2011 Lexus CT 200h by txGarage - White Rock Lake Dallas, Texas

We’ve talked a lot here at txGarage about hybrid cars and different fuel efficient technologies and what the best way to go is when living in a state like Texas. Most commuters are not city based, so we drive a lot of highway miles. Hybrid cars are more efficient in the city, stop and go traffic, than they are on the highways. So we’ve suggested that maybe a hybrid isn’t quite the way to go if you are faced with this type of commute.

With that being said, our car of the week is a hybrid based on the Toyota Prius, which we’ve reviewed a few times. If you have read those reviews, you’ll know that while we like the Prius for what it is, we think the new system in the Volt is more advanced, and our biggest complaint with the Prius is the awful interior. So our first thoughts when we knew we would get the CT were that at least it should have a better interior, right?

Interior

Yes. The interior isn’t just better than the Prius, it’s as good as or better than most of its competition. That’s saying something as the main competition the CT will be facing is the Audi A3, BMW 1, and Volvo C30; all great little cars. The leather seats are plush and comfortable. The long center console that stretches from the dash all the way back, much like in the Prius, is put together well. In the Prius everything flexes and twists and cracks, but not in this car. The gauge cluster is clean and high-tech looking. The entire cabin is filled with ambient lighting points; it really is a nice place to be.

You can select between different driving modes, we’ll get to those a little later, but one cool point is when you switch to “sport mode” the gauge cluster turns red and the tach that was a hybrid-power indicator transforms into a RPM tach. Buttons on the center-stack are easily read and easy to distinguish.

Lexus touts its interior as “racing-inspired” with its placement of components, angled cockpit-like dash, and low bolstered seats. It definitely has a sporty feel more than an overly luxurious one, that’s not common to see in Lexus.

Exterior

The exterior looks of this car really shows who Lexus is targeting the CT towards. There is no doubt that Lexus is looking for a younger, more technology driven audience. There is also no doubt that they are targeting this car more toward the European market with its hatchback styling. Every sculpted surface on the CT is said to improve performance and fuel efficiency. The less resistance from air flowing over the car, the less fuel it takes to power it down the road.

Lexus says that the CT has up to 89 individual LED lights, including the standard daytime running lights. These are a nice premium feature and look good no matter how many people tell you Lexus is ripping off Audi. They have also thought a lot about weight distribution in this car and gave it a lower center of gravity than the Prius it’s based upon. To ensure the lowest center of gravity possible, all hybrid components are centrally mounted and high-strength lightweight materials are used extensively throughout the car.

Some complain that the car has an ugly face; some complain that the rear end is big and bulky, but we applaud Lexus for going out on a limb with a design that is a little out there and when you are behind the wheel, it all comes together.

Power

Like we have mentioned a few times, the CT 200h is based on the Toyota Prius, and thus comes equipped with its 1.8 liter gas/electric engine. Combined output is 134 horsepower to the front wheels and via a specialized continuously variable transmission. The weight of the CT does let it down in acceleration as most 0-60 times run in the 10 second range. That isn’t great acceleration, but with the electric motor kicking in while in “sport mode” you can feel the torque.

Handling

So the engine isn’t that great and the acceleration is pretty pitiful, so how can Lexus call this a sporty-hybrid? That’s where the handling comes into play. When you switch into “sport mode”, the throttle response comes alive and the steering becomes heavier. It’s a confidence inspiring feeling that is helped by the special suspension found in the Lexus CT. The CT features a combination of independent MacPherson struts up front and a fully independent double-wishbone in the rear. This maximizes comfort and grip and is a great setup. The CT is also home to Yamaha designed lateral performance dampers found mostly in limited-edition performance vehicles. The system is designed to minimize vibrations while providing a more linear steering feel, and thus, improved overall handling. This system can also independently adapt to varying levels of vibration, reducing unnecessary noise and contributing to more comfort.

Basically, it all works together to give you the inputs you want and keep out the vibrations you don’t want. It also feels great going through the corners at a high-rate of speed. We took this car out to some twisty and tight roads around White Rock Lake and some other areas where we like to test handling, and it was fantastic.

Fuel economy

2011 Lexus CT 200h hybrid

Although the CT isn’t quite as fuel efficient as the Prius, its fuel economy is really it’s party piece. The Lexus is easily the most fuel efficient between its competitors. The only one who comes close is the diesel-powered Audi A3, but the combined 42 mpg of the CT 200h is unmatched. We did a lot of “sport mode” testing in the car with high revving and tight cornering, and still averaged 32 mpg.

