The Forums Test Drive Team

grahampeters · October 2003

G'day

Subaru have traditionally used Australia as an early market for new product releases. Subarus are very popular Down-Under, their All Wheel Drive virtues appreciated by discerning drivers who want a respectable car for weekdays but soft road functionality for the weekends. Australians work hard and play harder. The population is concentrated between the coast and Great Dividing Range around the South East of the big country, putting mountains and beach close to most folk. Alpine and nordic skiing, bushwalking, canoeing and climbing regularly take Australia's twenty million people to the bush and its rough tracks. Tempting blue waters with fabulous surf and quiet tree fringed lakes demand sand and boat towing capability. Big 4WD's, particularly the Toyota Landcruiser, are popular, but impractical as daily drivers. It is easy to see why Subaru's market penetration is roughly ten times that in the USA.

Australia has the added benefit for Japanese car introductions of taking right hand drive vehicles with minimal regulatory difference. Sales volumes are large enough to ensure Subaru can economically tool up for any minor changes needed to satisfy Australia's tough automotive registration requirements at the same time as building to Japanese standards.

There are a few differences. Australia's World War II veterans are understandably touchy about the Japanese. Legacy is the local Veterans' service organization caring for war widows and now elderly returned Prisoners of War. Subaru recognize the incongruity of calling their key mid range vehicle the Legacy in Australia. There is a certain wry humour to the selection of Liberty as an alternative.

With the new Outback and Liberty, Subaru have started Australian sales just two months after Japanese release. The Liberty went on sale last week with part of the Outback range launched also. The range topping 3.0R Outback will be held back to the Sydney Motor Show in mid October. Its also unlikely that the 3.0l engine will be released in the Liberty although rumors suggest this is the choicest engine in retuned 180kW, variable valve timing form. However the stunning new Liberty GT has already been released in both wagon and sedan forms. At the moment, it comes only with a 180kW twin scroll turbo and five speed sequential shift automatic, but a hotter tune mated to a manual transmission will follow, probably in a year's time.

As it stands, the GT is hotter than the outgoing Liberty B4 that suffered turbo lag from its twin turbo layout. The curse of the B4 has also been overcome as the Liberty GT now comes with cruise control, a vital item on Australia's heavily policed roads. More than one driver found out just how quick a Subaru B4 can be with happy snaps from the common speed and red light cameras.

I am more interested in the less quick models, looking to replace my four-year-old Outback Limited. It's been a super vehicle, marred only by a shuddering clutch on cold and wet mornings. This is an undesirable characteristic of the Series III Outback and Liberty that is mentioned regularly in Edmunds Town Hall. Subaru have recognized the deficiencies and addressed them for the Series IV that comes with a dramatically different clutch and gearbox feel.

The overall look has changed dramatically although the key design elements have remained. The slightly bulky feel of the Series III Liberty and Outback wagons is replaced by a swoopy outline that has elements of Alfa Romeo about it. The impression is of a smaller car from the outside, although the interior feels more airy. Actual size remains about the same with slight increase in wheel track front and rear. Astonishingly, despite substantial increase in safety structures, weight has been pulled down by an average of 60kg (about130lbs)

A few years ago, a coefficient of drag of 0.30 was considered achievable by only the curviest sports cars. Subaru has, surprisingly achieved it, in a chunky wagon and the sleeker sedan achieves a staggering 0.28.

Perhaps more important, from a sales perspective, is the dramatic improvement in the car's image. Always an aspirational vehicle in Australia, the previous generations of Liberty/Outback have been perceived as a little frumpy - the sort of car that engineers draw rather than designers. With Series IV, the looks have gone from Cinders, waiting by the fire, to Cinderella, Princess. They even have a cute pair of very delicate - well let's not be too shy about it - nipples molded into the polycarbonate headlamps, dipping into the front bumper line. The headlamps have been given a markedly greater taper from the central bumper section, sweeping back at 45 degrees. This reduces the forward bulk of the car, although overall length remains similar.

The Outback has retained its plastic painted lower body cladding, although they are markedly less bulky and now body colored. The trim below the doorsill is now black plastic. Given that this is the area most exposed to scratches and dents when used off bitumen, it is a welcome change. My Outback spends enough time on dirt tracks for me to have cursed Subaru's styling ideas in the past.

The roof rails fitted to Outback wagons have been slimmed down, removing the void between the roof an rail on previous versions. The Liberty also has roof rails fitted with removable covers that appear to provide a mounting point for ski bars. On higher spec models, a gigantic glass sunroof is fitted, the forward eight inches popping up as a moon roof and rising higher to act as a wind deflector when the massive rear glass section is opened. A single blind covers the roof if needed.

See Part II below for interior details

Cheers

Graham

grahampeters · October 2003

G'day

The interior of all Liberty/Outback derivatives has been dramatically improved. Gone is the tacky plastic wood, replaced by tasteful metallized plastic finishes. The dashboard is familiar to existing Outback drivers but subtly improved. The main instrument binnacle reverses temperature and fuel gauges from the Series III, dressing them up with silver rings. A feel good touch is the "waving hands" effect on start up - the instruments flip to full scale as the key is inserted, swinging back down slowly. It sounds silly, but looks great.

Subaru claim they have fitted a Full Feature Trip Computer. I doubt they have heard about truth in advertising as the device serves only to measure fuel consumption and distance to empty. The addition of an average speed and elapsed distance function has been normal for other manufacturers (including Volkswagen) for years and it does seem that Subaru have missed the point here. Volkswagen's excellent system also offers an automatic reset at the start of every trip, ensuring the driver is aware of his driving parameters on a particular journey.

The seats are firm and supportive, particularly in leather trimmed form. They have far more style that the previous model, with supportive side bolsters holding the driver firmly in their seat. Eight way power controls are standard on premium models. Headrests have been redesigned improving rear visibility.

All models are fitted with dual front air bags and as a Safety Pack, can be fitted with dual side airbags and dual side-curtain airbags. The foot pedals have also been redesigned for increased safety in an accident.

Rear seat leg room is increased marginally by reshaping the seat backs. Foot room has also improved for rear passengers. The redesign has also allowed the rear seatbacks to be folded flat onto the seat base in a single action without removing headrests. The cargo area has been tidied up a little and the blind separated into two parts, a rectangular section that rolls out conventionally and a profiled section clipped into the rear hatch. This section is made from a non-reflecting material reducing reflection onto the rear screen. When the hatch is lifted, a printed pattern of red reflective dots printed on the underside provides a high level warning reflector at the top of the tailgate.

I'll talk about the driving experience in a further article.

If you would like to have a look at the Subaru Australia web site, here is the link http://subaru.com.au/

Cheers

Graham

paisan · October 2003

Got a chance to drive an AMG E55 around the paddock @ Pocono this weekend. It wasn't a full test drive, but the car is very very nice! I also got a ride out on the track. Overall feels like a nice big caddy but with handling and vault-like stiffness and quietness. Sound deadening is about that of my SVX slightly firmer.

Handling was great for such a large car, the only problem was the ESP (traction control) even in the "off" position caused the rear brakes to overheat and throw a warnining on the dash info center. This was a MB owned car that the guys who were in the garage stall next to us had for the weekend. We had to lent them gas for the CLK32AMG cause they ran out! Nice guys and great to check out the cars. I should have a pic up shortly of my Guinea Butt sitting in the car

-mike

PS: Only mods I'd do to it would be 15% tint on all but the windshield.

rsholland · October 2003

Juice and I both spent some time today together tire-kicking the new 2WD (no 4WDs on the lot) Nissan Armada & Quest. Here are my points of interest. Juice will fill you in on anything I missed, plus give you the "family man's" perspective.

Armada:

Good
Plenty of power, resulting in big grins coming off expressway off ramps.
Bad
Lousy mileage: 13/and not much better.
Good
Styling and interior appointments (mostly...)
Bad
3rd-row seat. The Expedition easily wins here, as it has a split-fold, optional power fold/raise, a more comfortable seat to sit on and more headroom. Not having a split-fold 3rd-row seat is inexcusable.
Good
Fold flat front passenger seat to help accomodate long items.
Bad
Access to third row seating a bit cumbersome, as middle row seat sometimes balks at folding.
Good
Lots of storage cubbys, cupholders, etc.
Bad
Roof rack hard to reach and use, because the vehicle is so tall.
Good
Roof rack can hold up to 200 pounds, if the full length is used, and 125 pounds if just the rear part is used.
Bad
3rd roof rack cross bar is optional. It should be standard IMO.
Good
5-speed automatic and on 4WD models; Auto 4WD mode, as well as 2WD, 4-High and 4-Low.
Bad
Trailer hitch is optional, but should be standard in this type of vehicle, IMO; plus hitch is under rear bumper, rather than being integrated into bumper (like Expedition), which results in reducing the angle of departure.
Good
A green light on the dash when you turn on the cruise control, and an additional green light when you actually engage the cruise control.
Bad
It's HUGE! I can't wait to see these Armada-like ideas and innovations applied to the next-generation mid-size Pathfinder.
Good
Auto up/down front windows & full-size spare.

Quest:

Good
More family-friendly than Armada, especially for 3rd-row passengers.
Bad
Centered instrumentation on the dashboard. I absolutely hate this. Instruments should be in front of the driver, not off to the side. In addition, depending on the sunlight, there is often a glare coming off the instruments. The fuel gauge and temp gauge are small and combined into one unit that is hard to read, plus they're both bar graphs made up of little blocks -- which I also hate! Finally, some items like the outside temperature readout are far easier to read than the speedometer! Really DUMB instrument design!
Good
3.5 engine has plenty of power, with a trace of torque steering upon hard acceleration.
Bad
No roll-down windows in the sliding doors like the Toyota Sienna.
Good
Fold-way third row seat and fold-down middle seats.
Bad
No split-fold 3rd-row seat like what's on the new Toyota Sienna.
Good
Many clever storage and cupholder units.
Bad
No AWD option like that found on the Toyota Sienna.
Good (& Bad)
Same comments regarding the dash cruise control lights, and auto up/down front windows that I mentioned regarding the Armada. Unfortunately these lights are way off to the right, and too far away from the driver's line of vision. Did I mention I HATED the instrumentation??

Bob

rsholland · October 2003

Regarding the Armada:

Bad
Juice had his daughter with him, so we put that very high exterior rear door handle to the 4-year-old test. It flunked, as she could barely reach it. That door handle which is mounted high on the C-pillar is NOT small child-friendly at all. It's also found on the mid-size Pathfinder and Xterra, and it's not a good design. It's purely style over function, which absolutely wrong.

Bob

ateixeira · October 2003

Most car reviewers do easy things with 4WD SUVs, like tackle the Rubicon.

We decided to really put the Armada to the test, and instead subjected it to the wrath of my 4 year old!

Walking into the dealer, they mentioned they only had 2WD models. No problem for this test. I didn't let my kid crawl under the vehicle, so the skid plates weren't required.

I did notice the fuel efficiency on the Monroney sticker, though. 19 mpg highway, just 13 city, whoa, I'm feeling a little dizzy...

juice just passed out. He'll finish this review as soon as he re-gains conciousness

ateixeira · October 2003

As I slowly regain consciousness, Bob points out that this kind of mileage is par for this class. Still, I was expecting better from a 2WD model.

First impression, boy, this thing is big. The name "Armada" is risky because I think of boats, ships. Does it drive like one?

No. Handling is better than you'd expect for this size. There is a lot of lean, but it's reasonably controlled. Ride was a little stiff; we had the "Off Road" package. With 2WD, go figure. Pass on this and get the must-be-smoother base suspension. The Off Road pounced over speed bumps and was unnecessarily stiff.

Steering is a bit heavy, but feedback is decent. The brake pedal is firm, and those pedals power adjust, too. Nothing here stands out from the Expedition, until you floor the throttle...

That engine is a gem. Torquey all over, and more power than you ever think you'll need. In other words, just right! Throttle tip-in is a little abrupt, perhaps to emphasize there is a beast under the hood.

The pilot seat is great, wide, comfy, roomy. The steering wheel has satellite controls for most common functions, cup holders are abundant and right-sized. You feel like a King on the Throne.

So, what's not to like? Well, I found many materials were lacking, including at least a couple of loose or misfitting trim pieces. They also seem to be hollow and cheap. The painted silver trim did not look durable or convincing; Ford did a much better job there.

Now let's move to the passenger compartment, and that 4 year old. Right off the bat, she could not reach the door handle to let herself in, something she often likes to do. We enourage her to be independent. Oh, well.

She was climbing up and over the seats, and loved the amount of space. Her booster seat sort of slipped around on the flat leather seats, though, and sitting next to her in the middle of the 2nd row was not comfy. The seat is stiff and the hump limits leg room. An optional DVD makes up for that, somewhat.

The 3rd row was even less impressive. The mechanism to fold the seat was cumbersome, I could not figure it out without help. That means parents of my kids' friends would also have trouble.

