We take a closer look at some of the strengths of the all new 2007 Toyota Tundra. We get into the wheel well and inspect the new huge brakes with their four piston calipers. We examine the suspension, the chassis and more.
Video: Exploring 2007 Toyota Tundra Strengths
Here’s a short clip of Roadfly staffers burning some rubber at the press launch of the 2007 Sentra SE-R Spec V at Homestead Miami Speedway in Florida. With 200 horsepower, this little guy can smoke the front tires like a highly-tuned import drag racer. As you’ll see, handling is pretty darn good as well! Don’t try this at home, kids…you’re watching semi-professional idiots on a closed course.
Video: 2007 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V
Franz von Holzhausen, director of design of Mazda North America, is responsible for all the products that come from Japan to our U.S. dealers. He started at Mazda on February 21, 2005, and the members of WAPA had the opportunity to interact with him on his two-year anniversary with Mazda.
He has since designed the Kabura, Nagare, and Ryuga concept cars to name a few in his short time with Mazda. Starting at Volkswagen in 1992 until 2000, he worked on the new Beetle Concept 1, the Audi TT, and the transporter concept) and also contributed to the Jetta and the Golf. When von Holzhausen was at VW, it was during the design-driven era when people were getting interested in quality design again. After VW, von Holzhausen went to GM, where he took part in the design of the Pontiac Solstice, Chevy SS and the Saturn Sky.
One of the most discussed parts of his talk at the WAPA luncheon was Mazda’s new design concept of nagare (pronounced “na-ga-reh”), Japanese for ‘flow’, and the embodiment of motion and gesture, or as Mazda would say, the emotion of motion. Mazda has turned to nature to express these ideas and flow, i.e. Nagare, has become the design philosophy. The philosophy started with concept cars two years ago, in Tokyo, Frankfurt, and Detroit with the Kabura concept. Mazda is trying to offer great solutions for drivers that are not about destination A to B, but about adding experience, style and character in driving and the daily life of driving. Therefore, “Zoom-Zoom” is not only in the way the cars function but also in the way the cars look.
The Ryuga, Japanese for “gracious flow” reflects a higher level of sophistication through the use of rich fabrics, engineered fits and hidden details. The Ryuga is the second concept out of a four concept series. Ryuga is elegant and refined, but radiates spirit and edge while portraying unique Japanese beauty. The interior of the car, once you are past the Lava Red exterior, is an advanced and very sporty cockpit that allows for an exciting personal driving experience while also providing a relaxed lounge environment to chat and hang out with friends. The Ryuga also comes equipped with advanced LED and Fluorescent Tube technology, Blind Spot Monitoring, rear-view cameras and other active and passive safely technologies.
Recently, at the Geneva show, the Mazda Hakaze (the third concept car in the series) debuted, which was more of a realistic interpretation, i.e. closer to the production-feel package than the others. It is basically a mini-SUV with all the attributes of a roadster and a compact coupe. The Hakaze is about the size of a Mazda3 but with higher seating position and ability to really open up the roof. If you missed its debut in Geneva, you can look for it in April at the New York International Auto Show. The fourth concept car will be debuted in Tokyo later this year.
Five Minutes With Mazda’s Top Designer, Franz von Holzhausen
LB: What was your inspiration for the Ryuga?
FvH: The Ryuga is the second of a quartet of concept vehicles that we are debuting this year, the first one being the Mazda Nagare, which was shown in Los Angeles. They [the quartet of concept cars] are the continuation of the story of design philosophy that we’re communicating to the public. It is basically a reinvention of Mazda design. The inspiration comes from the overall theme of the Japanese Nagare, which means “flow”, which for Mazda means a kind of visual communication of Zoom-Zoom or the emotion of motion. We set out to try to capture, in a visual way, the feeling of movement and passion. Ryuga is the second vehicle that communicates this idea in a unique way. The specific inspiration for Ryuga, similar to Nagare, (the first car, Nagare is very much nature inspired) Ryuga is a little more of a man-made interpretation of Nature’s impression. So when you see the Ryuga, you see a little more architectural approach to it, not unlike the Japanese Zen-gardens, where you actually rake the sand, a man-made interpretation of the way wind blowing across water or as the wind blows across the desert sand. The Ryuga is really an attempt at being to look at ways of describing surface movement and surface flow.
LB: How do you see Mazda’s designs progressing in the future?
FvH: We’re just now launching this philosophy [of flow] and the beautiful part is that it is wide open, there is no constraints to it, I think the three vehicles that we have shown to date really show a broad range of ability to describe this kind of visual surface language. It is unique to Mazda now. We now own this phrase, since we somewhat coined the surface tension in the industry, that’s apart from everybody else. We’ve managed to make movement on the surface a kind of beautiful thing whereas in the past, “clean” was probably the word of choice. We’re going to continue with this philosophy because we are just now scratching the surface of possibilities where we can go with this.
LB: Do you feel the restraints of making a car that has mass appeal while also trying to make the next big leap in innovation?
FvH: Every designer is always trying to innovate and refresh and be new. With Mazda, we try to be provocative, new, fresh, sporty, youthful, all adjectives to describe our designs, but we are constantly looking for the freshest, newest way to develop a vehicle that are perfect for the market and for our target customers. Mazda is not like Toyota; we don’t have the volume of companies like Toyota or Honda in any of our vehicles, which is a good thing because we don’t have to bland down our designs for a mass-market appeal. We can be much more specific with our intentions and vehicles which is a unique feature of Mazda vehicles. They are not for everybody. They are for the type of person that is interested in the sporty feel and the representation of their more sporty and/or sophisticated character. That keeps us highly motivated, because a lot of us are automotive enthusiasts.
LB: What demographic did you have in mind for the Ryuga?
FvH: If you look at our demographics, we are the second-youngest OEM age group out there, only surpassed by Scion by half a year so median age of our buyers are lower than every other brand except Scion. We attend to keep them with the brand as they grow up. We’re offering products that the appeal to younger generations and we are also creating products that Gen y and even younger can aspire to.
Toyota raised the bar with their all new, full-size, made in America, pickup truck… the 2007 Toyota Tundra Double Cab.
Read the full truck review of the all new 2007 Toyota Tundra Double Cab.
Watch the full truck review video of the Toyota Tundra
For any fan of American cars, the 2007 Ford Edge is a vitally important vehicle. It’s Ford’s first foray into the arena of futuristic ‘crossover’ utility vehicles – tall unit-body cars that offer the practicality of a traditional truck-based SUV, but perform more like cars and get car-like fuel economy.
The main difference between a crossover and an SUV is that a crossover has a unit body, like a car, while traditional SUVs are body-on-frame vehicles based on pickup truck architecture. Ford’s Escape and Freestyle are crossovers, while its Explorer and Expedition are traditional SUVs.
Why do they need another crossover? Well, take a look at the Edge and you’ll quickly discover that it’s an entirely different animal than the Escape or Freestyle. The Escape takes on vehicles like the Jeep Liberty and Nissan Xterra (it’s even in the ‘SUV’ section on Ford’s website), and the Freestyle is, um, mature. On the other hand, the Edge clearly has the Nissan Murano and Toyota Highlander in its sights. Its stylish body and revvy V6 are clearly designed with pavement in mind, and it has full-time all-wheel-drive rather than conventional four-wheel-drive.
