thegoodfellas/blogset-br huggingface dataset:
In general, it was serviceable on the highway but I would have enjoyed trying the turbo. Around town, as with virtually all Japanese minivans, the engine was more than sufficient.Inside, the MPV was a good combination of get the job done practicality and pure class. I liked that the gear selector was not on the dash next to the wheel but was located below it on a small protruding console on the lower part of the dash. Above that, the climate controls were prominent and intuitive and, topping the center stack and tucked neatly between a pair of vents, was the navigation/audio screen. In front of the driver, in a blatant display of Mazdas Zoom-Zoom philosophy, back lit analog gauges included a large, easy to read tachometer alongside a matching speedometer. There are several seating options available and they run from the totally practical cloth covered three row bench to the highest-end full leather recliners you can get. There is no doubt in my mind that the MPVs primary mission is to move people in comfort and style and that utility, which is still present thanks to a fold-flat rear seat and the well in the floor that swallowing that seat necessitates, comes in a close second.On the road, the current MPV is not as easy to drive as many of the larger, taller JDM vans currently on the market. Because it is has a longer nose, the driver sits well behind the front wheels and the overall driving dynamic is quite car-like. Also, thanks to a lower greenhouse, the windows too are slightly smaller than the enormous ones available on more typical high-end JDM people movers like the Elgrand and the Alphard and that makes it slightly more difficult to see out of. Handling and the ride is good and the driving experience is reminiscent of a large, full size luxury car. I like it.The MPV is all about compromise and, unlike many compromises I have been forced to make during my life, the trade-offs made in its design do not end up giving away all the good in favor of all the bad. The design offers seven seats and sliding doors with the handling dynamics of a large car. It gives up overall height, which is bad because it limits the drivers view but also good because it eliminates the sail area that sends most mini-vans skittering across the freeway on gusty days. It sits the driver further back in the cabin than most vans, which I think makes it more difficult to drive in tight situations but gives an added sense of comfort and control. I think the MPV would do wonderfully on the American market and I would purchase one in a heartbeat.Its a shame we dont get either of these wonderful people movers stateside. They both strike a perfect balance by being big on the inside and small on the outside and, in doing so, are exactly what a mini-van is supposed to be. To wrap up, both of these mighty minis are decent vehicles that would
probably draw people into showrooms in the United States, but only one, the Mazda MPV, would make my short list of mini-vans. If only they were sold here. If only...Thomas M Kreutzer currently lives in Buffalo, New York with his wife and three children but has spent most of his adult life overseas. He has lived in Japan for 9 years, Jamaica for 2 and spent almost 5 years as a US Merchant Mariner serving primarily in the Pacific. A long time auto and motorcycle enthusiast he has pursued his hobbies whenever possible. He also enjoys writing and public speaking where, according to his wife, his favorite subject is himself.View the original article here
Breaking into the Luxury market isnt easy. Toyota has arguably had the most success with Lexus, the only full-line luxury marque sold in America that isnt German. Infiniti gave up on trying to go head-to-head with the S-Class and 7-Series when they ditched the Q, and Cadillac has yet to have a complete and coherent strategy. Meanwhile Acura started off strong with the Legend, created a competent E/5 competitor with the all-wheel-drive RL, and then things started to fall apart. Can the RLX bring the brand back?Why do I bring up Germans in a review of a front-wheel-drive luxury sedan? Because some folks [not everyone mind you] at Acura and plenty of fan boys would like to think the brand runs with the big dogs. In truth Acura has always been a near-luxury brand because they lack a full-size competitor to play in the S-Class/7-Series/A8 pool.CompetitionIn order to look at the RLX through the right lens, we need to nail down the competition. Acura would like you to believe the front-wheel-drive RLX should be pitted against the rear-wheel-drive BMW 528/535, Mercedes E350 and Lexus GS350. I think this comparison has a few problems. First, the RLX isnt as dynamic as a RWD sedan. Second, Acuras brand position is a problem. What say our readers? Should the brand matter in comparisons? Should