Car review

2014 Toyota Highlander

The Toyota Highlander has always been a good seller for Toyota, but it has also been a little bland. The new design of the 2014 Highlander has taken a step in the right direction to cure some of the blandness. With its new grill it looks more truck like, right in line with the current generation Tundra. While it takes a little getting used to, I eventually began to like the looks of it.

Toyota is not known for having cars that are really exciting to drive, and while the Highlander is no exception, it doesn’t do a bad job at keeping things interesting. The steering is still numb and there still isn’t a great connection to the car, but what it lacks in feeling it makes up in responsiveness. Surprisingly, the steering was quite responsive to inputs, and didn’t lag as much as you’d think electric powered steering would be on an SUV as big as this. No changes have been made to the engine choices from the previous generation, but the transmission has received updated programming and felt pretty smooth. This model comes with the V6 engine with 270hp and it felt quick for its size, and had no trouble passing slower moving vehicles, or merging onto highways. Taking off at full throttle from a standstill, you still get a nominal amount of torque steer, which was easily controllable. So for all you red light racers, just be conscious of that. Also, for those serious off-roaders, you can also get a locking center differential(up to 25mph), for those large parking lot curbs. Speaking of parking lots, while this Highlander is larger than the outgoing model, it feels as if it has a fairly small footprint while driving, but once in a parking lot, you can feel the size a lot more as it can be a little trickier getting in and out of some tight spaces.

If you’re looking for a nice riding and roomy family hauler and do not want a minivan, this would be a good place to start. It’s got plenty of room with seating for 8, although the third row is more suited for 3 kids, rather than adults. Interior noise was pretty quiet, even at highway speeds and the seats provided a nice comfortable ride. The only thing I noticed that worried me a little was when going over some rough roads, you could see the middle seats shaking a little violently when no one was in them.
You can see what I’m talking about here. Video is slowed down to show the amount of shaking that happens:

From the driver’s point of view, you’re given a good sense of visibility, with a nice seating position. Storage was ample with the cavernous center storage, and the dash had a neat little shelf that you could put phones, wallets, keys, or whatever your or your kids hearts desired. I’m not a very tall guy, but I felt that the center dash controls were a little out of reach for me. I often found myself having to sit forward and stretch for them in order to just change some normal use buttons. This might not be an issue for those longer armed people, but I found it annoying and distracting when trying to use the controls.

The only gripe I had was with the HUGE side view mirrors. Combine these huge mirrors with an a-pillar that already creates a blind spot, and you’re in for some surprise curb hopping fun. I noticed this blind spot more when turning left and trying to see around turns. Where you would normally look down and through to see where you’re going, all you see is a-pillar and mirror. It’s a guessing game, and you better hope there is no one standing in that area, or you could potentially come close to or hit them.

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Overall, I’d have to say I enjoyed this redesigned Highlander a lot more than I was expecting. Coming from a family man, this would suit the majority of families very well. I personally prefer something with a little more soul, but for what you’re paying, what you’re getting, and the versatility included in this package you can’t really go wrong, and for 99% of the people that will buy one, they will be more than happy with their purchase.

2014 Subaru Forester XT

I remember my first time being in a Subaru Forester. My cousin’s mom had bought a first generation Forester back in 1997 as a 1998 model, and it was now handed down to him to use when he first got his license, and all I could think of was it’s like a wagon, but so much cooler. It was gray with gray interior, and so much fun, even though it was only the NA version with 165hp it was still a hoot to toss it around.

While the days of the wagonesque Forester are long gone, the spirit that it had is still very present. The Forester XT lost its manual transmission back in 2008 which was a sad loss, and it also became more of an SUV instead of a wagon. To the enthusiast, this was a sad day, but to Subaru and other non-enthusiats it was the day that the Forester became a true SUV.

