New Car Review: 2012 Mazda 6




The 2012 Mazda 6.

There are great mysteries in automotive journalism, as in life itself. The one I've been pondering lately is why you don't see more of the car pictured above on streets all over America.

The car is the 2012 Mazda 6, and as we've been telling everyone who'll listen for years, if you're shopping for a family sedan, this car absolutely needs to be on your test drive list.  Not only does it hold its own in every comparison with Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and Chevy Malibu, it's arguably a more satisfying car to drive.





The 2012 Mazda 6 interior.

That is actually just a "Mazda thing". They focus more on driver involvement...and, as we've mentioned in reviews of other Mazdas, they live up to their slogan "Always The Soul of a Sports Car".

The 2012 Mazda 6 we drove recently came from Chapman Mazda in Phoenix. And it came absolutely stock. No options. A base price of $21,240 gets you a 2.5 liter V6 with 170 horsepower and a 5-speed automatic transmission. 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, dynamic stability control, air conditioning, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, an AM/FM/Sirius/CD/mp3 audio system with six speakers and an auilary jack, power windows and door locks.

Tack on $795 for delivery, processing and handling and the bottom line is $22,035. Very, very, very reasonable for any family sedan...and with this one, you get the added fun quotient.

Seriously. Drive one. Thank us later.

2012 Mazda 6

Base price: $21,240.

As tested: $22,035.

Likes: Solid, roomy and fun to drive.

Dislikes: None.

EPA estimates: 22 city/31 highway.

New Car Review: 2012 Porsche Cayman R




The 2012 Porsche Cayman R.

Purity meets sheer, unbridled lust.

The purity in this case is purity of purpose, purity of design and purity of intent. What was once the beginning, middle and end of what it meant to build cars at Porsche. And while the brand now also includes such things as hybrid SUVs and four-door GTs, anyone who doubts that Porsche still can build a pure sports car need only spend some time behind the wheel of the 2012 Porsche Cayman R.

We were fortunate. We got six days.



It's been a while since we've driven a Cayman...before the launch of TireKicker, in fact, so some basic facts would probably be helpful. The Cayman is a light, mid-engined 2-seater that costs less than a 911,  and is very nearly as satisfying a car to drive....especially fast, especially on winding roads.




Rear view of the 2012 Porsche Cayman R.

The Cayman R? Well, it's a race car that's street legal. For $66,300 (as opposed to the $51,900 base price of a standard Cayman), it gives you an extra 55 horsepower (330, to be exact, from a 3.4 liter horizontally opposed six, which replaces a 2.9 inline six in the Cayman), an 8/10ths of a second quicker sprint to 60 miles per hour (4.7), and 10 more miles per hour on the speedometer when you hit top speed (175).

If that seems like a large payoff for only 55 horsepower, it is. Those numbers are possible because the Cayman R also takes away. Air conditioning? That adds weight. Toss it!  Audio systems? What's German for "ditto"? Besides, with the windows down (no air, remember?) you won't hear anything but the gorgeous roar of that awesome little engine, anyway.




The 2012 Porsche Cayman R interior with a big hole where the audio system isn't.

If you look at the photo above, you'll see the big hole where the audio system should go. But look a little bit above center along the very left edge of the picture. See that bit of red? That's a cloth strap. Same material seat belts are made of. Pull on it and it opens the door. Hey, handles aren't weightless, you know.

All this adds up to a weight savings of 110 pounds. And while you may not think that's much (obligatory, tasteless and obvious Wal-Mart shopper joke goes here), it's enough, when paired with the 55-horsepower bump to make the Cayman R one very fierce little machine.

Or I guess. Full disclosure: The Porsche PR folk know that autojournos tend to be lightweights (in terms of acceptable levels of discomfort) and that in Phoenix, the mercury can tickle 100 right up to Halloween. So the Cayman R they put in the press fleet had a few option boxes checked...including the ones that put the air conditioning, audio system and even navigation back in. While they were at it, automatically dimming mirrors, Bi-Xenon headlamps with cornering lights, the Sound Package Plus, the Sport Chrono Package Plus, a universal audio interface and an XM satellite reciever got into the car too. And the wheels were painted black...an $1,815 "exclusive option".

So the Cayman R I drove went from $66,300 to $79,285 and that 110 pounds probably went right back into the car...and maybe then some (A/C compressor, audio head unit, speakers...).

And?

It's still the most fun you can have on four wheels. The sound, the feel, the motion, it's all just unbelievably right. And it's nowhere near as punishing in terms of ride as I'd expected from the Spartan purity involved. I could live with this car as a daily driver.

Here's how good it is: If I lived somewhere where air conditioning wasn't a requirement, I'd buy one absolutely box stock. I'd listen to the engine through the open window (and I love a good audio system). I can get my iTunes from the iPod when iGethome.

This is essence of Porsche..

Brilliant.


2012 Porsche Cayman R

Base price: $66,300.

As tested: $79,285.

Likes: Power, handling, (relative) comfort, form and function in perfect harmony.

