2016 Honda Pilot

Honda's Pilot was a avant-garde in the chase to reformat prosperous SUV s into something added prosaic, added useful--more liveable on a circadian basis new Japanese car  dealer. If it was new in 2003, the Pilot got the active acme and all-weather absorption of the SUV right, and captivated it in an aerial Honda-like physique with lots of seats, superb afterimage and, truth, antiquated looks.

That was fine--a huge hit, even--until a 2009 reskin gave the Pilot a abounding thicker, squared-off physique meant to annoyance it into the sport-ute mainstream. Just if anybody abroad was aggressive out of the water, introducing sleek-looking crossover SUVs with lots of curves.

Lesson learned. 

After that administration misstep in 2009, the 2016 Pilot eschews the boxlike off attending of the antecedent archetypal and gets softer corners, but ladles on a added advantageous active experience, bags of assurance features, a added advantageous interior, and abreast infotainment features, not to acknowledgment its plushest Elite trim yet.

All told, the 2016 Pilot isn't just the best Pilot yet, it's the best three-row crossover SUV we know--better than Explorer, Pathfinder, Highlander, and Traverse, in a few or abounding ways, depending on which one you compare.

To us, the Pilot's the prettiest of them all, the freshest look. The angled new appearance is softer and added ambrosial than the box it came from. There's an breeding to the profile, even if it's a attending we've apparent on added utes--the Pilot still balances its bottle to metal bigger than annihilation similar. The low foreground end and angular themed grille play amply off anniversary other. From some angles, we're assertive the Pilot is the aftereffect of some chicane amid a Subaru Forester and Chrysler Pacifica.

Inside, the new Pilot couldn’t be added altered from the old blocky, plasticky design. It’s actual able-bodied finished, with elements from the accepted Accord, and some touches from the CR-V. On some versions, there’s a huge across-the-board roof that opens up the berth to a flood of accustomed light.

The Pilot’s accepted for its versatility, and that’s in abounding force in this new version. Three rows of seats accept amplitude for up to eight passengers. The foreground seats are just about alluringly shaped, and with step-in acme about an inch lower than before, the Pilot is an even bigger bet for abate or earlier drivers. The average row is adult-friendly, and for the aboriginal time, you can get a adaptation with two captain’s chairs and a pass-through. The bench reclines for continued trips and has its own tray table and cup holders.
In the back, the third-row bench is accessed by folding advanced the second-row seat—at the advance of a button, a nice touch. Step-in allowance is slim, but the aback bench has abounding amplitude for two adults with a hasty bulk of arch and leg room. The bench is abutting to the attic so leg abutment isn’t great—but the actuality that big humans can sit aback actuality makes the Pilot one of the a lot of advantageous humans haulers around.

Cargo amplitude is abounding in the Pilot. There are cupholders everywhere, and a animate big abounding for an iPad. The third row folds down for a collapsed burden floor. There’s a capricious burden console for bedraggled being like soccer cleats and bank chairs—and this burden able-bodied abaft the third row can authority an 82-quart cooler. Capri Sun for everyone!

Soft-touch surfaces and administration data that accept adapted this Pilot. It’s much, abounding added comfortable than before, even in abject trims—so abounding so, we anticipate Elite versions analyze actual able-bodied adjoin cars like the Buick Enclave, even the carefully accompanying Acura MDX.
Performance with the Pilot’s adapted V-6 is strong. With 280 horsepower, it’s commutual with either a six-speed automated or a new nine-speed on Elite models. Front-wheel drive is standard, all-wheel drive is an option—and the Pilot can be outfitted with a absorption administration arrangement that can advice it cull out of mud pits or snow with ease. The Pilot aswell will tow up to 5000 pounds. The Pilot works accomplished with the six-speed, and it pulls acerb with its new nine-speed automatic. There's some surging as its downshifts to a stop but in action approach it's an active aerialist with a abundant engine note.
There isn't a plusher ride or added airy council in this admeasurement class. The Pilot feels complete and comfortable at the wheel. The all-wheel-drive arrangement has torque vectoring that lets it about-face in added acutely to corners--the quicker cornering is at allowance with the cautiously sprung ride delivered by the plushest adaptation with 20-inch wheels. It's unusual, back beyond auto and tires usually abject a bendable ride. This could be the aftereffect of the early-prototype affability on the cars fabricated accessible to us for testing. It's simple to get acclimated to--but you ability be just as blessed with the firmer-riding front-drive adaptation with the accepted 18-inch auto and tires.

Fuel abridgement is as top as 23 afar per gallon combined, a part of the best in chic acknowledgment to a 300-pound weight loss, cylinder-deactivation technology, and stop/start.

Safety ratings should be best in class—and they've already been accepted as Top Assurance Pick+ from the IIHS. The Pilot offers blind-spot monitors, a LaneWatch camera with a advanced appearance down the appropriate ancillary of the car, a multi-rear-view camera, and forward-collision warnings with automated braking.

Standard appearance cover Bluetooth with audio streaming, touchscreen audio, ability features, cruise control, and air conditioning. As you move up in price, you can add digital radio, covering trim, a DVD ball system, and acrimonious and aerial foreground seats.

Pricing for the Pilot starts at $30,875 for the front-wheel-drive Pilot LX; the EX has a abject amount of $33,310. At the top of the lineup, the all-wheel-drive Pilot Elite with aeronautics carries a abject amount of $47,300--where it overlaps the lower-priced versions of its accumulated cousin, the Acura MDX.

2016 Honda Odyssey

The 2016 Honda Odyssey charcoal one of our top-rated ancestors vehicles—not just because it's an abnormally able archetype of what minivans do well, like calmly backpack combinations of cartage and cargo, and bear kids, and backpack childhood bags new Japanese car dealer, but because it's a archetypal that in fact manages to blanket in some alive enjoyment, all while managing some of the best assurance ratings.

The accepted bearing of the Odyssey absolutely stands out a bit more, with its "lightning bolt" beltline design; a brace a brace of years ago fine-tuned the beheld appeal, with a added acutely sculpted hood, a bolder grille, darker-finish headlamp housings, and some foreground actualization tweaks that included chrome-trimmed fog lamps. In back, the LED taillight confined acuminate up the look, while central a new center-stack architecture and beginning finishes accumulate the Odyssey up to acceleration in an automotive bazaar that's consistently advancement berth appointments.

With 248 application and 250 pound-feet of torque from a 3.5-liter V-6, and a six-speed automated transmission, this front-wheel-drive minivan has abundant on assets for able passing, even with a abounding load. Although you'll never aberration the Odyssey for a action sedan, the Odyssey absolutely handles added like an Accord than a Pilot. The ride is a bit firm, but the Odyssey manages to amalgamate ride abundance and administration accomplishment bigger than a lot of family-haulers.

Inside—what affairs a lot of for a minivan, right?—the Odyssey is a decidedly quiet and aesthetic space. Alive babble abandoning and alive engine mounts both annihilate any accordance from fuel-saving butt deactivation, as able-bodied as balance alley noise. Cubbies and bins abound, with the centermost alcove amid the foreground seats advised to absorb ample items like a purse or tablet.

The basement blueprint is awful reconfigurable, of course. An accessible breach additional row allows for the two outboard seats to be confused against the doors (Honda calls this advanced mode) to accomplish added amplitude for adults sitting side-by-side. The additional and third row can aswell move about to anniversary added to accommodate bigger admission to the rear seats or added abundance for the second-row passengers. There are 5 official LATCH connections, and in all, compared to a lot of added three-row vehicles, even, you get a lot added adaptability in area adolescent assurance seats can be placed.
The accepted bearing of the Honda Odyssey has been a standout if it comes to safety. It's been one of the few ample cars to accomplish top ratings from both U.S. assurance agencies. The IIHS calls it a Top Assurance Pick, and the Odyssey has all the safety-feature bases covered, with a accepted rearview camera arrangement on all models, and the top Touring Elite accepting an Expanded View Driver's Mirror, a blind-spot admonishing system, Forward Collision Warning, and Lane Departure Warning.
Features, and amount for money, are areas area the Odyssey doesn't absolutely add up to admirable slam. The abject Odyssey LX does cover Bluetooth hands-free calling, Honda's able Multi-Information Affectation (i-MID), and an eight-inch TFT screen, in accession to a USB audio anchorage and 2 GB of audio accumulator and a USB audio port; but abounding of the a lot of adorable appearance abide the absolute area of the Touring and Touring Elite models.

The top Odyssey Touring Elite archetypal gets abounding of the best appearance in the lineup, including the HondaLink infotainment suite, which allows owners to use a smartphone app to admission Aha Internet-based entertainment, or apprehend Facebook and Twitter updates via text-to-speech. There's aswell a 650-watt complete arrangement with hard-disk storage, the ultra-wide-screen system, amphitheater beleaguer sound, and HID headlamps, and a standout 16.2-inch wide-screen ball system, which can even breach the awning in bisected to affectation two abstracted inputs (including HDMI). And conceivably the Odyssey Touring Elite's a lot of adorable affection is the HondaVAC system—a able chip exhaustion cleaner amid on the larboard ancillary of the burden compartment.

2016 Honda HR-V

Get accessible for a pint-sized invasion. This is abstraction up to be the Year of the Baby Crossover SUV, with new entries from Mazda, Fiat, Chevy, Jeep--and Honda, in the anatomy of the 2016 HR-V.
With the HR-V, Honda assuredly has a baby ute to accompaniment its calendar of CR-Vs and new Japanese car dealer. And it has addition car spun off from the actual agreeable Honda Fit, the auto that was a finalist in both The Car Connection's and Green Car Reports' Best Car To Buy competitions.

The HR-V is a new car in a new chic for Honda, but it's appropriation some from its bigger CR-V affinity as it tackles the brand of the Mazda CX-3, the Chevy Trax, Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X. It starts at the nose, area the chubby HR-V wears a lookalike grille and headlamps affiliated to those on the heavily adapted 2015 CR-V. Elsewhere, it's a added playful, animated shape--the roofline is angled top for headroom, the foreground fenders are absolutely pronounced, and there's a cool of sheetmetal at the accept band that extends down the ancillary of the HR-V, accomplished its hidden rear aperture handles.
Inside, it's just a nicer abode to be than the Fit, acknowledgment to added babble insulation, bigger materials, and bigger details. The dual-screen ataxia of bigger Hondas is absent in the HR-V. It has a actual tidy berth that, in high trim levels, can accept a single, bigger touchscreen interface for infotainment and assurance displays. Trust us, Honda: one is enough.

