Friday, September 21, 2012

2013 Buick Encore priced at $24,950

2013 Buick Encore priced at $24,950
The 2013 Buick Encore crossover will cost $24,950, including a $750 destination charge. The top trim package, called Premium, will sticker at $28,940.
A 1.4-liter turbocharged engine will power the small SUV, which competes against the Acura RDX, Hyundai Tucson and the Ford Escape. The output of the turbo mill is 138 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque. Both front- and all-wheel-drive versions are offered with a six-speed automatic transmission.
GM says the Encore is the most fuel-efficient crossover produced by a domestic maker. It returns 25 mpg in the city and 33 on the highway.
The base model gets 18-inch wheels, a rearview camera and a seven-inch LCD screen. The Convenience group package adds dual-zone climate control, a 120-volt outlet, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, remote start and fog lights. Moving further up in price, the Leather group adds leather, heated seats, heated steering wheel, a power passenger seat and driver’s seat memory. The top trim gains park assist, lane departure warning, premium audio with a subwoofer and rain-sensing windshield wipers.
All-wheel drive will cost you $1,500, while the navigation box can be checked for $795.
The 2013 Buick Encore will arrive at dealerships in the first quarter of 2013.

2013 Ford Fusion Drive Review

2013 Ford Fusion Drive Review
What Is It? The Ford Fusion is the biggest-selling car in the Ford lineup – only the F-150 pickup truck moves out the dealership doors faster. So when it came time to redo the Fusion, Ford put major resources behind it to make it not only just what customers want, but to give them stuff they didn't think they'd ever get. The Fusion is Ford's best shot aimed directly at the soft white underbelly of the massive mid-sized sedan segment. The mid-sized sedan segment is where Camrys - the most mind-numbingly bland cars ever made - rule the roost. People in this segment don't want styling, performance or prestige. They're never going to line up against any other mid-sized sedan at a stop light and go for pinks. These buyers can't afford the luxury of styling, performance and fun.
Yet Ford gave it to them anyway. Look at that snout: there's more Aston Martin in that grille than most real Astons Martin. And those nice proportions and swoopy lines down the side give even the stylish Hyundai Sonata midsize sedan a run for its fashion dollar. Inside there are the most comfortable seats in the class and one of the most modern and clean dashes, too.
But the main draw of the new Fusion is that it offers powertrains for just about everybody: four engines, two transmissions and your choice of six-speed manual (with the entry –level engine) or six-speed automatic (in everything else).
What's It Like To Drive? We started out with the fwd 178-hp 1.6-liter EcoBoost with gasoline direct injection, six-speed automatic and the $295 Start-Stop option. Ford figures you get about 3.5 percent better mileage with Start-Stop than without it. It doesn't always cut off the engine at a stop light, for instance, if you have the a/c blasting and it's a hot day it might keep the engine running. Mileage is rated at 25 city/37 hwy/29 combined. The starting and stopping were accomplished with almost no lurching or clunking at all – you barely feel the transition from on to off. The engine starts as soon as you take your foot off the brake. Even though it was a little underpowered it was kind of fun to drive and even got from 0-60 in 9.0 seconds.
Next we drove the Fusion Hybrid with the 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four and 1.4 kWh lithium ion battery providing boost. It was very quiet, smooth and, like the rest of the Fusion line, spacious inside. Ford claims mileage of 47 across the board. On a 14-mile drive loop during which we drove very badly we got 20.8 mpg indicated on the little dash readout. Your mileage will vary, especially if you're doing the EPA city loop. We did get it to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds, so it's better than the 1.-6 version in that regard.
Then we drove the 240-hp 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbo four with all-wheel drive. The awd is usually fwd until the car senses rear-wheel slip, at which point it engages a clutch integrated with the rear differential and the rear wheels start gripping. We never engaged that clutch but did launch the thing as hard as we could, which wasn't very hard at all, and got to 60 mph in just under seven seconds. That's not bad by the standards of the class. Our car had the optional 19-inch wheels with 235/40 ContiPro Contacs and so might have felt a little grippier and a little sportier.
We also drove a 1.6 with the manual transmission and found we liked the shifter, clutch engagement (though takeup was a bit high in the pedal travel) and easy driveability.
There was none of the 2.5-liter fours with sequential multi-port injection to drive so we can't tell you much about that one. Ford says it gets only 26 mpg combined.
Overall, the Fusion came across as a very comfortable car to both sit in – which we did half the time - and drive – which we did the other half. There was room both front and back and the side bolsters on both the sport seats and the regular seats were surprisingly comfortable. The trunk was plenty huge, offering 16 cubic feet of space, or a little less than 12 with the hybrid battery back there. By the admittedly low standards of the class, it was fun to drive. We got no track time so we can't tell you at what point it starts to understeer but we did enjoy two days of driving these new Fusions all over the Santa Monica Mountains and came away unfatigued and mostly satisfied.
Do I want It? With such a wide variety of powertrains available there's something for everybody. The Fusion S with the relatively low-tech 2.5-liter engine starts at $22,495, including the $795 destination charge; the SE starts at $24,495 and an awd Titanium-trim Fusion starts at $32,995. There are so many ways to position options, trim levels and drivetrain possibilities that we can't begin to sort them all out here. Our favorite might be (as is always the case) a combination that isn't available – the 240-hp twin-turbo 2.0-liter Ecoboost four with the six-speed manual. The plug-in Fusion Energi Hybrid will be on sale in the first quarter of next year and there are other EcoBoost engines supposedly on their way, too. It could get confusing. But with such a huge market to address, Ford has to offer something for everyone, and it's certainly done that with the new Fusion.
2013 Ford Fusion
Base Price: $22,495
Base Drivetrain: 2.5-liter I4; 175 hp at 6000 rpm, 175 lb ft at 4500 rpm
Base Curb Weight: 3615 pounds
Base Fuel Economy (EPA): 22/34/26

