Friday, January 14, 2011

Car Reviws

Car Reviws

2011 Jaguar XJ Supercharged, an AW Drivers Log:

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 06:59 AM PST

2011 Jaguar XJ Supercharged Jake Lingeman
The 2011 Jaguar XJ Supercharged

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: What a nice car. What a nice luxury sedan. There’s really nothing not to like here. Oh, I suppose one could quibble about the thin-film transistor gauges, but I like ’em. Or how the C-pillar is black and doesn’t match the body color, but that doesn’t bother me--Ian Callum did good in my opinion. No, this is basically a very nice luxury car, certainly on par with the Mercedes-Benz S-class and the BMW 7-series, my two other favorites.

This supercharged XJ is quick with smooth and instant power. It makes good hot-rod sounds and the ride is composed and taut for such a large car--it’s far less floaty than the previous car.

The cabin is gorgeous and filled with high-quality materials--I love all the wood trim surrounding me.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: She is a beaut, this XJ Supercharged, from the LED highlights in the edges of the taillight clusters, to the whomping good power emanating from the blown beast of an engine under the hood. Everything about this car is sharp and tight, in design and engineering, while the interior is a piece of leather-clad art. The seat piping alone makes it near-perfect.

I love the way the car really gets up and goes when you mash the accelerator--it almost feels like a big, wiry cat weighing back on its rear haunches before springing into a blindingly quick series of actions. The car is damn quick, and having driven a Sportpack-tuned version on a test track, I know it’s a very capable high-speed runner.

My complaint centers on the center-stack operation, which remains a mishmash of hard controllers and soft-touch video-screen buttons, some of which seem to mimic each other and while others don’t. It’s confusing in a short stay, and even when one gets used to it, the overreactive touch screen and some of the buried functions (seat heat, for instance) might prove to be constant and continuing annoyances.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: I absolutely love this car, from its looks to the way it drives. There’s lots of oomph from the supercharged V8 that pulls like a mule. The snow tires on it are not the optimal rubber, but it did make it a bit easier to slog around on the snow-covered streets. Like Bob, my only real complaint with this car comes from the interface with the touch screen. I’d rather have knobs, or forsaking that, buttons and a controller like Audi uses.

But this is a minor quibble considering just how much fun this car is to drive and how terrific it looks, both inside and out. This is a home run.

NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: Jaguars have a singular elegance matched perhaps only by Mercedes. And even then only some Benzs can conjure up this kind of magic. The XJ is big in size and chutzpah. It’s perhaps the most opulent British luxury liner since the Queen Mary. This is truly an adorned interior that’s both comfortable and functional. My only quibble was the light-up instrument panel was a bit tough to read during daylight hours. At night, it’s illuminated and gorgeous. The black leather, the stitching, the wood, the aircraft appearance of the vents--it’s an inspired interior.

The cabin is quiet and perhaps eclipses the sheetmetal for upper-crust attitude. But the real guts of this sedan are the supercharged V8, which provide impressive power in a refined manner. That doesn’t detract from the outstanding output, which is evident on avenues and on the expressway. It’s linear and yet you can blast by traffic when the urge strikes you.

I really like this Jag. It’s luxury in an old-fashioned, timeless manner. Other marques have trouble equaling the gravitas of the new XJ.

2011 Jaguar XJ Supercharged

Base Price: $87,500

As-Tested Price: $87,500

Drivetrain: 5.0-liter supercharged V8; RWD, six-speed automatic

Output: 161 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 161 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm

Curb Weight: 4,178 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 17/19.3 mpg

Options: None

2011 Infiniti QX56, a long-term test introduction:

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 07:11 AM PST

Few vehicles screamed for a redesign more than the Infiniti QX56. And although the styling on the new-for-2011 model remains somewhat polarizing, we haven't encountered anyone who prefers the old look, a design we not so affectionately called "the broken camel."

In reality, we were split on whether its humpbacked profile recalled more a drunken dromedary or the prominent brow of a Cro-Magnon staring into space.

Our newest long-termer inspires no such flak. The silhouette does impart a sort of Ford Flex feel (even if Infiniti blunted every corner with a large-diameter round-over bit), and for the most part, we think the big two-box layout works well in this larger application. The chrome adds the right amount of jewelry to the expanses of sheetmetal. The materials used throughout are top-shelf, while the execution inside feels both elegant and comfortable.

Power comes from a 5.6-liter V8 engine, turning out 400 hp at 5,800 rpm and 413 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm, shuttled to all four corners via a seven-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. But the QX56 is a beast of a vehicle, tipping the scales at 5,850 pounds at the curb, so one thing we will keep our eyes on over the course of the year is whether we'll find ourselves wanting more power once we start using the big SUV for towing and hauling.

We're also keen to see how well the QX56 does at the pump. With a published EPA combined fuel economy of just 16 mpg, we're guessing it won't do well, but just how often staffers shun the vehicle in favor of more efficient wheels--thereby forgoing its gargantuan utility, too--will be interesting to note.

