2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid images courtesy Ford

I’d been looking forward to driving the new Ford Fusion since attending its global launch event in Detroit at the 2012 Auto Show there. Ford was taking a huge leap of faith in completely making over a vehicle that was already well received and fairly popular with consumers.

Enter the 2013 Ford Fusion and its myriad powertrain offerings and modern styling, not to mention sales figures, and it is clear the gamble is paying off.

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2014 Lexus IS images by Author

Just when you thought you had your mind made up on which entry luxury sport sedan to purchase, Lexus has to go and make over its IS model line and this upcoming 2014 might just have consumers putting the brakes on as they head to their favorite Bavarian auto dealer.

The 2014 IS is the third generation of the youthful yet elegant little luxo-sedan from Lexus, the first arriving as a 2001. While the new model features an all-new chassis, styling and interior, powertrains are a holdover from the current line – almost.

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2013 Infiniti JX35 images courtesy Infiniti

In recognizing its behemoth QX fullsize SUV is not for every family, Infiniti has delivered a more of a “right-sized” crossover to meet the needs of families who, in their words, recognize the need to grow up without growing old. Enter the 2013 Infiniti JX35.

Cross-developed with the new Pathfinder seven-passenger from Nissan, JX delivers interior flexibility and roominess, safety, three-row seating, performance and a host of hospitality features in something of a familiar package to its customers.

Inside and out, JX exudes Infiniti design, style and content while benefitting from corporate research and development along with dipping into shared parts bins, the latter being mainly in the form of the powertrain consisting of a 3.5-liter V-6 engine mated to CVT gearbox that deliver performance almost identical to what we saw when we were introduced to the Nissan Pathfinder last fall.

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2013 Dodge Charger images courtesy Dodge

Dodge recently redesigned its fullsize Charger sedan, giving it bodylines and other styling cues that pay homage to the iconic car’s heritage. Keeping it current and marketable, the automaker loads the vehicles with a host of modern powertrains and interiors (and safety equipment).

Under the hood of our first recent Charger tester – an R/T – was the latest 5.7-liter V-8 HEMI with Fuel Saver cylinder deactivation technology that offers 25 mpg on the highway but still delivers a very healthy 370hp when prompted. The R/T came with a five-speed automatic but adds new die-cast zinc steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters and features 20-inch chrome-clad wheels with all-season performance tires.

A Super Track Pak was added to this Charger that puts performance steering, sport suspension and heavy-duty disc brakes on the car along with sport mode electronic stability control. The car is absolutely gorgeous and is clad with heritage R/T badging and at night the interior is bathed in warm ambient lighting.

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Images courtesy Cadillac

Cadillac has a new compact car. It is called the ATS and it is almost enough to forgive the luxury division at GM for that horrible first foray into the compact segment dubbed Cimarron, the turtle-like Chevy Citation knock-off of the 80s. Almost.

ATS arrives as an all-new, lightweight entry luxury sedan in rear-wheel drive architecture offering a trio of powertrain options – two four-cylinder models and a V-6.

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2013 Ford Focus ST Images courtesy Ford

As I sat around lamenting the departure of the fun little Volvo C30 hatchback from US soil, my friends at Ford assured me they had a new car that would make me forget all about the saucy Swedish runabout, and they were right.

Goodbye C30 – hello Focus ST!

Yes, Ford’s global Sport Technologies medical staff delivered the perfect prescription for my hot hatch blues by rolling in here with the new five-door Focus ST boasting 252 horsepower, 270 lb. ft. of torque and a top speed of 154 mph – all the while delivering more than 30 mpg on the highway.

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NOTE: This collaborative article was co-written with our special correspondent Wayne Beck.

Got $190,000 laying around? Then you can make history and purchase GRID 2: Mono Edition, which includes an actual 170mph BAC Mono supercar in exclusive GRID 2 livery, BAC factory tour, branded racing helmet and race suit, and a PlayStation 3 console. Note: Terms and conditions apply.

The standard edition of GRID 2 will release on Tuesday, May 28.

This one lucky buyer will appear in the next Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition as the “Most Expensive Video Game Commercially Available – Special Edition”. The GRID 2: Mono Edition is available to pre-order at www.game.co.uk/en/grid-2-bac-mono-edition-228776, and non-UK customers can contact sales@bac-mono.com to register their interest.

The BAC Mono is a British manufactured, road-legal, ultra-high performance supercar which stars in the game. Created from high-strength carbon fiber, the BAC Mono is an unrivalled example of light-weight performance engineering and its 2.3 liter, 280 bhp four cylinder power plant will propel its driver from 0-60 m.p.h. in just 2.8 seconds.

GRID 2 will feature a handpicked selection of automotive icons spanning four decades. Deep customisation options and integration with RaceNet, the online community portal for Codemasters Racing games which tracks player’s races, rewards and rivals. Players will also compete in World Series Racing, the new competition founded by fictional entrepreneur Patrick Callahan, where drivers from different disciplines compete against each other across a range of events.

2013 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT, images courtesy Dodge

An automotive anniversary is quietly approaching, but I doubt anyone will notice. Of course I am not talking about the 50th anniversary of Mustang – no, I am speaking of the 30th anniversary of the minivan.

Yes, that once-ubiquitous soccer-mom vehicle is still rolling off the assembly lines despite being outpaced over the last two decades by SUVs and CUVs. While the number of models available are about half what they were 20 years ago, the granddaddy of them all – the Caravan from Dodge – is getting ready to hit the big 3-0.

Now offered only in Grand Caravan form under the Dodge family (and sibling Town and Country at Chrysler), the minivan continues to offer value and functionality for the modern family while also being quite popular in commercial and fleet applications. When faced with the decision of which rental vehicle to choose from last fall, the Mrs. and I picked a Chrysler Group minivan as our mode of transportation as we enjoyed the California Coast and Wine Country with my brother – and we had plenty of room for luggage and wine parcels.

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The 2014 Kia Cadenza

Last week I was invited to test drive the 2014 Kia Cadenza along with a small group of other bloggers and auto journalists. The location Kia chose couldn’t have been more beautiful; we arrived in San Diego on Wednesday afternoon and took a short ride 20 miles north to Del Mar, an oceanside resort town. We stayed at the L’Auberge Del Mar, a 120 room boutique hotel on a hill overlooking the ocean. Our views were spectacular.

I heard repeated apologies from Southern Californians for the “May Gray” (overcast skies) we were experiencing, which made me laugh; I was steps from the ocean — close enough to hear it! Coming from dry, dusty West Texas, what did I have to complain about?

It was in front of the L’Auberge where I was first introduced to the 2014 Cadenza, Kia’s new luxury sedan. The funny thing is that the Cadenza had been parked right there when I first arrived — a little to the side of the valet stand and on the left of the drive-through circle — where the valet might put one of the hotel’s guest’s nicer cars. Good thing it wasn’t a snake, or it might have bit me, because I didn’t even give it a second glance; the car fit in well with its surroundings.  It was only later, when I came down for dinner, that I realized I had completely overlooked the star of this week’s show. This oversight would actually help me form my opinion about the Cadenza as the event went on.

2014 White Kia Cadenza

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Images courtesy Acura

Almost as if being handed its diploma and told to get a job, Acura has shed the frat-boy “hoodie” of the first-generation RDX crossover for a suit and tie on model year 2013.

Gone is the chiseled styling and the (much beloved) spunky turbo four with Acura opting instead for more mainstream body lines and a smooth V-6 engine. RDX has been (barely) surviving in the shadows of the likes of the Lexus RX and BMW X3 and it appears Acura is tired of playing second (or fourth or fifth) fiddle to the segment leaders and is copying pages out of opponents’ playbooks.

What we end up with is a very good entry luxury cute ute with enough room, comfort and convenience for five suitable for the boardroom 9-to-5 while enjoying the weekends with its old collegiate buds.

Acura actually defines RDX as residing in the entry premium SUV category although it and its classmates all ride on car-based platforms and none speak of offroad or towing capabilities, traits necessary to compete is a true SUV class.

The RDX is offered in front- and all-wheel drive configuration and all models are powered by the 273hp 3.5-liter V-6 mated to a sequential sportshift six-speed automatic transmission. The real kicker here is that even with upsizing the engine Acura is able to glean better fuel economy from the 2013 models, coming in at 20 mpg city/28 mpg highway (FWD) and 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway in AWD models.

Our recent tester arrived in AWD form with the Tech package and despite losing the Super Handling-AWD running gear, the new smaller and lighter AWD with Intelligent Control drivetrain does a respectable job of keeping things under control.

Coinciding with the more mainstream body styling, RDX gets a new interior as well that includes more leg- and headroom for both front and rear seat occupants. A wider rear hatch opens to additional cargo space as well. For a quieter onroad experience Acura employs Active Noise Control to cancel out some of the road noise.

A new audio system is employed in the 2013 RDX and keeping to tradition the new crossover is loaded to the gills with technology and safety systems. The Tech package on our test ride has us enjoying the 10-speaker ELS surround sound stereo and the nav system features AcuraLink with real-time traffic and weather along with voice recognition and multi-view rear camera.

Pricing begins at a reasonable $34,520 for a base FWD model with our loaded tester arriving with a final sticker of just over 40 grand.

While the previous RDX will be missed by some the 2013 model was apparently listening during its commencement speech. Year-over-year sales figures show just how successful the little ute has become with units sold more than doubling from April 2012 to April 2013.

Acura’s baby is all grown up and has moved out of its parents’ basement. Congratulations, class of 2013.

