Friday 31 October 2014

2015 Dodge Charger Hellcat Review

Posted: 30 Oct 2014 05:00 PM PDT

Mike Schlee Oct. 31, 2014 Photos by Mike Schlee and Dodge

Someone upstairs has it in for the Hellcat. Maybe the demonic name draws scorn from the powers above, because for the second time in as many Hellcat lapping opportunities, it poured rain.

FAST FACTS

Engine: 6.2-liter Supercharged V8, 707 HP, 650 lb-ft.

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Fuel economy: Who cares?

Price: 2015 Charger SRT Hellcat starts at $64,990

First it was the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat this past summer in a thoroughly drenched Portland International Raceway and as I approached Summit Point Motorsports Park this week in the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, the clouds opened up and begin to douse the land.

I have no issue lapping in the rain and actually quite enjoy it as it teaches a lot more about car control at lower speeds. But I'm not there to drive an agile lightweight sports car. I'm sitting in an automotive Patriot missile. This is meanest Dodge Charger to ever obliterate rubber on American soil. Forget the Hemi and 440 Chargers of the 1960s, the 2015 SRT Hellcat will embarrass them in every possible performance measure.

Supercar Performance

Top speed is listed at an insane 204 MPH. The quarter mile has been NHRA-certified to take just 11.0 seconds. A 0-100-0 MPH run can be performed in less than 13 seconds. All of this from a vehicle that is equally at home taking a family and their luggage on a weeklong getaway as terrorizing the local drag strip. And the price? Just $64,990 after destination charges which is far cheaper than any of the German super-sedans.

At the heart of the SRT Hellcat is a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 that blasts 707 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. To prevent this engine from Hulk Smashing the driveline to pieces, a beefed up TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission has been installed, sending power to an upgraded rear differential and reinforced axles.

The Power and Sound of Glory

The numbers don't lie. Power in the Charger Hellcat is endless. The torque is insane. Hook up the rear tires on a standing launch and the Hellcat pounces forward with the noise and violence usually reserved for a purpose-built race car. I have never felt acceleration this intense in a rear-wheel drive production road car before.

To make sure everyone within 100 miles knows that this is indeed a Hellcat Charger, twin 2.75-inch, straight-through exhaust pipes emit a sound that will make any man, woman or child with octane coursing through their veins weak in the knees. At wide open throttle on the front straight of Summit Point, it sounds more like NASCAR qualifying than a pack of street legal family sedans roaring by.

Inside, the sounds of glorious supercharger whines mixed with V8 bellows from the exhaust are addictive. Wasting gas becomes a game as opposed to a concern because all I want to do is blip the throttle and let the 6.2-liter beast explode into a muscle car symphony at every opportunity. If freedom and liberty have a sound, this is it.

Not an Unwieldy Beast

Reigning in the massive string of ponies are upgrades to all other aspects of the SRT Hellcat's chassis. At 4,575 lbs., the Hellcat is more Andre the Giant than Floyd Mayweather Jr. when it comes to athletic responses. To stop this super heavyweight, a pair of 15.4-inch Brembo front rotors have been equipped, squeezed by six pistons calipers. Even in the rain, the instant bite and no-fade operation of these brakes are apparent.

Keeping body motions in control, all SRT models, including the Hellcat, feature adaptive shocks at all four corners. Although there are various programmable settings available through the SRT pages, I found the differences between the dampers settings less noticeable than the ones offered through the adjustable transmission, stability control and throttle mapping.

Unlike every other Charger model including the SRT 392, the SRT Hellcat ditches the electronic rear differential for a mechanical asymmetric limited slip to help prevent oversteer during heavy and/or trail braking. I found the lack of programmable steering that can be found in the SRT 392 to be odd. Whereas the 392 can be cycled through default, sport and track settings, the Hellcat steering feedback and effort is set to a singular mode somewhere between the sport and track steering of the 392.

Full Attention Required

Handling is better than I expected thanks in large part to grippy 275 mm high performance Pirelli tires fitted to all four corners. It's still a big heavy car that doesn't feature sports car balance, but for a large full-size sedan, the Charger Hellcat flowed through corners of Summit Point with surprising composure for a platform that can also be had as a rental-fleet special with a V6.

