Monthly Archives: January 2019

Back then. . . . .1979 Fiat Strada

1979 Fiat Strada

(Forty years ago this month, in January 1979, I reviewed in The Denver Post the Fiat Strada, a new front-wheel-drive model from Italy. Following are excerpts:)

Fiat’s hopes for a strong comeback against a sharp slide in U.S. sales ride squarely upon its new subcompact, the Strada. Fiat’s sales in this country skidded to 60,345 in 1978, sandwiching it between Mazda and Volvo for eighth place among importers. Only three years ago, the company was at the 100,000 sales figure.

With introduction of Strada, being shown in Denver dealerships this month, the slump is over, Fiat executives insist. In order for Fiat to climb back up the sales ladder, the Strada must be of superior quality to earlier models from the Italian car builder.

It’s jumping into some impressive competition – Volkswagen Rabbit, Dodge Omni, Subaru and other low-priced front-wheel-drive subcompacts.

A test of a sharp-looking two-door hatchback showed the Strada’s best features to be good handling characteristics, especially in the snow, comfortable seating with lots of legroom and a strong-performing engine. The 5-speed manual transmission shifted firmly, though smoothly.

The new engine is a variant of the high-performance one developed for the Fiat X1/9 sports car. It is of 1498cc (91.44 cubic inches) displacement, a single overhead-cam 4-cylinder with an aluminum cylinder head. The car ought to produce 28 miles per gallon in city driving and 41 on the highway, according to the EPA fuel estimates. My check averaged 27.8 mpg in half-town, half-highway driving.

The Strada weighs only slightly more than 2,000 pounds on a wheelbase of 96.4 inches and overall length of 161. It will turn in a 33-foot circle.

Added to the Strada Custom’s base price of $4,296 were rear window wiper and washer, tachometer, roof rack, AM/FM radio and metallic paint, raising total cost to $5,652.

Land Rover embraces turbos, dogs

Land Rover Discovery offers turbodiesel or gasoline engines. (Bud Wells photo)

Here, on the first day of September 2018, is my last mention of the dog days of August.

In connection with my recent test drive of a 2018 Land Rover Discovery, a public relations firm for the British SUV builders sent me a note promoting dog-carrying items that can be purchased and placed in the cargo areas of new Land Rovers and Range Rovers. Last Sunday, you know, was International Dog Day.

After including the accompanying Beagle photo with my Land Rover column today, like an eager pup I sent a note back to the PR firm, suggesting that Land Rover give away a Beagle in a carrier in the back of a new Land Rover or Range Rover for a sales boost. The company already is enjoying increased sales, my plan would be added gravy.

A beagle in a carrier rides in cargo area of Land Rover Discovery. (Land Rover)

Well, I’ve not heard a word back; perhaps my contact is on vacation.

 Built in Solihull, England, the Discovery is a solid entry into the lineup of Land Rover and Range Rover sport utility vehicles.

Its electronic air suspension, with push of a button on the center console, will lift the Discovery from its normal 9.9 inches of ground clearance to 11 inches. With wading depth of 33.5 inches, it could be driven down the middle of the South Platte River from Denver to Julesburg.

Turbodiesels, falling out of favor with some manufacturers, remain a solid attraction for Land Rover. A 3.0-liter, turbocharged 6-cylinder engine of 254 horsepower and 443 lb.-ft. of torque deliver excellent acceleration and power to the Discovery. It averaged 23.1 miles per gallon overall. 

This is the same diesel used in the Range Rover Sport; lines are also blurred between the two when it comes to size, as they share wheelbase length and 66.5-inch track, the Discovery is 3 inches longer and the Range Rover Sport is heavier by 50 pounds or so. Pricewise, the Discovery’s sticker is $81,395; the last RR Sport I drove was $84,260.

Roomy and comfortable inside, the Discovery is dressed up with nice, butterscotch-colored Windsor leather on the face of the dash, the seats and windowsills. A Meridian sound system is pleasant. Front seats are heated and ventilated with powered headrest height control, second-row seats are also heated and cooled and third row, which can be power-folded flat, is heated.

Boosting price from $67k to $84k were massaging front seats, four-wheel-drive terrain response, adaptive cruise and lane-keep assist, auto high-beam assist, head-up display. The big Discovery rides on Goodyear Eagle 275/45R21 tires. Gasoline engine available is a supercharged, 3.0-liter V-6 of 340 horsepower and 332 torque.

