Review: 2016 Subrau WRX Limited

"Love. It's what makes a Subaru a Subaru." If you've ever watched a commercial from the Japanese manufacturer, you've heard that slogan. 

After driving the 2016 Subaru Impreza WRX Limited, I came up with a slogan of my own: "Constructive criticism. It's what makes a car review a car review."

An evaluation needs to include the pros and the cons of a particular model. A lot of the vehicles I've reviewed have done so many things well that evaluating them was a challenge. They gave me plenty to like, but I had a hard time thinking of something about them that rubbed me the wrong way. They were frustratingly likeable, almost boring.

The 2016 WRX made doing my job easier by having such easily identifiable flaws as well as obvious strong suits.

Love

-Styling: I'm used to driving a small sedan which makes an equally small visual impact. The WRX also has compact dimensions, but the personality and aggression conveyed through its styling is massive. With its gaping maw of a hood-mounted air scoop, Lexus RC F-esque front fender vents, and rear diffuser and quad pipes, the little Subie made a big statement everywhere it took me in Central Texas, from Austin to Spring Branch to San Antonio and back.

-The (eventual) punch: When I put my foot down while the WRX was in its commuting- and fuel-economy-friendly Intelligent mode, I had to wait a beat before the boost came on and the WRX took off. I wasn't used to such a nonlinear driving experience, but I could've grown accustomed to the thrust provided by the WRX's turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter flat-four engine. Its 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque enabled several roadside-blurring surges forward, especially when the WRX was in its performance-oriented Sport Sharp setting.

-Confidence of AWD: When I opened up the WRX on a curvy road, I felt confident leaving my right foot planted longer than I would've in other cars, thanks to Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. I could feel its grip keeping me shiny side up.

-Abundance of features: Subaru crammed a surprising amount of tech inside the WRX's four doors. The navigation system helped me get where I needed to go (sometimes). LED low beams lit the way in front of me. Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert looked out for people and things I couldn't see. My favorite bit of technology was the Adaptive Cruise Control, which worked flawlessly to keep me safely behind other motorists as I traveled down I-35 at 70 mph to the Texas Auto Writers Association's 2015 Truck Rodeo in Spring Branch.

Constructive Criticism

-Headroom: The WRX fit all 5'10" of me well in every direction - except one. The roof was lower than I expected. I realized how close the top of my head was to it when I went over a speed bump a little too quickly and felt it contact the headliner. Getting in and out of the car required a slight angling of my neck to make sure my head cleared the outer edge of the roofline.

-Ride quality: Given that it's a sports sedan, I had no illusions that the WRX was going to ride like a Cadillac. However, I was still surprised at how stiff and punishing its suspension was - and how much like an old, grouchy man it made me feel.

-Exhaust boom: I've always appreciated how bestial Subaru's boxer engines can sound with the right exhaust hardware and tuning. However, the low, near-constant drone in the cabin from the WRX's quartet of pipes became grating after a few miles.

-Build quality: The WRX is the first vehicle I've ever reviewed whose driver side mirror constantly vibrated at speed. I blame the car's rock-hard suspension tuning. I also noticed the alignment of the tilt-out drawer above the hood latch release was askew. It was a small detail that didn't receive attention - except for mine.

-Navigation system: As I hinted above, the navigation system was hit or miss. It got me lost twice - once while trying to get to my hotel room in San Antonio to take care of some time-sensitive business and once while on the toll road up to Round Rock, Texas. On that latter trip, the nav told me to just keep going and I wound up 20 or so miles away from my destination. It was the most disappointing navigation system I've ever used.

Ultimately, I didn't love the 2016 Subaru WRX Limited. On the other hand, I did have an odd respect for it. Not only did its shortcomings make my job as an automotive journalist easier, but they made the WRX memorable. Ironically, that's something more enjoyable vehicles often aren't.

