Best New Family Car
BRIAN EARLY FOR THE TORONTO STAR
The 2008 Kia Rondo EX-V6 is competing for Best New Family Car against the Chevrolet Malibu, Dodge Avenger R/T, Honda Accord, Saturn Aura Green Line and Subaru Impreza 2.5i.
The 2008 TestFest Family Car category saw a diverse range of body styles, with sedans joined by a hatchback/wagon and a not-quite-a-minivan-not-exactly-a-wagon. Both of these body types are quickly gaining acceptance as more flexible alternatives to the conventional "four doors and a trunk" sedan layout.
CHEVROLET MALIBU 2LT
Picking a winner is never easy, but I'd have to give a nod to Chevy's latest Malibu as having a strong chance of winning this category.
Chevrolet entered the second from top Malibu 2LT model equipped with the available Performance Package, which came loaded with attractive faux-suede seats and a 252 hp version of GM's 3.6 L V6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
This car is no slouch. The Malibu's V6 is the same one that allows a 2,041 kg towing capacity in the eight-passenger GMC Acadia crossover, so it had no trouble producing 0-to-100 km/h sprints in 7.8 seconds during testing.
The nicely trimmed cabin in the Saturn Aura, the Malibu's Epsilon platform sibling, was obviously a warning shot to the industry; this one's even better. The Malibu's interior won't unseat premium nameplates such as Audi or Acura, but it's impressive nonetheless, with far better style and quality than in prior GM vehicles, including the outgoing '07 Malibu. I wish that I could say that I liked the style of the exterior as much.
It's a quieter interior too, notably so during this event's back-to-back comparisons. GM is clearly proud of this car – no fewer than 12 Chevy bowties can be found on the outside.
Price as tested: $29,440
DODGE AVENGER R/T
Last year the Avenger's Chrysler Sebring twin took part in TestFest. Equipped with the mid-range 189 hp 2.7 L V6 and four-speed automatic combo, it flailed around on a soft, comfort-tuned suspension, and failed to impress the jurors.
This year Chrysler wasn't taking chances: it brought out the big gun: a 3.5 L all-aluminum V6 producing 235 hp and mated to a six-speed automatic – a combination that took top acceleration honours in this group, edging the similarly robust Malibu by a 10th of a second from 0-to-100 km/h.
The R/T's firm suspension, combined with the Avenger's optional 18-inch wheel and tire package, worked far better on and off the track – to the minor detriment of ride quality – a trade-off that most buyers would likely happily accept.
The Avenger's strong performance matched its chiselled, Charger-inspired looks, a bold, sporty styling theme that continued inside. Unfortunately, the perceived quality of the cabin's finish and materials were no match for those in the Malibu, even though the leather-trimmed Dodge did otherwise virtually match the Chevy for content. This is an apparent weak spot for Chrysler, as the Avenger is not alone.
The Dodge does have one up on the Chev, although our testers didn't have it; Dodge offers all-wheel drive in the Avenger R/T. Malibus are strictly front-drive.
Price as tested: $29,470
HONDA ACCORD EX
Every four or five years Honda launches a new Accord. Every generation is familiar yet evolutionary, so it's no surprise that this latest Accord is very much in keeping with that pattern.
The squared-off shape of the front-end and the slightly bulbous headlights are the biggest departure from the outgoing sedan's swoopy, angular design, the tall hood undoubtedly a concession to improved pedestrian impact performance.
The Accord's largest-in-class interior is less adventurously styled than the current Civic's sci-fi inspired design. In the models I sampled, the Accord's interior redesign is plain looking in a grey and silver palette, yet nicely constructed and immediately familiar as a Honda.
The driving experience was also pure Honda in terms of refinement and feel, though the mid-range 190 hp version of the 2.4 L four cylinder powering the EX trim testers was no match for the much larger and stronger V6s in the Dodge and Chevrolet entries. The Accord's new variable gear ratio steering seemed a bit quick off centre, requiring constant minor straight-line corrections during the windy day evaluation. It may not have made me a fan, but I'll concede that it did work very well during the on-track portion of the test loop.
Most surprising is the Honda's price, which at only $780 below the costliest entrant did not include leather seating, a V6 engine, or several of the comfort and convenience items in some of the others, and available elsewhere in the Accord's line-up. That will likely work against the big Honda.
