Car Reviews by John Paul

2011 Toyota Sienna

The Vehicle: The Toyota Sienna minivan is now in its third generation and it has adapted more style as well as a premium look and feel than previous versions. The Sienna is wider and slightly shorter than the last generation model.

Some of the biggest news comes under the hood with the addition of a more fuel-efficient, four-cylinder engine. Those looking for more power should be happy with the 266 horsepower V-6 engine that was available in the last generation Sienna. It comes in five models including a new sport version that adds larger wheels and tires and other sporty cues. Seating can be configured for up to eight passengers. The Sienna also stands out from other minivan competitors with the availability of all-wheel-drive. Safety is addressed with features such as standard antilock brakes, stability control and front, side and curtain head-protecting airbags.

The Road Test: The Sienna delivers a smooth ride; even potholes don't cause the Sienna to lose its composure. The steering, in my opinion, is the best of any minivan. It is light enough at low speeds and responsive and controlled at highway speeds. This is the type of steering response found in a mid-sized sedan rather than a minivan. The V-6 engine with 266-horsepower provides great acceleration and is the engine of choice if you fill the Sienna with passengers or cargo. But don't dismiss the four-cylinder engine, as its performance is quite good, and could be sufficient for many buyers.

The front-wheel-drive Sienna handles well and improves with the addition of all-wheel-drive. This minivan is also as quiet as any luxury sedan with almost no road or tire noise entering the cabin.

Although it's called a minivan, this is a good-sized vehicle, and the wide-view rear camera was a feature that makes parallel parking much easier. The front seats are wide and comfortable, and with the tilting and telescoping steering, should be able to accommodate just about any driver.

Entry and exit is easy through the wide front doors or the dual sliding doors. Upscale models get dual-power sliding doors. The rear seating can be ordered with very comfortable captain's chairs. An optional feature is a folding footrest, and as Toyota calls it, "lounge" seating reminiscent of something found in a limousine.

Unlike some other minivans, the third row is adult-friendly and folds nearly flat when carrying cargo. While the third row is in use, storage is still generous at nearly 40 cubic feet and it expands to nearly 120 cubic feet when the second row seats are moved forward and the rear seats are folded.

Other storage is generous as well with two glove compartments, bins, cubbies and far more cup-holders than seats. The climate control system can have up to three zones so all riders should be able to stay comfortable. An interesting option is the 16.5-inch LCD video display that can show two separate videos or a single widescreen movie. Overall fit and finish are quite good, though there are a few places where the Sienna has a bit of an economy feel.

The Bottom Line: The Toyota Sienna delivers a great ride, decent performance and interior features with comfort that rivals many luxury cars. With a sporty option package and available all-wheel drive, the Sienna may be the perfect fit for the New England family. Toyota is working on making the minivan "cool" and the Sienna may be as close to cool as a minivan can be.

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2011 Mercedez-Benz E Class Cabriolet

The Car: The all-new E-Class Cabriolet is the latest addition to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class line-up. The open-top, two-door model seats four. Unlike some other manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz chose a traditional cloth top rather than a folding hardtop. There are two engine choices; the E350 uses a V6 engine that produces 268 horsepower while the E550 model is powered by a 5.5-liter V8 engine delivering 382 horsepower. Our road test was in the E350.

The Road Test: Driving the E350 convertible is very much like driving any other Mercedes-Benz vehicle. Even in this convertible, the doors close with the signature bank-vault thunk. The gauges are large and easy to read, and all controls should be familiar to previous Mercedes-Benz owners. New drivers of this Mercedes may find some controls challenging, but once you become accustomed to them, they make sense.

The seats are firm, but remain comfortable even after several hours of driving. Average-sized adults will find the rear seating acceptable, but a taller passenger will feel a bit cramped. The fabric top can be opened or closed in 20 seconds at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. The top itself is a work of art with four layers that provide sedan-like quiet, insulation and comfort in hot or cold weather. With the top down, a new system that Mercedes calls Aircap, works to reduce drafts and air turbulence for all four occupants by deflecting air around the cabin. This system also diverts air away from the back-seat passengers.

In addition, there is a venting system that is designed to direct warm air directly on the neck and shoulders of the front seat occupants helping extend top-down driving season. In these days of convertibles with folding metal hardtops, the fabric top in the E350 allows it to retain much more cargo space with the top down. When the roof is up, the panel between the top stowage area and the trunk can slide to the rear, increasing the trunk capacity by 30 percent.

