 PEOPLE VS. 2005 JEEP LIBERTY LIMITED EDITION 4WD: In the case of the little Jeep Liberty, "Limited" means expensive. This tester had a bottom line of $30,780, which might give serious pause to would-be buyers. Yes, it had plenty of amenities, was good-looking and capable, but that price is near-luxury car level. In fact, the very name is deceptive, since the special items that make this both "limited" and 4WD are extra-cost options. Supposedly, the Liberty has a base price of $25,035 - and that's not a bad vehicle. But if want what this name implies, you'll go north of $30,000. For that price, however, you get such features as satellite radio, a 6-disc in-dash CD stereo system, trailer tow package and tire pressure monitoring equipment. What made this tester special, however, was a $1,840 optional 2.8-liter turbo diesel engine. Coupled with the five-speed automatic transmission, it is EPA estimated to return 21 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. Judge Bob was closer to 21, despite most of his travels being highway. Not exactly blow-away mileage, is it? It's only character flaw is the spare tire mounted on the rear door. Backing into anything will maximize damage to the vehicle because of that spare, which extends beyond the bumper. But Jeep is not alone in this mistake. If you can live it, the Liberty diesel is a most enjoyable vehicle, with good off-road capabilities.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 HYUNDAI TIBORON SE V6: What a great little starter sports car. The Tiboron has been good right from the get-go and gets better every year. It looks great and Judge Bob is starting to see savvy young people buying these. Our tested SE had the desired V6 powerplant and began at $19,999. It came with only mud guards as an option, bringing the out-the-door price to $20,059. If you'll check Hyundai's reputation these days, you'll find it is pure platinum. These are rock-solid cars from South Korea. The 2.7-liter double-overhead cam engine had plenty of zip when coupled to the six-speed manual transmission. The clutch action took a few days to master, but after that became second nature. The Tiboron steers right where you point it and settles nicely into a straight line for highway travels. Four-wheel disc brakes operate through an anti-lock system. Front and side air bags are standard. The Sunburst Yellow paint job was exceptionally attractive - especially to small flying insects that fell in love with it. Mileage is 18 city and 26 highway. All in all, this is about much as anyone of limited means could want in a two-seater. Far better than any domestic two-seater Judge Bob has tested in recent years.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 SUBARU OUTBACK L.L. BEAN EDITION: When you get ready to select a new vehicle, be sure to consult the Consumer Reports issue detailing reliability and durability of past models. And when you do, you'll discover that among major automakers, Subaru has the best reputation. Beyond that, however, you get desirable all-wheel drive with every Subaru, even the cheapest. This L.L. Bean model of the Outback is not in that category, that's for sure. It's bottom line price was $33,043. But think of it as a luxury station wagon and you'll understand the price. It's all leather and wood, with most convenience items as standard equipment. This one, in fact, had only a $173 alarm system as optional. Standard safety features are impresssive - dual front and side air bags, dual side curtain head bags and anti-lock brakes. All-wheel drive, of course, is a major safety feature in bad weather. There is so much standard on this L.L. Bean Outback that there's little left to ask for, or to criticize. Judge Bob could live happily ever after with it. You can too.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 NISSAN TITAN SE: Well, here's a pleasant surprise - a truck Judge Bob likes. Most trucks today are just okay. Redneck sports cars. Rough around the edges. Good for what they're meant for .. and that's not hauling the family around on Saturday night. The Titan in many respects is like most trucks, only better. This $30,980 truck began as a $24,950 Titan that would be good only for work duties. Throw in $5,000 worth of options and you have yourself a four-door, comfortable truck that can do double duty in the city. Most impressive were ultrasonic parking assist buttons in the rear. Face it, you can't see squat when backing up a truck. That's how come so many trucks have dented bumpers. If ever a vehicle needed the parking assist system - where sound waves are sent out and bounce back to measure distance to an object - it's a truck. This one even has side curtain air bags that deploy in a rollover. And for this price, there's even satellite radio that plays country music songs you've never heard before. Our tester had numerous features that added to its utility, such as a special bedliner, tie-down clips, flip-over cargo extender, sliding bed divider, extendable tow mirrors as part of its towing package and an audio system that turned the interior into a home theater of sound. Just complete luxury and utility in a full-size pickup truck. Judge Bob cannot remember testing a better truck. Faster, yes. Better, no.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER LE: Talk about a decked-out Pathfinder. This sport utility with three rows of seats even had an optional DVD entertainment system, in addition to a DVD navigation system. All for $36,710. It's a bit better on fuel efficiency that other sport utes, but not much at 16 city and 23 highway. Gasoline prices are incresingly causing buyers to turn away from sport utilities, which are classified as trucks and don't have to meet corporate fuel efficiency ratings. As a result, companies don't seem to give a damn about a truck's fuel economy. That may change soon as sales slide into the Dumpster. But, as mentioned, this is slightly better than average poor ratings and the Pathfinder is a good sport ute right up to the moment you lower some windows at highway speed. Then you hear the booming pioneered by Toyota with its Highlander. Highlander is still King of Booms but the Pathfinder's obnoxious wind booming is enough of an annoyance to send anyone with a dog or any smoker in search of another vehicle. This aural nuisance plagues many slab-sided vehicles and the rule here is test all would-be purchases with windows down. One down. Two down. All down. If you hear booming at 65 miles per hour, thank the nice salesman who has just lost a sale, tell him to tell his manufacturer to pay attention to the problem during wind tunnel testing, and go find a vehicle that doesn't boom. The boomers are in the minority. They deserve extinction.
