thedrifter
09-09-07, 06:32 PM
Hot wheels ’08
Check out 10 of the new year’s sweetest rides
By Eric Peters - Special to the Times
Posted : September 17, 2007
Among the best 2008 cars to hit the road, the only similarity is that they all have that new car smell. Beyond that, there’s something unique in every category, from the Smart Fortwo gas-sipper on the little end to the new monster of the big boys, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Here’s a look at 10 of the hottest new ’08 rides on the road or coming your way soon.
Eric Peters is an automotive columnist who has covered the auto industry since 1992. E-mail him at epeters952@aol.com.
Luxury/sport Cadillac CTS
The Cadillac Catera of the late 1990s may not have been a BMW contender, but it had rear-wheel drive and a punchy V-6, and, unlike virtually every other Cadillac built during the previous 20 years, it foreshadowed better things to come.
That better thing is the ’08 CTS.
This luxury-sport sedan is the equal of anything in its class from Germany or Japan when it comes to performance, driving dynamics, luxury appointments and technology, with a startlingly distinctive look guaranteed to stand out in the sea of brightly colored jelly beans on the road.
The rear-drive, midsize CTS comes standard with a 263-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6, available with either six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Also standard are 17-inch sport wheels and GM’s electronic stability and traction control system. Base models also come through with a premium eight-speaker Bose audio system.
Compare that roster of gear with what you get in a base model BMW 3-series: A smaller and less potent 3-liter six-cylinder with only 230 horsepower, and 16-inch wheels. At $32,400, you’re paying more for a weaker engine, smaller rims and far less curb appeal than the eye candy Caddy brings to the table. BMWs are wonderful driver’s cars, but they’ve also become obnoxiously expensive and underpowered at the base model level, and the current styling isn’t BMW’s best work.
As the model year progresses, Caddy will offer a 304-horsepower direct-injection version of the 3.6-liter V-6, along with all-wheel-drive and a six-speed automatic. A Bose 5.1 digital surround-sound audio rig featuring a 40-gigabyte hard drive and a “time shift” feature that lets you pause and replay live content will be added to the menu, too. Expect a V-8 CTS-V later this year or early next year.
Other cool CTS features include an available oversized sunroof with power sunshade, “turn with the car” adaptive forward lighting, global positioning system and Sapele wood trim.
Base model
Engine: 3.6-liter V-6
Miles per gallon: 18 city, 26 highway
Horsepower: 263
Base price: $32,990
Available: Now
Chevrolet Corvette
Here are some facts to consider about America’s sports car.
The standard version of the ’08 Corvette coupe outguns the old ZR-1 Corvette of the late 1980s and early ’90s, bringing 430 horsepower to the line, compared with the ZR-1’s 375. And that’s with old-school pushrods and two valves per cylinder, versus the ZR-1’s “exotic” dual overhead cam, four-valve engine.
It also boasts more than twice the power of most Corvettes built from about 1974 through the mid- to late ’80s. It is, in short, fiercer than a crazed wolverine. You name it, the ’08 will stomp it. Easily. Effortlessly.
It can reach 60 mph in a little more than four seconds and hit top speeds of 190 mph. And that’s the base model.
If the standard 6.2-liter ’Vette doesn’t intimidate enough for you, try on the Z06. “Ultra-performance” and “elite” don’t quite convey what a 7-liter, 505-horsepower V-8 can accomplish in a 3,200-pound car. So consider the numbers: Zero to 60 in the three-second range and an advertised top speed of 198 mph, which only a handful of the world’s most expensive exotics (cars with six-figure price tags) can hope to match.
At $70,175, the Z06 is the K-Mart special of super cars. Nothing in its price range — or within $30,000 of its price range — stands a chance.
Along with the power infusion, 2008 Corvettes also get enhancements to the interior, suspension and more, including an optional sport-tuned (read: loud) exhaust for base models that adds another six horsepower. There’s also a revised dash/instrument panel with higher-end materials (a welcome improvement over previous model years). Standard coupes can be ordered with either a fixed or removable roof. The optional Z51 handling package adds higher-capacity brakes, more aggressive suspension tuning and shorter gearing for the six-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic is a no-cost option on either coupe or convertible, but the mighty Z06 is a manual-only deal.
