Prince Edward Highlander / Day 7 – To Basin Head and back

JULY 29 / Is this the best beach in all of Prince Edward Island? If you like jumping off bridges into wharfside waters, the shores at Basin Head Provincial Park ranks right up there.

Nicknamed "Singing Sands" because of its pure white sand that “sings” (more like squeaks) as you walk on it, the Park has been built up with a fisheries museum and an interpretive centre. The big attraction is a pedestrian bridge (above) that spans a man-made channel built in 1938 to harbour fishing boats. It splits the beach in two, and despite the warning signs (left) and lifeguards looking on, is a showcase for anyone who thinks they can dive.

With a 280 km roundtrip to the far eastern parts of the Island from our home-way-from home just east of Cavendish, the drive to Basin Head in our loaned 2011 Highlander Hybrid was like most of the driving on P.E.I. so far: 80 to 110 km speeds on rolling two-lane roads. I may not be on the hook for the monthly payments of the Highlander H. But I am paying the fuel costs out of my own pocket. So its stellar 8.0L/100 km average—frankly, not that much worse than what I’ve observed in real-world Prius consumption numbers—helps justify its premium purchase price.

Compared to base, AWD versions of rival three-row crossovers like the Chevy Traverse (1LS $38,845), Mazda CX-9 (GS AWD $38,395), Honda Pilot (EX $40,720) and Ford Explorer ($31,069) and Flex (SEL AWD $33,084), the $42,850 base Highlander Hybrid we’re driving is more expensive to buy. And (like the competition) you pay more if you want more. There’s an optional Comfort Package (smart key/push button start; power rear door; power moonroof; leather; heated front seats; 19-inch wheels; flip-up rear glass; etc.) that brings the price up to $48,305, while a top-line Limited version (that adds Bluetooth connectivity and voice-activated navigation) rings in at $51,650.

I’ll do a final tally at the end of our two-week holiday to see how long it would take to regain some of the Highlander Hybrid’s purchase price back in gains from burning less fuel. For the truly cost-conscious—and I suspect for the majority of Highlander customers, who more than likely, will use their vehicle as an it’s-not-a-minivan family shuttle—the front-wheel-drive base, four-cylinder Highlander may be the better choice. It only costs $31,500 to start. And although its 187 hp 2.7-litre four-cylinder gas engine doesn’t promise Big Daddy Garlits-type of motion off the line, its fuel economy ratings of 10.4 L/100 km city and 7.3L highway are darn close (identical on the highway) to the Hybrid’s numbers.

Something to think about…

Total kms: 1,055

Av. L/100 km: 8.0

Older entries:

Day 5 & 6 - Rain delay

Day 4 - Backseat driving

Day 3- Greenwich beach time

Day 2 – Cavendish National Park’s scenic Gulf Coast Drive

Day 1 - Settling in

Prince Edward Highlander / Day 5 & 6 – Rain delay

JULY 27 & 28 / Unlike in baseball, there are no rain delays on holiday. But, essentially, that’s what we’ve being dealing with the past few days here on Prince Edward Island. All of Wednesday and most of yesterday were cool and wet. So beach activities were substituted for some (more) food shopping, an unexpected discovery of North America’s largest collection of stuffed birds, and an afternoon spent at Cavendish’s Wonderland.

Looking for some lobsters in preparation for dinner with my Aunt Ruth and Uncle Hugh from Summerside, we ended up just up the road in Stanley Bridge, at Carr’s Wharfside Market (above). Now, Carr’s also happens to own Manor of Birds, a display of over 750 birds mounted over 65 years by Quebec’s Willie Labre, that in the past, we’ve managed to avoid. But a rainy day and a bored six year-old prompted us to take a peak. And yes, that owl is wearing glasses (left).

Thursday afternoon cleared, somewhat. So we headed into our annual visit to Cavendish's Sandspit amusement park. Our daughter Mia finally cleared the 48" height clearance this year, and spent most of the day either inline or screaming on the Cyclone roller coaster (left).

Friday’s weather’s looks more promising. We’re hoping to get back in the Highlander Hybrid and head east to the Singing Sands near Souris.

