Kilmer road test

Limited-run – More Than Just an Appearance Package It is getting more difficult to find a midsize sedan with a V6, as most have gone to four-cylinder turbocharged power plants. For those of you who remember fondly when the non-aspirated six-cylinder ruled the world of small-car performance, then you will be pleased to know the 2018 Volkswagen Passat GT is carrying on the tradition. Plus, with a base price under $30,000, it is a real option when considering a five-passenger sedan. No Turbo Required It’s not a sports sedan, but it’s close Clean Fleet Report’s 2018 Passat GT came with the 3.6-liter VR6 engine, putting out 280 horsepower and 258 pounds-feet of torque. Power to the front wheels is through a six-speed DSG automatic transmission, with Tiptronic paddle shifters. Running on 91 octane, the Passat 3.6L earned an EPA fuel economy rating of 19 city/28 highway/22 combined. In 287 miles of driving throughout Southern California, we averaged 25.7 mpg with a … [Read more...] about Road Test: 2018 Volkswagen Passat GT VR6

Kia’s Compact Crossover: A Lot to Like Clean Fleet Report spent a week in the 2018 Kia Sportage SX AWD and came away impressed with its exterior design, interior comfort and convenience. What we were not so impressed with was the EPA fuel economy rating. But if you read reviews on Clean Fleet Report, you already know that the EPA rating is only a challenge for us to see what numbers we can get. We took the challenge and the Sportage came out just fine. Drivetrain The 2018 Kia Sportage SX AWD is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 237 horsepower (hp) and 260 pounds-feet (lb.-ft.) of torque. The six-speed automatic transmission has a Sportmatic feature where you can manually go up through the gears (+) or down (-) using the console-mounted shift lever. Otherwise, leave it in drive and the engine, running on regular 87 octane unleaded, is smooth and the transmission seamless, both in town and freeway driving. The base Sportage engine is a 2.0L … [Read more...] about Road Test: 2018 Kia Sportage SX AWD

Value Oriented – Feature Rich Now in its sixth generation, the 2018 Hyundai Elantra continues the Hyundai philosophy that offering sedans is an important part of the company’s future. Built in Montgomery, Alabama, the 2018 Hyundai Elantra Limited offers a stylish design, impressive fuel economy and, of course, Hyundai’s class-leading warranty. But it only gets better from there. Sedans march on proudly at Hyundai Hyundai’s gasoline-powered sedans are the Accent, Elantra, Sonata and Ioniq with the latter two coming in PHEV and hybrid versions. The Ioniq adds a pure EV. Then, for fun, Hyundai has one coupe, the Veloster. So at a time when other manufacturers are abandoning the sedan segment in favor of crossovers and SUVs, Hyundai is making a statement that you are short-changing yourself by not considering owning a sedan. No Turbo Required Clean Fleet Report put the 2018 Hyundai Elantra Limited through its paces over a week’s period in Southern California. … [Read more...] about Road Test: 2018 Hyundai Elantra Limited

Styling, Fuel Economy, Zoom-Zoom Driving The compact crossover SUV segment is overflowing with some of the best-selling vehicles in the country. There’s one that offers an exceptional combination of styling, fuel economy and sports-car-like driving dynamics. It’s the 2018 Mazda CX-5, and if you’re shopping this segment, it’s an SUV you’ll definitely want to test-drive. Come for the style, stay for the zoom-zoom Three models are offered: Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring, each of which is available with all-wheel drive for $1,300 extra. Every trim level has a single option package that adds a few more features. The base Sport starts at $25,125, including destination. The more recommendable Touring model, with its additional safety features and amenities, still offers a lot to like for $27,190. Top-line Grand Touring models begin at $30,620. The four-cylinder engine is neither the most powerful nor most efficient in its class, but it puts up respectable … [Read more...] about Road Test: 2018 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD

Volkswagen’s Not-So-Small Compact Crossover The compact crossover has taken the automotive market by storm. Manufacturers have realized if they don’t have one in their line-up, they will be left behind. They also know that offering a compact crossover that stands out from the crowd is vital. So what Volkswagen has done with the 2018 Tiguan is to make it bigger than the other compact crossovers, so it almost slots in as a small midsize SUV. Confusing? It can be, but certainly its size is only one of the reasons to consider buying a Tiguan. Clean Fleet Report drove the 2018 Tiguan 2.0T SEL Premium 4Motion and came away appreciating what Volkswagen has done that should impress consumers. Turbo Power + AWD Tiguan 2.0T SEL Premium 4Motion is powered by a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to the 4Motion permanent all-wheel-drive system. The 4Motion system is engineered to eliminate wheel spin under almost all conditions and to automatically decouple the rear … [Read more...] about Road Test: 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0T SEL Premium 4Motion