Year: 2012

2012 Toyota Hybrid XLE

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2012 Camry Hybrid

Toyota’s Camry Hybrid mid-size sedan has been available since 2006, and is currently available in its second generation configuration as a 2012 model.  Such a car was delivered to my house last week for testing, and it was loaded to the tune of $34,547.00, M.S.R.P.  The base price of $27,400.00 for the XLE model had as additions the blind spot monitor ($500), safety connect package ($450), leather package ($1,160), premium navigation/electronic package ($2,600), moon roof ($915), and wheel locks ($67).  It came in “cosmic gray mica” paint and the leather seating was a light gray in color.  It’s a five passenger sedan with a decent sized rear passenger compartment and a 13.1 cubic foot trunk.  It comfortably seats five adults.

I drove the Camry quite a bit this last week, both to Ft. Collins and to Denver, and gradually grew pretty accustomed to the CVT transmission setup in the car.  CVT stands for continuously variable transmission (no shifts), and it is coupled to a gasoline 4 cylinder, 2.5 liter motor with 156 horsepower and 156 lb. ft. of torque.  Two electric motor/generators are on board to add in 141 more horsepower and 199 lb. ft. of torque.  Combined power rating is 200 horsepower, and as I mentioned, it was pretty suitable for driving the somewhat big sedan.  I liked the ride and handling better than last Camry I had, and styling is great front and rear, OK from the side.

Fuel economy for the hybrid has been improved for 2012, by some estimates a full 12 mpg. Ratings for the car I drove were 40City and 38Highway. The current mileage compilation for the car is displayed on a dial; not digitally. When the car was picked up I notated 38 mpg for the miles I drove it. Overall, not that bad.

I mentioned earlier the packages on board with this Camry – it was equipped like a full blown luxo sedan. Good JBL stereo, 7″ touchscreen for nav and backup, fancier dash materials for 2012, perforated leather seat inserts, blind spot monitor, satellite radio, 17″ alloys, and Bluetooth.

There is a reason the Camry is America’s best selling car, and I experienced it this week with the Hybrid. This Hybrid model with its increased economy will be chipping into Prius sales, as I see it… and into the competition’s.

“American Pie” 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco

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2013 Malibu Eco

Don McLean’s magnum opus (best work), “American Pie”, was written and performed in 1971, thereafter becoming the No. 1 U. S. hit and staying in that position for four weeks during 1972.  When asked, years later, what “American Pie” means, McLean responded that it “means I never have to work again.”  The song’s lyrics bring out McLean’s life story through the idealized 50’s and on to bleaker 60’s – and two deaths; Buddy Holly’s (1959) and America’s innocence (JFK assassination in 1963).  Several deaths, more accurately, because Richie Valens and The Big Bopper died along with Holly, and John Kennedy’s brother Bobby was assassinated in 1968, as was Martin Luther King that same year.  With the overhang of Viet Nam and the college campus unrest, even the glorious Apollo 14 moon landing in February of 1971 failed to lift America’s, or McLean’s, spirits.

“American Pie” contains lyrics that are dissected even to this day; lyrics such as “I can’t remember if I cried, when I read about his widowed bride, but something touched me deep inside, the day the music died”.  He’s referring to, of course, Buddy Holly’s death on February 3rd, 1959, in a plane crash in Iowa.  And that also accounts for the lyrics “but February made me shiver” in the first verse.  Analysts are less certain, however, of what McLean meant by “the three men I admire most; the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost”.  The three performers that perished on that plane?  JFK, Bobby, and MLK?

One thing is certain, though, and it’s that “Drove my Chevy to the levee” is in every chorus, and that the levee (in the song) was dry in every instance.  I was in Florida last week driving a 2013 Chevy (Malibu Eco) to the levee; several levees, in fact.  They sure weren’t dry, as the Miami area received ten inches of rain in the two days I was driving around with my latest test car.  Earthen levees protect Broward and Dade counties in South Florida from waters that come out of Lake Okeechobee in Central Florida, the seventh largest freshwater lake in America that serves as the headwaters to the Everglades.  Approximately 1.5 billion gallons of fresh water ooze out of southwest Florida into the ocean each day – wouldn’t that be nice to have in Weld County?

