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Thứ Sáu, 24 tháng 7, 2015
Thứ Năm, 9 tháng 7, 2015
2015 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 AWD vs. Jaguar XF 3.0 AWD
Mid-level luxury sedans are to working professionals what Toyota Camrys are to normal folks. They’re go-to vehicles and safe options for cash-laden customers who crave generous amenities, good performance, and the status of an upmarket brand. What does your child’s orthodontist drive?
2015 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 AWD vs. 2015 Jaguar XF 3.0 AWD
We bet Dr. Arslanbob owns something like a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6 or BMW 5 Series.These cars are plush and prestigious without straying into extravagance like range-topping models often do. No one wants to risk enflaming the serfs trapped in their clapped-out hoopties. Flagships can draw more undesirable attention than a ruptured bag of glitter. Keeping a step back from the top is a reasonably safe place to be, though that’s probably what Spiro Agnew thought …
Giving Type-A customers some welcome choice, the British and South Koreans both have legitimate alternatives to upscale German offerings. The Jaguar XF is a versatile four-door with more brand cachet than a membership at Pebble Beach. As for Hyundai, its Genesis sedan has morphed into a phenomenal all-around vehicle, though one that still offers a lot of bang for your buck. Either way, financial planners, junior executives and lawyers who haven’t made partner yet will like them both, though one is a much wiser choice.
Classic Rivals
With identical mission statements, these vehicles share a lot in common and are similar in size. At 118.5 inches, the Genesis rides on a wheelbase that’s four inches longer than the XF’s hub-to-hub span. Not surprisingly, the Genesis’ body is 1.2 inches longer as well. As for width, Hyundai’s offering is also a couple inches broader than its British rival.
In the front and rear, the Genesis has more head room plus a wider cabin. However, the XF counters with an extra-spacious trunk and a lighter curb weight — its trunk hold can accommodate 17.7 cubic feet of goods while the Hyundai’s is only able to swallow 15.3.
The XF may have more storage space and a mass differential tipped in its favor, but the car’s real advantage is found ahead of the firewall. Its 3.0-liter supercharged V6 punches harder than the naturally aspirated unit found in the Genesis. Thanks to an Eaton twin-vortex blower and dual intercoolers, this six-shooter releases a stampede of 340 horses and 332 lb-ft of torque. At 3.8-liters, the Hyundai’s V6 does have a displacement advantage, but it’s no match for the Jag, delivering just 311 ponies and 293 units of twist.
Fortunately, it’s a level playing field aft of the bell housing, as both cars are equipped with eight-speed automatic transmissions that bolster performance and fuel efficiency. In the economy department, Jaguar’s offering stickers at 17 miles per gallon city, 27 highway and 20 combined. Hyundai manages a still-respectable average of 19 mpg, which is derived from its city score of 16 and its interstate rating of 25.
X to the F
But who cares about numbers?! They can’t convey the way a car feels, how comfortable its seats are or the manner in which a transmission responds at wide-open throttle. Putting these machines through their paces back to back on the same driving loop revealed a few intriguing differences.
Starting with the Jaguar, it feels a bit faster than the Korean in this comparison, though that should come as no surprise. Also, its transmission is smooth and prompt.
This car is also a delight to the ears, thanks to a touch of whine provided by its mechanical atmosphere multiplier. The supercharger’s siren song is enthralling and totally unexpected in a luxury vehicle. Unfortunately though, the Jaguar’s engine is not quite as well isolated as the powerplant its rival brandishes and a little extra vibration can be felt inside, which, coincidentally, is another one of this car’s downsides.
Beyond this, the control stalks feel sloppy and frail, like they could divorce themselves from the steering column without notice, the lids on the center console that cover the cup holders and storage cubbies feel insubstantial to the touch, and even the gauges look like they belong in a budget hatchback, not a luxury sedan.
However, despite the stench of disappointment inside, the XF does have two noteworthy features. Its rotary shift knob rises from the console when its engine is fired up, which is a nifty touch. Additionally, this car’s air vents on the dashboard are motorized, opening when the climate control system is switched on and closing again when things are shut down. It’s a delightfully gratuitous feature.
