Yearly Archives: 2018

Outback carries Subaru into 50th celebration

The 2018 Subaru Outback Touring model visited NCAR above Boulder. (Jim Colwell photo)

Jim Colwell and I, in the 2018 Subaru Outback Touring wagon, made the climb up to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) above Boulder for lunch on a Wednesday morning.

Subaru this year is observing its 50th anniversary in the U.S. In the spirit of the celebration, I chose to drive the durable Outback, for more than any other model, it saved Subaru at a low point 20 years ago and led it to where it is today – seller of more than 600,000 new cars and SUVs a year in the country and second-highest brand in sales in Colorado.

Jim Colwell studies boxer-6 engine under hood of Outback. (Bud Wells photo)

I knew Jim as “Mr. Colwell” when he was my freshman English instructor at Sterling High School many years ago. Though we’ve exchanged e-mails regarding some of my auto columns in recent years, we’d not seen each other since the last day of school at SHS in late May 1952.

In addition to the drive to Boulder and NCAR, the Subaru and I made business stops in Loveland and Erie. The descent down NCAR Road in the early afternoon gave opportunity for short tests of the Outback’s 6-speed manual mode and paddle-shifting, somewhat of a departure of its continuously variable transmission, as it simulates shift points like a traditional tranny.

The CVT, in standard mode, performs smoothly tied to the Outback’s 3.6-liter, horizontally opposed (flat) 6-cylinder engine, which develops 256 horsepower. The highway driving from Greeley to Loveland to Boulder to Erie and back home resulted in fuel mileage of 25.1; the Outback’s EPA estimate is 20/27.

C-shaped headlights offer a new exterior touch for the 2018 Outback. Inside, heated front and rear seats in perforated brown leather are among highlights. The front passenger seat will power-slide fore and aft, but not up and down.

Heading the wagon’s strong safety technology is Subaru’s patented EyeSight, including cameras mounted near the top of the windshield to monitor approaching obstacles. Automatic precollision braking, adaptive cruise and lane-keeping assistance are among added safety controls of the system.

I remember the first Outback, introduced in 1995 as a variant of the Legacy wagon. With its boxer engines and sturdy all-wheel-drive structure and heavy side cladding, it endured among a rush of SUVs and more modern crossovers, and found favor with lots of outdoors persons. It caught on “big time” in Colorado, as its all-wheel drive challenged our rugged terrain and inclement weather.

Subaru’s first model was the little 360 in 1968. (Subaru)

Subaru of America was founded on Feb. 15, 1968 by American businessmen Malcolm Bricklin and Harvey Lamm. Its first car model was the little 360, priced at $1,290 with a 25-horsepower engine and top speed of 69 miles per hour.

For 2018, Subaru is offering each of its models with a special 50th anniversary edition, including heritage blue paint, anniversary edition badging, black interior upholstery with silver stitching and contrasting silver seatbelts.

Colwell and his wife, Claudia, are retired in Boulder following his distinguished career as an education director, ironic in the fact he dropped out of Brush High School as a 16-year-old. Born on a ranch east of Brush, he left school in 1943 and spent a year working at Hill Army Air Field in Utah before returning to Brush and finishing high school in ‘45.

He taught at Sterling after earning a journalism degree at the University of Denver in 1949 and his M.A. and lifetime teaching certificate from the University of Northern Colorado in 1951.

After two years in Sterling, he served in the U.S. Air Force in Japan and was assistant command education director in Tokyo in 1955-56. He also achieved Ph.D. and A.M. in American Studies at Yale, and studied at Heidelberg University in Germany, where he met Claudia. His career included education directorships at the University of Colorado, University of Texas of the Permian Basin, University of Maryland/European Division.  He also advanced from a private rank in the U.S. Army Air Forces in the 1940s to brigadier general, USAF Reserve, in 1987.

 

Audi allroad wagon grips snow reputation

The Audi allroad wagon is secure in the snow. (Bud Wells photo)

Not everyone concerned with winter-weather driving in Colorado purchases SUVs or crossovers. It seems that way, yet there are other choices.

A gem of a product falling between the multitude of SUVs and the front-drive or rear-drive sedans is the 2018 Audi A4 allroad turbocharged quattro wagon.

