On The Move

Monday, September 12, 2011

For Advertising Information Contact Your Local Cars.Com On-The-Move Sales Team at 599-2329

StarMetro inks deal with electric bus vendor Special to On The Move

StarMetro, the city’s mass transit provider, is one step closer to making its fleet more environmentally friendly.

StarMetro signed a contract with Proterra Inc. for the construction of three brand new, zero-emission, all-electric buses and a charging station.

“By replacing three of our diesel transit buses with all-electric buses, StarMetro would realize the elimination of almost 260 tons of carbon dioxide annually,” said Ron Garrison, executive director of the transit ser-

Last year, the FTA awarded StarMetro more than $5M ... to pursue all-electric buses. vice. “StarMetro is dedicated to exploring and providing new, green technologies for the citizens of Tallahassee, and these all-electric buses are an integral part of that commitment.”

Last year, the Federal Transit Administration awarded StarMetro more than $5 mil-

lion in monies from the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction II grant to pursue all-electric buses.

“We hope to have these new buses on the streets serving our customers in the spring of 2012,” Garrison said.

Proterra developed and has deployed the world’s first battery electric transit bus that can charge to full power in less than 10 minutes. Its first fleet is in operation at Foothill Transit in Pomona, Calif. The next two locations where its

Proterra’s 35 foot EcoRide bus will be rolling out at StarMetro later this year. The allelectric bus is completely rechargeable in less than 10 minutes.

Proterra inc./ SPecial to on the Move

See ELECTRIC, Page 2

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Page 2 / Monday, September 12, 2011

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

Charity will be big winner of Tesla bet

By Jerry Hirsch McClatchy News Service

LOS ANGELES — An ema i led wa r of words between tech entrepreneur Elon Musk of Tesla Motors Inc. and a prominent automotive journalist will turn into a $1 million payday for Doctors Without Borders, the international medical charity.

Car reviewer Dan Neil of the Wall Street Journal and Musk have been trading oral and email barbs over whether Tesla will be able to bring out its Model S luxury electric sedan on schedule and at the claimed price. Musk is the chief executive of Palo Alto-based Tesla as well as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., the Hawthorne, Calif., rocket maker.

The pair fired emails off to each other offering to make a bet, with the proceeds going to

Electric From Page 1 / SECTION

charity. And while the terms and the odds were spelled out — Neil would put up $1,000 to Musk’s $1 million — both agree that they never shook hands or formally consummated the wager.

“I’m still game if Elon is,” said Neil, a former Los Angeles Times car critic who in 2004 won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism for his automobile reviews.

It turns out that Musk is, but with a slight change. “I will put the car out and give $1 million to Doctors Without Borders,” Musk told the Los Angeles Times. “I don’t really need a bet to give money away. I have a foundation that gives away money every year.

I think Doctors Without Borders is a good cause, so sure, I will do this. Dan should chip in $1,000 too.”

Musk made a fortune when he sold online payment busi-

than $100,000.

The Model S will start at $57,400, less a $7,500 federal tax credit, and have three battery pack options that will provide 160, 230 and 300 miles per charge. Each additional increment in range will add about $10,000 to the price, Musk said.

It will offer ample seating for five adults, and in some configurations room for an extra two children’s seats. The Model S will have some zip, with an anticipated zero-to-60 acceleration of less than six seconds.

Tesla plans to start production with 1,000 of the 300-mile range version and follow with the other models.

Tesla also is working with Toyota Motor Corp., a major shareholder in the company, to bring out an electric version of the RAV4 small sport-utility vehicle next year.

A Tesla car is displayed in the showroom of Tesla Motors in San Jose, Calif., on April 13.

LIPO ChINg/ MCT N E wS SErvICE

Special edition Mazda reminds why MX-5 is beloved

By Barry Spyker

electric buses will be operated are San Antonio, Texas, and Tallahassee.

“We are thrilled to be working with StarMetro on this deployment,” said Marc Gottschalk, chief business development officer for Proterra. “They are on the leading edge of transit agencies who recognize that battery electric buses are the best option to combat unpredictable fossil fuel prices while providing passengers a clean, quiet ride to their destination.”

