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BMW 328i / 320d – F30 – 2012
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Written and video review coming shortly.
Fiat Freemont 2.0l D 170BHP Urban Line
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Written report coming shortly.
BMW 116i – 2011
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Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.4 TB – 01.10.2011
Report coming soon…
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Coming soon…
Mercedes-Benz C250 CGI 2010
Mercedes-Benz C320 2003 vs Mercedes-Benz C350 2004
Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI 2003
Chevrolet Cruze 1.6Ls
Honda CBR125R
Suzuki GN125
Nissan 370Z Roadster – 18.06.2011
It is a long time since my last test drive report, but I am now back with a new series of reviews. On this note I will present in detail the 2011 Nissan 370Z Roadster. Even though I am a fan of the Coupe and not the convertible version, only this one was available over a range of 300kms so it was my only option. The car under review was the full option version, with a manual gearbox and 19” rims.
First of all, I want to talk a bit about the design of this car. From (almost) every angle, the body of the 370Z looks mean and cool at the same time. The front end is very aggressive and I have a feeling they got their inspiration from snakes. The headlights have an aggressive yet stylish look, and the front lower grill has some lines that seem fangs ready for attack. It’s like it’s about to attack the road and anything on it. Its wide back hips are always visible in the side mirrors and host the big 275mm wide 19” wheels. Round the back, there can be seen a small improvement from the 350Z. The rear lamps are redesigned and now integrate the indicators as well (as opposed to the previous model where the indicators where placed lower on the bumper). The fog light is placed very low and is guarded by the two stainless steel exhausts. The side is fairly simple, with not many striking lines. The ‘Z’ logo stands proud on the front wing, while the brushed aluminum handle completes the styling.
Getting in the car, you notice the same ‘Z’ logo in the center of the steering wheel. The rev-counter sits in the middle of the dashboard, as it should, and is centered by the speedometer and the onboard computer. The latter I find a bit outdated. While all new competitors have already cool integrated symbols and displays, Nissan goes for a slightly outdated, but practical approach. The gas-meter, however, I find a bit weird, not integrating with the overall design of the dashboard. The steering wheel is dressed-up in leather and hosts various buttons for hands-free, cruise control and radio. Moving on to the center console, here the life gets a bit more interesting and exciting. On top there is the engine temperature, battery voltage and clock gauges. They directed to the driver and give it a racing feeling. Underneath there is a 7” LCD touchscreen that hosts the navigation, radio and phone display. Apart from the standard CD/MP3 connectivity, it has USB/iPod slots plus an audio/video input for movie playback on the abovementioned screen. These additional slots are placed inside the armrest to maintain a sleek design of the center console. Further on, there is the short-throw gear stick. Next to it there are the hazard lights sign and the elusive sport buttons. The handbrake, cup holder and electric seating buttons complete the accessory list in the middle. The seats were full leather, bucket seats with only a 3-point seatbelt. This being a roadster, it can lose its roof in a few seconds. However, this has its downsides. Of course it’s great to cruise with the wind in your hair (or wig, considering the average age of the buyers of this car), but when the roof is up it has issues. On the Autobahn, at 120km/h there is a bit too much noise that can get irritating on a long trip. However, starting from 160km/h some wind starts to get in and by the time you are past 200km/h you have the entire weather forecast right there next to you. I haven’t mentioned yet the Start/Stop button. If you read my previous reviews you will notice I am slightly against them. However, the 370Z doesn’t only have this button, but it also has keyless operation. You only need to have the key somewhere in the car and it will work just fine. In this case, I couldn’t agree more with such a button.
