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Saab 9-3 – First Drive Review – Auto Reviews – Car and Driver
One of the many things Saab Cars USA marketing V-P Hans Krondahl knows is that everyone needs a gray suit. (He also knows how to make the Swedish delicacy
surstrmming,
in which herring is stowed in a can for six months, right up to that rotting point when it becomes ever so tasty, but that’s not important right now.)
The gray-suit thing is directly applicable to the new 9-3 sedan Krondahl needs to sell. His contention is that a gray three-piece, although lacking the visual excitement of a sharkskin zoot suit, has broad appeal, is safer socially, and wouldn’t scare off the most conservative shopper.
That, then, is the new Saab 9-3 sedan — a car tailored not to offend. Krondahl can’t say what color suit the current 9-3 is, but he and Saab believe it wasn’t conservative enough. Company officials blame the hatchback configuration — a Saab hallmark since the mid-’70s — as the main culprit for less-than-thrilling sales. Current 9-3 hardtop sales in the U.S. are about 11,000 per year. That’s down from the model’s best year of 1986 (it was called the 900 then), when Saab sold almost 37,000. By comparison, BMW sold 61,822 3-series hardtops to U.S. customers in 1986, and last year, it sold more than 80,000 of them.
Saab contends that shoppers at the entry level of the luxury market (that includes the Audi A4, BMW 3-series, and Volvo S60) consider the hatchback the automotive equivalent of double-knit polyester. We would add that the current 9-3 is not as luxurious or sporting as those other cars, either.
Like the 9-5, which replaced the 9000 hatchback as a ’99 model, the 9-3 comes only in traditional four-door, notchback garb. Saab loyalists who appreciate the uniqueness and practicality of hatches claim Saab sold out to convention. And they’re right. But Saab notes the 9-5 has sales that are 70 percent better than the old 9000′s. And Saab wants to more than double 9-3 hardtop sales to about 25,000 per year in the U.S.
No surprise then that the new 9-3 looks conspicuously like the wedge-shaped 9-5. It’s trimmer-looking. Its bodywork appears taut. With shorter overhangs and bulging wheel arches, the 9-3 has a more tailored, more Germanic look than the overstuffed-envelope style of the current car.
Underneath the new duds is GM’s Epsilon platform that the 9-3 shares with the Opel Vectra and the upcoming Chevy Malibu. Say what you will about the lack of a hatch, with this new platform the 9-3 is dramatically better in every mechanical way.
One Saab engineer compared the new car’s structure to the old by saying, "It’s in a whole different galaxy." That’s not as much an overstatement as it sounds. Gone are most of the harsh sounds and vibrations that penetrated the current car’s cabin.
The new 9-3, riding on a wheelbase nearly three inches longer (at 105.3 inches), is more comfortable and serene going down the road. Tire hum is the only outside noise to penetrate the cabin at an objectionable level. The wheelbase provides for an additional inch of rear-seat legroom compared with the current 9-3. There’s more rear legroom than in other European competitors, says Saab. And the interior itself is fitted with finer, softer materials and a less-economy-car-like design.
The Epsilon platform’s biggest contribution to the 9-3, though, is handling. The front-drive 9-3 is still no 3-series. But it is competent and buttoned down in a way the current car is not. Gone is the tippy feeling that makes the current 9-3 feel as if its center of gravity were a foot above the roof. The cars we drove in Sweden, with an optional sport-tuned suspension and 215/50VR-17 tires, understeered when pushed. But it was a progressive sort of push, and the car remains stable even over midcorner bumps. Helping in this regard is a new four-link independent rear suspension. The rear system incorporates passive rear steer, which slightly changes the toe of the rear tires to aid in turning. Saab also makes extensive use of aluminum to reduce unsprung weight.
The front suspension is also a great improvement. Still a strut setup, this new suspension is mounted to a stiff, hydroformed subframe with bushings that are extremely soft in longitudinal motion to improve ride quality. The same bushings are very stiff laterally, which brings a level of accuracy to the steering, not a strong point in the current car. Saab also mounted the steering rack lower in the structure to reduce some of the well-known torque steer. We had to floor the gas pedal in low gears to get even a hint of torque steer.
All the cars we sampled on this early drive had base-level 175-hp, 2.0-liter turbos. This is the only engine that will be available when this 9-3 goes on sale here in October. Then, early in 2003, a higher-boost, 210-hp version of this engine will arrive in Arc and Vector models (read "luxury" and "sport").
Both engines are versions of GM’s Ecotec all-aluminum, twin-cam four-cylinder. The base-level Linear model comes with the lower-boost engine. Although 175 horsepower doesn’t sound like much (it’s 30 horses less than last year’s base engine), it is within 10 of other European competitors’ base engines and feels more than adequate for day-to-day driving. And with 195 pound-feet of torque at 2500 rpm, the Saab motor produces more torque than competitors’ base engines. The high-boost engine makes 221 pound-feet of torque.
