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After several minutes spent wrestling with our Camaro's 22 ft. long and oddly twisted dipstick, I determined that the car's LS3 V8 was in need of additional oil. Therefore, I just poured half a quart of Mobil 1 5W-30 into the engine. Total cost? About $4.50. Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 4,888 miles
You already know how much we choose to drive our 2009 Ford Flex. It has almost 35,000 miles on it now.
But how much better would we like it if we had the Ecoboost?
Let's compare our outings at the test track:
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2009 Ford Flex
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2010 Ford Flex SEL AWD w/ EcoBoost V6
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| Engine Type: |
Normally-aspirated, 3.5-liter V6
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Twin-turbocharged, 3.5-liter V6
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| Horsepower: |
262 hp @ 6250 rpm
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355 @ 5,700 rpm
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| Torque: |
248 ft-lbs. @ 4500 rpm
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350 ft.-lb. @1,500 to 5,250 rpm
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| As tested Curb Weight: |
4,681 lbs.
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4,819 lbs.
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| 0 - 60 (sec): |
8.9
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6.4
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| 0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): |
8.5
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6.1
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| 1/4 Mile (sec @ mph) |
16.5 @ 85.9
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14.6 @ 95.0
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| 60 - 0 (ft): |
129
|
128
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| Slalom (mph): |
57.1
|
60.6
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| Skid Pad Lateral acceleration (g): |
0.74
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0.76
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The difference in acceleration is significant, but look how the braking numbers aren't that different.
You can read more details on Erin's post on our Straightline blog.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
One of the subtle pleasures of driving an economy car is their lack of complexity. Look at the dash on our SX4. There's virtually nothing on it that needs explanation. Three dials for the climate control system, a few basic knobs and buttons for the radio and a simplified navigation system that folds out of the way when it's not needed.
It got me thinking, if OEMs offered a simplified dash setup as an option, how many people would order it? Would the average buyer forego all the latest gadgets in favor of fewer functions that are useful more often?
My guess is "no", that's why all those gadgets are there in the first place. Manufacturers would probably love to put dashboards like this in their $50,000 sedans, but customers would surely cry foul. They want stuff for all that money even if they don't use any of it. Might be nice to have the option though.
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line @ 14,322 miles
Without these seven badges, all located in plain sight from the driver's seat, I would have had no idea I was driving a Dodge Ram. Don't forget the one on the driver's seat too.
Incidentally, the Mechanic is rumored to have had the Ram's head logo branded into his back after he got into our Ram without his shirt on, again, after it had been parked out in the sun all day.
Kurt Niebuhr, Photo Editor @ 7,950 miles
When I first heard rumors that the next BMW M5 would ditch the glorious 5.0-liter V10 in favor of a twin-turbo V8, I didn't buy it. No way. M cars are for purists who know there's no substitute for a purpose-built high-revving naturally aspirated motor. Porsche would sooner slap a turbo on the 911 GT3 than the Motorsport division would turn to forced induction.
But then the X5 M and X6 M happened. A triple whammy for M loyalists. Not only had BMW violated the unofficial turbocharging taboo, it had also reneged on its promise "to keep the Motorsport realm pure and only include cars" -- and thrown in the second-ever M-badged conventional automatic transmission for good measure (the E36 M3 had an ill-advised slushbox option). In one fell swoop, the M brand went from a symbol of unadulterated driving passion to something disturbingly like AMG.
Since then, of course, the M5's twin-turbo V8 has been confirmed, and it will surely find its way into the next M6 as well (if there is one). Which means that in a couple years, the M3 will be the last naturally aspirated M car standing. And why should we believe that the next M3 won't be turbocharged too? If you're with me in finding the current M3 a bit too emotionally distant for its own good, just wait till it's got a blown motor under the hood like every other M.
A turbocharged engine simply can't match the instantaneous throttle response of a naturally aspirated one, and no amount of low-end torque can approximate the thrill of winding out a classic M motor to its 8,000-ish-rpm redline. I thought the Motorsport folks understood that.
