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Harwood, ND Car Consumer Discussions

Re: getting a new car: RAV, CRV or Oulander? [ghostdog]

by piast on Thu Apr 17 20:40:37 PDT 2008

In OCT MT issue Ron Kiino wrote: "Interior quality is premium and design contemporary... 3.0 liter with MIVEC is a refined and robust unit... New Outlander has an air that's all SUV enhanced with such luxury as standard LED tail lamps, available Xenon headlamps and 18" wheels...Outlander can easily hang with the best in it's class...delivers excellent balance through high-speed maneuvers." Mazda CX7 and Mitsubishi Outlander, both offering better performance and premium features (Xenon headlamps, navigation, DVD, premium sound systems etc) than any other CUV in this class. Mitsubishi standard V6 uses regular, has more rear leg room (39") and cargo room (39 cu ft) better warranty and price. From DEC Motor Trend issue: " ...once you get past the stellar V6, The RAV4 is a bit ordinary and doesn't offer the same value as its competitors" (A.Harwood) Mitsubishi got high ratings in performance and safety with rest of them being equal to RAV4. The interior in Mitsu received four stars, RAV4 got three. Both cars can tow 3500 lbs, both using regular fuel. Handling: Outlannder......RAV4 Braking ft........ .... 128..............130 600ft slalom mph ... 62.7.............60.6 Lateral acceleration g 078..............0.75 MT figure 8 (sec) ....... 28.3.............28.6

Re: Outlander performance [comem47]

by piast on Thu Apr 17 19:40:01 PDT 2008

In OCT MT issue Ron Kiino wrote: "Interior quality is premium and design contemporary... 3.0 liter with MIVEC is a refined and robust unit... New Outlander has an air that's all SUV enhanced with such luxury as standard LED tail lamps, available Xenon headlamps and 18" wheels...Outlander can easily hang with the best in it's class...delivers excellent balance through high-speed maneuvers." Mazda CX7 and Mitsubishi Outlander, both offering better performance and premium features (Xenon headlamps, navigation, DVD, premium sound systems etc) than any other CUV in this class. Mitsubishi standard V6 uses regular, has more rear leg room (39") and cargo room (39 cu ft) better warranty and price. From DEC Motor Trend issue: " ...once you get past the stellar V6, The RAV4 is a bit ordinary and doesn't offer the same value as its competitors" (A.Harwood) Mitsubishi got high ratings in performance and safety with rest of them being equal to RAV4. The interior in Mitsu received four stars, RAV4 got three. Both cars can tow 3500 lbs, both using regular fuel. Handling: Outlannder......RAV4 Braking ft........ .... 128..............130 600ft slalom mph ... 62.7.............60.6 Lateral acceleration g 078..............0.75 MT figure 8 (sec) ....... 28.3.............28.6

Re: topgun7 [feverhart]

by piast on Mon Nov 20 15:23:37 PST 2006

For straight line acceleration no, but agility and handling, better interior and design - yes, Mazda CX7 and Mitsubishi Outlander, both offering better performance and premium features (Xenon headlamps, navigation, DVD, premium sound systems etc). Mitsubishi standard V6 drinks regular, has more rear leg room (39") and cargo room (39 cu ft) than any of them, better warranty and price as well. " ...once you get past the stellar V6, The RAV4 is a bit ordinary and doesn't offer the same value as its competitors" A.Harwood DEC Motor Trend issue.

