatic transmission. It’s a smooth-shifting unit that allows for the occasional sporty dash courtesy of the wheel-mounted paddles while also improving fuel economy by two miles per gallon on the highway – EPA ratings come in at 17 mpg city and 24 highway. An upgraded gearbox is nice and all, but since this is an Acura we are looking more for new technology. The 2011 RL is fitted with Hemholtz resonators in the wheels (a “world’s first” for a passenger vehicle). These chambers sit in the center portion of the inside of the wheel and help diminish road noise, which results in a quieter cabin. Coupled with increased floorboard insulation, the 2011 Acura RL behaves like a library out on the road.

Driving Impressions

Our review car came to us right in the middle of one of the heaviest and longest lasting storms to hit Northern California in several years, and our first drive in the RL was in a heavy downpour. Little did we know that this inclement weather was where this 4,000 pound Acura would really shine.

The RL features Acura’s SH-AWD with Torque Vector technology, which puts power to each of the wheels independently utilizing a gyroscope to measure pitch and yaw. The speed in which the system reacts is almost seamless, creating one of the safest sedans on the road.

To test the system we took on-ramps at twice to three times their dry recommended speed limits in pouring rain and the car tracked perfectly, without under or oversteer. We continued to push the RL through waterlogged windy mountain roads and found the car drove as if it were a dry summer day. Amazing. One has to drive it in heavy rain to believe it.

The only real downside we experienced while cruising around in the rain is the RL’s tendency to track rain grooves, causing the car to make small but sudden left to right movements, as these grooves are rarely perfectly straight. This was particularly pronounced between 70-75 miles per hour and was enough to make driving a little tense through those sections.

By Dan Tsuchiya

Positrons

• Great Design and better looking than any Prius made to date
• Electricity first; leading to 250-500 mpg if you have access an outlet
• Feels safer and more substantial than it’s competitors
• 0-60 acceleration faster than a Honda Civic

Electrons

• Electric Vehicle (EV) range limited to 35 miles before gas motor has to recharge batteries
• Interior has too many hard plastic surfaces
• Soft-touch buttons are too sensitive
• Navigation and radio are integrated such that you can’t have one on without the other

Living with the Chevrolet Volt is about making a green statement, but without the usual green sacrifices. It’s not a hybrid as defined by the Toyota and Honda camp, it’s an extended range electric vehicle (EV) that combines the gas saving benefits of pure electric cars with the range and convenience of conventional gas powered cars. While the Toyota and Honda camps utilize gas and electricity in parallel, the Volt takes a series approach, EV first then gas. The EV range fully charged is about 35 miles and once that power depletes, the Volt fires up its 1.4L engine to charge the batteries and provide juice to the electric motor, allowing for another 250-300 miles of driving under normal conditions.

Being able to simply go to a gas station and keep on driving should provoke a mind-shift for folks experiencing electric vehicle range anxiety. Although the Volt is still dependent on gasoline for any out of town trips, diligent usage of the EV portion will provide some pretty impressive MPG numbers, since no gas is used until the batteries run dry. We used the Volt for normal errands and commuting to work for a total of three days, including a weekend, and compared it to the family 2005 Prius in these areas: Design, Drive, Comfort/Convenience, and Recommend to Buy.

Design

Chevrolet has done a great job with the first generation Volt. Comparing the Volt to the first generation Prius… let’s just say that 12 years of design and technology have given Chevy designers a distinct advantage. The Volt turns heads because it is somewhat rare, has the right exterior proportions, sits low and wide, and has an overall pleasing silhouette. Plain and simple, the exterior looks better than any generation of the Prius to date, and from what we can see in Toyota’s plans it will probably stay in that aesthetic position for years to come.

Stepping into the Volt, the first comment from passengers is that the interior is heavily dressed in plastic, to the point that it looks a bit cheap. The Volt only seats four because the battery pack runs down the center, so sliding over to exit curbside will be difficult for anyone sitting in the back. The dash is both lovely and vexing as the display graphics are far superior to the Prius, but the user interface is not. For example, if you want to use navigation or review your energy usage, the radio also turns on and you will need to turn the volume all the way down if you don’t want Katy Perry blaring in the background. Turn the radio off and navigation turns off as well.

All the controls on the dash only require a light touch, so run your fingers over the 16 or so buttons and you are bound to hit something by mistake. Outside of the user interface and heavy use of plastic, the overall interior design is probably equal to a car valued around $25,000.

