Scion FR-S Review

The 2013 Scion FR-S ranks 1 out of 10 Affordable Sports Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 6 published reviews and test drives of the Scion FR-S, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

Reviewers say the FR-S proves that thrilling performance doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Reviewers agree that the 2013 Scion FR-S is set to shake up the affordable sports car class. Separated at birth from its sibling, the Subaru BRZ, the Scion FR-S seems poised to bring a surprising amount of performance and value to enthusiasts. Autoblog writes, “Is the FR-S one of next year's enthusiast bargains? Absolutely, and that is a conclusion we consider irrefutable.”

It all starts under the hood. The FR-S’ engine is mounted low and as far back in the engine bay as possible. Combined with its low center of gravity and a performance-tuned suspension, critics say these attributes make the FR-S one of the best-handling sports cars on the market. And although it trails rivals like the Ford Mustang and Nissan 370Z with significantly less power, its light weight and slick transmission choices make the FR-S a lively, enjoyable drive.

Although the FR-S is nimble enough for weekend track days, it still offers more interior comfort and practicality than some competitors. Like most sports cars, its back seat is tiny, but the seat folds flat to increase utility, and test drivers love the comfortable, supportive front seats and driver-focused cabin. Ultimately, the FR-S’ biggest competitor may be the Subaru BRZ. Early reports suggest that while the BRZ offers similar performance and accommodations, it will likely come with more standard features, though it will probably have a slightly higher price tag.

Honda Fit Review

The 2013 Honda Fit offers ample passenger and cargo space for such a small car, but reviewers wish it had a more powerful engine, more optional features and a quieter cabin. An outstanding reliability score helps the Fit secure a spot at the top of its class.

While the Honda Fit hatchback’s four-cylinder engine isn’t powerful, reviewers still say the Fit is pretty fun to drive for a subcompact, thanks to its standard manual transmission and nimble handling. With the automatic transmission, the Fit averages up to 28/35 mpg city/highway, and although those ratings aren’t the highest in the class, they’re still good for a hatchback with as much cargo space as the Fit. Still, some members of the automotive press mention that competitors have quieter interiors, better brakes, higher fuel economy ratings and more powerful engines.

Despite these criticisms, reviewers note that no competitor can match the Honda Fit’s interior space. The five-seat cabin offers front and rear seats with plenty of space for adults, cargo space that rivals some affordable compact SUVs and a class-exclusive Magic Seat that allows you to arrange the passenger seats to accommodate cargo like a tall plant or bicycle. The Honda Fit has a standard USB port and optional Bluetooth and navigation, which are typical features for the class, but some rivals offer these as well as infotainment systems and optional safety equipment like blind-spot monitoring.

Audi Q3 Vail Concept

Quick, what’s Vail known for? Nope. Not brides. That’d be “veil.” Not delicious baby cows either, doofus. That’d be “veal.” Spelled V-a-i-l, it’s a winter-sports haven deep in the Rocky Mountains, accessible only by snowcat and Quattro Audi—and other cars and trucks.

But few vehicles are so capable of coddling occupants in a wintry climate as the Q3 Vail concept that Audi introduced at the 2012 Detroit auto show. Mechanically, it’s a Q3 with a 314-hp turbocharged five-cylinder, a seven-speed automatic, and Quattro all-wheel drive. The fenders are flared and the track widened by 1.6 inches front and rear, and it sits 1.2 inches higher. Nothing all that special there.

Between the front seats, however, there’s a cupholder that can heat or cool a drink. What’s that? Chrysler already does that in real cars that people can actually buy? Well, Chrysler doesn’t have a port in the cargo area to charge flashlights—er, wait. It does. But Audi’s drink container has its own battery and can heat or cool beverages even when out of the car. And Audi’s flashlights can heat your fingers and or pre-warm a pair of ski boots using infrared light. There’s your German engineering. Additionally, the mat that folds out of the cargo hold to protect the rear bumper from scratches and scuffs as gear is loaded inside has integrated heated-seat cushions. So once your boards and skis are stashed, you can sit and warm your rear before you drive home in a seat that presumably will do the same thing.


Here’s Where It Gets Good

The fact that Audi showed a Q3 concept at the Detroit auto show is more notable than the concept itself. The company has thus far refused to comment on whether or not it would sell the Q3—which was introduced in Europe in 2011—in the U.S. At the Vail reveal in Detroit, though, we finally got our confirmation. Production of the U.S.-spec Audi Q3 will begin at the end of 2013, and the car will arrive here as a 2014 model.

Better yet, the production car, like the concept, will pack Audi’s 2.5-liter five-cylinder. You may recognize this engine from production vehicles like the TT RS, where it makes 340 hp, and concepts such as the Quattro, where it made 408. In the Q3, it’ll be detuned to somewhere closer to the Vail concept’s 314 horses and 295 lb-ft. Even more than snowboards and a bun-warming cargo mat, that has us looking forward to the Q3.

2013 Buick Encore

Occasionally pressing the reset button can be healthy for individuals, business organizations, and car brands alike. After witnessing Hummer, Pontiac, and Saturn disappear into the void after GM’s bankruptcy, Buick undertook some serious soul-searching and course correction. One dramatic result is the Encore, a small crossover unveiled in January 2012 and scheduled to arrive in Buick showrooms in February 2013 as a ’13 model.

