Anthony Fongaro

I do love the Taycan. Still disappointed about the range but I'm sure with time, it'll get much better. At $110,000 for the performance plus battery is a steal! (Porsche pricing, naming and performance. Makes sense)

A friend of mine has a 2016 Subaru Legacy 3.6R. It’s a very safe car, has a good interior, and a rather weak engine. Oh, it also has a CVT or continuously variable transmission. When I talked with him while he took me for a spin, he told me he doesn’t mind the CVT and it is smooth for his Lyft passengers. While being a passenger in his car, the CVT did act like a conventional transmission, although it did dip in the rev range lower than usual. Then he floored it. Drone. It stayed at 3,000 RPM for at least five minutes. It was extremely annoying, but not surprising. Let me explain how a CVT works, and how I think manufacturers need to stop using them.

Nerd moment approaching. You will learn many facts and you are welcome. As a surprise, a CVT is an automatic transmission. Manufacturers use this to improve fuel economy. What isn’t surprising is how they work. Instead of using traditional gears, a CVT uses a combination of pullies that are connected by a belt and “steps” . Steps are artificial gears which are preset and made so buyers feel like they’re getting a convenient transmission. Some CVTs, especially in hybrids, tend to not have steps to maximize fuel economy. They are more less compared to traditional transmissions, even 10-speed automatics, but manufacturers think they are worth it. Are they?

I do have to point out the positives, no matter how much I dislike this transmission. They can be smooth. Since there is no actual shifting, when a CVT wants to behave, acceleration can feel less jerky compared to a traditional transmission. CVTs have infinite ratios, so they can find the right…ratio…to assist not only with seamless power. They do help with fuel economy which is part of the reason why most Toyota hybrids have forgone the traditional automatic transmission in favor of the CVT. 

Positive points over, let’s shift to what I hate about the CVT. First, You won’t find a CVT in a powerful car over 300 HP. They just can’t handle all that power!  Like I said in the first paragraph, they can drone and be almost obnoxiously loud. I once drove a Honda Accord Hybrid in Colorado, and it decided to stick to 4,000 RPM at 60 mph. For 2 hours. Needless to say, the average sounding sound system was necessary to drown out the noise. My biggest issue with any CVT is that it robs the driver of spirited and fun driving. I have never driven a CVT, gotten out of the car, and said “Wow, this was really fun. I’m glad that this engine and transmission combination exist.”

Now, which companies are the biggest culprits? Japanese companies. Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, and Honda all use CVTs in mostly all their vehicles, and in all of their hybrids. A few other companies such as Audi will use a CVT in their cheaper models, but most of their cars use dual-clutch automatics or traditional automatics. A disappointment of a vehicle created with a CVT is the Infiniti QX50. It is a handsome looking vehicle with a unique turbocharged engine and…a CVT. Basically, it’s ruined because of the CVT. 

I understand why manufacturers use CVTs    due to how smooth it can be along with the increase in MPG , but they just seem to ruin the cars. I don’t understand why they can’t use dual-clutch automated manual or 8-10 speed automatics? These transmissions are getting better all the time. Manufacturers, stop with the CVTs! They are not necessary! Just use regular transmissions! They can return similar MPG, drive smooth, and won’t stick to 4,000 RPM for 2 hours while in Colorado.  I can safely say that I hate the CVT, and I think that I’m not the only one. 

Have you driven a vehicle with a CVT and either liked or disliked it? Did you decide not to buy a vehicle with a CVT or were you sold on the two benefits it has? Let us know in the comments below and follow us on social media.
 

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All I can say is bring on the AMG GLB45 and all the problems this engine may have due to how much PSI the turbo is putting out!

Not a fan of this, but it isn't the type of vehicle I'm interested in. The interior is ok, nothing special, but the exterior doesn't look good.

Imagine you’re me: someone who has used 0-60 MPH to judge how fast a car is. If a car is slower than 8.0 seconds, I wouldn’t poke it with a 10-foot pole. If it’s faster than 4.0 seconds, I cling to it to feel the rush and acceleration. That was until I was a short-lived car salesman and automotive blogger. As a car salesman, I found out that people didn’t understand or care that their vehicle did 0-60 MPH in 6.7 seconds. As a blogger, performance enthusiasts did care, but there are other statistics that mattered more. When I combine both, which happened at different parts of my life so there was no conflict of interest, I found out that 0-60 MPH has a few flaws.

