Car Reviews

It’s easy for a fanciful concept car to look interesting under the dramatic lighting of an auto show display or corporate video clip—a brand’s future, in the now. But few concepts ever go beyond that stage, and even fewer get to ply real roads with other motorists, let alone with scrappy journalists behind the wheel. That’s what makes the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX special: For all its futuristic EV design, it is at its core a demonstration of advanced engineering that’s meant to be driven. After debuting the EQXX earlier this year at the CES technology show, Mercedes was quick to prove the car’s real-world bona fides on two long-distance treks across Europe, the longest of which—from Stuttgart, Germany, to Silverstone, England, where it hot-lapped the famous race circuit—saw the EQXX go 747 miles on a single charge of its battery, which stores slightly under 100.0 kWh. That feat is impressive enough for a vehicle developed in just 18 months, but it also bodes well for a range of near-future Mercedes EVs that will draw on the EQXX’s suite of advancements.

Mercedes-Benz

Parked on the tarmac of the company’s proving grounds in Immendingen, Germany, the EQXX looks appropriately otherworldly. About the size of a low-slung compact sedan and shaped like a windswept teardrop, its tiny, bubble-like frontal area contrasts with a substantial side profile that stretches over a 110.2-inch wheelbase. Its exaggerated Kamm tail adds significant length, especially when the active rear diffuser juts out 7.8 inches at 37 mph. Interesting details abound, such as the sidewalls of the specially developed Bridgestone tires that, when viewed from above, sit flush with both the 20-inch magnesium wheels and the carbon-fiber body, greatly contributing to the car’s slippery drag coefficient of 0.17. Conventional yet carefully sculpted side mirrors adorn the doors, their minimal drag penalty ultimately deemed more efficient than the power draw that would be required by a lower-profile camera-based setup.

Mercedes-Benz

A tug of the EQXX’s motorized door handle reveals the no-holds-barred interior of a show car, though a surprisingly comfortable and functional one. From the driver’s seat, the spaciousness of the cabin is at odds with how little of the car’s front end you can see through the windshield. While there are a few 3-D-printed pieces that we’re told to be gentle with, the steering wheel and basic controls are familiar Mercedes stuff, making it easy to get situated in what is a near-priceless one-off. Ignore the judicious use of brightwork and ambient lighting, and the smattering of environmentally friendly materials—trim panels derived from cacti, mushroom-based seat inserts, and bamboo-fiber shag-carpet floor mats—are both attractive and a harbinger of what could filter down to future production models. Set off and the EQXX’s feathery (for an EV) claimed curb weight of 3900 pounds is immediately apparent. Although the rear-mounted radial-flux motor produces a mere 241 horsepower, thrust is plentiful, and the light, almost delicate steering is impressively tactile even at pedestrian speeds. With little powertrain hum or air turbulence to ruffle the ambiance, the main distraction is tire noise brought on by the car’s modest amount of sound deadening. The overall vibes are responsiveness and good integration , despite the EQXX—with its quoted 7.0-second 60-mph time and electronically limited 87-mph top speed—being in no way tuned for spirited driving.

Mercedes-Benz

Besides the slippery shape and relatively trim weight, the car’s claimed powertrain efficiency of 95 percent (up from 90-or-so percent for Benz’s EQS production sedan) also contributes to its impressive range. Although the EQXX doesn’t charge as quickly as its 900-volt architecture suggests, it’s so frugal with electrons that only a few minutes on a plug net it significant additional range. Likewise, the handful of kilowatts harvested by the 117 solar cells on its roof, which only go toward powering the accessories, result in meaningful gains in mileage. With minimal mechanical and aerodynamic drag, the EQXX effortlessly coasts on flat ground without losing speed. Thanks to the effectiveness of the active air cooling for the battery and its electronics, Mercedes engineers faced the unusual challenge of coaxing the EQXX’s motor to produce enough heat to reach its optimal operating temperature. While our drive was brief on the undulating roads that snake around Immendingen’s facilities, we soon learned the fun of controlling the EQXX’s momentum via regenerative braking. Gather some speed and it can glide around corners with ease, the mass of the floor-mounted battery nicely anchoring its body motions. Toggling the steering-wheel paddles through the four stages of regen, from none to full one-pedal operation, can quickly slow the car for tight turns and intersections. This is one of the reasons the EQXX can get away with ultralightweight aluminum brake rotors, rather than conventional cast-iron or even carbon-ceramic discs. Once we got acclimated, we hardly touched the left pedal at all. At the end of the day, our overall energy consumption—in air-conditioned comfort—worked out to the equivalent of 262 mpg in a gas car.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes being the engineering behemoth it is, we were provided with all sorts of telemetry from our drive that showed where we could have been more efficient still. But much of that data, from energy recuperation to air flow over the car’s body, also was available in real time through the EQXX’s pillar-to-pillar 47.5-inch touchscreen, which is rendered in 8K resolution by a video-game engine. Though borderline distracting with its brilliant graphics and deep well of information, this display also features wonderfully interactive navigation data and is easily configurable for uncluttered reading at a glance. It even is stingy on power, actively dimming sections of LEDs that aren’t in use. While we didn’t acquaint ourselves with its artificial intelligence that acts as a personal assistant, the system offers a glimpse of the next generation of Mercedes’s user interface. But the EQXX’s importance goes beyond being a platform for a futuristic widescreen TV. Mercedes has already confirmed that the car’s powertrain—interestingly, developed in a modified rear-drive version of the new EQB SUV—will reach production in some form by 2024. Also key are lessons in rapid (and novel) development gleaned from working with the company’s Formula 1 specialists, who were able to engineer the concept’s battery to be 50 percent smaller and 30 percent lighter than the similarly powerful pack in the EQS. And from the fungi upholstery to the chassis’s unique skeletal-like aluminum rear subframe, the EQXX’s advancements in material sciences surely will extend to numerous future Benzes and AMGs. In short, the EQXX’s influence will be far-reaching, which is more than you can say about most concept cars.

