IL Track Tested Straightline Archives

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

When it comes to track stars, these are two of the finest you'll ever see. Actually, you may never see either of these cars, as their prices guarantee a certain level of exclusivity. On the "low" end is the 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 at $112,200. Seems expensive until you realize that the 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo starts at $132,800.

A bit steep, yes, but these are cars that make those prices seem almost reasonable given what you get. Consider that the Turbo turned in the quickest quarter mile we've ever recorded. And the GT3 wasn't far behind. Both deliver nearly untouchable performance, yet they go about it in slightly different ways.

The GT3 is the raw track car: rear-wheel drive, minimal weight and a manual transmission. If all you want to do is go fast on weekends, there's no reason to look any further. The Turbo is the ultimate GT. All-wheel drive, a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and all the luxury you would expect in a six-figure sports car. Oh, and it's blindingly fast, too. How fast? See for yourself on the next page.

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Categories: IL Track Tested,Luxury Cars,Porsche,Sports Cars

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

When the current-generation MDX first arrived nearly four years ago, it was a dramatic change, both in terms of styling and performance. The new Super Handling all-wheel-drive system turned the family hauler into a more performance-oriented luxury cruiser. Instead of being compared to a cushy Lexus, we thought it felt more like a BMW X5.

For 2010, Acura gave the MDX a modest set of upgrades. Most notable among them was a new six-speed automatic transmission. The 3.7-liter V6 got a few revisions, too, but its output remains nearly unchanged at 300 horses and 270 pound-feet of torque.

The suspension got a few minor upgrades as well. The Active Damper system was retuned to deliver a wider range of adjustment while various chassis points were reinforced for additional rigidity. MDXs with the Advance Package like our tester also get 19-inch aluminum wheels with 255/50 tires. Does any of it help? Check the numbers for yourself after the jump.

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Categories: Acura,IL Track Tested,SUVs

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

Say you have $95,000 to spend on an odd-looking crossover thing. Unlike most luxury manufacturers, BMW has not one, but two models to choose from. On the one hand, there's the X6 M, a Motorsport-tuned version that will embarrass sports cars that are half its weight.

And then there's the X6 ActiveHybrid, an equally expensive but slightly less nimble X6 that trades some performance for fuel-efficiency. Not much fuel-efficiency, mind you. On the highway, the X6 Hybrid's EPA number goes up two notches, but it still doesn't crack 20 mpg (its 19 mpg) while the city numbers goes from a paltry 12 mpg to a more respectable 17 mpg.

So day to day, the X6 Hybrid will drain your wallet at a slightly slower pace. Then again, all those batteries assure that you'll be moving at a slightly slower pace as well. The weight gain is nearly 500 pounds, which wouldn't be so shocking if the X6 M wasn't already a bit hefty on its own. Still, neither crossover is a slouch in the performance department as you can see from the numbers that appear after the jump. You just have to decide which numbers you care more about.

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Categories: BMW,Crossovers,Hybrids,IL Track Tested,Luxury Cars,SUVs

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

Are you aware that the Acura RDX got a refresh for 2010? Maybe that front-end design was a tip off, or maybe you didn't notice anything at all. Don't feel bad, the changes are minimal both inside and out. Most of them are mere technology updates to keep the RDX in line with the rest of the lineup.

The only real mechanical change is the option of going with front-wheel drive only. Seems like a smart move as a substantial chunk of Acura owners probably don't really need all-wheel drive anyway. Plus, by ditching the extra hardware the RDX shaves nearly 200 pounds which improves mileage and reduces the base price by a couple grand. 

So is the reduced weight worth the loss of traction? With its 240-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder, the RDX has always been fast out of the hole. Our test drivers took it to the track to see how it fared with its front wheels doing all the work.

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Categories: Acura,Crossovers,IL Track Tested,SUVs

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

You may recall that we track tested a Volkswagen Sportwagen several months ago. So why bother doing the same tests all over again?
 
Well, this time our Jetta Sportwagen was powered by Volkswagen's 2.0-liter TDI engine. It's about as popular as a diesel engine gets in the U.S. At one point last year, Volkswagen said it was literally sold out of Jetta Sportwagens with the TDI option. Oh, and Volkswagen dropped the 2.0T from the options list on the Sportwagen for 2010.
 
What's so great about the TDI anyway? Mostly torque and great mileage. Its 236 pound-feet of torque tops the gasoline-powered 2.0-liter engine by a healthy margin (207 lb-ft) and the TDI's EPA ratings of 30 mpg city and 42 mpg highway make it one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the road. And what do you lose in terms of performance? See what our test drivers had to say after some track time.

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Categories: IL Track Tested,Volkswagen,Wagons

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

No one shed a tear when the CLK reverted back to the E-Class coupe for 2010. The last redesign didn't do the CLK any favors in the styling department, and then along came coupes like the Audi A5 and S5 that made the CLK look even worse.

The E-Class coupe is still not Mercedes' most inspired design, but it's no longer the midrange coupe with the C-Class underpinnings. At least that's what Mercedes says. So it looks the part, but how does it perform? Well, there's no doubt that the V8-powered E550 coupe is a capable coupe. And the V6-powered E350 coupe? You know, the one most people buy?

