Autos Plus

Autosfree

plusSundayJuly 1, 2012Section E

The Sentinelw w w . c u m b e r l i n k . c o m

#21488

2012 ChevyCruze LS MSRP $18,590

Buy for $17,349

All prices plus tax, license, and doc fees. All offers with approved credit. $500 Bonus Cash on all new 2011 and 2012 Cruze, Traverse, and Silverado. Not compatible with supported lease programs. Offer valid through Julu 2, 2012. Offers can not be combined. Photo and artwork are for illustration purposes only. Dealer not responsible for misprints or typographical errors. See dealer for complete details.

Chevrolet 2012 MalibuNissan's authentic SUV sports above average reliability .............. E4

Charger Heavy muscleThe SRT8 powers up with 470 horses............................................ E1

SUTLIFFChevrolet.com

717-234-4444toll free 888-sutliff i-83 at 13th street exit, harrisburg

Become OurFan on

Get $500 Bonus Cash on all New 2011 and 2012 Cruze, Traverse and Silverado! Hurry ends July 2, 2012.

Dodge Charger SRT8 personifies American muscleOne of America’s storied mus-

cle cars is enjoying a second run and this year, and it is running with more muscle than ever.

Charger began its brawny saga in 1965, as an option package for the Dart GT. Charger was moth-balled in 1978 and returned in 2006 as a nostalgic re-imagin-ing of its heyday. The inaugu-ral ’65 Charger earned its rep by stampeding out 230 horses, and the 2012 SRT8 version more than doubles that original power out-put.

Beckoning muscle loversWith the SRT8 badge and de-

sign, Charger beckons muscle lovers of yesterday and today. The Chrysler Group’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT) brand uses a successful product devel-opment formula featuring five proven hallmarks: beefy power-trains; track-worthy ride, han-dling and capability; superior braking; evocative and functional exteriors and race-inspired and high-performance interiors.

The standard Charger is force-ful as is, paired with a 292-horse-power 3.6-liter aluminum Pen-tastar V-6 engine, but that is only the beginning. The Charger R/T trim is designed for hard-core enthusiasts who crave even more performance, and they get it with a 370hp HEMI® V-8 en-gine. But the muscle king of the 2012 Charger line-up is the SRT8 and its 470hp 6.4-liter HEMI® V-8 engine.

Looks scream high performance

Though built at Chrysler’s Brampton Assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, Charger is American Muscle per-sonified, through its HEMI® en-gine and its powerful physique. The 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 screams high performance from its performance-sculpted hood that features a black air exhauster for added engine cooling, to its high-gloss black front grille and the Dodge crosshair next to the signature SRT badge, to the 6.4L HEMI® badges on each fender and 20-inch full forged alumi-num wheels with painted pockets

In the rear, the Charger SRT8’s new signature “race track” tail-lamp design with 164 illuminat-ing LEDs sits just below a rear

spoiler. New 4-inch round dual exhaust tips are positioned in-side of the redesigned rear fas-cia while the SRT8 decklid badge boldly shows its Street and Rac-ing Technology DNA.

With a unitized steel body and aluminum hood, the long and muscular Charger SRT8 mea-sures 200.3 inches long, 74.4 inches wide and 58.2 inches high on a 120.2-inch wheelbase while offering 4.3 inches of ground clearance. Charger SRT8 weighs in at a beefy 4,365 pounds with 54 percent of the vehicle’s weight up front.

Powering up with 470 horsesUnder hood is HEMI® power.

The 6.4-Liter V-8 HEMI® en-gine with Fuel Saver Technology is linked to a 5-speed automatic transmission, and the system de-livers 470 horses and 470 lbs-ft of torque. The monster produces in all ranges and all conditions. On the track, my test Charger re-corded a 4.4-second sprint from zero to 60mph, and completed a quarter-mile run in 12.9 seconds. These were exactly the same times I achieved in its sister, the Chrysler 300C, in tests complet-ed earlier this year.

Charger’s stiff independent front suspension and five-link in-dependent rear smooth out most road irregularities and SRT8’s adaptive Bilstein shocks tweak to tighter handling when automati-cally asked. There is a bit of top wobble from the surprisingly tall Charger, but the SRT-tuned rack and pinion steering with hydrau-lic power assist responds unhesi-tatingly.

