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Archives for July 2013

How I Became a Car Journalist Part I

July 28, 2013 by Tom Williams 1 Comment

As readers of The Garage, you take for granted that we simply know what we’re talking about as car journalists. Or, you read other blogs, buy magazines, or watch car shows on TV. But, did you ever wonder how the people providing you our opinions got here? If so, I am going to relate my story. In a recent issue of Road & Track, the magazine lists their writer’s 51 Favorite things about what they love about everything automotive, which inspired me to write my own story.

It starts at birth. During a snow storm in January 1973, my mother declared to my father that ‘it was time.’ They hopped in their only car, a 1967 Pontiac GTO convertible, drove off to Yale-New Hospital, and there I was born. Unfortunately, as a toddler, strapped in a car seat in the back seat of the GTO with the top down, Mom and Dad seemed like a million miles away from me, and driving top down was downright terrifying. I know, it’s heresy, but from the perspective of a two or three year old, cut me some slack. With the impending arrival of a baby sister, the GTO was traded in for a sensible Mercury Monarch, hardly a collectors item, but it was transportation. Still, the arrival of my newborn sister yielded a new set of Matchbox cars, which made my day.

My car obsession was something I had on my own. After the GTO, my father was not really into cars, they were more of a financial decision than emotional. My Grandfather, a World War II veteran, Pearl Harbor survivor serving as Lt. Col. on the USS Pennsylvania was fairly car conscious. He liked his cars large and luxurious, and would tell me repeatedly the key to a car’s smooth ride was a long wheelbase. He loved the big American personal luxury coupes, and I have fond memories of rides in this Ford LTD two door with doors that seemed about 10′ long and weighed 1,000 lbs. His Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz with its stainless steel roof that was hopelessly unreliable, but was his pride an joy. Most notable was his 1959 Ford Thunderbird, silver with a black hardtop with red and white leather interior. He bought that car new, and kept it until 1987. I would spend hours just sitting in that car, admiring the style, the art deco levers and controls and fonts on the dash. That car would be replaced with his last new car purchase, a 1988 Lincoln Mark VII LSC, with the Mustang GT 5.0’s V-8. At 15, he let me drive it. I was being extra careful, but he was getting frustrated. He said “This car has an American V-8, put your foot in it.” I love him for that. That was my first and only drive with him before he passed.

Timing is everything, and truth be told, as I grew up my interest in cars waned. It’s just not cool to be a pre-teen playing with Matchbox cars, and my attention turned to G.I. Joe, arcade games, electronics, etc. My parents drove cars that were appliances. But, we had moved into a more affluent neighborhood, and that car obsession I was born with would soon be awoken. I had a neighbor with a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB around the corner from me. On early mornings he would fire up that Columbo V-12, and roll down our street in first gear, waiting for her to get warmed up. The sound was mesmerizing. Another neighbor behind my house had a black, all original Ferrari 275 GTS, and it had the same effect. I’d come running out of the house just to see the cars warming up, to better hear the wail of that stupendous V-12. I was getting back into it.

My great-uncle Tom bought me a Road & Track around this time, with a Ferrari Testarossa on the cover, and I have been a subscriber ever since. But the clincher came in 1988. I was the neighborhood paper boy, driving my Puch 12-speed every day. My neighbor Bill, also a gear head, asked me if I would like to work for him at his high-end audio store on the Gold Coast of southwest Connecticut. I said I would. On the first day I was able to legally work, I went to work. Bill picked me up in his 1987 BMW 535is. It was like no car I had ever been in. Red with black leather, the Recaro seats seats held me tight in place. This was clearly no ordinary car. I worked Saturdays, and our commute was on the bucolic Merritt Parkway. My father was always a cautious driver, and so was Bill, but for the first time in my life, I experienced 80mph in a car, and the 535is was one hell of a car. Not wanting to seem dorky, I restrained my excitement, but I was having the time of my life. I practically had tears in my eyes. I was experiencing the Ultimate Driving Machine.