For more information about StarMetro services, call the main office at 8915200 or visit Talgov.com/ starmetro. Other ways to view information include liking StarMetro’s official Facebook page at Facebook. com/starmetrotransit or following the organization on Twitter at Twitter.com/ RideStarMetro.

ness PayPal Inc. in 2002.

Tesla is on target to begin deliveries of the Model S in the middle of 2012, Musk said.

Musk is so confident of hitting the schedule for the car that he has invited 3,000 customers to see the Model S prototypes and tour Tesla’s factory in Fremont, Calif. Customers will get ride-alongs that give them a feel for the acceleration, handling, fit and finish of the sedan.

“We will show all of them the capabilities of the car,” Musk said.

He said the prototypes, called “beta vehicles,” are “essentially indistinguishable from the production cars. The body panels are all the same stamped aluminum, and the components are the same.”

The sedan will be Tesla’s second car. It currently produces the two-seat Roadster, a sports car that sells for more

McClatchy News Service

What’s new this year for the popular Mazda Miata, er, MX-5? Very little, save for this limited-production Special Edition that I tooled around in for a week recently.

And the Special Edition, really, is little more than a Grand Touring model with the Premium Package upgrade.

Oh, it gets a more taut suspension. And standard Bluetooth and satellite radio. And some colors that aren’t offered with the other versions.

But what the new Special Edition really does is give me a cheap excuse to remind roadster lovers that this little number is still one of the best values out there for a kick-butt fun ride that is reminiscent of the British Triumphs and MGs of the ’60s and ’70s.

And it’s the “people’s roadster,” with a starting price around $23,000 and highway mileage that teases close to 30

mpg — if you behave. And no, that’s not easy.

Before I go on, know that an all-new 2012 MX-5 is expected soon. But if you can’t wait, loads of grins await with the 2011 MX-5 Special Edition.

I recall my younger days with my first new car: a little, white 1976 Triumph Spitfire with a high-revving engine that announced my arrival a block away from my thengirlfriend’s (now wife of 35 years) house.

“I’m almost ready — I heard you coming,” she’d say.

“Almost ready?” Maybe I should’ve removed the muffler, too.

The MX-5 is all that the Spit, TR-6 and MGB used to be — and so much more. It’s quicker, more nimble and full of technology they hadn’t even dreamed of in ’76. And it doesn’t overheat on a hundred-mile trip (you Spitfire folks know what I’m talking

about).

Plenty of rear-drive pep with the 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine, which puts out 167 horses and 140 foot-pounds of torque. Zero-to-60 can be done in less than 7 seconds, but straightaway speed is not why you buy a roadster like this.

Handling is what triggers the MX-5 grins. This traditional, two-seat roadster is nearly perfectly balanced in front-torear weight, and that makes it agile as a cougar chasing down a rabbit. Corners are flat and smooth with a wide track and low center of gravity. Electronic stability control comes standard.

EPA estimates mileage at 21 mpg, 28 on the highway.

Shifting through the sixspeed gearbox is a breeze, too, requiring a flick of the wrist as it easily pops into your gear of choice. The clutch is springy enough but could cause some leg fatigue in a traffic mess.

The tighter suspension in the Special might offer even more road feel than you seek.

The Special Edition’s retractable hard top offers a quieter ride and a greater sense of security. But, unless it’s raining or too dang hot or cold, lose it with the push of a button above the audio controls. It folds away in seconds.

The wind flow with top down is bearable and the car still feels solid, without rattles or vibrations. A mesh wind blocker is situated behind the seats but it didn’t seem to make much difference.

This third-generation Miata is bigger in most respects than its predecessors. But squeezing my 50-somethingyear-old, 6-foot-1 frame into this machine remains a delicate operation. I now relate to sardines. But there is just enough headroom and more than ample legroom — in fact

I had to pull the seat up some to depress the clutch comfortably.

The Special Edition comes with nicely bolstered, leather seats. The dash and door panels have a rich feel, and gauges are big and easy to read and shaded well from the sunlight.

