Wednesday, September 25, 2013
2007 Ford Fusion SE
I cant believe I already failed to post a review yesterday. Once again today will be a twofer starting with the 2007 Ford Fusion.
Introduction: The Ford Fusion was introduced in 2005 as Fords newest vehicle for the important midsized car market. Ford used to use the Taurus for this important segment which originally sold very well to tie the Honda Accord for the #1 most sold car(not vehicle since the F-150 truck dominated this). Unfortunately Ford never continued with the success of the first Taurus and allowed the car to age eventually losing even the Taurus iconic jellybean shape for conservative. Ford decided to use the Fusion name for this new midsized car even though a completely different car uses the same name in Europe. The Ford Fusion is the first of the cars introduced by Ford of America to use the 3-bar grille. The Fusion saw enough success to be redesigned for the year 2010.
Now for my side, I was not all that excited to drive one of these vehicles since I never heard anything significant about the Fusion other than it being better than Fords past vehicle attempts. Considering how badly Ford allowed its car lineup to decline this was a pretty low bar to settle. Still, the Ford Fusion could not possibly be worse than some of the other American cars Ive driven so I was ready to see if Ford could actually challenge Toyota and Honda for that important midsized segment.
Performance: The Fusions I drove had the 2.3L Duratec 23 engine that produce 160hp and 156 lb.ft of torque. Well...I must say the Fusion unfortunately with its 4-cylinder was very underpowered. The engine selection was not suitable for this car since you can easily tell it was sluggish. I heard this engine was pretty much the same one used for the Mazda6 but that engine was far more suitable for that car than this engine is for the Fusion. Most clocked the 0-100 time of the Fusion to be 9.2 seconds, it doesnt feel that quick sadly. Since you think the car is slower than it is, youll be hearing some of the drone this engine has to offer and its not exactly pleasant.
My Score: 3/10 - The engine is inadequate for the car, if it feels underpowered then it probably is.
Handling: After seeing the disappointing performance of the Fusion, I can safely say this portion is much more positive. This Ford Fusion shares the same platform as the Mazda6, as a result the chassis is much better than average allowing the Fusion to do much better cornering. Ford however did make the car rather soft thus not allowing the Fusion to pull off this handling with as much dignity as the Mazda. The wheel for the Fusion is heavier than the Mazda making it produce more feel but it doesnt connect as well due to how soft the car is.
My Score: 7/10 - Good chassis, good steering feel...but tempered with a soft suspension.
Interior: The Fusions interior is not exactly a beautiful one. Depending on which colour you select might determine how good or bad it looks. The black interior does not do the Fusion any justice making it seem very bland and boring. The beige interior is much more upbeat and clearly makes the interior seem merely generic. The build quality is surprisingly solid despite being built in Mexico, normally car companies put lower quality control for their plants there.
My Score: 6/10 - Pretty bland and uninteresting especially in black but built surprisingly well
Styling: As mentioned earlier the Ford Fusion is Fords first attempt to place the 3-bar grille on every single vehicle in their lineup. I dont think the first Fusion did a good job in making the 3-bar grille look good. From the front it looks like a Gilette razor, from the rear its slightly more interesting with neat tail lights. Other than that its nothing special, the razor like grille might a turn off.
My Score: 5/10 - A generic car with a silly grille but a neat rear end.
Value for money: The Fusion was priced to compete against the likes of the Accord and Camry, but due to Fords past with this segment the Fusion is a tad bit cheaper by a few thousand. The result is a car that handles reasonably well but is hindered by either being cheap or boring in another area. It does look a bit different due to the 3-bar grille but that doesnt do enough to justify buying one. It however sadly is the best compared to GMs Malibu(pre-08) and Chryslers awful cars.
My Score: 6/10 - Ford didnt overcharge here, but in order to get the best results asking for a bit more for a better car overall wouldnt hurt.
Overall: 27/50 - A possibly good car hurt in several segments. Even worse, the Mazda6 its based off of is a better car in every way. Fear not, Ford actually has taken things seriously and has definitely addressed each one of my complaints with the 2010 Fusion(a review quite some distance away since theres a few older cars to get to). If you really wanted a domestic midsized from the year 2005-2007, then the Fusion is a good choice but not 2008 since GMs Malibu improved a lot.
