ADVERTISING IN evo

Don't be confused about what you'll read below. Take a look back at the so-called Strange Timing For Truck Advertising in Motor Trend in order to improve your comprehension. Now it's more than apparent to all of us that pickup truck advertising is nearly extinct in British car enthusiast magazines like evo. In an issue like 120 where evo delved heavily into eco, the timing would've been poor.

Nevertheless, having briefly covered the advertising scenario in Motor Trend's September issue, The Good Car Guy figures it's important to cover all bases. That makes this second base. Read on.

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2 - pages of advertising inside the cover for the Audi A6 Avant Le Mans Edition (A6's are available with V8s)

2 -  consecutive pages of advertising for the Volkswagen Passat CC

2 - consecutive pages of advertising for the Mercedes-Benz CLS (available with V8)

2 - consecutive pages of advertising for the Porsche using a picture of a '63 911

2 - consecutive pages of half-page advertising for the Saab 9-3 Turbo X

2 - consecutive pages of advertising for the Honda Civic Type R

2 - consecutive pages of advertising for the Lexus IS F (the only IS with a V8)

2 - consecutive pages of advertising for the Ford Kuga, the first vehicle even approaching an SUV/crossover inside evo's pages

2 - consecutive pages of advertising for the Vauxhall VXR8, a V8-engined Pontiac G8-alike

1 - page of advertising for the Prodrive-tuned Alfa Romeo Brera S alongside a 4-star review of the Alfa Romeo Brera S

1 - page of advertising on the back cover for the Seat diesel range

COOL FACT FOR THE DAY - BUICK ENCLAVE & CHINA

After General Motors introduced the Buick Enclave, the auto journalism world was turned upside down. If, in one's own life, the brand name restricts potential purchases, how can one avoid an incredibly favourable review of a vehicle if, as alluded to, the brand has for years been producing vehicles that auto journalists avoid like the plague?

The Good Car Guy reacted positively to the Enclave after driving the big Buick crossover at GM's Milford Proving Grounds. (Check out that Driven article here), wrote about the Enclave's success before that, and even gave space to the Enclave for a 3 To Beat article. All in all, critics are long past concluding that the Enclave is the best Buick.

Check out all Cool Facts with a click

However, China is the best Buick market. The planet's most populous nation consumes half of all Buicks produced worldwide. 

And in August - finally - Chinese car consumers can drive away from one of 400 Buick dealerships in an Enclave.

NEXT FORD KA REVEALED

Are you seeing a Fiat 500? Neither do I. 

Ford and Fiat have an agreement on small cars. In other words, if you're not already reading between the lines, underneath this oh-so-European-Ford skin sits the Fiat 500. Sort of. Ford and Fiat likely won't say it in so many  - or so few words. 

Originally, the Ford Ka was a 90s-era success story for Ford of Europe. Fuel was already expensive. Cars were always more expensive. Taxes on such transportation devices were exbortitant. The story hasn't changed; it's only become more serious.

But the Ka wasn't just a 4-wheeled toaster for moving humans. It looked good, drove well, and Ford aided the cause by spitting out special editions about as frequently as baseball managers spit out tobacco. Then there was the Sport Ka and Street Ka convertible. 

As you may've guessed, Ford's most challenging competitor for the new Ka will be the resurgent Fiat's 500. Price advantages at likely every level is Ford's probable edge.History is on Fiat's side. Style may be, as well. We shall wait and see. More angles will surely appear soon.

MAJOR WARRANTY CHANGE AT CHRYSLER

For anyone about to purchase a new Chrysler Group vehicle, your powertrain will be covered for LIFE. Except when you sell it to your buddy, in which case that once unending warranty ceases to exist. Big news, nonetheless. A car such as the Viper, seen below, with its massive V10 and 600 horsepower is just as covered as your neighbour's Caliber or your grandfather's Sebring.

FORD MAKES MONEY FROM APRIL TO JUNE

$750,000,000. That's the amount of money Ford earned in the last quarter, from April through June. Helped by the sale of Aston Martin and image enhancers like the one seen in the vid below, Ford overcame losses of $279 million in North America to finally post a profit.