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Lately it’s all Ford Bronco this, Ford Bronco that. If it’s not the Raptor, it’s the Everglades. What about the Jeep Wrangler? Is there any news there, you ask? Why yes, there is. And while it’s perhaps not anything too major—no Rubicon 392—the new-for-2022 Wrangler High Tide does offer a taste of the aftermarket lifestyle (big tires, lift kit, custom top, trick windshield) straight from the dealer, warranty and all. The initial 500 models are called “Beach,” and that tells you what you need to know about the High Tide’s aspirations: You drive it to the beach. Maybe you drive it on the beach. Let’s not overthink this.More on Jeep WranglerThe High Tide package is built on Jeep’s Wrangler Unlimited Sport model with the 285-hp 3.6-liter V-6 and eight-speed automatic, meaning it doesn’t get locking differentials, a disconnecting anti-roll bar, or any of the Wrangler’s myriad other powertrains. High Tide does include the Xtreme Recon package, though, which brings 35-inch BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 tires on 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, crammed under extended fenders with the help of a 1.5-inch suspension lift. The axles get 4.56:1 final-drive gearing, the rear end gains a limited-slip differential, and there are a few other Mopar accessories, including a redesigned hinge gate on the rear-mounted spare tire—basically an exoskeleton that supports the ginormous spare-tire assembly. That detail recalls a lament we once heard from a Stellantis engineer to the effect of, “You spend a million dollars to properly engineer a one-inch lift, and then people go out and install a six-inch lift that was developed in two weeks by some guys in a garage.” Whatever the vices of the Xtreme Recon package—and we’ll get to those—you at least know that it’s safe and you won’t shear a driveshaft because somebody forgot to consider the angle of a U-joint.HIGHS: Tonka-truck presence, easy-open top, ruggedized windshield.Beyond the lift, the High Tide gives you the option of swapping back and forth between the usual rigid overhead “Freedom panels” of its three-piece body-color hardtop or a Sunrider Flip-Top, a bolt-in fabric section that can be manually opened or closed by the front-seat occupants in a matter of seconds—a little like having a Miata top over the front buckets. Its other notable feature is a windshield reinforced with Corning Gorilla Glass, which addresses the Wrangler’s propensity for collecting rock chips and cracks on its very upright, very flat windshield. Gorilla Glass is common in the electronics world, where it lends improved smash resistance to the likes of phone screens, but it’s still relatively exotic in the automotive realm (the McLaren Senna’s lower door windows, roof, and rear window were made of it). If you just want that windshield without all the High Tide trappings, it’s a $495 option on select Wranglers and Gladiators and can be retrofitted on older models, all the way back to 2007 Wranglers. In the event a High Tide driver does manage to chip a windshield, the glass is covered by a two-year warranty. But it’s rugged stuff—Corning built a pneumatic ice cannon just to see what kind of impacts it could take.To prevent the High Tide from requiring outriggers, the lifted suspension is stiff—much stiffer, seemingly, than even a Rubicon model on 33-inch tires. With a track four inches wider than that of a standard Wrangler Sport and 2.5 inches broader than a Rubicon, the High Tide feels stable, if not particularly happy, in corners. Its 0.69 g of lateral grip is probably about as hard as you’d want to corner in this buggy. Likewise, its 7.7-second run to 60 mph feels plenty quick enough, especially given the lackluster stopping distance from 70 mph: 211 feet, the same distance we recorded from the almost-10,000-pound GMC Hummer EV. (Given that the Wrangler laid down faint gray skid marks along the length of its braking test, its ABS keeping things just on the threshold of lockup, it’s clear that its lengthy stop is more the fault of the knobby tires than the brakes themselves.) We failed to record a 100-mph stop because Jeep quite sensibly prevents the High Tide from going that fast. Top speed is limited to 97 mph, at which it’s easy to imagine what it’s like to be an astronaut plunging through the atmosphere in a reentry capsule. LOWS: Opening the top on the highway is like a never-ending flyover from an F-16, long stopping distance, stiff ride.And that’s with the Sunrider roof closed. With it open, even at a relatively benign 70 mph, the tires, engine, and especially the wind conspire to produce a 103-decibel interior sound level. How loud is that? Loud enough that we’ll need to reference 1992’s “Federal Agency Review of Selected Airport Noise Analysis Issues,” which reported that an F-16 fighter jet flying over at 1000 feet at 403 mph spikes at 101 decibels. Serious hearing damage is possible over an eight-hour exposure to 100-decibel sound levels, so it’s fortunate that closing the roof lowers the din to a tolerable 74 decibels at 70 mph.As you may have surmised, going fast isn’t really the High Tide’s forte. But rolling around town with the top back on a sunny day? Now you’re talking. Ditto any kind of off-road endeavor that prizes a big footprint and plenty of ground clearance—the Xtreme Recon package is optimized for mud, deep water, and sand. If the tide is less than 33.6 inches up your doors, this Wrangler can ford it. It also has a monster 12.9 inches of ground clearance, which actually undersells how tall it is—maybe loosen up those hip flexors before swinging a leg up into the cabin. Opting for High Tide Quick Order Package 25D adds $11,895 to the price of a Wrangler Unlimited Sport, plus another $4000 for the compulsory eight-speed automatic and 3.6-liter eTorque V-6 the High Tide requires. Which sounds like a lot of money, and it is. But anyone who’s gone down the aftermarket path knows that you can easily spend a similar sum to arrive at the same monster-Jeep result, but without the factory development and support. Through that lens, the High Tide’s $51,535 effective base price looks like a pretty good deal. But it’s still not the least expensive path to a Wrangler with the Xtreme Recon package and 35-inch tires—that would be the Willys trim, which comes in at $45,695 to start. And, as anyone in Normandy would tell you, a Willys works just fine on the beach.SpecificationsSpecifications
2022 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited High TideVehicle Type: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $35,640/$58,695Options: High Tide package – 35-inch tires, 17-in x 8-in beadlock-capable wheels, 4.56 axle ratios, 1.5-inch factory suspension lift, wheel flare extensions, body color 3-piece hardtop w/rear defroster, washer, and wiper, Sunrider folding soft front hardtop panel insert, Freedom Panel storage bag, rock rails, limited-slip rear differential, hinge-gate reinforcement, LED head- and foglamps, Gorilla Glass windshield, remote keyless entry, all-weather floor mats, $11,895; 8-speed automatic transmission and 3.6L eTorque V-6 engine, $4000; cold weather group – heated front seats and steering wheel, remote start, $1195; safety group – blind spot and cross path detection, rear parking sensors, LED taillamps $1145; technology group – automatic climate control, 7-inch instrument panel display, proximity key, $1095; trailer tow and HD electrical group w/auxiliary switches, $995; advanced safety group – adaptive cruise, auto high beams, forward collision warning, $945; Selec-Trac full-time capable 4WD system w/2.72:1 low range, $795; Hydro Blue Pearl paint, $395
ENGINE
DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 220 in3, 3604 cm3Power: 285 hp @ 6400 rpmTorque: 260 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: live axle/live axleBrakes, F/R: 12.9-in vented disc/13.6-in vented discTires: BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2LT 315/70R-17 113/110S Load Range C M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 118.4 inLength: 192.5 inWidth: 79.3 inHeight: 75.5 inPassenger Volume: 104 ft3Cargo Volume: 32 ft3Curb Weight: 4829 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.7 sec1/4-Mile: 16.3 sec @ 84 mphResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.1 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.9 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.5 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 97 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 211 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.69 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 16 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 20/18/23 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDA car-lover’s community for ultimate access & unrivaled experiences. JOIN NOWThis content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

