Disclaimer: I’m a Jeep man, but I totally
see why the LR4 exists & I like it.
Base Price:
$49,100
As Driven: $61,070
Engine: 5.0L
V8, 375hp
Transmission:
6 Speed Automatic
Curb Weight:
5,623 lbs.
Wheelbase:
113.6 in
MPG Rating:
12 city/ 17 hwy
This isn’t a
full review because I didn’t spend a huge amount of time with the LR4.I’ve got my fingers crossed that I get
invited to the next Aristocrat Motors drive down at Kansas Rocks Recreational
Area.*crosses fingers*
On & Off
Road Performance:
No one can
argue with Land Rover’s off-road performance.The LR4 was able to handle the off road course at Aristocrat Motors with
ease.The control settings to adjust the
ride height and the type of terrain you’re driving on are easy to use and
straight forward.It is a couple more
steps than other off roaders, but not overly complicated.
1. Use the rotary dial to select the
terrain.
2. Push the button to raise the ride
height to off road height.
3. Then shift to neutral and select low
range if you are going into rock crawl mode.For all other modes you can leave it in high range.
4. Drive where you want to go.
The LR4 can
handle itself off road, but once you get back on the road it rides supremely
well.It did help that most of the roads
we drove on were flat and smooth, but for the few bumps that there were; there
was no jostling or jolts felt in the passenger compartment.
Here’s a
video of the LR4 driving up and down Aristocrat’s off-road course.
The 2013
Land Rover LR4 is quite a machine.Please swing by Aristocrat Motors or contact Drew Frisbie for a test
drive.Make sure it isn’t wet and Drew
will let you run up and down the off road course!It’s not that the LR4 couldn’t do it in the
wet.It totally could.
The LR4
leaves a lasting impression with a gorgeous interior and a go anywhere
attitude.The mileage will slow you down
a little bit, but the 375 horsepower more than makes up for it.If you’re looking for style, capability, and
some utility; then go drive an LR4.
/Drive is a great network on Youtube. They've been away for a bit, but now they're back! They released a trailer of things to come and we already have a new episode of Tuned!
Check out BBi Autosport's "Project Nasty." I'm now shopping for an old 911. I won't pull the trigger on buying one, but shopping none the less.
Check out the rest of /Drive if you haven't yet. Great shows with guys who really love cars. I'm gonna go work on a super secret project that hopefully y'all (I'm allowed to use "y'all" once a post if I please.) will love! Cheers.
I was in
attendance for the debut of the 2013 Fusion at the North American International
Auto Show in Detroit last January.I’ve
waited over a year to drive this car and it was definitely worth the wait.
Base Price:
$23,830
As Driven:
$30,975
Engine: 1.6L
4 Cylinder EcoBoost (turbo-charged), 174 hp
Transmission:
6-Speed Automatic with Auto Start-Stop
Curb Weight:
3,427 lbs.
Wheelbase:
112.2 inches
MPG Rating:
23 city/ 36 highway
Interior:
The driver’s
area is surrounded by technology.Lots
of HD displays and touch sensitive areas on the center console.I like the look, but not the functionality.
The space in
the back seat is acceptable.The rear
legroom is listed at 38.3 inches, which isn’t the most in the segment.The amount of legroom in the Fusion is two
inches more than the Malibu and five inches more than the Accord.The space in the back made sure that my youngest
son wasn’t able to kick the back of my seat.I know eventually he will outgrow the space and I’ll be doomed, but I’m
still thankful for the space now.
The children
LATCH system was set further back into the seat.It frustrated me at first, but I found out
that it is one of the easiest setups I’ve used when it comes to getting the
kids’ car seats in and out.The ability
to latch the hook and the ease I was able to depress the latch to get it back
out was quite easy.Normally I end up
with at least one banged knuckle and three to five curse words.None of that took place in the Fusion.
I couldn’t
get the rear headrests out.The top of
the headrest hits the ceiling before the ends would clear the holes to take
them out.I’m sure there is a way to get
them out, but I became frustrated and didn’t take the time to actually figure
it out…My bad.
The trunk is
huge.The single stroller fit with
ease.The double stroller was a little
awkward through the opening, but once it was in, there was more than enough
room.
Exterior:
The old
Fusion was a good looking car.Today’s
Fusion is very good looking, almost gorgeous.It isn’t
“Angelina Jolie,” but more of “Eva Mendes;” curves in all the right places and a smile that kills.
I’m not ever
getting hired to write about cars or women again…
The backend
of Fusion is just as good looking as the front end (we’ll get there, don’t worry).The rear end is rounded with sharp edges.The tail lights add emphasis to the corners
with LED lights.I like the back end of
the Fusion, but not nearly as much as I like the front.
