2014 Jaguar F-Type & 2013 Ford Taurus

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

JOIN US AND FIND OUT IF JAGUAR HAS ANOTHER LEGEND IN THE MAKING WITH THE ALL NEW F-TYPE.

PAT GOSS IS GOING FULL-BLAST AS HE MAKES SURE WE'RE SET FOR SUMMER WEATHER.

AUTO WORLD PROVES THAT WHEN IT COMES TO CAR SHOWS, "BEAUTY ISN'T EVERYTHING".

AND WE'LL CHARGE AHEAD IN A NEW BREED OF THE FORD TAURUS.

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY...

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.

JESSICA, I HAVE SOMETHING I WANT TO ASK YOU...

YES?

WHEN I'M SWITCHING TO WINTER TIRES DO I HAVE TO CHANGE ALL FOUR OR CAN I JUST PUT TWO ON THE FRONT AXLE?

I DON'T KNOW.

Announcer: THERE'S A BETTER PLACE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR TIRES.

GET SOME WINGS?

Announcer: TIRERACK.COM CAN HELP YOU GET THE ANSWERS YOU NEED AND HELP YOU FIND WHICH TIRES ARE BEST FOR YOU.

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT TIRERACK.COM.

AND BY... ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS.

NO MATTER WHAT CUSTOMERS DRIVE, THEY CAN PURCHASE ONLINE FROM A COMPREHENSIVE SELECTION OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CARAND BY...R NEED.

3M, MAKER OF INNOVATIVE AUTO CARE PRODUCTS.

AGED OR YELLOWED LENSES REDUCE BRIGHTNESS OF HEAD, TAIL AND DIRECTIONAL LIGHTS.

THE 3M HEADLIGHT RESTORATION SYSTEM HELPS RESTORE LENS CLARITY FOR SAFER DRIVING.

John Davis: FEW CARS HAVE CAPTURED THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD'S ATTENTION LIKE THE LEGENDARY E-TYPE JAGUAR SPORTS CAR.

AND TO SAY THAT E-TYPE DRIVING EXCITEMENT HAS BEEN MISSING FROM THE JAGUAR LINE UP FOR DECADES WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

BUT FINALLY, JAGUAR IS DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THAT, AND IT JUST SEEMS FITTING THAT THAT SOMETHING IS CALLED THE F-TYPE.

FANS OF THE JAGUAR BRAND, INCLUDING US HERE AT MOTORWEEK , HAVE BEEN WAITING A LONG TIME FOR A CAR LIKE THE 2014 JAGUAR F-TYPE TO ARRIVE.

A JAG THAT LOOKS STUNNING, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, YET HAS PERFORMANCE AS ITS NUMBER ONE GOAL.

WELL, LOOKING LIKE IT JUST DROVE OUT OF A JAMES BOND MOVIE, THE F-TYPE APPEARS TO BE WORTH THE WAIT, AS IT IS EQUAL PARTS CLASSIC JAG AND SLEEK MODERN SPORTS MACHINE, AND THUS BEGINS A NEW PAGE IN THE JAGUAR DESIGN BOOK.

SURE, THE LONG HOOD, SHORT REAR DECK, PROPER ROADSTER PROPORTIONS ARE THERE, BUT THE FACE OF THIS CAT IS MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN ANY JAG TO THIS POINT.

THERE WILL BE 3 VERSIONS OF THE F-TYPE AVAILABLE, AND ALL WILL HAVE UNIQUE STYLING CUES.

THE BASE F-TYPE IS THE MILD MANNERED BRUCE WAYNE OF THE BUNCH AND COMES WITH A 340-HORSEPOWER 3.0-LITER SUPERCHARGED V6.

THE F-TYPE S GETS A BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH GLOSS BLACK ELEMENTS ADDED TO THE GRILLE, FRONT SPLITTER, SIDE VENTS, AND REAR DIFFUSER, 19-INCH WHEELS, AND BOASTS 380-HORSEPOWER OUT OF THE SAME SUPERCHARGED V6.

