Inside Track Motorsport News - Streetwise Blog

TESTED: 2007 Acura RDX

2007-06-12T15:49:00.000-04:00

By Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Acura Canada

For years now, Honda has eschewed any form of assistance when it comes to making horsepower, preferring to use higher compression ratios and red lines rather than resorting to ‘cheating’ with turbos or superchargers.

It is, after all, called Honda Motor Company…

So as a result we saw little four-banger screamers revving to eight or nine-thousand rpm: Civic SiR, Integra Type-R, Prelude SH and the S2000.

But now Honda – as with the rest of the market – is jumping head first into the Crossover segment, and small-displacement low-torque high-revving engines just don’t suit the soft-roader segment in North America. Given the company’s desire to offer a vehicle positioned below its popular Acura MDX, it was faced with a quandary. Using the redesigned CR-V platform meant that none of the Honda/Acura V6 motors would fit, and even the 210-horsepower version of the corporate 2.4-litre found in the TSX would come up short next to its luxury branded rivals, Honda did the unthinkable. It turned to turbos.

Well, not turbos plural, but certainly to the technology. Seeing the efficiency provided by a properly designed turbocharger as a viable way to stay ahead in the fuel-economy and emissions game, a brand-new engine was designed for the new for 2007 RDX.

Displacing 2.3 litres, Acura’s new powerplant features the company’s Variable Flow Turbo technology that can narrow the turbo intake passage to spin the turbine faster thanks to improved exhaust flow. Combined with the i-VTEC variable valve timing and cam phasing, the RDX produces 240 hp @ 6000 rpm and a very stout 260 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm. Add in competitive fuel mileage for the segment – 12.5 l/100km city and 9.3 l/100km highway – and it’s apparent that Acura has put just as much effort and engineering prowess into its debut turbo.

(I figure it took about 25 seconds before someone dropped one of these into a ’93 Civic Hatchback…)

A five-speed automatic transmission routes the power through Acura’s SH-AWD system introduced on the RL sedan two years ago. The RDX is by definition a front-wheel-biased machine that sends up to 45 per cent of the engine power to the rear axle. The SH – or Super Handling – part comes from the system’s ability to send up to 100 per cent of that rear-biased power to the outside wheel, effectively rotating it faster than the inside wheel, making for higher cornering forces and greater stability.

Despite all this all-wheel-drive trickery, the RDX is definitely an on-road biased vehicle. With a relatively low ride height, 18-inch street-biased tires, and very ‘sporty’ – i.e. firm – suspension settings, the RDX is definitely a little corner carver. The all-aluminum engine helps give it some admirable turn-in, and the brakes on the 1,810 kg package are firm and responsive.

Inside, as with all Acuras, drivers are treated to a very high level of specification with very little being available on the options list. A great sound system, moonroof, xenon headlights, power driver’s seat and dual-zone automatic climate control are standard, while the Technology package adds Navigation, a rear-view camera, Bluetooth connectivity and an upgraded stereo. The space follows the Acura future-Asian theme with lots of faux brushed aluminum, lots of buttons, and bright gauges.

It’s on the outside that the RDX is at its weakest. While everything from the B-pillar back is stylish and well put together, the nose still has some work left. The very large front overhang isn’t helped by the angled lower fascia, while the ‘speed strakes’ in the five-pointed grille are a fussy afterthought. It’s obvious the design was guided by the need to feed cool air into the engine bay, but the result is something that looks unfinished.

Pricing is very simple; the RDX starts at $41,000 even, while adding the Technology package brings that total up to $45,000. That’s a pretty penny in today’s market, especially given the larger vehicles that command that same price tag. However, the RDX will sell, especially to size conscious Canadians who jump on compact anything much easier than our American cousins. Even a turbocharged Honda.

TESTED: 2007 GMC Acadia

2007-06-12T15:43:00.000-04:00

By Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy GM Canada

Faced with the prospect of slow-selling, badly dated Envoys getting even more unpopular thanks to the increasingly rapid demise of the traditional body-on-frame SUV, GMC has finally released what it hopes will be a competitive shot in the white-hot Crossover market.

Meet the 2007 GMC Acadia, one of General Motors’ new full-size triplets designed to be more user friendly and less compromised on road compared to its previous offerings. Designed from the start as a ‘real’ seven seater – as opposed to those mid-sizers sporting Geneva Convention defying third rows – the Acadia is one big machine. Based on the new front-wheel-drive unibody Lambda platform, it is actually larger in every dimension compared to the ancient Envoy, although its clean styling and driving style make it appear and feel smaller than it actually is.

Powered by GM’s ‘High-Feature’ 3.6-litre V6, the Acadia comes with 275 horsepower, and uses the new GM / Ford joint-venture six-speed automatic. Power is directed either to the front wheels, or optionally all four. As of y et, there is no alternative engine, which is a shame since the Acadia’s power is average at best, and lower than either of the Envoy’s outgoing units. And with a curb-weight of 2,234 kg, it needs all the help it can get, especially with all seven seats occupied.

However, with full independent suspension all around and four-wheel-disc brakes, the Acadia does a very good job of getting around town, smothering out nasty pavement humps while proving to be relatively agile. The vehicle’s width and long wheelbase become very apparent when trying to park or negotiate tight turns, but in more open environments, you never take notice.

Inside, Acadians are treated to a new high in terms of GM cabin design, with very little nasty plastic used, and the dash-top storage bin is handy to stash keys, glasses and a cell phone. Our SLT tester had a 10-speaker Bose sound system with a rear-mounted DVD player, and all Acadias come standard with a raft of safety features including six airbags, StabiliTrak with Proactive Roll Avoidance and traction control.

GMC has kept its pricing in check as well with two-wheel-drive Acadias starting at $36,495, while a fully-loaded all-wheel-drive SLT2 will run about $44,000.

The downsides? Well, the big C-pillars provide massive blindspots, the fuel economy is still dreadful, and the towing capacity has dropped considerably, reducing the Acadia’s use as a utility vehicle even more. There are rumours that perhaps a V8 engine might find its way under the hood, which could be a mixed blessing.

And although GMC has done an excellent job at putting a Toyota Highlander / Honda Pilot competitor into the market, its biggest competition will come from within: the virtually identical Saturn Relay, and the soon-to-be-announced Chevrolet version on the same Lambda platform. Hopefully the Acadia’s position as the first model out of the gates will give it the head start it needs to secure a foothold in the market.

Forza Motorsport 2 is coming...

2007-05-04T12:37:00.000-04:00

Microsoft just sent us a few teaser shots and a quick video of its new racing game for the XBOX360, Forza Motorsport 2. We had great fun playing the original, and in some respects, we preferred it to our old standby, Sony's Gran Turismo series.

Look for it to hit store shelves May 29, 2007, and we'll hopefully have more insight into the gameplay soon after.

(After watching the video, was anyone else thinking last lap of Sebring '07? At least Bergmeister and Melo didn't hit the wall, though!)

Download the preview here.

DRIVEN: 2007 Suzuki SX4

2007-04-13T10:58:00.000-04:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos Courtesy Suzuki Canada

Suzuki has been making some very big headway recently with the introduction of its new Grand Vitara and offered-everywhere-but-here Swift. The positive reviews just keep coming.

Now, the company has taken its aging Aerio out to pasture and replaced it with the SX4, a vehicle designed in a joint venture with FIAT, that aims to appeal to more than just the, ahem, decidedly female customer base of its predecessor. That’s immediately apparent with Suzuki’s new viral marketing campaign that sees the little SX4 play the modern equivalent of a knight’s steed in the very clever ‘Wolfboy’ choose-your-own-adventure online movie (www.wolfboy.ca).

While the SX4 follows the Aerio’s path of being a tall-yet-compact four-cylinder hatchback with optional all-wheel-drive, the former is pitched as more of a diminutive SUV alternative versus the latter’s city-based roots. A generous ride height, matte-grey plastic fenders, a roof rack and tall-profile tires means the SX4 emits some off-road signals, although lower-range models come exclusively with front-wheel drive.

However, all-wheel drive becomes available when you start climbing the price ladder. While at first glance it appears that the system is typical of mild AWD systems – i.e. off until you need it, then with a heavy front bias – which is true. However, the SX4 offers drivers a couple neat options. The first is to turn the system off completely, which improves gas mileage when you don’t need it. The second is the ability to ‘lock’ the power into a 50:50 split at lower speeds, giving the car some impressive traction is lousy conditions.

This came in extremely handy as we had our JLX tester during the first major storm of the season around Toronto, dumping close to a foot of snow and slush over a two or three day period. Even with the stock all-season tires, with the AWD locked, the SX4 proved to be a little tank, unstoppable in the aftermath and completely confidence inspiring. In fact, if you’re in a mood to play, the SX4 proves to be a good partner as power-on slides out of slow corners are simply a tip of the gas pedal away. Highly entertaining.

Part of that confidence came from the car’s powertrain, which is really quite impressive. While the 2.0-litre four-cylinder only puts out 143hp @ 5,800 rpm and 136 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm, that’s still one of the most powerful base engines available in its price range. And, paired with the low-geared five-speed manual transmission, the SX4 is decidedly sprightly. The engine is eager to rev, and the relatively low torque peak provides some much-needed grunt around town. While it’s difficult to comment on the clutch feel as we drove the car exclusively with big winter boots, it was progressive enough to not bunny hop away from traffic lights. And the shifter was more agricultural than your average Honda, but well within the spirit of Suzuki’s offering.

The downside of such peppy low-speed response is a highway ride that’s especially hectic. Cruising along with the speed of traffic on Highway 401 will see the tach needle hovering at 4,000 rpm, and given the SX4’s rough-and-ready nature, most of that noise gets transmitted into the cabin. This is not a continent-crushing GT, especially given the car’s short wheelbase and torsion-beam rear suspension.

The other main area that Suzuki has improved is its seating position, especially for taller drivers. Piloting the Aerio would see steering wheel plunked in the drivers’ lap with little or not room to push the seat backwards to gain more room. While the SX4, like most modern Euro-designed small cars, has very upright seating with tons of headroom, there’s a much better relationship between the ‘larger’ drivers and the major controls.

And it’s amazing what you get in the way of controls and materials in a vehicle that’s priced so competitively. As with the Grand Vitara, the SX4 doesn’t make you feel like you’ve spent your hard-earned money on a penalty box, with an above average quality to the dash, door panels and HVAC controls. However, the SX4’s radio and display are too small and dim to read properly, especially when wearing sunglasses, and the buttons to change the radio’s source are fiddly and difficult to distinguish from one another.

Still, the SX4 is one of those rare cars that you enjoy despite its flaws. Rather than wishing for it to meld to your driving style, you adjust your driving style to suit its habits. Once you connect with it, you’ll be amazed at how eager and sturdy it is when you need it.

Thankfully, as hinted before, the SX4 will not hurt your wallet when it comes time to purchase. The ‘base’ two-wheel-drive manual-transmission version starts at a $15,995, while a fully-loaded all-wheel-drive automatic JLX with ESP (electronic stability program) comes to $23,595, which is only $100 more than a very-base-model Subaru Impreza wagon. Our manual-transmission AWD JLX tester came to a reasonable $21,495 – save the money from the power-sapping four-speed auto and forget the ESP, especially given the regular car’s abilities.

And the SX4 will start to build more street cred in the next year or so as Suzuki is using it to step up to the World Rally Championship in a 300-horsepower turbocharged version. Oh, how we long for the days of homologation specials… but the regular version is still a great place to start.

DRIVEN: 2007 MAZDASPEED3

2007-02-28T11:44:00.000-05:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Mazda Canada

Mazda has never been known to overpower any of its products in recent years. Even the MAZDASPEED versions of the old Protégé and Miata gained only modest power, despite the addition of a turbo. It was always more a question of handling balance versus outright power. Even the MAZDASPEED6, with its 270 horsepower is blunted by being trapped in a body that weighs over 3,600 pounds.

However, someone at Mazda has finally gotten the message, perhaps in the wake of the Dodge’s SRT offerings – 240 horsepower in the old Neon, potentially 300 in the new Caliber when it hits dealerships later this year. Coming to the hot hatch party underdressed wouldn’t garner Mazda many headlines.

So they let their creative braintrust loose with the new MAZDASPEED3, taking the very potent 2.3-liter direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder from the MS6, and slapping it in the lighter 3 body. Leaving out the all-wheel-drive system shed even more weight, and the result is a relatively svelte (for 2007, anyway) 3,150-pound package.

Although the MS3 is a few horses shy of its bigger brother – 263 vs. 270 – but the torque output is identical with 280 lb-ft peaking at a low 3,000 rpm. Combined with a close-ratio six-speed gearbox, a clutch-type limited-slip differential, and Mazda’s torque-management system working overboard, the MS3 blows from a dead stop to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds.

