car and driver 2014-06
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DROPTOPSPORTS CARS
CHEVY CORVETTEvs. JAG F-TYPE
AWD WAGONSAUDI ALLROAD vs.BMW 328i vs.
VOLVO V60
SMALL SEDANSHONDA CIVIC vs.
KIA FORTE vs. MAZDA 3vs. TOYOTA COROLLA vs.
VOLKSWAGEN JETTA
NE 2014 INTELLIGENCE. INDEPENDENCE. IRREVERENCE.
AMERICAN IRONNEW TAHOE JEEP RENEGADE
THE HUNT FOR EUROPES BEST SPORT-LUX BARGAIN
PAGESOF MERCILESS
DRIVING AND BRUTALCOMPETITION
starting on page
T L AST,HREE EUROABES THATLLCT UAL LYPEAK TO YOU.
Audi A vs BMW ivs MercedesBenz CLA
HEANNUAL
INCLUDING
FEATURING
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DILLARDS
ChrisPine
Armanibea
uty.com
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WE ARE FAST AND STEADY AND
TOYOTIRES.COM/PROXES 2014 Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.
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ONLY BRAKE WHEN WE HAVE TO.
WE ARE TOYO. ALL OR NOTHING.
High Performance That Never Rests.
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in this issue
FEATURES
0 6 . 2 0 1 4005
C A R A N D D R I V E R M A G A Z I N E vol. 59, no. 12
SPECIAL!
OUR ANNUALCOMPARISONSPECTACULAR
ROUNDUP AFTERMULTI-CARROUNDUP,ALL UNDERTAKENIN PURSUIT OFTHE TRUTH.
042EURO BABES
2015 Audi A3Quattro, BMW 228i,Mercedes-BenzCLA250.by Aaron Robinson
058SPRINGTIME
THAW
Honda Civic EX-L,Kia Forte EX,Mazda 3 i Touring,Toyota Corolla S,VolkswagenJetta SE.by Jared Gall
070THE VELVET
UNDERGROUND
Audi AllroadQuattro, BMW 328i
xDrive sportswagon, 2015 VolvoV60 T6 AWDR-Design.by Eric Tingwall
086DRAG QUEENS
Five slippery carsenter a wind tunnel;one slinks outa winner.by Don Sherman
099LONG-TERM TEST2013 RAM 1500
SLT CREW CAB
4X4
Rams lightestlight-duty pickupserves us and ourcrapheaps well for40,000 miles.by Mike Sutton
ON THE COVERA short pour of luxuryin the high desert.photography byMark Bramley
052COMPARO
HOT SEATS
Chevys Corvette StingrayConvertible and JaguarsF-type V-8 S, in theirwrong colors.by Tony Quiroga
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2014 JAGUAR LAND ROVER NORTH AMERICA, LLC. Vehicle Shown: 2015 Jaguar F-TYPE R Coupe. *Price shownis MSRP. Excludes destination/handling, tax, title, license,
and retailer fees, all due at signing, and optional equipment. Retailer price, terms and vehicle availability may vary. See your local authorized Jaguar Retailer for details.
HOW ALIVE ARE YOU?
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NOT ONE OF THE
USUAL SUSPECTS.
THE F-TYPE R COUPE.
Its a brilliant example of what a sports car can be: An unmatched achievement in design
and an even more impressive display of performance. Boasting 550 horsepower and a
body sculpted in lightweight aluminum, this sexy beast leaps forward with breathtaking
responsiveness, overpowering Porsche 911 Carrera S and Audi R8 4.2. The F-TYPE R Coupe,
from Jaguar. Its the glorious return of the British super sports car. Visit jaguarusa.com.
The F-TYPE Coupe, starting from $65,000.*
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in this issue
caranddriver.com
.
06 .2014
008
132
C O L U M N S
01 4EDDIE ALTERMAN
Fortunate Son.
038JOHN PHILLIPS
Winter of discontent.
040AARON ROBINSON
Gambling, whiskey, andWillow Springs Raceway.
U P F R O N T
025REVEAL OF THE MONTH
UNHOLY TOLEDO
The Renegade is Jeepsimport fighter. Its alsoits first import.
028THE PHYSICS OF . . .
INJECTABLES
Shooting up a little extraperformance isnt justfor cyclists and baseballplayers, you know.
030STUFF WE DROVEIN THE OFFICE
DRIFT THEORY
Razors Crazy Cart is therich mans ipecac.
036INFOGRAPHIC
NAMING RITES
Bringing order (andclass and phylum) tocar names.
D R I V E L I N E S
10 62015 MERCEDES-
BENZ C-CLASS
Essence of S-class,distilled into a fun-sizepackage.
109TESTED 2015 CHEVY
TAHOE
A Big Mac in a worldgoing vegan.
11 2TESTED 2015
SUBARU WRX
If you prefer anautomatic in this car,you deserve the CVT.
11 4TESTED AMS RONIN
GT-R
The quickest road carweve ever tested.
R E A L D E A L S
11 7CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED
NISSAN 370Z
$25,000 worth of fast,with a warranty.
120THE SPY WHO
PAID ME
Pros and cons of theProgressive Snapshot.
122IL CONSIGNORE
Car consignment forfun and profit.
132ECONO EXOTICS
CHEVROLET
CORVETTE Z06
How has the C5 versionof the Z06 held up?
E T C .
01 1BACKFIRES
Trivia for all you FordFreestyle fans out there:It was going to be calledthe CrossTrainer. Also, a
man threatens to cancelhis subscription.
CAR AND DRIVER Volume 59, Issue 12, (ISSN 0008-6002) is published 12times a year byHearst Communications, Inc.,300 West 57th Street, New York,New York 10019 U.S.A. Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Executive Vice Chairman and ChiefExecutive Officer of the Board; Steven R. Swartz, President; Catherine A. Bostron,Secretary. Hearst Magazines Division: David Carey, President; John P. Loughlin,Executive Vice President and General Manager; John A. Rohan, Jr., Senior VicePresident, Finance. 2014 by Hearst Communications, Inc.All rights reserved.Car and Driver is a registered trademark of Hearst Communications, Inc. Periodicals postage paid at N.Y., N.Y., and additional entry post offices. Canada PostInternational Publications mail product (Canadian distribution) sales agreement40012499. Editorial and Advertising Offices: 300 West 57th Street, New York,New York 10019-5239 SUBSCRIPTION PRICES U.S. and possessions: $13.00 forone year. Canada and all other countries: $29.94 for one year. SUBSCRIPTIONSERVICES Car and Driver will, upon receipt of a complete subscription order,undertake fulfillment of that order so as to provide the first copy for delivery by thePostal Service or alternate carrier within 46 weeks.
From time to time, we make our subscriber list available to companies that sellgoods and services by mail that we believe would interest our readers. If you wouldrather not receive such offers via postal mail, please send your current mailing labelor exact copy to Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 37870, Boone, IA 50037. You canalso visit http://hearst.ed4.net/profile/login.cfm to manage your preferences andopt out of receiving marketing offers by email.
For customer service, changes of address, and subscription orders, log on toservice.caranddriver.com or write to Customer Service Dept.,Car and Driver,P.O.Box 37870, Boone, IA 50037. Car and Driver is not responsible for unsolicitedmanuscripts or art. None will be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressedstamped envelope. Authorized periodicals postage by the Post Office Department,Ottawa, Canada, and for payment in cash.POSTMASTER Send all UAA to CFS.(See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES send addresscorrections to Car and Driver,P.O. Box 37870, Boone, IA 50037.Printed in the U.S.A.
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Embrace the unexpected.
You wouldnt expect a powerful 285-hp EcoBoost engine* to come wrapped in an
elegant exterior and a supple Bridge of Weir Deepsoft leather-trimmed interior.* You
wouldnt expect active park assist** to guide you as easily out of a parking spot as it
guided you in. Perhaps you also wouldnt expect the name on the badge. But then,
great things often live beyond our expectat ions.
LINCOLN.COM/MKC
Preproduction model shown. *Available features. **Available. Includes park out assist.
THE FIRSTEVER LINCOLN MKCSUMMER 2014
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L I V E L I F E A T T H E S P E E D O F F 1
INTRODUCING THE
TURBOCHARGED HYBRID 2014 F1 GPX
MEMORIAL DAY SALES EVENT
126,000$ /mo.60 mos. sec.060 mph ERS Returns up to160bhpin accelerationEnergy Recovery System
YOUR EXCLUSIVE HOME FOR ALL
19 RACES FROM ABU DHABI TO AUSTIN
M O N A C O G R A N D P R I X
LIVE MAY 25
Of course this car isnt really for sale.
Cops will give you the ticket and ask the car for its autograph. The engines roar soothes crying babies.
Its burning rubber smells like a Cuban cigar. Buy this car. Drive it fast. Meet the girl of your dreams. Get married.
