
2017 Infiniti QX60 & 2016 Ford Focus RS
Season 36 Episode 19 | 26m 51sVideo has Closed Captions
2017 Infiniti QX60 & 2016 Ford Focus RS
In this episode, we tackle the extras that come with a big Infiniti ride Pat Goss tries out a new version of a hot tool Brian Robinson finds a bike that focuses on what truly matters on 2-wheels And we’ll unleash the ponies in a little ford that’s big on fun.
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National corporate funding for MotorWeek is provided by Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper (Auto Value & Bumper to Bumper are two brands owned by the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, Inc.), Tire Rack, and Hagerty Insurance, LLC.

2017 Infiniti QX60 & 2016 Ford Focus RS
Season 36 Episode 19 | 26m 51sVideo has Closed Captions
In this episode, we tackle the extras that come with a big Infiniti ride Pat Goss tries out a new version of a hot tool Brian Robinson finds a bike that focuses on what truly matters on 2-wheels And we’ll unleash the ponies in a little ford that’s big on fun.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipHI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK .
JOINS US AS WE TACKLE THE EXTRAS THAT COMES WITH A BIG INFINITI RIDE... PAT GOSS TRIES OUT A NEW VERSION OF A HOT TOOL... BRIAN ROBINSON FIND A BIKE THAT FOCUSES ON WHAT TRULY MATTERS ON TWO-WHEELS... AND WE'LL UNLEASH THE PONIES IN A LITTLE FORD THAT'S BIG ON FUN...
SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.
* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.
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John: WHAT WAS THE INFINITI JX IS NOW THE QX60.
AND SINCE, A LOT MORE THAN A NAME CHANGE HAS TAKEN PLACE SINCE WE LAST DROVE, WHAT HAS LONG BEEN ONE OF OUR FAVORITE LUXURY 3-ROW CROSSOVERS, WE DECIDED TO CHECK BACK IN TO SEE IF ALL OF THOSE CHANGES MAKE US LIKE THE QX60 MORE, OR LESS.
* NO MATTER WHAT NAME IT GOES BY; SINCE IT ARRIVED IN 2013 THE QX60 AND ITS PREDECESSORS HAVE BEEN ONE OF INFINITI'S BEST-SELLING MODELS.
BUT CONTINUED SUCCESS IS IN NO WAY A GIVEN, AND INFINITI IS TAKING STEPS TO KEEP THE QX60 TRENDING.
2016 SAW A RETUNED CHASSIS THAT INCLUDED NEW SHOCKS AND SPRINGS, IN AN ATTEMPT TO TAKE SOME OF THE FLOAT OUT OF THE RIDE, AND MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE RESPONSIVE IN CORNERS.
STEERING WAS ALSO UPDATED WITH MORE FEEDBACK AND QUICKER RESPONSE.
THE RESULTS ARE NOTICEABLE AND QUITE NICE.
IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A COMPLETELY NEW VEHICLE, JUST A BETTER VERSION OF A VEHICLE THAT WE LIKED VERY MUCH TO BEGIN WITH.
STILL, AT THE TRACK WE FOUND PLENTY OF BODY ROLL; AS WELL AS A STABILITY SYSTEM THAT WAS VERY EAGER TO CHIME IN AT THE FIRST HINT OF LOSS OF GRIP.
IT STILL FEELS BIG AND WIDE COMPARED TO MANY LUXURY CROSSOVERS, VERY SIMILAR TO THE HONDA PILOT.
AND INDEED IT LOOKS MORE IMPOSING NOW AS WELL, WITH A REDESIGNED DOUBLE-ARCH GRILLE AND NEW LIGHTING UP FRONT.
INTERIOR REVISIONS FOR '16, WERE RELATIVELY MINOR, WITH JUST SOME UPGRADED CONNECTIVITY AND ADDED SAFETY FEATURES INCLUDING FORWARD EMERGENCY BRAKING.
ALL OF THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY EVEN BIGGER UPDATES FOR '17; A MORE POWERFUL ENGINE ALONG WITH A NEW 8.0 INCH INTOUCH INFORMATION DISPLAY SCREEN IN THE GAUGES, AND BIGGER SCREENS FOR REAR ENTERTAINMENT.