Base model
Engine: 6.2-liter V-8
MPG: 15 city, 26 highway (manual)
Horsepower: 430
Base price: $45,170
Available: Now
SUVs/wagons/trucks Nissan Pathfinder V-8
High gas prices haven’t had much effect on the power lust of traditional SUV buyers, so it’s not surprising the ’08 Nissan Pathfinder can now be ordered with a V-8 engine for the first time in 22 years.
The new 5.6-liter, 310-horsepower engine is shared with the full-size Armada SUV and Titan pickup. It is plenty athletic in those larger, heavier vehicles, so it really wakes up the smaller, lighter Pathfinder. Always excellent off-road, the ’08 Pathfinder is now almost sports-car-quick from stoplight to stoplight and during high-speed passing.
With the V-8, the Pathfinder makes the run from 0 to 60 in just less than seven seconds, nearly a full second quicker than a V-6 Pathfinder. Towing capacity increases by a half-ton, to 7,000 pounds.
The obvious downside, of course, is that fuel economy takes a hit, slumping to 12 mpg in the city and 18 on the highway, versus 14 in the city and 20 on the highway with the V-6. (These figures are for 4x4 models in both cases; 2WD versions fare slightly better — 15/22 for the V-6 and 13/18 for the V-8.)
On the other hand, what is losing 2 mpg or so when you gain 44 horsepower — and, more importantly, an additional 100 foot-pounds of torque? That’s the math prospective Pathfinder buyers will likely be doing when comparing the Pathfinder’s standard 4-liter, 266-horsepower V-6 with the new V-8.
Base model
Engine: 5.6-liter V-8
MPG: 13 city, 18 highway (2WD)
Horsepower: 310
Price: $30,600
Available: Now
Buick Enclave
The full-size Enclave crossover wagon is without question the sharpest-looking thing on four wheels to come off the Buick line in decades.
Sharing platforms with the GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook, the Enclave is available with seating for up to eight and standard second-row captain’s chairs. It boasts a standard 3.6-liter, 275-horsepower V-6, six-speed automatic transmission and 116 cubic feet of cargo space — more than most full-size SUVs. It’s the best family truckster to hit the streets since the ’70s-era Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, only built better and offering improved gas mileage.
Inside, the Enclave is soft, plush and classy.
All models feature side-impact air bags, full-row curtain air bags, traction and stability control, 18-inch rims, xenon high intensity discharge headlights, a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, three-zone climate control, six-speaker premium audio with MP3 player and satellite radio. All this with a smaller price tag than comparable — and smaller — Lexus, Acura and Volvo entries.
Base model
Engine: 3.6-liter V-6
MPG: 16 city, 24 highway
Horsepower: 275
Base price: $32,055
Available: Now
Toyota Tundra
Detroit has gone largely unchallenged by import brands in the full-size truck arena despite losing ground in just about every other market segment. The Ford F-series is and has long been the best-selling large pickup, with the Chevy Silverado 1500 coming in second. The only other import that could even qualify as “full-size” is Nissan’s Titan, but limited body, bed and trim configurations have relegated it to low-threat status.
Now, Toyota has made it clear it’s going for the jugular with a brand-new Tundra that one-ups everything Detroit has on the field in terms of size, power and features.
For starters, the new standard Tundra engine, a 236-horsepower, 4-liter V-6, is almost as muscular as the F-series’ optional 246-horsepower, 4.6-liter V-8.The next step up, a 4.7-liter V-8 weighing in with 271 horsepower, easily out-muscles the Ford’s optional 4.6-liter V-8 and isn’t too far off the pace of the F-150’s biggest available engine, a 5.4-liter V-8 offering a so-so 300 horses. But the Tundra has one more round in the clip — a new 5.7-liter V-8 packing a thunderous 381 horses.
The new Tundra is also the first Japanese pickup that matches the Big Three trucks when it comes to available body styles and bed length options, offering regular cab, double cab and CrewMax four-door cab styles, with bed lengths of 5 feet, 6.5 feet and 8 feet.
The truck’s outsize personality makes it seem bigger than its competitors, too. Only the Dodge Ram seems similarly aggressive.
But its sheer massiveness may turn out to be the Tundra’s only vulnerability, as it borders on overkill. Even a big guy can feel kind of small driving this monster. When I drove our garbage cans up to the trash bin, I felt like a 12-year-old as I struggled to get them out of the Tundra’s bed. The walls are so high you almost need a stepladder to see what’s inside.
But then again, the absolutely dominant power and range of options it offers make it a safe bet the new Tundra will find plenty of fans.
