Long-Term Car Introduction: 2011 Hyundai Sonata SE 2.0T:

Our long-term 2011 Hyundai Sonata is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated at 274 hp.

It arrived a few days after the holidays, wrapped in slinky blue packaging and with a surprise lurking inside: a 274-hp turbo with plenty of pull and punch. And just as we shooed the final guests out the door, we eagerly welcomed the 2011 Hyundai Sonata to the AW long-term fleet.

What does the year hold? We've resolved to make proper use of the turbo power, which is served up easily and often from the 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Our editors immediately noticed this, even during the break-in period. Passing on the expressways and knifing through congested surface streets are simply on-demand.

The Sonata turbo starts at $24,895, and we checked the boxes for navigation and sunroof, XM satellite radio and other electronic goodies, adding $2,600 to the price. With a couple of other small items, our long-termer stickered for $27,630, which we all agreed was reasonable.

The previous two generations of the Sonata were solid executions and formed a foundation for Hyundai's rapid growth. Emboldened by success, Hyundai dramatically restyled this sedan with swoopy lines and creases, highlighted by a prominent beltline and a classy chrome-colored grille. The looks have drawn comparisons to luxury-level cars. One editor succinctly summed up our early observations: "I think it's a terrific-looking car inside and out."

Another staffer said, "The Sonata is an exceptionally nice little sedan."

But we've picked up on some annoyances, most gratingly the steering. The wheel feels overly weighted at times and artificial, as if it's trying to channel the gravitas of a BMW 3-series without the proper mechanical elements to back it up. The rack-and-pinion system directs the car adequately, although it lacks some refinement. The cabin is also a bit breezy, and road noise intrudes at times.

Those faults aside, we enjoyed the Sonata as we endured the Michigan weather near One AutoWeek Tower. Our Hyundai is sure-footed in the snow, and the chassis is compliant over potholes and other road imperfections. The suspension is flat in corners, and in nicer weather, we expect to push the car harder. It tips the scale at 3,452 pounds, and with 269 lb-ft of twist available between 1,750 rpm and 4,500 rpm, we're bracing ourselves for some seat-pulling torque. It also runs on 87 octane, which is nice for a turbo and even nicer for the wallets.

The Sonata's cabin is drawing raves. Our version is clad in a stately blue, almost black material over the dashboard, which is pleasing to the eye and the touch. The black door panels and subtle trim enhance the layout. The back seat offers decent space, and passengers have not complained so far about being relegated to steerage.

Overall, early indications are good. The turbo Sonata is one holiday gift we won't return any time soon.

SPECS & DATA

2011 HYUNDAI SONATA SE 2.0T

PRICING & OPTIONS

Base price (includes $750 delivery): $24,895

As-tested price: $27,630

Options: SE Navigation and Sunroof package, with power sunroof, navigation with high-resolution touch-screen display, XM NavTraffic, XM NavWeather, XM sports and stocks, Dimension premium audio system with subwoofer ($2,600); carpeted floor mats ($100); iPod cable ($35)

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase (in): 110

Track (in): 62.5 front, 62.5 rear

Length/width/height (in): 189.8/72.2/57.9

Curb weight/GVWR (lb): 3,452/4,497

ENGINE

Front-transverse 2.0-liter/122-cid DOHC turbocharged I4

Power: 274 hp @ 6,000 rpm

Torque: 269 lb-ft @ 1,750-4,500 rpm

Compression ratio: 9.5:1

Fuel requirement: 87 octane

DRIVETRAIN

Front-wheel drive

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Final drive ratio: 2.885:1

SUSPENSION

Front: MacPherson struts with coil springs, gas-charged shock absorbers, antiroll bar

Rear: Multilink with coil springs, gas-charged shock absorbers, antiroll bar

BRAKES/WHEELS/TIRES

Vented discs front and rear, ABS with EBD; aluminum 225/45R-18 Hankook Optimo H431

FUEL ECONOMY

EPA combined: 26 mpg

TRACK TEST DATA

STANDING-START ACCELERATION

0-60 mph: 6.2 sec

0-quarter-mile: 14.6 sec @ 97.4 mph

BRAKING

60-0 mph: 124.8 ft

HANDLING

490-ft slalom: 42.8 mph

Lateral acceleration (200-ft skidpad): 0.79 g

INTERIOR NOISE (DBA)

Idle: 41.7

Full throttle: 73.6

Steady 60 mph: 68.6

AutoWeek loves passionate comments and debate, but remember that you're part of a diverse community. Critique statements or articles, not people; talk about the automotive world, but skip the rhetoric, hate speech, and obscenities. Above all, be respectful. While we can't read every post, this site is moderated and AutoWeek will remove comments as we see fit. Questions? Email moderator@autoweek.com

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2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart – Long-Term Road Test Wrap-Up

May 23, 2011 at 3:30pm by Jon Yanca

Over 40,000 miles, we never grew to love the taste of Evo Lite.

