Monthly Archives: October 2015

Rear DVD, vacuum lift Odyssey SE sales

October 23, 2015Auto Reviewsbudwells

2016 Honda Odyssey minivan offers three-row seating. (Bud Wells photo)

In the face of the continued dwindling minivan market in the U.S., Honda Odyssey sales have held steady this year, boosted most recently by introduction of a new SE model for 2016.

The value-based SE trim features a DVD rear-seat entertainment system with a 9-inch display screen and HondaVac, a built-in vacuum cleaner in the cargo area with hose that stretches throughout the van to clean up after the kids.

Sticker price on the ’16 Odyssey SE I drove recently was $34,255 and included also push-button start, trizone automatic climate control, dual power sliding side doors and AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio touchscreen with Bluetooth, USB and Pandora internet radio interface.

The Odyssey is 202.9 inches long. Barely edging it out in overall length are the Chrysler Town & Country and the Dodge Grand Caravan, each at 203 inches. A bit shorter than the Odyssey are the Kia Sedona at 201 inches and the Toyota Sienna at 200.2 inches.

These five models make up the bulk of minivan sales, which continue to slide against the deluge of new crossover offerings. The minivan market may fall below 500,000 sales this year; it traditionally generated well over a million sales yearly until recent years.

Once inside the new Odyssey, in spite of its disjointed exterior appearance at the rear quarters it all fits together nicely and provides plenty of accommodation.

The variable cylinder management of its 248-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-Tec V-6 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission help it attain relatively high fuel-mileage readings on highway drives. Though it earned a 19/28 miles-per-gallon estimate, we averaged 21.7 mpg in overall driving. On flat highway cruises the engine cuts back to use of only three cylinders. The Odyssey’s dash-mounted shifter is short and easy to grip.

The screen used for the rearview camera also, when the right-turn signal is engaged provides a nice view along the right side of the van for added safety.

The beige finish of the cloth seats falls short in the level of attractiveness. Easy-to-use power controls for opening and closing of side doors are positioned on the dash at the left of the driver, in the key fob and at the doors. Controls for the rear heat are above the sliding door on the passenger side.

The Odyssey opens up 38.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row of seats. Only the Toyota Sienna tops that, barely, among minivans. The third row will fold flat into the cargo area behind, but the second row seats, which are relatively heavy, must be removed for opening up more cargo space.

The SE level falls between the EX and EX-L models for the Odyssey.

Here are the specifications for the ’16 Honda Odyssey SE minivan:

Capacity 7-passenger
Wheelbase 118.1 inches
Length 202.9 inches
Width 79.2 inches
Height 68.4 inches
Curb Weight 4,528 pounds
Track 68.1 inches front, 68.2 rear
Ground Clearance 4.5 inches
Turn Circle 36.7 feet
Drivetrain Front-wheel-drive
Engine 3.5-liter V-6
Horsepower/Torque 248/250
Transmission 6-speed automatic
Steering electric power-assist
Suspension MacPherson strut front, multilink double wishbone rear
Fuel mileage estimate 19/28
Fuel mileage average 21.7
Fuel Tank 21 gallons, unleaded regular
Wheels 17-inch
Tires Michelin P235/65R17
Cargo Volume 38.4 cubic feet
Warranty 3years/36,000 miles basic, 5/60,000 powertrain

Competitors Chrysler Town & Country, Toyota Sienna, Dodge Grand Caravan, Kia Sedona

Assembly Plant Lincoln, Ala.

Parts Content U.S./Canadian 75%

Base Price of Lowest Model $29,275; Base Price of Review Model $33,375; Destination Charge $880; Sticker Price $34,255.

1.6 turbo guides ’16 Tucson to Vail

October 20, 2015Auto Reviewsbudwells

The 2016 Hyundai Tucson Sport AWD atop Tennessee Pass. (Bud Wells photos)

“Is it snappy,” someone asked of the 2016 Acura ILX sedan. No, not really, kind of average.

Snazzy, though, it is, with its sharply styled front end. It shapes up somewhat along the lines of the crisply finished Cadillac ATS, a competitor of the ILX. Both have distinctively designed grilles.

