2013 Chevrolet Camaro - Review

     

Likes

• Classic but contemporary looks
• 30-mpg highway for the base engine
• Balanced handling gets better with 1LE

Dislikes

• Visibility an issue even in convertibles
• There's not enough head room
• There's not enough rear-seat leg room

Now in its fourth year since its rebirth, the Chevrolet Camaro's finally fleshed out almost all of its potential. With a lineup of coupes and convertibles from base LS models to the king of smoky burnouts, the ZL1, there's a Camaro of almost any stripe for anyone who will never, ever, don't even think about it, drive one of thoseFord pony cars. Not even if you paid them.

This year's lineup includes the LS, LT, SS (and 1LE), and ZL1 Camaro. They share some common cheekbones: that rock-'em, sock-'em styling that's beyond polarizing. If it's what an eighth-grader would draw if they could draw the next Camaro, so be it: it's outrageous in every inch of its sheetmetal, from the too-low roofline to the squared-off haunches. The cockpit's less so, but gets better as you spend more, since SS and ZL1 Camaros can be trimmed up with suede and leather and brightly colored trim pieces.

       The stock Camaro is a V-6, with 323 horsepower and a choice of six-speed automatic and manual transmissions. It's the foundation for greatness, and in truth, it doesn't fare too badly as a sports car. It's quick enough to 60 mph to earn the name, and the combination of rear-wheel drive, electric power steering, and an independent suspension yield a comfortable ride and reasonably nimble responses. An EPA rating of 30 mpg highway might actually overshadow this version's performance credentials.

Still, it's the V-8-powered Camaros that draw almost everyone into the whole notion of the Camaro. The 6.2-liter V-8's lyrical engine note is a hypnotic for men of a huge range of ages. We're looped by it too--and by the gripping 60-mph runs of 5 seconds or less. There's ample room for improvement over the base SS and its tendency to understeer (it's the huge 20-inch staggered tires and front-end weight bias)--and the cure's found in the new 1LE package that rights out the tires to equal sizes, tightens up the steering and manual gear ratios, and lets loose some easy, controllable oversteer much sooner in the Camaro's cornering calculus.

There's another development, way up on the price and performance ladder--the ZL1 coupe and convertible. They're strapped to a supercharged, 580-hp version of the same engine, with either transmission, and fitted with the magnetic shocks found in the Corvette and some Cadillacs. Zero to 60 mph times drop to 3.9 seconds, while top speed floats to a supercar-style 184 mph. It's almost beyond the reach of the Camaro nameplate, overlapping the stock 'Vette by a good margin except in price--still about $60,000.

No matter which Camaro you choose, the pitfalls are common. The low, sleek roofline means a shortage of headroom for taller drivers, and the high beltline makes it hard to see out of the car for shorter ones. The back seat is suitable only for children, and the trunk, despite the car's overall size, is diminutive

     .Safety and convenience features abound, and the NHTSA rates the Camaro coupe at five stars overall. Features are also ample, with OnStar standard and navigation newly available; Bluetooth, USB, and iPod connectivity are offered as options or as standard gear, and a head-up display mimics the one found in the Corvette. Convertibles get power-folding soft tops with glass windows, and standard rearview cameras. The ZL1 bundles it all together in instantly collectible form--but even SS Camaros, especially 1LEs, show the same potential to entertain auctioneers long after they've thrilled their original drivers.                   

2012 Coda Sedan - Review

Likes

• Straightforward, simple sedan
• Anonymous design draws no attention
• Delivers close to 100-mile range

Dislikes

• Marginal build quality
• Styling bland at best
• Many annoying detail flaws

Among startup electric-car makers, Coda is probably the least-well known. Its 2012 Coda Sedan is now on the market, in California only, and it offers a blend of virtues and drawbacks for the dedicated plug-in car buyer.

The Coda Sedan is an all-electric four-door sedan that blends a Chinese-manufactured body with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric drivetrain installed in the United States. The battery contains 31 kilowatt-hours of usable energy--more than all competitors (except the much pricier Tesla Model S range)--and gives slightly more range. The EPA rates the Coda at 88 miles of range, though our road test suggests it may deliver close to 100 miles of mixed-use real-world range in temperate climates.