I didn’t just drive the Chevy to the levee last week; I also attended two Marlins/Rockies games and drove the car to Everglades City on the Gulf of Mexico.  The Chevy Malibu Eco proved to be quality transportation, and is the only 2013 Malibu currently for sale.  Two more powerful four cylinder Malibu’s will be available in a few months, one with a turbocharger.  The Eco is electrically assisted, with a 15 kilowatt motor-generator providing the assist.  One might call it a “hybrid hybrid”, because the car cannot get by on electric power alone.  Transition from electric power to gasoline (2.4 liter L4, 182hp with a six speed automatic) is not as smooth as a Chevy Volt, but this car is bigger than a Volt and much less expensive.  Mine was metallic black with black leather interior and listed for $28,632.00, as equipped.  Pretty much all luxury options were present, with the exception of navigation system (it has OnStar, though) and a moon roof.

Wheelbase is shorter than last year’s Malibu at 107.8”, but length is about the same at 191.5”.  Mileage estimates are 25city/37highway, and the tank holds 15.8 gallons.  The trunk is a battery-restricted 14.3 cu. ft., but I had no particular problems with my luggage.  Ride and handling are suitable.

I had no quibbles with the styling of the 2008/2012 Chevy Malibu (I own one), but do not think this 2013 model suffered a setback in this department.  It is a beautiful mid-size automobile, and provided a nice ride to the levee, even though the levee was very wet.  The Marlins rained on the Rockies’ parade, as well, winning both contests.2013 Malibu in Everglades

“Little Things” 2012 Volvo XC70 T6 AWD Wagon

On By stuwright47In *PASSENGER CARS, VolvoLeave a comment

Volvo XC70

    Bobby Goldsboro is a well-known singer-songwriter to me, but I didn’t know he was THIS well-known.  THIS man had eleven top-40 U. S. Billboard Hot 100 hits, and twelve on the country charts.  The Florida native that once played guitar for Roy Orbison broke onto the scene by himself in 1964 with his first big hit, “See the Funny Little Clown”.  His biggest hit of all was brought out in 1968, and it was a honey, named “Honey”, his first country hit that reached number one, both here and in Australia.  Bobby remained a country music fixture well into the 1980’s.

I graduated from high school during the year of 1965 and spent it driving around listening to radio station KOMA in Oklahoma City, where I heard Bobby’s top single that year, “Little Things”.  Little things are what I enjoyed about the test car for this past week, the 2012 Volvo XC70 T6 AWD station wagon.  Not overwhelming with regards to power or styling, the little (little?) wagon just kind of grows on you while you tool around from place to place.  The Volvo has a window sticker that totals $49,070.00 with about $10,000.00 worth of optional equipment.  Thus, it has navigation system, great satellite stereo, Bluetooth, tilt/tele, heated seats front and rear, backup camera, turning headlamps, leather throughout, roof rack, moon roof, power tailgate, 18” alloy wheels, blind spot alert, park assist, pushbutton start, ground lighting at the doors, and dual zone climate control.

Power is supplied for the Volvo by an in-line 6 cylinder, 3.0 liter, turbocharged alloy engine with 300 hp and 325 lb. ft. of torque.  A six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission backs it up and is coupled to an all-wheel drive system. EPA mileage estimates are 17city/23highway, but I got 24.1 mpg on a round trip to Denver. Wheelbase is 110.8” and overall length is 190.5”, with the weight coming in at 4,152 lbs.

The Volvo I drove came in Twilight Bronze metallic, and coupled with the charcoal cladding all over the wagon, it was an appealing look.  Inside the leather seating was chocolate brown, but a lot of almond-colored trim was on hand to give it a splendid look.  I counted five colors on the dashboard – the two already mentioned, plus gray, silver, and woodgrain.  Dual exhaust finishers peeked out from under the rear bumper, and the roof rack had a massive, functional, look.

While in Denver, I loaded the vehicle with five, big hungry holiday diners, and the ride was suitable with all on board.  The acceleration of the XC70 is great, reportedly zero to sixty in about seven seconds.  And I understand the top speed is 130 mph.