Cornering is a composed sure-thing that is precise and confi-dent, though you can power slide on the Goodyear Eagle RS-A2 tires (245/45R20 all-season) and drift when desired in autocross settings.

EPA estimated at a thirsty 14 city and 23 highway on the rec-ommended Premium 91 octane fuel, my mixed-use tests showed an average of 15.2mpg.

Cabin combines comfort, tech and racing cues

I n s i d e , C h a rge r co m b i n e s world-class accommodations with race-inspired technology and appointments. With seat-ing for five, you get 38.6 inches of front headroom, 41.8 inch-es of legroom in row one and 59.5 inches of first seat shoulder room, and rear accommodations of 37.9 inches of headroom, 41.0 inches of legroom and 57.7 inch-es of shoulder room. The luggage compartment provides 16.3 cu. ft. of space.

Cabin niceties include an 8.4-inch color touchscreen display, full-color graphic Electronic Ve-hicle Information Center with Performance Pages timers for 0-60 mph, one-eighth mile and

quarter-mile times, 60-0 braking distance, and lateral and longitu-dinal g-forces. Other interior fea-tures include a 19-speaker Har-man Kardon® audio system with innovative GreenEdge® tech-nology and 900 watts of power, a 10-inch subwoofer, leather-trimmed bucket seats with SRT embroidery, heated front and rear seats, 8-way power driver and front passenger seats with 4-way lumbar, SRT8 badging, climate control, and a bevy of tech and upscale accents.

Charger addresses safety with more than 65 advanced safety and security features including standard Keyless Enter-N-Go, electronic stability control, Ready Alert Braking and Rain Brake Support, front-row reactive head restraints, full-length side-cur-tain air bags, driver’s knee air bag and front seat-mounted side-thorax air bags.

The standard Charger SE starts at $25,595 with eight-speed au-

tomatic transmission, deliver re-finement, improved performance and 31 miles per gallon on the highway.

The Charger R/T is estimated at 25 mpg highway and starts at $29,995. And the big-muscled Charger SRT8 has a base price of $47,425. My test ride was bathed in Redline 3-coat Pearl exterior paint for an extra $500; the pow-er sunroof added $995; adap-tive cruise control with Adap-tive Speed Control and Forward Collision Warning added $795; destination charges added $995 and the sticker-as-tested totaled $50,210.

––– Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com

for more on the automotive hobby.Mike Blake, former editor of KIT

CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive jour-nalist in 2004. He’s been a “car guy” since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

Associated Press

Charger’s stiff independent front suspension and five-link independent rear smooth out most road irregularities and SRT8’s adaptive Bilstein shocks tweak to tighter handling when auto-matically asked.

By Mike Blake

E2 — The Sentinel at www.cumberlink.com XXXXX Sunday • July 1, 2012

tent sale continued

Annual

Pre-OwnedNew 2012 Escape XLT

Front Wheel Drive w/Sync

$3,000 OFF $3,500 OFF0% APR $249 0% APR $269

New 2012 Escape XLTFour Wheel Drive w/Sync

and andor lease for or lease for

up to 60 months

2008 Honda Ridgeline RTL

2011 Ford Crown Victoria LX

2011 Ford Fusion SE

2010 Dodge Gr. Caravan SXT 2010 Ford Edge SE 2007 Jeep Liberty Sport 2006 Scion xB 2004 Ford Econoline 150

2010 Ford Mustang GT 2008 Cadillac SRX 2010 Ford Flex SEL2010 Lincoln MKZ

2011 Ford Ranger Sport 2009 Toyota Corolla LE 2009 Mustang Shelby GT5002011 Ford F-150

2008 Saturn Vue XR 2008 Ford F-150 2008 Chevy Malibu LTZ 2008 Nissan Altima 2.5SStk#T122276A1, Was $24,995

Stk#2066A, Was $22,995

Stk#12659A, Was $20,995

Stk#T12758A2, Was $19,995 Stk#12503A, Was $22,995 Stk#T12339A, Was $14,995 Stk#T12311A, Was $13,995 Stk#T12650A, Was $12,995

