On the third day of Christmas....

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me a fun VW Beetle for sis, it will fit her to a tee. That Beetle safe and secure, it looks like a blast and will also save her from one, oh how mature. How things have changed from the days of old ,now snug with airbags six ,yet it still has some tricks ,up its sleeve ,the perfect ride to be seen ,cruising the beach top down , no teeny bopper ride though, sophisticated like a vintage wine , just the right ride for that time of sis's life heralding she's arrived. Lost among newer entrants it may be ,it still is just the ride to make any day, a sun filled ride, just pop the top and get ready for a fun ride. Quick enough to keep sis in the fast lane ,with handling secure enough to make any meandering a Teutonic ride, the perfect car to have on your side ,after a day when all has gone wrong, just hop in and let the Beetle sing its sweet song, as you tool along in stylish fun, it will make even the worst days make you feel like you won. So enjoy sis you've earned it all ,now get out there and answer the roads call

On the second day of Christmas....

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me a key to a Nissan SE-R, yellow like a bee. The SE-R makes a perfect second car quick and fun it's history based on the '91 Sentra SE-R. Many said that original was a "poors mans" BMW , a true sports car too. Now more adult and restrained it's not an autocross champ anymore but still a fun way to begin my daily tore as I whip around the corners on the backroads trying to flee the highway gridlock the SE-R handles the bumps without feeling like I'm being socked! Smooth as a Corrola but way more fun as I click each gear with the paddle shiffers that take just a mere push much better than the 5 speed that feels like mush. I arrive at work with my adreniline pumping yet refreshed not like after driving a WRX in such a hurry.So I may not win any rally race and it may take me a couple seconds more to excede the limit yet I still get a taste of speed on my way to work and back home each eve.

On the first day of Christmas......

It is a popular misconception that the twelve days of Christmas lead up to Christmas day. In fact the twelve days of Christmas span the days between Christmas day and the arrival of the three wise men bearing gifts for Jesus on the Epiphany, the 6Th of January. Now that we have our ecclesiastical facts strait, (and after all isn't that what you tune into Automotivedeclassified for??!!), we will bring you our version of the twelve days of Christmas. Now if I remember correctly the verse starts with..... On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me....... A Ford Focus coupe with sync for my college bound brother........ or at least it goes something like that! The Ford Focus would be perfect for that first day because although it hasn't evolved all that much it has allot to say. Filled with all the bells and whistles its ride is now softer so you don't feel like your riding on sharp bristles. Cornering is sharp, at least enough, just don't race a Civic Si or you'll be out of luck. The design is clean ,at least it doesn't look like a wedge of cheese, power aplenty it won't leave you in a wheeze it's just enough to keep you zooming by like a breeze. And last but not least Microsoft's Sync will allow you to voice activate your Ipod or Zune along with your phone so your eyes don't have to wander away from the road while you drift into those orange cones. That alone will make you the cool kid in town , the Focus is right on target, a cool coupe for little green, and not such a bad ride to be seen in on your way back to campus in January.

Merry Christmas from Automotivedeclassifed

MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our loyal readers. Our elves are busy preparing our first issue of 2008! Our elves are pretty secretive but they have mentioned that there are some exciting new features in store with reviews of more cars than ever before, including bi-weekly audio casts from our partner site , Voice of Automotivedeclassifed. So stay tuned and settle down with a hot cup of cocoa in front of the fire and let us help you pick that car that could be gleaming in your drive as the warm spring winds begin to blow in!