10,000-Mile UpdateThe new-car smell has been replaced with fast-food aromatherapy from over 13,000 miles of road trips and commutes, but the staff continues to admire our long-term Honda Civic Si enough to want more from it. While it continues to gobble up miles without any major misadventure, lurgy, or katzenjammer (put down the thesaurus before someone gets knackered), there are a few areas we feel the 11th-gen Civic could use some extra ketchup.We’ve been scouring the web for aftermarket hardware that will take the Civic Si to the next level. During our new braking test from 100 mph its brakes went full quasar. High temperatures triggered a brake-system warning light, and we experienced significant brake fade. Although not a likely scenario in normal driving conditions—unless you normally drive 100 mph—it was an obvious area for improvement before attending upcoming track days. Until recently, no one provided upgraded brake pads for the brand-new 2022 Si. Although it shares the same calipers and pads as the current Accord, track-grade hardware in the family-sedan segment is about as common as baby formula right now at a Piggly Wiggly. So, we’re addressing the situation the way most Honda Civic owners fix things, DIY-style.Brake Last, Finish FirstWe called Mike Puskar, owner of Carbotech Performance Brakes, for help. He assured us his track pads would upgrade the Si’s brake performance from stepping in something stinky to stepping on something strong. Mike invited us to Carbotech’s production facility in Concord, North Carolina, to build our own set. Since 1996, Carbotech has helped race cars brake later with its high-temp ceramic Kevlar friction material. Most pads sold today are either semi-metallic or ceramic compounds, and they aren’t built for track use. Carbotech’s pads range in capability from 800 degrees Fahrenheit in the everyday street compound all the way to race pads good for up to 2000 degrees. Each pad is hand-built by one of Carbotech’s seasoned brake-ologists. Pads weren’t yet available for our Civic Si, but Carbotech said it could create them, using the OE hardware to craft the backplate templates. (We wish all future 11th-gen Civic Si owners a very pleasant track day.)How to Build Brake PadsI holstered the keyboard for a day to build our set of Carbotech pads with an air chisel. The first step of the brake pad process is removing the original pad material from the backplate. It blasts away easily, even if you’re holding the air chisel wrong. Once most of the material is off, a belt sander clears the remaining debris from the plate.Working inside the Carbotech factory harkens back to my own high school automotive shop class. It’s a warehouse teeming with enormous World War II-era lathes and drill presses. Massive tubes of air ducting hang from the ceiling like chandeliers. Amid the dust and pad powder, every tool has its place, and goofing around is a good way to lose a finger. The machinery here isn’t robotic, with the nearest thing to automation being a sandblast cabinet with a conveyor belt and a baking oven you don’t have to light with a match. The raw chunks of pad material are called pucks, and they’re shaped to match the backplate using an enormous carbide drum. Once the puck is ready, two holes are drilled into the backplate and then used as a pilot to guide the drill into the brake-pad material. While a single drill bit can cut through the street-compound material numerous times, the stronger pads’ higher levels of heat resistance diminish the lifecycle of the tools. In building our set of XP12 pads, which can handle temperatures of up to 1850 degrees Fahrenheit, the high-strength steel bit was thrown to the scrap pile after drilling just two holes.A chamfer is added to one side of the puck and then affixed to the backplate with high-temperature adhesive. The steel and brass rivets that hold this assembly together are pressed using a foot press. The nearly finished pad is then moved to an oven to cook, which is the most time-consuming process. It’s also why the craftsmen at Carbotech start their work at 2 a.m., well before the oven’s heat can double down on the fiery Carolina sunlight shining in. After hours of oven-curing, the pads are cooled and then painted in different colors that correlate with their level of seriousness. While Carbotech maintains an inventory of more than 40,000 brake pads, the process from which each is built is spectacularly bespoke. We’ll be putting our handmade Carbotech XP12s to good use at various track days later this summer and fall. Expect a full report on that at the 20,000-mile update.Scheduled Pit StopThe Si’s Maintenance Minder light, which is first triggered when the ECU determines remaining oil life to be 15 percent, came on at roughly 12,000 miles. We then took the Civic to the dealer for scheduled maintenance, which included an oil and oil-filter change, tire rotation, and equipment inspection for $69. The equipment inspection indicated our optional Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 high-performance summer tires are mostly surviving. The front tire tread was measured at 5/32 inch while the rears remain at a healthier 8/32 inch. When new, these tires have a tread of 10/32 inch, according to Tire Rack. We plan to install stickier track-only tires along with our Carbotech brake pads, fresh OE rotors, and upgraded high-temp fluid for upcoming track events in August and October. The best is yet to come for this fun and affordable sports sedan. Months in Fleet: 4 months Current Mileage: 13,301 milesAverage Fuel Economy: 31 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 12.4 gal Observed Fuel Range: 380 miles Service: $69 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0IntroductionWhen our Honda Civic Si arrived at Car and Driver HQ to begin its 40,000-mile stay, we were pretty damn excited. For the next 52 weekends or more, we plan to squeeze as much entertainment out of this affordable sports sedan as possible. So far, that’s meant driving to Florida for an IMSA Endurance Cup race at Sebring and brushing against cones at an SCCA autocross event. It’s a kickoff to what we’re planning to be an exciting long-term test. The options list for the Civic Si is as short as its throw from first to second gear. The Blazing Orange Pearl ($395) color is exclusive to the Si and is the same shade as our favorite Buffalo Wild Wings sauce (Spicy Garlic). We also opted for the High-Performance Tire package ($200), which wraps the 18-by-8.0-inch wheels with stickier Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 rubber. Our preference for the black standard wheels over the optional blade-style wheels saved us $1708 on an item we plan on replacing with an aftermarket set later. The Car and Driver mailbox is open to your best (or comically bad) suggestions.More on the CivicFor a year, Honda put our favorite sport compact on ice and snuffed out the coupe entirely. Thankfully, the Si is back as a longer, lower, wider, and more serious-appearing sedan. Visually, the Civic Si has gone from Gundam Wing to grownup, inching closer to the maturity and size of the Accord. The interior is an especially welcome improvement, with a bigger 9.0-inch touchscreen, climate control knobs with digital readouts, and a comfy thick grip area. Every Si gets the same red-and-black cloth interior, but its equipment largely matches that of the less powerful Civic Touring, sans the leather. The new Si’s improvements have resulted in a $2120 price increase, and for that much, we wish it retained the old car’s heated seats.Unfortunately, the new Civic Si hasn’t evolved into a more powerful unit. Horsepower from its turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four has dropped from 205 to 200 horsepower, but its 192 pound-feet of torque arrives 300 rpm sooner. Our long-term car’s initial test numbers show that despite losing five horsepower, it matched the 6.6-second run to 60 mph of the previous-generation Civic Si sedan and even mirrored its 14.9-second quarter-mile at 95 mph. However, in our passing-time metrics, which are done in top gear, the new Si shows off that lower torque peak with a 2.2-second-quicker time from 30 to 50 mph and a 0.1-second-quicker run from 50 to 70 mph. All in all, most won’t notice a difference by the seat of their pants, but the car’s excellent handling and superb steering make us wish the Si had a few extra ponies.In our initial testing, we experienced some significant brake fade during the 100-mph stop, which triggered a brake-system warning light. The 100-mph stop took 316 feet, and although that’s a reasonable performance and similar to the result on the 2020 Civic Si sedan we tested on identical tires, we didn’t encounter as much fade or a brake-system warning light on the previous-gen car.Our most exciting trip so far was a weekend drive to Slalom City for an SCCA autocross event held on a Cummins test track in Columbus, Indiana. Over six runs, the Civic Si proved to be a fantastic autocross machine, and its helical limited-slip differential made slicing between cones a grippy endeavor. The Civic Si also proved pleasant on the eight-hour round trip, and the trunk easily held our tools, air compressor, luggage, cooler, floor jack, jack stands, and helmet. It’s a good sign when the most challenging part of the race weekend is neatly taping the letters and numbers on the front doors. We look forward to giving it a more challenging weekend at an actual track day soon, as we did with our long-term 2019 Honda Civic Type R. With less than 6000 miles on the odometer, the logbook has already started to fill with comments on what’s shaping up to be a love/hate relationship with the sporty suspension. The Si’s stiffer suspension, chassis, and performance tires can sometimes make for a bouncy romp over Michigan’s abundance of expansion joints and uneven (and sometimes missing) pavement. “Not the most relaxing commuter,” commented one editor. Senior features editor Greg Fink noted, “Stiff suspension + morning coffee = stained shirt.”The adaptive dampers that were standard on the previous Si aren’t offered on this car. That equipment is instead reserved for the new Integra A-Spec, which is essentially an Acura-badged Civic Si with leather seats. Here, there’s no comfort mode for our aging backs and growing bums. The three drive modes—Normal, Sport, and Individual—don’t really transform the Si. Sport mode adjusts the steering weight and throttle response while deactivating the stop-start function. It’s a shame this mode doesn’t add more character to the Si’s mostly quiet dual mufflers. Individual mode allows the combination of Sport steering with Normal throttle response. The stop-start function can also be switched off at any time with a button that’s separate from the drive modes. Honda has given the Civic Si a rev-matching system, previously only available on the Civic Type R, as well. This can be a little annoying to enable or disable, as it’s done within the infotainment touchscreen under vehicle options, which can only be accessed if the parking brake is on.The Civic Si has many increasingly rare qualities: It’s a sedan that’s sold with a six-speed manual transmission exclusively, and its little rumble is fueled by forbidden apple juice. That it remains available is cause for celebration. We’re thankful it’s back, marking the beginning of an 11th generation since the first Civic debuted in the 1970s. So, before the Civic Si becomes another fun car replaced by a crossover, we’ve got 40,000 miles to reach and more cones to kill.Months in Fleet: 2 months Current Mileage: 5977 milesAverage Fuel Economy: 29 mpgFuel Tank Size: 12.4 gal Observed Fuel Range: 350 milesService: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0Damage and Destruction: $0SpecificationsSpecifications
2022 Honda Civic SiVehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $28,315/$28,910Options: Blazing Orange Pearl paint, $395; summer tires, $200
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 91 in3, 1498 cm3Power: 200 hp @ 6000 rpmTorque: 192 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm
TRANSMISSION
6-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 12.3-in vented disc/11.1-in disc Tires: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2235/40R-18 95Y Extra Load
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.7 inLength: 184.0 inWidth: 70.9Height: 55.5 inPassenger Volume: 96 ft3Trunk Volume: 14 ft3Curb Weight: 2949 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS: NEW
60 mph: 6.6 sec1/4-Mile: 14.9 sec @ 95 mph100 mph: 16.2 sec130 mph: 32.3 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 7.3 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 8.8 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 8.1 secTop Speed (C/D est): 135 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 154 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 316 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.96 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 31 mpgUnscheduled Oil Additions: 0 qt
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 31/27/37 mpg
WARRANTY
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper5 years/60,000 miles powertrain5 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection3 years/36,000 miles roadside assistance
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDA car lover’s community for ultimate access & unrivaled experiences. JOIN NOWThis content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

