Special Car, auto, cars, vehicles

The Flex's third-row seat is rated for two passengers, and it's available in six- (with optional refrigerator between the split second row) and seven-passenger variants. Other notable options include Microsoft Sync and a big panorama roof. The third row is more comfortable for adults than the Chevy Traverse's three-passenger rear seat. Sharing its Volvo-based platform with a variety of Fords, including Taurus X, Flex's dimensions are similar to the Chevy's, with a lower h-point. The driver can set his seat low, making it feel like a station wagon, or high, for that much desired SUV-command view of the road. It's by no means an off-roader, yet it handled our off-road section with ease.

With its soft suspension, deliberate steering, and big flat expanse of hood ahead of the driver, the Flex doesn't inspire spirited driving, which helps explain its better fuel economy versus other contenders on our test loop. The V-6/six-speed automatic combo is smooth with adequate power, although the transmission offers no upshift-downshift options for family vacations across the Rockies. Those who fondly remember late-1960s Country Squires with 429 V-8 options will appreciate the coming 3.5L EcoBoost making about 325 hp.

So it's with this appreciation of the aftermarket-accessory designer who thinks he can do better than the highly trained, highly paid automobile stylist that I bring you the latest road monstrosity, this one from a Metro Detroit Ford dealer: the Flex Woody. Not since the K-Car Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country convertible has a pile of lumberlike plastic transformed a new car as much as this.

Details? Can't say how much for the after-treatment -- there was no add-on sticker to accompany the Monroney. Truth is, I was a bit worried about what kind of salesman might come outside and try to sell me this thing as I studied the sticker. This much is evident: It's a base-model Ford Flex, with rather snazzy houndstooth cloth seats. MSRP was $29,050, a real stripper save for the fake bark, which I'm sure pushes the crossover into the lower $30s. What with dealers desperate for car sales, you can probably get the sales manager to throw in the "wood" for free. The dealer, Huntington Ford, advertises itself as a "Ford Factory Outlet," which could apply to any domestic dealer in this area. Most people in these parts walk into local dealers with a predetermined discount, because they work for Ford, GM, or Chrysler or know someone who does, and there's no need for haggling.

Anyway, photo credit goes to Frank Markus, who had his camera with him when I spotted this homage to the Golden Age of Country Squiring.

So the questions of the day are, what's your favorite aftermarket treatment? And what kind of SEMA treatment would you like to see on a new model?

The last three specials to be introduced at the Woodward Dream Cruise were "Street Cruisers" designed to commemorate various hallowed byways, like Route 66 (2006), Pacific Coast Highway (2007), and Sunset Boulevard (2008). But this year's model is simply dubbed the Dream Cruiser Series 5, picking up the numbering scheme that left off in 2005.

Unique paint schemes are a hallmark of these specials, and the Series 5 is resplendent in two-tone Midnight White Pearl Coat (the brightest white ever offered on the PT), with a Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl roof panel and rear spoiler. The blackout top serves to visually widen and lower the car's stance and looks sharp with the deep-tint rear windows. Body-color foglamp sockets and chromed accent moldings, handles, badging, and exhaust tip further decorate the Series 5.

The most impressive feature, however, is the chromed billet aluminum grillework in front, which Chrysler VP Larry Lyons describes as "the industry's most substantial grille." The main radiator grille and those below the bumper start out as flat, 3/8-in.-thick aluminum, from which the diamond-pattern holes are machined before being bent to shape and chromed. It feels as strong as any grille this side of a Viking range.

The Pastel Slate Gray interior is accented with Brilliant Black dash panels and black "Momentum" fabric seats. This new material has the slightly shiny look of ballistic nylon or a wetsuit, and its seams are embossed, not sewn, for greater design flexibility. There are numerous chrome accents, plus special floormats and doorsill plates.

Production of an anticipated run of 1750 cars begins in October, with pricing at $22,700 for the naturally aspirated 150-hp, 2.4L, and $23,980 for the turbo, which produces 180 hp on regular gas. Relative to a Touring-level PT Cruiser, that's a $2245 more for the base engine, $1620 more comparing turbos.

In case you were wondering about the previous customs, the 2009 Chrysler PT Dream Cruiser Series 5 joins the Flames, Woodie, PT Dream Cruiser Series 1, 2, 3 and 4, PT Turbo and Chrome Accents models, the Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible, the refreshed 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser, the Chrysler PT Street Cruiser Route 66, Street Cruiser Pacific Coast Highway Edition and Street Cruiser Sunset Boulevard Editions.

