Car Review: 2007 Jeep Compass & Patriot

The Jeep Compass was the first vehicle I saw when I turned my head left. After looking at the Compass I was then looking for the Patriot which I saw was parked right next to the dealer's entrance.

The first SUV we checked out was the Patriot. I was disappointed because I thought the Patriot would be slightly bigger than its rival. The rival being the Nissan Qashqai.

The Compass has similar problems to the Patriot but it is bigger than the Nissan X-Trail all round.

Patriot pros & cons:

Pros:

Feels big compared to Nissan Qashqai
Legendary 4WD
Well equipped

Cons:

Looks
Lack of cabin space
Small boot/trunk
Hard interior plastics

Compass:

Pros:

Big compared to some rivals
Sliding rear seats

Cons:

Hard interior plastics
Styling
Small boot/trunk

There are no pictures of the Jeep Patriot

BMW Crossover Spied

A new BMW test mule has hit the Nürburgring, and it may be the first sign that BMW's long-rumored V Series crossover is in development.

Although Mercedes-Benz hasn't exactly enjoyed overwhelming success with its R-Class crossover, that doesn't seem to be deterring BMW from getting into the game.

Based on a modified BMW 3 Series Sport Wagon body, this prototype looks far more car-based than a previous mule we spotted for the next-generation BMW X3. The X3 mule had a tall off-road ride height, while this latest mule sits much lower. A cross between a traditional wagon and a sport-utility, the BMW V Series is ultimately expected to offer three rows of seats in a boxy, yet non-minivan-like body.

This prototype's unique front bumper may have some BMW M3 overtones, but its overall design appears to be original.

Car Review: 2007 Ford Mondeo Titanium Hatchback

Once I saw the new Mondeo at my local Ford dealership, I was very excited to see how it compares to its rivals. A few things let my down but it doesn't make it a bad family car.

Here are my pros and cons of the new Mondeo.

Pros:

Rear leg/knee room
Comfortable
Large boot/trunk for hatchback but very large for estate/station wagon
Economical

Cons:

A-pillar; despite me being 5ft 8 I still managed to bump my head on the a-pillar
Too much aluminum on centre console

Wagon pictured above

Car Review: 2007 Chrysler Sebring saloon

The previous Chrysler Sebring wasn't sold in Europe because Chrysler thought it would sell slow and the fact it was too big to compete with other mid-sized family cars, but that didn't stop hundreds of imports coming into the UK. Now it's here, has it been worth the wait?

Well, kind of. While the Sebring looks great, engine refinement, high price, poor quality interior materials & driving dynamics and running costs let the side down....big time. On the brighter side, the Sebring is comfortable and it has a 2.0 TDi 140bhp Volkswagen engine up front.

Chrysler's hopes to rival the Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall/Opel Vectra, Toyota Avensis, Skoda Superb, Mazda6, Peugeot 407, Citroen C5, Volkswagen Passat and Honda Accord has fallen flat on it's face. At most, the Sebring can only rival budget family sedans like the Hyundai Sonata, Kia Magentis and Chevrolet Epica. Why? If Chrysler had paid more attention to the interior quality, driving dynamics and refinement, the Sebring would be a much better all-rounder.

Performance:

The engine range kicks of with a 2.0 litre petrol, which is the fastest in the range. It is refined but plenty of revving is needed to get the best out of it and there's a lack of punch for overtaking. Mated to this engine is a 5 speed manual gearbox.

The flagship 2.4 litre petrol engine is mated to a 4 speed automatic. With 167bhp at its disposal, it's the most powerful Sebring but it's also the most uneconomical with a combined fuel economy figure of 32mpg.

Unsurprisingly, the most popular engine will be the 2.0 CRD which is linked to a 6 speed manual gearbox. This noisy unit, especially on start up offers strong in-gear performance. Although paper figures suggest 12 seconds are needed until it hits 62mph, it feels very quick and urgent in everyday driving. Combined fuel economy is quoted at 46mpg with CO2 emissions of 170g/km. Most rivals offer more power, refinement, better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.

