We’ve seen Jaguar’s modern day interpretation of the classic E-type sports car before, and although it looked a lot like the latest member of the Top Speed test fleet, she was a feline of a completely different nature. That is because our Liquid Silver Jaguar XK convertible is powered by the now Indian automaker’s all new 5.0 Liter V8 that makes a total of 385 HP and 380 lb-ft of torque propelling the drop top sports coupe from 0 to 60 MPH in only 5.2 seconds while returning as much as 22 MPG on the highway.
Whereas last year’s model felt a bit tame; the new XK, even in naturally aspirated form, is packing enough power under the hood to satisfy more than a few desperate housewives. Much of the 2010 XK’s exterior remains the same, the only update for the new year are a pair of thin slits that serve as air intakes on either side of the front bumper as opposed to the previous model’s round fog lights while the new car’s lower air dam has been squared off with a few 90 degree angles. Starting up front the Jaguar’s familiar fish eye headlights frame the E-Type inspired retro round opening in the front bumper and the XK’s blistered wheel arches house a set of multi spoke Caravela alloys measuring 19 inches in diameter. While out back our feline retains its familiar round rear end.
On the inside the Jaguar XK is finished like a fine English sports car. Pieced together with high quality materials ranging from Burl Walnut veneer to the polished aluminum cup holders and seat controls, suede on the A pillar and soft Ivory/Oyster leather that covers the seats, dash and door panels. Every item that you can touch takes the XK one step beyond what you would expect from ordinary automobiles. One fun touch for driving enthusiasts is that the perforated leather wrapped front seats have multiple power adjustments, allowing the driver to inflate a pair of adjustable hip bolsters that inflate to keep them in place during spirited driving. On the other hand our XK came with the same complicated touch screen navigation system that controls everything from climate control to the satellite radio. At an even $89,000 our 2010 XK is a perfect example of just how luxurious a base model Jaguar can be.
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While Chevrolet is still setting the stage for the future of battery powered vehicles with the Volt, the Japanese automaker Nissan has been perfecting the art of the electric car for over 60 years now and their all new LEAF BEV is just about ready to roll off the assembly line in order to become the first mass market affordable electric car. As part of the Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour, the hamburger brand brought their Aqua globe show car from Detroit all the way down to Orlando where we got a chance to get up close and personal with it and a ride behind the wheel of the user friendly test mule that features all of the parts that make it work. Nissan has been investing heavily in the advancement of lithium ion technology ever since they teamed up with NEC to produce revolutionary hybrid battery packs that produce nearly twice the energy density compared to traditional units which mean they will last longer with a much more potent charge that have powered everything from fictional animatronics dinosaurs in Jurassic Park to texting teenager’s cell phones in Japan’s Shibuya district.
The LEAF is about as green as a new car can get, not only does it lack a tailpipe to emit harmful emissions, but the seats were made from recycled plastic bottles and even the tire supplier was chosen because of their diminutive carbon footprint. Despite being an electric car with a compact electric motor in place of an internal combustion engine under the hood, Nissan has chosen to keep with the traditional two box layout, albeit quite curvaceous and a bit wide in the back. Nissan chosen to set the LEAF apart from the rest of the lineup with a variety of blue anodized emblems and Zero emissions logos. The LEAF offers room for five and lots of cargo thanks to the ultra low shelf in the trunk, and even fully loaded, the additional weight won’t compromise the LEAF’s range. Speaking of distances, Nissan expects that their new electric vehicle will be able to travel up to 100 miles between charges, more than enough for the average daily commute, and reach a 90 MPH top speed, making it more than adequate for highway use.
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The fifth generation Legacy has undergone a complete restyling for 2010 and our Azurite Blue Pearl 2.5 GT features a bold new design that features a larger one bar grill and a set of Subaru’s new hawk eye headlamps. On the outside, aside from the larger 18 inch wheels, the only thing that gives away the GT as a performance model is the functional hood scoop feeding fresh air across the turbocharged Legacy’s intercooler. The 2.5 GT wears the same bulging fenders as the rest of the lineup as well as their signature side skirts that jut out more than down, giving the Legacy a very wide and stable stance. The 2010 Legacy is a nod at the future of automobile design with its sweptback windshield and short trunk overhang that is more aerodynamic than the traditional three box shape.
