Sandberg Volvo
Sandberg Volvo
– smart fortwo Passion
After years of serving as frugal, park-it-anywhere transportation for a million Europeans (and Canadians), the Smart Fortwo has finally made it to the United States. Measuring more than 3 feet shorter than a Mini Cooper and rated at 36 mpg (combined city and highway), the Smart would seem ideal for urbanites looking for the perfect commuter car. But all things considered, is the Smart car the smartest choice?
BMW 328i
Performance
Happily, the 328i’s outstanding all-around performance doesn’t come at the expense of efficiency. We averaged a respectable 22.5 miles per gallon over 1,030 miles of mostly enthusiastic driving, against EPA estimates of 18 mpg city, 28 highway and 21 combined. Our 328i even managed 31.2 mpg during a 213-mile freeway slog — frugal enough to give some four-cylinder econoboxes a run for their money.
Sandberg Volvo Ford F-150 Lariat SuperCrew
As ubiquitous as McDonald’s, the Ford F- Series has served as the vehicular Happy Meal for millions of full-size pickup consumers won over by its versatility, easy-handling nature and comfortable ride. And having been America’s best-selling vehicle for most of the last 30 years, the F-Series has also served as Ford’s chief cash cow.
Sandberg Northwest Volvo. Honda Fit Base
Performance
The only power plant available on any 2008 Honda Fit is a 109-horsepower 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that accelerates the little hatchback from zero to 60 mph in a modest 11.4 seconds. The five-speed automatic transmission with manual mode in our test car put power to the front wheels and upshifted and downshifted smoothly on its own. However, when in manual mode, the shifter only allows the driver to choose 3rd gear, which isn’t useful except when engine braking on steep grades and when you need a sudden blast of midrange acceleration. The rev-happy VTEC engine, while feeling peppy, was raspy at high revs and droned noisily at highway speeds. The EPA rates the Fit automatic at 27/34/30 mpg city/highway/combined.
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