2014 Mazda6 & 2013 Land Rover Range Rover

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

JOIN US AND SEE IF SKYACTIV HAS THE MAZDA6 FLYING SKY-HIGH.

PAT GOSS THROTTLES UP TWO-WHEELIN' TIPS DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE.

THE AUTO SHOW SEASON IS ENDING, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.

AND WE FIND OUT IF THE ALL NEW RANGE ROVER IS A TRUE TRAIL BLAZER.

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

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

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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.

John Davis: MAZDA'S SKYACTIV GAS SAVING APPROACH HAS CLEARLY FUELED SALES OF THE COMPACT CX-5 CROSSOVER.

WELL, NOW MAZDA IS FOCUSING THEIR NEW THINKING AT THE MID-SIZE SEDAN REALM WITH AN ALL-NEW MAZDA6.

BUT NO MATTER HOW INNOVATIVE, IT WON'T BE EASY TO GET TRACTION IN A SEGMENT DOMINATED BY CAMRY AND ACCORD.

BUT AS THE HYUNDAI SONATA, FORD FUSION, AND NISSAN ALTIMA HAVE RECENTLY SHOWN, NOTEWORTHY DESIGNS CAN MAKE A DENT.

SO IS IT THE MAZDA6'S TURN?

LET'S FIND OUT.

THE 2014 MAZDA6 IS THE 3RD GENERATION OF MAZDA'S MID-SIZER.

AND WHILE SALES HAVE NEVER BEEN HUGE, THAT'S MOSTLY BECAUSE THE 6 STRIVED TO OFFER SOMETHING UNIQUE.

THIS ALSO MARKS THE SECOND VEHICLE TO GET THE FULL SKYACTIV TREATMENT, WHICH EMPHASIZES LIGHTWEIGHT AND INCREASED POWERTRAIN EFFICIENCY OVER ELECTRIC-ASSIST OR ALTERNATIVE FUELS TO RAISE FUEL ECONOMY.

AND IT INTRODUCES FURTHER NEW TECHNOLOGY DUBBED I-ELOOP, WHICH IS A CAPACITOR-BASED REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM THAT FEEDS POWER TO ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS DURING NORMAL BRAKING.

FEEDING POWER TO THE 6'S FRONT WHEELS IS THE CX-5'S NEW SKYACTIV-G 2.5-LITER I4 WITH FUEL SIPPING GOODIES, SUPER-HIGH 13:1 COMPRESSION RATIO, DIRECT INJECTION, VARIABLE TIMING, AND REDUCED FRICTION, ALL HELPING TO PRODUCE 184-HORSEPOWER AND 185 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

BOTH A 6-SPEED MANUAL AND A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC ARE AVAILABLE.

STILL TO COME IS THE PROMISED SKYACTIV-D DIESEL, MAKING ITS WAY TO OUR SHORES LATER THIS YEAR.

THE DESIGN AND SIZE OF THE INTERIOR USUALLY MAKES OR BREAKS A FAMILY SEDAN.

IT CLEARLY HURT THE PREVIOUS MAZDA6.

THIS NEW CAR IS CLEARLY ROOMIER, WITH A DRIVER FOCUSED LAYOUT THAT LOOKS HANDSOME AND ORDERLY.

THE BMW-INSPIRED, LOW DASH FEATURES CONTROLS THAT ARE ALL EASY TO OPERATE.

OPTIONAL IS AN IDRIVE-LIKE "COMMANDER-SWITCH" THAT MANAGES THE RATHER SMALL 5.8-INCH RADIO AND NAV DISPLAY.

BUT ITS BUTTONS ARE MOSTLY THE SAME AS THOSE THAT SURROUND THE TOUCH SCREEN OR ARE ON THE STEERING WHEEL, SO WE DON'T FEEL IT'S ANY MORE CONVENIENT.

THE THREE POD GAUGE CLUSTER HAS A LARGE TACH LEFT, SPEEDOMETER CENTER, AND AN INFO DISPLAY ON THE RIGHT.

BUT WITH ONLY A COOLANT LIGHT IT'S NOT AS SPORTY AS IT APPEARS.

