The Car Exam Examines Electric Cars, Part 1: The Tesla Roadster

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The Tesla Roadster is an electric sports car Tesla hopes will bring electric cars into mainstream America. It is an attractively-styled two-seater powered by a 375 volt AC induction air-cooled electric motor with variable frequency drive. These are the performance numbers for the base model: 288 horsepower (215 kW) at 5,000-6,000 rpm, 273 lb-ft of torque at 0-5,400 rpm, and 0-60 miles-per-hour comes in at 3.9 seconds (the sport model adds 22 more lb-ft of torque at 0-5,100 rpm).

The Tesla Roadster’s battery is a lithium-ion battery with a whopping 6,831 individual cells. It has a range on a full charge of 245 miles, which should just be fine for around-town driving or a quick getaway to suburbs or destinations a bit further away. Charge time is 3.5 hours (an empty to fully-charged battery using the Tesla Home Connector--240 Volts and 70 Amps). Tesla states the battery should last for seven-years or 100,000 miles.

The price of admission to own Tesla Roadster is steep, however: the base model is $109,000 before the federal $7,500 tax credit; $101,000 after that. The Sport model bursts the piggy bank at $128,500 ($121,000 after the same tax credit).

The Tesla Roadster clearly isn’t meant to be an affordable sports car for Americans with moderate incomes. Tesla has a long road to climb. It will be building cars in the old NUMMI facility formerly jointly-owned by GM and Toyota. If Tesla can build and successfully sell enough cars (it also has a Sedan—the Model S—due to go on sale in 2012) and improve its battery technology, then it may find enough affluent buyers to make it a viable player in the U.S. auto market. Challenges remain, however and time will tell.

P. Scott

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The Car Exam Quick Quiz #21: The 2010 Mercedes Benz ML 350

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Good Grades: Pleasant exterior styling, comfortable seats, superb engine/transmission combination— the 3.5 liter, 268 horsepower V6 and the 7-speed automatic transmission work well together. At 4600 pounds, it surprisingly doesn’t feel like it is. The ML 350 drives like a muscle car. It feels and drives more powerful than it is. The Ml 350 feels quick and nimble, and it has good handling (and braking) as well. The ride feels a bit firm, but generally appropriate for the way it drives. The ML 350 seems better suited to paved roads than dirt trails. Out of all of the SUV’s I've driven to date, the ML 350 is the most fun by far.

Bad Grades: Stark-feeling, all-black interior on my tester was simply disappointing—put the Lexus RX 350 interior in this SUV, and this would really be a masterful vehicle. Also: too many buttons on the dashboard, an unimpressive navigation system, and less-than-stellar fuel economy (17 mpg city, 21 mpg highway).

Final Grade: If buyers want a fun-to-drive SUV, look no further than the Mercedes Benz ML 350. If you want better fuel economy, then choose the BlueTEC 3.0L V6 Turbo Diesel engine—just don’t expect the driving fun you’ll get the 3.5 liter V6 model.

The Car Exam Grade: B/B+

Base MSRP: $45,700

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The Car Exam News #5 - August 14, 2010: Free national parks weekend and the Mustang Boss is back for 2012

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Free National Parks Entry Days--that's this weekend!

Saturday and Sunday (August 14 and 15) are Free National Parks Entry Days--that's this weekend! If you don't have any plans for the weekend, that may be a good excuse to get out and enjoy the weekend. Go to: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm for more information.



The Mustang Boss 302 Returns for 2012

Ford announced yesterday that the Mustang Boss 302 will return for the 2012 model year. Styling is based upon the original 1969 model with "C" stripes on the fenders, a beefier suspension, and its 5.0 liter V8 will pack 440 horsepower (28 hp more than the 2011 Mustang GT) and 380 lb.-ft. of torque (10 lb.-ft. less than the Mustang GT). There will also be a special Laguna Seca model, which will delete the rear seat and add a race-ready suspension.
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The Car Exam News #4 - August 12-14, 2010: GM says no to a mid-engined Corvette, Chrysler hopes to turn a profit—and GM does

No mid-engined Corvette from Chevrolet

GM officials say a mid-engined Corvette is not in the cards. This may have a great deal to do with development costs for such a car; while GM is doing better, it's not out of the woods just yet. The Corvette needs to stay affordable, and financial commitment needed for such a change would be substantial. A hybrid Corvette maybe in Chevrolet's plans, though, but time will tell.

