go take your pills grandpa
Volvo is actively trying to move its image away from the “moms with station wagons” stereotype. That is why they are making 300 HP S60s and V60s. These cars are softer than the equivalent models from BMW or Audi, but if you are driving the cars every day, maybe you don’t always want the hard edge chassis that is fun during a test drive.
One thing I find interesting is that Volvo is going to discontinue all engines with more than 4 cylinders in the near future. Instead of a V6, high output Volvos will have a hybrid powertrain. So, we will get something like 300 HP comprised of 220 HP from a gas engine, plus 80 HP from an electric motor. Other companies are testing the water with this kind of setup, but Volvo and Acura are going all in. Both these companies are trying to redefine themselves and open up a new niche, so it will be interesting how this turns out.
^Well, i have a 2004 Mazda Tribute, which is (was) a shared platform with the Ford Escape. It is a V6, 3.0 liter, and has 201 HP.
The new Ford Escapes are 4-cylinders, have 2.4 liter (I think), and 240 HP. Even today’s Ford Explorers have a 4 cylinder option. (Mazda Tribute has gone the way of the DeLorean.)
4 cylinders today > 6 cylinders in yesteryear.
The reliability of the turbo 4 is still unproven though.
Yes, agreed that data is not yet available on the long term reliability of modern turbo engines. However, in all probability, these engines will be much more reliable than turbo engines of the past. Computer simulations and machining tools have vastly improved over time, and companies like GM know they can no longer get away with making pieces of crap like they did in the 1990s. So overall engine quality and durability should be better now.
Take a look at the recall list on the new Escapes and you might have second thoughts about endorsing modern reliability. My dad has one, unfortunately, and it’s been in the shop as much as he’s driven it. Endless recalls. Fire danger, electriity failure, fuel line failure, etc.
While those aren’t engine specific, it hardly gives one much comfort that the engineering there has been excellent.
It’s also interesting that it’s really only the American manufacturers that have adopted the turbo 4. Why?
If we’re all about fuel efficiency, then lets see the turbo diesel. I drove a Renault Diesel in France/Belgium a couple years back and loved it. Plus I was getting >1,200km to the 60L tank.
^ That’s 47mpg for Americans… and that was a full sized sedan.
No, you are wrong. The Germans have been making turbo engines longer and better than the Americans. Almost every car made by VW or Audi is available with the 2.0T. BMW put the N45 into the 3 Series before Cadillac produced its own turbo 4. It is the Japanese (other than Subaru) that have yet to make turbo 4s ubiquitous across their lineups. The Germans have paid for new technology with years of poor reliability, but now as a result, they have learned how to make turbo engines that do not break down regularly.
The Ford Escape is a piece of crap and should not be used as a reliability benchmark. Instead, look at the overall JD Powers or Consumer Report rankings for American brands, and note how American cars have begun to catch up to the Japanese. Nowadays, almost all manufacturers make pretty reliable cars.
Diesel engines make a lot of sense in Europe, where diesel is subsidized relative to gasoline, and gas costs $6 a gallon. However, in the US, the economic argument is less potent, and you must drive for a very long time before your fuel savings offset the higher initial cost of the diesel engine.
Edit: It might be worth mentioning though, that despite the German lead in turbo engines, Ford will be the first car manufacturer to introduce three cylinder turbo engines in the US, when it brings it’s 1.0 liter EcoBoost over here. This does not count the BMW i8, of course, which is a hybrid and not really a production vehicle.
To second ohai’s point I rented a 2013 Ford Fusion this past weekend and was completely blown away.
I even preferred it to my infiniti
Douche detected, >|8P.
well just to bring it back full circle I ended up pulling the trigger on a 2013 328i. so i will be one of those douchebags. I test drove the A6 and the ride was somewhat uninspiring. also fuel economy is not great. so i decided to take the 328i out for a spin and it was a blast. the turbo 4 is awesome and you can’t beat the fuel economy. after it hit me how much i’d be spending on gas in an S4 or A6, i decided i wanted better fuel econonmy. i took out a 2014 A4 also and was unimpressed with the drive capability. interior was awesome, but it wasn’t as fun to drive.
Now all I need are my BMW Pumas and BMW aviators and the full-on douchebag transformation will be complete.
…i’ll report back on the turbo 4’s reliability.
This proves that deep down we all want to be d-bags without being called out on it in public.
As much as I want to hate on the 3er, I’ll admit that I enjoyed test driving the 328i when it came out with the turbo. Enjoy it!
Congrats on pulling that trigger. It’s kind of funny how in car shopping you think you know exactly what you want but your experiences completely throw everything out the window and fall in love with something else. It’s like the opposite of dating, where your mind is set and you’d rather take the bus than settle.
Just got a chance to drive my boss’s Kia K-900.
Some of you BSD’s probably wouldn’t consider Kia a luxury, but it was as nice a car as I’ve ever been in, including all the “real” luxury brands.
^ Is that the Kia version of the Equus? I saw an Equus in person for the first time a couple of weeks ago and was really surprised at how small it was.
^Yeah. They’re a shared platform.
> $50k for a Kia? I’ve got to see one of these.
Buying a brand new car is crazy, throwing money away. 1-2 years old is the way to do it
Huh? Equus is longer than an S Class. Maybe it is just one of those cars that looks smaller in person.