2013 Fiat 500 Turbo Sport Hatchback

On December 24, 2012December 19, 2014 By stuwright47In *PASSENGER CARS, FiatLeave a comment

When my brothers and I were growing up (there were four Wright brothers), we had a suite of little plastic cars of all makes to play with. They were quite small, perhaps 1.5 inches long, and had the names imprinted on the roof, just above the back window. We referred to one of the cars as the FLAT, because the name was quite small, and perhaps even mistakenly embossed. Little boys in rural Nebraska would never have heard of a Fiat, to be sure, and it was years later when I, and perhaps they, became aware of the venerable Italian brand of cars.

The little model car was a 500, nicknamed Topolino (Italian for little mouse), and was produced from 1936 until 1955. The Fiat 500, in fact, has been produced and sold in America for most of the last 77 years, and this last week I received one for testing. It was provided by Chrysler Corporation, the company that Fiat and the U.S. government saved from bankruptcy in 2009.

In this column I have in the past mentioned that I once owned a Fiat, a 1968 850 roadster. At that time the brand had a reputation for unreliability, but as I understand it, the Fiat line of cars hold together pretty well today. Long term testing of the 500, available since 2007, has produced good results for the car. My 850 was for the purpose of running up and down the Space Coast of Florida when I was assigned to the Apollo program.

The 500T that I tested had the 135 horsepower (150 lb. ft. of torque), turbocharged, 1.4 liter four cylinder engine and five speed manual transmission. It was painted Rame (copper) metallic and the interior was Nero (black) cloth. I’m pretty sure these are Italian words. Base price of the turbo model was $19,500, and options included the Beats audio package ($1,500), comfort/convenience group ($650), and $700 for destination charges. Total M.S.R.P., therefore, was $22,350. Beats Audio is the stereo company started by Dr. Dre, and in the car it featured 6 speakers, including a trunk mounted subwoofer. Satellite radio, Bluetooth phone, USB connection, cruise, tilt, power windows (2), power remote locks, and leather wrapped steering wheel/shift knob were all on hand in the 500T.

According to the Fiat brochure, “Zippy happens” with the turbocharged 500, and I will attest to that. It also rides well on the Interstate, despite the 90.6” wheelbase. Weight of the 500T is 2,333 lbs., and the fuel tank holds 10.5 gallons – EPA mileage ratings are 28/34 city-highway. Overall, driving the Fiat 500T is a lot of fun.

Styling is a hallmark of the Fiat, and the Sport has some extra fascia trim as well as a chrome exhaust finisher, chrome door handles, spoiler, and polished 16” alloy wheels. The car is fitted with 195/45R-16 radials.

I like this Fiat more than the one I owned 42 years ago – in fact at that point in time I would have been surprised to hear of the future existence of such a nice Fiat.

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport AWD Turbo

On December 7, 2012August 22, 2014 By stuwright47In *CROSSOVERS, HyundaiLeave a comment

Hyundai is a giant South Korean automobile manufacturer based in Seoul and it is the fourth largest such firm in the world. The company owns almost half of KIA Motor Company, as well, and has been in business for 45 years. In North America, Hyundai has designs on becoming the number three automaker in 2013.

This last week I had the pleasure of testing a new, 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T, courtesy of Crossroads Hyundai in Loveland. Sales Manager Ryan Sackschewsky lined me up with a dealer plate and the keys and we were off! The Santa Fe is a midsize crossover that has been around since 2001, and was on the forefront of the crossover boom that started at that time. Styling of the 3^rd generation Santa Fe is a hallmark of this latest model, introduced in September. Chrome abounds on the car, including a big grill, door handles, and dual exhaust finishers, and it was painted Moonstone silver metallic. The Santa Fe rides on attractive, 19”, ten-spoke Hyper Silver alloy wheels.

Speaking of abundance, inside the Santa Fe were both the Technology package and Premium Equipment package along with a panoramic sunroof. The packages allow the occupants to enjoy dual-zone climate control, rearview camera, 8” touch screen navigation, satellite radio, proximity keyless entry, premium 12 speaker Infinity 550-watt surround sound, heated seats (everywhere) and heated steering wheel. Of course the car is equipped with power locks/windows, tilt/telescope, USB/Ipod connections, and Bluetooth capability. This is an extremely luxurious vehicle, and lists for less than $36,000.