What “little things” did I like?  -The stitching on those yummy brown leather seats.  -The tall taillights affixed at the rear corners of the car.  -The cross mounted in-line six providing additional protection in case of a head-on.  -The multifunction stalks on each side of the steering wheel.  -The Zephyrus 18” alloy wheels.  -Rear headrests that flop down at the flip of a switch (on the dashboard) for visibility.  -The Xenon headlamps that peek around the corner.  I could go on and on.

I give the Volvo a thumbs up for the enjoyable week that I had the car.  It could provide years of enjoyment for someone, just like Bobby Goldsboro did.

2012 Mercedes Benz C350 Coupe

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M-B 350C

I left the hyphen out of the brand name of the car I drove last week because that is what Janis Joplin did when she wrote, and titled as such, her final song in 1970.  Her lyrics read “Oh, Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?”  In the hit, she also made requests for a color TV and a “night on the town”, but seemed to emphasize her desire for the car with two verses that alluded to the brand.  Mercedes-Benz, the car, has a hyphen, but it’s pretty evident what Joplin wanted when she recorded the tracks on October 1st of that year.  They were the last ever recorded by her, because she died on October 4th, 1970, at age 27.  In 1971 she became one of only two artists in rock and roll history with a posthumous number one U. S. singles hit.  It was her only such hit, “Me and Bobby McGee”, and Otis Redding was the other artist with “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”.

The Mercedes-Benz brought to me last week was the rear-wheel drive C350 Coupe with a 3.5 liter, 302 horsepower V-6.  Engine torque was 273 lb. ft., and a seven speed automatic transmission was bolted to the power plant.  At our altitude, zero to sixty acceleration time is 6.5 seconds, and at sea level that number is reduced one half second.  Top speed is reportedly 155 mph.  Handling and manners on the highway were superb – in fact, I liked this car out on the road like no other.  It had upgraded Bridgestone 225/40R18 Blizzak LM60’s on 18” ten spoke AMG alloy wheels – part of the “Advanced Agility Package” on the car that added $1,400 to the M.S.R.P.  Other add-ons included backup camera, service package, keyless entry, lighting package, lane tracking radar, and nav/radio/Sirius stereo (including weather radio) that together put $5,090 onto the sticker.  Those items plus freight brought the total to $49,735.00, and the car came standard with a large panoramic moon roof.  Wheelbase on this car was 108.7”, length – 180.7”, width – 69.7” and the weight was 3,497 lbs.

Mercedes likes to say that the interior of the C350 has a “lounge atmosphere”, and it IS nice.  Access to the back seat on this two-door is OK, and all four passengers get to sit in a full almond leather bucket seat.  The dashboard has a little retro look to it, with the navigation screen incorporated in the center.  With the radio on, a needle is moved back and forth for tuning it, like one in an old pickup or something.  It’s kind of cute.  The trunk holds 12.4 cu. ft. of cargo and the trunk lid has a good looking spoiler attached.

Styling of the Coupe is top notch, with big BI-Xenon headlamps that include the active curve illumination feature.  The car has sport body styling fascia down the side and dual exhausts with chrome finishers at the rear.  It has the B-pillars on the side of the car with back windows that don’t roll down.  That’s pretty much the standard nowadays, but I remember the first time that I saw such a car (a ’73 Pontiac Grand Am), I wasn’t so forgiving.

Back to Janis Joplin; another hit of hers that comes to mind is “Piece of My Heart”, from 1968.  She at that time was a member of Big Brother and the Holding Company.  Moments ago someone other than myself drove off in the Mercedes C350, and I think the car took a little “piece of my heart” with it.

2012 Lexus GS350 AWD Sedan

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2012 Lexus GS350

Lexus, Toyota Motor Corporation’s luxury car division, has been producing GS series automobiles since 1993.  The GS lies in the middle of the Lexus sedan lineup, between IS at the bottom and the LS series at the top.  It is in the 4th generation configuration, having been introduced in February of this year.  Three GS Lexus models are offered, or will be, including the GS350 that I drove this week.  The other models are the GS350F and the forthcoming GS450h, a performance hybrid (later this year).