Handling:

Out on faster roads, the Sebring is relatively comfortable, however, on bumpy roads the Sebring feels very unsettled and vibrations through the cabin are evident. The virtually non-existent feel from the steering makes for an extremely dull to drive on twisty roads. In addition, if you take a sharp corner, there is plenty of body roll, making the Sebring flounder.

Refinement:

On smooth, straight roads the Sebring ride quality is so-so. Another negative is the lack of refinement you get from its competitors. There's so much wind, road and engine noise at higher speeds that the Sebring is far from relaxing. While the seats are alittle firm, they are fairly comfortable on longer journeys. Front cabin space is good but it's in the rear your passengers will suffer. Despite measuring in excess of 4.8 metres, the Sebring feels poorly packaged. There's not much in the way of legroom and kneeroom for two adults, however, headroom is generous all-round.

Practicality:

Strangely, there is only one practical body-style on offer (the other is a convertible). The boot is fairly roomy at 441 litres, but the opening and the actual boot itself isn't particularly wide. Up front, you get a fold-flat front passenger's seat and at the back, you get 60:40 split-folding seats. One of the two compartments in the centre console storage bin has a power outlet. All doors have big pockets for maps and further items can be carried in a pocket at the back of the driver’s seat.

Equipment:

This is where the Sebring scores well. Despite only one trim-level available, you get wood/leather steering wheel w/ reach and rake adjustment, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, leather gear knob and seats, electrically adjustable driver's seat w/ heated front seats, ESP, front & rear fog lights, automatic headlamps, 18" alloy wheels, electrically adjustable heated mirrors, steering wheel mounted audio controls, x4 electric windows, x6 airbags, air conditioning and a heated/cooled front cupholder. Options include metallic paint and a sat nav.

Interior:

With its pebble grain instrument panel, glossy tortoise-shell inserts and metallic strips, the interior of the Sebring looks very nice and different, however, the quality is awful and there are rough edges and evidence of a poor finish everywhere. Shallow windows and a thick side window pillar impair visibility.

Reliability:

Many of the Sebring's mechanicals and electrical components are shared with other Chrysler Group products and it has a reliable VW diesel engine under its bonnet, the Sebring is expected to offer decent reliability.

Residuals:

As a second hand buy, the Sebring makes more sense than new. It comes well equipped with air conditioning, electric seats and leather upholstery as standard but that's not enough to make up for the poor quality and finish. There aren't many around so at least makes a different choice from the normal family saloons.

Pros:

Comfortable
Well laid out centre console
Unique exterior styling
Cheaper than rivals

Cons:

Poor rear leg/knee room
Poor interior packaging
Only one trim-level
Limited options/accessories available

Trouble for BMW....

BMW engineers ran into a little trouble in the 128-degree desert heat, when one of its X6 prototypes appeared to become disabled on the shoulder of a desolate California road. As the preoccupied testers prepared to hook up a tow line to its X5 support vehicle, they accidentally left the prototype's rear hatch open, revealing the true shape of the X6's rear quarter panel pillars and tailgate thanks to a timely sequence of drive-by shots.

It is now completely clear exactly how much of the rear camouflage is simply a hard plastic shell. That is to say, most of it. This detail is particularly interesting on the X6, because BMW is applying an aggressive application of the four-door-coupe concept first seen on the Mercedes CLS, to the SUV genre. There have been a number of performance-minded SUVs on offer, but the X6 is taking a unique styling approach which appears to be the most form-over-function SUV design effort seen to date. The roof line begins arching downward after the B-pillar and continues plunging right to the X6's rising waistline. As a result, second-row headroom and rear cargo volume are both severely compromised as seen in the back seat interior photos.

Thanks to the heavy camouflage paneling, it's still hard to get a feel for the X6's overall design, it will take more than an open hatchback to do that. However, it will be interesting to see how BMW stylists can balance the design in a pleasing way, with the heavy SUV front and the slimmed down rear. We're not saying they can't, but we're curious how they're going to pull it off.

