We opted for the optional autofold second-row bucket seats (MSRP $870). The above video of the passenger side second-row seat shows how nicely they work when they work. Hit the jump to see what it's like when things go otherwise.
Volkswagen announced another possible problem with its direct-shift gearboxes. Some VW and Audi customers have reported transmission performance problems. The recall addresses a "faulty component inside the Mechatronic unit" of about 43,000 VWs and over 10,000 Audis.
The 2009 VW Jetta is listed among the models being recalled. We're not sure if this includes our TDI or if that is a special case. But we'll look into it.
With temperatures in the triple digits in some parts of the Los Angeles area this weekend, I had a chance to test the limits of the Mazda 6's AC. The system functioned just fine, and did a good job of cooling the cabin.
One thing that took some getting used to is the fact that the HVAC display screen is so, so far away from the HVAC controls. Since the HVAC control knobs don't bear any notches to let you know how far they've been turned, you have to check the display screen for the status of things -- and it's all the way at the top of the center stack. A setup like the one in the Hyundai Sonata, for example -- where the HVAC display screen is beneath the nav screen and directly above the HVAC controls -- would have worked better.
Which car's HVAC setup do you like best?
Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor @ 16,144 miles
My week with the 2009 Mini E electric car has come to an end. It was not a bad companion for my staycation. We had fun driving around on short trips together.
Now, it's time for me to state the obvious. Until electric cars can operate for a longer range, cars like the Mini E would have to be your second or, possibly even, your third vehicle.
Besides the 100-mile limit (which is an optimistic range estimate), the car has no storage. You can see in this picture how much I fit in the back after a trip to the supermarket.
Sure, you can use the passenger seat for those times when you have no passenger. But you can't use it for short trips that involve other people. For example, you couldn't drop the kids off at school because it has no back seat.
As fun as it is to drive, I wasn't able to do everything during the week that I wanted. If I hadn't made an unexpected morning trip to my Acura dealer, I may have been able to make the 50-mile trip to the mall. But I couldn't do both in the same day.
Now that the week is over, I am surprised by how little it interfered with my plans.
I had just parked our 2009 Nissan 370Z outside of Subway to pick up lunch. A couple of teenage boys with skateboards were standing outside. The one with the Tapout t-shirt and the moppy hair continued: "It looks cool. How fast does it go?" My brain fizzled on that one. "Oh, about 160," I said. (I really had no idea at the time; in fact, I had to look it up. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.) "Cool," teen boy said.
It seems like more people are noticing our 370Z now than back when I was driving it five months ago. I'm not sure why this is. But just last week, I was fuelling up the Z at a gas station when this quite attractive 30-ish blonde woman came up to me and started asking about the Z. She was into cars (had a previous-gen BMW 540i at the station) and wanted to know more about what I thought of the new Z. It was very much a "this really can't be happening" moment.
Later that day I lamented to my co-worker Bryn MacKinnon about why this never happened to me when I was 18. She reminded me that: A) I didn't own a 370Z in high school, and B) I had a mullet.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 11,720 miles
As if on cue, our 2010 Honda Insight hit the 5,000-mile mark just as I turned onto my street to complete a 1,000-mile weekend trip to Northern California. The Insight has averaged 52 miles a day and 38.05 mpg since entering our long-term fleet in June, and on this trip comprised mostly of long straight lines of asphalt, it averaged 39.44 mpg.
Its 98-horsepower inline-4 engine strained to keep pace with posted speed limits while climbing the southbound I-5 Grapevine grade. The little hybrid made the climb, but its engine was loudly protesting with a continuous whine at 4,800 rpm.
However cute and functional around town, the Insight is clearly a flatlander's car.
Since uber-fun driving road GMR was closed due to the fires and "closed driving courses" aren't readily available, I didn't really get to do anything cool with our 2009 Nissan GT-R this weekend. Unless you think driving it to Long Beach and Anaheim, getting hit on by slick dudes driving a Dodge Magnum, and 13-year-old girls squealing at it are cool.
But here's a video of the GT-R starting and revving a bit. It sounds kinda blah revving while parked because there's no load on the engine and it has a stationary rev limiter of around 5,000 rpm. It's a shame you can't hear the burble.
But if you were curious, there you go. BTW, sorry for the bad sound quality. There's this loud fan clear on the other side of the garage that I didn't think the camera would pick up.
Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 28,137 miles
Just got these hot off the asphalt in Death Valley, a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta mule caught moving the kids to college hot weather testing. No new information to report at this time, but we did manage to, with great threat to life and limb, obtain an interior shot.
While not radically different-- it is a Jetta after all--styling cues from the new Golf are clear.
What's your take? Is this different enough from our Long Term 2009 Jetta? Is it better to stay with what works, or should VW have taken a step in a new direction?
A weekend with our new long-term 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS meant it was time to put it through my most important test regimen. Power slides on Mulholland? Smoky burnouts in the quiet industrial parks? Seeing how far it goes after the fuel light comes on?
No, those are my second most important test parameters. First, in any car with a back seat, I have to see if that seat is a functional feature or simply a cruel joke meant to fool insurance companies into offering lower rates. In too many two-door coupes it's often the latter.