Your other modes are Eco, Normal, and EV. I wouldn’t even bother much with those as it’s almost dangerous driving with no throttle response.

Last thoughts

Overall, I think we were all impressed with the Lexus CT 200h. We were impressed with the interior, the performance, and the overall economy. Throw in that this is Lexus’ cheapest offering basing out just at $30k, and we are even more impressed. This car will not only be cross-shopped with the likes of the Audi A3, BMW 1, and Volvo C30, but at that price, it’s likely to be cross shopped with less expensive vehicles like the Golf or maybe even the Mazda 3. I think Lexus has done a great job showing America that premium and compact can go together. They have ambitious goals for this car stating they would like to be selling around 1000 units a month. That’s more than double what the A3, 1 Series, and C30 usually sell. But it’s first month on the market has rendered 2,199 units sold, and still going strong. Lexus just might have got this one right, we think they did.

Full photo album HERE on Facebook

2011 Toyota Highlander

Last year, we brought you coverage of the first time reveal of the 2010 Toyota 4Runner at the State Fair of Texas. Then we brought you the review to show you how the new 4Runner handled the Texas off roads, with a bonus video. This year Toyota will be doing it again, only this time with the all new 2011 Toyota Highlander. This year, unfortunately, due to scheduling restraints we won’t be making it to the live reveal of the Toyota Highlander. We will bring you as much information and pictures as we can get though, and be looking for that “txGarage” style review later this year!

So what do we expect to see this year? Well the 2011 Highlander will also debut beside a Highlander Hybrid. You will see a restyled body, to fit more in line with the Toyota portfolio we see today, and distinct differences between the Hybrid and gas models. Also look for new features added to the interior of both models.

Toyota will also be showing off the all new Texas Edition Tundra and the all new TX Edition Tacoma at the State Fair of Texas. If you’re in the area, head out to the State Fair and check out the Toyota display and the rest of the great cars at the auto show!

Lexus GS450h

Usually when we are reviewing a car, it’s not hard to determine things like class or target audience. Reviewing the 2010 Lexus GS450h, we understandably  had the preconception that it was made to target the hybrid buying crowd, but with a more upscale buyer. After I sat in it though, I see a button that says “Sport” and a button that firms up the suspension. But wait, isn’t this a hybrid?

The Lexus GS is a mid-sized luxury car that comes in a few trims, basing out with a 3.5 liter V6 in the GS350, then the 4.6 liter V8 in the GS460, and topping out at the model we tested the GS450h with the 3.5 liter V6 and an electric motor slapped on to make it a hybrid powertrain. The GS is built on a rear wheel drive platform, and the hybrid version is, to date, the only RWD hybrid on the market. The GS460 has an output of 342 horsepower that can jettison its 3,836 pound mass from a standstill to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds. In comparison, the Mercedes E550 with a bigger V8 and more horsepower does the same in 5.2 seconds. The hybrid version though weighs in at 4,134 pounds and only outputs 340 horsepower out of both the V6 and electric motors combined. Yet, because of the way the power is delivered, the GS450h hits 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. Thats pretty impressive for something that has an “h” on the back if you ask me.

So it seems that this car keeps the luxury sports car buyer in mind over the environmentally conscious buyer. This is proven more when you actually see the EPA ratings on this car. City driving is obviously greatly benefited by the hybrid system averaging out at 22 mpg. Highway driving sees only one mpg advantage over the Lexus V8 averaging 25 mpg. While notably better than the V8 package in the same car, it seems like you sacrifice a lot in the process. You have added weight, you have a more complicated powertrain, and you have a $3,000 premium over the V8 Lexus.

Lexus GS450h

Is it worth it? I haven’t driven the GS460 to know for sure, but what I can tell you is that I’d give the V8 a shot first. Most of my gripes with the car are not with the design of the car, as I think it looks great. They are not really with the lack of significant gains made by the hybrid system in your miles per gallon. My biggest gripe with the GS450h is the hybrid system itself. Reading other reviews and watching videos about the GS450h, you hear a lot of talk about the seamless transfer of power from the gas engine to the electric engine. I found this to not be the case at all. In fact, all of our writers that had a chance to jump in this car – passenger or driver – could feel the transition between the two. And I can attest that the transition becomes quite annoying. Just a few weeks before, we tested the all new Prius and were pleased at the feel and transitions between burning fossil fuels and powering the wheels with electricity. So we are left scratching our heads wondering what went wrong? It really feels like Toyota threw this hybrid system together so that they can have the “h” badge on the back without really putting as much thought into it as they did to their dedicated hybrid, the Prius.

