2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK250.

The compact premium sport utility vehicle segment is a pretty hot one right now. You can buy examples from Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, and Land Rover. GMC recently added up-level Denali trim to its small Terrain crossover, and Lincoln is working on a luxury version of the Ford Escape.

And one of my favorites in the segment is the Mercedes-Benz GLK. Perfect size, great road manners, and a tough, chunky look to it. It was updated last year with a few subtle changes, but this year it gets a new engine choice. In addition to the gasoline powered GLK350, there’s now the diesel-powered GLK250 Bluetec.

It really should be no surprise that Mercedes is expanding its diesel offerings, as they have a long history with them. You can now get their clean-burning Bluetec system in the big GL SUV, the mid-size ML, the S-Class sedan, and next fall, the refreshed E-Class will be updated with a new diesel engine. (The outgoing E350 had a diesel option for several years.)

And that same new diesel engine is the one found under the hood of the GLK250. It’s got only four cylinders displacing 2.1 liters, but boy does it churn out some torque. Three hundred sixty nine lb-ft to be exact, which is in V8 territory.

Ah, torque. That’s what moves vehicles around in everyday driving. Accelerating away from a stoplight or up a freeway onramp, you want lots of torque, especially in a vehicle that has a bit of heft to it. The GLK250 has all wheel drive and weighs just over 4300 lbs, but it feels quite light on its feet thanks to the combination of the torquey engine and 8-speed automatic transmission.

The payoff in the move to diesel is fuel economy. The gasoline-powered GLK350 with 4MATIC (Mercedes-Benz’s all wheel drive system) is rated at 19 city and 24 highway. The GLK250 tromps that with figures of 24 city and 33 highway, and that’s also with the 4MATIC system, the only way the diesel is sold.

By now you should know that there really aren’t the downsides to diesels that they once were famous for. Noise? Barely any. Smell? You won’t even know you’re behind one in traffic. Soot? Nope, they’ve cleaned up the exhaust to the point that there’s no soot whatsoever.

The other thing modern diesel engines do is often exceed their EPA estimates in highway driving. I attended a media drive program for this vehicle, which originated from Santa Monica and included a drive loop through the Westside, over Beverly Glen, along the 101 through the Valley, and back to Santa Monica via Malibu.

During our presentation to the last group of media attendees, a Mercedes-Benz spokesman showed us an image of the on-board computer taken by a journalist who had driven the GLK250 the day before. The mileage figure displayed was 35.6 mpg, though it wasn’t explained how that figure came to be. On my own drive back to Glendale from there in one I had permission to drive away from the event, I got over 34 mpg without trying too hard.

Adding the diesel option to the GLK is a good move for Mercedes-Benz. With the advanced state of clean diesel technology, it’s one way manufacturers like Mercedes can achieve government mandated fuel economy levels in coming years.

Beyond just the new diesel engine option, the GLK has a lot to offer. It’s a great size, and is easy to maneuver. Comfort abounds, and I especially like the tall, upright feel of the cabin. If you find many of today’s vehicles claustrophobic in nature, the GLK is a bright spot, literally. It also starts at a reasonable price as long as you can stay away from the options list.

Base price for a 2013 GLK250 4MATIC is $38,590, which is $500 less than the base price for the GLK350 4MATIC. Throw all the options at it, and the price climbs to well over $50,000. At least it’s an “economy car” at the gas pump.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz, Facebook: ABC7Dave.

2014 Acura RLX.

It was the 1986 model year when Honda launched an upscale division called Acura, a first for a Japanese brand. Premium cars with Honda’s reliability proved to be a good formula, and today the Acura brand is as strong as ever.

Just four years later, two other Japanese brands introduced separate high-end brands, Nissan with Infiniti and Toyota with Lexus. Right out of the box, both of them created large, luxurious sedans with smooth V8 engines and tons of luxury.

For Lexus in particular, that big car at the top of the model line suggested that the brand was serious about offering a car that could compete with the best in the business. To this day, as in 1990, the Lexus LS is seen as a flagship for the Lexus model lineup.

But Honda played it conservative for decades. After the Legend (their large-ish car from the early years), the RL led the charge as the “big Acura.” The problem was, it was never seen as big nor as world-class as the Lexus LS.