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Introduction: The Ford Fusion was introduced in 2005 as Fords newest vehicle for the important midsized car market. Ford used to use the Taurus for this important segment which originally sold very well to tie the Honda Accord for the #1 most sold car(not vehicle since the F-150 truck dominated this). Unfortunately Ford never continued with the success of the first Taurus and allowed the car to age eventually losing even the Taurus iconic jellybean shape for conservative. Ford decided to use the Fusion name for this new midsized car even though a completely different car uses the same name in Europe. The Ford Fusion is the first of the cars introduced by Ford of America to use the 3-bar grille. The Fusion saw enough success to be redesigned for the year 2010.
Now for my side, I was not all that excited to drive one of these vehicles since I never heard anything significant about the Fusion other than it being better than Fords past vehicle attempts. Considering how badly Ford allowed its car lineup to decline this was a pretty low bar to settle. Still, the Ford Fusion could not possibly be worse than some of the other American cars Ive driven so I was ready to see if Ford could actually challenge Toyota and Honda for that important midsized segment.
Performance: The Fusions I drove had the 2.3L Duratec 23 engine that produce 160hp and 156 lb.ft of torque. Well...I must say the Fusion unfortunately with its 4-cylinder was very underpowered. The engine selection was not suitable for this car since you can easily tell it was sluggish. I heard this engine was pretty much the same one used for the Mazda6 but that engine was far more suitable for that car than this engine is for the Fusion. Most clocked the 0-100 time of the Fusion to be 9.2 seconds, it doesnt feel that quick sadly. Since you think the car is slower than it is, youll be hearing some of the drone this engine has to offer and its not exactly pleasant.
My Score: 3/10 - The engine is inadequate for the car, if it feels underpowered then it probably is.
Handling: After seeing the disappointing performance of the Fusion, I can safely say this portion is much more positive. This Ford Fusion shares the same platform as the Mazda6, as a result the chassis is much better than average allowing the Fusion to do much better cornering. Ford however did make the car rather soft thus not allowing the Fusion to pull off this handling with as much dignity as the Mazda. The wheel for the Fusion is heavier than the Mazda making it produce more feel but it doesnt connect as well due to how soft the car is.
My Score: 7/10 - Good chassis, good steering feel...but tempered with a soft suspension.
Interior: The Fusions interior is not exactly a beautiful one. Depending on which colour you select might determine how good or bad it looks. The black interior does not do the Fusion any justice making it seem very bland and boring. The beige interior is much more upbeat and clearly makes the interior seem merely generic. The build quality is surprisingly solid despite being built in Mexico, normally car companies put lower quality control for their plants there.
My Score: 6/10 - Pretty bland and uninteresting especially in black but built surprisingly well
Styling: As mentioned earlier the Ford Fusion is Fords first attempt to place the 3-bar grille on every single vehicle in their lineup. I dont think the first Fusion did a good job in making the 3-bar grille look good. From the front it looks like a Gilette razor, from the rear its slightly more interesting with neat tail lights. Other than that its nothing special, the razor like grille might a turn off.
My Score: 5/10 - A generic car with a silly grille but a neat rear end.
Value for money: The Fusion was priced to compete against the likes of the Accord and Camry, but due to Fords past with this segment the Fusion is a tad bit cheaper by a few thousand. The result is a car that handles reasonably well but is hindered by either being cheap or boring in another area. It does look a bit different due to the 3-bar grille but that doesnt do enough to justify buying one. It however sadly is the best compared to GMs Malibu(pre-08) and Chryslers awful cars.
My Score: 6/10 - Ford didnt overcharge here, but in order to get the best results asking for a bit more for a better car overall wouldnt hurt.
Overall: 27/50 - A possibly good car hurt in several segments. Even worse, the Mazda6 its based off of is a better car in every way. Fear not, Ford actually has taken things seriously and has definitely addressed each one of my complaints with the 2010 Fusion(a review quite some distance away since theres a few older cars to get to). If you really wanted a domestic midsized from the year 2005-2007, then the Fusion is a good choice but not 2008 since GMs Malibu improved a lot.
A Brief History of The Audi A3
The Audi A3
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The name is generated by the model of German car manufacturer Audi A3 sports car as a luxury, it is the first production Audi cars if you want to provide a sporty appearance and European market model of golf began in 1996 when he can be very suitable for families. They were originally doors are three reasons that come with the hatchback. The original Audi A3 worth mentioning, other features of the occasional car, and four-wheel drive and four-cylinder configuration. A3 to stand out from the previous model, the first line of Audi vehicles to use 5-cylinder valve is.
In 1999, there were the Audi A3 models to adapt to meet new customer requirements. The most important improvement, between 1.8 and five-door hatchback and the new turbo engine.
