Important Tips for Packing Boxes and Storage Services

How the providing of your things are done at the time of moving, makes sure what will be the result of the switch. You need certain type of top-quality providing content which covers all your things in the appropriate way and guarantees appropriate protection for them. So as to reduce your problem the Chicago movers provide you moving boxes at reasonable costs and at quality. Different kinds of moving boxes are required for different kinds of objects and goods. Chicago mover provides you with the right kind of moving boxes for your favorite things and they do the providing themselves and seal it subsequently using proper packing tapes.

Storage Facility should be needed

Are you shifting just for moment and might come back to the same place after some time? Well, in this situation you require just certain most essential things to be taken with you and need some products to be placed in your old house only. The Chicago moving companies remember your advantage has presented the service of storage space for your various storage space specifications. The Chicago movers moving companies provide you the benefit of saving your things for daily permanently. Also, they offer you with 24/7 security for your elements and services such as environment handled storage space for your advantage.

2012 Ford Focus car reviews

 Introduction:
As told in an earlier study, and the new focus in Titanium trim is good enough for the price tag of over $ 27,000 for the Ford-ROM to justify. But what if you do not want to spend too much, or would a manual transmission, which is not available with the levels of SELL trim or titanium look like? How much did you give to the SE? I asked the $ 21,380 SE hatchback ford focus with the sports package to find.

With small cars and hatchbacks are often more attractive relative to the sedan. To my eye, and the focus is the exception. With the lock, and it seems quadrants background crumpled and drawn out, with a little bit too much going on. Large rear does not help. I also wondered about Chris Pearson under the tail lamps, and before you realize that the smart way to say the location of the filler door-to be determined. Small opening celebration is cleaner and more attractive design. He said all this, and today's competitors are either less attractive, less elegant, or both. Focus on the least lacking in this kind of deal, which resulted in the death of aesthetic flourishes on the Mazda3. One possible exception: the presence of a black wheels $ 495 upgrade 17-inch tires. Easy to solve: not check this box and check sales (more on that later). Wheels make a huge difference in one body style: both the sedan and hatch looks much better with the 18S in five of the optional titanium spoke to the other, smaller wheels in the list.

SE loses within the padded upper door panels and crafts and some of the titanium and 'piano black' little further reduce the silver embarrassment. I did miss, and find the SE internal terribly cheap in comparison. But during the week I had a car I did not. Not one bit. Everything looks and feels solid and precise. SE black cloth with a touch of gray and rugged looks and feels both sport and luxury. This is the method used to re-do the BMW cloth in the 1980s, before the leather (or something close enough to fool the masses) and became the task of leadership in the machines at the end. Need more colors in the car? $ 795 for Ford replaces the red and black leather. With the sun and outside temps in the mid 90s, I was happy to test the car lacks this feature.

As noted in the earlier review of the dashboard is very large, and the height and depth of the limits of what I consider to be open enough to see. I cranked back the seat a few clicks in order to get more than good. You can not My Ford Focus Touch SE. Instead, as is the case at the party is confusing, non-traditional groups to deal with buttons and voice communication systems. I used the base after a few days, but to take full advantage of the system requires either a large, often frustrating trial and error (or terror) on a journey through the manual.

Sport package includes a sport steering wheel, leather-wrapped steering wheel and bucket seats sport highly amplified. This is both comfortable and supportive. The head is not very far ahead to be intrusive. Support non-adjustable lumbar support fit my back, but others do not doubt that the desire for greater swelling and / or higher. In 09/05, and 160 pounds, and I'm not a big man, and had plenty of space in the front seat. More drivers may find the instrument panel and center console are too tight. Maybe a seat and supports good about it was perfect for me.

The same goes for the rear. I can back a very comfortable with myself is about an inch off the air for my knee, one inch above my head, but also high in the shape of a pillow to support my thighs. The six-footer for more pressure.