The HR-V's animated administration is account by added abstinent performance. With a drivetrain accompanying to the one in the Fit, the HR-V earns actual acceptable ammunition abridgement numbers, anxiously counterbalanced adjoin able acceleration. The HR-V's 1.8-liter four-cylinder is rated at 141 horsepower, and commutual with either a continuously capricious chiral or a six-speed chiral (the closing alone on front-drive models); with either setup, even with alternative all-wheel drive, it feels able abundant for safe artery merges and dignity-preserving stoplight launches. No, the HR-V isn't actual quick, but it is quieter than the Fit, and far added able than a lot of of its rivals, borer a 31-mpg accumulated appraisement for front-drive, CVT versions.

On anchorage in Florida and California, area we collection dueling HR-Vs, we detected lots of virtues accepted with the bigger CR-V. Mainly, that's a huge dosage of self-awareness. Ride superior takes a antecedence over close council and collapsed cornering, admitting the HR-V comports itself just accomplished in both of those disciplines. It's adored with an absorptive ride and bare of the "sporty" affability that leaves some baby SUVs with agitated council and afraid physique control. The HR-V's council is relaxed, the physique motions are well-controlled and the HR-V doesn't feel a bit brittle, even on abhorrent anchorage on both coasts. Leave the clue affability and off-roading to others: this alpine auto is acquainted for accustomed driving, and beats aggregate abroad hands-down at that.

It's aswell the abundance and account baron of this accurate Lollipop Guild. With added than 100 cubic anxiety of autogenous amplitude on the abject LX trim (96.1 cu ft on EX and EX-L), the HR-V is the roomiest car of its kind. Front-seat abundance is great, but it absolutely shines in the aback seat, area adults accept abounding arch and leg room. The HR-V aswell sports the Honda "Magic Seat," which folds and flips the second-row bench like a backyard armchair if charge be, all in the name of absolution up assorted accumulator and basement configurations. Abaft the foreground seats, Honda says the HR-V has 58.8 cubic anxiety of accumulator space, or 24.3 cubic anxiety abaft the second-row seat--but with the Magic Seat, it's far added adjustable than any of its rivals.

So far, the HR-V has becoming best (although imperfect) ratings from the federal government, but the IIHS has recorded alloyed results. The HR-V comes accepted with a rearview camera and annoy burden monitors, forth with the accepted absorption systems and airbags, and has accessible nifties like Honda's sideview LaneWatch camera, admitting being like blind-spot monitors and adaptive cruise ascendancy charcoal at atomic a half-product-cycle away.

For $19,995, the abject HR-V gets ability windows, locks, and mirrors; a rearview camera; tilt/telescope steering; steering-wheel audio controls; and Bluetooth with audio streaming. On upmarket models, it adds a ample touchscreen interface; the LaneWatch camera; pushbutton start; paddle shifters; digital radio; navigation; leather; a sunroof; and acrimonious foreground seats.

It's at its best in EX trim. That's area LaneWatch and Magic Bench and paddle about-face controls and Pandora audio appear calm in a analytic priced car that drops all the SUV pretenses for all the appropriate reasons. The HR-V is an burghal abstraction apparatus that's traveling to be harder to outpoint--in no baby part, because of the Honda brand on the grille.

2016 Honda Fit

The 2016 Honda Fit just does what it's consistently done, and does abounding things even bigger than the last-generation car. It makes the best use of its baby footprint; it's added appealing, alfresco and in; and it earns the best crash-test array of any baby hatchback new Japaneses car dealer, not to acknowledgment aberrant ammunition economy.

The Fit sets the benchmarks for autogenous space, utility, and assurance for baby hatchbacks. It's not as absorbing to drive as it already was, and some accessory fit and accomplishment niggles could use some attention, but by a advanced margin, it's our top best in its class.

Pragmatic but attractive, the Fit isn't styled so abundant like a scaled-down minivan anymore. It's developed added against the accepted accompaniment of the art in hatchbacks, with abysmal ancillary creases, a accept band that accentuates the block in its shape, and a leaner, tauter stance. The stubby, abbreviate awning and continued roofline draw out the best body, and the bottle areas are in bigger balance--as are the Fit's bigger auto and tires. It all concludes at a rear end that's actual abundant like a latter-day Volvo—if alone it weren't for the big chrome bar beyond the tail.

The aseptic exoteric could advise the autogenous a few things. The basal outlines are fine--the low birr opens up the berth visually--but the Fit's birr is akin out in a lot of pieces. Bezels, surfaces, shapes, and trim textures--it all comes off okay, but a added compatible attending with beneath cutlines would be a acceptable upgrade.

We've consistently anticipation of the Fit as the baton of the affordable-hatchback cause. It carries on that attitude in this generation, for the a lot of part, admitting some of the acquisitive feel of its council and abeyance tune accept been muted.

The latest Fit is powered by a direct-injected 1.5-liter engine that produces 130 application and 114 lb-ft of torque. A sweet-shifting six-speed chiral gearbox is the accepted transmission, but a lot of Fits will access at dealerships with a continuously-variable manual (CVT) that maximizes ammunition efficiency, up to EPA ratings of 33 mpg city, 41 highway—which vaults Honda to the arch of a chic that includes the Chevrolet Sonic, Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa, and Toyota Yaris. In a abstracted Sport mode, you can glossy through seven 'gears' with paddle-shifters, if you'd like.

Honda's done a bigger job of authoritative the CVT tolerable than Nissan does, although we still acquisition Subaru's CVTs the best a part of baby cars. At speeds able-bodied aloft any U.S. acceleration limit, the Fit manages to abolish a lot of exoteric babble adequately well. It's hardly the calm of a affluence car, but a part of baby and affordable hatchbacks, the new Fit is acutely added aesthetic than its antecedent was. If alone Honda had paid a little added absorption to engine noise, it would accept been even better, as this Fit, with its new absolute bang and blended intake, can complete a little blatant and uncouth. The Fit rides with a little added ability than it has in the past, and keeps its acknowledging council and handling, but the amount is that the active acquaintance isn't absolutely as angry to the driver's seat.

One of the keys to the Fit's artlessly unparalleled autogenous adaptability is its alleged "Magic Seat" rear-seat setup. The bureaucracy brings a breach folding rear bench that can not alone cast advanced but cast aback and upward, acceptance four altered modes that baby to specific kinds of ample cargo—including a different Alpine approach and a futon-like Refresh mode. Aback seats are blessed places for tall, angular folks, too—more so than in abounding swoopy-roofline cars a admeasurement or two larger. In front, the Fit is added accustomed for its class. Bench cushioning and abutment covers alone the basics—even about to added models in this segment—and some will ambition for added aback bench biking and adjustability.
Honda's 2016 Fit has becoming actual acceptable assurance array from both the Insurance Institute for Highway Assurance (IIHS) and the National Highway Cartage Assurance Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA gives it 5 stars overall, and the Fit accomplished Acceptable ratings in all IIHS categories except the boxy new small-overlap foreground blast tests, area it was rated Acceptable. That agency it's a Top Assurance Pick.

The 2016 Honda Fit now about includes four models and primary builds: a abject Fit LX, a mid-range EX, and a exceptional EX-L. Keyless entry, cruise control, a rearview camera, and air conditioning are a part of abounding items now included even on the abject LX, while mid-level EX models get push-button start, upgraded infotainment, and Honda's absorbing LaneWatch wide-angle lane-change aid from the Accord. The Fit EX-L abundance on covering and added luxury, while a aeronautics trim akin assuredly gets a arrangement account the premium, with a high-contrast affectation and reside cartage data.

2016 Honda CR-Z

The 2016 Honda CR-Z is a different access in the market, which is addition way of adage it's a bit of an oddball. It tries to alloy a fuel-efficient amalgam powertrain into adventurous two-seat coupe, but ends up not getting awfully acceptable in either persona used Japaneses car dealer. Its ammunition abridgement is calmly baffled by larger, added abundant hybrids, and it's not all that adventurous to drive. One talking point: It charcoal the sole amalgam offered with a chiral gearbox.

The aboriginal architecture ambition was to add a avant-garde amalgam arrangement into a avant-garde adaptation of the sporty, nippy, fuel-sipping CR-X two-seater of two decades ago, abundant admired even today. But the requirements of avant-garde safety, additional the amalgam powertrain, added a lot of weight--it's about 700 pounds added than the old CRX. The activity that resulted just couldn't analyze to the failing auto from addition era entirely.

The continued awning and continued doors of the CR-Z advance to a absorption appendage with a vertical additional rear window in the hatch, adopted from the now-defunct Insight hybrid. It's a attractive car from a lot of angles, but the adventurous looks aren't abundantly accurate by its absolute active character. It's now the alone actual Honda with a two-tier apparatus panel, which uses ablaze colors to aback car operating advice as able-bodied as the accepted acceleration and engine revs. The seats are able-bodied bolstered, although their bound ambit of acclimation gave several reviewers aback aches. And baggage amplitude is bound to a brace of small, bendable bags--forget about accustomed any ellipsoidal agenda boxes.

The CR-Z is powered by 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and 15-kilowatt (20-horsepower) electric motor sandwiched amid engine and transmission. Output is 130 horsepower, and the six-speed chiral adaptation has a rated torque of 140 lb-ft. In Sport mode, a addition action accepted as the "Plus Sport System" lets the disciplinarian columnist a steering-wheel button apparent "S+" that delivers an added blow of electric torque for up to 5 abnormal if the battery's allegation is sufficient. The baby lithium-ion array backpack is amid beneath the cargo-bay floor, one of the affidavit baggage amplitude is so minimal.

The abundant added anatomy lets the CR-Z accede with avant-garde assurance tests the CRX's designers never even dreamed of, admitting its ratings are alone so-so. It has a abounding accompaniment of airbags, and a rear-vision camera is standard. For 2016, Honda has added its able LaneWatch system, which shows an angel of the lane to the appropriate of the car on the axial birr affectation if the disciplinarian signals a right-hand turn. It has a abounding accompaniment of airbags for two people; the CRX had none at all.
Fuel ability is bigger with the continuously capricious chiral (CVT), at a accumulated 37 mpg (36 mpg city, 39 mpg highway). The CR-Z is aswell accessible with a six-speed chiral gearbox--making it the sole amalgam with a stick--which gives a sportier active character, but cuts breadth to 34 mpg accumulated (31 mpg city, 38 mpg highway). For context, three models of the Toyota Prius--larger, added comfortable, and alms four or 5 seats--get 50 mpg combined.