The GS350 that I tested had an all-aluminum V6 (3.5 liter) with 306 horsepower and 277 lb. ft. of torque.  It is mated to a six-speed sequential-shift automatic transmission that includes paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.  It is an all-wheel drive, five-passenger sedan with wheelbase/length/weight numbers of 112.2”, 190.7”, and 3,795 lbs., respectively.  Zero to sixty acceleration is reportedly 5.6 seconds with a top speed of 144 mph.  Fuel economy ratings are 19/city and 26/highway with a 17.4 gallon tank.  Classified as a mid-luxury class performance sedan, the car is really attractive, particularly from the front and the rear.  Each side of the car could use a little more chrome (my favorite finish), as most everything there is painted silver.  But it is nonetheless a stunner, and I noticed it getting a lot of looks around town.

My Lexus came in Liquid Platinum silver metallic paint and the leather interior was black.  The rear armrest was as extensive as I have ever seen, with seat heat and air conditioning controls in the armrest as well as radio buttons, rear window shade control, and of course, the cup holders.  Oh, and don’t forget some storage, as well.  The front buckets are sumptuous, with 18-way power (Eighteen!) capability.  And while on the topic of numbers, how about that split-screen 12.3” multimedia display in the center of the dashboard?  Rear backup camera, navigation, 835-watt stereo, console mouse – all on hand.  I enjoyed the mouse for controlling, well, just about everything electronic.

The GS rides on 18”, split-nine spoke silver alloy wheels fitted with 235/45R18 Dunlop Sport S100’s.  High-toned stainless exhaust finishers extend out from under the rear fascia and on the front of the car are Bi-Xenon Hi-Intensity Discharge headlamps, plus fog lights.  The M.S.R.P. of the Lexus was $61,212.00, and that included the blind spot monitor ($500), Luxury package ($6,350), stereo upgrade ($1,380), navigation package ($1,735), intuitive park assist ($500), floor mats, and freight.

Driving the brand new Lexus was certainly a pleasure, as I headed out to I-25 for a ride to Ft. Collins.  The ride is adjustable with a knob on the console – actually four settings – normal, ECO, Sport S, and Sport S+.  With the two sport settings the driver gets suspension, steering, shifting, and throttle modifications – plus the gauge cluster gets a red lighting surround effect.  All this makes the console quite busy, but nicely thought out.  Both it, the dashboard, the door panels, and the rear armrest are sprinkled with controls.  But all the gadgets added to, rather than subtracted from, the overall GS350 experience, making it a “recommended” vehicle on my list.

2012 Toyota Prius Hybrid

On By stuwright47In *HYBRIDS/ELECTRICS, ToyotaLeave a comment

2012 PriusThe Toyota Prius was introduced in our country in 1997, and is America’s top-selling hybrid car.  The Prius accounts for almost 51% of the 270,000 or so hybrids sold in America each year, and globally the U.S. accounts for half of Prius production.  The name on the car, “Prius”, is Latin for “before”.  This is the second “Prii” that I have driven this year, with the first one designated as a “V”, for versatile.  This 2012 that I am reporting on now was a Winter Gray metallic, 3rd generation Prius in the Five Model configuration.  A Five Model is the top-of-the-line Prius with SofTex leather-like interior and 17” alloy five spoke wheels, among other things.  And by third generation, I mean the car that has been on the market since 2009, with its full re-design.  It is the best-looking Prius that has ever been produced.

During the week, Ruth and I travelled to Denver twice in the little gray Prius and obtained over 40 miles per gallon of regular gasoline.  We were so excited about the national championship game at the Pepsi Center, I must admit that we failed to nail down the exact mileage of the car.  Everyone knows these Prii do good on gas, and the economy ratings are 50/city and 48/highway.  The reason that city ratings are superior is because of the availability of electric power to cruise around town.  The Prius has a 98 horsepower (1.8 liter) gasoline engine and two electric motor/generators on board.  In the “EV” mode, a person can drive to the neighbors or perhaps to Loaf ‘n Jug without the gas engine even operating.  For highway driving, you need internal combustion engine power, but the car runs pretty quietly and ride/handling are fine.  The Prius is pretty roomy (it seats five) and comfortable, with fetching two-tone seats and plenty of cup holders and compartments.  This Prius was base-priced at $29,805.00, and freight and technology package brought the total to $34,885.00.  That last item provided hard-disk nav, JBL sound system with MP3 connection, Entune (a Toyota exclusive), HD/satellite radio, Bluetooth, hands-free phone setup, back-up camera, radar cruise control, lane keep assist, and head-up speedometer display in the windshield. Approaching the car with a key fob in your pocket, you can just reach for the door handle and get in.  Upon getting situated, you just push the button and the car is ready to drive (even though you may not hear anything).  The navigation screen was 6.1” touch-type, and provided oodles of information for interested parties.

