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Driving enthusiasts and long-time city dwellers scoff at automatic parallel parking systems, but when it works as well as the one in the Lincoln MKS, well, you just have to marvel at the technology. This new MKS not only has the excellent cabin tech and luxury appointments of the previous year's model, but Lincoln added new tech features, such as the parking system, to really put this car over the top. Couple all that with the new Ecoboost engine, and it's a near technological masterpiece.
Lincoln's new MK naming convention may seem a little austere, but the luxury and tech in the new MKT is anything but. When you spend some time driving a car, and find you don't want to get out of it at the end of the journey, that speaks well for the car's comfort. We could hardly get enough of the MKT's THX audio system, the automatic high beams, and the adaptive cruise control. It is a little thirsty for our tastes, but 355 horsepower from the Ecoboost engine makes this cruiser get up and go.
There are a lot of ways to put together a top 10 list, but for this one, we looked at what you want. Digging through our server logs, we found the Car Tech pages you viewed the most over the past year. Most of these products are cars, but there is a surprise on the list. And while hybrids prominently got a lot of attention, you are also interested in high performance. Of course, products we've reviewed recently aren't as likely to be on the list, as they haven't had time to gather clicks, but we aren't terribly surprised by the results, either.
(Credit:
Ford)
Remember when the bottom dropped out of the economy and everyone was screaming for small, inexpensive, and fuel efficient cars? Well, they're here; and they're in Los Angeles.
Small cars ruled the roost at the 2009 LA Auto Show, with marquees such as the Ford Fiesta, the Mazda Mazda2, and the VW Up Lite attracting a lot of attention and stealing the spotlight from bigger more powerful cars.
Check out our gallery of small cars at the 2009 LA Auto Show for a closer look.
The Porsche Boxster Spyder borrows design elements from a bygone era.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Sport car companies enjoy the luxury of pushing design to the extreme, putting issues such as passenger comfort and cargo area aside. At the Los Angeles Auto Show we found a selection of new car designs that are as beautiful as they are impractical. Porsche showed up with a convertible that makes it more difficult to lower the top than in its other models. Lotus' newest car may be more accessible than its previous models, but you will still need the moves of a break-dancer to get inside. And the second generation of the Spyker C8 Aileron takes car design into the world of art.
Check out all these cars, and a special eco convertible, in our slideshow.
Mazda's midsize sedan enters a crowded market, and doesn't do much to distinguish itself. Beyond a couple of cool features, the Mazda6 generally stays behind the tech curve. Navigation is only available at the highest trim level, and real iPod integration isn't available at all. There's a little bit of Zoom in the tuning, but not the full Zoom Zoom promised by Mazda. The company is going to have to try harder to beat the likes of Nissan, Honda, and Toyota.
The Sienna's Dual View display seems a bit wide for single source viewing, but dual source may be OK.
(Credit: Toyota)
Maybe they should call it a Van-za...
(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)This week the 2011 Toyota Sienna debuted at the LA Auto Show and while the minivan's new Venza-esque aesthetic, 3.5- and 2.7-liter power trains, and available all-wheel drive are, well, kind of interesting, we're most intrigued by the new Dual View rear seat entertainment system.
Folding down from its hiding place in the Sienna's ceiling, the Dual View display appears to be a superwide 16.4-inch display. However, it is actually two smaller displays seamlessly butted against each other in one frame.
When watching a single source, the Dual View displays a single image. Choose two video sources (such as a DVD and the RCA inputs) and the two Dual View system switches to a split screen mode, displaying the two images side-by-side.
The rest of the Sienna's cabin tech package consists of the same DVD-based navigation system that Toyota's been using since forever, Bluetooth connectivity for calls and audio streaming, USB and iPod compatibility, and an 180-degree Panorama Camera rear monitor.
Check out our photos of the 2011 Sienna from the floor of the 2009 LA Auto Show.
Saab's new model doesn't look very happy at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
A week before the Los Angeles Auto Show, GM's deal to sell Saab to Koenigsegg fell through, making the Swedish carmaker's future uncertain. But the company's plans for a future that might never come are evident in the 2011 9-5 sedan. This car incorporates much of the jet fighter design Saab used in its Aero-X concept from a few years ago. The pillars and roof of the 9-5 have a more angular design than previous Saabs, yet still maintain the Saab identity.
Saab also modernized the technology in the 9-5, going to a hard-drive-based navigation system and a USB port for audio sources. The driver will see information projected on the windshield through the car's Pilot HUD feature.
Motivating the 9-5 is a turbocharged 2.8-liter V-6 making 300 horsepower, putting power to all wheels through Saab's XWD system. An electronic limited slip differential helps keep power going to the right wheels when cornering. Saab also incorporated an adaptive suspension in the car to minimize body roll.
The company says it will start selling the 9-5 in late 2010, but Saab's currently tenuous situation might mean the 9-5 never sees production.
(Credit:
Josh P. Miller/CNET)
When Ford launched the revised Mustang last year, we were pretty bummed to learn that there wasn't a new power plant to go along with the improved aesthetic. At the 2009 LA Auto Show, this inequity has been rectified with a new 3.7-liter Duratec V-6 that boosts engine output to 305 horsepower while raising fuel economy to an estimated 30 mpg on the highway. For the first time ever, a V-6 Mustang is nothing to be ashamed of.
We've already taken a look at how the Duratec achieves such power and economy through a combination of weight and friction reduction, along with a new variable valve timing system. Spinning the crank to the tune of 305 horsepower means that the Mustang is now more powerful than the Chevrolet Camaro (304 horsepower). Of course, a one pony gap isn't much to write home about, but bragging rights are bragging rights.
Along with the new heart, the Mustang receives a few aero tweaks to the front end and undercarriage that will likely be invisible to all but the most diehard 'Stang lovers. Revised spring rates and a new thicker rear anitroll bar also help the Mustang V-6 to handle slightly better, but an optional Performance Package adds the suspension and stability control programming of the Mustang GT, bringing the V-6 model dangerously close to the V-8 in terms of performance--at least, until the new GT is revealed at the Detroit Show in January.
Check out our gallery of the 2011 Mustang V-6 at the 2009 LA Auto Show.
Infiniti chose an alternate location to show off its M56 during the Los Angeles Auto Show.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Infiniti didn't make it to the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show, but the company was near by, showing its 2011 Infiniti M56 in Beverly Hills. The update to Infiniti's top model is an attempt to stay competitive with luxury brands Mercedes-Benz and Lexus, while maintaining a performance focus. As such, the M56 gets a revised interior with some nice woodwork, new running gear, and a raft of driver-aid technologies.
Along with blind-spot detection and lane departure warning, Infiniti adds lane drift prevention, which keeps the car from crossing a lane line by braking the offside wheels a little. This technology can prevent a sleepy driver from going off the road, or a distracted driver from changing lanes into an occupied lane. We've tested this technology previously and found it easily overcome, so it won't prevent a driver making an emergency lane change.
The car also has an adaptive cruise control option, an around-view camera that makes maneuvering through tight parking garages easier, and a new technology called Eco pedal. This last feature pushes back slightly on the gas pedal for heavy-footed drivers as a means of training people to drive more economically. This feature can be easily turned off.
The new power train in the M56 includes a seven-speed automatic transmission and a direct injection 5.6-liter V-8, producing 420 horsepower. This engine is more powerful yet more economical than the outgoing 4.5-liter V-8. The M model is also available as an M37, with a 3.7-liter V-6.
