Friday, December 3, 2010

Car Reviws

Car Reviws

2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS, an AW Drivers Log:

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 06:38 AM PST

Hyundai Sonata Jake Lingeman
The Hyundai Sonata impressed our staff.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: There’s a lot to like in this sedan, from the fits and finishes to the styling and sticker price. The fuel economy, as recorded in our lead-footed hands, is fairly remarkable as well.

Midsizers such as this tend to get lost in the sea of dull styling sameness, but that’s where the Sonata shines. It cuts a sharp figure from tip to tail, without being overdone or impractical. It’s just a good-looking sedan--almost a head-turner, especially once you discover it’s a Hyundai.

Inside, there’s some plastic and cloth, but it all looks relatively handsome and feels right in the places that count--the door panels, top of dash, seats, steering wheel. The center stack is laid out for maximum functionality, without losing a certain slick look that makes the car seem more upscale than the sticker price.

The car drives steady and solid, with the I4 pumping enough power to get the car rolling into freeway traffic without too much worry. The six-speed shifts smoothly, and the car rides comfortably enough without being too insulated.

This is a very competitive option in the midsize class.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: This is a nice-looking car, inside and out. And it seems like Hyundai has finally found an engineer who can tune a suspension. I have liked Sonatas in the past, but the ride and handling has always been suspect. This car has a much more refined ride and it is pretty quiet going down the road, once you back off the throttle. The four-banger is very buzzy under full throttle, like a freeway-merge maneuver, almost to the point of being unacceptable. But once you back off, it gets really quiet. There has to be a middle ground somewhere in there.

But, my biggest beef remains with the seats in Hyundai vehicles. The flat bottoms are uncomfortable, especially on long drives. I tried a variety of different adjustments to find a comfortable position and came away frustrated.

There’s a lot to like here with the Sonata, but the seats for me, would be a deal-breaker.

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER TARA KLEIN: I was surprised to be greeted with such a sharp car when I walked up to the Sonata. The body lines and overall shaping of the exterior were sleek and modern. This looks like a car of 2011, and the designers and engineers took all the proper steps to make sure it represented as such.

The interior continued to impress with simple yet fun details such as the heating and cooling mode control shaped like the human icon, reclined so comfortably in a seated position. The dash-cluster design was also clean and composed innovatively. The temperature and gas gauges are cleverly inset inside the speedometer and tach. The curved lines of the interior crossed over an array of materials and textures, resulting in an up-to-date, high-end feel. I also like the patterned cloth on the seats; it felt like a current take on a throwback style.

Additionally, this car handled very well. It shifted smoothly and the steering was effortless while turning. My commute was a pleasant one, and commanding the Sonata again is something I look forward to.

COPY EDITOR CYNTHIA L. OROSCO-WRIGHT: We had a fine weekend in the Sonata, driving up to Saginaw around Frankenmuth for some Christmas shopping, back home and making a grocery run. During my time behind the wheel, I found the Sonata to be a steady driver, with plenty of speed on the expressway and on surface streets. But I really had to put my foot in it sometimes to get up to speed on the expressway. For some reason, this Sonata just didn’t seem as smooth overall as one that came through the fleet during the summer.

With that said, there is a lot to like about this Sonata. The sheetmetal is sharp and flowing. The interior materials are pleasing to the eye and to the touch. The HVAC and audio controls are easy to use and the sound system is good. I agree with Roger that the seat bottoms don’t hold up well over long drives, but otherwise, the seats were fine. The back seat offered good space for passengers, and the trunk easily swallowed about a dozen bags of groceries.

All in all, this Sonata is a fine package for a fine price.

NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: From stem to stern this is handsome midsize car. The curves, the lines—it’s all cut in a pleasing manner. I like the headlights and taillights that wraparound in smart fashion, and the roofline and beltlines were penned in a sharp manner.

The four-banger is a solid engine for the times and works in harmony with this smooth six-speed gearbox. Passing is no problem, and the revs are channeled effectively. This combination makes the most out of 198 hp. As Hart notes there is some noise here, but it’s reasonable. The fuel economy is outstanding, and in real-world driving it seems to be supported as the gauge hardly moved during my commuting laps.

The cabin is well put together with nice materials. The dash has some nice angles and features a contemporary look. The chassis is comfortable with little dive during braking; I liked the weight in the steering but found there was a bit of correction necessary on the expressway. Might have been me. There also seemed to be a bit more body movement when hanging curves. It’s fine for most people, but I noticed it because we drive some of the tightest cars in the biz. During turns, the wheel offers nice feedback.