The 5.3-cubic-foot trunk can handle only a couple of soft bags.The good news is that the trunk does not shrink when the hardtop comes down, like in some of the roadsters.

It has its own storage compartment.

It’s amazing to me that the Miata has been around for 22 years. It has gotten slightly bigger and better over three generations and we can look forward to what is in store for 2012.

But it’s safe to say that Mazda will make sure that one thing will not change: That traditional, high-revving, windin-your-face roadster fun.

OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat

TD-0000185100

Monday, September 12, 2011 / Page 3

Page 4 / Monday, September 12, 2011

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

Mexican firm gears up for sports car market

By Tim Johnson McClatchy News Service

OCOYOACAC, Mexico — When Mexico’s first twoseat production sports car rolls out of the plant in a few weeks, at stake will be not just automotive bragging rights but also national pride.

There have been plenty of naysayers. Automotive commentators in England were so derisive of the idea of a Mexican sports car earlier this year that they set off a diplomatic fracas. Mexico demanded an apology, and got it.

Sometime in September, the first Mastretta MXT, a Mexican-designed, highperformance sports car, will roll out of a factory here, 30 miles west of Mexico City. Owners are promised an exhilarating experience when they hammer the accelerator.

The hand-built, rearengine MXT accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. Its designers say it’s built for people who itch to get off the street and onto the track. “ We are targeting a niche,” said Jean-Paul Capin, the chief financial officer of Mastretta Cars, a division of Tecnoidea SAPI de CV, an engineering and design house based in Mexico City.

The typical buyer will be a speed lover who has access to local raceways — and who has about $58,000 to spare.

“On the track, it’s a giant killer,” Capin said. “You can race against really high-end sports cars, Porsches and Corvettes, because of the power-to-weight ratio and the way the cars are set up. On the track, they are highly competitive against those cars at a fraction of the price.”

But whether a small company can realize its dreams of becoming what one auto analyst called the “Mexican Lotus” is a different matter.

Tim Johnson/mcclaTchy news services

The Mastretta sports cars of Mexico are handbuilt. Each requires about 300 hours of labor, the company says.

Few doubt Mexico’s broader automotive capabilities. Mexico is the world’s 10th biggest auto manufacturer, after China, Japan, the United States, Germany, South Korea, Brazil, India, France and Spain, in that order. Factories in Mexico pump out more than 2 million units a year.

The auto industry is Mexico’s largest manufacturing sector, and it employs some 560,000 people.

Volkswagen, Nissan, Ford, General Motors and many other global automakers have major operations in Mexico, and hundreds of companies supply them with components, from engine parts to bearings and moldings.

The cluster of associated industries is partly why Carlos and Daniel Mastretta thought they could make a go of it producing hand-built sports cars. Some 65 percent of the 1,900 components that go into the Mastretta MXT are available regionally, and the high labor costs of

a hand-built car give them an edge in Mexico, where wages are low.

The Mastrettas have spent two decades designing public transportation vehicles for the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, and prototype race cars. The government holds a small stake in the company, hoping to boost such innovation.

Business experts give the Mastrettas only a fighting chance to survive on a small scale, even though they set fairly modest production goals: 25 to 30 cars this year, 120 to 150 units in 2012, and 250 or so the year after that.

“It’s possible they can thrive as a niche market,” said Tapen Sinha, a supplychain expert and professor at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico.

“But if you ask me if they’ll produce 5,000 cars, I don’t think so.”

Still, Sinha said outsiders shouldn’t scoff at Mexico’s improving industrial and technological abilities

even if most plants were enmeshed in global supply chains.

“There are pockets of very deep knowledge. Mexico is already the No. 1 producer of plasma TVs,” he said, and it excels in areas such as logistics for mass production.

The Mastretta plant has only 41 employees. In one area of the warehouse, workers sand fiberglass bodies, each of which is laid on a hand-built chassis of lasercut aluminum parts and carbon fiber panels bonded with aerospace-quality adhesives.

It takes about 300 hours of labor to put together a Mastretta MTX, Capin said.

