Monday, February 28, 2011

Chevrolet Orlando vs Ford C-Max vs Mazda 5 vs Kia Rondo - Pictures And Dimensions

Styling is not the leading factor in the purchase of a minivan. That's not to say a vehicle's exterior design means nothing to a minivan buyer, but the design of a minivan's interior means more to the average consumer.
Downright odd from some angles, the Cruze-based 2012 Chevrolet Orlando is sometimes handsome, sometimes classy, always boxy enough to be truly spacious. General Motors will not be sending the Orlando into U.S. showrooms, but Canada, a market which is still offered the Kia Rondo, will see the Orlando presented. The innovative 2012 Ford C-Max will soon be making its way from Ford Of Europe to North America. Meanwhile, the mini-minivan field's most known face is the Mazda 5, a vehicle which has recently undergone a major facelift while skipping the 2011 model year. The 2012 Mazda 5, a vehicle that's been a member of The Good 12 in the past, suddenly faces challengers where it once had none.

Since styling is clearly not the major component of of a minivan purchase decision, GoodCarBadCar.net has gathered some numbers for your perusual. Primary dimensions of the Chevrolet Orlando, Ford C-Max, Mazda 5, and Kia Rondo are in the table below.
These four vans (the Orlando doesn't have sliding doors and thus can't be considered by some to be a van in any sense) aren't segment busters: remember the Mitsubishi Colt and Honda Civic? There's a whole continent full of currently produced mini-minivans like the Renault Grand Scenic, Citroen Grand C4 Picasso, and Toyota Verso -  Europe is not Honda Odyssey friendly.

What you have, then, are good products with good intentions and even some pedigree, competing in a market where, up to this point, previous editions haven't been overwhelmingly successful. Kia gave up on the Rondo in the United States. Mazda owned just 8% market share in minivan-hungry Canada last year, although that total wasn't far off the Toyota Sienna's or Honda Odyssey's. Throwing mainstream badges like the Blue Oval and Bow Tie into the mix will be a boon for sales. 

MINI MPV
LENGTH
WIDTH
HEIGHT
WHEELBASE
CARGO
Chevrolet Orlando
183.1
72.3
64.3°
108.7
16^
Ford C-Max
178
72
66.3
109.7
26.66^^
Kia Rondo
178.9
71.7
65
106.3
31.7*
Mazda 5
180.5
68.9
63.6
108.3
44.4**
° including roof rails. ^ Up to windowline, third row folded. ^^ 5-seat mode, laden to roof, with tire repair kit. * Behind second row. ** Third-row down. Length/Width/Height/Wheelbase measurements are in inches, cargo volume is cubic feet.
Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Minivan Sales In Canada - January 2011
Minivan Sales In America - January 2011
2011 Honda Odyssey Sliding Door Groove Complaints
All 13 Toyota Sienna Swagger Wagon Clips
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Friday, February 25, 2011

2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Driven

Meet the modern pickup. You've probably heard it referred to as the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

There was a time when pickup trucks weren't styled to the hilt. Time was, trucks weren't luxurious, constantly reengineered, or anything but utilitarian. Pickup trucks, you see, picked things up. Pickup trucks carried things around. They helped a large group of people do their work. The quality of a truck's interior plastic wasn't debated, nor was there any doubt that torque was far more relevant than horsepower. Fast forward to 2011: trucks are still used by the workin' man, but we don't view trucks as vehicles built exclusively for the job site.

That's where the diesel-powered 2011 Jetta enters the conversation, not as a punchline to a truck joke but in order to pay compliments. It's true, Volkswagen didn't bother styling the Jetta. That much is apparent with one quick glance. Inside, you'll find what you need, but luxury car fittings are not included. Carrying things, people, stuff, junk, and miscellaneous clutter all at the same time is easy like Sunday morning. And torque? Uh.... yeah, there's some of that; 236 lb-ft of blissfully plateaued torque from 1750 rpm.

With all this in mind, there seemed to be no better way to review the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta than by driving to its new domain, the site where Soccer Nova Scotia is building a new indoor complex on Halifax's Mainland Common via the South End Container Terminal. Keep reading to see how the Jetta got on.

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net 
Obviously, there's a thick coating of hyperbole in all this. The Jetta is a German sedan, y'all. Also, GoodCarBadCar.net parked the Jetta TDI in the driveway of SNS's new building. Hillcrest Volkswagen's $23,875 2011 Jetta TDI Comfortline was not loaded up with cement. Nevertheless, the Jetta's workmanlike character comes through conspicuously. 

