I was a writing up a review of the new Toyota Prius for a publication I write for (print only), which by the way was a pretty glowing test as they did some great things to this iconic Hybrid. They actually made the thing more like the 2004-2009 generation and thus changed some of the things I wasn’t wild about on the 2010-1015 version, and delivered better ride, handling, performance and even gas mileage. All in all an impressive accomplishment. I’ve actually got an older Prius somewhere, although the wife uses it so much I rarely see it. But I’ve always thought it was one of the most important cars in the last 50 years because it slashed fuel consumption yet demanded little in compromise from the owner. It beats the crap out of electric plug in autos in the this regard, and will continue to do so until fuel cell cars take over which will happen far sooner than the self-driving autos that so many seem to think are just around the corner.

I decided to scribble something on this hideous space about this fine machine because there was an interesting thing that I was initially fooled by, and that’s my own fault. You see, I’ve noticed that all Toyota hybrids up to this point (except plug-in versions) have used nickel-metal-hydride batteries to power the electric motor(s) in the drivetrain. Other OEMs have gone with Lithium-ion batteries as they are more powerful and weigh less, thus are attractive. But, as you know if you’re reading this on any kind of portable electronic device, Lithiums do have their drawbacks, and (until recently) they lost a lot of power when the charging cycle count gets high. These days they’re better than they were, but I still think there are other reasons why Toyota didn’t dump the old batteries and embrace them. The Ni-MH units have been real tough hombres, and served the Prius and other Toyota Hybrids really well. I note that the new RAV4 Hybrid has them, and so do the Lexus Hybrids. But wait: the new Prius is part of this frugal family and yet there is a difference. When I first glanced at the spec sheet, I saw Ni-MH batteries were used so I assumed that was that. But it turns out that’s just on the base model. The other units get new Lithiums, and I was actually surprised when I saw this. I mean, I knew the plug-in version had them, but this is an interesting change. The one I tested had the new batteries, and it was very peppy and mega efficient (something one typically desires in these vehicles).

I consulted Toyota and they confirmed they had made the change but also pointed out the older battery technology was still used, largely because (and something I didn’t know) some countries won’t allow cars with Li-ion batteries to be sold. It’s a heat thing, I think, and they don’t trust the buggers. Interesting, no? Meanwhile, pretty much everybody else is using the oversized laptop cells and the Ni-MH are starting to vanish.

I prefer the old batteries, but I’m weird. I prefer mechanical analog watches for scuba diving, and use a dive computer sparingly if at all. Anytime I forget my smartphone at home I feel like I’ve done something desirable. There will be no Internet of Things in my house, as I hate introducing complexity and more avenues of failure into any device or system when the innovation has no real value. Apple has just yanked the headphone jack from their new iPhone, and called this ludicrous move “courageous.” Indeed. But, to be fair, I’m probably being silly about the Hybrid battery thing. We’ll see if the new Prius system has the longevity of the old cells, and there are no additional issues. The rest of the car is a fine improvement as it’s lighter, stiffer, more responsive and has a tick more engine/motor interface refinement (which was already pretty decent on the older Prius). It’s a good car made better. Oh, but they need to lose the plastic inserts in the console and around the steering wheel. You’ll notice them right away. I think they’ll be gone with the next upgrade. Hope so. They are a strange evil in an otherwise decent interior.

Speaking of Hybrids getting better, I have to mention another car that was a big surprise and a really huge improvement over its predecessor: the Chevy Malibu Hybrid. It’s a chalk and cheese improvement over the old Hybrid, and you can thank the Volt for a lot of it. The car finally feels like a solidly engineered whole, rather than a cobbled together Hybrid version of another car. Engine/e-motor transitions are splendid, the car moves out well and is a pleasure to drive, and fuel economy is quite competitive. I was very impressed with the unit, and I tip my hat to all involved that turned the boat around so effectively. Oh, and the battery pack? Li-ion, of course. GM has a lot of experience with these rascals, so more power to them. I think. We’ll see if the new Honda Accord Hybrid is likewise improved, as the last version was less than stellar. I’ll have one to explore very soon. I reckon it will have Li-Ions too, like everybody else. Pity. I do likes me Nickels.

As I said, though, I’m weird. It will all be moot some anyway. Fuel Cells, baby. That’s the future. You’ll see.

Ah the great weirdness of the automobile. While many compare modern cars and come to the conclusion that they have become copies of each other (and therefore postulate that true variety and style are dead), I beg to differ in that there are some wonderfully odd ducks out there. The car I’m writing about in this posting is one such example, and I was flabbergasted (and even surprised) that it got noticed everywhere I drove it thanks to its plentiful lack of sameness. This machine is the antithesis of the muscle car, or muscular SUV, or the number one selling vehicle in these United States: the pickup truck. It’s more of an oversized gumdrop, and despite its dimensional similarity to the Mini Cooper it has its own very distinct personality. The Fiat 500 is a true Italian urban ride in that it’s tiny size makes it perfect for negotiating very tight roads, darting through traffic that is in a constant state of chaos and parking in very tiny patches of real estate. Now that Fiat has not only returned to the US market but owns Chrysler, the domestic version of the 500 has been seen popping up here and there and there are now multiple versions to go along with the 2-door coupe including a 4-door and, naturally, since this is a country obsessed with them, a crossover SUV.