Base model
Engine: 4-liter V-6
MPG: 17 city, 20 highway (est.)
Horsepower: 236
Base price: $22,300 (est.)
Available: Fall 2007
Family sedans Chevrolet Malibu hybrid
Until now, if you wanted a hybrid, you pretty much had to go with a Japanese car. But domestic options are increasingly available, the latest of which is the hybrid version of Chevy’s popular Malibu midsize sedan.
Like many of the latest hybrids, the ’08 Malibu will offer power and performance comparable to a conventional V-6 with the economy of a four-cylinder. GM says the hybrid Malibu should be good for about 32 mpg on the highway. That’s about 2 mpg better than the nonhybrid Malibu four-cylinder and comparable to much smaller vehicles such as the Chevy Cobalt compact sedan.
An eight-year, 100,000-mile hybrid components warranty will supplement the Malibu’s standard five-year, 60,000-mile powertrain coverage.
Base model
Engine: 2.4-liter four-cylinder
MPG: 24 city, 32 highway
Horsepower: 164
Base price: $24,000 (est.)
Available: Fall 2007
Ford Taurus
Back in the 1980s, the best-selling family car in America was a Ford — the Taurus sedan. But Ford allowed the Taurus to slide into rental car oblivion and eventually dropped it entirely.
Today, the best-selling family car in America is the Toyota Camry. But Ford hopes to recapture that slot — and the buyers it lost — with a new Taurus that one-ups the best-selling Camry in several key categories.
First, a 3.5-liter V-6 is standard issue in the new Taurus, clearly outmatching the Camry’s base model four-cylinder. The V-6 produces a healthy 263 horsepower — almost the same output as the Camry’s optional 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 and 105 more than the Camry’s standard 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine.
The new Taurus also costs a bit less than the V-6 Camry, which starts at $23,640, and offers all-wheel-drive, a feature you can’t get in a new Camry at any price.
Standard equipment includes a six-speed automatic transmission, 17-inch wheels, power driver’s seat, air conditioning, leather and wood trim, and power windows and door locks. There’s also a full array of safety equipment, including side-impact air bags, curtain air bags, anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control. Some of these Taurus standards cost extra in the Camry, further widening the real-world price gap.
The Ford’s family friendly and handsomely appointed interior is further complemented by an enormous 21-cubic-foot trunk that’s bigger than the trunk in Ford’s full-size Crown Victoria. Camry’s trunk? Just 15 cubic feet.
Base model
Engine: 3.5-liter V-6
MPG: 17 city, 24 highway
Horsepower: 263
Base price: $23,245
Available: Now
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord has long been a true everyman’s car. Available as a sedan or coupe, with both four- and six-cylinder engines and manual or automatic transmissions, it can be economical, family-oriented, sporty or luxurious. This explains why it has been so consistently popular with so many different types of buyers for so many years. For 2008, the Accord gets a makeover — inside, outside and under the hood.
For starters, it’s bigger. The sedan is roughly 3 inches longer, rides on a longer wheelbase and offers substantially more legroom for backseat passengers at 37.2 inches — almost as much as in Honda’s much larger Pilot SUV. It’s 1.5 inches wider, too, increasing elbow and shoulder room and allowing for a wider center console with larger storage cubbies.
Under the hood, the standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder produces 177 horsepower in base LX sedans; a 190-horsepower version of this engine is used in midlevel EX models and is the standard engine in ’08 Accord coupes. At the top end, there’s an optional new 3.5-liter, 268-horsepower V-6 featuring Variable Cylinder Management — three of the engine’s six cylinders can shut down under light-load conditions for improved fuel economy.
Base model
Engine: 2.4-liter four-cylinder
MPG: 21 city, 31 highway
Horsepower: 177
Base price: $18,700 (est.)
Available: mid-September 2007
Compacts Smart Fortwo
Once available only in Europe, the ultra-compact, two-seat Smart Fortwo is coming to the U.S. in 2008. It’s designed mainly for stop-and-go urban driving, with its chief virtue being great fuel economy without the associated price tag of a hybrid.
The Smart Fortwo will be sold through select Mercedes-Benz dealerships and will be available in both hatchback coupe and convertible body styles. Base models come equipped with keyless entry, a leather-wrapped wheel and 15-inch rims, as well as standard traction and stability control, anti-lock brakes and side-impact air bags. Top-of-the-line Passion versions include air conditioning, power windows, an AM/FM/CD stereo and a panoramic sunroof. Convertible models feature a manually operated canvas roof.