It sits low; in fact, the allroad’s ground clearance of 6.5 inches is much less than the 9-inch clearance of Audi’s popular Q5 SUV. That seems of little deterrence in traversing streets in 4 or 5 inches of snow, as the allroad churns through with little slippage, even across icy intersections.

Two snowfalls gave the German-built allroad opportunity to display its grip and maneuverability.

It handles impressively and performs fairly strong with its 252-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and 7-speed automatic dual-clutch gearbox. Suspension feel is altered through selection of five drive modes – dynamic, comfort, auto, individual and offroad; steering and throttle, too, are quickened or softened.

An easily gripped short shifter sits in the center console, and small paddles at the steering wheel lend more control to the driver. Advanced safety technology will vibrate the steering wheel if the allroad ventures over to a lane marker and will activate steering guidance back into the driving lane.

The 25.8 miles per gallon I posted with the allroad would have seemed satisfactory if the week previously I hadn’t averaged 29.5 in similar driving with the BMW 430i xDrive Gran Coupe, which is of same weight and horsepower as the Audi, both are with 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinders.

The Audi interior is trimmed in brown leather, front seatbacks are fairly deeply bolstered. The roomy rear seats are heated and the rear side windows have manual-pull sunshades. Cargo space behind the rear seats is 24.2 cubic feet; that’s more than the Q5 offers.

The German-built allroad , based on the Audi A4, is compact-sized, with wheelbase of 110.9 inches and overall length of 187; curb weight is 3,825 pounds. Some years ago, the allroad was larger, then as a derivative of the A6. Today’s allroad rides on Continental 245/45R18 tires.

Pushing the allroad’s price from a base of $44,500 to sticker of $56,650 are a long listing of options including:

Bang & Olufsen sound, Audi MMI navigation, heated power-folding mirrors, LED headlights, high-beam assistant, top-view camera parking aid, head-up display, adaptive cruise, traffic sign recognition, ventilated front sport seats and heated steering wheel.

I tested Audi A4 allroad quattro wagons in 2013 and 2015 at prices, respectively, of $47,395 and $48,325

Colorado sales hit record in ‘17

Jaguar doubled sales in Colorado in 2017. (Bud Wells photo)

Toyota, Subaru, Volkswagen, Ford, Nissan, Jeep and Honda were biggest gainers in new car and light truck registrations in Colorado in 2017, compared with the previous year.

Figures compiled by Experian Automotive for the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association (CADA)) showed that 211,132 new cars and trucks were registered in Colorado in 2017, exceeding the previous record of 207,836 in 2000, 17 years ago.

“Trucks, including SUVs, did it,” said Tim Jackson, CADA president.  “Colorado leads the nation as a whole in light-truck registrations versus passenger cars with a record 71.8 percent, or almost three-fourths of all vehicles sold in the state.

Toyota led Colorado car/truck registrations with 31,991, followed by:

  • Subaru with 25,508;
  • Ford 24,566;
  • Honda 15,921;
  • Chevrolet 15,465;
  • Jeep 14,897;
  • Nissan 12,372;
  • Ram 8,120;
  • Hyundai 6,889;
  • Volkswagen 6,593;
  • GMC 6,163;
  • Kia 5,218;
  • Mazda 4,702;
  • Lexus 4,183;
  • Audi 3,910;
  • Mercedes-Benz 3,585;
  • BMW 3,371;
  • Dodge 3,352;
  • Acura 1,707;
  • Buick 1,638;
  • Infiniti 1,415;
  • Volvo 1,077;
  • Cadillac 1,061;
  • Chrysler 1,001;
  • Lincoln 955;
  • Mitsubishi 947;
  • Land Rover 944;
  • Tesla 853;
  • Mini 821;
  • Porsche 806;
  • Jaguar 473;
  • Fiat 238;
  • Maserati 132;
  • smart 48.

Toyota increased registrations by 3,245 during the past year, followed by Subaru with a gain of 1,864; Volkswagen 1,455; Ford 1,227; Nissan 1,091; Jeep 880 and Honda 860. Jaguar led all brands in percentage of increase, having registered 223 new cars/trucks in 2016 and jumping to 473 in 2017, an increase of 112 percent.

 

 

Challenger, Camaro, Mustang still at it

2018 Challenger GT – 2016 Mustang – 2012 Camaro ZL1 (Bud Wells Photos)

Warmed up after an ice-driving event near Winter Park a few days earlier, two spirited sport-model autos were sent my way – the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti all-wheel-drive sedan and the 2018 Dodge Challenger GT all-wheel-drive coupe.