2015 Mazda3 vs Hyundai Elantra GT vs Volkswagen Golf
What we have here is an international compact car showdown.
Hailing from three different countries, the Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3 and Volkswagen Golf represent the best that the compact segment has to offer.
Refreshed for 2016, the Elantra GT continues Hyundai’s tradition of value for money with an added dollop of refinement. The Mazda3 is a favorite around the AutoGuide office, having won our 2014 Car of the Year Award. The Volkswagen Golf was all-new last year and has been gobbling up award after award all over the world.
Needless to say, this is a strong group of competitors. But which one is the best compact car?
Handling, Ride Quality and the Death of the Shimmy
The Golf and the Mazda3 are easily two of the best driving cars in their segment. The chassis, steering and brakes are set up in both cars to deliver a responsive and sporty drive. Even though they’re so fun to drive, though, neither car rides overly rough. The Golf does hold a bit of a refinement edge while the Mazda is better damped for comfort over rough pavement.
SEE ALSO: 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT vs 2015 Subaru Impreza
Sorting Out the Balance of Power
Both the Mazda and the Hyundai use 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines, but based on differing philosophies. The Elantra is focused on power and packs 173 HP – 18 more ponies than the Madza3. Both cars use a six-speed automatic transmission and although the Mazda is sometimes too quick to upshift, it feels smoother and more refined than Hyundai’s automatic.
Still, neither car can compete with the Golf’s drivetrain. Outfitted with a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Golf makes 170 HP and nearly 200 pound-feet of torque. That’s almost 50 lb-ft. more than either the Mazda3 or the Elantra GT. And all this power and torque is very usable. The Golf always feels like it’s in its sweet spot, ready to power away from the other two at a moment’s notice. It too uses a six-speed automatic that, like the Mazda’s, can be hesitant at times.
Efficient, Efficienter, Efficientest
With the least amount of power, it’s no surprise the Mazda3 comes with the highest rated fuel economy numbers at 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. SkyActiv is more than just a catch phrase — it really does work at making Mazdas quite efficient. During our testing, it returned the best observed fuel economy average of 33.6 mpg.
SEE ALSO: 2015 Volkswagen Golf vs 2015 Volkswagen Jetta
Surprisingly, the turbocharged Golf was the next most efficient in this trio, clocking in an observed average of 31 mpg. The Elantra GT may have been the worst in this test, but it’s no slouch either, averaging a more than respectable 30.1 mpg average.
How Far Compact Interiors Have Come
All three cars have attractive, quality feeling interiors. The Golf’s is the most premium looking and feeling, which makes sense, as it has the highest starting price. The Elantra offers a more stylized layout that mimics the larger Sonata’s while the simpler Mazda3 has a few Audi and Mercedes design elements blended in.
When it comes to the driver, the Mazda3 and Elantra GT offer good comfort and a well situated driving position. But neither can offer as much as the Golf does. It appears Volkswagen designed the interior of the Golf around the driver first and foremost, achieving a great setup that has all the primary controls perfectly placed.
Body Count
The Elantra and Mazda3 can be had in a choice of body styles, hatchback or sedan. The Golf has two body styles of its own, but both are hatchbacks with either two or four doors. As a hatchback, with 23 cubic feet of cargo capacity, the Elantra GT is slightly better at carrying gear compared to the Golf with a capacity of 22.8 cubic feet. Both trounce the Mazda3 Sport, which can only haul 20.2 cubic feet of junk. Opt for a sedan and the story stays the same, with the Elantra offering around two and a half more cubic feet of storage space than the Mazda3.
Things are a bit different in the back seat though, as with 35.8 inches, the Mazda3 offers the most rear legroom. But during our real world testing, we didn’t notice the space advantage of the Mazda3 and were not fans of the hard plastic arm rests. The Elantra should have the most headroom, but the optional panoramic sunroof in the GT hatchback takes it all away, causing even moderately tall people to kink their necks when sitting back there. Although it’s far from perfect, the Golf offers the most livable all-around rear seat experience of this trio.