Weighing in at barely 2,000 pounds, the car will be a lightweight back-tobasics vehicle. It has some amenities, such as GPS, air conditioning, power windows and iPod connectivity, but G-force cornering and road performance trump technological gadgetry.

“We’re a small company.

We don’t have millions of dollars to spend on security features and traction control systems and air bags,” Capin said.

Instead, buyers get manual five-speed cars, with 250 -horsepower turbo charged Duratec engines made by Ford, that reach a maximum speed of 149 mph.

A Corvette has a much bigger engine, but it also weighs 1,200 pounds more.

Many Mexicans think that the success of the Mastretta MXT will underscore the progress their nation has achieved in engineering and vehicle design, and also Mexico’s importance in the global automotive industry.

“We have been proving a lot of stereotypes wrong: that in Mexico you can’t build a sports car. We’re showing that you can,” Capin said.

Some car aficionados have doubts. On the BBC’s highly popular “Top Gear” television show in late Jan-

uary, commentator Richard Hammond said autos reflected national characteristics as he reached into some ugly stereotypes about Mexico.

“Mexican cars (are) just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep, looking at cactus,” Hammond said to the laughter of other commentators, one of whom suggested the MXT should be called a “tortilla.”

Mexico’s ambassador to London, Eduardo Medina Mora, fired off a blistering public letter to the BBC saying the program resorted to “outrageous, vulgar and inexcusable insults to stir bigoted feelings against the Mexican people.”

A producer of “Top Gear” offered the ambassador an apology in a letter but noted that jokes about national stereotypes were integral to British humor.

“Our own comedians make jokes about the British being terrible cooks and terrible romantics, and we in turn make jokes about the Italians being disorganized and overdramatic; the French being arrogant and the Germans being overorganized,” a BBC statement quoting the letter said.

Seven months later, executives at Mastretta Cars were looking on the bright side, saying that the fracas, which was on the front pages of major newspapers in Mexico, gave the company a jolt of publicity.

For now, Mastretta MXTs will sell in Mexico, Europe and the Middle East. Strict U.S. laws on emissions and safety must still be cleared, including regulations to make the vehicle streetlegal in different states, Capin said. But that day will come.

“We have a natural market with the Mexican-American community in the U.S. It’s a great thing for them to buy a Mexican sports car,” he said.

Monday, September 12, 2011 / Page 5

OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat

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Page 6 / Monday, September 12, 2011

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

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Monday, September 12, 2011 / Page 7

OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat

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Page 8 / Monday, September 12, 2011

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

Toyota ratchets up the room with 2012 Prius v

By Susan Carpenter McClatchy News Services

As the world’s first massproduced gasoline-electric car, the Toyota Prius has become the iPod of hybrids.

More than 2 million of these automotive icons have been sold since the Prius was introduced in 1997, with mostly minor changes to its aerodynamic profile.

But that’s about to change with the 2012 Prius v — a larger version that looks as if growth hormones were slipped into the tank. Due in showrooms in October, the v — for “versatility” — lengthens the rear cargo hold on the regular Prius and ratchets up the hatch, opening up far more space in the back 40 without sacrificing too many miles per gallon. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates a combined fuel economy rating of 42 mpg.

In my real-world test of the car, I averaged 41.3.

That runs right over the competition for a comparably sized four-door five-seater, especially when factoring in the v’s expected $26,000 price tag. Traditional hybrids still offer an upfront price advantage over plug-in hybrids and pure electrics. The electric Chevrolet Volt, for example, costs $33,500 even after applying the $7,500 federal tax credit.

And the Prius offers yet another draw: an evolved and proven drivetrain.

The v is powered with the same Hybrid Synergy Drive as the third-generation Prius introduced last year.

Its 1.8-liter gasoline engine works in combination with a pair of high-output electric motors and nickel-metal hydride batteries to make 134 net horsepower. Like the regular Prius, the v can be driven in gas, electric or a combined gas-electric mode, as determined by an onboard computer programmed to maximize efficiency. The interplay between the engine and motor is, for the most part, unnoticeable.