I really like the price. There’s a lot of stuff here and it’s a nice product. Usually I find myself saying a car is a touch too expensive. Not here. The Sonata is a deal, and Hyundai is fast becoming the real deal.

2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS

Base Price: $20,915

As-Tested Price: $21,765

Drivetrain: 2.4-liter I4; FWD, six-speed automatic

Output: 198 hp @ 6,300 rpm, 184 lb-ft @ 4,250 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,199 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 26/28.0 mpg

Options: Popular equipment package including 16-inch alloy wheels, power driver seat with power lumbar support, leatherette interior door-panel inserts, chrome interior door handles, automatic headlight control ($750); carpeted floor mats ($100)

Audi quattro concept, an AW Flash Drive:

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 01:30 AM PST

WITH VIDEO -- What is it?

Audi's Paris show car is a rolling homage to the original quattro from 30 years ago, and it looks it, too. The regular Audi Quattro coupe debuted at the 1980 Geneva motor show with a distinctly new coupe body. Four years later, the 1984 Sport quattro bowed, destined not only for rally racing but also for a limited production run of 206 cars to meet homologation requirements of the day.

The car you see here is a modern interpretation of that 1984 Sport quattro rally car. Like its predecessor, it is shortened, chopped and lowered for greater performance and a more aggressive look. Audi took the steel body of the RS5 and remade it as an aluminum space frame, a task that required new and expensive stamping apparatus ("If you use the regular stampings, it tears the aluminum," said an engineer). The body-in-white of this new car weighs just 351 pounds, half what it would in steel. The whole car weighs just 2,866 pounds, the same as the original 1984 Sport quattro.

Next, engineers took out the RS5's 4.2-liter 444-hp V8 and swapped in the 408-hp, 354-lb-ft 2.5-liter inline five from the TTRS. In the TT this engine is transverse, while in the coupe it's longitudinal, a move that required a chopped-down intake cover to fit it under the coupe's stylishly sloping hood. And, of course, Audi's latest quattro drive system routes torque to all four wheels.

What is it like to drive?

First we must thank Audi for even letting this thing off the show stand and onto a real road. How many manufacturers would do that? We encourage and commend this kind of journo-friendly treatment--it lets us and you learn more about the car and the carmaker. Having said that, like any concept car the quattro was far from fully sorted out. While engineers lowered it by cranking down the ride height of the height-adjustable springs, they did not change the shocks, which were still assuming the wheel travel of a stock RS5. So it bounced. In sharp turns the 275/30R20 tires touched the wheel arches. The weight distribution was a nose-heavy 61 percent front, 39 rear. Speed was electronically limited to 72 mph. And to top it all off, we had a friendly German co-pilot who kept saying, in a friendly German accent, “A little slower, please.”

All of that was completely understandable, given that, as we were told just before getting in, this was the only Quattro concept in the world and it cost "millions of Euros" to make. However, in the short burst of acceleration and cornering that we did get, it felt like it could be tremendous fun, once a few things were squared away. Audi lists 0-62 mph for this car at 3.9 seconds, for instance. A 408-hp anything stuffed into a 2,866-pound anything else is a fun ratio no matter what body it comes in. The weight distribution would have to be addressed, though we don't know how. But given how much we love so many other production Audis, we can only assume this one would perform as fantastically as its brothers.

Do I want it?

Is Audi going to build it is more the question. That has not been answered yet. A decision should be made in the next three months. If it is built, keep in mind that previous Audi show cars didn't change too drastically when they became production cars. And remember also that Audi made 206 of those original Sport quattros and, more recently, 333 R8 GTs. Hope springs eternal.

Audi quattro concept

On Sale: We'll know in 3 months

Base Price: $110,000 (AW est.)

Drivetrain: 408-hp, 354-lb-ft turbocharged, intercooled 2.5-liter inline five; six-speed manual, awd

0-62: 3.9 seconds (mfg.)

Watch video of the Audi quattro concept:

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2011 BMW M3 Sedan, an AW Drivers Log:

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 07:35 AM PST

MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON: This is one of my favorite real-world performance cars, even if it has become relatively heavy, bloated and overcomplicated in recent years. It probably means a lot that driving this E90-series M3 reminds that a) the car has come a long, long way (if you personally are capable of accepting that it is possible for a car to grow larger and heavier and still be considered an improvement), and b) I miss the previous-generation E46.

