The coupe is the smallest of BMW’s M offerings. (Bud Wells photo)
“Thanks, pal,” I say to myself and to the driver ahead who crowded into my lane, for it gave me the opportunity to once again downshift my M2 and enjoy the feel and sound of blipping the throttle as it neatly slips into the lower gear.
Performing the short throws with the 6-speed manual is so much fun in the little M2; optional is a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic (it’s a blast, too).
Putting the pizzaz into the 2016 BMW M2 Coupe, on a short 106-inch wheelbase with relatively wide 62.2-inch track, is a twinscroll turbocharged 3.0-liter, inline-6-cylinder engine developing 365 horsepower and 369 lb.-ft. of torque.
With the manual tranny, the M2’s 0 to 60 sprint time is 4.4 seconds, and it is even quicker with the optional DCT. Its top speed is limited to 155 miles per hour. The review model offered driver choice of comfort, sport or sport-plus settings for throttle, steering and shift performances.
BMW’s M-badged cars include empowered engines and transmissions and modified suspensions, interior trims, aerodynamics and exterior upgrades to set them apart from their counterparts. All M models are tested and tuned at Nurburgring racing circuit in Germany.
The M venture was begun 50 years ago by BMW Motorsport GmbH to facilitate BMW’s racing program. BMW M later began to supplement Bimmer vehicles with specially modified higher trim focus, for which they are now most known by the public.
The current list of M models for BMW are, in addition to the M2 Coupe, the M3 Sedan, M4 Coupe, M4 Convertible, M5 Sedan, M6 Coupe/Gran Coupe/Convertible, X5 M and X6 M.
The M2 is a beautifully structured coupe from its low-riding front end to the rear quad-exhaust outlets which deliver the throaty rumble of the famed straight-6 engine. Its special wide-spoked wheels permit an almost open view of its huge discs providing safety on braking. The exterior finish is in Long Beach blue metallic. It rides on Michelin 245/35ZR19 tires.
Inside are bolstered, leather, blue-stitched front seats. It is primarily a two-person ride; the rear seats have very little legroom.
The M2 delivered impressive fuel mileage of 25.6 miles per gallon; its EPA rating is 18/26.
The small coupe is the most affordable of the M products, coming in with a sticker price of $54,495, including an optional executive package of heated steering wheel, backup camera, park-distance control and automatic high beams.
A small trailer is hitched for testing of Ford F-150’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist system. (Dale Wells photo)
“Half-ton or three-quarter?” once was the major distinction between pickup trucks.
That was long ago. Today, the 2016 Ford F-150 4X4 SuperCrew parked at my doorstep a while back tops out, I believe, a recent rush of innovative truck features.
The 2016 Ford F-150 4X4 SuperCrew. (Bud Wells photo)
It’s Ford’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist system, which automatically backs a truck and trailer into tight parking space. “Keep your hands off the steering wheel,” the system tells the driver, whose participation is simply turning a knob, keeping an eye on the rearview camera screen and occasionally braking.
The trailer tracking system has been developed over the past 10 years by Ford engineers using camera technology; since its introduction this year, Ford officials say more than half the purchasers of F-150s are opting for the backup assist feature.
In earlier truck highlights, new light-duty diesel power showed up in the Ram 1500, GMC Canyon/Chevy Colorado and the redesigned Nissan Titan, along with an Atkinson-cycle 3.5-liter V-6 in the Toyota Tacoma.
And last week, a big, brawny 2500 truck with Hemi V-8 drew attention; the 12,000-pound Warn electric winch’s cable and hook hanging from an opening in the center of the front bumper identified it as a Ram Power Wagon.
The 2016 Ram Power Wagon with Warn electric winch at front bumper on a snowy Sunday. (Bud Wells photo)
We drove the 2016 Ram on snowy Sunday from Greeley in to north Denver to Paxia’s for a birthday celebration for Dick Johnson, hosted at the restaurant by his son and daughter-in-law, Dan and Jamie Johnson. Dick and I worked side-by-side on the Denver Post city desk more than 40 years ago.
The Ram Crew Cab is roomy and comfortable. Rolled up into a bag beneath one of the rear seats is a 12-foot-long electronic cable and remote for plugging into and engaging the front-end winch for stringing out and retrieving or pulling with it.
