2013 Honda Accord & 2013 Audi S4 & S5

HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK!

JOIN US AND SEE IF THE NEW GEN HONDA ACCORD

IS READY TO TAKE ON THE COMPETITION.

PAT GOSS HAS SOME HEFTY ADVICE IN A TOW DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE.

WE EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE FUELS IN THE WORKPLACE.

AND IT'S A PAIR OF SUPERCHARGED AUDIS,

THE S4 SEDAN AND S5 COUPE.

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY...

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John Davis: OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS,

SOME NINE MILLION HONDA ACCORDS HAVE BEEN BUILT HERE.

AS YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT,

IT DEFINED THE MID-SIZE CAR SEGMENT.

THROUGH 8-GENERATIONS OF SEDANS, COUPES, AND EVEN WAGONS,

THE ACCORD HAS GROWN UP RIGHT ALONGSIDE THE AMERICAN FAMILY.

BUT THE 9TH GENERATION ACCORD

GREETS AN ALTERED AUTOMOTIVE LANDSCAPE,

NOW FILLED WITH CHALLENGERS FROM BOTH IMPORT AND DOMESTIC BRANDS.

SO LET'S SEE IF THE 2013 ACCORD CAN REMAIN A FAMILY FAVORITE.

STAYING ON TOP IS NEVER EASY, AND THAT'S NOT ABOUT TO CHANGE

AS 2013 MARKS NOT ONLY A NEW HONDA ACCORD,

BUT ALL NEW MID-SIZERS FROM MANY OF ITS RIVALS AS WELL;

INCLUDING FORD FUSION, NISSAN ALTIMA, AND CHEVROLET MALIBU.

AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE TOYOTA CAMRY, NEW THIS TIME LAST YEAR.

BUT THE ACCORD SEDAN AND COUPE

HAVE NEVER SHIED AWAY FROM A GAME.

THEIR STRATEGY IS SIMPLE;

GIVE BUYERS MORE OF WHAT THEY WANT

IN AN ATTRACTIVE LOOKING PACKAGE

WITH A LITTLE UNEXPECTED SURPRISE

THROWN IN FOR BONUS POINTS.

THEY DO MARCH ON THE PLAYING FIELD LOOKING LEANER AND MEANER.

FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE FRONTLINE ACCORD SEDAN

IS ACTUALLY SMALLER OUTSIDE THAN ITS PREDECESSOR,

WITH OVERALL LENGTH 3.6-INCHES SHORTER THAN BEFORE.

WHILE NOT FLASHY BY ANY MEANS, THE NEW LOOK IS MORE DYNAMIC,

ESPECIALLY UP FRONT WHERE LARGER GRILLE AND LOWER AIR INLETS

GIVE A MORE BRAWNY LOOK.

THERE'S A BIT LESS DEPARTURE DOWN THE FOUR-DOOR SIDES

WHERE FAMILIAR-LOOKING BODY LINES

CUT ACROSS THE TOP AND BOTTOM.

WITH THE SEDAN'S SMALLER EXTERIOR,

TOTAL PASSENGER VOLUME IS DOWN A BIT,

BUT THE SPACE HAS BEEN "FENG SHUIED"

TO MAKE THE ENVIRONMENT MORE INVITING.

HEADROOM AND HIP ROOM HAVE DECREASED A LITTLE,

BUT SHOULDER ROOM IS UP

AND LEGROOM REMAINS THE SAME IN FRONT.

WHILE IN THE BACK SEAT, LEGROOM IS UP OVER AN INCH;

AND THAT'S WITH A LARGER TRUNK,

NOW HOLDING 15.8 CUBIC-FEET OF LUGGAGE.

SO AS NOT TO REPEAT THE CIVIC'S

DISAPPOINTING LACK OF CONNECTIVITY,

THE ACCORD DEBUTS A NEW HONDALINK SYSTEM

THAT WILL ENABLE OWNERS TO KEEP IN TOUCH

WITH THEIR CAR, AND OTHERS,

WITH AN EVER-EXPANDING SUITE OF SMART PHONE APPS.

HIGH IN THE CENTER OF A VASTLY IMPROVED DASH LAYOUT

IS A LARGE I-MID 8-INCH DISPLAY.

NAV MODELS ADD A SEPARATE AUDIO TOUCHSCREEN

TO REDUCE BUTTON CLUTTER.

