Motorweek; 1935

This time on a motorway Volvo's newest family hauler ponders Yes 2000 really a hole and a cutting edge car museum to come drive with us. TV's original automotive magazine brought to you by Priceline dot com with Priceline dot com you name your own price for new cards all makes and models of cars trucks sport utility vehicles minivans and more. When you log on to Priceline dot com you name your own price. And buy the duplicate truck bed coding kit the truck bed protection that you can apply yourself with the old brush or spray. It's the rust and impact resistant coating that fits any size bed truck bed coating kit and by pep boys no matter what you drive Pep Boys Over 27000 items in stock virtually any part for any car with all the name brands you know plus service pay staff with certified

technicians Pep Boys parts tires accessories service. Your host for Motor Week. John Davis. Well and welcome again to motor week. We're glad to have you with us. Family station wagons have long been Valvo strongest suit. Those solid no nonsense boxy lines in the strength and safety that they exude have reassured generations of general parents. But Volvo wagons move up market becoming more luxurious as well as sleek or are they losing that feeling of comforting salinity. Overall though says no. They claim that they're all new 2001 V 70 is the most desirable as well as safest family wagon ever. Is it. When a car company makes statements about how desirable or safe their products. Are if. Your reaction is one of skepticism. When that kind of statement comes from bold bold we've grown accustomed to taking their word for it.

So when Volvo says their new 2001 the 70s is the safest wagon they've ever turned out. We'll take that straight to the bank and there are several good reasons for that. When ballboy unveiled the S.A.T. sedan they proclaimed it the safest sedan they've ever built. The newbie 70 while not a wagon version of the S.A.T. does share its basic unit ties much with that rock solid structure as its foundation. Volvo then added their customary high street safety cage to the mix before wrapping it with new sheet metal. That's another area where one finds the S.A.T. influenced as the B-17 has adopted the S.A.T. sleek broad shouldered looks that runs the length of the car underneath its smooth new form Volvo safety Mike to pack to be 70 with some of the most technologically advanced safety features found in the automotive world. Front seat passengers now get dual stage air bags whose writing course of deployment are governed by the intensity of the impact of the current low speed fender benders will no longer result in receiving a high speed discharge airbag in the face. In

addition to the standard side impact airbags to the front seats also come with a with whiplash protection system both front. Where occupants are covered by the side impact inflatable curtain and for the little ones Volvo offers the world's first rear facing child safety seat with ISO six attachment points. ISO fix is the new international standard for child safety seats seats using ice affixed latches are less prone to being installed incorrectly Volvo's focus isn't only on pass it safely. Out of the 70 teams but I think with all those optional dynamic stability friction control. This active system utilizes a host of sensors. All built in here and the braking system to keep the car on its intended course. Standard on all the 70s our four wheel this brakes with ABS and electronic brake distribution. They did a commendable job of hauling us in from 60 and a stable and unavenged full 110 feet stable also describes the V seventies behavior through our low

speed slalom steering response and feedback are excellent and grip remains good even after initial turn ends give way to moderate understeer even our 60 mile per hour emergency lane change test did little to ruffle the newbie 70s bimbo. Is your. Testament also to the cars front and multi link rear suspension with the roll bars at both ends and the DST to propel you to 60 and higher than 70 offers a choice of two power plants came with a two point three liter dual overhead cam 20 high pressure turbo charged inline 5 cylinder. This aluminum motivator is good for two hundred forty seven horsepower and two hundred forty three pound feet of torque. A similar but milder 2.4 leader like pressure is good for one hundred ninety seven horsepower and 210 pounds torque is in the base car. Running these engines is ram air coated radiator that helps convert ground level ozone into oxygen as you draw.

Both can be hooked to a 5 speed automatic transmission but only the T5 will let you stir the gears with a five speed manual or a Volvo. Try to auto manual trans tester to 60 in a scant six point two seconds and on through the Quarter Mile End fourteen point eight seconds at ninety eight mph turbo lag is fairly prominent from a standing start but once it gets wound up hang on to your hack. At speed the turbo is more responsive than now in the seat. Plenty of punch for passing and effortless high speed cruising the 70s solid feel is readily apparent although rock quality is now somewhat softer than the previous global wagons we've tested. That power and solidity coupled with the seventies first rate interior accommodations are major reasons why the be 70 rate so high among our staff. Even those without kids most drivers front seat occupants are treated the plush leather buckets with eight way power adjustments and plenty of room and support the driver faces a

