Honda talks about bigger hybrids, Cash for Clunkers might have been a huge boondoggle, Infiniti will get an electric car, should DWT be punished harder than DUI? And we take you for a ride in the frustratingly fun Scion xB.
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EPISODE 142
SHOW NOTES• Should DWT being punished more severely than DUI?
• CNET drives the new 2010 VW GTI
• CNET review of the 2010 Scion xB
• World distance record claimed for driving an electric car on a single charge
When the Acura TSX Sport Wagon arrives, it will look something like this...but with a pointier Acura beak.
(Credit: Honda)Wagon fans rejoice!
After the public's abysmal reception of the Accord Crosstour and the Acura ZDX, Honda has decided to bring the Accord Touring to North American shores. This is a proper wagon, not an odd genre-bending XUV. The model will wear a 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon badge and will be available in fall 2010.
If you remember, the Honda Accord Touring was listed among our Top 10 awesome wagons you can't have. As you'd expect, we're very excited to see it coming off of that list.
Slinging the RDX through corners, we were impressed by this little SUV's handling. Acura's all-wheel-drive system does amazing things for keeping the car settled when inertial forces attempt to drag it over a cliff. But we weren't so impressed after a glance down at the trip computer's fuel economy number. The turbocharged four-cylinder was drinking up the gas like a frat boy at Oktoberfest.
A good cabin tech update added to the driving experience, its new iPod integration letting us listen to a variety of music over the excellent ELS audio system. Navigation and weather are also new features for the navigation system, letting us avoid the bad traffic jams.
The drumbeat gets louder against driving while texting, it's hybrid vs. diesel for Green Car of the Year, GM says selling on eBay was great--but we're over it! And we go for a ride in a new retractable Lexus that is either BMW's nightmare--or a total chick car.
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EPISODE 139
SHOW NOTES• Federal employees banned from driving while texting -- are you next?
• Vote for Green Car of the Year
• We get an early ride in the Acura ZDX
Acura's all new ZDX is a mash-up of sedan, SUV, and sports coupe.
(Credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)
When we saw the line of Acura ZDX models waiting for us in the parking lot, the cleanness of the design stood out. The sheet metal looked smoother than any new car we had seen recently, and Acura didn't load the body down with jewelry, just nicely integrated headlight casings. And the grille, which stands out like a beak on the smaller Acura sedans, seems to have found its medium. Unlike when we first saw the ZDX earlier this year at the New York auto show, the design took on new life under the bright sun at this special driving preview.
Built on the Acura MDX SUV platform, the ZDX is lower but just a tad longer than its platform-mate. During a presentation, an Acura representative called it a "four door sports coupe," and touted its off-road characteristics by showing a video of it running on a snow track. That schizophrenic character points to the ZDX's blessing or curse--it will be a convenient multipurpose vehicle to some people, but not good at any particular duty for others. That said, the ZDX comes out at the same time as other automakers experiment with this new type of crossover. BMW has the X6, and is working on the 5-series Gran Turismo. Audi is looking at making a hatchback version of the A5. These companies are trying to develop an SUV-alternative for people that no long want to drive a truck.
The glass roof extends over the hatchback lip.
(Credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)Most concept cars lose their most interesting features when they come to production, but the ZDX didn't drop a thing from its initial showing. It uses a glass roof extending from the hood to hatchback, giving both seating rows a sunroof. The short rear doors have handles hidden in the C pillar graphics. The center stack looks black when the car is off, but backlighting highlights button labels when the audio system and climate control are turned on. We hope this feature finds its way into other Acura models, as it works well to hide the mass of buttons scattered over current Acura dashboards.
... Read moreDetails emerge on cash for guzzlers--and some of it's ugly! It's a bad, bad week for TomTom. Our hybrid car tech Prizefight divides the CNET car community. And a ride in the best fun car you can get less than $30,000.
Listen now: Download today's podcast
SHOW NOTES
• The full details of the guzzlers program (PDF)
• CNET Prizefight: Insight vs. Prius
• First look at the real version of the Acura ZDX
The 2010 Acura ZDX will be available in late 2009.
(Credit: Acura)If Acura is to be believed, the vehicle above is not an SUX, not CUV, and not a wagon. No, Acura is calling the 2010 ZDX a four-door sports coupe. If you thought the BMW X6 was an odd bird, you're going to love this.
The ZDX will be powered by a 3.7-liter, all-aluminum V-6 engine will send 300 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque through an all-new six-speed automatic transmission. Steering wheel mounted paddle shifters should lend to the ZDX's sports coupe image, while standard Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) should keep the 19-inch, 7-spoke alloy wheels glued to the asphalt.
Inside the ZDX looks familiar with design and tech we've seen in previous Acura models.
(Credit: Acura)Inside, the ZDX seats up to five adults in two rows of seats, behind which is a cargo area can also be expanded to accommodate longer objects, such as golf bags, by removing side panels in the cargo-compartment sidewalls. As an added bonus, there is an integrated under-floor storage area.
When the ZDX hits Acura dealers later this year, customers will have the choice of three distinct trim levels: ZDX, ZDX with Technology Package, and ZDX with Advance Package. Standard on all ZDX models is the panoramic glass roof, leather interior, Bluetooth connectivity, power tailgate, and USB audio interface with iPod integration. The Technology Package adds navigation with voice recognition, an Acura/ELS Surround premium audio system, and a new multiview rear camera. Finally, the Advance Package adds a blind spot information system, a Collision Mitigating Braking System (CMBS), and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
With the ZDX, Acura fires a shot directly across the bow of the BMW X6.
(Credit: Acura)Acura hasn't released pricing or date of availability, but has stated that the ZDX will be available this winter and will slot between the MDX and the RL in size and pricing, so expect an MSRP between $40,990 and $46,830.
Acura enlisted the director duo of Chris Hopewell and Ben Foley of Collision Films (previous work includes music videos for Radiohead and Franz Ferdinand), for this RDX commercial, which uses stop-frame animation techniques.
Watching this TV spot you think the car is traveling in an animated world, but in actuality the car never moves.
The shoot took 17 graffiti artists and painters working on a massive 100-foot by 40-foot wall. All art was done by artists, not CGI. The 10-day shoot for "Wall Art" used more than 450 gallons of paint and 500 cans of spray paint, resulting in more than 400 layers of paint on the wall.
Here is a look at how they did it.
(Credit:
Spantax)
Certain cars feature such atrocious designs that they become automotive legends. Think cars such as the AMC Pacer and Pontiac Aztek. In the last year, we've seen quirky designs that may reach such legendary status from the vaunted brands BMW, Acura, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin. Some of these designs are attempts at entering the crossover segment, building an SUV with the fuel economy and ride quality of a car. Others attempt to expand model lineups dominated by sports cars, giving the prospective buyer who wants to add a baby seat an option. Take a look at these photos to see the results of these design efforts.
(Credit:
Corinne Schulze/CNET)
We spend a lot of time evaluating the electronics in new cars, digging through navigation system menus, hooking up phones and iPods, and listening to audio systems. But occasionally we get to put these very same cars on the track, to find out how their performance technologies work under stress.
This year, we drove a wide variety of cars on the track at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. There was the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Chevrolet Camaro. We had familiar rides such as the BMW M3 and Acura TL SH-AWD. Then there were the race-bred cars, the Audi R8 and Lotus Elise SC. We even had a Kia Soul out there.
Check out our gallery for performance commentary and stunning track photos.