Images courtesy Chevrolet

The Suburban Carryall – prairie schooner of the modern era, the longest-running nameplate in the automotive industry, the original SUV.

As Chevrolet heads into fall production of its iconic Suburban fullsize family hauler, it enters the 79th year of production of the model all the while keeping faithful to its initial concept of spaciousness and capability.

The 2013 Suburban is built on the GMT900 body-on-frame truck platform underpinning all of its current pickup and fullsize SUV models. It is offered in two- or four-wheel drive and in half- (1500) and three-quarter- (2500) ton models.

Powering the 1500 series (like the model we recently tested) is the Vortec 5.3-liter V-8 with Active Fuel Management allowing for cylinder deactivation during lighter load driving conditions. The 2500 series sees the Vortec 6.0-liter V-8 engine. All Suburbans feature six-speed automatic gearboxes.

While the Chevy Suburban can carry up to nine occupants, our recent LTZ tester arrived with second row captains chairs for a max seating of 8 adults with all riding in great comfort thanks to GMs Autoride automatic damping suspension system in this top of the line hauler. This LTZ is one of the most stable SUVs I have driven, and I could drive this thing all day long.

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John Deere EZtrak Z235 Zero Turn Mower, Images by Author

In 1837 in a rural Illinois farming community, a humble displaced Vermont blacksmith fashions a new type of plow from discarded materials, and John Deere Plow Works is born. The rest, as they say, is history – bathed in colorful “John Deere Green.”

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the company’s residential product line and recently invited me to “test drive” one of its newest zero-turn mowers. Of course I jumped at the chance, what with already being a John Deere customer, myself.

John Deere brings its legacy of plowshares and farm implements to your yard, thanks to a broad lineup of residential and commercial products including riding tractors and the EZtrak zero-turn mowers. New for 2013 is the EZtrak Z235 and Z255 consumer models. The good folks from Deere set me up with a test model Z235 from my local dealer Storm Lawn and Garden in Grand Prairie, Texas.

No sooner did they unload the mower in front of my residence, than the neighbors were all coming out to see the “new arrival” while also “volunteering” their yards for my test track. Our lots here range in size between a little over half to two acres, so opportunity definitely presented itself.

The EZtrak Z235 and my 100-series rider/Image by Author

As I mentioned, I already owned a John Deere riding tractor (100-series), and my father-in-law struts around on his v-twin 300-series yellow and green rider. While I love my tractor mower, there are areas in our yards that present a bit of challenge to mow quickly and efficiently — and even cause me to have to (ugh) break out the push mower or weed eater.

After a quick lesson from the employee from Storm Lawn and Garden, I found myself literally zipping off on the EZtrak to attack that overgrown lawn.

As with any new vehicle I test, there was a bit of a learning curve with the zero turn model, as steering is significantly different from my rider. While I miss the “traditional” style of the riding tractor, I absolutely fell in love with the maneuverability of the EZtrak; once I had mastered the twin lever steering action, I found myself not being able to part with the Z235.

And lo and behold, I discovered that John Deere has some nifty financing deals going on for spring as well, so after a quick trip to meet with Matt Storm over at the dealership I walked away with not one but two new John Deere products (the second being a cool pedal tractor for the grandson).

John Deere EZtrak Z235 Zero Turn Mower, Image courtesy John Deere

By the numbers, the Z235 mower features a 42-inch Edge Cutting mower deck with side discharge and is powered by a 20hp 40 cu. in. v-twin four-stroke OHV gasoline engine. Power is sent to the rear wheels via dual Hydro-Gear EZT units with 1-inch axles.

Forward speed is rated at 0-7 mph, but it sure seems faster than that while zipping down the road to Poppy’s house. Reverse speed is 0-3.5 mph and that is where I really appreciate the EZtrak, as no adjustments are necessary to mow in reverse like my riding tractor – just pull backward on the twin levers and we’re mowing.

A word of caution for newbies on zero turn mowers – these things turn on less than a dime and will drag that inside tire on your grass. Doing a few Ken Block-type Gymkhana moves on the grass will yield unsightly divots thanks to the awesome grip of those drive tires.

The EZtrak mower is very comfortable, easy to mount and dismount, and that larger footdeck will have you riding around til you run the 2.1 gallon fuel tank dry. The PTO engages and disengages quickly with the flip of a switch, and the twin cutting blades are driven by a single belt and cutting height is adjustable between 1-4 inches.

List price for the EZtrak Z235 is $2,499 and the US warranty is 24 months or 120 engine hours (mowers and tractors utilize engine hourmeters to monitor usage instead of odometers found in passenger vehicles).

John Deere EZtrak Z235 Zero Turn Mower, Image courtesy John Deere

The EZtrak cuts cleanly and quickly and discharges efficiently. I did not notice as much bunching up of cut grass in my wake as I get with my single-cylinder riding tractor. A mulching system is also available, as is material collection system. The Edge mower deck features a wash port making for quick cleaning of the business side of the EZtrak.

I had not experienced a single problem with the first John Deere product I purchased, a fact not lost on helping to make my decision on my new purchase. The financing deals and dealer support helped seal the deal. Now I gotta get busy building that pedal tractor for the grandbaby.

2013 Subaru BRZ Images courtesy Subaru

Car and Driver 10Best; Cars.com Best of 2103; Ward’s 10 Best Engines 2013; Kiplinger Personal Finance Class Winner – I don’t think Subaru anticipated just how well received the new BRZ sports car would be when co-developing it with partner Scion. Saying the 2013 BRZ from Subaru and its twin FR-S from Scion are big hits is an understatement.

With the visit of the Subie recently I have tested models from both automakers, and true to the partnership they are nearly identical save from some very minor styling and suspension changes. While testing the FR-S on the track in both manual and automatic gearbox variants, I wondered why they would even produce a version with a clutch as the automatic performed flawlessly. Then I recently drove the Subaru BRZ.

The result of the Scion/Subaru project is a rear-drive, 2+2 sports coupe that harkens back to the “good old days” of motoring. It is a departure from the norm for both marques, as Subaru has been all about AWD in recent years, and to this point Scion only offered its vehicles in FWD fashion.

Subaru brought its engineering and powertrain skillset to the project, while Scion tackled design elements along with pitching in the direct-injection technology.

2013 Subaru BRZ engine

All models are powered by a 200hp 2.0-liter BOXER four-cylinder engine mated to the aforementioned six-speed gearboxes sending power to the rear wheels via Torsen limited-slip rear differential. The cars feature electric power steering and four-wheel disc braking. Vehicle weight rolls in around 2,800 lbs., and fuel economy for the manual runs 22 mpg city and 30 mpg highway, with automatic-equipped cars getting 25/34 mpg respectively.

Despite EPA numbers giving a nod to the automatic car, I highly recommend driving the manual, at least for a little while. This car is so much fun and the clutch and shifter are effortless and solid. Suspension is tight when compared to other compacts, but just perfect for this peppy car and its tight chassis that rides on 17-inch aluminum wheels and sport tires.

2013 Subaru BRZ interior

The cloth sport seats were very comfortable, and sporty red contrast stitching work to steering wheel, shifter and parking brake boots, door panels and seating really set it off. Inside and out, the BRZ is one attractive car.

Standard across the BRZ line is touch-screen GPS nav with 6.1-inch screen with AM/FM/HD/XM radio, Bluetooth connectivity and auxiliary inputs.

For the driver fortunate enough to work up some time at the track, Subaru includes a vehicle stability control and traction control with multiple settings including sport and TCS off. Models equipped with automatic transmissions get steering wheel paddle shifters and downshift throttle-blipping control.

Pricing for the 2013 Subaru BRZ starts at $25,495, with a loaded BRZ Limited model with 6AT gearbox fetching just under 30 grand.

Fun? Check. Sporty? Check. Attractive? Check. No wonder the 2013 Subaru BRZ (and twin Scion FR-S) has taken the automotive world by storm.

“Our mobile intelligence technology called MiAlert involves several functions where people get important information via their mobile phone/device,” says Santora. “Our multi-phased plan will make this technology available for several practical uses including video footage immediately after incidents. The Mi (Mobile Intelligence) Alerts represents intelligent mobile alert technology with initial uses for automobiles/vehicles, homes/buildings, people (children, family, etc.), and pets. Users can monitor activity using their mobile phone using a free smart phone application for iPhone, Android and Blackberry.”

Users can manage multiple MiAlert devices from own location. Users can also gain information on the secure website. This alert technology including sensors and cameras send information, which can be exchanged through a secure server (at a nominal monthly service fee).

On April 23, MiAlerts launched a 45-day fund raising campaign was launched until June 7, 2013 where anyone can towards the $90,000 goal and get various MiAlerts perks for contributions.

Gear Diary: How do you approach consumers who already have existing technology that’s similar?

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2013 Cadillac XTS AWD, images courtesy Cadillac

Cadillac, like so many automakers, has gone through a product transformation of late. Adding new models, discontinuing others, all the while attempting to reach new clientele without losing the base customers that got them here.

Large, luxurious land yachts have always been the staple at Cadillac but to look at the current lineup one would be left scratching their head. Where have all the big cars gone?

Yes, Lincoln and Cadillac have abandoned (at least for now) the “land yacht” stereotype and offer smaller, more fuel-efficient models across the board leaving not only consumers but commercial and livery customers wondering where their next big ride will come from.

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2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Images courtesy Ford

OMG has been waiting for a moment like this – the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 – a car that absolutely epitomizes the philosophy of “shut up and drive.”

Oh-My-Gawd!