Then the seat itself was small, much smaller than the Expedition's. Headroom in particular was poor, my head rubbed the headliner and I'm about 5'11". So, kids or petite adults only, and even then just two of them.

Fold it all down and cargo space is huge, but still not a match for minivans that can carry a sheet of plywood inside. Also, lift over is quite high, so lifting that double stroller up there may give you a hernia.

As good of an attempt as Nissan made, this is still not a family friendly vehicle. Sorry, I give the nod to the Expedition, even with a lesser powertrain.

But, it is a great first attempt, better than the first generation Expedition, and better than some competitors. Nissan needs to improve some materials and the 2nd and 3rd row seats to really lead the segment.

If the QX45 has softer seats and a 3rd row that power folds, plus nicer materials, it may be a little closer to the bulls' eye, but Nissan left a lot of room for improvement for the 2nd generation Armada.

-juice, with a little help from a certain 4 year old

ateixeira · October 2003

That same 4 year old took to this interior immediately. She could open her own door, and it was the power sliding variety that took over once you got it started (right side, optional on both). They open wide, also, and grab handles make getting in or out a snap. Neat.

A low step-in was also welcome. The seats are supremely comfortable, the fabric they chose gets our thumbs up. The booster fit snug between the arm rests, too. Too bad the windows don't go down, this is a vehicle for sight-seeing, after all.

The 2nd row seats adjust easily for angle, and there are 3 fore/aft positions. Interestingly, the middle position seems to be a little higher than the others, so for once the cushion was not too low for an adult, first that I've seen. You can even fit your bottled water in the door.

Folding the 2nd row was easier to figure out than in the Armada, but still took practice. It doesn't quite fold flat, but I'll forgive them because it's the only minivan in which you can haul a sheet of plywood with all the seats inside.

The 3rd row was inviting, far more comfy than the Armada's 3rd row. Our van did not have the optional sky lights, but it did have a DVD and rear controls for just about everything. A 2nd DVD screen is available, for serious movie buffs.

The plastics used seemed a little better than those in the Armada, and so did fit and finish. Overall this interior impressed me far more. Arm rests are padded nicely in a fabric that reminds you of the nice seat fabric.

Behind the 3rd row, the deep well looks like it would fit plenty of cargo. It's deeper and longer than the space left in the big SUV. Grocery and coat hooks were a nice touch. Lift-over was much lower, too.

OK, so this trumps the big SUV as a family vehicle in every way I could imagine, how does it look from the driver seat?

Well, the seat felt lumpy, and sure enough, the manual lumbar support was putting a big lump in my back. None of us could find the adjustment until after we parked, including the salesman in the back seat directly behind me. OK, that seat was still wrapped in plastic, but the lever should be repositioned. The cup holder in the middle didn't impress me, either, although the thoughtful purse hook would surely impress my wife. Just get adjusted before you start driving.

From the passenger's seat, leg room was tight, mainly due to the center console that extended to the floor. Form over function, so thumbs down here.

So is the center console, a horrible idea. Nissan put a small glove box in front of the driver. Open it and you can't see the road. Seems useless to me. The speedo is a very unnatural glance way, way over to the side, I could barely see it despite 20/20 vision. Glare only made it worse. The fuel gauge was tiny and also unreadable.

The dash display was better, but still too far from the driver. If the speedo were in front of the driver, where it should be, and the display where the speedo was, well, then ergonomics would be right.

The powertrain was decent. That VQ provided adequate thrust, not as satisfying as the Armada's V8, but enough to do the job well. The steering wheel would tug in a turn if you accelerated, making me wish for an AWD option. At least mileage is much better than the Armada, and it's certainly not slow by any means.

Steering here was lighter, ride nicely isolated and quiet. Lean was OK for a minivan. Not a driver's car but a good trip car for a family to nap in. Brakes felt a little soft, but effective.

Sorry Nissan, but this dash is a deal-killer. The design is love/hate and I happen to love it, kudos to Nissan for making the outside interesting. Bottom line is I could probably overlook the 2nd row windows that don't go down and even the 3rd row that doesn't split fold, but not the dash that gives my 4 year old in the back seat a better view than the driver's.

-juice

rsholland · October 2003

is a trim level, not a "package," per say. The trim levels are SE, SE Off-Road & LE. As Juice rightfully pointed out, it seems a bit silly to have a 2WD with "Off-Road" goodies such as larger tires (but with smaller wheels??), Rancho shocks, etc. In fact, I think for this type of vehicle it's plain silly to even offer a 2WD versioneven if you live in Florida... There's no 2WD Toyota Land Cruiser or VW Touareg, among others. Why then a 2WD Armada?

One other thing I didn't care for: If you wanted heated seats, you have to spring for the top-of-the-line leather LE model. Heck, even the mid-level, cloth-seat Subaru Forester XS has heated seats standard!

Finally, detailed brochures are still not available, so we weren't able to cross-compare the trim level "content" with that of other competing brands.

Bob

ateixeira · October 2003

Kudos to the dealership, which let us drive both new models without delay. I remember shopping for an Odyssey and being told I'd have to schedule an appointment, as if a test drive were a luxury. We walked out and never even tried the Honda. Good thing, because I'd have been insulted with a wait list on top of that.

Now that supply has caught up with demand, I wonder if the Honda dealer would be more accomodating...

The Nissan sales man was very helpful and low pressure. He was patient and never complained about the kid climbing in and out of every seat. After the drives he just handed us business cards and didn't give the "hard sell".

Unlike Bob, I could see a use for a 2WD Armada if it were as family-friendly as the Expedition, but it's not.

The Quest we drove had heated cloth seats, my preference. I believe there were 2 settings.

The brochures were awful. They basically give you a stack of papers in an odd-shaped folder, instead of a simple brochure that is stapled together. Both are teasers, I guess.

-juice

rsholland · October 2003

If I had to choose between these three, which would be the winner?

I very much like the Touareg. In many ways I think it sets the standard for mid-size SUVs, and even encroaches upon the SWB full-size SUVs, to a degree. I do think the 3.2 V6 is somewhat taxed in this heavy vehicle, and V8 models are very expensive for what you get. The diesel has yet to arrive, but when it does, expect it cost a whole bunch more.

What I don't like about it is no full-size spare (yet), and I just don't have confidence in VW's reliability. My experience with VW has been lousy, and I continue to hear about VW problems. As much as I like it, I would wait a few years before considering one.

It's been a while since I drove the new Expedition, but my memory was very positive. It's light-years better than my '98 Explorer. The split-fold, adult-friendly 3rd-row seat seat is a gem. I'd have no problems whatsoever buying one of these.

Which brings me to the Armada: In many ways this is the class of the field. The engine and tranny are superb. I very much like the switches and controls, and the typical Japanese attention to detail. There nooks and crannies everywhere. The interior is very well thoughtexcept the 3rd-row seat, which does not have a split-fold, and is somewhat tight, when compared to the Expedition.

These are all priced starting in the mid $30K range, and go well into the $40K range if you get one loaded. I think the VW, fully loaded may be the most expensive, yet is the smallest and is least "utilitarian" of the group. Bottom line: The choice (for me) would come down to the Armada and Expedition. As much as I like the Expedition's 3-row seating, I would probably opt for the Armada, as the 3rd-row seats would probably be rarely used. So the Armada is my choice. The icing on the cake is that it flat out looks great too.

Oh, if you're wondering why the Sequoia is not also under consideration? It really doesn't interest me, and I don't like the fold-up 3rd-row seats. Same with the Tahoe/Yukon; no interest. I will admit to liking the Tahoe's smaller exterior size the best, but that's about it.

Bob

paisan · October 2003

Finally got to drive one.

1 Word.

WHOA!

This car is amazing. I've driven a ton of subarus everything from a '88 XT6 (2 of em actually), '92 SVX, 2.5RS, Legacies (all 3 generations), WRXs, Modified WRXs, Highly Modified WRXs. This is probably my favorite or 2nd favorite subie. The interior accomodations are probably the best since the SVX. Handling is amazing in stock form, and the power is neck wrenching!

I took her out with my dealer, a good friend of mine and let her rip. No wheel squeel, no matter how hard I made the turns. In the straightaway, off the line, I hit 105mph and thought I was doing 60mph!!!!

If I had the $, I would have bought that one right there as it stood in Black/Gold. Compared to the Evo it's a far superior car for street driving/daily use. The Evo may out handle it slightly on the track, but realistically who is gonna do wheel to wheel racing with a brand new $30K+ car?

-mike

grahampeters · October 2003

G'day

I'm looking to replace my 99 Outback so the chance to compare it back to back with the 05 Outback and Liberty (Legacy to you) in manual and auto forms was welcome. I have mentioned before that I do not like the transmission in the 99 Outback. It is prone to shuddering on wet or cold mornings when the clutch facing takes up moisture from the air. The new manual transmission is dramatically easier to handle with a more progressive clutch take-up and less notchy gear engagement. The added power from the retuned engine also helps. Power in the 2.5i is up about ten percent, largely because of retuned exhaust manifolds, now leading into twin tail pipes. The engine note has changed a little- no longer so markedly boxerish but still definitely Subaru. Its a sound you either love or loathe - some local testers have complained that the engine noise is intrusive in an otherwise almost silent car. It sounds good to me.

In the lovely H6, power has leapt to 180kW (about 240bhp) and this is mated to a 5 speed auto with tiptronic shift. Left in normal mode it operates as a conventional economy auto. Moving the shift lever right moves it to Sport settings (still full auto). Subsequent touches forward or back then engage selected gears manually removing any auto control.

Acceleration in the manual 2.5I is exciting, the 4 speed auto less so although there was a marked difference between the two autos I tested. Perhaps the Outback wagon with only 7km on the clock needed adjustment. Until I try a more run-in version, I will continue to be a manual fan for the Outback. The tiptronic transmission is a cute gimmick, but not really that appealing. I was experimenting in suburban peak hour where I could see no real benefit to it. Perhaps with experience, I would get the hang of it but really cannot see what all the fuss is about.

Suspension settings are similar to the previous generation although it feels more stable over uneven ground. One minor grip with my current Outback is the slight wobble I feel when traversing bumps at an angle. I suspect its the squishy tyres needed for off road work, but its an irritation. The 05 model seems to have this issue much better sorted.

Handling is tighter than the previous generation and the closest that I have found to neutral in a family car. I was able to get the H6 onto dirt and tried to spin it. The traction control stopped that, the car remaining absolutely flat as I accelerated hard - no tail out slides, I am sad to say. I repeated the maneuver with the traction control off and could again produce no spin. It responds directly to steering inputs with no apparent torque effects.

The H6 is definitely the pick of a lovely bunch. The creamy smooth motor and 5 speed auto work well together offering stunning acceleration from an innocent looking car. Like all Subarus, the engine will need a lengthy period to loosen up but the tester I drove was already feeling very sweet after 1000km.

If you drive a current model Liberty or Outback, the experience will feel very familiar. It seems wiered to admit it but despite driving four different models over the past few weeks, I am hard pressed to differentiate them from my 99 Outback. That could be a good thing, reflecting how happy I am with my current car. Alternatively, I am I stuck in middle aged boredom. Perhaps, I should cross shop against alternatives. Maybe today is a good time to try some.

Regards

Graham

rsholland · November 2003

I stopped my my local Dodge dealer today, after meeting with a client, to discover they just got in two all-new Durangos in yesterday.

Full-size-lite SUV
The new Durango has grown a bit. It probably matches up very nicely size-wise with the Chevy Tahoe, even though it's considered a mid-size SUV. Frankly I disagree with that; the Durango is really a full-size-lite SUV, IMO. It' the first "mid-size" SUV to be wide enough to accomodate 48" wide paneling flat on the floor between the rear wheelwells. Historically this has been a feat that only full-size SUVs and pickups could do, The new Durango has 48.4" between the wheelwells, so, with care, you can slide sheets of plywood in there; still can't close the tailgate all the way, but it's close.

Also payload and towing are right up there with full-size SUVs. The one I drove, as equipped, had a payload rating of 1,450 pounds and a tow rating of 8,700 pounds. This doesn't quite match the Nissan Pathfinder Armada or the Ford Expedition, but it's in the ballpark, for sure.

I bet when the Dakota get redesigned next year, off of this platform, it too will handle 4x8 paneling flat on the floor, and will be sized much like the old Toyota T100, which was also a full-size-lite truck.

Power & drivetrain
The one I drove had the 5.7 Hemi engine, which, on paper is the most powerful engine in this displacement range. Note I said "on paper," because the the Armada's engine, while rated less, sure feels stronger and a lot more responsive. Like the Armada, the new Durango has a 5-speed automatic. The Durango also is available with the 4.7 OHC V8 and the 3.7 OHC V6. Both V8s come with the 5-speed automatic, and the V6 comes only with a 4-speed automatic. The V6 is not available in 4WD models either. No way can I imagine a V6 in this vehicle, it's just way too heavy for that engine. If I were buying one, the Hemi is the only way I would consider it, and I'd learn to live with its lousy gas mileage.

