Friday Fleet Notes: 5.16.08

In today's fleet notes, we take a look at the 2008 BMW M3, the 2009 Acura TSX and the 2009 Honda Pilot. Our staff offers a number of different takes on the vehicles, from their styling to the way they stack up to competition in their respective segments. After you get done reading our thoughts, check out a longer impression in an expert review for each car.

2008 BMW M3

• BMW's latest iteration of its legendary M3 arrived at the Cars.com garage recently, and I had a chance to drive it where many owners might find themselves when not at a weekend track event: commuting to and from the office during rush hour. Even in this rather mundane situation, the M3 showed how versatile a machine it is. The M3 is one of BMW's track-ready production cars, but it's also rather civilized in stop-and-go driving. The clutch won't wear out your left leg, and even on very poor post-winter roads the M3's suspension displays an admirable degree of suppleness, which makes for a ride that's more tolerable than what you'd get from an Audi RS 4. The M3's sport seats also fit me much better than the bucket seats in regular 3 Series models. If you need to scoot around slower-moving traffic, a surge of power is only a jab of the gas pedal away. There is one thing I could do without on the M3: While most of the car is accented with typically subtle M cues, I'm no fan of the car's domed hood — it's too noticeable from the driver's seat. It looks like there's an alien tumor pushing up from below. —Mike Hanley, senior editor

Friday Fleet Notes: 4.25.08

This Friday's fleet notes come packed with insightful takes on the Saturn Astra, Infiniti EX35, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic EX-L, and Toyota Matrix XRS. Our staff had plenty to say, both good and bad, about the vehicles, so be sure to check out their posts, then link to the expert reviews after the jump.

2008 Saturn Astra

• This was a bummer for me. I was soooo looking forward to driving this car, but when I got behind the wheel I was again greeted by anemic acceleration. However, unlike the Corolla, the Astra XR is supposed to be a fun-to-drive machine. I did not experience much fun. It handled well but felt heavy. The automatic transmission was a dog, and do I need to mention the controls? A fellow reviewer called them hieroglyphics because the symbols are so hard to translate. There’s no USB or AUX-in capability either, not even as an option. Eegads. It was nice-looking, though, I’ll give it that. — David Thomas, senior editor

Friday Fleet Notes: 4.11.08

This week's fleet notes takes on two competing hybrids, the Honda Civic Hybrid and the current champ, the Toyota Prius. In addition the Ford Focus makes an appearance, so if you're interested in how our staff felt about the Sync system, this might be a Friday fleet note you don't want to miss.

Toyota Prius

• Having driven a rental Prius in Denver a few months back, I was dreading the worst: an uncomfortable ride, a whiny engine at freeway speeds, a brake pedal that felt like a steel rod pressing up against the tires. Boy, was I surprised. This non-rental Prius could not have been more different. It was a much smoother ride. The engine, even at 70 mph, purred quietly. The brakes still felt a little funky, but I wasn’t in any doubt about their abilities and I still managed to get around 50 mpg. This experience gets the Prius off my hit list. — Patrick Olsen, Editor-in-Chief

Friday Fleet Notes: 3.28.08

This week our staff takes a look at the Audi R8, Scion xB, Pontiac G8 and Hyundai Veracruz. Check out what our reviewers and editors had to say, then get the full picture with our expert reviews.

2008 Audi R8

• This is the best cure for a bad day since ice cream. You’d have to be pretty far gone (or hate cars) to drive this and not feel better when you were done. The only complaint I had was that the clutch travel was quite long and my foot slipped around on the pedal face a couple of times. My shoes did have some snow on them, but it was a bit disconcerting. The brakes were the best I’ve driven: Right there, easy to modulate and confidence-inspiring. Overall, the R8 makes you smile. Just the right amount of engine noise comes into the cabin, the steering weight is just right (heavy, but not obtrusively so) and it looks really good. - William Jackson, Buying Guides editor, Weekend Athlete

Friday Fleet Notes: 2.29.08

This week, we have input from staffers on multiple vehicles, including the Mazda RX-8, Jeep Patriot, Subaru WRX STI and the always-coveted Chevy Malibu. Check out what our staff had to say, then take a look at our latest Expert Reviews for each vehicle for more in-depth coverage.

2008 Honda Odyssey

• Unlike many minivans, the Odyssey doesn't forget about the driver. The V-6 engine is a smooth performer, and the van's responsive handling is much appreciated. Cabin quality is impressive, and seat comfort is good in all three rows. If I were shopping for a minivan, I'd spend my money on this one. – Mike Hanley, Cars.com reviewer

Friday Fleet Notes: 1.25.07

Friday Fleet Notes is back, and even in its absence our staff has been diligently recording thoughts on the latest cars to come into the Cars.com offices. The new Smart elicited the most comments we’ve gotten in a long time, but a Lexus hybrid and Lincoln SUV made an impression too.