The Power Wagon 4X4 offers locking front and rear axles and a floor-shift manual transfer case for locking it into four-wheel drive. The 6.4-liter Hemi engine produces 410 horsepower and 429 lb.-ft. of torque and is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, with 4.10 rear axle gears. As powerful as it is, the V-8 is noticeably smooth. For some 4-by-4 testing, and the drive to Denver and back, the Ram averaged 13.1 miles per gallon.
The Ram 2500 Power Wagon Crew Cab 4X4. (Bud Wells photo)
One thing that didn’t add up for me was when I counted 10 cupholders in the front seating area, with two more in the back. One would be enough for me; two, possibly three, for Jan.
Adding premium cloth bench seat, 8.4-inch touchscreen navigation, backup camera, remote start and RamBox cargo to the Power Wagon’s base price of $50,715 brought its sticker total to $57,480.
That was barely more than the Ford F-150’s price of $55,955. Of importance to this F-150 is that it is equipped with a 5.0-liter V-8 engine with hardened valves, valve seats, pistons and piston rings so it can operate on natural gas, propane or gasoline through separate fuel systems.
To test the F-150’s trailer-backing feature, son-in-law Bill Allen brought to my house a small trailer for hookup to the Ford.
To coordinate the new system, after hitching the trailer, a sticker provided by Ford is placed on the tongue of the trailer. Measurements are taken for distance from the license plate to center of ball hitch, for the horizontal distance from ball hitch to sticker, from rearview camera eye to sticker, from tailgate to center of the trailer axle. The distances then are recorded into an information display up front in the cabin. The truck is driven forward a short distance to calibrate the system.
The simplicity of the system is turning a knob to indicate direction while backing, left for left, right for right, instead of the reverse method necessary with old-style mirrors. A touch of the steering wheel when backing with the new system will disengage it.
The 2017 Hyundai Elantra has shed its “small car” look, with styling more like the larger Sonata. (Bud Wells photo)
The ’17 models are beginning to show, as April 2016 gives way to May.
I spent last week driving the redesigned 2017 Hyundai Elantra, which is looking more and more like the larger Sonata. A week earlier, it was the ’17 Kia Sportage which came my way.
I attended an unveiling of the ’17 Chrysler Pacifica minivan, successor to the Town & Country, at Newport Beach, Calif., in early March. It is soon to be headed this way to be shown to members of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press on May 5 at the Sanctuary Golf Course at Sedalia.
Sleek body lines add style to the new Elantra, from its chrome five-bar hexagonal grille to its short rear deck. The Hyundai compact has been one of my favorites in recent years, competing against popular entries Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla and Mazda3.
It performs smoothly, if not powerfully, with its 147-horsepower, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. Engaging a sport mode button tightens steering and adds response to its shift control; other modes are “normal” and “eco.”
I averaged an impressive 35 miles per gallon in overall driving with the Elantra; its EPA estimate is 28/37. The newest Chevy Cruze has served notice that 37 may not be good enough, as it is reporting 40 to 42 mpg in highway testing.
The Elantra offers plenty of headroom and legroom in its rear seating area, along with comfortable seating both front and back. Occasionally, the driver’s power seat control would seem to hesitate; the control lever would slide, then seem to catch before effectively moving the seat. I had the same minor irritant when driving a 2016 Kia Optima several months ago.
The Elantra offers a good-sized, 14-cubic-foot trunk; it’s a “smart trunk,” which opens automatically when it senses the proximity key within 3 feet behind the vehicle for 3 seconds or longer.
The Hyundai Elantra Limited review model carried a sticker price of $27,710, which among a long list of amenities included navigation with 8-inch touchscreen, Infinity premium audio, sunroof, heated front and rear seats, and “bending-light” headlamps for added illumination during turns.
The Korean-based Elantra is assembled in Alabama.
One of the better-looking compact crossovers is the recently arrived 2017 Kia Sportage SX. (Bud Wells photo)
Another 2017 model, vastly improved in exterior styling, is the Kia Sportage, competing in the crowded compact crossover market against the likes of Escape, CR-V, Rogue, Tucson and Equinox.
Kia designers, in the fourth generation for the Sportage, have added almost 2 inches to overall length and the restyle lends prominence to its “tiger-nose” grille. The Sportage is built in Korea. Its model name was introduced into the U.S. in 1995.
The 2017 Sportage SX review model is of front-wheel-drive configuration; most Sportages sold in the Denver area are all-wheel drive.
