 PEOPLE VS. 2004 MAZDA TRIBUTE: In all honesty, not every vehicle tested by an auto writer gets the same degree of testing. Some are used exclusively for short commutes and errands, so their highway prowess isn't fairly determined. Most are used near home, which means mountain testing can't be done in Judge Bob's case. But the 2004 Mazda Tribute, a compact sport utility with a V6 engine, was the vehicle in the driveway when vacation time rolled around. The following week, it travelled about 1,300 miles, through brutal heat, up steep mountains, through torrential rainstorms ahead of an approaching hurricane. Never once was it a problem. Mrs. Judge Bob took her turns behind the wheel and expressed fondness for this faithful vehicle. Judge Bob got to find out how the Tribute could be for a passenger - quite good but my right elbow kept sliding off the narrow sill area. The EPA estimates fuel efficiency of 19 city and 25 highway, but we achieved 25.6 mpg on two occasions, mostly using cruise control on level interstate at 75 mph. Crosswinds didn't bother the Tribute. The Tribute has a base price of $23,772 and a premium audio package and tow package brought the as-tested price to $25,347. Judge Bob can say with some confidence after this vacation in the mountains that the 2004 Mazda Tribute (a brother of the equally excellent Ford Escape) will satisfy almost everyone seeking a compact sport ute.
PEOPLE VS. 2004 ISUZU ASCENDER: The 2004 Isuzu Ascender wasn't even a blip on Judge Bob's radar until it arrived for a week of testing. It was also the week a hurricane named Charley decided Judge Bob's chambers would make a perfect target for landfall. The same week, a Scion xB was in the driveway and time was divided between the two. But whenever debris-strewn roads or moderate flooding loomed, it was the tall Ascender chosen every time. The Scion xB is cute, but no one would call it rugged. To its credit, the Ascender took Judge Bob where he needed to go. Nails were everywhere, but the Ascender's astute nail-avoidance system kept any from penetrating a tire. Under the hood was a 4.2-liter six with 275 horsepower, coupled to a four-speed automatic transmission. It made a reasonably powerful and smooth combination. But it was optional packages that made the Ascender a pleasure. The vehicle had begun with a base price of $25,699, but those comfort/convenience/leather packages boosted the final sticker to $31,372. For that price, Judge Bob expects more than a three-year/50,000-mile warranty. The Ascender also seemed very fond of scarce gasoline (rationed to 10 gallons at a time after the hurricane). It is rated at 16 city and 21 highway. Judge Bob moved to the Scion xb for better fuel efficiency and parked the Ascender.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN: Wow. Just how luxurious can a minivan be? In the case of the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country, the answer is "very". Our tester seemed to have every option available, including a sliding roof DVD system for rear seat passengers and a navigation system and screen for the driver. It began at a base price of $26,315 but that minivan would have far less appeal that the one we tested at $33,915. The high spot with these new minivans is the fold-and-drop second and third row seats. Dropping these seats into the floor can create a cavernous cargo area. Judge Bob tried the seats and then put them back in three-row position because he had no use of dropped seats. It was the amenities that gave this minivan its appeal. It's as if DaimlerChrysler took every comfort and convenience item offered by any manufacturer and put them in these minivans. That even includes Ford's adjustable pedals. Both driver and passenger side sliding doors were power-operated from the remote control key fob, as was the rear hatch door, which powered up and down at the press of a button. Chrysler feels it "invented" the minivan, and it certainly keeps raising the bar for others. Now if Chrysler could just emphasize reliability and durability in addition to innovation.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY: The 2005 Chrysler Town & Country shares much with the Grand Caravan, addressed above. Judge Bob's test vehicle had a slightly lower sticker price, however, topping out at $31,750 - with just about every imaginable convenience feature. It had full leather, for instance, that added $2,100 to its base $27,070 price. The front center console was removable ($395), there was an in-dash six-disc CD system ($555), and a rear-seat video system with wireless headphones and video remote control ($1,150). This is a minivan kids will love for vacation travels. Scenery means little to little ones; they'd rather watch "Shrek" for the millionth time. Indulge them while you enjoy the scenery. The Town & Country had the same unique seat "Stow 'N Go" setup as the Grand Caravan. The rearmost seat in this setup can be flipped, to serve as a tailgate seat facing rearward. Nice for watching a flick at the drive-in theater. But why not make it possible to pull out the head restraints, insert them at the rear of the minivan, and use them as foot rests for a recliner-chair setup? Now, Judge Bob would go for that! The sliding side doors and the rear liftgate are power-operated, opening and closing from a press of a button on the remote key fob or inside the minivan. The 3.8-liter V6 engine returns a decent 18 city/25 highway fuel rating for this large vehicle. For any family, this top-of-the-line Chrysler minivan deserves consideration.