The front
end is all you need to see of the Fusion.This car shares some design language with Aston Martins.If the two were put side by side, there would
be no comparison.The Astons are
ridiculously gorgeous.The Fusion is
very good looking, but they are not in the same league.There are hints of Aston on the front end,
and this design is one that Ford has since adapted to the C-Max, Fiesta, Focus,
and a less-aggressive looking version on the Taurus.
The lines of
the Fusion are distinct.You will not
find a better looking sedan for the money in this segment.There is the Camry; snooze.The Accord; yawn.The Malibu with the same style tail lights as
when I was a kid in the late 80’s-early 90’s.Only the Charger has some really attractive styling.The Fusion is the best looking.Just look at NASCAR races now.The race cars actually look like the road
cars they’re styled after and the Ford is the best looking by far.Win on Sunday, sell on Monday can be a mantra
again.
Tech:
Rant first:
Please do not take away the analog buttons from the center stack of controls;
the media and climate control.I get
that My Ford Touch is touch screen and there has been enough negative things
said.I can adjust to My Ford Touch, but
making all of the analog buttons into touch sensitive areas on the dashboard is
infuriating.I would have to press everything,
except the power button on the radio (an actual button), multiple times.
There were times
when I had to press a button three to five times to get it to finally
work.The whole time glancing up and
down to make sure I didn’t plow through a turkey (the turkey population is way
up this year out here…).Technology for
the sake of technology is not progress.Please
leave some analog buttons.
Some of the
technology was awesome though.All four
windows were one touch Auto up/down.I
love that.It is a simple feature and
adds value to the car for me.I get
frustrated when a car has auto down, but not auto up windows.The Fusion has all four auto up/down and it
was great!
There is the
Active Park Assist (Automatic Parallel Parking), the Rearview camera, the
parking sensors, which tell you when you’re about to hit something or if there
is a car coming as you back out.All of
it was very helpful.I liked all of
this.I think that in the next five
years, the car will not need me at all to park.Just select the parking space on the monitor and the car will do the
rest.You won’t even get to shift or use
the accelerator.
My Ford
Touch is the same as before.I used the navigation
which was pretty straight forward and easy to use.The phone syncing is very simple.Both of my boys (4 and almost 2 years old)
loved being a part of all my phone calls as they would holler their "Hello's" from the back seat.
There were
times when the My Ford Touch got confused while playing songs from my
iPod.I was listening to “J!$z in my
Pants” by The Lonely Island.When I
switched to another song, the display continued to read “J!$z in my Pants” and
did so for the next four songs.The 12
year old in me thought it was hilarious.The adult was underwhelmed.This
happened a couple times with different songs and podcasts.It is something that I would expect from any
other form of technology and disconnecting the iPod and plugging it back in
helped.“Have you turned if off and on
again?”Always the first question asked
when getting technology help!
Performance:
The SE model
had the optional 1.6L 4 cylinder EcoBoost engine.This engine makes 174 horsepower and 184 ft.
lbs. of torque at 2,500 rpms.This is
why the Fusion felt the most athletic around 3,000 rpms.
There is a
trick to getting the best performance out of this car.You had to find the sweet spot for
acceleration.If you accelerated the
Fusion too quickly or not enough, then the transmission would feel confused and
unwilling.If you got it just right,
then the Fusion would feel athletic, light, and ready for anything.It’s all about balance.
The mpg
numbers have me a little worried.The
1.6L 4 cylinder should be getting some pretty good numbers.The weather was fairly warm and the humidity
levels were down, so I thought I’d get some great mileage from this car.I averaged 25.5 mpg over the whole week.That includes city, highway, idle, and the
Auto Start-Stop.Ford lists the 1.6L at,
using the Auto Start-Stop, 24 city, 37 highway, and 28 combined.Most days I would be around 27 for the
morning commute and then back down to 25 for the trip home.I think over 30 is achievable on the highway,
but I didn’t take any trips far enough away on the highway to see if that was
true.
The chassis
and suspension make the Fusion feel “grounded to the ground” to steal a line
from a Camry commercial.I took the
Fusion up my favorite curvy road and really gave it the business.The Fusion responded well.The torque coming in at 2,500 rpms means that
the car is ready to jump with one down shift.This was my favorite time with this car.
