auto guide july 26
DESCRIPTION
Weekly Auto Guide for Daily Herald-TribuneTRANSCRIPT
LUXURYLINKED IN TO
• 2013 LincoLn MKS
• July 26, 2012 • Volume 1 • Issue 16
autonet.ca
NORTHGATEHONDA
13116 - 100th St.Grande Prairie780 532 8010 HondaAlberta.ca
#Limited time financing offers based on new 2012 Honda models. Bi-weeklypayment examples based on a new 2012 Civic Sedan DX MT, model FB2E2CEXavailable through Honda Financial Services on approved credit. MSRP is$16,485, and includes $1,495 freight and PDI, financed at 1.99% APR with$0 down payment or equivalent trade equals $97.07 bi-weekly for 84 months.Cost of borrowing is $1,181.74 for a total obligation of $17,666.74. Taxes,license, insurance, environmental fees and registration are extra. ‡MSRPis $16,485 for a 2012 Civic Sedan DX MT, model FB2E2CEX and includes$1,495.00 freight and PDI. #/‡ Offers valid from July 1, 2012 through July 31, 2012at participating Honda retailers. Offers valid only for Alberta residents at HondaDealers of Alberta locations. Offers subject to change or cancellation withoutnotice. Visit HondaAlberta.ca or see your Honda retailer for full details.MODEL SHOWN: FB2E2CEX
BI-WEEKLY PAYMENTS OF
$97#
@1.99%
FOR 84 MONTHS WITH $0 DOWNORDER YOURS TODAY
2012CIVIC DX
$16,485‡
MSRPINCLUDES FREIGHT & PDI• ABS• SIX AIRBAGS – STANDARD• VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST (VSA®)
WITH TRACTION CONTROLMPSSCS4247070MPSE
What’s in a name? Sometimes, not at all what you might think. Here are 10 famous models and how they got their monikers.
Nissan Fairlady Z: Prior to launching a new sports car, past Nissan president Katsuji Kawamata visited the United State s and watched the Broadway musical My Fair Lady. He enjoyed it so much that he decided to name the new vehicle “Fairlady.”
Fe r r a r i E n z o : O n e o f t h e m o s t famous, sought after, and expensive vehicles of all time, this vehicle was named after the founder of the com-pany, Enzo Ferrari.
Porsche Boxster: This well-known two-seat convertible was named by combing the words “Boxer” (the type of engine used in the vehicle) and “road-ster.”
Jeep: There is still some debate as to how the Jeep originally got its name. One story says that the original name of the vehicle was the “General Purpose” or GP. When said quickly, the two let-ters sound like “Jeep”.
Lamborghini Reventon: Like the majority of vehicles in Lamborghini’s stable, the Reventon was named after a famous bull. This particular bull was owned by the Don Rodriguez family, and was famous for killing famed bullfighter Felix Guzman in 1943.
Ford Mustang: Despite its logo, and
despite creating the “pony car” class of vehicles, the Mustang was actually named for a World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane.
Honda Civic: This vehicle’s name sug-gests exactly what is — a vehicle Honda wanted that was “a car for all people, a car for the world” and the word “civic” means “of or relating to a citizen, a city, citizenship or civil affairs.”
Vo l k s w a g e n B e e t l e : T h e B e e -tle was originally known simply as the “Volkswagen” or “People’s Car” in Europe, but when it came to North America, it was referred to as the Bee-tle, pre sumably due to the unique shape.
Chevrolet Corvette: Like the Mus-tang, the Corvette name can be attrib-uted to a vehicle used in war. The iconic sports car was named for a type of light, manoeuvrable warship called a corvette.
Hyundai Tiburon: Anyone who knows Spanish will think this is any easy one. Hyundai’s now-defunct lithe sports coupe was named for a shark — “tibu-ron” in Spanish.
2013 Lincoln MKS priced to compete in the luxury seg-ment
Mitsubishi i-MiEV a good choice if you want to go green all the way
Subaru makes technological improvements to the 2013 Legacy
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR
NEWSLETTER
READ MOREREVIEWS
RESEARCHYOUR NEW CAR
APPRAISEYOUR CAR
BUILD AND PRICE THIS CAR
COMPARE
CARS
OUR TOP SEARCHES
WATCH THE VIDEO
PHOTO GALLERYONLINE
TELL US WHATYOU THINK
FIND A DEALER
FIND A USED CAR
Quick Look
REViEW
coVER4
8
7
autonet.ca/galleries
by any other namEV e h i c l e n a m e o r i g i n s
TOP
10
• SuppLiEd photoSThe Porsche Boxster was named by combing the words “Boxer” and “Roadster.”
