Economy. It's a buzzword that's been on the lips of nearly everyone for the past decade. Whether it's referring to our economic practices as a country or the fuel economy of a car, the American people have a good idea of just what economy means. And for automobiles, that usually means more negatives, from an enthusiast's standpoint, than positives.
Automobiles today are becoming more and more advanced, all the while becoming safer, easier to operate, and more efficient than ever. On the other hand, cars in the present day are also being pushed to broader audiences. Not to mention these advances in technology usually mean sacrificing quality for the sake of quantity and ultimately affordability.
Over the past couple decades, we've seen plenty of truly miserable economy cars here in the US. However, all is not lost, as several pristine apples refuse to be spoiled by the bunch.
One of these apples is the new joint project between Toyota and Subaru (although Toyota can only take credit for a couple of small improvements). This 2012 venture has resulted in the Scion FR-S (deemed the Toyota 86 overseas) and the Subaru BRZ, rear engine Japanese sports car that keep affordability in mind. These two hark back to the essence of Japanese sports cars from decades past. The lightweight coupe body is mounted to a Subaru-designed sport suspension, with power being sorted by a standard 6 speed manual transmission and delivered to the rear wheels by Subaru's familiar 2.0 liter boxer powerplant. This setup will return you 34mpg on the highway, on the way home from a blast through the mountain passes, no doubt. And what's the price for this back road bruiser? Why, it's only a couple bills over $25,000.
But what if you're looking for something with a little more heritage? Well, not to worry, because the Mazda Miata is here. In fact, it's been here since its launch in 1989. Drawing on inspiration from classic British sports cars like the Lotus Elan and Triumph Spifire, the Miata enjoyed massive success, employing the same modest dimensions and front-engine rear-wheel-drive layout of its predecessors. Much like the Porsche 911, the Mazda Miata has only grown better with age. Refreshed for 2014, the Miata comes with a 167 horsepower engine mated to either a 5 or 6 speed manual gearbox. This Sport trim level will net you a combined 25mpg, which isn't brilliant, but at a price that is: $23,720.
What if you're leaning toward a hot hatchback, though? I can hardly blame you, as there have been a myriad of truly epic five door wonders redefining the joys of driving for the past couple decades. For the purest driving pleasure with arguably the most practicality, we need to steer towards Ford. More specifically, the all-new Ford Fiesta ST. This is a five door, five passenger hatchback that's powered by an Ecoboost four cylinder that will have you giggling like a school girl at recess. At its peak, this turbocharged powerplant is producing 197 horsepower and 202 pound feet of torque, which is a lot, considering the car only weighs 2,700 pounds. Mated to a six speed manual, this car is built with the cash-conscious enthusiast in mind, returning over 30mpg on the combined cycle. With a base price of $21,400, this is also the least expensive of the group.
As we press forward into a world with increasing demands of efficiency, safety, and simplicity, we need to be reminded that cars like this still exist and are still being built and sold right now. Rather than being cars for all people, these cars are instead made for those of us who enjoy the feeling of connectivity to controls, to the road underneath us, and to the activity of driving. However, each of these three cars could easily be used everyday and while they may not be practical for everything, they can be depended on for one thing: to consistently put smiles on the faces of their drivers.
Every distinguished car brand has their flagship model: the dealership showroom's dazzling centerpiece that's meant not to sell in outrageous numbers, but to showcase the very best that company can offer the public.
Since 1986, Acura had been winning over their fair share of former BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus owners with the Legend, a front-wheel-drive six cylinder sedan which boasted lavish interior amenities paired with--cough-- legendary Honda reliability.
However, By 1996, Acura felt it was time for a change. The Legend saw decent sales in the United States, but the numbers were dwindling as the competition started bringing out the big guns.
Lexus had just released a new LS which managed to be faster, quieter, and more economical than the previous model while still sporting a classically desirable V8, rear-wheel-drive configuration.
Honda execs felt that Acura's flagship needed a name that resonated with buyers of traditional German business wagens, so the Legend became the 3.5 RL (RL standing for "refined luxury").