Although the name suggests a second coming of the Enclave, the Encore is unlike any other product Buick has sold in its 110-year history. No previous product under the tri-shield insignia has been powered by an engine this small (1.4 liters). To find a Buick wheelbase shorter than the Encore’s 100.6 inches, you must venture back to the 1975 Skyhawk coupe (97.0 inches), which topped the Encore’s 168.5-inch overall length by almost a foot. Even among modern crossovers, the Encore is a shrimp. Audi’s Q3, BMW’s X1, and VW’s Tiguan are all longer. The Kia Soul and Scion xB hatchbacks are the only products on the market close to this Buick’s length, width, and height dimensions.

The notion of a petite Buick is a shock to the psyche, but the more remarkable thing about the Encore is that it inhabits a tiny island in the vast ocean of smallish crossovers where it faces no direct competitor. Its unique gambit is compact size, luxury accommodations, and excellent versatility offered at base prices ranging from $24,950 to $28,940 for its four trim levels. All-wheel drive adds $1500; fully loaded with AWD and a few options, the Encore can top $33,000.


Driving a few early-production Encores on rural roads surrounding Atlanta revealed that Buick didn’t abandon all its classic strengths—such as a cushy ride and quiet cabin—with this move to a significantly smaller format. But credit the engineers who nurtured the GM’s small crossover architecture from its Chevrolet Sonic origins. (The Chevy Trax and the Opel Mokka sisterships won’t be sold here.) The underpinnings are simple but sound enough to provide a solid, shake-free foundation. U.S. engineers tuned the strut-type front suspension and the twist-beam rear axle to yield a supple ride with enough damping and roll stiffness to keep body motions in check during rambunctious maneuvers. Electrically assisted power steering is slack-free on-center and nicely weighted off-center. Cornering response is whippet-quick, and the Encore moves with agility unknown to Buicks of any era. All that’s missing is some hint of road feel through the steering wheel.

The turbocharged 1.4-liter engine delivers 138 hp, barely enough to break the speed limit when there’s a full load of passengers and luggage onboard. Passing on grades is a move that demands determination, and towing of any kind is not recommended. The six-speed automatic helps out by providing full control over upshifts when the console lever is placed in the M position and a +/- rocker switch built into the knob is toggled. Although additional ratios would be useful, the automatic’s top gear is at least able to drop the revs to 2000 rpm while cruising at 60 mph under steady throttle. That yields an estimated 33 mpg on the highway for front-wheel-drive models and 30 mpg with the optional all-wheel drive.

The Encore’s maximum-traction system consists of a power takeoff unit attached to the transaxle, a two-piece driveshaft, and a computer-controlled BorgWarner clutch bolted to the rear differential. The rear wheels are engaged on a supplementary basis while rolling from a start because that’s when wheel slip is most likely to occur. Above 4 mph, the clutch begins opening and the front wheels assume full propulsion responsibility once speeds reach 37 mph, unless one or more wheel-speed sensors report slippage. The smart clutch limits the maximum torque delivered to the rear differential to 111 lb-ft.

LEXUS GS REVIEW

IT USED TO be that larger Lexii were the preserve of the silver-haired elite who wanted nothing more than to waft around in wheeled ships drizzled in American chintz. Just thinking about the brand conjured up images of smug-looking Sean Connery-types mouthing ‘Lekshush’ in rich Scottish drawls. After living with the all-new GS for two weeks though, something’s definitely changed. Perhaps it began with the V8-powered IS-F or the spectacular LFA supercar or was it the unveiling of the delectable LF-LC concept or maybe it was when Lexus finally abandoned the cassette deck – who knows? However, if these were small-scale, top-end attempts to turn back the customer clock and lower the age of its admirers, then the new GS is Lexus’ volume-selling time machine.

Fairground attraction

Not that you’d notice it from the outside though as, in that faintly Germanic way, the new GS looks too familiar. As expected, designers have sketched the new corporate spindle grille onto a sharper, more raked-back nose glistening with arrow-head daytime LED running lights, projector headlamps and variable-width chrome trim. Compared to its Euro rivals, the distinctive grille shape is a strong differentiator, provided you disregard fellow Japanese over-achievers Infiniti, which has applied a similar pinched-effect grille to its recent concepts Etherea and Essence as well as the production FX crossover. And is it just me, or does the spindle remind you of those ego-enhancing trick mirrors that make your waist look like it’s in a vice?

Moving quickly past the unremarkable and still slab-sided flanks to the rear where the highlight is the two stylised exhaust exits set into a black diffuser panel. It does have its moments, but on the whole the new GS is an innocuous looking large sedan fashioned from the same lean, toned surfacing so typical of the brand.

Not the interior style we’re accustomed to

So it’s a case of much ado about nothing outside, but as with any time machine the magic only begins once you get in and close the door. If the CT200h hatchback was a step in the right direction, then this is one giant leap for Lexus-kind. Gone is that old feeling of sitting in a slightly grander Toyota Corolla, replaced by a confident new Lexus design identity characterised by slimmer, more horizontal architecture. The plastics on offer pass muster on both look and feel with inlays that mercifully don’t try to mimic wood grain but still provide a glossy effect, all neatly balanced by satin-finished metal accents, many of which are real aluminium.