VOLVO'S C30 - AS YOU WISH

Volvo's hot new C30 is an extremely customizable vehicle. The 3-door hatchback, Volvo's entry-level model, is available in 14 exterior colours, nine different interior colour combos, five different wheel sets, and even the option of a Swedish flag on the roof. (That's the best part.) Volvo still restricts their build combinations to about 500, because much of the options list can be installed by the dealer. GCBC says: Give the young'uns what they love so much with Scion and Mini, and eventually you'll find them buying XC90's and XC70's. If you're not familiar with the C30, check the vid below.

VOLVO RECALLS C30, C70, S40 & V50

Problems with the power steering return line hose on four of Volvo's smallest cars that are foundationally the same has resulted in a NHTSA recall of 1,020 C30s, C70s, S40s, and V50s. 

To learn more about the C30 hatchback, check out the C30 Configured label. The Good Car Guy noted the C70 as one of the first hard-top convertibles to look good. The S40 has been in the care of The Good Car Guy a number of times for extensive periods. These are not the sportiest cars in their respective classes, but, they are welcoming; comfortable cars that are a pleasure to own. Nevertheless, a Recall is a Recall.

Apparently, some of these hoses weren't properly cured, or, "vulcanized". NHTSA says, "this can result in a rapid rapid drainage of the power steering fluid in the system and a complete loss of power assistance, increasing the risk of a crash." Dealers will be replacing the hose. If you think your car is involved, contact your dealer or Volvo at 1-800-458-1552.

BACK IN TIME - VOLKSWAGEN GOLF - DRIVEN

Them were the good ol' days. Back when Golf's were still Golf's, before they were Rabbit's here in North America. Introduced when Volkswagen was confident, when Europe hailed the Golf as King for its true structural integrity and quality interior, the Golf in its fourth generation was an armed competitor. The Golf is a family car in much of Europe, and now - er, then - families could have a car that made them feel good.

That was the Golf MK IV, in proper lingo. Much larger in every dimension from the original late 70's/early 80's Golf/Rabbit, and consequently much heavier, the MK IV Golf drew plenty of criticism for its soggy driving dynamics. Roll, understeer, and slow turn in caused by its front-heaviness. Criticism was especially harsh for the GTI version and the added weight of its V6 engine. The fourth-gen Golf escaped the criticism in the cabin. Close the doors and block out all the noise regarding its on-the-road demeanor, and savour the feeling of a car that feels more expensive than it truly is.

Cars that feel more expensive than the MSRP suggests are generally successful. And the Golf was successful, especially outside of North America. In the United States it is the sedan version of the Golf that provides the sales volume. But even the Jetta wasn't enough to stem the out-migration from VW dealers in the latter years of their North American showroom presence. Those latter years happened to coincide with the early years of Golf MK V in Europe. While they were enjoying the delectable new GTI, the largest automotive market in the world was left with an old car. And no matter how good that interior was, an old car is an old car..... is an old car.

New technology; new design; new engineering; new image, all things found at other car dealerships. As VW quality began to falter, so did its North American sales. New product was needed.

So, you've been seeing 5th generation Rabbits for over a year now. In some places, such as Canada, the old Golf and Jetta continue as 'City' models. Priced low and equipped solely with gas engines, Volkswagen obviously wants to get more life out of what was a once-massive investment in new product. Back in 1998.




Having driven numerous Gabbit's of different generations, you'd think I would have driven what is now called the Volkswagen City Golf. But I've never had the privilege of rowing through the gears in an MK IV with a 115 bhp gasoline engine. Different 1.9 litre diesels and a 1.8 turbo have come my way, but never the droning lifeless 2.0L Volkswagen four-cylinder. Naturally, a horsepower junkie is able to enjoy the smooth torque plateau offered by Volkswagen's 1.8T. Equipped as such, the GTI put 150 bhp to the front wheels. In later years it would make substantially more horsepower in GTI's, Audi's, SEAT's, and Skoda's.

It was diesel which always struck a chord with me. Just 90 horsepower, a little smelly still, a touch noisy, but a pleasure to drive. Low-powered cars often succumb to the overarching image of poor man's car or yield to the idea that no car with so few horses could be fun to drive. Something makes me think it is the Golf TDI's lack of power that makes it fun to drive. It is similar to the Geo Metro 'triple' feeling. 3 cylinders necessitate a give-it-yer-all attitude. It becomes a go-kart experience. Do you drive a kart at 5/10ths for the ten minutes you have in life to drive 10/10ths and not see flashing lights? Of course not. With a three-cylinder Metro (or a smart fortwo) you must drive it like you stole it just to merge onto the highway. Granted, the Golf has an extra 35 bhp compared with the Metro with which I toured the maritime provinces eight years ago. Nigh on triple the torque as well. But it also weighs much more and has a very short travel throttle pedal. So sometimes, giving it some real punch is the best mode of transport. Did I say sometimes? Maybe most of the time.