Stk#12511A, Was $26,995 Stk#T2159A, Was $28,995 Stk#T12401A, Was $32,995Stk#1204A, Was $28,995

Stk#T2102A, Was $25,995 Stk#T2098B2, Was $14,995 Stk#2090A, Was $43,995Stk#T12786A, Was $25,995

Stk#12435A, Was $18,995 Stk#T12785A, Was $30,995 Stk#T12158B, Was $19,995 Stk#T12471A, Was $15,995

up to 60 monthsplus tax plus taxMSRP $26,090, 39 months/10,500 Miles/Year with only $493.55 due at signing,

for well qualified buyers.MSRP $29,035, 39 months/10,500 Miles/Year with only $519.00 due at signing,

for well qualified buyers.

NOW $22,910

NOW $18,880

NOW $19,750

NOW $17,845 NOW $21,990 NOW $12,480 NOW $11,970 NOW $11,970

NOW $23,285 NOW $24,440 NOW $28,870NOW $27,420

NOW $23,840 NOW $13,620 NOW $39,920NOW $23,840

NOW $15,260 NOW $29,840 NOW $17,765 NOW $12,180

8Front-wheel

drives

At this Price

over

75escAPes in

stock!

10Four-wheeldrivesAt this Price

MSR

P

MSR

P

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLDSOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

PennsylvAniA’s Big Ford store!Sale Ends Promptly

Monday at 8pmLAST

CHANCE!

Car prices fall as inventories return to normalAssociAted press

DETROIT — New car prices have dropped $500 on average in the past year, mainly be-cause Japanese automakers have restocked dealers after shortages in 2011, according to the Kelley Blue Book auto pricing service.

Prices have dropped the most for the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic, while prices of Detroit models haven’t fallen quite as much, KBB said Wednesday. Toyota, Honda and smaller Japa-nese companies ran short of cars after an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan in March of 2011, knocking out power and hamper-ing production of parts and cars. With few cars to sell last summer, Toyota and Honda dealers had little reason to offer discounts.

But with Japanese plants at full strength again and U.S. dealers restocked, discounts are back. Those deals, along with aging cars and easier access to auto loans, could keep buyers coming to dealerships this summer, despite anxiety about the jobs market.

KBB said that the average price paid for a Honda is almost $1,200 less than it was a year ago. Subaru, Mazda and Toyota mod-els are down $700 to $800. Ford, Chrysler

and General Motors have seen much smaller drops, less than $500.

The average price paid for a Prius gas-elec-tric hybrid is down $2,500 from last June. The Civic is down $1,550, according to KBB.

“Although conditions in the global econo-my continue to deteriorate, consumers who are willing to pull the trigger on a new vehicle will find that there are plenty of deals avail-able,” said Alec Gutierrez, senior market ana-lyst for KBB.

Associated Press

A line of 2012 Prius sedans at a Toyota dealership in the south Denver suburb of Littleton, Colo. New vehicle prices have dropped $500 on average in 2012, mainly because Japanese automakers have restocked dealers after car shortages in 2011, according to the Kelley Blue Book auto pricing service.

“consumers who are willing to pull

the trigger on a new vehicle will find that there are plenty of

deals available.”

ALeC guTierrezSEnior mArkET AnAlyST

E2 — The Sentinel at www.cumberlink.com Autos Sunday • July 1, 2012

The Sentinel at www.cumberlink.com Autos Plus Sunday • July 1, 2012 — E3

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Call 717-243-2611For more than one hundred years, we’ve written the first draft of history about the events that take place in our community. We are committed to serving you.

PICK OF THE WEEKFORD, 1994 Taurus SHO. 5-speed, cold A/C, inspected,R-title, 220k miles. $1,500. Call 717-795-6107.

CADILLAC, 2006 CTSSunroof, leather, 3.6L V6, power heated memory seats, CD, XM,

OnStar, alloys, new tires.Stock #72189A. SALE PRICE... $15,995!

888-532-2121 or view our

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Happy 4th of July!Thank you for your business!

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“Cleanest Cars in Town” Since 1953!

