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Cover Photo William Walker

EST. 1949 VOL. 70, NO. 6

34

June 2018 COVER STORY IS LUXURY WORTH IT?

$40,000 LUXURY CHALLENGE

We don’t need no stinking badges. We pit four fully loaded mainstream vehicles against four base-model luxury cars. Mark Rechtin

THE VALUE OF A BADGE We set out to see if mainstream models can hang with their luxury brethren.

36 SWEATING THE DETAILS Volkswagen Tiguan SEL TSI 4Motion VS. Volvo XC60 T5 AWD

The small stuff matters for these two $40K luxury crossovers. Christian Seabaugh

42 BLURRED LINES Audi A4 2.0T Ultra VS. Honda Accord 2.0T Touring Who builds the better luxury family sedan? Christian Seabaugh

50 CROSSING OVER Mazda CX-5 AWD VS. Lexus NX 300 Mazda claims folks are shopping its brand against Lexus. Does the CX-5 warrant an NX intender’s attention? Scott Evans

58 PREMIUM PERFORMANCE Cadillac ATS 2.0T VS. Ford Mustang EcoBoost

66 ASTON VANTAGE 2018 Aston Martin Vantage The proper British sports car challenges continental coupes. Mark Rechtin

72 NOT A HATCHBACK 2018 BMW X2 xDrive28i BMW calls it a Sport Activity Coupe.

But what is it, really? Chris Walton

80 SEAMLESS 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 4Matic/Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 4Matic

New engines, cleaner design, a mild hybrid, and a soothing cabin deliver a sublime experience. Alisa Priddle

84 A TRUCK THAT RIDES LIKE A CAR 2019 Ram 1500 Ram doubles down on the plush factor with its new full-size pickup. Scott Evans

At an identical price point, who delivers the best combination of sport and luxury? Scott Evans

MOTOR TREND (ISSN 0027-2094) June 2018, Vol. 70, No. 6. Published monthly by TEN: Publishing Media, LLC, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10036.

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THE ALL- NE W

THIS IS YOU. AMPLIFIED. With available driver assist technologies that enhance your senses, and the world’s first production Variable Compression Turbo engine designed to seamlessly adapt to your power needs, the all-new 2019 INFINITI QX 50 can help keep you ready for whatever lies ahead.

*ProPILOT Assist cannot prevent collisions. Always monitor traffic conditions and keep both hands on the steering wheel.

See Owner’s Manual for safety information. ®2018 INFINITI.

Contents MOTORTREND.COM IS NOW LIVE! FOR MORE THAN 1,000 HOURS OF ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE programming, live motorsports, and an extensive historical archive, head to www.motortrend.com.

18

FIRST LOOK

DEPARTMENTS 16 18 26 28 30 32 102

LOHDOWN Bigger Better Faster More— Welcome to the new Motor Trend TREND INTAKE This month’s hot metal WE SAY Words from our editors REFERENCE MARK The changing business model of auto shows TECHNOLOGUE Putting a chill on diesel consumption with liquid nitrogen THEY SAY INTERVIEW Mike Flewitt, CEO, McLaren Automotive YOUR SAY Our readers talk back THE BIG PICTURE Big change: Are America’s automakers ready?

CATEGORY KILLER The RAV4 was already one of the best-selling vehicles in the U.S., and with the new model unveiled in New York, Toyota has upped its game.

MOTOR TREND

32

ARRIVAL Subaru Crosstrek UPDATES BMW M2, Chevrolet Bolt EV, Dodge Durango, Ford F-250, Kia Niro, Mazda CX-9, Mercedes-Benz GLC300 VERDICT Subaru Legacy

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MOTOR TREND

Edward Loh @EdLoh

Bigger Better Faster More WELCOME TO THE NEW MOTOR TREND

If you’ve visited MotorTrend.com lately, I hope you’ve noticed that we’ve redesigned the home page to focus on the things we do best: exciting automotive entertainment, informative new car reviews, and the latest car-shopping tools and research.

This is the first of many changes coming to Motor Trend after joining forces with Discovery Inc. If you’re familiar with The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, and Velocity, you’ll know that Discovery is a global leader in real-life entertainment and a specialist in broadcast automotive content. With our new partnership, Velocity and Motor Trend become one—and the only place to get all the great original automotive programs you know and love, via our on-demand video service.

How? If you’re a Hulu or Crackle subscriber, you know how this works. The new MotorTrend.com home page gives you direct access to free Motor Trend original programs. You pay nothing to access thousands of hours of original automotive entertainment, including* the back catalog of our YouTube Channel and past seasons of Roadkill, Hot Rod Garage, Dirt Every Day, Engine Masters, Head 2 Head, Ignition, Modified, and Epic Drives.

In addition, viewers can watch select episodes of Chip Foose’s Overhaulin’, Diesel Brothers, Fast N’ Loud, Chasing Classic Cars, Bitchin’ Rides, and Graveyard Carz. These will be free to binge on demand with ads to help pay for this content.

Those who want an ad-free viewing experience should subscribe to Motor Trend’s premium on-demand service. For a nominal fee (currently $4.99/month or $49.99/year), subscribers get all access to our programming with no advertising interruptions. In addition to delivering the free content (without ads), a premium Motor Trend subscription will be the first and (for up to eight weeks) only way* to see all-new episodes of original shows such.

In addition, a premium subscription unlocks* Motor Trend original programs you can’t get any other way, such as Roadkill Garage, Junkyard Gold, and Put Up or Shut Up. Subscribers also gain access to daily doses of hosts David Freiburger and Fred Williams in Roadkill Extra and Dirt Every Day Extra. Add in thousands of hours of favorites from the Discovery/Velocity archive, and you have the largest collection of original automotive entertainment anywhere.

Subscribers receive the very best experience. For just $4.99/ month or $49.99/year: Early exclusive access to all Motor Trend shows such as Roadkill, Hot Rod Garage, Dirt Every Day, and Ignition.

Full access to new and classic Discovery shows such as Wheeler Dealers, Diesel Brothers, Bitchin’ Rides, Overhaulin’, and American Chopper.

Exclusive Motor Trend originals, including 16 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

What’s on Motor Trend This Month?

April 27 April 28 April 30 May 1 May 2 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 5 May 5 May 5 May 6 May 6 May 6 May 7 May 9 May 9 May 10 May 11 May 11 May 12 May 12 May 12 May 12 May 12 May 12 May 13 May 13 May 13 May 13 May 15 May 16 May 16 May 17 May 17 May 18 May 19 May 19 May 20 May 20 May 20 May 21 May 21 May 23 May 24 May 25 May 25

Auto Mundial; Motorsport Mundial LIVE! Formula Drift (Orlando) DIRT EVERY DAY Ep. 76 Ferrari Challenge Europe (Silverstone) Mobil 1 The Grid Program 6 IGNITION Ep. 191 FIA World Rallycross (Portugal) Auto Mundial; Motorsport Mundial LIVE! DTM Championship (Hockenheim) LIVE! GT4 European Series (Brands Hatch) LIVE! TCR Europe Series (Le Castellet) LIVE! Virgin Australia Supercars (Perth) LIVE! GT4 European Series (Brands Hatch) LIVE! TCR Europe Series (Le Castellet) LIVE! Virgin Australia Supercars (Perth) HOT ROD GARAGE Ep. 62 China GT Championship (Bejing) HEAD 2 HEAD Ep. 102 FIA World Rallycross (Belgium) LIVE! Monaco Historics (Monaco) Auto Mundial; Motorsport Mundial LIVE! 24H Nürburgring (Nürburgring) LIVE! European Le Mans Series (Monza) LIVE! FIA Formula 3 Championship (Pau) LIVE! Formula Drift (Atlanta) LIVE! Michelin Le Mans Cup - Race 2 (Monza) LIVE! Monaco Historics (Monaco) LIVE! European Le Mans Series (Monza) LIVE! FIA Formula 3 Championship (Pau) LIVE! Michelin Le Mans Cup - Race 1 (Monza) LIVE! Monaco Historics (Monaco) Ferrari Challenge Europe (Spa-Francorchamps) Mobil 1 The Grid Program 7 JUNKYARD GOLD Ep. 8 British Touring Car Championship (Donington Park) FIA World Rallycross (Belgium) Auto Mundial; Motorsport Mundial LIVE! DTM Championship (Lausitzring) LIVE! Virgin Australia Supercars (Winton) LIVE! Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup (Silverstone) LIVE! TCR Europe Series (Netherlands) LIVE! Virgin Australia Supercars (Winton) LIVE! TCR Europe Series (Netherlands) ROADKILL GARAGE Ep. 30 ENGINE MASTERS Ep. 32 DTM Championship (Hockenheimring) LIVE! 24H GT Series/24H Touring Car Endurance Series; 12H Imola—Qualifying and Race Part 1 Auto Mundial; Motorsport Mundial

SCHEDULE KEY: RACING ORIGINAL PROGRAMS

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NEW ROADKILL EXTRA AND DIRT EVERY DAY EXTRA MONDAYS THROUGH FRIDAYS

Roadkill Garage, Junkyard Gold, and Put Up or Shut Up. Daily shows such as Roadkill Extra and Dirt Every Day Extra.

The ability to stream across multiple devices, including mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and smart TVs. The ability to stream on Apple TV, Roku Box, Google Chromecast, Xbox, and Amazon Fire TV. No advertisements.

A 14-day free trial And the option to cancel any time.

On top of upgrading the delivery of our video content, we have made the home page slicker, easier to navigate, and faster to boot. For those looking to buy a car, we now have a Find Your Car module at the top of the page and positioned our car reviews at the forefront under “Latest Car Reviews.”

These changes are just the beginning, as we have bigger announcements and improvements on the way. If you have the time, head over to MotorTrend.com on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Let me know on Twitter (@edloh) what you think of the new Motor Trend. Thank you for your support. n

*Some content may be restricted by geographical location. The program information provided is subject to change.

The Lohdown

NEWS / OPINION / GOSSIP / STUFF

INTAKE P18

TREND6.18

THIS MONTH’S HOT METAL

WE SAY P26

WORDS FROM OUR EDITORS

THEY SAY P30 INTERVIEW

MIKE FLEWITT, MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE

THE BEST-SELLING CROSSOVER IN AMERICA JUST GOT BETTER

FIRST LOOK

2019 Toyota RAV4 The Toyota RAV4 is what the industry calls a category killer.

Which means Toyota sells a ton of them, and the competition (even if it feels it has a better vehicle) can’t seem to topple the king.

The outgoing fourthgeneration RAV4 lacked the pizzazz of several other small crossovers. Despite 11 trim levels to choose from, they all looked fairly alike. Despite this anonymity, the old RAV4 was the best-selling passenger vehicle (not counting pickups) in America last year.

Bad news for the competition: The fifth-generation RAV4 has upped its game.

For starters, it does look different, as evidenced by the three trim levels making 18 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

their world debut at the 2018 New York auto show; there will be nine in total: five with a gasoline engine and four hybrids. For 2019, the RAV4 is racier and sportier with a more pronounced front end angled slightly—but not so far as to wear the sharknose moniker. The front end features new grilles, angular LED headlights, and squaredoff wheel arches (think Lexus), and in back the new RAV4 has a spoiler, LED taillamps, and dual exhaust. The side mirror moves from the A-pillar to the door to improve visibility.

But the big changes are under the sheetmetal. The RAV4 moves from Toyota’s compact platform shared with other small cars to the much-touted TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) and

shifts from the compact to the midsize platform alongside the Camry and Avalon.

The switch gives the RAV4 a 105.9-inch wheelbase (up 1.2 inches), a wider track, and a half inch more ground clearance. Overall length shrinks by 2.6 inches. The result is a more planted stance. Bonus: The new architecture makes it possible to offer 19-inch wheels on top trims.

The outgoing 2.5-liter I-4 has been replaced with Toyota’s all-new Dynamic Force 2.5-liter I-4 with direct and port injection and VVT-iE. In the Camry it generates 203 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, so expect similar numbers here.

The six-speed automatic is replaced with an eight-speed.

For the hybrid models, the gas engine and electric motors

pair with an updated CVT. In the Camry Hybrid it generates a combined 208 hp.

No upmarket turbo-fours or V-6s are planned. The architecture can accommodate plug-in hybrids and full EVs, but those are not in the initial plans.

TNGA’s lighter, stiffer platform was designed to provide better handling. The unibody chassis is 57 percent more rigid.

Officials are not saying how much lighter it is. But if TNGA can make a dowdy Prius feel fun, imagine the possibilities with a RAV4.

RAV4 becomes the first vehicle on TNGA to get allwheel drive and the first Toyota nameplate to get Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD with Driveshaft Disconnect. It is

YOUR SAY P32

READERS TALK BACK standard on the Limited and Adventure AWD gas-powered trim levels—sending up to 50 percent of power to the rear wheels and directing power to individual wheels when needed. Driveshaft Disconnect stops power from going to the rear when not needed, making it a more fuel-efficient frontdriver. Lower trim levels get an AWD system without torque vectoring, and the hybrids have the updated AWD-i system.

In addition to Normal, Eco, and Sport modes, MultiTerrain Select provides traction in snow, mud, sand, rocks, or dirt. The RAV4 has standard hill-ascent control, and with torque vectoring, it has downhill assist, as well.

For the 2019 model year the RAV4 has fewer trim levels, but they are more differentiated to appeal to either the urbanite or the outdoor adventurer.

The XSE Hybrid is the sporty new entry, promising to be fastest off the line while retaining best-in-class fuel economy. We await the specs and a test car to prove those claims. Black accents on the lower rockers, front end, mirror caps, foglamps, and wheel arches give it a meaner look, and it is the only trim to get a sport-tuned suspension with firmer shocks and springs.

Moving the battery under the rear seat gives the cargo area a

SCORCHING The fifth-gen Toyota RAV4 was unveiled at the New York auto show with some hot interior color choices. The Adventure trim (pictured) features black leather with splashes of orange.

The XSE Hybrid, meanwhile, has a black interior with blue highlights.

flat floor and segment-leading cargo capacity.

The Adventure trim adopts Tacoma cues, including the pronounced lower lip and foglight design, to lure buyers off-road. It has beefier roof rails, increased towing capacity (no numbers yet), exclusive 19-inch wheels, and a “lunar green” color exclusive to the RAV4 for its first year.

Headroom is ample, even in the second row; there was no appetite to bring back a thirdrow option. The new RAV4

has space for your phone, wireless charging, and five USB ports. A 7.0-inch infotainment screen is standard with Entune 3.0; upgraded systems have an 8.0-inch screen, satellite radio, navigation, and a 7.0-inch cluster display. The RAV4 joins the new Avalon in offering Apple CarPlay, but as Toyota is still feuding with Google over third-party app data sharing, there’s no Android Auto. It does have Alexa connectivity, Wi-Fi, and the first digital rearview mirror in a Toyota sold in North America.

Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 adds automatic emergency braking with nighttime pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, plus lane keep assist with Lane Tracing Assist to keep the vehicle centered.

Another feature reads signs to feed information such as speed limits to the driver

display. The manual parking brake lever has been replaced by a standard electric parking brake. The system also enables dynamic stopping at speed.

With the decision to drop Platinum, the Limited is now the high-end trim. The other trims to say good night are the SE gas-powered trim and the SE hybrid, which is replaced by the upgraded XSE. The RAV4 was designed and engineered in Japan.

Production for this generation will be split between Woodstock, Ontario, and the nearby Cambridge plant.

Additional units can backfill from plants in Japan.

The gas RAV4 goes on sale at the end of this year, with the hybrid following in early 2019.

Pricing has not been released but is not expected to increase much over the current starting sticker of $25,505.

Alisa Priddle JUNE 2018 / MOTORTREND.COM 19

NEWS / OPINION / GOSSIP / STUFF

Intake

2019 Subaru Forester FIRST LOOK

The fourth-gen Forester decisively won our SUV of the Year award when it arrived for the 2014 model year. But since then, this small crossover has started to feel a little older than competitors when it comes to technology and interior accoutrements.

In a chance to retake the top spot, Subaru is soon coming out with a new generation of Forester, which receives thoughtful new features and rides on a new platform.

We tested the outgoing Forester with the optional 2.0-liter turbocharged engine making 250 hp, and we were impressed with its exceptional acceleration. It hit 60 mph in just 6.8 seconds from a standstill. Sadly, Subaru drops this engine for the 2019 model year.

Now the only remaining power source in the lineup is a 2.5-liter boxer-four. It delivers 182 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque, up 12 hp and 2 lb-ft from the old version. Also say goodbye to the six-speed manual—

Subaru is only offering a CVT on this Forester. Subaru says to expect quicker acceleration from the new 2.5-liter, so it’ll likely improve from the outgoing 2.5-liter model we tested, which hit 60 mph in 8.7 seconds.

The 2019 Forester sits on the new Subaru Global Platform. We’ll have to test it for ourselves, but Subaru claims the new platform will improve ride comfort, quietness, and agility. The squat Subie looks about the same size as before, but its wheel-

STAY FOCUSED Subaru’s optional DriverFocus system uses facial recognition to identify signs of driver fatigue or distraction. It works with the standard EyeSight system and can recognize up to five drivers.

base has increased 1.2 inches.

Subaru promises slightly more legroom on the new model, and it should gain in headroom, shoulder room, hip room, and cargo room, as well. Subaru has also widened the maximum rear gate opening by 5.3 inches.

Inside the cabin, the Forester receives redesigned front seats, a new electric parking brake, and nowstandard automatic climate control. Oh yeah, and finally it has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both standard on the new model. All Foresters come standard with EyeSight, which includes automatic pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, and other features.

On the new Sport trim level, look for a special grille with gloss black accents on the frame, a black-finished rear roof spoiler, black 18-inch wheels, and orange accents on the black underguards and roof rail mounts. Inside, gray upholstery mixes with orange stitching.

The 2019 Subaru Forester goes on sale later this year.

Kelly Pleskot

Say goodbye to the six-speed manual. Subaru is only offering a CVT.

20 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

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Intake Geneva Motor Show 2018

Lexus UX Meet the new smallest crossover from Lexus, the UX. At 5.3 inches shorter than an NX, the UX is the first Lexus on the new Global Architecture-Compact, the luxury version of the Toyota Next Generation Architecture. The base UX 200 will feature a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 168 hp and a unique continuously variable transmission with an independent first gear. A 176-hp UX 350h all-wheel-drive hybrid will also be available, as will F Sport models with improved handling and racy trim. The advanced Lexus Safety System+ suite of driver aids will be standard. Expect the UX to start well below the $37,000 NX.

Hyundai Le Fil Rouge Concept Roughly translated as “the common thread,” this concept previews the styling direction for the Hyundai brand. The design language is called “Sensual Purity” and purports to balance four key criteria: proportion, architecture, style, and technology. The interior is even more striking with its minimalist design and hidden ventilation system, which uses the tubular dash to direct airflow.

BMW M8 Gran Coupe Concept If the BMW 8 Series concept was neither practical nor sporty enough for you, may we present the M8 Gran Coupe concept? The pair will replace the 6 Series coupe and Gran Coupe in the near future, and this sleek four-door previews an M variant to come after the standard cars. BMW has provided little detail on the car aside from its carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic roof and the name of its wild green paint—Salève Vert—but the reasonable proportions and production-ready features suggest a preview of the final design.

Aston Martin Lagonda Vision Concept If the million-dollar but otherwise-traditional Taraf sedan had you worried the rebooted Lagonda brand wouldn’t take any chances, you need to see the Lagonda Vision concept. A few key Lagonda design themes are the only carryovers. Going forward, all Lagondas will be pure EVs designed with autonomous driving in mind and a targeted 400-mile range. The first all-new Lagonda, a sedan influenced by this concept, will launch in 2021. An SUV and coupe are expected to follow, and the cars will use solid-state batteries once commercially viable. The emphasis will be on interior space and personal luxury, with room for an NBA small forward to stretch out.

There’s always time for a shine.

VW I.D. Vizzion Concept Never mind the silly spelling, the I.D. Vizzion concept is a double preview of future Volkswagens. The car itself is taller and wider than an Audi A8 and just 4 inches shorter in length and 1 inch shorter in wheelbase. It has no steering wheel or pedals, imagining what a Level 5 fully autonomous car might look like in 2030. Underneath, it’s built on VW’s all-new MEB EV architecture, which features front and rear electric motors with a combined 302 hp and a 111-kW-hr battery for a roughly 300-mile range. A production car will make its debut in 2022 with traditional controls and Level 4 automated driving technology.

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Intake

FIRST LOOK

2019 GMC Sierra

A carbon-fiber pickup bed, a slick tailgate that does all but make you breakfast, apps to monitor your trailer—welcome to the 2019 GMC Sierra. It’s way more than a Silverado with better seats.

The Sierra shares the Chevy's updated 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V-8 engines and its new 3.0-liter I-6 turbodiesel.

The V-8 engines have stop/ start technology and cylinder deactivation technology.

The available 6.2-liter and

the diesel engines are paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, and the 5.3-liter is mated to GM’s eight-speed.

No V-6 has been announced.

For an improved ride, the Sierra Denali has an exclusive Adaptive Ride Control suspension system with sensors to monitor the road.

The system is able to make adjustments in real time.

The party trick is the six-position MultiPro Tailgate, standard on Denali, SLT, and new AT4 models. It

features a smaller gate within the top half of the main gate, which has a flip-up load stop to keep gear from sliding off when lowered. The load stop serves as a step or seat when both gates are opened, and a

grab handle in the bed makes it easier to climb in and out.

With the main gate up and the mini gate down, it’s a standing-height workstation.

Everything opens with a push of a button on the tailgate handle or key fob.

In a first, GMC offers a carbon-fiber composite pickup box called CarbonPro, replacing the standard steel inner panels. The rest of the bed continues to be made of steel, but it’s a revised alloy that GMC says is 50 percent stronger. It is 62 pounds lighter than a comparable steel version and is part of GM’s mixed-material strategy, which includes aluminum for the doors, hood, and tailgate and steel for the fenders, roof, and standard cargo box.

Despite being larger in every dimension, the new Sierra has chopped 360 pounds, give or take, from its predecessor.

The 2019 model offers a new ProGrade Trailering System and app with a pre-departure checklist, maintenance reminders, trailer light test, trailer electrical diagnostics, trailer tire pressure and temperature monitoring, and a trailer theft alert.

Inside, the Sierra is claiming best-in-class front head- and legroom and adds almost 3 inches of rear-seat legroom.

The standard 8.0-inch infotainment screen has been updated and offers a 360-degree camera. The head-up display is now multicolor, and there’s a dualfunction rearview camera/ rearview mirror to allow an unobstructed view if the back of the truck is blocked by people and cargo.

The 2019 Sierra Denali and SLT will go on sale this fall.

Alisa Priddle

24 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

TREND

Spray. Rinse. Done.