The flashy 2018 Dodge Challenger GT, with all-wheel drive. (Bud Wells photo)

 

Shod with Bridgestone Blizzaks, the Challenger probably owns a second or two of grip advantage over the Giulia, with its Pirelli winter set; regarding handling qualities, though, the Alfa perhaps will exceed the Dodge’s capabilities.

The Challenger competes aggressively with the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro, just as the three did way back in 1970, when they were among the best of the pony cars.

The GT designation means the Challenger is equipped with all-wheel drive, V-6 engine, an active transfer case and front-axle disconnect. It’s a 305-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 with 268 lb.-ft. of torque and an 8-speed automatic transmission. AWD is not available with the more powerful Challengers.

What the GT does for the Dodge is lend it an edge in consideration of winter driving. All three – the Camaro, Mustang and Challenger – are rear-wheel-drive-based two-doors. So, for Challenger to add the AWD option, even in V-6 form, is a boost in winter-laden states such as Colorado. Neither Mustang or Camaro offer it.

The Ford Mustang, orange, too, this one in 2016. (Bud Wells photo)

The Ford Mustang outsold the other two in 2017, with 81,866, and the Camaro edged the Challenger, 67,940 to64,537.

All three perform powerfully with V-8 blocks beneath the hoods.

Last summer, I spent a week with the 2017 Challenger SRT Hellcat, which performs with 707 horsepower from a supercharged, 6.2-liter Hemi. It is a blast to drive, with performance-tuned suspension noticeable at high speeds. The most powerful Camaro I’ve driven was the 2012 ZL1 with 580 horsepower from a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 and 6-speed manual transmission. A year earlier, I had enjoyed the 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, for which supercharging its 5.4-litier aluminum V-8 produced 550 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque.

The ’18 Challenger GT is finished in go mango tangerine orange, with body side stripes, rear spoiler, granite crystal painted wheels, nappa leather and alcantra suede seats, Harman Kardon premium sound and 18 speakers. Sticker price is $37,670.

The Chevy Camaro ZL1 visited fire scene at Last Chance in 2012. (Bud Wells photo)

The Alfa Romeo Giulia luxury sport sedan carries a sticker or $49,340. Performance is from a 280-hp, 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and 8-speed automatic transmission. I reviewed a similar model seven months ago in a drive to Walden and Laramie, Wyo.

The Alfa, which competes with Audi, BMW, Volvo and others, is built in Italy and well-suited to driving in Colorado’s imperfect terrain. Alfa Romeo Automobiles is a subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Fisher adds Acura in Boulder

Craig Fisher, president of Fisher Auto in Boulder.

In its 50th year of operation in Boulder, Fisher Auto has acquired the Acura luxury line of automobiles to go with its longtime Honda franchise.

To make room for the pairing of Acura and Honda, Fisher has returned its Kia dealership of the past eight years to the Kia manufacturer.

“It seems a good time to add Acura,” said Craig Fisher, president of Fisher Auto, “with re-imaging of the popular MDX sport utility, improvements in the RLX full-size sedan and upcoming redesign of the smaller RDX crossover for 2019.”

The dealerships will be housed at opposite ends of Fisher’s large structure on 9 acres at 6025 Arapahoe Rd. in Boulder. The Acura franchise, formerly Flatirons Acura, was opened in Boulder in the late 1980s by the late Bill Crouch.

Bob Fisher and his wife, Madelyne, established Fisher Auto in Boulder in 1968; he had begun work in the automotive field with Burt Chevrolet in 1947.

Son Craig and daughter Lynn, along with Craig’s sons-in-law, Mark  Brady and Scott Shimer, operate the Fisher business today. Craig heads the dealership, Lynn is vice president and secretary, and Brady and Shimer are executive directors.

New turbos, shifter for GMC Terrain

2018 GMC Terrain Denali aims at compact crossovers. (Bud Wells photos)

I’m a push-button shifter from way back; crawling into the 2018 GMC Terrain Denali cabin for the first time, though, I had to take a second look to determine there were shift controls.

The Terrain’s new electronic precision shifter consists of a row of push and pull buttons across the center stack of the instrument panel.

Push-pull logic for 9-speed automatic transmission.

