New Car Review: 2012 Lincoln MKT




The 2012 Lincoln MKT.

It's been nearly a year since our review of the Lincoln MKT (that one with EcoBoost), so we requested another, this one with the standard 3.7 liter Duratec V6, from Fiesta Lincoln in Mesa, Arizona.

The differences? You give up 87 horsepower (getting 268 instead of 355), get one mile per gallon more in both the city and highway EPA estimates (17 and 24) and keep $1,995 in your pocket (paying a base price of $44,300 instead of $46,295).






Rear view of the 2012 Lincoln MKT.

With that vast a difference in horsepower, there's no way it's not going to be noticeable...and it was. But, surprisingly, I didn't miss it. Truth be told, as great a bargain as the EcoBoost is (where else can you pick up an additional 85 horses for under 2 grand and give up so little in the way of fuel efficiency?), the 268 horses in the Duratec V6 is more than sufficient to move the MKT in 99% of most people's driving.

The styling is still a love it or hate it proposition (we've warmed up to it), and the overall driving experience is not unlike the Lincoln MKS sedan, which we've always enjoyed.



The 2012 Lincoln MKT interior.

Of course, what the MKT gives you that the MKS can't is space. Space for seven people with the third row seats up...five people and a lot of groceries, suitcases or golf bags with the third row folded down.

Our tester came stock, which kept the price, with destination charges, just under $46,000. That meant no HD radio (meh), and no nav system (your phone does that), but those were tradeaways we could live with. At $46,000, the MKT is a capable, well-priced luxury wagon well worth your time and attention.

New Car Review: 2012 Toyota Prius V




The 2012 Toyota Prius V.

Toyota's expansion of the Prius into a full family of cars begins here with the Toyota Prius V.

We can hear the puzzled readers now: "Prius V? What are Prius A through U like?" No, this is V as in roman numeral for the number 5. So it's "Toyota Prius 5". Why? Because it has five doors (okay, it also stands for "Versatility", according to Toyota).




Rear view of the 2012 Toyota Prius V.

The fifth door is that big back one. It's called a door instead of a tailgate or liftgate because Toyota, like most manufacturers, can't quite bring itself to call this a "station wagon". But c'mon...look at that profile. In fact, look at that fifth door when it's open:




The "fifth door" of the 2012 Toyota Prius V in its open state.

That, folks, is a station wagon. And that, folks, is a good thing. Because station wagons, like their 90s replacement, the SUV, have rear seats that fold flat, resulting in some extremely useful cargo capability.

The Prius V comes extremely well equipped (17-inch alloy wheels, electronic braking and traction systems, airbags, smart keys, tire pressure monitors, LED headlamps, foglamps, power heated and folding outside miorrors, a display audio/navigation system with Toyota's terrific Entune entertainment system plus AM/FM/CD/mp3/SiriusXM/HD radio, Bluetooth, automatic climate control and more for $29,990.

Our tester had the Advanced Technology Package (Hard drive, JBL audio, backup camera, Advanced Voice Recognition, Text-to-speech, dynamic radar cruise control, panoramic moonroof and a batch more) for $5,580, floor mats and trunk mats for $225 and alloy wheel locks for $67. Delivery and processing was $760, for a bottom line of:

$36,622.

Yes, that is the most expensive Prius we've ever tested. But it's also the most loaded, the most practical and the one young eco-friendly families might be most likely to take on a long summer roadtrip, when all those bells and whistles will make things considerably more pleasant.

Now they just need DVD screens in the back of the front headrests...

2012 Toyota Prius V

Base price: $29,990.

As tested: $36,622.

Likes: The extra utility of the wagon style.

Dislikes: We're not that far from a $40,000 Prius.

EPA estimates: 44 mpg city/40 mpg highway.

New Car Review: 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec




The 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec.

Let's settle one thing right now. This is not the car that will keep Ford's Mustang up all night, shivering from fear in its corral. If, in the early days of the Genesis Coupe, that was true, the rapid development of the 'Stang into a performer in 6-cylinder guise and an outright muscle car with the V8 has moved the target.