The Chevrolet Corvette was named for a type of light, manoeuvrable warship.
inSidEJ u l y 2 6 , 2 0 1 2
autonet.ca
DHT Autos is published by the Daily Herald-Tribune, 10604 100 Street, Grande Prairie, Alberta,
Canada, T8V 6V4 • 780-532-1110
CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau • VP Western Operations Gordon Norrie • Publisher Peter Meyerhoffer • Associate Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief Fred Rinne •Sun Media Automotive Editor Joe Duarte
2 Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Thursday, July 26, 2012
Call one of your localSales Reps for a tailor-made
advertising strategy!
Celebrating 100 Years!1913
2013
MPSSCS4272438MPSE
dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyher-aldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com daily-heraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtri-bune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyher-aldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com daily-heraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtri-bune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyher-aldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com daily-heraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtri-bune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyher-aldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com daily-heraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtri-bune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyher-aldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com daily-heraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtri-bune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyher-aldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com daily-heraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtri-bune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyher-aldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com daily-heraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtri-bune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyher-aldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com daily-heraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtri-bune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyher-aldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com daily-heraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtri-bune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyheraldtribune.com dailyher-
dailyheraldtribune.com
share your car with onstarGeneral Motors is partner-
ing with peer-to-peer car shar-ing company RelayRides, giv-ing the opportunity for people who rent OnStar-enabled vehi-cles to lock and unlock cars right from their phone.
G M s a y s v e h i c l e o w n -ers in the United States who don’t use their OnStar-ena-bled vehicle on a regular basis
can “potentially earn hundreds of dol-lars a month to offset the cost of owning a vehicle” by renting to others through RelayRides.
According to GM, the new partnership can save time, as owners won’t have to
meet a renter personally to hand off keys, as well as money, since there’s no need to install expensive aftermarket hardware.
The automaker says studies show that each car shared can result in 13 fewer cars on the road, allowing for less con-gestion and less pollution.
Vehicle owners simply place the keys in their car, and renters can both locate the vehicle and unlock it by accessing a web-site on their smart phone. When they’re done with the rental, they leave the keys in the car and lock it using the same appli-cation.
“ O u r e xc l u s i v e r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h RelayRides provides an exciting new choice: the first automobiles to run on collaborative consumption,” said Nick Pudar, vice-president, OnStar Strategy and New Business Development.
RelayRides is the first third party devel-oper to integrate with OnStar’s proprie-tary application program interface (API). GM says it will be opening up its API to third-party developers later this summer.
Although OnStar FMV (For My Vehicle) can be added to non-GM vehicles, the sys-tem used for the RelayRides sharing pro-gram will only be available on GM vehicles with OnStar embedded.
Nissan Versa off on new Note
Having refreshed the Versa sedan in the past year with a look that better fits into the rest of the lineup, Nissan turns its attention to the hatchback and the new product look of Nissan.
The incoming Versa hatchback will bear a resemblance to the new Note (with which it shares the Nissan global V architecture) that goes on sale in Japan and other over-seas markets in late 2012 through 2013, though Nissan is simply saying it will have features tailored to the American markets (Canada, U.S., Mexico and Brazil).
The Versa (sedan and hatchback com-bined) is the top-selling Japanese sub-compact, maintaining a 12% share of the segment ahead of prime competitors Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and Mazda2.
“Both Versas, hatchback and sedan, offer exceptional value, excellent fuel economy and numerous features rarely available in other models in this seg-ment,” said Mike Colleran, regional vice-president, Nissan Canada.
The second-generation Nissan Versa sedan, introduced last year, was mar-keted on sophisticated exterior design, well-appointed interior and exceptional
room for five adults — including more rear legroom than many mid-size sedans.
Nissan isn’t saying much else about the new hatchback, promising to deliver details closer to its launch, but the new Note features a supercharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine (which delivers 92 hp and 105 lb.-ft. of torque in the new Nis-san Micra/March) while delivering econ-omy in the 4.0 L/ 100km range (59 mpg).
– QMI Agency
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR
NEWSLETTER
READ MOREREVIEWS
RESEARCHYOUR NEW CAR
APPRAISEYOUR CAR
BUILD AND PRICE THIS CAR
COMPARE
CARS
OUR TOP SEARCHES
WATCH THE VIDEO
PHOTO GALLERYONLINE
TELL US WHATYOU THINK
FIND A DEALER
FIND A USED CAR
autonet.ca/newsletter
• supplied photosRelayRides allows users to locate and unlock vehicles with a smart phone.
The incoming Nissan Versa hatchback will bear a resemblance to the new Note.