Lexus LC 500h fuels interest in hybrids

The hybrid version of the 2019 Lexus LC 500. (Bud Wells photo)

Concluded recently was the smoothest, most advanced testing in years by me of a gas/electric hybrid automobile – the 2019 Lexus LC 500h Coupe.

The sleek product is an excellent blend of appearance and performance. Lexus labels it a “world-class luxury coupe, with enhanced steering, suspension and braking.”

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A peek beneath the hood of the Lexus LC hybrid. (Lexus)

Combined with a 295-horsepower, Atkinson-cycle 3.5-liter V-6engine are two electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack, with total output of 354-hp. The power system is tied to a revolutionary transmission setup which incorporates a continuously variable tranny and an Aisin 4-speed automatic to the engine and motors.

With the new transmission system, I felt actual shift points when the LC was being powered by the gas engine, eliminating most of the droning associated with many CVT-equipped vehicles.

It is a strong runner, and will clip off the 0-to-60 in under 5 seconds; don’t confuse it, though, with the gas-only LC500 luxury coupe, which is much more powerful with its 471-horsepower V-8 engine. The 500h looks the same, with its long, tapered hood and well-defined rear haunches.

As I settled into the well-bolstered driver’s sport seat for a 200-mile drive, I was impressed with the finish of the tight-quartered cabin, with alcantra headliner and toasted caramel leather with satin metallic trim. Entertainment all the way to Sterling for Jan and me was from the Mark Levinson surround-sound system.

The interior’s not perfect. Those “ears” protruding from each side of a cover atop the gauge panel, which are dials for snow/traction and for shifting between comfort and sport modes, seem out of place. These are key decision choices for a driver while maneuvering; of absolutely no concern to other passengers, and ought to be more unobtrusively placed.

The drive via U.S. 34 and I-76 to Sterling, where we visited with Norma and Dave Wagner, resulted in a fuel-mileage reading of 30.3 miles per gallon, not bad for the 4,500-pound coupe. The hybrid is rated at 27 in the city and 35 on the highway. The dual-transmission setup seemed to provide more opportunity on occasion for use of the electric power at medium-speed highway travel.

The rear-drive two-door, which rides on Bridgestone Potenza 245/40RF21 tires, is equipped with big brakes for added stopping power – 15.7-inch ventilated discs in front and 14.1 at the rear. Included in the secure braking is a regenerative function for the hybrid side. Also, the latest in precollision system with pedestrian detection and lane-keeping and steering assist.

The $96,710-base-priced Lexus soared past $100 grand (all the way to $108,895) with addition of a performance package of carbon-fiber roof, active rear spoiler and rear-wheel steering.

The LC 500h is on a wheelbase of 113 inches, 187.4 inches in overall length and stands only 53 inches  high. Its trunk space is 4.7cubic feet, other adjacent space is devoted to the battery pack behind the rear seats.

The Lexus LC models are built in Aichi, Japan.

Cars slip to 31 percent in 2018 U.S. sales

Sales jump by Toyota Highlander offset much of Camry loss in 2018. (Bud Wells photos)

Sharp declines in sales of midsize cars, unprecedented in the U.S., marked the tally of light-vehicle sales for 2018.

The long-popular Toyota Camry, though retaining its longtime lead in car sales, dipped by almost 44,000 units from a year earlier.

On the bright side of the Toyota ledger is the Highlander, a midsize SUV crossover, which gained 29,000 sales in 2018 to 244,511for seventh place among all SUVs, just ahead of the Jeep Wrangler.

As the Camry remained atop its sales category, so, too, the Ford F-series continued its dominance in truck sales which began more than 40 years ago; for the second year in a row, the Toyota RAV4 edged the Nissan Rogue among SUVs and the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Pacifica repeated as top-selling minivans.

All midsize models suffered sales declines, most severely besides the Camry were the Nissan Altima at 45,000 fewer sales, the Chevy Malibu at 41,000, Ford Fusion at 36,000 and Honda Accord at 31,000.

Cars, which five years ago made up half the number of total sales, fell to 31 percent last year, leaving 69 percent to trucks and SUV/crossovers. In Colorado, the split is 25 percent to cars, 75 percent to trucks and SUVs.

Total light-duty car and truck sales in the U.S. in 2018 totaled 17,334,481, fourth highest ever. Ford, Toyota and Chevrolet led, each with over 2 million sales; biggest gainer over the previous year was Jeep, with an increase of 145,000.

The 2019 Cherokee Trailhawk is among hot-selling Jeeps.