Although it looks handy the smooth, thick-rimmed, leather-bound steering wheel doesn’t provide enough grip for serious wheelwork, but is equipped with tiny, plastic gearshift switches. Despite a satisfying action, they saw very little use during the two-week test, though that’s more a testament to well-chosen gear ratios and cleverly-mapped gearbox electronics than a total lack of sporting appeal.

Simple, white-on-black tachometer and speedometer dials flank a scrollable information display. It’s all elegant and understated as opposed to the almost grotesquely large 12.3-inch wide-screen display that dominates the centre of the facia. This may become the norm in the near future, but for now having an IMAX screen in your car seems like overkill. And even though this is a much improved second-generation version of Lexus’ Remote Touch interface, I still don’t find the menu structure and haptic controller/mouse device all that intuitive to operate. The new slide-and-click functionality has simplified matters, but the cursor jumps across to selectable buttons skipping greyed-out ones in variable increments. So basically, the same input doesn’t always have the same output, which messes with my brain. As for sat-nav operation, let’s just say it’s certainly not for technophobic older folk. That said, long-term owners will no doubt suss its quirks and learn to appreciate this left-field take on how to operate an infotainment system.

I’m also not a fan of the gimmicky instrument illumination, particularly at night. Get off the throttle in either of the Drive Mode Select dial’s Normal or Eco settings and the display glows bright blue in some kind of quasi-Feng Shui mood control. Naturally, it’s red in Sport. To extinguish the glow, you have to press the throttle. So I did…

Youthful exuberance

… which is a good thing because it’s the key to firing up this Lexus’ theoretical flux capacitors. With dual variable valve timing, port and direct fuel injection, the 3.5-litre 24-valve V6 unleashes 233kW of sonorous power at a willing 6400rpm. I mention the noise, because although naturally aspirated, the engine’s audio track builds with an almost turbine-like supercharger whine, courtesy of the air intake’s sound amplifying resonator. It’s emotive and addictive and the electronic throttle blips that accompany the six-speed auto’s slick and rapid – three-tenths of a second – upshifts and even quicker downshifts keep egging you on. The only slight negative to the snappy ’box is an occasional abrupt, jerky release of the kickdown’s higher gear after an overtaking manoeuvre. But then you can’t argue with the facts: our test runs resulted in a sub-six second 0- 100kph time, making this a powertrain with both bark and bite – a key element in any driver’s car.

A turn for the better

Then there’s the way it goes around corners, which feels much flatter than before without getting in the way of a plush ride. Wider tracks both front and rear plus revised suspension settings play their part here. Flung through a series of bends, the GS keeps its composure without the expected huge lateral shift of mass. It certainly handles well, but you never quite feel as hooked up as you do in some of its rivals. The missing ingredient is in the steering. For the main part it’s quite light, which would be acceptable if it wasn’t also strangely resistant to turn-in: you have to dial-in a few degrees off the straight-ahead to activate the electric assistance. Once you’re in the corner though it’s consistent and accurate. Jump on the brakes and they respond with a healthy bite and progressive feel that rounds off a far sportier if  slightly flawed driver’s package than before.

Verdict

Driving the old GS required adopting a slower approach. This was fine as it gave you time to relax, put on your slippers, smoke a mythical pipe and get regular updates on your RA’s actual worth. But as everyone knows, the future’s in the hands of an ever-younger populace. So when it came to discussing the replacement for the old GS, I imagine Lexus’ internal directives were to build-in a little more excitement, crank up perceived quality and imbue a sportier nature without alienating the scores of Americans who’ve bought into the brand. Have the changes hit the mark? As he pulled into the pit lane directly after testing the GS on track, I asked our 27-year-old racing driver Peter if he had aged 20 years? His response? A rather emphatic ‘No!’

So there you have it, a Lexus that doesn’t instantly age you. Does this mean we’d choose it over the rivalling Jaguar XF, BMW 5 Series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class? Considering the high equipment levels and more rewarding drive, it is tempting, but the exterior design does lack presence. We’d suggest petitioning Lexus South Africa to offer the GS450 F-Sport’s visual upgrades for the 350 as well. Then order one in black for the full Lord Vader’s breathing apparatus effect. Or is that idea a little too futuristic for you?

2015 Chevrolet Code

The Code 130R, revealed in concept form at this year’s Detroit show, previews a small Chevy four-seat coupe based on the Cadillac ATS’s rear-drive platform. Aimed at the generation whose first reaction upon seeing a screen is to swipe at it, the Code presents an oddly nostalgic vision of personal transportation. Its flared fenders, upright windshield, small greenhouse, and overall size may remind some of  the BMW 1-series, but we look at it and see a 1967 Camaro with tidier proportions.

The shadow it casts is just a bit larger than that of the Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S twins, but its mission is similar: introduce hard-gaming couch-cruisers and assorted blanket-sniffers to the joys of the four-wheel drift. Like the aforementioned Japanese twins, the Code seems underpowered, only more so. The concept’s 1.4-liter turbo four offers only 150 horsepower (12 more ponies than in the Cruze and Sonic) and 148 pound-feet of torque, but it also has ­eAssist mild hybridization. Based on GM’s other applications of this system, we figure the electric boost is good for another 15 horses. It’ll need more if it’s to overpower its fat 20-inch tires. Or it’ll need smaller tires. We are hearing that the engine lineup could comprise the following three mills: a base 2.0-liter direct-injected four, the concept’s turbocharged 1.4-liter to serve in the Eco model, and the hi-po 2.0-liter turbo found in the ATS delivering roughly 270 horses. Power will flow through either a standard six-speed automatic or an optional six-speed manual transmission.