2013 Ford Fusion Drive Review
2013 Ford Fusion Drive Review
2013 Ford Fusion Drive Review
2013 Ford Fusion Drive Review
2013 Ford Fusion Drive Review
2013 Ford Fusion Drive Review
2013 Ford Fusion Drive Review
2013 Ford Fusion Drive Review
2013 Ford Fusion Drive Review

2012 Toyota Prius Four car review

2012 Toyota Prius Four car review
No one buys a Toyota Prius to get anywhere quickly. At least we haven't met any folks as such, and after running the car through our autofile paces, we have the quantitative data to back up why it would be stupid to do so.
(Why the Prius isn't the most environmentally smart automotive choice one can make? Well, that's a a whole 'nuther story.)
The Prius does satisfy other automotive yens, however, as witnessed by all the owners we heard from, and while hardly an unequivocally adored vehicle, those who shelled out money for their own copies demonstrate a measure of respect and appreciation. One owner “love[s] it for what it is,” while another admits, “It's pretty boring, though.”
But sprinkled throughout is testimony to the car's overriding reliability, its excellent fuel economy and a fuss-free ownership experience. Owners love the roominess afforded the hatchback, the extra rear-seat room thanks to a lack of a hump in the floor and the overall ergonomics.
That's not to say owners didn't find nits to pick with the Prius. One owner lamented the sea of hard plastic, while another complained of too many rattles erupting all over the cabin. “I'm not crazy about the backup bell inside the cab,” another owner from Oregon pointed out. “It should be outside to warn people when I'm backing up.”
We also heard gripes about the sticker. “The price is a bit too high,” said one, a beef echoed by others.
We felt the same when we first took delivery of our test car, a 2012 Prius Four. The Four in its name denotes the trim level, and while it comes standard with a nice array of features, its base sticker comes in at a not very low price of $28,995. Tack on a Deluxe Solar Roof package, and the price jumps up another $3,820. A couple of odds and ends brought the final tally for our Prius Four tester to $33,118.
Perhaps some pricing perspective is in order. A base model 2012 BMW 128i, for example, starts at just $32,095. Sure, it doesn't come with the same features, but it's a BMW.
Or how about this: A 2012 Honda Insight with navigation and every possible options box checked tops out at $26,540.
Still, many people believe in the car's value, fully 93,741 through the first six months of this year—and that's with its federal tax incentives fully exhausted. But besides fuel economy, car enthusiasts—Autoweek readers—want to know exactly what kind of performance one can expect from any car, even a Prius.
The short answer: Not too much. We found the car extremely slow, requiring 10.6 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill, and its skinny tires didn't do much for stopping power, eating up 137.9 feet to stop from that speed. And for as small a car as the Prius is, it still only managed 38.9 mph through our slalom (the Toyota Camry reached 41 mph) and a miserable 0.68 g of lateral acceleration.
Better rubber would go a long way toward improving the car's grip, but the Prius would still suffer from mediocre chassis tuning and a super anemic powertrain.

