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Why does a complete make over of its works utility with an all new S R X crossover. We'll see if less is actually more. Yes all right. Next week. Finding a good technician. This time I'm Goss's garage. Next we'll check the current on the state of plug in hybrid vehicles and Nissan sexy soft 3 7 DC roadster. So come drive with us. The week TV's original automotive magazine brought to you by cars dot com let's say you're looking for a car. Cars dot com can help research locate even contact a dealer caused. Your host for Motor Week. John Davis welcome again to motor week we're glad to have you with us. With all the success Cadillac is head in transforming itself into a world class

rival to European and Asian luxury marks one notable exception has been the SRI crossover utility. Now the first year in 2004 I asked our X just never caught the attention of upper income households. Well now as our X has been totally rethought and the result is a smaller sharper more standout design. So let's see if the second time is a charm. The new generation 2010 Cadillac s are x luxury crossover utility. That's a significantly different swap than the original For one thing it's smaller losing a little more than five inches and wheel base and a little less than 5 inches in length that makes the new S R X much closer to its targeted rival the Lexus r X.. But thanks to Cadillacs edgy styling the new S R X comes off bolder and more

muscular than the Lexus up front as a shield grill flanked by Cadillac signature vertical head lamps with available adaptive swivel lighting the s r axis profile is dynamic accentuated by short windows side vents and a fast moving upward swept exit line out back the raring to go look is extended by a roof spoiler and dual chrome exhaust tips wheels are pushed to the corners in either 18 inch or 20. Something else that has changed on the new s r axis cabin capacity from seven it has dropped to five. Again the same as the Lexus are x. But what I cabin they will ride in the s r x interior styling mixes elegance with energy with a handcrafted look and finish. That is the best ever from a domestic brand gauges and controls are displayed in a logical yet sophisticated manner. The white center stack is home to an available 3D navigation system that rises from the top of the panel. Other

goodies include an available backup camera hoboes 10 speaker stereo system and an inner graded hard disk drive for audio storage seats are fitted with soft leather their plush and very supportive with standard power for the driver and optional heat. There is ambient lighting by night and if you choose sunlight by day through Cadillac's latest panoramic sunroof the rear seating area is ample space for three adults with a welcome to extra inches of leg room over its Lexus rival. The split bench has a center armrest and it also reclines though the control is hard to reach. The angled rear of the cuts cargo room compared to its rival still twenty nine cubic feet seats up and 61 cubic feet seats down is within class specs Plus a flexible U rail adjustable tie down system and under floor storage. Make it very versatile all reached by an adjustable height power tailgate that is standard

on all but the base model under the hood. More big changes for the next the previous V-6 and V-8 power trays have been replaced by smaller more efficient design. Standard is a new direct injected three liter V-6 with 265 horsepower at two hundred twenty three pound feet of torque optional is a two point eight metre turbo charged B6 good for 300 horses and two hundred ninety six pound feet of torque each time to a six speed automatic with manual mode. The turbo adds an eco mode which alters shift points to optimize fuel economy while the 3.00 has adequate response for a forty five hundred pound crossover are two point eighteen. Yesterday liberty strong launch with the fast power bill chips are well spaced and solid all the way up the ladder to seven point six seconds 0 to 60 very respectable powers relegated to the front or to all four wheels through a sophisticated whole deck's transfer a case that is standard with

a two point eighty for optimal traction and balance it can transfer up to 100 percent of torque front to back and up to 85 percent side to side at the rear. The s or X rides on an all new chassis that is not shared with other GM crossover with an available real time damping system for a high degree of cornering prowess. We found to be very agile and quick footed on both city streets and fast country sweepers filling more drivers car than crossover. Ditto the brakes with ABS vented this and two piston front caliper. Government fuel economy ratings for the s are x 2.8 turbo are estimated at a modest 16 city 21 highway on premium gas. We saw only sixteen point eight mpg in real world driving. As far as pricing begins over 6 grand less than last year and lower than rival our ex bases thirty four thousand one hundred fifty five dollars with a two

point eighty expected just under 50000. The 2010 Cadillac s or x is a huge improvement and now more clearly targeted towards its luxury crossover rivals. It has the potential of doing for Cadillac crossovers what the TS did for their sedan but quantum leap or not it's now a real charmer. How do you know if a car care pro really knows his or her stuff. Well every Goss's garage they know what to look for. John one thing that's very important is finding a good repair shop and a trained technician to repair your automobile. Well we've come to a Toyota training center and we're joined by Tony Mahler from a C to give us some tips. Well Tony welcome to Goss's garage but my goodness what have we got here.

