I’m going to make several posts in a row real quick. Those of you who experienced my CSR round will know what’s about to happen.
The reviews here are in the same order as I received them. Amusingly, the pictures up at the top, for the voting on the best looking car, are in the same order as the reviews. Call it a moment of brilliant laziness if you wish, but… It worked for me.
Rather than taking all new pictures for this stage, I’ll take new pictures of the cars after I make the first round of cuts. I’ll try to have this all wrapped up before the end of 2016.
Luke looked at the parking lot full of cars, each and every one of them built to the demanding specifications of the Hybrid Beaters League. Not one of those cars would have less than 50 MPG, they would all have at least four doors and four seats, and they would get that 50 MPG on regular unleaded fuel.
On a shelf in the garage were envelopes, organized in the order the cars arrived, with basic stats and the keys to the cars themselves inside. Luke grabbed the first one and carefully opened it, removing the specifications sheet, some promotional material, and a set of keys.
First to arrive had been the Mitsushita Karna 2.0E, a nice and simple station wagon with slightly-old-school styling. “Well, they didn’t lie with the promotional material. Mitsushita did say that the Karna has been in production since 2012, and it definitely looks that way. But that’s not a bad thing, boring blends in, hides in the crowd. No one would look at the Karna and say anything about it being outlandish or wild looking, it’s just another family cruiser station wagon. It doesn’t look super aerodynamic, and yet they claim 54 MPG with it.” Luke said, taking notes with a simple voice recorder this time.
He carefully opened the door, feeling the satisfying mechanical clunk of the door latch mechanism. “That feels incredibly well made. Someone paid attention to details on these, but if they’ve been made since 2012, then Mitsushita has had plenty of time to get it right.”
Luke settled into the driver’s seat, a fairly standard cloth seat, pretty much what you’d expect in your average eco car. What he wasn’t expecting was a message left from the company on the steering wheel, written on a simple sticky note.
“To further push the idea of ‘eco friendly,’ the seats in your Mitsushita Karna are all manufactured from renewable resources.”
“That is actually a really good thing.” Luke said, after reading the note out loud. “Doesn’t matter how much effort we put into saving the world with better cars if we’re killing thousands of cows a day just to upholster the interiors of those cars.”
He looked to the radio, seeing the rather basic AM/FM/CD job with an Input jack for a phone. “Actually, I’m somewhat pleased to see that, as basic as it is. It’s simple, yes, but it’s functional. We’ve also got two airbags, so while it’s not perhaps the safest car, it’s safe enough. Let’s take a little look under the hood and see what we have this time.”
Luke pulled the hood release and got out of the car, lifting the hood and getting his first glimpse at…
“Large plastic cover with the Mitsushita logo on it. Looks like we’ve got direct fuel injection, single manifold with a nice factory air box. The specifications sheet says it’s a magnesium block with AlSi heads, so it’s very light. V6, DOHC, has some form of VVL in it, 2 liter displacement. Really not a bad engine. Makes 138 horsepower at 6300 RPM, 138 ft-lb of torque at 3300 RPM, and redlines at 7000 RPM. Nice little engine. Also, from what I’ve heard, these are incredibly reliable V6 engines, so I’m looking forward to seeing lots of these on the road. No planned obsolescence here, these will be driving around long after most other cars.”
After closing the hood, Luke grabbed the old camera on a stick to see what the exhaust system looked like on the Karna. “Long tubular headers, combined to one exhaust, a three-way catalytic converter, and twin baffled mufflers. 1.5 inch piping, and everything’s ceramic-coated stainless according to the data sheets. We’re not blowing a dirty great hole in these pipes, that’s certain.
Luke settled back into the driver’s seat, closed the door, and started the engine. “Pleasant engine note. It’s present while idling and with a few revs, you can hear it, but it’s nothing that can’t be drowned out with the radio.”