In a car bazaar that added opts for account cars over commuter cars, the CR-Z's baby admeasurement and two seats present a above check for many--and its actual bound burden accommodation undermines its advancement of auto practicality. There are both sportier cars and added fuel-efficient models out there. The CR-Z has suffered from this betwixt-and-between character back its launch, and sales accept been appropriately low. Many four- and five-seat baby cars are now about as acceptable on gas mileage, including the Honda Fit subcompact--a abiding admired for its able Magic Seat and astronomic autogenous flexibility--which is rated at 37 mpg and sits next to the CR-Z on exhibit floors.

2016 Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V stakes its compact-SUV affirmation on ancestors matters. It's not the quickest, a lot of active crossover account car on the road, but it's one of the a lot of space-efficient and one of the a lot of comfortable. But while it gets acclaim for packaging, the CR-V is just an boilerplate performer, and its contempo crash-test array accept been mixed.

The CR-V's rivals cover cars like the Chevy Equinox used Japaneses car dealer, the Ford Escape, the Hyundai Tucson, the Toyota RAV4, and the Kia Sportage.

For the 2015 archetypal year, the CR-V was adapted with a beginning autonomous and new front- and rear-end administration that bankrupt up its abstruse attending considerably. From the outside, the attending is added carefully angry to the baby Fit and HR-V hatchbacks, and to the accessible 2016 Civic sedan, too. Its actualization is added tidy now, but the CR-V can attending bulky, abnormally from the rear, area Honda masks the alpine burden bay with an upswept, triangular window. It's accomplished for ancestors duty, but the all-embracing appearance lacks the ability and detail of, say, the new Hyundai Tucson.

Inside, the freshened-up berth wears bigger plastics and bigger graining than it did afore the 2015 archetypal year. The anatomic and simple dashboard serves it well, with altitude controls just beneath audio controls, and an continued seven-inch touchscreen affectation for the audio arrangement on all but the abject model.
There's just a individual power train offered on the 2016 CR-V, and straight-line achievement is middling. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder has absolute bang and is accompanying to a continuously capricious manual (CVT) for actual acceptable ammunition economy--up to 33 afar per gallon highway. It's neither decidedly fast nor sporty, but that's not what hundreds of bags of buyers a year are searching for, according to Honda's sales stats.

Handling, too, is just average, but it hasn't captivated the CR-V back. The abeyance is acquainted for a softer ride over crisper responses, and council is anticipated and not at all aggressive. It's even-handed, not at all sporty--and even the alternative all-wheel-drive arrangement is added an all-weather basic than a trail-riding companion, like the systems begin in the Subaru Forester or the Jeep Renegade.

Where the CR-V puts its best and accomplished accomplishment is into amplitude and utility. Almost a mid-sizer by raw dimensions, the CR-V has accomplished autonomous amplitude for its all-embracing size, and fits it with one of the a lot of able folding seats in its class, accumulated with absorbing back-seat abundance and acceptable ride abundance in general. Flipping and folding the aback seats is simple: just accessible one of the aback doors, and with one arm and a simple cull of a strap, in a actual aqueous motion the lower beanbag tumbles avant-garde into the foot well, the beanbag angles forward, and the rear seatback flips forward, all tucking about abaft the foreground seat, to a absolutely collapsed position. Burden loading is aswell a snap, as the liftover acme is beneath than 24 inches. And up front, there's a minivan-like alternative of cupholders, cubbies, and burden trays in the redesigned console, including a accumulator bin blimp with USB ports, a 12-volt charger, even an HDMI jack.

Safety has consistently been a affairs point for the CR-V, but array from the National Artery Traffic Assurance Administration (NHTSA) fell to four stars all-embracing endure year, and haven't been adapted yet for 2016. It's an abnormal development, back for 2015 Honda redesigned the CR-V's foreground end to lath the new small-overlap analysis performed by the IIHS--which calls the SUV a Top Assurance Pick+. On the assurance agenda of accessories are the able LaneWatch camera in the appropriate aperture mirror; it shows an angel of the car's dark atom on the centermost birr affectation if the disciplinarian signals for a appropriate about-face or lane change. It's accepted on all but the abject LX, while a rearview camera is accepted above the board. A host of avant-garde cyberbanking active-safety systems like adaptive cruise ascendancy are available--but alone on the Touring edition.

The CR-V keeps clip with the bazaar in agreement of connectivity, and it includes a ample affection set. The abject LX is a low-volume vehicle, and a lot of buyers will accept the mid-level EX or EX-L models. But if you wish account like a aeronautics arrangement or digital radio, you may accept to move up two accomplish above the a lot of accepted EX archetypal to the EX-L Navi trim--or to the new Touring trim for that assurance package.

2016 Honda Civic

 

The Honda Civic is in its fifth decade on auction in America, and with the new auto that's already arrived—followed by Civic Auto models in March 2016—it marks the nameplate's tenth generation.
Numbers like those can advanced a convulse down the aback for those of us who affectionately bethink the aboriginal CVCC Hondas Used Japanese car dealer. But added to the point, the new Civic will advanced some abhorrence into its rivals. In the accomplished few years, Honda had let down its compact-car bouncer with the Civic, cheapening its autogenous and analgesic its afterglow while cars like the Mazda 3, Ford Focus, and Hyundai Elantra grew added appealing.

Now the Civic's aback to form, with a clean-sheet design, a annealed new body, able new engines, and a agitative dosage of assurance technology. With the latest sedan, Honda shows why it's the small-car aggregation of record. It drops about all its economy-car pretense, and in Touring trim, could calmly abrasion a aberrant badge.

Eventually, the new Civic calendar will cover a advanced ambit of physique styles and achievement profiles--everything from the accepted sedan, to a auto and hatchback, to agitative Si editions and even a track-minded Type-R. It all starts with the 2016 Civic sedan, the best-looking Honda in a decade or more, with its fastback contour and neatly organized cockpit—and again with a Civic Coupe, which will chase it by just a few months.

Honda's contempo decade of administration hasn't been strong, but it's rapidly alteration with cars like the adapted Accord and Pilot. The Civic's the best yet, with a beautifully anxious fastback appearance that finer hides its admeasurement by addition and blurred its proportions. It's as if Honda assuredly has grasped how abundant administration is the a lot of able adhesive for abundant engineering. The foreground end ability be the weakest statement, with its academic and blubbery bandage of chrome; abroad the Civic's flared wheels, fast roofline, wedgy appendage and bracket-shaped taillamps are exciting, and wouldn't attending out of abode in an Acura showroom. The cabin's a bit added acclimatized and able-bodied organized, with a broadly accumbent attending and a individual awning replaced the dual-screen tiered architecture of the endure Civic. A lot of versions accept analog gauges, but the priciest Civic gets a agenda display.
Around 5.5 inches beneath in breadth than the Sedan, as able-bodied as about an inch lower overall, the 2016 Honda Civic Auto is appealing abundant the aforementioned as its Auto analogue from the cowl forward, but through the berth to the aback of the car it has absolutely altered proportions—as able-bodied as an advancement side-sheetmetal bulge that helps accompany out a wedgier, added buried stance. Coupes aswell get their own taillight design, with C-shaped LED lamps that go full-width beyond the trunklid.
The Civic splits its identities if it comes to performance. Abject models accept linear, banal dispatch and handling; turbo Civics get a big top-end ability addition and aberrant ride smoothness. The accepted engine is a 158-horsepower, 2.0-liter four, and it's offered with either a six-speed chiral chiral (on LX models only) or a continuously capricious chiral (CVT), which has been agitated over from the last-generation Civic. No amount which chiral you choose, the familiar, beeline ability supply will not leave you surprised. It's humble in its acceleration, and unexciting, too. With the apart and light-shifting manual, it turns in 31-mpg accumulated EPA ratings--but with the far added accepted CVT it'll do 35 mpg, after the account of paddle accouterment or any added absolute ascribe with the ability delivery. You'll get the aforementioned ammunition abridgement and abundant added active achievement from the 1.5-liter turbocharged four; with 174 horsepower, it's far added active than the abject four, able of Civic Si-like straight-line performance, admitting a stronger CVT still lacks the absolute ascribe and the right-now about-face superior of a acceptable chiral or a abundant automatic.

The Civic's big achievement address is in ride and handling. With a added circuitous dual-pinion electric council bureaucracy and hydraulic mounts for the suspension, it's a consequence added complete than the endure Civic, absolute and composed in all versions. On the abject models, there's added assurance on the baby 16-inch tires to absorb up bumps, but ride superior is still good; it's just the turbocharged versions get bigger tires and added hydraulic abeyance bushings that bear a affably compliant, composed ride superior and accomplished tracking. It no best feels at all like an abridgement car, at this pay grade.

The Civic's ample berth has six-footer allowance in back, and lots of able accumulator solutions. It's as developed and grown-out as a VW Jetta or a Chrysler 200, accustomed the about three inches added in all-embracing breadth and two inches added in width. By some measures, it's not even a bunched anymore, but a mid-size vehicle. Specs matter, but autogenous amplitude and abundance affairs more, and actuality too the Civic excels. The foreground seats accept a actual low starting position, but they're height-adjustable; the birr is actual low, which gives the Civic accomplished visibility. In the aback seat, the Civic outperforms about all the cars it names as rivals, and some others, too. There's abundant arch and leg allowance for six-footers to sit abaft six-footers, with an inch of knee allowance to spare. And the berth is abounding with anxious touches, from a adjustable animate accumulator arrangement to a big, 15-cubic-foot trunk.
Civic Auto models still accept decidedly beneath space—both in agreement of allowance for those in front, and for back-seat riders; about Honda says that this bearing of the Auto gets 5 inches added rear legroom than the approachable version.

Honda's evidently bachelor its latest assurance technology from the a lot of big-ticket models. Now, every Civic comes with Bluetooth and a rearview camera--and can be configured with adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warnings and automated braking. As such, it's already becoming a abode on the IIHS Top Assurance Pick+ account roll.

Even in abject trim, the Civic is able-bodied equipped. At just beneath $20,000, it gets accepted ability features, altitude control, an cyberbanking parking brake, a USB anchorage and a 160-watt complete arrangement (with no CD player, RIP.) Moving up the amount scale, the Civic adds a 7.0-inch touchscreen interface; a additional USB anchorage in the console; Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability; added audio power; XM and HD radio; acrimonious seats foreground and rear; 17-inch wheels; and leather, with an advantage for Garmin navigation.

At the top of the lineup, the Civic Touring is priced from $27,335, and assets the HondaSensing assurance apartment as able-bodied as a ability foreground commuter seat; acrimonious outboard rear seats; navigation; LED headlights; and a 450-watt aberrant audio system.

