IS LESS MORE?

In mid-1948, America was dazzled when the Ford Motor Company introduced their first all-new Post World War II cars. They were fast, handsome and roadworthy.  And they replaced a range of technically obsolete cars that were causing Ford to lose big chunks of money and market share. I was just 14 years old. My father bought two of those new cars, a Ford and a Lincoln.  I thought about those cars while driving five new ones recently. Those new 1949 models put Ford into healthy profit that lasted for better than two decades.  They moved Ford from #3 to #2 in the industry, and even to threatening to topple GM from #1.  Of course, that never happened, and a bunch of perky new competitors like VW, BMW, Mercedes, Toyota, Nissan and Honda totally scrambled the game.

Back in ‘48, ’49, I was puzzled because I thought our family’s basic, cheap Ford was a better designed, and a more pleasing car than the big, elegantly trimmed Lincoln. Could less be more, as in architecture?

This batch of ‘08’s ranged from an Acura TSX ($28,000), a hot little VW R-32 ($35,000) and an Audi TT Quattro 3.2 (close to $50,000), plus a Buick Lucerne $41,000 and a $44,000 Cadillac SR5.

08 Acura		08 Audi
08 Buick		08 Cadillac

Pricing remains a murky area in the auto business, not because of any hanky-panky, but because of the wide range of pricy options offered to buyers.  Our Buick test-car, a V8 with navigation, sunroof, leather, extra chrome and endless other options at $41,000, isn’t fundamentally different from a car advertised any weekend for $24,000.  The cheaper car is a V-6, no navigation, sunroof, leather, or over-glitzy chrome wheels.  Still, it’s plenty powerful, well made and well presented.  Similarly, Cadillacs very similar to the one tested might be offered from the low 30’s to the high 40’s, so it’s important, if sometimes difficult, to know exactly what you want and need.

Let’s take them one by one:

The Buick and Cadillac are examples of GM’s resurgence – they’re selling fairly well, without deep discounts. Consumer ratings are high.  Quality materials and finish are obvious.  Everything works nicely.  Whether you’d buy one or not depends on your tastes.  Since most all the new cars are quite good, style, feel and character drive buyers.  Price matters, but maybe not as much as you’d think.  I looked at the Buick Lucerne and thought it was well named after the sober Swiss city.  They certainly couldn’t have called it Rivera, like that spirited Buick classic of the 60’s.

Moving to the Cadillac, you may have to deal first with its appearance. In an effort to make sure you know it’s a Cadillac, they made it look to me like a cartoon depicting a Cadillac.  It is a bit inspiring to drive, but even at a luxury car bargain price of $44,000, I found it resistible.  All the’ve done is to provide a tight , quick, good handling luxury car, a recipe pioneered by their European competition 50 years ago. 

Last month, we compared the Volkswagen R-32 to a sporty new Volvo.  In the meantime, an Audi TT Quattro came our way.  It’s interesting to take another look at that VW, since it and the Audi are similar cars underneath, but look totally different.  The practical 3 door hatchback VW, when presented with racy wheels, leather upholstery and a level of finish equal to any of the high-priced Germans, is quite an attractive package.

VW tried the R-32 package out on the Americans in 2004, sending 5,000 examples.  They were snapped up quickly by people (like me) who loved the wolf-in-sheep’s clothing aspect, and the unequalled interior execution.  A few years ago, the Volkswagen people decided that, since you spend your time with your car inside it, the interior was very important  Åll of VW’s brands, including Audi, Seat (Spain), Skoda (Czech), Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti have set the industry standard for interior design, materials and execution.  There were no R-32’s for 2005, 2006, and  2007.  Now, for 2008 we’ll get 5,000 more.  The test car was one of those.  With its powerful 3.2 V-6 engine, all-wheel drive and six speed automatic transmission in the trim golf package, this VW really flies.  Although top speed is artificially limited, in the US, to about 130 mph, you’re not likely to feel reined in.  The acceleration and automatic gear changing are quick and precise, from whatever speed to decide to “go for it”.  With the wide tires and hunkered down suspension, the ride is not pillowy.  But it avoids being harsh, and provides a feeling of great confidence to the alert driver.

VW has become brilliant at making very different cars out of similar parts.  The Audi TT coupe – two good front seats plus an upholstered, but useless for passengers, rear seat is essentially the same car underneath as the VW R-32.  The mechanical pieces are the same, as are the driving characteristics.  But since the shape of the car is totally different, it appeals to a different buyer.  I don’t understand the  gun-slit windows any better on the Audi than on a Hummer.  But at least the Audi isn’t a stupid car.  It comes off as a very tightly-drawn sports car, with a strong personality and distinctive design.  It commands about 30% more money than the VW R32, but seems to justify that premium, if only with style.

Up against the predictable characteristics of the Americans and two Germans, I then tried an old favorite, the Acura TSX.  This car is sold in other markets as the Honda Accord, because the bulkier USA version Accord is considered too big in many overseas markets.

I drove a six-speed manual version of this powerful 4 cylinder car.  Of the five cars under discussion, it’s the cheapest, and the least aggressive to look at.  Instead, it’s a simple, carefully studied design that looks neat and tasteful now, and will continue to do so for many years.  There’s no optional engine; the quiet, strong economical four cylinder will get you anywhere as fast as you want to go, with plenty in reserve.  The $28,000 price includes leather, sunroof, navigation and endless lesser treats.  As with all Hondas (Acura is Honda’s luxury brand), the instruments and controls are models of clarity and logic.  Of the five cars, for an every day, all-occasion car, I enjoyed driving it the most, even though it doesn’t provide quite the “highs” that the two Germans do.  All it does is function in a friendly, capable manner – plus it tops the reliability and resale value charts, and fits into one’s everyday life just about perfectly.  Possibly, its only downside: the doorman won’t park it front and center.  That ‘49 Ford was probably snubbed too!