Let’s start with the obvious question: “Anthony, why do we measure performance with 0-60 MPH? That sounds really random and weird.” The obvious answer: Americans aren’t exactly the most informed about the metric system. Non-obvious answer: In the metric system, the measurement for performance is 0-100 kilometers per hour or KPH. That translates roughly to 62 MPH, which is rounded down to 60 MPH. Due to this, all vehicles are judged on how quickly they can accelerate to this number. 

Part of me understands why we measure this. It’s ingrained in us that these numbers matter. As I said, I would rather take a car that would go from 0-60 in 4 seconds compared to 8 seconds. Especially with electric car manufacturers like Tesla, 0-60 times are plummeting. It is fun to drive something that you know is going to be fast because of these numbers. For enthusiasts, knowing a car’s basic stats like 0-60 MPH makes it simple to pick between different vehicles.  These measurements can also be skewed. Like trying to weigh yourself on different scales, 0-60 MPH times can vary. Sometimes they are even quicker than what the manufacturer says while other times they can be a full second slower. So, this all makes sense now, right?

No. No, it doesn’t. Problem number one: Who goes from 0-60 MPH as quickly as they can? I know I don’t.  Here are a few ways that, combined, make up this number. Most cars have a sport mode that can make the car faster by making the engine more vivacious. Combine this with something called launch-control which is used to “launch” the car as easily as possible—cars are measured and given their number.

These measurements aren’t accurate because not everyone will get the same results. Like trying to weigh yourself on different scales, 0-60 MPH times can vary. Sometimes they are even quicker than what the manufacturer says while other times they can be a full second slower. Can I try to go 0-60 MPH? Sure, but on public roads, it just doesn’t make sense. I live in the suburbs far enough from Chicago that the roads are usually under construction with many police officers who want to pull you over for going too fast. I also live by a highway that can get to 70 MPH after about 20 miles. Even on the highway, I can probably count a few times I went from 0-60 MPH, and it was a lot slower than what VW told me.

Problem number two: People don’t understand or care. When I was selling a German luxury brand, I would spout out all the facts and figures I knew about the vehicle. One of them would be the horsepower, along with the torque and 0-60 MPH figures. Most of them didn’t care unless we were talking about the performance versions of the car. Instead, they would rank how the car feels on the road, how the car does on the highway, technology, fuel economy, and looks. Yes, performance can factor into this but if you want a hybrid or a frugal vehicle, you either know it won’t be as fast as a BMW M3 or don’t really care since you’ll get almost triple the fuel economy.

Problem number three: Bragging rights. “My brand-new car can go 0-60 MPH in 3.5 seconds!” “Wow!” Then you get in and drive at 35 MPH. Like horsepower figures, 0-60 MPH is the benchmark for performance. Because of this, if you own a car with a lower 0-60 MPH time, you might be considered one of the cool kids. Once again, electric manufacturers like Tesla make some seriously quick cars, but that isn’t the entire story. Off the line, their cars will feel like a rocket but at certain speeds, like at 70 MPH, that figure doesn’t matter anymore. 

What should we do instead of measuring in just 0-60 MPH? I think we should start at different speeds. On the highway, sometimes you must go 20 or 30 to 60 or 70 MPH or faster on passing speeds. Also, we should judge cars based on more than just straight-line performance. A car can be extremely quick off the line, but if it doesn’t feel right when you drive it, the speed doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, stats are meaningless unless you drive what you’re interested in unless it’s some 2.6 seconds 0-60 MPH Ferrari. In this case, just fire up Forza or Gran Turismo. 

Thoughts and opinions? Think 0-60 MPH or 0-100 KPH times are the king of statistics? Let us know in the comments below and follow us on social media!

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Definitely forgot they made a hybrid. A little disappointing since Ford is getting rid of the Fusion and FCA doesn't have a competitor to the Malibu hybrid. 

I was waiting for the Arteon for years and went to the press unveiling. It's such a handsome car but doesn't feel special enough. I also think VW needs to make a more powerful version that can be a cheaper S5 Sportback. 

This is actually based off of me test-driving these three to replace my GTI in a few years. I have a front-runner but didn't want to say it. I do like all three in their different ways.

