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TEST DRIVE - MARIUS VATAVU

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Test Drive: 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport Road Trip Edition With Touring Package

Small Gets Better

Vehicle Tested: 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport Road TRIP Ed 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
Pros: Good value, portable navigation system included, lots of headroom.
Cons: Noisy engine, feels underpowered with automatic transmission.


In its home country of Japan, Suzuki is the No. 4 automaker and occasionally jumps up to 3rd place above Honda. And it's always more popular than Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Daihatsu — at least in Japan. But the picture isn't so rosy here in the U.S. However, the tide could be turning. Suzuki says the recently redesigned SX4 is quickly becoming the company's core product. And with the public's attention shifting to smaller, less expensive cars, the 2008 Suzuki SX4 may be a worthwhile basket for the company to place its corporate eggs. Other vehicles from Suzuki, like the Forenza or XL7, are not ultra-competitive in their respective segments, so when the 2008 Suzuki SX4 turns out to be a decent little car that's long on value and short on chintz, it's a nice surprise. In Sport trim, it's also a sharp-looking little sedan, with 17-inch wheels and foglights. But the real feather in Suzuki's cap is the SX4 Road Trip Edition — a car that costs less than $16,000 but includes alloy wheels, ABS and a built-in yet portable navigation system with real-time traffic, local fuel prices, movie listings and other information thanks to MSN. The navigation system is provided by Garmin, and it basically gives the SX4 luxury car features at a budget price. Thanks to that nav system, Bluetooth hands-free calling is part of the package, too.


Test Drive: 2008 BMW 1 Series 135i Convertible


Design/Fit and Finish

We've already touched on the 1 Series' strange styling, so we won't belabor the point. Inside, it's much more attractive. Our 2008 BMW 135i sported the optional leather seats, done up in Coral Red as part of the distinctive red and black two-tone interior color scheme. Along with real wood trim, this imbued the cabin with a suitably upscale ambience for a $40,000-plus car. Build quality was tight with the exception of the wood strip over the center stack, which had a slight gap behind it.




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Cheaper fuel bills - The route to savings

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Acura RL

The 2008 RL is a 4-door, 5-passenger luxury sedan, available in 3 trims, ranging from the Sedan to the CMBS/PAX Package.

Upon introduction, both trims are equipped with a standard 3.5-liter, V6, 290-horsepower engine that achieves 16-mpg in the city and 24-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.






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