Altima vs. Accord Coupe - Back-to-back drive

Okay so today I drove the Altima then the Accord back to back about 20 minutes apart. Here is what I observed:

Altima:

- The Altima has a very good suspension, it's brakes are firm, the steering while somewhat overboosted does have pretty good road feel. The handling is predictable and tight, with minimal lean. This car can go fast very well when you need it too.


- I commented on the CVT's throttle response in past as being "less responsive" than Accord, but now I'm not sure that's true. This CVT responded quite well to throttle input and changes. I found the acceleration to be very good for 175HP/180 ft. lbs torque. There's plenty there to keep me smiling for a long time.


- With the A/C on, the 2.5s seems to handle the load just fine, while the Honda seemed sluggish. I think this may be due to the torque curve advantage on the Nissan (builds more torque sooner in the rev. range). There is still very ample power from a stop with the A/C on.


- It's easier to pull into and back into parking spots because it is slightly smaller in width and length.


- While I talked about the dashboard not being as "sporty" or well laid out as in the Honda, after my fourth look at the Nissan I'm beginning to think they wanted to focus on simplicity.


- The radio is intuitive and easy to control. To adjust audio control just hit "audio" and toggle through the controls, set the value with up/down arrow and DONE! I also think I prefer the backlit orange LCD style over the flourescent screen on the Honda.


- The HVAC controls take no time to figure out. You don't have to take your eyes of the road for long to make adjustments.


- I really love the suede like seat fabric in this car, it's definitely a step above the Honda.


- The shifter in the Altima is nearly the perfect height and placement relative to the driver. I find the release button to be easier to operate too.


- I like the manu-matic feature on the CVT, though it feels like you have to drop too many simulated "cogs" to get any significant engine braking out of it. But in the twisties it's fun to shift yourself in and out of curves on the power.


Accord:


- The Accords suspension is probably a bit firmer and better balanced than the Altima. But I don't think the Accord handles better, just tighter. It absorbs bumps differently and quickly dampens them.


- Steering control and road feel are slightly better than Altima too.


- The brakes in Accord are smoother with an ease of modulation and pedal travel (farther travel). I think though that both cars have about the same stopping power.


- With the A/C on the Lx-s test car felt sluggish under 30 MPH, but a bit better with A/C off. Overall I think the Accord is slower off the line, probably due to the higher RPM required to generate low end torque and the fact the the transmission can't adjust for this to add to acceleration like the CVT can.


- The Honda HVAC controls feels too button heavy and the BMW-esque I-Drive knob to control the stereo is starting to feel like too much work. Even after you figure it out there's too many steps involved (hit menu, then rotate knob to select audio control, then hit knob center button, then adjust value, then hit menu to exit).


- No Fuel economy computer on Accord. I definitely will miss that.


- Accord since it is larger is a bit harder to park easily. I can see my wife mis-judging things and poking the front end into other cars (ouch!)


- Really like the steering wheel cruise and audio buttons, I also like the look of the wheel better than Altima. It seems more sporty to me.


- The Accord trunk is much larger and easier to use (11.9 cu ft vs. 8.4), and the back seat is more comfortable too. Though the Altima has a full size spare.


So how have I decided? In the end I think the Altima is a better fit for me. It doesn't hurt that Nissan seems to be coming in at a lower payment too. The jury is not totally settled yet, but heres a quick summary:


Altima Pros:


- 120K CVT warranty, vs Accord 60k 5 speed auto warranty

- CVT feels more responsive, and quicker

- Better exterior styling than Accord

- Better seat fabric

- Great dead pedal placement

- Simplistic opearation of stereo and HVAC

- Larger fuel tank (20 gal. vs. 18.5)

- Lighter car (handling & mileage pros)

- Better mileage (2-5 MPG all around)

Okay, so I'm pretty much down to the Altima vs. the Accord.

Here are the reasons for this:

- The Golf TDI is an incredibly good handling car and clearly has the best mileage, it's price premium and limited availability at dealers reduces what models and colors you can choose from. There's also the risk that the reliabillity won't be there and out of warranty repairs or nickel and diming could become a problem down the road. It also allows a bit more road noise than I like on the highway, and were I to have a more low speed or in town type drive I might be more open to it. However while it might not be the right car for me right now, I'm definitely keeping it on the short list for the NEXT ride.

- The Mustang is clearly designed for people who want to have fun and turn heads. The acceleration cannot be matched by any other car here, it is really quick. The steering wheel feels a bit chunky, but that's part of the retro design. As for the ride quality it's pretty firm, and handling is good, but the rear wheel drive could be a pain in the ass on snow days. I'm just not sure that's the right car for me as a daily driver for all seasons. But if you don't mind it won't matter the 2011 Mustang is the real deal. If I had a shorter commute I might be more serious about considering it. But I'm not a big Mustang fan, I never have been, and apparently that's not changing any time soon. Don't get me wrong it's a honey of a car, but just not the right fit for me right now.

- The Genensis Coupe is the real deal, think Hyundai's Corvette rather than Hyudia's Mustang competition. The GC is an all out sports car, and in the twisties can run with just about any of them. The 2.0T turbo drivetrain is very responsive, but unfortuneatley also pretty loud. I don't think I could deal with the NVH coming off that drive train for 2 hours a day. Also it has the same snow day trouble that the Mustang has with it's wide tires and rear wheel drive. The real killer though was the NVH combined with a completely useless back seat for adult passengers (duck your head). If you don't ever need to take anybody in the back, or kids only, then you can probably be pretty happy with the GC. It is definitely a track car in street car guise.

First drive 2011 Mustang V6

The Tommeter:

76/100


Lbs. per/hp & Torque per/hp - 12.29/13.39

Combined avg: 12.84

SoI got an email today letting me know that the first 2011 Mustang arrived at the local Ford Dealer. I've been anticipating this for a while so I was hoping I didn't over hype it. Good news is I didn't! It's a really neat car. The one I tested was a V6 premium with Pony pkg., comfort pkg., 6 speed automatic and saddle leather seats (medium brown). It's a bit different than the model I'm interested in which is the base coupe with 3:31 rear axle, 6 speed auto. and the cloth sport seats.