RADAR CRUISE, BLIND SPOT MONITORING, AND FORWARD OBSTRUCTION WARNING ARE NEW OPTIONS.

THE FRONT SEAT BOTTOMS SEEMED THIN, BUT OVERALL COMFORT IS GOOD, WHETHER COVERED IN LEATHER IN THE GRAND TOURING MODEL OR IN CLOTH AS IN THE BASE SPORT MODEL.

THERE'S MINIMAL STEERING WHEEL RAKE, SO YOU SIT LOWER THAN MOST FAMILY SEDANS.

MORE MX-5 THAN CX-5 AND WE LIKED IT.

THANKS TO A LONGER WHEELBASE, REAR SEAT ROOM IS NO LONGER A MAZDA6 HANDICAP.

REAR LEGROOM IS UP ALMOST AN INCH AND NOW COMPARABLE TO CAMRY AND ACCORD.

CARGO CAPACITY ACTUALLY FALLS A BIT HOWEVER, TO 14.8 CUBIC-FEET.

WE SPENT TIME IN BOTH THE QUITE LUXURIOUS GRAND TOURING MODEL AND THE BASE SPORT AND FOUND THEM TO EACH HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSONALITY.

THE SPORT WITH ITS MANUAL TRANS WAS CLEARLY THE MOST FUN.

THE SHIFTER IS ALMOST MIATA-LIKE, AND GIVES THE CAR A MORE ENGAGING AND ENTERTAINING PERSONALITY.

NOT THAT THE GRAND TOURER IS A SNOOZER.

ITS AUTOMATIC IS MUCH IMPROVED, THOUGH THE SKYACTIV-DRIVE TRANSMISSION IS IN A REAL HURRY TO SHIFT UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO MAXIMIZE FUEL ECONOMY.

LIKE JUST ABOUT EVERY OTHER UPDATED CHASSIS, THE NEW 6 GETS STIFFER AND LIGHTER, AND LIKE MOST MAZDA'S WHEN DRIVEN AT A SLIGHTLY AGGRESSIVE PACE IT FEELS VERY WILLING-AND-ABLE, WITH SHARP TURN-INS AND RESPONSIVE STEERING.

IT'S ONLY WHEN YOU KEEP PUSHING THAT YOU'RE REMINDED THAT EVEN THOUGH THE SUSPENSION FEELS FIRMER THAN CAMRY AND ACCORD, THIS REALLY IS A FAMILY SEDAN.

FURTHER REMINDERS COME FROM DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL THAT WAS A LITTLE TOO EAGER TO ENGAGE.

GOING SKYACTIV ON THE QUARTER MILE IN OUR GRAND TOURING AUTO-EQUIPPED MAZDA6 WAS NOT EXACTLY THRILLING, BUT NOT EXACTLY SLOW EITHER; 0 TO 60 IS DISPATCHED IN 8.2-SECONDS, WITH 16.4-SECONDS AND 87 MILES-PER-HOUR TO FINISH THE ENTIRE QUARTER MILE.

WHILE IT WON'T SUPANT THE FORD FUSION AS BEST LOOKING IN THE SEGMENT, WE ARE FANS OF THE 6'S SLICK LOOKING, SWOOPY SHEET METAL.

19-INCH WHEELS ARE STANDARD ON TOURING AND GRAND TOURING MODELS, AND EVEN THE BASE SPORT MODEL FEATURES 17s.

THE SKYACTIV APPROACH DOES INDEED PAYOFF IN GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS; 26-CITY, 38-HIGHWAY, AND 30-COMBINED FOR THE AUTOMATIC.

THAT'S TWO MPG HIGHWAY BETTER THAN A SIMILAR CAMRY I4, AND THE SAME AS ACCORD.

WE AVERAGED A FINE 33.9 ON REGULAR GRADE.

THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS THUS BETTER THAN AVERAGE; 11.0-BARRELS OF ANNUAL OIL USE AND YEARLY CO2 EMISSIONS OF 4.8-TONS.

PRICES FOR THE MAZDA6 ARE UP JUST SLIGHTLY OVER LAST YEAR, STARTING AT $21,675.

