|
About Me
Isn't this meadow soothing? Let's pave a road through it! I'm James Riswick and these are my random thoughts published daily. Recent Posts
Categories
Links
CarSpace Thoughts from the CurbCar Reviews, News and Random Thoughts from Edmunds.com Automotive Editor James Riswick Sep 17, 2008 - 2010 Saab 9-4X : A Sign of Better Times?
Man, this leaked image shows that the 2010 Saab 9-4X is one sharp-looking SUV. If it drives as good as it looks and the interior looks as good as the exterior does, Saab could finally be coming out of its decade-long rut. I really like Saabs, but it's nearly impossible to make a case for them. Here's hoping the 9-4X changes all that. -James Riswick
Sep 16, 2008 - Countdown to Bond: The Living Daylights Aston Vantage
"The Living Daylights" is a big deal for a number of reasons. It was the first Bond movie not to star Roger Moore in seven films and 14 years. It therefore was Timothy Dalton's first appearance as 007, a last-second replacement for Pierce Brosnan. It was a return to a more serious, literary-style Bond rendition. It has an apt connection with today as Bond allies with Afghan mujahadeen rebels against a rogue Russian general. It's a great movie. It was also the return of Bond's original car brand -- Aston Martin -- as well as a Q car. Bond's Aston Martin V8 Vantage is arguably a more formidable automotive weapon than its DB5 ancestor. It has a rocket booster, outrigger skis, hub-mounted lasers, heat-seeking missiles, bulletproof windows and retracting tire studs (picture here). It also has the amazing ability to be "winterized" -- where the Aston Martin V8 Volante (badged Vantage) is magically transformed by Q's workshop into a Vantage coupe. This is obviously impossible, especially given the C pillars, but whatever. Bond did drive a Gondola with wheels after all. Here's the end of the ice chase.
Sep 16, 2008 - 2011 Chevy Volt: Enough With the Gold Bowtie
Why does the Chevy bowtie have to gold? Up until very recently Chevy used a whole heap of different logo variations: it was silver, or blue with a silver outline, or a red outline of a bowtie. Or, it was a more subtle, silvery, metallic gold (which I greatly prefer to the yellow gold). There's two main issues I have with today's yellow bowtie. First, don't they know that yellow gold is a fashion faux pas? At least my girlfriend says so and her friend said she'd return her engagement ring if it showed up in yellow gold. Ouch. I say gold trim packages went out of automotive fashion in 1998 (don't tell grandpa in Palm Springs). In other words, it's tacky. Second, that big Goldfinger bowtie draws attention away from Chevy's new, attractive designs like the Malibu, Traverse and the 2011 Chevy Volt. It particularly hurts the Malibu's clean rear end, but it's awful on the Volt. This is GM's reach for the future, a potentially revolutionary product that could boldly bring the General back to the automotive forefront of bold technological advancement and move this country forward in the battle against foreign oil and global warming. The car says tomorrow, the badge says carpet salesman from 1984. I say all Chevy badges should be silver or chrome (and if gold is a must, the old subtle gold). At the moment, silver is both classic and modern. Sure, everyone else does it, but there's a reason for that -- it looks good. If they really wanted to do something futuristic, they could have done the badge in LEDs or fiberoptics or dilithium crystals or anything. Just not stupid yellow gold. -James Riswick
Sep 15, 2008 - 2009 Dodge Journey on a Journey to Las Vegas