As many consumers can tell you, once you find one annoyance, every other annoyance is personified. This rang true in this luxury hybrid as well. Lets just take a second to compare this to the Lincoln MKS we test drove a few months back. When we drove the MKS, it was the most expensive car we had tested to that day, hitting your pocketbook at just over 54k. The GS450h shatters that record pushing just over 60 grand. This leaves us scratching our heads again. Is the GS450h $6,000 more car than the MKS EcoBoost? The fuel economy in the hybrid wasn’t substantially better, as it only averaged a few mpg better than the EcoBoost. The 0-60 time is faster in the Lexus, but the Lincoln never felt let down by its speed. The Lexus had a low roofline – another thing every one of us griped about – and the seats were hard to get into a comfortable position. The MKS had much more room, and was more comfortable to drive day to day than the Lexus. Even passengers in the back seats rode comfortably.

So where do I stand on this car? I think that it’s a good looking and luxurious car that gives you the all important RWD platform. If I was testing the GS460, I might have a completely different conclusion. But as for the hybrid, I’d pass. Save the extra money and get the V8 instead, or shop the MKS EcoBoost as it’s a fantastic car as well.

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.

We had the 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid for a few weeks during the Christmas break and really enjoyed our time in it. This is our video showing a little bit of what we thought about the new Milan. For a full review check out our post here, or hit the jump to see the video.

Feel free to let us know what you think about the video in our coments here on txGarage or on our YouTube page.

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

Today at the International Auto Show in Detroit they announced the North America Car and Truck of the year. Ford had a clean sweep with the Ford Fusion Hybrid winning car of the year and the Ford Transit Van winning truck of the year. We wont get into the Van winning Truck of the year, mostly because here in Texas we had the F150 win Texas Truck of the Year which is more suitable for us.
On the other had the Ford Fusion Hybrid, although we didn’t drive the Fusion Hybrid we did drive the Milan Hybrid – built on the same platform. We really liked the Milan Hybrid and Ford’s Hybrid system despite it being a Hybrid.

Check it out the 2010 Milan Hybrid here.

Check out the 2010 Ford Fusion here.

2010 Ford Transit Van

2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid

Driving on icy highways is no fun anywhere, but in Central Texas it becomes downright dangerous. A large percentage of Texans drive trucks, rear-wheel-drive with no traction. Couple that with the fact that we never seem to be prepared for ice or snow and it really gets dangerous. Heading home from visiting family for Christmas Eve, we hit the worst part of a bad snow day. A two hour long journey would be turned into a five hour marathon as we crept along the icy highways. We hit an enormous amount of traffic and hardship along the roads. Trucks would spin their tires desperately trying to climb hills; 18-wheelers would jackknife or would be unable to gain traction; Mustangs and 350Zs littered the ditches and medians; and mangled vehicles crept down the highway trying to get home. All I could think of, after the safety of my family of course, was not hurting this new press vehicle loaned to me by Ford. Surprisingly though, this 2010 Mercury Milan handled the snow and ice with ease, never did I think I would be happy that I was driving a front-wheel-drive car.

There have been quite a few rumors floating around for years now that “next year” is the year that Ford will dump its Mercury brand. Although the entry level luxury Marquee has been around since 1939, the brand hasn’t been a sales contender in any class for as far back as I can recall. The 2010 line-up consists of only three vehicles, the Milan, Mariner, and Mountaineer – you can also still buy a Grand Marquis, but only by special order now. So seemingly the skeptics are right. Ford isn’t investing much into Mercury and has been starving it for years.

I personally, after seeing and driving this new 2010 Milan, hope the rumors are not true. Although the Milan is still nothing more than a Ford Fusion with elegant sheet metal, at least it’s a big step in the right direction from previous generations. With the new looks and standard equipment on this car, it really does have enough to distinguish itself apart from the Fusion. For the money, I believe that the Milan is a much nicer and better looking than almost any other car in its class right now. I say “right now” because the upcoming Hyundai Sonata will be a fabulous car, not to mention the new Buick Regal that is going to hit the auto shows soon. With Ford absolving itself of Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston Martin, you would think that in the coming years Ford would be able to put more R&D into the Mercury brand giving them a new life-line.

