2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor at the State Fair of Texas

Unfortunately we were not able to make it out to the State Fair of Texas Media event this year, but we still have lots of news to share!

Ford:

[SinglePic not found] Ford brought, what else, but the biggest, baddest truck to be revealed at the Texas State Fair. First from Ford at the State Fair this year was the 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. If you remember we test-drove the 2011 Raptor a few months back and it’s one capable machine. For 2012, Ford expands on its off-roading abilities. New to the Raptor for 2012 is a Torsen front differential that is said to increase grip significantly on the front end of the truck and improve its capabilities in handling obstacles, steep grades, and altogether slippery conditions. Another great new feature is a front camera system. Ford claims this to be a “class-exclusive, patent-pending” technology, but it seems to be more like what Range Rover has been using for a few years now. Basically, it gives you better visibility when you need to carefully navigate around obstacles off-road. The new 2012 Raptor also adds a little in the styling side as well. New wheel design, upgraded interior packages with aluminum accents, and unique bodyside graphics round out the list. After driving the 2011 Raptor, it was hard to see what Ford could really do to make this more capable, but it doesn’t hurt to try. We can’t wait to get our hands on one of these and see how it measures up.

[SinglePic not found] Next up, Ford showed off the new 2012 F-150 FX appearance package. From what we read and what we can tell from the pictures, it looks really good. The 2012 FX will have stealthy flat-black accents, new 20-inch flat-black wheels, new stylized bodyside graphic, and black badge with read lettering. Inside, look for new black leather with red trim and some brushed-metal accents. They have also added a few new technologies to the 2012 FX including hill start assist, a new automatic 4×4 system, and expanded availability of the electronic locking rear axle.

The other big news from Ford was on their already great Eco-Boost F-150. New for the 2012 Eco-Boost 4×4 model is a 36-gallon fuel tank. This with the great gas mileage produced by the Eco-Boost V6 gives this truck a driving range up to 756 miles on one tank!

Scion:

[SinglePic not found] [SinglePic not found] Scion came to Texas and debuted for the first time the 2012 Scion xD Series 4.0 and xB Series 9.0 along with pricing for both. These are both limited production Scions that will be arriving at dealer showrooms in October this year. The 2012 Scion xD Series 4.0 comes exclusively in a premium Blizzard Pearl color. It’s been upgraded with 16-inch alloys that are finished in a smoked platinum color. The pricing for this “exclusive” xD is $16,250 with a manual and $17,050 with an automatic.

Chevrolet:

[SinglePic not found] Chevy announced the first Silverado HD to wear a Texas Edition badge. What’s included? The all-new 2012 Chevrolet Silverado HD Texas Edition is available in 2500HD or 3500HD in both extended and crew cab setups. You get 20-inch polished forged aluminum wheels, trailering package and automatic-locking differential, dual-zone automatic climate control, six-way power driver seat, Bluetooth with steering-wheel controls, power camper mirrors with integrated turn signals, fog lamps, and chrome door handles and body molding accents. There was no word on the price premium for these Texas Edition HD Silverado’s, but if you live in Texas, it’s the one to get for sure.

Toyota:

[SinglePic not found] [SinglePic not found] The Tacoma is one of the best compact pickups in America and soon it might be one of the only. With all the hype over the Raptor and other manufacturers thinking about contending with the Raptor, Toyota decided to do it their own way. For 2012, Toyota converted a limited number of Tacoma pickups into a special TRD T|X Baja Series, inspired by Toyota’s Baja racing heritage. This TRD T|X Baja Series will be powered by a 4.0-liter V6 engine with either a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic. You will see features like Active Traction Control (A-TRAC), a locking rear differential, Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC), and Downhill Assist Control (DAC). The Baja also adds BF Goodrich T/A KO tires and bead-lock style off-road wheels with an exclusive Gun-Metal Gray finish. The interior should also get a new look with a black high-contrast center console, switch plate covers, dash and upper door trim, and a new seat fabric design for the SR5 grade. This TRD T|X Baja Series Tacoma is still undergoing testing, but we can’t wait to get our hands on one!