MIKE CONNOR

MT CONFIDENTIAL After the I-Pace, then what? Jaguar hasn’t invested all that money on a brand-new BEV platform for just one car, and the whisper around Coventry is the next all-electric Jag will be a replacement for the XJ sedan. It’s a radical move, but in truth Jaguar has little to lose, as the XJ has for years struggled against Audi’s A8 and BMW’s 7 Series, not to mention the segment’s undisputed leader, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Shifting to a pure electric powertrain—dual motors, all-wheel drive—will give Jaguar’s flagship not only a unique selling proposition against its German rivals but also the smoothness and silence, performance and handling, and interior room and ride comfort to make good on the company’s old advertising slogan, “Grace, Pace, and Space.” Looks like Alan Mulally’s “One Ford” strategy, which was supposed to promote the development and manufacture of Ford models that could be sold around the globe, thus saving money, is slowly fragmenting. With revenues strong, Ford is giving more freedom of product divergence between its North American, European, and Asian divisions, says Steven Armstrong, president of Ford of Europe. “We are coming out of largely shared platforms into vehicles that are more selective. Now it’s more about which technologies—the propulsion systems, the safety systems—we can share, not so much the top hats and entire vehicles.” VW Group is working on an all-new premium battery-electric vehicle platform. Code-named PPE, the platform will be used for Porsche, Audi, and Bentley BEVs from 2022 on. Three PPE variants are being developed, with Audi taking lead engineering responsibility for two and Porsche for one. PPE marks a major U-turn for Audi, which had originally planned to make its next-generation MLB architecture a convergence platform that could package internal combustion, hybrid, or battery-electric powertrains—but realized it would be too heavy and complex and result in compromised proportions. Porsche, which has already developed its own bespoke BEV platform, J1, has been brought into the PPE program because it can benefit from the economies of scale generated by sharing hardware. One twist: All Porsche PPE vehicles will be powered by e-motors developed by Porsche. PPE also gives Porsche the ability to develop all-electric SUVs, something it couldn’t do with the low-floor J1 platform.

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@markrechtin

Mark Rechtin REFERENCE MARK

Bucking Convention The changing business model of auto shows There have been a lot of think pieces written recently predicting the demise of the big-time auto show.

Reasons include the rise of self-driving cars, car-sharing, and anonymous electric vehicles that could siphon the joy out of car ownership. Long term, these prognostications might be right. But for now, people still see the purchase of a car as special, and an auto show is the best place to see all the sheetmetal in one place.

Some automakers are leading a shift away from auto shows. At last fall’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Nissan, Peugeot, Fiat, Volvo, Jeep, Mitsubishi, and Infiniti all gave the Messe Frankfurt a pass. Likely it’s because German brands carry 60 percent domestic market share (no foreign brand has more than 3 percent share), and therefore the show was seen as a poor investment. Also, the show is a political swamp—where non-German automakers’ press conferences are relegated to distant halls and pegged against the home team’s preferred schedule.

Similarly, Porsche, Mercedes, and BMW have pulled out of the Detroit auto show, mostly because they do relatively little business in the Detroit metro area and it costs $100 per chair to get a union tradesman to set up a press conference.

Other automakers walked away from Detroit because they had nothing new to announce, they hate being stuck in frigid Detroit in January, and the show directly competes against CES. The latter two reasons are why the show is considering moving its dates to October.

And for its media days, the Los Angeles Auto Show renamed itself Automobility LA (with an affiliated autonomous-car conference) because it wants to seem at the forefront of self-driving cars but also because its second-tier vehicle introductions failed to generate sufficient media buzz, and it needed to rebrand.

Some believe auto shows are on the decline because we’ll all be in selfdriving or shared cars within the next decade—which will make personal car purchasing obsolete. And for that reason, 26 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

We might not be on the fast track toward autonomy— or the decline of auto shows. the L.A. show organizers look prescient.

But as the fatal autonomous Uber vs. pedestrian accident in Tempe, Arizona, in March evidences, we might not be on that fast track to autonomy. (Revisit my column in the March issue for a refresher course on that topic.)

Let’s not forget the inherent business model of the regional auto show.

It’s not about about concept cars; it’s about building dealership traffic with purchase intenders. Sure, there are pricing pressures on every automaker’s marketing budget. But there’s no ignoring the sizable downstream revenue that comes from consumers being able to view acres of sheetmetal without feeling pressured to buy.

The L.A. and New York auto shows have generated 1 million turnstile counts for decades. (Recessions slow attendance a bit, but there’s a rebound when the economy recovers.) And despite being held in the grip of winter, Chicago and Detroit are close behind in attendance.

You know a car show is healthy when floor space has grown by 75,000 square feet in the past two years, as Chicago’s has. And hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans braved Snowmageddon to check out the new Chevy Silverado—

which had been unveiled the month before in Detroit.

Some could argue, “Of course you’re gonna love auto shows. Motor Trend sponsors about 20 of them.” And those folks would have a point. Motor Trend produces regional auto shows—from Milwaukee to Memphis, from Anaheim to Orlando—because it’s good business.

Not only is attendance on the rise, but the percentage of folks deep into the “purchase funnel” who attend local auto shows is also really high, and it’s not wavering. Data from Foresight Research shows that nearly a halfmillion folks who attended auto shows last year moved much further into the buy-it-now headspace after attending.

Can’t argue with results.

During a typical year, automakers sell between 15 million and 17 million vehicles in the U.S. When healthy, the car industry is a $600 billion retail business, year in, year out. There’s no sign of that diminishing.

Look, if auto shows were dying, we’d see the public voting with their shoe leather (as is the case with declining movie theater attendance). But for now, the turnstile counts remain strong.

Yes, auto shows and automakers are adjusting their business model to account for the changing competitive landscape, internet shopping, social media, and virtual reality. What we’re seeing is that Americans still want to see the sheetmetal, sit in the seats, and kick the tires. n

6 .18 TREND

REARVIEW From the Motor Trend Archive ...

50

JUNE 1968

PRICE: $0.50 We were your one-stop shop for used car shopping in the summer of 1968.

In our buyer’s guide,

we helped readers determine which cars were in and which were out, plus which sleepers you could find that would put newer cars in their place. Our consumerfocused feature also touched on how to buy insurance and finance your car smartly.

Like moths to a flame.

30 10

JUNE 1988

PRICE: $2.50 Boy, we wish Porsche built this; our cover featured the coach-built Porsche Spexter.

Inspired by the classic Porsche speedsters and built on a 911’s platform, we wrote that the Spexter “rides and handles like a lightened 911, with none of the showcar creaks and complaints we’re used to.”

JUNE 2008

PRICE: $4.99 The Pontiac G8 GXP sure was something special, wasn’t it?

This Pontiac-heavy issue featured our First Test of the G8 GXP, plus a look at the coming G8 ST ute. It’s too bad the Great Recession and GM’s bankruptcy killed both the Sport Truck and Pontiac as a whole, just as it was getting good again. Ah, what could’ve been.

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Frank Markus TECHNOLOGUE

Cool Runnings Putting a chill on diesel consumption with liquid nitrogen Automotive futurists and savvy engineers expect battery EVs to eventually handle all our light-duty personal transportation and most of our urban/ short-distance hauling needs. But they also disagree with Elon Musk that BEVs can swing long-distance heavy hauling.

Faster refueling is needed, so some—such as tech startup/disruptor Nikola One— are proposing fuel cell big rigs. I remain obstinately bearish on this idea.

In the nearer-term, however, there’s the decade of work by engineering consultancy Ricardo that might be close to bearing fruit. Ricardo is developing a novel concept called CryoPower, which promises a quantum improvement in diesel-engine thermal efficiency to 60 percent—up from the typical mid-40s.

(Yes, diesel, that technology you thought was dead. Not so fast.) In this case, the nomenclature refers to the engine’s use of liquid nitrogen, though obviously that is not the fuel. Rather, it serves as an amazing charge-air cooler that’s enabling an inventive mashup of the Diesel, Miller, and Ericsson thermodynamic cycles.

Everyone knows Rudy Diesel as the compression-ignition guy. Ralph Miller’s cycle shortens the effective compression stroke relative to the expansion stroke, with a blower making up the charge-air difference (see: Mazda Millenia). John Ericsson’s idea is to transfer exhaust heat to the intake charge to improve efficiency. This has not been an option for internal combustion engines because there’s typically not enough temperature difference between the exhaust and the intake air after it’s been squished in a hot, high-compression cylinder. (Remember, we want the air as cool and dense as possible before we compress it, but any heat and pressure added afterward boosts output.)

Ricardo is borrowing a page from the Scuderi split-cycle engine by using separate cylinders for intake/ compression and combustion/exhaust, with the intake ones sweeping less volume than the combustion ones.

(Thanks, Miller!) A squirt of liquid 28 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

nitrogen during the compression stroke keeps the temperature roughly the same at the top of the stroke as it was at the bottom. This reduces the work required of the crankshaft, reclaiming some of the energy spent on liquefying the nitrogen.

En route to the combustion cylinders, this cool pressurized air grabs heat from the exhaust, Ericsson-style, increasing in pressure, as well. Then it enters the combustion cylinders, fuel is injected, and it ignites almost instantly. Exhaust then flows out through both the heat exchanger and a turbocharger, with the compressed intake charge passing through an intercooler before entering the Cryo-compressor cylinders.

Obviously, less heat escapes through the exhaust, and by maintaining a much higher coolant temperature around the combustion chambers, less waste heat escapes that way, too, yielding that jumbo efficiency percentage.

Temperature and pressure contributed by the exhaust mean less must come from the fuel. With the injection/combustion occurring after the piston starts heading down, peak temperature and pressure in the cylinder is considerably lower than in a typical turbodiesel—which lowers NOx production. The surplus nitrogen behaves like exhaust-gas recirculation

to further reduce engine-out NOx, so the overall aftertreatment needs should be no greater than in today’s diesels.

About the liquid nitrogen: It’s currently being produced by separating it from the oxygen in air, but because industrial demand for oxygen is greater than for nitrogen and because air is 78 percent nitrogen, we can consider the nitrogen separation “free.” A Ricardo study in the U.K. suggested the price of liquefying and distributing it would be 5 pence per liter ($0.26/gallon), and its usage rate is expected to be around the same order of magnitude as the diesel fuel, so trucks will carry a bit more nitrogen than diesel on board and refuel both simultaneously.

Ricardo’s initial proof-of-concept engine is an I-6 of largely conventional design with two compression and four combustion cylinders. The Inconel high-pressure (1,015 psi) and hightemperature (1,100 degrees F) heatexchanger plumbing will add cost, as will the nitrogen storage and injection gear. But at a claimed 20 percent savings in overall fuel costs, we’re assured the payback period will be reasonable. And adding liquid nitrogen dispensing to our existing truck stop infrastructure seems like child’s play in comparison to establishing a nationwide hydrogen or BEV-charging infrastructure. n

Schematic of possible six-cylinder CryoPower engine configuration based on two compression and four power cylinders Compressor cylinders outlet into recuperator Recuperator

Aftercooler

2

LN injectors

Outlet from recuperator into combustorexpander cylinders

Fuel injectors Exhaust outlet into recuperator

Recuperator

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They Say...

Mike Flewitt McLaren, founded in 1963, was a motorsport company until 2011, when it launched its first mass-produced car, the MP4-12C. (We’ll refer to the F1 supercar of the ’90s as more of a bespoke vanity project.) Under CEO Mike Flewitt—who spent much of his career at Ford and had stints at Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and others before joining McLaren in 2012—the company has a clear product and business plan. It has gone from its first somewhat muddled launch to strong products, three years of profits, continued growth, and a sense of stability with sales in 30 markets.

Interview

Is Senna GTR one of the 15 cars?

No, not the GTR, but we count a spider variant, so when we announced the 570S Spider last year, that was the second car.

The 720S was the first. Senna is the third.

Is there room for 15 supercars in your portfolio? We’re going to sell about 4,000

cars [per year]. Our niche is supercars.

Within that niche we sell on price. We go from [about $200,000 to $2.8 million].

And we go from GT cars to track or even race cars, from 570GT to Senna track car. The other factor is we go for quite short life cycles because the technology is constantly evolving, and we always want to produce the best.

What is your life cycle? Four to 4.5 years.

And we don’t do a refresh. There is no midcycle action, second gen, or face-lift.

It’s a new car, which allows us to make a step. The 720S that replaces the 650S, it’s a hugely successful step. You need to keep fresh, competitive products in this market because no one needs to buy these. If someone produces a better, 30

MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

have an electric mule, a demonstrator, that we are working with to understand [the technology], but we can’t build the same excitement, the same emotional connection, to an electric sports car that we can to one with an internal combustion engine or a hybridized internal combustion engine. So EV is further away for us.

It’s not in the seven-year plan?

It’s not in the seven-year plan. No. But hybridization certainly is.

The plant in Woking, U.K., has capacity for about 5,000 cars. This year we will do

You are still working on your Track 22 business plan? The plan outlined where

we were going over the next seven years.

The world needed to know what McLaren is doing. Each new car is a surprise because we haven’t got this history behind us. We said we would launch 15 new cars by 2022; it was called Track 22 because initially it went from 2015 to 2022.

CEO, MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE

We can’t build the same excitement, the same emotional connection, to an electric sports car.Ó

On why a pure electric vehicle is not for McLaren

more appealing product, that’s where the customer is going to go.

You want to get more into hybridization?

The world is inevitably going that way.

We produced the P1, which was the first hybrid supercar to come to market, which was successful. We’ve announced the BP23, a road car, a hyper GT that will also be a hybrid. By 2022 half our cars will be hybrid. There will be different levels of electrification. The one that works less for us is pure electric. We

just over 4,000 cars in Woking, but we’ve built a factory in Sheffield to build our carbon-fiber structures. Production starts in late 2019. Currently we design them, but they come from a supplier. We want to take control of that technology, bring it back in-house. We can evolve it the way we want to, get cost savings by manufacturing ourselves, and we protect intellectual property because we have quite a unique carbon-fiber structure to our cars that allows us to produce lighter cars—stiffer and very safe.

Do you think you will always have handbuilt vehicles? Yes. Not because I have

any problem with robots or automation.

There may be small levels of automation, but we need huge flexibility because we have quite a variety of models, and then our customers bespoke their cars to an unprecedented level.

How did you decide who gets the 75 Senna GTRs? We try to give priority to

the customers who have been loyal to us.

Little bit of first come, first served. Those who come to our events and want to buy a car to go to more events get priority.

The hardest thing is having to say no, they’re sold out. We already sold out the 500 regular Sennas in about two months, before anybody knew what it was called or what it looked like. And the GTR, I’d be surprised if it was not sold out in a couple days. That’s a huge compliment that people have that confidence in the brand.

Alisa Priddle

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Your Say...

IMPULSE CONTROL OF THE MONTH

“It’s like my 6-year-old grandson, who just can’t help himself.”

READERSÕ THOUGHTS ON PAST ISSUES Point

Counterpoint

The April issue is the best I’ve ever read.

For a (somewhat) redneck in Missouri, I’d say you have provided more content that I am interested in than any other issue in many years. Full-size SUVs, a 700-hp Jeep, the McLaren 720S, the Ford GT, new full-size Silverado and F-150, long-term updates on the diesel F-250 and Nissan Titan XD. The Lamborghini Huracán. The Kia Stinger. I might have missed one, but for the love of Mike, I spent more time reading this issue than the past six put together! Granted, I blew right past the Jetta and the Honda HR-V. (Do these even qualify as automobiles?) I know you have to cater to tree huggers, too. But seriously, way to go, you studs. If you give me in your future issues 50 percent of what you gave me in April, I will subscribe until I get promoted to heaven. You have restored my faith in the good ol’ paper copy of the auto enthusiast magazine. For that I will be forever grateful. Your online site rocks, as well.

It’s over. It’s not you. It’s me. I have zero interest in any SUV, truck, or $1 bazillion supercar. (I draw the line at $1 bazillion for supercars.) You’ve got to print what you’ve got to print, and I wish you well.

It’s been a long relationship, but you’ve changed, and I haven’t. You may keep all the joint property except for my ’63 ’Vette.

JASON GREENFIELD VIA EMAIL

READERS ON LOCATION TONY LEE of San Jose, California, was lucky enough to make it to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea and took us along for the ride. Tony says he and his family had a blast watching the ski halfpipe finals at the Phoenix Snow Park. We hope you guys also had the time to catch the Team USA women’s ice hockey upset over Canada for the gold!

BILL RUMSEY VIA EMAIL

Listen Up, Wall Street I’m a retired accountant. I like cars, and that’s why I read your magazine.

In your April issue, Mark Rechtin says, “Japanese automakers are overseen by bean counters,” (page 20) and Jonny Lieberman recommends “that Benz hogtie the accountants in the broom closet” (page 68). For the record, we don’t count beans, and we don’t count paperclips. We count money—who earns it, who wastes it, who saves it, and who spends it. For the most part, the decision to make a car or any product rests with the managers, vice presidents, presidents, boards of directors, CEOs, and even the CEOs’ daughters, but not the accountants. The accountants merely sort out the money and report it to those people. Because your staff gets to drive these machines at no cost to themselves, it is easy for them to recommend building a car that raises eyebrows. But what if it doesn’t raise profits? It is also significant that a high percentage of Fortune 500 CEOs started out as accountants. So although I enjoy reading your magazine, please lay off my profession. After all, an accountant is trained to freeze water with a glance.

PAUL SWANSON MILFORD, CONNECTICUT

Boy, you bean counters sure are sensitive.

We of course kid, Paul. Although Mark and Jonny were joking about accountants (OK, maybe Jonny wasn’t), you nonetheless support their point: If a car isn’t likely to earn a profit, it’s doubtful any accountant will sign off. Sound fiscal move that it is, sometimes we’d prefer they forget good sense and make a great (impractical) car.—Ed.

Big SUVs, Big Test When I saw the “Beasts of Burden” article in the April issue, I decided it’s an article

worth framing. Not only did Ford win, but the top three spots were also domestic brands, and Nissan and the “almighty” Toyota were at the bottom. There are a few of us readers left who root for American brand names, and it’s nice to see the home team win once in a while.

ETHAN ASHENBERNER VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON

Happy to hear you root for the home team, but we just want all manufacturers to make better cars, trucks, and SUVs, no matter if it’s built in Detroit or Kyushu.—Ed. I am familiar with each of the full-sized SUVs in your Big Test article in the April issue. I also agree with your conclusions, with two exceptions. First, because the GM Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade have live rear axles, this not only impedes rear seat comfort but also raises the load floor in the rear about 3 inches. This is a significant problem when you go to load/unload groceries, luggage, or anything else in the rear storage area. That was not noted. Also, although you correctly analyze the pluses and minuses of the Nissan Armada, I think it should have rated higher. Nobody does any off-roading in these things except maybe to a simple campsite. So that is an irrelevant factor in the grading. Most people like me want a very comfortable ride and cabin, a strong motor, and good electronics. The Armada ranks very well in these criteria unless you drive like a stock car driver. I own the exact model you tested, and my wife and I just love it.

LINDSAY SCHIEFFELIN GRANVILLE, NEW YORK

We liked the Armada a lot, too. We considered swapping it in fourth place with the Tahoe in third, but ultimately we didn’t because the Nissan has lower fuel economy and higher ownership costs. Couple that with its cramped third row, and the Nissan rightly earned its fourth-place finish.—Ed.

Whoops I’m sure I’m not the only reader to note the car shown on page 19 of the April issue is in fact Dan Gurney’s 1969 Indy racer, not his 1967 Gurney-Weslake F1 car. The F1 car is a timeless icon of automotive style, the Indy car not so much.

ANDREW WILSON PORTLAND, OREGON

Believe it or not, you’re the only one to make that correction. Good eye!—Ed.

WRITE US AT 831 S. Douglas St. El Segundo, CA 90245 Email us online at motortrend.com or send an email direct to motortrend@motortrend.com

Do you hate your detector?

It was your best friend, now it never shuts up.

Is the 6.2-liter V-8 engine in the 2018 GMC Yukon Denali mentioned on page 60 of the April issue really a DOHC?

The good news: New cars have a safety feature, the blind-spot warning system. Many models use K-band radar to “see” nearby cars.

The bad news: The onboard K-band turns each of these “seeing” cars into mobile false alarms. A blind-spot system may tag along with you for miles. You’re stuck, not knowing which car to maneuver away from. GPS is no solution.

It doesn’t work on mobile falses.

DAVID NORD NORTH MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN

Nope. It’s an OHV 16-valve V-8, just like the one found in the Tahoe RST Performance Edition found in the same issue.—Ed.

Lead Sled

JERRY HAENISCH LARAMIE, WYOMING

Hey Doc—first off, thanks for your service.

According to a Berkeley study, car radars are both less powerful and less concentrated than the radars found in planes. In other words, they aren’t powerful enough to affect your health.—Ed.

Why you will love V1 Our special sauce: V1 has Junk-K Fighter, an algorithm that recognizes these mobile false alarms and excludes them.

And it’s now built into all new V1s.

Can we build one for you? Try it for 30 days. If it doesn’t satisfy for any reason, send it back for a full refund. www.valentine1.com

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How can having more radar in cars be desirable? What happened to all the science tying radiation exposure to cancer risk? Sure, the convenience of self-driving cars will be great, until the deaths of people from microwave-caused cancer begin to manifest in a few years. I want my next car to be painted with lead to shield me from the death rays of all the other modern vehicles. Twenty-four years of active duty in the Air Force taught me a lot about the dangers of radar radiation. It is not a good thing to have around!

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Disappearing Act Posthumous congratulations to Jonny Lieberman for his excellent and revealing article, “Power Mad”(April 2018), about the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.

I say posthumous because I assume he has mysteriously disappeared with only a scorched spot left behind on his office chair. It now makes sense to me when he revealed that the Trackhawk weighs more than the Hellcat by 999 pounds as the fatally revealed clue by Lieberman alerts us that it is 666 when inverted! A HELLcat engine? 666? The final piece of the puzzle fell into place when I recorded the digital story online and played it backward. An eerie backmasked voice said: “Satan wants you to buy the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk!” His final post was “dead on.” There’s a conspiracy.

For my own safety, please don’t list my real address.

WILLIAM CRAFT SOMEWHERE IN MEXICO

Come to think of it, it’s been a while since we’ve seen Jonny.—Ed.

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COMPARISON TEST | $40,000 Luxury Challenge

I$ LUXURY It’s human nature to place things into neat little categories. This has been true when it comes to cars. Mainstream brands knew their value-oriented price point, and luxury brands lorded their social standing, burled walnut, perforated leather, and thundering audio systems over their peers.

But the lines that separate mainstream and luxury vehicles are increasingly

blurred these days. Mainstream automakers are offering luxury-laden trim packages, and prestige car brands have moved downmarket to grab volume. One brand executive referred to such maneuvers as “democratizing luxury.”

In looking at this changing environment, we organized four comparison tests to see who does posh better for a capped price of (roughly) $40,000.

Why 40 grand? Because it’s just a hair above the average new-vehicle

WE DON’T NEED NO STINKING BADGES. WE PIT FOUR FULLY LOADED MAINSTREAM VEHICLES AGAINST FOUR BASE-MODEL LUXURY CARS.

FACEOFF Can mainstream vehicles play the luxury card?

Can luxury brands successfully move downmarket? Read on, traveler, to find out.

34 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

Words Mark Rechtin Photograph William Walker

transaction price of about $36,000. It’s a “let’s splurge a bit” number—whether it be loading up a VW or taking a trip to a Volvo dealer to see if luxury is within reach.

As to the products we chose to test, not every mainstream brand can perform a superior luxury imitation. There’s too much built-to-price content to overcome, whether it’s acres of cheap plastic, a kidney-punishing suspension, or a raspy, underpowered engine. Similarly, many premium brands can’t move downmarket without removing many of the features

COVER STORY

WORTH IT? that people come to expect from a luxury automobile—severely damaging their brand promise as a result.