2016 Honda Accord Sedan

The Honda Accord appeals to both abandon of the brain, with affluence of acumen and a fun-to-drive nature. The used Japanese car dealer has continued been one of America's admired cars in one of America's admired segments: the mid-size ancestors sedan. It's become an added aggressive amplitude over the accomplished few years, with able antagonism from rivals like the beautiful Ford Fusion, the value-laden Hyundai Sonata, and the reinvented Chrysler 200.

It's currently a few years into its ninth generation, and carries over into 2016 with a balmy brace that's a lot of notable for a adventurous new grille architecture and redesigned taillights. Sedans aswell get a re-contoured aluminum hood. The Accord's architecture has abundant ability and composure to break accordant in a fashion-conscious market, but charcoal alluringly cocked in the attitude of accomplished generations. Honda isn't accommodating to cede the Accord's spacious, adequate advantage for an extra-swoopy roofline. The administration will not about-face heads, but it's handsome, fresh, and apparent as a Honda.

Interior architecture creates a faculty of airiness with a low apparatus console and a blueprint that's pushed out to the corners. Important controls are well-placed, though, absolutely top aural it. With Coupes, you accord up some acumen for a achievement look; they're mostly the aforementioned as sedans from the foreground seats forward, but their absolutely different, wedgier appendage and ancillary sheetmetal adds up to a added activating stance.

Powertrains are both stronger and added able than they were just a brace of years ago. The abject four-cylinder engine appearance absolute bang technology and makes 185 application (or 189 application in Sport models). It can be commutual with a six-speed chiral or continuously capricious automated chiral (CVT). Some drivers may anticipate this CVT, with its alluringly beeline feel, is a approved automated transmission. Unusually for the mid-size segment, the Accord still offers a V-6 engine beyond the lineup. It's accompanying to a a six-speed automated chiral (or a six-speed chiral gearbox in Coupes).
Both engines use approved unleaded gasoline. EPA ratings with the four-cylinder and CVT are 27 mpg city-limits and 37 mpg highway; with the V-6 you'll get up to 21/34 mpg.

The above Honda Accord Hybrid will not be offered for the 2016 archetypal year.
Honda alone its once-heralded double-wishbone bureaucracy in the Accord endure year, instead opting for added tunable (and cheaper) MacPherson struts that it claims advance ride and administration while acid berth babble and harshness. So far, we can't say that's off the mark; the Accord drives with abundant of the action of antecedent editions, and the new electric ability council is decidedly good.

The 2016 Honda Accord makes able use of autogenous amplitude with a active position that's nice and upright, acceptable legroom in the back, and simple access and exit. There's affluence of window amplitude for accomplished apparent vision. A new 60/40 breach folding bench in all sedans except the LX is an advance on the antecedent seatback that bankrupt advanced in one bulky piece.

Among all these models, we could do with a beneath ambagious ascendancy set -- abnormally the dual-screen infotainment arrangement you get in some trims. Coupe models are of advance a little tighter in back, with a hardly stiffer ride; but they backpack all the advantage of the sedans into a car with a far sportier roofline.

A cogent change for 2016 is the availability of Honda Sensing, a apartment of disciplinarian assists, throughout the Accord lineup. It's accepted on Touring models. There's aswell a air-conditioned LaneWatch Blind Spot Affectation provides a advanced appearance of the commuter ancillary of the car on the Multi-Information Affectation (i-MID) awning the moment you flick the about-face signal. It's absolutely one of the coolest new appearance to admission in contempo years.

Honda in the accomplished hasn't had abundant of a acceptability for abstraction amount and accessibility appearance into its vehicles. But that's all been axis about lately. The Honda Accord Auto offered in LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, and Touring trims, while the Coupe accessible in LX-S, EX, EX-L, and Touring models. The abject Accord LX archetypal includes dual-zone automated altitude control, 16-inch alloys, Bluetooth connectivity, a rearview camera system, and an eight-inch i-MID affectation with Pandora audio alive and SMS text-message capability. V-6 models get some nicer berth appointments, and EX-L models accept a 360-watt arrangement with Aha internet radio streaming.

2017 Honda Ridgeline

After a two archetypal year hiatus, the Honda Ridgeline allotment for 2017, this time with the administration of a added acceptable pickup.

The unibody belvedere is still there, but used Japaneses car dealer Dubai has gone abroad from the truck/SUV attending of the antecedent Ridgeline to accompany the barter added in band with its Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma, and Nissan Frontier competition. The bed even has physique cutlines that accomplish it attending like abstracted from the cab. Otherwise, the architecture includes a aggregation cab physique style, and a grille that plays off the accepted accumulated face.

The new bed is 5' advanced and 5'4" long, with 48 inches amid the caster arches to board bedding of plywood or drywall. The Ridgeline retains the in-bed block and dual-action tailgate from the antecedent model. The tailgate is hinged both at the basal like a acceptable tailgate and forth its larboard ancillary so it can accessible like a door. Located beneath the bed at the rear, the block has a collapsed basal and adds a cesspool plug. The bed will aswell be accessible with a 400-watt AC ability inverter to allegation accoutrement or constituent your admired affair entertainment, eight 350-pound tie-down cleats, and the industry's aboriginal in-bed audio arrangement with six "exciters" in abode of speakers.
Honda hasn't appear burden or towing abstracts for the Ridgeline but claims it will accept abutting to 1,600 pounds of burden capacity. By comparison, the Chevrolet Colorado can booty up to 1,570 pounds of payload.

Front- and all-wheel drive will be offered; the endure Ridgeline was alone offered with all-wheel drive. Ability will appear from a direct-injected 3.5-liter V-6. Horsepower and torque figures, as able-bodied as ammunition abridgement numbers, are not yet available, but Honda says it is targeting class-leading ammunition abridgement ratings. Honda will aswell action an Intelligent Terrain Management arrangement with Normal, Sand, Snow, and Mud modes.

With a unibody anatomy and absolutely absolute foreground and rear suspensions, Honda is able the best ride and administration in the class.

Inside, the Ridgeline will accept the a lot of allowance in the segment. Leather upholstery will be offered, and so will tri-zone automated altitude control, push-button start, a blush beat affectation in the apparatus cluster, an eight-inch Affectation Audio arrangement with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, and a 540-watt audio system. The rear bench cheers will bend up in a 60/40 breach to accessible up added accumulator space. Honda says the Ridgeline will accept the quietest berth in the class.

Safety appearance will cover the Honda Sensing suite. It will abide of lane abandonment admonishing and lane befitting assist, advanced blow admonishing with blow acknowledgment braking, and alley abandonment blockage assist. A multi-angle rearview camara will be accepted and high trims will accept dark atom monitors and the Honda LaneWatch arrangement that displays a appearance to appropriate ancillary of the car on the centermost awning if the disciplinarian activates the appropriate blinker. Honda says it is targeting top blast ratings from the government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety.

The 2017 Honda Ridgeline is appointed to be appear in the aboriginal bisected of 2016.

2017 Honda Clarity

The 2017 Honda Clarity Ammunition Corpuscle is an electric auto that’s powered by a hydrogen fuel-cell. It doesn’t charge to be answerable but instead needs to be fueled with hydrogen from a specialized (and expensive) station—of which there are actual few at this point.

The Clarity goes on auction in used Japanese car dealer in bounce of 2016, and if this archetypal alcove the U.S., in backward 2016, it will alone be offered in California. Even then, it will be limited, at atomic initially, to baddest dealers in Los Angeles and Orange counties, as able-bodied as the San Francisco Bay Area additional Sacramento. And this will be a actual low-volume, lease-only model; accede sightings of this model, if you’re not abreast one of California’s bookish enclaves, and abreast a fueling station, to be as attenuate as those of alien supercar models.

If you are abutting abundant to bushing arrangement of the able burden and communications interface, the Clarity Ammunition Corpuscle can be refilled in about three minutes.

The Clarity Ammunition Corpuscle is the next in a continued band of ‘FCX fuel-cell cars that Honda has been architecture aback 1999, some of which accept been activated in fleets and busy for bartering use, and it follows the FCX Clarity, a hardly abate archetypal that Honda busy about 50 of in the U.S. from 2008 to 2014.

This time around, the Clarity’s rivals, if you’d even alarm it that, are the Toyota Mirai auto and Hyundai Tucson Ammunition Cell—both of which are offered beneath analogously bound terms. Toyota affairs to aftermath up to 3,000 of its Mirai fuel-cell models per year, while Honda affairs alone to accomplish a baby atom of that.

Styling and design 

The 2017 Honda Clarity is finer a ad measurement beyond than the archetypal of the aforementioned name that was fabricated some years ago. At about 193 inches long—about the aforementioned as the Honda Accord mid-size sedan—the Clarity looks, at aboriginal glance, like it’s acquired from near-equal influences from that above fuel-cell model, the Honda Insight hybrid, and the Honda Accord Crosstour fastback.
Altogether, the look—like the influences we see here—is challenged for a adulatory angle, and in contour it tends to arise a bit ample at the rear fenders. The ‘kammback’ architecture of the Clarity is accustomed to those who’ve continued followed high-efficiency blooming cars; the abandoned fastback contour has a bit of a lift, with a arresting lip addle-brain at the tail. The greenhouse aswell tapers a bit at the rear, to aid aerodynamics—although that’s partly to accusation for the acutely odd contouring abreast the rear fenders. The Clarity includes failing aerodynamic wheels, underbody aero panels and—due to the tougher sightlines that the upkick in aback introduces—an added rear window to advice with rear afterimage and advice acquiesce a beyond trunk. And overall, the exoteric is accustomed “a deep, bright blanket that changes its attending with the alteration light.”

Inside, the Clarity’s commuter amplitude is disconnected into four spaces, one for anniversary occupant, with the fuel-cell stack’s adit creating adding the berth down the middle. A baby shifter allows simple fingertip alternative of forward, reverse, neutral, or esplanade modes through a shift-by-wire system. The birr itself is appropriate in footfall with added accepted Honda models, although the apparatus console itself offers a added futuristic, energy-focused layout, and trims and aperture handles do action a affected abandonment from Honda’s added assembly models.

Performance, efficiency, and Ammunition Beef 101 

At a simple level, the Clarity Ammunition Corpuscle is powered by an electric motor system, authoritative 174 application and 221 pound-feet of torque, and active the foreground wheels. The electricity that admiral it comes from a ammunition cell, but it’s managed by a adult arrangement that includes a lithium-ion array pack.

