2011 Subaru Forester

Specifications prices Modifications and Image 2011 Subaru Forester
Much of Subaru's success has stemmed from its skill at meeting the needs of very specific -- and very dedicated -- groups of car buyers. Models like the Outback have traditionally been aimed at people wanting something civilized enough for mundane urban travel, yet rugged enough for snow and light off-roading, while sport sedans like the WRX were intended for driving enthusiasts. More recently, though, the brand has been making an effort to offer vehicles that attract a broader, more mainstream audience. The 2011 Subaru Forester is a perfect example.

The typical crossover buyer will find his needs nicely met by the latest Forester, which was last redesigned three years ago. There's enough room in its attractive-looking cabin to carry passengers in comfort; the rear seat is especially spacious and plush. The cargo capacity is among the largest in the segment. And finally, this crossover also delivers a smooth, comfortable ride.

But the Forester hasn't forsaken the great outdoors. With a class-leading 8.7 inches of ground clearance and standard all-wheel drive, this crossover is a natural fit for poor weather or light-duty off-road trails. The Forester is also one of the few small crossovers to offer a turbocharged engine, which could hold particular appeal for people who often drive at high altitudes.

Even so, shoppers on the hunt for a compact or midsize crossover get to choose from a wealth of very strong contenders. With sportier handling than the Forester, the Hyundai Tucson and Mazda CX-7 are likely better picks for people who really like to drive, while the Toyota RAV4 offers a gutsy engine (the optional V6) and available third-row seating. Other top choices include the impressive Chevrolet Equinox and refined Honda CR-V. Still, with its wide range of talents, the Forester certainly deserves a place on your consideration list.

INTERIOR
Interior quality has never been Subaru's strength, and the Forester needs work. Cabin materials improve on the Escape's industrial plastics, but other competitors — particularly the Chevy Equinox, Journey and Honda CR-V — have handsomer finishes and more appealing controls. The Forester's feel a generation old: a crummy headliner, undersized stereo knobs and a flimsy keyfob.

Our test car's leather seats were supportive during twisty roads and highway cruising alike, but the driver's seat needs a longer adjustment range. At 5-foot-11, I could have used another inch or two of rearward travel. Legroom and headroom in the backseat is good, but the seat could sit a bit higher off the floor — an issue that dogs many small crossovers. There's also a footwell-robbing center floor hump in back, something many other crossovers avoid.

The Subaru Forester comes with plenty of standard features. However, some reviewers complain that it doesn't offer as many high-tech gadgets as competitors – and the ones that it does offer, such as a navigation system, don’t measure up.
The base Forester comes standard with a single-disc CD player, auxiliary audio input jack, air conditioning, cruise control, a manual height-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support, a tilt-adjustable steering column, rear seat heater ducts, and a rear window wiper/washer.
To get the optional navigation system and premium stereo system, you’ll have to upgrade to the next trim, the 2.5X Limited. For 2011, the navigation system is a new unit, which may help erase reviewer’s complaints about the old system. Bluetooth is newly standard for all trims but the base 2011 model. Also, the new-for-2011 2.5X touring trim has upscale features like dual-zone climate control and a rearview camera.

 EXTERIOR
 Subaru's full-time all-wheel drive powers all four wheels all the time, helping the crossover claw its way through muck that stops part-time all-wheel-drive systems cold. It's only after driving other crossovers through heavy snow near our Chicago offices — or, more accurately, going nowhere at all in a few of them — that I fully appreciate the Forester's resilience. An impressive 8.7 inches of ground clearance (8.9 inches with the turbo) really helps when you're trying to get through the deep stuff.

Appreciated all year-round are the Forester's sight lines, which are free of the descending rooflines, tiny rear-quarter windows and massive roof pillars seen elsewhere. The Forester easily won a blind-spot evaluation among small crossovers two years ago, and I'm confident it would still win against today's competition.

The rectangular cargo area offers a modest 30.8 cubic feet behind the backseat and 63.0 cubic feet when that seat is folded down. Both figures are at the low end of the segment. Without the Forester's headroom-robbing panoramic moonroof, the base 2.5X has a more competitive 33.5 and 68.3 cubic feet, respectively.

 ENGINE
Every Subaru comes with standard all-wheel drive, and the Forester is no different. The 2.5X models are powered by a 2.5-liter horizontally opposed (flat) four-cylinder engine that makes 170 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque. The XT trims feature a turbocharged variant that produces 224 hp and 226 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard on the 2.5X and 2.5X Premium, with a four-speed automatic offered as an option. The automatic is the only transmission available on the 2.5X Limited, 2.5XT Premium, 2.5X Touring and 2.5XT Touring.