I'm driving this older Golf TDI, a car that was delivered to its true owner under my watch a number of years ago, for a number of days. It was delivered to me with substantially less than a full tank six days ago and I've yet to say anything similar to, "Fill'er up". It is therefore impossible to determine the precise fuel economy I am achieving with the Golf. Energuide.ca says a Golf like the manual I'm driving would use 5.05 litres of diesel every 100km, on average. Fueleconomy.gov suggests 35mpg in the city and 44mpg on the highway. Where I live, diesel is consistently 5-10 cents cheaper than gasoline. This represents massive savings at the pump, as you could imagine.

The Golf is not a particularly enjoyable car to drive in contrast to a new Civic. Certainly not a pleasure compared with the new Rabbit. It fosters that old school love. Much of humanity has, at one time or another, ridden in or driven a Volkswagen. Usually an old one. Inside numerous MK IV Golf's and Jetta's and GTI's; frequent rides in a '92 Passat; careening around the mountains of Mexico in a '70's Beetle; a German import Golf MK II and multiple other Jetta's throughout, Volkswagen's have that smell. No, not diesel. They have that feel. And it ain't always quality. They have that sound, and it usually doesn't purr. They have that look, something which continues to be recognizable.

And many consumers have taken a taste. Volkswagen's engender fierce loyalty or leave bitterness wallowing in the mouth of the former owner. Perhaps not bitterness like a bad strawberry. Perhaps it is the bitterness of a grapefruit.

Yes. That might be right.

Bittersweet.

DER NEU M-B C63 AMG

On the stronger side of 400 horsepower, inching close to 500, is the AMG variation of the C-class. A 6.2 litre V8, high-revving but still torquey, competes against BMW's high-strung 4.0L bent eight and Audi's rumbling - but still screamtastic - 4.2L V8. The C's 8-cylinder may be bigger, but AMG's engines push around a notoriously stodgier car. The new C-class promises more for the driver and offers substantially more than the previous generation with its new exterior flavour. Have a look.

DER HEUTIG AUDI RS4

Competitor to the new M3 as shown below is this Audi RS4. A similarly positive spin on the +400 horsepower theory, the RS4 is one of Audi's three best-ever automobiles, alongside the current R8 and original Quattro. This video goes well with GCBC's recent take on Audi's strongest trait, as you can read about here.

DER NEU BMW M3

Perhaps the loss of the M3's exterior cool is not such a loss. At the same time, and with the same magnitude, comes a gain in visual flair. And any previous audible subtlety gives way to aural stimulation rarely heard outside of Le Mans or Indy. The M3's new V8 will enable it to compete more directly with the Audi RS4 and upcoming Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. The BMW, surprise surprise, may even be the value victor. This video may not cause you to surrender to the M3's beauty; it may not show you its outright speed; but if you pump up the volume - you will hear the phwoooar.

MERCEDES-BENZ RECALLS MANY MODELS

Owners of many different Mercedes-Benz models could see their car fall under a Recall that's related to a recent software upgrade their car(s) may have received. Here's the official word from NHTSA, while the vehicles that may be affected are listed below with their model years.

"A software calibration number (SCN) coding received on the affected vehicles during a recent workshop visit was incorrect. Depending on the model year and model affected, the results of an incorrect SCN coding can affect a number of vehicle safety and emission functions including the following types of functions: (1) the fuel gauge readings may be incorrect; (2) a stuck fuel-level sensor may not be displayed in the instrument cluster; (3) the OBD system may cause the check engine light to illuminate incorrectly; and, (4) the speedometer may be out of tolerance."

What happens? "In the event of a vehicle crash, the electrical fuel pump may not receive a crash signal that is required for the fuel pump to disconnect and prevent future fuel delivery as designed."

Who could be affected? Owners of the following cars... possibly.