During those 6.1 seconds, you’d imagine that it would be chock full of strained arms trying to control a torque-steering monster, but Mazda’s engineers have done a very good job of limiting the to-and-fro. The torque-management computer reads dozens of inputs from the ABS sensors, traction control, steering-angle sensors, etc., and limits the power appropriately in the first two gears. There’s still wheel-spin – you could smoke off the summer rubber muscle-car style in a minute or two if you’re determined enough to abuse it – but the MS3 has been designed from the start with enough beefy pieces to survive the big front-wheel-drive launches.

Thankfully, the suspension has been designed to suit more than just the wrong-wheel-drive drag crowd. Mazda claims a 60 per cent improvement in roll stiffness thanks to retuned dampers and spring rates, along with fatter stabilizer bars. Larger brakes hiding behind 18-inch wheels with low-profile sticky tires round out the package.
Driving the MS3 is a lesson in brutality. Compared to, say, the Volkswagen GTI, the Mazda rides rougher, is louder, faster and corners harder. It’s a much more hardcore machine than Germany’s hot hatch.

The only problem with all that effort spent at reducing torque steer and tire smoke is the reduced effect it has on feel. And while the MS3 grips and grips and grips, you never find you can just dance with it. Subtlety is not its forte… at least not the driving portion.

Visually, there isn’t much to differentiate the MS3 from the lesser models. A larger front bumper, larger rear hatch spoiler, those larger wheels, and the big single exhaust. The True Red paint job – the only colour available in 2007 – tries to garner some attention, but even then, you’d be hard pressed to spot the differences from 50 feet away.

But when you have so much power underhood, being considered a sleeper is never really a bad thing…

Inside, the seats get bigger bolsters, and the pedals are aluminum, but the rest mimics the regular 3’s facelift for ‘07. While the design is still modern, some of the materials are feeling a little brittle, but the cabin is certainly no penalty box.

Mazda has done a decent job at positioning the MS3 competitively in the hot sport-compact segment. Without any options to choose, the pricing comes in at $30,995, higher than the base prices of the Honda Civic Si and Volkswagen GTI, but better equipped than either. Might as well try the most powerful hot hatch available while they last…

DRIVEN: 2007 BMW 335i

2007-02-28T11:36:00.000-05:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy BMW Canada

A year after launching its new 3-Series sedan, BMW has now taken the opportunity to fill out the remainder of its entry-level lineup. And, at the same time, introducing a brand-new engine that will sate power-hungry Bimmer-philes for quite a while.

While the 3-Series Coupe (codenamed E92) made its Canadian debut at last October’s AJAC Test Fest, it whetted our appetites enough to want a more ‘extended’ test when time permitted. Now that we’ve spent a week in BMW’s new two door, we’ve come to appreciate it even more.

Or should we say appreciate the engine even more. Certainly you’ve already heard about BMW’s first forced-induction gasoline engine since the BMW 2002 Turbo – the company has been making excellent turbo-diesels for years, so they’re not out of practice by any means. Combining a direct injection 3.0-liter inline six with two small light-pressure turbos, BMW has come up with nice round power numbers: 300 hp @ 5,800 rpm, and 300 lb-ft @ a ridiculously low 1,400 rpm.

While 300 horses in a relatively small car is a near guarantee of fun, it’s that torque figure that really stands out. With the peak hitting barely above idle, it’s the big-block-style shove in the back in any gear at any time that characterizes the 335i Coupe. Turbo lag is virtually nonexistent, and with this flexibility, the six speeds feel superfluous.

And, although the 335i weighs 150lbs more than the outgoing M3, the performance gap between the two is negligible. (All of which bodes well for the new V8-powered E92 M3 that makes its debut later this year.)

With such a spectacular engine under hood, you could almost excuse the 335i Coupe if it looked like a dog’s breakfast. Thankfully, it doesn’t, although photos don’t do the car any justice. In person, the Coupe is a more conservative evolution of Chris Bangle’s styling direction; in fact, from the rear, it looks remarkably like a 6-Series with the truck ‘fixed’.

The front isn’t anything special either, although you could argue it’s very much a Q-Car: understated on the outside, anything but underneath.

As with every 3-Series built, the 335i is a performance enthusiast’s dream, with BMW’s typically responsive and engaging chassis, although the run-flat tires do make the ride unreasonably harsh – the first thing M-sport engineers do is throw on ‘normal’ rubber. Why BMW doesn’t adopt that thinking across the rest of its range is a mystery…

Meanwhile, the optional Active Steering is still in the ‘Undecided’ category. At low speeds, only having to use half a turn of lock to maneuver is exceptional, and backing off at high speeds so you don’t go flying off into the weeds if you sneeze certainly is the smart thing to do. However, if you’re in the middle of a changing-radius turn, the combination of speed and angle change can be really unsettling. You find you need to take two bites out of complicated corners when one should suffice.

Non-Active Steering is still superb, though, so you might as well save some money by not selecting it.

The brakes are sufficiently beefy that they’ll take just about anything the road can throw at you, but a day at the track might find them wanting. Why a ‘big-brake’ option isn’t available on any of BMW’s models – including the M’s – is increasingly curious.

Inside, the main features will be familiar to anyone who’s driven a new 3-Series in the last year as the Coupe shares the sedan’s fitments; iDrive is (thankfully) an option, while the sport seats are firm and supportive. Ergonomically everything is correct, but finished with very little passion. Some extra verve would be welcome…

As with any German car, the pricing depends heavily on what options you check; value for money is not at the top of BMW’s game. The 335i starts at $51,600, while our reasonably well-equipped tester – Sport Package, Premium Package, Active Steering and Park Distance Control – rang in at $60,550.

Still, despite the gripes, the Coupe continues to set the bar further away from its rivals. The Infiniti G35 came closest, but we haven’t seen the new two-door version yet. The Lexus IS350 doesn’t come with two doors, and the Mercedes-Benz CLK350 isn’t focused enough. Until someone looks beyond ‘benchmarking’ the 3-Series and truly invests in perfecting the sport coupe, BMW has the enthusiast vote all locked up.

DRIVEN: 2007 Audi Q7

2007-01-18T17:11:00.000-05:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Audi Canada

Being late to the Luxury SUV party at this point could spell lost profits and questions like ‘what’s taken so long? Well, Audi, what’s taken so long?

Four years after corporate siblings Volkswagen and Porsche launched a two-pronged attack on the luxo-sporty SUV market with the Touareg and Cayenne respectively, Audi has taken its sweet time in responding with a ‘wagon-on-stilts’ offering of its own.

However, don’t accuse the 2007 Q7 of being a simple badge swap. No, Audi took the VW/Porsche platform, stretched it, massaged it and made it its own. The engineers at Ingolstadt threw out the bulky and chunky ‘true’ four-wheel-drive system that gave the ‘Tourenne’ some serious off-road credentials, and installed Audi’s own Quattro-based on-road-oriented all-wheel-drive hardware. Clearly the company was acknowledging the car-buying public’s preference to stay on pavement with only the odd cottage road throwing up the occasional challenge.

The styling, based on the Pikes Peak concept vehicle from a couple years back, really is the most aggressive-looking vehicle Audi sells. Pinched, slanting headlights with LED side markers, big gaping intakes and that massive grille all distill into the new corporate DNA. From the side-on view, the Q7 has very little to differentiate it from other Audi wagons other than the big bulging fenders, while the rear features new-shape taillights and, well, that’s about it.

Thankfully, the whole package is designed proportionally as only when you’re walking around it does the Q7 really show its size. Scope the optional 20-inch wheels (or the 21’s in the S-Line pack) with 55-series tires and they look like 17’s on any other car…

Inside, the Q7 is another example of ‘Audi Modern’, with the now ubiquitous grey-on-grey, a smattering of wood (or aluminum), red gauges and great ergonomics. As usual, the buttons all have wonderful tactility and anything that swings or moves is damped. To be honest, it’s starting to get a little boring, and it would be nice to see the company take another step forward with its newest products. The second-row seats have a ton of legroom, and there’s even optional quad-zone climate control and heated rear seats.

The other thing that separates the Q7 is that it can seat seven (in a very tight pinch). The two optional rear-most seats are very small, and the sloping roofline severely cuts into adult headroom. With the seats folded, the Q7 offers an enormous amount of cargo room, but as with other mid-sized SUVs with seven chairs, storage space drops considerably with the extra seats in use.

The Q7 comes in two flavours: 3.6-liter V6 or 4.2-litre V8, both of which come attached to the aforementioned Quattro system through a six-speed automatic transmission.

As you can imagine, the number of available options across the line is stunning. The our loaded V8 tester had just about every option you could throw at it including DVD-based navigation system, adaptive cruise control, 20-inch wheels, a towing package that ups capacity to 6,600 lbs. and adaptive air suspension. A rear parking camera, panorama moon roof and a host of three-letter acronyms and glut of airbags dedicated solely to keeping the passengers safe are all standard equipment on the ‘bent-eight’.

Our V6 tester was optioned to be more engaging to the driver. Missing most of the (heavy) luxury items mentioned above, it also featured the S-Line package, which adds larger 21-inch wheels and tires, sport suspension, different front and rear bumpers, aluminum trim, an S-Line steering wheel with shift paddles and a smattering of badges inside and out.

While the V6 isn’t tremendously powerful (280 hp vs. 350 hp for the V8), the S-Line package really makes the most of the 6300-pound brute. The lighter engine, coupled with the sport suspension and wide, sticky tires made the Q7 3.6 relatively nimble. While there’s relatively little feedback from any of the controls, the Q7 is a moderately entertaining vehicle to drive quickly.

Once you add the weight of the V8 and associated hardware, even the optional air suspension’s ‘dynamic’ setting can’t make the Q7 dance. While the extra power would be useful to those willing to tow small boats or racecars, the less expensive (and much less thirsty) V6 option would be the better option all around. The 3.6 starts at $54,500 with our Premium S-Line-equipped model asked $69,250.

While a Q7 4.2 starts at $68,900, our just-about-loaded tester rang in at a wallet-bending $83,500. Tick all the options and a Q7 4.2 Premium commands a price of $93,250. To truly appreciate the vast number of combinations possible with Audi’s options list, it would be best to browse online and really research what you need and what you don’t.

While it would be difficult to say the Q7 was worth the wait, Audi has put forward a class-competitive vehicle that should resonate well with its intended customers. The only question is how many prospective Touareg and Cayenne buyers will be cannibalized by yet another corporate sibling rather than from the BMW and Mercedes-Benz camps.

For those looking to spend even more ridiculous amounts of money, Audi has recently announced that it has found a new home for its R10 Le Mans racer’s twin-turbocharged diesel V10 engine. Where? Under the Q7’s hood. Yes, really. No word yet on whether or not that model will make its way across the Atlantic. If it does, we’ll supply the party hats.

REPORT: Test Fest 2006

2007-01-18T17:07:00.000-05:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy AJAC

For the umpteenth year now, AJAC has held its annual Canadian Car of the Year Award evaluation called Test Fest, and Inside Track was invited to the party. Between Russ Bond (see page 54) and I spread out over six of the 13 categories, we were certainly prepared to cover an incredible spread in machinery.

This year, the entire Test Fest action was moved from its traditional home of Belleville, ON and Shannonville Motorsport Park to Niagara-on-the-Lake and a temporary track facility at the Niagara Regional Airport. As Russ has already mentioned, the new track certainly was fast and challenging, and quite a change of pace compared to the two tracks at SMP.

Fair warning: by the time you read this, the AJAC CCOY category winners will already have been announced, but for fun, I’m going to put forward my predictions on the three classes I was a part of anyway. Talk about a wide range of classes; I was tasked with evaluating SUV/CUV Under $35,000; Sports/Performance Under $50,000 and Prestige Over $75,000. While I don’t have the room to go into detail on every single vehicle, I will give you a brief run-down on each of the competitors.

Whereas in past years, the SUV and Crossover categories were split based on off-road capability (i.e. the Crossover contenders never went mudding), this year the split was (correctly) based on price range and market realities. A miniscule percentage of people actually take their vehicles off road, and the awards should reflect that.

Given that it was the lowest-priced SUV/CUV category, it was interesting to see how each of the manufacturers (eight in all) ‘packaged’ their various vehicles (nine in total) to slip under the price limit. Some genuinely did it on value, like the absolutely loaded Hyundai Santa Fe ($34,295) and the Jeep Compass ($26,135) and Wrangler Unlimited ($29,750), while others offered mid-priced versions of their mid-class vehicles, like the base front-wheel-drive Ford Edge ($33,919) and mid-level Dodge Nitro SLT ($32,830).