(Newcomers) 2007 Honda CR-V

by turbocrv on Thu Aug 24 11:09:49 PDT 2006

Here is more info according to a Motor Trend Magazine; October 2006 Issue. I found this info from Player4 on HondaSUV.com forum. Finally Free To Be Me Out of the SUV closet and revealing its crossover identity For its 10th year on the market, the CR-V has shed its boxy sport/utility wrappings to reveal its true crossover identity. It's always been car-based, with little off-road capability, but as sales trends move toward smaller, lighter vehicles, the Honda is now free to be itself. The 2007 model looks elongated and squashed down, but the dimensions haven't changed much: It's shorter (by 3.0 inches; the spare's now underneath), wider (1.4 inches), lower (0.1 inch), and rides on a shorter wheelbase (0.2 inch). Also gone is the left-to-right-side-swinging cargo door, which forced you to walk into traffic to retrieve groceries. The rear door's now hinged on top. Last year's 16-valve i-VTEC DOHC four has been upgraded, with 166 horsepower instead of 156, and with one more pound-foot of torque, its peak at a higher rpm. Combine that with the 60 or so pounds the CR-V gained, and it's no surprise it doesn't blow the doors off the competition. It's tighter in turns and quieter on the highway than in the past. Steering is responsive and linear, and the revised MacPherson-strut front and multilink rear suspension offers a decent balance of agility and comforts, making the CR-V behave like an oversized Accord. As expected, it also comes with plenty of standard safety equipment-the front end uses the ACE body structure, and all trim levels have front, front-side, and dual-row side-curtain airbags, ABS, stability control, brake assist, and a tire-pressure-monitoring system. While pedal feel was good in both preproduction units we drove, the first one's brakes were grabby and engine braking came in too soon, making stops abrupt. The second one's brakes had the right balance of firm response and smooth deceleration. We hope that was the more accurate representative. The cabin blends with Honda's excellent fit and finish with the simple function CR-V owners will want. The fold-and-tumble 40/20/40 rear seat can hold two child seats, or one on the middle that can slide closer to the front row-in case Mom or Dad needs to have a chat with Junior. Honda had taken the positive attributes that make the CR-V its perennial best-seller and added style, better handling, and a hint of cool. Final pricing hadn't been announced as of press time, but given the automaker's low-$20,000 estimated starting point, it looks like it'll continue to be a great value. Allyson Harwood 2007 Honda CR-V Base Price $21,550-$26,250 (est) Vehicle Layout Front engine, FWD or AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV Engine 2.4L/166-hp/161 lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4 Transmission 5-speed automatic Curb Weight 3400-3550 lb Wheelbase 103.1 in Length x Width x Height 178.0 x 71.6 x 66.1 in 0-60 MPH 10.0 sec (MT est) EPA City/Hwy Fuel Econ 22-23/28-30 mpg On Sale In U.S. Currently Article Pictures: Source: Motor Trend; October 2006 Issue

Police package review...and teo what is this about steering shaft problems?