Initial impressions



Open the door and your engulfed in pony nostalgia. The interior oozes that American muscle feeling with its nicely contoured tuck and roll leather interior and black carpet, large T-handle shifter atop a high beltline center console. The exterior styling is very different from the other cars tested but it's also a really awesome modern interpretation of the retro '60s look. There isn't a bad angle to view the Mustang from.....it looks great all the time. Give Ford credit for massaging even more style out of their retro '67 fastback look over the last five years! The newly restyled front end and headlight grille treatment is really cool. The rear end is equally impressive with it's standard dual exhaust, nice two tone valence, and those unmistakeable sequential 3 bulb tail lights with the large centered Mustang badge.


Interior impressions:


Slide into the nicely contoured and supportive drivers seat and you feel ready to take on the road. This is a drivers car pure and simple. The retro gauges are cool with the white face treatment and are not obstructed by the steering wheel. Though they're not as easily legible as the other cars tested. There is also a decent trip computer with MPG and fuel economy data within the guages. The retro pony steering wheel and dashboard has a stylish and attractive look with a low if not about avg. sized glovebox. Though the Mustang lacks the manu-matic control of it's smooth shifting 6 speed transmission you can manually select 1-2-3-4-and-D which depending on speed could be 5th or 6th. This nearly makes up for the lack of manumatic as it does in the Accord coupe too.


Stereo controls are decent with the small multi button layout similar to Accord coupe but laid out on more of a grid design. HVAC is fairly intuitive and dials for fan speed and air temp control are located at the bottom of the center stack. Unfortunately this means the large shifter when in park obstructs the adjustment of these two knobs but thats a minor thing since most of the time these are adjusted while in "D". The wheel has tilt adjust only, but it's located far enough from the dash to be about the right position for most drivers. There is a nice dead pedal area and the pedals are placed and spaced well. One impression of note...the cockpit does seem more confining than Accord or Altima but by the numbers they are similar. Center cconsole features the t-handle shifter, a covered storage bin, and two good sized cup holders with a flip open coverand arm rest.



The driving position offers a nice view out the front windshield. You do have quite a long hood out there but that brings back memories of how cars used to be. The view out the rear window is good but the quarter windows are very small (this is part of the styling) which does result in fairly large blind corners. Luckily the outside mirrors have good size and coverage whichs helps this. Door panels feature nifty chrome trim rings around the large door speakers and unfortunately useless door pockets. They're shallow and too far back along the seat edge to be easily accessible with the door shut (these might be worse than Genesis even). I think besides a mini umbrella most will be challenged to find any objects that fit in them. Note to Ford: Smaller door speakers would have made more room for decent sized door pockets...just sayin'.



That said Mustang has practicallity hidden inside too. A decent amount of center console storage with dual cupholders and nice map lights. The rear seats are fairly comfortable too and meet the adult head room criteria (fitting my 5' 9" frame without head intrusion). One could ride back there for some time without want to get out and the rear seats include built in outboard armrests (no rear cupholders though like Accord and Altima). Mustang also has the convenience of the 50/50 split folding option. You do have the added step of folding the head rests down but it's fairly easily done. The pass through is nice and wide, larger even than that of the Altima (surprising!).



Unlike the other cars the rear seat leg room is a bit tighter but still comfortable on the knees. One nice feature is on the front seat dump latches when bringing the seat fore/aft the recline position can be set by the rear seat occupant to maximize their comfort level without asking for adjustments from the driver/passenger. Good thinking Ford! The ingress/egress through the door to the rear seat is a bit tighter than the other cars though and the seat tracks can intrude a bit on your feet until you get them positioned. If the tracks were shorter or sunk into the floor it might be better. The door panels on the new Mustang don't disapoint with large specially contoured pull handles and decorative insert fabric which matches the seat material...



Driving Impressions:


Turn the key and the healthy 3.7L V6 rumbles to life (no really it has a RUMBLE to it!) with a distinctive dual exhaust note. This car doesn't mess around.

The engine vibration in the car is nicely dampered though and you can even slightly hear the cool exhaust note as you tool around town. The steering (while electric powered) feels appropriately weighted and turn in is decent. It's not terribly communicative or numb, just sort of in the middle. Not having driven a Mustang before I would describe the ride quality as smooth with a firm if edgy quality. I can't comment too much on the handling because the day of my evaluation the roads were still wet from the rain so fun in the twisties will have to wait until the second drive.



Eventually you turn right onto the highway and an open strech of road eggs you on. I quickly gave this pony about 70% throttle and the engine responds with a hearty kick down and a sense of impending explosive power builds quickly. The front end rises up and you are firmly pressed into your seat as you rocket up to 60-70-80 MPH in mere seconds! No longer is the V6 Mustang a Tempo in Mustang duds, this car is the real deal. The potent engine though when reigned in under gradual acceleration feels effortless to move the car. Running at 55 MPH in sixth gear the engine speed practically idles along at a shockingly low 1,200 RPM. The Mustang's transmission is smooth and responsive and kicks down very well with a more than ample rush of power for passing and on ramp merging. Goosing this car is way fun, and it takes quite a while for the smirk to fade. At highway speed the car is decently quiet and composed.


It's ride quality is firm enough to be communicative yet not such that you feel every little thing you roll over. Brakes are good and firm with four wheel discs at all corners. I wasn't able to conduct any high speed stops but you can tell this car has lots of grip. Rowhling road U-curve anyone? The suspension lets you know your limits, but it's not the "handler" that the Golf TDI or the Genesis Coupe is, though it would pound both those cars on the straightaways at the track.