From the outside, the Edge is indeed edgy, for lack of a better word. It sports Ford’s new standardized corporate grille, which with its 3 angled chrome slats looks rather like a Gillette Mach3 razor blade. That grille abuts the car’s headlamps, which are angled strongly forward to give the car an aggressive look, despite its stubby hood. A high beltline augments this effect, and the modern look is finished off with 18-inch chrome wheels and the notoriously popular clear tail lamps. Our tester, a top-of-the-line SEL AWD, came equipped with the rear duckbill spoiler, a worthwhile add-on for any car with a lift gate.
Our tester, an Edge SEL Plus with AWD, came in a very cool color. The Carbon Metallic gray wasn’t as snazzy as the burnt orange featured in most of Ford’s press kits and TV commercials, but it was very Mad Max-ish. Add that to the fact that the Edge looks like a small urban assault vehicle, and you have a vehicle that none of our younger staffers felt silly or effete in.
The Edge is obviously targeted at such younger buyers, judging by the TV spots and the official Edge website that condescends prospective. This can be risky, as this demographic has proved time and time again that it does not like to be marketed to – remember the Pontiac Aztek? The product is the most important thing for younger buyers, and we think the Edge delivers. It looks brawny and aggressive, not cute or wacky.
Stepping inside the Edge is like climbing inside a concept car. The windows are huge in length, yet short in height. Interior room is generous, and our Edge’s “Vista roof” – a must-have option – bathed the cabin in natural light. The Edge is not a luxury car, yet we still found our tester relatively well appointed. We got leather, navigation, power-adjustable front seats, and some other doodads. This correspondent felt that the level of features was appropriate to the car’s mission, and if the Edge is not luxurious enough there is a Lincoln version called the MKX, which is being reviewed by Roadfly as you read this article.
Our Edge was well equipped, with leather, an excellent navigation system, and the pricey but essential “Vista Roof.” This is probably the best part of driving the Edge, and if we could only have one option this would be it. The Vista roof replaces most of the sheet metal on the Edge’s roof with glass, and from the inside it appears as two glass panels. The panel for the rear seat is fixed and does not open, as in most novelty roofs of this sort. However, the front panel does open, and it is huge. It’s easily twice as long as a conventional moonroof, and the combination of its sheer size and the low profile of the Edge’s windows give it the feel of a targa-top sports car.
The Vista Roof has three possible configurations: fully closed (glass panels and sunshades fully clamped), which we never used; sunshades open (used mostly when the Edge was parked), and fully open (what we used during most of our seat time). This roof truly makes the car, and so transforms the driving experience that we can’t imagine life without it. It has a one-touch opening, thankfully, since being twice as large as a conventional roof makes it twice as time-consuming to open. However, the button must be held down to close the roof all the way.
Despite the Vista Roof’s huge size, there are few penalties in terms of noise or turbulence. There is a stout windscreen, and zipping along Virginia’s Dulles Toll Road with the roof opened on a 40-degree night required only moderate usage of the car’s heating system. The Vista Roof is about 40% more expensive than a standard moonroof at $1,395, but the benefits far outweigh the costs. The Edge is probably double the fun when equipped with this option, so that’s a pretty good return, so to speak.
The Edge was the first vehicle Roadfly has tested that features Ford’s new V6, so we were eagerly awaiting the opportunity to let it stretch its legs a bit. The new dual-overhead cam motor displaces 3.5 liters, and in the Edge makes 265 horsepower at 6250 rpm and 250 pound-feet of torque at 4500 rpm. Those are great numbers, and Ford has finally produced an engine that can compete on equal footing with Japanese offerings.
That sense of vindication made it all the sweeter as we wound the Edge to its 6500rpm redline. Reaching sixty in around nine seconds, the Edge is not blindingly fast, but it feels so and is quicker than much of its competition. The new V6 makes all the right sounds, and never sounds thrashy or asthmatic. Its six-speed automatic is mapped pretty well, and it’s rare to catch the Edge flat-footed when you want to get up and go. Our only complaint is that the auto tranny lacks a manual-shift function, which we’d really like in a vehicle this sporty.
Handling is another pleasant surprise. We hear a lot of corporate-speak about this company or that company offering car-like ride and handling on an SUV, but the Edge really walks the walk. The ride is indeed smooth, and because the edge is still a very tall and heavy vehicle despite its crossover roots, we can forgive the occasional clopping over bumps or potholes. There is very little body roll in normal, everyday cornering situations, and the Edge stays flat in maneuvers that would have traditional SUVs howling in protest.
It’s also infinitely more composed on the highway than a truck-based SUV, with no shimmying, wandering, or otherwise worrisome behavior. We’ve always thought that driving a big, body-on-frame SUV above 80 miles per hour took equal helpings of bravery and stupidity, but an Edge driver will happily require neither. High-speed cruising is all in a day’s work for this able crossover, and we wouldn’t hesitate to pile in for a long trip.
Braking is not outstanding, but the pedal feels firm and progressive, which is important in a vehicle like this. It does weigh upwards of two tons, so don’t expect to smoke any Miatas at the autocross. Gas mileage is decent, at an EPA rating of 17 city/24 highway for our AWD model. Our observed mileage was a bit less all around, but only because we couldn’t get enough of hearing that V6 rev. At least you can fill it with regular 87-octane gas, which isn’t bad considering that other motors with similar horsepower-to-liter ratios (around 75hp/liter) need the premium stuff.
All in all, the Edge is a great car. We are enthusiastic about it as a vehicle in its own right, but more so about what it means for America. The news out of Detroit hasn’t been great lately, and the focus has not been on the products. We think the Edge will change all that. The car has only just hit the showrooms, but if it’s priced competitively it will sell. Simple as that. It offers levels of refinement that are at long last reaching those of Japanese competitors, with a uniquely American style. So hop in an Edge and crack the roof open. It’s springtime in Detroit.
The 2007 Toyota Tundra is one of those vehicles that provoke the same reaction no matter how many times you drive them. In the Roadfly office, that reaction was either a shaking head or a silly grin.
Why, you ask? Well…this is just an incredible vehicle. There’s no reason a full-size truck should be able to do what this thing does. Sometimes we just had to laugh in disbelief – it’s that good.
First of all, it looks good. Or, rather, bad. In a good way. There aren’t many vehicles out there that look as mean as this truck. You can see the Tundra coming a mile away, and armed with this intimidating presence it managed to accomplish something that few other vehicles in the world can.
With its massive grille and imposing stance, it shined a light of intimidation down I-66 like a beacon of hope. The I-66 slowpokes eagerly moved aside once their mirrors filled with the chrome Toyota logo of our tester. Now we have learned! Northern Virginia drivers respect only one thing… brute force. And apparently nothing delivers like the new Toyota Tundra.
Another thing it delivers is gobs and gobs of power. We just tested Toyota’s small SUV, the RAV4, which was pretty speedy with 269hp. But we really weren’t prepared for what lurked under the Tundra’s hood. Our Limited tester came with the top-of-the-line motor, a 5.7-liter unit that makes an eye-popping 381 horsepower at 5600rpm and 401 pound-feet at 3600rpm. The only 2007 full-size truck that even comes close is Chevy’s new Silverado, which makes 367 horsepower yet needs an extra .3 liters of displacement to do it.