The volume of goods in case of lock-ROMs. 60/40 in the second row seats fold to form a flat floor, but not easy. Instead:

1. However, if the front seats have a long way forward and upright, and moving out of the way.

2. Forward Tip the bottom of the back seat.

3. Remove the headrest of the backseat.

4. Fold the rear of the rear seat.

5. The return of the front seat, at least part of the road to its original position. (And can not move seat all the way back, but enough. Drivers to about six meters)

I guess there is a choice between ease of use of the hand, and a flat floor and a full-size rear seat on the other hand, won the last priority. If it would help head that background, such as folded on the Explorer, but this possibility was excluded for reasons of cost.

Get a moving car, and focus on the SE impresses immediately because he did not titanium. This $ 20,000 Ford carefully refined smoothness, hardness, peace and serenity that we had a very expensive machine to buy to get the German. This is evident in 51 feet, and it remains impressive after one week in the car. Even on the pockmarked streets of Michigan riding a good focus, with body movements tightly controlled. Some automotive shock absorbers slightly better, but they have the advantages of a longer wheelbase and wider track. Chevrolet Craze and not far in the refinement of the general. But the Hyundai Electra great songs, and new for 2012 Honda Civic is hopelessly far behind.



And played a major sixth to stand. The guide aims to provide a five-speed grunt of the line and the economy on the highway, so the percentages are a bit scattered over a very wide range of the engine with a maximum torque of 4450 rpm. On the other hand, run the shifter and clutch any easier. Throw the length of the effort and moderate right, and it's just as fine as the rest of the car. A shareholder: the heavy flywheel to a certain extent some of the capabilities of the engine to weaken.

The emphasis should be on the next with an ST-hp - 247 turbo four and six-speed manual treatment of the ills of performance, and some, according to, well, and high costs. For those who want more than 160 horsepower, but that does not need or want to pay for a license seems to threaten, speed, and to consider atmospheric Ford Focus 2.5-liter four with nearly 200 horsepower. This would affect the sweet point.

2.0-liter engine in economic terms, especially given the weight of the car. And Environmental Protection Agency estimates 26 city / 36 highway. The on board computer and low-30S in the suburbs, driving with the AC on high.

Sport package does not change the settings of the suspension, which is currently the "sport tuned" for all trim levels (per Q & A with Ford). Handling is very good, but again short of exciting. Will the guidance system, while the weighted properly and generally will be better than most buyers use them and feel more clear and more accurate, and precise. The Mazda3 retains a clear lead in this field, and even the Ford Focus former felt more directly. Partly this is the cost of refinement, but also to maximize the electrical system of the economy rather than a full hydraulic hybrid and electric used by Mazda. The chassis SE focus to just about everything you ask for good (except the feeling of light on his feet) to do a sharp turn, understate nearby (partially due to the magic of electronic and with the brakes), and good communication and excellent composure, and even approach you outside the confines of the front tires. Then things are a little soft, and very safe.

Step until the titanium, and an additional $ 595 for a package you get a firmer struts and moderately 235/WR18 Sport3s Michelin Pilot grip harder and more precise feel in aggressive driving. Or just do as already suggested: No $ 495 to spend on the Cont is 17-inch factory, and go after the sale.

As mentioned in the introduction and lists for $ 21,380 test car, while the comparable sedan lists for $ 20,780. You can use the $ 495 without the 17-inch wheels and tires, but in this case you will certainly want much more attention to the group after the sale. You could also save $ 800 by doing without USB SYNC system and Bluetooth connectivity and satellite radio, but you will not, unless you still live in the twentieth century.

2011 Mazda3 hatchback same facility, and it's less than $ 110. Set the remaining feature differences with true delta tool to compare prices to find the car are almost identical. Thus the decision between these two not on the basis of price. Instead, the refinement and fuel economy (21/29 Mazda was only nominally) for the acceleration and driving feel. For most men, Ford easily win in this match up.

A Kia Forte 5 SIX is buying in this part of the budget, with a list price of $ 19,090. With the larger engine, it is faster than the focus, and the guarantee for a longer period, but less efficient (22/32), and much less refined in almost everything (materials, powering, ride and handling). On features, but also here. Is it worth saving $ 2,000 for a car that looks and feels $ 5,000 less expensive?