Total kms: 775

Av. L/100 km: 8.0

Older entries:

Day 4 - Backseat driving

Day 3- Greenwich beach time

Day 2 – Cavendish National Park’s scenic Gulf Coast Drive

Day 1 - Settling in

Prince Edward Highlander / Day 4 – Backseat driving

JULY 26 / In reality, the four of us could be driving around Prince Edward Island on our holiday in a much smaller vehicle. Like a compact hatch or wagon. Or a more luxurious vehicle. Like an Aston Martin Rapide. But I suspect one of the biggest reasons most midsize crossover buyers enjoy their vehicles so much is the luxury of space, a quality the Highlander Hybrid doesn’t want for.

I haven’t done anything bad enough yet on this trip to spend any time in the seven-passnger Toyota's third-row seats. But I can vouch that the second-row  is THE place to be in the Highlander. Plenty of room all around. And great sight lines to see the rolling Island scenery pass by. But Toyota’s gimmicky middle-seat solution (left) means two passengers will be happier than three. And although there’s a seatbelt provided, the middle throne is essentially a large armrest that stays down the majority of the time to provide some storage space for the two outboard passengers in their comfy captain chairs.

More confounding is the available drink tray (right) that can be swapped out for the middle-seat/armrest hardware (far right). It resides underneath the front row console, and it’s heavy to swap out. Why Toyota designers just didn’t mould in some cup holders in the original seat back and save the under console space for, say, a usable stowage tray, I’ll never know.

In regards to sights seen today, we spent a potentially rainy day (never happened) in Charlottetown, enjoying a wonderful seafood lunch at FishBones (try the lobster/chipotle frites), bracketed by educational trips to Founder’s Hall (above) at the waterfront, and P.E.I.’s legislative Province House. For you parents out there, you’ll recognize this as “payback”…

Total kms: 593

Av. L/100 km: 7.9

Older entries:

Day 3- Greenwich beach time

Day 2 – Cavendish National Park’s scenic Gulf Coast Drive

Day 1 - Settling in

Prince Edward Highlander / Day 3 – Greenwich beach time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 JULY 25 / The rule of thumb when visiting P.E.I. in the summer is when the weather’s nice, head to the beach. And based on the reports we were getting from the Island so far this year, the weather had been pretty crappy—that is unless you’re the type who likes cold and wet summers.

So, with a forecast of 24 degrees Celsius and sunny, we packed up the Highlander Hybrid and made the one-and-one-half-hour drive to the beaches of the western tip of Greenwich, on the northeastern side of the Island near St. Peters.

Part of the Prince Edward Island National Park, the Greenwich beaches have never been crowded in our ten years of day-tripping there. An intricate and rare type of coastal dune system, wetlands and various rare plant species will keep nature lovers happy. And if you’re a history buff, you can visit the Greenwich Interpretation Centre (above). It catalogs and exhibits local archaeological digs illustrating P.E.I. cultures over the past 10,000 years—from the aboriginals to Mi'kmaq to English immigrants. Neat stuff.

It’s literally early days in the Highlander Hybrid. But from the front of the bus, a couple complaints have already been filed. First, the USB/AUX plug-ins (left) seem like afterthoughts. If the tranny is in P, my fat fingers can’t attach the connection to my iPod. Second, despite its north-of-$40k price, the Highlander’s cloth front seats could use some additional adjustments. I can fiddle with the lumbar support in my driver’s seat. But Mrs. Automotive Journalist, riding shotgun, couldn’t get her non-lumbar-equipped front passenger seat to fit her spine.

The forecast for tomorrow, Tuesday, is rain. If that holds, we’ll head into the teeming metropolis of Charlottetown.

Total kms: 493

Av. L/100 km: 8.1

Older entries:

Day 2 – Cavendish National Park’s scenic Gulf Coast Drive

Day 1 - Settling in

Prince Edward Highlander / Day 2 – Cavendish National Park’s scenic Gulf Shore Parkway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JULY 24 / Before I spend the next two weeks talking about the Highlander Hybrid we're driving here in P.E.I., perhaps a brief explanation of its upgraded-for-2011 gasoline-electric powertain is in order.

