Track & Back
Auto Reviews
Veteran motorhead/automotive journalist Paul Duchene drives thenewest cars so you don't have to...his wisdom in about 300 words.
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2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Auto
Price as tested: $23,015
27 mpg city: 37 mpg highway
Likes: Excellent design blends Sonata cues into a useful five-door hatchback. 148 hp, 1.8-liter DOHC 4-cylinder has variable valve timing, and is faster than you think. 6-speed auto trans is quick-shifting, with tilt-telescope wheel-mounted paddles for the fidgety. Stylish interior is well-finished, with panoramic double sunroof. Gauges well placed, controls simple and obvious and 7-inch Nav screen very sharp. Disc brakes all round, dual-zone climate control, multiple air bags and curtains, active head rests and belt pre-tensioners, ABS, traction control, electronic stability, power windows, mirrors, remote locking. Nice interior materials, heated leather seats. Back seat suprisingly OK for adults. 7-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 XM stereo, Bluetooth. 14.8 cu ft trunk, and 100,000-mile, 7-year transferable warranty. Surprisingly quiet on the highway (take note: Honda and Nissan).
Dislikes: The same old complaint about mag wheels and curbs and these wheels were really nice. Steering rather dead on center, front spoiler rather low for parking blocks.
Fun to drive ***
Fun to look at ****
Overall ownership experience ***
Verdict: Very pretty car, with good manners. Combines bargain price with decent performance, good looks and decent inside space. In all, an excellent package for $24K, a hatchback sedan that’s really got away from the four-door Rabbit effect. Despite the recent fuss, estimated mileage was about right. I’d have preferred a 6-speed stick.
2013 Honda Accord 4-Door Sport
Price as tested: $24,980
EPA mileage: 26 mpg City, 35 mpg Highway
Likes: Overall, still the benchmark family sedan. 2.4-liter, 189 hp V-TEC, 4-cylinder with variable cylinder management is adequate, 10 airbags, vehicle stability assist, brake assist, tire pressure monitoring, pre-tension seat belts, active front head restraints. Handling, brakes and steering capable. Solid finish, plenty of room, smart instrument layout, dual-zone climate control, power driver’s seat, windows, locks, huge trunk with pass-through, rear view camera. 160-Watt AM/FM/6CD/MP3 radio with Pandora and bluetooth. Will probably last 300,000 miles.
Dislikes: Plain Jane Accord is $8K cheaper than loaded V6 version, but it’s not fast, has lots of highway noise and the CVT transmission is annoying. 23.5 mpg around town, so 35 mpg highway might be a stretch. Cloth interior still cheap for an Accord, rear seat does not fold down. No XM radio. Unlocking doors to let passengers out is a pain. Cheaper wheels and tires can be curbed.
Fun to Drive: **
Fun to Look at: ***
Overall Experience: ***
Verdict: Still a good lesson in not cutting corners, the upgraded version of this car is significantly better in all regards and will be much more fun to own. I’d opt for a low-mileage or leftover 2012 V6.
2014 Acura RLX Advance
Price as tested: $61,345
EPA mileage: 20 mpg City; 31 mpg Highway
Likes: Capable mid-size sedan with every bell and whistle you can imagine. 3.7-liter SOHC, 310 horsepower VTEC V6 has plent of zip, 6-speed auto is worth using manually with paddles. Controls simple, all seats are heated leather and front seats are 12-way adjustable, multiple safety systems, include airbags, traction control, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, departure warning, blind spot information, collision mitigation braking, navigation with voice recognition, real time traffic conditions, AM/FM/DVD-A/CD/DTS/XM radio, with 14 speakers, Bluetooth hands-free phone. Power moonroof, navigation with voice recognition, automatic brake warning, very cool multiple jewel LED headlights.
Dislikes: Expensive and, dare I say it, over-engineered. Still with no cachet. Bland exterior. Thirsty.