That point was made all the clearer when I discovered how few pennies Volkswagen spent on the heater controls. Switching blower direction involves finagling a Fisher Priceesque knob. Yet all the complaints from other sources you've heard regarding the sixth-generation Jetta shouldn't have amounted to much more than crying over a lack of interior flair and a few chintzy parts. Surfaces an owner touches most frequently - steering wheel, shift knob, blinker and headlight stalks - were more than nice enough in this mid-range Comfortline. (Non-diesel Jettas start at Trendline and go up to Highline. Base TDI Jettas are Comfortlines, a step up from Trendline. U.S. trims are different in configuration and name.) 

Turbodiesels are increasingly less love'em or hate'em. Quiet, smooth, and a little more revvy than former applications, the 2011 Jetta's 140-horsepower 2.0L diesel makes this car enjoyable. The Jetta is nothing more than boring to look at, nothing more than absurdly roomy and comfortable inside, certainly not exceptionally dynamic, but it remains downright charming when running it through the gears. 

It's not that the shifter itself is anything special - a mite notchy with an easily modulated clutch. The 2.0L turbo's swell of torque is just so pronounced, level, ambitious, and generous I started to think I was driving an honestly fast car. Through all this, there's ever-present knowledge of insane fuel economy. America's EPA rates the Jetta TDI at 30/42 mpg; Canada's OEE calls it 6.7/4.6 L/100km, all of which are enchanting figures when feeling the engine's considerable shove. Lose the engine as cause for celebration and what does the Jetta have left? 
More Jetta TDI Comfortline Pictures Can Be Seen In The Flickr Slideshow Below
We've already mentioned the enormous quanitites of space, but perhaps numbers are needed for enlightenment. Inside, both in the cargo compartment and the cabin, the 2011 Jetta is vast. At 15.5 cubic feet, the trunk is more than a cubic foot larger than the booty on Toyota's Avalon. Compared with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, previously thought to be loungelike, rear legroom is five inches greater.  The seat fabric was clingy and foot-level panels and materials were scuffing like the boards of a 50-year-old hockey rink. Other than that, sitting back for a long-distance journey in the new Jetta is like walking in late to an early screening of Avatar and discovering a vacant seat on the aisle, mid-way up: necessary and comfortable.

Why so necessary? Let's take up the diesel topic for another moment. The TDI's fuel tank holds 55 litres of fuel. Let's assume you won't quite achieve Natural Resources Canada's 4.6 L/100km efficiency rating. Rounded off to 5 L/100km, the Jetta TDI has an anticipated bladder bursting range of 1080 kilometres.... with a litre to spare. If you're going to make it from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Lincoln, Nebraska, without stopping you'll come to appreciate those comfortable seats, far more accepting of my frame than the Elantra's I drove the day before.

Now back to the trunk. Not only is it expansive, it's expansive in all the right directions, squared off like the bed of a pickup truck. Also like a truck, the Jetta's ride isn't harsh over roads treated terribly by Halifax's temperature fluctuations. Pretending or attempting to be a sporty car wouldn't be in keeping with the Jetta's mission to get the freakin' job done. The 2011 Jetta won't connect with its driver on a twisty road like a Volkswagen GTI would, but a pickup owner wouldn't want that. After all, you get what you pay for, and if you pay for sporty dynamics and a high-strung engine, you get a stiff ride and worse fuel economy. 
All Photos Captured By The Good Car Guy's HTC Desire Camera Phone
If we forgive, excuse, or praise all of the Jetta's practical components, we're still left with the fact that Jetta designers went AWOL. Clearly, the lack of design fortitude hasn't been a problem for thousands of new owners who've collectively made the sixth-gen Jetta a sales success. Volume is high, Volkswagen HQ is happy. For those potential buyers who fight past the blase front end, apathetic profile, and classy-but-conventional rear to take the Jetta TDI for a test drive, they'll uncover an awfully appealing car. 

Looking out the living room's bay window at a driveway housing the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI must still be a strangely detached experience. At least that'd be the case prior to ignition, up until the left lane is chosen on a two-lane on-ramp, in advance of four happily comfortable people loading all their stuff in the Jetta's trunk and driving to the opposite side of the continent. 