I find difficulty in accurately describing my first experience behind the wheel of the latest Shelby model Mustang save to say that this car is definitely not for everyone and there should probably be required background checks for those wishing to purchase one.

It is a beast. It is mean and nasty. It has the most power ever in a Mustang (or any factory V-8). Heck, it’s got launch control! (And Houston, we did not have ANY problem.) It’s got a top speed of 200 mph and it is available in coupe or convertible at a base MSRP under 55 grand. And NO gas-guzzler tax.

Thw 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 engine

What Ford and Shelby have done with this latest GT500 is slip an aluminum 5.8-liter V-8 underneath the hood and fit it with a larger supercharger for an output of 662hp (up 112 ponies from last year) and 631 lb. ft. of torque backed by the Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual gearbox that sends power via a carbon fiber driveshaft to the rear wheels.

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2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid Images courtesy Volkswagen

Let’s face it – going green will cost you, at least when it comes to your automobile. Nearly every automaker charges a premium for their most environmentally sensitive models when compared to comparable gas-only alternatives.

At Volkswagen things are no different. The last new Jetta we tested was the TDI turbo-diesel model that arrived at the high end of the pricing spectrum for the model line. Now the German automaker offers a gasoline/electric hybrid version its popular compact sedan and it tops the Jetta pricing scale.

Part of the reason is research and development costs need to be recuperated while the automakers are also placing hybrid technology into top trim level vehicles. And with gasoline and diesel engines becoming more and more efficient consumers need to sit down and do the math before rushing out to spend the additional greenbacks to prove their green lifestyle.

The new Jetta Hybrid arrives with a 150hp 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a water-cooled 20kW electric motor for total power output of 170hp and 184 lb. ft. of torque that comes on very early thanks to the nature of the hybrid powertrain.

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2013 Nissan Titan Pickup Images courtesy Nissan

Despite much of its lineup receiving significant (and much needed) makeovers recently, Nissan boasts a vehicle that is perhaps the “longest in the tooth”, as it is still basically in its first iteration in the form of the Titan fullsize pickup.

The Nissan Titan first appeared at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show, and later that fall as the first full half-ton pickup for the automaker. It arrived with very simple choices for the consumer in the fact it offered only one engine and one transmission on a chassis featuring king or crew cab compartments and two- or four-wheel drive.

Since then, little has changed: Still only one engine – the 317hp/385 lb. ft. torque 5.6-liter V-8 – and a now-dated five-speed automatic gearbox. In fact the only real upgrade to the body is a new aerodynamic tailgate design for this model year.

Nissan has got to upgrade the Titan/Armada fullsize frame-on lineup before it leaves the competition completely. Perhaps the hiring of former Ram (Dodge) truck boss Fred Diaz will have an impact. Perhaps he can do here what he did for the Ram 1500 lineup.

This is the fourth Titan I have tested over the lifespan of the model, and little has changed since my first impressions to present day. Titan is still a rugged truck with very good on- and off-road characteristics. It is rough and tumble while offering the latest creature comforts for its occupants.

Nissan was the leader in the center console shifter adaptation and features one of the best sound systems in a truck to date, thanks to its long-running partnership with RockfordFosgate. And what’s not to like with all Nissan trucks being built in a truck plant in Mississippi?

2013 Nissan Titan Pickup interior

Our most recent test model arrived in 4×4 PRO-4X configuration with the Luxury package. Base pricing at this level is $39,240 with our loaded model arriving at $44,515. With powertrain options, limited fuel economy continues to suffer in the form of 12 mpg city and 17 mpg highway, an aspect that may have them falling even further behind the pack of sales leaders.

The Utili-trak cargo system and spray-in bedliner are key attributes and the tailgate features dampening assist in its hinge so it will not slam down on you with its full weight when opened, and it feels lightweight when closing.

Ten years on a first-gen platform is unheard of in the automotive industry, but Nissan is apparently content with “status quo” in its Titan pickup line.

Tesla Motors is working to sell and service their awesome electrical vehicles (EVs) here in Texas

For the most part, I really love living in Austin.  Like most university towns it is quirky and odd, and has the added spice that comes with being a state capital (for a state that, population-wise, is the second-biggest in the country).  There’s an abundance of things to do, incredible live music, South by Southwest activities in the Spring and Austin City Limits in the fall.  And it’s lovely; a green oasis in the middle of a lot of brown.  But it is in Texas, and that means we catch a lot of flack for some of the dumber things that Texas does.  (And of course our arrogance about being Texans doesn’t help sometimes. )  Our politics are a good example, with the state textbook folks trying to force politically motivated information into our kids’ school books.  But then on the flip side, when it comes to electric vehicles, Austin is actually leading the country (take a look at the Mueller Community, for example, with solar panels on all the roofs, high-speed charging units in all the garages, and other stuff that I’ll write about for y’all real soon.).

Now Elon Musk, founder of EV makers Tesla Motors (among other things; take a look at the Gear Diary post on his SCSWi keynote address), is wanting to get more EVs into place here in Texas.  Specifically, he came to my little town (again!) to advocate for the passage of House Bill 3351/Senate Bill 1659, which would allow Tesla to sell their cars directly to the public, since they have no franchised dealerships in the state.  Musk came to town to lobby for this bill, arguing that passing it would let Tesla sells their products in a more unfettered way, and allow them to invest in metro areas.  Bring in some money, in other words.

In my opinion, it’s a good thing; more competition is good, and more competition in green tech is especially good.  Here’s hoping the famously boneheaded Texas lege does the right thing.

So what do you think?  Musk being too pushy, Texas being too stubborn, or something in between?  Whatever you think, be sure to let us know about it below!

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Images courtesy Ford

It has been a few years since a Ford F-150 Raptor has graced our test driveway, and in that time the model has seen a few enhancements to what is already a ‘roided-up version of Ford’s best-selling vehicle in North America.

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Front

While the SVT Raptor is basically a Baja truck with NHTSA safety equipment and license plates, Ford includes its full complement of creature comforts as well. Thankfully that now allows for a SuperCrew cab variant and the beefier 411hp 6.2-liter V-8 engine mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. This tradeoff is fuel economy of course, and in 4×2 mode the best Raptor can now muster is 11 mpg city and 16 mpg highway.

New for 2013 is the offering of 17-inch aluminum wheels with beadlock capability thus enhancing offroading prowess. Model year 2012 saw significant styling upgrades, as well as a unique front view camera for extreme situations while allowing your “spotter” passenger to remain in the vehicle more often.

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Interior

The test model that recently arrived here came with the Raptor Luxury Package that made the day-to-day drivability quite pleasant thanks to heated/cooled front seats, power adjustable pedals, remote start, HID headlights and navigation among other things.

Getting down to the nitty-gritty of offroading in the Raptor, in my previous article I mentioned never leaving home in the truck without a rescue vehicle in tow as the Ford truck had some serious issues dealing with the muck and mud of East Texas. Since that time Ford has updated the front differential to a Torsen torque-sensing unit thereby enhancing Raptor’s capabilities.

I found a bit of mud during my time with the truck, and after an afternoon of “fun” the truck now gets a thumbs up from me, although I still raise an eyebrow at the continued exclusion of a power winch feature.

Pricing for the 2013 SVT Raptor begins at $46,240 with our tester arriving at $53,595.

If offroading is the only standard you are judging a vehicle on the Ford F-150 Raptor may not be for you, but if you want a vehicle that can tow, haul, carry five adults in total comfort AND take you far away from the paved world then perhaps this is your huckleberry.

For your viewing pleasure, here is Ford’s official Raptor video:

And from the “don’t try this at home” channel:

UPDATE:

No sooner than I post this review on the 2013 Ford SVT Raptor than Ford announces the 2014 F-150 SVT Raptor Special Edition that will go on sale this fall.

The new truck will feature a few unique new touches onto the existing Luxury package as we tested recently, including a ruby red metallic exterior color and box-side graphics along with brick red seat bolsters with black inserts and cloth honeycomb highlights inside along with a few other accents. For those not fond of the “no place like home” ruby slipper red Ford will also offer the special edition truck in tuxedo black metallic.

2013 BMW X1 Images courtesy BMW

BMW is a marque used by many automotive journalists as their “industry standard.” While I do not agree with many of my colleagues across the board on this, for me the X3 crossover from Bavaria is at the top of its game so there was much anticipation when the automaker brought its newest cute ute to the states in the form of the X1 Sport Activity Vehicle (BMW-speak for crossover utility vehicle).

The 2013 BMW X1 is based on the 3-series automobile platform and offers many of the same creature comforts and attributes of the sedan and coupe models albeit with more headroom inside.

BMW had already been offering X1 in global markets where it proved very successful, and despite the automaker building other crossovers here in the states, X1 production for North America remains in its home country. X1 arrives with the host of new technologies offered across the BMW line including its EfficientDynamics suite that includes brake energy regeneration and auto start/stop and ECO PRO to further fuel economy.

While BMW offers the X1 with a base price of under 32 grand, the xDrive28i model that recently graced our test driveway was loaded to the nines including the ultimate package that brought the final sticker to a lofty $45,595, a bit pricey for an “entry” model in any segment.

As for the driving experience, think BMW 3-series sedan with a much higher center of gravity, thereby throwing balance off a bit. The X1 was not quite the experience of its bigger brother X3 and for me will not be the industry standard in this segment, although to be honest I was disappointed with the updated RDX from Acura this year as well.

Don’t get me wrong, the X1 is a very nice ride, it just did not “blow me away” as other vehicles have done, but what’s not to like here? The X1 was powered by a spirited TwinPower turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine generating 240hp and 260 lb. ft. of torque and backed by new eight-speed steptronic automatic gearbox with sport and manual modes.

