The German automaker Mercedes Benz was gracious enough to grant us with a Palladium Silver 2010 Mercedes Benz E 350 so that we could have a go at it as part of our Top Speed test fleet. Not only has the E-Class been completely redesigned for 2010, but in another step that we like very much, Mercedes has lowered the price for the full size sedan by almost $5,000 compared to the previous generation E. The 2010 E-Class features a restyled front end complete with a squared off split headlamp design as well as a pair of the oh so trendy LED driving lights in the bumper openings on either side of the front end, while out back the new E features a set of stretched taillights.
The 3.5 Liter V6 under the hood is good for 268 HP and 258 lb-ft of torque while consuming just 18 MPG in the city and 26 MPG at highway speeds. The interior is finished with fine leather wrapped seats and door cars, while the darker colored dash is offset by a strip of wood grain that encircles the entire cabin. The wood theme continues into the center console that leads up to the center stack that contains the climate controls, radio and navigation system which is finished off with a rather large LCD display. One of the more interesting features that the German design team incorporated is a pair of storage compartments integrated into the front seats.
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If you can remember the new 2010 Subaru Legacy and Outback that we showed you a couple of weeks ago then Top Speed’s latest press car should be quite familiar to you, that is because the good folks over at the automotive arm of Fuji Heavy Industries saw fit to let us try out their most luxurious model to date, this 2010 Legacy 3.6 R Limited. Aside our Ruby Red Pearl Legacy’s rather large horizontally opposed six cylinder engine and stylish 17 inch wheels, the new Legacy is filled with all sorts of creature comforts like a one touch window for the driver, leather wrapped steering wheel, power adjustable driver’s seat and a pair of chrome exhaust tips; the Limited model adds some very supple leather, dual zone climate control and a Harman-Kardon sound system complete with a large navigation screen that will play DVDs when you are in park.
The 3.6 R is the top of the line Legacy, however in this case the “R” stands for relaxed and not for racing and after having a look around the new Legacy we can see why. The fifth generation of the Legacy received a restyling and features a bold new design that features a larger one bar grill and a set of Subaru’s new hawk eye style headlamps and a set of bold fenders. It is also supposed to be the roomiest Legacy ever thanks to a longer wheelbase and the new double wishbone suspension in the back makes for a back seat that you can finally have fun in. Speaking of seats, our Limited model’s came wrapped in some very attractive leather and the wood trim on the dash and doors sets off the darker parts of the interior beautifully.
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We recently received a 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring into the Top Speed test fleet. Starting at only $17,800 this Vivid Blue beauty is easily one of the most stylish Korean cars we have seen in a while. The Korean design team has hit a home run with the new car’s flowing curves and strong character lines that highlight the Elantra Touring’s broad stance and stretched wheelbase. We love the dual finish 17 inch rims and appreciate that Hyundai equipped our car with a B&M sport shifter to send the 138 HP and 136 lb-ft of torque from the 2.0 Liter DOHC CVVT ultra low emissions four cylinder engine to the front wheels. The Elantra Touring gets as much as 23 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway.
Our car came equipped with the $1,500 Premium Sports Package that not only included those rims we liked so much, but also a large power sunroof and heated seats. The audio system consisted of an AM/FM/XM radio complete with in dash CD player and auxiliary input for MP3 connectivity. Despite the car’s compact footprint, there is tons of storage space inside of the roomy interior; in fact it has the most interior volume of any five door model in its class, 125.5 cubic feet to be exact. The Elantra Touring represents a return to the compact five door segment for Hyundai and offers class leading standard safety technologies like Electronic Stability Control with Traction Control, ABS with Electronic Brake-force Distribution and Brake Assist as well as the peace of mind that comes from having six standard airbags.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time with the Elantra Touring, not only was it attractive but it was fun to drive as well. If the automaker from the free half of Korea can continue to build cars of this caliber and offer them at the same competitive price points, the rest of the manufacturers around the world will have to take an even closer look at Hyundai as their newest competitors.
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We recently received an all new 2010 Subaru Forester 2.5X Limited into the Top Speed test fleet. Our Camellia Red Pearl small SUV was completely redesigned back in 2008 and from what we can see, the improvements keep on coming into 2010. Like all Subarus, the Forester comes from the factory with all wheel drive, the cabin is quite roomy thanks to the boxy design and there is plenty of storage space in the back. The new touch screen navigation unit has Bluetooth built in and the infotainment system is made up of an AM/FM/XM radio with an in dash CD player and auxiliary audio and video inputs thanks to the popular Option package number 10, which for an extra $1,800 over the $25,995 MSRP gives you all those electronic goodies.