But it’s this coupe that is the most iconic in my view, especially if you check out the 1957 version. There’s a lot of retro about in the modern car market, but most of it is kind of crapastic in my view. These candidates try too hard to be nostalgic and cool and they fail by missing the point. In other words, the stylistic cues are ones that focus more on details that don’t really capture the mood of a look that’s over a half century old. The Fiat 500 1957 is different. From the doggie-dish hubcaps to the color choices to the amazing interior that so cleverly mixes old style with new tech, this is a very stylish little beast. I like the Mini Cooper and its go-kart handling and all, but for whatever reason I prefer the Fiat 500 overall as it’s just more fun. It rides better too, and just has a quirkish charm that the Mini just doesn’t have. Performance is nothing to write home about (especially when saddled with the automatic gearbox, although it’s not as bad as you might think), but it does get job done and it has the one-two punch of tiny size and good fuel economy that make it a great choice for the city life. If you hate being noticed, steer clear of the 1957 model, though. It really catches the eye of the punters, but in a good way.

So here’s a good bit of aggressive counter-marketing, courtesy of the General Motors Corporation. Yes, this is a story about the new Ford F150, but bear with me for a minute.

If you’ve been paying attention, any attention at all, to the new 2015 Ford F150 pickup’s big bold changes, you know they have dived seriously into the pool of alternate materials to lower weight and raise the fuel economy of their best-selling vehicle. In this case, the new material means extensive use of aluminum in the body (including the pickup bed itself) which slashes the curb weight up to 700 lbs. They have been going on about this dramatic advancement for at least a year prior to the truck actually being available, and it has caused a bit of a stir among those interested in pickups (which are the largest share of vehicle buyers in the US). If I had to evaluate Ford’s pre-launch promotional strategy I’d have to say they did a good job, as there was certainly a lot of interest in the truck. Ford claimed not only better fuel economy but better performance, cargo capacity and towing ability not to mention superior rust resistance (very welcome in parts of the country like the Northeast, where insane amounts of salt are dumped on the roads during the winter).

So what did GM do? In a recent TV ad I observed they mentioned the Silverado’s “all steel” construction, or something to that effect. The bottom line was were clearly implying their product was better than that new aluminum thing from the other guys. I was quite surprised by this, as I thought it was just another way of pointing out how the Ford engineers were being pretty ambitious and trying something daring to make their trucks better. So the question is, is Ford’s move to Al-You-Minnie-Um the way of the future? Did this expensive gamble succeed, or is the F150 now a TV dinner tray with wheels? First, a couple of things about why using aluminum on this scale is no small task. The alloy is costly to produce and fabricate, but even more challenging is the fact that it takes a lot of engineering time and effort to replace steel pieces with aluminum so they do everything that is asked of it. Here’s a bit if inside pool I learned back in 2013: I was at the Range Rover Sport intro (scroll down, it’s easy to find thanks to my lack of fresh postings), where we got to hang out with some of the Land Rover engineers who made this highly advanced luxury SUV into a mink beast. It has a generous amount of aluminum construction, and one engineer told me the aluminum battle was made winnable thanks to the fact that the Jaguar engineers we pretty much across the hall from his group, and provided tremendous help (Jaguar has been a leader in modern aluminum car construction for decades). And who owned both these companies a few years ago, when a lot of the primary engineering was going on? Ford, of course. Intrigue! Jaguar and Land Rover are now the property of Tata Motors of India, but Ford gained heaps of aluminum engineering experience (and other things) while they owned these British icons. I can’t help but think it has helped tremendously with the creation of the new F150’s aluminum apparel. There’s still a boxed steel frame and lots of high-strength steel used on the truck, but the body panels and bed, and other bits and pieces are made of aluminum.

The test F150 SuperCrew 4X4 I sampled had the 3.5-liter EcoBoost turbo V6 under the bonnet, which generates 365 horsepower and 420 lbs.-ft. of torque. The engine feels strong, with no dramatic spikes in power that turbos used to have but rather a flat, tractable power curve. It feels much like a V8, but is designed to use much less fuel. That said, I’ve yet to drive an EcoBoost that was dramatically more frugal than V8 counterparts; with this truck I averaged 17 MPG. Thanks to the muscle and lesser mass, acceleration is brisk and the big question I always have with these new engines is long term durability. Turbos have far more parts and require a lot more integrity out of the “host” engine than regularly aspirated engines, and there’s a lot more that can go wrong compared to non-turbo mills. I know, long haul truckers will laugh and mention that turbo diesels last for billions of miles, but the fact is a diesel is much more fortified to begin with thanks to its high-compression nature. I’m sure Ford has reinforced and tested the bejeesus out of their EcoBoost truck engines to make sure they’re going to last, but I could see why potential owners might be a tad wary. The engine does carry a $1995 price premium according to our sticker, and there’s still an ol’ 5-liter V8 with more horsepower that’s also offered on the truck.

Anyhow, the truck drives on a par with the competition, and the 6-speed automatic is a good fit with this engine. The lighter weight doesn’t in any way interfere with the truck’s feeling of solidarity, as the aluminum bed feels quite stout and capable of taking some punishment. Where things get weird is ride quality and winter traction, as the unloaded truck did have some traction issues in snow and the ride quality was a tad on the firm side, which became quite busy on rough pavement. Maybe the tuning is deliberate, as the truck may be lighter but it still feels quite substantial. A lot of buyers like such a personality, and it helps gives the truck the rugged image that so many want in their hefty hoopy. On particularly nasty frost heaves, the truck bounced around like pretty much every other full-size does, so the big advancements with this truck don’t extend to ride quality. Another thing that surprised me on this $52,000 truck was a non-counterbalanced tailgate, which if you’re used to one of these modern marvels like I am it makes the Ford’s feel a bit heavy. It did have the optional tailgate step, which is clever but ever since Ford introduced it a few years ago I’ve always wondered how a Mega Bubba would negotiate the thing without falling off and leaving a massive crater somewhere. Regardless, I think there is a lot of other optional kit that is quite useful, like a remote tailgate lock/release, on-board loading ramps, LED bed lighting and tons of other goodies. The XLT interior is well-designed and comfortable, including the SuperCrew’s rear seats that don’t offer as much room as the Tundra CrewMax or Ram Crew Cabs but there’s still plenty of space. Incidentally, the SuperCrew is the only way you can get four regular doors on a F150. Unlike Ram, GM and Toyota you can’t get an extended cab with front-hinged doors; you’re stuck with having to open the front door to open the rear-hinged hatches.