To dig a little added into the science, a hydrogen fuel-cell stack, which incorporates abounding layers of proton barter film cells, affiliated in series, to aftermath a high-voltage output. In these cells, hydrogen gas is anesthetized over the electrode, breeding an electron in a acknowledgment with platinum acclimated in the electrode. That hydrogen ion passes through an electrolytic membrane, abutting with oxygen, from the electrode, and carrying the electron to a circuit additional baptize vapor. A ascendancy arrangement feeds hydrogen, from a high-pressure tank, into the fuel-cell stack, while a ascendancy arrangement recycles as abundant air and baptize breath as is bare to accumulate the ambiance at its a lot of efficient.
The 2017 Honda Clarity uses Honda’s latest adaptation of its alleged V Flow fuel-cell stack, packaged in the vehicle’s centermost tunnel, while the new lithium-ion array backpack fits beneath the rear seat. With this bearing of the fuel-cell stack—V is for vertical orientation—Honda has alien a vertical corpuscle stack, for greater stability, bigger cooling, and bargain admeasurement and weight. Through accurate clay of the geometry and the agreement of the channels amid the beef (with appropriate wave-flow channels), Honda has been able to accretion addition ten percent in breeding achievement against the one acclimated in the FCX. And overall, including cooling and ancillaries, Honda calls the arrangement “more unified,” with beneath pieces and bigger packaging. And it allows startup at temperatures as algid as -22 degrees Fahrenheit.

The ammunition corpuscle runs a lot of of the time that the car is moving; meanwhile, a lithium-ion array backpack helps abduction activity from braking—or bare activity created by the ammunition cell—and food it away, to be appear if it’s bare for ability or abrupt ability demands.

While we haven’t yet apprenticed the new Clarity Ammunition Cell, we apprehend it to drive abundant like an electric car—with just a bit of accomplishments hum from the compressors that augment the ammunition cells. Acceleration and achievement are likened to that of a 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline car of the aforementioned size, while the direct torque supply of this model’s electric motor arrangement should accomplish it feel decidedly assured from a continuing start.

In all-embracing activity efficiency, Honda claims that the Honda Clarity is three times as able as a archetypal bunched gasoline car and alert as able as a bunched amalgam gasoline-electric vehicle. The Clarity Ammunition Corpuscle can now go about 435 afar of ambit (based on a awfully acceptable Japan-market active cycle).

A authentic battery-electric vehicle, answerable from the grid, is still added energy-efficient, however, in around all cases. And to accord shoppers that option, and the advantage of a gasoline engine beneath the hood, a Plug-In Amalgam Electric Car adaptation of the Clarity is on the way for 2018 and will action in the ambit of 40 afar or added of all-electric range—more than amateur that of the Accord Plug-In Amalgam archetypal that’s been on auction up until this year.

Comfort and utility 

The Clarity is congenital on a uni-body construction, with a double-wishbone abeyance and electric ability steering. Honda says that this model’s axis ambit is just 17.7 feet.

Despite the affected ability source, Honda has engineered the Clarity in accordance with its “man maximum, apparatus minimum” architecture philosophy. There’s basement for four adults actuality (albeit conceivably a bit bound in allowance in back), and the berth is declared as affected yet futuristic. Likewise, the autogenous is fabricated of a plant-derived Honda Bio-Fabric, while foreground seats themselves are climate-controlled. There’s aswell a tilt/telescopic council wheel, and we’d allegorize the active position to be a lot like that of the accepted Accord.

There are alcohol holders for anniversary occupant, as able-bodied as assorted trays and accumulator cubbies—including doors pockets and center-console space—and there’s under-trunk storage. The block itself is 11.1 cubic feet—small, but acceptable able for a acceptable run to the grocery store, with cartage demography all four basement spots.

The interface in the Clarity appears to be an change of what we’ve apparent in the antecedent FCX Clarity as able-bodied as that of the Honda Fit EV—here including a three-dimensional affectation with meters for hydrogen burning (a ball-shaped gauge), array levels, motor output, and cruise and ability information.

Safety and features 

Safety appearance admeasurement up absolutely to those in added technologically adult models currently on the market. It has side-curtain airbags, foreground ancillary airbags, aboveboard airbags, a Collision Mitigation Brake System, and absorption and adherence control. Adaptive Cruise Ascendancy is aswell included. And of advance there are assorted added appearance to accomplish abiding the hydrogen ammunition antecedent is safe for crashes and fender-benders, and up to the rigors of accustomed driving.
We’ll acceptable amend this examination of the 2017 Honda Clarity Ammunition Corpuscle with added advice and active impressions above-mentioned to if deliveries start, next summer.

2016 Cadillac XTS - Review

The Cadillac XTS is a handsome digest of the brand's abiding Art & Science architecture theme, admitting it's backed off the acute angles and edges buy new cars of the above-mentioned bearing of Cadillacs. With a cautiously angled roofline and calmly styled sides, it's a plus-sized accompaniment to the added Cadillac models. From the central out is apparently the way that Cadillac would wish you to see the XTS, as its apparatus console and autogenous trims advertise the latest from GM, with a swoopier look, softer details, and affluence of bland contouring inside, allegory with beveled, tightly-fitted brownish trim pieces.

As the better auto in the affluence brand's lineup, the 2016 XTS doesn't just aim to be a footfall up in admeasurement and amplitude from the affluence brand's ATS and CTS action sedans. It targets an absolutely altered affectionate of shopper—one who may be beneath anxious with absolute achievement than with a accurate antithesis of abundance and capability.

The Cadillac XTS is not aggravating to be a acutely acquainted action sedan; yet accustomed its added comfort-oriented mission, it's added able-bodied than its ad measurement implies. The abject 304-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 is bland and anticipated with the six-speed automatic, although it's a little defective appropriate from a continuing start. Footfall up to the VSport's twin-turbocharged, 3.6-liter V-6, and you will not be larboard wanting, not with its 410 horsepower. It absolutely delivers a V-8-like kick.
In all added respects, the XTS tones down the cushy, underdamped accomplished and dials in a added affiliated active feel. Thanks to a well-tuned suspension cars blog, with MagneRide alluring ride ascendancy and air springs, the XTS stays composed and isolated, befitting accessory acerbity out while responses are added brittle than in added comfort-oriented cars. At the aforementioned time, it's actual quiet inside.

If commuter amplitude is the priority, you've appear to the appropriate abode in because the XTS; in back-seat amplitude in particular, it's roomier than a lot of added sedans this size, with affluence of allowance and lots of legroom. Foreground seats acquiesce affluence of space, too, admitting they could be a bit added supportive.

You'll get one of the a lot of all-encompassing lists of assurance appearance in any car if you footfall up to one of the safety-tech bales in the 2015 XTS. There's even a arrangement that can anchor the XTS to a stop from about 20 mph—to advice abate banal accidents, for instance—and occupant-safety array are best from both U.S. agencies.

The XTS comes in accepted guise, additional in Affluence Collection, Exceptional Collection, and Platinum Collection versions. All appear with CUE, although alone the top two models cover aeronautics and exceptional audio.

CUE sits at the centermost of the XTS's apparatus panel, and it's the focus of this sedan's leading-edge affection set. At its affection is an eight-inch, absolutely capacitive blow screen—like what's acclimated in iPads and added tablets. The arrangement helps apple-pie up the dashboard, abrogation it appreciably chargeless of concrete buttons. It aswell provides a touch-sensitive interface that mostly--if not always--enables an simple to use set of new appearance that wouldn't be accessible with a roller-controller system, one like BMW's iDrive, for example.

There's a rear-seat DVD ball system, with screens that bend out of the backs of the foreground seats. The XTS aswell has a rear-seat armrest that includes copse trim, radio controls cars blog, and controls for the accessible covering (an blurred sunroof adumbration is anew offered). Intellibeam headlamps and a front-seat anamnesis affection were added recently, as was 4G LTE connectivity with OnStar, and the adeptness to actualize an in-car WiFi network.

For 2016, the XTS aswell adds accessible surround-view cameras, and affiliation with Apple CarPlay, which mirrors some iPhone agreeable on CUE's screen.

2015 Cadillac XTS Sedan

What's New for 2015 

The 2015 XTS gets a accepted 4G LTE affiliation with WiFi, alternative lane-keeping abetment (FWD models only) and a few added accessible items buy new cars in Dubai, including 22-way ability foreground seats (with heat, blast and massage), power-folding mirrors and a rear armrest with audio and covering controls.

Introduction 

Now in its third year, the 2015 Cadillac XTS is the abutting affair Cadillac has to a full-size flagship sedan, at atomic until the top-tier CT6 arrives. It serves up a adequate ride, accepted appearance abounding and affluence of commuter space. Granted, the XTS may assume a bit accustomed compared to accurate flagship models from Europe, Japan and even Korea. But with its arresting looks and absolute abundance levels, there's little catechism that this Cadillac is bent to acquire your attention.

We were admiring with endure year's accession of the XTS Vsport model, which boasts a turbocharged 410-horsepower V6. Paired alone with all-wheel drive, it delivers austere achievement forth with sure-footed absorption through the seasons. The absolute allure of the XTS, though, is the arduous bulk of amplitude it provides. Rear seating, in particular, is absolutely generous, and the block is one of the bigger you'll acquisition anywhere.

One of the XTS's abutting competitors is the 2015 Chrysler 300, which offers a rear-wheel-drive platform, accessible all-wheel drive and a best of V6 or V8 power. The redesigned 2015 Hyundai Genesis matches the Chrysler on anniversary count, and it adds a newfound flush appearance that makes it assume like a 18-carat bargain. On the college end, you could attending at models like the 2015 Audi A6 and 2015 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, but they're absolutely midsize cars and don't appear abutting to analogous the Cadillac's autogenous room. At the end of the day, if you like the abstraction of a full-size affluence auto in the archetypal American mold, the 2015 Cadillac XTS is apprenticed to appeal.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options 

The 2015 Cadillac XTS is a abounding affluence auto awash in four capital trim levels: base, Affluence Collection, Exceptional Collection and Platinum Collection. Note that the turbocharged Vsport is alone offered in Exceptional or Platinum trim.

Standard accessories for the abject XTS includes 19-inch wheels, adaptive abeyance dampers with automated leveling, xenon headlamps, LED taillamps Unique Cars, acrimonious mirrors with dabble lamps, rear parking sensors, keyless access and ignition, limited start, dual-zone automated altitude control, eight-way ability foreground seats (with ability lumbar control), a ability tilt-and-telescoping multifunction wood-and-leather council wheel, covering basement surfaces and 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks. Accepted technology appearance cover Bluetooth buzz and audio connectivity (for up to 10 devices), a new 4G LTE affiliation with WiFi hotspot capability, an 8-inch touchscreen that serves as the hub of Cadillac's CUE infotainment system, OnStar, articulation controls and an eight-speaker Bose complete arrangement with a CD player, digital radio, HD radio, USB connectivity, an SD-card aperture and an abetting input.

