2008 Audi S5

2008 Audi S5 - The only missing model is a big coupe, something to compete with the likes of the BMW 3- and 6-series and the Mercedes CLK- and CL-classes. Presto: With the 2008 S5—Audi’s first coupe with adult-size rear seats since the demise of the Coupe Quattro in 1991—that hole in its lineup has now been plugged.

And it has been plugged by a machine that delivers the sex appeal that is a coupe’s major reason for being. The S5’s combination of big grille, rakish roofline, and artfully sculpted character lines will turn heads with regularity. And inside, the S5 provides perhaps the most engaging experience since the original TT.

The S5’s exterior appeal is more than skin-deep. The keen observer will notice that the front wheels seem closer to the car’s nose than on most other Audis. This reduced overhang not only enhances the S5’s looks but also reflects some major changes under the coupe’s sexy skin.

The S5 is the first Audi to arise from the company’s B8 architecture, which will also underpin the next-gen A4—scheduled to appear at the Frankfurt auto show in September—as well as future A6 and even A8 models. Besides the usual improvements in structural stiffness and crashworthiness, there are two major areas where the B8 differs from the current A4/A6 platform. That reduced overhang at the nose reflects a transaxle whose front differential is about six inches farther forward than in other Audis.

The second key change is the migration of the steering rack from behind the engine to a more conventional position below it, which helps lower the car’s center of gravity. Otherwise, the front suspension is a sophisticated aluminum control-arm layout with two separate links forming the arms to achieve superior geometry. The rear wheels are attached to a multilink suspension that’s similar to what is used on current A4s and A6s.

Moving the front wheels forward not only makes the S5’s styling possible but also yields a large improvement in weight distribution. The last S4 we tested had 61.9 percent of its weight on the front wheels. This S5 is only 57.7 percent front-heavy. Combined with the 40/60 front-to-rear torque split in the standard Quattro drive system, this reduction in nose heaviness provides the S5 with balanced handling and a natural steering feel when driven swiftly.

What is immediately apparent is the tighter structure of the S5. It’s rock solid, and even on our fractured Michigan roads, the suspension keeps body motions under control and the tires tightly pressed to the pavement at triple-digit speeds. We would prefer that the steering didn’t become unnaturally stiff above 80 mph, and the 35-series, 19-inch tires don’t have much compliance on rough roads. But the S5 is so refined and effortless that it’s easy to lose sight of just how fast it is.

Motivated by the latest version of Audi’s 4.2-liter direct-injection V-8, rated at 354 horsepower in this application, the S5 is a rocket, hitting 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and ripping through the quarter-mile in 13.4 seconds at 105 mph. That performance is a testament to the power of the V-8, the short gearing of the powertrain (75 mph in sixth gear has the engine spinning at 3000 rpm), and the quick shifting of the six-speed manual transmission.

2006 Kia Optima EX

2006 Kia Optima EX - Now here comes the 2006.5 Kia Optima. Perky? Playful? Not terribly. Somewhere along the way, priorities once again got shuffled, as they did two years ago when Kia launched the Amanti neo-Buick. This Optima — production in Korea started too early to legally label it a 2007 — instead strives for a new high-water mark in build quality and refinement. In this, at least, the Optima succeeds.

Gosh, remember the old Optima? Well, neither did we until a rummage through the archive recalled us ranking what was essentially a rebadged Hyundai Sonata ninth of 10 mid-size sedans in a February 2003 comparison test. Unlike that car, the new Optima shares nothing much with a Hyundai, Kia insists. Okay, maybe a stamping sneaks in and a few parts coincidentally match up, such as the engines. But that’s it.

On sale as you read this, a base Optima LX starts at $16,955 with a 161-hp, 2.4-liter inline-four and five-speed manual or (for $1295) five-speed automatic. A weakfish 185-hp, 2.7-liter V-6 adds weight and $2990 to the price (automatic trans only) while achieving nine-percent-worse fuel economy and perhaps a few 10ths off the 0-to-60-mph time.