I'll acknowledge the Jetta's workplace may ideally be the highway, not a massive building site. This won't stop me from thinking of this latest Volkswagen sedan as a hard-working, gun-toting, know-it-all farmhand in a Louis L'Amour western; as a pickup for a new era in which we all track the price of crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange.



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Thursday, February 24, 2011

2011 Hyundai Elantra GL Driven

Minutes from downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, the 87-year-old Ashburn Golf Club is a fortress of solitude surrounded by thoroughfares on two sides, high-density housing on one, and the city itself on the east. Tree-lined fairways and a beautiful clubhouse make Ashburn a premiere golf destination, especially since no other golf course is so close to the urban core.

And right now, Ashburn is covered in snow. The road leading to the clubhouse is slathered in a grayish white from months of salting. Walkways are icy. Ensconced in the heated seats of a 2011 Hyundai Elantra GL, a glance at the outdoor temperature gauge says it's -4°C, or 25°F. Listening to the news on CBC Radio, I hear about crude prices rising on account of trouble in Libya. As I turn to exit Ashburn Golf Club to return the Elantra to @bobbrown46, turning left is impossible. Traffic is vicious, and rush hour hasn't yet begun. All those cars, just like the Elantra I'm in, are grimed up with the grimiest of filthy salty grime known to mankind. 

This is the real world. This isn't the world where I have $230,000 to spend on a Ferrari 458 Italia, nor is this the world where a jet ferries le famille to the Caymans at our leisure. We have no local NHL team, I will not be a professional tennis player, I will not golf in February. C'est la vie.

Don't be discouraged by this clarion call for realism. Though it won't solve your weather issues or supply you with athleticism or temporarily vaporize your children so they'll fit in a Ferrari's cup holders, the 2011 Hyundai Elantra is the automotive equivalent of a sunshiny 5° mid-week winter vacation day during what would've been 40 hours of doom and gloom. Keep reading, you'll see it soon enough.

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net 
Particularly in Canada, the Elantra's competitive set makes up a huge portion of the overall market. This is true to an extent in the United States as well, where the Toyota Corolla/Matrix duo became America's best-selling car in January. So while magazine covers feature two-seat roadsters, AMG-like monsters, and exaggerated concept cars, we buy cars like the Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Ford Focus, and this 2011 Hyundai Elantra. 

For the purposes of this review we'll be dealing with Canadian pricing and trims. There are significant differences in the way Hyundai USA lays out their model lines, but American readers can rely on the spec sheet for assistance. To get some specifics out of the way, be clear on the car GoodCarBadCar.net had access to: a 2011 Hyundai Elantra GL at $19,199, a price which includes the $1200 6-speed automatic transmission, which we'll discuss in a moment. Beyond a full slate of safety equipment, the Elantra GL goes further than the Elantra L by adding air-con, heated front seats, Bluetooth, 16-inch wheels, and some other convenience items. 

There's no doubt that, above all else, the Elantra stands out as a mature automobile. The aforementioned features contribute to the formation of that impression. But it's more than that, so much more than that. Small enough to be easy to park and big enough to be huge inside, the Elantra's dimensions are wonderfully confused on the road, too. There's a measure of agility with this car, but cruising down the highway, you'll enjoy the comfort and relaxation of a big ol' American sedan. It should go without saying - real world cars need to be able to do it all.

Don't mistake "doing it all" for "sporty dynamics". Hyundai has designed the Elantra sedan to be relatively agile (the Chevrolet Cruze carries more than 400 extra pounds); the steering allows more connection with the road than most modern commuter cars; and the 148-horsepower 1.8L four-cylinder is genuinely zippy. But sporty? Potential for an outstanding 200-horsepower Elantra coupe is plentiful. The same can't be said of numerous rivals. That said, the Elantra will handle a vigorously attacked twisty road so long as you don't mix up the Elantra's swoopy styling with the Genesis Coupe's suspension. 