For a premium look and feel of the focus in a car, a semi-reasonable, it is necessary to deal with the Golf hatchback and VW not to, yet discontented not on par with the Ford. I can not sporty look and feel of the Focus SE sport the escalation of the GTI (and faster) much more expensive. Comparison between the presence of a base for golf with Bluetooth for 2011 SE with a focus SYNC, but without the Sport Package and 17's, and Volkswagen about $ 400 more. Nearby, a focus on both the Mazda3, but without the elegance of their own.

Ford Focus 2012 honer joy right out of the box, but with so I'm quite surprised when I saw how good it is. Even in SE trim, the look, feel, and refinement of the car much more expensive. And drives better than 90 percent of the population and never expected. So, if you just want a really good, and cut a nice compact car, but no use for + $ 27,000 or even $ 21,000 (before tax and merchant) to spend doing the trick.
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DESIGN
Is really a look through the reduction of a new dynamic in the streets and elegant interior with the acclaimed Ford's new kinetic design language. Two distinctive body styles available and convertible, each with a special appeal. There is no doubt enjoy the drivers cockpit environment, but .. While none of the cabin and comfort and convenience, and the center console, and start looking around on the design

Safety
Five stars in crash tests, with six airbags, and a group of technology in an attempt to prevent a collapse in the first place. There is also the strength of the body with extensive use of high-strength steel. Focus also features the new patented front sub frame, which in severe frontal collision pairs, and to avoid deformation in the passenger cell, foot well area. Has been enhanced protection for pedestrians by adding a "soft" cover design in the structure of the body front and Ford moved in space to help further reduce the risk of injur

Technology
The basic line-up of the concentration of 2011 is simple: hatchback and sedan bodies, and three engines - 1.6 liter petrol, 2.0-liter turbo diesel and 2.0-liter gasoline engine - with five-speed manual and six-speed DSG power shift the car.

The dual-clutch Power shift magmatic hard to see the daily driving and sport, as it offers the best of both worlds, and extra equipment in the directory, which has only five gears. What happened to the six-speed manual?

DRIVING
And the car to be a hero to focus on next RS. But what arrived this week already bodes well for the hot hatch in the future. In the short time he spent on dirt roads and runs off the asphalt, the new focus showed a good grip and agility.

Smaller engine 1.6-liter gasoline needs to be up at the instigation of the rev range for any luster, but between the 2.0-liter and more enthusiastic - no surprises there. But this is a 2.0-liter turbo diesel that we spent more time with that looks to be the best for all round, and the development of 120kW/340Nm - 20kw and 20Nm more than the focus TD Ci we drove past. A six-speed automatic is a good worker, but the button on the side fiddly and awkward to use.
The emergence of the full engine, see Cars guide the end of this week.
 
FORD FOCUS
Price: from $21,990
Warranty: 3 years/100,000km
Resale: 50 per cent after 3 years (Glass's Guide)
Service interval: 12 months/15,000km
Safety: 5-star ANCAP
Engines: 1.6-litre petrol, 92kW/159Nm; 2.0-litre turbo diesel, 120kW/340Nm; 2.0-litre petrol, 125kW/202Nm
Body: Four-door sedan, five-door hatch
Weight: 1311-1543kg
Transmission: 5-speed manual, 6-speed Power shift DSG, front-wheel drive
Thirst: 5.5-7.2L/100km, 95RON/diesel, CO2 144-167g/km

 

Professional Chicago Movers are more reliable than Contract Laborers

When researching moving companies, it is necessary to do your homework and inquire about out those that only deal with professional movers. Companies with professional movers are probable to be licensed and insured, have a trustworthy status in the community and pack and load your prized belongings with interest and knowledge. Even if there are contract laborers that will also act efficiently, you are motionless running a risk by hiring a moving company without knowledgeable staff. For instance, a contract laborer is moving your coffee table, when the glass top falls and shatters on his hand. Is that contract laborer insured? Will he sue you for damages? What if the contract manual worker is untrustworthy and steals your beloved items? Also, who would you feels more contented with handling your priceless family heirlooms: professional movers, or contract laborers who do different jobs every week?