Sure, that’s a lot of power. But you might have known that it’s also a very heavy truck, at a shade over 5,500 lbs. That doesn’t seem to bother the motor much, though. The Tundra is so powerful that achieving quick 0-60 acceleration times is made difficult. Standing starts in 2WD mode shredded the rear tires, muscle-car style, and returned a time of 7.01 seconds. Starting in 4WD took care of the traction issues, and the Tundra took off like a sprinter with a 0-50 time of 5.01. After 50 MPH, the drag of driving with all four wheels started to set in and the next 10 MPH took more than a full second. We played with the various traction control and limited slip electronic controls but unfortunately the Sun set before we figured out how to optimize the settings for a true and accurate 0-60 MPH run. The general consensus seems to be that the new Tundra goes from 0-60 MPH in about 6.5 seconds.
We’re sure that enterprising owners with an eye on the dragstrip can think of some way to get the Tundra to hook up. As the 0-50mph time shows, there is a ton of potential in this truck. It gets the power to the ground well enough; 6.5 seconds is very quick for a vehicle this heavy. But it has the juice to be much, much quicker.
“Sporty” was a word that came to our minds quite often when driving the Tundra. Unlike most of its competitors (as well as some aspiring sporty cars), the Tundra offers a six-speed automatic with a manual shift function. This 6-speed is the only available transmission with the 5.7L V8, and is exclusive to the bigger motor. It’s mounted on the console as opposed to the steering column, for an even sportier feel. The only drawback is that there is a bit of lag, as with most automatics. So given the ferocious manner in which the Tundra rips through its gears, we found ourselves bouncing off the rev limiter quite often. Finally, we figured out that the tranny needed a little bit of advance notice for an upshift, so we settled on tapping the lever forward when the needle was about 1000rpm short of redline.
Bopping around Northern Virginia this way got pretty addictive. Climbing the hill from I-66 to the Roadfly offices, the Tundra felt, sounded, and ate up pavement like a true muscle car. What’s more, despite being a full-size truck built for hauling, its handling was solid and predictable. We understand this might sound like a load of baloney. You might be thinking all those freebie Toyota-branded coffee mugs have compromised our objectivity. But just go drive one and see. You’ll find that this truck moves better than anything in its class, and better than a lot of things in sportier, lighter classes to boot.
Toyota has sunk a ton of money into marketing the Tundra, with gruff demonstrations of its prowess in the areas of acceleration and braking. The brakes are indeed superb, for a variety of reasons. Firstly, they stop you quickly when you’re going quickly. Standing on the brakes from any sane speed brings very little drama, and the pedal feel is firm and progressive. No mush here.
It doesn’t end there. Not only are the brakes great for hot-footing around with an empty payload, they promise to be outstanding on long drives with something large attached to the tow hitch. At Roadfly, we do a fair amount of towing, especially up and down the Pennsylvania Turnpike. This is an absolutely brutal trek for a truck’s braking system, as it features many changes in elevation. Adding 10,000 lbs. to the equation is murder. So, as with the rest of the Tundra, Toyota subscribed to the “bigger is better” philosophy. They stuffed 13.9-inch rotors on the Tundra’s hubs, and wrapped them in four-piston calipers.
What’s more, the Tundra’s braking system is ingeniously designed for ease of repair, so brake jobs will be faster and better on the wallet. The pads will come out easily with the use of a cut-out in the caliper, requiring a lot less futzing, and a complete brake pad change shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes per wheel.
We could spend all day talking about the Tundra’s towing and hauling capabilities. The towing ball is an easy-on, easy-off operation, and with the help of our tester’s backup camera, hooking our Tundra up to the trailer was a cinch. Towing capacity for our tester, a 4WD Limited with the Double Cab configuration and the 6.5-foot bed, was rated at 10,300 lbs. Our Tundra was equipped with the towing package, which includes a hitch receiver, pre-wiring for trailer brake controls, a cooler and temperature gauge for the transmission, and a 4.30 rear differential.
To complement this recipe for towing excellence, our Tundra was equipped with a set of “Tow Mirrors”, giving it the most massive set of mirrors we’ve seen on a full-size passenger pickup. The tow mirrors feature integrated turn signals, heated lenses, and a convex mirror at the bottom of the housing. They extend by about 3 inches, but even when not extended you can see pretty much anything you might be towing. How much does Toyota want for this excellent set of mirrors? In a welcome reversal of convention, opting for the tow mirrors will knock $210 off your Tundra’s sticker.
Our Tundra also came with a very neat option that made hauling large, heavy objects a snap. The “bedliner with rails” option features a system of anchors and rails for tie-down straps. These little anchors can be moved laterally within a groove on the vertical sides of the Tundra’s bedliner, in order to accommodate items of all different shapes and sizes. At $345, it’s a no-brainer if you even think you might have to haul around shifting cargo. And with the Tundra’s payload of 1,560 lbs., it’s a good bet that you will.
There’s also a tailgate-assist feature, which was a standard feature on our truck. Basically, you just open the tailgate and let go, and it will fall down softly. We also got a cold-weather package, which for a measly $100 gets you a heavy-duty battery and starter, heavier anti-corrosion protection, and a windshield wiper de-icer.
Despite all this rugged functionality, the Tundra’s cabin is actually a pretty fine place to be. Standard on our Limited were leather seats, with power adjustability and heating functions for the front. Our tester had the “Double Cab” option, which is halfway between Toyota’s base regular cab and its most spacious “Crewmax.” The double cab has two conventionally hinged rear doors, which are slightly smaller than the full-size ones on the Crewmax. I am six-foot-three and, once I adjusted the drivers’ seat to my liking, I could sit in the back seat with no issues.
The controls have a high-quality feel, with a black lacquer over much of the center console for a futuristic feel. The navigation system is great, primarily because it features a touch-and-drag function like Google Maps or other computerized mapping programs. In a neat touch, the screen also pops out and pivots to reveal the slot for the 4-disc CD changer. That changer was part of the navigation package, which equips the Tundra with (in addition to the excellent nav system and backup camera) a ten-speaker audio system, an eight-channel amplifier and subwoofer, Bluetooth, an auxiliary audio jack, and steering wheel controls for the audio system. The package costs $1,650, but that’s a ton of gizmos for your buck.
Any full-size truck sold in the American market is measured by its capabilities as a work vehicle. And in this area, as in every other, the new Tundra excels. The armrest in our truck was huge, and had a tray with a little sign on it that read “remove for file storage.” We removed the tray, and sure enough there was enough depth for a full set of hanging file folders, as well as a little lip to hang them from.
There is also a narrow storage compartment in the center, alongside the cupholders, and its rubber top peels off and stows neatly underneath the armrest lid. It’s little touches like these that make the Tundra an outstandingly practical machine. The armrest is so cavernous that it’s literally laughable, and could probably double as a poker table in a traffic jam.
There is so much to say about this new truck that we could fill an entire website. From the massive V8 and stupendous brakes to the comfy cabin to the hassle-free bed, Toyota has upped the ante on all truck manufacturers, be they domestic or foreign. If pickup trucks are continuously evolving and improving, and this is the best truck on the market today, we can see an argument for this being the most capable full-size pickup ever made.
