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WILLOW LABORATORIES - DR BRIAN STRASNICKPosted on 2009-May-22 at 06:02 - 0 Comments - Post Comment - LinkBRIAN J STRASNICKChevrolet Tahoe HybridPerformance In our time with the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, we found that the hybrid powertrain worked quite well. During our acceleration testing, the Tahoe Hybrid scampered to 60 mph in 8.8 seconds, which is quick for such a big bruiser. Driving conservatively, we averaged nearly 21 mpg in mixed driving, significantly better than the 14.6 mpg our long-term Tahoe 5.3 4WD averaged. That's a nearly 50 percent improvement. Opt for the two-wheel-drive version of the hybrid, and you should do a mile or two per gallon better. The only sacrifice for the greatly improved mileage is towing capacity, which is rated at 6,000 pounds for the hybrid, compared to 8,200 pounds for the standard Tahoe. Ford F-150 Ford Focus SES Design/Fit and Finish Ford did what it could to make the Focus look new. But most of our staff found the '08 model to be worse looking than past models. The car's lines simply aren't cohesive, and certain design elements, such as the chrome fender vents (which don't actually vent anything) look totally tacked on. Change for the better will be found on the inside. The dash and center stack have been completely redesigned and additional storage areas have been added. The look of the dash is high-tech. At night, the controls have blue illumination, and our car had the optional custom-color LEDs that light up the cupholders and footwells. There's enough interior storage for cell phones and MP3 players, and the center console bin is quite deep. DR BRIAN STRASNICKLotus Elise SC PerformanceStrip away the facts and figures, and the Elise — especially on Southern California's winding canyon roads on a sunny Sunday morning — easily confirms its place as a pure wind-in-your-hair driver's car. When the pavement and weather conditions are pristine, the Elise responds quickly and smoothly, its steering giving you fantastic feedback. You'll think it's your best friend. But on average, rougher roads littered with cracks, gravel and railroad crossings, the Elise gets cranky, and there's no stability control to save your bacon if the car gets out of sorts. Some members of our team also found the shifter's action to be occasionally clunky. So although the roadster drives beautifully in optimal conditions, alas, such conditions these days are increasingly difficult to find. BRIAN J STRASNICK DR : Audi A4 3.2 Quattro One important note: Our 2009 Audi A4 3.2 Quattro was a German-spec car; therefore, there were some cosmetic and option differences between our model and the ones available in U.S. showrooms. Still, the powertrain and most options remain unchanged. And while we can't give you the exact price of our test car, a similarly equipped A4 will run you upwards of $38,000, which includes just about every package and option. More related websites: DR BRIAN J STRASNICK BRIAN STRASNICK Dr Willow Laboratories News Willow Laboratories Info Willow Laboratories Inc BRIAN J STRASNICK DR BRIAN J STRASNICK BRIAN STRASNICK |
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