Subaru considers their products to be premium automobiles, and it shows on the inside. Our Limited trim Legacy came with a very attractive leather wrapped steering wheel as well as supple seats and a dash adorned with sophisticated wood trim that carries over into the door cards. The 2010 Legacy has been completely redesigned in the interest of a roomier interior and the new car is the most spacious and luxurious Subaru sedan to date. Being the sportiest member of the Legacy lineup, the 2.5 GT is powered by a turbocharged version of Subaru’s 2.5 Liter flat four making 265 HP mated to a six speed manual gearbox and is good for a 0 to 60 MPH sprint of only 5.9 seconds.
Legacy fans will be glad to know that Subaru is taking the car road racing in the Japanese Super GT series as a GT300 race car competitor, and once you have a look at the flared four door, you will never look at the new Legacy the same way again. Starting a just under $30,000 our Limited model benefited from a $3,000 power moonroof and navigation system that brought our 2.5 GT’s asking price up to $34,146; not a bad price to pay for so much all wheel drive machine.
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The Mercedes Benz GLK is the German automaker’s entry into the compact crossover segment and with its swept back two box body, the new CUV is clearly derived from the rugged G Wagen, offering the same bold features that made the mighty Geländewagen so popular, except in a much smaller package. We joked about how our Mars Red GLK 350 looks like a red hot roller skate with its optional oversized 20 inch alloys pushed to the far corners of its chassis, but the GLK is certainly nothing to laugh about. The GLK offers new car shoppers a luxurious option when looking to buy into this new segment. Despite its compact nature, our out of this world GLK has styling to spare and is a welcome addition to the Mercedes Benzlineup. The GLK’s size not only makes it easy to park, but also quite maneuverable in traffic and combined with the safety of 6 airbags, makes it a great choice for new car buyers.
The inside of our GLK 350 features an Almond/Black Leather interior along with the Full Leather Seating Package that, as the name suggests, includes cow hide derived upholstery and a leather wrapped multifunction steering wheel as well as elegant Burl Walnut trim to go along with the standard brushed aluminum pieces. The infotainment system is made up of a Harman/Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system that will play everything from MP3s being stored on an iPod to Sirius Satellite radio as well as a hard drive based navigation system and a 7 inch LCD screen to let the driver in on all that is going on.
The GLK 350 is powered by a 3.5 Liter V6 sending 268 HP straight to the rear wheels through a seven speed automatic transmission allows the GLK to accelerate smoothly and get an estimated 16 MPG in the city and as much as 22 MPG on the highway. This sporty red GLK is a more affordable alternative than the last one we saw, especially when you consider the $3,150 Premium Package that includes just about power everything at a savings of over $1,200 if purchased separately. Tack on a very reasonable $970 for the brushed roof rails and plus sized wheel and tires amongst a few other items, this $34,600 GLK added up to a nicely equipped $45,645 premium CUV.
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The American automaker Chrylser is accredited with the invention of the minivan back in the 1980s, however in an ever changing world of economy conscious consumers they are blazing a new trail with the more compact crossover utility vehicle offering the practicality of a wagon with the looks of an SUV and the ride of a car thanks to the crossover’s unibody underpinnings. The Dodge Journey is Chrysler’s latest addition to the CUV segment and our Deep Water Blue Pearl people mover came with all of the familiar features that define the crossover as well as a few unique touches that we think no soccer mom should go without.
After all that is what the Journey is all about, to provide consumers with practical transportation that can carry an entire extended family and all their stuff with a smaller footprint than the now frowned upon sport utility vehicle. For most CUV shoppers, third row seating is a must, and the Journey certainly delivers. Offering room for up to seven our bright blue crossover came complete with a host of high tech creature comforts like an infotainment system that brings everything from a large LCD navigation display to an in dash DVD player with SIRIUS Backseat TV, flip down 8 inch monitor and wireless headphones to ensure that mommy and daddy can enjoy the drive undisturbed as well as quite a few clever chilled storage compartments including a pair of in floor coolers.