Outside, the car had blue-accent car badges, rear spoiler, LED headlamps, power mirrors, and front fog lamps.  Tires that were fitted on the 17” alloys were P215/45R17 all-season radials.  I recommend the Prius to anyone looking for a solid investment and a method for saving money on gas.  A person could wait for the plug-in Prius, due out soon, but would have to spend a little more money, and, well, plug it in.  Either way a person wants to go, the pump prices we are seeing make the purchase pretty sensible.

“Paint It, Black” 2012 Toyota Camry SE

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2012 Camry SE

Admit it; you thought the name of Mick Jagger’s old smash hit song was “Painted Black.”  Well, at least I did.  And, in fact, the song lyrics include the phrase, “painted black” on seven different occasions.  Jagger and Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones) wrote the song and gave it the title “Paint It Black,” and reportedly Decca, the record label, added the comma.  It reached number 1 in both the U.S. and the U.K. in May of 1966, and currently it stands at number 73 on the list of the Greatest Hits of the 60’s.

I love hits of the 60’s, and also love automobiles of the 10’s.  The Toyota Camry SE that I drove around last week was painted black – Attitude Black.  I get a positive vibe looking at these Toyota paint chips; as you recall, the Toyota Yaris I recently drove was painted Absolutely Red.  This Camry, of course, is quite a bit more car, and in fact is America’s number 1 seller, having been so for ten straight years.  They whip out over 300,000 units in this country, year after year, and have topped 400,000 units on several occasions.

For 2012, the Toyota Camry was totally redesigned, inside and out.  I’ll admit I was perfectly satisfied with the styling of the 2006/2011 Camry, but for 2012 the company has given the car a sleeker, chiseled body style and the fuel mileage has been improved.  The SE in my possession had the 3.5 liter, 268 horsepower V6 and was rated at 21 city/30 highway mpg.  I observed 21.9 mpg in mostly town mode.  Behind the V6 was a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters on the steering wheel.  This is a front-wheel drive automobile with electric power steering to enhance that fuel mileage.  It rides (rather firmly) on 18”, dark gray, five spoke alloy wheels fitted with P225/45R18 Michelin “green” Primacy radials.  The mid-size sedan is 189.2” long and seats five, weighing in at 3,420 pounds. The trunk contains 15.4 cubic feet of cargo space.

The interior of the SE features leather-trimmed Ultrasuede sport buckets up front and matching two-toned (black/ash) fold-down rear bench with armrest and cupholders.  All the sound system and Bluetooth connectivity items are present, as well as hard-disk drive nav/backup camera with touch-screen (6.1”).  The JBL stereo has ten speakers in eight locations, and the Toyota cruise control is behind the steering wheel at 4 o’clock.  Riding around in the peppy Camry is like wearing a nice old pair of shoes that don’t pinch your toes or bother the arches.  It just kind of gets the job done without distress.

Base M.S.R.P. for the SE was $26,640.00, and that included the $895.00 convenience package as well as the leather seating.  Moonroof, special mats, wheel locks, and freight brought the total to $31,202.00.  That total is actually a couple of thousand dollars less than what Toyota charged for such a model in 2011, making the new Camry a pretty good deal that is “painted black.”