The 2014 Subaru Forester XT fixes pretty much everything that was wrong with the 2008-2013 model. Gone is the ancient 4-speed automatic, and instead it comes with a brand new CVT as well as a new 2.0l turbo engine. The new engine now employs direct injection and comes with 250hp and 258ft-lbs of torque, up 24hp and 22ft-lbs. Not bad for an engine with smaller displacement. Thanks to the smaller displacement as well as direct injection the new turbo engine achieves a very respectable 28mpg highway/23mpg city. I averaged about 26mpg’s with mixed city/highway driving, which was very good for an AWD SUV with this much power.

While it didn’t feel as sporty as that first generation Forester XT with a manual transmission, it was still plenty quick. Steering is controlled electronically, which usually suffers from numb feedback, but steering felt more direct and less numb than other electronic steering racks that I’ve been in. Ride comfort was pretty good for an SUV. It was pretty quiet on most roads and highways and was able to absorb thuds and thumps pretty well, while still retaining the sporty feel. Thanks to the slightly stiffer suspension available on the XT, body roll was fairly minimal, but you could still feel its height when taking turns at an increased speed. I’d say if you really wanted it to handle a little better, slap on some high performance summer tires, and you should have a little bit more control in the corners, but for the most part it’s more of a family SUV that can have a bit more fun than most SUV’s(CVT limited).

About that CVT, I’m not a fan of any CVT, but I would have to say Subaru has done a fine job of making this not feel as much of a CVT as possible. Acceleration is smooth and linear and has some “shift” points so it doesn’t seem as whiney as others, and if you put it into sport# mode and play with the paddle shifters it gives you the feel that you’re shifting an 8-speed dual-clutch. Not bad considering its still just a CVT.

Interior quality is good. I mean it’s still a Subaru, so its more functional than it is luxurious, but the materials that are used were nice to touch, aside from a few plastic pieces here and there. Seats were supportive and very comfortable, but I wish they had a little better side bolstering, as well as a little longer seat bottoms. You can tell that these seats were designed more for the American market, rather than the smaller bodied Japanese market. While this is not a huge SUV, it felt plenty big inside. All passengers had ample room, and did not feel cramped, even with the seat all the way back you could fit a rear-facing carseat. Seating position was phenomenal and gave you great views all around the car. It felt like you were in a giant greenhouse as there were minimal blind spots.

The Forester has been Motor Trends SUV of the year twice, one being the 2014 winner, and Car & Driver’s Best Small SUV winner 3 times, and it’s clear why that is. It’s a great package which can suit the many needs of someone looking to buy an SUV. It’s fun, quirky, quick and sporty if you want it to be and affordable. To add to that great list, it’s also one of the safest vehicles on the road by earning the IIHS Top Saftey Pick+ rating. So if you’re considering an SUV and don’t need a third row, I suggest starting with the Forester at the top of the list, and compare to your other options to make your decision. Mine would still land on the Forester.

2014 BMW 335i xDrive Gran Turismo

First let’s start with the price tag. This car was priced out to be $60,250. Thats a pretty penny for a 3 series. Thats getting into 5 series territory. There are two big things that this car did not have that I feel should be standard when buying a premium luxury car, especially at this price. The rear backup camera and blind spot alert systems are not found on this particular version, which I found to be very surprising, and a little insulted considering cars that cost half as much come with them. Perhaps on a regular 3 series sedan you could get away without these, but on this car and the enormous rump it has you pretty much need both of those features. Blind spots were pretty bad in this car, and trying to back out of parking spaces proved to be a challenge, especially at night. The rear visibility was nothing short of bad.

“The Ultimate Driving Machine” is a tagline that BMW has been using for over 30 years and has proven worthy of that name time and time again. While it may still be true for some of their cars, this particular model left me wondering if it fits the bill. It handled well, acceleration was good, ride comfort was nice, but I honestly didn’t feel like I was driving in an ultimate driving machine. When I hear that tagline it makes me want to drive whatever car it pertains to. It makes me think the car I’ll be driving will be giving me great feedback, not to just my senses, but to my soul. This is where this BMW falls short.