One morning on our way to work, Bill informed me we would be stopping to pick up a client’s car for a stereo installation. It would be a day that would change my life forever. We stopped at a doctor’s house, where a red 1988 Porsche 911 Carrera was parked out front. We were handed the keys. Bill fired up that boxer six and I was sold. That sound literally possessed me, intoxicated me. What that 911 was capable of positively astounded me. I swore I would own one, no matter what it took. I won’t keep you waiting-I do own a 1976 Porsche 911S. I do not use it much, but just going out to the garage to pull out my gas grill, and to gaze upon the car always makes me smile. And yes, the sound of that engine is still intoxicating. Finally, I do take deep pleasure in the envious looks from men driving minivans who stare at me in envy when I pull up alongside them. It hurts them that much more when I have my wife and son strapped in his booster seat. Hey, it’s not my fault you spent $35 grand on your Sienna, and I have the Porsche for less than 10.

It was finally time for me to learn how to drive. Thankfully, my dad owned one of the best Honda Accord’s ever built, a 1987 LXi. I’d be coached in my hometown, but my favorite driving lessons were on the curvy roads of my mother’s hometown in rural Northeastern Connecticut, where I got my first personal taste a driving a car on a fun road. That Accord was a great car, at a time when Honda was at their height of engineering excellence. I enrolled at an after-school Driver’s Ed program at my Jesuit high school. Here, we drove god-awful Chevy Cavaliers. I got my chops on driving in ugly inner-city Bridgeport. Surrounded by drivers with little care in traffic law, or much anything for that matter, this was the school of hard knocks. Tough, but it paid off.

I studied hard, and passed my driver’s test. With my newly minted driver’s license, all I wanted was to get out and drive, and be free. That was not going to happen. I had finals the next day, and my parents insisted I stay home and study, which I did. On that note, I will stop here. I sincerely hope you enjoyed some personal insight on my evolution as a car guy to the point where I finally get to drive. Part II will focus on how I took that passion and cracked into the business of car journalism. Thank you for reading.

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Review: 2013 Ford Fusion

July 23, 2013 by Tom Williams 2 Comments

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To our regular readers, if it seems like The Garage has been pumping out nothing but reviews of mid-size cars lately, well, the bottom line is we’ve been slammed with an onslaught of new, redesigned mid-size cars hitting the showroom floor. Sure, the crossover is what everyone is chatting about, but in the real world, the mid-size family car remains king, and the competition is absolutely cutthroat. The 2013 Ford Fusion is all new for this year. Ford flew me to the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit to see the global reveal of the car. While there, Ford took me behind the scenes, showing me clay models of the Fusion, and the advanced technology of putting the Fusion on massive computer monitors just to see how the car looked in different backgrounds, just to make sure they were getting the right look.

The work paid off. The new Ford Fusion is easily one of the most dramatic and stylish mid-size cars out there. Curvy and elegant, the Fusion just drips with class. Without a doubt the best view is from the front. Let’s face it-if you’re going to copy a grille from anyone, you cannot go wrong by aping Aston Martin. Flanked by narrow, deeply focused headlamp clusters, the Fusion looks a little more aggressive than one would think of a family car, but the end result is brilliant. Ford smartly decided it made more sense to be a true global company, meaning one design would work for the world. The Fusion is a direct result of this thinking, and if it looks as if the car has a very European flair, it’s because it partly is.

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Inside the Fusion, the look is quite contemporary. However, our test car was fitted with an all black interior with piano black and silver trim. As you can imagine, this made for a slightly austere and dark cabin. That said, the interior offered plenty of room for all, and the driver’s seat was very comfortable. Quality of materials was just average, and I was shocked to see how poorly the trim was attached on the passenger door. High-end Fusions feature the controversial Ford MyTouch, which car magazines love to complain about without really going in to detail as to what MyTouch is. As you can see above, you have an 8″ LCD screen that handles four aspects of the car-entertainment, navigation, phone, and climate control. Below that screen are a sort of buttonless controls allowing you to make adjustments you can make on-screen as well. In the gauge cluster, the sole analog gauge is the speedometer, which is flanked by two 4″ customizable LCD screens which can show different information from menu buttons on the steering wheel.

This all sounds really neat, and cutting edge, right? People were amazed at the capabilities of MyTouch as I went from screen to screen, and displaying the plethora of information available to me. And it was easy to show all of this because the car was in park. Cruising at 80mph, the last thing you want to be doing is scrolling through menus. While the redundant buttonless panel is cool in concept, it’s sort of like when you click an icon on your smartphone and nothing happens. Again, the big difference here is that you are trying to make simple adjustments that aren’t happening while you are driving a car. Ford’s MyTouch is an awesome concept in theory, but in the real world it still needs some work.