The interior of our brand new Subaru is upholstered in grey leather, covering everything from the seats to the steering wheel. The design team has incorporated the same metallic swatches into the dash of the Forester that we liked so much on the Impreza. We like the climate controls; three straight forward knobs control everything as opposed to a host of buttons and LCD displays. Our 2.5X also had power door locks and a one touch driver’s window that add a bit of convenience to the package. However the best part of the Forester’s interior is the ridiculously oversized panoramic sunroof, it is so large that the amount of light allowed inside rivals that of a convertible.
Just like the name suggests, our Forester is powered by a 2.5 Liter flat four engine cranking out 175 HP and still gets 20 MPG in the city and 26 MPG on the highway. Our Subaru rode on a set of 17 inch rims that looked extremely strong and sturdy thanks to their thick spokes while the raised body makes the Forester look like it can go anywhere. Thanks to safety features like a host of air bags, ABS, disk brakes, a Subaru designed chassis and a whole bunch of top notch safety ratings is making us look forward to getting behind the wheel.
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We have just received a brand new third generation Toyota Prius into the Top Speed test fleet. Wile we are usually about high horsepower rides that are in contention to set land speed records even we must bow out and admit that these little Hybrid commuter cars are only going to become more common as time goes on. Now this is not quite the prototype we saw back in May, our 2010 Prius didn’t come with the very trick sunroof mounted solar panel and we didn’t even get leather. But that’s OK, because we do have the same 1.8 Liter Hybrid Synergy Drive engine that was in the previous Prius we saw. In an effort to improve fuel economy Toyota has decided to increase the engine’s displacement giving it more torque across the rev band meaning that it won’t have to work as hard getting the Prius moving to the tune of 50 MPG.
It seems that everything about the Prius was made so that the car could cut through the air with the least amount of resistance. The bulges on the sides of the front bumper push air away from the turbulent rotating wheels at speed, which are covered with some pretty interesting plastic covers that were almost certainly included as a fuel-saving afterthought. The design team even incorporated finlets at the rear of the flat paneled under tray that are more functional that the majority of the diffusers bolted to the bottom of a rear bumper. Toyota engineers go to countless measures to squeeze every last ounce of efficiency from their flagship hybrid. A number that was being thrown around when we first spoke to a Toyota representative was one million, because that is how much the Japanese automaker spends every hour of every working day conducting drag reduction research which has led to the Prius’ .25 Cd.
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The Chevrolet Equinox is the car that ushered in the era of the utilitarian Crossover at General Motors, so it is only appropriate that the new model come equipped with certain features that make for a very functional automobile with standard features like a 6 speed automatic transmission, direct injected gasoline engines, XM satellite radio, an iPod input jack, power everything and OnStar roadside assistance. However there is more to the crossover segment than reliability, these are the cars that will take families down the street to soccer practice and across the country to Disney World, so they need to be comfortable, attractive and engaging; especially for the back seat passengers.
Our well equipped 2010 Chevrolet Equinox AWD 2LT also came with some of the more desirable features being offered by GM, like the back up camera with park assist, power tailgate, Vehicle Interface Package that includes Bluetooth, the Chrome Exterior Appearance Package to dress up the outside, the Cargo Management Package that makes storage a snap in the back of the truck and the Rear Seat Entertainment System that includes some of the best designed backrest monitors on any new car today. However our personal favorite was the 18 inch machined aluminum wheels, Chevrolet offers rims as big as 19 inches in diameter, but we didn’t want to be too flashy. Of course, because we are Top Speed, Chevy made sure we tested the 3.0 Liter direct injected V6 that makes 264 HP and 222 lb-ft of torque version that is still able to get 17 MPG in the city and 24 MPG on the highway.
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The 2010 Jaguar XFR is simply the best sports car value on the market today. Don’t be fooled by the vehicle’s four door appearance because this factory tuned hot rod is anything but an ordinary sports sedan. The vehicle offers unmatched levels of performance, style and luxury. Staring off, the car’s 5.0 Liter supercharged V8 that pumps out 510 HP allowing the XFR to rocket to 60 MPH from a standstill in just 4.7 seconds. Next our XFR’s Aero Performance Design bodywork is covered in a very attractive Indigo Blue metallic paint and is made to look even better with the large 20 inch Nevis wheels. Finally the interior has been crafted with unique R soft grain leather and suede, materials you won’t even find in a Bentley, and it is all priced at only $80,000.