The mid-level SLT and top-drawer Limiteds are available with a 4WD that has the following modes: AWD (full-time!), 4-high and 4-low (part-time), and a Neutral position if it needs to be towed. I believe this a variation of the Jeep Select Trac system. Not sure what kind of 4WD* is available in the base-level ST model.

The ride was very comfortable, and as to handlingwell it's a truck. If you're looking for sporty handling, this isn't your rig.

The tow package comes with both 4-pin and 7-pin wiring, which is good. The Expedition comes that way too. If you order the optional skid plate package, you also get front tow hooks.

Interior
Typical Chrysler, which is both good and bad. The Armada has many more storage cubbies and the details (switches, etc.) are better. For example, the Armada has auto up/down for both front windows; the Durango only has an auto-down on the driver's window. The center console storage on the Armada is much bigger and better thought out than that found on the Durango. The "cruise control" light goes on when you activate the CC master switch. I would much rather see it go on only when the CC is actually engaged.

One surprise was the 3rd-row seat. It's much better than the one on the Armadawhich is a bigger vehicle. The Durango has much more 3rd-row headroom, and the seat (while looking somewhat skimpy) is much more comfortable to sit in. A 50/50 split-fold is optional on leather-equipped SLT and Limited models, and not available on the base-level ST model. I feel very strongly that this split-fold 3rd-row seat should be standard on all Durangos, and not a "leather-only" option.

Bottom line:
All-in-all, a very nice upgrade. I wish it had the IRS found on the Armada, Explorer and Expedition. The vehicle looks much better in person, than in photos. Still, I'm sure there will be many who will have a hard time with its frontend styling. I like it, now that I've seen it in the flesh.

* One Beef!
Dodge has among the worst brochures on the market. As bad as this year's brochure is. last year's was worse!

What's the problem? No specs, or at least very few... I know (from the brochure) what the payload and towing is. I know the engine power ratings. What I don't know is: length, width, height, wheelbase, standard tire size, interior measurements, etc. For a "truck" brochure, not having that sort of info is a borderline sin. The '04 Dodge Ram brochure is the same way. Arrgh!

Plus... half way through the brochure, you have to turn it upside down! WHY??? Obviously done by an out of control art director...

Bob

rsholland · November 2003

The new Durango has perhaps the best set of running boards that I have yet encountered on a modern SUV/pickup. They're BIG, and very user-friendly; especially when accessing the roof rack. The running boards on my Explorer are sort of tucked away, and not at all very useful; not so with the new Durango.

Good job Dodge!

Bob

ateixeira · November 2003

After the trauma of seeing the Armada's Monroney sticker, indicating 13/19 mpg EPA estimates, it just felt right to take a peek at the new Prius. I first saw one in April at the NY Auto Show, and found the 5 door configuation more appealing than all existing hybrid vehicles.

55 mpg overall. That's more like it. But does it measure up to mainstream cars that cost about the same?

Yes. I was quite impressed. The interior is far nicer than the norm, with cushy soft fabrics and upgraded, thick carpets with nicely finished edges. In fact I'd rank it higher than the Camry in this regard. It definitely feels substantial, not like an economy car. It had heft.

Toyota pitches this as a mid-size that seats 5. Well, that's a stretch. The wheelbase is long and leg room is plentiful. Headroom is great up front, but in the back my head rubbed on the headliner. The middle seat is tight, narrow, and the hump limits the amount of time I'd be willing to spend there. Put the nice arm rest down and call it a very comfy 4 seater.

The cargo area is decent, but easily expands with quick folding seats. Tall items won't fit unless you leave the hatch open. Again, though, the nicely finished edges on the carpets, perfect seams, exemplary quality of assembly that puts the $37k Armada to shame.

Press "Power" to turn it on. OK, cool. The shift lever was user-friendly, I figured it out without instructions (try that in a BMW 7 series). The tach and speedo are too far off for my taste, the only negative in a very nice interior.

Oddly, it's totally silent. It pulls off quietly, and the motor kicks in when needed, so smoothly that I would not have noticed were I not looking for it. In traffic it is Lexus-quiet. Kudos.

The CVT is brilliant. I've had a CVT in a 2 wheeler before, and dreaded the droning from the engine. Not so here, Toyota tuned it nicely. It's so smooth I didn't even feel the need to ask for a manual.

Ride is cushy, one pot hole did make us bottom out but DC's roads can be awful. It accelerates to speed a lot better than you'd expect from 76 hp, but that's because with electric assist you have 110hp on tap, not to mention 295 lb-ft of torque right at idle. Score!

The Energy Monitor is so cool that you can't help but watch what's going on, try to get the best MPG possible. Next to it are two glove boxes, and lost of space for the front passengers. You can even get side curtain air bags to protect the passengers.

We came to a stop, and I pressed the Park button. Easy enough. Outside I note the Jetsons exterior looks better in person. They've even slammed the taillights for you, with clear lenses that look futuristic. Welcome to 2040, Earthling.

The hatch opens with an electric latch, like some high-end luxury cars. You get HIDs and even a rear wiper, with DVD Navigation optional. Don't bother asking for that in the Civic Hybrid.

Misses are few. It's got a donut spare, but considering efficiency is the priority here, that's acceptable.

I left with a smile. I have to admit it's too small to replace my Forester, but boy would I be interested in a hybrid AWD SUV when those become available.

-juice

ateixeira · November 2003

Chevy hosted a Malibu event this past weekend, and I was able to preview the upcoming Malibu Maxx "extended sedan".

I also drove the V6 Malibu sedan, and compared it to the V6 Camry and the V6 Sonata on a short course.

Then we got to take the Malibu out on a longer, one mile long course, with lots of nice turns and a slalom. In this case we sampled V6 and 4 cylinder models.

Finally, they set up a short course to compare the new Malibu to the Accord. I'll discuss that last, and uncover their dirty little secret.

The Maxx was up on a show stand, but it was open so I was able to get inside for the first time. I'd seen it at the NY Auto Show back in April, but it was roped off.

The Maxx is interesting because it actually has a longer wheelbase than the sedan, and offers some great features, such as a built-in DVD player and sky lights for the rear passengers. The rear seat also slides fore/aft and reclines, promising great comfort for 4.

The middle rear seat was hard, and there is a hump on the floor (why do FWD cars still have this?). So call it a very comfy 4 seater, 5 in a pinch.

Keeping in mind this was a pre-production show car, I found several quality misses inside. The B-pillar trim was loose, and in the rear seat I found the lever to recline the seat had broken off. Then I found a leather handle that must've ripped off the seat as well.

I went to the cargo area, and the lever to lift the spare cover had also broken off. Finally, the D-pillar trim was loose. Basically it didn't feel well put together. Materials were pretty decent, average for the class minus a couple of cheaper plastics, but I hope Chevy's production cars are a lot tighter (note: the Malibu sedans I drove were).

Remote start sounds interesting, side-curtain air bags too, power adjustable pedals, tilt/telescoping steering wheel. Plus, it shares a platform with a Saab.

With a longer wheelbase, it should smooth out the Malibu's ride somewhat. The hatch is nice, but a wagon would be even more practical. Malibu Double Maxx?

It's nice that Chevy will offer a 5 door, rare in this segment. If they can get quality control up to snuff the Maxx should attract some new customers to Chevy dealers.

-juice

ateixeira · November 2003

I sampled a Sonata V6 on a short, 1/2 mile or so course. To get better acquainted with each car, since I sampled 3 back-to-back, I actually drove each car twice.

I got in and immediately took to the interior, IMO the nicest of the 3. Fake plood or not, the interior is warm and welcoming, and ergonomics are very intuitive.

Kudos to Hyundai for some nice details like the padded headliner, the multi-link hinges on the trunk, and the thicker-than-average carpeting. The seats were also comfy, and I liked the Sport Shift controls.

Now to the drive...the V6 is certainly adequate but wasn't particularly quick. The tranny has only 4 speeds and first gear seemed tall, so it wook a while to get it really moving.

Body lean was pretty severe, the ride/handling balance clearly biased towards ride. The steering was accurate and shifts were smooth, but the brakes locked up. Despite being the highest trim level, ABS is still optional, which is poor packaging.

A little more power, a 5th gear, and standard ABS would make this a contender. For now, price and warranty will remain it's biggest appeal.

-juice

ateixeira · November 2003

This was the luxury cruiser of the group. It did everything quietly and smoothly, but just didn't perk up much interest.

I had sampled a 4 cylinder last time we were car shopping, and ruled it out mostly due to the clunky shifter and clutch. This automatic V6 was a lot smoother, but still not sporting at all.

The interior is very roomy and comfortable, but mostly innoffensive. They don't aim to please, they try not to offend. Overall the interior could be warmer, more inviting. Maybe they leave room for improvement with the Lexus ES?

Acceleration is good, the tires would let off a slight chirp. A 5 speed auto and more power easily leave the Sonata behind in this regard.

But turn the first corner, and boy, did it lean. It was just not comfortable going fast. The steering is overboosted, too. Understeer was the worst of the bunch, and the brakes (with ABS standard) felt too soft. You had to really step on them firmly to get them to stop.

The 5 speed automatic was the only one with no manual controls. Given the way it'll be driven by most owners, they won't even miss it.

This is the perfect car - for my parents. Honestly? I didn't even feel like taking it for a 2nd lap around the test circuit.

A bigger V6 is on the way, but without revised suspension tuning this is still a car for the point A to point B crowd, one that they'll love for its excellent quality control, smoothness, and strong resale value.

-juice

ateixeira · November 2003

Chevy hosted the event and no doubt set up a course that would show the Malibu's advantages over the other two cars here. Can't blame 'em for using this home-court advantage.

The interior was the one I liked the least of the 3 cars here. It was a sea of beige plastics, some cheap looking. The headliner and carpets were nice, though, and the testers were problem-free, unlike the Maxx on display (see above).

The leather, however, was very nice, with a perforated suede-like insert as good as any material I've come across. The fabric on lesser models had some ugly designs, so get the leather if you can afford it.

So, how did it drive? Is it a poor man's Saab 9-3, given it shares the Epsilon architecture? Well, sort of.

The V6 is a pushrod engine, sort of old-tech, but tried and true. A new engine is due soon, but this one was torquey if a little unrefined. The tranny had just 4 speeds, again old-tech for this class, and the manual controls on the left of the park lever were hard to use. I prefer buttons on the steering wheel.

Despite the 80s era technology in the powertrain, this one would chirp its tires with gusto. It felt the quickest, though the Camry was so smooth about accelerating you almost couldn't tell if it was as fast. If you like to hear the engine, feel it, Malibu is your pick from this group.

Body roll was well controlled, at least compared to the other 2 in this group. Its ride was actually the sportiest, though bumps did come with a bang. Electric power steering never ran out of boost, even in tight corners, but feedback was limited.

Brakes were, again, firm and stopped the shortest in this group. Some models come with drums, though, and we were testing a top of the line LT V6.

So yeah, it did feel like a poor man's Saab 9-3. The chassis felt very solid and stable. It deserves a smoother engine (not necessarily more powerful), and how about a 5 speed auto? Even the cheaper Koreans offer that.

Later on, we got to take the Malibu on a longer, 1 mile circuit they had laid out just for the Chevy. Here you could see the limitations a little more clearly.

My biggest complaint is their tire choice, it's a narrow 65 series tire. I'm sure Lutz saved stockholders millions, but they don't begin to do justice to this chassis. The tread was badly worn and some had bald spots on the outer sides of the tread. Tire squeel was annoying, and this limited acceleration, braking and handling thresholds.

I drove the 4 cylinder model briefly, but the V6 was so much better that I could not recommend the 4 for anyone but a fleet buyer. The V6 even handled better, for whatever reason. All of them had the same tires.

Is it still just a rental car? The interior tells me "yes", but the driving experience says "maybe not". Lutz is making cars that are more interesting to drive, but at the same time cutting costs. You notice both.

-juice

ateixeira · November 2003

You may have guess Chevy's "dirty little secret" by now, if not I'll spell it out for you:

they compared a V6 Malibu to an Accord LX 4 cylinder!

Maybe they thought it couldn't compete with the Accord V6's 240 hp? It seemed cowardly and unfair. Even prices are out of line with each other, about $3000 off. Maybe Chevy has built-in a margin big enough to offer a $3000 rebate?

This course was very short so I can only share quick impressions. The interior of the Accord is roomy and inviting, and I liked the lit dash. Ergonomics were perfect.

The 4 cylinder is surprisingly peppy, comparable to the Sonata V6, if not the Malibu's. Much peppier than Chevy's 4 banger. I imagine the Honda V6 would be easily quicker than the Malibu, so much so that Chevy was afraid to show it.

The 5 speed auto was smooth, but no manual controls are offered, not even on the V6. Handling is kind of soft, again this is biased towards comfort. Tire squeel was a problem, but this car has 15" rims. The V6 comes with 16" rims and 60 series tires, and that again would likely have outgunned the Chevy.