(Continued on page 2)

By Dan Tsuchiya

Pros

• Attractive styling that appeals to both genders
• Direct injection turbocharged engine with power that comes on very early
• Handling feels closer to a European sport sedan and AWD to boot
• Ultra-luxurious cabin with intuitive controls

Cons

• Exterior side mirrors are really big
• Luxury isn’t cheap
• Can get thirsty if you have heavy feet
• Some interior squeaks

Many years ago there was a mini-sport utility vehicle called the Jeep – versatile, rugged, and largely uncomfortable. The Jeep’s popularity spawned multiple knock-offs from every carmaker — from the ill-fated Suzuki Samurai to the successful RAV4. All three continents have been trying to get it right for the past 30 years and it wasn’t until automakers tried converting cars into sport utility vehicles that the modern compact SUV was born.

The Japanese have been dominant in this category for the past decade with the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-7, and Nissan Rogue. The US also has had some success, with the Ford Escape and the late Saturn Vue, but the Europeans (champs in the wagon category) have largely been lacking in the small-ute category. With the Q5, Audi puts a large dose of performance and luxury into a compact crossover and helps to set the bar in this growing segment.

Driving Impressions
When we first received the Audi Q5, we thought the exterior appearance looked first rate. Here was a small sport utility that looked stout and smart, had well-proportioned lines, and was attractive to both males and females. Before seeing the inside of the Q5, we feared that the interior would be heavy with VW plastic and misused burlwood trim. Not even close. We were pleasantly surprised by the look and feel of the Q5’s interior and relieved that Audi has gotten past looking like an upscale Volkswagen.

Jumping into the car was a breeze, with high ceilings and fairly large front doors making for easy ingress and egress. The Q5 doesn’t use the old switchblade style key, nor does it have a push button start. You put the key fob remote into a slot and then push the key to start. Not very intuitive and having to remove the key fob from our pockets each time was a bit annoying.

The big surprise is driving the Q5. With responsive acceleration, handling and braking, it sets a new standard for the small sport utility segment. ‎It is amazingly fast for a 2.0 liter motor pulling a 4000 lb car. Audi publishes a 7.1 second 0-60 acceleration on their website. Motor Trend measured 6.8 seconds.

Looking over the competition from Mercedes and BMW, both the GLK and the X3 still don’t compare to the ride quality and handling of the Audi. The Q5 shares the A4/A5 chassis and it shows. Ride is a bit firm, but the braking and handling is almost A4-like.

Build
Audi gets kudos for a solid fit and finish, both interior and exterior; it’s what you’d expect from a German luxury vehicle. Panels line up well, doors close solidly and wind noise was barely detectable at speed, although there was some road noise coming from the 235/60/18 inch Dunlop Grand Trek tires at freeway speeds. Audi really cleaned up the interior with strategically placed wood trim, a sliding rear seat, special latches that fold down the rear seatbacks from the cargo area, and of course the auto-close rear hatch.

There were some aspects of the Q5 that caused us to raise a few eyebrows. When driving in traffic the first thing you will notice is the large side mirrors, which are about 10 inches tall and placed fairly high in relation to the window sills. Large side view mirrors are desirable when towing your Seadoo to the lake and the Q5’s 4400 pound towing capacity makes this possible. But turning your head to look out at cars running alongside, there is almost 2 feet of other vehicle that is blocked by these mirrors. The large side mirrors clearly get in the way of seeing the other car’s turn signals.

The second observation came from the rear seat backs which are a leather-ette on the sides. When the Q5 goes over some uneven pavement it causes the backs of the rear seat to rub and you get squeaks. We were like, “are you joking?”

The third item we noticed was Audi’s choice of front seat belt receptacles that extend outwards quite a bit. So much so that Audi placed a rectangular piece of felt on the backside of each seat belt receptacle so that it would not rub against the center console. Goofy looking, but at least it didn’t squeak. On the flipside the extended seat belt receptacles offer a very comfortable and easy to reach latch point for the safety belts, as well as not being too snug over jackets or thick clothing.

(Continued on page 2)

By Dan Tsuchiya

Pros

• A very functional sedan – built for the family or for the office
• Great interior and lots of trunk space
• Efficient four cylinder engine mated to a well matched transmission

Cons

• Front seats almost as hard as a park bench
• Mid-year refresh actually made the rear less attractive
• Styling does not stand out over the competition

How does a Japanese automaker, or for that matter any automaker, build a car that will appeal to American families or office workers who just don’t have the means to lay out fifty-large for a four door luxury sedan? Well you build a car (or try to) that has the looks and quality of those $50k+ sedans at half the price… in other words you try and emulate. This has been a winning strategy for Toyota and more recently Hyundai, where they chisel the body to emulate a Mercedes, stuff the interior with leather faced seating, shoehorn a diminutive 4 cylinder or barely satisfying 6 cylinder under the hood, and add all the usual bells and whistles, all for under thirty-large.

