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Archive for August, 2007

2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport First Drive Video

Friday, August 31st, 2007
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Roadfly recently had the opportunity to drive the 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport through historic Harper’s Ferry in the hills of West Virginia. We came back with only good things to say about this economy sport sedan. If you’re looking for a sporty, agile car and you’re on a tight budget, then the SX4 is perfect for you. You can opt for the 5-speed manual tranny or go for the 4-speed automatic; either way, we you will enjoy the styling and performance of the car.

The SX4 starts at $14,770 (a price that includes heated mirrors, remote control side mirrors, and climate control) and comes with a terrific warranty. The warranty is a 100,000 miles or seven year transferable limited drive train warranty.

With very aggressive European styling and 17” alloy wheels, the Suzuki SX4 Sport gives you more than your money’s worth.

Watch the First Drive Video of the 2008 Suzuki SX4.

You can also watch the 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport video on YouTube.

2008 Nissan Rogue Video

Wednesday, August 29th, 2007
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Welcome the 2008 Nissan Rogue to the compact SUV market. Starting under $20,000, the Rogue looks like it will prove to be stiff competition for others in this class. However, don’t worry about breaking the bank because the Rogue will most likely max out at $25,000-26,000 (though pricing has not been finalized). This is the perfect car for the buyer who doesn’t need a lot of bells and whistles. While you can splurge for the sunroof and heat seats options, those who are not technologically savvy won’t have to worry about learning a navigation system because the Rogue will not offer that option.

For more on the 2008 Nissan Rogue, check out Roadfly’s first drive video of the newest compact SUV to enter the market.

You can also watch the 2008 Nissan Rogue Video on YouTube.

2007 Mazda CX-9 Video

Tuesday, August 21st, 2007
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Mazda’s 2007 CX-9 crossover SUV mixes sport utility with modern styling and comfort. With COMFORTABLE seating for seven (unlike some crossover SUVs that say seven, but really only fit five comfortably), ample cargo room, smart card key, and logical placement of controls, the CX-9 is the perfect vehicle for the family on the move. Watch Roadfly’s 2007 Mazda CX-9 Road Test Video for more on this unique crossover SUV.

2007 Audi Q7: Believe The Hype

Tuesday, August 21st, 2007
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Audi bills its Q7 as “The SUV from the creator of Quattro,” referring to their patented (and legendary) all-wheel-drive system. The more we thought about this slogan, the more it makes sense. This car is less about being an SUV than it is about being an Audi. And that will be its main selling point.

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Let’s backtrack a little. When the Q7 was dropped off at the Roadfly office in Northern Virginia, we were a bit discouraged after our initial once-over. We found an SUV that was comparatively Spartan, with no navigation system, no sunroof, and few power options (OK on the rear seats, less OK on the liftgate).

Well, after a little head-scratching and some seat time, we figured it out. This is an Audi first, and an SUV second. And from that standpoint, it explains why Audi would have sent us what amounted to a Q7 starter kit.

Our Q7’s bulbous hood housed a newcomer, the entry-level 3.6-liter V6 that bowed some months into the car’s production run. While the Q7’s weight – nearly 5,000 pounds for our V6 model – restricts the car from putting up stunning numbers, it is very engaging. The Volkswagen-Audi Group makes some of the sweetest-sounding six-cylinder powerplants on the market, and the Q7’s unit – producing 280 horsepower at 6200 rpm and 266 pound-feet at 2750 rpm – is no exception. It revs quickly and strongly, with that elusive responsiveness that makes you keep your foot in it just that much longer. As the tachometer sweeps past 3000 rpm, the engine emits a hair-raising howl, accompanied by a thrilling mechanical induction whistle. It’s addicting, and thoroughly German.

There’s also a manual-shift function for the Q7’s six-speed automatic, and while it offers less manual control than VW/Audi’s groundbreaking DSG transmission, it should be enough to satisfy the majority of Q7 buyers.

The Q7 steers like a German car, which is to say more heavily and deliberately than Japanese competitors. You will need to involve yourself a bit more with the Q7 than with something like a Mazda CX-9, but let’s be clear that that’s not a knock on the Audi; just par for the course when comparing German and Japanese offerings.

