2016 Subaru Impreza WRX (Concept) and a personal complaint

I have always believed that Subaru has one of the best AWD systems in the automotive market, and definitely the easiest to repair. The only problem is that most of it's lineup styling was uninspiring till now. This has got to be the best looking WRX ever, that is if the production version will match that of the concept.
The other issue with Subaru (specifically in North America) is the 2.5 Liter four cylinder engine, it is still using a timing belt. Most other manufacturers have gone to a timing chain which reduces the maintenance costs in that it does not really need to be replaced. Subaru's timing belt on the 2.5L four engine must be replaced at 168,000 km. "It is a labour intensive job that also involves replacing the idler pulleys, tensioner and water pump and costs just over $1,000"
We will wait and see, it being too early at this moment for any engine information to be leaked out on the 2016 WRX.



All pictures are from AutoGuide.com, if you would like to see more here is the link: http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2014/06/2016-subaru-impreza-feature-wrx-concepts-styling.html
Reliability review for used 2010-2014 Subaru Outback 2.5L by Glen Woodcock on Autonet.ca: http://www.autonet.ca/en/2014/06/16/used-cars---2010-14-outback

Global Airbag Recall -- Honda, Nissan & Mazda

Takata Corp. which is a Tokyo-based automobile component maker is the world's leading manufacturer of airbags, seat belts, steering wheels and other auto parts.
The recall concerns the Takata Corp. airbags. the problem is that the airbag may possibly EXPLODE during a crash.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration believes that high humidity may be a factor for this issue, complaints were made about airbag failures in two states Puerto Rico and Florida.
No accidents have yet been reported related to the recalls, but Honda Nissan and Mazda say it's a precautionary move.
Honda Motor Co. recalled 2.03 million vehicles, including 1.02 million in North America and nearly 669,000 in Japan. Honda said they were manufactured between 2000 and 2005.
Nissan Motor Co. recalled 755,000 vehicles globally manufactured from 2001 through 2003, while Mazda Motor Corp. recalled nearly 160,000 vehicles manufactured from 2002 through 2004.
Takata said it believes some problematic inflators were supplied to BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota for vehicles sold in the United States.
If you have purchased a used vehicle, make sure that you notify your local automotive dealer (brand) and register your address with the parent company. This is to make sure that you receive any recall notices for your specific vehicle through the mail by the manufacturer.

Related articles:http://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/auto-recalls-honda-mazda-and-nissan-recall-millions-of-vehicles-over-airbag-problems-1.1881389 
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/honda-nissan-mazda-recall-3-million-cars-for-airbag-problem-1.2684289
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/23/us-autos-takata-airbags-idUSKBN0EY0YM20140623

HYBRID or DIESEL? Which to choose? How about both

Since I started writing my blog I have been a firm believer that a hybrid power-plant for all vehicles is the future of the automotive industry. A diesel-hybrid system that is.
It is thus of no surprise that VW is leading the way with this new technology. The upcoming VW Cross-Coupe and Tiguan will feature this new VW diesel-hybrid technology, you may view it in my previous blog dated 3/13/14.
Related to that diesel-hybrid technology is this new VW achievement, a diesel-hybrid vehicle that gets 313mpg (that's 0.75L per 100km).
The XL1 which is the worlds most fuel efficient vehicle to date.

Here are it's stats:
The car uses a 0.8 litre, two cylinder TDI engine (turbo diesel) and electric motor with a 5.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack. It's capable of travelling on electric power alone for 31 miles (49.89 km), with the use of the hybrid system it can travel 313 miles (503 km) on a gallon (3.78L) of diesel.
XL1 has a carbon fibre reinforced plastic body to keep weight down and a low center of gravity. It can carry 4.2 cubic feet of cargo (119 Liters) in the 153 inch (389cm) long car.
VW says it will only be making 250 units of the XL 1. The price tag in Euros (get ready ..........) €110,000 ($149000 US) and it's only sold from Germany. At that price you better do enough driving to save the comparable fuel to offset that ridiculous sticker price.


If you would like to read the full article here is the link to pocketlint.com: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/129340-vw-delivers-xl1-world-s-most-fuel-efficient-diesel-electric-hybrid-car-with-313mpg-range

Tire/Tyre Aging -- When rubber becomes dangerous

Yesterday at work I was having a discussion with three of my workmates about tires in general. The subject came up of "the lifespan of a tire", how long should you keep driving on your tires? So I decided to research exactly what the experts say.
Many of us really don't realize how dangerous these older tires we may be driving on are. So how old does a tire or tyre (depending on your country of origin) have to be to be dangerous? The majority of rubber manufacturers tend to agree on a TEN year maximum from the date of manufacturing.

Here are various picture samples, where you may find the date and the way it is printed before going into more detail.




The trick to finding the date most of the time is to look for the word DOT and follow that line along. Remember first two digits are the week of production XX out of 52, and the second two digits are the last digits of the year, such as 2007.
The tire in the last image above was manufactured on week 9 in the year 2007.

Here is picture of a tire that was used way past it's day, stay safe.