THE F-TYPE V8 S CRANKS THINGS UP EVEN MORE WITH ENHANCED AERODYNAMICS IN FRONT AND DOWN THE SIDES, EXHAUST TIPS THAT MOVE OUTWARD, 20-INCH WHEELS, AND POWER THAT COMES FROM -- YOU GUESSED IT, A SUPERCHARGED 5.0-LITER V8 CRANKING OUT 495-HORSEPOWER AND 460 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

ALL MODELS FEATURE A POWER OPERATED SOFT TOP, AS NO HARD TOP WILL BE AVAILABLE.

JAG FEELS A HARD TOP WOULD ADD TOO MUCH WEIGHT AND REQUIRE TOO MUCH SPACE TO STORE IT.

WE AGREE, AS THE MULTI-LAYER FABRIC TOP LOOKS GREAT, AND FOLDS IN 12-SECONDS TIME.

BEING THE HORSEPOWER JUNKIES THAT WE ARE, WE SPENT MOST OF OUR TIME IN THE V8 S, AND WITH ALMOST 500 HORSES PACKED INTO ITS TINY BODY, WE CAN REPORT THAT ACCELERATION IS MORE THAN BRISK.

JAGUAR CLAIMS A 0 TO 60 TIME OF 4.2-SECONDS, AND WE DON'T DOUBT IT.

A NEW QUICKSHIFT 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC IS THE ONLY TRANSMISSION AVAILABLE, AND RESPONDS ACCORDINGLY TO WHICHEVER DRIVING MODE YOU'VE DIALED IN.

YOU CAN ALSO TAKE FULL CONTROL WITH THE SHIFTER AND STEERING WHEEL MOUNTED PADDLES.

WE GOT A CHANCE TO TRY OUT THE F-TYPE AT THE CIRCUIT OF NAVARRA NEAR PAMPLONA, SPAIN.

AND WHILE WE WEREN'T "RUNNING WITH THE BULLS," WE DID RUN WIDE OPEN AND FOUND THE F-TYPE TO BE ABSOLUTELY NO BULL.

THERE'S AN ALL-ALUMINUM DOUBLE-WISHBONE SUSPENSION AT ALL FOUR CORNERS, AND THE WEIGHT IS DISTRIBUTED ALMOST PERFECTLY BETWEEN THEM.

SELECTING DYNAMIC MODE WILL GET YOU INCREASED THROTTLE RESPONSE, BETTER STEERING FEEL, QUICKER SHIFTS, AND LIMITED-ELECTRONIC INTRUSION FROM STABILITY CONTROL.

ADAPTIVE DYNAMICS ARE ALSO ON HAND TO KEEP PITCH AND ROLL SUBDUED BY ADJUSTING DAMPER RATES, AND A NEW CONFIGURABLE DYNAMICS OPTION ALLOWS YOU TO PROGRAM A CUSTOM TRACK SETUP, AS WELL AS MONITOR LAP TIMES, AND GET TELEMETRY INFO.

THANKS TO ALL OF THOSE ELECTRONICS, WHEN CRUISING THROUGH THE SPANISH COUNTRYSIDE, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO DIAL IN A RIDE THAT WAS COMFORTABLE, WHILE REMAINING COMPOSED, AND THE F-TYPE'S RIGID, ALUMINUM STRUCTURE MADE TOP DOWN CRUISING A SOLID AFFAIR.

THE INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT IS HIGHLY DRIVER-FOCUSED, WITH THE MINIMAL CONTROLS ALL WITHIN EASY REACH.

A PASSENGER "GRAB-HANDLE" DOUBLES AS A REMINDER FOR YOUR COMPANION TO KEEP THEIR HANDS OFF.

YOU'RE IN CONTROL HERE.

IT'S NOT A TOTAL THROWBACK HOWEVER, AS THERE IS A LARGE TOUCH SCREEN FOR NAVIGATION AND THE LIKE, AS WELL AS A CONFIGURABLE TFT SCREEN BETWEEN THE RACE-INSPIRED GAUGES.

INTERIOR TRIM ELEMENTS VARY WITH MODELS, BUT ALL ARE BEAUTIFULLY FINISHED.

AS FOR PRICING... WELL, YOU'VE WAITED THIS LONG FOR A CAR LIKE THIS TO RETURN TO THE JAGUAR LINE-UP, WHAT'S ANOTHER FEW MONTHS MORE TO SAVE UP SOME CASH, AS YOU'LL NEED PLENTY.