We USA Moving and Storage, Inc., a Chicago Movers in Illinois, only do business with professional movers. Our policy is to not work with bond laborers so we can promise our clients that their property will be handled with the utmost care and expertise. Our movers are a quantity of the greatest paid in the industry and we have kept them so happy some have even stay with us for more than a decade. Our professional Chicago mover will do as much or as little as you wish. Be it to enfold, pack and cargo all of your items or just securely cover and pack your most valuable belongings; our Chicago movers are trained to do it all.

Contact us for a free estimate (800)626-4474, and our Chicago movers will be happy to help you have a successful, hassle-free moving experience.

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Picture Leaked

What's the only thing better than a 700-horsepower super-coupe? Why, a 700-horsepower supercar roadster, of course! Since the last two V12 supercars from Lamborghini – the Diablo and Murcielago – both spawned open-top derivatives, we knew it would only be a matter of time before the Aventador would follow suit.

Now the word on the street is that Lamborghini has got the Aventador Roadster all but completely ready to go, and that it is likely to present the roofless despot at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

We're hearing that the Murcielago Roadster's notoriously useless umbrella roof contraption has been replaced by something more functional, which we can only hope for. One way or another, we'll be finding out soon enough, as the Swiss auto expo is only a few months away.

Source: Teamspeed.com

2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo First Spy Shots

Volkswagen began building buzz for the 2012 Beetle. The company's executives were throwing phrases like "fun to drive," "masculine" and "Porsche-derived styling" toward the would-be Beetle successor as far back as the 2010 Paris Motor Show. In this business, you either learn to read through hyperbole or choke to death on it, so it goes without saying that our hackles were quivering with skepticism at the time. Volkswagen could hardly blame us.

Source: autoblog.com

Land Rover planning for a larger Evoque

Reports suggest that Land Rover may be working to launch a larger version of the Range Rover Evoque in order to split the difference between the current Evoque and Range Rover Sport models because the latter vehicle moves farther up market.

World’s Top 10 Expensive Car Crashes

It’s always a sad situation when someone wrecks a car and the situation would be much worse if its an expensive car. The insurance and repair costs will be much higher for these cars. This adds fuel to the fire and the repair costs might make you weep at times. The wrecks which we have shown involve unique and rare cars which billionaires can only afford.









































Source: worlds top 10 expensive car crashes

Ferrari launches limited edition 599 GTB 60F1

Ferrari has been successful in winning the formula 1 races for 60 years till now and to celebrate it, the company has introduced a special edition version of the 599. Its the Ferrari 599 GTB 60F1. The Ferrari 599 GTB 60F1 will only be available in three liveries.

The 375 F1 livery pays tribute to Froilan Gonzalez's first victory for Ferrari at the 1951 British Grand Prix, while the Ferrari 150 Italia scheme is a tip of the hat to Fernando Alonso's win at Silverstone, the same track that Gonzalez conquered for the automaker's first gold. Alonso took the honor of the company's 60th time at the top of the podium. Ferrari also plans to sell the Ferrari 599 GTB 60F1 in a third variant that plays off of the 150 Italia livery.

Source: autoblog.com

Finding the Best Piano Moving Company

Piano is one of the wonderful instruments to keep in your home. This instrument cannot be simply picked up and moved. Since it can incur severe damage, much care has to be taken while moving a piano. Even a slight damage can be too costly in having the piano fixed. In some cases, severe damage might lead to replacement of the piano. The only solution for this would be by hiring a professional piano mover who knows the difficulties in moving a piano. Lets have a look at the various things which are to be considered while moving a piano.

How to choose a professional piano mover?

Lot of people might have the doubt of why to choose a professional piano mover for moving a piano when lot of home movers are available. The main reason is that most of the home movers wouldn't have sufficient knowledge and experience in moving a piano properly. Piano's are available in different sizes and their value depends mainly on their model, make, condition and age. Most of the times, the piano need to be moved through a small space and in few other cases, it has to be disassembled and moved. Its always better to choose a mover near your location to minimize the charges you incur. Hence for moving your belongings in Chicago, its always good to hire a Chicago Mover to reduce your costs.


How should pianos be moved?

When hiring a professional Chicago mover, you can expect atleast 2-3 people arriving at your home with all the necessary equipments in order to move your prized piano safely. Special techniques has to be employed to move your instrument and once the piano is moved to the truck, it will be fastened inside to avoid damage during its transit. When you choose someone who is not a professional piano mover, the necessary safety guards might not be applied. Preferring a professional piano mover might not completely stop your piano from getting damaged but it will reduce the chance of getting damaged.