DUAL AUTOMATIC CLIMATE CONTROLS AND REAR-VIEW CAMERA

ARE NOW STANDARD ON ACCORD.

POWERTRAINS FEATURE HONDA'S NEW "EARTH DREAMS" TECHNOLOGY

WHICH INCLUDES AN ALL-NEW DIRECT-INJECTION 2.4-LITER I4

WITH CVT AS STANDARD IN THE HIGH VOLUME LX.

IT RATES 185 HORSEPOWER AND 181 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

ALSO AVAILABLE IS A HEAVILY REVISED 3.5-LITER V6

WITH VARIABLE CYLINDER MANAGEMENT

THAT NOW BRINGS 278-HORSEPOWER AND 252 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE

TO ITS 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

A 6-SPEED MANUAL IS AVAILABLE IN THE ACCORD COUPE.

AS TO THE TWO-DOOR ACCORD,

IT BORROWS MUCH FROM THE CONCEPT SHOWN IN JANUARY AT DETROIT,

TAKING THE SEDAN'S SPORTY STYLE UP A SHARP NOTCH.

THE FRONT END HAS A UNIQUE FASCIA

WITH EVEN LARGER AIR OPENINGS,

AND FAKE BRAKE COOLING "DUCTS" FOR FOG LAMPS.

SIDE AND REAR SHEET METAL SHAPES ARE ALSO UNIQUE

AND THE V6 COMES WITH A DECK-LID SPOILER.

WHETHER COUPE OR SEDAN,

BOTH CARS HAVE THAT SMOOTH, SOLID,

AND QUIET ON THE ROAD FEEL

THAT MILLIONS OF ACCORD OWNERS HAVE COME TO APPRECIATE.

VISIBILITY IS IMPROVED,

AND A NEW CAMERA-BASED LANEWATCH OPTION

ELIMINATES BLIND SPOTS IN RIGHT TURNS.

AND NOW FOR THE UNEXPECTED BONUS...

COMING LATER NEXT YEAR,

A HYBRID WILL RETURN TO THE ACCORD LINEUP,

AND NOW IT'S OF THE PLUG-IN VARIETY.

THE PHEV WILL GET ITS OWN UNIQUE STYLING

THAT WILL CERTAINLY SET IT APART FROM OTHER ACCORDS,

WITH A DOWNRIGHT BOLD GRILLE,

LED HEADLIGHTS AND AERODYNAMIC BOOSTERS,

LIKE WHEEL COVERS, UNDERBODY PANELS, AND A REAR SPOILER.

THE POWERTRAIN IS A 137-HORSEPOWER

2.0-LITER ATKINSON CYCLE I4

WITH A TWO-ELECTRIC MOTOR CVT HYBRID SYSTEM

AND 6.7KWH TRUNK-MOUNTED BATTERY PACK.

TOTAL OUTPUT IS 196-HORSEPOWER AND 226 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

ELECTRIC-ONLY RANGE WILL BE 10 TO 15 MILES.

THE PHEV'S INTERIOR ADDS A SPECIAL GAUGE CLUSTER

WITH HYBRID SYSTEM READOUTS.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS

FOR ALL ACCORD MODELS GO UP A BIT;

26-CITY, 35-HIGHWAY,

AND 29-COMBINED FOR THE CVT 4-CYLINDER,

AND 21-CITY, 32-HIGHWAY,

AND 25-COMBINED FOR THE V6 WITH AUTOMATIC.

EXPECT THE PLUG-IN HYBRID

TO ACHIEVE OVER 100 MILES-PER- GALLON EQUIVALENT IN EV MODE.

COMPETITION HAS ALSO KEPT A LID ON PRICES,

ALSO RISING SLIGHTLY TO $22,470 FOR THE BASE LX SEDAN,

AND CLIMBING TO $34,220 FOR THE V6 TOURING TRIM.

HONDA ACCORD BUYERS ARE OBVIOUSLY A LOYAL BUNCH.

WHEN IT COMES TIME TO BUY A NEW ACCORD,

THEY LIKE ONE THAT IS IMPROVED,

BUT STILL HAS LOTS OF FAMILIARITY.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE ROSTER

OF THE 2013 HONDA ACCORD LINEUP DELIVERS.

TIME WILL TELL IF THERE IS ENOUGH CHANGE

TO BLOCK THE COMPETITION.