ALONG WITH MANY OTHER PARTS, DIRECT INJECTION IS ADDED TO THE 3.5 LITER V6, WITH A 30 HORSEPOWER GAIN TO 295.
TORQUE IS UP 22 POUND-FEET TO 270.
SO OF COURSE, WE HIT THE TRACK TO SEE IF THE ADDED PERFORMANCE RESULTS IN A FASTER QX, AND INDEED IT DOES.
OUR '17 GOT TO 60 OVER HALF A SECOND QUICKER THAN THE '16 AT 7.4 SECONDS.
POWER COMES ON STRONG AS RPM'S BUILD, AND OUR QUARTER MILE TIME WAS ALSO HALF A SECOND FASTER AT 15.7 SECONDS AT 92 MILES PER HOUR.
THE CVT DOES AN ADMIRABLE JOB OF ACTING LIKE A REAL AUTOMATIC, BY STEPPING THROUGH SIMULATED GEARS, ELIMINATING THE USUAL CONSTANT DRONE OF TYPICAL CVT'S.
THINGS INSIDE REMAIN INCREDIBLY COMFORTABLE, ROOMY, YES LUXURIOUS, YET PRACTICAL AS WELL.
THE LAYOUT MAY BE GETTING A LITTLE LONG IN THE TOOTH, BUT THERE'S NO ARGUMENT, IT REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST FUNCTIONAL SETUPS OUT THERE.
FRONT SEATS ARE SIMPLY TERRIFIC, AND WE LIKE THE FACT THAT NO MATTER HOW HIGH YOU OPTION UP THE QX60, YOU CAN STILL GET A 2ND ROW BENCH AND AREN'T FORCED TO UPGRADE TO CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS.
AND THAT SLIDING 2ND ROW STILL ALLOWS FOR GREAT ACCESS TO THE 3RD ROW, THOUGH SPACE ONCE SEATED, IS NOT AS PLENTIFUL AS SOME RIVALS.
CARGO ROOM IS QUITE GOOD THOUGH, WITH 15.8 CUBIC-FEET OF SPACE BEHIND THE 3RD ROW, 40.8 BEHIND THE 2ND ROW, AND 76.5 WITH ALL SEATS FOLDED.
EVEN WITH THE INCREASE IN POWER, ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS STAY THE SAME AT 19-CITY, 26-HIGHWAY, AND 22-COMBINED.
YET, WE SAW OUR AVERAGE CLIMB FROM 24.3 MILES PER GALLON OF PREMIUM IN '16, TO 25.1 IN '17.
THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS AN AVERAGE ONE AT 15.0 BARRELS OF OIL USED YEARLY WITH 6.8 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.
QX60 PRICING IS EQUALLY A BARGAIN AND RELATIVELY SIMPLE: $45,895 IF YOU WANT ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE, $44,095 IF YOU DON'T; THEN ADD OPTION PACKAGES FROM THERE.
THOUGH, IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW; THANKS TO SEEMINGLY CONSTANT UPDATES THE 2017 INFINITI QX60 REMAINS A FAVORITE OF OURS, DESPITE A HUGE INFLUX OF LUXURY 3-ROW CROSSOVERS SINCE IT FIRST ARRIVED.
PROOF THAT REFINING A WINNING FORMULA IS ALWAYS EASIER THAN STARTING FROM SCRATCH.
OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK TAKES US TO PORTLAND, MAINE, WHERE THEY'VE BEEN RUNNING ON CLEAN COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS FOR OVER A DECADE!
THE GREATER PORTLAND TRANSIT DISTRICT BUILT THE STATE'S FIRST CNG STATION BACK IN 2005, AND THEY HAVEN'T LOOKED BACK.
OVER 40% OF THEIR FLEET NOW RUNS ON CNG; DISPLACING ABOUT A 150,000 GALLONS OF DIESEL PER YEAR.
AS THE AREA'S ONLY FUELING STATION, OTHER FLEETS ALSO COME TO FILL UP, INCLUDING PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BUSES.