BMW does offer a turbo six engine for the U.S. market along with choice of sDrive sport line and xDrive all-wheel drive configurations. The 2013 X1 xDrive28i as tested offers fuel economy of 22mpg city and 33mpg highway which is very competitive for this segment (the new Ford Escape with 2.0-liter EcoBoost offers 21/28 respectively).

Inside the X1 offers nearly every amenity of its larger siblings including heated steering wheel, 18-inch alloy wheels, sport seats, rear-view camera, park distance control, Xenon headlights, ambiance lighting, automatic high beams, panoramic roof, voice-command technology, navigation with real-time traffic info, BMW Assist with Bluetooth and a full host of safety technologies.

Buyers seeking the amenities and DNA of the 3-series but don’t quite want to be saddled into a sedan or coupe (such as those with a slightly more active lifestyle) the X1 is the vehicle for you – until your family unit or lifestyle expands to the point where you will need to step up to the X3 or X5 models (at which point you will be raiding the kids’ college funds).

Images courtesy Ford

Ford “reinvented” its popular Explorer sport ute for the 2011 model year, shedding its frame-based roots for a unibody platform shared with the likes of Taurus and Flex. For 2013, Ford is adding the option of the twin-turbo V-6 EcoBoost engine in the midsize ute – calling the new model Explorer Sport.

To add more of a sporty nature in the new Explorer Sport, engineers beefed up the platform rigidity to allow for the added power while also enhancing ride and lateral stability. A new crossmember was added underneath the transmission tunnel area and the front strut tower supports were strengthened as well.

All this architecture supports the 365hp, 350 lb. ft. torque twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine under the hood that is backed by six-speed automatic gearbox and linked to full-time all-wheel drive system utilizing model-specific calibration of Explorer’s Terrain Management System. Fuel economy is rated at 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway.

Explorer Sport also “sports” new steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and unique sport tuned suspension mods and rides on a set of slick and stylish 20-inch rims. Engineers told us much of the research specific to the Explorer Sport model came from the Fleet and Commercial operations, specifically the Explorer Interceptor package.

None to fear leadfoots, Ford assured us the Police Interceptor models will not be getting the EcoBoost motor in Explorer models but remember it is an option in the Interceptor Sedan (police version Taurus).

The Explorer Sport receives model-specific styling treatments, most of which include piano black on trim pieces and unique interior stitching along with Sport-logo floor mats and illuminated scuff plates.

Pricing for the 2013 Ford Explorer Sport begins at $40,720 with a nicely appointed model (like the one we spent a half day with) rolling in at just a tick over 47 grand.

While we did not have the opportunity to take the new Explorer Sport offroad (nor would we really want to) we did find its onroad manners above reproach with outstanding acceleration throughout the entire powerband.

Ride and handling were more than we expected from a vehicle with these sport tires and we found ourselves never having to raise our voices over the road noise of the rougher paved surfaces encountered.
When redesigning the Explorer, Ford found very seldom do SUV owners take their vehicles off paved surfaces but they do want them to not only look good but ride and drive like a winner as well, and with this new Explorer Sport bolstering the lineup Ford definitely has a winner here.

2013 Toyota Highlander Limited 4WD Images courtesy Toyota

Toyota claims its Highlander midsize crossover utility vehicle pioneered the segment that saw traditional frame-based carry-alls attain more carlike attributes by converting to unibody architectures. Despite that, Highlander never really became a “household name.”

That’s kind of a shame, as Toyota’s midsizer offers quite a few variants of its three-row CUV including choice of powertrains – four- or six-cylinder gas or hybrid engines – and front- or full-time four-wheel drive, along with choice of base, SE, Limited or new Highlander Plus trim grades.

2014 Toyota Highlander introduced at the New York Auto Show

The current Highlander is the second-generation of the nameplate that received a mid-cycle refresh a few years ago. I say “current” as just recently at the New York Auto Show Toyota introduced an all-new third-gen model that will arrive as the 2014 Highlander and features serious styling enhancements among other things.

2013 Toyota Highlander Limited 4WD engine

The 2013 Toyota Highlander that recently graced our test driveway arrived in the Limited 4WD version with 270hp 3.5-liter V-6 engine under the hood. This powertrain is backed by a now-outdated five-speed automatic transmission and delivers 17 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, something else that will have to be enhanced in the new model. Those fuel economy figures are no longer acceptable, despite capabilities of 4WD and three-row seating as the latest V-8 engines are now capable of those numbers.

Despite its 4WD running gear, the Limited tester proved to be quite comfortable on the road where it most likely will remain. Consumers wishing to purchase a utility that will see offroad duties, however limited, will most likely opt for stablemate 4Runner or perhaps the FJ Cruiser instead. Regardless, should the pavement come to an abrupt end, the Highlander will be able to continue on in most any condition.

2013 Toyota Highlander Limited 4WD dash

While exterior styling seemed to remain fresh throughout Highlander’s life cycles, its interior design strategies have continued to baffle a bit (along with that in Tundra, among others). That two-tone dash finish looks as if Toyota employed a pair of designers but would not let them communicate with each other before implementation.

Nonetheless, our eyes should be on the road and not the interior panels, so this should render as a moot point.

While 17-inch wheels and tires are the base choice on most Highlanders, Toyota rolls a set of 19s underneath its Limited models, upping the ante on style points. And as with all Toyota utility models, Highlander receives all the latest safety technology available to date via the automaker’s Star Safety System – vehicle stability control, traction control, electric power steering, and ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist.

Highlander models can be ordered with a host of creature comforts as well, including JBL audio system and Entune multimedia system featuring Bluetooth technology and a host of mobile apps and data services including traffic and weather.

2013 Toyota Highlander Limited 4WD interior

Pricing for the 2013 Toyota Highlander Limited 4WD begins at $39,250.

Chevy Volt, loaned to me for the week of South by Southwest Interactive for review purposes

When it comes to car reviews, Gear Diary has some experienced people to check things out for you. But this time, neither our intrepid (and superlative) car reviewer David Goodspeed – and how excellent is that a name for a car reviewer, right? “Goodspeed”? Awesome! — nor our fearless lead editor, Judie (who has done car reviews before as well), could attend South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) this year. On the other hand, ol’ Doug lives in Austin. So I got the chance, for the week surrounding SXSWi, to tool around in a new Chevy Volt hybrid car! What did I think? Read on and find out!

First I want to let you all know my prejudices. I have wanted electric cars to be successful for a long time. Growing up during the first oil shock back in the 70s, it was obvious we were going to have to power our transport system with something other than fossil fuels. People have been looking into multiple different options — electric cars, hydrogen-powered/fuel cell cars, even ones powered by flywheels! – but it’s electric cars that have gotten the most attention. After all, if you can just plug in your car to your house current, the car companies won’t have to build an entire new infrastructure to take over from the millions of gas stations currently dotting the countryside. That’s a big plus. Also no tanker trucks carting the gasoline around; no giant, leaky tankers on the water hauling crude oil back and forth; etc.

But I have always been disappointed by the reality of electric cars. The first serious stab at it was the EV1, also by General Motors like the Volt. The EV1 had a recharge time of 8-12 hours, with a range of less than 100 miles. It was only a two-seater, and didn’t exactly come with all the amenities–cruise control, power windows, and the like. Plus it looked goofy. It was a first stab, after all.

EV1; Photo courtesy of GetMSM.com

Car makers have an answer in the hybrid. Hybrids have both a gas and electric motor. This gives you greater range, doesn’t put you at the mercy of an engine that could cut out on you at 50 miles, and ensures that should your battery bail out on you, you have that good ol’ internal-combustion engine to get you where you need to go.But we’ve had 20 or more years of development since the EV1, right? And it’s true: electric cars now come with as many bells and whistles as your ordinary car–air conditioning, power windows, cruise, and everything else the modern driver expects. And while yes, they’re still small, you have 4-seat electric cars now. But the problem is, the charge time on them is still in the 8-12 hour range, and they still have a range of less than 100 miles. Which is a big issue for most people.

A lot of car manufacturers say things like, “Well, if you only commute 15 miles each way, that’s more than enough range!” The problem with that is, as Carly found out, you end up doing a ton more driving than just your commute. That run to the dry cleaner during lunch. Your jaunt over to your chiropractor appointment. Picking up your daughter at school and taking her to her theatrical costuming class. Taking the dogs on their walkies at your local leash-free dog park. And on and on. (And in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I lived for 25 years, it seems like you have to get in your car for everything, and everything seems at least 5 miles away.) So 100 miles or less (usually less) simply doesn’t cut it.

Which brings us to the Chevy Volt. The Volt is Chevy’s hybrid. Chevy has taken the lessons that they learned with the EV1, clearly looked at the kinds of things you get in a Prius, and come up with I think is a really solid entrant in the hybrid category.  As I mentioned, I got a chance to use a Volt for an entire week, and forced myself to use it as my daily car for all uses, from tooling around town between SXSWi venues to driving kids hither and yon to (light) grocery shopping.

Chevy has come a long way in the last few years. My experience with Chevys in the past (through rental cars, generally) has not been happy; I have been quite displeased with how they drive, their road and engine noise, the fit and finish of their cars, and many other issues.  But after my experience with a Camaro rented from Enterprise last April (“Everyone wants a Camaro” the nice young lady at GM’s Austin customer service office told me when I mentioned to her how much I had liked it), and now with the Volt, I am comfortable saying that they have really made quantum leaps.  And I say this as the owner in my life of two Toyotas, three Hondas, and a BMW, just so you know where I’m coming from.  I have a huge distrust of domestic auto makers, and I was genuinely impressed.