My Lapis Blue Pearl 2016 Subaru WRX Limited review vehicle had an as-tested price of $36,858, which included a destination and delivery charge of $795 and nearly $6,000 in options. Those included the $4,095 Option Package: 23 (and its Subaru Starlink seven-inch multimedia navigation system, 440-watt nine-speaker premium audio system, keyless access/push-button start setup, EyeSight Driver-Assist System and other features, and Subaru Rear Vehicle Detection System), the $1,200 Lineartronic CVT, a $215 auto-dimming mirror compass, and a $158 center armrest.

Review: The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

 

I'm a writer, not a mathematician. However, I do know that the number eight is greater than the number seven.  Especially now that I've driven the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT ($76,465 as tested).

Given that all Jeeps feature a grille with seven slots in it, I was tempted to tell you all the seven things about the hot rod SUV that stood out to me the most. Once I experienced what was under its hood, I had to bump that number up to eight. You'll see why.

 

King Kong in a box:

Imagine a team of brave men and women manage to put the silver screen's most famous, colossal, and powerful ape in a massive crate that can barely contain him. They throw a chain around the box and hand one end of it to you to hold as you stand on a skateboard. Before you can let out a fearful gulp, those same gutsy people in the hard hats and white coats bang on King Kong's wooden confines with sledgehammers to enrage him.

Yeah...that's what it's like when you put your foot down on the right pedal of the Grand Cherokee SRT. It absolutely explodes away from a stop with the power of a massive 6.4-liter HEMI V8. You're instantly pulled away by 475 horses (and 470 pound-feet of torque), which bolt through a 3.70 rear end. Jeep says the SRT can blast from 0-60 in 4.8 seconds, put a quarter mile under its Pirelli Scorpion Verde all-season performance run-flats in the mid-13 second range, and top out at 160 mph.

Surviving the violent pull of those charging horses works up a hunger in you: for more road, for more people to see you in such a badass rig, and for guys in Mustangs to challenge you to a race. It also makes you ravenous for its deep, angry bark of an exhaust note.

Tries to be flexible:

As you can imagine, a 5,150-pound vehicle with such a large, high-performance engine has quite an appetite of its own. Correction: thirst. It guzzled 91-octane gas like an alcoholic at an open-bar wedding. I averaged about 13 mpg in mixed driving. According to the EPA, the Grand Cherokee SRT can cover 13 city and 19 highway miles per gallon of premium.

Several times before I went driving in my neighborhood or in the city of Austin, Texas, I pressed the Eco mode button that was positioned under the HVAC controls. Jeep states that the Eco setting "optimizes [the] transmission’s shift schedule and expands [the] range of Fuel Saver Technology [which switches the engine from eight- to four-cylinder operation] activation for further fuel economy gains." It also made the eight-speed automatic transmission start off in second gear.

Hard to tame:

That was a great thing, not only for the sake of saving gas but for the sake of driving smoothness. It took me a little time to learn how to handle the Grand Cherokee SRT's ferocity. If I wasn't careful (and started in first gear), I'd make the Detroit-built demon lurch by just tapping the gas pedal. (It's hard to make the ladies think you're cool when you look like a guy holding onto the leash of a Great Dane who just got spooked.) The 15-inch vented front and 13.78-inch rear brakes could be quite grabby.

Jeep's Selec-Track system changed a number of vehicle parameters, including shifting sensation, suspension firmness, and the threshold for stability control intervention. When its knob was turned to the Auto position, the ride quality from the short- and long-arm independent front and multi-link rear suspensions was surprisingly gentle. Sport mode was slightly harsher. Gear changes in Track mode were brutally quick and forceful.

Sometimes tries too hard:

Most of the time, I left the transmission in its regular setting. Bumping the T-handle shifter into "S" engaged a sport mode. In that, the eight-speed auto held gears longer to keep the enormous HEMI in its sweet spot.

