June 2009 Long-Term Road Tests Archives

My last experience in our 2007 Honda Civic GX was mostly on the freeway. Aside from the fact that it feels like the whole car is holding its breath as it accelerates, the CNG-fueled, 1.8-liter inline-four provides adequate motivation for commuting -- and with none of the odd sensations you get in a hybrid with blended gasoline-engine and electric power sources.

The GX also rides pretty much like any other (non-Si) Civic, though I think it would be better if we got rid of the low-rolling-resistance P195/65R15 89H tires -- perhaps that will be soon given our long-termer's mileage. Still, freeway travel in a Civic GX feels more secure and relaxing than it does in a second-generation Prius or our long-term Smart Fortwo, either of which is liable to wander all over the road. I can see why people use the GX for high-mileage commuting in greater LA.

But if I owned our natural-gas Honda, I'd mostly use it to run errands within 10-15 miles of my home. Like most fuel misers, it's most pleasant during low-speed stop-and-go driving, even if it this doesn't give it the opportunity to operate at maximum efficiency.

As someone commented on Mark's entry, the lack of a current vendor for the Phill home refueling unit makes a Civic GX purchase far less desirable today than it was two years ago. (Honda's sale of Fuel Maker's assets to Fuel Systems Solutions is now final, and FSS says it will restart Phill production but hasn't yet as far as we know.)

I rent a 1940s-era apartment, though, so I couldn't ever have a Phill anyway. I do have the random luck to live in the Republic of Santa Monica within a half-mile of a natural gas refueling station. So owning a Honda Civic GX could conceivably work for me. But I think I'd rather just get a Fit.

Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 32,375 miles

Categories: 2007 Honda Civic GX

Sadlier: So, continuing its pattern of hiring random people to do important things, GM taps us to be the guys who make sure that the new GM is devoid of the stupid stuff that plagued old GM. Where do we start?
Magrath: I suppose we start from the outside in. It's how I pick my books and women; why not evaluate companies likewise?
Sadlier: Good, let's focus on outer beauty. It's the LA way.
Magrath : GM has never really had a problem selling to GM fans, so the trick, it would seem, is to get non-GM folks to take the cars seriously. This means that Chevrolet, the largest and most important brand, needs to ditch the bowtie.
Sadlier : The bowtie is obviously tainted, but I think it's potentially salvageable. Hire a design firm with money they don't have and sex it up.
Magrath : Salvageable? Except for Colonel Sanders and Tucker Carlson, who wears a bowtie? And as you may recall from Jon Stewart's pummeling of Tucker , the bowtie was a key part of Stewart's argument that what Tucker did on Crossfire is theater and not real news. Bowties are gags.
Magrath : They could try to sex it up, but that would end with the thing being a bolo tie like you see at rodeos or in Arizona. There'd be turquoise and a cow skull...not good.
Magrath : Besides James Bond, whom I don't think GM wants to evoke unless the new Camaro is a submersible, name something positive associated with a bowtie.
Sadlier : Ummm...the tuxedo? 17th-century Croatian mercenaries ? Balzac ? Hell, the Playboy bunny wears a bowtie. This is too easy.
Sadlier : The bowtie can rise again. Just not in its current form.
Magrath : Fine, then if GM is sticking with a bowtie, Lexus should switch from a stylized "L" to a mawashi .
Sadlier : Deal.
Magrath : And GM cars should be available only in black and white, or in Croatia.
Sadlier : ...with your choice of a complimentary Playboy playmate or French novel.
Magrath : I'm in.

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Categories: 2007 Cadillac SRX,2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT,2007 Chevrolet Tahoe,2008 Buick Enclave CX,2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,2008 Pontiac G8 GT

Last week I did two things I'll never do again. First and worst was the hour I spent watching the Batchlorette when my wife highjacked the living room TV. Damn Yankees had the night off.

Then I drove our long-term 2009 VW Jetta TDI up Glendora Mountain Road. While not as bad as an hour of Jillian-and-the-I-have-abs-but-no-brains-brigade, the TDI on GMR was no treat. This car is not a sports sedan despite its DSG transmission and abundant bottom end torque.  