To choose our entrants, we needed mainstream players that make legitimate claims to luxury and luxury players that adeptly manage expectations. We didn’t want straw men. We wanted a fair fight.

The typical battery of Motor Trend tests focuses on acceleration and braking, ride feel, and handling response. Those still matter for this test. But as this is a value story, we took a more holistic approach.

If both vehicles’ seats are leather, does one feel like

thin-gauge vinyl while the other is plush and rewarding? How much hard plastic is in the center console where your right hand and wrist rest on long drives? Do the buttons, knobs, and dials feel elegant or plinky? Is the sound from the speakers lush or tinny?

We also added a test for interior noise levels, as occupants frequently associate luxury with a quiet cabin. We tested under full throttle and while cruising at 65 mph. This is presented in sones rather than decibels to deliver a linear, humanlike measurement of loudness.

With these metrics, we tested the delicate tactile and sensory elements that folks might not notice during a 15-minute test drive but that after six months would drive them batty.

Of course, being pragmatists, we also measured the cost of ownership—with data courtesy of IntelliChoice—which

will inform which car would be better for your wallet in the long term.

In seeking luxury vehicles with sticker prices in the $38,000–40,000 range, several press-vehicle fleets could not provide representative cars. In those situations, we relied on the help of a couple cooperative area dealers, who loaned us zero-miles showroom models at the appropriate price points. (We reimbursed the dealers for the tires we torched in our figure-eight testing.)

One luxury dealer, in fact, was quite quick to jump in the fray—noting that the $40,000 price limit is often cited by customers in his dealership, with a fairly large volume of sales at the lower trim levels. After all, many people can’t afford the loaded version yet still want the prestige and refinement of the luxury badge.

So there you have it. Our playground.

Our rules. Who wins might surprise you.

JUNE 2018 / MOTORTREND.COM 35

COMPARISON TEST | 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL TSI 4Motion VS. 2018 Volvo XC60 T5 AWD (Momentum)

SWEATING THE DETAILS

Words Christian Seabaugh Photographs Jade Nelson

THE SMALL STUFF MATTERS FOR THESE TWO $40K LUXURY CROSSOVERS Details matter, especially when it comes to luxury.

When you can get leather in a Ford Fiesta, those hoping to compete in the luxury space need to sweat the small stuff to succeed. Volvo and VW both have gotten the message.

Long viewed in this country as alternatives for luxury and mainstream buyers avoiding a “traditional” choice, both brands have been making major efforts toward increasing market shares. For Volkswagen, this has meant more premium trim levels and a new compact crossover promising German design and performance at a value price. For Volvo, it’s new CUVs that stand for the ideals of Scandinavian luxury.

36 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

The 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL TSI 4Motion and the 2018 Volvo XC60 T5 AWD represent this shift, and although one was designed to steal sales from Toyota and the other from Audi, there’s enough overlap that we decided it was a good idea to invite them to compete as part of our $40,000 “Is Luxury Worth It?” challenge.

For buyers looking for a more luxurious mainstream compact crossover, the new Tiguan is a pretty compelling option. VW has previously crossed the line between mainstream and luxury brands (anyone remember the Phaeton or W-8-powered Passat?), and with the toptrim Tiguan SEL, VW looks like

FUN HOUSE We love the front half of the Tiguan’s interior. Its Halloween color scheme is welcoming.

COVER STORY: IS LUXURY WORTH IT?

it’s found the sweet spot. The Tiguan has attractive new sheetmetal and a lengthy list of standard features, including an Audi-esque digital instrument cluster and driver-assist features. It has the luxury front covered, too, with a heated steering wheel, heated seats, a Fender audio system, and a full-length panoramic sunroof. Our attractive whiteon-black-on-orange Tiguan SEL tester stickers for $38,950, its only options being the $5,160 Premium package and

the $500 third-row seat.

If any automaker has successfully challenged the established luxury paradigm, it has to be Volvo. Flush with cash after being purchased by Chinese automaker Geely in 2010, Volvo has invested heavily in new platforms, new engines, and new designers poached from Bentley and other companies.

The result is visually stunning vehicles, among them our 2018 Volvo XC60 T5 AWD Momentum.

CLEAN CLASSIC Volvo’s minimalist interior design language looks great in our XC60.

JUNE 2018 / MOTORTREND.COM 37

Well-equipped from the factory with leather, Volvo’s Sensus infotainment system, and a full suite of safety gear, prices start at $42,495, just over our cutoff. But once you get into the realm of decently equipped large-compact or small-midsize luxury crossovers, it’s hard finding a vehicle under $40,000.

We couldn’t find a Volvo XC60 without options on dealer lots, so we asked Volvo to send us one representative of what you’d find shopping.

Our lightly optioned tester included metallic blue paint (white is the only no-cost color), the Vision package (which turns that active safety hardware into driver-assist tech), and an optional interior trim. Total price is $44,690, about $95 per month more than the Tiguan over the course of a 60-month loan. OK, so we bent the salary-cap rules. For some folks, an extra hundred bucks a month is a bridge too far. For others, it’s close enough that they’d at least consider it.

This price gap also gives VW a $5,740 head start in our value comparison.

Both crossovers are about the same length and weight. They also sport similar drivetrains, but the VW is the less powerful of the two. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged engine makes 184 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque and sends its power through an eight-speed automatic to an all-wheel-drive system. Largely thanks to its low power and high weight, the Tiguan was merely adequate at the track, needing 8.9 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph and 4.7 seconds for the ever-important 45–65-mph passing test.

Handling performance is competitive with its mainstream brethren, lapping our figure-eight course in 28.1 seconds while averaging 0.58 g. The Tiguan’s fuel economy ratings are competitive,

C H O O S E Y O U R C A R W I S E LY

VW Tiguan SEL TSI 4Motion

Volvo XC60 T5 AWD (Momentum)

AVG STATE FEES

$491 $540

DEPRECIATION*

$22,502 (57%) $22,857 (50%)

FINANCING

$4,006 $4,596

INSURANCE

$7,187 $6,321

FUEL

$7,908 $7,590

MAINTENANCE

$3,015 $2,298

REPAIRS

$0

$1,127

5-YEAR COST OF OWNERSHIP $45,109

$45,329

INTELLICHOICE TARGET PURCHASE PRICE

$45,470

$39,636

*IntelliChoice data is based on five years of ownership at 14,000 miles driven per year.

Target purchase price includes destination and average applicable state taxes applied to a transaction price between invoice and retail, based on applicable incentives.

too; it nets an EPA-estimated 21/27/23 mpg city/highway/combined and an 18.8/31.9/23.1 Real MPG score.

The XC60 is more powerful; its 2.0-liter turbo-four makes 250 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, which is routed through an eight-speed automatic gearbox to an all-wheel-drive system. The extra power helps the XC60, which weighs about the same as the Tiguan, perform admirably at our test track. It accelerates to 60 mph from a standstill in 6.2 seconds and is quick in our 45–65-mph passing test with a 3.4-second time. The Volvo is quicker in our figure-eight test, too, posting a 26.6-second time at 0.64 g average.

The extra horsepower doesn’t seem to hurt fuel economy much; it’s EPA-rated at 22/28/24 mpg, and we achieved 18.5/31.0/22.6 Real MPG in our testing.

Sometimes a car doesn’t feel as slow out in the real world as it does on the track, but that’s not really the case with

the Tiguan. “I’m underwhelmed by this drivetrain,” associate editor Scott Evans said. “Throttle tip-in is too sensitive; you get a shove in the back like when a rollercoaster starts up the hill but then settles into a long, slow climb.” The Tiguan’s fuel economy–oriented eightspeed auto seems to pay off at the pump, but it doesn’t help mitigate the engine’s power problems. The Tiguan’s gearbox is frequently caught skipping up to eighth gear early, further hurting the VW’s poky performance. Shifting the VW’s eightspeed into its sport programming helps, but not much. Despite its acceptable handling performance at the test track, the Tiguan doesn’t really excite on the road in the same way most VW’s sedans and hatchbacks do. The Tiguan does at least ride nicely, but the downside is it leans a fair amount in tighter corners.

The XC60 is the sportier of the two.

The engine feels powerful and responsive, and it hides any turbo lag well. Like the VW, the throttle is a bit overeager when leaving from a stop, but the eightspeed takes the edge off with smooth, quick shifts. The XC60’s ride aims more toward sporty, too, which like everything in life has its trade-offs. The upshot is that the XC60 goes around a corner wonderfully, with quick, direct steering.

The downside is the ride is rougher than we’d otherwise expect from a Volvo. “The ride is a little heavy, like the springs are rather stiff,” Evans said. “It’s definitely sport luxury; I expected more magiccarpet luxury.”

Inside is where the VW earns back some points from the Volvo. The Tiguan SEL with the Premium package seems designed to make a great first impression. Hop into the driver’s seat, and it’s hard not to be impressed by the black and orange leather seats with matching door cards, the big digital instrument cluster and infotainment screens, the CUT CORNERS Compare the VW's rear seats with the fronts. The automaker cut costs by scrapping the orange door cards and many metallic accents.

38 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

COMPARISON TEST

The Volkswagen Tiguan SEL makes a great first impression, but getting into the Volvo XC60 makes you feel special. metal-accented Fender speakers, and the massive panoramic sunroof, all of which give the Tiguan a luxurious feel.

Spend more than a test drive’s length in the Tiguan, and you’ll learn first impressions are fleeting. Luxury interiors are all about the details, and it doesn’t appear VW paid enough attention to them. Take the cabin’s design for instance. If the Tiguan’s front seats are luxury apartments, the back are the city-mandated affordable housing units, complete with separate amenities and a back-alley entrance. The fantastic black and orange interior design that flows seamlessly from the driver-side door, across the dash, and onto the passenger-side door doesn’t continue into the rear seats.

Instead of the fun black and orange accented with satin metallic trim, rear passengers get the cheap seats with featureless door cards made of hard black plastic. At least the outboard seats get orange leather.

The front half of the cabin, though HIGH QUALITY The Volvo’s back seat is just as welcoming as its front. Rear passengers each get their own B-pillar-mounted A/C vent.

great-looking, isn’t off the hook, either.

The dash is trimmed in two graypatterned pieces of plastic that don’t match, the armrests are padded in the same rubbery material that makes up the dashboard, and VW missed an opportunity to really drive things home with matching orange stitching. Mainstream buyers would likely be OK with this, but luxury buyers sure won’t.

There are some unfortunate ergonomic issues, too. “The front seats are comfortable, but the seating position is odd,” Evans, who stands 5-foot-9, said.

“I feel like I have to get way up on the dash to reach the pedals.” The issue is amplified for taller drivers. The rear seats also aren’t the most comfortable. The sliding second row is surprisingly narrow and flat given the Tiguan’s footprint, but it does at least feel spacious enough for adults. The third row is $500 worth

saving: difficult to access and only large enough for a small child. It also eats up precious cargo area. (Note: All-wheeldrive Tiguans get a choice of five or seven seats; front-drivers only come with seven seats.)

Getting into the Volvo feels like walking up the stairs into business class in a Boeing 747—you feel special. The interior looks gorgeous, with white leather seats the focal point along with piano black accents, satin metal, and wood trim playing equally important supporting roles. “Usually you’d worry about a stripped-down base-model luxury car, but this one is fantastic,” Evans said. “The materials all look and feel authentic, and they’re liberally applied.” The XC60’s touch points all feel expensive; even the plastics have a nice graining to them.

Volvo went so far as lining the inside of the door cubbies with a soft foam and carpeting the center console tunnel.

The minimalist cabin’s few controls “all have a heavy, solid feel to them,” Evans said. With so few buttons, most of your interactions with the XC60’s cabin will be through its iPad-sized infotainment system, which works wonderfully. It’s snappy and intuitive, and like the VW, it includes standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.

True to tradition, the Volvo’s seats, both front and back, are supportive and comfortable. The XC60’s big windows and panoramic sunroof give the cabin an airy feel. There’s plenty of room in back for adult passengers and behind them a spacious cargo area with a low load floor.

There are a few misses in the XC60’s cabin. The digital instrument cluster isn’t as intuitive as the infotainment system, but it gets the job done. The hard backs of

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL TSI 4Motion Front-engine, AWD Turbocharged I-4, iron block/alum head DOHC, 4 valves/cyl 121.1 cu in/1,984cc 11.7:1 184 hp @ 4,400 rpm 221 lb-ft @ 1,600 rpm 6,500 rpm 22.2 lb/hp 8-speed automatic 3.33:1/2.23:1 Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar

POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS

2018 Volvo XC60 T5 AWD (Momentum)

DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT ENGINE TYPE VALVETRAIN DISPLACEMENT COMPRESSION RATIO POWER (SAE NET) TORQUE (SAE NET) REDLINE WEIGHT TO POWER TRANSMISSION AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO

Turbocharged I-4, alum block/head DOHC, 4 valves/cyl 120.2 cu in/1,969cc 10.8:1 250 hp @ 5,500 rpm 258 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm Not indicated (6,000-rpm fuel shutoff) 16.3 lb/hp 8-speed automatic 3.33:1/2.24:1

SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR

13.9:1 2.6 13.4-in vented disc; 11.8-in disc, ABS 7.0 x 19-in cast aluminum

STEERING RATIO TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK BRAKES, F; R WHEELS

235/50R19 99H (M+S) Pirelli P Zero Scorpion Verde

TIRES

Front-engine, AWD

Control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, transverse leaf spring, anti-roll bar 16.6:1 3.0 13.6-in vented disc; 12.6-in disc, ABS 8.0 x 18-in cast aluminum 235/60R18 103V (M+S) Pirelli P Zero Scorpion

DIMENSIONS

109.8 in 62.2/61.8 in 185.1 x 72.4 x 66.3 in 7.9 in 26.2/23.3 deg 37.7 ft 4,084 lb 55/45% 1,500 lb 7 39.6/39.1/33.8 in 40.2/36.5/27.9 in 57.0/55.9/47.8 in 65.7/33.0/12.0 cu ft

WHEELBASE TRACK, F/R LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT GROUND CLEARANCE APPROACH/DEPART ANGLE TURNING CIRCLE CURB WEIGHT WEIGHT DIST, F/R TOWING CAPACITY SEATING CAPACITY HEADROOM, F/M/R LEGROOM, F/M/R SHOULDER ROOM, F/M/R CARGO VOL BEH F/M/R

112.8 in 65.1/65.2 in 184.6 x 74.9 x 64.8 in 8.5 in 23.1/25.5 deg 37.4 ft 4,077 lb 55/45% 3,500 lb 5 38.0/38.0/– in 41.5/38.0/– in 58.2/56.3/– in 50.6/22.4/– cu ft

TEST DATA

3.0 sec 4.6 6.6 8.9 11.6 15.2 – 4.7 16.7 sec @ 83.8 mph 124 ft 0.82 g (avg) 28.1 sec @ 0.58 g (avg) 1,600 rpm 23.0 sones (max) 16.9 sones (avg)

ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 0-40 0-50 0-60 0-70 0-80 0-90 PASSING, 45-65 MPH QUARTER MILE BRAKING, 60-0 MPH LATERAL ACCELERATION MT FIGURE EIGHT TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH SOUND LEVEL* @ FULL THROTTLE SOUND LEVEL* @ 65 MPH STEADY

1.9 sec 3.1 4.5 6.2 8.2 10.6 13.9 3.4 14.7 sec @ 91.5 mph 115 ft 0.87 g (avg) 26.6 sec @ 0.64 g (avg) 1,600 rpm 21.3 sones (max) 16.1 sones (avg)

CONSUMER INFO

$33,290 $38,950 Yes/Yes 6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain 6 years/72,000 miles 6 years/72,000 miles 3 years/36,000 miles 15.9 gal 18.8/31.9/23.1 mpg 21/27/23 mpg 160/125 kW-hrs/100 miles 0.83 lb/mile Unleaded regular

BASE PRICE PRICE AS TESTED STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL AIRBAGS BASIC WARRANTY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FUEL CAPACITY REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB RECOMMENDED FUEL

40 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

$42,495 $44,690 Yes/Yes 6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain 4 years/50,000 miles 4 years/50,000 miles 4 years/Unlimited miles 18.8 gal 18.5/31.0/22.6 mpg 22/28/24 mpg 153/120 kW-hrs/100 miles 0.80 lb/mile Unleaded premium * sones (est) from dBA; the sone is a linear measure of loudness that more closely corresponds to human experience

the front seats—the only obvious sign of cost cutting in an otherwise impressive cabin—are also disappointing to see.

Both Volvo and Volkswagen cabins are quiet. The Tiguan’s cabin is louder, but not by much. At full throttle it registers at 23.0 sones to the XC60’s 21.3. At highway speeds the VW narrows the gap, with our meters registering 16.9 average sones at 65 mph to the Volvo’s 16.1.

Cost is a primary driver behind any vehicle purchase, so we asked our friends at IntelliChoice to run some numbers to figure out how much the Tiguan and XC60 would cost owners over five years. Despite VW’s price advantage, the five-year costs of ownership are close: the Tiguan’s $45,109 to the XC60’s $45,329. The Tiguan’s narrow advantage can be attributed to Volkswagen’s new 72-month/72,000-mile bumper-tobumper warranty, which brings repair costs to $0 over six years, a year longer than IntelliChoice data covers.

We started this exercise trying to answer whether the luxury badge was worth it for the same price. In this case, the loaded Volkswagen Tiguan SEL carries a nearly six-grand price advantage over the Volvo. The Tiguan put up a strong effort with its long list of features, attractive sheetmetal, and fun interior. But VW let us down with its lower-quality interior materials and cut corners. And although it could have put some of that price advantage to work on those features, VW failed to deliver the comfortably capable driving experience that all luxury cars seem to capture.

And that’s a bigger issue. With the XC60, Volvo delivers on the details, big and small, that completely encapsulate the luxury experience. When it comes to the Volvo XC60 Momentum, luxury is definitely worth the splurge. n

DIGGING DEEPER The Volvo XC60 drove away with the victory, but your luxury priorities might be slightly different than ours. If you need help making up your mind …

Get the Volkswagen if you:

1 Need an emergency third row 2 Like the peace of mind of a six-year/72,000mile warranty

3 Need a ton of cargo space (five-seat only) 4 Need its slightly better fuel economy

Get the Volvo if you: 1 2 3 4

Feel you deserve to treat yo’ self Want something a little sportier Want a holistic luxury experience Have an extra $95 bucks a month to spend

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COMPARISON TEST | Audi A4 2.0T Ultra (Premium) VS. Honda Accord 2.0T Touring

BLURRED LINES

WHO BUILDS THE BETTER LUXURY FAMILY SEDAN?

Luxury, like pornography, can be hard to define. In the case of automobiles, luxury is not as much about demographics or data as it is about the holistic feeling a premium vehicle gives you. Superior driving dynamics might be a major ingredient in the luxury experience, but design, build quality, and interior

42 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

materials also are significant factors.

Technology—chiefly infotainment and driver-assist hardware—is increasingly important, as well.

But in the past decade, there’s been a wrinkle in the luxury continuum.

Mainstream marques have added highzoot trim packages to their volume models to earn more profit and amortize costs across broad volumes; meanwhile, luxury brands have moved downmarket to increase market share. Things have become especially heated among family sedans in the neighborhood of 40 grand.

Sedan buyers should be pretty familiar with the Honda Accord as a practical family hauler and work commuter.

After all, it’s been the best-selling car to individual buyers (not counting rental fleets) for years. And Honda has made its midsize package even more impressive with the 10th generation.

Case in point: the top-spec 2018 Honda Accord 2.0T Touring. It comes loaded with all that luxury buyers expect, such as leather and amazingly lifelike imitation wood inside, Honda Sense driver-assist tech, and a hot-rodded engine under the hood—all for $36,690 out the door.

On the luxury end of the spectrum is the 2018 Audi A4 Ultra. With luxury

Words Christian Seabaugh Photographs Robin Trajano

COVER STORY: IS LUXURY for the A4 Ultra’s existence, its WORTH engine makes less power than does in other A4 trims (190 hp IT? andit 236 lb-ft of torque compared to

sedan sales taking a nosedive and fuel economy regulations tightening, Audi introduced the more affordable and efficient A4 Ultra when the fifth-gen model made its debut in 2017. Starting at $36,975, the A4 Ultra is one of the most inexpensive ways to get a luxury-brand family sedan into your garage.

The A4 Ultra’s starting price covers the luxury basics with LED lights, a sunroof, and leather seats. However, most models on showroom floors are typically specced up like the zero-miles loaner we borrowed from a local Audi dealership. Our tester added options such as gray paint for $575 (only black or white paint is free) and the Convenience package, which adds keyless entry, a color instrument cluster display, and a few other features for $1,000. A handful of other goodies brought the as-tested price to $39,110. That makes the two competing cars’ monthly payments within $40 of each other.

The two are closer mechanically than you’d think. Their wheelbases are within 0.4 inch, and curb weights are within 34 pounds. Under each hood sits a 2.0-liter turbo-four driving the front wheels.

With a lower cost of entry and improved fuel economy being the reasons

252 and 273 for the 2.0T Quattro lineup).

Power is routed through a seven-speed twin-clutch automatic to the front wheels—Audi’s famous Quattro all-wheeldrive system having been omitted on the A4 Ultra for fuel economy reasons. The trade-off would appear to be worth it, as it achieves an impressive EPA rating of 27/37/31 mpg city/highway/combined on premium gasoline.

Honda takes a traditional luxury car approach with the Accord Touring 2.0T’s engine—overpowered and understressed.

The Accord Touring 2.0T’s powerplant, a detuned version of the Civic Type R’s 2.0-liter turbo I-4, produces 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque and is paired with a 10-speed automatic. The combo is good for 22/32/26 mpg on regular gas. This is the upgraded engine from the base 192-hp 1.5-liter turbo I-4 paired with a CVT—a combo also available on the Accord Touring. The difference is impressive.

One of the worst things that can happen when buying a luxury car, particularly one on the lower end of the spectrum, is the obvious revelation to both you and others that you got “the cheap one.”

FIRST IMPRESSIONS The Honda Accord and Audi A4 welcome their drivers in different ways.

The Honda (top) is open and airy, and the Audi feels like classic German cool.

In the past decade, there’s been a wrinkle in the luxury continuum, and the Accord and A4 are closer mechanically than you’d think.

JUNE 2018 / MOTORTREND.COM 43

COMPARISON TEST Although some base-trim luxury family sedans have some pretty obvious tells, the A4 Ultra hides its relatively affordable sticker price well. The A4 Ultra’s trim looks sharp even with its slightly smaller wheels and Eastern Bloc–apartment gray paint. From its LED signature headlights, down its sharply creased flanks, to its sequential taillights, everything about the A4 screams, “I’ve made it!”

Inside, the A4 makes a good first impression. “The design vibe is a smartphone on wheels,” executive editor Mark Rechtin said. Slip into the interior, and you’re greeted with real leather seats (though they are on the grainy and thin side), neat metallic-looking trim along the dashboard, and Audi’s MMI infotainment system mounted front and center atop the dash. The plastic switchgear feels soft and satiny, and the metallictipped HVAC controls and MMI knob are cool to the touch and look pricey.

The knobs turn and buttons press with a satisfyingly damped click.

“Audi does a superb job of using the interior design to mask the material selection,” associate editor Scott Evans said. “The design is hypermodern and looks premium, and the textured silver plastic stands in well for fake wood.”

