Hyundai Sonata 2009, capable d’en surprendre

This article is not available in English. La Sonata fait partie du paysage automobile depuis déjà vingt ans. Où étiez-vous et que faisiez-vous en 1988? Chose probablement assez certaine, si vous étiez sur le point d’acheter une berline intermédiaire, la Hyundai ne figurait pas sur la liste de vos premières considérations. Ah, comme les temps changent! Aujourd’hui, si vous magasinez une nouvelle voiture, notamment une berline, il est fort à parier que la Sonata figure bien haut sur votre liste d’achat potentiel.De toute évidence, c’est le cas pas mal partout au pays. Au Canada, Hyundai n’a jamais fait aussi bonne figure en 25 ans. Le constructeur coréen vient d’atteindre une part de marché frôlant les 5% (4,8% pour être exact). Pensez-y, au milieu de tous ces véhicules de marque GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota et Mazda, un véhicule écoulé sur vingt provient de chez Hyundai. C’est quelque chose! Par ailleurs, pour prouver à quel point Hyundai est sur la bonne voie, sachez que le constructeur a vendu plus de voitures en avril dernier que Ford et Chrysler. Le total des ventes est en hausse de 30% pour le mois d’avril 2008 par rapport au mois d’avril 2007, et le constructeur a livré son millionième véhicule le 31 mars dernier. Des questions?

Tout comme pour le quatre cylindres, les nouveaux muscles du V6 sont appréciables. Malheureusement, c’est la transmission qui vient ralentir les ardeurs des moteurs. Évidemment plus axée sur la conduite quotidienne, la boîte automatique n’aime pas se faire pousser. Que ce soit en mode manuel ou automatique, les changements de rapports sont lents et le rétrogradage parfois hésitant. Bon, si l’on conduit normalement et veut tirer avantage de la consommation réduite des moteurs, les boîtes sont tout à fait correctes. Par contre, si vous avez opté pour le modèle GL-Sport (quatre ou six cylindres) parce que vous préférez ajouter un peu de piquant à vos déplacements habituels, vous allez devoir vivre avec la même transmission.

L’ensemble Sport comprend entre autres une suspension à calibration sport, des barres stabilisatrices plus épaisses et des jantes de 17 pouces avec pneus de performance toutes saisons P215/55R17 à flancs plus rigides. Cette Sonata est en fait la Sonata qui a le meilleur comportement routier de tous les temps. Tous les modèles 2009 reçoivent une suspension revue qui améliore grandement le confort de roulement ainsi que la tenue de route. Mais la Sport me laisse un peu perplexe. Hyundai a fait un effort raisonnable pour rehausser l’apparence et les aptitudes routières de la voiture, mais elle n’est pas à point. Deux suggestions si je peux me permettre. Premièrement, je conseille une reprogrammation du module de commande de la transmission pour accélérer les changements de rapport. Une légère révision de toutes les transmissions ne ferait pas de tort non plus, mais bon. Deuxièmement, je suggère de ne plus utiliser les jantes de 17 pouces de l’ancienne Sonata. Vous voyez, les roues de cette version proviennent des GLS et Limited 2006-08 et vieillissent inutilement la voiture.

Hyundai est réputé pour en offrir beaucoup pour l’argent de ses clients. En plus d’avoir partiellement redessiné la voiture et apporté des améliorations sur le plan mécanique, les Sonata 2009 sont moins coûteuses au détail qu’en 2008 en plus d’offrir plus d’équipement de série, dont les freins ABS. Si une guerre devait éclater dans ce segment, je crois que c’est déjà fait. Si les transmissions peuvent être recalibrées et les prix maintenus jusqu’à la refonte majeure prévue pour 2011, la Sonata a tout à offrir à au moins 90% de la clientèle de berlines intermédiaires, incluant la fiabilité.

Acura RDX

This article is not available in English. Dorénavant, se procurer un véhicule à vocation unique ne sera plus possible. À une certaine époque, une voiture familiale servait uniquement à transporter la famille au camping et faire les courses. De nos jours, ce même véhicule familial doit remplir une multitude de rôles; transporteur de luxe, un tout terrain et même une voiture sport. Il ne faut surtout pas oublier que ce véhicule doit également être économique.Le RDX d’Acura répond bien aux exigences d’un véhicule familial moderne et polyvalent. Acura a entrecroisé les gènes des TL, MDX et CSX Type-S dans un modèle qui chevauche plusieurs créneaux. Tout comme l’EX35 d’Infiniti et le X3 de BMW, le RDX est un VUM de luxe compact. Sur ce dernier point, il ne faut surtout pas oublier que l’utilisation du terme compact aujourd’hui ne veut pas nécessairement dire petit ou dimensions ajustées. Le RDX est plus large que la nouvelle Honda Accord berline et sa longueur correspond à 10 cm de plus que celle de la Civic berline. C’est donc dire que les proportions du camion sont justes et que l’habitacle peut accueillir cinq passagers.

La silhouette est musclée et sûre d’elle-même. Le RDX affiche une confiance qui plaira à ceux et celles qui recherchent le côté prestige, mais sans tout ce chrome. La calandre Acura lui va à merveille, tout comme celle du MDX, un qualificatif qu’on ne peut appliquer à la nouvelle TSX, mais je m’éloigne du sujet. De l’extérieur, tous les RDX sont identiques et c’est un aspect très appréciable de la part d’Acura. Par conséquent, tous les RDX sont équipés avec les jolies jantes de 18 pouces, les phares antibrouillard et les embouts d’échappement double. Si vous préférez démarquer votre RDX du peloton, Acura met à votre disposition une panoplie d’accessoires, dont des jantes de 19 pouces et un ensemble de jupes de performance.

Même si le RDX est beau au regard, selon moi, c’est l’habitacle qui fait toute la différence. Il accorde parfaitement la technologie, le cuir, le sport et le confort. Premièrement, il nous propose d’excellents sièges surtout à l’avant. Si Volvo a la cote pour les voitures européennes sur ce point, c’est Honda/Acura qui remporte la palme chez les fabricants japonais. Le niveau de support est confortable autant pour un long périple vers la Floride qu’une aventure sur les routes sinueuses de la Gaspésie. L’instrumentation est exhaustive avec une jauge de pression du turbo et elle est parfaitement agencée avec les contours en aluminium et les autres accessoires. De tous les systèmes d’interface à écran non tactile, celui d’Acura est de loin le meilleur. La roulette au centre de la portion centrale est intuitive; seuls les contrôles audio nécessitent un moment de réflexion avant d’agir.