From the July/August 2022 issue of Car and Driver.If the Mazda MX-5 Miata and the Toyota GR86 were on the show Finding Your Roots, both would trace their ancestry back to wispy midcentury European roadsters. Over the decades, many of those Old World sports cars died out or evolved into bigger and more complex things, leaving only Mazda and Toyota (and Subaru, maker of the GR86’s twin, the BRZ) building basic, pared-down, inexpensive sports cars that deliver old-school fun.If that’s what you’re after, your search starts and ends here. The GR86—substitute the BRZ if you prefer Subarus—and the Miata are the only remaining descendants on the affordable branch of the rear-wheel-drive sports-car family tree. Each is a hoot to drive, but which one is the better starter sports car?To find out, we corralled the most aggressive and exciting versions of those two models: the GR86 Premium and an MX-5 Miata Club convertible. Their standard equipment is similar—small, high-revving naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine; six-speed manual transmission; summer tires. Both are rear-wheel drive, like the sports cars of old. In search of purity, for this comparison test, we selected the Miata softtop over the retractable-hardtop RF model.These sportsters’ base prices are about as close as their spec sheets: $31,325 for the GR86 Premium and $32,165 for the Miata Club. Our Mazda’s price ballooned to $37,260 thanks to Machine Gray paint and the $4500 BBS Recaro package, which includes Brembo front brakes, Recaro buckets, and BBS forged wheels. The GR86 had special Track bRed paint ($425) and a few accessories that brought it to $32,432, a significant $4828 less than the Mazda.2nd Place:Mazda MiataHighs: Eager engine, playful chassis, often requires SPF 30.Lows: Wobbly in hard cornering, pricey BBS Recaro package, who hid the glovebox?1st Place:Toyota GR86Highs: Easily exploitable handling, plenty of zip, surprising practicality.Lows: That grinding sound is the engine, clunky-looking dash, the only thing noisier is a Miata.Traditionally, starter sports cars have been more about playfulness than all-out performance. This pair updates that notion with solid test numbers. Both reached 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. The Miata completed the quarter-mile sprint in 14.2 seconds at 97 mph; the GR86 did it in 14.0 seconds at 101 mph. Their cornering grip is close, too, with the Miata circulating the skidpad at 0.95 g and the GR86 sticking to it at 0.97 g. Their 70-mph stopping distances are within five feet of each other.Beyond our instrumented tests, we put these two agile runabouts on an autocross course since we expect some owners will too. The course, on the beautiful M1 Concourse campus in Pontiac, Michigan, was soaked with rain, enabling our rear-drive charges to slide their tails like they were powered by NASCAR V-8s. The GR86 was easier and more fun to slip-slide through the cones, though its best run of 26.7 seconds was only a little quicker than the Miata’s 27.1-second time.In everyday use, both cars live up to their mission of joyful driver involvement. They’re especially nimble, with crisp, well-weighted steering that cuts precisely and offers reassuring effort buildup. Swapping gears takes only fingertip flicks of their shifters. Their engines are eager to rev. Their clutches are light, and their brakes bite with authority. Both ride firmly, tautly damping out pavement heaves and clip-clopping over seams. If only they sounded sexier—the Miata emits an undistinguished hum; the GR86 howls at high rpm like a blender set on puree.Press them hard, though, as we did on our squirrelly 10Best evaluation loop, and the GR86 shines while the Miata fades. With stellar chassis tuning, the Toyota feels planted and secure, like it will never get away from you. In hard corners the Mazda lists like a drunk with an elbow on the bar and leans on its rear tires in an antsy two-step, threatening to snap sideways. Rough pavement sends shivers through the open structure. Push vigorously and the GR86 proves it’s the more gifted athlete.Neither car is a great long-distance companion due to wind roar at highway speeds. Going 70 mph, the GR86 whooshes along with a noisy 74 decibels inside, and the Mazda’s top-up 79-decibel caco­phony sounds like you’re parked next to an idling 737. At 80 mph, turning on either car’s audio system isn’t worth it.Of course, comfort has never been a priority for starter sports cars. And yet, these vehicles are far from bare-bones, with standard heated seats and decent infotainment. But their daily usability and convenience diverged enough to influence the outcome of this comparison.The Miata’s cabin has so little space that stowing a pair of sunglasses is a hassle; the only available spot is a shoulder-height storage box between the seats that requires contortionist skills to access while driving. Its cupholders are all but useless. There are no map pockets. The GR86, meanwhile, offers a glovebox, multiple storage cubbies, and that vestigial rear seat, a convenient landing zone for gym bags or groceries. The Toyota feels like a real car rather than a limited-use weekend toy.Both cars carry on the fun-to-drive tradition of their ancestors. But one offers better performance, more poise under pressure, a more accessible price, and far superior practicality. While the GR86 means you give up open-air driving, it delivers more and asks you to sacrifice less. It is the starter sports car to have.SpecificationsSpecifications
2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata ClubVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $32,165/$37,260Options: Brembo/BBS/Recaro package (Brembo front brakes, BBS forged 17-inch wheels, heated Recaro sport seats, side sill extensions, rear bumper skirt), $4500; Machine Gray paint, $595
ENGINE
DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 122 in3, 1998 cm3Power: 181 hp @ 7000 rpmTorque: 151 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
6-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 11.0-in vented disc/11.0-in discTires: Bridgestone Potenza S001205/45R-17 84W
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 90.9 inLength: 154.1 inWidth: 68.3 inHeight: 48.8 inPassenger Volume: 49 ft3Trunk Volume: 5 ft3Curb Weight: 2346 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 5.4 sec1/4-Mile: 14.2 sec @ 97 mph100 mph: 15.2 sec120 mph: 26.1 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.3 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 8.9 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 9.2 secTop Speed (C/D est): 140 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 159 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 332 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.95 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 24 mpg75-mph Highway Driving: 34 mpgHighway Range: 400 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 29/26/34 mpg
–
2022 Toyota GR86 PremiumVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $31,325/$32,432Options: Track bRed paint, $425; Preferred accessory package #2, $364; carpet floor and cargo mats, $249; rear bumper applique, $69
ENGINE
DOHC 16-valve flat-4, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 146 in3, 2387 cm3Power: 228 hp @ 7000 rpmTorque: 184 lb-ft @ 3700 rpm
TRANSMISSION
6-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 11.6-in vented disc/11.4-in vented discTires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4215/40R-18 85Y
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 101.4 inLength: 167.9 inWidth: 69.9 inHeight: 51.6 inPassenger Volume: 78 ft3Trunk Volume: 6 ft3Curb Weight: 2848 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 5.4 sec100 mph: 13.7 sec1/4-Mile: 14.0 sec @ 101 mph120 mph: 21.1 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.3 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 9.0 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 8.1 secTop Speed (mfr’s claim): 140 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 154 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 319 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.97 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 20 mpg75-mph Highway Driving: 31 mpgHighway Range: 400 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 22/20/27 mpg
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Audi’s e-tron GT sedan follows a similar path as the e-tron mid-size SUV. The four-ring brand set out to make this EV look and feel just like the Audi sports sedans we know and love, in the same way the e-tron apes Audi’s conventional gas-powered crossovers. But a sports sedan is a whole lot more exciting than a luxury SUV, and the 522-hp e-tron GT is easily as satisfying as the best V-8-powered Audi four-doors, like the RS7 and RS6, both in terms of performance and driving feel.This time around, we tested the base model, which is hardly plebian. Lining up neatly with the Porsche Taycan’s 4S configuration, the e-tron GT starts at $103,895 and comes standard with front and rear electric motors producing a total of 522 horsepower. It shares its platform, two-speed gearbox, and battery pack with the Porsche, although its low-slung body and more traditional interior are both uniquely Audi.

HIGHS: Pleasing driving demeanor, familiar Audi interior, striking looks.

You can spend an extra $40,000 for the even more powerful RS version of the e-tron GT, which has 637 horsepower and some chassis tweaks. But we probably wouldn’t. Though the RS e-tron GT impressively broke the 3.0-second barrier to 60 mph in our testing, the non-RS is still plenty quick and achieved a 3.6-second result in the same test. A sub-12.0-second quarter-mile run can’t be considered slow in any universe, and the e-tron GT managed 11.9 seconds at a trap speed of 119 mph.

Even better is the way the e-tron GT rewards the driver. The steering is light, accurate, and progressive, and the damping is expertly tuned. It has quite a different driving character than the Taycan, which has heavier steering and a firmer suspension. Many of us preferred the e-tron’s more delicate demeanor and compliant ride, but the Audi’s results in our handling and braking tests did trail the Porsche’s. Wearing less aggressive Pirelli Cinturato tires compared with the Taycan 4S’s Pirelli P Zero rubber, the Audi gripped to the tune of 0.90 g around the skidpad and stopped from 70 mph in 159 feet. Those are perfectly respectable numbers but trail the Taycan’s 1.03 g’s and 147 feet.EPA ratings only show a small difference in estimated range between the e-tron GT RS and non-RS models, as both have the same battery pack. That played out in our testing, where the e-tron GT achieved 240 miles of range, the same result as the RS on our 75-mph real-world highway test. That makes the Audi the rare EV that beats its EPA-estimated range, which is 238 miles for the base car and 232 miles for the RS.

LOWS: Performance trails the Taycan, but it’s priced nearly the same.

While Porsche packs the Taycan’s cockpit full of screens to create a futuristic ambience, the e-tron GT actually has fewer screens assaulting your eyeballs than many of Audi’s non-electric models do. A digital gauge cluster and 10.1-inch touchscreen are familiar from the A6 and A7, but instead of the haptic screen lower down on the dash that controls HVAC functions, the e-tron GT has a simple array of toggle switches and hard buttons. We appreciate Audi’s restraint here, and the only mark of weirdness is the bar-shaped shifter that slides back and forth to activate reverse, neutral, and drive.Otherwise, the e-tron GT is refreshingly single-minded in its pursuit of sports-sedan greatness without overemphasizing its differences from a conventional gas car. It is at least as compelling as the Porsche Taycan with which it shares its platform, powertrain, and electrical architecture. And it had better be, because it’s nearly as expensive, too, which may surprise many buyers who assume that Porsches reside in a higher echelon than Audis. Then again, Audi’s available options are far less numerous than Porsche’s, meaning that our nearly fully loaded e-tron GT with Prestige and Performance packages stickered for $121,690, while the Taycan 4S we previously tested rang in at $143,690 with a longer list of extras.Either way, there’s no denying that e-tron GT is a costly proposition. But it is also one of our favorite EVs to drive—and perhaps one of our favorite sports sedans, period.