THE 2014 MAZDA6 HAS STAYED TRUE TO ITS ROOTS OF DRIVING ENJOYMENT, WHILE TAKING CARE OF MOST SIZE AND EQUIPMENT ISSUES.

WE SEE SKYACTIV ECONOMY GAINS ALSO AS A PLUS.

STILL, IT WON'T TOPPLE CAMRY OR ACCORD.

BUT IS THE NEW "6" NOW A MORE DESIRABLE ALTERNATIVE TO THE BROWN PAPER BAG FAMILY SEDAN?

YOU BET YOUR SWEET "ZOOM-ZOOM" IT IS.

OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK COMES FROM RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, WHERE COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS REFUSE TRUCKS ARE A COMMON SIGHT.

THE CITY HAS ACQUIRED 25 HIGH COMPACTION CNG TRUCKS ALONG WITH TWO NATURAL GAS FUELED HONDA CIVICS.

FEDERAL INCENTIVES AND SUPPORT FROM VIRGINIA CLEAN CITIES HELPED OFF-SET VEHICLE COSTS.

A PRIVATE 13-STALL CNG FUELING STATION WAS ALSO BUILT TO AUTOMATICALLY TIME-FILL VEHICLES OVERNIGHT.

CITY OFFICIALS SAY THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF CNG ARE HUGE.

THEIR REFUSE TRUCKS EMIT LESS CARBON DIOXIDE AND SOOT THAN DIESEL, WITH BIG SAVINGS IN FUEL COSTS.

Chris Beschler: OVER THE TWO YEARS THAT WE'VE HAD THE REFUSE TRUCKS, WE'VE SAVED APPROXIMATELY $400,000 IN FUEL COSTS, ABOUT $200,000 ANNUALLY, AND DISPLACED JUST SHY OF 300,000 GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL.

John: THERE'S ALSO A NEW PUBLIC ACCESS CNG STATION THAT IS USED BY THE CITY'S FLEET AS WELL AS THE GREATER RICHMOND TRANSIT COMPANY'S PARA-TRANSIT BUSES.

WITH PLANS FOR MORE ALT-FUEL VEHICLES, RICHMOND IS LEADING THE WAY FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.

THE NEW CAR AUTO SHOW SEASON IS WINDING DOWN, BUT WE'VE ADDED A BIG NEW STOP TO OUR TOUR THIS YEAR.

INDIANAPOLIS RECENTLY PLAYED HOST TO THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST WORK TRUCK SHOW, AND GAVE US A FIRSTHAND LOOK AT HOW THIS VITAL INDUSTRY IS GOING GREEN ON A GRAND SCALE!

WHILE OUR ATTENTION IS USUALLY FOCUSED ON THE PERSONAL-USE VEHICLE MARKET, AND THE PROLIFERATION OF HYBRID AND PLUG-IN VEHICLES DRIVING THE GREEN MOVEMENT THERE, THE WORK TRUCK INDUSTRY HAS BEEN QUIETLY STAGING A GREEN REVOLUTION OF ITS OWN, AND CAN NOW BOAST A WIDE RANGING PORTFOLIO OF PRACTICAL CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS THAT RIVALS AND EVEN EXCEEDS THAT OF LIGHT DUTY CARS AND TRUCKS.

IT SHOULD BE NO SURPRISE SINCE LOCAL COMMERCIAL AND BUS FLEETS, AND LONG-HAUL TRUCKING, HAVE BEEN A DRIVING FORCE IN DEVELOPING THE NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CLEAN ALTERNATIVE FUELS.

BUILDING STATIONS TO SERVE CAPTIVE FLEET CUSTOMERS MAKES THE INVESTMENT FEASIBLE AND EXPANDS THE AVAILABILITY OF THESE FUELS FOR LIGHT DUTY CARS AND TRUCKS AS PART OF THE BARGAIN.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, ELECTRIC HYBRIDS, HYDRAULIC HYBRIDS, AND IDLE REDUCTION SYSTEMS HAVE ENJOYED GREAT SUCCESS IN CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT IN THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY.

PACKING THE HALLS OF THE INDIANA CONVENTION CENTER -- FROM FLOOR TO CEILING -- ARE 500,000 SQUARE FEET OF WORK TRUCKS AND EQUIPMENT.