Now, Acura has revised and renamed the RL to create the RLX. Bigger, nicer, and much more stylish, the RLX is finally the car that can be called a flagship sedan. It’s not really all that much larger than the RL on the outside, but it carries the look and presence of a larger car.

While its exterior dimensions put it up against mid-size sedans in the luxury arena, its interior measurements (especially rear legroom) move it into the realm of full-size cars. It is truly roomy, in both the front and rear seats. It’s also extremely quiet, and full of high-grade materials.

The ingredients are all in place for (finally) a top-of-the-line car that makes no apologies when cross-shopped with the likes of Lexus, Infiniti, Audi, and BMW. Acura likely had the misfortune of seeing some of their loyal customers trade “up and out” when they were looking for a luxury sedan to replace their TL or RL models in the past. Now, those potential buyers can stay within the brand with the RLX.

Another place the RLX makes no apologies is under the hood. For many years, critics in the automotive press declared that Acura couldn’t have a true flagship car unless it had a V8 engine, like pretty much all the competitors offer. But Acura, under Honda’s umbrella of conservative efficiency, stuck with using a V6 in even its largest models.

Guess who’s getting the last laugh now? Acura was either able to see the future or perhaps just got lucky. Other luxury brands are now scrambling to engineer smaller engines into their sedans to meet increasingly strict consumption and emissions standards. There are even four cylinder engines offered in several of the RLX’s competitors.

The big Acura gets down the road just fine with a new direct-injected 3.5 liter V6 (actually smaller in size than the V6 in the old RL) making just over 300 horsepower in a very smooth fashion. Power gets to the wheels via all wheel drive, which has also been standard in the RL.

Not only are all four of the RLX’s wheels driven, but they’re all steering as well. Four wheel steering isn’t really anything new (you could get a Honda Prelude with it back in the late 1980s), but modern technology has perfected it for use in this big Acura. When driving through curves, the rear wheels steer just slightly to help bring the car through.

Technology abounds in the rest of the RLX too, especially in the upper-trim Advance model. Blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, collision avoidance, and adaptive cruise control are all part of this new car. Further, the latest version of AcuraLink keeps you connected and informed.

Prices start out at just over $48,000 and top out at just over $60,000 for the Advanced model. Pretty reasonable for a car that can truly be called “flagship.”

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz, Facebook: ABC7Dave

2013 Nissan JUKE NISMO.

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” That’s the old saying regarding sticking your neck out and taking a risk, as we all know. Doing something new, or in a new way, can often pay off in the long run.

But sometimes, well, bold moves don’t go over so well. In the car world, the infamous Edsel experiment by Ford Motor Company in the late 1950s comes to mind. And in recent years, Nissan’s bold move in the form of the compact Juke left more than a few people scratching their heads.

On paper, the Juke looked pretty cool. A tall-ish, 5-door hatchback-y vehicle that was a sort of mini-mini-SUV with a certain degree of urban vibe. But when it came to arriving in its sheet metal flesh, it didn’t exactly go over as a huge hit.

Most of the Juke looks pretty nice. The sides have nicely arched wheel openings, and an overall rakish stance. From the rear, a pretty conventional hatch surrounded by interesting taillights. But … that face. Oh dear. The view of the front is like looking at an interpretation of a frog turned into a robot.

The Juke hasn’t been a huge flop, as I do see them on the road quite a bit, and their drivers hardly ever look embarrassed to be seen in them. But Nissan may have overestimated the public’s willingness to accept such a strange design.

Help is now on the way, courtesy of Nissan’s in-house performance tuning division called Nismo. (For Nissan Motorsports.) No, the Nismo package doesn’t change the overall styling, but it does transform the Juke into a sweet little performance car.

The Nismo tuning didn’t need to go too deeply under the hood, as the Juke already comes with a turbocharged engine. But a few more horsepower are always welcome when you’re creating a hot little hatchback, so a tweak here and a tweak there result in a total of 197 horsepower, which is up just 9 from the regular Juke.

Performance enthusiasts should be smitten with the 6-speed manual gearbox as standard. More and more “performance” cars these days are doing away with conventional manuals. And even though the automatics of today are probably better performers overall in most cases, purists still want to operate a clutch pedal and shift their own gears. You can still the CVT automatic with the Nismo Juke, though only combined with all wheel drive.

