2002 Subaru Impreza WRX
Savannah, Ga. - "Wow!
That's quite a blue, isn't it?"
asked the guy at the rest stop.
I replied, "It's Subaru's racing
blue."
The Impreza WRX wears
Subaru's racing color because
this is the highest perfor­
mance Subaru ever sold in
this country. Everywhere else in the world, Subaru and high
performance are not oxymorons.
Japan, Europe and a few other parts of the world have been
enjoying the outrageous WRX for several years, but Subaru
asserted that it would be too expensive to certify in the United
States.
Thanks to the success of the Impreza RS, Subaru finally
decided that with the redesigned 2002 Impreza, U.S. customers
dtserve some serious performance. While not the 280+ horse­
power available elsewhere, the turbocharged 2.0-liter, 227-
horsepower flat-four provides a whole lotta power for a sedan a
hrtir shorter than a Corolla. Interior appointments include a fat
Momo steering wheel and purposefully sculpted sport seats.
Lesser Impreza's will have the former RS's 2.5-liter flat-four as
standard.
While testing, we were encouraged to drive the all-wheel-
drive Impreza like we'd stolen it. The little blue Subaru handled
it all with style.
The starting price is $23,995.
- Lyndon Conrad Bell
2001 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Rancho Mirage, Calif. -
Deep in the California
desert, the road stretches
out in front of me perfect­
ly straight for what looks
like two miles. No other
cars in sight, all around
me is flat, open land. You
know what's next — foot
to the floor! The 200-horsepower, 2.7-liter V6 in the redesigned
2001 Sebring convertible says "yeah, baby," and the velocity of
the open cruiser escalates rapidly.
Highly stable at high speeds, the Sebring convertible is a
great road car that just happens to look pretty driving around
town. It is relatively free of body flex, the steering is direct and
very accurate, braking is commensurate with the performance
potential of the car and its road holding abilities will pleasantly
surprise you.
If they could build in more legroom for the driver, reconfig­
ure the buttons on the stereo so you don't change CDs when
you really just wanted to adjust the treble, give it an automatic
climate control system, and add audio controls to the steering
wheel, they'd have a home run. As it is, they have hit a solid
triple. At $29,855 fully loaded, and room for four, the Sebring
convertible represents a pretty good deal.
2001 Kia Optima
Sonoma, Calif. - The hand­
some silver car is drawing
admiring glances from passersby
in the parking lot at the upscale
Northern California resort.
Well heeled individuals who
could afford any car they want, ask; "What kind of car is that?" I
respond with a smug smile, "Kia...Kia Optima." I'm used to being
questioned about cars, because I'm almost always driving some­
thing interesting, but a Kia?
The Optima is a head turner, with crisp flowing lines and
tasteful chrome accents that blend together to make the flag­
ship Kia quite a looker.
The pleasantries continue when the car is underway, thanks
to a smooth and compliant ride from the all-independent sus­
pension. The 2.5-liter V6 makes 170 horsepower and moves the
car quite effectively. Rack and pinion steering provides great
responsiveness and road feel, making Optima reassuringly
competent on winding roads.
More sound deadening would be appreciated, as road noise
has a way of creeping into the interior. But overall, this is a fine
automobile and at $22,269 fully loaded, it represents real value.
For that price, you get leather, power windows, moonroof,
CD player, keyless entry, a V6 engine, and a host of other
amenities that drive the price of most cars well north of
$25,000.
- Lyndon Conrad Bell
2001 Toyota Sequoia
BWcu.——,
Dearborn, Mich. - As big as they
are, the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC
Yukon and Ford Expedition are
going to have to move over and let
the Toyota Sequoia past.
Toyota has come up with a full-
size, eight-passenger sport-utility
that has the potential to become the benchmark of the "full-
size" SUVs.
Toyota's engineers have managed to create a really big sport-
utility that gives the driver the impression of being in a much
smaller vehicle. This is a virtue that the competitive vehicles lack.
The Sequoia's 32-valve, 240-horsepower V8 makes for a quiet
and responsive power plant. Coupled with Toyota's four-speed
ECT transmission, this drive train makes one forget that one is
in a big SUV that has a curb weight of up to 5,295 lbs.
Where the Sequoia's 315 lb.-ft of torque is really impressive
is at highway speeds of 60 miles per hour to 80 miles per hour.
Like high performance cars, the Sequoia can cruise at 80 miles
per hour and you feel like you're doing half that speed.
What's more, engineers have managed to take the "float" out
of the Sequoia's suspension; there's no truck-like bounce when
the Sequoia goes over bumps.
With a price-range of $30,815 to $42,275, Toyota has land­
ed smack dab in the middle of the full-size SUV market with a
two and half ton thud.
- Frank S. Washington
-Lyndon Conrad Bell
Why Can't We all Just Buckle Up?
February/March 2001
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