First Drive: 2009 Maserati GranTurismo S Automatic

Marcello Mastroianni has been reincarnated as the Maserati Granturismo S Automatic. Suave good looks. Smooth, effortless acting. This big, handsome sport coupe is the cinematic black-and-white Mastroianni, wearing a tipped fedora and dark shades of Fellini’s “81/2″ or “La Dolce Vita.”
As its name suggests, the Granturismo S Automatic tosses out the Granturismo S’ six-speed twin-clutch paddle-shifted manual for a six-speed paddle-shifted ZF. It also dismisses the S’ passive damping suspension for the base Granturismo’s Skyhook suspension, “perfect tradeoff between handling and comfort on board,” with its aluminum gas dampers. The suspension offers two settings, with a “sport” button that stiffens things up while opening an exhaust flap that turns up the volume on the lovely, throaty-brappy Italian V-8 soundtrack. Nino Rota would approve.

Weight distribution is 49/51, slightly better than the manual’s 47/53. More important, even for us manual gearbox junkies, the Granturismo S seems better suited for the ZF automatic. Essentially, this is the standard Granturismo automatic with the S’ 4.7L V-8 upgrade — and it works.You can tell the three models from the color of the cam covers: Maserati Blue for the Granturismo’s 405-hp, 4.2L V-8, Ferrari Red for the 440-hp, 4.7L Granturismo S, and darker red for the 440-hp, 4.7L S Automatic. Maserati claims a 0-100-kph (62-mph) time of five seconds flat, just 0.1 sec slower than the twin-clutch manual. This transmission and the character of the car bearing it lifts Maserati from the shadow of its faster, more expensive sibling, Ferrari — just as Armani doesn’t have to take a back seat to Ermenegildo Zegna.
While ZF has sold this transmission to a number of Maser’s competitors, Maserati engineers developed their own paddle-shift system. Right paddle to upshift, left paddle to downshift. It feels lighter, less crisp than most paddle-shift transmissions, whether automatic or twin-clutch manual. And yet, it’s quick and precise and gives full control to the driver, neither upshifting nor downshifting on its own. It’s the most engaging manumatic to date (though, ahem, a longer-term drive will be necessary to determine whether it becomes a daily habit).
It rained on the hilly, twisty roads near Modena the day of our test drive, which slows one down when driving a big, fast, expensive sport coupe. Even with a safety cushion, though, the Granturismo S Automatic felt sure-footed enough on its standard 20-in. wheels and tires to handle the curves with lan. Electronic nannies on, you can still elicit slight wheelspin coming out of the corners. With this transmission and suspension and an exotic car’s engine, the Automatic S is a suave sport coupe that defines Maserati’s distinctive personality.
[source:MotorTrend]
       

Cruisin’ in the Chinese Chevrolet Cruze

Our European editor, Paul Horrell, got behind the wheel of Chevy’s Next Big Thing in Spain a couple of months ago. His verdict? The Chevy compact is good in parts. And after time behind the wheel of a pair of Chinese-spec Chevrolet Cruzes during my three-day road trip from Shanghai to Hangzhou and back, I’d have to agree. There’s a lot to like about the Cruze, including the distinctive styling, roomy packaging, tight structure, and competent chassis. But the car needs work before it’s ready for prime time here in the United States.
I drove an entry-level 1.6 SE with a five speed manual, and a top of the range 1.8 SX with the six-speed automatic transmission. The SX comes with sat-nav, climate-control air-conditioning, central locking, a sunroof, and power fore-aft adjustment on the driver’s seat. The seats are leather trimmed, as are the steering wheel and the contrasting colorway that stretches from the doors across the dash fascia.