this all be priced based? In my mind the RLXs drivetrain and the brands near-luxury image put the Acura in direct competition with the Cadillac XTS, Lincoln MKS and Volvo S80. What about the FWD/AWD A6? Perhaps, but Audis brand is a solid BMW/Mercedes competitor these days.ExteriorAcuras flagship has always worn elegant and restrained sheetmetal and that continues with the RLX. Up front we get a more muted and better integrated version of Acuras signature beak flanked by multi-beam LED headlamps. The LED high and low beams are standard on every RLX and strike a unique pose as identifiable as BMWs angel eyes.The RLXs rump is probably the best looking in Acuras current product portfolio. Ive never cared for the jumble of shapes on the TLs back side, thankfully none of them are along for the ride. In an interesting twist, Acura put the RLXs quad exhaust tips behind the bumper where you cant see them instead of integrating them into the bumper cover as in the smaller TL. Looking at the RLX from the side its obvious this car has grown. The rear doors give the Acura a more luxurious look than the old RL which had a decidedly Accord-like silhouette. A long front overhang advertises the transverse engine layout in the RLX, but thats not really a problem with our pre-defined competition since the two Americans and the Swede are all FWD platforms as well.In my opinion, the RLXs exterior ranks second behind the 2014 Volvo S80's clean lines. Yes the Volvo is getting old, but frequent refreshed have helped it age well. I like Caddys art-and-science design theme on every Caddy except the XTS where I find the proportions to be awkward. However Awkward trumps the ginormous and
bizarre schnoz on the Lincoln MKS.InteriorThe RLXs interior is one place where I can not only compare the Acura to the Germans, its an area where Acura excels. You wont find a full-on stitched leather dash like the Volvo S80 or the Mercedes E350 with the designo package, but you can option up a band of stitched leather running across the cabin. Anyway you order your RLX, perfect seams and a tasteful amount of metallic trim are standard. Youll also find perfect seams and fit and finish quality that would make Lexus blush. What you wont find is real tree. The choice of fake wood on upper trim levels perplexes me when all the RLX competitors slather the cabin in acres of burl. (Base RLX models get faux-metal trim.) When it comes to interior styling and quality, I rank the RLX above the E350, 528i, S80, MKS, XTS, GS350, and yes, even the A6.Front seat comfort ranks second in this quartet behind Volvos large and supportive thrones. Enlarging the pool only drops the Acura to third place above the BMW 5-series standard seats but behind the optional million-way sport buckets. Oddly however, those seats arent covered in leather in base RLX models. Want real moo? Thatll be $6,000 more than the RLXs base $48,450. This may be in line with Lexus recent move in the GS, but the RLXs closest competition comes with real leather standard.Rear passengers have notably more room than the outgoing RL with legroom and headroom in line with everyone else. While Lincoln and Cadillac cut corners in the back, Acura delivers rich plastics and an attention to detail that places it first in thus class and certainly on par with BMWs 5.InfotainmentIf one screen is good, two must be better, right? My short answer is: sometimes. The standard two-screen system first debuted in the new Accord and is tweaked for luxury duty donning the AcuraLink name. The concept as explained to me is: the lower touchscreen handles the audio, freeing the upper screen for navigation and other tasks. My beef with the system is: you still need to use the upper screen to navigate your media device as the lower screen simply selects sources and changes tracks somewhat defeating the purpose of splitting the screens. Because of this split personality, and the fact that you have to use the touchscreen, and the knob/dial controller, and the button-bank to navigate the system, AcuraLink comes across as not fully baked.Since my first experience with AcuraLink, the system has grown on me, and in the RLX the dual screens are very well integrated into the dashboard rather than looking like an afterthought as in the Honda. AcuraLink is without question snappier than MyLincoln Touch or Cadillacs buggy CUE system. I find Volvos Sensus interface more intuitive, but you need binoculars to use the microscopic LCD.Two screens might be standard on the $48,450 base model, but navigation is not. Want maps? That bumps the price to $50,950. For $54,450 Acura will bump the speaker count from 10 to 14, watts from 404
