2015 Subaru Forester:

There are minor feature changes in the 2015 Subaru Forester. This includes the standard rearview camera on all the models while larger 18-inch wheels for the touring trim 2.5i.

A year earlier, the Subaru came up with a redesigned it’s Forester Crossover SUV along with a sharper style, nice looking interior, more space and increased fuel economy values. For the New Year, the 2015 Subaru Forester is not changed but this is not an issue at all because this model is still one of the better choices among the small crossover segment this year.

Conventional automatic has been replaced by the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and led to the increased and enhanced fuel economy values. At the same time the manual transmission that is standard is efficient as well. It boasts the six speeds instead of the five speeds to improve the cruising efficiency. The 2015 Subaru Forester also has been offered in turbocharged XT trim. This provides the users with quick acceleration with respectable EPA fuel economy values.

There is nothing extra ordinary special in the interior design of the 2015 Subaru Forester. It does offers ample of space for the tents, bikes, canines and all kinds of other tools of trade among the loyal users of the Forester. Safety features offered by the vehicle is also a draw in the vehicle. It has seen to have perfect cash test scores along with the low speed frontal crash mitigation system. This is a feature that is usually found on luxurious cars and not the family crossovers like 2015 Subaru Forester.

No doubt Subaru is not the only car manufacturer providing such kind of vehicles at this price range. The 2015 Mazda CX-5 and the Ford Escape have better interior designs and with better handling on the road. At the same time, it is almost impossible to beat the overall package offered by the Honda CR-V. After the Jeep Cherokee, the off road credentials of the Honda CR-V are almost matchless. All these options show that the 2015 Subaru Forester is facing tough competition. It is highly recommended that one should shop around carefully. But if you are looking forward to have a vehicle with seriously more space along with the all wheel drive traction, then no doubt 2015 Subaru Forester is an excellent option and solution in every sense and manner. Just get your hands on it and you will not repent spending on it.

Safety features offered by the 2015 Subaru Forester: 

Safety features offered by the 2015 Subaru Forester include the following:

·         Antilock disc brakes

·         Traction control

·         Stability control

·         Front side airbags

·         Side curtain airbags

·         A driver knee airbag

·         A rearview camera

·         Lane departure warning

·         Frontal collision warning

·         A frontal collision mitigation system with automatic braking

In a brake testing, a Forester stopped in 119 feet from 60 miles per hour. This is a good number for this segment of cars. A Forester 2.5i with 17-inch wheels that stops in 126 feet; it is worse than average. Similarly in government crash tests, the 2015 Subaru Forester had five stars for overall protection, with five stars for total side impact safety and four stars for total frontal impact safety.

Special features and interior design of the 2015 Subaru Forester:

There are several features internal as well as exterior are capable of keeping its pace with the affordable crossovers in this car segment. The 2015 Subaru Forester keeps the simplicity of philosophy of the company’s philosophy. There are three large climate control dials along with the wheel mounted steering wheels there is nothing in it until you get the optional features.

Its focus on the functionality is one of the features that company has focused on. The seats in the vehicle are of stadium type that are elevated and add to the thigh support and offer a better view. Touchscreen of the interface is offered short in terms of functionality as well as the graphics.

Performance and Power trains of the 2015 Subaru Forester:

Every 2015 Subaru Forester has been offered with standard all wheel drive. The 2015 Subaru Forester 2.5i has a 2.5 liter four cylinder engine offering 170 Horsepower and producing 174 pound feet of torque. Moreover a six speed manual transmission is also offered as standard for the 2.5i and 2.5i premium trims with CVT as an optional feature. The higher trims of the vehicle are offered with the CVT only.

The EPA estimated values of the 2015 Subaru Forester 2.5i models include the 27 miles per gallon combined i.e. 24 miles per gallon within the city and 32 miles per gallon on the highway. For manual transmission these values are 25 miles per gallon combined i.e. 22 miles per gallon in the city and 29 miles per gallon on the highway.

2015 Kia Sedona:

The 2015 Kia Sedona is completely a redesigned vehicle in the market.

