Car Review: 2019 Mercedes-Benz A 250 Hatchback

OVERVIEW Wonderful infotainment system that happens to be attached to a nice hatchback PROSSharp looks, dazzling tech, low price for a Mercedes CONSTransmission isnt the smoothest in traffic, seats on the small side VALUE FOR MONEYFair WHAT TO CHANGE?Not much HOW TO SPEC IT?As equipped, complete with that red paint The most exciting part of the new Mercedes-Benz A250 is the dashboard. Yes it’s an an all-new model, yes it’s a car that we’ll have and the Americans won’t, and yes it is now the most affordable Mercedes in the lineup. Ten years ago, the idea that we would spend the majority of a car review talking about a dashboard would be laughable but more and more buyers prioritize infotainment features over mechanical hardware and who are we not to deliver what people want? To be fair, it’s one hell of a dashboard. The centrepiece of the operation is the Mercedes-Benz User eXperience, abbreviated as MBUX. It is a consummate cloud-based infotainment system that can do everything from adjust the interior temperature to tell you the weight of a Caribou. Information readouts occupy twin 10.25 displays, one in front of the steering wheel and one over the centre console. The left screen contains things like the speedometer and tachometer with space between the two to show anything from fuel economy to song information while the right screen is multi-purpose and can display pretty much anything. The displays are so close together that they appear as one long continuous screen stretching across the dashboard. A 7 screen is standard but doesn’t include all the features that make the MBUX system so magical. Upgrading to the 10.25 screen and the MBUX system costs a full $2,950 but it’s bundled in a Premium Package that also includes blind spot assist, rear cross traffic alert, wireless phone charging, and 64-colour interior lighting. The display itself is dazzling. The menus and designs look modern and the look of the screens is deeply customizable. You can turn them yellow and angry, full of engine readouts for when you want to feel like a racecar driver. You can also select a relaxing minimalist layout that emphasizes the music you’re playing. The interior mood lighting has 64 different colours that you can change at will and together, this makes the A250 a car that can suit many different moods. One are that I feel sets the A250 and its MBUX system far above the rest is that there are four different ways you can control it. Let’s start on the steering wheel. With your hands at nine and three on the wheel, your thumbs are close to two mirrored sets of controls. The left controls control the left screen and vice versa for the right. Two of the buttons are conventional; a home button and a back button. The third is an interesting touch-sensitive button. It works like the centre button of a Blackberry. You can scroll or swipe across it with your finger or press down and use it like a regular button. It makes wiping through menus a breeze and you don’t have to take your hands off the wheel to use it. The second is track pad on the centre console that’s similar to what you’d find on a Lexus. Placing your wrist on the handy perch, the touch pad allows you to scroll and click through the menus. One handy benefit is that it vibrates to give haptic feedback when you have selected something on the screen. This is the control method I used the least as I found it difficult to do while driving and less intuitive than the touch screen. Oh yes, after years of rebelling against finger smudges, Mercedes has finally given in and given the smartphone crowd what they wanted all along: a proper touch screen. The menus are well laid out, concise and easy to use. Reaction time of the system is best in the business. If you are handy with a tablet or smart phone, the MBUX touch screen won’t be a stretch. But the most impressive mode of all to interface with the MBUX system is voice command. Simply say Mercedes or Hey Mercedes and a Siri-like assistant will ask how it can help. The system is so eager and perceptive that sometimes (like when recording a video review inside the car) that it will pick up Mercedes from your speech mid-sentence. You can give it the simple voice commands that pretty much every voice system can utilize like navigate me to 123 Cool St or call mom. But it can also respond to less straightforward and more complicated commands. For example you can ask it what is the age of the prime minister of the country of birth of Justin Bieber and it will calmly tell you that Justin Bieber was born in Canada, Canada’s prime minister is Justin Trudeau, and Justin Trudeau is 47 years old. And while that’s novel, you can also ask it for more practical things. For example if you simply say I’m hungry for soup it will display a list of restaurants near you that sell soup. You can also ask it to find you Italian restaurants that are not pizza restaurants or restaurants that are rated four stars
Origin: Car Review: 2019 Mercedes-Benz A 250 Hatchback

