Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged hatchback
2002 Mercedes C230 Sport
01051 days
With the new Mercedes C230 Sports Coupe’s surprisingly low price, there are bound to be a lot of drivers new to Mercedes running around out there in the next year or so. To those Mercedes neophytes: Welcome! You’re about to learn what that three-pointed star is all about. Even though it’s at the bottom of the lineup, the C230 Sports Coupe doesn’t lack for any of the qualities that make a Mercedes what it is.
As part of Mercedes’ attempt to broaden its appeal in the US, the C230 Sports Coupe’s mission in life is to make Mercedes-Benz’ unique blend of performance, quality, and luxury available to buyers all across the economic scale, rather than just the super-rich. Based on the new-for-2001 C-Class sedan, Mercedes’ “two-door debutante” is the only “premium hatchback” currently for sale in the United States. And as the price leader, it’s Mercedes’ all-important introduction to new buyers.
For those who aren’t intimately familiar with the marque, the C230 Sports Coupe’s styling is classic Mercedes. Like the rest of the C-Class, it has oval headlamps and a wide chrome grill whose basic look dates back to Mercedes cars of the Sixties. The hatchback body is proportioned nicely despite being chopped seven inches, with only a hint of stubbiness at the tail end. The classic Mercedes nose keeps the C230 Sports Coupe from looking like an economy car. This is the long-hood, short-tail look popularized by classic muscle cars, taken to extremes. 16″ alloy wheels are standard. At the rear, there’s a small window in the hatchback, reminiscent of Honda CRX and Mazda MX-3, which improves visibility slightly.
Not doing much for visibility but helping the mood inside tremendously is the optional “panorama sunroof.” Check this option box, and the C230 Sports Coupe arrives with a full-width sunroof over the front seat passengers, and a second glass panel over the rear seat. Retractable covers make the C230 Sports Coupe’s interior bright and airy, even on rainy days. The front section of the glass roof can be opened just like a sunroof as well. Should you choose to move farther up the pecking order into more expensive Mercedes cars (or trucks) in the future, the interiors will remain familiar places. The C230 Sports Coupe shares the C-Class’ “rainbow” speedometer/tachometer and driver information center, and adds cool upholstery to the seats. Our three ergonomic complaints are all typical of Mercedes. First, the psychotic sound system’s vague, confusing controls will require repeated trips to the owner’s manual. Second, the sound system’s insistence on varying volume with speed means that the radio is perpetually too loud or too quiet. GM cars also have this feature, but unlike Mercedes’ it can be turned off. Lastly, the C230 Sports Coupe has a pedal parking brake, whose operation in a manual transmission-equipped car can require some foot-jockeying.
Once on the road, it’s a good idea for Mercedes tyros to remember that Mercedes cars do not care how fast you are going. Period. The C230 Sports Coupe is capable of the same effortless autobahn cruising as every other Mercedes product we’ve tested. For drivers used to other cars, this can be a shock. Even a capable Corvette or Celica tends to accompany high speed with a certain amount of drama, if only to remind you that you’re really, really exceeding the speed limit. There are no such indicators from the C230 Sports Coupe. Forty, eighty, and one hundred twenty miles per hour all feel the same. It’s an amazing feat for a small car. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
The slick freeway manners come thanks in part to a 2.3 liter supercharged 16-valve four-cylinder. Not only does this engine–shared with the SLK roadsters–pump out 192 horsepower, but a wide torque band makes that power available just about whenever it’s requested. With its belt-driven supercharger, there’s almost as much off-the-line grunt as a six-cylinder engine, but without the larger motor’s fuel consumption. Standing starts on extremely steep hills brought out a bit of four-cylinder breathlessness, but the belt-driven, nearly silent supercharger took care of them in short order. The motor is hooked up to a very smooth-shifting six-speed manual transmission. An automatic is also available. The six-speed has longish throws, but straddles the line between sporty and easy to drive very well. The C230 Sports Coupe’s top speed is reached in sixth gear, and is faster than you ought to be going on public roads.