"Times have changed," says senior editor Ron Kiino. "We're criticizing a Honda instrument panel and center stack and praising a Chevy's." It's true: The Traverse's IP and controls are clean and workable. The interior plastics and materials are attractive and appear durable. Third-row access is straightforward, although the second row's high floor and short seat bottom compromises its comfort a bit.

The Traverse is a nice-looking piece on the outside, too, although the rear window line is shaped the way it is in the name of style, not visibility. Fold the second- and third-row seats flat, and the Traverse will swallow 116.4 cu ft of stuff. Need to bring more junk along? No problem, given its 5200-lb towing capacity.

Everyone has been pleased with the powertrain. With optional dual exhausts, the newest version of GM's 3.6L DOHC V-6 spools out 288 hp, more than competitive power, although it's necessary to move the Traverse's 5111 lb, plus cargo. The engine is quiet and smooth, with a wide powerband. It's mated to a six-speed automatic transaxle, replete with a handy toggle switch on the end of the shifter to allow manual scrolling up and down all six gears.

Do you think the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse has what it takes to take home the title of 2009 Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year? Find out who the winner is at midnight eastern time on Oct. 16.

The Buick Enclave Black Platinum Edition was created by Mitek Corporation. The House of Kolor Black Diamond paint is black, blue, or purple, depending on where the light hits the large crossover. Tinted windows and doors sans handles are paired with 20-inch TIS chrome wheels and a two-inch drop in height for a transformed exterior. Inside, Deep Blue leather covers all three rows of seats as well as the headliner and the visors. Despite retaining its third-row bench, the special-edition Enclave still has room for a 4900-watt MTX sound system with three 12-inch subwoofers.

NBA-veteran Jerome Williams has also teamed up with Buick to customize an Enclave: the Buick Enclave Urban CEO Edition. The Urban CEO Edition has White Opal paint and a satellite dish embedded into the roof to make the Buick a rolling wireless hotspot.

Once Williams tires of the Internet, he can watch (on any of the four 10-inch widescreens) a DVD or play a Blu-Ray disc. The front passenger isn't neglected either -- a seven-inch widescreen monitor has been built into the back of the visor. Dark Chocolate leather and LED accent lights in the A- and B-pillers make for a limo-like experience.

The Buick Enclave UpTown was created by Rick Bottom Designs and incorporates a "Ying and Yang" two-tone paint job: White Chocolate Pearl with Cocoa Metallic below. The UpTown has been lowered two inches in the front, three in the rear. Filling the wheel wells are 22-inch MOMO wheels and Pirelli tires. The interior not only features QuietTuning, but Hushmat sound-damping material as well to keep things quiet while you use the 2,000-watt Eclipse audio, visual, and navigation system.

Don't get me wrong, the X6 -- in this case the six-cylinder version -- is an impressive piece of work. The 3.0-liter turbocharged engine is smooth and torquey and punches the X6 hard away from the lights. The ride is beautifully controlled, a huge improvement on the first-gen X5, which bounced around like a Conestoga wagon on the Oregon Trail. It changes direction with near sport-sedan alacrity.

But driving the BMW X6 hard is a bit like watching an elephant tap dance -- you're left faintly bemused by the whole act, but not entirely sure it belongs anywhere outside a circus. I couldn't help wonder how much time and effort it took the BMW engineers to make this 4894-pound truck perform like, well, a BMW. More to the point, I wondered whether deep down the BMW engineers, car guys all, thought the X6 a waste of their talent. You see, good as it is, the X6 is still a truck. A perfectly pointless truck.

A Ferrari 599GTB has a point. A Toyota Prius has a point. A Ford F-150 has a point. But what, exactly, is the point of a BMW X6? Despite all the clever engineering, it still manages to artfully combine all the disadvantages of a tight-fitting coupe with all the downsides of a big SUV. The result is a vehicle that can't go off-road or carry as much stuff as a regular SUV and doesn't quite go around corners as well -- or use fuel as efficiently -- as any comparable BMW car.

I guess the point the X6 proves is the auto business has long ceased to be about transportation. The auto business is really a fashion business. The X6 exists only because BMW's marketing mavens are convinced there are enough of you out there who want an SUV that thinks it's a coupe. And judging by the approving looks and thumbs up grins our test X6 is generating on L.A.'s streets, it seems they might be right.

BMW's new SUV without the "U" doesn't really know what it is. It's big and immensely heavy (nearly 5000 pounds), yet seats only four (sort of) and offers limited luggage space in back. It's pricey enough to char your American Express Black Card: more than $63K as-tested with the twin-turbo six and easily a good $10 grand more for a similarly optioned twin-turbo V-8 xDrive 50i. It rides tall like an off-roader, but would prefer not to get dirty. Visibility is limited, particularly to the rear. The sport-biased chassis will hammer your backside if the tarmac picks up any lint.