Guess not.
Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor @ 9,640 miles
I just looked through all 31 posts on our still new long-term 2010 Chevy Camaro. All of them seem to deal with the car's interior or exterior. Well I'm here today to tell you it's the beast under the hood that counts. Anybody out there that thinks GM can't build greatness needs to experience the 6.2-liter all-aluminum V8 that lives inside our silver Camaro.
With the possible exception of the supercharged beast in the big-buck Shelby GT500, this is the best engine available today in an American muscle machine. And I'll go as far as saying it is the absolute best normally aspirated overhead valve engine in the world. Sorry Hemi.
It tuns out that pushrods work. And the SS Camaro's pushrod V8 is worth the premium (in fuel and MSRP) over the LT Camaro's "more sophisticated" double-overhead cam V6.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
With more than 30,000 miles on the odometer, our Pontiac G8 has led a hard life. The transmission lurches from gear to gear when it's cold and there's an annoying flutter from the back of the car (subframe, body panel?) that registers over stutter bumps. It's as if the car has spent a little time flat-out on the dirt roads of the Australian outback. Or maybe our Josh Jacquot has driven it more than a little.
Finally. The airbag warning light in our 2009 Suzuki SX4 is off. This time we hope it's for good.
If you recall the airbag light came on before. And one visit after the next to our local dealer failed to deliver a permanent solution. Annoyed and eager to have the issue resolved we contacted Suzuki directly.
A quick scan of the error code (B1318) confirmed the problem. The right-front seat cushion needed a software update. There was no need to replace any parts. Once the reflash was complete the light extinguished and we were back on the road. Just like that. Too bad we couldn't find a dealer to do this months ago.
Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Manager @ 14,050 miles
General Motors has issued a service bulletin for multiple fixes on 2010 Chevrolet Camaros. What could happen if your Camaro doesn't make it to the dealer soon?
The quick answers: Its rear spoiler could come loose. The HVAC system evaporator could freeze solid. And the engine harness could be rubbing against heater hose clamps.
The detailed answers: Here.
These aren't recalls yet. But still worth a look next time you're at the dealer. We will have these looked over when we take ours in to address an intermittent airbag service light.
Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Manager
I've lamented previously that the G8 won't be living on as a Chevy Caprice, Buick Park Avenue, Saturn G8 or Geely Gwokdong or whatever. All that was important was that this interesting car didn't die. However, I now see why GM's death panel decided to pull the plug on Grandpa G8.
A few notes of correction from the Genesis post from earlier. The battery is in fact located in the trunk, not under the shock tower somewhere.
Also, a negative lead is not necessary to boost another car. Any piece of exposed metal will do the trick, as several commenters have already pointed out. I've boosted cars using my personal car many times, and it has a rear-mounted battery and a front-mounted positive battery terminal. I attach the negative to a fatter-than-usual bolt conveniently placed nearby.
The Genesis' set-up actually makes getting or giving a boost easier since it doesn't matter which way the car is pointing when it dies.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor
I've done burnouts in the Camaro, road tripped across three states in the Camaro and commuted in the Camaro. Clearly there was little left to do, so I finally broke down and forced it into domestic duty. Yes, I went grocery shopping in the Camaro last night. That's right, I used all 426-horsepower to pick up some Triscuits and Orange Juice.
And you know what? This modern muscle car handled it just fine. In fact, thanks to its cargo net, it handled it better than most of the cars in our fleet. The trunk opening isn't huge, but check out those struts, nice.
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line @ 4,820 miles
Our 2009 Nissan 370Z gets passed over on the sign out sheet much more often than you'd think. It's frankly hard to fathom until you start listening to the younger editors on staff.
"It's too loud," they say. "There's lots of road noise. I can hardly hear my iPod."