The manual transmission is a modified version of the current five-speed. But where the current unit feels uncertain and clunky, this new shifter slots decisively into its gates. Arcs and Vectors will come with a new six-speed manual. A new five-speed automatic is optional on all models. All 9-3s come standard with a full array of electronic safety systems, including ABS, traction control, and stability control.
A Linear with a manual transmission will cost $26,525. Most 9-3s on dealer lots this fall will have a Launch package of an upgraded stereo, a sunroof, 16-inch wheels, and an automatic, with a sticker just under $30,000.
That undercuts BMW, Volvo, and Mercedes. The base price is also cheaper than that of last year’s five-door by more than $1000. This, for a car that is a quantum leap forward in refinement, comfort, and handling. It’s a great deal on a gray suit. The question is this: Do you want this gray suit in a store full of other fine gray suits?
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/02q3/saab_9-3-first_drive_review
No-Fault’ Insurance Policy is Flawed, Says Recent Study
No-fault auto insurance has failed to accomplish its primary goals to lower premiums and limit court expenditures, according to a recent study by the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization.
The insurance scheme has notably declined in terms of popularity for both customers and insurers.
The study said that the scheme has, in effect, caused court costs to increase because the cost of medical claims has risen sharply. Initially, it intended to keep compensation costs low for persons involved in road mishaps by taking most of the cases ‘out of the court system.
RAND researcher and lead author of the study James M. Anderson said that the no-fault insurance scheme is a ‘classic example’ which displays the ‘law of unintended consequences.
The study aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the nation’s venture into no-fault systems. Here, drivers are enabled to seek compensation from their own auto insurer rather than from the other driver involved in the road mishap.
Since its inception in the 1970s, the authors of no-fault insurance believed that it was a ‘superior innovation’ with the potential to provide fair leverage for policyholders. Almost four decades since then, much of its luster has faded.
The report cited 29 states with ‘tort-based’ policies which permit car owners to select between ‘full tort’ insurance (more expensive) and ‘limited tort’ insurance (less expensive). The remaining 21 states adopt their own variation of no-fault insurance.
The no-fault scheme has three key components: (1) a driver is restricted from filing a lawsuit against the other driver for causing the accident, (2) payment cannot be received for ‘pain, suffering or other non-economic damages’; and (3) all drivers are required to carry insurance so that each party may be able to take care of his or her expenses (inclusive of medical expenditures) from their respective insurers.
Lawmakers thought that the scheme would deter administrations costs and court litigations, enable fair compensation for victims and pave the way for a more affordable alternative. In actuality, the reduction of premium costs never happened. The study cites ‘increased medical costs’ as the primary culprit.
In 2004, injury costs were 73% more costly under no-fault schemes. Back in 1987, it was only 12% more expensive. Moreover, drivers still had higher claim costs in states that ‘restricted’ lawsuits in comparison to states that allowed lawsuits to be filed.
Anderson attributes increased medical costs to consumers who avail of more ‘specialized types’ of medical treatment. Also, these costs (which are also driven by greater cost inflation) are most likely covered by the auto insurer rather than by medical insurance providers, especially in ‘no-fault states.
Honda Accord Coupe EX V-6 – Road Test – Auto Reviews – Car and Driver
It’s no secret that the approval rating of Honda Accords is high here at C/D.
Accords have earned first-place points in four of six comparison tests since 1997, and they’ve made our 10Best list in 17 of the 21 years we’ve been giving the award. It’s an enviable track record, and no other car comes close.
Nevertheless, in our first test of the latest Accord (October 2002)—a top-of-the-line EX four-door towed by the new 240-hp, 3.0-liter V-6—there was a wistful subtext to an otherwise positive report. The subhead of the story summed it up: "Sedan perfection, unclouded by emotion."
Like anyone else, we appreciate high quality, flawless road manners, smooth power, and a solid value story. But we also value passion. And that EX four-door was exactly as passionate as Lt. Commander Data running a routine systems check on the bridge of the Enterprise.
Which brings us to the Accord coupe. Properly equipped, with the V-6 backed by a manual transmission, it raises the Accord’s EQ ("emotional quotient") by a large order of magnitude. Quicker on its feet, quicker straight ahead, quicker to provoke smiles at the helm.
The key elements of this character shift—tires and transmission—aren’t very mysterious, but they combine to make this particular Accord unique among its stablemates. The EX four-door rolls on Michelin Energy MXV4 P205/60VR all-season tires, wrapped around 6.5-by-16-inch aluminum wheels. Our EX two-door tester came with a set of Michelin HX MXM4 P215/50VR Pilots on 7.0-by-17-inch wheels. The Pilots are also an all-season design, but bigger footprints and shorter sidewalls produce better grip—0.82 g versus 0.74 for the EX four-door—as well as better braking performance: 181 feet from 70 mph versus 209. These are not particularly impressive numbers for a sports coupe—an Acura 3.2CL Type-S stopped in 178 feet and pulled 0.86 g on the same tires in a comparison test last year ("Hobson’s Choice," July 2002)—but the CL rode on stiffer suspension components and also offered something that’s absent in the Accord inventory: a limited-slip differential.