PRICING STARTS AT $69,895 FOR THE BASE F-TYPE, CLIMBING TO $81,895 FOR THE F-TYPE S, AND PEAKING AT $92,895 FOR THE F-TYPE V8 S. IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME AND ANOTHER PRODUCT OR TWO FOR THE JAGUAR BRAND TO FULLY REGAIN THEIR REPUTATION FOR BUILDING DYNAMIC HEAD TOSSERS THAT DO MORE THAN JUST TURN HEADS.

BUT THE 2014 JAGUAR F-TYPE IS A HUGE STEP IN THAT JOURNEY BACK TO HIGH PERFORMANCE RELEVANCE.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE "LEAPER" HAS FINALLY TAKEN THE BIG LEAP.

OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK FERRIES US TO SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AND TO THE FOREFRONT OF ALTERNATIVE FUEL FLEETS.

BEGINNING IN 2007, METRO CARS INVESTED $0.5 MILLION TO CONVERT 75 VEHICLES TO PROPANE.

FEDERAL TAX INCENTIVES MADE IT EASIER FOR THE DETROIT BASED LIMO AND SHUTTLE SERVICE TO SWITCH TO CLEAN FUELS.

IN 2010, THE COMPANY PARTNERED WITH THE CLEAN ENERGY COALITION, THE REGION'S CLEAN CITIES COORDINATOR, AND LEVERAGED THEIR LOCAL DOLLARS WITH A FEDERAL GRANT TO EXPAND PROPANE OPERATIONS TO GRAND RAPIDS.

THEY INSTALLED ADDITIONAL FUELING STATIONS AND CONVERTED ANOTHER 90 VEHICLES; INCLUDING LUXURY SEDANS, SUVS, AND SHUTTLE BUSES.

Dave Satawa: IT'S DEFINITELY A WIN-WIN.

PROPANE BURNS CLEANER, AND IT'S CHEAPER, SO IT'S A BENEFIT TO OUR DRIVERS AND TO THE COMPANY.

John: METRO CARS' ALT FUEL FLEET DISPLACES MORE THAN 520,000 GALLONS OF PETROLEUM ANNUALLY - PROOF THAT A LEADING TRANSPORTER IS ALSO LEADING THE WAY IN THE USE OF GREEN FUELS IN THE MOTOR CITY AND BEYOND.

John: IN THE WORLD OF CAR SHOWS, IT'S HARD TO TOP THE ANNUAL MONTEREY AUTO WEEK FOR PURE STAR POWER, WITH NUMEROUS CONCOURSES, COLLECTOR'S AUCTIONS, AND MORNING TOURS FEATURING THE FINEST AND RAREST EXAMPLES OF THE AUTOMOTIVE ART.

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER MONTEREY EVENT THAT IS MAKING NEWS AND WINNING FANS FOR ITSELF BY HOLDING THE WORLD'S LOWLIEST CARS IN HIGHEST ESTEEM.

LIKE ANY OTHER CAR SHOW, THE CONCOURS D'LEMONS BOASTS A MIX OF THE FAMILIAR AND THE OBSCURE, BUT ALL OF THESE SHOW CARS HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON...

THEY ARE ALL CLUNKERS.

SOME RIDICULED EVEN WHEN THEY WERE NEW, OTHERS ONCE PROUD AND NOW LEFT FOR DEAD.

THESE ARE THE BOTTOM FEEDERS OF THE AUTOMOTIVE OCEAN: DERELICTS, HOOPTEES, AND LOSER CRUISERS.

BUT FOR THIS DAY AT LEAST, THEY ARE THE BELLES OF THE BALL.

Alan Galbraith: THE PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS IS REALLY THE BEST CAR SHOW IN THE WORLD, AND WE FIGURED IF THERE'S A BEST CAR SHOW IN THE WORLD, THEN THERE HAS TO BE A WORST, AND WE WANT TO BE THAT WORST CAR SHOW.

SO WE ARE CATERING TO THE TRULY AWFUL, THE MUNDANE, AND THE ODDBALL OF THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD... CARS THAT DON'T HAVE A HOME AT ANY OTHER EVENT DURING MONTEREY AUTO WEEK.

