Honda Civic, Toyota Rav4 and Camry Review Sneak Peeks! – The Car Exam

Honda Civic, Toyota Rav4 And Camry Review Sneak Peeks! – The Car Exam

Honda Civic

2016 Honda Civic: If you can get past the exterior styling (some people love it, some don’t), then you’re in for a pleasant surprise. This is one terrific car…

Toyota Rav4

2016 Toyota Rav4: Updated, nicer-looking, and one competent SUV–one of the best small SUV’s on the market…

Toyota Camry

2016 Toyota Camry: Always reliable, smooth, and now a bit more fun to drive. Look for these reviews coming up soon on Consumer and Car Exam!

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Ford Mustang – Summer American Muscle Car Series! The Car Exam

2014 Ford Mustang

Ford Mustang – Summer Car Exam Summer American Muscle Car Series – The Car Exam

Good Grades: Horsepower. Lots of Horsepower. Don’t let the base V6 engine fool you: the 305 horsepower, 3.7 liter V6 can get up and go. The 305 horsepower was needed on various occasions, and it didn’t disappoint. Sure, it may not have the 430-plus horsepower that the current Mustang GT has, but it holds its own very nicely. The 6-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly and works well with the V6. There was a bit of hesitation when the transmission was put in reverse, which may have been an anomaly with the test vehicle.

Ford Mustang – The Car Exam

Ford Mustang – 3.7 liter V6

The four-wheel disc brakes stop quickly; there is a lot of front end nosedive, but considering the heavy weight of the car and soft suspension, it’s understandable. There is lots of front leg room; if a short driver or passenger is up in the front, then rear passengers do have a bit of legroom to work with–not much–but it won’t be adequate for long trips, though. The front seats, while generally comfortable, also become tiresome on long trips.

The 2014 Ford Mustang base model tested had a good bit of good standard features going for it–most buyers wouldn’t need to check very many option boxes. The styling of the 5th generation Mustang is decidedly retro, but it evolved during the course of its nine-year run, and Ford did a good job of moving it along.

Ford Mustang – The Car Exam

Bad Grades: The soft suspension–the base Mustang’s suspension is too soft. While it handles speed bumps and some road imperfections well, it makes tight cornering far less confident. It isn’t as bad as the 4th generation Mustang’s sloppy base model suspension, but it still isn’t ideal. Don’t expect to have any fun driving the 2014 base model Mustang around twisty roads–it will inspire fear more than anything.

The ancient rear live axle suspension doesn’t help cornering either–hit almost any road imperfection when you’re turning a corner, and the rear end will feel like it’s skating on ice. Thankfully, Ford gave all 2015 Mustangs independent rear suspensions, a welcome and long overdue change.

Ford Mustang – Consumer and Car Exam

The speakers in the base Mustang sound sub-par–the base is nowhere near as strong as it should be in a car that costs way over $20,000. There are also too many small buttons used to control stereo (and HVAC) controls. You need to be able change the controls quickly at a glance, and that’s a challenge in the 2014 Mustang. Was this improved in the 2015 Mustang? A review of the 2015 Mustang will help determine that.

Ford Mustang – Stereo/HVAC controls

Fuel economy is okay on the highway (up to 27 mpg was averaged on the highway during the test), but the city mpg isn’t so great, unfortunately. Combined highway and city mpg hovered around 23 mpg–sometimes more, sometimes less. Finally, please, Ford–give both front seats power adjustments, especially for height–entry and exit ease is important for any car. Also, the convertible roof has large blind spots, but it’s a convertible and that can’t be avoided.

Ford Mustang

Final Grade: The 2014 Mustang base model convertible earns a solid “B” grade. While not a perfect driver’s car, it’s a nice car for cruising the town in style. If you need better everything in your Mustang (except fuel economy), go for the Mustang GT. Meanwhile, the current Mustang continues to add to the storied legend of the Ford Mustang (see immediate photos below) with stronger V8 engines, the return of the Shelby GT 350, a more than adequate V6 option, and the return of the four cylinder option with a powerful Eco Boost engine. This pony definitely continues to gallop into the future of Ford.