steering wheel that is adjustable for both. Ray can read and also mounted with stereo and cruise control. It fronts a somewhat stark dash where Woodring is now at a premium with a simple easily read gauge cluster. The broad center Stackhouse is an AM FM premium sound system for the optional Fortis in-dash CD changer a navigation system is available for x 80 style pictograph tools on climate controls with an auto setting for the artistically challenged. While link is down happen inch wheelbase is up three point six inches and width rose one point seven inches yet passenger space seems little changed. And in the back seat it seems a bit smaller. There's adequate room for two average sized adults but taller folks will find leg room a little cramped. Maximum cargo capacity grows 4.4 cubic feet to seventy one point cool thirty seven point four cubic feet is available with the 60 40 second seat upright and when small passengers are the priority you can only stay optional jumpseat hidden in the rear

floor and the price for this accommodating Sneed the basically 70 begins at thirty two thousand nine hundred seventy five dollars are hotter 35 starts at a still moderate thirty three thousand nine hundred seventy five dollars. But options quickly push it to unlock the forty two thousand seven hundred five. However that's still very competitive. The BMW smaller 528 Hi sports Lagan and Saab 9 5. Aero wagon. Clearly the 2001 Volvo the 75 is a powerful agile and safe wagon. It stops its predecessor and body strength as well as passive and active occupant protection it is also more luxurious and softer in style and comfort. And it proves to us that once again. As horrible the box never has to be born. Do antilock brakes always reduce your stopping distance in emergency situations. A new government study concludes that except on loose surfaces like sand and snow all panic stops can be shorter which will anti-lock brakes than without.

Shorter on wet pavement. And shorter on dry pavement. Remember ABS works best when you stop the brake pedal stay on the brake pedal and steer where you want to go. Coming up on most modern music you. Must check in now with motor week's top tech Pat Goss. If it has wheels on an engine he knows how to keep it running right. John there are more and more motorcycles on the highway than ever and that means there are more people that don't know how to properly maintain them. Well the first rule with a motorcycle is the same as it is with an automobile and that is to read the owner's manual from cover to cover and follow what it says. Now there are certain critical things about motorcycles. Number one is to check the tire pressure. You need to do that regularly remember you've only got two tires on a motorcycle to keep you up right. Tire pressure is critical. Also something that is frequently

overlooked is the air filter on a motorcycle and air filters are usually smaller than they are in cars and frequently they tend to get dirtier. So check the air filter regularly and replace it as necessary. Oil changes follow the owner's manual and change the filter at the same time and yes most motorcycles today do have filters. The big thing here is to be certain that you use the proper oil. That may mean that you have to go back to the motorcycle dealer to get what is recommended for your bike cooling systems a lot of them have them and you have to follow the manual for flushing and refilling and it has to be done periodically and again the proper product is critical. Now there are three basic types of drive systems on motorcycles. There are chains belts and shafts chains are most common and they need to be lubricated on a regular basis their tension has to be checked and adjusted according to the manual.

That's critical because chains will break if they're not properly taken care of belts. Not much you have to do with those other than adjust them from time to time. Same thing with shafts except with shafts there's no adjustment but there is a gear case back here that has a lubricant in it. The level of that lubricant has to be checked and the lubricant has to be changed every once in a while. Big mistake here that mistake is that you take your motorcycle battery to the local garage in the local garage takes one of these big commercial charges and hooks it up to your little battery and the battery explodes. Never let them do that. The only way you charge a motorcycle battery is with a charger that is designed specifically for charging small batteries that is critical if you want your battery to live. Now if you're going to do your own work you may want some type of a lift. These are inexpensive wheel lifts that go under the bike you flip them and they raise the wheels off of the ground. A rear

one and a front one or if you've got plenty of expendable cash well you might want one like this. This is a real dream here. If you have a question or a comment write to me. If I use your letter I'll send you motor week t shirt the address is Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1. Car of the week is a 1979 Volkswagen Super Beetle convertible. It belongs to James Tanny of Crestwood Illinois. As you can see by his garage James is a serious Beatle fan and has recently added a new Beetle to his fleet to complement the older convertible. But his pride and joy remains the 79. If you have a special car submitted least two good color photos and a description of the car to motorway Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. As much as we may love car museums even auto fanatics like us have to

admit that they can sometimes be dry dark stodgy affairs places with little to excite today's young active minds raised on a diet of MTV and the Internet. But that may be changing highroad reporter Kraig Singh Haas recently visited a museum that's anything but old fashioned and brings history and modern technology together in a way sure to entice a whole new generation of car fans. Finally Chrysler has become known as one of the most daring and forward looking oughta manufactures in the world today. But the root of much of that vision is housed right here. At the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Albany Hills Michigan. More than just that great collection of cars. It's an interactive environment designed to appeal to a wide audience. This museum was really founded by a group of people that were absolutely in love with the heritage of the time of Chrysler. But despite the fact that they were definitely car

