Friday, December 20, 2013 Richmond Review · Page 29

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welcome to the driver’s seat.

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Safety Tip:If you’re travelling across our province to spend time with family this holiday season, be realistic about travel times and check out the road conditions via DriveBC.ca ahead of time so you can

prepare yourself and your vehicle for any challenging weather you may encounter.

OF THE WEEK!

?QUESTION

Go to drivewayBC.ca to submit your answer.

QuestionOF THE WEEK:

Santa is looking for a new ride.Which new vehicle would you like him to deliver to you?

Santa looking to swap outdated ride for super economy sleigh

Visit our photo galleries at DrivewayBC.ca

NORTH POLE - Driveway can exclu-sively reveal that Santa Claus has been visiting local dealerships kicking tires—ahem, rails—in his search for a new ride.Ever conscious of the increasing cost of gas and effect his multi-million-kilome-tre Christmas flight has on the environ-ment, Santa seems to have opted for 2014 Ford Transit Connect Wagon for his next sleigh.The wagon promises a fuel economy of 7.84 L/100 kms fuel economy,which means the sleigh will be kinder to the environment than his current means of transporting gifts to the world’s children.As an added benefit, the EcoBoost engine – which is finely tuned for high-speed performance – would offer speeds much faster than Santa ever travelled in his former 36-hoofpowered sleigh. The expected upgrade comes as a record number of children earn spots on the “nice” list, increasing the payload weight of his bag of gifts beyond the normal tow rating of his nine-reindeer team.Santa told me that changing his mode of transportation will not compromise his ability to remain true to his mission.“My goal is and always has been

giving presents to good girls and boys, and a new sleigh will make that process more effective,” he says. “Let’s face it, every year there are more children who earn pres-ents. Things are simply getting out of control, and my old sleigh just isn’t going to be able to hack it much longer. With the new sleigh, I will be able to travel faster and carry more toys.”Ford engineers devel-oped the Transit Connect Wagon sleigh concept weeks after hearing of Santa’s dilemma during cold weather testing in the North Pole.“This is a winning situation for all,” says Darren Goddard, chief engineer for Ford Transit Connect Wagon. “The increased efficiency means added time for Santa to enjoy milk and cookies at stops. His new ride will offer 100 cubic feet of cargo space and versatility to haul up to 2,000 pounds, which Santa will need.”Reindeer spokesperson Dasher says

the nine reindeer look forward to some time off. Every year, the flying animals travel 200,194,557 kms and they’d like some time to rest, he says, explaining there are still splinters embedded in his hoofs from a particular wooden roof in northern BC.“You really can’t beat this new sleigh,” says Goddard. “It offers outstanding fuel econ-omy without sacrificing power. It even offers an electric windshield defroster, making short work of icy windshields in wintry conditions. So,

if there’s a foggy Christmas Eve, we won’t need a red-nosed reindeer to guide Santa around the world.”Some extras appear to have swung Santa in the direction of the Transit Connect. SYNC with MyFord Touch offers a touch screen display with navigation so Santa can easily find all the good children, even in more remote areas.The child observation mirror would

allow him to keep a close eye on his gifts in the second and third row.From its 60/40 three-passenger sec-ond-row bench seat through fold-flat second- and third-row seating with third-row independent fore-and-aft sliding capability, the wagon quickly adapts to accommodate multiple com-binations of elves and presents.The MyKey programmable ignition key restricts maximum speed should a mis-chievous elf get behind the wheel while Claus is down a chimney leaving gifts.With eight cupholders, Claus and his elves would have plenty of space to take along a few glasses of milk as they continue through their busy night.Rain-sensing wipers would keep Claus on the move, as there’s always a chance he’ll encounter nasty weather.“As always, we are busy making toys and checking long lists,” says Santa. “That said, Merry Christmas to all!”Of course, Mrs. Claus will have the final say on this purchase because, as any dealership owner will tell you, women make the final decision in 80 per cent of new vehicle purchases. Keep your eyes peeled Tuesday night to see if Santa got his Christmas wish.

keith.morgan@drivewaybc.ca

‘‘My goal is and always has been giving presents to good girls and boys, and a new sleigh will make that process more effective.’’Santa