Ford Mustang – The Car Exam

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2015 Ram 1500 Big Horn Pickup – All-American Hemi Muscle! – The Car Exam

2015 Ram 1500 Big Horn Pickup – The Car Exam

2015 Ram 1500 Big Horn Pickup: Hemi Muscle! – The Car Exam

Good Grades: This crew cab pickup truck has gobs of horsepower: 395 hp and 410 ft. lbs. of torque, and it can tow up to 10,600 pounds. Step on the gas even a bit too hard, and you’ll light up the rear tires something fierce–wow! The engine/transmission combo works well together. It accelerates very quickly, and passing attempts won’t be too difficult speed-wise. The brakes work nicely, too. There is a good amount of interior room (and storage space) in this truck, although the back seats don’t seem quite as roomy as you’d figure they would be. The styling is classic Ram, which makes you think of 18 wheelers when you look at one. The front seats are indeed comfortable, though, the gauges are easy to read, and interior materials quality is good. The stereo system sounds great, and the view out from the driver’s seat is good. A nice touch: the power-sliding rear window–every pickup truck should have that.

2015 Ram 1500 Big Horn Pickup – Hemi Muscle! – The Car Exam

2015 Ram 1500 Big Horn Pickup – Hemi Muscle! – The Car Exam

Bad Grades: Fuel economy, as you would expect, is poor. EPA city mileage is rated at 15 mpg, and it seems that’s the best Consumer and Car Exam could do round trip with mixed city and highway driving. The Ram drives too much like a car, which is to say the ride is too softly sprung, and changing lanes or turning corners results into some white knuckle moments. Also, the UConnect Stereo system seem more difficult to deal with on the Ram for some reason. Finally, the dial knob automatic transmission shifter/selector seems totally out of place on this truck.

2015 Ram 1500 Big Horn Pickup – The Car Exam

2015 Ram 1500 Big Horn Pickup – Hemi Muscle! – The Car Exam

2015 Ram 1500 Big Horn Pickup – Hemi Muscle! – The Car Exam

Final Grade: B/B+ The Ram 1500 Big Horn model is a good, multipurpose, luxurious, fast, powerful, workhorse of a truck. Its previously mentioned shortcomings are the only things holding it back from getting an “A” grade from The Car Exam.

MSRP: $46,215

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2016 Nissan Versa – The Car Exam

2016 Nissan Versa SV – The Car Exam

2016 Nissan Versa SV Review – A good powertrain in need of a better car – The Car Exam

Drive the 2016 Nissan Versa SV Sedan long enough, and you’ll learn exactly what the plusses and minuses about the car as a package, are. Without further delay, here they are:

2016 Nissan Versa SV – The Car Exam

Plusses: The powertrain in the Versa SV is surprisingly peppy and smooth. 109 hp., 107 ft. lbs. of torque, 1.6 liter 4 cylinder engine feels more powerful and refined than the numbers suggest. Driving it up steep hills, for instance, is surprisingly effortless. The CVT Transmission takes excellent advantage of the engine’s power, and you quickly understand why a CVT trumps a conventional five or six speed automatic transmission. Acceleration is decent, as well. The lumbar support in the front seats is very good, rear seat room and head room are impressive, and trunk room is also more than acceptable. Braking and ride quality in the Versa SV Sedan are also adequate. Fuel economy is also respectable (31 mpg city, 40 mpg highway).

2016 Nissan Versa SV – The Car Exam

2016 Nissan Versa SV – The Car Exam

Minuses: That where the plusses end: The rest of the Versa is lacking, and had the rest of the car been as good as the powertrain, it would be a winner. It isn’t. Other than acceleration and power, the Versa is not fun to drive–at all. Handling is sloppy, the driving position isn’t the greatest, the stereo system stinks, the interior plastics are subpar, and the overall styling exercise is awkward at best. It wants to be a Sentra or Altima in spirit, but it doesn’t deliver. This body style has been on the market for about five years now, and while it is much better than the Versa Sedan that came before it style-wise, it still looks out of proportion.

2016 Nissan Versa SV – The Car Exam

Final Grade: if Nissan put the Versa’s powertrain in a number of small cars that aren’t Nissan, it could make them better–but it’s in the Versa SL Sedan, so it’s left without the proper vehicle that would help it shine and stand out against the competition. The 2016 Nissan Versa SV can only muster up a grade of C/C-. That’s too bad, because with some more effort, this Nissan could be so much better than it is now.

