Motorweek; 2323

This time on motorways our 2014 writers Choice Award from X to crossover. We picked up Best of the year. TV's original automotive magazine buy what are you looking for. Your host for the week. John Davis. Well hello and welcome to our 2004 Motor Week drivers Choice Awards special our picks for the best new cars and trucks of the year. You know that's not an easy task when you consider that every 12 months we test nearly 150 new models. Nevertheless once a year we lock ourselves in a room to discuss and argue our way through all that's new and the results are Motor Week drivers

Choice Awards. So let's start the 2004 honors with our choices for best cars and minivan. This is from our 2004 Motor Week drivers choice winners. Start with our best small cars. The all new Mazda 3 is like its big brother the Mazda 6. This new compact offers full styling a sporty interior potent engine choices and tight handling and a choice of sedan or hatchback body style by every measure we think the Mazda 3 is a cut above the average compact car. Next up our 2004 pick for best family sedan the Chevrolet Malibu the new Malibu is the first product of a revitalized Chevrolet car line. And while the look is Bogota American the Malibu is a true global car. The chassis being shared with the Saab 9 3. The high quality interior

design is original but very user friendly especially in the ultra versatile Malibu Max hatchback with its sliding rear seat and roof skylines. The Chevrolet Malibu is a fine family car. If your family is a little larger You may prefer our best minivan for 2004. The Toyota Sienna this latest and largest Toyota minivan combines the best of its competitors with unique features of its own. It's the only minivan with a split fold into the floor third seat for maximum people cargo plex ability. Plus run flat tires and side curtain airbags are available for the truly safety conscious and in a healthy 230 horsepower V-6 engine. And the Toyota Sienna is one smart minivan looking for an upscale four door. We recommend our best luxury sedan for 2004. The Mercedes Benz E-Class a two time winner Mercedes middleweight luxury sedan has available all wheel

drive as well as a station wagon version for 2004. That's on top of timeless but modern styling. The elegant but understated interior and a full complement of active and passive safety feature. The Mercedes Benz E-Class is the car that all other luxury cars strive to be. Want luxury. And performance. Then check out our 2004 best sports sedan the Acura T.L.. No other car combines sports sedan driving fun front wheel drive security and a no wants luxury interior like the new TLC add in more power and features than last year's high performance type. Yes but still with a price that won't break the bank and the new tail is almost too good to be true. Want even more kick in your driving. Then take a spin in our best performance car for 2004. The Subaru Impreza w r x s t r the w r xt. SDI brings world class. Only car performance and spirit.

Two American roads for less money that you would pay for the average sport utility vehicle. What's that. You'd rather have the wind in your hair. Than our 2004 best convertible choice. The Audi A4 one point 80 cabriolet is the car for you. It offers useful style uncompromised European road manners. High tech rollover protection and one of the most weather type convertible tops on the market. The A4 1.80 is everything that you buy a convertible for and a hard rack top to resist. If you're more concerned about the environment than your hair. Our best eco friendly car for 2004. The Toyota Prius is pretty hard to resist as well. This second generation of Toyota is gas. Believe the electric hybrid sedan its bigger roomier more powerful and or efficient. It sets a high standard for ease of operation build quality performance and affordability. That all future hybrid vehicles will have to meet. The Prius is a milestone effort from Toyota that will go a long way in making

hybrids commonplace. Now let's move from the practical to the outrageous and our best dream machine winners for 2004. These are the cars that we buy if we hit the Powerball lottery in a big way. First up is the Bentley Continental GTC the first new Bentley product since being purchased by folks wagon. The Continental GTC is a masterful combination of traditional British style and Euro modern performance. Our second dream machine is all American. It's the Ford g t. This 21st century interpretation of the 1960s 40 is no stripped down race car. It has a street legal 500 horsepower super charged V-8 a fully equipped cabin and meets all current U.S. safety standards but looks like the vast right wing race cars that put America and the world under circle. But if you favor German muscle then our final dream machine. Or should we say Dream Machines.