Roadfly Videos are also available on YouTube: 2007 Audi Q7

The difference between West and East is apparent in the Q7’s cabin as well. The carpeting deserves its own article on its own; our video editor remarked, “it feels like heavy-duty house carpeting.” We think that says it all. The controls and switches for every conceivable function operate with that uniquely German clickety-clack, and the interior design is vintage Audi. Driving it at night is a visual delight, with Audi’s trademark deep amber backlighting, as well as LEDs to illuminate the front and middle rows’ footwells.

Our test car had the comfort package, which included sumptuous leather seating surfaces, heated front seats, privacy glass, and aluminum trim inside. At two grand, don’t skimp on this package. We also got a third row of seats ($690), which is swallowed up capably by the 200-inch-long Q7. You might have to get a tad creative with moving the first two rows around to distribute legroom equally, but opting for the third row is a no-brainer. It requires some grunt to pull them out of the Q7’s floor, but overall it got good marks for ease of use.

Our Q7 wasn’t perfect – the front-row center armrest is dedicated to a large cup holder ensemble, which makes it more of a cup holder and less of an armrest. Given that the driver and passenger already have one massive cup holder each in the door panel, we think a solid armrest with some storage would be more useful.

Also, the interface takes a little getting used to. Our test car didn’t have navigation, but it did have a large display screen for all major vehicle functions. It’s controlled by a universal wheel, a la BMW’s iDrive, as well as some clickable function keys. The climate control is a little hard to figure out – it works well, but we had a hell of a time figuring out how to turn it off.

These were the only gripes we had with the Q7, and they are admittedly minor. The car has an even greater number of minor magic touches, such as the child locks that can be individually controlled from the driver’s armrest, just like a window-lock feature. Or the button-operated glovebox, or the windshield wipers that pop into “service position” with a touch of the menu wheel. The little niggles are just par for the course when buying a German vehicle.

On that note, so is the price tag. Our Q7 3.6 started at $39,900. A short list of options – the comfort package ($2,000), 18-inch wheels ($875), Sirius Satellite Radio ($750), third-row seating ($690) and the six-disc changer ($350) pushed the as-tested MSRP to $45,340 including a $775 destination charge. Ordinarily, we try to think of ways that a value-conscious buyer might save a few bucks. But now we’re going to do the exact opposite, since this is not a car for a value-conscious buyer. Not that the Q7 is a bad value, but it is a premium SUV and as such commands certain premiums. One of said premiums is a buyer who is willing to spend the extra dough to give the Q7 enough luxury to complement its considerable on- and off-road prowess. So, if you’re going to buy a Q7, be prepared to spend, just like you would on any of its competitors (BMW X5, Volkswagen Touareg, Mercedes-Benz ML). Another five grand will get you the V8 model, and a fully loaded Q7 can top out at around $70,000. So spend freely. You’ll get your money’s worth, and then some.

2007 Mazda CX-9: Bigfoot Goes Zoom-Zoom

Tuesday, August 21st, 2007
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The Mazda CX-9 is an automotive oxymoron. It’s a 200-inch-long, three-ton SUV from the same company that produced famous lightweights like the Miata, RX-7, RX-8, and assorted hot hatches. What does Mazda – the company with the infamous “Zoom Zoom” slogan – think it’s accomplishing by producing such a vehicle?

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An awful lot, by appearances. And we agree. The CX-9 is a big vehicle for this company in every sense of the word. It’s as long as an Audi Q7, and only one foot shorter than the long-wheelbase Chevy Suburban. However, its styling hides its size, and from a distance you might mistake it for its smaller brother, the CX-7.

None of that massive bulk goes unused. The CX-9 offers seating for seven, and the third row is one of the best on the market. In most SUVs, one row has to compromise on comfort in order to get the seven-seater thing to work. Not here. Even with the front seats all the way back on their rails, the second-row passengers still have enough room to relax. What’s more, the second row can still be folded down without hitting anything.

The third row is truly cavernous, and unless the second row is pushed as far back as it will go, there is no shortage of legroom. No row goes unpampered in the CX-9 – the third row is nearly as comfortable as the front two, and if you cut your passenger manifest down to six, each passenger gets two cup holders.

Mazda sent us their best example of the CX-9 – the loaded Touring version with all-wheel-drive. It was positively stuffed to the gills with useful equipment. We got the moonroof package, which included a 277-watt Bose system and an in-dash six-disc changer. We also got the “Touring Assist” package, which adds a touch-screen navigation system with voice command, a rear-view camera, a lift gate with power open and close from a variety of buttons, and one of the best smart-key systems we’ve ever seen.