Curiously, the SE’s interior seems classier, largely because the lighter color, self-patterned cloth material of the seat inserts replace the bland-looking leather on the doors and dash. The plastic-rimmed steering wheel definitely feels bargain basement, though. The cabin is roomy, with decent front seats, and good rear-seat accommodation. Out back is a big trunk.On the outside, you’ll need sharp eyes to pick the difference between the two trim levels. The SX gets a chrome strip on the beltline, chrome plates on the door handles, and a chrome garnish between the taillights. Both our testers rolled 16-in. alloy wheels fitted with Kumho Solus KH17 205/60R16 tires.
Both Cruzes are more stiffly sprung than the Buick Regal is, which suggests they’d be more fun to drive in the twisties. And they are, although the steering is quite low-geared and has an artificially strong self-centering characteristic. The chassis’ at-the-limit handling characteristic is typical front-drive understeer; up to that point, it’s composed and benign, with gentle and utterly predictable transient responses.
Paul slammed the 1.6L and 1.8L DOHC Ecotec fours in his review, and rightly so. Both engines are dogs; droning snoozers with no panache, no personality, and no discernable power or torque peaks. I wasn’t impressed by the transmissions, either. The five-speed manual is somewhat balky and has ratios so widely spaced you could drive a ’49 Packard between them, while the six speed auto shunts clumsily through the shifts in a race to get to as high a gear as possible as fast as possible.
Presumably, both powertrains have been optimized for fuel efficiency, but GM’s claimed 36 mpg for the 140-hp 1.8L auto and 40 mpg for the 115-hp 1.6L manual at a steady 56 mph is hardly impressive enough to be worth the compromises. And then there’s the impact on the performance — claimed 0-to-60-mph time for the 1.8 auto is in the high 11s, while the 1.6 manual needs more than 12 seconds. Bottom line: Neither powertrain is remotely acceptable for the American market.
Just as well, then, GM plans on launching the U.S.-market Cruze, scheduled to go into production at the company’s Lordstown, Ohio, plant next year, with a new 1.4L direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood. Details are sketchy, but it’s believed this engine will deliver at least 130 hp and a healthy chunk of much needed mid-range torque, along with up to 44 mpg on the highway. Presumably, U.S.-spec Cruzes will also get much more crisply calibrated transmissions.
The suspension needs retuning, just to take the edge off the sharper vertical body movements, though Chevy’s chassis engineers should try and maintain as much roll stiffness as they can to maintain agility. The steering needs recalibration, too, ideally with a quicker ratio rack. I’d also recommend GM spend a few extra bucks on quality tires for the U.S. model; grippier rubber would enhance the basic competence of the Cruze’s Global Delta platform.
GM has an awful lot riding on the Cruze, more, perhaps, than any single car in the company’s history. This car has to be right; it has to be the import-fighting compact Detroit has promised for so long — and so often failed to deliver. The good news is the basics are there. Now GM must sweat the details.
[source:MotorTrend]

First Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid

Six years ago, I attended the Electric Vehicle Symposium in Long Beach, California, and at the conclusion of a riveting presentation by a major advanced-tech battery manufacturer, a questioner asked about the prospects of lithium-ion batteries for automobiles. The presenter was stony-faced for a few seconds — and then responded with a cocked head. “What do you mean by lithium batteries in cars?” Nickel metal hydride was then considered the cutting-edge in battery tech for hybrids, and this question about lithium-ion — provoked by its chief advocate, the late Dr. Paul MacCready, who was elsewhere in the hall — seemed beyond the presenter’s grasp. The questioner might as well have asked when worm holes in the fabric of space and time were going to let cars blink from one place to another.
Well, I’ve just driven the world’s first mass-production automobile that employs a lithium-ion battery (the lithium-ion-using Tesla Roadster being a low-production affair). No, it isn’t a full electric vehicle as Dr. MacCready would have preferred. But there, tucked in the corner of the Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid‘s engine bay, was a 32-cell, 120 volt, 0.9 amp-hour, lithium-ion battery about the size of shoebox.

