0Posted by George Peterson on April 30, 2012 at 3:36 pm
I’m really not a hypermiling type of guy – I usually drive a twin-turbocharged V6. When the opportunity to drive from Miami Beach to Key West came up, I admit the allure of Key West was more than the chance to get the maximum fuel economy out of a Kia Optima Hybrid and new Kia Rio. Having grown up in Florida, the northern part, I had never been to Key West – got as far as the Everglades a couple of times.
Optima – Elegant Mid-Size Style With Maximum Fuel Economy The Optima is one of my favorite mid-size cars. Its styling is great and interior is very easy to live with. From my perspective, the Optima style is very sophisticated and European. Coming from the “junior” Korean manufacturer, the Optima is much better looking than the swoopy Hyundai Sonata that has turned so many heads since its introduction in early 2010. My guess is that the Optima style has more staying power than the Sonata which may age pretty quickly.
Adding the Hybrid model to the Optima lineup gives Kia a price-efficient, fuel-efficient combatant in the growing fuel economy battleground among mid-size cars.
All New Rio – Bottom-Feeder No More This was the first chance I have had to drive the all new Rio. As the bottom entry in Kia’s lineup, the Rio has evolved from a cheap, cheap tin can to a very worthy small car. Of course, it is not cheap, cheap any more, but it is reasonably priced. The model we drove was priced a notch above $20,000 but had everything on it including a navigation system, sun roof and leather seats. In previous generations, it would have been unheard of to have this level of equipment available in the lowest priced car from a mainstream brand. With a front seat package rivaling a mid-size car in size, folks are no longer “sentenced” to drive a small car.
1Posted by George Peterson on March 29, 2012 at 4:53 pm
Volvo means safety, right? Absolutely. But Volvo is no longer alone atop the safety universe. Other vehicles have achieved similar safety ratings and prospective buyers need additional reasons to consider a Volvo than its safety reputation. To solve this conundrum, Volvo Cars of North America turned to Swedish tuner Polestar.
In 1996, Volvo began a long-term relationship with a Swedish performance tuner – Polestar. Polestar souped up Volvos for the European racing circuit. And, now, Polestar has come to the USA through the offer of a chip enhancement for Volvo sedans and XSUVs. Polestar can either be added at the Volvo port or as an accessory by your friendly Volvo dealer. At the dealer it will set you back $1,295 and Polestar says the chipping should take about ten minutes. You get a lot of bang for the buck.
If you get your Polestar upgrade when you take delivery of your new Volvo, it can be residualized in a lease or financed with the vehicle. Volvo’s warranty and maintenance plans remain in place. It’s pretty seamless.
0Posted by George Peterson on March 28, 2012 at 9:08 pm
The previous generation Acura RDX was a moderately successful contender in the small crossover SUV (XSUV) wars. The RDX was a bit pricey – almost $33,000 – coming from a premium Japanese brand. It was heavy. It was powered by a very thirsty turbocharged 2.3L 4-cylinder engine. Competition had left the RDX behind and with its source vehicle – the Honda CR-V – being updated for 2012, 2013 is the obvious time to re-do the RDX.
Honda is expecting sales on the order of 30,000 units per year for the new RDX. This is not an unreasonable number for a product selling in one of the growth segments in the American car and light truck market. In fact, this sales volume seems a bit timid for a brand forecasting a 45% increase in sales for the 2012 calendar year.
0Posted by George Peterson on March 28, 2012 at 3:26 pm
After driving the Fiat 500 and 500c (cabriolet), I was ready to relegate it to the ranks of “chick car”. Its high-style accents and accoutrements scream “feminine”. But, now there is a Fiat a guy can be proud to drive – the Abarth model. Abarth Fiats have been high performance versions of Fiat car lines for decades since Austrian Karl Abarth began modifying them in the late ’50s. This is America’s chance to have the most up-to-date Abarth available.