In the end the 2011 Mustang V6 is probably a huge improvement over the 2010 model. So I'm reccomending you go get yours when you can, the scores reflect it won't dissapoint.

The Tommeter:

Comfort - 7
Design Interior - 7
Design Exterior - 8
Powertrain - 10
Handling - 8
Fuel economy - 7
Electronics/convenience - 6
Engine note - 9
Fit & function - 7
Must have factor - 7

Want full specs? Go here: http://www.edmunds.com/new/2011/ford/mustang/101265874/specs.html

Want more photos? Go here:
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2011/ford/mustang/101265874/researchlanding.html

First and second drive: 2010 Nissan Altima Coupe 2.5s

$23,405

Tommeter: 73/100

Lb/hp & Torq./hp ratio: 17.85/17.35

Combined hp/torq. avg: 17.6

Summary:

Positives...

- Killer looks outside, great seats inside with thoughtful interior engineering, not too heavy doors, intelligent smart key w/push button start, ample engine power, outstanding fuel economy, huge cruiser 20 gallon fuel tank, very good handling

Downers...

-Sedan only dual exhaust doesn't sound FUN, too-much-red tail lights and gauges have no extra pizzazz in the sport coupe, small cargo area for mid size car, boring engine cover, steering wheel could be a bit finer tilt adjustable.

Initial observations:

I just test drove my first Altima coupe today and I liked it overall but am having mixed feelings about it too. For starters the exterior styling is killer. Seriously pictures don't do it justice. The thing looks like an oversized Infinity G series coupe. Although I kind of wish the rear tail lights had some of the multicolor lenses and reflective mirrored treatment that the sedan has, instead of the huge expanse of red. I hope there are some Stillen or other aftermarket tail lights available. The headlights look tough, very sporty with projector beam lenses...perfect for the aftermarket xenon kits. The one I drove was the silver with 17"wheels which look very good no need to upgrade these at all.

On the inside I found the black cloth seats are of very high quality with French stitched seams. They have an almost suede like feel which feels very upscale not typically 20k car territory. The designers even carried the seat fabric to the top of the center console arm rest (which adjusts fore/aft for total comfort) which is a nice thought especially with black interior...no burned arms from hot console surfaces! The tilt/telescopic steering wheel is nicely adjustable but it would be nice if there were three or four more positions added to the mechanism. All the way down felt about an inch too low but up one notch wasn't quite right for me either. The dashboard looks to be standard Altima sedan issue and the gauges are clearly legible black with white numbers & red-orange needles. Including an attractive white fluorescent halo effect around each gauge with LCD based info centers at the bottom center of the tach. and speedo. These display trip info, avg. MPG, range at current fuel consumption etc. There is even an instant MPG progress bar to help you get the optimum mileage while driving. Rear seat comfort isn't as good as Accord but there are flip down rear seats with a large pass through and cup holders on the outboard panels.

The radio was high mounted with simple and clearly readable screen and controls and a large center volume knob which is easy to finely adjust while going down a less than stellar road. There is also a cell phone charging port under the center armrest with a pass through for the cable so you can take a call while the phone is charging. There is also a cavernous glove box and nice (under HVAC controls) covered storage bin so the contents can't come flying out under hard acceleration. Thank you for thoughtful engineering Nissan!

Driving impressions:

One of the fist things I noticed was the seat seemed nicely supportive with firm bolsters. They have that sports car hug your torso quality but not uncomfortably. One thing is the seat cushion seemed to be hitting my wallet in a bad way and causing uncomfortable pressure. Removing my wallet fixed the problem though, and otherwise the cushion had that same hugging quality to it. It may have been a while since I have driven a vehicle with such a steep windshield rake but the AC had a bit of a tunnel feel to it, but you get past it pretty quickly. There is virtually no blind spot on the RH side but the LH side visibility is poor. I had to adjust my LH mirror a bit to cover the blind spot better.

The steering feels a bit over-boosted at parking lot speeds (low effort) but firms up nicely above 30-40 MPH. One of the things I was most interested in was how did this thing feel with only a 2.5 I-4 and a CVT. Well I can happily report that it feels a bit weird, but good too. Under normal light pedal pressure the decent low end torque and cvt combine for effortless (dare I say peppy) off the line from stop-light to stoplight. You can feel the acceleration is smooth and constant (no shift bump) but it's weird not to have the engine dropping down rpm under each load change. When you want to get sporty I recommend gating the cvt shifter to the left to go into a simulated 6 speed manu-matic mode. This includes a numeric gear read out on the speedo info LCD display. I found the manu-matic mode to be very cool especially knowing that the cvt doesn't actually have any gears it simulates it remarkably well. This is especially neat for spirited driving, coming in and out of curves on the power, and for engine braking. Punch the pedal and you get some real pull out of the 2.5 (so much so that I experienced a bit of torque steer), with zero to sixty taking just under 8 seconds. You won't win many races but you can surprise people with the 2.5's power, which is more than adequate for freeway on ramps and passing maneuvers.

I also noticed the real time MPG progress bar displayed 30-40 MPG with the cruise on at 55-60 MPH. I think with a light foot and cruise control you can easily achieve the 32 MPG rating on the AC, and possibly 34-35 if you run the tires 3-5 psi over standard setting. The engine registers about 1,800 rpm at 60 MPH. I did think personally that was a bit high for a transmission with no gear restrictions (I would have though 1,500 or lower would be more eco-efficient) but perhaps Nissan wanted to stay in a nice torque band for easy passing ability with mild throttle input. For example my wife’s 2010 Caravan SE runs about 1,500 rpm @ 55 with a four speed auto and 3.3 V-6 and is rated for 24 Hwy. While my 2003 Pt Cruiser runs 2,100 rpm @ 55 with a 2.5 I-4 and is rated at only 25 MPG hwy. The really cool part about the cvt is that when you push the speed up to 75 MPH the cvt adjusts and still keeps the engine at a nearly ideal 1,800 rpm. Now your penalty for exceeding 60 MPH is basically all but eliminated, you are using more fuel for the extra wind resistance but the MPG meter was still in the 35 MPG range at this speed. WOW!