A nice feature also found inside the Santa Fe is a mammoth rear cargo area with 35.4 cubic feet. That expands to 71.5 with the 3-piece split rear seat folded down. That’s right; the rear, sliding bench seat is a 40/20/40 so that two skiers can ride along with their equipment in the middle.

Power for the Santa Fe is supplied by a turbocharged 2.0 liter, 200 horsepower, 4 cylinder engine with 264 horsepower, coupled to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The EPA mileage ratings are 19/city and 24/highway, and acceleration is reportedly zero to sixty in 9.1 seconds. The ride of the Hyundai is compliant and the handling is SUV-superb.

Interestingly, the Santa Fe Sport features both Hillstart Assist Control and Downhill Brake Control, items I would have loved to have on my rental car the last time I visited San Francisco. Such amenities are indicative of the value associated with this Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T, a car I would be willing to recommend to a prospective car shopper.

2013 Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD

On October 15, 2012August 22, 2014 By stuwright47In *CROSSOVERS, ChevroletLeave a comment

This past week I was presented a new Chevy Equinox crossover to test. It was painted Tungsten metallic (dark bronze) with a light titanium and black leather interior. The combination resulted in a lot of compliments during the week, although personally I’m a fan of red, white or black vehicles.

Chevrolet was founded 100 years ago last fall and globally they sold nearly five million vehicles in 2011. The Equinox was brought out as a 2005 model and is classified as a mid-sized crossover. The 2013 model is considered a second generation Equinox, and features a new “high-feature LFX” 3.6 liter V-6 with 301 horsepower and 272 lb. ft. of torque. It replaces the old 3 liter V-6 without sacrificing fuel mileage and is rated at 16/23, city and highway. Zero to sixty acceleration with the new Equinox is reportedly 7.2 seconds in this all-wheel drive model. I liked the engine and its pep, and found the transmission (six speed automatic) to be OK.

The Equinox is a five-passenger vehicle with fold down rear seat (not quite flat), providing 63.7 cubic feet of cargo space in such a position. It also slides 8” fore and aft; great for kids. Put it up, and you cut the cargo space in half. It’s still adequate, though, and the power up and down tailgate is a luxury feature. So are the two-tone front leather buckets, which I think would keep the driver comfortable on a long trip. With the center stack slanted so far forward, I found the driver needed to lean forward to tweak the radio or navigation controls.

The Equinox carried an M.S.R.P. of $36,385, and that included $1,500 for V-6, $1,000 for the chrome-clad aluminum 18” wheels, $795 for the nav/MyLink system, and $825 for freight. The LTZ came standard with a luggage rack, fog lights, power seats-mirrors-windows-locks, tilt/telescope, rear camera and premium Pioneer stereo. Also on board were radar cruise control, lane departure warning system, Bluetooth, XM satellite radio, and a USB connector.

Wheelbase of the Equinox is 112.5”, width is 6’, height is 66.3”, weight is 3,889 lbs., and overall length is 15.5 feet. Ground clearance on this not-really-made-for-4-wheeling crossover is 6.9”.

Ruth and I took off up the Interstate to find some breakfast in the Chevy, and the guidance and ride were excellent. Road noise was not remarkable
and the hydraulic steering seemed to make the car light on its feet. Visibility is nothing special, but not an annoyance. Styling is a hallmark of most Chevrolets, and the Equinox is no exception. An improvement was the result of the 2009 re-design, and it and its sister, the GMC Terrain, make up a stylish tandem in this category. It allows General Motors to charge a little extra for this series of vehicles.

Sales of Chevrolet’s Equinox has always been brisk, approaching 200,000 units in 2011. After spending several miles and a week with the car, I can understand the public’s acceptance of the Chevy, and could see myself driving one on a daily basis.