The driver pushes the Park button, pulls another for Reverse, pushes the middle one for Neutral, pulls one for Drive and pushes the far right for Low. By replacing the normal transmission shifter with the push/pull setup, room for pass-through storage and side-by-side cupholders is left in the center console. The row of shift buttons is beneath the HVAC and entertainment systems.

The buttons are electronically connected to a new 9-speed automatic transmission, which is mated to a turbocharged 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine which produces 252 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, with all-wheel drive.

Standard engine in a lesser-priced Terrain (below the Denali level) is a 1.5-liter turbo 4-cylinder of 170 horsepower and 203 lb.-ft. of torque.

A third option is a turbocharged 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder diesel-powered 4-cylinder of 136 horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. of torque, and tied to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

The resized Terrain is smaller and lighter than a year ago and meets head-on with such compact SUV standouts as the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Ford Escape, Jeep Cherokee, Toyota RAV4 and Nissan Rogue.

GMC engineers reduced wheelbase by 5 inches, overall length by 3 inches and curb weight by 250 pounds. Its specs are 107.3-inch wheelbase, 182.3 overall length, 72.4 width and 65.4 height. The decreased length cut the Terrain’s cargo space behind the rear seats to 29.6 cubic feet, considerably smaller than much of the competition.

The five-passenger Terrain carries an EPA fuel estimate of 21 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway. Overall average under my piloting was 23.8 mpg. The crossover rides on Hankook 235/50R19 tires.

GM designers had fun with this new one, settling on a “floating roof” look with blacked-out rear pillars. The interior is upscale and roomy, particularly with the Denali trim.

Optional low-speed forward automatic braking, lane-keep assist, surround vision and heated rear seats pushed sticker price to $44,370. Base price is $40,245.

 

Kia plug-in pushes hybrid count

The Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid rests near the Highland Hills Golf Course in Greeley. (Bud Wells photo)

With 15 miles of electric charge in the battery pack, Jan and I on a recent cold evening guided the 2018 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid 55 miles “round the block.” The big block was from Greeley west to Loveland, north to Fort Collins, east to Ault and south back to Greeley.

Judicious use of the limited electric charge, mostly on the slower pace on Colo. 14 from Fort
Collins to Ault, helped the Niro post an average of 49.2 miles per gallon for the drive. I opted for gasoline power along the 75-miles-per-hour stretch of I-25 from Loveland to Fort Collins. On the last leg south from Ault, I engaged the Sport mode, which improved on the slow acceleration in the default Eco mode.

Numbers of models of gas/electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric automobiles are approaching 90, boosted by increased promotion and attention; still their total sales in 2017 accounted for only 3.2 percent of the light-duty vehicle sales in the U.S.

Arrival over the past month of the Niro Plug-in Hybrid follows introduction last year of the Niro’s regular gas/electric hybrid, which was fourth-best-selling hybrid for the entire year of 2017, yet was on the full market for only slightly more than six months.

With a battery pack tucked beneath the cargo area, the new plug-in version has a range of 26 miles on electricity before the gas engine kicks in, according to Kia estimates. Its battery pack can be recharged overnight from a 120-volt electrical outlet.

Its powertrain consists of a 60-horsepower electric motor rated at 45 kilowatts, a 103-hp, 1.6-liter 4-cylinder gas engine and 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which outperforms most continuously variable transmissions used in some other competitors

Sticker price on the Niro Plug-in Premium was $35,575, about $5,000 higher than the Niro gas/electric hybrid I  tested last May.

The all-time sales leader among gas/electric hybrids, the Toyota Prius Liftback, suffered a 17 percent decline in sales during the past year; causes seem to be continued low fuel prices and greater choice of competitive hybrid models.

The Prius Liftback has led sales of gas/electric hybrids since it was introduced in 2000. Its stablemate, the Toyota Prius Prime led sales of plug-in hybrids and the Tesla Model S was top-selling battery electric model.

Enjoying the hottest sales paces at yearend are the Kia Niro and Ford Fusion among hybrids, the new Honda Clarity among plug-ins and the Chevy Bolt among battery electrics.

Sales of hybrids, plug-ins and electrics for the year were 558,653, compared with 504,207 in 2016.

The top 10 sellers in 2017 for the three categories are:

HYBRIDS

Toyota Prius Liftback 65,631; Ford Fusion 57,474; Toyota RAV4 50,559; Kia Niro 27,237; Honda Accord 22,008; Toyota Camry 20,985; Toyota Highlander 16,864; Toyota Prius C 12,415; Hyundai Ioniq 10,765; Ford C-Max 10,250.