My only complaint on the Accord drive was that it ran out of steering boost on a series of turns, an unlikely scenario on the road. Even so it managed not to be boring.

So, ironically, the car they setup to lose, the Underdog if you will, was my favorite. It was peppy, affordable, high quality, roomy, and smooth.

Of course I'd get the V6, or at least the 4 cylinder with a manual tranny and then Plus One the rims and tires myself. Given that $3000 plus price advantage, I could still pay for gas for a couple of years with the savings.

-juice

rsholland · November 2003

Well, it turns out my son wants to sell his '96 Impreza Outback, and get a new Toyota Prius hybrid. That being the case, I thought I had better check one out.

I have certainly been aware of the Prius, and the other hybrids (Civic & Insight), but really had little interest in them, as they have not been touted as "sporty" cars. However, at the Toyko Motor Show two weeks ago, Honda showed a thinly disguised NSX replacement that's a hybrid, and -- much closer to my heart -- Subaru showed an AWD hybrid roadster concept, the B9 Scrambler, which just blew me away. So my interest in hybrids this past month has soared, to say the least.

So, yesterday, on the way back from teaching at MICA, I stopped by a Toyota dealer to check one out, and to take it for a short spin.

Juice pretty much nailed it with his report. There's nothing that he mentioned that I would disagree with. So these comments are more of embellishments to his report.

* There is a large hidden storage area under the trunk floor, to hide things. There is also a storage area there for the retractable cargo cover, for when you don't need it -- a very nice feature!

* I don't care for the speedometer; it's digital. While very easy to read, I find the constantly changing speed numbers to be jarring and a distraction. This is a long-standing and common complaint of digital speedometers.

* Cruise control switch is an all-in-one-unit, (meaning the on/off master switch is incorporated into it) is a easy-to-use stalk coming off the steering column. A green light goes on when it's turned on, not when it's actually engaged. That I don't like; it should only lite when the CC is engaged IMO.

The Prius is the first of what I call "real" hybrid cars that, IMO, is a legitimate alternative to what is considered the traditional family-oriented vehicle. I can't wait to see this technology applied to SUVs and pickups too; and I also can't wait for Subaru to apply hybrid technology to an AWD vehicle -- like their soon-to-be-announced 7-passenger crossover.

Bob

rsholland · November 2003

The Toyota dealer also mentioned that there is a $2K federal tax discount when you buy a hybrid. That may change after the first of the year. Also the state of Maryland, where I live, says that you don't have to pay the 5.5% sales tax when you buy a hybrid. So there are some good financial incentives to buy one.

Bob

ateixeira · November 2003

Endeavor is a bold SUV. Love it or hate it, it looks like a Grand Cherokee on steroids. You do notice it.

It's April 2002, at the New York Auto Show. I previewed an Endeavor there. Lots of the trim in the cargo area, plus the arm rest, are done in a shiny rubberized material that scratched easily and just looked plain cheap.

Well, turns out that was pre-production. The production model has textured hard plastics that are far nicer and more durable. Nothing special but at least not awful like I thought.

Despite a slightly strange design that looks some an '80s Boom Box was stuffed in the middle of the center console, I liked it. The displays are all lit a soothing blue, and you have outside temperature, compass, radio settings, climate control, all on that screen that sits high up on the dash.

The seat cushion was short, though, and offered no thigh support. My knees were left dangled and kept hitting the unpadded arm rest on the door. The dead pedal is way too close to the seat, probably because the floor-mounted parking brake gets in the way.

The rear isn't much better. The bench is too low to the ground, so you sit "knees in the chest". The cushion is too short also. And why no 3rd row? Even the Highlander gets one for 2004. Given Mitsu is late to the market, this omission seems like an obvious mistake. They have a Montero with 3 rows, but that's a trucky SUV that caters to a different audience.

Cargo space is good, and the area is nicely finished. The carpet edges are done neatly, much better than the loose ends I found on the Galant sedan.

The engine produces excellent torque, even down low. It sounds unrefined, though, even loud under full throttle. Enough to excite the driver, but also wake up the baby in the back seat. Sound insulation seemed a little lacking, as road noise and tire noise also were prominent.

The tranny, again, did its job well. Manual controls for the automatic were nice and responsive, though it's hard to forgive having only 4 ratios on a new design when competitors have 5 nowadays. And no manual is offered, either.

Thumbs up for the full-time AWD system, which never let a wheel spin, even under heavy throttle in the rainy conditions we had. There is zero torque steer, so the system is very effective, even fun. It does not feel like FWD, like the Honda Pilot.

Handling was surprisingly good, far better than the Pilot or Highlander. There is much less lean. The engine sits very low in the engine bay, the entire block below the top of the tires, for a low center of gravity. They took a page from Subaru's book, and a good one.

Ride was pretty good. Better than the Pilot's, but not quite as buttery soft at the Highlander. NVH control is worse than both, however. But it's also more involving, more fun for the driver.

Sticker price was $33k. This dealer had a $3k markup. Let's face it, that is just plain absurd nowadays. There is a $2000 rebate already, which adds insult to injury. You see a $36k sticker and have to laugh.

Real-world prices are at about $2000 below invoice, that makes this a strong value. About $28k for the Limited. I was able to find an XLS AWD with a DVD for $28k also. However, be forewarned - the cloth seats are not as nice, and the steering wheel on those models is a cheap feeling plastic. The shifter too.

So loaded up, they carry a pretty nice price advantage over the Highlander Limited, plus a factory DVD option. The 3.8l also feels better than Toyota's 3.0l, but in this competitive market, Toyota has already responded with a 3.3l upgrade.

If you want the driver's pick, go with the Mitsu. The Toyota is more refined, quieter, and smoother, but it also manages to be a bit boring.

The Pilot, on the other hand, is a better value, due to the extra space and the 3rd row seating. It lacks a true full-time AWD system, though, and neither ride nor handling match the Endeavor's, in my opinion.

So, Pilot is my pick for families. Highlander is my pick for luxury intenders. Endeavor is the sportiest of the bunch, and that will be the Mitsu's angle, it's selling point.

-juice

rsholland · November 2003

Stopped by a Subie dealer today to get my annual WRX wagon 5-speed flu shot (aka: test drive). It's been a year since I last drove one, and the new one is as good as ever.

Actually it's better than ever. Several folks in the Subaru Crew have posted that the new '04 WRX now has a cruise "set" light, and by golly it does indeed! You activate the master switch and a green "cruise" lights up on the dash; then you hit the "set" on the CC stalk, and a green "set" lights up right next to the word cruise, so that it reads: "cruise set.". I hope Subaru is going to do this with all their models.

Ain't progress great!

Now if only we can get the sedan's premium package (w/moonroof), standard 17" wheels (like other markets), ambient temperature gauge, standard center armrest extension, and an extra power outlet in that center armrest; I'd be one really happy camper.

Bob

rsholland · November 2003

First I get my annual sporty car fix over at the Subie dealer, then I go check out an F-150! This perfectly illustrates my completely out of control curiosity for anything automotive. A "shrink" would have a field day with me, no doubt.

In any event, this new F-150 is HUGE. So large in fact, that just coming off driving a WRX, and then driving this beast would require some gargantuan mental adjustments that I just wasn't prepared to attempt; so, maybe another day...

Speaking of full-size pickups: Anyone notice that they just keep getting bigger and bigger each time they go through a redesign? At this rate, it won't be long before Kenworth, et al, will consider entering the 1/2-ton market, as these new "pickups" are getting dangerously close to Class 8 truck size.

And speaking of dumb ideas, this new F-150 regular cab now has 4-doors. Rear hinged doors 3 & 4 are usually referred to as "suicide doors," but the space behind the rear seat is so small that nothing resembling a human could possibly get back there, so maybe the term "access panels" would be better. But here's the rub: There's very little access with these doors. Because the doors (access panels) are so small, and that the door-hinge hardware is so large and bulky, there is a (required) dog-leg at the bottom of these doors to house all this stuff; and that virtually wipes out any "access!" The already small accessible space is now virtually cut in half, thus limiting "access" to only skinny stuff, like flat cardboard. Those muscular types certainly can lift items over this dog-leg, but don't expect many wifeys out there to master this trick. Then there's the costs associated in enginnering and producing this next to worthless feature. Rube Goldberg must have been the project director on this one. This is a classic "great marketing idea" that just doesn't work in real life, and is certainly not one of Ford's "Better Ideas."

Bob

varmint · November 2003

Nissan Murano

For the past month or so, Ive been trying to get a test drive of the new Prius. However, dealers in my area are selling them before they hit the lots. Ive tried puppy eyes, greased palms with a Washington (Hey! Edmunds doesnt pay me for this), and even showed a little leg. Surprisingly, none of it worked. Theres a three month wait on new orders. Instead, when my errands this weekend took me past a Nissan dealership, I decided to stop in and check the menu for their specials.

Pulling into the lot, I was looking for the Z350, but my eyes failed to locate a sample the hot new sports car. The Prius debacle has nearly shattered my self esteem, so, rather than get turned away once more, I focused my reviewers crosshairs on the Murano, yet another cross-over SUV. Go figure.

The vehicle I drove was fully loaded with a sticker price just north of $39K. That might seem a bit extreme, but it did have the NAV system, power adjustable pedals, a tow package, and every other option in the brochure. This was an SL, which in Nissans vocabulary, means the luxury model, not the sporty one. Buyers seeking a more modest $32K unit should have no trouble shaving off option packages to achieve a more financially responsible vehicle without completely stripping it of all the goodies. Most everything that I wanted came as part of the standard option list.

The Murano makes a strong visual statement. Its similar to the way I feel about rap music. I cant understand what the Murano is saying, but its loud and I can tell the truck feels strongly about it. Based on discussions with co-workers and friends, it appears that the Nissan stylists have achieved a perfect balance of love and hate. For my part, I find the sheetmetal sporty and direct, but a bit over-sexed. The rakish profile, large rim/wheel combination, and flowing lines are all the typical motifs of a good sports car. However, the toothy grill injects a rigid, mechanical element into an otherwise organic design. (Does anyone remember Jaws from Moonraker?) The apparently deliberate contrast doesnt work. The upright shape of both the front and rear lights seems appropriate for the Murano. Its just that the taillights emphasize the already bulging rear flanks. This is a perfect example of a good idea taken too far. Overall, the Muranos look gets the job done. It shows passion. I think Nissans attempt at a sporty SUV looks better than, say, the new Porsche Cayenne, but the styling will begin to look dated as fast as those clear taillights used on the Altima.

While poking around the interior, I found comfortable seats in front and the back with plenty of legroom. Unlike some of the Muranos peers, there is no third row of seats. The cabin feels cozy with enough space for all but the largest of passengers. Overall, fit an finish of my tester was superior to that of the Chrysler Pacifica I tested a while back. I did find the cover for the cupholder compartment was jammed shut, but, once opened, neither I nor the salesman could reproduce the problem. Many of the interior surfaces are flat, mechanical shapes covered with brushed aluminum. Once again, this angular, modern style contrast badly with the organic lines of the vehicle. If the outside looked like a Cadillac CTS, I wouldnt have an issue. But it doesnt. So I do.

The interior was another mixed bag from a functional point of view. The gauges for speed, engine rpm, and the fuel & engine temp indicators are housed in binnacles attached to the steering column. Although positioned a bit closer to the drivers eye, I found these difficult to read with a quick glance. The redundant controls for the radio and cruise control were also mounted just a bit too far inside the wheel for easy reach with my thumbs. To accurately manipulate these controls, I took my hand from the wheel and used my index finger. On the other hand, I had no problem finding the location for the ignition key. It is positioned on the dash facing the driver, rather than on the steering column. The main radio and HVAC controls were easily within reach and the controls were easy to manipulate. I did not spend any time playing with the navigation system, but the controls for that seemed simple enough.

The cargo space behind the second row measures only 32 cu.ft. Thats less than some of the small SUVs available on the market today. That said, the space is well-proportioned and useful. Nissan has included two latches on either side of the cargo door. A pull on either latch folds one of the 60/40 sections of the second seats. It works like some kind of spring-loaded mechanism. Theres no need to remove headrests, seat cushions, or even walk around to the side of the car. With the seats folded, there is ample room for sports equipment, baby strollers, or whatever else you might be carrying. At 82 cu.ft., the space is not quite the cavern provided by the Honda Pilot, but it equals most others in this class. I did find that the lift-over height was a bit steep, but that was my only gripe.

On the road is where the Murano began to impress. Although I have never driven a CVT-equipped vehicle before, I found it easy to adjust to the lack of shifts and constant rpm hum coming from the engine compartment. That may be because the engine ran fairly quietly as I piloted the Murano over town roads. The 3.5 liter V6 is strong enough in the low end that it rarely need to rev all that high. This CVT and its relaxed performance account for the excellent fuel economy on the window sticker. At an EPA rating of 20-24 mpg, the Murano leads all other cross-over SUVs and embarrasses the truck-based competition.