The XTS Affluence Collection adds arresting dual-exhaust outlets in the rear fascia, aflame aperture handles, rain-sensing wipers, power-folding mirrors, autogenous LED lighting, continued copse autogenous trim, a acrimonious council wheel, disciplinarian and front-passenger anamnesis functions, acrimonious and aerial foreground seats, a aeronautics system, acrimonious rear outboard seats, foreground and rear parking sensors, a rearview camera and an automated parallel-parking arrangement (front-wheel-drive models only).
An alternative Disciplinarian Awareness amalgamation for the Affluence Collection trim adds lane-departure warning, lane-keeping abetment (FWD only), a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, forward-collision active and a cavernous safety-alert disciplinarian seat.

The Exceptional Collection comes accepted with the Disciplinarian Awareness package, and it adds adjustable thigh abutment for foreground passengers, automated adaptive headlights, a head-up display, an upgraded 12.3-inch driver-configurable barometer array display Japanese cars, a 110-volt ability outlet, a 14-speaker Bose surround-sound audio arrangement and tri-zone automated altitude control.

The Vsport Exceptional adds 20-inch wheels, an cyberbanking limited-slip cogwheel and a sportier-looking grille, admitting it loses the automated parking arrangement and lane-keeping abetment due to its accepted all-wheel-drive configuration.

An alternative Disciplinarian Abetment amalgamation for the Exceptional Collection and Vsport Exceptional adds adaptive cruise ascendancy and a avant-garde blow acknowledgment arrangement with automated braking. A ability rear-window covering and chiral rear side-window sunshades are aswell available.
Both the Affluence and Exceptional Collections are acceptable for a across-the-board sunroof.

The Platinum Collection includes the aloft options as standard, abacus appropriate 20-inch auto with chrome accents, different exoteric styling, a faux suede headliner, upgraded abounding covering upholstery, continued covering trim (including the centermost console, aperture panels and instrument-panel hood) and a choice rear armrest with audio and covering controls. The Vsport Platinum is analogously equipped, including the chrome-accented wheels, but contrarily shares the Vsport's distinctions.

The Platinum Collection models are alone acceptable for 22-way ability foreground seats with beating functions.

Optional on the XTS Exceptional and Platinum is a rear-seat Blu-ray/DVD ball arrangement with bifold displays, wireless headphones and a limited control.

Powertrains and Performance 

The 2015 Cadillac XTS starts with front-wheel drive and a by itself aspirated 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 304 hp and 264 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automated manual with paddle shifters is standard. All-wheel drive is accessible and can be articular by the moniker "XTS4." In Edmunds testing, an XTS4 Platinum went from aught to 60 in 7.3 seconds, a additional or so abaft analogously priced and powered affluence sedans. EPA-estimated ammunition abridgement stands at 21 mpg accumulated (18 city/28 highway) with front-wheel drive and 20 mpg accumulated (17 city/26 highway) with all-wheel drive.
If you wish added pep, the Vsport Exceptional and Vsport Platinum trims appear with a turbocharged adaptation of the 3.6-liter V6 that produces 410 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive is accepted with the turbo V6, as is a six-speed automatic. We clocked an XTS Vsport at 5.4 abnormal from aught to 60, which is about boilerplate for a exceptional affluence auto with an upgraded engine. The EPA ante the Vsport at 19 mpg accumulated (16 city/24 highway).

Safety 

The 2015 Cadillac XTS comes accepted with antilock disc brakes, adherence ascendancy and absorption control, foreground and rear-seat ancillary airbags, ancillary blind airbags and foreground knee airbags. Aswell accepted is OnStar, which includes automated blast notification, on-demand roadside assistance, limited aperture unlocking, baseborn car abetment and turn-by-turn navigation.

Available assurance appearance cover adaptive cruise control, avant-garde blow alert, a added avant-garde advanced blow acknowledgment arrangement with automated braking, a blind-spot monitor, lane abandonment warning, lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic active and a cavernous disciplinarian bench that alerts the disciplinarian to an approaching collision.

In Edmunds anchor testing, an XTS4 came to a stop from 60 mph in 123 feet, which is boilerplate for a car in this chic cutting all-season tires. The XTS Vsport appropriate a bottom more.

In government blast tests, the XTS accustomed a top best appraisement overall, with 5 stars for absolute aboveboard appulse assurance and 5 stars for absolute ancillary blast safety. The Insurance Institute for Artery Assurance gave the XTS its accomplished accessible appraisement of "Good" in its moderate-overlap aboveboard account appulse analysis as able-bodied as the side-impact, roof-strength and whiplash aegis (seats and arch restraints) tests. The IIHS aswell rated the XTS's alternative aboveboard blow admonishing and acknowledgment arrangement as "Superior."

Interior Design and Appropriate Features 

The Cadillac XTS gives you the affectionate of commuter aggregate you apprehend from a about 17-foot-long affluence sedan. Rear riders in accurate will acknowledge their abounding accommodations. With 18 cubic anxiety of capacity, the XTS's block is one of the bigger on the market, but it's almighty narrow, so continued items like golf accoutrements will acceptable charge to be creatively positioned.
Of course, we're acclimated to Cadillacs that accord us allowance to amplitude out. The XTS's affected dashboard, though, is something abroad altogether. The alternative 12.3-inch barometer array affectation is beautiful, aboriginal of all, with all address of driver-configurable options. Then there's the CUE ("Cadillac User Experience") interface, which integrates audio, phone, alternative aeronautics and OnStar functionality into an 8-inch touchscreen display. Those accustomed with smartphone and book interfaces will feel at home with CUE's touchscreen, as it uses agnate touch, bash and compression commands. But it can be confusing to use as sometimes it's apathetic to acknowledge to your blow inputs.

There are aswell abetting touch-sensitive buttons below the touchscreen, and these, too, are a alloyed bag. These buttons advice ascendancy the stereo and altitude systems, and they can be a claiming to use if you're aggravating to drive at the aforementioned time. For able operation, you may charge to attending down at the console for a bit to see what you're pressing, which of advance requires you to yield your eyes off the road. As glossy as this ascendancy console looks, we're not assertive that it's applied abundant for prime time.

Driving Impressions 

As arty as the 2015 Cadillac XTS seems at the curb, it's a audibly abate car from abaft the wheel. Thanks to the accepted adaptive abeyance and accurate steering, the XTS manages to compress its big physique about the driver.

Nonetheless, battling sedans are about bigger bets for agog drivers. Abundance is baron for big Cadillac sedans, and the XTS doesn't disappoint. The aforementioned adaptive abeyance that keeps the physique composed in corners provides a buttery-smooth ride on a lot of surfaces. It's far from the chiffon Cadillac acreage yachts of yore, but if you're rolling down the artery in an XTS, there's no agnosticism you're in the lap of luxury.

In the engine room, the Vsport's turbo V6 absolutely transforms the active experience. Not that there's annihilation awfully amiss with the abject engine, but the accepted XTS lacks the assured action of acceptable Cadillacs. The able-bodied Vsport, on the added hand, feels added like an old Caddy V8 off the line. Springing for the upgraded engine is a breeze if ability is a priority.

2014 Cadillac XTS Vsport Twin-Turbo V-6

The Cadillac XTS stands afar from the ATS and CTS sports sedans that are redefining America’s affluence automaker. The big bendable Caddy is advised for the brand’s old-school barter and those who adeptness set a antecedence of roominess and ride superior over rortiness buy new cars. Cadillac XTS buyers charge 410 application like they charge a motion-sensing blow awning and capacitive-touch altitude controls. But area Cadillac’s CUE infotainment arrangement was maddening, we’re down with the accession of a almighty turbocharged V-6 amid the foreground wheels. And appear to anticipate of it, 1950s and ’60s Caddys had way added adeptness than control, so there’s a bit of bequest here.

This 2014 Cadillac XTS is our aboriginal acknowledgment to the Vsport alternation that slots amid Cadillac’s boilerplate calendar and the tire-slaying V achievement models. Vsport actuality agency the force-fed V-6, the accompanying turbochargers of which are anchored to a 3.6-liter engine that is a dimensional carbon of the by itself aspirated V-6 broadly acclimated by GM cars (including the accepted XTS). However, Cadillac claims the Vsport engine uses a new block, internals, and direct-injection arrangement to argue with the 12 psi of intercooled boost.

Sneaky Fast 

The new engine generates smooth, effortless adeptness befitting a ample Cadillac. It doesn’t backpack the soul-stirring boom of an eight-cylinder, but the V-6 surpasses the old DTS’s Northstar V-8 in about every added regard. With 369 lb-ft of torque from 1900 rpm cars dubai, the turbocharged XTS makes overtaking added cars a breeze and possesses the sometimes-scary adeptness to hit triple-digit speeds unintentionally. The six-speed automated uses the aforementioned accessory ratios as in the by itself aspirated XTS but with a beneath final-drive ratio. Shifts are quick and logically sound, although the chiral about-face approach is apathetic to respond. Most of all, we ambition the manual and the engine could coact to acceleration up burke acknowledgment off the line.

In the run to 60 mph, the turbochargers are acceptable for two accomplished abnormal compared with the achievement of the by itself aspirated, all-wheel-drive XTS, with the Vsport endlessly the alarm at 5.2 seconds. The quarter-mile is austere in 13.6 seconds, 2.1 abnormal sooner, at which point the XTS’s agenda speedo reads 105 mph. The Vsport is rated by the EPA at 16 mpg city-limits and 24 highway, and we accounted our empiric ammunition abridgement of 17 mpg to be absolutely reasonable. If there’s a weakness with the Vsport, it’s not the new engine.

Challenged Chassis 

Unfortunately, the XTS’s anatomy hasn’t been active for its new job. As in bottom XTS models, the Vsport acquaintance is attenuated by a shaky-feeling structure, bending steering, and a abeyance that’s on the bendable side. Braking and skidpad numbers were no bigger than what we’ve recorded for by itself aspirated XTS models, and admitting GM’s HiPer strut foreground abeyance and all-wheel drive, torque beacon still manages to bang-up about the driver’s palms.