Add in a more performance-oriented suspension and you’ve got the makings for a rather fun way to get around. The Nismo upgrade also includes heavily bolstered front bucket seats plus a steering wheel covered in a grippy suede-like material. Finishing touches include a revised front spoiler, red body accents, and red mirror covers.

This isn’t quite the little hot rod that the Ford Focus ST or Volkswagen GTI are, but it scoots through urban traffic pretty nicely. The gears in the 6-speed manual are perfectly spaced to make use of the engine’s power, and the suspension is just crisp enough to keep the car planted. You still sit tall in this car (part of the “SUV” type design), but it works nonetheless.

It also works pretty well as an everyday car. Fuel economy is decent (25 city and 31 highway with the manual transmission), the cargo area in back is larger than you might think, and the vehicle has a great turning radius for easing into tight parking spots.

One thing which helped my test car in that regard is an excelling rear-view camera. It’s part of a $1170 Navigation Package that also includes traffic monitoring and a Rockford Fosgate ecoPUNCH (what the heck does that mean?) sound system. All told, the bottom line sticker price was just a pinch over $25,000.

This is actually a competent little package, and fun to drive. And, the best thing about driving this Juke? You can’t see the front of it from the driver’s seat.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz, Facebook: ABC7Dave

Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon.

Most times, a car that is special lets everyone know about itself. Lots of visual excitement to announce exclusivity, a high price tag, and often both of those things.

But occasionally, a very special, very rare production car just sort of whispers its credentials. No over-the-top graphics, no indication at all that it’s only for the few who really seek it out and then cough up its high asking price.

Such is the case with the most spectacularly high performance station wagon you can buy today: The Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon. It’s got tons of horsepower, a somewhat staggering price tag, and is produced in numbers that make exotic super cars look like mainstream sedans.

But to see it on the road, you’d hardly notice it, especially in a muted color like silver. Sure, you can spot the “AMG” badge on the liftgate, the “V8 Biturbo” ones on the front fenders, the big quad exhaust tips out back, or the glistening red brake calipers peeking out from behind the handsome 19” wheels. But those are really the only visual clues.

Officially, this car is a “special order” model, meaning that typically a Mercedes-Benz dealer won’t stock them. Customers who seek out a wagon like this would have to have placed an order. (And right now, there’s a change-over to the updated and slightly restyled 2014 E-Class going on, so you can’t even do that at the moment.)

Production numbers are in the hundreds – worldwide. It stands to reason that there are probably very few people who need a station wagon that carries a base price of $92,000 and can out-accelerate most cars on the road.

But, it’s actually fairly easy to produce this car, once someone asks. Mechanically, the wagon version is identical to the E63 AMG sedan, save for the way the exhaust system is routed and a revised rear suspension that includes automatically adjusting air springs. (Obviously, a station wagon is likely to be loaded up at times, and you can even get this one with the rear-facing third row seat, just like the regular E-Class Wagon.)

So, you plunk down your money and wait for your E63 AMG Wagon. When it arrives, you’ll be treated to a twin-turbo 5.5 liter V8 engine that belches out 518 horsepower through a special 7-speed automatic transmission. If you’d like more power, choose the AMG Performance Package option, which tweaks the power output to 550 and raises the top speed to 186 mph.

Yes, you can buy a station wagon that will do 186 (somewhere anyway – not anywhere that I drive) yet will still be useful at runs to Home Depot or Costco for carrying large purchases. Stop laughing. Somewhere out there, someone’s driving one of these to a big box store. I think.

As part of the AMG overhaul, you also get racetrack levels of handling and braking. The huge brake discs visible behind the big wheels tell the tale of eyeball-popping stopping power. And while this hot wagon can hustle its way around a race track with the best sports cars, the ride doesn’t beat you up on regular city streets.

The interior features a few AMG goodies, specifically a thick steering wheel covered in a suede-like material called Alcantara. Deep bucket seats cradle front occupants and are adjustable nearly every way possible. And just to make sure you get the message while driving, the AMG logo is printed onto the speedometer.

By the time that AMG Performance Package ($6550) and a few other options are added on, the sticker price on this bad boy can top $100,000. Looking for a budget alternative? Try Cadillac’s CTS-V Sport Wagon. It’s also produced in limited numbers, also produces big horsepower (actually 556, if you’re keeping score), and can also tear up a twisty road. But it starts at around $65,000. Such a deal!

