Auto Trends

Well, another Christmas has come and gone and it is time to prepare for what will hopefully be a great New Year. But before we close the curtain on 2008, we would like to go over some of the highlights and low points of this past years vehicle selection. This year has been a tough year for all manufacturers, but a few of them managed to rise to the top, while others were scrapping the barrel just hoping to find a few customer scraps thrown their way. We will continue our review with the best and worst of the affordable passenger sedans.

BEST: Chevrolet Malibu

2008 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ, originally uploaded by JDPower.com Photography

The Malibu name has been around awhile, and it looks like it will remain that way as long as Chevrolet continues to listen to its customers. The Malibu features attractive styling, roomy interior, excellent fit and finish, decent handling and performance characteristics (especially in the 3.6 liter), and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to get in on some of this action. It is not often the greatest consumer gripe in a vehicle is something as simple as the lack of a rear center armrest, but this is among the greatest disappointments of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu.

Okay, it’s not perfect by any means. It does still have a few bits of cheap interior plastics left over from the old model. The base V-6 is not quite as nimble and quick as we’d like, but for its price class, the Malibu has a much more dignified, professional aura. It whispers ‘mid-level executive’ to other drivers, rather than ‘dorky tourist on holiday in budget rental car’. It is within a tough class of award winning vehicles, such as the redesigned Honda Accord, but due to its ability to rise to the top so quickly, we felt it deserved a little more praise than a few other vehicles who have been at the top for awhile now.

Vehicle: Malibu

Base Price: $20,000 to $27,000

Available Engines:

2.4 liter V-6, 169 horsepower, 160 lb-ft torque

3.6 liter V-6, 252 horsepower, 251 lb-ft torque

Transmission: 4-speed auto/manual (6-speed optional)

Dimensions:

Wheelbase: 112 inches

Length: 191 inches

Height: 57 inches

Curb Weight: 3,415 to 3,500 pounds

EPA Fuel Economy: 17 to 22 MPG City

WORST: Chrysler Sebring (Dodge Avenger)

originally uploaded by Kevin Ward

While there is no real loser in this category this year, we present the worst family sedan award to the Chrysler Sebring for its clear lack of effort. It has been written by other reviewers that the 2008 Sebring is about as exciting as a naturally born mid-size rental car, and for once we agree! Your most fun behind the wheel of this Chrysler will be listening to the booming sound system, playing around with the nifty navigation system, or if you happen to spring for the coupe convertible, playing with the retractable hardtop while feeling the cool winter breeze in your hair. Other than these three uplifting moments, you will probably be wondering why on earth you purchased this vehicle.

Its design is relatively unmotivated, its handling characteristics are geriatric, its performance is relatively weak, and its fuel economy is down right embarrassing, especially for the 235 horsepower V-6 which achieves less MPG than the 300-plus horsepower Ford Mustang a Chevrolet Corvette. If your going to burn dollar bills at the gas pump, you should at least have a little fun doing it, and “fun” is really not a part of the Sedan version of the Sebring’s vocabulary. It does have a 5 star rating for front end collisions and features stability control and an AWD option, but this just wasn’t enough to save it from the fate of worst affordable passenger sedan for 2008.

Vehicle: Sebring

Base Price: starting at $20,000 to $33,000

Available Engines:

2.4 liter Inline 4-cylinder, 173 horsepower, 166 lb-ft torque

2.7 liter V-6, 186 horsepower, 191 lb-ft torque

3.5 liter V-6, 235 horsepower, 232 lb-ft torque

Transmission: 4-speed automatic (6-speed auto optional)

Dimensions:

Wheelbase: 109 inches

Length: 190 inches

Height: 59 inches

Curb Weight: 3,300 to 3,700 pounds

EPA Fuel Economy: 15 to 21 MPG city

Well, another Christmas has come and gone and it is time to prepare for what will hopefully be a great New Year. But before we close the curtain on 2008, we would like to go over some of the highlights and low points of this past years vehicle selection. This year has been a tough year for all manufacturers, but a few of them managed to rise to the top, while others were scrapping the barrel just hoping to find a few customer scraps thrown their way. We will continue our review with the best and worst of the affordable, “fun to drive” cars.

BEST: Mazda MX-5 Miata

My new 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata, originally uploaded by ericabiz

Ho-hum, what’s new, the Mazda MX-5 Miata has been on the most fun to drive sporty car list for so long, its name is practically burned into everyone’s mind when they think of cheap performance. How cheap, well $27,000 will get you in the Miata’s Sport model which has been boasted to practically tie the $50,000 Porsche Boxster in most every important performance maneuver worth testing. Its ultra small and light chassis and relatively low stance makes the Miata about as close to driving a souped up go-cart as an adult with mediocre accident insurance coverage would want to get.

In other words, this car is fun! Not just run a Ford Mustang GT-500 down a quarter mile at 100 miles per hour, fun, but rather carve out a twisty canyon road with the top down at 65 miles per hour, fun! While there is more and more competition popping up for the aged MX-5 design, such as the turbocharged Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, the Miata’s refined balance between power and weight still makes it the superior sports car. Now with this said, if you are looking for that 5-second zero to 60 rush, the Mazda Miata is definitely not for you. This is a drivers car… not a Saturday night stoplight drag queen.