Source: Automotive News (www.autonews.com) 8/11/10


GM turns a profit--and Whitacre prepares to leave

Speaking of General Motors, the company reported that it made a second-quarter net income of $1.3 billion dollars. This is good news for a company that needs to continue to become profitable--especially if it wants to get out from under government control anytime soon and shed its "Government Motors" label. GM also announced that Ed Whitacre will be stepping down as CEO on September 1, and will be replaced by Daniel Akerson. Whitacre will stay on as Chairman until December 31.

Source: Autoweek.com (8/12/10)


Chrysler hopes to turn a profit

Chrysler is hopeful that new products will begin to help the struggling automaker return to profitability. Chrysler has several new products like the 2011 jeep Grand Cherokee, the upcoming redesigned Dodge Charger and the Fiat 500 in the mix, Chrysler desperately needs new and improved vehicles to get customers in the showrooms.

Source: news.yahoo.com (8/7/10)

The Car Exam News #4 - August 12, 2010: GM says no to a mid-engined Corvette, plus GM and Chrysler news

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No mid-engined Corvette from Chevrolet

GM officials say a mid-engined Corvette is not in the cards. This may have a great deal to do with development costs for such a car; while GM is doing better, it's not out of the woods just yet. The Corvette needs to stay affordable, and the financial commitment needed for such a change would be substantial. A hybrid Corvette maybe in Chevrolet's plans, though, but time will tell.

Source: Automotive News (www.autonews.com) 8/11/10



GM turns a profit--and Whitacre prepares to leave

Speaking of General Motors, the company reported that it made a second-quarter net income of $1.3 billion dollars. This is good news for a company that needs to continue to become profitable--especially if it wants to get out from under government control anytime soon and shed its "Government Motors" label. GM also announced that Ed Whitacre will be stepping down as CEO on September 1, and will be replaced by Daniel Akerson. Whitacre will stay on as Chairman until December 31.

Source: Autoweek.com (8/12/10)



Chrysler hopes to turn a profit

Chrysler is hopeful that new products will begin to help the struggling automaker return to profitability. Chrysler has several new products like the 2011 jeep Grand Cherokee, the upcoming redesigned Dodge Charger and the Fiat 500 in the mix, Chrysler desperately needs new and improved vehicles to get customers in the showrooms.

Source: news.yahoo.com (8/7/10)

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The Car Exam News - Edition #3: August 11, 2010 - Honda recalls some models, better MPG for F-150, and The Car Exam's upcoming series on electric cars

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Honda is recalling some models due to roll away risk

Honda announced Monday that it is recalling about 400,000 vehicles (the 2003 Honda Accord and Civic models, as well as the 2003 through 2004 Element)due to concerns that their ignition interlocks could fail, which could allow the vehicles to roll away. This is a result of a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In September of 2008, NHTSA began the investigation of the Honda models after getting 15 complaints that alleged 10 crashes, and last month after the lengthy investigation, the NHTSA and Honda agreed that there was problem with those models (only one minor injury has been reported, though). Honda will begin notifying owners in September when their cars can be repaired.

Source: The Detroit News (8/9/10)

2011 Ford F-150 pickups to gain 20% better MPG than 2010 models

Ford announced today its 2011 F-150 Pickup line up will have 20% better MPG than the outgoing 2010 models. The 2011 F-150 series will have the following choices of engines: a 3.7-liter, 300 hp V6; a 5.0-liter, 360 hp V8; a 6.2-liter, 411 hp V8 with 434 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm--it can tow a 11,500 lb trailer; and a twin-turbocharged EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 (horsepower and torque ratings not yet available). A six-speed automatic transmission will be standard in the F-150 on all engines.

Source: Breitbart.com (8/11/10)




Upcoming: The Car Exam Examines Electric Cars

Coming soon, The Car Exam will begin a multiple-part series on electric cars. The Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf, and the Tesla Roadster will be covered, which one of the three may be most practical right now, and why they may have difficulty grabbing a strong foothold in the market place. Stay tuned!