Get divorced. Keep everything. And then park next to your ex-wife in her minivan. Or you can just watch a race.
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Sic your dogs on us at:
[email protected] join the discussion at:
backfires.caranddriver.com
hosted byED.
06 .2014
011
RO BE RT S AS KE DTHAT WE RUN AN
IL LU ST RAT IO N OFHI S LAT E WI FE , WH OWOULDVE ENJOYED
SE EI NG HE RLI KE NE SS IN C/D.
ILLUSTRATIO
N
SBYBRETTAFFRUNTI
COVER CRITICS
Wow, a Corvette on the Marchcover! Jesus, that is sooooo original!Howd you guys ever think of thatone? All right, so here is the coverlineup for the rest of the year:
June: Porsche 911July: CorvetteAugust: Porsche 911September: CorvetteOctober: Porsche 911November: CorvetteDecember: Porsche 911
Next year: Repeat, starting with . . .What else? January: Corvette. Anyquestions?
ED REGIS
SABILLASVILLE, MARYLAND
You forgot about the MustangEd.
Given the picture of the newCorvette Z06 on the cover of yourMarch issue, the coupon inside forCialis seemed a bit unnecessary.
JOHN SECHRIST
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
LETTER OF
THE MONTHIn the 1920s, player pianos becamepopular. Piano rolls, the softwareof the day, were recorded by manypiano greats: Fats Waller, Jelly RollMorton, James P. Johnson, andothers. Id like Sebastian Vettel toprogram my self-driving car.
DREW ROBERTS
CANYON, CALIFORNIA
CORVETTE SIMMER
I have held my tongue for some time
now because I could not really quantifymy opinion of the new Corvette and its
variants [The Name Game, March2014]. I had thought it was somethingalong the lines of: Just because youhave the technology to moldberglasspanels with tight creases at juxtaposedangles doesnt mean you should. Butthere was something more that
bothered me.I was on the throne with the
March issue, casually turning the pages,and got to page 40. WHAM! The full-on
frontal image smacked me between theeyes. Those snarky eyes, the little
V-nose, and the gaping maw. Straightout of the Pixar design studio. If it werea still on a video, you could push play andthe car would say, Howdy, partner.
GUY NEWSTED
BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON
The Corvette Z06 looks like somethingfrom a comic book or a video game. And
you, too, can drive this cartoon car for amere $100K. If this is a GM
marketing ploy to get us all to
love and drive a Chevy Volt, tell themthat its working. Oh, they forgot to
paint the side-view mirrors and doorhandles black.
TERRY MOORE
PLYMOUTH, CALIFORNIA
Surely you have another Corvettearticle coming next month. I canhardly wait!
MIKE MENOZZI
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Menozzi, the wait is over. Please turn
to page 52Ed.
THE WAITING ROOM
I justnished reading Getting a gripby John Phillips in your March issue.His comment about inaming yourcustomers by having Fox News on theTV as always in the Les Schwab
waiting room was itself inammatory.Fox News was most likely selected
because it has more viewers than thenext two nearest news channelscombined. If you want to make yourcustomers happy, wouldnt you select
what is clearly the most popular
news channel? I subscribe toyour magazine to read about
cars, not to see yet anotherliberal in the print media takea jab at conservatives. Please
leave politics out of yourotherwise excellent magazine
and focus on the C and the D.BRIAN BERTSCH
SUNRIVER, OREGON
We assume, Bertsch, that you mean after
we run your letterEd.
I was excited to get my veryrst issue ofC/D through the mail. I started readingthrough the magazine and came to thecolumn Phillips wrote about snow tires,
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backfires06 .2014
014 .
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Fortunate Son
E D D I E A L T E R M A N.
THE C AR BU S I NES S HAS MANY a tragic tale to tell, but the most tragic maybe that of Henry Fords son, Edsel. His enchromed name rides down the mea-tus of the grille of one of FoMoCos most lasting embarrassments, and thesymbolism of that name in that grille shape turned out to tell us everything weneeded to know about how Fordpresaw Ford In Henrys view, Edsels jazz-age lifestyle and love of the Continent made him a dandy, a fop, a, well, some-thing that looks very much like the Edsels front grille.
But Mr. Ford was wrong abouthis son. Though Henry demeanedand alienated him throughout hisadulthood, it was Edsel who kept
Ford relevant. When Henry obsti-nately held that the Model T wasthe only car Americans would everneed, Edsel pushed the company to
build what would become thewildly successful Model A, forwhich Henry promptly took credit.And with the help of designer E.T.
Bob Gregorie, Edsel not only gave Lincoln a place in the luxury market, healso created the Model 40 Special Speedster that was the missing link between30s Grand Prix cars such as the Bugatti Ty pe 35 and the postwar American hotrod. He had taste and vision and judgment, and he was a gentle man who sawhow violently the world around him was chang ing.
In A. J. Baimes remarkable new book, , Edsel getshis due. Baime recounts how the sons twin anities for Europe and aviationcombined to give his familys company a pivotal role in the outcome of World
War II. On the eve of that conict, American military power was nearlynonexistent. We thought our oceans could protect us, like some great moat.The U.S. Army was the worlds 16th largest (behind Romanias), with just200,000 enlisted men to Hitlers 7 million. The Army Air Corps could claimfewer than 1300 planes. We were in no position toght fascism with anythingmore than words.
This would be the rst war in which air power would be a decisive factor.President Roosevelt saw that, and so did Edsel. Despite his fathers resistance,Edsel asserted that Ford would build a factory that could crank out a plane anhour for the war eort. Using its assembly-line process, the enterprise did just
that, producing the far-reaching and hugely destructive B-24 Liberator atWillow Run. The rest, as they say, is history.
EDITORS LETTER
the one where he calls our fathers cheapbastards for only buying two. In the era Igrew up in, 99 percent of cars were rear-
wheel-drive vehicles. Thanks, but Illnever subscribe toagain! Not withthe likes of him writing for you.
ROBERT J. OLIVER
WEST LIBERTY, OHIO
Okay, now that Olivers out of here, Ill let
you guys in on a secret: Phillips once owned
a tire store in West Liberty, OhioEd.
DIFFERENT STROKES
How interesting to see, in your March2014 issue, that front-wheel driveaccounts for 54 percent of the nationalmotor pool when most car-magazine
writers consider it lowlife [DierentialDistribution]. Of course, the majorityof us do need the added control of rear-
wheel drive when operating at the limitof adhesion on racing circuits and
winding roads with no speed limits.J. LOUIS ARCAND
HALLANDALE, FLORIDA
Properly tuned, f ront-drive cars are
our 10Best listEd.
In We Have Ignition [March 2014],about the experimental Hyundai engine,Im led to ask how easily such an engine
would start in the extreme cold weatherthat recently has been hitting places likeMinnesota. The ar ticle mentions thatauto ignition is achieved byrst heatingthe intake airwont this thing be a real
bear to start when its cold?BRIAN UNDERDAHL
VIRGINIA CITY HIGHLANDS, NEVADA
One of the hurdles to clear before production
is the issue youve pointed outEd.
MUSEUM MUSINGS
I love you guys. But March had AaronRobinson blathering about how he hatesmuseums and how boring they are [The
best museums never stop moving]. Nodoubt some are, and every single subjectdoesnt necessarily deserve its own shrineto collect dust. Some are decidedly not
boringyou idiots are headquartered inMichigan, right? Ever hear of The HenryFord museum? Theres nothing else like itin the world. Even the building itself has
WH ER E TH E
PLANES WERE
As of presstime, the Ford
Willow Run plantis set to bedemolished.Read about it inA.J. Baimesgripping book,The Arsenal ofDemocracy,Houghton MifflinHarcourt.
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2014 E 250 BlueTECshown in Iridium Silver metallic paint. Optional equipment shown and described throughout. *2014 EPA estimated fuel economy. Based on road test by Road & Track, article referenced: Americasmost fuel-efficient new car isnt a Prius, February 24, 2014. 2014 Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC For more information, call 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES, or visit MBUSA.com.
With any E-Class, youd expect unparalleled safety technologies like a stereoscopic camera and Steering Assist.
Youd expect luxurious appointments like leather upholstery and heated front seats. You might even expect
dramatic new design with a distinctive new wheel, grille and bumpers. But to get all that and 45 mpg highway*?
Even Road & Trackwas surprised. The E 250 BlueTEC. Defying expectations.
Road & Track called it more fuel-efficient than a Prius.
And, may we add, a bit easier on the eyes.The 2014 E250 BlueTEC.