Don't stop believin' that Chrysler can turn things around. Well, you can believe all you want but I have grave doubts after my second weekend in Dodge's new midsize family crossover, the 2009 Journey. This time I took the Journey on a journey to Las Vegas, precisely 549.2 miles there and back. On and in said Journey, things became quite clear. Like the Grand Caravan, the Journey offers the right size with a bunch of nifty features. Filling roughly the same footprint as a RAV4, there was more than enough room for three people plus some light luggage. Like the RAV, there's a third row seat, but it's useful only for children. The second row slides fore and aft, and reclines. It also features pop-up child boosters, although lacking a child, I didn't try those out. We did try out the second row under-floor cooler, though, along with the DVD entertainment system. The beverage cooler in the top glovebox didn't really cool my beverage, sadly. So, the Dodge Journey has things to offer. But like the Grand Caravan, the execution is horrible. OK, it's not as bad as the Caravan -- nothing broke or warped. But the interior is bad. The overall design looks like they gave the reigns to a car designer who had been lost on a desert island since 1991. The gauges look OK with little LED lights, but they're housed in a back to the future rectangular binnacle. The touchscreen "utunes" stereo interface is located next to your knee, below the climate controls. This is apparently because of a structural crossmember, but who cares? The placement is wrong. The materials are also wrong. Much of the dash features squishy soft plastic, but then the door tops and armrests are hard. The seats are also hard as rock and completely shapeless. And then there's the engine. My R/T tester came with the top-of-the-line, 3.5-liter V6 that produces 235 hp. The zero to 60 mph time is 9.2 seconds and it felt every bit as slow on the mountainous Vegas route. Typically, the transmission is too eager to get up to sixth gear, but at least Autostick was there to keep it in fifth. That didn't exactly help fuel economy, which is inevitably the Journey's killing blow. I averaged a mere 20.2 mpg on the journey (versus the 22.3 the trip computer was telling me), which is below the EPA estimate of 23 but I credit the difference to the terrain and traffic rather than my lead foot. However, if I'm going to get that type of fuel economy, I'd much rather drive our long-term Enclave or Flex that are much larger, much nicer and much more powerful, (Heck, I basically got the same mileage from the just-as-slow Honda Pilot, which is a helluva lot more comfortable.) Or, if I'm going to get that type of acceleration in a vehicle its size, I'd much rather drive a Honda CR-V that is more fuel efficient and better built. Needless to say, I don't like the Journey. A good idea here and there can't help sloppy execution everywhere. -James Riswick
Sep 12, 2008 - Scenes from the Curb: Coolest Licence Plate Ever
This is the real licence plate of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. The Northwest Territories has basically the same one. I've never actually seen one on a real car, but a boy can dream. -James Riswick
Sep 11, 2008 - Countdown to Bond: Ford LTD and Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud
"A View to a Kill" is the rare Bond movie where 007 assumes multiple aliases. As super wealthy race horse owner James St. John Smythe (prononuned Sin-Gin Smythe), Roger Moore is chauffered about in a 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. This car was actually the prized possesion of Bond producer Cubby Broccoli. Naturally, they used a lesser example when it came time for Grace Jones to push the Rolls into a lake with Bond aboard. As a side note, if you've seen that Mythbusters where Adam attempts to breath underwater using a car tire, they got the idea from this scene in "A View to a Kill." Later, as journalist James Stock, 007 drives a 1985 Ford LTD. And thus, the series reached a new low. Sure, that AMC Hornet was pretty lame, but it least it could do this. And that Citroen 2CV certainly sucks, but it was used ironically. The LTD is just lame beyond belief -- even if he's supposed to be a lowly journalist.