For lithium-ion’s first foray into mass production, the finicky battery type (dogged by YouTube videos of burning laptops) is getting kid-glove treatment. The most important kindness given it is cooling, performed by the AC system’s refrigerant which is circulated by an electric motor (this required to provide air conditioning while the engine is shut down.) To give you an idea how pampered this battery is, when we asked how long it’ll endure before replacement, Mercedes’ engineers responded, “It’ll last as long as the car itself” That’s become a common claim about nickel-metal-hydride batteries, but I suspect both Tesla’s and Chevy’s Volt engineers are blanching at that proclamation being applied to lithium.
The battery provides up to a 5-sec jolt of juice (limited by the system’s heat build-up) to a thin, 20-hp motor that’s slotted between the engine and seven-speed automatic transmission in much the same fashion as Honda’s familiar Integrated Motor Assist. However, unlike Honda’s system, Mercedes’ application is truly “mild” as it can’t propel the car in EV mode at all. Consider as well that the motor’s 20 hp is being applied to a 4575-lb sedan, a 9%-higher lb/hp ratio than the Honda Insight’s 13 hp in a 2735-lb vehicle. However, also notice that the motor’s whopping 118 lb-ft of torque is a disproportionate aid to the 255 lb-ft delivered by the 275-hp, 3.5L, four-valve/cylinder, Atkinson-cycle V-6 (the system’s combined horsepower is 295, combined torque is 283 lb-ft). Mercedes openly admits this is a first step in its sedan’s hybridization, and additionally it’s one that’s constrained by the transmission’s existing dimensions and the available room in the S-Class’s crowded engine bay (no batteries in the trunk, please). By the way, it was whispered that the next generation of electric motors is likely to produce 60 hp. At three times this motor’s output, this strongly suggests Mercedes will have to adopt a clutch between the motor and engine to allow pure EV mode. Unlike Honda, which gets away with powerlessly spinning its small-displacement engines, Mercedes’ 3.5L is a lot of engine to consider free-milling.
At a stop, the engine is typically off -though there are exceptions when the system’s software deems stop-start as non-profitable, such as in stop-and-go traffic and the like. However, the contrast in interior noise and vibration between idling and engine-off isn’t particularly striking-the S-Class’s chassis is already heavily sound-deadened (this matters more in lightly constructed cars such as Honda’s Insight and Civic). Lift off the brake when the light goes green, and the engine revives instantly-with silky smoothness-courtesy of the electric motor, which is thereafter available for melding its considerable torque with engine’s. Acceleration is liquidy-smooth, capable of hitting 60 mph in an estimated 7.1 sec and a top speed limited to 130 mph. While slowing, the engine usually switches off at 15 mph and, frankly, you have to watch the instrument display’s icon representation of the hybrid’s goings on to recognize any of this.
It’s interesting to compare the S400′s efficiency with Mercedes’ own highly advanced, diesel-powered S350 CDI Blue Efficiency drivetrain (not currently planned for U.S sale). Mercedes estimates the mileage of the long-wheelbase version of the Hybrid (the version we’ll be getting in the U.S) to be 23 mpg city/33 highway (27 mpg combined), or 8.1L/100 kilometers by the European method. The slower and smaller-displacement S350 CDI achieves better fuel consumption-7.7L/100 kilometers-but greater CO2 emissions due to diesel’s higher carbon-content per liter (the hybrid generates 190 grams per kilometer versus the oil-burner’s 200). So, depending on whether you’re a mileage or CO2 fan, you might say either wins. However, remember that this S400 represents a very light dose of hybridness. It’s reasonable to project that a full hybrid edition of it would put the diesel away. On the other hand, when queried, Mercedes’ execs wouldn’t discount a future diesel hybrid. Interesting.
The S400 includes a lengthy list of non-powertrain-related changes that will appear throughout the S-Class range, including a revised nose with a pointier grille, revised taillamps that include LED brake illumination which appears in a “Double C” pattern, and a revised steering wheel containing a smaller airbag.
Among the S-Class’s astonishing electronic dazzlements are Adaptive Highbeam Assist which enlists the radar to sense to the distance of oncoming traffic, and Pre-Safe Brake which similarly detects and an impending crunch and warns you 2.6 sec before impact, at 1.6 seconds applies 50% of its maximum braking, and at 0.6 sec frantically throws out the anchor. Another feature, Torque Vectoring Brake, aids turn-in crispness via a polite squeeze of an inboard rear brake to help rotate the car. Meanwhile, Night View Assist Plus highlights any murky nighttime shapes on its screen that could be human. Also available on the S400 is the now German-ubiquitous string of LEDs framing the lower portion of the headlights.
Three nifty ingredients that wouldn’t make the S400 cut (but find application elsewhere in the S-Class range) are Active Body Control (nixed because it needs the engine operating at all times), Crosswind Stabilization (which does exactly what it sounds like), and Attention Assist, which observes the driver’s steering wheel motions (among other things) to detect impending slumber (moreover, it does this by learning each driver’s individual behavior and then, as the motions become jerky, commences to alarm you). Ah, and a rare non-electronic enhancement is Direct Steer, which amounts to a simple mechanical-based solution for variable-ratio steering keying purely off steering angle. Mercedes claims it improves steering feedback; perhaps it does. I’d need to drive it against the pervious system to tell.
Unfortunately, not coming to the U.S. at all (at least initially) are Speed Limit Assist (yes, a forward camera spots speed postings, compares them with its GPS map for reasonableness, and then reproduces the sign on the dash)-and Split View. This is a center-dash display that, if viewed from the driver’s seat, displays typical driver information, but when observed from the passenger seat can offer, say, the latest blockbuster film. It borders on out-and-out magic and works dazzlingly well. And so who are the regulatory no-fun-niks keeping it from the U.S. market?
And finally, a kicker to how this whole story began: Just before we departed from the Mercedes parking lot for our day’s drive program through the Black Forest, a technician opened an S400′s hood so we get a better look at the hardware. “Can we see the battery?” we asked. The plastic molding covering it was popped off. “It’s made by Continental” the technician instructed. “Do they make the cells?” we asked.
“No” the technician replied. “They’re produced by Saft, in Europe.
And — yes, you guessed it — Saft is the same company whose representative couldn’t comprehend the question about lithium batteries in cars, six years earlier. This technology is moving really, really fast, friends.
[source:MotorTrend]