Like previous iterations, the Highlander H combines a V6 gas-engine with a an electric motor at its front axle. A second electric motor sits on the rear axle, giving the front-wheel-based crossover part-time (slip-then-grip) all-wheel-drive capabilities. Along with some styling and interior upgrades for 2011 that apply to the entire Highlander lineup, the Hybrid gets the larger 3.5-litre six from the upscale Lexus RX 450h Hybrid, substituting the older 3.3L unit and an "enhanced" electric system. Combined, the Toyota hybrid crossover delivers 280 hp, more than the V6-gas Highlander, but less than the RX 450h.

At $42,850, the six- or seven-passenger Hybrid Highlander costs $11,350 than a base, FWD four-cylinder gas model (BTW, also rated at 7.3L/100 km on the highway) and $7,100 more than the base V6 gas version. While no rivals offer a hybrid crossover in its price range, the Highlander faces plenty of three-row crossover competition from the likes of the Dodge Durango, Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer/Flex, Mazda CX-9 and Chevrolet Traverse. And there’s always the five-passenger $53,190 Volkswagen Touareg TDI diesel, and its 11.1 L/100 km city, 7.0L hwy. numbers.

As I've mentioned, this won’t be the traditional auto journo road trip. We won’t be piling up huge daily mileages. Come on. You can only drive so far in P.E.I. before things start getting wet. But because the house we rented is not on the water, we’ve developed a routine of piling the family into our vehicle and making day trips. Some short. Some long. Usually a beach. The itinerary ends up an “away stay-cation”.

A relaxed Day Two ended up being such a “low mileage” day. We drove the length the unbelievably scenic Gulf Shore Parkway, a two-lane parkway that runs along the coast between Cavendish and Stanhope By The Sea (above), near where Kate and What’s His Name battled in a dragon boat race on Dalvay Lake recently.  Needless to say, our arrival today received less attention…

Total kms: 278

Av. L/100 km: 7.6

Day 1 – Settling in

Prince Edward Highlander / Day 1 - Settling in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JULY 23 / Does the only hybrid family crossover you can buy work as a vacation vehicle? That was the lingering Big Question as our plane touched down at Charlottetown airport, earlier this morning.

For the third year in a row, Toyota Canada has provided the wheels for our annual two-week family vacation in Prince Edward Island. Year one saw us haul a travel trailer behind a Toyota Sequoia SUV to P.E.I., an experience that put me off driving RVs for awhile. It also prompted me to cash in on the gazillion Aeroplan points I collect (spending more time in the air than a Formula One driver annually bringing you car stories from around the world) and flew the family into Charlottetown last year, where a new Sienna minivan was waiting for us to drive around the Island for a couple of weeks.

This year, we had a redesigned-for-2011 Toyota Highlander crossover—specifically the gasoline-electric Hybrid model—for our 14-days of vacation transportation. Day one on the Island was all about settling into the house we rent near New London (above), just west of Cavendish. First, a quick lunch stop to check in with my Aunt Ruth and Uncle Hugh, Ontarian ex-pats who summer near Bedeque, just east of Summerside on the Northumberland Strait side of the Island. Then it was off to stock up for our first week's worth of groceries and post-driving adult beverages.

Last year, we managed to get our four-person crew, luggage and grocery/liquor store haul crammed into our burgandy Sienna (left) together. But that was not going to happen in the less space efficient blue Highlander (right) earlier today. That forced us to drop off our belongings first, and then get our supplies.

Obviously, the hybrid part of the Highlander equation is all about great fuel economy. Transport Canada rates it at 6.6 L/100 km city, 7.3L highway. But we saw an average of 8.1L/100 km/h for our initial day’s 138 km of driving. Not bad so far. But we'll see how we end up after two weeks.

We don’t have a real itinerary for annual P.E.I. time. Weather and individual family member moods will play a big role in deciding where we’ll ask our Highlander Hybrid to take us. Check in daily to see how it responds.

Total kms: 138

Av. L/100 km: 8.1

FROM THE FLEET: 2012 BMW X1 xDrive28i

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FROM THE FLEET are brief synopses of manufacturer-supplied rides that happen to end up in my laneway – JL

 Bimmer fans close your eyes: Here’s yet another BMW that goes out of its way to NOT be a BMW. If you’re familair with the German automaker’s rigidly hierarchical naming system, you may reckon that the new X1 xDrive28i is a crossover smaller than the X3; b) sports traction at all four wheels; and c) offers a 2.8-litre sweet-revving straight-six.