Date: May 2011
Months in Fleet: 16 months
Current Mileage: 40,026 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 20 mpg
Average Range: 290 miles
Service: $1477
Normal Wear: $0
Repair: $773

When the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Subaru Impreza WRX first appeared in the U.S. early in the millennium, it wasn’t exactly a fair fight. The 227-hp Subaru started at less than $25,000, the 271-hp Evo nearly $30,000. Subaru countered the pricier, more powerful Evo with its STI, but it took Mitsubishi until 2009 to challenge the playful, middleweight WRX with the Lancer Ralliart sedan—or Evo Lite, as we call it. Subaru offers WRX buyers both four- and five-door configurations, though, and Mitsu needed one more year to correct this imbalance by introducing the five-door Sportback Ralliart. With that army finally fully assembled, we ordered a Sportback for a 40,000-mile romp.

Keep Reading: 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart – Long-Term Road Test Wrap-Up

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AutoWeek Long-Term Vehicle Wrap-Up: 2010 Ram 1500 SLT Crew Cab 4x4:

Here's a scene you wouldn't expect to see among a staff of car-enthusiast writers--a bunch of long faces because a pickup leaves the fleet.

But a tear or two might have been shed as the silver tailgate of our long-term 2010 Ram 1500 SLT Crew Cab 4x4 faded from view.

Our year with the Ram can be distilled to this: We loved it.

That wasn't a given when the truck showed up at One AutoWeek Tower. The Ram was the last all-new product Chrysler churned out before its white-knuckle ride through bankruptcy. And Chrysler bet big on the truck, abandoning leaf springs for coil springs in the rear suspension, a move that had many truck purists shaking their heads.

Guess what? Chrysler hit the jackpot with that move. More than one AutoWeek editor declared the Ram to be the best-riding truck--loaded or unloaded--that we've come across.

Now, just because we're city dwellers doesn't mean we took it easy on the Ram. We may not have moved bales of hay with it, but there was no lack of couches, boxes, televisions, tires, lumber and yard material to throw into the bed. And we knocked the shine off the trailer hitch, too.

We have plenty of praise for this truck's 5.7-liter V8 and its 390 hp. Big power is ready at a mere stab of your right foot, accompanied by the appropriately macho exhaust tone. Yet this mill becomes a gas sipper, relatively speaking, at highway speeds when the cylinder-deactivation system coverts the V8 to a V4.

Overall, we burned off 1,609 gallons of gasoline to rack up 24,330 miles on the Ram, with overall fuel economy of 15.1 mpg, which seems average for a full-size pickup.

The Ram's interior, on the other hand, is above average. The leather-covered seats were comfortable and held up well during long stints on the road. The rear bench will seat three adults comfortably or fold out of the way to make room for weather-sensitive cargo. After a year of pounding, there were no squeaks or rattles.

The final three months of duty in our fleet coincided with the annual arrival of cold, snow and ice in our neck of the woods. Suddenly, the $1,875 extra charge for the remote start and heated seats and steering wheel--don't knock it until you've tried it on a single-digit morning--didn't seem so frivolous.

One editor noted, "This is a luxury vehicle, plain and simple. The heated seats, the backup camera, the satellite radio--I've driven purported luxury cars that aren't this decked out."

And kudos for the big knobs for the HVAC and the audio/nav touch screen that are easy to use even when wearing gloves.

It's also worth noting that in the course of a year of use, we didn't pay anything beyond normal maintenance charges. One small issue--a cracked lid on one of the Ram storage boxes on the truck bed--was replaced under warranty.

Drawbacks? It was hard to find any, other than the trucklike fuel economy and a sticker weighed down by $13,615 in options that boosted the bottom line to $48,755.

We are going to miss that truck.