Following are sales by make:

  • Ford 2,381,635;
  • Toyota 2,128,357;
  • Chevrolet 2,036,623;
  • Honda 1,445,894;
  • Nissan 1,344,597;
  • Jeep 973,227;
  • Subaru 680,135;
  • Hyundai 667,533;
  • Ram 597,368;
  • Kia 589,673;
  • GMC 556,449;
  • Dodge 459,324; (total Dodge/Ram 1,056,692); 
  • Mercedes-Benz 354,137;
  • Volkswagen 354,064;
  • BMW 311,014;
  • Mazda 300,325;
  • Lexus 298,310;
  • Audi 223,323;
  • Buick 206,863;
  • Tesla 182,400;
  • Chrysler 165,964;
  • Acura 158,934;
  • Cadillac 154,702;
  • Infiniti 149,280;
  • Mitsubishi 118,074;
  •  Lincoln 103,587;
  • Volvo 98,263;
  • Land Rover 92,143;
  • Porsche 57,202;
  • Mini Cooper 43,684;
  • Jaguar 30,483;
  • Alfa Romeo 23,800;
  • Fiat 15,521;
  • Maserati 11,263;
  • Genesis 10,312;
  • Ferrari 2,336;
  • Bentley 1,972;
  • McLaren 1,569;
  • Smart 1,275;
  • Lamborghini 1,128;
  • Rolls-Royce 1,080;
  • Aston Martin 984;
  • Lotus 168.

Following are sales by individual models:

CARS

  • Toyota Camry              343,439;
  • Honda Civic                 325,760;
  • Toyota Corolla             303,732;
  • Honda Accord              291,071;
  • Nissan Sentra               213,046
  • Nissan Altima              209, 146
  • Hyundai Elantra           200,415
  • Ford Fusion                  173,600
  • Chevrolet Malibu         144,542
  • Chevrolet Cruze           142,617
  • Tesla Model 3              138,000
  • Ford Focus                   113,345
  • Hyundai Sonata             105,118
  • Kia Soul                       104,709
  • Kia Forte                      101,890
  • Kia Optima                  101,603
  • Volkswagen Jetta         90,805
  • Toyota Prius                 87,590
  • Dodge Charger             80,236
  • Subaru Impreza             76,400
  • Ford Mustang               75,842
  • Nissan Versa                75,809
  • Dodge Challenger         66,716
  • Mazda                          364,638
  • Mercedes C class          60,409
  • BMW 3 series               59,489
  • Chevrolet Impala          56,556
  • Ford Fiesta                   51,730
  • Chevrolet Camaro        50,963
  • Lexus ES                      48,484
  • Chrysler 300                46,593
  • Mercedes E class          45.479
  • Volkswagen Golf         42,271
  • Nissan Maxima             42,237
  • Volkswagen Passat       41,401
  • BMW 5 series               40,658
  • Subaru Legacy             40,109
  • BMW 4 series               39,634
  • Ford Taurus                 36,088
  • Honda Fit                     35,300
  • Infiniti Q50                  34,763
  • Audi A4/S4                  34,566
  • Toyota Avalon             33,580
  • Mazda6                        30,938
  • Acura TLX                   30,468
  • Hyundai Accent             29,090
  • Subaru WRX                28,730
  • Toyota Yaris                27,209
  • Mini Cooper                 26,119
  • Audi A5/S5                  25,972
  • Mitsubishi Mirage        24,316
  • Tesla Model S              24,000
  • Chevrolet Spark             23,602
  • Kia Rio                         22,975
  • Lexus IS                       22,927
  • Mercedes CLA             22,556
The new midsize Ascent SUV boosted sales for Subaru. 