Fiat 500 goes off-road...

Look out, Mini. Fiat is laying plans to mass-market its new 500 baby car with a swarm of derivatives over the next several years — a move that could cement the Nuova Cinquecento's cult-car status. At its launch on July 4, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne even called the new little car the automotive version of the iPod.

According to various European press reports citing Fiat executives, the company already has approved the introduction this fall of a high-performance Abarth edition of the 500. The 500 Abarth, to be powered by a 135-horsepower turbo 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine, is expected to make its world debut in October at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show, followed by a European launch in December at the Bologna show.

Fiat also has confirmed plans to launch a 500 convertible next summer, patterned after the old Fiat Jolly series. The company also said it is considering several other variants, including a three-door Giardiniera station wagon in 2009 and a four-wheel-drive crossover model that could use running gear from the Panda 4x4.

Sketches of potential derivatives, drawn by Fiat 500 designer Roberto Giolito and presumably leaked by Fiat, have been making the rounds of automotive Web sites.

The three-door 500 hatchback was formally launched last week in Italy, with a choice of a 69-hp 1.2-liter or 100-hp 1.4-liter gas engine, as well as a 75-hp 1.3-liter diesel.Fiat executives say plans now call for annual production of the car to reach 150,000 units next year, eventually rising to 200,000 a year when additional derivatives hit the market.

Kia exposes its Soul

After days we published rumors about Kia and its line-up, we spy a Kia Soul test mule on the back of a transporter in South Korea.

The new Soul will sit below the Sportage in the line-up and will go on sale in 2009. The Soul will come to Europe but it will definitely be sold in North America and its home market.

Considering its size, the new crossover will rival against the Scion xB/xD in the North American market and when it comes to Europe, it could rival against the Skoda Roomster.

2008 Honda Accord Undisguised

This time round the 2008 Honda Accord hasn't been snapped in Canada for a commercial shoot but in a car park in the U.S.

In a few short months, we'll have all the information we could possibly want about the 2008 Honda Accord coupe and sedan. It's set to go on sale this fall.

We know for sure that the hybrid model is gone. Slow sales of the performance-oriented hybrid made it a one-generation wonder, so the top-of-the-line Accord for 2008 will carry a conventional gasoline-fueled V6. We're expecting power levels somewhere north of 260 horses, so this Accord will be one of the faster family sedans in the segment. Honda isn't forgetting its fuel-efficiency mission statement, however, so the Accord V6 is likely to feature a cylinder-deactivation system. It shuts down half the cylinders under light loads to improve fuel economy. Combined with a six-speed manual transmission, the Accord V6 could maintain its fuel-economy rating of 30 mpg highway even under the revised EPA guidelines for 2008. If the automatic transmission goes from five to six gears as we expect, even the V6 automatic models might get close to 30 mpg on the highway. Then again, if fuel mileage is your primary concern, a four-cylinder Accord is the way to go. The base Accord will get a slight bump to anywhere between 170 and 180 horsepower, but the focus will remain on fuel-efficiency. At the same time, whatever gains that are made will be offset by the new EPA procedures, so expect to see the 26 mpg city/34 mpg highway rating of the current model drop a notch or two. If you're after a serious high-mileage Accord, you might want to put off your purchase for a few years. Honda is working on a diesel-powered model for the U.S. market that will beat the four-cylinder gasoline engine's numbers by a wide margin. And with lots of torque, the diesel will drive better, too. Honda is still working on making it clean enough to meet tough U.S. emissions regulations, but we're expecting it to happen within the next several years.

The 2008 Honda Accord will probably incorporate all the things you expect — slightly more interior room, a quieter and more refined cabin, plus new technology like a navigation system with integrated traffic maps. And as you can see from the pictures, its styling remains conservative in every respect with a little extra chrome its only extravagance.