First Drive: 2010 Buick Regal

How’s this for culture shock? I’m driving a German-designed Buick alongside a Korean-designed Chevy through the streets of a Chinese city. Welcome to the future of General Motors. GM plans to double its sales in China over the next five years, to two million units. “China remains the centerpiece of our global growth strategy,” GM Asia-Pacific boss Nick Reilly said at the Shanghai show, where the GM stand featured 37 models, including the German-designed Buick and Korean-designed Chevy.
The Buick is the 2010 Regal. It’s an old American nameplate for a brand-new car — a rebadged version of the Opel Insignia, a stylish Fusion-size sedan that’s selling to critical acclaim in Europe, having recently been voted 2009 Car of the Year there by a jury of 59 European auto writers. The Opel-based 2010 Regal replaces the old W-body model that has been sold in China since 2003. Like its predecessor, it’s built in China by Shanghai-GM, the joint venture company operated by General Motors and Chinese automaker SAIC. GM is currently selling 5000 new Regals a month in China. (Here’s a startling contrast: Buick hasn’t sold 5000 a month of anything in the U.S. for some time.)

GM originally planned to make and sell this car here in the U.S. as the next-generation Saturn Aura. Saturn was to share Opel’s design language as part of GM’s global product realignment, but as Todd Lassa reported last year, the company subsequently decided Opel design was to be shared with Buick instead, and the Aura plan was axed. But could the Insignia still make it to America badged as a Buick?That depends. First, GM must get through what will almost certainly be a long and complex bankruptcy to emerge as a much smaller, leaner company with just four brands: Chevy, Cadillac, GMC, and Buick. Second, it needs to figure where this Regal would fit in the American Buick lineup.
Like the 2010 LaCrosse, the 2010 Regal is built using GM’s Epsilon II architecture. However, the Regal sedan rolls on a 4.0-in.-shorter wheelbase and is shorter overall, with a much less roomy rear seat. While the LaCrosse will be powered by 3.0L and 3.6L V-6 engines, the Regal comes only with four-cylinder engines.
Base engine is a naturally aspirated 144-hp, 2.0L, while upscale Regals get a 167-hp 2.4L Ecotec. One of GM’s Shanghai show debuts was the Regal 2.0T, which is powered by a 217-hp, 2.0L direct-injection turbo four. The Insignia versions of the car in Europe are available with 1.8L gas and 2.0L turbodiesel fours, a 2.8L V-6 turbo, and all-wheel drive.
The Regal could therefore be positioned just below the LaCrosse as a slightly smaller, sportier model. Reports in the Canadian media have suggested the Regal could be built at GM’s Oshawa, Ontario, plant. However, there’s no reason why a post-bankruptcy GM, freed from pesky UAW constraints on what it can and cannot bring into America from its overseas factories, couldn’t simply import the Regal from China to keep the price low.
And before you start about harping about Chinese quality, a quick walk around our Regal revealed consistent panel gaps and glossy paint on the outside, with quality plastics and tight component fits on the inside. It’s a terrific-looking car: modern, characterful, sporty, with great stance and artfully sculpted sheetmetal. Though designed in Russelsheim, Germany, under the direction of Brit Mark Adams as an Opel, it works beautifully as a Buick – if anything, the toothy Buick waterfall grille, mounted in a new front fascia that includes reshaped lower intakes, gives it a stronger, more upscale presence than the Opel and Vauxhall warpaint it wears in Europe.
Designer Adams admits he pushed hard to get GM management to sign off on the car’s rakish roofline and tucked-in C-pillars. In profile, the Regal is almost a fastback, and rear seat headroom has suffered a little as a result. Rear-seat legroom is not class-leading, either, but if you want your new Buick a little more baggy fit, you’ll buy the LaCrosse. There’s a ton of room up front, as the Regal is fitted with long runners that allow the front seats to slide waaaaay back. Shaquille O’Neal could drive this thing.