Jan and I drove the new Acura to Sterling the first weekend of this month for the 60^th reunion of the Sterling High School Class of ’55 – a Friday night gathering at the Plainsmen Grille and Saturday night at the Ramada Inn.

Of more consequence, however, was delivery to me of the highly touted 2016 Hyundai Tucson Sport AWD, which took us earlier this week to the higher country for a four-day visit to Vail.

An indirect route home lent credence to the capabilities of the new Tucson; to Leadville, Buena Vista, Fairplay, down U.S. 285 to Denver and on to Greeley.

The twists and turns and climbs on U.S. 24 from Minturn, over Tennessee Pass and on to Leadville, are better testing roadways than anything offered via the shorter I-70 route home.

The Tucson’s small 175-horsepower, 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine is mated to a quick-shifting 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and this source provides power for climbing the hills with no hesitation. A more responsive Sport mode eliminates a bit of turbo lag noticed in Normal mode, and, if economy is of prime concern, an Eco mode slows down shifts and torque. Smoothest operation overall, though, is in Normal mode. A button will lock the system in four-wheel drive.

The new model rides more quietly than previous versions, handling is impressive and body motion has been reduced, with excellent grip on the mountain curves. A month ago, I drove one of the first ’16 Tucsons near Tabernash in the company of Lori Scholz, public relations manager for Hyundai, and Trevor Lai, manager of product planning, and within 2 minutes I could tell the Hyundai was of longer wheelbase and improved structure. Even with that, turning radius is a relatively short 35 feet.

Liftgate on new Hyundai Tucson raises high to reveal roomier cargo area.

A big plus, also, with the new one is its cargo capacity has been expanded to 31 cubic feet, compared with 25.7 for last year’s Tucson. The 2016 model, built in Korea, is 3 inches longer than last year, 1.2 inches longer in wheelbase and 1.1 inches wider. It competes in the compact SUV market against such standouts as the Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Jeep Cherokee and Subaru Forester.

A hexagonal grille adorns the front end, but the nose is so blunt it lacks attraction. What saves the front view are the 30-inch-long angular headlights. The review model is finished in a chocolate color, very pretty, which Hyundai has labeled “mojave sand.” It looked good sitting out front of Doc’s Eat & Drink barbecue stop in Leadville.

Walk behind the Tucson with the key fob in pocket, stop for a couple seconds, the large taillights flash and the power liftgate opens. When opened, the uppermost edge of the liftgate is 80 inches high.

The wide cargo area extends to the regular cabin portion of the interior, with roominess in both front and rear seating areas. “It’s just fine,” said realtor friend Ted King, 6-foot-5, of front-passenger seat headroom while enroute to Kenny’s Steakhouse in Greeley. A hard-plastic appearance and feel of the dashboard area detract from an otherwise bright, comfortable interior.

We logged 450 miles in our four-day run to Vail and back, and averaged 26.9 miles per gallon, with an EPA estimate of 24/28. A Tucson I drove two years ago, with a 2.4-liter normally aspirated 4-cylinder, carried an EPA rating of 20/25.

The Tucson Sport’s price tag is a reasonable $28,570, lowered some by the fact there was no navigation installed. That’s about all it lacked, for it as equipped with rearview camera, heated front cloth seats, USB port, Bluetooth, satellite radio, the power liftgate, 19-inch wheels, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, leather-wrapped steering wheel, keyless entry and push-button start.

The Sport model is just below the Limited in pricing. Cheaper versions of the Tucson are SE and Eco.

2016 ACURA ILX

The ’16 Acura ILX is in its fourth year as a front-wheel-drive luxury compact sedan.

Its 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine, connected to an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, develops 201 horsepower and 180 lb.-ft. of torque. Its small, inconspicuous paddleshifters are likable; they’re easy to handle and don’t get in the way of normal use of the steering wheel.

It excelled in fuel mileage, averaging 32.6 mpg in its drive to Sterling and back. The reunion was for all persons who attended or graduated from Sterling High 50 years ago or more. Keeping watch over the “kids” as master of ceremonies was Jim Weatherill, a ’62 grad and former superintendent of schools of Littleton.

Front grille on Acura ILX is crisp, like that of a Cadillac ATS.

The Acura, like several Honda models, uses a dual set of infotainment screens at its dash, one over the other. They’re somewhat distracting.

