Category: *PASSENGER CARS

Passenger Cars

2013 Fiat 500 Turbo Sport Hatchback

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Fiat 500T in SnowWhen 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 Volvo S60 T5 AWD

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2013 Volvo S60 AWD

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 Jaguar Supercharged XJL Sedan

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Jaguar @ GGH II

    I received my 42nd 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.

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

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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.

“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.”

“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.