At cruise the engine is fairly quiet and wouldn't produce an annoying drone for long trips. Under hard acceleration though it doesn't sound as smooth, but you still do get a sense of decent power from it which is nice. I'm sure a nice magnaflow cat-back would produce a deeper pleasing sport coupe sound than the stock system which doesn't impress much, and is probably borrowed straight from the sedan parts bin. However those of us in the sport coupe market are looking for a bit more bark with our bite.

The suspension and handling is quite good with good road feel and taught mostly communicative steering. Hitting the twisties is a smile producing affair, with minimal body lean and strong brakes. The standard tires have ample grip for most drivers, but if you get serious you may want something stickier for the summers. The car is willing though to go as far (and probably farther) than you're comfortable with.

Under the hood:

Popping the hood was super easy and a surprise as it feels feather light due to the all aluminum composition. The 2.5 is covered with a large plastic engine cover which isn't very exciting looking. At least they could have painted it with a bit more sporty/racing inspired motif, but we get lightly textured basic black.....details I suppose (take a page from SAAB Nissan). Another thing the tuner aftermarket will fix for us....

It does appear that Nissan is using a low tech ram air system on the AC as it takes cold air into the engine through an orifice somewhere behind the grille (rather than the typical fender area) and AC condenser. The only downside I saw was the two extra bends in the air box inlet pipe and the fact that it was mounted directly above the exhaust manifold area. Straighten those pipes out Nissan and move the inlet away from the exhaust and you might get more out of it. All the necessary fluids are easily accessible and visible and there is actually some room around the engine unlike many cars today whose engines are shoe horned in. I found at least six places I could fit my hand/forearm into if necessary. No sign of the oil filter though so it must be creeper accessible only.

The 2010 Altima does a lot of things very right. Some of the wrong things just bug me in that niggling way. I suppose if I ended up buying it those little things wouldn't seem like much and I'd generally be pretty happy with such a sweet looking ride. It's the kind of car you love to polish if you get my meaning, and the manu-matic in the twisties could be a 100k miles of love. Time will tell. All in all the Altima coupe is a nice pkg. for about $23K, though there are more powerful cars out there not many can match the Altima coupe's fuel economy ratings with the cvt and sexy sheet metal at the same time. This car likes me too, and I like it very much for a lot of reasons. Another attractive factor is that the dealer is also willing to sell this car at invoice. For $21,973 that's a lot of car. It's a tough choice between this and the Accord Coupe for me. Maybe the Mustang will help make the decision easier?

Thanks to Bob at Woodfield Nissan (Schaumburg IL) for the nice long drive to get this all figured out.

The Tommeter: Scores - 1 (poor) to 5 (average) to 10 (Exceptional)

Comfort - 7

Design Interior - 6

Design exterior - 8

Powertrain - 7

Handling - 7

Fuel economy - 9

Electronics/convenience - 6

Engine note - 7

Fit & function - 7

Must have factor - 9

Total: 73/100

Want more photos? Go here: http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/gallery.aspx?year=2010&make=Nissan&model=Altima&trimid=-1

Want full specifications? Go here: http://www.edmunds.com/new/2010/nissan/altima/101236306/specs.html

First and second drive 2010 Honda Accord Lx-S Coupe
$24,065

Tommeter: 76/100

Lb/hp & Torq./hp ratio: 16.71/19.59

Combined avg: 18.15


Summary:

Positives…

- Smooth quiet, quick to rev, and responsive i-VTECH 2.4L engine, surprisingly capable and confidence inspiring chassis tuning, rides like a dream while cruising, well hushed road noise, cavernous trunk, excellent seat comfort, comfortable and roomy rear seats, slick & sporty steering wheel w/mounted audio and cruise controls, great dashboard design, aftermarket accessories and goodies aplenty, Hondas' legendary reliability


Downers…

- No real time MPG or fuel data info available on Accord, reflection from rear windows (without direct sun) distorts view of LCD driver information center, no manu-matic mode or paddle shifters available on Accord, lowest engine torque output of any car tested, exhaust note doesn't impress


Yesterday & today’s drive was the Accord Coupe, a car I first had my eye on two years ago when the 2008 model launched with the Accord redesign. I saw the expose on WTTW Motor Week and liked the lines and performance of this car especially from the fenders back. I still feel a little bit like the front end is a bit too chunky for a sport coupe (too much like the sedan) when compared to the Altima and certainly the Genesis. In person it looks better than photos depict (do you sense a trend with this?) the front end has a bulldog like character about it. You know, the kind of front end that says “move over” to the car in front of you dogging it in the far left lane. The vehicle I drove was a black on black EX-L with sunroof, leather seats, and 5 speed automatic. However the vehicle I'm interested in will be the Lx-S standard coupe (no leather, no sunroof).


Initial impressions:

Upon opening the door and peering in this is by far the best looking cabin design I’ve seen yet. And let’s face it this is the view you have of the car most often. The Honda team did a nice job on this dash which looks especially nice with the blond cloth interior selection as you get a nice two tone dashboard with brushed silver accents that brings even more character to it than the basic black. The radio is again high mounted and there is a LCD based driver information center on the top of the dash. They did recess it nicely into the dash to give the screen some shade but I did notice that there was some trouble viewing the LCD due to light reflections from the rear widows and even sometimes from the sun shining on the dash pad (couldn’t see the AC "on" indicator for example without changing my head position). This is a minor annoyance but since I drive about 90 percent during the daylight hours it might be bothersome over the long term.