This is but one of two youth-oriented concepts Chevy showed in Detroit—the Code 130R and its podium-mate, the front-drive, Cruze-based Tru 140S  were thrown into mock battle to see which one would make it to production (vote at Facebook and Twitter). But the likelihood of the Code reaching the assembly line is strong. In the car’s favor is that a production version of its body wouldn’t stray too far from the voted-upon concept’s, whereas the Tru 140S, atomic doorstop that it is, has a windshield the feds would frown upon. Also, only Chevy can build the Code, whereas the Tru could be a Mi­tsubishi or a Hyundai. Against the Code is cost: Its engines aren’t cheap, and neither is its Alpha platform. But GM needs to find economies of scale for its small rear-drive component set, and at a bandied-about price range of $20,000 to $26,000, the Code could provide serious volume—and not just in America. It would certainly undercut the 1-series, while staking out new (old) territory for the bow tie.

Barrett-Jackson to Auction First Production 2013 SRT Viper, Benefit Pediatric Cancer Foundation

If you haven’t already gotten enough Viper-mania from this week’s New York Auto Show, here’s your chance to own the first one off the line.

Barrett-Jackson will auction the first production SRT Viper at its auction in Orange County, California, from June 22-24. Proceeds will benefit pediatric cancer charity Austin Hatcher Foundation.

Pricing for the first SRT-branded vehicle has not been officially announced, but with the dramatically improved refinement, advanced materials and interior trim, many are expecting the starting price to start just south of six digits, if not a smidge over.

You can bet with the feverish interest in Chrysler’s new supercar, that the first one off the line will fetch a princely sum this summer at Barrett-Jackson’s suburban SoCal auction.

Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk VI

With the incoming Focus RS monopolising REM sleep for most of our hot hatch devotees, the Mk VI VW Golf GTI might have slipped unnoticed onto our streets this summer. But it won't for two reasons. The first is that it is very good. The other, that it's been styled in the way that an RS aficionado would approve of. That he might have done himself, in fact, through mail order catalogues and Superglue.

Volkswagen has taken the truly excellent Mk V GTI and tweaked it in various vital respects. The engine is slightly lighter, but provides more power with better economy. It now has a limited slip diff to better harness that extra power, and an adaptive chassis that does comfy, not so comfy, and sporty at the touch of a button. The exhaust note is also astonishing and surely unprecedented in a 2.0-litre German hatchback.

So far so good. Positive progress. But the new GTI has also been restyled in a fashion that seems intended to deprive the aftermarket modders of much in the way of Sunday afternoon fun. New grille, headlights and fog lights at the front, new side skirts and wider, symmetrical exhausts at the rear. The wheels have also had their inserts painted black. None of this looks bad per se, but it's all a teeny bit like a first date in Nandos. Mind you, the Focus RS driver is in the Chicken Cottage.

Classic Range Rovers

Quietly, the original two-door Range Rover has emerged as the classic car of the moment. Mint examples are changing hands for sums that often exceed the cost of a factory-fresh 2012 model as a new generation discovers the utilitarian chic of the first luxury four-wheel-drive off-roader. Recent RR two-door converts are Jay Kay of Jamiroquai and the actor Orlando Bloom.

With their basic hose-out plastic interiors, the first Range Rovers were only luxurious compared with a Land Rover; but in 1970 nothing else combined 100mph V8 performance with the ability to cross a ploughed field at high speed, in comfort. And in the evening the Range Rover – still the only car to have been displayed in the Louvre – could cut an elegant dash in the city with its clean, simple lines.

During most of the Seventies they were among the most sought-after cars in the world, favoured by gentleman farmers, the police and international adventurers such as Ginger Baker, the former Cream drummer, who crossed the Sahara in one in 1971. They were barely off our TV screens in series such as The New Avengers and were a rare British Seventies success story that helped prop up the fortunes of the floundering Leyland empire.

Such was the demand for the Range Rover that crafty speculators put in multiple orders and then sold them on at well over list price on the black market, as revealed by the BBC One news magazine programme Nationwide in the mid-Seventies. It was the vehicle that launched the modern Chelsea tractor genre but its image in the early days was worlds away from that of the well-to-do mum who whisks her brood to school in an aggressive urban panzer with twin DVD players and blacked-out windows.

The Seventies Range Rover is a commanding yet strangely self-effacing vehicle by comparison, a brilliant exemplar of the less-is-more philosophy with its elegant, functional lines, quiet colours and simple cabin bereft of potentially troublesome electronics. By the time the four-door Range Rover usurped the two-door in the mid-Eighties its maker had established that going upmarket was the way to widen the market.
Classic Range Rovers
The new Range Rover has sparked enthusiasm for the original luxury off-roader.

The two-door Range Rover was just the ticket for a family camping trip or a spot of off-roading, but could still cut an elegant dash in the city
By Martin Buckley
6:30AM GMT 01 Nov 2012
34 Comments
Quietly, the original two-door Range Rover has emerged as the classic car of the moment. Mint examples are changing hands for sums that often exceed the cost of a factory-fresh 2012 model as a new generation discovers the utilitarian chic of the first luxury four-wheel-drive off-roader. Recent RR two-door converts are Jay Kay of Jamiroquai and the actor Orlando Bloom.