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Categories: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

So we've been trying to figure out recently why our 2009 Nissan 370Z doesn't get more editorial love, and I keep hearing negative comments about the ride. "Rough." "Hard." "[Insert lewd comment here]." With due respect to my perhaps prematurely geriatric colleagues, I beg to differ. This Z has got one of the most supple sports-car rides I've ever experienced.

I aimed the Z at every rut and pothole in sight on my way to work this morning, and I failed to elicit anything I'd call "impact harshness." The Z's ride is firm, taut, controlled...but rough? Hard? No way. There's a BMW-like refinement in the way this car traverses broken pavement. In fact, I'd say it's more BMW-like in this respect than our 135i -- a car that no one (well, other than me) has ever spurned on account of its harsh ride. As for the Evo MR, which has no shortage of suitors in these parts, the Z rides like a Lexus by comparison.

The Z's got issues, yes. The ride isn't one of them.

Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com @ 8,344 miles

Categories: 2009 Nissan 370Z Touring

Driving our long-term 2007 Honda Civic GX reminds me how much I like the interior of the current-generation Honda Civic. I've never had a problem with the stacked digital speedo/analog tach combo. And no matter which trim level you end up with, the seats are roomy, well-shaped and instantly comfortable -- as they should be in a car that retailed for $24,590 before tax credits.

Even nicer is the seating position itself. The seat is mounted low, but the cowl is also low, so I get in and feel enthusiastic about the drive I'll take -- even if the car's 1.8-liter engine (113 hp at 6,300 rpm, 109 lb-ft at 4,300 rpm) and five-speed automatic aren't the most enthusiastic team.

Standard telescope adjustment makes it easy to position the 3/4-scale steering wheel where I want it. Although this isn't the leather-wrapped, three-spoke version I'm used to (Civic Si, Civic Hybrid, Fit, Insight), this vinyl, two-spoke wheel still feels right in my hands.

Erin Riches, Senior Editor

Categories: 2007 Honda Civic GX

I'm kind of a visibility hog. I don't like wishing I could sit up taller in a car's seat so I can see what's happening around me, so whenever there's seat-height adjustment available in a car, I take advantage of it, even in SUVs. And though our long-term Suzuki's airy greenhouse gives the car a nice, open feel to it, without a seat-height adjustability, all that room above my head does me no good when I still feel like I'm sitting on the floor. It's something I've gotten used to, it wouldn't stop me from buying the car (I actually like almost everything else about the little crossover quite a lot), but I still wish I could be just a bit higher.

Also, a follow-up to my post last Friday about not being able to remove the headrest for child seat installation: Thanks, subaru123 for suggesting that I just tilt the seatback forward. That did the trick; instantly plenty of room to remove the headrest completely. Now I've got a well-installed kid seat.

Bryn MacKinnon, Senior Editor, Edmunds.com @ 7,601 miles

Categories: 2009 Suzuki SX4

I got a short notice invitation to go to Vegas last week.
Well, I did sign up for our long term 2009 Nissan GT-R for the weekend. That sealed it for me.

It's about 285 miles from my home on the Westside of LA and I got about 17 mpg roundtrip. It took 4 hours to get there, but 5.5 hours to get back on Sunday due to the horrendous traffic.

Although there is a great deal of road noise and some wind noise, the R35 is a superb tourer. It has supportive seats, but not at the expense of any comfort. While the ride is quite firm, even in the comfort setting, it's manageable. And power? No problem -- you can slice through traffic like a katana sword.

I saw a black GT-R in front of a fancy hotel. It may have belonged an NBA star because we spotted D.Fisher of the Lakers and a few other players by the pool.

A few other notes:

1.  I find the analog speedo useless, with the numbers too close together to read quickly with a brief glance. I prefer to use the digital speedo in bottom of the tach. (The speedo looks deceptively big and uncluttered in the photo.)

2.  The fuel range readout is useful too, but you have to toggle through multiple displays including the digital speedo. I'd like to have the speedo and range available simultaneously.

About that fuel range readout...