INDU
STRY
NEWS
Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Thursday, July 26, 2012 3
adult carrierswanted
Earn some extra money, get some exercise and
make new friends!
The Daily Herald-Tribune is looking for adult carriers to deliver newspapers in and around the city.
If you are interested, call 780-532-0691 today and be that person your friends and neighbors rely on.
780-532-0691 • dailyheraldtribune.com
Celebrating 100 Years!1913
2013People’s Automotive Ltd. AMVIC LICENSED vw.ca9602-108 Street, Grande Prairie, AB(780) 532-7222visit vw.ca or call 1-888-977-7222 for more information.www.peoplesvw.com
%
Seedealer for details Some restrictions may apply
2012Volkswagon
JettaTiguanPassat
60 months OAC
4 Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Thursday, July 26, 2012
MKS overtaKeS competitors
The Truck Monkey hanging of f my rear bumper wouldn’t like anything about me, that’s a given. He wouldn’t like my over-all middle-aged, ugly-bald-guy-ness, nor my style of dress, and he certainly wouldn’t be a fan of the 2013 Lincoln MKS that just beat him at his own game.
There is a certain type of idiot all over the roads in my neck of the woods, and when he sees you signalling to change lanes in front of him — even if you have several car-lengths available to
do so — something goes off in his little cro-mag brain that says “durr nobody gets in frunna me!”, and he’ll mash the gas to close the gap and cut you off, and then will start tooting his little horn, giving you the finger and shaking his Lite Beer baseball hat disap-provingly.
It’s what people like that live for, and I have just robbed one of them of that thrill.
When I hit the signal lever to move into his lane, I can see his pickup truck suddenly shoot for-ward in my rearview mirror as he races to cut me off — but hey, hey, hey, Miss Contractions: Eco-Boost!
I have a great deal of usable power underfoot in the turbo-charged six of the MKS, and it
comes on smooth and fast with very good pedal response, and before my new best enemy can get within horn-tootin’, finger-waving distance, I am into the lane, fair and square.
Truck Monkey has to settle for tailgating me for a while (waiting for his opportunity to start toot-ing his little horn), but it’s pretty easy to lose a tailgater in a car that handles well, and my all-wheel drive MKS boasts compe-tent road manners.
The best part is, I don’t even have to exceed the speed limit — I just need to wait for some curves in the road. Modulate the throt-tle properly and get the braking done before going into the turn, and after a couple of twists I am a good half-kilometre out in front
of my new enemy’s pickup.The MKS is very agile for a big
car (don’t get me wrong, though, it is a big car, and you’ll feel some roll in the body if you slalom it), with a suspension that digests the road bumps effortlessly and delivers perhaps the smoothest ride from Lincoln yet, owing to the C ontinuously C ontrol led Damping feature new to the 2013 model.
I am almost disappointed to see Truck Monkey receding in the rear-view mirror, and I take some small glee in knowing that he would be enraged to new heights of horn-tootin’ goodness if he knew I was getting my chiselled flanks rubbed the entire time by the massage-seat feature of my MKS tester.
Indeed, the only thing that would incense him further might be if his sister was riding with me, because she’d be getting her butt massaged too — the pas-senger seat gets the same treat-ment courtesy of the Premium Package included on my test car. The seats are also both heated and ventilated, and once you’ve had a car with cooled seats on a hot day, there is no going back.
The Monkster will be long since home in his trailer court, yell-ing at his Toby Keith blow-up doll and twisting his Lite Beer base-ball hat in rage, before I’m done having fun.
And oddly, I’m getting laudable mileage from the test vehicle as well, which is strange — I mean, it’s a 365-hp turbo with an AWD powertrain, yet coming in under the stated fuel economy num-bers so far.
That’s a good thing, too, as I will be up for a while yet, daz-zling acquaintances with the included active park assist fea-ture, whereby the MKS parallel parks itself.
The packaging and the options all add up of course, and this par-ticular model tips the scales with a luxury-car price (it’s over 60K with options and taxes), but the technology suite and full array of creature comforts make the 2013 MKS fully competitive against most any rival brand, foreign or domestic.