But full attention is required at all times. The tail-end will snap out under throttle and the car allows quite a bit of sideways fun even in the sport and track ESP settings. On the streets surrounding the racetrack, I found the Charger to be more tail happy in the rain than the six-speed manual Challenger Hellcat, which may be attributed to the Charger's longer wheelbase and downshift-happy automatic transmission. To combat the latter, I found driving the car using the paddle shifters was the best method to stop the transmission from downshifting and breaking the rear tires loose at ill-advised times, like mid-corner or when cresting a hill.

Style to Match the Substance

In case passersby can't figure out the Charger SRT Hellcat is special on sound and eye-blurring acceleration alone, there are a few visual clues. The Hellcat comes with a unique hood that adds a pair of heat extractors on either side of the standard SRT cold air scoop. A pair of 20-inch wheel packages are available with Hellcat-specific finishes. Unlike the Challenger, the intake to the eight-liter air box is hidden within the grille of the Charger instead of protruding from the center of a headlight.

Being a proper Hellcat, the Charger comes with two key fobs, one black and one red. The red key unlocks all 707 HP while the black key limits the fun to just 500 HP. If that's still too much fuel wasting horsepower, there is an eco-mode that official reduces the Charger Hellcat's power output to the amount of "Eco," whatever that means.

The Verdict

The Hellcat engine doesn't make much sense in this Charger, but who cares? It's such blatant overkill to shove 707 HP into a full-size sedan that I love it. This is a muscle car in the truest sense. Dodge has ignored modern car building conventions, flipped the middle finger to its competitors and made a car that looks, sounds and feels like America.

LOVE IT

Acceleration
Sound
Looks
Price

LEAVE IT

Could it be too much power?
Needs more rear tire
Gasoline addiction

Wednesday 29 October 2014

2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Review

2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Review
2014 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Review
2015 Porsche Macan S Review

2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Review

Posted: 28 Oct 2014 05:00 PM PDT

Mike Schlee Oct. 29, 2014 Photos by Mike Schlee

I fell into a common trap with the last few Jeep Wranglers I've tested by focusing on their continued refinement and improved on-road manners instead of their go-anywhere capability.

FAST FACTS

Engine: 3.6 L V6, 285 hp, 260 lb-ft.

Transmission: Five-Speed Automatic

Fuel economy: 17 MPG City, 20 MPG Highway, 17.2 MPG Observed

Price: Wrangler Unlimited starts at $27,390 after destination, $41,665 as tested for loaded Sahara model

Not this time.

I'm not going to discuss the Wrangler's wobbly steering, excessive wind noise or dive bar mechanical-bull-riding suspension. It's time to take the Jeep where it's meant to be: the mud.

When I told the folks at Jeep my plan, they asked me repeatedly to get it dirty. And instead of giving me an off-road special like the short-wheelbase Wrangler Rubicon, I got a long-wheelbase four-door 2015 Wrangler Unlimited Sahara to prove just how capable any Wrangler can be.

More spacious than a regular Wrangler, the monstrous Unlimited measures 173.4 inches in length, an increase of over 20 inches compared to the two-door model. Starting at a base price of $27,390 after destination charges the price jumps to $33,785 in Sahara trim. But my tester goes further.

After adding items like the Connectivity Group, Max Tow Package, heated front seats, automatic climate control, colored hardtop, Alpine sound system with navigation and a remote starter, the price jumped to $41,665. What do all these options have to do with off-roading? Not much, but it does make the Wrangler more comfortable when tackling the trails and the tow package does include shorter ratio 3.73 front and rear gears.

Starting Small

I had a seriously sketchy road in mind, but before I decide to start small and test the Wrangler's basics before jumping knee-deep into the muck.

First I went bombing through a grassy field. That's almost an insult to the Jeep because any vehicle could probably make it across, but not like this thing can.

There's a difference between surviving an excursion and relishing it. Fields can look smooth and flat, but they rarely are. Hidden in the green ground covering are pits, bumps and rocks.

