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Its’ Electric By: Two for the Road USA
Bill: The folks at Tesla call the Roadster Sport “the game-changer” that offers supercar performance with zero emissions, world-class acceleration, handling and a very edgy design that places the Roadster amongst the world’s most coveted sports cars. After having the opportunity to spend just a bit of time behind the wheel of one, I’m inclined to agree. The electric motor and single-speed transmission generate nearly 295 lb-ft of instant torque and 288 horsepower at zero rpm. This car will set you back in your seat and keep you there. It is an amazing experience.
Cathy: First let me tell you about how it looks. The one we tested was red as seen on our website. It was the perfect fit for my 5’2 height and somewhat proportioned weight. The best part is that it doesn’t look like a car in Toy Story 3 and doesn’t feel like a toy car once settled in the cockpit. The Tesla only weights 2,200 pounds. Unlike other green cars that look a little awkward, the Tesla gives you a sense of speed and sport yet elegant and safe.
Bill: The Tesla Roadster explodes from 0-60 in a mind numbing 3.7 seconds with zero emissions, doesn’t use a drop of gasoline and has a range near 250 miles on a charge. That number puts the Tesla Roadster in the same performance category as the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, and the Porsche Carrera GT and even the exotic Pagani Zonda C12S, all cars that cost much more than the Roadster Sport which starts around $129,000. The only thing missing from the Tesla is the roar of a screaming engine however; you do get the jet-like whine of the electric motor which is actually pretty cool. This car has a huge fun quotient.
 Cathy: I disagree with Bill, there was plenty of screaming when I pulled out of my driveway and hit the gas pedal down my street. Once I got to the open road the screaming was even louder, like me on a roller coaster. Bill likes a certain kind of roar and I like the inner Zen that this car produced.
Bill: The Tesla is hand-built with carbon fiber with a monocoque chassis built with resin-bonded and riveted extruded aluminum that adds rigidity and strength to the lightweight Roadster. Inside the cabin there’s no more waiting for the engine to warm up because the moment you start the Tesla, temperatures adjust to your settings to keep you comfortable.
Cathy: When speaking to our fellow Press Association member Ron Will, who was a designer of the corvettes in the good ole days explained what Behavioral Design was. It has to do with the way a thing performs its function. Is it easy to operate? Is there good feedback? Does it fell like an extension of your own senses? These are the considerations he said that designers consider when they address the behavioral aspects of a product. If the product doesn’t work well, people will catch on and not want to own it. Well the Tesla passes the Behavioral Design test for me…
 Bill: What I found most fascinating about the Tesla was the performance and handling it provides with zero emissions. If you’re looking for the absolute best of all possible worlds in a performance Roadster, I don’t know how you can miss with the Tesla.
Cathy and Bill: There is a whole lot more to Tesla then we can talk about here but we will say, if you’re looking for an exhilarating Roadster for special events or as a daily driver, you need to check out the Tesla Roadster Sport. They’ve sold some 1500 world wide and they’re not building many of them so if you’re interested, you may want to check one out sooner rather than later.
Tesla plans on coming out with a sedan and a SUV. We can hardly wait. 1.888.51. Tesla www.teslamotors.com
By Two For The Road USA
 The ES 350 is Lexus’ midsize luxury sedan that replaced the third-generation ES 330 for the 2007 model year. The 2011 iteration offers more comfort, safety and performance features, and continues the sophisticated L-Finesse design that gives the ES a strong family resemblance to the beautiful LS sedan. The ES 350 is not what one would call a scintillating vehicle but it is a solid, dignified sedan and the ride is very comfortable. Handling is not sporty but it is solid and there’s no question that fit and finish is impressive, and the car is very quiet.
The test car came pretty well loaded out with Nav, the Panorama Roof, Adaptive Headlamps which actually swivel in the direction you’re turning, and SmartAccess keyless entry and starting. Another nice feature the car had was puddle lights that actually kick on, along with the interior lights, as you approach the car; very nice touches.
Inside you’ll find highly polished brown walnut or espresso bird's-eye maple wood trim accents on the doors, glove box and center console. These accents are also featured on the available wood-and leather-trimmed steering wheel and shift knob. There are also some nice chrome-finished touches featured throughout the cabin. Seats feature softer, higher-quality leather, resulting in an even suppler and more natural feel, or semi-aniline leather trim is available.