While I understand the logic in the decision to make the tranny do that, I don't get why Jeep decided to make its shift lever so unusual. Its stem stayed in the same place while I rocked its top back or forth to call up the gearbox mode I needed. If I didn't carefully watch as I selected it, I ran the risk of picking the wrong one. Using the T-handle was not an intuitive process whatsoever. I've been using traditional automatic shift levers for years and I've never had a problem with them. Jeep tried to fix something that wasn't broken - and made it worse.

I occasionally used the tall paddle shifters to swap cogs. They were too tall for my liking. If they were a little shorter, like those on GM vehicles, they would've been easier to reach comfortably with my fingertips from the nine and three o'clock positions.

Packed with useful technology:

I pulled back on those paddle shifters a lot less often than I used the other technology in the Grand Cherokee. For instance, I became a fan of using the 8.4-inch touchscreen and the Uconnect system's replay feature to rewind live radio and listen to my favorite guitar solos over and over again on the $1,995 19-speaker Harmon Kardon stereo. I liked knowing my seats could be heated or cooled, but I would've liked a hard button for that functionality. Instead, I had to go through the touchscreen. The big, red pushbutton starter was always satisfying to use, especially because the Keyless Enter-N-Go setup allowed me to keep the key fob in my pocket as I did so. Although the Jeep's overall length of less than 16 feet meant it was a breeze to maneuver without having to worry about hitting something, the ParkSense front and rear parking assistant was there to help me, just in case.

Jeep also threw in SRT-exclusive Performance Pages, which could keep track of 0-60 times, lateral acceleration, and other figures.

Well-appointed inside and comfortable in the back:

What I enjoyed just as much as the Grand Cherokee's engine was its exterior styling, from the aggressive nostrils on its hood to the eye-catching Redline paint to the sleek and sinister 20-inch black chrome five-spoke wheels - all part of the $3,995 Customer Preferred Package 28J.

The interior was a treat, too. Jeep's use of materials, including real carbon fiber accents, a suede-like headliner, and anodized interior trim, impressed me.

 

I even enjoyed the back seat. It offered plenty of legroom for my 5'10" frame. I popped the "Skyfall" Blu-ray into the player concealed in the front center arm rest, put on a pair of wireless headphones, reclined my seat back, and watched the latest 007 movie on one of two headrest-mounted flat screens.  

The rear cargo hold was at a convenient height for loading groceries, which, in my case, included big, heavy bags of cat litter and gallons of distilled water.  That 35.1-cubic-foot space was also able to fit two 20-something women who decided to be silly and see if they could cram into it. They succeeded.  Long story...

Ridiculous and contradictory, but...:

In the grand scheme of things, sports cars are unnecessary. I love them, but you don't need 550 horsepower to get to work. Just four wheels and a seat. The idea of an SUV with that kind of output makes even less sense to me. It's trying to make an apple into an orange. Sports cars start off with an advantage because they have lower centers of gravity and less weight. With that in mind, vehicles like the Grand Cherokee SRT seem to be silly exercises.

You know what, though? I don't care. Neither do the people who've made the Porsche Cayenne such a sales hit.  I'm glad something as crazy and niche as a 475-horsepower, speed-focused Jeep exists. The automotive world shouldn't be populated by only A-to-B commuter cars. It needs a little ridiculousness. A Jeep that's more at home on a race track than a rocky trail certainly offers that - and an addictive dose of savagery.

Makes me like the new Grand Cherokee even more:

I had the privilege of driving the Grand Cherokee Summit with the EcoDiesel V6 and the "Trail Rated" Grand Cherokee Overland with the Pentastar V6 last October at the Texas Auto Writers Association's annual Truck Rodeo. They both handled an off-road section of the Knibbe Ranch with aplomb while I sat in the comfort of a wood- and leather-trimmed cabin. Their engines delivered plenty of power. Those are only a couple of the reasons why the GC was named the TAWA's "SUV of Texas" for the fifth year in a row.

