2010 Volkswagen CC Sport

The CC is Volkswagen’s new four-door coupe that was introduced in 2009 and Volkswagen describes as combining sports car dynamics and dimensions with sedan comfort. It features a long hood, strong shoulder line, rear-swept roofline and short trunk lid, the athletic but elegant look is accentuated by large wheels and tires, deep front air dam and bold grille. And yes, it has pretty much the same profile as the Mercedes CLS.

As far as the styling goes, there’s no question that the CC is a very sleek looking sedan and I got comments a plenty about my Shadow Blue Metallic test car confirming that. The car looks great from any angle with styling reminding me in its own way of the “sleek smooth and sassy” slogan of the ’57 Chevy. The sloping roofline finishes of in a short deck with just a trace of a spoiler. The front end is elegant with sculpted headlamps that sweep smoothly back into the front fenders giving the car a very elegant look.

Inside is no less stellar with the instrument panel smooth and uncluttered with a no-nonsense yet sophisticated cockpit. The center stack houses the information center and the ergonomics are well thought out and relatively easy to use. The seats are sporty yet stylish and offer good support up front and the rear seating area is decent with the caveat that tall rear seat passengers will feel the squeeze from the sloping roofline, but all in all it’s very nice inside.

Driving the CC is what I’d describe as a pleasant experience; nothing very scintillating about it but nothing unpleasant. That may be a different story with the VR6 Sport or 4Motion iteration but the rather lackluster performance of the 2.0 turbocharged test car was rather boring. That said I’m not sure the 10 to 12 thousand dollar price differential is something I’d be willing to pay because of the competition that comes in to play in the mid-thirty to forty thousand dollar range. When you start pulling the BMW 3 Series, the Lexus IS and Infiniti G into the mix you have some pretty strong proven competition and it’s unfortunate that Volkswagen didn’t put some of the vaunted German engineering into the CC to give it just a bit more of a performance edge.

All in all by bringing sleek luxurious styling to bear, I think Volkswagen is on the right track with the CC however in many ways it reminds me of the somewhat infamous VW Phaeton. A well built decent performing comfortable vehicle but seemingly trying to morph into a luxury car that it just doesn’t have the heritage necessary to convince anyone to buy other than a brand loyal buyer.

I could be wrong and if the Volkswagen CC Sport is snazzy enough and is the size vehicle you’re looking for in a price range that works for you, I’d certainly recommend driving one. You may just find it’s exactly what you’re looking for.

2011 Kia Sorento

Back and better than ever

After taking a brief hiatus, The Sorrento is back and the time off did it some good.

The Sorento is Kia’s midsize SUV and it’s virtually all-new for 2011 after taking the 2010 model year off. The new Sorento comes with a unibody platform that offers more interior space, with room for up to seven occupants, while delivering a much improved ride. The new exterior design incorporates some familiar design cues like the grille and wraparound headlights that you’ll see on the Forte. It’s also lighter which translates into more agility and better fuel economy as well.

While there was plenty of space in the front seats on the previous Sorrento, the back was particularly cramped for just about anyone over 10 years old. On top of that they were uncomfortable and not very supportive. That’s hardly the case on the 2011 iteration as Kia has taken care of those issues. The new Sorrento offers seats that are literally luxurious compared to the previous model, offering good support and a much more comfortable ride. In the back, seats offer more room for passengers and behind the second row you’ll find plenty of space for luggage or other cargo. Though the third-row seat is a nice option, in truth it really only works with kids or very small adults.

The new Sorrento now offers and efficient 2.4 liter 172 horsepower, 166 lb-ft of torque 4-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment. For those that want a bit more punch, step up to the 3.5 liter V6 that pumps out 273 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque paired with the same 6-speed automatic tranny. All-wheel-drive is available on all but the base Sorrento.