As you might expect, you get what you pay for. Fully loaded Toyotas aren’t exactly the blue-light specials they once were, and our 4×4 Limited Double Cab carried a starting MSRP of $38,550. Added to that were the navigation package, the optional 20″ alloy wheels at $920, and a couple of other doodads that pushed the sticker for our tester to $42,623. Not exactly cheap. We’ll see what kind of response this triggers from the rest of the field, and how much more equipment and space can be jammed into this segment. Re-designs for the competition have happened within the last year or two for the most part, so Toyota has leapfrogged everybody and should stay at the top of this competitive segment for quite some time.
The Volvo XC90 is a special kind of sport utility vehicle. It’s not really for everyone; so if you’re after a boring, assimilating crossover utility, you better look somewhere else.
For starters, the XC90 is a looker as far as SUVs go. There’s a lot of Volvo sedan heritage everywhere, a trick the Europeans have been using for years to establish common DNA in their lineups.
The front features the trademark rectangular lamps and oblong grille, with a long, bulging hood resembling that of Volvo’s big-daddy S80. The fenders are punched out from the hood in a pronounced crease that travels the length of the car, making the XC90 appear longer and meaner than it really is.
The rear end of the XC90 resembles that of Volvo’s impregnable station wagons, with tail lamps that arc all the way up the C-pillar, terminating only at the car’s roof. It’s a nifty and singular look–the lights border the glass for the CX90′s bisected lift gate. We can’t think of any other full-size SUV that uses this visual effect, and it really catches the eye.
There have been some subtle changes made to the XC90′s exterior for 2007, mostly involving the lamps and bumpers. The overall shape of the lamps is the same, but the housings are slightly different. Unless you’re a Volvo connoisseur, you won’t be able to tell the difference, but it does look cleaner when compared side-by-side with the 2006 model.
There’s bigger news under the hood. For 2007, the XC90′s base motor comes right out of the new S80. The 3.2-liter inline-six makes 235 horsepower at 6200 rpm and 236 lb.-ft of torque at 3200 rpm, and is mated to the XC90′s six-speed automatic. From a sporting standpoint, we’d have preferred the old top-dog motor–the 268-hp 2.9L twin-turbo in-line six–or the newest, the 4.4L V8 from the XC90 Sport that pumps out 311 hp.
Our tester XC90 was a bit heavier than an S80, at 4,600 lbs., so although it was nimble and responsive once it got going, it didn’t quite have the low-end grunt of the V8 model. However, the new six is about as light as Volvo’s old inline-fives, so we were impressed from the standpoints of packaging and efficiency. Fuel economy is good for a near-5,000-lb. Vehicle, at an EPA rating of 16 city/24 highway.
However, the real story with the XC90, as with any Volvo, is safety. That’s what you’re paying for here, and that’s what you get. The XC90 has an alphabet soup of safety systems, such as RSC (Roll Stability Control), ROPS (Roll Over Protection System), SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) and WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System) for the front two seats, just to name a few.
In the event of a potential rollover, Roll Stability Control uses a gyro sensor that calculates the speed and angle of body roll. To prevent the rollover in the first place, the stability control system is activated. If the XC90 does roll over, the inflatable airbag curtain deploys over all three rows of seats. The safety theme continues with an army of side airbags for the heads and torsos of all outboard occupants. Every seat gets seatbelt pre-tensioners.
Standard safety items include a tire-pressure monitoring system and Volvo’s “On Call” system. Similar to GM’s guardian angel OnStar, On Call uses GPS to track your XC90′s exact location in the event of an emergency. You can push a button for a Volvo operator for any kind of routine assistance (driving directions, for example), or hit the SOS button in the event of a more serious emergency. If the XC90 is involved in any event that triggers the seatbelt pre-tensioners or airbags, On Call will immediately notify the operator. If that operator can’t reach you in the car, On Call will dispatch emergency services to your exact GPS location.
Optional safety equipment ranges from 15-degree-swiveling bi-xenon headlights (which our tester had) to a system called BLIS (Blind Spot Information System, which we didn’t get). BLIS monitors the XC90′s blind spots, and uses a system of indicator lights to warn the driver if any other vehicles enter them.
If the laundry list of options doesn’t sway you, the XC90′s saftey test results might. Our XC90 earned five stars (out of a possible five) for protection of the driver and four stars for the front passenger In NHTSA (National Highway and Transit Safety Administration) frontal-impact crash tests. It scored a perfect five-star rating across the board in side-impact tests, and was named a “Best Pick” in IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) frontal-offset crash testing.
All rows of seating get an inflatable-curtain airbag system. This is a good thing because we’re betting that the XC90′s excellent third row will get a lot of use since it can accommodate adults as well. Many manufacturers offer a third row, but the XC90′s is plush and easily accessible. For easy cargo loading, it folds completely flat. The second row and the front passenger seat fold nearly flat as well.
You can view the 2007 Volvo XC90 video and many other vehicles on YouTube
There are some other neat tricks in the XC90′s interior. The center console has an array of cup holders and compartments, and the entire thing is removable. There is also a sliding center booster cushion in the second row for smaller children.
The cabin is typical of Scandinavian cars–sensible and intuitive, rather than flashy. The interior materials are of high quality, but the keyword here is restraint. Some might wonder why the cabin isn’t awash in funky-colored lights from multiple displays, but Volvo has obviously placed a premium on function over fashion with the XC90.
The family-friendly character permeates every inch of the XC90. It does give up a little ground in areas like acceleration and interior glamour, but there are few vehicles on the road that inspire as much confidence as this Swedish brick house.
The MSRP for a base XC90 is $36,135. Metallic paint ($475), the trick headlights ($800), and all-wheel-drive ($1,850) pushed it a bit higher, and that’s not including the options packages. The Premium Package, which included the moonroof, power passenger seat, leather, and in-dash 6-CD changer, added three grand.
The Versatility Package, which got us the third row and its own AC system, the center booster in the second row, and the self-leveling suspension, ran $2,250. Our grand total was $45,200, including destination charges and all that jazz. Not cheap, but for buyers primarily concerned with the safety of their children, there isn’t a better SUV on the road
BMW released pictures of their newest M variant V8 engine this morning. This new high-revving engine is slated to power the first ever V8 M3. The all new M3 Concept Car was unveiled a couple of weeks ago at the Geneva Auto Show. The new M3 featuring this all new V8 engine should be unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September 2007 as a 2008 model.
Here are some bullet points of the car and engine specifications.
• First eight-cylinder for the BMW M3 sports car.
• Supreme performance ensured by 309 kW/420 hp from 4.0 litres.
• Maximum torque of 400 Newton-metres (295 lb-ft) at 3, 900 rpm,
85 per cent of maximum torque over a speed range of 6,500 rpm.
• Unique thrust and muscle ensured by consistent implementation of the M high-speed engine concept, maximum engine speed 8,300 rpm.
• Consistent lightweight construction of engine and ancillary units,
new V8 power unit one of the lightest eight-cylinders in the world,
lighter than the straight-six power unit in the former model.
• Variable camshaft control, low-pressure double-VANOS for an
optimum charge cycle, system offering full power and performance even with normal engine oil pressure.
• Eight individual throttle butterflies for spontaneous engine response.
• Consistent and reliable oil supply with longitudinal and lateral acceleration up to 1.4 g ensured by two oil pumps and wet sump oil lubrication optimised for supreme dynamic behaviour.