Germany. Known for impeccable engineering, German vehicles usually have cutting-edge technology and are status symbols. Sweden. The Swedish are known for safety, and even though the only brand from Sweden is Volvo, they want to have a sleek design while making vehicles easy to drive. South Korea. In my opinion, South Korea is doing a great job with their vehicles. Creating Genesis as a stand-alone brand was genius because they can have vehicles close to or competing with the Germans while costing thousands of dollars less.

What vehicles did I choose from these three countries? First, we have the Genesis G70. The particular G70 I am talking about is the G70 3.3T. It can compete directly with the Germans in terms of performance and safety features. Next, we have the Volvo S60 T6. It ties the Audi S5 Sportback in terms of exterior and interior looks and follows the tradition of being a Swedish car that focuses on safety which a hint of performance. The powertrain may be a little odd, but I’ll discuss engines and performance later. The black sheep here is a used Audi S5 Sportback? Why this car and not an S4? Simple, the S4 is too plain. The S5 Sportback is a good-looking car with performance similar to the Genesis, but a new one’s cost puts it in a different bracket.

There is a reason why I’m using these vehicles. Price and performance. First, price. Options I look for such as blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, digital displays, all-wheel-drive, and heated/ventilated seats push up the prices for these three from $50,000-$53,000. Although the G70 and Volvo can be bought for around $40,000, a few options bump their prices up. Let’s dive into what I recommend for each car.

Not a surprise, the Genesis G70 comes in at $50,000. You can get a Sport Package, but I would go with the Prestige Package because it has a heads-up display, surround-view monitoring that makes parking easy, and advanced safety features with a feature to not his pedestrians. That last feature is very helpful in a city like Chicago with Chicagoans crossing the street anywhere. 

Volvo’s S60 T6 has three trim levels, and I would go with the Inscription. You can pick an interior that isn’t just black as well as a Harman Kardon sound system. Two packages I recommend are the Luxury Package which gives you massaging seats, ventilated seats, and upgraded Nappa leather. The Advanced Package grants you the ability to use Pilot Assist, an almost semi-autonomous system which houses every safety system a car can have. 

A brand spanking new Audi S5 Sportback starts at $52,000 and it being German, the options are expensive and expansive. Although I would recommend the Premium Plus, if you want a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, and parking assist, you must go for the $59,000 Prestige. You can get a Black optic package that changes some of the exterior trim to black, hence the name. Ventilated seats cost $550 with the Warm weather package and a heated steering wheel is $750 in the Cold weather package. Final cost: $63,000, over $10,000 more than the Genesis and Volvo. 

Now for the nerd talk of performance and driving dynamics so if you really don’t care, just go to the last sentence in this paragraph. We have the most powerful car, the Genesis G70, with a turbocharged 3.3-liter V6. Stats: 365 HP and 376-pound feet of torque. 0-60: 4.5 seconds. Next, the Volvo T6. The T6 uses a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter inline 4. Stats: 316 HP and 295-pound feet of torque. 0-60: 5.9 seconds. Finally, the Audi S5 Sportback. Under the hood is a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6.  349 HP and 369-pound feet of torque. 0-60: 4.5 seconds. What does this mean? Two cars are fast, and one car isn’t. There we go.

All vehicles have a sports feature that can change the noise of the engine inside, change how the steering feels, and how much more the engine will rev. If you’re into engine and exhaust noise, the Genesis is king. It is also the most powerful and feels the sportiest when going around a bend or going onto an on-ramp or wolfram. The Volvo has the worst sounding engine and there is a lot of lag because of the unusual engine. Volvo only uses 2.0-liter engines and it really hurts in terms of performance and it is more about cruising than going on twisty curves. Audi’s S5 Sportback is like the G70 in terms of engine noise and performance. Both are quick with V6 engines. In the Audi, the engine sounds good, but the steering feels disconnected. It handles alright but doesn’t feel special.

Interior and infotainment systems are where the Genesis fall behind. The interior does feel luxurious, but the Volvo crushes it. A small infotainment system does it no justice. Volvo’s interior is gorgeous, but the infotainment system does something I hate: it controls almost everything. Why can’t there be regular controls for the climate control? Audi uses digital dials which are simply amazing and it has the best infotainment system. 
Now we get to what the title implies: Who should get which car?