The Vsport brand carries a ample premium—$5835, to be exact—that should could cause shoppers to accede the German alternatives Nissan cars. The V-8 models of the BMW 5-series and Mercedes-Benz E-class are priced amid the Vsport’s abject amount and our analysis car’s $71,015 sticker and action abundant added agreeable anatomy characteristics.

Cadillac’s media abstracts advance that the aggregation flirted with the name XTS Turbo afore clearing on the Vsport badge. Although not about as sexy, “turbo” adeptness accept been a added applicable moniker. The Vsport is a far bigger car than the DTS that acclimated to absorb the XTS’s aperture in Caddy’s lineup, but it’s hardly sporty. The Vsport’s adeptness to accession our pulses is bound to one fact: We can’t delay to drive the able 3.6-liter twin-turbo V-6 in a able sports sedan—namely, the 2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport.

European Review: Peugeot RCZ-R

As I avenue the sleek, graceful auto and to buy some ice cream, the car is crackling and bustling like a bivouac doused. I feel there’s something adverse about this. After what I did for endure hour or so — announcement about aback anchorage at speeds far aloft socially adequate levels new Japanese cars Dubai, crime the agriculturalist just to accumulate it beeline beneath throttle, ample through ambit turns and application massive absorption provided by a limited-slip animosity — I should be accomplishing something manly. Chomping on a fat steak and downing a beer; not beating a candied cone abounding with a frozen, candied dessert. And the car abaft me should be a butch, developed coupe; not a curvy, chichi little Peugeot.

It acclimated to be that you could admit a proper, hardcore sportscar just by searching at it. Defined aural the argument of The Sportscar Bible was, about invariably, an awfully continued awning to acquaint the apple there was an appropriately massive engine below. Short foreground and ample rear overhangs announced a bulletin of abandoned ability fed aft of the passengers. And the bodywork itself was to be by itself angry, aggressive, and brindled with assorted scoops, vents and wings to accumulate air-conditioned its automated might.

With the RCZ-R coupe, Peugeot conjured its close Peter Stormare, best up that angelic book of acceleration and machismo, and hurled it into a copse chipper.



Peugeot has consistently been added GTI than GT. The French aggregation has never been in the business of authoritative high-powered, able-bodied coupes. There’s no archetypal in Peugeot’s history that can be leveraged as afflatus for a hardcore sports coupe, nor for capturing the built-in homesickness of those searching to bore money into ungranted boyish wishes aggressive by posters on bedchamber walls. That meant starting from a apple-pie area of cardboard to body the RCZ-R – something decidedly aberrant in this business and adverse to the accustomed lineages of the 911 and Mustang. Even the Toyobaru twins and Alfa 4C are based, added or less, on affiliated spirits.

Of course, that area of cardboard wasn’t bleached-white 20 batter stock. It never is with any avant-garde car — and even beneath so for cash-strapped maker Peugeot cars in Dubai. Therefore, the French marque went with gridded bedding provided by the last-generation Peugeot 308 (and the 307 afore that), which dictated the front-engine/front-wheel-drive layout. It’s aural those grids that designers and engineers begin abundant abandon to actualize the RCZ.

Four or 5 years ago, the aboriginal RCZ was the aboriginal car in a dog’s age to accord me achievement for Peugeot’s future. It put appearance aloft substance, yet handled decidedly well: the council was lovely, accessory changes precise, and the engine — adopted from a Mini Cooper S — was a marvel. Still, the RCZ was added of a gentleman’s GT than a raw sportscar, and I didn’t apprehend its R alternative to be abundant different.

More power? Probably. Better traction? Maybe, address of its limited-slip animosity in the front. Fake engine noises? About certainly, as those accept become a basic of fast Peugeots as of late. Needless to say, I didn’t apprehend an 18-carat hardcore sportscar.

But I got one. 


In today’s apple of adaptive suspensions, bogus council and electronically adjustable burke response, the cool Pug doesn’t even accept a sports mode. Or maybe I should say it doesn’t accept a accustomed one. It’s all out, all the time.

Floor the pedal and your tympanic film is aged by an engine’s bawl that alone gets louder if you accessible the window. The RCZ-R is not an developed extra with aftermarket bolt-ons deceptively accent her amusement for affecting effect. Instead, it’s a aesthetic turbocharged four if milling about with the neighbours and decidedly athirst for jackhammering revs if not.

That’s not to say it isn’t temperamental; the RCZ-R has a apperception of its own if you’re not active aloft surfaces smoother than, say, the lens of the Hubble Telescope. Torque beacon allies with the advanced tires’ addiction to tramline. Council is a autonomous action area you and alley undulations get according votes. It’s like arena with a accommodating lion: You apperceive it doesn’t wish to annihilate you, but you’re never absolutely sure.


The fat tires, limited-slip animosity and rev-happy engine to ability it all amalgamate to accomplish the RCZ-R a handful Suzuki cars, but it’s those above ancestry that bear an animating active acquaintance if pushed hard. The limited-slip animosity and fat tires that accomplish the car difficult to accumulate on a beeline band aswell cabal to accommodate abundant absorption to put down 270 application through the foreground auto — no simple feat. That above automated aggregation is able to advance every endure application and pound-foot of torque after uttering even so abundant as a individual annoy bark in protest. Goofing about and wagging its appendage isn’t the Peugeot’s forte. It excels at getting brainless fast — alley altitude permitting.


Find a abundant road, though, and you acquisition Nirvana. As your anxiety ball on altogether spaced pedals, you alpha to absolutely acknowledge the old-school feel of the RCZ-R’s controls. Blipping the burke comes natural, as does canoeing through its gears. The council is hardly abundant and one of the endure sports cars to accept a able hydraulic assist. It all feels a bit like a sports auto from the 1990s — but with 270 horsepower.

The RCZ-R is absolutely not a bendable GT. It’s a true, uncompromising sportscar that requires a absolute disciplinarian abaft the wheel. Absolutely ironically, in age if absorption ascendancy can save your bacon if you’re a bit too abundant in a rear-wheel-drive car, no affectionate of cyberbanking assistant will advice you in the action adjoin tramlining and massive torque steer. You feel the RCZ-R’s limited-slip animosity allowance you ability through the corners while at the above time alive it has the abeyant to forward you into a canal if you erect it all up. In comparison, active the the accepted Mustang GT is a calm and abiding experience; an old man’s gran turismo.


Even the autogenous in the Mustang feels added avant-garde and adult in comparison. The RCZ-R is home to anachronous displays and a buttonless council caster cribbed from the old 307. It all feels a bit bargain compared to the newest bunched Pugs.

Which brings us to the last, and absolutely massive, botheration with this car: price.
In a lot of European markets, you will pay a bit over €42,000 ($45,000 USD) for the advantage of owning the French hooligan. That makes it added big-ticket than the above Mustang. You know, the able Mustang, with the V-8 and GT badges. Or, alternatively, you can buy about two absolute Miatas.



But maybe you adulation fast front-wheel-drive cars. Or maybe you just abhorrence assemblage and wish a sportscar advised from a about apple-pie area of paper. It’s even accessible that you’ll baddest the Peugeot because you accede the eight-cylinder beef car to be too bendable and timid. Either way, it’ll be a actual adventurous decision. And, ultimately, an admirable one.

Vojta Dobes is motoring announcer from Czech Republic who ahead formed for bounded editions of Autocar and TopGear magazines. Today, he runs his own website, www.Autickar.cz. After a bootless chance with importing archetypal American cars to Europe, he is absolutely broke, so he drives an Alfa 164 Agent he got for free. His antecedent cars included a 1988 Caprice in NYC Taxi livery, a hot-rodded Opel Diplomat, two Dodge Coronets, a Simca, a Fiat 600 and Austin Maestro. He has never endemic a diesel, chiral wagon.

2016 Subaru WRX: Five Thousand Miles Later

You may bethink my accommodation three months ago to alter my crumbling Cadillac STS buy new cars Dubai with a aboriginal 2016 Subaru WRX. The “avoid highways” advantage has been called on Google Maps anytime since, as credible by the WRX’s above-average odometer reading. It’s not my accountability that the Subie commands a twistier avenue every time I alpha it up.

However, this accord amid the WRX and me has not been afterwards its quirks. Afterwards authoritative a few payments and active 5,000 miles, I’ve emerged from the amusement aeon to yield a footfall aback and appraise this new marriage. Let’s yield a attending at the good, the bad, and the annoying.

The WRX exhausted out the Ford Focus ST as my circadian disciplinarian of best based on the availability of all-wheel drive, bigger seats, and a some cast adherence brindled in. I alone off the Caddy and best up the WRX about an hour abroad from home on a backing October night. It was bound credible I had accustomed up my daybed on auto in barter for an all-access canyon to Six Flags. The administration of the WRX was bound and the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT tires cut through the abiding beck of baptize aloft the rain-soaked tarmac.

The next few weeks consisted of some bounded commuting and a cruise to Asheville, NC to accord the WRX some allowance to amplitude its legs. Four adults and a brace of accoutrements were arranged into the WRX as we headed off to the mountains. The aboriginal leg of the cruise complex some artery active and a Cracker Barrel stop, afterwards which we fueled up and explored the twisties that advance up to the aiguille of Mount Mitchell.

We hit the Blue Ridge Parkway and climbed up the abundance with ease. The ample anchorage were not a claiming for the anatomy and suspension, and the anticipated ability bandage of the FA20 collapsed four provided aplomb if casual bottom vehicles. According to the onboard computer, we averaged just a beat over 30 mpg for the artery allocation of our drive and alone down to 26 mpg as we climbed the mountain.
The ammunition abridgement has been acceptable overall. Artery trips active at 75 mph will acknowledgment an boilerplate of 30 mpg. Spirited drives on the bounded aback anchorage will accompany it down afterpiece to 22 mpg. Commuting about boondocks allotment 25 mpg.

WRXdust 

Inside, the plastics feel bargain and the surfaces adulation to aces up dust and added particles. I’m actual blessed with the driver’s seat, abnormally now that it’s been absolutely torn in and accurate its account on 300 mile trips. The backseat is expectedly tighter than the STS, but it can fit two adults comfortably. Adding a third being is accessible — but not recommended. The alone autogenous affection I absolutely absence from the Cadillac is the auto-up windows for all four Japanese cars . The WRX alone allows auto-up on the driver’s window. Flipping that coin, the baby division windows on the foreground doors are absurd in the WRX. They were not something I paid absorption to during my car seek but I’ve appear to acknowledge how accessible they accomplish the berth feel.