Though not quite strong enough to cash the check written by the stylists, acceleration was perfectly adequate. I found the engine note a bit raspy when the go pedal was pushed with authority. While puttering around town, this was not an issue. Once we got on the highway, I found it coarse and intrusive. I selected the manual sport mode of the transmission once, but quickly went back to the normal drive mode as the engine was just too loud. At highway speeds, there is a little wind noise, but road noise was dampened reasonably well. If you go easy with the gas pedal, the engine purrs along without unnecessary fanfare.

varmint · November 2003

The Maxima-based chassis and suspension does a good job of smoothing out the bumps and preventing body roll while cornering. It has been a while since Ive driven the Pilot and Highlander, but the Murano felt the most athletic of the three. The braking system includes the usual ABS and EBD. A stability control system is also an option. I found the brakes easy to modulate and effective in stopping the 4,000 lbs vehicle. Nissan has also fitted the Murano with four airbags for the front occupants and curtain-style airbags for the back seats. Interestingly, the side airbags up front are not of the curtain variety and do not include the occupant positioning sensors like those employed in Hondas. The Murano has earned good and excellent scores in the NHTSA crash tests. I did not have a chance to fully test the AWD system, but experienced no wheel spin when launching the vehicle (moderately) aggressively from a standstill.

Summary

The Murano is a quirky, but capable SUV. There is so much to like about this vehicle. Nissan offers every creature comfort youd expect and then some. Ride and handling are top notch and the cabin is very comfortable. The extroverted styling may be the Muranos best and worst friend all at once. If you can handle the look of the exterior and interior, then youll have no problem with the functional quirks I found during my test drive. If you find yourself with an SUV named after glass artwork and happen to have a handful of stones Go ahead and chuck em. The Murano can handle the repercussions.

rsholland · December 2003

They're starting to arrive! The dealer in Silver Spring, MD got two this morning, a 5-speed and a automatic. The 5-speed was sold and gone by the time I got there this late afternoon; certainly a good sign for the future.

In a nutshell: Very impressive! Considering the primary audience (Harry & Harriet homeowner), it's a very good solution. Will it knock you over with power? Not from a standstill, but once moving it does scoot.

This was also the first Subie 4EAT SportShift that I've driven, and it too was very good. I just wished it were a 5EAT, and not a 4EAT. Maybe next year... I also want to try the 5-speed manual when I get a chance.

I also noticed it has the "cruise set" light so that it only goes on when it is engaged. Thank you Subaru.

This Baja had the leather seat package, which also comes with heated seats.

Even with all these improvements, I can't help but want to see this applied to the next-generation Baja, be it built off the new Outback platform or the new upcoming 7-passenger crossover platform.

Bob

paisan · December 2003

Here's a short writeup of an "older" car that I had a chance to run while instructing a student at Limerock Park racetrack....

Power- Even though it wasn't the supercharged version, this car had plenty of power for the race track with the torque V6 engine. Able to keep up in the novice group with camaros and mustangs.

Handling- Far better than I thought a heavy american car would be. There was body roll, but overall the car pulled well through the turns and stuck pretty well with non-race tires.

Interior- roomy coupe, interior parts were holding up well

Transmission- was smooth and no slipping through all the tracks turns, it would have been nice if the AT auto-upshifted at redline instead of bouncing off the rev limiter, but overall pretty good.

Brakes- Stock brakes were well matched with the car only heated up after a 15-20 min session slowing car after the straight.

I was pretty impressed with this vehicle, considering it was FWD, and American Iron. I wouldn't go buy one, but it was far better than what I was expecting.

-mike

rsholland · January 2004

My daughter's '92 Prelude is becoming a real headache; too many expensive problems, and we've lost confidence in it as reliable transportation. So we're looking for a new (or almost new) ride for her. I'm hot on the Subaru Outback Sport, as I think it is a great car, and a super value. We've already got two Subies, so another Subie is, well... kind of dull... no matter how good it is. At least that's my daughter's opinion. She drove the new Outback Sport, and really liked it, but the "wow" factor was missing.

On the way home from the Subie dealer we stopped by a Honda dealer to check out the CRV. Well, she just flipped out over it. It has a lot of neat features, tons of room, drove very nicely, and most important... it was new and "different" from the Subie. It's also about $5K more expensive than the Outback Sport.

So we picked up a brochure, went home and started mulling this over seriously.

Yesterday, a couple of days after my daughter had driven it, I went back and drove it. I have to say I was very impressed. I drove one of the new-generation CRVs when they first came out, but that was over a year ago. As I recall, I was impressed then too.

What I liked most
* Typical Honda quality and attention to detail. There was hardly a control or switch that I had any complaints about.

* High content for the $. For $23K MSRP you get ABS, moonroof, 6-disk in-dash CD, alloy wheels, and side airbags.

* HUGE amount of room, much more than the Forester, another favorite of mine.

* Sliding/reclining rear seat. This is without a doubt the best rear seat in this class of vehicle.

* Power is adequate; not great, but certainly adequate.

What I liked least
* Well, it's just not "my" kind of vehicle. I prefer something more sporty. In this class my preference would be the turbo Forester XT; but this is a car not for me, it's for my daughter, and for her it would be perfect.

* I'm not a fan of Honda's on-demand "Real-time" 4WD. I prefer a full-time AWD, like that found on Subies.

* In order to get ABS, you have to get the most expensive EX model. Every Subie -- EVERY SUBIE -- has ABS standard. We want ABS, so if we go the the CRV route, that means the expensive EX model.

* Finally, and most disturbing, there are recent revelations about potential engine fires with CRVs. This was indeed a surprise, and something I just learned of last night. Check recent (as of "around" this date: 1/18/04) Edmunds "Honda CR-V" thread and recent "Honda CR-V Owners: Problems & Solutions" thread. Not sure at this point if this is indeed a problem, or isolated instances, but there are recently documented cases here on these Edmunds threads that I just mentioned. In any event, this is not the kind of news one wants to hear when one is considering a purchase, for sure.

Bob

paisan · January 2004

I had a chance to work on a Cayanne over the weekend. Pretty nifty car. We put in a set of H&R lowering springs on it. I got to drive it around a bit and here's what I found...

Interior:
   Great interior quality and build, dashboard was my favorite in a long time. Love the LCD display in the gauge cluster, had all kinds of info etc. GPS in-dash was very nice, and auto-up/down windows were cool. Seats were comfy and tiptronic controls on the wheel were nice. In the rear the spare was deflated and stored under the rear cargo area, nice little tool kit and an arm to support the floor hatch. Tailgate had red lights for when it's open to warn on-coming traffic. Small trap-door where the latch for the liftgate was a nice touch.

Exterior:
   20" rims were funny on a truck with low-profile tires. Very curvy led to less interior room. Lots of plastic panels covering items in the engine bay and under the engine compartment. No skid plates anywhere on vehicle to protect it when/if offroading is ever done. Rear mounted muffler prevents hitch from being put on easily.

Pros:
    Awsome wagon for the rich folks. Smooth engine and tranny. Coffin-quiet interior. Interior build quality and features were a plus. Ride quality was quite good for a big heavy truck, felt planted and great on-road.

Cons:
  Not enough interior room to be considered for much "utility" beyond groceries and kids in the back seat. No skid plates, hitch is near inpossible to install w/o major mods to the body or muffler. When we jacked it up to put on the springs, 3 pumps of the jack lifted the wheels off the ground. I was pretty let down by this, it had about 3-4" of downward droop if that much! What kind of SUV could have such little downward axle travel? The truck also appears to be quite wide-body, but when you take out the ruler, you realize that the lower portion of the truck flares out about 11-12" from the interior. This means you are wasting a ton of real-estate on flares rather than putting it to good use for "utility" items.

The one we worked on was the $65K v8 version. This wasn't the full blown turbo model, but at $65 it's a bit too little for that $.

-mike

ateixeira · January 2004

I love Columbia jackets. They're perfect for skiing, and stylish to boot. When I heard Jeep would have these special editions, I just had to check one out.

Any way, wow, was I underwhelmed. Worst vehicle I have test driven in...ever, maybe? So disappointing it's incredible.

The seats are spongy, mushy even. No thigh support, cushions too short. There are 20 adjustments yet nothing made me comfortable. At least the Columbia fabric was nice. Leather seats in a Limited I sampled later were only slightly better.

The brake handle is on the passenger side, Duh!

Worst part was the Quadra Trac II. The 4WD systems whines incessently, I've never heard more driveline noise in my life! It was awful. Whirr-whirr-whirr the entire time. Salesman said it's normal, but goes away when it warms up. Nope. Kept whining the entire time.

Besides that, wind noise is all over the place. The engine groans loudly. NVH control is the worst I've ever seen since a very old Grand Wagoneer I tried in the 80s. You can tell the same people assembled them.

OK, I gotta say something nice. The High Output V8 is torquey and when you want to hear the engine growl, it does.

Um, that's about it. The back seat is only marginally roomier than my Forester, and also spongy. The moonroof is so-so, does not reach the back seat. Buttons seemed "sticky", not smooth.

I bumped my head on the hatch when it was open, so it's not even tall enough. Cargo space is only so-so, and the spare tire cover is held in place by velcro (really).

At least finish was decent, materials, again, about average.

Handling was deliberate, tall and tippy but not as bad as the Liberty, I guess it's wider.

I have never seen a vehicle more overdo for a make over than this one. The sales guy said the new one will get bigger, with 3 rows of seats and get a Hemi option.

That's not what it needs, frankly. It needs a smooth AWD system, a smoother engine, and much better NVH control, all desperately.

Back to the drawing board, guys. Start with a clean sheet.

-juice

blueguydotcom · January 2004

2004 BMW X3 3.0i SAV

Base price: $36,300

As tested: $41,695

Big truck based SUVs quickly face niche status as car-based SUVs/crossovers with their roomy interiors and passenger car handling take over the hearts and wallets of buyers. Solid beam axles have pretty much disappeared while independent suspensions, fold down seats and DVD players became de rigueur. Find an SUV built on a truck frame and it's usually the top of the line model that's designed to tow tractor trailers.

BMW jumped into the fray a few years back with the nicely shaped, though cramped, X5 SAV. Waiting until the facts were in and this tall station wagon craze hadn't ended, BMW opted to add some size to its 3 Series and produce a cute-ute version to match wits with the likes of the Lexus RX330 and Infiniti FX35. Naturally, BMW aims to provide the extra space and all weather capabilities of an SUV with the spirited driving characteristics of its vaunted 3 Series coupes and sedans.

Did they succeed?

EXTERIOR

Approaching the X3 a few things pop to mind. From a few angles it's a BMW no doubt, as the kidney grill betrays that from the front and the red/white taillight combo clearly screams BMW on the back. From the side, one might be able to guess Bimmer by the headlight design but really with is long flat surfaces, uninterrupted lines and lack of any hard creases, the X3 could easily blend in with the mini-ute crowd.

Maybe the X3's flat black, swirl marked paint is to blame for giving the SAV such a plain Jane look. The characteristic lines that defined BMW in the 90s will disappear once head designer Chris Bangle gets through with his one man march toward design oblivion. The X3 is just one more new product rolling out of Germany that doesn't strike a pose by its mere presence. It lacks the hunkered down, ready for action pose of the big brother X5 and it certainly doesn't have the imposing stature of the 7 Series. Conveying neither a rugged nor a fast look, the X3 could easily be mistaken for Ford's banal Escape. The large, tacky black plastic bumpers (which call to the Honda Civic DXs of the 80s and 90s), so mars this forty thousand dollar vehicle that it appears to stack up against the lowly cute-utes from Honda and Ford, not the Infiniti or Lexus competitors.

Leading back from the stylish nose, which houses Xenon headlights, the X3 immediately beings to lose any visual cues that it's a product of a marquee player. Standard 17 inch rims with 55 series rubber do not even come close to filling inelegantly carved wheel wells. The ridges and lips of prior BMW wheel wells exist no more under Bangle. He's opted for a Ford Focus look with the wheel wells seemingly cut out of a flat sheet of metal. Of course, the standard flavorless rims do little to help this design miscue.

The large front doors and square rear doors do little to attack the eye. No bisecting lines bend light on the metal or at the A, B or C-pillars. A thick, disastrous black panel runs along the lower edge of the truck. I imagine in future years BMW will paint that atrocity. At the D-pillar there's a slight attitude as Bangle's buddies decided to cut out a useful back window for a nonsensical raking design. The window after the D-pillar is half the size it should be and for no apparent reason other than to offer some pizzazz. Maybe liven things up earlier in the vehicle's lines and then this window wouldn't seem out of place?

The tailgate's similar in shape to the X5's but it lifts up as one unit to mirror the common design of 95% of the utes out there. The taillights in typical BMW fashion do come together nicely but it's almost too busy as the rest of the truck's so startlingly bland.