PLUG-IN HYBRIDS

Toyota Prius Prime 20,936; Chevrolet Volt 20,349; Ford Fusion Energi 9,632; Ford C-Max Energi 8,140; BMW X5 5,349; BMW 3-series 4,141; BMW 5-series 3,772; Chrysler Pacifica 2,981; Audi A3 2,877; Volvo XC90 2,228.

BATTERY ELECTRICS

Tesla Model S 26,500; Chevrolet Bolt EV 23,297; Tesla Model X 21,700; Nissan Leaf 11,230; BMW i3 6,276; VW e-Golf 3,534; Fiat 500e 3,336; Kia Soul EV 2,157; Ford Focus EV 1,817; Tesla Model 3 1,770.

 

Long wait ends for R-type Honda

The new Honda Civic Type R five-door hatchback. (Bud Wells photos)

Of the many persons attracted by the flash of the 2017 Honda Civic Type R Touring, some weren’t sure even of its make, let alone its model identity. That’s understandable, for this is the first year it’s been imported to the U.S. The powerful sport compact was first produced in Japan in 1997 and has since been sold there and in Europe.

The Type R, with a stiffened body, is the most powerful car produced by Honda and competes with the Subaru WRX STI, Volkswagen Golf R and Ford Focus RS. Though produced by the Japanese company Honda, it is assembled in Swindon, Wiltshire, England.

This is the turbo power behind the Type R hot hatchback.

Its outstanding performance comes from a 306-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine and 6-speed manual transmission with rev match control and three drive modes – Sport, Comfort and R-plus. The system defaults to the quick Sport mode, which can be reduced to Comfort or increased to R-plus which tightens steering considerably. The rev match feature allows smooth downshifts at relatively high rates of speed.

Identifying it as something special, particularly to youthful drivers, is a large wing spoiler, which sits 9 inches above the height of the rear deck.

Suspension includes MacPherson strut front and multilink rear, with adaptive dampers and variable-ratio electric power steering. Large Brembo brake calipers are red, showing through the wheel spokes. The car’s turning circle is a wide 39.5 feet. It rides on low-profile Continental 245/30R20 tires.

Red suede sport seats, deeply bolstered, and even brighter red seatbelts are an interior highlight. A 7-inch display illustrates the navigation system and premium audio with 12 speakers and subwoofer.

Jan and I headed west on U.S. 34, testing the Type R on the twists and bends as far as the Dam Store at the entrance to the Big Thompson Canyon, where U.S. 34 is blocked for the winter, to reopen near Memorial Day in May 2018. The store and its parking lot serve as a turnaround during the highway closure.

Cargo space in the Type R five-door hatchback is 25.7 cubic feet with the rear seats in place. Riding on a wheelbase of 106.3 inches, the Honda is 179.4 inches long, stands 56.5 inches in height and has curb weight of 3,117 pounds.

With all the power, interior sportiness and other features such as rearview camera, electric parking brake and a triple-outlet sport exhaust, sticker price for the Type R is $34,775.

The Type R’s 306 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. torque overshadows the popular Civic Si tuner model’s 205 horsepower and 192 torque. The Si, however, carries an impressive EPA estimate of 38 miles per gallon on the highway, compared with 28 for the Type R. The drive to the Dam Store and back averaged 26.3 mpg.

F-series, Camry continue sales domination

The F-150 Super Crew helped Ford lead pickup sales for 40th-plus year.

Blame it on lack of performance from its 132-horsepower engine and CVT transmission that the Toyota Corolla dropped almost 50,000 sales the past year, yet the good-looking compact remains the third-best-selling sedan in the country.

Dependability and style are pluses for 2018 Toyota Corolla.

Toyota’s midsize model, the Camry, on the basis of a sales surge in December, was the top-selling car in America in 2017, ahead of the Honda Civic and the Corolla. It is the 21st time in the past 22 years the Camry has led car sales in the U.S.

For sheer domination, though, climb up into the big Ford F-series, which has led truck sales for more than 40 years, dating back into the mid-1970s. Ford’s total of almost 900,000 sales (896,764) of pickups dwarfs all others – the Chevy Silverado and Ram in trucks and the Camry in cars.