Cry me a freakin' river.
a) This is a sports car. b) Do you not remember the noisiness that was the 240Z, the original RX7 or the Porsche 944 S2 Turbo? Of course you don't.
You've obviously had it too soft growing up in car seats in the back of mommy's Camry.
Besides, this car is plenty quiet compared to sports cars of old, and it hauls more ass, stops with much more authority and steers with much more precision than it's ancestors. As a bonus, it also has SyncroRev Match (to either help you learn to heel-and-toe properly or rid yourself of the need to learn) and, of course, a very good iPod connection.
You want more quiet? Fine. We'll simply add some more mass dampers and more sound-deadening materials. Want less road noise? Fine. We'll fit skinnier tires with softer sidewalls and a quiet tread pattern. And let's soften those pesky suspension bushings while we're at it.
So what if it gains weight and loses agility? Who cares if the steering goes all wonky and grip levels decrease? At least you'll be able to hear the Lady GaGa and Kanye West tracks from your favorites list.
Look, do you want a sports car or not? Be honest. If you don't, fine. Look elsewhere. Pick something with four doors and a backseat.
But let's not put the Nissan engineers and product planners on high alert to dumb down the 2009 Nissan 370Z. Some of us like it just the way it is.
Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 12,923 miles
My personal vehicle's battery discharged over the weekend; I needed a jump.
Lucky for me, I had our long-term 2009 Hyundai Genesis.
Now where's that battery at?
Is this thing going to be difficult?
I'd choose the Z. It's quicker, more comfortable and much easier to drive at the limit. It also has something called torque. Sorry S2000 heads, but the 370Z puts you on the trailer.
Which would you choose?
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
What do you want to know about the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS?
Have you driven one? Seen one on the road? Write your review in the comments section.
Any details you want us to take pictures of? Now is the time to ask.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
There's really no point in complaining that the 2009 Honda Fit is noisier than it should be or could be. Among the current population of smaller-displacement four-cylinder engines in the U.S., you won't find one that sounds better than this 117-horsepower 1.5-liter. It develops a rather satisfying growl at higher rpm and it never acts displeased to be worked past 5,000.
But you're always going to hear the engine, so you'd better learn to love its scrappy demeanor. It's not that the Fit's gearing is so terribly short (0.552 5th gear, 4.56 final drive) -- at 70 mph, it's closing in on 3,500 rpm. It's that there simply isn't a lot of sound deadening material in this car. It's not serene. But that's a big reason why the Fit is lightweight (about 2,500 lbs), at least by modern small-car standards. Lack of weight is what makes it feel as quick and nimble as it does for its modest price tag. And it's an easy (and cheap) way to keep fuel consumption low.
So it has never once occurred to me that the Fit should be quieter. On the contrary, a quieter Fit would be a heavier, less direct-handling Fit, and I'll have none of that.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 13,249 miles
No assessment of a current BMW seems to matter until iDrive is discussed. Well, I'm here to tell you to get over it. iDrive works just fine now.
Maybe it's still not the most intuitive interface ever invented, but it's not that bad either. The fact that BMW added a few hard buttons around the control knob helps. Even if you don't use them, however, it's still easy to find your way around.
Which is nice, since there's plenty of functionality built in to the system. From Bluetooth and navigation to setting up the "M" button settings, the iDrive menu pretty much does it all. Sifting through the menus is fairly simple as it involves turning the knob more often than pushing it in one direction or the other. I drove the M3 all weekend and I never once cursed the system in vain. As far as I'm concerned, it's a non-issue.
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line @ 9,621 miles
Josh recently posted a picture of our 2009 Dodge Ram 1500's key ring and posed the question: "What's wrong with this picture?"
I am not here to answer that question.
But I can talk about one thing that's right with it: Remote start.
And remote start is not just for the Ice Road Truckers among us.
This is where our long-term 2009 Mazda 6 insisted it was located all weekend.
That is all.
Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor @ 18,187 miles.
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