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Porsche says its slick and clever new 919 Hybrid endurance racing sports car is its fastest research
laboratory, a feat when you consider the 240-mph-plus top speeds at Le Mans, the most grueling of the eight-
race 2014 endurance championship. But the twist this year is the fastest machine will not win. The victor will
be the team who can push their car to maintain high speeds the longest, using mandated limited fuel delivery
while recapturing energy. Three years ago Porsche began designing, building and developing the 919 Hybrid,
which is a creative blend of a super high-output turbocharged four-cylinder engine, four-wheel drive, and two
hybrid energy systems. This unique technology offers a glimpse into how speed will be created in future cars,
some of it already headed for the road today.
FUNDAMENTALLY EFFICIENT POWER:
Designed from scratch and tested in special Cayman coupes, the
innovative 500-horsepower turbo V-4 2.0-liter engine is a structural part
of the chassis, to save weight and to best manage thermal loads, which
are reclaimed for propulsion energy with an inspired exhaust-driven
turbine generator.
PORSCHEUSA.COM/MISSION2014
INNOVATIVE AXLE TECHNOLOGY:
A unique front axle traction motor also captures energy. Optimizing front
and rear drive axles independently for traction and power regeneration
translates to the most speed and maneuverability for the energy used.
New Rules Spawn Creative SpeedMost advanced Porsche race car ever takes on Le Mans 24-hour
endurance race.
ULTIMATE ENERGY RECYCLING:
The ultra-slick Porsche 919 Hybrid will achieve efficient speed assisted by
more than 2,000 watt-hours of energy reclaimed by its two sophisticated
hybrid systems on each 8.47-mile lap of the famed Le Mans circuit.
Winning cars cover about 350 laps in 24 hours.
PROMOTION
DRIVERS BULLETIN
EXPERIENCE THE CREATION OF THE PORSCHE 919 HYBRID
AND FOLLOW ALONG WITH MISSION 2014:
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2014 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Porsche recommends seat belt usage and observance of all traffic laws at all times.
We spend years designing cars to be timeless.
And give them 24 hours to prove it.
The Porsche 919 Hybrid at the 24h of Le Mans.
Mission 2014. Our Return.
As the most prestigious and grueling endurance race in the world, the 24 Hours of Le Mans
has often pushed us to our very limits. And in a few races, even beyond. Which is precisely
why were thrilled to be returning to the pinnacle of racing in 2014, where once again we
will face our toughest competitor us. Our legacy of winning at Le Mans is the standard
we always hold for ourselves. But all we learn in the process about durability, efficiency
and performance will find its way into the one thing more important than another win in a
famous race. The sports cars we put on the road. Porsche. There is no substitute.
porscheusa.com/mission2014Porsche recommends and
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backfires06 .2014
018 .
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fascinating details and an interestingstory, to say nothing of the exhibits itfeatures. The car collection is reallyboring, too. Tell Robinson to stay away.
BRIAN J. BRENDZA
PARMA, OHIO
EYE PAIN
After seeing the new Subaru WRX[WRX in Eect, March 2014], Ivedecided to picket Subarus corporateheadquarters until it releases itsdesigners from solitary connement.
Theyve been in there for more than 20years, and its inhumane to keep anyoneseparated from the outside world forthat long.
MATT ABRAHAM
PARKLAND, FLORIDA
JUICED UP
Im not sure I understand yourmethodology for testing the electric cars[Field of Dreams, March 2014]. TheChevrolet Spark won bypoints, whichhappens to be the dierence in points
awarded between it and the runner-upFord Focus. The Spark got maximum
points (20) for its best quar ter-mile timeof the tested cars. The Focus received only12 points despite being only 1.6 secondsslower. Its not like 16.3 seconds is exactly a
blistering speed, nor do all electric buyersin this segment put quarter-mile timeshigh on their needs list.
Further, the as-tested pricecategory oddly favors the Spark (7 pointsmore than the Focus), even though itsmore than two feet shorter and nearlyeight inches narrower than the Focus.
If I were shopping this segment, I
think Id be inclined to spend a little moreand get a lot more usable car, like theFocus or Nissan Leaf. Of those two, atleast the Focus looks like something thatdoesnt need to be kept out of sight.
TIMOTHY HOOD
SOUTH JORDAN, UTAH
category scores correspond to the category
Enlightening, Engaging, Entertaining:The folks at C/Dnever seem to lose sightof what makes a good article great, andthats why your magazine is No. 1 of thetwo that I subscribe to. The other oneclaims to keep me up on the trends, butI keep re-upping it because I suer frominsomnia, and its bargain-basement
subscription rate is a hell of a lot cheaperthan Lunesta.
JEFF CLARK
CHURCHVILLE, NEW YORK
Okay, so the Tesla is priced out of themass market (for now). But come on: zero
to 60 in 4.6 seconds, a 265-mile range,luxurious seating forve, plus SUV-likecargo space in a stunningly beautifulpackage, compared to these econoboxes
with anemic range and performance andquestionable-at-best st yling. Maybe themanufacturers should stop whining andstart engineering.
SCOTT SEGAL
WEBLANDIA
THE FLEECING
Most of us love Porsches [The NewSuper, March 2014], but come on, guys
wouldnt you feel like an idiot driving thisridiculous 91in public? (The sameapplies for the Ferrari LaFerrari and theMcLaren P1.) The options list says it all.Six grand for a heater? And the interior is
butt-ugly. Those Porsche guys have gotballs, thats for sure. Id rather have a car
that you can actually drive from time totimeand not just at the track.
JOHN WILSON
SUDBURY, VERMONT
LIVING WITH MUSTANG
Judging from some of the comments inthe Rants and Raves sidebar of the 2013Mustang GT long-term test [March2014], I see that the C/Dsta nowincludes a fair number of eete wimps.Their collective whine is more irritatingthan the one noted from the Mustangs
ring and pinion. In particular, Kevin A.Wilson complains about the clutch pedal,which actually may be among the lightestever put behind a V-. I suggest Wilson be
BACKFIRES (11%)
ELECTRIC-CARCOMPARO (13%)
DRIVELINES (11%)
MISC. (12%)
SUBARU WRX (4%)
WIDD: JOHN FORCE(1%)
COLUMNS(17%)
CORVETTE Z06(13%)
LONG-TERMMUSTANG GT (6%)
PORSCHE 918(5%)
UPFRONT (7%)
M A I L T O W E R
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then take some time to develop
the skills.
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEFEddie Alterman
EXEC UTI VE ONL INE EDI TOR Erik Johnson
DES IGN DI RECT ORNathan Schroeder
SEN IOR ONL INE EDI TOR Ron SessionsONLINE NEWS EDITORAustin Lindberg
BUY ERS GU IDE EDI TOR Kirk Seaman
ASS OCI ATE MAN AGI NG EDI TOR Juli Burke
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ROA D-T EST EDI TOR Mike Sutton
ONLINE PRODUCTION DIRECTORScott Mosher
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INT ERAC TIV E D ESI GN ERNicole Lazarus
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OFFICE AND INVOICE MANAGERSusan Mathews
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ONLINE PRODUCTION MANAGER Brent Herrera-Durr
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ONLINE PRODUCTION ASSOCIATES
Tucker Biallas, Michael Cooper, Kevin Kerber,Nicholas LaPlant, Alden Tischler
PRO DUC T D EVE LOPM ENT DIR ECTO R Matt Landish
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PRO DUC T A SSI STAN TS John Bellopatrick,Vincent DOnofrio, Jon McHenry, Mark Sandusky
banned from driving and commentingon anything more exciting than a ToyotaCorolla CVT until he successfullycompletes Eddie Altermans Save theManuals! boot camp.
BRUCE BOSS KOPEC
POWDER SPRINGS, GEORGIA
Nice 40K review. My 2013 GT has beena ball, with no issues. Kids and luggage tgreat in the back seat and trunk,respectively. Heres the kicker: It cost$28,800 after rebates with zero-rate
nancing. My transaction price wasdrastically lower. The GT came with everyreasonable option for loaded-Focusmoney. Its a muscle car, perfected. My oldFirebird Formula and mid-1990s MustangGT pale in comparison. I kept the spoiler.
PATRICK HARVILL
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA
After reading your long-term test on the2013 Mustang with the Track package, Ind the changed engine-oil specicationto be strange. I checked all three Mustang
owners manuals on the web. The rst twoprintings call for a 5W-20 engine oil. Thethird printing is the one that calls for a5W-50 synthetic, which is the same oil the
supercharged Shelby requires. I wouldlike to see you contact Ford and clarify
which is the correct oil to use and why?P. BABYAK
INDEPENDENCE, OHIO
Use the 5W-50 synthetic because its
betterEd.
SOUND OFF
When do you write these articles in yourmagazine? The March issue (out inFebruary) shows a man driving theCorvette convertible along some scenic
road in Michigan (license plate reectsMichigan) with the top down. Last time Iknew of convertible weather like that inMichigan was more than six monthsago. A lot has been written about theCorvette in the last six months and almostmakes your story dated. Can we get anarticle written in somewhat real time?