M-Class: model years 2006-2008

R-Class: model years 2006-2008

SLK-Class: 2005-2009

C-Class: 2005-2008

CLK-class: 2003-2004 & 2006-2008

E-Class: 2003-2008

CL-Class: 2004 & 2008

CLS-Class: 2008

S-Class: 2004, 2007 & 2008

G-Class: 2003

SL-Class: 2003, 2004, 2006 & 2009

STRANGE TIMING FOR TRUCK ADVERTISING IN MONTHLY MAGS

Depressing though the good-looking Mazda CX-7's test numbers from Motor Trend's September issue may be (0-60mph in 7.7 and 17 miles per gallon), especially in light of the Subaru Forester's impressive statistics (0-60 in 6.6 and 19.6 mpg), it's downright alarming the extent to which low mpg vehicles were advertised in the issue that's already on newsstands.

It's not a hard case to make: heavily market the products that you're struggling to sell. Make the buyers aware. On the other hand, expensive advertising directed toward an ever-shrinking market - especially when the products mentioned are already very well-known.... now that seems a little bit silly.

Surely different marketing executives would present differing views on the merits of extensive truck advertising. In a year when the long-time best-selling vehicle in America, Ford's F-150, has been out-sold by four cars over the last couple months, some of the numbers you'll see below are surprising.

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2 - pages of advertising GMC placed inside the cover for the Acadia, a 19mpg large crossover

2 - pages of advertising Mercedes-Benz placed for the 15mpg C63 AMG

1 - page of advertising for the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, a 20.5mpg SUV

12 - pages of advertising (including a centrefold) for the Chevrolet Silverado which is, at best, a 17.5mpg pick-up truck

1 - page of advertising for the Cadillac CTS, a 22mpg luxury sedan

2 - pages of advertising Dodge placed with business-reply mail for the Ram pickup

1 - page of advertising for the 19mpg Honda Pilot

1 - page of combined advertising for the 22mpg Nissan Maxima and the GT-R

1 - page of advertising for the Infiniti FX which is, at best, a 19mpg sporty crossover

1 - page of advertising for the Toyota Matrix, a small hatchback that can achieve a combined 29mpg

1 - page of advertising for the new Kia Borrego, a body-on-frame large SUV that's available with a V8 but can touch 19mpg with a V6

1 - page of advertising for the 26mpg Suzuki SX4 on the inside of the back cover

1 - page of advertising for the 25.5mpg Acura TSX on the back cover

18.8 - average (best) combined MPG rating of the first five vehicles you'll see advertised in Motor Trend's September issue

22.8 - average (best) combined MPG rating for the final seven vehicles you'll see advertisied in MT/09

GOODCARBADCAR.net PHOTOGRAPHY II

One hope with every piece of photography is to capture something in such a setting; with such perfect lighting and at the absolute right time, that the actual object can't be critiqued. 

Being a writer and not a photographer, it's hard to assume The Good Car Guy is actually able to fulfill such hopes. Regardless, sometimes the MacBook isn't active but the Nikon is. Here are some of the results. 

Others were posted earlier, which you can see with a click. A certain Mr. Nesbitt better be pleased with the shot of the Chevrolet HHR in the mirror of a Chrysler PT Cruiser.

GOODCARBADCAR.net PHOTOGRAPHY

Contrary to popular belief, The Good Car Guy doesn't just sit on the couch typing endlessly about cars while watching CNN. No, sometimes The Good Car Family escapes.... with the camera. Care for a sampling? 

EVO GIVES AUDI R8 HIGHEST PRAISE... & OTHER NEWS

British car enthusiast magazine evo has extended to the Audi R8 the loftiest of honours. Especially considering the evo editors have repeatedly named the Porsche 911 - in various configurations - as the evo car of the year. In a recent comparison between the Porsche 911 C4S, the BMW M6, a Prodrive-fettled Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and the aforementioned Audi R8, evo concluded with the following statement:


"But in the end, purity of purpose and breadth of ability win the day, and no car here - probably none under £100K - expresses the fusion more perfectly than the R8. there are faster supercars, but we can't think of another currently in production that takes a demanding road apart with quite the surgical precision and cool-browed composure of Audi's incandescently rapid and hugely desirable R8. It doesn't matter what kind of road it is - fast and open, twisty and technical, humped, dipped and wickedly cambered - the R8 will blitz any and all varieties of blacktop. What it might be capable of powered by the Gallardo's V10 will give Porsche, and the rest of the supercar fraternity, sleepless nights. Chances are they're having them already. So here's the answer. It's one we sometimes doubted we'd ever witness, but, for the good of the supercar's evolution, it could hardly be better. Audi humbles Porsche. A new dawn starts today." - David Vivian, evo 106.....