With their basic hose-out plastic interiors, the first Range Rovers were only luxurious compared with a Land Rover; but in 1970 nothing else combined 100mph V8 performance with the ability to cross a ploughed field at high speed, in comfort. And in the evening the Range Rover – still the only car to have been displayed in the Louvre – could cut an elegant dash in the city with its clean, simple lines.

During most of the Seventies they were among the most sought-after cars in the world, favoured by gentleman farmers, the police and international adventurers such as Ginger Baker, the former Cream drummer, who crossed the Sahara in one in 1971. They were barely off our TV screens in series such as The New Avengers and were a rare British Seventies success story that helped prop up the fortunes of the floundering Leyland empire.

Such was the demand for the Range Rover that crafty speculators put in multiple orders and then sold them on at well over list price on the black market, as revealed by the BBC One news magazine programme Nationwide in the mid-Seventies. It was the vehicle that launched the modern Chelsea tractor genre but its image in the early days was worlds away from that of the well-to-do mum who whisks her brood to school in an aggressive urban panzer with twin DVD players and blacked-out windows.

The Seventies Range Rover is a commanding yet strangely self-effacing vehicle by comparison, a brilliant exemplar of the less-is-more philosophy with its elegant, functional lines, quiet colours and simple cabin bereft of potentially troublesome electronics. By the time the four-door Range Rover usurped the two-door in the mid-Eighties its maker had established that going upmarket was the way to widen the market.

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Quickly the two-door went out of fashion and fell prey to the welding torches and angle grinders of the "bobtailing" brigade, who were looking to maximise the Range Rover's off-road manoeuvrability.

Hence very few two-doors survive in unmolested condition, although project cars are reasonably plentiful. Earlier this year, Richard Washer of Performance Cars in Essex had one of only two ex-police Range Rover two-doors known to survive – yours for £3,500 – and recently sold a 1973 car that Michael Nicholson, ITN's South African correspondent, wrote about in his book Across the Limpopo. It has since received a £25,000 body-off-chassis rebuild.

Graeme Hunt trades from Radley Mews in Kensington, London, and is probably the leading purveyor of historic Range Rovers. "People have been waking up to them over the last five years," he says, "and I'm now selling them to serious collectors.

"They have realised that they are the granddaddy of all of today's SUVs but unlike the modern equivalent, people don't want to throw rotten eggs at you, they smile and wave."

Graeme has had a 1979 ex-Colin Chapman two-door in stock this year as well as three Velars, the pre-production cars that Rover fitted with bogus badges to fool the public. It even set up a fake Velar Motor Company in London to put people off the scent. These prototypes are the holy grail of the two-door Range Rover cult.

With limited space, Hunt can only afford to deal in the cream of the surviving cars and has sold more than one example for upwards of £70,000. "Anyone can pull a £500 bit of old tat out of a barn but unmolested cars are at an absolute premium and restorations can run into tens of thousands," he says.

Hunt uses his Range Rovers regularly and loves the fact that "they do what it says on the tin" even today. Thanks to skinnier tyres and no sills or bodykits, they are much more suited to off-road use than a modern Range Rover, and won't depreciate like one, either.

"I was asked to display one of my cars in the Rotunda at the RAC Club," he says. "Normally they need ramps to get the cars they display up the stairs. I just put the Range Rover in low range and drove up."

2012 Fiat 500 Abarth Review



Hypes: Turbo Transforms the 500
Gripes: Invisible Tachometer, Poor Side Vision
It’s been a long time since the name “Abarth” meant anything to motorists in North America. Back in the 1960s, Karl Abarth’s tuning firm, which got its start in Italy by modifying Fiats for road racing, also sold high performance exhaust systems for almost every economy and sports car. These exotic looking exhausts were expensive, but worth the extra cost for the great improvement they provided in sound if not actual performance. When Fiat recently returned to North America to sell the diminutive 500 sedan, it was only a matter of time before they resurrected the Abarth name for a high performance version of the 500. The resulting combination of Fiat style, Abarth performance and bargain pricing has resulted in the performance deal of the year. And yes, it sounds great when you gas it.
In basic form, the Fiat 500, with its 101hp “MultiAir” 1.4 liter 4, is a beguiling car to behold, but ultimately unsatisfying to drive, due to the performance limitations of its underpowered engine’s 98 lb.-ft of torque. The new Abarth version retains the same small displacement 4, but turbocharges it to gain an extra 35hp and 52 lb.-ft. of torque. At 135hp, the Fiat 500 Abarth becomes a much more interesting prospect for drivers seeking kicks. Turbocharging infuses the performance envelope with such a rush that the Abarth will gleefully scoot through openings in traffic that simply don’t exist for the base model 500. Ladling out further enjoyment is the close ratio 5-speed manual transmission, which seems to have a cog for every occasion and a gate precise enough to preclude missed shifts.
Although the Abarth still sits a little high, and thus feels a bit tipsy, its contact patch grip level is substantially augmented by the addition of Pirelli P Zero Nero tires (205/40R17) at each corner. These rubber G-force generators mount on $1,000 optional 17 x 7 inch “Forged Aluminum Hyper Black Wheels” which carry an Abarth inscription on the rim and an Abarth Scorpion insignia on the hub. Inside each black rim glows the red painted caliper of a disc brake. On a “Rosso” red car like our test vehicle, the contrast effect is beguiling. The Abarth is the perfect car for an owner suffering from an identity crisis. There are no less than 19 separate “Abarth” ID medallions, stickers or signs adorning the little speedster, including 8 on the wheels, 6 on the body, 1 under the hood, and 4 more inside. If you like scorpions, you’ll love the Abarth 500. I loved all these medallions.