STILL, WE THINK THE NEW ACCORD WILL HOLD ITS FIELD POSITION,

AND CONTINUE TO BE A TOP DRAFT PICK IN THE MID-SIZE GAME

FOR YEARS TO COME.

MEDIUM AND HEAVY-DUTY COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

HAVE LONG RELIED ON DIESEL AS THEIR DEDICATED FUEL.

BUT LATELY, MORE AND MORE FLEETS ARE MAKING A GREEN CHOICE

AND TURNING TO CLEANER AND CHEAPER DOMESTIC NATURAL GAS.

IN RESPONSE, A NATURAL GAS FUELING NETWORK IS BEING CREATED

TO KEEP PACE WITH THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR CNG AND LNG TRUCKS.

DOES THIS MEAN NATURAL GAS IS FINALLY READY FOR THE LONG HAUL?

NO ONE HAS BEEN HIT HARDER BY RISING FUEL PRICES

THAN AMERICA'S LONG-HAUL COMMERCIAL TRUCKERS.

A BIG RIG CAN EASILY BURN 20,000 GALLONS OF FUEL A YEAR,

AND WITH DIESEL PRICES PROJECTED TO KEEP RISING,

THIS NOT ONLY PINCHES THE TRUCKER'S BOTTOM LINE,

BUT THAT EXTRA COST IS PASSED ON TO AMERICAN CONSUMERS.

MEANWHILE, NATURAL GAS PRICES HAVE REMAINED STABLE

AND ARE FORECAST TO STAY THAT WAY FOR YEARS TO COME.

UP TO NOW, DEMAND FOR NATURAL GAS AS A TRANSPORTATION FUEL

HAS BEEN MOSTLY FOR COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS

USED BY LIGHT AND MEDIUM-DUTY VEHICLES.

CITY BUSES, REFUSE HAULERS, UTILITIES,

AND OTHER LOCALIZED "CAPTIVE" FLEETS

THAT RELY ON CENTRAL REFUELING OR A FIXED NUMBER OF STATIONS

ARE A NATURAL FIT FOR COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS, OR CNG.

LONG-HAUL TRUCKS ARE SUITED FOR LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS, OR LNG,

WHICH IS CREATED BY SUPER-COOLING NATURAL GAS

TO -260 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

AS A LIQUID, MUCH MORE FUEL CAN BE STORED IN SMALLER TANKS,

WHICH MEANS MORE MILES PER FILL-UP FOR THE BIG RIGS.

RECOGNIZING THAT, SEVERAL NATURAL GAS COMPANIES

ARE NOW JOINING FORCES WITH MAJOR TRUCK STOP CHAINS

AND REGIONAL FUEL RETAILERS

TO EXPAND THE AVAILABILITY OF NATURAL GAS FOR LONG-HAUL RIGS.

CLEAN ENERGY, CO-FOUNDED BY NATURAL GAS PIONEER

T. BOONE PICKENS, ALREADY HAS MORE THAN 300

NATURAL GAS STATIONS IN OPERATION.

BUT THEY'RE FAR FROM DONE.

Steve Weiner: CLEAN ENERGY IS BUILDING AMERICA'S NATURAL GAS HIGHWAY,

AND WHAT THAT'S GOING TO INVOLVE IS OVER 150 LNG FUELING STATIONS

AT PILOT AND FLYING J TRUCK STOPS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

AND WE'RE BUILDING THEM ON MAJOR TRUCKING CORRIDORS,

SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GO FROM COAST TO COAST

OR BORDER TO BORDER ALL ON NATURAL GAS.

John: ENERGY PRODUCER SHELL IS PROPOSING TO ADD LNG FUELING

AT UP TO 100 T/A AND PETRO TRUCK STOPS NATIONWIDE.

WHILE CHESAPEAKE ENERGY,

THE 2ND LARGEST PRODUCER OF NATURAL GAS IN THE U.S.

HAS INVESTED IN CLEAN ENERGY'S LNG PLAN,

AND IS ALSO WORKING WITH LOVE'S TRUCK STOPS AND OTHER RETAILERS

TO ADD CNG FUELING STATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY

FOR LIGHT AND MEDIUM DUTY TRUCKS.

