2011 Porsche Panamera Review



The 2011 Porsche Panamera. "Controversial" doesnt begin to describe the styling.

The Nissan Juke. The Scion xB. Those are the two cars that have gotten the most negative comments about their styling while we were driving them. And by the most, I mean a 50/50 split on the xB, 60/40 negative/positive on the Juke.

The Porsche Panamera? 100% thumbs down.

Now, this is rare. Normally, when I roll up in a Porsche...any Porsche...even the Cayenne and especially the 911...theres a lot of oohing and aahing and "omigodiwantone" going on.

Not with the Panamera. "Looks like someone dropped a boulder on a 911" was the frequent review.



Approach the 2011 Porsche Panamera from the front the first few times. Itll help.

The good news is that, especially from the front, there is some family resemblance to the cars weve come to know and love from Porsche. And, while not blindingly fast, at least not in Panamera 4 all-wheel-drive form like our tester, it still is a very quick big sedan...0-60 in 5.8 seconds and a top speed of 159 miles per hour.

That performance is from the 3.6 liter V6, which cooks up 300 horsepower and 295 pounds per foot of torque. With a 7-speed automatic, the Panamera gets an EPA estimated 18 city/26 highway miles per gallon. Which, again, is very good for a big sedan. And it handles very, very well.



The four-seat interior of the 2011 Porsche Panamera.

Inside the car, you cant see what the car looks like on the outside, and you are in a very Porsche environment...at least a Porsche environment as defined by the Cayenne SUV. Theres room for four, its all very plush...but the Teutonic simplicity of the marques best sports cars? No. Of course, you probably couldnt sell a luxury sedan equipped like that, but the Panamera went the exact opposite direction. There are forty-four buttons on the center console alone. Factor in window switches, audio system stuff and the rest, and the count throughout the cabin gets stratospheric.

The list of what comes with the car as standard equipment and whats optional is very long and highly dependent on whether you order the Panamera, Panamera S, Panamera 4, Panamera 4S, Panamera S Hybrid, Panamera Turbo or Panamera Turbo S, so well just let you surf over to Porsches website to check it out for yourself.

As noted above, ours was the Panamera 4. Base price $79,800. And Porsches press fleet folks added Basalt Black Metallic paint ($790), a ski bag ($405), auto dimming interior and exterior mirrors ($420), front heated seats ($525), heated steering wheel ($250), 19" Panamera Turbo wheels ($1,950), a Bose surround sound system ($1,440), SiriusXM radio ($750) and Porsche crest front headrests ($285). Bottom line including $975 destination charge: $87,590.

The only thing missing...at least to this Porschephile whos never met a 911 he didnt like? The roar of the engine. Porsches sixes give off this wonderful wail when you tromp on the accelerator, but the Panamera V6 just gathers up speed silently. I wonder if the faster Panameras (the S hybrid makes 60 in 5.7 seconds with a top speed of 167, the S 5.2 and 175, the 4S 4.8 and 175, the Turbo 4.0 and 188 and the Turbo S 3.6 and 190) have any of that snarl or if its all speed.  Hopefully Porsche will allow us to find out first-hand.

Again, you have to remember that the Panamera is new territory...Porsches response to swoopy luxury sedans like the Mercedes-Benz CLS, Audi A7, Maserati Quattroporte and the Jaguar XJ. And by any objective measure, theyve hit the target. 

Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie Crew Cab Review

What you see is the new Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie Crew Cab in its natural environment. The 3500 is a one-ton pickup...the kind of thing best suited for hauling huge horse trailers (or Brahma bull trailers) around. The ideal rodeo vehicle.

In fact, I would have said that the market for this was pretty well limited to the horses for business and/or pleasure set until I drove it.

You see, as civilized as trucks have become over the years, theres a sliding scale and it has to do with towing/hauling capacity and heavy duty status.  It applies across Chevy, Ford, GMC and Dodge pickups. A 1500 is a half-ton pickup...light duty. These have become pretty comfy cruisers.

2500? Thats a 3/4-ton. Now were on the entry end of heavy duty...you climb up to get in and youd better hang on, because the ride is usually noticeably rougher than the 1500.

And the 3500? Well, unless youre going commercial hauling, thats the big boy. One ton, riding high and....well, like a truck.

Its tough to tame a one-ton, but somehow, Dodge has done it. The 3500 Laramie Crew Cab I drove for a week was not only luxurious, but actually comfortable to drive. Parking? Not so much. Ive had smaller apartments.