Genesis G70 3.3T: This is the car you get if you are all about those stats and performance. The interior may be lacking a bit, but the standard features make up for that downfall. Its exterior styling is a bit bland so style gurus will want to look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a wonderful job and I think Genesis should be proud. 8/10

Volvo S60 T6: Simply put, this isn’t a sports sedan. Instead, it is a great long-distance cruiser with so many safety features it can almost drive itself. It has the best looking exterior and interior, but the infotainment system and droning engine let it down. Volvo is doing an amazing job creating beautiful looking vehicles, but I wish they didn’t only use 2.0-liter engines. 7/10

Audi S5 Sportback: New, it’s the most expensive but as a used car, you can get one for a little over $50,000 with around 30,000 miles. Why get this? Because it’s all about that badge, baby! It does have a great interior and the best infotainment system. It ties the Volvo for a beautiful exterior as well. If you can find one as a certified pre-owned vehicle or CPO, you can save about $10,000. 8/10

My personal favorite part: It’s performance facts time!
Genesis G70 3.3T: Turbocharged 3.3-liter V6. Stats: 365 HP and 376-pound feet of torque. 0-60: 4.5 seconds.
Volvo T6: Turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter incline 4. Stats: 316 HP and 295-pound feet of torque. 0-60: 5.9 seconds.
Audi S5 Sportback: Turbocharged 3.0-liter V6.  349 HP and 369-pound feet of torque. 0-60: 4.5 seconds. 
What is your opinion? Which car do you think would suit you, and do you own the Audi, Genesis, or Volvo? Leave a comment below.
 

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Actually, I’m really curious about this. I remember when Tesla’s could only go 125 MPH even with rapid acceleration. I would like to know what going 200 MPH+ would do to the battery?

On 9/6/2019 at 7:08 PM, dfelt said:

@Anthony Fongaro Did you actually take a Chevrolet BOLT for a test drive and if so, did you put it in Performance mode? Would like to know what you thought.

My wife and I both test drove one and if it was not for the Black and White dash, she would have said yes to buying one for her to drive and do her job. The performance mode is addictive as it really moves the BOLT along fast, faster than most people realize. You still end up with 200+ miles of range in Performance mode. Also, I am finding plenty of them on the market for around $24-25K with low miles being in the upper teens to low 30 K for miles. Most are the fully loaded Premier version too.

Over all I would say your spot on in regards to your feelings about it and why more people have not gone the EV route yet, they are still waiting for an EV that is more inline with traditional ICE auto's.

I did and it wasn't bad, but my problem with it is the entire package. I do love off-the-line acceleration of EVs but it didn't make me smile. Granted, I'm not saying it's a bad car, just that it isn't something I would buy/lease.

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Thank god my Mexican-made Golf GTI made it out before this. Even so, he isn’t aware or care that he is hurting automakers. #sad

I really hope the V60 is available with some sort of hybrid power.

This is a great idea. I've only been to the Detroit Auto Show once and getting there and back from Illinois was a nightmare. 

It makes the CUV sound a lot more distinguished and upscale. Very exciting times for Lincoln.

Overall, this looks fantastic.  Very interested on how the Polestar T8 will be considering for now you can only get it by Care by Volvo. 

9 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

What do y'all think of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk?  Cool ride or posermobile?

A go-anywhere JGC is always cool. I like the color combination as well.

The new Navigator looks to be much better than the Escalade. I'm not sure if I would even go for something like the GLS either.

Well, this brings up an interesting point: what makes a "luxury" vehicle? If you look at extremely exotic and luxurious vehicles such as the new Rolls Royce Phantom, you will see the use of cutting-edge technology combined with craftsmanship.  While I agree that gesture controls are a gimmick, the trend is going towards technology packages within luxury vehicles. That said...I totally agree that with all this new tech means it is a matter of time before something goes wrong.  

If they did bring this over here, I really don't think it would sell well. While the front end looks nice, I wish they could have changed the rear-end. In terms of luxury, it looks to be as "luxurious" as the CLA or GLA. 

Power wise it is disappointing. Pricing is very competitive but on paper, it just doesn't seem like it will be competitive against the Golf GTI and Focus ST. We shall see.

It would be nice if they gave it a twin-turbo V6, especially for their flagship.

So they want Tesla Sales Associates to sway customers away from the Model 3 and to the Model S? I wonder if that will work with such a big price difference.