....Winners of the special Top 5 week here at GoodCarBadCar included: Toyota's dependability; five cars worthy of organized crime bosses - cars like the Benz S-class and Cadillac Escalade; five cars worthy of ferrying heads of state, such as the Ariel Atom for Queen Elizabeth; Pontiac G8's for the California Highway Patrol; and the Hyundai Sante Fe as the #1 small crossover/suv.

....Surprise surprise. The next Mazda6, the second generation, the successor to the successor of the 626, will be bigger. Its V6 engine will also be bigger, by about 500cc's. Feel free to hope for the best, but this car will likely be heavier in almost every section of the car. Larger overall dimensions necessitate bigger wheels to fill the wheelarches. Bigger wheels are heavier. A bigger car needs heavier-duty suspension parts to deal with the increased weight. A bigger car needs a bigger and heavier engine to overcome the inertia, and also bigger brakes to overcome greater momentum. All of this extra engineering weight tag teams with the extra convenience features that we all 'need'. So the Mazda may well offer GPS navigation amongst other creature comforts. That adds weight. This may all be untrue; facts that may only apply to other manufacturers. Mazda declares that weight is the enemy, at least in its MX-5 Miata advertising. Weight also appeared to be the enemy when Mazda introduces its latest 2 subcompact in other parts of the world - a car that weighs less than its predecessor.....

.... In the second quarter of this year, General Motors home market sales were down 7 percent. During that time, 58% of GM's sales were in countries other than America. Meanwhile, over the last 6 months, Toyota has sold more cars than the General. However, General Motors made a charge from April through June, selling 2.41 million vehicles to Toyota's piddling 2.37 million. GM's bad news in America isn't nearly as bitter a pill to swallow when the company had such a terrific spring.....

....Jaguar, Buick, Cadillac/Lexus. Volkswagen, Suzuki, Isuzu. What do the first four do that the last three don't? Keep their customers happy at their dealerships for up to at least three years. People who bought or leased cars from 2004-2006 say that Jaguar customer service ranks at the top, with Buick in second and Cadillac and Lexus tied for third. VW, Suzuki, and Isuzu are the lowest ranked brands in the J.D. Power Customer Service Index. Toyota, Chrysler, and Ford ranked below average, while GM brands like Chevrolet, GMC, Pontiac, Saturn, and Hummer were better than average. So were Lincoln and Mercury....


.... In what appears to be an Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale replacement, the Ferrari F430 Scuderia weighs 220 pounds less than the regular F430. Even Ferrari says that the new Scuderia represents the zenith of Ferrari road cars. 510 horsepower derived from the same 4.3 litre V8 compares with 483 offered up by the run-of-the-mill F430 (More pics below)......

.... Audi says its next generation of diesel powered passenger cars, to debut in 2008, will be the cleanest in the world. Fairly powerful too. An A4 with a 3.0L diesel will make 240 horsepower and 369lb-ft of torque. The same engine in the Q7 will make over 400 lb-ft of torque. Audi believes that these diesels will be clean enough to exist even under Europe's future emissions regulations. Add all this to a start-stop system and the effort to capitalize on coasting and braking as a way to store power, and you have highly efficient cars. Cars which already have one characteristic that ranks highly on GCBC's list of best qualities for automakers.....

..... Back to evo. Contributor Gordon Murray, one of the foremost automotive engineers in the world; famous for the McLaren F1 and McLaren Formula 1 cars, makes a few interesting points in evo's recent comparison between the Toyota Prius and a Fiat Panda. The Panda would likely compete with Honda's Fit and the Toyota Yaris were it to be available in North America. Contrasting the Panda 100HP, a £9995 car, with the £20,677 Toyota Prius showed the Panda to be 13.2 seconds faster around a 1.8 mile race circuit. It also used 4.88 more UK gallons of gasoline than the Prius over 502 miles. The Prius would need 1,102,850 miles to recoup the extra cost of the car. (The Toyota possessed an on-board computer that turned out to be 7% optimistic in regards to its fuel consumption, the Fiat was far more accurate.) After this 502 mile test, the Prius was 18.5 mpg down on what its projected fuel economy is purported to be, the Panda just 0.9mpg off.

