Elantra's seven speeds, dual clutch = fuel savings

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California – The all-new-for-2017 Hyundai Elantra Eco sedan is a nicely priced compact car that surprises you with a long list of perks that you might not have guessed when first glancing at the window sticker.

The sticker’s bottom line on my tester read $21,610 – which included only $125 for carpeted floor mats and an $835 freight and handling charge – so the affordable starting price of $20,650 included a blizzard of standard high-tech devices, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a hands-free smart trunk, to name just a few.

But the star of the show for this sixth-generation Elantra is the power package.

Let me explain.

The Eco is equipped with a turbocharged, 1.4-liter, four-cylinder engine making a maximum 128 horsepower and 156 foot-pounds of torque. That engine is mated to a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission with specific gear ratios.  The combination delivers 32 miles per gallon in city driving and 40 mpg on the highway.

Impressive?  I’ll say.

Some auto-reviewing colleagues of mine claim that the dual-clutch technology created a momentary power lag when they hit the accelerator with force.  I felt this the first time my right foot landed hard on the accelerator, but my own adjustments on accelerator pressure after that seemed to override the lag.

Is that possible?  I’m not telling you that I’m smart enough to outwit a seven-speed transmission, but the bottom line for me was one minor lag experience, and no more after that.

All in all, the Elantra Eco was a fun ride.  I could easily envision it as a daily commuter/driver, with the bonus of comparatively rare trips to the gas pumps.

Steering was a fingertip breeze, and the tester was pretty much without a wiggle on sharp turns taken at high speed.

Yes, it does whine a bit at the top of steep hill climbs, but so do most compact cars with four-cylinder engines and horsepower ratings less than 150.

My ride also looked good with “Symphony Silver” exterior paint, LED daytime running lights, smooth over-the-top lines, a wide-yawning grille and 15-inch alloy wheels.

If your holiday shopping list includes nicely equipped basic transportation, an affordable new ride for one of your children or a four-door commuter that won’t crush your budget, this thoughtfully reworked Elantra should be on your test drive list.
 

VW’s Dune droptop is a peppy, cool-retro Beetle

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo reviews of the latest motor vehicle models also can be seen on The Sacramento Bee’s website at www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

This review first appeared in the October 2016 edition of the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News published out of Folsom, California – mg

Sacramento, California – Over the years, I’ve driven so many variations of the Volkswagen Beetle that the myriad changes have washed over me like so much white noise.

Until now.

A recent week in the 2017 VW Beetle Dune Convertible showed me that driving the iconic post-World War II sensation can still be a fun, heart-pumping experience.

My droptop was wearing saucy “Sandstorm Yellow” paint, Dune badging and a power black cloth top that went up and down with ease.  Beetle devotees will notice DNA from the old Baja Bug in this model, and it’s a great retro shout-out to the vehicle that won hearts in Southern California in the 1960s.

The Baja Bug look is enhanced by a sizable air-intake opening on the front end.  The fog lights are encased in two black, honeycomb vents on either side of the centered intake – another visual plus.  The tester rode high on 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels.

This Dune surprised me with its muscular performance, courtesy of a 1.8-liter turbocharged-4 making 170 horsepower.  I smoked the tires the first couple times from a standing start.  That wasn’t my intention.  That was the little vehicle telling me to be careful with its more-than-adequate power.

 

Once you get the rhythm of the accelerator, the Dune just scoots along.  Brisk starts easily create space between you and trailing traffic.  The convertible is agile enough to zip into tight spots without aggressive braking.

All this was enjoyable from a cockpit that was attractive and well-designed.

A two-tone interior color scheme was sufficiently sporty, and the Dune was equipped with more connectivity devices and high-tech options than I’d ever use in a lifetime.  Controls were within easy reach and easy to use.

Gas mileage was a very nice 25 miles per gallon in the city and 34 mpg on the highway.  The starting price is about $24,000 on the nose, although the Dune can be dressed up with some technology extras.

Fellow auto reviewers have sometimes put down the Dune as just a dressed up version of the basic VW Beetle convertible, and I can understand that to some degree.

However, I think this Dune has enough of its own spice and Baja Bug mojo to be a special model to Beetle-loving buyers.

Please be advised that the Volkswagen Beetle Dune Convertible is best enjoyed as a two-person runabout.

Take it out for a weekend drive, open it up and get away from the crowd.  Just my 2 cents on this retro-themed machine.

 

 

Maserati Ghibli sedan reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

Check out my review of the 2016 Maserati Ghibli sedan in the latest, November 2016, edition of the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News, published out of Folsom, California, by John Sweeney and Evonne Sotelo.