Most vehicles will make it across a big open field, but the ride is unpleasant as the car bump stops, bottoms out and crashes over uneven surfaces. The Wrangler just laughs it off. As I cruise at 30 MPH over a dry unmaintained field, the Jeep's suspension delivers a smooth, controlled ride. In fact, the drive here is more pleasant than some of the surrounding broken pavement roads.

Time for a Workout

Next I took the Wrangler to a man-made moderate off-road course. Short in duration, the course is carved out of deep brush and is designed to test off-road prowess. First is a set of rollers set on a slight incline. Rollers are a series of metal tubes that freely roll within a frame. Think of them as industrialized versions of the bottle return rollers found at a local liquor stores or parcel rollers at shipping depots.

By placing both wheels from one side of the vehicle on these rollers, the side-to-side power distribution can be tested. If the vehicle lacks locking differentials or some form of a limited slip differential (LSD), the two wheels on the rollers will spin and the vehicle won't move. My Sahara did not feature the optional rear LSD or the locking differentials found in the Rubicon and Willys Wheeler models.

But thanks to modern traction control systems, by using the Jeep's brakes the Wrangler is able to send power to the wheels not on the rollers and advance forward. It's not the best off-road setup by any means, but it works in a pinch.

Ground Clearance and Suspension Travel

Next on the trail is a series of logs and man-made dirt mounds set strategically to test ground clearance and suspension travel. With the largest mounds measuring just over eight inches high, the Wrangler Sahara's 10.2-inch ground clearance is never really put to the test, but the suspension did get a thorough workout. The mound placement from side to side are perfectly located to try and upset the Jeep's suspension. Although the Wrangler was bouncing around on the course, it never slipped a tire, hesitated or tried to bump steer off the course.

Putting it all Together

There is a road that I've been meaning to test for years, but I've never had the right vehicle to do it. It's a dead-end with a posted warning that the surface is clay, the road is unmaintained and to use it at your own risk. Perfect.

I picked a day with steady rain that transformed the clay road into a greasy muck. Puddles are I can see puddles ahead, but have no idea how deep they are. Sliding the 4X4 transfer case into four-wheel high, I ease onto the throttle and begin. At best I'm a novice off-roader with minimal experience and little coaching. With a steady throttle at all times, I recall what I've been taught and react appropriately as the Wrangler slides back and forth through the goo.

I used all 10.2 inches of ground clearance at certain points because some of the ruts were roughly a foot deep. The Wrangler's differentials dragged through the sludge as the Bridgestone Dueler A/T tires clawed for traction. Mud flew everywhere and the road behind me looked like dual backhoes dug trenches, but the Wrangler soldiered on. Best of all, the Jeep is ready and willing to do it again and again.

The Verdict

Even if the Wrangler is more civilized than it used to be and now features a 285 HP 3.6-liter V6 that is shared with a family sedan and a minivan, it's still a purpose-built off-roader. Once you experience its go anywhere capability experienced, the urge to drive over everything is irresistible. Thankfully, it's more than willing to oblige.

LOVE IT

Off-road prowess
Space
Engine power

LEAVE IT

Price as tested
Fuel consumption
No standard locking differentials in Sahara trim

2014 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Review

Posted: 26 Oct 2014 05:00 PM PDT

Craig Cole Oct. 27, 2014 Photos by AutoGuide Staff. Video by AutoGuide Staff.

There's nothing quite like a Range Rover. These robust vehicles are purpose built to tackle some of the roughest terrain in the world, from fording monsoon-swelled rivers to trekking across the Ethiopian Highlands. About the only thing that can stop a driver in one of these rigs is an empty fuel tank.

FAST FACTS

Engine: 2.0-liter turbo, 240 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque.

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic.

Fuel Economy: 21 MPG city, 30 highway and 24 MPG combined.

Pricing: $63,715 as tested including $895 in destination fees.

But Range Rovers aren't just for grueling expeditions. They're also luxurious, with leather-clad interiors and more creature comforts than Buckingham Palace.

