BUICK ENCLAVE - Driven

Search... I mean, search, for another automotive blog where a young import-loving guy posts twice in one afternoon; consecutively; where the titles both feature the name Buick. Email goodcarbadcar@gmail.com if, not when; you find one.



And we ain't joking around. Nor does the joke start at the next sentence. The Enclave is good. I apologize to and for those who can't submit to this fact. Don't believe for one minute that The Good Car Guy would ever buy a Buick Enclave. I started writing about cars when the smart fortwo hit Canada. Polar opposites; the smart and Enclave? Not quite, but pretty close.

I wouldn't be skipping the Enclave, however. I'd be skipping the whole class of vehicles. Large, upscale crossovers aren't my thing and the absence of children in our life doesn't seem to bode well for Buick salespeople who want an Enclave parked outside my door. I don't need it, I don't want it.

But I know the Enclave is good. A fellow blogger at GM's Milford Proving Grounds just two days ago told me that he enjoyed driving the Saab 9-7X Aero a whole lot more, but the 9-7X Aero seemed pointless. And although he'd never have previously considered a Buick, this Wired Magazine correspondent's father just bought an Enclave. Hmm? How's that end up happening later in life?

The Enclave will never handle like that Swedish-American muscle SUV (did I already say pointless?) but it shouldn't and won't. The Enclave should possess true Buick characteristics and have a strong sense of desirability and some urban chicness. Nope, I'm not in the market for an upscale utility crossover, but I do know what a Buick needs to be and represent if I am ever to be tempted by any sort of Buick.

When I broke two wrists at once, the doctor asked me which news I wanted first; good or bad. Well, I asked for bad first. (There was no good.) Call me Dr. GoodCar and let me offer suggestions on treatment for Buick's maladies. 1) Build more Enclave-like vehicles. Not crossover/utility/SUV type cars, but beautiful cars. The Lucerne and Allure/Lacrosse are not beautiful, and that actually hurts the Enclave. 2) Learn to make the vehicles as quiet as the Enclave while also putting them on a diet. Don't lose the quiet, but lose some weight. You're too fat, Buick. 3) Ignore loyal buyers. Sorry to sound harsh and uncouth, but the loyal Buick buyer has a life expectancy which ends..... next year. Don't cater to him. A good car is a good car is a good car. If you make it good, old guys and gals'll like'em, and so will I.

To the Enclave, more specifically we go. Prior to my Enclave drive, I was in a Pontiac Torrent GXP for about five miles. It's worth reading about. Talk about two SUV's with different priorities. Actually, don't talk about it right now. Keep reading - I'm trying to hold your attention. The GXP is a performance edition of a somewhat boring vehicle. Enclave's are an exciting new addition to a traditionally boring brand. Buick's were once an aspirational purchase. When Cadillac's were cool and became the obvious choice for a rich dude in Elvis Presley's era, a Buick wasn't just a respectable choice. These were respectable Cadillac alternatives. Give me an early 60's Electra or a first generation Skylark, please.

Now Cadillac is fighting to be taken seriously as a worthy hi-lux player, and Buick is disregarded by a huge percentage of anybody born after 1950. Yikes. (Read about Enclave's success here.)

Now the Enclave is an aspirational purchase. You would feel good owning this vehicle. You'd enjoy living with it and be, at least, comfortable driving it day-to-day. Enclave has all the luxury you'll ever need (luxury = need?) plus the space your family requires. A luxed-up all-wheel drive Enclave does weigh a hair under 5000 pounds, though, and that's a real down side after driving a Torrent GXP.

Granted, these two GM vehicles aren't competing. (Read the Enclave's 3 To Beat here.) The Enclave has to fight off Saturn's Outlook and the GMC Acadia instead. The Torrent proved the performance SUV case, at least as far as driving dynamics go. Buick's Enclave, on the other hand, is no fun to drive. 275 bhp sounds like a lot, but we're talking about 5-0-0-0 pounds here, folks. No biggie, though. I don't seek more power every day at home - I try to conserve. So, I'm not looking to worsen the 3.6L V6's fuel economy ratings of 16/24 US mpg. Power will suffice.