Specifications

Specifications
2022 Audi e-tron GT quattroVehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $103,895/$121,690Options: Prestige package – includes adaptive cruise control w/lane guidance, Bang & Olufsen premium sound, head-up display, top-view camera, dual pane acoustic side glass, heated rear seats, multi-colored interior ambient lighting, $7200; Performance package – includes dynamic steering, rear-wheel steering, e-torque vectoring plus, HD matrix LED headlights, Black Optic exterior trim, $6000; Full leather interior – also includes 18-way power seats w/massage, ventilated front RS sport seats, heated multifunction steering wheel w/flat bottom, $4000; Suzuka Gray metallic paint, $595
POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous ACRear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous ACCombined Power: 522 hpCombined Torque: 472 lb-ftBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 83.7 kWhOnboard Charger: 11.0 kWTransmissions, F/R: direct-drive/2-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 14.2-in vented disc/14.1-in vented discTires: Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue ELECTF: 245/45R-20 103Y Extra Load NF0R: 285/40R-20 108Y Extra Load NF0
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 114.1 inLength: 196.4 inWidth: 77.3 inHeight: 55.6 inPassenger Volume: 91 ft3Trunk Volume, F/R: 2/9 ft3Curb Weight: 5148 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 3.6 sec100 mph: 8.5 sec1/4-Mile: 11.9 sec @ 119 mph130 mph: 14.4 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.0 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 1.8 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.2 secTop Speed (gov): 152 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 159 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 326 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.90 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
75-mph Highway Range: 240 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 82/81/83 MPGeRange: 238 mi
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED

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Porsche has long been expert at putting new variants into even the tiniest of niches, a smorgasbord strategy that creates a plethora of possibilities. With the current 911, the range runs from the basic Carrera to the S and the GTS and on to the twin pinnacles of the motorsports-inspired GT3 and the supercar-baiting Turbo S. Throw in cabriolet and Targa variants, and the ability to select either rear- or all-wheel drive and manual or PDK dual-clutch transmissions on much of the range, and you have a bewildering array of choices—and that’s before considering the options list that’s longer and more financially punishing than the German tax code. You could spend days with the online configurator without ever finding the perfect solution.The new Sport Classic, then, could be a perfect shortcut for those who are rich in cash but short on time to make such tricky decisions, or who want to make some otherwise impossible combinations. In essence it is a rear-drive version of the normally all-wheel-drive Turbo, one that also comes with a standard-fit seven-speed manual gearbox in place of the PDK that is mandatory in the Turbo, plus pretty much a full set of ticked option boxes. You’ll notice it also has a ducktail spoiler.
This is because the Sport Classic is one of Porsche’s Heritage Design limited-run models, which take inspiration from different eras of the company’s history. In the Sport Classic’s case, that era is the late ’60s and early ’70s, with the fixed wing clearly referencing the famous ducktail worn by the 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7. Other retro design touches in the new car include Fuchs-style alloy wheels, checked cloth inserts on the seats and the door panels, and gold badging. The red in the Porsche logos is the more orange shade the company used back when sex was safe and racing was dangerous.

The Sport Classic might look (slightly) like an RS 2.7, but it doesn’t drive like one. That’s unsurprising given that the new car weighs over 60 percent more than its famous predecessor and has two-and-a-half times more power. It’s also because the 2023 Sport Classic’s dynamic character feels close to the 911 Turbo on which it’s based. Power and torque have been reduced slightly due to the limitations of the manual gearbox—the SC’s 543 horsepower and 442 pound-feet representing reductions of 29 horsepower and 111 pound-feet, respectively, but the character of the 3.7-liter flat-six remains intact, with little lag and huge midrange muscle.
The Sport Classic might be the most powerful 992-generation 911 to be offered with a manual gearbox, but beyond novelty, the stick shift really isn’t a significant highlight. There are two reasons for this: The first is that as a product of the regular 911 clan rather than the Motorsport line, the SC uses the seven-speed gearbox, which has less precise shift action than the GT3’s scalpel-sharp six-speeder and the complexity of four planes. The gearbox handles direct shifts between consecutive ratios cleanly and features a rev-matching function to smooth downshifts. But we sometimes found ourselves lost when trying to skip intermediate gears or move across planes, often ending up in fifth when looking for third, or even seventh when aiming for fifth.
The second issue isn’t down to the gearbox, rather the flatness of the engine’s torque delivery, which delivers its peak all the way from 2000 to 6000 rpm. Thus, there really isn’t much difference in urge between any of the higher ratios when traveling quickly. Part of the joy of choosing the right gear comes from the risk of being in the wrong gear, but given the breadth of the Sport Classic’s muscle, that’s not much of a risk. The same muscle also makes this car effortlessly quick. The Sport Classic might be slower than the Turbo, but it is still capable of summoning huge speed in small distances, a point it proved on a derestricted stretch of autobahn near Stuttgart. Clumps of slower-moving traffic in the passing lane slowed the 911 to what felt like a crawl of 75 mph or so, but as soon as these blockages cleared the car projected itself back to twice that or even more without any sense of strain. The Sport Classic feels more relaxed at 150 mph than most cars do at 100.
Off the autobahn, the Sport Classic still felt very Turbo-esque. This car gets most of the 911’s optional dynamic features as standard, including rear-wheel steering, a torque-vectoring differential, the PDCC active anti-roll system, and PCCB carbon-ceramic brakes. The loss of a driven front axle hasn’t dramatically altered its handling demeanor, and there’s no shortage of traction on smooth, dry asphalt, even when launching hard from intersections or when applying big power in tight turns. Yet there was little sense of the chassis waking up under the lateral loadings that can be generated on road at quasi-responsible speeds thanks to this abundance of grip. As in all 911s, the Sport Classic’s cornering line can be easily and instinctively tightened (or widened) through weight transfer using small gas-pedal adjustments, and it can be hustled at huge speeds down a twisting road without undue drama. In that regard, it is as impressive as the car it’s based on, but anyone expecting the adrenaline-spiking thrills that old rear-drive 911 Turbos delivered is not going to find them here.
Neither does this car feel like an obvious successor to the 997-generation Sport Classic that went on sale in 2009, a limited-to-250 special edition based on the contemporary Carrera S and with a slightly enhanced version of that car’s naturally aspirated engine. It might sound heretical to say so, but we came away from our drive in this new Sport Classic thinking that the current GT3’s less powerful naturally aspirated 4.0-liter engine and snappier gearbox would have better suited this car, especially given that it draws its inspiration from the era before the 911 Turbo was born.Sport Classic buyers will encounter another long-established Porsche tradition, that of charging big for a limited-edition model. Although it is slower and less powerful than the 911 Turbo and has half the driven wheels, the Sport Classic carries a sizable premium with an MSRP of $273,750. That represents an upcharge of nearly $100,000 over the standard Turbo coupe and $65,000 over the mighty Turbo S. That is a serious chunk of change by any standard, although one the company obviously reckons is justified by the rarity of a model that will be restricted to 1250 cars across all global markets. Let’s face it, if anyone can sell the concept of paying more to end up with less, it’s Porsche.

Specifications

Specifications
2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classicrear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base: $273,750
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 229 in3, 3745 cm3Power: 543 hp @ 6750 rpmTorque: 442 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
7-speed manual
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 96.5 inLength: 178.5 inWidth: 74.8 inHeight: 51.1 inPassenger Volume: 74 ft3Cargo Volume: 5 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 3468 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.7 sec100 mph: 7.2 sec1/4-Mile: 11.3 secTop Speed: 196 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 16/14/19 mpg

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Thomas Haas has a problem: He has too many Porsches. The man in charge of maintaining the collection of the Porsche Museum has a superabundance of riches in his care. There are more than 700 cars in this automotive archive, with around half living in the huge warehouse/workshop in the Stuttgart suburb of Kallenberg that Haas is showing us around. It is an Aladdin’s Cave of riches: race cars, prototypes, concepts, one-offs, plus drivable examples of almost every car Porsche has ever produced. Some models seem obviously over-represented, with one aisle featuring half a dozen 918 Spyders, for instance. “It is hard to say no to anybody who offers you a 918 Spyder,” Haas says, wistfully. “I would not say we have too many. But we certainly have many.”
We’ve come to Germany to celebrate an earlier period of Porsche’s history, however. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 911 Carrera RS 2.7, one of the company’s most famous models and one that pioneered what would later become the GT and RS road cars produced by the company’s Motorsport division right up to the present day. Porsche offered the chance to drive two immaculate examples as part of a hands-on history lesson involving both the company’s comprehensive archive and the chance to talk to one of the men who worked on the pioneering project.Humble OriginsAlthough it has long been regarded as one of Porsche’s pinnacle products, the RS 2.7 was developed on a shoestring budget. It was also born from failure—specifically, the difficulty that the regular 911 was having being competitive on racetracks. The FIA’s Group 4 regulations offered the chance to create a more aggressive version, but there was little money and no ability to make major changes. The biggest issue for the standard car was aerodynamic lift, the 911’s gently sloping rear creating a low-pressure area that created instability at high speeds. So, in 1972, an aerodynamicist named Hermann Burst who had previously worked on the all-conquering 917 racer car was asked to find a way to improve matters. “The problem was that we weren’t supposed to change the original shape of the 911,” says Burst, now 81 and still happy to talk about his famous project. “So, we were looking for the simplest way to improve both drag and lift.”