To "B" or not to "B", the "B" class defined

With so much talk about the ,new to America, "B" class of automobiles we thought that there is no time like the present to let our readers know what exactly this term means. Cars in general are categorized by size class. The classifications start with "A" class and usually run through "F" class. Each class historically had very specific size standards and usually certain engine sizes to correspond to each size designation. Today these lines are blurred and often one particular car can fit into different class sizes. The class "A" started as the next step up from neighborhood vehicles and golf carts. The micro cars of the '50's and '60's slotted into this smallest class. Class "B" was intended for larger vehicles that usually just looked more like a real car as opposed the fanciful microcars, "A class", that took the shape of everything from three wheeled bubble cars to the front doored Iseta. "C" class cars usually referred to the typical compacts that up to recently were the smallest cars on our road. Now personally I have my own way of spotting a "B" class car and deciphering it from other compact cars. "B" class cars are known for making the most of interior volume. The exterior is like a pair or Lycra athletic shorts, the least amount of material to reduce weight yet still offers the support an athlete needs. Many "B" cars have exteriors that wrap around the "bones" of the car offering as little superfluous exterior sheet metal as possible. The compact, "C class" cars, although small, have a more normal shape with a designated hood area separate from the interior cabin. Compact cars have what is often called a two, or three box design. This is not a complicated concept, it just takes each part of the car and designates it as a "box". Look at any vehicle and count the number of "boxes" it has, a hatch back has an engine box and a cabin making two boxes, where a sedan has an additional trunk "box" making three. "B" class cars push the boundaries of the cabin out further making much more interior volume compared to over all length. To achieve this added room the engine box is minimized to its smallest possible area creating a shape that is mostly cabin, or a "one box" design. To me this attribute is a greater differentiation between the "B" class and"C" class than any other. The drawings below illustrates how pushing the out the interior of a typical compact (pictureA) creates a far larger interior volume. The extra volume is shaded in green on picture B. We have had small compact cars on our roads for many years, but their more familiar "2 box" shape minimized their impact and allowed them to be embraced by a country that has been raised with the mental image of a hood as a safety blanket between you and the car in front of you. The picture below of a 1987 Honda CRX illustrates how maintaining the more normal proportions that we are used to can lead to phenomenal success ,even though the car is smaller than we are accustomed to. The picture below it shows the '09 Honda Fit we just brought to you in our last feature. The Fit is the same basic size as the CRX yet has the interior room of more than two CRX's. This is achieved by switching to the one box design, or what I like to call "B'ing" it. By B'ing the Honda the interior is now as big as a Honda Accord yet maintains the super small exterior dimensions of other small Honda's such as the CRX. Other cars are just as small as the Fit yet maintain the two box design. Most place all these cars together in one big grab bag yet I feel distinctions need to be made. Cars with a hood like the new Scion Xd I feel straddle the compact line if nothing else in their visual language alone. The Fit , although the same size, takes on the "B" language thus putting it in that class,while other more traditional entries fir into the "C" class, at least in my mind. Currently the automakers are placing the"B" moniker on anything smaller than 175'' in length ,whether it justifies it or not. For example the new Nissan Versa is a wonderful sedan and mini wagon that is only slightly smaller than Nissan's own compact Sentra, Toyota's four door Yaris is nearly identical in mission to the Corolla, yet both the Versa and Yaris have the "B" designation, but why? Well automakers are not truly keeping to the parameters of the class ,based on size and the number of "boxes" that make up the design ,but based on a new "spirit" that has redefined the "B" class as more than dimension deep. Automakers think of the "B" as less about size and more about the buyers who buy them. To automakers the new class of "B" cars are the first to use high tech features found on luxury cars in a compact shape that attracts new cutting edge buyers that want fuel efficiency and a compact shape but still require the features they have become accustomed to. This whole "B" thing can "B" a little confusing so lets simplify Automotivedeclassified style...... A "B" class car encompasses a wide range of compact cars that are used as personal transportation, joining high feature content with a modest price and good fuel efficiency. "B" cars are also small "one box" vehicles that maximize interior volume and place the highest importance on the interior flexibility and room over exterior design. These two groups can mix ,as in the case of the Honda Fit or a Mini Cooper ,or may take on the attributes of the first part of the definition or the second. So the last question to ask is to "B" or not to "B". Well the simple answer, at least something about this is simple, is that most "B" cars offer the safety of larger cars, (even though they may not look like it), feature content, and a reasonable price. So "B" all you can "B" just make sure that the size and features actually meet your needs and keep the price from reaching levels that make a car that is fun and economical no longer viable for you or your family.