The key to the livability here seems to be the Laramie trim level. You can get a 3500 for as little as $35,630, but its a 2-door, bare bones beast. At the base ST trim, a Crew Cab like ours begins at $39,200.

So pop an extra $10,745 (total base $49,945) into the calculator and the transformation is amazing. Suddenly, leather trimmed bucket seats are part of the package, along with heated second row seats, ventilated front seats, an AM/FM/Sirius/CD/mp3/DVD audio system (506 watt Alpine Premium Sound with 9 speakers and a subwoofer), 17 inch aluminum wheels and a bunch of brightwork to make it look...can you say this about a one-ton?....pretty.

The beautification continued on our tester with extra-cost paint...the Deep Water Blue Pearl Coat adds $225 to the sticker...and by the time the Dodge PR deparment finished with the six-speed automatic transmission, power sunroof, a further upgraded audio system (with a 30 gig hard drive and navigation) and Sirius Backseat TV, the price (with destination charge) was $56,820.

Now, that, cowboys and cowgirls, is steep...but its a testament to just how good the all-new Ram 3500 is that at no point did I think it wasnt worth it.  And a big part of that is the engine. The 6.7 liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine is a marvel...quiet, smooth and powerful. 350 horsepower, but as always with diesel, the story is in the torque...and its very nearly impossible to beat 650 pounds per foot of torque at just 1,500 RPM.

The word is that the 2011 Ford Super Duty is an amazing truck. It needs to be. Until it arrives, the Dodge Ram 3500 is king of the mountain.

New Car Review 2013 Volvo S60 T6 R Design

The phrase “Mid-size Volvo sedan” no doubt causes some eyes to glaze over, especially for those who think they know what Volvo’s all about. But the key is to ask “Which mid-size Volvo sedan?”

Yes, they’re all called the S60, but that car comes in three different turbocharged flavors these days: The T5, a 2.5-liter 5-cylinder with 250 horsepower; the T6 AWD, which adds half a liter, one cylinder, two more driving wheels and 50 additional ponies; and the T6 AWD R-Design, which pulls 325 horsepower out of the same 3-liter six. And that’s the one we’re talking about here.

First, the color: While you have a choice of three, including Ice White and Passion Red, the majority of the R-Designs in Volvo press materials and press fleets this year seem to be Rebel Blue. Frankly, we harbor a strong suspicion that on the way out the door after purchasing Volvo from former owner Ford, Volvo’s new masters found the Dearborn paint vault and snagged as many leftover gallons of 1970 Boss 429 Grabber Blue as they could carry. Whether it’s the right color for a four-door sedan, even a performance-oriented one, is an open question.

As for the working bits, they do. The potential of the extra power is maximized by a higher redline in the R-Design (6500 RPM instead of 5600 for the standard T6). There’s another 20 pounds per foot of torque, which peaks in a narrow sweet spot between 3000 and 3600 RPM. That cuts 0-60 runs down to 5.5 seconds (according to Volvo), with an electronically limited top speed of 134. And specifying the R-Design means a special sport chassis that adds a front strut brace, rear monotube dampers, stiffer springs and bushings.

Despite being 55 pounds heavier than the T6 AWD and having another 25 horsepower, EPA fuel economy estimates are identical: 18 city/25 highway. They may also be optimistic. In a 60/40 mix of highway and city driving, we couldn’t break 20 MPG. You’re also going to pay more at the pump, anyway. The R-Design specifies premium fuel, instead of the regular 87 octane the standard T6 AWD can use.

For $43,900, Volvo focuses the standard equipment list on performance and safety, leaving a lot of gee-whiz electronics (adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, collision warning) as extra-cost options.  Still, you get a 7-inch color monitor for the audio and systems monitoring, a power glass moonroof, dual climate control, Bluetooth, an upgraded audio system and a lot of other creature comforts.

Downsides? We found three. Despite what feels like impressive power off the line, there’s considerable turbo lag. Floor it at 45 and you’ll finish “twomississippi” before the engine room gets the message. Steering feedback is a bit vague, which doesn’t inspire confidence despite the fact that the car actually handles very well. And Volvo has reverted to old-fashioned indirect lighting for the gauge cluster. The numerals and needles on the speedo and tach don’t light up, but are bathed in light from above. Dial down the brightness on a dark road and watch your information disappear.  If Volvo can fix those three issues (or if you can overlook them), the S60 T6 AWD R-Design has a lot to offer.

2011 Lexus RX 350 Review

 

The shape is instantly recognizable. Its the vehicle that started the whole luxury-crossover segment more than a decade ago...looking much like it does today. 