2012 Infiniti EX35 Crossover

On September 10, 2012August 22, 2014 By stuwright47In *CROSSOVERS, InfinitiLeave a comment

Infiniti’s extensive lineup of 13 models provides a vehicle for pretty much anyone’s taste, and in the middle of the group lies the EX35 compact crossover. Infiniti, the luxury division of Nissan Motor Company, has been selling automobiles in America since 1989, when they introduced the Q45 and M30 sedans to our shores. At present they make four crossover series vehicles, and the EX35 is the smallest among them. The others are the FX, JX, and the QX, the biggest of them all. The QX is the model I so enjoyed early in June.

The 2012 EX35 AWD was painted “Garnet” red metallic with wheat-colored interior leather trim. The model was the “Journey”, Infiniti’s finest in this lineup. Upgrades included heated power front buckets, electric power tilt/telescope steering column, Bluetooth hands-free phone arrangement, maple interior accents, sliding power moonroof, push button ignition, XM satellite radio integrated into a Bose 11-speaker stereo/CD system, USB and Ipod connections, 7” color info display, hard drive navigation system with lane guidance and an attractive chrome analog clock front and center on the dashboard.

All these interior amenities made the Infiniti a treat to travel in, but on top of that there existed a small coat hanger on the back of the driver’s seat for a jacket as well as a 60/40, 3-passenger back seat with power up and down capability. Switches were in place inside the tailgate to operate them in case a bicycle or bag of golf clubs occupied your hands when loading. Oh, and I mustn’t forget, the cup-holder was a dual level affair to accommodate either a “tall” or a “venti” Starbucks, no sweat. Just press a switch and the little divider moves out of the way. I’m going on and on about the interior, but I must admit I enjoyed it.

Power for the EX is a V-6 providing 297 horsepower and 253 lb. ft. of torque. The 3.5 liter engine is coupled to a seven-speed automatic with manual shift mode. Zero to 60 acceleration is reportedly 7.1 seconds, and the fuel mileage ratings are 17 city and 24 highway. I observed 22.2 mpg during my time with the Journey. The Intelligent all-wheel drive system would be great in the winter, so I wasn’t able to enjoy its benefits, but did enjoy the silky-smooth transmission.

Of all the Infiniti crossovers, the EX35 is not my favorite, styling-wise. But since I am pretty crazy about the looks of the FX and QX, that isn’t much of a knock. On top of the EX was an attractive aluminum roof rail/luggage rack, and the vehicle was fitted with 19”, ten spoke alloy wheels surrounded by 245/45R19 Bridgestone Turanzas. Out back were chrome dual exhaust finishers. Wheelbase is 110”, making the overall length 15”.

The M.S.R.P of the Infiniti was $45,095.00, and that included the Journey base price, freight, $2,200.00 for the Touring Package, and $2,700.00 for the Premium Package. Those latter two items provided the nice interior items I described, plus the Xenon headlights, the Around View monitor (like eye in the sky for parking), voice recognition, and the Zagat Survey restaurant guide.

The Infiniti Journey EX35 is not inexpensive, but it provides a plush, pretty, personal AWD vehicle and an excellent driving experience for its proud owner.

2013 Volvo S60 T5 AWD

On August 27, 2012July 16, 2013 By stuwright47In *PASSENGER CARS, VolvoLeave a comment

This white little Swedish number was waiting for Ruth and I at DIA upon our return from Chicago last week. In Latin, the word Volvo means “I roll”, so we rolled up to Greeley, and I was forced to familiarize myself with the controls in the dark (late arrival). This was my third Volvo to test, and I must say I have liked them all. Volvo was founded in Gothenberg, Sweden, in 1927, and is currently owned by Geely Automobile of China (since 2010). My S60 came in “Ice White”, which was no big deal, but the leather seats were “Beechwood” and black leather, and very attractive.

This S60 T5 is the Volvo that comes with an in-line five-cylinder, 2.5 liter alloy engine sitting crosswise under the hood. With the turbocharger, it puts out 250 horsepower and 266 lb. ft. of torque. It’s coupled with the electronically-controlled AWD system from Haldex and a six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission with sport mode. Acceleration of the T5 is reportedly zero to sixty in 6.6 seconds, and fuel economy ratings are 20/city and 29/highway. I observed 23 mpg during my time with the Volvo. The AWD system only sends a trickle of power to the rear wheels when cruising, enhancing fuel economy. But for snow or sporty driving, more power is sent to the rear. The ride and drivability are satisfying for this five-passenger car, as you might expect from Volvo.