Ram:

[SinglePic not found] Ram has been it’s own brand now for about a year and has been focused on making great trucks. New for 2012, the Ram 1500 Tradesman Heavy Duty model is said to deliver best-in-class towing and payload with a 3/4-ton capability. With it’s 11,500-pound maximum trailer rating and 3,100-pound payload this Ram 1500 Tradesman HD tows and hauls more than any other 1/2-ton truck.

Also from Ram, the new expanded Ram 1500 Express. You can now get your hands on a crew cab and quad cab 1500 Express. This lineup targets first-time buyers and delivers performance with its HEMI V-8 and Ram distinctive looks for a great price. The 1500 Express Quad Cab starts at $28,050 and the Crew Cab at $30,210 while the regular cab bases out at $23,080.

Ram also unveiled a new, longer RamBox. The RamBox is a new Ram trademark that utilizes the dead space in the rear fenders along the bed and makes them into useable toolboxes. The box now extends to accommodate 6-foot-4inch beds and is now available in all trim levels including Ram HD models.

[Gallery not found]
[source: photos and info by manufacture press release]

We’ve written about the relationship between Texans and our trucks before on this site and why this is such a big state for the truck and SUV market. The open country, the need to haul a trailer, and simply the internal needs for wanting to go big or go home all figure into the equation. When it comes to Ford’s new super-truck, the F-150 SVT Raptor, there has already been plenty said and written about it as it’s been out for a few years now. Border agents along the Texas border were even some of the first to put in an order for some. So as you read this, and if you live in Texas, the answer to your inevitable question is yes. Yes, if you have the means to buy one, buy it!

Size: Because it’s all about Size…

2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor reviewed by txGarage

When the Raptor was introduced, it came in SuperCab configuration only. This means 2 doors with a small extended area in the rear. For the 2011 model year, Ford broke out with a SuperCrew variant stretching the Raptor and including another set of full doors. This move has been met with some scrutiny as this is a performance truck and adding size and weight doesn’t help with it’s performance. How much size and weight? Well the Raptor is already bigger than the average F-150 and even wider than a Hummer H1, but adding the second set of doors to the Raptor meant stretching it by a foot. The fuel tank capacity was increased by 10 gallons adding up to a total of a 36 gallon tank. Adding all this extra size to the already massive truck tipped the scales up by 300 pounds.

Engine: Because power solves all problems…

The extra size and weight in the 2011 Raptor we tested went basically unnoticed. This was helped by the new 6.2 liter V8 pushing 411 horsepower and 434 ft-lbs of torque; which is now standard on all Raptors. This mass is matched up with a 6-speed automatic transmission that provides full manual control via buttons on the shifter itself. Shifting this big truck in manual mode isn’t that easy with the small buttons on the shifter, but when you get used to it, you notice that the transmission wont shift up automatically on you and will allow downshifting at any speed. All this put together makes for a pretty quick truck, which is a weird sensation in such a big vehicle. Even with the big engine the Raptor can only tow up to 8,000 lbs as it’s let down by it’s off-roading suspension.

Inside: Because it’s Texas and you want to be comfortable while off-roading…

Obviously, the upside to the extra size and weight is it’s added room and roominess. The additional room at every seat in this truck cannot easily be described as I’ve never seen this much leg-room in a backseat! No matter where you ride in this truck, you get lots of room and comfortable, leather covered seats. One thing that bugs me with a lot of big off-roading trucks or SUVs that we test is the switches and buttons. When manufacturers create a big vehicle, they seem to have a need to make the dash full of over-sized buttons and knobs. In the Raptor, you get the basic F-150 dash layout, and it looks great. You get a few extras including an auxiliary switchboard in front of the shifter. The idea of this switchboard is to make aftermarket customization easier with prewired switches attached to the power distribution box for electrical accessories, say big off-roading lights for example. Also equipped within the speedo is a 4.2” LCD screen that provides the driver with lots of useful information. Just don’t leave this screen on fuel economy as it’ll make you want to drive off a bridge. Our Raptor was also equipped with another LCD screen in the middle of the dash with Ford’s SYNC system and and navigation.