He reached for the gear stick, carefully put the Karna in first gear, and set off on his first of many long drives. “Nice, high quality 5 speed manual gearbox. I’ve built cars that don’t have a gearbox that feels this good between throws. She’ll get to 60 in 9.3 seconds, and it feels like it’s based around an old 4 speed with fourth as an overdrive, and then there’s an overdrive on top of that for this nice fuel efficiency in the cruise. Basically, at any speed above 20 miles per hour, you throw it in fifth and just let the V6’s massive torque curve drag you along. Then when you’re out on the highway doing 75 miles per hour, the engine’s still only turning about 2200 RPM, and the fuel efficiency is impressive at that speed. You combine this with the fact that it’s a five-seat wagon, and you’ve got a bonus for the family that loves their camping trips in the mountains. Highly resistant to corrosion because of the AHS steel chassis and the mix of corrosion resistant steel and aluminum panels, saving weight while saving money. And there’s no doubt on there being tons of room in the back behind the rear seat, which also folds flat, by the way. The Karna’s set the bar really high right off the bat, and I’m glad to see that. Only thing to be concerned about is that when I really push it, when I really lean on that engine to pass some of these cars on the highway, I can see the temperature rising perhaps a bit faster than I’d like to see. But with reliability rivaling the finest of old watches and clocks, I doubt this will be much of an issue for the average person. Especially if you just relax, drop it in fifth, turn on the radio, and go for a little cruise.”
Luke drove back to the Nevada Headquarters and parked the Mitsushita Karna back in the parking spot, shut it down, and got out carefully, giving the car a little more respect after finding out just how reliable it really was. While he’d been out, he’d seen several of the Karna’s older siblings still dashing about the highways, with very few changes in body style between them.
Luke settled at his writing desk, grabbed the stylus for his tablet, paused for a moment, then set the stylus down and decided instead to just upload the thoughts he’d had while driving, with one final statement.
“Mitsushita set the bar really high with the Karna. While it’s somewhat an ugly duckling on the outside, it’s what’s inside that counts, and what it has inside is a very reliable setup. There’s not much that can upset the Karna, and in this case, the only mild hiccup it has is that when you’re driving it really hard in a hundred-degree dry day, the temperature hits the very edge of the yellow “Hey, it’s getting hot” band on the gauge. But with reliability like it has, even if you did that every day, I doubt the Karna would dare break down on you. It’s got a reputation to keep, after all.”
Luke opened the next envelope and grabbed the data sheet and keys, as no promotional material had been delivered for the EADC Weasel. As he walked to the parking lot, it wasn’t hard to spot the bright white 5 door hatch sitting next to the Karna, with the aggressive styling that may have been more appropriate on a hot hatch.
“Supposedly, this car, the EADC Weasel, is capable of 54 MPG. We’ll also have to see if it’s entirely deserving of those aggressive, sporty looks, or whether this is a sheep in wolf’s clothing.” Luke said, before opening the door and settling into the driver’s seat.
“Again, cloth seats, but there’s only four of them. Same basic kind of radio as the Karna as well, but I’m pleased to see the huge quantity of air bags scattered around the interior here. Still, you’d think with all these air bags, the safety would be much better, so this is a little worrying… Ah, this is interesting. AHS steel chassis, but fiberglass body panels. So it’s naturally super light, but they’re not known for being the safest. Still, I give credit where it’s due, that’s brave.” Luke then pulled the hood release and got out, taking care as he lifted the hood not to crack the fiberglass in his strong grip.
“Inline 3, DOHC, 5 valve per cylinder, so there’s no VVL in this one. 1.4 liters of displacement, all AlSi construction, performance intake on DFI with individual throttle bodies. Bold move, but maybe EADC was trying to squeeze every ounce of power out of their little engine while maintaining efficiency. Redline at 6000 RPM, peak power is 88.3 horsepower at redline, and we have 99.4 ft-lb of torque at 2500 RPM.” Luke then used the camera to look at the exhaust, then continued with, “Short cast header, single exhaust with a high-flow catalytic and twin baffled mufflers, with 1.25 inch piping. Interesting. I give credit where it’s due, it’s not a bad engine, just that it’s polar opposite designs between the first car and this one. One’s a wagon, the other’s a hatch. One has a very small V6, the other has an average-sized inline 3. And I suppose that’s the interesting half of this, seeing all the different ways to come to the same conclusion of greater-than-50 MPG.”