“Good Vibrations” 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan SE

On By stuwright47In *CROSSOVERS, VolkswagenLeave a comment

VW Tiguan

    I drove around in a VW Tiguan this last week and experienced some vibrations (more on that later), but overall found the vehicle to be very good, so therefore the Beach Boys megahit came to mind.  Brian Wilson and Mike Love wrote it, and Rolling Stone magazine ranked “Good Vibrations” at number 6 on “The 500 Greatest Songs of all Time” list in their 2004 special issue.  That lofty perch is higher than any Beatles hit (“Hey Jude” is number 8,) and bandleader Wilson took seven months, four studios, and $50,000.00 to piece together the song for its late-1966 introduction.  Reportedly Wilson got the idea to write the song because his mother, Audree, taught him that dogs picked up “vibrations” from people, therefore choosing to bark at some, but not at others.

Is this article about a car, or about music?  It’s about a car; specifically the Volkswagen Tiguan (name = tiger + iguana.)  The unit came in Night Blue Metallic and featured a beige leather interior.  M.S.R.P. was $33,300.00, including freight, and the SE 4Motion (all-wheel drive) model came handsomely equipped.  The drive train consisted of a 200 hp, turbocharged, 4 cylinder, 2 liter engine with 207 lb. ft. of torque.  And behind it was a 6 speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic shifting and sport mode.  I mentioned vibrations earlier, and here’s the deal.  To enhance fuel economy, Volkswagen has elected to direct the transmission to move into the higher gears at lower rpm (perhaps 1,350.)  So in residential areas, for instance, the drive train tended to vibrate somewhat.  Stepping on the throttle quickly put the transmission in a lower gear, and off you would go.  I thought perhaps it was a dealer adjustment, but upon visiting the blogosphere, I found quite a bit of discussion about the tendency.  The car reminded me a little bit of a diesel city bus – they jump into their higher gear ratios the same way.  I’m writing quite a bit about this, so let’s move on.

Highway driving and manners of the Tiguan were par excellence, to be sure.  The interior had that Teutonic luxury look that you would have expected, and on hand were the navigation system, satellite radio, tilt/telescope, heated buckets, fold down rear seat, Bluetooth and media device interface, and a huge panoramic power sunroof that extended over the back seats.  It was a lot of fun around town, especially so if you employed the Tiptronic transmission.  And doing so involved a city fuel economy rating of 21 mpg (27 city).  I observed 23.5 during my week with the car, and it required premium unleaded gasoline.  Weight of the Tiguan was 3,434 lbs. and its wheelbase was 102.5”.  Styling was sleek and European, and the car rode on attractive, 18” alloy wheels.

I enjoyed the “good vibrations” of spending a week with the Tiguan, and if I was in the market for a small SUV such as this VW, Toyota’s RAV4, or Honda’s CRV, I would be taking a long look at the Volkswagen.

“Mamma Mia!” 2012 Volvo S60 R Design

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2012 Volvo S60

The Italian phrase for “My Goodness” comes to mind as I test the Volvo S60 this past week.  It was a Passion Red all wheel drive four door sedan dressed out in the “R Design” configuration, fully loaded.  R Design refers to the special front styling, blue watch dial instrument cluster, increased horsepower, tuned suspension, special wheels, dual tailpipes, and trunk tail fin.  The 3 liter, 325 horsepower six makes this car the most powerful production Volvo ever, and is an in-line model setting crosswise under the hood of the car, providing a measure of frontal collision safety.  It’s turbocharged and provides 354 lb./ft. of torque with a redline of 7,000 rpms.  Coupled with a six speed automatic transmission, the zero to sixty and top speed numbers are reportedly 5.3 seconds and 134 governor limited miles per hour.  Fuel (premium) numbers are 18/26, and I have noted a readout of 22.7 mpg.  The car rides on 18” IXION alloy wheels fitted with 235/40ZR18 Continental Extreme Contact radials.

The M.S.R.P of the little Volvo was $46,875.00, including freight.  Also included was a Multimedia package ($2,700), and Climate package ($800), the two of which provided premium sound, rear park assist camera, navigation system, heated seats/headlight washers/windshield washer nozzles, and an upgraded interior air quality setup.  The R Design elements (see above) were included in the base price of $42,500.00.  Inside the car were Offblack leather buckets with double stitching, yummy aluminum inlayed trimwork all over, leather steering wheel with more aluminum, power moon roof, and sporty shift knob and pedals.  All the appointments that are to be expected in a loaded sedan are there including a console/stack with buttons I’m still, as of this writing, getting familiar with.  I’ll describe two: one to flop the rear headrests down for rear visibility in reverse, and another to activate the rear camera and peek at the plates on that vehicle that’s been tailgating you.