The modern M3 sedan is a great answer for pragmatic performance-car junkies—it had four doors and useable trunk space along with corner-carving mastery, especially on the road. This car understeers more than you expect when on a racetrack, but you don't notice it nearly as much, if at all, during spirited street driving. I've always really enjoyed driving these cars on the throttle, working the back end a bit with your foot and simply using the steering as a secondary attitude-balancer. The E46 excelled in this regard as well, and since that car still had plenty of power from its high-revving straight-six engine, I drive its successor and think to myself that as great as this car is, I don't necessarily need all the additions.

Sometimes I wish I didn't even have them, as I go back and forth with myself about the E90's adjustable power, gearbox, suspension and traction/stability control. All of these things allow you to dial the car in to your liking, from performance to comfort, and these are nice options to have and a selling point to some. On the other hand, I often find myself “wasting” time fiddling with all the settings rather than just zoning in and driving the car. I catch myself doing this and start to feel nostalgic for the not-so-long-ago days when I would just jump in, turn the key and hit it.

I'm a fan of this dual-clutch gearbox, which reminds immediately just how bad BMW's original paddle-shift SMG unit was. Upshifts and downshifts bang through with authority, and the V8's sharp crack as the car rev-matches on downshifts entices you to pull the left-side shift paddle more than you probably need to or even should, just so you can hear the drivetrain do its thing.

I also enjoy feeling the fuel-map and throttle become more aggressive when I push the “power” button to access all of the engine's potential, and the steering probably comes up short only against the likes of various aggressive exotics and Porsche in the fun and feel department.

This car is just a joy to drive, and it starts to make you feel like a European touring-car racer when you open it up a bit and attack corners at a decent clip. The seats are good, with solid lateral support, and the thick-rimmed steering wheel manages to convey a performance-oriented feeling from the instant you grip it and narrow your eyes in concentration for what's to come--which is to say, quite a lot.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: As Mac noted, this is one of the best and most practical performance cars on the planet. The balance of the car and the handling is as good as anything on the market today. From the minute you slip into the terrific seats and grab hold of the thick steering wheel, you know this car is built for fun.

You could easily drive this car every day and never get tired. In fact, you'd look for reasons to go to the grocery store just to get more wheel time. The dual-clutch gearbox is light-years better than the previous units; the only real issue with it now is that getting it to creep, like when easing into a garage or parking space, can still be a bit herky-jerky. But, man, the gear changes snap off lightning fast and the downshifts ignite all sorts of boy-racer dreams.

This is another in an ever-growing list of cars that I wish took up a spot in my garage.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: Complexity does distract from the pure driving experience that ought to be the singular purpose of an M3--and I'm not even talking about the myriad buttons and controls for the transmission, suspension, engine, etc. I'd just like an easy way to stop the passenger-side mirror from going into “tilt-down back up mode” every time I start the car. Maddening stuff.

That aside, the key button in this car is self-explanatory, the one that says “POWER.” Punch that and the engine leaps to a new level, giving the car the kind of performance that ought to be the default setting (but a “NO POWER” button would probably be a marketing negative). The car's steering is super-precise, the suspension is taut as a tightrope, and the overall car exudes strength through superior engineering. The dual-clutch tranny's responsiveness and drivability make it an asset, rather than a distraction.

This is one badass mutha for the BMW set.

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR CHERYL L. BLAHNIK: This car looks a little menacing with its vents in the hood and its large spoked wheels. But it can also come off as a bit of a sleeper because it pulls off the family look with its four doors, too. However, once you see the M3 badge, you know better.

With the responsive dual-clutch transmission, the car takes some getting used to, and I'm not totally sold on these gearboxes just yet. This is probably one of the best ones out there, but I still would prefer my M3 with a manual transmission.

The car is a bit heavy, but with this engine and sharp suspension, you would never guess this weighs more than 3,700 pounds. As I worked my way through traffic, I had a smile on my face because the car is so quick on its feet. And taking off from stops was great fun because the car is a rocket when you wind up the high-strung V8.

2011 BMW M3 Sedan

Base Price: $57,575

As-Tested Price: $66,775

Drivetrain: 4.0-liter V8; RWD, seven-speed dual-clutch sequential manual

Output: 414 hp @ 8,300 rpm, 295 lb-ft @ 3,900 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,726 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 16/16.6 mpg

Options: M dual-clutch transmission ($2,900); competition package ($2,500); technology package including M Drive, comfort-access keyless entry, navigation system ($2,500); Melbourne red metallic paint ($550); iPod and USB adapter ($400); satellite radio ($350)

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