Fun to Drive: **
Fun to Look at: **
Overall Experience: **
Verdict: Acura ditched the slow selling AWD RL (379 total sales in 2012) for the front-wheel drive RLX, clearly aimed at the 5 series BMW. Even with the RLX’s four-wheel steering, an Edmunds track day determined that a 2011 BMW 535i came out ahead on every category. Then there’s the issue of branding, which leads to resale demand. BMW sold 56,798 5 Series sedans in 2012. That popularity is likely to be sustained throughout the 5 Series life, while Acura is looking more and more like an expensive historical footnote.
2013 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite
Price as tested: $44,755
19 mpg city/28 mpg highway
Likes: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Still the class leader; 248-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-Tec, SOHC V6 provides 0-60 mph in 7.9 seconds. Six-speed automatic, 4-wheel disc brakes. Heated front seats, can take seven adults easily, rear access is reasonable. Second row center seat can be moved forward to accommodate child seat, tumble-home third row disappears into floor. Tilt-telescope wheel, multiple-zone climate control, navigation with voice recognition, 16” DVD in rear can be split for two functions. 12-speaker AM/FM/DVD/XM stereo with MP3, Bluetooth, USB port and headsets. Noise-canceling technology quiet at highway speed, Superior brakes and handling for a minivan, multiple airbags, power everything, brake assist, electronic brake distribution, power moonroof, rear view camera, blind spot warning, two power sliding doors, power tailgate. Enormous: 38 cubic feet with all seats in place, 93 when third row folded, 148 when second row removed.
Dislikes: Expensive when fully loaded, though LX model does start at $28,675. Dash controls busy (80 buttons), power side doors are fiddly to work. No door lock on passenger side; if you have to use key, you must risk stepping into traffic. Second row seats must be removed for maximum storage; they do not fold forward or down, which is a nuisance. No 4WD availability.
Fun to drive ***
Fun to look at **
Overall ownership experience ***
Verdict: Still the best mini-van you can buy – though you won’t spend this much unless you have a job for it to do. That said, it’s a no-brainer, with near Accord performance in something that feels twice as big. Tumble-home third row seats a brilliant idea. However the Toyota Sienna offers AWD – and at this price you’d probably want it – while the Nissan Quest has a second row of seats that fold away. Still, if you have multiple kids who play sports, you can figure on a useful 250K miles from the Odyssey. This might be the only car your children know, until they get their driving licenses.
2013 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD
Price as tested: $30,415
Gas mileage: 25 City/ 31 Highway
Likes: New Mazda SUV is sporty and useful at the same time, with positive steering, good handling and firm ride. In fact it won NWAPA’s compact category in the 2012 Mudfest contest. The Skyactive DOHC 2-liter four-cylinder engine offers 155 hp, with direct injection, variable valve-timing and 13:1 compression to make all that happen. 0-60 comes up in about 8 seconds, not bad for a 3,300lb AWD SUV. The six-speed automatic transmission can be manually shifted, there are disc brakes all round and the steering is electronic, but has good feel. The dash is well-organized and well-finished, including a 5.8-inch screen, with a rear-view camera, and the test car had dual climate controls, heated leather seats (driver’s has 3-position memory), 40-20-40 rear seat split, multiple air bags and rain-sensing wipers. The stereo was a Bose AM/FM/CD/XM/MP3 and Bluetooth hands-free phone capability.
Dislikes: Not many. It must be driven hard to be quick, which suggests towing anything bigger than a Sunfish might be a challenge. Doors must be closed firmly or they don’t latch, and that includes the rear hatch. I’d rather have the 6-speed stick than the 5-speed automatic, to get the best out of the revvy motor. Brake pedal requires firm pressure.
Fun to drive ****
Fun to look at ***
Overall ownership experience ****
Verdict: This reminds me a lot of what the first Subaru Forester first set out to do, 15 years ago. It’s noticeably smaller than the CX-9 and CX7, but boxier and more practical. It’s lively and fun and does not assume you’re going seriously off road or will be pulling a trailer. Thank God the Cheshire Cat grille is gone. Now, where are my sensible shoes?