BOB DEVOTO
FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY
DeVoto is apparently unaware that cars
can be driven anywhere regardless of their
license plates. Our introduction to the
Corvette convertible took place in Nevada inmid-December, or about six weeksnot six
monthsbefore the issue hit newsstands.
Soon enough for you?Ed.
MAN AGI NG EDI TOR Mike Fazioli
FEAT URE S E DIT OR Jeff Sabatini
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Bennack, Jr.
backfires06 .2014
022 .
Sic your dogs on us at: [email protected] or join: backfires.caranddriver.com
BUGGING OUT
Great article on the newest Meyers Manx[Drivelines, March 2014]. I remember
your original piece from a long time ago,where Bruce Meyers hopped a trampsteamer and spent six months in theTahitian jungle drinking coconut wineand then came home and invented thedune buggy. Locally, Baldwin Motion(yes, that Baldwin Motion) became adealership and had a lighted MeyersManx sign on the roof: an olde Englishlion with a sword. When the business was
sold, the sign came down, but I would betthat its just lying up there on the roof.Excuse me while I get my ladder before
American Pickersgets to it!KEITH ANDOOS
I was 14 when you guys put out the issueback in 67 with thatrst incredibleMeyers Manx. A Porsche motor! Formula1 tires. I fell hopelessly in love. Only twomore years before I could legally drive, soI started planning the moment when I
earned my license driving the Manx.The Manx was just so original
compared to everything else, and it madeeverythin g obsolete overnight. Whoneeds doors? Whats wrong with plastic
windows you can snap on? After all,didnt every British ragtop have the sameissues? This car was Steve McQueen cool
before Steve McQueen owned one.Nice to see ol man Meyers still
kicking out the jams. He looks happy. Heshould be. He created a real classic, andlike all true classics, his Meyers Manx
still looks fantastic. Its a car that lookslike it has always been with us and will be
with us forever.JOHN G. HILL
FIRING SQUAD
In response to your snarky comment toMr. Hedger [Backres, March 2014]
wherein you denigrate his vehicleof choice (Ford Freestyle), I would like topoint out that I have been a C/Dsubscriber for more years than I can
remember, and I drive an 07 Freestyle,which I like. The car has plenty of haulingcapacity, seats seven people, and has good
visibility, and I run Michelin X-Ice tires inthe winter, which turns it into a mountaingoat on the icy and/or snow-coveredroads in our Colorado mountains. Itsgiven us 98K miles of comfortable,carefree driving. Also, I believe therehas to be at least a couple dozen of usFreestyle-owning C/Dreaders out here.
STEVE BARNHILL
Hey, no insult intended. We were justsurprised, thats allEd.
Though I am not a longtime subscriber,the Backres letter from ScottFineshriber in Utah sums up my feelingsperfectly. The Corvette is made in mytown, but I dont want to read about itover and over, or about the other ultra-luxury vehicles that are not in the budgetof most people, and certainly those not
within reach of a senior on SocialSecurity like me. I subscribed to the
magazine to learn about small SUVs so Icould make a wise and practical selectionin the coming year. Your comment to Mr.Fineshribers caring letter is toooensive to be funny. I, for one, wouldlove to talk to him at a cocktail part yabout aordable cars, practical vehicles,and family vehicles.
JEAN GROUT
Okay, okay. I might have been a little
unkind to Fineshriber. Our make-good is
on page 58Ed.
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Would you installan insurance trackerlike the ProgressiveSnapshot (page 120)in your car?
B. C. Maybe
Let us know at:backfires.caranddriver.com/poll
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C A M P I N G I S F O R W E E N I E S
pho tog rap hy by ROY RITCHIE
Unholy ToledoHOMEGROWN NO MORE, JEEP HAS ITS FIRST IMPORT IN
THE IMPORT-FIGHTING RENEGADE. by Jeff Sabatini
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF Fiat Chryslers decision to unveil the2015 Renegade in Geneva in March is plain: It will be the rstU.S.-market Jeep to be built abroad. Sharing a platform with theFiat 500L and built in Fiats Mel, Italy, assembly plant, the Ren-egade also has a simple mission: to give Jeep an entry-level modelthats not a Compass or Patriot. Whilethere certainly will be howls from themost reverent Jeep enthusiasts about theRenegades immigrant status, the newB-segment crossover should work harderat putting a smile on your spare-tirecover than those two small leftovers
from the DaimlerChrysler era. The o-cial line is that the Renegade is not areplacement for those fraternal C-seg-ment twins. But we imagine thats just
corporate misdirection to keep the retailfaucetowing until Renegades hit dealershowrooms early next year with a baseprice below $20,000.
DESIGN
According to design boss Ralph Gilles,current and future Jeep models will
crawl down one of two styling paths:boxy, like Wranglersor swoopy, like the Cherokees regular andGrand. The more rectilinear the Jeep, the thinking goes, themore it implies a sense of utility and o-road capability. So,
while the Renegade may resemble a Wrangler UnlimitedShrinky Dink, Jeep designers made sure it didnt come out too
R E V E A L O F T H E M O N T H.
INTERIORPH
OTOGRAPHYCOURTESYOFJEEP
upfront
edited byJ A R E D G A L L
06 .2014
025SCRUTINEERING
RED BULL-ONEY Extreme lifestyles trumpthe merely active The Renegades designers were
inspired by skiing paintball sand surfing andBASE jumping
TOW-HOOK
AF ICI ON AD O?
TURN TH E PAGE
TO SEE THE
TRAIL-RATED
TRAILHAWK.
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06 .2014
026 upfront
caranddriver.com
.. R E V E A L O F
T H E M O N T H
PR IOR TO TH E RE NEG AD E , JE EPWAS THE LARGEST DO MESTIC
BR AN D, IN REC ENT TI MES, TOBU ILD AL L OF IT S U. S. MAR KE T
VEHICLES HERE.
DET RO IT , MIGRAND CHEROKEE
TOLEDO, OHCHEROKEE & WRANGLER
BE LVIDER E, ILCOMPASS & PATRIOT
AL ON G WI TH GRO UND CL EAR AN CE , TH ES EAN GL ES DET ERM IN E WH ET HER YO U AR EOFF-ROADING OR JUST STUCK.
Cherokee Trailhawk
Renegade Trailhawk
TRAILHAWK
THOUGH HARDLY AS COO LAS TH E SI GNATU RES OF TH EORIGINAL MACINTOSH TEAMCAST ONTO THE INSIDE OF
IT S CO MPU TE R CA SES , TH ERE NE GA DE IS FU LL OFEAS TE R EG GS , SU CH ASTHIS MAP OF MOAB, UTAH,
MOL DED IN TO TH E RU BB ERST ORA GE- BI N LI NE R.
a back seat large enough to accommodate a pairof six-footers and even a third adult, providingthat both the adult and the trip are short.
The Chrysler parts bin was sifted for theswitchgear and infotainment system, but Jeepdesigners used an anodized-look paint to maketrim pieces resemble aluminum outdoor gear.The Renegades signature feature is an optionalpair of removable composite roof panels calledMy Sky, which is sort of like a T-top rotated 90degrees. The panels, available in manual or powertilt-and-slide congurations, stow under theoor in the cargo hold when removed.
cartoonish. The black grille and trim give theRenegade a bit of menace, and the taillightsrectangular, with big, inset Xsresemble army
jerrycans. Ten exterior colors will be available ina palette similar to the Wranglers.
At 166.6 inches long and 71.0 inches wide, thelittle Jeep is actually big for its class. The rstthing you notice about it when seeing it in themetal is that its more substantial than it looks inphotos. Its 101.2-inch wheelbase matches the KiaSouls, but the Renegade out-measures the Soulin other dimensions and its also bigger than theMini Countryman and Nissan Juke. The Ren-
egade is also roomier than expected inside, wherethe boxy styling makes for a spacious cabin with
IF YO U WA NT TH OS E RE D TO W HOOK S TH AT DEN OT E TR AI L-RA TE DN ES S, EX PEC T TO RU N TH E SUB -$ 20 ,0 00 BA SE PRI CEDE EP INT O CHER OKE E TE RR IT ORY. TH E TR AI LH AW K AL SO GE TSA 0. 8- INC H LI FT , DIS TI NC T FA SC IA S, SK ID PL ATES, AN D A 20 :1CRAWL RATIO FOR ITS FOUR-WH EEL-DRIVE SYSTEM.
T R Y A N G L E S
Approach29.9
Departure32.2
Breakover22.9
Approach30.5
Departure34.3
Breakover25.7
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027
ILLUSTRATIO
N
SBYPETESUCHESKI
with a manual transmissionsomething we heartilyapplaud. But it also means that everybody else mustpay extra for the bigger engine just to delete the thirdpedal. At least theyll also be getting reasonable fuel
economy. Fiat Chrysler promises EPA numbers forboth powertrain combinations of more than 30 mpg onthe highway, though were betting thats just for thefront-drive versions. Four-by-fours may land under 30,
but they at least get Jeeps Selec-Terrain system withsettings for snow, sand, and mud, and an extra rockmode for Trailhawks.