To me the steering felt particularly numb, and had some play from dead on center. Not very characteristic of an ultimate driving machine. I didn’t feel connected to the road whatsoever, or to the car really at all. It was a comfortable ride, and sure, it would handle nicely around turns, but it didn’t give me anything to be excited over. If you go by the speedometer, the acceleration was plenty fast, but measured by the good old butt dyno, and it just didn’t feel as quick as the speedo says, which was a little disappointing.

I’ll admit that it is a good car, and most people will enjoy it for whatever purpose it serves, although these GT cars have me confused as to the demographic they are targeting. Its half wagon/half hatchback, and full ugly, I personally would rather have a proper wagon to get the full use of the boot, as well as get rid of some of the hatch’s blind spots. Although, since it does have that weird hatchback style, it has a pretty cool aerodynamic wing that engages automatically above 70mph, or if you just like having it up, there’s a button for that.

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Now, it could be that the added weight to the 3 series chassis is causing all the numbness and lack of excitement, but that still doesn’t excuse it from being an Ultimate Driving Machine. It is more along the lines of an adequate driving machine. It’s got all the comforts of a BMW, but lacks the spirit and soul you expect.

P.S. Sorry for the bad photos, weather did not cooperate…..

2014 Chevrolet SS

Who can recall the last rear wheel drive 4 door SS that Chevrolet had? If you can, you’ll remember it to be the 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS. A barge of a car, the Impala SS was essentially a Chevrolet Caprice with the package that their police counterparts came with, along with some body colored bumpers, different wheels, oh, and an engine derived from the Corvette’s LT1. I must admit I was never a fan of the Chevy Caprice in stock form, but the ’94-96 Impala SS always caught my attention, to the point that I even looked for one for my first car.

10 years after the 1994 Impala SS came around, Chevrolet has introduced the 2014 Chevrolet SS, which is essentially a new and improved Pontiac G8 that made it to our shores from GM’s Australian division before Pontiac got the ax, and guess what? This car is good. It checks all the boxes needed if you’re a dad who wants to have a fun, sporty car with room for a car seat.

The SS is pretty much a 4 door Camaro SS. It has the same 6.2l V8 engine found in the Camaro SS(a little less HP, 415hp vs. 426) and the same 6 speed automatic transmission. Oh yeah, hope you don’t mind an automatic, as thats the only transmission available, but hey, you’ll appreciate it when you’re trying to stop little Timmy from hitting his brother. This car comes pretty much with no options available, but thats because it comes with the majority of normal optional features standard. However, you do have the option to choose whether or not you want a full size spare tire and wheel, as well as a sunroof.

For a price tag of around $46,000 you get a slew of standard features, some of which include such premium features like keyless push button start, an 8″ color touchscreen with navigation, heated and ventilated seats, heads-up display, remote start and a plethora of safety features like lane departure, blind zone alert, rear traffic alert, forward collision alert, parking assist, and a rear view camera. All-in-all a great set of features for what you’re paying.

This car was very well composed, a little stiff, but surprisingly comfortable. It is something you could live with on a day to day basis, but still tackle the corners when you’re all alone. Handling was very crisp, and provided pretty good feedback. The flat bottomed steering wheel was a very nice added touch to enhance the sportiness feel. With all the safety nannies on I was surprised at how well they were able to keep that rear end planted to the ground and keep the car composed when pushing it hard into turns. It reins you in pretty well in case you push a little too hard. There isn’t really much you can say about the 6.2L 415hp LS3 V8, it’s a big thunderous V8, which is quiet when you want it to be, but the burble lurks subtly so you know its ready to go whenever you are. As for the people behind you, they’ll be well aware of when you step on the gas, as it’s not a polite exhaust full out, but damn does it sound great.

Inside you’ll find all the comforts you need, from a decently appointed dash with some nice leather and alcantara touches, to nicely bolstered and supportive seats. The seats were a little wide for my body type, still very comfortable, but for your average American these were perfect. The only quibble I had was with the cheap chrome-looking pieces located throughout the dash and center console. To me they felt a little cheap, and were a little gaudy looking.