For many, though, only a Mercedes-Benz AMG will do. In fact, it’s likely that the select few who will buy this AMG wagon have other Mercedes AMG models in their garage. And if you see a station wagon with a Mercedes three-pointed star on the front and huge exhaust pipes in the back, know that you’ve seen a car rarer than most Ferraris.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz, Facebook: ABC7Dave

2013 Fiat 500e

Last week, I wrote about the Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid vehicle. A plug-in hybrid eliminates the issue of driving range for those who may not be ready to plunge head-on into ownership of a pure electric vehicle.

Then just a few days ago, I went to the media launch of Fiat’s new 500e, an EV version of the cute little Fiat “Cincuecento” that’s been on sale for nearly two years. A couple of interesting pieces of news accompany that little battery-powered car, both of which solve problems of EV ownership.

First, the price was announced. The MSRP of the new 500e is $32,500, which is on the low side of the electric car price spectrum. But rebates from federal and state government, as well as one from Fiat itself, knock the price down to closer to $20,000.

That actually wasn’t the biggest news on price. Fiat announced that they will debut the car with a smoking hot lease deal: Three years at $199 a month, with $999 due at start. (That price already factors in the rebates.) Essentially, you can lease the electric Fiat for the same price as the base model gasoline powered Fiat 500.

Company officials didn’t disclose this, but there’s a good chance they’re taking a bit of a loss on the car to get it out on the road. They’ve had the advantage of watching other companies launch electric cars to less-than-expected demand, only to then have to offer incentives and lease deals to move them. Fiat’s preemptive strike is likely to have orders streaming in.

Another big EV issue is range, as people are used to being able to drive their gasoline cars anywhere, anytime. The 500e’s official estimated range with a full battery is 87 miles, though the cars we got to drive showed more than 90 miles available after coming off the charger.

Okay, but 87 miles still won’t get you very far if you want to hit the road for the weekend or take a driving vacation. Fiat has you covered there, too. Everyone who leases the 500e will get something called ePass as part of the deal. And that gets you credits for twelve days a year of car rentals from Enterprise, Alamo or National.

Want to drive to Las Vegas? Use your ePass credits for a gasoline powered car, even a conventional Fiat 500 if you like. The twelve days are only for entry-level cars, but you can also arrange the credits to get vehicles like an SUV or a pickup truck if the need arises.

The electric Fiat also comes fully-loaded with amenities including a Garmin navigation system. It’s pre-programmed to help you locate public charging stations as you drive. And an app for your iPhone or Android lets you check the status of the car as it charges.

Probably the best part about the Fiat 500e is that it drives a lot like the regular Fiat, although with a bit more off-the-line snap. The beauty of an electric motor is that it produces gobs of torque (147 lbs-ft in this case) which helps you scoot along quite nicely in traffic.

And the Fiat’s crisp handling hasn’t been affected either. The battery adds 600 pounds of weight to the car, but it’s located beneath the rear seat and cargo area which helps the center of gravity. More good news: Cargo space inside the rear hatch is exactly the same as on the gas-powered 500.

No, this still isn’t a “roomy” car. The cabin is cozy, with the rear seat being pretty much only usable to pretty small people. But headroom and legroom for the driver and front passenger are ample. I’m 6’-6” tall and I fit just fine.

The Fiat 500e will only be available in California initially, and goes on sale this summer. If the idea of an electric car that addresses the downsides appeals to you, you might want to get one before Fiat changes its mind on that lease price.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz, Facebook: ABC7Dave

2013 Ford C-Max Energi.

We’ve heard a lot about electric cars lately, both good news and not-so-good news. The latest bad news is that two locally-based EV companies, Coda and Fisker, are on the ropes and will probably not survive very long.

More so-so news comes from sales numbers. Projections of how many people wanted to cough up premium prices to go gas-free were a little off. Both the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf were being discounted after sales numbers slid. Early adopters got them, but then many mainstream buyers were turned off by the driving range, the price, or probably both.

There’s now a way to sort of stick your toe in the waters of EV ownership without having to take the full plunge. A plug-in hybrid vehicle can give you some of the benefits of driving an electric car, without the drawbacks.

Ford Motor Company has two such plug-in hybrids on the market right now, both with the sub-name “Energi.” (Ford’s spelling…not a typo on my part.) Both the Fusion Hybrid Energi and C-Max Hybrid Energi can travel short distances on their stored battery power, just like a pure EV.