Mazda calls it “Smart Card,” and it’s really just that. Many so-called ‘smart keys’ – the RFID-equipped key fobs that enable the driver to start the car without the traditional key-in-the-ignition procedure – are large and bulky. But the CX-9’s fob is actually smaller than a credit card, and only about four times as thick. It’s a small thing, to be sure, but it makes the driving experience that much more convenient.

Typically, buyers of any class of vehicle that is manufactured by both Japan and Germany have a clear choice: bland Eastern excellence or pricey, imperfect Western elegance. CX-9 buyers, however, make no such compromise. The interior of our CX-9 test car was incredibly stylish, with a neat twist. Most manufacturers rely on wood trim (or its plastic look-alike) to gussy up their interiors. But our CX-9 Touring came dressed in shiny black lacquer trim, akin to the finish of a really expensive piano. Since it’s obviously less expensive than wood, Mazda saw fit to use it lavishly, with a spectacular visual effect. Large, thick strips of it run up and down the door panels, and from the top of the dashboard to the floor. It’s just as elegant as wood, but more modern and certainly more environmentally friendly.

The CX-9’s on-road manners match its accommodations and aesthetics. Our Limited test car, laden with all-wheel-drive and nearly every available option, was probably on the north side of three tons. Still, the CX-9 is far from slow. It uses a version of the 3.5-liter V6 found in the Ford Edge and Lincoln’s MKX and MKZ models. We’ve raved about this engine before and it’s the same story here. In this application, the six makes 263 horsepower at 6250 rpm and 249 pound-feet of torque at 4500 rpm. More importantly, it revs quickly and is incredibly responsive. The CX-9 can probably get to sixty in around eight seconds in Limited AWD trim.

The CX-9 may share its excellent motor with the Ford and Lincoln cars, but the transmission is completely different. Mazda has tapped Aisin to produce a six-speed automatic with a manual shift function, something not found in any of the Ford or Lincoln offerings. The CX-9’s gearbox is just flat-out better in every respect, and being able to shift on your own heightens the driving experience in any car.

The icing on this cake is twofold. First, the transmission won’t over-ride your choices. Aside from preventing you from money-shifting into first gear at cruising speeds, the automatic intrudes not at all when you’re in fully manual mode. Secondly, the action on the shift lever itself is great. If you’ve ever watched footage of a race car with a sequential gearbox, you’ll know that upshifts are accomplished by pulling the lever back, while pushing the lever away achieves a downshift. This is the way the CX-9’s transmission does its thing, and although it might be counter-intuitive at first, it’s miles ahead of the conventional passenger-car pattern of pushing for upshifts and pulling for downshifts. The payoff is that if you are downshifting while braking, perhaps for a corner, pushing against the lever allows you to brace yourself better and therefore maintain better control of the car.

The steering in the CX-9 is light. As in, really light. But, as quickly as you can saw the wheel back and forth, the CX-9 can react. It’s rather disconcerting at first to anyone accustomed to more ponderous steering wheels on vehicles of similar sizes and missions. It’s not excessively darty, either – once you set the CX-9 up for a corner, little or no correction is needed to clip the apex and sail through. Within the limits of normal, everyday frisky driving, the CX-9 feels like a larger version of one of Mazda’s sporty small cars. That’s not far from the truth, actually. The CX-9 shares basic underpinnings with Mazda’s 6 sedan, a highly acclaimed player in the sports-sedan segment. There’s only so much this DNA can do – the CX-9 won’t accelerate or brake as abruptly as its little brother, but it has much of the same ‘feel’ to it. This is important; Mazda is beginning to carve out a very special place in the minds of automotive enthusiasts.

That sporting character, combined with the CX-9’s mistake-free styling and appointments, make it a very tough out in the full-size SUV game. Factor in the price – under $38,000 for our fully-loaded test car – and it’s hard to see anything standing in this graceful behemoth’s path.

2007 Audi Q7 Video

Tuesday, August 21st, 2007
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The 2007 Audi Q7 falls into the luxury SUV category that includes the Porsche Cayenne and VW Touraeg. However, you can tell it is an Audi through and through by the trademark grille, heavy-lidded headlights, and tapered tail lights. You can get a Q7 like our tester for a little over $45,000 with options like third row seating, 18″ wheels, leather seats, and heated seats but if you really want to ride in luxury, you could end up spending up to 70 large. For more on the first generation Audi Q7, watch the 2007 Audi Q7 Road Test Video.