Glenn Fenton: WE'RE A TRANSIT AGENCY, SO WE'RE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF GOING OUT, AND ADVOCATING, AND TRYING TO DRAW MORE PARTNERS IN, AND THAT'S WHAT REALLY THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO.
AND FOR THIS TYPE OF PROJECT TO WORK, YOU NEED TO GET A CRITICAL MASS OF USERS TOGETHER, AND SUPPORT THE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND HOPEFULLY GROW CNG.
John: WITH HELP FROM MAINE CLEAN COMMUNITIES, THE AGENCY WILL REPLACE MORE OLDER BUSES IN 2018, AND PLANS TO HAVE HALF OF THEIR FLEET RUNNING ON CNG IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE!
* OVER THE YEARS KAWASAKI HAS PROVIDED A LOT OF INTERESTING RIDES.
BUT, FEW ARE MORE NOTABLE THAN THE Z1, WHICH IN THE '70s WAS THE MOST POWERFUL JAPANESE 4-CYLINDER BIKE YET.
WELL, HOPING TO CAPITALIZE ON THAT HERITAGE, KAWASAKI GAVE US THE Z1000 IN 2010, AND IS NOW, FOLLOWING UP WITH THE Z800.
YES, IT'S SMALLER, BUT AS OUR TWO-WHEELIN' GURU BRIAN ROBINSON OBSERVES, IT MIGHT BE THE RIGHT SIZE FOR AN EVEN BIGGER IMPACT.
Brian Robinson: IN THE HIGHLY SEGMENTED MOTORCYCLE WORLD THESE DAYS WE GOT CRUISERS, ADVENTURE BIKES, SPORT BIKES, TOURING BIKES, EVEN SPORT TOURING BIKES.
WELL, IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THERE ARE STILL SOME BIKES THAT DON'T NEED A LABEL, THEY'RE JUST PLAIN FUN.
WHILE, MANY PEOPLE RIDE FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS; LET'S FACE IT, WE ALL GOT INTO IT BECAUSE IT WAS JUST PLAIN FUN, AND MAYBE BECAUSE IT OFFERED A KIND OF FREEDOM THAT WAS HARD TO FIND ANYWHERE ELSE.
THROW A LEG OVER THIS 2016 KAWASAKI Z800, AND IT'S HARD NOT TO FLASH BACK TO WHEN YOU FIRST STARTING RIDING.
BEFORE YOU NEEDED TOUR PACKS, HEATED SEATS, A RADIO, 10 POUNDS OF CHROME, OR NEON LIGHTS ON YOUR BIKE.
IT MAY BE HARD TO DESCRIBE THE OVERALL DESIGN THEME OF THIS BABY-Z, WITH ITS MISHMASH OF SURFACES, COLORS, AND LINES; THERE'S EVEN A MIX OF DULL AND SPARKLY BLACKS, AS WELL AS PLENTY OF Z REFERENCES.
BUT REALLY, SIMPLICITY SAYS IT ALL, IN A GOOD WAY.
THERE IS NO WINDSCREEN, SO YOU'RE FULLY IN THE ELEMENTS.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON WITH THE GAUGES, AND THEY CAN BE HARD TO READ AT TIMES, JUST KEEP AN EYE ON THE RAPIDLY ESCALATING NUMBERS IN THE UPPER RIGHT.
THE SEAT DOESN'T APPEAR DESIGNED FOR LONG DISTANCE COMFORT OR ANY COMFORT AT ALL REALLY, BUT IT SURPRISES YOU WITH JUST ENOUGH COZINESS FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS' WORTH OF TWISTIES.
PUTTING THE FUN IN THIS FUN MACHINE, IS AN 806CC WATER-COOLED INLINE-4.
IT HAS MORE THAN ENOUGH PERFORMANCE FOR POTENTIALLY RUNNING AFOUL WITH JOHNNY LAW, BUT NOT SO MUCH THAT YOU'D BE NERVOUS ABOUT LETTING YOUR CRUISER-RIDING BROTHER-IN-LAW TAKE IT OUT FOR A SPIN.
IN OTHER WORDS, JUST ABOUT PERFECT.
LOW RPM LUGGING THROUGH TRAFFIC WILL RESULT IN SOME VIBRATIONS COMING THROUGH THE SEAT, BUT OPEN IT UP AND THINGS SMOOTH OUT NICELY.