• Exhaust system optimising cylinder charge, optimised for weight and function by means of internal high-pressure remoulding, exhaust emissions fulfil EU4 and LEV 2 standards.
• Upgraded MSS60 engine control unit for optimum coordination of all engine functions with the various control systems in the car.
• Ion flow technology recognising and distinguishing engine knocking phenomena as well as misfiring and miscombustion by measurement of ion flow in the combustion chambers.
• Brake Energy Regeneration with intelligent alternator control.
Feature/entity 2nd engine of the M engine family Fuel Otto RON 98 (95) Max output hp (kW) 420 (309) at min–1 8,300 Max torque Nm 400 at min–1 3,900 Max engine speed min–1 8,400 Stroke mm 75.2 Bore mm 92.0 Displacement cm3 3,999 Distance between cylinders mm 98 Cylinder arrangement 8-cylinder V-engine Valve plate diameter, intake mm 35.0 Valve plate diameter, outlet mm 30.5 Compression ratio 12.0 Fuel injection Intake pipe fuel injection Fuel injection pressure bar 3–6 Average combustion chamber pressure bar 12.6 Maximum combustion chamber pressure bar 100 Engine weight to BMW standard kg 202 Output per litre hp/L 105 Power-to-weight ratio kg/kW 0.65 Crankcase Aluminium Valvetrain Infinite camshaft adjustment and hydraulic valve clearance adjustment for intake and outlet (double VANOS)
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For some of us here at Roadfly, the 2007 Lincoln MKZ was one of the most anticipated vehicles of the year. We’ve reviewed a good number of Fords lately, and have raved especially loudly about the new corporate 3.5-liter V6 found in the Blue Oval’s crossover utility vehicles. We’ve sampled it in the Ford Edge and its twin, the Lincoln MKX, as well as Mazda’s CX-9 – now it was time to experience it in a true sports sedan.
This stellar motor has already gotten attention, winning a spot on Ward’s AutoWorld’s list of the automotive world’s 10 Best Engines. It makes 263 horsepower at 6250rpm, and 249 lb.-ft. at 4500 rpm. What’s significant about this 2007 MKZ has everything to do with this excellent powerplant, and not much to do with its new name.
In 2006, the MKZ was called the Zephyr, Lincoln’s version of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, an excellent front-wheel-drive sedan based on the Mazda 6. It was a handsome car to be sure, but was powered by Ford’s venerable Duratec V6. At 3.0 liters and 221 horsepower, it’s a fine motor, for a Focus perhaps. But today’s buyer demands more. So for 2007, the Zephyr became the MKZ, and got the 3.5.
The only way to get this rip-snorting engine teamed with this wonderful chassis is to buy an MKZ – the Fusion and Milan soldier on with the Duratec. We think this discrepancy should be addressed, and hope Ford will see the light sooner or later. This is a world-class motor and should be offered in every car the company makes (can you imagine a 263-hp Focus?).
For now, we’ll take what we can get. Our tester MKZ arrived in a color called alloy, which is basically a very dark charcoal grey. The interior was decked out in ebony leather and dark wood, all making for a very handsome combination. The mirrors are chrome, adding a very American touch to a car that would not look out of place on the German autobahn. Standard 17-inch chrome wheels, chrome exhaust tips, and dazzling halogen headlamps complete the package. This is the best-looking sedan to come out of Detroit since the original Taurus in 1986. The front fascia has been updated slightly to coincide with the new name, and the MKZ looks much more aggressive than the pretty Zephyr.
Like all Lincolns, the cabin of the MKZ is upscale, and features the now-characteristic double-hooded dashboard found in the MKX and Navigators we’ve tested this year. Between the hoods is a simple yet elegant dashboard finished in satin nickel, which tapers down gradually and surrounds the shift lever. The navigation system, climate controls, and general functions are well laid out and intuitive, in contrast to the confusing consoles of many German cars that come through our offices. Every button on the MKZ’s console and steering wheel is back-lit with purplish-white LEDs, so even at night, you can clearly see every single one. In addition to being practical, it just looks damn good.
The MKZ features the same square chrome door handles found in other Lincolns, a nice touch with a ton of tactile heritage. Door-mounted controls (windows, mirrors, locks) are done in the same satin finish as the center console. We’ve used “consistent” to describe Lincoln interiors before, and that’s what they are. You can tell you’re in a Lincoln, and a strong brand identity is what separates the best from the rest.
The strong lines and sharp edges continue out back, where the Zephyr’s rear-end treatment carries on largely unchanged (thankfully). Here, too, a strong brand identity had been developed, and the LED tail lamps are unmistakable Lincoln – stretching from the corners of the car inward, with a white lens for the turn signals surrounded by traditional red. However, one of the MKZ’s major flaws is located on this end. It’s nearly impossible to open the trunk without dirtying your hands. Unless, of course, your car is spotlessly clean. The lid is flush with the bumper, and only moves a tiny bit when opened remotely, so your hands will touch the bumper as you grab at it.
Once underway, the MKZ lived up entirely to our expectations. Our tester, weighed in at just 3762 lbs. despite being equipped with AWD – a good 700 lb. lighter than the MKX. Estimates for the MKZ’s 0-60mph acceleration are in the mid-six-second range, and we think that’s about right. This is a fine motor, and past 4000rpm it revs with the best of them.
The MKZ isn’t as nimble as, let’s say, a BMW 3-series, but it absolutely blows away anything Detroit has put out in recent years that isn’t a compact or . We can’t think of anything that holds a candle to it that doesn’t have a V8, two doors, and a much bigger pricetag. “Sports sedan” isn’t exactly the right phrase to describe this MKZ, since it has a luxurious image to uphold, but it’s more than halfway there.
What could complete the transformation from nimble luxury sedan to a full-on sporting sled? For starters, the MKZ is crying out for a bit of variety in the transmission department. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the current six-speed automatic, which shifts smoothly and allows the MKZ to rev hard and fast. But there’s no manual shift option, and this is the only available transmission.
Lincoln’s now-dead LS sedan had a manual transmission, and we don’t see any reason why this car shouldn’t. It would allow Lincoln to further lower the starting price by a grand or so, and an all-wheel-drive MKZ with a six-speed manual would attract a kind of buyer that Lincoln probably hasn’t even thought about – younger guys, looking for something along the lines of a 3-series, who are wary of German reliability questions, are cost-averse, or want to buy American for patriotic reasons. Sporting buyers want to shift for themselves, and Lincoln might be pleasantly surprised at what kind of crowd it would bring in if that were an option.
That’s really the only other flaw in what is otherwise a fantastic machine. We certainly can’t complain about price – the front-wheel-drive Z starts at just $29,235, and our AWD tester’s MSRP was $31,105. A heating and cooling function for the front seats (incredibly handy for March weather in the DC metro area) added $495, as did HID headlamps. Six months of Sirius satellite radio rang in at $195, also the exact price of the satin/aluminum interior package that accounted for our car’s refined cabin. The navigation system, which at $2,500 buys you an automatic no-charge bump to the THX sound system, brought the grand total to $34,925. The Zephyr sold well at this price point, and we see no reason why the MKZ will do anything differently.
When it was introduced in 2003, the Chrysler Pacifica was a groundbreaking vehicle. It drew on minivan and SUV heritage, and was one of the first crossover utility vehicles to hit the market.