"But it's not all about cost," I hear you say. No, it's the effect on the environment, right? So in comes Gordon Murray. After a lengthy overview of the facts, Mr. Murray says this: "So on top of the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, the Prius relative to the Panda is probably at least 50% more damaging to the environment in the first few years of use when manufacturing and recycling damage is included. For a Prius, the CO2 produced in its manufacture is equivalent to about seven years' use on the road." Murray suggests that any car needs to be driven for many years before the CO2 damage from vehicle use equals the damage done by manufacturing and recycling the car, thereby throwing a dart into what the media and politicians consider to be the main issues - that of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. "26 tons of waste are produced extracting the raw materials for every car we manufacture", the F1 designer says, "then 1.5 tons of solid waste and 74 million cubic litres of polluted air are produced during the build process." Read 'Truly, Verifiably, Genuinely Green Cars for more info like this.

CHEVROLET CAMARO COLOUR OPTIONS & PERFORMANCE STATS

Cyber Gray Metallic. Aqua Blue Metallic. Inferno Orange Metallic. Silver Ice Metallic. Imperial Blue Metallic. Red Jewel Tint Coat. Victory Red. Rally Yellow. Black. White.

These are your colour options when you begin the order of your next Chevrolet Camaro. Thumbnails of the colours can be seen below. Click the images for a larger view. 

Moving past the show factor to the go, Chevrolet has declared the V6 Camaro with 300 horsepower should make it from 0-60mph in 6.1 seconds with either the automatic or manual transmission. The manual-tranny car is actually expected to be a couple tenths slower in the quarter-mile, crossing the 1320-ft line in 14.7 seconds. 

Fortunately, the V6 Camaro owner shouldn't be faced with too many condescending stares considering high-horsepower levels and speed potential. However, it's the V8 everybody wants. Equipped with an automatic transmission, the Camaro SS leaps to 60mph in 4.6 seconds and completes the quarter in 13.3 seconds. Deciding to shift gears for yourself will lengthen the 0-60mph time by three tenths and the quarter by one tenth. To find context for these acceleration statistics (unverified by independent testers thus far), click here to see the 0-60 times of a multitude of other cars. For all Camaro-related posts, you'll want to click here.

WATCH AUTOBLOG'S VIDEO OF LIVE CHEVROLET CAMARO REVEAL

Earlier today General Motors made it possible for viewers all over the planet to watch the live debut of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro on sites like GoodCarBadCar.net and GM's own Camaro.GMNext.com. It was cool, although a bit troubling deciphering the embedding details. The Good Car Guy may well be the editor, publisher, CEO, CFO, and online manager of GCBC, but, an online editor he really is not.

For those who missed it, AutoBlog was also live at the reveal and generously posted their own video to YouTube. Here it be.

2010 CHEVROLT CAMARO - MORE IMAGES

Not content with what you've seen already of the latest Chevrolet Camaro? During the introduction today, Chevy boss Ed Peper spoke at some length regarding the Camaro's ability to guzzle less fuel than you'd assume. Indeed, over the last few years the Camaro's sporting sibling, the Corvette, has displayed shocking fuel efficiency.... considering it's habitat as a pseudo-supercar. 

For information related to those Camaro numbers, click here. Chevrolet was rather generous with the outlay of Camaro images today. Soooo.... whaddya think? At this point, we're left to make assumptions as to the Camaro's down-the-road presence based on preferential angles. Driving impressions are quite a ways off. Is this a true Dodge Challenger competitor in the looks department? Does the '10 Camaro eat Ford Mustangs for breakfast? To see any of these pics in a larger format, just give'em a click.

THE 2010 CHEVROLET CAMARO - IN-DEPTH DETAIL

Camaro lovers unite... around GoodCarBadCar.net's Camaro details page. Below you'll find all the information about the new Camaro which was formally introduced today (and seen live here on GCBC). And no, this ain't a summary. These are the specifations: full, strong, and runnin' free.

Get up on in here. Check it all out below. For photos of the evocative Chevrolet muscle car, have a look see here. More will come. Click on any of the text below to see in a larger view.

ELECTRIC AND SOLAR CAR VIDEO LINKS

The North American Solar Challenge. Heard of it? It's past time that you've read about it. Follow this link to check out the CBC's article on the subject.

While you're increasing your green transportation education, here're five videos from CNN.com that you'll want to be aware of.