The others rounding out the group included the Honda CR-V ($29,700), Mazda CX-7 ($34,185), Saturn Vue Green Line ($31,690) and the Toyota RAV4 V6 Sport ($34,980).

First off, to answer your first question, yes the Jeep Compass drives exactly like its Dodge Caliber sibling, which didn’t bode well for the cheapest member of the group. The Nitro feels like what it is: a stretched and reworked Jeep Liberty with some neat touches, but an unrefined engine and body control kept it from garnering top scores.

The Vue Green Line is an old SUV in desperate need of replacement, while the RAV4 is a rocket of a small SUV (and I believe Toyota’s fastest vehicle) but the rest of the package just doesn’t live up to expectations.

The Wrangler Unlimited is big, rough, noisy, uncouth, jarring and, well, perfect for its intended purpose, which is to go over big, sharp rocks, ford streams, climb mountains and hit the beach. The only problem is that off-road ability is only a relatively small portion of the overall score, and the noise, vibration and rough ride that make it a true Wrangler mean it won’t be the category winner.

If the Edge we had were equipped with all-wheel-drive, it would have been a top contender, but the only two-wheel-drive model was at a disadvantage here. The CX-7 was the enthusiasts’ choice, but its so-so fuel consumption will mar its shot.

The new CR-V is really only an evolution of the models before it, but I predict it strikes the right price/value/performance balance to win out in this group. We’ll see if I’m right.

On to the exciting stuff. In Sports/Performance Under $50,000 it was like the old Sesame Street song: ‘One of these things is not like the others; one of these things just doesn’t belong.’ The challengers? The Acura CSX Type-S (a Honda Civic Si sedan in North of the Border clothing), the Volkswagen GTI, the Mazdaspeed3… and the Saturn Sky Red Line.

Hmm… three small front-wheel-drive compact cars vs. the low-slung, gorgeous, turbocharged roadster? Yeah – that’s fair.

The Type-S/GTI/MS3 fight was a worthy one. All three were hotted-up versions of their pedestrian siblings. Hot hatches (and sedan) personified.

The Sky, which I wasn’t a fan of before, now makes more sense with a turbocharger; 260 horsepower in a light car is nothing to sneeze at. Better shoes than I figured you could quite easily keep up with some of the Over $50K siblings if you were working hard. So, great track car then? Yes, but you still get all the ergonomic nightmares I’d written about a couple issues ago, and just because you have an intercooler doesn’t mean the roof goes down any easier…

The CSX Type-S was actually underwhelming compared to the Civic Si coupe from last year. The addition of not as supportive leather seating, a navigation system and other luxury touches have taken the purity away from the normally aspirated screamer. It’s still very predictable on-track with great brakes and steering feel, but you wonder why you wouldn’t either get the Si for performance, or step up to the not-much-larger TSX for more luxury.

I’m intimately familiar with the GTI, having spent quite a few weeks behind the wheel in various guises. It was at Test Fest in four-door format for the first time, and I was very surprised that Volkswagen decided to leave the car’s trump card at home. The awesome DSG transmission that we’ve raved about in the past was nowhere to be seen, and while VW’s manual is still a pleasure to drive, it’s no DSG. The GTI was a good middle-packer, but not tops in this group.

The brute of the bunch was the Mazdasspeed3; 263 horsepower and 280 lb-ft through the front wheels sounds like a recipe for disaster, but Mazda has certainly done their homework. Equal-length half-shafts, a limited-slip differential, retuned suspension, traction control and torque-control management means all those horses make their way to the pavement. Passing is stupid-easy with all that torque, and the turbo lag is really unnoticeable.

Wonderful seats, a reworked interior, and a price tag equal to its lower-powered rivals, and the MS3 comes out as my pick of the bunch.

In the Prestige category, the $75k price limit really was arbitrary as none of the four contenders even remotely approached that price. The ‘cheapest’ was the stunning Jaguar XK Convertible at $122,450, through the Lexus LS460L ($122,700), the Mercedes-Benz S550 4Matic ($132,400) and finally the Audi S8 ($150,250; the highest MSRP at the event.)

Like S/P<$50k, the XK8 really was the odd car out in a sea of performance luxury sedans. The while the convertible isn’t as sexy as the coupe, the Jag still imbues any driver with a sense of style, regardless of whether they deserve it or not. Some might whine that it’s an Aston body-double for half the price, and I say, ‘Hey! It’s an Aston body-double for half the price! What’s the problem?’ Some people…

The rest of the three were – excuse the old cliché – like the three bears. The Lexus LS460L is a huge improvement style-wise compared to the last generation, and the new 4.6-litre V8 and world-first eight-speed automatic transmission are trick pieces. However, given that the stretched LS’ most comfortable seat is the passenger-side rear, a major cush factor was applied. Sporty? Not at all. Complete Mama Bear.

On the other side of the scale is the hardcore, V10-powered Audi S8; all grunty noises and taught handling, the S8 was the best balanced on track, and could really be hustled for such a large sedan. At part-throttle, the 450-horsepower engine makes your spine tingle, and the glorious $7,800 Bang & Olufsen sounds system took over after that.

Not a luxury car in the traditional sense of the word as the S8’s interior is starting to date a little, especially compared to the new top-shelf offerings from Lexus and Mercedes-Benz, but absolutely the sporting choice. Papa Bear all the way.

I’m not sure Mercedes-Benz would appreciate me calling their new S Class ‘Baby Bear’, but that’s what it ends up as. The company has done a great job of blending the sporting with the indulgent, and jamming it full of the usual techno-stuff that takes you months to realize is already there. Although on paper, the new V8 is down on power to Audi’s Lamborghini-derived V10, on the track they’re neck and neck for acceleration.

And the Benz does an admirable job of hanging on in the corners as well. It would be interesting to see how an AMG version did around the track.

M-B’s take on the 7-series cabin really is quite nice, and it certainly isn’t as shocking as when BMW introduced it five years ago. Still, it’ll help propel the S Class to the category crown this fall.

REPORT: Test Fest 2006… Uncensored!

2007-01-18T17:02:00.000-05:00

Story by Russ Bond
Photos courtesy AJAC

Yes, I got in trouble at the Automobile Journalists’ Association of Canada (AJAC) Test Fest… I knew I would – trouble just seems to follow me around sometimes, and when you put that many cars in one place with a “racetrack” at my disposal, there’s going to be problems.

To be honest, we journalists have – for the most part – driven the majority of vehicles that are in our groups before we ever get to Test Fest, as part of our regular road tests, so we sort of know what they are like. The difference at Test Fest is that we drive them back to back on the local roads and highways, and on a track.

Ah yes, the track.

This year, the ‘track’ was three runways at the Niagara Airport that were littered with cones, which formed the track layout. The first day we had to stop “testing” so Dalton McGuinty could land and then take off again in his private jet, one that we probably pay for. Right about now he’s pissed off at losing his ‘red carpet.’ You see, when he boarded to leave, they left the carpet on the ground. Once the engines were started, said carpet was last seen at about 100 feet and climbing.

McGuinty wasn’t our only aircraft experience this year. On the second day, a funny looking jet fighter came by, and then landed. “Hmm, what flag is that on the tail?” I wondered. Then, not too long later, two American F-18 fighters show up and do a couple of passes.

I’m thinking, this might be a good time to take a car, and leave the airport before all hell breaks loose. Turns out, the old fighter belongs to a private pilot, and the F-18s were ‘practicing’ – for what, I’m not sure.

All these planes at an airport meant a delay in our track time.

After they’d finished with the runways, I got my first experience on the track, which went fairly well. It was a great layout, and it was fast. I think it was far faster than the previous location, Shannonville Motorsports Park, and didn’t have any of those annoying first-gear chicanes that they normally put in. The cars could be put through their paces in relative safety, as there was nothing to hit.

We all go out on the track, and even though the memo we receive from AJAC read, “The track is for dynamic testing, not to display your racing prowess,” or something to that effect, I’m guessing I’m not the only one paying little or no attention to that. Just standing at the side of the track you can hear the tires squealing and engines racing, bouncing off rev limiters. Maybe that’s what ‘dynamic testing’ sounds like.

You see, what happens is some of us – the others will remain nameless – play a little cat-and-mouse game amongst ourselves. They let us out on the track together, but spaced apart – after all it’s not a race. What we do – and we all do it, regardless of what the others say – is try to catch the car ahead of us. The object is, if you are leading, don’t get caught, and if you are ‘chasing,’ try to catch the guy ahead. While ‘dynamically testing’ your car, of course.

I noticed that another journalist was constantly lining up behind me as we waited for our turn on the track. I figured I would get used to the track, by doing one of my other groups first before I get to the ‘rockets’ – Sports/Performance over $50,000.

By the third time I line up with one of my convertible group, I can’t help but notice that my ‘competition’ is taking faster and faster cars each time. This time I am in a Volkswagen Eos 2.0T, and he’s in a Shelby GT500.

He hasn’t been able to catch me yet, but this will be close. The Eos was actually pretty good, aided by its DSG transmission. I finished my ‘test’ with ease – no Shelby in sight.

Test Fest is more than just wailing around the track. I find its always good fun to stop at a convenience store while you are out on the road portion of the test. You stop, in one car, then are back an hour later in something different, then again in something else. The look on the clerk’s face is always priceless, you can see it going through his mind, “Wasn’t that guy here earlier in an Audi, then a BMW, and now a Shelby?”

Sometimes they will ask, sometimes they won’t. I just look at them like there is nothing wrong. One guy asked me how long I’ve had the Shelby. “About a half hour,” I said, with a perfect poker face.

My groups this year were diverse to say the least. I had Sports/Performance over $50,000; the SUV/CUV over 60k and the Convertibles.

Here’s something I can’t quite wrap my head around. In the Convertible group, I had an Audi A4 Cabriolet 2.0T, and in my SUV’s over 60K I had a Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer MAX.

Now, I know that someone who is in the market for one is miles away from looking at the other, but hear me out. The Audi A4 Cabriolet came in at $65,350, while the monster Ford came in at $63,424 – (I had to go back and look at the sticker on the Ford again as I thought it must have been $93, not $63).

The Audi is very nice, is well equipped and is a leader in that segment. The Ford has enough seating for a soccer team, with more entertainment systems than your local bar, heated and cooled seats, navigation and a power liftgate.

My question is how can Ford offer all it does in that model for 60k?

I heard from another journalist it was like Walmart buying stock for its stores, versus your local corner store. Walmart pays much less based on sheer volume. Whether this is true or not, I don’t know.

What I do know is ‘stuff’ costs money, so the more stuff you have, the more expensive it should be, right? If you do the math, (taking the weight and dividing it by the cost) based on mass, the Audi is $36.71/kg, while the Ford is $22.71/kg.

I guess you could argue the Audi is a ‘premium’ brand, while Ford is more mainstream, but I really, really liked the Ford in its group, as I did the Audi in its. And I’m not pitting one against the other, I just don’t understand how you can get that much ‘stuff’ for that price?

The reason I got in trouble this year was for giving rides in the test cars to manufacturer reps that were on site. Apparently there is a time for this, and it wasn’t time yet when I was out there. Before I found out I couldn’t give rides, the guy from Dodge was the best. He got a call while we were wailing around the track, and he managed to finish the call – all the time talking a few octaves higher…

DRIVEN: 2007 Hyundai Entourage

2007-01-18T16:56:00.000-05:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Hyundai Canada

It’s not often that we test a minivan here at Inside Track, seeing as Streetwise reviews are generally aimed at the more sport-oriented enthusiasts. However, most folks face the reality of needing a people hauler in addition to their sports car or hot hatch.

Usability, space and decent fuel economy were tops on my list of vehicles to take on a trip to New Brunswick as three adults and two dogs going away for a week during fall creates an incredible amount of luggage and detritus. Hyundai was more than happy to let me take their new 2007 Hyundai Entourage on the 10-day journey.

First things first. The Entourage is essentially a slight reworking of the all-new Kia Sedona minivan, albeit with Hyundai’s own touches. The Entourage was very much an ‘on-again-off-again-on-again’ program as Hyundai initially cancelled its planned introduction, then changed its mind and called ‘game on!’

It’s a wise thing that saner heads prevailed as the Entourage really is another example of the Korean company really doing their homework and putting out a great product that truly competes with the best in the segment.

Forward of the A-pillar, the Entourage features unique, more up-market styling compared to its Kia sibling, while the rest of the body gets a few chrome touches to differentiate the two. The design is ‘standard minivan’ but you really can’t complain too much about that.

