Car_and_Driver_USA_July_2017

Fleet Files:
Here’s how our other longterm
vehicles are faring in
their 40,000-mile trials:
Newcomer
2017 CHRYSLER PACIFICA TOURING-L PLUS
Arrival: Jan/2017
Miles: 11,124 Observed mpg: 22
—
When it comes to effcient transport for a flock of family members
or friends—and having any cargo room whatsoever left over for
their stuff—the right answer is a minivan. And, right now, we think
Chrysler’s overhauled and renamed minivan, the Pacifica, is the
one to have. It retains the unique ability to tuck its second-row
buckets into the floor while adding gobs of features and blossoming
stylistically inside and out. All nonhybrid Pacificas get a 287-hp
V-6 and a ZF nine-speed automatic. We made ours the $39,390
Touring-L Plus model, as it’s the least expensive way to get the new,
child-distracting rear-seat entertainment setup with two 10-inch
touchscreens in the second row. And it’s clear from the driver’s seat
that the minivan’s dynamic game has been upped substantially, as
the seven-seater’s initial test results—cornering at 0.87 g and stopping
from 70 mph in 164 feet—are shockingly similar to those of our
long-term E46 BMW M3 from 2002 (three cheers for massive tiretechnology
progress). Other relevant and impressive stats that
we’ve seen thus far: a 500-mile range and a couple of single-tank
averages as high as 29 mpg. After the Pacifica’s first service, a quick
$86 stop for an oil change and tire rotation at 10,000 miles, we’re
ready for summer road-tripping. —Dave VanderWerp
2017 FORD F-150 RAPTOR
467 MILES
2017 PORSCHE
718 BOXSTER S
1761 MILES
2017 BMW M2
6607 MILES
2016 MAZDA CX-9 SIGNATURE
11,328 MILES
2017 Jaguar
XE 35t
R-Sport AWD
Arrival: Sep/2016
Miles: 17,849
Observed mpg: 22
—
With nearly half our
test complete, the
XE has already given
us a full complement
of annoyances,
including
recalls, flat tires,
infotainment
glitches, and repeat
dealership visits
that failed to
resolve a cacophony
of underhood
whining, rattling,
and vibrations that,
apparently, we’re
just going to have to
get used to. Yet,
most of us
thoroughly enjoy
driving the car,
which offers ample
power and grip.
Complaints about a
tight back seat and
an unimaginative
interior are
outweighed by raves
for its superlative
steering and playful
chassis. And the
XE’s unassuming
style suits our
sensibilities.
You take the good,
you take the bad,
you take them both
and there you have
the facts of life.
—Jeff Sabatini
2016 Nissan
Titan XD
Pro-4X Diesel
Arrival: Jul/2016
Miles: 25,043
Observed mpg: 15
—
The job of a
workhorse can be
thankless: Witness
the dearth of praise
in our Titan XD’s
logbook. Despite its
comfy seats and its
effectiveness as a
mover of winter toys
and stricken
jalopies, drivers
have continued to
comment on the
stubbornly uncouth
automatic
transmission, the
diffculty it takes to
climb into the cabin
without running
boards, and its
ravenous appetite
for diesel exhaust
fluid (we’ve added
nearly 26 gallons
thus far). We've
had no other
expenditures since
our last update,
other than fuel,
which the XD is still
consuming at the
rate of 15 mpg. We
will, however, be
returning soon to
the dealer to have
the tailgate latch
replaced once more,
as a recent “fix”
made the handle
nearly impossible to
operate.
—Mike Sutton
2016 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS
39,180 MILES
2016 Mazda
MX-5 Miata
Club
Arrival: Oct/2015
Miles: 37,428
Observed mpg: 33
—
Warm weather
has returned
to our Midwest
headquarters. That
means two things:
1. We’re dialing back
on our meds, and
2. We’re dropping
the Miata’s top
every chance we
get. Need to move
the car to a
different part of the
parking lot? No
reason to do so with
the top up. The
squeaks and rattles
we heard during
winter’s coldest
commutes have
vanished, as has the
sad shiver our Miata
exhibited while
idling in what felt
like absolute zero.
There, there, little
guy. Oh look, the
sun! You made it,
buddy! Our only
persistent problem
has been a
tire-pressure
warning that
erroneously lit up a
few times while the
Miata wore winter
tires. The pressures
were actually fine.
It’s easy to reset,
though, and we have
its summer tires
back on now anyway.
—Daniel Pund
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL SIMARI AND INSETS BY AUSTIN IRWIN
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088 . LONG-TERM TEST . CAR AND DRIVER . JUL/2017