But dig a bit deeper, and you’ll find some disappointing decontenting to hit the price point—starting with the fancy tech Audi is most known for. With the cheaper trim package, the game-changing Virtual Cockpit is missing, as is any driver-assist technology. (Honda Sensing is standard on even the cheapest Accord.)

MMI has a navigation selector, but when you press it, you’re casually reminded

SLEIGHT OF HAND Audi does a killer job at keeping your eyes on the expensive parts of the A4 and away from the cheap bits below the dash. The visual tricks are less effective in back.

44 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

From LED headlights to sequential taillights, everything about the A4 Ultra screams, “I’ve made it!” that you didn’t actually pay for GPS. MMI is at least friendly with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which lessens the blow.

Some of the material choices are disappointing in a tactile sense. The armrests aren’t leather, and neither is the dash topper, which is a sort of squishy rubber.

There are also a lot of hard, unsatisfying plastics hiding below your beltline.

The material choices are pretty easy to overlook considering this A4’s sticker price, but the back seat’s shortcomings aren’t. The lack of legroom means tall passengers will find themselves with their legs pressed against a hard plastic seat back instead of the softer surfaces found on higher-spec A4s. Cupholders are also conspicuously absent in the back seat, though there are at least bottle holders in the door pockets. The Audi claws back a few points by offering HVAC controls to rear-seat passengers.

As for the Accord, if a mainstream automaker is to put up a credible alternative to a luxury car, it can’t just beat the luxury maker on price and value. And Honda appears to be taking the challenge seriously. The Accord Touring oozes curb appeal, with a Mercedes CLS-esque stance and wheel arches filled by attractive 19-inch wheels.

“Get inside, and the effect is familiar Honda yet futuristic,” Rechtin said. The leather-lined cabin is anchored by comfy seats, rich-looking LCD displays on the instrument panel and on top of the dash, and both “wood” and satin metallic trim.

Honda sweat the details, too. Its infotainment system has a larger screen than the A4, and it’s more user-friendly, too, with big icons and an easily navigated user interface. Even its HVAC controls are nice, its knurled metal knobs spinning with a satisfying click. As an engaging bonus, the knobs are backlit either blue or red, depending on whether you’re cranking the heat or A/C. “The buttons and stalks all have that tactile detent cushioning, a little hint of elegance that makes you think Honda spent the overtime to get the product just right,” Rechtin said. The feature-rich cabin is rounded out by heated seats front and rear, a limolike back seat, and USB outlets spread throughout the cabin. The loaded infotainment system works with CarPlay, as well.

COMPARISON TEST

C H O O S E Y O U R C A R W I S E LY

Honda Accord 2.0T Touring $473

AVG STATE FEES DEPRECIATION

Audi A4 2.0T Ultra (Premium) $480

$20,842 (55%) $20,967 (55%)

FINANCING

$3,856

$3,822

INSURANCE

$7,918

$8,106

FUEL

$5,797

$5,946

MAINTENANCE

$2,652

$2,668

$629

$1,518

5-YEAR COST OF OWNERSHIP $42,167

$43,507

REPAIRS INTELLICHOICE TARGET PURCHASE PRICE

$38,136

$37,811

For all the extra attention to detail, the Accord’s cabin does have a few minor flaws. The simulated wood trim looks nice but doesn’t feel like wood. And as Evans puts it, the light gray leather seats “highlight how plasticky some of the dash and door parts are, particularly in the corners where the dash and door meet, where there appears to be a sheen and color difference between the two neighboring panels.”

Those nitpicks can be easily forgiven once you hit the road. The Accord is a sweetheart to drive. “This drivetrain is a winning combination,” Evans said.

Honda’s 2.0-liter engine and 10-speed automatic are a fine pairing, the former

seemingly always in its powerband and the latter shifting seamlessly. The engine purrs under gentle throttle but responds with a satisfying snarl when you ask more of it. Said Rechtin: “Shift quality is whisper smooth; even downshifts are handled without much of a jolt.”

The Accord is an elegant handler with one of the most refined front-drive suspensions on the market. “It goes around a corner really well for a midsize family sedan,” Evans said. “It doesn’t roll much, and steering is accurate and precise.” The Accord rides nicely over poor pavement, too, isolating the cabin from all but the harshest bumps.

However, the cabin could be considered on the noisier side under hard acceleration, registering at 38.7 sones with our test gear due to the engine’s pleasing growl, but it quiets down to a reasonable 16.9 sones while cruising at 65 mph.

Our test data would seem to back up what we learned on the road. Here are the highlights: The Accord is properly quick from 0 to 60 mph, needing just 5.8 seconds, and thanks to its quick-shifting transmission, it also doesn’t suffer from noticeable turbo lag, needing only 2.8 seconds to complete a 45–65-mph pass.

In comparison, the Audi A4 Ultra lacks the grace of the Accord. Having spent

plenty of time behind the wheel of MT’s long-term all-wheel-drive A4 Quattro (priced at $52,325), it almost feels like Audi spent less time engineering the front-drive version. Throttle tip-in on the Ultra is rather aggressive, and it’s difficult to pull away smoothly from a stop. This makes the A4 feel faster than its 7.0-second 0–60 time would indicate, especially when the A4’s front left tire peels out as it struggles for traction.

Once cruising, things improve. The engine makes good midrange torque, but the Audi’s transmission can be reluctant to downshift. We can’t shake the feeling that the A4’s 3.7-second 45–65 time will increase exponentially with four passengers and their luggage on board.

The A4 Ultra goes around a corner well, however. Steering is a bit numb due to the stock tire choice, but body motions are controlled, and the suspension is welldamped when riding over poor pavement.

BIG SPENDER Honda does a remarkable job of making the Accord feel upscale. The three high-res displays—the infotainment, instrument cluster, and HUD—add to that impression.

46 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

2018 Honda Accord 2.0T Touring Front-engine, FWD

Turbocharged I-4, alum block/head DOHC, 4 valves/cyl 121.8 cu in/1,996cc 9.8:1 252 hp @ 6,500 rpm 273 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm 6,800 rpm 13.5 lb/hp 10-speed automatic 3.55:1/1.84:1

Struts, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar 11.8:1 2.2 12.3-in vented disc; 11.1-in disc, ABS

POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS

2018 Audi A4 2.0T Ultra (Premium)

DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT ENGINE TYPE VALVETRAIN DISPLACEMENT COMPRESSION RATIO POWER (SAE NET) TORQUE (SAE NET) REDLINE WEIGHT TO POWER TRANSMISSION AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO

Front-engine, FWD Turbocharged I-4, iron block/alum head DOHC, 4 valves/cyl 121.1 cu in/1,984cc 11.7:1 190 hp @ 4,200 rpm 236 lb-ft @ 1,450 rpm 6,000 rpm 18.1 lb/hp 7-speed twin-clutch auto 4.23:1/1.83:1

SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR STEERING RATIO TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK BRAKES, F; R

8.5 x 19-in cast aluminum

WHEELS

235/40R19 96V (M+S) Michelin Primacy MXM4

TIRES

Multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar 15.9:1 2.7 12.4-in vented disc; 12.8-in vented disc, ABS

7.5 x 17-in cast aluminum 225/50R17 94H (M+S) Continental ProContact GT TX

DIMENSIONS

111.4 in 62.6/63.1 in 192.1 x 73.2 x 57.1 in 39.4 ft 3,410 lb 61/39% 5 37.5/37.2 in 42.3/40.4 in 58.3/56.5 in 16.7 cu ft

WHEELBASE TRACK, F/R LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT TURNING CIRCLE CURB WEIGHT WEIGHT DIST, F/R SEATING CAPACITY HEADROOM, F/R LEGROOM, F/R SHOULDER ROOM, F/R CARGO VOLUME

111.0 in 61.9/61.2 in 186.1 x 72.5 x 56.2 in 38.1 ft 3,444 lb 57/43% 5 38.9/37.4 in 41.3/35.7 in 55.9/54.5 in 13.0 cu ft

TEST DATA

2.4 sec 3.3 4.4 5.8 7.6 9.4 12.0 15.1 2.8 14.4 sec @ 97.9 mph 119 ft 0.89 g (avg) 26.7 sec @ 0.67 g (avg) 1,400 rpm 38.7 sones (max) 16.9 sones (avg)

ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 0-40 0-50 0-60 0-70 0-80 0-90 0-100 PASSING, 45-65 MPH QUARTER MILE BRAKING, 60-0 MPH LATERAL ACCELERATION MT FIGURE EIGHT TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH SOUND LEVEL* @ FULL THROTTLE SOUND LEVEL* @ 65 MPH STEADY

2.5 sec 3.7 5.3 7.0 9.2 11.9 15.0 – 3.7 15.4 sec @ 91.0 mph 120 ft 0.85 g (avg) 27.2 sec @ 0.64 g (avg) 1,300 rpm 19.6 sones (max) 14.6 sones (avg)

CONSUMER INFO

$36,690 $36,690 Yes/Yes 10: Dual front, f/r side, f/r curtain, front knee 3 years/36,000 miles 5 years/60,000 miles 3 years/36,000 miles 14.8 gal Not tested 22/32/26 mpg 153/105 kW-hrs/100 miles 0.76 lb/mile Unleaded regular

BASIC WARRANTY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FUEL CAPACITY REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON

$36,975 $39,110 Yes/Yes 8: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee 4 years/50,000 miles 4 years/50,000 miles 4 years/Unlimited miles 15.3 gal 23.6/42.5/29.5 mpg 27/37/31 mpg

ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY

125/91 kW-hrs/100 miles

BASE PRICE PRICE AS TESTED STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL AIRBAGS

CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB RECOMMENDED FUEL

48 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

0.63 lb/mile Unleaded premium * sones (est) from dBA; the sone is a linear measure of loudness that more closely corresponds to human experience

The cabin is quiet, too, with our meters registering 19.6 sones at full-throttle, almost 50 percent quieter than the Accord, and 14.6 sones at 65 mph.

Cost, no matter the segment, is always a purchase consideration. Although it’s tempting to compare as-tested prices, we need to be more nuanced than that.

Surprisingly, the A4 Ultra might actually be cheaper up front than the Accord 2.0T Touring, thanks to generous incentives on the Audi’s hood. However, once we break costs out over 60 months, the A4’s advantages disappear. That luxury badge means luxury expenses, with the A4 costing more in just about every category but especially in repairs, where the Honda solidly pulls away.

We understand: A luxury car is always going to struggle against a mainstream model when it comes to perceived value; your dollar would seem to go further at a Honda dealer than it does at an Audi one.

So the ultimate question when it comes to Accord 2.0T Touring versus A4 Ultra is simple: The Audi’s $2,420 price premium over the Honda and the extra features the Accord has that the A4 doesn’t aside, is the Honda a better luxury car?

Verdict: It’s close, but at this 40 grand price point the Accord Touring is a more convincing luxury car. “Audi does a superb job of dressing up the A4 to keep your eyes away from the cost-saving measures,” Evans said, “but when you dig even a little bit, you find them.” That, coupled with its imperfect road manners, sinks the Audi. The Accord, on the other hand, makes a strong effort at defining the luxury experience. It’s not perfect, but it does just about everything a little better. It’s nicer to drive, more sophisticated, and more rewarding to spend time in. Is luxury worth it? Sometimes. But in this case, the mainstream is luxury. n

DIGGING DEEPER Honda won this battle by a whisker. That might leave some of you still unsettled as to our verdict. You might have your own priorities as far as practical wants and needs.

So for those still on the fence …

Get the Honda if you: 1 2 3 4 5

Need room for five Want a loaded infotainment system Desire zippier performance and handling Want driver-assist technology Place importance on cost of ownership

Get the Audi if you:

1 Love the look and feel of refined design 2 Want a quiet interior 3 Need fuel economy for a long commute and don’t mind paying for premium

4 Don’t use the back seat much

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COMPARISON TEST | 2018 Mazda CX-5 AWD (Grand Touring) VS. 2018 Lexus NX 300

The genesis of Motor Trend’s $40,000 challenge lies with the 2018 Mazda CX-5. We were impressed with the compact crossover from the moment we laid eyes on it. When the fully refined model turned up at our SUV of the Year competition last August, multiple editors (myself included) noted its potential to challenge luxury models rather than its mainstream competitors.

Now we assess that potential.

The defender of the compact luxury crossover genre in this competition is the 50 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

2018 Lexus NX 300, another vehicle that pleasantly surprised us during its participation in SUV of the Year four years ago— also earning a finalist nod.

Just shy of $37,000 to start and $40,463 as tested, our NX lands just above the average new vehicle transaction price.

Meanwhile, our CX-5 in top Grand Touring trim comes in at just under $32,000 before options and $33,810 as tested. (You can option it up to just short of $35,000.) That gave the Mazda the lowest price in our field and provided the widest price gap in our tests.

Dimensionally, the vehicles are much closer; the Lexus is larger on the outside, but the Mazda rides on a longer wheelbase and offers more rear-seat and cargo space.

Much of what makes luxury appeal to your senses is based on first impressions, and both of these vehicles make strong ones. Approaching the Mazda, you can’t help but be struck by its premium-grade looks. The exterior design is clean and sophisticated, an evening gown compared to the Lexus’ club dress. The Lexus’ many chisels and cuts are extroverted and unmistakable. We think it’s the best

MAZDA CLAIMS FOLKS ARE SHOPPING ITS BRAND AGAINST LEXUS. DOES THE CX-5 WARRANT AN NX INTENDER’S ATTENTION?

COVER STORY: IS LUXURY WORTH IT?

REAL FEEL Both the Mazda (top) and Lexus present the rich look of soft, creamy leather, which is doubly impressive for the Lexus because it’s not real. We also felt the front seats of the Lexus were more comfortable.

Words Scott Evans Photographs William Walker

CROSSING OVER

application of the brand’s design language on an SUV, but we wouldn’t call it pretty.

Getting behind the wheel has a similar effect. The Mazda’s interior is simple and suave with a dashing two-tone color scheme. Clearly, Mazda spent real money in here: real metal trim; soft, supple leather; rich soft-touch plastics; contrast stitching; and passable fake wood trim.

The base-model Lexus, meanwhile, plays a clever visual trick by strategically applying the expensive materials in places that draw your eye away from the decontented stuff. Imitation leather, which is good enough to fool you into thinking it’s the real thing, adorns the seats, steering wheel, and arm rests, and it’s set off by contrast stitching. Even the silver-hued plastic trim employs a satin finish that looks expensive. All of this neatly distracts from the center stack’s waterfall of plastic, not to mention the lower door panels that seem better suited to a Toyota Yaris. But how often do you look down there?

Functionally, the Lexus suffers setbacks, as well. The layout of the controls on the center stack makes no sense, and half the functions are controlled by the detestable touchpadoperated infotainment system—which JUNE 2018 / MOTORTREND.COM 51

COMPARISON TEST remains distracting even to someone who’s been using it for years. The seating position is very high, which many drivers appreciate, but the steering wheel is so far away even at full extension that you have to choke up on the dash and pedals to reach it comfortably. The seat itself, at least, is quite comfortable.

We find the Mazda’s layout much more agreeable but still not perfect. The control layout is more traditional and ergonomic, save the rotary controller for the infotainment system, which is so far rearward on the center console that it requires an awkward, gnarled-wrist reach. The screen itself is touch-sensitive, a nice alternative to the knob, but it’s a long reach, and the screen is small by today’s standards. The full-color head-up display, by contrast, is a premium touch.

The seat, though, is harder and flatter than we’d like.

Firing the engine and heading out for a drive, the first thing that strikes you is how quiet the Mazda is. Isolation from the outside world is a luxury hallmark, and Mazda has made it a priority.

Indeed, applying a professional-grade sound meter to both vehicles returned surprising results: Cruising at 65 mph, the average ambient noise in each vehicle’s cabin is identical. When’s the last time you got in a mainstream vehicle that was as quiet as a luxury car? The Lexus does have a slight advantage, though, as it is quieter under full-throttle acceleration, but you’ll do a lot less of that than cruising on the freeway.

As you’re driving, you’ll notice the two crossovers have distinct driving personalities. In our experience, the modern

Luxury appeals to your senses and first impressions, and both of these vehicles make strong ones. luxury shopper equates a degree of sportiness with luxury, and the Mazda has many more degrees than the Lexus.

There’s a lightness and nimbleness to the way the Mazda drives, responding immediately and smoothly to your inputs. It can induce smiles even in gentle bends.

The engine is generally well-matched to the vehicle, though it could use a little more torque on the bottom end, and the transmission shifts as smoothly and smartly as that of the Lexus. The trade-off is a firmer ride, but it’s a worthwhile one.

The Lexus, by contrast, feels heavy in everything it does. The engine surges when you step on the gas, as if mustering the strength to push the vehicle forward.

You need to push the brake pedal harder than expected to slow as quickly as you’d

like. It leans more in corners than that sporty look promises and goes over bumps like it’s fully loaded even when empty. Still, the engine is smooth and responsive in a way that will make you forget it’s turbocharged, and the transmission is spot-on. The ride is softer, as befits the handling. In other words, it befits those who seek a more classic luxury experience.

But your senses can deceive, and here the test numbers don’t jibe with the driving experience. At the test track, the slower-feeling Lexus is actually substantially, surprisingly quicker in a straight line and needs only slightly longer to stop despite being the heavier vehicle. It also posts a slightly quicker figure-eight result than the Mazda (the CX-5’s non-defeat stability control hurt it there), though the higher lateral g’s recorded in the Mazda speak to its handling prowess. If your roads are straight, you’ll be quicker in the Lexus, but if they’re curved or if you just enjoy driving, you’ll want the Mazda.

That’s you, then, but what of your passengers? Taller riders will appreciate the Mazda’s superior headroom front and GIVE AND TAKE We like the Lexus’ reclining rear seats, but they sit very high, and you have to watch your head climbing in. Up front, we take issue with the ergonomics of the center console.

52 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

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COMPARISON TEST

C H O O S E Y O U R C A R W I S E LY

Mazda CX-5 AWD (Grand Touring) $471

AVG STATE FEES DEPRECIATION

$17,675 (51%)

Lexus NX 300 $516 $20,205 (48%)

FINANCING

$3,492

$4,257

INSURANCE

$6,760

$7,335

FUEL

$5,977

$7,590

MAINTENANCE

$2,223

$2,994

REPAIRS

$759

$376

5-YEAR COST OF OWNERSHIP $37,357

$43,273

INTELLICHOICE TARGET PURCHASE PRICE

$42,113

$34,531

especially rear, where the seat is lower.

They give up a bit of legroom up front to the Lexus but gain substantially more in the rear. The rear-seat area of the Lexus is more comfortable once you climb up onto it—making sure to watch your head on the way in. Both vehicles’ rear seats recline, but only the Mazda’s are heated.

Speaking of features, typically the more you spend over the base price, the more you’ll get. Surprisingly, though, the entrytrim Lexus is fairly well-equipped for its price. Our tester has heated and cooled

front seats, active cruise control, a suite of crash-avoidance technology, a moonroof, parking sensors, blind-spot monitors, and a power tailgate—and still came in just over our $40,000 price cap as tested (close enough that we called it a gimmie).

To that impressive features list, though, the Mazda adds navigation (albeit like a Garmin from 10 years ago), heated rear seats, a head-up display, and a significantly better-sounding stereo.

Neither vehicle came equipped with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Both will offer CarPlay soon, but only Mazda has committed to offering Android Auto.

Sometimes the most important feature of all, however, is the ability to take all your stuff with you. Here, the Lexus is at a decided disadvantage. Despite being larger in every external dimension, it has little more than half the cargo space of the Mazda behind the second row. Lowering the rear seats makes cargo room for the two nearly equitable behind the first row, though in the Lexus you’ll have to go around to the side doors while the Mazda has release handles in the cargo area.

More often, time itself is the greatest luxury. The less of it spent at the gas

station, the better. You’ll likely see the pump a bit less often with the Lexus despite it being turbocharged. The two offer similar EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings, with the Mazda claiming a 1-mpg advantage across the board. In our Real MPG testing, though, the Mazda struggles in city driving and excels in highway driving; the Lexus is consistent in the city and better than advertised on the highway.

Per our testing, the Lexus’ combined fuel economy is noticeably better.

Some say time is money, but money is actually money. In addition to the purchase price, you’re going to incur costs in ownership, including repairs, maintenance, registration fees, insurance, and fuel. And when it’s time to sell, you’ll have to face the hammer of depreciation.

GET COMFORTABLE The Mazda’s rear seats recline. They are also heated and more comfortable. In the first row, we liked the clean design and simple controls.

54 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

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2017 Mazda CX-5 AWD (Grand Touring) Front-engine, AWD

I-4, alum block/head DOHC, 4 valves/cyl 151.9 cu in/2,488cc 13.0:1 187 hp @ 6,000 rpm 186 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm 6,500 rpm 19.5 lb/hp 6-speed automatic 4.62:1/2.77:1

Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar 15.5:1 2.7

POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS

2018 Lexus NX 300

DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT ENGINE TYPE VALVETRAIN DISPLACEMENT COMPRESSION RATIO POWER (SAE NET) TORQUE (SAE NET) REDLINE WEIGHT TO POWER TRANSMISSION AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO

Front-engine, FWD Turbocharged I-4, alum block/head DOHC, 4 valves/cyl 121.9 cu in/1,998cc 10.0:1 235 hp @ 4,800 rpm 258 lb-ft @ 1,650 rpm 5,750 rpm 16.2 lb/hp 6-speed automatic 3.89:1/2.36:1 Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar 14.5:1 2.7

SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR STEERING RATIO TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK

11.7-in vented disc; 11.9-in disc, ABS 7.0 x 19-in cast aluminum

BRAKES, F; R WHEELS

225/55R19 99V (M+S) Toyo A36

TIRES

12.9-in vented disc; 11.1-in disc, ABS 7.0 x 17-in cast aluminum 225/65R17 102H (M+S) Dunlop Grandtrek ST30

DIMENSIONS

106.2 in 62.8/62.8 in 179.1 x 72.5 x 65.3 in 7.5 in 17.0/20.0 deg 36.0 ft 3,653 lb 57/43% 2,000 lb 5 39.3/39.0 in 41.0/39.6 in 57.1/54.8 in 59.6/30.9 cu ft

WHEELBASE TRACK, F/R LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT GROUND CLEARANCE APPROACH/DEPART ANGLE TURNING CIRCLE CURB WEIGHT WEIGHT DIST, F/R TOWING CAPACITY SEATING CAPACITY HEADROOM, F/R LEGROOM, F/R SHOULDER ROOM, F/R CARGO VOLUME BEH F/R

104.7 in 62.2/62.2 in 182.3 x 73.6 x 64.8 in 6.9 in 28.7/24.0 deg 37.4 ft 3,811 lb 60/40% 2,000 lb 5 37.4/38.1 in 42.8/36.1 in 57.3/55.3 in 54.6/17.7 cu ft

TEST DATA

2.7 sec 4.2 6.1 8.3 10.9 14.5 – 4.5 16.3 sec @ 84.0 mph 124 ft 0.81 g (avg) 28.0 sec @ 0.59 g (avg) 2,000 rpm 29.9 sones (max) 16.3 sones (avg)

ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 0-40 0-50 0-60 0-70 0-80 0-90 PASSING, 45-65 MPH QUARTER MILE BRAKING, 60-0 MPH LATERAL ACCELERATION MT FIGURE EIGHT TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH SOUND LEVEL* @ FULL THROTTLE SOUND LEVEL* @ 65 MPH STEADY

2.5 sec 3.8 5.2 6.9 9.0 11.4 14.9 3.5 15.3 sec @ 91.0 mph 127 ft 0.78 g (avg) 27.8 sec @ 0.62 g (avg) 1,800 rpm 27.7 sones (max) 16.3 sones (avg)

CONSUMER INFO

$31,920 $33,810 Yes/Yes 6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain 3 years/36,000 miles 5 years/60,000 miles 3 years/36,000 miles 15.3 gal 19.7/31.2/23.6 mpg 23/29/26 mpg 147/116 kW-hrs/100 miles

BASE PRICE PRICE AS TESTED STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL AIRBAGS BASIC WARRANTY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FUEL CAPACITY REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY

0.76 lb/mile Unleaded regular

56 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB RECOMMENDED FUEL

$36,980 $40,463 Yes/Yes 8: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, driver knee, front-passenger seat pan 4 years/50,000 miles 6 years/70,000 miles 4 years/Unlimited miles 15.9 gal 22.0/31.0/25.3 mpg 22/28/25 mpg 153/120 kW-hrs/100 miles 0.80 lb/mile Unleaded premium * sones (est) from dBA; the sone is a linear measure of loudness that more closely corresponds to human experience

Per data collected by our partner IntelliChoice, you’re going to come out ahead with the Mazda over five years of ownership. Much of this owes to the lower purchase price and subsequently lower financing costs, but IntelliChoice predicts lower insurance and maintenance costs, as well. The Mazda’s residual value after five years is also surprisingly close to that of the Lexus—which is generally considered the industry gold standard and was the highest of all eight vehicles we evaluated for this test.