" The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and tire manufacturers are currently studying the many variables. Exposure to the elements (sun and atmospheric), regularity of use (frequent or only occasional) and the quality of care (maintaining proper inflation pressure, wheel alignment, etc.) will all influence the answer. So while tire life depends on the service conditions and the environment in which they operate, the difficult task remains how to identify all of the variables that influence a tire's calendar age and attempt to quantify their influence."
"The British Rubber Manufacturers Association (BRMA) recommended practice issued June, 2001, states "BRMA members strongly recommend that unused tyres should not be put into service if they are over six years old and that all tyres should be replaced ten years from the date of their manufacture.""
"More recently, The Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA) recommended practice issued May, 2005, states "customers are encouraged to have their vehicle tires promptly inspected after five years of use to determine if the tires can continue to be used (recommends spare tires be inspected as well). Furthermore, even when the tires look usable, it is recommended that all tires (including spare tires) that were made more than ten years ago be replaced with new tires."

Full articles on tire aging by tirerack.com, part 1 and 2:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=138
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=183
All pictures from Google images.

New "Green" Small Cars - A fatther-daughter story

This blog is about a father and daughter looking for a new fuel efficient small car for basic hassle free transportation. The story takes place in urban Boston, USA where parking is not easy to find. Requirements were fuel efficiency, able to carry four adults comfortably and reliability of vehicle. Fancy options were not a priority and stick shift was preferred to keep costs down. Keep in mind that most manufacturers charge around $1000 for the automatic. With  a budget of 12-15 thousand US dollars these were the choices.

In alphabetical order were:

• Chevrolet Spark LS
• Ford Fiesta S
• Honda Fit (base model)
• Mazda 2
• Mitsubishi Mirage DE
• Nissan Versa S (sedan)
• Nissan Versa Note S (hatchback)
• Toyota Yaris

Elimination process commenced, Ford Fiesta had too little rear leg room. The Chevy Spark had a motorcycle-style instrument cluster. Toyota Yaris felt uncompetitive, with an unappealing dashboard layout and manual door mirrors that required opening the window to adjust them. The Mazda2 was dropped because other cars offered a better dollar value. The Versa Note because it was too similar to the Fit, which was a better overall vehicle with a solid reputation.

By the third weekend, a short list had emerged: Honda Fit, Mitsubishi Mirage, and Nissan Versa S sedan.

"Everything about the Versa S was "good enough." With crank windows, manual door locks, an all-black dashboard, and a rear seat that didn't even fold down, the Versa S is a very basic car.  But my daughter felt it drove fine, with adequate acceleration and handling. There was really nothing wrong with the Nissan Versa sedan although we suspected it might be a difficult car to fall in love with."

"Without considering price, the Honda Fit is clearly the vehicle of choice among this group. With power windows, power door locks, a USB port, and its astoundingly flexible "Magic Seat" fitted even to the base model, the Fit is relatively luxurious. Its rear seat knee and head room is excellent, and the multiple ways to fold the rear seat makes it clear that the Fit would be a champion in any hauling competition. But at nearly $16,000, the Honda Fit could be best thought of as "more car, more money" compared to the others on the list."

"The manual shift Mirage proved to be a lot of fun. Although it has only three cylinders producing 74 horsepower, the engine has just 1,973 pounds to move around meaning that acceleration onto the highway was more than adequate. The sound coming from the 1.2-liter three-banger engine does take some getting used to. It isn't exactly "loud" but it has more growl when accelerating from a dead stop than any other vehicle tested. But with an EPA rating of 37 mpg (6.36 L/100km) combined (34 mpg city, 42 mpg highway) means my daughter would be spending significantly less at the pump than she would have with some of the other small vehicles. The Mirage received good ratings in IIHS testing (except for the new small-overlap front crash test) and it has seven airbags. The Mirage offers a lot of value, including power windows, power mirrors, power door locks, and USB connectivity. It even has automatic climate control on the base model, a very luxurious feature on the second or third least-expensive vehicle in the market. The rear-seat knee and head room is a little tight for my 6'1" frame, but at 5'10", my daughter fit fine in the back seat even with the front seats all the way back. Rear cargo space is very limited, hardly surprising in a vehicle fully a foot shorter than the Honda Fit.

In the end, her decision came down to the Honda Fit versus the Mitsubishi Mirage and that all-important consideration of money."

The Honda Fit is undoubtedly the better vehicle to drive and haul and with Honda's reputation for reliability is a strong incentive to stick with a better known brand. 

With the Mirage already much less expensive than the Fit, and coming with $1,000 factory cash incentive putting its final price about $4,000 lower than the Fit's the Mirage was chosen.

Great real life story, although I would have chosen the Honda Fit. Even at $4000 extra it's got more power, a larger boot, the "magic seat", a higher resale value and is consistently rated the best sub-compact by most automotive journalists. Oh and by the way at 6'3" tall I am very comfortable either sitting in the front seat or the back seat of the Fit, can't say the same for the Mirage. These are my reasons why the Honda Fit is still the best value for the money in the sub-compact class.
Then again it's all relative like I always say, for her the Mirage fits her size fine and she saved $4000 smackers, well done.
Here is the link for the full article on Greencarreports.com: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1092431_why-one-young-woman-bought-a-2014-mitsubishi-mirage-frugal-shopping/page-2
Link for USA IIHS car safety: http://www.iihs.org/
Link for European car safety: http://www.euroncap.com/home.aspx
Photos from Google images.