At an all-in price of just $26,200, the Abarth is a terrific buy. You can even shave the price by eliminating the $1,000 optional “Performance Leather Trimmed High-Back Bucket Seats” which look great in black with red piping, but don’t offer as much side bite as the Fiat’s chassis does. If you can live with just 17 Abarth ID tags instead of 19, you can drop the bottom line price by $350 by eliminating the “Black Mirror Caps With Body Side Stripes.” If you need a navigational aid, Fiat offers a unique Tom Tom which uses an adaptor to slide into a receptacle on the dash top near the steering wheel. This extra will cost you $400.
There is room for improvement on a couple of fronts with the Abarth. The instrument cluster places a large speedo front and center with a tachometer mounted inside the speedo. In daylight, the tach is difficult to read, and at night, impossible, since the gauge glows the same color red as the tach needle. Fiat has thoughtfully provided a separate boost gauge, hung off the left side of the dash where it is easy to see and read. Why not switch the positions of the tach and the boost gauge?
For spirited drivers, the Fiat 500 Abarth is THE performance deal of the year: affordable, cute and nasty all at the same time.

2012 Fiat 500 Abarth
Engine: 1.4 liter inline 4, 16 Valve MultiAir Turbo
Horsepower: 135hp
Torque: 150 lb.-ft.
Fuel Consumption: 28 MPG City/34 MPG Highway
Price as Tested: $26,200
Star Rating: 10 out of 10 Stars

Ferrari 458 overall verdict

Comfort

It's useable and friendly at slow speeds, copes beautifully with motorways and serious mileage, and even the automatic function on the seven-speed DSG paddleshift is pretty darn good.


 Performance

It's powered by a 4.5-litre V8 sitting just behind the head, and stumps up 570bhp and 398lb ft of torque, leading to quite extreme speed: 0-62mph takes just 3.4 seconds and a top speed of over 200mph. And despite the lopping of the roof, the Spider posts the same benchmark times. Positively sears on road, or track.


 Cool

Yes.


 Quality

There have been some concerns about electrics in early cars, but these should hopefully have been solved by now.


 Handling

Although the 458 is the kind of pretty that can make people bump into things and fall off kerbs, the driving is where this car really scores. An engine that variously growls, screams, sings and howls, a chassis that rewards and excites, sublime steering - the baby Ferrari really does appear to have it all.


 Practicality

The seats are extremely comfortable and supportive, there's a decent 230-litre luggage compartment up front, the fuel tank is a sufficient 86 litres and there's no reason not to do a big trip in one go.


 Running costs

It costs £173,000 to start with, and with a 4.5-litre V8, fuel costs will be high. Insurance costs will be high. Servicing costs will be high. But you will pay them, because the 458 looks fantastic, sounds astonishing, drives brilliantly, is absurdly fast and, to sum, quite brilliant.

Dodge Dart GT Headed for Detroit Auto Show

A more potent Dodge Dart will be introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week. The 2013 Dodge Dart GT will have a 184-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, which is 24 more horsepower than what other Dart models’ engines make.

Dodge says in a statement the new Dart GT will feature a sport-tuned suspension “that delivers ride and handling attributes designed to cater to driving enthusiasts.” A six-speed manual transmission is standard and a six-speed automatic is available.

At $20,995, the Dodge Dart GT will cost $5,000 more than the base Dart SE, and come standard with features like perforated Nappa leather seats, heated front seats, 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8.4-inch touch screen, a rearview camera, remote start and a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel. On the outside, you’ll find unique GT styling, as well as dual exhaust pipes, 18-inch aluminum wheels and heated side mirrors. Optional features include a power sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, blind spot monitoring system with rear cross path detection, satellite radio, navigation and 10-speaker Alpine audio system.



A high-performance Dart R/T model was slated for the third quarter of 2012, but has not gone on sale yet. Dodge says it “continues to investigate a high-performance R/T model,” though some journalists speculate that the Dart GT is its replacement.

Automobile Magazine reports that “it won’t reach consumers under the Dart R/T name we previously knew it by. Instead, Dodge will sell the very same car as the Dart GT, a nameplate last used in the United States market for the 1969 model year.”

Audi A4 Avant overall verdict

Another great-but-magnolia A4 variant, the Audi A4 Avant does absolutely everything well. Hard to pick fault, but it still feels anonymous.

 Comfort

An A4 that rides. So, so much better than A4s of old, the new car is quiet, comfy and composed - especially on long motorway hauls. Your wardrobe will rarely have a more serene journey.


 Performance

Most people will opt for the company credit 2.0-litre TDI with 140bhp, which is reasonably quick(0-62mph 9.4 seconds, 134mph max). The 1.8-litre TFSI petrol turbo is quicker but thirstier. The engine that really stands out is the 3.0-litre V6 with Quattro, but the diesels offer more torque for serious load-lugging.