Just remember to choose the best piano mover and ensure that they have all the information to offer 100% satisfaction .

2012 Hyundai Accent Hatchback and Sedan

We’re nothing if not thorough. In assessing the 2012 Hyundai Accent, we chose to test not one, not two, but three different variants: a hatchback with the manual transmission, a sedan with the automatic, and to get the full picture, a hatch with the auto. Yes, we could have tested that fourth body-and-transmission permutation, but that would’ve been silly.
Before the results are laid out, here’s a rundown of the players. For 2012, the Accent hatchback goes from three to five doors. The sedan is now the lineup’s value leader, with a base price of $13,205 for a manual. That base car wears the GLS badge (as do all sedans) and goes without air conditioning, power windows or mirrors, or even a radio—it has four speakers, but nothing to feed them music. No one’s buying that showroom-traffic model. Adding in those missing pieces runs $1750 (it’s called the Comfort package; we’d call it the “Bare Minimum” package), but the car still rides on 14-inch steel wheels. For $2750, you get that equipment plus an automatic transmission. Our automatic test vehicle was fully loaded, including the $1300 Premium package: keyless entry, body-color door handles on the outside and chrome pulls on the inside, piano-black interior trim, nicer cloth seats, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, Bluetooth, cruise control, fog lights, and 16-inch aluminum wheels. See? Thorough.
Hatchback models come in two grades: GS and SE. The GS—$15,355 for a manual and $16,555 for the automatic—is equipped to a level similar to the GLS sedan with the Comfort package. We tested a pair of SE models, which include everything from the sedan with the Premium package, plus a rear spoiler, leather for the steering wheel and shift knob, and “sport tuned” steering. The SE starts at $16,555, and a grand more gets you the automatic. All three test Accents were decadently optioned with an iPod cable ($35) and carpeted floor mats ($95).
The Strongest Accent
The 2012 Accent is powered by a direct-injected 1.6-liter four-cylinder that makes 138 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. The manual and automatic transmissions both have six speeds. The stick has longish throws and is accompanied by a lifeless, long-travel clutch pedal; it’ll be easy for anyone to move but doesn’t so much as hint at the location of its friction point. Despite those demerits, the manual is much more fun to interact with, allowing the driver to get the most out of the little engine. The automatic car feels as if it were missing a few of its 138 horses.
That feeling was backed up at the test track, where the manual hatch hit 60 mph in 8.0 seconds, 1.9 quicker than the auto-equipped hatch and 1.6 better than the automatic sedan. The manual dominated in every acceleration test but top-gear, since our procedure leaves a manual in its highest gear whereas automatics are allowed to downshift as they see fit. And to seal the deal, the manual got drastically better observed fuel mileage: 33 mpg versus 26 for both automatic cars. All 2012 Accents have EPA ratings of 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway.
It can easily be extrapolated that a sedan with the manual would be about as quick and efficient. But it wouldn’t look anywhere as nice or be able to fit as much cargo. Anyway, that covers our vote for transmission.
The Game Where No One Wins
Not that this is a competition, but scoring the steering systems was a challenge all its own. The sport-tuned steering in the SE hatchback? We’re pretty sure it was playing Hide the Feedback. It’s well weighted off-center, but keep turning the wheel, and the weight disappears and then comes back. The nonsporty steering we sampled in the sedan has an acceptable heft with a more linear build. The system is hardly stellar, but it beats the confused steering in many other Hyundais, like the aforementioned SE and the Sonata.
The suspension could also use some work. The Accent’s springs are soft, which, along with the 2012 car’s 2.8-inch-longer wheelbase, provides a comfy ride on the highway, but the softness contributes to body roll in corners. And there’s a lack of wheel control over rough pavement that can lead to some harshness. For the kind of driving Accent buyers are likely to do, the compromised ride and handling should be acceptable, but there are better dynamic players in this class, like the Honda Fit and the new Chevy Sonic.
Interior refinement was a mixed bag. All three cars have quiet cabins, with the engine hardly audible at idle. The décor has been livened up from last year’s; design trickle-down from the Elantra and Sonata is evident and welcome. But the economy goals of the Accent show themselves with a lot of hard plastic, including a sharp ledge where the driver’s left elbow would want to rest, and the sedan’s plastic steering wheel felt particularly low-rent. The layout is cohesive—if a bit busy with its many shades of plastic—but we wish for some soft-touch points somewhere.
The Other Obvious Comparison
There is yet another small Korean option that does offer a more upscale feel, though. It’s called the Rio, and Kia makes it. It happens to ride on the same platform as the Accent and share the Hyundai’s powertrain. The Rio offers features that are unavailable on the Accent, like leather seats and navigation. But the Accent holds two advantages over the Rio: wider availability of the manual transmission and more room in the cargo area. The Rio hatch sacrifices about a third of the Accent’s stuff space in the name of style.
The Accent is a good, efficient midpack entry in the growing little-car segment. And like other new Hyundais, it’s a lot better than the car it replaces. The case is pretty clear for the manual, and as long as you’re not looking for a stripped version, the hatch and the sedan cost about the same with normal equipment. Our choice in the lineup is therefore the manual-transmission hatch, a car that recently finished fourth in a six-car comparison test. It’s a thorough improvement, but the rest of the segment has stepped up its game, too.