IN THEIR HOME STATE OF OKLAHOMA, CHESAPEAKE IS HELPING

THE ONCUE EXPRESS CHAIN OF CONVENIENCE STORES

BUILD A CNG FUELING NETWORK OF THEIR OWN.

ONCUE CEO JIM GRIFFITH IS NO STRANGER TO SELLING CNG,

HAVING TESTED THE MARKET OVER A DECADE AGO.

BUT WITH THE PRICE DIFFERENTIAL NOW REACHING A TIPPING POINT,

HE HAS ONCE AGAIN ADDED CNG PUMPS TO 13 OF HIS STORES,

WITH MORE TO COME.

Jim Griffith: THE DIFFERENCE WHEN I TRIED IT BACK IN THE '90s

AND TODAY IS THE PRICE OF GASOLINE.

IN THE '90s, GASOLINE WAS SELLING FOR $.99 CENTS A GALLON

AND MY CNG PRICE WAS $.79.

SO, FOR 20 CENTS A GALLON,

IT WAS HARD FOR SOMEBODY TO JUSTIFY

CONVERTING THEIR VEHICLES.

TODAY, WHEN IT'S OVER $2 PER GALLON DIFFERENCE,

IT'S VERY EASY TO PUT A PEN TO IT

AND FIGURE OUT CNG IS THE WAY TO GO.

John: CHESAPEAKE ENERGY IS TAKING A HOLISTIC APPROACH

TO EXPANDING THE MARKET FOR NATURAL GAS.

THEY'RE WORKING WITH 3M TO USE ADVANCED RESINS

IN DEVELOPING LIGHTER AND MORE COMPACT CNG TANKS.

THEY'RE ALSO WORKING TO CREATE A "CNG STATION-IN-A-BOX"

THAT WILL ALLOW RETAILERS TO MINIMIZE THE EXPENSE

AND COMPLEXITY OF ADDING CNG TO THEIR FUEL OFFERINGS.

Taylor Shin: A GOOD MAJORITY OF THE STATIONS IN AMERICA

ALREADY HAVE A NATURAL GAS PIPELINE BELOW THE GROUND,

AND SO THE LAST 20 FEET IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDING.

AS YOU SEE MAJOR CORPORATIONS ANNOUNCE INITIATIVES

INTO HEAVY-DUTY TRUCKING,

IT'S ONLY GOING TO DRIVE THE MARKET FURTHER.

WHEN YOU HEAR ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM A HEAVY-DUTY TRUCK,

THE ENGINE MANUFACTURERS DECIDE TO INVEST MORE AND PRODUCE MORE.

WHEN YOU SEE THAT,

THE RETAILERS DECIDE THEY CAN BUILD MORE STATIONS,

SO IT'S ALL A SNOWBALL EFFECT,

AND IF WE CAN WORK AT THE FRONT END

TO HELP THE COUNTRY BENEFIT FROM THAT,

WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.

John: LET'S HITCH A RIDE DOWN TO GOSS' GARAGE,

WHERE PAT'S READY TO TOW THE LINE.

Pat: A WINCH CAN BE A VITAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT

TO JUST ABOUT ANYBODY.

BUT, BUYING IT AND USING IT PROPERLY ARE VERY IMPORTANT.

AND TO GIVE US SOME POINTERS, WE HAVE SCOTT PETERSON.

HE IS A SENIOR DESIGN ENGINEER WITH SUPERWINCH.

SCOTT, WELCOME TO GOSS' GARAGE.

Scott: THANKS FOR HAVING ME, PAT.

IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.

Pat: OKAY, FIRST, BUYING THE WINCH.

WHAT'S ONE OF THE PRIMARY THINGS YOU LOOK FOR?

Scott: ONE OF THE PRIMARY THINGS IS CAPACITY.

BASICALLY, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A RULE OF THUMB

OF 1.5 TO 2 TIMES THE WEIGHT OF YOUR VEHICLE.

IN THE CASE OF MY JEEP, 4,500 POUNDS,

YOU WANT A WINCH ABOUT 9,000 OR GREATER.

THIS IS OUR 9,800 POUND RATED PRODUCT.

IT'S A GOOD APPLICATION FOR THE JEEP.

Pat: OKAY, SYNTHETIC VERSUS STEEL ROPE?

Scott: SYNTHETIC ROPE HAS A LOT OF SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS.

IT'S LIGHTER THAN STEEL.