As tested (before tax): $62,000options on test vehicle: equip-ment Group a Premium Package ($6,000), dual-panel moonroof ($2,200), adaptive cruise control ($1,500)Freight/pDi: $1,600configuration: front engine, all-wheel driveengine/transmission: 3.5L turbo v6/ six-speed automatic with sequential shiftpower/torque: 365 hp/350 lb.-ft.Fuel (capacity): premium (72L)F u e l e c o n o m y r a t i n g s (L/100km): 12.2 city, 7.8 hwyobserved fuel economy: 9.8 L/100km over 330 kmWarranties: four years/80,000 km (basic), six years/ 110,000 km (powertrain)competitors: acura rL, audi a6, Infiniti M37x, Lexus GS 450h, volvo S80 t6strengths: great power manage-ment, overall smoothness, interior quality and roominess, technologyWeaknesses: unusual electronic interface, premium price tag
FAct FiLe
report cArD
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR
NEWSLETTER
READ MOREREVIEWS
RESEARCHYOUR NEW CAR
APPRAISEYOUR CAR
BUILD AND PRICE THIS CAR
COMPARE
CARS
OUR TOP SEARCHES
WATCH THE VIDEO
PHOTO GALLERYONLINE
TELL US WHATYOU THINK
FIND A DEALER
FIND A USED CAR
VALUE FOR $
FUEL ECONOMY
STYLING
COMFORT
PERFORMANCE
OVERALL
RATING OUT OF 5
autonet.ca/galleries
The quick, confidenT, responsive 2013 LincoLn Mks is a big, high-perforMing car priced To coMpeTe in The Luxury segMenT
2 0 1 3 L i n c o L n M k s e c o b o o s T a W d
• WADe ozeroFF/QMI aGencyThe MKS is very agile for a big car, with a suspension that digests the road bumps effortlessly and delivers perhaps the smoothest ride from Lincoln yet, owing to the Continuously Controlled Damping feature new to the 2013 model.
TEST
DRIVE
Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Thursday, July 26, 2012 5
srx attracts wider audience
In order for Cadillac to con-tinue to prosper and perhaps draw more attention to its core line of larger-than-life sedans, it has to offer compact vehicles such as the SRX crossover util-ity.
That’s not necessarily a knock against the steeped-in-history company, though it shouldn’t be interpreted as a ringing endorse-ment, either. It’s just the reality of a market where people want utility wrapped up in smaller, more fuel-efficient packages.
T h e SR X is by n o m e a n s a bad vehicle, nor a bad-looking
one, but to most people it just isn’t a Cadillac. I’m not one of those, mind you, having long ago extolled the virtues of unique cars such as the Cimarron — OK, maybe not the Cimarron, but def-initely the Allante and, later, the XLR roadsters.
It all comes down to the exclu-sivity of the wreath, and that certainly applies to various seg-ments outside of the large sedan market — at which is most Cadil-lac aficionados draw the line.
The SRX tries to incorporate some Cadillac cues, such as the large egg-crate grille, a modern-ization of the wreath-and-crest badge and fins — yes, fins. Take a look at the rear vertical tail-light treatment and you’ll find they extend out and up a little in a subdued tribute to Cadillacs of the past, as Buick currently does
with its non-functioning fender portholes.
Inside, there are the bright jew-elled gauges and just the right amount of wood trim. It’s enough to make you understand this is a Cadillac without sending it over the top with pretentiousness — something of which past Cadil-lacs could often be accused.
It also carries on the Cadil-lac tradition of advancements — in the SRX’s case, in the area of cargo management. It starts with a multi- level adjustable hatch opening. The push-button control is integrated into a dial that allows it to be programmed to open at a lower height (in order to take into account lower-ceilinged venues such as under-gro un d s t a l ls or som e h om e garages). Then it opens up into a carpeted cargo area featuring a
lightweight metal cargo separa-tor on a “U” track.
The separation slides between notches to accommodate various sizes and shapes of containers, or it can be removed completely and stored in the spare-wheel well under the floor. The rear seats go down in a 60/40 split, but not flat to the cargo floor. The rear seating itself is comfortable and of premium-quality material, though not the ultra-luxury plush leather some people would asso-ciate with Cadillac — in particu-lar, those whose main exposure to the brand is by riding in livery staple sedans such as the Dev-ille or DTS. The centre armrest, which hides a ski-pass-through to the cargo area, pulls downs to sit at an awkward-enough angle to impede elbow comfort as well as seeming to want to spill what-ever is placed in its integrated cupholders.
Up front, the cockpit is upscale to effectively represent Cadillac, but it could be a cockpit found in any Chevrolet or even Ford/Lin-coln. Everything works great and is easy enough to find, but there sure are a lot of little buttons all around the driver.
Still, it’s not enough to make the SRX challenging to drive. In fact, that’s probably the easi-est characteristic of the vehicle — you point it in a direction and it goes there without too much arm-input required. You push on the accelerator and it goes — not fast, mind you, but efficiently.
The 3.6-litre V6 could stand a little more oomph, but it man-ages to move the vehicle well enough and returns decent fuel economy. Sequential gearshifts are enacted through the shift lever, which is fine for this type of vehicle in which the lever points to D probably 90% of the time.