 The available 14-speaker 300-watt Mark Levinson® Premium Surround Sound Audio System is powered by a 10-channel amplifier and features a six-disc, in-dash DVD/CD auto-changer. It provides discrete 5.1-multichannel playback via a 7.1-channel speaker architecture. The element speakers include titanium tweeters and Neodymium subwoofer for a truer high-frequency response. The system also features a subwoofer, front-center and rear-corner surround-sound speakers and active sound balancing. I’m sure you get the idea, it is a fantastic system.
 Power comes from an all-aluminum quad-cam 24-valve V6 engine that puts out 268 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque and mated to an Electronically Controlled Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i), the ES350 has plenty of punch and decent passing power at speed. This combination gives the ES350 EPA ratings of 19 mpg in town and 27 mpg on the highway. While Lexus is renowned for their smooth engines, part of that smoothness comes from some 88 systems they use to control NVH or Noise, Vibration and Harshness. One system is liquid-filled motor mounts which are designed to absorb, dampen and cancel some vibrations before the reach the cabin. These engine mounts also have an active-control feature that detects the frequency of vibrations and emits a counter-frequency which cancels them out making for a very quiet smooth ride.
 Bottom line, if you want a mid-size sedan that offers a lot of luxury, comfort and style without breaking the bank, the ES350 may just fit the bill. Pricing starts and just over $36,000 pretty well loaded out. The base warranty on the ES350 is 48 months and 50,000 miles with a powertrain warranty of 72 month and 70,000 miles.
When I first saw the Juke sitting in my driveway the first thing I thought was how someone my age would look driving a Toon car. There really is no other way to describe it. Like the Pekinese it’s so ugly it’s almost cute. But what I quickly found out was that despite the looks, the Juke is pretty much the real deal.
I’m guessing the styling will be a love it or hate it proposition and I’m guessing the Millennial’s will pretty much love it but then again, my wife actually thought it was cute so we shall see. Inside is where I was most impressed. Despite being a manual adjust driver’s seat, I was able to find a driving position that worked well for me and the seat itself was surprisingly comfortable.
A pleasant surprise for me was the performance from the turbocharged 188 horsepower 1.6 liter Direct Injection 4-cylinder engine that’s mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission. It is one quick little car that surprised most everyone that rode with me. EPA numbers are 27/32 and while I didn’t check the mileage I’m thinking that if one drives moderately those numbers are pretty realistic.
A double surprise to me was how loaded out the test car was one, and two; virtually all the goodies were standard. I’m talking NavSystem with backup camera, leather appointed seats, leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, power moon-roof, Bluetooth phone system with steering wheel controls, cruise control, keyless entry and push button start, a sound system with an 8” Rockford Fosgate Subwoofer & Amp with mp3 and iPod connections just to name a few standard features.
It’s an interesting philosophy from Nissan to have all this as standard equipment on what I would consider an economy car so how much does it cost? The Juke FWD CVT bases at $23,050 and with extras of $95 for Stainless Steel Exhaust, $170 for floor mats, $390 for a roof spoiler and $750 destination charges the total on the tester came in at $24,455. There is also an AWD trim that bases at $24,550. The entry level Juke starts at $18.950. Base warranty is 36/36 with a 60 month 60,000 mile powertrain warranty.
 All in all I kinda got a kick out of my week in the Juke. There isn’t a lot of room for adults in the rear but hauling the grandkids around was no problem and front seat room is more than adequate. The Juke actually offers a bit of a fun quotient as it is after all, a little car that zips around corners relatively well and rides surprisingly taut without being harsh. I’m not sure I’d like to take it on a long trip but for scooting around town it’s not a bad ride. So, if you can get past the looks and the name, the Nissan Juke may work well for you if you’re looking for a grocery getter and kid hauler. Check it out, you may be as pleasantly surprised as I was.
Because of the growing focus on addressing the need for more fuel efficient vehicles I always find it interesting when I see a full size SUV sitting in my driveway as my tester for the week. While people I know realize it isn’t my vehicle I’m aware of the “what a moron” looks from people that are driving econoboxes or hybrids of some kind but the truth is, there are a significant number of families that need a full size SUV.
For those folks, the 2011 GMC Acadia is a great fit and if you can afford it, the AWD Denali is the way to go. You can seat up to 8 passengers in comfort with a decent amount of storage space behind the third row seats, all while getting 23 mpg on the highway with the surprisingly potent 288 horsepower 3.6L SIDI V6 engine mated to a smooth shifting 6-speed automatic transmission.
Some standard features on the Denali include leather seating surfaces, heated and cooled front seats, power seats, tri-zone climate controls, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, Bose audio system, ultrasonic rear parking assist, rearview camera, heads-up display and my favorite, remote start capabilities. Extras on my tester included the touch screen NavSystem with Nav Traffic and the entertainment system. All this doesn’t come inexpensively though, the base price on the AWD Denali is $45,220.00 and with the extras and destination the total came to $50,125.00.