Ride: Because it’s not always about off-roading…

Ford knew when building the Raptor that this would be an everyday driving truck as well as overly capable off-road truck. Squishy, off-roading suspension makes highway cruising smooth and easy. Moving between lanes and overtaking is easy as well thanks to the rigid chassis and powerful engine. To make the stretched chassis behave the way it’s supposed to behave, Ford tightened the steering ratio and stiffened the spring rates.

Off-Road: Because I wanna jump this thing in my backyard…

We’ve all seen the shots of the first generation Raptor jumping hills and making spectacular landings. There has been some controversy about the capability of the frame for off-roading and jumping, but last we’ve heard, nothing has came of it. What we do know is that this thing glides off-road with ease. There is nothing quite like mashing your foot to the floor pushing that 434 ft-lbs of torque to the rear wheels, creating rooster-tails of dirt and dust, and shooting across a country field. The temptation is so intoxicating that you don’t even want to wait to get to an open field. You have to constantly fight your subconsciousness to not drive right off the side of the road, or drop a few tires off into the ditch. You know this truck can handle it with ease.

Price: Because a bigger truck deserves a bigger price-tag…

This isn’t the most expensive F-150 in Ford’s stable, but it’s close. A base price of $45,290 is a lot for an off-roading toy, but this is really an everyday truck that’s incredibly capable off-road. The base price of the truck is just the first expense, the next big expense never stops. Filling the Raptor up with fuel, premium only, can become a mind boggling experience. We’ve tested high performance sports-cars here on txGarage that got bad gas mileage, but the Raptor takes the crown. Let’s just say that we struggled to stay around 12 mpg even with normal driving.

I still stand by my statement that if you have the means, this is the truck you want. There is really nothing out there that competes with the Raptor. Although Chevrolet and Dodge have both flirted with the idea of Raptor competition, neither have pulled the trigger, yet. The Raptor has caught on for sure. Ford’s last SVT truck offering was the Lighting and Ford has already stated that the Raptor’s annual sales rate nearly double that of the Lighting when it was launched.

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The 2012 Ford Focus Titanium Sedan by txGarage

The Ford Focus has never been that strong of a competitor in the U.S. market. Although having great success with the Focus, and growing the platform, over seas Ford neglected the Focus brand here in their home market keeping a cheaper and older platform. The enthusiast community, including us here at txGarage, have cried for years for Ford to bring the Euro market Focus here to the United States. We’ve talked about cars like the Mazda 3 and the Volvo C30 which share the Euro Focus platform and how that makes them better than the American Focus.

Well you can forget about all of that now. In 2010 Ford announced that the new Focus would be the same in the Euro market and the American market. Finally they are bringing the enthusiast car into America, but does it live up to they hype? How does the 2012 Ford Focus handle Texas and our great terrain?

Ride/Handling:

Let’s start out with the big thing that set the last two Focus’ apart, the suspension and handling. The suspension is set up for a European feel. You get sharp handling and great steering feel in this Focus. The steering is electrically assisted which usually takes away feel from the steering wheel, yet you still get a great feel for what the wheels are doing underneath you. The new Focus also has torque vectoring control. What is that? It’s a system that helps distribute torque to the front wheels to suit driving conditions and road surface to keep traction. This means you can push this Focus harder and faster than ever before, even hard and faster than most anything else in it’s segment with front-wheel-drive.

Although you get a more sporty suspension setup and our Titanium Focus with the handling package and 18” wheels running Pilot sport tires, you still get a decent everyday ride. Rough roads and even a little off-roading is handled well in the 2012 Focus.