2012 Toyota Prius Four

STICKER
Base price: $28,995
As-tested price: $33,118
CHASSIS
Five-passenger hatchback
CAPACITIES
Fuel (gal): 11.9
Cargo volume (cu ft): 21.6
Headroom/legroom (in): 38.6 / 42.5 (front) 37.6 / 36.0 rear
ENGINE
1.8-liter I4
Power: 98 hp
Torque: 105 lb-ft
Electric motor and NiMH battery: 134 net hp
DRIVETRAIN
Front-wheel drive
Continuous Variable Transmission
SAFETY
NHTSA: Five-star overall
Standard airbags: 7
STANDING-START ACCELERATION
0-60 mph: 10.6 sec
Quarter-mile: 18.0 sec @ 79.2 mph
BRAKING
60-0 mph: 137.9 ft
FUEL ECONOMY
EPA combined: 50 mpg
AW observed: 43.8 mpg
RESIDUALS
Three-year: $15,077
Five-year: $11,308


Owner's Voices

- After researching hybrids, I purchased a Prius and have 9,200 miles on it while averaging 48.7 mpg. It continues to amaze me with its fantastic gas mileage, remains a pleasure to drive and hasn't developed any squeaks or rattles.
This is the first car I've owned not requiring any adjustments or repairs in the first year. It does what they say it will with amazing engineering.
I recommend the Prius to anyone who wants a reliable and well-built car with excellent gas mileage. It's surprisingly roomy with a very convenient design and ergonomics. The only thing I would change is reduce the amount of hard plastic found on areas that are touched frequently.
Bill Christopherson, Walnut, Calif.
- I have about 20,000 miles on my Prius and love it for what it is. I especially like the gas mileage and hatchback utility. I get about 50 mpg in mixed commuting and around 45 mpg on the highway trips. It has been completely trouble-free so far. The car isn't sporty but . . . rides decently.
Christopher Gerhart, Kokomo, Ind.
- My current Prius replaced my previousgeneration 2009 model. The new one gets a bit better mileage, but like the older one, it works hard with my 90-mile-per-day commute.
I use it to pull a small boat trailer a few times a year without any trouble. In eight years of Prius ownership, I've never brought the car in for nonscheduled maintenance.
It's comfortable, quick, big and versatile enough for me and utterly reliable. It's pretty boring though, but is the ideal car for someone who doesn't want to be irritated by intrusive car issues. Gas it up once in a while and forget it.
Bob Ljungquist, Goshen, Conn.


Others Considered

2012 Honda Insight EX, $22,755
2012 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Premium with DSG, $26,085
2013 Ford Fusion SE hybrid, $27,995


AUTOFILE NEEDS YOU!

