2011 Ford Flex Review

Nearly three years since TireKicker's first review of a Ford Flex, I'm left with many of the same emotions and questions. Actually, only one question: Why am I not seeing a lot more of them on the road?

First of all, I like the Flex...a lot. Enough to buy one with my own money, were I in the market. And this is one of the few 125 or so vehicles that pass through my hands in the course of a year where wife and kids agree. The Flex is a great big happy-maker. Room, comfort, utility and (especially when equipped with EcoBoost as the one provided to us for a week by Bell Ford in Phoenix was) power.

I also see the same things when I look at it that I did in the summer of '08...a bit of Range Rover here, a hint of Country Squire there. I also see a much more sensible approach to a car I owned and loved nearly 20 years ago.

We're a road-trip family. And when the kids were little, that meant a week or two on the road with strollers, Pak-N-Plays, and assorted other little people supplies. Back at home, it meant kids and their friends wanting to ride together to the movies, Build-A-Bear and other fun places. At the time, there was one sensible choice...so we bought a brand-new 1993 GMC Suburban. I called it the "Swiss Army Knife of cars". Keep the seats upright, and haul 8 people. Fold 'em down (well, actually, the third row had to be removed, was heavy and where do you stash the backseat of an SUV when you're not using it?), haul the big tables and chairs for the backyard birthday parties yourself and save yourself the anxiety of wondering whether the delivery guys would get there on time.

But the  'Burban had big drawbacks, too. It wouldn't fit in a standard-sized garage. It had the handling characteristics of an aircraft carrier. It weighed darn near three tons and it got 12 miles per gallon in the city and 16 on the highway. And every part except the door locks (there may be a bit of artistic license in that, but not much) needed to be replaced within the first five years.

If only there'd been a Ford Flex. Let's start with utility, shall we?

That, my friends, is the view from the tailgate of a Flex with the rear seats, the middle seats and the front passenger seat folded down. Game 7 (if needed) of the NBA Finals could be played in here. Meantime, here's your view:

Yes, that is the Limited model we drove, but there's actually a level above that, Titanium. And even without the wood and MyFord Touch system, you still get that clean design in the SE and SEL models.

Pop for the Limited, though, and you get SYNC, dual-zone automatic temperature control, leather-trimmed first and second row seats, a premium Sony audio system and a whole host of other goodies for $37, 865.  Choose all-wheel drive and it's $39,715 and go full-boat like ours, with EcoBoost and all-wheel drive and the base price is $44,000.  A base Yukon XL (what GMC calls their Suburban these days) is $42,415. Load one up so it's competitive with the Flex Limited and you'll be deep into $50,000 plus territory.

And let's talk about EcoBoost for a moment. 355 horsepower from a 3.5 liter V6. Without EcoBoost, it's 262 horsepower. That's right...a 97 hp improvement. That's boost, so where's the "Eco"? Well, an AWD Flex with the standard 262-horsepower V6 gets an EPA estimated 16 city/22 highway.  Check the EcoBoost option box, get that extra 97 horsepower and it's 16 city/21 highway.

That's right...the same city MPG. You're trading one mile per gallon on the highway for 97 additional horsepower. Useful in a vehicle that can hold this many people and that much stuff, especially when passing.

This is definitely my new Swiss Army Knife. And if the price point of the Limited version is beyond the budget, the SE starts at $29,220 and the SEL at $31,850. You can't get EcoBoost with either of those, but you'll still have a brilliantly capable machine with the utility of a big SUV and none of its drawbacks.

2011 BMW 528i Review

A white four-door sedan...the entry-level model of its series.

Doesn't sound exciting...but it all depends on what that sedan is. If you haven't recognized the photo yet, I'll let you in on the secret. It's the BMW 528i.

And it just may be the most perfect car on the road.

I've always enjoyed BMWs, but I've had three outright revelations while holding a steering wheel with a blue-and-white roundel in the center:

The first, at the tender age of 17, entrusted on a winding road in the Eastern High Sierra of California with a friend's older brother's 2002tii. 38 years later, that still stands as one of the best cars I've ever driven.

The second, in the early 80s, stepping into a 635csi coupe with a price tag of $40,000 (astronomical at the time) and thinking "no car is worth this", only to be convinced after 5 minutes in the foothills west of Reno that it was not only worth it, but that it was, in itself, a reason to go make that kind of money.

And the third, most recently,  a week in the Z4 sDrive35i, which has raised the bar for sporting two-seaters to a level I wouldn't have imagined.

And now, the fourth revelation. The new 5-Series.