By the end of the SRX driving experience, you’re probably left with a sense of indifference — it’s a vehicle that expands neither a lot on its Cadillac-ness, nor on its performance. But as a fam-ily vehicle for those who want to show off their niche in life while still requiring a wagon that will make it over a variety of terrains, it’s pretty good.
as tested before (tax): $56,425Freight/Pdi: $1,595Options on test car: 20-inch alu-minum wheels ($1,190), trailering provisions including hitch receiver and wir ing, engine oi l c ooler ($655)engine/transmission: 3.6L V6/ five-speed automatic with sequen-tial shiftPower/torque: 308 hp/265 lb.-ft. Fuel (capacity): regular (76L)F u e l e c o n o m y r a t i n g s (L/100km): 13.2 city, 8.8 hwyObserved fuel economy: 11.1 L/100km over 921 kmWarranties: four years/ 80,000 km (basic), five years/ 160,000 km (powertrain)competitors: acura Mdx, audi Q5, BMw x3, infiniti ex35, Lexus rx 350, Lincoln MKx, Mercedes-Benz GLK350, range rover evoque, Volvo xc60Strengths: good looks, cargo ver-satility, comfortable seatingWeaknesses: lack of torque, rear seat armrest, crowded dashboard
FacT FiLe
RePORT caRd
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR
NEWSLETTER
READ MOREREVIEWS
RESEARCHYOUR NEW CAR
APPRAISEYOUR CAR
BUILD AND PRICE THIS CAR
COMPARE
CARS
OUR TOP SEARCHES
WATCH THE VIDEO
PHOTO GALLERYONLINE
TELL US WHATYOU THINK
FIND A DEALER
FIND A USED CAR
VALUE FOR $
FUEL ECONOMY
STYLING
COMFORT
PERFORMANCE
OVERALL
RATING OUT OF 5
autonet.ca/galleries
While the SRX SuffeRS fRom a lack of toRque and So-So fuel economy, it’S a good competitoR in a competitive but lucRative maRket Segment
2 0 1 2 c a d i l l a c S R X 4 p R e m i u m
• JOe duaRTe/QMi aGencyThe SRX is by no means a bad vehicle, nor a bad-looking one, but to most people it just isn’t a Cadillac.
TEST
DRIVE
lock, stock and bucket
Gadget: truck Bed U-lockPrice: $37Available at: see www.masterlocktruck.com for a list of retailers
This is an absolutely fabulous gadget for anyone who transports valuables in their pickup bed. Although it certainly won’t prevent theft 100% (nothing can),
it will make thieves think twice about grabbing whatever you may have stashed in your truck.
Known as the Truck Bed U-Lock, it attaches to the pickup bed, securing pretty much anything you can carry in the cargo area, when used with cables or chains. The Truck Bed U-Lock fits eas-ily into most pickup truck bed stake hole pockets without any drilling. It’s made of hardened steel and has a keyhole cover to protect the lock from the elements.
Gadget: cupholder extraordinairePrice: $9.99Available at: canadian tire
While some vehicles are designed with countless cubby holes and storage com-par tment s for a l l your stuff, others seem to lack any storage space what-soever. If you’re always looking for a p lace for spare change, glasses, cell phone, etc., then this gadget might be right for you.
T h e R u b b e r m a i d Cupholder Catch-All fits
into one of your existing cupholders, turn-ing that single opening into an array of well-thought-out storage compartments. The central opening holds a cup, a water bottle or a mug with handles (so you don’t actually lose your cup holder capacity), but this gizmo also has room for other small items, and comes complete with a lined eyeglass compartment as well as a pass-through for power cords.
Gadget: car wash in a bottlePrice: $9.92 Us a bottleAvailable at: see www.washdrops.com for details
There are a number of ways to wash a vehicle: with a hose and a bucket of soapy water, at the local car wash, or with one of those waterless car cleaning products. I
think most of us are fans of the first two options, while others think the waterless method is king, especially in areas where wasting water is frowned upon — or where water is expensive.
The folks at Washdrops offer a solution that falls in between the above-
mentioned e x t r e m e s . Their prod-u c t is e c o -nomical and easy to use. For an aver-age-size car, just add one ounce (three c apfuls) of Washdrops to a bucket of water. Now you can wash a vehicle anywhere in minutes without run-ning up water bills or driving to a car wash.
If you’re thinking green, you’ll love the fact that this product is biodegrada-ble and solvent-free. In fact, once you’re done washing your car, you can dump the remaining water on a lawn or flower bed.
