lincon navigator vs exclade

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Luxury SUVs such as the Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade are enormously profitable, and since both three-row luxury SUVs have been redesigned for the 2015 model year, we’re taking another look at these image-setting kings of the road. Just how different are the two SUVs, really?

Revisit the basic specs on the new 2015 Cadillac Escalade and 2015 Lincoln Navigator, take a good look at photography you’ll find only at Motor Trend, then tell us in the poll below: Would you rather have the new Navigator or Escalade?

While Cadillac currently owns the luxury SUV segment, it owes Lincoln a big thank-you for reviving the category back in 1997 with the Navigator. With Lincoln holding a fraction of the entire market compared with GM, it was clearly harder for FoMoCo to justify the large investment in making bigger changes for the updated 2015 Navigator.

The big news is an updated drivetrain that ditches the big, thirsty V-8 for Ford’s much-celebrated EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6. In LincoBoost form, the 3.5-liter delivers 370 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque, falling short of Cadillac’s V-8. The overall numbers won’t be nearly as important, though, as the fact that the torque will be available at a much lower rpm and continue over a wider band. Lincoln is so sure of its new engine that it says it will trump the Cadillac’s 8000-pound tow rating with a best-in-class 9000 pounds max, with the proper rearend gear and rear drive.

The Lincoln lords its independent rear suspension over the Cadillac, but its CCD dampers don’t measured up to Caddy’s magnetic units. The advantage is that the lower floor allows more third-row legroom. The extra space may distract Lincoln buyers from the technological disadvantage of Lincoln’s old electronic architecture, which is unable to support modern features such as active cruise control or lane-keeping assist. Neither of the new large SUVs will offer around-view camera systems, which should be mandatory on vehicles of this size.

For 2015, Lincoln will offer a Reserve Package to go head to head with Caddy’s top-level Platinum trim. New Trevino leather will cover the doors, seats, and dash, while Ziricote wood will be planked over hard surfaces. The Reserve package will also include polished 20-inch wheels, light-projected “welcome mats,” and motorized chrome runningboards.

Navigator buyers will have the option of two wheelbases, either 119 or 131 inches. While the Navigator L has a wheelbase 1 inch longer than the Escalade ESV’s, its overall length is an inch shorter. The Navigator L bests the Escalade ESV in storage space as well, with 8-10 more cubic feet with the second and third rows folded and 4 more cubic feet with the those rows in place.

While the comparisons and cross-shopping between the Navigator and the Escalade seem natural, Lincoln insists it has 75 percent owner loyalty with the luxo-trucks. Lincoln says the new Navigator will start rolling into show rooms in late 2014.

As with its latest round of 1/2-ton trucks, the General has taken a more conservative step in refinement than an innovative leap with the king of the large luxury SUV segment. “Luxury” is relative in this instance: The 2015 Escalade still holds on to its succesful trucklike nature.

Now in its fourth generation, the non-eco-chic-celeb favorite still uses body-on-frame construction, and the only engine choice is a 6.2-liter V-8 coupled to a six-speed automatic. Cylinder deactivation gives the short-wheelbase 2WD model an EPA-rated 15 mpg city, 21 mpg highway. Opting for the long wheelbase with AWD drops only a single mpg off each number. While those ratings might sound low, they’re right in line with all but the Escalade’s diesel-powered competitors.

The independent front and solid-axle rear suspension will use the latest generation of GM’s magnetic damping technology. We recently tried the system on a Yukon Denali XL, and it’s a definite improvement over its predecessor. We hope that Caddy’s version will take it another step up in refinement to make it competitive with the rest of the luxury market.

The body-on-frame construction and rear live axle still dominate the floor space in the third row of the standard-wheelbase model, meaning the final row of seating basically sits on the deck. If you want to comfortably carry adults in the rear of your Escalade, the long-wheelbase ESV model is mandatory. At 130 inches — compared with 116 inches for the standard wheelbase — it’s roughly 9 inches longer than a Mercedes-Benz GL, making this about as close to a limousine as you can buy off a showroom floor. Electronics will abound and include active cruise control, lane monitoring, and a new 4G hotspot.

The interior is much more upscale than in previous Escalades. Cadillac’s new mantra for interior quality is “cut and sew,” emphasizing the handmade look of its new high-end vehicle interiors. If you’ve sat inside the new ELR, you know that Caddy is now fully capable of producing something on par with the rest of the segment.

           

nissan gtr vs audi R8 v1

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It doesn’t get much faster than these two. The Audi R8 and Nissan GT-R tear relentlessly at the pavement with four driven wheels and an uninterrupted supply of thrust courtesy of twin-clutch transmissions. Want a quicker all-wheel-drive car? Your options are theLamborghini Aventador ($400,000) and Bugatti Veyron (add a million).