It is, quite simply, the best sedan you can buy, regardless of price. However much more money you spend on something else, you'll be buying power or features, not excellence and value. Cars simply don't come more solidly built, more thoughtfully designed, more perfectly balanced than the 528 i.

The one we drove for a week, courtesy Chapman BMW in Chandler, Arizona , came box-stock...zero options. But on the 528i, standard includes a list of features that are extra-cost with most other cars, that is if you can find an 8-speed automatic transmission in another car. Electronic limited slip differential? Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS? Dynamic Brake Control? Dynamic Stability Control? Dynamic Traction Control? 17-inch alloy wheels with run-flat tires? Rain-sensing wipers? Fog lights? Power-adjustable, heated and folding outside mirrors?  All standard.

Not done. 10-way power adjustable driver's and front passenger's seat with four-way lumbar support and memory for the driver's seat, steering wheel and outside mirrors? Leatherette upholstery and dark wood (yes, real wood) trim? An AM/FM/CD/mp3 12-speaker (including 2 subwoofers) audio system with 205 watts of power, including HD radio (makes AM sound like FM and FM like CDs), prepped for satellite radio installation if you choose? Vehicle and key memory? Power moonroof?  Automatic climate control? Power tilt and telescoping steering wheel? Leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise control functions? Bluetooth? iDrive? Tire pressure monitor? All part of the package.

And now the best part...you get to drive it, too. BMW has forever made the sweetest six-cylinder engines in the world, and the 3.0 liter DOHC inline 6 under the hood of the 528i is no exception. Velvety smooth and pulls like a freight train. Its 240 horsepower is more than adequate for brisk acceleration (as in 6.6 seconds zero to 60).  That's 10 horsepower more than last year's model, and it packs and extra 30 pounds per foot of torque, too (see "pulls like a freight train", above).

Handling is direct and intuitive. Within minutes on the road, the car becomes a direct extension of your hands and your brain. There's immediate, controlled response. Chapman BMW asked me to keep the miles on this one below 200, so I didn't have a chance to take a nice drive on a winding road like Northern Arizona's Oak Creek Canyon (linking the town of Sedona with I-17), but I have no doubt the 528i would have aced it and had me even more impressed.

Icing on the cake: Pairing the 3.0 liter 6 with an 8-speed automatic transmission pays off big in the EPA mileage ratings: 22 city/32 highway.

Yes, 22 city/32 highway. And it's a bigger deal than you think. It means the 528i gets better gas mileage than many small economy cars. Really. Here are a couple of examples from upcoming TireKicker reviews:

Scion xB: 22 city/28 highway.

Kia Sportage: 22 city/31 highway.

So what's it cost?

Base price: $45,050. For the one we drove, add delivery charges, tax and license and you're done. No $45,000 isn't dirt cheap. But go back and look at that list of standard features. Add those to your typical $30,000 sedan and you're at or past $45K in a heartbeat. And is that car as well-built, quick, superbly balanced and does it get 22 in the city and 32 on the highway?

This one's a winner. And it proves BMW is about more than status. There's major-league substance here. Every other automaker should be taking notes.

2011 Lexus GS 350 Review

The face is familiar, you say? No surprise there. The Lexus GS has been around quite a while...with even its more thorough re-designs being careful to maintain an immediately identifiable look.



The GS is Lexus' mid-size sedan...larger than the ES, smaller than the LS...and it's rear-wheel drive.

The one we sampled for a week courtesy of Bell Lexus in Phoenix was the V6-powered GS 350 as opposed to the V8 GS 460. Having driven the 460 (a fine car), I'd pick the 350. Plenty of power, better handling with less engine weight on the nose, and only a 4/10ths of a second difference in zero to 60 time (5.8 seconds versus 5.4 for the V8). And there's about a $9,000 price break when you choose the RWD 350 over the RWD 460. That price spread jumps to more than $10,000 between the all-wheel drive 350 and 460.

The interior has gotten a bit of a refresh, as well..with a newer nav/entertainment screen in the dash and the final step into the new milennium...the 2011 GS is the first one not to have a cassette deck below the CD player.

Optioned sensibly, you can get a very luxurious, very comfortable, quick and good handling sedan for just a shade over $50,000 (starting price is $46,900).  That's well below what any comparable competitor will cost.  And very few, if any, can touch the GS 350's 19 city/26 highway miles per gallon.

No, it's not cutting-edge styling. But if Lexus can maintain freshenings and updates, this could be a classic...and it's well worth your time for a test drive.