As for all the techy goods, yes, the F150 is loaded with all the latest electronic interface systems that so many people want as they’re just not distracted enough. At least the company is starting to roll back some touch screen stuff and reintroduce knobs in places where they are still the best way to do things. All the latest Stability and Trailer Sway mitigation black-box voodoo is of course on board, which is the best expression of modern technology on such vehicles anyway. Interestingly, the 4WD system has just 2Hi/4Hi /4low settings with no Automatic mode; you have to go to a higher trim level than our XLT to get that. So all in all, the new F150 is a bold move. Aluminum is more expensive to fabricate than steel, but it does have its attributes. As for the question of more expensive body repairs in the event of damage, this will likely be no big deal in the long run. Incidentally, Edmonds did one of the most ludicrous “tests” in recent memory when they took a sledge hammer to a new F150 and then saw what it would cost to get it fixed. It was about as unscientific as you can imagine and proved basically nothing. It did get a lot of page views I reckon, which is why they did it. Suffice it to say, your deductible will likely be all you’ll pay anyway and whether the overall insurance rate will change will take time to determine.

The Combination of EcoBoost engines and weight reduction looks great on paper, but whether this is the way to go for a work truck you need to last a decade or two is a tough call. I didn’t find all that much difference compared with the offerings of the other guys (I’ve reviewed all the latest from, GM, Ram and Toyota) who are arguably using older, but proven, technology. These things, like all current pickups, are getting really expensive but then they have a huge profit margin for the OEMs and folks seem to love them, especially while gas is cheap. The new F150 I’ll wager is the most expensive of the bunch to build, and I know Ford will work hard to keep the price competitive even if it means trimming their per-unit profit margin. The next few years will determine not only if the public adopts these new approaches, and but whether the competition starts to copy it. The company is certainly not resting on their laurels, or anybody else’s, and time will tell if these changes were worth the considerable effort and expense that produced them.

There’s always a conundrum when it comes to an automotive icon that’s been in existence for a long time. No matter what we’re talking about, whether it’s toasters, cars or Rolex watches, there will be one school of thought that says the latest iteration is vastly better than its predecessors, while another camp will state the older versions were awesome and the newbie is utter shite. Where you come down on this evaluation is obviously dependent on many things, not least is just personal taste. And while there are certainly objective and empirical criteria you can use, especially in the case of sports cars where performance can be carefully measured, there is still the whole personal taste thing. When it comes to an icon like the Chevy Corvette, what you have is a very polarizing beast as the following for the older editions is a passionate one and with each new version you typically get a substantial amount of bitching. It’s good sport to point out that new model is a shadow of its former self, or at least it seems that way for a lot of enthusiasts.

This time around, though, things seem a little different. Not that I’ve been conducting any research whatsoever into the opinions of others about the 2014 Corvette Stingray, you understand. I have just been absorbing some of the odd comments in car circles, and when you drive a flaming red example around for a week you get more unsolicited opinions than you can imagine. Nothing I’ve reviewed in recent memory has received more attention than this new version of America’s most famous sports coupe. The reaction seemed quite positive, which like I said is not always the case when a new version of the Vette surfaces. It has done a splendid job of blending some of the older styling elements (and even some traditional chassis touches like the use of composite transverse leaf springs) with some serious state-of-the-art materials to blend the traditional and the exotic in a very compelling way. It the kind of chassis where it appears the engineers and designers had much more of a budget to work with, so they could use the kind of trick solutions they really wanted to. In addition to the hard parts, the car is chock full of the latest in electronics including a slew of drive modes (Eco, Weather, Touring, Sport, Track and HoochRunner. OK, I made that last one up) that control a dozen different parameters of the car’s performance. Like putting sneakers on a dragon, there’s not much difference in overall performance with the various settings that I observed, anyway.

But this is fine, because unlike the stealth fighter which would be quite unstable without the computer systems it depended on to constantly tweak things so it would stay in the air, the Stingray is a really solid sporting platform that doesn’t need all the computer aides to rock and roll (although they can certainly help especially if you get a bit overzealous). The near-perfect balance of the car, along with that massive engine combine to make this stylish eye-magnet such a blast to drive. The sport seats cradle you comfortably, and the adaptable flat-screen instruments make the world that’s flying by in a blur make at least a bit of sense. It’s a surprisingly forgiving car in many ways, allowing you to safely enjoy it’s absurdly deep performance envelope. We were saddled with the 6-Speed Paddle-Shift Automatic gearbox, and it was still great fun (although you still should go with the manual). The Z51 Performance Package which is loaded with good things like upgraded suspension rates, heavy-duty cooling, an electronic limited-slip rear end and other tricks takes the standard version a step further. Like all Corvettes of the recent past there’s a lot of exotica in the car’s construction yet it is surprisingly subtle in how it goes about its business.

Or at least, it is from low-key the operator’s point of view. As for the outside world, people are drawn to this car like a cat to a cricket. This is a testament to the styling and execution of the form, but what’s even more laudable is the hard parts live up to the ultra-light bodywork’s promise of high performance. The new Stingray really does seem to be one of the best Corvettes to come down the road in a long while, and that’s welcome news indeed.

