Carsut – Understand cars and drive better

Category: Car Reviews

Carsut’s Review Team (CRT) do our best to test drive new and used cars and bring it out to our readers. Images and videos are added for better understanding.

BMW Z4
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The BMW Z4 is no doubt one of the most stunning sports cars available on our planet. 90% of car lovers will love this two-seater sports car and 10% of haters usually are gay. A view either from the front, side, or rear, it looks strikingly cool. It is cool to drive this car to a five-star hotel front door and throw the key to valet and let them park the car. It is cool to drive this car to club or disco at night to show off and it is definitely cool to drive this car to college.

On top, the Z4 features sleek retractable hardtop. With just one press on the button, the hardtop will be folded to the back in an elegant way within seconds. When the top is raised, the trunk is big enough for large items. Other than the outlook, there are numerous of inner beauty can be found in this car including high mpg, reliable engine, and comfortable ride. Special features such as paddle shifters, controllers at steering wheel, and a set of nice stereo systems make the car lively and energetic.

Design

The 2012 model is now 148mm longer. The designer put the car seats a little bit further back towards the rear axle in order to create more space for passengers. A view from the side, the silky FR (front-engine Rear-drive) roadster has a long hood but the side mirrors are place nicely in the middle. Other than elegant, stylish, and luxury, what else we could describe the car? Look at the photo took by Carsut photographer, it says a million word, isn’t?

Engine and Performance

There are four power options available for the Z4:

The BMW Z4 sDrive20i is powered by a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine that produces 181 hp and 199 Nm of torque. From 0 to 62mph it takes 6.9 seconds which isn’t disappointed for many roadster lovers. The car hit a top speed of 146 mph and has a curb weight of 1470kg.

The BMW Z4 sDrive28i is powered by an award-winning turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 engine that provides 240 hp and 260 Nm of torque. It is partnered with a standard manual transmission but there is an eight-speed automatic transmission is available as an option. It takes less than 6 seconds from 0 to 60 mph.

The BMW Z4 sDrive35i is a little bit more powerful. It is equipped with a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 engine that produces 300 hp and 300 Nm of torque. Same as the sDrive28i, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission is standard. It takes only 5.2 seconds to reach 60mph from a standstill position. It is more powerful but the mpg is much lower compared to sDrive28i.

The BMW Z4 sDrive35is is for buyers who want to achieve 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds. It uses a revised 3.0-liter inline-6 engine that pumps 335 hp and 332 Nm of torque. A seven-speed automated dual-clutch manual transmission (DCT) is the only available transmission.

Interior

While the camera move to the interior, it gives a feeling that “I want to sit in, start the engine, and step hard on the gas pedal” The cabin is designed nicely with high quality leather and it is roomy. Back in old days, some good looking sports cars are powerful but they are not comfortable to drive for long journey because of the small and tight cabin. But now BMW has proved it with the Z4, go and get a test drive at any BMW dealers and you will know what we mean.

BMW Z4 interior

Safety

The 2012 BMW Z4 convince its customer with many standard safety features including ABS brakes, stability control, traction controls, side airbags as well as knee airbags. Parking sensors that helps the driver to control the park distance and BMW Assist emergency communications are optional.

Fuel Economy (MPG)
- BMW Z4 sDrive20i: combined 41.5mpg
- BMW Z4 sDrive28i: 24/34/27 (Manual) and 24/33/27 (Automatic)
- BMW Z4 sDrive35i: 19/26/21 (Manual) and 17/24/19 (DCT – automated Dual-clutch Manual transmission)
- BMW Z4 sDrive35i: 17/24/19
Why people love Z4?
- Beautiful and eye-catching outlook.
- Fuel efficient.
- Creative interior (Wooden dashboard are optional)
- Comfortable ride with large trunk.
- Thousands of aftermarket parts for the Z4 available across the country in cheap price.
What is not so good?
- Expensive price tag and expensive optional features.
- Not a daily use car for people who does not get use to the sport setting.
Price
- United States: MSRP from $48,650
- United Kingdom: from £32,650.00
BMW Z4’s competitors or similar cars: Mercedes-Benz SLK, Porsche Boxster, Nissan 370Z, Honda S2000, and Audi TT.

In conclusion, for BMW fans or BMW fans-going-to-be who look for a two-seater sports car that looks cool, practical to be used, and fun to drive, this is it! BMW Z4 is the one.
June 6, 2012
Mitsubishi Mirage – Video you don’t want to miss

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This video is about the all-new Mitsubishi Mirage that recently launched in Thailand and soon will be available in several countries in Asia. There is no news saying this car will be available in the United States but a small car with 51.75 mpg (22 km/l) fuel economy is worth to spend two minutes to have a look, isn’t?