2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Review

Mitsubishi. The word may as well be Japanese for "how the mighty have fallen."  70 years ago, they made fearsome fighter planes that flew in World War II. 35 years ago, they had a pretty good name in the field of home electronics.  And 30 years ago, they managed to crank out some fairly desirable sporty cars for their low-compression, emissions-control-choked time.

But they've never been able to break through to mass success in America, and with each passing year of subpar sales, the coffers get smaller, no doubt hurting research and development that might produce exciting new vehicles.

That's the only explanation I can manage for how Mitsu managed to be more than a decade late to the small SUV (think Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape) party and show up with a car that might have been competitive when the party started ten years back.

Maybe.



Simply put, it's slow, with a 2-liter four cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission. It's noisy by contemporary standards and rough, too.

The arguments in its favor? Price...a base price of $22,995 for the all-wheel drive SE model we drove...$18,495 for the 2-wheel drive ES model (which comes with a 5-speed manual that might cure a lot of our problems with power and drivability...every step up comes with the CVT)...and mileage (the EPA says 24 city, 29 highway. We saw 24.5 in a mix of city street and freeway driving over 420 miles in one week)...and Mitsu's warranty package (10 years/100,000 miles powertrain, 7 years/70,000 miles anti-corrosion/perforation, 5 years/60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper and 5 years/unlimited mileage roadside assistance.

The interior? Hey, it's 2001 again! Hard, black, shiny plastic as far as the eye can see. Yeah, there are updates (keyless entry, pushbutton start, a full complement oof airbags, Bluetooth), but it's definitely old-school. And it's up against vehicles like the RAV4 that started here 10 years ago and have had a decade worth of refinement.

But there is the price thing. Our SE, with a Premium Package (panoramic glass roof with LED illumination...is this "Cash Cab"?, roof rails, an upgrade to a 710-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system with 6-disc in-dash changer and Sirius satellite radio) priced at $1,800, topped out at $25,575.  Show some restraint on the options list at the Toyota store and you can get a RAV4 close to that...but it'll be  2 wheel drive and more of a stripper.  Drop to 2 wheel drive and a base vehicle with the Mitsu and you're nearly $7,000 cheaper.

In tough times, you can't rule out price as a motivator. But the Outlander Sport will probably be cross-shopped against three-year old RAV4s, CR-Vs and Escapes rather than new ones.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ Review

It's been 35 years since the famous "Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet" ad campaign. But the basic principle is evident in the new Chevrolet Cruze.

If you've heard or read that the Cruze is a quantum leap beyond the car it replaces, the Cobalt, you've heard or read right. This is a thoroughly modern, no-apologies small sedan...ready for battle in an intensely competitive segment.

What's fascinating is how, in the same year, both Chevy and Ford get serious about building very good small cars, and yet, come up with very different solutions. The new Focus is Ford acknowledging that they've been building the good stuff for Europe all these years and finally letting us get some...it's essentially a German sedan.

The Cruze is, in its own way, every bit as good as the Focus...but it's all-American. More like a smaller, tigther, more responsive Malibu (click the link to see that we're not damning with faint praise...we like the Malibu a lot).

The Cruze we had for a week was the top of the line LTZ model, loaded at a base price of $21,975 (the Focus Titanium sedan starts at $22,270, so they're competitive) with a 1.4 liter turbo four-cylinder, six speed automatic transmission, sport tuned suspension, a full complement of airbags, Stabilitrak stability and traction control, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, power door locks, theft alarm, remote keyless entry, rear parking assist, six months of OnStar, and tire pressure monitoring.  There are also power adjustable heated outside mirrors, variable wipers, a rear defogger (not a given in small sedans) and 18 inch alloy wheels.

Inside, there's an AM/FM/CD 6 speaker audio system with Bluetooth, steering wheel controls, USB interface and auxilary jack, floor mats, a driver's 6-way power seat (8-way manual for the front passenger), acoustic insulation, automatic climate control, leather appointed seats and steering wheel, a driver information center, tilt and telescoping steering column, power windows, cruise control, and heated seats up front.

The Chevy PR folks loaded ours up further with a power sunroof ($850), a Pioneer premium audio system ($445), crystal red metallic tintcoat pain ($325) and a compact spare tire ($100). Add $720 for delivery and the bottom line comes to $24,415.

That's about $1300 more than the Focus we tested, and it was a five-door, which starts about $900 higher than the sedan. The Focus is more of a driver's car, manages better fuel economy despite a bigger engine (28 city/38 highway from a 2.0 liter to the Cruze's 24/36 from the 1.4 liter turbo), and seems a lot more like a driver's car...that European influence, no doubt.