EVERY MAJOR TRUCK MAKER AND EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER IS REPRESENTED HERE, AND EVERY ONE HAS A CLEAN-POWER STORY TO TELL.

PATRICK DAVIS, DIRECTOR OF THE VEHICLE TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE AT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, WAS ONE OF THOSE LISTENING.

Pat Davis: WHAT IMPRESSED ME TODAY WAS JUST THE TREMENDOUS GROWTH AND THE BREADTH OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN TWO YEARS AGO.

THERE'S JUST MANY MORE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TECHNOLOGIES.

EVERYTHING FROM NATURAL GAS, COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS, LNG, PROPANE VEHICLES, ELECTRIFICATION.

YOU'RE REALLY SEEING IT ALL, AND YOU'RE SEEING IT IN A LOT MORE NUMBERS THAN WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN JUST TWO YEARS AGO.

John: ONE KEY APPLICATION ON DISPLAY AT THIS SHOW IS RETROFITABLE HYBRID POWER SYSTEMS, ALLOWING CONVERSION OF EXISTING LIGHT AND MEDIUM DUTY PLATFORMS TO RECHARGEABLE HYBRID BATTERY POWER TO ASSIST IN LAUNCHING OR DRIVING THE VEHICLE.

ALONG WITH THAT, HYBRID BATTERY SYSTEMS ARE BEING USED TO RUN TRUCK ACCESSORIES, LIKE BOOM LIFTS, WITHOUT IDLING THE ENGINE, INCREASING FUEL EFFICIENCY, REDUCING EMISSIONS, AND PROMOTING A SAFER, QUIETER JOBSITE.

IN THE COMMERCIAL WORLD, DOLLARS AND CENTS DRIVE EVERY PURCHASE DECISION, SO CLEAN FUELS AND TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN DELIVER INCREASED EFFICIENCY, WHILE REDUCING OPERATING OR MAINTENANCE COSTS WILL FIND A VERY RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE HERE.

AND THIS SPIRIT OF INNOVATION HAS DRAWN NEW PLAYERS INTO THE FIELD.

Doyle Sumrall: IT'S REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAME IN WITH ALTERNATE FUELS, AND THE TECHNOLOGIES AROUND THOSE THINGS, WEREN'T FOR THE WORK TRUCK INDUSTRY.

THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN FROM THE BUS INDUSTRY, OR SOME OTHER AREAS.

AND SO, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS, AS THEY'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER AND SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES, THE TECHNOLOGY GUYS ARE EXPLAINING THE TECHNOLOGY TO THE WORK TRUCK CORE PEOPLE, THEY'RE BRINGING THE RELATIONSHIPS AND BUILDING NEW BUSINESSES.

John: THE LEARNING CURVE FOR FLEET OPERATORS EXPLORING THIS GREEN NEW WORLD CAN BE DAUNTING.

SO ORGANIZERS OF THE WORK TRUCK SHOW HAVE ADDED AN INTENSIVE SERIES OF EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS HELD IN ADVANCE OF THE SHOW OPENING.

THE GREEN TRUCK SUMMIT BRINGS TOGETHER TOP INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES, TRUCK MANUFACTURERS AND FLEET OPERATORS TO SHARE INSIGHTS AND SOLUTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES INTO COMMERCIAL VEHICLES.

AND DESPITE A LITTLE LATE SPRING SNOW IN INDY, A RIDE AND DRIVE EVENT HELD OUTSIDE THE CONVENTION CENTER PROVED QUITE POPULAR.

ATTENDEES HAD THE CHANCE TO TAKE THE WHEEL AND EXPERIENCE THE LATEST GREEN RIGS IN REAL-WORLD CONDITIONS.

THE RATE AT WHICH THE TRUCK INDUSTRY HAS EMBRACED CLEAN ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND TECHNOLOGIES IS AMAZING, AND HOLDS GREAT PROMISE TO KEEP ON TRUCKING TOWARDS A CLEAN DRIVING FUTURE.

WITH THE WEATHER GETTING WARMER, THERE'S NO BETTER TIME TO GET YOUR TWO-WHEELIN' FIX.