The AWD system adds $2,000 to the M.S.R.P. of the S60, and I cannot see why someone would buy the car without the option. Other options on this car were the premier package ($2,200), climate package ($700), trunk spoiler ($375), and 17” Njord alloy ten-spoke wheels ($250). The premier equipment included moon roof, key-in-your-pocket ignition, leather seats, and a power passenger seat to go with the power driver’s seat. The base price, freight, and these options brought total list price to $38,170. This Volvo comes standard with Sensus, incorporated into the dashboard’s 7” display as an intuitive computer command system. No navigation or rear camera was present on this Volvo, but it had satellite radio, CD, Bluetooth, and a USB setup. Of course it had power windows, locks, tilt/telescope, and heated front buckets. Additionally, the car had City Safety, a system of frontal collision avoidance utilizing a laser sensor. I did not participate in this program.

The styling of Volvo’s S60 is certainly acceptable, and has been reconfigured as of last year. It’s an upgrade from the old S60, and my test car garnered a lot of looks around town and in parking lots. The little spoiler on the trunk was attractive, as were the dual exhausts back there.

If I were in the market for a luxury European weather-fighter with classy looks, this Volvo would be on my shopping list, equipped pretty much the same as my test car.

2012 Infiniti FX35 Limited Edition AWD

On August 20, 2012August 22, 2014 By stuwright47In *CROSSOVERS, InfinitiLeave a comment

This past week in Illinois I was presented an Infiniti FX35 to drive around the state. Ruth and I picked it up at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and set sail to the Northwest towards Rockford. Our ultimate destination was Galena, Illinois, an old lead mining town that is currently a resort, named a top ten “charming small town” by TripAdvisor for 2011. The 1989 movie, “Field of Dreams” was partially filmed in Galena, and it was home to Ulysses S. Grant after the Civil War.

The Infiniti was Iridium Blue and had Graphite leather seating. The Limited Edition FX35 is the top-of-the-line model that includes hard drive navigation, voice recognition information systems, “eye in the sky” parking assist, Bluetooth wireless, reverse tilt-down outside mirrors, 21” dark finish alloy wheels with ten spokes, adaptive front lighting (auto-leveling), dark aluminum roof rails, and aluminum pedals. The CD/stereo/satellite/USB system was made by Bose with 11 speakers and speed-sensitive volume control. The blue paint was specific to this model and floor mats even had blue piping around the edges. Of course, a moon roof and rear camera were on hand – the interior was stunning.

Infiniti has been producing the FX series of vehicles since 2003, and is the luxury division of Nissan Motors of Japan. Styling has always been a hallmark of the vehicle and power is supplied in V-6 and V-8 configuration. My FX35 had a 303 horsepower, 3.5 liter aluminum V-6 with 262 lb.-ft. of torque and 32 valves. I drove a V-8 in Phoenix over the winter, and both it and this Iridium blue vehicle had plenty of snap. The transmission is a seven-speed automatic with manual shifting and snow mode. Zero to 60 mph time for the FX35 I drove was 6.4 seconds, and with a V-8 that number is reduced to 5.8. Fuel economy ratings of the car are 16 city/21 highway (23.8 gal. tank), but during my week at the wheel the overall average was 22.3 mpg. The FX35 weighed 4,299 lbs., wheelbase was 113.6”, and overall length was 191.3”.

Ruth and I enjoyed the ride across the state in the FX, but I wouldn’t want it to be any firmer. This vehicle is somewhat of a sports car/crossover, with persons that ride in it at a low-to-the-ground attitude, despite the underneath clearance of 7”. It is not an “off-road” four-wheeler, but a weather-fighter, nonetheless. Cargo capacity behind the five-passenger seating is 24.8 cubic feet.

As mentioned, styling is the thing with an FX, and tourists all over the state were gathering at the rest stops to take a closer look at our ride. Twin exhaust finishers peek out from under the rear fascia, and those fender vents behind the front wheel wells are functional. The wheel wells that reveal the 265/45R21 V-rated all-weather radials, by the way. The dark gray alloys seemed to be a big draw for the onlookers.