In the video, you can clearly see the design from front to back at the first 40 seconds. This is one main thing which decides whether you will like the car or not. At 00:42, that is the interior of the top ranging model, the GLS Ltd version. It comes with dual airbags, KOS (Keyless Operation System), automatic air-conditioning display, a multimedia screen with navigation system. The car looks pretty simple but equipped with everything a city car should has.

At 01:04, that is a clear view of the Mirage’s back seat. Well, some said it is too small while some says it is “acceptable”. Check out the video and you can have your own verdict on this car. You can also see the trunk size at 01:13. Back seats are foldable and it creates more rooms for large items incase there is a need. Many buyers confuse about the prices and versions, see Mitsubishi Mirage details and specifications for more details. At 01:19, you can see the interior of the cheapest version. It comes with manual air-conditioning and without USB port.

Last but not least, enjoy the 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine that achieves 22 km/l. Mitsubishi Mirage, Be More!

May 1, 2012
2012 Volvo S80 Reviews and Pictures
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The 2012 Volvo S80 consists of three major things a mid-size luxury car must have – luxury and comfortable cabin, advanced technology, and delicious performance. This mid-size four-door luxury sedan has many of the qualities from inside out. The following lines that run through the car from its extensive roofline to its smooth rails are simply beauty. Inside, the blend of perforated leather, walnut, and some stainless steel buttons are what makes the S80 looks magnificence yet tasty.

One of the top selling points for the Volvo S80 is the safety innovations that protect the driver and passengers on the road, that’s what makes the Volvo for life. Standard safety features include Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DTSC), Blind Spot Information System (BLIS – A system where the car will inform the driver with a light in the appropriate door mirror if the sensor detects an object enters the driver’s blind spot area), Intelligent Driver Information System (IDIS), Lane Departure Warning (The driver will be alerted with sound if the car crosses a lane marking unintentionally), and City Safety system (Brakes will be applied automatically if the sensors detect impending collisions). Several airbags are available in the 2012 Volvo S80 including front and rear head airbags, dual front side-mounted airbags, and side curtain airbags. That’s a big “WOW” for all these safety features.

Volvo S80 blind spot sensor and light

At the back, the trunk offers 14.9 cubic feet of cargo room. How big is 14.9 cubic feet? It fits an adult comfortably! If there is a need for more room, the rear seats are foldable to give an extra space.

Exterior colors available for the S80 includes the popular Biarritz Blue Metallic, Black Stone, Electric Silver Metallic, Ember Black Metallic, Ice White, Oyster Gray Metallic, and Savile Gray Metallic. As for interior, consumers can choose either Blond, Espresso Brown/Soft Beige, Off-Black, Soft Beige, or Toscana Tan/Off-Black depending on what you prefer.

Power and Performance

Two types of powertrains available for the S80 which are the 3.2-liter inline-6 engine that delivers 240 hp and 236 Nm of torque and the all-wheel drive 3.0-liter inline-6 engine pumping 300 hp and 325 Nm of torque. Both of them are mated with a six-speed automatic transmission.

What is good about the car?

The interior design and a-list of advance technology found in the car are the most scrumptious part of the car. Most car seats are adjusted by a normal electric buttons but the S80 is one of its kinds, it is adjusted by a stainless-steel seat-icon button that fitted in the center console. For many cars, it’s always the driver or front passenger gets the chance to control the stereo but not in the S80. The S80 offers a stereo controller and two headphone jacks for back passengers. Check out all the images above one by one and you will know what we mean.

What could be better?

The car is having a controversial outlook. Some love it while some hate it. According to a study done in China and found one reason that most Chinese prefer other car is because the rear of the S80 look similar to the Chinese’s coffin.

The outlook did not change much since the second generation released in 2006, may be Volvo is planning for a redesign in 2013?

Fuel Economy
- The front-wheel-drive 3.2-liter engine offers fuel economy ratings of 20 mpg (8.50 km/l) city and 29 mpg (12.33 km/l) highway.
- The all-wheel drive Volvo S80 turbo-charged T6 engine offers fuel economy ratings of 18 mpg (7.65 km/l) city/26 mpg (11.05 km/l) highway and 21 mpg (8.93 km/l) combined.
Volvo S80’s competitors and similar cars: Acura TL, Cadillac CTS, Hyundai Genesis, Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Infiniti M, and Lexus ES 350.

Price
- United States: Starting at MSRP $37,950
What Carsut says?