The SRT model was very different from those more traditional Grand Cherokees, but it was similar to them in that it pleased me with its abilities, interior materials, and powertrain. I don't need to be a mathematician to know that those qualities add up to one hell of an enjoyable and memorable vehicle.

via [Jeep]

Toyota Invited Me to Drive the 2015 Yaris, Camry, and Sienna

 

 

I recently experienced the end to a major irony in my life. When I was a kid, almost every vehicle my father purchased was a Toyota. Most of them were Cressidas. He also bought 4Runners and Tacomas. I grew up hearing him regularly praise their durability, which he continues to do to this day. My first car was a Toyota (surprise, surprise - it was a Cressida!). I credit my dad for my lifelong love of automobiles and respect for products from the Japanese manufacturer.

 

However, since this April, when I started getting the keys to press loaners, I haven't spent any time behind the wheel of a mass-market Toyota media tester. (I've driven the TRD Pro variations of the Tundra and 4Runner, but I consider those niche offerings.) The automaker recently changed that by inviting me to sample its new Yaris, Camry, and Sienna models at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

 

I arrived at around 9:15 a.m. after almost four hours on the road from the city of Kyle. The stadium's River Club room provided a toasty, welcome refuge from the near-freezing temperatures outside. While devouring a mercifully warm breakfast of crispy bacon and scrambled eggs, I listened to a presentation covering each model - all of which are mid-cycle refreshes - from a few of Toyota's representatives. (I haven't had the pleasure of driving the previous iterations of them, so all I can evaluate the new versions on is how they felt to me, not on how much I think Toyota has improved them.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the words thrown around during the Yaris portion of the talking-up session were "energy," "agility," and "quieter." Then it was time for me to find out which words the hatchback would bring to my mind. I put on my coat, scarf, trapper hat, and gloves and went out to the Corolla Red Stadium West Lot. Toyota and its fleet management company STI gave me and my fellow writers the choice of taking any model out for a 15-, 30-, or 50-minute drive. 

 

 

 

 

I chose a blue Yaris for a half-hour journey down city streets and back roads. You can get the 2015 Yaris with three or five doors and a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic in one of three trim levels: L, LE, or SE. Prices start at $14,845. The top-tier SE is available for as little as $16,820 (with five doors and the five-speed manual gearbox). My SE tester had a four-speed auto, which bumps up the MSRP by $800.

 

 

 

 

Once I was seated in it, I discovered the side windows were wide and offered plenty of outward visibility. The door sill was slightly too high on which to comfortably rest my elbow for cruising. On the other hand, I found the car's 1.5-liter I4 to be peppy in the delivery of its 106 horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque. The SE's four-wheel disc brakes were well-tuned and engaged early on in the left pedal's travel.

 

Whether I was stopping or going, I couldn't ignore how noisy the new Yaris was. Its engine sounded coarse and unrefined. The P195/50VR16 tires roared. Wind whipped loudly against the outside of the greenhouse. All of this occurred despite Toyota installing acoustic windshield glass, sound-absorbing and -insulating materials, floor tunnel silencers, and under-hood insulators. The next time I'm in my friend Dan's older Yaris, I'll have to see if I can tell whether or not those changes made a big difference.

 

The people who designed the newest Yaris certainly made one. There's no denying the car, whose looks were conceived in Toyota’s ED² design studio in the South of France, stands out, thanks to the X shape to its front end styling and its oversized mesh grille. In all honesty, I don't love the combination. It makes me think of an alien's face. However, I can't say it makes for a boring, nondescript sight.

 

Fuel economy figures of 30 city, 36 highway, and 32 combined (for Yaris models built with the four-speed auto) are certainly pleasing to the eye, but I believe if Toyota uses more modern transmissions, such as six-cog automatics and manuals, those numbers will become even more attractive.* Perhaps the next-generation Yaris will get those kinds of gearboxes.