Engine/Transmission:

So what’s under the hood of our new Focus? As for now all 2012 Ford Focus’ come with a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine pushing 160 horsepower and 146 ft-lbs of torque. The Focus is front-wheel-drive only with no all-wheel-drive options and is available in either a 6-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual. We were stuck with an automatic transmission in our test car, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The automatic is dubbed by Ford to be a “Powershift” transmission which is essentially a dual-clutch auto-manual transmission. As such the transmission was pretty responsive for an automatic. You could leave it in full auto mode and toss the Focus around some corners without getting much lag from the transmission trying to figure out the best gear to power you out.

The biggest thing lacking by the Focus to really make this a “sporty” car was the power output. Pushing 160 hp out of a 2.0 liter engine is’t that big of a deal and with the weight of this car it just didn’t seem like it was really enough. Great handing and a great transmission left us wanting more from the engine. We’ve had the opportunity to talk to some people within Ford who reassure us that we’ll be seeing an ST packaged Focus here in America giving an even more sporty edge to the new Focus. They wouldn’t say however what type of engine setup it would have. Will we get a turbo’d Focus here? We’ll just have to see.

Exterior Styling:

Most cars we test with all new styling usually have people that love the style and people that dont care for it much, but in this Focus we couldn’t find anyone during our time with the car that didn’t really like the new body style. Driving down Swiss Ave. in Dallas I was even waved down by a cop who began to tell me how great this car looked. After the initial shock of being waved down by a police man while breaking no laws we began to look over the car as I told him all about this new Focus. Needless to say, it draws attention.

We were really hoping for the Hatchback version of the Focus as I always thought they looked better, but I really like the styling of the sedan. Both versions use the latest evolution of Ford’s kinetic design language. It’s more aggressive and more aerodynamic than the previous Euro Focus and hundreds of times better than the previous American modle. It’s really elegant, muscular, and beautiful all at the same time.

Interior/Technology

If you think the exterior is something just sit down inside the new 2012 Focus. This is by far the best interior in it’s class. Our test car was equipped with two-tone leather – Black and Arctic White – and not just on the seats; we’re talking about the dash, doors, steering wheel. The contrast and colors made this car look premium and it really felt that way too.

Another thing that stands out inside this Focus is their focus on technology. Our Titanium Premium package adds rear parking sensors, push button start, automatic wipers, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a six-way power driver seat. Our car was also equipped with the newest MyFord Touch infotainment system with a big touch-screen in the middle of the dash. The system took a little playing with to get used to but once you learned the quick ways to get to where you needed, it was really easy and intuitive. Voice commands and hands free features worked well to help program our destination into the GPS while driving.
Ford has had a few problems with the new SYNC software and we did experience an issue on our 2nd day with the car. The system froze while playing from my iPhone and while it continued to play no buttons or functions would work. I couldn’t turn the music down, couldn’t change songs, and couldn’t even turn it off. I literally had to shut the whole car down and restart it to fix the problem. Luckily I was close to home and it want that big of a deal.

Other technology available in this compact car that you would be hard pressed to find in it’s competition is the Parking Technology. When equipped with this package – and our car was not – the Focus can parallel park itself using the same technology found in much more expensive cars like the Lincoln MKS. The Focus can also be had with Ford’s MyKey feature which allows parents to give children a special key then restrict a number of things while that key is driving the car.

Pricing and Competition:

Although Ford has been lacking a serious competitor in the compact car class for years now that doesn’t mean the American market has been lacking. There is a plethora of stiff competition out there for the new Focus. The all new Chevrolet Cruze is much more upscale than the previous offering from Chevrolet. The all new Hyundai Elantra is stylish and enjoyable. The Mazda 3 is and always has been a great choice in this market. Although we have lots of great choices I think the Focus really stands out with it’s styling and features. It’s more sporty and enjoyable to drive than it’s competition.