So let's assess the Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec for what it is. A smartly styled, aggressive Asian sport coupe. The Toyota Supra of our time perhaps....for our time's equivalent of Celica GT money.






The 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec rear view.

That's the first big suprise about the Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec...what you get for your money. The manual transmission version, like our tester, starts at $26,750. For that you get the body you see above and a 300 horsepower 3.8 liter V6 under the hood.  It handles well, too, applying that power to the pavement through the rear wheels and benefitting from a 5-link independent rear suspension, a track suspension and strut brace, 19-inch wheels with summer tires and Brembo brakes, plus a Torsen limited-slip differential...and it comes with electronic stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution with brake assist and a full complement of airbags and active front head restraints. Standard.

The six-speed manual? The slickest this side of Honda (nice lesson learned on Hyundai's part).




The 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec interior.

Slide inside and you'll find black leather bolster/red cloth seats (in ours) and lumbar support for the driver, air conditioning with outside temperature display, keyless entry and alarm, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, a multi-information display, power windows, locks and mirrors, an AM/FM/XM/CD/mp3 audio system with an iPod/USB/Auxiliary connection and steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth and fog lights.

Oh, yeah. And a full tank of gas. And you haven't added a single option. The tab is still at $26,750. All they could find to add to ours was carpeted floor mats ($105), a cargo net ($50) and an iPod cable ($35). From the looks of the window sticker, freight and handling was thrown in free, so the total price rings up at $26,940. A remarkable bargain. Especially when you remember this is a Hyundai, which means you get a 5 year/60,000 mile new vehicle warranty, a 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty, a 7 year/unlimited mile anti-perforation warranty, and 5 years/unlimited mile roadside assistance.

It's a ball to drive, a definite attention getter and an absolute screaming bargain.

Maybe Mustang ought to sweat just a bit.

2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec

Base price: $26,750.

As tested: $26,940.

Likes: Styling, handling, manual shifter.

Dislikes: Not seeing more in traffic.

EPA estimate: 17 mpg city/26 mpg highway.

First Drive: 2012 Mazda 3 Skyactiv




The 2012 Mazda 3 Skyactiv.

Regular TireKicker readers know we've always loved us some Mazda 3. It's a fun, tossable little sedan (or hatch, you choose) for a reasonable price with better than average performance and fuel economy.

So what would juice the excitement factor? Well, more fuel economy would be a good place to start.
Mazda's been behind the 8-ball on that one,  with a lot of people remembering that rotary engines aren't the best in that regard (never mind that the only Mazda still using a rotary is the RX-8, now in its last year of production) and Mazda being the lone ranger among the big 4 Japanese carmakers (Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura and Nissan/Infiniti being the others) not to have hybrids in their lineup.




Rear view of the 2012 Mazda 3 Skyactiv.

Not that the 3's a gas guzzler by any means. The EPA says 22 city/29 highway for the standard Mazda 3 5-door with the 167 horsepower 2.5 liter four-cylinder and a 5-speed automatic.

But Skyactiv makes it better without making it a hybrid. According to Mazda, Skyactiv's engine produces 10-15% more low-range torque, and 15% lower fuel consumption than their previous 2-liter engine (which was EPA rated 24 city/33 highway).



Engineering and material changes resulted in a 220 pound weight savings along with 30% better body rigidity (which translates to better handling). Then there's a vastly improved six-speed automatic transmission. Bottom line: The EPA estimate for the Mazda 3 5-door jumps to 27 city/38 highway.

We borrowed one for a week from Chapman Mazda in Phoenix. We put fewer than 100 miles on it and most of that was city streets...very little freeway driving...and we saw 29.5 miles per gallon. So the estimates are well within the realm of possibility.



The 2012 Mazda 3 Skyactiv interior.

And best of all, the Skyactiv is gimmick-free. It drives exactly like a regular 3...except a bit smoother and handling a bit more athletically. All good things. And so's the price. $19,300. Ours came absolutely stock. Zero options. We didn't feel deprived. With delivery charges, the tab came to $20,150.

Again, these are impressions gleaned from fewer than 100 miles at the wheel, but the Mazda 3 Skyactive made a strong first impression. We're expecting one from the manufacturer for a more in-depth analysis very soon.