Reader Review: 2019 Mazda3 GT

Jeff Griffiths test drove the 2019 Mazda 3 and found it to be a great small car.Gavin Young/Postmedia When searching for a reader to drive the 2019 Mazda3 GT a number of people turned down the opportunity. For the most part, they simply felt the car was beneath them. But Jeff Griffiths says they don’t know what they were missing. “To me, Mazda has always seemed to be more car than you pay for,” the Calgarian says, and adds, “I was really looking forward to a chance to drive the Mazda3. “I thought it would be a fun and interesting car that might be a bit quirky – because Mazda’s always been a bit of a quirky car company—and I’m going back to the RX3s and the rotary engines. I’ve always liked Mazdas from afar, but I’ve never owned one.” Currently one of Mazda’s best-selling models, the compact Mazda3 replaced the outgoing Protégé in 2004. Mazda fully revamped the 3-model in 2014 for its third generation using the automaker’s Kodo design language and the full suite of SkyActiv technologies. Four years later, in November 2018, Mazda launched the all-new fourth-generation 3-series as a 2019 model-year vehicle. “The Mazda3 sedan delivers true sedan nature by skillfully applying Mazda’s further-evolved Kodo design language to the hood, cabin and trunk presented as three distinct elements, and to the overall form, which adopts a horizontally oriented flow that produces a calm look,” the automaker writes in a model brief. “The design concept is ‘sleek and elegant’.” In Canada, the Mazda3 is the four-door sedan, while the Mazda3 Sport is the five-door hatch. Both models are available in GX, GS and GT trims, and all are well-equipped. Power in the front-wheel drive GX and GS is a 2.0-litre engine coupled with a six-speed manual transmission. A larger 2.5-litre engine is optional in the GS and standard in the GT. All-wheel drive can be had in the GS and GT, too, but only with Mazda’s six-speed automatic transmission. And, the only gearbox available in the top-of-the line GT is the automatic. Griffiths’ Mazda 3 GT was supplied with the optional Premium Package, which added leather seats with a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat with power lumbar support, front wiper de-icer and rear parking sensors. His car was finished with an optional $300 Machine Grey metallic paint job. As tested, Griffiths’ Mazda3 GT, including destination charge but before taxes, rang in at $30,695. Griffiths learned to drive in Ontario and the first car he bought was a 1975 Honda Civic. The Civic cost him $35, and only needed a battery and the alternator belt adjusted before he drove it for several years while attending college. Currently, Griffiths drives a 2012 Volkswagen Golf wagon, a vehicle he uses to commute and haul the family’s two dogs, and jokingly calls it his ‘two lab cab.’ His wife, Lucie, maintains a 2011 Audi A3. If the pair take a road trip, they’ll travel in the Audi. Griffiths much prefers to tour long distances on his motorcycle, however, and has close to 200,000 kilometres on his 2006 Yamaha FJR1300. Here’s what Griffiths had to say about the Mazda3 after first laying eyes on the test vehicle. “It was a lot bigger car than I thought it would be – it was wider, chunkier,” he says, and adds, “The shapes and curves in the sheet metal look good and I liked the high trunk line.” While walking around the vehicle, Griffiths says he was surprised to see a decent and ‘not inexpensive’ set of Pirelli tires on the 18-inch alloy rims. After sliding behind the steering wheel, Griffiths continued to be impressed. “It felt higher-end than I expected it would,” he explains. “It feels like it was put together by people who cared about the product – down to details as intricate as the stitching.” Griffiths enjoyed sitting in the 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat, and his wife Lucie preferred the passenger seat in the Mazda3 to the one in the Audi A3. “Those seats were just nice places to be,” he says. Overall ergonomics were rated as great. All the controls were well laid out and everything was where Griffiths expected it to be. The only problem he had was working his way through the infotainment system, but even then, he still found the Mazda3 an easy car to like. “It’s got lots of snap from the 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine,” Griffiths says of the driving performance. “When you put the boot to it, it’s got plenty of get up and go and doesn’t ever seem to be working too hard.” Of the ride, Griffiths found the Mazda3 was firmly suspended but never offered up any harshness. There was no body lean when going through corners at a spirited clip. Although the trunk was a generous size, Griffiths found it wouldn’t swallow all objects, such as a new laser printer. The opening was too narrow to allow the carton to fit. Handing back the key, Griffiths thinks the Mazda3 would best suit a small family, or, someone like himself – someone who commutes every day, and is looking for a fuel-efficient, fun and roomy car. “Like I