The new interior is attractive and quiet, with power controls for both driver and front passenger, and a roomy rear seating area. The driver’s seat lacks for bolstering and cushioning. Cargo space has grown by more than 4 cubic feet to 30.7, and a power liftgate is engaged when the key pod is carried within 3 feet of it.
Beneath the hood of the SX is a 240-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine tied to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Base power for Sportage LX and EX trims is a 181-hp, 2.4-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder.
The SX’s normal drive mode can be adjusted to Sport or Eco; the Sport mode tightens steering and goes into higher RPM for shifts, which overcomes slight lag in low-end torque. Midrange performance is strong. Shifting in the Sport mode can be done with taps of the shifter or with paddles on the steering wheel.
Overall fuel mileage was 24.9 miles per gallon; EPA estimate is 21/26. The Sportage rides on Hankook 245/45R19 tires.
The Sportage SX carried a sticker price of $33,395; an all-wheel-drive option would add $1,500. Among amenities with the review model are leather seats heated and cooled in front, panoramic sunroof, navigation, Harmon Kardon premium audio, side-curtain airbags, dual-zone climate control, push-button start and rearview camera.
The front interior area of the new Chrysler Pacifica minivan. (FCA photo)
Regarding the Pacifica, the upright look of the former Chrysler minivan has given way to a much more softened front end, adding attraction. It is a bit longer, wider and taller and it will ride on an extra-wide track. Jan and I drove the new Pacifica to San Diego for a tour of the city zoo’s Safari Park.
Also planned for the Pacifica is a plug-in hybrid version with an all-electric range of 30 miles; the hybrid will use two electric motors with the 3.6-liter V-6 engine.
While enjoying dinner with Jan and automotive journalists from around the country the second night of the Pacifica unveiling in Newport Beach last month, I met Don Buffamanti, a photographer who produces Autospies.com, based in San Diego. Mention of my Denver Post connection brought this enthusiastic response from him, “I was a placekicker for Coach Chuck Fairbanks on the Colorado Buffalo football team in 1979.” Buffamanti is fairly well regarded in the automotive photo world; those many long runbacks of his kickoffs in Boulder did no lasting harm.
The ultramodern Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel 4X4 rests beside the 130-year-old former Bank of Oberlin (Kansas) building. (Jan Wells)
The near-700-mile driving range of the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel is an enticement to drive – any direction, the possibilities are endless.
We headed east, and after a lengthy drive to a remodeled farmhouse north of Oberlin, Kan., and to the 73-year-old Ford dealership building at Wray, Colo., on the double-back in direction, we had gallons of clean-diesel fuel still in the tank.
The driving range of 688 miles for the Grand Cherokee Overland EcoDiesel 4X4 is based on the SUV’s estimated highway fuel mileage of 28 and its 24.6-gallon fuel tank. We averaged 27.4 miles per gallon in 655 miles.
The fairly remarkable fuel mileage is achieved with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine, same as that used in the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, and mated to a ZF-designed 8-speed automatic transmission from Germany. The engine, built by Italian-based VM Motori, develops strong torque of 420 lb.-ft. and provides maximum tow capacity of 7,400 pounds, equal to the Ram or Grand Cherokee with a bigger Hemi V-8 gasoline engine.
The trip to Oberlin was to visit friends Rich and Linda Gaber, associates during working years at the Denver Post/Rocky Mountain News. The Gabers, Evergreen residents, acquired the remote farmhouse several years ago to add convenience to Rich’s many pheasant-hunting trips to Kansas. We call it their “mountain cabin.”
The Grand Cherokee, finished in an all-dark granite exterior/all-black interior, was a contrast when parked last Friday afternoon outside the former Bank of Oberlin (built in 1886), and its lighter red brick. The structure now houses Jerry Anderson’s Landmark Inn.
“This is like riding in a Cadillac,” said Gaber of the Jeep, as I drove them and Jan back to the farmhouse. Jeep uses a Quadra-Lift air suspension, which can raise the Grand Cherokee 2 inches to a ground clearance of 10.8 inches, or lower it an inch for easy entry and exit.
Saturday morning, at Wray, Jan and I stopped by Bonanza Ford, my first time in the dealership since I was in high school many years ago. My dad, Dale Wells, was Ford dealer at Wray when the building was constructed in 1943.