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08 Ford Taurus SEL......................... $10,90006 Hyundai Elantra GT HB, 5 Spd......... $8,90005 Chrysler Town & Country, 1 Owner.... $8,90005 Hyundai Elantra, 5 Spd. ................ $6,90004 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT ............. $9,50004 Hyundai Accent, AT...................... $6,50004 Ford Focus ZX3, Cpe., 68K............. $7,50003 Chevy Cavalier Cpe., AT, 1 Owner .... $6,90003 Ford Focus CP, AT, 1 Owner ............ $5,90002 Hyundai Elantra GT, AT ................. $5,90002 Honda CR-V EX, 1 Owner, AT, 96K ... $11,00002 Saturn SL1, AT ........................... $5,50002 Chevy Prizm, AT.......................... $5,50001 Saturn SL1, AT ........................... $4,90001 Nissan Altima GXE, AT, 1 Owner ...... $6,50001 Honda Civic EX Sdn...................... $6,50000 Dodge Caravan, 54K..................... $5,50000 Ford Focus ZTS, Leather, 79K ......... $6,60000 Ford Focus SE, AT ....................... $5,500

BMW, 2010 335XIBlack/brown,

46k miles.Stock #LX16700A

$31,9881-800-778-0850

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VW, 2004 BeetleBlack/gray,41k miles.

Stock #LXP611A$8,488

1-800-778-0850www.bobbyrahallexus.com

DODGE, 2001 Grand Caravan ES, 75k mi. 3.8L V6, 1 owner, clean Carfax, dealer maintained, $6,450. Call 241-5311 5-9pm

Vans870

GMC, 2008 YukonBlack/black,49k miles.

Stock #LX16592B$26,988

1-800-778-0850www.bobbyrahallexus.com

TOYOTA, 2009 Avalon XL33,967 miles. Toyota Certified.

Stock #TP5191. $21,441!

1-866-785-0082

TOYOTA, 2008 TacomaDouble Cab Sport

94,172 miles. Rahal Select.

Stock #T45647A. $20,988!

1-866-785-0082

TOYOTA, 2008 SolaroBlue/gray,51k miles.

Stock #LX16669A$13,488

1-800-778-0850www.bobbyrahallexus.com

FORD, 2012 EdgeRed/black,5k miles.

Stock #LX16579A$35,988

1-800-778-0850www.bobbyrahallexus.com

SUBUARU, 1996 Legacy AWD inspection Nov. 12. Runs rough check engine light is on. Sold as is. Serious

Inquiries only. $1,200/obo. Call 717-608-1636

FORD, 2004 Sport TracRed/gray,91k miles.

Stock #LX15280C $11,988

1-800-778-0850www.bobbyrahallexus.com

FORD, 2009 Escape XLT 4x4 SRV6, 53,953 miles. Rahal Select.

Stock #T43034B. $17,942!

1-866-785-0082

PLACE YOUR AD 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Go to Cumberlink.com

DODGE, 2007 Ram Quad Cab Short Bed 4x4. 5.7 Hemi, white, grey leather custom interior, all options, over $6,000 in access., new brakes & tires, 40k mi. Excellent condition! Asking $24,900! Call 717-648-5017.

FORD, 2008 EscapeLimited 4x4 LA SR

V6, 43,571 miles. Rahal Select.

Stock #T45430A. $17,866!

1-866-785-0082

Trucks860MAZDA, 2007 Miata ConvertibleAuto., A/C, power windows, cruise,

CD, spoiler, keyless entry, low miles.Stock #12149A. SALE PRICE... $15,995!

1-888-532-2121 or view our full inventory at:

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MAZDA, 2006 Miata MX5. Black, 11k mi. Auto. A/C, like new. $16,200. Call 717-448-8823.

DODGE, 2008 Durango SXT 4x4V8, 50,400 miles. Rahal Select.

Stock #T45350A. $12,969!

1-866-785-0082

TOYOTA, 2010 RAV4 Limited 4x4V6, 13,437 miles. Toyota Certified.

Stock #TT590. $25,969!

1-866-785-0082

INFINITI, 2009 G37XGray/gray,58k miles.

Stock #LX16717A $22,988

1-800-778-0850www.bobbyrahallexus.com

TOYOTA, 2009 RAV4 4x430,019 miles. Toyota Certified.