WELL, LET'S CHECK IN WITH PAT GOSS TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE READY TO RIDE.

Pat: THIS TIME WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A REALLY NEGLECTED PART OF MOST MOTORCYCLES, AND THAT IS THE FRONT FORKS.

AND HERE TO GIVE US SOME POINTS, LYNDON ABEL, GENERAL MANAGER OF PATRIOT HARLEY-DAVIDSON IN FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA.

LYNDON, WELCOME BACK.

Lyndon: THANKS, PAT.

Pat: ALRIGHT, NOW, THE FORKS ON THE FRONT OF A MOTORCYCLE, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLEX THAN WE THINK.

WHAT DO THEY DO?

Lyndon: ABSOLUTELY.

THE FRONT FORK IS BASICALLY YOUR FRONT SHOCK ABSORBER.

SO, MUCH LIKE THE REAR SHOCK ABSORBER, IT BOTH SUSPENDS THE BIKE ON TOP OF THE FRONT WHEEL, ALLOWS THE FRONT WHEEL TO MOVE UP AND DOWN, BUT ALSO CONTROLS THAT MOVEMENT, BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT WOULD JUST BE A POGO STICK BOUNCING DOWN THE ROAD.

IT IS, AS YOU SAY, MUCH OVERLOOKED BECAUSE LIKE A LOT OF PARTS THAT ARE OUT OF SIGHT, THEY ARE OFTEN OUT OF MIND.

SO ESSENTIALLY, THIS FORK TUBE IS SLIDING UP AND DOWN INSIDE THIS LOWER LEG, SUSPENDED WITH A SPRING AND CONTROLLED BY FORK OIL, THAT NOT ONLY LUBRICATES ALL THE PARTS, BUT ALSO AS IT FLOWS THROUGH THE HOLES IN THE DAMPER ROD THAT CONTROLS THE MOVEMENT UP AND DOWN.

SO HERE WE HAVE THE COMPONENTS SEPARATED A LITTLE BIT.

THIS IS THE DAMPER ROD AND FORK SPRING, SOMETHING YOU DON'T GET A CHANCE TO SEE VERY OFTEN.

AND HERE WE HAVE THIS THING PULLED APART, WITH THE LOWER LEG AND THIS FORK SEAL.

THIS FORK SEAL RESIDES IN THIS LOWER LEG, AND AS THIS IS SLIDING UP AND DOWN, THE DIRT AND DEBRIS THAT CAN CATCH HERE, AS WELL AS MOISTURE, CANNOT ONLY ABRADE THE FORK SEAL AS THEY DO GO THROUGH IT.

I MEAN, IT KEEPS MOST OF THAT STUFF OUT, BUT SOME OF IT DOES MAKE ITS WAY THROUGH.

IT NOT ONLY ABRADES THAT FORK SEAL, BUT ALSO DOES TRANSFER INTO THE FORK OIL.

AND WHILE A LOT OF PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK THAT THIS IS A "SEALED" SYSTEM, AND THEREFORE DOESN'T NEED TO BE LUBRICATED, YOU AND I HAVE BOTH SEEN FORK OIL COMING OUT THE OTHER END AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS, OR, YOU KNOW, 10K, 20K MILES, AND IT DOESN'T LOOK THAT CLEAN.

Pat: YEAH, THAT'S FOR DARN SURE.

SO ANOTHER THING THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE HERE IS TO KEEP THE TUBES CLEAN.

Lyndon: ABSOLUTELY.

ONE OF THE GREAT TIPS, IF YOU HAVE A FRONT END LIKE THIS, IS TO TAKE SOME LUBRICANT -- WD-40 WORKS JUST FINE -- CLEAN THESE FORK LEGS NICELY, THEN GRAB YOUR BRAKE AND PUSH THE FRONT END UP AND DOWN A FEW TIMES, YOU'LL SEE SOME DIRT WILL COLLECT IN SORT OF A RING, WIPE THAT OFF.

IF YOU DO THAT EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS, YOU'LL REALLY EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR FORK SEALS.

Pat: OKAY.

AND ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU USE THE PROPER OIL.

Lyndon: USE THE PROPER OIL.