But unlike a pure EV, they then have a conventional hybrid engine system to take you as far as you may need to go on gasoline. Heck, you could drive them to New York if you so choose. That’s what makes them appealing.

I spent some time with a C-Max Energi recently, and got a feel as to what it would be like to live with one. The regular C-Max is sold only as a hybrid, and has an advertised rating of 47 miles per gallon city or highway. That figure has been called into question by everyone from owners to Consumer Reports, but let’s just say 40 miles per gallon is certainly possible.

Where the Energi differs is in battery capacity. The usually cavernous cargo area is made slightly less so by an extra battery pack sticking up from the floor, which supplements the regular hybrid battery beneath. Thanks to the extra juice on board, Ford claims that you can drive via electric power alone for up to 22 miles.

There’s a charging port on the driver’s side front fender which accepts the now-standard J1772 electrical connector from public 240v charging stations. Or you can use the provided charging cord that plugs into any conventional outlet and use 120v power.

Charging time is fairly quick, and once charged up, the C-Max Energi will show 20 miles or so on its battery minder gauge. Stomp on the accelerator pedal, or go really fast on the freeway, and that range will drop pretty significantly.

I decided that I’d use the Energi as it was designed to be used, and not try to “hyper-mile” it. Typically, I was able to pull it off the electrical outlet at the ABC7 facility in Glendale, drive home (5.5 miles), drive to the gym and back in the morning (3.8 miles round-trip), then travel back to ABC7 for a total of just under 15 miles, with the car still functioning as an EV and showing 2 miles remaining on its battery capacity.

What’s nice about Ford’s system is that you can choose when you want to use your plug-in power via a mode selector button. “Auto” means that the car will decide when to use the battery charge. “EV Now” means just that: You’re telling the car to stay in pure electric mode until the juice runs low. And “EV Later” saves the electricity for a time when it might be most efficient, such as when you’re doing short trips on city streets.

Someone with a short commute could essentially go for days without the Energi’s gasoline engine switching on. But if you need to go farther, it’s no problem. The car will behave just like any other hybrid. Yes, the Chevrolet Volt is technically a plug-in hybrid, but you don’t have as many options as to how your electric power is doled out to the wheels.

You’ll pay more for the Energi version compared to the regular C-Max Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid. (There’s about a $4000 premium, but current tax credits can erase most of that.) You’ll also lose some luggage capacity, as the extra batteries have to go somewhere. But back to the plus side, they’re eligible for special carpool lane stickers.

But these plug-ins are definitely worth checking out. Especially if you’re not sure whether you might be an electric car person.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz, Facebook: ABC7Dave

2013 Shelby GT350.

Last year, automotive icon Carroll Shelby passed away at age 89 after a long and storied life. The race driver, car builder, and entrepreneur left a big mark on the automotive world over several decades.

His death was not sudden – far from it. Shelby retired from racing in 1960 due to a heart condition and was continually in danger of an early death. But thanks to heart and kidney transplants and maybe a dose of good fortune, he lived much longer than even he thought he would.

Knowing this, Shelby made sure that Shelby American, Inc., the company that bears his name, was set to continue long into the future. The Las Vegas based company is thriving stronger than ever, and anyone who wants the ultimate Ford Mustang can buy one today.

The Shelby Mustang has become a legendary car, first produced as a 1965 model at the company’s facility adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport. For three years, the GT350 (and later, the more powerful GT500) was built alongside the Cobra two-seat sports car and GT-40 race car. New stock Ford Mustangs rolled in, and GT350s rolled out, meaner and faster than anything available directly from Ford.

But things came to an end in late 1967 for the Shelby Mustangs and Cobras. Safety and emissions regulations doomed the latter and took their toll on the former. Ford Motor Company took over production of the GT350 and GT500 for another couple of years, and by 1970, there were no Shelby automobiles.

Carroll Shelby found other interests in the 1970s, and reunited with Lee Iacocca in the 1980s to put some Shelby magic into Chrysler’s compact cars. His relationship with Ford had soured long ago, and the original Shelby Mustangs became sought-after collectors’ items.