The seats are well sculpted and seat comfort as well as head rest support was the best I’ve felt so far (the closest being the VW), and side bolsters were just right for support without the squeeze factor. The blond cloth interior I want is a pretty standard flat fabric (probably a Milliken product) without much accent stitching on the insert panels but it’s basic and works. It’s definitely not of the same quality as the Altima Coupe nor does it appear to be as durable but you sit on it more than you look at it. I’ll hope that should it wear out replacement seat coverings are reasonably priced from Honda. One plus over all the other cars is there appears to be more room inside Accord overall, the dash seems a bit farther away and no tunnel effect out the front window as in Altima. Rear seat comfort and quality is superior to any vehicle tested to date. There's even arm rests on the rear outboard panels with a cup holder. You could likely ride in relative comfort for hours at a time back there. Even with my 5' 9" frame I had approx. two-three inches of head room clearance. For ingress/egress to the rear seats the passenger front buckets is very easy to fold, slide up, and return even for the rear passenger to perform solo. Door effort was well balanced and inside panels provide good sized door pockets and a large deep glove box, including extra console storage under the HVAC controls. However there is no door on this compartment like Altima uses to conceal or keep items from falling out under acceleration.



The HVAC and audio controls are nicely laid out and clear. The large central knob shown does not control the volume (as you would think) but is the selector for the menu screens, the smaller knob above it is for the volume. The menu for controlling sound quality, faders ect. is easy to operate and doesn’t auto clear back to the main mode until you exit. This is good in case you get a phone call or other distraction which will help to remind you what you were adjusting before the interruption. You can also use the excellent steering wheel mounted audio and cruise controls which are probably the best I’ve seen. The more I use this the more I think this is a feature I really want to have in the next car (one less distraction).


The gauge cluster is standard Accord, no pizzazz or thrills for the coupe (did everybody get away from sporty white face gauges now….?) but it is clear and legible with a gear selection P-R-N-D-D3-2-1 lit up on a vertical tree between the tach. and speedo. The gauges don't have the halo rings like Altima, and no racing inspired fonts like Genesis, but they do have a nice silver painted beveled edge. Each tick mark under and between the numbers has a fluorescent back light which really makes them pop in the dark. An oddity I found again across the whole Accord line is the absence of any real time MPG data (avg. MPG, distance to empty, etc). This has been pretty standard on cars for a few years and is a bummer that Honda doesn't offer it on Accord. It's a feature I know I will miss should the car not have it. Honda are you listening? Steering wheel adjustment tilts & telescopes well for achieving the perfect placement without the notchy up/down restriction like Altima.


Driving impressions:

One thing about this car is when you start the engine you can tell it’s a Honda right away. That unmistakably smooth purr of the i-VTECH 2.4 is music to the ears, though once the door is shut it’s barely perceptible. The 5 speed automatic has an attractive shifter with two-tone handle whose movement feels precise and gated well. The engine sounds great but the exhaust is nothing special and would be an area to upgrade to get that nice sport coupe sound with an aftermarket cat-back. Another oddity I found was that none of the Accord line offers either a manu-matic mode to the transmissions or a paddle shifting option. This is becoming pretty standard in the industry and for a leader like Honda to omit this seems odd, especially on their flagship model as they do offer it on the FIT. At least the gear selector allows you nearly full control from 1-2-D3-D (fourth or fifth depending on speed) which somewhat makes up for the lack of manu-matic ability.

Pull the shifter back to D and you can pull away with very little throttle input. Steering at parking lot speeds is about near perfect effort. The cars road manners are superb and the on center feel is excellent. This is probably the best ride quality of all the cars tested so far. Visibility is very good out the windshield and the large rear quarter windows diminish blind spots. Reverse parking can be a bit tricky as the rear deck is high, but the view out the side mirrors is very good. 4 wheel disc brakes are decent and firm with about average pedal travel required to induce hard stops.

This car isn’t the quickest off the line compared to the other cars tested but it moves well at speed. This is probably due to the fairly high rpm required to reach peak torque of 4,400, but passing or merging onto on ramps is easy as the engine develops plenty of ample power and kick down is quite responsive. Approaching the Rohlwing road U curve I found the accelerator pedal actually has a detent feel to it (at about 80% travel) and you need to push it about an inch further for true full throttle. This is where the i-VTECH 2.4 really comes alive and propels you from 30-70 MPH in about 4 seconds pulling strong all the way to its lofty 7k rpm redline (very quick)! Entering the Rohlwing road U curve it took a slight lean and set in nicely at 40 MPH (+20 over limit) and held on with plenty of grip (no tire howl!). The suspension tuning might be the best balanced of all the other cars, and once it sets itself on a curve (with minimal body lean) there's lots of confidence and communication from the wheel and suspension. Coming out the back of the U curve I could even apply mild power with only a marginal drift (felt like a few inches) of the front end. The car stays well planted and tracks on a predictable line.

I think this is impressive performance from a nearly full size car. In nearly every maneuver the car remains composed and nimble. Kudos to the Honda engineers for keeping the weight of the car low at 3,175 lbs. I noticed in the specs. the V6 car weighs nearly 300 lbs more and uses a 27mm front stabilizer vs. the 26mm bar on the 2.4 i-VTECH equipped Lx-S car. I may opt to upgrade that part which can be ordered from Honda for (amazingly!) only $60 and could possibly be dealer installed. Interestingly there is no factory strut tower brace as in Altima, Golf or Genesis coupes but this could easily be added from the vast Honda aftermarket. Even without the MPG info center display I believe the 31 MPG rating should be quite easy to meet and exceed as the 5 speed overdrive (0.566 5th gear ratio) combined with the 4:44 final drive axle results in just 1,800 rpm at 55 MPH, 2k at 60 and 2,500 rpm at 75 MPH (interstate speed) which is just a couple hundred RPM higher than the CVT Altima. It may not be capable of the mileage of the Altima (1 or 2 MPG less) but it makes up for it in engine smoothness and intake plumbing alone. I also think the kick down is more responsive, but perhaps a second drive of the Altima will confirm that. Edit 6/17: Second drive of the Altima confirms that while the CVT and engine do combine for good acceleration and passing ability, the Accord Coupe's kick down is simply more responsive. It takes good advantage of the high revving i-VTECHs impressive upper power band and since the engine is so smooth and willing above 4K RPM you'll never hesistate to use it.