CHASSIS
This is therst four-wheel-drive variant of Fiat Chrys-lers small-wide platform, modied to endow theRenegade with real o-road capabilities that are sorely
lacking in this segment. Jeep engineers trimmed mass, they say, by
using an aluminum hood and high-strength steel for 70 percent ofthe unibody. The 3025-pound base model undercuts its 500L plat-form-mate by about 175 pounds. The Trailhawks extra equipment,however, pushes the curb weight to 3490 pounds. The Renegadehas struts at all four corners providing a maximum 6.7 inches of
wheel articulation in front and 8.1 inches inback. Ground clearance is only 6.7 inchesfor front-drivers, but 7.9 inches for four-
wheel-drive models. The Trailhawkpushes that to 8.7 inches and oers
better approach, breakover, anddeparture angles than its trail-rated Cherokee sibling, not to men-
tion the rest of the soft-roader class.
A ST EEL RO OFIS ST AN DA RD .
CONTRASTING BL ACKTRIM AND RE MOVABLE MY
SKY PA NE LS (S HO WNHER E) AR E OPT IO NS .
OTHER MARKETS GET ACONVENTIONAL GLASS
SU NR OO F.
POWERTRAIN
Of the two four-cylinder engines, both borrowed from the DodgeDart, the base unit is a turbocharged 1.4-liter that makes 160 horse-power and 184 pound-feet of torque. Its available only with a six-speed manual. An optional 2.4 rated at 184 horsepower and 177pound-feet includes the nine-speed automatic from the Cherokee.
This setup comes standard on theo-road-ready Trailhawk, whichalso includes an upgraded versionof the Renegades optional four-
wheel-drive system. Four-wheeldrive is available on all Renegadecongurations, making it the onlyB-segment crossover besides the
Countryman to oer the feature
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upfront
caranddriver.com
06 .2014
028 .. T H EP H Y S I C SOF . . .I N JECTABLES
Hypodermic HorsepowerINJECTING PERFORMANCE ISNT ONLY FOR CYCLISTSAND BASEBALL PLAYERS. by Csaba Csere
illustration by CHRIS PHILPOT
OXYGEN ENHANCERS
The power output of any engine is limited
by the amount of oxygen it can ingest. Thats why
most go-faster solutionslarger displacement,
higher rpm, forced inductionfocus on pumping
more air. But you can achieve the same result by
adding a substance that contains oxygen. The
most common of these is nitrous oxide, or N2O,
which is 33 percent oxygen (atmospheric air is
about 21 percent). Injecting it into an intake
manifold increases the oxygen that ends up in
the cylinders. The nitrous itself doesnt make
more power; it helps the engine make more by
allowing it to burn more fuel, which you must
make sure it gets. Nitrouss benefits to power
output compound because it is stored as a liquid
in a pressurized tank. As it evaporates, it also
cools the intake charge, increasing charge
density, further boosting the oxygen intake.
GAIN: A typical 10-pound bottle can
provide a 100-hp boost for about
two minutes, but that go-fast
time drops as the power
jolt increases.
E N G I N E S A R E D E S I G N E D T O R U N on commonly availablefuels, but as every street racer knows, injecting a little something
extra can help performance. (Certain athletes seem to have picked up on thisconcept, too.) Auxiliary injection systems provide tremendous power gains ina relatively easy-to-install package. What is injected generally falls into one ofthree categories: coolants, oxy-
gen enhancers, or additionalfuel. Heres how they work.
M A Y B E T R YT H I S A T H O M E
Your engine is designed tohandle the amount of power
it makes when stock Allshortterm power boosters
put additional stress oninternal components If
youre thinking of injecting
anything extra into yourengine you may need to beefup your twirly bits
COOLANTS
When you spray water into an engines
intake manifold, the water vaporizes, lowering the
temperature of the intake charge and making it
denser. A denser charge means more air and more
fuel reach the cylinders, which translates to more
power. The lower charge temperature also greatly
reduces the likelihood of knock or detonation,
allowing either a higher compression ratio or more
boost pressure. While theres little benefit to water
injection in naturally aspirated engines at normaltemperatures, in a turbocharged or supercharged
engine where boost turns up the heat, the
temperature reduction can be dramaticpossibly
more than 100 degrees. This is particularly
beneficial if the engine lacks an intercooler. In
these systems, injected water is typically mixed
with alcohol to prevent freezing, which is why they
are also commonly known as alcohol or methanol
injection. Regardless of the name, water injection
is a useful safeguard for those either boosting or
increasing the existing boost on an otherwise
stock engine.
GAIN: Depending on how aggressive one wantsto be with the boost increase and how much
water one chooses to inject, the power increase
can range anywhere from 10 to 25 percent.
ADDITIONAL FUEL
Because diesel fuel starts to burn
shortly after its injected, theres littleopportunity for the fuel and air to mix
thoroughly. Diesels leave about one-fifth of
the air in their cylinders unused, which is
one reason they make less horsepower than
gasoline engines. This problem can be
addressed by injecting another fuel, such as
propane, into a diesels intake manifold,
giving it plenty of mixing time. The
combustion process still starts when the
diesel fuel is injected, but the leaner mixture
of propane helps consume the otherwise
wasted air. The propane and air mixture also
increases the speed of combustion, whichimproves efficiency. Injecting alcohol into a
diesel nets a similar result.
GAIN:A claimed 25 percent.
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upfront
caranddriver.com
06 .2014
030 .. S T U F F W E D R O V EI N T H E O F F I C E
Drift Theory
KI DS AREN T I N TO CARS, Y OU SAY ?Look at the sales of the latest Gran Tur-ismo or Forza video games, or the numberof hits on any Ken Block gymkha na video.Theyre into cars, all right; theyre justgetting their kicks from the couch. Buthow to instill an appreciation for the vis-ceral world over the virtual one?
Maybe by teaching them to orbit thecouch in a drift that would make Blockpuke. The $400 Razor Crazy Cart lookslike a cafeteria tray with a steering wheel,and is to the Power Wheels Disney Prin-cess Tot Rod what the SRT Viper is to a golfcart. The Crazy Cart has a sturdy steelchassis and an oddball drive arrangementthat gives it unsurpassed spinning andsliding capabilities. Its electrically drivenpneumatic front tire steers 180 degreesleft or right. Two freely rotating casterssupport the tail, and a nother pair up front
prevents tip-overs. Controls are limited tothe steering wheel, an accelerator pedal,and a drift bar that eectively erases allrear grip and allows you to spin in place,pull o sweeping drifts, and drive back-
ward. Yanking the drift bar shifts the rearcasters swivel angle from tilted to vertical,ceding all directional control to the drive
wheel. There is no brake.Smoothly executing tricks takes prac-
tice. After grazing our cubical walls forseveral laps, we learned to plan stops min-utes in advance and use a simple lift-throt-tle oversteer technique, leaving the drift
bar for stomach-churning, 360-degreetwirls. Once you get the process down, itsa blast. Its perfect for kids and otherdizziness fetishists who weigh less than(or, as in our case, slightly more than) the140-pound limit. It might even make KenBlock go on a crash diet.
PRICE: $400
MOTOR: 250 watt (0.3 horsepower) DCRUN TIME: 4080 minutes
CHARGE TIME: 12 hoursTRANSMISSION: chain drive
CURB WEIGHT: 54 poundsZERO TO 11 MPH: 8.7 seconds*
TOP SPEED:11 mph**With 150-pound driver.
RAZORS CRAZY CART IS THE BEST $400EMETIC AROUND. by Alexander Stoklosa
N O , I M D O N K E Y K O N G
ph oto gr aph y b y MARC URBANO
VIRTUAL BECOMES
REALITY
Most people younger than40 have played some version ofMario Kart. Now, Anki Drive brings
the game to life as a form ofsmartphone-enabled slot-car racing.Ankis cars run on a rollout mat andforgo slots for infrared emitters,locating themselves by reading codeimprinted on the racing surface.Players tap the screen of theiriWhatever (iPhone, iPad, or iPodtouch) to work the throttle, and tiltthe device to change lanes. As inMario Kart, the goal is toexchange blows withother cars using a
virtual weaponscache. The carsinfrared sensorsregister the hits.You also can playsolo against an AI(artificial intelligence)car, but be warned:Its smart and probably will beat you.Players can use points they scoreto upgrade their cars and weapons.Its addicting fun. More gamemodes, weapons, and capabilities
are just an app update away,and Anki Drive is also planning morephysical track mats. AS
PRICE: $200
IN THE BOX:1 racing mat, 2 cars,2 charging pods
EXTRA CAR: $70PLAYERS: 14
RUN TIME: 20 minutesCHARGE TIME:
8 minutes
WARNING:
DRYWALL-REPAIR
LE SS ON S
NO T INC LU DE D.