Deux autres points importants priment chez Honda/Acura, la qualité de l’assemblage de leurs voitures et le souci porté au moindre détail. Que ce soit pour la Fit ou la RL, chaque produit Honda reçoit le même niveau d’attention. La planche de bord du RDX doit comprendre près d’une douzaine de composantes différentes, mais lorsqu’on regarde le produit final, on a l’impression que le tout n’est qu’un seul morceau. De plus, les matériaux sont d’une belle qualité.

Ceux qui sont soucieux de l’environnement, mais pour qui sacrifier la performance est une situation difficile à envisager, le moteur à quatre cylindres de 2,3 litres turbocompressé du RDX répondra à leurs exigences. Puissant avec 240 chevaux et 260 lb-pi de couple, ce moteur tricote le trafic, les autoroutes et les dépassements avec beaucoup d’aisance. La boîte automatique à cinq rapports SportShift avec mode manuel est constamment aux aguets des demandes de son maître. En situation de conduite moyenne, soit environ 60 % en ville et 40 % sur l’autoroute, ce groupe propulseur est en mesure de maintenir une consommation moyenne d’approximativement 10,5 litres aux 100 km. Mes données sont le résultat de 75 % de conduite en ville.

Le comportement routier du RDX est talentueux, surtout si vous avez un léger penchant pour les apex. Grâce en partie au système de traction intégrale SH-AWD, le RDX ne demande qu’à être guidé et les suspensions et les quatre roues s’occupent de la traction. Le RDX jouit d’une des meilleures tenues de route dans sa catégorie, mais ce n’est pas au détriment d’un roulement agréable. À moins de viser les nids de poules, le RDX maintient la stabilité et le confort en tout temps.

Si les freins sont plus qu’à la hauteur des performances de l’Acura, la direction le semble moins. Même s’il offre une bonne prise, le volant est un peu grand et amplifie l’assistance omniprésente de la direction; en autres mots, elle est exagérément légère. Un véhicule au tempérament plutôt axé sur la conduite sportive devrait avoir une direction mieux dosée.

À titre comparatif, le RDX propose le rapport entre équipement et prix le plus attrayant. Du côté des performances, le RDX ne présente pas les statistiques les plus impressionnantes, mais il ne faut pas percevoir ce point comme étant un handicap réel. Ce que je trouve particulièrement engageant chez le RDX est qu’il n’est pas aussi reconnaissable qu’un X3, se passe du chrome de l’EX35 sans toutefois passer pour un véhicule « normal ». Le RDX est un choix songé qui saura transporter luxueusement la famille au chalet sans trop consommer.

Lexus IS-F

Sometimes, I just don’t get car companies.

For example, Lexus is one of those companies well known for making technically sound upscale vehicles even though those vehicles often lack flair and excitement. And in the past, that’s apparently been OK with the higher-ups there because they view their owners as simply wanting to get from point A to point B (albeit wanting to do it in a premium vehicle).

Then along comes an engineer with a passion for driving and a penchant for performance and the next thing you know, Lexus has an M3 fighter – the IS F.

The brainchild of long-time Toyota engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi, the IS F was first shown to the world at the 2004 New York International Auto Show as the LF-C concept. That drop-top coupe defined the styling of the second generation IS sedan and was powered by a high-output V8.

The new IS sedan was unveiled at the 2005 Geneva Auto Show, with the high-output V8-engined IS F confirmed at the 2007 North American International Auto Show.

Lexus promotional material refers to it as “The Beast”. That has all those neat untamed, powerful connotations tied to it, but is it really appropriate? The car rolls along the highway like a … well … like a Lexus, with nary a hint of that unbridled fury for which beasts are known.

Maybe it’s not meant to be so much a “Godzilla” like beast but more of an X-Men like Beast – refined and educated but capable of unmatched power and quickness when fighting for a personal cause (and he’s blue, too).

Maybe the IS F is meant to convey more of a cheetah-like beast (powerful, quick and purposeful), but Lexus waited too long to make that connection and Infiniti beat it to the punch with its bionic-cheetah car (the FX crossover).

Maybe it’s more of a “Jekyll and Hyde” beast – meek and demure in everyday life but harbouring an uninhibited and violently powerful alter-ego – that can furiously shred a set of screaming tires with an agonizing howl of triumph.

It’s a “Sexy Beast”, that’s for sure, with crisp clean lines reminiscent of its less-powerful siblings and a well appointed leather interior.

The IS F’s 5.0-litre V8 (from Yamaha) makes 371 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,200 rpm and gallops with the force of 416 horses. It’s enough to spur the car to 100 km/h in a reported 4.8 seconds (equal to both the BMW M3 and the Audi RS4). A new iteration of Lexus’ dynamic stability control (VDIM) keeps the rear wheels from spinning away traction on launch or from looping the rear end on high-speed corners … that is, unless you turn it off!

The reins are eight speeds in an automatic transmission. Keep it in Drive and you can go about your daily routine in a docile fashion. Flip the leaver toward the driver and you can push and pull through the gears or use the steering wheel paddles behind your left hand to go down a gear, or the right to go up one. But, you have to remember to shift because it won’t.

A single beep tells you when you’ve successfully engaged the next gear up; a double beep tells you that a downshift has been rejected. A successful downshift is indicated with a blip of the throttle (just like the real racecar drivers do it!).

Lexus readily admits that it is showing off with this transmission – it wanted to dispel those thoughts that in order to have a truly sporty performance car, you need the characteristics and challenges that only come with a manual transmission. With this tranny, Lexus keeps the characteristics of the manual and banishes the challenges.

The suspension is a tweaked up version of the front wishbone/rear multi-link set up. Here, it keeps the car stable through just about every lateral manoeuvre, and keeps the nose up under braking and keeps it down under power. About the only time it gets tedious is over continuously broken pavement.

Wheels are, naturally, performance rubber from Michelin or Bridgestone mounted on 19-inch wheels – low-profile 225/40R19 at the front; wider, lower-profile 255/35R19s on the rear.