John: WHAT BEGAN IN 2009 AS AN IRREVERENT POKE AT THE HOITY-TOITY PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE HAS NOW ADDED A DRIVING TOUR FOR THESE ROLLING WRECKS AND IS CO-HOSTED BY TITLE SPONSOR HAGERTY INSURANCE.

Jonathan Klinger: THE THING THAT WE LOVE ABOUT THIS EVENT IS HERE WE ARE OUT ON THE MONTEREY PENINSULA.

YOU HAVE THE WORLD'S GREATEST CARS, THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE, VALUABLE, RARE -- WHATEVER ADJECTIVE YOU WANT TO USE -- FOR PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

AND YET, THERE REALLY WASN'T AN EVENT THAT JUST SAID, "YOU KNOW WHAT, ALL CARS ARE BEAUTIFUL."

AND SOMETIMES THE MOST GLORIOUS EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE WORST CARS EVER BUILT ARE STILL FUN TO SEE, AND THEY STILL DESERVE TO BE DRIVEN.

John: EVERY PARADE NEEDS A GRAND MARSHAL, SO HAGERTY CONDUCTED A NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR "AMERICA'S SWEETEST LEMON".

THE WINNING MACHINE AND ITS OWNERS WERE INVITED TO MONTEREY TO LEAD THIS ROLLING ROADBLOCK ALONG THE FAMOUS 17-MILE DRIVE.

Mindy Kindelberger: IT'S A 1970 SUBARU 360, 2-CYLINDER, 2-STROKE.

356 CC'S WITH 25 HORSEPOWER.

I DRIVE IT EVERY DAY.

I DRIVE FOUR MILES TO WORK EVERY DAY, AND IT'S A QUICK LITTLE TRIP DOWNHILL AND IT'S A LONG TRIP BACK UP.

John: OF COURSE THE DEFINITION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A LEMON IS DEBATABLE, EVEN IN THIS CROWD, BUT THE [CLEARS THROAT], UGLY TRUTH OF THIS CAR SHOW IS THAT ALL ARE WELCOME, AND APPRECIATED FOR WHAT THEY ARE.

THESE OWNERS PROUDLY FLAUNT THEIR STATUS AS AUTOMOTIVE UNDERDOGS, AND DO SO WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR: Dave Scrivener: IT'S FULLY RESTORED THEN, I ASSUME?

Owner: IT WAS PAINTED IN 1977.

YES, SO IT'S FULLY RESTORED.

I ALMOST DIDN'T BUY IT BECAUSE IT HAD A RUST ISSUE, BUT IT RAN GOOD.

IT STILL RUNS GOOD.

IT'S GOT A HUGE RUST ISSUE NOW.

John: SURPRISINGLY, THE DRIVING TOUR WENT OFF WITHOUT A HITCH.

DESPITE DIRE FORECASTS OF ROADSIDE PERIL, ALL 75 CARS COMPLETED THE 25-MILE ROUNDTRIP UNDER THEIR OWN POWER AND NEARLY INTACT.

AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, ALL WOULD AGREE THAT NO MATTER WHAT THE CAR OR CONDITION IT'S IN, THE FACT THAT THEY ARE USED AND DRIVEN AND LOVED BY SOMEBODY EARNS THESE MOTORIZED MUTTS SOME DEGREE OF RESPECT.

AND THAT'S WHAT AUTO ENTHUSIASM IS ALL ABOUT.

John: SURE IS BEAUTIFUL, ISN'T IT?

WELL, LET'S COOL THINGS DOWN A BIT NOW AND SEND IT OVER TO PAT GOSS WHO'S GOT A FEW A/C POINTERS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED.

Pat Goss: FOLKS, WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING YOUR AIR CONDITIONER IN YOUR CAR REPAIRED, YOU'RE OFTEN YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY.

QUICK IS NOT THE WAY TO DO IT.

CHEAP IS NOT THE WAY TO DO IT, BECAUSE CHEAP CAN COST YOU A LOT OF MONEY LATER ON.

ALRIGHT, ONE OF THE THINGS, IF THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN DOWN FOR MORE THAN A FEW HOURS, CHANCES ARE, WHEN IT'S REPAIRED YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A NEW RECEIVER DRYER.