So...a slam-dunk for the Focus? Not necessarily. On a lot of levels, the Cruze was more comfortable and easy to live with...and there's a huge segment of the intended audience that is not about performance...they're looking (especially at prices nudging $25K) for comfort and convenience they're used to from larger cars with small-car fuel economy.  It's really a matter of taste. And if it were me and my money I'd be wrestling with the decision a long time.





 

2012 Ford Focus Review

At last, Ford lets us have the good stuff! For a decade or so, we've been hearing how the American Ford Focus compared unfavorably if at all to the European model...and with each update, we've been hoping to get what they've had for so long.

Well, the 2012 Focus is here and now we can see what the shouting was all about. Not only is it a night-and-day difference from the previous U.S. Focus, it's also a completely different approach to small cars from its chief rival, the new Chevrolet Cruze (review coming soon here).

The Focus rides, drives and handles like a German car that just happens to have the blue Ford oval attached to the front and back. The combination of the 2-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission gives it strong acceleration and very good fuel economy (28 city/38 highway is the EPA estimate and our weeklong experience of mixed city street and freeway driving suggests that's realistic).

Ford has done some of its best work with the Focus interior...contemporary and techno without being overwrought like the Honda Civic (another direct competitor). The seats are comfortable for hours at a time, controls are well-placed an fall easily to hand. And, unlike the Fiesta, the back seat has adequate room for people just a shade under six feet tall.

The SEL 5-Door Hatchback is well equipped, with 16-inch alloy wheels, halogen headlamps, fog lamps, a rear spoiler, an AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system, ambient lighting, power windows and locks, a leather wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise controls, climate control, illuminated entry, AdvanceTrac with electronic stability control, SYNC, 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, a rear wiper/washer, power locks, keyless entry and tire pressure monitoring system standard at $21,065. As with the Fiesta, it's pricey for the class size historically, but both Ford and Chevy appear to be moving into the premium compact segment that the VW Jetta has abandoned this year (review coming soon on that, too).

Our tester added Rapid Spec package 301A (MyFord Touch audio/nav system with an upgraded Sony stereo, HD radio, Sirius and 10 speakers)for $995 and Red Candy Metallic Tinted paint for $395. Total price with destination charges: $23,180. Again, more than you'd pay for a Civic or Corolla, but reasonable Jetta money when Jettas were premium German compacts.  And, based on precision and driving pleasure, I'm willing to say the Focus is what the Jetta was...and maybe even more.

My only concern is quality control. While everything seems top-notch, our tester had a trim piece above the passenger front door window that kept coming loose and hanging down and once, the MyFord Touch system froze up completely and would do absolutely nothing...not even pushing the "off" button made a difference...until it decided it was time to re-boot itself...a total of 9 minutes. Could just be the one we had. But if Ford's going to convince Americans to pay $23K (and more...there's a "Titanium" level above the SEL) for a compact car, quality had better be job one.

2011 Ford Taurus SHO Review

Return with me now to those thrilling days of yesteryear...before (well okay, just as) midsize muscle cars were coming on the scene...when a big car with a big engine was the hot ticket.

In Ford's case, we're talking about 1965:

Yes, they called it "The Velvet Brute"...a Galaxie 500 with a 425-horsepower 427 cubic inch V8 stuffed under the hood. You could even get it with a manual transmission. Well, full-size powerhouses didn't last much longer and if it hadn't been for Chrysler's 300C, Ford might never have tried the new Taurus SHO, but we're sure glad they did.

Oh, sure there were SHOs in the early 90s, but that was a smaller car...the Taurus' mission in life is to be the BIG Ford...so the SHO has a lot more in common with 7-Liter Galaxies in our book. And that's a good thing.

The Taurus SHO looks and feels special. The 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6 is a serious engine...and the SHO keeps the serious stuff coming...with a six-speed automatic transmission (with paddle shifters), all-wheel drive, a sport tuned suspension, Advancetrac with electronic stability control, high intensity projector headlamps and more.

And the interior kicks things up several notches too...possibly the best big American sedan interior I've been in for years, if not decades.

The SHO is even defensible on green grounds...getting an EPA estimated 17 city/25 highway miles per gallon...not that far off the base Taurus SE's 18/28.  And the safety aspect? Not to worry. Five-star crash ratings all around (four for rollover).