 

  

Next up was the Camry SE Hybrid. Toyota says it "went bumper to bumper and floor to roof, changing or re-engineering nearly 2,000 parts" when it redesigned its mid-size sedan for the 2015 model year. The company has been making "green" cars for a while, but it only started offering the sporty SE trim paired with its Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain in mid-2014. The total system output from the combination of a 156-hp, 2.5-liter I4 and a 105 kW electric motor is 200 horsepower. That pairing is good for 40 city, 38 highway, and 40 combined miles per gallon (in SEs and XLEs).**

The electronic continuously variable transmission kept me from getting a sensation of where I was on the power band. (Thank goodness for tachometers.) I was cast into the same sort of limbo earlier this year when I tested the 2014 Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, which also uses an eCVT. Both four-doors are equipped with electric power steering. The Camry's had a satisfyingly weighted feel to it at speed and responded swiftly to my inputs. The press release for the newest car states, "Specific suspension tuning, with unique stabilizer bar, absorber valve structure, and control arm bushing components, make this one fun-loving hybrid sedan." My biggest take-away from the underpinnings was that they soaked up bumps well - and I encountered plenty of those on my 30-minute drive.

 

 

 

 

When my right hand wasn't at the 2-o'clock position, it was usually adjusting the radio's volume or the HVAC's fan speed. The controls were easy to reach and allowed me to quickly make changes on the fly so I could get back to focusing completely on my driving. One thing that did distract me was the fact that the Camry was so much quieter - in terms of wind, road, and engine noise - than the Yaris. Then again, it should've been, given the larger vehicle's more prestigious position in Toyota's lineup.

 

 

 

 

 

I looked forward to driving every car at the stadium, but the only one in which I wanted to ride was the 2015 Toyota Sienna. Why? At least one of them in the parking lot (a Limited model) had ottoman-style second-row Lounge Seating. 

 

 

 

 

Before I indulged in that, I took one of the minivans for a 50-minute spin. Like the Camry SE Hybrid, it handled imperfections in the road with aplomb and grace. Its cabin was a serene place to be. Noise levels were pleasantly low. The shifter for the six-speed automatic was quickly accessible. I also thought the brown leather seating surfaces were handsome.

 

Some of the things Toyota added to its "Swagger Wagon" for 2015 include: a Driver Easy Speak option that allows you to communicate to back seat passengers using the van's built-in microphone and rear speakers, a revised grille, visually tweaked headlights and taillights for certain trim lines, a stiffer platform which incorporates more spot welds, a new multi-information display in the instrument panel, and a 30-percent larger side curtain airbag coverage area.

 

 

 

Once I returned to the stadium, one of my colleagues in the Texas Auto Writers Association, Tabetha, who was previously riding in the middle row, switched places with me. Huzzah! I extended the foot rest of my seat and stretched my legs. Even though my feet ended up hanging off the end (I'm 5'10"), my enthusiasm didn't lessen. My mother has always wanted to take a van to visit her sister in Kentucky and I think all five feet of her would be comfortable - and would fit easily - in one of the second row's captain's chairs. I have a feeling I would be quite comfortable covering hundreds of miles in one of these. If my mom, brother, and niece and I end up going to visit my aunt next Christmas, I'm going to try to get my hands on one of these for the trip north. We would have plenty of space because these vans can fit as many as eight passengers. If I were to land a front-wheel-drive Sienna, I would be getting 25 mpg on the highway (and 18 in the city).*** Putting one under the tree would cost a minimum of $28,600 (for a seven-passenger L model).