The Dodge Journey clearly shares a resemblance to its minivan predecessors continuing the classic two box shape and crossbar grill but adds a bit of flair with a pair of headlamps that sweep back into the front fenders and a set of bulging arches at all four corners. Our Journey’s chrome clad wheels, measuring a rather large 19 inches in diameter, made the blue pear paint pop while the roof line tapered back creating a sort of tear drop effect making it look like a much more dynamic vehicle. Our car came with the optional 3.5 Liter V6 that pumps out 235 HP and gets and estimated 16 MPG around town and as much as 23 MPG on the highway. Starting off at $23,925 and our extremely well equipped Journey SXT is optioned all the way up to $33,375 and the fact that it has been awarded consecutive Top Safety Pick honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety makes the Journey an excellent choice for the family on the go.
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When we first received the Toyota Highlander into the Top Speed test fleet we immediately noticed just how big the Salsa Red Pearl crossover from Japan really is. Even our base model Highlander came rather well equipped, and is the perfect new car for a growing family on a budget. The Highlander that Toyota chose for us to drive is representative of the automaker’s high quality economical transportation options.
The CUV came with everything you need to get the job done, like third row seating and plenty of interior space to go along with the comfortable ride, minus a few of the pricey creature comforts that the segment has become synonymous with; keeping the new car’s price well in the affordable range. On the outside, everything about the Highlander is big, like the oversized grill and machined six spoke alloys measuring 17 inches in diameter, giving the crossover a more powerful presence rather than a playful persona, unlike the majority of the CUV field. Meanwhile the interior is spacious and wrapped in cloth continuing the cost effective crossover theme.
Although Toyota offers both V6 and Hybrid equipped Highlanders, under the hood our car came equipped with a rather large 2.7 Liter VVT-i four cylinder engine cranking out 187 HP and a gas sipping six speed automatic transmission that is good for 20 MPG in the city and as much as 27 MPG at highway speeds. The package is more than enough to scoot the nearly two ton crossover around town comfortably, all for under $26,000.
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The Dodge Avenger is certainly a vehicle that makes you reevaluate the entry level car market. Starting out at $21,500 the four door mini Charger may seem like a good deal, however after checking enough option boxes to make it a V6 powered Official Passenger Car of NASCAR complete with navigation and a set of stylish 18 inch wheels just like our fully loaded 2009 Avenger SXT, the price creeps up pretty close to the $30,000 mark. The Dodge Avenger is the smallest sedan in the Chrysler lineup and because of that it carries a few styling cues from its larger four door brother, the bold faced Charger, with touches like a squared off front end and bulging fender flares and a solid looking rear end.
Covered in a beautiful coat of Deep Water Blue Pearl paint our Avenger SXT came equipped with stain resistant cloth seats and a 2.7 Liter six cylinder engine mated to a four speed automatic transmission that made 187 HP while returning an estimated 19 MPG around town and as much as 27 MPG on the highway. Heavily optioned with features like a power everything including a sunroof, Chrysler’s Uconnect GPS with Sirius satellite radio, remote start and a cup holder that can either cool or warm its contents depending on what you wish, not to mention the $740 destination charge; a well equipped Avenger like this one will set you back a total of $27,955. Quite a bit more then you would expect to pay for Dodge’s smallest offering.
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This metallic Palladium Silver 2010 E350 is the perfect example of what Mercedes Benz has to offer for their entry level mid size customer who doesn’t want to trade in all the fun stuff that comes with a luxury limousine for the shorter wheelbase. Starting at around $48,000 our E350 came equipped with a sensible power package along with every creature comfort and electronic safety amenity that the German engineers could pack in, this all new redesigned Mercedes E-Class features almost every luxury that Mercedes can offer for around $60,000. With options like KEYLESS GO and DISTRONIC PLUS with PRE-SAFE, Mercedes Benz is sure that new car owners will have more gadgets then they know what to do with and enough to never get bored.