It’s inside that the Entourage really shines. There are cubbies and cup holders everywhere, two big glove-boxes, door-mounted driver’s seat controls, logical HVAC and stereo controls on the dash, and clear, bright gauges. In the back, our top-level GLS tester featured second-row HVAC controls, and a roof-mounted DVD player with a flip-down LCD screen and two sets of wireless headphones. Hyundai has also adopted the current trend of roll-down sliding-door windows, which really is one of those ideas that makes you wonder why it hadn’t been done that way in the past.

Also, the flip-down fish-eye ‘brat’ mirror allowed those of us traveling in the front to keep an eye on those two pooches to prevent any unneeded snooping through luggage for hidden treats.

The seats do deserve some praise as the front chairs were comfortable for the 15-hour journey to Fredericton, although a little more rearwards travel would be appreciated by those long of leg. In the back, the third-row seats fold perfectly flat into the cargo floor with a very easy pull-pull system, however Hyundai hasn’t caught up with DaimlerChrysler’s second-row fold-flat seats.

Those second-row seats do travel fore and aft on rails and recline for comfort, and while removing them is relatively painless, replacing them can be frustrating and awkward.

Still, with the rear seats folded and one second-row throne pulled and stowed in the back with the cargo, it was amazing just how much stuff you could pack in while leaving plenty of room for dog beds and water bowls. This was a good thing as my girlfriend has started packing relative to the size of the vehicle we’re taking. Hyundai claims the most interior room of any minivan on the market, and given its ability to swallow the whole enchilada without complaint, I’m not about to question that fact.

Thankfully, the Entourage’s large size is offset by its wonderful powertrain. Hyundai has come to the table with its new DOHC CVVT-equipped 3.8-litre V6 as found in the Azera sedan, albeit tuned for more torque delivery. In the Entourage, the engine puts out 242 hp @ 6000 rpm and 251 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm, second-highest in each category behind the Odyssey (2 hp) and Ford Freestar (12 lb-ft.) respectively, and gives the vehicle a ULEV rating.

Mated to a five-speed automatic transmission with Shiftronic, the Entourage really pulls strong through the bottom part of the rev range, albeit with the penalty of torque steer if you really cane it. Passing situations are addressed easily, and the manu-matic transmission allows for easier gear selection when cruising up and down the Appalachians in eastern Quebec. No getting stuck behind a logging truck for us!

The rest of the time, the Entourage was happy to cruise at a comfortable speed along the Trans Canada, although road noise was higher than we would have liked. Still, the surprisingly taught suspension did soak up all the major road imperfections without throwing the whole vehicle around in the process. Around town or on the two-lane back roads along the St. John River valley, the Hyundai was sprightlier than it had every right to be, although I think the Odyssey or Nissan Quest would still be the outright sporty handlers.

Over the course of the 4,000-plus kilometer trip, the Entourage averaged about 11 L/100km, which stretched fill-ups to about 550 km with lots of room for error. And, despite the relatively big power ratings, the Hyundai only needed regular gas.

As with all Hyundai offerings, the Entourage’s biggest playing card is its value. The already very well equipped base GL starts at $29,995, while our full-bore GLS Leather tester, which adds 17-inch ally wheels, upgraded six-speaker stereo, power driver’s seat, ESP, front heated seats, power sliding doors and tailgate, fog lights, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, back-up warning sensors, trip computer and the DVD player rang in at $37,195 with no options.

Add to that Hyundai’s standard five-year/100,000km powertrain and comprehensive warranty, three-year 24-hour roadside assistance and the IIHS Top Safety Pick award, and the Entourage truly is a real competitor to the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.

So would the Entourage really appeal to the ‘enthusiast’ driver? Well, given its broad dimensions, I imagine you could fit a kart in there without too much hassle. Anyone have a tape-measure?

DRIVEN: 2006 Ariel Atom

2007-01-18T16:36:00.000-05:00

Story by Mark Swain
Photos courtesy Todd McCall / On Track Promotions

"Light weight, supercharged Ecotec engine, superb braking, race-engineered suspension, open cockpit, and you are going to let me drive it? Fantastic!”

The above conversation centered around the spectacularly anticipated Ariel Atom, and I was in heaven. The Atom’s entrance into the Canadian and United States marketplace is definitely a welcome addition, although it’s not new to North American automotive enthusiasts. The car etched its place in history with one five-minute video clip that originated on the U.K. television show BBC Top Gear. This clip went on to greater acclaim on the internet, soon becoming one the most watched automotive videos on the web. If you haven’t watched it yet, please take a moment to now. I’ll wait.

I remember the first time I saw the Top Gear test. The phenomenal results placed the Ariel Atom right at the top of the charts with some of the most reputable supercars. The greatest part of the entire video is watching as the tester Jeremy Clarkson blasts down the Top Gear track with his face literally flapping in the breeze! Now that is fast!

After watching the video several times I was off to the internet to do some research on this new supercar. Pouring over specifications and photos I figured this would be as close as I got to the real thing.

Fast forward a couple years to 2006, and Dave Goadby has started distributing the cars within the Canadian market. I know Goadby very well as I was fortunate enough to drive for him at TMI Racing. At the time we raced an Ultima GTR as well as a Stealth B6, which are both European supercars in their own right. The news that he was going to bring the Ariel into Canada seemed like a natural fit.

The Canadian distributor will be working closely with Brammo Motorsports in the United States. Each Ariel Atom for the North American market will be built at the Brammo Motorsports facility in Oregon. In Canada, one car has already been sold and I imagine many more will hit the streets once a few Transport Canada issues are sifted through. As of yet the Ariel Atom is not road legal up here.

The race track really is the only place to fully test the potential of a vehicle. This being said, we headed to Shannonville Motorsports Park to see if all the hype could be substantiated. I arrived just as the car was being unloaded and rolled into pit lane. It is definitely not hard on the eyes!

Taking a walk around reinforces the fact that this is a quality-built automobile. The attention to detail has created perfection from stunning welds, to the carbon fiber body panels that actually fit! Anyone who has kit car experience will know what I am referring to here…

Now it was time to get behind the wheel and have some fun. The cockpit of the Ariel Atom is very functional. The digital dash displays all the important information including a neat shift lift incorporated in the tachometer needle. Racing seats are mounted on fully adjustable sliders that make it easy to get comfortable; even at my height (6’3”) I had no problem fitting.

Many sports cars are so highly tuned that you need a team of engineers to get them started and ensure you have executed every ritual before you put it in first gear. Not the Ariel Atom – a touch of the start button brings the beast to life at an idle so smooth and quiet you have to look twice to see that it is running.

A final tug on the shoulder straps of the five-point safety harness and I am away heading into turn 1 of the Fabi circuit. The stock GM-sourced drivetrain allows for easy starts with good clutch feel. Bringing the car slowly up to speed I can’t help but smile! The car is just great to drive at any speed. A few slower laps allow me to familiarize myself with the car. A quick look down shows you the tires working, a look left allows you to look through the car and judge the apex curbing, and listening behind allows you to hear the gentle wail of the supercharged Ecotec four-cylinder engine.

A quick trip to the pits after the orientation laps allows us a chance to do a quick once-over and ensure everything mechanically is working ok. It also gave me a chance to discuss some of the handling characteristics with Brent Gates of TMI Racing.

Gates is an accomplished racecar driver in his own right, having won numerous Canada Challenge Cup events as well as racing in the Rolex and Grand Am Cup series. Besides working with the Ariel Atom program, he is also a lead engineer at AIM Autosport, so he knows a thing or two about set-up and handling.

I was told that the car is currently set up with street car alignment specs as well as damping rates. Gates will be working in the future to develop a base race set-up for customers to use. With the mechanical check complete and the tire pressure reset, it was back to the track.

Acceleration is brisk to say the least, shifting at a conservative 6,500 rpm still gives more than enough zip. The car comes alive from 4,500 rpm onwards and keeps pulling all the way to redline. The gear ratios are fairly good, however for the Fabi circuit it would have been nice to have second and third gears closer together.

The car has very quick steering response. Understeer at the turn-in point and the ability to induce oversteer on exit are common handling traits until you are able to get some heat in the tires. Once the tires are warm the car quickly darts to the apex and powers out with ease. Trailing-throttle oversteer can be used to your advantage with the Ariel Atom. A quick lift of the throttle going into the double-apex left-hand corner allows the rear end to gradually rotate and steer the car in the desired direction. Reapplying the throttle liberally quickly stops the rotation.

Braking comes in the form of four piston calipers connected to a manual Tilton pedal assembly. The manual pedal allows for great feel and the ability to modulate braking at the limit. To put it bluntly, the car stops fast! After an hour or so of lapping the brake pedal did become a bit long, but still had great ability to stop the car. Changing to racing brake fluid will cure this problem.

The Ariel Atom is a great car and an ideal choice for avid lapping day enthusiasts! At the end of the day I was still smiling, the car was in one piece, and after many, many laps not one thing had gone wrong. Stunning good looks, drivability, performance, and just plain cool! This is a great recipe for success.

Pricing for the Ariel Atom starts at $41,995 US for the base model, while the full race package tops out at $93,450 US. For more information on the Ariel Atom please check out www.arielatom.com.

DRIVEN: 2007 Saturn Sky

2007-01-18T16:21:00.000-05:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy GM Canada

In the years that I’ve been reviewing cars and the dozens of different models that get parked outside the Inside Track offices continually, no one has ever gotten hurt before.

That might sound like a stupidly obvious statement, and I never truly believed that anyone could injure themselves checking out a ride, no matter how nice.

Then the Saturn Sky arrived.

No word of a lie – one of our sister magazine’s sales managers now sports a bruised and bloody lump the size of an egg on his forehead after walking into an iron support beam while scoping out the Sky over his shoulder. While we all believed his story that the beam ‘appeared out of nowhere’ – sure, Rog – it was perhaps the most dramatic proof that despite its recent troubles, General Motors still has some design mojo stocked up somewhere.

The 2007 Saturn Sky is the sibling to the white-hot Pontiac Solstice, GM’s big attempt to prove that it can produce niche vehicles as well as anyone else. It’s also ‘Maximum’ Bob Lutz’ first tangible results as the company’s car guru, and many have pinned their hopes on the twin two-seat roadsters taking a big chunk out of Mazda’s record-breaking MX-5 sales.

You can’t deny that the Sky looks amazing… when you’re sitting inside, all you can see are those razor-sharp fender creases, both front and rear, and those big rear haunches really do help convey that Saturn means business.

If the whole thing screams ‘Opel’ to you, well that’s because it is. The Sky will be sold as the Opel GT in Europe, while Vauxhall gets a version as well. The new ’07 Aura sedan is much the same as its Continental Vectra sibling as Saturn now becomes a rebadge division after years of being ‘a different kind of car company.’

Unlike every other Saturn, the Sky actually uses (some) sheet metal instead of the dent-resistant polymer pieces that gave the division its reputation for massive panel gaps… a revolution, I know.

Inside, things appear kosher at first glance, however once you spend more than a few minutes sitting behind the wheel, the Sky’s obnoxious ergonomics and cheap materials really make you wish for the keys to that MX-5. The most obvious defects include not being able to contort your wrist enough to reach the window and mirror switches placed too near the driver along the sculpted door panels, and the lack of any interior storage space bar the tiny glove box and the de rigueur cubby between the seatbacks. The ridiculously flimsy cup holders pull out underneath said cubby, and when a drink is installed, interferes with the cubby’s hinged door.

This is nothing compared to the utter contempt and frustration one feels when having to put down the top, which is a multi-step process in futility. Roll down the windows slightly, unlatch the roof from the windshield header, pop the trunk using the key fob as there’s no switch either inside or outside the cabin, fumble with the folding roof’s spring-mounted trunk attachment points, open the rear-hinged trunk by wedging your fingers into an incredibly minute gap between body panels, finally flop the roof down into the now-nonexistent trunk space, close the trunk, pop the trunk again because the center-latched affair takes just the right amount of shove to fit properly… you get the idea.

It’s absolutely the antithesis that is the MX-5 roof, which takes all of three seconds to open or close thanks to brilliant engineering and lots of forethought. And you still get a decently sized trunk in the Mazda.

While it’s understandable that given GM’s lack of experience designing a rear-wheel-drive two-seat roadster other than the Corvette that there would be some bugs. However, the Sky’s roof design really is off-putting. I’m a big fan of convertibles in general, and will gladly dress up in a toque, scarf and gloves in order to really maximize the roof-down season, but after two days of the tedious exercise required to turn the Sky into a sun-chaser, I just left it up for the rest of the week as it was too much of a hassle.