With a 210 horsepower, longitudinally mounted V6, premium audio system, and a price several thousand dollars lower than it's closest competition, the RL looked like an undeniable success right out of the gate. But that wasn't the case.
By 1998, sales were dismal, and they only proceeded to get worse.
The RL was given a series of refreshes from 1999 to 2004. In 2005 the second generation was launced, which saw even worse numbers, despite boasting a clever all-wheel-drive system, keyless entry, and a more powerful engine.
It's difficult to pinpoint an exact reason why the RL was and continues to be so unsuccessful (it's still being sold today as the RLX). However, there are many different reasons that come together to paint the picture.
For one thing, Acura is not as well-established as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, or even Lexus. The brand still suffers the same sort of identity crisis faced by Lincoln and Cadillac. Acura vehicles are too closely based on their Honda counterparts to fully break away from Honda's image and models like the late RSX, Integra, and even NSX resonate far more with the type of buyers that Mercedes-Benz drivers sneer at from behind their UV-treated glass.
Another issue was the styling of the RL. Luxury flagships are meant to be conservatively styled, but the RL took the blandness to another level, with a truly forgettable interior and a drab exterior. Worse still, both the inside and outside of the car were still far too reminiscent of their Honda roots.
Those all-too-apparent underpinnings weren't just limited to the styling either. Buyers wanted --and still want-- a full-sized luxury sedan with a traditional front engine, rear drive formula, which Acura has historically refused to provide. Things got better in the second generation RL, which was available with all-wheel-drive, but the 290 horsepower produced by its V6 --the same powerplant found in the more popular TL-- ranked it far outside the competition.
These factors worked together to create a flagship vehicle that has been largely unsuccessful since its launch almost two decades ago. This is a pity, because RLs performed wonderfully, were built with fastidious attention to quality, and included technology that was on par with the luxury sedans of their time.
The upside to this is that a used RL can now be picked up for dirt cheap. Second generation RLs with low mileage can be had for $9,000-$17,000, while first gens can be picked up for under $7,000. So, you could have a brand new base model Dodge Dart, or the very best luxury car Honda can make. Your choice, really.
Maloo. In some aboriginal dialects it means "thunder." In others it means "Kangaroo." Dispute over meaning aside, though, Maloo is now a name that's familiar to countless millions of Australians, and quite a few Americans too, as it turns out.
So what is a Maloo? The best way to describe this vehicle to people who aren't familiar is to call it a cross between an El Camino and a Corvette. Built by a branch off of Holden, known as Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), the Maloo is technically classified as a "ute," short for utility. Utes are basically another trim level, in addition to coupe, sedan, and wagon versions of the same car. In summary then, the Maloo is a low-slung pickup with more coupe styling cues than pickup ones.
What makes the Maloo and all of the other utes so special though is that they are uniquely Australian. Sure, they sell these utes to people in Europe; sure these vehicles use many USDM parts from General Motors, but the point is that the design -the idea of making a true high-performance car into a pickup truck- is something that only the Australians have dared to do.
The Maloo is not practical; not even in the least bit, and that's what makes it strike a chord with car people. The idea and implementation of a ute is what is so exciting; the fact that something like this actually exists. You can imagine, then, what it was like for me to see one in the flesh.
This early-2000s HSV Maloo was parked outside of a Porsche dealership north of Atlanta, and I'm sure many people there were wondering why I was taking so many pictures. I guess that's something that the car can explain best, though.
Look around you nowadays and you are bound to notice the influx of Korean visitors. No, I'm not talking about tourists. I'm talking about the newest offerings from Kia and Hyundai, two manufacturers who have taken the United States by storm in recent years following massive redesign efforts.
At the forefront of this is the Kia Sorento. The midsized SUV market has been flooded in recent years, but that hasn't stopped this vehicle -manufactured at the West Point factory in this very state- from selling like mad. Sure, the Sorento has been around since 2002, but it wasn't until Kia's entire model lineup was revamped in 2009 that it became what the people wanted. The Sorento was transformed from a truck-like SUV with lazy and, dare I say, boring interior and exterior appointments, into something that has truly captured the market's attention.