With voice-recognition navigation, multiview rear camera, active cruise, lane-keeping assist, leather sport seats, power moonroof and jewel-eye LED headlights, the ILX’s sticker price reached $33,820.

Here are the specifications for the ’16 Hyundai Tucson Sport AWD:

Capacity 5-passenger
Wheelbase 105.1 inches
Length 176.2 inches
Width 72.8 inches
Height 64.8 inches
Curb Weight 3,505 pounds
Track 63.1 inches front, 63.6 rear
Ground Clearance 6.4 inches
Turn Circle 34.9 feet
Drivetrain All-wheel-drive
Engine 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder
Horsepower/Torque 175/195
Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch
Steering electric power-assist
Suspension strut front, multilink rear
Fuel mileage estimate 24/28
Fuel mileage average 26.9
Fuel Tank 16.4 gallons, unleaded regular
Wheels 19-inch
Tires Hankook Kinergy 245/45R19
Cargo Volume 31 cubic feet
Warranty 5years/60,000 miles basic, 10/100,000 powertrain

Competitors Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Jeep Cherokee, Subaru Forester

Assembly Plant Ulsan, Korea

Parts Content Korea 93%

Base Price of Lowest Model $22,700; Base Price of Review Model $27,550; Destination Charge $895; Sticker Price $28,570.

’16 Maxima shines in Tabernash setting

October 10, 2015Automotive Industrybudwells

Sun’s rays filtering through low-hanging clouds high in the Colorado Rockies added luster to the “coulis red” finish on the 2016 Nissan Maxima, one of the most beautiful sedans introduced for the coming model year.

The Maxima, featuring a “floating roof” style and V-motion front end, was one of 40 new cars and trucks shown to members of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press in a mid-September gathering at Devil’s Thumb Ranch, near Tabernash in Grand County.

First opportunity for driving the Maxima was mine; I drove it 3 miles back to U.S. 40, north to Granby and continued a 30-minute cruise. The smoothness and quietness of the Maxima were impressive; its 300-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine was strong in performance. Even its continuously variable transmission, called the Xtronic, was more responsive and “less whiney” than previous versions. Rather than traditional shift points, the CVTs move up and down gear ratios with a belt/pulley system.

Highlighting the cabin are ascot leather seats with diamond-quilted leather inserts.

The red Maxima is the high-end Platinum edition, with a sticker price of $40,905. Cheaper models are the S, which starts closer to $33,000, the SV, SL and SR. All are equipped with the same 3.5-liter V-6 and CVT and carry EPA estimates of 22/30 miles per gallon.

They’re all front-wheel-drive sedans, with wheelbase of 109.3 inches, overall length of 192.4 and curb weights of 3,450 to 3,500 pounds. If all-wheel drive was an option, the Maxima would compete head-on with the Chrysler 300, Buick LaCrosse and Ford Taurus as favorite full-size four-doors in Colorado. There are no plans presently for adding AWD, said Steve Parrett, a corporate communications executive for Nissan.

Some of the younger members of the automotive press at the ranch event were more enamored with the 2016 Jaguar F-Type R convertible ($121,000) and selected it as “best-driving car.” I had driven and reviewed the Jag convertible before the meeting at Devil’s Thumb. Picked as “best-driving truck” was the 2015 Ram Rebel.

The 2016 Mazda CX-3 compact crossover parks briefly out front of the Tabernash Tavern. (Bud Wells)

My second drive of the day was the 2016 Mazda CX-3, an entry into the emerging small crossover category. The little Mazda, on a wheelbase of only 101 inches, was equipped with all-wheel drive and powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. It averaged close to 30 miles per gallon in my testing.

The Grand Touring edition of the CX-3 carried a sticker price of $29,890, which included the AWD, navigation, Bose sound system, 18-inch wheels, leather-trimmed heated front seats, rearview camera, radar cruise control and lane-departure warning. Cheaper versions are the Touring and Sport.