Sure, there have been refinements. Thats whats kept the Lexus RX 350 at the top of its game...but the fact that the basic design is within walking distance of what it was in the late 90s is testament to just how right Lexus got the RX.

RX 350s are everywhere. In traffic this afternoon, I was behind three of them, all white. But familiarity and popularity have done nothing to lessen the status. This is THE luxury crossover. A lot of people wouldnt drive anything else (note to self: a piece on people whore on their fourth or fifth RX might be very interesting).

A big factor in the RXs favor is price. Base is only $37,975. That gets you a 3.5 liter 275 horsepower V6, a 6 speed automatic transmission with "snow mode", 18" aluminum alloy wheels, a raft of safety features, a premium audio system with a six-disc in-dash CD changer, Bluetooth and a 90-day trial to XM Satellite Radio.

Ah, but were not done. Also on the standard equipment list is an auto dual-zone climate control system with rear vents, a power tilt and telescope steering column, 10-way power drivers and front passengers seats, height-adjustable headrests for all the seats, genuine wood trim and a bunch more.

And the cockpit is one of the nicest, most serene places you could spend your commutes and vacations in. If it sounds like you could stop with just the standard equipment and keep the tab under $40,000, you could. And youd have a very nice piece. But the one we drove also had the Comfort Package (rain sensing wipers, High Intensity headlamps, Adaptive Front Lighting (the headlights turn with the front wheels, helping you see around corners), and heated and ventilated front seats. Thats $1,950.

It also had the Luxury Package (semi-aniline leather trim, a moonroof, retractable outside mirrors, wood and leather steering wheel and shift knob, a wide-angle backup camera, an upgrade to 19" alloy wheels, a USB audio plug, power rear door, memory for the seats and mirrors, illuminated scuff plates and headlamp cleaners. Add $4,900.

Thats not all, though. The Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound system with a 6 disc DVD changer and 15 speakers was also on the list ($1,610). And then theres the navigation system with XM NavTraffic and NavWeather at $2,465.

Oh, and a cargo net for $59.00.

Tack on the delivery fee ($875) and youre at......

$49,834. Which (and you wont hear me say this too often) is actually reasonable for what youre getting. The quality of the vehicle itself and the upgrades makes the experience of driving an RX 350 equipped like this one exceed the sticker price. It feels like $60,000 (in fact, it feels better than some $60,000 vehicles weve driven) and its a shade under $50,000. 

Not many cars can say that, and its probably a huge chunk of the reason the RX 350 continues to be the leader in its segment.

EPA mileage estimates: 18 city/25 highway.

One more thing: Especially when buying a luxury vehicle, the dealership experience matters a lot. One of our recent RX350 vehicles came from Bell Lexus in Phoenix.  Sales Associate Anthony Covington spent half an hour acquainting me with the finer points of the vehicle before I left the lot...and pointed out things the Lexus PR department hadnt...like how finishing the insides of the wheel wells helps keep the exterior cleaner, the ride quieter and reduces the risk of long-term damage and/or corrosion. Or how, since the redesign, the edges of the doors extend all the way to the bottom of the body...protecting the doorsills, which means you dont get road grime on your trouser cuffs as you enter and exit the car. Its a pleasure to deal with people who know their product that well.

Daihatsu Materia Review User manual

 

Powered by a bubbly 103.3 PS 1.5 litre petrol engine, the Daihatsu Materia is both efficient at 46.3 mpg on the Player Urban Labialise (recital) and 45.6 mpg (automatic) and offers a 100-plus mph top suffice. This leaves quantity in volume for homely long-distance motorway movement. Daihatsu Materia System Intellection The Materias emotional yet affirmable qualify maximises effort atlantic and was fashioned to be both classifiable and riotous. It is oversubscribed as both a Toyota and Daihatsu in Nippon. From the superior, goliath 15 ins diam spoked waste wheels - linked by deep hold skirts - added reinforce the message of unchangingness. The unstinted 185/55 tyres collective with a citywide cover strikingness and a rubber 9.8 rhythmicity motility cast (kerb-to-kerb).