SUVs

  • Toyota RAV4              427,170
  • Nissan Rogue               412,110
  • Honda CR-V                379,013
  • Chevrolet Equinox        332,618
  • Ford Escape                 272,228
  • Ford Explorer               261,571
  • Toyota Highlander        244,511
  • Jeep Wrangler              240,032
  • Jeep Cherokee              239,437
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee    224,908
  • Subaru Outback             178,854
  • Subaru Forester             171,613
  • Jeep Compass              171,167
  • Honda Pilot                  159,615
  • Mazda CX-5                150,622
  • Chevrolet Traverse       146,534
  • Subaru Crosstrek          144,384
  • Hyundai Tucson           142,299
  • Toyota 4Runner             139,694
  • Ford Edge                    134,122
  • Hyundai Santa Fe         117,038
  • GMC Terrain                114,314
  • Lexus RX                     111,641
  • Kia Sorento                  107,846
  • Chevrolet Tahoe           104,153
  • Volkswagen Tiguan      103,022
  • Jeep Renegade             97,062
  • Dodge Journey             94,096
  • Buick Encore               93,073
  • Chevrolet Trax             89,916
  • GMC Acadia                88,621
  • Honda HR-V                85,494
  • Nissan Murano             83,547
  • Kia Sportage                82,823
  • Audi Q5                       69,978
  • Mercedes GLC/K         69,727
  • Nissan Pathfinder         67,550
  • Dodge Durango             65,947
  • Acura RDX                  63,580
  • Lexus NX                    62,079
  • BMW X3                     61,351
  • Chevrolet Suburban      60,633
  • Cadillac XT5                60,565
  • Volkswagen Atlas        59,677
  • Ford Expedition            54,661
  • Ford EcoSport              54,348
  • Acura MDX                 51,512
  • Buick Enclave              49,647
  • Toyota C-HR               49,642
  • Infiniti QX60               47,370
  • Hyundai Kona              47,090
  • Mercedes GLE             46,010
  • GMC Yukon                45,982
  • BMW X5                     45,013
  • Mitsubishi Outlander    41,818
  • Mitsubishi Outlander S 39,153
  • Audi Q7                       37,417
  • Subaru Ascent              36,211
  • GMC Yukon XL          34,802
  • Volvo XC60                 32,689
  • Nissan Armada             32,650
  • Volvo XC90                 31,609
  • Buick Envision             30,152
  • BMW X1                     29,060
  • Lincoln MKX               28,573
  • Mazda CX-9                28,257
  • Kia Niro                       28,232
  • Lexus GX                    26,724
  • Lincoln MKC               26,241
  • Infiniti QX50               25,389
  • Cadillac Escalade         24,815
  • Range Rover Sport       24,282
  • Mercedes GLA             24,136
Ford F150 has been best-selling truck in America since the 1970s.

TRUCKS

  • Ford F-series                909,360
  • Chevrolet Silverado      585,581
  • Ram                             536,980
  • Toyota Tacoma             245,659
  • GMC Sierra                  219,554
  • Chevrolet Colorado      134,842
  • Toyota Tundra             118,258
  • Nissan Frontier             79,640
  • Nissan Titan                 50,439
  • GMC Canyon               33,492
  • Honda Ridgeline          30,582

VANS

  • Dodge Grand Caravan  151,927
  • Chrysler Pacifica          118,322
  • Honda Odyssey             106,327
  • Toyota Sienna              87,672
  • Chevrolet Express        81,239
  • Ford E-series                47,936
  • Mercedes Sprinter        29,787
  • GMC Savana                19,684
  • Kia Sedona                  17,928

’20 Mercedes prototype smooths road ahead

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE450 4Matic prototype in the snow at the Meadow Mountain Trailhead, near the I-70 exit to Leadville. (Bud Wells photos)

Driving a 2020 Mercedes-Benz prototype of the GLE450 4Matic SUV to snowy Avon on a December weekend was an early Christmas pleasure for Jan and me.

The snow was light as we entered I-70’s Eisenhower Tunnel on the east on Friday afternoon, then much heavier as we emerged on the west. It snowed all Friday evening and continued some on Saturday for our return to Denver and Greeley; conditions conducive for testing this luxury midsize sport ute.

The Avon village was picturesque in the snow and bright holiday lights, and the handsomely structured Mercedes fit the setting.

The new GLE, which will go on sale next spring, has 48-volt electrical system, 362-horsepower engine with added electric boost, 9-speed automatic transmission, increased length and width, pleasant design, and on and on.

Here, though, is what Mercedes’ people are hyping, what they expect will make it a standout among the other competitive European car builders:

It’s not a mask, it is a road-ahead scanner camera mounted atop the windshield of the Mercedes GLE450.

“The world’s most intelligent SUV suspension” called E-Active Body Control is independent hydraulic systems at each wheel, and as scanners read the road ahead for imperfections, a wheel’s suspension can be raised or lowered to keep this near-5,000-pounder fairly flat. Suspension movement ranges from 4.7 inches higher to 3.1 lower.