We thoroughly enjoyed our opportunity to get to know the XFR intimately, just being behind the wheel made our test editors giddy with excitement. Just knowing that there is so much power at your disposal is enough to put a grin on any gear head’s face. The XFR is an incredible performance machine that is capable of mind numbing speeds while still maintainging the elegance and presence that comes standard with any Jaguar. In our opinion the XFR is a steal, in order to find this level of performance, style and luxury prepare to spend a bit more than $100,000.
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We have recently received a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro RS into the Top Speed test fleet, although this isn’t the 426 HP hire breathing SS model, the RS package adds true muscle car styling to the green pony car. That is because like the high horsepower model, this V6 powered Camaro is capable of getting as much as 29 MPG on the highway, not bad considering that the direct injected gasoline engine is still able to put out 300 HP. We are not disappointed having the entry level mill, because after all this is still an all new 2010 Camaro.
Back when we spoke with the car’s lead Exterior Designer Luciano Nakamura, he assured us that this is not a retro 1969 Camaro, but instead a 21st century muscle car inspired by the classic bow tie wearing pony car. However the inside is quite a different story, everything from the flat rimmed steering wheel to the four pack of accessory gauges the Camaro has a 1960s Americana feel. The seats are wrapped in an attractive two tone leather scheme and a uniform stitching ties everything that is upholstered together. There is also an AM/FM/XM radio with in dash CD player and USB input inside of the center console for all of your MP3 player needs.
What sets the RS apart from regular six cylinder Camaros are a set of these staggered monolithic 20 inch five spoke rims that come on the V8 powered car complete with the sticky Pirelli P ZERO tires measuring as wide as 275 mm in the back. Up front the RS is identifiable by the halo ring HID headlamps that also come standard on the SS. Aside from the special RS badges the only other thing that differentiates this well equipped $31,530 Camaro from the base model is the aggressive spoiler that sits on top of the rear boot lid.
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We recently received a 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring into the Top Speed test fleet. Starting at only $17,800 this Vivid Blue beauty is easily one of the most stylish Korean cars we have seen in a while. The front end is made up of aggressive curves that create sharp lines that keep your eyes glued to the little five door hatchback. Not only is the body attractive but also tasteful thanks to the vehicle’s design team using just the right amount of chrome trim to dress up the car without making it look gaudy. We especially love the $1,500 Premium Sports Package that includes a set of 17 inch, dual finish rims. In theory it sounds like a very tacky item, but the Elantra is able to pull it off well, quite possibly because of that blue body.
Inside the Elantra, the Premium Package benefits s----over in the form of a power sunroof and heated seats, which is interesting considering that they are still wrapped in cloth. One thing that is impressive about the interior of the Elantra Touring is that despite the vehicle’s rather small footprint it is extremely spacious on the inside. The audio serves up tunes in the form of AM/FM/XM radio with an in dash CD player and a very convenient AUX input for any MP3 storage device that you may own. The trunk offers a hidden shelf underneath the floor and plenty of storage with the back seats up and a whole lot more when they are down.
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The Pontiac G8 GXP is a tremendous performance bargain, built with the best parts from the GM parts bin; the GXP offers owners quite possibly the best fun/dollar ratio on the market. It comes complete with a 19 inch Cadillac CTS-V inspired wheel and brake package as well as an LS3 V8 from a Chevrolet Corvette sending 415 HP to the rear wheels via an optional six-speed manual and a very racy limited slip differential. This is all good for a quarter mile time of 13 seconds flat at 108 MPH and a 0 to 60 MPH time of, with the luxury of four doors.
There was once a Car and Driver comparison with a subtitle that read: Dundee and Goliath: A dark knight from Down Under rattles the BMW M5, and you’ll never guess who builds it. The car that author Aaron Robinson was comparing with the luxury performance sedan back in 2001 was the Holden Commodore HSV GTS R 300. Think Cadillac Catera body on top of an LS1 Corvette power train and whatever other special parts that GM had ad their disposal. At the end of the article, the BMW squeezed ahead thanks only to fit and finish, but the fun to drive award went to the Holden. This was even more astounding because the special edition HSV was selling for only a fraction of the pride of the M lineup.
Since the turn of the century General Motors has invested heavily in their rear wheel drive platform and imported another Australian V8 super car, the Holden Monaro based GTO with LS1 power. After the initial test run, Pontiac brought over the 21st century goat’s cousin, the Commodore, except it was more commonly known at the G8, which is a tremendous performance sedan. With the recent demise of the brand the Pontiac G8 could go the same way as the ill-fated GTO, but if that means no more GXP we are going to have to ask Obama for our bail out money back. It would be just like an American automaker to kill a $37,610 sedan that makes a BMW M5 seem ridiculously overpriced. GM is offering a $3,500 cash incentive on all variations of the G8 Sedan.
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