Base MSRP for the 2016 Nissan Vera SV: $15,580

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Kia Optima – 2015 Extended Test Revisited – Consumer and Car Exam

2015 Kia Optima

2015 Kia Optima SX and LX…revisiting one of Consumer and Car Exam’s most popular reviews

Plusses: The 2015 Kia Optima SX Limited is a nice, well-balanced car. The Optima’s ride is near-perfect, the interior is comfortable (and roomy), interior materials feel upscale, and the dash design is superb. Cloth materials in the base Optima LX are acceptable, as well. The 2.0 liter, Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI), 274 horsepower, turbocharged four cylinder engine is powerful, slick, and very smooth–no turbo lag was detected at all–this is the smoothest turbocharged engine Consumer and Car Exam Has ever tested. Braking feels good as well. The brakes also stop promptly in the Optima LX.

The non-turbo engine in our recent extended test base model Optima accelerated very well, too; it puts out a strong 192 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. Acceleration is not lacking in either model tested. The trunk is large—cavernous, and it can hold a lot of items. The base suspension on the Optima LX is softer, so it doesn’t handle with the same vigor as the sport-tuned suspension on the SX Limited. Nevertheless, the base LX suspension does a great job of soaking up bumps in the road—it definitely serves its purpose for typical driving here.

2015 Kia Optima

This fully-loaded test model had navigation, rear camera, blind spot detection and much more; the safety features on the Optima are impressive. 34 mpg on the highway also impresses, and the six-speed automatic transmission will not disappoint most drivers; however, there is another caveat about rearward visibility in the upcoming minuses section…The stereo in the Kia Optima LX also has a good sound, with very strong bass tones to spice up the sound if you want to.

2015 Kia Optima

Minuses: The c-pillar design on the roof creates a blind spot, but the blind spot detection system can help compensate for that. Now, the other rearward visibility caveat: the high rear deck lid (and steeply-sloping rear window) makes rear visibility difficult; on the extended test base model Optima LX recently driven, two of the three rear headrests had to be removed to improve the rearward view. The high deck lid could be a problem for short drivers. Any kind of moderately-spirited driving means poor gas mileage (at least in the base LX, fuel economy tanks badly), so one needs to be careful when driving the Optima.

2015 Kia Optima

Final Grade: This is one of the best all-around, mid-sized sedans on the market today–and most worthy of Consumer and Car Exam’s final grade of “A/A+”…Well done, Kia–well done, and the all-new 2016 Kia Optima will hopefully be a winner, too.

2015 Kia Optima

Kia Soul – 2016 – Consumer and Car Exam

Kia Soul – Consumer and Car Exam

2016 Kia Soul – A Consumer and Car Exam Preview: Does it have soul?

The 2016 Kia Soul is an admirable part of the small CUV segment of cars that include the Scion iM, the Honda Fit, and more. The Soul had been around for quite awhile now, and it has proven its worth. Consumer and Car Exam did an extended test, but for now here’s a brief synopsis of Consumer and Car Exam’s findings:

Kia Soul – Consumer and Car Exam

Kia Soul – Rear – Consumer and Car Exam

The 2016 Kia Soul is a good car for long distance highway cruising–if you bring your own lumbar support along. It basically has none, and if you have a bad back, this could potentially be a big problem. Other than that, ergonomics seem pretty decent, the sound system is okay (the touch screen is a bit small, but the backup camera is very welcome for added safety) and interior room is good. There’s a large blind spot in the rear, so exercise caution when changing lanes. The ride soaks up bumps in the road very well–it’s not too soft, and not too firm.

Kia Soul – dash and front seats

Acceleration is adequate–it’s not a hot rod by any stretch of the imagination, but it gets the job done. Fuel economy disappoints, though: Consumer and Car Exam could average no better than 24 mpg in mostly highway driving. Driving conditions could influence fuel economy, though. Overall, the 2016 Kia Soul seems like a good, solid option for those drivers seeking a hatchback with acceptable interior space and decent engine horsepower.

Kia Soul – engine

Also, the 2016 Kia Soul had another nice surprise: a spare tire! What??? A spare tire? That’s right–an actual spare tire, not a fix-it kit. Consumer and Car Exam will add its extended test later for a more detailed look at the 2016 Kia Soul.

Kia Soul – spare tire!

Toyota Corolla LE Extended Test – The Car Exam

Toyota Corolla

Plusses: The 2014 Toyota Corolla LE has far more rear seat room than the 2014 model it replaced; it almost feels cavernous. Back seat passengers will be happy. It’s also clear to see why Toyota went with the CVT transmission now–it utilizes the power from the 1.8 liter 4 cylinder engine far better and more efficiently, making it accelerate faster (especially up long grades in the mountains) and also making the Corolla more fuel efficient (too bad the base models are still stuck with the outdated 4-speed automatic transmission). It’s not perfect, but the CVT Transmission does it’s job very well.