The solution arrived at by his tiny team was a cleverly shaped rear spoiler, the famous duck tail. Working in conjunction with a front air dam, it produced rear-end downforce, reduced drag, and—another useful side effect—improved the cooling for the air-cooled flat-six hung behind the rear axle. Germany’s regulators weren’t happy with the idea, fearing any motorcyclists hitting the sharp edge of the spoiler would be badly injured, so Porsche agreed to limit the height of the wing and said production of the roadgoing version would be capped at the 500 units necessary for homologation. (This latter promise was quietly forgotten; 1580 examples of the RS 2.7 were eventually made.) Porsche made some other, less radical changes too. The car got wider rear tires, bodywork made from thinner-gauge sheetmetal, and thinner glass. Sound insulation was removed too. The suspension was upgraded with stiffer springs and thicker anti-roll bars, plus new rear control arms and upgraded crossmembers. Curb weight for the fully decontented Sport version—which did without carpeting, rear seats, a dashboard clock, or even a glove compartment lid—was claimed to be just 2116 pounds.
Engine upgrades were more limited. The enlarged 2.7-liter engine used the same valves and compression ratio as the existing 2.4, but with a bigger bore boosting capacity and increasing power to a peak 207 horsepower. (More sizable power increases arrived with the first 911 Turbo three years later.) The 2.7-liter 911 was one of the quickest sports cars on the planet, with a likely conservative claim of 5.8 seconds from zero to 62 mph (we achieved 5.8 seconds to 60 mph with a lower-powered and heavier 1974 Porsche 911S Carrera) and a 152-mph top speed. Lastly, there was the need to find a name for this range-topping model. The Carrera name had previously been used for range-topping versions of other models, inspired by Porsche’s successes in La Carrera Panamericana in the 1950s. A young Dutch designer called Harm Lagaay—who ultimately became Porsche’s head of design—was given the task of creating a suitable typographical logo for the name, creating the famous silhouetted script that spanned the wheel arches on the side of the car. The RS branding came from Renn Sport, or “racing sport,” an encapsulation of the car’s brief.
Taking the Wheel of a LegendFascinating as the RS 2.7 is on a theoretical level, the practical demonstration of the car’s talents is what’s really special. Persuading anybody to let you have a go in an original RS 2.7 is going to be difficult. Prices of even an average example of the Touring version will run well past $500,000, with the most cossetted and lowest mileage Sport variants getting into seven figures. The museum actually let me drive two from its collection, a yellow Touring and a white Sport. Both are in immaculate condition. Driving older cars usually means experiencing the foibles that time has introduced as well as the ones they were made with. That isn’t the case here—both cars feel as if they have slipped through a five-decade time portal and arrived in factory fresh condition. There are no visible blemishes inside or out, and they drive without any of the knocks or creaks that usually come with age.
The RS feels tiny. The cabin is narrow enough that the lack of electric windows isn’t an issue: I can easily reach across to operate the winder on the passenger side. The floor-mounted pedals feel awkward and are positioned with a sizable offset between brake and gas, one that together with the limited legroom makes it almost impossible to manage smooth heel-and-toe rev matching. The unassisted steering feels low-geared compared to any modern sports car but is beautifully weighted as soon as the car started to move and is rich in feedback. The shifter for the five-speed transmission lacks the resistance and tightly corralled gates of a modern Porsche manual but is finger-light and accurate. Don’t Drive It Too GentlyUpshifting with the deference due a museum piece made the RS initially seem underwhelming. The engine has a nice, metallic harmony at lower revs, but it lacks midrange muscle, and its obvious desire to rev soon persuaded me to push harder. Doing so made it clear that the best is reserved for the very top of the rev range, where acceleration turns keen even by modern-century standards as the central tach’s needle closes in on the 7200-rpm redline.
While the modest grip produced by the 15-inch Pirelli Cinturato tires felt closer to that of a Miata than the Velcro adhesion of a 992-generation 911 Carrera, the RS flags its limits clearly and encourages the driver to try and find them. The steering lightens perceptibly as front-end grip begins to fade, with the rear axle’s attitude easily altered by gently easing the throttle. You’ll be unsurprised that I didn’t try to provoke any of the lift-off oversteer that early 911s were infamous for, but on the smooth, dry roads there was no sense of snappiness.Switching to the RS Touring proved that dynamic differences between the two cars are barely perceptible, but also that I actually preferred the slightly plusher car. While the Sport’s bucket seats gripped aggressively, the Touring’s offered less lateral support, but their greater flexibility allowed a useful increase in legroom. Plus, it has a clock, and who doesn’t want to tell the time? Older cars often feel like a museum piece when viewed through the prism of modern experience—slow and soft and imprecise, even if replete with the cultural associations we love them for. But the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 is a museum piece that has both huge cultural resonance and a compelling driving experience. The various lightweight 911 derivatives that have followed, through GT and RS incarnations, have been faster and grippier. But none has possessed the significance of this early pioneer.