Scorpions Anyone? At a glance you can tell the Abarth is something special. Starting with the Fiat 500 Sport, the Abarth adds a unique front fascia that is actually functional making room for the 160HP 1.4L MultiAir 4-cylinder turbocharged engine. The Abarth is not shy about shouting what it is. The Abarth scorpion logo is found on the quarter panels, on the decklid, on the grille and on centers of the wheels. There is also a lower bodyside stripe shouting “ABARTH”. The outside mirrors sport contrasting colors depending on the interior color selection and matching the Abarth bodyside stripe. The mirror caps and Abarth stripe are a $350 option.
0Posted by Dave Sullivan on March 25, 2012 at 8:50 am
When was the last time you can honestly say that you’ve driven a full-size car with 140 horsepower and it has been more than adequate? Maybe the 1986 Ford Taurus with the venerable Vulcan V6? Well, I was given the opportunity for some seat time with a 2012 Passat TDI clean diesel and it is Volkswagen’s newest sedan to hit American soil, err, actually be built on American soil. While the styling may not be anything to get excited about at first glance; like a jelly donut, it’s what is inside that counts.
Recently, Ed Kim, AutoPacific’s Director of Industry Analysis, was given a sneak peek at the Audi A3 e-tron plug-in electric. Earlier this week, Ed’s impressions were prominently featured in Audi’s featurette about the car. This video was released in conjunction with the automaker’s official announcement about the A3 e-tron’s U.S. test program at the 2012 TED Conference in Long Beach, CA.
The A3 e-tron will be distributed in select markets in the U.S. to help Audi get real world data about how electric vehicles are used in everyday life, ultimately aiding in the development of future plug-in vehicles from Audi.
Audi, rightly so in our opinion, believes there is no one silver bullet in the quest for greater efficiency. As such, the automaker is exploring just about every available alternative powertrain technology out there as potential components of a greater solution. Those can include electrics, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, diesels, or even very efficient gasoline engines.
Watch below to see Audi’s A3 e-tron in action, and Ed’s thoughts on some of the issues surrounding electric vehicles.
0Posted by Dan Hall on February 22, 2012 at 1:10 pm
Conspicuous conservation is for the rich. Or at least that’s what the data show. In general, AutoPacific research shows that buyers of hybrids make more money than buyers of comparable vehicles. Not surprising, since hybrids are more expensive than single engine vehicles and generally do not reap the economic rewards of their fuel efficiency before they have been traded in.
But now that there are more than 2.5 million Prius’ on the road worldwide (1.1 million in the US), economies of scale might help make having a PC ride possible for the masses. In fact, by the end of the decade, the Prius family of vehicles may be the leading nameplate for Toyota sales in the US. At least that’s what’s Toyota is betting on with the Prius c.
Sometimes things start out great and end up only OK, or perhaps worse. The smell of coffee in the morning. Most Superbowls. A full bottle of Patron. We recently had the opportunity to experience the Audi e-tron and came away excited by the vehicle, but wondering why we got to see so much of it.
0Posted by Dave Sullivan on December 5, 2011 at 12:41 am
It was about a year ago when I first got my hands on the new-for-2011 model year Jeep Grand Cherokee. Looking bigger, better and more refined than ever, the Grand Cherokee had a few nit picks that could have made it just the teensiest bit better. For 2012, Jeep decided to make a few of these changes. Let’s check ‘em out.
0Posted by Dan Hall on November 28, 2011 at 3:36 pm
For more than a few years Lexus has been working towards creating a more exciting driving experience. The LFA and IS F are certainly worthy vehicles for those inclined to a vehicle that generates passion. But those two vehicles are certainly the Lexus exceptions. While the LFA and IS prove that Lexus can make engaging vehicles, they don’t prove that Lexus is about engaging vehicles. The 2013 Lexus GS is designed to change that. With the age of a Lexus buyer knocking on sixty’s door, it makes sense that this move could help the brand in the long run. We had the opportunity to see first hand if Lexus’ mainstream GS could move the needle towards automotive passion.
Sid P., Washington – $100
Ken G., Nevada – $100
Brad T., Wisconsin – $100
Tom M., Virginia – $100
Kathy F., New Jersey – $100
John M., Massachusetts – $100
Mike M., California – $100
Carol R., Texas – $100
James D., Georgia – $100
Martha B., New Jersey – $100
Kerry B., Pennsylvania – $100