to 588, add sound deadening side glass, rain sense wipers, and folding side mirrors. If you want the Krell audio and all the electronic goodies like radar cruise, lane keep assist, parking sensors, dimming side mirrors, ventilated front seats and heated rear seats that bumps the price of the RLX to an eye watering $60,450. Ouch.DrivetrainAcuras only engine for 2014 is a direct-injected 310HP 3.5L V6 that cranks out 272lb-ft of torque. In typical Acura fashion peak power comes at 6,500 RPM, torque comes to a boil at a lofty 4,500 RPM and the six-pot is smooth as butter at every RPM. 310 ponies used to be something to brag about, unfortunately this is 2014 and the RLXs mill only leads when you compare it to base engines in the competition. The problem is everyone but Acura offers a more powerful engine option. If you think nobody options up, lets look at the numbers. Lincoln says over 30% of MKS shoppers opt for their twin-turbo V6 which puts down 19% more power and 30% more torque. My local Volvo dealer says the take rate on the twin-scroll turbo S80 with AWD (300 horsepower and 325lb-ft, 20% more twist) is nearly 80% and Im not in the snow belt. It remains to be seen how many of the fire-breathing twin-turbo 410 horse V6s Cadillac ships in the XTS, but judging by the competition I expect them to shift a few. The Germans? Their twin-turbo V8s are in a different performance ballpark but the 443 horsepower 550i starts just $3,500 more than the top-end RLX.Power isnt the only area where the RLX is at a competitive disadvantage, Acura also dropped their Super Handling AWD system from their flagship. Acuras torque vectoring AWD, capable of continually varying the FWD/RWD bias, set the old RL apart (and ahead) from the pack. Yes, there will be a hybrid AWD RLX soon we are told, but with a maximum of around 60 horsepower at the rear wheels the 370HP RLX hybrid is likely to retain a strong FWD bias. (The system will not have a mechanical connection between the engine and rear wheels. Instead there will be a ~40HP motor/generator between the engine and transaxle and an approximately 28HP motor at each rear wheel.) The less sophisticated AWD systems found in the MKS, XTS and S80 are suddenly the choice for driving enthusiasts.DriveThe lack of AWD has a huge impact in the way the RLX drives compared to its predecessor. The old RL was a hoot and a half on winding mountain roads. In comparison, the RLX is three-quarters of a hoot. The old RL was capable of sending the majority of the engines power to the outside rear wheel making it corner with precision and confidence. When pushed to its limits, the front-heavy RL understeered predictably. The RLX on the other hand is probably one of the most capable front drivers on the market, easily more capable than the FWD Lincoln, Cadillac or Volvo but slots behind AWD versions of the same.Acuras Precision All Wheel Steer system
(dubbed P-AWS) is the reason for the RLXs crisp handling. P-AWS differs from other systems on the market in that it can rotate the rear wheels independently of one another allowing the car to toe both wheels in when braking. That might sound odd, but doing so keeps the RLXs rear end from feeling squirely under hard braking, something usually associated with nose-heavy sedans. P-AWS is tuned to mimic oversteer as much as possible in corners leading to a peculiar combination of slight torque steer, [very] mild oversteer and a hint of wheel hop all at the same time. This is a confluence of personalities you will find only in the RLX. Helping out is an always-active stability control system. Unlike the stability control on most cars which only intervene when things go pear-shaped, this system is always playing with the brakes trying to improve the handling characteristics of the RLX. Paired with electric power steering these systems make the RLX the best handling, but the most artificial FWD sedan I have ever driven.Our RLX was equipped with Acuras Lane Keep Assist system which uses the electric power steering system to help keep you in your lane. Unlike all the other systems on the market, on a freeway the LKA system is almost always providing some level of steering assistance. Acura likens the aid to a ball riding in a U shaped trough, the closer you get to the lane lines, the more the system assists. I dont know if I have formed an opinion on the system yet, but it did work as advertised and can be turned off completely.If youve been keeping score, I found the RLX to be the second most attractive on the outside, have the best interior, second most comfortable seats, best infotainment system, best handling numbers, a middling engine and questionable behind-the-wheel-feel. One might assume this puts the RLX towards the top of the quartet, and perhaps a viable alternative to the Germans. One would be wrong. The RLX is unquestionably a good car, but its $3,200 more than a similarly configured FWD XTS, $8,275 more than the FWD Volvo S80 and $9,990 more than the FWD MKS. Things get worse when you load up the Lincoln