This is an amazing piece of equipment this is actually a training device a breadboard and it's for a 15 year old car. You can imagine how complicated it is for the newer models. You know technicians really have to be on their game today and that means they have to have training and certification first. That's true. A se was developed back in 1972 to address a perceived problem with fraud in the automotive repair industry. When they did an investigation they found out it really wasn't so much fraud as it was technician incompetence. The industry got together and created a see the National Institute for automotive service excellence to develop certification testing to measure a technicians technical knowledge. We've been developing industry standards ever since. Right now A.C. is also involved in training and you work in conjunction with organizations like this Toyota training center. That's true we have a subsidiary called the national automotive technicians Education Foundation or NHS which really develops educational standards for secondary and post-secondary training programs like this one but also for in service training providers.

We call them case providers continuing automotive service education that provide ongoing training for working technicians. You know learning is really a lifetime experience if you're a Technician these days it takes a lot more training than it ever has before. Well one thing that people have to realize is there's no magical piece of equipment that you plug into all of this and get an answer. Well that's true it still takes in a human brain to figure out what that little box is telling them. OK what can the viewers look for in a repair shop to make sure they're going to get good service. Well the most important thing to look for qualifications obviously as the certification is important look for the sign outside ask at the service desk with the technicians are certified. But you should also look for other clues in the waiting room. Things like membership in trade associations like the Automotive Service Association Better Business Bureau Chamber of Commerce has its own program called the Blue Seal of excellence recognition program that recognizes individual shops that have more than 70 percent of their technicians certified making

sure that the individuals behind the counter are qualified is going to give you your best value for your service dollars. And it's important to ask questions and inform consumer can't be taken advantage of. Great advice Tony thank you. And if you have a question or comment write to me the address is Motor Week in Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. We've been hearing about the promise of plug in hybrid electric vehicles for years. That is hybrids they can have their batteries recharge by simply plugging them into the electrical grid. A proper ph civi should use even less petroleum fuel than today's hybrids. But while we've seen a lot of plug in concepts how close are they to being reality. Most full or two stage hybrid vehicles like the Ford Escape and Toyota Prius can operate for short distances usually at low speed only on pure electric power but add a larger rechargeable battery pack into the

mix one that can be plugged into the electrical grid and you can now drive that same vehicle for many more miles before the combustion engine ever starts. How many miles depends on the capacity or kilowatt hours of the battery pack. But it's possible for one of these vehicles to Pegwell over 100 MPG with little penalty and weight or lost cargo space. Right now there are about 600 plug in electric hybrid vehicles in the US. Most are converted from standard hybrids by one of a dozen or so small companies but nearly every major car maker has or is developing their own plug in with an eye towards near future production. But decisions made now can have an impact 10 or 12 years down the road. So engineers and manufacturers are scrambling to include the very latest battery and power management technology into these vehicles before they commit to the mass market jam Frankfurt with the DEO ease Idaho National Labs is tasked with keeping tabs on over

200 ph TVs. Then a nationwide study to track how a variety of these designs fare in real world driving. We track not just the concept their design concept but also the overall cost of the plug and we're trying to find out will people plug them and why won't they plug them and how far they drive per charge. How far they drive each month and how many kilowatt hours. There's a lot interest in not just individual vehicles but the overall concept of the deal we program cars are equipped with on board data loggers many of which give real time fuel economy and system information but it's not just manufacturers that are looking for this valuable feedback we actually have 75 testing partners. The majority party the single largest segment Arlette utilities. And there's lots of interest in what utility industry and what this will do. Virginia Dominion Power has added to plug in Prius hybrid conversions to their fleet of 1000 vehicles which include bio diesel and clean natural

gas vehicles as well as traditional hybrids. The main powers see these two plug in electric hybrid vehicles to measure the impact of the electric grid. Should the technology become a problem it cost about 50 cents in five hours time to fully charge one of these Prius is through a standard household outlook. What happens when there's 2 million of them running around and everybody wants the one again at five o'clock. Small utilities like Dominion Virginia Power are looking ahead to answer these questions today so they don't become a problem five or ten years from now. The one fact that makes plug in hybrid so appealing to consumers and manufacturers alike is that the electric grid is already in place from coast to coast. Unlike the delivery and dispensing infrastructure they would need to be built for mass distribution of hydrogen or many other alternative fuels. One manufacturer who's betting heavily on plug in hybrids is Henrik Fisker

