Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Car Reviws

Car Reviws

2011 Honda CR-Z EX, an AW Drivers Log:

Posted: 23 Nov 2010 06:41 AM PST

a side view of the Honda CR-Z EX. JAKE LINGEMAN
Sport is our favorite driving mode for the Honda CR-Z EX hybrid.

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: I used to love the CRX and after that I thought the Insight was cool--the two-seat one, not the five-door out now.

As for this, if you leave it out of eco mode it's sort of an entertaining little scooter, like a throwback hot hatch: Cool exhaust note, and good steering and body control. Eco is one of three modes. It really whacks power but is OK for stop-and-go commuting. Sport quickens the throttle response with a big difference between the two. Normal is in between. None of the modes are rockets--this car looks faster than it is.

The interior is typical Honda: Cheap looking materials screwed together well and controls laid out logically. The seats are average at best, needing more thigh support.

EDITORIAL INTERN JAKE LINGEMAN: Great gearbox in this car. It's really a joy to slide a shifter from spot to spot. There's no chance for a missed gear, just smooth, bolt-action shifting from first to sixth.

I really like this car. The styling is cool, the off-blue color and the wheels make for a sharp-looking package. It obviously harks back to the CRX days.

The hybrid setup is trick. The changing gauge colors, from green to red, tell you how efficient your driving is. But I wonder if the normal, sport and eco modes just change the throttle response. It feels a good bit faster in sport mode but the clutch action seems to be different. I was driving around in normal mode most of the weekend. When switched to sport I had to completely revamp my takeoff technique. It definitely sounds meaner in sport mode.

This car is more convenient than you would expect, even though it only carries around two people. I stopped in at a baby shower on Saturday and had no trouble flipping the back "seat" down to take care of the overflow gifts. A few baby seats, some bags and a cake all slid into the hatch without a problem.

The last CR-Z we tested had tight steering and was even referred to as "twitchy" sometimes. I didn't notice it last time but this one required constant attention on the expressway--I wasn't sure if it was the wind or just me. I'm glad someone else experienced it.

I recorded 35 mpg over the weekend and that was driving "normally" which is probably more aggressive than most. I bet with a little care you could get 40 mpg.

The price is sweet, at just little over $20,000. I can see Honda selling a bunch of these things.

2011 Honda CR-Z EX

Base Price: $21,510

As-Tested Price: $21,510

Drivetrain: 1.5-liter I4 hybrid; FWD, six-speed manual

Output: 122 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 128 lb-ft @ 1,000-1,750 rpm

Curb Weight: 2,654 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 33/35.1 mpg

Options: None

2010 Jeep Liberty Renegade, an AW Drivers Log:

Posted: 22 Nov 2010 07:56 AM PST

NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: The Jeep Liberty Renegade was a nice weekend traveler for me, and I enjoyed motoring around town in this off-roader. The Liberty has been toughened up a bit in appearance compared with the last generation, and it looks more like a rugged Jeep than its predecessor. My biggest complaint is that the black plastic trim and bumpers looked cheap, and some of the black silhouetting on the side didn't present that well. I like the idea, I just didn't think it looked sharp.

I did really like the extended skylight. It's a great feature that's relaxing and upscale. The seats are extremely comfortable and the interior is well done. It's a nice midway point between the Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee.

The steering came off a bit too light for my taste, and with this vehicle's tall demeanor, it didn't help the handling much. I would have liked a touch more precision. The engine is up to the task but also left me wanting just a bit more. It seemed like the 210 horses could use a bit of a boost.

Otherwise, I really did like my time in this Jeep. It offers a great view of the road, feels solid and has plenty of room. It's comfortable, well-appointed and has an attitude. People like Jeeps. They seem fun. This one continues that vibe.

COPY EDITOR CYNTHIA L. OROSCO-WRIGHT: I could definitely see Jeep peeps and off-road enthusiasts enjoying this Liberty Renegade. Even though this Jeep has some nice touches and mostly nice sheetmetal, it still has an off-road vibe. But if that was the goal with the plastic trim around the wheel wells and the bumpers, I'd have to say Jeep missed the mark. I saw a similar Liberty in a driveway on my block during my ride home, and sans the black-plastic cladding, the Jeep looked much better.

On the road, you feel the weight at the wheel, and it feels as if the Liberty could use a kick in the pants (more horses) to get it moving more quickly off the line and in passing. And speaking of the wheel, it felt pretty loose and the handling didn't seem sharp. While I like the higher-up driving position, with how tall this Jeep is and the loose steering, the Jeep can feel unbalanced around some curves. The brakes, though, felt solid.

I like the sky slider roof, but it lets in a lot of road noise when closed. (I didn't open it to compare noise levels.) And I didn't think the seats were comfortable; they felt hard and it was difficult to get the seatback into proper position.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: I've long been a fan of Jeeps, and the Liberty would be my third choice in the lineup. The Grand Cherokee, the new one, would top the list with the Wrangler, then the Liberty.

The first thing that really drives me crazy about the Liberty is just how small the footwell is. The transmission and transfer case must take up too much room, limiting the amount of space for your feet. It's something you don't necessarily notice on a short drive, but spend some time behind the wheel, and as you try and move your feet around to different positions, you start to really feel cramped.

The Liberty fits in between the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler, sort of taking the spot where the old Cherokee used to be. But hard-core Jeepers still lament the passing of the Cherokee and feel the Liberty is its lightweight cousin. Maybe. I haven't been off-road in a Liberty since going on the launch for the first one; we tackled some pretty heavy off-road stuff and the Liberty did just fine. My guess is that it's still way more truck than 95 percent of its buyers would ever need.

And its on-road manners are typical and predictable. The V6 is plenty strong. The base price of $28 grand seems in line with what you are getting. And for me, I'd forget the sliding roof.

2010 Jeep Liberty Renegade

Base Price: $28,605

As-Tested Price: $34,365

Drivetrain: 3.7-liter V6; 4WD, four-speed automatic

Output: 210 hp @ 5,200 rpm, 235 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

Curb Weight: 4,290 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 17/17.6 mpg

Options: Navigation convenience group including auto-dimming rearview mirror, premium sound, Uconnect phone with voice command, universal garage-door opener, media center radio, GPS navigation, 30GB hard drive, 6.5-inch touch-screen display, satellite traffic, map lights ($2,095); comfort seating group including leather-trimmed bucket seats, driver's manually adjusted lumbar, heated front seats, six-way power driver's seat and two-way power passenger seat, memory package with memory seat, radio and mirror ($1,395); sky slider open roof with side roof rail delete, black roof molding ($1,075); premium group 1 including power windows, tire-pressure monitoring, air conditioning with automatic temperature control, ParkSense rear park assist, remote-start system ($650); trailer-tow class three group including full-size spare, black steel spare wheel, class III receiver hitch, seven-pin wiring harness, seven-to-four pin wiring adaptor, trailer-sway control, heavy-duty engine cooling ($545)

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