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Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2009 Volvo XC90 is a premium midsize crossover SUV that comes in two main trims: 3.2 and V8. The XC90 3.2 seats five and comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, power child safety locks for the rear doors, cloth upholstery, wood interior trim, an eight-way power driver seat with memory, dual-zone automatic climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and an eight-speaker stereo with a CD/MP3 player and auxiliary audio jack. The XC90 V8 adds restyled 18-inch wheels, a sunroof, a third-row seat for seven-passenger capacity, a self-leveling rear suspension, leather upholstery, a six-CD changer, a power front passenger seat, an integrated child booster seat in the second row, a separate rear air-conditioner, upgraded instrumentation and a sunroof.
Casey Gelvin Profile
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2009 Pontiac G8 is a performance-oriented large sedan available in base, GT or GXP trim. Base models come with 18-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, four-way power front sport seats, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel and a seven-speaker CD sound system with XM Satellite Radio and an auxiliary audio jack. G8 GTs add a 6.0-liter V8 engine, summer performance tires, a limited-slip rear differential, dual-zone automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a premium 11-speaker Blaupunkt sound system with a six-CD/MP3 changer. The tarmac-terrorizing GXP version boasts a Corvette-sourced V8 as well as a unique front fascia, an upgraded sport-tuned suspension and 19-inch wheels.
Much of the GT's equipment can be had on the base model via the Comfort and Sound Package. A Premium Package is also available, featuring leather upholstery and six-way power heated front seats. A sunroof can be selected as a stand-alone option. A Sport Package available for the GT adds 19-inch alloy wheels with summer tires and a sport steering wheel.
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Casey Gelvin: Powertrains and Performance
The Flex is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 that churns out 262 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic is the only available transmission. The Flex is either front- or all-wheel drive, although the latter is available only on the SEL and Limited. We managed a respectable 8.8-second 0-60 gallop in the AWD Flex. EPA fuel economy for the front-wheel-drive Flex is 17 mpg city/24 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined, which is on par with GM's full-size crossovers. Opting for AWD drops those numbers by about 1 mpg.
Interior Design and Special Features
The 2009 Ford Flex's interior quality is top-notch, with abundant soft-touch materials and an attractive, upscale design. The spacious layout affords true seven-passenger seating — even the third row is hospitable for full-size adults, offering surprisingly generous leg- and headroom, although the second-row seat tracks impinge on third-row foot room, and the third-row armrests aren't padded like the others. The available Microsoft Sync system imbues the Flex with a high-tech character, offering trick features like advanced voice-recognition software for MP3 players as well as cell phones. Other intriguing options such as the Vista roof, Sirius Travel Link and rear-console refrigerator extend the Flex's appeal.
One notable misstep, however, is the Flex's lack of a telescoping steering column — an inexcusable omission at this price point. Our longer-legged editors found that they had to adopt a straight-armed driving position in order to reach the wheel. Also, the Flex's seats may be on the narrow side for larger folks. Moreover, the Flex's maximum cargo capacity of 83 cubic feet, which is more than adequate for most purposes, is smaller than GM's large crossovers and positively dwarfed by that of any minivan.
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Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2009 Acura TL is a midsize luxury sedan available in base and sport-oriented SH-AWD trim levels. The base TL comes equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, xenon headlights, a sunroof, heated side mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear ventilation controls, eight-way power front seats with heating and driver memory functions, a tilt-telescoping steering column, leather upholstery and Bluetooth phone connectivity. Also standard is an eight-speaker stereo with in-dash six-CD changer, satellite radio, Bluetooth audio connectivity, auxiliary audio jack, USB port and dedicated iPod interface.
The TL SH-AWD adds all-wheel drive, a more powerful engine, 18-inch alloy wheels, upgraded brakes, more aggressively bolstered front seats, upgraded metallic trim and upgraded leather upholstery with contrasting stitching.
The Technology Package available on both trims adds a hard-drive-based navigation system with voice recognition, real-time traffic, real-time weather forecasts, GPS-linked and solar-sensing adaptive climate control system, keyless ignition/entry, a rear spoiler, rearview camera and a 10-speaker Panasonic/ELS surround-sound system with DVD audio and 12.7 GB of digital music storage. All TLs can be equipped with more aggressive tires, while the SH-AWD can be equipped with 19-inch wheels.
Casey Gelvin Blogs: 2009 Chevrolet Traverse Review
Introduction
It's no great secret that recent history has seen a decline in the sales and appeal of truck-based SUVs as family movers. Nonetheless, no matter how practical and easy to use a minivan is, there's just no getting around the minivan stigma for many people. Automakers have reacted to this trend with the crossover SUV, a vehicle that combines the family-focused functionality and car-based dynamics of a minivan with the outgoing appearance and personality of an SUV. With the introduction of the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, General Motors now has four such vehicles built on the same "Lambda" platform, the others being the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook.
Having so many similar vehicles available might seem like overkill, but the quality and thoughtfulness of design that all the Lambda crossovers share has made every one of them a strong segment contender thus far. The brand-new Traverse seems poised to do just as well, if not better. To help differentiate it from the General's other crossover offerings, the Traverse shares some styling cues with the new Malibu, including the distinctive mesh front grille, vaguely circular taillights and the lines of the dual-cockpit dash that extend onto the doors. Overall, the interior styling of the Traverse's cabin, while largely similar to the Acadia's and Outlook's due to parts-sharing, offers an edgier design without losing any mass appeal.