On the other hand, the EX V-6 coupe does offer the CL’s six-speed manual-transmission option, a welcome departure from previous Accord powertrain policy. You could shift for yourself in previous Accords—but only if you were willing to limit yourself to four cylinders. V-6 versions were available only with automatics.
The EX breaks with this tepid tradition. For the first time in the Accord’s long history, V-6 and manual transmission are not mutually exclusive concepts, and the six-speed’s precise engagements and short shift throws enhance the pleasure of piloting this rig by a bunch.
They also enhance performance. With a five-speed automatic sending power to its front wheels, the EX V-6 four-door needed 7.0 seconds to reach 60 mph and covered the quarter-mile in 15.5 seconds at 92 mph. The six-speed two-door hit 60 in 5.9 seconds and hustled through the quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds at 98 mph. Although the coupe did weigh 140 pounds less than the sedan, that’s still a pretty strong testimonial for the efficiencies of a standard transmission. We should also add that the Accord manages to deliver the engine’s substantial output to the drive wheels with only the barest hint of torque steer. This is not your father’s Saab 9-3 Viggen.
Beyond all that, this car stacks up as a pretty good buy, with a substantial list of features—a steering wheel adjustable for reach and rake, a power sunroof, leather, heated power seats—baked into its $26,360 base price.
It would be lovely if Honda also offered the CL’s limited-slip differential for the EX two-door. After all, the CL won’t be needing it anymore, having joined the ranks of the dearly departed. But with or without that enhancement, the six-speed EX V-6 package ranks as just about the hottest ride in the mid-size, subluxury coupe class.
It may not eliminate our mourning for the old Prelude. But it does stimulate the driver-gratification glands. As much as we respect them, we can’t say that about the other members of the latest Accord family.
—Tony Swan
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/03q3/honda_accord_coupe_ex_v-6-road_test
1962 Chevrolet Corvette – Road Test – Auto Reviews – Car and Driver
Originally published in Car and Driver magazine in December 1961.
Zora Duntov says that as far as he’s concerned, this is the last time the
power will be increased — within the present chassis, anyway. It’s a reasonable statement, since it’s hard to discern a need for more poke than the booming new 327-inch Corvette V8 provides. The 360-horsepower fuel injection version more than makes good on the public relations promise of "added excitement for those wishing the ultimate in performance."
Recently we’ve always tested the hot fuel-injected version of the Corvette; we followed through on this with the ’62 car. But in response to many requests from readers for data on a more normal go-to-market Corvette, we explored the opposite end of the range this year with the "small" (a miserable 250 horses) engine linked to the new aluminum-case Powerglide transmission. In this connection it’s interesting that at Byrne Chevrolet’s "Corvette Corral" in New York’s Westchester County, the stock engine plus the four-speed box accounts for 80 percent of Corvette sales.
First, let’s look at this new 327-cubic-inch engine, which makes official what hot-rodders have been doing to Chevys for years now. It’s definitely based on the 283-inch engine design, keeping the same bore center-to-center distance of 4.40 inches while increasing the bore 1/8 inch to an even 4.0 inches. (Since the new Chevy II four and six have the same center-to-center distance, with redesign they too could presumably abide a four-inch bore.) Stroke is stretched 1/4 inch from the 283′s 3.0 inches. Though the 327′s rod length and bearing sizes are unchanged, the rod does have a heftier shank section to take the bigger engine’s higher stresses. For the same reason all 327s have the heavy-duty aluminum Moraine bearings that were used only on the hot 283s before.
Last year’s big-port head, with 1.94-inch intake valves, is now used on the top three of the four Corvette engine options. Only the base engine has the 1.72-inch intakes, fed by a normal four-barrel carb to deliver 250 bhp. The next hotter engine stays with the hydraulic-lifter cam but moves to the big-port head, and is equipped with a new oversized four-barrel Carter carb. Its output is 300 bhp, and it’s still available with the Powerglide box. These two engines have double head gaskets for a compression ratio of 10.5 to one (actually about 10.2 to one); for the two top engines one gasket is pulled out to raise the c.r. to a nominal 11.25 to one, actual 11.1 to one. The Duntov solid-lifter cam is also fitted, output being 340 bhp with the big four-barrel and the aforementioned 360 with injection. The famed dual-quad layout, with all its complexities, is now entirely replaced by the new big Carter four-barrel.
Rochester fuel injection goes into its sixth year of production with a major change to adapt it to the deeper breathing requirements of the big V8. Instead of the old relatively complicated cold start arrangement, the new injector has a simple choke valve in a port in the center of the intake venturi plug. When this "strangler" valve is open, the total area made available is adequate to the engine’s needs; when it’s closed, it has a definite choking effect although the venturi itself — necessary for metering reasons — remains open. Control of the choke is fully automatic.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/high_performance/corvette_camaro_corner/1962_chevrolet_corvette_road_test