Smart ForTwo Passion (original expert review w/video)

• Niche cars like the Smart ForTwo will sell no matter what, but in case you’re wondering whether you need to envy your neighbor who bought one and can now park wherever he feels like it, the answer is no.
  
  It’s not that you’ll feel cramped inside; there’s plenty of space in the driver’s seat, and until you look over your shoulder you may even forget you’re driving a car straight out of Munchkinland. The problem with this little car is that it’s miserable to drive. The automatic transmission is awful, especially at low speeds, the brakes are jerky, a gust of wind makes you feel as if you’re about to tip over, and every bump and crack in the road feels like railroad tracks.

  There’s an auto-manual mode that helps a lot with the jerkiness, but it’s a pain to use paddle shifters at low speeds. The paddles turn with the steering wheel, so midway through a left turn, as the tachometer quickly approaches the redline, you’ll be left to reach frantically for an ever-moving target. Why this car doesn’t have a plain-old manual transmission is beyond me.

  The ergonomics inside aren’t bad, though the seat adjustments aren’t very smooth. My biggest gripe here was that the cargo shelf behind the front seats is inaccessible without moving the seat forward, and that handle is on the inside of the driver’s seat. That means that if you need to toss anything back there (like, you know, a purse), be prepared to reach across the seat and get smacked by the seatback before you can do so. — Beth Palmer, copy editor

Friday Fleet Notes: 11.30.07

Cars.com’s notes from our test fleet return after an extended break due to the L.A. auto show and Thanksgiving holiday. That means we had some good impressions built up on a number of recently reviewed cars and SUVs including Chevy's all-new Malibu.

2008 Jeep Liberty

• I was wowed by the extra-large ragtop sunroof, and the airlock-like sound you get when that top closes. It opened up, letting a lot of sunlight into the car, and gave it a near-convertible feeling. That said, the driving experience left me feeling like I was hovering over the wheels, not really attached to them — just kind of bobbing up and down on the suspension. I didn’t feel directly connected to the road, and there was some pretty noticeable lean in turns. — Patrick Olsen, managing editor

Friday Fleet Notes: 10.19.07

This week we get feedback on quite the cross section of cars. From the sporty Volvo C30 hatchback to the Mazda CX-9 crossover to the aggressive Dodge Viper, the staff was hopping in and out of some diverse vehicles that recently got the full review treatment on Cars.com.


2008 Volvo C30

• The outrageous Volvo S60 R, now discontinued, probably raised my expectations. The C30 is no S60 R. Neither is it a Volkswagen GTI, but it is a fun car and a nice size. The steering isn’t the best attribute, but saying a Volvo has numb steering is like saying a Hell’s Angel has a tattoo. Having driven it, I still have sticker shock – the good kind, but I wonder if they shouldn’t bring over one of Europe’s smaller and more efficient (please, more efficient) four- or five-cylinder engines and sell it cheaper still. That might be asking too much. Making a car look distinctive isn’t easy these days, so I like the C30’s easily recognized rear window and shape. — Joe Wiesenfelder, senior editor

Friday Fleet Notes: 9.27.07

As I prepare to drive home in a Corvette Z06 — pity me, really — I get a chance to reflect on how varied our revolving fleet of vehicles truly is. This week, Kelsey Mays and I take a look at the all-new Land Rover LR2 and the Chrysler Town & Country. They’re two distinctly different vehicles, and both needed a reworking. Now, where is that Z06 key fob… 

2008 Land Rover LR2

Land Rover fans will love the brand’s latest baby. It has the flavor of its larger siblings — the window switches sit right up on the window sill, the center controls employ lots of scalloped dials, and there’s enough off-road equipment to get you to the Yucatan. Those looking for a regular SUV might take issue with some of the smaller details: Our LR2 SE had an uncovered tray in place of a real center console (the pricier HSE adds one) and it’s too easy to confuse the temperature dial for the stereo volume. As senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder noted in his review, folding the rear seats down requires first flipping the cushions forward. That’s old-school.

Friday Fleet Notes: 9.21.07

Not too much to report today. We have a lot of new cars in the fleet, but we’re feverishly working on getting the full reviews done before the rest of the staff gets to weigh in on them. Until then, we get another take on the new Hummer H3 Alpha and some good real-life use of the Toyota Highlander’s nav system.

Hummer H3 Alpha

Even though the H3 is the smallest member of the Hummer family (it’s approximately the same length and width as a Jeep Grand Cherokee) it still feels big. Really big. Due to the H3’s height and the short windows, small cars behind me and along the passenger side would essentially disappear. In a 90-minute drive, there were three separate times I thought “Whoa! Where’d that car come from?!” as some compact seemed to zoom ahead out of nowhere.