Is the choice for you. This award goes to the entire Mercedes Benz AMG wind up. From sport to sport utilities every Mercedes AMG offers exceptional performance without neglecting the luxury and safety that are hallmarks of the Mercedes-Benz brand. And that's the first chapter of this year's 2004 boder week drivers choice award. Stay with us for truck issues these and our best of the year coming up. It's been a long time coming. Now let's pause in our award festivities for a stop by Goss's garage for car care advice that really makes a difference. John just about everyone has some sort of seasonal vehicle that sits for long periods of time. You know boats sit all winter with snowmobiles sit all summer. Well anyway all of these vehicles have batteries in them. And before you put them in storage have the battery tested using a

commercial battery tester it's got to be good before you can do anything to save it. Right now batteries will self discharge that's a normal thing. So you have to prevent as much of that as is possible. One way to do it is with something like this this is a battery quick disconnect. This particular one comes from Mid America Corvette designs and you turn the knob on it turn it counter clockwise it disconnects the battery from the electrical system. Turn it clockwise and it reconnects it. If you have a late model automobile you can get this adapter that will keep the computer's memory alive. Works very well and they're designed to fit different styles of batteries. You also have units like this. Turn the knob and it connects and disconnects the battery but as you can see this is a little on the large side and you have to cut into the battery cables. OK but above and beyond it you still have to keep the battery fully charged.

And here's where people make a huge mistake. They kill their batteries through overcharging by using a battery charger. No matter how small the battery charger it can destroy the battery through over charging. So what do you do. Well you use a battery maintainer or a battery manager. This unit this is a big one from Grio those garage works very well. I like it a lot but the one that really is slick is the battery manager junior from Grio. This one plugs into the wall outlet right here. This is not under the hood of the car. Now you can use regular alligator clips with this because it has a connector on it but the real slick part of it is this wire harness which can be permanently attached to the battery under the hood and then extend the

connector out into a convenient spot whenever you need to hook up the battery manager. All you do is plug it together. You don't even have to open the hood. Really slick if you have a question or comment write to me the address is Motor Week always Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. Motor wakes Craig saying Haas is one certifiable car nut. But what really lights his fire are vintage cars. So when he heard that America's most respected Antique Auto Club was opening a new museum he hit the high road faster than you can say Concorde elegance and indeed it was one sweet trip in the 20th century. The automobile changed America as no other invention ever had its arrival was perfectly timed for a transportation revolution in a nation that was switching from an agrarian urban lifestyle. The automobile

changed how it worked played Love lived and died. America was forever a nation on the move. In recognition of the unique ties between the automobile and American culture the antique Automobile Club of America and established a new museum in Hershey Pennsylvania. Recently we spoke with ACA museum executive director Patrick folds about this unique automotive experience. Pat this is beautifully done. Thank you very much it's a really interesting concept for an automobile museum in the fact that we're not talking necessarily only about the automobiles as technological objects. We're trying to show how they fit into the American culture over about a 70 year period what many scenarios do you have how many diorama do you have. Well it was one of these full size directors we have seven of them representing seven decades in automotive history. We do it a little bit of cheating by starting before the beginning of the 20th century and then we ended up officially I think in 1070 it was 25 years because that's the Automobile

Club of America. Vehicle must be 25 Exactly which is why there aren't any 84 Corvettes in the collection. OK I understand that. And it is a very effective way of presenting the vehicles the diorama Zork stream Lee Well done. They were designed and executed by some of the most talented artists in the business and it shows the illusion is that the museum visitor stepped back in time to see these cars and trucks in their natural environment. Interestingly the diorama is representing the first three decades of American motoring illicit hushed tones of reverence from museum visitors. Well at this point the museum experience changes here for the first three decades we're dealing with brass cars that are almost 100 years old. People look at them as museum outlets when they get to the 40s. Suddenly these are not Museum pairs these are the cars that Grandpa learned to drive and these are your. This is grandpa's old Oldsmobile if it's Uncle merry Chevrolet Absolutely. And what people really begin to talk about is their own experience in the automobile and that sort of powers the museum visit as we go forward. The attention to detail in this diary is

just amazing what we've hit. We're very fortunate to have some really good volunteers here and the volunteer the supervisors actually work for Atlantic Richfield that we have here is about as close to an operating plan of service stations you can have without having gasoline. For me Museum is like a time machine where the exhibits brought forth a flood of family memories all tied to our common automotive experience. Another point of interest is the museum with in the museum the Museum of bus transportation pays homage to those folks who provide the means of travel and tourism for millions with the scope and size of the bus displaced. It is impressive indeed. The founding in the establishment museum is really an outgrowth of the. Will be a club of America's preservation ethic that was really become years ago with this library museum has an interesting mission in the fact not only who are we dealing with the history of the automobile. We're also dealing with its role in the culture and also celebrating the collecting