Stock #T45490A. $18,948!

1-866-785-0082

CHEVY, 2010 EquinoxRed/Gray,19k miles.

Stock #LX16555A$18,988

1-800-778-0850www.bobbyrahallexus.com

Sport Vehicles855

TOYOTA, 2008 Highlander 4x4V6, 36,163 miles. Toyota Certified.

Stock #T45626A. $22,898!

1-866-785-0082

HONDA, 2009 CivicGray/gray,47k miles.

Stock #LXP545B$14,988

1-800-778-0850www.bobbyrahallexus.com

YAMAHA, 1999 4WD. Excellent condition. $2k. Call 241-3004.

GMC, 2002 Yukon XL. Sunroof, leather, good condition. Purchased new, maintenance records kept, 170k mi. $6,500. 717-701-8480.

SUZUKI, 1990 750 Intruder, water cooled, shaft drive, leather bags, lots of chrome, custom paint, garage kept, beautiful. Must sell $2,300/obo. 240-0794.

TOYOTA, 2007 Highlander 4x464,958 miles. Toyota Certified.

Stock #TP5175. $15,969!

1-866-785-0082

HONDA, 1985 Magna 500cc. New inspection, mostly garage kept. $950. Call 717-433-3475.

TOYOTA, 2005 Highlander SR 4x4V6, 101,038 miles. Rahal Select.

Stock #T45069A. $12,988!

1-866-785-0082

FORD, 2012 Focus SE HatchbackSunroof, auto., A/C, power windos, cruise, CD, keyless entry, alloys,

Sirius. Stock #72155A.SALE PRICE...

$17,995!1-888-532-2121

Full inventory at: www.hhchev.com

Motorcycles /ATVs850

TIFFIN, 2004 Allegro Motor Home, 32’, 2 slides, generator, back up camera, hydraulic jacks & much more. Like new, 13,600 mi. Asking $45,900. 697-0564.

FORD, 2011 Fiesta SE4 door, 1.6L, 4 cyl., A/C, CD, power

windows, 1 owner. Local trade.Stock #71143A

SPECIAL... $12,500!1-888-532-2121Full inventory at: www.hhchev.com

SATURN, 2007 VueAWD, V6, auto., A.C, power windows,

cruise, CD, alloys, XM. Only 51,910 miles!Stock #12157A. SALE PRICE... $14,995!

1-888-532-2121 or view our full inventory at:

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FORD, 1994 Taurus SHO. 5-speed, cold AC, inspected, R-title 220k miles. $1,500. Call 717-795-6107.

RV /Travel Trailers840

TRUCK CAP, 8ft aluminum. Grey color, fair condition. Fits Ford $50/obo. Call 648-2746

NISSAN, 2007 Xterra Sport 4x4V6, auto., A/C, power windows, CD,

keyless entry, alloy wheels, tow hitch, assist step. Stock #61039A.SALE PRICE... $14,995!

888-532-2121 Full inventory:

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TIRES, (4) Sigma P215/70R15, like new, $160/all. Call 776-3065.

CHEVY, 2011 Cruise LTZ1.4L turbo, sunroof, leather, power windows & heated seats, remote

start, OnStar, XM, alloys, cruise, CD, 1 owner. Stock #11122A.

SPECIAL...$17,900!

1-888-532-2121 or full inventory: www.hhchev.com

Parts &Accessories825

HONDA, 2007 Pilot EX-L 4x4Sunroof, Navigation, leather, power

heated seats, 3rd row seat, alloys, keyless entry. Very nice! Stock #72170A.

SALE PRICE... $19,995!1-888-532-2121 Full inventory at: www.hhchev.com

NASH COUPE 600, Antique 1947. Partially restored. $11,500/neg. Call 725-6786

FORD, 1964 Mustang 1/2 Convertible. Needs restored. 55k documented miles. $16,500. 717-855-6880.

CHEVY, 2009 Malibu LT Spring EditionSunroof, power steering & windows,

cruise, CD, XM, OnStar, 18" chrome clad wheels, remote start, keyless entry,GM certified. 1 owner, local trade.

Stock #12099A.SPECIAL...

