First Impressions: Tesla Model S

Times they are a changin,’ it used to be driving a Porsche or Aston Martin would get heads turning on the sidewalk. Today, only heads full of grey hair snap to attention at the sound of a grumpy V-8, the younger generations won’t lift their heads from vital smart-phone attention for anything less than a full electric vehicle (EV). It’s the eco cars that are now all the rage, yet the Tesla Model S is a car that grabs everyone’s attention.

Tesla has created an all new driving experience with the Model S, starting from scratch in redesigning the automobile as a whole. It’s not the anemic EV stereotype but a sleek and mean rocket, overflowing with tech and sports a sexy look. It won’t just be science geeks wanting a rip in this ride.

The coolness factor gets turned to eleven with touch operated door-handles, and a dash void of any dials or buttons, just a 17-inch iPad-like interaction interface that controls everything one would want with the car, fully adjustable to the user with steering wheel controls. With a key fob the car turns on by sitting in the driver’s seat and off by getting out. Best of all, the S cures range anxiety, getting 257km with the base, opt for the more expensive 85kWh battery and that number improves to 480km. It is the first road trip capable EV.

The beautiful thing about electric cars is their ability to make the exercise of driving relaxing. The smooth propulsion of electric power will actually calm you in the worst congestion yet will shoot your body full of excitement on a clear road. The S shoved me into the seat back like nothing I’ve ever driven and corners nearly as well. However, it’s also practical with two massive trunks and seating for up to five adults and two children.

I end with this; there are few modern cars that I would buy, and furthermore, I loathe automatic transmissions. However, Tesla has created an all new joy of driving with the Model S and I yearn to one day own one.

Specs:

Price: $ 64,500 base, $ 114,300 as tested

Engine: Rear-mounted, three phase, four pole AC induction motor, RWD

Power: 416 hp, 443 lb-ft

Weight: 2,223 kg

 

Range: 257 km with 40 kWh battery, 370 km with 60 kWh battery, 480 km with 85 kWh battery

First Impressions: 2013 Honda Civic

Let’s start out by saying I’ve always liked the Civic, in particular in its last generation as it sported a unique look that made it stand out from the rest of the econo-boxes. The problem began when those other econo-boxes started to build much more interested designs. On top of that, they’ve filled those designs with fantastic new features that you would only find on only top tier luxury barges. Then when it came time to redesign the Civic for the 2012 model year, more than a few journalists were unimpressed with the result, myself included.

As others were striving forward with new unique designs and technology, Honda chose to take a more mainstream direction, leaving a car that needed a sharp eye to catch what work had actually been done. Likewise, the interior treatment seemed even more cheap and plastic than before, but what’s worse, Honda finally succumbed to pressure for more torque, putting a big lazy 2.4L engine into the Si rather than the high-strung 2.0L I have loved for well over a decade. The result was disappointing to say the least, yet sales did not waver as the Civics golden name and price kept the car on top of the sales sheets.

However, you can only fall upon your laurels for so long and after only one short year, Honda is already showing a mid-cycle refresh of the Civic for 2013. So what’s new? Well, the 2013 model receives all-new front and rear exterior styling, new wheels and extensive interior styling upgrades on all models. The devil is in the details and the new exterior looks do go a long way in improving the styling while the new soft touch materials on the dash and doors also bring the Civic up to par with the rest of the top end of the compact segment. Mechanically, retuned steering and firmer suspension sharpen the Civics’ handling, and actually made the car feel much more refined and sharper while on a short test drive, something lacking last year.  Also, extensive body and chassis upgrades further improve the ride comfort and interior quietness. Honda has also packed Bluetooth HandsFreeLink, Bluetooth Audio,  colour i-MID display, USB/iPod connection, heated front seats, text messaging feature, easy to use steering wheel audio controls standard equipment on Civic LX, the highest sold model.

The result is a much higher quality vehicle from the 2012 model year, everything the Civic should have been in the first place, it’s good to see Honda is getting back on track after a few very trying years. However, I’m still not happy with the move to a torqueier but lazier 2.4L powering the Si, although I seem to be a minority. Regardless, Civic fans have a much better, more competitive vehicle to take on the likes of Ford, Hyundai, Chevy and Mazda. And maybe I’ll have my screaming 2.0L in the hot hatch rumoured to be coming our way soon. More on that later.

SPECS:

Price: $15,440 - $26,190

Engine: 1.8L I-4, 2.4L I-4

Power: 140hp-128lb.ft. (1.8L) - 201hp-170lb.ft. (2.4L)

Layout: Front Engine – Front Wheel Drive

Weight: NA – Slightly heavier than 2012

Fuel Efficiency (City/Hwy/Com) L/100Km: 7.1/5.0/6.2 (1.8L) - 10.0/6.4/8.4 (2.4L)

 

 

First Impressions - Chevrolet Volt

 

 

It is the environmental halo car of the newly reorganized GM, the new direction for a company that needed drastic change to become competitive once again. I was looking forward to driving the Volt, two years after having tested the prototype in electric mode only. While I’ve been a pretty big fan of the electric car, the Volt was a good meal that left a sour taste in my mouth.

Let’s start with the good, because deep down, it is a good car. I love the looks; the interior design is fantastic for a company that used to launch vehicles with interior designs that were outdated before they even made it to the production line. Build quality has been vastly improved over older GM’s; the Volt is a solid, tight feeling car with high quality buttons and dials. For the first time I’ve driven a car where the light dimmer switch actually dims all light emitting sources inside the car from a single point, even the annoyingly bright high beam light. And finally, the serenity of electric drive; this car is so quiet that the loudest distraction was the gears in the differential coming under load when pulling away from a stop, bravo GM, in electric mode the Volt is a champ.

However, there is a lot of damning issues left unfinished, imperfections that really should have been taken into account back in the research and development days, simple and common sense issues that should have been sorted before the car was ever put into production. Dual screens bombard the driver with distracting information while the centre stacks layout is confusing at best. Even after a week I couldn’t figure out how to get certain operations to work, and had my eyes away from traffic far too much. However, even when I was watching the road, massive A-pillars with a steep rake killed peripheral vision, making left-hand turns almost a crap shoot. The rear-view mirror is mounted high on the windshield behind a raised portion in the roof. This not only obscures the majority of the view out the back but even rendered the auto-dimming function completely useless. The blind spots are large and the shifter will draw blood putting the car in park.

However, the most disappointing letdown was the Volts fuel efficiency once the petrol engine engaged. Averaging 6.3L/100km, the Volt not only gets its ass kicked by Prius, a TDI Golf also gets nearly 1L/100km better efficiency on the highway, pretty much making the whole point of the Volt mute. The Volt was designed for Range Anxiety racked Americans that want kill their dependence on fuel while still being able to drive long distances. If you need to drive long distances you’re better off buying a Golf TDI that is $15K cheaper and gets better efficiency. A city dweller that does the odd road trip, save $1,500 on a Nissan Leaf with nearly twice the range and save it for a rental when you need to travel.

I know I’ve been hard on it, I do actually like the car, but there are just way too many short comings for a car that costs over $41K. Hopefully a good mid-cycle refresh will iron out most of the issue I’ve had, however, how this car won so many awards is beyond me.