Shelby American had moved to Las Vegas and was still building small batches of sports cars, and in 2005 Shelby the man was able to reestablish a relationship with Ford. Today, you can once again buy a brand-new Shelby Mustang, through a Ford dealer, with a warranty and financing just like any new Mustang.

And just like back in the early days, new Mustangs arrive at the Shelby facility and are upgraded for more performance and style. After completion, they’re sent on to their new owners, with a Shelby serial number added to the Ford one.

I got to put quite a number of miles on a 2013 GT350 recently, and all I can say is, wow, what a car. It sits perfectly on its modified suspension, with gorgeous wheels showing off upgraded brakes. Out back, custom exhaust pipes bark out a throaty V8 sound. Up front, a custom hood and air dam announce to anyone in front of you that this is no ordinary Mustang.

The example I drove also had an engine upgrade in the form of a supercharger, upping the 5.0 liter V8 to 624 horsepower, a full 200 more than the stock Mustang GT. Yet even with all that power on tap, I was able to achieve over 25 mpg in one freeway stint, while riding in air conditioned comfort.

There is a bit of confusion when it comes to Mustangs and Shelbys, however. Ford sells the Mustang GT, but also sells a supercharged model called the Shelby GT500. While Shelby licenses the name, Ford builds the GT500.

Shelby Mustangs built by Shelby are their own animals, to a different specification. I’m told they also hold their value better than the Mustangs built by Ford. And to further blur things, Shelby also modifies the stock GT500 into an ultimate Mustang called the Shelby GT500 Super Snake.

One of the reasons there are so few vintage Shelby Mustangs today (assuring their status as a blue-chip collector car) is because so few were sold when they were new, partly due to their high prices. While you could get a very nice V8 Mustang for about $3,500 back in 1966, a GT350 was $4,600, or about the price of a new Corvette.

The Shelby Mustang is also expensive today. A new GT350 starts at $26,995, after you buy a Mustang GT for $30,000 or more. Add the supercharger package that my test car had, and you’ve got a Mustang priced well in excess of $60,000.

That doesn’t seem to be stopping people from buying them, as Shelby American is cranking out new cars at a rate of 7 to 8 per week. Carroll Shelby may no longer be with us, but his cars definitely are, and will be for many years to come.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz, Facebook: ABC7Dave

2014 Chevrolet Impala LTZ.

When I was a kid, one of the most popular 4-door sedans in almost every middle-class neighborhood was the Chevrolet Impala. They were everywhere, and if you were part of a “Chevy family” (back when people tended to be brand loyal with their car purchases), a trip to the new car dealership often meant the latest Impala finding its way into your driveway.

The sales figures bear this out. In 1965, Chevrolet sold just over 1,000,000 Impalas, a record which has not since been achieved by any production car in America. Up through the early 1970s, sales were still very strong. But then the OPEC oil embargo and the import brands gaining strength meant that the Impala’s glory days were over.

It was a bit of a bumpy road after that. By the mid-1980s, the higher-trim Caprice became the sole full-size Chevrolet, really just a formality, as the Caprice was always the same car as the Impala anyway. The name got a brief reprise from 1994 to 1996, as a sporty variation on the soon-to-be-extinct full-size Chevrolet, and the Impala SS is considered collectible by many today.

Model year 2000 saw the return of the Impala name, but in a rather ho-hum front wheel drive sedan. Yes, it wore the familiar leaping antelope logo from the early days, but it was obvious that the car was nothing like its predecessors. Updated in 2006, it remained a rather lackluster car, getting to the point that 70% of them were destined for fleet use.

Now, Chevrolet is injecting new life into the Impala name, with an all-new full-size sedan that’s positioned to be the flagship 4-door in Chevy showrooms. It’s larger, more stylish and much more advanced than the outgoing one.

The overall size and shape are not too far off from the new large Cadillac XTS. The two cars share the same platform, although obviously the much more expensive Caddy gets much more luxury and features.

The new Impala is not a luxury car, but it’s luxurious enough, especially when fitted in top-line LTZ trim. The two-tone leather interior in the example I drove was quite stylish, keeping in line with other GM interiors of recent years. The company has really upped its game in that regard, for sure.

It’s also not a performance car, but it performs well with the 3.6 liter V6 under the hood. (General Motors is now using this very capable engine in everything from the Chevy Camaro to various Cadillac models.) Power is smooth and instantaneous, shifting through a 6-speed automatic transmission. A 2.4 liter four cylinder will also be available shortly after launch, for the ultra-frugal among Impala buyers.

