| MORE TEST FEST COVERAGE |
| Pick-Up | Nov 15, 2006 |
| SUV / CUV over $60,000 | Nov 14, 2006 |
| SUV / CUV $35,000 - $60,000 | Nov 13, 2006 |
| SUV / CUV under $35,000 | Nov 11, 2006 |
| Convertible | Nov 10, 2006 |
| Sport / performance car over $50,000 | Nov 9, 2006 |
| Sport / performance car under $50,000 | Nov 8, 2006 |
| Prestige car over $75,000 | Nov 7, 2006 |
| Family car over $30,000 | Nov 5, 2006 |
| Family car $22,000 - $30,000 | Nov 4, 2006 |
| Small car over $18,000 | Nov 3, 2006 |
| Small car under $18,000 | Nov 2, 2006 |
| The most coveted parking space in the country | Nov 1, 2006 |
| Writers' predictions for the best new cars of 2007 | Nov 1, 2006 |
Niagara Falls, Ontario -
First Place, 137 points: Lexus ES 350 $42,900* -
Likes: Measured strictly as a luxury car, the front-drive Lexus edged out the sportier Infiniti by scoring well in such hallmark Lexus qualities as low
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| (Photo: John LeBlanc) |
noise/vibration/harshness, ride comfort, and build quality. The ES 350's new, 272 h.p., 254 lb.-ft. of torque 3.5-litre and six-speed manumatic are a smooth and efficient combo, and the Lexus delivers a ride as comfortable as a parka on a January Montréal morning. The interior is awash in smooth plastics and leathers that mimic the top-of-the-line Lexus LS sedan. Within these traditional areas of smooth, quiet, reliable transportation, the ES 350 will not disappoint the Lexus faithful.
Dislikes: There's not an athletic bone in the ES's body, and a symphony of beeping and chirping electronic nannies will remind you if you ever do try to drive the Lexus as your teenager would.
Verdict: Five-generations of ES luxury sedans, and five generations of loyal ES customers, means there are no real surprises with this new Toyota Camry based '07 model. Just Lexus furthering their pursuit o excellence.
Second Place, 135 points: Infiniti G35X $46,990 -
Likes: With a cockpit tailored to a driver's needs, smooth and gutsy 306 horsepower, 268 pound-feet of torque V6, extrasensory steering, and an athletic
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| (Photo: John LeBlanc) |
suspension setup that combines a smooth ride and excellent handling, this second-generation G is definitely the cat among the pigeons here. In other words, a true sports sedan, one aimed squarely at BMW's vaunted 3 Series.
Dislikes: The Infiniti's interior build quality and centre console ergonomics fall behind the highly evolved Lexus.
Verdict: You can get a rear-drive, six-speed manual G35 for under $40,000. However, to take on the more luxury oriented COTY entries, Infiniti sent it's most popular G35 with all-wheel-drive and a five-speed manumatic. Didn't matter. The Infiniti was the only one of this luxury trio that didn't feel out of place hot lapping on the COTY test track at the Niagara Falls airport.
Third Place, 113 points: Lincoln MKZ AWD $47,109 -
Likes: With a new 263 h.p., 249 lb.-ft. of torque 3.5-litre V6, improved six-speed automatic transmission, and newly available all-wheel-drive, the best part of the
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| (Photo: John LeBlanc) |
MKZ is it's athletic handling. Definitely more fun than the Lexus on the test track, there's little roll, with neutral handling giving way to understeer.
Dislikes: Like the Mazda6 its based on, road and tire noise are prevalent in the MKZ. Unlike the Mazda, the Lincoln's steering is slow and numb, and driver instrumentation is small and hard to read. Despite the new cojones under the hood, the Lincoln is the slowest to 100 km/h of this trio, trailing the Infiniti it by a second. Inside, the MKZ's steering wheel is Town Car-large, and it only tilts. The seats are couch-soft and there's precious little headroom with the intruding sunroof.
Verdict: Suffering as a mélange of luxury pastiches applied to a sporty sedan chassis, there's little to recommend of this bi-polar Lincoln.
* All prices as tested.