So why is this Milan so important and so much better than its predecessor? Well just look at it! Mercury was really allowed to break from the Fusion body design and produce something drastically different in looks to the Fusion. Starting with the trademark “waterfall” grille the Milan has a curvy and lustful appeal to the front end. The headlights are more squished and stretched to curve up into the hood with the flowing body lines. The rear of the vehicle is more of the same with a more rounded rear end and tear drop tail lights with a beautiful new lighting design.

The interior of the car, although not distinguished much at all from the Fusion, is still one of my favorite interiors to be in for a car in this class. By far one of my favorite things about the interior is what’s not there as much as what is, namely fake wood grain. Why car makers connect wood grain interior with luxury is beyond me, but Mercury opted for a darker grainy material that looks better and really gives the car an upscale feel. The second best thing about the interior is the seats. The two-tone leather with exposed stitching looks wonderful and the bolstering and eight-way power adjustable seats make it incredibly comfortable, even on a five hour drive. You also get creature comforts like heated seats, dual climate control, ambient lighting, and steering wheel mounted controls. The next best thing about this Milan’s interior is Ford’s SYNC system. It’s a system you have to play with to understand how great and easy it is, although do it before you take off otherwise you will crash your new car. The menus are easy to read and understand, you get lots of information at your fingertips. You also have a great voice interactive system that allows you to hook up a phone or a USB device (i.e. iPod). It didn’t take long before I had my iPhone hooked up and playing my playlists, and when a call came in I could simply answer it via Bluetooth with a touch of a button on my steering wheel. The SYNC system has been hailed as one of the best infotainment systems, even over Mercedes and BMW, and is now being copied by many manufacturers. The only real gripes I would have with the interior firstly would be the extra storage compartment on the top of the dash. It makes good use of the space, but is the only part of the car made of cheap plastic and didn’t look like it fit well. Secondly, my daughter’s car seat had a hard time fitting well in the back seat; it just wasn’t wide enough from seatbelt to seatbelt buckle. Lastly, would be a radio mute button. It is always nicer to be able to hit one button to mute the audio and hit it again to bring it back to the volume you had it, instead of turning a dial or holding the volume button down on the steering wheel. That’s it, my three complaints of the car and they are nitpicks.

I know what you’re saying, yes it looks good and yes it has a nice interior but how does it drive? This is an enthusiast site after all. Well for a simi-luxuries, hybrid, sedan it’s not that bad. The driving dynamics match directly with the Ford Fusion, as it shares the chassis and steering, and we really liked the Fusion. There is not a lot of body roll, although it does exist, and the steering is tight and gives good feedback. This isn’t a car you’re going to buy to take to the track or even drive enthusiastically, but it’s not the boring slush-mobiles of the past.

My test car had the hybrid system in it, with a 2.5 liter four cylinder motor and an electric motor under the hood. The battery pack is stuck back in the trunk taking away some of your space but I still found the room plentiful. You can also get this car with the standard 2.5 liter Duratec four cylinder engine pushing 175 hp and 172 lb.-ft. of torque, or the 3.0 liter Duratec V6 engine with 240 hp and 223 lb.-ft. of torque. No matter what engine you get, Ford says that the Milan and the Fusion are “America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan” thanks to the Duratec technology. Of course we got the most fuel-efficient option with the hybrid system that Ford says will do 41 MPG in the city and 38 MPG on the highway, they say you can get 700 miles per tank, and that you can run the car in electric mode up to 47 mph. Let’s start with the mileage statistic because most MPG ratings on cars seem to be inflated. When I first got the car I reset the miles per gallon recorded in the information display, then drove the car like I would any normal day. My normal day of driving consist of two minutes of country road to the highway, then thirty-five minutes of highway driving to my exit, then about 2 more minutes of city roads to my office. So let’s just call that highway driving. My average, normal driving, on the highway was just at 38 MPG, astonishingly right at the advertised number. My next task was to reset the MPG again and take some time to drive some city streets. After a day roaming around Dallas wasting gas, I came away with 42 MPG. Thats 1 MPG higher than the advertised figure! What a great system this is! So I set out another task, two birds with one stone kind of task, where I would drive the car hard and see what kind of fuel economy I would get. This is a two bird with one stone approach because I was determined to prove to other drivers that hybrid drivers don’t have to be slow, pain in the neck, hyper mileage drivers. So after a few days of thinking not about fuel economy and jamming the right pedal to the floor, I came out with an average of 34 MPG. Most cars couldn’t get that if they tried their hardest. I was actually impressed. Of course all this great gas mileage comes at a price, almost $4,000. It is a hefty price for a great new technology, and living in a state where most commuters are like me – having a mostly highway driven round trip – won’t really get the benefit of the gas savings. We also have new technologies coming out with diesel engines and even Ford’s own EcoBoost engines that deliver great gas mileage without stripping an extra four grand from your pocket book. It would be more of a determination of your commute and where you live on if it would be worth it for you, although 34 MPG average is nothing to sneeze at.