You do pay for this though. Our Titanium packaged sedan cost upwards of $25,000. Throw in a few other features and you can get that price close to $30,000 in no time. That’s asking a lot of a Ford Focus even if it is one of the nicest cars you can get in it’s class. People are paying for them though. The Focus is selling well for Ford and the average price of a Focus sold in the US has gone up, meaning people are buying them and going for the higher priced ones.

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2011 Ford Fiesta Hatch SES

Last year, we had the opportunity to do a full review on the 2011 Ford Fiesta. It was fresh to the market and a fresh new design for Ford, bringing their European hit to America. A year later, we are reviewing the same car; well almost. So has the hype worked on the American car buyer? What do we think about the car now that it has a growing class of competition?

Inside

Not much has changed outside this car, except the Oxford White paint, as it’s the same body as the last Fiesta we reviewed. However, on the inside is a totally new world. This SES model is fitted with plum colored leather seats, leather wrapped steering wheel, loads of soft-touch materials, color adjustable interior lighting, and push button start. The interior not only impressed us throughout the week, it also impressed almost everyone whom we showed the car.

The few things we complained about in the previous review still stand in this interior though. Although you get radio controls on the steering wheel, you do not get the option of turning up or down the volume from the steering wheel. After I made that comment in our video review, I took some flack about it. But almost immediately after driving this car some distance, it was the first thing that popped into my head, yet again. Although this might not be the sort of feature which will have an effect on the cost of a vehicle’s performance, or affect the cost of your car breakdown cover, it is something which can influence your overall impression of a vehicle especially when it’s something that so many other models do offer. The other things missing in the interior were arm rests. No large console or pull-down armrest on the seats, no good.

Engine/Handling

The Fiesta comes with a 1.6 liter engine and this test car was hooked up to the PowerShift 6-speed automatic transmission. Although the transmission felt great for this segment, we couldn’t help but long for the manual shifter and clutch pedal we had in the last Fiesta we reviewed. No matter the transmission, this car has always shined in the corners thanks to its tuned suspension and nimble steering. The Fiesta is small and fun to drive, there’s no doubt about that. Powering out of the corners is another concern, especially with the automatic transmission, to deal with.

Competition

The Fiesta has been doing well for Ford and everyone that we showed it to, were highly impressed with the interior quality as we were. In these times of high gas prices and consumers looking to get the best fuel economy as possible, the Fiesta has hit its mark, but what about its competition out there now? You still have players like the Suzuki SX4, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, and Toyota Yaris. But you also have cars like the new Hyundai Accent or Veloster, the soon to come Chevrolet Sonic, and the Kia Rio.

Out of the cars we’ve driven here I’d say test drive the Accent and Veloster (when it hits the sales floor) also check out the new Sonic when it hits, but for the time being, the Fiesta is win-win.

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Here is a list of the Mustangs that have stood out to us.

2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0

2011 Ford Mustang 5.0

Bringing back the 5.0 was always a good idea, but bringing it back as such an advanced engine was just brilliant. The new Mustang has taken everything Ford has learned about racing Mustangs, and incorporated it to make this the best GT Mustang ever. Now, there is no doubt that the Mustang can compare to the best there is in European GT’s.

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca

The Laguna Seca Edition Mustang brings the already fantastic 5.0 Mustang and turns the volume to eleven. Made to be your track day, wet dream, this production Mustang is incredible.

2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt

2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt

Bringing the Bullitt style back with the new retro body style was a no-brainer, but the fact that Ford didn’t just make this car about looks is what sets it apart. Special designed exhaust to give you that old Bullitt soundtrack, better suspension, and more power from the 4.6 liter V8 is all what made this car jump out at us.

2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra “Terminator”

2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra

Underrated from Ford, the SVT engine that powered the Terminator Mustang was one of the best engines Ford made. So good, in fact, that others like Panoz used this power plant to power their cars. The great looks, unbelievable power, and cult following is what made this Mustang stand out and still one of the hottest buys.