Wrap-Up

2010 Ram 1500 SLT Crew Cab 4x4

Miles Driven (Quarter/Year): 5,890/24,330

Fuel Economy (Quarter/Year): 14.9/15.1 mpg

Fuel Cost (Quarter/Year): $1,253.46/$4,665.63

Days Out of Service (Quarter/Year): None/none

Maintenance: First scheduled maintenance, including oil change ($29.99); second scheduled maintenance, including oil change, tire rotation, general inspection ($45.58); third scheduled maintenance, including oil change ($29.99); fourth scheduled maintenance, including oil change, air filter change ($25.99); replace left rear storage container lid (warranty); recall to replace defroster actuator, update HVAC software (warranty)

Original Sticker Price: $48,755

Trade-In Value: $30,875 (www.kbb.com)

AutoWeek loves passionate comments and debate, but remember that you're part of a diverse community. Critique statements or articles, not people; talk about the automotive world, but skip the rhetoric, hate speech, and obscenities. Above all, be respectful. While we can't read every post, this site is moderated and AutoWeek will remove comments as we see fit. Questions? Email moderator@autoweek.com

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2011 Nissan Leaf SL – Long-Term Road Test Intro

May 19, 2011 at 6:20pm by David Gluckman

We embark on three months of short trips in Nissan’s electric car.

Welcome to an exceptional long-term road test, and our first all-electric experience. It’s also an exception to our normal long-term program. Nissan agreed to give us a Leaf for an extended, three-month loan, but we’re not going to cram our normal 40,000-mile regimen into that timeframe. The reason is obvious: With the Leaf’s maximum range of around 100 miles (on a good day, with the wind at your back, and the moon in the seventh house—more on this later) and long recharge times, it would take quite a while to reach the prescribed C/D long-term mileage. And as we’ve found from our brief encounter so far, we’re an impatient lot.

Keep Reading: 2011 Nissan Leaf – Long-Term Road Test Intro

Tags: electric, hatchback, Japanese, long-term, Nissan, Nissan Leaf |

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2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4 – Long-Term Road Test Intro

May 4, 2011 at 11:23am by Jared Gall

The big Mini with four doors and four driven wheels joins our fleet for 40,000 miles.

While the Mini family has grown quite a bit since the brand’s resurrection, the drivetrain portfolio remained a one-man band. The hardtop, convertible, elongated Clubman, and upcoming coupe and roadster all are limited to front-wheel drive. Introduced for 2011, the Countryman finally changed that, offering all-wheel drive for the first time in the reborn brand’s history.

Keep Reading: 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4 – Long-Term Road Test Intro

Tags: British, hatchback, long-term, Mini, Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4, Mini Countryman, performance testing, turbocharged |

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2010 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 Sport, an AW Long-Term Wrap-Up:

New squeaks were springing from the dash, the 2-3 shift was as finicky as ever, and the clutch take-up still took getting used to, but the consensus at year's end was unwavering: The Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 is simply one of the best cars for the money that an enthusiast can buy.

We found the car a joy to drive no matter the weather (a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks LM-60s helped), the state of the roads (true, the stiff suspension could be punishing) or the task at hand (the cargo hold could swallow just about anything). The lively chassis and eager turbocharged engine erased whatever quibbles we otherwise found with the car. As one particularly effusive staffer said: “This car is a hell of a hot-hatchback deal. Its power, handling composure and versatility are hard to argue with. I'll say it again: worth every penny.”

That said, the quibbles should not be overlooked. By the end of the year, the squeaks had started erupting from several places, from across the dash, around the windshield and a couple hard-to-pinpoint places in the rear of the vehicle. At one point, someone jammed a small wedge of paper between two dash-panel pieces. That eliminated one squeak, only to have it return a few weeks later, slowly to be joined by a chorus of others.

We also never fully resolved our relationship with the clutch pedal. Even the most skilled on staff would have to reacclimate themselves to the pedal's springy feel, high take-up and on/off engagement every time they climbed behind the wheel. The same went for the mediocre shifter, which would often punish those aggressively working the gears by hanging up between 2 and 3. “Maybe a short shifter would help, or some stiffer transmission mounts?” one editor suggested.

Despite our minor protests, the Mazdaspeed also proved to be a most reliable ride, not requiring any unscheduled maintenance until 10 months into its stay, when the idle started behaving oddly. In neutral or at low loads, the idle would surge and jump around a bit before smoothing. It turned out that a service technician had sprayed some carbon cleaner into the intake manifold during the car's scheduled service stop a week earlier. Diagnosing and fixing the problem kept the Mazdaspeed out of our hands for three sad days.

Our little red car cost us $1,561.15 to keep on the road during the fourth quarter, with fuel costs, routine maintenance and minor repairs. For the as-tested price of $25,840—despite that less-than-precise shifter, those squeaks and that touchy clutch pedal—every person on staff considered the Mazdaspeed 3 well worth it.