Dislikes: One of the cupholders (the one nearest the driver) was jammed. Probably by a previous journo. And even if it hadn't been, the cupholders in this car can barely handle a 12-ounce can of soda. And it's best if that can has never been opened. And then it hit me...what the hell do I need to put in there anyway? Just drive. If I get thirsty, I'll pull over somewhere, get a drink and make about 50 new friends in the parking lot.

EPA estimates: 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway.

New Car Review: 2011 Kia Optima Turbo




The 2011 Kia Optima Turbo.

It occurs to me I don't know the Korean word for "hat-trick". Or the one for "three-peat".
It's just never come up.

Until now.

If the face above looks familiar to regular TireKicker readers, that's because it is. It's the Kia Optima Turbo. On September 10, we reviewed the base Optima, on October 11, the Optima Hybrid, and now, on November 19, it's the Turbo's turn.


One car, three powerplants. The  standard Optima has 200 horsepower, the Optima Hybrid packs 166 horsepower from its gasoline engine and an additional 40 from the electric, for a total of 206 (and neither of those cars is slow) and the Optima Turbo brings 274 horses to the party.




Rear view of the 2011 Kia Optima Turbo.

You also get a sport-tuned suspension, high performance dampers and 18-inch tires with Sport Design Alloy wheels...which are controversial, but we like 'em.

The rest of the car? Loaded like Lindsay Lohan on a Friday night. Dual-zone climate control, AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system with Sirius satellite radio, USB, auxilary jacks and Bluetooth. Leather. power everything. HID headlamps. LED taillamps.

For $25,995.

Yes, you read that right. A loaded, big luxurious and sporty sedan that looks like the two pictures above and has 274 horsepower for five bucks shy of 26 large.  The uplevel standard Optima (the EX) starts at $22,495. The Optima Hybrid begins at $26,500.



The 2011 Kia Optima Turbo interior.

Yes, a mere $505 spread between the Turbo and the Hybrid. Odds are, though a Hybrid intender won't seriously consider the Turbo and vice-versa. So your question will be "should I spend the $3,500 extra to move up from the Optima to the Optima Turbo and party with those 74 extra ponies under the hood?"

The good news is that if you do, you'll pay the smallest imaginable penalty in gas mileage. Here are the EPA figures:

Optima: 24 city/34 highway

Optima Turbo: 22 city/34 highway

A draw on the highway...a two mpg penalty in the city.

Operating purely on base price, the Turbo makes a strong case for itself. But base price is only part of the story. For as our Optima got optioned up to $27,440 from $22,495, the Optima Turbo didn't sit at $25,995. Two option boxes got checked by the Kia PR people...both with sizable price tags.

The Technology Package (Navigation with back-up camera, Sirius Traffic, and an 8-speaker Infinity  audio system): $2,000.

The SX Premium Package (Panoramic sunroof, power front passenger seat, driver seat memory, heated and cooled front seats and heated ourboard rear seats).

With $695 freight and handling, the bottom line becomes $30,840. And that becomes a fairly pricey Kia, as good and as fast as it is.

The good news is that nothing in either of those two packages is indispensable (though the 8-speaker Infinity upgrade to the audio system is awfully nice), so you could just go stock and come in below $27K.

Frankly, all three Optimas amaze us, and we've been driving and noticing the continual progress of the brand. If you haven't driven a Kia in a while, or ever, you'll be astonished.

During our week with the Turbo, I had a parking lot conversation with a guy who drives a 5-series BMW, had just test driven the Kia Optima Turbo and was considering trading. Not because the Optima Turbo is a match for the Bimmer, but because it gets him most of what he enjoys in the BMW and puts money back in his pocket for other things like food, clothing, shelter and education for his kids.

Any one of the Optimas (Optima, Optima Hybrid, Optima Turbo) would be a solid choice. The Turbo's the most fun.

2011 Kia Optima Turbo

Base price: $25,995.

As tested: $30,840.

Likes: Styling, room, comfort, power.

Dislikes: None.

EPA estimate: 22 mpg city/34 mpg highway.

New Car Review: 2012 Audi A6




The 2012 Audi A6.

Thirty years ago, Audi changed the automotive world with the styling of the Audi 5000. A design so pure, so fundamentally right, that it essentially survives today...just refined and improved as time, and technologies change.

For a lot of people (and a lot of rival automakers) the Audi A6 is a benchmark for five-passenger family sedans. The only reason you don't see one in every driveway is that they don't come cheap...$41,700 is as low as they go (for the A6 Premium 2.0 TFSI). And the prices get higher along with the engine displacement, the number of cylinders and the number of wheels driven.





Side view of the 2012 Audi A6.

In the case of our tester, it was one liter of displacement, one additional cylinder and two more wheels putting power to the road. Audi sent us the A6 3.0 TSFI quattro (all-wheel drive) with Auto Tiptronic. Base price: $49,900.

As always, with Audi, what you get for that price adds up to good value. There's the 310-horsepower supercharged V6, an 8-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic, 17-inch alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 8-way power heated leather front seats and a bunch of what are rapidly becoming the "usual" items (check Audi's website for the comprehensive list).