 Cool

Actually a bit cooler than the saloon. There is no reasoning behind it, it's just the truth.


 Quality

As with all Audi product recently the quality is high and the finish superlative.


 Handling

Can handle quite serious loads before giving up its composure. The Avant doesn't seem to lose out to its saloon counterpart when it comes to going fast.


 Practicality

You're looking at around 1430 litres of loadspace with the seats folded - and that's a shedload. There are also lots of neat touches in the rear load compartment, and it's the little things that make all the difference.


 Running costs

Low-ish company car tax brackets for the smaller-engined petrol 1.8TFSi and the 2.0-litre diesel, with the diesel achieving 64.2mpg. Then again, the A4 is a good value buy as long as you stay off the tempting options list.

BMW 3 Series Coupe Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo Coupe

BMW doesn't make a 323d. Too many diesels in the line-up already, the story goes - too expensive and risky to try and squeeze another engine into the near-invisible gap between the 320d and the 325d. So, if you want BMW's lovely bi-turbo four-pot in your life, you'll have to make do with the 123d.
Unless, that is, you go to Alpina, who will whip you up a 3-Series with the 2.0-litre diesel out of the 123d, with a revised engine management and a new exhaust system. This is good.
We like the stats too. 214bhp. 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds. 152mph top speed. Yes, that's Golf GTI-beating performance from a car that'll return 52mpg. That's nearly 150bhp per tonne. From a diesel. Simply astonishing.
The D3 doesn't feel like a quick diesel though. In fact, it doesn't feel like a diesel at all. Despite a massive 331lb ft of torque, there's never a genuine gut-punch from the turbos. Instead, the rev needle skips to the red line with petrol-like vim, a fizzy responsiveness that should convert even the staunchest diesel-haters. Leaving aside such freakshows as Audi's giant V12, this might just be the greatest diesel in the world.
The D3 rides better than any current BMW too. Alpina has ditched the 3's hard-riding run-flat tyres - though hasn't added a spare wheel, leaving you instead with a handy can of foam - and fiddled slightly with the suspension set-up, and the result is a beautifully judged ride over any surface.
In fact, it's good enough to make you wonder why Alpina didn't go a bit further with the D3. The new spoilers, steering wheel and seats, the engine and handling, put the car right at the sporty end of diesel, and make the unchanged gearbox and steering feel a little lax by comparison. Yes, revising them would have pushed the price up, but the D3 is being imported in such small numbers - the UK'll get under 100 each year - that interested punters would surely have paid the premium.
Which raises the bigger question: should BMW make its own 323d? It'd clearly create a bit of a headache for the marketing team, but we'd then invoke TG's Altruistic Principle: is it morally acceptable to have an engine this good in just one car?
BMW has raised the bar with the current generation of 3 Series Coupe. It's fast, frugal and fearless
Comfort
BMW's obsession with run-flat tyres has buggered the ride quality, and an inherently sporting set-up means that a BMW feels a bit stiff compared to non-German rivals. The 3-series is pretty good on space though, and all BMWs are usually quiet and accomplished cruisers.
Performance
The latest generation of 3 Series Coupe is available with nine engines. Coun 'em: 320i, 325i, 330i, 320d, 325d, 330d, 335d and the 420bhp V8 in the M3. The 325i is a lovely, smooth engine but it doesn't have the bite you'd expect for 218bhp. It's fast, yes, but it soon runs out of breath when pushed hard and it always leaves you wanting more. The 306bhp turbocharged three-litre 335i by comparison, is a real star. The peak torque arrives at 1,300rpm and stays on the same high plateau until 5,000. Okay, there is some turbo lag at the very lowest revs, but beyond 2,000 it picks up and runs like a V8. It's a cinch to make swift progress along A-roads, and because the urge is so accessible, passing slower cars is similarly simple. The M3's V8 is awesome, with terrifying levels of performance from it's four-litre V8.
Cool
All the big diesel cars are pretty cool. But a de-badged BMW 318i with ‘M-Sport' written all over it will make people want to hit you in the face with a hammer. And hammer wounds aren't cool.
Quality
Built to BMW's typically high standards, the dash is basically as per the saloon, which means thick materials, tight panel gaps and all the buttons giving a lovely damped action.
Handling
It's a really fluent and obedient car and never does anything unexpected. In the dry you get heaps of grip, though the huge torque of the 335i makes it easy to spin the inside rear wheel coming out of bends. Even in the wet it keeps its superb balance. Pressing the DTC button calls up a slightly looser traction-control setting, letting you push harder before the electronics intervene to save you from you. The ride though, is very hard so expect to feel everything the road has to offer. Active Steering is available but we prefer the car without. Self centring in straight running is more natural when the fancy gadgetry is absent, as is the initial feel into corners.
Practicality
Plenty of room in the back, despite the slightly lower roofline than the saloon. It's okay for adults in there, though no one would want to be climbing in and out too often unless they were in training for a pot-holing weekend. The boot is a good shape and at 440 litres a healthy size.
Running costs
One of the most cost effective coupes to own. Even the 335i returns just under 35mpg and is three categories short of the maximum company car tax banding. The diesels are impressively clean and frugal while it's expected the car's residual values will be excellent.