Casey Blake at Bonanza Ford of Wray. (Jan Wells)
Bob Bledsoe, owner, and Phil Riggleman, sales manager, were out of town; we got a tour of the Ford building, though, by Casey Blake, sales associate, and enjoyed visiting with Jessi Lippert, office manager. Riggleman was in Las Vegas at the National Automobile Dealers Association annual convention, where Glenwood Springs Ford dealer Jeff Carlson was installed as national chairman for the coming year.
Parked out front, the Grand Cherokee looked at home with nearby 2016 Ford Explorers in the $50,000 price range. It reminded me of the fierce competition between Explorer and Grand Cherokee in the mid-1990s.
To drive the ecodiesel, consumers will pay a $4,500 premium. That pushed the sticker price of the fully equipped Grand Cherokee to $56,180.
Navigation and a Harman Kardon sound system with 19 speakers and subwoofer, along with voice command and Bluetooth, highlight the many amenities. Also included are leather seats with edge welting, heated and cooled in the front and heated in the back seating; heated steering wheel, active cruise, dual-zone automatic temperature control.
A driver-selectable dial on the center console offers, in addition to automatic setting for normal driving, a choice of Sand, Mud, Snow and Rock, for throttle, brake and suspension response for optimum traction. Paddle shifters on the steering wheel are tied to the transmission’s manual-mode system.
Over the first three months of this year, the Ram 1500 pickup is the runaway best-seller among light-duty diesel vehicles. Behind the Ram’s 11,999 sales through the end of March are the Chevrolet Colorado with 1,089 diesel sales, the Range Rover Sport with 988, the Jeep Grand Cherokee with 941, the full-sized Range Rover with 906, the GMC Canyon 519, the BMW X5 with 457, Mercedes GL-Class 406, BMW X3 with 382 and BMW 3-series 348. Volkswagen and Audi TDI diesel models are conspicuously absent from the leader list; sales of their TDI diesel products were halted last fall over an emissions-testing scandal.
2016 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock looks ready for offroad duty. (Bud Wells)
There is no wrangling from me over the opportunity to drive a Wrangler, which I did several weeks ago.
Prominent rock rails along the sides identified it as the 2016 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock 4X4.
The Wranglers remind me of the tough, little CJ-5, the first Jeep I reviewed in the late 1970s.
The Hard Rock edition, besides the rock rails, includes steel bumpers front and rear, power dome hood, red tow hooks in front and rear and polished semigloss black wheels. Tires are BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain LT 255/75R17.
The two-door Wrangler’s 95.4-inch wheelbase, short overhangs and tight turn radius lend offroad opportunities in most any type terrain. Removable end wings on the front bumper increase access in rugged territory.
The Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 engine and 5-speed automatic transmission suit the Wrangler’s capabilities just fine; not to the strength of a Hemi V-8, but more than adequate. Performance was good, on the road and offroad when the shifter was pulled into four-wheel drive. Overall fuel mileage was 17.4.
The removable hardtop, leather interior and impressive audio, along with the Hard Rock package, boosted sticker price to $43,325.
The 1991 Jeep Cherokee Laredo. (Bud Wells photo/1991)
Twenty-five years ago, during an odyssey from my career in Denver newspapering, I reviewed the 1991 Jeep Cherokee Laredo four-door for the Pueblo Chieftain. Excerpts:
Fifty years ago, the Willys-Overland car company of Toledo, Ohio, delivered two boxy little four-wheel-drive vehicles to the Army at Camp Holabird near Baltimore.
The Jeep was born.
It carried Allied fighting soldiers almost everywhere during World War II. Since then, it has continued to conquer world terrain.
The wonderfully refined Cherokee, a far cry from those early “reconnaissance vehicles,” is now the “star of the show” as Jeep celebrates its 50th anniversary this model year.
I joined the spirit of the celebration with a test of the 1991 Cherokee Laredo four-door. For ’91, it has a stronger powerplant. Horsepower has been increased to 190 in the 4.0-liter Power-Tech Six engine. The Cherokee’s a climber.
Joel Martinez of Pueblo’s Vidmar Jeep, which provided the vehicle for the test, likens the 4.0-liter to American Motors’ 258-CID engine of a few years ago. That was one of the best. It compared favorably on several occasions to Chrysler’s more renowned Slant Six and Ford’s more powerful 300-CID 6-cylinder truck engine.