We seek comments from owners of these vehicles: 2011-12 Chevrolet Silverado, 2011-12 Honda Accord, 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-class

2012 Toyota Prius Four car review
2012 Toyota Prius Four car review
2012 Toyota Prius Four car review
2012 Toyota Prius Four car review
2012 Toyota Prius Four car review
2012 Toyota Prius Four car review
2012 Toyota Prius Four car review
2012 Toyota Prius Four car review
2012 Toyota Prius Four car review

Porsche 918 Spyder clocks a time of 7:14 on the ‘Ring

Porsche 918 Spyder clocks a time of 7:14 on the ‘Ring
Porsche has announced an official Nürburgring lap time of 7 minutes, 14 seconds for the 918 Spyder following a series of official tests with prototypes of the advanced gasoline-electric hybrid supercar at the famed German circuit this week.
Although Porsche isn’t prepared to confirm who was driving the early version of the 918 Spyder at the time, it does say the lap time was achieved with a prototype boasting what it describes as an optional Weissach package that provides a series of yet-to-be revealed handling tweaks and on standard Michelin road tires.
“With a time of 7:14, the 918 Spyder has confirmed the potential of its future-orientated driveline concept after just a few months of testing,” said Frank Walliser, head of the 918 Spyder development.
The official lap time for the 918 Spyder is among the fastest for a road-legal car at the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife circuit, undercutting by some 18 seconds the fastest time of its predecessor, the Carrera GT, achieved back in 2004.
As well as confirming the 918 Spyder’s testing pace at the Nürburgring, Porsche has also revealed its hybrid driveline puts out 784 hp. Powering the new two-seater is a mid-mounted 4.6-liter V8 gasoline engine loosely based on that used by the Porsche RS Spyder race car and a pair of electric motors mounted within the front-axle assembly.
The 918 Spyder is planned to go into production at Porsche’s Zuffenhausen headquarters on the outskirts of Stuttgart on Sept. 18, 2013.