Kathmandu's High Percentage of Electric Cars

London's Electric Car Friendliness

Store-bought Batteries Transform Civic Del Sol

Convenience of Electric Cars

DIY Electric Cars

HYUNDAI ELANTRA - DRIVEN

End-of-sentence expressions can dramatically change the whole meaning of the phrase in a way that the inattentive won't even notice. Chucking in a qualifying statement such as, "for a ___", strips the speaker of some credibility but, to a greater degree, disallows the verdict we all want to hear. An example, please: "You danced that waltz very well - nice lines; good extensions; enjoyable to watch - for a contemporary dancer, anyway." 

Huh? You've no idea what the judge really thinks. Likewise, for a few years from the late 90s into the early part of this decade, auto journos were consistently tacking on similar statements to Korean cars. "Quality is better than it used to be; the powertrain functions smoothly; and the price is right, making this a pretty good car considering the slanted H symbol on the grille." Was it good or not? 

Hyundai no longer needs such qualifying statements. No, not because we assume the car or SUV will be decent before it's even driven but because after driving the Hyundai, we ought to realize that this is no longer a newborn company or a company that consumers fail to take seriously. For instance, the subject of this post recently reached a milestone that, if anything, exposes the Elantra as the worthy competitor it is - 3,000,000 sales say so.

To the drive, then. Hyundai hasn't built a sports sedan. I say that with some seriousness despite the absence of sports sedan competitors for the Elantra or the lack of desire in the marketplace for a $13,625 sports sedan. See, were the compact car class (Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mitsubishi Lancer, Ford Focus, Mazda 3 etc.) to be divided between sportier and not-so-sporty, it is all too true that the Civic, Mazda, and Mitsubishi would reside in the sportier division. Toyota's Corolla would rest comfortably with its ilk, such as the Chevrolet Cobalt. The Elantra would join the second class.

Oh.... don't get your guard up, Elantra defenders. Hyundai has designed a remarkably comfortable car, not just to be in, but to drive. Handling is at least adequate. On city streets, steering is direct and ride quality is superb. Nevertheless, a certain squishiness starts to reveal itself that, on winding roads and higher speed corners, would be uncomfortable. It's as though the Hyundai is suggesting through its responses, "Lay off a little, everything was fine a couple minutes ago." 

Indeed, everything is wonderful when the Hyundai is thrust into typical driving experiences. Don't bother to imply that all its competitors cope as well with 4/10ths driving. Korean manufacturers (that'd pretty much be Hyundai and Kia; Daewoo sort of) aren't exactly renowned for creating sporting machines, but the ride quality of the average Hyundai is excellent. Direct the Elantra towards potholes, bumps, yumps, and well-used roadways and this 4-door copes admirably. In fact, your passengers probably won't even know the potholes, bumps, and yumps exist. Serene is one word that comes to mind. Calm, composed, unperturbed, unruffled - all apply.

So the Hyundai Elantra is the commuter's dream and the twisty road lover's nightmare. Apart from that, numerous positives begin appearing during a cursory Elantra glance. Trunk space is not only large but usefully shaped. Materials surrounding the cockpit are classy and of the right shades. Fit and finish is excellent - and no, we don't mean excellent..... for a Hyundai. Buttons and knobs twist and turn crisply. Small cargo compartments pop up on the dash, in the dash, and around and between the driver and front passenger. Everything that should be within an easy reach is within easy reach.

Skeptical enthusiasts will be turned off by the Elantra negatives already mentioned, most of which revolve around the manner in which this Hyundai (and most Hyundais) respond when under duress. If fun-to-drive is your end goal, the Elantra won't suppress your cravings. It's that simple.

However, Hyundai has created a car that's free of aggravation or annoyances. Lacking enthusiast qualities is relatively permissable under the circumstances Hyundai produces. Check out the basic MSRP for an American market Elantra: $13,625 includes power everything, ABS & EBD, and 138 horsepower. The up-level SE is a $16,325 car that adds stability control, 16" alloys, cruise control, air-con, and a six-speaker stereo. Toyota's Corolla starts at $15,250, produces six fewer horsepower (with better economy), and doesn't allow sales personnel to use phrases like "power everything" unless option packages have been selected.

Oh, and Hyundai's powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles. You might not love the Hyundai Elantra before you buy it. Like a successful arranged marriage, the love will grow.

For Canadian Hyundai Elantra info, follow this link.