A twisting gravel road was excellent test for the 2015 GMC Canyon 4WD Crew Short Box. (Bud Wells)

I found a several-mile narrow gravel road west of U.S. 40 which was well-suited to testing the 2015 GMC Canyon Crew Cab 4X4 Short Box. The Canyon, which even with its V-6 engine seemed somewhat pale in power on steep climbs, excelled in grip on the gravel and handled the many curves like a smaller, lighter vehicle. Wheelbase of the four-door Canyon SLE is more than 2 feet longer than that of the Mazda CX-3.

The GMC Canyon 4WD, with a 3.6-liter V-6 engine, 6-speed automatic transmission and electric two-speed transfer case, had an optional terrain package of offroad suspension, hill-descent control, transfer-case shield and heated front seats. It boosted sticker price to $38,345.

Devil’s Thumb Ranch near Tabernash provided setting for test-driving of new cars and trucks. (Bud Wells)

My drive to the ranch and back home was in a 2015 Toyota Highlander. The day previous to the mountain run, the Highlander carried Jan and me to a memorial service for Bill Barrow at the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association building in Denver. Barrow, who died Aug. 22 in Arizona, for 28 years headed the CADA.

I met Bill Barrow for lunch at the Senate Lounge in the Argonaut Hotel building across Colfax from the Capitol one noon in the fall of 1977. Barrow had assumed the position as head of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, I was the automotive writer in the business news department at The Denver Post.

He drove to our meeting in a “plain jane” Ford Granada, and commented on his plans to soon replace it with something more stylish. It would be one of the last “run of the mill” models he would drive, for he loved the pizazz of the car business and in the years ahead drove about in lots of flash and performance.

Barrow played a role in promoting The Colorado Car Book; shortly before its publication in December 1996, I stopped by his office. He motioned me outdoors – there sat his newest auto purchase, a 1997 “Speed Yellow” 993 Porsche Carrera, one of the last of air-cooled Porsches.

Of it, his son Paul said, “It was the one car Dad regretted selling out of all the great ones he ever had.”

To help launch the first of “a new era” of auto shows in the spring of 1978, Barrow hired one of the country’s greatest auto show masters, Bruce Kenyon of Detroit; and for virtually every hour of the five-day show at Currigan Hall, the eager young exec Barrow, watching the aged veteran Kenyon’s every step, tagged him from one end of the hall to the other. Downsized models were the big attraction that year, along with front-wheel-drive technology, sunroofs and AM/FM 8-track stereos.

Barrow never forgot the lessons learned from that initial show, improved upon them and guided the Denver extravaganza to prominence.

Sharing comments following Bill Barrow memorial service are, from left, Tim Jackson, head of CADA; A.J. Guanella, longtime Chevrolet specialist in Denver, and Jana and Vince Schreivogel, auto dealers at Burlington. (Photo by Jan Wells)

In addition to visiting with Paul at the memorial service, Jan and I paid our respects to Bill’s wife, Merilee Keene Barrow, who said she’ll remain in their retirement home in Arizona.

’15 Toyota Highlander cruises and climbs

October 8, 2015Auto Reviewsbudwells

The ’15 Toyota Highlander Limited in the mountains near Tabernash. (Bud Wells photo)

In its 15^th model year, the Toyota Highlander has steadily grown into one of the top-rated midsize crossovers with three rows of seats.

It was the newest sport ute in the country in April 2001 when the ’01 Highlander carried Jan and me, Dave and Norma Wagner into northeastern Colorado for the 100^th anniversary celebration of the First Christian Church of Wray.

The first one was noted for a smooth, carlike ride; today’s Highlander has retained that asset while increasing wheelbase by 2 ½ inches, overall length by 7 inches, width by 4 inches and has gained 600 pounds. It has shed a very boxy rear end for a sleeker look.

The Highlander, since its introduction, has offered a quiet cabin and well-damped, comfortable ride; it’s a good highway cruiser. Jan and I drove it in to Denver one afternoon to attend the memorial service for Bill Barrow, the former longtime head of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association.

More miles were added to the Toyota early the next morning when I drove it to Tabernash (near Winter Park) and the Devil’s Thumb Ranch for test-driving several 2016 cars and trucks.

Toyota’s 270-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission, in moving the 4,400-pound Highlander, isn’t overly powerful, but it gets passing marks for climbing the hills and in getting around slower-moving traffic, and doing it fairly economically. For the week I was with the Highlander, it posted an overall average of 21.8 miles per gallon; its EPA estimate is 18/24.

