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Midsize Sedans 2.0

18220 messages,  Last post on May 24, 2013 at 7:58 AM

You are in the Sedans Forum.

What is this discussion about? Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Volkswagen Passat, Mazda MAZDA6, Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Malibu, Kia Optima, Car Comparisons, Sedan

Messages Page 1741 of 1823

#17393 of 18220 Re: 2013 Nissan Altima VS 2013 Ford Fusion, which one would you choose? [cski] by gregg_vw

Jan 27, 2013 (3:10 pm)

Replying to: cski (Jan 27, 2013 1:56 pm)
Yes, and CVTs are hardly a new(er) idea. A CVT was first installed in a car in 1896. A CVT was first used in a motorcycle in 1910. DAF (later Volvo) started using them almost exclusively in the late 1950s. In 1987, Ford, Subaru and Fiat began installing them in subcompacts (Fiesta, Justy and Uno). The objection most people have had with the transmission spooling up to peak power rpm while accelerating (with the resulting drone) has been largely muted. Today they provide good power delivery with the best mpg as compared to a stick or automatic or even dual clutch automatic.

#17394 of 18220 Re: Pic [akirby] by m6user

Jan 27, 2013 (3:24 pm)

Replying to: akirby (Jan 27, 2013 3:10 pm)
Hey, you're right. That IS a pic. Good one.

#17395 of 18220 Re: 2013 Nissan Altima VS 2013 Ford Fusion, which one would you choose? [gregg_vw] by m6user

Jan 27, 2013 (3:28 pm)

Replying to: gregg_vw (Jan 27, 2013 3:10 pm)
Am I missing something? It seems all I hear is how much better the CVT is for MPG but the cars that have them don't seem to have all that much better MPG than cars with traditional torque converter trannies. Like the new Mazda6. About the same HP as the Altima and about the same MPG. But the Altima has the CVT. Shouldn't that mean a substantially better MPG than the Mazda? Or is there so many other things that the Mazda is doing better that outweighs or matches the CVT benefit?

#17396 of 18220 Re: Motorweek comparison test [m6user] by stickguy

Jan 27, 2013 (3:30 pm)

Replying to: m6user (Jan 27, 2013 2:59 pm)
most likely true on the mazda. And they depended on the makers sending over cars that fit the bill, so possibly VW did not have one, or didn't bother to send it? I know the Malibu was not included because it exceeded the price limit.
 
And they did comment that the CVT was the best yet, and that you pretty much would not know it had one, if you did not already know!

#17397 of 18220 Re: 2013 Nissan Altima VS 2013 Ford Fusion, which one would you choose? [m6user] by stickguy

Jan 27, 2013 (3:32 pm)

Replying to: m6user (Jan 27, 2013 3:28 pm)
The mazda has a bunch of other tricks to up MPG. But the Altima and Accord get very good MPG while also having more HP.
 
a better test is the same car. When Subaru moved to a CVT, with otherwise the same car and engine, MPG went up a whole bunch.

#17398 of 18220 Re: Motorweek comparison test [backy] by benjaminh

Jan 27, 2013 (3:53 pm)

Replying to: backy (Jan 27, 2013 2:31 pm)
backy wrote:
 
"Too bad they didn't include the new Mazda6, or the Passat."
 
I agree.
 
But the Passat has one significant weak point: its old-tech 5 cylinder engine.
 
Acceleration with Passat's standard engine 0-60 is the slowest in the whole class at about 8.8 seconds, and mpg is also lowest in the whole class at 31 mpg hwy. Those numbers would have been fine 5 years ago, but today that's poor performance compared to the competition. The base Accord with the auto gets to 60 in just 7.7 seconds, and the manual Accord makes it in 6.8 seconds. And the Accord CVT gets 36 mpg hwy.
 
The Sonata and Optima started off the latest rush to put quite advanced engines in even base models of midsize cars. The Sonata and Optima have direct injected 2.4 engines that are powerful and economical.
 
I think that may have forced Honda to put its new directed injected engine in even the base LX model Accord. Honda used to save its higher-end VTEC engines for the EX and up models, but now even the LX gets a top-end engine.

#17399 of 18220 Re: Pic [akirby] by benjaminh

Jan 27, 2013 (3:53 pm)

Replying to: akirby (Jan 27, 2013 3:10 pm)
Nice looking car! Love the color.+++

#17400 of 18220 Re: Motorweek comparison test [benjaminh] by backy

Jan 27, 2013 (5:01 pm)

Replying to: benjaminh (Jan 27, 2013 3:53 pm)
The limit on the test was $28k. They could have tested the Passat SE TDI for under that limit. Would have made for an interesting comparo... a diesel vs. all the gas-powered cars.
 
Also the Passat beat out all comers in MT's latest comparo, and even C/D ranked it ahead of the Camry and Optima. So its absence is pretty glaring, IMO.

#17401 of 18220 Re: Pic [benjaminh] by backy

Jan 27, 2013 (5:03 pm)

Replying to: benjaminh (Jan 27, 2013 3:53 pm)
It's a great color--very close to the Ruby Red on my wife's new Sonata, but the Fusion might be a tick lighter. Love the wheels also--a fairly clean design in this era of fussy alloys.

Messages Page 1741 of 1823

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