The interior design is dynamic, attractive, and upscale. Our 2.4L tester was fitted with sat-nav, a harmon kardon sound system, cruise control, power seats with memory, auto headlights, and a sunroof. Were it not for the Chinese script on the trunk – it says “Shanghai-GM,” by the way – there’d no reason to suspect this car wasn’t made in Germany. Until you drive it.
Chinese roads are rough. Older streets are full of holes and broken tarmac, and even the new freeways and arterial roads that are being built at such a frantic pace the sat nav systems can’t keep up frequently have gut-wrenching heaves and humps. As a result, many automakers increase the ride height of their Chinese-spec cars to reduce the likelihood of having oil pans or transmissions torn out. Chinese drivers also tend to like their cars softly sprung. It’s not a happy combination.
The Regal floats along the freeway like a scaled down Roadmaster. The wheels pit-patter over the bumps, and rapid changes in direction result in hesitant transitions and plenty of body roll. Once it takes a set, however, the Regal’s demeanor remains relatively consistent, revealing some basic goodness in the chassis. My colleagues at Britain’s Autocar magazine, who have racked up hundreds of miles in Euro-spec Insignias, report that, with firmer springs, shocks, and bars, the car shows impressive stability at freeway speeds and is second only to Ford’s Mondeo – beating Honda’s Euro Accord and Mazda’s Euro 6 – in terms of driving dynamics. Memo, GM: If you bring the Regal to America, the European suspension tune is a must.
The powertrain strategy will also need a major rethink for America. The 2.4L Ecotec four is lazy and unresponsive. The poorly calibrated six speed auto is part of the problem, with widely space ratios and a torque converter that locks up very early – presumably in the interest of saving gas. Shanghai-GM claims it takes a leisurely 9.8 sec for the Regal to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. This thing would get its ass handed to it by a briskly driven Nissan Cube. American drivers, who like a solid shove between the shoulder blades away from the lights, would hate it.
The 256-hp turbocharged 2.8L V-6 available in Europe, which slashes the 0-to-60 time to 6.7 sec, might seem the obvious powertrain choice for the American market Regal. But I think the new Regal 2.0T might be a smarter play. With 217 hp at 5300 rpm, and a useful 259-lb-ft of torque from 2000 rpm to 4000 rpm, it would deliver the performance feel American buyers want – Euro-spec 2.0Ts with six speed manuals will hit 60 mph in 7.2 sec, says GM, while the Chinese-spec version with the six speed automatic is good for 0-to-60 mph in 7.7sec – with the added benefits of better fuel economy and lower cost. What’s more, offering the Regal with a four-cylinder engine would clearly differentiate it from the from the V-6-powered LaCrosse range.
With the right engineering tweaks – the turbo powertrain and European suspension tuning – the Regal would definitely work in America. It’s physically smaller than the new Lacrosse and could be priced and positioned below it, giving GM a car to compete in a segment where the Asian automakers do solid business with smart, well-equipped cars like the Acura TSX, four-cylinder Mazda6, and Nissan Altima.
Crucially, the Regal 2.0T could be brought to America with minimal investment. With the aging Lucerne due to go away in 2010 and cash-strapped GM contemplating tough new fuel-consumption targets, plans to develop a large rear-drive Buick sedan positioned above the LaCrosse (it would be based on a stretched Zeta-derived platform that would also underpin a Cadillac STS/DTS replacement) are on hold. The Regal would give Buick – supposedly one of GM’s four core brands, remember – a modern, stylish sedan that would perfectly complement the new LaCrosse and the solid-selling Enclave.
[source:MotorTrend]

