Sunday, December 26, 2010

The Bad 8 v4.0 Part 1 - Acura ZDX


ACURA ZDX


The Acura ZDX, like most Acuras and many other luxury cars available today, has a really stupid name. ZDX means nothing. We can't really hold this against the ZDX because, as mentioned before, even some Good 12 winners have stupid names. It's still worth pointing out, however, that this stupid vehicle uses unspeakably misaligned nomenclature.

Far worse than the ZDX's tri-lettered name is its design. Acura made the ZDX bulbous where it shouldn't have been, concave where it should have been convex, and angular where smoothness was e-freaking-ssential. See how high the hood curves from one fender to the other with its highest peak right at the base of a steeply raked windshield? This is hard to accomplish on any vehicle, let alone a low-slung, high-riding crossover/SUV. The acres of space between the rear wheel and greenhouse is probably the worst slab-sided piece of metal on any current car; creating this weird optical illusion which causes the rear wheel to appear smaller than the front.

Acura continues this assault on the eyes. The ZDX's grille is just like the grille on other Acuras, but of course it looks worse here because the disgusting face is joined to a thoroughly awkward body. Those twin inlets beneath the grille are intended to mimic the shape of the headlights. Instead, they make the Acura ZDX look like a cross-eyed kid with a runny nose. 

Is style the Acura ZDX's only problem? No, not in the least. The ZDX costs more than the roomier, better-looking Acura MDX. Much of what's good about the MDX is taken away, and Acura expects you to pay for the restrictions they've placed on the ZDX. No thanks.

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Alternatives: Audi Q5, Acura MDX, picking your nose in public, or wearing leather pants.

Base USD/CAD Price: $45,495 / $55,990

Improvements Required: Not every SUV/CUV needs to be capacious. The ZDX can stay small inside and still make gains in desirability. But the ZDX is most nonsensical because it's ugly, small, and expensive. How 'bout maintaining the small, keeping the sportyishness, and making the price justifiable by building a beautiful 2012 Acura ZDX?

Historical Significance: The Acura ZDX is not as bad as the Pontiac Aztek.

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The Good 12 v4.0 Part 12 - Toyota Venza


TOYOTA VENZA


Wagons, depending on who's answering the question, are either truly, wonderfully cool or very, very objectionable. Despite the Venza's elevated height, an increasingly common feature of many new cars, the Toyota Venza is for all intents and purposes a station wagon. Oh, Toyota offers all-wheel drive. And the 4-cylinder engine is a big'un at 2.7 litres. The 2011 Toyota Venza V6 AWD weighs over 4000 pounds, for goodness sake.

Nevertheless, the Toyota Venza is a good ol' fashion station wagon. And who on Earth wants a station wagon when a good ol' fashion midsize family sedan'll do the trick? For starters, Canada. Canadians chose the Venza over its Toyota K-platform partner, the Camry, by a ratio of 2-to-1 in October 2010. Venzas are more spacious, better-looking, and far less ordinary than Camrys. The Venza's visual ebullience makes the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, and Chevrolet Malibu appear downright apathetic. "Who cares if we look boring?", those sedans shout. "We do", shouts back a posse of Venzas.

See the way that character line develops above the rear wheel and connects to the taillamp? That line helps make the Venza look powerful. Notice how the greenhouse cuts a V into the D-pillar? That, in partnership with the Venza's full wheelarches, gives the Venza a sense of motion, even when parked. The Toyota Venza's arching roofline and sharply raked tailgate offer up a sense of coupeness ordinarily seen in sporty compact hatchbacks. Yeah, the Venza is cool - don't be ashamed to agree.

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Engines: 182 horsepower; 182 lb-ft of torque from a 2.7L 4-cylinder or 268 horsepower; 246 lb-ft of torque from a 3.5L V6

Base USD/CAD Price: $26,475 / $29,310

City Fuel Economy: 19-21 miles per gallon

Cargo Capacity: 30.7 cubic feet or 70.1 with rear seats folded

Sales Stats: Wagon-loving Canada has accepted the Toyota Venza with open arms, even making the Venza the 16th best-selling car in Canada in September when the Camry wasn't even in the top 20. In 2010, the Venza has pretty much been as popular as the Camry in Canada. In America, on the other hand, Venza sales amounted to 3551 in October, not small potatoes by any measure but also not worthy of the Best Sellers list. The Camry out-sold the Venza 7-to-1 in October.


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The Good 12 v4.0 Part 11 - Porsche Cayenne


PORSCHE CAYENNE


Like a frog turned into a prince, the Porsche Cayenne was once useful and dynamic but is now, in generation deux, useful, dynamic and handsome. The first-generation Cayenne's 2007 facelift did it no favours, but one never heard an argument against the Cayenne's shocking handling or wicked straightline performance. Now the 2011 Porsche Cayenne has added clean and classy looks to the mix. Performance, of course, was not left by the wayside.

This is the Porsche of SUVs, even if that does sound a bit too cliche. Yes, there are five doors, a roomy backseat, a lofty driving position, and an utter dearth of horizontally-opposed boxer engines. Apart from those very un-Porsche-like facts, the second-gen Cayenne makes Zuffenhausen rich and proud; not just rich.