2012 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG review notes

2012 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG review notes
DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: As fate would have it, I was handed the keys to the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG immediately after I spent the evening in a disappointingly over-automated CL550. My hope was that the additional $34,000 and rescrambling of the decklid alphabet soup would result in a true driver's car.
I wasn't disappointed. It's no C63 AMG in terms of its violence, but the S63 is a camouflage cruise missile of the first order—an earthbound business express of the sort no one in the world seems to build outside of Germany—or, more accurately, German companies.
The S63 was cursed with the same confusing COMAND layout as the CL550, which meant my Bluetooth phone again couldn't be synched. But at least the seats played nice this time, and the entire cabin was imbued with a cigars-and-brandy aesthetic a bit uptight for my taste, but then I'm not generally the target market for a $162,000 four-door supercar.
That's not to say I don't want to be . . .
EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: Despite this car being somewhat subdued, almost stealth-like in its appearance, I was amazed at just what a head-turner it was, drawing attention from neighbors as well as those passing by the house on a walk in the neighborhood. Maybe it was exactly that stealth look that made people notice. It's partly due to the flat gray paint, which is not something you see every day, and it's also due to the menacing look this thing gives off. Fire up the engine and the exhaust note backs up the look—this thing can take on nearly all comers.
This is another of those near supercars that defies the laws of physics. It is surprising just how quickly something this big and heavy can move, and the nimbleness in which it can do it. The steering weight is a bit too heavy for my tastes, as it takes away from the overall steering feel. It limits being able to feel the car placed exactly where you want it in a corner. But that is about the only complaint I have, and if this were in my garage, I'd get used to the feel straightaway.
I didn't have any trouble pairing my phone, and I've gotten used to the COMAND system and find the navigation relatively straight-forward. The air conditioning was downright frigid—something you appreciate on a hot day.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: There's no reason this car couldn't easily take the place of the Maybach for all the rappers and ballplayers out there. It has a nuclear weapon for an engine, a tank for a body and a high-backed leather chair for a perch. Like the guys above said, there's nothing this car can't do.
I was surprised and delighted by the matte finish on the Benz. It makes a beautiful car just a bit sinister. It's a $4,000 option by the way, and much more difficult to take care of as opposed to a standard hue. If my neighbors didn't think I was a drug dealer before, they definitely do now.
The sound of the engine is just fantastic, low, angry and powerful—but it really only gets going fast when you already have a head of steam. Any attempt at a hard start is met with electronic nannies telling you to behave.
I put the car in sport suspension mode and left it there the entire night. Even at that setting, the car can roll over bumps and potholes like they're not even there. With the windows rolled up, you feel completely isolated. In this car, that's a good thing.
The center console controls are somewhat easy to use, once you get the movements down. I like that the volume is a separate knob, which can be easily felt without looking. I did quickly find the massage function in the menus, which I commenced to using immediately.
ROAD TEST EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: Yes, the matte paint job does get its fair share of attention. If you've been to SEMA anytime during the past few years, you knew the matte paint trend was coming and I think it's safe to say that it's here. Heck, you can get matte paint on a Hyundai Veloster!
Besides that, as others above have mentioned, this big, near-5,000-pound sedan does deliver on so many fronts. It's a luxury liner with glider-like ride quality and top-notch interior surroundings. There are rich leathers, slick carbon fiber trim pieces and comfortable seats that will even massage you.
On the other hand, there's 563 hp on tap and 664 lb-ft of torque that's available from just 2,000 rpm from the twin-turbo V8 with optional AMG performance package. That's up 20 hp and 74 lb-ft of torque compared to a S63 AMG in base form. Oh, and top speed gets raised from 155 to 186 mph, which I suppose makes the person paying $7,300 for the performance package feel a little better knowing their car can go that fast.
And yes, something this big and weighing this much handling this well is worth applause. Steering has a hefty feel to it, which I like, and the way it holds itself together when taking turns is surprising. There's some initial roll at turn-in, but then it just holds its position and tracks through corners with little drama. It's difficult to wrap your head around the S63's handling abilities even when you're behind the wheel as it shoots around bends.
Another thing I like about AMG vehicles are the brakes with a firm pedal feedback. Normal run-of-the-mill Mercedes cars are usually hampered by a squishy brake pedal, which is one of my biggest beefs when it comes to cars.
As for this turbocharged engine, I like it a lot with all the twist available down low, and it really gets this sedan moving. Triple-digit speeds can be reached without breaking a sweat and when you just want to cruise lazily around town, the engine will hum at low rpm to totally fly under the radar.
I do miss the old 6.2-liter naturally aspirated that went away from the S63 after the 2010 model year, but the engine still sees duty in the C63 AMG and SLS AMG. That engine sounds brutal and seemed a smidge more responsive, but with just 518 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque in base form, the new engine wins in the most important category: performance. Not saying this turbo engine doesn't sound good, because it certainly does. It's just not quite as good in my opinion.
The only complaint I have about this car is the seven-speed automatic transmission. Sometimes it gets hung up a little between gear shifts at low speeds, and the occasional downshift can be clunky.
Besides that, this high-powered S-class remains at the top of the class. It's crazy to think that because this generation S-class has been around since the 2006 model year. How's that for longevity?
2012 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG
Base Price: $140,175
As-Tested Price: $162,675
Drivetrain: 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8; RWD, seven-speed automatic
Output: 563 hp @ 5,250-5,750 rpm, 664 lb-ft @ 2,000-4,500 rpm
Curb Weight: 4,916 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 18/16.3 mpg
Options: AMG performance package including power increased to 563 hp/664 lb-ft, top speed increased to 186 miles per hour, carbon fiber engine cover ($7,300); designo Magno Alanite Gray paint with matte finish ($3,950); rear seat package including eight-way power adjustable rear seats, 4-zone automatic climate control, 5-place seating, heated and active ventilated rear seats ($3,040); driver assistance package including Distronic plus adaptive cruise control with pre-safe bake, active blind spot assist and active lane-keeping assist ($2,950); carbon fiber/black piano lacquer trim ($2,850); 20-inch forged AMG wheel ($1,700); splitview ($710)

2012 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG review notes
2012 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG review notes
2012 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG review notes
2012 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG review notes
2012 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG review notes

