As a matter of policy, we test all of our new long-term cars when they enter the fleet. Yes, even if they happen to be of the Toyota Camry variety.
Thankfully, our Camry is the "sporty" SE edition. The SE bundles together larger tires, 15 percent stiffer springs, firmer dampers, sport-tuned electric power steering and SofTex-trimmed sport seats. Unfortunately, we got ours with the mainstream, volume-selling 2.5-liter inline-4 instead of the sauce-having 3.5-liter V6. And since we bought it in California, it's PZEV rated and thus produces 173 horsepower instead of 178.
So we've got the sporty suspension, the less sporty motor and a six-speed automatic transmission that kind of does rev-matched downshifts. How'd it do?
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Categories: 2012 Toyota Camry SE,Track Tested
When we placed the order for our Long-Term 2012 Audi A8L there were two warring factions. One side, let's call them the Reasonables, wanted us to get the 19-inch wheels with the 255/45R19 tires. It's a luxury car, so why compromise the ride with big wheels?
The other side, we'll call them The Crazies, wanted us to get, in lieu of the not-available-on-the-LWB car-Sport package, the 20-inch wheel package with 265/40R20 summer performance tires. They said that 20s would look cooler (they don't) and that the summer rubber would grip better and offer less sidewall flex (it does).
When our 2012 Audi A8L showed up with 19s, half of us cheered and tried to sign it out immediately. The other half groaned and tried to sign it out immediately, but with some grumbling that all-season tires are pointless in L.A. and that valets would laugh at the tiny 19s and that the performance numbers we recorded in a short-term 2011 Audi A8 with the 20-inch wheel and summer tire package would be untouchable by our new car. So we took a look at the numbers: 2012 Audi A8L with all-season 19s vs 2011 Audi A8 with 20-inch summer rubber. Who takes it?
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Categories: 2012 Audi A8L,Track Tested
The big news for the 2012 Jeep Wrangler wasn't so much the spruced up interior, but rather the new, standard, 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. This engine makes 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Those are big numbers for a Jeep that starts at just over $20 grand.
Not only does our Long Term Wrangler have the new motor, but it's also got a six-speed manual. We've already tested the 2012 Wrangler Sahara Unlimited with the five-speed manual and were as curious as you are as to how the smaller, lighter Wrangler with row-your-own box did when pushed to its limits at the track.
You asked for it so here we go...
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Categories: 2012 Jeep Wrangler,Track Tested
The 2012 Volvo S60 is supposed to be the Scandinavian answer to the generic German sport sedan. It's got the looks, for sure, but does it have the sauce?
Powered by a 2.5-liter I5, the S60 makes a solid 250 horsepower at 5,500 rpm. That would be 20 more than the last BMW 328i we tested (a 2010 MY) -- the car it's most desperately chasing. Unfortunately, it's also got some 200 pounds on the Bimmer and is saddled with an automatic transmission instead of the BMW's slick six-speed manual.
So as soon as we track tested our new Volvo, we had to see how the numbers stacked up against the base BMW. Follow the jump for the full specs of each to see if, on the track, our Volvo S60 T5 is a true competitor in the sport-sedan market.
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Categories: 2012 Volvo S60 T5,Track Tested
Hybrids usually suck. At least they do when it comes to on-track mannerisms and performance-oriented driving. After all, some of them are so fuel economy-focused that they forget to be cars.The 2012 Infiniti M35h doesn't have that problem. The text at the top of the window sticker tells you what this car is concerned with, "V8 Power with 4-Cylinder Fuel Economy." Sounds....unlikely....
So when things like "Have you driven it?" "Guy, it's way faster than it should be!" "It's gotta be as fast as our M56 with the V8" and "Powersliding a hybrid is fun" started being lobbed around in talks about the 2012 Infiniti M35h we knew we had to settle this the only way car guys know how: with numbers.
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Categories: 2011 Infiniti M56,Track Tested
The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI isn't meant to be a track star. With 140 horsepower and all-season Hankook Optimo H725A tires, nothing about the new Jetta TDI is really built for speed.
Until you look at the torque...236 pound-feet at 1,750. Diesel is good for things like torque and torque is good for things like acceleration (and burnouts, but that's for another day), right? Right.