Chevy Volt in my driveway along with our Shih-tzu/poodle mix, Rosie (Isabelle the Corgi in the background sniffing a tree); charging unit on grass in foreground

I use a Honda Accord as my daily driver, so my first impression was, “Ah, right; a compact!  I remember those!”  But it’s not tiny, and it’s not ugly, as so many compacts can be.  It’s a nice, solid, decent-looking compact.  The head, leg, and interior room is exactly what you would expect in a compact with one exception:  There is a large transmission hump through the center of the car, much like in a front-engine, rear-wheel drive vehicle.  This means that it is a four-seater and no nonsense; no fitting an extra small kid in the middle in the back.

Back seat

I was very glad to have an entire week with the Volt, because in my experience, no matter how good a new car is, it takes you a while to get used to the fact that it’s different from your old car.  The buttons and dials and readouts are in different places; the controls are laid out differently; things works just a bit differently.  I’m glad I got a chance to get over that so that when I complain about something below, it’s because I genuinely don’t like it, and not simply because it’s “different”, if you know what I mean.

The “Cockpit”

The Volt uses a fob rather than a key, which means that you don’t have to insert anything into the ignition, you just need to put your foot on the break and press the “Start” button to get going (so long as the fob is in range of the car).  I understand this is pretty common with European cars, but it’s new to me, and took me a bit to get used to.   But I’ll tell you, once I did, I loved it.  I could keep the fob in my pocket or hooked onto the carabiner on my gear bag and never take it out.  This may seem like a small thing, but after a week of not having to fumble for keys, fiddle with fitting them into the ignition in the dark, and all the other nonsense associated with keys, I got to absolutely love it and hated going back.  Good choice there, GM!

The magic fob!

The car is of course a hybrid, with a maximum electrical motor range, according to GM and the dash readout, of 34 miles (or so, depending on conditions, and that’s right about what I got).  On regular house current, it take frigging forever to charge the thing from zero — I did it once, and it took somewhere around 12 hours.  GM says that it only takes two-three hours using a “Type 2″ charger, i.e. one that you install in your house (or at charging stations around town), and honestly I believe them.

Since most of my driving is around town, other than the once for experimental purposes, it never went down to zero, and I got into the habit of simply plugging it in whenever I got home, like I do with my iPhone whenever I get back to my desk.  It did make me worry a bit about the various electrical components, though; is the charger unit okay when it rains?  What about the plug on the car itself?  I don’t have a garage or car port, so if I have an EV, that charger unit is going to be out there in the open basically all the time.  How will it stand up to the elements?

Charging unit; it’s a bulky sucker

If you plug in the car to charge and it is not plugged in properly, it beeps at you.  I’m sure that the particular tone the car uses indicates all kinds of details — You’re not fully plugged-in! You’re too close to something on the side! You’re too close to something in the back! etc. — but I never did get used to them enough to decode them all.    I got used to the, “You’re not plugged in properly!” one, though, because I heard it a lot; either the plug unit is a bit persnickety, or I’m just lame at plugging it in.  I report, you decide!

Why not just keep it in the car itself, or sitting on the porch under cover, you might ask?  Well, it’s heavy and bulky, for one; hauling it around is a PITA.  And second, getting it in and out of its under-the-floorboards location in the hatch is a real PITA; even the guy who picked up the car had trouble with it.  So leaving it out, exposed to the elements, is the obvious easiest solution for the user, and I have to think it won’t hold up to well under that.  If you have a garage, you’re probably fine.  If not? Well …

What you see when you open the door and the car is charging

Here are my impressions from driving it around town:

• The car rides very, very low and scrapes bottom quite frequently.  I scraped getting in and out of my driveway every single time — it’s a slight hill.  Going over speed bumps.  Going up parking garage inclines.  Basically all the time.
• Power-wise, it’s a compact.  This baby is never going to blow anyone’s doors off.  You want that, you should probably go for the Camaro!  It neither disappointed me or pleased me in that area.

And here’s where that power comes from.

• The transition between electric power and gas was very, very smooth; I honestly couldn’t tell when it happened.  Which is exactly what I want from a hybrid!
• The brakes–which I assume are at least partly regenerative–that is, they power the battery when you use them–were very non-grabby and took some time to get used to. Getting back into my Honda, I tended to over-brake for several minutes before my reflexes adapted.
• The visibility is great; unlike in the Camaro (where making it look cool definitely reduced the amount of windowspace), there were lots of windows for great road visibility.
• I admit to a strong preference for analog speedometers; I don’t mind having a combo, but I don’t like a plain digital readout which is, unfortunately, what the Volt has.  And in addition, I found the entire main readout to be very, very busy and not a good use of space.  Do you really need that much space to tell you what the battery status is?  And if you look at the photo below, that bar on the right is to help you drive more economically; when the bouncing ball is exactly halfway up, you’re doing well.  If the ball goes to high or low, you’re not being as economical as you could be.  Well, okay, I guess, but again:  Does it need that friggin’ much room?  And as for those other items below in the bottom center–the “A” and “B” — I guess they were trip mileage counters or something?  I dunno, but I found it all very busy and ugly.

The main speedometer and power readout behind the steering wheel

With regard to the equipment, my model was fully loaded, with power doors, windows, mirrors, seat-warmers, and pretty much every other modern convenience.  What did I think of all the gadgets and gizmos?

• Chevy calls the center console an “Infotainment System”, which I find kind of silly, honestly.  As you can see in the photo, there is a large touch screen at the top, and the usual stack of controls beneath.  Interestingly, none of the buttons are physical, only touch.  I have to say that even after a week I didn’t get used to this; when driving, I really need the feedback of a physical button.  (There is an audible “click” noise when you for example press fast-forward, but it’s not enough for me.)  

Power button is the blue thing just to the left of the gear shift; parking brake is the little lever just to right of the gear shift

• The parking brake is not a lever on the floor, but rather an odd switch on the dash; I never got to like this.  I would bet it’s to save weight, but I just didn’t like it.  I did like that you literally can’t move the car when it’s engaged; after all, how many of you out there have driven around for a while with the parking brake engaged?
• I also wasn’t a big fan of how they organized the menus, and the navigation from one menu to another; it struck me as awkward and clunky, and entailed a lot of guessing while sitting in the driveway.

The infotainment system main menu

• On the other hand, I loved how well the system operated with my iPhone.  The Bluetooth connectivity was wonderful, and if you had BT enabled when you got into the car, it linked right away.  (I had noticed this on the Camaro as well, so clearly GM has spent some solid time working on this.)   In addition, in the center arm rest is a USB jack, and you could jack into the system instead of using BT, which was quite handy.  I started leaving a spare cable just dangling there.  I can easily imagine using it with Siri regularly (and Dan using it with Dragon Dictation!), were I to get a Volt for myself.
• I never really got used to the touch screen.  It seems to operate with a combination of touch and using the dials below; I really don’t like hybrid touch screens (like the ones on the checkout line at the grocery store, for example), and didn’t like this one much, either.
• The car comes with a rear-facing camera, which displays automatically on the Infotainment screen when you shift into reverse.  You can’t rely on it, but it’s definitely a big help when trying to, e.g., avoid an idiot who has parked just across the street behind your driveway leaving you with very little room.  There are also proximity sensors on the car, telling you when you are getting too close to things in front, back, or on the side.  The sound of the beeps increases the closer you get, and the tone of the beep is different–at least, I think so–depending on whether you are closer in front, the rear, or on the sides.  I never decoded which beep meant what, but I only had it for a week.  (And on numerous occasions seriously considered shutting the beeps off entirely, which I’m pretty sure can be done–I found them somewhat annoying.)

A couple of other things I want to note about the Volt in closing:

• All the exterior door handles have locking buttons.  That is, if you have the fob, rather than having to fit a key into a hole on a particular door, you just press the button on the handle.  I really liked that.

Note the little silver button; keep the fob in your pocket and just press that sucker to unlock!

• I found the lack of trunk space disturbing.  It would be hard to do a full grocery run (without folding down the rear seats, of course), and when I picked up Sami at the airport, I took the Honda because I wasn’t sure we could fit both her suitcases and her shoulder bag in the Volt.  This was probably over-cautious on my part, but wanted to mention it.

Nothing under the floor there but a battery and a space for the charger.

• Here in Austin, as part of an effort to encourage people to buy EVs, around town you can find numerous charging stations.  Including in some public parking garages, where the slots for the EVs are closer to the venue and reserved for EVs, which is a nice little bonus.
• The main door lock for all four doors is on the dash, not on the door on the driver’s side, as in most cars I’m used to.  Not a big thing, but a bit annoying.
• The electric power outlet was behind a door on the front right by the driver’s side door, while the gas cap (which I never used!) was behind the rear passenger door.  Both were controlled by buttons set into the driver’s door.

So what did I think of the Volt?  I liked it; I could easily see myself driving it regularly, especially given my “work at home” schedule and the fact we have a giant Honda Odyssey minivan for our second car.  Could I use it if I had to commute?  Probably, although I would end up using gas more (horrors!).  The kids just loved it, and kept asking if we could keep it.  Which is notable, given that they are (respectively) 17 and 14; the 17 year-old (Maggie) wondered if we could get one for her, and given that the 14 year-old (Joseph) is as nuts about fancy cars as you can imagine, that’s something to bear in mind.