NOTE: Entered into evidence is this fact: Carmakers send what they need to sell. Maybe that's the reason you will find four sport utilities below, in addition to those we had earlier in the month, reviewed above. Sport utilities are sitting unwanted on dealer lots, and they're expensive, with large profit margins. Maybe their era is over. Maybe, but not likely. You still need to shop wisely if you need the added utility a sport utility can offer your family.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 INFINITI QX56: Let's start here: 13 miles per gallon in the city - if you drive slowly and carefully. 19 on the highway. $52,030 on the window sticker. That money buys you a monster ute, with intelligent cruise control, a DVD entertainment system, and a big sliding sunroof. The thing is plenty fast, with a 315-horsepower V8 under the hood, capable of towing 9,000 pounds. The rear liftgate is power operated, there are ultrasonic proximity sensors in the rear, a nice navigation system, fold-flat third and second row seats, front, side and head curtain air bags, power everything and remote key fob everything including that rear liftgate. The 28-gallon fuel tank means that even with millionaire-pockets' mileage, you can go a long way before having to take out a loan to refuel ($60 as this is written). It's main competitor is probably ...
PEOPLE VS. 2005 LEXUS GX470: The smaller Lexus V8 gives only slighter better fuel efficiency: 15 in town and 19 on the highway. It, too, has the booming irritation. It has a great deal going right for it - Mark Levinson audio system, navigation system and backup camera, rear seat entertainment system, air bags all around, full-time four-wheel drive, leather and wood interior, and three rows of seats with a rear air conditioner. It's also $56,131. Worst, it looks like sport utes of five years ago. Stuff all the new gadgets you want in it - it still looks old. It need refreshing and Toyota needs to redesign all of its sport utes to eliminate the dreadful booming with windows down.
PEOPLE VS. 2005 ISUZU ASCENDER: Another gas guzzler(14/19), this time with a price tag of $39,468 but lacking some luxuries as laser cruise control, a navigation system or in-vehicle entertainment system. Despite attempts at luxury touches, this monster sport ute falls short. It looks old and doesn't exude any kind of "I'm special" ambiance. It's workmanlike, but don't we expect more for $40,000? Judge Bob sure does. This became the Descender in a hurry. If you're going to drop 40 Big Ones on a vehicle, look around and see what you can buy.
PEOPLE VS. 2006 LEXUS RX400h: Judge Bob had high expectations for this gasoline/electric hybrid from the same company that produces the incredible Toyota Prius. But expectations were dashed and disappointment resulted from the 25.2 miles per gallon returned in 1,100 miles of mostly interstate travel (EPA says 27 mpg). In regular commuting, where the EPA 31 mpg city figure should come closer, the actual mileage was 22.3. Very disappointing when compared to the Ford Escape hybrid sport utility. There are non-hybrid vehicles of this size that do as well, in fact. But the RX400 itself remains one of Judge Bob's all-time favorites. It's the right size for an average family and our tester came with many desirable features - Mark Levinson audio, a navigation system, back-up camera, air bags everywhere including driver's knee bags. Safety features are first-rate, the headlights are superb, and even the tailgate is power-operated. The final sticker for a rather compact sport ute, however, is $50,863. Not in that price was expected laser cruise control. It's a lot of money and the disappointing fuel efficiency means a smart buyer might opt for the regular gas model. Judge Bob wants to know when some pioneering automaker will pair a diesel four-cylinder with an electric motor. Now that should produce some mileage figures worth extra money at purchase time.
Earlier settlements
Home, James
© 2005, Robert C. Bowden
|
