No one doubted that the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 would get the supercharged LSA V8 from the Cadillac CTS-V. We just hadn’t laid eyes on it yet. This week our spy photographers got a peep under the hood of…
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Not all families need a big car. The 2010 Nissan Sentra is definitely on the small side, and we wanted to see how it handled our stable of child-safety seats.
For the Car Seat Check, we use a rear-facing infant-safety seat, a convertible child-safety seat and a high-back booster seat, all made by Graco. The front seats are adjusted to a comfortable position for a 6-foot driver and a 5-foot-8 passenger. The child seats are installed in the second row and, if available, third row. The booster seat sits behind the driver’s seat, and the infant seat and convertible seats are installed behind the passenger seat.
Here’s how the 2010 Sentra scored in MotherProof.com’s Car Seat Check:
Latch system: The Sentra’s two sets of Latch anchors aren’t easy to find. They’re buried under stiff seat cushions that are difficult to push out of the way. The three tether anchors, however, are easy to use. They sit on the shelf behind the second row’s head restraints and have hinged covers.
Booster seat: The flat seat cushion provided a stable base for the high-back booster seat, but the rear head restraint interfered with the booster’s fit. The head restraints are removable, and once we did that, the booster fit well. The seat belt buckle sat straight up from the seat cushion, making it easy for little ones to buckle by themselves.
Convertible child-safety seat: A forward-facing convertible fit well in this small car. To get the rear-facing convertible to fit in the backseat, though, we had to move the front passenger seat so far forward that the front passenger’s knees kissed the glove box.
Rear-facing infant-safety seat: We didn’t have to move the front passenger seat forward to get the rear-facing infant-safety seat installed in the second row, but it was a tight fit.
Do two car seats fit? Yes
Do three car seats fit? No
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Hyundai is recalling 139,500 Sonata sedans from the 2011 model year for a problem with the steering shaft, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. On cars manufactured between Dec. 11, 2009, and Sept. 10, 2010, the steering column shaft universal joint may have been improperly assembled or not tightened enough. You can check your car’s manufacture date on a sticker on the driver’s side doorjamb.
The problem is significant enough that a complete separation could occur, leading to reduction or loss of steering. Dealers will inspect the cars, replace defective parts and update the steering software free of charge.
This is a significant recall for Hyundai. The automaker has been riding a wave of sales success spearheaded by the redesigned Sonata, which has been a top 10 best-seller for the past few months.
The recall is expected to begin in October but no specific date was given. For more information, owners can call Hyundai at 800-633-5151 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.
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Volvo claims the all-new 2011 Volvo S60 is the “naughtiest Volvo yet” and I have to agree. However, I think my reasons for thinking so are not quite what Volvo is referring to.
There are plenty of things to love about the new S60. At the top of my list is another world’s first safety innovation from Volvo, the pedestrian detection system with full auto brake.
In 2008, more than 4,300 pedestrians were killed by cars, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA also reports that 3,000 child pedestrians are injured each year by cars, with 270 children killed in these accidents. The S60 combines a radar and camera to watch for, recognize and track a human form moving in front of the vehicle. If the person steps in front of the vehicle’s drive path and the driver doesn’t respond quickly enough, the vehicle will apply full braking power to avoid the collision entirely if the car is going less than 22 mph. It will greatly decrease the force of the potential impact if the car is going faster than 22 mph. This system is not standard on the S60 but part of a Technology Package that also includes adaptive cruise control, collision warning with full auto braking, distance alert, a lane departure warning system and driver alert control.
Of course, the first thing you’ll notice about the new S60 is its newly designed exterior. From afar, you might think “coupe” and be a bit surprised by the two rear doors. Love it or hate it, kudos for innovation!
When driving the S60, the main thing that stood out was the extreme comfort of both the driver’s and passenger’s sporty bolstered seats. I was in this car for close to five hours of straight drive time and could have just kept on going. Not only did the seats feel great, driving the S60 was a joy as it was easy and effortless. With a 300-horsepower engine, standard all-wheel drive and a choice of two chassis in the new S60 (the standard Dynamic Chassis and an optional no-charge Touring Chassis), you can really design your own driving feel on a scale of sport versus comfort.