Under the hood the 2.4 i-VTECH engine looks very clean and the placement of the wiring, various cables and battery is tidy. Again we have some significant room around the engine for it to breathe with plenty of sensors hand accessible. One plus to the Honda over the Altima is that the intake manifold is on the front facing side of the engine and the plumbing runs directly right toward the fender with minimal bends (nice!). This is superior for a couple of reasons, as the engine gets hot the air coming through the radiator can help to keep the air ducts and intake manifold cool. This also means the exhaust manifold is near the firewall concentrating all that heat in one area. Way to go Honda team!

The driving dynamics of this car are an advantage over the other cars tested. Not that it handles better than say the Genesis or the Golf TDI but it may be a better balance of achieving nimble performance and a comfortable ride. The standard equipment is only a couple of features less than the competition but the car makes up for it in driver comfort, road feel and that superb i-VTECH engine. The other attractive factor is that the dealer is willing to sell the car at invoice, which also makes the price pretty attractive at $21,889. This car likes me I can tell, and it’s pretty mutual too as the scores reflect. Thanks to John I. (from Schaumburg Honda) for letting me put her through the paces on two separate drives, he’s a good sport.



The Tommeter:



Comfort - 9

Design interior - 8

Design exterior - 6

Powertrain - 7

Handling - 7

Fuel economy – 8

Electronics/convenience - 7

Engine note - 7

Fit & function - 9

Must have factor - 8



Total: 76/100

Want more photos? Go here:

http://www.edmunds.com/flipper/do/MediaNav/styleId=101201286/firstNav=Gallery

Want full specs.? Go here:

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2010/honda/accord/101201286/specs.html

First and second drive 2010 Genesis Coupe 2.0T (5AT) $23,250


Total: 70/100

Lb/hp & Torq./hp ratio: 15.68/14.76

Combined hp/torq. avg: 15.22

Summary:

Positives...

- Sexy sheet metal, plenty of turbo power, exhilarating exhaust, handling brought to you by the sports car Gods, good steering wheel controls of radio/phone/cruise, fantastic manu-matic and paddle shifters, good fuel economy vs. performance compromise


Downers...

- Engine drone at interstate speeds could get old, lots of engine vibration under normal acceleration or at sustained 65 MPH transferred through steering wheel, tires can't be rotated front to rear due to mismatched sizes, rear headroom an issue if you're over about 5'2, sports car handling is a double edged sword


I can't say enough about how beautifully designed the exterior of this car is. Again pictures do not do it justice as it is by far the best looking contemporary sports coupe on the road today. The one I drove was a black on black 2.0T with the Hyundai 5 speed auto. The cars stance it unmatched, it is more akin to an all out sports car than a sport coupe. Rides fairly low to the ground, seat position is very close to the floor, suspension is clearly designed for track days. It reminds me quite a bit of my Rx-7s from years ago. I haven’t driven the new Mustang yet which is supposed to handle VERY well but I doubt it will be as good as this car is. You can tell Hyundai has come a long way in the last 5 years, both with quality and vehicle design. This car is a genuine sports car.

Interior impressions:

The interior is nicely laid out in a contemporary style, with beautifully sculpted sports seats and large side bolsters. There is a high mounted blue backlit LCD screen for the radio display. The system sound quality is not anything special but does have decent base. I think some upgraded speakers would do a lot to improve the midrange and even the clarity of the treble. The controls are pretty intuitive and the steering wheel volume control and channel up/down for the presets is well designed as is the positioning on the wheel. The function and feel of the buttons and toggle switches is easily the best I've seen yet. The car comes with complimentary XM radio too which is a nice bonus. HVAC controls are well laid out and use large rotating dials for the fan speed and cold/hot mix control.

One of the concerns I had noticed was that the door pockets are very narrow and small. I use my door pockets in most of my cars to store CD wallets, sunglasses, bottled drinks etc and this just isn't possible. Granted there are two cup holders in the center console and the under armrest compartment is decent sized with a nice 12v outlet and USB/Aux audio input which would nicely hold your IPOD or MP3 player. The glove box was pretty standard sized which is decent for most things you'd need to keep there. Unlike the Altima Coupe & Golf TDI coupe there is no significant extra storage in the center console so in a GC you'll have to travel light. There was however an overhead center console with a sunglasses drop down holder.

One oddity is that Hyundai included vanity mirrors on the visors but they are not lighted...? The (small and dim) light is actually mounted to the headliner and requires a separate rocker switch to illuminate them. The problem is that the light won't be hitting you or your girlfriend/wife’s face directly from the visor but from above it. It wasn't dark when I drove the car so I can't say for sure but my gut says this wouldn't be very useful. The other oddity was the omission of a turbo boost gauge on the cluster or "A" pillar. This seems like it should be standard on any turbo or supercharged car. The trunk is much larger than what you would expect, by the numbers it’s only 12 cu ft (compared to the Altima’s 8…) but it is long and shallow. Very good for golf bags and small to medium sized suitcases. I noticed that the trunk could have easily been shortened by two or three inches and the rear seat pushed back to give more leg room, not sure what the Hyundai engineers were thinking on that one.

Driving impressions:

One thing I have to say is you won't be disappointed with the turbo 2.0's power, there's a slight lag upon pressing down the pedal but it wakes up quickly and has a very strong pull above 2-3k rpm. The exhaust sound that accompanies spirited driving and even cruising around town is excellent. You can tell by listening to this that the Hyundai team was focused on making sure the 2.0T sounded bold and there is no sign at all of the bees in a can effect we see with many sport compacts today. It was engineered just right in my opinion, not too loud at cruise and plenty of bark under hard acceleration. Other sport coupe manufacturers take notice....this is how you tune your 4 cylinder dual exhaust systems.