CLUTCH IS VERY LIGHT, AND THE TRANSMISSION FINDS THE NEXT GEAR AS SOON AS YOU START PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE SHIFTER.
WEIGHT IS A TOUCH OVER 500 POUNDS, DUE TO THE STEEL FRAME, SO IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY FEEL LIKE A LIGHTWEIGHT.
STILL, IT'S PLENTY NIMBLE, AND THE 41MM INVERTED FORK ALONG WITH THE UNI-TRAK REAR SHOCK ARE ADJUSTABLE FOR REBOUND.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT NEEDS ADDRESSING, IT'S THE BRAKES.
THEY GET THE JOB DONE, BUT THE FRONTS FEEL A LITTLE WOODEN, AND YOU REALLY HAVE TO SQUEEZE THE LEVER.
BUT, FOR THE BEST NEWS OF ALL, THE Z800 KEEPS THE FUN WELL IN THE 4-FIGURES, STARTING AT JUST $8,399, AND THAT'S WITH STANDARD ABS.
SO IF YOU'RE IN THE MARKET FOR A BIKE THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY DO IT ALL, BUT PUTS THE PRIORITY ON KEEPING IT SIMPLE FUN, THEN, THE 2016 KAWASAKI Z800 MAY BE THE BIKE YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.
John: HAVING THE RIGHT TOOL MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE WHEN WORKING ON YOUR CAR OR TRUCK.
AND THIS WEEK, PAT HAS FOUND ONE THAT MAKES A RED HOT JOB A LITTLE EASIER DOWN IN GOSS' GARAGE... Pat Goss: IF YOU'RE INTO DO-IT-YOURSELF AT ALL AND YOU HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT DOING RESTORATION WORK, WELL AT SOME POINT YOU WILL NEED A WELDER.
NOW, WELDING LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND AUTOMOBILES HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.
HERE, WE HAVE A BASIC WIRE FEED WELDER.
AND WHEN, WE SAY WIRE FEED, WHAT WE MEAN IS THAT THERE'S A SPOOL OF SPECIAL WELDING WIRE INSIDE OF THAT, THAT IS PROPELLED OUT THROUGH THE END OF THE TIP AND YOU ACTUALLY WELD WITH THE WIRE INSTEAD OF THE WELDING ROD.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S PRETTY BASIC AND YOU'RE PRETTY LIMITED AS TO WHAT YOU CAN DO.
THE NEXT STEP UP FROM THIS IS A MIG WELDER, AND THAT ADDS GAS THAT COMES THROUGH THAT TIP AS WELL AND THAT ENHANCES THE ABILITY OF THE WELDER TO ACTUALLY WELD METALS, BUT YOU'RE STILL LIMITED AS TO WHAT YOU CAN DO.
SUPPOSE, YOU WANT TO WELD ALUMINUM, WELL, THAT MEANS YOU NEED A SECOND PIECE OF EQUIPMENT YOU NEED A TIG WELDER, OR MAYBE YOU WANT TO DO SOME BRAZING ON MILD STEEL.
WELL THEN, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A GAS WELDER OR A WELDER THAT IS SPECIFIC FOR BRAZING.
SO YOU MIGHT NEED THREE MAYBE EVEN FOUR DIFFERENT UNITS TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU COULD WITH THIS NEWER STYLE WELDER.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS RELATIVELY NEW.
NOW, WITH THIS ONE YOU CAN DO MILD STEEL SUCH AS WE'VE DONE HERE WITH THIS SAMPLE, YOU CAN ALSO WELD ALUMINUM AND YOU CAN BRAZE WITH IT.
SO IT'S THREE UNITS IN ONE.
OKAY, WELL THAT MAKES THINGS REALLY EASY, BUT EVEN EASIER YET, MAYBE YOU'RE NOT A GREAT WELDER.
YOU HAVE TO USE CHARTS, OR GO ON THE INTERNET AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE WIRE SPEED SHOULD BE FOR WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, OR WHAT TYPE OF GAS TO USE, OR ANY OF THESE THINGS.