Roadfly Videos are also available on YouTube: 2007 Audi Q7

2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan Video

Tuesday, August 14th, 2007
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The Honda Civic Si Sedan packs a lot of punch into its compact body. While providing the practical aspects of a vehicle (like seating for five), the Civic Si sedan is still a speedy, affordable car for the person who is just not ready to give up the sporty/fun car for the family sedan. Watch Roadfly’s Car Review Video of the 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan to see how fast the Si really is and to get the more practical specifics like legroom in the back seats.

2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Video

Monday, August 13th, 2007
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If you want to show off your success every day on your drive to work, trips to the grocery store, and class reunions, you’ll be smart to look at the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class when buying your next vehicle. Choose the C300 luxury model or C350 sport model. Starting at a little over $30,000, the C-Class can be customized for ultimate luxury ride without breaking $40,000. Watch the video of the new ’08 C-Class and you’ll understand why this car may become the next must-have status symbol.

For more on the ’08 C-Class, see Brian Armstead’s editorial from the First Drive. 2008 Mercedes C-Class First Drive

2007 Volkswagen Eos Car Review Video

Wednesday, August 8th, 2007
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The 2007 Volkswagen Eos proved to be a dynamic vehicle, one you could take to the beach or comfortably drive in every day conditions. The hardtop gives you options: sunroof, top down, or top up; you choose. For more on the Eos, watch our car review video.

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2008 Audi R8 Preview: Hark, Listen

Monday, August 6th, 2007
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The Latin word “audi” means “hark, listen.” Imagine the first Americans, who used to press ears to tundra to hear stampeding herds of Bison roaming the wide-open plains. Then imagine an automotive journalist in 2007, pressing ear to scorched pavement as a rip-snorting V8 powered supercar rumbles towards a wide open road. Finally, imagine an auto company who did not listen to naysayers during their crisis years, and developed a loyal, rabid following through the application of high technology that the company’s individual elements were famous for before the four rings of the Auto Union even formed. Audi was born from German companies Horch and Audi, DKW and Wanderer. Early Horch cars had coveted inline eight-cylinder engines. Early Audis featured one of the first production four-wheel hydraulic brake systems. The first DKWs were sophisticated, steam powered vehicles, and early Wanderers had a reputation for reliability and build quality.

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In 1932, the four brands merged to form Auto Union AG, the predecessor to today’s Audi AG. Over the next several decades, Auto Union cars were proven race winners.

But it wasn’t until 1980 that today’s Audi AG really hit its stride. With the development of the quattro all-wheel drive system, Audi re-wrote racing and rally history. Audis were known as the German brand to have if you did not want to follow the Mercedes-Benz and BMW crowd.

Fast forward to 2007, and Audi is on a roll. Audi USA is headed by a man with an unparalleled passion for the brand, Johan de Nysschen. Under his leadership, Audi has remade its image as the “other” German brand. It now wants to be known as the German brand, and its current offerings show that it is indeed on that path. All of its vehicles are available with quattro. A high-tech aluminum spaceframe adorns its top-of-the-line A8/S8. RS4 and RS6 models are coveted. But “hark, listen,” a new form of thunder will be unleashed in January, 2008, the Audi R8.

The R8 pushes Audi into an arena in which it has never competed – the supercar category. It’s been called a “Porsche-killer” and a “threat to Lamborghini (an Audi corporate cousin) and Ferrari.” After seat time is this mid-engined masterpiece, those names are closer to reality than one might expect.

Based on the LeMans Quattro Concept, the R8 is easily the most exciting hardware Audi’s factory in Ingolstadt has ever produced.

The stats for the R8 are impressive: A 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds. A nearly 190 mph top speed.

It all starts with the R8’s underpinnings. The entire bodyshell of the R8 weighs just 463 pounds, and is comprised of extruded sections, aluminum panels and complex cast nodes, joined together by 325 feet of weld seams, 782 punch rivets and 382 self-tapping screws.
The mighty V8 is borrowed from the RS4. It features 420 horsepower, 317 pound-feet of torque, and dry sump lubrication for a low center of gravity. Styling is a huge hit. The R8 is shorter than Porsche’s 911 and sits wide like Cousin Gallardo. The front features Audi’s signature wide mouth grille, flanked by massive air intakes to cool the R8’s huge brakes, and sleek LED headlights. Along the sides, air intakes that feed the engine are pronounced. To the rear, the glass engine hatch, rear diffuser, and quad exhaust tips round out a performance look.

