What do you get when you cross a twin turbo Benz with EVOMSit?

One very bad piece of machinery with over 700 lb/ft of torque. My son Rod works with Evolution Motor Sports in Tempe Arizona and they've built some incredible Porche's but check out the recent dyno testing on this SL65. http://evomsit.blogspot.com/2009/09/what-do-you-get-when-you-cross-twin.html This is a car I have to take a ride in.

2009 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV

All hail the rebirth of the Maxima. Okay, maybe that's just a bit over the top but with the 2009 iteration Nissan moves the Maxima back into the mainstream of mid-size sports sedans with a car that has pretty decent styling and is a whole lot more fun to drive than its predecessor. Redesigned with a new chassis and a much nicer interior, the Maxima definitely offers a good amount of bang for the buck. The Maxima-S bases at just a bit over $30,000 and the SV which is what my tester was bases at just a bit over $32,000 and with that you get a pretty well equipped vehicle.

Along with a host of safety equipment some niceties that are standard in the SV include leather appointed seats, a driver seat lumbar support and a thigh support extension, 8-way power driver seat and 4-way power passenger seating. You also get the leather wrapped steering wheel and shifter knob, tilt and telescoping wheel and a multi-function trip computer. I like the Nissan Intelligent Key system with push button start and the Bose audio system. The tester also came with the $400.00 Cold Package which ironically includes heated front seats, steering wheel and outside mirrors. Just what I need at 115 degrees in Phoenix in the summer, but it is a nice feature for those that just love their winters. The tester also added Bluetooth and a rear spoiler which brought the final price including destination to $33,900.

The new Maxima features a 290-horsepower V6 engine mated to Nissan’s Xtronic CVT, Continuously Variable Transmission which I’m not usually a big fan of but this wasn’t bad at all. The Maxima is built on Nissan’s new “D” platform which really helps with body rigidity and thankfully minimizes torque steer. The wheelbase is shorter than the previous generation but the new Maxima is wider therefore it sports a much more aggressive stance.

Part of what contributes to that more aggressive stance is a new grille and more muscular fender flares that gives the Maxima a much sportier look that will fill the bill for those Nissan buyers that liked the size of the Altima but wanted a bit more pizzazz.

Driving the Maxima was a lot more fun than I expected with a much tauter yet supple ride. Cornering was actually fun in this car and getting off the line was quick and quiet with less noise from the CVT than in other cars. There’s sufficient room in the back for adult passengers so all in all the Nissan Maxima has returned better than ever so if you’re in the market for a Sports Sedan with a little pop that will get you 19mpg in the city and 26 on the highway without setting you back a whole lot of money, perhaps you should put the 2009 Maxima on your short list. It surprised me and I’m betting it will surprise you too. For more the Maxima click here……

2010 Kia Forte EX

When I heard that I was getting a Kia Forte to review my first thought once again turned to how manufacturers come up with names for cars. But that aside I was anxious to check out the new sedan because Kia has been making some pretty nice cost, effective vehicles lately so my curiosity was piqued to get behind the wheel of this all-new model.

Calling the Forte sporty is a bit of a stretch as this is pure an simple an economy sedan, albeit with some new design cues like a trapezoidal mesh grille, new swept-back headlights and a higher beltline, all of which are in vogue today. The Forte is a bit bigger than the Spectra it’s replacing, with a greater emphasis on styling and there’s no doubt that it’s a much better looking car than the Spectra.

One of Kia’s strengths in the market is the warranty offered. The base warranty is 5 years and 60,000 miles which is nearly double most manufacturers’ time table and the powertrain warranty is 10 years and 100,000 miles. Warranties are a very strong selling point especially in this market where people most likely keep their cars over 3 years.