WELL, WITH THIS ONE, BY PROGRAMMING IN CERTAIN BASIC INFORMATION, IT'LL MAKE THOSE CALCULATIONS FOR YOU AND IT'LL MAKE YOU A MUCH BETTER WELDER.
AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .
John: THERE'S ALWAYS A NEW DRIVER'S SEAT TO SLIP INTO.
SO, LET'S GO FOR A QUICKSPIN.
THE 2017 HONDA CR-V IS PROOF THAT EVEN BEST SELLERS MUST EVOLVE.
THE 5TH GENERATION OF THIS COMPACT CROSSOVER IS LONGER, WIDER, AND TALLER, EVEN IF IT LOOKS HIGHLY FAMILIAR.
DESIGNERS CLEARLY ENVISIONED THE WIND SWEEPING OVER THE FRONT FASCIA, AGGRESSIVE HEADLIGHTS, AND WING-SHAPED DRLS, AND TURN SIGNALS.
PLUS, A FUEL SAVING ACTIVE SHUTTER GRILLE SYSTEM MAKES ITS HONDA DEBUT.
AT THE REAR, THE WINGED SHAPE LIGHTING NOW STRETCHES UNDER THE HATCH GLASS.
ANOTHER FIRST FOR A HONDA IS A HANDS FREE ACCESS POWER TAILGATE.
IT'S AVAILABLE ON CR-V AND FAST BECOMING A UTILITY MUST HAVE.
HONDA SENSING ADVANCED SAFETY FEATURES ARE AVAILABLE ON ALL BUT BASE LX TRIM.
INSIDE WE QUICKLY NOTICED A SLIMMER A-PILLAR, AND LOTS OF OTHER SMALL, BUT MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS.
Greg Carloss: NOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF MAJOR CHANGES IN THE NEW CR-V.
BUT I'LL GO OVER A FEW THAT ARE CATCHING MY EYE RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT STARTS WITH THE INTERIOR.
MUCH MORE HANDSOME.
THE MATERIALS ARE MORE UPSCALE.
IT JUST HAS A MORE LUXURIOUS FEEL, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GET UP INTO THE UPPER TRIMS.
THERE'S ALSO, THE ADDITION OF THE VOLUME KNOB WHICH A TON OF PEOPLE INCLUDING MYSELF HAVE BEEN WAITING TO SEE.
NOW, IF THEY'D GO ONE STEP FURTHER AND ADD THE TUNE KNOB I'D BE COMPLETELY HAPPY.
John: FOR THE FIRST TIME TOO, THIS COMPACT-UTE GETS A TURBOCHARGED 4-CYLINDER 190 HORSEPOWER ENGINE ON ALL, BUT THE BASE MODEL.
THE CR-V WASN'T THE FIRST COMPACT CROSSOVER, BUT QUICKLY GAINED LOTS OF LOYAL FANS, TOPPING OUR LAST TWO COMPACT CROSSOVER CHALLENGES.
THE 2017 HONDA CR-V IS ON SALE NOW, STARTING AT AROUND $24,000.
AND MORE QUICKSPIN'S FIRST DRIVING IMPRESSIONS ARE COMING YOUR WAY SOON.
TIME NOW TO TURN, TO YOLANDA VAZQUEZ WITH ALL OF THE LATEST MOTORNEWS.
Yolanda Vazquez: ALL THINGS CONNECTIVITY-WISE WERE ON DISPLAY AT THE 2017 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW IN LAS VEGAS.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY MADE ITS HIGH-VOLTAGE PRESENCE KNOWN.
STARTING WITH THE UNVEILING OF THE CHRYSLER PORTAL CONCEPT.
FCA SAYS THE ALL-ELECTRIC, SEMI-AUTONOMOUS MINIVAN WILL HAVE A DRIVING RANGE OF OVER 250 MILES ON A FULL CHARGE.
CLEARLY DESIGNED BY MILLENNIAL'S FOR MILLENNIAL'S, IT PROVIDES 10 DOCKING STATIONS AND A CAMERA TO TAKE SELFIES WHILE DRIVING.
FARADAY FUTURE SHOWED ITS FIRST PRODUCTION VEHICLE: FF 91 (NINETY ONE).