IT'S STRONGER THAN AN EQUIVALENT SIZED CABLE.

AND BECAUSE IT'S LIGHTER,

IF THAT CABLE BREAKS, IT DOESN'T FLY THROUGH THE AIR

WITH THE WEIGHT OF THAT STEEL CABLE,

AND POSSIBLY HARM YOU OR SOMEONE AROUND YOU.

Pat: OKAY, THE ABRASION SLEEVE THAT YOU HAVE ON HERE.

Scott: THAT IS A MOVABLE ABRASION SLEEVE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SYNTHETIC ROPE DOESN'T LIKE IS ABRASION.

IF YOU'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE YOUR JEEP IS ON AN INCLINE,

AND YOU'VE GOT TO GET OVER A STONE EDGE,

OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT,

IF YOU TRY TO RECOVER YOUR JEEP UP THAT,

THAT ROPE'S UNDER TENSION,

IT CAN GET ABRADED BY THE EDGE OF THE ROCK,

OR WHATEVER YOU'RE GOING AROUND.

YOU ALWAYS WANT TO MOVE THAT ABRASION SLEEVE

TO WHEREVER THAT ABRASION -- OR THAT CONTACT WOULD BE HAPPENING

TO PROTECT THE CABLE.

Pat: OKAY, WE HAVE AN OLD FLOOR MAT THROWN OVER THE ROPE.

PURPOSE?

Scott: THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS, AGAIN, SAFETY.

IF THAT LINE WERE TO BREAK,

YOU WANT TO HAVE ALL OF THAT ENERGY GO DOWN TO THE GROUND.

USE A HEAVY SWEATSHIRT, USE A FLOOR MAT OUT OF THE CAR,

WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN SAFETY IN YOUR RECOVERY.

BASICALLY, WITH SYNTHETIC ROPE,

LESS SO IF YOU'VE GOT STEEL CABLE,

YOU ABSOLUTELY WANT ALL OF THAT ENERGY

TO GO STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE GROUND.

YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T WINCH

WITHOUT A WINCH WEIGHT ON YOUR CABLE IN THAT CASE.

Pat: OKAY.

THE HOOK ON THE END?

A SAFETY WINCH USES A SPECIAL ONE

THAT HAS A SAFETY CATCH ON IT.

Scott: EVERY WINCH THAT SUPER WINCH SELLS HAS A SAFETY LATCH.

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A STRAP,

A TREE SAVER STRAP,

AROUND A TREE AS YOUR ANCHOR POINT.

YOU'RE GOING TO PUT THE TWO LOOPS OF THAT IN HERE,

YOU WANT THAT LATCH TO CLOSE.

Pat: AND IF IT GETS DAMAGED?

Scott: ABSOLUTELY REPLACE IT.

INSPECT ALL OF YOUR GEAR; YOUR LINE, YOUR SAFETY HOOKS,

EVERYTHING EACH TIME YOU GO OUT.

Pat: ALL RIGHT.

NOW, IT SEEMS

PAINFULLY OBVIOUS, BUT PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS DO THE OBVIOUS...

GLOVES.

Scott: YEAH, IT DOES KIND OF GO WITHOUT SAYING.

YOU'RE OUT, YOU'RE IN THE WOODS, YOU'RE WORKING WITH METAL HOOKS,

YOU'RE POSSIBLY WORKING WITH METAL LINE,

ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD PAIR -- MINE ARE A LITTLE BIT DIRTY --

LEATHER PALMED GLOVES FOR SAFETY'S SAKE.

ABSOLUTELY.

Pat: OKAY, SCOTT.

THANK YOU.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT,

DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: WHEN WE SEE A NEW KEY FOB,

WE JUST HAVE TO GRAB IT AND DRIVE.

SO LET'S HIT THE STARTER AND SEE WHAT WE THINK.

LOOKING TO DISTANCE ITSELF EVEN FURTHER

FROM CHEVY'S BUDGET-FRIENDLY EQUINOX,

THE GMC TERRAIN COMPACT CROSSOVER

AIMS FOR HIGHER GROUND AND DEEPER POCKETS

WITH A MID-CYCLE MAKEOVER

THAT INCLUDES A NEW TOP LINE DENALI MODEL.

TERRAIN STYLING ALREADY HAD A UNIQUE FLAIR,

BOXIER THAN EQUINOX,

AND WITH MORE BULGES THAN THE TERMINATOR.