Nonetheless, the power-to-weight deficit, when combined with a bit of pillowiness over yumps and the disconnected feel of the steering... well, then I begin to mind the dynamics of the vehicle. Then again (again), we're intentionally driving aggressively and a Buick crossover isn't going to - and shouldn't - behave like a Saturn Sky. No, I want some pillow-like qualities. Ya know what; I don't want to submit to a writhing steering wheel fighting to maintain the straight-ahead. I want my Enclave to wrap me in a warm cocoon at the end of a 9am-5pm day, serenade me with satellite radio, preserve me and protect me when necessary, and provide me with the space I need for my peoples and their things. Quickly. While looking goooood.

To meet those demands the Enclave gives you: tri-zone automatic climate control, power seats and a tilt and telescopic wheel; six speakers with speed-compensated volume and XM sat-radio; ABS, StabiliTrak, traction control, Xenons, side curtains for all three rows, cruise control, a 50,000mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and tire-pressure monitoring; seven seats; a capable V6 with a 6-speed automatic; 18 or 19-inch wheels and a really wicked front wheelarch. For proof of that just look at it this pic, edited to really show the wheel, arch, and curves. Taken at Milford by The Good Car Guy just two days ago.

BUICK LUCERNE PROVING ABS

Milford Proving Grounds, a General Motors facility, is equipped to do just that.

Prove.

This video shows a Skid Monster-equipped Impala in the distance, but what you want to see is the Buick Lucerne. Charging hard at a narrow lane - cones on either side - the driver was told to maintain the prescribed speed (35, 40, 45, and then 50mph), then brake hard and get out of the way of those cones which started coming at you really stinking fast all of a sudden. But you didn't start the braking-into-turning until the instructor said, calmly, "Now." If you did it too soon, as if trying to predict his call, you failed to trust him as well as the capability of the car.

This test proved a couple of things. Despite the fact that I don't want you to buy a Buick Lucerne, it's not because the car is lacking in ability or quality. It's simply due to more exciting competition. However, the Lucerne proved the merits of ABS (few would doubt those merits these days, hopefully) as well as the directional stability of the car. Plus, dare I say it, the Lucerne's ability to change direction under hard braking. The back end wouldn't truly slide. Just a slight skid-hop-skip. Always under control.





An Impala SS was used at similar speeds and then also at 55mph in a test where the task was similar until it came time to turn. Rather than brake hard at the call, we would have to turn right or left sans braking and then regain enough control to brake in front of a row of cones at turn back. And repeat. The Lucerne's test was left-turn only and more proof of braking than grip.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE NEW, MODERN FIAT 500

In an era when spy shots of upcoming vehicles weren't plastered across Google Image search results and preliminary specifactions failed to grab the attention of blogosphere comment sections, Fiat, the Italian Automobile Factory of Torino, manufactured the 500. Between 1957 and 1975, the diminutive 500 was equipped with similarly diminutive engines. Generally, with capacities under 1 litre, the 500 wasn't fast but was driven on Italian highways and village roads as though it was Ferrari-like in its ability. 

There's a new Fiat 500 now. Fiat calls it "bumper-to-bumper cool". At first glance you will assume the new 500 is a retro imitation of the original, but in size alone, the new 500 clearly diverts. Fiat has extended the length of the modern 500 by nearly two feet, in part to deal with current safety regulations. 

While still inexpensive, the Fiat 500 caters slightly to the premium small-car buying crowd that loves the Mini Cooper. Fiat's Panda, the car on which the 500 is based, is left to mop up the truly economical segment. Times are moving quickly in Turin, however, and even the new 500 is moving on. For a better understanding, take a look at the evolution of the Nuova 500. 

-----

FIAT TREPIUNO CONCEPT: Technologically advanced in a way that couldn't lead anyone to believe Fiat was aiming for the bargain basement with the modern incarnation of the 500.