The bigger affliction point of the car: the base-spec Starlink infotainment system. Luckily, I am not abundant of an audiophile because the arrangement is crap. It’s apathetic to alpha up and the selecting one of the bendable buttons takes me aback to the canicule of absent to bite Bill Gates for the adversity that was Windows ME. The Bluetooth interface is buggy and takes anywhere from 30 to 40 abnormal to affix to my buzz already the car is started. Most of my alert is adherent to podcasts with the casual song befuddled in. The Bluetooth affiliation generally drops in the average of podcast and fails to reconnect or reconnects with a accident in quality.

Starlink 

The aggregate ascendancy starts at 0 things and ends at 40 things (take that, Spinal Tap), but it needs to be angry up to 25 things afore you can amount out if its arena annihilation at all. Casual annihilation over 34 units of affair will could cause the speakers to afford abominable crackly tones. Adding a new Bluetooth accessory requires the car to be chock-full so accomplish abiding all your accompany are synced up afore branch out on a alley trip. The abetting and USB affiliation in the centermost animate are accessible but I’ve relegated buzz charging duties to the cigarette adapter because the congenital USB anchorage is underpowered and active annihilation into it causes the arch assemblage to aberration out if the aforementioned accessory is already affiliated via Bluetooth. The alone animated brilliant of the accomplished infotainment arrangement is the advancement camera: it comes up bound and shows a bright image, day or night.

The infotainment arrangement stands out as my bigger pet annoyance of the car. There are a few added items that could use advance but they are mostly annoyances. The cable-driven shifter feels awkward at times and already has me exploring advancement options that will accouterment added brittle and abbreviate the throws. The clamp pedal is close and not clashing my Legacy GT Auto Souk. However, over the accomplished few hundred miles, it has developed a grittiness that I plan on bringing up with the account adviser if I yield it in for an oil change. I abhorrence that the throwout address ability be the culprit as I’ve accomplished agnate affection with added Subarus with that accurate issue. It aswell ability be as simple as charwoman up some clay and bits from the pedal accumulation and throwing it some grease.

WRXShifter 

Once you get accomplished the sloppiness of the shifter, the manual is absolutely enjoyable. Aboriginal accessory is abbreviate and took a little accepting used. The car takes off from a stop bound and torque comes on bland as you about-face through the aboriginal few gears. Some may accuse the torque ambit is too anticipated but I’ve developed to acknowledge it, even with its casual dip in ability supply in the 4,000 to 4,500 rpm range. I am absolutely blessed with the banal ability of the WRX but my modifying habits are still animate and well. COBB Tuning is calling my name.

The brakes are a locations bin job and are about absolutely aerial from the antecedent bearing Legacy GT. I begin them to be competent in the Legacy and they’ve done a acceptable job in the WRX. They even backward air-conditioned as we alone 4,000 anxiety in altitude. I accept aspirations to get the WRX on clue already it warms up and will be swapping out to grabbier pads for a little allowance per the advocacy of citizen racer Jack Baruth.

The WRX puts a smile on my face every time I drive it and I attending advanced to lots of afar this year. I accept affairs for added abundance trips and some clue visits as agenda allows. The WRX gets a bit added absorption on the alley than the Cadillac and after-effects from added Subaru drivers are about a circadian occurrence.

And as far as the abhorrent infotainment is concerned, there’s a cure: about-face it off. The collapsed four sounds bigger anyway.

2016 Cadillac XTS Rental Review

The Cadillac XTS is a able car. 

Those who appetite to apperceive why I feel this to be true, or to case angrily at me in the comments, may feel chargeless to blast the “Read More” button now.

It’s no abstract to any Friends of Case (whom shall now be referred to as FOB) that, if it comes to acerbic rental cars, I dig the Chevy Impala buy new cars in Dubai. It’s able abounding to aperture the beginning tires afar in just about any situation, and abounding abounding to accurately haversack three to four developed colleagues (or illegally carrying six adults aloft the apprenticed into Canada, but I don’t acclamation accomplishing that).

However, the Impala’s stablemate, the Buick LaCrosse, has consistently acquainted just a bit … meh. Perhaps there’s no annual for me to acquire the Impala over the LaCrosse (other than sticker price), but I just feel like the Impala has added presence; added testosterone. The broke calendar of the Impala abandoned is accuracy abounding for me to airing able the Buick anchored in the Emerald Aisle on my way to altercate my accoutrements into my (rental car agency) homie’s Impala.

But if I saw a National abettor connected a ancient 2016 Cadillac XTS to the lot, still aged admit and soap aerosol from the car wash, I beheld is as my befalling to complete my associate of alive the General’s Epsilon II triumvirate.

The XTS is alive for 2016, featuring a new grille, wireless charging, and Surround Vision, which Cadillac describes as “a four-camera acclimation that displays a bird’s eye actualization of the XTS to abetment if activity in and out of apprenticed spots.” I anxiety it as “a acclimation that makes aural noises that anxiety the $.25 out of you while you’re parking.” I accomplishment there’s a way to changeabout it off; I didn’t ascertain one.


The bigger alter to the XTS for the new archetypal year is Apple’s amazing CarPlay. I’ve consistently enjoyed appliance CarPlay in the Impala and LaCrosse because it artlessly works the way that it’s declared to. Well, at diminutive it does in the Impala and the LaCrosse. With the XTS, however, CarPlay has the blow of accepting accustomed with CUE, which meant that it acquired my fizz to attenuate up with arresting regularity, bootless to affectation my Spotify playlists, and about went abashed if giving instructions. Oh, CUE. You’re still awful.

My authentic XTS rental was of the front-wheel-drive “Luxury” trim variety, which is aloft “Standard” but below “Premium” and “Platinum,” and stickers for $51,240 in Crystal White Tricoat paint. All XTS models arise with beginning Brembo calipers and Magnetic Ride Control, and it was in the accomplishment of these two accoutrement that the XTS began to actualization why it just adeptness be annual the bulk aberrant over its boyish GM triplets.

The XTS is still appreciably quick for a car of its abounding girth, with abounding adeptness to ambit the beginning auto at battery in any acclimatize condition. It was added than abounding to accession the assimilation of Dunwoody’s finest if I accumulated the adeptness from the GM 3.6-liter V-6 with the XTS’ acknowledging cessation and able endlessly power. I had a bandage car afterwards me for about 5 turns until he actually gave up and abashed along, giving me a abashed glance as he anesthetized by. I don’t ahead the ambassador was assured to see a thirty-something aback the alembic of Caddy’s luxobarge.

But aback the alembic isn’t a bad address to be. In fact, it can be complete nice. The Affluence trim bureau a accustomed heating board wheel, as able as acerbic and cooled seats. The alembic has electric telescoping and apogee adjustment, although I didn’t like the bend of the alembic — acquainted too abounding like alive a academy bus. The abutment from the seats is added than adequate, even for alive driving. My 5-foot-9-inch, 170 concoction analysis fits able in every car, so I tossed the keys to two adapted colleagues this ceremony to get their opinions.

First up was Michelle, a 5-foot-nothing, 95-pound aloft Pac-12 cheerleader in her ancient 30s, who adopted the XTS to go arcade at the mall. “I didn’t ahead I’d actually like it,” she told me afterwards demography it for a spin. “But it’s in actuality a nice car. It’s faster than I allegation it to be, and the block was huge!”
030
Next was Mo, a 6-foot, 240-pound aloft Marine who circadian drives an Impala. “It’s actually nice to drive. I like how it handles, but I don’t ahead I’d appetite to drive something that big.” If I told him that it was about the above admeasurement as his Impala, he was surprised. “It feels and drives bigger than that.”
Both of them were correct. The XTS is a actually nice car to drive, but it does feel absolutely big on the roads. I couldn’t accretion a mirror position that I liked, and the aphotic spots were abundantly massive on the driver’s side. The abbreviation of a accustomed sunroof in a $50,000 car is affected and it makes the anchorage feel aphotic and abounding allay than it is. But the rear seat!

Oh, the rear coffer is glorious. It’s big abounding to fit three adults comfortably, and will even mild their rumps as accustomed (one abettor remarked buy toyota cars, “Warm asses aren’t just for adults anymore!”). There’s no alleyway cruise too connected and no linebackers too big for this coffer seat. One could appropriately altercate a atramentous hat to a associate and cruise in affluence in the back; abandoned a canteen of Grey Poupon would be bald to achieve it perfect.

This Cadillac is a car aground amidst generations. Intended to be a one-generation, large-car able to the CT6, it still seems to be the a lot of Cadillac-ish car that GM offers for bargain in 2016. Cadillac adeptness appetite a boyish demographic and a sportier image, but the XTS isn’t a bad car for what Cadillac’s angel in actuality is. If the XTS dies by the 2019 archetypal year, the over 20,000 ceremony XTS buyers (it outsold the CTS in 2015, as able as competitors from Audi and Lexus) adeptness be aground afterwards a able replacement. Able luck able a connected Caddy man to buy a Buick. Where are they traveling to go? Acura? Audi? Hyundai? Lexus? Toyota? As connected as there are bluehairs in Florida, there should be a big, front-wheel-drive Cadillac.

The XTS isn’t traveling to win abounding comparo tests with the new E-Class, nor is it traveling to accordance abounding journos could could cause to absolve it. Doesn’t matter. The XTS fits a anteroom for GM, and it does it correctly. Sure, the bulk is steep, but the demographic that’s diplomacy it wouldn’t appetite it to be any cheaper, lest it lose some of its activity at the club. Could it use a V-8? Sure. Does it allegation one? No, I don’t acquire it used cars. The naturally-aspirated V6 provides 306 appliance and 252 lbs-ft of torque, which is added activity than any of this car’s appetite admirers needs and added than a lot of of its competitors.

As I said to blast this activity off, the XTS is a able car. It’s not great. It’s not terrible. And in this angel of “Sucks or Rocks,” that doesn’t achieve for a abounding of a Hot Automotive Take that internet readers like so much. But that doesn’t abject it shouldn’t exist. So afore I abandoned it off, I took the XTS to the a lot of XTS-ish address I could ahead of: the ancient “Dwarf House” Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Atlanta.

Atlanta is all about Low and Slow. Sure, there’s the conflicting car amphitheatre up in Buckhead, but the city-limits as a able prefers the canicule of the Brougham. This XTS has abounding of that old, abounding Cadillac DNA. If I accumulating it up to the Dwarf House, I got added assimilation than I could acquire imagined. The aggregation nodded their acceptance at the administering cues that differentiate the XTS from the LaCrosse — the fin-shaped taillights, the able rims — and one or two asked if they could hop in the photo with the car. To them, this, and not the ATS-V or SRX, is a Cadillac.
I ahead they’re right.