Thankfully, the Sky does have some redeeming qualities. Amazingly, for such a short-wheelbase sports car, it does ride surprisingly well and makes for a decent highway cruiser. Saturn says that its car and the Solstice share the same suspension design, but that the Sky’s bushings are softer, allowing for a more comfortable setup.

Despite being about 400 pounds heavier than the MX-5, the Sky’s 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder give the car decent response thanks to 177 hp @ 6600 rpm and 168 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm, although our tester’s five-speed automatic blunted the car’s acceleration. While the five-speed manual isn’t the last word in refinement, being able to select your own gears does improve the ‘roadster’ appeal.

The Sky works best when not pushed to its absolute limit. The softer suspension allows the car to lean more than the Solstice would, and while the brakes are responsive, actual stopping distances aren’t really impressive.

What the Sky will excel at is more relaxed Sunday drives, the odd spirited blast down a back road or cruising along Yorkville in the middle of summer.

The biggest pill to swallow, though, is the price. Saturn is asking more for the Sky than an equivalent Pontiac as the former is aimed more upscale. The base Sky starts just over $31,000, but once you add the five-speed automatic ($1,250), upgraded sound system ($930), red leather interior ($1,520), and the 18-inch chrome wheels ($950), you get a price – $37,420 – that exceeds a fully-loaded MX-5 GT.

One can only hope that the addition of 100 extra horsepower, one extra gear and some suspension work can help the Sky Red Line bolster the line’s reputation as something other than just a modern boulevard cruiser.

DRIVEN: 2007 Mercedes-Benz B-Class

2007-01-18T16:15:00.000-05:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Mercedes-Benz Canada

Despite having a reputation for building some of the most solid luxury sedans in history, Mercedes-Benz has been on a real quest in the last 10 years or so to extend itself into just about every niche possible. Would the company have even considered building an SUV (other than the ultra-basic military G-Wagen) in the mid-‘80s? No… you would have been laughed out of the board room for even suggesting such a thing.

But 10 years is a long time. In that span, we’ve witnessed two generations of ML SUVs, the lackluster C-class Coupe, the gorgeous CLS and – hold your breath – the front-wheel-drive A-Class – sold everywhere else but North America, of course. Now that the A-Class has come around for a full redesign, Mercedes-Benz decided to amortize some more of the platform’s costs by building a bigger, more solid B-Class, with which to attack the growing ‘premium hatch’ market.

Seeing as Canada is more than receptive to hatchbacks compared to the sedan-favouring United States, the 2007 B-Class has hit Canadian streets far in advance of our American neighbours.

Now, before I get into detail about the B-Class itself, we the question of whether or not Mercedes-Benz’ second attempt at a premium small car will be any better than its first has to be answered. Certainly the environment for such a thing is leagues ahead of where the C-class Coupe was launched, helped by MB’s main competitor BMW and the Mini brand. They proved that small can be hip, and combined with exorbitant gas prices, the small premium hatch isn’t the anchor it used to be.

Thankfully, Mercedes-Benz have learned from their earlier errors and put together a very capable package. The B-class, like its A-class sibling, is based on Mercedes-Benz’ sole front-wheel-drive platform, the same one that mounts the transverse four-cylinder engine very low and at an angle so that in a collision, the motor will be directed underneath the ‘sandwich’ flat floorpan. Like most small space-efficient cars, the B-class features MacPherson struts up front, but uses a compact ‘parabolic’ rear axle to save on packaging.

The B-class’ styling is very much “R-class lite” with sweeping shoulder and window lines mixed with a fairly blunt snout. In standard guise, the 16-inch wheels seem a little small, and the car tends to look more MPV than hot hatch.

Mechanically, there are two B-class engine options, the 2.0-litre normally aspirated four-cylinder (134hp/136lb-ft) in the B200, and the same engine with a turbo strapped on in the B200T. Our Arctic White B200T tester served up 193hp @ 5000 rpm and a solid 206 lb-ft from 1800-4850 rpm. Combine that plateau of torque with the AUTOTRONIC continuously variable transmission (a $1,500 option; six-speed manual comes standard) and the B200T becomes quite the little front tire burner.

For those of you who have a passion against one-gear wonders (i.e. CVTs), have faith that Mercedes-Benz has done an admirable job of making the electronic throttle very responsive. The computer programming really makes the car quite enjoyable around town, and for those who want to, the CVT does provide six ‘preset’ gear ‘ratios’ to swap between by moving the gear selector back and forth.

Inside, it really is typical Mercedes-Benz, only smaller. Plastics are soft-touch as in the rest of the range, and it’s tasteful and airy thanks to the Panorama sunroof that’s standard when you select the Premium package. All the gauges, switches and even the steering wheel feature back-lighting, and the eight standard airbags do a good job of boosting the B-class’ safety credentials.

The seats are comfortable, but not terribly sporty, and there’s a plethora or small cubby spaces to stow the usual detritus that accumulates in cars.

The driving experience in our non-Sport package equipped tester was, um, not really sporty. The steering was light and accurate, and considering its small size, the B-class had a great ride around town, soaking up most of the really offensive bumps and bangs that you encounter on a daily basis. While the $1,500 Sport Package, consisting of front sport seats, a sport suspension system along with 17-inch 10-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels and performance tires, would probably improve the performance somewhat, you still wouldn’t end up with a back-road burner or potential autocrosser. The B-class feels too big for that.

But it would work wonders as a small family hauler with lots of flexible luggage space, and that three-pointed star on the front does wonders for curbside appeal.

The major problem Mercedes-Benz will face is the value-for-money equation. While the B200T comes in at a high-ish base price of $35,400, once you get jiggy with the options list, the transaction price really starts to soar. Our mid-level B200T tester equipped with the $2,200 Premium Package – heated front seats, exterior chrome accents on the grille, rain-sensing windshield wipers, illuminated visor vanity mirrors, cruise control, auto-dimming mirrors and exterior Sight & Light Package, an electronic compass, and the Panoramic sunroof – along with Bi-Xenon headlights ($1,675) and the aforementioned CVT ($1,500) came to a stunning $43,275. A B200T with absolutely every option ticked – and there are quite a few including 18-inch AMG wheels and the COMMAND navigation system – totals a pocket-withering $57,434.

Obviously there are very few people who would actually load their B200T up that way, but Mercedes-Benz really has to hope that it can bank on quite a few buyers wanted to get into the brand at the lowest level if the B200 is to be a success. Audi – another one of the uber-expensive-options manufacturers – seems to be doing well with its more sporty but less useful A3 model, so perhaps the time is right for a popular small Mercedes-Benz.

DRIVEN: 2007 Dodge Caliber

2007-01-18T16:07:00.000-05:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy DaimlerChrysler Canada

After more than a decade as DaimlerChrysler’s entry level vehicle, the Neon is dead. Long ago considered to be little more than a rental fleet fodder (bar the balls-to-the-wall insane SRT-4) the cute, happy Neon descended into the category of bargain-bin special.

So it’s understandable that when introducing its brand new compact offering, the Neon name went into the ‘round-file’. Hence the 2007 Dodge Caliber now carries the entry-level flag in the DaimlerChrysler lineup.

All-new in this case really does mean it as the Caliber shares nothing with its Neon ancestor. The platform has been designed to see duty across the whole DaimlerChrysler fleet (including the Jeep Compass/Patriot twins) while the three DOHC four-cylinder engines (1.8, 2.0 and 2.4) were jointly designed with Hyundai and Mitsubishi.

When the Caliber was probably first discussed and the design locked in (i.e. pre-Hurricane Katrina) North America was still in love with their SUVs, and anything that looked like an SUV. So it’s not really a surprise that the Caliber takes a lot of its cues from the bigger Dodge Durango including the big cross-hair grille, power-bulge hood and big lights. The rear is equally, ahem, interesting with the matte-grey plastic trying to disguise the high rear roof line. Broad shoulders, chunky wheel arches and big wheels (only the base model gets anything under 17 inches!) also contribute to the SUV-ish feel.

You do have to see it in person to really appreciate that the Caliber is a compact car… photos just don’t do it justice. And the exterior design really is polarizing and colour sensitive.

However, understanding that while Americans won’t buy hatchbacks or station wagons but they will buy ‘crossovers’, it’s easy to understand why Dodge went in the direction it did. Another sedan might have carried the Neon stigma even if it had been renamed.

The Caliber comes in three trim levels, each with their own engine and drivetrain options.

The SE and SXT come either with the 148-horsepower 1.8L DOHC VVT engine or the 158-horsepower 2.0L. The R/T exclusively gets the 172-horsepower 2.4L version, but gets saddled with standard all-wheel-drive. The confusing part is that the 1.8L comes only with a five-speed manual transmission, while the other two engines are mated to non-optional (but $1,200 extra!) continually variable transmissions (CVT).

Confused yet? I sure was. While the 172 horsepower in our R/T tester looked decent on paper, the 3,308lb curb weight, all-wheel-drive system and non-responsive CVT made the Caliber a slug. Despite the modern engines, the 2.4 really struggled to make any power higher up, and real-world gas mileage suffers accordingly.

Why Dodge thought that 172 horses were too much to let loose without the heavy AWD system is incredible, especially given that the front-wheel-drive Caliber SRT4 on its way now will put out 300 horsepower. Apparently, the unofficial word is that thanks to initial grief from us journalists, Dodge will at some point launch a front-wheel-drive 2.4-litre R/T with a five-speed manual. Hallelujah.

Dropping 200 pounds, two driven wheels and the CVT would do wonders for the top-of-the-line Caliber, as the rest of the package really is quite useful. While Volkswagen drivers will probably suffer strokes after a stray knuckle-knock on the dashboard, the Caliber’s interior packs lots of great ideas into a small package. The big hits are the glovebox fridge, big enough to keep four bottles of water cool when the air conditioning is on, along with the iPod holder that flips out of the center console.

However, the neatest thing is the optional ‘Music Gate’ system that mounts a pair of speakers in the rear hatch that can flip down when the door is open to provide tunes at your next beach bash. Combined with the rest of the cubbies, pockets and bins, the Caliber does provide a space for just about everything you’d bring along with you.

So while the Caliber is a bold move forward for Dodge, the end result itself is a lesson in compromise. The opening price of $15,995 is truly attractive given the size advantage you’d gain over the tiny Korean and Japanese offerings, the materials are a little cheap. All-wheel-drive security brings extra weight and blunted performance, and at $25,895 the R/T isn’t a bad deal, although loading up the options list starts to really make you question your decisions.

Those wanting a truly sporty small car from Dodge should wait for the aforementioned two-wheel-drive R/T, or put your money down for the guaranteed small-car tire toasting SRT4.

DRIVEN: 2007 Volkswagen GTI

2007-01-18T16:00:00.000-05:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Volkswagen Canada

Now this is what I’m talking about! After having already reviewed two versions of Volkswagen/Audi’s new small chassis in the A3 2.0T and 3.2 quattro – and found them lacking in the performance vs. price equation – Inside Track has now had the chance to experience the best of the new breed: the 2006 Volkswagen GTI.

Much like the new Honda Civic Si, the new fifth-generation GTI is a renaissance for Volkswagen, whose MKIV models were known for being overweight, underpowered and underwhelming. The MKV model addresses most of those of those complaints – although weight isn’t one of them as the GTI now tips the scales at a less-than-svelte 1,500 kg.

However, VW’s gotten its mojo back and has done everything in its power to make the GTI a real competitor in the hot hatch arena once more. They even poached the Ford engineer responsible for the Focus’ much-loved ‘control-blade’ rear suspension design to incorporate something similar into the Volkswagen’s back end. Yes, you read that correctly – a GTI with independent rear suspension.

Combined with the MacPherson struts and 23mm integrated stabilizer bar up front, along with a tubular anti-roll bar helping out in the back, the GTI is a real corner-carver. It’s also the first VAG product in a long time that actually has some steering feel. The A3 is completely bereft of any feedback whatsoever, so it’s a real surprise to have its sibling actually talk back.

While the previous generation of GTI had either turbo-four or normally aspirated six-cylinder power, the new version uses the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder used in the A3 2.0T, pushing out a strong 200hp @ 5,100 rpm and 207 lb-ft @ 1,800 rpm. What’s most notable is that diesel-low torque figure makes passing maneuvers no-downshift affairs, but it plateaus at that amount all the way through to 5,000 rpm, making for an incredibly flexible power plant.

As with its siblings, the GTI has two options for transmissions: a normal six-speed manual, or a six-speed DSG, and Inside Track was able to spend serious time in both of them. Although the six-speed manual is much improved over the last Volkswagen version, the DSG really is the enthusiast’s choice. Normally I’m not a fan of the sequential paddle-shifters because of the nasty head-banging lurch, horrible around-town manners and burnt-clutch waft, but VW really has an amazing product on its hand.