The Forte also comes with some pretty nice safety features including include dual-stage front airbags, side curtain airbags, active front head restraints, ABS, four-wheel disc brakes, traction control, electronic stability control and tire-pressure monitoring system along with the LATCH tethering system for the kiddos. Also included is 3 months of SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Bluetooth Hand-free connectivity and USB + Aux inputs and six-way power driver’s seat. Extras in the $1800.00 EX package that my tester came with included leather seat trim, leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, heated front seats, a power sun-roof and 16-inch wheels. Not bad for a total price of $19,290 including $695 in destination charges.

Inside the Forte there is plenty of room and its relatively nice with large easy to read gauges and ergonomics that are well laid out and easy to understand and use. The seats are comfortable enough for running around town but I’m not sure I’d like to spend 5 or 6 hours at a stretch behind the wheel, they’re not quite that comfy.

The week I spent with the Kia Forte, while not scintillating it was pleasant enough and certainly easy on the wallet. It came very close to matching its EPA rating of 25/34 and as I’m always quick to point out, my driving style doesn’t exactly squeeze the most mileage from a vehicle but I did average over 25mpg during the week, with most of my driving in town. Handling is solid and I certainly wouldn’t expect anything more then solid from this segment of the market which is pretty competitive with some relatively strong newcomers to the genre.

The usual suspects include the Civic, Nissan’s Sentra, and Mazda’s 3 series which are all good cars, but now you have to add the Chevy Cobalt, and the Ford Focus as strong contenders so we’ll have to wait and see if Kia is able to make a dent in the segment. That said, if you’re looking for a great, inexpensive little grocery getter for under $20,000, you should take a Kia Forte out for a spin. You may be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

Click here for more on the Kia Forte….

Can Congress do Better?

While hearing a lot about the demise of the auto industry recently, I came across some information in that I found very interesting, information one doesn’t normally hear a lot about from mainstream media. This information actually offers some hope for the recovery of the industry much sooner than a lot of people may think. That idea doesn’t really surprise me because I’m convinced that some, if not most of the news about how American manufacturers haven’t been building or planning the right products is, simply stated, hyperbole.

Here’s what the gist of the information is and why I believe a relatively quick recovery almost has to happen. The average age of cars on the road today is aver 9 years old. The age of light trucks is over 7 years old and by 2011 there will be some 35 million cars on the road at least 10 years old. When one does the math, even at 15,000 miles a year, a very conservative number, what that means is that those vehicles have at least 150,000 miles on them. That many miles means lots of dollars have to be spent on maintenance and upkeep.

There are some 250 million vehicles on the road, 5% of which are scrapped every year. 12.5 million cars off the road every year while at present, only 9 million cars are being built. According to industry metrics, three quarters of current sales are replacement vehicles and that demand will increase to 13 million cars by 2012. Now while some people say these numbers are a little optimistic because people are driving less and keeping cars longer, keep in mind that there are 2 million new drivers coming on line every year. Also, based on historical data, GDP directly correlates to auto sales and a 4% increase in GDP propels auto sales up some 7% and when you combine that with cars being scrapped, demographic changes from boomers children beginning to drive along with economic recovery which will happen, it isn’t unreasonable to expect sales of new vehicles to reach the 16 million mark again in 5 years. And by the way, that doesn’t include sales in China and Russia where GM has a very strong presence.

Interestingly it seems as though used car prices are starting to rise which makes new cars more attractive and with the inventory of new homes finally dwindling, construction will spool up and that means sales of trucks will improve. Also, congress is mulling the idea of a 3 to 5 thousand dollar voucher to people to junk older cars, which will not only help stimulate sales but will help get polluting cars off the road.

A lot of people are unaware of is the fact that the Buick LaCrosse and Chevy Malibu have earned best in class in reliability studies from J.D. Powers & Associates, and the Ford Fusion won a comparison study against the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The Edge is a very solid car and the new F150 is top drawer once again. The problem U.S. automakers face is one of perception and that takes a lot of time to overcome. While Ford, GM and Chrysler are working on smaller platforms, we need to hope that China doesn’t import the Chery and India doesn’t bring the Nano to America before U.S. automakers get it together.