And yet...on the right road the X6 performs as if it never heard of Sir Isaac Newton. 5000 pounds? So what? Even with the "base" twin-turbo six, the X6 whooshes to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds (engine and six-speed auto flow and fly like a champion figure-skating pair).

Handling prowess can be breathtaking; more than one driver remarked that the X6 hoovered through turns "easily 10 or 15 mph faster than anything else." Yes, the X6 has its charms.

So do you think the 2009 BMW X6 ultimately has what it takes to take home the title of 2009 Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year? Find out who the winner is at midnight eastern time on Oct. 16.

I didn't notice the turbo lag many others complain about when they took it on the road. In fact, I found the 2.3-liter i-vtec turbo sporty on the highway and especially fun to drive on curvy mountain roads with little body roll. What's even more fun to use on the twisties are the steering-wheel shift paddles in sport mode.

The ride would be a bit rough for most people's standards, as Truck Trend editor Allyson Harwood pointed out in the January issue of Motor Trend. She noted "The ride is much too harsh for daily driving. It makes somewhat smooth pavement feel bumpy and is downright jarring on poorly maintained roads." I have to agree with Allyson, you can feel everything with the RDX's suspension. But I loved it because it adds to the sports-car feeling, akin to tuning a suspension for track racing. This would be the perfect CUV for people who love sports cars.

It can fit four people very comfortably and offers a deep rear cargo area and it's the perfect size for someone like me. However, I don't think I can justify the hefty $36,495 price tag that includes a "Technology Package" that consists of Bluetooth wireless telephone connectivity, a 410-watt surround-sound system, a nav setup with voice recognition, rearview camera, and real-time traffic updates, and a GPS-linked, solar-sensing, dual-zone automatic climate-control system. The only option I would like of the group would be the navigation. That alone is a $3500 package I can live without since the base RDX comes standard with such goodies as leather-trimmed interior, heated front seats, satellite radio, power moonroof, Xenon headlamps, and stability control.

Read these other Long-term reviews to learn more about our adventures in the Acura RDX:

Long-Term Arrival: 2008 Acura RDX
Following victories in two comparison tests -- "Crossing Over" (July, 2006) and "Dune Devils" (August, 2007) -- in which the RDX spanked the likes of BMW X3, Land Rover LR2, Lincoln MKX, Mazda CX-7, and Toyota RAV4 V-6, Acura's first-ever compact crossover earned, in our estimation, an invite to join Motor Trend's long-term fleet.

Long-Term Update: 2007 Acura RDX
After accumulating 5700 miles, the RDX alerted us via its Maintenance Minder system that it required minor servicing.

Fleet Update: 2007 Acura RDX
With a little over 8000 miles on the odometer, the RDX transported photographer Brian Vance and a couple friends to Northern Nevada for a "helping of genuine off-roading" while in search of "a hot-spring tub in the East Walker River Canyon."

Toyota won't take this disagreement sitting down. It figures the SUV craze is pretty much over, whether gas is $4.25/gal or $2.89/gal. Sales are sliding, when compared with cars, for the huge and growing fleet of crossovers, including Toyota's own three-row Highlanders and RAV4s.

So Toyota will lower the Venza for 2010, only its second model year. (It goes on sale before the end of 2008 as an '09 model.) Based on the Camry sedan, but with some Highlander parts, the Venza's 8.1-in. ground clearance tops the Infiniti EX's (5.7 to 6.5 in.), the Chevy Traverse's (7.2 in.) and the VW Tiguan's (6.9).

It won't be enough to make the Venza a car. The '10 model will be lowered about 0.8 in., so at 7.3, its ground clearance remains in SUV territory. Toyota figures it will give the crossover a more carlike appearance, making it a kind of modern wagon or large D-segment hatchback, two identifiers that haven't moved much metal in the U.S. recently.

Toyota may do this only with the front-drive version of the Venza, as the AWD's hardware may be hard to package at a lower ride height. Even if it's just the FWD version, that's likely to make up a majority of Venza sales. Chevrolet expects to sell about 65% of its new Traverses with FWD, for example. But then, Chevy isn't trying to pass off the Traverse as a car.

To the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the '10 Venza will still be a truck -- it doesn't need to meet all eight of NHTSA's criteria to be grouped in with other trucks for Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards. Remember, Chrysler got the PT Cruiser and Dodge Magnum classified as trucks, thanks largely to their flat load floors, to help balance out Hemi Rams and Durangos for CAFE. Optional rear privacy glass is the telltale sign.

Do you think this ploy will help Toyota move the Venza as a car? I don't. It still quacks just like a crossover sport/utility vehicle.

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