Where the difference comes in is the price tag. There's no question you get every penny's worth, but the still sobering fact is that the base price of a Taurus SHO ($38,020) is $12,600 more than the Taurus SE.  And when equipped like our tester (heated and cooled front seats, power moonroof, upgraded Sony audio system, heated rear seats, power sunshade, blind spot monitoring, rain sensing wipers and automatic high beam headlights, adjustable pedals, red candy metallic tinted paint, adaptive cruise control with collision warning, voice-activated navigation, multi-contoured seats and delivery charge), it'll crack $46,000 before package discounts (which whittles the tab down to about $45,600). You can't load an SE beyond $27,466 even if you check every single option box.

So, loaded, we're talking about an $18,000 difference in price tag. Don't get us wrong. We love the SHO. We'd gladly own one. We could even make the case for the price based on what you get. But this is America, where the "deal" moves cars more than merit or features...and where perceived value is a major factor, especially in a down economy.

Is there a sufficient market for a $45,000-plus Ford Taurus? Sure hope so, because it's one heckuva car.

2011 Lexus IS350 AWD Review

Respect.

That's probably the word that best describes most people's admiration of Lexus. They build high-quality luxury and near-luxury automobiles at a price below...often significantly below...that of the competition from Germany.

Desire isn't heard as often, largely because Lexus' "relentless pursuit of perfection" has sanded off a lot of the rough edges that enthusiasts find interesting and exciting.

But for every rule, there's an exception, and for Lexus, it's the IS350.

This is Lexus' drivers' car. And it comes in a variety of flavors. Our most recent run was in the all-wheel drive version.

The IS's agressive styling (certainly by Lexus standards) hints that this is something special. And the 3.5 liter DOHC 24-valve V6 more than delivers on that, with 306 horsepower and 277 pounds per foot of torque. That power gets to the four driving wheels through a six-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with intelligence...meaning it adapts to your driving style and the conditions you're driving in.

That all wheel drive is full-time AWD, by the way. So you're getting a consistent delivery of power to all four wheels. The IS350 is already a good-handling machine. All-wheel drive just makes it better...and an excellent companion in bad weather.

Well equipped? Well, yeah...and then some. The standard equipment list is a long one, including 17-inch alloy wheels, dual chrome exhaust tips, steering wheel-mounted shift paddles, Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management, anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and Brake Assist Smart Stop technology, a full complement of airbags, Bi-Xenon high-intensity headlamps with LED daytime running lights, automatic collision notification, emergency assist, roadside assistance, tire pressure monitor, a first aid kit and a tool kit.

And then there are the creature comforts that come at no cost with the base price of $41,030....leather trim, a moonroof, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, a Lexus Premium Audio System with 13 speakers, in-dash 6 CD changer, Bluetooth, XM and a USB connection.

The Lexus folks pushed the envelope of our tester a bit further with the Luxury Plus Value Edition Package (heated and ventilated front seats, wood interior trim, perforated semi-aniline leather seats, power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, driver memory seat, illuminated scuff plate, power rear sunshade and rain-sensing wipers)...$2,795 worth of options ordered separately for $1,320. And they added a navigation system with Lexus Enform, XM NavTraffic, NavWeather, Sports & Stocks for $2,465.

$64 for a cargo net and $73 for a cargo mat plus $875 destination charges runs the bottom line up to $45,827...not bad for a car that easily runs with sedans that crack the $50K ceiling. And this one gets an EPA estimated 18 city/25 highway miles per gallon.

It's a wonderfully balanced sedan...hitting the sweet spot where performance and luxury meet. And it's well worth a test drive.

2011 Nissan Versa Hatchback Review

As the price tags of entry-level compacts go up, it's nice to see a car that remembers its basic mission...good, affordable, reliable, economical transportation.

The Nissan Versa isn't anybody's idea of a hot hatch. With only 122 horsepower and a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), it's not going to win any stoplight drag races. But it has more than adequate power for freeway merging and passing, it's very smooth and quiet for its class.

The base price is $16,900 and for that, you get 15 inch alloy wheels, airbags, anti-lock brakes, Vehicle Dynamic Control, Traction Control system, a security system, air conditioning, a 6-way adjustable driver's seat, a six-speaker 180 watt Audio system with auxilary jack and an iPod interface, intermittent wipers front and rear, cruise control, power door locks and windows and keyless entry.

Skip the satellite and nav, though, and you're in the 17s, with an Ultra Low Emissions rating and an EPA estimated 28 city/ 34 highway miles per gallon rating.

We like the Nissan Versa. We like it even more because it isn't pretending to be something it's not...it lets its core virtues shine and reminds us that simple things done right can be very easy to live with.