With both the manual and automatic transmissions, 2.5X models earn EPA ratings of 21 mpg city/27 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined, or exactly what you'd get from the similarly powered AWD Honda CR-V. 2.5X models sold in states with more stringent emissions standards earn a squeaky-clean PZEV rating. With the XT's turbocharged engine, fuel economy dips to 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined.

SAFETY
 The federal government hasn't tested the 2011 Subaru Forester, but gave the 2010 model top five-star scores for driver and passenger protection in frontal crash tests as well as front- and rear-seat occupant protection in side crash tests. They also give it a four-star rollover score, which means the Forester has just a 17 percent risk of rollover in a single vehicle crash.

The insurance industry gives the Forester top scores of "Good" in frontal, side impact and rear crash tests. It even earned a score of "Good" in roof strength tests and was named a 2011 "Top Safety Pick."

The Forester comes standard with four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Brake Assist, Vehicle Dynamics Control, Traction Control System, driver’s and front passenger’s airbags, side-curtain airbags for front and rear outboard occupants, and front seat-mounted side-impact airbags. A rearview camera isn’t offered, but one may not be needed -- test drivers say visibility is excellent. reference:usnews.rankingsandreviews.com,www.edmunds.com,www.cars.com

2011 Smart fortwo

Specifications prices Modifications and Image 2011 Smart fortwo
The 2011 Smart Fortwo is a car of contradictions. In many of the ways that people expect it to suffer -- interior space, passenger comfort and crash-test scores, for instance -- the Fortwo actually does quite well. But in other aspects that you'd otherwise take for granted, the Fortwo disappoints.

The Smart Fortwo's 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine puts out 70 horsepower -- an unimpressive figure in today's world. It's not a major drawback, though, as the Fortwo generally feels surprisingly energetic around town. No, the drawback is the transmission to which it's connected. This single-clutch, automated manual transmission shifts gears so slowly and clumsily that the noticeable shift shock will make passengers wonder what's wrong with it.

There are other contradictions, too. The Smart car's small footprint means it's easy to fit in the smallest of parking spaces, but the jumpy driveline engagement during the parking process makes doing so a real adventure. Fuel economy is very good, but the engine requires premium gas. And though it's certainly not an expensive car, the 2011 Smart Fortwo is pricey for what you get, which is essentially a two-passenger runabout with a one-dimensional, city-oriented personality.

Considering all this, the Smart Fortwo's competition looks pretty attractive. Even if we were to forgive the Fortwo for some of its flaws, we'd still recommend any number of basic (although slightly more expensive) cars with more well-rounded personalities. That group includes the Honda Fit, the Ford Fiesta, the Hyundai Accent and the Mazda 2.

INTERIOR
Hop in the Fortwo, grip the small steering wheel, and you are confronted with a minimalist interior. There are no luxury amenities, and the materials are largely plastic.

Behind the steering wheel is the speedometer, printed on a white background with black numbers. Below it in the same bezel is a digital readout that displays the current gear, odometer, trip odometer, outside temperature and time. An analog clock and a tachometer are available as separate gauges that sprout from the top of the dash in their own pods. There are no water temperature or oil pressure gauges in this spartan interior. For 2009, there is a separate warning light to indicate a loose gas filler cap.

The dash is made of reasonably well assembled plastic, some of which is dressed in cloth that matches the seat upholstery. The climate controls are located at the top of the dash, with sliders for the fan speed and available automatic temperature control. A radio is optional in the Pure model, but is standard in the Passion. It is located below the climate controls and has large, easy to operate buttons and a central volume knob. The radio and climate controls move easily enough, but they are light to the touch and lack a quality feel.

Interior small items storage space is minimal. It consists of two cupholders in front of the gearshift, a small glovebox, and new-for-2009 expandable storage nets in each door, which replace the rigid map pockets used previously. There is no center console. Small trays are also found on the dash on either side of the steering column. These areas lack rubber mats to hold items in place, so items can slide around rather easily. We would recommend against using these areas for storage.

Though the Fortwo is a small car, there is a lot of room for occupants. Head room and leg room are plentiful. I drove with a 6-foot 6-inch friend who had just enough room in both dimensions. The one dimension that is lacking is shoulder room. The Fortwo isn't very wide, so two linebackers will have a tough time sitting next to each other.

The seats are fairly comfortable, with built-in headrests, but they lack the contour for best long-trip comfort. Visibility from the driver's seat is generally good in both models. The convertible has a smaller rear window and the driver's view to the rear is partially blocked at the bottom when the top is down.