The “Hot Laps” reviews, along with my "Oil Drips" observations on anything with wheels, appear monthly in the publication.

To subscribe to the Cruisin’ News, visit www.cruisinnews.com, call (916) 933-0949 or send an e-mail request to cruisinnews@mac.com. Mailed requests for information should be sent to Cruisin’ News, P.O. Box 1096, Folsom, CA 95763-1096.

Pathfinder road trip warrior gets better with age

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California – Two years removed from reviewing the Nissan Pathfinder, I found much to like in the extensively reworked-for-2017 version of the venerable road trip warrior.

The tested SL 4WD version of the sport-utility vehicle looks more aggressive than its predecessor, with prominent “boomerang-shaped” headlights nicely placed on the restyled front end.  An aerodynamic profile translated to quiet motoring on the highway.

Best of all, the V-6 engine gets a significant power boost for 2017; the 3.5-liter V-6 now puts out 284 horses.  That’s up 24 from the previous generation.

And it shows.  The tester jumped off the line from a standing start and demonstrated significantly more muscle on the freeways than what I remember from a couple years back.

The starting price of $37,390 on the tested Pathfinder included a generous menu of goodies: eight-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support, a heated/leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated exterior mirrors with LED turn signals, a motion-activated liftgate and a most-helpful rear cross traffic alert.

Mine was dressed up with about $3,400 in extras, an SL Premium Package that included a premium Bose audio system with 13 speakers and a dual panorama moonroof.

Worth noting: a top-level, five-star overall federal government safety rating.

Fuel mileage comes in at a so-so 19 miles per gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.

As I’ve said in previous reviews, the Pathfinder takes me back to younger days when it was regarded as the prototypical vehicle for an extended road trip far from the urban jungle.  The characteristics that implanted those memories in my head remain in the 2017 Pathfinder.

It’s an easy-steering, nimble, generally quiet cruiser, even as it's making its way up steep climbs in the Sierra Nevada.  Yes, you can take it off-road, but for me, the Pathfinder is best enjoyed on a daylong road outing, opting for the scenic rural roads over the get-me-there-now interstates.

Just my romanticized preference, mind you.

If you are likewise inclined to hit the road, take along friends and cargo.  The Pathfinder’s three-row, seven-passenger capacity configuration offers plenty of spread-out room.  If your road trip involves just two of you, the Pathfinder’s back end can be configured to carry plenty of suitcases and supplies.

Overall roominess – passengers and cargo – comes to 173.8 cubic feet. Need to take more stuff?: towing capacity is up to 6,000 pounds.

For me, this is the best Pathfinder yet.  If you’re a road trip junkie, it should be on your test-drive list.

Three rides: a bit pricey but high in quality

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California – It’s all my fault.  Really.

I’ve been on the road or sampling one-day rides and fallen behind on my reviews of recently delivered vehicles.  It’s time to catch up, so today, I’m offering up my impressions of three 2016 motor vehicles in which I’ve enjoyed seat time – not only recently but dating back several generations of the models.

Fasten your belts.  Ready?  Here goes:

+ 2016 Lexus RX 350 ($54,820 as tested; 20 mpg city/28mpg highway): The venerable RX (PICTURED) was extensively reworked for the 2016 model year, so be advised that the 2017 model showing up at dealerships now is pretty much unchanged.

It’s pretty easy to see why this practical-size sport-utility vehicle has maintained its popularity over the long-term.  The 3.5-liter V-6 generates plenty of juice at 300 horsepower, the luxury features inside are exceptional and it looks very sporty on the fly.

The 2016 redesign included a monster front grille and sharp, eye-catching lines that slice through the air with ease.

And yes, there’s a hybrid RX to be had as well.

Alas, the fuel mileage on the tester was a bit tepid, and the cost has swelled somewhat dramatically over the years.  But then again, this is a Lexus.

Bottom line: This SUV gives you most of the high-end Lexus treatment for a price that’s still within range of middle-range incomes.

+ 2016 Toyota Sienna Limited Premium ($49,301 as tested; 16 mpg city/23 mpg highway): This super-loaded tester minivan made me feel like Father of the Year as it was positively stuffed with primo comfort/convenience/entertainment features.

You want the prototype family road trip vehicle?  This might be the one.

Again, gas mileage was not the best, and it made my heart jump to look at dropping nearly 50-grand on a minivan.

But if you’re looking at this particular seven-passenger, all-wheel drive Sienna as a long-term investment that simultaneously makes a lot of happy family travel memories, it’s probably worth the dent in your checkbook.