THIS HAS A DESICCANT BAG IN IT, THAT ABSORBS MOISTURE, AND MOISTURE FROM THE AIR WILL CONTAMINATE IT IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

ALRIGHT, SOME CARS USE THIS PART RIGHT HERE.

THIS IS AN ORIFICE TUBE.

NOT ONLY DOES THE REFRIGERANT FLOW THROUGH THIS, BUT ALL OF THE OIL THAT LUBRICATES THE PARTS IN THE SYSTEM FLOW THROUGH IT.

THIS SCREEN IN HERE GETS CLOGGED UP OVER TIME AND IT RESTRICTS THE AMOUNT OF OIL TO LUBRICATE THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM.

IF YOUR CAR HAS IT AND IT NEEDS A REPAIR, PUT A NEW ORIFICE TUBE IN IT.

MAKE SURE THAT THE SHOP THAT DOES YOUR AIR CONDITIONING WORK USES THE PROPER TYPE OF LUBRICANT.

THERE ARE MULTIPLE TYPES, EACH CAR HAS ONE THAT IS RECOMMENDED FOR IT.

GOTTA BE THE RIGHT ONE, OTHERWISE YOU'LL BE BUYING A NEW COMPRESSOR.

AND SPEAKING OF COMPRESSORS, THEY DO FAIL.

AND WHEN THEY DO, THEY FILL THE SYSTEM FULL OF LITTLE-BITTY PIECES OF METAL.

SO, BEFORE THE NEW COMPRESSOR GOES ON, YOU HAVE TO USE AN AIR CONDITIONING FLUSH KIT TO FLUSH EVERYTHING OUT.

AND IN MOST CASES THERE WILL BE A FILTER, AN INLINE FILTER, THAT HAS TO GO IN TO PROTECT THE NEW COMPRESSOR.

ALSO, HERE'S SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF SHOPS OVERLOOK, AND THAT IS VACUUMING THE SYSTEM.

YOU SEE, WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON THE SYSTEM, AIR GETS INTO IT, WE HAVE TO GET THAT AIR OUT.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE AIR HAS MOISTURE IN IT.

SO, WE DO TWO THINGS WITH THIS VACUUM PUMP.

NUMBER ONE, WE PULL ALL THE AIR OUT OF IT.

BUT, NUMBER TWO, WE DROP THE PRESSURE, AND AS WE DROP THE PRESSURE INSIDE THE SYSTEM, ANY WATER THAT'S IN THERE BOILS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, TURNS INTO A VAPOR, AND THE VACUUM PUMP PULLS IT OUT.

THIS WILL PROTECT THE NEW PARTS IN THE SYSTEM.

OFTEN, ON A HUMID DAY, YOU'LL HAVE TO PULL A VACUUM ON THE SYSTEM FOR THREE OR FOUR HOURS.

SO MAKE SURE THE SHOP THAT YOU SELECT DOES ALL OF THESE THINGS AND YOU'LL HAVE A GOOD, COLD AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM THAT'LL LAST A LONG TIME.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: IF YOU'VE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH OUR LONG-TERM MAZDA CX-5 COMPACT CROSSOVER WITH A 155-HORSEPOWER 2.0-LITER SKYACTIV POWERTRAIN, YOU KNOW THAT ITS UPSIDE OF CLASS LEADING FUEL ECONOMY IS SOMEWHAT OFFSET BY ANEMIC ACCELERATION.

IT'S STILL A FAIR TRADEOFF FOR WHAT WE THINK IS AN EXCELLENT HANDLING, COMFORTABLE RIDING, PRACTICAL LIVING CUV.

AFTER 10 MONTHS AND NEARLY 16,000 MILES, OUR 2.0 CX-5 CONTINUES TO IMPRESS WITH 26.6 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR EVEN AFTER LONG PERIODS OF COLD WEATHER IDLING.

MAYBE THAT'S WHY THE GAS GAUGE ALMOST NEVER SEEMS TO MOVE!

BUT IF YOU'RE STILL WARY ABOUT ITS POWER, THE 2014 MAZDA CX-5 BRINGS THE WELCOME NEWS OF AN OPTIONAL ENGINE: A 2.5-LITER SKYACTIV WITH 184-HORSEPOWER.

IT'S A NEARLY 20% BOOST THAT IS READILY NOTICEABLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN PASSING.

