Luxury Cars

After many months of speculation and anticipation, the reincarnated Chevy Camaro makes its debut for 2010.

“Compromised visibility, a few ergonomic gaffes, marginal interior materials quality.”

It is not only lives up to the hype but also redefines what a muscle car can be. The traditional stereotype goes something like this — the affordable base model looks fast but goes slow due to a lumpy V6, while the V8-powered model will do apocalyptic burnouts in the high school parking lot but can’t corner to save its (or your) life. The latest Dodge Challenger comes uncomfortably close to this archetype, and the Ford Mustang is at least guilty on the V6 front. But this new Camaro, well, it’s an altogether different beast.

It is an excellent performance-car value whether it’s equipped with the base direct-injected V6 or the optional V8. The V6-powered base Camaro can sprint to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds, thanks to 300 horsepower, yet it costs the same as competitors like the considerably slower Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T. Heck, even the V6′s fuel economy is impressive compared to its competition. The V8-powered Camaro SS with the manual transmission dispenses with 60 mph in a blistering 5.0 seconds — 426 hp will do that for you — yet it’s considerably cheaper than cars like the BMW 135i and Challenger SRT8 and outperforms the slightly more affordable Mustang GT. The Camaro handles smartly, too, with even the base car surpassing the rarefied 68 mph mark on our slalom course.

“Extraordinary acceleration with either engine, capable handling, excellent value, head-turning looks, unique interior design, good fuel economy.” Read more…

The 2009 Toyota Venza is an exception to the crossover vehicle rules. The name combines “venture” and “Monza,” an Italian racetrack.

Venza can be considered as the big, bloated Highlander seven-seater and the sportier five-seat RAV4. It’s like the combination of all Toyotas; part Camry, part Highlander, partly its own creation. Venza looks tightly integrated and pretty interesting from some angles, particularly the side view. It’s a boxy crossover, yes—but the multibar grille and fast silhouette make it far more attractive than the plainer Ford Edge and less controversial than the Nissan Murano. The Venza’s interior takes a middle path as well, with an unconventionally shaped center stack of controls dividing driver and front passenger. Big, clear gauges and optional mahogany-grained trim dress it up better than its competition.

The Toyota parts bin also donates most of the Venza’s running gear. Engines include a 182-horsepower 2.7-liter four-cylinder, teamed to a six-speed automatic and an optional all-wheel-drive system that splits power between front and rear wheels. This base Venza strains a bit to provide uphill and passing performance, but putters anonymously in most other conditions, though with a bit more engine noise than expected. The 268-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 is substantially smoother and more powerful, but comes with its own slight penalty: Fuel economy in front-drive V-6 Venzas is 19/26 mpg, compared to the 21/29 mpg delivered by the four-cylinder version.

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