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The Car Exam News - Edition #2: August 9, 2010 - New vehicles from GM, and good news for Ford

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New Vehicles on the horizon from General Motors

According to the Automotive News (www.autonews.com), General Motors is getting ready to tackle the next round of $4.00 per gallon price hikes (whenever that happens) by preparing to sell a number of new, fuel efficient small cars across its product range during the next three to four years: Chevrolet (the Aveo in 2011; the Spark in 2012), GMC (the Granite- a small, car-based truck-possibly in 2014), Buick (the Verano, in 2012), as well as Cadillac (the ATS--possibly in 2013 04 2014). Don't forget about the Chevrolet Cobalt Replacement, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze (see photo above), which should make its debut later this year. GM will also be designing) its larger models to produce better fuel economy, too.

Source: Automotive News 8/9/10



Good News for Ford

The Wall Street Journal (online.wsj.com) is reporting that Ford's profits may be moving higher. Ford has reshaped the company by streamlining its business. It cut costs, sold Land Rover, Volvo and Jaguar in recent years and vastly improved its product quality (which reduces warranty costs and helps resale values rise). However, Ford will losing some money in the second half of 2010 because it is discontinuing the Mercury brand. Nevertheless, Ford has introduced some successful vehicles (the 2010/2011 Mustang (insert photo), 2010 F-150, 2010 Taurus and the 2011 Fiesta, for example) and it has more new vehicles on the way (the Focus, as well as the Explorer, just to name a few). Ford will also be bringing new Lincoln models to the market soon, fortifying that lineup.

Source: The Wall Street Journal Online 8/8/10

Photos by P. Scott

The Car Exam News #1: August 6, 2010--The IIHS rates the 2010 Cadillac SRX "Good"

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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (I.I.H.S.) has just awarded the 2010 Cadillac SRX crossover its "Good" rating for rollover, front, side, and rear crash protection. "Good" is the highest rating from the IIHS, which has some tough standards for its crash tests. The Car Exam tested the 2010 SRX, and was impressed with it (The Car Exam gave it a "B" Grade earlier this year--see the Tuesday, March 9, 2010 Car Exam Quick Quiz #4: The 2010 Cadillac SRX).

Don't forget to check out The Car Exam Quick Quiz #20: The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro V6 posted Wednesday. The Car Exam will bring you more news and reviews, and look out for "The Car Exam Rewind," in which we will bring you reviews from the past. Keep looking for updates everyday on Facebook and Twitter.

Source: http://www.iihs.org

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Look At What's New: The Car Exam News!

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The Car Exam is expanding add a new feature to the site: The Car Exam is now bringing you interesting consumer news from the automotive industry. Check with The Car Exam for news updates--starting today!

The Car Exam Quick Quiz #20: The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro V6

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Good Grades: The 304 hp, 3.6 liter V6 has a strong feel, the Synergy Green exterior paint job looks great, and just like the Camaro SS I tested earlier this year: solid chassis, terrific retro exterior styling, comfortable front seats, generally good interior materials.

Bad Grades: The same flaws as the Camaro SS--This car is extremely claustrophobic--the windows all around are extremely small (and the black interior doesn't help), limited outward visibility, huge blind spot when changing lanes, retro instrument gauges aren't a good thing (Instrument gauges down by the gear shifter on the console? This is absolutely ridiculous--put them near the speedometer where it makes common sense), small back seats and trunk, and the car is too heavy—it needs to be lighter—and it puts undue stress on the V6. This car would be even quicker if it were 300-400 pounds lighter.

Final Grade: The V6 Camaro is a good choice for customers wanting decent horsepower and looks with out the price and fuel economy penalties of the Camaro SS. However, the more I drive the Camaro with its smallish windows, the less fond of the car I become. I hope Chevrolet would correct that design flaw soon, but it won’t—and probably won’t until the car is due for a serious redesign. My suggestion: get a Camaro with the power sunroof option--it just may improve things a bit (you can't get a sunroof on the base LS model unfortunately. You'll have to move up to at least the LT trim package to get one).

The Car Exam Grade: B/B-
Base MSRP: $23,530 (including Destination Freight Charges)

The Car Exam Quick Quiz # 19: The 2010 Chevrolet Malibu (2LT) Four Cylinder

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Good Grades: Solid acceleration from the 2.4 Liter, 169 hp four-cylinder engine, comfortable ride, acceptable brakes.

Bad Grades: Poor rear-end styling, smallish trunk with narrow opening—which is inexcusable in this class of vehicle, various interior materials don’t seem to mix well, odd-rear door opening and low roof leads to difficult entry/exit to the rear seats (and a feeling of claustrophobia) and the rear seats also feel uncomfortable.