Safety is addressed with myriad options. In addition to up to 11 airbags, the E350 can be equipped with Pre-safe, a system that can sense and take protective measures before a crash. If the car senses an impending collision, the innovative Pre-safe system tensions the seat belts and changes the seat incline to the safest position. In addition, the safety system can apply up to 100 percent of braking power to prevent an imminent crash.

Drowsy driving has been identified as a serious problem for drivers on the road, and the E-Class cars offer Attention Assist. This system identifies the erratic steering corrections drivers make as they begin to get drowsy and triggers an audible warning. A "Time for a Rest?" message alerts the driver and a coffee-cup icon appears in the instrument cluster.

Performance from the 268 horsepower V-6 engine is certainly sufficient for most drivers; a timed trip to 60 miles per hour took about seven seconds. The seven-speed automatic transmission shifts with German precision as the car's computer finds the right gear to provide optimum performance, but also quiet cruising. Steering has a slightly heavy feel but gives the driver precise control, providing a ride that is smooth and comfortable and never harsh. The Mercedes E-Cabriolet is not a sports car, but rather a comfortable cruiser reminiscent of luxury convertibles of the past.

The Bottom Line: The Bottom Line: The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet offers four-season comfort for four adult passengers. The combination of technical features, creature comfort and style makes this car stand apart from the crowd. But all this luxury and comfort comes with an equally expensive, luxury-car price tag. A fully loaded E Class Cabriolet with the six-cylinder engine can close in on $70,000.

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2011 Mazda 2

The Car: Mazda's latest car, the Mazda 2, is also among one of its smallest. The 2011 model is available in two trim levels: the entry-level Sport and the top-grade Touring. Powered by a 100-horsepower, 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, it is available with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Standard features include 15-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers, 185/55/R15 all-weather tires, body-colored door handles and power mirrors, air conditioning, power windows and door locks, AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with four speakers, audio auxiliary jack, tilt steering wheel, a remote keyless entry system, rear window wiper/washer and 60/40 split fold-down rear seats. The Mazda 2 Touring adds upgraded seat fabric with red piping, 15-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, a rear roof spoiler, a chrome exhaust tip, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, mounted audio and cruise controls, a trip computer and a six-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo system. Our road test was in the manual transmission version.

The Road Test: The interior is clean and simple, using more gray and silver trim in the interior and fewer bright colors. The front seats are firm, but I found a lack of back support that is necessary for long drives.

The instrument-panel design gives the impression of more space, keeping the small cabin from feeling cramped. The large windows allow for great visibility in all directions. The rear seat has seat belts for three, but is realistically better suited for two. The split-folding rear seats help extend the overall usefulness of the cargo area.

Don't expect to pick up sheets of plywood at the home center, but cargo room is fairly competitive with other small cars in this segment. The 100-horsepower, four-cylinder engine is powerful enough, because Mazda put the 2 on a diet. Decent acceleration is accomplished with a combination of gearing and weight saving. I would consider the Mazda 2 more spritely than quick. The clutch is smooth, but the shifter has a slightly vague feel to it and the engine can get a bit raspy when pushed hard.

The ride is firm, but a little noisy and can get a bit jarring over some of our local roads. Safety is addressed with myriad features: antilock brakes, stability control and traction control which are all standard. There are front-seat side airbags, side air curtains, an engine immobilizer antitheft system and a tire-pressure monitoring system.

The Mazda 2 will also be the first Mazda vehicle launched in North America with Mazda's Brake Override system. This system always prioritizes the brake pedal over the accelerator pedal, should both be engaged simultaneously, allowing the vehicle to be brought to a safe controlled stop. The handling is quite good and the steering excellent for a car in the price range. The brakes delivered quick controlled stops.

The Bottom Line: The Mazda 2 is a fun to drive and economical vehicle that has the feel of a more expensive car. With its versatile hatchback design and long list of standard features, Mazda's new entry-level is certainly worth a second look.

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2011 Kia Sportage

The Car: The Kia Sportage is all new for 2011, taking its design from a stylish concept vehicle. It incorporates a more contemporary design with European flair that was never seen in the previous boxy Sportage. The new model is longer, wider and lower than the previous generation.

The Sportage is available in three trim levels: Base, LX and EX. Even the base model offers a host of standard features, including air conditioning, power windows, door locks and mirrors, satellite radio and Bluetooth wireless technology. There is one engine choice, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder 176-horsepower machine. It develops more power and better fuel economy than the previous 2.7-liter V-6.