(As an aside, Volkswagen is so confident in the DSG that it’s going to replace all ‘regular’ torque-converter automatic transmissions across the entire transverse-engine line by 2008. Plus, Porsche is said to be working on a seven-speed version of its own DSG for use in the new 911 Turbo.)

Driving the GTI in anger is a great thing for the senses. The intake and exhaust are more aggressively tuned compared to the Audi, and it makes all sorts of farts and brrrrapps! when you’re coming on and off the throttle. It really is a full WRC-style job coming into a corner. Stamp on the brakes, tug the left paddle two or three times, turn the wheel, plant right foot again, smell burnt rubber, rinse and repeat.

One thing that really goes a long way to helping that impression is the great plaid Recaro seats that come standard on the GTI. They are perfectly shaped, wonderfully comfortable and thoroughly supportive, and are in fact the only seats in a VAG product that didn’t give me back pains after hours behind the wheel. The optional leather seats available aren’t nearly as nice to sit in or look at, so save yourself $2,580 that the Leather Luxury Package (including power sunroof) costs and stick with the lighter cloth seats. If you're desperate for the glass panel, it's also a standalone option at $1,400.

The $900 18-inch five-spoke phone-dial wheels, so the standard 17-inch ones look a little anemic. However, the ride is still firm enough without the extra un-sprung weight.

You’ve probably noticed I haven’t spoken much about the new GTI’s looks. Well, there they are. Seriously. The new Jetta’s been compared to a Toyota Corolla enough already, but thankfully Volkswagen’s added some added splash to the hot models. The blacked-out honeycomb front grille with bright red surround looks trick, but the rear is still very ‘generic hatchback.’ It’s a shame VW ditched their confident and classy ‘Euro’ look for something more than vaguely Asian.

However, the while our test cars were black and gun-metal grey, the bright white versions running around certainly have an appeal. White’s the new silver, maybe?

Pricing is fairly straightforward. A GTI 2.0T with the six-speed manual starts at $29,375 with the DSG starts at $30,775. Now go find your Fast.

DRIVEN: 2006 Pontiac G6 GTP

2006-07-05T10:32:00.000-04:00

Story by Steven James Day
Photos courtesy Steven James Day and GM Canada

Driving the 2006 Pontiac G6 GTP reminded me that I’m old enough to remember when GM offered its mid-size sporty cars such as the Lumina Z34 and Pontiac Grand Prix GTP with manual transmissions. They weren’t always the most refined, but they were quick and, most importantly, fun to drive. Then, citing poor sales, almost all the manual transmissions were cancelled and GM asked people to settle for automatics. And while GM does build some of the best automatics in the business, it’s no substitute for a proper manual.

Well, it’s 2006 and building a sporty car without a manual just doesn’t cut it, so Pontiac found a six-speed manual for the new G6 GTP coupe and sedan. Although they share identical drivetrains, I prefer the look of the coupe, so I arranged to test a Liquid Silver example that also featured the optional Ebony leather interior. The GTP-badged heated sport seats are very well bolstered, supportive and comfortable all at once. I can also honestly say that the quality of leather is one of the best I’ve experienced in any recent GM product that doesn’t have a wreath and crest on it. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is nice and chunky, with the shift knob (also leather wrapped) fitting well in my hand. The shifter doesn’t feel as precise as a Honda’s, but is smooth nonetheless.

The overall interior fit and finish is well executed, and although some of the trim pieces seemed to differ greatly in quality, it doesn’t feel cheap. You certainly won’t mistake it for an Audi, but it is leaps and bounds over anything that ever wore a Grand Am badge. The ergonomics are great and all of the controls were intuitive and easy to use. The four-gauge cluster (240 km/h speedometer, 6,000 RPM tach, water temp and fuel) was clean, attractive and easy to read, and light up at night in the orange-red that has been a Pontiac trademark for years now.

The standard eight-speaker 200-watt Monsoon stereo sounds crisp, clear and very loud for a stock system. It even features speed-compensating volume control, and since my test car had the leather interior, redundant controls were on the steering wheel. You can opt for the oddly named sport package to get the radio controls, leather-wrapped steering wheel/shift knob with the standard cloth interior.

Two optional features that my test car was equipped with was a six-disc in-dash CD changer ($435) and XM satellite radio ($325 plus monthly subscription). I might be a bit biased here since I do have XM in my personal car and love it, but I think one negates the other since I rarely listen to CD’s anymore since getting XM. Although I know quite a few people that can’t fathom paying $12-15 a month for radio, I find it worth every penny not to have to listen to the commercials and repetition that come with regular radio.

BMW’s Chris Bangle has drawn more than a little fire for his designs over the last few years, but you can clearly see the impact he’s had when it comes to automotive design. For someone who is supposedly reviled as a designer you can see his influence in quite a few cars, such as the new Lexus LS. Add the G6 coupe to the list because there is a crisp line in the trunk that is obviously the result of Bangle’s influence. Bob Lutz did hint that he saw Pontiac as the American BMW. Maybe those recent rumours of Pontiac’s entire line up going RWD will come true.

Back to the G6 – there’s a little Toyota Camry Solara in the rear with a hint of Nissan 350Z in the taillights. But overall the exterior is very clean, uncluttered and – most importantly – cladding free. The standard 18 x 7 inch wheels and chrome dual exhaust tips are a nice touch.

The only proportion that I found odd is when viewing the G6 directly in profile. The optional 18-inch ultra-bright polished wheels are pushed to the corners thanks to its stretched wheelbase, so it seems a bit long. However that translates into above-average rear-seat room for a coupe. I put my five-year-old son and his booster seat in the rear and had no issues buckling him in. I thought the rear window might be a bit too high for him to see out of, but he assured me that he could see just fine. Sitting “behind myself” was comfortable, but I don’t know if I could take sitting for a long trip back there. But then again I don’t plan to be anywhere but the driver’s seat…

Speaking of the driver’s seat, there were no problems getting comfortable thanks to the aforementioned sport seats that feature six-way power adjustment and manual lumbar support. Although clutch take-up is bit heavy, it’s nothing to be concerned with, and since the G6’s 3.9 litre V-6 produces 241 lb-ft of torque at only 2,800 rpm, the car launches with confidence when the throttle is mashed. Torque steer is minimal even with the standard traction control switched off and Pontiac claims a 0-100 km/h time of just less than 7 seconds, which I have no reason to dispute.

Horsepower comes in at a very respectable 240 @ 6,000 rpm. The engine is torquey off the line, simply just explodes above 4,000 rpm and pulls hard all the way to redline. The 3.9-litre V6 accomplishes this without four valves per cylinder or overhead cams, however it does feature variable intake valve timing and variable induction.

Out on the highway at 120km/h in sixth gear the engine just loafs along at around 2,000 rpm, which should make for very decent fuel economy. There is more than enough power to pass if you need to or just drop a gear or two and you’ll slingshot by just about anything. There also weren’t any squeaks or rattles as the NVH was kept to a minimum. I could hear my passenger without any problem.

The G6 feels way more Saab than Pontiac, which makes sense since it is based off GM’s Epsilon platform, which also underpins the Saab 9-3. The chassis absorbed any bumps I could throw at the car with a minor thump, and while the ride is firm it’s not harsh. The steering is weighted perfectly to the suspension and at 8/10ths the car handles very well. But when driving at 10/10ths and you push it a little too hard into a corner, understeer is the result as the 225/50R18 inch all-season performance tires lose grip. There is also quite bit of body roll through some tighter corners.

Should you push it beyond your capabilities, GM has fitted its StabiliTrak dynamic stability control system to both GTP versions, and full-function all-speed traction control is included as well. Both can be switched off via a button on the dash, but since I wasn’t able to test the G6 at the safety of a track I can’t say whether or not ‘off’ does indeed mean ‘off.’ While it’s nice to have collision-avoidance features such as ABS and StabiliTrak as standard equipment on the GTP, I would like to see the optional front and rear side-impact and head curtain airbags standard as well. However, unlike StabiliTrak, the front and rear side-impact and head curtain airbags are available across the entire G6 line. ABS is also optional on the lower trim levels.

My tester’s four-wheel discs with ABS possessed fantastic pedal feel and stopped the car repeatedly with confidence and without issue. Gone is the long travel and mushy feel of previous GM brakes.

Base price is a very reasonable $29,885 for the GTP coupe, while my test car came to $34,882 before freight or taxes. This price as tested includes $1,732 for the leather seats, $1,195 for the power sliding sunroof, $1,310 for the Ultra-bright polished 18-inch wheels, $435 for the six-disc in-dash CD changer and $325 for XM. I would skip the leather, polished 18 inch wheels and CD changer and opt for the side impact/head curtain airbags.

I enjoyed my time with the G6 GTP. It’s not a raw performance coupe – neither are its Accord or Solara competition for that matter – but is a very nice GT-type car with lots of standard features, luxury touches and quite a bit of refinement with excellent balanced performance. The G6 GTP would make an excellent daily driver, just be sure to opt for the six-speed to make it a fun daily driver. For a slightly higher base sticker price of $36,885 and slightly lower horsepower rating of 227 horsepower and no six-speed manual the GTP is also available as a hardtop convertible.

Georgian Pontiac in Barrie, ON provided the author’s 2006 Pontiac G6 GTP.

DRIVEN: 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8

2006-06-29T13:15:00.000-04:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos by Ed Gatner

How do you best describe the 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8? How about the station wagon from hell? The Devil’s own family hauler with room for three little devilkin and a decently-sized Cerberus? Hmm… not quite evil enough.

Have you seen this thing? Blacker than the pits of Hades, and three times as mean. I can’t count the number of times people took one glance at it and turned to stone. Well, not really – they were only so stunned by the sheer presence of the thing that they just stopped moving. Three neighbours I’d never met before suddenly became a whole lot friendlier when I pulled the SRT8 into the driveway.

The Street and Racing Technology (SRT) Group certainly did their jobs when the order for a hotted-up Dodge Magnum came down the pipeline. We’re already fans of the ‘regular’ RT, so you should already have a frame of reference to work from. Take out the already potent 5.7-litre HEMI V8, and dump in a 6.1 litre version that puts out a monstrous 425 hp @ 6000 rpm and 420 lb-ft. @ 4800 rpm. Then, lower the thing, stiffen up the suspension, up-size the anti-sway bars, fit a set of pizza-plate-sized Brembo brakes, slap on massive 20-inch five-spoke wheels with ‘real’ performance tires, drop in some Viper-inspired super-aggressive sport seats and then shake until Armageddon.

What do you get? One wickedly fast machine that goes, whoas and turns remarkably well too. It’s a muscle car that doesn’t get scared at the first sign of a twisty road, and can feel equally capable bringing home the weekly groceries.

Is it heavy? Abso-friggin’-loutely. It weighs in at 4,260 lbs., but thankfully feels much more nimble than its size and heft would suggest. On track, its behaviour is downright benign thanks to the Mercedes-Benz sourced Electronic Stability Program and those huge brakes. Oh, you can get the SRT8 majorly sideways – just check the photo above. But it’s not a hair-trigger thing – one wrong breath and you’re off.

No, the Magnum SRT8 is even happy doing the daily commute, and its surprisingly well-judged ride – you can thank that weight here – doesn’t beat you up going out for milk.

Of course, you always want to take the long way home, but that’s a whole other problem…

The Magnum is one of three LX platform cars that have undergone the SRT treatment. Like the three bears, the 300C is too subtle, while the Charger almost seems like it’s trying too hard. The Magnum version is just right.

Downsides? Well, if you have to ask about the gas mileage, stop reading right here. In this day and age of over $1-per-litre gas, anyone buying a six-litre engine who complains about gas mileage officially gets their human card revoked. Do your research. Dodge’s claims of 14 mpg city / 20 mpg hwy seem optimistic, especially given that the SRT’s V8 doesn’t come with the Multiple-Displacement System (MDS) that shuts down a bank of cylinders when cruising on the highway.

And, of course, since we live in Canada, you’ll have to find some huge snow tires and extra wheels that’ll fit over those monster brakes. Even the stock all-seasons on the regular RT’s are ‘marginal’ at best for this big rear-driver.

However, the great part is that the Magnum’s price is significantly lower than any other vehicle of its size and capabilities. The Mercedes-Benz E55 wagon, which admittedly is leagues nicer inside than the Dodge, starts at $122,000. Audi’s S6 Avant is now on ice for the time being, and BMW doesn’t make an M5 Touring (yet anyway). Nothing Japanese even fits the bill, and neither GM nor Ford offer anything comparable either.