For the most part, this strategy has worked well and Honda took note by jumping into the fray in 2008 with their redesigned Accord. The next Accord revamp isn’t due until 2013, so for the final two years Honda has come out with a revamped front and back end along with a mid tier SE version which sports leather heated seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power lumbar support, and special badges for only $23,730. But can this car survive the 800 mile family road trip and is this the closest thing to the starter cars coming from Germany?

Driving Impressions

At first glance, here is a family sedan that is fairly large in size but equipped with relatively narrow wheels and tires, and void of body add-ons that might hint that it is trying to compete with the European sedans of similar size. It’s larger than a C-Class or 3-Series and pretty close to the E-Class or older version of the 5-Series. When you walk up to the car and get ready to jump in, there’s nothing that stands out, so you’ll get into the car having no high expectations.

We took the Accord SE on a road trip from Northern California to Southern California and back, and the Accord still feels more connected to the road than its main rivals, such as the Camry. When driving the Accord in town or on the highway there is a high level of composure, with confidence inspiring handling and good ride quality. Honda has done a great job of giving the driver a better feel for the road than Hyundai or Toyota, and this really helps to engage the driver, whether on short trips or long ones. It all comes together; decent power, impressive handling for a front-wheel drive car, and a surprisingly comfortable ride.

Build

The Honda pedigree shows well in the build quality. Fit and finish is what you would expect from the top Japanese brands, with even door and trunk lid gaps, solid closing doors, no interior squeaks or rattles when going over bumps, and little wind noise at speeds. There is plenty of insulation in the proper places so that road noise and wind noise are suppressed but not fully eliminated. About the only disappointment is near the trunk, where you have the pass through for the center arm rest. The lining around that area looked to be somewhat unfinished, which is not something you’d likely find in any of the European sedans. While we are discussing the trunk, it was the only lid/door that had a cheap or tin-like sound when it closed.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics

Let’s get this out of the way; the front leather seats are hard. This is mostly due to the padding Honda chooses to use in the seats, which is quite firm, and you feel it the moment you sit down. If you have anything in your back pocket such as a wallet, remove it before you suffer a lack of blood flow to that leg. The other quirk I would like to get out of the way is the steering wheel and its limited adjustability. The steering wheel seems a bit small and it has limited telescope and level adjustments, so much so that it was less than ideal on long drives. I seemed to have my arms fully extended when my legs were properly adjusted for the pedals. The smaller steering wheel also tends to hide the gauges when it is adjusted to the lower position. Hondas have been some of the easiest cars for someone of my stature to fit into, but this one just wasn’t and it was a little perplexing.

One other half quirk is the lack of outside temperature reading anywhere on the dash, the screen only shows time and audio settings (does one really need a screen this size for those two functions?). Outside of these two and a half things, the comfort and ergonomics were just fine. Once my wallet was removed, what initially seemed like park bench hard seats turned out to be very supportive and appropriate for the business of driving, although passengers might find the accommodations a bit harsh. My wife kept complaining how it was difficult to sleep in the passenger seat due to the hardness of the seats and the lack of fore/aft adjustments in the headrest. For a car of this size, the back seat, trunk, and headroom are closer to a large sedan than what the mid size category would normally yield. If you need to haul around adult passengers along with some luggage, this is about as good as it gets.

Performance

These days, most people are spoiled by sedans that can do 0-60 in under 6 seconds. They would risk falling asleep if they test drove something like this 177 hp sedan which barely clears 60 in under nine seconds. Southern California is notorious for jack-rabbit starts and a fast car is almost a necessity, but in Northern California this sedan’s acceleration is actually adequate for most needs. On the freeway, the 2.4L performs admirably; it has the capability to climb elevations of over 5000 feet while keeping up at 70-75 mph cruising speeds. The only major shortcoming is accelerating at speed when passing, or getting back up to speed if you happen to slow down a bit (heaven forbid). This is where displacement is going to win, but if you can foresee the road ahead, you should be satisfied with the performance of this naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine.

The biggest plus of this engine is the fuel economy, rated at 23 city and 32 hwy, and we averaged 29 overall for the trip. Honda has also done a great job getting the most out of their four-speed automatic. Fourth gear is really long and provides that great mileage on the freeways, while third is great if you want to climb hills or slow down and not show your brake lights. We found them (the gears) perfect for long distance freeway cruising.