guys they wanted to museum that had a human touch and provided more than just a shiny array of cars. So we've got a lot of historical context a lot of interactive and we've made sure that everything that we present here is presented on a level so that no matter what your sophistication regarding cars. There's something here for everyone. One of my favorite interactions in this museum is really one that we developed around the development across the airflow in 1934 and that features an engineering technique where instead of positioning the passengers over the rear axle they moved the passengers forward so that they were seated between the axles. The result was that there was a much better much less pitchy ride than existed before starting with the story of Walter P. Chrysler himself. The museum chronicles the story of diamond Chrysler a corp of incredibly diverse lineage names such as Hudson DeSoto and Nash are all found in time in the Chrysler history

not to mention the most recognizable American automotive design of all time. Barry this is fantastic. Well thanks. This is this is probably one of the more evocative displays that we've got. And we did this quite deliberately because this is the start of the worldwide Jeep legend. And so this is the first model of the jeep. And in the background we have a tank and Chrysler was engaged in the process of building tanks in World War 2 for anybody of a certain age that comes into this museum. This obviously brings a whole lot of pelts. Of course bells may ring in recognition just about everywhere you look. One of motor week's first road test was the humble K car a vehicle credited with nothing less than saving the Chrysler Corporation in the early 80s and providing the platform for one of Chrysler's other groundbreaking designs. The minivan. Probably the peak of American car mania came in the 1950s when the fall introduction of the new models was a major event for the family. And.

Like as not dad would go by look at the new models and maybe get to talking with a salesman and come home proudly driving a new car. People don't buy cars like that anymore but this diorama is about that sort of moment. It was a big event in those days. Absolutely. One of the things we were really aware of when we put this museum together was that automobiles are a richly style jik and for people of a certain age probably the high point of this museum especially for people who really love automobiles is boss crisis and we have a grouping of performance vehicles there from the 1060 as in early 70s. Me me that really are like a midlife crisis on four wheels. Now these are the cars that I remember. Four hundred twenty five horsepower dodges colors with wings that my Villa 7 0 7 390 stuffed in an AM x y this is muscle car heaven. So you think the idea of marketing a pickup truck for

personal use like a car is new. Well check out this 1957 dodge swept side pick up. It even has fins just like the cars of its day and that's the point of any good museum. They help us chart the future by alumina rating the past and the Walter B Chrysler Museum is a most illuminating spotlight on the history of Chrysler. Well it's the end of our year. Actually nearly 15 months with the auto world's What essential sports car. A Porsche 911. This first new 911 in 34 years and the first quarter goold 911 ever has been a delight. And we say that despite $70 oil changes and a diet of only the most premium fuel. After all if you're going to hold the 60 $6000 plus 911 we should not be surprised if it's more expensive to run that a VW Beetle. On the other hand our 1999 ocean Jade metallic 911 has

performed without flaw mechanically for sixteen thousand three hundred fifty six miles. Fuel Economy of seventeen point five is pretty impressive given you don't drive this car gingerly. The logbook contains volumes of notes about the 911 including numerous praises for its roomier ergonomics well styled interior. Still we find Porsche stereo controls small and confusing and the supportive seats need more lumbar support but flat seats didn't stop us from exercising its two hundred ninety six horsepower 3.4 leader flat six on every twisty road we can run this 9 11 is a very different car from its predecessor. Far more forgiving. And has much less tendency to step out of the rear. And when it does a lot of the plot old quickly brings it back into line. So we end our dream you're convinced that the new Porsche 911 will not only continue the heritage of the original but become a sports car legend and it's almost like something of a. You're getting legend almost overnight. There's the Ford Excursion. Subject of our next leader with long term

road test update. Time now to check out a future candidate for our long term test fleet is Jennifer novice with all the latest Motor News. When Mazda dropped its Navajo sport youd in 1905 it left the brand without a player in the booming and lucrative sport segment. But now they're about to make a big re-entry in a small way that entry is the 2001 Mazda Tribute and it's aimed squarely at the small end of the sport segment occupied by Honda CRV a toilet a raft for and other cute use. Available in three tram lines the tribute can be as Spartan or as deluxe as you like. But all models are packed with plenty of versatility. Like a choice of either a two liter 130 horsepower dual overhead cam four cylinder mated to a five speed manual transmission or a powerful 3 liter 200 horsepower dual overhead cam V-6 hooked to a smooth shifting four speed automatic That's 45 more horsepower than Suzuki's Gravatar V-6. And this engine is available in all trim lines. The tribute like its Ford Escape can can be had in either two wheel drive or four wheel