But I suppose this is fitting since "A View to a Kill" is pretty lame beyond belief. It has the coolest/creapiest on-screen couple ever thanks to bleached-blond Christopher Walken and amazonian Grace Jones. But the rest of the movie bounces back and forth between boring and just plain stupid. And thus, the Moore Bond car years are over (and I didn't even get to talk about the "Octopussy" company taxis). They're about to get a whole lot cooler. -James Riswick
Sep 9, 2008 - 2009 VW CC: Not a Coupe, But Very Good
As I said yesterday, the 2009 Volkswagen CC is not a coupe, as one of its C's declares. But they could call it chocolate pudding, it really wouldn't matter. What it is is another working class executive car: exquisitely made, sleekly styled, highly refined to drive and in 2.0T form, very fuel efficient. While the regular Passat got too big, too bloated and too expensive compared to its predecessor that served as a slight step up from your standard midsize family car, the CC's unique styling provides something decidedly different. The CC seems perfect for those who want something more premium and stylish than a topped out Accord or Mazda 6, but less ostentacious and less expensive than a luxury-badged car. I see myself falling into that category. Having said that, this only applies to the 2.0T trim level. My butt-o-meter calculated that the VR6 was not significantly quicker while the turbocharged four-cylinder managed to return around 30 mpg on my drive from Atlanta to Nashville today. Furthermore, the base model at around $27,000 is no stripper. It includes an eight-speaker stereo with aux-jack and six-CD changer, 12-way power front seats with driver memory, heated front seats, all auto/up down windows, 17-inch alloy wheels, leather-wrapped steering wheel and the most convincing leatherette upholstery I've ever come across. Cross stitched and available in contrasting colors, it's nicer than many leather interior (for instance, the Hyundai Sonata I just drove). If you throw on the luxury and technology packages, you're looking at a car similarly equipped to an Acura TSX and vastly more stylish and desireable. This car is a winner and I hope we'll add one to our long-term fleet. Does it hold your interest? -James Riswick
Sep 7, 2008 - 2009 VW Passat CC: When is a Coupe not a Coupe?
When is a coupe not a coupe? When it has four doors! Or especially when it looks like this! I'll make sure to let Volkswagen know when I drive the new 2009 Volkswagen Passat CC this week from Atlanta to Nashville. I'll give y'all a report on the CC in a special edition of Thoughts from the Curb on Tuesday. -James Riswick
Sep 5, 2008 - 2010 Honda Insight: Preparing for Roads Clogged With These
The first true Prius fighter is just around the corner. This is the 2010 Honda Insight (or rather, a lightly veiled concept version of it), an obvious Hondasized take on what people think a hybrid vehicle should look like. I think it looks pretty sharp, certainly much better than the Prius from the front. I'll be interested to see what sort of interior room this Insight has, because the Prius has loads of it and I've always contended that that's been vital to the Toyota's success. I'm also interested to see if I fit better in this Insight since the Prius is totally uncomforftable for any driver taller than 6 feet. But with this new hybrid-only, I have to prepare myself for roads clogged with Priuses and Insights. Although I fully support folks buying such hybrid, I can't stand driving around them. Since Prius drivers generally couldn't give a crap about driving (in true Toyota tradition), they're generally some of the slowest or inattentive or clueless or total space cadet drivers out there. There's also a few irate ones, which is always weird, since driving aggressively is clearly at odds with the car's mission. Any way, there always seems to be a Prius in my way, especially on my quasi-daily test drives through Topanga Canyon. Nothing like getting stuck going 35 on an awesome road -- "Oh no, I'm feeling some G force! Better hit the brakes." or "Oh that sign says take this corner at 35, better do it at 30 just to be safe." I think it's a pretty safe bet that the cheaper Insight is going to be a big hit. That's certainly good for technological advancement and the environment, but bad for me. Let's call it a push. -James Riswick
Sep 2, 2008 - Countdown to Bond: Citroen 2CV For Your Eyes Only
In 1981 James Bond literally needed to come back down to Earth. Like "You Only Live Twice" before it and "Die Another Day" after it, "Moonraker" took 007 to such outlandish heights, the producers knew there would be no way to top it. So, they went back to the books. While there was no similar novel adventure as the film "For Your Eyes Only," the tone was much more in line with Ian Fleming's Bond adventures. There would be few gadgets, the mission would be realistic and the characters were smugglers and Communist traitors, not master villains in space. Nothing exemplifies this new direction better than the below scene. Bond grabs the girl and leads her to his white Lotus, gearing the audience up for the type of high-speed histrionics they saw in "Spy Who Loved Me." Instead, a baddy tries to break into the Esprit and it explodes. Bond's gadget-filled car is gone, now he must rely on the girl's. To his chagrin, it's this yellow Citroen 2CV (aka Deux Cheveux). A great gag to be sure, but it shows that this time around, Bond needs to use his wits, not his gadgets. It's a fun scene, and although "For Your Eyes Only" features a pair of Lotus Esprits, including this ski-adorned one, the little Deux Cheveux steals the show.
|