Origin: Reader Review: 2019 Mazda3 GT

SUV Review: 2019 BMW X2 xDrive M35i

2019 BMW X2 M35iJil McIntosh OVERVIEW A hot little hatchback with beautiful balance PROSGreat engine, sharp handling CONSFirm ride isnt as much fun for passengers VALUE FOR MONEYA fair starting price but options add up WHAT TO CHANGE?Improve the rear visibility HOW TO SPEC IT?Premium Package with M Sport Seats Power is always fun, but there’s more to a good car that just stuffing more horses under the hood. It has to be nimble and balanced if it’s going to be a satisfying ride. At its base level, the BMW X2 isn’t a showstopper in the premium-compact-crossover market. But then, it was handed over to the M Performance department, which gave it back as the X2 M35i — and now, all is well. Now, the 2.0L turbo four-cylinder smashes out 302 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft. of torque — a considerable step up from the 228 ponies in the base X2 28i. The all-wheel-drive system includes a BMW-first sport differential up front, doling out power when and where it’s needed for optimum front-end traction, and it also includes launch control if you want to really show off what this little car can do. The transmission is an eight-speed automatic, but don’t twist up your nose: the shifts are quick and it keeps the engine smack in its sweet spot when left to its own, and reacts immediately when you use the wheel-mounted paddles in manual mode. Yes, three pedals would be more fun, but automakers build what’s currently selling. Those who want to “save the manuals” have to buy brand-new cars that have them; it isn’t enough just to slap a sticker on the back of a 1985 GTI. Despite the M in the name, and on the liftgate, front fenders, and the blue brake calipers, BMW stresses — somewhat confusingly for the uninitiated — that this is an M Performance, vehicle not a full-on M. That letter all by itself indicates a track-intended car you can drive on the street, but M Performance’ sits halfway between that and a regular BMW, upping the fun factor without going flat-out all the way. So the X2 M35i has a performance suspension that’s stiffer, and 10 millimetres lower than its regular X2 sibling, giving it a tight ride that’s far more fun for the driver than for the passengers. The run-flat tires harshen it even more, and you’ll appreciate that rapid-response steering when you’re trying to avoid potholes that are just longing to bend up a lower-profile-tire wheel. That said, since the designers didn’t account for a spare, there’s a useful multi-level cargo floor that you can open up for extra space, or close to hide valuables. The genius of this car is that everything is just right for it, and it’s integrated so well. Hit the throttle and it pushes you back in the seat, but it’s not overpowered for its size; that front differential slots the torque just right for the curves you’re taking, the steering communicates everything the tires are doing, and it’s flat into the corners and quick back out of them. This thing is simply fun on a stick. Of course, there is a price for driving pleasure. The base X2 begins at $44,345, while the M35i starts at $49,200. There are option choices, of course, and my car had an Enhanced Premium Package at $5,650, adding in a whack of items such as a panoramic sunroof, head-up display, a heated steering wheel and auto-dimming mirrors, plus extra-charge wheels, seats, and a wireless charger — there’s a clever sliding holder to accommodate various phone sizes, though — that brought my ride to $56,650 before freight and taxes. That’s a lot of money, but on the other hand, it’s $53,100 to start building a Mercedes-Benz AMG GLA 45, and while that model is impressive and far more powerful, I still like the more-well-rounded feel of the BMW. I would check off the $950 box for the M Sport Seats, although I’d probably go with all-black leather, rather than my tester’s eyeball-burning Magma Red Dakota scheme. They’re very comfortable and supportive, and the bolsters keep you on keel but aren’t so high that it’s tough to get in and out. This car is, after all, primarily meant for daily use. Front-seat room is decent, while the rear seats quickly remind anyone back there this is a compact. Those seatbacks fold flat for extra storage space, in a 40/20/40-split configuration for poking skis or other long items through, while plopping a passenger on either side. I think the X2 is a handsome, well-proportioned beast, but that small back window combines with the rear head restraints to steal any semblance of rearward visibility. As with most BMWs, the stark interior design, with its rows of plastic buttons, looks a touch downscale for the price. I’ve also never bought into the electronic shifter — which, sadly, infests too many cars these days — where you have to push forward for Reverse, instead of PRNDL as the driving gods intended. And the iDrive system that operates the infotainment system gets incrementally better every few years, but it’s still not the most
Origin: SUV Review: 2019 BMW X2 xDrive M35i