SP EC I F I C AT I O N S
SPECIFICATIONS
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036
H MEANSITS A HYBRID
.upfront T A X O N O M Y
BOLDLYGOING
Naming RitesBRINGING ORDER (AND CLASS AND PHYLUM) TO CAR NAMES. by Jared Gall
W I T H I TS ES C A PE , EX PL OR ER , A ND EX PE DI T IO N, Ford has created clear imagery for itsSUV lineup: People are going places, escaping, exploring, etc. (And once upon a time, for a really
big trip, youd take an Excursion.) But Fords big E isnt the only nomenclatural device out there: Similarthreads of commonality also run through other automakers naming conventions, and not just within indi-
vidual companies but among them as well. Even cars labeled with letters and numbers rather than wordsconform to certain patterns. Here, weve created as comprehensive a taxonomyor, for those who smokeddope through high-school biology, a scientic classicationof vehicle names as youllnd anywhere.
Odyssey
LIESABOUT THE
CAR
SEUSSIANGOBBLEDYGOOK
Pathfinder
Explorer
Quest
Expedition
Compass
Navigator
Allroad
Forester
335i GranTurismo
550i xDriveGran Turismo640i Gran Coupe
Express
Challenger
GrandCaravan
Regal
Sprinter
Avenger
Rogue
TOUGHNESS
XV Crosstrek
i-MiEV
CLS63 AMGS-Model 4MATIC
RAV4
500L
Navigator L
Expedition EL
Yukon XL
760Li
A8L
Maxima
Altima
Impreza
ProMasterEVOKING
HYPERBOLE
M235i
328d
428i
535i
650i
LS600hL
E400 hybrid
S63, SL65 AMG
FASTLETTERS
GX460EDGY
LETTERSX1, X3, X4,X5, X6
LX570SRX, XTS
XF, XJ, XK
RX450h
ILX, RDX, RLX, MDX, TLX
xB, xD
WRX
XC60, XC70, XC90
MKX
ACTUALLYCORRESPONDS TODISPLACEMENT,
PART 2
FRUMPYLETTERS
TELLS YOUSOMETHING
ABOUT THE CAR INA ROUNDABOUT
WAY
A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8
M3, M4, M5, M6
ML350 BlueTec
C300
i3, i8
CR-V, CR-Z
CLA45 AMG
CX-5, CX-9
CT200h
CEREBRALLETTERS
YOU KNOW
ITS THE NEWONE BECAUSETHE NUMBER
IS HIGHER
458 Italia
320i
370Z
WE ADDEDAN L
BECAUSE ITSBIGGER
FF
4C
INTRIGUINGLETTERS
918
500
911
200, 300
2, 3, 5, 6
Q70h
Q5, SQ5, Q7
Q50, Q60, Q70,QX50, QX60, QX70, QX80
BRZ
Z4 35is
LR4
LR2
MKZ
SS
LETTERSEVERYONEKNOWS ARE
ABBREVIATIONSFOR REAL
WORDS
DB9
S60, S80
S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, RS5, RS7, R8
ES300h
IS250, GS350
MKSS600
SLS AMG
SLK55 AMG
FR-S
Model S
GT-R
REFERENCESTO FORMS
OF RACING FORWHICH THE CARIS INELIGIBLE
ESV STANDSFOR EXPENSIVE
SUBURBANVARIANT
APROPOS OFNOTHING
12C, P1
650S
TT
EscaladeESV
tC
GLK350
G550, GL450, GLA250
F-type
F-series
MKT
Letters
Alphanumerics
V60
MISLEADINGNUMERICAL
DESIGNATIONS
JUST PLAINNUMBERS
NUMBERSDENOTING THE
CARS START OFPRODUCTION
ACTUALLYCORRESPONDS TODISPLACEMENT,
PART 1
Numbers
caranddriver.com
06 .2014
036
Page
Disclaimer: For companies such asMercedes-Benz and BMW, for which the drivetrain details relate to the model names and are shared across multiplemodel lines (S550, S550 4MATIC,S63 AMG; 335i, 435i, 535i, etc.), we included just one representative from each model line and powertrain.
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OTHERTRANSPORT
THENATURALWORLD
PLACES/TRAVEL
COMBATIVEWORDS
MILITARYTERMINOLOGY
ANIMALKINGDOM
DOMESTICTRAVEL
GEOGRAPHYFOREIGNTRAVEL
RAPIDDEPARTURES
NON-UNGULATES
THE WILDWEST
Vanquish
Ram Escalade
Patriot Armada
LancerEvolution
Lancer
Viper
Highlander
Corvette Stingray
iQ
Cayman
K900
Beetle
Vantage
Charger
Flex
Clubman
Equus
Taurus
Impala
Mustang
UNGULATES
Passat
Pilot
Malibu
Sierra
Acadia
California
Tribeca
Tacoma
Silverado
Range Rover
DurangoWrangler
Flying Spur
Colorado
Tahoe
Santa Fe
Tucson
GrandCherokee
Cherokee
Sedona
FrontierOutback
WORDSRELATING TOCAPABILITY
LABORATORYTERMINOLOGY
HOMAGESTO THE GLORY
DAYS
RELATING TOILLICIT
ENCOUNTERS
THE RAINSDOWN
IN AFRICA
Escape
Yukon
Journey
Accent
Rio
Sorento
Evora
Murano
Sequoia
Macan
Page
EquinoxLeafCorolla
Sienna Cayenne
Tundra
TouaregSavana
Ghibli
Mirage
Town & Country
Edge
Enclave
Canyon
Terrain
Ridgeline
Countryman
Outlander
MUSICALTERMINOLOGY
RESPONSESTHE CAR IS
UNLIKELY TOELICIT
JAPANESE(ANGLICIZED)
ITALIAN
INDONESIAN
LATIN
F12berlinettaOutlander
Sport
GranTurismo
AINT ITGRAND?
SLANG FORSMOKES
Traverse
Versa Note
ATHLETICISM
SPEED
LaCrosse
Crosstour
Fit
Sportage
Juke
Golf
Veloster
SPORT/GTMEANS
ITS FAST
Land Cruiser
VeyronFJ Cruiser
Cruze
Mulsanne
Panamera Azera
Sentra
Xterra
Elantra
Boxster
Camaro
Venza
Yaris
Range RoverEvoque
Tiguan
Miata
Sonic
Sonata
Cadenza
Forte
Soul
Genesis TitanWraith
Ghost
Phantom
Avalon
EosSUPERNATURAL
WORLD
PHILLIPPHILLIPS
Optima
Quattroporte
Cube
Transit
Transit Connect
Cooper Roadster,Hardtop, Convertible,Coupe
City Express
FACTUALSTATEMENTS
FortwoED
ActiveHybrid 3
STARTLINGHONESTY
Encore
Continental GT
NV2500
NV200
Legacy
LaFerrari
Accord
CivicCOMPLETELYUNINSPIRING
WORDS
WRXSTI
Spark
Volt
Fusion
Dart
Rapide 4Runner
Focus
Range RoverSport
Verano
Fiesta
Huracn
Aventador
Camry
Prius
SPANISH
037
EnglishWords
ForeignWords
NonsenseWords
Words
SATURDAY-MORNING
CARTOONS
C-Max
TV & MOVIES
CC
Suburban
WANTINGWHAT
YOU CANTHAVE
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T H E C O L U M N I S T Supfront
caranddriver.com
06 .2014
038 ..
byJohn Phillips
PHOTOGRAPH
BY
JULIE
GOTHRUP
At dawn on February 8,I climbed intoC/Ds long-
term BMW X1 and set out for Carmel, California,where I was to drive the new Subaru WRX STI.When I headed out, we had 36 inches of snow onthe ground, and the stuwas still pelting downlike twelve mad bastards, as Hunter S. Thomp-son would say. After four hours of blindly aiming
the BMW through shadowless rutsmany of which felt like driving over concrete curbsand dead cowsId covered 90 miles. Given the proper chemicals, Lance Armstrong couldhave done better. The BMWs rear wiper clogged and stalled, then the relentless snowglacialized the grille. Bingo: an overheated engine in an ambient temp of 12 degrees F. Iused a ballpoint pen and a 99-cent plastic scraper to gouge out maybe ve pounds of crys-talized crud. It had the consistency of aged white gum from the underside of a school desk.