2015 Ram 1500 Black Express Review
A large V8. Seating capacity for three. Rear-wheel drive. For years, this combination was the definition of pickup truck, and while this certainly isn’t the norm anymore, these simple, honest trucks are still out there.
FAST FACTS |
Engine: 5.7L Hemi V8 with 395 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque.
Transmission: Six-speed automatic or eight-speed auto.
Fuel Economy: 14 mpg city, 20 mpg hwy, 16 mpg combined.
Fuel Economy (CDN): 17.1L/100km city, 12l/100km hwy, 14.8l/100km combined.
Price: Starts at about $29,000. About $32,000 tested.
Price(CDN): As tested $37,065.
|
And if you’re looking for one of these at a Ram dealer, you may end up with a simple truck with attitude. I’m talking about the Ram 1500 Black Express.
The Ram Express is one step above the basic Tradesman trim line and brings along 20-inch wheels and body-color grille and bumpers, offering buyers a little more style on Ram’s most basic pickup. If you need a simple work truck with style, the Express is the choice for you, but if you’re interested in flashing a big middle finger to every Corolla driver and scaring Grandma back into her retirement home, the Black Package is a necessary addition.
Tough Looks with an Engine to Back Them Up
Our Ram Express backed up its tough looks with an equally mean engine: a 5.7-liter Hemi V8.
The motor churns out 395 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque, sent through a six-speed automatic transmission. An eight-speed auto can be had as well, but or tester wasn’t equipped with the extra two ratios, which isn’t so bad.
The six-speed is smooth, fairly quick, and when sending the Hemi’s grunt through a 3.92 rear axle ratio, this truck is pretty damn fast, giving it aggressive power to match its attitude.
Low-end torque comes on immediately and pulls this rig straight up to highway speeds in a flash, while a deep, delicious rumble emits from the exhaust.
Like always though, the power comes with a price.
Fuel economy in this truck is less than stellar, with official ratings coming in at 14 mpg in the city and 20 on the highway for a combined 16 mpg. The real problem is that the nature of this beast urged my right foot deep into the accelerator often, driving my average fuel economy down to 15 mpg.
Big Rig Drive
Heavily weighted steering offers plenty of feedback and a solid planted feeling, even while cornering. The truck does tend to push wide in high speed corners, which is further accentuated by some light body roll, making the Ram feel like a big rig rolling down the road.
And you can do some heavy hauling with this truck, which is rated to tow up to 10,650 lbs and haul 1,900 lbs worth of payload.
Jumping inside the truck is when you see its basic roots. A single cloth bench seat is present, which can seat three in a pinch and two comfortably. When the center seat is folded down, it offers a large storage console to house all of your stuff, while there is room for some storage behind the bench seat, with a floor-mounted plastic bin ready to house tools or camping supplies.
This truck also forgoes one of Ram’s latest innovations: a knob-operated transmission. The Express opts for a classic column shifter, the only way to go for a truck that is abounding with this much testosterone. There is something special about pulling that column shifter down into ‘D’ that the knob can never capture.
Our tester came with the upgraded 5.0-inch Uconnect infotainment system, which works just as well as the full-size 8-inch display setup. Controls are intuitive and the system operates without lag, hesitation or hiccups.
Everything else about this interior just works. Simplicity is the name of the game and the Ram 1500 Express delivers.
Big Motors for Little Cash
If you’re interested in just a Ram Express regular cab equipped with a V8, you’re l00king at spending a hair under $29,000, a pretty good deal considering you’re getting 395 hp.
Our Black Express Model costs about $32,000 thanks to options like a hitch, trailer brake controller and upgraded infotainment unit.
The idea of paying over $30K for a regular cab pickup truck had me bothered at first, but driving the Ram Black Express for a week convinced me otherwise. Driving this truck makes a huge statement, so big in fact that there are few cars at the same price point that command the same attention. Having that much presence is certainly worth the upgrade.