THE OIL IS NOT ONLY -- IT HAS TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE SEALS, BUT ALSO VISCOSITY IS VERY IMPORTANT.

YOU WANT TO USE WHAT'S RECOMMENDED, OFTENTIMES YOU'LL HAVE TWO OR THREE CHOICES.

HEAVIER OIL WILL MAKE A STIFFER FRONT END, AND THE REVERSE FOR LIGHTER OIL.

Pat: TWO YEARS OR 20,000?

Lyndon: CHECK YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL.

SOME ARE 10, SOME ARE 30.

Pat: OKAY.

LYNDON, THANK YOU.

Lyndon: THANK YOU, PAT.

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

John: WE'VE LOVED THE SUBCOMPACT HYUNDAI ACCENT FROM THE MOMENT WE FIRST SAW IT AT THE NEW YORK AUTO SHOW TWO YEARS AGO.

SO MUCH SO THAT IT, ALONG WITH CORPORATE KIN KIA RIO, WON OUR DRIVERS' CHOICE AWARD TWO YEARS RUNNING.

WHAT FOLLOWED WAS A 12-MONTH STAY WITH US FOR THIS 2012 SE 5-DOOR.

TO SAY ITS ELECTROLYTE GREEN PAINT JOB WAS HARD TO MISS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

IT WAS ALSO IMPOSSIBLE TO MISS THE DRIVING ENJOYMENT THE STYLISH ACCENT DELIVERED.

IT'S PRACTICAL, COMFORTABLE, AND PRETTY FRUGAL.

AFTER 14,000 MILES OF THANKLESS COMMUTING, WE AVERAGED 31.3 MILES PER GALLON.

THAT'S SPOT ON WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S COMBINED RATING.

WE DID HAVE TO LOOK CLOSELY FOR THINGS NOT TO LIKE ABOUT OUR ACCENT.

SEAT FABRICS WORE FAIRLY QUICKLY, AND BACKSEAT LEGROOM PROVED MORE CRAMPED THAN EXPECTED.

THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL HICCUPS, ALTHOUGH THE 1.6-LITER ENGINE IS NOISY AT TIMES.

STILL, FOR UNDER $18,000, WE THINK OUR LOADED ACCENT IS A BARGAIN.

ONE OF OUR STAFFER'S LOG BOOK COMMENTS SAYS IT ALL... "ONE OF THE VERY BEST SUBCOMPACTS WE'VE EVER DRIVEN.

THAT'S THE HYUNDAI ACCENT."

WE TURN OUR ATTENTION TO A BENCHMARK CROSSOVER, THE HONDA CR-V, UP NEXT ON MOTORWEEK'S LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE.

NOW LET'S HEAD INSIDE WHERE YOLANDA VAZQUEZ HAS THE LATEST MOTOR NEWS.

Yolanda: INDUSTRY WATCHER WARDSAUTO HAS PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF THEIR 10 BEST INTERIORS FOR 2013, WITH WINNERS RANGING FROM HIGH-END LUXURY SEDANS TO ENTRY-LEVEL CITY COMMUTERS.

AND WE'RE HERE TO GIVE YOU THE INSIDE SCOOP.

NOW IN ITS THIRD YEAR, THE 10 BEST INTERIORS LIST NARROWED DOWN 46 COMPETITORS, WITH THESE 10 ALL SHARING TOP HONORS: THE ACURA RDX FOR ITS BALANCED OFFERINGS IN BOTH SPORTY AND LUXURY FEEL, AND AMPLE CARGO ROOM.

THE CADILLAC XTS WON FAVOR WITH ITS CUE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM, AND HIGH LEVELS OF COMFORT AND CRAFTSMANSHIP.

CHEVROLET'S MINI-CAR SPARK PACKED AN IMPRESSIVE LIST OF STANDARD FEATURES INTO ITS QUIRKY, COLORFUL CABIN.

THE NEW SANTA FE SPORT FROM HYUNDAI WAS AWARDED FOR ITS DECIDEDLY UNIQUE DESIGN, AND ITS NOD TOWARD HIGHER-END CUVS.