A Different Kind of Range Rover

The Evoque is a friendlier, more efficient Range Rover and unlike its bulky brethren it's perfectly at home in suburbia if not the jungles of Myanmar.

Still, it's got a premium cabin and dynamic styling all in a much more manageably sized package. The family resemblance is obvious but compared to the brand's namesake model it's much smaller. The Evoque is more than two feet shorter and around 1,200 pounds lighter than the new Range Rover.

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City Chic

Initially I didn't find this vehicle's interior all that impressive. It was overwhelmingly dark with black leather seats, anthracite-colored door panels and a dashboard so non-reflective it rivaled a creosote-choked chimney flu. But during my week with the Evoke its cabin grew on me, my appreciation blossoming like an English rose in spring.

The overall layout is simple and honest with a pleasingly symmetrical design. You get the impression that this vehicle isn't trying too hard; there are no swoopy surfaces or frivolous design flourishes, just straightforward forms and mostly easy-to-use controls.

Additionally, pretty much all of the materials are top-notch; soft, low-sheen plastics abound as does creamy leather. Contrast stitching helps brighten things a little, as does brushed-aluminum trim that tumbles down the center stack, spilling onto the console. An optional glass roof also brightens things considerably when the shade is fully retracted.

Helping with runs to Costco or Ikea, the Evoque's cargo hold offers up to 51 cubic feet of storage space with the back bench folded. That's about 20 fewer cubes than in a Honda CR-V.

Checkin' the Tech

One noteworthy feature of the Evoque's cabin is a rotary gear selector. When the engine is started it rises up from the lower control panel allowing you to select the direction you want to go; kill the power and it motors down again. Some may find this gimmicky but I thought it was pretty neat.

The Range Rover Evoque's electronics are bit behind the curve. For example, its navigation system is a little obtuse and can be challenging to operate. Also, the display in the meter cluster looks a few years out of date. Sure, it's a nice touch and offers a full spectrum of color (unlike some Hondas today) but it's pretty grainy. Even the backup camera is strangely implemented. The sensor is mounted off-center at the rear of the vehicle and as a result it provides a strangely off-kilter image when reversing.

And that camera is not just a high-tech nicety, it's totally necessary. The Evoque's dramatic exterior styling with a rising belt line and tapering roof severely impinges on the driver's sightlines. Rearward visibility is particularly challenged, but this is the price you pay for vanity.

Minor quibbles aside there is one aspect of the Evoque's cabin that I despise with the furor of a Pepsi executive trapped in Atlanta's World of Coca-Cola. During my evaluation the vehicle's front foot-wells became the target of my ire. First of all they're restrictively narrow. Then there's the dead pedal, which is awkwardly shaped and leaves no room for your toes. On top of all that there's a super-annoying structural support that runs under the front seats and greatly intrudes on foot space. This arrangement is terrible and frankly inexcusable in a luxury vehicle. Perhaps it won't bother you but it gets my dander up.

Mechanical Mayhem

Those restrictive foot-wells betray the Evoque's blue-collar, Blue Oval origins. It's actually built on a Ford architecture and not surprisingly that Dearborn influence continues elsewhere.

This vehicle is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. Sound familiar? It should because it's essentially Ford's EcoBoost four-banger that powers mainstream vehicles like the Focus ST or Explorer. In this application it puts out 240 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. Aside from a little choppiness at idle when the transmission is in drive the engine is as silky smooth as any other powerplant on the market today. It's really slick and pulls strongly, with one major caveat.

The biggest news with the Evoque for 2014 is what's bolted to the engine's bellhousing. It's now matched to a cutting-edge nine-speed automatic transmission. This gearbox replaces a six-speed unit, and how can you argue with a 50 percent increase in ratios?

Those advanced mechanicals result in notable fuel-economy numbers. The Evoque stickers at 21 MPG city and 30 on the highway. Combined it should average 24 MPG. These figures are bolstered by auto start/stop, which works very well. In a week of testing I averaged around 20 MPG.

