 PEOPLE VS. 2005 DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB 4X4 LARAMIE: Chrysler's remodeled Dodge Dakota is a terrific small truck. But it seems to Judge Bob unfair to call this thing a small truck. This is what Judge Bob would have judged a full-size truck not many years ago. And it did a full-size job, helping pull heavy pine tree sections from parts of Judge Bob's yard severely damaged by Hurricane Charley.  A towing strap would be hooked around the tree sections, the pickup bed filled with trimmings, and off we'd head for the curb, where debris pickup would occur. Without the Dakota, that cleanup would have been impossible. Can't hook a Lexus up to a pine tree! This, of course, is one of the Dakota's top models. It has four doors and a selectable 4X4 system that made towing much easier. It begins life at $28,679 and our model topped out at $32,569. That's a full-size price to Judge Bob, by the way. It had the 4.7-liter Magnum V8 under the hood, which returned a dreadful 15 mpg city and 20 highway. But it was comfortable on the road, with just enough bounce and jiggle to keep everyone inside aware that they were in a truck. There's plentiful convenience items that are standard, including air conditioning, power windows, cruise control and a six-speaker audio system. Our tester had optional skid pads beneath it, two hooks, a trailer package, anti-lock brakes, an automatic transmission, an anti-slip differential axle, the $785 V8 engine and special wheels. Lots of unneeded stuff. Save your money. In base form, this has always been competitive with models from Ford and Chevy. Still is.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR5: 2004 has been a bad year. It only takes one Category 4 hurricane hitting you directly to make the best of years go sour. That's what happened to my town on Aug. 13 of this year. We were demolished. As the year ends, we are not yet back to anything resembling normalcy.  We look like a bomb fell on us - yesterday. So when the leaves began changing color 600 miles north of where Judge Bob lives, he headed that way one vacation week. As it turned out, the vehicle sent for testing that week was a Toyota Sequoia. Oooooo. 15 mpg in the city and 18 on the highway. Ha. Try 15.7 mpg average with almost exclusively interstate crusing using cruise control. This thing just loved those $40+ fillups every few hours. It was excellent as a cruiser, mind you. Very comfortable. Lots of room. Held the luggage superably. But it was nothing special. In any way. It lacked convenience items like a navigation system that would have helped justify a $35,627 price. No DVD player. No special audio system. No ultrasonic system to help when backing up. No rear-view camera. In fact, this tester was the basest of the base Sequoias. I'm sorry it's the one I have to write about. As Judge Bob has advised in the past, do not skimp on convenience features. Many of these extra-cost options will pay for themselves when it's time to sell. Who wants a used base Sequoia? In fact, this sport utility seemed old. It didn't even have side air bags, much less a head curtain. Even the brakes seemed soft. And the headlights are not up-to-date. It got us there and back - at great fuel cost - but the journey didn't sell the product.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 DODGE MAGNUM RT: Those who have spent any time at the old Car Place know that Judge Bob once wrote a history of muscle cars that was published as the book, "Boss Wheels - End of the Musclecar Era." It chronicled the Detroit horsepower wars from the mid-50s until everything fell apart in 1972. Judge Bob is a child of the 50s and the new Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum remind him of "lead sleds" we customized back then. Judge Bob owned one, a 1949 Mercury that was lowered, flame-painted, outfitted with rolled and pleated Naughahyde, and otherwise modified to be a personal statement. Alas, Judge Bob could not get it chopped and channeled, since that was much too expensive for his after-school bagboy salary. That's what the 300 and Magnum remind him of, however. They appear chopped and channeled, with a small roof-to-body line particularly. It's all an illusion, of course, but kudos to Chrysler for taking yet another styling chance. Chrysler is leading the way in Detroit where stylng is concerned. Judge Bob loves the Viper, PT Cruiser and Prowler styling. And he also likes the controversial 300 and Dodge Magnum styling. These vehicles stand out - and favorable comments were made for each during test week. The Magnum had the Hemi engine option, with its 340 horsepower that produces a 6.3-second run from zero to 60. You won't blow away sports cars, but this thing is a hauler, to be sure, and practical to boot. It began life at $29,370 but jumped to a final price of $35,895 when reasonably well equipped. Side air bags, for instance, will steal $590 from a buyer who should get them standard. A navigation system was $1,895. And this tester did have both optional convenience groups. It's near luxury equiped this way. There are no glaring flaws with the Magnum, or the 300. If you like the styling, as Judge Bob does, go for either. You'll be noticed with approving nods most of the time. Hey, if the 300 is good enough for Snoop Dog, who ordered one of the first, it's good enough for the rest of us.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 CHRYSLER CROSSFIRE SRT-6 COUPE: Judge Bob is sure there are those out who will break down in tears when they read this, but the fact is that the incredible Crossfire SRT-6 - the speedy new Crossfire - picked up a screw in its left rear tire within a few hours of taking custody of it. Judge Bob would drive it no more during the test week that passed with it sitting in the driveway. But don't cry until you've read the whole story. On the first day, Judge Bob slid into the driver's seat and strapped himself in. Hmmmm. The only transmission available for this speed model is a five-speed automatic. Okay, at least it would be easy to drive. But it also promised fun. So it was off for the 30-mile commute on backroads to work. Alas, the backroads were jammed, so no sport would be had. Under the hood of this special Crossfire is a 3.2-liter supercharged V6, pumping out 330 horsepower. It joins the Ram SRT-10 and Neon SRT-4 models sporting the SRT badge. And, yes, it's quick. It's even got a 200-mph speedometer. But you can't see out the back. Period. No argument allowed with the court here. This car has about the worst rear visibility of any car on the market. And yet it came with a $1,200 GPS navigation system, a color monitor screen mid-dash - AND NO BACKUP CAMERA. This is stupid, Chrysler. Just shameful. You could easily