The full-size SUV market is shrinking, but Nissan is still trying to get a piece of it with their commodious Armada. We came to realize during our week with a fully-loaded Platinum version that they have their work cut out for them going up against major new players like the 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition. The problem is that you don’t even have to be in the car review business to see the Armada’s shortcomings. The engine is down on power with only 317 hp on board this nearly three ton people mover, and unfortunately the outdated 5-speed automatic can only partner with it to return 12 mpg city and 18 mpg highway. That’s an expensive reality even by class standards standards. The disappointment continues inside with subpar ergonomics, materials that are out of place in a $54k vehicle and a small infotainment screen. Now it’s not all bad by any means. We loved the comfortable seats, the second row DVD screens and the 2-speed transfer case gives the Armada a fighting chance in the worst weather Old Man Winter can drop on you. But was it enough to earn our recommendation in the end? You’re five minutes from finding out.
For as long as we can remember the Corolla has been forgettable. Of course, that abstract truth hasn’t stopped Toyota from selling millions of them over the model’s long life. Still, we’d argue it’s more a testament to their ability to build a reliable car at a low price and take care of their customers better than just about anyone than some burning desire American’s have to make 60 monthly payments on a new beige Corolla. However, for 2014 Toyota is looking to inject a bit of desire into the Corolla lineup with trims like the sporty S we recently had in the AT Garage. Did we like what we found? You’ll have to find the play button to find out.
If the weather in your area condemns the Corvette to the garage for half the year, there’s something to be said for continuing to satisfy your Driving Enthusiast desires with an all-wheel drive turbocharged rally car for the street. Although Subaru is just now getting back into the game with its all-new WRX, Mitsubishi has continued to offer the Evo to fans who like their performance rude and crude and turbocharged to within one psi of meltdown: i.e. guys under 30. The biggest benefit in our eyes is that one of the best all-wheel drive systems in a car under $40k is standard and gives the Evo the traction needed to laugh in Old Man Winter’s face. Unfortunately, you’ve got to be a hardcore breed to look past the Mad Mitsu’s glaring shortcomings, but we’re still glad we’ve got the choice to get in touch with our inner hooligan and drift around our own personal rally stage. Snow be damned.
Toyota deserves some credit just for continuing to duke it out in the full-size pickup market. That’s no easy task when the market is dominated by offerings from Ford, Chevy and Ram and all of the competition seems to roll out annual upgrades to stay ahead in a fiercely competitive segment. Toyota let us have a go in their redesigned-for-2014 Tundra and there’s a lot to like, starting with the stout V8, slick 6-speed auto and an interior that should all but erase memories of the cramped pickup cabs we endured in the ’90s. Not everything catches the class average though, like an EPA combined rating of 15 mpg and some interior materials that leave a bit to be desired in something designated Platinum Edition. For our full opinion you’ll need to tune into our video review above.
Covering an International Auto Show is hard work. Sleep gets pushed way down the to-do list, and inevitably between press conferences on the second day an unhealthy combination of little sleep and lots of caffeine conspire to produce a generally unusable burst of creativity. For an example of what that can look like we submit the above Automotive Trends exclusive detailing the future of Lincoln.
Kia made a strong showing at this year’s Detroit Auto Show with its GT4 Stinger concept car that seems to hint at a possible Scion FR-S competitor in the not too distant future. The concept looks great on the show stand and with specs like 315hp from a turbo four, 6-speed manual, Brembo brakes and an aggressive 20″ wheel/tire setup the Stinger should be fun to hustle just about anywhere. We’ve never been ones to turn down affordable sports cars and Scion shouldn’t have the market all to itself so let’s keep fingers crossed that the GT4 figures into Kia’s future product plans.
If you read between the lines you’ll discover that Nissan is using its Sport Sedan Concept to give us a good look at what to expect from the next generation Nissan Maxima. The thing we like most about this concept is how nicely it sits on its wheelbase from the profile view. If that carries through to production the next Maxima could be a pretty sedan despite being front-wheel drive. We also aren’t expecting much in the way of new powertrain offerings considering the CVT and 3.5-liter apparently used in this concept. Still, we’ve always liked the lively driving character of the Maxima and won’t be disappointed to see it get a more dynamically styled body inspired by this concept.
Volvo is in the midst of rolling out a stunning range of concept cars to hint at what is coming from the Scandinavian brand in the coming years and this shooting brake style hatch is a good indication of what kind design cues will be applied to the upcoming 2015 XC 90 crossover. We’ll be expecting great things after seeing concepts like this.