SUV Review: 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVChris Balcerak / Driving OVERVIEW A truly frugal SUV PROSFuel economy, fuel economy, and fuel economy CONSDated infotainment system, poor Bluetooth call quality VALUE FOR MONEYExcellent WHAT TO CHANGE?I could always use more battery range, and an updated infotainment system wouldnt go remiss HOW TO SPEC IT?As is Mitsubishi would seem to be an unlikely choice for plug-in poster child of the year, what with Tesla grabbing headlines, Nissan having long deemed the Leaf its corporate future, and even Volvo — newcomer to environmentally-conscious set — fitting the word “electrified” into seemingly every public relations missive it releases. All have long-standing reputations for technological innovation, and RD budgets that Mitsubishi engineers can only dream about. And yet Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV is not only the most popular plug-in hybrid SUV in Canada, but also the most popular plug-in hybrid of any kind in the land. Nor is this some sort of localized anomaly, we Canadians adopting an otherwise shunned ugly duckling that the rest of the world ignores. The Outlander PHEV is also the most popular plug-in hybrid in Europe, selling more than 100,000 units since its introduction in 2013, and in Britain — which we’ll have to start delineating as a result of Brexit — it’s been the best selling plug-in, hybrid, or electric of any kind for the last three years running. Mitsubishi has moved over 200,000 Outlander PHEVs in the last five years, making it the most popular plug-in hybrid in the world. Why has the Outlander PHEV become the third best-selling — 432 units last month — Mitsubishi in the land? It resides, after all, in a segment — plug-in hybrids — that hasn’t, unlike EVs and conventional hybrids, captured the imagination of North American consumers. Chevrolet, for instance, has abandoned the Volt. Toyota, king of the hybrid segment, struggles to move the plug-in version of its otherwise popular Prius. Plug-in hybrids from other manufacturers are more easily counted on fingers than computers. Why is Mitsubishi — whose only other foray into the electrified world, the i-MiEV, was (at the very kindest) a bit player in the EV segment — sitting atop the plug-in world? Well, the most obvious answer is it’s a plug-in SUV, the trendiest body style du jour. It’s also, at least by plug-in standards, the cheapest SUV in the land; its $43,498 slots less than the Chevrolet Bolt and Hyundai Kona Electric, both of which are econoboxes with, depending on your intended use, range issues. More importantly, the Outlander is a trendy, (relatively) inexpensive plug-in SUV that delivers. To wit: I’ve now driven the Outlander twice, for a total of two months, in winter and summer. For all the kilometres I’ve driven — probably 5,000 so far — Mitsubishi’s PHEV has exceeded expectations. For instance, in my first foray during the dog days of last summer, I spent most of my time prowling downtown Toronto, the Outlander’s 35 kilometres of electric-only range enough that the PHEV’s little 2.0-litre inline-four had only consumed one bar — about four litres — of gasoline in the first week of commuting. That required a little dedication — regularly seeking out charging stations being the most troublesome — but the reward was a dashboard blinking 1.5 L/100 kilometres as my overall fuel economy. If that doesn’t grab your attention, then consider this: I had barely used one-tenth of the 43 litres of fossil fuel the Outlander carries on board. If I had restricted my commute to the gym with occasional forays to the office — where we at Driving have charging stations! — I could’ve gone almost 2,500 kilometres between gas station visits. Eventually, I did have to venture beyond the Mitsu’s 35-kilometre EV range, and here again, the electrified Outlander surprised me. Cruising down the highway, cruise control set at a steady 130 km/h — i.e. very little regenerative braking to replenish the battery — the PHEV still managed an entirely creditable 7.2 L/100 kilometres, largely the result one presumes of the efficiency of its Atkinson-cycle engine. Relying almost exclusively on electricity in town, and then delivering better-than-average fuel economy when venturing beyond EV mode, is very much the PHEV promise delivered. The fact that it’s all accomplished with the utility of an SUV is just what popularizes the message. More recently, I put a 2019 Outlander PHEV through its paces during this past spring (that turned back to winter, on some days). A tad chilly it was, and as everyone who’s ever driven anything battery-powered knows, lithium-ion and sub-zero temperatures are not the best of friends. Battery range is reduced, heating cabin and occupants depleting free electrons faster than Elon Musk can delete an (unverified) tweet. In fact, so much energy does heating the cabin require that Mitsubishi, like many hybrid manufacturers, has determined that firing up the gasoline