 It goes without saying that the Denali is a great looking vehicle highlighted by the standard 20” inch wheel and tire combo to the honeycomb chrome grille. Inside the Denali is a study in luxury and comfort. The seating areas are plush and the ergonomics are well thought out. The 5-gauge instrument cluster includes a driver information center as well as an outside temperature indicator and a compass. Interior lighting features theater dimming, cargo compartment, reading lights for front seats, second-row reading lamps integrated into dome light, door-and tailgate-activated switches, and illuminated entry and exit feature. The entertainment system, includes a rear seat DVD player with 2 headrest-mounted 7-inch diagonal LCD monitors, dual built-in DVD players, 2 wireless headphones and wireless remote
 Clearly the strength of the Acadia Denali is traveling because to have this much room and comfort on the highway and get 23 or 24 miles to the gallon is a big issue. The big SUV handles like a dream, especially with the Denali’s ride and handling suspension. There’s very little body movement in turns with great feedback to the driver. The 288 horsepower engine moves the over 3 ton truck with ease and I never felt a lack of power when needed to enter freeways or passing at highway speeds.
It may not be politically correct but if you need a full sized SUV to haul the family around or to make trips from time to time, you’ll be hard pressed to find anything with more luxury and performance than the 2011 GMC Acadia AWD Denali.
Lots of bang for the buckBy Rod Zervakos Slowly but surely Kia Motors is steadily climbing its way up the automotive food chain. This is evident by their latest offering, the Kia Sportage EX, a striking little crossover vehicle that starts at $24,795 and with the NavSystem and Premium Package the test car still came in under $30k. If you would have put the name Kia and any price close to thirty thousand dollars in the same sentence 5 years ago you would have been laughed at or locked up. Not these days though. The Korean manufacturer has gone to great lengths to ensure they are delivering visually impactful vehicles that also offer class leading build quality and functionality.
 My tester, a 2011 EX AWD was loaded to the gills with all of the bells and whistles you would expect to see in a vehicle costing 2-3 times this amount, yet it stickered at $29,990. Leather, dual zone climate control, 6 speaker system with CD, MP3, SIRIUS Satellite, USB port, Bluetooth, Navigation, back up camera, heated AND cooled seats, panoramic sun roof are just some of the goodies packed in the test car. From behind the wheel you never have any doubt that you were piloting a worthy vehicle. Fit and finish are on par with some top tier vehicles and the interior design is clever and attractive. Ergonomically speaking everything was within reach and all of the controls are easily understood and intuitive.
 As always, there are some issues that I feel need addressing. It seems as though one of the core aspects of vehicles purchased by people in tax brackets I only wish I were in, is the amount of power the vehicles they buy produce. This is an area that the Sportage falls desperately short in. For a "small" crossover vehicle the Sportage is a porky little puppy and the anemic 2.7 liter in-line four is constantly struggling to keep pace with fellow travelers. Now, seeing as how this buggy, generally speaking, is not destined for that upper tax bracket buyer, I suppose its not that big of a deal but It certainly dampened my driving experience a little.
 While were on the subject of dampened driving experiences, I was a bit put off by the steering feel of the little 'UTE. Initially I thought it was a nice change of pace driving something with such a high steering effort but then I quickly realized there was a disconnect between driver input and vehicle reaction, something that took a bit of getting used to. Anyway, at the end of the day I think most buyers from soccer moms to suburb daddies will be hard pressed to find a better family hauler, optioned out like this one, for less money. As competitors you have your RAV4's and Nissan Rogues but in my opinion those just can't compete when it comes to styling and execution, two things that are vitally important when moving up that automotive food chain.
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The interior of the CTS-V Sport Wagon is shared with the sedan, including streamlined instrumentation, LED lighting and hand-cut-and-sewn accents. It comes with performance seats featuring perforated microfiber inserts designed to hold the driver and front passenger in place during cornering. The Recaro performance driving seats in the test car are optional and believe me; they provide excellent support for lively driving
Leading-edge infotainment features extend to the V-Series. Standard features include an advanced navigation system with a deployable screen, Bose 5.1 digital surround audio, factory-installed Bluetooth phone integration and a 40-gigabyte hard drive that allows the customer to store a large library of music files. The system uploads files via a USB port or the in-dash DVD/CD drive and allows stored tracks to be searched and selected through the radio controls.