And if you get a bit too exuberant with the acceleration or the turning, Brembo 14.2-inch drilled and vented rotors at the front and 13.6 drilled, ventilated discs trailing bring the car to a standstill faster than you can say Porsche 911.

As for the interior … yeah, the IS F has one of those. And a trunk, too.

Nissan GT-R, un jeu vidéo sur quatre roues!

This article is not available in English. Incroyable, mais vrai, cette nouvelle bombe japonaise est capable de faire mordre la poussière à des icônes comme la Porsche 911 Turbo, la Chevrolet Corvette Z06 et la Ferrari F430. Et comme si ce n’était pas assez, Nissan a choisi de nous l’offrir à seulement 81 900$. Ce n’est évidemment pas une voiture pour toutes les bourses, mais compte tenu de ce qu’elle a à offrir, il s’agit presque d’une aubaine. Il n’est donc pas surprenant d’apprendre que la GT-R 2009 sera difficile à trouver. Ne tentez pas d’en chercher une dans l’inventaire d’un concessionnaire, soit l’un des 20 qui auront l’autorisation de vendre la GT-R, puisqu’elles sont pour l’instant toutes vendues. Tout ce que vous pouvez faire, c’est passer une commande. Mais croyez-moi, le plaisir que vous aurez à conduire et à contempler votre voiture, une fois acquise, vaudra assurément l’attente.

Il faut néanmoins savoir que la GT-R n’est pas une voiture que l’on se procure pour se pavaner devant les filles. Il ne s’agit pas non plus d’une voiture noble et élégante, comme certaines Allemandes réputées. La GT-R est en fait une voiture au caractère moderne qui, malgré sa ligne tapageuse, est parfaitement authentique. Vous ne trouverez donc pas à bord de ce bolide de belles pièces d’horlogerie, de cuir griffé ou de riches moquettes. En revanche, vous ferez face à un tableau de bord typiquement japonais, dont le graphisme rappelle assurément celui des meilleurs jeux vidéo.

Par exemple, l’écran de navigation peut se transformer en une centrale de cadrans indicateurs pouvant transmettre des données sur la pression du turbocompresseur, la température et la pression de l’huile, la répartition du couple avant/arrière et bien plus. Ajoutez à cela des commandes de changement de vitesses au volant, des boutons de réglage pour la suspension et la répartition de puissance et le fameux bouton “Engine Start” rouge, et vous avez devant vous tous les éléments pour vous convaincre que vous êtes au beau milieu d’une salle d’arcade.

Heureusement, la vie à bord du véhicule ne se résume pas qu’à cet aspect, que certains n’aimeront probablement pas. On y trouve aussi des sièges fermes, bien sculptés et très confortables, un volant gainé de cuir qui glisse parfaitement entre les mains ainsi qu’un bon dégagement. La position de conduite est donc optimale et permet de jouir au maximum de la voiture.

Parlons puissance

Avec 480 chevaux, il est évident que cette bombe a de quoi secouer votre carcasse. Il ne faut cependant pas s’attendre aux mêmes sensations de poussée que peuvent vous procurer une Corvette Z06 ou une Dodge Viper. Certes, la Nissan est aussi rapide sinon plus, mais le six cylindres biturbo n’a rien de brusque et vous propulse avec une étonnante sagesse.

Si le moteur est en partie responsable des grandes performances de cette voiture, il ne faudrait pas non plus oublier la boîte séquentielle à double embrayage, qui fait un boulot carrément formidable. Les passages de vitesses sont instantanés et n’engendrent aucun contrecoup. Voilà une boîte qui peut donner des leçons à celles qu’on a cessé de vanter du côté de chez Audi, Porsche et BMW. Ajoutons à cela une suspension très bien calibrée, des freins Brembo ultra-puissants et une direction super précise, et on obtient le cocktail parfait pour se lancer en piste.

Ayant conduit la voiture sur le circuit d’Estoril au Portugal, je suis en mesure d’affirmer que la voiture est un véritable foudre de guerre. Elle décroche difficilement, se manie avec aisance et démontre une rigidité structurelle digne d’une voiture de course. L’excellente répartition de poids se manifeste également par un grand équilibre. Pour cela, remercions les ingénieurs qui ont eu l’idée de placer la transmission à l’arrière. En revanche, la GT-R demeure une voiture lourde. Cet élément n’engendre pas de handicap majeur, mais il est clair que quelques kilos en moins ne lui feraient pas de tort. Qui plus est, une pédale de frein plus progressive permettrait de doser plus facilement les ralentissements.

Naturellement, lancer cette voiture sur notre pitoyable réseau routier n’a pas le même attrait. Il faudra au conducteur une bonne dose de courage pour composer avec les nids-de-poule et la lenteur de la circulation. Car la GT-R, comme la plupart des mégabombes, n’est pas une voiture très agréable à basse vitesse. Elle ne fait que vous signifier qu’elle peut aller plus vite, et plus vite… et encore plus vite! Et comme on sait que les forces policières ont particulièrement faim par les temps qui courent, vaut mieux apprendre à calmer ses ardeurs. Et chose certaine, ce n’est pas la GT-R qui vous aidera dans cette démarche.

Audi R8

This article is not available in English. Depuis son arrivée en sol Canadien à l’automne 2007, la R8 d’Audi fait couler beaucoup d’encre. Pour la première fois de son histoire, Audi a décidé de se lancer dans le créneau des « super cars » et a frappé en plein centre de la cible. Depuis son introduction, la R8 d’Audi a remporté presque tous les prix dans le domaine automobile.J’ai eu la chance d’effectuer un court essai routier de cette voiture au Test Fest de l’AJAC l’automne dernier, mais je me devais de reprendre le volant de la R8 pour me redonner l’impression que j’étais tout un conducteur. Bien oui, c’est évident que la coupe de la voiture est hallucinante, séduisante et destinée à en faire rêver plusieurs. Ces jantes massives de 19 pouces sont superbes et remplissent merveilleusement bien les ailes musclées de cette voiture. La portion avant semble sculptée pour transpercer l’atmosphère tandis que l’arrière maintient parfaitement le lien entre le bitume et ce bolide. Le moteur central visible ajoute une aura d’exotisme à cette voiture qui ne pourrait passer pour autre chose qu’une guerrière anti-Ferrari et Porsche.Pour moi, être derrière le volant de la R8, c’est comme enfiler notre linge qui nous met le plus à l’aise. De la poignée de porte au volant, en passant par l’écran de navigation et le levier de vitesse, tout tombe parfaitement sous la main. Audi est reconnue mondialement pour ces habitacles et la R8 ne s’éloigne pas de cette règle. Même si la voiture essayée n’était pas un modèle de production (on pouvait y trouver quelques morceaux de plastique noir lisse), la qualité de l’assemblage et de la finition était exceptionnelle. Les sièges offrent un support exquis, directement inspirés des banquettes de course, mais sans l’inconfort inhérent de ces dernières. Selon mes goûts, j’aurais préféré qu’Audi retienne le combo cuir-alcantara de série pour le recouvrement des sièges de la R8 au lieu d’investir dans plus de cuir; l’alcantara est plus adhérent et fait moins glisser les occupants en courbes.