“Fox-Body” Mustang

Ford Mustang 5.0 "Fox-Body"

The “Fox-Body” Mustang was said to deviate from the Mustang heritage, yet it’s still one of the first picks for drag racing teams who want a light weight body to pack lots of power under the hood.

Shelby Mustang

1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

All Shelby Mustangs deserve recognition, but the original GT350 and GT500 were some of the best looking Mustangs made. Aftermarket manufacturers still try to duplicate the look and feel of theses cars made way back in the 60’s. An original Shelby Mustang can sell in auction anywhere from $200,000 to over $500,000.

There are many other Mustangs that any car enthusiast would be happy to have under their tree, but in an effort to keep this short enough to get you back to your family at a decent hour this Christmas Eve, we’ll end it here. Feel free to comment with your favorite Mustangs in the comment section below. Hope you enjoyed the countdown. Everyone be safe and have a very Merry Christmas!

This is the iconic American supercar that beat out Ferrari at Le Mans in the 60’s and reinvented itself for sale in 2005. The original GT40 was a purpose built race car that didn’t make much sense as an everyday car. Being only 40 inches tall, it was difficult for most to even fit in the race car. When Ford decided to reinvent the iconic car, they set out to make it a great road car over a race car. They succeeded, and put out a car that was so good even auto icons like Jeremy Clarkson bought into the action. Powered by a 5.4 liter Modular V8 that is all-aluminum with a Lysholm twin screw supercharger bolted to the top, the GT pushed 690 horsepower and 610 lbs-ft of torque. The GT’s engine was matched up with a Ricardo six-speed manual transmission and featured a limited-slip differential.

The Ford GT has proved itself on the road, but has yet to prove itself on the track which is understandable considering this car wasn’t meant to be a race car. it is, however, a fantastic American Supercar.

2011 Ram Laramie Longhorn

Not a big surprise here, but the TAWA has named their 2011 Truck and Truck Line of Texas. Brining in the top award is Ford, with the F-Series of trucks named the Truck Line of Texas. The TAWA pointed out the forever loved Raptor and the all new Eco-Boost V6 in the F-150 as reasons for the superb win by Ford.

The Truck of Texas, however, was awarded to the 2011 Ram Laramie Longhorn Edition. This is a bit of an upset to Ford as the F-150 is usually in this top spot as well. The new Ram Laramie Longhorn Edition wins on longest name-plate for sure, but it also packs great “Texan” looks and tons of power.

The Full-Size Pickup of Texas is the 2011 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman Crew Cab 4×4. The Mid-Size Truck of Texas is the great, and one of the only lasting, 2011 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4×2 Texas Edition. The Luxury Pickup of Texas is the 2011 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn Edition, also robbed from the F-150 King Ranch. Lastly, they named the 2011 Ram Power Wagon Crew Cab 4×4 as the Heavy Duty Truck of Texas. The Outstanding Truck Feature of Texas was named to Ford for the MyFord Touch.

Check out more TAWA awards right here on txGarage.

2011 Ford F-150

America is known for big cars, and lets face it, we like big cars. Even foreign companies that make great small cars in the rest of the world don’t usually attempt to bring them to the US because they know they will almost certainly be a sales flop. Or would they? When gas prices skyrocketed back in 2008, we had more demand than ever for small fuel efficient cars. Now that the cost of a tankfull has come back down to reality, is their still a demand? I think we are about to find out.

The Fiesta was first introduced in America back in 1978 with the first generation Fiesta. In 1981, the Fiesta was replaced with the Escort in Ford’s American market. Although it wasn’t being sold over here any longer, the Fiesta lived on in Europe. Refined and updated through the years, the Fiesta has gone through six generations. Ford’s new business plan is to create more cars that can be cross-sold in more markets worldwide. The Fiesta is the first such car to be sold in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the Americas. This strategy is significant for a few reasons. First, it will make cars cheaper to produce by having most parts exactly the same. Second, it allows Ford to bring cars into the American market – and vice versa – that we normally wouldn’t see. The Fiesta has been a hit in Europe even participating in many racing venues. Ford is hopping for the same success in America.