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Categories: 2009 Nissan GT-R

I got back to the office pretty late after a photo shoot and I was beat. All I wanted to do was go home, watch the game highlights and go to sleep. Our 135i was waiting for me in the parking garage and I slowly moseyed down to it after dropping off all of my gear.

That BMW gave me a quick jolt to wake me up, however. When I pushed the start button it turned and turned and turned like it wouldn't fire up.

"Crap!" I thought to myself. "If this thing doesn't start I'll have to walk home!"

The second my finger was near the panic button it sprang to life. Thanks be to the car gods. I was relieved I didn't have to walk home after the monster day I had.

Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer

Categories: 2008 BMW 135i

I've been hearing about the merits of the Civic GX for a few years now from my hairstylist Sue, who drives one from Lake Arrowhead to Pasadena nearly every day she works. Under the conditions she drives, I think the GX is a great choice...here's why...

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Categories: 2007 Honda Civic GX

In what is surely the least complicated piece of maintenance ever performed on an E90 M3, I refilled our car's windshield washer fluid this morning. Sure, I could have gone to the dealer to have it refilled for free, but why bother when I could dig into the guts of this beast and take care of it myself?

Actually, I was just bored waiting to fill up at the gas station and there was no digging as you only have to flip a very accessible lid open. I was also sick of seeing the overzealous dashboard warning signal staring me in the face. The thing lights up with a big orange flasher complete with an exclamation point. The first time I saw it, I thought the engine was about to spit a piston through the hood.

Upon closer inspection, I realized the slightly less dire nature of the warning and figured it could wait until the next fill up. Incidentally, the M3 returned about 18mpg over the weekend. Not bad for a V8 that was working pretty hard most of the time. And don't forget, when you Peak, you win. 

Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line @ 5,211 miles

UPDATE: Why I'm glad I didn't use BMW fluid, after the jump.  Thanks willin58.

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Categories: 2009 BMW M3

This is a tough one. But after hours of soul searching and a large Italian sub with extra Provolone I was able to make my choice. I'd F the Suzuki, marry the Fit and kill the Focus. What would you do?

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief 

Categories: 2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe,2009 Honda Fit Sport,2009 Suzuki SX4

What can we tell you about the Honda Civic GX? Any questions?

Have any of you driven one? If so, write your review in the comments section. We look forward to reading what you have to say.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Categories: 2007 Honda Civic GX

Big "hell, yes" for reflashing. The 135i now feels pleasantly wired when driven around town. Eager -- champing at the bit and all that. I couldn't keep my hands off it over the weekend, and it reveled in the attention.

The little Bimmer was on fire this weekend -- it even got a couple of compliments regarding its appearance. When it comes to its sheet metal, the 135i has had its share of detractors here on our staff. Based on my experience, though, John Q. Public seems to like the look of it just fine.

Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor @ 23,644 miles

Categories: 2008 BMW 135i

Summer is here and so is the relentless sun. Whether you live in the dry heat like we do in Southern California, or in the more humid climates, you need a good air conditioner in your car.

Our 2009 VW Jetta TDI has a powerful, cold A/C with vents that are in the right places and simple old-school dials for control. The vents are positioned high enough so you can direct them at your face without them hitting your hands on the steering wheel. And as Paul mentioned in an earlier post, the dials may be simple but they are logical and easy to operate.

Saturday, when I was driving around doing my errands at high noon and ended up parking in an outdoor lot for an hour, I really appreciated the strong steady cool air. And later that night when the marine layer misted in off the sea, I dialed on the seat heaters to keep me cozy.

Sometimes, simple is best.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor @ 16,590 miles

Categories: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

As with my colleague Mr. Takahashi, I enjoy rev-matching on my own, but like him still have to admit that the Z's Syncro RevMatch is pretty cool. 

But if Nissan can offer this ground-breaking technology, why don't they have what I'll call Syncro TimeMatch?  I'm talking about the two time displays (a stand-alone clock in the upper pod and one in the nav/audio screen) that aren't matched.  I've seen other cars with redundant time displays (VW and Audi come to mind) that are synchronized so this strikes me as rather odd here.  And yes, I adjusted the clock after I posted this gripe...