 

 

 

 

The last Toyota I drove was the Camry XSE V6. Consider it the new pinnacle of Camry sportiness. It starts at $31,370. According to the Japanese automaker, the XSE has "model-specific 18-inch wheels, higher rate coil springs, unique shock absorbers with internal rebound springs, firmer bushings and unique electric power steering tuning. The wheels carry meaty 225/45R18 all season tires." Designers gave the XSE bold, aggressive lines, which are most apparent up front. That gaping piano-black maw you see above is more eye-pleasing on the Camry than it is on the Yaris and looks as if it's on a mission to gather air to cool the 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 under the hood. On the Dallas North Tollway, I gave that engine a chance to shine. It didn't blow me away, but it didn't disappoint me. Acceleration was respectable. So are EPA ratings of 21 city, 31 highway, and 25 combined miles per gallon for V6 Camrys.** Coming to a stop was an odd experience, though. The brake pedal had a noticeable dead zone and a stiffness when I first stepped on it. Once I got passed that, things were normal. I can't recall going through something like that in another test vehicle.

Just as my time at Toyota Stadium marked the end of an irony in my life, 3 p.m. marked the end of my time driving the automaker's newest offerings. Given how much Toyota has revised them, it's now clear to me that I was just beginning to learn about them. If you'd like to educate yourself on the 2015 Yaris, Camry, and/or Sienna, visit the Toyota USA Newsroom.

*2015 manufacturer-estimated EPA MPG estimates. Actual mileage will vary.

**2015 EPA MPG estimates. Actual mileage will vary.

***2014 EPA estimated MPG. Actual mileage will vary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dodge Rocks Gas Monkey

     Have you ever seen one of those high school flicks in which a nerdy guy has the night of his life - one filled with fast cars, scantily clad girls, and rock and roll? Well, on the evening of Saturday, Nov. 1, I was that nerd. 

I was living a movie because I attended Dodge Rocks Gas Monkey. Richard Rawlings, of "Fast N' Loud" fame and the owner of the Gas Monkey Garage in Dallas, Texas recently opened the concert venue Gas Monkey Live across the street from one of his two Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill locations.  Given that he's a motorhead and 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of Dodge, it made sense that he agreed to host a giant Mopar gathering in the parking lot of his music hotspot.  Rawlings is also a big Motley Crue fan, so guess who he had break in his new stage? That's right: Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars, and Tommy Lee were there. More on them later in this post...

After I checked in at the W Dallas - Victory hotel, one of my friends with Event Solutions International (hi, Mark!) shuttled me over to Gas Monkey Live. There was a chill in the November air that was off-set by the amount of body heat (and firepower) on the ground. Attendees were showing off their Dodge, Plymouth, and SRT rides; eating BBQ; buying memorabilia and commemorative souvenirs; and drinking shots and beers sold by attractive ladies in tank tops.  According to Eileen Wunderlich, manager of marketing communications at Chrysler Group LLC, 2,200 people showed up. Of course, not everyone brought a car to display, but there were still 850 of them parked on the pavement.

After grabbing an adult beverage and some barbecue meatballs at one of the open bars in the Gas Monkey Live, I went back outside to wait in line for a drive in a 2015 Dodge Challenger simulator. The sinister-looking poster car for all bad boys - in which I placed 4th (out of 6, I think) - was gutted in certain places by Dodge's technical wizards to fit special hydraulics and actuators that were linked to a trio of flat screens which showed my position on a virtual track.  All I had to do was steer, accelerate, and brake.  Of course, the real thing would've been better, but the rig Dodge brought was a safe, efficient, and well-engineered use of space. It seemed that everyone wanted to try it - or the Charger R/T simulator next to it.

The line for those "vehicles" was long enough, but it was shorter than the one for the thrill rides in the Challenger Hellcats. Dodge had two of them on-hand and a pair of factory drivers ready to take patrons (riding shotgun) down an 1/8-mile stretch of pavement as quickly as possible. After what seemed to be two hours, it was finally my turn.