2012 Hyundai Veloster

Expectations are a bitch. If it weren’t for people’s pesky hopes, the 2012 Hyundai Veloster could totter onto the new-car market as a simple and oddly endearing little nugget of a dressed-up economy car.
But, no. On the back of this little three-door (four-door, if you count the hatch) meatball ride the hopes of enthusiasts who loved the old Honda CRX Si, who still love the Honda CRX Si, or who at least think they remember loving the CRX Si. And since Honda resolutely refuses to re-create one of its great ideas, the opportunity has fallen to the only car company that appears to have any interest in a similar concept: Hyundai.
Now, let’s get one thing straight: Hyundai never explicitly said that its four-seat Veloster was the spiritual replacement for the two-seat CRX Si. But given its size and shape, people have been drawing the comparison ever since the Veloster concept first appeared, and the company sure didn’t discourage the impression. Now that we’ve driven the production version over hill and dale, we can say, in our snappiest Lloyd Bentsen impersonation, that we worked with the CRX Si, we knew the CRX Si, the CRX Si was a friend of ours. Veloster, you’re no CRX Si.
Is This Progress?
The 1985 CRX Si, pumping 91 hp from its 1.5-liter engine, could only get to 60 mph in 9.1 seconds. The Veloster’s 1.6-liter four-cylinder makes 138 hp, giving it a 0-to-60 run of, well, about half a second less slow than the CRX. And forget the CRX for a moment; the Veloster is taller and wider than Honda’s Accord of that era. The Veloster also rides on a longer wheelbase and weighs something like 300 more pounds than an ’85 Accord. It’s nearly 1000 pounds weightier than the CRX.
But it’s not door count or horsepower or weight that disqualifies the Veloster from second-coming-of-CRX status. It’s that the Veloster just isn’t that much fun to drive. It feels heavier than its roughly 2700-pound curb weight suggests. And its feel-free steering, although accurate, brings no joy. The steering happens to have the least amount of self-centering that we’ve felt in some time. After a turn, the wheel is apparently content to lie on its side, lifeless, instead of preparing for its next assignment.
That’s a shame, because the chassis it commands is competent. Maybe not spritely, but at least the MacPherson-strut-front and torsion-beam-rear suspension does an admirable job of snubbing roll without beating the driver senseless. The Veloster circled our skidpad at a mediocre 0.82 g. The Scion tC, which Hyundai lists as a Veloster competitor, returns 0.86 g of grip. It’s a nice middle-ground tuning that should satisfy those looking for an economy car wearing a snazzy outfit.
Smooth Out That Shar Pei
And snazzy it is. The front and the flanks mimic other recent Hyundais, most notably the Elantra. Its face is pulled back tightly, similar to what we imagine a dog would look like with an aggressive face lift. The Veloster’s sides are deeply sculpted. That’s all pretty much standard-issue new-Hyundai oddness, though. The real weirdness is the doors, or rather the asymmetry of the doors. We watched as a couple stopped dead in their tracks on seeing the Veloster sitting in a parking lot. The man approached it first from the driver’s side, cocked his head, shuffled closer, and peeked inside; then, without taking his eyes off the thing, he skirted around the Veloster’s chunky rear until he got to the passenger side. He stood staring for a moment and then squinted, thrust his head forward, and raised his eyebrows. He scooted back to the driver’s side, as if he believed that if he moved quickly enough he might surprise the driver’s side and catch it having two doors. No dice.