drivewayBC.ca | Welcome to the driver’s seat

Visit our photo galleries at DrivewayBC.ca

drivewayBC.ca | Welcome to the driver’s seat

REVIEW the richmond

Page 30 · Richmond Review Friday, December 20, 2013

PAPER TO INSERT DEALER TAG HERE

TMThe Hyundai names, logos, product names, feature names, images and slogans are trademarks owned by Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. Price of models shown: 2013 Elantra Limited/Accent 5 Door GLS 6-Speed Manual/Sonata Limited/Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Limited AWD are $24,849/$19,249/$30,649/$40,259. Prices include Delivery and Destination charges of $1,550/$1,550/$1,650/$1,760. Registration, insurance, PPSA, fees, levies, charges, license fees and all applicable taxes are excluded. Delivery and Destination charge includes freight, P.D.E., dealer admin fees and a full tank of gas. †Finance offers available O.A.C. from Hyundai Financial Services. Financing example: 2013 Elantra L 6-Speed Manual for $14,999 (includes $2,500 in price adjustments) at 0% per annum equals $145 bi-weekly for 48 months for a total obligation of $14,999. $0 down payment required (without 12 month payment deferral). Cash price is $14,999. Cost of Borrowing is $0. Example price includes Delivery and Destination of $1,550. Registration, insurance, PPSA, fees, levies, charges, license fees and all applicable taxes are excluded. Delivery and Destination charge includes freight, P.D.E., dealer admin fees and a full tank of gas. ΩPrice adjustments are calculated against the vehicle’s starting price. Price adjustments of up to $2,500/$2,500/$750/$750/$3,000 available on 2013 Elantra L 6-Speed Manual/Sonata SE Auto/Accent 5 Door L 6-Speed Manual/Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Limited AWD/ Genesis 5.0L GDI R-Spec. Price adjustments applied before taxes. Offer cannot be combined or used in conjunction with any other available offers. Offer is non-transferable and cannot be assigned. No vehicle trade-in required. 0 payments (payment deferral) for up to 12 months is available on all remaining new in-stock 2013 Hyundai models. Payment deferral offer applies only to purchase finance offers on approved credit. Payments for purchase finance offers are paid in arrears. If 12-month payment deferral is selected, the original term of the contract will be extended by 11 months for monthly finance contracts. Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. will pay the interest of the deferral for the first 11 months of the monthly finance contract. After this period, interest will start to accrue and the purchaser will pay the principal and interest monthly over the remaining term of the contract. A minimum down payment in the amount of 10% of the purchase price is required. †Ω Offers available for a limited time, and subject to change or cancellation without notice. See dealer for complete details. Dealer may sell for less. Inventory is limited. ††Hyundai’s Comprehensive Limited Warranty coverage covers most vehicle components against defects in workmanship under normal use and maintenance conditions.

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OpenRoad Hyundai13171 Smallwood Place, Richmond, 604-606-9033

Friday, December 20, 2013 Richmond Review · Page 31

driveway

by Keith Morgan

Driveway readers have the final word on the posted speed limit poll, conducted in partnership with Insights West.

In that survey it was revealed that 37 per cent of those polled believe a higher than 100 km/h limit should be posted on our major highways. The provincial government current review of speed limits has already prompted much public discussion, much of which seemed to support the hiking of limits. With that in mind, we were surprised that the poll showed that 55 percent believed speed limits should be left alone.

Here’s further reaction posted online by readers. For an increase in limits:

Kmac: Excessive speed, texting and using a cell phone

while driving, driver in attention and driving too fast for the road &/or weather conditions kills. The minimal increase in the speed limits you suggest make sense

28speedster: Here we are in the 21st century driving at the same or lower speed limits than we did with cars in the 1950s with bias ply tires on two-lane highways. New cars, tires, roads are engineered for much higher speeds.

Comments against an increase:Dwsolber: Some drivers have trouble driving safely at

current posted speeds. Increasing the speed limits will only increase risk to all road users.

Dick: Do not increase speed, what the heck is the hurry? 99 out of 100 already go way faster than the posted speed.

by Ian Harwood

The 2014 GMC Acadia Denali is truly a full-size crossover vehicle.

That’s right, an eight-pas-senger crossover that is big enough to haul eight adults and still have room to store your gear.

Saturday is my usual run around day; picking up things, dropping off people, some of whom I don’t know but someone in my family has volunteered me to drive them anyway. You know the kind of day, the one that finds me buying things that we don’t need but can’t live without, returning things that apparently we can live without, and providing hourly updates to my wife on what I have accomplished thus far. Hectic and stressful.

Well, this particular Saturday I had the Acadia Denali and with a few hours driv-ing this vehicle I was actually relaxed. Luxurious seating and a premium Bose stereo system with steering wheel controls that drowned out all the chat-ter from the back seats. It also came in handy for when they tried to include me in the conversation; with a simple push of the volume button I could yell back “sorry, I can’t hear you”.

All three rows receive the same level of luxury. French stitching on all of the leather seats with a choice of colors, Ebony or Cocoa Dune.

The second row seats are a SmartSlide flat-folding 60/40 split bench while the third row is a 60/40 split bench that folds flat as well. The third row is surprisingly comfortable and enough leg room for adults.

The steering wheel is leather wrapped with mahogany wood grain trim; it also features a tilt and telescopic steering column. The centre of the dash is the location for the colour touch Radio/Navigation screen with IntelliLink. A 165 mm (6.5”) colour touch screen display, AM/FM stereo with CD player, auxiliary

audio input jack, Bluetooth streaming audio, hands free calling, and a rear seat entertainment system.