his Fisker Karma luxury sedan intends to be the first volume production plug in hybrid vehicle when it goes on sale next year. The upside on the market rock and hybrid electric vehicle is almost endless. Almost every car company will have a plug in hybrid electric vehicle eventually and that's maybe a five or six or seven years down the line because they just make so much sense. So will plug in hybrids are being tested on the road today. It's fair to say that battery technology has not yet evolved to where most manufacturers would like it to be. Still the promise of plug in hybrids is real and that bodes well for a cleaner driving future for all of us. Time now to check our caring for the latest models on our lot. Since it arrived for 2007 the Mazda CX 7 has delivered more zoom zoom driving fun than any other small crossover. Now for

2010 it gets its first serious set of tweaks. For starters the 2010 CX 7 as a new SUV based tram with a lower entry price of just over $22000. That front drive CX 7 adds a base 2.5 leader one hundred sixty one horsepower. Normally aspirated four cylinder with a healthy 28 mpg highway fuel economy rating. Available for front end standard with all wheel drive. Is the carry over two point three hundred forty four horsepower turbo charge for. But even Air Miles has squeezed more fuel economy as the highway rating is up from 23 to 25 mpg. From a driver's perspective the CX 7 is a double chocolate chunk in an otherwise sugar cookie segment. This little crossover is moving off the line and sticks nice and tight in the corners for its outer show the front facia now supports my new signature smiley face grill and the rear gets a redesigned bumper. But all the rest of it smart in

sporty shape stays intact. Inside the make takes on a progressive style with blackout meters and a modified instrument panel with a Mazda 3 style hooded info a nav screen and the new controls for audio crews and Bluetooth. Once again we know the kind of passengers cargo is some of its rivals but we think it's a trade off class best driver enjoyment. The 2010 model is in dealerships now. When the Acura cornerstone T.O. received a ground redesign in 2009 it's bolder styling mixed reviews but there wasn't any. It's hard to top for the price luxury performance credential. And with an optional 305 horsepower three point seven leader V-6 couple to act you're as wet or dry road capable super handling all wheel drive. Its athletic abilities were beyond reproach as well. The important

change for 2010 is that sh can now be coupled with a six speed manual gearbox as well as the carry over automatic choosing the manual also upgrades handling hardware that makes the DL a top class performer. Not only does the stick make the TTL quicker going but it's very short throws make gear selections pure reflex. Outside the body is still a mix of curves angles and bright work. The polarizing grill remains as accurate as new coat of arms to tell the all wheel drive to yell from the front wheel drive to yell look for brake cooling ducts up front. A subtle trunk lid spoiler and quad tailpipes the clean luxurious interior is a study and swift contours from the shapely heated power adjustable seats made even shapely or should you offer as a key to the crowded center stack with far too many buttons. The six inches added to wheel base in 0 9 allow the rear seat to provide truly executive

leg room and comfort. On sale now the 2010 Acura T.L. starts near $35000 jumping to about forty two thousand for the manual with S H A W D. When the light duty Dodge Ram 15:00 was redesigned for 2009 the focus was on making the optimum personal use pickup so smooth riding rear coil springs replace traditional leaves and conveniences like the ram box cargo bed replace shear capacity as noteworthy but dogs did not abandon its faithful but still needs a truck that can really haul enter the all new 2010 Dodge Ram heavy duty twenty five hundred and thirty five hundred complete with a carry hearty lease Springs and big over 17000 pounds without going back to as they come in 6.7 lieder turbo diesel inline 6 standard in the thirty five hundred.

You can tell the RAM Cummins by an even larger grill that is 5.7 leader Hemi V8 gas counterpart the Ram Power Wagon Off-Road special also returns with front and rear electronic locking gifts Bilstein shocks and a £12000 winch. Nearly half of all pick up sold are crew caps of up until now Dodge didn't have one in its heavy duty lineup for 2010 it does the crew cab replaces the quad cab and slots between regular and mega cap to cover all user bases. The ram HD line also gets a handsome redesigned interior similar to the 15:00 with great seats and amenities of plenty including Bluetooth everything brand heavy duty is a series to truck as you can get. Innovations like the new Hydra mount to provide quality and the diesels big rig style really makes it stand out. And even with more features it cost two grand less than last year. Ram twenty five hundred starts under $22000 and they're in dealerships now. Join us next time for more new sets of car keys.