When asked to drive the R8, I was at first a bit unsure if I could complete the task. I’m 6’9” tall and weigh 270 pounds. Surely I would not be able to get behind the wheel of this low rider that stands just over four feet tall. To my amazement, the R8 is roomy and comfortable. I had sufficient head and leg room, and would not be troubled by a drive of six hours or more in the R8.

But the most amazing thing about this car is the fact that you can drive it everyday should you choose to do so. When driving in stop and go traffic, the R8 is a docile as a VW Jetta. It’s quiet, with no excessive engine noise permeating the cabin despite having a V8 engine right behind your ears. It’s livable, with ample width separating you and your passenger. It’s drivable, with a wonderfully light clutch pedal and a fabulous gated shifter that dares you to select the wrong gear, and it’s comfortable, with a supple suspension that tames roads with ease, then tightens mightily when you need to emulate your favorite LeMans driver.

Power delivery is seamless, and comes on strongly across a wide rpm range. Redline is 8250 rpm. The exhaust note is purposeful, preferring occupants to hear more of the 4.2 liter’s mellifluous song rather than a droning exhaust note. At speed, a spoiler rises to keep the R8’s rear firmly planted. A six-speed manual or R tronic sequential gearbox handle shifting duties. A console switch allows you to manually raise or lower the spoiler at lower speeds.

Inside you’ll find the typical VW/Audi full luxury experience. If you don’t know folks, Volkswagen and Audi interiors are among the best in the business. And the R8 continues the trend with a sweeping dash layout that flows into the doors, and billet aluminum shift knob and shift gate. A flat bottom steering wheel reminds you of the R8 racecars that dominated race circuits worldwide. The upper center console houses Audi’s MMI controller, and a DVD/navigation display screen. The lower rear console hides Audi’s mobile phone interface under a butter-soft leather cover. Bang & Olufsen sound coddles your ears. Above, an Alcantara headliner finishes the full luxe treatment. Other special touches include an aluminum fuel door emblazoned with the R8 logo, and LED ambient lighting inside the meticulously finished engine compartment.

I drove a pre-production prototype that had some gauge readouts in German. The sharp-eyed among you will notice the two toned side treatment versus the carbon fiber treatment shown at major auto shows nationwide.

Pricing for the R8 begins at $110,000. Only 300 examples will be imported during the first year. Though Audi strongly recommends against it, expect incredible dealer markups on this rare, worthy addition to the legends of the Auto Union.

2007 Mitsubishi Outlander: Less Outlandlish, More Of Everything Else

Friday, August 3rd, 2007
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Every once in a while, you encounter a car that blows all your expectations out of the water. The new Mitsubishi Outlander is one of those cars. We try hard at Roadfly to find the good in any car, but with the Outlander it wasn’t hard. Given that its predecessor was an also-ran in the compact SUV category, this new Outlander represents a giant leap forward.

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It needs to be, because the competition is very stiff. Honda, Toyota and Mazda have all released new or redesigned offerings into this hotly contested category within the past year. Can the Outlander measure up? We think so.

For starters, the new Outlander was Japan’s best-selling SUV – of any size – from its launch in October 2005 until March 2006. The Japanese market is much tougher on large, sloppy vehicles. Interior room, smart handling, and fuel economy are more important in the land of the rising sun, and many younger enthusiasts lament the lack of cool, efficient Japanese cars in the U.S. market. At least when it comes to SUVs, we can now get the home crowd’s ride of choice.

So what makes this SUV so appealing to a techno-crazy, efficiency-obsessed home market? And why should Americans care? Well, the Outlander is packed full of technological wizardry. It has a dial in the center armrest area which toggles between 2WD, 4WD, and “4WD Lock.” That’s not a locking center differential in the off-roading vein, but rather a performance-oriented 4WD mode that can be used even at high speeds. You can select it any time you want, even while driving. And if you want the best handling the Outlander can offer, selecting 4WD Lock is the way to go. Considering that the Outlander’s 4WD will be the basis for the system in the upcoming Lancer Evolution – Mitsubishi’s deadly entry in the World Rally Championship – this isn’t just marketing hype.

Mitsubishi has drawn on its considerable experience in the world of rally racing, even when designing this compact SUV. Mitsubishi has won the Paris-to-Dakar rally – which covers 7,000 miles and claims a handful of lives each year – a staggering eleven times. There is real heritage here, more so than in any of the Mitsubishi’s main competitors.