In what was by far the closest decision of these four comparison tests, this is what it came down to: money. The actual vehicles are so evenly matched that if they cost the same, we might recommend the Lexus for the badge appeal and whiteglove dealer treatment. That’s far from the case, though.

As they sit, there’s a $6,653 price gap between the two as tested, and that’s impossible to ignore. You could knock the options off the Lexus and get it down to a $3,170 gap, which is more palatable but with less stuff to show for it. Speaking of stuff, we can’t forget that our Lexus is front-wheel drive while our Mazda is all-wheel drive. Making things fair, you’d need to put another $1,400 on the Lexus’ window sticker, opening the gap back up to nearly $5,000. At the all-wheeldrive NX 300’s $38,380 starting price, you could have a CX-5 Grand Touring fully loaded with every accessory Mazda offers, right down to the locking lug nuts.

When it comes down to it, the gap of more than $6,500 for two equally matched vehicles is just too wide to bridge. With the degree to which vehicles can vary, it’s not often we can say you can get the same or better for less, but if you’re cross-shopping the CX-5 and NX 300, you absolutely can. n

DIGGING DEEPER Mazda won this $40,000 battle, but you might have your own priorities as far as practical wants and needs.

So for those still on the fence …

Get the Mazda if you: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Like light, sporty handling Need second-row room Need more cargo space Want cheaper ownership costs Need all-wheel drive Seek value for money

Get the Lexus if you: 1 2 3 4 5

Want quick acceleration Like classic luxury car ride Want aggressive design Relish dealer pampering Seek the “arrival” factor

A PERFORMANCE MASTERPIECE.

THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED ALFA ROMEO GIULIA. alfaromeousa.com ©2018 FCA US LLC. All Rights Reserved. ALFA ROMEO is a registered trademark of FCA Group Marketing S.p.A., used with permission.

COMPARISON TEST | 2018 Cadillac ATS 2.0T VS. 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM Yes, you can get a Mustang with a V-8 at this price point, but most folks don’t associate Cadillac with sporty until you get to the V-spec models. We wanted comparable cars loaded with luxury features.

P R E M I U M We ask our vehicles to be good for multiple uses, but few are asked to do such disparate duties as luxury sports cars. They need to ride nicely but handle well. They need to have quiet interiors but aggressive exhaust notes.

They need to be light and nimble but come with fancy materials and loads of features that add weight. Everything ends up being some kind of trade-off.

The more money you can throw at the problem, the fewer compromises 58 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

you need to make. But this test is specifically about not throwing money at the problem. With a $40,000 price cap, we find ourselves with the keys to a 2018 Cadillac ATS 2.0T coupe and a 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost, both just squeaking in as tested.

Although both cars can be had with a manual transmission, we opted for automatics because this is a consumer test, and the vast majority choose automatics.

BLACKED OUT The Cadillac’s imitation leather seats were very convincing, but we wish they were more supportive in sporty driving.

AT THE IDENTICAL PRICE POINT, WHO DELIVERS THE BEST COMBINATION OF SPORT AND LUXURY? COVER STORY: IS LUXURY WORTH IT?

Words Scott Evans Photographs Robin Trajano

PERFORMANCE But first we should talk about the engines—specifically our decision to skip the optional V-8 in the Mustang. It would have been wildly unfair pitting a V-8 against a turbocharged inline-four.

Furthermore, speccing the larger engine would mean we couldn’t afford many luxury features with the Mustang. We wanted a fair fight. The Cadillac ATS is positioned as a sporty coupe, and that means going up against cars such as the Ford Mustang. We eagerly anticipate your outraged emails.

As configured, these two cars are pretty similar. The Cadillac is slightly smaller and notably lighter (nearly 300 pounds) with a tighter front seat and smaller trunk. It even rings up cheaper at $39,490 to the Ford’s $39,880. The Ford fights back with a more powerful engine and subsequently a better power-to-weight ratio, yet it still manages to match the Cadillac’s fuel economy.

STYLE AND SUBSTANCE We appreciated the blue accent stitching on the Ford’s real leather seats, as well as their additional bolstering.

JUNE 2018 / MOTORTREND.COM 59

COMPARISON TEST

C H O O S E Y O U R C A R W I S E LY

Cadillac ATS 2.0T

Ford Mustang EcoBoost $497

AVG STATE FEES DEPRECIATION

$22,041 (55%)

$471 $25,479 (63%)

FINANCING

$4,088

$4,098

INSURANCE

$9,232

$8,995

FUEL

$6,387

$7,192

MAINTENANCE

$2,576

$3,179

REPAIRS

$719

$502

5-YEAR COST OF OWNERSHIP $45,540

$49,916

INTELLICHOICE TARGET PURCHASE PRICE

$40,525

$40,439

In standardized testing, though, it’s anything but a draw. The stronger, heavier Mustang is quicker to 60 mph and through the quarter mile, though the ATS nearly caught up by the end of the drag. The Mustang stops 8 feet shorter from 60 mph, pulls higher average g on the skidpad, and laps our figure eight test quicker and at higher average g. Also, the Mustang sounds better.

Although the raw horsepower and torque of the EcoBoost engine can be credited for the speed advantage, it’s the tires that make the difference in most of the testing. The Cadillac—with zero window sticker options to keep it price competitive—rides on Continental

MATERIAL DIFFERENCES We weren’t impressed with Cadillac’s choice of materials, particularly the vinyl dash cover and the waterfall of black plastic down the center console.

60 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

ProContact all-seasons. The Mustang, meanwhile, is equipped with the EcoBoost Performance package, which among other things buys you a limitedslip differential and Pirelli P Zero summer performance tires.

The tire discrepancy made itself known during our evaluation. The Cadillac has a wonderful chassis, but it doesn’t work with these tires. Attempting to drive aggressively gets you a handful of understeer as the tires quickly cry uncle. OK, slow in, fast out, right? Nope. The tires can’t put the power down, either, so you get draconian traction control intervention. I generally don’t turn off any of the nannies while on the street, but with the Cadillac’s traction control, I made an exception. It makes the car drivable on a good road, and you still are protected by the stability control safety net. Budget an extra grand for better tires to make this car handle as it should.

Although the Mustang has vastly superior front-end grip, it’s not perfect.

Power tends to come on like a hammer, especially in the various Sport modes, and it’ll easily overwhelm the rear tires and rouse the stability control. Mustangs like to snap oversteer and need to be driven with finesse, and the little-engine model is no exception. Drive it like you

stole it, and it’s like trying to wheel a classic Mustang in Bullitt. Learn its bad habits, and on a mountain road it’ll leave the ATS for dead. In everyday driving, there’s no denying the Ford feels quicker and sportier than the Cadillac.

The Mustang’s all-new 10-speed automatic transmission also contributes to its performance. It was brilliant on the road.

The shifts were smoother and quicker than the Cadillac’s, both up and down, and it always knew what gear to be in.

In Sport mode, it behaved so well that it made the paddle shifters superfluous.

The eight-speed automatic in the ATS was the opposite. It shifts smoothly but wants to be in eighth gear regardless of drive mode. You need to use the paddles to drive the Cadillac quickly, but even they respond slowly.

Despite the Mustang outperforming the ATS, we could never find an ideal setup. The damper settings are permanently tied to the multiple-choice driving modes, and the steering weight is adjustable only in some modes. As a result, we ended up in Sport mode—where the dampers are too soft but the steering isn’t ridiculously heavy and the throttle isn’t hair-trigger. Even the customizable My mode wouldn’t let us mix and match settings the way we wanted.

Still, the Mustang, as equipped, is clearly the better sports car. But which is the better luxury car? Here, the race tightens. The Mustang registers the loudest interior of all eight cars in this

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COMPARISON TEST

comparison, but the Cadillac’s is the second loudest. Likewise, the Mustang, despite its optional MagneRide active dampers, rides more like a sports car than the luxury-oriented Cadillac.

Despite that, we still prefer the Mustang’s cabin. We admire Cadillac’s commitment to “cut and sewn” materials, but we take issue with the materials chosen to cut and sew. The sheets of vinyl stitched to the dash call quite a bit of attention to themselves, and not the good kind. If you’re not going to wrap the dash in leather or suede, don’t bother.

The Mustang’s soft-touch dash is plastic, but it doesn’t look like it’s trying too hard.

We’re calling a draw on the Cadillac’s plastic wood trim versus the Ford’s dull gray plastic.

Elsewhere on the dash, we come to a tale of two infotainment systems. Both have long suffered software development issues, and both seem to have finally gotten it right. We find Ford’s Sync 3 more intuitive than Cadillac’s CUE, but the latter looks more hip and modern.

STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE The Ford Mustang’s interior materials weren’t anything special, but we found the design much more compelling than that of its Cadillac competitor.

OVERSHADOWED We like the Cadillac’s engine, but it’s overshadowed by a recalcitrant transmission.

MIGHTY MOUSE The Ford’s engine is and feels much more powerful, and it sounds better, too.

The Cadillac’s lack of navigation is to be expected at this price and is mitigated

by Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. (Ford provides both, as well.)

Unfortunately, there’s no getting around the fact that CUE’s entirely touch-sensitive interface is housed in a waterfall of black plastic cascading down the dashboard while the Mustang gets cool metal toggle switches and knurled knobs.

Likewise, the ’90s-inspired gauges in the ATS look dated next to the Mustang’s futuristic-looking digital gauges.

Although Ford’s interface might look better, with layer upon layer of menus

and multiple buttons scattered around the steering wheel, it’s a lot less intuitive than the Cadillac’s.

It’s a similar story when you consider the seats you’ll be sitting in. The Cadillac’s imitation leather is plenty convincing, but even then you don’t get enough of it, thanks to some cloth patches substituted in places Cadillac thinks you won’t notice. The Ford’s seats are sportier with leather and contrast stitching, though we’re split on which is more comfortable. Not up for debate: At this price point, the Mustang’s seats are both heated and cooled; the Cadillac’s are neither.

The extra room in the front of the Ford is appreciated, but it makes the rear seats less useful. To be fair, the Cadillac’s rear seats are only slightly more utile. Kids

2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost

POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS

2018 Cadillac ATS 2.0T

Front-engine, RWD Turbocharged I-4, alum block/head DOHC, 4 valves/cyl 138.0 cu in/2,261cc 9.5:1 310 hp @ 5,500 rpm† 350 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm† 6,500 rpm 12.0 lb/hp 10-speed automatic 3.55:1/2.26:1

DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT ENGINE TYPE VALVETRAIN DISPLACEMENT COMPRESSION RATIO POWER (SAE NET) TORQUE (SAE NET) REDLINE WEIGHT TO POWER TRANSMISSION AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO

Front-engine, RWD Turbocharged I-4, alum block/head DOHC, 4 valves/cyl 121.9 cu in/1,998cc 9.5:1 272 hp @ 5,500 rpm* 295 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm* 7,000 rpm 12.6 lb/hp 8-speed automatic 3.27:1/2.16:1

SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR

Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar

Struts, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar

only in the back for both. Don’t bring too much stuff with you, either, because neither car has a big trunk. The ATS has a larger opening to get your bags through, but the Mustang has a larger and more usable trunk because it doesn’t have the ATS’ intruding wheelwells.

Then there are the money matters.

Nearly identical as-tested prices mean nearly identical financing costs, and the same goes for fuel economy. Of all eight cars in this test, the Mustang is the most expensive vehicle to insure, but the ATS is second-worst by a slim margin.

Maintaining the Cadillac is more expensive, but the Ford’s repair costs are steep.

The real difference, and it’s a doozy, is in depreciation. The Cadillac has the worst depreciation in this test; the Ford comes in at the average.

So it went and so it goes with these two.

Neither is our ideal four-seat sports car, nor is either a standout luxury car. With two equally priced cars, the decision then comes down to which we’d rather drive.

With better performance, a better driving experience, far more features, a nicer cabin, and a cheaper cost of ownership, the answer is inescapably Mustang. n

DIGGING DEEPER Although Ford

won this shootout fairly comprehensively, you might have your own priorities as far as practical wants and needs. So for those still on the fence …

Get the Ford if you: 1 2 3 4

Like a turbo-four with guts Expect your sporty car to handle Like lots of features with your purchase Like direct steering feel

Get the Cadillac if you: 1 2 3 4

Can’t picture spending $40K on a Mustang Like a better ride Like smoother shifts Are willing to swap out for better tires

16.0:1 2.5 13.9-in vented disc; 13.0-in vented disc, ABS 9.0 x 19-in forged aluminum 255/40R19 96Y Pirelli P Zero

STEERING RATIO TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK BRAKES, F; R

16.8:1 3.0 12.6-in vented disc; 12.4-in vented disc, ABS

WHEELS, F; R

8.0 x 18-in; 9.0 x 18-in, forged aluminum

TIRES, F; R

225/40R18 88V; 255/35R18 90V Continental ProContact RS SSR (M+S)

DIMENSIONS

107.1 in 62.4/65.1 in 188.5 x 75.4 x 54.3 in 40.0 ft 3,709 lb 54/46% 4 37.6/34.8 in 45.1/29.0 in 56.3/52.2 in 13.5 cu ft

WHEELBASE TRACK, F/R LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT TURNING CIRCLE CURB WEIGHT WEIGHT DIST, F/R SEATING CAPACITY HEADROOM, F/R LEGROOM, F/R SHOULDER ROOM, F/R CARGO VOLUME

109.3 in 60.3/61.7 in 183.6 x 72.5 x 54.8 in 36.4 ft 3,417 lb 51/49% 4 37.6/35.1 in 42.3/33.5 in 54.1/51.1 in 10.4 cu ft

TEST DATA

2.0 sec 2.8 3.8 5.3 6.8 8.6 11.2 15.0 2.6 13.9 sec @ 97.2 mph 106 ft 0.96 g (avg) 25.1 sec @ 0.75 g (avg) 1,700 rpm 43.7 sones (max) 21.0 sones (avg)

ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 0-40 0-50 0-60 0-70 0-80 0-90 0-100 PASSING, 45-65 MPH QUARTER MILE BRAKING, 60-0 MPH LATERAL ACCELERATION MT FIGURE EIGHT TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH SOUND LEVEL†† @ FULL THROTTLE SOUND LEVEL†† @ 65 MPH STEADY

1.8 sec 2.8 4.0 5.6 7.1 9.2 11.4 14.4 2.9 14.0 sec @ 98.6 mph 114 ft 0.91 g (avg) 25.6 sec @ 0.71 g (avg) 1,500 rpm 35.0 sones (max) 18.1 sones (avg)

CONSUMER INFO

$26,485 $39,880 Yes/Yes 7: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, driver knee 3 years/36,000 miles 5 years/60,000 miles 5 years/60,000 miles 15.5 gal 18.8/27.2/21.8 mpg 21/32/25 mpg† 160/105 kW-hrs/100 miles 0.78 lb/mile Unleaded premium

BASE PRICE PRICE AS TESTED STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL AIRBAGS BASIC WARRANTY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FUEL CAPACITY REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB RECOMMENDED FUEL

$39,490 $39,490 Yes/Yes 8: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee 4 years/50,000 miles 6 years/70,000 miles 6 years/70,000 miles 16.0 gal Not tested 22/31/25 mpg 153/109 kW-hrs/100 miles 0.77 lb/mile Unleaded premium

* SAE certified † horsepower and torque values derived from 93-octane fuel; EPA fuel economy from 87-octane fuel †† sones (est) from dBA; the sone is a linear measure of loudness that more closely corresponds to human experience 63 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

COVER STORY: IS LUXURY WORTH IT?

AFTERWORD

Words Mark Rechtin

You get what you pay for … sometimes When we were assembling the field for this four-test shootout, a representative of a luxury automaker expressed concern that we were creating a straw man scenario—in other words, we were making a testing paradigm that would set up the luxury brands to fail.

With cross-our-heart promises that no such agenda was in play, we set out to see if mainstream automakers could play in the luxury sandbox or whether luxury brands could move downmarket and ON LOCATION Our field was ready for its close-up at Los Angeles’ Elysian Park, home to Dodger Stadium, with a clear view of downtown.

64 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

conquest folks with Maserati tastes but Mazda budgets.

As you can see from the previous pages, mainstream vehicles won the overall battle, 3–1. But two of those mainstreambrand victories were by the narrowest of margins—and, depending on one’s list of wants and needs, could have swung the other way.

For us, our wish list for a luxury vehicle (or a vehicle priced to compete against one) is that it comes with requisite performance credentials, a comfortable ride, interior refinement, elegance of fit and finish, and a certain flair one would associate with a premium vehicle.

Several things we learned in our pricesensitive testing: Luxury vehicles tend to value tactile and sensory elements, whether it be the effectiveness of sound-deadening materials; the action of the switches, dials, and buttons; or the overall look and feel of the vehicle design. You also get whiteglove treatment at the dealership. It is the cost of entry.

However, when having to cut costs to reach a lower entry price point, the luxury brands often fall a bit short.

The deletion or decontenting of items can result in frustrating compromises for someone hoping to get a steal on a base-model luxury car. It might be a tinnier stereo, cheaper leather, or a depowered engine. You get

the classy badge, but you might have to bust out your wallet to add some options packages to see what all the fuss is about.

And in the long term, maintenance costs tend to be pricier.

The flip side is that mainstream brands can aspire to compete against luxury models, but often times the underpinnings (which have to be priced to be affordable at much cheaper trim levels) show their proletarian roots. It might be louder inside the cabin. The ride might be choppier. And when you load up a mainstream model, a better deal might be found at the neighboring luxury dealer.

The only luxury vehicle in our tests that truly represented the upscale look and feel you would expect was the Volvo XC60. Then again, we bent the rules and allowed a pricier model to compete. Give any of these candidates another $4,000 to play with, and they would have likely shown stronger, as well.

That said, certain automakers execute the luxury premise better than others.

Our testers rated the XC60 and Honda Accord as the two best vehicles of the field of eight, regardless of price.

There’s no fixed formula. Luxury can be worth it, but often it’s not if you scrimp.

And although some mainstream brands aspire to create a premium experience, they can’t all fulfill the promise.

There’s no substitute for actually sitting in the driver’s seat. n

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“The quality of their watches is equal to many that can go for ten times the price or more.”

— Jeff from McKinney, TX

“Blue face watches are on the discerning gentleman’s ‘watch list’.”

– watchtime.com

Stone Cold Fox

So good-looking...heads will turn. So unbelievably-priced...jaws will drop.

E

very once in a while a timepiece comes along that’s so incredibly good looking, masterfully equipped and jaw-droppingly priced, that it stops us stone cold. A watch that can take you seamlessly from the 18th hole to the board room. A watch that blurs the line betweens sports watch and dress watch. We’re talking the Blue Stone Chronograph, and it sits at the top of the discerning gentleman’s watch list.

Striking in appearance and fully equipped with features, this is a watch of substance. The Blue Stone merges the durability of steel with the precision of crystal movement that’s accurate to 0.2 seconds a day. Both an analog and digital watch, the Blue Stone keeps time with pinpoint accuracy in two time zones.

The watch’s handsome steel blue dial seamlessly blends an analog watch face with a stylish digital display. It’s a stopwatch, calendar, and alarm. Plus, the Blue Stone resists water up to 30 meters, making it up for water adventures.

A watch with these features would easily cost you thousands if you shopped big names. But overcharging to justify an inflated brand name makes us blue in the face. Which is why we make superior looking and performing timepieces priced to please. Decades of experience in engineering enables Stauer to put quality on your wrist and keep your money in your pocket.

Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Experience the Blue Stone Chronograph for 30 days. If you’re not convinced you got excellence for less, send it back for a refund of the item price.

Time is running out. Originally priced at $395, the Blue Stone Chronograph was already generating buzz among watch connoisseurs, but with the price slashed to $69, we can’t guarantee this limited-edition timepiece will last. So, call today!

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Stauer…Afford the Extraordinary.™

FIRST DRIVE | 2018 Aston Martin Vantage

ASTON VANTAGE THE PROPER BRITISH SPORTS CAR CHALLENGES CONTINENTAL COUPES

66 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

CENTER STACK Although the infotainment system is sourced from Mercedes, more of the Vantage’s functions are controlled by an array of buttons.

Words Mark Rechtin

It’s been dry in Portugal for months. The farmers have been complaining about drought conditions threatening the season’s crops. But for the past week, it has been pouring rain like the Almighty Himself is offended at the southern tip of this country.

While the red dirt of Portimão gratefully soaks up the airborne bounty, this onslaught of precipitation is pooling in the corners of the nearby Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, where we have been invited to test the limits of Aston Martin’s latest high-performance coupe.

Push the ignition button, and you are greeted by a snarling startup. The 503-hp 4.0-liter hot-vee turbo engine is sourced from AMG, but you’d never know it from its note. In Aston’s bay, it has the sound of restrained fury rather than the aggressive anger in AMG’s setup.

It’s frustrating to drive 505 lb-ft of reardrive torque on a slippery, technical track known for its brutal intolerance of early corner-exit throttle. But rain is a great equalizer of both test tracks and driver skills. It slows everything down and (as it turns out) provides a more accurate barometer of the communicative nature of Aston Martin’s redesigned Vantage.

Although senior vehicle engineering manager Craig Jamieson is quick to praise the AMG powerplant, he notes that Aston Martin converted the engine to a wetsump setup, installed different intake and exhaust systems, and of course changed all the ones and zeros during calibration.

Taking the power to the pavement is a ZF eight-speed torque-converter automatic. The Zed Eff is pristine in highspeed corners when you need to grab a taller gear. In the fast off-camber sweeper leading onto Portimão’s front straight, I asked the ZF to shift while banging at redline, and there was nary a twitch. The dynamic stability control, linked to a Graziano-sourced electronic rear differential, helps temper a quickened pulse.

Here’s the thing about the Vantage: It’s really forthcoming, damn near telepathic.