Truthfully, the Porsche Cayenne's repertoire of winning attributes doesn't just relate to clean styling and gobsmacking down-the-road execution. Take a peek inside at Porsche's contemporary dashboard design. Gain an appreciation for the benefits of an 8-speed automatic: improved fuel efficiency with quicker acceleration. Consider the copious P-centric abbreviations: PTV, PASM, PDCC, PSM, PDK. The 2011 Porsche Cayenne is more than just a fast and handsome SUV for the Porschephile.

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Engines: 300 horsepower; 295 lb-ft of torque from a 3.6L V6 or 400 horsepower; 369 lb-ft of torque from a 4.8L V8 or 380 horsepower; 428 lb-ft of torque from a 3.0L V6/electric motor parallel hybrid

Base USD/CAD Price: $46,700 / $58,200

City Fuel Economy: 15-21 miles per gallon

Cargo Capacity: 23.7 cubic feet or 62.9 cubic feet with rear seats folded

Sales Stats: Although GoodCarBadCar.net excludes the Porsche Cayenne Turbo because it exceeds the $75,000 USD price barrier, the Cayenne's overall sales total is certainly helped by the 500-horsepower Turbo. The arrival of the second-generation Porsche Cayenne is responsble for Porsche's 141% U.S. SUV sales jump in October. Cayenne sales in Canada in October (103) were nearly triple that of the next-closest Porsche, the profoundly ugly Porsche Panamera.


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The Good 12 v4.0 Part 10 - Porsche Boxster Spyder


PORSCHE BOXSTER SPYDER

Porsche's Boxster is great. It has been since the first generation was introduced in 1996 with barely 200 horsepower. Porsche improved the Boxster's performance year after year, particularly when the 987 Boxster became available with over 300 horsepower in 2009. Even with the sometimes-attractive hardtop Cayman, Porsche had never done for the Boxster's looks what it had done for the Boxster's engines and dynamics.

That is, until the Porsche Boxster Spyder came along and broke the hearts of everyone who couldn't afford the less practical $60K Porsche roadster. Appearing long and low and wide, the Boxster Spyder evokes early Porsches like no slowly-evolving 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera can. The swollen rear deck proffers a race car vibe you'll be keen to accept once your rear is firmly ensconced in the driver's seat. Indeed, more than almost any other car on sale today, the Porsche Boxster Spyder's excellent exterior design writes a prophetic story that's bound to come true the first time its new owner drives through the winding Texas hill country.

Besides, Porsche didn't just improve their roadster's styling when they turned it into a Boxster Spyder. Horsepower is up, weight is down, suspension is dropped, aerodynamics are slicked, and steering is quicker and more communicative. The regular 2011 Porsche Boxster seems almost normal by comparison.

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Engines: 320 horsepower; 273 lb-ft of torque from a 3.4L boxer 6-cylinder

Base USD/CAD Price: $61,200 / $72,900

City Fuel Economy: 19-20 miles per gallon

German Rivals: As a model within the Porsche Boxster/Cayman range, the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder is competing with the regular Boxster and Cayman sports cars plus the tasty S versions of those two Porsches. But you can't discount the stylish Audi TT, a former Good 12 winner, the gorgeous hardtop convertible BMW Z4, a strong candidate for The Good 12 last year, and the Mercedes-Benz SLK, particularly the raunchy SLK55 AMG.

Sales Stats: The Porsche Boxster Spyder is a niche version of what is already a niche-market car. Boxster sales in Canada won't reach 200 units in 2010. In all of 2009, Porsche Cars North America only sold 1909 Boxsters, a 36% decline from 2008 levels. American sales in 2010 aren't going to reach 2008 levels, either.


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The Good 12 v4.0 Part 9 - Nissan Juke


NISSAN JUKE

Fun to drive, funky to look at, and functional to live with, the 2011 Nissan Juke is by no means everyone's cup of tea. The Juke is downright dazzling from some angles, and the acquired taste that is its front end will immediately send some potential buyers into a tizzy while making others dizzy. Truly memorable vehicles are the ones not everyone had a penchant for, the sort of vehicle so unperfect for certain people that it's completely perfect for others. 

GoodCarBadCar.net's already been clear on the Nissan Juke's driving manners: they're terrific. But the nimble Juke isn't just a sporty alternative to the Rogue and other small SUVs and crossovers, it's a high-value answer to an often surprisingly expensive equation. Priced from $18,960, the Juke is a quick and light-on-its-feet substitute for the increasingly boring flock of staid and pervasive small car-based cute-utes clogging North American highways. 

To the Nissan Juke's credit, it's small, really a whole lot smaller than you expect it'll be. This comes with demerits, the obvious one being a somewhat claustrophobic rear seat. Fortunately, the Juke's corners are easily sighted, its quick steering helps position it smartly on twisty roads, and you won't feel like you're forced into driving a school bus just because you desire an elevated seating position. Many will find that, despite idiosyncrasies, the Juke is the closest thing to a phantasmagoric automotive experience.