The GT-R, then, with its 545 hp and $116,710 price, would seem a bargain. A Track Pack adds brake cooling ducts, retuned shocks, higher spring rates, and a rear seat delete, on top of the forged wheels borrowed from the Black Edition. New for the R8 this year is a twin-clutch transmission and a V10 Plus model. The latter hones the car with ceramic rotors, a smaller fuel tank, fixed rate shocks, manual seats, and carbon-fiber trim pieces. That’s a total weight savings of 130 pounds. Oh, and it makes 25 hp more.

The engines sit at different ends and the price difference is substantial, but we couldn’t resist the temptation of pitting these two AWD juggernauts against each other. So, a drag race? Quick, after all, is easy for these two — spookily so. Both have launch control procedures, but the gist of it is this: brake, gas, disappear. At a blink over 11 seconds, the race is over. The Nissan wins by 0.3 second with nary a chirp from its Dunlops. Its 2.7-second 0-60-mph time ties it with the fastest production vehicles we’ve ever tested — Veyron, 911 Turbo.

Which one’s quicker? Done. But which is better? That will take a drive on our favorite mountain roads and a lapping session at Willow Springs to determine.

On an empty mountain highway, editor-in-chief Edward Loh and I attempted, fruitlessly, to stay under the speed limit. These cars sucker you in: the R8 innocently urging you to push incrementally harder through each corner; the GT-R never feeling satisfied going slow and chiding you for it.

One seldom escapes the other. “I think only on boost and exiting a tricky corner — maybe in third, planted — will the GT-R surprise the R8. The big tell was seeing dual puffs of gray exhaust shoot from the GT-R,” Loh says. Its Dunlops permit high entry speeds and constantly seem ready for more. You can always get on the gas sooner than you think — the challenge is finding how early. The reward is a barrage of frenetic acceleration backed by a cacophony of rising engine noise and gear whine. Rinse and repeat. The GT-R generates an onslaught of g-forces, so the firm grip of the blue and gray Pep Boys-inspired seats is welcome. The ride, even with the Bilsteins set to Comfort mode, seems to transmit every road imperfection to your head (“‘COMF’ is a lie!” is a frequent refrain). The darn machine is just so capable that it’s the humans who wear out.

Plop down into the Audi, and you find a pervasive sense of refinement. It’s a finely crafted timepiece to the GT-R’s (hugely successful) physics experiment. With no engine blocking the front axle, your outward view and sense of control seem greater and more direct. You get a feel for the weight balance and how you can bend it with steering inputs and pedal control. Part of it is the fixed shocks, which provide comfort once unfathomable in a supercar, but also a better sense of the road. The ride doesn’t isolate you; you still feel what the car’s doing, but the unwanted noise is damped out. “The Audifeels much more special, much more premium, and roughly 2 feet lower than the GT-R,” Loh notes.

In the battle of transmissions, the R8 has the edge. Its gear changes feel quicker and smoother, and it brings out the best of the V-10’s song — a 7000-rpm downshift will make your neck tingle. The GT-R’s box is no less effective, but its shifts are more pronounced.

We meet MT hot-shoe Randy Pobst at the Streets of Willow Springs early, eager to experience these two without the unjust restrictions of speed limits. He sets out in the R8 first, and the V-10 howl is audible even after he disappears into the far end of the track. Afterward, he exits adoring the powertrain but complaining about late entry oversteer. “Really didn’t think the car would do that,” he says. “Everything felt good, and then the tail would just start to come and keep going. It took a lot of steering to stop.”

I head out and find oversteer on turn 2. The R8 unloads in a big way if you crank the wheel with the weight transferred forward. You have to think about power oversteer, too, which I find out exiting turn eight while rolling on in third — a pants-tightening first. It’s manageable — and huge fun — but you need precision and restraint if you want to be fast.

The GT-R is next and has the advantage here. Beyond the “Track Pack” badge on its center console, its alignment has been set to a Nissan-specified track setting (a $260 dealer visit or complimentary if performed during an annual calibration service). After a few drama-free laps, Randy jumps out, saying, “I wish my race car handled like that.” He continues, “No oversteer. Yet it still comes into the corner very well. It doesn’t just razor in the way the Audi will. You can tell you have more polar moment, but it’s balanced and the tail stays where it belongs.”

That behavior works. While the R8’s 1:21.95 lap is respectable (besting the Ferrari 458 by 0.4 second), the GT-R’s 1:19.55 is the fastest we’ve recorded from a production car. It’s also 0.17 faster than what AMA pro Steve Rapp could do with a Ducati 1198 S (an inch or a mile, right?).