Indeed, the 2011 Elantra places a tremendously high priority on satisfying its owner 95% of the time, and it succeeds. Finding the perfect driving position is easy with a tilting/telescoping wheel and a height adjustable seat. Controls are easy to navigate; there are extra buttons on the wheel. Rear seat passengers are treated to acres of space, so much so they won't be complaining... ever. Fit and finish is admirable. Quality of materials will simply meet expectations - the Elantra exceeds'em in almost every other way. One serious study of the windowline, trunklid height, and A-pillar width will see your expectations for visibility lowered, at which point you won't be disappointed when you only spot that Aveo out the passenger side corner at the last second. Unfortunately, poor visibility is par for the course these days.
All Photos Captured By The Good Car Guy's HTC Desire Camera Phone
Speaking of landing one three feet from the hole with a hint of backspin, the winning iron in the 2011 Hyundai Elantra's club collection is style. Even as the face-lifted 2011 Toyota Corolla appears as dull as ever and the "all-new" 2012 Honda Civic is a less attractive version of its current self, the Elantra is one seriously fetching four-door. From the arch of the roof to the character lines flowing freely from headlamps and taillamps to its squat stance and strong wheelarches, the 2011 Elantra can reign in buyers who aren't aware of its safety cred, fuel economy supremacy, and excellent warranty.

If the Elantra's style is its eye-catching Callaway FT-iZ, the 6-speed automatic transmission is the putter. Not as high-profile but way more necessary for birdies... I mean, efficacious travelling, the Shiftronic tranny switches gears smoothly but in a hurry, aiding acceleration and economy. Pop the gear lever over to the right and shifts speed up when you take over the duties. It's not Lamborghini's Independent Shifting Rod magic, but it'll blow a Mercury Topaz driver's mind.
Check Out All The Elantra Pics On Flickr
Pleasant to drive, powerful, efficient, handsome, comfortable, safe, well-equipped, value-priced.... er, save for the visibility and plastic complaints which were actually directed at the Elantra's whole segment, doesn't this sound like a Hyundai commercial?

For starters, no, this isn't a Hyundai advertisement. Other automakers have built excellent small cars, (normally at a higher price point.) The Elantra wasn't included in GoodCarBadCar.net's The Good 12. The 2012 Hyundai Accent will also feature extra content, safety features, and an efficient yet effective engine, thus taking some of the shine off the more expensive Elantra. 

Nevertheless, we live in the real world, a world where the only golf we can play now is glow-in-the-dark mini putt; a world in which Ferraris remain unseen; a world where tens of thousands of North Americans will buy compact sedans every month. In that world, the one you live in, the 2011 Hyundai Elantra makes most of its competitors look silly.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
2012 Chevrolet Volt LT Turbo Driven Review
2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Driven
2011 Nissan Juke SV AWD Driven
2012 Hyundai Accent GL Sedan Driven
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In Canada - January 2011
2012 Hyundai Accent vs 2012 Kia Rio In Pictures

Hyundai Elantra Reviews From Other Sources
Edmunds Inside Line
Sympatico Autos
Cars.com
Autoblog
Autoguide
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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Popular Car Market Share In Canada - January 2011

Unlike the U.S.'s January 2011 situation, Canada's 20 best-selling vehicles are valued at 51% of the overall market. That's right - 8% of the nameplates owned more than half the market last month. As is the case in the United States, the Ford F-Series leads the way, but in Canada, Ford trucks do so in even more dominant fashion, a story GoodCarBadCar.net has already covered.

Together, the four big pickup brands (F-Series, Dodge Ram, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado) constitute 57% of the top seven sales achievers in Canada. This equates to more than 17% market share for trucks; 14,591 sales; 18.3% up from last year - and we haven't even taken the slower sellers into account. Canadians can complain about fuel prices with the best of'em, but not until position #6 of the best-seller Graph below does a car enter the arena. Cars, in the traditional sense of the word, made up only eight of Canada's 20 best-selling vehicles. Although a change in that status seems entirely possible, Canada's love of pickups and small SUVs and crossovers (seven of which are in the chart below) is running interference at the moment. 

Incidentally, leading the purple section of the chart (the 230+ other models holding 49.1% market share) is yet another small utility vehicle, the Nissan Rogue. Sales of the Rogue were up 12% to 908 in January, just 31 behind the Kia Sorento. Immediately following the Rogue you'll find another pickup truck, then a couple cars mixed in with four more SUVs, before eventually landing at the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, ranked thirtieth in Canada in terms of overall January sales volume. 

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Popular Car Market Share In America - January 2011

America's 20 most popular vehicles combined for 38.9% market share in January 2011. Despite totalling approximately 8% of all nameplates, these twenty vehicles were responsible for nearly four out of every ten of the 819,938 new automobiles sold in the first month of 2011. 