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Engines: 188 horsepower; 177 lb-ft of torque from a 1.6L turbocharged 4-cylinder

Base USD/CAD Price: $18,960 / $19,998

City Fuel Economy: 24-27 miles per gallon

Torque Vectoring: Nissan's fantabulous torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system continuously monitors vehicle speed, the speed of the wheels, lateral g forces, yaw rate, your selected gear, and the steering angle in order to perfectly distribute torque to the front or rear axle, and even the appropriate corner. 50% of the Juke's available torque can be sent to one individual rear corner.

Sales Stats: It's early days, but in the first recorded month of Nissan Juke sales, Nissan Canada found 83 buyers and Nissan USA an astounding 2103. The Juke is intended to be a niche player beneath the Nissan Rogue, a sidebar to the Nissan Sentra. If October 2010 was anything to go by, the Juke could have more mass market appeal than previously thought.


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The Good 12 v4.0 Part 8 - Jeep Wrangler


JEEP WRANGLER

The 2011 Jeep Wrangler - a vehicle many consider a handful of compromises too many - is more of an all-in-one vehicle than anything else on the market today. Listen to this list of demands and try and think of any other vehicle capable of even coming close to matching the requirements. First off, the vehicle needs to be priced low. Hundreds of models are crossed off the list. Next up, the vehicle needs to be a convertible. Now the choices are very limited. Torque would be nice. So would seating for four. The image needs to be right, too: nothing girly or cheesy or trendy.

Oh, and off-road capability is a must.

There is one such vehicle meeting these requirements on the market in North America. It happens to be priced very low. The convertible top, or should we say tops, are easy to manhandle. Wranglers aren't road racers, but power is plentiful. Rear passengers don't have acres of space, but your friends will feel so cool when you're driving down Rodeo Drive and their hair is blowing in the wind. The Jeep's image, of course, is set in stone. And yeah, Wranglers do alright when the pavement ends.

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Engines: 202 horsepower; 237 lb-ft of torque from a 3.8L V6

Base USD/CAD Price: $22,045 / $21,595

City Fuel Economy: 15 miles per gallon

4x4: Wrangler ground clearance can be as high as 10.3 inches. Approach angles range from 40.8 degrees to 44.6; departure angles from 37.4 to 40.6. Wranglers are less than 13 feet long and barely more than six feet wide, capable of squeaking through the narrowest portions of most any trail. Every 2011 Jeep Wrangler is fitted with a Dana 30 front axle and a heavy-duty Dana 44 rear axle.

Sales Stats: In 2010, the Jeep Wrangler has routinely been on the Best Sellers lists both in Canada and the United States. Canadian year-to-date sales of the Wrangler were up 61% at the end of October. In America, 2010 sales will top 90,000 by New Year's Eve.


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The Good 12 v4.0 Part 7 - Infiniti G25


INFINITI G25


There's something about typical family sedans which fail to identify with the driver. Transmissions are designed to mask the feeling of a shift. Engine sounds are muted. The steering wheel takes whatever information was delivered to the tires from the road and filters it down to a hint of a pothole. Power is delivered from your right foot through the pedal to the front wheels with a memorable lack of emotion. 

The Infiniti G25 is not your typical family sedan. For one thing, even as a premium-badged car, the Infiniti G25 uses a smaller, less powerful V6 than you'd find in that typical mainstream family sedan. The G25, you see, requires revs. Power from those revs is sent to the rear wheels, leaving the front wheels just one task, to steer the car. Rather than disconnecting the driver from reality, the G25 wants a friendship built, a relationship between itself, the car, and the driver. That'd be you. 

Priced like an up-optioned mainstream V6 sedan, the G25 is a luxury sports sedan. It's far less powerful than it's big brother, the G37, but more than powerful enough. The G25's innards are attractive, its exterior even more so. Not only does the 2011 Infiniti G25 cost substantially less than traditional luxury sports sedans, it's also more fuel efficient and more rational in tough times. G25s are luxury cars for people who don't want to pay for luxury cars; sporty cars for people who know better than to assume "sporty" equals "high levels of horsepower".

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Engines: 218 horsepower; 187 lb-ft of torque from a 2.5L V6

Base USD/CAD Price: $30,950 / $36,390

City Fuel Economy: 19-20 miles per gallon

IPL: If outright performance is a must and you remain interested in Nissan's luxury brand, the newly-launched Infiniti Performance Line is more your taste. The IPL G Coupe generates 348 horsepower. The performance-inclined will enjoy a stiffer suspension, sportier steering rack, and improved brakes. A noticeable bodykit sets the IPL G Coupe apart visually.

Sales Stats: The V35 generation of Infiniti's G lifted the spirits of Nissan's luxury division and made Infiniti seem justifiable once again. Infiniti Canada sold 422 G sedans, coupes, and convertibles in Canada in October, enough to place the G25/G37 family fourth in class behind the BMW 3-Series, Audi A4, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. October 2010's results from the United States put the Infiniti's 3927 sales behind only the Cadillac CTS and BMW 3-Series. The Good Car Guy called for the lesser-engined G to be imported to North America for thousands of additional sales as far back as September 2009.


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