The ’91 engine is deceptively quick; smooth enough and quiet enough to seem like a gradual gainer, but punch it a bit, cast a glance at the tach and speedometer, and you’ll know you’re moving out with the quicker ones of this type. I’m certain it will go from stop to 50 in under 10 seconds.
It’s a strong tower, too (that’s tow as in tug). It will pull trailer weight of up to 5,000 pounds.
Jeep’s “shift-on-the-fly” full-time four-wheel-drive system is an added bonus to the mix of the strong engine and smooth-shifting automatic transmission.
Driving 215 miles, divided equally between stop-and-go city drives and a climb to Westcliffe, resulted in fuel mileage check of 19.7 mpg.
The seats in the Cherokee sit high and vision is excellent. These are features noticed quickly and much appreciated by my 5-foot-2 traveling companion.
Access into the front seats is easy, and the tilt wheel helps even more. Don’t try quick entry or exit to the rear seats, it’s difficult. The wheel well creates somewhat of a barrier to get across, and foot fit is tight through the narrow opening at the bottom. Blame the short wheelbase for that (the short wheelbase, though, is greatly responsible for a relatively narrow turning circle.)
As a fresh-air lover, I dislike the permanently closed vent windows. And, why not put the cigarette lighter in the ash tray? It sits right out with the rear wiper and washer controls, the heater-air conditioner controls and the radio.
Base price of the Laredo is $16,144. Added options of the 4-liter engine, automatic transmission ($877), power seats ($416), air conditioning, cruise control, power windows and locks, keyless entry and AM/FM cassette stereo radio pushed the sticker price to $22,580, including destination charge of $465.
The 2016 Dodge Durango Citadel AWD is finished in velvet red pearl coat. (Bud Wells)
Jan and I, aboard a 2016 Dodge Durango Citadel AWD, ventured out into that terrible blizzard that shut things down the morning of Wednesday, March 23.
Heading for Denver, we didn’t even reach Platteville from our home in Greeley before turning around and slowly and carefully making our way back.
The Durango’s all-wheel-drive system provided good grip, but visibility was nothing in the heavy, blowing snow, half a foot deep.
The Durango offers two AWD systems. The V-6-powered review model we were driving is equipped with a single-speed transfer case for full-time AWD with 50/50 torque split. The Hemi V-8 version has a low-range transfer case, with variable torque split.
Towing capabilities are 6,200 pounds for the Pentastar V-6 and 7,400 pounds for the Hemi.
Enhancing performance of both AWD setups is an 8-speed automatic transmission, controlled from a rotary dial shifter on the center console, with paddle-shift capability from the steering wheel. The Durango V-6 AWD is rated at 18/25 miles per gallon; including the deep-snow drive, it averaged 18.8 for my travels. It develops 290 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque.
The Durango crossover SUV is a three-row alternative to the popular Jeep Grand Cherokee, which offers only two rows of seating. Though built on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee, the Durango is a foot longer in overall length. It is recognized by its crosshair grille and high-riding hood.
Optional items added to the ’16 Durango Citadel raised price from a base of $43,895 to $50,670. These included a Beats premium audio system with dual-screen video and rear DVD entertainment, adaptive cruise, collision warning, blind-spot and cross-path detection, and second-row fold/tumble captain’s chairs. The Durango was set on 20-inch wheels.
The Citadel, introduced in 2011, is the Durango’s upper-end model. Other levels are the basic SXT, the SXT Plus, Limited and performance R/T.
Here are the specifications for the ’16 Dodge Durango Citadel AWD:
The 2016 Mini Cooper Clubman feature split doors at the rear. (Bud Wells photo)
It’s the biggest Mini Cooper I’ve ever seen. Still small, though.
The 2016 Mini Cooper Clubman has been stretched 10 inches over the previous generation and measures 168.3 inches, same as a Fiat 500X. It has four doors at the sides and old-fashioned split doors at the rear.
Before climbing in to the Clubman, walk around to those rear doors, often referred to as barn doors, and, with the key in your pocket, stop for a couple of seconds, then swing your foot beneath the rear bumper. The half-door on the right side flies open.
That little trick is appreciated if you’re standing there with an armload of groceries or firewood or a stack of newspapers.