and Volvo with the more powerful S80 T6 AWD still $5,000 cheaper and the 365HP MKS Ecoboost AWD $3,000 less expensive. Only Cadillacs 410HP XTS VSport is more expensive ranging from $62,000-$72,000. The news is just as grim when pitted against the luxury competition with the RLX being $1,300 more than the Lexus GS350, $1,200 less than the Infiniti M37, and only a $3,000 discount compared to the E350 and BMW 535i. The result is the RLX has no value proposition to counter the middling engine numbers, FWD bias, road feel and most importantly: the brand image. Sadly I fear the RLX is about $10,000 away from being a great car and $15,000 away from being a game changer. Until Acura realigns their flagships capabilities (or shrinks the price tag) the RLX is destined to be the car everyone
likes but nobody buys.Acura provided the vehicle, insurance and one tank of gas for this review.Specifications as tested0-30: 2.38 Seconds0-60: 5.72 Seconds1/4 Mile: 14.28 Seconds @ 99 MPHAverage Observed Fuel Economy: 23 MPG over 781 milesView the original article here
AppId is over the quota Dereks recent article on the CUV event horizon seemed to have been misunderstood by some of the B&B. Dereks fine analysis showed you how one type of car, the crossover, has left its usual stronghold of America and is now eclipsing other kinds of cars in other markets. His proof is the new Mercedes GLA which shows that now everybody wants in. I posit that the event horizon came somewhat earlier in the form of the Renault/Dacia Duster and that this phenomenon had been brewing for a while. My home country of Brazil is one place where crossovers have been steadily rising in popularity.For those of you living in the USA, its easy to dismiss small crossovers. You are blessed with open spaces, cheap gas and a choice of automobiles with limits that will never come close to being tested. Your streets are, and have been, littered for decades with huge land yachts in various forms: cars, full-size pickupss, SUVs and finally CUVs. It used to be that different markets had different requirements. Not anymore. Now, with globalization the kind of car you can buy has less to do with what you want, but rather what others want, even if theyre an ocean or two away.For Americans, the CUV can be a bit of a let down. Not as capable as the Body-on-Frame SUVs and pickups of yore, not as roomy as the completely misnamed minivans prevalent in the North of the Americas, the CUV nonetheless fits the bill and offers a tangible set of advantages for consumers in world. Stepping up from their small, simple, crudely finished compact hatches, the latest crop of CUVs offer more powerful engines, better build quality, more room (specially for your head!) and more prestige. European, Latin American and Asian consumers can and will rationalize and their new toy as a big step up from their old Ford Ka, Renault Symbol or Fiat Siena.In markets where the population can afford it, the most successful crossovers arent all that different to the ones sold in North America. As Derek mentioned in his original post, the 9 of the top 10 4x4s sold in France are all on offer in the United States. I went over to Matt Gasniers most excellent best selling car blog to check out how CUVs in general where doing. To my great surprise there are 3 crossovers in the French Top 10. Three!!!! In France. Can you understand the significance of this? France, the country where the only truck-like vehicle that had managed to break into the top 10 until very recently, in all the history of French car sales, was the Dacia Duster. Now there are three CUVs selling in the top 10. And growing.I see the effects here in Brazil. Some commenters on Dereks article mentioned they had seen their first Range Rover Evoque. Here, in poor Brazil, it has been a somewhat common sight for over a year. You just cant go to a mall without seeing at least two parked. I see them at
least every other day in traffic.You can blame Ford for this turn of events, since their EcoSport started the whole thing. Back in the 90s, somebody in Ford Brazil had the genius of seeing that the Euro Fusion of the times wouldnt cut it here. Based on the Fiesta, the Euro Fusion was a tall wagon thingy, with a minivan-esque design (not like the Fusion you all know in America). Ford Brazil decide to butch it up and turn it into a jipe (that is how Brazilians used to call anything 44-like). A sort of jipe. One that was not big, didnt really have any aptitude to go off-road or pull anything, but looked the part. Better yet, they discovered that they could raise the price over the regular Fiesta more than 40 percent and people would still buy it. The EcoSport simply doubled Fords market slice and improved their profits significantly. Undeniably a home run, or in Brazilian terms: Golaco! This is the formula that nearly every