La structure, à laquelle les panneaux de carrosserie diaboliquement beaux sont rattachés, est complètement fabriquée en aluminium et est extrêmement rigide en plus d’être très légère. Le poids est toujours l’ennemi juré de la progression vers des vitesses élevées. La R8 ne pèse que 1 635 kg (3 605 lb) comparativement au poids de la RS4 qui s’élève à 1 795 kg (3957 lb). Cette différence représente le poids de deux hommes et on s’en rend compte immédiatement. Le fusionnement entre les formes du conducteur et la R8 est quasi parfait, on a l’impression que notre corps est une partie intégrale de la voiture. La réponse immédiate de toutes ses composantes mécaniques procure une impression que la voiture est encore plus petite qu’elle ne l’est; sa maniabilité est surpassée uniquement par la capacité de la R8 d’atteindre des vitesses illégales.

La position central du moteur a plusieurs raisons d’être. Premièrement, c’est un excellent sujet de discussion quand vous allez épater vos voisins avec votre nouveau jouet. Sérieusement, cet emplacement assure une répartition idéale du poids et ainsi, permet une agilité maximale à la voiture. La suspension de la super Audi est connue sous le nom d’Audi Magnetic Ride. Cette suspension adaptative est tout simplement incroyable. Si vous vous imaginez que la R8 est impossible à conduire en ville, détrompez-vous. Les amortisseurs sont remplis d’un liquide qui peut changer de viscosité selon un champ électromagnétique et ainsi, ils assurent un niveau de confort supérieur même sur une mauvaise route. De plus, lorsque la commande est appuyée, la R8 se transforme en voiture de course.

Même si ce système d’amortissement s’adapte à la condition routière, j’ai parfois trouvé le roulement trop mou et sous-amorti à certains endroits. Parallèlement, à moins d’être sur une piste de course ou encore sur l’Autobahn, lorsqu’activé, l’amortissement peut être trop ferme. Selon moi, l’ajout d’un mode « Normal » (Sport, Normal, Confort) serait le complément idéal à ce qui est déjà une technologie extraordinaire. La direction et les freins sont aussi à la hauteur des performances de ce bolide. Même si le diamètre de braquage est grand, la direction est précise et transmet une panoplie d’information au pilote.

La R8 n’est pas seulement une beauté fatale. Bien que ses performances soient stupéfiantes, les ingénieurs d’Audi ont vraiment pensé à tout. Ils ont intégré des canaux de refroidissement spécifiques dans le plancher plat inférieur de la voiture qui dirigent de l’air frais aux freins ainsi qu’au moteur central. Cette même technique génère une pression positive sur la carrosserie (downforce) qui garde les pneus bien en contact avec le sol à plus haute vitesse. En parlant de vitesse, que dites-vous de 0-100 km/h en 4,5 secondes? De 0-200 km/h en 15 secondes et une vitesse de pointe de 301 km/h?

Encore une fois, le moteur revient comme sujet. Ce V8 du tonnerre dispose de 4,2 litres de cylindrée et en soutire le maximum. Développant 420 chevaux, cet engin de course se retrouve dans le club exclusif des moteurs atmosphériques produisant 100 chevaux par litre ou plus. Non seulement est-ce que le moteur rugit de manière furieuse, mais lorsqu’il est jumelé à la boîte manuelle à six rapports, il ne cherche qu’à révolutionner jusqu’à 8 000 tr/m. S’il y a un autre son que j’aime entendre, c’est bien le « clac » qui survient après un changement de rapport. La plaque d’aluminium qui définit les rapports est probablement l’item design que je préfère le plus chez la R8.

La R8 est en effet la résultante de tout le savoir-faire d’Audi. Leurs expertises au niveau de l’aluminium, de la traction intégrale, des moteurs à très haut rendement et de leurs capacités de design impressionnantes font de la R8 une œuvre d’art qui peut être utilisée tous les jours, sur la piste comme pour aller chez les beaux-parents. Quelle voiture merveilleuse! Ah oui, si vous aimez le diesel, Audi vous en réserve une avec un moteur V12 de 500 chevaux dans un avenir rapproché.

New TSX

There are times when the theory of evolution plays with one’s emotions and driving the second generation Acura TSX is one of those times.The 2009 version is slightly larger and a whole lot more fun to drive. On top of that, it’s more comfortable and contains more safety features.

Acura says its “entry premium” sedan is aimed at young professionals in their early to mid-’30s. In other words, they’re after the “look-at-me-crowd” with an eye to performance.

Demographic-setters be damned. This car appeals to me, too, and I’m well past the mid-’30s. I’m also not a look-at-me, attention seeker. Neither is my wife, who also likes the car.

Why?

Well, it looks good – a well-proportioned wedge shape with sharp lines and a solid stance. On the inside, the test car’s leather appointments are well crafted, the seats are comfortable and the passenger gets power seat adjusters. Both up-front seats get heat – which for my liking could be hotter, especially in the lower back area.

The test car came with everything you can put on, or in, a TSX. The company bills it as the Technology Package and it brings the price tag to $40,300, still not bad considering the equipment.

The base car, which starts at $32,900 brings considerable bang for the buck as it is. You get a moonroof, power passenger seat, remote entry, power everything, heated cloth seats, premium 7-speaker audio system and Bluetooth HandsFreeLink cell phone interface.