If you’re excited about cup holders then hold on to yourself, this vehicle has twelve. I know because I had to clean each one. Twelve in an eight-seater, go figure.

The Acadia comes standard with driver and front passenger airbags, seat mounted side impact bags and side curtain air bags. Traction control and stability control with roll stability control are also standard.

Forward collision alert, lane departure warning, rear cross traffic alert, and side blind zone alert

are some of the latest technologies that have gone into this vehicle. Power:

The 3.6 Litre V6 engine puts out 288 horsepower @ 6,300 rpm with 270 ft pounds of torque. The transmission is a 6-speed automatic that can be shifted into manual mode.

Pump frequency: 13.3/ 8.8 L/100 km (City/ Highway)

Warranty support: Basic 3 year/ 60,000 km

Power-train 5 year/ 160,000 kmRoadside assistance 5 year/ 160,000

kmAt first, I was a little sceptical about

this vehicle but after the first few kilo-metres, I changed my mind and found it to be a very comfortable and a fun to drive vehicle. Although there is lots of room inside it does not give the impres-sion of a big SUV, and it manoeuvres quite well. With the latest technologies added, I found it easy to use and very useful. Shoulder checks are something I do by habit, but with the side blind zone alert feature it is like having someone else take a second look, which is com-forting. Sticker price: $57,695

ian.harwood@drivewaybc.ca

The 2014 GMC Acadia Denali.

Readers voice the pros and cons of increasing posted speed limits

‘‘At first, I was a little sceptical about this vehicle but . . . after the first few kilometres, I found it to be a very comfortable and a fun to drive vehicle.’’Ian Harwood

Acadia Denali is full-size luxury

by Zack Spencer

2014 Mitsubishi MirageEven though we have high fuel prices in Canada, the

trend is away from small fuel-efficient cars to larger vehicles.

Subcompact and even compact sales are down but sales of small SUVs and even mid-sized vehicles are up. There are a couple of things at play here. The first is the stronger (not so much in the last two months) Canadian dollar over the last several years has allowed carmakers to jam more content into their cars and often the retail price has dropped too.

The second is that vehicles are becoming more fuel efficient, so buying a slightly bigger car isn’t much of a hardship.

With this as a backdrop, it is interesting to see that Mitsubishi has introduced a three-cylinder fuel saving car at the smallest end of the market.

LooksThe Mirage is sold in two trim levels; the base starts

at $12,498 and comes pretty sparsely equipped. It’s a small car with a little price tag. The much bigger Nissan Versa is cheaper at $11,898 and has buckets more power. The car that most people will choose is the Mirage SE with many more goodies but the price jumps dramatically to $15,398 and with the automatic transmission it lands at $16,598. At this price, there are plenty of options in the subcompact class. Styling is not what I would car eye-catching. Cars like the Ford Fiesta or the Kia Rio have much more appeal and features for similar mo ney to this SE Mirage.Inside

On the plus side, the Mirage SE does come nicely equipped. The front driver’s seat has adjustment and both front seats have very good seat heaters that bring your backside up to the appropriate temperature in short order. The centre cluster is nicely finished and it features Bluetooth with streaming audio. There is an

auxiliary jack but no USB jack to charge your phone. The back seat is small and the rear cargo area is what one might expect from a little car. But this vehicle does not live in a vacuum.

The Kia Rio, with more features, like satellite radio, is only a $1,000 more and is way up on space and horse-power. The Nissan Versa Note is massive in comparison and for $1,700 more has push button start and even a backup camera. So yes, the Mirage is nicely equipped and has a good price but there are other options out there that are as good if not better. Drive

What this little car was designed to do is deliver impressive fuel economy. This is achieved by placing a 3-cylinder engine under the hood and matching it to either a 5-speed manual transmission or a continu-ously variable transmission (CVT). With just 74hp, this car is way down on power compared to the rest of the subcompact set, even the Fiat 500 has 101hp and the Nissan Versa has 109hp. This combination of small packaging and small engine deliver a rating of 5.3L/100km in the city and 4.4L on the highway. In my mostly city driving I was achieving 7L/100km. The prob-lem with such a small engine is that t often needs to be pushed hard to accelerate and pass other traffic.

The engine and CVT are loud, especially when the car is cold. The steering is very light for easy maneuver-ability but at higher speeds it feels too vague. This car is happy cruising because the engine settles down to a lower RPM and the noise level drops. Ask this car to perform and it’s an experience filled with noise and vibration.Verdict

With a very low starting price and potentially good fuel economy the basic Mirage has a place for a buyer who wants a basic runabout that sips gas but if the trend away from small cars is any indication, that will be a small number.

zack@drivewaybc.ca

Page 32 · Richmond Review Friday, December 20, 2013

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‘‘Mitsubishi has introduced a three-cylinder fuel saving car at the smallest end of the market.’’Zack Spencer

driveway

Mitsubishi Mirage is designed to deliver

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