The GT-R’s secret? Torque and traction in large quantities. It’s simply able to exit corners harder, and it doesn’t waste any time with spinning tires. Consequently, it offers a level of confidence that allows you to push harder — see turn 1 and the kink on the track map. But that confidence can make it too easy.

Randy jokes about needing only one hand to lap it, and I’m not smiling as much while driving it. After mulling for a bit, we agree: While the mid-engine, lighter, and more powerful car is slower, it’s more fun.

A convincing argument exists for both cars. The GT-R certainly earns respect for being so spectacularly dominant at speed, but it neglects the subtle but hugely enjoyable elements of driving a car. It sees the apex, but misses the road. The R8 has depth. Its ease of use and comfort mean you could drive it every day, and yet that functionality doesn’t impede the fun when you drive it fast. Crucially, though, and unlike with the Nissan, you don’t have to be at the absolute limit to enjoy it. The R8 wins, not because it’s more refined and sounds and looks better, but because, simply, we all want to keep driving it.

Audi R8

The car accelerates so quickly I’m actually braking for turn 1, which I don’t usually do. We’re just going too bloody fast.

Turn 9 wasn’t as frightening as it normally is. Usually cars are just going nuts, bouncing off the bump stops. But the R8 was very well-behaved. It has more travel than it looks like, or good bump stops. It may be very progressive, but I think it’s mostly in the shocks.

• There’s an obvious sensation of low polar moment as you enter the corner. The car is not working very hard to come down to the apex — it likes it. What’s disconcerting is that, if you stay off the power long enough, what you’ll get is a big rotation. Dramatic slides will slow you down. A lot.
• The seats are comfortable. They feel kind of cushy, but they’re not as racy as I might’ve expected. They don’t hold you like the seats in a Subaru BRZ — that’ll piss ’em off.

Nissan GT-R

• The Nissan feels like the Audi with stability control on. It’s much easier to drive fast. When you go over that blind hill (turn 1), and you don’t really know for sure what you’re going to get on the other side, there’s definitely more confidence in the Nissan.
• Puts the power down much better. Very little power oversteer. Very little power understeer. It still has a fair amount of mid-corner push in turn 3. It’s a little pushy on the skidpad too (turn 14) — kind of a good push. I’d call it stable.
• The suspension is not as refined and I think there’s a tire advantage. The tires were in less slip angle than the Audi’s. The whole thing does not feel as good as the Audi. The Audi has such a feeling of fine machinery, all honed and polished. But the Nissan handles better.

motor treand

lamborghini gallardo vs ferrari 458 italia

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Should you bring home a Lamborghini Huracan or a Ferrari 458? Not to be confused with a run of the mill "first world problem," this dilemma is a legitimate struggle for only sultans, rock stars, footballers, and opulent princes. Not to worry, your highness, let's break it down.

New Lamborghini Huracan reviews and road tests that were published over the past week have left privileged journalists utterly gobsmacked  by the performance and presence of the latest bull from Sant'Agata Bolognese. The Lamborghini Huracan replaces the beloved Gallardo, the best-selling car in Lamborghini history. In fact, 14,000+ Gallardos account for more than half of all Lamborghinis sold in the automaker's fifty-year history.  No doubt, the Huracan has big shoes to fill.

Even though the Ferrari 458 and the Lamborghini Huracan are direct rivals, their differences are night and day. The 458 is a classic Ferrari through and through-- a naturally-aspirated V8 engine powering only the rear wheels. The Lamborghini Huracan opted for a more exotic V10 power unit that sends power to all four wheels, just like the Gallardo. Unlike the Gallardo, the 5.2 liter V10 powerplant in the Huracan is completely redone to produce 610 horsepower, which is also a considerable amount higher than the Ferrari 458 V8's 562 horsepower.

Despite the noticeable power deficit, the Ferrari 458 Italia's lithe weight of 3,042 lbs. (2,844 lbs. in Speciale trim) undercuts the Lamborghini Huracan's 3,135 lbs. dry weight. The lighter Ferrari 458 Italia accelerates from 0-60 in 3.3 seconds while the hardcore 458 Speciale does it in 2.9 seconds. Despite the little extra heft, theAWD system in the Lamborghini Huracan allows it to catapult from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.2 seconds. Finally both the Ferrari 458 and Lamborghini Huracan are capable or reaching a top speed of 202 mph.

Price-wise, the Ferrari 458 Italia starts at $237,259 while the Lamborghini Huracanstats at a near as makes no difference $243,000. As its name suggests, the special Ferrari 458 Speciale starts at $298,000.

Now that the objective figures are out of the way, let's look into immeasurable factors such as driving excitement and usability. Be sure to watch the awesome video reviews of the Lamborghini Huracan and the Ferrari 458 below

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