manufacturer is following now. Take your basic car, turn it into a CUV, make lots of money on very little investment for the improvements (raised height, cladding etc).Then came the Renault Duster which did basically the same thing on the original Logan. Another star, another hit. Better yet, the French had the gall to take it to Europe to do battle with more refined opponents. Armed with a spectacular low price and a ride that was in no way offending, sales took off and the horizon event was reached. Like in Brazil, everybody scrambled to get a piece of the only growing pie in the market. Suddenly newspapers in their business sections and car magazines on both sides of the Atlantic started posting pictures and news of CUVs that may or not happen. The only thing you read about is the upcoming mini-SUVs. Renault Captur! Honda something or other! The Chevy anti-EcoSport was spotted somewhere int the world! VW confirms the Taigun (smaller than Tiguan) for next year! BMW will build the X1 in its new Brazilian factory! New factories are needed to keep up with demand! Sales! Money! Margins!What does all that mean? Death to the station wagon for one. VWs small Parati, a perennial Brazilian favorite, is dead. Fiats Palio Weekend has no substitute planned. In Europe, no more Clio or 208 station wagon. The really mini minivans are going too. The Chevy/Opel Meriva has already died, the Fiat Idea will soon join it.And damn the enthusiasts. Or not. In America they talk and talk of the mythical brown, diesel, station wagon, but none buy them. In Brazil and other places outside the USA, all they want to see is that new shiny CUV in their garage. To them itll be a symbol of their success. The jacked up, ill-handling (comparing to a car), low capacity (comparing to a BOF SUV) will continue its sale rise.How long? Thats anybodys guess. I wouldnt bet against the surging wave though. It is just gaining strength. If my wife and her friends (not to mention
AppId is over the quota By J.Emerson on August 15, 2013 As much of America redevelops in the direction of increased urbanization and strip-mall suburbia, small downtowns have either dried up or re-purposed themselves as purveyors of quaint fashion and entertainment. Such is the case with Opelika, the sister town to Auburn. Boutiques, restaurants, and antiques places have mostly replaced the hardware stores and other obsolete staples of small-town commerce. I come from a family of enthusiastic collectors of rare junk, but even I can see the occasionally sad irony of a town selling pieces of itself just to get by. A few weeks ago, however, I spotted a prominently displayed chunk of the past that defied my expectations. Instead of distressed Americana on sale, one shop had a very English relic I didnt expect to see in this part of the country. I returned later to take a closer look. This Ford Anglia was pulled from a field somewhere in East Alabama. The proprietress of the shop knew of the cars British origins, but didnt know how it came to rest in a Southeastern cow patch. She received it from a friend and converted it into a display piece for her downtown antiques emporium. Lodged in the front window of the shop with a couple of artfully-positioned suitcases, its not for sale. Its value as a conversation piece and an attention-getter clearly outweighs whatever sum someone might be tempted to pay for it. Rest assured, Anglia diehards: this isnt one that youd want to save. Its pretty rotten in the floors and the sills, theres plenty of bullet holes, and a number of hard-to-find bits are missing. Still, Im glad that it wound up here rather than in a China-bound scrap steel container. It took me a while, but I managed to get some decent shots of the car despite it being surrounded with stuff. Who in Alabama would have bought this car new? Im guessing it was sold here as a new or nearly-new car because of the chrome trunk tag. Brewbaker Motors is a large multi-franchise family dealership in Montgomery that still operates today. They arent a Ford store, though, so they must have acquired it secondhand. I like to think that some expat British professor brought the car with him when he came to teach at Auburn in the 1950s. He might have traded it in after discovering that English Fords didnt have much repair or parts support in the Deep South. Or maybe some hardworking Dixie resident snapped the Anglia up as an alternative to the big Fords of the era. In any case, it went the way of all discarded cars in Alabama and became somebody elses target. Now it serves as a reminder that not everyone wanted a Detroit land yacht in the 50s. View the original article here Por Derek Kreindler em 16 de agosto de 2013A revista de combustivel classificacoes de economia para o Ford C-Max nao e a primeira vez que uma montadora foi forcada a recuar em reivindicacoes de economia de