NOW IN DENALI TRIM,

SATIN CHROME ADORNS ALMOST EVERY SURFACE,

FROM THE FRONT GRILLE AND FASCIA,

TO ROCKER PANELS AND DOOR HANDLES...

AND EVEN THE REAR LIFTGATE.

THE INTERIOR IS EXPECTEDLY CUSHY,

WITH PREMIUM LEATHER SEATS,

"FRENCH" STITCHING AND WOODY TRIM THROUGHOUT.

NEW SAFETY FEATURES LIKE LANE DEPARTURE

AND REAR CROSS TRAFFIC ALERTS ARE STANDARD FOR DENALI,

THOUGH ODDLY ENOUGH, NAVIGATION IS NOT.

A 182-HORSEPOWER 2.4 LITER I4 CONTINUES AS STANDARD,

EVEN ON THE DENALI.

BUT THE BIG ADDITION IS GM'S OPTIONAL 3.6-LITER V6

OF CADILLAC CTS FAME, REPLACING LAST YEAR'S 3.0-LITER.

FOR THE EXTRA MONEY YOU'LL GET 301 HORSEPOWER,

14% MORE THAN BEFORE, WITH NO DECAY IN FUEL ECONOMY.

TOP TOWING ALSO REMAINS AT 3,500 POUNDS.

Greg Carloss: THE TERRAIN DENALI DEFINITELY ISN'T FOR EVERYONE,

AND IT'S MISSING SOME PREMIUM FEATURES

LIKE A PUSH BUTTON START.

BUT IT'S STILL A CAPABLE COMPACT CROSSOVER,

NOW JUST OVERSTATED WITH DENALI TRIM.

THE LARGER V6 IS GREAT FOR TOWING,

AND IT MAKES PASSING EASY.

BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FUEL ECONOMY,

I'D STICK WITH THE 4-CYLINDER.

John: THE 2013 GMC TERRAIN DENALI STARTS AROUND $35,000

AND IT'S ON SALE NOW.

SCORING SEAT TIME IN A SUPER-EXOTIC CAR

LIKE THE LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR IS ALWAYS A RARITY.

SO WE WERE DELIGHTED TO BE HANDED THESE KEYS RECENTLY

FOR A 2-HOUR SOLO BLAST THROUGH CALIFORNIA'S CARMEL VALLEY.

PROPERLY TITLED THE AVENTADOR LP 700-4,

THIS IS LAMBO'S TOP STREET FIGHTER,

AND PACKS A 700-HORSEPOWER WALLOP

FROM ITS 6.5 LITER V12 ENGINE,

FED THROUGH A 7-SPEED SINGLE CLUTCH SEQUENTIAL GEARBOX

TO ALL FOUR WHEELS.

THE AVENTADOR IS A BIG CAR AT OVER 15.5 FEET LONG...

ABOUT AS LONG AS A TOYOTA CAMRY,

YET TIPS THE SCALES AT A TRIM 3,472 POUNDS

THANKS TO A CARBON-FIBER MONOCOQUE

CLOAKED IN CARBON FIBER AND ALUMINUM BODY PANELS.

SO IT DELIVERS A POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO

RIGHT UP THERE WITH SAY A FIGHTER JET.

ACTUALLY, STYLING PAYS MORE THAN A PASSING NOD

TO THE F-117 STEALTH FIGHTER

WITH ITS SHARP ANGLES AND BROAD FLAT PLANES.

BUT THERE IS NOTHING AT ALL STEALTHY

ABOUT THE AVENTADOR'S PERFORMANCE.

ZERO TO 60 BLURS BY IN UNDER THREE SECONDS,

EN ROUTE TO A TOP SPEED OF 217 MILES-PER-HOUR.

NOW, WE DIDN'T APPROACH THAT TERMINAL VELOCITY,

BUT MIGHT ADMIT TO A FEW TICKETABLE BURSTS OF SPEED

ON LONELIER STRETCHES OF ROAD.

ON THOSE UNEVEN, TWISTY AND NARROW ROADS,

THE AVENTADOR'S RACING-INSPIRED

FRONT AND REAR HORIZONTAL DAMPERS

AND PUSHROD SUSPENSION KEPT ITS POISE,

BUT WE THINK IT'S BETTER SUITED FOR SMOOTHER,

LONG STRETCHES OF ASPHALT RIBBON.