Out back, the coupe's rear glass opens separately and both body styles have a tailgate that folds down to allow for a low liftover height. The tailgate itself opens to reveal a shallow storage tray. Behind the seats there is 7.8 cubic feet of cargo room, which leaves enough space for groceries or a couple of gym bags. Smart says that cargo room expands to 12 cubic feet if the rear hatch area is filled to the roof, and it expands further with an available fold flat passenger seat. You won't be able to haul around TVs in your Fortwo, but it should have enough room for most weekend errands.

EXTERIOR

The Smart Fortwo has plastic body panels around a tridion safety cell that is made of steel, half of which is of the high-strength variety.

According to Smart, this structure has longitudinal and transverse beams that displace impact forces over a large area of the car to protect occupants in a crash. The tridion safety cell is available in black or silver, as elements of it, including the front pillars, are visible from the outside. Smart says that slip tubes up front and a steel rear structure will prevent front and rear crashes of up to 10 mph from affecting the tridion cell. Smart also says the wheels and tires, as well as side braces, will help dissipate energy in a side crash.

The Smart design features wheels pushed outward to the corners of the car. Up front, the Fortwo seems to be grinning, with its high-set headlights, central grille and open lower fascia that is also home to the optional fog lights. The short hood leads to a tall windshield. Along the sides, the exterior portions of the tridion safety cell trace the shape of each door. The car ends shortly behind the seats, leaving a small hatchback opening at the back and giving both the coupe and convertible an egglike shape.

At only 106.1 inches overall, 61.4 inches wide, 60.7 inches tall and 1808 pounds, the Fortwo is the smallest car offered in the United States. By comparison, a Mini Cooper is nearly 40 inches longer and more than 750 pounds heavier. While the length and width are quite small, the Fortwo is slightly taller than a Honda Fit, which gives it plenty of interior headroom.

The convertible's top is power operated and has a heated glass rear window. It has no latches to work and can be operated at any speed. With the top down, a pair of structural beams can be removed from the roof above each door, creating an even freer open air feeling. The up-level Passion coupe is available with a fixed glass roof with a manual sunshade.

ENGINE
 The Smart ForTwo is the most efficient gas-powered car sold in the US. (Hybrids, which run on a combo of gas and electricity, are the only cars that beat the Smart on MPG.) With a combined city/highway fuel efficiency rating of 36 mpg, the Smart ForTwo deserves at least a passing consideration from a green-leaning car buyer.

The key to the Smart ForTwo’s high mpg ratings is its small 1-liter three-cylinder engine that delivers 70-horsepower. That might provide sufficient power for darting about town to run errands, but the Smart’s so-called “automated manual” five-speed transmission, controlled by a single, computer-controlled clutch, is a big problem. Like most reviewers, Bloomberg News said, “The transmission...is so lousy it verges on being a deal breaker...While other manufacturers talk about shifts that take 10ths of seconds, this one feels like tens of seconds.” ConsumerGuide Auto echoed the sentiment: “Acceleration is sluggish from a stop and is plagued by annoying bogging and surging at every shift whether transmission is in manual or automatic mode.” The New York Times quipped, “You could practically squeeze a half-inning of baseball into the maddening delay between the release of one gear and the engagement of the next.”

Reviewers almost unanimously said the ForTwo's small engine fails to provide adequate highway passing power. Handling and braking received equally low scores. You have to wonder how you would fare with the ForTwo on streets so heavily populated with big pickups and oversized SUVs. The wind from larger automobiles passing by at higher speeds sways the tiny ForTwo, challenging the car’s directional stability and forcing the driver to course-correct.

SAFETY
The 2011 Smart Fortwo is built by Mercedes-Benz, and as such, it offers ample occupant protection. Standard safety equipment includes side curtain airbags for the coupe models and side airbags for the cabriolet, knee bolster airbags, antilock brakes (front discs and rear drums), hill-hold assist, stability control and traction control. the Fortwo Passion came to a stop from 60 mph in 124 feet -- a better-than-average distance for a subcompact.

The Smart Fortwo has not been rated using the government's new, more strenuous 2011 crash-testing procedures. Its 2010 ratings (which aren't comparable to 2011 tests) resulted in four out of five stars for frontal crash protection of the driver and three stars for passenger protection. In side impacts, the Smart was awarded a perfect five out of five stars. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Smart its highest rating of "Good" for both frontal- and side-impact protection.
reference:autos.aol.com,www.edmunds.com,www.hybridcars.com