FIAT 500: Maximum horsepower sits at 100bhp from a 1.4L, but if you can make it under the bar, one can go as low as a 69bhp 1.2L.

FIAT 500 ABARTH: Bumping horsepower up 35% is nothing to sneeze at, even if 135bhp sounds small. Abarth is now to Fiat what AMG is to Mercedes-Benz.

FIAT 500 ABARTH ESSEESSE: If Abarth is the equivalent of AMG, the esseesse is the equivalent of the AMG Black series. Its kit will hit your dealer in a famous Abarth box with perforated and ventilated front brake discs; lowering springs; and white or titanium wheels. Oh, and 160 horsepower. The Fiat 500 Abarth esseesse should be able to top 130mph.

FIAT 500 ABARTH ASSETTO CORSE: 49 examples of the Assetto Corse will be built for track users. Ultra-light racing wheels are just one of multiple weight-saving measures that stripped away 180kg (396 lbs). Owners also receive their own Assetto Corse overalls, helmets, gloves, and shoes.

PONTIAC TORRENT GXP - Driven

There's plans to inform The Good Car Nation of all Milford Proving Ground activities, but don't we all love to read a good test drive? Isn't that what automotive media really centres on? 'Where the tire hits the road' ought to be especially applicable to people who care about the tire and the road, no?

This story from early August reveals my true feelings towards the purpose and necessity of a vehicle like the Pontiac Torrent GXP. I see numerous points anybody could put forth to show that the Pontiac Torrent GXP (a high-powered small utility attempting to be an inexpensive BMW X3) doesn't need to exist. Nobody needs this kind of performance in a vehicle that fails to live up to the standards we set for 'feel' and refinement. I'd love to see an interior that beckoned me with quality and materials, for instance. Plus, I think it would be great to see a Pontiac crossover that wasn't available at the Chevrolet dealership.

However, there is praise to be showered upon the Torrent GXP. When I first set foot outside the luncheon area at General Motors Milford Proving Ground and walked around the vehicles to see which I needed to drive; wanted to drive; and felt responsible to drive, the Pontiac's Torrent GXP stuck out as a vehicle I should drive based on the responsibility I have to the Good Car Nation. Well, Nation - awaken. The Torrent GXP is ready for takeoff.



For somewhere between $26-28,000 USD, you can have a GM-built SUV with 264 horsepower. And this ain't 264 horsepower from a piece of unfortunate mess of thrashing metal. Old-tech is not found under this hood. Along with the gains under the hood (79 bhp up from the base Torrent), you can also count on an extra gear in the automatic tranny. Steering switches from electric to hydraulic assist. (Take that as a positive sign for GM's future performance vehicles.) Equip with bigger wheels and a true sports suspension and you've got yourself a GXP.

While maintaining a civil ride, the GXP is tied to the tarmac in a way that BMW consumers would enjoy. I'm serious. Reasons to avoid the purchase of a Torrent GXP can't include 'poor driving dynamics'. Direct and weighty steering - admittedly feelless - is just the start. Body roll is not nearly as prevalent in the GXP as it was in, say, the new Saturn Vue. (Build an SUV with the Vue V6 AWD's look and overall feel & refinement & interior with the Torrent GXP's dynamics and you've got yourself a great vehicle.) Problems only arose when cornering quickly on rippled roads. Seriously bumpy, screwed-up, rippled roads. Out of ten vehicles driven on this 5-mile trek, maybe two were calm through that section.

Possessing such levels of horsepower in a vehicle of this type and weight would commonly be useless and unadvisable in my mind. The GXP copes with the power admirably, mostly because it does more than simply power out of corners. It copes with the twists, too. I had the benefit on this first trip around our section of Milford to have a GM engineer alongside directing me. Like the rest of my 46.5 hour Milford trip, he was free of charge.

Even so, the parenthetical sentence two paragraphs above regarding the Vue/Torrent combo all too often replicates the typical GM story. We'll see if the other nine vehicles you'll read about here can sing a different song.