Despite what you may have read (or thought, given its tiny size), the Smart is no deathtrap. It features a clever Tridion safety cage made of high-strength steel that wraps around the passenger compartment like the roll cage in a race car. This provides occupants protection comparable to that of significantly larger cars.
Granted, a collision with a large SUV would not be pretty. But the Smart’s reinforced and enclosed cabin offers a lot more protection than a motorcycle. For knocking around town, it’s hard to knock — especially at 40-50 mpg.
Base model
Engine: Three-cylinder
MPG: 50-plus city, 40-plus “combined” (est.)
Horsepower: 61 (est.)
Base price: $11,995
Available: Early 2008
Scion xB
In many ways, Toyota has become the Japanese Buick — a bread-and-butter brand specializing in comfortable, reliable and bland transportation modules such as the Corolla and Camry. For the younger crowd, there’s Toyota’s small-car division, Scion, and its high-personality vehicles like the xB “paddy wagon.”
The xB has been redone for ’08, with a skin job, improved engine and all-new interior. But it’s still as unique as the original ’04 model.
There’s a 2.4-liter, 158-horsepower engine under the xB’s hood. Borrowed from the Camry, the engine brings a displacement increase of almost a liter and more than 50 additional horses over the former 1.5-liter, 108-horsepower engine. Though the car is several hundred pounds heavier than last year’s model, the much bigger engine provides the scoot that was lacking without killing the mileage. You’ll tickle 30 mpg on the highway and squeeze out about 22 in town — not bad for a vehicle that can carry five people comfortably and six in a pinch.
Though still low to the ground and defined by its signature chopped roofline and bulldog squat, the ’08 xB is nearly a foot longer and about 3 inches wider. The wheelbase has also grown by about 4 inches, which improves ride quality while also opening up the interior dimensions, increasing legroom for all passengers.
The dash panel is offset to the right and contains a recessed oblong pod featuring an orange backlit tachometer, digital speedometer, fuel and temperature gauges. It’s retro-futurist in a “Blade Runner” kind of way.
Base model
Engine: 2.4-liter four-cylinder
MPG: 22 city, 30 highway
Horsepower: 158
Base price: $15,650
Available: Now
Ellie
Check out 10 of the new year’s sweetest rides
By Eric Peters - Special to the Times
Posted : September 17, 2007
Among the best 2008 cars to hit the road, the only similarity is that they all have that new car smell. Beyond that, there’s something unique in every category, from the Smart Fortwo gas-sipper on the little end to the new monster of the big boys, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Here’s a look at 10 of the hottest new ’08 rides on the road or coming your way soon.
Eric Peters is an automotive columnist who has covered the auto industry since 1992. E-mail him at epeters952@aol.com.
Luxury/sport Cadillac CTS
The Cadillac Catera of the late 1990s may not have been a BMW contender, but it had rear-wheel drive and a punchy V-6, and, unlike virtually every other Cadillac built during the previous 20 years, it foreshadowed better things to come.
That better thing is the ’08 CTS.
This luxury-sport sedan is the equal of anything in its class from Germany or Japan when it comes to performance, driving dynamics, luxury appointments and technology, with a startlingly distinctive look guaranteed to stand out in the sea of brightly colored jelly beans on the road.
The rear-drive, midsize CTS comes standard with a 263-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6, available with either six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Also standard are 17-inch sport wheels and GM’s electronic stability and traction control system. Base models also come through with a premium eight-speaker Bose audio system.
Compare that roster of gear with what you get in a base model BMW 3-series: A smaller and less potent 3-liter six-cylinder with only 230 horsepower, and 16-inch wheels. At $32,400, you’re paying more for a weaker engine, smaller rims and far less curb appeal than the eye candy Caddy brings to the table. BMWs are wonderful driver’s cars, but they’ve also become obnoxiously expensive and underpowered at the base model level, and the current styling isn’t BMW’s best work.
As the model year progresses, Caddy will offer a 304-horsepower direct-injection version of the 3.6-liter V-6, along with all-wheel-drive and a six-speed automatic. A Bose 5.1 digital surround-sound audio rig featuring a 40-gigabyte hard drive and a “time shift” feature that lets you pause and replay live content will be added to the menu, too. Expect a V-8 CTS-V later this year or early next year.
Other cool CTS features include an available oversized sunroof with power sunshade, “turn with the car” adaptive forward lighting, global positioning system and Sapele wood trim.