The M.S.R.P. for the FX35 was $52,445.00, including the freight charge. That was about $14,000.00 less than the big V-8 we tested in Phoenix, and made this six cylinder buggy a pretty fair deal in my mind, and perhaps in those of the buying public.

“Evolution Orange” 2012 Toyota Prius C

On August 13, 2012August 8, 2013 By stuwright47In *HYBRIDS/ELECTRICS, ToyotaLeave a comment

An evolution is taking place within the Toyota Prius lineup, most recently with the introduction of their Prius c (city), which occurred earlier this year. It’s the smallest Prius, and is the fourth model that the company currently makes available. Toyota brought me an orange one to test last week, or at least that is what it looked like. The color is Habanero, named after a chili pepper of the same hue. The paint, which is metallic, received a split vote at our house; I liked it and Ruth didn’t.

Toyota had two goals in mind when they started production of the Prius c, and they were to offer it for under $20,000, and to insure that it got 50 miles per gallon. It is basically a redesigned Yaris with a hybrid power train. The power comes from a 1.5 liter, four cylinder, 73 horsepower aluminum engine with 82 lb. ft. of torque. It is coupled with an electric motor with 60 horsepower, and the total hybrid system horsepower is listed at 99. A continuously variable automatic transmission puts the power to the front wheels. It’s OK to drive, although certainly not as perky as the regular Prius with its 134 horsepower system or even a Yaris with its 106 horsepower. Trips both north and south out on Interstate 25 were not terrifying – I had the cruise control and power enough to stay out there with the glut of traffic associated with that artery.

On the northbound trip to Cheyenne, I obtained a combined 55.2 mpg on the round trip with the Prius c. Ratings on the car are 53 city and 46 highway, and 50 combined. This is the information that Toyota wants you to contemplate when you consider the window sticker on the Prius like I drove, which is $26,140. It’s way over twenty grand because it’s the “four”, upgraded model with leatherette SofTex (black) buckets, moon roof, navigation system, push button starting, in-your-pocket keyless entry, tilt/telescope, satellite radio and 16”, eight-spoke attractive alloy wheels. Toyota installed Bridgestone P195/50R16 Turanza EL400 all-season radials on the car, and I liked them fine.

In a departure from Prius custom, the c has the shifter on the console of this car, an improvement in my mind. The hand brake is there, as well, and those front buckets proved comfortable for me and Ruth. My daughters from Denver jumped in the back for a ride around Northglenn, and they had no complaints either. The cargo area equals 17.1 cubic feet (it’s a hatchback – no trunk lid to cap off your cargo), and the nickel-metal hydride, 19.3 KW battery resides under the 60/40 fold-down back seats.

Styling is different than the big brothers in the Prius lineup, and includes huge, 23” rear taillights and no lower tailgate window. The reconfigured Yaris body style is an improvement, and up front they’ve installed fog lights and projector-beam halogen headlamps.

“Evolution Orange”, by the way, was a song by Earth, Wind, and Fire from their 1982 R & B album, “Raise!”. It was a middling number on that album among hits, and perhaps the Prius c will suffer the same fate, what with shoppers opting for a used, traditional Prius. Or they may like the looks as much as I did and go for the “little fella”.

2013 Lexus GS450h Hybrid

On July 30, 2012July 16, 2013 By stuwright47In *HYBRIDS/ELECTRICS, LexusLeave a comment

I don’t know if GS means “guaranteed satisfaction” on this particular sedan offered by Lexus, but it would be OK with me. That’s what the buyer gets with a car like this, which is the model I drove this past week. It’s called a GS450h, and the “h“ stands for hybrid drive train, made up of a 286 horsepower V-6 and two electric motor/generators. Total horsepower of the gasoline/electric package is 338, and the power is delivered through a continuously variable automatic transmission. Although not officially designated a “sports sedan”, this 4,150 lb. car can go from zero to 60 mph in under 6 seconds. Top speed is reportedly a governor-limited 136 mph.

The Lexus GS series of cars has been around since 1993, and is now in its fourth generation configuration for 2013. Lexus, headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, is the luxury brand of Toyota Motor Company, and the first Lexus to hit our shores was the big LS series in 1989. The company currently manufactures Japan’s top-selling make of luxury automobiles. The GS models come in a V-6 sports sedan, a high-performance F sedan, and the hybrid model that I tested.