Driving around at parking lot and low speeds you notice the steering is pretty heavy, seems under-boosted to me but I don’t really mind it. At 30 MPH and above it’s a non issue and at highway speeds it feels just right. The car tracks well and stays on center. The ride quality is sports car firm but won’t punish you. I have to admit the paddle shifters are FANTASTIC and are easily on a par or better than the VW system. The blue LCD read out of the gear selection is large enough to see easily while glancing down at the speedo or tach. This car does spirited driving very, very well, and the chassis is tuned beautifully. The car is totally flat and planted through the curves, with strong predictable brakes. The convenience of having two hands on the wheel and paddle shifting simultaneously is very gratifying. On one particular winding S-curve on ramp (taken under turbo boost in 3rd gear) was thrilling to say the least. This car will really make you smile if enjoy performance oriented driving.

One unfortunate observation here is that the most noise generated is actually coming from the engine itself. I noticed while on the highway cruising at 70 MPH that the road noise is very nicely dampened by the car (drop the car in neutral at 70 and it's quite quiet), but the engine itself has a drone that could get pretty annoying on anything more than a 10 minute trip to the grocery store. Part of me thinks "shut up Grandpa it's a performance machine what do you expect?" but the other part of me thinks that perhaps Hyundai didn't do this on purpose. This may be something that can be fixed with liquid filled engine mounts or some other such NVH reducing concepts. I certainly don’t mind this when you get on it, but while just cruising it is a concern for me since I will be spending 2 hours a day commuting in this car.

Part of the problem with this may be due to the tall rear end gearing, which is great for maximizing acceleration but results in the engine running at quite high rpm's at highway cruising speeds. This was also a problem on my Rx-7 back in the day too with its 4:09 final drive axle. For example the 2.0T engine is running 2,500 rpm at just 60 MPH, when you’re on the interstate at 70-75 it's running 3,200 rpm. At this speed the drone and vibration is pretty strong and is translated through the steering wheel and cabin. There is no cabin buzz but you can feel it through the floor and the center console on your right armrest. In comparison the Altima's 2.5 was running only 1,800 rpm, my Pt Cruiser 2.4 runs 2,100 at 55 MPH and only 2,700 at 70 MPH. Under 65 MPH the engine noise is just a touch louder than a normal car but pretty acceptable in my book. We'll have to see how this compares in the 2011 Mustang V6.

On the fuel economy front I can confirm the window sticker rating of 30 MPG highway is quite easily attainable. I found even with the car in 5th gear at 60 MPH (2,500 rpm) with A/C on the avg. mileage settled between 30-32 MPG. Turing off the A/C and running at 65 (3k rpm) resulted in the avg. mileage settling at 33-34 MPG which is quite good considering the relatively high rpm the motor cruises at. I did notice though that the application of turbo power dropped the MPG by 10 even for only short acceleration bursts. If you put your foot into this car too often it may prove challenging to get over 30 MPG consistently. I also took notice the Bridgestone Potenza’s are not able to be rotated front to rear which could mean you're likely wear out the rear tires fast. At 225/45/R18 F and 245/45/R18 R that could get pricy in a hurry.

Overall the Genesis Coupe isn’t a home run, but it’s a very solid triple. The scores reflect my observations and comparisons to the other cars on my list, but if you’re looking for a solid sports coupe with drop dead gorgeous styling and all the right moves and sound to back it up you can’t go wrong with the GC. Special thanks to Sean at Rosen Hyundai (Algonquin IL) for letting me get a second look/drive on this car to sort this all out.

Tommeter:

Comfort - 5
Design Interior - 5
Design exterior - 8
Powertrain - 8
Handling - 9
Fuel economy - 7
Electronics/convenience - 8
Engine note - 6
Fit & function - 6
Must have factor - 8

Total: 70/100


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http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/gallery.aspx?year=2010&make=Hyundai&model=Genesis%20Coupe&trimid=-1

Want full specs.? Go here:
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2010/hyundai/genesiscoupe/101147002/specs.html

First drive 2010 VW Golf TDI
$23,255

Tommeter: 77/100

Lb/hp & Torq./hp ratio: 21.72/12.88

Combined hp/torq. avg: 17.3

Summary:

Positives...

- Incredible fuel economy, downright potent torque and acceleration, GTI based chassis and suspension can handle anything you're likely to throw at it, steering that wrote the book on "communicative", great seats, excellent DSG paddle shifters, quiet engine, Germans know how to make good cars

Downers...

- Extra cost for TDI package is locked up with many other options means you can't strip down a TDI, passenger compartment feels tight, DSG transmission in "D" feels like your driving around at idle (strange) all the time, a bit too much road noise at interstate highway speeds

So my first drive today of the long awaited Golf TDI. I've been a fan of these cars/engines for years...no seriously I first test drove a TDI Jetta back in 1998 and was highly impressed even back then. What 12 years of further development has done for the TDI crowd, in one word....amazing. This car breaks all the rules you've come to know and expect about....well...small cars, diesel engines and performance. This may be the most powerful, fun to drive and yet economic compromise on the road. No, scratch that, it IS the most powerful, fun to drive and economic car on the road. If you have never driven one, I highly recommend you try it. No charge for the smiles, just tell 'em Tom-vroom sent ya'.