A lot of folks buy exotics and pootle around most of the time. Then, when urged to drive hard by their mates, they overplay their hand, and the net result ends up on wreckedexotics.com. The Aston’s drive modes and traction settings are always present, in the foreground, but never aggressively intrusive. You feel this reassurance in your fingertips, your feet, your buttocks. You know that feeling when your car starts to lose it and your legs get watery in micro panic? The Vantage all but banishes that sensation.

JUNE 2018 / MOTORTREND.COM 67

FIRST DRIVE | 2018 Aston Martin Vantage I did say “all but.” I occasionally forgot how much low-end torque the Vantage has. The old Vantage needed a bit of high-end caning to get it properly motivated. But this is a different beast.

And that torque, in the wet, means the new edition can get a bit twitchy anywhere in the rev band.

It’s frustrating. You know the car is urging you to do more, is capable of more. After a couple practice laps I lay into the throttle a bit early on corner exit. The back end slips. Not in a fun, lurid slide but in a snappy way. I have the stability control set at the most conservative setting, which results in the car grabbing you by the scruff of the neck and saying, “Not so fast. We still have a corner to finish.” Notching into Sport+ or Track mode quiets the nannies a bit, but given the saucy conditions, I decide not to test the upper

limits. Carrying the next-higher gear through the corners is advisable, and with the low-end presence of the turbos, you get plenty of thrust rather than lag.

For your soundtrack, you have a choice of twin or quad muffler pipes—which aren’t just two more pipes; they have different mufflers, ports, and perforations. There’s no fake engine noise pumped into the cabin through stereo speakers, but according to Jamieson, certain sounds are “amplified” as engine revs reach crescendo.

The Brembo brakes are poised, especially in the soupy swale at the end of Portimão’s long front straight. I’m carrying a buck fifty and climbing as I hit the brake zone, and the carbon ceramics bite confidently, with the slightest hint of swim at the back. At lower speeds, the ceramics squeak a bit, and engineers note there’s still some fine-tuning to be done.

Then there’s the look. First thing: There’s no grille. Have no fear; there is a massive air intake mouth that carries the classic David Brown design. Then there are the LED headlamps, which, let’s be honest here, are small and anonymous.

Aston chief designer Marek Reichman gets a shade defensive when noting that the lamps had to be packaged that way to let the engineers push the wheels further toward the corners of the car (with a side benefit of easier repair after a low-speed shunt). It’s a form-following-function concession to the engineers.

WHO NEEDS WINGS? The upswept decklid and rear diffuser generate “significant” downforce.

Fortunately, the rest of the Vantage is flat-out gorgeous. Note the sheetmetal shoulder crease that starts at the tip of the hood and runs the length of the body, ending in a muscular rear haunch. That’s made possible by the massive clamshell expanse of the hood, which wraps over the front wheel arch before there’s a cutline.

Then the side gills bleed air pressure from the front wheel arches. At the back, the ducktail trunklid combats front lift. Underneath, there’s a sequence of venturis, fences, splitters, and diffusers to direct airflow and reduce turbulence.

Getting down to the architecture, Aston delivers a top-notch body-in-white. The tub is all aluminum, and the exterior panels are a mix of composites, aluminum, and carbon fiber—no steel. The outgoing VH aluminum platform was extrusionbased; this version involves deeper-draw pressings. The rear subframe is solidmounted. “We traded refinement and NVH for responsiveness,” Jamieson notes.

Then there’s the paint: While maintaining its traditionally muted color palette, Aston aims younger with some outrageous optional hues. It refers to its radioactive chartreuse as “Lime Essence.”

Here’s the thing about the new Aston Martin Vantage: It’s really forthcoming, damn near telepathic.

68 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

MUSCULAR The massive, uncut expanse of the Vantage’s hood allows for the line of the car’s emphatic shoulder to start at the headlamp.

For an interview with Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer, go to MotorTrend.com.

BRAIN TRUST Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer and chief designer Marek Reichman lay out their plans for the future of the storied British brand.

Inside, the layout seems a bit retro in this world of scroll wheels and touchscreens. A lot of buttons are haphazardly placed in the center console, but it proves the Brits have a wry sense of humor: The SOS button is directly above the button to defeat traction control.

Also, my co-driver accidentally pressed reverse when he meant the adjacent park; in considering the ergonomics, it wasn’t a dumb mistake. Hmmm.

Seats on all the test cars were tightly bolstered Alcantara. There’s plenty of headroom for a 6-foot-1 driver.

The windowsills are high, so you can forget resting your left elbow up there.

Exiting is a cinch, thanks to swanwing doors that easily clear the most impudent curbs.

As for sightlines, a narrow greenhouse, raked windshield, and stern A-pillars combine for a massive blind spot looking through left-hand corners. For underhood packaging reasons, the wipers sweep from inside-out, not right to left.

Aston Martin calls the Vantage “a sports car, not a supercar.” With its 0–60 of 3.5 seconds and a 195-mph top speed, that line is getting pretty blurry. But the Vantage’s usability factor is strong, from the multiple USB ports to the Mercedesbased infotainment system. The door handles, shift paddles, scroll wheels, and dial rings are brushed aluminum. The ignition and gear-selector buttons are glass. The hatch area can swallow two

2018 Aston Martin Vantage BASE PRICE

$153,081

VEHICLE LAYOUT

Front-engine, RWD, 2-passenger 2-door hatchback

ENGINE

4.0L/503-hp/505-lb-ft twinturbo DOHC 32-valve V-8 8-speed automatic 3,650 lb (est) 106.5 in 175.8 x 76.5 x 50.1 in 3.5 sec (mfr) Not yet rated

TRANSMISSION CURB WEIGHT WHEELBASE LXWXH 0-60 MPH EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON ON SALE IN U.S.

Fall 2018

golf bags. Alas, there’s no glove box, and the climate vents feel plasticky.

For the road test outside Portimão, we are given Vantages with cast-iron brakes, which are reassuring and smooth to modulate in the wet. Interestingly, Aston went with 20-inch wheels shod with Pirelli P Zeros (255/40R20 in front, 295/35R20 in back) instead of Corsas. As we ease around sheer drop-offs with no guardrails, we bless them their decision.

The suspension—up front an upper A-arm and L-shaped lower control arm with caster control and bushings, in back a multilink setup—is pretty damn stiff.

It’s great on the track, but even in the most road-going setting, vertical insults are transmitted rather abruptly into the cabin. There’s no magic carpet “rough road” button like in the Ferrari 488.

Similarly harsh are the abrupt manual downshifts, which are reassuring on a racetrack but aren’t as welcome when driving at a more leisurely pace. It’s easier to just pop it in drive for comfort.

Aston Martin has priced the Vantage just above $150,000. That’s a bit more than a comparable Porsche 911 GTS, which starts at $121,750 and gets you a back seat. And it’s a hedge fund rounding error with the Mercedes-AMG GT C coupe (which shares the same engine, remember) at $145,995. Which raises the question: Is the Vantage a better car than the AMG? Does it have the daily driver chops of the Porsche? Or is it merely competitive? Stay tuned for our Best Driver’s Car competition to find out.

Aston Martin’s first shot at this segment was hamstrung by timing. After a couple years of encouraging sales, the firstgeneration V8 Vantage was swept up in 2009’s global recession. Then owned by Ford, the automaker had grand growth aspirations with the Vantage, whereupon the economy stuck a Fairbairn-Sykes right in its back. Fast-forward to 2018, with the world well into a boom cycle, and now-privately held Aston Martin again seeks to expand. Hopefully, this time the Vantage gives the storied British brand a proper crack at greatness. n JUNE 2018 / MOTORTREND.COM 69

FIRST TEST | 2018 BMW X2 xDrive28i

NOT A HATCHBACK BMW CALLS IT A SPORT ACTIVITY COUPE. BUT WHAT IS IT, REALLY? Words Chris Walton Photographs Jade Nelson

With X1, X3, X4, X5, and X6 in showrooms, that conspicuous blank space in BMW’s X Series lineup has now been filled (rather obviously) with the X2, a vehicle BMW describes as a Sport Activity Coupe.

We regret to inform the automotive marketing cabal, but in our book, vehicles with four doors aren’t coupes, regardless of their rooflines. The EPA calls the 2018 72 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

BMW X2 a midsize car, and NHTSA calls it an SUV. The high seating position indeed feels like a premium compact SUV. But the way it drives certainly reminds us of a hatchback—and a rather good one.

Our fully kitted all-wheel-drive X2 xDrive28i (starting at $39,395; front-drive versions start at $37,395) totaled $50,920 as tested. Before you spit your kombucha and say, “Not a chance I’d pay that for a tall BMW hatchback,” here’s a partial list

of standard equipment: all-wheel drive, remote entry, automatic wipers, cruise control, 18-inch alloy wheels, a powered/ programmable hatch lid, and LED head/ fog/cornering/taillamps. Inside, you get a rearview camera, two-zone auto climate control, 10-way power front seats, and seven-speaker 205-watt audio with HD radio. And so on.

It’s not uncommon for press vehicles like this one to be loaded up so we can

evaluate everything it has to offer. If you aren’t a fan of the Galvanic Gold metallic paint, your phone isn’t wireless chargeable, and you live in the Sun Belt and don’t need all-wheel drive, there’s $3,050 off the top right there. Let’s see what works and what doesn’t.

Following what’s become the auto industry’s best practice and worst-kept secret, the all-new X2 shares the same UKL2 architecture with the BMW’s X1 and the Mini Countryman. (Rival Mercedes-Benz does the same thing with the GLA 250 and Infiniti QX30S).

The three BMW/Mini siblings share a 105.1-inch wheelbase and have nearly the same track width, but what’s interesting is that the X2’s roof is actually 2.8 inches lower (3.2 inches with M Sport suspension) than the more traditionally styled X1 and 1.2–1.6 inches lower than the boxy Countryman. Although the X1 and Countryman do feel similar on the road, the X2 feels (and performs) separate and superior.

Despite similar scale and proportions, the X2 is also the sleekest-looking variant.

Thin A-pillars mean forward visibility is excellent, but its short greenhouse does feel a little confining—a concession to the new design. There’s a narrowed view from the rearview mirror back through the abbreviated rear glass. Rear leg- and headroom are adequate, but for anyone taller than 6 feet, it will feel tight—especially when confronted by the knee-thumping hard plastic panels of the front seat backs.

The X2 offers 21.6 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats occupied, and folding down the 40/20/40 split rear seats increases that to 50.1 cubic feet. There’s also a false floor in the back that affords an additional 3.3 cubic feet beneath. To put all this in hatchback terms, one of our favorites, the Volkswagen Golf GTI, offers less volume with seats up (17.4 cubic feet) but more (53.7 cubic feet) with seats folded. Compared to crossovers, it’s a bit less than what you’d get with a subcompact Honda HR-V.

JUNE 2018 / MOTORTREND.COM 73

FIRST TEST

Performance Like the X1 and Countryman, the X2 can be driven with BMW’s B48 2.0-liter direct-injected turbo-four through an eight-speed automatic. Depending on the U.S. application, the B48 engine makes from 181 (BMW 220i) to 255 horsepower (740e iPerformance). In the X2 xDrive28i, it makes 228 hp at 5,000 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque at 1,450 rpm.

At the drag strip, our X2 zipped to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds, or a half second quicker than an identically powered (slightly heavier) X1 and a full second ahead of a Mini Cooper S Countryman All4. The X2 needed 14.9 seconds to reach the quarter mile at 92.2 mph. By

comparison, a 2018 VW Golf GTI (DSG) needed 6.0 seconds to reach 60 mph and 14.5 to cover the quarter mile.

Funny thing is, despite their differing hp ratings (and different weights), the across-the-board acceleration of the X2 xDrive28i, X3 xDrive30i, and X4 xDrive28i varies by a 0.1 second or less.

In all of these, however, turbo lag must be accepted, and drivers should be prepared.

It’s the sort of thing one would notice when, say, timing a turn onto or across a busy street. After applying the throttle at a dead stop, there’s a count of “one thousand one” before the turbo pressurizes.

Our X2 was enhanced with the $400 M Sport adjustable dampers (lowering it by 0.4 inch) and the $4,650 M SportX package (which includes 19-inch alloy wheels with 225/45R19 run-flat summer tires, a sport-tuned transmission, a sportthemed exterior package, and a host of other add-ons).

Those low-profile summer tires do add slight graininess and road noise to the otherwise supple and quiet experience, but combined with the flat-cornering M Sport dampers, they also add to the X2’s performance. Nailing the firm brake pedal from 60 mph brought our X2 to a halt in

just 111 feet (three times in a row); that’s 11–12 feet shorter than our previous X1, X3, or X4 tests. What’s more is that the X2’s best figure-eight time (25.9 seconds) and skidpad performance (0.92 g) undercut not only the X1, X3, and X4 (by 0.9–1.3 seconds and 0.07–0.11 g) but also the VW GTI with its 26.1-second best lap and 0.91 g on the skidpad. It might look soft, but the X2 is a legit player.

So this wee hatchback—umm, sport activity vehicle—costs about 50 grand.

What would we cut to make it slightly less wallet busting? We’d keep the options that make the X2 xDrive28i the hot-hatch performer that it is, but we could easily get along without the Premium package ($2,600), Harman Kardon audio ($875), parking sonar ($800), active safety systems ($700), polarizing paint ($550), wireless phone charger ($500), and M rear spoiler ($150). Scrap all that, and wince as you dump Apple CarPlay ($300): This hauls our X2’s price down to a more reasonable $44,445.

Although that’s still a big number for a top-tier hatchback, it’s hard to describe or assign a value to the sense that the X2 feels premium in a way that neither the X1 nor the Mini Countryman ever have. Just a mile behind the wheel had us saying, “Wow, this feels so different, so much better than I expected from the platform.”

The steering is more sophisticated, the dampers are terrific, the interior packaging—though similar in layout to an X1— looks fresher and more upscale, and the exterior styling has won us over.

Even non-car people went out of their way to ask questions about the X2. “Is that a new BMW?” they wondered. And in varying shades of breathlessness: “Do you like it?” It turns out the explanation is a rather complicated “Yes.” n 2018 BMW X2 xDrive28i

74 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

BASE PRICE

$39,395

PRICE AS TESTED VEHICLE LAYOUT

$50,920

ENGINE

Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV 2.0L/228-hp/258-lb-ft turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4

TRANSMISSION CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)

8-speed automatic 3,662 lb (58/42%)

WHEELBASE LXWXH 0-60 MPH QUARTER MILE BRAKING, 60-0 MPH LATERAL ACCELERATION MT FIGURE EIGHT EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY

105.1 in 172.2 x 71.8 x 59.7 in 6.3 sec 14.9 sec @ 92.9 mph 111 ft 0.92 g (avg)

CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB

0.79 lb/mile

25.9 sec @ 0.68 g (avg) 21/31/25 mpg 160/109 kW-hrs/100 miles

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FIRST DRIVE | 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 4Matic / Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 4Matic Sunny Spain, with its winding roads up the serrated Montserrat mountains surrounding Barcelona, was a perfect place to gauge the latest Mercedes-Benz CLS. It’s a chance to sample the four-door coupe’s performance and handling, appreciate the exhaust notes from the new inline-six, and welcome an expanded lineup that now includes the first Mercedes-AMG CLS 53. A short rain shower seemed cued up to showcase the all-wheel-drive system, as well.

It was an opportunity to see if the third-generation CLS can hold serve in the segment it created when it showed the first concept at the Frankfurt auto show back in 2003. Despite the apparent contradiction of a “four-door coupe,” the world has become enamored with the idea of coupelike lines overlaid on a sedan structure. The body style has resonated with 375,000 CLS buyers around the world and has spurred competitors to create their own four-door fastbacks.

Mercedes even trumped itself at this year’s Geneva auto show, where it

S

ELEGANT LINES Designers for the new Mercedes-Benz CLS aimed for a sleeker, cleaner look.

80 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

unveiled the even sexier Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door coupe.

But the German carmaker has not forgotten that the CLS started it all. For the 2019 model year, the CLS family gets a cleaner design, new engine portfolio, and hybridization with a 48-volt system, which the automaker sees as a crucial step in an automotive world that is increasingly becoming electrified.

At launch there are new 3.0-liter inlinesix engines: a gasoline and a diesel. The

E

A

U.S. only gets the gasoline version, which generates 362 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque in the CLS 450 but also has the EQ Boost mild-hybrid system and 48-volt electrical system. After launch, Mercedes is adding a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine with a belt-driven starter alternator and 48-volt system—but it is not for the U.S., either.

There are no specs yet, but officials say it will produce more than 300 hp.

The CLS 53 ups the performance to 429 hp and 384 lb-ft out of the I-6 by adding a

M

can deliver four times the power of a standard 12-volt system at the same level of current (and hence wiring size).

The CLS has an electric water pump and AC compressor.

On the CLS 450, the optional 4Matic all-wheel-drive system features a fixed 31/69 split of power between front and rear, and the CLS 53 has the standard 4Matic+ system to constantly adjust torque to wherever it is needed.

The multilink suspension comes with steel springs with a choice of optional adaptive damping or the air suspension system, which is standard on the 53.

Drive modes are what you’ve come to

DASH TO DOORS The CLS interior is more spacious and modern with 64 colors of ambient light.

twin-scroll turbocharger and an electric auxiliary compressor that builds boost until the turbocharger kicks in. Voila, no turbo lag. Acceleration is not neck-snapping, but it is quick for a two-ton sedan: Mercedes claims it will do 0–60 mph in 4.5 seconds. Smooth, too.

For the CLS 450, Mercedes combines the starter and a generator in an electric motor positioned between the engine and transmission. The extra 21 hp and 184 lb-ft helps ensure power is at the

L

ready and eliminates any lag before the twin-scroll turbocharger kicks in. The electric supercharger in the CLS 53 makes it even quicker off the mark, but again the power delivery is very linear.

The other advantage is a seamless start/ stop—we never felt the engine turn on or off—and the ability to “sail” when the engine disconnects from the transmission and coasts.

The motor also feeds the 1.0-kW-hr lithium-ion battery. The 48-volt system

E

S

S

NEW ENGINES, CLEANER DESIGN, A MILD HYBRID, AND A SOOTHING CABIN DELIVER A SUBLIME EXPERIENCE Words Alisa Priddle

JUNE 2018 / MOTORTREND.COM 81

FIRST DRIVE

TRUE FIVE-SEATER The 2019 AMG CLS 53 has beautiful sport seats in the front (heated, cooled, and massaging) and a bench in the back.

expect—Comfort, Sport, and Sport plus— and although responsiveness improves with sportier settings, the difference is barely perceptible unless you are going quite fast.

The underhood soundtrack in the AMG is full of hits, starting with the satisfying crescendo of a straight-six accelerating and adding a symphony of snorts, pops, and gurgles on the downshifts. That’s music to any driver’s ears.

The nine-speed snicks up and down seamlessly. Smooth best describes the shifting, steering, and braking. The brakes never grab, and they respond as if they are reading the driver’s mind—especially in a groove on a winding road with nonstop twists and switchbacks, all of which the brakes handle with a sublime effortlessness.

Like the S-Class above it, the CLS has a suite of safety and driver-assist technologies to steer, accelerate, and brake as conditions demand. And like the Tesla, it can make a lane change by merely clicking the turn signal.

The ultimate nanny is the Distronic route-based cruise control, which adjusts speed to the legal limit and also reads preprogrammed data about the road ahead to keep you from barreling into a curve or roundabout. The first time you experience the vehicle slowing itself can be disconcerting, especially when you 82 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

stomp on the accelerator and nothing happens. It is unusual to find driverassist features that can’t be overridden by manual actions. In this case the system ignores your frantic foot on the gas pedal.

You must first tap the brake to disengage the safety system and allow you to resume control of your speed again. And of course, the feature can be turned off.

Mercedes has played with design since the original C219 slotted between the S-Class and E-Class, changing for the second-generation W218 in 2011.

This third generation has a simpler, and arguably meaner look—with a shark nose angled down and a chrome twin-blade radiator grille that used to be reserved for AMGs with a V-8. Engineers have deemed the new I-6 worthy of the design cue.

For this generation, designers worked to reduce excess lines. The result is a sleeker and more elegant overall look.

2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 4Matic / Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 4Matic BASE PRICE

$78,000-$100,000 (est)

VEHICLE LAYOUT

Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan

ENGINE

3.0L/362-hp/369-lb-ft turbocharged DOHC 24-valve I-6 plus 21-hp/184lb-ft electric motor, 362 hp/369 lb-ft comb; 3.0L/429-hp/384-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve I-6 plus 21-hp/184-lb-ft electric motor, 429 hp/384 lb-ft comb

TRANSMISSION CURB WEIGHT WHEELBASE LXWXH 0-60 MPH EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON ON SALE IN U.S.

9-speed automatic 4,200-4,250 lb (est) 115.7 in 196.4 x 74.4 x 55.3 in 4.5 sec (mfr est) Not yet rated Fall 2018

Gone are the blocky hips over the rear wheels. The front fascia’s flat headlamps have been updated, and there is a splitter in front and functional spoiler in back.

The 53 has an air curtain to help airflow in front and round quad exhaust pipes.

The license plate has been fitted into the rear bumper, and there is a two-piece rear taillamp for the first time.

The CLS has a high shoulder line; combine that with a thick A-pillar and the raked windshield, and shorter drivers will battle a noticeable blind spot— making twisting mountain roads more adrenaline-filled than desired. But the high shoulders and narrow greenhouse make for a sumptuous side profile.

Engineers claim its drag coefficient of 0.26 is the best in the segment.

The 2019 model was designed as a true five-seater, with a bench in the back accommodated by an increase in vehicle width. But there’s no getting past the fastback roofline, which challenges taller passengers. The only concession is the slimmer seats, which provide more legroom. Conversely, the new AMG GT will only be offered as a four-seater in the U.S. (but as a five-seater in Europe; guess Americans gotta lay off the cheese fries).

The CLS cossets its occupants. This being a Mercedes, the seats are heated and cooled and offer a choice of massage sensations. Turn on the active seat function to apply side bolsters as needed during a spirited ride. The 53 has the AMG performance flat-bottom steering wheel, as well. For infotainment, the CLS follows other Mercedes offerings with a pair of 12.3-inch screens under a single cover of glass to provide an array of data about the car and your trip.

The 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 and Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 will go on sale this fall in the U.S. Pricing has not been announced but should start at about $78,000 and stretch to $100,000. n

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FIRST DRIVE | 2019 Ram 1500

A TRUCK THAT RIDES LIKE A CAR Words Scott Evans

RAM DOUBLES DOWN ON THE PLUSH FACTOR WITH ITS NEW FULL-SIZE PICKUP You can read the market research data or just ask your friends who drive big trucks.

Unless you hang out exclusively with people who work in construction or farming, they’ll admit most of the time the bed is empty. Some folks will take issue with that because full-size trucks were originally meant for work.

But that’s not the way it is anymore.

People today buy trucks for all kinds of reasons that have nothing to do with 84 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

hauling stacks of Sheetrock, and folks don’t have to justify any of them. If you’re still wondering why automakers are putting heated and cooled leather seats and 1,500-watt stereos in trucks, it’s because customers are asking for them.