As befits a luxury barge with a base price starting at more than $60,000, the seven-passenger Infiniti comes well equipped in standard trim, including heated leather seats, keyless ignition, navigation and Bluetooth connectivity, high-intensity-discharge headlamps and power-folding rearmost seats. We also equipped our QX with a few options groups, including the Deluxe Touring package, which adds 22-inch forged-aluminum wheels, heated second-row seats and interior trim upgrades such as burl-wood trim and footwell lights.

The Technology package adds a bunch of safety features, such as intelligent cruise control, blind-spot detection and lane-departure and forward-collision warning systems. The Theater package gives us dual seven-inch monitors in back, wireless headphones, auxiliary inputs and a 120-volt power outlet.

The final tally for our long-term Infiniti QX56 tops $72,000. If that sounds like a lot of dough, to compare, it's more than $6,000 less than the entry price of the heavier and less powerful Lexus LX 570.

The Infiniti has already solicited a lot of reactions from the staff, but one editor summed up what we're anticipating for our year with the QX56.

"I am betting we are going to like this big boy, probably for a lot of car-enthusiast-incorrect reasons," he said. "The bottom line is that this is one mongo ute, and it will take some serious miles to determine what it does best--and how to put all of that in terms that allow us to live with our collective enthusiast shame. But given all it has to offer, I have no doubt that it will see its share of road trips and plenty of miles in the coming year. I'm feeling guilty already, and it feels pretty good."

2011 Infiniti QX56

PRICING & OPTIONS

Base (includes $950 delivery): $60,750

As-tested price: $72,560

Options: Deluxe Touring package, with 22-inch wheels and all-season tires, hydraulic body-motion-control system, climate-controlled front seats, heated second-row seats, remote tip-up second-row seats, semi-aniline leather seating, mocha burl trim, advanced climate-control system, second-row footwell courtesy lights, headlamp washers ($5,800); Technology package, with intelligent cruise control, blind-spot warning, lane-departure warning, lane-departure prevention, distance-control assist, intelligent brake assist, forward-collision warning, front precrash seatbelts, adaptive front lighting system with auto-leveling headlights ($2,850); Theater package, with dual seven-inch color monitors, two wireless headphones, wireless remote control, auxiliary audio/video input jacks, 120V power outlet ($2,450); illuminated kick plates ($390); roof-rail crossbars ($320)

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase (in): 121.1

Track (in): 67.5 front, 67.9 rear

Length/width/height (in): 208.3/79.9/75.8

Curb weight/GVWR (lb): 5,850/7,500

ENGINE

Front-longitudinal 5.6-liter DOHC V8

Power: 400 hp @ 5,800 rpm

Torque: 413 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

Compression ratio: 10.8:1

Fuel requirement: 91 octane

DRIVETRAIN

Four-wheel drive

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Final drive ratio: 2.937:1

SUSPENSION

Front: Double wishbone, twin-tube hydraulic shock absorbers, hydraulic body-motion control

Rear: Double wishbone, twin-tube hydraulic shock absorbers, hydraulic body-motion control

BRAKES/WHEELS/TIRES

Vented discs front and rear, ABS with EBD; aluminum 275/50R-22 Bridgestone Dueler H/T

FUEL ECONOMY

EPA combined: 16 mpg

TRACK TEST DATA

STANDING-START ACCELERATION

0-60 mph: 6.4 sec

0-quarter-mile: 14.9 sec @ 93.7 mph

BRAKING

60-0 mph: 121 ft

HANDLING

490-ft slalom: 36.1 mph

Lateral acceleration (200-ft skidpad): 0.73 g

INTERIOR NOISE (DBA)

Idle: 43

Full throttle: 72

Steady 60 mph: 62

2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, an AW Drivers Log:

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 08:58 AM PST

EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: Since the Touareg hit the market a few years back, we've driven all manner of Volkswagen's sport-ute, from basic V6 gasoline-engine models to V10 diesel-powered monsters. Now comes the hybrid, combining a strong, supercharged V6 gasoline engine with a torquey electric motor. While it won't out-yank the old V10 diesel in a stump-pulling contest, the gas-electric combination is darn stout in its own right.

I spent 10 days in the Touareg over the holidays, a rare luxury here at AutoWeek where we change vehicles almost as often as we change underwear to keep up with the cornucopia of new cars on today's market. Living with this SUV gave me a chance to really get a feel for its pluses and minuses--to see what it'd be like to jump in the car everyday and go. In short, it wouldn't be bad.

There's plenty of poke under the hood of this truck, but the downside is all the extra gear and batteries, some of which take up the spare-tire spot under the back of cargo hold. Want to see a science experiment in action? Lift that cargo cover. It just makes me wonder how horrifying it would be to have a cooler full of water tip over back there. Even if that wouldn't be a problem, there's still a bunch of extra weight in this hybrid version, which means all the electric stuff isn't really good for fuel economy. We recorded a reasonable 20.8 mpg in mixed driving, which isn't bad, but maybe not worth the extra cost and complexity of the hybrid system.