I referred to the Volvo as “little” because it’s only a bit over fifteen feet long.  It will fit in the garage and you can have a washer/dryer against the wall ahead of it.  Wheelbase is the same as a Toyota Camry, however, and the car weighs 3,863 lbs.  The engine positioning is the reason for the stubbiness.  I don’t care if they installed it upside-down in there, though, because this car flies!  And it’s an extremely smooth delivery of the power (quiet, too).  I took off for Wellington in the Volvo and found the ride to be firm, but compliant.  Steering is very light and responsive, as well.  If driving in the dark on winding roads, the Active Bending Xenon dual headlights do an excellent job of lighting the road ahead.  I actually don’t know how that all works – maybe chipmunks looking through the grill with a little control stick in their hands.  But I liked it.  My trip up north didn’t take very long, but long were the looks of people on the road admiring the Volvo with its gleaming red finish and somewhat jaunty, rakish styling.

I say, Mamma Mia, what a car!  Ironically, a musical by that name is coming to Greeley next month.  The play features music by the group ABBA, a bunch of Swedes that happen to have produced a great product.  Like Volvo.

“Little Deuce Coupe” 2012 Nissan Altima 3.5 SR

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Altima 3.5 SR

The 1963 Beach Boys hit was the b-side single opposite “Surfer Girl”, and was about a b-car, the 1932 Ford model B.  “Deuce” in the song title was a result of the last digit in that model year, and the Nissan I drove last week was another “deuce coupe”, the 2012 Nissan Altima 3.5 SR 2 door.  A lot of things have changed in eighty years, and as an example, “pink slip” in the lyrics of that song meant the title to the souped up Ford.  In today’s jobless recovery a “pink slip” would refer to the termination notice that might be found in one’s pay envelope.  “Little Deuce Coupe”, “409”, “Shut Down”, “This Car of Mine”, and “Fun, Fun, Fun” were examples of Beach Boy car hits of the 60’s, and like my kids, I loved them all.

I grew rather fond of the Altima in our time spent together, as well.  The Ford back then cost $490.00, so in inflation adjusted dollars, the Altima may be a little pricey ($32,165.00), but then again it’s pretty loaded with equipment not even dreamed of in 1932.  The M.S.R.P. included a base of $30,700, floor and trunk mats, and a rear spoiler.  The SR is the top line Altima with bolstered charcoal leather seating, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, Bose stereo, USB port, XM satellite radio, Bluetooth wireless cell phone link, rearview camera, auto-dimming rearview mirror, compass, moonroof, universal garage door opener, and xenon headlights.  Also included is, of course, power windows and locks, tilt/telescope steering column, a smallish leather wrapped steering wheel with lots of controls on it, pushbutton starting, real “hand” brake, keyless entry, and an excellent cruise control.  Back seat room is designed for three people, but by the looks of it back there, I think the less entrants the better.  It is, after all, a coupe.

Under the hood is a DOHC, 24 valve, 270 horsepower V6 with 258 lbs. ft. of torque.  It provides plenty of snap through a close ratio 6 speed manual transmission (a coupe exclusive) and front-wheel-drive configuration.  It’s fun to drive and provides fuel economy ratings of 18/city and 27/highway (my observance – 21.1).  I set sail for Cherry Creek mall in the “Red Alert” Altima and noticed a lot of attention being paid to me at stoplights in LaSalle, Platteville, and Brighton.  The styling of the car includes a re-designed chrome grill and foglights up front with a Maxima look, 18” ten spoke alloy wheels, and dual tip exhausts at the rear.  Ride is compliant, but firm, and as mentioned earlier, acceleration is fine (reportedly zero to sixty in 5.5 seconds).

The main competition for the Altima is the Honda Accord coupe with similar size, horsepower, and dimensions.  As I understand it, the Altima comes out on top relative to sportiness and handling.  I would certainly rate it as a top pick in this particular category.