Luke closed the hood and went to get back into the car when he spotted something through the rather large alloy rims. “Very interesting. Carbon ceramic brake disks. Well, I suppose if you’re chasing light weight, it makes sense, but then why did you use alloy rims when magnesium may have been lighter? There was a little room left in the budget.”
He settled back into the car, then started the engine, listening as he heard the quiet buzz of the inline 3 from under the hood. “Reasonably quiet, so it’s not blasting your ears off, but it’s there.” Grabbing the shift knob and pulling it into first, Luke then set off on the second long drive of the day. “Not as nice of a linkage and transmission as the Karna, but still, a really nice driving car. And it’s rear wheel drive, so it’s certainly an interesting little hatch. It’s got enough punch to the engine to chirp and squeal through first gear if you really beat on it, but if you’re reasonable, it won’t be a problem. Six gears, and it definitely feels like a normal 6 speed. Sixth is an overdrive, but only just, and at 75, she’s buzzing at 3750 to 3800 RPM, and it’s a bit of a racket. The radio’s good enough to drown it out, but you’d best find a station you like or bring a lot of your own music, because that exhaust drone is going to bother you. But it does feel slightly sporty, despite the 10.7 second zero-to-sixty time. I suppose much of that comes from the rear-wheel-drive nature of this little hatch. Definitely keeping its cool, too, as I can hear the servo up front opening and closing those cooling vents as needed. Not as reliable, from what I’ve heard, but I get the feeling that it’ll still be around a while.”
Luke drove back to the parking lot and shut down the Weasel, then added a few final words to his recording before uploading it.
“The EADC Weasel is actually not a bad car. With a wide range of materials used, from carbon ceramic brake discs to fiberglass body panels, it’s certainly diverse. Cargo space is a bit small, even for a small hatch like this, and I think the reason why is the pushrod rear suspension straight out of a supercar. I think the Weasel is definitely a sporty little warm-hatch, but I dare not call it a hot-hatch. What it lacks in power, it makes up for with driveline, and what it lacks in refinement it more than makes up for in fun. I don’t think it’s personally for me, but we’ll have to see what else comes down the line.”
Luke walked over to the Gnoo Earthfriend, a nice green station wagon with a big solar panel in the roof. “Curious, but logical. It’s not a hybrid, but there’s a great big solar panel up there. Still, it makes sense if this car has a split or hybrid electrical system, using solar energy to take the load off of the alternator, and therefore off of the engine.” Luke said, opening the door and settling into the driver’s seat.
Another note greeted him, taped to the steering wheel.
“We believe saving the planet takes more than just great fuel efficiency. The Gnoo Earthfriend trades leather for cotton and denim, stopping the slaughter of animals for their hides. What you might not know is this: The interior of every Earthfriend is really Earth friendly. How? All of the fabric in your car is 100% recycled materials, materials that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill somewhere. All of the plastic is ABS, known for being nearly-infinitely reusable. We also use a solar panel to power electric motors, not to drive the car, but to assist the engine by turning the air conditioning compressor, assisting the power steering pump, and also charging the main battery. You still have an alternator, but it’s doing a fraction of the work. Unfortunately, this means that if it’s not bright and sunny out, the air conditioner won’t work.”
Luke finished reading the note, then said, “Actually rather clever. A hybrid electrical system, using a motor for assistance on power steering and using a separate electrical system for the air conditioning. Fans still work without the sun, but if the sun’s not out, it’s probably not too unbearable.”
He pulled the handle under the dash to open the hood, then got out to look at the engine.
“Interesting indeed. Inline 6, turbocharged, water-to-air intercooler, direct fuel injection, single throttle body. More recycled plastic as the engine cover, this time a nice green color, somewhat rough, but if it’s recycled plastic, that makes a lot of sense. Standard air-box for an air filter. Stats put the engine at 90.3 horsepower at 5700 RPM, 119 ft-lb of torque at 2100 RPM, and redline is at 6500, so it’s very balanced. Let’s see what mysteries the exhaust holds.”
Luke used the camera to look at the exhaust, seeming rather surprised at what he saw.
“Obviously, cast turbo downpipe, three-way catalytic, and twin reverse flow mufflers, with 1.25 inch piping. This thing’s going to be quiet, so not just are they cutting down on air pollution and garbage production, they’re cutting down on noise pollution, too.”