Let us move now to the exciting part: how it drives. As expected from a sports car, the suspension is hard, firm and gives the car good stability in corners. At first it might seem a bit bumpy, but after a few minutes you will totally forget about it. The steering is not as light as you would expect it. You need to keep a strong hand on the wheel to be able to steer it. However, this helps a lot during cornering as it allows you to properly feel what the front wheels are experiencing and gives you the possibility to adjust and correct the trajectory for any situation. The 6-Speed manual gearbox I found great. Not only it is extremely precise and the short throw kit enriches the racing experience, but it is geared in such a way to make living with it a charm. You are not forced to shift too much in a city traffic situation and that is a big plus for the 370Z. An interesting and extremely useful feature is the rev-match. Whenever you need to downshift, the computer calculates your engine and wheel rotation speed and matches them according to the gear selected, making downshifts a piece of cake, eliminating the need to heel-toe. Here I come now to the best part of this roadster. I have been experiencing for quite some time the feel of aspirated petrol power on the C350 Mercedes I sometimes drive at work (review coming soon as well), but that does not even compare to what the 3.7l V6 mounted on the Nissan has to offer. The 328BHP in this beast are more than enough to carry the light weight body around. Setting off, I wanted to get used to the car, clutch and steering and drove civilizes in a morning traffic situation. It goes well, no extra effort needed. The clutch is light and bites on an average length run of the pedal, so your leg won’t get tired. Visibility is good all around (even though high mounted traffic lights are slightly hard to see) and maneuverability is perfect. However, to properly see what this car had to give, I had to take the unlimited Autobahn. Starting off in second gear and suddenly pressing the gas pedal all the way unleashes a thunderstorm. As soon as then engine goes past 3000rpm, the true sound of a V6 comes alive. There is so much torque in this car that you wonder where they packed it. Any gear, any speed, press the pedal and it just goes, like it’s pulled by a jet or something. Power shifting is easy and effective and you will soon find yourself over the speed limit. Getting in the unlimited section I had the chance to give it full throttle. Traffic was very light (who drives on a Saturday morning?) so I had enough room to play. For the first acceleration episode I couldn’t even look at the gauges or anything. Just holding the steering wheel and generally being stunned by this amazing force. On the way back, I was dazzled to see how easy it breaks 200 and how it will go steadily until 250km/h (and more, but that’s where I decided it was enough). Heart pumping like crazy, I got off the Autobahn and did a power launch at the first traffic light. Even though it was wet, 3500rpm, clean drop off the clutch, the ESP kept it straight and true and it set off pretty nice.
Overall, I must say I was positively impressed by this car and I can see now what the fuss about the sports cars is truly about. If it were my choice though, I would go for the Coupe version in dark grey. And at 40000euros it’s cheaper than the competitive BMW Z4 and Mercedes SLK.
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Honda Civic 1.8i-VTEC – 18.10.2010
The best way to spend an hour after a busy day at work is to drive a Civic. It is the best stress release method ever. Since my last test drive with the 1.4 Civic I was hooked on this car. I just wanted to see how much better the 1.8 liter engine is and to get another feeling of that amazing VTEC sound. Therefore I got in touch with another Honda dealer and booked a test with them.
First of all let’s state the facts. The car was a 2010 5-door Honda Civic 1.8i-VTEC Sport. It had done 5300km (probably only from test drives). The engine puts out 103/140 BHP (103 in normal mode, 140 after VTEC kicks in) and a respectable 174 NM of torque. All this modest power is put down to the tires through a precise 6 speed manual gearbox. Among the options I can count: exterior GT packet, 16” aluminum rims and MP3 radio with USB support.
Getting in the car you again get the jet-fighter cockpit effect. The moment you close the door, the dashboard surrounds you and the 3-spoke steering wheel comes at you like a space-craft controller. The perfectly placed revmeter stays right in front of you and is easy to see how the revs build up. I am still not a fan of the Start button; still think it’s pointless and too flashy. After setting up the camera on the windshield, I began the proper test. The first thing you notice is the amount of low end torque. Setting off, it gives you a feeling that you’re in a Diesel car. It can set off only from clutch no problem. A bit of help from the accelerator and you’re running off the line. The light servo-steering is very helpful in parking and the 4 rear mounted sensors are of real help on this model. The back is rather chunky and the rear window does not offer enough visibility. I should mention that this model (referring here to the Sport) has a very small steering lock angle. The turning circle on this car is huge. That’s a small disadvantage for this car.
This being a Sport version it obviously had the sport suspension package. The previous Civic I tested had normal suspension and it was pretty good. But the one on this one is even better. In normal city cruise is pretty comfortable, cushions the bumps pretty well and the ride becomes very relaxing. If you push it, the suspension keeps up. The cornering happens pretty flat and the car has not even a hint of body roll. The seats give good side support and you definitely will not fall of the seat in a fast corner. The brakes on this car are very good. No matter how much you abuse them, they will work consistently and effective every single time.