The Volt is not flashy; it’s not powered to blow your doors off or styled to turn heads like the Camaro, no.  And no, it’s not a family hauler, either; it’s a compact with limited trunk/hatch space, so you’re not going camping with three kids in this thing.  What it is, is comfortable, solid, easy to drive, and easy to use (if you see the difference).  I know I’m repeating myself here, but the fit and finish of the GM cars that I’ve driven lately continues to very much impress me, and the Volt was no exception; if you’ve shied away from American cars (as I have!) for that reason in the past, then you might want to reconsider.  (I’m serious.  I’m really picky about that sort of thing.)  I loved the key fob, and I really liked being able to park closer in at parking garages because I was in an EV.

I want to make one final note here — and I will cover this topic more thoroughly in a different post — GM is making a massive (and clearly expensive) effort to improve their “customer relations”.  They are taking a very “Genius Bar” approach to customer contacts, and want to cut their response time down when a customer contacts them via email, regular mail, phone, Twitter, Facebook, or whatever to minutes rather, than hours or day.  I don’t know how well this is playing out with GM customers overall, but it was certainly the case for me that whenever I needed anything — even something as simple as the price of the car — I heard back from my contact within minutes.  Yes, yes; I’m a reviewer, and they want to impress me.  But believe me, faithful Gear Diary readers, it’s more rare than you might think when doing product reviews (how many times has Dan written about bad customer experiences?), so it’s absolutely worth mentioning.

If we were in the market for a new car, I would definitely consider the Volt.

What it is: 2013 Chevy Volt gas-electric hybrid
MSRP: $39,145 (base); $45,690 (as driven) [not including the famous "destination charge", of course!]–a bit steep yes, but the U.S. government offers a (I believe) $7500 tax credit on purchase

Charging socket with plug inserted

Gas tank

Close-up of the electrical charging socket

Image courtesy Yamaha

Consumer Reports has just released its first-ever motorcycle reliability survey and – as if mimicking recent automotive surveys – Japanese motorcycles ranked better than American and German models.

The survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, says about one in four Harley-Davidson owners reported a major problem in the first four years of ownership, and that BMW motorcycles had even more problems reported than that.

By comparison, the study showed only one in ten Yamaha owners had issues, followed closely by Kawasaki and Honda.

Despite experiencing a higher rate of problems with their motorcycles, Harley and BMW owners are apparently the most loyal. When asked if they would buy their bike again (with hindsight being 20-20), 75 percent of Harley owners answered a resounding “Yes” followed by 74 percent of BMW owners, yet only 63 percent of Yamaha buyers would repurchase, and a mere 60 percent Kawasaki owners would make the same choice.

Top issues reported were related to accessories such as lights, instruments, switches and radios (21 percent), followed by brake problems (20 percent), and fuel system (15 percent). Most of these repairs were reported as being fairly inexpensive, running under $200.

More information can be found at www.consumerreports.org.

2013 Ford Escape Images courtesy Ford

Compact utility vehicles are all the rage these days, and in recent weeks (and months) many have graced my test driveway. Automakers near and far are seeking ways to stand out from one another in a bid for the consumer’s attention and at Ford that is certainly no different.

For 2013, Big Blue Oval has completely overhauled its popular little Escape (that is still deems a sport utility vehicle), updating not only styling but powertrains as well. Three engines are now offered in the Escape, two of them EcoBoost turbo models.

Our recent tester arrived sort of “middle-of-the-road” in SE front-wheel-drive fashion sporting the 1.6-liter EcoBoost four. All powertrains include a new six-speed automatic gearbox and all models offer at least 30 mpg on the highway. I enjoyed the 178hp and 184 lb. ft. or torque generated in our little guy even finding engine response surprisingly sprite on the rare occasion I really pushed it.

As for road manners, think of the new Escape as an oversized Focus, the platform it is based on. Escape basically takes the Focus five-door to the next level offering better ground clearance and interior space.

Technology in the new Escape is cutting edge for the automaker, as the cute-ute offers new Curve Control to rein the vehicle in when pushing things too hard in turns, while Torque Vectoring Control allowing drivers to open things up a bit in the twisties.

Inside Ford offers the latest version of its MyFord Touch and SYNC systems although it seemed to struggle a bit with my iPhone 5 and finding my favorite Sirius satellite radio channel. I would gladly trade MyFord Touch for standard rearview camera and blindspot detection, each of which is available but did not find its way into our tester. And that center stack reminds me of something out of Battlestar Gallactica or something.

The vehicle itself is easy to drive, as have been most of the small utilities I’ve tested lately. Automakers are getting it right in this segment, providing buyers with a fair amount of style and performance while offering value and usability.

Ford starts 2013 Escape pricing at $22,470, with our SE tester arriving at $27,860. EPA fuel rating for this 1.6-liter EcoBoost is 23 mpg city and 33 mpg highway – that’s about as good as it gets in this segment.

The 2013 Ford Escape is nicely styled and appointed and offers a pleasant driving experience despite a bit of wind noise at speed. The changes over its predecessor are so dramatic it cannot be compared to earlier Escape models, and it’s definitely worth a look by anyone shopping this segment.

The New Santa Fe in front of the Coronado marina

As I had written previously, the folks at Hyundai took a group of ‘social bloggers’ to Park City, UT last August to introduce the new 2013 Santa Fe Sport. My review was highly favorable, but what was missing for me was the full-sized Santa Fe 6/7 passenger model – Hyundai teased that model, but we weren’t allowed to take pictures, get in or even touch the pre-production model they brought. However, they told us that once it was ready to launch we would be able to get a hands-on look. This weekend the made good on that promise, as Hyundai took a bunch of social bloggers to Coronado to test drive the new Santa Fe.

I will have a full drive experience report coming soon, but for now I wanted to give a quick overview of a few things that shaped the experience including the Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado itself, the food, and of course our first glimpse at the new Santa Fe.

The view from my room once the clouds cleared in the early afternoon. Gorgeous

Coronado is a peninsula that is separated from San Diego by water, and was bought by two men Buford & Story in 1886 for $110,000. The two men had made their fortunes helping to shape the rail system, and had taken to going to Coronado for hunting trips. At the time it was populated mostly by small game, but the two men had thoughts of transforming it into a destination for other like-minded people. To do this they decided to build a hotel and later engage in planning the design of a community, and the Hotel Del Coronado opened for business in 1888. They are marking 125 years of continuous operation, and it remains a luxurious destination that continues to attract presidents and other dignitaries and offers an amazing vacation spot for couples and families.

Looking back up at the hotel from the beach walk

As someone who grew up — and lived until recently — in the Boston area, I have always loved places rich in history and distinctive styling – the famous Colonial Inn in Concord is one of my favorite places to stay. The Hotel Del Coronado was built on a tight schedule without a proper architect or blueprints, working only from a rough work up of an exterior model. As a result, the interior design is best described as erratic or charming, depending on how you view such things. Another bit of history is that there is a mysterious ghost who purportedly haunts the hotel … her name is Kate Morgan, and she supposedly inhabits a room at the hotel where she is a benevolent spirit. A few folks in our group had issues with lights turning off and on, things getting unplugged and even with items going missing and later reappearing in random places; a few of the ladies had a sleepover because of this!

The main entry way into the hotel

Much of the hotel is original, from the redwood in the foyer to the tongue & groove crown room, to the uneven floors and winding halls and more. There is still an elevator operator on the formerly steam-powered bird-cage elevator! But it has also been modernized with all of the things you would expect from a 5 star resort, and all of the additions have been streamlined to match the original styling. The grounds are impeccable, and they were designed so that European visitors accustomed to lush gardens would be impressed … I know I certainly was!

From the second floor including the main chandelier

How do I know so much about the hotel and Coronado? Hyundai arranged a history tour of the hotel with the local chamber of commerce, giving us insights into our base of operations for the weekend. But it was more than that – they provided a view of the culture of the island, the people who built and grew the community, and the path from a small seasonal resort for the wealthy to a year round destination.

The crown room – all tongue & groove construction, no nails, and crown lighting purportedly designed by Frank L. Baum.

As I mentioned in my recent Monday Mile ‘Your Workout Is Where You Find It’, when I am going to be someplace other than home one of the first things I do is check out the map to figure out a running route. And when I am going to a place like Coronado, I am even more excited by the prospects. I mentioned finding tons of potential running routes in my post about preparing for the trip, but as I was being driven from the airport to the hotel I noticed that the traffic and pedestrian volume and curbside dining along many streets would make most of those routes tricky in the afternoon. Instead, once I got myself checked in and chatted with my wife quickly, I headed down the Silver Strand.

My return running route – there is marina on the right, beach on the left, and the Hotel Del Coronado in the distance

The Silver Strand is the small strip of land that makes Coronado a peninsula rather than an island. It is wide enough for a 2-lane road in both directions along with a bike trail and beach, and narrow enough that you can see both sides at once. The weather was gorgeous – still mostly cloudy, only around 60 degrees … just wonderful. I ran down the beachfront (there is a wide walkway) until I ended up on the Silver Strand road, eventually getting across and onto the bike path. As I got onto the narrow part of the Silver Strand I discovered unpaved paths along the side that went through the garden areas, so I kept to those. I kept going until the GPS chimed 4 miles and then turned around, mirroring the path back to the hotel to end up just under 8 miles; it was glorious.

The Hotel Del Coronado is gorgeous at 5AM as well!

