Subaru Legacy Hits the Middle of the Note

First, apologies for the blank blog.  I couldn't bear to check my horoscope yesterday because it was such a grim day weatherwise and I was feeling punk.  It is clear that I was in a fog when I sent out a headline.

Now to the Legacy: My singing teacher, the amazing Amanda Boyd (www.amandaboyd.com), has instructed me to get out of my throat when I am singing high notes and to place the sound over my eyebrows.  Using that imagery, a singer is more likely to strike directly into the middle of the note.  As I was driving the Legacy last weekend, I thought this car consistently hits the middle of the note, whether you are cornering, accelerating or going straight.  It's a strong, positive feeling, straight on, not ever slightly flat or sharp.

When I asked Michael McHale, U.S. Director of Public Relations for Subaru why the company has grown so much--five straight years of year-over-year sales increases during a recession and a 26 percent increase in sales from 2011 to 2012--he said that the customer no longer had to compromise because they wanted Subaru's AWD, sturdily built, dependable vehicles.  They have a touch of glamour now.  They are roomier and the gas mileage is greatly improved.

I could not have guessed I was driving a four-cylinder.  Subaru's 2.5-liter horizontally opposed (Boxer) engine had the certainty of a six.  (Horizontally-opposed refers to the placement of the pistons that lie flat on either side of the crankshaft--like in a box as opposed to being vertical.)  It is paired with standard all-wheel drive, continuously variable transmission, delivering better fuel economy at a combined 27 mpg.  All-wheel drive typically has unremarkable fuel economy because it adds weight to vehicles and in its mechanization uses more fuel.

The 2013 Subaru Legacy is a five-passenger sedan offered in six trim levels: 2.5i, 2.5i Premium, 2.5i Limited, 3.6R, 3.6R Premium and 3.6R Limited.

My 2.5i Limited came with foglamps, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear seat air-conditioning, leather upholstery and wood trim, a four-way power passenger seat, the contents of the All-Weather package, an upgraded gauge cluster and the Harman Kardon sound system, which I loved.

Options for the Limited include a sunroof, the EyeSight driver assist system and a navigation system that includes a touchscreen interface, voice controls, a rearview camera and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Cost for my model with options was $30,977 including delivery.  That's a hell of a package for $30K.

VW Jetta Hybrid

It's a hybrid!  No, it's a turbo!  No, wait, it's both!

Subtle.

VW’s Jetta Hybrid doesn’t broadcast itself as a hybrid except for the

moniker on the rear of the vehicle, so it’s easy to forget this Jetta is a hybrid. The 2013 VW Jetta Hybrid comes with a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder and a 20kW electric motor, a combination good for 170 hp and 184 pound-feet of torque. Power is fed to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission.

The electric motor alone can power the Jetta Hybrid for almost a mile at speeds up to 37 mph. VW says the Jetta Hybrid can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than 8.6 seconds.

According to the EPA, the Jetta Hybrid will return 42 mpg city/48 mpg highway and 45 mpg combined using required premium fuel.  At speed you wouldn’t know you’re in a hybrid Jetta unless you check your exceptional 45 mpg gas mileage at every stoplight.  The only other clue is when all goes quiet at stops.   When I took my foot off the brake, I noticed a slight lurching possibly caused by an enthusiastic electric motor.

Shift

I am reminded it’s a hybrid when I try to stuff many bags into the trunk—batteries take up a lot of space.  I get most of my belongings in the trunk with a bit of cramming.  Still it has 11.3 cubic feet of space in the trunk.

The cabin—including the back seat––is sedan roomy, again posing as a normal car and not a hybrid.  The driving dynamics feel dependable—it takes off from a stop brightly and corners well.  It comes with an excellent safety profile as one would expect from VW.

GirlDriver, USA really likes VW interiors, but the interior of the Jetta hybrid doesn’t have the sharpness of other VW models.  It was a little disappointing, more ordinary than VW’s usual executions. There's a lot of cost in mechanics of this car, which is probably why the interior is a little toned down from VW's usual.

It has a touchscreen stereo interface (standard in all SE and SEL models) and also a dial knob so you can choose how you want to access your tunes.

Base model starts at $24,995 and runs up to $31,180 MSRP.

Drifting with the Turbo Veloster

What is it about this 2013 Hyundai Veloster that makes me feel like I'm in one of those Japanese Drifting movies--Bakusou Drift R.   I'm not drifting––not speeding, not off the rails, as it were––but  the styling of this hatchback-son-of- Elantra and Accent coupling puts me in a drifting state of mind--in my imagination.

Bad photo of third door

I get a kick out the three doors (why not four?). The third is door on the passenger side and it makes the cramped back seat useable for groceries and packages.  The built-in cup holders between the back seats are clever.  Still I wouldn't want to be back there for very long.

