Cat Fight
I was reading your May issue, and when I saw the Mercury Cougar concept car my jaw dropped. It shows me Ford/Mercury could make an import butt-kicker without a horsepower-crazy V-8.
Benny Salabao
Richmond, Calif.
Dear God, what has Ford done?! They are actually trying to make a car that can take on imports under the Mercury nameplate? Well if this Cougar goes into production, not only will I visit the local Mercury dealership, but I'll end up owning one hot off the showroom floor. I won't need any mods. Imagine a Mercury that can avoid those pesky, oversized station wagon SUVs and keep a Integra Type R in the rearview mirror. Only one thing to say: Mercury, build it now!
Hassan Mowatt
Stafford, Va.
The Kaiser's Sonata?
Okay, so explain this to me. After reading your May '99 article on the Hyundai Sonata GLS, I, too, was struck by that car's dismal stopping distance. A Sept. '54 MT road test of a '54 Kaiser Manhattan got a stopping distance from 60 mph to zero in 146 feet on a car weighing 3670 pounds (55 percent of it on the front wheels), sitting on 15 x 6.7-inch bias ply weenie tires and equipped with unassisted drum brakes. The Hyundai weighs in at 3100 pounds, (62 percent on the front) sits on fat P205/60HR15 tires, has ABS and power discs all around, and ends up in the next county after traveling 168 feet trying to stop from 60 mph. What are the dynamics that make a lighter, much more modern car less capable of stopping than a 45-year-old car using pre-World War II braking and tire technology?
Randall Knox
Culver City, Calif.
We applaud your questioning the situation, but Hyundai's engineers have a lot more on the ball than you're crediting. On a slalom course, the Sonata will feel like an Indy car compared to the Kaiser's Bismarck-like handling.
-Ed.
SUV Survey Says...
Come on, guys, a Top 10 SUV feature should include the Top 10 SUVs, not the motley assortment you presented in the May issue. I can't figure out how you selected these 10. It couldn't be sales volume, and certainly not quality. To wit: The Ford Explorer, Lexus RX 300, and Honda CR-V are not complete SUVs. They cannot compare in overall versatility and off-road credibility to such vehicles as the Toyota 4Runner and Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Explorer's ground clearance is fractionally higher than that of a Taurus, giving credence to the "glorified station wagon" moniker. And the Suburban and Navigator are only slightly more worthy than the aforementioned suspects. The real Top 10? Why, thank you for asking. Here they are: Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover Range Rover, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Land Cruiser/Lexus LX 470, Dodge Durango, Ford Explorer/Lincoln Navigator, Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon, Isuzu VehiCross, Isuzu Rodeo/Honda Passport, and last, Nissan Pathfinder/Infiniti QX4. Now there's a list of real, rugged, and comfortable SUVs that can do off-road dirtywork when called upon. Next time, you might want to compare notes with your buddies at Truck Trend.
Joe Duarte
Phoenix, Ariz.
If you actually read the article, you'd be clear on our criteria for selecting each SUV. As for some SUVs not being truck-based, you're correct. But guess what? The Explorer is a full-frame vehicle based on the Ranger pickup.
-Ed.
That's "Mister" Spyder
I just read your article about Toyota's upcoming sports car, the MR-Spyder. How does Toyota justify designing this car? Look at the facts: Honda first released its Accord Coupe a couple years ago, and later Toyota released its Camry Solara. Now, Toyota is planning the release of its new sports car, the MR-Spyder? Did it just catch an early glimpse of the Honda S-2000? Face it, Toyota, you need some better engineers.
Kevin Chrencik
Columbus, Ohio
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