Alfa Romeo 159 overall verdict

In the Alfa Romeo 159, at last they have made a car capable of being taken seriously against the Germans. The 159 is better than the 156 it replaces in every single area, but still looks better than hot buttered Kiera. All we need to fear now is fear itself – the 159 has a dodgy reliability image.

• Comfort

  Finally people of all sizes should fit. It's got more space all round than the 156 which it replaces, but feels sporty and intimate. The ride can get a bit nervous over bobbly surfaces, shuddering slightly when it gets confused by the slightly too-hard damping, but generally it's great.

• Performance

  The 1.8 MPI Turismo is a bit sluggardly if you want the go to match the show - it only hits 62mph in 10.6 seconds with 140bhp. If you want anything respectable then you're looking for the 185bhp 2.2. Best of all are the lovely-but-lazy 260bhp 3.2-litre V6 (which is 250kg heavier than the fours) or the brilliant diesels. Money no object? Then the 2.4-litre JTDM five-pot diesel with 200bhp is the one.

• Cool

  Off the scale. One of the most resolved saloons out there. We like it more than is strictly legal. Even in Holland.

• Quality

  So much better than the horror stories that Alfa deserves a medal. There have been electrical gremlins and we have heard that there are niggles with the Selespeed transmission but nothing that a dealer can't sort. Play on their insecurities, it'll work wonders.

• Handling

  A proper Alfa this; accurate steering - even if it is a bit on the numb side - coupled to a lively chassis make the 159 feel faster than it is. More fun than you have any right to expect from a front-wheel drive saloon. The Q4 4x4 variant is a joy too - think good-looking MitsiEvo. At 250kg more than the four-pots, it can feel fat and underpowered though.

• Practicality

  Space inside is on par with everyone else in the sector. Rear-seat passengers may be a bit cramped, but nothing that Valium can't cure. There's a big, 405-litre boot, too.

• Running costs

  Alarm at Alfa's reliability history means that these things drop quite heavily over two years, but clean engines mean low company car tax. And they tend to be cheap in the first place.

2014 Mercedes-Benz E-class Coupe and Cabriolet

 

Just like the Mercedes-Benz E-class sedan and wagon, the E-class coupe and cabriolet versions have received an extensive, mid-term face lift. (The two-door models debut at the 2013 Detroit auto show.) "The cars become even more sporty," a Mercedes spokesman tells us—and he’s not lying, at least in terms of styling. The new sedan and wagon look significantly more attractive than the original W212, and the wedge-like design of the new coupe and cabrio looks more aggressive than any E-class that’s come before.

Just like the four-door E-class, the “four-eyes” headlamp design makes room for a pair of larger, more traditional looking lighting units. However, there still is a four-eyed look, thanks to the car’s LED daytime running lights. LED low beams are standard on every E-class coupe and convertible; LED high beams are optional. The taillights carry over their outer shells, but are restyled within the package.
 Changes to the sheetmetal have been kept to a minimum; the two-doors keep the pronounced creases on their rear fenders, which were abandoned on the sedan and the wagon. And while we welcomed that change to the four-doors, we’re rather glad they’ve remained on the coupe and convertible. These aggressive-looking fenders, which Mercedes says visually emphasize the rear-wheel-drive layout, look better on the wide and low two-doors than they did on other body styles. On top of that, the fenders also set the two-door E-class apart from the less-expensive C-class coupe, its closest architectural relative in the Mercedes lineup.

Inside, the dash has been tweaked. The instrument cluster loses the two outer gauges, there is additional brightwork, and the designers added a centrally mounted analog clock, just like the one in the S-class and the face-lifted E-class sedan and wagon. The most prominent change, however, involved relocating the gear selector from the center console to the column, a decision that brings these cars in line with the sedan and the wagon but which also doesn't fit Benz’s desired sporty theme.

The seven-speed torque-converter automatic transmission is coupled to one of two proven engines: a 302-hp, naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 in the E350, and a 402-hp, twin-turbocharged 4.7-liter V-8 in the E550. That, of course, is just a small selection of the engine portfolio Mercedes-Benz offers elsewhere, but we get the strongest engine outside of AMG, so we won’t complain.
While the chassis remains essentially untouched, there is now electromechanical power steering, which is said to help efficiency and allows for a self-parking function. In fact, Mercedes has significantly upgraded its portfolio of assistance and convenience systems. A stereoscopic camera now is on board, which, in conjunction with the car’s radar systems, monitors the vehicle's surroundings up to 1640 feet in front of the car. Collision Prevention Assist—providing radar-based collision-mitigating autonomous braking—is now standard, while new optional systems include adaptive cruise control with steering assistance, Pre-Safe system, lane-keeping assist, parking assist, and a 360-degree camera. (Much of this safety technology will feature in the next-gen S-class, of which you can find a rundown here.)

Let's hope the latest systems are less eager to intervene than those on the outgoing model, where, on a press event, this writer was repeatedly pinned to the driver's seat, warning lights blinking and windows racing up, as the clueless electronics figured the car was about to crash into the guardrails of a narrow and twisty country road in Mallorca's Serra de Tramuntana mountain range. (The crash the car’s electronics were expecting never occurred, of course.) Besides that small issue, the two-door E-class was an agreeable companion, and it looks like it will continue to be when the face-lifted 2014 models arrive on dealer lots this summer.