THEY CLAIM ITS ELECTRIC DRIVE PACKS 1050 HORSEPOWER WITH A RANGE OF 378 MILES.
THE FF 91 WILL ALSO PARK ITSELF AFTER THE DRIVER GETS OUT.
BMW IS GOING HANDS-FREE WITH THE HELP OF INTEL AND MOBILEYE.
THAT TEAM WILL TEST ABOUT 40 AUTONOMOUS BMW'S IN THE U.S. AND EUROPE STARTING LATER THIS YEAR.
BMW HOPES TO HAVE THEIR FIRST FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE FOR SALE IN 2021.
THERE'S NEW COMPETITION TO HELP YOU CONNECT YOUR PHONE TO YOUR CAR.
FORD, TOYOTA, AND SEVERAL OTHER COMPANIES HAVE FORMED THE SMARTDEVICELINK CONSORTIUM.
ORGANIZERS HOPE IT WILL LEAD TO AN INDUSTRY-WIDE STANDARD FOR IN-VEHICLE APP'S.
SO, AS THE CEOS ILLUSTRATES, THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IS CERTAINLY STEPPING UP ITS PACE FOR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES.
AND THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.
John: IN AMERICA'S MANUFACTURING LANDSCAPE ITS HARD TO THINK OF A PRODUCT MORE AMERICAN THAN THE AIRSTREAM CAMPING TRAILER.
WHETHER, YOU'RE AND RV-ER OR NOT YOU'LL ENJOY READING PATRICK FOSTER'S BOOK, "AIRSTREAM AMERICA'S WORLD TRAVELER," ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS ICONIC BRAND.
FOSTER IS CLEARLY AN AIRSTREAM FAN.
AND WHILE, THAT MAY COME THROUGH A LITTLE TOO MUCH OVER THESE PAGES WHEN READING THEM, YOU'LL CERTAINLY GET THE FULL HISTORY OF HOW AIRSTREAM CAME TO BE.
HOW IT SURVIVED MULTIPLE ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS, AND HOW IT CONTINUES TO THRIVE TODAY AS THE OLDEST MANUFACTURER OF TRAVEL TRAILERS IN THE U.S... LET'S FACE IT, WHO HASN'T SEEN ONE OF THESE SILVER TRAILERS BEING TOWED DOWN THE ROAD BY A VEHICLE FULL OF SMILING PEOPLE HEADING OFF FOR UNTOLD ADVENTURES AND THOUGHT MAYBE ONE DAY THAT COULD BE YOU.
WELL, EVEN IF YOU NEVER MAKE THAT HAPPEN THERE'S PLENTY TO ENJOY IN THIS PICTURE PACK MUST READ.
Greg: NEW TECHNOLOGY CONSTANTLY CHANGES THE WAY WE INTERACT WITH OUR CARS.
SPECIFICALLY, WITH OUR CELL PHONES AND OUR COMPUTERS.
NOW, MOST OF THIS TECH AIMS FOR CONVENIENCE, BUT THE CAR LOCK CONNECT THE DRIVE APP AIMS FOR SECURITY AND SAFETY.
KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR CAR IS AS SIMPLE AS PLUGGING IN THE DEVICE INTO YOUR VEHICLES OBD CONNECTOR AND DOWNLOADING THE FREE CARLOCK APP ON YOUR SMARTPHONE.
ONCE SETUP, USERS CAN CUSTOMIZE THEIR CARLOCK CLOUD TO THEIR SCHEDULE AND WILL AUTOMACTICALLY RECEIVE ALERTS FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD; WHEN THE CAR'S ENGINE IS STARTED OR EVEN IF A STRANGE VIBRATION IS DETECTED.
WITH INCREDIBLE ACCURACY, YOU CAN FIND YOUR CAR'S LOCATION ON YOUR PHONE OR COMPUTER AND IN THE EVENT THE VEHICLE IS STOLEN, THE APP WILL TRACK THE THIEF EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, MAKING RECOVERY A MUCH SIMPLER TASK.