The standard 2011 Jetta 2.5 SEL on 17's running summer rubber, 170 horsepower and a five-speed manual gearbox did 0-60 in 8.0 seconds during our full test and finished the quarter-mile in 16.3 @ 85.5 mph. So what sort of impact will smaller all-season tires, -30 horsepower and +59 torque have on the Jetta? Follow the jump ...
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Categories: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI,Track Tested
Like it or not, the 2011 Chevy Volt is one of the most significant vehicles in recent memory. With a gasoline generator and EV propulsion, the Volt bridges the gap between past and future propulsion for a reluctant and skeptical population. And while energy efficiency is the primary goal of the Volt, building a transitional car that delivers non-standard driving dynamics (like being the slowest car we've ever tested) will surely stop this progress in its tracks.
Frequent readers will notice that this is not the first time we've tested the Chevrolet Volt. The first time we had one on our track was a short-term, early-production version that Chevy promised was close to production. Trouble is, that car had 4,000 miles on the odometer and we have no idea the life the battery/generator lived. This car, however, is our long-termer, which we bought off the lot and lovingly introduced to electricity. We know how it's been driven and how it's been charged.
So were there any differences? Follow the jump for IL's Track Tested of our Long-Term 2011 Chevy Volt.
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Categories: 2011 Chevrolet Volt,Track Tested
By now you kids know the drill: If it's a long-term car, we're going to send it to the track to test it. Even if it means we need to have a tow-truck to bring it out and bring it back. Which we absolutely had to do with our 2011 Nissan Leaf SL. Forget the testing, our Leaf wouldn't even make it to the track and back without the full-throttle shenanigans we do out there. (Traditionally powered cars average in the mid/low-teens for fuel economy during testing.)
So with a full charge and an empty facility, we set out testing the mass-produced full EV to see what it was capable of when economy was thrown out the window in exchange for handling. If EVs want to be accepted, they need to drive right, right?
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Categories: 2011 Nissan Leaf SL,Track Tested
The Honda Odyssey has long been the favorite "car guy" minivan thanks to its car-like handling and incredibly responsive / informative steering. It was the solution for the people who liked to drive and also needed to haul some stuff and some people.
It was (and is) also a Honda, which means that besides the people who bought it for the solid chassis, lots of people bought it simply because it was a Honda. And for 2011, it seems that Honda has done more to appease the masses who bought for the reliability than for the enthusiasts who bought for the fun / function compromise.
Our Odyssey makes 248 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque from a 3.5-liter V6. The transmission is a six-speed automatic. It weighs 4,522 lbs.
So how does it stack up on our track? Follow the jump...
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Categories: 2011 Honda Odyssey Touring,Track Tested
By now it seems like almost everyone is over the froggy, concept car looks of the 2011 Nissan Juke. Part of that has to do with the Juke being a darned good place to spend time and a fun partner on a twisty road.
But twisty roads have limitations like speed limits, other drivers and the occasional cliff. Our testing facility, however, has none of those limitations and is the perfect place to see how our Nissan Juke stacks up in 0-60, quarter mile, slalom, skidpad and braking.
188 horsepower, 3,170 pounds, AWD...Follow the jump to see how it did.
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Categories: 2011 Nissan Juke SL AWD,Track Tested
Okay, okay, we've heard enough about the super-light steering on our 2011 Buick Regal CXL turbo when it's on the street. It's time to find out what that steering does when the conditions are right for us to open up the taps and chuck our long term Buick around the test track.
Reminder: The Buick CXL Turbo makes 220 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque and puts that to the ground via the front tires through a six-speed automatic.
Follow the jump for the full specs and results including 0-60, quarter mile, slalom and skidpad...
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Categories: 2011 Buick Regal CXL Turbo,Track Tested
There is something extremely satisfying about throwing a luxury car like our long-term 2011 Hyundai Equus Signature through our battery of tests. Watching 4-6,000 pounds of comfortable cruiser accelerate, brake, slalom and skidpad is one of the better parts of the job. Sure, exotics and other sports cars are cool, so are lurid powerslides, but watching a luxo-barge -- be it SUV, coupe or sedan -- navigate the cones and the dragstrip is great. Like a big dog on a linoleum floor.