The doors open with fluid-like ease. Gasp a handle and pull up and back. The doors pop open with almost no effort. Then you realize it's not just that the mechanism great but also that the doors are feather light. There's no heft to the doors in the least, giving them a feeling akin to opening a Hyundai. Where's the heft that cries hardcore German engineering with safety in mind? Yes, it's mostly an illusion as it's the structural integrity of the truck which will determine its safety scores but on that subconscious level you pause when you feel a door that light on a luxury vehicle.

Of special note on the doors are two weird mistakes. The lack of useful detents keeps the doors from opening to say 30 degrees without swinging back if one is on an incline. Every German car I've been in or owned has featured this obnoxious ergonomic faux pas and it's growing less and less tolerable as Japanese brands close the gap at all levels. Additionally, on the inside, of the doors there's but one place to grab to close the door - a long, almost perpendicular handle. No handle resides within the armrest, so one must use the long handle at the front of the door (which offers horrible leverage) or nothing at all.

The rear hatch poses some annoyances too. The trunk release button uses the same silly flush rubbery-button as the rest of the 3 Series family. The button is recessed under a lip and above the license plate. Find this thing is a nightmare in the evening if one hasn't used the fob or if one needs to open the trunk without a key handy. Why not have the emblem do double duty as a release for the trunk? Or place a real, raised button somewhere more accessible. I encounter this on my 3 Series and curse the designers every time.

Once the hatch is popped, like so many current SUVs, the struts are insanely strong. Want to launch a child into orbit? Let the little bugger grab hold of tailgate as it lifts. Once up it's suitably tall enough for a person of short stature like me. But again, like so many SUVs, there's not a good place to grab for closing the lift gate. All the technology in the world and still to close a tailgate one can either touch the metal or search around for the recessed grab handle. I found the handle one night. It's right by the tailgate light. I'm still seeing stars from staring into the sun-like lamp but I got the tailgate down. Why not go tech with this on the highline model and offer fob control? Sure it'll break eventually, but for 40k I think some servos are in order.

Unfortunately, in my twos days with the X3 I did not find the time to use the hood release. If it's like other BMWs then a simple lever releases a second lever on the physical hood. A light yank and BMW reveals its true jewel, the 3.0 liter engine.

blueguydotcom · January 2004

INTERIOR

BMW deviated in just about all the right ways with the X3's interior. The door upholstery moves the X3 a level above its 3 Series brothers. The armrest on the doors features buttery soft leather and even the sill is of a softer material than the 3 Series. Door release handles are solid and move with precision.

A ridiculous cargo net made of a flimsy-stretchy material adorns the lower portion of the door where most cars have pockets for maps and CDs. Was plastic not good enough for the Sport Activity Vehicle? Do people really want their door bin contents to be on display? Do they want the netting to get stretched with age and sag? Was there a clamor among buyers for compartments that allow small items to escape into the parking lot?

The headliner features an odd looking but silky smooth material. At first glance it looks like breathable vinyl. Touching the headliner reveals it's a nice, if foreign material. I'm still not sure what they used but I like it more than the standard 3 Series liner.

Wood adornments covered the vertical handle on the doors and much of the center console. The blonde wood didn't appear to be fake but as I prefer aluminum in my sports vehicles, I can not attest to the veracity of the X3's wood. Needless to say it was a decent material that didn't clash too much with the rest of the truck.

The center console's a mixed bag too. The stereo and HVAC controls are slight variants of the usual layout found in the 3 Series. They operate fine, though BMW continues to stick to that asinine spinner dial for controlling the temperature of the car. Why even claim the car has auto heating and ventilation controls if one must adjust the dial atop the dash. Set the car for 67 degrees and in the morning the "automatic" system will blow frigid air at you until you turn a dial to spots with red dots. In the warmer part of the day, the opposite occurs. The ergonomic geniuses at BMW neglected to light the silly dial, so by nightfall, you must turn the dial Helen Keller style or use the dome light to get the "automatic" heating control to blow hot air. Gosh, I love having automatic HVAC controls that require constant attention. It's so much easier than manual controls.

Atop the console sits a large bin that gets filled with the navigation system if the car is so equipped. Lacking that $2000 toy, the test vehicle had a nice, useful bin instead. It's a good thing too, because the center console bin is pretty narrow and useless. Compared to a 3 Series coupe/sedan, it's commodious, but verses the rest of the automotive world I wonder what BMW is thinking.

The useful little cubby found beneath the HVAC in the 3 Series does not exist in the X3. What a shame as users who opt for the navigation system will not have a single place to store their sunglasses (as that upper bin will be filled).

The stick shift looked and felt fine - nothing remarkable, save for being unremarkable. Actually, the action of the 6 speed in the X3 was smoother than that of my BMW's manual. What shocked me the first day was that BMW removed window controls! I wanted to lower a window and my hand dropped instinctively to the left of the X3's stick shift. Nothing but soft wood. What the? BMW moved all the window controls to the driver's door! Sacrilege.

A few other notes about the console stand out. The X3 has one cupholder. One. I'm opposed to ever drinking in a vehicle, but cupholders come in handy for holding cellphones and the like. Nissan cleverly added a slot in their Murano for the cell phone but most manufacturers don't want to accept people tend to hop into a car with something small that may need holding. Additionally, more of that silly cargo netting adorns the passenger side of the console. What can it hold? Probably quite a bit until the material breaks or the anchors give out and the owner is left with a hanging net.

After climbing into the driver's seat I found myself sitting on the softest seats BMW's ever put in any 3 Series I've been inside. It's the Montana leather and it's almost Lazee-Boy soft. The target market for this vehicle probably wants this coddling so I can't complain even if it felt foreign and unnatural to me to ride in a BMW with such soft seats. The multiple adjustments and lumbar controls made finding the perfect seating position a snap.

Of course, BMW's use of a tilt/telescope wheel comes in handy too when searching for the perfect driving position. Unfortunately, said wheel on the non-sport model is a four spoke design covered in cheap feeling buttons. Depressing flimsy buttons made me worry this Pontiac-looking wheel might lose a stereo control. Also, the gauges of the X3 underwent a transformation from the 3 Series brother; now smaller, and cluttered, the instrument panel suffers from looking like an after thought. But at night the gauges do have a swoopy look that the more traditional 3 Series lacks.

Backseat room mirrors the source material. Like the sedans, the X3's backseat is an inhospitable place designed to torture riders. They do have the benefit of being able to drop the seat with the pull of one lever! And if they want privacy, BMW's window glass is tinted nicely.

Backseat passengers will have one thing to enjoy, a huge sunroof. The first time I triggered the roof I didn't pay much attention. As with all BMWs, you click the switch and forget about it, as the car will open the sunroof entirely. I noted as I drove that the sounds of motors continued for an inordinate time as the vehicle retracted just the sunshade. Then I heard the roof start its retraction. And it continued. And continued. I glanced back and realized the X3's sunroof was big enough to allow a very rotund man to escape through the roof. We're talking a gaping hole! Heaven.

With the sunroof closed one can use the tilt feature and then you see the glass above the passengers also tilts up, creating a dual sunroof. The panoramic sunroof is a very impressive design and one that makes the backseat more enjoyable.

Moving further back to the trunk a few more details popped out. As previously mentioned, the liftgate's a standard design that's not the least bit forward thinking. Tracks line the carpeted floor, supposedly to act as tie downs for the bikes the trunk, with folded seats, can swallow. Where's the cargo net? In typical BMW fashion, this cheap and efficient tool is an option. Yes, over $40,000 and they can provide nets in places you don't want, but God forbid they put a cargo net in the trunk. At least they tossed a power outlet back there.

BMW does have one nifty trick though regarding the spare tire. The tire's suspended under the car. But you don't have to crank it down or go through a series of struggles. Nope, simply lift the trunk mat and you'll find a lever system. Unlock the lever and the spare tire from the trunk and by simply turning a hand

blueguydotcom · January 2004

It's a neat design and it saves quite a bit of hassle for a time when people are already a little peeved. For better weight distribution, the battery is located in the trunk with the tire changing equipment.

ENGINE

Twist the standard issue 3 Series key and the inline 6 comes to life. It's an efficient little motor cranking out 225 horsepower at 5900 RPM. Torque's predictable, if a little low at 214 lb-ft at 3500 RPM. Those numbers when paired to a manual are supposed to move this 4,000 vehicle 17 miles per gallon in the city and 25 on the highway. I observed about 15-16 mpg in city driving and 24-25 mpg on the highway cruising between 65 and 90 mph. BMW claims a 0-60 sprint should take about 7.6 seconds.

The inline 6 obviously provides decent economy on the highway and its get up a get is pretty solid considering BMW's claimed numbers. Around town the engine pulled fairly nicely but its torque never really seemed to announce itself. This could be a product of the engine's smooth delivery and the BMW xDrive system.

Still, competitors currently offer more and will in the near future. Infiniti's exceptional 3.5 VQ V6 throws out more torque and horsepower. But the engine garners lousy mileage reports. Lexus is introducing a 270 HP hybrid V6 soon that promises more power down low and great gas mileage. Will BMW counter with their own hybrid?

DRIVE AND HANDLING

BMW sells the X3 with one drivetrain setup: all wheel drive. The performance enthusiasts wanting RWD only will have to wait for BMW to offer some technology for locking the differential because whether you like it or not, you're stuck with all 4 wheels pushing the vehicle. The literature claims that the system will go to RWD at parking speeds and at over 110 mph. I guess the other 100 miles per hour we're supposed to be content with 4 wheels draining power from the engine? Yep.

It's not an awful system by any stretch and for people who live in areas with snowy weather or for those who need to tackle all types of weather, the xDrive system will keep most people out of ditches. In corners you can feel the AWD system lugging down the turns but it's not as drastic as say the Subaru system. Enter a corner fast and get on the gas just right and it's almost fun to feel the 4 wheels tear into the tarmac. But of course, the system is always noticeable as it seems to constantly shift power among the wheels. I found the drivetrain and BMW's computers to be far too intrusive.

Of course, with BMW's usual compliment of safety (intrusion) devices, it's quite difficult to get the X3 pushed beyond its limits. The extra weight of the vehicle and the X3's tallish profile (compared to the sedan) hampers the acceleration and turning. Plus the intrusive xDrive will mitigate oversteer and understeer for adventurous drivers. You must really push the vehicle to insane limits in order to get the DSC (stability control) to interfere as physics and the xDrive take care of you most of the time.

Braking comes with little fuss. At high speeds you can feel the tallish vehicle tilt a bit when coming to a quick stop. It's not as off-putting as that slow down would be in a less agile truck, but it's certainly not sport sedan braking either. Like all BMWs, the X3 stops and never draws attention to the braking system and its ABS and various system that interpret speed and how hard the drive really wants to decelerate.

Like all BMWs, airbags abound. The front passengers get forward airbags, curtains and side airbags. Curiously, when the passenger seat is empty, a light in the roof console informs occupants that the passenger air bag is turned off for the moment.

On city streets, the inline 6 grumbles a bit but not to the point that most riders would complain. The stock 17s are quiet on all road surfaces and so very little noise enters the cabin. Also, the compliant suspension of the X3 allows it to glide over the road with no jostling of passengers. Plus with 8 inches of ground clearance and a tough persona, I didn't hesitate to hit alleys or feeder roads at high speeds, never worrying about bottoming out or hitting a pothole. The 3.0 liter engine provides enough oomph that you can dart through traffic openings easily and hit a yellow light by simply dropping to second gear. Hard corners in the city reveal that this SAV's naturally top heavy and lean accompanies this maneuver. The 18s of the sport package would probably help alleviate this a bit. Naturally, the higher ride height did translate into better vision of surrounding traffic. Plus, BMW used decent sized mirrors for once, so seeing traffic was assisted even more.

Once you hit the freeway the 3.0 liter six quiets down to almost nothing and you can simply lean back and enjoy the drive. Cruising at over 80, the six-speed keeps the engine on a low murmur while power is still adequate to pass people. Should you need to jump up, a drop to 6th gear will allow the X3 to hustle like no other cute-ute or compact SUV on the market. Also, as mentioned before, the 3.0 liter paired with the 6 speed delivers decent highway mileage.

CONCLUSION

Over the course of a few days I drove close to 200 miles with the X3 3.0. I encountered everything from city streets to rush hour traffic to wide open freeways to twisty tree-lined roads. On all of them the X3 delivered a satisfying experience. Interior space and a few accoutrements (the sunroof specifically) raised the X3 in my esteem. The interior's a mixed bag of good ideas and strange decisions. As for the exterior, for many, including myself, how the vehicle looks plays little role in determining if it's the right choice. It's not an offensive design but rather nondescript. In the end, it's the marriage of the engine, suspension, tranny and drivetrain that determine if a vehicle is up to snuff. Even though the suspension's a tad soft and the xDrive too intrusive, the X3's a fine vehicle that would make a nice addition to any garage that doesn't need 7 passenger seating and trail ratings.