His name was Jonathan. He was British by heritage but currently resides in Vermont when he’s not working as a Teamster in the motion picture business. He was my off-road driving coach, provided by the Land Rover team that was conducting the launch of the all-new Range Rover Sport in and about the heart of California’s Silicon Valley. In addition to being a very nice fellow, he is quite good at his job as he’s worked all over the world training all kinds of people how to get from Point A to Point B when they work for the likes of Doctors Without Borders and other life-saving NGOs. This often means going where roads are laughable (often referred to as “roads”), and successfully negotiating really nasty terrain to get to where help is needed can be as critical to the life-saving business as the work itself.

What really impressed me about this whole exercise was not just Jonathan’s excellent tutelage but the vehicle we were operating, for this luxurious, erudite SUV was doing the lion’s share of terrain management with its dizzying assortment of computerized driving aides. This same machine had earlier in the day been a first-class tarmac tamer, displaying tight, taut suspension control (helped by some black-box goodness that calls itself Dynamic Response) and a glorious Supercharged V8 that powered us from apex to apex like its Jaguar siblings. But thanks to an air suspension that delivers a surprising amount of additional ground clearance when the proper mode is selected (and squats low to aid ingress), the vehicle negotiated some very nasty hills and moguls with complete ease. It’s really become so amazingly automated that you have to learn a new type of off-road driving technique that lets you exploit all the silicon brains to handle traction, output and braking while you concentrate on steering around obstacles (like awe-inspiring 1,000-year-old redwoods). The magic is called Terrain Response 2, and Range Rover states that “the new system is able to switch completely automatically between the five settings: General, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud/Ruts, Sand and Rock Crawl.” On trails that looked like they’d be a chore to even walk on, the Rover Sport clawed up, over and through, without a creak or moan out of the unibody chassis. The chassis rigidity is important, and not just because it’s required on a vehicle capable of true off-road work. You see, I was under the false impression that the previous iteration of big Range Rover Sport had already ditched the body-on-frame construction for a unitized design.

But as I learned, this was not the case. What was used previously was sort of a “hybrid” construction that melded elements of a stout ladder frame with unitized body structure. The new-from-the-ground-up design is an amazingly stiff, stout aluminum structure, bonded with an adhesive that works down to the molecular level and then gets the living crap riveted out of it for good measure. It’s not only stiff enough to cope with rocks and moguls; it should make the Range Rover Sport a very safe place to be in a collision. An engineer told me that Jaguar designers helped with the chassis, thanks to their extensive experience working with aluminum to shape body structures and build very stout chassis elements. They had a Sport that was sliced perfectly in half so we could see the inner design, and it was a very fascinating display to poke around and study. Ultimately, the new Sport is 800 lbs. lighter than its predecessor which is nothing short of amazing.

As this is a driving impression based on a press launch, I won’t go into more detail until I have one to test for a week. But overall, the Sport was a very, very interesting vehicle. Here’s an observation I noticed that I can pass on, regarding engine choices. There is a Supercharged 3-liter V6 with 340 horsepower along with a Supercharged 5-liter V8 with 510 horsepower available, and both of these engines are mated to an 8-Speed automatic transmission. We got to drive both on the serpentine roads around Silicon Valley and here’s an oddity: I actually liked the V6 on the road more than the V8, despite the bigger mill’s additional power. The V6 version is about 300 lbs. lighter, which may have explained while it just felt a bit more agile in the tighter stuff. Both have excellent agility on road or off, and are packed with all the latest black box magic.

This new upscale member of the Land Rover group is armed to the gills with all kinds of impressive technology, and it has been tested extensively (in over 20 countries) to shake down all the new engineering. If the ones we drove at the North American launch are any indication, there’s a seriously solid new luxury SUV on the market. A more thorough examination will arrive when I spend more time with one.

True confession: I’ve always had a soft spot for Mitsubishi autos because many years ago the wife-unit used to have one and yes, it had its faults. But it was a very fine wagon with an Inline Four that idled with scary, almost mystical smoothness. Fast forward to years later, when the first Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (aka the EVO, hence the odd Devo reference) found its way to my driveway. I immediately was smitten with its wild-child power, it’s ultra-clingy suspension and All-Wheel-Drive, and its wonderful Recaro seats. It was a strange car in every aspect including its name, as I don’t even remember which version of the Evolution it was as the US never saw the first versions which were carving up tarmac in other markets for a few years. There are many Roman Numerals that follow this car like a security SUV in a gated community, and America wasn’t the first market for this wily sedan.

But this is not a retrospective piece, but rather a commentary on the the 2014 model (even though it’s not 2014 yet. How do they do that? Witchcraft!). In many ways it is a typical EVO with the strengths and weaknesses its always had, and I’ll start on the negative first to get it out of the way. This is a $45K car, yet the doors still sound like you slammed an empty filing cabinet closed when you shut them. Likewise there’s lots of cheapish plastic in the interior, and the radio/nav interface is less than brilliant. You will also not set any gas mileage records, for this highly-strung turbocharged dragonette doesn’t (if you will pardon the expression) roll like that.

But other than these foibles, the rest is a bit excellent. The hard parts of this car are a rally racer’s dream, and it’s no surprise it had much success sliding around in the dirt all over the world. First there’s the mill mentioned earlier, which despite its modest 2-liter displacement belts out 291 horsepower of intercooled turbo goodness. Since this vehicle weighs considerably less than a Hummer or even a Tesla S (which is a bit of a tub in terms of mass), it flies low with little effort. This light footprint also helps the chassis flick about with the greatest of ease, as well as stop like a junkyard dog on a chain with the help of some seriously potent Brembos. One area of contention in my camp has been the 6-speed Twin-Clutch SporTronic® Shift Transmission (TC-SST), but they have really sorted this gearbox out brilliantly and it finally achieves what they set out to do-instant, sharp gear changes that maximizes all available power. The manual mode includes steering wheel paddles (which are now downright common), and this is further enhanced by Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control All Wheel Drive with 3 modes: Tarmac, Gravel and Snow to fine-tune response. Is it quick? Very. I clocked 0-60 runs in just over 6 seconds in less than ideal circumstances. Our MR model also included Bilstein shocks and Eibach springs, and both offered a (very) firm ride but worked better and better over more challenging pavements as the pace increased. As in the past, steering feedback was excellent. Also similar to past iterations is the use of Recaro buckets to help restrain your innards from flying around the cabin during “antics.” These are very comfortable for the driver, although it should be said my passenger wasn’t wild about them. More adjustments might help this situation, although the design of these fine perches are so focused on the business of driving they do seem odd to those used to “regular” car seats.