Initial findings:

The vehicle I drove was the TDI coupe in Tornado red (looks awesome!) with black interior. It was a fairly well equipped car (as are all Golf TDI's which is kind of a shame actually) including Bluetooth phone, power sunroof, and the upgraded 6 disc CD changer stereo with color touch screen display with menus. I found the black cloth seats to be very nicely crafted with an attractive cross-hatch pattern in white on the seat inserts. The seat comfort is very good, with power adjustable recline and manual adjustable cushion height and fore aft positioning. The steering wheel has tilt AND telescopic adjustment which was really nice to get the wheel in the near perfect position. Once there it's a Zen like feeling to steer the Golf TDI with ease and comfort. The gauges are a nice compact cluster of two large tach/speedo and a smaller fuel & temp gauge. The center (between the tach/speedo) located driver info. center is very clear and legible. Actually better than the Altima's backlit orange LCD, it is a black with white lettering/numbers which matches the main gauges. It's very clean, very slick, and very obviously German. The interior is more pleasing to the eye in person than photos depict, even though it looks as if this could have been the same dash layout VW's have used since the early 90's.

The exterior styling of the Golf is nice, not super sporty, but it has that capable sport-compact look to it with its low profile tires & 17" wheels. It won't turn a lot of heads but it looks good running about especially in the Tornado red color = Sharp! I wasn't actually considering this color until today, but now I'll have to give it some serious thought. It looks like that perfect Ferrari red if you get my meaning.

One of the first things you notice is how quiet the engine is, even on the outside. That familiar diesel clatter is just a memory, the only time you can really tell is under hard acceleration or if you pop the hood while it's running. Even at idle inside the car the engine is quite smooth. Put the 6 speed DSG selector in "D" and step on the gas and you're whisked away with what seems almost no perceptible RPM increase but lots of forward motion. The DSG shifts gears (with light pedal pressure) about every three seconds until it gets to 5th or 6th (depending on your towns speed limits) and then you basically drive around at idle speed all the time, it's kind of weird but cool. Around town if you have some long stretches between stop lights you can watch the instant MPG readout (on a square screen between the tach & speedo) climb to 50 or 60 MPG. Under normal acceleration from a stop light it goes as low as 28 MPG (oh no not that) *laughs*.

Driving impressions:

What really defines the driving experience with this car is the torque. Just a light push of the pedal will bring up the turbo with minimal lag and propel you forward and faster with ease. The most amazing thing is that the engine hardly ever goes above 2k RPM when driving around in town which makes for a very peaceful jaunt to the grocery store. So what's it like when you need to pass someone? Well you just hammer it and hold on to your hat, now you actually can HEAR the engine as you're pressed into your seat, tach needle sweeping from 2-3k on it's way to 4k and suddenly you look at your speedo and you're going 80 MPH. The spectacular thing is even while it's doing this maneuver it's so un-flappable about it. The Golf TDI never seems bothered by your inputs, it just does it with no complaining either as if to say - "thank you sir...may I have another!?"

The DSG transmission does have its quirks; it's a bit unsettling at first because it's shifting so quickly you barely have time to count the shifts especially in "D" mode which is the most economic setting. However then you can also select "S" or sport mode which then acts much more like a standard gasoline engine and automatic transmission, but of course that reduces your economy. When you really want to have fun, put it back to "D" and gate it to the right for shiftronic or manu-matic mode. Now on the steering wheel near the 3 & 9 o’clock positions you have paddle shift buttons a-la true sports car. This will make every person who wants a stick but has to have an automatic for the person in the family who HATES to drive a stick truly happy. Controlling this car with the shiftronic paddles is truly awesome. Taking on ramps in 3rd gear at 15 MPH over the recommended speed limit, the Golf TDI is flat & glued to the tarmac. Hammering the throttle coming out of the curves, up-shifting at about 3,500 RPM and you're up to 80 MPH in what seems like only mere moments of seamless powerful forward motion. The GTI suspension tuning is nothing short of awe inspiring, great job VW chassis engineers!

Under normal interstate cruising speeds (at say 70-80 MPH) there was more road noise than I expected to hear. The road noise was quite livable at 55-60 MPH, but does become pretty noticeable at 70 or above. The Golf TDI has wonderful on center feel, and the most communicative steering I've ever felt out of a compact class car, this was more like go-kart quality with light power assist. For normal commuting at 55 MPH I saw the engine runs at just under 1,800 rpm, and while doing that with cruise control set the instant MPG was reading 50 MPG. Switching on the air conditioning proved to rob about 5 MPG (down to 44 MPG) but the engine didn't even know it was on, you can hardly tell the difference when accelerating with so much torque on tap. The Golf TDI gives you a ton of confidence on the road, like you may be the smallest guy on it but you have the lowest cost per mile and more torque than just about every other car you see. With its superb handling you can get in and out of any traffic situation. The brakes are very powerful but the pedal has quite a bit of travel, which was unexpected based on how tight the suspension feels. However that may have been a quirk of this particular car so I'm not holding that against it.

Overall I'm very pleased and somewhat surprised about the Golf TDI, it's truly an amazing machine. So much so that it feels too good to be true. The pricing is certainly something of a deterrent, and VW's quality issues that haunted it at the turn of the century loom large in my mind. But it's not the same company or the same quality it was ten years ago. The scores reflect my true observations, but my heart says BUY IT you won't be disappointed. Time will tell. Thanks to Rob at Fox Valley VW (Schaumburg IL) for the lengthy test drive to get all this figured out.

Edit update 6/3: I just found out that Hintzie Oil in my town sells bio-diesel from May through Sept! That is awesome 5 months of 45 + MPG and NO PETROLEUM used! Take that oil companies. This definitely ups the "must have score".

The Tommeter:

Comfort - 7
Design interior - 6
Design exterior - 7
Powertrain - 8
Handling - 9
Fuel economy - 10

Electronics/convenience - 7
Engine note - 6
Fit & function - 7
Must have factor - 10

Total: 77/100

Want more photos? Go here:http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/gallery.aspx?year=2010&make=Volkswagen&model=Golf&trimid=-1

Want full specs? Go here: http://www.edmunds.com/new/2010/volkswagen/golf/101208149/specs.html