Jaguar offering one XJL Ultimate at Gilt.com

Jaguar is selling one XJL Ultimate on Gilt.com
Jaguar is partnering with Gilt.com to sell a special version of its 2013 Jaguar XJL Ultimate. It will come with a Polaris white paint job and a black interior. This is not an auction. Buyers have to be logged on at noon Eastern on Friday, Sept. 21. First click gets the car.
As a bonus for signing the $155,875 check, you get a vacation for two to London. It includes a stay at the world's only Jaguar suite, designed by Ian Callum. The suite is at a Taj hotel, named 51 Buckingham Gate.
This may be your only chance to get behind the wheel of the XJL Ultimate, because only 30 are coming to the United States. All except the one on Gilt will have an amethyst paint job.
You have to be a Gilt member to purchase the car. But we signed up and it only took a few minutes. Go to the men's section to check out the car.
The London trip includes two round-trip tickets along with four days and three nights at the hotel, which includes a private butler. Jaguar and Gilt throw in a dinner for two in the suite cooked by a Michelin-starred chef, a meet and greet with Jaguar's design team, a bottle of Lanson Champagne and $2,500 Gilt shopping spree to prepare for the trip.
The Jaguar XJL Ultimate comes with a handful of toys. Two iPads are included for back seat passengers, a rear chiller with champagne flutes and a 15-channel, 20-speaker Meridian sound system. It also comes with Jaguar's awesome 5.0-liter supercharged engine with an output of 510 hp.
“A partnership with Gilt.com is a great way to launch the Jaguar XJL Ultimate,” said David Pryor, brand vice president for Jaguar North America. “Designed to attract a customer who has a passion for luxury and a taste for adventure, the Jaguar XJL Ultimate—partnered with an exclusive London getaway—is a winning combination.”

2012 Coda Sedan drive review

2012 Coda Sedan drive review
What is it?
There is a place for a modest electric vehicle. A workaday electric vehicle. An electric vehicle for the vegan who doesn't feel the need to engage in bumper-sticker politics. An electric vehicle that gets one from place to place with not a modicum of fuss and engenders minimal range anxiety.
Coda aims to build that electric vehicle. So they engineered a very fine battery, a lithium-iron phosphate (LiFePO4) unit they believe in so much that they've tagged it with a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty. Then they took said battery and stuck it in the floor of a rather homely Chinese car.
They're a thoughtful group of auto-industry vets, these Coda people, and they've rallied around a sensible cry—dependable range. The EPA rates the Coda sedan at 88 miles on a charge. A Coda engineer once hypermiled one to 160. The company says 100 miles on a charge is absolutely within the realm of the average driver, and based on a day tooling around Los Angeles using the A/C rather liberally and paying scant attention to miserly driving habits, we have no reason to doubt their claim.
What's it like to drive?
Based on the aging Chinese-built Hafei Sabao, the Coda sedan's a curious mix of the excellent and the thoughtlessly janky. One benefit of basing the car on an older platform is that the out-of-vogue concept of cabin visibility is still in play. The low beltline allowed us our preferred motoring posture, left elbow perched on the window sill. As such, we didn't notice one of the bigger ergonomic complaints about the Coda—that the door-mounted armrests are mounted exceptionally low, even for people of more diminutive stature.
Coda clearly put most of their effort into the powertrain, and it shows. A 0-to-60-mph time of 9.5 seconds doesn't sound like any great shakes, especially when Elon Musk is touting the Porsche-trouncing benefits of electric propulsion, but the reality is that the power level is perfectly adequate for around-town motoring. The Coda packs a joyful midrange punch. Anywhere between 25 and 70 mph, dipping into the throttle produces an accelerative sensation akin to a turbocharged mill that's constantly spooled up.
The chassis favors ride over handling, but it's not utterly useless in a corner, as the underslung battery pack keeps the center of gravity low. With 221 lb-ft routed through the front wheels, one would expect a healthy dollop of torque steer. Said dollop is not nearly as pronounced as one might expect. It's more like a smidge.
It's the controls that really undo the machine. Today's hybrids and EVs generally feature a nearly seamless transition between regenerative braking and hydraulic actuation of the discs and/or drums. They've become so refined that the process is practically wholly linear. The Coda, however, suffers from a nonintuitive hump where the discs start to grab. Over the course of a day's driving, we never really got a handle on stopping the car fluidly.
Behavior of the sort may have been acceptable in the early days of regenerative systems, but given that cars like the Tesla Model S and theToyota Camry Hybrid manage the transition so wonderfully, the Coda comes off as homebrewed and underbaked.
The console-mounted rotary gear selector is another sore point. With no mechanical goings-on to hint at what drive mode we'd just engaged, we found ourselves repeatedly dropping the Coda into neutral when we were looking for forward motion. It's something one would get used to quickly enough, we imagine, but the fact that it's not as intuitive as it could be illustrates that, as serious as Coda may be about battery technology, they suffer from an acute lack of seriousness about actual motoring.
We never really came to grips with the steering, either. The recurring sense was that the steering shaft had to be some manner of hard rubber extrusion. The cheaper Mitsubishi i, in contrast, has excellent steering, tweaked by the same engineer responsible for the helm of the sticks-to-your-face Lancer Evolution.
On the bright side, the optional Alpine stereo sounds pretty good, and the smart battery packaging means that the trunk is free, clear and usable. Take that, BMW ActiveE.
Do I want one?
High points aside, the Coda is about as much of an automotive penalty box as one can find in the current crop of EVs. The Leaf and i offer funky styling and the reputation of known manufacturers. The Ford Focus Electric even manages to add a dose of handsome to the basic car—a machine that's already among the nicer vehicles in the C-segment. The Model S features solid styling and a general sense that Tesla really sweated every detail when it comes to the feel of their automobile.
Coda put all their eggs in the battery's basket. We'll give the battery a good grade based on our experience and the industry-leading warranty. As for the rest of the rest of the car? Might we kindly suggest they put their battery in something else? Coda's next vehicle is being developed in conjunction with a different Chinese partner, Great Wall. Perhaps they'll have the kinks worked out by then, but with the current sedan as the small company's only offering, we'd recommend that eco-intenders either sacrifice some range, spend more money or grit their green teeth and purchase a plug-in.
2012 Coda Sedan
Base Price: $38,145
As-Tested Price: $39,640
Drivetrain: 31-kWh battery pack; 134-hp, 221-lb-ft electric motor; one-speed automatic
Curb Weight: 3,670 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA): 73 mpg-e
Range (EPA): 88 mi