First Drive: 2010 Lexus IS C

This just in: Lexus is serious about claiming more of BMW‘s turf. When introduced nearly a decade ago, the Lexus IS 300 was a single-focus effort: one body style, one engine, take it or buy the BMW. The second-gen IS, launched in 2005, widened the view: two engines plus an all-wheel-drive version, but still served only in four-door-sedan form. Last year came the roaring, rumbling IS-F, Japan’s take on the BMW M3. And now, the IS C, the first IS with two doors instead of four, plus a retractable folding hardtop — a lot like BMW’s.
You’ll recognize the C as a member of the IS family, yet every body panel save the hood is new. Besides the obvious — doors, fenders, folding top — the fascias, light clusters, and detailing are C specific. Overall length is increased 2.2 inches over the sedan. Otherwise, says Lexus, the trunk would have looked too high and too short. The chassis architecture remains the same, but a considerable amount of work was done to regain the structural rigidity lost by going topless. There are numerous trusses and triangulation braces underneath, in the rocker panel areas, and behind the front seats.

The top was designed, developed, and constructed in-house. It goes up and down quicker than any other in this category. Inside, the headliner covers everything. There’s not a brace or strut visible inside, and the effect is almost coupelike. Other aspects of the car are reengineered for top-down duty. For example, the audio system volume adjustments are reprogrammed when the top is down, and the HVAC system knows to deliver more air. The IS C has more trunk volume than do many retractables. There’s a handy button to power the passenger seat forward and aft, easing rear-seat access. There’s even a neatly engineered, removable windblocker — too bad that Lexus has the nerve to charge extra for it after doing so much work to make the IS C a complete convertible package. The top system makes use of steel, aluminum, and plastic panels. On average, an IS C is 360-380 pounds heavier than a comparably equipped sedan.Powertrain offerings are the same as in IS sedans. The IS 250C runs Lexus’ 2.5L V-6, good for 204 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque. Take your choice between six-speed automatic and manual transmissions. The IS 350C is powered by a 3.5L V-6, cranking out 306 hp, and 277 lb-ft. Your only choice here is a six-speed automatic. Why can’t you get the 3.5 with a manual trans? North America is the only market that sells the IS with the 3.5-liter engine; all others have the 2.5 gas or a 2.2 turbo diesel. The manual transmission was developed for those smaller engines and sells in reasonable volume. A different (stronger) transmission would be needed for the 3.5 along, and the modest sales potential for that combo doesn’t justify the development cost and certification. Given the car’s less ardent nature, it’s the right call.
There is a long list of standard features, as well as plenty of optional gear. As you’d expect, rear-seat room is so-so, but if the front passengers share their seat travel, it’s possible to pack a pair of adults in back for moderate jaunts.
We sampled all IS C variants: 2.5L and 3.5L engines; stick and automatic transmissions; standard 17-in. wheels and tires, and cars fitted with the optional 18-in. rolling stock. With that came a surprise. Like you, we normally head straight for the biggest engine, stiffest suspension, and largest boots on the order blank. Although that combination proved the most capable, it wasn’t the most pleasant. In order to appreciate the IS-C’s mission in life — stylish, luxurious, top-down transport — you have to get comfy with the fact that it’s a cruiser, not a racer.
The 3.5L’s 306 horses shake off the convertible’s extra 360-380 lb pretty easily. Lexus claims 0-60 in 5.8 sec, which feels right. The 2.5 works hard to deliver the same in 8.4 sec, but the difference isn’t as gaping as it sounds. Driven casually — as a near-lux convertible along California’s Pacific Coast Highway at sunset — it does just fine (make sure to set the ECT button on Power). These are typical Lexus engines: turbine smooth with a flat power curve, if a bit lifeless, slow to rev, and devoid of a tasty exhaust note. But they move the car nicely in cruise or commuter mode.
Lexus admits that, even with all the additional chassis rigidity measures undertaken, the IS C loses about 15% of its torsional stiffness compared with the sedan. This takes form as minor cowl shake and body tremors when the pavement is anything other than super smooth. It’s more noticeable with the top down and further accentuated in an example equipped with 18-in. wheels. Less is more in this case, since the 17s’ taller sidewalls absorb road impacts that would otherwise set the body a-wiggle.
No complaints on ride quality. The IS C is supple without being mushy. It’s quiet too. With the top up, there’s nary a squeak or creak from the top – impressive — and minimal windnoise. Top down, wind buffeting feels about the same as in other cars in this category. Pop for the wind-blocker, as it is very effective at reducing noise and buffeting and is easy for one person to install and remove.
As much as we love manual transmissions, we just don’t get it in this application. Although Lexus feels certifying and offering this model is necessary to keep cred against BMW, Infiniti, and others that do likewise, it feels out of place in the IS C, especially since it can be had only with the smaller engine. Believe it or not, the car feels zippier with the automatic, as opposed to the tall-geared stick.
Our pick of this litter is the IS 250C with the automatic transmission and standard 17-in. wheels and tires. It is the least expensive offering and has the best EPA mileage ratings. The standard rolling stock preserves ride quality and minimizes body wiggles. And the 2.5L/auto-trans combo is in keeping with the car’s character. If you’re less about speed than style, desire maximum creature features and entertainment options, and want to save around $6000 over a comparably equipped 3 Series, the IS C is a classy way to roll.
[source:MotorTrend]