Mcclatchy News services

The 2012 Prius v is a larger version that looks as if growth hormones were slipped into the tank. Due in showrooms in October. The v, for “versatility,” lengthens the rear cargo hold on the regular Prius and ratchets up the hatch, opening up far more space in the back 40 without sacrificing too many miles per gallon.

What’s new with the v is that drivers can select between different drive modes by pressing buttons situated in the center console, within easy reach of idle fingers. There is no gear shift. The v uses a continuously variable transmission. “Eco” is for fuel economy. “EV” prompts the car to run on battery power alone.

“Power” increases throttle response. Without pressing the buttons, the car defaults to “normal.”

Driving in Eco mode might be good for the planet but at times it makes the car feel underpowered. The v strains to propel its 3,274 pounds forward. There was such a lag between pressing the accelerator and actually gaining speed from a dead stop that it felt a bit like driving a locomotive.

Cruising in EV mode is a short-lived experience. The

vehicle is responsive, but it can only operate this way for less than a mile. That’s by design. No matter what mode you choose, the v often defaults to battery power for short periods to increase efficiency. So a separate button doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

Power mode was by far the most responsive and satisfying, though drivers will pay the price at the pump.

Driving on the highway, I glanced at the dashboard and saw my fuel economy sink ever so slightly from 42 mpg to about 40. So I restricted my use of Power to city traffic, when I’d get the most fun out of it.

Like most alternative drivetrain cars, the Prius is equipped with a coaching mechanism to help the lead-footed cultivate a lighter touch. A simple, easy-to-

read graphic lets drivers see when they’re pigging out on fuel or are giving power back to the battery when slowing or braking.

Oddly, this information is displayed in a wide screen at the top of the center stack, which rises like a hooded cobra from the broad, blackplastic dash. There aren’t any gauges directly in front of the driver, which helps explain why the graphics are so large: They’re farther away from the driver than normal.

I was driving the Prius v Three — a mid-level trim with 16-inch wheels that, considering the car’s size, didn’t seem undersized or to compromise handling that was, for its dimensions, nimble.

There is also a base-model Two and top-of-the-line Five, the latter of which is available with advanced technolo-

gies including a hard-drive navigation system, a panoramic moon roof and emergency assistance.

The Three comes with enhanced audio and a 6.1-inch touch screen for navigation, as well as a backup camera display that, unfortunately, does not negate the annoying, delivery-truck-style beeping that kicks in when the car is placed in reverse.

Otherwise, the technology is user-friendly. Ripping a page from Ford’s technology playbook, the v marks the debut of a new technology called Entune. Similar to MyFord Touch, Entune enables hands-free phone calling, iTunes tagging, Bluetooth music streaming and Pandora Internet radio listening. It also comes equipped with apps for Bing, OpenTable and Movietickets.com as well as a textto-voice system that can read

cellphone text messages.

But what’s most notable about this car is the amount of interior space it offers in a vehicle that’s so fuel-efficient. The v’s driver visibility, passenger legroom and cargo capacity are valueadded improvements over the regular Prius. Although the v is roughly the same height as the regular Prius up to the car’s midsection, the front seats are slightly taller, making it feel more like an SUV from the cockpit.

And, although it has grown only six inches in length, the back hatch has been lifted, providing far more vertical and horizontal space.

Collapsing the 60/40 rear seat opens up 97.2 cubic feet of room — enough for a lifetime supply of Boogie Boards. The front passenger seat also folds flat, creating an even longer space along one side for surfboards, or, perhaps, even a kayak.

There are, however, slight gaps between the collapsed seats and the cargo floor. It isn’t a seamless, smooth floor from back to front.

Still, in my time with the car, this large-format Prius inspired more than a few approving looks from middleaged drivers piloting Volvo wagons and other European imports. “Finally,” their eye contact seemed to say, “a car that will let me carry my titanium mountain bike without the Hummer footprint. Hmm.” That holy-grail combo is clearly in demand.

L a s t we e k , Toyo t a announced a collaboration with Ford that will expand its hybridization to even larger vehicles, including sport-utility vehicles and light trucks.