Handling

Thankfully Honda has kept their flagship midsize sedan on the European side of the suspension spectrum. By this I mean that in comparison to the Camry, the Accord has a more responsive and firm ride, which yields less body roll in the turns and more feedback when it comes to bumps and dips. Suspension is a matter of taste and some might wish for a softer ride, and hopefully manufacturers will find a way to get active/adjustable suspension in something less than $50k. Until then, I prefer the sharper steering and suspension of the Honda just for the responsiveness, but if you are located out in an area of bad roads, you might be better off with the Accord’s competition.

The Accord cuts through turns with ease and the suspension is up to the task, but the SE unfortunately comes with relatively narrow wheels and tires in comparison to the European cars it is trying to emulate. If Honda would only put on decent wheels and tires and maybe lower the Accord a bit, they would have a Euro-wannabe that was closer to the real thing.

(Continued on page 2)

By Dan Tsuchiya

Pros

• Overall attractive styling that brings back the P1800 for the 21st century
• Zippy engine with power that comes on very early utilizing great torque
• Built for cold weather
• Tight cornering prowess always has you looking for the next turn

Cons

• Front seats a bit narrow on the bottom half and no headrest adjustment
• Price with options getting close to a 1-series BMW
• Not built for warm climates
• With good handling comes a stiff suspension

Few shows were as popular in Britain in the 1960s as “The Saint”. The show starred Roger Moore as Simon Templar, a spy with a penchant for gorgeous cars. The classic image of Roger Moore driving his Volvo 1800 sports car in the 1960′s TV show, “The Saint”, endures even today.

On the other side of the Atlantic, hatchbacks have never been largely accepted in the United States except when they were disguised as sports cars like the XKE, 240Z, RX-7, and Pinto (sorry scratch that last one). The Volvo C30, which is a peppy little four seat hot-hatch, comes in deep into competitive territory with the Mazdaspeed3, WRX, GTI, and even the tidy little MINI Cooper S. We would like to think that the Volvo C30 can stand up to its peers, but you be the judge.

Driving Impressions
We were reminded of the cool P1800 when Volvo launched the 2-door, 4-passenger C30 a couple of years ago. It was an attractively different design that had not seen the market for quite a few years, in fact the last P1800 rolled off the production line in 1973. Since that time the U.S. public has come to recognize Volvo as the safe sedan car company. When the C30 was launched, it was kind of a shock as people were trying to figure out where this car would place given the company’s reputation. This confusion has led to slow sales of the initial C30’s.

Fast forward a few years and Volvo is taking the C30 to the next level to compete head to head with Japanese and other European rivals all the while being sold to Geely of China. Volvo, while still under Ford, took the European Focus chassis and provided some unique style to the vehicle, everything from the front fascia, bold body lines, attractive body kit, thickly stitched leather to mimic racing seats, and a creative yet simple approach to the dashboard for driver and passenger entertainment. All this wrapped around a 227HP/236 lb-ft 5-cylinder turbocharged engine which provides plenty of great city driving with brief stints of acceleration.

Jump in the C30 and it fits the driver fairly well. Volvo is a company that uses technology sparingly so you might feel that the driver interface is sparse — which is a two edged sword. On the one hand it’s straight forward and easy to understand; on the other it feels inadequate and not very inspiring. The C30 is an easy car to jump in and take for a spin, everything is essentially Civic/Corolla about 5 years ago, it just goes and handles a lot better than those two sedans from yesteryear.

Build
It must be the sale of the company to Geely that has them distracted. From a fit and finish standpoint, this is one of the worst cars the staff has come across in quite some time. We found the gaps for the body were fairly poor from the hood being misaligned with the front fenders and the nose interface being out of plane (not even.) Something uncommon for a European car in this price range.

Volvo’s compact hatchback didn’t have any noticeable squeaks or rattles, except for the side windows. With the side windows being so long, the glass to weather-strip interface made a little creak when driving over small bumps. The other issue is turbulent wind noise at freeway speeds from the side view mirror design. Maybe Volvo engineers forgot to remove their earplugs during the wind tunnel tests.

We had several guests go for rides or just sit in the car to provide some initial opinions and most felt that the materials used on the dash and side panels were sub-standard for the vehicle within this price range. Everything from the hard plastics used for the window panel tops, to the carpets, to the heavy use of rubber for the dashboard was a bit disappointing. Interior fit and finish was decent for this level of car, just the materials were less than top grade.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics
The driver’s seat provided fairly good support with narrow and relatively deep bolsters to keep you in place. The downside here is that the seat will only fit those with a 32 waist or smaller, the Swedes are fairly thin, but for American tastes, it might get a little narrow. The best place to sit is the driver’s seat because you get to see the beautiful analog gauges that almost look like a fine wrist watch. Unfortunately, the good seating ends there because the passenger seating is so close to the dash, the glove box hits you right at the knees when opened. The rear seats are only good for those 5’10” and shorter otherwise your head will be touching the ceiling. Rear seats do fold down, but the opening for the rear hatch is only through the glass, so size of items stored is limited.