happy which may explain why a large percentage of the museum vehicles have been donated by collectors. We think of these casts as the crown jewels of the family the family jewels there. They have a value. They can be converted into money but they have much more value as a sentiment or as a part of the family tradition Lauren love. Cars are given here because the men and women that work so hard to restore them don't want to see them sold or leave the country or lost track of and putting them in museums really have a way of sharing that experience and that love of that antique automobile with the public for generations to come. You've seen our 2004 motorway driver's choice award winners for best cars and minivan. So now let's check out the winners for the other half of the market. Trucks an SUV. While the sedan is still the figurehead of the family car household The truth

is that sport utility vehicles have replaced sedans as the preferred movers of people and all their stuff. And for our 2004 pick for the smallest of that breed our best small sport utility vehicle is the Honda Element. A repeat winner. The element remains the most versatile box on wheels we've ever seen with an interior almost as large as its exteriors clamshell side doors for easy loading seats they can be easily folded or removed and an available rear sunroof or tall items. The Honda Element is in a class by itself for a small vehicle. Versatility stepped up in size and you find our best midsize sport utility vehicle for 2004. The folks wagon to read books wagons first modern attempt at a sport ute as a resoundingly success offering both real off road capability and high end luxury appointments of premium pavement go where they can also jump stumps and tow heavy loads is quite an achievement and shows

how far this people's car company has come and recent here. Want to go bigger than check out our 2004 best family's sport utility vehicle the Dodge Durango. This second generation Durango is larger than most midsize sport utes yet smaller than full size. This but tweener approach produces a utility with more interior space than its rivals. But without the full sized girth the defined small parking spaces the big interior features a three piece folding second row seat and improved fold into the floor third row seating power train choices include the first Hemi V-8 in an SUV and two all will drive systems one with low range. All this lets the Dodge Durango fit the lifestyles of both city fied and outdoor loving families. If you're a hard working family you might opt for our best pickup truck for 2004. The Ford F-150 the F-150 is the world's best selling truck and for good reasons. Add in this all new versions increased power greater towing capacity

improved features and the most refined pickup cabin available and it's sure to keep its crown. Other improvements include deeper cargo boxes and a tail gate assist the cut operating effort in half and power windows all around for Super Cam models. All F-150 is out for door standard. Even the regular cab another industry first. And that's our truck an SUV winners for the 2004 motorway driver's choice awards. But we're not done. Sit tight while we go back into a huddle and pick one vehicle as our best of the year we are a true car enthusiast at Motor Week. We just love cars. And while most of you share our passions you know some of you just want a good solid car for everyday use a car like our long term 2003 Honda Accord EX B6 sedan. Now I don't want to call the accord an appliance. Yes it is that reliable. But this car also speaks to those of us that want a

lot more from driving than just getting from here to there. The sixth generation accord can be a lot of fun. The basics in our ESX pumps out 240 horsepower willingly Hondas racing experience has yielded an all wishbone suspension that handles as well as rock aided by 17 inch 50 series tires that stick well in corners yet are still all weather capable even less room. Torture not to be ignored as their base 160 horsepower four cylinder sets new class standards for power and responds. But the Accord certainly is as reliable as an appliance. Eleven months and twenty five thousand miles. And it just keeps clicking along. Recent problems are minor. The windshield washer stopped working and some of the interior trim looks old before its time. Mileage of twenty six point one miles per gallon is also very strong for any basic sedan. So maybe not an appliance or a pure enthusiasm car but more like a trusted friend. That's the Honda

Accord and the kind of car everyone can live with. It's going to be interesting to see what it's like to live with this Toyota Prius. This is our first hybrid long term test vehicle. By the time the Prius departs we'll know if this promising technology is really ready for the family go wrong. We'll be ready to report on our Mitsubishi endeavor. This must be a six and on that just to ride the sun Pathfinder Armada on our next motor week long term road test update. Time now for Jessica trucks and all the latest Motor News. Every once in a while a car company comes out with a pretty clever way to stir up foot traffic in dealerships and then out their inventory. But we think GM promotion takes the cake. They're just giving cars away. That's right. GM has new hot button game invites consumers to drop by any participating GM dealership or press the blue OnStar button in a designated GM vehicle and listen for the On-Star operator to tell them if they're a winner.