The two major auto companies are joining forces to develop a new advanced, rear-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain more quickly and affordably than either manufacturer could accomplish on its own, Toyota said in a statement. Until then, the Toyota Prius v will more than suffice.

Monday, September 12, 2011 / Page 9

OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat

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Page 10 / Monday, September 12, 2011

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

Irene a wake-up call to prepare car for storms

By Steven Cole Smith The Orlando Sentinel

ORLANDO — Hurricane Irene offered a wakeup call for motorists unprepared for the automotive-related challenges presented by severe weather.

There are precautions you can take now that will make handling severe weather easier and safer when it returns.

Here’s a checklist for you and your car the next time severe weather approaches: n Garage your vehicle, if possible. But keep in mind that if you lose power, and you have an electric garage door opener, it won’t work.

Do you know how to override the system to manually open the door? Now is the time to find the owner’s manual for the electric garage door opener and read the powerout instructions. And be careful, because openers using gears and chains can be dangerous to handle, even when the electricity is out. n Use a car cover, if you can’t garage your vehicle.

The cover may not prevent damage, but it won’t hurt— unless you have one of those inexpensive covers that have only an elastic band holding the cover around the bottom. Even a mild wind can rip those covers off. Better covers have grommets for attaching bungee cords or ropes. No cover? When covering Hurricane Charley in Punta Gorda, I spoke to one man who stretched a blanket over the windshield of his car and closed the ends of the blanket in the doors, which held it tight. The windshield made it through the hurricane but the uncovered rear and side windows didn’t. n While hurricane winds alone can break car windows, flying objects launched by the wind break many more. Even a storm’s feeder bands might have enough wind velocity to

Never drive through standing water unless you are positive it isn’t deep. And just because that Hummer made it through doesn’t mean your Hyundai will. pick up a flower pot, garbage can lid, barbecue grill or plastic birdbath and send it into your car — or through a window in your house. Anything that you can pick up, odds are the wind can too. Secure or store anything that could become a projectile. n Park an uncovered car with the rear facing the approaching storm. It may mean only an incremental benefit, but you’re better off having wind, rain and debris blowing into the rear of the car than into the front, with its more vulnerable grille, radiator, headlights and windshield. During hurricane threats, you’ll see that many car dealers, when they have the space, park their cars in a tight cluster when a storm approaches, with convertibles in the middle. If you have multiple vehicles, use the larger or less valuable vehicles to shield the smaller or more expensive ones. n After the storm, start the vehicle and let it idle for at least 15 minutes. This should generate enough heat to dry the engine and other components under the hood.

(Don’t, of course, do this in a closed garage.) Make sure your spare tire is inflated and the jack is where it should be, and know how to use them. It’s also wise to carry a can of aerosol tire repair and inflator — in case

you encounter broken glass, roofing nails and other sharp objects on the road. n Never drive through standing water unless you are positive it isn’t deep.

And just because that Hummer made it through doesn’t mean your Hyundai will. For most small cars, any standing water deeper than 6 inches constitutes a gamble, especially if other passing vehicles are sending waves into your vehicle. n If you get water in the gas tank, either through storm activity or from a gas station with leaky storage tanks, any auto parts store has pour-in additives that absorb water from the gas tank. For massive amounts of water, you’d have to have a mechanic drain the gas tank and fuel system.

If you suspect water in the tank, pour in the additive — it can’t hurt. n If you have broken glass and must drive, tape clear plastic, not a black garbage bag, over the missing window. n A A A suggests that motorists keep an emergency kit inside their vehicles with the following items: A flashlight with fresh batteries; mats that can be placed under tires to increase traction; a small bag of sand, salt or cat litter to spread around tires to increase traction; a shovel; cloth or a roll of paper towels; a blanket; booster cables; window-washing solvent to keep the reservoir filled and windshields clean; warning devices such as flares or triangles, and a cellphone. n Other emergency items to carry in your car: Clear duct tape, a plastic baggie with appropriate phone numbers, records, auto registration, insurance information and some cash inside; several large plastic, heavy-duty garbage bags; and several pairs of inexpensive cloth gloves.