With more and more consumers switching from cars to light trucks and SUV/crossovers, sales of cars and trucks in 2017 totaled 17.25 million, just short of the total of 17.55 million in 2016.

The Toyota RAV4 edged the Nissan Rogue for top spot among SUVs and crossovers, while the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Pacifica of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles outsold the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey among minivans.

The Subaru Impreza was redesigned in the past year.

Regarding the 2018 Toyota Corolla, though losing some sales to strong-performing compacts Honda Civic, Mazda3, Subaru Impreza and Ford Focus, it remains a popular choice among consumers seeking style, reliability and high fuel economy. Sized about the same as a Chevy Cruze, the Corolla provided good ride and decent maneuvering, and averaged an impressive 34.3 miles per gallon. The well-equipped XSE version, with adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking, carried sticker price of $25,337. It is assembled in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.

On the plus side of sales in 2017, biggest gainers among all models were the Ford F-series and the Nissan Rogue, with increases of 76,000 and 73,000, respectively. Other major gains were by the Toyota RAV4, Chevy Equinox, Nissan Titan, Subaru Impreza, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota Highlander.

The 2018 version of the hot-selling Nissan Rogue.

Sharpest drop in numbers of cars sold was by Hyundai’s midsize sedan, the Sonata, which fell from almost 200,000 sales in 2016 to 131,803 in the past year. Three other midsize models suffered sharply declined totals, including Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima and Chevy Malibu, as well as Toyota Corolla, Kia Soul and Toyota Prius in other categories.

Among four crossover models grouped within less than 200 sales apart are the Kia Niro with 27,237, the Lexus GX 27,190, Volkswagen Atlas 27,119 and Lincoln MKC 27,042.

Following are 2017’s top sellers of new cars, SUV/crossovers, trucks and vans in the U.S.:

 

CARS SUVs, CROSSOVERS
Toyota Camry 387,081 Toyota RAV4 407,594
Honda Civic 377,280 Nissan Rogue 403,465
Toyota Corolla 329,196 Honda CR-V 377,895
Honda Accord 322,655 Ford Escape 308,296
Nissan Altima 254,996 Chevrolet Equinox 290,458
Nissan Sentra 218,431 Ford Explorer 271,131
Ford Fusion 209,623 Jeep Grand Cherokee 240,696
Hyundai Elantra 198,210 Toyota Highlander 215,775
Chevrolet Malibu 185,857 Jeep Wrangler 190,522
Chevrolet Cruze 184,751 Subaru Outback 188,886
Ford Focus 158,385 Subaru Forester 177,563
Hyundai Sonata 131,803 Jeep  Cherokee 169,882
Volkswagen Jetta 118,807 Ford Edge 142,603
Kia Forte 117,596 Hyundai Santa Fe 133,171
Kia Soul 115,712 Toyota 4Runner 128,296
Toyota Prius 108,662 Mazda CX-5 127,563
Kia Optima 107,493 Honda Pilot 127,279
Nissan Versa 106,772 Chevrolet Traverse 123,506
Dodge Charger 88,351 Hyundai Tucson 114,735
Subaru Impreza 86,043 GMC Acadia 111,276
Ford Mustang 81,806 Subaru Crosstrek 110,138
Mercedes C class 77,477 Lexus RX 108,307
Chevrolet Impala 75,877 Jeep Renegade 103,434
Mazda3 75,018 Kia Sorento 99,684
Volkswagen Golf 68,978 Chevrolet Tahoe 98,961
Chevrolet Camaro 67,940 Honda HR-V 94,034
Nissan Maxima 67,627 Dodge Journey 89,470
Dodge Challenger 64,537 Buick Encore 88,035
Volkswagen Passat 60,722 GMC Terrain 85,441
BMW 3 series 59,449 Jeep Compass 83,253
Hyundai Accent 58,955 Nissan Pathfinder 81,065
Lexus ES 51,396 Chevrolet Trax 79,289
Chrysler 300 51,237 Nissan Murano 76,732
Subaru Legacy 49,837 Kia  Sportage 72,824
Mercedes E class 49,473 Dodge Durango 68,761
Honda Fit 49,454 Cadillac XT5 68,312
Ford Fiesta 46,249 Lexus NX 59,341
Toyota Yaris 44,380 Audi Q5 57,640
Ford Taurus 41,236 Chevrolet Suburban 56,516
Infiniti Q50 40,739 Acura MDX 54,886
BMW 5 series 40,658 Mercedes GLE 54,595
BMW 4 series 39,634 Ford Expedition 51,863
Acura TLX 34,846 Acura RDX 51,295
Audi A4 34,434 BMW X5 50,815
Mazda6 33,402 GMC  Yukon 49,153
Toyota Avalon 32,583 Mercedes GLC 48,643
Mini Cooper 32,241 Buick Enclave 48,564
Subaru WRX 31,358 Volkswagen Tiguan 46,983
Chevrolet Sonic 30,290 Buick Envision 41,040
Tesla Model S 28,800 Jeep Patriot 40,735
Lincoln MKZ 27,387 BMW X3 40,691
Lexus IS 26,482 Infiniti QX60 40,444
Audi Q7 38,346
TRUCKS Nissan Armada 35,667
Ford F-series 896,764 Mitsubishi Outlander 35,409
Chevrolet Silverado 585,864 GMC Yukon XL 35,059
Ram 500,723 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 33,160
GMC Sierra 217,943 Mercedes GLS 32,248
Toyota Tacoma 198,124 Lincoln MKX 31,031
Toyota Tundra 116,285 Volvo XC90 30,996
Chevrolet Colorado 112,996 BMW X1 30,826
Nissan Frontier 74,360 Kia Niro 27,237
Nissan Titan 52,924 Lexus GX 27,190
Honda Ridgeline 34,749 Volkswagen Atlas 27,119
GMC Canyon 32,106 Lincoln MKC 27,042
Toyota C-HR 25,755
VANS Mazda CX-9 25,825
Ford Transit Cargo 127,360 Mercedes GLA 24,104
Dodge Grand Caravan 125,196 Cadillac Escalade 22,994
Chrysler Pacifica 118,274 Volvo XC60 22,516
Toyota Sienna 111,489 Ford Flex 22,389
Honda Odyssey 100,307 Porsche Macan 21,429
Chevrolet Express 69,164
Ford E-series 53,304
Dodge ProMaster 40,483
GMC Savana 29,679
Mercedes Sprinter 27,415
Kia Sedona 23,815
Nissan NV200 18,602
Nissan NV 17,858
Dodge ProMaster City 15,584
Mercedes Metris 7,579
Nissan Quest 4,950