+ 2016 Ford Edge Sport AWD ($49,990 as tested; 17 mpg city/24 mpg highway): The model’s name conveys a sense of hit-the-road abandon, but a closer look reveals a solid mainstream hauler.

Consider the outstanding federal safety ratings, including a top-level, five-star overall rating.  Check out that hands-free liftgate that prompts the neighbors to applaud as you unload groceries from the back.  Leather all around inside?  Why, of course.

Yes, the Edge rounds out my trifecta with not-so-hot fuel mileage and a bottom line that’s 10 bucks short of $50,000.

Is it worth it?  Yup, if you pack on the miles, myriad chores and happy road trips over at least five years.

This Dodge Challenger leaves pack in the dust

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California – Sometimes, you get a test vehicle that makes you feel overmatched.

The recently tested 2016 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack two-door model was just such a vehicle.

It looks capable of flight, with old-school-NASCAR-like lines, 20-inch forged aluminum wheels and a long hood that looks like it could double as a helicopter landing pad.

Here are the numbers that really matter: a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 engine with 485 horsepower and 475 foot-pounds of torque.

Knowing this, I tried to ease the Challenger out into traffic with a very light foot on the throttle.  I failed ... miserably  The sound of burning rubber was broadcast over a wide area, much to my embarrassment.

It took me some time to get it right.  Moving the Scat Pack in reasonable order from a standing start is like climbing into a sleeping bag stretched over a slippery, high-altitude granite rock.  You have to do it carefully.

Once accomplished, you’re pretty much the master of the motoring world.

Passersby stare open-mouthed at your ridiculously hot-looking ride.

Just starting the Scat Pack produces a roar that demands attention from anyone standing within a quarter-mile radius of the car.

Prospective cut-off artists back off when they see what you’re driving.

Pokes and wildly erratic drivers are quickly dispatched with just the smallest nudges on the accelerator.

Welcome to the world of American muscle, and yeah, it feels good.

I can only imagine what it’s like to put a 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat through its paces. Maybe the feeling a cheetah gets upon encountering a herd of slow-moving antelope.

For the record, fuel mileage on the tester was 15 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

The interior of the Scat Pack was fairly basic but nicely laid out.  My optional extras included a “leather performance steering wheel,” special sporty badging and a “Satin Black” fuel filler door.  Back-to-the-70s round, analog gauges were a nostalgic treat.

The starting price for this road warrior was a surprisingly reasonable $37,995, but mine had extras that pushed the bottom line to $43,475.

This R/T Scat Pack version of the Challenger has niche appeal.  And if you have to ask what niche that is, never mind.  The power curve has somehow missed you.

Chevy Malibu does it right; hybrid tech is a bonus

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve experienced this at car rental counters at airports across the nation … A prospective auto renter is pondering myriad options, and then, unprompted, suddenly says: “Hey, do you have a Chevy Malibu?”

That, more than anything I can think of, is the best example of the midsize Malibu sedan’s cover-all-the-bases appeal.

Yeah, it fits.  The Malibu satisfies on all levels: just the right size, good trunk space, room for adults, good engine power, admirable reliability and on and on …

And if you’re getting a fuel-sipping hybrid version of the Malibu, you’re even further ahead in the game.

That was my week recently, tooling a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid sedan around Northern California.

Yes, that hybrid package with the 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine matched with a two-motor drive unit translated to a bottom line of $33,620 on the tester’s sticker. Full disclosure: My ride also had a long list of optional extras.

The bonus on the hybrid technology: 47 miles per gallon in the city and 46 mpg on the highway.

The 2016 Malibu was changed from the ground up – the 2017 model is virtually identical to the 2016 version – and the extensive tweaks included a longer wheelbase, a curb weight loss of nearly 300 pounds and numerous technology/entertainment upgrades.

All that was very cool, but for me, the new ’Bu’s familiar agility and easy steering were the top bragging points.

The hybrid’s power plant also featured Chevy’s “Exhaust Gas Heat Recovery” technology, which employs exhaust heat to warm the engine and interior cabin.  This fact wows passengers every time.

Another cool fact: the 80-cell, 1.5 kilowatt-hour ion battery pack providing electric power to the Malibu’s hybrid system generates enough oomph to power the Malibu up to 55 miles per hour on electricity alone.

Beyond the technology front, the tested Malibu had plenty of old-school amenities to add to my enjoyment.

The perks list included power/heated exterior mirrors, power lumbar support in the driver’s seat and a thorough, helpful driver information center.

For the record, the Malibu’s extensive safety package is bolstered by a top-level, five-star, overall safety rating from the feds.

All in all, the Malibu continues to impress, at rental counters and on the roadways.