A base Magnum SRT8 comes in at $46,520, while a fully loaded version with sunroof, side airbags, upgraded Boston Acoustic sound system, navigation system and all the bells and whistles only rings up to $54,195. A relative bargain for a little piece of hell.

DRIVEN: 2006 Lexus GS300

2006-06-29T13:11:00.000-04:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Lexus Canada

With Lexus’ domination of Mercedes-Benz over and done with, the Japanese company decided it was time to turn its attention to the new sales leader in the global luxury market, BMW. What you see here, the 2006 Lexus GS300, is the first of an entirely redesigned fleet of Lexii ready to tackle Bavaria’s most popular car maker.

Now in its third generation, the GS300 follows the same tune as before: a mid-sized four-door sedan with six-cylinder power and rear-wheel drive. The GS’ exterior styling follows what Lexus calls L-Finesse. We call it ‘Flame-Surfaced-Without-The-Bangle-Butt’ or ‘One-Better-Than-Bimmer’. Your call…

Anyway, it’s a handsome sedan, with a rakish rear window and low roof height that helps to give the GS a very sleek profile.

Under the hood, the biggest change from before is the adoption of a traditional V6 in place of the old inline six. Displacement is the same as before, 3.0 liters, and it puts out 245 hp @ 6,200 rpm and 230 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm. There’s also a 4.5-litre V8 available (GS450), and Lexus has just recently launched a V6 hybrid version (GS450h) that’s the most powerful of the three. Both V6 and V8 get six-speed automatic transmissions while the 450h debuts a new two-stage CVT.

While the recipe reads well for the enthusiast, the problem comes once you’re on the road. Sorry – that should be once you’re driving ‘spiritedly’ along your favourite road. While Lexus are aiming directly at the 5-Series with their latest GS, they’ve handcuffed what’s quite obviously a very balanced and able chassis with a hyper-sensitive form of traction and stability control called Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM).

At seven or even eight-tenths, and the car is relatively nimble, if mute in its information delivery. But once you start pushing the envelope, the electronics yank you back into shape without even a hint of letting you slightly sideways. And the worst part is that it’s undefeatable. You can’t turn it off. Period. It’s nothing like a BMW.

However, it is very much a luxury car, which means a gorgeous interior and top-notch materials, a quiet cabin and very good ride, even on the large-ish 17-inch wheels on our tester. The stereo is fantastic, and it’s a great place to relax and let the heated seats melt away the stresses of your day. And despite the general lack of headroom both front and rear (something had to give for that rakish roof) the GS is more than happy to schlep you and three other people wherever you want in great comfort.

It’s even a decent price – our Touring-package equipped tester coming in at $67,100, about $8,500 under a comparably equipped 530i.

But it’s definitely not a BMW. And maybe that’s the point. For years Lexus cribbed its entire playbook from other manufacturers. Now after 17 years in the market, the company’s finally confident enough to have their own sense of self. So enjoy the GS350 for what it is – a Lexus. Not a BMW.

DRIVEN: 2006 Honda Civic Si

2006-06-29T12:44:00.000-04:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Honda Canada

The Honda Civic has officially reached middle age – in times now where car names and lines are lucky to stretch four or five years without a change, the Civic name’s 28-year history is certainly getting on.

Perhaps that helps explain the philosophy behind the eighth-generation of Honda’s compact competitor – it’s undergoing a mid-life crisis. All sleek, edgy and streamlined, attempting to reach out to the younger generation.

And the Si Coupe is probably the most radical of them all. While the previous SiR looked a lot like the offspring of a bread van and a guppy, it was almost universally panned as an underwhelming, underperforming, overpriced flop. It was made even more painful as the European Civic Type-R was a real screamer with 200 horsepower, fat sticky tires, a six-speed manual transmission and lots of attitude.

Honda had obviously taken its eye off the ball.

Thankfully, the company’s come back swinging, and the brand new 2006 Civic Si Coupe is a real stunner. Gone is the upright minivan look and in is the low, sleek shark-like styling. It’s a great job by the usually conservative Honda.

Mechanically, it backs up the looks with a very tasty spec sheet: a 197-horsepower 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder with full iVTEC treatment, a slick six-speed manual transmission, and – amazingly – a helical-type limited-slip differential. The Si Coupe also sports a firmed-up suspension tune: the rear features Honda’s traditional double-wishbones, while the fronts are still struts, but feature revised geometry for better performance.

Add to that formula a set of big four-wheel disc brakes and 17-inch wheels with sticky performance tires, and the Civic Si Coupe is a rocket around the track. The steering is laser sharp with tons of feel, while the brakes are able to haul you down from illegal speeds with ease. Pitch the Si into a series of sweepers, and the car takes a nice set. Its line is fully adjustable with the electronic throttle thanks to the slippy diff, and once the engine spins north of 4,000 rpm, the most wonderful pissed-off engine sounds add to the soundtrack. Pure intake and exhaust growl, all the way to the 8,000 rpm redline.

The Si Coupe’s interior makes it easy to enjoy spirited driving. The seats are perfect, well bolstered and covered in Alcantara to hold you in place, and the shifter falls right at hand.

The dash itself, though, is what’ll catch your attention first – it’s divided into two binnacles split visually by the steering wheel rim. A rev counter and warning lights sit in the bottom one, while a digital speedometer dominates the top. It’s a little disconcerting at first, but given enough time, you become quite used to it.

The only real issues are some slightly impeded sightlines thanks to the fairly massive and aggressively raked windshield pillars. It sometimes makes it hard to aim for the apex without having to strain your neck, but such is life.

Also, rear passengers will find the seats somewhat cramped as Honda decided to sacrifice space in the quest for good looks. For those who are itching for a more friend friendly version, the company recently took the wraps off a Civic Si Sedan ‘concept’… expect it in showrooms probably by the end of the summer.

The best news about the Si Coupe is its pricing, which starts at $26,080. The only real performance upgrade you could ask for would be 18-inch wheels with summer tires for $1,777.88, but you can certainly find aftermarket packages for cheaper.

So the Civic is a smoking bargain. Not convinced? Well, the Honda is such a hot package that Acura’s decided to kill its aging but still excellent RSX coupe at the end of the ‘06 model year – no direct replacement is planned as the Si Coupe made it irrelevant. That’s not a bad sign for those looking for a reasonably priced, highly entertaining ride – the Civic’s come out swinging.

DRIVEN: Audi A3 3.2 Quattro

2006-06-29T12:41:00.000-04:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Audi Canada

The 2006 Audi A3 has already found friends at Inside Track thanks to its sharp styling, potent and flexible turbocharged engine and the super-trick Dual Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission. The only issue we had was the price. A reasonably equipped A3 2.0T was at the sharp end of $40,000 for what is essentially a compact five-door hatchback.

Well, Audi’s now introduced a high-performance version of the A3, this time loaded with a 250-hp 3.2-litre V6, quattro all-wheel-drive. Remember the Volkswagen Golf R32 that Canadians were denied? Well, this is essentially the same package, only bolted into the much-lauded fifth-generation corporate platform, independent rear suspension and all. And, like the 2.0T, it’s available with either a six-speed manual transmission, or the aforementioned DSG.

How’s it drive? Bloody quick, despite the bloated 3,650lb curb weight, a 328 pound penalty versus its two-wheel-drive sibling. While the DSG in our tester isn’t equipped with any sort of launch control, the V6 builds power progressively, and if you leave the transmission in Sport and let the computer sort out the shifts, acceleration is impressive. Audi claims 0-100km/h runs under six seconds.

Despite having driven a few cars with DSG, it’s still stunning to experience just how quick and seamless the shifts are, all without seeming to stress either itself, the clutch or your neck. Turn a BMW SMG transmission to ‘full-kill’ for a day and you’ll swear you just tried to keep ‘roid-raging Barry Bonds away from ‘the Cream and the Clear’.

Anyway, the only complaint is that even in fully ‘manual’ mode, the computer still keeps things in major check – i.e. banging off the limiter is verboten, and the electronics will quickly shift up to the next gear in a, perhaps vain, attempt to save the engine. At least in an M3 you can ride that 8,500 rpm limiter all the way to the Nurburgring and back.

Enough about the transmission… our tester was also equipped with the S-Line performance/equipment package, which includes 18-inch wheels wrapped in sticky rubber, a more aggressive body kit, special S-Line badges, and a more aggressive suspension tune than the regular 2.0T. Unfortunately, the steering is ridiculously light and doesn’t transmit anything in the way of feedback to you, and at speed it weights up artificially. Not the sort of thing to engender confidence.

However, the car as a whole is a useful tool, and is quite capable in the curves. You can definitely sense the weight when you’re in transition, and since the quattro hasn’t caught up with the rest of the uber-sporty Audi range, it still splits power 50:50 f/r rather than 40:60 like the RS4 and S8. That leads to predictable understeer at the limit, and the A3 isn’t as sensitive to throttle steer as, say, a WRX on its original tires…

All that weight does make it a very decent highway cruiser, though the seats could use some extra bolstering to keep you held in place.

The brakes will pull you to a stop in a hurry and are easy to modulate, but Audi’s nanny-ish electronic throttle won’t let you do the two-step on the brake and gas pedal at the same time.

Inside, it’s ‘Audi Modern’, with ultra-thin panel gaps, soft-touch plastics, and the whole shebang. It’s obvious why they’ve become the industry standard. Our tester featured the dual glass Open Sky roof, DVD-based navigation system, DSG transmission, leather seats, HID headlights… just about every option you could throw at an A3, including a brace of airbags and safety equipment.

Price? You don’t want to ask. How about $55,490? Yes, you read that right. Audi’s obviously banking on having their ‘premium hatchback’ be a hit in North America as an aspirational choice because the value equation was rocked about $20,000 ago. It’s only another $1,500 to get into a similarly equipped and much larger A4. Hopefully for them, Canada’s more hatch-friendly market will play their tune.

Or maybe they’ll all buy Golf GTIs for considerably less money.

DRIVEN: 2006 Dodge Charger RT

2006-06-29T12:38:00.000-04:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy DaimlerChrysler Canada

Let’s get this out of the way: we’ve all heard the criticism before about Dodge’s decision to build the new Charger as a four-door sedan rather than a two-door like its muscle car namesake of old. Been there, done that. Get over it. If having two extra doors prevents you from even trying to enjoy what Dodge has to offer, then that’s a real shame because the new Charger is certainly worth its badge.

The Charger is the third of the Brampton, ON-built DaimlerChrysler triplets to use the very successful LX platform. Since we’ve gone on at great length about its Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum siblings, the basic information should sound familiar: a choice of V6 or V8 engines, five-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel-drive.

However, it would be unfair to tag the Charger as nothing more than a retro-ish sedan version of the Magnum, because there’s been a huge effort made by DC to infuse it with the spirit of Bo and Luke Duke’s favourite ride.

The major change has been to shorten up the wheelbase in order to make the Charger more nimble than its larger brothers. Stiffer suspension settings on even the V6 SE models helps to differentiate the drive as well. Our HEMI-powered R/T benefited even more from the optional Road and Track package – yes, that means it was a Charger R/T R/T – that included different 18 x 7.5-in aluminum wheels, P235/55R18 BSW all-season performance tires, supporting sport seats with grippy ‘Preferred Suede’ surfaces, and even more focused steering and suspension settings.

So equipped, the 4,031-lb Charger R/T was surprisingly nimble and fun to drive. The steering is sharp, and turn-in is decent, although the all-season tires have early limits. Having summer performance tires even as an option would help even more in this regard.

The V8 really is a nice piece, proving to be super-torquey and responsive, and it truly does roar when you put your foot in it. The five-speed automatic is well matched to the HEMI, although we’ll say again that a manual transmission would be a welcome addition to the lineup. It seems obvious to say that gas mileage wasn’t the greatest over the week we had with the R/T, although most of the driving done was in-town where the Multi-Displacement System (MDS) cylinder shut-off wasn’t able to perform its magic.

While the interior shares most of its components with the Magnum, the exterior is something completely different. The office was split into the love it/hate it categories, but whichever way they fell, it’s obvious that the Charger stands out in a crowd. The squinty headlights, upright crosshair grille, rear fenders and fast-back profile hearken back to the ‘good ole days’, the touches of a modern sedan are still there in spades.

For those who have a bit more extrovert in their blood, Dodge does offer the Daytona R/T package, with lurid Go ManGo! and Top Banana paint, blacked-out grille and wheels, flat-black graphics on the hood and sides, and black spoilers front and rear. Mechanically, the Daytona R/T includes everything from the R/T R/T, and really gets the mid-life crisis blood flowing…

Pricing for the Charger R/T starts at $39,045, with the R/T package adding another $950 to that total. The Charger Daytona R/T runs for $42,045. Those who are looking for even more punch can step up to the SRT-8 for not much more money… we’ll bring you a full test once we get our hands on one.