If you’re looking for a return to the performance days of the early Impala SS (not only in the 1960s, but also in the 1990s resurrection), this Impala is not your car. Chevrolet will be launching a new sedan – called simply SS – to handle that task late this year.

So if this new Impala isn’t a full-blown luxury car and it isn’t a real performance car, what is it? It’s a very functional, very capable large car to proudly carry the Chevrolet badge. The Malibu has been designated the mid-size choice of the brand’s lineup, and now the Impala is here to be the larger 4-door.

Styling-wise, the car is handsome, though not head-turning. Essentially, the new Impala is a direct competitor to the Toyota Avalon, which was redesigned for the 2013 model year. Large and comfortable, the Impala, like the Avalon, plays it conservative.

Safety features abound, of course. And one interesting feature could be considered part of personal safety. The large touchscreen (which incorporates the MyLink integration with your phone and other systems) has a function called Valet. It’s rather like one of those hotel safes with the push-button combination lock. If you have to hand the car and your keys over to someone at a restaurant or hotel, you can lock your valuables in a compartment, set the code, and it won’t open until you’ve re-entered the code. While set, it also disables the optional navigation system, so a dishonest valet can’t look to see where your house is.

The Impala will be hitting showrooms in a few weeks, and has a base price of $27,535. That’s for the base LS trim grade, and the mid-grade LT (which will be the majority of Impalas built) starts at $30,760. Choose the LTZ and hit all the option boxes, and the price goes to north of $40,000.

Will the Impala return to being the dominant family car that is was in the mid-1960s? Hardly. But it does offer a sensible choice with lots of room inside, just as it did back when all those “Chevy families” were putting new Impalas in their driveways.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz, Facebook: ABC7Dave

2014 Mazda Mazda6 Grand Touring.

The story of Mazda’s mid-size Mazda6 sedan kind of reads like a portion of the Goldie Locks children’s tale. The first generation was too small. The second generation was too big. The new 2014 Mazda6 is just right, size-wise anyway.

The mid-size segment is a tough one, a competitive one, and a lucrative one if done right. Witness the years-long success of the two cars that dominate the category, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Never too flashy, never too daring. But always a sensible choice, at least when votes-by-wallet are tallied.

When Mazda brought out the original Mazda6 in 2003, replacing the 626 in the company’s lineup, it left a lot of people scratching their heads a bit. Next to its competitors (like the Camry and Accord) it was about a half-size smaller. Mazda’s reasoning was that their car was an enthusiast’s choice, as the trimmer size made for a car that was more fun to drive.

But while enthusiasts were sated (for the most part – not every car enthusiast is in the market for a mid-price 4-door sedan), people who cross-shopped the Mazda6 against the others in the segment felt it wasn’t worth the money. Lots of shoppers buy their cars by the pound, or perhaps the inch.

Mazda want back to the drawing board in 2009 and came up with an all-new Mazda6. It was no longer the smallest car in the segment, it was the biggest. At a press introduction, company officials even showed overlays of how much bigger their car was compared to the competitors.

Oops … that one didn’t quite ring the bell either. It might have been large, but it lost a lot of its Mazda soul, thanks in part to some platform sharing with then-partner Ford Motor Company. Rather bulbous and somewhat slab-sided in appearance, the second-gen Mazda6 missed the mark as well.

Now, Mazda is sure it’s gotten things right with the 2014 Mazda6. It’s an all-new car with an all-new design. The body is not slab-sided at all, but instead has flowing character lines. And perhaps most importantly, the size is just about perfect.

The traditional Mazda sportiness is still there, which will help this stand out in a sea of mid-size sedans on the market right now, almost all of them redesigned within the last few years. Accord, Ford Fusion, Chevy Malibu, Camry, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, as well as the lesser-known sedans like the Subaru Legacy.

Mazda really seems to have gotten it right both inside and out, as the car is distinctive and handsome whether you’re walking toward it in a parking lot or looking across the dashboard while on the road.

Special attention was paid to fuel economy, with the Mazda6 being the latest of the company’s products to get what they call SKYACTIV engine and transmission systems. The engines use every trick in the book to boost fuel economy, including 13 to 1 compression (something normally only found in race engines), direct injection, and variable valve timing and control. Together, these help the Mazda 2.5 liter four cylinder achieve impressive EPA fuel economy numbers of 26 city and 38 highway (with automatic transmission).