2013 Honda CR-V AWD
pRICE aS tESTED: $31,025
gAS mILEAGE: 22 cITY, 30 hIGHWAY
Dislikes: Could be quicker but 30 mpg is a good trade-off. No third seat, and limited towing capacity with 4-banger.
Fun to Drive: ***
Fun to Look at: ***
Overall Experience: ***
Verdict: Jury’s out this year, with a vastly improved Toyota Rav-4 coming to market. My guess is it will take sales from the others and the CR-V will stay comfortably ahead, until the next redesign. Will last for 250,000 miles, and buyers could reasonably expect their children to go from baby seats, to driving it to the prom.
2013 Lexus GS450h sedan
Price: $69,827
Mileage: 29 mpg city, 34 highway
Likes: Handsomely redesigned, immensely capable grand routier, easy to drive fast, comfortable and predictable. 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve Atkinson-cycle V-6, produces 286 hp, 254 lb-ft of torque but permanent magnet electric motor gives a combined power rating of 338 hp. The front electric motor handles the charging, rear adds power when you want it. Surprisingly fast in sport mode, when eco-meter turns into tach. 0-60 in 5.7 seconds; top speed limited to 136 mph. CVT transmission has manual shifting mode, but adapts to dual-power system quite well. Beautiful finish, heated and cooled comfortable seats, very quiet at speed and 35 mpg on the highway. Sun shades for rear passengers. Three-zone climate control. Multiple airbags; all current safety devices, including collision avoidance and lane-change warnings. Mark Levinson stereo, heated and cooled seats, speed-sensitive steering.
Gripes: Navigation system still not intuitive, console infotainment “mouse” control annoying.
Fun to drive ****
Fun to look at ***
Overall experience****
Verdict: Unobtrusive as a Savile Row suit. Quiet and surprisingly economical. Will undoubtedly last for 300,000 miles. Amortize the purchase price over that distance and it’s .23 cents per mile. Of course the gas will cost you about $30,000 in that time, at $3.50 a gallon.
2013 Acura ILX Tech
Price: $32,295
Fuel economy 24 city, 35 highway
Likes: Decent performer: 150 hp SOHC 2-liter 4-cylinder much better than feeble 111 hp 1.5-liter hybrid . Five speed automatic transmission, (no CVT thank God) anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, traction control, stability assist, 10 air bags, dual-zone air conditioning, moon roof, multiple air bags, navigation with voice recognition, straightforward controls. Decent stereo with AM/FM/CD/XM/MP3 ipod etc hard disc. Heated leather seats a huge improvement over the Civic’s flimsy cloth. Superior wiper sweep, power windows, door locks, brakes, electronic steering and rear camera.
Gripes: Like all Civics, the ILX is offensively noisy at highway speeds. 24 mpg not impressive in this category. No spare tire.
Fun to drive **
Fun to look at *
Overall experience**
Verdict: 40 mpg is the new 30, and when bigger cars like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord get better mileage than this pipsqueak, it’s clear that somebody at Acura was surfing the web during office hours. I’m not sure where Honda goes from here; the Acura ILX is small for the money, noisy and doesn't get very good mileage. The bar in this category has been raised a lot since this platform was laid down five or six years ago. Maybe this is Honda’s Cadillac Cimarron: no matter how that was fancied up, it was a Chevy Cavalier at heart. Would you pay $32,000 for a Honda Civic? Thought not. Me neither. Buy an Accord or a Camry and have some decent resale too.
2013 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring AWD
Price as tested: $39,605
Likes: Mazda’s most sophisticated SUV has benefitted from a facelift but otherwise it’s still well sorted. All-wheel drive; DOHC, 3.7-liter, 273hp V6 has enough grunt to scoot its 4,400 lbs from 0-60 in 7.9 seconds through 6-speed auto trans with sport shift. Precise speed-sensitive power steering and excellent brakes. Well balanced; car can be driven aggressively without scaring yourself. Active torque split AWD, rain-sensing wipers, Traffic proximity warnings, backup camera. Speed sensing door locks, multiple airbags, mostly 5-star safety ratings. Keyless entry, heated leather seats (driver’s with memory), dash well organized, gauges clear, three-zone climate controls, power moon roof. Excellent Bose sound system with MP3/Bluetooth capability CD and XM. 100cubic feet of storage with all seats down. Power tailgate a nice touch.