Dawn2Dusk#6- Dawn'09 Honda Fit,Dusk'08 Honda Fit

The Honda Jazz has been apart of the global roadways for many years now. In many parts of the earth the Jazz is as ubiquitous as the Honda's Civic is here. The Jazz has been music to frugal road goers everywhere but here in the US. Originally the cheep cost of fuel and our appetite for XXL transport led Honda to leave off their smallest family member from our lineup. A mixture of ingredients including, smarter structures that could finally pass our ridged crash standards, ever increasing gas prices, and a mental shift towards greener smaller cars has led to the late entry of the Jazz to our shores, now, just a little over a year ago. Now some "smart" marketing ingénue in a late night brainstorming mission must have decided that the cool globally recognized Jazz moniker would not suffice here and instead decided to call it the Fit. Why, I have no idea ,but luckily for Honda its product is so wonderfully engineered they could have called it the "pink bunny" or the "nausea GX", or even the "extreme BO" and still have it succeed. The Fit came to our shores among a flurry of other "B" segment offerings from Toyota, Nissan, and Chevy. The Honda however is the only one that is actually fun to drive carving each corner like a four door Mini Cooper. Its snub nose with F1 inspired headlights looks very close to the nose cone on a shifter cart, and in fact that is exactly what the Fits driving feel is closest to. With a low ride height, open cockpit with low large windows, remarkable handling, and a surprisingly responsive engine that belies its small 109HP, this fit is the closest you can come to a shifter cart that can double as family shuttle, a cargo van, or a pop tent during a rainy night at the camp grounds. The US has just received the opportunity to embrace the idea of the Fit, yet alone the notion of a super small vehicle with a nose the length of your arm, and now Honda is about to redo the Fit transforming it further into the realm of "B" class vehicles. The reason for this quick transfer is that the Jazz has already seen several years of service under its current rendition elsewhere around the planet. Now it's time for its normal changeover, it’s only the U.S. who has only had the opportunity of sampling this wonderful little ride for such a short time. So as we get used to this new breed of the smallest of the small we now will see the Fit get even "jazzier" next year in 2009. Asia and Europe are already receiving the new Fit; however Honda will import the Fit here starting next fall. So as we see the current Fit in its dusk we need to ask the question is it time to buy the current Fit or wait for the dawn of the new Fit next fall. Let’s analyze this scientifically to see which seems best. First let’s see what is the same. Both use Honda's ingenious layout that positions the gas tank under the front seat to allow for an unobstructed rear area. This area can be used for tall items with the rear seat cushion folded up, large items with the seat folded forward, or as a great nap area with the seat in "rest mode". These features are an exclusive to the Fit and are carried over. The new Fit will have a more user friendly dash and a rear seat that folds in one touch but nothing so extraordinarily better to buy the new over the old. The handling will be enhanced by stiffer springs and the ride will be slightly enhanced with a longer wheelbase but once again Honda has little to do when the past Fit was, well, so fit. The engine is where the largest gains will be felt. The base engine will see small gains in power but will now place that power to the road with an optional continuously variable transmission. The bigger news is a sport model now named the RS for "Road Sail", whatever that means, The RS will have a 10HP gain over the base model and will have a sportier disposition with such options as a panoramic sunroof. Honda will include an AWD option in '09 and has flirted with the addition of a hybrid model. The point of a hybrid for the Fit however doesn't really seem necessary with Honda claiming a nearly 18MPG increase in mileage bringing highway mileage to 56MPG. The engine enhancements and MPG gains may be enough for many potential buyers; however the real reason may have little to do with science, its design. We have had the current Fit for such a short time that we are now just getting our mind around these new micro cars and their diminutive proportions. Most "B" class cars seem unfinished from a design point of view. The emphasis seems to be on the interior with the exterior just an incidental. The current Fit seems to escape these design shortcomings and actually has a certain flare to it. It has an almost retro compact look with a clearly defined "two box" design that is cute and yet masculine at the same time, especially with larger rims. The new Fit is clearly from the new "one box" design school. The Mercedes A -class was one of the first to use the one box, "door stop with wheels", look. The new Fit, in many ways ,looks like the A class Mercedes. Design is really a matter of taste, your personal taste. True the new Fit pushes the cabins boundaries further with less room dedicated to the engine box, true the new Fit is probably safer than the current model, (because of the use of newer safer structures, even though the nose is shorter), yet these matters really will not play into the design paradigm. You will either like the new Fit or will prefer the current one. Personally I prefer the more traditional look of the current model as apposed to the "Prius" like nose of the new model. That is my opinion, and it likely comes from years of being indoctrinated by "big hooded" American sedans. It takes a lot for me to embrace a small car in the first place let alone one with a snub nose that looks like Persian cat, I need a little something in front of me to feel comfortable. Time will tell if America embraces the new Fits style or not. Luckily for buyers this creates a rare opportunity to, first of all know what the future model will look like a year in advance ,and secondly, to be able to choose a vehicle based on design alone, with both the old and the new prime examples of what a "B" class should be. So if your having trouble fitting your SUV in your garage then try a Fit on for size and see how much fun it can be to drive this little jazzy run about that’s big on features and makes any SUV driver feel like they have just had the vehicular equivalent of gastric bypass surgery when they fling the Fit around the same corner they have always dreaded before. Sure new things take some getting used to ,and not every one will feel comfortable behind the wheel of something so small with an eighteen wheeler on their back, but with a little mind recalibrating you will find a willing road partner that can places its emphasis not simply on crash protection but the ability to avoid the obstacle in the first place, and isn't that really the highest degree of safety in the first place!

boo new Toyota

Toyota is making us wait just a little longer for the unveiling of the new for '09 Corolla and Matrix. Toyota will take off the Corolla's "mask" on Halloween and is only showing us this haunting image in the mean time. Toyota has chosen the SEMA, Specialty Equipment Market Association, show for the unveiling. SEMA known for its youth oriented aftermarket bias may hint at a revised mission for the Corolla that will be more linebacker than loafer. Time will only tell but we can hope for the best in the mean time. We will bring you the first pictures at the "unmasking" on Wednesday.