VW embraces crossovers; GTI still the driver

The VW Golf GTI is one of most popular of small hatchbacks. (Bud Wells photo)

Volkswagen over the past year has launched three new products, widening its stable of all-wheel-drive crossovers and wagons.

The new Atlas is a three-row competitor, the largest crossover ever introduced by VW; the ruggedly trimmed Alltrack wagon is aimed at stealing some sales from the Subaru Outback, and the enlarged Tiguan is finding favor with shoppers of compact crossovers.

Still, when Volkswagen is mentioned, many car enthusiasts young and old fondly turn their minds to the little Golf, and, in particular, to the Golf GTI.

The low-slung, hot-hatch GTI came my way recently, timed perfectly for the dry roads in between snowstorms. Horsepower has been boosted to 220 for its turbocharged, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder and dual-clutch DSG automatic transmission. It’s a quick-shifting tranny, and in Sport mode with use of paddleshifters, a driver won’t miss the 6-speed manual.

Find a winding road with some short twists, replace normal braking with manual-mode shifting, and the five-door hatchback will steal the show from highly regarded competitors Civic, Mazda3 or Elantra. Midrange torque response is impressive for the short-wheelbase Golf (103.6 inches), which exhibits minimal body roll.

Whatever drive mode is selected (Normal, Eco or Sport), when the car is restarted after a shutdown, it retains the mode set. The 3,000-pound VW rides on Cinturato 225/40R18 tires.

It averaged a respectable 30.2 miles per gallon of premium fuel; its EPA estimate is 24/32.

Inside, the backup camera provides one of the most clear views of any I’ve tested. The black leather interior is nicely stitched in red, a color theme that is emphasized on the exterior, with a red bar across the front of the hood and red brake calipers.

The SE model I drove was priced at $31,165, with the leather as the only option. Among standard equipment are the DSG  transmission, side-seat-mounted and side-curtain airbags, cruise control, automatic emergency braking, premium audio, moonroof and dual-zone automatic climate control.