On the first two accounts, you’d be correct. But despite its badging, the X1 is powered by a new 2.0-litre straight-FOUR that will end up replacing the existing 3.0-litre six in most BMW models. And, like most BMWs, it’s the X1’s engine that defines its character.

I first drove a European-market X1 almost two years ago, and was immediately impressed how much it drove like a 3 Series wagon, mainly, well, because the X1 is essentially a 3 Series wagon—but with a taller body. And after a week in a Canadian-market X1, I can honestly say our version doesn’t ride, steer or handle that differently than the Euro version (ie pretty nice).

Regrdless how it drives, the X1 will draw new-to-BMW buyers into showrooms mianly because of its relatively low sticker. Starting at $38,500 (mit AWD and eight-speed autobox), it’s priced well below the $41,900 (and also new this year) X3 xDrive28i (with the “old” 240 hp 3.0-litre six) and the now-loaded $48,500 3 Series Wagon 328i xDrive. But the savings over the now more upscale X3 are apparent by looking under the X1’s hood and by sitting inside its five-passenger interior.

While the X1’s blown four offers more power and oomph than the X3’s six (241 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque vs. 240 and 221), the way it sounds and feels can’t match the legendary smoothness of the naturally X3's aspirated 3.0 mill. The four is nearly as smooth as the six. But it deosn't produce the lyrical hymns the six sings when at full song. And because it’s matched to an autobox with eight speeds, unless you really give it the boot to get the revs up and gears to drop, the turbo 2.0 sounds a bit like my six-year when she’s eaten too many Libby’s beans.

Plus, the new more expensive and roomier X3 is blessed with BMW’s higher-quality interior materials and design that started in the current 7 Series and is trickling down throughout the line. But the smaller X1’s insides are a mix of current-generation 1 and 3 Series—interiors that look crude compared to rivals Audi and Infiniti.

So with no rear-wheel-drive, stick, nor sweet-revving straight-six mill available, the X1 isn’t for the type of driver who would be willing to sell his/her soul for an M3 GTS.

Nope. I reckon the X1 is for a new type of BMW customer. One who would never consider (or now afford) a 3 Series wagon, but wants something a little more upscale than a Mitsubishi RVR or a Nissan Rogue. Probably female. Maybe a new mother who, for the first time, has to plop Junior in and out of a car seat, an ordeal made much easier in the X1 due to its tall rear door aperture.

Rear-wheel-drive? Heal-and-toe shifting? Sublime noises from the engine bay? Puh-shaw! Who needs that! For these less needy customers, BMW Canada won’t be able to import enough X1s. Trust me.

 

Cross-border swapping: Canadian and U.S. new car buying habits starting to blur

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hockey, poutine, strict gun controls, and universal healthcare—these are just four of the defining stereotypes of being Canadian, eh. And when it comes to buying new vehicles, we really like small cars, especially when compared to our football-obsessed, hot-dog eating, gun-toting, private-healthcare-paying, pickup truck-driving friends south of the border.

Right? Well, actually, not so much. In fact, Canadians—not Americans—have become big pickup buyers. And Americans, all of sudden, have fallen in love with small hatchbacks.The trend is so disturbing, we may need to setup a Royal Commission to look into officially swapping Canadian and American new car buyer stereotypes.

Here are the facts: For the first six months of 2011, of the 807,772 new vehicles sold in Canada this year, over 55 per cent have been trucks, SUVs or minivans—not passengers cars. The best-selling new vehicle in Canada is the Ford F Series, selling nearly two times the rate of the best-selling passenger car, the Honda Civic.

Now, overall pickup sales in the U.S. are up as well. But they aren't selling as well as anticipated, raising concerns with analysts about price wars and lower profits later in the year.

According to Ford of Canada’s Christine Hollander, those types of incentives are certainly helping to drive truck sales in Canada. Plus she thinks that the sluggish U.S. economy and the subsequent drop in personal disposable income is playing a factor as well.

“When Canadians need a truck, they get a truck. But in the U.S., the first thing to go when times are tough is the truck.”

Instead, American new car buyers seem to be turning to hatchbacks. A Detroit News report states that while “hatchbacks traditionally have been popular in Canada and Europe, [they] have not resonated well with American consumers.”