What's In Your Garage #1 Nissan Murano

I remember as a wide eyed tot the awe inspiring launch of the first Space Shuttle as it punctured the diaphanous curtain of the inner atmosphere. After watching that miraculous happening my mother took me down to Woolworth where I found my very own shiny plastic shuttle complete with boost tanks. I still have that shuttle. The space shuttle permanently impacted the minds of a generation of kids like myself who had never known, or at least remembered, any other form of space travel. I don't know who designed the shuttle , and I doubt the average Joe knows either, but for my generation the word "shuttle" paints a vivid picture of that big plastic toy that I raised as high in hand as possible as I reenacted the real shuttles launch. Indeed designers have the ability to recreate a civilizations thinking through their creation. In a small way I think Nissan has created such an Icon with the Murano by changing the formula of what an SUV looks and feels like. The Murano was designed at Nissans La Jolla California studio. Nissan has allowed their designers to truly think outside the box in the cultivation of their designs. The Murano is evidence of this. Now at first the Murano is a tough pill to swallow especially after years of mental images of SUV's being square storage boxes on wheels. The first time I saw the Murano I didn't know what to think, but that is after all what design, good design, is supposed to do, make us think. The Murano has slowly gained acceptance on the suburban scene to the extent that the Murano has become a name that is as widely known as the Camry or the Accord. This comes as a true tip of the hat to Nissans efforts who came on the scene with a wild design placed on a car platform and has ,in a relatively short time changed the American view of an SUV. Now this could have been a disaster if the forward design had not been backed by forward engineering. By and large Americans are relatively forgiving of a design if that design is covering a safe, fast, reliable, useful, vehicle. Who knows if "the face that only a mother could love" Pontiac Aztec may have caught on if it was engineered well, instead of what amounted to an over designed truck atop antiquated tech. The Nissan utilises the last generation Altima foundation for its underpinnings. The six cylinder engine ,that also lives under the hood of other top line Nissan's and Infinity's, is pure music to the ears. The DOHC 240 hp mill provides more than adequate power delivering it to 60 in just under 8 sec. The brakes are cross ventilated at all four corners putting the reigns on in a hurry. The cornering is one of the Murano's best attributes. The Murano can hustle through the cones at a hair over 60mph providing a real sense of confidence in the event you have to pass a house with a "car chaser" dog in the yard on your morning commute. The interior is a continuation of the exterior design with a unique dash design that incorporates a useful inset shelf on top with a movable gauge cluster that adjusts with the tilt wheel. The nooks and crannies for storing your gadgets is a plenty, all in all a design that is as useful as different. The materials are top notch with impressive grain to the plastic and glove soft hides to coddle you. The only thing missing is a dash mounted fire place and your favorite hot drink so you could settle down for a long winters nap. If the Murano has one soft spot in its other wise stellar resume it would be the cargo capacity. The shapely rear end simply can not provide the minivan hauling capacity of its box like friends. Even with this attribute the cargo capacity provides more than plentiful room as long as the you leave the rear seat passengers home. Nissan has crafted a vehicle that has changed the face of the SUV just as the space shuttle changed the face of space travel. Luckily Nissan has realized that quality sculpture needs little alteration just as a well designed home can last decades without the need to alter it's architecturally appropriate lines. Therefore Nissan has kept true to the Murano DNA with its forthcoming '09 Murano that is hitting the streets soon. As you can see the new Murano keeps the heritage alive while keeping it visually similar to its siblings ,such as the new mini Murano, Roque. Personally I prefer the flowing lines of the current Murano as opposed to the new model ,that at least to my eye, has some surfaces that seem to be out of harmony with each other. All in all the design will still say Murano to any passer by, kudos Nissan. The bottom line is the price. '07 Models are selling ,on average, two to four thousand below sticker. The current model can usually be achieved for the low thirties to the high thirty range without problem. Now I know that may seem a little steep but it is in keeping with other semi premium SUV's, there is a price to pay for fine art after all! The new model will use a modernised platform with a slight bump in power and a smoother continuously variable transmission, but for the most part these alterations are evolutionary changes that are not large enough to choose it over the current model. The Nissan Murano continues to raise the bar for utility motivation whether you bring home an '08 model or an '09 model. So this upcoming holiday season maybe you should consider bringing home some fine sculpture for your drive, you will not be disappointed.