If you’ve seen gadgets and gizmos you think our readers should know about, please e-mail details to [email protected]. If we use your suggestion we will not send you a t-shirt, a cap or a plaque. However, you will have bragging rights in that you’ll be able to tell all your friends that the fea-tured gadget was your bright idea.
• SuPPlied PhotoSThe Truck Bed U-Lock helps secure belongings in the cargo area.
The Rubbermaid Cupholder Catch-All gives you extra storage space.
Washdrops offers an eco-friendly car wash option.
JackkAZMieRSki
MR. G
ADGE
T
6 Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Thursday, July 26, 2012
FLYER CARRIERS WANTED10 YEARS OF AGE AND UP
The DHT has routes available forFLYER DELIVERY ONLY
Make some MONEYand Get Active while
delivering flyers in your areaone day a week.
Contact:DHT Circulation Department
at 780-532-0691or email
Celebrating 100 Years!1913
2013
MPSSCS4243928MPSE
Your Ad Could Be Here!
Jane McRae780-513-3991
Carmen Tarapaski780-513-3987
Melonie Gillis780-513-3988
Brenda McFadden780-513-3990
Phyllis Finch780-513-3992
Your Ad Could Be Here!Plan to be in our next Special Section
Publishing August 16, 2012
Call one of our localsales reps today!
20,300copies.
That is over42,000readers!
MPSSCS4294999MPSE
Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Thursday, July 26, 2012 7
Subaru is attempting to extend its legacy in the mid-sized sedan segment with some technological improvements to the 2013 Legacy.
And it’s backing it up with some per-formance push in the form of a more powerful 2.5-litre horizontally-opposed (Boxer) four-cylinder engine, a second-generation continuously variable trans-mission, and smoother ride and han-dling, thanks to increased bushing stiff-ness, improved spring rates and larger stabilizers.
Visually, the 2013 Legacy has a fresh-ened front end, with the most notice-able feature being a new grille design. Headlights and the front bumper are also tweaked. Inside, there are new seat fabrics and new audio features — Blue-tooth audio streaming, and iPod and AUX ports.
Under the hood, the base 2.5L engine has improved outputs (to 173-hp and 174 lb.-ft. of torque, up from 170 each), with torque spread out across a broader range for better responsiveness in vir-tually all driving conditions. It can be linked to either a six-speed manual or a new generation of the Lineartronic CVT. The horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine continues to be available, linked to a five-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission.
And, of course, all Legacys come with Subaru’s renowned Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, tailored to each of the different drivetrains — manual, CVT or 5EAT.
But the big news is the debut of Sub-aru’s new EyeSight driver assist system, which integrates adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking and lane-departure systems. The system uses a stereo cam-era design to provide a wider angle than other radar systems in which to sense for potential dangers ahead
Under 30 km/h, EyeSight’s Pre-Colli-
sion Braking System can effectively slow down the car or even stop it completely (pre-collision braking can be turned off temporarily in off-road applications) if the driver doesn’t react to warnings. At speeds in excess of 30 km/h, the sys-tem can apply the brakes when an object is detected, and will attempt to brake if the driver takes no evasive action or does not brake appropriately. Subaru says the system can also recognize pro-grammed objects such as motorcyclists and bicyclists.
EyeSight’s Adaptive Cruise Control system not only maintains a pre-set dis-tance from the vehicle in front, braking and accelerating the car as needed, but can also bring the car to a complete stop when it locks onto a vehicle ahead, mak-ing it a valuable aid in heavy stop-and-go traffic.
Also on the safety front, the new Leg-acy features a brake override system (to give priority to braking if the brake and accelerator pedals are pushed at the same time, or when EyeSight detects an object ahead to which the driver doesn’t react) and a fuel cut-off in the event of an airbag deployment.
rEnEwEd lEgAcy
Trims available: 2.5i, 2.5i Touring, 2.5i Lim-ited, 3.6r LimitedMSRP range: $23,495-$36,195configuration: front engine, all-wheel driveAvailable engines: 2.5L H4 (173 hp/ 174 lb.-ft.), 3.6L H6 (256/247)Available transmissions: six-speed manual, continuously variable, five-speed automatic with sequential shiftFuel economy ratings (l/100km): 10.6 city/ 7.4 hwy (2.5i), 9.1/6.4 (CVT), 11.8/8.2 (3.6r)Warranties: three years/ 60,000 km (basic), five years/ 100,000 km (powertrain)competitors: Audi A4, Infiniti G37x, Suzuki Kizashi, Volkswagen Passat 4Motion
FAcT FIlE
2 0 1 3 S u b a r u L e g a c yQU
ICK L
OOK
• SUPPlIEDThe 2013 Legacy has a freshened front end and features technological improvements.