On the other hand, punch the pedal to the metal and this Touareg shows its stuff, ripping up to speed in an instant. It's almost surprising, because the vehicle feels quite heavy but moves as if it's a lot lighter. Thank you, Dr. Kilowatt. And this one can shut down the engine even at highway speed to save fuel, all without any discernable change in the powertrain, though it is a little disconcerting to see the tach drop to zero when you're winging along down the freeway at 70 mph. Overall, the powertrain is surprisingly smooth, giving no tactile indication that it's doing anything but responding to your foot on the gas pedal. Steering is steady and sharp, the brakes are good, and build quality is solid.

Our tester was equipped with just about every amenity, with heated seats and satellite radio among our favorites. The seats were stuffed comfortably, thankfully, because the overall ride is rather taut and almost harsh depending on road surfaces. It'd be nice to have a variable suspension setup on this car.

Finally, if automakers can't figure out how to reinvent a better key system, I wish they'd just give it up. The giant key fob/actuator that goes with this vehicle is not only bulky to carry around, but it's hard to consistently get in and out of the designated key hole in the dash. Sometimes you have to hold the brake and turn the car off to remove the key, and other times, not. Kind of a pain.

With seating for five and plenty of cargo space, the Touareg is an extremely nice VW. Sometimes it's hard to believe these people once produced the rear-engine, smoke-belching, air-cooled flat-four Beetle.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: As far as hybrid SUVs go, this Touareg isn't half bad. As Bob mentioned above, this thing has plenty of scoot and is a respectable handler for a 5,135-pound vehicle with a high center of gravity. Volkswagen claims it gets to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds, which is believable. Stomp on the throttle, and it just goes without breaking a sweat.

My major pet peeve when it comes to any hybrid is brake-pedal feel, which more often than not seems like on/off switches with not much ability to modulate braking performance. The worst offenders are General Motors' Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade hybrids. As for this VW, it's not perfect, but it's miles better than the GMs. I'm sure it's difficult for engineers to tune these things with all the regenerative braking systems coming into play and all, but I do hold hope that it will continue to improve.

Another thing worth noting came during my commute one cold winter morning. It took much longer for the heat to actually get warm, which isn't much of a surprise with the engine shutting down as often as it does. I had the thermostat set to "hi" and had the fan blasting full bore for the majority of my 33-mile drive.

But getting back to the drive, as I said, it's good in SUV terms. The steering has a surprising amount of heft to it and response is quick to inputs. The suspension keeps the body in check at all times around turns. I'll have to agree with Bob that the ride is a little rough, but not overly rough. I'm willing to give up a little bit in the ride quality department in exchange for good handling response. Maybe that'll change when I get older.

One of the questions I had floating around my head during my night was how the V6 TDI model stacked up against the hybrid. If you get a base-model diesel, it will cost you $47,770, which is $13,615 less than the base price of the hybrid. Of course, you expect to pay a premium for the hybrid drivetrain, but there also are a slew of premium features wrapped into the hybrid that come standard, such as 19-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, heated exterior mirrors, keyless access, push-button start and heated rear seats, just to name a few. However, you can get that stuff on the TDI with an executive option package. That ratchets the price up to $58,320, which is still $3,565 less than the hybrid price.

If you compare the spec sheets, the hybrid eclipses the V6 diesel in both the horsepower (380 vs. 225), which isn't a surprise, and torque (428 lb-ft vs. 406 lb-ft). It's worth pointing out that both of those torque figures are available at the jump, with the TDI's coming from 1,750 rpm and the hybrid's from launch, thanks to the instant torque of the electric motor, which neutralizes the diesel argument of twist being available almost instantly.

When it comes to fuel economy, in the city, they aren't far apart, with the hybrid rated at 20 mpg while the TDI returns 19 mpg. However, in highway situations, the diesel trumps the hybrid by 4 mpg (28 mpg vs. 24 mpg).

Basically, the main thing the hybrid holds over the TDI is it being faster with a 6.2-second 0-to-60-mph time compared with the diesel, which needs 7.9 seconds, according to VW. If you're buying the hybrid because you think it's the greenest and most-efficient Touareg available, then you're buying it for the wrong reasons. In mixed real-world driving, I'm willing to wager that the TDI will be better in the long run. But if you like having the latest technology and being able to boast about having the fastest new Touareg on the block, then by all means go for the hybrid.

If VW decides to make a decontented hybrid model available to bring the price down some, it would help tip the scales a little when comparing it with the TDI. But in the end, that still probably wouldn't be enough because I really like my diesels and I wouldn't have to deal with the improved-but-still-odd brake-pedal feel.

2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

Base Price: $61,385

As-Tested Price: $61,885

Drivetrain: 3.0-liter supercharged V6 hybrid; AWD, eight-speed automatic

Output: 380 hp @ 5,500-6,500 rpm, 428 lb-ft @ 3,000-5,250 rpm

Curb Weight: 5,135 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 23/20.8 mpg

Options: Trailer hitch ($500)

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