A premium package adds leather seats, XM radio, driver seat memory, and digital media auxiliary USB jack. The technology package gives you Acura/ELS Surround premium audio system with note feature for XM radio, navigation system with bilingual voice recognition, and a rearview camera.

Honda does manual transmissions so well, and that’s the basis for gear selection for all TSX models. It’s the kind of transmission that has you running up and down through the gears just for the fun of it.

The five-speed automatic offers steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters which work well enough, if you’d rather let electrics handle the job. The slushbox moves through the gears easily and smoothly and doesn’t hunt around for the right gear on long inclines.

To access the manual mode with its paddle shifters, you pull the gear selector straight back – no wacky gate system. Once there, you find this is a true sport shift – the transmission will hold the gear right to redline.

I have no problem with that nice bit of work, I just don’t like the left hand/right hand upshift/downshift system. Seems I’m always crabbing about this, but I’d rather be able to shift up or down with either hand.

But I certainly have no problem with what that transmission is connected to: Honda’s i-VTEC system that gets 201 horsepower out of a 2.4L 16-valve four-cylinder engine and it gets those horses moving with 170 lb.-ft. of torque (172 with the manual shifter).

Step on the gas and the car responds instantly, whether you’re passing on the highway or getting off the line at a traffic light. Power is there when you need it.

It’s not often you get even close to Transport Canada fuel consumption figures, but the test car did it. I didn’t believe it after driving 300 km, so I reset everything and had another go at it around town and on the highway for another 300 km…8.9L/100 km combined with the automatic transmission. That’s the combined figure for TSX with the manual transmission.

No, I wasn’t babying it, either. I was having too much fun playing in corners. This car loves the bendy bits.

On dry roads, stability control with traction control jump into the fray only when you get the car considerably out of shape…and that’s not an easy thing to do. When roads get icy (and I had this thing when a spring blizzard belted the Calgary area), the system ensures you maintain course.

The new generation has developed better manners on the road. The ride is smoother and the cabin is much quieter than before, a nice place to enjoy your music on the 10-speaker surround sound system. The only time I noticed wind noise was in a howling 60 km/h crosswind and even then it wasn’t unbearable.

Cabin space is good for four people and the trunk can swallow a rather impressive amount of gear. If two people are on a road trip, the split/folding rear seatback drops down to increase the hauling capacity.

Here, in short, are some other highlights about this car:

Headlights provide excellent illumination. You don’t find yourself straining to see ahead in the dark.

Navigation system is easy to get along with and the mapping is quite up to date.

Phone interface sets up easily and works well.

The switch for the power moonroof is on the overhead console (and about time, too!).

Backup camera provides a good rearward view and stays cleaner longer when the roads get crappy.

If you’re looking for a car in this category, be sure you put the TSX on your to-look-at list.

Lexus IS more sport than luxury

When we look back on 2008 and consider the best automotive value in Canada, some may look at the Hyundai Accent L and its dirt-cheap $9,995 MSRP, or on the opposite end of the scale, the Lexus LX570, a new model that went down in price by almost $17,000.But whereas you won’t have so much as air conditioning in the Accent and you still have to be substantially wealthy to be able to afford the LX570, the 2008 Lexus IS250 is a gorgeous vehicle that has a mind-bogglingly low price. The base IS250 is almost $5,000 cheaper compared to 2007’s model … and you don’t have to run your own law firm to consider it and its $31,000 base price tag.

The price isn’t the only thing that makes the IS250 appealing though - far from it. This may be Lexus’ entry-level vehicle, but it still retains many of the qualities of its more expensive siblings. It has a whisper-quiet engine, an absolutely pristine interior and Lexus’ attractive new L-Finesse styling.

It may not be sporty enough for those drivers who eat horsepower for breakfast and wash it down with a healthy serving of torque, but when you consider the whole package (not just performance), it makes a case for itself as a truly compelling compact luxury sport sedan.

Though the rear-wheel drive IS250 is the model with the aforementioned $31,000 base price, my tester was equipped with all-wheel drive. The AWD IS is a little heavier and its weight distribution is slightly less balanced than its RWD brother, but for a Lexus - a luxury badge not known for its sportiness - it’s still a lot of fun.

Even before getting into it though, it’s easy to tell that the IS doesn’t have the same attitude as other Lexus cars. It has a short back end and a long front end, giving it a roadster-like silhouette. The taillights sweep around the sides and grow larger moving toward the front, giving it the appearance of moving forward, and the exterior for the most part is uncluttered, so the focus here is obviously more on driving and not so much on just looking good (even though it really, really does).

Once you do step in, it’s difficult to deny that the interior does ooze Lexus from every air vent and cupholder. The seats are more soft and cushy than they are supportive - which doesn’t help when you’re testing out just how well the vehicle handles - and you’ll feel guilty every time you track mud or rain onto the floor mats. This isn’t to say the interior is bad. It’s actually downright immaculate, but again for performance snobs, this may not be enough.

The IS comes available with one of two V6 engines - a 2.5-litre and a 3.5-litre. A glance at the IS250’s spec sheet may not elicit much in the way of excitement when you look at its numbers, but it does feel like a finely-tuned sport sedan once you stop feeling the leather and gazing at the chrome, and start pushing the throttle, turning the steering wheel, and clicking the paddles.

Those steering wheel paddles come standard on the AWD IS250, and let you manually control the six-speed automatic, which is both good and bad. The transmission automatically kicks into fourth gear whenever you move into manual mode - which is great if you’re going 100 km/h and trying to pass someone on a highway, but it makes absolutely no sense if you’re trying to pass someone on a city street while in third gear and you need every bit of torque that peaks at 4,800 rpm.

I just made sure to choose from one mode or the other every time I got in the car; always give myself full control, or always give the vehicle full control.

There are other nice touches that make this a fun little sedan to drive, like an orange light that surrounds the speedometer and tachometer at whatever vehicle/engine speed you choose. It doesn’t make the car go any faster, but hey, it’s fun to look at.

And as enjoyable and truly luxurious as the less-expensive IS sedans are, there are still a wealth of options and packages available to make even the most discerning buyer satisfied. It’s a shame that Bluetooth is only available in tandem with the expensive navi package though.

The IS250 may not be up-to-par with other sports sedans when looking solely at performance numbers and behaviour, but it’s still a fine-handling machine, and with a base price as low as $31,000, its inadequacies can be forgiven.