Compared to its competitors listed above, there are many cars offer better handling with more power. Some are with higher price tags while some are cheaper than the S80. In a nutshell, the Volvo S80 is without a doubt a humble ride for those who look for a luxury car with reasonable performance, a great number of safety features, and cutting-edge technology but less eye-catching appearance.
April 25, 2012
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG opens its wing and rev its engine
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All the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing fans have been waiting so long for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG since decades ago after the production of the renowned 300SL Gullwing discontinued in 1963. Fans who born after 1963 did not stand a chance to buy the 300SL Gullwing as a new car but now the second chance has come. Mercedes-AMG has developed a luxury sports car that has the temper of the 300SL Gullwing but with double power, named the SLS AMG.

The SLS AMG is first introduced in 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. This modernized 300SL Gullwing possess a few characteristics of the 300SL Gullwing including the speed, performance, and the distinctive gull-wing doors that use gas struts to open. This time, Mercedes-AMG makes the car available in two types, coupe and roadster.

300SL Gullwing meets the SLS AMG

Design and Exterior

First look: The car has a really long bonnet compared to some other sports car within the same range. The rear of the car is short and passengers are positioned near to the rear wheels.

Second look: The sports aluminium space frame body is really fantastic. SL SL SL! It means Sport Leicht (Sport Lightweight) in German.

Third look: The DIN kerb weight of the car is only 1,620 kg. It did not feature an auto-closing door otherwise the kerb weight would have an extra of 41 kg (90 pounds).

Fourth look: The height of the SLS AMG coupe is only 49.3 inches which is the nature of all kind of sports car. A lower center of gravity makes the car handle well.

Fifth look: Although the trunk of the coupe look small from the outside but it is practical enough with 6.2 cubic feet.

Sixth Look: The SLS AMG features a small piece of rearwing on top of the trunk that will pop up at high speeds. It can be seen clearly at the beginning of the video above. The rearwing allows a better aerodynamic to the car to increase the stability and handling during high speeds.

Engine and Performance

“SUGOI!” That’s what we have shouted when sit into the car. The performance of the SLS AMG is terrific! Listen to the engine sound from the video above and you will know what we mean. The hand-built AMG 6.3-liter front-mid V8 engine is propelling a top power of 571 hp (420 kW) and a maximum 650 Nm of torque. Combined with the AMG SPEEDSHIFT FCT seven-speed dual-clutch system in a transaxle configuration and an aluminium double-wishbone suspension, the SLS AMG gives supreme handling dynamics when negotiating all kind of sharp corners and swerves. The engine is also designed to use dry sump engine lubrication instead of a conventional wet sump system.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Suspension

What about the speed? The SLS AMG accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 317 km/h (197 mph). As for the Roadster, the performance is virtually the same because the car uses ultralight aluminium soft top although it has an extra 40 kg (88 pounds) compared to the coupe.

Safety

Airbags: Front head airbags, dual front side-mounted airbags, and passenger airbag occupant sensing deactivation.

Brake system: The SLS AMG did very well in braking. It is capable to stop from 100 to 0 km/h in shortest time possible in case of emergency. It features AMG’s 15.83-inch carbon-ceramic disc brakes with six-piston aluminium calipers at the front and 14.17-inch carbon-ceramic disc with four-piston calipers at the rear wheels.

Extra Safety: The doors of the SLS AMG coupe can be fully detached to allow passengers to exit from the car in case of a roll-over or any serious accidents.

Interior

Open the gull-wing door and first thing to be noticed is the puristic sports car interior with high emotional appeal. The feeling is like having a thousand volt electric shock when look at it. After the electric shock, anyone will prefer to sit on the AMG sports seats that made of magnesium, light and strong. The wing-shaped dashboard and a center console that looks like a jet’s operating console are truly unique. Four air vents located nicely in front of the drivers evocative the aircraft engines. InChina, people call the SLS AMG “????” which means super exotic sports cars.

Fuel Economy

14 city and 20 highway mpg; 5.95 city and 8.50 highway km/l.

Price
- United States: MSRP from $189,600
- United Kingdom: On the road price from £168,425.00
- China: RMB 3,628,000
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG’s competitors or similar cars: Ferrari 458 Italia, Nissan GT-R, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Audi R8, Ford Mustang BOSS 302, Porsche 911 GT3, Lexus LFA, Lotus Evora S, Porsche Cayman R, BMW 1-Series M.

If we were to rate the sexiest sports car born in 2010/2011, the answer is unquestionably the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG because it consists of three main ingredients that a sports car should have – Sportiness, Luxury, and Elegance.