2012 Coda Sedan drive review
2012 Coda Sedan drive review
2012 Coda Sedan drive review
2012 Coda Sedan drive review
2012 Coda Sedan drive review
2012 Coda Sedan drive review

New Audi S3 packs 296-hp punch

New Audi S3 packs 296-hp punch
Audi has turned up the heat on the S3 as it prepares to take the fight to the likes of the recently introduced BMW M135i and upcoming Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG in what is set to become an intriguing battle for premium-brand hot-hatchback supremacy.
Audi does not sell the current S3 in the U.S. market.
The third-generation model of Audi's all-wheel-drive S3 is pictured here officially for the first time ahead of its public debut next week at the Paris motor show. It is the first in a series of new performance cars from the Volkswagen Group to benefit from an advanced turbocharged 2.0-liter direct-injection gasoline engine developed from scratch as part of Audi's EA888 engine family.
With 296 hp at 5,500 rpm and 280 lb-ft of torque between 1,800 and 5,500 rpm, the new four-cylinder engine provides the S3 with unprecedented levels of performance. There is an additional 35 hp and 22 lb-ft of torque compared with the EA113 engine used by the second-generation S3 on sale since 2006.
The power is channeled through either a standard six-speed manual transmission or optional six-speed double clutch S-tronic gearbox. The latter offers steering wheel-mounted shift paddles and an automatic mode for hands-free shifting. Drive is apportioned to all four wheels via a Haldex-style multi-plate clutch.
Audi quotes a 0-to-62-mph time of 5.1 seconds for the new S3 running the S-tronic gearbox, while the manual posts a time of 5.4 seconds. Top speed is limited to 155 mph. Combined city/highway fuel consumption on the European test cycle is put at 34.1 mpg for the manual and 33.6 mpg for the dual-clutch car.

New Audi S3 packs 296-hp punch
New Audi S3 packs 296-hp punch
New Audi S3 packs 296-hp punch
New Audi S3 packs 296-hp punch