SPEED-DEPENDENT HYDRAULIC ELECTRIC POWER STEERING

GIVES PLENTY OF FEEDBACK

WITH JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF HEAVINESS.

IN AUTO MODE, THE SINGLE CLUTCH GEARBOX IS CLUMSY AND CLUNKY.

WE OPTED TO SHIFT MOSTLY FOR OURSELVES,

JUST TO HEAR THAT V12 HOWL TOWARDS ITS LOFTY REDLINE,

OVER AND OVER AGAIN, RIGHT TO THE END OF OUR RIDE.

AND THE AVENTADOR CAN BE ALL YOURS FOR A KING'S RANSOM,

BEFORE OPTIONS, OF ABOUT $380,000.

WE'LL HIT THE START SWITCH ON A FEW MORE

DOWN TO EARTH FIRST DRIVES IN JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

WITH THE RECENT LAUNCH OF AN ALL-NEW BMW 3 SERIES,

AND FRESH COMPETITION LIKE THE CADILLAC ATS JOINING THE FRAY,

IT WAS CLEARLY TIME FOR AUDI

TO UPDATE ITS COMPACT LUXURY SPORTS SEDAN AND COUPE.

AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE FAMILIAR

WITH AUDI'S PERFORMANCE S-LINE,

YOU KNOW THAT WHEN THE 'S' REPLACES THE 'A'

YOU'RE IN FOR A TREAT.

AND THIS TIME IT'S A DOUBLE.

THEY MAY NOT BE ALL NEW,

BUT THE 2013 AUDI S4 SEDAN AND S5 COUPE

HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY REFRESHENED

WITH MORE STYLE AND FEATURES

IN ORDER TO KEEP UP WITH THE MARKETPLACE.

OUTSIDE, AUDI'S "4" COMPACT LUXURY SPORTS SEDAN

WEARS A NEW FACE,

WITH ITS LARGE SINGLE-FRAME GRILLE ADDING A SHARPER EDGE.

HOOD LINES ARE MORE PRONOUNCED, AND THE USUAL S4 ACCOUTREMENTS,

INCLUDING POLISHED SIDE MIRRORS, FRONT SPLITTER, REAR DIFFUSER,

AND QUAD EXHAUST ARE ALL PRESENT.

AND TAILLIGHTS HAVE BEEN REDESIGNED WITH LEDs.

THE "5" COUPE SHARES THE SEDAN'S CHASSIS

AS WELL AS MOST OF ITS STYLING UPDATES,

BUT WITH ITS 108.3-INCH WHEELBASE

AND 182.7-INCH OVERALL LENGTH,

COMING IN A FEW INCHES SHORTER THAN THE SEDAN,

IT IS THE BETTER LOOKING OF THE TWO.

BOTH CARS ALSO SHARE THE SAME ENGINE,

WHICH IS A SUPERCHARGED 3-LITER DIRECT-INJECTION V6;

WHICH FORCES 333-HORSEPOWER AND 325 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE

THROUGH STANDARD QUATTRO REAR-BIASED ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

AND BOTH COME WITH A VERY NICE 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION,

BUT OUR S4 HAD THE OPTIONAL 7-SPEED S-TRONIC DCT.

WE HAVE NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT EITHER.

BUT IT WAS THE SEDAN WITH THE DCT AUTOMATIC

THAT ACTUALLY PUT THE POWER DOWN MORE EFCIENTLY,

AS IT EXPLODED OFF THE LINE AND TOOK US TO 60

TWO-TENTHS QUICKER THAN THE COUPE AT 4.7 SECONDS.

WE HIT 106 MILES-PER-HOUR IN THE QUARTER MILE,

AND DID SO IN 13.2 SECONDS.

THE MANUAL COUPE DID THE SAME TASK IN 13.4 SECONDS

AND 105 MILES-PER-HOUR,

WITH THE 0 TO 60 SPRINT TAKING 4.9 SECONDS.

HANDLING OF BOTH THE S5 AND S4 ARE COMPARABLE,

WITH AN EAGERNESS TO TURN-IN

AND A RESPONSIVENESS THAT BELIES

ITS SLIGHTLY SOFTER RIDE THAN RIVALS.