Dislikes: Not many. Middle passenger in back seat won’t be comfortable. Third seat confined to short, athletic children. Not much rear storage with all seats up (17 cu feet), though underseat locker helps. Thirsty – 16 mpg around town. Traffic proximity warnings a bit cautious.
Fun to drive ***
Fun to look at ***
Overall ownership experience ***
Verdict: Useful mid-size SUV, but the new CX-5 sold 43,319 units this year, all at the expense of the CX-7 and CX-9, so mileage must be a big factor. The CX-9 is good but it’s showing its age. If 40 mpg is the new 30 for mid-sized sedans, 27 mpg is the new 15 for mid-sized SUVs. Unless gas prices continue to go down, the disparity in sales between the CX-9 and CX-5 will widen.
2013 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD
Price as tested: $30,415
Gas mileage: 25 City/31 Highway
Likes: New Mazda SUV is sporty and useful at the same time, with positive steering, good handling and firm ride. In fact it won NWAPA’s compact category in the 2012 Mudfest contest. The Skyactive DOHC 2-liter four-cylinder engine offers 155 hp, with direct injection, variable valve-timing and 13:1 compression to make all that happen. 0-60 comes up in about 8 seconds, not bad for a 3,300lb AWD SUV. The six-speed automatic transmission can be manually shifted, there are disc brakes all round and the steering is electronic, but has good feel. The dash is well-organized and well-finished, including a 5.8-inch screen, with a rear-view camera, and the test car had dual climate controls, heated leather seats (driver’s has 3-position memory), 40-20-40 rear seat split, multiple air bags and rain-sensing wipers. The stereo was a Bose AM/FM/CD/XM/MP3 and Bluetooth hands-free phone capability.
Dislikes: Not many. It must be driven hard to be quick, which suggests towing anything bigger than a Sunfish might be a challenge. Doors must be closed firmly or they don’t latch, and that includes the rear hatch. I’d rather have the 6-speed stick than the 5-speed automatic, to get the best out of the revvy motor. Brake pedal requires firm pressure.
Fun to drive ****
Fun to look at ***
Overall ownership experience ****
Verdict: This reminds me a lot of what the first Subaru Forester first set out to do, 15 years ago. It’s noticeably smaller than the CX-9 and CX7, but boxier and more practical. It’s lively and fun and does not assume you’re going seriously off road or will be pulling a trailer. Thank God the Cheshire Cat grille is gone. Now, where are my sensible shoes?
2012 Kia Soul!
Price: $20,350
Mileage: 26 city, 34 highway
Likes: Updated and nippy SUV, which somehow extracts more style from a little box than you expect. 0-60 in 8.8 seconds, thanks to 164-horsepower VVT DOHC 4-cylinder and six-speed automatic transmission, which returns 34 mpg highway. Simple interior, instruments clear, controls intuitive. Reasonably quiet at speed, capable handling, handsome 18-inch mags. Excellent steering and AWD disc brakes, multiple air bags and curtains, four star crash ratimg. Decent stereo/CD/XM/MP3 etc. Remote entry, power windows, moonroof, backup camera, 53 cubic feet with rear seats down, 19 when they’re up. Will seat four adults. 10 year 100,000 warranty. Quirky interior lighting.
Gripes: Not as much storage as some competitors, especially with seats up. Could be quieter, AWD would be attractive option. Dashboard design still a bit clunky.
Fun to drive ***
Fun to look at ****
Overall experience****
Verdict: Charming and useful small wagon that’s very good value as well. Responsive and handles quite well for tall, boxy configuration. Look for Kia to grow the brand the same way Mini has, and check out Chicago Auto Show Track’ster, a chopped three-door concept, which has 250-horsepower turbo four, 6-speed manual transmission, big fender flares and wide wheels like Renault R5 Turbo, and electronic all-wheel drive. WRC anyone?