Later this year, a turbo-charged engine will be offered for those drivers looking for greater performance. The Sportage is available with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive paired to a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Road Test: The first thing you notice is the Sportage rides firm, which seems to be a characteristic of many recent Kias. On a smooth highway, the ride is comfortable, but on broken pavement and other rough surfaces, the ride can be jarring and bumpy.

The trade-off is the handling is quite good. On fast curves, body roll is kept to a minimum, and overall the Sportage is quite stable. The steering is light at low speeds and firms up at higher speeds but still feels a little numb when driving straight ahead on the highway.

The brakes are firm and provide quick, panic-free stops. In addition to the front-wheel drive, I had the opportunity to test the all-wheel-drive. It should be more than sufficient for challenging on-road or moderate off-road driving.

Performance from the new four-cylinder engine is certainly powerful enough, easily getting the Sportage up to highway speeds. The new engine does sound a little raspy under hard acceleration, but considering it is more powerful than last year's V-6, it's a fair trade-off.

Fuel economy during my road test averaged 24 miles per gallon. The interior uses decent-quality materials, including the leather-wrapped steering wheel. The front seats are reasonably comfortable but overly firm, and tall drivers might be looking for a bit more thigh support.

During my time in the Sportage, I was stuck in a traffic jam for several hours and those firm seats went from supportive to uncomfortable. Adults in the rear seats will find headroom at a premium.

Cargo storage is good at about 26 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 55 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. There are plenty of bins, including a cooled glove compartment. The interior design leans more toward the look of a sports car than a crossover utility vehicle. Overall, the interior is not spacious but not cramped, something that couldn't be said with earlier versions. The major gauges are large and easy to read, and the navigation and entertainment system with its voice-command system is one of the best I have found. Other notable options are the backup camera, heated seats and dual-zone climate control.

The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a small utility vehicle with contemporary styling, the Kia Sportage is a standout. It looks better and is thriftier to drive than previous models, and like many Kia models, is a good value. The Sportage is not the best vehicle in its class, but with its 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, is worth a look.

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2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Car: The Jeep Grand Cherokee is all new for 2011, powered by either a V-6 or V-8 engine. The standard flexible-fuel V-6 develops 290 horsepower and can return up to 500 miles on a single tank of fuel. The engine in our test vehicle was the optional 5.7-liter V-8 that develops 360 horsepower, and though it's hardly a fuel economy champ, it does have a fuel-saver feature that switches between the powerful eight-cylinder mode to a more efficient four-cylinder mode.

This Jeep can be ordered in a choice of three all-wheel-drive systems. The most sophisticated one is the Select Terrain, which uses a control knob to select one of five preset programs. This program is designed to match the conditions you face when driving off-road or in deep snow.

The Road Test: The Jeep Grand Cherokee, with four-wheel independent suspension, does a great job of smoothing out the less-than-perfect New England roads. The overall ride and handling are more refined than on previous models but the Jeep can still handle challenging off-road travel.

To make off-road driving almost hassle-free, our test vehicle had the Jeep-Select Terrain control that lets you dial in various off-road conditions. Through the magic of electronics, the engine, transmission and brakes all can be set to match the off-road conditions (similar to the Range Rover system).

The steering is light enough at low speeds to make parking-lot maneuvers easy. As vehicle speed builds the steering becomes a bit more weighted, offering a comfortable and controlled steering feel.

The interior of this Jeep had a decidedly upscale feel. The materials used throughout this Jeep could easily be found on many luxury cars. The seats were wide and comfortable, and the controls were simple and easy to use. The second-row seat was roomy, and there were plenty of bins and cup holders.

Jeep did an admirable job of keeping the Grand Cherokee quiet. There is little road or wind noise entering the cabin. Overall, this is a good-sized vehicle that drives smaller than its size. Parking and tight maneuvers are accomplished with ease.

Our Jeep also had the optional air-suspension system that can add three inches of ground clearance when the going gets tough. Performance from the big V-8 engine was very good, probably more power than most drivers need, unless you tow a heavy boat or camping trailer. During my road test, the Jeep averaged a thirsty 16 miles per gallon.

The Bottom Line:The Jeep Grand Cherokee is an all-wheel-drive SUV that is as at home on the street as it is tackling challenging off-road trails. With this Jeep's combination of off-road prowess, sophisticated interior, on-road ride and handling, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee is a standout in the SUV crowd.

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