My Veloster is powered by a 1.8 liter, 4 cylinder turbo engine that delivered 201 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque.  It's front wheel drive powertrain is paired with a 6-speed manual.  I'll take a manual any day over an automatic but I found the gearbox a little indefinite.  Others, who can't be implicated here, agreed.

I did get good gas mileage--about 30 combined. The heated seats bolstered the old back on my long drives.  I appreciate the Oreo cookie-sized  start button is smack in the center console.  I found the controls easy to operate.  Hyundai has its own version of connectivity in its vehicles, called bluelink that pairs your phone and has voice-activated features.

One of the coolest aspects of the car--and perhaps the reason I felt like I was in a drifting movie--was the paint job.  Matte finish steel gray.  Matte finish has been showing up on Mercedes AMG's and other premium cars for a few years now. But the Veloster is priced at $27,520, $1,000 of that is the paint.  But let's face it, we couldn't get ourselves into one of those drifting movies for $10,000. Not that we'd want to.  Although I admit I've been thinking about going to drifting school.

Other added features take the base price from $21,950 to the final price.  If you opt for a panoramic sunroof you're going to get the more expensive package and you have to order the sunroof to get navigation--huh? The car is well equipped for its base price and includes a big boy stereo.

The EPA fuel economy is 24 city/35 highway, 28 combined, which isn't going to win any contests but is acceptable if you love this car. And like I said, I got 30.

What Hyundai wanted to do with this car is make it a standout--something to bring car buyers into the showroom.  I hope it works for them.  They're doing a bang up job of making take-home vehicles.

The Bentley Everyday Driver

Road trip!

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A week ago, Monday at the Detroit Auto Show, Bentley had their press conference to unveil the gorgeous new Bentley GT Speed Convertible—the world’s fastest four-seat convertible.  Top-down touring, the new GT Speed offers mind-bending, twin-turbocharged, 6.0-liter W12 with 600 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, and goes from zero to 60 in 4.6 seconds while delivering a 15 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency. The close-ratio eight-speed transmission, retuned and lowered suspension and more responsive steering gives Bentley a performance edge in its rarified world.  It’s a performance beast with 21-inch wheels and detail honed to the max––not surprising considering it’s price and that its parent company is Volkswagen a company that has always been at the top of the automotive interiors game. Permanent all-wheel drive ensures optimum traction and power delivery whatever the road conditions. Bentley sales are up 22 percent over 2011.  They delivered 8,510 cars globally, 2, 315 in the U.S.

I was following along the description of the car in all of its craftsmanship and perfection while calculating the monthly payments on a (pricing and launch to be announced but let’s say $200,000+) car (Or I could just pay cash) when I heard Bentley Chairman and Chief Executive Dr Wolfgang Schreiber say that this was a car that functioned perfectly for everyday-driving.  My everyday driving is usually accompanied by deciding between Shoprite and Price Chopper because X brand is a few cents cheaper at one or the other.  But, I love irony.   So I tweeted the comment.

The next morning, I was grabbing a danish and cup of coffee before I began my ten-hour drive back to New York.  There was only one gentleman in the alcove at the time.  Fit, sandy-haired, a craggy-faced presence.   I asked him if he was here for the auto show.  “Yes,” he said in a British accent,” I’m here with Bentley."  I shared my skepticism about the everyday-driver business.

“It is an everyday driver,” he shot back. “I use my car for errands and around town.  And I’m not just saying that because I represent Bentley.  It’s a car that’s extremely capable and yet very easy to drive.”  He lives a mile or so from Goodwood, where Rolls Royce’s are built,  yet drives a Bentley.

I didn’t know who this man was, but I had the clear impression that he knew what he was talking about.  Duh.  I was talking to Derek Bell, the racing champion who has won LeMans five times, the Daytona 24 three times and the World Sportscar Championship twice.  His son, Justin Bell,  is also a race car driver.

“I’m sorry," I said,  "I should know who you are.”   “No you shouldn’t," he replied.   Isn’t that just bit different from today’s needy celebrities?  But what an appropriate response for someone who represents and classy, understated brand like Bentley.

Chevy Setting the Stage for its 2014 Corvette

Corvette Reveal at down at the heels Russell Industrial Center, corner of Clay and Chrysler Drive.  I love old industrial sites.