Audi A5/S5 Return of the coupe

Looks like Audi is coming of age and is finally on par with its German rivals. After revamping its whole line of base models, Audi is now focussing its energy on more specialized models. While these don’t exactly bring in a lot of money, they do a lot for the company’s image, proving that it has matured. Audi introduced two speed machines, the RS4 and R8, and is now back to grand touring coupes with the A5 and S5 models.When it comes to coupes, Audi is no novice. We all remember the first Audi quattro, affectionately called the Ur quattro, which was introduced in 1980 and sold in Europe until 1991. The major models in this market are now sport coupes, including the BMW 3 Series coupes and the Mercedes CLK. The new S5 might even match up with bullets like the Mercedes CLS and the BMW 6 Series - maybe not in terms of proportions, but in style and attitude.

Six or eight cylinders?

In Canada, the choice won’t be hard to make. The first car in this line is the A5 3.2 which, like the S5, will only be offered in Canada with quattro all-wheel drive. Hidden under the hood is a V6 engine making 265 horsepower. This model could use a little sprucing up, but prices for options haven’t been released yet. Look further down the line at the S5 4.2 and I bet you feel butterflies. It comes with the same engine as the S4, a 4.2-litre V8 that produces 354 horsepower. Both these engines have direct fuel injection, which Audi has dubbed FSI.

When the A5 and S5 are released this fall, they’ll only be offered with a 6-speed manual transmission. If you want an automatic, which includes a Tiptronic mode, you’ll have to wait until next year. And forget a direct shift gearbox - these just aren’t compatible with longitudinal engines. Audi breaks new ground in Europe, where some of its models with front-wheel drive get an 8-speed automatic.

A matter of style

It’s no news that when it comes to cars, style sells. And this is especially true for coupes. One thing that Audi understands well is that these cars turn heads. Under the direction of Italian designer Walter de’Silva, Audi has produced one of its most stylish vehicles ever. In fact, de’Silva goes so far to say that it is Audi’s greatest beauty yet. Just one look and you feel that you have to have one.

The S5 is the most striking, since it has a number of sporty features. Its front end is particularly impressive, with the daytime driving lights made up of a row of LED lights in the optical unit, which gives the vehicle a unique and intimidating style.

When it comes to wheels, I’ve found Audi’s designs a little too classic. While this is true in the A5, I have to admit that the S5 really surprised me, breaking away from the manufacturer’s usual style. Designed to let you catch a glimpse of the black brake callipers, the wheels on the S5 do a lot for the overall look of the car.

Sitting in the lap of luxury

In keeping with its reputation for cushy interiors, Audi has lined the A5 and S5 with rich fabric. Yet it showed a little restraint and everything is in good taste, with just the right amount of sportiness. The designers clearly had driver comfort in mind when they put all the instruments and central console together in a single block. Ergonomically speaking, they couldn’t have done better.

Another nice touch is the perfectly integrated navigation system screen, which doesn’t interrupt the style. Each with four seats, the A5 and S5 bring together the sporty lines of 2-seater speedsters and the practicality of sport sedans. Although the back seats are best-suited for children, two adults can fit with relative ease, as long as you don’t have giants up front.

Aboard the S5, you’ll find a few features that kick up the sportiness another notch or two, such as sporty trim, a unique steering wheel, a titanium background for the instrument panel and suede on the seats with the S5 emblem.

On the road

Get behind the wheel of the A5 or the S5 and you’ll quickly see why these are grand touring vehicles and not race cars. Whereas the S4, RS4 and R8 are all about pure performance, the A5/S5 duo combines performance and driving comfort. The Luxury Sport theme is confirmed with steering that is somewhat lighter than in other models. Although it is a less powerful vehicle, the A5 is agile on turns, thanks to its lower weight, especially in the front.

If I had a wish, I’d ask the V6 engine to growl a little more. As it stands, it seems a little dead in sport drive mode. On the other hand, the V8 inside the S5 rumbles just enough to satisfy the driver without being irritating. Playing with the manual transmission and accelerator is much more fun when every time you gear up you feel like you are in a powerful race car.

Although the cars differ slightly in terms of suspension, both offer a sporty ride while ensuring comfort on the road. It’s too bad that the people who can afford this kind of machine generally don’t make the most of its capabilities. They like what these vehicles look like on paper, but rarely experience the full capabilities of their cars.

Without a doubt, Audi has taken an important step toward becoming the reputed manufacturer it hopes to be. The company has struggled to find its defining characteristic, but it now looks as though style will be its trademark. And I’ve got to say, they’ve done it right! The Audi A5/S5 will make your heart race…

Summary

Test vehicle: 2007 Audi S5 2007

Price range: $78,000 (estimated price)

Test model: Audi S5 4.2 quattro

Test model price: n/a

Options: None

Freight: $700

EnerGuide ratings: n/a

Reported fuel consumption: n/a

Basic warranty: 4 years/80,000 km

Competition: BMW 335Ci coupe; Infiniti G37 coupe; Mercedes-Benz CLK; Volvo C70

Strengths: Unusual style, ergonomically designed interior, powerful transmission, quattro all-wheel drive

Weaknesses: Some equipment only available as options Read more

Prius makes sense on many levels

My wife borrowed this week’s test car for a quick trip to town one day. When she came home she put into words exactly what I’d been thinking.

“I’d forgotten,” Connie said, “how much I enjoy driving a Prius.”

Exactly.

I’ve got a lot of experience driving Toyota’s Prius, and I’ve always been impressed with its hybrid technology – the car, really, that put the word “hybrid” into the mainstream of consumer thinking. I was one of the first journalists in Canada to drive a Japanese-spec Prius – right-hand drive, and all – when Toyota brought a few over here for cold-weather testing back in 1998

Later, Connie and I had a 2004 Prius longterm tester – the first year the more aerodynamic second generation of the car was sold in Canada. Those were six months of happy motoring – especially when it came time to pay the laughably small bills for gasoline on the car’s infrequent stops at the pumps.

Lately, however, my experiences with the Prius have been as a rear-seat passenger on visits to Vancouver or Victoria where growing numbers of the car are found in those cities’ Yellow Cab fleets.

When you think about it, the Prius makes perfect sense as a taxi – and I can’t understand why cab companies in other major Canadian cities, most notably Toronto, aren’t rushing to the car the way they are on the West Coast.