drive four by fours come with a new rotary blade coupling automatic all wheel drive system. Look for the tribute to his dealer showrooms this summer. In the meantime Motor Week will do a complete road test of the 2001 tribute in two weeks and that's it for this week's Motor News. Like so many members of the automotive press we were a bit about the Honda S 2000. Ever since we got a chance to drive it last year and we liked it so much that we named it best performance car in our annual drivers Choice Awards. But while we spent plenty of time behind the wheel we never got to give it a proper workout in the arena or performance cars are at their best. The race track. So now we have an S 2000 and a day a Georges challenging Roebling Road Race way. So let's get to work. If we were to hazard a guess we'd say that 95 percent of all sports cars sold in the US will never. Win a PAC. Marker on a real race track but many

of them like this new funding as 2000 will see action on twisty country roads are steep mountain grades and that's why we have motor week for. Racetrack. Yes. Only on a race track and we safely discover the limitations of a car's design and from that learn how a car will behave in demanding or unexpected street situation. Take George's Roebling road Raceway for instance this two mile tracks flat fixed radius turns along straight away are. Magical. Yes to thousands reach for the sky power occur with plenty of room for the two leader twin cam in line for to ramp to its 9000 RPM redline. The driver can experience the S 2000 as its engineers intended it to be driven rowing through the precise six speed gearbox you can feel the torque curve as it surges past its seventy five hundred RPM peak of 153 pound feet. Then the power bank climbs more progressively all the way to 83 hundred RPM and 240 horsepower. We also find Roebling to be a good test for a high

performance suspension and tires even as the ES 2000 picks up speed in the turns. This is pension remains compliant and responsive keeping the driver firmly in control. Here on this board syncing limited slip differential and compact and we'll double wishbone suspension eliminate those nasty mid-corner surprising. But what rumbling really demands of a car is brakes. Lap after lap diving into Turn 1 from speeds of 130 or more the Honda's abs and more will disc and never left us wanting and showed no signs of fade. We like Roebling road for its consistency as it lets us easily compare one car against another. But the fully exploited part potential to be George's other great road course. The 2.5 mile road Atlanta where we also tested the S 2000. Here major elevation changes October turns in heavy braking zones really work our car to its limit. VS 2000 post an ideal 50 50 front to rear weight distribution. But perhaps more importantly

nearly matches that number inside this side balance as well. By placing the spare tire battery and fuel tank in the mid section of the vehicle and locating the engine behind the front axle. Honda engineers have achieved what they call a reduced. Yawn mode. Have inertia. Or what you and I might simply call nimbleness. Snaking through Road Atlanta as s bands are cresting a hill into a blind entry turn. Yes 2000 always remains boys moving from side to side as easily as a downhill skier exit in the slower corners also revealed our one quibble. However a lack of low speed. Rock. Climbing towards the bridge in second gear we more than once wished for less top heavy toward her. You really have to rev this engine to get the most out of it and frankly it gets tiring after a while especially on the street. But when all is said and done we aren't all on the SD Tao's and smart sophisticated design. The digital estimate display cockpit style interior aluminum shifter and separate engine start buttons are clever nods to Hondas racing heritage

2000 Rev happy drive train speaks for itself. Establishing its own performance legacy. On its performance merits a load on the S 2000 stacks up well against the likes of the forger Boxer and BMW see three buckets in the hole so it's thirty two thousand four hundred fifty dollars base price. And the US 2000 becomes a screaming performance car bargain. Yes we know you'll be lucky to find one of 5000 examples at that price. Behind the hopes to up production by 10 percent for 2010. That certainly. Does bring like the checkered flag at all the way. The holiday testing. Now that is the racetrack friendly Main Street cruiser that is a totally. With us. I'll join us next week for more motorway well test the new infinity for luxury sport you and sample two shades of the colorful Bentley. I'm John Davis. Well see you then. To learn more about Motor Week television's original automotive magazine visit us online at

PBS dot org or America Online keyword PBS motor week has been brought to you by Priceline dot com with Priceline dot com you name your own price for new cars. All makes and models of cars trucks sport utility vehicles minivans and more. When you log on to Priceline dot com you name your own price and buy the duplicate truck bed coding kit the truck bed protection that you can apply yourself with rolled brush or spray. It's the rust and impact resistant coating that fits any size bed duplicable or truck bed coating kit. And by pep boys no matter what you drive Pep Boys Over 27000 items in stock virtually any part for any car with all the name brands you know plus a service based app with certified technicians Pep Boys parts tires accessories service to order a video cassette of this program call 1 800 4 2 2 0 0 6 4.