The body styling is somewhere between plain and invisible, neither objectionable nor ugly. The car simply vanishes in traffic, not necessarily a bad thing. The trunk is large, the car holds four adults comfortably in a compact four-door sedan body, and it's easy to place in traffic due to its slab sides, square corners, and large greenhouse.

Inside, the Coda Sedan looks good on the surface, but proves to be full of odd details and outright flaws behind the wheel. The seats are comfortable, and the car is pleasant enough to drive. It's the little things that prove irritating, leading to the impression that Coda has released the beta version of a car to the paying public.

Just a few examples include a door armrest inches lower than the console elbow rest, blue odometer numbers that turn invisible in sunglasses, flimsy door handles, an interior mirror that traps your fingers against the sunglasses holder in the roof while adjusting it, and pale grey plastic already discolored after a day of having blue jeans rub against it.

                               

The performance delivered by the Coda's 100-kilowatt (134-hp) electric motor is adequate to keep up with traffic. The car handles rush-hour stop-and-go traffic, high-speed freeway mileage, and twisting mountain roads with composure if not enthusiasm. Like many electric cars, it's smooth and quiet enough that it appears to be traveling more slowly than the speedometer proves.

Build quality is a major concern in the Coda, with evidence of its small-company roots visible in several places. We noticed some loose wiring under the hood, hand-applied black electricians' tape wrapping wires, and misaligned trim and door seals.

The Coda Sedan hasn't been crash-tested by either the NHTSA or the IIHS, and it includes little added safety equipment beyond the legal requirement. It comes with six airbags (front and side bags for the front seats, plus one side-curtain bag on either side for outboard passengers), plus anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control,and a tire-pressure monitoring system (all now mandatory equipment). Niceties found in other compacts--like adaptive cruise control, reversing cameras, and other advanced safety systems--are not available.

The no-bargaining base price of a 2012 Coda Sedan electric car is $37,250, plus a mandatory $895 delivery fee, for a bottom line of $38,145. It qualifies for a $7,500 Federal income-tax credit, a $2,500 California purchase rebate, and various other incentives.

2013 Ferrari California - Review

While it's certainly not the most drop-dead gorgeous design Ferrari has ever built, the California is unique in the lineup, and it's perhaps the most practical car in the Ferrari fleet--short of the much more expensive FF, of course. 

In terms of styling, the California is actually the oldest of the company's current offerings. That means it doesn't share in the same up-swept, narrow headlights, or the wide, full-front air dam/grille seen on the 458 Italia, FF, and F12berlinetta. But the 2013 Ferrari California bears its own styling traits well--swoopy lines suggest classic roadster proportions, while modern touches like sculpted side and door panels, multi-LED lighting, and the slick folding hardtop roof put firmly in the current era. 

Inside, the California offers a handful of standout details, including an offset F1 badge in the dash and a graceful aluminum arch spanning the center console, and swathes of fine leather wrap the cabin and its firm but comfortable front seats. The overall look and feel is of quality, carefully selected materials and well-constructed parts--historically, not a typical Ferrari trait. There's even a fair bit of space in the trunk and in the cabin for a weekend's odds and ends, or even, in 2+2 form, a pair of children. 

Under the hood, however, lies the beating heart of a true Ferrari: a V-8 engine rated at 490 horsepower and 373 pound-feet of torque, a 30-horsepower and 26 pound-foot rise for 2013. With a curb weight of 3,825 pounds (66 pounds lighter than before, explaining the "30" appended to the California's name this year), the 2013 California gets to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, with a top speed of 193 mph.

As for handling, the last time we drove one, we noted the California's willingness to run up to about 9/10ths--but no more. Braking is great, power delivery is effortless, and the suspension is well-managed--but it's not a track-ready setup, and it's not shy about it, because it's not intended to be. A new Handling Speciale package can help minimize body roll further and sharpen up its reflexes for those that want to live closer to the edge.

As for features, Ferrari's various personalization programs let you equip any of its cars, including the California, with just about anything you could imagine--budget providing. Standard gear includes a navigation system, USB connectivity, and, yes, even cupholders. New for 2013 is a collection of triple-layer colors, in addition to the almost 5,000 combinations of exterior and interior finish previously available. 

The folding hardtop (which opens or closes in just 15 seconds) is complemented by pop-up rollover protection for greater safety, and a rear backup camera is available.