Price as tested: $28,690
KIA RONDO EX-V6 LUXURY
Playing the role of the odd man out, the Kia Rondo's three rows of seats might have allowed it to move laterally into the minivan category, but it lacks the sliding doors and flat floor that typically define that vehicle. It's not a true station wagon, and while closely related to the Magentis sedan, it shares no styling and is dimensionally different. Crossovers offer all-wheel drive, which the Rondo does not, so it's not a crossover either.
It is a family car though, offering seating for up to six – two of which had better be kids if they're going to spend any time in the compact third row seats (Rondos come as five seaters, too). The second row adjusts fore and aft, and is commodious at its rearmost position.
At times the Rondo's 182 hp 2.7 L V6 feels like it has to work hard to motivate this much vehicle, but the Kia's five-speed automatic does a good job of making the most of it, producing a 0-to-100 km/h run in 9.0 seconds, bettering the 3.8 L Dodge Grand Caravan competing in the Best New Minivan category by more than a second (at 10.2 seconds).
Similarly impressive is the fact that the testers were the top-of-the-line models – the EX-V6 Luxury – and featured leather seating and plentiful content, yet their as tested price was the second lowest among this group.
Price as tested: $26,095
SATURN AURA GREEN LINE
The sister car to Chevy's Malibu, the Saturn Aura was entered in this category as Green Line hybrid variant, powered by a 164 hp 2.4 L four-cylinder engine which can be assisted by a generator/motor that takes the place of the non-hybrid Aura's alternator. Its main purpose is to act as an immediate, nearly silent engine starter, which allows the Aura's gasoline engine to shut off at idle, yet leap to life as required.
The Green Line's transmission is a conventional four-speed automatic. No fancy CVT here.
This mild hybrid system is less expensive to implement than the full parallel hybrid setup used in Toyota and Ford hybrids, but it does provide tangible fuel economy benefits in urban driving conditions, knocking a little more than 1 L/100 km off the four-cylinder Aura's 9.6 L/100 km city rating.
While the Malibu was opulent and powerful, the Aura Green Line is essentially a base Aura XE with automatic climate control and Stabilitrak stability control, so it's pretty austere inside – still nicely trimmed, but fitted with cloth seats and less content than its Chevy sibling. It's also the slowest of this group by nearly a second with a 0-to-100 km/h run of 11.1 seconds.
Nevertheless, this is the least expensive hybrid sedan that you can buy, and isn't saving money at least part of the rationale behind owning a hybrid in the first place?
Price as tested: $28,305
SUBARU IMPREZA 2.5i SPORT PACKAGE (5 DOOR)
Odd that Subaru would choose to call this a "wagon" on the team lists and spec sheets, as the outgoing Impreza wagon was really more of a hatchback, and this model even more so, with its bobbed tail and an overall length that's actually 16.5 cm shorter than the Impreza sedan.
Indeed, at first glance you'd be forgiven for confusing the Impreza's profile for that of the Mazda3 Sport – not bad company to keep. The front-end is more Camry-like than might be desired; it's not this model's strongest suit. At least the angular, clear-lensed LED taillights are distinctive. Besides, Subaru's unusual and eclectic styling is part of the brand's delightful quirkiness.
Where Subaru truly excels is its family of boxer engines and its all-wheel-drive systems. Subaru is also pretty good at finding a happy ride/handling compromise. It provides average performance for a compact car, but if the 2.5i's 170 hp (non-turbo) 2.5 L engine doesn't set the world on fire for you, there's always the turbocharged WRX and STI.
The Impreza is nimble and sporty but not harsh, with lots of rally-inspired suspension travel to soak up the really big bumps. Braking is impressive too; at an average 38.9 m from 100 km/h, the Impreza posted the best stopping distances in this group during AJAC's tests.
The Impreza is the least expensive in this group, even with the $3,300 Sport Package (although it would be another $9,000 stretch to reach the WRX version). The all-wheel drive obviously adds to the Impreza's bottom line though, as in this group the cloth seat material and some of the interior bits feel cheap in comparison.
This is a fine vehicle in its own respect, and the sedan and WRX versions that appear in other categories will likely do well. The Impreza's spunky, youthful demeanour doesn't play as well in this group.
Price as tested: $25,995
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