If one is looking for SUV space but they enjoy driving on roads, don't hesitate to check out the BMW X3 3.0 SAV. Really, only Infiniti's FX series can come close to the X3. Drive them both. If you don't need AWD and can tolerate less space and an automatic, the FX35 will save you serious money.

Karen_S · March 2004

kens "Subaru Crew Cafe" Feb 29, 2004 3:10pm

ateixeira · March 2004

Man, oh man, I had the opportunity, nay, privilege to sample a Porsche Boxster this weekend.

A friend needed help at the beach 2.5 hours away and said he'd drive the Porsche if I came to help him carry some furniture. I said Yes IF I can drive some of the time. Score!

Let me say this Tiptronic was the best transmission I have ever sampled, bar none. Auto or manual. It's mind-reading abilities simply boggle the mind.

It's smart in auto mode, always in the right gear. As you slow down for a curve it shifts down as if a crystal ball helped it predict the future.

I kept saying, "that's exactly what I would have done", but by the time I even thought about it, the shift was done. So yes, it was actually better than a manual in that way.

Buttons on the steering wheel give you full unadultered control of all 5 ratios.

It blips the throttle perfectly during down shifts. Up shifts are crips and *right now* immediate, no waiting. Somehow all these shifts manage to be smoother than the last Mercedes I drove.

VW's tiptronic cannot hold a candle to this one, no comparison. I would not believe you if you told me the same manufacturer makes both of them.

I've never been so enthusiastic, and that's just the transmission! An automatic, no less.

So how's the rest of the car?

Let's get the quirky out of the way, the keys are inserted to the left of the steering wheel, which might be characteristic of Porsche but it's just poor ergonomics. The roll hoops look good but at certain angles you bump your head against them, so there could more room. The windows go up a little more after you close the door to make a good seal, but you have to open the door slowly or you hear a clunk as the glass hits the tracks that guide it.

Nit picks at best. I did think some of the dash materials were sort of plasticky, but with an open top car I want something durable. They could warm it up with some wood. $4000 option package. Never mind. It's fine.

The cup holder works like a well crafted switch blade. Cool, but not very functional, for it blocks some of the controls. I like how it deploys for one cup, then two, though.

Speaking of twos, I wish there were two power outlets. The V1 takes it up and I could not charge my phone.

The H6 engine growls nicely, like no V6 can. I love the characteristic sound, this is soul, folks. Torque down low is very good, and this wasn't even the S model. Pass whenever you want at will, just hit the gas.

Handling is tight and ride is surprisingly tolerable. In a turn you can control your direction with the throttle, the way it should be. It doesn't bite like early 911s, though. Overall it's very tossable and fun.

The heated seats were a blessing given it was 37 degrees when we first put the top down. Still, the two settings are too cold and "baked buns", they should offer something in between.

The built-in windscreen was nice and we were able to have a conversation even at 70mph. It's not ultra quiet but that's part of the roadster experience.

The brakes make you feel like a fighter pilot landing on an aircraft carrier. Anchors away, my friend, anchors away.

Even the steering is nice and hefty, with excellent feedback. I think my wife might complain it's a little too heavy, but not me, I found it the ideal balance.

Incredibly, I felt like everything about this car was designed around me. Well, maybe someone 2 inches shorter than me, but dynamically the Boxster aces every category, it's a phenomenal ride and Porsche should be proud.

-juice

Kirstie_H · March 2004

A reporter is hoping to interview a recent car-buyer who participated in an overnight or 24-hour test drive and then purchased the vehicle. Please respond to 248-890-8582, farataye@yahoo.com or jfallon@edmunds.com by 5pm Eastern Wednesday, March 24, 2004. Thanks, Jeannine Fallon PR Director Edmunds.com

ateixeira · March 2004

So I visited my local Saab dealer to inquire about the upcoming Saab 9-2x Aero.

Not until summer, they said, but try a 9-3 sedan. I'm into wagons.

How about a 9-5 wagon?

Out of my price range.

Certified Pre-Owned 9-5 wagon?

Hmm, intriguing. But first, let's get one thing out of the way - used is used. Pre-owned is just a marketing term; it's not like the previous owner didn't use it.

OK, now that we've got that out of the way, how's the car?

Nice, kinda bigger than I'm used to, but nice. Automatic, 2001 model with 44k miles, 2.3T engine.

Major turbo lag, though the tranny was quite smart (even though it had no manual shift control back in 2001). The new ones have cool buttons on the steering wheel for that. But they also cost double.

Roomy. Smart slide-out platform in cargo area. Great seats. Nit picks include an arm rest out of place and some quirky ergonomics, plus that lag.

I liked it, and at $18k not bad, especially with 44k miles and a warranty until 100k. So it had 3 more years or up to 56k miles where you'd be covered bumper-to-bumper with roadside assistance.

It did have noticeable wear on the seats and carpets, I'm a little obsessive about my cars and so was bothered a bit.

Still, you get a lot of car for your money. For the price of a loaded Chevy Cavalier, and with a warranty just as long, I'd run, not walk, to my Saab dealer. Just make sure you understand it's used.

-juice

paisan · March 2004

Ok so I got the opportunity to test out my uncle's brand new Monte Carlo. Not my car of choice, but figured I'd write it up! I took it out on my usual test course near my house that I use for test runs of new cars, recently modified cars etc.

First the car has warped brakes at 250miles. Wheel shimmys during braking etc. Fit-finish was decent, brake pedal feel was nice and firm. It felt and rode like a big car, reminded me of driving my old '74 Olds 98! Acceleration was horrible! I was totally let down by it being annemic in the power department. Not sure if it was down on power or the weight effected it.

The brakes had a nice firm feel, til you pushed them. Braking 2x from 80mph caused massive fade and a nasty burning smell from them as well. I took my uncle out in my 100Kmile '94 Legacy Turbo and had no fade, more acceleration!

Overall for his out the door price of $16,xxx it's not a bad car if you are looking for something that looks sporty, probably gets great milage and has a good ride.

-mike

ateixeira · April 2004

They held the "Volvo for Life" event in DC this weekend, so I finally got to try one out.

This will be a half empty/half full review, so you'll take what you want from my impressions.

The half empty part? Well, the carpets in the trunk are cut off, unfinished. Very "Ford Escape" and in a bad way. The carpets themselves felt a bit thin. The A-pillar has a fabric lining but it's not padded. The seat fabric felt sort of cheap, but at least they looked durable. The plastics on the lower half of the dash and center console felt hard and sounded hollow.

Head room was tight, the back of my head rubbed in the sedan (wagon was better, though we could only sit in it, not drive). Leg room was adequate, but the hump was kind of big for a FWD car.

The half full part? Well, styling is nice, and it looks even better in person, thoroughly modern. Door sill protectors, gas struts to hold the hood open, and a multi-link hinge for the open-wide trunk are nice touches. The seats are comfortable and have lots of adjustments, too.

The base model leaned a bit much, and tire noise was prevalent as it squeeled in protest to hard driving, but the T5 model handled very well, with less understeer and lean.

Steering was a little light, but effective. The manual trannies were good but the clutch take-up was a little abrupt. In fairness these cars were worn after 8 cities' worth of sampling by crazy people like us.

)

Didn't get much of a chance to test the brakes but they felt linear and natural, unlike Mercedes by-wire artificial feedback.

Geartronic held a gear nicely, but shifts were a little slow in full auto and manual mode. Plan ahead for shifts. The slush box also sapped some useful power from both models, IMO.

Overall a mixed bag, some parts good, others less so. If the things I mention above don't bother you, and you like the style and the appeal of a safely built vehicle, I doubt you'll have any regrets.

Me? I'd like to sample a V50 T5 with AWD, that would be the ideal setup.

Still, I'd have to sample a Mazda3 5 door, which seems like a better value.

-juice

paisan · April 2004

So I've been attending track days for the past 2+ years and after doing close to 30 days, I was called on to become a track instructor for NASA and PDA, both driving associations that hold open track days. Back in February I attended NASA-VA's Instructor Clinic and am now a Certified Track Instructor. What this means is that I get to ride/drive student cars at track events and guide them in driving on the road course. In return I don't have to pay for my own track time. Pretty good deal! I didn't realize how good a deal it was until this past event where I got to drive a few nice cars, which gave me an opportunity to review them for you...

Porsche Carrera 4 Convertable: Very smooth 6 speed manual transmission, this car shifted like butter! Seating and visibility over the hood was excellent. This car is one of, if not the most balanced car I've ever driven. With the rear motor I was figuring it was going to have a very light steering feel and be very tailhappy. Not the case with this Porsche however. I started slow around the Pocono International Raceway East Course and gradually brought it up to speed as I took it out for about 6 laps. Dash was uncluttered, seats were comfortable, and everything was well in reach. Even a big guy like myself fit in the seat w/o effort, suprising for such a compact car. Handling was outstanding around the turns with no jerky motion yet provided ample stiffness to keep the car on the track w/o body roll. No noticeable over or understeer even when pushing it relatively hard. On to brakes.... This is what the porsches are known to be good for, what I didn't realize is just HOW good they are! I was hauling down the front straight doing well over 100 and shut it down w/o effort in roughly the same amount of time that I can shutdown my light Impreza with racing brakes on it from 80-90mph. So I was shutting her down in the same distance from 20-40mph faster with a heavier car! Fit and finish was excellent and overall after driving it I realized I must start to save for a porsche 911. Maybe someday I'll get one if Edmunds gives me a raise hee hee!

2000 Audi S4 Tiptronic: Fit and finish was very good on this car, although at idle the motor made some intersting sounds, and this was the case on 4 S4s that we had at the track that day. There was considerable body roll and it felt very 'heavy' on the track, much in the same way that my SVX feels on the track wallowing and understeering more than I'd like it to. The Tiptronic 5AT tranny was smooth, although it had to be driven in tiptronic mode due to the electronic configuration of the tranny. The boost on the S4 seemed to come in at odd times, even on the 6MT versions. I had the boost come in mid-turn a few times that was not good for the track. Gauges were very nicely laid out with a nice info-display unit. Overall this would make a great Grand Touring car similar to the Subaru SVX, and other Touring Cars. My guess is that it would have felt better on a larger course, the Pocono East course is very tight with short straights.

-mike

rsholland · May 2004

Also posted over in the Subaru Crew '05 Legacy/Outback thread:

The Ride-n-Drive was divided into 5 sessions; actually 6, but more on that later.

We all met around 8:15 in the morning, and boarded 5 tour buses that took us to Las Vegas race track. There were roughly 180 people taking part in Monday's Ride-n-Drive. I believe these were all district reps, SOA personnel, and guests like juice and I. Other invited guests included: Scott Putnum who has a dealer in Minnesota (he also rallys and was just competing at the Rim of the World event), Nick from nasioc, Alex from I-Club, Max from Carsdomain.com, Jacoby from subdriven.com, Jamie Thomas (aka Subie Gal), Dave from Legacycentral.com (I think that's correct?), and a few other guests too. Most of these folks were also at the Detroit event in January, so it was good seeing them again, and renewing friendships. Juice, did I miss anybody?

Session 1
Outback VDC

We all took the new VDC for about a 15-mile or so round trip. At the halfway point we switched drivers. I took the first leg, and juice took the second leg. This included roughly a mile excursion off road. I was ammazed at how well the Outback soaked up the rough gravel path we drove on. We did the off-road part at a a faster clip than I would normally drive at, and the Outback took it in stride. The only thing I was worried about was getting a flat. There were a lot of rocks, and the car came with street tires. There were perhaps 20 Outbacks in our group and nobody had any problems. I was very impressed.

Out on the highway I was able to play with the SPORTSHIFT, and it worked as advertised. This new 5EAT is far superior to the old 4EAT. In addition to the manual mode, theres is a "sport" mode, which allows you fo rev much higher before upshifting. The power is much improved, but I still wish the engine was larger, if only to improve the low - mid range power. It is by no means a slug, but the VDC is a heavy car, and I think a larger 3.3 - 3.5 engine would be much appreciated.

Session 2
Legacy GT Limited

This was at the track, and included sedans and wagons. We were allowed to take the cars through the infield with a professional driver riding shotgun, and coaching us on driving. This was great. I was able to drive two 5-speed manuals, and one 5EAT. Folks this car scoots and handles! I think only if you own an STi, or something like that, would you be disappointed. I was able to get the car so that it was beginning to drift a little through some of the corners, and never felt as if I was going to lose it. I probably got it up to around 80 mph or so at some points through the infield, but I wasn't watching the speedo. Very impressive. Unfortunately we were not allowed to use the SPORTSHIFT mode on the automatic through this section.

We then had a professional driver take us out on the banking, where we reached speeds of about 120 mph. I have some pics of the speedo at close to 100 mph on the banking corners. Juice made a video of that aspect!

Session 3
Accessories

This was a demo showing all the new options available.

Session 4
Tech talk

Another demo of the technical advancements made on the new cars.