Highway manners of the GS450h are impeccable, with an assist from the blind spot monitor to keep me out of trouble. Ride on the Dunlop 235/45R18 SP Sport Maxx radials (on 18” nine-split-spoke alloys) is silent and responsive, and the driver can select from four drive modes – Eco, Normal, Sport, and Sport+. In winter the driver can select “snow”, and there is an “EV” (all-electric) selection to made, too. Lots of options, and lots of performance in the Sport+ mode, especially so for a hybrid vehicle. While in Sport+, the car provides more shock damping, tighter steering, and improved throttle response. And all these handling and power characteristics are present in a car that delivered over 30 mpg for me all week. Official ratings are 29/city and 34/highway (31 overall).

The M.S.R.P. of the GS450h is $58,950 (base), and options include a luxury package for $5,645, blind spot monitor for $500, premium Mark Levinson stereo for $1,380, hard-disk navigation setup for $1,735, and intuitive park assist for $500. Total list price with freight and some incidentals comes to $69,754. That luxury package includes heated and cooled, 18-way power front semi-aniline leather seats, heated bamboo and leather steering wheel, LED headlamps, and rear-door manual sunshades (an electric sunshade is present in the back window). The 835 watt stereo includes 17 speakers with 7.1 surround sound architecture. The screen for the navigation is gigantic, at 12.3”, with split-screen capability, and controlling its applications is done with a mouse on the console.

The GS450h came with Obsidian (black) paint and the interior was called “Flaxen”, which was a golden hue. The paint seemed to be two feet thick, and the styling excelled mostly up front. No tailpipe finishers were present at the rear, in somewhat of a curious styling move (hybrid?). But the car is an eye catcher, for sure.

The saying goes, “you get what you pay for”, and for Lexus and the GS450h, the saying holds true to form. Lots of money, lots of car, and a satisfying test.

2012 Nissan Juke SV AWD

On July 16, 2012August 22, 2014 By stuwright47In *CROSSOVERS, NissanLeave a comment

The word “juke” has multiple meanings, but in sports parlance, to juke is to feign or fake out, as for instance a running back might do. I suppose that is what Nissan had in mind when naming the mini-crossover that they introduced in 2010. I had one last week to test, a 2012 “SV” all-wheel drive model that came in metallic bronze (dark brown). Nissan manufactures the Juke in their plant in Oppama, Japan, for the North American market. Sales figures for the Juke have exceeded the company’s expectations since inception and in June of this year sales were up 52.7% from the same month in 2011.

The Juke is a five-passenger four-door sedan with interesting styling that resembles a frog on wheels. Parking lamp lenses poke up from the front fenders and into the driver’s view and look pretty cool after dark. The taillight lenses are visible in the mirrors, as well. No excuses for driving around at night with a light out in this car! Speaking of which, another two round headlights are located in the front fascia, rally-car style. The Juke has a two-door appearance with the rear door handles installed on the C-pillars, a Nissan custom. Room in the fold-down back seat for three is adequate for all but large adults, and trunk room is 11 cubic feet. The Juke styling puts somewhat of a restriction on both trunk space and rear seating capacity.

M.S.R.P. of the Juke SV is $23,230, and optional floor mats and freight bring the total to $24,165. With the SV the owner gets a power moonroof, premium speakers, upgraded cloth seating, keyless entry, pushbutton starter, satellite radio, power windows (4), tilt/telescope, and I-CON. That last item is Nissan’s Integrated Control system, a dashboard display that provides control and observation of turbo boost, mileage data, climate settings, and, well, everything but navigation directions. The hand brake is on the console, which is painted like the outside of the car and shaped so that it resembles a motorcycle gas tank. The shifter is on there, and it controls a continuously variable automatic transmission. That is all you can get with all-wheel drive, and it is coupled to a 1.6 liter, four cylinder, turbocharged engine. Horsepower is 188 and torque is 177 lb. ft. It’s a good power plant, and the transmission is, shall we say, acceptable. I do like that it allows manual shifting, and that is what I employed on my trip to Vail. I didn’t care for the turbo lag, but it goes pretty good when spooled up. Mileage ratings are 25 city and 30 highway, and I averaged 29 mpg during the week.