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From the July/August 2022 issue of Car and Driver.40,000-Mile Wrap-UpWould you ever believe that this green—literally, not figuratively—hybrid was the most popular car in our long-term fleet during its 12-month tenure? “No way,” you say. Well, despite that we have a parking lot filled with the likes of a BMW M3, a Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0, a Chevrolet Corvette, and a Ram 1500 TRX, a mini­van—the terminally underappreciated automotive breed that new dads fear and cool moms look down on—was in fact the most popular. Our 40,000-mile test took 350 days. Why was that? Simple: This is one highly evolved minivan.This all-wheel-drive Sienna Limited arrived back in May 2021, and it stickered for $51,885. We might have gone for a lesser trim, but when we saw Cypress green on the options sheet, we knew that was the van for us. Limited is the lowest trim in which the color was available, and while it’s $1960 less than the Platinum, we felt that the Limited had everything we wanted: leather seats, sliding second-row captain’s chairs that shuffle rearward far enough to make Yao Ming smile, more USB outlets than a Delta Sky Club lounge, and a 245-hp hybrid powertrain consisting of a 2.5-liter inline-four, three electric motors, and a small traction battery.When new, the Sienna hit 60 mph in 7.6 seconds and slinked through a quarter-mile in 15.7 seconds at 89 mph. These aren’t numbers that stir one’s loins, but that is just as quick as a previous-generation 2015 Honda Odyssey, so if you’re so evolved that you go from van to van, with or without the need to chauffeur dependents, it’ll feel normal. Also unremarkable are 0.77 g on the skidpad and 194 feet to stop from 70 mph.Instead, this minivan was at the top of everyone’s list because of sexy attributes like ease of ingress, the ability to carry seven people and nine suitcases at the same time, unencumbered visibility, and more storage cubbies than an IKEA display. We’ll pause while you catch your breath and call your local Toyota dealer. The biggest complaint was powertrain noise. Don’t be misled by the 67-decibel cabin din at 70 mph—on paper that’s quite comfortable and below “average office noise,” according to the Hearing Health Foundation. But that was recorded at a steady 70 mph. Frequent acceleration can be soul-crushing. For example, say you’re cruising at 75 mph (where the Sienna sips fuel at 33 mpg), and there’s an 18-wheeler doing 74 in front of you. Put the accelerator to the floorboard, and the drone that accompanies moderate acceleration could force a Gitmo detainee to break a silence. But keep an active watch on traffic with the cruise control on, and there’s no torture.View PhotosThe Limited trim’s second-row thrones have a “super-long-slide feature,” the limits of which are shown at left, not just the “long-slide” of lesser trims. The interior layout drew no complaints.Michael Simari|Car and DriverAfter 40,000 miles, the Sienna lost a bit of the pep in its step, posting a 7.7-second 60-mph time, but that’s still quicker than minivans were 15 years ago. And no van from then could average 29 mpg over 40,000 miles. Our long-term 2018 Honda Odyssey returned 23 mpg. The Sienna betters that by 25 percent. That fuel economy is incredible considering many of us drive as if Ann Arbor hosts daily sprint races. More MinivansIf we factor out all the miles we accumulated on our “winter” tires, we probably would have averaged 32 mpg. But such is the life of a C/D long-term car. We put winter in quotes above because instead of ordering Blizzaks or Hakkapeliittas, we tried a set of Michelin Cross­Climate 2s. This isn’t your typical winter tire in that it’s designed to be used year-round, but it still meets the traction requirements for a Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake designation. We had them on for about 15,000 miles, keeping them well into spring. We estimate they will last 70,000 miles. We didn’t test the car on them in dry conditions, but drivers commented on how well the Sienna behaved on them. The typical winter tire has lots of squirm that a sensitive driver can detect, but not these. If that’s enough for you to eliminate the biannual chore of swapping tires, these tires are a strong option.The Sienna traveled as far west as Washington State, as far south as Georgia, and as far east as Cape Cod and Maine. Staff editor Austin Irwin put a roof-top tent on it and used it as his mobile honeymoon suite. It also moved new (re-)hire Greg Fink from Chicago to Ann Arbor on multiple trips. Through all of those miles, there were the typical hybrid quibbles from an atypical hybrid bunch. But everyone agreed that the Sienna was great at moving people and things alike. Big gusts move the sail-sided Sienna on the highway, but what minivan wouldn’t be affected similarly? Our ownership experience is the kind every automaker hopes for when loaning us a long-termer. There were eight trips to the dealer for routine maintenance at 5000-mile intervals. The first five were covered under ToyotaCare’s umbrella of no-added-cost service, and the remaining three totaled just $500. The one unscheduled stop turned out to be an issue we could have easily fixed had we noticed it: The seal on the driver’s-side sliding door—which, by the way, opens with a kick of the foot under the rocker panel—wasn’t seated properly and would interfere with the power-close function. Combined with the low fuel cost, this Sienna earned about as close to a perfect score as possible.But despite all of this goodness, we did have some legitimate complaints. Parents were frustrated by the rear-seat entertainment screen’s lack of iPhone compatibility. We’d probably forgo spending $1415 on the system and just get a tablet to hang on the seatback. When you spec the second-row screen, To­yota also forces the purchase of an AC inverter ($300) and a rear camera mirror ($200), a necessity because the deployed screen completely obscures rear visibility.Everyone loved the balance of frugality and practicality that the Sienna offers. Bottom line: The good greatly outweighs the bad. This is one fantastic van, and it turns out the rest of the car-buying public agrees, because during 2021 the Sienna became the bestselling minivan on the market. Also in 2021, more buyers flocked to mini­vans, which saw their market share increase to 5 percent from 4 percent in 2020 (not that 2020 is a benchmark for anything). That may seem like peanuts, but maybe society is evolving too. Soon we will no longer think of the mini­van as a penalty box, especially minivans that can save considerable money at the pump over other seven-seaters, the way our Sienna did.View PhotosBury the accelerator and the hybrid powertrain groans, but keep it off the floor and the cabin is a serene place to accumulate miles. We averaged 29 mpg. You can likely do better.Michael Simari|Car and DriverRants and RavesVans get no love, which is sad because they’re so useful. The Sienna is so good: a silent, supple, no-BS van with 30-plus-mpg fuel economy and a great interior. —Tony QuirogaThe powertrain isn’t bothersome when you’re driving gently on flat Michigan roads. But once you get into the hills of Pennsylvania, the engine groans more than my preteen when asked to do her chores. —Dave VanderWerpDropping the rear entertainment screen renders the rearview mirror useless. A digital rearview mirror with a camera feed would be nice. —Eric StaffordIt has one, Stafford. —David BeardI packed this van to the gills for my final move from Chicago, and the extra mass put some sag in the rear end and made the ride quality a bit rougher. Even so, the hybrid powertrain didn’t really seem to struggle with the extra weight. —Greg FinkI still can’t believe how quiet this thing is. Add a head-up display and I’m a buyer. —Tony QuirogaShould we put Quiroga on the spot and tell him that the Platinum trim comes with a HUD? —K.C. ColwellSpecificationsSpecifications
2021 Toyota Sienna Limited AWDVehicle Type: front-engine, front and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door van
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $49,675/$51,885Options: rear-seat entertainment system, $1415; AC power inverter, $300; all-weather floor mats, $220; digital rear-view mirror, $200; temporary spare, $75
POWERTRAIN
DOHC 16-valve Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter inline-4, 189 hp, 176 lb-ft + 3 permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors, front: 180 hp, 199 lb-ft; rear: 54 hp, 89 lb-ft (combined output, 245 hp); nickel-metal-hydride battery packTransmissions, F/R: continuously variable automatic/direct-drive
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 12.9-in vented disc/12.5-in vented discTires: Bridgestone Turanza LS100P235/60R-18 102V M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 120.5 inLength: 203.7 inWidth: 78.5 inHeight: 68.5 inPassenger Volume: 162 ft3Cargo Volume: 34 ft3Curb Weight: 4846 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS: NEW
60 mph: 7.6 sec1/4-Mile: 15.7 sec @ 89 mph100 mph: 21.1 sec110 mph: 26.8 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 9.0 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 5.0 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.9 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 116 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 194 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.77 g
C/D TEST RESULTS: 40,000 MILES
60 mph: 7.7 sec1/4-Mile: 15.9 sec @ 89 mph100 mph: 20.9 sec110 mph: 27.5 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.2 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.0 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.3 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 116 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 182 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.80 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 29 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 35/35/36 mpg
WARRANTY
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper5 years/60,000 miles powertrain8 years/100,000 miles hybrid system10 years/150,000 miles hybrid battery5 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection2 years/25,000 miles scheduled maintenance
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED30,000-Mile UpdateBy the 15,000-mile mark, the Toyota Sienna quickly became the top pick among our long-term cars for interstate family adventures thanks to its spacious, practical interior and excellent gas mileage. But as the Sienna approached 30,000 miles, it gained fresh competition for road-trip duty when a 2022 Kia Carnival SX Prestige joined the Car and Driver long-term fleet for its own 40,000-mile stress test. The addition of a second minivan exposed some of the Sienna’s flaws, but it also reinforced the Toyota’s positive attributes, and the small annoyances weren’t enough to outweigh the benefits, with the Sienna remaining a much-wanted vehicle. Most of the complaints centered around the Sienna’s dynamism, or rather its lack thereof. While it would be silly to expect a minivan to slingshot to 60 mph or pull major g-forces when carving a canyon road, the Carnival showed that a minivan can avoid the lethargy that our Sienna at times exhibited. While only three-tenths of a second separate the two minivans in the standard 60-mph acceleration test, our 5-to-60-mph rolling start—which better represents real-world driving—revealed a sizable gap, with the Carnival doing the run in 7.6 seconds, 1.4 seconds quicker than the Sienna. Several drivers complained that flooring the gas pedal in the Sienna produced more engine noise than acceleration, with passing maneuvers on two-lane roads requiring planning and calculation. One editor even pined for “the seriously speedy V-6 in the old Sienna.” The Carnival also proved to be a quieter companion, with another commenter complaining that “the Sienna’s engine groans more than my almost-teenager when asked to do her chores.”More on MinivansThe motor wasn’t the only performance trait the Sienna was criticized for. Some staff members took issue with lane wandering on the highway, exacerbated by the ping-ponging of the lane-centering system. And while the Carnival has so far ridden smoothly, the Sienna was also critiqued for its ride, with one editor noting that the van has “more structural shake than even my 80,000-mile Odyssey.”Despite the quibbles with the Sienna’s driving characteristics, the Toyota kept impressing on the fuel-economy front—one of the highest priorities for most minivan shoppers. Our best road-trip range so far has been 571 miles, that on a 36.7-mpg run with 2.5 gallons left over. Over all 30,000 miles, the Sienna has averaged a strong 30 mpg. Meanwhile, in its first 10,000 miles, the Carnival