Mercedes-benz SLS AMG Medical Car

Mercedes-benz SLS AMG E-Cell (Click on the image to enlarge it)

Pictures and Gallery

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April 20, 2012
A review on the Toyota 86
Hachiroku (86 in Japanese) fans have been waiting for the Toyota 86 since decades ago after the production of the legendary Toyota AE86 ceased in 1987. Many of us thought it will be named FT-86 but the ‘FT’ is dropped, simply 86 or Hachiroku (????). This is because Toyota wants to pay a respect to the AE86. This time, the 86 is developed jointly by Toyota and Subaru, that’s why when the car hood is opened, we can see both the Toyota and the Subaru logo printed on the engine.

The Toyota 86 is also known as Toyota GT-86 in Europe, Scion FR-S in US, and Subaru BRZ in several countries. Do not get confused because all of them share the same body style and layout. There are only a few things to distinguish them which are the hexagonal-shape grille in the Subaru BRZ and the inverted trapezoid in the Toyota 86. Other than that, all of them look alike just identical twin brothers.

An original AE86 meets the Toyota 86

Design

The 86 is a two-door coupe sports car with front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout. Toyota and Subaru did not let all the 86 fans down. The car is built with many characteristics and spirits that the AE86 has. The shape of the car, light-weight body, and well-balanced chassis are just a few to be mentioned. It is a great enjoyment to drive the 86 especially for those who like to drive ‘sideways’ rather than straight ways.

A Toyota 86 race car by TRD

Engine and Performance

The Toyota 86 is powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder Boxer 16-valve DOHC engine, named the FA20. Together with a direct & port fuel injection (D-4S) system, the car produces 147kW (200PS) at 7,000 rpm and 205Nm of torque from 6,400 to 6,600 rpm. The automatic transmission version accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds and capable to reach a top speed of 210 km/h. On the other hand, the manual transmission version accelerates slightly faster. It takes only 7.6 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h and achieves a top speed of 226 km/h. The 86 also come with Torsen Limited Slip Differential (LSD) which is almost considered essential for drifting. This is one reason why we say it has many special characteristics. As for suspensions, the car sits on a MacPherson Strut with stabilizer at the front and double Wishbone with stabilizer at the back.

Toyota 86 Engine

A list of active and passive safety features can be found in the 86 including reverse sensors, front and rear ventilated disc brakes, 7 SRS airbags (front, front side, curtain, and driver knee), 3-point ELR seat belts, ISOFIX, and alarm system.

17-inch alloy wheels with 215/45R17 tire

Interior

Inside the car, the first thing the driver will hold is the rack & pinion 3-spoke leather adjustable steering wheel with Electric Power Steering (EPS). In front of the steering wheel, there are only a few important dials showing the speed, rpm, fuel indicator, and engine temperature to the driver. Next to be noticed are the aluminum pedals where all the sports car should have, cruise control, power windows, and a 2-DIN CD-Player at the center console. Down to the CD player, there is a digital clock (just like the original AE86) and several buttons to adjust the air-conditioning as well as a button to start and stop the engine.

To make the car sportier, the designer placed a few buttons beside the leather e-brake (handbrake) where the driver can choose the driving mode he prefers including VSC (Vehicle Stability Control), VSC Sport mode, TRC (Traction Control), and Snow mode.

Although the 86 has 2+2 seats, the +2 rear seats are too small to be seated by adults. The legroom for the rear seats are cramp. It is only enough for kids under five or anyone who is shorter than 150cm. Look at the picture below, there is almost no legroom for rear passengers.

Toyota 86 rear seats

Fuel Economy

22 mpg city and 20 mpg highway; 9.35 km/l city and 8.50 km/l highway.

Why we love the car?
- Light weight. The kerb weight of the car is 1,298 kg.
- Superb handling thanks to the well-balanced chassis.
- It is cool with a low-slung boxer engine.
What could be better?
- Please sell it cheaper!
- Make the rear seat with bigger legroom.
Price
- United States: Scion FR-S (MT) – MSRP from $24,200.
- United Kingdom: Toyota GT-86 (MT) – £24,995; Toyota GT-86 (AT) – £26,495.
- Thailand: Toyota 86 (MT) – THB 2,490,000; Toyota 86 (AT) – THB 2,560,000; Toyota 86 (AT) Top Ranging – THB 2,740,000.
- Malaysia:Toyota 86 (MT) – RM 243,000; Toyota 86 (AT) – RM 249,000.
Toyota 86’s competitors or similar cars: Subaru BRZ, Toyota GT-86, Scion SR-S, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Honda S2000, and Nissan Altima.

The official production date for the Toyota 86 is started on the 16^th March 2012. For those who want to be the first few owners of this future-going-to-be-legendary Toyota 86, you can place your order with Toyota now. Last but not least, let’s look at the pictures that compare the production Toyota 86 with the concept Toyota FT-86.

Toyota 86 and Toyota FT-86 Concept

Toyota 86 Pictures

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April 18, 2012