The Mercedes Benz For All: The CLA-Class

Author: B.Keeler

Janice Joplin coined the famous phrase “Oh lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz…” and up until this past fall that was a particularly tall order to fill when you considered that the cheapest brand-new Mercedes-Benz you could buy was close to $40,000.

Mercedes is seeking to remedy this situation by bringing us the all-new CLA luxury compact car. With a starting price of just $29,900, it does create the possibility of owning a Mercedes for those fresh into the work force, without having to wait for that big promotion.

The Style

Front View of The Mercedes-Benz CLA
Photo courtesy of mbusa.com

At first glance, there is no denying that this is a Mercedes; the CLA bears a particular resemblance to the much larger and significantly more expensive CLS.
 "The response to the Concept Style Coupe was overwhelming. The most frequent comment by far was 'Please put this car into series production.' That's precisely what we are doing now," said Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management for Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

Although the CLA has four-doors for marketing purposes, Mercedes is calling the CLA a coupe. The design is as Mercedes said, “Is the evolution of the classic Mercedes styling.”

When viewed from the sides the design of the CLA centers around three character lines, which flow through the entire body of the vehicle. These lines help to create a striking side profile that is undeniable as a Mercedes coupe.

At the front a power domed hood with a diamond-look grille, help to create a striking and aggressive stance. What makes the front of this car seem very aggressive is the front bumper that makes the lower portion of the car look a bit swollen, like your grandmothers ankles.



Rearview of the Mercedes Benz CLA
Photo courtesy of mbusa.com

Further lending itself to creating an aggressive feel to the front of the car is the arrangement of the headlights. Behind the actual headlight are LEDs, which creates a “flame effect” for the optional daytime running lights and turn signals.

The Safety

The most notable standard safety feature of the Mercedes-Benz CLA is the collision prevention assist.

The system uses a radar-based braking system, which is able to warn the driver of obstacles, and figure out how much braking force it needs to avoid an accident. The system also takes into account the distance between the vehicles and obstacle as well how much space anything that maybe following to avoid accidents all around.

Optional is the Driver Assistance Package, which comes with systems as the Distronic radar guided cruise control system as well as the usual Blind Spot and Lane Keeping assist features.

A standalone option is the Parktronic system, which helps drivers in both parallel and perpendicular parking situations.

The Power

The CLA250 produces 208horse-power from a 2.0-liter four-cyclinder engine. Not your typical Mercedes fire-breathing eight or twelve cylinder found in the bigger Mercedes sedans. The CLA puts its power the ground again in non-typical Mercedes fashion with all the power going to the front wheels. This is a first for the US market.

For those of you living in the Snow Belt the CLA can be equipped with Mercedes’ latest 4matic all-wheel drive system. The new system is a permanent system capable of transferring the majority of the CLA’s power to any of its wheels.

To help to save fuel the CLA will feature a stop start engine. Which mean when you come to a full stop the engine will shut down and then when you press the accelerator to move away it will start back up.

The Toys

Interior of the CLA
Photo courtesy of mbusa.com

The CLA will feature the latest generation of multimedia connectivity. The mbrace2 system that allows users to access various concierge and traffic features. It will also, should owners choose, access to the internet and applications such as Facebook.

Standard is a 5.8-inch graphic display with Bluetooth. This display is the backbone of the car and is used to control most of the entertainment features. The system can be up-graded to a 7-inch if you opt for the multimedia package which adds features such as hard-disk navigation, and music storage.

The Verdict

I do like the CLA it is a fabulous looking car, and the perfect size for a daily commute to the city. The only thing that I have an issue with is that it costs a lot of money. Sure, that $29,900 base price seems like a deal but that is until you find out that things like heated leather seats and HID headlamps are all optional extras.

Even the paint colors cost extra money except for white, black or red. If fact the pricing of the CLA is so out-laddish that it was named as one of the worst new cars you could buy in 2013 by AOL.

To see how much it would be to get one decked out as a typical second hand C-Class or E-class would be I went to the on-line configurator and my dream CLA would cost a little over $45,000 that’s a lot of money for a compact car, no matter what company makes it.

Subaru XV CrossTrek Hybrid

The Subaru XV CrossTrek Hybrid

Author: B.Keeler

A Capable Hybrid:

Hybrids are like fish oil and salads; very good for you, but what you actually want is steak and French fries. Nothing you really want to drive in, and if you needed any form of off-road capability, choices are even more limited. Subaru hopes to change that with its first ever hybrid.
At the 2013 New York International Auto Show, Subaru will unveil the Subaru XV Crosstrek hybrid, an affordable and very capable hybrid.
Lately, Subaru has been involved in several joint ventures with Toyota that is why the XV Crosstrek will use a Toyota’s hybrid drive system paired to the traditional Subaru boxer engine. Like the regular Crosstrek, all-wheel-drive will be standard.
Details are still fuzzy at this point but rumors are circulating about a diesel engine for the XV Crosstrek Hybrid and a possible manual transmission.
More information will be available after the unveiling later this week. If you want to learn more about the Subaru CrossTrek feel free to read our impressions of the standard version.