It’s roomy enough for three passengers, plus a good deal of luggage when you lift the hatch to the rear compartment, miserly on gas and great for the environment because the engine shuts off at stoplights. And in heavy traffic, such as big-city cabs often encounter, the Prius will creep along using only its electric motor for propulsion.

So when I saw there was a 2008 Prius available for test drives in Toyota Canada’s press fleet, I grabbed it for a week.

What’s changed between the new model and the one we had as a longterm car back in 2004?

Well, gone is the colourful instrument panel display, with wheels turning and arrows flashing, indicating the direction of power flow – from the gas engine, the hybrid battery, or both – or from the wheels to the battery during regenerative braking. The bar graph remains, however, that shows fuel used and regenerative energy banked in five-minute blocks.

Also new for 2008 are standard features such as 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels, a garage door opener, electrochromatic rearview mirror, fog lamps and a body colour rear spoiler.

Driver and front passenger seat-mounted side airbags and side curtain airbags are now standard in base models.

Some Prius drivers must have complained about the horizontal bar that splits the rear hatch’s glass, because Toyota now includes a backup camera as part of a Special Edition premium package. At first I found it silly in such a small car, but it’s the best backup camera of any vehicle I’ve driven and soon I began to rely on it whenever I threw the shift lever into reverse.

Incidentally, that shift lever is unlike anything else you’ve encountered. The fat little stalk extends from the dash, to the right of the steering wheel, and allows you to shift into drive, neutral or reverse. If you want the continuously variable transmission in “park,” you push a large button on the dash above the shift lever.

Put your foot on the brake, push another large button on the dash and the car starts while the optional Smart Key is still in your pocket.

There are easy-to-use touchscreen functions for climate, audio and trip information. Off-putting to some people is the placement of the digital speedometer – far from the driver, at the base of the windscreen, and offset a little to the right.

On the highway, there’s little wind noise, thanks to Prius’ aerodynamic 0.26 coefficient of drag, but the rumble from the P195/55R16 all-season radials can be quite evident.

And I still worry about the use of nubby cloth, rather than vinyl or leather, on the armrests. Those on our test car, with only 4,198 km on the odometer, were already showing a few dirty spots.

The base Prius is already a well-equipped vehicle at $29,500, and our test car came with the Special Edition premium package which boosted the price to $32,530. The only available option our test car didn’t have was the DVD-based navigation system which adds $2,750 to the price of the premium package.

The Prius is no rocket, and you won’t want to push its soft suspension too hard on superhighway on/off ramps. But people who buy this car aren’t going to be as interested in sports-car acceleration and handling as they are in fuel economy and the small size of Prius’ carbon footprint. It is classified as a SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle).

With EnerGuide ratings of 4.0L/100 km in the city and 4.2 on the highway (although our test-car’s observed fuel economy fell short of those figures), Prius is eligible for the top $2,000 rebate in Transport Canada’s ecoAUTO program.

Other provincial rebates may apply, depending upon where you live.

This is not the fastest car, nor the quietest, but it’s a good combination of comfort and utility. Throw in decent luggage space and unbeatable fuel economy and you can see why so many buyers are going green.

Toyota Canada’s slogan for the 2008 Prius says, “The future is now.”

For more than 700,000 Prius owners around the world, the future is already here.

Fact file

2008 Toyota Prius

Price as tested (pre-taxes): $32,530

Options: Special Edition premium package ($3,030) includes vehicle stability control (VSC), premium JBL audio system with Bluetooth capability, AM/FM radio, 6-disc in-dash CD changer, MP3/WMA player, auxiliary input jack, 9 speakers, Smart Key system and backup camera

Freight: $1,240

MSRP: $29,500

Configuration: Front engine, FWD 5-door hatchback

Engine/transmission: 1.5-litre hybrid gas-electric/continuously variable

Horsepower: 110 @ 5,000 rpm

Torque: 82 lb.-ft. @ 4,200 rpm

Observed fuel economy (L/100 km): 5.9 combined

Warranties: 3 years/60,000 km; 5 years/100,000 km powertrain

Report Card

Fuel efficiency: 5.0

Value for the $: 4.5

Styling: 4.0

Comfort: 4.0

Performance: 2.5

Overall: 4.0

Competition: Honda Civic hybrid

Strengths: fuel economy; reliability; low emissions

Weaknesses: acceleration and handling; cloth upholstery

Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 2008, enfin en sol Canadien.

The average Canadian has likely never heard of what many diehards lovingly call an “Evo,” but now that Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution series is finally and officially here, it’s just a matter of time before word gets around!

The Evo has been sold Japan, Australia and other Asian markets for many years, but never in Canada.

The previous nine high-performance Evo editions were direct descendants of the original 1981 Mitsubishi Lancer 2000 Turbo rally car and launched into production in 1992 to fulfill homologation rules for World Rally Championship group “A” competition.

Americans were allowed into the party five years ago when the first U.S.-spec Evo VIII went on sale there. The U.K. began importing a few years before that. We’ve been on the outside looking in ever since, with fingers crossed. The frontal impact area had been the main barrier to importing it north of the border. On previous generations the Evo’s large, front-mounted intercooler came at the expense of a proper-size crumple zone. As a result, it was deemed unsafe for public roads.

Fortunately, the Lancer’s new performance-engineered global architecture means this is no longer the case. It’s also being used in the new Outlander SUV. Since the Detroit and Montreal auto shows, Mitsubishi claims to have amassed 150 deposits in excess of $5,000 or more for new Evos.

Based on the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer models (DE, ES, SE and GTS) launched last summer, the first shipments of the 600 rally-bred Evolution X models allotted for Canada began arriving mid-January 2008. While they do share the same basic DNA and model underpinnings, the Evo is a lot more powerful and fun to drive. Not to diminish the importance of these lower-priced Lancers and what they’re capable of, but the Evo is a super-pumped-up version of the Lancer.

Powering this 10th edition Evo is a brand new engine codenamed 4B11. Gone is the proven 4G63 powerplant that’s graced the engine bays of many previous Evos as well as Eclipses reliably for many years. Mitsubishi’s Innovative Valve-timing Electronic Control system (MIVEC) sticks around on the new all-aluminum intercooled 2.0-litre turbo inline-four. The new engine is 26.5 pounds lighter than its predecessor and slightly more powerful, making a hair over 290 hp, with 300 lb.-ft. of torque peaking just above 4,000 rpm.