Its coverall length of 3,800 mm is between the Renault Modus (3,792 mm) and Vauxhall Meriva (4,042 mm). The Daihatsus dimension of 1,690 mm is most congruent to the 1,695 mm of the Renault and 1,694 mm of the Vauxhall. The Materias 1,635 mm stage compares with the1,589 mm of the Modus and 1,624 mm of the Meriva, piece the Daihatsus wheelbase of 2,540 mm exceeds the 2,482 mm of the Renault but is slightly shorter than the Vauxhalls 2,630 mm. Its 1,420 mm midland dimension far exceeds the Renault Modus which can only supply 1,280 mm. This, one with an upcountry length of 1,950 mm (Vauxhall Meriva 1,825 mm) offers major utile place. The Daihatsu Materia offers 619 litres of load grapheme with the lift centre sunburst and either 294 or 181 litres with the place place piano (VDA) depending on whether the place is slid presumptuous or backwards. Varied, Funky-Looking Domestic The Materias fashionable and versatile part includes a side center that has a rake-adjustable backrest which can also be full reclined to organise a bed, connection the equally fully-reclining proximity room. The back place also features a 60/40 tear advantageous forward and aft move calibration of 160 mm. This allows a fully-flexible erect legroom/load grapheme compromise. The elevate tailboard scuttle is souse with the deposit control for simple weight and unloading. A compartment low the face floor allows the hardware of various items such as tools, piece a esoteric bottleful capitalist is also included in the select of the case compartment. Surface containerful holders can be saved in both lie and elevate doors advantageous four in the area table. Live, Thrifty, Innovative Petrol Engine 

The new Daihatsu Materia features a bouncy and frugal 1.5 litre petrol engine offered with the pick of either five-speed practice of four-speed automatic transmittal. The engine itself is highly innovative and is siamese to that fitted to the Daihatsu Terios auto SUV and can also be seen in 1.3 litre descriptor in the Sirion supermini. Featuring Propulsive Multivariate Valve Timing (DVVT) which enhances low-speed actuation quality and high-rev activity, the fit disbursement camshaft unit is stocky and bioluminescent, with an impureness direct and interference. Quality is 103.3 PS at 6,000 rpm with force of either 97.4 lb ft at 4,400 rpm for the Daihatsu Materia recitation or 101.8 lb ft in the automatic. The engine has a 10.0:1 densification ratio and features a gauge and haemorrhage of 72 x 91.8 mm. The five-speed exercise shell and four-speed handgun both score carefully korea ratios that wage sprightly speeding from halt yet easy cruising. Classs Foremost Self-Regenerating Activator The new Sirion 1.3 litre launched in 2005 featured the earths prototypic self-regenerating accelerator. This conception is also authoritative on the new Copen 1.3 and now the new 1.5 litre Daihatsu Materia. European-Tuned Chassis Daihatsu has adjusted the Materias chassis for Continent markets and the prove is a firmly-damped but diplomatic journeying and superior test of embody sound despite the cars higher-than medium stance. The power-steering is well-weighted, with moral straight-line unchangingness and consoling self-centring. Meanwhile, the strawman and raise anti-roll exerciser connected with handsome low-profile tyres cell understeer vessel in bill. Forward support is by MacPherson struts with a long-travel system for an absorbent sit, patch the anti-roll bar - specially formed for import - reduces body tip. The Daihatsu Materia has a accepted hydraulic power-assisted rack-and-pinion management system as anti to the ontogenesis tendency towards exciting power-assistance. The benefits are greater regain and sensitivity. Exalted Hit Levels Safety is presented falsetto precedency in the Daihatsu Materia, especially considering its liable cast as a phratry car. It therefore has all the last life-saving and injury-reducing initiatives. Should parents desire to displace their result in a minor heart placed on the advance rider center, a controller can be used to change the rider airbag. Similar side airbags and lateral airbags are also normative as are twofold side-impact entranceway beams. The body construction is intentional to fund all-angle impacts piece maintaining living character around the occupants. The braking group features servo-assisted cheater airy plate brake and face drums. Anti-lock (ABS) is also canonical as is Electronic Brakeforce Organisation (EBD) which advance avoids the locking-up of individualistic wheels during stark braking.

Lincoln MKT Review

From the back, in black, it looks like a 1940s hearse.

For several thousand dollars less, you can get a Ford Flex...which is what this is based on.

The above two lines are the sum total of the downside to the Lincoln MKT.

Theres a ton of upside.

First of all, for better or worse, Lincolns breaking some styling rules and creating distinctive automobiles. And since the new family grille is a modern interpretation of 40s Lincolns, I suppose the "40s hearse" rear-end isnt a surprise.

Number two, 16 city/22 highway (the EPA estimate, which, for the first time in a long time in a Ford Motor Company product, we didnt achieve or exceed), while not great, is also not bad for something this big, with this kind of power. The MKT packs the twin-turbo EcoBoost engine...and, in fact, 16/22 is the mileage cited for the Flex when equipped with EcoBoost.