Graham backers
• suppliedKim Widrick’s 1929 Graham-Paige sedan made the journey to Cobourg on a trailer.
Depending on your route, the driving distance from Edmonton to Cobourg, Ont.
is between 2,700 and 3,300 km.Whether you take all Canadian roads
or cut through the U.S., it’s a long haul in a fast, modern, air-conditioned car. It’s an even longer haul when you’re at the wheel of a 75-year-old automobile.
But Tony Stinnissen did just that when he set out from Edmonton this summer in his 1937 Graham Model 116 sedan. Destination was Cobourg and the week-long Graham Owners Club international meet. Sharing the adventure, but not the driving, was son Connell, 16. The Stinnis-sens left home on Saturday, June 30 and arrived in Cobourg on July 4 — a couple of days late, but still in time for most of the fun.
After spending the first night south of Saskatoon, father and son crossed into North Dakota at North Portal, Sask. and then back into Canada at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The first border crossing was not without incident, because when asked to produce identification, Connell presented his passport to the U.S. Cus-toms and Immigration agents — but Tony couldn’t find his passport anywhere.
“I called my wife and she confirmed that I’d left it sitting on the scanner at home,” he said. “But the border guards were friendly enough and let me across with my driver’s licence and the condi-tion that I let them see under the Gra-ham’s hood.”
What’s under the hood is a 217-cu.-in. supercharged Continental straight six that “used a little oil, but delivered about 18 mpg” (15.7L/100 km) on the trip. Other than the missing passport, the only real problem was a broken throttle linkage that Tony fixed with a little baler
wire. Even though they encountered 36-degree temperatures in the U.S. Mid-west, the trip was relatively comforta-ble because of the sedan’s unique “wind wings” that prevent buffeting when the front windows are rolled all the way down.
Tony found the Graham in Villeneuve, Alta., and restored it in 1984.
“But then along came three kids and it got parked for a while,” he said. Tony is a woodworker, mostly stairs and railings, and out of solid walnut he fashioned a dash to replace the sedan’s cracked plas-tic original. The car’s had a recent fresh-ening, including a new cylinder head, and looks good in Oldsmobile red paint that closely matches the original colour.
Kim Widrick also took his Graham from Edmonton to Ontario for the meet, but his 1929 Model 827 sedan made the trip on a trailer. After a lengthy restoration project, the car finally was completed on June 27, just four days before the gathering was to begin, and a 3,000-km trip seemed a bit much for a shakedown cruise. But Kim got to drive the sedan several hundred kil-ometres on the day trips that were part of the Graham gathering.
He found the car 20 years ago in Fort St. John, B.C., when it was nothing like the restored beauty of today.
“When I bought it,” he said, “it was a piece of crap.”
Actually, many pieces of crap might be a more apt description, because the rusty old Graham had been partially dis-assembled and the doors had to be tied to the body with rope before Kim could trailer it home.
“We made it just in time,“ he said. “Another five minutes and I think it would have shaken itself to pieces.”
More than 30 Grahams and about 90 members and guests attended this year’s event, with cars coming from as far away as Texas and Arizona and peo-ple from as far away as Ulladulla, New South Wales in Australia and San Diego.
If the Albertans go to the 2013 Graham meet, they won’t have to travel quite so far, because it is to be held in Seattle.
TIME M
ACHI
NEs
8 Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Thursday, July 26, 2012
funky choice for city driving
GLEN: I wanted to see if the i - M i E V c o u l d b e m o r e t h a n strictly an urban runabout — and I guess that depends on how far you are from the nearest dealer. Ours is 75 km away, so it would have to have a fast charger in order for us to get it back home after servicing.
My wife Connie absolutely loved the little four-seat sedan — there’s something about stop-ping to buy gas that she consid-ers a huge waste of time — and it was no problem with the i-MIEV for her to run into town a few times (it’s a 30-km round trip) before it needed to be recharged. However, she couldn’t make it to her favourite mall and back because there is no infrastruc-ture there (yet) for recharging electric vehicles.
Mitsu claims a realistic driv-
ing range of 133 km, but fully c h a r g e d , o u r g a u g e n e v e r showed more than 120 km — eve n a f te r th e m a x i m u m 2 2 hours plugged in to ordinar y household (110-120V) current.HARRY: It’s a funky-looking
creature, isn’t it? And it’s much larger on the inside than its exte-rior would indicate.
People who buy these things are encouraged to plan their trips in order to travel the short-est distance possible. We didn’t do that; we went where the spirit moved us — into every quadrant of Calgary without regard to dis-tance.