2010 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 Sport

Miles driven (quarter/year): 5,678.1/19,099.9

Fuel economy (quarter/year): 22.8/22.5 mpg

Fuel cost (quarter/year): $781.89/$2,569.03

Days out of service (quarter/year): three/three

Maintenance: 5,000-mile scheduled service, including oil change, top off fluids, rotate tires, general inspection ($55.42); reinstall summer tires ($54); 15,000-mile service, including oil change, replace air filter, lubricate latches and hinges, top off fluids, tire rotation, general inspection ($310.62); unscheduled service visit to investigate jumpy idle (warranty); repair windshield chip ($19.15); install winter tires ($54); replace windshield ($332.49); 20,000-mile service, including oil change, tire rotation, general inspection ($63)

Original sticker price: $25,840

Trade-in value: $22,000 (www.kbb.com)

AutoWeek loves passionate comments and debate, but remember that you're part of a diverse community. Critique statements or articles, not people; talk about the automotive world, but skip the rhetoric, hate speech, and obscenities. Above all, be respectful. While we can't read every post, this site is moderated and AutoWeek will remove comments as we see fit. Questions? Email moderator@autoweek.com

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2011 Nissan Juke SL – Long-Term Road Test Intro

April 28, 2011 at 6:49pm by Mike Dushane

To lower cost and consumption, Nissan shrinks the crossover.

Months in Fleet: 2 months
Current Mileage: 3116 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 23 mpg
Average Range: 304 miles
Service: $0
Normal Wear: $0
Repair: $0

The 2011 Nissan Juke defines a new micro-niche: the sporty B-segment (subcompact) economy crossover. It has more ground clearance than mainstream subcompacts like the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, and Nissan Versa (on whose platform the Juke is based), and it’s cheaper than the Mini Countryman, which is comparable in size—and which wears similarly polarizing sheetmetal. The Juke looks good from the side and back, but the front resembles a wide-eyed cartoon bullfrog. We can overlook a butter face for overall agreeability, though, so we ordered a Juke for a 40,000-mile test.

Keep Reading: 2011 Nissan Juke SL – Long-Term Road Test Intro

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Long-Term Introduction: 2011 BMW 550i xDrive Sedan:

Roger Hart
AutoWeek welcomed a 5-series to our long-term fleet.

If there's a midsize sports sedan standing above the rest, one could argue that it is BMW's 5-series. So we thought it critical that we spend a year with one. That there was a new 5-series last year would also give us a chance to see how all of the changes BMW made would hold up over the long haul. If nothing else, we figured it would make a fine replacement for our long- term Jaguar XF Supercharged.

Why did we wait almost a year to get our hands on the new car? Because rather than snap up one of the first cars off the boat, we waited several months so we could take delivery of one of the first all-wheel-drive models to come to the United States, the main market for the AWD version.

We started with a 550i xDrive sedan with a base price of $62,875. It comes with oodles of standard equipment, including adaptive headlamps, a moonroof, automatic climate control, navigation system and rain-sensing wipers.

To that we added a bunch of options we simply could not live without, such as the Dynamic Handling package (including adaptive drive, dynamic suspension control, active roll stabilization); Premium 2 package, including rearview camera, power rear sunshade, heated front seats, iPod and USB adapter, satellite radio and premium audio; the Sport package, with 19-inch W-spoke alloy wheels, leather steering wheel and multicontour seats; rear-seat entertainment; a cold-weather package, including a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats; side- and top-view cameras and a split fold-down rear seat. All told, the price came to $74,700.

What did we get for the money? A 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 powers the car, producing a stout 400 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The BMW will hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and the quarter-mile takes 12.8 seconds at 111 mph, so no one on staff is complaining about it being slow. The car rides on a new aluminum-intensive suspension with double wishbones in front (introduced on the fifth-generation 7-series), while the rear continues with multilinks with revised geometry. Our car's Dynamic Handling package uses three-stage electronic shocks with a switchable program offering comfort, normal, sport and sport-plus modes and also altering the throttle mapping and shift speed.

Our first order of business was to put winter tires on our tester, so we swapped the Goodyears that came on the car for a set of Dunlop SP Winter Sport M3s in the stock 245/40R-19 size and had them installed on our stock rims. We've run these tires on long-term cars before—our Jaguar XKR convertible and Audi S6—and in both cases, they were great. Ride quality is good, the tires are quiet, and they turned both of those cars into snowmobiles. (We clearly remember driving the Jag convertible home in a blizzard and trucking through the left lane, easily passing Hummer H2s and Jeep Grand Cherokees.)