It has been observed that minivan segment has always been dominated by Toyota, Chrysler and Honda but with the introduction of the 2015 Kia Sedona, this party has been crashed. It is replacing the functional second generation Sedona and the redesigned model for 2015 is with muscular sheet that is crossover inspired (Kia claims it), accented by prominent grille with trademark style of the company. The crossover theme continues with smooth driving experience and inside of the vehicle resembles the cockpit along with the console that is very much prominent between the front seats. This is new to the minivans where usually the shift lever resides.

No doubt the 2015 Kia Sedona has overall different appearance but at the same time it will be worth stating here that this is not a kind of revolutionary product that market expect of the company in recent years. But then again it is not a bad thing. It has flexible seating options, sliding doors, spaciousness, up-to-date equipment as well as the latest safety features; yes, all this is offered by the 2015 Kia Sedona.  The company is well aware of the fact that most of the buyers prefer crossovers over minivans because these three rows crossovers look better and feel cooler and hence the 2015 Kia Sedona is an attempt to meet the expectations of crossover somehow half the way. In case you feel stigma in possessing a minivan but willing to get one, then no doubt, 2015 Kia Sedona will serve the purpose really well and will not let you buy a crossover without thinking about this Kia.

At heart, the vehicle is like a box on wheels just like the next minivan.Some of the nifty features is there inside the car. This includes the SX-L’s fixed lounge style where second row seats are with recline and slide adjustments, extendable leg rest as well as the lateral sliding functionality. In other situations the second row is folded behind the front row to facilitate cargo carrying facility offering an interesting solution eliminating the chore of the common minivan with removal of the heavy chairs. Similarly on the other hand, as a result the maximum cargo capacity suffers and this leaves the 2015 Kia Sedona slightly behind its rivals.

There are several rivals of the 2015 Kia Sedona in the market. The 2015 Honda Odyssey has maximum fuel economy along with the road handling at a steeper price.Also the 2015 Toyota Sienna is another competitor running neck to neck with Odyssey in most of the aspects but then again the 2015 Kia Sedona is likely to be the better option.Though the 2015 Chrysler Town has seats that are slickest in the market, but the overall interior of the van has not compromised over the quality. Moreover the dark horse candidates include the 2015 Mazda 5 and Nissan Quest. So now you may have questions in your mind, that in such a tough competition where does the 2015 Kia Sedona stand? Right in the thick of things would be said.

Though it does not raise the bar notably but Sedona has several strengths making it a must drive shopping in this segment.

Safety features offered by the 2015 Kia Sedona:

Standard safety features offered by the 2015 Kia Sedona are as follows:

·         antilock disc brakes

·         traction and stability control

·         hill start assist

·         active front headrests

·         rear parking sensors

·         front seat side airbags

·         full-length side curtain airbags

Other features possessed by the vehicle include the following:

·         rearview camera

·         a surround-view camera

·         front and rear parking sensors

·         a blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alerts

·         a lane departure warning system

·         a forward collision warning system

Optional safety features include as underlined:

·         automatic crash notification

·         special monitoring services (speed, location and curfew limit alerts)

Performance of the 2015 Kia Sedona:

The 2015 Kia Sedona is equipped with a 3.3-liter V6 engine with 248 pound feet of torque and offering 276 horsepower. It has six speed automatic transmissions with front wheel drive. With the optional hitch installed, the 2015 Kia Sedona becomes capable of towing 3,500 pounds. In a test, the vehicle reached 60 miles per hour from 0 in 7.9 seconds.

The estimated values offered by the car are 20 miles per gallon i.e. 18 miles per gallon within the city and 24 miles per gallon on the highway. No doubt these are quicker values keeping in mind this class of minivans.

Driving impressions of the 2015 Kia Sedona:

The acceleration of the V6 engine by the 2015 Kia Sedona is refined and confident with prompt six speed automatic transmission. Among the minivan segment, the 2015 Kia Sedona is smooth on the road and exceptionally quiet.