He closed the hood, then settled into the driver’s seat for the last long drive of that particular day.
“The engine is actually very quiet, and it looks like we’ve got a 6 speed sequential for driving. Somewhat nice, actually. Strange to have an inline 6 mounted sideways, but in a way it’s not exactly wrong. Zero to 60 is… Not all that fast at 11.6 seconds, but given that the engine’s throwing around 90 horsepower, and the Earthfriend tips the scales at just under 1250 kilograms, it doesn’t feel like it’s moving at a glacial pace. Radio’s a fairly standard job, packing Bluetooth connectivity, CD player, and AM/FM radio, but only four speakers to save a little weight. It’s actually somewhat pleasant to drive, though I feel it’s been overshadowed a little by the ease at which the others handle up to this point. But, it’s very, very comfortable. I’m not being thrown around the interior, I’m not fighting the car, it’s just holding me still in the denim-covered seats while the air conditioning quietly hums away, powered by the very source of the miserable heat. Sixth is definitely an overdrive. Decent cruiser, though she’s turning nearly 2900 RPM in sixth at 75 MPH, but… it covers a wide range of speeds well. And it’s rated at 67 MPG, so this thing’s really trying not to light your wallet on fire at every gas station, either. Plus, it doesn’t have the sound of the typical inline 3 or 4 eco-box, it’s got a decent inline 6 rumble to it, despite being very quiet. I feel that the Earthfriend, despite lacking in some respects, makes up for it by being comfortable and efficient.”
Luke parked back in the same spot, getting out of the car and heading back to his work area.
“I feel Gnoo has made a good car with the Earthfriend. While the GreenHug inline 6 isn’t the most powerful engine in the world, it’s more than powerful enough to pull around the four-seat wagon with ease. What it lacks in jaw-dropping interior, it makes up for with being eco friendly at the core. Recycled materials make up the entire interior, and if it wasn’t for the note left by Gnoo Motorki, I’d have never guessed the denim and plastic affair to be 100% recycled. While the other cars I’ve reviewed set the bar high, the Earthfriend played limbo with the bar, then pole vaulted it when I least expected it.”
The next day was just as bright and sunny as the day before, and Luke was eager to begin driving early. He walked out to the lot where Desert Mountains Automotive had left a nice looking station wagon for him to try out.
“So, DMA sent me the LW118-E. I’m sure it means something, but I can’t say I’m much a fan of alphanumerical soup for names. Still, it looks nice enough. Fairly simple and corporate styling, not going to stand out in a parking lot too much. Doesn’t look like it’s built to be an eco car, but everything here has to meet the new League standards.”
Luke settled into the driver’s seat, confronted with a much different experience than he’d had driving the Earthfriend the day before. But then again, he knew not everyone had made the move to ban leather in favor of alternate materials. And it wasn’t like the leather seat and high-quality 10-speaker sound system were bad things, either. “I think I kinda like it. Good sound system, comfortable seats, nice leather-wrapped 6-speed shift knob with a leather shift boot. Some basic suspension controls here, and a surprisingly high ride height. Wagon, crossover, or SUV? I’m not entirely sure. It is, however, front wheel drive, so it’ll be easy to drive. Let’s take a peek under the hood.”
He pulled the hood release and got out, seeming slightly startled by the 1.8 liter inline 3 resting in the engine compartment. “That’s a bit of a big engine. Well, big for what it is. Still, Direct fuel injection, performance intake, single throttle body, and a nice short cast manifold. Says in the stats sheet that it’s an all-aluminum block and head, and that it makes 103 horsepower at the 5300 RPM redline, with 123 ft-lb of torque at 2400 RPM. But the torque is above 100 ft-lb from idle to redline.”
Luke passed the camera under the car, a feat made easier by the increased ride height, and reported his findings.
“High flow catalytic, twin reverse flow mufflers, confirmed on the short cast headers, and 1.25 inch exhaust diameter. Stainless steel piping the whole way back, so there won’t be any rust holes in the future with this car.”