Its improved all-wheel-drive system, from normal front-drive mode at any hint of slip varies torque distribution up to 50/50 front-to-rear. With push of a button, the continuously varying distribution can be locked into an even divide between front and rear wheels.

Much of the Highlander’s popularity is based on the fact it offers the three rows of seating. Raise the lever on the seatback in the second row and the seat will slide forward, lending limited access to the far-back seats, which are fairly tight in legroom and headroom. The third row is not as roomy as that in the Chevrolet Traverse, and it leaves little cargo space, only 13.8 cubic feet behind the third row.

A swooping design across much of the dashboard creates a tray for holding small items such as phones or key fobs or billfolds or Starbucks cards. Visibility has been improved with slightly larger glass openings and repositioned pillars.

Highlighting a long list of optional items, which boosted sticker price of the Highlander to $47,812, are automatic high-beam headlights, running boards, rear-seat DVD entertainment system, radar cruise control, lane-departure alert and remote engine start.

Here are the specifications for the ’15 Toyota Highlander SUV crossover:

Capacity 8-passenger crossover
Wheelbase 109.8 inches
Length 191.1 inches
Width 75.8 inches
Height 68.1 inches
Curb Weight 4,464 pounds
Track 64.4 inches front, 64.2 rear
Ground Clearance 8 inches
Turn Circle 38.7 feet
Drivetrain All-wheel-drive
Engine 3.5-liter V-6
Horsepower/Torque 270/248
Transmission 6-speed automatic
Steering electric power
Suspension front strut, rear double wishbone
Fuel mileage estimate 18/24
Fuel mileage average 21.8
Fuel Tank 19.2 gallons, regular
Wheels 19-inch
Tires Bridgestone Dueler 245/55R19
Cargo Volume 13.8 cubic feet
Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles basic, 5/60,000 powertrain

Competitors Buick Enclave, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Nissan Pathfinder

Assembly Plant Princeton, Ind.

Parts Content N.A.

Base Price of Lowest Model $32,530; Base Price of Review Model $41,300; Destination Charge $885; Sticker Price $47,812.

Back Then. . . .1981 Chevy Monte Carlo

October 3, 2015'BACK-THEN' Articlesbudwells

Thirty-five years ago, I reviewed in The Denver Post the 1981Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Excerpts:

How do you continue improvements on a car as perennially popular as the Monte Carlo?

For 1981, Chevrolet has raised the rear deck lid which improves its appearance and creates a more aerodynamic model, added electronic controls for fewer emissions and limited powerplant selection to smaller displacements which assures higher fuel-mileage averages.

A test of an ’81 model showed it to be the same standout handler as the Monte Carlos of recent years. The 3,200-pound car is on a wheelbase of 108 inches.

The optional 267-cubic-inch V-8 engine averaged 16.5 miles per gallon driving about Denver, then jumped to 24.3 mpg on a highway run. With automatic transmission, the Monte isn’t fast but is smooth in acceleration. Standard engine is a V-6, with a turbocharged V-6 also available.

Fuel efficiency has been increased and exhaust emissions reduced through use of a Computer Command Control system. A solid-state electronic control module monitors oxygen in the exhaust, engine speed and engine coolant temperature through specialized sensors. The control system analyzes the information and adjusts the fuel metering and spark timing.

Front-seat-passenger legroom is so much that the rider would have room to set a TV tray in front. Rear-seat legroom and headroom are adequate.

High-pressure (35 pounds) easy-roll radial tires are standard on the Monte Carlo, which uses coil springs at all fur wheels.

The Chevy two-door is long and relatively narrow. It is 200 inches in length and 71.8 inches wide, with front tread of 58.5 inches and rear 57.8. Luggage capacity is 16.8 cubic feet, and the tank will hold 18 gallons of unleaded fuel.

Base price of the Monte Carlo Landau Coupe is $7,799. Optional equipment set the window-sticker price for the test model at $9,578. The optional V-8 engine added $75 and the air-conditioning cost was $557. Special custom-cloth interior, power door locks and rear-window defroster were other major add-ons.

The vehicle was provided for testing by Stevinson Chevrolet.