"The hatch was the vehicle for college kids with no money; and they were usually ugly [think Pinto, Gremlin and Chevette - JL]," said analyst Dave Sullivan of AutoPacific Inc. in the report.

Not anymore.

About half the retail sales of the Ford Fiesta and 41 per cent of the new 2012 Ford Focus in the U.S. are hatchbacks. And data from WardsAuto.com shows the number of hatches sold in the U.S. increased by 63 per cent for the 2006-10 model years, from 291,853 to 475,048, while total car sales fell 23 percent in that period

Do you think this trend of national car buying stereotypes will continue between Canadian and American buyers?

Or are Americans just feeling the pinch of a tight economy?

[Sources: Ford Canada, DesRosiers & Associates; Automotive News, The Detroit News, WardsAuto.com]

FROM THE FLEET: 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FROM THE FLEET are brief synopses of manufacturer-supplied rides that happen to end up in my laneway – JL

You only have to look at the front end of the new-for-2012 Mustang Boss 302 to know this is NOT your everyday stripes-n-spoilers special. Grille-in driving lights have been blanked-over. An air-dam-cum-spoiler-cum-quasi-air splitter hangs off the front end like fangs off a sabre tooth tiger. Under the Boss’s gratuitously-striped hood, the reworked Five-Point-Oh eight delivers 444 hp—effectively splitting the Mustang GT’s 412 and the Shelby GT500’s 550. No doubt, the latest, limited edition (only 300 examples coming to Canada) Mustang isn’t just another overpriced nostalgia machine.

Oldies out there may remember the original Boss 302 Mustang. The 1969 and ’70 iterations were created to homologate Ford’s Trans Am Mustang race cars. Today’s version’s street-legal race car modus operandi is similar. That said, Ford Canada peeps were adamant about not taking their Michigan-plated press car anywhere near a race track. But over the course of a few days of street driving—including the obligatory highway on/off ramp attacks—all-in-all, it’s easy to call the new Boss 302 the best driver’s Mustang ever.

Well, yeah. There’s still a  live-axle hanging out back. But compared to a $38,699 GT Coupe, the $48,199 Boss 302 (there will be no convertible) sports stiffer springs, a thicker rear stabilizer bar, screwdriver-adjustable-to-five-settings shocks, new bushings, and 19-inch Pirelli P Zeros that at the rear are mounted on 9.5-inch-wide wheels. And, surprisingly, the car is amazingly agile. The Boss turns into corners shaper than any modern Mustang I’ve ever driven. And a balanced handling setup nearly negates understeer, with overseer occurring only in the tightest of corners when I was on the gas too hard. Why you would waste your $58,999 on the nose-heavy, ill-handling GT500, only Carroll Shelby knows…

Even if you never take your Boss 302 on the track, its exhaust note is something you could enjoy on a daily basis. Dig out your Bullitt DVD. Fast forward to the legendary car chase scene where Mc Queen in his ’69 Mustang is chasing the bad guys in their contemporary Dodge Charger along the Guadalupe Canyon Parkway, just outside of San Francisco. The new Boss 302’s four-way exhaust (two rear pipes and two on either side of the car just in front of the rear wheels) make the same sound when rowing through the close-ratio six-speed stick’s gears. Aurally awesome.

I was loaned the “base” model to drive. But of the 300 Boss 302s coming to Canada, 35 will be the track-day special Laguna Seca (named after the California track) version. For an additional $8,500, you’ll get an adjustable front splitter, even stiffer springs, revised bushings, street-legal R-compound Pirelli Corsas (with wider rear wheels), ducts to cool the brakes, an underbody duct to cool the transmissions, the thickest rear anti-sway bar ever found on a Mustang and a tubular-steel X brace that replaces the pair of rear seats. If you’re thinking “track car”, you’d better get inline.

The Boss 302’s Not So Hot list is short. Its steering wheel only tilts. And it’s covered in Alcantara, that, while grippier than traditional cowhide, will more than likely wear before you’ve made the requisite 48 moths of payments. Oh yeah: Despite the optional sport seats wearing predominant R-E-C-A-R-O labels, I could have used more supports when hurtling through said on/off ramps.

Even so, the Boss 302 is a performance car bargain. It thoroughly spanks anything wearing a Chevy Camaro or Dodge Challenger badge. In fact, I dare say it’s the closest thing to an American BMW M3 you can buy.