All in all, I was pretty happy and impressed with the new Milan. It has a great new body that sets it apart from the Fusion. It has a fantastic interior, and it has fuel-efficient new powertrains. Ford still has a long way to go though to bring the Mercury brand up to a level above everyday Ford vehicles. They need to continue to differentiate their models with nice bodywork and upgraded interiors. They need to focus on competing with brands like Buick, Acura, and even Infinity, not with Honda, Toyota and Chevrolet. More exciting refreshes like the Milan will allow Mercury to compete with these brands if only Ford will give them the opportunity. Otherwise the rumors we all have heard may bring Mercury to the same fate as many other, now non-existent brands.

2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid

Today we took delivery of a 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid supplied by Ford. We will be testing it and reviewing it throughout the holidays and by the end will have a nice video for you to enjoy. For now check out these first pictures of the car we snapped during the delivery.

2010 Ford F-150 Truck of Texas

The Texas Auto Writers Association gathered together last weekend for their annual truck event known as the Texas Truck Rodeo. This year it was held in San Antonio where the trucks and SUV’s would be put through the test at the Knibbe Ranch.
Every year, the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) names the Truck of Texas after this event and for the past six years that truck has been the Ford F-150. This year was no different with the new Ford F-150 taking the big prize yet again. For 2010, the F-150 didn’t just get a new look, it got an all around new package. The interior is a nice place to be whether you are roaring down a highway or driving through an open field. The powertrain has been tweaked giving the new F-150 a boost in fuel economy by as much as 12% over the prior year model. The title for Truck of the Year seems to be well deserved for Ford’s hard work on the F-150 year after year.

Ford also earned the number one spot for Luxury Truck of the year with the 2010 Ford F-150 King Ranch. With its upscale and quiet cabin with plush leather seats, it isn’t hard to see why. This truck combines everything you would want in an upscale luxury car – including heated and cooled seats, navigation, cruise control, leather wrapped everything, and wood grain trim – with everything you would want out of a truck – including 310 horsepower, 4×4 capabilities, 8,200 pounds of towing capacity, and easy maneuverability. So if you are looking for a great truck around the 46k plus range, the King Ranch is for you.

Ford also took home awards for the 2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost (Full-Size Crossover Utility Vehicle of the Year), the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Supercab (Full-Size Pickup Truck of the Year), the 2010 Ford Expedition King Ranch (Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicle), and the 2010 Lincoln MKX (Mid-Size Crossover Utility). They also claimed the Truck Line of Texas award and claimed the award for Outstanding Feature with its Ford Work Solutions.

So was there anything left to give out after Ford grabbed up its eight awards? Well yes, GM racked up two awards with one vehicle. The 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8 Liter Turbo beat out the competition for Luxury Crossover Utility Vehicle of the year and took an overall victory with Crossover Utility Vehicle of the year. The 2010 SRX 2.8L Turbo is a great 2.8L V6 turbocharged to 300 horsepower with a 6-speed transmission. The powertrain hooks up to an All-Wheel Drive system and 4-channel electronic stability control system with rollover mitigation. It also has luxuries like front and rear ultrasonic parking assist, power liftgate with memory height, adaptive remote start, 10 speaker Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound system, navigation, rearview camera, and a laundry list of more. This CUV with its Cadillac sleek looks and premium luxury most definitely deserved these awards.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTEC also brought home two awards winning the Sports Utility Vehicle of Texas and Full-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle of the Year. This premium 7 passenger SUV is all Mercedes, the pinnacle of luxury. Coming in at a price just under $60,000 the only complaint I’ve heard about this luxury SUV is that its Navigation system and radio don’t split screen. The BlueTEC has a 3.0 liter V6 producing 210 horsepower with a 7-speed automatic transmission affording you 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway.