Our long-term FX50 wanted to get the whole milestone thing out of the way before we set out for southwestern parts unknown, and I was in an obliging mood. The FX had 19,996 miles on the clock when I woke up on Day 1 of the trip (August 22), so I drove around Santa Monica for four miles and then pulled into a gas station for the customary pre-trip fill.
A gluttonous 14.38 gallons later, we hit the road. To paraphrase the immortal words of Gold Hat, "Fuel economy? We don't need no fuel economy! I don't have to show you any stinkin' fuel economy!"
After 2,255 stupidly scenic miles, we're back. Photos were taken, journal entries were logged, and I developed a newfound respect for this V8-powered G on stilts. Stay tuned for highlights this week. Installment 1 goes live tomorrow; meanwhile, our recent rainbow fixation continues at right, courtesy of amenable conditions along I40 in western Arizona.
There aren't many cars outside of hybrids that can run for as many miles as our Jetta diesel before stopping to refuel.
I feel this especially now since I've been driving the short-range Mini E for a week.
As our long-term fleet turns over car by car, our 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI will be leaving us in a month or so. So, let's give it another run as Car of the Week.
Friday night, our Challenger's odometer clicked over 10,000 miles.
The only thing I noticed is the disappointing amount of tread still on the rear tires. I would have thought that, by now, these tires would be as bald as I am. I think this car's been hauling too many handbags and not enough ass.
The hillsides of Southern California weren't the only thing on fire this week. Back-to-back south swells had the beaches firing, which meant I needed transport for a 10-foot surfboard. Which meant I needed our long-term Dodge Ram 1500 pickup.
Even though it's a shortbed, it accommodated my longboard just fine. And it received the approval of the locals at the beach. "Cool grille," commented one while walking by with his board. "Bitchin' truck," remarked another while peeling off his wetsuit. "Are you really from Michigan?" another asked after spying the license plate.
But besides having room for my board and getting the thumbs-up from the bros at the beach, I found the Ram's in-cabin tech came in handy. The ParkSense Rear Park Assist System helps avoid bang-ups when backing this beast. Too bad you can't add an extra sensor for a surfboard.
I'm also a fan of Chrysler's UConnect hands-free phone system for its simplicity. Just push a button on the head unit (which should instead be on the steering wheel ... and is one of my few gripes with the system) and it walks you through pairing a phone by voice even while you're driving. But only if you have the passenger do it.
Or at least tell the system that the passenger is doing it.
Thanks to manuelc for this week's favorite caption
There were a lot of good ones this week. I especially love all the WWII movie references. But this one made us laugh the most.
Here are the other funnies:
Wait, you forgot your lunchbox! (oldchap) Military budget cuts, gone awry. (rick8365) What kind of driving? ARRRMY DRIVING, SIR! (ergsum) TDI technology, Patton pending. (ergsum) Tired of spy photography in the mojave, VW's PR department hires some help... (dougtheeng) Now tell me again that I look like a Corolla... (dougtheeng) Questions arise regarding the logic of the latest IL comparo. (rick8365) Das Entourage (canadia) Sir, all he'll tell us is his name, rank and VIN number! (ergsum) VW's Desert Fox edition (stpawyfrmdonut) Dr. Rangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Diesel (ergsum) Operation DIESEL Storm (bluepunk82)
I always think of this episode of Top Gear when I daydream about how I'd really like to drive our 2009 Nissan GT-R (jump ahead in the video to 5:54 to see the moment the GT-R gives Jeremy Clarkson whiplash).
But it's not as if there's anywhere around here to drive like that legally, and it's not like I really have the skills to drive like that in the first place. In any case, I was lucky enough to score the Nissan GT-R this weekend and am now imagining the possibilities -- something that would make a nice blog post on Monday. Last-minute road trip? Roll up to some douche-y Hollywood clubs? Video another editor driving it on some kick-ass road?
What would you do if you had the GT-R for the weekend?
Yesterday I drove our long-term 2009 Nissan GT-R out to Pomona to the wonderful Wally Parks' NHRA Motorsports Museum, which is under the watchful eye of executive director Tony Thacker and only seems to get better every time I visit. What a great place.
Hmmmmm. So I jumped in the GT-R and took it out to Pomona. Anybody out there like Ronnie and the Daytonas?
On Wednesday I drove home in this blue 2010 Mercedes E550 Coupe, a newly redesigned direct competitor to the Audi S5 and one of the few true hardtops still on the market.
I like a big sunvisor. Too often, when I make that turn toward the rising or setting sun and reach up for relief, the visor that greets me is inadequate (it was particularly so in our departed LT Scion xB). And it's more than just a comfort thing; it's a safety thing.
The Flex's windshield is a large piece of real estate, which is great for overall visibility, but can pose a challenge when the sun is low in the sky. That's why I love the size of the Flex's sun visors. At 8.25 inches by 17.5 inches, they can block what seems like half of the windshield, handy at sunrise or sunset when you're driving toward the blinding star that warms our planet.