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FURTHER REDUCES WEIGHT,

AND DOES SO WHILE STILL PROVIDING

A DECENT AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK.

"FUN TO DRIVE!"

WAS THE COMMENT MOST ECHOED BY OUR STAFFERS,

AS WHETHER ON BACK ROADS OR HIGHWAY,

BOTH S4 AND S5 HAVE AN ENTERTAINING FEEL

THAT WE'D PUT RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE 3-SERIES.

ALL-WHEEL DRIVE DOES ADD WEIGHT, ESPECIALLY UP FRONT,

BUT WE WERE STRUCK BY HOW SOLID BOTH CARS ARE; VERY SUBSTANTIAL.

THE ULTRA LIGHT FEEL OF OLDER COMPACT AUDIS HAS BEEN REPLACED

BUT WE DON'T REALLY MISS IT.

THERE IS STILL SOME UNDERSTEER,

BUT THE S's ARE GLUED TO THE ROAD,

AND THE RIDE IS REALLY DIALED IN.

WE HAVE A LOT OF PRAISE FOR BOTH INTERIORS, TOO.

EACH UPDATED WITH BETTER MATERIALS

THROUGHOUT THE ULTRA MODERN CABINS

AND AN EASIER-TO-READ GAUGE CLUSTER.

BACK SEAT SPACE IS NOT SUPER PLENTIFUL IN EITHER CAR,

BUT OBVIOUSLY LESS SO IN THE COUPE.

THE SEDAN ALSO HAS THE MOST LUGGAGE CAPACITY

AT 12.4 CUBIC-FEET.

BUT BOTH CARS INCLUDE FOLDING REAR SEAT BACKS

FOR LONGER ITEMS.

AUDI'S MMI CONTROL SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE BEST DESIGNS OUT THERE,

BUT EVEN IT CAN BE DISTRACTING AT TIMES,

ESPECIALLY WHEN PLAYING WITH GOOGLE EARTH

OR CHECKING ON YOUR IN-CAR WI-FI.

BOTH THE S4 AND S5 ARE VERY IMPRESSIVE.

THERE'S PLENTY OF POWER AND PERFORMANCE,

AND DUE TO THE ELECTRIC STEERING AND REDUCED WEIGHT,

BETTER GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS AS WELL,

WHICH ARE NOW 17-CITY, 26-HIGHWAY,

AND 20-COMBINED FOR THE MANUAL S5 COUPE,

AND 18-CITY, 28-HIGHWAY,

21-COMBINED FOR THE S4 AUTOMATIC.

AND OUR TEST LOOPS WERE RIGHT WHERE THEY SHOULD BE.

STILL, ENERGY IMPACT SCORES ARE ONLY AVERAGE

AT 15.7 BARRELS OF OIL CONSUMED PER YEAR,

WITH ANNUAL CO2 EMISSIONS OF 7.0 TONS.

BOTH OF THESE CARS ARE INDEED VERY NICE,

BUT SOMETIMES EVEN NICE IS PRICEY.

WITH THE S4 SEDAN STARTING AT $48,495

AND THE S5 COUPE GOING FOR $51,795.

IF YOU CAN DO WITHOUT THE V6 PERFORMANCE,

THE FOUR-CYLINDER A4 SEDAN AND A5 COUPE

SHARE MOST OF THE SAME UPDATES

AND START AT A MORE REASONABLE $33,395.

THE 2013 S4 AND S5 ARE BOTH REAL TREATS

TO DRIVE AND LIVE WITH ON A DAILY BASIS,

AND MAY EVEN ECLIPSE THE VAUNTED BMW 3 SERIES

IN A FEW AREAS LIKE INTERIOR AND RIDE.

WE'RE STILL NOT 100% SOLD ON AUDI'S LONG-TERM RELIABILITY,

BUT THAT WOULDN'T KEEP US

FROM PARKING EITHER ONE OF THESE CARS IN OUR GARAGE.

BETTER YET, WE'LL TAKE BOTH!

SO LET'S DO MAKE IT A DOUBLE.

WELL, I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US AGAIN FOR MORE MOTORWEEK,

AS WE DRIVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF SPORTS CAR PERFORMANCE

IN PORSCHE'S NEW BOXSTER S.

WE'LL ALSO HOOK UP WITH THE TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID.

I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK.

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK,

TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE,

VISIT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY TIRE RACK.

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