In that vein, the Outlander is a very competent high-speed traveler. It has a 3.0-liter V6 making 220 horsepower at 6250 rpm and 204 lb-ft. of torque at 4000 rpm. That may be a good chunk of ponies less than the 270-hp V6 in the RAV4, but the Outlander is much sportier. There’s a six-speed automatic with a fully manual mode, as opposed to the RAV4’s 5-speed auto without a true manual function. Hence, the Outlander feels much sportier. It has enough power to spin its rear tires on a full-throttle upshift from first to second gear, in part because the 4WD system sends up to 70 per cent of the Outlander’s power to the rear wheels on a standing start. The Outlander features huge paddle shifters that can be tapped from almost any hand position on the steering wheel, and no matter what you do, the transmission won’t try to outsmart you. To top it all off, the Outlander’s roof is made from aluminum to save weight and lower the center of gravity for better handling.

In addition to its sporty DNA, the Outlander has a lot of straightforward practicality to make it a truly excellent all-around offering. Hondas and Toyotas are pretty much the standard for ergonomic harmony, but the Outlander comes darned close. There is a lot of storage, like dual gloveboxes and a stealth compartment on top of the dashboard. Controls are easily operated, and bear no evidence of cost-cutting.

That extends to the Outlander’s excellent navigation system. It has a sliding face that hides the load slot for the CD player, and is touch-operated. It’s hard-drive based, rather than DVD-based, so there’s less fiddling. It has a couple cool features we haven’t seen anywhere else. One is a maintenance monitor, which tracks the common wear items on the car, and tells the driver the dates of their last replacement, and when they’ll need to be replaced again. The other is an environment function, which keeps a record of conditions like temperature and altitude for the past three hours. Considering that a good portion of Outlander buyers will be younger and activity-oriented, these features strike us as an example of remarkable prescience on Mitsubishi’s part.

On that note, so does the fuel economy monitor, which is the default function for the small LCD display inside the Outlander’s instrument panel. The intuitive monitor is displayed as a bar, with increments of 0, 25, 50, and 75. The indicator is kind of like a cell phone’s battery bar, and swings wildly from mostly empty when accelerating to completely full when cruising. It becomes a bit of a challenge to tailor your driving habits for maximum fuel economy, to see if you can beat the government fuel economy forecast of 19 city mpg/26 highway mpg.

The appointments in the Outlander are also a pleasant surprise. Our XLS came with a handsome black leather interior, and a standard third row of seats. However, the rear seats are really an occasional-use-only item. The row folds flat into the floor, which is nice, but it takes a good bit of muscle to get it out. Plus, it’s upholstered in heavy-duty cloth, lagging behind the first two rows. But if you want a luxurious third row, go buy a long-wheelbase Escalade.

All in all, the Outlander registers a pleasant shock on our “I can’t believe they built that car” radar. It’s a hoot to drive, has tons of techno appeal and competition heritage, and is quite well-packaged. Baseline MSRP for our XLS 4WD model was just $25,010. The luxury package (heated leather seats, Xenon lamps, power driver’s seat) added $1,600, and the “Sun & Sound” package (sunroof and nine-speaker Rockford Fosgate sound system with 10-inch subwoofer) padded on another $1,580. Navigation was an additional $1,800, for an as-tested price of $30,615. That represents the best Outlander money can buy, which is one fine SUV.

2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe First Drive Video

Wednesday, August 1st, 2007
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Check out the video of the all new 2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe from our first drive of the fun-to-drive sport coupe in Seattle, WA. Look for three models when it hits showroom floors on August 21, 2007: the G37 Coupe, the G37 Coupe Journey, and the G37 Coupe Sport 6-Speed Manual Transmission.

Options in the G37 (to name a few):
*6-speed manual tranny or 5-speed automatic
*4-Wheel Active Steer (4WAS) (Sports model only)
*The new 3.7 VQ37 V VEL Engine
*The Infiniti Studio On Wheels by Bose and full i-Pod integration
*Power moonroof
*Rear Spoiler
*Genuine African Rosewood (Journey Models only)
*Package Choices: Technology, Navigation, Sport, or Premium Packages

Stay tuned for our written review. In the meantime enjoy the video car review.

“…that makes the G37 the best in it’s class…” Charlie Romero, Publisher of Roadfly.com

You can also see the G37 video on our YouTube page. 2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe

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