Taking a balls-out ride in a car with 707 horsepower felt exactly the way I thought it would. That's not a bad thing. I was pushed back in my seat as if I were in a space shuttle during lift-off. I could feel the rear end of the Challenger squirming as its back tires tried to break free from the tarmac. My driver made minor steering corrections to keep the Hellcat pointed straight and we absolutely cheetah'd our way down the makeshift drag strip. What surprised me was the fact that the traction control was on and the beastmaster next to me took off at the green light without using launch mode. I was impressed. The traction control didn't spoil our fun. It was like a parent who gives their teenager a midnight curfew. "You can have fun, but there are still rules."

Although by the time I emerged from the Hellcat my feet and ankles were aching, I just had to watch a trio of Vipers drifting in their fenced-in nest. A pall of white smoke billowed from each snake's rear rollers, which chirped in protest with each quick direction change. Blue flame tongues flicked out of each serpent's side exhaust pipes.  I witnessed a couple of close calls in which one of the Vipers almost hit a wall. That's the difference between me and a drifter: I would have freaked out, braked too late, and left an $85,000 V-10 dream machine with chain link hash marks on its beautiful, curvy body work.

I proceeded to take a few pictures of the rows upon rows of Chargers and Challengers that surrounded me, then headed back into Gas Monkey Live to get ready to watch Motley Crue rock the house. After excusing myself through several people and finding the appetizer stations picked clean, I chose a spot from which to take in the show. Rawlings came on stage to announce that having the band play at his own bar has been a dream of his since he graduated high school in 1987. While I don't share his ambition (especially because I was a toddler in '87), I can certainly respect it and congratulate him on making a longtime wish of his come true. He never gave up and made the fantasy in his head into a reality. As Rawlings would say: "WOOH!"

I'm not a fan of '80s rock. However, I must admit that Motley Crue killed it! (My phone's video camera and microphone really didn't do them justice.)  They played as if they were a group of dudes in their early 20s. I could feel the sound of the show vibrating through the walls of the men's room. Nikki Sixx sliced off thick wedges of bass sound with his axe. Tommy Lee pounded on the drums as if they slapped his sister. Mick Mars used his electric guitar to send sonic waves from the fog-clouded stage into the crowd of screaming and cheering gearheads. Vince Neil did a little of everything. He sang (with sexy dancing girls in hot pants singing backup vocals behind him). He pumped up the audience. Once or twice, he strapped on a guitar and rocked out with Sixx and Mars, as he's been doing off-and-on for the past 33 years.  The North American leg of Motley Crue's Final Tour concludes on Nov. 22.  Next year, the group will finish its last set of concerts overseas.

Motley Crue is a stadium/arena band, so it was a real privilege to see those guys in a relatively intimate space such as Gas Monkey Live.  The Mopar muscle outside was abundant and got my heart racing (kickstarted, perhaps?). What a bash. The best part? I didn't have to clean up, talk to the cops, or worry about my parents coming home early.  Wooh!

Review: The 2014 Ford Fusion Energi Titanium Plug-In Hybrid

"The future is arriving!"  That's the comment Ford left me when I announced to the Twitterverse that I had picked up my niece from school in the 2014 Ford Fusion Energi Titanium Plug-In Hybrid using only electricity, not gas.  

It was right.  The company's high-tech sedan made me feel as if I were a member of the Jetsons.  I went from driving a car with a conventional internal combustion I4 to a vehicle with an Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder coupled with an 88-kW electric motor, a 35-kW lithium-ion battery pack and an electronic continuously variable transmission.  

I never thought I would connect a car to an electrical outlet, but I ended up doing just that with the included 120V charger.  Seven hours later, I was ready to drive an EPA-estimated 21 miles.  The trip to my niece's school was silent, but it spoke volumes about how much I was still in the past.

See, I had not been behind the wheel of a hybrid or a plug-in before I drove the Fusion.  After giving the right pedal a deep footprint,  I was not impressed with the pure-kilowatt results, nor was I confident that they would give me enough pick-up in a panic situation.  The plateau in power was obvious.  Don't get me wrong - I'm not one of those guys used to driving big, powerful trucks and muscle cars who thinks everything should make at least 300 horsepower.  Nevertheless, I was still underwhelmed.  I did appreciate the ability to bypass gas stations for short jaunts, though.