And then we got the options. $475 for the Aviator Blue metallic paint (which is gorgeous), $500 for Audi side assist (to keep you from drifting out of your lane into another car), $1,400 for LED headlights, $1,500 for the 19-inch Sport Package, which upgrades you to 19-inch wheels, summer performance tires, a sport suspension, a 3-spoke multi-function steering wheel and shift paddles...and $6,880 for "Prestige".




2012 Audi A6 interior.

"Prestige" is a package that gives you the sportier S line exterior treatment, upgrades you to 18-inch wheels (17s are standard, but if you remember an item or two back, this one jumped to 19s), Audi Navigation plus with MMI touch, Audi Connect, front and rear parking sensors, four-zone climate control, front seat ventilation, a Bose surrouns Sound system including HD Radio, Xenon Plus headlights with LED daytime running lights (again, another package bumped the headlights up to LEDs as well), adaptive headlights, power steering column adjustment, ambient lighting and a 7-inch color driver information system.

Total price with destination charge? $61,530.

If the list that pushed us over $60K sounds awfully tech-heavy...it is. But it contains two exceptionally cool things.



The 2012 Audi A6 navigation screen.

Yep...someone finally figured that an in-car nav display would look a lot better if you laid the Google Maps satellite view in with the map. Regular readers know we're not big in-dash navigation fans (expensive, rapidly obsolete, your phone does all that now), but if you have to have one, having one that allows you to see more than just some abstract lines on a colored background is a definite improvement.

The other? Well, the car has to have an internet connection to sync up the map and the satellite image, so Audi decided to share it. Equipped like ours, the A6 is a rolling Wi-Fi hotspot (that's the Audi Connect mentioned above). It comes with a complimentary 6-month subscription. So for that first half a year, the 3G signal feeding the nav system also puts a Wi-Fi signal into the cabin, keeping your cell phone data usage down (after that, you'll be paying).  It connects easily and works brilliantly.

So how's it drive? Phenomenally. Audis are usually near-perfect in terms of balance and handling (especially the all-wheel drive quattro) and the A6, lighter and more powerful for 2012, simply improves upon that. The interiors continue to be world-class.  And thanks to the 8-speed automatic, fuel economy is very good for this size and power.

Cheap? No. Reasonable? Barely, and that depends on your income. But worth it in terms of enjoyment and satisfaction? Absolutely.

2012 Audi A6 3.0 TFSI quattro

Base price: $49,900.

As tested: $61,530.

Likes: Styling, balance, interior design and materials, Audi Connect in-car Wi-Fi.

Dislikes: The climate control was fussy...shutting down after a few minutes and then re-starting. Might just have been our tester. But at $60K plus, buyers will be expecting...demanding...perfection.

New Car Review: 2012 Toyota Yaris




The 2012 Toyota Yaris 5-Door front view.

As unloved as the last-generation Toyota Yaris was, this new one will surprise a lot of people. We were among the Yaris' few fans here at TireKicker...considering it a perfectly good sedan in its class...but with a lot of competition at its price-point. It wasn't helped, among automotive journalists or buyers, by the fact that it wasn't an especially attractive car.

Well, Toyota has fixed that, with a 5-door Yaris design for 2012 that pictures don't do justice to. It is an utterly contemporary small car, with clean, crisp lines. It just plain looks good as you walk up to it.






2012 Toyota Yaris rear view.

In fact, in midlevel LE trim, the Yaris now has a polished, agressive look to it.

In 5-door form, your choices are the base L at $15,140, the LE at $16,100 and the SE at $16,400.

Our LE's standard gear included 15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers (the SE bumps you up to 16-inch alloys as shown above), anti-lock brakes, 9 airbags, tire pressure monitoring, color keyed outside mirrors (they're black on the L), air conditioning, remote keyless entry, power door locks and window, a tilt steering wheel with audio controls, an AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system with HD Radio (AM sounds like FM, FM sounds like CD and many FM stations have additional channels that are usually commercial-free) and iPod connectivity and Bluetooth.

In fact, standard gear is all our tester had, apart from cruise control ($250) and carpeted floor mats ($180). With $760 added for delivery and handling, the bottom line came to $17,290.




The 2012 Toyota Yaris interior.

The inside is every bit as improved as the outside...if not more so. The funky center-of-the-dashboard speedometer is gone, replaced by a clear, legible gauge cluster directly in front of the driver. And materials have taken at least a two-level jump in the right direction.

Power? Well...it's 106 horses through a four-speed automatic transmission. This is not a pocket rocket. But as a reasonably-priced, comfortable, well-built commuter car, the Yaris has definitely moved up on our list of choices this year.

2012 Toyota Yaris 5-Door

Base price: $16,100

As tested: $17,290

Likes: Exterior and interior styling, attention to detail, quality of materials, fuel economy.

Dislikes: The looks now suggest a level of performance the car can't deliver. An engine/transmission upgrade and some suspension part swaps could probably fix that.

EPA estimate: 30 mpg city/35 mpg highway.