 

The V6 is certainly powerful and quick but the 4-cylinder offers plenty of performance for pretty much all but the most demanding performance driver. That’s because the new Sorrento has shed some 400 pounds which of course affects performance, fuel economy and handling, which is much more agile than the predecessor. The mpg numbers for the 2.4-liter are 21/29 with the V6 numbers coming in at 19/26 in 2WD with just about a 1mpg loss in the AWD drive train.  

I’m very impressed with the direction Kia is going with styling and quality throughout the line up albeit at a cost. Although the base Sorrento still starts under $20,000 if you’re not careful you can add a lot of goodies that can run the price into the mid $30,000 range in a hurry. The new Sorrento is in some pretty hefty competition with the likes of the Chevy Equinox, Nissan’s Murano just to name a couple. Kia’s edge is the 100,000 mile warranty so it will be interesting to see how the Sorrento does. My guess is it’ll do just fine. So if you’re looking for an SUV that's roomy, efficient with enough punch to get the job done, and a great warranty to boot, you need to check out the all-new 2011 Kia Sorento. It may be just what you’re looking for. 

2011 Grand Cherokee Laredo 4X2

I recently took a trip to Texas and was provided a 2011 Grand Cherokee to drive and I have to say, I was very surprised, and pleased by both the new styling sophistication and the interior refinement. The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was redesigned for 2011and some luxury and amenities were added and the ride was softened a bit but all without sacrificing any of Jeep’s legendary off-road capabilities.

The Grand Cherokee comes in four trim levels, Laredo E, Laredo X, Limited and Overland, the Grand Cherokee is powered by either a 290-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 or a 5.7-liter Hemi V8. The V6 is rated at 16 mpg city/22 mpg highway in 4WD trim while the Hemi is rated at 13/19 mpg with 4WD. My tester was the Laredo 4X2 with the 290 horsepower 3.6 liter V6 mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission and it’s mpg numbers are 16/23.

The first thing I noticed about the new Cherokee is the sleek styling. The beltline appears higher which makes the greenhouse effect smaller and gives the Laredo a very nifty profile. I love the look of the front end, more of the sophistication and refinement I mentioned, again without losing the classic Jeep look. Once inside I was impressed with the comfort and convenience of the base Laredo. Standard features include power seats and windows, cruise control, remote starting, SIRUS Satellite and wrapped steering wheel. Because I was visiting Texas, the only “goodie” I really missed was a Nav system to help navigate us through the rather confusing Dallas freeway and toll system. But other than that, the test car was very comfortable and fun to drive.

The Grand Cherokee offers a great balance of off-road capabilities and everyday street driving of which I did a lot of traveling from Dallas to San Antonio and back over a weekend. Of course the 4X2 is designed more for the street but non-the-less, I sensed the “Jeep effect” while driving both around town and on the highway. What I mean by that is the Laredo was very comfortable to drive but wasn’t so “soft” that I lost the sensation of being in a Jeep, which of course is one of the reasons people buy Jeep, the feeling of confidence and control behind the wheel.

It’s been quite a while since I’d been in a Jeep and I was looking forward to driving the Grand Cherokee but I must admit that knowing I was going to be doing a lot of driving, I wasn’t looking forward the fuel economy I expected from the Grand Cherokee. I love pleasant surprises so I was very happy when I was able to average almost 20mpg combined during the week I had the Laredo. And in an effort to maintain full disclosure, I must admit to driving a vehicle to get where I’m going, which doesn’t contribute in any way towards maximizing fuel economy.

The long and the short of it boils down to the fact that Jeep has come a long way and is no doubt one of the stronger pony’s in Chrysler stable. Its heritage is long and storied and it just keeps gets better with time. Now for those that would like a Jeep but don’t necessarily want the rough and tumble Trail Rated iteration, the Laredo 4X2 offers a great alternative. I really enjoyed my week in the Grand Cherokee and I’m guessing if you’re looking for something a bit different than the typical SUV, Crossover or Wagon, the Grand Cherokee Laredo 4X2 may be just what you’re looking for so make sure and put it on your list of ones to check out.