He closed the hood and got back into the driver’s seat, started the inline 3 beast up, and put it into first gear, beginning the first long drive of the day. “Very easy to drive. Between the high-profile tires and the raised ride height, you feel like you’re in a mild off-roader, not a station wagon. And the exhaust is quiet enough to keep you from having to use excessive volume on the radio to drown it out. They claim 50 MPG, and I’m getting almost 51 here, so they’re being more than fair. Takes 12.1 seconds to go from a full stop to 60, and it’s turning 2400 RPM, give or take a bit, at 75. Granted, that’s halfway up the revs on this engine, but it’s proving to be fuel efficient enough. Plus, the raised ride height helps with not fearing any speed bump, or parking divider. And the inline 3 doesn’t sound completely gutless, either.”
Luke headed back to the headquarters and parked the LW118-E, then walked to his work area.
“I think DMA has hit the nail on the head with the LW118-E. If you want a mild off-roader, something you don’t fear gravel roads and potholes in, it’s certainly capable. And it’s decently fun to drive, mostly because of the 6 speed stick. I certainly think there were a few things that could have been done to make it more efficient, but it’s not a bad car overall. While I’d prefer if it had an actual name, I respect the LW118-E for what it can do, and that’s 50.8 MPG with reasonable comfort.”
Luke grabbed the next envelope and headed out to the parking lot, where the Ornate Familyman was waiting for him. As the first minivan of the bunch, it looked a hint out of place among the wagons and the sub-compact hatch that’d come before it.
“Well, I suppose a minivan does make sense. It’s big, has lots of cargo room, can carry lots of people, they’re reasonably roomy inside, they’ve got sliding rear doors and they’re usually very comfortable.”
He opened the driver’s door and settled into a nice comfortable cloth seat, with a fairly simple AM/FM/CD radio. “Not bad, really. It’s got some nice features, it’s comfortable, and that looks just a little out of place.” Luke said, having spotted the Launch Control button on the steering wheel.
“So, it’s a minivan, but it has launch control. Interesting. Wonder what else it has that I’m not yet aware of.” Luke pulled the hood release and stepped out of the van, moving to look at the engine under the hood.
“Inline 6, turbocharged, direct fuel injection with single throttle body, DOHC with 5 valves per cylinder, nice use of chrome, water-to-air intercooler, and a performance air filter. 5700 RPM redline, 136 horsepower at the redline, 169 ft-lb of torque at 2200 RPM. Not a bad way to set things up, overall. Let’s drop a camera under the van and see what’s there.” Luke said, before using his inspection camera for a good look.
“Turbo downpipe feeding into a high-flow catalytic converter, then twin reverse flow mufflers. 2.25 inch piping diameter, but that’s not the only interesting thing I’ve found under here. That’s a driveshaft, and those are quite obviously leaf springs back there. This van’s built to haul stuff, and it’ll do a fine job at that.”
Luke closed the hood and got back in the Familyman, heading out on another long drive. “Sequential’s really nice, and launch control’s really… not all that needed, but it is kinda fun to sit there next to someone in a bone-stock economy car, push the little red button, and then sit there banging on the launch-control rev limiter until the light goes green. And with a 9.8 second 0-60, sometimes you actually win one. As for how it drives, well, it handles like a minivan. It’s not super exciting, but it is kinda fun to drive. I feel comfortable in this van, and the high seating position gives an excellent view of the road ahead. And while the AWD is predictable, that’s exactly what you want in this kind of vehicle. Plus, the leaf springs actually don’t ruin the ride as much as I feared they would. It’s more… You know it’s different, but yet they don’t feel bad.”
He returned to the parking lot and shut down the Familyman, heading to the shop again.
“The Ornate Familyman is unique in many ways. It’s a minivan with leaf springs and all-wheel-drive, a transverse mounted turbo inline 6, it’s inexpensive, and it gets 52 miles per gallon. It seats 5 and has room for the entire family camping trip. The high seating position gives you a feeling of power on the road, and it feels good, despite the leaf springs. Definitely a vehicle worth looking at if you’re looking for a van. Whether or not I choose it later on, I don’t know just yet, but what I do know is it’s definitely going to be considered.”
I’d be worried about monotonously repeating myself, especially since a lot of the big choices in cars have no real detail in Automation (e.g. ergonomics on the interior).