The Juke all-wheel drive system has torque-vectoring, a nice feature that splits torque up to 50/50 between the front and rear axles, plus it distributes torque from side to the side at the rear axle. All this makes the Juke handle great, as do the Goodyear Eagle RSA P215/55R17 high performance radials mounted on ten-spoke alloy wheels. Wheelbase of the 162” car is 99.6”, and the weight is 3,170 lb.

Nissan figured the Juke would sell to male shoppers, but as it has turned out females dominate the purchases – Nissan is happy with the sales, period. I think the buyers are pretty happy, too.

2012 Jaguar Supercharged XJL Sedan

On June 25, 2012August 8, 2013 By stuwright47In *PASSENGER CARS, JaguarLeave a comment

I received my 42^nd new car for review this past week, and it was a big one, the 2012 supercharged Jaguar XJL long-wheelbase rear-wheel drive sedan. It came with jet black leather interior and the paint was an out-of-this-world Lunar Gray metallic. It presented quite an imposing image setting out in the driveway of my house. And by big, I mean a wheelbase of 124.3”, or over TEN FEET! Through extensive use of aluminum construction, this 206.6” long elegant British beast only weighs in at 4,323 lbs.

Beautiful Jaguar XJ saloons (sedans) came out in 1968, and by 1972 were available in long-wheelbase configurations and with 12-cylinder engines. That year the company even included air conditioning as standard equipment (gasp!). These XJ’s had notable styling and two fuel tanks with filler caps at the forward corners of the trunk lid. The styling of the car represented the final link in that department with the company’s founder, Sir William Lyons (“Mr. Jaguar” 1901-1985). Up front the XJ (eXperimental Jaguar) saloons at that time had four distinctive headlight nacelles to enhance the styling mystique.

The current XJL that I got to test was the new style car introduced in the summer of 2009 at the Saatchi Gallery in London, complete with Jay Leno and Elle MacPherson on hand for glitz. When you’re talking about style, you’re talking about Jaguar, all the way back to that 1968 XJ, which while I was in college was the prettiest four-door sedan on earth. The way people in Greeley reacted this past week in streets and parking lots, I suspect not much has changed for the Big Cat. The only disparaging remark that I heard was a complaint about the lack of a “leaper”, made out of chrome and mounted on the hood. And while on the topic of looks, I’ll mention that I thought the black, glossy C-pillars joining the back glass with the rear door windows was an OK styling queue. The grill…….Oh Boy!

The M.S.R.P. of $94,175.00 included an “illumination package” for $1,700.00, freight, and the base of $91,600.00 for this supercharged model. A “Supersport” model with 510 horsepower is $26,000.00 more and a naturally-aspirated, 385 horsepower model can be had for $11,000.00 less. In the middle of their lineup, therefore, was the V-8 powered car I drove with 470 horsepower and 424 lb. ft. of torque. It is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Zero to 60 acceleration is reportedly 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. I mentioned last week reaching 115 mph at High Plains Raceway in a car – well, it was this car. It handles very nicely on the track with its Dynamic Stability Control, calculating the appropriate suspension response 500 times per second to keep it flat and stable. Wheels are 20” Kasuga alloys with ten double spokes, fitted with Dunlop 255/35ZR20’s.

Inside the Jag, leather is everywhere, or so it seems. The front buckets can give your back a massage, and they cool and heat, as well. The gauges are “virtual”, like a laptop screen, with “torch” feature on the tach and speedometer. It’s like a flashlight shining on the speed you’re going at that instant. The supercharged XJ has tray tables on the back of the buckets, and a 1,200 watt, 20-speaker Bowers & Wilkins “rock-crusher” stereo. The automatic transmission gearshift is a round, chrome knob that rises out of the console when you fire up the car. I kept hitting the ignition when friends entered the car to show it off.

On balance, the Jaguar is an attractive, high-performance, luxury sedan, and if you’re in the price-point area code, it deserves consideration. I enjoyed my week with the Big Cat, and hated to see it go.

Stu's Reviews

Year: 2012