I think it is time now to talk about the engine (I know Seby is looking forward to this part). I was really impressed with the work Honda has done with the 1.4, but I am even more impressed with this 1.8. As I said before, the low end torque is more than enough and until you hit 4500 rpm you get a normal petrol car feeling. Very quiet, economic, with enough power to get you through traffic. But go over that and all goodies come running. On this model you can really feel a VTEC kick. The moment this amazing system starts working, the entire engine comes alive. The sounds changes from a quite whine to a loud and angry Grrrr, the power just comes in magically and you immediately feel an adrenaline rush. I’ve actually captured on video the first VTEC kick in this car; you’ll find a link at the end. (I apologize for the bad quality of the movie). If you get this car, I assure you that you will spend most of your time between 5-7000rpm. That’s where the car can be sensibly driven with no repercussions to the engine block. But the fun goes until almost 9000 revs when the limiter becomes the fun stopper. I took the car to a dead-end road (that contains a 2km straight) and saw what it has to give. Setting off from 1st at 2000rpm and until hitting the 8,5k rev every time before shifting gives you the best feeling in the world. The engine rotations build and build and it seems like they’re never going to end. I think this is perfect time to quote a classic “Its engine spins so fast, it generates its own little gravity field.” – Jeremy Clarkson
After the test drive was over, I felt sad thinking I won’t be enjoying this engine anymore, not at least for a few years from now on. Honda has made a great car and they should keep it up.
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Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 315CDI – 09.10.2010
Normally, I wouldn’t go to a dealer and ask for a test drive for a van. I mean how much fun a van can be? (apart from the Toom van, of course). On this occasion it was about driving the university van to Oschersleben so that a bunch of us could see the DTM race between Mercedes and Audi. The car…i’m sorry, van, is a Mercedes Sprinter 315 CDI with a tiny 2 litre engine. Unfortunately it has an automatic gearbox which will be referred to in a minute.
What do you talk about when you test drive a people carrier? I have no idea. But let’s give it a try. First of all, the Sprinter is huge. The amount of space you have inside is ridiculous. You can throw a decent size party in there while you’re driving across town. There is the standard number of 8+1 seats which was more than enough on this occasion. As for gadgets, there wasn’t much. Standard radio, A/C and an armrest, nothing special. The best thing about a van is that the driver’s seat is very special. It has an individual suspension system which leads to a very comfortable driving experience.
Here I come now to the important part, how it drives. Well, apart from the automatic gearbox ruining it completely, there isn’t much excitement in the engine. It’s a diesel which means it’s rather low on power, but you would expect a hint of torque at least. Unfortunately, there’s none of that either. You put in Drive, release the brake and then press the gas expecting some power that never comes. It just pulls away with no flamboyance. I am being a bit too mean with this topic so I should also mention an upside. When you get to cruising speed (eventually you do) it’s very relaxing. The engine drops into 2k revs and it’s quiet and nice. But refrain from braking, as getting back to speed will take a while, a long while. Let’s move the mean stuff to the gearbox now. I mean who thought this gearbox was a good idea? Any driver that has an idea about and slight interest in cars will not choose it. In simple Drive mode it just revs the hell out of the engine before it changes gear and then waits until the engine almost stalls to change down. It’s painfully slow. And this shows when you switch to “manual” shifting. You reach the changing point, move the lever, wait 30 seconds, eat a sandwich, have a decent conversation with the passengers and around then it will change gear. Honestly, it takes ages!
Shifting the topic now to the handling, I thought there wouldn’t be much to say about it. At this aspect there are good points and bad points as well. Let’s start with the good ones. The turning circle is very small. Mercedes has a special trick that makes the wheels turn so much that you feel like the car is turning on the spot. There is great visibility all around the car, so parking is very easy. However, since it has so much space inside, it means it’s huge outside as well, which ruins the aerodynamics. Mercedes has nicely made the front wind friendly and I appreciate that, as there is no considerable drag from it. But they should have considered the sides as well. I mean, as soon as you leave the wind protected Autobahn and you get to a zone with a hint of cross-winds, hold the wheel steady, as the car will go with it. Trucks passing by will make it shift heavily. Due to this issue, you have to make constant adjustments to the wheel so it can go straight. After a few kms it becomes annyoing and tiring.