The naughtiest feature of all – the one worth a spanking—is the overriding annoyance of excessive wind noise coming from somewhere around the driver’s side mirror and A-pillar. As I was driving, I wondered if the window was cracked open and tried to roll it up a couple of times. I’d accept and even expect that noise in a cheaper brand that’s trying to be sporty, but we’re talking about a Volvo here.
Of course, I wouldn’t be doing my job fully if I didn’t mention that the access to the lower Latch anchors are still completely buried in the seat bight, which is where the back cushion meets the bottom cushion. Granted the S60 isn’t really designed as a family hauler (but then again, neither is the C30 that I use as my main family hauler), but I’m surprised with every new-car launch that Volvo, which is known as a safety innovator, has fallen behind other lux brands such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW when it comes to ease of use and access to this standard safety feature.
A super-safe vehicle that’s fun to drive for even the most discerning of auto enthusiasts and provides a quiet enough ride to elicit a true sense of luxury? Well, the S60 hit two out of three on the head.
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Our wrap up chapter reviewing the 2011 Ford F-150 and its three new powertrains. We’ve also driven the 6.2-liter V-8 F-150 Harley-Davidson truck.
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Have gasoline engines ever been this strong and efficient? We’ve got first drive impressions of both the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 and 5.0-liter V-8 in the 2011 Ford F-150.
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Ford is introducing three new engines for the 2011 Ford F-150 and we’ve driven them all. Check out our first impressions, including what we think about the advanced 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6.
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Nissan LEAF Test Drive & Review-
Green Energy News had the recent pleasure of test driving the brand spankin’ new, highly-anticipated zero emission vehicle (ZEV) developed by Nissan, dubbed LEAF – or Leading, Environmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family Car. Mark Perry, Director of Product Planning for Nissan North America, talks about the vision behind the Nissan LEAF and touches on it’s eco-friendly features, cost/price, battery/charging information, and availability.
The LEAF we drove is a pre-production prototype… basically the production model. This is NOT a “mule” or the VERSA “shell” which was making a tour across the US earlier this year.
Design: Smooth lines, aerodynamic, and pleasing to look at. The LEAF might not be the most eye-catching car on the road, but we feel like it will appeal to most consumers in the compact car market. We saw it as a cross between a luxury crossover SUV (think Lexus RX 350), a Toyota Matrix, and the Nissan Versa.
Performance- The 107 HP (80kw) motor puts out 206 lb-ft of torque which is readily available at 0 MPH! We were more than surprised with the amount of pep the LEAF showed off the line. At moderate speeds (approx 45 MPH) the LEAF had NO problems passing other vehicles with minimal efforts. Towards the end of the video, you can see the LEAF accelerating into a right turn, reaching speeds of almost 50 MPH from a creeping start with ease. The LEAF is responsive and fun to drive. Is it a sportscar… NO! Is it more fun to drive than a traditional compact… BY FAR! Handling is wonderful- the lithium ion battery pack is center mounted under the vehicle creating even balance and sturdy handling. Try it for yourself… this thing is FUN to drive!
Price- $32,000 might be a little steep for us, but after $7,500 in federal rebates/incentives… the LEAF is right up our alley. With California giving us an additional $5,000 in rebates, the LEAF would be a steal at just under $20k! Considering the Chevy Volt is priced around $40k before rebates/incentives, and DOESN’T qualify for the additional $5k rebate in CA due to it’s gasoline engine/generator, the LEAF looks like a solid deal.
FULL review available at Green Energy News (http://www.renewable-energy-news.info/ )
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Seeing its arctic home melting away, a lone polar bear sets out on a great journey to thank someone who is trying to help.
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http://MPGomatic.com gets the lowdown on the Nissan Leaf plug-in electric car at the 2010 Washington Auto Show from Nissan’s Director of Product Planning and Advanced Technology Strategy, Mark Perry. The Leaf will be the first affordable mass market highway-capable pure electric vehicle (based on Lithium battery technology) from a major manufacturer.
Duration : 0:13:4