No automaker has taken this modern market reality to heart more than Ram. Although it hasn’t yet mustered the nerve to charge six figures for a pickup like Ford has, Ram has been on the forefront of luxury truck interiors and features. Years

before High Country Chevys, back when Denali GMCs were leather, grilles, and an optional engine, Ford rolled the dice on a Platinum F-150. Ram, though, took the idea and ran with it, launching the Laramie Longhorn—replete with southwest-inspired embroidery and embossing and even seat-back pockets styled after saddle bags, with chrome buckles and all.

Before that, Ram made the

COMFORT MODE The reality is that most buyers want their truck to be less trucky and more carlike, and Ram is happy to take their money.

did find 225 pounds it could do without.

High-strength steels that require less metal to do the same job, clever applications of aluminum in the engine and transmission cross members, and even composite upper control arms for the front suspension all chop weight. Partly as a result, max payload is up to 2,300 pounds while trailering is up to 12,750 pounds max—both competitive with Ford’s and Chevy’s offerings.

Although there will be a plethora of powertrain combinations available, for this drive we only had a fleet of standard 5.7-liter V-8-equipped trucks in various trim levels. Ram predicts the unassisted V-8 will be the ticket for most private buyers, with the base eTorque V-6 and optional eTorque V-8 splitting the rest of the market. We requisitioned both a lower-trim Big Horn and a top-shelf Limited to get a taste of the range.

In its effort to be friendlier to truck diehards and newcomers alike, Ram even bolder decision to junk the rear leaf springs in favor of smoother-riding coils and offer up a factory air suspension.

Altogether, it’s paid off with several years of increased market share. With results like that, there’s only one way to go.

For the latest edition, Ram has doubled down on comfort, convenience, and style. After all, you ride a winning streak. But what’s impressive is Ram hasn’t traded capability for all that pizzazz. The previous generation of Ram pickups were the heaviest in class, and a fully loaded model left just enough daylight in gross vehicle weight for people, much less cargo.

Ram hasn’t pulled an aluminum rabbit out of its hat like Ford, but it

has pushed its style and comfort perks all the way down the ladder. Every trim level gets at least two interior options: one all-black and another light-colored option unique to each trim level. All models get an electric parking brake. Everything but the base Tradesman boasts more softtouch materials inside. Every model save the specialty Rebel off-roader gets passive two-mode shocks for a better ride. All of them have a flat rear floor and bigger storage bins. Every Crew Cab is stretched 4 inches for more interior space, especially in the rear.

Most interestingly, every model features Ram’s Active Tuned Mass Modules, or frame shakers, as I call ’em. They vibrate at the exact opposite frequency of the engine to cancel vibrations to allow more operation in four-cylinder mode and when “lugging” in higher gears to improve fuel economy. Combined with standard noisecanceling technology, they make even the low-spec interiors surprisingly carlike in their quietness and smoothness.

TESLA LITE The Ram infotainment system has the size and capabilities, but it’s a couple features shy of outgunning the Tesla screen.

JUNE 2018 / MOTORTREND.COM 85

FIRST DRIVE | 2019 Ram 1500 This is the biggest thing you notice about the new Ram—or don’t notice because you don’t think about it. The cab is a shockingly quiet and comfortable place by pickup truck standards, and it even puts some cars and SUVs to shame. It doesn’t matter if you bought the $33,000 truck or the $59,000 version.

The ride over rough roads is surprisingly isolated and smooth for a 5,000-pluspound vehicle. Combined with a naturally weighted and refreshingly direct steering rack, the new Ram is as easy and pleasant to drive as a car-based crossover.

Getting the work done is the carryover 395-hp, 410-lb-ft V-8, but thanks to the frame shakers, it can run in four-cylinder mode twice as often. An electric radiator fan reduces load on the engine, and improved aerodynamics (including an automatically deployed air dam) means the engine doesn’t have to work as hard at higher speeds. All told, the cylinderdeactivation system is undetectable save for a tiny grumble from the exhaust when you lift off the throttle.

With all that torque on tap, the Ram gets up to speed briskly and smoothly with a pleasant growl from the exhaust.

The updated eight-speed automatic is better than ever, swapping gears like a seasoned card dealer. Ram provided a farm tractor on a trailer for towing, and with 7,000 pounds (give or take) on the hitch, the truck was just as smooth as you’d expect. Equipped with optional towing mirrors, visibility around the truck and trailer is excellent, and the lines overlaid on the reverse camera GET A JOB Sure, it’s more comfortable and high-tech, but the 2019 Ram 1500 works just as hard as before, with increased towing and hauling limits.

86 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

RAM GOES HYBRID The first redesigned Ram full-sized trucks out the gate will be equipped with the tried-and-true 5.7-liter V-8, but it’ll have friends soon. In addition to the return of the EcoDiesel later this year, Ram 1500s will also be available with new “eTorque” V-6 and V-8 mild-hybrid powertrains.

Also known as a belt alternator starter, or BAS, the eTorque system replaces the alternator with a compact but powerful electric motor/generator. The liquid-cooled unit affixed to 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engines can produce up to 90 lb-ft of additional torque, and the air-cooled unit mounted to the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 produces up to 130 lb-ft.

The motor/generators have multiple jobs. While the engine is running, they feed in additional torque at low rpm to give the engine a boost. When the automatic engine stop/start system engages, they restart the engine much more quickly and smoothly than the starter motor. When they’re not adding power, they generate it when the truck slows down, enhancing engine braking.

On the V-8 engine, the motor/generator also can add torque on demand so that the engine can run in fuel-saving mode with some of its cylinders shut off.

The motor/generators get their power from and supply their regenerative braking to a 48-volt battery behind the rear seats. From there, a DC-to-DC converter supplies 12-volt power to the truck’s electrical system and the 12-volt battery.

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2019 Ram 1500 BASE PRICE VEHICLE LAYOUT

GET DIRTY The Ram Rebel is back and even more capable than before.

screen make lining up the hitch a breeze.

The ability to extend the optional blindspot monitor to cover a trailer up to 35 feet long is an appreciated safety net, as are the larger, stronger front brakes.

And you get all that on the nearly base model Big Horn, with its cloth seats and optional 8.4-inch touchscreen. (The standard screen is 5.0 inches.) On the other end, there’s the lifted luxury of the Limited trim. Ram claims that version has more leather, real wood, and metal trim than any competitor, and I see no reason to doubt that. There’s a panoramic sunroof and a 19-speaker optional stereo.

An air suspension makes it ride even better and levels the truck when loaded.

$33,340-$59,035

Front-engine, RWD/4WD, 2-5-pass, 2-4-door truck

ENGINES

3.6L/305-hp/269-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6 plus 12-hp/90lb-ft electric motor, 305 hp/ 269 lb-ft comb; 5.7L/395-hp/ 410-lb-ft OHV 16-valve V-8; 5.7L/395-hp/410-lb-ft OHV 16-valve V-8 plus 16-hp/ 130-lb-ft electric motor, 395-hp/410-lb-ft comb

TRANSMISSION CURB WEIGHT WHEELBASE LXWXH 0-60 MPH EPA CITY/HWY COMB FUEL ECON ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB ON SALE IN U.S.

8-speed auto 4,800-5,400 lb (mfr) 140.5-153.5 in 228.9-241.8 x 82.1 x 75.9-79.7 in 6.5 sec (MT est)* 15/22/17 mpg* 225/153 kW-hrs/100 miles* 1.11 lb/mile* Currently *5.7L; others not yet rated

To make life easier, there’s active cruise control with lane keeping assistance, a 360-degree camera, and semi-automatic parallel and perpendicular parking systems. Rear passengers won’t miss out, either, with the optional heated and cooled rear seats, which also recline.

The real party trick, though, is the 12.0-inch touchscreen. Running the latest, greatest version of FCA’s Uconnect

software and available with SiriusXM 360L on-demand satellite radio, it’s the closest you can get to a Tesla screen in a gas-powered vehicle at any price. Like Tesla’s, it can run a full screen or two smaller screens split horizontally. (It would be nice if you could run the navigation in split screen, though.) Unlike Tesla’s, it has redundant buttons and knobs. I do wish it were as configurable and intuitive as the Tesla screen, but it’s pretty close, especially after you get familiar with the menus. Its best feature is its ability to run Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in split-screen mode rather than have it take over the entire screen like nearly every other vehicle’s infotainment system.

The truck traditionalists among you have likely been rolling your eyes for a dozen paragraphs. Who needs all these bells and whistles? Will it haul gravel and my Jet Skis? If you want a base model with bench seats and AM/FM radio and CD player, Ram will gladly sell you one, and it’ll tow and haul more than last year’s model. But if you’re like a lot of today’s truck buyers and want to replace one or more of your vehicles with a do-everything full-size truck that’ll be as comfortable as your luxury sedan, Ram has ticked every box on your wish list. n

LUXURY VEHICLE The full-boat Limited model claims more real leather, wood, and metal than any competitor, and we see no reason to doubt that.

88 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

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Words Motor Trend Editors The 2018 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0i (Premium) will spend a year in our garage.

ARRIVAL 2018 Subaru Crosstrek Michael Cantu “Ample tech, offroad capability, and appealing styling should make our year with the Subaru Crosstrek enjoyable.”

EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 27/33/29 MPG BASE PRICE $23,510 PRICE AS TESTED $26,899 I’ve owned seven Subarus over my years of driving. That might sound like a lot, but I used to go through cars fast. Even though it’s been about three years since my last Subie, it felt natural that my first long-term tester would be one, too. And although this is my first Crosstrek, I have owned first-, second-, and third-generation Imprezas—and the Crosstrek is basically a raised Impreza hatchback.

This gives me a first-hand opportunity to see how Subaru has advanced its latest compact offering.

Already, the Crosstreks we’ve tested on a shortterm basis have been warmly regarded by our staff. The Crosstrek won a three-way comparison that included the Jeep Compass Trailhawk and Nissan Rogue Sport AWD. Then, in one of the most 90 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

competitive 2018 Motor Trend SUV of the Year fields to date, it was named a finalist, and it even snared one first-place vote among our judges.

In the three-way test, we noted: “In a segment looking for the Goldilocks fit, the secondgeneration Subaru Crosstrek marries the off-road capability of the Jeep with the on-road ride quality of the Nissan while bringing an impressive level of refinement and value to this emerging segment.”

As our long-termer rolled up to the Motor Trend garage, I knew I had been given a competent vehicle to chaperone.

The Crosstrek was developed to be a comfortable and economical urban vehicle offering plenty of technology and safety while having the capability to navigate through the roughest of weather and take you safely and confidently to your favorite trailheads, camping spots, and light-duty

dirt trails. If you look at the success of the outgoing model, the 2018 Crosstrek has a good chance of delivering on its promises.

Our Crosstrek is the 2.0i Premium model (the midlevel trim) in a Cool Gray Khaki color, which looks more like a light blue matte. Regardless, it’s an attractive color. Standard features include 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, foglights, roof rails, a 6.5-inch Starlink multimedia system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a USB port with smartphone connectivity, a six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, and a rearview camera. For an extra $800 our premium-grade trim level adds standard heated front seats, cloth upholstery with orange stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with orange stitching, remote keyless entry, automatic headlights, and the Starlink safety system (SOS emergency assistance button, automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle recovery, etc.). Optional features include a package consisting of a power moonroof and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and lane change assist for $1,400, the $1,000 continuously variable transmission (a six-speed manual is standard), a $499 Rockford Fosgate audio system upgrade, a crossbar set, a rear bumper cover, a rubber seat-

AUDI A4

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RIDE ALONG FOR UPDATES ON OUR LONG -TERM FLEET

62.6”

PAUL LAGUETTE

SPECS 2018 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0i (Premium)

1 75.8 ”

71.0”

MT figure eight CO2 emissions 0.66 lb/mile

28.2 sec @ 0.59 g (avg, est)

8.8 sec (est)

16.7 sec @ 77.4 mph (est)

125 ft (est)

0-60 mph

Quarter mile

Braking distance, 60-0 mph

Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door Engine 2.0L/152-hp/145-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve flat-4 Transmission Cont variable auto Lateral Acceleration 0.79 g (est) Curb Weight (F/R Dist) 3,150 lb (est) Energy Cons, City/Hwy 125/102 kW-hrs/100 miles

back protector, and all-weather mats that added another $490.

For the next year we’ll see what it’s like living with the redesigned Crosstrek and how the little lifted Subaru braves L.A.’s infamous traffic and dated road and highway networks.

With the beach, mountains, and desert nearby, we expect to assess how the Crosstrek handles the snow, sand, and off-road trails, utilizing its standard Symmetrical All Wheel Drive system, impressive 8.7 inches of ground clearance, and optional off-road mode with hill-descent control. The Subaru’s slow acceleration was the biggest complaint by our editors, so I will evaluate how much of an issue that might be both on- and off-road.

The Subaru Crosstrek will pull double duty—urban commutes and trailhead transport— over the next year with us.

2017 Kia Niro Kelly Pleskot “This car can tackle Los Angeles’ small parking spots and high fuel prices, but it struggles with heavy rain.”

I have no right to whine about the occasional bout of rain that occurs here in California, considering much of the country was ravaged by bomb cyclones this past winter. Yet I’ll take the opportunity in this update to talk about an issue I encountered with the Niro’s windshield wipers during a rainy morning.

In California, the biggest threat you expect to encounter driving in the rain is other drivers panicking at the slightest hint of moisture in the air. But one morning on my way to work, an unusual deluge hit the freeway and left me with bigger concerns.

In a heavy downpour that lasted about five minutes, I found the windshield wipers couldn’t clear rain from my view quickly enough, even on the fastest setting. I compared the speed of the Niro’s wipers to those on my personal car, and the latter won. The slow windshield wipers made me uncomfortable driving in a downpour, but the Niro seems to perform fine with more typical levels of rain.

One thing that irks me more and more as time goes by is the transmission. While creeping at low speeds in the parking lot, the car will stop abruptly. With a little gas, it lurches clumsily back up to speed. In my opinion, this trait spoils the drive experience much more than the car’s somewhat slow acceleration to 60 mph. Fortunately, you This Kia Niro’s six-speed dual clutch transmission is clunky at low speeds.

Service life / 3 mo/5,065 mi Avg CO2 / 0.45 lb/mi Energy cons / 78 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 Normal-wear cost / $0 Base price / $30,545 As-tested / $32,575

AVG FUEL ECON 43.2 MPG can put the Niro into S mode to make the car feel peppier overall.

Sitting inside the cabin, I find myself satisfied with the features offered on our Niro Touring, the top trim level. My favorites include heated and ventilated seats and front and rear parking sensors, which provide drivers with an accurate sense of exactly how far they can back up in any direction before hitting something. I’ve also been enjoying the car’s responsive voice control system, 8.0-inch touchscreen, and simple navigation entry.

It’s not the newest infotainment system out there, but it gets the job done.

UPDATE | Long - term test

2017 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 Christian Seabaugh “The GLC300’s infotainment display is high-resolution and easy to read with just a glance while driving down the road.”

Service life / 6 mo/11,911 mi Avg CO2 / 0.80 lb/mi Energy cons / 140 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $282 (oil change, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 Base price / $42,075 As-tested / $50,405

AVG FUEL ECON 24.3 MPG Like it or not, how we interact with a car nowadays is increasingly defined not just by the behind-thewheel experience but also by how we work with its electronic systems.

I really like our 2017 GLC’s COMAND infotainment system. Part of our tester’s multimedia package, COMAND-equipped GLCs get a larger 8.4-inch screen mounted on top of the center stack, a touchpad controller mounted above the traditional scroll wheel/knob control in the center console, and features such as navigation with traffic alerts, satellite radio, and voice control.

With the addition of the touchpad controller— that weird palmrest-looking thing you see

in pictures of the center console—there are effectively two ways to navigate COMAND: the touchpad or the scroll wheel/knob. More often than not I find myself using the knob to navigate the various infotainment functions. I prefer the tactile feedback of the knob versus the touchpad, especially while on the move.

I also appreciate how easy it is to navigate Mercedes’ instrument cluster display. Mercedes makes it easy to quickly check the GLC’s fuel economy, range, service needs, and even the last time you took a break, all controlled at the tip of your left thumb on the left side of the wheel. It’s

the latter system, dubbed Attention Assist, that I like least.

The system uses a variety of onboard sensors to determine if you’re too tired to keep driving. If it thinks you’re tired, it’ll set off a loud chime and display a coffee cup on the dash.

Studies have shown the risks of drowsy driving are as high as drunk driving, but this system is inconsistent. For example, after around five hours of straight driving on California’s charmless I-5 in the middle of a sunny afternoon, I found myself struggling to stay alert. I checked the Attention Assist monitor, and it showed I was highly alert.

Compare this to a few days later, when in a wellrested (and highly caffeinated) state, I hit the road around 3 a.m. to catch a flight. Within an hour and a half of driving, the system had gone off twice, scaring me in the process, even though I didn’t feel I was experiencing any symptoms of drowsiness.

It might sound like I’m nitpicking—and to a certain extent I am—but the single most important factor for any vehicle safety system is that it’s consistent. A driver has to be able to rely on safety systems, whether it’s Attention Assist or forward collision alert, because any doubt could wind up being the difference between life and death.

2018 Dodge Durango 4 R/T Frank Markus “With that doggone seat belt fixed, road trips are improving the Dodge Durango’s fuel economy.”

Service life / 2 mo/3,829 mi Avg CO2 / 0.96 lb/mi Energy cons / 169 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 Normal-wear cost / $0 Base price / $47,390 As-tested / $51,970

AVERAGE FUEL ECON 20.3 MPG We’re past the two-month mark, and this Durango has yet to be stolen. We have, however, had our first two tiny warranty issues. The left rear seat belt refused to release a tether we’ve used to latch our dog, Snickers, into hundreds of press cars. A new latch was ordered and installed, and my tether was safely extracted from the defective one. Our right rear outboard taillamp lens somehow became foggy. Both parts were ordered and arrived the next day. Installation was estimated to take an hour, but 20 minutes in I was notified it would be two hours or more, and I was offered a shuttle ride back to my office. When completed, the dealer shuttled me back to pick up my washed and vacuumed Durango 4. #SatisfiedCustomer.

Our R/T also racked up its first road trip.

Highlights included a stop on Kentucky’s bourbon trail at the Wild Turkey distillery, dinner at the Markus family homestead outside Memphis, Tennessee, and touring Civil War battlefield sites in

92 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

historic Vicksburg, Mississippi. In total we logged 2,173 miles in 37.6 hours, averaging 57.8 mph overall at a much improved 18.9 mpg—a figure that the onboard computer optimistically self-reported at 20.6 mpg. Our overall average is up to 16.9 mpg.

Other trip observations: With subfreezing temperatures outside, a 70-degree interior setting left our feet cold, but 72 kept them warm without frying our upper bodies. I appreciate that FCA offers a choice of regular or adaptive cruise control so that when snow obscures the radar sensor, normal cruise still works. I also appreciate having four following distances. The nav

Snickers the wonder dog is once again safely tethered and raring to road-trip. screen conveniently displays services available at upcoming exits and shows the current speed limit with a black or white background when traveling at or below it or a red background when you’re above it. A recommendation: color the background yellow within 10 mph above the limit. One last observation: Two months and 5,000 miles in, I still haven’t learned that the power tailgate switch is on the side of the cargo hold. (Nearly everybody else seems to put it on the gate.) Maybe by next update …

LONG-TERM TEST | UPDATES

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Premier Scott Evans “Public charging infrastructure can ease range anxiety in an EV, but it can introduce a host of other complications.”

Service life / 12 mo/14,647 mi Avg CO2 / 0.00 lb/mi* Energy cons / 27.8 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 Normal-wear cost / $0 Base price / $41,780 As-tested / $43,905 * at tailpipe

AVERAGE FUEL ECON 121 MPG-E Hose and nozzle, cord and plug. We’re prompted to think of EV charging like going to the gas station. But that’s where the similarity ends.

I can plug the Bolt in during either part of the day I won’t be using it for hours at a time: working or sleeping. Among today’s EV owners, this is common but will change as more people buy EVs. Which brings us to public charging.

Although it’s still cheaper than filling up with gas, I avoid public charging, as it’s more expensive and less convenient than charging at work or home. You’ll need at least 45 minutes to get a good charge. Level 2 charging, the sort you can get wired into your home, is OK if you’re going to be in the same place for several hours. If you don’t have a charger at home, you could get by on public Level 2 charging as long as you plugged in at every opportunity. It’s workable for city dwellers with short commutes but not ideal. Level 1 charging, from a standard wall outlet, is so slow it’s a last resort only.

Level 2 chargers, being the older technology, are by far the most common. It used to be they were nearly all free to use, a perk to entice customers with EVs, but those days are gone. This brings us to our next issue with public charging: paying for it.

I’ve used public chargers from several companies, but there are at least 15 providers operating in the U.S. Every single one of them would prefer you sign up for a membership and download their app, but every one I’ve tried also allows for guest use.

Membership perks include better rates and quicker payment and activation at the charger, but the real benefit is not having to deal with guest access, which can be cumbersome and time-consuming.

Some EVgo stations I’ve used have credit card readers, but most I’ve found haven’t worked. Prices vary wildly because the owner of the station sets the rates. Some charge a flat fee, some charge by total time or electricity used, and others do both.

The Bolt’s 238-mile range is great for everyday living and trips around the greater Los Angeles area. Getting somewhere farther than 120 miles, or half the Bolt’s range, requires pre-planning.

Ideally, wherever I’m going there’ll be a public Level 2 charger nearby, and I’ll be there long enough to make it a nonissue. That’s hardly a given and rarely the case, though. A DC fast charger makes it a lot easier, but they’re far less ubiquitous than Level 2s and still add an hour or more to your drive.

Charging Update 6 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Odometer

15,216 mi

Avg distance between charges

97.1 mi

Avg pre-charging state of charge

48%

Avg range pre-charge (ideal/predicted)

117/97 mi

Avg energy per charge

28.32 kW-hrs

Avg predicted charge time

6h, 20m

Avg post-charging state of charge

90%

Avg range post-charge (ideal/predicted)

237/180 mi

Cost of public charging to date ($8.07/charge avg)

$298.42

Cost of office charging to date ($1.95/charge avg)

$126.89

Cost of home charging to date ($4.82/charge avg)

$115.68

TOTAL CHARGING COST TO DATE

$540.99

That assumes the charger is unoccupied, of course. Most places have only one public charger, and most of those only have one plug.

Although most have both the CHAdeMO and SAE CCS plugs, many DC fast chargers can only charge one car at a time. On top of occupied chargers, you also have to worry about gasoline-powered vehicles parked at chargers, as it’s unfortunately not uncommon for people to treat them like normal parking spaces.

Finding an available charger can be a crap shoot, but most apps will tell you if the charger is in use. First, though, you have to find it. Some places put up signs to direct you, but often you have to go looking, and even the big DC fast chargers can hide behind a pillar or large SUV. Here in Southern California, where EVs are popular and public chargers are common, public charging is workable if inconvenient. So far, the number of chargers has kept pace with the popularity of EVs, but we’re already seeing lines forming at Tesla Superchargers. As EVs become more popular, the public charging network is going to need to grow at the same or better pace to keep up, and whether that happens is anyone’s guess.

Low or neglected coolant can cause engines to run hot.

Engines operating just 18°F above normal can double motor oil degradation, cut transmission fluid life in half and lead to water pump failure.

CHECK YOUR COOLANT EVERY TIME YOU OPEN THE HOOD.

FIND OUT MORE AT PEAK18DEGREES.COM ©2018 Old World Industries, LLC. All Rights Reserved

UPDATE | Long - term test Whoever decided to put piano black on the outside should have to write a letter of apology to the owners.