Turns out, not bad at all. In fact, we would venture to guess that most buyers probably wouldn't bother with the V8 if they seriously considered and drove the E350 first. Find out why in our latest test results from the track. 

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Categories: Coupes,IL Track Tested,Mercedes-Benz

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

Mitsubishi's i car is part of the kei car class in Japan. Basically, this is the smallest type of car you can buy there, and the Japanese government subsidizes them (in the form of tax breaks and insurance savings) to encourage people to buy them. The dimensions of the cars are limited to 3.3 meters long by 1.4 meters wide; there's no height limit. The maximum engine displacement is 660cc.

The Mitsubishi i car was somewhat revolutionary when it entered this segment because of its rear-midship engine layout and rear-drive architecture. By locating the engine in the back, Mitsubishi opened up more space in the cabin and improved ride and handling dynamics (generally not a strong point of these ungainly little cars).

So there's the Mitsubishi i, which has a 660cc three-cylinder gasoline engine. There's also the i MiEV, which is an i car that swaps out that gas engine for a rear-drive electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack. The i MiEV is Mitsubishi's first electric car. It's already being sold to commercial fleets in Japan, and Mitsu has said it will start selling it to Japanese consumers in April. Eventually, the plan is to bring the i MiEV to North America.

We tested the i and the i MiEV on the same day. The numbers are definitely not the stuff of champions, but this is the first time we've ever had an electric car outperform its gasoline counterpart -- and with a 300-pound weight disadvantage to boot.

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Categories: Green Tech,Hatchbacks,IL Track Tested,Mitsubishi

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

It's rare that we get a Mazda 3 that doesn't have the bigger of the two four-cylinder engines the company offers in its compact sedan. And make no mistake, we like the 2010 Mazda 3 a great deal with the company's 167-horsepower, 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine. We voted to give this car one of our 2010 Editors' Most Wanted Awards.

But the Mazda 3 is pricey for a compact. Realistically, if you want to buy one near the $20K mark, it's going to be an i model with the 148-hp 2.0-liter engine. Recently, a Mazda 3 i Touring showed up here with the optional five-speed automatic transmission (a five-speed manual gearbox is standard).

We took it to the track. And the word of the day is tires.

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Categories: IL Track Tested,Mazda,Sedans

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

Although it doesn't constitute a full redesign of the LR3, the 2010 Land Rover LR4 brings one very important upgrade: a 375-horsepower 5.0-liter V8. Thusly equipped, the LR4 has gets up to speed with an authority its predecessor never had.

We timed a 2005 LR3, which had a 300-hp 4.4-liter V8, at 8.9 seconds to 60 mph and 16.6 seconds at 84.0 mph for the quarter-mile. Click past the jump and you'll see the LR4 shaves quite a bit off those numbers.

Beyond that, the 2010 LR4 is still a very large, very off-road-oriented SUV with seating for seven. It has a permanent four-wheel-drive system with a standard locking center differential, an optional rear locker and numerous driver-adjustable terrain settings. Bottom line, there's a lot of hardware on the Land Rover LR4, and although this gives it considerable rock-climbing ability, it's not quite so useful at our paved test track.

First Drive: 2010 Land Rover LR4

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Categories: IL Track Tested,Land Rover,SUVs

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

The biggest of the V8s are on their way out. Mercedes has announced that the 6.2-liter V8, as seen in this 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, will be dropped in late 2010. In its place will be a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8. The same thing's happening to the BMW M5, which is slated to lose its 5.0-liter V10 also in favor of a twin-turbo V8.

So 2010 is a special year for performance sedans, and especially so for the E63 AMG, which is hot off a redesign and destined to become collectible. It's also hugely expensive in Benz tradition, with an MSRP of $86,625 that balloons to six figures with shocking ease. But you get what you pay for, right?

Then again, you could get into a Cadillac CTS-V for thousands of dollars less. You'd still get a 6.2-liter V8, albeit with pushrods and a supercharger, and you'd come away with even more horsepower and torque in a rear-drive midsize sedan of similar weight. No, you wouldn't enjoy the prestige and out-and-out refinement of a Mercedes, but this is IL Track Tested so we aren't smelling the leather or measuring the gap tolerances. Happy holidays.

Note: We tested both automatic- and manual-transmission versions of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V. The quicker automatic-equipped CTS-V is the basis for comparison here, but you can see numbers for the manual car in the original full test.

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Categories: Cadillac,IL Track Tested,Luxury Cars,Mercedes-Benz,Sedans

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

We say it's official: The 2010 Porsche Panamera is the new badass of the executive sedan class. It accelerates and handles like no other four-door anything in existence, and we'd love to own one. To be sure, the rear-drive Panamera S and all-wheel-drive 4S are the sensible, maybe-I-could-afford-it-one-day-on-the-used-market options, but all the mystique surrounds the 500-horsepower 2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo.