Initially, I found the performance of the 188-horsepower gas engine and electric motor combination to be similarly lackluster.  It felt gutless.  However, in its defense, I think the car seemed slower than it actually was.  During acceleration, the speedo needle seemed to move quickly enough.  I blame the eCVT (and my life-long existence in the traditional slushbox present) for my confusion. Its lack of gears made it hard for me to tell exactly where I was in the power range.  I felt as if I were floating in space.  In fact, the experience was so discombobulating that my fuel efficiency ended up dipping as a result.  I kept leaning into the throttle pedal in an effort to get my bearings.  My average miles per gallon went from around 43 to just under 40.  

There was nothing confusing about those figures, though - they were easy on my wallet.  They were at or only slightly below the EPA's estimate of 43 combined MPG, too.  (The agency rates the Fusion Energi Plug-In Hybrid for 44 city and 41 highway MPG, and 100 MPGe with a full charge.)

The exterior styling was just as easy on my eyes.  Design team leader Chris Hamilton and his crew found a way to give a midsize family sedan some visual flavor.  Credit them and an Aston Martin-esque front grille, a roofline which slopes dramatically in the rear and tail lights reminiscent of the Maserati GranTurismo.  A coat of rich Deep Impact Blue paint helps, as well.  Only the 17-inch wheels were a let-down.  They just seemed too small in relation to the amount of sheet metal riding atop them.  

Inside, I heard a substantial amount of tire noise from the Michelin P225/50 R17 rubber surrounding those rollers.  The 2.0-liter engine made an equally unpleasant racket.  It emitted a guttural, unsophisticated and droning baaaaaaaaaah that detracted from the cabin's otherwise enjoyable atmosphere.  I don't expect a Ferrari symphony, but I believe Ford should at least tune the I4 to sound a little less obnoxious and more civilized.  

All controls seemed easily accessible while I was on the move.  The switch for the headlights was no exception, but I didn't need to reach it because this particular Fusion had automatic front halogen units.  

In the back seat, I was able to sit comfortably behind the driver's throne adjusted to my size and preferences.

 

Pressing a button to the left of the steering wheel opened the trunk, a compromise between room for the lithium-ion battery pack and luggage space.  I was able to fit my overhead carry-on suitcase in it, but only on its side.  Let's hope these power plants go the way of cellphones and shrink over time.  Until then, there's a small price to pay for savings at the pump.

 

 

The Charcoal Black and metallic trim made an aesthetically simple but attractive wrapper for an impressive array of technologies.  Some were included in my tester's $40,500 base price.  For instance, SYNC with MyFord Touch and a reverse sensing system were no extra charge.  Others, such as the $995 Adaptive cruise control which imperceptibly kept a selectable distance between me and the vehicle in front of me, were options.  Navigation was $795.  A $1,140 Driver Assist Package told me when I was drifting out of my lane, monitored my blind spot and kept me from getting clobbered by cross traffic when backing up.  After a total of almost four grand in bells and whistles and a destination and delivery fee of $795, my Fusion Energi media loaner rang up at $45,120.

One of its competitors, the Honda Accord Plug-In, has an almost identical base price of $40,570 when you include tax, license, registration and destination charges.  While its 47 city, 46 highway and 46 combined mpg numbers are higher than those for the Fusion in this review, its maximum electric range of 13 miles falls short of the Ford's, as does its 570-mile total reach (the Blue Oval is good for 620).

My week with the Ford Fusion Energi Titanium Plug-In Hybrid was certainly a glimpse into the years to come in terms of power train technology, safety and infotainment features, and gas mileage.  It also provided me a look at the things that can be improved now to make a better green car in the future.

via [Ford]