Vehicle: MX-5 Miata

Base Price: $21,000 and up

Available Engines:

2.0 liter Inline-4, 166 horsepower, 140 lb-ft torque

Transmission: 5-speed manual (6-speed optional)

Dimensions:

Wheelbase: 91 inches

Length: 157 inches

Height: 49 inches

Curb Weight: 2,445 pounds

EPA Fuel Economy: 22 MPG City

WORST: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

originally uploaded by Yellowbrother

The Smart Fortwo Passion is one of the smallest vehicles allowed on the highways today… although we would note recommend it unless you are looking to be Smart splat on the window of some gargantuan SUV. It is cute, unique, sporty looking, trendy, and happy, but the praise stops there. The Smart Passion is one of those vehicles which has no obvious driver it is catering to. It isn’t exactly “green” at 33 MPG, it isn’t exactly fast at 0-60 in 14 seconds, and it is not particularly practical or family oriented with just two seats and eight cubic feet of cargo space. So what is it?

Well, we’d say it was a human fashion statement. Something to drive around and “be seen” in. If you like attention, then you will be sure to get a lot of it while driving a Smart. After all, there aren’t a heck of a lot of these around. But getting down to the nitty-gritty, the Smart Passion has a few issues that might not be too much fun for some. We’re talking about its consumer reported poor handling and noisy, lethargic transmission which has plagued the Fortwo from the very beginning. Not only is the transmission noxious and unresponsive, but there isn’t much the driver can do about it, even during manual shifting. Not a bad try Smart, you were just outclassed by some pretty steep competition this year.

Vehicle: Fortwo Passion

Base Price: starting at $13,990

Available Engines:

1.0 liter Inline 3-cylinder, 70 horsepower, 68 lb-ft torque

Transmission: 5-speed automatic (manual shift)

Dimensions:

Wheelbase: 74 inches

Length: 106 inches

Height: 60 inches

Curb Weight: 1,800 pounds

EPA Fuel Economy: 33 MPG city

Well, another Christmas has come and gone and it is time to prepare for what will hopefully be a great New Year. But before we close the curtain on 2008, we would like to go over some of the highlights and low points of this past years vehicle selection. This year has been a tough year for all manufacturers, but a few of them managed to rise to the top, while others were scrapping the barrel just hoping to find a few customer scraps thrown their way. We will continue our review with the best and worst of the green hybrids.

BEST: Toyota Prius

Prius Side, originally uploaded by frekur

While not too much competition in the hybrid market segment, the Toyota Prius continues to impress us each year with its roomy interior, reliability, versatility, and great gas mileage. Its calculated 48 MPG is one of the best you could find in any five seat passenger mid-size vehicle, and we are pretty sure sure you won’t find much better in any of the smaller subcompact cars out there. The Prius takes on the common notion that hybrid vehicles are too expensive, and gave it a base price of just $21,500.

Now the base Prius in a little bone dry to some peoples standards, as it does not including cruise control, heated mirrors, sport suspension, 16-inch wheels, and Xenon lighting. But for around $25,000, a loaded edition is not a bad way to spend $4 grand extra if you’ve got it. The hybrid synergy drive of the Prius is perfect for the daily commuter who will not see much highway miles. Its regenerative braking system and great low speed electric power output is perfect for the daily trek through traffic lights and moderate speed limits. If you do see a lot of highway time however, you will find that you will use less of the electric drive and more of the gas power. This however is not so much Toyota’s hindsight as it is the nature of current regenerative hybrid electrics today.

Vehicle: Prius

Base Price: $21,500 to $24,000

Available Engines:

1.5 liter Inline-4, 110 horsepower, 82 lb-ft torque

Transmission: CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission)

Dimensions:

Wheelbase: 106 inches

Length: 175 inches

Height: 59 inches

Curb Weight: 2,932 pounds

EPA Fuel Economy: 48 MPG City

WORST: Lexus RX 400h

originally uploaded by cotxe87.com

If you are looking to race a Toyota Hybrid Prius and literally slaughter it using another hybrid, then the Lexus RX 400h should be your weapon of choice. If you’ve got bags of money laying around your computer chair right now, then the initial cost of the 400h probably won’t put much of a dent in your bank. If you are more worried about luxury than you are about getting the maximum fuel economy for your dollar, then once again, the 400h is your best bet. For everyone else however, the Lexus 400h is actually what a lot of eco-conscience people would consider a poor excuse for a hybrid.

If you look at the available technology we currently have to achieve upwards of 100 MPG, 26 MPG is almost a slap in the face to pay close to $50,000 and not even come away with a vehicle that can top the Ford Focus on gas mileage. Now before the Lexus fan hate mail starts pouring in, you have to admit that the 400h is not everything that it could be. It is quiet, quick, and luxurious for sure, but it should be able to be all these things and still hit 35 MPG. Not only are you paying twice the price of the non-luxury oriented Prius, but you are getting close to paying twice at the pumps too, which actually seems more like a punishment than a reward for being eco-conscience. Come on Lexus, 35 MPG is not that much to ask from a relatively small utility vehicle! Perhaps that could be our holiday gift for next year, eh?

Vehicle: RX 400h

Base Price: $42,000 to $43,500

Available Engines:

3.3 liter V-6, 268 horsepower, 415 lb-ft torque

Transmission: CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission)

Dimensions:

Wheelbase: 106 inches

Length: 187 inches

Height: 66 inches

Curb Weight: 4,190 pounds

EPA Fuel Economy: 26 MPG city