Lexus won out for the Mid-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle with its 2010 Lexus R450h. The “h” of course is for the hybrid drivetrain that now produces 295 hp (27% better than last year). Everything has been re-looked at on the RX, including the sheetmetal used. The sheetmetal used on the 2010 RX is slipperier than before with a 0.32 coefficient of drag. They also updated the interior including an “iDrive” like information center called “Remote Touch”. This is something Lexus has needed to really compete in the luxury market.

The 2010 Subaru Outback claimed the Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle title. The Outback has grown over the years but always remains true to its nature, a 4×4 off-road machine. Probably the first to be able to claim the rights of being a Crossover Utility Vehicle the Outback has always been a great ride. The 2010 is larger, more fuel efficient, and higher up than its predecessors. You have the choice between a 2.5 liter 4 cylinder boxer engine with a 6 speed manual transmission pushing 170 hp or a 3.6 liter 6 cylinder boxer engine with a 5 speed automatic transmission pushing 256 hp. Both come with Subaru’s great all-wheel drive system as standard.

Now we have Chrysler getting into the mix with an award for the 2010 Jeep Patriot Limited 4×4. The Jeep won in the Compact Sport Utility Vehicle class. Although no one knows the future of the Jeep brand or what the Patriot might look like with some Fiat infusion, we can say that the 2010 is worth a look. The 2.4 liter inline 4 makes 172 hp and gets 23mpg city and 28 mpg highway; not bad at all. We also get to see the two trucks picking up awards for Chrysler. The 2010 Dodge Dakota Crew Cab TRX4 took home the Mid-Size Pickup Truck award and the 2010 Dodge Ram 3500 took the Heavy Duty Pickup Truck award.

Last but not least, the 2010 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition picked up an award for Mid-Size Sports Utility Vehicle of the Year. We first saw the 2010 4Runner at the debut at the State Fair of Texas media day. I knew from that day this was going to be a great new SUV, especially for the younger audience. Features like “party mode” allowing the 4Runner’s sound system to be concentrated toward the rear of the vehicle for tailgating parties is just one of the many details Toyota has looked at while making the new 4Runner. The reason the Trail Edition made it to the top of the list for Texas is for the cleaver off-roading capabilities of the 4Runner.

For more information on the Texas Truck Rodeo check out the TAWA site:

First let’s look at the styling. Frankly I love it! Some people think the new “3 bar grill” design is too much, but I like the aggressive look and the way they made the headlights mach up with the grill it just beefs up the front end. I was never a big fan of the old headlights but they did a fantastic job integrating these new lights with the front end.  The open mouth and more European front help the car look more elegant while still looking like an American machine.  Another redesigned area of the car that I was happy with was the rear. The new tail lights round out the design well. Wrapping up the European look in the back is the rear diffuser, looking sporty but not being too big for a normal family car.

2010 Ford Fusion

Where Ford really out did themselves is in the interior in this car. I told you how great the interior was in the 2005 model, well just know that the 2010 is ten times better. The material used for the door trim and the dash, the softness of the steering wheel, and the comfort of the seats just add to an all around better car. The standard Ford SYNC system has one-upped brands like BMW and Lexus giving you functionality they are now trying to copy.

2010 Ford Fusion

On to the engines, the Fusion has a 2.5L four-cylinder with an all new six-speed automatic gear box producing 171hp and 171lb-ft of torque and rated at 23/34mpg. This base engine is quite good in power and in MPG, but the top of the line Sport edition will be packing a 3.5L V6 also matted to a six-speed automatic gear box. With the V6 you get a plentiful 263hp and 249lb-ft torque while still maintaining good MPG. We should also expect to see a Fusion GT with the NEW 3.5L Eco-Boost V6 (which is so amazing I could write a whole article about just that engine) producing about 340hp. My recommendation to Ford if they decide to produce the GT would be to make sure the suspension and front tires can take that horsepower being a front wheel drive car.  

2010 Ford Fusion V6 Engine

The biggest fuss with the new 2010 Fusion is the new Hybrid model.  With the hybrid Fusion you get a gasoline-electric hybrid system that easily cranks out 41MPG averages. Again Ford is leading in the technology department with others struggling to produce such a useful vehicle with such good gas mileage and still keep it at an affordable price.

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

If you know me you know I like fast cars with rear wheel drive and a nice manual transmission, but for an everyday family sedan this has to be one of my favorite cars out there. The refinement and technology put into this car by Ford is a step above the rest at its price range, and it’s always good to be in a Great American car.