BUT THE BEST NEWS IS THAT FUEL ECONOMY SUFFERS ONLY ONE MILE PER GALLON AND STILL BEATS RIVALS LIKE CR-V AND RAV4.

THE CX-5 IS A FINE DESIGN AND ONE SMALL CUV THAT CERTAINLY SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED.

IF FOR FUEL ECONOMY ALONE, IT'S A WINNER.

ONE CAR THAT KEEPS WINNING OVER BUYERS IS THE LATEST SUBARU IMPREZA.

NOT ONLY IS IT THE MOST ENTERTAINING MASS-MARKET SUBARU YET, BUT THE IMPREZA CHASSIS IS SO FLEXIBLE; SPAWNING NOT ONLY THE TOUGH XV CROSSTREK, BUT AN EXCITING NEW WRX PERFORMANCE LINEUP AS WELL.

BUT WE'RE STILL HAVING A LOT OF FUN DRIVING OUR GARDEN-VARIETY 2012 IMPREZA 2.0I SPORT 5-DOOR.

THE NOW WELL BROKEN IN 2.0-LITER SEEMS MORE POWERFUL THAN ITS 148-HORSE RATING INDICATES.

THROUGH THE CVT'S WHINE AND EXCELLENT ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM FUEL ECONOMY HAS CLIMBED TO 29.0 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR AFTER 11 MONTHS AND NEARLY 17,000 MILES.

FRONT SEAT COMFORT GETS HIGH MARKS, BUT THE OVERALL INTERIOR TREATMENT COULD USE SOME BRIGHTENING.

THAT ASIDE, NO WONDER THE IMPREZA IS SUBARU'S ENDURING AMERICAN HIT.

WE'LL WRAP UP OUR YEAR WITH THE SUBCOMPACT HYUNDAI ACCENT ON OUR NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE.

TIME NOW FOR YOLANDA VAZQUEZ AND THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

Yolanda: EVERY MAJOR AUTO SHOW HAS ITS FAIR SHARE OF EXCLUSIVE UNVEILS THAT SCORE HEADLINES AND DAZZLE THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD.

BUT THERE'S ONE ACHIEVEMENT FEW BRANDS CAN CLAIM, AND THAT'S THE 2013 WORLD CAR AWARD.

PROVIDING UNIVERSAL INPUT, 66 JOURNALISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD DELIBERATED ON THIS YEAR'S BEST MODELS.

NOMINEES HAD TO COMPETE IN MAJOR MARKETS, AND THE VEHICLES MUST BE ON SALE NOW OR IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.

ANNOUNCED AT THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW, 2013'S WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR WAS THE VOLKSWAGEN GOLF, MAKING IT THE FOURTH TIME VW HAS TAKEN THIS HONOR.

THE WORLD PERFORMANCE CAR AWARD WAS GIVEN TO THE PORSCHE BOXSTER/CAYMAN DUO.

THIS MAKES TWO CONSECUTIVE FOR THE GERMAN AUTOMAKER, AND THREE WINS SINCE THE AWARDS BEGAN.

A FRESH FACE, THE JAGUAR F-TYPE, TOOK WORLD CAR DESIGN OF THE YEAR, AND THE TESLA MODEL S CAPPED THINGS OFF BY TAKING HOME THE WORLD GREEN CAR AWARD.

AND IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN THE MARKET FOR A GREEN CAR, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HAS UNVEILED THE "MY PLUG-IN HYBRID CALCULATOR" ON THEIR POPULAR FUEL ECONOMY.GOV WEBSITE.

THE NEW FEATURE ALLOWS PROSPECTIVE HYBRID BUYERS TO VIEW THEIR ESTIMATED WEEKLY, MONTHLY, AND ANNUAL FUEL AND ELECTRICITY COSTS, AS WELL AS TOTAL CONSUMPTION AND DISTANCES TRAVELED ON EACH SOURCE.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PICK YOUR HYBRID, PROVIDE DETAILS OF YOUR COMMUTING HABITS, ALONG WITH LOCAL GAS AND ELECTRICITY RATES, AND THE SYSTEM CRUNCHES THE NUMBERS FOR YOU.

IT EVEN TELLS YOU HOW MANY TRIPS TO THE GAS STATION YOU CAN EXPECT.