All the rest is less than silence, as the car had an optional (and very powerful) 710-watt Rockford Fosgate sound system, incorporated with the standard 6.1-inch central graphic display. There’s a lot of cheapish plastic, which like I mentioned when talking about the door’s acoustics seems out of place on a $45K machine. But the thing is, the money does get spent on the right stuff. From the drivetrain to the chassis to those pilot-quality Recaros the EVO is still a true street-legal rally car that is a peerless joy to flog. As many in the automotive press seem to be on a deathwatch for Mitsubishi’s car concern in the US, it’s wicked little demons like this pumped-up Lancer that make me hope for their survival. It really is unique, and like the company itself worth our patronage.

Despite the fact that I’ve never really had the Pony Car gene (although I have driven many entertaining representatives of the breed over the years), I’ve enjoyed the renaissance of the Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger. As a rule I haven’t been a fan of these weighty sportsters unless there’s something unusually compelling about the candidate in question. But the fact is, all the OEMs have done a very good job lately at refining and polishing these entertaining rides while upping the performance to very interesting levels. In the case of the Ford Mustang, they’ve done many great things to the styling, chassis and drivetrain and what’s most intriguing to me is how well the car does in the suspension department considering it still uses the seeming ancient live rear axle. I recently spent some quality time with the 2014 Mustang GT and of all the fun bits I’m still fascinated by that Conestoga-era rear end, and how well they’ve made this cheap, unsophisticated piece work quite satisfactorily in the vast majority of situations you’re likely to encounter.

Here’s a weird aside for those that like weird asides. Awhile back I was testing the latest generation of the Ford Superduty pickup, which in 4X4 guise had a straight front axle (unlike it’s arch nemesis the Chevy/GM HD pickup). At the time I remember thinking the beast had pretty decent front end manners considering how primitive (and rugged) the set-up was. I remember thinking that since the engineers have spent eons working with a straight axle, they have developed things pretty much as far as they could go considering a bump on one wheel will still get transferred to the other side of the axle, and thus effect handling depending on the severity of the jolt. But the big truck was acceptably compliant and you wouldn’t realize it was using ancient tech except under specific situations.

Which brings it to the new Mustang GT. It has a very contemporary independent front suspension, and a very ancient straight rear axle. However, one must note the Ancient One has very advanced dampers, and all manner of slick links (some composed of aluminum to minimize the unsprung weight and response time). It’s not near as clumsy as live axle setups of the past, and delivers a decent ride as well. All in all the composure and handling are quite competent, and allow you to exploit the goodness of the stout, rear-drive architecture.

Of course, there is an engine and transmission involved in this exploitation. In the case of the former, we have a 5-liter V8 with a robust 420 horsepower and both an absolutely excellent exhaust note and an intoxicating intake howl. You get to pick from either a 6-Speed manual or 6-Speed Automatic, and we had the manual gearbox which like the rest of the car has undergone years of tweaking to now fits its role like a velvet glove. (velvet glove? I can’t recall ever wearing one so let’s say it fits like a well-worn leather motorcycle gauntlet. This is all in the interest of accurate metaphors and such. We all care deeply about such things, yes? Of course).

Both the shifter ergos and the ratios of the six speeds were spot on, and the clutch effort was nigh on perfect for my tastes. This makes the car a welcome companion when you’re hammering down a curvy bit of blacktop or just tootling to the store. The car can get to 60 MPH in around six seconds without breaking much of a sweat, and the super-sized Brembo front discs bring things to a halt in short order.

The GT I tested was blissfully free of a touch screen (available as an option in the NAV package), and while a navigation system can certainly benefit from the Kewl Kid’s favorite tech it has come to my attention that (and this goes for the bulk of voice activation activation juju as well) you can do things faster and more efficiently using conventional knobs and switches provided they’re intelligently placed (and I’m including voice activation in the universe of making things more complex as well). The big, round analog tach and speedo pods look very retro as they are supposed to do, with a fairly big trip computer in-between that pushes said pods kind of far from each other. Our GT had the optional Recaro buckets that I found wonderfully supportive but my passenger found unyielding and uncomfortable. The steering wheel tilts but doesn’t telescope, which is odd for a driver’s car you should be able to fine-tune to your physique.

Ultimately the new Mustang GT benefits from being a well-integrated whole as opposed to a collection of good parts, which is always a welcome discovery when you put miles on such an auto. Even though I’m not a Mustang addict I really enjoyed the car and looked forward to every outing in it. It felt solid, planted and yet still managed a classy bit of understatement, and it would be a tough pick between this and the Boss 302 I really liked in 2012. Who knows how I would feel if one component was missing, like the Recaros or the Brembos. But as equipped, the $40,330 car was just right. True, at around 16 MPG it isn’t a fuel economy champ but then this is not a car people tend to purchase with economy in mind.

And Then the Top Came Off

Ford was generous enough to see to it that I got to experience another, very different member of the 2014 Mustang family with the loan of a V6 Convertible with an Automatic transmission. So here I sampled the “other” Mustang powertrain along with a bit of drop-top living, and this unit was equipped with a navigation system with touch screen and a back-up camera.

The V6 puts out a respectable 305 horsepower, and coupled with the 6-speed Auto moves out well (0-60 averaged under 8 seconds). What it lacks in sheer thrust it makes up for with refinement and surprisingly decent fuel economy (I averaged nearly 22 MPG in a week of mixed driving; quite an improvement over ye olde GT). The cloth top deploys and retracts easily at the touch of a button (and the flipping of a few levers), and seals well. The car is surprisingly quiet on the highway with the top up, and fairly turbulent-free with it folded away. The typical convertible drawbacks are here in the form of a smallish (but still usable) trunk, and some unpleasant cowl shake over rough roads. The last bit is still pretty common when coupes are made into convertibles as the unibody structure is reinforced but not enough to eliminate the phenomena, but it’s not the worse I’ve ever seen.

The inclusion of a touch screen adds Navigation functionality and the welcome back-up camera as I mentioned, but it also makes many radio functions more finicky than the more straightforward GT was. But, these days drivers touch screens seem to be all the rage and Ford is working hard to makes such systems more logical and intuitive. It’s not awful; it’s just that I hate making things more complex just because the new gadgets will fit in the car.

Overall, the latest generation of the Mustang is a fine piece that just gets better the more they tweak. The retro styling in my view is spot-on, inside and out. There are some practical downsides of course, but as everyone knows logical transportation is not exactly what this breed is about. And that old live axle keeps on keeping on, although I think its days are numbered. But it does work surprisingly well, and is a credit to the engineers who keep teaching this old dog new tricks. I prefer the GT for it’s driving manners, but the convertible is its own fun. Imagine: a car you can speak instructions to with a rear axle from the Chisholm Trail. Good Times.

P.S. No Equine Metaphors were hurt in the creation of the post.

The march of the computer machines to take over the entire planet (and eventually the known universe) is proceeding apace, which will no doubt please all the geeks waiting patiently to Assimilate into the Collective. This is not to say that all computers and associated technologies are bad, of course, and in fact most are doing great things especially on the automotive front. Far be it from me to attack all the wondrous changes happening in the cockpits of automobiles, but the point I’m trying to make is there’s so much of it (and it’s happening so fast) that I can’t help but wonder how much is here to stay or just passing through. A great example of this is all the magic beans found in Audi’s formidable S6 sedan, which is a pretty fascinating car on all fronts but especially in the loaded-with-the-latest bells/whistles/lasers/radar/infrared/surveillance/speakers/it nearly drives itself/wow department. It’s also an impressive sports sedan with a potent drivetrain and chassis, as well as a heaping helping of creature comforts.

The mere mechanical car stuff includes a 420 horsepower Twin-Turbocharged V8, mated to a 7-speed Automatic transmission and Audi’s Quattro All Wheel Drive. It’s a bit of a rocket as you would imagine a midsized sedan with a fire-breathing inferno under the hood would be, and it is a gas to thunder around on your favorite twisty tarmac. Handling is sound, although ride quality deteriorates a bit over broken pavement as it’s definitely on the sporting side of the sport/luxury equation. Oh, and there’s a lot of road noise, which seems odd on a car like this. But then there’s excellent steering, and the brakes are massive beasts with rotors you could bake pizzas on and they haul the car down in short order. Great stuff, right? Of Course.

But this is just nuts and bolts and other hardware. Almost as if this car crashed into a Radio Shack there are enough wiring looms, electronics and microchips scattered throughout the car to build a server farm. This starts right when you hit the starter button (found on the right side of the center console, oddly enough). Like a small flying saucer invasion, a brace of tweeters for the optional $5,900 Bang & Olufsen sound system rises out of the corners of the dashboard as if to announce that the audio is active. Wild, and yes, the sound quality is excellent. But as cool as this is, the real fun starts with the Innovation Package. Yeegods, this $5650 option could also be called “The Future is Now” package, for it includes Audi Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go function, Active Lane Assist and Side Assist, Head(s)-up Display, Topview Camera System and Night Vision Assistant.

Let’s look at these one a time, eh? The Adaptive Cruise control can deal even with compressed traffic events that mean crawling along slowly. Seems to respond pretty well, too, although like all adaptive systems it doesn’t see traffic as well as most humans do in situations such as sharp curves or the dual lane scenario when a car slows to turn left in the lane next to you. Active Lane Assist is a real trip, as it actually keeps the car in the lane (including ghost-like steering wheel takeover and course correction if you start straying out of your lane). The car knows when your hands are off the wheel and it’s having to intervene too much, and prompts you to quit texting, eating or building a small wooden ship and steer the damn thing. The Head-Up Display (I still say Heads-up, but whatever) can be switched on to project the car’s speed (or other info you can set on a menu deep within the car’s interface) on the windshield, where you can see it as you drive. This type of visual enhancement has been around for quite some time, and I personally am not thrilled by it. In theory it makes sense, but it just doesn’t really help me keep my eyes on the road any better. Maybe it’s because I don’t monitor the car’s speed instrumentation much as I tend to use feedback from the road and other factors to help keep an eye on velocity. My response may be a motorcycle thing, and naturally your results may vary.

Next: the TopView camera system. There are small video cameras located at the front, back and both sides of the car, which give you an excellent view around the car as you crumple the bodywork on all those Teslas taking up two spaces. It’s actually a great feature to see all around the car when maneuvering about, as you could spot far more precious objects than just machines.

Which brings me to my favorite gadget on an already entertaining car: the Night Vision Assistant. A few years ago I reviewed a Cadillac DeVille (I believe it was) that had a similar infrared night camera. At the time I spoke with somebody in the know at Cadillac, who mentioned a “certain” European manufacturer was also working on such a system. I don’t remember if there was a relationship involving licensing, etc. with Cadillac but now the system has disappeared from GM and is now on the Audi. Other manufacturers have had a go at their own versions of the system, and it’s primary goal is to prevent hitting pedestrians in the dark. The problem I have with it is, through no fault of its own, it is an incredibly interesting thing to gaze at as it sits in the center of the instrument cluster. As it detects heat and renders warmer things brighter, it’s downright educational. Things like electrical transformers, the underside of passing cars, even the road itself is higher in temperature than the surrounding forest and is a displayed with a white hue. The software in this system can even locate a likely pedestrian and highlight it in yellow to help get your attention. While I didn’t encounter any humans, I did come face to infrared with a opossum that thought they could throw me off the track by actually acting alive and walking around. Good fun, actually. He/she wandered off but not before I was able to take a picture for your viewing pleasure.

Of course, there are even more wonders on the S6 like a Navigation screen that folds into the dash when you don’t need it (although you need it for a lot of things besides Navigation). It uses Google maps if you want to overlay a satellite image that can even display your house, which I find creepy. A track pad located next to the shifter and adjacent to Audi’s Multi Media Interface (MMI) knob lets you write some types of data entry, as Audi explains: “Just like drawing in the sand, your index finger allows you to enter navigation destinations and telephone numbers by simply “writing” with your finger on the touchpad.” Wild. I’m still not a fan of MMI or BMW’s iDrive, or Lexus’ whatever it’s called. These nods to computer mice and trackballs basically do nothing for me in these applications, but rather just make operations that were simple more complex. Yes, you can use voice commands if you desire, but again it takes longer to use the interface (with very rare exceptions) than most operations used to via well-engineered buttons and the like. But that’s me. I’m old enough to remember cars and motorcycles that didn’t even have airbags, ABS, fuel injection or across-the-board power windows, although they did have ashtrays. We could have used the latest electronics, too, to help avoid all the dinosaur poop on the roadways as we fire up another Winston.

What is most interesting about the S6 is not just its driving dynamics, which are impressive (and fun) on their own, or even the fantastic materials and workmanship that are found all over the vehicle. What really amazed me is how much electronic wildness is integrated into the car, and touches pretty much every aspect of it. With a price as equipped of $87,720 you pay for it, too. But I doubt anyone will take issue with the cost for this is clearly a very complex machine, with countless hours of R&D to make it such a contemporary ride. The night may be Dark and Full of Terrors, but at least you can see the Others and run them down.

One of the things that the silly people who tend to classify things into two categories tend to (for lack of a better term) classify into two categories, is the battle between the two primary rear-drive sports car design philosophies. Or, to put it another way, there are two types of people: the ones that categorize sports car design philosophies into two competing philosophies and the ones that don’t.

My God, what have I done? I have become a silly person. The evidence, sadly, is just above. Dang. I guess I should just live with it.

So, to recap, there are two kinds of rear-drive sports car design philosophies. I created these philosophies myself of course, based on my somewhat cursory observations of sporting machinery over the years usually from behind the wheel of said sports machines. These observations took place sporadically when I wasn’t doing other things (see my collected works, if you dare), and therefore may be quite suspect. However, let me share them anyway because they play a part in why I like the Scion FR-S so much. One philosophy for the sporting ride consists of brute strength, where you take a big, stout chassis, drop in a huge V8, add heavy duty suspension components and conquer the road like a knight with a broadsword. In bumpy corners this engineering approach seemed to be to smash the bumps flat rather than float over them. This is the Pony Car way of doing things, although it could be argued that this type of hoop is more like a draft horse than an equine compact.

The other design philosophy is very different, and in this approach you built a stiff but lightweight chassis, install a potent but compact engine and employ suspension components designed to dance lithely over bumps rather than crush them. Ultimately the idea is to cling to curvy tarmac through balance and finesse, rather than rely on sheer mass and massive rubber. Over the years this type of sporting platform has largely been pushed aside by the more expensive, heavy GT/Pony Car approach, but there have been occasional bright spots (like the Nissan 350Z, Mazda Miata, etc.) for those who think light is the way to go. And now, thanks to both Scion and Subaru who have joined forces to create a true featherweight sports coupe, you now have the ability to score a purist’s dream: a brand-new driver’s car (and you can pick either nameplate as the cars are nearly identical). Better yet, these coupes are as affordable as they are entertaining, too. I recently spent a week with the Scion version, and the FR-S is the kind of car that has such perfect styling and proportions that you almost think there’s no way driving it can live up to the seductive allure of the exterior. You will be disappointed if you want a tire-shredding hellbeast of a car, but if you fancy a really fun ride with near flawless balance and a very reasonable price tag, look nay further. In fact, you will be dazzled by the fine road manners and driving dynamics of the FR-S, which feels more engaged with the road than most of its more porcine competition.

Weighing in at 2,758 lbs. with the 6-speed manual (a 6-speed automatic is also available), the FR-S is powered by a 200-horsepower 2-liter Boxer Four that thanks to its compact, flat profile helps both mass centralization and the establishment of a low center of gravity. While there’s not boatloads of low-end torque the engine fits the car perfectly and will no doubt be the object of many tuning mavens who will squeeze more muscle out of it. But for enjoying a serpentine drive home, this is a really balanced approach that flat-out works. One friend at Toyota suggested that unlike most sports coupes you need not run away from the idea of getting the automatic transmission, because the Magic Box o’ Slush optimizes shift points really well and has paddle shifters for use in manual mode.

As for my test mule, I really loved the manual as the ratios and ergonomics of the shifter worked perfectly for me. The rear-drive architecture and surprisingly responsive electronic steering make handling naturally intuitive, and a Torsen limited-slip differential makes sliding drives out of corners completely predictable and user-friendly. The suspension does a fine job of handling road irregularities without harshness, and the brakes are excellent. The twin sport buckets offer excellent support and comfort, and the interior has a good mix of utilitarian aesthetics and the latest in electronic entertainment. The rear seats are (as the Road Gods intended) mere parcel shelves as opposed to actual seats, which is fine. This is a two-seater in my view, for lightweight intimacy is a private matter best appreciated with a lone passenger.

Which brings us to other great things about the FR-S, such as even though (as my notebook confirms) I was not being nice I still managed nearly 30 MPG. Nicely equipped the sticker came to $25K, which makes this a genuine bargain. Throw in the fact that considering its lineage it should be reliable, and it has that great Subaru oil filter placement on top of the engine for easy maintenance. But all this is just icing on the peacock compared to the great overall engineering of this car. Light weight, perfect balance, excellent composure, generous feedback and a great cockpit to enjoy it in make this is true pleasure unit that is even economical daily transportation. Take that, bloated pony cars.

2013 Toyota Corolla S

2013 Nissan Sentra SL

It has been a grudge match that has spanned generations. And by generations, I of course mean generations in an automotive sense because these two really haven’t been fighting all that long when you compare long battles like England and France, snakes and mongooses, politicians and reality and Donald Trump and his hair. That said, 30 years is a pretty long time and while this is no epic Ford vs. Chevy struggle it has been a huge motivator for improving the quality of compact sedans, and a number of manufacturers are now in the scrum. As is an integral part of Best Practices interweb commentary these days (which is to say pile it higher and deeper at every opportunity), I’m exaggerating the fight between the Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra for no good reason, except to point out that by competing with each other to build the best compact sedan for the money they’ve both fashioned pretty decent rides that are actually very different in personality. This ultimately means that it really does come down to your individual tastes (big tip-this is true for when you shop for most cars these days), and in the case of these two they should last as long as you take decent care of them. But will you outgrow them in a couple of years? Read on.

The Toyota Corolla has been a part of the American landscape since the 60s, and while the 2013 version is bigger and dramatically more refined that the early versions it still shares an important attribute in common: it’s still a solid, reliable compact automobile that’s inexpensive to operate. The price of everything had climbed steeply since the Corolla arrived on these shores and the car is a lot more expensive than it used to be in terms of unadjusted base price. The thing is, though, the level of standard equipment, as well as the fact that the car is so much quieter, more comfortable and loaded with the latest in state-of-the-art safety stuff makes it less of the tin box of old and more of a satisfying driver. The Corolla S in these photos was powered by a 1.8-liter Inline Four with its plucky 132 horsepower when teamed with the classic 4-speed automatic transmission gets the job done just fine, while delivering 32 MPG in my week of controlled thrashing. A 5-speed manual is also available, and yes, 6-speed units are becoming de riguer in both manual and automagic gearboxes yet these transmissions are a very good fit in this front-drive transport. It’s a good mix of performance and economy, and while the electronic power steering is a tad on the light side (OK, very light), it still manages enough feedback to be reasonably fun to whip around. I don’t know how it does this; it just does. Ride quality is firmish but still compliant enough to badly spank the compact sedans of the past in terms of overall comfort.

The interior is a very interesting mix of traditional and new, and I’m thankful that while Toyota has seen its way clear to install the seemingly mandatory touch-screen interface in their Entune system, it still has enough knobs and functionality about it to make it useful. The seating in the S is of stout fabric with good, firm support for the driver that doesn’t lose its charm as the day’s miles rack up. The rear seat is surprisingly commodious for a car with a 102.4-inch wheelbase, and the flat floor just adds to the overall room. There’s 60/40 seat back-folding access to the trunk to increase cargo versatility, and with 12.4 cubic feet of space in the trunk it’s no bathtub but perfectly usable.

What we ultimately have here is a very practical, functional car with more room than you would expect that’s actually fun to drive and feels built for the long haul. In this way it’s just like previous Corollas, only more so. With options the sticker on my test mule came to $21,729.

Given their identical missions, is the Sentra basically a Corolla from Nissan in terms of overall feel, or is it actually different despite the similarities? On the similar front, in the Sentra SL we have a 1.8-liter Inline Four with 130 horsepower, and the gearbox was an automatic but this time of the Continuously Variable (CVT) variety. This transmission was louder than the Corolla’s and overall the 0-60 times were in he same ballpark, yet it only delivered 28 MPG in this trim level compared with the Toyota’s 32. The general feeling with the Sentra is more relaxed as opposed to athletic, as the ride is smooth enough but not as well-controlled as the Corolla S and there’s noticeably more body lean during hard cornering. There is a Sport button that you can use to sharpen engine/transmission response with a slight penalty in fuel economy. The steering does offer better feel than the Corolla, and both cars had excellent brakes.

The top-of-the-range Sentra SL Sentra is a feature-rich environment with refreshingly logical controls for the most part and a bevy of electronic options including the NissanConnect package that has some of the latest hands-free technology. Seating in the SL I sampled was sheathed in excellent leather, although the driver’s perch was a bit on the flat side. The back seat was nearly as roomy as the Corolla’s and compromised only by a floor that wasn’t as flat as its Toyota nemesis. Otherwise the rear seat support was better than the front seats, and all in all a roomy, comfortable place to hang out. At 15 cubic feet the Sentra’s trunk is larger than the Corolla boot and very well-finished. Loaded to the rafters with goodies, the Sentra SL I enjoyed came to $23,655.

Two great compacts, that with a modicum of care should last for many miles and be economical to operate. The cool thing is, they’re both well-appointed cars that have many of the bells and whistles as much more expensive vehicles. Herein is the beauty of the modern compact, and the other offerings from Honda, Hyundai, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Kia et al share this as well: these rides have never offered more as a class, especially for the price. Most improved genre of cars over the last decade perhaps? You betcha.