Three years into its run (although it seems like much longer), the Pacifica faces a much larger field than it did on its debut. American CUVs like the Ford Edge have popped up, and frequent Japanese redesigns of their crossover offerings have made the market extraordinarily competitive.
One might expect the Pacifica to have fallen behind, but it’s too focused a vehicle to suffer such a fate. Even with the explosion of crossovers of all stripes in the American market, the Pacifica still stands out as a singular vehicle with a particular mission. Plus, for 2007 there have been a host of changes with the apparent goal of staying current with the newly burgeoning field of competing vehicles.
At first glance, the Pacifica has received a subtle re-skinning. The headlamps have a more modern contour to them, and there is a new hood, grille, and front bumper. There are new wheel options, and many mechanical upgrades as well.
The most notable of these is a new drivetrain. Our tester, a Pacifica Touring AWD model, came with a 4.0L V6 mated to a six-speed automatic. This new top-of-the-line motor makes 253 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 262 lb.-ft of torque at 4200 rpm, an increase of 35 and 15 respectively over the Pacifica’s old 3.5L V6. Despite its newfound power and the Pacifica’s 4500-lb. curb weight, this powertrain still delivers respectable fuel economy, with a government rating of 16 city mpg/24 highway mpg.
The six-speed replaces the old four-speed, and brings with it all the changes you can expect with the addition of two extra gears. Lower rpm for the same vehicle speed means less noise, less vibration, and more flexibility and precision when accelerating and cruising. The new transmission can also accommodate more torque at launch – 30 per cent more than the four-speed, to be exact – so acceleration from a dead stop is miles ahead of Pacificas past.
All Pacificas are equipped with Chrysler’s AutoStick transmission, which can be shifted manually by dragging the shifter all the way down into the bottom of the gate, then tapping it right for upshifts, and left for downshifts. The AutoStick was among the first automatics to feature a manual shift function, so we respect its credibility. However, we think it might be time to retire the iconoclastic left-to-right shift pattern for a more conventional fore-and-aft pattern.
Chrysler says its typical Pacifica buyer is a married woman between thirty-five and fifty, with a household income over $85,000 and children living in the house that are older than ten years. This seems dead-on; the Pacifica is extremely family-friendly, yet not as good for small children (car seats, crying, and diapers) as a minivan would be. For this consumer, the Pacifica offers the utility of an SUV, the interior characteristics of a minivan, with performance that is focused on the road rather than the trail.
Our Pacifica in particular was a cruiser extraordinaire. It had two rows of captain’s chairs, decked out in better-quality leather than we expected. In a nod to the somewhat more mature children this car will be carrying, the Pacifica had a cool tunnel of stuff running through the first two rows, eschewing the flat, empty floors of minivans in favor of a more luxurious, accommodating cabin. The Pacifica also has a hidden compartment in the load floor behind the third row for added security, a feature found only on the industry’s top minivans.
In the second row of our well-equipped Pacifica, the tunnel held the heating and air conditioning controls, cup holders, and the headphones and remote control for the roof-mounted entertainment system. Right below the vents, there is an outlet for portable electronic devices. The first and second rows of seats are both heated, too, as part of the Customer Preferred Package that also included heated mirrors, adjustable pedals, a power lift gate, and a year of SIRIUS Satellite Radio among other things.
The Pacifica is built for a slightly mature family to cruise in maximum comfort and safety. The convenience features in our tester were just popping out of every nook and cranny. Chrysler thought of just about everything; even the rear windows were auto-down, and the fronts were auto-up as well.
There was a back-up camera to make things even more effortless, part of our navigation option that bundled the camera and navigation together. And this brings us to our only gripe with the Pacifica. The navigation screen is actually located inside the instrument panel, rather like the nav screen on the new Mini Cooper. It’s a neat touch, but it’s not without its downsides. The screen is actually a projection, and is reflected onto the plastic covering for the instrument panel. That compromises visibility in very bright light, and also means that the driver is the only person that can see the screen. It’s a very neat packaging touch, and we respect Chrysler’s daring in executing what is almost a heads-up navigation display, but we’d prefer a more traditional console-mounted screen, as the heads-up style precludes any touch-screen capability and makes it impossible for a passenger to control.
Otherwise, we were pleasantly surprised at all levels by the Pacifica. It’s a versatile vehicle, with loads of room and features. True to its family-friendly mission, it has been rated highly by the authorities. In 2006, it was awarded “best pick frontal” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The 2007 now has a five-star rating for front and side crash testing, thanks to its staggering level of standard safety equipment, including side curtain air bags for all rows, traction control, stability control, and ABS at all four corners.
Despite its passenger-centric focus, the Pacifica is a very handy vehicle for towing and hauling. Towing capacity for all Pacificas is 3,500 pounds, and the second and third rows of our Pacifica folded completely flat to make a totally flat load floor. How is this possible for a car equipped with a second row of captain’s chairs? In a neat little touch reminiscent one would normally associate with the Japanese, the left passenger’s captain’s chair has a carpeted panel on its back that swings outwards when the seats fold, to protect the center console and enhance the Pacifica’s hauling chops.
Chrysler has created a singular vehicle in the Pacifica, and thanks to a few updates inside and out, it’s able to stay competitive in a field that’s pushing the envelopes of technology, safety, and do-everything capability. Our Pacifica offered a multitude of options and features, all-wheel-drive, and the feeling of driving a bank vault for just $36,990 as tested. With a starting price of $29,950, the Pacifica presents an outstanding bargain for families seeking a true jack-of-all-trades. Minivans can’t compete with its ride, handling, style, and performance, and SUVs can’t match its ease of ingress and egress, fuel economy, and its generally friendly demeanor. The Pacifica may be somewhat quirky, but it truly represents the best of American ingenuity.
When the 2007 Lincoln Navigator L trawled into Roadfly’s parking lot, this correspondent was struck at how audacious Lincoln was to produce such a vehicle. This shock was not due to its size or environmental footprint–both of which are, well, uniquely American–but to its appearance. This was truly a wild-looking truck. It might seem odd to begin a review with a discussion of a car’s appearance, but style really was the big story with this all-new Navigator.
Between the Navigator’s massive headlights, there is a sea of gleaming metal. The grille has 56 slats and sixteen sections stacked in two rows, and it is crested by a chrome shield for the originating point of a broad hood bulge that reaches to the windshield. The entire chromed-out ensemble combines to form a huge blinding hexagon of extravagance.
Then, there’s the second grill, set into the Navigator’s bumper. This one has twelve sections of three slats each in a single row, and incorporates the Navigator’s foglamps. There’s more chrome on the side-view mirrors, and on the door handles. There’s also a chrome strip that fills the space between the truck’s wheel wells. “What’s the big deal about a chrome strip?” one might ask, remembering that Cadillac’s new Escalade has one too. Well, the Navigator’s is as thick as an oar.
Rear-end treatment is equally unconventional. Textbook SUV design has traditionally called for tail lamps that extend on a vertical axis, but the Navigator’s extend horizontally towards the license plate holder, firmly establishing a connection between the Navigator and the rest of Lincoln’s lineup.
Your humble correspondent is at a loss for words to explain why so many of Detroit’s sedans are sedate, mundane, or just totally misguided, yet their trucks and SUVs continue to push the envelopes of performance, styling, and features. Today’s SUVs–particularly the luxury varieties–are the heirs to Detroit’s legacy of flashy excess. Gargantuan proportions, acres of chrome, and honking V8 motors–it’s the 1950′s all over again.
