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THE KINGSTON WHIG-STANDARD
thewhig
QUICK LOOK
ADDS SOME ZING Porsche Cayenne Turbo/3
CHRYSLER 4X4
REGAIN TRACTION Dispels rumours of demise/5
TEST DRIVE
MAZDA5 Fighting off stereotypes/16
NISSAN ALTIMA
BY THE NUMBERS Cockpit well laid out/18
WHO?S INSIDE
KINGSTON KIA 1 CONDIE AUTOMOTIVE 2 PERFORMANCE IMPORT 3 REVELL MOTOR 3 KINGSTON MAZDA 4 KINGSTON HONDA 4 KINGSTON KIA 5 GREENWOOD MOTOR 6 FERG?S AUTOMOTIVE 6 CAR MEDICS 6 GANANOQUE CHEV 7 MERCEDES-BENZ 8 KINGSTON HYUNDAI 9 AUTOHOUSE 10 VAN HERPT 12 EDWARDS FORD 13 KINGSTON DODGE 15 JACK CASSELMAN 16 LARRY TALLEN 16 VICTORY LANE 16 GAN CHEV OLDS 19 TAYLOR CADILLAC 20
Fine tuned
Preview of 2011 Hyundai Sonata
4 Thursday, March 11, 2010 Editor Jan Murphy ? 613-544-5000 ext. 109 ? jmurphy@thewhig.com
Sport luxury
New breed of Lincoln Town Car
11
COVER STORY:
2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet preview
Mercedes? new
new
E-Classy Cabriolet
Cab
Lesley Wimbush
FIRST DRIVE
MALLORCA, Spain ? Accompanied by the ever-present scent of juniper, we travel through lush countryside dotted with centuries-old windmills, small orange and lemon tree fincas (farms) and groves of ancient, twisted olive trees. For North American drivers, it?s challenging country on which to test the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet. The roadways, some of which were established 1,000 years ago by horse and cart, are very narrow with no shoulders, and most are bordered with low stone walls. Tiny Peugeots and teams of cyclists whistle past us with inches to spare. We?re very aware of being in a vehicle that?s considered large for this part of the world. But the E-Class Cabriolet?s stiff chassis handles even the cobbled streets with a ride that?s supple yet firm and without any discernible cowl shake. The Cabriolet is a logical addition to the E-class line-up introduced in 2009 and offers the same powertrains ? the 3.5-litre, 268-hp, 258 lb.-ft. V6 in the E350 and a 5.5-litre, 382-hp, 391 lb.-ft. V8 in the E550. Going topless is widely accepted in Mallorca, and once we?d stowed ours (which takes 20 seconds at speeds up to 40 km/h) there it stayed. There?s no hardtop offered, the canvas top packs away efficiently leaving 13.8 cubic feet of trunk space. But the big story is the oasis of calm air inside the cabin thanks to a new system called Aircap. A centre console button activates a windshield-located spoiler that deflects air up and over the vehicle. Rear headrests rise and a wind net between them is automatically deployed when rear passengers engage their seatbelts. The raised rear headrests do somewhat obscure rearward vision though. It?s an effective system, although with windows down at speed, there?s still enough wind to ruffle ? if not snarl ? the hairdo as we race along the Mediterranean coastline. Mercedes calls the E-class Cabrio a ?four-seasons, four people? experience, and Aircap, working in conjunction with the previously introduced Airscarf that blows warm air around occupant?s necks, does create a remarkably climate-controlled environment with any forecast other than rain.
TEST DRIVE:
Quick on its feet and frugal at the pumps
LESLEY WIMBUSH QMI Agency Large and blocky with slab sides unbroken by any character lines, the Toyota Highlander presents a rather bland first impression. Not that it?s unattractive, just carefully inoffensive and somewhat unremarkable. The line separating Toyota from its upscale Lexus division starts to blur when it comes to interior treatment. Sporting soft touch material, wood trim and leather upholstery, there?s nothing about this cockpit that says ?economy?... although grey-hued leather on my tester smacks of transit seating. Likewise, the industrial grey colour-scheme leans towards monotonous. But dash and centre stack are well-designed and ergonomically logical ? with large, Mercedes calls the E-class Cabrio a ?four-seasons, four people? experience. easy-to-use knobs and buttons. My tester?s Navigation system scores points for its user-friendliness and high-clarity screen. Plump leather seats are comfortable, and my tester?s third row proves invaluable when running a good friend, her three children and a week?s worth of luggage home from the airport. I needn?t have cringed inwardly at the sight of clambering snowboots all over the light grey interior ? mud, slush and gravel cleaned up almost effortlessly. Throughout the week-long test drive, we?re blessed with multiple snowstorms and frigid temps - none of which had any effect on the hybrid?s power supply. For the most part, I forget I?m driving a hybrid ? so seamless are its transitions. It does, however, have an effect on my driving style. It?s a While rear leg and foot room isn?t generous, it?s certainly more than adequate. As expected, the cabin is plush and replete with every imaginable comfort. Power-assisted steering is light and sharp at low speeds ? a boon while negotiating the many roundabouts ? and weightier at high speed. There?s power enough in the E350 Cabriolet for a smooth boulevard cruiser, but the E550 is the choice for the open highway. Power arrives in immediate, silken bursts, accompanied by a lovely husky challenge to see how far I can go in ?EV? mode (which runs the vehicle on battery power alone) without the gas motor kicking in. For those die-hard pistonheads who still regard hybrids as somehow emasculating, well, there?s nothing quite like blowing by a performance sticker-enhanced V8 truck in the passing lane, expending 11.7 litres per 100 km, and knowing that the pickup?s guzzling back at least 17-20. For a large vehicle, particularly a hybrid, the Toyota Highlander is mighty quick on its feet. The Highlander impresses me most with its frugality at the pumps: I average a best of 10.4 L/100km, which is better than I do in some small passenger cars. Of the seven-passenger hybrid SUVs, the Highlander scores better than GMC?s Yukon or Chevy bark from the E550?s twin tailpipes. Both engines are mated to seven-speed automatic transmissions that execute gear changes with rapid precision. Our quest for a windmill backdrop took a quixotic turn as we found ourselves in an old hillside village so narrow we could reach out and touch the walls at our sides. Blind spot and back up warnings proved invaluable through corners so tight we had to fold back the mirrors while executing downhill five-point turns. There?s a ?fatigue warning Tahoe Hybrids. It?s also considerably cheaper on gas than most small conventional gas crossovers. And although that?s LESLEY WIMBUSH QMI Agency system? in the form of a coffee cup icon that flashed repeatedly, but we suspected that was because there wasn?t one for ?are you crazy?? A worthy successor to the lovely 1969 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet (on hand for photos and driving comparison) ? the new E-Class Cabriolet reaches Canadian showrooms this June 2010. Although pricing is not yet available, it should be on par with the sedan and coupe. lwimbush@trytel.net
Politically correct Highlander Hybrid
FUEL FUEL TAX TAX EXEMPT
2820 Princess St. (West of Bayridge)
www.kingstonkia.com
Supplied photo Toyota Highlander Hybrid leaves a bland first impression.
Owners receive
additional
EXEMPTCurrent
Kia
$1000.00
Credit!
613-384-2005
not exactly exciting, it suddenly seems a whole lot less boring. lwimbush@trytel.net
from
$23,995
Freight $1650, Omvic $5, Tire Tax $29.20, Excise Tax$100, Reg?n $498 Applicable Taxes