The Fusion is offered in three trim levels, S, SE, and Titanium. The S and SE come standard with a 2.5L four cylinder engine rated at 175hp, paired to a six-speed automatic. With the SE, you also have the option of a 1.6L turbocharged four rated at 178hp, and the bonus here is you can outfit your Fusion with a six-speed manual transmission, a rarity in this class of car. Of course, the automatic is also available. Finally, the Titanium has a 2.0L turbocharged four rated at 240hp, which is available only with a six-speed automatic. Unique to its class, the Fusion Titanium is available in front or all-wheel drive. In a quest for fuel economy, Ford is not offering a V-6 Fusion as it did before. Our all-wheel drive Fusion had EPA fuel economy ratings of 22/31 MPG city/highway, which I found to be pretty respectable. The top-spec engine gets the job done just fine, and is remarkably refined and unobtrusive. Acceleration will meet or exceed any typical buyer’s expectations, but as far as pure horsepower goes, the competition offers much more. Once again we go back to Ford’s global platform, and the dividends pay off handsomely. The Fusion handles exceptionally well when the road gets twisty, and is a perfectly competent long distance cruiser. As far as driving dynamics go, Ford nailed it.

IMG_1769The Fusion is, as was intended, a mainstream family sedan aimed directly at middle-class families. And with a starting price of around $22,000USD, that sounds about right. And I suspect the vast majority of Fusion sales will be the S or SE models. Our test car, however, was the Titanium all-wheel drive version, and a technological tour de force of essentially everything Ford has available now, and that is reflected in the price of our car. With standard equipment such as 18″ alloys, dual zone automatic climate control, power, heated leather seats, aluminum pedals, ambient interior lighting, premium Sony audio, XMSirius radio, HD radio, rearview camera, perimeter alarm and reverse sensing assist. Our test car’s options included the Ruby Red paint, active park assist, adaptive cruise control, navigation, 19″ alloys, and the Driver Assist Package (lane keeping system and cross-traffic alert). Including delivery charges, our Fusion rings up at breathtaking $37,670. We’re now in Lexus/Infiniti/Audi/BMW territory here, but outfit any of those cars like our Fusion you could be looking at an extra $15,000.

It’s pretty common for a manufacturer to give people like me, the media, the absolute top of the line car to see and sample the best that they have to offer. But that doesn’t mean it is what you, the consumer buys when you sign the check at the dealer. In its favor, the Fusion is positively gorgeous, and in speaking to Ford CEO Alan Mulally, he is clearly proud of his car, as is chief designer J. Mays. The Fusion manages to click off all the right boxes-styling, comfort, roominess, generous trunk space and good handling. And the car buying public has responded-Ford can barely keep Fusions on their lots, and are hurrying to tool up another Fusion factory in Michigan. I know Ford is proud of the technology they have available in the Fusion, but in the case of our test car, I found it way over priced. At nearly $38,000 I want a warm, inviting interior. Not plastic, and especially without trim popping out. She is a looker, has excellent handling, but Ford, we just needed that little extra to make it to the absolute top of the class.

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Further With Ford 2013 Trend Conference: Day One

July 10, 2013 by Tom Williams Leave a Comment

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For the second year in a row, The Garage was invited to be the guest of Ford Motor Company for the annual ‘Further With Ford’ Trend Conference. On a blistering Monday morning in late June, I dropped off my son for his first day of summer camp, and headed off for the airport in my test car of the week, ironically the new Ford Escape Titanium. The Escape whisked me to Bradley International Airport just north of Hartford in cool, calm comfort. I was excited, and eager to see and hear what insights Ford would reveal to how they are approaching the future of the car business.

It turns out I would have more time to ponder this than planned, thanks to numerous flight delays. Finally arriving in Detroit, I essentially threw my suitcase into my hotel room and booked it to the bus. To kick off the conference, Ford was hosting dinner for us at The Henry Ford, possibly one of the most remarkable museums I have ever visited. There is something for everyone. The limo JFK was assassinated in? It’s here. Parked in front of it is the limo Ronald Reagan was pushed into after he was shot. I haven’t even scratched the surface of what the museum has to offer.