AND WHO KNOWS?

IT COULD BE A MAJOR FACTOR FOR FOLKS LOOKING TO PLUG-IN AND FURTHER INCREASE COMPETITION WITHIN THE MARKET'S SEGMENT.

AND THAT'LL DO IT FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: WHILE BIG SEDANS NO LONGER DRIVE BIG SALES NUMBERS FOR AUTOMAKERS THERE ARE STILL A SIZEABLE GROUP OF BUYERS WHO ENJOY THEM.

SPEND ANY TIME IN A TAURUS, CHARGER, OR IMPALA AND YOU'LL SEE WHY...

THEY DELIVER AN ABUNDANCE OF COMFORT, ROOM, AND POWER AT A REASONABLE PRICE.

AND THE FORD TAURUS, INDEED, HAS ALL OF THAT COVERED, AND FOR 2013 IT'S LOOKING TO BRING SOMETHING ELSE TO THE SEGMENT, FUEL ECONOMY.

SO LET'S SEE HOW BIG THE GAINS ARE.

THE BIG NEWS FOR FORD'S BIGGEST CAR OFFERING IS ACTUALLY SMALL NEWS -- WELL, SMALLER ANYWAY, AND IT'S NOT EXACTLY NEW EITHER.

OKAY, ENOUGH OF THE RUNAROUND.

WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SAY IS THAT FORD'S 2.0-LITER ECOBOOST I4 ENGINE IS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE 2013 FORD TAURUS.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY NEWS AS THIS MID-CYCLE RE-FRESH ALSO BEGINS WITH THE TYPICAL REDO OF FRONT AND REAR FASCIAS, BUT IT DOESN'T END THERE.

THE HOOD GETS A MORE MUSCULAR SHAPE, TAKING DESIGN CUES FROM THE HIGH-PERFORMANCE SHO MODEL, WHEELS ARE WIDER TO FILL UP THE WHEEL WELLS BETTER, AND REAR QUARTER PANELS GET RESHAPED TO HOUSE LARGER, FULL LED TAIL LIGHTS.

IT'S A BIG IMPROVEMENT ON WHAT WAS ALREADY A STRIKINGLY SLEEK DESIGN FOR A BIG SEDAN, AND IT STILL LOOKS GREAT.

THE INTERIOR ALSO LOOKS GOOD, BUT MAYBE NOT AS GRAND AS FORD LIKES TO THINK.

FIT AND FINISH IS FIRST RATE, AND MATERIALS HAVE BEEN UPGRADED, BUT OUR SEL EQUIPPED TESTER'S BLACK-ON-BLACK THEME MADE FOR A VERY DARK ENVIRONMENT.

IT'S ALSO NOT AS ROOMY UP FRONT AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT FROM SUCH A BIG CAR, BUT THE LAYOUT IS PRACTICAL AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF SMALL ITEM STORAGE NOOKS.

BOTH THE BACK SEAT AND TRUNK ARE HUGE, HOWEVER, THE LATTER HOLDING 20.1 CUBIC-FEET OF GOODS.

AND THERE'S NO LACK OF TECH TO GO AROUND, WITH FEATURES LIKE SYNC AND MYFORD TOUCH.

THIS IS THE LATEST GEN OF MYFORD TOUCH AND ITS OPERATION IS IMPROVED, BUT THE BOTTOM ROW OF BUTTONS ARE STILL HARD TO SEE AND ACCESS, AND SOME OF THE TOUCH SCREEN CONTROLS ARE SMALL AND HARD TO HIT PRECISELY WHILE DRIVING.

FORTUNATELY, THERE ARE PLENTY OF REDUNDANT CONTROLS ON THE STEERING WHEEL, AS WELL AS VOICE COMMAND, SO DRIVER DISTRACTION CAN BE REDUCED.

AND IT WAS DRIVING THIS TAURUS WHERE THE NEW ECOBOOST I4-TURBO REALLY PIQUED OUR INTEREST.

HERE OUTPUT RATES 240-HORSEPOWER AND 270 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, MATED TO A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THAT SENDS POWER TO THE FRONT WHEELS ONLY.

YOU HAVE TO GO WITH THE STANDARD V6 IF YOU WANT TO ADD ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

SO IT'S OFF TO THE TRACK WE GO TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF MOTIVATION THE 2.0 PROVIDES.