My Thoughts:
I really like the idea of this car. The hybrid SUV market is growing, but currently it is filled with incredibly expensive offerings like the Porsche Cayanne, Cadillac Escalade, Lexus RX450h, GMC Yukon, and the Chevrolet Tahoe. All of these are capable offerings but start way over the typical car buyer’s budget.

The Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid should change this and will bring an AWD hybrid to the masses. Based on the standard models price I would anticipate it to start at or just above the $30,000 mark. Granted, it is not priced like the Nissan Versa but well under its hybrid SUV competitors.

The other thing that I love about the Hybrid model is that will offer consumers a second wheel option over the standard car's black rims.

 

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala: The New Boulevard Cruiser

Author: B.Keeler

Once upon a time, the Chevrolet Impala was the vehicle you aspired to in the Chevrolet portfolio. In fact, last year Chevrolet sold over 169,000 Impalas that is an impressive number until you factor that roughly 70 percent of those were to fleet buyers.

The New 2014 Chevrolet Impala

A fleet buyer is someone like Enterprise-Rent-A-Car, Westing House or the government. .

Seeing that the Impala was becoming a joke in the large car segment Chevrolet took drastic action and completely redesigned the Impala for 2014. The new Impalas will hit dealer showrooms sometime in the next two months.

“Impala has a heritage of pushing the segment with bold designs, new technologies and premium features not typically found at its price point,” said Chris Perry, vice president, Chevrolet marketing. “The 2014 Impala’s combination of efficiency, refinement, infotainment choices and driving confidence will reset the benchmark in its segment and affirm its position as Chevrolet’s flagship sedan.”

The Power

Power for the new Impala will come from a choice of three different engines. On initial release, only one engine will be an available 3.6L V-6 engine.
By mid-model year, the new Impala will be available with a 2.5-liter In-line 4-cylinder engine, a first to my knowledge for an Impala. By the end of the year, an Impala Eco model will be out. The Eco model will feature General Motors’ 2. 4L In-line 4-cylinder with eAssist technology. To learn more about eAssist technology check out our feature from its initial release.

The Refinement
 

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala will be the most technologically and refined since the nameplates introduction in the 50s.

Interior of the new Chevrolet Impala

Chevrolet has made the 4-cylinder Impala a much more pleasant place to be with standard BOSE active noise cancellation. The noise cancellation package will be optional on the 6-cylinder models.

Active noise cancellation uses microphones in the headliner to measure the amount of noise in the cabin. An on-board computer determines the wavelength of the noise. The Impala’s stereo than emits a counter wavelength to cancel the noise, which makes the interior quitter.

Technology is another strong point for the 2014 Impala. Standard is Chevrolet's, award winning, Mylink infotainment system, which allow for app streaming of Pandora or Sticher Internet radio services.



The Impala's in-dash storage bin
behind the Chevrolet Mylink Screen

 The 2014 Impala will also feature remote start with passive (keyless) entry and exit. For the first time, the Impala will feature keyless starting, that means you will never have to fish the key out of your pocket on chilly winter days.

Speaking of chilly winter days, Chevrolet has optimized the Impala for all climates. The 2014 Impala will feature dual-zone climate control, heated and cooled front seats, and a heated steering. Making for a pleasant driving experience no matter what the temperature.

All-wheel-drive is not an option on the new Impala and currently Chevrolet has no plans to add it to the option list. If you want the surefootedness of AWD, you will need to shell out extra money for either the Buick LaCrosse or Cadillac XTS. Both of those sedans share the Impalas platform. 

 

The Safety

Should you ever crash your new Impala on those ice covered winter roads, you will be cocooned in 10 standard airbags. Aside for the normal front airbags the 2014 Impala will feature front occupant knee airbags and rear outboard side-impact airbags.

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala will also feature fully adaptive cruise control, which can break and accelerate the car as needed. This is the first time this type of cruise control will be offered on a Chevrolet.

Rear-view of the 2014 Chevrolet Impala

The new Impala like most of its competitive set will offer a plethora of diver aids, such as departure warning, side blind zone alert and forward collision alert.

Additionally, the Imapla will also come with a rear-view camera with guidelines to help drives maneuver the car into tight spots..

The Verdict

I like the new Impala, although I am not completely sold on the outside styling, which from certain angles makes the car look fat. It is a definite improvement over the last generation. The previous Impala made wonder bread seem exciting.

I like the fact that the new Impala comes with a Best Buy full of gizmos, but I do not like that AWD is not even optional.

If you are in the market for a full-size car, this is a definite contender. To read more about the new Impala check out the press release.