Session 5
Legacy i Limited

This was a highway drive. It was an out and back drive on the roads highlighting the "livability" of the cars. Juice took the first leg, and I took the return trip. Even the non-turbo model is a very desirable car. It's very comfortable, has good power, and is very refined and quiet.

Session 6
Off-road hill climb

This was to be with the Outback, but unfortunately, they were still creating the off-road course. So we didn't get a chance to experience this, which was a real disappointment. From what I saw of the course, it looked pretty challenging; much more so than you would expect an Outback to handle.

So that was the ride-'n-drive. It lasted perhaps 4 hours, and was a blast.

Bob

ateixeira · May 2004

They held the "Volvo for Life" event in DC recently, so I finally got to try one out.

This will be a half empty/half full review, so you'll take what you want from my impressions.

The half empty part? Well, the carpets in the trunk are cut off, unfinished. The carpets themselves felt a bit thin. The A-pillar has a fabric lining but it's not padded. The seat fabric felt sort of cheap, but at least they looked durable. The plastics on the lower half of the dash and center console felt hard and sounded hollow.

Head room was tight, the back of my head rubbed in the sedan (wagon was better). Leg room was adequate, but the hump was kind of big for a FWD car.

The half full part? Well, styling is nice, and it looks even better in person, thoroughly modern. Door sill protectors, gas struts to hold the hood open, and a multi-link hinge for the open-wide trunk are nice touches. The seats are comfortable and have lots of adjustments, too.

The base model leaned a bit much, and tire noise was prevalent as it squeeled in protest to hard driving, but the T5 model handled very well, with less understeer and lean.

Steering was a little light, but effective. The manual trannies were good but the clutch take-up was a little abrupt. In fairness these cars were worn after 8 cities' worth of sampling by crazy people like us.

)

Didn't get much of a chance to test the brakes but they felt linear and natural, unlike Mercedes by-wire artificial feedback.

Geartronic held a gear nicely, but shifts were a little slow in full auto and manual mode. Plan ahead for shifts. The slush box also sapped some useful power from both models, IMO.

Overall a mixed bag, some parts good, others less so. If the things I mention above don't bother you, and you like the style and the appeal of a safely built vehicle, I doubt you'll have any regrets.

-juice

ateixeira · May 2004

I was Bob's partner in crime for the Ride-n-Drive, so I'll share my impressions. First, the VDC.

Makes some mainstream mid-sizers seem like an econobox! Near silence at idle. The H6 was already quiet, now the whole vehicle is better insulated. Dual zone climate control with heated seats, aah. Settle in and get comfy right away.

Driving off, the biggest improvement is the tranny. 5 ratios work wonders to keep this engine in its sweet spot. It's still not the torque pig down low, but the tranny is brilliant, HUGE improvement, much better than the Forester XT turbo I sampled. Perhaps this one had more time to adapt to aggressive driving. It kicks down smartly and quickly, though it's so smooth you have to look at the tach to know it's shifting.

Second impression is the ride - wow, like a magic carpet. Very nicely insulated. Surprisingly a good handling balance, too, it did not feel tippy or lean as much as, say, the Volvo XC. We drove on an off road section, a rocky dirt trail, and it didn't miss a beat. Over crests it never bottomed out, we didn't even have to slow down!

But I *have* to go back to the tranny, I was so impressed. It has 3 modes, Drive, Sport, and Manual. Drive strives for economy, and with instant mpg on the on-board computer you can measure it real-time. Sport impressed me, though, kicking down with any sudden throttle input, and I mean RIGHT NOW, no delay. Better yet, it would hold a gear longer. Interestingly both modes allow the engine to rev all the way to redline before shifting.

Manual mode was fun, quicker (by far) than Volvo or VW, but still not Porsche Boxster instant. As good as you can reasonably expect for a near-luxury car, though.

The overall smoothness impressed me a lot. The VDC is not the boy racer's choice, but anyone else lucky enough to afford this will not be disappointed.

-juice

ateixeira · May 2004

I'll cover this before the GT (though we drove the 2.5i last), in an attempt to ramp up the drama. I'm cruel that way.

)

We hopped in a white sedan with a spoiler and took a long, leisurely ride on the highway. Not enough twisties to test the suspension, but the ride was nice.

Silence. The biggest improvement from our 2002 Legacy L wagon is NVH control is hugely improved. We had to turn the radio off completely to hear some faint wind noise. Imagine driving the old model with ear plugs, and you get the general idea.

The tranny here is a 4EAT, Sportshift again being a big improvement and the software is just so much better, it makes me think they switched from PC to Mac. ;-)

Editor's Note: you'll find a lot of Mac users in the Subaru world

Ride is better than our Legacy, impressive when you consider we were riding on 1" bigger rims with lower profile tires.

The engine? Felt familiar, but somehow it seemed a little more spirited, my guess is the diet helped there. 180 lbs lighter even though it's bigger in every dimension. Aluminun hood, hatch, bumper beams front and rear, and even roof rack rails. No costs spared.

I'd have to guess 8 second range for 0-60, not bad for a base engine with automatic. Not lacking in any way, in fact it makes it harder to justify an upgrade (rats!). Combined with 22/30 (23/30 for a likely even quicker manual tranny) and this is the budget buy when gas prices are closing in on $2.50 per.

I liked it, this would be the ideal car for my wife. She's been considering an automatic and complains that I didn't let her get a sedan, and the range (507 miles) would be excellent for her highway commute.

That's what any reasonable person would think. For the rest of us, read on...

-juice

ateixeira · May 2004

We approach the infield track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and my heart beats rapidly, adrenaline already pumping. My eyes are almost tearing up with anticipation. I'm speechless as we walk up to a whole gaggle of GTs. My mouth is dry.

Actually, it was dry all the time, this is the desert! ;-)

I strap on the helmet and get in one of the very first cars to go out. This is a 5 speed manual sedan, Limited. I let into the clutch and immediately was impressed by the new dual-mass flywheel, it's so smooth that I think they must have used BMW's supplier. Best clutch and tranny combo I've ever tried in a Subaru. By far.

We slowly make our way to the infield track, the expert co-driver gives me the green light to merge onto the track and I'm off...YEEEEEHAAAAAW!

I'm instantly familiar with the car, but the track is all new to me, so I'm learning the line on the first lap. 2nd lap I'm getting up to speed, and just when I feel like Ayrton Senna it's time to pull in to the pits.

Don't tease me!

)

No way, that's not enough. Don't care if I have to bribe someone, I'm going again.

Luckily there is time, this time I get in a wagon, automatic. We were asked not to use Sportshift on the track, bummer, but that's OK, I can concentrate on the driving a little more, after all I am inexperienced.

The auto is just fine, thanks, very smart, in fact I don't think I ever noticed it once, and that's a good thing. It was just always in the right gear, and never shifted mid-turn. The wagon feels no different than the sedan, to be honest.

The catch? This time the co-driver was baby-sitting, asking me to back off, interfering too much with my driving. Ugh. Frustrated, I feel like I can't get the full impression I want, after all this is The Mission - test the GT under track circumstances!

Sorry to be rude, but a Man's gotta do what a Man's gotta do. I get in line for a 3rd ride, apologies to anyone offended by my determination. The Edmunds.com Subaru Crew (a club I founded) would not be let down.

Back to a sedan, manual. This time I tell the co-driver that I've done the track twice, know the line, and want to get a feel for the car at the limits. "All righty, Mate"

YES!

I time my entrance to the track so that I have plenty of room ahead of me. As I merge onto the track my smile was so wide that for the first time ever I saw the gums beyond my wisdom teeth.

This turbo is blisteringly quick. I mean stupid fast. Your lap times are certainly not limited by the power available.

Handling is neutral, the car drifts all 4 wheels as you hit that apex and accelerate out of it, no lag.

The steering, ah. Wonderful. Tight and hefty feel, I checked the brochure later and sure enough, 2.8 turns lock to lock, nice and quick ratio. I was able to keep both hands on the wheel for the entire lap, and it was easy to clip each apex just where you wanted it.

The brakes? I thought I was a jet landing on an air craft carrier. My eye balls popped out of their sockets at the end of the straight, in fact I scrubbed off too much speed and hit the corner a little slow. Still no problem power sliding out of the turn.

)

The track was fun, it had wide turns, but still short. On the straight I redlined 3rd and used 4th for a bit, so we probably hit 100+ I'm guessing.

The car's behavior is impressive, smooth, neutral, it just didn't complain at all, no matter what you threw at it.

3rd time's a charm, I guess. I nailed it. The laps felt quick, in fact at the end I had caught up to the car in front of me and had to back off! No doubt I reached the limit of my skills FAR before the limits of this supreme automobile.

I'm officially submitting a job application for Subaru Track Tester. This is way too fun.

The verdict? It's the complete package. AWD puts the massive amounts of torque down effectively with no torque steer, 0-60 should breeze by in less than 6 seconds. 19/25 mpg is not bad, and certainly a wagon would beat an SUV for a family of 4. The interior is a lot nicer, maybe even too nice with my kids having food fights in the back seat. But those looking for an upscale interior finally have one in a turbo Subaru.

Is it perfect? No, but close. Minor nit-picks include a door handle that partially blocks access to the power window switches. The glove box is not lined. And the hatch pull handle isn't manicure friendly.

Sound like pathetic little complaints? My thoughts exactly.

Bases were loaded with tough competitors, but Subaru has hit a home run. I'll take mine in that gorgeous light blue opal, GT Limited please.

Oh, and make it a wagon.

-juice

ateixeira · May 2004

Photos of the Ride-n-Drive event in Las Vegas can be found here (registration may be required):

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4288086953

I'm in the white Edmunds.com T-shirt. Bob Holland (review is above) wore green and blue T-shirts.

A video of a few hot laps around Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a Legacy GT can be found here:

http://azpinstalls.com

-juice

ateixeira · July 2004

This may seem like an oddball pairing, and that's because...it is. You might say Subaru shouldn't even build a near luxury sedan that is registered as a truck, or that Lexus should not build a cramped sporty car that seems out of place on that marble show room floor.

Both Subaru and Lexus sent us offers for freebies if we agreed to test drive these cars. Prices are about the same, $33k, so a comparison became natural.

Exterior: I liked both.

The Lexus is handsome in a Sport Compact kind of way. The nose is a little droopy but it's still handsome after years on the road, and my wife preferred it.

I like the more muscular and beefy look of the new Outback, which made the Lexus seem insubstantial in comparison. Overall too close to call, and subjective anyway.

Interior: the Lexus has trendy chrome rings but annoyingly hard to read instruments. The hard plastic arm rest and the cheap-as-can-be lid for the bin at the top of the center console is inexusable in a dealership that serves free cappuccino.

The Subaru had a more luxurious aura, more consistent quality of materials. The seats were real perforated leather instead of the rubberized feel of the IS' fake hides. NVH control was better in the Subie, it was quieter and rode more compliantly. Which one is the Lexus? You'd swear the badges were swapped.

Interior spaciousness was also much better in the Outback. The Lexus is cozy - read: cramped. I felt claustrophobic in front and in back. Even with the moonroof the Outback sedan had enough head room for my 6' frame. Both seat 4 comfortably. The Subie can squeeze in 5, but I wouldn't want to be the 5th in the Lexus.

Inside: advantage Subaru. No contest.

On the road, both engines felt peppy and assertive. Neither is blazingly fast. The H6 in the Subaru costs more but performs less than the turbo models. It is whisper quiet, though.

The Lexus' straight six is smoother (fewer shakes) but also noisier. Acceleration was about equal, so I'd call this a tie.

Handling: the taller Outback is a bit mismatched here, the stiffer Lexus carried the edge. The steering was more direct and the handling a little sharper, but it came at the expense of ride, which felt stiff and jiggly to me.

Lexus needs to work on NVH for the next generation. Again I almost had to check the logos to tell which was which.

Note that the Legacy GT I drove seemed to ride and handle better than the Lexus, and it's a more natural competitor. And it's cheaper.

Both automatic trannies performed spendidly. Quick shifts, 5 ratios, manual controls right on the steering wheel. Both would earn near perfect scores from both me and my wife.

Livability: how well would these sedans serve my family? Here the Outback shines. Ingress and egress is easier with the raised seats, and so is the view out. The extra clearance and the grip offered by the AWD system means the Subaru is an all-season car. The Lexus even carried a warning about the tires not lasting very long. I wonder if it would maintain its handling edge if both cars wore the same shoes.

Dealership: here Lexus really shined. It felt like the lobby of a fancy hotel, with free coffee and sales men that looked like they were dressed for a job interview with IBM. Subaru was fine, no pressure either, just not above and beyond like Lexus.

Note that both of these come as wagons, though the Sportcross is really more of a 5 door hatchback.

Bottom line? Both my wife and I felt like Subaru was offering a little more substance for your money. While I could see a 20 something year old with no kids choosing the Lexus for the image, a family shopping for an easy-to-live-with sedan would be much better served by the Subaru.

Just do yourself a favor - get the wagon.

-juice

The Forums Test Drive Team

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