Walk to the left around the car, open the driver’s door just long enough to pull the hood release. Another surprise is in store beneath the hood – a 3-cylinder engine. Don’t be dismayed; it’s a 1.5-liter, twin-power turbocharged 3 and performs quite respectably. It is the same small engine used in the BMW 218i. BMW, you know, owns the Mini, which is still built in England.
Very noticeable on crawling into the driver’s seat are the nice chesterfield leather seats finished in indigo blue. They’re sport-styled short seats, comfortable enough for normal-length drives, and they’re heated for cool mornings.
Mated to the engine is a 6-speed Steptronic automatic transmission. A switch at the base of the shifter offers three driving modes: Mid for normal, Green for economy and Sport for increased performance. Within a second or two of pulling the lever toward the driver for Sport, a slight surge is felt, steering pressure is tightened and shifts are delayed. The turboed 3-cylinder is rated at 134 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque. The Mini’s track has been widened by a couple inches and dynamic damper control lends added cornering capability from a stiffer suspension.
With travel on some interesting country roads and lots of stop-and-go in town, the Clubman’s 3-cylinder averaged 28.6 miles per gallon of regular unleaded fuel. It carries an EPA estimate of 25/34.
The Clubman’s sticker price of $35,450 reflects the ingenuity of BMW’s ownership. It includes the diamond-pattern stitching of the chesterfield seats, panoramic moonroof, harman/kardon premium sound system, rearview camera, rear park-distance control, enhanced navigation/USB /Bluetooth.
Among standard items are cruise control, dual-zone climate control and rain-sensing wipers.
The Clubman returned to the Mini lineup in 2007. In its present form, it is the biggest car Mini has ever produced.
For those seeking more performance than that provided by the 3-cylinder, a Clubman S model is equipped with a 189-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine.
The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan at San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park. (Bud Wells photos)
After 14 million sales in 30 years, why change the name of your minivan?
In order to ask that of Chrysler, Jan and I drove 1,300 miles, in a Fiat, to the luxurious Pelican Hill Resort at Newport Beach, Calif., recently.
There was more to it than that; I was invited there to attend the unveiling of the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan, successor to the Town & Country.
Matt McAlear, senior manager of Chrysler Brand Product Marketing for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and Rick Deneau, head of Chrysler and Alfa Romeo Brands, and other Chrysler executives were on hand to oversee the first drives of the all-new Pacifica.
The minivan market isn’t going away, Deneau said, even though crossovers continue to grow in popularity. “We are seeking a fresh approach with a new name with the Pacifica to maintain our market share domination,” he said. “This one offers unparalleled levels of functionality, technology and styling.” Chrysler expects minivan sales to remain at about 500,000 yearly (minivan sales peaked at 1.37 million in 2000). Longtime rivals to the Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan have been the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. Chrysler and Dodge combined have led the market since launching it with 1984 models.
While the 2016 Grand Caravan will continue to be built through this year, it eventually will go away and
Pacifica will fill Chrysler’s minivan needs.
Designers have softened the front end of the Pacifica over the Town & Country, as well as extend the overall length and width by an inch and the height by 2 inches. Its track has been widened to 68.3 inches, compared with 65.6 on the Town & Country.
An improvement is the new rotary dial shifter on the console, replacing the shifter on the dash. The dial controls the 9-speed automatic transmission tied to the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine producing 287 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque for the front-wheel-drive van. It will be the most horsepower among all minivans and is rated at 28 miles per gallon on the highway.
The push of a button by kids will automatically trigger the sliding side doors of the Pacifica, and the van offers a vacuum in a rear corner which, with its hose, can reach all areas of the interior.
And there will be a plug-in hybrid version with an all-electric range of 30 miles; the hybrid will use two electric motors with the 3.6-liter V-6 engine.
Jan and I drove the new Pacifica to San Diego for a tour of the city zoo’s Safari Park.
We drove through heavy rain on our return to Newport Beach; the Pacifica, with its wider track and longer wheelbase was well-planted and predictable in its handling on the rain-filled Pacific Coast Highway.
The 2016 Fiat 500X at San Bernardino, Calif.
After complaining about delivery to me of two front-wheel-drive Fiat 500X models several months ago, I received the AWD version for the long drive to California.