Origin: SUV Review: 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Car Review: 2019 Kia Optima SXL

OVERVIEW A family sedan and sports sedan in a tidy, richly equipped package. PROSAthletic performance, generous amenities, standard safety system/crash test scores CONSAnnoying lane departure warning system, inane “Smart” trunk release VALUE FOR MONEYGood WHAT TO CHANGE?Turn up the turbo’s wick and produce a GT version along the lines of the Stinger GT. And, yes, that is coming with the next redo. HOW TO SPEC IT?Like a Stinger GT… Of the mid-sized sedans on the market, not one has been reworked more than the Kia Optima. For 2019, it gets yet another facelift to keep it contemporary and in touch with a shifting segment — mostly a shift away from sedans and into crossovers! The SXL’s refresh sharpens things with a revised front fascia with LED fog lights, LED interior ambient lighting, a sport steering wheel and smart cruise control with stop-and-go functionality along with a simplified infotainment system. The revised infotainment system is easier to use and it supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto while allowing the driver to use the standard built-in navigation system. The cabin’s layout further simplifies things. Everything above the steering wheel’s crossbar is about displaying important information; everything below is about controlling things. The format makes it a no-nonsense proposition. The rest of it sees high-quality soft-touch materials and, in the SXL, swanky diamond-pattern Nappa leather seating to go along with everything from a power panoramic moonroof to a 12-way heated/cooled power driver’s seat with memory, and it touches everything between the extremes. The rear seat has plenty of stretch-out space and heated outboard pews. Behind that sits a spacious 450-litre trunk — that is large by mid-size standards. The trunk has what Kia calls a “Smart” release. Stand at the back end of the car for a few seconds and the car senses the key and pops the trunk lid open automatically, which is pretty smart, I’ll admit. The hitch is that the lid only opens partially so you still have to put down your packages and manually lift it fully open. That’s not so smart. Given the level of standard equipment a proper power trunk is one of the few missing links. The Optima SXL’s feature-rich packaging extends to the list of safety aids — advanced forward collision warning with auto braking, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, a surround-view camera, auto high beams, drowsy-driver detection and lane departure warning with keep assist is all standard on this high trim. That’s more than many much more expensive rides. As is common, I find the lane departure/keep assist system very annoying. Worthy of note is the Kia Optima is one of the few mid-sized sedans to retain the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick+ designation even as the standards have been toughened of late. The tighter standards has seen many lose the “+” designation — the Honda Accord being a big one. What impresses with the 2.0-litre turbocharged four found in the SXL is not so much the 245 horsepower, but the 260 pound-feet of torque and the fact it turns up 1,350 rpm. As peak torque is developed 700 rpm off idle there is no turbo lag off the line. The engine then remains smooth and refined across the operating range. It drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters. While it works as is, a couple of extra gears in the box would improve the already solid performance — one of Optima’s most cross-shopped competitors is the top-selling Toyota Camry and its eight-speed tranny. The drive characteristics are adjustable with Eco, Comfort, Sport and Smart modes. Most are redundant as Smart automatically picks the appropriate driving mode based on driver input — typically it switches between Eco and Comfort. However, a twisty road demands Sport, as it not only amps up the performance it also puts some needed weight in the steering. When in Sport the Optima loves to spin its wheels on a fast takeoff, so roll into the throttle easily and then hammer it! The combination brings a rapid run to 100 kilometres an hour of 6.7 seconds and it turns the more important 80-120 km/h passing move in 4.6 seconds. Both times are quick for a family-oriented sedan. The SXL arrives with a sportier suspension than the base models. As such it is noticeably firmer, but nonetheless comfortable. On the highway it wafts over road ripples. Throw it into a corner and it rides it out with minimal body roll and understeer is a long way out thanks to the P235/45R18 tires. The key to the comfort/sporty blend boils down to the high performance dampers. They adjust the damping level according to the speed of the body’s movement. On the highway, where body motion is typically slow, the shocks deliver softer damping. Dial in some steering and the rapid change in body motion sees the mechanical dampers switch to a firmer setting. While not as effective as true active
Origin: Car Review: 2019 Kia Optima SXL

Car Review: 2019 Honda Insight