2016 Nissan 370Z Nismo:

For 2016 Nissan 370Z Nismo, the Bose audio feature has been offered as standard on all except the base trim level. Also the model has been equipped with added active sound enhancer and active noise control that has been borrowed from the Nissan GT-R.

The 2016 Nissan 370Z Nismo is known to be the latest in line of “Z” convertibles and coupes from the Nissan featuring the six-cylinder power and rear wheel drive. This latest generation debuted in 2009 and is known to be one of the oldest models on the market. The 370Z is still one of top tier athletes. It is has relatively affordable price and offers ample of value to the users. But then again cost effectiveness largely depends on the priorities of the users.

It is worth stating here that current Nissan 370Z has its focus mainly on the performance and handling rather than the cruising and performance. The vehicle also has surprisingly and well-appointed upscale cabin. There is not much cargo capacity offered by this model and the large tires and weak insulation lead to plenty of road noise when the car is at speed. But the 2016 Nissan 370Z is expected to be offered with minimized noise with added active sound enhancer (ASE) as well as active noise control (ANC) to all the models that are equipped with the Bose audio system. The company claims that ANC is to ensure the removal of low frequency engine noise without reducing the urgency of the 3.7-liter V6. ASE intends to make the sound of the engine sportier. Unrefined and harsh engine has been a complaint ever since the 370Z has been released. This is one of the unfortunate traits, which detract the users from strong motor.

The 2016 Nissan 370Z has no direct competitor in the market with two seats, as sports cars are mostly expensive. The 2016 Ford Mustang and 2016 Chevrolet Camaro competes with the 2016 Nissan 370Z on the V8 engines and price. Both these vehicles have larger footprints and they are not nimble around the turns. In case you are willing to save some cash, then Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ can be good alternatives offering a lot of value and fantastic handling. Then again it is worth mentioning that neither of these cars are as quick as 2016 Nissan 370Z. If you are willing to enjoy extra luxury with over all good performance, the Series 2 BMW will hit the spot in every manner.

In short, just like earlier generations, the 2016 Nissan 370Z is a niche sports car with various limitations. But it is expected to have its own value in its car segment.

Performance of the 2016 Nissan 370Z:

All the versions of 2016 Nissan 370Z except the Nismo have been equipped with a 3.7-liter V6 engine. It produces 270-pound feet of torque and 332 horsepower. Moreover,six-speed manual transmission is standard for all touring, touringsports and coupes. On sport tech and sport coupes, the manual gearbox has been adorned with SynchroRey match. It is a driver selectable mode blipping the throttle during reduction of speed with the gear changes.

A seven speed automatic transmission paired with downshift rev matching and manual shift capability is standard on the base 370 Roadster and standard on all 370Z coupes. Moreover, steering wheel mounted shift paddles are also there on all automatic models except the base coupe.

The estimated rates fuel economy offered by the 2016 Nissan 370Z coupe include 21 miles per gallon combined i.e. 18 miles per gallon within the city and 26 miles per gallon on the highway with manual. The automatic also offers combined 21 miles per gallon i.e. 19 miles per gallon within the city and 26 miles per gallon on the highway.Similarly, the roadster’s fuel economy values are offered that is 20 miles per gallon combined i.e. 18 miles per gallon within the city and 25 miles per gallon on the highway.

The 370Z Nismo models make use of the special tuned V6 generating 350 horsepower and 276 lb ft of torque. The manual six speed transmission coupled with SynchroRey match has been offered as standard and as an option these models have seven speeds automatic is offered as an option.

Safety features offered by the 2016 Nissan 370Z:

Safety features offered by the 2016 Nissan 370Z are as follows:

·         antilock brakes

·         traction and stability control

·         side airbags

·         rear view camera

Moreover the coupe has been equipped with curtain airbags and Roadster’s airbags have been extended upwards for the head protection. Similarly rear view camera is offered as standard for the Sport Tech, coupe’s touring and Nismo Tech trims.

In short the Nissan 370Z is one of the latest models of the 370Z and is capable of offering all the features that are expected of it.