Legendary spy photograher Jim Dunne and I went over to some abandoned building in the City of Detroit last night where Chevrolet is setting the stage for tonight's reveal of the 2014 Corvette.  It's quite a dramatic setting and they have put the Corvette and Chevy logos up on several sides of the building in lights.  It's eerie and dramatic and the big industrial space will be wonderful for the reveal.
As a veteran prowler, Dunne drove over the yellow tape but we got caught on a high curb so backed out.  We saw Jennifer Cortez and Michael Albano, pr for Chevy, and chatted with them but they wouldn't let us see the car.  Well that cat's out of the bag anyway.  Road and Track has full out photos of the car in the latest issue so, duh, it's no big secret.  Who got that leak?  Are they getting a raise?   Doubtful.  In journalism we don't use the word "raise" anymore.  GirlDriver did not get the photos so I'll post them tomorrow. 

IMPA Test Day? Drive a bunch of cars around a racetrack day

IMPA stands for International Motor Press Association.  It's a club I belong to along with other reprobates and auto pr folks.  We have monthly meetings with good speakers from the industry and we have a couple of test days out of the city.  These are days when we go to Bear Mountain (In the spring) and the Monticello Raceway (In the fall) and the auto companies bring their latest models, line them up along the road and leave the keys in them.  We jump into the cars and high-tail it around the track and on the roads. 

Nissan 350 Z

These are a few of the cars I drove.   I drove the Rolls-Royce Phantom II Series.  Oleg Satanaovsky, the man in charge of the car rode along with me.  Tthe monroney (sales sheet) of the Phantom is a great read.  My favorite line is the one that lists the cost for the pen set you can get for the glove box.  It costs $5,575.00.  Oleg explained to me that in the middle east where Rolls sells a lot of cars, five grand isn't a lot for a pen.  People can't express their wealth in their dress, so they buy $100,000 pens and watches.  Makes sense to me!  Anyway, here are a few more things you can equip your vehicle with:  a humidor in the glove box for $4,050 (a steal!), a drinks cabinet for individual rear seats for $11,000 (don't be caught without one), picnic tables with glass and pen holder for $1,525 (well if you've already got the pen, hey!).  Just different and interesting, isn't it?

Sweet.  Yellow.  Camaro,

Love this car.

The hotel is next door to the Nevele and four of us autobabes tried to break in but we were caught by security.  Well, we weren't exactly undercover driving up to the gate in a Bentley and jumping the gate.  The Nevele is so ugly,  Remember those awful ads?  The security guard told us the place is going to become a casino,  Yuck.

I drove the Camaro and the Nissan 350Z.  I love those cars.  They're way too much fun to drive.  I want them in my five-car garage--another lifetime. 
By the way, the term high-tail comes from animals who raise their tails when fleeing.  If we'd just robbed a bank and we were driving the Camaro or the 350Z we would have to high-tail it out of town.  Likewise at Test Day some of us high-tail it around the track.  We wouldn't have to high-tail it out of town if we'd robbed the bank and we were driving the Phantom because no one would suspect us because we have an $11,000 drinks cabinet in the back seat.  Speaking of high-tailing, I got my wrist band pulled when I drove too fast around a corner and went off the track.  One gets their wristband removed if they appear to be driving wrecklessly.  I've never had my wristband pulled.  I was, I have to admit, pleased with myself in a way.  GirlDriver, USA and all.  I got it back because the wife of the guy who monitors the track was in the car with me.  She said, "Just look contrite."  I said, "That's harder than it sounds.  I haven't been to confession for a long, long time. 

Acura ILX -- Cool and Understated

If you met the Acura ILX in a bar, you wouldn't automatically walk up to it and say, "Wanna take a ride?"  And that would be your loss.

Indie Band Promotion for ILX.  It's a cool car.

Based on the ever popular Honda Civic, the Acura ILX compact sedan gets its premium boost from plenty of the luxe options and standard equipment that put it right into the "check it out" category. 

My ILX was powered by a 2.4 liter DOHC, 16-valve i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine that delivered 201 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque.  It was paired with a 6-speed manual and that combinations kept me very happy behind the wheel.  The ILX also comes in a base  model with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 150 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque paired with a five-speed automatic and a hybrid version  with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder  and  electric motor that delivers 111 hp and 127 lb-ft. 

Fuel economy on the premium ILX is 22 city/ 31 highway/ 25 combined, nothing earth shattering.

Nice interior.  You won't get tired of it.

The cost for my vehicle, which had leather-trimmed, heated sport seats, premium audio, satellite radio,  17" alloy wheels, all-season tires, an eight-way power driver's seat, multi-view rear camera, moon roof, Xenon headlights, fog lamps and heated power door mirrors was $30,095 including delivery charges.

The car was spirited and fun to drive.  It's got good looks although as mentioned previously, it doesn't broadcast its capabilities with showy design.  With this car I felt that was a good thing.  It kind of takes you by surprise.  Thumbs up.  Also look at Buick Verano, Mazda 3, BMW 3.