And as for the MKT/Flex comparison, well, Lincoln deserves a major pat on the back for putting distance between the two vehicles. This is shared-platform as opposed to "badge engineering". You could drive the MKT and Flex back-to-back (which Ford was brave enough to allow a group of journalists, yours truly included, to do around the fall 09 introduction of the MKT) and spend the next few minutes remarking on how they really are completely different vehicles.

That price difference? Well, its there...a base MKT starts about where a loaded Flex leaves off ($44,000) and its not difficult to load an MKT beyond the $50,000 point with 2nd row bucket seats (in place of the standard bench), a 2nd row console with a built-in refrigerator, and Active Park Assist. Put simply, it parks the car automatically. Yes, Lexus got there first, a couple of years ago, but the system wasnt flawless. Weve used the Lincolns ourself. It is.

But heres the thing: Its that distance between the two vehicles I mentioned two paragraphs up. You have to have X-ray vision and a set of blueprints to know that theres commonality with the Flex. The Lincoln is a cut above in style, luxury, percieved quality and cutting-edge tech...including voice-activated navigation. Save home, say "home" and youre guided on your way.

Our most recent test vehicle came courtesy Sanderson Lincoln/Volvo in Phoenix.

Heres a very cool promotional video about the MKT from Lincoln and Ford Motor Company:

Nissan Maxima 3 5 SV Review

About 20 years ago, before my TireKicking days, I worked at KTVK in Phoenix with a reporter named Jay DeDapper. Jay seemed even in those pre-cyber days to have his own Bluetooth and Twitter connections in his brain. Hed know about the best new restaurant in any major city 30 seconds before it opened. Hed have read the latest book about...well, anything...cover to cover while the Barnes & Noble staff was unpacking the boxes.

Needless to say, I listened.

So when I found out that Jay refused to rent anything on out-of-town assignments but Nissan Maxima SEs from 1989 until he went to WABC, New York in 1992 (a refusal that was so vehement that on one occasion the Hertz crew at LAX surrendered and gave him one with a bashed-in trunk because it was the only one they had), I figured I should see what was so great about it. Having had the previous generation 88 as a rental, I couldnt imagine.

Well, Jay (no surprise) was right. Hertz now had two finicky reporters from Phoenix to deal with.

Nissan called the Maxima "The Four Door Sports Car" or "4DSC" in those days. And they were very nearly right. For the times, nothing came close, unless you wanted to up the ante to maybe a 5-series BMW. And our expense accounts, even in those free-spending days for TV news, had limits.

Nissan wandered away from that very successful formula after 1994. Its been 15 years of Maximas that really were just big Nissans: "The Four Door Car" could have been the ad campaign, if Nissan had put any promotional clout behind them (they really didnt).

2009 brought a new Maxima (the top of the line is now the SV instead of the SE), and the return of the "Four Door Sports Car" label. And while size, weight and complexity (find a car that hasnt added all three in the past decade and a half), its very close to the old one in spirit.

A 24-valve V6 makes 290 horsepower, but with a Continuously Variable Transmission, manages to get 19 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway. It rolls on 18 inch alloy wheels. Moonroof, fog lights, leather, power everything and a nine-speaker audio system are all standard.

Base price: $31,990. The tester I drove for a week added only a cold package (heated front seats, steering wheel and outside mirrors), Bluetooth, floor mats and a rear spoiler...resulting in a bottom line with destination charges of $33,900. A real bargain for what you get.

Is it as good as the 89-94? Not in terms of sheer driving pleasure. But its a great base to work from. If Nissans engineers are allowed to evolve and refine it, this one could be even better.

UPDATE: Everything above still applies, except the base price...now up to $33,530. And the most recent tester sent our way was much more highly optioned...a rear spoiler ($370), floor and trunk mats ($180) and the Premium Package ($3,230), which adds a dual panel moonroof with power sunshades, HID Xenon headlights, premium leather-appointed seats, a climate-controlled drivers seat, heated front seats, a power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, which is also heated and wrapped in leather, paddle shifters, an automatic entry/exit system, drivers side memory for seat, mirrors and steering wheel, an auto-dimming drivers side outside mirror, heated outside mirrors with reverse tilt-down, rear bucket seats, eucalyptus wood-tone trim, a 7-inch color monitor and rear camera, AUX, USB and iPod jacks and a 2.0 GB Music Box with 800 MB of storage.

Bottom line (after $750 destination charge): $38,060.  If it were my money, Id probably go with the more lightly optioned one from before and, even with the base price increase, come in at or under $35K. But the loaded one is so well equipped and so nice to live with, that I wouldnt talk you out of going for it. This sedan, this well done, with this much equipment at under $40,000 is one heckuva deal.