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Archive for January, 2011
2011 Infiniti G Convertible
Posted by Alexander in Car Reviews, Infiniti on January 9th, 2011
2011 infiniti G convertible is available in two trim levels: standard and Sport 6MT.
2011 infiniti g convertible
The optional Sport package adds 19-inch alloy wheels, sport-tuned suspension and steering,
Terms
convertible, sport, intelligent, suspension, transmission, premium, bluetooth, engine, convertible, horsepower, coupe, power, differential, feel, storage, hardtop
sport seats, magnesium paddle shifters and styling accents both inside and out. For the few hard-core convertible buyers, the Sport 6MT model includes all the above features, but with a 6-speed manual transmission.
There’s also a premium options package — that adds key features such as a Bose Open Air 13-speaker sound system with iPod integration, Bluetooth hands-free calling capability and climate-controlled seats. Other notable options include the technology package, highlighted by intelligent cruise control and Adaptive Front Lighting,
Category › Car Reviews
Title › 2011 Infiniti G Convertible
and the navigation package, which includes voice recognition and a music hard drive.
All Gs come standard with Infiniti’s 3.7-liter Variable Valve Event and Lift (VVEL) V6 engine. The convertible has 5 fewer horsepower than the coupe. 325 horsepower at 7000 rpm and 267 lb-ft of torque at 5200 rpm, to be exact. To keep that power in check, all versions come equipped with traction control and Infiniti’s Vehicle Dynamic Control.
2011 infiniti g convertible road test
A 6-speed manual gearbox is available only on the Sport 6MT and features quicker rear differential gearing to accommodate the convertible’s added mass. Unlike its siblings, the G convertible is not offered in all-wheel drive, due to the added expense and weight. All models feature a glare-free 7-inch information screen mounted in the center of the dash that displays all systems clearly. Controls have a quality feel and function intuitively after a brief orientation. Voice activation found on the navigation package is said to further simplify operation.
2011 infiniti g convertible review
Along with the standard adaptive climate control, the killer sound system adjusts seamlessly to the varying topless conditions, creating a wind-free soundstage. The real genius of the Bose system is in the cockpit-mounted microphones, which allow optimized sound to be pumped through the integrated headrest speakers. There is enough room to fit two average adults. The automated 3-piece roof folds skillfully away in 28 seconds. Infiniti claims a mere 2 cubic feet of storage space with the top down. The Sport-equipped versions comes with communicative quick-ratio steering. The standard trim offers a bit more comfort.
Paired with unspoiled hardtop beauty, the G gains serious ground on the benchmark BMW 3-Series.
2011 Honda Civic
Posted by Alexander in Car Reviews, Honda on January 8th, 2011
Honda Civic was named Motor Trend Car of the Year by the well-known magazine and North American Car of the Year award by an independent group of North American auto media.
2011 honda civic
There are four models of Civic—sedan, coupe, hybrid and Si. All ride on the same front-wheel-drive platform and share many components. The sedan is the best-selling Civic version, because it appeals to the largest number of buyers—singles, couples and families.
Terms
sedan, fresh, attractive, styling, power, economy, appeal, engine, coupes, performance, sporty, i-VTEC, quieter, responsive, expensive
Civic coupes come in three trim levels as the sedan—DX, LX and EX—and are powered by the same healthy-feeling 140-horsepower 1.8-liter single overhead cam four-cylinder engine with 128 lb-ft of torque at 4300 rpm. This is a new, larger engine than what has been in Civics in the past.
Fuel economy is a highlight in the compact-sized Civic sedans and coupes. Gasoline Civics are rated at 30 miles a gallon in city driving and between 38 and 40 mpg on the highway, depending on the specific model.
Category › Car Reviews
Title › 2011 Honda Civic
For real performance, there’s the Civic Si. This sporty coupe, which makes up some 14 percent of Civic coupe sales, has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with double overhead cams and i-VTEC that can generate 197 horsepower and 139 lb-ft of torque at 6100 rpm. This is the highest horsepower ever in a factory Si. The Si comes only with a 6-speed manual.
The Civic sedans are quieter inside compared with the Civic Si, and they’re noticeably quieter compared with their predecessors. Road noise, in particular, is muted in the four-door models compared with the Si with its sport-oriented tires. The new, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is more responsive in all Civics and can take a bit of getting used to. The Civic steering wheel is compact, and combined with the new, quick steering gear ratios. The new Civics are just a bit wider than their predecessors for a more comfortable interior, so seats are wider and more comfortable.
2011 honda civic Review
Interior plastics on the Civic have a quality appearance with a minimum of silver-colored accents. All Civic interiors now feature a more high-tech dashboard where the gauges in front of the driver are split between a curved arrangement up near the windshield and a lower group right behind the steering wheel.
2011 honda civic road test
Other standard safety equipment includes anti-lock brakes and Electronic Brake Distribution, which helps even out the braking force between front and rear wheels for more stable stopping in emergency situations. The new Civic also is the first with active head restraints, which are designed to help minimize whiplash injuries during a rear-end collision. These standard head restraints are in the two front seats.
2011 Ford Focus
Posted by Alexander in Car Reviews, Ford on January 7th, 2011
The compact Focus line keeps a conventional 4-door sedan, but drops its hatchbacks and station wagon.
A 5-speed manual transmission is standard. A responsive 4-speed automatic is optional, although a 5-speed automatic would improve performance and fuel economy. However, a 5-speed automatic would probably increase prices.
2011 ford focus
Transmissions have revised final-drive ratios for better highway fuel economy. The more-realistic 2008 EPA fuel economy numbers put the Focus at 24 mpg inthe city and 35 on highways with the manual and 24 and 33 with the automatic.
