Automotive Guruz

Autumn’s arrival brings the latest car models. Some updates involve little more than a tweak here or a little more horsepower there. But for car enthusiasts, perhaps the most excitement is attached to the arrival of completely new models.

Three newcomers for 2011 are worth a closer look: the Chevrolet Cruze, the Nissan Juke and the Honda CR-Z.

Chevy’s new Cruze is a compact car aimed at longtime successful imports such as the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra. An onslaught of advertising has introduced the car to the American market.

The Cruze, a four-door model with front-wheel drive, matches a sporty look with a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces 138 horsepower at 6,300 rpm in the LS model. The base model is equipped with a 1.4-liter four-cylinder that yields 138 horsepower at 4,900 rpm.

Inside, the Cruze is ready for the tech-savvy buyer with Bluetooth support, a USB port, and GPS from the OnStar service.

“USA Today” termed the appearance of the interior “classy,” praising its “premium” look. Such descriptions aren’t often applied to compact cars.

The Cruze achieves 22 mpg in city driving and 35 mpg on the highway. The car’s pricing starts at $16,275.

Nissan’s Juke is targeted at younger buyers. Its distinctive look prompts instant like or dislike, depending on your taste. This small “crossover” is available in front-wheel and all-wheel drive.

The Juke is powered by a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine that yields 188 horsepower at 5,600 rpm. Buyers can choose automatic or manual transmission. “Car and Driver” magazine says the Juke goes from 0-to-60 mph in 7.8 sec and completes a quarter mile in 16 seconds from a standing start.

The Juke is available in three trim levels, S, SL and SV, and options include USB ports, GPS, Bluetooth, a rear-view camera, and push-button starting.

The front-wheel drive model achieves the best fuel economy, at 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. Pricing starts at $18,960.

A third newcomer, the Honda CR-Z, may turn the most heads with its “sport-hybrid” technology. The carmaker says the sporty two-seater, with a look that brings to mind the long-gone CRX model, is intended to match performance with great fuel economy.

The front-wheel drive, gas-electric hybrid uses a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder gas engine that produces 113 horsepower. The car’s battery-powered motor cranks out 13 horsepower. The maximum combined output is 122 horsepower.

What does that all mean at the pump? The manual-transmission version of the car gets 31 mpg in city driving, 37 on the highway. With the automatic transmission, city driving efficiency goes up 4 mpg, while highway performance is unchanged.

When “Car and Driver” put the CR-Z through its paces, the results were 0-to-60 mph in 9.6 seconds and the quarter-mile in 17.2 seconds. The fuel-economy champ Toyota Prius was a bit slower in both tests.
The CR-Z took 183 feet to stop from a 70 mph start.

The CR-Z offers a three-mode driving system. The default mode is normal, engaged whenever the car is started. Sport mode uses the electric motor more aggressively to develop faster acceleration. Steering also becomes more responsive. “Econ” mode is the choice for the highest fuel economy.

GPS, Bluetooth, and a USB audio interface are available. The CR-Z starts at $19,200.

Buyers of new car models take some risk as any weaknesses in design and manufacturing may have yet to emerge. In addition, car insurance premiums may prove hard to predict since insurers lack experience in rating the newcomers.