WELL, WITH A HEALTHY GROWL AND A NICE HIT OF POWER, YOU CAN HIT 60 IN 8.0-SECONDS.

THOSE NUMBERS AREN'T SUPER IMPRESSIVE, BUT THE CAR DOESN'T FEEL UNDERPOWERED AT ANY TIME, ESPECIALLY NOT WHEN YOU STAY AROUND 3500 RPM WHERE THE POWER DELIVERY IS EXTRA-THICK.

THE QUARTER MILE TOOK 16.2-SECONDS AT A SPEED OF 87 MILES-PER-HOUR.

THROUGH THE CONES, YOU WON'T EXACTLY FORGET IT'S A BIG CAR, BUT THE TAURUS DOES WEAR ITS WEIGHT WELL.

IT FEELS VERY SPORTY, WITH A NICE HEFTY WHEEL THAT GIVES SURPRISINGLY GOOD FEEDBACK.

BODY ROLL IS MINIMAL.

BRAKES ARE VERY SPORTY AS WELL, WITH A NICE FIRM PEDAL, BRINGING OUR ECO 2.0 TO A HALT IN JUST 126-FEET.

NOW, IT'S DOUBTFUL THAT MANY TAURII SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THE TRACK, SO THANKFULLY IT FEELS GREAT ON THE STREET AS WELL.

WE DRIVE SO MANY SMALL CARS THESE DAYS THAT DRIVING ONE THIS BIG FEELS OLD-SCHOOL AND SORT OF COMFORTING.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE THE TRUE REASONING BEHIND ADDING THE 2.0-LITER ECOBOOST TO THE TAURUS AND THEY ARE IMPRESSIVE FOR A BIG SEDAN; 22-CITY, 32-HIGHWAY, AND 26-COMBINED.

WE AVERAGED A GOOD 27.8 MILES-PER-GALLON OF REGULAR IN MIXED DRIVING.

AND THAT MAKES FOR A SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 12.7-BARRELS OF OIL BURNED ANNUALLY WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 5.7-TONS.

AND WHILE IT MAY BE MORE ECONOMICAL TO OPERATE ON THE BACK END, IT WILL REQUIRE A LITTLE EXTRA INVESTMENT UP FRONT, AS THE 2.0-LITER ECOBOOST WILL ADD $995 TO ANY FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE SE, SEL, OR LIMITED TAURUS.

SMALLER ENGINES IN BIG CARS IS CERTAINLY THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE, AS THERE ARE STILL PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO NEED A FULL-SIZE CAR TO HAUL FIVE FULL-SIZE ADULTS, BUT WOULD LIKE TO DO SO MORE EFFICIENTLY.

WELL, THE 2013 FORD TAURUS HAS INDEED GOTTEN MORE EFFICIENT, BUT THERE ARE ALSO ENOUGH NEW TWEAKS TO HELP KEEP IT IN ITS PROPER PLACE AS THE STANDARD BEARER OF FULL-SIZE AMERICAN PASSENGER CARS.

WELL, I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US AGAIN SOON FOR MORE MOTORWEEK , WHEN WE'LL SEE IF THE LEXUS I-S CAN KEEP UP WITH SPORTS SEDANS' BEST.

AND WE GIVE THE TWEAKED HONDA CIVIC ANOTHER CHANCE.

PAT GOSS DOES A LITTLE PERFORMANCE MODDING, WHILE YOLANDA VAZQUEZ TAKES ON THE COSTLY NECESSITY OF CAR INSURANCE.

PLUS, MORE CAR KEYS FIRST DRIVING IMPRESSIONS.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, 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.

AND BY... ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS.

NO MATTER WHAT CUSTOMERS DRIVE, THEY CAN PURCHASE ONLINE FROM A COMPREHENSIVE SELECTION OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

AND BY... 3M, MAKER OF INNOVATIVE AUTO CARE PRODUCTS.

AGED OR YELLOWED LENSES REDUCE BRIGHTNESS OF HEAD, TAIL AND DIRECTIONAL LIGHTS.

THE 3M HEADLIGHT RESTORATION SYSTEM HELPS RESTORE LENS CLARITY FOR SAFER DRIVING.