In its three-door-ness, the Veloster is like the Saturn coupe (SC) with the three-door option. Or the Mini Clubman, which also has a rear-hinged, door-opening extender added aft of a conventional door. But instead of a silly half-door, the Hyundai has a proper front-hinged rear door that is at least three-quarters as useful as a proper port. And not only can it be opened independently of the front door, but the Veloster’s rear door is also mounted to the passenger side instead of the driver’s.
This is useful for two reasons—one obvious and one we hadn’t anticipated. First, the passenger side is the curbside. So it is the safer of the two from which to disgorge rear passengers, which, given the Veloster’s tight rear quarters, are likely to be children or people you don’t like all that much. The other critical benefit of fitting the rear door to the passenger side is that it allows the driver’s door to be longer, keeping the B-pillar from impeding peripheral vision.
Gamma for Your Gramma
We only drove the Veloster with a six-speed manual, but it’s available with a new-for-Hyundai six-speed dual-clutch automatic. The shifter is perfectly pleasant to use, and the clutch takeup is smooth. But it’s not your left leg you’ll be worrying about. It’s your right leg that will be tired at the end of a drive, what with you trying to cram the accelerator through the floorboards. The so-called Gamma 1.6-liter direct-injection engine is a kindly enough motor, but it’s small and has low peak torque—123 lb-ft—at a high 4850 rpm. You have to work it over to make decent progress, and in our testing, the car needed 8.5 seconds to get to 60 mph. That’s more than 1.5 seconds slower to 60 mph than the Scion. The Veloster trundled through the quarter-mile in 16.7 seconds at 84 mph. A turbo is on the way within a year’s time.
On the upside, when you’re not beating on the Veloster, the EPA reckons it will return 28 mpg in the city and 40 on the highway when equipped with the manual. With the dual-clutch tranny, the Veloster is predicted to return 29/38 mpg. In an attempt to keep things fun, our foot-to-the-floor driving style yielded a not-very-impressive 25 mpg average.
How To: Make Your Veloster Look Like the Concept
Perhaps we’ve been a bit tough on the Veloster. It starts at $18,060 for a manual version. The dual-clutch adds $1250. The example we drove came with both of the major option packages. The $2000 Style package mostly keeps the Veloster from looking like a cheap car. It brings 18-inch wheels, chrome trim, piano-black interior and exterior trim, front fog lights, an eight-speaker stereo, “leatherette” seats and door inserts, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, aluminum pedals, and an auto-up driver’s window. But it’s the panoramic sunroof that comes with the Style package that gives the Veloster its signature look, with glass panels butted up against each other for an almost continuous sweep of glass from the base of the windshield all the way over the top of the roof and down to the rear bumper. It certainly makes the interior airy and is one of the more distinct similarities to the concept Veloster. But having one of the highest glass-to-metal ratios of any car on the market doesn’t do much for structural integrity.
The other available option grouping is the Tech package. It requires the Style package and then adds another $2000 of goodies like wheels with painted inserts intended to make them look like the Veloster concept’s. It also ropes in parking-distance sensors in the back, a rearview camera, a navigation system, automatic headlamps, and pushbutton start. Throw in floor mats ($95), and a loaded manual Veloster lists for $22,155.
Hyundai gives this youth-oriented model standard Bluetooth with voice recognition, auxiliary and USB inputs, and the capability for video (or video-game) playback via an RCA cable. Furthermore, the car comes standard with Pandora internet-radio capability via iPhone. Not enough for you? How about a built-in video game that scores you on your eco-driving prowess? The CRX never had that, did it?