The Corolla LE has a soft, comfortable ride, soaks up bumps well and while it isn’t made for twisty roads and sharp handling, the suspension is acceptable, as are the brakes. The sounds system is good–a bit tedious to operate, though, and the back up camera is a nice touch, just be very careful not to over-calculate how close you are to another vehicle or object, because the camera’s lines on the screen seem a bit off, measurement-wise.

Minuses: the large, annoying, cinder block-styled dashboard is annoying and claustrophobic. It hurts outward visibility, as does the high rear deck lid. Speaking of which, the truck opening is too narrow, a common problem on most sedans these days, unfortunately. The rear seat headrests are not removable, which is inexcusable. If you have no rear seat passengers, and the driver wishes to remove the rear headrests for better visibility (which the driver would be happy to have, because the high position of the truck cuts rearward visibility out of the back window), then you’re out of luck. Toyota didn’t do this with at least the two previous generations of the Corolla, but it does now–and it feels like a cheap touch–not good, Toyota). Interior materials are better than the 2013 Corolla, but too much cheap plastic still remains.

Final Grade: that annoying dashboard, along with some other minor issues prompts The Car Exam to give the 2014 Corolla LE a “B” grade: if Toyota gets rid of that horribly annoying dashboard, the Corolla would have earn a top “A” grade for sure, because there’s a lot to like about the 2014-2015 Corollas.

Kia Sedona Quick Test – The Car Exam

Kia Sedona

Good Grades: the Sedona has nice styling (inside and out); this easily blows away every other Kia Sedona minivan built before this one. Kia has made terrific strides over the years in every phase of its operations, and this 2015 Sedona shows just how far Kia has come–even in the last 10 years. The 2015 Sedona has a cavernous, comfortable interior, decent braking/handling, a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transmission, fair mpg (18 city, 24 hwy), and nice safety features help the Sedona shine.

Kia Sedona

Kia Sedona Limited

Bad Grades: For some reason, the 2015 Kia Sedona fells a bit slow and underpowered. Having driven a Kia Optima before this, the Sedona felt like it could have used at least an extra 15 horsepower. It doesn’t feel like it’s packing a 3.3 liter, DOHC 24-valve, 276 hp V6 under the hood. The 248 lbs. ft. of torque feels taxed, too. The Limited model The Car Exam tested was north of $40,000, which is pricey for a minivan–potential buyers may wisely choose to opt for an L or LX model (the “L” starts at $26,000, while the LX starts at $28,300).

Kia Sedona

Final Grade: The Car Exam gives the 2015 Kia Sedona Limited a solid “B” grade. The Sedona, in spite of its flaws, is yet another impressive effort from Kia. The Sedona can easily give Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Dodge and Chrysler some tough competition, and look very good doing it.

Kia Sedona Limited

Kia Sedona Review Coming Soon

Kia Sedona

Consumer and Car Exam’s review of the 2015 Kia Sedona is coming soon! How does it drive? Stay tuned to Consumer and Car Exam to find out! More Car and Food reviews are coming up, as well!

The Ford Ranger U.S. customers can’t get! – The Car Exam

Ford Ranger

Ford may have abandoned the Ranger compact pickup in the U.S. after the 2011 model year (it was more profitable for Ford to make money on the full size F Series pickups here); people wanting a smaller pickup now are left with the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon siblings, the Toyota Tacoma or the Nissan Frontier to choose from. However, many other countries got a brand new Ranger–leaving U.S. customers out in the cold.

Ford Ranger (rear)

The Car Exam/Consumer and Car Exam recently spotted one from Mexico in the Southwestern U.S. It’s larger than the last one built here, but still smaller than the current F Series pickup sold here (and in Mexico). According to the Ford of Mexico website, it is only sold as a crew cab with a 2.5 liter, 164 HP four cylinder engine (http://www.ford.mx/camiones/ranger/precios). A 2.2L, 125 HP I4 TDCi diesel engine is also available.

Ford Ranger

The Ranger is available in XL, XLT and Limited trim levels. The base XL gasoline model starts at $285,500 pesos, or $18,189.57 US dollars. It’s too bad we can’t get it here in the US–it’s a decent looking truck, the base price is adequate, and people wanting a smaller truck would buy it.

Ford Ranger