CORVETTE ACCELERATION RUN

Assuming my camera was not capable of full-on video applicable for GoodCarBadCar during the Milford Proving Grounds event where General Motors hosted a group of bloggers, I was actually just taking shots for personal use. Perhaps this clip I took of Philippe from TopSpeed.com is worth a look.




After beginning on Milford's Black Lake, we drove a couple of miles on a handling circuit before arriving back on the Black Lake for two brief spurts of acceleration. The Corvette does alright with acceleration runs, in case you hadn't heard. The clip won't impress with its cinematic style, but it will awaken you to the ferocity with which a "basic" Chevrolet Corvette can rip-snort-churn to highly illegal speeds. I got my turn after Philippe; savouring the opportunity to exercise the Corvette's 430 horsepower on a closed course. We had plenty of time in each vehicle. I drove ten cars in the afternoon, and you'll see a review of each here on GoodCarBadCar really soon, so keep checking back.

UPDATE ON HUSKER BMW RIP-OFF OF M3 BUYER

Back in March of this year, a BMW dealership in Lincoln, Nebraska made trouble for themselves. It became a fairly big consumer rights story and the world wide web became an important player in the quest to get a man his promised BMW M3. 

Unfortunately, the eBay seller (Husker BMW) created two problems that afflict more than just themselves. For skeptics who were frightened by the process of purchasing online - proof was gained. For the countless multitudes who are routinely sickened by automotive dealership practices - yes, more proof was discovered.

However, long after this story died down, The Good Car Guy became an investigative reporter for.... oh, five minutes, and discovered that, quite commonly, Husker BMW is an all-around wonderful eBay user.

This link takes you to their eBay feedback page. Over the last month, they've received two instances of positive feedback; nothing else. Over the span of the last six months, eleven positives are all there is to see. Over the last twelve months, thirty-three positives and one negative instance of feedback are plain to see. Husker has a feedback rating of 97.1% and has been a member since 2004. Not perfect, considering the ease with which you can find perfect ratings on eBay, but pretty stinkin' close.

Was Husker BMW way out line in the March situation? Surely. But are they the most awful, wicked, wretched BMW seller on eBay? It doesn't appear as such.

ALL THE VOLKSWAGEN GTI GENERATIONS - PICTURES AND STATS

Way out in advance of its North American on-sale date, the sixth-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI has been revealed online. The GTI MKVI is no slouch, and for a full rundown of the next GTI, it'd be worth clicking over to the GTI post.

Below you'll find a brief rundown of each and every GTI generation, from MK 1 through to the MK 5 that sits outside your local VW dealership to the MK 6 'concept' introduced today. While special editions may be pictured and specifications may've varied from model year to model year, the brief spec rundown below refers to the original of each GTI.

MK1 VOLKSWAGEN GTI

Introduced in Europe: 1976

Introduced in North America: 1983

Engine: 1.6L, 108 horsepower

U.S. MSRP: $8,000 in 1983

MK2 VOLKSWAGEN GTI

Introduced in Europe: 1983

Introduced in North America: 1985

Engine: 1.8L, 137 horsepower

U.S. MSRP: $11,280 in 1992

MK3 VOLKSWAGEN GTI

Introduced in Europe: 1991

Introduced in North America: 1993

Engine: 2.0L, 115 horsepower & 2.8L V6, 172 horsepower 

U.S. MSRP: $19,375 for VR6 in 1995

MK4 VOLKSWAGEN GTI

Introduced in Europe: 1998

Introduced in North America: 2000

Engine: 2.0L, 115 horsepower &  turbo 1.8L, 150 horsepower & 2.8L V6, 174 horsepower

U.S. MSRP: $19,225 for 1.8T in 2000

MK5 VOLKSWAGEN GTI

Introduced in Europe: 2002

Introduced in North America: 2006

Engine: turbo 2.0L, 197 horsepower

U.S. MSRP: $22,990 today

MK6 VOLKSWAGEN GTI

European Introduction: 2009

North American Introduction: est 2011

Engine: turbo 2.0L, 207 horsepower