The suspension does its part to contribute to the C230 Sports Coupe’s Mercedes experience. Compared to its four-door counterpart, the Sports Coupe is slightly lowered, and the shocks are stiffer. A three-link front suspension does wonders for steering feel, especially at high speeds. At the back, a multi-link rear is similar to the C-Class sedan’s but has been stiffened to keep the rear-drive car from getting too tail-happy. Four-wheel disc brakes and Mercedes’ Electronic Stability Program (ESP) are also standard. ESP combines skid control and a panic-braking-assist systems into a general traction control package, and as on other Mercedes (we keep saying that, don’t we?) its function is almost seamless. The C230 Sports Coupe is more than capable on the freeway, and it doesn’t mind an occasional twist thrown its way either. It’s not a full-fledged sports car–an Honda S2000 or BMW M3 would leave it for dead on a race track–but the C230 Sports Coupe is willing to play.
Best of all, the C230 Sports Coupe isn’t a stripped-down, bargain-basement Mercedes. Standard equipment includes anti-lock brakes, an antitheft system with a cool infrared key (instead of the typical metal and plastic affair), cruise control, front and side air bags, and heated mirrors. Mercedes’ Tele Aid emergency service system is also included. Not a bad deal for $24,950. The panoramic sunroof adds $995 to the bottom line; our test car stickered for $26,590 and was more than a bargain at that price. Audi and BMW are also poised to roll out “premium compacts” in the next few years, but it’s a sure bet none of them will have anything like the C230 Sports Coupe’s Mercedes mystique.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2002 Mercedes C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe, which we tested.
Base price: $24,950
Price as tested: $26,590
Engine: 2.3 liter DOHC supercharged 16-valve I-4
Drivetrain: six-speed manual, rear wheel drive
Horsepower: 192 @ 5500
Torque: 200 @ 2500-4800
Est. mileage: 19/29
2001 Volkswagen GTI GLS
01065 days
We happened upon an impressive, chaotic scene during the Volkswagen GTI’s stay with us. An import custom-car show had just closed for the night, and the roads were filled with bespoilered and bewinged compacts, all painted bright colors, cruising slow and throbbing bass into the night. The GTI actually fit in reasonably well with this crowd, as our test car was painted in vivid “Tropic Orange Metallic.” But after a few minutes of 10-mph cruising, we’d had enough of wasting the driving-oriented GTI. We got out of line, sped past the show cars, and found a curvy little road to play on. Splashed through a mud puddle and took the shine off that paint job, too. And the GTI was happy.
The Volkswagen GTI comes with a long history behind it. The original Rabbit GTI was a boxy little hatchback with a few hot-rod cues and a lot of hot-rod substance beneath the style. It was a revolutionary idea in 1983, and a huge hit. In the mid-Eighties, it grew into the slightly larger Golf GTI, which faithfully and reliably carried the sporty-hatchback banner for VW until a few years ago, when the GTI became a separate nameplate. Starting mid-2001, all GTIs will feature a side-curtain style airbag that covers front and rear side windows when it deploys.
The practical, mini-wagon design has always been a GTI hallmark. It shares its basic structure with the Jetta, so at a glance they’re similar; a smoothed-off Volkswagen face and big VW badge dominating the grille up front. Look again, though, because the Jetta and GTI don’t share any frontal bodywork. The GTI has a more playful face, with teardrop-shaped headlamps instead of the Jetta’s rectangular units. Headlamps, projector-style foglights, and turn signals are grouped behind a single clear lens. The narrow grille and flat hood have been featured on GTIs since the beginning. The stubby, vertical tail will appeal only to lovers of hatchbacks and station wagons, and Volkswagen’s signature center-mount antenna juts up from the roof like a bee’s stinger. Large five-spoke aluminum wheels in 15″ through 17″ sizes are available. The GTI is subtly aggressive and sporty–subtle enough in fact that only car people are going to immediately recognize it for what it is.
The interior matches that of the comfortable Jetta. The blue-on-red gauges are the same, as are the well-positioned seats and pedals that were designed for heel-toe downshifts. Our test car had an appealing light-dark-light color scheme, with beige cloth on the pillars and roof, traditional matte black Volkswagen plastic covering the dash, and then lighter colors below. It’s much airier than the usual somber black Volkswagen interior. There’s room for four, and folding rear seats allow the hatchback to be turned into a small station wagon (remember the Volkswagen commercial in which a GTI swallowed a discarded La-Z-Boy?). We had only one gripe; the floormats had a habit of sliding under the pedals and lodging there. We chucked them into the trunk after an hour.