BRAND RELATIVE KIA TOOK HONORS FOR THE NEW FORTE; WITH WARDSAUTO COMMENDING ITS HUGE IMPROVEMENTS OVER LAST GENERATION WITH EASIER-TO-USE CONTROLS.

THE LEXUS GS WAS AN EASY WINNER FOR JUDGES, WITH ITS ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND UNRIVALLED COMFORT PLACING IT WELL ABOVE OTHER LUXURY SEDANS, ESPECIALLY IN THE 450H TRIM.

FRESH OFF A DRAMATIC REDESIGN, THE MAZDA6 WON FOR ITS UPSCALE LOOK AND FEEL, AND USE OF DIFFERENT TONES THROUGHOUT.

NISSAN'S PATHFINDER, WITH ITS STYLISH NEW BODY AND MORE CAR-LIKE INTERIOR, TOOK HONORS FOR ITS ROOMY FEEL AND EASY-ACCESS TO STORAGE.

THE RAM 1500'S INTERIOR IS ALSO VASTLY IMPROVED, WITH THE TOP LARAMIE LONGHORN TRIM WOWING JUDGES WITH ITS PREMIUM MATERIALS THROUGHOUT.

AND LASTLY, THE TOYOTA AVALON WON FOR ITS ADVANCED CONNECTIVITY, PREMIUM BUILD QUALITY, AND ATTRACTIVE DESIGN.

AND THAT'S THE INSIDE LINE FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: BRITAIN'S LAND ROVER BRAND HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN OFF-ROAD INNOVATOR.

FACED WITH A SHORTAGE OF STEEL, THE ORIGINAL 1948 LAND ROVER HAD BODY PANELS MADE OF LIGHTER WEIGHT ALUMINUM.

THEN IN 1970, THE BRAND INVENTED AN SUV FIT FOR THE QUEEN WITH THE RANGE ROVER.

NOW WITH DEMANDS FOR BETTER FUEL ECONOMY COMING FROM BOTH GOVERNMENTS AND OWNERS, LAND ROVER HAS FUSED THESE TWO TRADITIONS INTO AN ALL-NEW RANGE ROVER.

IT'S ONE POSH UTILITY THAT'S BLAZING A TRAIL FOR THE REST OF ITS KIND.

IT DOESN'T LOOK MUCH DIFFERENT THAN BEFORE, BUT THE 2013 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER IS VERY REVOLUTIONARY.

YES, IT'S SLIGHTLY BIGGER, AND MAYBE A TAD SLEEKER THAN BEFORE, BUT THAT SLANT BACK, BOXY SHAPE REMAINS INTACT.

ONE CHANGE -- THE SPLIT TAILGATE IS NOW POWERED.

THE BIG NEWS LIES DEEP WITHIN WHERE THANKS TO A WEIGHT SAVING ALUMINUM UNIBODY, THE NEW RANGER ROVER IS THE FIRST ALL-ALUMINUM SUV EVER.

THE STRUCTURE LOPS OFF AN IMPRESSIVE 700 POUNDS OF TOTAL VEHICLE WEIGHT, WHICH TRANSLATES DIRECTLY INTO BETTER FUEL ECONOMY.

ALONG WITH A NEW 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, THE COMBINED FUEL ECONOMY RATING JUMPS NEARLY 15%.

A HUGE MOVE FOR NORMALLY GAS-GUZZLING ULTRA-LUXURY SUVS AND ONE THAT WILL NOT BE LOST ON RIVALS.

SPEAKING OF LUXURY, INSIDE ALL IS WELL, BUT ALSO IMPROVED.

THE SERIOUS INTERIOR UPS THE ANTE IN MATERIAL QUALITY.

THERE'S FINE LEATHER AND REAL WOOD APLENTY.

AND SPEAKING OF UP, REAR SEAT LEGROOM IS WAY UP, WITH OVER 4.5 INCHES ADDED FOR YOUR GOLFING BUDDIES.

THE CONFLAGRATION OF INTERIOR SWITCHES HAS BEEN CUT IN HALF.

IT'S CLEANER AND MUCH MORE INTUITIVE.

THOUGH WE'RE NOT SURE ADDING JAGUAR'S ROTARY SHIFT KNOB WAS SUCH A GREAT IDEA.