have added a color backup camera like those in many other vehicles today and helped make this car a ton safer. Lord knows, this model topped out at $46,895, so it's not some cheap thing. Anyhow ... moving on. The Crossfire SRT was driven to a construction site (they're everywhere since Hurricane Charley tore us apart in this part of Florida). It was there, perhaps, that the screw was picked up. The tire didn't go flat right away, however. Nope. It waited until Judge Bob exited work as darkness was beginning to fall. There sat the Crossfire, its left rear tire scrunched down on the asphalt. I popped the small trunk and lifted a cover on the floor. No jack. No tire. Just a kit on the left. I opened it and found a tire sealer can and a pump-like thing that plugs into the cigarette lighter. So I began to search for the owner's manual to figure how to use it. Nope. No owner's manual. (They often get ripped off by auto writers who ought to be jailed!). My co-workers shook their heads. "Night, Judge Bob. Good luck." Let's see now; these super expensive wheels have no easy way to be removed. That figures. So no service station can even get a wheel off to repair it. Judge Bob was mad enough to try anything, so he attached the tire sealer to the tire valve, then attached the pump to the tire sealer and flipped an on-off switch "on." It began pumping. Glory be. The tire slowly inflated, until white gunk started oozing out of the valve. Turned it off, removed the sealer can, and kept inflating. Pretty soon, it seemed to have enough air to use. So Judge Bob pulled away on that 30-mile commute .. on darkened, empty backroads .. without any service station along the way. That's how the SRT-6 came to be parked. No way was it going out again. In fact, the tire held pressure for about three days, then sagged to the surface again. Judge Bob did not care. He had cars that were easier to drive, had better visibility to the rear, and didn't need to prove themselves to Corvette drivers. Does Judge Bob want it back for further testing? Does he want the $50,000+ SRT-6 roadster that blasts air into both ears? No. It's a misfire.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE GLS 1.8T: Judge Bob liked this as a 2004 model and he likes the 2005 one even better. This year, VW has added turn signal indicators to the exterior rear mirrors and made a number of minor improvements. The 1.8-liter turbo engine was more than eager when used properly with the slick-shifting 5-speed manual transmission. Unfortunately, a succession of cold fronts blasted through Judge Bob's neighborhood during test week, so the ragtop never went down. But it operates the same as in the past: pull and turn a lever to release the top from the windshleild, then power the top down. Our tester was loaded with the leather package and sporty 17-inch alloy wheels. It also had a satellite radio for $375. The New Beetle has performed impressively in safety tests and sets the bar for its class. This comes standard with anti-lock brakes, automatic rollover supports, and front and side air bags - as all cars should and many more expensive models do NOT. The court has nothing but shame to send their way. They are producing killer cars, since we know side bags save lives! The 150-horsepower turbo under the front hood returns 25 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. And this convertible didn't lack for convenience features either: air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, keyless entry, and an in-dash CD player with MP3 capability. The "mellow yellow" paint paired terrifically with a gray ragtop. The combination drew comments and the ragtop was especially noticed. The only problem? Not much trunk space. The 2005 New Beetle Convertible 1.8T began life at $25,450 and topped out at $27,950. A great little convertible - best in class, in Judge Bob's opinion.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID: It's usually hyperbole to say the world has been waiting for this or that model, but in the case of the first full hybrid sport utility vehicle, the statement has a ring of truth.  This 2005 Ford Escape is the first SUV to combine a four-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor to achieve fuel efficiency ratings that are unequalled by any competitor: 36 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. And it sends its smooth power through a continuously variable automatic transmission that is standard on the hybrid. The Escape Hybrid begins at $26,380. Our tester added a special audio and navigation package, necessary side air bags and head curtains and an appearance package to top out at $29,475. The Escape Hybrid functions much as the pioneering Toyota Prius does.  From a standstill, the electric motor moves the vehicle forward, almost immediately firing up the four-cylinder gas engine. Deceleration and braking recharge the 330-volt electric battery. Around town, the electric motor can sometimes power the SUV by itself, but most often the two powerplants work together. There is no noticeable sacrifice of power using this combination and the transmission is flawlessly smooth. The only folks who might find this hybrid a problem would be mountain dwellers. As a commuter vehicle, it's great, however. Judge Bob has found that there are three top choices among sport utes this size: the Hyundai Sante Fe, Subaru Forester and Ford Escape. The Hybrid Escape now stands out as the most fuel efficient of the bunch.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 SCION TC: While the stares and the press notices go to the boxy Scion xB, there are other Scions in this newest Toyota-spawned line. The TC two-door lift back is such an alternative.  It's strictly a commuter car, preferably for two people, since this is a two-door and it's a bit cramped in the rear. It gets an EPA-estimated 23 mpg in the city and 30 on the highway from its 2.4-liter four-cylinder and four-speed automatic transmission. It begins life at $16,750 but that doesn't include needed side air bags and head curtains that will add $650 to the base price. Our tester totaled $18,529 with a minimum of options. In a week of driving it, the Scion TC didn't score positive or negative points. It looks good, but doesn't draw admiring glances. Judge Bob's biggest complaint is the road noise that enters the cabin at interstate speed. It's so audible that Judge Bob frequently checked to make sure all windows were closed tightly. They were. This just lacks insulation to keep noise out. The Scion TC comes into its own when an owner begins to customize it with aftermarket options available from Scion dealers.
Earlier settlements
Home, James
© 2004, Robert C. Bowden
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