The Nissan 370 Z is a sports car that needs no introduction and to our way of thinking little in the way of improvement. But just in time for the warmest days of fall a new 370 Z roadster arrived on our lot offering promises of when plastered hair and early exits from the office routine. The 2010 Nissan 370 Z roadster definitely courts those interested in a more mature driving experience than its fixed group. Brother right. But don't think for a moment that the hard charging Z is gone soft. The 370 zis open air attraction starts with its curvy bodywork topping that coup from the belt line down including the slight uptick behind the doors. The new roadsters bold

design makes the previous model look dumpy by comparison especially with the top up of the soft top profile retains the Coop's distinctive low groove canopy look above the cockpit. But as before styling makes a departure from their back the long sloping rear hatch line is abbreviated to a short more steeply pitched housing for the glass rear window. It's placed just ahead of us surprisingly useful for Point 2 cubic foot cargo bay large enough for a set of golf clubs. Now hydraulically activated instead of electric top operation is a one touch affair with the wind an upgraded cap or now cloth instead of vinyl stowing smartly under a hard Tano cover once underway when moaning and noise levels are kept to a minimum thanks to a built in wind deflector actual conversations can be held in this cozy cabin for driver comfort is enhanced by roadster only heated and cooled perforated leather seating. Standard on touring models the

body is 40 percent stiffer and front twisting and 60 percent stiffer and rear bending than the previous generation drop top. The resulting ride is tight and wiggle free no matter what the road surface. In action the zero steer is as relaxed or as hardcore as you want it to be. It's responsive steering and willing power train inspired confidence and never intimidate. Jack and Speedo needles spin in a brushed look hooded pod which still moves with the wheel and solar array gauges reside in a signature triple cluster atop the center dash angled towards the driver. This is stacked above a touchscreen navigation screen the Bose CD stereo with XM and rotary knobs for the climate control powered by the same 3.7 leader B6 as the COO and tipping the scales at just 200 pounds more than the roaster has the legs to back up at seductive bodies come on.

Engine output is three hundred thirty two oars power and two hundred seventy six pound feet of torque coupled in our case to a seven speed automatic gearbox with adaptive shift controls and manual paddles. Zero to 60 runs a five point four seconds are plenty quick and a quarter mile run of thirteen point six seconds at 103 mph nearly matches that of the Coupe automatic shifts are criss with no slip and the car pulls feels and sounds like a high revving V8. Busy roadster gives no quarter in the cone course either with superb balance lightning quick reflexes and perfectly weighted steering busy driver need not fear any boxer or C4 Bieber encounter. Our only track complaint with Huizi had to do with braking 60 to zero stopping distance was fine with an average of one hundred twenty one feet but pedal effort was sloppy and braking effort felt weak towards the end of each run. We suspect an adjustment problem rather than an engineering flown.

Especially since our testers support package includes a brake upgrade to a larger diameter rotors and multi piston aluminum caliper. The sport package also adds 19 inch tires on lightweight Fords aluminum wheels. Government fuel economy ratings remain constant at 18 city 25 highway on premium gas for both the manual and automatic gearboxes the paddle shifter automatic earns a better energy impact score than the manual equipped car though at sixteen point three barrels of petroleum used annually. Ditto for the carbon footprint. Hello and guilt free open air motoring with just eight point seven tons of CO2 emitted each year. Prices for the 2010 Nissan 370 roadster started thirty seven thousand six hundred ninety dollars. Our touring model automatic starts at forty two thousand two hundred forty dollars. And with sport package and navigation it's an as tested bottom line of forty six thousand eight hundred ninety dollars. No other two seater drop top offers more style or genuine performance car credentials for less.

The 370 0 Str doesn't broadcasted sporty intentions to the world but one drive leaves no doubt of its supremo abilities. It's a stylish adult oriented open air cruiser with no compromises and few equals. I hope you'll join us here next week for more voter Wayne Mitsubishi's latest Lancer the five door sport. But it's a thrill ride in those exotic competent Sione. I'm John King. Well. To learn more about Motor Week TV's original automotive magazine visit PBS or. To order a DVD of this program call 1 800 873 6 1 5 4. Motor Week has been brought to you by cars dot com. Let's say you're looking for a car can help research

even contacted us because. This program was produced by American Public Television which is solely responsible for its content.