The German automaker Mercedes Benz has given their full size luxury offering a complete makeover for the 2010 model year. Gone are the old E-Class’s round headlamps and oversized wraparound taillights, in their place the Mercedes Benz design team has come up with a set of stretched out illuminated elements both front and back that completely changes the visual appeal of the new car while remaining unmistakably an E-Class. At the same time Mercedes Benz’s marketing department has managed to slash almost $5,000 from the new car’s price tag compared to last year’s model.
Even though the E Class lineup has grown to include everything from coupes and convertibles all the way up to an AMG tuned powerhouse, this 2010 E350 with its 3.5 Liter V6 making 268 HP and 258 lb-ft of torque under the hood; all new light clusters, LED driving lights and stylish 17 inch split five spoke wheels on the outside as well as the supple Ash Leather wrapped massaging driver’s seat and Burl Walnut trim on the inside is the most well rounded of the bunch. Offering a practical four door five passenger layout with plenty of storage space in the trunk, our test car also benefits from being one of the most economical of the group consuming an estimated 18 MPG around town and as much as 26 MPG on the highway. While we might have asked Santa for an E63, this is the 2010 E Class that your mother will most likely be seen in.
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The 2009 Dodge Caliber SRT-4 is a bona fide mini muscle car and it is looking as good as ever. The Mopar engineers have done an excellent job transforming the this plus sized traditional two box hatch into an extremely aggressive pavement pounder. This Bright Silver Metallic clear coat SRT-4 differentiates itself from standard Calibers thanks to a very stylish body kit consisting of everything from a big mouth front bumper and vented hood all the way to an oversized spoiler and 19 inch rims on the outside while the interior benefits from bits like sport buckets and an Autometer boost gauge so that you can keep tabs on what the go fast compressor is doing.
The heart of any true muscle car is the power plant, and the SRT-4 won’t disappoint horsepower junkies. The 2.4 Liter turbocharged four cylinder offers plenty of torque due to its rather large displacement while the hairdryer under the hood ensures that you will have fun all the way to redline at 13 PSI. The mill is good for a total of 285 HP and 265 lb-ft of torque and will accelerate the SRT-4 from 0 to 60 MPH in a mere 5.4 seconds and complete the standing quarter mile in 14.4 ticks at a very fast 103 MPH, all while returning 19 MPG around town and as many as 27 MPG while cruising at highway speeds with the turbo singing.
Starting at $25,470 the Dodge Caliber SRT-4 is very well styled, from the vents in the hood to the diffuser out back this car had enough show to match the 285 HP worth of go and proved to be one of the best examples of affordable speed on the market today and despite consumers leanign towards fuel economy over fun for their new car purchases we just hope that Mopar continues to do what they do best by sticking SRT badges on Chrysler’s compacts.
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Lexus has just left us their brand new 2010 HS 250h compact gas/electric luxury sedan. This premium compact hybrid from across the Pacific looks like nothing else you have ever seen from a four wheeled machine, it looks as if someone took a Camry and made it look cool. The HS line is an interesting move, unveiled at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, it is made up exclusively of HS 250 h model, thus becoming an alternatively powered range of vehicles.
From the sound of things, and trust us it will be quiet, Lexus has no plans of expanding to gas guzzlers. It is almost like how most crossovers have the letter X hidden away somewhere in their name, the fuel efficient Japanese automaker is striking their point home with this one. While the name, and while the car’s proper name is Harmonious Sedan we’re thinking hybrid. The heart of the beast is a very green 2.4 Liter 16 Valve DOHC four cylinder with VVT-i coupled with a Lexus Hybrid Drive electric drive motor mated to a gas sipping Electronically Controlled Variable Transmission, all together the 21st century power train puts out 147 HP and 105 lb-ft of torque which should be good for 35 MPG around town and 34 MPG on the highway.
From the looks of things our HS is short on options but comes with everything necessary to spoil it’s owner, creature comforts like a push button starter, power everything, a spacious leather wrapped interior, satellite fed hard drive based navigation complete with backup camera displayed on a neat little screen that tucks itself away when not in use. Outside you get a distinctly hybrid looking vehicle with a visually appealing aggressive edge; wearing a bold three bar grill, stylish 18 inch wheels and a sporty little rear spoiler all for well under $40,000.
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