When we got back to the deal-ership, which has a 240V charger for the car, we had 18 km on the “distance to empty” gauge and 96 km on the trip odome-ter. That’s a total of 112 km on a full charge — fairly short of the claimed 150.
With the 240V charger, it takes 8 hours to fully restore i-MiEV power. Long time; short range.GLEN: Yes, it’s funky, but it
drives like a real car — especially
if you don’t suffer “range anxiety” and can switch from Eco mode to D (for Drive), which provides full power for best acceleration. There’s a third transmission set-ting — B (for Brake) - which inten-sifies regenerative braking to charge the lithium ion battery. I tried this out in the hilly roads near my home with 89 km range left. After driving the 10 km to my house, I still had 89 km showing.
Although i-MiEV’s base MSRP of $32,998 may seem high, in Ontario, the provincial govern-ment will rebate $8,230, making it much more competitive with gasoline-powered econocars.HARRY: You’re right, it drives
pretty well aside from some dive in corners and a quirky little rear-end kick-up going over a hump.
I like the i-MiEV, although they could get rid of that “i” in the name, since it has no relevance here — it stands for the i car mar-keted with a gas engine in Asia.
P a t s a y s : “ I f I h a d a b o u t $40,000 for a get-around-the-city car, I’d buy one. It’s comfort-able, reasonably peppy, quiet and
has enough space to carry bags and small boxes.”
We had the Premium Package, which adds $3,000 to the base price, but has nice touches like navigation, Bluetooth, premium audio system, alloy wheels and a list of other upgrades.
And there’s no green rebate out here in Alberta, pardner.GLEN: I didn’t notice the dive
in corners. You must have been really hammering it — which isn’t that hard to do with the instant torque electric motors provide. I had my eye firmly fixed on “dis-tance to empty.” That’ll be the most important gauge for any-one buying this car.
I’d like to see Mitsubishi add a Nissan Leaf-type of information display that shows how much you’re affecting the car’s remain-ing range by using accessories like the air conditioner.
Your model was a little fancier than mine, but both have an EV charging cable that’s barely long enough. (No extension cords, please!) I had to back into the driveway so the cable could reach the outlet in my garage.
Ontario Hydro rates mean it will cost about the price of a large cup of takeout coffee to recharge a depleted battery using 120V. I’d spring for the $1,200 or so it costs for the 240V quick charger that will do the job in about four hours. HARRY: That range gauge does
grab attention, doesn’t it? The cord IS short, and it’s inter-
esting that there are receptacles on either side of the car, one for household 120V and the other for the 240V cord. Your Ontario rebate would more than cover the cost of the quick charger, but since I think 22 hours is way to long to wait, I’d spring for the $1,200 too.
All things said and done, I’m not sure this is the car for acre-age owners, but for a city-dweller, it works extremely well.
As tested (before tax): $32,998Options on test vehicle: Premium Package including 40-GB hDD nav-igation with Mitsubishi Multi-com-munication System, real-time traf-fic, touch screen, driver compu-ter information, rear-view monitor, premium audio system, Bluetooth, 15-inch alloy wheels, upgraded seat material, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob ($3,000)Freight/Pdi: $1,450Configuration: front motor, front-wheel driveEngine/transmission: 49kW electric motor/single-speed fixed reduction gearPower/torque: 66 hp/ 145 lb.-ft.Battery (capacity): lithium-ion (16 kWh)Warranties: three years/ 60,000 km (basic), five years/ 100,000 km (powertrain/eV components), eight years/ 160,000 km (battery)Competitors: nissan Leaf, Smart fortwo electric DriveStrengths: eco-friendly, looks, versatilityWeaknesses: short range, long charge time
FACT FiLE
rEPOrT CArd
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR
NEWSLETTER
READ MOREREVIEWS
RESEARCHYOUR NEW CAR
APPRAISEYOUR CAR
BUILD AND PRICE THIS CAR
COMPARE
CARS
OUR TOP SEARCHES
WATCH THE VIDEO
PHOTO GALLERYONLINE
TELL US WHATYOU THINK
FIND A DEALER
FIND A USED CAR
VALUE FOR $
FUEL ECONOMY
STYLING
COMFORT
PERFORMANCE
OVERALL
RATING OUT OF 5
autonet.ca/galleries
The quirky-buT-aTTracTive miTsubishi i-miev is a Tad pricey, buT a solid opTion if you wanT To go green all The way
2 0 1 2 m i T s u b i s h i i - m i e v
• HArry PEgg/QMi AGencyThe Mitsubishi i-MiEV is much larger on the inside than its exterior would indicate.
TEST
DRIVE