The contest began January 4th and ends February 29th. During this 56 day promotion GM will give away 1000 vehicles and expects 5.5 million people to participate. I'm all the odds of actually winning a car only one in fifty five hundred. You can bet the real winner here is GM it seems during a time when sales traditionally tend to drop off after the holidays. GM has figured out just what buttons to push elsewhere in the US. Motive industry double or Chrysler has issued a voluntary recall to nearly 33000 customers according to Reuters. The company wants to examine the seat belts on Mercedes Benz C Class C L K class and E class vehicles built between August and October of 2003. Concern that some of the belts may not fasten correctly. The company decided to rule on the side of caution. This decision will cost the company an estimated 9 million dollars but cannot compare to the value of their customer safety and satisfaction. So far Tom like Chrysler has not received any complaints from consumers and that's it for this week's Motor News. If you ask any die hard the very car fan what's the optimum performance.

BMW most would pick one of the M series and this week's hot shots show some potentially new additions to the chain around lineup. First up for 2005 the Z4 m roadster easily distinguished from the standard model. It features a big front skirt with large air intakes and twin dual exhaust pipes. Word has it that the new RAM roadster will get either a 350 horsepower V-8 engine or the 343 horsepower inline 6 from the current m3. Next we bring you motor week's all time favorite sports sedan and quite possibly the fastest BMW M5 ever thanks to a Formula 1 inspired be 10 engine this placing up to five point five leaders. The new fee 10 is expected to deliver over 510 works power and rocket the M5 to 60 in less than 4.5 seconds. The new M5 will also get the usual and serious suspension upgrades and more aggressive body work that includes quad exhaust outlets. No word yet whether an M5 touring wagon will also hit the mark in 2005 but will keep you updated.

Our motorway drivers Choice Awards recognise many vehicles but you know only one can be named best of the year and this year that award goes to a machine that combines understated luxury. Impressive utility and outstanding on and off road abilities with efficient German engineering. So we're pleased to announce that the Volkswagen toerag is motor Wake's 2004 driver's choice. Best of the year with. Elevating the Volkswagen to a rag from best midsize sport utility vehicle to our overall best of the year for 2004 was actually not a very hard decision for us to make. Emerging from a joint development project between Volkswagen and Porsche the tour Reg was designed from the very beginning to combine uncompromising luxury and off road abilities and it combines him very well indeed impressing our

staff from the first moment we drove it under the classy but distinctively trim Volkswagen skin. It's a top university chassis also used on the Porsche Carrera topping up a real truck towing of up to seventy seven hundred pounds but also very refined. The fully independent suspension a sophisticated double wishbone front poorly career design is attached to an acoustically insulated sub frame to minimize road noise. It provides the tour Reg with the smoothing controlled ride of a European touring car. But it also offers up to eleven point eight inches of ground clearance with the optional air suspension package to clear major off road obstacles will be the further boost off road traction the train wreck comes with boats wagons for x motion all wheel drive system which features a locking differential low range gearing an adaptive torque distribution stump jumping power comes from either a 220 horsepower three point two liter V-6 or a 310

orthe power four point two liter V8 both are controlled by a 6 speed tiptronic automatic transmission with sport and manual shift modes. But just because it can tackle the tough stuff doesn't mean it can't pamper you. The tour features one of the finest cockpit designs in the industry. Clean European style language just the right amount of wood leather and aluminum plus Teutonic efficiency and room for a family of five. Give it the comfort of a five star hotel room. You can even order satellite navigation Plus there's up to 71 cubic feet of cargo space and with base prices ranging from thirty five to forty six thousand dollars. The tour fits into a wide range of budget. But what impressed us most about the tour rag is its total package that Volkswagen can score an SUV Bull's-Eye their first time out. Sometimes it pays to start with a clean sheet of paper. Volkswagen is simply terrific and it's the motor week 2004 drivers Choice Awards Best of the year.

I hope our drivers choice special helps you pick your award winner and I hope you'll join us here next week for more motor We will check out new models from Audi and Chrysler will also compare 4 of the latest value packs a compact sedan and Cadillacs 200 CBS Sports Sedan. When I cross the explorers America is on the move. I'm John Davis. Well see you then. To learn more about Motor Week TV's original automotive magazine visit PBS online at PBS dot org and order a video cassette of this program called 1 800 873 6 1 5 4. Motor Week has been brought to you by. What are you looking for today Motors.

This program was produced by American Public Television which is soley responsible for its content. Yes.