CARLOCK ALSO PROMOTES SAFETY AND PIECE OF MIND BY GIVING UPDATES ON BATTERY CHARGE AND IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE APP WILL NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY CONTACTS VIA SMS NOTIFICATIONS.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS TO GET HEADACHES THESE DAYS KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR RIDE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ONE OF THEM WITH CARLOCK CONNECTED DRIVE.
John: IF WE TOLD YOU THAT A FORD FOCUS WAS ONE OF A FEW LEGENDARY VEHICLES THAT WE'VE PINED FOR OVER THE YEARS, YOU'D PROBABLY THINK WE'RE CRAZY.
UNLESS OF COURSE, YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE FOCUS RS.
THE "RS" IS FORD EUROPE'S RALLY SPORT RACING DIVISION THAT CAMPAIGNS IN RALLYCROSS AND ROAD RALLIES ALL OVER THE WORLD.
SO, THIS FOCUS RS IS SORT OF LIKE WHAT A SHELBY MUSTANG WAS IN THE '60s.
GET THE PICTURE?
WELL, WE'RE ABOUT TO MAKE THAT CRYSTAL CLEAR.
* THE 2016 FORD FOCUS RS IS THE FIRST GLOBAL RS PERFORMANCE VEHICLE, WHICH MEANS IT'S ALSO THE FIRST ONE WE'VE GOTTEN HERE IN THE STATES.
AND TO SOME, THE FACT THAT IT IS THE MOST POWERFUL FOCUS EVER, MAY BE AKIN TO SAYING, "IT'S THE BEST TASTING LIMA BEANS THEY'VE EVER EATEN."
BUT, NOT SO FAST.
THERE'S PLENTY TO GET EXCITED ABOUT HERE.
ALL-WHEEL DRIVE IS A BIG PART OF THE PICTURE, SO IT OBVIOUSLY, APPEALS TO BOTH RALLY RACER WANNABE'S AS WELL AS THE "FAST AND FURIOUS" SET, AND THERE'S EVEN A DRIFT MODE FOR THE HOOLIGANS.
IT'S NOT THE TYPICAL HALDEX SYSTEM, BUT A UNIQUE DESIGN, WITH CLUTCH PACKS ON EACH REAR HALF-SHAFT; DESIGNED WITH HANDLING AND GRIP IN MIND, FOR PUTTING THE POWER DOWN WITHOUT UNDERSTEERING LIKE MAD.
IT CAN SEND AS MUCH AS 100% OF REAR AXLE POWER TO A SINGLE WHEEL.
THE FRONT REMAINS OPEN, USING SELECTIVE BRAKING TO HELP PIVOT THE CAR AROUND CORNERS.
AND THE FOCUS RS STILL OPERATES AS A FRONT DRIVER MOST OF THE TIME.
[ENGINE STARTS UP] THERE'S DECENT POWER TO BE HAD HERE AS WELL.
IT'S FROM THE MUSTANG'S 2.3 LITER I4-TURBO, ONLY WITH A HOST OF UPGRADES; THE CHIEF ONES BEING A BIGGER TURBO AND INTERCOOLER.
IT CRANKS OUT 40 MORE HORSEPOWER THAN THE MUSTANG AT 350, AS WELL AS 30 ADDITIONAL POUND-FEET OF TORQUE AT 350.
BOTH THE CLUTCH AND 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION GET BEEFED UP INTERNALS AS WELL.
SO AT THE TRACK, THANKS TO THE RS' ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, THERE'S NO DANGER OF THE TYPICAL FOCUS ONE-WHEEL-PEEL HERE, AS THE RS GRIPS AND GETS OFF THE LINE IN A HURRY.
LAUNCHING IS COMPLICATED SOMEWHAT BY A HAIR-TRIGGER CLUTCH THAT ENGAGES WITH YOUR FOOT BARELY OFF THE FLOOR, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO HIT 60 IN 5.0 SECONDS FLAT.
THE ENGINE REVS QUICKLY, AND THERE'S A DEEP EXHAUST BARK, AS THE RS STREAKS DOWN THE QUARTER MILE IN 13.6 SECONDS, FINISHING AT 104 MILES PER HOUR.
OFTEN, WHEN WE'VE WAITED A LONG TIME FOR A CAR, IT'S EASY TO BE DISAPPOINTED.