$14,900!Call 1-888-532-2121 or view our full

inventory at: www.hhchev.com

GMC, 2011 Terrain SLEAWD, 2.4L, 4 cyl., auto., A/C, power seat & windows, rear camera, cruise,

XM, OnStar, GM certified.Stock #92008A. SALE PRICE... $25,995!

1-888-532-2121 Full inventory:

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CHEVELLE, 1968 SS 396. 400 auto., shift kit, 410 possey, 129k original mi. $13,500. Call 717-336-6025.

ABSOLUTE MINIMUM OF $350 OR HIGHER

PAID ON MOST VEHICLES! Licensed dealer.

Call 717-324-9395, anytime.

BRONCO, 1995, V8, AT, full power, 200k, fair, runs great, new tires. $2,500/obo. 648-2746

Autos880Autos880Autos880Autos880Sport Vehicles855ClassicSpecialty Autos810

E4 — The Sentinel at www.cumberlink.com Autos Sunday • July 1, 2012

discover for yourself why thousands of people buy from sutliff every year.

Since 1931

$17,9952007 LincoLnMKX AWD#21710A, Sunroof, power SeAt, cd, windowS, lockS, cruiSe

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21100A 2006 LEXUS GX470 .................................................................................................... $22,99525114A 2008 GMC SIERRA Z71 4X4 ......................................................................................... $20,995P6483 2010 CHRYSLER TOWN&COUNTRY ................................................................................ $19,99521479A 2009 CHEV TRAILBLAZER LT .......................................................................................... $18,99325410B 2010 TOYOTA COROLLA S ............................................................................................. $14,899P6358 2011 CHEV HHR LT ...................................................................................................... $13,99825750A 2007 SATURN VUE AWD ............................................................................................... $13,99521654A 2008 SATURN ASTRA XE............................................................................................... $11,495S6436 2007 CHEV MALIBU LS................................................................................................. $10,99821777A 2008 HYUNDAI ACCENT GS ........................................................................................... $10,99521602A 2007 CHEV EQUINOX LS............................................................................................... $10,810P6464 2002 BUICK LESABRE..................................................................................................... $9,99521112A 2003 KIA SORENTO EX................................................................................................... $8,995P6429A 2004 CHEV IMPALA........................................................................................................ $7,909P6485 2000 CHEV MONTECARLO SS .......................................................................................... $7,495

12 Month/12,000 mile Warranty extensionplus 2-year/30,000 Mile Maintenance plan

All prices plus tax, license, and doc fees. All offers with approved credit. $500 Bonus Cash on all new 2011 and 2012 Cruze, Traverse, and Silverado. Not compatible with supported lease programs. Offer valid through July 2, 2012. Offers can not be combined. Photos and artwork are for illustration purposes only. Dealer not responsible for misprints or typographical errors. See dealer for complete details.

$500 Bonus Cash on all New 2011 and 2012 Cruze, Traverse and Silverado

All New Chevrolets Sold at$300

Below Factory Invoice!Hurry! Now tHrougH July 2, 2012

2012 ChevroletEquinox FWD

mpg est.

32per gal.

**

Stock #25844

MSRP$24,355

BUY FOR $23,231

2012 ChevroletCRuZE LS

mpg est.

42per gal.

**

Stock #21488

MSRP$18,590

BUY FOR $17,349

Behind the Wheel

2012 Xterra: Nissan’s authentic SUVBy ANN M. JOBFor ThE ASSociATEd PrESS

The 2012 Nissan Xterra sport utility vehicle is a rug-ged, capable off-roader with strong V-6 and authentic SUV ride and looks.

It’s this genuine SUV character that differentiates the high-riding, boxy Xterra from today’s slew of soft-er-riding, pavement-lov-ing SUVs that have become popular with mainstream buyers.

To be sure, the five-seat Xterra, with its fully boxed ladder frame and rear sus-pension with solid axle and leaf springs, harkens back to the SUV basics — even if buyers can opt for leath-er-covered seats instead of cloth in the top model. And, Xterra offers iPod connec-tivity these days.

Still, to SUV purists, the five-door Xterra can be a refreshing vehicle that pro-vides an old-school ride along with a new-car war-ranty.

Consumer Reports says Xterra reliability has been above average.