It wasnt until the 150-mile mark that I saw my rst sliver of black roadwaythis after
passing three moose who viewed the highway as if it were Paradise Beach. I let out acelebratory whoop, and thats when the snow turned to rain, falling at the same velocityand pressure youd pay $500 to have in your bathroom shower.
outdid themselves in a kind of thousand-car Joie Chitwood stunt-driving pageant,in which speeds were increased to traversepuddles that had recently qualied asponds. Which is whenwith all of us furi-ously tailgatinga California Highway
Patrol ocer in a strobe-pulsing Chargershot out ahead and began weaving backand forth in front of all three lanes, as ifherding wet cattle. The cop halted every100 feet or so to retrieve a mound of
vehicular debris. And so, in this 5-mphprocessional, all of us eventually arrivedupon a stretch of Interstate 5 that resem-
bled downtown Kiev after the bars let out.In the t hree southbound lanes, there weremaybe six cars in varying stages of unin-tentional recyclingbackward, on theirsides, nosed into each otherand maybe
seven in the northbound lanes, including aNational Guard 18-wheeler that had jack-knifed into a desert-camo Slinky. The
water was deep enough that I couldnt seeall the shrapnel, so, as before, I ran over it,later nding a shard of fan shroud in theBMWs icy wheel well.
By the time I got to Montereymarking1250 consecutive miles of the BMWs
wipers operating at top speedthe densityof trac quadrupled, thanks to the PebbleBeach National Pro-Am. Its running late
because wind and rain caused the golfers
balls to y backward and blind PGA o-cials, said that nights amusing bartender.
I test-drove the WRX STI, then ner-vously headed home, a journey thatput the nishing touches on mynew duodenal ulcer. I dont want totalk about it, except to recollect a100-mile stretch of near-whiteoutconditions along the Salmon R iverScenic Byway (U.S. Route 93 inIdaho), where I began hallucinatingall-white objectsTom Wolfe, theDonner Partys cook, the ice-cream
truck I drove when I was 17. Alongthat strip, by the way, dont expectanyone to sell you fuel.
Nearing home, I started havingtrouble closing one eye, and thats whenthe BMW surrendered to a snowdrift 10feet from my garage, as if the car had beenrelieved of its duties and had permissionto die. Certainly, it must have been morti-ed to be the lthiest man-made objectsince Bigfoot crash-landed on the Sno-Cone stand. Diggi ng out involved a Cater-pillar grader with six sets of chains. Talk
about fun.So, between now and July 4th, you
might think you see me driving throughtown, but youd be wrong.
West of Wells, Nevada, therewas a temporary sign that said:Standing Water on Road, Next200 miles. Has there ever beenstanding water for 200 miles? Ithink there are some Great Lakesthat dont stand for 200 miles. Andthis was, you know, Nevada, a placeId been told was home to super-heated rocks and sand and prosti-
tutes but not water.On Day Two, on the Donner
Pass, I passed overhead signsimploring: Serious Drought, HelpSave Water! A cynical fellow might havesmirked, given the heavenly tidal bore ofliquid right then nearly obscuring the mes-sage. California, in fact, claims a 14-yeardrought, which must be true, because a
whole generation of the states so-calleddrivers has no experience with any slickconditions beyond runaway lawn sprin-klers. Near the top of the pass, a black Ram
pickup shot past and disappeared in a wallof mist. Minutes later, I spied the lid of anIgloo cooler, a piece of tarp, then a paper
bag, all three of which I ran over. I crested
a blind rise and there, pancaked againstthe guardrailventing steam like a Bronxmanhole coverwas the Ram, minus itsright-front corner and sporting a Darling-ton stripe that would have scared the
boiled peanuts out of Cale Yarborough. Idrove near enough to splash slush on thetruck and hoped its driver had suereda triing but painful injury that would
forever remind him of the perils of precipi-tation. But the cosmos rarely metes out
justice on the spot.Then, in Sacramento, the Californians
W I N T E R O F D I S C O N T E N T
Phillips always wanted to become a big, strapping man.
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T H E C O L U M N I S T Supfront
caranddriver.com
06 .2014
040 ..
byAaron Robinson
Bill Huths face is litby a volcanic desert sunset
streaming through the windows of his apartment,which is above a garage down in Turn Nine of hisWillow Springs International Raceway, the so-called fastest road in the west and the scene ofsome umpteen million magazine tests and carcommercials. At 90, Huth is at the age where mem-
ories skid into each other like cars on an icy street. He says, Youre going to have a helluvatime writing this story, it jumps all around.
In a Burbank, California, that was just a farm village surrounded by fruit orchards,Huths father died when Huth wasve, which left me kind of wild. The boy got into themuer business at 14, but I got tired of it. When youre in the muer business, its a jobtaking a shower, washing that stuo. Then he hauled whiskey, owned some gambling
joints, and ran a speed shop. Or maybe it was gambling, then whiskey, then an outtter
business, then being excused from World War II service with a bad knee, then working therodeo with his boyhood pal Slim Pickens. I worked in the gambling business in Cuba forMeyer Lansky anduh, Jesus Christ . . . Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Siegel. They owned the
oered to pay $1000 a weekend if Huthpaved it. His rst paving estimate was$50,000, but he worked it down to$16,000. T he Monday morning that theystarted paving I was standing at the god-damn tower, that little old tower, and I
thought, Ive gotten into a lot of jackpotsbefore, but not like this. I had $14 in thebank and in my pocket, Jesus Christ! Thatnumber has stuck with me all this time.
As you can imagine, Huth knew prettymuch everybody. Shelby was running adriving school. One day he said, Bill, do
you care if I tell people that I own this race-track? I said, Carroll, I dont give a shit,
you can tell them whatever you want to. Movie stars? James Garner wouldntt inthe car when they made Grand Prix. They
brought the car up, and he couldnt get in
the son of a bitch. They said, Youre goingto have to lose some fucking weight. And,Oh, Steve McQueen, one time the trans-axle in his Porsche broke, and he orderedsix of them. Theyew them in, six fuckingaxles! I says, You must have a lot of trouble
with them. Willow Springs never hosted a major
series, though at one point NASCAR triedto buy the track. They said, Bill, you got toget involved with these people. And I said,Every time I get involved with them peo-ple, I hear of all this money but I see every-
body going broke. I said, Who is makingany money? Ive been oered millions forthe goddamn thing, and I only paid $115,000
for it, so Im making money.Indeed, millions. Japanese inves-
tors once oered him $30 million,and recently, Korean buyers saidthey would pay $50 million. Fiftymillion is a lot of goddamn money,
but when you think about it, whatcould I do thats like this? I madetwo $45,000 scores otwo dier-ent deals once. Ive had a lot of
money, but the money never meantmuch, really. And when youreolder, what are you going to do,spend it? On what?
Nowadays, Huth mostly watches overhis desert kingdom from the windows ofhis apartment. Hes also developing thelow-buck Formula Pacic, a sort of superkart with a motorcycle engine that heshoping will break Willows current laprecord: 1 minute, 6.05 seconds, set in 1987
by Michael Andretti in a Kraco MarchCosworth Indy car.
As another desert sunset fades to twi-light, Huth says: I want to see somebodyget around this son of a bitch in under aminute. Thats really what Id like.
joint. Oh man, I made a lot ofmoney in Cuba, Jesus Christ!Huth watched the birth of the dry-lake racing scene. In fact, I wasthere in 38 and 39. You had to hideout; they would arrest you on the
way. They were bombing it whileyou were out there racing.
By 1960, Huth was back in themuer business in nearby Lan-
caster, then a dusty backwaterof ypaper shacks and gamblingdens. He was looking for a place tostage drag races. Up in Rosamond,four partners had run into problems tryingto operate a 2.5-mile dirt track, a sort ofsquashed-up oval that they had cutthrough the sagebrush out on 600 acres atthe foot of some desert tufts.
They had these 4-by-6 posts in theground, says Huth, the things they useon boxcars to keep stufrom rolling o,and theyd run cables through it. They had
two cables on the straightaway and onlyone in the turn. So this guys Porsche wentthrough the goddamn cable, and it caughthim in the throat. Luckily, his helmet was
on and the helmet stopped it, but it tore uphis throat. It raised hell, and naturally hesued them. They had to quit trying to haveraces; they didnt have any insurance any-
way. Huth leased the place for $100 aweekend, then eventually bought it for$115,000 using a loan against his muershop. When I got this racetrack, I had apretty thorough education, you know what
I mean? I knew how to hustle.With nothing on it but a dirt strip and
an old air-base tower, the track squeakedby.Cal Club, then a local rival to the SCCA,
G A M B L I N G , W H I S K E Y ,A N D W I L L OW S P R I N G S R AC E WA Y.
W HEN I GOT THISRACETR ACK,
I HAD A PR ETTYTHOROUGH
EDUCATION, YOUKNOW WHAT
I MEAN? I KNEWHOW TO HUSTLE.
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comparo042 .
Does a BMW 3-ser ies need to be the size of the old 5? Well, yes,now that the 5 is the new 7 and the 7 is the new battleship Bismarck. If you didnt buy an
Audi or a BMW or a Mercedes last year, it may not be a case of you leaving them, butof them leaving you and the rest of the just-doing-okay middle class.