Final Grade: I was disappointed with the Malibu—I thought I would like it more than I did—but I didn’t. It doesn’t stack up as well to some of its direct competitors I’ve driven. I’ve seen photos of a 2012 Malibu prototype, and Chevrolet seems to have at least addressed the issues with rear end of the car. If you just have to have a Malibu, I would wait at least until 2011—when the new 2012 models should arrive.

The Car Exam Grade: C

Base MSRP: $22,545

The Car Exam Quick Quiz #18: The 2010 Chevrolet Traverse LS FWD

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Good Grades: Nice Exterior Styling, comfortable front seats, decent front and rear visibility, good instrumentation on the dash, lots of cargo room, sliding second row seats, fuel economy okay for a large, heavy crossover (17 mpg city, 24 mpg highway), the steering feel is a bit over-boosted but acceptable.


Bad grades: The six-speed automatic transmission seems to hunt at times, body roll, this is a very heavy crossover—its base curb weight is 5066 pounds—Yikes!—and the brakes work hard to stop it. The 281 horsepower, 3.6 liter V6 pulls adequately, but feels taxed pulling 2 ½ tons-plus around. Interior plastics on the dash are satisfactory, but could be better on the doors. I didn’t like the cloth materials on the seat—a bit on the rough side. While the second row seats do slide forward, access to the third-row rear seats still feels awkward. Also, the third-row rear seats are too tight and uncomfortable for adults.


Final Grade: This crossover has its shortcomings, but it still comes off as a likable vehicle. Put it on a diet, give it some more horsepower, get rid of the hapless third-row seats, and give it some better interior materials (the seats, especially), and it will be much improved.

The Car Exam Grade: B/B-


Base MSRP: $29,999 (with $775 Destination Charges included)

The Car Exam Quick Quiz # 17: The 2010 Chevrolet Equinox (1LT)

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Good Grades: Attractive styling, good low end acceleration from the 2.4 liter, 182 hp four-cylinder engine, good braking, solid ergonomics, comfortable seats (and roomy rear seats), reasonable cargo space, and good fuel economy for a small CUV (22 mpg city, 32 mpg highway).

Bad Grades: Strange seat materials, numb steering feel, odd dash textures.

Final Grade: The Equinox is one of the better looking small CUV’s on the market today.
Plus, you can buy it in four-cylinder or six-cylinder form. GM has produced a worthy vehicle that should be competitive in its market segment—if its reliability is solid.

The Car Exam Grade: B+

Base MSRP: $23,360 (including destination charge)

The Car Exam Quick Quiz # 15: The Toyota Highlander V6 Hybrid

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Good Grades: Good engine acceleration, comfortable seats, backup camera a nice feature, decent fuel economy, better styling than the last generation.

Bad Grades: More engine noise than I cared for, bland driving experience; this does not really stand out from the competition--except for the fuel economy.

Final Grade: I left this vehicle wanting much more than I got. Again, a fun driving experience would have been nice--but that's not what you get with most Toyotas. I don't have to feel like I'm Bo or Luke Duke from "The Dukes of Hazzard," but at least some driving enjoyment would be appreciated. I know a lot of drivers don't care about driving enjoyment--but I am one who does.

The Car Exam Grade: B

Base MSRP: $34,900

The Car Exam Quick Quiz #14: The 2010 Toyota 4Runner Limited

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Good Grades: Decent acceleration, good brakes, good seat comfort and interior space.


Bad Grades: It feels way too heavy, “blocky” exterior styling, all of the windows are too small (including the windshield), the high price, the fuel economy could be better and it doesn’t stand out from others in the class.


Final Grade: The 4Runner is not a bad SUV overall, but it could stand to go on a serious diet. And, like most other Toyotas I have driven the past several years, the driving experience was only "plain vanilla" at best. If Toyota gets its act together, puts its focus back on quality (and improves it once again), then it just may get over the recent woes that have soiled its reputation and hurt sales.

The Car Exam Grade: B

Base MSRP: $37,765

The Car Exam Quick Quiz Extra: The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

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Good Grades: Good Exterior Styling, cool-looking gauges (especially the fuel economy monitor), acceptable acceleration, handy Ford/Microsoft Sync system, decent ergonomics, seat comfort and headroom (even with the moon roof), great fuel economy with the hybrid power train.