by chevyrog1 on Mon Jan 29 20:46:45 PST 2001

this was taken straight out of Lawandordermag.com Impala Durability Testing Chevrolet selected the Chicagoland Emergency Vehicle Show to demonstrate the power and agility of their police package Impala. They also selected this show to announce a first in law enforcement; a long-term, real- time durability testing with fully instrumented Impalas in actual police service. Police car enthusiasts across the Midwest gather for a weekend of shows and cruises at an annual event organized by Chicago police officer Greg Reynolds. The show attracts restored, daily driver, DARE and in- service police cars of all makes, models and years. For example, this year’s “best restored” police car was a 1971 Plymouth Fury with Streamwood, IL, police markings. The “best-of-show” was a 1956 Ford from the Harwood Heights, IL, police. In addition to the static car show, past events have included a real EVOC course open to vintage police cars and in-service cars, alike. This year, Bruce Wiley, Manager of Chevrolet Special Vehicles, provided a half dozen police package Impalas for all to drive on the half-mile, 15-turn EVOC course. Some of the Impalas were unmarked, 9C1 package cars while others were fully-equipped, complete with radios, MDTs and prisoner partitions. Not only did drivers compete against one another in their own police cars, the new Impala was pitted against the best police cars ever made. Was Chevrolet really ready for their V-6 FWD Impalas to run against the 440 cubic inch, big block V-8 Dodge Monacos and the LT-1 powered Caprices? In heads-up, no holds barred competition? Wiley said, “Yes.” Cars running the EVOC course were divided into classes based on their decade. The times got quicker with each era. Nostalgia aside, the big block V-8 powered monsters were beat by the small block V-8 Sedans of the 1980s. That was a surprise. However, it was no surprise that the LT-1 Caprices from the 1990s were faster than all the other generations of police Sedan. The shock came from the new Impala times. Against a field of V-8 powered, rear drive cruisers pushed hard enough to frequently smoke their tires, the Impala set the fastest time of the day! In fact, the average time for the drivers who ran the Impala was equal to the fastest time from the LT-1 Caprice. The consensus was clear, the Impala 9C1 is the fastest and best handling front drive American police car ever built. Performance is one thing. Durability on the street is another. In a year’s time, the Impala has also started to build a reputation as the most reliable and durable FWD police car ever made. Dodge and Plymouth introduced FWD police cars in 1982. Chevrolet and Ford joined the effort in 1984 and 1990, respectively. Each FWD attempt has been better than the previous car to the point where the 2000 Impala took five of the six test phases over the V-8 powered, rear drive Crown Victoria including acceleration, handling and ergonomics in the Michigan State Police evaluation. The Impala is gaining increasing acceptance among police officers and fleet managers alike. The usual reaction is concern over how small the car appears from the outside, followed by surprise at how roomy the car is from the inside. By far the largest user of the Impala for uniformed patrol is the New York City Police. They purchased 600 in 2000 and have rolled over the contract to buy between 700 and 1000 of the 2001 Impala. Not only are these Impalas used as precinct cars, they are also used by the NYPD Highway Patrol, complete with the unique McDermott multi-level light rack. The Highway Patrol Bureau had long been the stronghold of powerful, rear wheel drive, interceptor-class, traffic enforcement cruisers. But the legacy of poor durability from earlier FWD police cars of all makes haunts the Impala. So Chevrolet took the opportunity of the Emergency Vehicle Show to discuss the first, real-time durability testing of its kind involving four fully-instrumented 9C1 Impalas. These police package cars have been fitted with sensors, instruments and on-board computers to read and record what it is like to be on duty with both an urban police department and a state police department. The on-board computers record engine oil temperature, transaxle oil temperature, power steering oil temperature, alternator loads and battery loads. Other sensors detect g’s of acceleration, g’s of deceleration (braking) and g’s of lateral acceleration (cornering). Perhaps the most important sensors on the FWD car are the ones linked to the front suspension. Literally all the forces and loads acting upon the front suspension and steering components are measured and recorded. Every jounce. Every pothole. Every railroad track. Every curb. The sensors pick up the low level vibration from smooth roads and the harsh vibration from rough roads. While the drive train and suspension monitoring are going on, another set of sensors will record the forces exerted on the driver’s seat. For the first time, Chevrolet will be able to measure what happens to a seat other than fabric wear. Seat comfort, and the resulting back support and health, is a major issue among many police officers. This is the first time this kind of information, and this detail of information, have been collected from a police vehicle. “We have never known how a car actually performed in the field, other than by word of mouth,” said James Boerkoel, Chevrolet Manager of Specialty Vehicle Activity. “At the end of the study, we will have real-time data.” Chevrolet has four of these fully-instrumented Impalas in police service. Two are with a northern state police force; one is at its Academy’s EVOC track where instructors and recruits alike are trying to kill the car. So far, they haven’t. The other Impala is in a major metro area doing median-jumping traffic enforcement. Later, this traffic unit will move to the far north part of the state to allow recording of vehicle performance under frigid conditions. The other two test cars are in-service with the Mesa, AZ, Police and the Detroit Police. The Mesa car is at a satellite post near GM’s Desert Proving Grounds, to experience extremely hot conditions. For Chevrolet to get a true understanding of the worst- case urban police environment, they had to have an acid test. That is where the Detroit Police and its 9th Precinct come in! This precinct has the most calls, the heaviest traffic volume and almost non-stop action. The Impala assigned to the 9th PCT is a true “squad” car, it literally gets run 24-hours a day. One shift brings it in, removes their gear out and without shutting the car off, tu