So, for protocol and fun, we took our Equus to the track to see exactly what this cruiser can do when pushed. Follow the jump for 0-60, quarter mile, slalom and skidpad results on our Hyundai Equus.
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Categories: 2011 Hyundai Equus Signature,Track Tested
This one doesn't need a whole lot of introduction: We bought ourselves a long term 2011 Ford Mustang GT with the 412-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 and a six-speed manual transmission. It rides on summer tires, has a 3:73 rear-end and the Brembo brake package. It was built to tear up the track.
So, no more waiting, want to see what this pony managed during our testing? 0-60, quarter mile, slalom, skidpad, braking and specs after the jump....
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Categories: 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0,Track Tested
We've had the 2011 Infiniti M56 in our office before and the results have always been the same, "great numbers, but boy does that sport ride get tiring."
Our new Long Term Infiniti M56, however, does not have the sport package. It rolls on 18-inch wheels with all season tires but still has that great 420-horsepower V8 and solid chassis. So it's got some good stuff going and it doesn't have the rough suspension which should add up to a better every day car. But.what's it add up to on the track? This is a sport sedan, right?
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Categories: 2011 Infiniti M56,Track Tested
"This is how all Siennas should drive -- maybe how all minivans should drive."
Or so we wrote in our first drive of the 2011 Toyota Sienna SE. Afterall, the SE is the driver's Sienna with SE specific wheels and tires, springing and damping rates, and its own sport calibrated electric-assist power steering.
Sounds good, right? We thought so, too. So much so that we bought one for our long term fleet. On the road our Sienna is confident and capable; something you'd be fine piloting your family up and down even the twistiest mountain road.
But with the kid seats removed and a professional test driver at the helm, what's the sporty Sienna SE do at the track?
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Categories: 2011 Toyota Sienna SE,Track Tested
I know I didn't get you anything last year, so hopefully this makes up for it. My gift today is the Track Tested for our long term 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE!
The Mitsubishi Outlander SE comes with a 148-horsepower, 2.0-liter 4B11 inline-four-- the same engine they dump into the EVO, just with some downgrading and turbo removal. It's also got Mitsubishi's All Wheel Control (AWC) and a continuously variable transmission, too.
This combination is good for EPA fuel economy estimates of 24 city/29 highway/26 combined. But what's it good for at the track? (Hint: Compared with the stripper Outlander Sport with th 5MT we tested earlier, this one is...slower.)
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Categories: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE,Track Tested
We jumped the gun with the 2011 Chevy Cruze LTZ. We could'e waited for the Long Term introduction and for it to go live on the LT blogs, but it's an important car and virtually as soon as we had the numbers, we wanted them out. So, in case you're not a frequent Straightline reader (You are, right? ) here are the track numbers and impressions of testing a 2011 Chevy Cruze LTZ, powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged I-4.
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Categories: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ,Track Tested
The decision to get a 2011 BMW 5 Series was easy. Seriously, easy. The decision to get the base, 240-horsepower 3.0-liter 528i, however, was not. Sure, it's hugely popular, but we could've had a V8. Remember, we're the guys who opted for a V8 in our Infiniti FX.
And it's not just an available V8 (550i) we're missing out on, but there's the 535i, which has the 300-horsepower turbocharged 6. We love that motor. We know that motor. We know the 535i. Last time we tested one, the 535i went from zero to 60 in 5.9 seconds and returned a quarter-mile time of 14.3 seconds @ 95.1 mph.
Buuuut, that's not what we got. We got the 528i. It's down 60 horsepower on the 535i and we just returned from the test track.
Follow the jump for full Track Tested results on our Long-Term 2011 BMW 528i.
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Categories: 2011 BMW 528i,Track Tested
Break-in's done. The 411-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 was ready, so we took our long-term Ford F-150 SVT Raptor to the track.
We know this thing's made for the desert and other off-road escapades, but how is it when faced with pavement?
Follow the jump for numbers and a video!
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Categories: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor,Track Tested
Break-in complete, it was time to take our 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS to the test track for its introductory numbers.
We ran our new Sonata through all of our tests. How did the 198-horsepower I-4 motivate the 3,251 sedan and how did the P205/65R16 Kuhmo tires grip the pavement?
Follow the jump to find out.
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Categories: 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS,Track Tested