Off-Road Ready

Admittedly the Evoque is more at home on the road that it is playing in mud, but like other models in the company's lineup it's ready to get dirty, if it has to. Given its front-wheel-drive bias this vehicle is not as hardcore as a proper Range Rover, but ensuring the Evoque can handle adverse conditions its standard four-wheel drive and Terrain Response systems are at the ready.

Drivers have a variety of modes to choose from including dedicated settings for sand, snow and mud. These are easily accessible by a pair of buttons on the center console. But we wonder whether a suburbia mode might be an appropriate addition or perhaps a setting that allows you to park in handicapped spaces even if you're not disabled.

Options Boxes

Giving customers some welcome choice, Range Rover builds two versions of the Evoque. You can get a five-door model, which pretty much resembles a traditional crossover of if you're a sporty type you can acquire one with just three doors. These look particularly striking especially when riding on large wheels.

Base price for a five-door model is around $42,025, including $895 for delivery, but our tester was dressed with a passel of expensive options that ballooned its sticker to $63,715. Extras that padded the price tag included the Dynamic Premium Package, which cost a whopping $15,200. Of course it included a huge number of desirable features including heated front and rear seats, adaptive xenon headlamps, 20-inch rims, a Meridian sound system and much more. Beyond this our test-model also had adaptive cruise control ($1,295), a black roof ($650) and a custom paint color ($950), a striking coppery hue called Zanzibar.

On-Road Manners

Driving the Evoque in its natural habitat (read: on road) reveals that it's an altogether competent luxury crossover. Its steering ratio is surprisingly quick, which gives it an agile if somewhat edgy feel. Likewise its brake pedal is quite sensitive and requires a light touch.

Acceleration provided by its 240 hp engine is impressive, but now for that caveat I mentioned earlier. The Evoque is burdened with quite a bit of turbo lag. Punch the accelerator from a standstill and nothing happens for an uncomfortably long two or three seconds. This powerplant needs at least 3,000 RPM on the tachometer before it really starts pulling. Once underway there are no complaints about the way it performs but it's a little lethargic off the line.

The transmission works pretty much seamlessly. This ZF-supplied nine-speed is the same one used in the Jeep Cherokee, which I evaluated earlier this year. Range Rover's tuning seems much better though; shifts are unspoiled and prompt

The Verdict

The Range Rover Evoque is stylish, efficient and pleasant to drive. Undoubtedly it appeals to urban-types that want an all-weather crossover vehicle with a luxurious interior, rugged styling and fuel consumption that won't lead to bankruptcy. Unfortunately it doesn't come cheap. At $64,000 our fancied-up test model was not a terribly good value proposition. More troubling after a week with this vehicle I didn't find it all that compelling. You can probably spend a lot less and get a bit more by going with something more mainstream.

LOVE IT

Clean, tasteful exterior styling
Responsive transmission
Luxurious interior
Smooth engine

LEAVE IT

Low-resolution instrument display
Obtuse infotainment system
Narrow front foot wells
Turbo lag

2015 Porsche Macan S Review

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 05:00 PM PDT

Mike Schlee Oct. 22, 2014 Photos by Mike Schlee and Porsche

This isn't going to be another diatribe about how Porsche has lost its way. For a while now Porsche has proven that it can make highly profitable and excellent sports cars side-by-side. Don't like the new Porsche? Tough, this is what the company is now and personally if Porsche continues to build vehicles like the Cayman GTS, 918 Spyder and 911 Turbo S, it can build all the Panameras, Cayennes and Macans it wants.

FAST FACTS

Engine: 3.0-liter Turbocharged V6, 340 HP and 339 lb-ft of torque.

Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Fuel economy: 17 MPG city, 23 highway. We averaged 21.6 MPG

Price: Macan S begins at $50,980. As tested came in at $57,740.

The Maca-what? The Macan, it's the newest member to join the Porsche family. Smaller than the Cayenne, the Macan is built on the MLB platform that underpins a number of Audi sedans as well as the Q5 crossover. Measuring 184.3 inches long, the Macan is designed to compete head-to-head against luxury compact crossovers like the BMW X3 and its cousin, the Audi SQ 5.