It was almost time to get down to business, and as I sat down at a table, none other than Ford CEO Alan Mulally starts introducing himself to some of the Ford execs seated near me. Next thing I know a hand is extended to me, I look up, and he says “Hi, I’m Alan, nice to meet you.” I stood up, introduced myself, and he asked what The Garage was about. I told him, and mentioned I had just had the Fusion, C-Max and currently the Escape. Mulally wasted no time, and immediately asked me my impression of the Fusion. I told him, and when I was finished, he said good-bye, walked up to the stage to greet the audience, and introduced Bill Ford, great grandson of Henry Ford.

Bill Ford is widely known for being pro-environment. In speaking to us, Ford emphasized his pride in the fact that over the course of the past seven years Ford has moved from being one of the worst car companies in terms of fuel economy to one of the best. Ford seemed excited to be offering EV’s (electric vehicles), but conceded it will be a slow build-up, as consumers deal with range anxiety, and spotty charging station locations. Ford perceives the Federal government’s lack of a national energy plan and proper infrastructure as hindrances to the success of making EV’s a success in America.

Finally, Ford brought up the company’s relationship with ZipCar. For those not familiar, ZipCar is a car sharing service operating out of major US and UK cities, as well as universities. Ford, as The Garage learned last year, is closely monitoring the changing car habits of Generation Y. This generation is slower to get a driver’s license, leaving the suburbs for the city, and postponing new car purchases moreso than any generation before. But let’s face it, sometimes you simply need a car. Bill Ford rationalized the relationship with ZipCar very simply. Eventually, members of Generation Y will need to buy a new car. If they had a good experience driving a Ford from ZipCar, they will be that much more inclined to buy a Ford for themselves. Simple, but very smart.

If Bill Ford is a member of automotive family royalty, our next speaker helped to define the world we live and work in today. Alan Mulally introduces Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer. Dressed in black head to toe with the exception of a pair of funky blue sneakers, 250 hand-picked bloggers sit in stunned silence in front of the man many simply call ‘Woz’.  I realize I am dating myself, but I have used Apple Computers since the Apple II came out, and before me is the man who helped make it. Amazingly, Woz acts like a regular guy, albeit a brilliant one. A little goofy, completely down to earth, listening to this man was mesmerizing and truly unforgettable. Wozniak seemed enthusiastic about EV’s, going so far as comparing it to Apple’s progression from floppy disks as a means of propulsion to computers than run themselves with internalized software. Without the floppy disk, the computer could not do anything. And to read the floppy disk, you needed mechanical parts that make noise and can break. Wozniak sees the advent of the EV in exactly the same light. For sure, I pray at the alter of the internal combustion engine, but I’m a car nut. But that’s old fashioned. Steve Wozniak is an innovator, and to him the EV is simply The Next Step for the automobile. I found it a profoundly interesting observation and comparison. I got the feeling Woz was ready and willing to talk for another hour but I could tell his handlers were getting antsy and rushing him to finish up.

Following a delicious dinner seated next to one of the curators of the museum, a British ex-pat who came to Dearborn, I had the pleasure of walking around the museum, taking in its vast auto collection of everything from a Dodge Omni, VW Microbus to a genuine Ford GT-40 Le Mans race car to a Bugatti. Enormous locomotives, a full replica of a 1960’s Howard Johnson’s hotel room. The bus Rosa Parks entered where she decided she would not sit in the back seat. It’s all there. I’d need at least a day, but I did my best with a couple hours.

Full and tired from a long day of traveling and an exhilarating night the The Henry Ford, we filed on to the bus back to our hotel in relative silence. I am back in my hotel room just in time to phone my wife and very tired seven year old son to say goodnight. My room is right at the airport, and thankfully heavily soundproofed, as I watch planes taxi in silence. Restless, I head to DEMA Lounge, grab a USA Today, local brew Crooked Tree IPA and a leather chair while I take in the indoor pond and towering bamboo trees. I’ve been on the go for fourteen hours, and finally get to take a breath and relax. But that 6:45am wake up is coming, and I know I have a very busy day ahead. Time for bed. Stay tuned for my coverage of Day Two of Further With Ford!

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Review: 2013 Dodge Avenger

July 8, 2013 by Tom Williams 2 Comments

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Chrysler, which was on the brink of total collapse a few short years ago is finally in good health, thanks to majority holder Fiat. Turning a car company around is no small task, and at the core of the turnaround are the cars available for you and me to buy. With the Dodge brand, all eyes have been focused on the new, Alfa Romeo-based Dart, a compact four door sedan. In the mid-size department, Dodge continues to offer the Avenger, which is no spring chicken, having been around since 2008. Vilified by the press for awful interior quality, and crude drivetrains, the Avenger was an easy target. Things changed in 2011 with some refreshed sheetmetal, a vastly improved interior, and a brand new V-6. And consumers responded, with 2012 being the best sales year for the Avenger since it debuted, with close to 100,000 cars sold in the US.