We picked out the EX model, which is the Sorento's "middle of the road" trim level. Our EX has the optional 3.5l V6, which is good for 276hp; a big step up from the puny four cylinder configuration offered in the LX, which churns out 100hp less. This enthusiastic engine is mated to a smooth-shifting six speed automatic transmission, and this combination is good for an impressive 20mpg city and 26mpg on the highway. The EX never feels short on power, however the FWD configuration does lend itself to torque steer issues under spirited acceleration, but these issues can be remedied if you go for the AWD model.
More positive news comes when you take the Sorento out for a drive around town. Following the trend of other modern SUVs, Kia has ditched body-on-frame construction and live axle suspension found in the first generation in favor of a more car-like unibody construction with fully independent suspension. What this translates to is an all-around better ride which is both comfortable and reasonably agile.
Clever design carries over into the cabin, which can be configured to seat seven with the rear seats up, or carry up to 73 cubic feet of cargo with all of the rear seats folded down. Materials in the cabin are of class-standard quality, but the design and use of materials -especially on the dash- is very attractive. Knobs and buttons for the climate controls and radio are intelligently laid out and easy to understand, with radio controls duplicated on the steering wheel. Sound quality from the stereo is acceptable, and the standard system comes with Bluetooth accessibility, along with an auxiliary jack and USB connectivity. The Sorento's driving position is excellent, however the seats are somewhat stiff and offer little support on the bottom, making longer trips arduous. Driver visibility is also slightly compromised by thick A-pillars and rear visibility can be poor as well, although comparable to many cars in its class.
Overall, the Sorento puts on a good showing for the new Kia Motors. With more refinement, comfort, quality, and overall performance than the outgoing model, this Sorento is an entirely new car. These visitors sure seem ready to establish a permanent residence, and we are quite alright with that.
The Great Gatsby. If you've been alive in the United States recently, you'll know that the fourth theatrical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1920s novel is celebrating a rousing box office success.
I bring up this novel because it illustrates, rather nicely, the idea of old money versus new money. Newly-rich stock brokers and businessmen threw lavish parties with champagne and glitter, while the hereditarily wealthy enjoyed rounds of polo on the grounds of their expansive estates. And this is where the cars come in.
You see, when my friend and I first arrived at the Ritz Carlton hotel on Amelia Island, we felt like we were part of that fantastic panning shot used to welcome viewers to Tom and Daisy Buchanan's massive estate. Not to mention we appeared to be the only ones young enough to not be asked how the grandkids were doing.
Walk inside the hotel itself, like we did about halfway through the day, and you'll feel even more out of place. Dark wood paneling, ostentatious fixtures, and the slightly nauseating smell of perfume being pumped through the duct work is enough to make you feel as old as the Benz-Patent Motorwagen on display in the lobby.
Don't get the idea that this was just some dolled up neighborhood car show though. If you can get past the pretentious aura of it all, there are some amazing cars to be seen, and even the ones that aren't so amazing are all in pristine condition. Among the most stunning were a prototype Lamborghini Miura Roadster, an absoulutely gorgeous Zagato-designed Alfa Romeo, and a positively awe-inspiring display of Ford GT40 racers.
I'm certainly glad that I had my virginal concourse visit November of last year, because it prepared me for the astonishing collection of automobiles that I beheld on Amelia Island. All types of vintage cars, from genesis (that is, the first automobiles) all the way up until the early 1990s were on display here, not to mention Porsche had an entire fairway to itself.
And the amazing part about all of this was that, for the acres of old money old timers hammering on about Cadillacs, Bentleys, and Ferraris, I could count on one hand the number of kids there who seemed to have an active interest in cars. Sure, we're trying to move away from the old school fossil fuels and such -we have to- but does that mean we have to lose that car culture that we've grown to love so much in America? I certainly don't think so.
The wonderful part about coming to huge car events like this is that it serves as an affirmation, an affirmation that the automotive community is alive and well. Just how much longer they'll remain that way, however, is another issue.
See more of my photos from the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance below.