So how did they do? First of all, when you would buy a subcompact car in America, it was always the bottom of the line. The small car meant that it was the cheap car. Well that won’t ring true anymore. Our test Fiesta was the SES Hatch with a 5-speed manual transmission. This package will set you back a total of $18,590 including destination and delivery charges. That’s one hefty price for such a small car, but look at what you get. The SES package afforded us nice 16” wheels, power windows and door locks, leather wrapped steering wheel with steering wheel mounted controles, cruise control, heated seats, SYNC voice activated system, iPod connectivity, advancetrac, ABS breaks, 7 air bags, and keyless entry and start. Thats a long list of features you would never have seen in the small cars only a few years back. But you dont have to go all out to get all the benefits of the Fiesta. The starting price is only $13,320 and you still get what makes the Fiesta great – fuel economy and a fun ride.

Speaking of a fun ride, how can you have fun in a small car with a 1.6 liter engine and only 120 horsepower? Well it’s most definitely not a quick car. I dont even care to waste my time looking up the 0-60 time, but that’s really not the purpose of this car. European handling and road feel are what brings this car to life. The tires gripped the pavement well, even though with some quick shifting you can break them loose in second gear. The body roll is at a minimum and the steering is a breeze. It gives you that, always lusted after, go-cart feel.

Your next question might be, is it big enough for everyday use? And the answer would be mostly. We were able to fit 4 adults in the car with no problem. Carrying groceries home from the store was easy with the space afforded to us with the hatchback. Carrying a bag of golf clubs on the other hand, well lets say you better be only taking 2 people to the golf course because you’ll have to fold down the back seats to fit the bags in. Other than golf clubs, we never really had a problem with the size.

The build quality of the Fiesta is not reminiscent to the small cars America is used to either. There are cheap materials, but Ford has done a great job of putting the right materials in the right spots. The dash for example is really soft and rubbery, where in most small cars it’s a hard plastic that inevitably ends up rattling at some point. The steering wheel felt as nice as some 30k and up cars I’ve driven. There wasn’t a lot of road noise in the car which was good, but there was some wind noise. The wind noise, in the car we tested, came from the back driver side door. That would be right by the drivers ear and quickly became annoying. Other than that, we had no complaint about rattles or noise inside the car.

The Fiesta, in the end, lived up to the hype. Would I spend the money on this car considering the growing number of options in the American market in this segment? Would we pick a Fiesta over a Suzuki SX4, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, the soon to come new Hyundai Elantra, the Chevrolet Aveo, or the cousin of the Fiesta the Mazda 2? Well, yes, I think the Fiesta is one of the best looking and best built cars in the segment. I am a big fan of Mazda and Suzuki, but there are little things about both cars that I’d turn away from. If I had the money in my hand ready to buy, I’d get the Fiesta.

2010 Toyota Prius

This week on txGarage we are testing the all new 2010 Toyota Prius. In all honesty, I’ll have to say none of us were too thrilled about driving the Prius for the week, Hybrid cars just are not our style. Let’s start out with our preconceived notions about the Prius itself. Although I have never driven the 1st gen or 2nd gen Prius, I’ve always heard the same; they are slow, they are heavy and handle horribly, and they cost too much to make up the benefit of the gas savings. Not to mention that it’s not much of a looker. So, why buy a Prius then? Easy, either you are a rich person needing an image car or you are an eco-freak that image means more than actual impact on the environment. The thing is though, that the Prius is now in it’s 3rd generation and has sold 1.6 million units world wide. Most of the critics and industry gurus predicted that the Prius would be a flop, boy were they wrong. So there must be a bigger appeal to this car than just the eco population out there, we’re here to figure out what that might be.