Just don’t expect to get great fuel economy. The best rating the 2012 Xterra receives from the federal government is 16 miles per gallon in city driving and 22 mpg on the highway. A four-wheel drive test model aver-aged 15.6 mpg in combined, city, highway and off-road travel.

Starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price, in-cluding destination charge, for a base, 2012 Xterra X with two-wheel drive and automatic transmission is $26,035. The lowest starting retail price for a 2012 Xter-ra with four-wheel drive is $28,085 for a base X model that comes with automatic transmission.

These prices compare to the $28,750 starting MSRP, i n c l u d i n g d e s t i n a t i o n charge, for a front-wheel drive, 2012 Kia Sorento with 276-horsepower V-6 and automatic transmission and the $30,450 starting price for an all-wheel drive 2012 Sorento with V-6 and auto-matic. Note that the Sorento also is offered with a four-cylinder at a starting retail price of $23,950. All Soren-tos come with automatic

transmission.But the Xterra has one en-

gine only — a 261-horse-power six cylinder — and can be ordered with a man-ual transmission that some off-roaders prefer.

Meantime, the compet-ing 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser with two-wheel drive, 260-horsepower V-6 and auto-matic has a retail starting price of $26,875.

The Xterra tester was the top-of-the-line Pro-4X with fog lights at the front bumper, light bar on the roof and skid plates protecting the lower part of the engine in case it hits a rock or tree stump off-road.

Like all Xterras, the tester featured noticeable, large flared wheel wells, a hood that’s chest high and flat metal sides devoid of deco-ration. There’s even a step built into the side of the Xterra, near the rear bum-per, that helps driver and passengers access items stowed on the roof during those off-road excursions.

Nissan also offers an Xter-ra tent that connects the cargo area to a tented sleep-ing and living area once a day’s travels are over.

And, in contrast to soft-er SUVs, the Xterra carries

around under the rear cargo floor a full-size spare tire. A small, temporary spare would never do in the wil-derness.

Small statured people have to scramble to get up onto the front seats of the Xterra, which has a mini-mum ground clearance of 8.2 inches in the base model and up to 9.5 inches in the Pro-4X.

Views out front in the tes-ter were great as the driver looked down onto the roof of a Mini Cooper. But a Honda Odyssey van and large pickups still blocked views ahead. Backing up the Xterra was a bit stressful be-cause metal pillars alongside the tailgate window blocked views, and there’s no factory option for a backup camera.

Nissan does, however, of-fer a mind-blowing Rock-ford Fosgate audio system with eight speakers and a subwoofer. Satellite radio is available, too.

The 4-liter, double over-head cam V-6 is a longtime, award-winning power-plant at Nissan and moves the heavy Xterra along in sprightly fashion. Just a touch of the accelerator and the test Xterra rushed for-ward eagerly. Throttle tip-

in was light, which required the driver to learn to care-fully meter foot pressure to drive smoothly. Other-wise, the engine’s 281 foot-pounds of peak torque at 4,000 rpm came to the fore.

The Xterra merged well into traffic. But wind noise became noticeable at just over 40 miles per hour, and even at stoplights, sounds from nearby cars entered the passenger compartment.

There’s no refined ride in the Xterra. On uneven pavement, passengers felt a bounciness, and a sensa-tion of heaviness at the four wheels was evident.

In turns and sweeping curves, passengers felt “head toss” in the tall 4,200-plus-pound vehicle as weight

shifted from one side to the other. Note: The test vehi-cle had the Pro-4X’s Bilstein gas-filled shock absorbers for a tighter ride off-road.

Headroom is a generous 39.3 inches in front and rear seats, and rear legroom of 34.4 inches is better than what’s in the FJ Cruiser.

Fit and finish on the Ten-nessee-built Xterra was excellent, with body gaps outside consistent and in-terior plastic materials lined up just so.

The Pro-4X came with an attractive cloth upholstery that looked to have a cloth netting, in contrasting col-or, over it. It worked well to keep passengers from slid-ing around in the seats.

But the Xterra’s ceiling

material looked cheap, and none of the windows came with a power-up function. The driver’s window had power-down only.