THERE'S A HOST OF NEW DRIVER-ASSIST TECHNOLOGIES, INCLUDING ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, INTELLIGENT EMERGENCY BRAKING, BLIND SPOT MONITORING, AND REVERSE TRAFFIC DETECTION.

IF ONLY IT WOULD JUST PARK ITSELF.

WELL, ACTUALLY, IT'LL DO THAT TOO.

OFF-ROADING POTENTIAL CONTINUES TO BE MUCH MORE THAN THE VAST MAJORITY OF OWNERS CAN APPRECIATE.

WE SAMPLED THE LATEST ROVER IN THE UTAH DESERT, AND BEATING THIS LUXO-UTE UP IN THESE CONDITIONS SEEMED A BIT OF A SACRILEGE, BUT INCREDIBLY FUN NONETHELESS.

LAND ROVER HAS MADE IT EVEN EASIER FOR OWNERS TO TEST THE RANGE ROVER'S DIRT LOVING CAPABILITIES WITH AN UPDATED TERRAIN RESPONSE SYSTEM.

YOU JUST DIAL IN AN APPROPRIATE SETTING FOR YOUR CURRENT CONDITIONS AND AS MUCH AS 5.7-INCHES OF ADDITIONAL GROUND CLEARANCE.

UNDER THE HOOD IS THE FAMILIAR 5.0-LITER V8 IN BOTH REGULAR AND SUPERCHARGED FORM.

SADLY, NO DIESELS WILL BE AVAILABLE HERE.

BUT WE HAVE NO REAL COMPLAINTS, AS THIS DIRECT-INJECTED V SOUNDS GREAT WHETHER PUTTING OUT 375-HORSEPOWER IN BASE FORM OR 510 WITH THE SUPERCHARGER.

FOR OUR TRACK WORK, WE CHOSE A SUPERCHARGED ROVER, AND IT WASTED NO TIME BLASTING US TO 60 MILES-PER-HOUR IN JUST 4.9-SECONDS.

IT RAISES ITS NOSE AND CLIMBS SWIFTLY THROUGH THE QUARTER MILE IN 13.3-SECONDS AND 109 MILES-PER-HOUR, FEELING EVEN FASTER.

THAT'S SOMEWHAT SURPRISING SINCE EVEN WITH THE WEIGHT LOSS THIS SUV STILL TIPS THE SCALE AT OVER 5,000 POUNDS.

DESPITE THAT, THROUGH OUR HANDLING TESTS THE NEW RANGE ROVER FELT AS STIFF AND RESPONSIVE AS SOME SO-CALLED SPORT SEDANS.

YES, IT'S STILL TALL AND A BIT TOP HEAVY, BUT BODY ROLL IS MANAGEABLE AND STEERING IS TELEPATHIC AND QUICK.

FOR THE RECORD, GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS RISE TO 14-CITY, 20-HIGHWAY, AND 16-COMBINED.

WITH THE SUPERCHARGER, YOU'LL DO JUST ONE WORSE AT 13, 19, AND 15.

STILL THIRSTY BY CAR STANDARDS BUT QUITE GOOD FOR ITS LUXO-CLASS.

AND IT IS A PRICEY ONE.

BUT GIVEN RANGE ROVER'S TOTAL COMMITMENT TO LUXURY WITH TRUE ALL-TERRAIN PROWESS, A BASE OF $83,500 ISN'T OUT OF PLACE, AND IT'S STILL WAY LESS THAN A MERCEDES G CLASS.

INDEED, THE 2013 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER IS EQUALLY AT HOME ON BOTH BACK COUNTRY TRAILS AND RODEO DRIVE.

THERE'S NO DENYING IT IS ONE IMPRESSIVE PIECE OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.

AND BY COMBINING THE BEST OF ITS HISTORY AND TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY IS POINTING ALL SPORT-UTES TOWARDS A VIABLE FUTURE.

WELL, I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US AGAIN FOR MORE MOTORWEEK, WHEN WE'LL WELCOME WARMER WEATHER WITH A DROP TOP SPECIAL.

WE'LL CRUISE IN THE NEW VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE.

THEN RECONNECT WITH THE MAZDA MX-5 MIATA.

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.

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