BMW/Mcclatchy NeWs service

The new Mini Cooper S Countryman sees Mini entering the hottest part of the SUV market: compact SUVs.

Mini Cooper Countryman a little less cute, a little more comfortable

By Larry Printz McClatchy News Service

For Mini purists who feel the only vehicle Mini should build is the diminutive Cooper, the new Mini Cooper S Countryman is an anathema. Brand loyalists are dismayed to see Mini entering the hottest part of the SUV market: compact SUVs. Stick this in your bangers and mash: When British Motor Corp. produced Minis in the 1960s, there were many variants, including a pick-up, a van and the Mini Moke, a vaguely Jeep-like vehicle.

Of course, maybe these Mini lovers would like the Countryman better if it was just as cute as the original Mini. It isn’t. Designers have tried to develop the Mini look by endowing the Countryman with a frowning grille and amorphous headlights that give it a grumpy countenance. And it’s sized like a Mini that you’d buy at the big-and-tall man’s shop.

But climb inside and you’ll find the Countryman’s roomy cabin easily fits four corn-fed Americans, something that can’t be said for other Minis. The seats are firm and provide good sup-

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port. Rear passengers sit a little low, but legroom and headroom are generous.

When you’re not carrying people, the rear seats slide forward up to 5 inches to enlarge cargo space. In addition, the seats are split down the middle by rails that can hold various clip-on accessories.

There are three levels of Countryman: Cooper, Cooper S and Cooper S ALL4 — or all-wheel drive in Mini speak.

Cooper models get a 121-horsepower four-cylinder engine that takes 9.8 seconds to reach 60 mph, according to BMW. By contrast, the Cooper S gets a turbo version of the same engine, with 181 hp, and a 0 to 60 mph time of 7 seconds. Given the people and stuff you’ll be carrying, opt

for the Cooper S. A six-speed manual transmission is standard.

A six-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheelmounted paddle shifters is optional.

Being an SUV, it would be hard to believe that the Countryman would possess the same tight, crisp feeling of its smaller brethren.

It doesn’t, despite the quick steering.

Being a taller vehicle, and given its greater weight, you’ll give up some agility. Clearly, other Minis are more fun to drive. Big bumps cause the Countryman’s rear to come unglued, and you can induce body lean, something Mini drivers aren’t accustomed to.

The flip side is that the Countryman’s ride quality will no longer jar your molars loose. Sizable impacts are noticed, but not felt.

I found it fun to drive, just not as much fun as the Countryman’s countrymen.

Still, the extra space makes it more practical for many buyers. Combined with Mini’s stylish elan, the Countryman takes Mini beyond being merely a niche brand.

Monday, September 12, 2011 / Page 11

OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat

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Page 12 / Monday, September 12, 2011

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

Free background checks on used cars? Yes and no

By Steven Cole Smith The Orlando Sentinel

QUESTION: A radio program I heard said there was a free way to get the history of a used car without paying for it like you do with Carfax, but I didn’t get the information on how to access it. Can you help? —Andy, Fort Lauderdale ANSWER: Judging from my email, quite a few Florida motorists heard about that, but you may find the actual product disappointing. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB.org) has a link on that website for a “VIN check,� which will indeed allow you to enter a limited number of vehicle identifica-

I’ve checked many vehicles that I know have been in wrecks, but they didn’t show up on a report. Never buy a used vehicle without running a VIN check, but don’t buy based solely on what the VIN check shows. tion numbers into its system — five searches in a 24-hour period.

But the only information you get back is whether or not the vehicle has ever been declared a “total loss,� or whether it was stolen and never recovered. You get much more information by checking a VIN (located just under the windshield on the driver’s side, and inside the door jamb) on Carfax.com,

or on Autocheck.com, which is credit bureau Experian’s version of Carfax. But these services aren’t free, unless a participating dealer or seller is paying the bill.

Carfax charges $34.99 for one report, and AutoCheck charges $29.99, but both offer hefty discounts if you sign up for multiple reports, as you might if you are searching various used cars before you buy. Be aware, though,

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