And if you want to do even better, wait until this summer. Mazda will be the first Asian manufacturer, and the first of any company in the mid-size sedan segment, to offer a diesel engine. The upcoming SKYACTIV-D clean diesel promises better torque than a V6 along with hybrid-like mileage ratings.

Speaking of ratings, the car just received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s “Top Safety Pick” rating. Given that many buyers place safety high on their list of desirable attributes, that accolade should help the Mazda greatly.

Base price for a Mazda6 i Sport (with 6-speed manual transmission) is $20,880. The next trim level is i Touring for $24,495, and the high-end Mazda6 i Grand Touring is $29,495. You can add packages to these prices, and all price levels are right in line with the competitors in the segment.

Mazda seems to have really gotten this one right, unlike its previous efforts at the Mazda6. Or perhaps as a certain character from a kids’ story might say, “just right.”

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz, Facebook: ABC7Dave

Dave Kunz with the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

The Bruce on the other end was Bruce Meyer, one of the driving forces behind the Petersen Automotive Museum and one of Southern California’s preeminent car people. The huge news he was so excited to share was that the 2014 Corvette was going to be making a brief visit to the museum.

That appearance was part of the big 60th anniversary celebration of the Chevrolet Corvette, obviously planned well in advance. But landing one of the most talked about cars of the year was quite the coup for the Petersen.

The upcoming Corvette was first unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January, to huge crowds of press from around the world. GM had done a pretty good job of keeping it mostly under wraps until its official debut, and it was the most talked-about car of the show.

A few weeks later, the Corvette was on display at the Chicago Auto Show. It wasn’t the newest vehicle there, and there were other cars specifically debuting during the show’s press days. That didn’t matter. People still flocked to the show floor to get a glimpse of “America’s sports car” as Chevrolet likes to call it.

So the next question was, when would car enthusiasts on the West Coast get to see it? The seventh-generation Vette won’t even go on sale until late summer, but people still want a glimpse as early as possible.

Strings were pulled, and budgets within General Motors were pooled to finance proper transportation. Finally, the company was able to confirm museum officials that, yes, one of the prototypes of the 2014 Corvette would indeed be on hand for the big party.

As part of the festivities, a Friday night gala dinner had been planned. Featured speakers were to include many people synonymous with the Corvette, and die-hard Corvette enthusiasts signed up first. But as soon as word got out about the four-wheeled guest of honor, the dinner became a sell-out.

So the early birds who came to attend the dinner, see Corvettes, and support the Petersen Automotive Museum’s outreach program got an early glimpse of the car. The cover was pulled off after the last speakers had appeared on stage and the last bites of desert were eaten.

Instantly, the car was mobbed. Camera phones were held high in the air, and everyone wanted to get a closer look, practically knocking down the stanchions and velvet ropes that had been placed around the new Corvette.

The next day was the main event for the C7 (Corvette-speak for “Corvette – 7th generation), and it had been moved to the center of the polished stone floor in the museum’s Grand Salon. Before the facility even opened at 10:00 a.m., crowds gathered in the lobby, with everyone wanting to be among the first to catch a glimpse.

What was even more impressive was the line to the front desk, where people buy their admission tickets to the museum. On any given busy Saturday, there might be 10-12 people in line during peak hours. The line on this “Corvette Saturday” stretched through the lobby, out the front door, down an access ramp, and out onto the sidewalk on Fairfax Avenue.

An hour and a half later, the line was still almost as long. People wanted to see the new Vette, and they wanted to see it badly. Many were Corvette owners and enthusiasts, some were just car enthusiasts, and a few probably just happened to plan a visit to the museum that day, perhaps as part of a vacation trip to Los Angeles.

It really is a stunning car, one that has to be seen in person to really appreciate. Yes, it’s still many months away from production, and yes, the base price is close to $60,000. I seriously doubt that I would buy one myself, but that doesn’t matter. I was truly excited to be among those who saw the 2014 Corvette in person, up close, and early on in the car’s life.

And the next time a certain guy named Bruce calls me to tell me about something “huge,” you can bet I’ll be listening.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz, Facebook: ABC7Dave