Additional standard features on the $41,498, entry-level Evo GSR include a smooth-shifting five-speed manual transmission, steering-wheel accessible Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system, 18-inch Enkei cast aluminum wheels, Yokohama Advan Sport tires, Brembo brakes, Recaro seats, dual exhaust, seven airbags (front, side, curtain and driver’s knee), automatic climate control, power windows/mirrors, cruise, fog lights, aluminum pedals and a GTS-style rear spoiler.

With a 59/41 (front/rear) weight distribution, a standard aluminum hood, roof and front fenders ensure the 1,375-kg performance halo’s centre of gravity is lower and more complaint than standard Lancers. There are no options for the GSR. Instead, Evo pricing and specs is dictated by which trim you want.

An Evolution MR edition is due out in a few months for $47,495. In addition to more convenience and entertainment features, I’m chomping at the bit to try out the six-speed Twin Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST) with paddle shifters that can only be obtained on this model. MR also has forged alloy wheels by BBS, Brembo brakes with two-piece front rotors, uprated suspension bits, leather and more.

A MR Premium model will add a power sunroof, Rockford Fosgate premium audio, Sirius satellite radio, hard disk drive audio/navigation system with seven-inch LCD screen, and hands-free Bluetooth and steering wheel audio controls for an additional four grand; while a detuned RalliArt edition will bring the number of Lancer trims to eight in 2009.

By comparison, the 2008 Subaru WRX STi sells for $44,995 and comes with navi and I.C.E. goodies as standard. Subaru’s 2.5-litre horizontal boxer four makes 305 hp and 290 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm.

I have not driven a 2008 STi and my time with the Evo IX (Euro-spec) is limited to less than an hour, so it’s hard to make direct comparisons. But, where the previous-gen STi and Evo are a bit raw, brutish or hard-edged, the all-new Evolution GSR is a lot more controllable. It’s much better-looking too! Despite lacking some bells and whistles, the Evolution GSR (as seen here) is not for the average Lancer buyer.

Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada (MMSC) is calling on all performance-oriented driving enthusiasts with this enticing answer to Subaru’s STi. To help show the wait has been worth it, MMSC recently sent several waves of Canadian journalists to test drive the GSR on southern California’s twisty canyon roads of and the Streets of Willow Springs test rack near Edwards Air Force Base.

Of course, these roads aren’t very indicative of what we have around here; however, they truly separate the men from the boys so to speak. My route starts at the base of Topanga Canyon Road and heads up and away from the Pacific Coast Highway.

The GSR is immediately easy to drive. Pedals could be a bit closer together, but the clutch is firm and responsive and the shifter slides into place effortlessly. Steering is light and precise and you can practically sense the car wants to go faster in every corner.

Throttle response form the 4B11 is excellent and it feels like you’re being shot into the next corner by a high calibre rifle. While the turbo pulls hard from just below 3,000 rpm, it doesn’t jerk the car or make it unstable when it kicks in. Rather, it bolsters the linear power delivery nicely and disguises any turbo lag quite well. First to fourth gears are fairly close together and the car has very little rolling resistance.

Heading northeast on some highways and cruising at 120 km/h, the tachometer settles in around 3,800 rpm in top gear as engine noise starts overwhelming the cabin. While going this fast is illegal in most places, the GSR car could certainly benefit from a sixth gear.

While high-speed cruising for any extended period could possibly damage one’s ears, the five-speed’s strengths start to become more obvious shortly after arriving at the base of Little Tujunga Road. If the hairs on my neck had known of the driving pleasures that lay ahead they’d have been standing on end because, over the next 50 or 60 miles of this winding mountainous tract, Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control system (S-AWC) as well as my own nerves were put to the test.

Besides ABS with EBD, S-AWC uses a number of different active technologies to ensure the car’s attitude stays in check (and on the road). The Evo’s active centre differential (ACD), for instance, manages torque from front to rear while active yaw control (AYC) sends the proper inputs to the left and right. Active stability control (ASC) keeps the car from spinning out while exiting cornering and I found the system to be quite transparent. As in, I barely noticed it.

The new Evo is wider and heavier than previous versions, but it has not given up a thing in terms of performance. In fact, this version has been improved upon in practically every area from steering response to controllability and traction to stability. The Brembo brakes with one-piece front rotors are fantastic (the MR versions will be even better) and they were still going strong after hours.

At the track, the five-speed goes from chump to champ and the GSR does everything you tell it to. Even with the ASC turned on, I was the sole driver to get the GSR’s back end a bit loose while exiting the tight turn two. The car is very predictable and, on the tight little autocross course MMSC had set up for us nearby, I put into a Scandinavian flick (deliberate oversteer or drifting around a corner) on my first attempt with minimal effort.

On or off the track, the new 2008 Evo GSR should resonate with customers on two fronts. One is the technical or performance side, which the car has plenty of. The other is its design – its aggressive stance is in line with expectations. I think the MR edition will do particularly well in Canada, however, the pent up demand for the Evolution here will help propel sales of the Lancer GTS above expectations.

Mitsubishi and Subaru Canada are set to do battle this year as both car makers will support several Canadian rally teams. And, a heated rivalry between these famous rally icons is just what the sport needs.

Fact file2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR

MSRP range: $41,498-$51,498

Freight and PDI: $1,495

Configuration: Front engine, all wheel drive

Engine/Transmission: Turbo 2.0L 4-cyl/5-spd manual

Horsepower: 291 @ 6,500 rpm

Torque: 300 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm

Fuel required: 59 litres, premium

Warranties: Basic – 5 yrs/100,000 km; Powertrain – 10 yrs/160,000 km

Report cardFuel efficiency: 3.5

Value for the $: 3.5

Styling: 4.5

Comfort: 3.5

Performance: 4.5

Overall: 4/5

Competition: Audi S4, BMW M3, Infiniti G35/37, Subaru WRX STi

Strengths: Well-rounded performance oriented package; S-AWC system is great!; 300 lb.-ft. from a 2.0-litre turbo (what more could you want?)

Weaknesses: No real cruising gear; interior feels a bit cheap; lack of options

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