However, a different era came to mind when we climbed inside the Navigator L’s massive cabin. This styling effort takes even bigger cojones than the swath of chrome outside. I felt right at home inside the Navigator, and only after playing with the switches and stretching out on the leather seats (which feel more like a nice soft bomber jacket than a seat) did I understand why. I’m a Ford man, and so was my Dad, and so was his Dad. This 2007 Navigator manages to channel the spirit of the Lincolns of the 1980′s that I crawled around in as a toddler, and does so in a very un-subtle manner. This was a big risk for Lincoln, and whoever penned this new cabin deserves a round of applause. It’s a “love it or hate it” thing, no doubt about it.
We are accustomed (by now) to the retro craze that has swept the American car landscape, with the resurrection of old names like GTO, Shelby, Thunderbird, and Camaro. So far, we’ve been re-living the sixties and seventies behind the wheel, but a new 80′s revival has been taking root in music, television, and fashion–industries with much better responsiveness to perpetually changing American consumer tastes. Car companies, with their much longer product cycles and massive focus-group bureaucracies, have not caught up…until now.
Most every detail of the ’07 Navigator’s interior screams “Eighties!”. Aside from the control dials, there isn’t a rounded edge in sight–everything is squared off, including the very retro (we need to find a new word) double-hooded dash. In a neat packaging touch, the center channel for the Navigator’s surround-sound system fills the space between the hoods. The door handles are square and chrome, a design touch that hasn’t been seen in a new car since this writer was in diapers.
The gauges are part of this polarizing design motif. The current standard of two big circles with evenly laid-out intervals has been discarded, in favor of staggered numerical intervals clustered loosely around the needles, all contained in a square, chrome-trimmed housing. The execution of every little detail, from the typeface of the gauges to the finish of the needles, falls perfectly in line with the rest of the car. Love it or hate it, this is the most consistent aesthetic we have seen on the interior of a car in quite some time.
One thing we absolutely loved was the seating surface in the Navigator. Competitors like the Escalade offer leather that is soft and smooth, but there is something extra about the hide used in the Navigator. It has an organic feel, like a well-worn bomber jacket. Perhaps it’s the way the leather is tanned, or maybe the way it is stretched over the seats. It doesn’t feel as tightly pulled as other manufacturer’s leather does, and is much easier to sink into and get comfortable in, more like a well-broken-in office chair or leather couch.
It smelled and looked great, and scratched a tactile itch like few other cars can. The black leather, in another daring yet wonderful paean to the 80s, was adorned with brown piping. Piping is a lost art in modern car crafting, and is mostly relegated to hyper-luxury European cars these days. It provided the perfect finishing touch to our Navigator’s interior, and it made this behemoth especially hard to part with.
True to Lincoln form, there is a ton of standard equipment. Our Navigator had a couple cool standard features that were especially welcome in an SUV of this size. There is a real honest-to-goodness auxiliary climate control system for the rear, in addition to the dual zones up front. Lincoln’s climate-control system is among the easiest to operate in the industry, and is standardized across the vehicle lineup.
There are also standard power-deployed running boards, which are options on most of the Navigator’s competitors. And the rear windows swing open with the touch of a button for extra ventilation of the Navigator’s substantial greenhouse.
“Not for everyone” describes the Navigator perfectly. It sports the most unconventional design on the US market today, and we’re not just talking about SUVs. We think that other manufacturers will follow suit, because the automotive industry is in dire need of some fresh looks. Now, since we’ve spent so much time talking about the Navigator’s strongest suit, which is aesthetics across the board, we must mention the few things that could use improvement.
First of all, we know it’s a truck so we’ll excuse things like the Navigator’s vague steering and brakes since they are pretty much standard for full-size trucks and SUVs. Our tester stopped and turned just fine for a vehicle this big, but there wasn’t a lot of feedback when doing it. However, this is not a sports car or even a crossover SUV, and its limits must be respected. On-center feel for the steering isn’t great, and small inputs require greater efforts than larger ones but turning radius is excellent for a vehicle this large so we’ll take it.
You can also view the video for the 2007 Lincoln Navigator L on YouTube.
The Navigator’s main competitor is the Cadillac Escalade. They are the only two hyper-luxury SUVs coming out of Detroit, and as such offer a uniquely American package to the buyer. The Escalade has just been redesigned as well, and we sampled both regular and long-wheelbase versions of that SUV recently.
In terms of size, the Navigator L splits the difference between the regular Escalade and the 7300-lb. Escalade EXT (think Chevy Suburban-size) pretty neatly. The bigger Escalade is just monstrous, so if you really need more space than your standard full-size SUV offers (God only knows why) we think this long-wheelbase Navigator is a good balance.
The Navigator also gives up some ground to the Escalade under the hood. As of now, the only engine choice is Ford’s trusty 5.4-liter V8 that makes 300 horsepower at 5,000rpm and 365 lb-ft. of torque at 3750 rpm. The Escalade’s 6.2L makes 403 and 417, comparatively. 100 horsepower is a big gap, but the Navigator’s V8 is still lively and makes fun sounds above 4,000 rpm or so. The 6-speed automatic transmission in the Navigator L makes good use of those ponies, and we didn’t think of it as particularly slow considering that it weighed 6221 lbs. Lincoln could shore up the Navigator’s power deficit by stuffing in the 5.4L supercharged unit from the old SVT Lightning, or a V10 from one of its larger trucks for extra bragging rights.
Our Navigator L tester carried a base price of $51,655–a couple grand less than the starting price of a regular-wheelbase Escalade AWD. We got a $4,450 “Elite Package”, which includes the Premium Appearance and Entertainment Packages. That will give you the excellent rear-seat entertainment package, which is attractive and functional, folding down from the ceiling of the Navigator. Most importantly, you get Lincoln’s excellent and easy-to-use navigation system, which pushes it into the ‘must-have’ category.
Lincoln also threw in the “Ultimate Package,” which was a bargain at $2,000. This gets you the moonroof, the power folding third row of seats, and a heating and cooling function for the front seats. You also get a power-operated liftgate, which can be operated from the key fob. This last group of options made life in the Navigator much easier, and we don’t know how we’d do without them.
Last on the list of upgrades are the Navigator’s 20-inch chrome wheels. At $1,495, they’re not cheap, but they do complete the look. The chrome accent on the hood adds a measly $50–a no-brainer if there ever was one.
When it was all said and done, our Navigator L topped out at $61,120. That’s not exactly chump change, but it will buy you a super-sized, loaded-to-the-gills example of the most distinctive, most aesthetically daring full-size American SUV of all time.
Car-based, ‘crossover’ utility vehicles are the future of SUVs – any observer of the automotive world can see that. They offer better performance and economy than traditional truck-based SUVs, and Japanese manufacturers have been mining car-based gold for years.
Detroit has finally turned its sights on this lucrative market segment, and this year there are a slew of new offerings from American manufacturers. The Lincoln MKX is the much-anticipated offering from Ford Motor Company’s luxury division, powered by Ford’s all-new corporate V6 and sharing its underpinnings with the new Edge crossover.