returned just 20 mpg from its 3.5-liter V-6. The Toyota’s standard hybrid setup really pays off at the gas pump.The Sienna’s practicality continued to be key to its popularity as a family hauler. The seats were praised for their comfort, and the sliding second-row captain’s chairs allowed taller passengers to sprawl out on long drives. The capacious cargo hold swallowed everything we tried to carry. Packing the Sienna to the brim also didn’t seem to damper the fuel economy by much—with the Toyota loaded with three adults, a dog, and plenty of luggage, one editor reported still seeing 30 mpg. The Sienna also continued to uphold Toyota’s reputation for reliability. There were scheduled services at 20,000, 25,000, and 30,000 miles, with the first two covered under the ToyotaCare plan—which ends at 25,000 miles. The 30,000-mile visit rang in at $243 and included an oil and filter change, tire rotation, cabin air-filter replacement, and engine air-filter replacement. The rear-entertainment remote control had also started acting up around 20,000 miles and was repaired under warranty with a replacement sensor cover at the 25,000-mile service.We ran into issues when using a rear-mounted bike rack. With the rack in place, the rear automatic braking got confused, slamming the minivan to a halt every time we tried to reverse. The button to turn off that feature was buried in page two of the driver-assistance menu, and it turned itself back on every time the car was restarted, so driving with the bike rack attached meant an extra step before setting off. But minor problems such as this and the Sienna’s lackluster driving characteristics weren’t enough to temper the enthusiasm for the Cypress Green family-hauler, and the minivan continued to rapidly approach its 40,000-mile target.Months in Fleet: 8 months Current Mileage: 30,136 milesAverage Fuel Economy: 30 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 18.0 gal Observed Fuel Range: 540 milesService: $243 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0Damage and Destruction: $0 15,000-Mile UpdateIt may be hard to imagine that among a long-term fleet filled with such potent machines as a BMW M3, a Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0, a Chevrolet Corvette, and a Ram TRX, a member of the woefully underappreciated minivan species is one of the most popular. No one on staff ever thinks of the Toyota Sienna when talking shop at the bar, but its popularity and proficiency in moving people and things underscore its versatility as a compelling alternative to an SUV. Now suspend disbelief for another moment and pretend that this “15,000-mile” update came last summer, when the Sienna’s odometer tripped that mark. Between pandemic-related logistic issues, drivers embarking on road trips, and everything else that is daily life, we fell way behind on updating you on life with the Sienna. We’ll call this a belated 15,000-mile update with more to come soon.The Sienna’s honeymoon phase was rainbows and sunshine. After the very un-Toyota-like unscheduled service stop for what turned out to be a loose bit of weather stripping, the Sienna ran without fault. ToyotaCare covers regularly scheduled maintenance for up to 25,000 miles, and by 15,000, we had taken our green van to the dealer three times at 5000-mile intervals. All service up to this point was relatively basic, consisting of oil changes, inspections, and tire rotations. As mentioned, the Sienna went to work during the busy summer months. It headed west—very west—to Washington State and south to the Great Smoky Mountains. It also served as the literal honeymoon machine for associate buyer’s guide editor Austin Irwin, who installed a Roofnest Falcon rooftop tent for the adventure. This is a clamshell design that goes up and comes down with relative ease—once you muscle it atop the roof. While the Falcon model is no longer available, the Falcon 2 is its direct replacement in Roofnest’s line at the same $3595 price as the original. This elevated tent proved to be valuable for Irwin’s outing, making for none of the damp mornings that come from ground-based setups as well as preventing his dog from climbing inside and making a mess. The biggest downside to a rooftop tent, he surmised, is that if you want to leave your campsite in your vehicle, you must fold up the tent, which means packing up sleeping bags and anything else you want handy come nightfall. The Sienna was averaging 32 mpg at this point, and when cruising at 75 mph, it posted an impressive 33 mpg on our highway fuel-economy test. But with the tent folded on the roof, its average fell to the upper 20s (one tank was 25 mpg, another 27). These findings are purely anecdotal, but the fuel-economy hit is worth considering if you’re in the market for such a tent. And if you have one, don’t leave it on your roof when you’re just driving around. In terms of overall efficiency, the Sienna’s is exceptional for a minivan. Our 2018 Honda Odyssey averaged 23 mpg over 40,000 miles, and a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica fared 1 mpg worse than that. The hybrid Sienna’s 32-mpg figure is whopping 39 percent better. Of course, you could instead opt for a plug-in-hybrid Chrysler Pacifica, which would return even better mileage if your daily commuting fell within its 33-mile EPA electric range, though we averaged only 29 MPGe with our 2018 example. For the latest Sienna, everyone seems to love its combination of frugality and practicality, even if most logbook comments mention the hybrid powertrain’s penchant for hitting high, whiny notes when you try to pass someone on the highway. Parents also found the rear-seat entertainment system’s lack of iPhone compatibility to be frustrating—so much so that we’d probably recommend spending less than the $1415 for the factory system and just buying a tablet or two. When you spec the second-row screen, Toyota also mandates an AC inverter ($300) and a rearview camera system ($200), the latter being necessary because when deployed, the fold-down display completely obscures the rearview mirror’s field of view. But the Sienna’s virtues wholly outweigh these demerits. Thus far, it has impressively represented its kind. Months in Fleet: “6” months Current Mileage: “15,000” milesAverage Fuel Economy: 32 mpgFuel Tank Size 18.0 gal Observed Fuel Range: 570 milesService: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0Damage and Destruction: $0IntroductionNo one ever thinks minivan is the answer when asked: What car is a group of automotive journalists most likely to jockey for? But it is. Give us a minivan and we are instantly reminded of how much we love a practical machine. Our long-term Toyota Sienna did just that. It has been in all but constant motion since it arrived in late May, taking trips as the family schlepper du jour of the C/D long-term fleet. If you didn’t know, the Sienna is new for 2021, and while it doubled down on grille proportions that border on comical, the important news is the powertrain: All Siennas are hybrids. This move netted the people mover a whopping 15-mpg improvement in the EPA combined metric. Front drivers are now 36-mpg machines, and all-wheel-drive Siennas, such as our long-termer, get a big 35 mpg on the Monroney label. We asked Toyota for a Cypress Green Sienna, a color only available on the top two trim levels. We went with the penultimate Limited. It costs less than $50,000 to start, but once we got the rear-seat entertainment ($1415), an AC power inverter ($300), a rearview mirror that can also display a video feed should your van be loaded to the gunwales ($200), a mini spare tire ($75), and $220 in all-weather floor mats, we ended up with a $51,885 machine. There are eight-passenger versions, but Limiteds have only seven seats, and those second-row captain’s chairs are much more comfortable than the Stow ‘n Go seats in a Chrysler. Unlike all-wheel-drive Siennas of yore, the rear axle is directly driven by a motor. There’s no driveshaft, just like in other all-wheel-drive Toyota/Lexus hybrids. Both front- and all-wheel-drive models produce the same 245 horsepower because the electric power is limited to what the hybrid battery can produce. Initial testing revealed a 7.6-second 60-mph time and a quarter-mile elapsed time of 15.7 seconds. That’s about how it feels. A Honda Odyssey is 1.1 seconds quicker, and the previous V-6-powered Sienna was quicker than the new one as well. At least that swap to hybrid pays off at the pump as we’ve averaged 32 mpg so far. That’s 39 percent better fuel economy than we saw with our long-term 2018 Odyssey. As with most families making an economic decision, we’d gladly take the savings at the pump at a cost of some droning engine sounds at wide open throttle. Those emanate from the hybrid powertrain’s internal-combustion half, an Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter inline-four. Once moving on the highway and settled into a cruise, the Sienna hums along at a quiet 67 decibels. Right after the van showed up, the passenger sliding door wouldn’t close on its own—a first-world problem, we know—and we took the Sienna to the dealer for a very un-Toyota-like unscheduled service visit to fix it. Turns out we could have easily addressed the problem because the weather stripping had dislodged from its track and was doing a very good impression of a kid’s digit. Since then, we’ve had the Sienna in for two scheduled services. Both were typical—oil, filter, inspections—at 5000-mile intervals. Other than that, the van has been flawless. Some complain about the engine noise while accelerating. The engine droning is very apparent when you get into hilly country. And the van is somewhat lacking in the driver-centric areas such as brake and steering feel. A stiff crosswind does make the Sienna drift, but that’s true of most seven-passenger SUVs. As we mentioned, the Sienna has been in near constant motion since it arrived: Maine, North Carolina, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Maybe that is due to an uptick in road trips, or because we haven’t had a van in a while. Either way it’s a staff favorite, and even if it did sit still long enough to gather moss, we’d never know because of its color. Months in Fleet: 5 months Current Mileage: 10,135 milesAverage Fuel Economy: 32 mpg Fuel Tank Size 18.0 gal Observed Fuel Range: 570 milesService: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0Damage and Destruction: $0SpecificationsSpecifications
2021 Toyota Sienna Limited AWDVehicle Type: front-engine, front and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door van
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $49,675/$51,885Options: rear-seat entertainment system, $1415; AC power inverter, $300; all-weather floor mats, $220; digital rear-view mirror, $200; temporary spare, $75
POWERTRAIN
DOHC 16-valve Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter inline-4, 189 hp, 176 lb-ft + 3 permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors, front: 180 hp, 199 lb-ft; rear: 54 hp, 89 lb-ft (combined output, 245 hp); nickel-metal-hydride battery packTransmissions, F/R: continuously variable automatic/direct-drive
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 12.9-in vented disc/12.5-in vented discTires: Bridgestone Turanza LS100P235/60R-18 102V M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 120.5 inLength: 203.7 inWidth: 78.5 inHeight: 68.5 inPassenger Volume: 162 ft3Cargo Volume: 34 ft3Curb Weight: 4846 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS: NEW
60 mph: 7.6 sec1/4-Mile: 15.7 sec @ 89 mph100 mph: 21.1 sec110 mph: 26.8 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 9.0 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 5.0 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.9 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 116 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 194 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.77 g
C/D TEST RESULTS: 40,000 MILES
60 mph: 7.7 sec1/4-Mile: 15.9 sec @ 89 mph100 mph: 20.9 sec110 mph: 27.5 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.2 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.0 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.3 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 116 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 182 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.80 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 29 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 35/35/36 mpg
WARRANTY
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper5 years/60,000 miles powertrain8 years/100,000 miles hybrid system10 years/150,000 miles hybrid battery5 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection2 years/25,000 miles scheduled maintenance
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