With regards to the Congressional Auto Task Force, well let’s just acknowledge that there have to be some changes made with the Detroit three but those changes have been in the works for some time and I’m no fan of government dictating to the auto industry. There need to be some serious changes and that will be painful. And like it or not, new labor contracts have to happen to make profitability possible on smaller, lower grossing platforms. But all of that will take time and serious negotiations and sacrifice as well trimming the number of dealerships across the country, something that will in fact be very painful but will have to be done. U.S. automakers may have been a bit slow on the uptake, but they didn’t and don’t need government telling them how to build cars.

Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution Revolution

The Phoenix Automotive Press Association had an opportunity to meet with PR Product Manager, Moe Durand and Melvin Bautista from Product Planning for Mitsubishi and talk about the all-new 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer family. Lancer debuted in 1973 and over the years Lancer has won several Rally Championships but not necessarily the hearts of the American consumer. Mitsubishi is hoping that will all change with the new iteration of the Lancer and as far as styling goes, they’re on the right track.

Trim levels include the Lancer, the Ralliart and the very potent Evolution. With the production of the 2009 Ralliart Mitsubishi has made a dramatic leap in performance and styling over the previous generation. Gone is the boxy squared off look and in is the sleek low nose high deck aggressive look you’ll see on the likes of the Lexus IS, and the huge aggressive grille you see on the Nuvolari inspired Audi S4 so needless to say, it’s a very cool looking car especially for the Tuner crowd.

It’s interesting to know how the styling cues must have a great degree of functionality in vehicles today, which presents an interesting challenge to designers. For example the lower grille opening on the Ralliart allows for more airflow to the intercooler, while the hood scoops and ducting help remove under hood heat while also providing air to the turbocharger. The functional side vents help extract hot air from the engine compartment.

The base engine is a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder that puts out 152hp and 146 lb/ft of torque in the Lancer and 237hp and 253 lb/ft of torque with both engines red-lining at 6500rpm. The Evolution is an entirely different matter. Horsepower jumps to 291 and torque goes to 300 lb/ft and redline is at 7000 rpm. How that happens has to do with some differences in engine architecture but the long and short of it is that it is a very potent engine.

Power gets to the wheels through a very sophisticated TC-SST transmission. All that alphabet soup stands for, Twin Clutch Sportonic Shift Transmission, but what it means is that it is one quick shifting transmission.

While we didn’t get a lot of wheel time, what we did get in the Evolution MR was pretty impressive. It’s quick fast and has a pretty serious fun quotient and is surprisingly roomy inside and we are looking forward to spending a week in this exciting new car from Mitsubishi

Mario Andretti Signs Autographs at Community Tire in Phoenix

Racing legend Mario Andretti was in Phoenix Arizona donating time to sign autographs and help Howard Fleishman, President of Community Tire and Automotive Service raise money for the 100 club. The 100 club is an organization that helps family's of fallen police officers and fire fighters.

It was a fun event with lots of folks donating time and money that was certainly highlighted by the presence of one of the giants of racing. Andretti was gracious with everyone and it was interesting to see the mix of young and old that came out to get some very interesting items autographed.

Here's a short video clip of the event.

For more on this event and other auto related stories and videos go to www.twofortheroadusa.com

YouTube - Off road with the 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser

Cathy and I have been test-driving for the manufacturers for nearly 15 years and reporting on them on radio, in print as well as videos. We have the opportunity to travel and get first looks and drives for new product to report on.

So, when Toyota invited us to Big Sky Montana, we were excited about the opportunity we had to spend some serious off-road time in the brand new
2008 Toyota Land Cruiser.

I was amazed at the capabilities offered by this very cool SUV. Check out this video and let us know
what you think.
YouTube - Off road with the 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser

MARIO ANDRETTI ON TWO FOR THE ROAD RADIO SHOW

Thursday, October 13th 2007
KKNT 960AM Phoenix, Arizona
Autograph Signing at Community Tire
October l7-18 2007