The staff here at Roadfly loved the Edge. Lincolns are typically more refined and luxurious than their Ford counterparts, but seldom have they been more exciting. But things are changing now. The Lincoln Navigator is truly one of the wildest, glitziest vehicles on the road, outshining (literally) its little brother, the Ford Expedition, in every way. The MKX performs a similar upstaging on the Edge.
Compared with its blue-oval sibling, the MKX has turned the bling meter up to eleven. The first thing we noticed was its tail lamp assembly, which gives the MKX one of the sexiest butts on the road today. It is swathed in light, and must be seen at night to be truly appreciated. There is a massive amount of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), creating an image of red-hot heating coils strapped to the MKX’s rear end. We said that the Edge was like a concept car on the inside, but the MKX looks the part on the outside too. It came in a deep purple color called “dark amethyst,” which contrasted well with its red-hot tail lamps and expansive chrome grille.
Our MKX had a sticker on the visor that read “Pre-production,” which means that small details could change. One thing we hope to see on the final version is the frisky powertrain from our test vehicle. For some reason, this car felt much sportier than the Edge we tested. We were especially impressed at how quickly this crossover ute ripped through the gears of its 6-speed automatic. The tranny would upshift at slightly north of 6,000rpm, then fall back only to 5,000rpm before continuing to plow through the next gear. Sadly, as in the Edge, there is no manual shift option. We think this is a mistake on FoMoCo’s part, as it would be great fun to shift the gears on this excellent 3.5-liter V6, with its 265hp and 250 lb.-ft. of torque, on your own.
Like the Edge, the MKX should run to sixty in around eight seconds, which is really quite speedy for a car this size. Handling is another strong suit for the MKX. As far as crossover utes go, we hear a lot of marketing talk about car-like ride and handling. Most of it is embellished to say the least, but the MKX really walks the walk. The ride is comparable with a larger sedan, and the MKX goes where it’s pointed with moderately heavy steering effort. Despite its crossover roots, our MKX was still pretty tall, and heavy at 4XXX lbs. So we can forgive the occasional clopping over bumps or potholes. There is very little body roll in normal, everyday cornering situations, and the MKX negotiates highway cloverleafs at speeds that would have traditional SUVs howling in protest.
There was one episode in particular that made the MKX stand out to this correspondent. Driving enthusiasts around Washington D.C. will know that the Leesburg Pike off the Capital Beltway is a challenging corner, a rare opportunity on the congested roads of the metro area. Exit the highway and you are immediately enclosed in a two-lane straightaway with great visibility and decently smooth pavement. It is rare to find much traffic there except at peak times, and it leads into a tight yet roomy 270-degree cloverleaf.
The MKX charged through its gears, and inspired confidence, if not amazement, under braking. Showing its shared roots with Mazda’s 6 sports sedan, this crossover was easy to set up for the corner, transmitting enough feedback to allow the driver to minimize mid-corner corrections. But the true test of the MKX’s suspension tuning comes at the end of the corner, where a treacherous bump waits unseen.
Clearing this bump at anything over 25mph in a sports car is asking for a very rude awakening. This correspondent drives a limited-production Honda intended for the racetrack, and it positively smashes itself on this deceiving pavement undulation if that speed threshold is exceeded. However, the MKX sailed over said bump at 50mph with nary a bounce – not even a hiccup. Then and there, we decided that the MKX’s suspension tuning was something special indeed.
This crossover is also much more civil on the highway than a truck-based SUV, with no shimmying, wandering, or otherwise annoying compromises. We’ve always thought that driving a big, body-on-frame SUV above 80 miles per hour took equal helpings of bravery and stupidity, but an MKX driver won’t need either one. High-speed cruising is all in a day’s work for this able crossover, and we wouldn’t hesitate to pile in for a long trip.
Braking is not fantastic, but the MKX makes up for it in pedal feel, which is important to a crossover with sporty aspirations. It does weigh upwards of 4400 lbs., so don’t expect to outbrake any M3s into Turn 1. Gas mileage is decent for a two-ton utility vehicle, at an EPA rating of 17 city/24 highway for our AWD model. Our observed mileage was a bit less than that, but we dare anyone to drive this car with a light foot. Happily, unlike most of its competitors, the MKX doesn’t need premium fuel.
Our MKX was very well equipped, true to Lincoln’s mission. As far as standard equipment goes, our AWD tester came with 8-way adjustable leather seats up front, heated mirrors, and a litany of safety and electronic features. Like the Navigator that Roadfly reviewed, our MKX was also equipped with Lincoln’s Elite and Ultimate Packages.
The Elite Package consists of the irresistible “Vista Roof,” Ford’s excellent DVD navigation system, THX audio, and 6 months of Sirius satellite radio. The Ultimate adds a heating and cooling function to the front seats, as well as heating for the rear seats (a welcome feature for the folks in the rear since the Vista Roof was frequently open), 18″ chrome wheels, and a handy “reverse sensing” system. This sounds pretty self-explanatory – a series of beeps tells you how close you are to whatever you’re backing up to. It is a bit overzealous, and gets pretty panicky even with a foot to go. But it will help those drivers that don’t want to be burdened by craning their necks the old-fashioned way.
Now, a bit about the Vista Roof. If we were buying an MKX and could only have one option, this would be it. This option replaces most of the sheet metal on the Edge’s roof with glass, and from the inside it appears as two glass panels. The panel for the rear seat is fixed and does not open, as in most novelty roofs of this sort. However, the front panel does open, and it is monstrous. It’s easily twice as long as a conventional moonroof, and the combination of its sheer size and the high beltline of the Edge’s windows give it the feel of a targa-top sports car.
The Vista Roof has three possible configurations: fully closed (glass panels and sunshades fully clamped), which we never used; sunshades open (used mostly when the MKX was parked), and fully open (what we used during most of our seat time). This roof so transforms the driving experience that we can’t imagine life without it. It has a one-touch opening, thankfully, since being twice as large as a conventional roof makes it twice as time-consuming to open. However, the button must be held down to close the roof all the way. However, that could (hopefully) change once they hit showrooms.
Despite the Vista Roof’s huge size, there are few penalties in terms of noise or turbulence. There is a stout windscreen, and zipping along Virginia’s highways with the roof opened on a 40-degree night required only moderate usage of the car’s heating system. At $1,395, the Vista Roof is about 40% more expensive than a standard moonroof, but the benefits far outweigh the costs. The MKX is more than twice as luxurious when equipped with this option, so we think that’s a pretty good return on your dollar.
You can also view the 2007 Lincoln MKX AWD car view video and other reviews on YouTube.
This is a car for a different kind of Lincoln buyer, a younger sort who would never have even set foot in a Lincoln dealership back in the days of the Continental. In our week with the MKX, it saw a lot of after-hours duty. A rotation of urban twentysomethings being shuttled between venues filled this fresh crossover to capacity on many occasions. This crowd universally commended the MKX for its appointments, and even in this day of jaded luxury consumption, the Vista Roof drew enthusiastic plaudits from all.
The MKX offers a pretty good bargain as far as luxury utility vehicles are concerned. With a base MSRP of $35,770, you can get into this crossover pretty easily. Equipped with the Elite Package ($1,995) and the Ultimate Package ($4,795), our MKX hit the upper limit of the model range at $43,890. Considering all that this car offers, that’s still a pretty smokin’ deal. We think a new breed of Lincoln buyers will see it the same way.
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