Overall the Chevrolet SS is a great car. It hits all the points in sportiness and comfort. If you’re looking for something fun and to tide over the 25 year old in you, all the while having a completely capable family sedan for a day to the zoo, then this is an ideal car for you.

2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250

The entry level luxury car. Kind of an oxymoron if you ask me. I can understand how luxury car makers want to entice people to step into the world of luxury little by little if they aren’t ready to jump in with both feet. You have to start somewhere. But in the game of luxury cars, is the Mercedes-Benz CLA where you want to start?

For me, it’s an easy no. So let’s start off with the base price of the CLA250. This car starts at $29,900, which isn’t a bad price for a Mercedes. With the options on this car the price is around $36,000, which includes some niceties, but not really anything that sets it apart from your non-luxury cars.

The first thing that I wasn’t a fan of is that this Mercedes is front-wheel drive. When you think of luxury brands like Mercedes and BMW you think rear wheel drive. The majority of the cars that have been made available to us here in the states have pretty much all been rear-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive optional. This is a first for Mercedes here in the U.S. They’ve offered other front-wheel drive models overseas, but never in the U.S. A lot of people never notice, or don’t realize it, but front-wheel drive cars with decent power usually suffer from torque steer. Thinking this is a Mercedes, perhaps this particular car from a company that is known for making cushy, well riding vehicles would have tackled torque steer in the backfield. This is not the case. While the amount of torque steer isn’t unbearable, it is still noticeable, and never a welcome visitor. Keep in mind that this car also had winter tires on, so perhaps with a nice set of summer tires I could see this being less of a problem with the added stickiness. Ride was fairly good, but a little noisy. The CLA was able to absorb the bumps for the most part, but perhaps a little more on the sporty side. I didn’t mind the sportiness, but I’m sure not all owners will be tackling the corners so a little more comfort would have been nice. There was also a lack of connection with the road. Don’t get me wrong, this car handled really well when having some fun and the steering had a nice weighted feel, but it was still numb to the road. This won’t be an issue for a majority of CLA buyers though.

Now, I’ve driven a number of cars that featured start-stop technology, some worked well and you could barely tell the car was restarting, but for some reason Mercedes seems to not have this as refined as you would expect. The first time I came to a stop light and the engine shut off, I was pleasantly surprised at how even though the engine was off, you could barely notice the difference when it was on, so kudos to Mercedes for that. However, as soon as I picked my foot up off the brake, it brought me back to my days when we had to push my roommates 1993 Ford Ranger down the street and pop the clutch to jump start it. Ok, perhaps it wasn’t as harsh as that, but instead of a nice seamless engine start, it felt like a quick clutch drop to get that engine going, something that I felt was a little unpolished for a Mercedes-Benz, even if it’s on an entry level car.

Looks-wise I find this car very appealing. It really is like a baby CLS, and shaped very similarly. The front fascia is aggressive looking, but not offensive, and the rear, while a little bulbous, still has nice swooping lines. If you are planning on buying one, I’d opt for the Sport Package, as it gives you the AMG-like aero kit as well as 18″ AMG wheels which look much better than the stock 17′s or the other optional 18′s. While the interior isn’t up to what I would expect from a Mercedes-Benz, the look and layout is very nice. Gauges are clear and easily read, and the aluminum accents compliment the black dash very nicely. As with the Mazda3, I wasn’t a fan of the slapped on infotainment unit and the controls for it were not my favorite as it would be confusing as times how to get to certain areas of the user interface, but the resolution of the screen was very nice and clear.

So I reiterate my previous assertion that I wouldn’t personally buy a CLA, just to say I drive a Mercedes, or to get started in the luxury car game. While it’s a fine car, and I’m sure owners will love it, I just feel that if you’re going to buy a Mercedes, why not save a little more money and jump into the C-class. Or if you want to spend that base price $30,000, save the $5,000-$10,000 and buy the Mazda3. Yeah, its not a Mercedes or has as much power, but the interior is just as nice and the ride is very comparable.

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