The new Focus has the front-wheel-drive layout of its predecessor, but its handling is crisper and it has new features.
The Focus coupe and sedan are sold in base S, mid-range SE and top-line SES trim levels.
Terms
Responsive, performance, economy, transmission, realistic, coupe, sedan, styling, improved, roomy
Styling of the European-style Focus is influenced by Ford’s larger Fusion sedan, with a prominent chrome-bar grille design, flared wheel arches and sweeping lines. Still, the Michigan-built car won’t win many beauty contests.
Seats have a better shape and there are larger, somewhat more useful bins and cup-holders in doors. But fuel and temperature gauges are too small.
The more-efficient climate control system provides improved heating and cooling. And the interior is quieter because Ford uses such items as a new acoustic windshield and thicker side glass. However, my test Focus coupe had noticeable tire noise with the radio off.
There is room for four tall adults, but leg room is tight for a long-legged passenger behind a driver.
Category › Car Reviews
Title › 2011 Ford Focus
The coupe’s doors are long and heavy, which makes them awkward in tight spots. They open wide, but getting in and out of the back seat calls for contortions, which aren’t necessary with the sedan.
The trunk is roomy, and cargo space can be increased by flipping the split rear seat-backs forward.
The refined all-independent suspension provides better ride and handling, with new spring rates, dampers, stabilizer bars and bushings. Trim levels with 15-inch wheels get front stabilizer bars, while those with 16-inch wheels and more responsive Pirelli tires use front and rear stabilizer bars for sharper handling.
Focus brakes have been improved, the front ones are discs and the rears are drums. The brake pedal allowed smooth stops because it wasn’t touchy.
There’s newly standard air conditioning, front side impact air bags and side curtain air bags for outside seat positions. There’s also 2-way adjustable manual front seats, tire pressure monitoring system, AM/FM stereo with single CD player and a new audio input jack for MP3 players.The SE and SES add power side mirrors, windows and locks with remote key-less entry, although those items aren’t offered for the base S.
2011 ford focus road test
Popular options include the automatic transmission, upscale sound systems, anti-lock brakes, power sunroof, cruise control, 4-way adjustable driver’s seat and heated front leather-covered seats.
Optional Sync technology is a voice-activated, hands-free in-car communications and entertainment system that fully integrates mobile phones and media players into the car, using Bluetooth technology and USB connectivity.
2011 ford focus review
An ambient lighting system lets Focus occupants “set the mood” in the car with “subtle LED lighting” in cup-holders and front/rear footwells. One can choose red, blue, aqua, purple, white, green and yellow by cycling through a dashboard switch.
Whatever its options, the 2008 Focus fits well in the expanding market for small, affordable, economical economy cars.
2010 Dodge Avenger
Posted by Alexander in Car Reviews, Dodge on January 5th, 2011
The front styling of the Dodge Avenger is a judicious exercise in Dodge sporty looks that aren’t overdone.
2010 dodge avenger
The test Avenger with V6 had exemplary road poise for a car in its price range, and I was surprised at how well-managed the body motions and suspension workings were. It all made the test Avenger, which topped at less than $23,000 with options, seem more expensive than it was. Basically, the car with touring suspension that’s standard in the SXT trim level felt well-balanced in the back and forth motions on twisty mountain roads. And the Avenger behaved stably and predictably, with no weird reactions in abrupt emergency maneuvers.
Terms
avenger, nimble, right-sized, vehicle, suspension, plea, superior, passenger, motion, transmission, compare, start, wider, taller, seat, door
Road bumps came through only mildly for the most part. Passengers were jostled just a bit when the car went over large potholes. But none of it was upsetting or harsh.
Note that the Dodge Avenger is built on the front-wheel-drive platform that’s also used in the Chrysler Sebring sedan that debuted as a new-generation model for the 2007 model year.
The Avenger is wider and taller than the Stratus, and the extra 4 inches in height helped Dodge engineers position seats up higher from the pavement for better views and more comfortable positioning for passengers.
Category › Car Reviews
Title › 2010 Dodge Avenger
I prefer the V6s—Dodge offers two of them—to the Avenger’s base four cylinder. Besides the reasonable price and better torque, these V6s have pleasing engine sounds.
Even the base, 2.7-liter V6 in the test Avenger had good get up and go, thanks to a peak of 191 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. The only transmission with this engine is a 4-speed automatic, though.
Buyers get a more modern, fine-working, 6-speed automatic when they move up to the Avenger’s larger, 235-horsepower 3.5-liter high-output V6 in the R/T model. It starts around $23,000, which is another decent price.
2010 dodge avenger interior
The Avenger was easy to drive—nimble and right-sized. Just be careful backing the Avenger out of parking spaces and driveways. The car’s shape created a wide pillar between the rear window and rear-doors, and then there’s a black, plastic piece in the rear door window for styling, so this area is even more view-blocking than in many convertibles.
Trunk space is 13.35 cubic feet vs. the 15 cubic feet in the Camry. Most of the Avenger’s cargo room is under the rear window and parcel shelf. Supportive front bucket seats in the test car were finished with perforated leather that was so soft to the touch, it was obviously leather. At introduction of the Avenger, it was a $925 option.
2010 dodge avenger right
Avenger ceiling material was textured and looked good in the test car, there were some plastic pieces on the dashboard and door trim inside that weren’t aligned properly. Additionally, the Avenger’s blinkers had the loud, old-style, clickity sound that most new vehicles have abandoned.
And I spent considerable time before finding that the dome light in the ceiling was operated by a control integrated into the Avenger’s blinker stalk.
The Avenger is one of the few mainstream midsized sedans to offer all-wheel drive.