From the inside it looks like big brother Jetta, but the GTI has a hot-rod soul, whether it’s powered by the 150-horsepower turbocharged four in our GLS test car, or the 174-horsepower V6 in the GLX. It may look like a grocery-getter, but the GTI is an aggressive car that doesn’t like to sit in traffic. Our test car was happy to spin the tires with little provocation, and it had the smaller of the available motors. The 1.8 liter turbocharged four features five valves per cylinder for improved breathing at high revs, and it’s torquey for its size as well. A smooth-shifting five-speed manual is standard in all GTIs, with an automatic available.
Around town, the sporty Volkswagen prefers open road to congested traffic. Visibility is good, and it’s easy to maneuver, but it just doesn’t feel happy unless it’s being pushed hard. Independent front and beam-axle rear suspension and four-wheel disc brakes enable it to make the most of whatever twisty road it’s thrown at. ABS, traction control, and a limited-slip differential are standard. The GTI feels slightly softer than competitors like the Ford Focus hatchback. Although the Focus gives away a bunch of horsepower to the VW, the little Ford is likely to keep up in the turns thanks to its greater stability. Up-and-down motions, while perfectly acceptable in your average car, make the GTI feel a little more unsettled than a sports car ought to. It seems to be going out of its way to attack the corners, jumping on them rather than staying perfectly planted. The precise steering and quick reflexes are nonetheless on par with GTIs of the past, as well as the current competition.
The GTI is available in GLS and GLX trim levels, which are equipped with four- and six-cylinder engines, respectively. Cruise control, sunroof, Audi/VW’s cool switchblade key fob, the Side Curtain airbag, and power windows are all on the standard equipment list. Most of the GLS’ options–including a Monsoon sound system and leather interior–are standard on the GLX. GTI prices start at $19,800 for a GLS. To get the V6-equipped GLX the base jumps to just over $23,000. Our GLS test car stickered for $20,470 with the leather interior and Monsoon sound system.
Sure, you’ll see plenty of them tricked out with big wheels and bigger subwoofers, cruising at ten miles per hour with a caravan of import hatchbacks, because the GTI’s handsome, blank-slate styling, great road manners and familiar nameplate appeal to customizers. And that’s a good thing. Just remember to let it loose on a twisty road once in a while, because it’s also a delightful car to Drive, with a capital D.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Volkswagen GTI GLS1.8T, which we tested.
Length: 164.9 in.
Width: 68.3 in.
Height: 56.9 in.
Wheelbase: 98.9 in.
Curb weight: 2860 lb
Base price: $19,800
Price as tested: $20,470
Engine: 1.8 liter turbocharged four-cylinder
Drivetrain: five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Horsepower: 150 @ 5700 rpm
Torque: 155 @ 1950-4500 rpm
Fuel capacity: 14.5 gal.
Est. mileage: 24/31
6/2009 update: The GTI is an expensive used car; it’s held its value better than many of its contemporaries. That said, it’ll return the favor in fun-to-drive-ness.
2007 MINI Cooper S
01301 days
After six years on the market, even the most car-ignorant onlooker knows what a MINI Cooper looks like. This stylish subcompact is one of the big reasons that small cars are turning all respectable on us, after all. With premium appointments and entertaining performance as well as fantastic fuel economy, the MINI Cooper was one of the first cars to prove that diminutive dimensions don’t necessarily have to mean a cut-rate ride.
Everybody recognizes the MINI, but considerably fewer will notice that for 2007, it’s all-new. This cheerful little hatchback has been completely redesigned, though it’s not obvious at a glance; the new sheet metal is style to perfectly match the proportions of the old. That said, a host of improvements make the 2007 MINI a legitimate next step in the evolution of the premium compact.