John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 8,301 miles

Categories: 2009 Nissan 370Z Touring

We recently got our Audi S5 back from Audi's tech center to address its steering vibration issue that comes and goes depending on velocity and road surface. On Friday, I took the car home, and noticed some vibration still in it, but it was more of a "feel" thing rather than a "visual" thing. Additionally, I noticed the car would follow seams and grooves in the road. Well, it was almost fixed.

The next morning, before a 200-mile drive, I checked the oil, filled the fuel tank and, hey, why not check the tire pressures? Guess what? The the rears were spot-on but the fronts had been set 5.0 psi under spec. I know they were set by the tech center because they replaced both front tires.

Watch the video to see what setting the tires to the proper pressure (39.0 psi) did for the steering vibration. Excuse poor sound and the "brian phart" when I call it the Audi S4 at the beginning.

Chief Road Test Editor, Chris Walton @ 4,805 miles

Categories: 2009 Audi S5

Our 2009 Hyundai Genesis has an iPod interface. In theory, the car's iDrive-like navigation controller wheel makes iPod operation a breeze. Alas, the wheel is hampered by interface software in need of fine-tuning.

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Categories: 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6

A couple of months ago our 2008 Smart Fortwo was compared to a 1995 BMW R1100RS but as a commenter had remarked, a comparison to a 150cc scooter would have made for a better debate.

This weekend, I really wanted to video a drag race between our 2008 Smart Fortwo and my 2009 Vespa LX150 but since the closed racetrack was booked, I didn't get to. (I highly suspect that since the Vespa has a continuously variable transmission, it could kick the Smart's ass in a 0-30.) So I'll have to content myself with comparing the two on paper.

Apart from the obvious differences of one being a car and the other a scooter, they share similar impracticalities. But when it comes to just around-town driving, I think my mini Italian ride is better.

Yes, both can park almost anywhere, with the Vespa having a slight edge over the Fortwo. I get to park for free in most garages! And even though the top speed of the LX150 is 59 mph vs. the Smart's 93 mph, in surface street traffic I can get to where I'm going faster thanks to lane-splitting.

Unfortunately, both take premium fuel but the Vespa gets a reported 70-75 mpg compared to the Smart's 33 city/40 highway mpg.

As for cargo, yes, the Smart has the obvious advantage as I can't lug a week's worth of groceries on my Vespa. But since I always eat out anyway, this point is moot.

However the Smart does ensure that my hair will look exactly the same way it did at the beginning of the ride, so there's that.

In any case, the Vespa is wayyy more fun to drive while the Smart can leave you cursing its existence.

Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 17,895 miles

Categories: 2008 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

I had plenty of choices for the weekend car, but I took the Fit for the single reason that it had a good nav system in it. The lady and I have been looking to take advantage of the first time home buyer tax credit so our search area is a broad swath of the L.A. area.

The nav first came in handy when we left dinner on Saturday with time to spare a run to Scoops Ice Cream, a place way across town from where we were in an unfamiliar area. I 411'd their address, plugged it into the nav and off we went. Two scoops later and we made a mad dash back to the movie theatre.

On Sunday, we had a list of six places to see. With the easy touch type nav screen, I plugged in address after address and it effortlessly guided us to each destination. We didn't find anything we could afford or even really liked all that much, but at least the Fit made the process easy.

Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer

Categories: 2009 Honda Fit Sport

I don't know about you, but I can't afford a new BMW M3. But now, I might be able to afford a used one.

Our 2002 BMW M3 Coupe is going to be leaving home soon, and it will be my job to push it out the door. So this morning I took a look at what we paid for it and what we hope to sell it for.

About 18 months ago we paid $30,000 for our menacing, black, freeway rocket. It had 50,000 miles on it, definitely not a spring chicken. Still, the needle on the fun factor registered a high reading.

Now, our True Market Value price is $18,508 at 72,951 miles. That means the car has depreciated $11,492. If you were leasing the car, that would be the equivalent of $638 a month (before taxes and DMV fees). That's still a pretty steep monthly payment for me.

But on the other hand, that's a lot of car.

Philip Reed, Edmunds senior consumer advice editor @ 72,951 miles.

Categories: 2002 BMW M3