While the C30 shares the same platform of the V50 wagon, it feels smaller and more nimble. Volvo has stiffened up the suspension on this hot hatch to a point where it can get jarring when the road is uneven. The low profile tires on the 18’s don’t help the cause for comfort but do contribute to the fun factor (more on that later).

The Swedes must have ape arms because the seating position causes your arms to be extended, tiring them early in the drive. Radio and climate controls are easy to understand and use but the AC vents in the dash are very small so it takes a while to cool the car after parking it in the hot sun and one needs to keep the fan blowing strong if the outside temps are high….probably not a factor in Sweden.

(Continued on page 2)

By Dan Tsuchiya

Pros:

• Aluminum body panels for weight savings
• Improved handling through suspension changes
• Bumper mounted cameras
• Fuel efficient for a 2 ton car

Cons:

• Blandness has set into the 5 series styling
• Manual transmission drivability not top notch
• Pricey in comparison to competition
• Seat coolers are missing

The sixth generation of the 5-series BMW has finally graduated in the handling and technology areas to keep up, if not ahead of its competition. Large improvements have been achieved through technology provided by its bigger brother the 7-series including a double wishbone style front suspension and cool safety features like bumper mounted cameras. The 300 hp inline six now has direct injection and a twin scroll single turbo which provides torque from 1200 RPM.

Driving Impressions:
I’ve been a big fan of the BMW’s and have owned or driven many of them (3’s, 5’s, 6’s, 7’s, M3, M5.) BMW, also known as the driving machine, adheres to their reputation again in the 2011 535i. Our test model had the slick-shifting six speed manual transmission and was able to achieve 21 MPG in town and about 27 MPG on the highway through normal driving. Even spirited driving returned a respectable 18 MPG.

From the moment you push the Start button, the engine roars to life and you get a feeling like you are in a large luxury vehicle. However, once on the road, the 5-series feels like it’s shrinking as the dynamics of the suspension, brakes and engine work together to provide a confidence inspiring drive. Pick up some speed, toss the car through turns, no problem. The new electronic steering, though a little dead on center, provides precise input and you can carve through canyons like it was a 3-series or Z4. Large brakes slow the car amazingly well. When you lay in a 300 hp engine with 300 lb-ft of torque, the drive can get playful pretty fast.

When you get on the throttle, power really builds above 2500 RPM and would estimate the 0-60 to be around 6 seconds. Not bad for a car of this heft. It really shines on the freeway and passing at speed with great car control. The new double wishbone style of suspension allows for larger brakes and stopping this cruiser, even with four adults in the car, is effortless.

Handling
BMW gives you choices here “comfort-normal-sport1-sport2” and with increasing stiffness in suspension as well as responsiveness of the throttle. The difference between sport and sport 2 is minimal on the street, maybe if I had it at the track the story would be different. The Michelin tires performed well in the mountains and the car ate up turns in the Sport mode with ease. No it doesn’t handle like a C6 Corvette, but it has top notch handling for a sedan.

Build
Great quality you come to expect from a $65k vehicle, perfect lines and great paint. They also incorporated soft close doors, illuminated door handles, self open and close trunk lid, and a power sunroof sunscreen — all great features even though some weight was added. I looked around the engine compartment and the engine design has become easier to maintain (for those future DIY folks) because the twin scroll single housing turbo takes up less room than twin turbochargers.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics
This car is pretty substantial; almost the size of the 7-series two generations back, but the handling is superb for a vehicle this size. The door sills are a bit higher in this model than previous ones so the vehicle feels like it wraps around you. The dash and center console are fairly large providing even more of the envelop feeling….you feel safe, but at the same time you may feel a bit claustrophobic (especially shotgun) until you get used to it.

The front seats give you multiple adjustments for thigh support, headrest fore/aft, four way lumbar, and heat. All the things one would need to make a true driver’s car. BMW claims to have increased rear seat room by 0.5 inches and the legroom in the back is decent, but nowhere near the 7-series. If you are over six feet tall and driving, the back seat passengers will be cramped. The Bavarians have always been a bit behind their competition in the air conditioning area and this new 5-series is no exception — no air-cooled front seats.

The much maligned iDrive, now in its fourth generation, is much easier to operate and a lot more intuitive than previous iterations. They also installed an MP3 adapter, but didn’t sync well with our iPods and iPhones. Save yourself the additional $400 for the MP3 option and use it towards a good aftermarket system afterward.

(Continued on page 2)