Base model
Engine: 3.6-liter V-6
Miles per gallon: 18 city, 26 highway
Horsepower: 263
Base price: $32,990
Available: Now
Chevrolet Corvette
Here are some facts to consider about America’s sports car.
The standard version of the ’08 Corvette coupe outguns the old ZR-1 Corvette of the late 1980s and early ’90s, bringing 430 horsepower to the line, compared with the ZR-1’s 375. And that’s with old-school pushrods and two valves per cylinder, versus the ZR-1’s “exotic” dual overhead cam, four-valve engine.
It also boasts more than twice the power of most Corvettes built from about 1974 through the mid- to late ’80s. It is, in short, fiercer than a crazed wolverine. You name it, the ’08 will stomp it. Easily. Effortlessly.
It can reach 60 mph in a little more than four seconds and hit top speeds of 190 mph. And that’s the base model.
If the standard 6.2-liter ’Vette doesn’t intimidate enough for you, try on the Z06. “Ultra-performance” and “elite” don’t quite convey what a 7-liter, 505-horsepower V-8 can accomplish in a 3,200-pound car. So consider the numbers: Zero to 60 in the three-second range and an advertised top speed of 198 mph, which only a handful of the world’s most expensive exotics (cars with six-figure price tags) can hope to match.
At $70,175, the Z06 is the K-Mart special of super cars. Nothing in its price range — or within $30,000 of its price range — stands a chance.
Along with the power infusion, 2008 Corvettes also get enhancements to the interior, suspension and more, including an optional sport-tuned (read: loud) exhaust for base models that adds another six horsepower. There’s also a revised dash/instrument panel with higher-end materials (a welcome improvement over previous model years). Standard coupes can be ordered with either a fixed or removable roof. The optional Z51 handling package adds higher-capacity brakes, more aggressive suspension tuning and shorter gearing for the six-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic is a no-cost option on either coupe or convertible, but the mighty Z06 is a manual-only deal.
Base model
Engine: 6.2-liter V-8
MPG: 15 city, 26 highway (manual)
Horsepower: 430
Base price: $45,170
Available: Now
SUVs/wagons/trucks Nissan Pathfinder V-8
High gas prices haven’t had much effect on the power lust of traditional SUV buyers, so it’s not surprising the ’08 Nissan Pathfinder can now be ordered with a V-8 engine for the first time in 22 years.
The new 5.6-liter, 310-horsepower engine is shared with the full-size Armada SUV and Titan pickup. It is plenty athletic in those larger, heavier vehicles, so it really wakes up the smaller, lighter Pathfinder. Always excellent off-road, the ’08 Pathfinder is now almost sports-car-quick from stoplight to stoplight and during high-speed passing.
With the V-8, the Pathfinder makes the run from 0 to 60 in just less than seven seconds, nearly a full second quicker than a V-6 Pathfinder. Towing capacity increases by a half-ton, to 7,000 pounds.
The obvious downside, of course, is that fuel economy takes a hit, slumping to 12 mpg in the city and 18 on the highway, versus 14 in the city and 20 on the highway with the V-6. (These figures are for 4x4 models in both cases; 2WD versions fare slightly better — 15/22 for the V-6 and 13/18 for the V-8.)
On the other hand, what is losing 2 mpg or so when you gain 44 horsepower — and, more importantly, an additional 100 foot-pounds of torque? That’s the math prospective Pathfinder buyers will likely be doing when comparing the Pathfinder’s standard 4-liter, 266-horsepower V-6 with the new V-8.
Base model
Engine: 5.6-liter V-8
MPG: 13 city, 18 highway (2WD)
Horsepower: 310
Price: $30,600
Available: Now
Buick Enclave
The full-size Enclave crossover wagon is without question the sharpest-looking thing on four wheels to come off the Buick line in decades.
Sharing platforms with the GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook, the Enclave is available with seating for up to eight and standard second-row captain’s chairs. It boasts a standard 3.6-liter, 275-horsepower V-6, six-speed automatic transmission and 116 cubic feet of cargo space — more than most full-size SUVs. It’s the best family truckster to hit the streets since the ’70s-era Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, only built better and offering improved gas mileage.
Inside, the Enclave is soft, plush and classy.
All models feature side-impact air bags, full-row curtain air bags, traction and stability control, 18-inch rims, xenon high intensity discharge headlights, a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, three-zone climate control, six-speaker premium audio with MP3 player and satellite radio. All this with a smaller price tag than comparable — and smaller — Lexus, Acura and Volvo entries.