Bad Grades: Gruff-sounding, loud engine noise upon hard acceleration (it sounds like you’re driving a bus): while the interior is somewhat better than the 2006-2009 models, I feel it is still lacking the feel that it is built “around” the passengers--not to say the ergonomics are not good- they could be even better.

Final Grade: The Fusion has been one of the most reliable American cars in the market since 2006. While it isn’t perfect, it does make a good choice for a family sedan or for anyone wanting a large, yet fuel efficient car.

The Car Exam Grade: B/B+

Base MSRP: $27,950

The Car Exam Quick Quiz # 12: The 2010 Toyota Venza Front-Wheel Drive V6

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Good Grades: Attractive exterior styling (with the exception of one detail), nice ride feel, strong engine acceleration from the 3.5 liter, 268 horsepower V6, good ergonomics and interior room, comfortable seats, good quality interior materials and solid build quality throughout the Venza. This is the most impressive Toyota I’ve driven in a long time.

Bad Grades: The grille looks weird (Please fix it, Toyota), huge blind spot caused by thick c-pillars, the load floor in the rear could be a bit lower, fuel economy from the V6 could be better. If you do want better fuel economy with the sacrifice of less power, go with the 2.7 liter, 182 hp 4-cylinder engine. However, with the 4-cylinder Venza's weight tipping the scales at 3,760 pounds, it may be too underpowered for some buyers.

Final Grade: I really like the Venza. The CUV looks good and drives just as well. Toyota did a solid job with the Venza, and it is a worthy competitor in this segment.

The Car Exam Grade: A

Base MSRP: $28,100

The Car Exam Quick Quiz #11: The 2009-2010 Toyota Yaris Three-Door

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Good Grades: Light, quick acceleration at low speeds from the 1.5-liter, 106 hp 4-cylinder engine, decent climate controls, bi-level glove boxes, easy to park, excellent fuel economy.

Bad Grades: Annoying center-mounted speedometer and gauge cluster—who in the world thought that was a good idea? Uncomfortable driving position (especially the steep angle of the gas pedal)—this is not a good road trip car—the fatigue sets in quickly. Also: loud engine (especially at highway speeds), cheap, low quality interior plastics, cumbersome rear hatch operation, seat belt placement on the back seats are annoying; folding the seat backs down can be a chore. The Yaris three-door is too small when it comes to carrying larger cargo, or something like a bicycle.

Final Grade: I had the opportunity to drive several of these recently, and my impressions were the same for both. The Toyota Yaris three-door is okay for around town, light errand-running or maneuvering through traffic jams on the highway. But if you need more out of a car--and most people do--you may want to look elsewhere.

The Car Exam Grade: C

Base MSRP: $12,605

The Car Exam Quick Quiz #10: The 2011 Kia Sorento EX

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Good Grades: Nice interior, comfortable seats, smooth power from the 3.5 liter, 276 horsepower V6, attractive exterior styling. This SUV is fully equipped and well appointed. In fact, it’s the most impressive Kia I’ve driven to date.

Bad Grades: Fuel economy could be better, it could be a bit lighter in weight, large blind spot because of the C-pillar.

Final Grade: Kia has come a long way in terms of styling, quality and reliability the last several years. Kia’s vehicle line is shaping up to be a good one—and let’s hope Kia keeps it up!

The Car Exam Grade: B+/A-

The Car Exam Quick Quiz #9—Before the Forté: The 2009 Kia Spectra EX

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Good Grades: Okay interior room and materials, peppy low-end engine power, inoffensive styling, good ergonomics, good trunk space, decent fuel economy.

Bad Grades: The engine is "buzzy" when accelerating and also at highway speeds, flat seats lack adequate support, the ride can be rough--you can feel almost any bump on the road, only fair handling feel. The whole car needs to feel more “substantial” in general.

Final Grade: The Spectra works as a “get around car.” I don’t think I would want to use it for a long trip. I hope the 2010 Kia Forté (which replaced the Spectra) excels in many of the areas the Spectra only proved to be “just average.” I hope to drive the Forté kater this year and compare it to the Spectra. Still, the 2009 Kia Spectra EX works as basic transportation.

The Car Exam Grade: B/B-

MSRP: $16,550