Piano swirl marks, more like it.

2017 Mazda CX-9 AWD (Touring) William Walker “A laggy AWD system, lackluster headlights, and vents that never stop blowing are not enough to sully my overall opinion of the Mazda CX-9.”

Adverbs are relative things. If I say it’s very cold outside, you probably have a different opinion of what that very means than I do. So when Mazda says that the i-Activ AWD system in the CX-9 sends power from the front wheels rearward almost instantaneously, I feel like that almost isn’t quick enough. In Mazda’s own words, “The AWD control module examines data from many sensor modules to analyze the driver’s intentions and the road conditions, calculates how much torque should be sent to the rear wheels in order to prevent slippage of the front tires, and almost instantaneously sends a command to the AWD coupling unit to send the appropriate drive force to the rear.”

Service life / 6 mo/14,895 mi Avg CO2 / 0.94 lb/mi Energy cons / 160 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $93 (oil change, tire rotation, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 Base price / $38,710 As-tested / $41,105

AVG FUEL ECON 20.7 MPG But it isn’t doing that. In dry conditions the system minimizes the torque it sends to the rear wheels, so during full-throttle acceleration the CX-9 and its 310 lb-ft of torque will chirp the front tires then proceed to torque steer, leaving the driver to wrestle with the steering wheel. Considering the AWD control module is monitoring both the accelerator position and the steering angle, I feel like the moment the accelerator pedal is depressed fully, power should be moved to the rear to mitigate the effects of all of that torque on the front wheels.

Luckily Mazda itself has given you a workaround in the form of the Sport button. In highly controlled

2017 BMW M2 Chris Walton “With a base price $8K below that of an M2, the M240i is close to its equal in performance.

The burly M2 is still more handsome.”

We love our M2, love its size, love its blistered fenders, and really love its snarling 365-hp 3.0-liter N55 twin-scroll turbo-six. What might be hard to love is its $57,795 as-tested price. Recently, we reviewed a $48,070 (as tested) 248-hp turbo-four 2017 BMW 230i and came away delighted and mightily impressed, but we still felt like Goldilocks in search of juuust right. In an effort to complete our BMW 2 Series sample platter, we got ahold of a 2017 BMW M240i ($52,875 as tested). As its name

94 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

Service life / 10 mo/16,169 mi Avg CO2 / 0.93 lb/mi Energy cons / 160 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 (oil change, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $1,233 (1 set Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, mount and balance, 1 quart oil, 1 set windshield wipers) Base price / $53,495 As-tested / $57,795

AVG FUEL ECON 20.8 suggests, it might be a stealthy M Division car in a plain 2 Series wrapper. It’s powered by the new B58 3.0-liter single-turbo straight-six, and we believe it might be a little underrated at 335 hp.

At the dragstrip, we expected the M2 to leave the M240i flat-footed at the line and never look back. Our M2 has a seven-speed twin-clutch automatic with launch control and 265-width rear

and scientific testing from the seat of my pants, it seems like the issue decreases while Sport mode is engaged. I’m guessing that in addition to holding gears longer, Sport mode starts with more power sent to the rear or at least primes the system for sporty driving, so it knows AWD should be used.

While I am in the mood to criticize, I might as well go onto my next problem, the headlights. The issue with the headlights isn’t their brightness; it’s their direction. The point at which the low-beams project onto the road ahead is quite short.

Although it might not be an issue on the brightly lit streets of Los Angeles, the moment I venture out of the city, I find myself constantly switching to my high-beams, and unlike the Grand Touring and Signature trim levels, our long-term Touring model does not have auto-dimming headlights.

And another thing: Why is there no dial to adjust the output of air conditioning or heat for the two main vents that reside on the center console? A quick glance will show that such vent dials are included on both side vents, to the left of the steering wheel and in front of the passenger, yet the only control you have for the center vent is directional. This wouldn’t normally be an issue, but the lowest setting on the fan is still quite strong, and I find myself trying any number of combinations of temperature and vent settings to make myself comfortable. Also, even if you turn the climate control off, it still lightly blows air through the vents, which would be fixable if you could close them.

All three of these issues are relatively minor, and that goes to show you that the CX-9 is a pretty decent vehicle. When the air vent not being quite right is your only complaint on a day-to-day basis, you are doing pretty well.

tires to use it: 0–60 in 4.1 seconds. By contrast, the M240i came with the standard six-speed manual and 245-width tires. Although the M2’s N55 and the M240i’s B58 engines’ horsepower vary by 30 (advantage M2), their torque ratings are identical at 369 lb-ft (at 1,450 rpm in the M2 and at 1,520 rpm in the M240i). They left the line at virtually the same rate. As the M2 began to pull ahead, it shifted 1–2 near 30 mph.

The M240i’s taller gears mean it doesn’t need to shift until closer to 40, so it gained back a little and reached 60 in 4.3 seconds. And so it goes; with the M2 carrying a narrow lead until … what’s this? The M240i catches the M2 at about 70 mph, and they both cross the quarter-mile finish line in 12.9 seconds (M2 at 106.2 mph, M240i at 110.5 mph). How? Horsepower should rule, right? After a 10-email volley with technical director Frank Markus, we put it down to aerodynamics. See, the M2 has greater frontal area (2.21 square meters) and higher drag coefficient (0.35) resulting in 0.75 drag area, or “air resistance.” For the M240i, BMW shows 2.14 square meters frontal area x 0.33 Cd = 0.71 drag area. Is that it, or is the M240i the budget M car its badge declares? We say the latter.

With great size comes great parking responsibilities.

UPDATES

2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty Jonny Lieberman “Like sitting up high?

Ford built a solution to the problem of needing to see over a sea of SUVs. Kidding/ not kidding.”

What is life like like here in the City of Angels with a truck that’s (probably) the size of Rhode Island? You can argue that heavy-duty trucks weren’t designed with Los Angeles in mind.

However—and believe me, I’ve been looking— there are throngs of them to be found in the nation’s second-largest city. There are 23 states with smaller populations than L.A. (4,041,707 denizens in 2017). If we’re talking counties, Los Angeles County (10 million, give or take) is larger than North Carolina, the 10th most populous state in the nation. L.A. County is also bigger than Rhode Island. And Delaware. Combined.

Just like every coin has two sides, there are two sides to driving a 8,020-pound beast of burden around an urban area. This update concerns itself with the downside of such an endeavor. Should you live in a place like Wyoming—50th in terms of population with nothing but wide-open spaces, and most vehicles you see are trucks—feel free to laugh at the city slicker (moi) who just doesn’t get it. For the other 63 percent of you who live in cities, feel free to laugh, too.

I get agita leaving the house. We live at the top of a narrow, steeply inclined hill, and the F-250 gets parked up against our dead end nose first. With every other vehicle I’ve ever brought home, leaving isn’t an issue because I can just make a three-point turn and go. Not possible with the Super Duty. So I back it down the hill. Not a big deal, save for the fact that our tiny little street dumps onto a major four-lane thoroughfare, so it’s best/quickest/safest to leave home facing forward. My options then become: Do I want to reverse into the neighbor’s driveway that’s too shallow or the one that’s not quite wide enough? I’m like Sisyphus having to make Sophie’s choice. I know the F-250 is only about a foot longer than an F-150, but those 12 inches make all the painful difference.

Leaving is one thing, but unless I’m going to Motor Trend HQ (where I’ve worked out a semisecret spot), I’m gonna have to park the big Ford somewhere, and it’s not going to be easy. Before being given the F-250 for a year, my notion of hell was having to eat at a Mexican restaurant in Stuttgart, Germany, for all eternity. (Trust me—I’ve done it—barf.) These days? Hell is parking the King Ranch at the Whole Foods in West

Service life / 6 mo/9,280 mi Avg CO2 / 1.50 lb/mi Energy cons / 251 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $44 (DEF) Normal-wear cost / $0 Base price / $58,950 As-tested / $78,355

AVG FUEL ECON 14.8 MPG Hollywood. Or worse: the Trader Joe’s in Silver Lake! The worst! It’s a weird feeling heading somewhere knowing that because of what you’re driving, you’re not going to be able to park. Just this past weekend I had to drive by three spots I knew the Ford wouldn’t fit in, only to find a one-hour spot three blocks from the brunch spot. Naturally, when I had to run out halfway through the meal to put money in the meter, it was raining. Tiny violins, I know.

Then there’s the bed. I’m not short. As I’m constantly reminding my wife, 5-foot-11 is slightly taller than average. But man, do I feel like a mini-me when I walk up to the F-250’s bed. If I stick my arms straight out in front of me, my elbows clear the top of the side walls by an inch. Lift with your knees? Ha! More like lift with your ankles. Even if you’re Dutch (Holland boasts the tallest average height), you’re still going to have a hard time loading and unloading this beast. If there’s something heavy in the bed, forget about lifting it up and over; you’re going in. Getting in ain’t no picnic, either, as the tailgate is above my hips. Yeah, yeah, there’s Ford’s Man Step, which is so named because—as Chevy pointed out nine years ago—it’s not manly. Nor does it do you much good if you’ve got to unload something large—the handle blocks your exit. Yes, yes, the F-250 can carry nearly two tons of stuff in the bed. That’s why the truck’s so massive. It’s just that getting said stuff in or out sucks.

This completes the “huge truck is huge, water is wet” portion of our long-term update.

Before you fire off the angry letter stating something to the effect of, “Duh!” know that I’m not alone in my assertion that this truck (I’d say “and trucks like it,” but the Super Duty is XXXL to Chevy and Ram’s XXL offerings) is too big is backed up by Ford following Chevy’s Colorado lead and offering a small(ish) Ranger. Some people need a truck but not all the capability a monster like this King Ranch, or even an F-150, has to offer. Stay tuned for the next Size Matters update, where I explain the upsides to the F-250’s incredible bulk.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A FEW DEGREES CAN MAKE. Low or neglected coolant can cause engines to run hot.

Engines operating just 18°F above normal can double motor oil degradation, cut transmission fluid life in half and lead to water pump failure.

CHECK YOUR COOLANT EVERY TIME YOU OPEN THE HOOD.

FIND OUT MORE AT PEAK18DEGREES.COM ©2018 Old World Industries, LLC. All Rights Reserved

LONG-TERM TEST | Verdict

If getting off the beaten path is your thing, the Subie's AWD and ground clearance will give you an upper hand on the dirt roads.

2017 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Sport Mike Royer “So long, Subaru! I’ll miss your huge fuel tank and ridiculous range. Is it weird that I hate stopping for gas this much?”

In Motor Trend’s version of My Two Dads, fleet admiral Erick Ayapana and I joined forces to shepherd a young and spirited Subaru Legacy through its journey of discovery in our long-term garage.

Shortly after the June 2017 issue went to press, Erick needed to give up his seat to help foster another vehicle, and that’s when I took over. Between the two of us, we logged 20,460 miles almost exclusively on the means streets of SoCal, although head honcho Ed Loh took it on a trip to Sacramento, and web producer Erika Pizano hustled up to San Francisco for a weekend trip. Other than that, it was mostly used to get me between El Segundo and San Pedro and for the occasional downtown dash for Los Angeles Kings hockey (GKG)!

Although the Subaru Legacy doesn’t have a stunning interior, everything was easy to access and intuitive to use. The seats were comfortable, and the cabin was spacious.

96 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

Service life / 13 mo/20,460 mi Base price / $24,815 Options / Sport Value package ($4,095: EyeSight driver-assist system with blind-spot detection and rear automatic emergency braking, Starlink telematics and navigation, power moonroof, 18-inch wheels, keyless access w/ push-button start, Sport appearance package; Side cargo net ($88) Price as tested / $28,998 Avg fuel econ/CO2 / 26.3 mpg/0.74 lb/mi Problem areas / None Maintenance / $0 (3- oil change, tire rotation, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 3-year residual value* / $20,100 Recalls / None

REAL MPG CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 27.8/36.6/31.1 MPG *IntelliChoice data; assumes 42,000 miles at the end of three years

This means I didn’t do a lot of open-highway driving, which probably accounts for our combined average of 26.3 mpg being a little less than the 29 and 31.1 mpg estimates from the EPA and Real MPG, respectively. Despite the lower numbers, the Legacy still managed to impress in the fuel mileage department because the whopping 18.5-gallon fuel tank made for a long-distance hauler that would often go 14 days and 500 miles between trips to the gas station.

For reference, our Legacy’s Subaru sibling, the 2016 Outback, which also has an 18.5-gallon fuel tank but weighs 203 pounds more, averaged 23.4 mpg over our year of testing it.

The interior is spacious and comfortable. My preference is to sit high and very close to the steering wheel, and I never felt cramped in the Legacy. It has a height of 59.0 inches, more than 3 inches taller than our last long-term sedan, a 2016 Honda Civic Touring, and I always felt I was sitting a little higher than I normally would in sedan. Ergonomically, everything is within reach of the driver, the controls are easy to manage, and the steering wheel and mirrors are a breeze to adjust.

The back seat has plenty of room for cargo, human and otherwise, with 38.1 inches of legroom for the former—the same as in the larger Outback.

The Legacy also excells in one of the most important back-seat metrics—zero complaints about comfort from passengers.

One disappointment for me was all the scratches the console suffered with what I’d consider a light amount of abuse. Over the year the center console has developed some unsightly scars, presumably from tossing my keys into the cupholder upon entry.

An everyday vehicle should be able to withstand a little torture. To combat this I trained myself to leave the keys in my pocket and use the keyless entry, which when you commit to works like a charm. I also took the time to adjust the settings to turn off the annoying beeping that accompanies every locking and unlocking—it was loud enough that I worried about waking the neighbors. The world needs less beeping, and I’m doing my part.

Aesthetically, the Starlink multimedia console could use some work (and Subaru must have

2017 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Sport POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS

agreed, as newer models have updated looks). It does, however, have an actual volume and tuning knob along with plenty of options for listening to music. It offers pretty good clarity when listening loud, as well.

The multiple power and USB ports were much appreciated, as was the smartphone notch built into the center console. However, the execution of a device notch should be further fleshed out in the future. It would have been nice to be able to seat the phone in the notch and connect it to power or the console. Good idea, but not 100 percent there.

One person on staff seems to think my devotion to legacy technology makes me a Luddite. I think that’s a bit harsh and an inaccurate understanding of the word, but you’re the benefactor of my inability to let go of past devices.

For a while I was listening to my music and podcasts via Bluetooth streamed from my Dropbox app, and that worked pretty well, but recently I switched it up and have been using the aux input to listen via my iPod classic. I went the aux route because directly connecting the large iPod library was too much for the stereo to handle, and it would often glitch out and restart the iPod. It does work to connect your music device directly via USB, but I had spotty results and went with the technologically inferior analog aux input.

The Bluetooth streaming ability was easy to connect, so much so that while picking up the car from the valet, I got in and noticed the car’s Bluetooth had, from a distance, already synced to my phone and begun playing the show I was listening to. That’s a stereo eager to start streaming.

The Subie does have a CD player, and just to make sure it worked, I dug a disc out of storage. For a second I thought maybe Subaru could be bluffing to see if anyone noticed, but it played.

The navigation system went largely unused until I dropped my phone’s unlimited data plan. To save myself from the data-depleting Waze, I used Subaru’s onboard navigation, and to my delight it worked really well. Using real-time traffic updates, the nav steered me clear of a particularly nasty off-ramp construction project that

These areas could use a little improvement.

Although we appreciate the device holder (left) you couldn’t set it in there while charging. And the Infotainment interface is as bland as they come.

That’s definitly being upgraded for 2018. stole hours from a bunch of co-workers.

Out on the road, although this model was called a “Sport,” it really doesn’t give off a sporty vibe. Its 0–60 time of 9.1 seconds is comparable to the Outback’s 9.5 seconds, and in the passing metric, the time to go from 45 to 65 mph, the Legacy and Outback again were comparable with 4.7 seconds for the wagon and 4.5 for the sedan. The Camrys and Accords of the world are at least 1.5 seconds quicker to 60 and at least a half-second quicker in passing.

So this is not a sports car by any stretch, but despite its name I never really expected it to be. It does get up to speed in a safe amount of time and does not struggle to maintain speed on the highway.

The continuously variable transmission seemed to make the right “shifts” at all the right times without any lag or jerkiness. I mostly didn’t notice it.

The ride itself was smooth. The Legacy was able to absorb many of the minor bumps in the road, and it eliminated a lot of the annoying road noise to make for a pleasant commute inside the cabin. This allowed me to cut some of my fellow commuters some slack when they behaved a little less than noble. Oh, well. I’m happy in here.

We took the Legacy to the dealer for three scheduled oil changes, tire rotations, and inspections, and without any other problems springing up, we spent $0 on repairs or normal wear and tear. The Outback long-termer also cost us nothing to maintain, and our VW Passat also included free maintenance. We spent $483.20 on four service visits over 30,828 miles with our 2016 Civic, however.

In the past nine months I’ve enjoyed my time in the Legacy. I’m not naturally much of a lead foot, and generally I prefer comfort over aesthetics, so the very workmanlike, smooth-riding Legacy fit my driving disposition pretty well. It’s nice when you and your car are compatible. n

DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT ENGINE TYPE VALVETRAIN DISPLACEMENT COMPRESSION RATIO POWER (SAE NET) TORQUE (SAE NET) REDLINE WEIGHT TO POWER TRANSMISSION AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR STEERING RATIO TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK BRAKES, F; R WHEELS TIRES

Front-engine, AWD Flat-4, alum block/heads DOHC, 4 valves/cyl 152.5 cu in/2,498cc 10.3:1 175 hp @ 5,800 rpm 174 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm 6,000 rpm 20.0 lb/hp Cont variable auto 3.90:1/2.41:1 Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar 14.5:1 2.8 11.6-in vented disc; 11.8-in vented disc, ABS 7.5 x 18-in cast aluminum 225/50R18 95H M+S Goodyear Eagle LS2

DIMENSIONS

WHEELBASE TRACK, F/R LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT TURNING CIRCLE CURB WEIGHT WEIGHT DIST, F/R SEATING CAPACITY HEADROOM, F/R LEGROOM, F/R SHOULDER ROOM, F/R CARGO VOLUME

108.3 in 62.2/62.8 in 188.8 x 72.4 x 59.0 in 36.8 ft 3,499 lb 59/41% 5 37.6/37.0 in 42.9/38.1 in 58.1/57.3 in 15.0 cu ft

TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH

0-30 0-40 0-50 0-60 0-70 0-80 PASSING, 45-65 MPH QUARTER MILE BRAKING, 60-0 MPH LATERAL ACCELERATION MT FIGURE EIGHT TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH

3.5 sec 5.1 6.9 9.1 11.8 15.1 4.5 17.0 sec @ 84.7 mph 119 ft 0.85 g (avg) 27.5 sec @ 0.62 g (avg) 1,750 rpm

CONSUMER INFO

STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL AIRBAGS

Yes/Yes

8: Dual front, front side, front seat pan, f/r curtain 3 years/36,000 miles BASIC WARRANTY 5 years/60,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 3 years/36,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 18.5 gal FUEL CAPACITY REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB 27.8/36.6/31.1 mpg EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 25/34/29 mpg 135/99 kW-hrs/100 miles ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 0.68 lb/mile CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB Unleaded regular RECOMMENDED FUEL

The Subaru Legacy’s 175 hp won’t win drag races, but you’ll never feel left behind in traffic.

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PERMANENT LIFETIME ENLARGEMENT?

Angus MacKenzie

The Big Picture ALL CHANGE ARE AMERICA’S AUTOMAKERS READY? We used to call them the Big Three because, well, they were the three biggest automakers in the world.

For much of the 20th century, GM, Ford, and Chrysler each made more cars—and more money—than anyone else in the auto biz.

They made Detroit the automotive capital of the world by the 1920s and one of the wealthiest cities in America by the 1950s. Back then, the masters of the universe cruised Woodward Avenue, not Wall Street.

A lot has changed.

For a start, the Big Three aren’t so big anymore. According to global sales figures from industry analyst JATO, GM now languishes in fourth spot, behind Volkswagen, Toyota, and Hyundai, fifth if you factor in the new RenaultNissan-Mitsubishi alliance. Ford, for decades the world’s No. 2 automaker, is now merely the sixth largest. And 20 years after being swallowed by Daimler—and subsequently spat out before being merged with Fiat in 2014— Chrysler barely makes the top 10.

But that’s not all. Just two years after Toyota ended GM’s eight-decade reign as the world’s largest automaker in 2008, China became the world’s biggest single auto market, toppling the United States from the leadership position it had held for more than a century. The Chinese market has since grown to be about 60 percent larger than America’s, with Chinese consumers buying more than 28 million vehicles last year.

A new world order is here. So what now for America’s automakers? The 2018 Geneva show addressed that question.

102 MOTORTREND.COM / JUNE 2018

ALL ELECTRIC The Jaguar I-Pace has an e-motor at each axle.

Jaguar beat its German rivals to the punch with the I-Pace.

Jaguar beat its German rivals to the punch at Geneva with the launch of the I-Pace, the first car to challenge Tesla’s hegemony in the premium electric vehicle segment. (A couple weeks later, Jaguar and Waymo promised a Level 5 I-Pace EV in testing this year, with 20,000 built by 2020.) Meanwhile, Porsche, Audi, Mercedes, and BMW were all talking in detail about the swarm of BEVs they’ll have on the road starting in 2019. Brands as diverse as Nissan and Aston Martin showed BEV concepts touting Level 4 autonomous capability and foldaway steering wheels; the VW I.D. Vizzion concept had no steering wheel at all.

Geneva 2018 was one of those rare auto shows—Tokyo 1989 was another—where the future felt real. Yet … there was not a single GM car on display, the Ford stand was a perfunctory affair highlighting the retro-hip Mustang Bullitt, and FCA’s star turn was the Jeep Wrangler, a vehicle whose roots go back to the

1940s. America, the nation that put the world on wheels, that shaped the 20th century, seemed curiously AWOL from the existential narrative reimagining the 21st at Geneva.

GM’s absence from Geneva reflected the company’s pivot away from Europe to China, the nation that’s now dictating the types of vehicles the world’s automakers must build. We may love our pickups and V-8s, but China is demanding BEVs and autonomous capability, and when automakers contemplate a market that could be twice the size of America’s within the next decade, they’re going to follow the money.

In that context, GM appears to be well positioned. GM global product chief Mark Reuss has confirmed two BEV crossovers based on the Chevy Bolt platform will appear in the next 18 months. At least a further seven BEVs—and possibly as many as 18—will be built on a new modular vehicle architecture and carry a 300-mile range as soon as 2023. And as we’ve seen with Cadillac’s Super Cruise, GM is aggressively pursuing autonomous capability.

The jury is out on Ford and FCA, though.

Ford has confirmed just one BEV by 2020, an all-wheel-drive SUV it claims will have a 300-mile range, and FCA’s Sergio Marchionne says a production version of the Chrysler Portal BEV minivan concept will go into production some time after 2018. Both companies are also working on autonomous drive: Ford is testing a fleet of self-driving Fusions as a prelude to launching a fully autonomous vehicle by 2021, and FCA is partnering with BMW and Intel to develop an autonomous vehicle platform.

But is it too little, too late? The electric realities of Geneva suggest it might be. n

GET IN OR GET LEFT BEHIND Jaguar’s I-Pace seeks to unseat Tesla’s stranglehold on the premium EV market.

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