We recently tested a Panamera Turbo. It costs $146,720, and you can see a breakdown of the options on our test car on the window sticker to the right. Just for fun, we've decided to compare it side by side with the last Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG we tested. That was all the way back in 2007, but aside from a face-lift for 2010, the king of the S-Class line hasn't changed a bit since then. The S65 brings 604 hp to the table but some 700 additional pounds as well.

Although the Porsche pulls away in a straight line, you'll be surprised by how well the big, expensive Benz keeps up in braking and handling tests.

Disclaimer: We've revised our acceleration testing protocol and correction factor since 2007, so this is not intended to be a hard-and-fast comparison between the two sedans.

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Categories: IL Track Tested,Luxury Cars,Mercedes-Benz,Porsche,Sedans

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

Lexus is offering a Sport package on the 2010 Lexus LS 460, and with a price tag of $6,185 on that option group, there needs to be some substance in it. At first glance, it looks good. You get a retuned suspension with air springs (instead of the coil springs ordinarily standard on the short-wheelbase, rear-drive model) and 19-inch Dunlop summer tires. Behind the Sport package's forged alloy wheels, Brembo six-piston fixed front calipers are visible. Engine tuning doesn't change; the LS 460 Sport has the same 380-horsepower, 4.6-liter V8 as other LS sedans.

Other obvious visual cues associated with the Sport package treatment include the blacked-out grille and extended front spoiler and rocker panels. Inside, you'll find paddle shifters, a heated steering wheels and seats with extra lateral bolstering. Our LS 460 Sport test car also had the Luxury Value Edition ($2,780) and Comfort packages ($2,035).

This all sounds nice, but the real test for any luxury sedan with "Sport" appended to its name is to face the king among kings, the BMW 7 Series. We just so happen to have tested a 2009 BMW 750i with the Sport package (the same car we have in our long-term fleet, actually), so we've published their results side by side. Does the Lexus have what it takes to hang with the Bimmer through the slalom? You'll find out after the jump.

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Categories: BMW,IL Track Tested,Lexus,Luxury Cars,Sedans

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

Land Rover has put a new motor in the 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged. As before, the force-fed V8 is shared with the Jaguar line, but with 5.0 liters of displacement, it's much more in step with the motivational needs of a nearly 3-ton SUV than the old 4.2-liter engine. Horsepower swells from a mere 390 to a whopping 510, while torque climbs from 410 to 461.

These are big numbers, so we couldn't resist the opportunity to compare the 2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Supercharged to the current reigning performance champ in the SUV kingdom, the 2010 BMW X5 M. Keep in mind this isn't a straight-up comparison. The vehicles weren't tested on the same day, and they have different personalities. The BMW is set up to give you maximum performance on the street, whereas the Land Rover is still aiming for some nebulous middle ground. Sure, it comes with a potent engine and summer tires, but it's still lugging around enough off-road hardware for a weekend run from Paris to Dakar. So this comparison is just for fun, OK?

For those keeping score, the 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged has a $74,195 base price with destination. Our tester had rear-seat entertainment ($2,500), adaptive cruise control ($2,000), upgraded wheels ($1,000), extended leather ($1,000), a 360-degree camera ($800), a locking rear differential ($500) and HD radio ($350).

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Categories: BMW,Crossovers,IL Track Tested,Land Rover,Luxury Cars,SUVs

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

Imported from Turkey and reassembled in Baltimore, the 2010 Ford Transit Connect is a curiosity among cargo vans. It's compact, of course, and ungainly in appearance, thanks to its disproportionately tall roof. But the payoff is cargo capacity (135.3 cubic feet), which was heretofore unheard of in such a diminutive van. The engine is diminutive, too -- only four cylinders. In Europe, where sanity reigns on such matters, said engine is a four-cylinder turbodiesel. But here in the U.S., it's a normally aspirated, 2.0-liter gas engine -- you know, the one that's only so-so in the lighter Ford Focus.

Be that as it may, you know you'd jump at the chance to slalom a cargo van if you had access to an instrumented testing facility. So that's what we've done. Read on to find out whether the 2010 Ford Transit Connect handles more like an Econoline or a Fiesta.

First Drive: 2010 Ford Transit Connect

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Categories: Ford,IL Track Tested,Minivans

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

It's easy to forget about the 2010 Subaru Legacy 3.6R. After all, with its non-turbocharged six-cylinder engine, it's the black sheep of the Subaru family. Add in the fact that it has less horsepower than the four-cylinder Legacy GT and many are left wondering why the 3.6R tops the lineup.

The answer is simple, really. Not everyone likes the feel of a turbocharged four-cylinder. Sounds odd, maybe, but more than a few Americans have grown accustomed to the smooth, effortless power delivery of a medium-sized six-cylinder engine. It is quite nice, you know.

Those same drivers also appreciate the simplicity of an automatic transmission, so the 3.6R comes standard with one of those, too. And don't forget its sophisticated Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) all-wheel-drive system and long list of optional luxury features. Put them all together and the Legacy makes for an interesting alternative to the Accords and Camrys of the world. See just how interesting in our latest results from the test track.  

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Categories: IL Track Tested,Sedans,Subaru