Both Ford and Chevy sell similar simple trucks. When comparing similarly trimmed trucks with V8 engines, the F-150 XLT goes for about $31,800 while a Silverado LS sells for about $29,000, putting all of these trucks right next to each other in terms of price.
The Verdict: 2015 Ram 1500 Black Express Review
Not just a tough looking truck, the Ram Black Express can put in work when it needs to. You can also pull up to car meets and get just as much attention as the exotic sports car worth twice or three times as much, and in my opinion, it offers the best looks on the road when it comes to pickup trucks.
All that attention for a truck that costs this little is a great value in my books. If you want a pickup truck with more style than the Man in Black himself, you need a Ram 1500 Black Express.
2015 Lexus IS 350 vs Mercedes-Benz C 400
Style, luxury and performance. That’s the aspirational trifecta for a compact luxury car.
It’s needed to separate such a car from the usual fray of automotive appliances. Compact luxury shows the world that you’re well on your way to “making it.” Historically, this meant grabbing a small sedan from Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz, but not too long ago, a batch of newcomers burst on the scene looking to level the playing field. Today, speaking about a Cadillac ATS, Infiniti Q50 or Lexus IS in the same breath as the 3 Series or C-Class is the norm.
So the era of German luxury brand dominance is over, right? Nein! For 2015, Mercedes-Benz sent the C-Class to the makeover chamber and it emerged with more style, more luxury and more performance. This is just what the doctor ordered for the baby Benz, but is it enough to hold off the hordes of competitors crowding the compact luxury segment?
IS vs C
To find out, we grabbed a 2015 Lexus IS 350 AWD F Sport. Totally redesigned two years ago, the IS 350 F Sport occupies the top rung in Lexus’ compact sedan family. It packs a 3.5-liter V6 that produces 306 hp and 277 lb-ft. of torque. Because this IS is AWD, it sticks with an older six-speed automatic transmission instead of the rear-wheel-drive-only eight-speed auto.
SEE ALSO: Five-Point Inspection: 2015 Mercedes-Benz C 400
The Mercedes-Benz C 400 4Matic matches up against the Lexus in the compact car hierarchy. Using a new 3.0-liter turbocharged V6, the Benz makes 329 hp and a whopping 354 lb-ft. of torque. Like the IS 350, the C 400 sends power to all four wheels, but does have an extra gear in its seven-speed automatic transmission.
Power vs Sound
With more power and more gears, it’s no surprise that the C 400 is a half second faster in the 0-60 mph sprint, clocking a time of 5.2 seconds versus the Lexus’ time of 5.7 seconds. The C 400 isn’t an absolute torque monster like the numbers suggest, though. There’s always plenty more power on tap compared to the IS 350, but the C 400 doesn’t pull as hard as we expected from 354 lb-ft. From a dead stop, the C 400 does launch harder, but as speed builds, the Mercedes’s power advantage is less obvious.
Even with more power and a turbocharger, the C 400 is the more fuel efficient vehicle of the duo. Officially rated at 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway, the Mercedes holds a 2 mpg advantage in the city and 3 mpg advantage on the highway compared to the Lexus. During real-world testing, our observed averages reflected this with the IS 350 returning 20.3 mpg compared to C 400’s 22.8 mpg average.
Even though it’s less efficient, all of the IS 350’s primary controls operate in a smoother, more fluid way than the C 400, making it an easier car to drive. And the IS 350 sounds better the higher the rpms build, thanks to the F Sport’s intake sound tube.
F Sport More Than Just a Badge
But the F Sport package is about more than just making the IS sound fast. It adds style, luxury and performance. Items like an adaptive suspension, staggered 18-inch wheels, upgraded brake pads, LED headlights and a unique front fascia are all included. Inside, various trim bits are altered and the front seats are replaced by 10-way driver performance seats that oddly lose their memory function but are heated and ventilated.
The C 400 does include a memory seat feature, but did not include a cooling function as equipped. It was also missing another feature found in the IS 350, adaptive cruise control, but the Mercedes countered with two items not found in the Lexus – a panoramic sunroof and power tilt/telescopic steering wheel.
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