We shook out the most popular configuration, the $19,995 EX four-cylinder that comes with the five-speed automatic. Weighing 3320 pounds, it had the $1500 Appearance package (highlights include leather seats, 17-inch wheels, Michelin 215/50 Pilot HX MXM4 tires good for 0.79 g on the skidpad, a chrome-accented grille, electroluminescent gauges, and fog lights), an $800 sunroof, ABS for $300, and stability control for $300.

Struts carry the Optima’s nose, and a trailing-arm, three-link arrangement holds up the rear. The Optima’s dimensions creep up only fractions of an inch in most directions, meaning it’s now slightly smaller than competing models with more robust growth spurts in their pasts, including the Accord. The Optima is wrapped in a cleaner, more svelte crêpe with dashes of Acura and Lexus in its ingredients. Fitted with the 17-inch wheels, it looks even smaller, although the interior doesn’t skimp on noggin- and knee room in the front and rear, provided the head count remains at four. The trunk holds an Accord-beating 15 cubic feet, and the rear seats fold 60/40 for fishing poles.

Kudos goes to a decision to offer the superb V-rated Michelin tires. The Pilot HX MXM4s are big boys’ rubber (Tire Rack replacement cost: $185 each — the Optima’s base tires are cheapie Hankooks), and they serve up squeal-free corners in nice clean cuts. By and by, the ride remains relaxed, and the cabin is a hushed space largely insulated from tire thrum and road roar.

The Optima is the best Honda that Kia has produced so far. Will buyers walk past the real thing just to share in Kia’s personal triumph? It may not be overtly playful, but the new Optima launches with at least one key asset: boundless optimism.

2008 Nissan Versa 1.8S Sedan

2008 Nissan Versa 1.8S Sedan - This particular author, for instance, recalls terrorizing the streets of West L.A. in a gray ’88 Sentra two-door throughout his college years. With its 70-hp, 1.6-liter four-banger, five-speed stick, and wobbly tires, it was no Corvette, but the indestructible stripper Sentra lived for high revs, yielded 35 mpg, and showed me, a muscle-car guy in high school, the indescribable joys of driving a slow car fast.

Perhaps more important—for Nissan anyway—the Sentra’s growth spurt left the company without a car in the very market segment—i.e., the cheap car—on which the company relied so heavily two decades ago. Enter the Versa sedan, the original Sentra’s successor.

The Versa was brought to the States in sedan and hatchback forms in mid-2006 as a 2007 model, although it has been sold as the Tiida in other markets since 2004. Indeed, it is in those other markets that the little econocar may be best suited, at least from a styling standpoint. Taking a page from the book of urban planners in congested metropolises around the world, the Versa builds up, not out.

That’s about it for the luxury-car comparisons, though. If any part of the Versa says “budget,” it’s the interior. Hard plastics are omnipresent, the seat fabric looks as if it belonged in a $15,000 car, and we’re not sure what the headliner is made of, but it ain’t suede. And the nontelescoping steering wheel is positioned too far forward and requires a bit of a reach. Much of that is forgivable, though, considering that even with the Power Accessories package, ABS, and cruise control, the Versa is still well under $15,000.

From a character standpoint, however, the Versa is not a Sentra. The ride quality is firm enough for sporty distractions, with enough Buick Lucerne in the mix to keep average highway commuting comfortable, and the steering is modestly communicative. But for all-out on-ramp strafing, it needs a clearer connection between the front wheels and the steering wheel, and stiffer suspenders down below.

The six-speed manual transmission offers one more cog than is offered by most of the Versa’s classmates, it features an ideally located shifter, and it does a respectable job delivering what little power and torque the buzzy-at-the-limit 1.8-liter four-pot has to offer.

If you are among those who have owned some of the great cheap cars in Nissan’s past, you might expect more willingness from the Versa. For pure driving fun in this segment, we like Honda’s Fit—a comparo and 10Best winner—much better. But the Versa comes closer than anything else in the class to the Fit’s moves, with more interior space for four or five and a comfortable commuter side to satisfy mainstream demands.