Arrival: 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD

For 2009, Acura made drastic changes inside and out to its fourth-generation Acura TL. With edgy, albeit polarizing exterior styling and a sporty, tech-laden interior, the new TL shows no signs of getting lost in the entry-luxury crowd. Long Acura’s best-selling model, the TL is now available in either front- or all-wheel-drive configuration, with the former offering a 3.5-liter, 280-horse V-6, the latter a bigger 3.7-liter rated at 305 ponies. Both are backed with a five-speed automatic; a slick six-speed manual will be available with the 3.7 for the 2010 model year.
Per Acura’s usual approach, the TL comes in base trim or with a $3730 Technology Package that adds a 440-watt ELS audio system, navigation with traffic rerouting and Zagat restaurant reviews, Bluetooth, and a decklid spoiler with backup camera. For another grand, the all-wheel-drive TL, dubbed SH-AWD for its “Super Handling All-Wheel Drive,” can be had with high-performance summer tireson 19-inch alloys (versus 18s).

For our long-term tester, we opted for the SH-AWD with the Tech Pack and high-performance rubber, which brought the car in at just under $44,000. Thus far, the most discussed water-cooler topic has been our TL’s exterior styling. Some staffers have called it shockingly ugly while others have found it, well, not that bad.
Looks aside, most have found the bevy of other changes quite welcome. While a few consider the TL’s dash a sea of buttons, others have deemed it more agreeable than the button-sea in our long-term Accord as the Acura’s layout is better organized and more intuitive than the Honda’s. Interior room is more than ample for four passengers, but that fifth makes for a snug fit. Seats are wrapped in soft, high-quality leather and offer good support and comfort.
When we had the TL SH-AWD during our 2009 Car of the Year event, it advanced to the second round, earning the title “finalist.” Still, editors’ opinions were split on the dynamics. Half said the torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system turned the TL into a BMW-fighter. The rest saw it as a BMW wannabe-great up to 7/10ths but not beyond.
Acura claims the TL SH-AWD, with its sport-tuned chassis, was designed to enhance handling dramatically and thus is built exclusively for the enthusiast driver. Does it live up to the hype? Over the next year, we plan to answer that question.