2001.5 Volkswagen Passat
Atlanta - Volkswagen's Passat is a darned nice car, it always
has been.
But compared with what — a low-end BMW or a basic
Honda Accord?
Therein lies the uncertainty of Volkswagen’s “straddling"
strategy. At its U.S. debut here, the updated Passat was linked
to both luxury-minded gadabouts and upstart families. Is the
message too muddled? We'll see. A popular model here since its
redesign four years ago, VW hopes to sell 20,000 more Passats
than last year.
Taking on the foggy, coiling mountain roads of nearby
Dawsonville, this Passat, well, it had a familiar feel. And that
ain’t all bad. Like a good German auto, it gobbled up pavement
with predictable aplomb. Facing 8,000-foot drops on unpre­
dictable winding turf, trust me, understeer is underrated. The
Passat handled just fine.
Although it doesn’t look much different from last year’s
model, VW actually counts over 2,300 changes, inside and out.
Clear glass side headlights; a slight bump up in length; a
retooled instrument panel with matte aluminum, newly placed
cup holders and a much stiffer torso are among the changes.
The base engine gets a 20 horsepower boost, and look for the
addition of an eight-cylinder top-line model this fall or early
next year.
Still available as a sedan or wagon, the Passat will cost you
$300 more than last year's model, starting at $21,750 for the
base GLS sedan with a manual transmission.
430 coupe with a retractable hardtop.
Take the SC430's 300-horsepower V8. It’s smooth, refined and
capable of effortlessly propelling the car to its artificially-limited
top speed of 156 mph. But the coupe is saddled with an automat­
ic transmission geared to achieve a perfectionist's ULEV status
(Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle), rather than give the SC 430's dri­
ver passionate control.
Then there's the suspension system that employs all the right
stuff for great grip but Lexus has tuned it into a perfectionist’s bal­
ance of ride and agility versus sheer passionate athleticism.
Don't misunderstand me, the SC 430 is nice. If you reduce pas­
sion to its most base ingredient, lust, the SC is dead on the mark.
During my drive, people literally stopped and stared at the car.
Lexus already has orders for 9,500 of the 12,000 units it plans
to sell this year at$61,84O fully loaded.
However, passion and perfection are mutually exclusive. One
can be passionate about pursuing perfection. However, once per­
fection is achieved, the passion is gone. In the case of the SC 430.
Lexus has achieved perfection at the expense of passion.
Fast-forward to 2001, and parent company BMW has resur­
rected the car first shown as a concept in 1997. The new Mini
Cooper bears a strong resemblance to the original car, but is 18
inches longer, 14 inches wider and about 50 percent larger. The
result is very much in tune with today's pocket rockets.
While the first Mini sported a 34 horsepower engine, the 2002
model will be outfitted with a 1.6-liter, 16 valve four-cylinder
making 115 horsepower. Not enough power? Look for a super­
charged Mini Cooper S making 160 horsepower shortly after the
initial launch.
Inside, the design is striking, with a center dashboard mount­
ed speedometer, and a tachometer mounted on the steering col­
umn. High quality plastics and lots of beautiful brushed alu­
minum accents a high-tech look.
The new Mini will be available in 14 exterior colors, and the
aftermarket outlets will surely load up on accessories to person­
alize a car that has all of the ingredients of a major sales hit.
Look for the Mini in early 2002 with a base price at about
$18,000.
2002 Saturn VUE
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- Mary M. Chapman
Phoenix - Lexus, having worked so hard to achieve perfection, is
African Americans On Wheels
Washington, D.C. - The folks at Mini had a plan; Invite auto­
motive journalists for a sneak peek at the 2002 Mini Cooper, but.
first let them wax nostalgic about its predecessor by having an
original Mini on display.
Don’t remember the Mini? First introduced in 1959 as an
answer to Germany’s ubiquitous Beetle, the Mini is Britain’s most
influential car ever. Tiny 10- inch wheels and innovative interior
packaging made the Mini unique and very popular. What sealed
the Mini's reputation among enthusiasts, however, was the leg­
endary Mini-Cooper, launched in 1961. Think of the Mini-
Cooper as a base Mini on steroids. Several rally championships
under its belt, and the Mini-Cooper reserved its place in auto­
motive history.
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- Brian Armstead
2001 Toyota Highlander
- Brian Armstead
- Lyndon Bell
2002 Lexus SC 430
tic grocery bags, and a cargo organizer for smaller objects.
Available with front or all-wheel-drive, the VUE will utilize a
138-horsepower, 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine and the 181-
hotsepower, 3.0-liter V6 from the L-series. The continuous
variable transmission will only be available with the four cylin­
der. The V6 will use a traditional five-speed automatic.
On the safety front, the VUE will be available with head cur­
tain side airbags, car height bumpers, and a spare tire mounted
under the load floor. An inside spare significantly reduces dam­
age to the rear of a vehicle during "fender benders."
Prices have not been announced but expect a fully loaded
VUE to cost about $25,000. The price, of course, will be non-
negotiable.
Washington, D.C. - Saturn will enter the rapidly growing SUV
market next year with its all-new VUE.
, The car-based VUE will take on the Ford Escape, Toyota
Highlander and Hyundai Santa Fe with innovations like space-
frame construction and dent-resistant polymer side panels. And
it introduces new features like a continuous variable transmis­
sion, electrically assisted power steering and an interior design
that sets a new Saturn benchmark for user-friendliness.
Our pre-production model was finished in a stunning burnt
orange color, and exhibited a very high level of fit and finish.
Inside, the VUE has a 70/30 split folding rear seat and a front
passenger seat back that also folds flat, allowing long objects to
be carried inside the vehicle.
The rear cargo area includes tie-down points, hooks for plas-
Why Can't We all Just Buckle Up?
Dearborn.Mich. - Just when you think the SUV market has been
flooded with just about every version imaginable, along comes
an entry that causes you to pause.
The Toyota Highlander, a mid-sized sport-ute, is a breath of
fresh air in what is becoming an overcrowded market. Based on
the Camrv sedan, it won't appeal to SUV purists who love the
ruggedness of sport-utes on the market today. But tor those
who are tired of that rugged ride but who are not yet ready to
make the transition to a passenger car. the Highlander certain­
ly stands out among the pack.
The exterior is pleasant enough but the interior is divine.
Comfortable is an understatement. While the Highlander has a
suburban air about it, it certainly can handle urban roads. The
3.0-liter. 24-valve, V6 engine cranks out 220 horsepower, while
the 2.4-liter, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine produces 155horse-
power.
There are a lot of extra safety goodies loaded on this vehicle
too, like four-wheel,anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force
distribution and brake assist.In a nutshell, it is a high-tech anti­
lock braking system that is designed to work whether you know
how to use the ABS system or not.
However, it won’t prevent you from having an accident
caused bv a driver's bad judgment.
The Highlander’s base price is $23,515 for a front-wheel-
drive, four-cylinder version while the V6, all-wheel-drive model
starts at $26,495.
- Jacqueline Mitchell
April/May 2001