The Ford F-Series led the way with 4.4% of all new vehicle sales last month. When grouped with the Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram, and GMC Sierra, America's full-size trucks grabbed more than ten out of every 100 new vehicle buyers. 

Luxury was not part of the 38.9%, at least not in terms of premium brand representation. Cars priced like the $15,600 2011 Toyota Corolla, $15,995 2011 Volkswagen Jetta, and $19,820 2011 Ford Fusion are more in line with the vast majority of American motor sales. Of the 230+ models in the purple section of the Graph below, the all-new 2011 Hyundai Elantra was the closest to finding its way onto the list of America's 20 Best-Selling Vehicles for January 2011. With 9659 sales, the Elantra was up 26% from January 2010 and owned 1.178% market share in January, 968 sales behind the GMC Sierra.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - January 2011

Restoration is, according to dictionary.com, a return of something to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition. One glance at U.S. auto sales data will tell you the restoration is underway, but not yet complete. The total market was worth 819,938 sales in January. That's up from 2010; way up from January 2009. But compared with January 2001, the total new vehicle market last month was down 30%. Let's call the situation "mid-reno."

Fewer than one quarter of the automobiles on this list of America's Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles posted lower sales in January 2010 than they did in January 2009. Look further back, however, and the numbers remain discouraging in spite of year-over-year gains. Yes, the BMW 3-Series is up 6.4% over January 2010, but the 3-Series is down 31.3% compared with January 2003. Sure, there are numerous variables one must consider before comparing sales from eight years ago with data from today, not the least of which is a luxury market filled with niche players. 

More importantly, automakers are adjusting to the smaller overall market. General Motors and its luxury representative, Cadillac, are a smaller company designed to compete in a smaller market. Indeed, this is a necessary step. While Cadillac is up 49.1% over last year; the company is down 10.5% from January 2003. The best news for Cadillac may be its across-the-board gains in January. Other than the STS and defunct XLR, ever model posted increases in January 2011. Two Cadillacs are in the top 10 below; the Escalade slid into 13th (up five spots from 2010's year end numbers) and the DTS more than doubled up on January 2010's figures.

Numerous automakers fielded four vehicles for this list. Mercedes-Benz leads the pack with five entrants in the Top 30, not a surprising fact given Benz's position as America's best-selling luxury auto brand in January 2011.

Rank
Car
Status*
January 2011
Last Month
January 2010
#1
Lexus RX
↑
5881
12,090
5688
#2
BMW 3-Series
↓
5763
10,067
5418
#3
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
↔
4759
5638
3824
#4
Cadillac CTS
↑
4362
5171
2565
#5
BMW 5-Series
↑
4350
5045
2469
#6
Infiniti G
↓
4324
7073
3763
#7
Cadillac SRX
↓
4236
5865
3234
#8
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
↓
4172
4924
4028
#9
Acura MDX
↓
3127
5887
2358
#10
BMW X5
↑
3038
3939
2458
#11
Mercedes-Benz M-Class
↑
2484
3783
1927
#12
Audi A4
↔
2483
3513
2763
#13
Cadillac Escalade
↑
2259
3814
1754
#14
Lexus ES
↓
2215
5469
2923
#15
Lexus IS
↓
1992
3782
2203
#16
Acura TSX
↓
1941
4393
1806
#17
Hyundai Genesis
↔
1783
2423
1670
#18
Mercedes-Benz GLK
↑
1625
1684
1803
#19
Acura TL
↓
1592
3275
1986
#20
Audi Q5
↓
1584
2473
1050
#21
Lincoln MKZ
↓
1574
2502
1340
#22
Lincoln MKX
↓
1546
2261
2198
#23
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
↔
1518
2026
1225
#24
Cadillac DTS
↔
1365
1538
618
#25
Lexus GX
↔
1135
2246
1529
#26
BMW X3
↑
1075
849
288
#27
Audi A5
↓
1054
1455
1051
#28
Porsche Cayenne
↑
1047
1109
590
#29
Volvo S60
↑
1042
398
6
#30
Acura RDX
↓
993
1540
700
Source: Manufacturers And Automotive News Data Center
* - Status Compares With 2010 Year End Results

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - January 2012
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - February 2011
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2010 Year End
U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - January 2011
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In America - January 2011
Top 10 Best-Selling SUVs In America - January 2011
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