PEOPLE VS. 2004 AUDI S4 CABRIOLET: If Audi is going to be the performance offering of parent VW, then cars like this S4 Quattro with its six-speed manual transmission and 340-horsepower V8 must lead the way. And lead it can. It looks great - with soft droops ala the retro Ford Thunderbird.  And it has no boy-racer doodads like wings to shout "I'm bad, I'm bad." So Judge Bob really enjoyed being seen in the Audi S4. But it has an Achilles Heel. The ragtop takes so long to lower or raise that Judge Bob could almost finish a chapter in the newest Tim Dorsey novel. Once, Judge Bob pulled off the road with rain drops just beginning, but the rain began pelting down before the top could do its slow-motion dance and raise high enough to provide some shelter. At least this top is fully automatic. In the past, Audi convertible tops, and those from VW, had a handle on the upper windshield that had to be twisted, releasing the top before the power button could finish lowering. Now, a backward press of the button does the entire job - while you enjoy a nap. That said, there's little left to criticize. The S4 is fast, handles wonderfully, and has brakes so powerful they make driving any other car dangerous. Safety features are abundant and include a rarely-seen-in-a-convertible thorax and head side air bag. An active rollover protection system will fire rollbars if needed. The S4 begins at $53,850 base and our tester had options bringing the total to $57,145. Mileage is 15 city and 21 highway. A fine car once the top is down. Or up. But not in between.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LIMITED 4WD: Judge Bob knows that the Jeep Cherokee has always been a favorite offspring of the Jeep lineup. It's gotten the most engineering attention and been most popular with buyers. Oh sure, the Wrangler has its cult following, but few people opt to buy a second one. Not so with the popular Grand Cherokee sport ute. And this 2005 model has just about every comfort and convenience feature DaimlerChrysler can throw at a vehicle. And that explains a Jeep with a price tag of $38,445. This one wants to compete with comfort sport utes like those from Lexus, Infiniti, Acura and Mercedes-Benz. And when it comes to offroad travels, this one can most likely leave the rest of them on the side of the paved road. Our tester had the special offroad package with limited-slip front and rear axles, four-wheel drive, and skid plates underneath ($1,190). Importantly, it doesn't punish its occupants when driving over urban roads. The leather and wood interior soothes, and vibration woes of recent models have mostly been tamed. There's even a navigation system available, with back tracking capabilities. Power comes from a 4.7-liter V8 engine connected to a five-speed automatic transmission (there is a HEMI option and next year the Grand Cherokee will get a 425-horsepower HEMI option). Even with the 4.7-liter, the mileage is a thirsty 14 city/21 highway. If there's shame here, it's that you'll have to pay extra to get head curtains and side air bags. That's shameful. And while Jeep reaches for the stars, this Grand Cherokee still can't match the best of this breed. It's a two-row setup, and those rear seats make a passenger feel cramped. Also - guaranteed - this vehicle won't turn a single head or be recognized as a completely new makeover model.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 SUBARU FORESTER 2.5 XS L.L. BEAN EDITION: The Subaru Forester is Judge Bob's favorite compact sport ute (actually, it's tied with the Hyundai Sante Fe). But Judge Bob enjoys performance, so he would opt for the blazingly fast XT model, not this comfort/convenience L.L. Bean Edition. It's difficult to say what makes this a Bean. Same with the outstanding Subaru Outback. Both the Forester and Outback can be optioned to the hilt with luxury items that bring the cost up to the L.L. Bean levels. And luxury is what you get for $26,870 as tested. This super compact has all-wheel drive, anti-lock brakes, front and side air bags, a self-leveling suspension, power moonroof, leather trimmed upholstery and more for the base price of $26,295. Out Bean had no further options - only a $575 destination charge. It proved comfortable and convenient transportation in a busy week. It's easy to enter and exit, comfortable on or off road, ergonomically good and has lots of head and foot room. Clearly, Forester is function before form. The boxer engine is plenty powerful, but yields 22 city and 28 highway in fuel efficiency. That's very good for a vehicle like this. Still, Judge Bob agrees with insiders at Subaru who argued the company did not need a sport utility when it had the excellent-above-all Outback for off road travels. Alas, Subaru yielded to a public that thought an Outback looked like their father's station wagon, while a sport ute with its attendant rollover hazard was just the coolest thing. Go figure. And see if the Outback suits you before you buy one of these or any other like it.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 CHRYSLER CROSSFIRE LIMITED: Judge Bob recently presided over the trial of a Chrysler Crossfire roadster, ruling it an attractive and competitive roadster in a field growing crowded. Now comes the Crossfire coupe, little changed since its introduction last model year. The two sports cars look different, each attractive in its own way. The coupe was the first Crossfire model, a car based on the Mercedes-Benz old SLK platform and reflecting the forced marriage of DaimlerBenz and Chrysler. It was a headturner at introduction and it's a headturner still. Most becoming is that rear deck hearkening back to the 1920s. The rear is even more dramatic on the coupe than the roadster. But Judge Bob nonetheless prefers the roadster. This coupe begins life at a base price of $33,745 and topped out at $37,145 with an optional automatic transmission and navigation/stereo system. Both are highly desirable and made this car an easy pleasure to drive. It even gets 21 city and 28 highway for fuel efficiency. With its automatic transmission and smooth power, it reminded Judge Bob of the Ford Thunderbird, another fine boulevard cruiser. But with windows down, the Crossfire coupe has the same problem as the roadster: wind whips past the windshield and is funneled into the car and into a driver's ears. Most unpleasant. Still, overall, this is a highly desirable car and many admirers openly spoke of their affection for its styling. The retro rear connects!
PEOPLE VS. 2004 AUDI TT COUPE DSG6: Once again Judge Bob gets the coupe model of a previously tested roadster. This time, it was the Audi TT coupe, an extremely attractive design that begins at $39,900 and topped out at $44,520 with special wheels and a super stereo setup. But it was the Papaya Orange paint that popped out the eyes of everyone who saw this beauty. It stood out in every parking lot Judge Bob visited. Talk about being easy to spot! The pastel orange color looked as if it would be right at home on South Beach. The tester had a six-speed manual transmission as standard and would have been more pleasant in city driving with an automatic. But shifting was delightfully easy and the clutch sufficiently light. The 3.2-liter six-cylinder produces a decent 250 horsepower and sends that power through all-wheel drive, the single feature that sets the TT apart from competing sports cars. This one also has superb safety equipment, including thorax and head side bags. The one complaint: With the driver's window down at highway speed, wind produces a slight booming inside the car. Overall, however, this is a fast, great handling, safe sports car. But, as with the Crossfire, Judge Bob would take the roadster version. In Papaya Orange, please.
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© 2004, Robert C. Bowden
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