After 21 hours of driving time, having covered 1,319 miles to Newport Beach, my summary is: Jan and I agreed the newly bolstered seats were supportive and comfortable, wider than those on other smaller vehicles; biggest complaint was the 500X’s failure to maintain steady highway speeds on the many, many hills through the Southwest with its 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and 9-speed automatic transmission; average of 27 miles per gallon for the trip was decent. Boosting the performance capability was the opportunity to move from Eco drive mode to Sport, which raised the revs and delayed shifts in the 9-speed.
The Fiat’s sticker price of $27,005 included an option package of rear park assist, rearview camera, blind-spot and cross-path detection, heated front seats and steering wheel, dual-zone air control and windshield-wiper de-icer.
The subcompact 500X crossover SUV is a sister car to the Jeep Renegade. They both come off a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles assembly line in Melfi, Italy.
We flew back from Newport Beach; had a couple days rest before the opening of the Denver Auto Show.
The Pacifica was among featured new products at the 2016 Denver Auto Show, which ended a five-day run on Sunday at the Colorado Convention Center.
While covering the car show on Wednesday, I met with Rod Buscher, longtime auto dealer and executive, who was there to promote a new venture “to change and improve the used car marketplace for consumers.”
Rod Buscher displays use of Blinker app at Denver Auto Show.
My first contact with Buscher was more than 20 years ago when he was partner in dealerships with John Elway in Denver. He and Elway teamed up in 1987 to purchase a Jeep business and 10 years later they sold their growing group of auto stores to AutoNation. Buscher in 2007 partnered with the George Gillett family to establish a national group of dealerships, Summit Automotive Partners.
The newest venture is Blinker, founded by Buscher (president) and Tony Wilbert (CEO) of San Francisco. “It’s an automotive technology company that provides all the tools and products necessary to make buying or selling a car or truck privately easier, safer and faster,” said Buscher
The explanation makes not a lot of sense until Buscher holds up and aims a mobile app at the rear of a used Mini Cooper Clubman, pushes a button and the app delivers the year, make and model of that car, its mileage and its estimated value. Blinker partners with Black Book to display vehicle valuations.
Blinker has been launched in Colorado this spring with intent to give users the power to buy, sell and research used cars. Buscher and Wilbert plan to launch Blinker in other major markets around the country.
The 2016 Lamborghini Huracan Spyder, with V-10 power and finished in sky blue exterior, starts at $275,000 in price. (Bud Wells)
The glamour of more than 500 new cars and trucks attracted large crowds to the Colorado Convention Center March 16-20 for the annual Denver Auto Show.
Earning special recognition in voting by members of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press the night before the official opening of the show were:
• The 2016 Honda Civic as Car of the Year.
• The 2016 Volvo XC90 as Suv/Crossover of the Year.
• The 2016 Toyota Tacoma as Truck of the Year.
The 2017 Ram Power Wagon will go on sale this spring. (Mary Conway)
The 2016 Honda Civic offers turbocharged engine. (Tim Coy)
The 2016 Volvo XC90 has been restyled. (Tim Coy)
The 2016 Toyota Tacoma in quicksand exterior finish. (Tim Coy)
Bright yellow suits the 2016 Ford Mustang GT. (Tim Coy)
And it’s bright yellow for the ’16 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, too. (Tim Coy)
The Rogue version of Winter Warriors prepares for a ski slope run. (Steve Parrett)
Among the more unusual attractions at the 2016 Denver Auto Show were the Nissan Winter Warrior track vehicles.
Nissan created Winter Warriors by replacing wheels and tires of the Rogue, Murano and Pathfinder crossovers with heavy-duty snow tracks. The 15-inch-wide tracks are 4 feet long and 2 ½ feet high. The Dominator tracks are produced by American Track Truck Inc.
I drove high up to Echo Mountain above Idaho Springs a day prior to the start of the auto show, in order to test-drive the rugged-looking Winter Warriors. Unless they’re on a downhill run, the warrior vehicles are of slow and deliberate movement.
The larger Nissan Murano Warrior is in action on the slopes. (Steven Diehlman)
Because of the oversized tracks under the wheel wells, only slight turns are possible, and an extremely wide turn circle is required. The tracks, though, make them a go-anywhere vehicle in the snow.
Cost of the Dominator treads are approximately $9,000 for a set of four.
The suspensions and wheel wells are modified to fit the snow tracks, but otherwise all drivetrain components, including the engines and Xtronic transmissions, are factory fresh.