For Saturday and Sunday morning, I was able to get out of the hotel before 5AM to take my planned ‘tour of the island’ route that went along the shore near the marina to near the base of the bridge to the gates of the Naval Air Station to the beach and along the beach path to where it hit the Silver Strand and then back to the hotel. It was right around 7.5 miles and the streets were almost completely clear, allowing me to enjoy only the sounds of birds, waves, my own breathing and footfalls, and the waking up of the Naval Air Station. Finishing with 1.5 mile right along the coast with the crashing waves drowning out the chiming of my Garmin was incredible.

Hard to see, but this is the gate of the Naval Air Station, coming to life at 5AM.

One thing we learned in Park City was that the Hyundai folks would be sure to keep us stylishly fed for the weekend. The Hotel Del Coronado boasts four main restaurants as well as an ice cream shop and pizza shop. That means if you are looking for formal dining, somewhat less formal dining, casual take-out fare, or just some quicker simple food you are covered.

I walked to the water, turned around and … this.

Because the media were arriving all day, Hyundai gave us vouchers for lunch and an ice cream. I really wanted to be outdoors somewhere and found the outdoor restaurant too crowded and closed-in, so I grabbed a to-go turkey & brie sandwich lunch from Babcock & Story. I also grabbed a chocolate mousse dessert in a chocolate cup with fruit inside – I had planned on getting an ice cream but this changed my mind:

Seriously …

After lunch, the tour, and after spending some time wandering around the area, it was time to kick things off for real! Of course, this meant a reception with appetizers and drinks at a reserved area in the formal dining area. This was fun for several reasons – we were outdoors, sampling fresh local seafood and other great ingredients, and meeting old and new friends. Many attendees were also present at Park City, some I knew by name and others by appearance. All of whom it was great to see and catch up. Also, many of the Hyundai folks were the same, from Jim to Rob to Laurie to Linda – and they are all really great folks.

At dinner, Jim laid out the order of events for the next day, and each table had someone from Hyundai to go over things and make sure we were all prepared. But naturally much of the event was about socialization – both in-person and virtual. Hyundai refers to us as the ‘social wave’ and therefore it wasn’t just acceptable for us to be on our phones broadcasting on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/etc all the time – it was expected. Somewhere in between the time on our phones and the great talk with Liza from AddictedtoSaving and Scott from ChipChick and Laura from BetterinBulk and Laurie from Hyundai, we managed to have a great dinner. I went straight for the steak with asparagus and Creme Brûlée for dessert, with absolutely no regrets!

There were two orders of business before getting out on the road with the New Santa Fe: breakfast and product presentations. Breakfast was memorable not just for more great social interaction – pretty much everyone shifted seats from dinner to interact with a new set of people (except for one person and her minion who strangely remained aloof and mostly separated from the proceedings the whole weekend) – but also due to the presence of Harris’s Hawks. We learned that the hotel brought a pair of these on the grounds for the morning four days a week to deal with seagulls – just the screeching and presence eliminates the gulls for a day or so.

Harris Hawks apparently scare gulls away

And naturally we all wanted to pose with the hawks, as they are well-trained and used to dealing with people.

I wrote about it here but it is hard for me to look at a picture of myself without judging harshly.

After breakfast and fun with the hawks we went through the presentation. I continue to hear about automotive events where there are hours upon hours of presentations and precious little driving, and I was once again glad that with Hyundai that is NOT the case! Jim, Jon Shon and another product manager presented business aspects, competitive insight and technical details of Hyundai and the new Santa Fe. The Santa Fe Sport has gotten a great reception and has sold very well since introduction last summer (as I can attest from how many I have seen around my area), and Hyundai is very well positioned in terms of sales turnover and resale value.

As for the product specifics, I will cover those in the technical minutia of my drive experience, but basically what you are looking at is more than just a 3-row version of the Santa Fe Sport but less than a completely different model. The Santa Fe is longer, taller and has more space, and the back seat (middle row) has been modified to make it very comfortable for passengers but still allow access to the third row.

Hyundai Santa Fes in a row

Once the presentation and hands-on views (and assorted silliness such as seeing how many folks could comfortably sit in the cargo area at once (we did four but could have done five – but it wouldn’t make for such a fun picture!), it was time to hit the road.

Laura, Kas, Becca and Jasmine having fun in the back of the Santa Fe!

The way Hyundai does their drives is using a trip book: there is a lunch destination with a driver-change checkpoint half-way. The route is mapped turn-by-turn in a booklet that ensures you will get to do all types of driving: highway, city, up hill, down hill, narrow and wide roads, twists and turns, and so on. My driving partner was Louise from MomStart – she was fun to chat with, sharing my values of marriage, family and kids. We had a good time throughout the trip, learning about the Santa Fe and fumbling with some of the controls as we explored functionality.

The mid-way point was an off-road overlook area that was a great place for a break and change of drivers, and to find out how others did following directions. Louise mentioned that I was a really good navigator (I am an engineer, so linear mapping is something that comes naturally), but others were not so lucky. Some entered the location into the GPS and were sent mostly along the highway (boring!), others missed turns and ended up nearly crossing the Mexican border, and still others just got lost and ended up using the GPS to get back on track.

The first leg was ~40 miles, and the second part was just under 30 miles to the town of Julian, where at the Julian Grille we were encouraged to make sure to leave room for their famous pie! Both the lunch (veggie sandwich and fruit) and pie (multi-berry with ice cream) were excellent, as I wrote about on Yelp.

If you are in the area, this pie is worth the trip!

After lunch we headed off for the afternoon activity – which would mean another 60 or so miles. Louise was exhausted and asked me to drive, which allowed me to test out the Santa Fe on a mostly highway trip we took to the zoo. I was originally scheduled to go para-gliding and Louise hang-gliding, but she had switched to the San Diego Zoo and since no one had been able to para-glide all week (and since I love the zoo!), we headed to the world-famous San Diego Zoo!

Sadly the line for tours was too long so we didn’t get to ride these

Due to time constraints we knew we would only have about 90 minutes, so we hopped in line for the bus tour of the zoo along with Becca from MommaB Blog and Kas from SouthernBellasWaystoSave. The line was long and slow, but the bus tour was an excellent way to see the majority of the expansive park in as time efficient a way as possible.

Total show-off, doing backflips for the crowd!

My only regret was that we didn’t get to see the panda bears, but as the tour guide noted, pandas are stressed by noise, so the loud bus and tour announcers would pretty well freak them out running by a couple hundred times a day. Jim from Hyundai noted that he needed two trips to get a real feel for the zoo, so maybe I will need a return trip!

Oh … and apparently some of the animals made their way back to the hotel! That is James Hills of ManTripping and Jason Sasaki of SasakiTime.

After a long day with loads of opportunity to drive the new Santa Fe, we headed out for our last dinner. The Hyundai folks had arranged a dinner outing a couple of blocks away at Chez Loma. We had the entire upper floor to ourselves, which was a good thing since the restaurant seemed very intimate and a table for two having to deal with our crew would be sorely disappointed.

The cute little Chez Loma … I bet for a couple it would be nice, which almost makes me feel bad for my Yelp review … almost.

Sometimes a restaurant mistakes the ability to seat a certain number of people with the ability to host a function for a group of that size. For example, a group of 30 people (25 bloggers plus some Hyundai folks) would be ordering around the same time and expect their salads to arrive promptly and pretty much one table after the next. What you wouldn’t expect would be to have ordered salad when it was light as in the picture of the exterior and still have the entire room waiting until it was dark outside:

Coronado has cute views everywhere!

In fact, it was an hour before the first salads appeared (nothing particularly elaborate) … and another 30 minutes before the last table got theirs! So we got bored and took pictures of a tiny baby figurine on a rose. Why? Sit for 90 minutes before getting a salad and ask me again!

As for the food itself, the taste and presentation for MY dinner was very good … unlike anyone who ordered the cold/dry/tough/tasteless/etc scallops. My complaint was that a big reason I chose the duck was because it had sweet potato listed as the side dish – and as you can see there is about a tablespoon of sweet potato on the side almost as a presentation enhancer! Apparently a couple of the other entrees were pretty solid. One fun thing I learned at Chez Loma – when people are waiting for a course while others have already finished, you don’t need worry about over-aggressive wine refills! That makes tracking your intake easier. Sadly, Linda from Hyundai was wearing the stress on her face, so I told her to relax – everything was showing up, we weren’t on a deadline, and she would simply never come here again. She relaxed while chatting, but given the level of perfection she managed throughout the Park City and rest of the Coronado trips, I know she was very upset. Naturally I shared on Yelp.

I am STILL craving sweet potato!

After dinner we headed back to the bar at the Hotel Del Coronado, where a set of tables were reserved – but we were so much later than estimated that there were attempts to take over the seats! Fortunately everything was set up for us when we returned.

It was a great time of chatting and comparing notes and pictures and families and locations and blogs … but eventually it had to end. One thing about being on the fifth floor clear across the hotel was that it allowed me plenty of stair exercise! But I had to take a trip on the bird-cage elevator that still has an operator and was apparently once steam-powered!

The weekend was excellent fun and highly productive, and I will soon post about the featured event for the weekend: the new Santa Fe driving experience. Until then here is a shot of me behind the wheel!

Full disclosure: Hyundai paid for the entire trip including travel, food and lodging, but the opinions expressed are my own.

Sad to leave … but happy to be home!

Images by Author

Hot Hatches – boy, how I love ‘em, whether it’s the celebrated green chile pepper from New Mexico or a cool baby wagon from an automaker such as Audi, Mazda or Volvo. Unfortunately we have to bid farewell to one of them, the Volvo C30.