Still, the Xterra’s many us-able storage spots were im-pressive for how much they could hold. Two cupholders between the front seats can accommodate large drinks, for example, and there are two gloveboxes.

The 2012 Xterra has been the subject of one safety re-call involving bolts holding the engine oil filter and en-gine cooler in place. Some bolts could break at the oil filter attachment point, causing oil to leak and creat-ing the potential for the en-gine to seize up and cause a crash.

Submitted photo

The 2012 Nissan Xterra.

2012 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X

BASE PRICE: $25,210 for base, 4X2 X; $27,200 for 4X2 S; $27,260 for 4X4 X; $28,200 for 4X4 S; $30,370 for Pro-4X manual; $31,420 for 4X4 Pro-4X with auto-matic.

PRICE AS TESTED: $32,625.

TyPE: Front-engine, four-wheel-drive, five-pas-senger, mid-size sport utility vehicle.

ENGINE: 4-liter, double overhead cam, V-6.

MILEAGE: 15 mpg (city), 20 mpg (highway).

TOP SPEED: NA.LENGTH: 178.7 inches.WHEELBASE: 106.3

inches.CURB WEIGHT: 4,425

pounds.BUILT AT: Smyrna, Tenn.OPTIONS: iPod interface

$260; Pro-4X floormats $120.

DESTINATION CHARGE: $825.

In Focus

Ford working on system to ease driver stress

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. is experiment-ing with technology that can figure out when a driver is stressed out and might need some help.

The system links sensors inside and outside the car to measure traffic, speed, road condi-tions and the driver’s pulse and breathing to estimate the workload. In high-stress situa-tions, the car could give more frequent alerts for front-end crashes, and it could even block out an incoming cell phone call.

Ford and other automakers already have ra-dar-activated blind-spot detectors that mon-itor traffic in adjoining lanes, and they have radar cruise control that can warn drivers if they’re approaching something too quickly. Ford also is testing steering wheel and seat belt sensors that can check a driver’s heart and breathing rates, and even facial tempera-ture. The company is developing formulas to determine when a driver is stressed and when to assist.

“In addition to using existing vehicle data to estimate demand on the driver, we’re re-searching ways to get an even better under-standing of the stress level of the driver,” Gary Strumolo, manager of vehicle design and in-fotronics for Ford, said in a statement.

In low-stress situations, the system would allow telephone calls to go through and relax warnings, Ford said Wednesday.

The technology is still in research, and the company didn’t say when it might find its way into production vehicles.

Shares of the Dearborn, Mich., company’s stock fell a penny to an even $10 in afternoon trading.

Ford to close assembly plant in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — U.S. carmaker Ford Motor Co. says it will close its 13-year-old assembly plant in the Philippines at the end of the year.

Ford Group Philippines president Randy Krieger said Wednesday that the company

“could not make a strong enough business case for future manufacturing” in the Philip-pines.

The plant has exported over 80,000 ve-hicles since 2002.

About 250 workers will be affected. The plant will close after the last Ford Escape SUV rolls out in December.

Ford closed its original Philippine assembly plant in 1983 and reopened a new plant in 1999 citing improved political stability.

Anderson’s former GM plants getting second look

ANDERSON, Ind. — Amid the vast open spaces that are the former General Motors plants, two City of Anderson buses could be seen rumbling through the overgrown weeds and cracked concrete.

In these areas that have rarely experienced movement for several years, two dozen peo-ple poured out of the buses to get a good look at the properties, and to learn about their po-tential.

Local officials said they are excited that companies have been showing interest in some of those brownfields — former indus-trial or commercial properties that have been left vacant and need or are undergoing envi-ronmental cleanups.

The visitors included local government of-ficials, as well as representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Manufacturing Alliance of Commu-nities, a national coalition of local govern-ment leaders working to revitalize former factory and manufacturing sites. Those offi-cials, and others, were gathering Tuesday for a full-day discussion on the challenges that auto communities face, and how to move forward. Mayor Kevin Smith, interim eco-nomic development director Greg Winkler, and Gary McKinney, the city’s brownfield redevelopment specialist, led the tour of the former Guide Lamp property along Dr. Mar-tin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 29th Street and through several former GM plants along Scatterfield Road.

–Associated Press

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