An Affordable Porsche?

It's no secret Porsches can be quite pricey. Despite a starting price of $50,980 (after destination charges), a Macan Turbo can easily eclipse the six-figure mark once options are packed on. But it's the lower end Macan S that will sell in greater volume and compete head-to-head against other small German crossovers.

SEE ALSO: 2015 Porsche Macan Review

For example, my Macan arrived with an as-tested price of $57,740. The only options added to the otherwise base Macan S are the infotainment package, the panoramic sunroof, upgraded paint, park assist and heated seats. That price does not include HID or LED headlights and despite having LED running lights and turn signals built into the front bumper, old-school halogen lights are used for the daytime running lights. That might seem like a minor point, but I expect a little more exterior flash in a $57,000 luxury crossover.

Two Turbocharged Engines, One "Turbo" Model

The Macan is available with a choice of turbocharged V6 engines displacing eitherz 3.0 liters or 3.6-liters. Confusingly, Macans equipped with the larger turbo V6 are referred to as the 'Turbo" while the smaller turbocharged 3.0-liter Macans are simply called the "S".

With 340 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque, the 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 isn't exactly weak and can propel the Macan from 0-60 MPH in 5.2 seconds. Opt for the Sport Chrono package and that time shrinks to five seconds flat.

PDK in a Crossover?

That quick acceleration time has as much to do with the Macan's transmission as it does the engine. Unlike the larger Cayenne and most other crossovers, the new Macan uses a true PDK dual-clutch transmission. That means using the ubiquitous paddle shifters found in virtually all luxury crossovers actually makes sense for once. Upshifts and downshifts occur quickly, especially in sport mode. This is the first crossover I've driven where I wanted to use the paddle shifters more than just letting the transmission run its own program.

The Macan S straddles the line between sport and luxury. In regular drive mode, it focuses on economy first and performance second, well, as economically focused as a 4,112-lb. crossover with a turbocharged V6 can be. Officially rated at 17 MPG city and 23 MPG highway, the Macan isn't exactly a Prius, but after 700 miles of mostly highways driving with four adults and a hatch full of luggage, I was able to average 21.6 MPG.

Comfort and Confidence

The general ride and handling of the Macan S with the base steel spring suspension is geared more toward comfort than sport. Don't let the six-piston front brakes and staggered tires fool you, the Macan is tuned for a soft, supple ride and it delivers. In S trim, the new Porsche is one of the most comfortable compact crossovers when it comes to highway cruising. In fact, it's so smooth and comfortable on the highway that I actually had to set the speed limit warning because the Macan would constantly creep into "arrest me" territory.

Some of the creamy ride can be attributed to the high profile tires. But even with non-performance tires and the base S suspension, the Macan does corner with confidence. Even a Porsche more geared toward comfort has to handle well enough to justify its badge.

Surprisingly Spacious Interior

The Macan may have a small footprint, but it's surprisingly spacious inside. Four adults were able to travel in comfort during a five-hour road trip with rear seat passengers appreciating the cushion height and panoramic sunroof. All of our luggage for a weekend getaway easily fit into the 17.7 cubic foot hatch and that's important because Porsche is doing away with the base Cayenne, effectively replacing it with the Macan. Yes, the space is smaller, but no it isn't too small to be useful.

The Verdict

The Macan S is not a sporty vehicle, but a very good luxury crossover. This makes sense since Porsche has long abandoned being a pure sports car maker. Like it or leave it, the new Porsche continues to thrive as it gets closer and closer to a full-line luxury automobile manufacturer, with a sporty edge.

LOVE IT

Comfortable ride
Styling
Surprisingly spacious
Engine power

LEAVE IT

Fuel economy
Missing some high-end features

Car Review: The affordable, fun hatchback | fox13now.com

: The affordable, fun hatchback | fox13now.com

Posted: 06 Sep 2014 01:10 PM PDT

Car guy Brian Champagne test drives the hatchbacks Nissan Versa and Mitsubishi Outlander. Brian looks at their affordability and their different features.

Watch the video above for the full review.