Geneva Motor Show showed that the second generation of the Audi A3 in 2003. The first three doors and a hatchback, a new four-cylinder models, but then a few months, two-door, five-door is also provided with the Cabriolet version. Introduced to the market in 2004, the five-door estate known as the Sportback is a success, and reinforcement of the rear compartment area, and includes a new grille. In 2007, "E" 1.4 TFSI engine model also , starting as an environmentally friendly alternative to reduce emissions of CO2, has been a recent amendment to the Audi A3.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
SCOOP! New top end trim for Honda Brio
New VX trim with added features for Honda Brio coming this April.
Honda is expected to introduce a new top-end VX trim-level for the Brio. As a hatch, the Brio makes a strong case for itself as a decent overall package, but has a few glaring omissions in its features list. The new variant will address these issues and include additional equipment like a rear de-fogger and driver seat height adjustment. A rear wiper however, will not be seen, as the Brio’s glass hatch lacks the provision to accommodate it.
Honda currently averages a modest 2,000 units for the Brio every month and the introduction of a new variant should only make things better for the manufacturer.
While we have been eagerly awaiting a diesel-powered Brio, the launch has been shelved for the moment as Honda is not able to price it competitively. The carmaker will test the waters with the new 1.5-litre diesel motor in the Amaze saloon. If the Amaze saloon strikes a chord with Indian buyers and sells in massive numbers, it would lead to much better economies of scale, which could, in turn, result in a lower unit price for the new diesel engine. This would make the diesel Brio more affordable and feasible for market introduction.
Daly and Jinkawa win in MRF Challenge
With tally leader Jordan King absent, the two drivers managed pole to flag victories.
American Conor Daly and Japanese Yuudai Jinkawa won one race apiece on second day of round two of the MRF International Challenge, running as a part of the 2012 Sidvin Festival of Speed at the Buddh International Circuit.Daly, who was on pole for race one, got a clean start and was never really troubled for the lead while several drivers contested for second and third – including Alice Powell and Luciano Bacheta. Yesterday’s winner and tally leader Jordan King was absent from proceedings as he had to fly back to the UK to attend the 2012 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award ceremony in London, where he is one of the five finalists.
Ultimately it was GP 3 racer Alice Powell and F2 driver Hector Hurst who finished second and third respectively behind Daly.
Race two featured a top-six reversed-grid and it was Indian APRC driver Gaurav Gill who was on pole after finishing a credible sixth in race one, ahead of experienced single-seater compatriots Parthiva Sureshwaran and Parth Ghorpade.
After losing a place to Japanese Yuudai Jinkawa who was involved in a massive shunt with Tom Gladdis yesterday, Gill was doing well to hold second despite some quicker cars behind him putting him under immense pressure. However, a sudden tyre issue with the front left surfaced and he had back right off and pit to change tyres, putting him out of contention.
Sixth-placed starter Conor Daly had lost some places at the start but was recovering well and was in fifth place behind Hector Hurst when he suddenly clipped the back of the British driver at the approach to turn four and broke his front suspension.
Ultimately, Jinkawa was followed home by Noel Jammal and Sam Dejonghe in second and third to round off the podium.
The MRF International Challenge will return to its home base at the Chennai circuit for the final two rounds in February.
RESULTS:
Race one:
Conor Daly
Alice Powell
Hector Hurst
Race two:
Conor Daly
Alice Powell
Hector Hurst
Race two:
Yuudi Jinkawa
Noel Jammal
Sam Dejonghe
Noel Jammal
Sam Dejonghe
Monday, September 23, 2013
2012 Jaguar XF Pricing 48 700
The 2012 Jaguar XF is one of the latest version of 2012 Jaguar. 2012 Jaguar XF design language applied to the XJ flagship sedan, the XF now features an all-new look to the front end with slim headlight units set into which are LED strips sitting either side of a larger, more upright grille.
The 2012 Jaguar XF is available at MSRP Price of $53,000 - $82,000 And Invoice Price of $48,760 - $75,440. The 2012 Jaguar XF whole nose is new, including the fenders, fascia, grille, and the aluminum hood, which features a longer, taller power bulge and a little flick on the trailing edge to get the air up and over the wipers for reduced wind noise.
The 2012 Jaguar XF crosshatch grille is set an inch deeper and stands slightly more upright to better resemble the XJs, and comes in a chrome or gloss black finish (XFR only). You’ve seen the live shots of the 2012 Jaguar XFR. Now here’s all the crucial details plus info on the rest of the facelifted 2012 Jaguar XF range. Making this debut at the 2011 New York Auto Show.
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