OVERVIEW Great hybrid fuel economy, regular sedan styling. PROSHighly refined drivetrain, comfy ride. CONSLacking cold-weather fortitude VALUE FOR MONEYGood WHAT TO CHANGE?A more robust EV mode would be welcome HOW TO SPEC IT?As equipped for this test Hybrids in 2019 are roughly divided into two camps. Some are geeky, egg-like science projects on wheels for eco-martyrs who profess their sustainable lifestyle to the world. And others, like the Honda Insight, are regular cars shaped like regular cars that just so happen to have hybrid drivetrains for superb fuel economy. There is no more Civic Hybrid, so instead, you get the Civic-based-but-notably-different Insight. Although it comes across as part-Civic, part-Accord, the 2019 Insight nonetheless looks sophisticated and stylish. For Being Civic-based, the Insight sure is big — it measures a full 4.66-metres long and is nearly 1.9 metres wide. Speaking on the Insight’s (and Civic’s) ever-increasing dimensions, the Insight is longer, wider, and taller than a BMW 3 Series from a decade ago, but there are a few positives to all this girth. Firstly, rear-seat room is very generous. It’s a real back seat that can accommodate people for of most sizes for more than just short trips. The long wheelbase also pays dividends to the ride quality, making the Insight properly cushy. The Insight is a full 15-ft long and as such rear seat space is excellent Clayton Seams / Driving But the real people will or won’t buy this vehicle is fuel economy, rated at 4.6 L/100 kilometres in the city and 5.3 on the highway. Over multiple days of very cautious and slow mixed highway and city driving, I netted 5.6 L/100 kilometres. This is fantastic mileage for a car of this size, but not as good as the official ratings claimed. Part of the reason for the disappointing number is the cars poor ability to handle cold and remain fuel efficient. Temperatures during the week-long test in the middle of winter hovered around -12 degrees Celsius — not cold, but not unheard of for a Canadian January. The Insight, like most hybrids, has an aggressive engine start/stop system designed to keep the engine running only when needed, and to use the electric motor every chance it can. It even has an EV mode that, hypothetically, can be used to drive (slowly) on electric power only. But every time I tried to use the EV mode, I got a rude message saying EV mode was disabled due to cabin being heated. Well, no duh it’s being heated. It’s January; when is it not being heated? This meant the engine idled all the time to warm the cabin and not doing much to save fuel. If you plan on buying this car in a cold climate, this is a pretty big drawback. Another drawback is the notable lack of mojo when you want to merge or pass someone. The 1.5-litre engine works with an electric motor to provide a total of 151 horsepower and 197 lb.-ft. of torque when working together; alone, the gas engine makes 107 horsepower. This doesn’t sound too tragic, but it has a full 1,400-kilograms to move and it does so very slowly. It’s hardly a car you want to hustle around and the word fun doesn’t come anywhere near this car, so it boggles my mind that Honda saw fit to install paddle shifters for the CVT. I tried them a few times and they, too, seemed confused of their purpose. Front seats are very comfortable Clayton Seams / Driving Honda does deserve props for its crisp and coherent infotainment system and for finally listening to our whining and including a physical volume knob. That knob is connected to a pretty good sound system considering the calibre of vehicle. The front seats are heated and very comfortable, though the lack of a heated steering wheel — even in top-spec Touring trim — is a noticeable absence. Other interior features include Honda’s unique take on an automatic gear selector, which is more like a 1990s Bop-It, in that every gear requires a different action from your hand. The interior itself is nicely finished for the segment. The console is comfy for elbow resting and capacious for smart phone stowing. The light tan headliner does a good job of breaking up the black interior and making things feel a bit more airy. Sure, the cabin has plenty of hard-touch plastic, but none are obtrusive and there is a good amount of soft-touch where you actually come into contact with the interior. 1.5L I4 engine is hardly powerful Clayton Seams / Driving On the highway, you can hear the engine working hard to motivate the Insight at a heady 110 km/h up hills and there’s the usual Honda road noise at play, but the ride at speed is cushy and the seats are excellent. Highway consumption can dip as low as 4.6 if you pedal it nicely. The engine/electric drivetrain isn’t as refined as the Prius, though, and you can feel the various motors spooling up and whirring as they go about their business. At a hair under $32,000, the Insight is fairly good value for money, but this car
Origin: Car Review: 2019 Honda Insight

SUV Review: 2019 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD

OVERVIEW Fashionable alternative to the typical mid-sized family crossover PROSWell contented, comfortable, stylish CONSLimited towing capability, smallish cargo area, limited rear-view visibility VALUE FOR MONEYGood WHAT TO CHANGE?An optional engine choice would be nice HOW TO SPEC IT?Murano SL AWD ($42,948) The mid-sized crossover/SUV segment is full of well-known nameplates: Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Explorer, Dodge Durango, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, to name a few. In all 15 or so models all fight for market share, and this field has grown in the past 12 months with additions such as the Volkswagen Atlas, Honda Passport, Subaru Ascent and Chevrolet Blazer (old name, new SUV). Oh, and let’s not forget the brand-new Hyundai/Kia twins as well — the Palisade and Telluride, respectively. Some of the aforementioned have three rows of seats; some have two. These are the workhorses of the entire SUV segment — the family vehicles, the haulers. They usually aren’t sexy; they’re not (with some exception) overpowered or overpriced. They just are. Which doesn’t mean they can’t be good looking or well equipped or, depending on your definition, borderline luxurious. As an example I offer Nissan’s Murano, specifically the topline Platinum edition being tested. The name has been familiar to Canadians since 2002; the third-generation model has been around since 2015, with the 2019 version receiving a mild exterior refresh — more pronounced V-motion’ grille, redesigned LED headlights and taillights, new LED fog lights, new wheel designs — and some interior enhancements. Personally, I’ve always liked the looks of the Murano, Nissan’s designers going the extra mile to make it distinctive and less boxy. OK, Gen 3 is a bit thick around the middle in profile, but it has a bold character line that ties it in with the flagship Maxima sedan. The downside to fashion over function is a big rear pillar that creates a significant blind spot. The mitigating factor is the Platinum’s standard Around View Monitor, which provides a virtual 360-degree scene of the crossover in bird’s-eye view through video processed by four cameras that display the composite footage on the screen. The powertrain for North American Muranos is the same as it’s been for the past 17 years, at least from a displacement perspective: a 3.5-litre V6 that puts out a solid but not class-leading 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. It’s mated to a continuously variable transmission that Nissan calls Xtronic. Except for the addition of a hybrid version in 2016 that lasted a single model year, Nissan has not offered any other engine/transmission combo since Day One. And as long as you’re just hauling people and maybe a small U-Haul trailer — the crossover’s maximum towing capability is a pitiful 1,500 pounds — acceleration is good enough, about eight seconds to reach 100 kilometres an hour. The other thing is that, while more manufacturers turn to turbocharged four-cylinders to power their rigs (Santa Fe, Edge, Mazda CX-9, Subaru Ascent, etc.), there is something to be said about the easy flow of power from a naturally aspirated six-cylinder. Though not particularly heavy, at least for a mid-sized crossover, the 1,836-kilogram Murano is a bit sluggish in the curves, particularly the steering, which is wooden moving off centre. The ride is comfortable, though, courtesy of the four-wheel independent suspension. The Murano is available in four trim levels — S, SV, SL and Platinum — the last with a long menu of features designed to keep you comfy, entertained and safe for just $45,998, a reasonable price considering. Does this make the Murano Platinum a competitor to one of the known luxury models — Lexus RX, for instance, or Nissan’s own upscale Infiniti QX50? Well, owners of those vehicles would likely say “definitely not.” Those contemplating a step up from the usual might counter with a “not so fast.” One of the 2019 Platinum model’s enhancements is new premium semi-aniline leather-appointed seats with diamond-quilted inserts and contrasting micro-piping trim for the seats, door armrests and centre console. The seats look terrific and are very comfortable. Another upgrade is the Platinum’s dark wood-tone trim finish — other versions get different finishes — that doesn’t really complement the tester’s black cabin. In addition, all 2019 Muranos come with Nissan’s rear door alert and intelligent driver alertness safety features, the latter “learning” each individual driver’s steering patterns and helping alert him/her when drowsy driving is detected. Actually, as a family vehicle, especially one operating in a congested city setting, the Murano is almost ridiculously equipped with safety, security and driver assistance technologies. Most fall under the banner of Safety Shield 360, a suite of advanced technologies that includes intelligent emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear
Origin: SUV Review: 2019 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD