Monday, 26 January 2015
Sunday, 25 January 2015
Saturday, 24 January 2015
Scion iQ
The diminutive iQ is an exercise in efficient packaging, and even though there are four seats inside, that doesn’t mean they’re all usable. The interior is comfortable for two, with little room for much else. The iQ’s size means it can be easily parked just about anywhere, but the 1.3-liter four and the power-sapping continuously variable transmission mean driving between parking spots is unpleasant, despite light and accurate steering, which is the only gratifying part of the experience.
Scion FR-S
Offering sports-car agility on a budget, the compact FR-S features excellent driving dynamics for a manageable price. Only one engine is offered—a 2.0-liter flat-four—with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. The manual shifts with a solid, no-nonsense feel, while the paddle-shift automatic is quick and responsive. The cabin is cramped and plasticky. Thanks to a low center of gravity, the FR-S is very agile, giving it big-fish appeal in a relatively small pond of affordable sports cars.
Bentley Continental GT
As a favorite of rappers, superstar athletes, and million- and billionaires, the Continental has something for everyone with Louis Vuitton valises full of cash. Offered as a four-seat coupe or convertible, you have a choice of three twin-turbo engines: There is a 500-hp V-8, a 521-hp V-8 S, and a 616-hp W-12; all feature an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. Prefer your Conti GT in an ultra-performance version? Check out the GT3-R coupe with its 592-hp V-8; only 300 will be sold
Bentley Continental GT Speed
If you’re interested in some very special numbers, here are a few big ones: 626 hp and 695 lb-ft of torque—and around $230,000, which is what it costs to put a Continental GT Speed in your garage. Available as coupe or convertible, each has all-wheel drive, an eight-speed automatic, 21-inch wheels, a specially tuned chassis, exterior refinements, and a lavish interior. Bentley says the top speed is 206 mph, but we have yet to put that number—probably another one you care about—to the test
Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe
Pity the wealthy: When all their friends already have Phantom sedans, what is left to drive? Happily, there are two additional offerings in the Phantom family: a coupe and the drophead—Brit-speak for softtop. Both are based on a shortened Phantom chassis and seat four. The coupe offers an LED Starlight headliner option that brings the constellations inside. The drophead is inspired by 1930s yacht design, with a lined fabric top and optional teak decking. So, will it be Starlight or real stars
Rolls-Royce Wraith
The Wraith is derived from the Ghost, but it has its own personality. Fitted with a 624-hp version of the Ghost’s V-12, the wheelbase is shortened, and the fastback body is unique. The Wraith is quicker and sportier than the Ghost, with a light touch to the steering and a gently controlled ride. Rolls-Royce tradition abounds, with rear-hinged power doors, the available Starlight headliner, and a wide array of bespoke options that can launch the already-stratospheric base price into high orbit
Mercedes-Benz C-class
Consider the C-class as all that Mercedes knows about full-size luxury, distilled into a smaller package. As a coupe, it offers a 201-hp turbo four-cylinder or a 302-hp V-6 and rear-wheel drive; as a sedan, it can be had with a 241-hp turbo four or a 329-hp twin-turbo V-6. All feature a seven-speed automatic. Both sedans have all-wheel drive; a rear-wheel-drive sedan with the 241-hp engine is available. In the fall of 2015 a C450 AMG with a 362-hp V-6 will go on sale, as will a plug-in hybrid.
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG
The C63 AMG coupe is the final place of refuge for Benz's 451-hp, naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8. With its sharp throttle response and unholy roar, the engine makes Mercedes’ smallest rear-drive coupe feel as if it’s eaten a jar full of hot peppers laced with steroids. Want more of a kick? The C63 also offers the 507 Edition with 507 hp. An all-new, rechristened Mercedes-AMG C63 sedan—based on the new C-class—is coming soon; a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 will replace the legendary 6.2.
Jeep Patriot
No, it’s not named after Tom Brady or a bad Mel Gibson movie; it’s just a low-priced Jeep crossover that offers all-weather ability in an ungainly box shape. There are two four-cylinder engines ranging from 158 hp to 172 hp with front- or all-wheel drive; a five-speed manual is standard and a six-speed auto or a CVT are optional. The Patriot is not much fun to drive, but it gets decent fuel economy and is one of the cheaper crossovers sold. Still, there are better vehicles in the segment
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT
The Grand Cherokee SRT is an exercise in overkill if ever there was one, but its sports-car levels of grip and roaring Hemi muscle make it an all-season performance powerhouse. The 475-hp 6.4-liter V-8 is mated to an eight-speed automatic and a five-mode all-wheel-drive system. The steering is quick but feels more disconnected from the road than it should be, given its sporting intentions. Regardless, the GC SRT will hustle around a track ASAP in a way that will have you forgetting it’s an SUV.
Jeep Compass
More Jeep-like than Jeep-tough, this car-based crossover is built to conquer the Krispy Kreme drive-thru even when faced by speed bumps, light snow or—with available all-wheel drive—both. Base models get a 158-hp 2.0-liter four standard with a five-speed manual and optional six-speed auto; a 172-hp 2.4-liter and six-speed auto are available. Hardly a beauty, the Compass is roomy and useful within its modest limitations. It’s also uninteresting to drive, so it’s easy to trade in at lease’s end.
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