NOT THE CASE HERE AT SUMMIT POINT MOTOR SPORTS PARK'S SHENANDOAH CIRCUIT; IT IS WHAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS.
JUST ENGAGE SPORT OR TRACK MODE, WHICH STIFFENS THE SHOCKS, ADJUSTS ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, STEERING, AND STABILITY CONTROL CONFIGURATIONS, AS WELL AS EXHAUST NOTE, AND THROTTLE RESPONSE, AND LET THE FUN BEGIN.
IT'S A REAL HOOT ON THE TRACK, BUT ALSO, NEVER FEELS OUT OF CONTROL, SO ITS LIMITS ARE EASILY ATTAINABLE FOR EVEN NOVICE HOT SHOES.
CONVERSE LOGIC IS IN PLAY HERE.
WHEN YOU START TO FEEL UNDERSTEER, DON'T BACK OFF; RATHER, FEED IN THROTTLE AND THE CAR SENDS MORE POWER TO THE REAR, AND THROUGH THE CORNER YOU GO.
VASTLY DIFFERENT IN FEEL AND PERFORMANCE THAN THE FOCUS ST. LIKE OTHER RS TRACK TEST, WE EXPERIENCED SOME REAR DIFF.
OVERHEATING WHICH RESULTS IN A TEMPORARY AWD SHUTDOWN, WITH THE ACCOMPANYING WARNINGS IN THE GAUGES.
BUT ALL RETURNS BACK TO NORMAL AFTER A RESTART.
AND JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE, DRIFT MODE WON'T TURN YOU INTO VAUGHN GITTIN JR.; YOU STILL HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
IT JUST DIVERTS EVEN MORE POWER THAN USUAL TO THE REAR TO HELP YOU OUT.
WITH VIRTUALLY ALL CARS THESE DAYS TAKING ON AN AGGRESSIVE NATURE, THE FOCUS RS DOESN'T LOOK OVER THE TOP AT ALL, EVEN WITH THE NECESSARY HUGE REAR WING UP TOP.
BOTH THE FRONT AND REARS ARE RE-SHAPED TO OPTIMIZE AERODYNAMICS, AND EVEN THE UNDERBODY HAS BEEN TWEAKED TO ELIMINATE HIGH SPEED LIFT.
INSIDE, THERE ARE RECARO SEATS, SPECIAL TRIM, AND A SHORTENED SHIFTER, BUT ALL-IN-ALL IT'S THE LEAST THRILLING ASPECT OF THE CAR.
GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 19-CITY, 25-HIGHWAY, AND 22-COMBINED.
WE AVERAGED 22.6 MILES PER GALLON OF PREMIUM.
THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS 15.0 BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE WITH 6.8 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.
PRICING, AT $36,775, OR LESS THAN THE AVERAGE MINIVAN TRANSACTS FOR, IS A RELATIVE PERFORMANCE CAR BARGAIN.
AS MICK JAGGER SAYS, "YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT, BUT YOU JUST MIGHT FIND, YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED."
WELL, IF YOU HAVE A NEED FOR WORLD CLASS SPEED, BUT A DOWN-TO-EARTH BUDGET; THE 2016 FORD FOCUS RS OFFERS A NEAR-PERFECT MIX OF PERFORMANCE INSANITY AND DAILY DRIVER NECESSITY.
THAT MAKES IT REALLY SPECIAL, AND WORTH THE WAIT.
WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.
NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES GO TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.
AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, WHEN WE'LL SEE WHAT FORD IS DOING TO EXTEND THE EXPLORER'S CONQUEST... AND TEST A NEW MERCEDES WITH AN AUTONOMOUS STREAK... PAT GOSS HAS UP-TO-DATE ADVICE ON BUYING CLASSIC CARS... LAUREN MORRISON TRIES A NEW FUEL... AND MORE QUICKSPIN FIRST DRIVING IMPRESSIONS... UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .
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Hit the road in a classic car for a tour through Great Britain with two antiques experts.












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National corporate funding for MotorWeek is provided by Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper (Auto Value & Bumper to Bumper are two brands owned by the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, Inc.), Tire Rack, and Hagerty Insurance, LLC.