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The 3rd gen Prius is a complete rework of the old modle. The body has been reworked making it even more aerodynamic and having only a 0.25 coefficient of drag. You can be doing 50 to 80 mph and never feel wind resistance, it gives the impression that you are going slower than it feels. The looks are a little better with the 3rd gen too, although I still wouldn’t call it a pretty car. The shape does serve it’s purpose though. The next major thing changed with this Prius is the power-train itself. Obviously the Prius is still a hybrid car with gas and electric motors powering the wheels, but now that gas engine is a 1.8 liter not the old 1.5 liter. This give the engine 24 more horsepower over the previous generation as well as more lowdown torque. This low torque allows the car to feel more peppy and still retain high fuel economy. As a matter of fact the Prius is rated as the most fuel efficient cas sold in america. So it does that right. Next the interior has been reworked and made a little more high quality than its predecessor. You also have slew of available and standard features including touch screen navigation and infotainment system, 4 driving modes (we’ll get into later), hands free command inputs, lane keep assist (LKA), adaptive cruse control, solar pannel roof, and a energy monitoring system. All this technology packed into this car really gives it the edge up on the competition. The interior as a whole isn’t that bad, it’s comfortable and the touch points have been done right but it’s still cheaply made. This is very apparent in high winds or hard terrain. The plastics all sway and move making those annoying creeks and rattles that you just are not used to when spending over 30k on a car.

I want to say that the dive in this car was really impressive. Not because it was great, but because it wasn’t horrible. The package we got with this 2010 Prius included the 17″ wheels, this is important because I was told by a friend that when you get a Prius with 17″ wheels you also get some special equipment like quicker steering rack, firmer dampers and less efficiency oriented tires that you don’t get in the standard Prius. I’m told it makes a world of difference, so don’t bother buying one without this package. Whatever they have done here, though, has done the trick as it feels very poised and precise in the corners – you still don’t really get the power to pull you out of the corners but at least it’s not heavy and wobbly. You get 4 different driving options with this new Prius including EV mode, Eco mode, Power mode, and normal mode. Obviously the EV mode is an all electric mode that allows you to cruze up to 25 mph on battery power only. The Eco mode is all about fuel economy. If you enjoy living I wouldn’t use this mode much. What it does is take away throttle input and does everything possible to not allow you to use too much power. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s dangerous, with a deadened response you don’t have the power to get out of other peoples way. Ether that or someone is bound to shoot you for taking 15 minutes to go from a stop at a red light up to the speed limit. Power mode is the mode to keep the car in, although it almost negates the reasoning for buying the Prius in the first place. The car, with the upgraded steering and suspension, feels like a peppy Japanese or European hatch. Normal mode falls in between the power and Eco modes and is the mode you are in automatically when you start the car. Throughout the week driving both highway and city streets using the A/C – we are in Texas – we averaged 51 mpg, and that’s with the car almost never being in Eco mode.

All in all, I can’t say that this is a bad car. It debunked pretty much all of our preconceived notions we had about the Prius when this week began. There are some things we really liked about this car including the keyless entry system which has touch points on the door handle that locks and unlocks the doors, we liked all the gadgetry packed inside the car – although there was no USB hookup which seemed strange to us, and we liked the way the car drove and handled overall. So the question lingers, as with every review, would we spend our money on this car? No. This optioned out Prius, that wasn’t even top spec, weighed in at $32k. I understand that the technology is still new and limited and I understand that the technology in the car is good, but I can’t justify spending that kind of money on this car. If it was my money, I’d be getting something more along the lines of a Fiesta, Mazda 2, or a Golf that will get you an average in the 30′s and cost you almost half as much. This way you get a better looking, better driving, cheaper car that still gets good gas mileage. If you are still looking for that “image car” though, at least you know that driving this hybrid won’t drive you absolutely crazy.