The torque
from the 1.6L engine is enough.It
measures 184 ft. lb. of torque at 2,500 rpms.The torque really helps the Fusion want to go.It seems ready to roll off the line.There is no hint of it being sluggish.When you get higher up the tachometer then
the 1.6L gets airy, light, and a little gutless.When you’re whipping the Fusion the
transmission shifts around 4,000 rpms, keeping you in the high area of the
torque curve.If you put it in S mode the
transmissions holds the gears longer, which make the car feel less athletic.
I have
history with this car.It’s the first
debut at an auto show I’ve ever seen in person.I’m not a major automotive journalist, but I do plan to play one on TV.This car is one of my “firsts.”I rarely forget a first and I will never
forget the 2013 Ford Fusion.It looks
soooo good.
I built my
own Fusion on Ford.com.I picked the
same engine; the 1.6L Ecoboost.I also
picked the 6 speed manual transmission.I have a feeling I would have to order the manual from the factory,
since this is America and only the car nerds want a manual anymore.The 1.6L is the only engine that comes with a
manual.I also switched to the 18”
Premium Painted Sport Wheels for $650.This package also gets me Eco Cloth seats made from 100% recyclable
materials.The hippie in me lives on,
for now…
The price
for my Fusion was $26,070, which is a lot, but not as expensive as my
tester.I didn’t click the package with
My Ford Touch…I like Sync, though, and
I really like the Fusion.Go drive one!
The brand
new 2014 Maserati Quattroporte made a stop in Kansas City.
The car is
ginormous.The new Quattroportes are six
inches longer than the old models.There
were two of the brand new Quattroportes in the Aristocrat Motors showroom and
they took up a lot of the space.The
Gran Turismo Sport and the two Gran Turismo convertibles were pushed to the
edges to make room for the Quattroportes.The cars are just that big.
From left to right: Gran Turismo Convertible, Gran Turismo Sport, and Gran Turismo Convertible.
The size of
the car means that there is room.Lots
of room.The Quattroporte will work in
America.We’re big, the roads are big,
and the Quattroportes are big.It’s the
trifecta of largeness.
There are
two options for engines.There is a twin
turbo V8 that produces a large amount of horsepower; 523 to be exact.The V8 cars will be rear wheel drive and
complete 0-60 in 4.6 seconds.That is as
fast as much smaller cars from the fairly recent past.There is also a twin turbo V6 engine that
makes 404 horsepower.The V6 car will
have optional Q4, which is Maserati’s all-wheel drive system.
Both engines
will come with 8 speed automatic transmissions.
The interior
is plush and comfortable.There is a
Business Man’s Special that only has two seats in the back seat.It might be called the executive edition. I should probably read the brochure.(insert wait time)
It is called
the 4 seat configuration.If it’s called
something else then the Internet and the Maserati brochure have failed us.
The rear
seat has entertainment screens and tray table options.The kids will be entertained and this way you can control your evil
minions on the move.“Launch the
missiles!”
The exterior
of the new car is still very Maserati.The lines around the front fenders and down the side are gorgeous.The rear end is shapely and functional, while
the front end is stately and aggressive at the same time.
It will be
awhile before production models hit KC.You
can’t configure a 2014 on Maserati’s website yet.Trust me, I tried.When the Quattroportes do get here though,
look out.They’re big enough to reverse
the rotation of the Earth, like Superman but with a mustache, arm hair, and an
Italian accent.
Thank you to
Aristocrat Motors for allowing me to come by and see the new Quattroportes in person.
I did not spend
a lot of time with the Cayman S, but it definitely left an impression.I’ve driven some sporty cars.Some were fast; Audi R8 V10 Spyder.Some were quick; Fiat 500 Abarth.Then there’s the 2014 Cayman S.
This car is
great.After my short time with it, the
only word I could come up with was, “Wow.”That’s it.No attempt at
eloquence.No searching for the perfect
twist of phrase or superfluous sentences to describe my feelings or emotions.Just, wow.
Interior:
The interior
is Porsche.There are buttons and lots
of them.But there are no buttons on the
steering wheel.There are two small
screens on the steering wheel to tell you when you’ve engaged, Sport, Sport
Plus, and Launch Control.The rest of
the wheel is free and clear of buttons, knobs, and dials.It’s like Porsche wanted you to use the wheel
for steering and to navigate their automobile without distraction.
The key and
the ignition are on the left hand side of the steering column.This is unusual to the American market where
the rest can be found on the right side.This is one of Porsche’s historical features.Just like how the 911 still has the engine
located at the back of the car, the left hand ignition has hung around
throughout Porsche’s lineage.