One MINI owner described the new design as being like a caricature of the previous car, in a good way, and that’s true. The elements that made the MINI familiar are stronger all around. The changes are subtle; a tweak to the basic look here, a nip and tuck there. The result is a MINI that looks more assertive and a bit more upscale. Perhaps, in the case of the Cooper S, even a bit meaner. Our test car’s airdam, big wheels, and narrow panel gaps gave it a more powerful look.
If you want the rundown of actual changes, they’re more obvious when the current and previous MINIs are parked side-by side. The headlights are larger and more intricate, with cool projector-lamp detailing. The chrome trim running around the body is more prominent and distinct, encompassing the windshield wipers. At the rear, the window glass has been revised for improved aerodynamics. The taillights are larger, too. The oversized details mask the increase in size, so the MINI still looks “mini,” even when parked next to the smaller ’06 model. It’s about three inches longer than the first-generation MINI. The higher-performance MINI Cooper S is still distinguished by the hood scoop and central exhaust, and the cool details like contrasting-color roof and mirrors and available roof decals are still available, of course.
The size increase is intended primarily to make the interior subtly larger. It’s not particularly noticeable except in the cargo area, which can now hold a few grocery bags without necessitating that the rear seat be folded. The optional cargo nets are handy, too. Up front where the people sit, the dinner-plate sized central speedometer and retro toggle switchgear are still prominent design elements. The cheap plastics that got some flak in the previous model have been banished. Rear seat room has been slightly increased by re-contouring the front seatbacks. At night, indirect ambient lighting in a choice of colors gives the MINI showcar-like style inside, glowing from the B-pillars, door pockets and door handles. Another upscale touch is the ignition key, which is a round transmitter rather than a traditional key. For MINI drivers who want even more luxury, a variety of interior trims are now available, including color-matched dash trim and wood. There’s an optional navigation system as well.
The new interior does look better, but the sound system controls are an ergonomic nightmare. MINI has integrated many of the ancillary controls with the speedometer. The resulting layout is simpler to look at, but it’s very hard to use and even harder to figure out quickly. Thanks to too many counterintuitive controls and no simple way to scroll up and down the radio dial, we found ourselves irritated with the MINI’s radio quite frequently.
Of course, that doesn’t detract from the driving experience in the least. How could it? It may be a touch bigger, but the MINI hasn’t lost a bit of its joie de vivre. The handling is still wish-quick, the grip still monorail-like. Variable-assist electric power steering is new, and includes a “sport” mode that offers a more direct connection to the road. Anti-lock brakes, corner braking control and traction control are standard equipment, with Dynamic Stability Control available.
The MINI gets an all-new engine, as well. In the MINI Cooper S, the all-aluminum 1.6 liter four-cylinder is turbocharged, and makes 172 horsepower. The twin-scroll turbocharger offers almost lag-free power. The new car feels somewhat more athletic than its predecessor as a result of the power bump. Small size works in the MINI’s favor in the economy department as well; all of this performance is had to the tune of 29 city, 36 highway mileage. The standard MINI will top 40 mpg on the freeway. The standard transmission in both MINI models is now a six-speed manual, with an optional six-speed automatic also available.
The MINI faithful will of course instantly recognize the new car versus the old; most other folks probably can’t tell the difference. Spotting the changes isn’t all that important, however; what’s important is that the MINI is still the MINI. The more refined 2007 model hasn’t lost any of the charm that made it an automotive icon in the first place. MINI pricing is still in the “premium compact” range, with the Cooper stickering for $18,700. The hot MINI Cooper S starts at $21,850. Per pound, that’s pretty steep, but the MINI Cooper S will happily repay the extra cost in driving enjoyment.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2007 MINI Cooper S
Length: 146.2 in.
Width: 66.3 in.
Height: 55.4 in.
Wheelbase: 97.1 in.
Curb weight: 2668 lb.
Cargo space: 5.7 cu.ft. (seats up)
Base price: $21,850
Price as tested: $26,170
Engine: 1.6 liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder
Drivetrain: six-speed manual transmission, front-wheel drive
Horsepower: 172 @ 5500
Torque: 177 @ 1600-5000
Fuel capacity: 13.2 gal.
Est. mileage: 29/36