The Dunlops are classified as performance winter tires, so they should keep BMW's handling prowess up.

It's all good so far: Even with the stock run-flat tires on, which some of us around here generally hate, the ride is calmer than that of the old car. The reworked suspension is supple in comfort mode, soaking up Detroit's nasty expansion joints and potholes without the old 5-series' harsher ride.

“This thing is unflappable in lousy weather,” one staffer wrote. “It heats up fast and goes through anything—it simply rocks in the snow. I had no trouble this weekend. Even with the single-digit temps, it warmed up quickly—a blessing.”

“Best 5-series I've driven yet,” another chimed in. “Yes, the exterior is more conservative than before, but I love the interior, and it drives like champ—rock-solid and comfortable.”

Hmmm. “Rock solid.” “Drives like a champ.” Will it remain that way for 12 grueling months? We're about to find out.

Specs & Data

2011 BMW 550i xDrive Sedan

PRICING & OPTIONS

Base price (includes $875 delivery): $62,875

As-tested price: $74,700

Options: Dynamic Handling package, with adaptive drive, dynamic damper control and active roll stabilization ($2,700); Premium 2 package, with rearview camera, power rear sunshade, rear sunshades, heated front seats, iPod and USB adapter, satellite radio with one-year subscription, premium hi-fi system ($2,400); Sport package, with 19-inch alloy W-spoke wheels, sport leather steering wheel, multicontour seats, shadowline exterior trim ($2,200); rear-seat entertainment, with two eight-inch color screens ($2,200); cold-weather package, with heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, retractable headlight washers ($1,050); side- and top-view cameras ($800); split fold-down rear seats ($475)

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase (in): 116.9

Track (in): 63.0 front, 64.1 rear

Length/width/height (in): 193.1/73.2/57.6

Curb weight/GVWR (lb): 4,519/5,600

ENGINE

Front-longitudinal 4.4-liter/268-cid DOHC twin-turbocharged V8

Power: 400 hp @ 5,500-6,400 rpm

Torque: 450 lb-ft @ 1,750-4,500 rpm

Compression ratio: 10.0:1

Fuel requirement: 91 octane

DRIVETRAIN

All-wheel drive

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Final drive ratio: 3.077:1

SUSPENSION

Front: Double wishbone, coil springs, electronically controlled variable damping shock absorbers, hydraulically actuated antiroll bar

Rear: Multilink, coil springs, electronically controlled variable damping shock absorbers, hydraulically actuated antiroll bar

BRAKES/WHEELS/TIRES

Vented discs front and rear, ABS; aluminum 245/40R-19 Goodyear Eagle LS2

FUEL ECONOMY

EPA combined: 18 mpg

TRACK TEST DATA

STANDING-START ACCELERATION

0-60 mph: 4.5 sec

0-quarter-mile: 12.8 sec @ 111 mph

BRAKING

60-0 mph: 127.3 ft

HANDLING

490-ft slalom: 42.3 mph

Lateral acceleration (200-ft skidpad): 0.84 g

INTERIOR NOISE (DBA)

Idle: 37

Full throttle: 68

Steady 60 mph: 66

AutoWeek loves passionate comments and debate, but remember that you're part of a diverse community. Critique statements or articles, not people; talk about the automotive world, but skip the rhetoric, hate speech, and obscenities. Above all, be respectful. While we can't read every post, this site is moderated and AutoWeek will remove comments as we see fit. Questions? Email moderator@autoweek.com

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2010 Mazda 3 s 5-Door Grand Touring – Long-Term Road Test Wrap-Up

April 26, 2011 at 6:40pm by Mike Sutton

Despite a few hiccups, our Mazda 3 GT won us over in 40,000 miles.

Date: April 2011
Months in Fleet: 17 months
Current Mileage: 40,037 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 26 mpg
Range: 413 miles
Service: $402.62
Normal Wear: $0
Damage and Destruction: $6170.16

With a 10Best nod fresh under its belt, a 2010 Mazda 3 hatchback entered our long-term fleet in the fall of 2009 to much anticipation. A spunky, five-door economy car boasting talkative steering and a tight chassis, the second-generation 3 embodied nearly everything we’d want in an every-day car: poise, practicality, ample power, low maintenance, and a six-speed manual transmission.

Keep Reading: 2010 Mazda 3 s 5-Door Grand Touring – Long-Term Road Test Wrap-Up

Tags: 2010 Mazda 3 s 5-Door Grand Touring, hatchback, Japanese, long-term, Mazda, Mazda 3, Mazda 3 5-door, performance testing |

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