Still, the improvements made to the Avenger, good as they are, still leaves it as an ‘also ran’ in the hotly contested mid-size sedan market. So, with an aging car and limited funds, what do you do if you’re Dodge? You make your mid-size car look mean. From the start, Dodge styled the Avenger to look like a little brother to the Charger. It’s butch, blocky, and undeniably American. Two years after a minor refresh, the Avenger still looks old school. However, our test car was equipped with the $495 Blacktop Package, and the reaction on the street astounded me. For that, you get 18″ gloss black alloy wheels, grille, headlight bezels and a rear spoiler. Pretty simple, right? Yet during my week with the Avenger, people would come up to me saying how bad-ass it looked. I was incredulous when an owner of a Honda S2000 came up to me at a car wash asking me questions about the car. I’ve driven every mid-size car available, and none generated the interest our Avenger did. When your competition has limitless funds, Dodge did the right thing by offering an option to make their car stand out. No, it’s not for everyone, but when I had a Toyota Camry, no one noticed.

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The Avenger’s greatest drawback was its interior, which rightfully drew immense criticism for dull as dirt design, poor quality and rock hard plastics. Dodge has gone to great lengths to improve the interior of the Avenger. I am happy to say they have succeeded, but still lag behind the competition. Our all-black interior made for a drab cabin, and the scant silver trim and white stitching on the seats and door panels did little to break up the monotony. That said, the Avenger’s cabin proved to be comfortable for four. Controls are clear and very simple to use-no need to consult the owner’s manual. Rear passengers did complain the Charger inspired kink at the rear fender severely reduced visibility, which is true, and the lack of a rearview camera or parking sensors compounds the problem. The absence of these and other features like a Stop/Start button are stark reminders that this is a car that has been on sale since 2008.

You can take your Avenger with one of two engines. The standard 2.4L four cylinder, rated at 173hp will get the job done. The base model is equipped with an archaic four-speed automatic, while higher trims get a six-speed automatic. For a mere $300 extra, I implore you to get the new 3.6L V-6, mated to a six-speed automatic. Rated at 283hp, the Avenger is one of the most powerful cars in its class. EPA fuel economy ratings are 19/29 MPG City/Highway. When pushed, the Avenger is very quick, and always composed. The steering was nicely weighted. Driver’s seeking an even more aggressively tuned Avenger should check out the R/T, which offers a sport tuned suspension and quicker steering. In the mid-size sedan world, the Avenger cuts a nice balance between the isolation chamber Camry and near-sport sedan Mazda6.

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When the refreshed Avenger arrived in 2011, it was offered in a staggering five different trim levels with funny names like ‘Express’ and ‘Main Street’. No more. You have the base SE, the SXT like our test car, and the sportier R/T. Our Avenger SXT has a base price of just $22,195USD. For that, you get the standard four cylinder engine with the six-speed automatic, auto climate control, SiriusXM satellite radio, power driver’s seat, and LED interior lighting. Options on our test car included leather, heated seats, the aforementioned Blacktop Package, V-6 engine, and the Sun and Navigation Group (6.5″ touchscreen, voice command, Bluetooth, 40 Gig hard drive for your tunes, GPS navigation, power sunroof, and auto dimming rearview mirror. Including delivery charges, the total price rings in at $26,225, which is an incredible bargain.

The harshest critics will dismiss the Avenger as an ugly reminder of the neglect Daimler and Cerberus inflicted on Chrysler. I see it differently. Dodge engineers and designers were given an unpopular car with the directive to make it more competitive on a shoestring budget, and they delivered. It is not the most plush, refined and polished car in its class, but decked out as our test car was, it had an elusive quality called ‘character’, a trait almost never seen in a modern mid-size car. It isn’t like the rest of the herd. It stands out, and it got people talking. Isn’t that what we love about cars? Am I really saying this about an Avenger, a car our Founding Editor Gary Grant named the worst car of the year in 2009? Gary may have been right then, but since then, Dodge has cooked up a spicier Avenger with personality and a bargain price to boot.

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