Base model
Engine: 3.6-liter V-6
MPG: 16 city, 24 highway
Horsepower: 275
Base price: $32,055
Available: Now
Toyota Tundra
Detroit has gone largely unchallenged by import brands in the full-size truck arena despite losing ground in just about every other market segment. The Ford F-series is and has long been the best-selling large pickup, with the Chevy Silverado 1500 coming in second. The only other import that could even qualify as “full-size” is Nissan’s Titan, but limited body, bed and trim configurations have relegated it to low-threat status.
Now, Toyota has made it clear it’s going for the jugular with a brand-new Tundra that one-ups everything Detroit has on the field in terms of size, power and features.
For starters, the new standard Tundra engine, a 236-horsepower, 4-liter V-6, is almost as muscular as the F-series’ optional 246-horsepower, 4.6-liter V-8.The next step up, a 4.7-liter V-8 weighing in with 271 horsepower, easily out-muscles the Ford’s optional 4.6-liter V-8 and isn’t too far off the pace of the F-150’s biggest available engine, a 5.4-liter V-8 offering a so-so 300 horses. But the Tundra has one more round in the clip — a new 5.7-liter V-8 packing a thunderous 381 horses.
The new Tundra is also the first Japanese pickup that matches the Big Three trucks when it comes to available body styles and bed length options, offering regular cab, double cab and CrewMax four-door cab styles, with bed lengths of 5 feet, 6.5 feet and 8 feet.
The truck’s outsize personality makes it seem bigger than its competitors, too. Only the Dodge Ram seems similarly aggressive.
But its sheer massiveness may turn out to be the Tundra’s only vulnerability, as it borders on overkill. Even a big guy can feel kind of small driving this monster. When I drove our garbage cans up to the trash bin, I felt like a 12-year-old as I struggled to get them out of the Tundra’s bed. The walls are so high you almost need a stepladder to see what’s inside.
But then again, the absolutely dominant power and range of options it offers make it a safe bet the new Tundra will find plenty of fans.
Base model
Engine: 4-liter V-6
MPG: 17 city, 20 highway (est.)
Horsepower: 236
Base price: $22,300 (est.)
Available: Fall 2007
Family sedans Chevrolet Malibu hybrid
Until now, if you wanted a hybrid, you pretty much had to go with a Japanese car. But domestic options are increasingly available, the latest of which is the hybrid version of Chevy’s popular Malibu midsize sedan.
Like many of the latest hybrids, the ’08 Malibu will offer power and performance comparable to a conventional V-6 with the economy of a four-cylinder. GM says the hybrid Malibu should be good for about 32 mpg on the highway. That’s about 2 mpg better than the nonhybrid Malibu four-cylinder and comparable to much smaller vehicles such as the Chevy Cobalt compact sedan.
An eight-year, 100,000-mile hybrid components warranty will supplement the Malibu’s standard five-year, 60,000-mile powertrain coverage.
Base model
Engine: 2.4-liter four-cylinder
MPG: 24 city, 32 highway
Horsepower: 164
Base price: $24,000 (est.)
Available: Fall 2007
Ford Taurus
Back in the 1980s, the best-selling family car in America was a Ford — the Taurus sedan. But Ford allowed the Taurus to slide into rental car oblivion and eventually dropped it entirely.
Today, the best-selling family car in America is the Toyota Camry. But Ford hopes to recapture that slot — and the buyers it lost — with a new Taurus that one-ups the best-selling Camry in several key categories.
First, a 3.5-liter V-6 is standard issue in the new Taurus, clearly outmatching the Camry’s base model four-cylinder. The V-6 produces a healthy 263 horsepower — almost the same output as the Camry’s optional 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 and 105 more than the Camry’s standard 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine.
The new Taurus also costs a bit less than the V-6 Camry, which starts at $23,640, and offers all-wheel-drive, a feature you can’t get in a new Camry at any price.
Standard equipment includes a six-speed automatic transmission, 17-inch wheels, power driver’s seat, air conditioning, leather and wood trim, and power windows and door locks. There’s also a full array of safety equipment, including side-impact air bags, curtain air bags, anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control. Some of these Taurus standards cost extra in the Camry, further widening the real-world price gap.