DRIVEN: 2006 MAZDASPEED6

2006-06-29T12:30:00.000-04:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Mazda Canada

It seems to get boring repeating it time and time again, but the Mazda6 in all its iterations has been a favourite in the Inside Track offices since its introduction. The combination of slick styling, sweet chassis, nimble moves and good value has conspired to keep us searching for opportunities to drive one whenever we can.

So when we heard that the company’s in-house tuning division MazdaSpeed got its hands on the mid-sized sedan, we – of course – couldn’t wait to finagle one for a week.

MazdaSpeed’s well known for taking perfectly good production cars and adding a turbo, bigger wheels, tighter suspension, sticky tires and an aggressive body kit – witness the previous generation Miata and Protégé versions for reference. Even when you’re familiar with the recipe, though, the final versions were always a cut above what the spec sheet would suggest.

The MS6 is remarkable in its transformation. It features a 274-horsepower turbocharged and intercooled 2.3-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine, with a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive. While the numbers may suggest that Mazda’s taking aim at the STI and Evo rally-specials set, in reality, the MS6 is much bigger and heavier than those two, preferring to play the Grand Touring card instead.

The engine truly is an amazing piece – it’s an evolution of the 2.3-liter that already sees duty in most of the global Mazda and Ford catalogue, but equipped with DISI, or Direct Injection to boost power and economy. D.I. has been a staple in diesel engine technology for years, but is only recently becoming more popular on gasoline engines.

What it does in the MS6 is help to produce an amazing 280 lb-ft of torque that peaks at an amazingly low (for a turbo) 3,000 rpm. The horsepower peaks at a healthy 5,500 rpm, but runs out of breath soon after. Thankfully the six-speed manual transmission has closely spaced ratios that help keep the engine on boost.

In fact, the MS6 launch was delayed several months after the North American-spec final-drive ratio was changed to match the more aggressive Japanese-spec version to improve acceleration. While it obviously adversely affected the fuel economy, Mazda executives felt the change was more than worth the delay and headaches. We tend to agree.

The MS6’s all-wheel-drive system is all new as well, and features what Mazda calls an ‘active torque split’ that uses all manner of sensors to split power anywhere between 100/0 to 50/50 f/r. It also employs a rear limited-slip differential to help get the back end moving properly as well. While it’s not an aggressive rear-biased ratio, in normal everyday driving, the MS6 acquits itself very well.

Incredibly, the first chance we had to sample the MazdaSpeed6 was during AJAC’s Test Fest back in October. Russ Bond was given the enviable task of judging the Modern Muscle category, where the MS6 was thrown headfirst against the Dodge Magnum SRT8 and the Chevrolet Trailblazer SS. As for me, I was able to storm around Shannonville’s Nelson circuit for a bit, and almost had to be black-flagged to come back in once my half-hour was up.

Both Russ and I agreed that the MS6 was incredible on track, proving to be more nimble and responsive than its 1,628kg curb weight would suggest. Also, the engine proved to be hugely flexible, providing a very solid powerband in which to work.

Inside, not much has changed over the regular Mazda6 range, bar a few piano-black trim pieces and the optional two-tone leather seats in our test car. Thankfully, the MS6’s interior hasn’t dated much since the range’s introduction, so it’s still a great place to be. The MS6 offers power everything, all manner of airbags, traction control, stability control, a great stereo and amazing seats.

The only complaint is that Mazda’s refresh of the 6 lineup has diluted the MS6’s impact some as the restyled front and rear fascias and new wheels look remarkably like those fitted to the hi-po model.

Once again, though, Mazda really has pulled the value card here. The MS6’s MSRP is $35,995, undercutting its closest rival – the Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Limited – by $4,300 and the Mazda is the better steer. Also, the MS6 has only two options – a moonroof and either mono- or two-tone leather seating (and the price is the same for either). They only come packaged together, so a loaded MS6 adds up to $38,795.

MazdaSpeed deserves a lot of credit for once again balancing the power/grip/comfort/value equation. There are rumours floating around about a MazdaSpeed3 featuring the same engine (although perhaps not the all-wheel-drive) coming soon. I’ll have to get that dialing finger warmed up again.

DRIVEN: 2005 Toyota Tacoma Sport

2006-01-31T14:48:00.000-05:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Toyota Canada

Toyota’s small trucks are legendary for their durability and reliability in the nastiest conditions the world can throw at them. The original Tacoma was Toyota’s first step forward towards making those small trucks more livable in a more urban environment, and it was a success in that regard.

However, much like the rest of the world – and its competition – the new Tacoma has grown bigger. The compact truck market used to be flooded with offerings from a slew of different manufacturers with only the Dodge Dakota taking on the ‘mid-size’ tag. Well, now with Nissan (Frontier), Chevrolet (Colorado), GMC (Canyon) and now Toyota introducing their new generation of ‘small’ trucks in mid-size packages, only the ancient Ford Ranger and Mazda B-series can lay claim to the compact descriptor.

Like many pickups, the new Tacoma is offered in a dizzying number of combinations of cab sizes, engine and transmission choices, drivetrain options, etc. The one that probably appeals to the typical Inside Track reader the most, however, is the two-wheel-drive Tacoma Double Cab Sport V6, and the week we spent with it opened some eyes.

Motivating the bigger truck is a bigger engine, in this case a 4.0-liter V6 pushing out 236 hp @ 5200 rpm and 266 lb-ft. @ 4000 rpm. While this powerful engine is available with a six-speed manual, our tester was hooked up to a five-speed automatic transmission. There was plenty of passing urge when called upon, but the enthusiast in us still cried out for the stick shift. No matter…

The Sport package offers a host of upgrades to the regular Tacoma, including a more aggressive body-colour front facia, a hood scoop, lowered suspension with Bilstein shocks, body-hugging seats, a limited-slip differential, 17-inch aluminum wheels and grippier tires.

For a body-on-frame truck, the Tacoma was surprisingly agile, despite the high center of gravity, and the upgraded shocks provided good body control without transmitting too many nasty vibrations into the cabin from broken pavement.

The combination of sticky-ish tires and rear LSD meant you could really push the Tacoma hard, and it would respond relatively well, with the sport seats keeping you in place comfortably. The brakes were probably the only thing that could use some work; perhaps a more aggressive pad compound would help them bite better and improve response.

The four-door model provided a good amount of leg room in the rear, and passengers had few complaints about the accommodations. While the interior is done in ‘Toyota-modern’ and everything lines up correctly, there were some areas that could stand a little improvement to distance the more expensive Tacoma from the Corollas.

Pricing for our tester rang in at $35,520 and there’s an enormous array of options and packages that you can select to personalize the truck any way you want. Hopefully Toyota’s reputation for quality and high resale value will continue, making the Tacoma a good deal not only when you first buy it, but years down the road as well.

DRIVEN: 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara

2006-01-31T14:45:00.000-05:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Suzuki Canada

Suzuki’s been in the business of making off-road ready compact SUV’s for a long time. While the Samurai, Sidekick and Vitara were demons off the beaten trail, they were always too focused on the rough stuff to really compete with the more comfort-oriented, lighter-duty car-based SUV’s that have since dominated the market.

Enter the 2006 Grand Vitara, Suzuki’s completely redesigned entry into the small five-seat SUV market, and one that’s a serious shot across the competition’s nose. Just looking at the trim and aggressive sheet metal, you get a sense that Suzuki’s not messing around. It’s razor sharp, with squinty headlights and big fenders – it’s a design that’s thoroughly modern, and probably the best in its class.

Underneath the skin, Suzuki has stubbornly chosen to keep with its body-on-frame design, which is traditionally a better chassis to use off-road. Only this time, they’ve cleverly attached a completely unitized body on top, much like Land Rover has done with its new – and much more expensive – LR3 and Range Rover Sport. The idea is to better isolate the cabin from the shocks incurred from the ladder frame, and provide a very stiff shell from which to work with.

It’s inside that shell that’s perhaps the biggest surprise of all; the interior design is by far the best we’ve seen from Suzuki, and it leapfrogs ahead of a good number of pricier competitors as well. The seats are comfortable and supportive, the gauges are clearly marked and easy to read, the center stack is very well integrated, and the pieces all fit together with very small gaps. All in all, it’s a great place to escape from the nastiness of nature.

Once out on the road, the Grand Vitara drives extremely well; in a previous article, I’d dubbed it the “Miata of SUV’s” because of its steering response, agile handling, and good braking. Unfortunately, “Miata” doesn’t equal ‘muscle car’, because the Suzuki’s most obvious failing is under the hood. The 2.7-liter V6 has gained power over the last generation, but unfortunately, it’s not enough.

That super-rigid construction and lush interior materials make for lots of weight, and the 185 horsepower the engine provides just isn’t strong enough, especially with the five-speed automatic. It’s adequate for around-town duties, but long hills or highways – even more so with a full load of people or cargo on board – will have you pushing your foot deep into the floorboards.

It means you have to drive the Grand Vitara with momentum in mind, which thanks to the great suspension setup, is highly entertaining for a small SUV.

However, the Grand Vitara’s biggest weapon is its value for money. For instance, even the base models starting at $24,495 get Electronic Stability Control as standard equipment. A fully loaded JLX with leather, moonroof, and key card entry and ignition only runs $29,995 – a relative bargain in this class.

Combine it all, and the Grand Vitara adds up to be a very nice package for the money. That it finished third out of nine in the AJAC SUV of the Year category only behind a Mercedes-Benz and a Range Rover Sport is even more impressive. Had Suzuki put more ponies under the hood, and I would lay even odds the Grand Vitara would have won.

DRIVEN: 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML350

2006-01-31T14:44:00.000-05:00

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Mercedes-Benz Canada

Mercedes-Benz has completely revamped its popular ML-class SUV for 2005. While the original, launched in 1997, arguably started the trend towards ‘luxury’ Sport Utes, its eight-year run with only a mild mid-life freshening left the ML in a position behind its newer – and more car-like – rivals.

While the exterior styling could only be called evolutionary, what’s changed underneath the skin is dramatic. The 2005 ML350 that we had on test ditches the old body-on-frame construction of the original, and adopts a unibody chassis that’s highly popular in this world of ‘crossovers’ and SUV’s that never go off road.

That body-on-frame gave the original ML a serious set of off-road credentials, even though most of its customers would never consider taking it off the pavement. Thankfully, the 2005 version doesn’t abandon the skill set of its predecessor, possessing great mud-bogging capabilities that belie its more civilized construction.

It being a Mercedes-Benz, the ML adopts the same ABS/traction control-based four-wheel-drive system that does away with traditional locking differentials. A myriad of three-letter-acronym systems including Hill Decent Control (HDC) and Electronic-Brake Force Distribution (EBD) help the 4,730 lb. truck get through the nastiest conditions. During the off-road testing portion at the AJAC Test Fest this past October, the ML handled itself with aplomb, and Mercedes-Benz offers a more dedicated off-road package including air suspension and different tires.

Thankfully, the ML’s on-road abilities haven’t been sacrificed either, with even the ‘base’ model offering good body control with minimal dive or pitch, and the brakes are responsive and confidence inspiring.

Powering the ML350 is MB’s first of a new generation of V6 and V8 engines, replacing the old three-valve SOHC units. In our case, it was an all-aluminum 3.5L V6 that puts out 268 hp@ 6000 rpm and 258 lb-ft. @ 5000 rpm. And mimicking the McLaren-Mercedes Formula 1 car, all V6-equipped ML’s feature a seven-speed automatic transmission. The combination is silky smooth, and provides good acceleration and throttle response.

The interior appointments are probably the most obvious improvement over the previous generation, which had come under criticism for some un-Mercedes-like materials and quality. No major complaints in the new one, though; soft-touch plastics abound, and the design is clean and bright.

Only the stubby steering column-mounted gearshift takes some flack – it’s positioned right where the windshield wiper controls are on most other non-MB vehicles, and takes some getting used to so you don’t switch into neutral while trying to clear the front glass. While its operation is simple enough to understand, it’s a large departure from the traditional gear levers of old.

Regardless, the $55,750 Alabama-built ML350 truly is a solid, luxurious vehicle, and hopefully is an indication of Mercedes-Benz’ renewed focus on peerless quality.

That it won the SUV category at Test Fest 2005 against some fierce competition is a strong indication of just how serious the company is to retake its position at the top of the luxury sport-ute pile.