The GLE showed good control, excellent grip through the snow-covered roads; a couple days later closer to my home, I guided it off the edges of a narrow, paved, lightly traveled roadway onto rough, irregular shoulders, and,  yes, the scanners did a job, there was no dip or lean by the body of the Mercedes. As a  multipurpose camera atop the windshield does the scanning, the impact of potholes and railroad tracks are minimized.

Curve Control, another added feature, will lift suspension on the side of the car opposite the direction of the curve it’s taking (turn left, it raises the right side of the car), reducing some of the lateral g force on the passengers.

Performance comes from a turbocharged, 3.0-liter , inline-6-cylinder, supplemented with an added 21-hp from the EQ Boost’s integrated electric motor system. Fuel mileage average for the two-day drive to Avon and back was 23.8 miles per gallon.

Noticeable in the luxurious interior on the cold mornings, when heated front seats are engaged, also heating up are the leather padded lids for the center console bin, which serve as armrest for the driver’s right-side arm.

When Mercedes introduced its midsize sport ute as a 1998 model, it was then known as the ML320 or ML450, depending on engine size. We flew to New Orleans that fall, same weekend as Hurricane Georges was threatening the city, and drove to Memphis and back to Colorado in a new ML. Several years later, we bought an ML320 for Jan, who drove it five years before replacing it.

As a prototype, the GLE isn’t yet priced. Base price for the production GLE450 4Matic, announced by Mercedes, is $62,145. The prototype we drove probably would fall in the $70,000s. A lesser-powered GLE 350 with 2-liter turbo 4 and 4Matic will be base-priced at $57,195.

’19 Honda Pilot adds 9-speed smoothness

The Honda Pilot performed well during rainy afternoon. (Bud Wells photo)
The Honda Pilot performed well during rainy afternoon. (Bud Wells photo)

Oh, so refined, is the Honda Pilot, which has been refreshed for the 2019 model year.

While others in the crowded SUV/crossover field continue to tweak offroad capabilities, get a charge through turbo power and borrow hybrid gas/electric technology from their sedan fleets, Honda sticks with its smooth-operating I-VTM4 all-wheel-drive system, enhanced with the addition of a 9-speed automatic transmission. Minor changes have been made to the Pilot’s front and rear fascias and taillights.

There is nothing extraordinary about its appearance, other than the exterior color on the review model. It looked black, maybe dark blue, then in a bright sun it turns sparkling green (steel sapphire, Honda calls it). A short hood adds to roominess in the three-row crossover.

I concluded my time with the new Pilot in a drive through the foothills west of town; it corners well, with little body roll from its tall and wide body.

Mated to the new 9-speed is a 3.5-liter VTEC V-6 engine with variable cylinder management, 280 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque. Performance is decent, especially in Sport mode, which shifts at higher rpm and tightens steering feel. Momentary delay in shifts occurs occasionally at low speeds with the 9-speed tranny. A 6-speed automatic is standard in lesser-equipped trim levels, which include the LX EX and EX-L, while the Touring and Elite get the 9-speed. The review model is an Elite.

The Pilot is on a wheelbase of 111 inches, with overall length of 196.5 inches and curb weight of 4,319 pounds. Those are 2 inches longer in wheelbase and 5 longer overall than the Pilot of five years ago, yet the ’19 version has shed almost 250 pounds.

With the 3.5 engine and 9-speed, the midsize Pilot earns an EPA fuel estimate of 19/26 miles per gallon; my overall average was 21.2. With the Pilot AWD models, tow capacity is 5,000 pounds.

Now standard on all Pilot models are Honda Sensing safety systems, including forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist.

The Pilot, built in Lincoln, Ala., competes with the Toyota Highlander and 4Runner, Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-9, Dodge Durango, Ford Explorer, Chevy Traverse, Subaru Ascent, Volkswagen Atlas, Nissan Pathfinder and others.

As the sale of Honda sedans Accord and Civic have been in a steady decline, the Pilot this year has seen its sales soar. The Pilot’s nine-month totals for this year have surpassed those of the Toyota 4Runner, which the Pilot trailed a year ago.

A high step-in height is required to reach the Pilot’s very-firm front seats. Between the seats in the center console is a large storage bin with sliding cover; at the front of the console is a smartphone charging pad. Between the second-row bucket seats is another center console; with the touch of a button, the second row seats will slide forward for entry into the third row, which is one of the roomiest on the market.

Cargo space behind the third row is 16.5 cubic feet. The hands-free power liftgate can be opened with the swing of a foot beneath the rear bumper.

Adding all the goodies, sticker price on the Pilot Elite is $49,015.