Alas, some relief is on the way as the German luxury brands furiously backll their cata-logs to stay in the all-important $35,000 to $45,000 segment, where monthly payments canstill be swallowed by average Jills and Johns. Theres already some commonality to the for-
mula: turbocharged four-cylinder engines mounted transversely, dual-clutch automatictransmissions, and optional four-wheel drive. Mercedes leaptrst with the swoopy CLA,and a new family of Audis will be launched around the core A3 sedan. Both the Benz and the
Audi are on sale now, and we secured a pair of comparably priced four-wheel-drive versions.
Seems like only yesterday that we were giving last rites to the compact-sports-sedan segment as its
standard-bearers ballooned in dimensions,features, and price.
MERCE DE S BENZ CL A MATI C
BMW i PRICE > $38,225POWER > 240 hpTORQUE > 255 lb-ftWEIGHT > 3353 lbC/DOBSERVED MPG > 21
PRICE > $37,455POWER > 208 hp
TORQUE > 258 lb-ftWEIGHT > 3437 lbC/DOBSERVED MPG > 21
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043
PRICE > $39,845POWER > 220 hpTORQUE > 258 lb-ftWEIGHT > 3369 lbC/DOBSERVED MPG > 21
AUDI A QUATTRO
byAARON ROBINSON / photography by MARK BRAMLEY
THEY'RE SWEET, PETITE& SURPRISINGLY FLEET.
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044 comparo.
By cleverly moving parts-bin components around its vast chess-board, VW-Audi oers you what is essentially a GTI rendered as afour-door sedan. In fact, the Audi A3 1.8T starts at $30,795, right
where VW Jetta pricing gets silly. See what you can get away withby having a luxury badge to throw on? Okay, theres a bit more to itthan that, with upgrades to the equipment and styling. If you wantan A3 Quattro, add a 2.0-liter engine with 220 horsepower and$3000 to your bill. We had a few more extras, including the 18-inch
wheels, power seats, and auto climate control of the $2900 Pre-
mium Plus package, plus the full MMI gear for $2600, for a totalof $39,845.
While V W has been turning front-drive commuters into pre-mium goods for years, Mercedes-Benz is a rookie. It could havesimply issued a B-class w ith a trunk, but instead the CLA250 looksthe part of a much larger and more expen-sive Benz, relying on the same coupelike
visual themes that recently have proved sosuccessful for Team Stuttgart. The CLAstarts right next to the A3, at $30,825. Add-ing 4MATIC is only a $2000 hit, but the208-hp 2.0-liter engine remains the sameeither way. Mercedes doesnt do packages;
its options are a la carte. Included in our$37,455 example was a $1480 sunroof, navi-gation equipment for $800, 18-inch wheelsand tires for $500, and, amusingly, an illu-minated grille star for $550.
But what about that other Germanbrandyou know, the one from Munich?Doesnt it have a front-driver coming, evenif no one at the company will conrm it? Indeed it does, in the 136-hp 2-series Active Tourer, which is based on the UKL platform thatunderlies the new Mini Cooper. But that 2-series is a quasi-mini-
van, a sort of German Pontiac Vibe, and we werent about to waitaround for that.
Still, BMW does oer the 320i, a stripped-down 3-series pricedto be an enticing distraction from all this front-drive madness. But
because this test is aimed at those rooting around in the travel-sizebins, we took the smaller, freshly redesigned 228i coupe as BMWs
representative. This is basically the old1-series, that stubby bulldog of a two-doorthat excited purists but not aesthetes. Its
been updated for 2014 on the newer, com-pact rear-drive platform of the current3-series, and agreeably restyled. The base
price of $33,025 gives you a no-cost choice of a six-speed manual oran eight-speed automatic. To keep things level, we went automatic,though $5200 in options later, we had the M Sport package with18-inch wheels and run-at tires and a few other items to inate thesticker to $38,225.
We hoped to learn through this chipmunk Olympics whetherthese venerable German brands have kept their core values intactdespite the downsizing and price-cutting. And if the answer weresimple, we could stop this right here.
MERCEDESBENZ
CLA MATIC
+ Handles like a Mazda,attention-grabbing styling,comfy seats._ Some sub-Mazda bitsinside, pinched back seat,stiride, unexciting engine.= Benzs baby is notenough of a Benz.
The CLAs body, thick in the center andtapered on the ends, makes it appear as if
its been extruded out of a hole in the factory
wall. Right: That is a generous amount of frame.
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MERCEDESBENZ CLA MATIC
The Mercedes doesnt make a great rst impression. You cant helpbut notice that its not a traditional Benz, despite the gratuitousapplication of silver stars. The slippery lines meant to invoke
luxury coupe-ness work well in the wind tunnel [see DragQueens, page 86] but get all bunched up in the nose, where thesize-12 grille and blocky overhang push too much car ahead of thefront wheels. Some companies, notably Honda, can shape theirfront-drivers to better hide the inelegance of a transverse layout.Not Benz; not yet, any way.
Indoors, plastic abounds and Benz conventions are smashed bythe dominant styling feature: a wavy panel of seashell or laminatedivory or space-station insulationwere not sure whichacrossthe dash. Its not necessarily unattractive, but it is risky. Unlike
Audi, which made the A3 look steadfastly Audi-esque inside, Mer-cedes cut a dierent path for the CLA, excluding it from the familyand serving it up as a daily reminder that youre in that other Benz.
It doesnt help that the 5.8-inch nav screen is tacked onto thedash like a wall-mounted TV hangin g in a nail salon, its broad andgarish black-plastic-frame insert showing you how big the screenmight have been had you only spent more. Being relatively slow anddevoid of map detail, the Becker-sourced nav unit has the feel of anolder aftermarket cheapie, especially compared with the Audisthin seven-incher that motors up out of the dash when needed toshine out its detailed, high-res multicolor displays.
No, you have to get the CLA moving to experience its ner qual-
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ities. The car with the least horsepower andthe heaviest curb weight here (3437pounds) naturally turned in the slowestacceleration times, issuing a monotonehum that could be from any car westof Warsaw and east of Beijing. Yet the CLAseems quicker than it is when springing othe on-ramp on a surge of turbo torque, theseven-speed dual-clutch transmissionalways seeming to know which gear is needed when. The CLAdoesnt have a lot of power, but it has enough.
Mercedes gives the stiand well-insulated CLA quick steeringand excellent body control, which make for fast cornering speeds.On the skidpad, where it posted a healthy 0.93 g, it tucks in when
you lift in a playful way that reminds us of Mazdas weve adored.The only dynamicaw is a lack of wheel travel that produces a brit-tle ride. Where the Audi and BMW are sopping up the roadssures,the Benz driver is suering.
Youll suer for the styling, too. The longest wheelbase in thistest somehow does not equal the best back-seat comfort, and get-ting in there requires a duck under the low roof. Also, the frontseats arene but not as coddling or supportive as the BMWs, ourtest favorites.
Benz could have made the CLA more practical with less of the
needless ash. But we might have critiqued a mini E-class as dulland predictable. At least it would have supplied the orthodoxypracticed by the Benz family. Instead, this amboyant CLA playsfor newcomers, but against some very tough competition.
BMW
In this group, the 228i is the sportiestchoice for people who dont use back seatsmuch and never carry more than four peo-ple. Just a few minutes of driving reveals acar that is denitely cut from BMW cloth,
with connected and reactive steering andan engine that sings joyfully all the way toits 7000-rpm redline. You get strong
brakes, an isolated cabin, and a structure that doesnt shudderunless youre T-boned by Amtrak.
Compared with the old 1-series, though, BMW s new anchovyhews very closely to the companys current thinking, which is totamp down the overt sportiness in favor of greater luxury that willappeal to a wider audience. The suspension is suppler, and thesteering is relatively light and a little less organic. Altogether,theyre small changes that many will not notice but some willequate with disaster.
We wouldnt go that far. This is an outstanding small automo-bile, a mini 4-series that delivers long-haul comfort while promis-ing at least 21 mpg. The 2.0-liter clatters a bit at idle, but once it getsinto a heated conversation with the eight-speed auto, things move.
When it falters, its in ways that may not matter to many of you.For example, at this lofty price you get Bluetooth phone con-
nectivity, but you cant stream music. For those few extra lines ofsoftware code you have to buy the $2150 Technology package,
which throws in navigation and a few minor odds and ends. In ourview, this is proteering at its rankest. But if you dont stream music
BMW
+ Lyrical all the way to 7000rpm, perfect seats, looks andmoves like a BMW._ Not as fun as the only rear-driver here should be, stingyfeatures at this price.= The sportiest but not the
best in every situation.
Hobbled by weak-sauce tires, the 228iposted the tests worst skidpad, slalom, and
braking figures. Want a manual in your smallEuropean sedan? The 228i is your only option.
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