I know I was being a bit too mean about this Sprinter, but I was merely stating some facts. Unless you have to drive it, in this configuration, I wouldn’t recommend it. Get a proper manual gearbox and the version with the low body so you won’t have (as many) problems with the cross-winds.
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Dacia Duster 1.5dCi 4×4 – 03.10.2010
Any review of the new Dacia Duster says that it is actually a good car. But knowing Dacia I automatically refused to believe them. So, to see what’s what I booked a test drive with Autohaus Krügel in Bremen and went for it.
The first impression was that of a simple car. The doors have electromagnetic key activated locks (sort of like the ones on a mid-90s Opel) which work brilliantly and are very cheap. The moment you get in, you feel the new-car smell, but the dashboard and gadgets make you feel rather in the past. All new Dacia dashboards have the same characteristics as the ones on the old Renault Clio. But that’s what you would expect from such a cheap car. At only 16000 euro you get a proper SUV that just works. No extra toys, bling or anything.
The model I tested was a 1.5 dCi 105 HP four wheel-drive Duster. The brown color I still dislike. It does not fit any car and it seems more and more new cars have brown in their color palette. The plastic SUV-live bumpers and side skirts give it a very nice look (especially if you have them in dark grey on a black painted car). It had 15” alloy rims, which encompass generous tires that become very helpful off road. Still at this chapter, functionality, I have to mention the notorious roof rails that are present as well on the Duster and are of real use when going on an expedition (which you will definitely do in a Duster).
Setting off, I turned the key in the ignition expecting a loud tractor-sound from a non-turbo diesel engine. But, surprisingly, it was very, very quiet. No vibration or clunking sounds what-so-ever. The gearbox is basic, but precise. No extra decorations or anything. You just get a plastic stick connected to some metal linkage and then to the Renault gearbox. Since the Duster is designed to go off-road you would expect it to have a transfer box with low-range/high-range conversion. But no, that would cost too much money. So what did they do? They basically shifted the gears. They created a new first gear (which I could refer to as 0-gear). This is very low and can get you out of very tricky situations in off-road conditions. Then you have the ordinary gearbox. Second gear is basically the old first gear and so on. Therefore, you’ll soon get used to skipping first gear at all in daily use.
Moving on to the engine, the brochure said it has 105 donkeys under the bonnet, but I can hardly believe that. However, the 240 Nm of torque I absolutely adore. You never get such a nice feeling in any other car. You have a slow start and then you put your foot down, in 4th, at 30kph and you instantly get pulled in the chair. It’s simply amazing. If you try some aggressive acceleration you will spin the tires in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and a bit of 4th, all four of them. If you really want to test it better, try setting off at a traffic light in 4th. It will do that no problem, no drama at all. And all that fun you can have with an average consumption of 5l/100 km. After all the city torture I only managed to get it not higher than 5.6, so it’s very economical.
As you would expect from a cheap car, the build quality is a bit shabby. But not on the Duster though. Of course, you get plastic dash, plastic door panels and the boring lining on the roof. But it’s all nicely put together, you find everything within reach and it just is practical. You get a nice quality stereo in the price, which does not have that much power, but it’s enough for the average buyer of a Duster. During the test drive there was no suspect sounds, no clunking, no rattles no nothing. I have though a slight remark. The seats do not match the suspension. They are flat, so they have no side support, meaning you will most probably slide off it in a fast corner. The suspension does not help because it’s very hard and firm. It gives a certain comfort, but overall it tends to be rather sporty. Of course, the high driving position makes up for it, as you will be able to see anything coming up ahead (bump, hole) so you can avoid it and protect your spine.
But overall, I have to say, I am impressed with the work Dacia has done. It’s not a bad car at all. It’s cheap, easy to maintain, easy to drive, does its job pretty well and doesn’t look bad. I actually wouldn’t mind owning one.