The Ford’s family friendly and handsomely appointed interior is further complemented by an enormous 21-cubic-foot trunk that’s bigger than the trunk in Ford’s full-size Crown Victoria. Camry’s trunk? Just 15 cubic feet.
Base model
Engine: 3.5-liter V-6
MPG: 17 city, 24 highway
Horsepower: 263
Base price: $23,245
Available: Now
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord has long been a true everyman’s car. Available as a sedan or coupe, with both four- and six-cylinder engines and manual or automatic transmissions, it can be economical, family-oriented, sporty or luxurious. This explains why it has been so consistently popular with so many different types of buyers for so many years. For 2008, the Accord gets a makeover — inside, outside and under the hood.
For starters, it’s bigger. The sedan is roughly 3 inches longer, rides on a longer wheelbase and offers substantially more legroom for backseat passengers at 37.2 inches — almost as much as in Honda’s much larger Pilot SUV. It’s 1.5 inches wider, too, increasing elbow and shoulder room and allowing for a wider center console with larger storage cubbies.
Under the hood, the standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder produces 177 horsepower in base LX sedans; a 190-horsepower version of this engine is used in midlevel EX models and is the standard engine in ’08 Accord coupes. At the top end, there’s an optional new 3.5-liter, 268-horsepower V-6 featuring Variable Cylinder Management — three of the engine’s six cylinders can shut down under light-load conditions for improved fuel economy.
Base model
Engine: 2.4-liter four-cylinder
MPG: 21 city, 31 highway
Horsepower: 177
Base price: $18,700 (est.)
Available: mid-September 2007
Compacts Smart Fortwo
Once available only in Europe, the ultra-compact, two-seat Smart Fortwo is coming to the U.S. in 2008. It’s designed mainly for stop-and-go urban driving, with its chief virtue being great fuel economy without the associated price tag of a hybrid.
The Smart Fortwo will be sold through select Mercedes-Benz dealerships and will be available in both hatchback coupe and convertible body styles. Base models come equipped with keyless entry, a leather-wrapped wheel and 15-inch rims, as well as standard traction and stability control, anti-lock brakes and side-impact air bags. Top-of-the-line Passion versions include air conditioning, power windows, an AM/FM/CD stereo and a panoramic sunroof. Convertible models feature a manually operated canvas roof.
Despite what you may have read (or thought, given its tiny size), the Smart is no deathtrap. It features a clever Tridion safety cage made of high-strength steel that wraps around the passenger compartment like the roll cage in a race car. This provides occupants protection comparable to that of significantly larger cars.
Granted, a collision with a large SUV would not be pretty. But the Smart’s reinforced and enclosed cabin offers a lot more protection than a motorcycle. For knocking around town, it’s hard to knock — especially at 40-50 mpg.
Base model
Engine: Three-cylinder
MPG: 50-plus city, 40-plus “combined” (est.)
Horsepower: 61 (est.)
Base price: $11,995
Available: Early 2008
Scion xB
In many ways, Toyota has become the Japanese Buick — a bread-and-butter brand specializing in comfortable, reliable and bland transportation modules such as the Corolla and Camry. For the younger crowd, there’s Toyota’s small-car division, Scion, and its high-personality vehicles like the xB “paddy wagon.”
The xB has been redone for ’08, with a skin job, improved engine and all-new interior. But it’s still as unique as the original ’04 model.
There’s a 2.4-liter, 158-horsepower engine under the xB’s hood. Borrowed from the Camry, the engine brings a displacement increase of almost a liter and more than 50 additional horses over the former 1.5-liter, 108-horsepower engine. Though the car is several hundred pounds heavier than last year’s model, the much bigger engine provides the scoot that was lacking without killing the mileage. You’ll tickle 30 mpg on the highway and squeeze out about 22 in town — not bad for a vehicle that can carry five people comfortably and six in a pinch.
Though still low to the ground and defined by its signature chopped roofline and bulldog squat, the ’08 xB is nearly a foot longer and about 3 inches wider. The wheelbase has also grown by about 4 inches, which improves ride quality while also opening up the interior dimensions, increasing legroom for all passengers.
The dash panel is offset to the right and contains a recessed oblong pod featuring an orange backlit tachometer, digital speedometer, fuel and temperature gauges. It’s retro-futurist in a “Blade Runner” kind of way.
Base model
Engine: 2.4-liter four-cylinder
MPG: 22 city, 30 highway
Horsepower: 158
Base price: $15,650
Available: Now
Ellie