C30 is the baby in the Volvo lineup here in the States. It was launched in 2006 to give Germany a run for its money in the premium sport hatch segment. It’s my guess that during development Volvo engineers nicknamed the C30 “Jack,” as in “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick.” It certainly is. But alas, we have learned the 2013 model is the swansong edition for C30 here and what better way to go out in style than to deliver a super hot Polestar edition.

Polestar is a performance group that takes certain Volvo models and tweaks and tunes them further than what the factory is capable of. I recently spent a week behind the wheel of one of the unique limited edition cars and enjoyed every moment.

I was surprised by the long gears (and therefore, extended powerband) in the C30. I found it very easy to sneak up on posted speed limits and then say adios to them. Our tester was powered by the smooth turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder T5 powerplant backed by slick six-speed manual gearbox. From the factory, this engine produces a fun 227hp but then Polestar finds another 23 ponies to bring the total to 250hp and 273 lb. ft. of torque for just an all-out fun driving experience.

Power delivery is smooth, strong and consistent. C30 is front-wheel driven and in corners reminds you of the weight up front but that quickly goes away as soon as you straighten up that sporty steering wheel.

The chassis is solid and the car, despite its size, feels very rigid and, in return, safe. Dynamic Stability and Traction Control is standard as are a host of other safety technologies. Heck, if there is one thing Volvo knows, it’s safety. C30 (along with models like the S60) are proving Volvo also knows a thing or two about making vehicles fun to drive.

Despite being around since the middle of the last decade, C30 styling is still very modern and chic – in the past I have gone so far as to compare Volvo models with an Ikea store and a lot of folks love Ikea, so…there ya go.
More? You want more?

Well how about this R-Design/Polestar package our test model was wrapped in. It features styling enhancements that include a body color body kit and spoilers as well as a new sport chassis featuring slightly reduced ride height for improved handling and performance.

Our R-Design C30 rode on stylish 18-inch alloy wheels with all-season low profile rubber and was finished with polished 3 ½-inch exhaust tips. The farewell car was bathed in Rebel Blue body color that found critics polarized in opinion.

Fuel economy rolls in at 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway although I am quite certain my figures varied a bit from these.

Inside, the C30 is quite comfortable while not giving up anything on style points or function. The “floating” center stack features audio and climate controls while a navigation system rises from the top center of the dash pad adjacent to the center speaker of yet another awesome Volvo audio system.

The hot little C30 Polestar rolled in here at $35,545. It’s sad to see it departing the U.S. market but perhaps some day when global economic conditions ease we will see the return of this great little hatch. For now we bid you a fond farewell: Adios, amigo; adieu; auf wiedersehen; tot ziens; hej då.

New Hyundai Santa Fe

Last August the folks at Hyundai took a bunch of non-auto-centric bloggers to Park City, Utah to check out the new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. I described the experience here and the drive test here. It was a great experience, and the only thing missing was the full-sized 3-row Santa Fe. Now that is ready and today I am preparing to check out the New Hyundai Santa Fe !

This time the folks at Hyundai are taking us to Coronado, California. For those who don’t know, Coronado is “an affluent resort city located in San Diego County, California, across San Diego Bay from downtown San Diego”. We are being put up in the historic Hotel Del Coronado – which looks like an amazing place. Here is a picture I found at this site that shows the hotel in the foreground with the bridge to San Diego in the background. Yeah … I like the looks of this place.

There are two obvious elements about a ‘junket’ like this – the trip and the vehicle. The trip itself seems guaranteed to be every bit as wonderful as the one in August to the Montage Deer Valley resort, and this time rather than Olympic Park we get to choose between visiting the San Diego Zoo or going hang-gliding/paragliding! If you know me, you can guess my choice – paragliding! The hotel looks amazing, combining luxurious accommodations with a layout that integrates it into the surroundings organically. It is more 125 years old, and I can’t wait to see the rich history first hand.

As for the New Santa Fe … I am excited to check it out. I know these are not exactly ‘sexy’ cars for many, but for myself it is perfect. Integrating storage, practicality, all-weather capability, amenities, fun and more were things that excited me about the Santa Fe Sport. And one of the most important pictures I took was of the rear seat space:

The issue for me is that while I am over 6′ 1″ tall, I have two teen boys who are each 6’3″ tall! They get absolutely squished up in the back of my Ford Escape, so I was happy that the rear seat was roomier. But very often we are carting around a couple of their friends, which means taking my wife’s Mazda 5 – three rows but very small! So naturally I was excited about the full-sized Santa Fe … and now we get to check it out!

The questions abound – is the rear row comfortable? What compromises were made? Does it still feel zippy and fun? And OMG I can’t want to cruise along the Pacific Ocean, something I haven’t done in nearly a decade (and then only in the Silicon Valley area).

But as I have always mentioned, there are a few things closest to my heart (aside from gadgets): first is my family. Having been traveling a load for a work project the last couple of months has made me realize just how many people have no issue spending Monday through Friday in a different state from their spouse and kids – but it absolutely shreds me! So I naturally made sure I could FaceTime my wife and kids regularly … here is the Verizon 4G map – awesome full coverage:

My other frequent posting topic is my running habit – so it should come as no surprise that one of the first things I did after I decided with my family that I would be going was to check out running routes on Coronado island. Basically – you can go anywhere! And given that the high temperature is forecast at 70 degrees, after I settle in at the hotel I plan to do precisely that! I have found a load of different routes, but pretty much plan to loop the town and run the beach a bit, which will total out around 7-8 miles. Here is a selection of routes greater than 7 miles on the island, with a great looking 7.5 mile course highlighted!

For all the details of the new Santa Fe, head to Hyundai News. And keep your eyes on Gear Diary here as well as on Facebook and Twitter for updates over the course of the weekend. We are not the only group checking out the new vehicle, so in fairness they are asking everyone to hold their drive impressions until Monday the 18th. But I will be providing loads of pics and my impressions of the experience all weekend long!

Images courtesy Volkswagen

Little did I know when I received the keys to the 2013 New Beetle Convertible recently that I would spend most of my week testing it having to defend my manhood. Apparently that is a side effect of driving the fun little droptop, especially when it arrives in the “mellow yellow” that mine did.

The 2013 New Beetle Convertible was intended to “man up” Beetle’s image a bit by giving it a bit more masculine design while also removing the “no nukes/save the whales” flower vase from the dashboard. I guess they still have a ways to go as several times during my week I had my “man card” checked. Perhaps I should have slapped a “I wish I was riding my Harley” bumper sticker on the rear or perhaps one that read “My other car is the SVT Raptor” – maybe that would have saved me from some of the chiding.

Despite that, the 2013 New Beetle Convertible is a blast to drive, top up or down. Most of our week was spent with the top up as Mother Nature apparently did not get the memo from the little groundhog in Punxsutawney. Regardless, we have a lot of fun and even the grand baby had a blast on that one day we were able to slip his child seat into the rear seat area and lower that cloth top.

One thing I did find amusing in the Volkswagen press information on the Beetle Convertible is the list of competitive class vehicles. For the Turbo car VW lists the Camaro and Mustang – interesting. Would not have been the ones I would mention but yes, I see their point there as the V-6 versions of these cars would perhaps be cross-shopped by some (until their manhood gets questioned, then they’re out the door of the VW dealership fast).

This is the third generation of the Beetle Convertible, the first arriving in 1949 of which VW sold 330,000 over a 32-year span. Another 234,619 models of the second-gen Beetle Convertible sold over an eight-year period after it was introduced last decade.

The New Beetle rides on a longer wheelbase and features a wide track over its predecessor, something readily apparent when pushing the new Convertible through the corners and twisties. I really enjoyed my week in the V-dub thanks in part to the Turbo package that pairs a 200hp 2.0-liter four with choice of six-speed manual or six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmissions. Our tester came with the manual gearbox and the combination shifter and clutch were a breeze to operate in all driving conditions.

On the road the Beetle Convertible is soft and compliant, soaking up all the rough surfaces into its strut-type front and multi-link independent rear suspensions. The Turbo model Beetles get VW’s XDS cross differential (limited slip) system that automatically transfers torque to the front wheel or wheels with the most traction.

All New Beetle models are front-wheel drive and feature the engine mounted up front, transversely. In the rear is the trunk space, which is a bit tight by today’s standards for cargo space although most folks will likely use the rear seat area for cargo more than they will for passengers despite VW calling the car a four-seater. Yes, there is more legroom in here than other coupes and convertibles on the market but truly, how many of you are really cramming passengers back there?

The entire structure is fairly rigid for a convertible but there is still some shimmy and shake on rough stretches of road and with the top up a little wind noise is apparent but expected from a cloth-topped vehicle.

Convertible top operation is snap via the one-button control and it can be operated at up to 31 mph in case one finds themselves driving with no where to pull off the roadway safely. It stows in an area behind the rear seatbacks and above the trunk space (the cause for those tighter trunk dimensions I mentioned). Safety rollbars pop up from behind the rear seatbacks in the event of a catastrophe and as with all Volkswagens the Beetle features all of the latest safety technology.

We tested the 2013 New Beetle Convertible Turbo Convertible with Sound package that sees a starting MSRP of $29,195. The base Beetle Convertible starts at just under 25 grand and VW even offers the TDI turbo-diesel option in the Beetle Convertible.

Yes, my wife would have looked much better behind the wheel of the 2013 New Beetle Convertible than I did (that is true on all the vehicles I test) and yes, they offer more manly body colors than this. I have no problem saying I love the styling of the new New Beetle (third generation) in Coupe and Convertible and am glad VW offers several retro packages for the model line. That said, Yellow Rush would not be MY first choice for body color.