The left
hand start comes from Porsche’s days racing Le Mans.The drivers used to have to run to their
cars, get in, strap in, start the car, take off, and then race the rest of the
competition.By placing the ignition of
the other side Porsche was trying to free up milliseconds at the beginning of
the race, anything to get the drivers out on the track more quickly.So the left hand ignition has stuck around.
The
instrument cluster and gauges were easy to navigate and adjust settings.The navigation does not come up on the console
into between the driver and passenger seats.The map displays itself in the right one of the three circles that makes
up the gauges.This helps the driver by
letting them check the instrument console and not the screen in the middle of
the car which is located down out of the sight line.
There is no
back seat.The 6 cylinder engine is
located in front of the rear axle, behind the front seats, in the middle of the
car, and helps with perfect weight distribution.
Exterior:
The exterior
of the redesigned 2014 Cayman is gorgeous.From the lip spoiler at the back to the flowing curves of the wheel
wells to the aerodynamic stance that look fast while standing still.All of the lines look great.I like the looks of the Cayman more than the
911.I know that’s sacrilege, but it’s
true for me.The aggressive front end,
the xenon headlamps, the red brake calipers, the mid-engine design, the
aggressive exhaust, and the gorgeous curves all add up to inappropriate
advances by me towards this car.I really
like the look of it.
Tech:
There is
some tech in this car, but I didn’t play with it.The infortainment system is functional and
fairly straight forward, but there are some that say the whole system is
overpriced and useless.It serves a
purpose like most features in a modern car, but I don’t NEED it.The upgraded stereo is more of a want than a
need.
I did use
the hill start assist.It was a steep
incline.When I took my foot off the
brake, the car was stock still, until I applied the accelerator, then we were
back to being rockets.
The fuel
economy for the Cayman S is impressive for a sports car.The Cayman using Auto Start Stop technology
and “Coasting” technology to help save on fuel usage.“Coasting” means that the engine disconnects
from the PDK transmission while not accelerating.This means that the engine is not used to
slow down the car, so there is no force acting against the motion of the
vehicle other than air resistance.
The Auto
Start Stop feature turns off the engine when you come to a stop.This is a feature that works with the manual
and the automatic PDK transmissions.To
turn the car back on with the manual take your foot off the clutch.When it’s the PDK, you just have to take
your foot off the brake.By turning off
the engine, you save fuel.Coasting and
Auto Start Stop help the Cayman to achieve 20 mpg in the city and 28 on the
highway.That’s pretty good for a car
that bases its whole identity on performance and handling.
Performance:
The
performance is the best part of the Cayman S, other than the fact that you
would own a Porsche.The Cayman is
quick, fairly light, and comes with an optional 7 Speed PDK transmission.I love manuals, but spend the extra cash for
one of the greatest automatic transmissions.The PDK’s shifts are measured in milliseconds.
This Cayman
had the Sport Chrono package which means you get “Launch Control” and the PDK
gets the “motorsport-derived gearshift strategy.”If you do buy this package, promise me that
you will launch the car at least once a day, if not more.The Cayman S is not designed to be a garage
queen.With the PDK option and the Sport
Chrono package (the combined small price of $5,570) the car will do 0-60 in 4.4
seconds.The regular manual will do 4.7
seconds if you shift correctly and the PDK without the Sport Chrono will do 4.6
seconds.
The steering
was very proficient for getting me around the tight bends and helped me get
lined up for the next corner.I know
that it is electric power steering, but there were no major differences in the
aggressive city driving that I engaged in.
We drove without the Auto Start Stop.
This is a
car where the “Sport” and “Sport Plus” buttons actually do something.They tighten the suspension and change shift
patterns for the PDK, but all of those things add up to a dynamic street
car.
The 3.4L
horizontally opposed 6 cylinder aluminum engine makes 325 horsepower near the
top of the tachometer.The torque is 272
ft. lb. around half way up the tach.The
torque curve is consistent which makes the Cayman S feel very quick to the butt
dyno (where you use your butt to tell you how fast and how much torque a car
has.).
The Cayman S has a track top speed of
170ish…I’ve never had it on a track,
but would love to really let the Cayman fly.It wants to.Just add wings.
Please enjoy
the sound of the Cayman S starting and reving.
Overall, I
love the Cayman S.If I had $80,000
sitting around, then the Cayman S would be in my garage.There are a lot of cars that I would like to
have in my garage, but there is a spot for the Cayman.I would probably buy the 2.7L six cylinder
base Cayman over the S.It’s cheaper
with 50 less horsepower, but would still be a blast to drive around town.
Thank you to
Aristocrat Motors for allowing me to borrow the Cayman.Check out their website for information on
all of their brands.
