{"id":17804,"date":"2015-12-31T11:33:01","date_gmt":"2015-12-31T15:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=17804"},"modified":"2016-01-08T11:37:48","modified_gmt":"2016-01-08T15:37:48","slug":"payne-2015-vehicle-of-the-year-chevy-camaro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/payne-2015-vehicle-of-the-year-chevy-camaro","title":{"rendered":"Payne: 2015 Vehicle of the Year: Chevy Camaro"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"camaro_water\"<\/p>\n

Were I a film reviewer, I might have gone mad by now. Consider some of the dogs that critics had tospend two hours watching in 2015<\/a>\u00a0with nothing to comfort them but a bucket of popcorn. \u201cVictor Frankenstein\u201d? Dog. \u201cGet Hard\u201d? Woof woof. \u201cTomorrowland\u201d? Lord, kill me now.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m not a movie critic, I\u2019m an auto critic. And that was a glorious thing to be in 2015. I drove 32 (of 40) new, 2016 model-year vehicles this year in daylight, on open roads, at full throttle. I never needed popcorn. There wasn\u2019t a dog in the bunch. Audi TT, Cadillac ATS-V, Fiat 500X, Ford Edge, Honda Pilot, Mustang GT350 \u2014 even the new Chevy Malibu turned heads.<\/p>\n

Sure, some were homely \u2014 the Scion iA, for example, looks like a bulldog that\u2019s been punched in the face \u2014 but then not every movie starring Margot Robbie is an Oscar contender either (\u201cFocus\u201d? Woof). Like every new car this year, the affordable Scion is a complete player. Up in First Class I was admittedly seduced by the electric Tesla P90D\u2019s \u201cLudicrous\u201d acceleration, iPad console, and re-invention of the auto experience. But only 300 people can afford the thing.<\/p>\n

No, the car of the year must be accessible as well as emotional. As in the movies, money isn\u2019t everything. A $50 million rom-com can be just as stirring as a $500 sci-fi blockbuster. The $30,000 Mazda MX-5 Miata made me smile as wide\u00a0as the dumb grin I wore emerging from the $130K Tesla.<\/a><\/p>\n

Thus my finalists for The Detroit News 2015 Vehicle of the Year. If Miss Universe host Steve Harvey were to crown the wrong winner, no one would bat an eye. All three are deserving.<\/p>\n

Second runner-up: Jeep Renegade<\/p>\n

\"Jeep_3-4_rr\"<\/p>\n

\n

With none of the Big Three truck makers debuting a pickup, all eyes turned to SUVs where manufacturers are furiously offering new products to satisfy public demand for anything on stilts. Compact utes became the biggest non-pickup segment in Autodom (eclipsing midsize sedans) and the Honda Pilot and Kia Sorento launched formidable midsize products in the Battle for Soccer Moms. But the most intriguing new entries were in the newest market of them all: Subcompact utes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

All are rushing to put their stamp in the exploding marketplace that is luring young buyers and empty-nest oldsters alike. From the hot-hatch-in-disguise Mazda CX-3 to Fiat\u2019s 500X cutie, the shelves are full of toys.<\/p>\n

But the Renegade is the most intriguing with its off-road Jeep swagger and impish sense of fun.<\/p>\n

I took it to a neighbor\u2019s house and spent a half-hour with their kids finding the car\u2019s 30-something hidden \u201cEaster egg\u201d details. Hidden gems include \u201cX\u201ds echoing the brand\u2019s World War II Army gas cans, Jeep silhouettes crawling up the windshield, even an Italian-speaking spider (the Jeep is imported from Italy) hidden in the cobwebs behind the gas door. The kids bonded with the vehicle even before we had turned a wheel.<\/p>\n

Exterior design is as cute as its details \u2014 eschewing the bigger Cherokee\u2019s mod look for a youthful face and huge moon roof that can be removed to simulate an open-air Wrangler. On road, the Renegade is pleasant, if hardly the apex-diver the Mazda aspires to be. As the removable roof suggests, Renegade is about answering nature when she calls.<\/p>\n

At an off-road park I experienced the 4×4\u2019s full repertoire from shimmying down 30-degree sand dunes to roaring around unpaved roads. The Renegade is an all-season, all-wheel-drive, all-around athlete. All that personality is key to overcoming Jeep\u2019s perpetual quality challenges that drive buyers to Hondas \u2014\u00a0including a nine-speed transmission that has haunted the brand<\/a>. That tranny is key to good mileage numbers for the Renegade \u2014 an important factor in this budget-conscious class.<\/p>\n

First runner-up: Honda Civic<\/p>\n

\"civic_fr3-4_bran\"<\/p>\n

\n

If the Renegade looks to put its stamp on a new segment, the new Civic is seeking to re-establish itself as the standard in an old one. Mission accomplished.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

While Honda set its sights on dominating small crossovers with its CR-V, the Civic got flabby. The 10th generation Civic telegraphed its determination to get back in shape by benchmarking to the whip-quick Audi A3. Be like Mike.<\/p>\n

Lowering its center of gravity by an inch and widening its stance, the Civic is nimble fun. Honda has plans for a Si sport version as well as a track-pawing Type R, so the base chassis bodes well for those offspring. But the \u201916 Civic is more than an athlete \u2014 it\u2019s a class valedictorian with class-leading fuel mileage (credit Honda\u2019s first turbocharged engine and a nifty, un-CVT like CVT tranny), console apps, and rear leg room. Yes, this baby\u2019s got back. A back seat into which I can fold easily my 6\u20195\u201d frame.<\/p>\n

With its good looks and utility, Civic should have the midsize Accord looking nervously in its mirrors.<\/p>\n

The winner: Chevy Camaro<\/p>\n

\"Camaro_mural\"<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t see out of it. Its front door storage is useless. And I am only comfortable in the back seat if I remove my legs first. But the 2016 Camaro is addictive.<\/p>\n

In an age where mpg-optimized, soap-bar cars all look alike, the Camaro is proof you can still own a vehicle for pure fun.<\/p>\n

The Chevy\u2019s exterior is a minor evolution from the previous model, but its angular air intakes and sinister headlights evoke a front-engine Lamborghini. Or something that Kylo Ren might keep in his garage.<\/p>\n

The Camaro\u2019s real story is under the skin where it shares a platform with the Cadillac ATS \u2014 the best-handling luxury sports coupe. Dance like a butterfly, punch like Ali. GM is leveraging its global platforms to raise all boats. Pushed by the formidable Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang, Camaro is taking the pony car segment to new heights.<\/p>\n

So good is the Chevy that it deserves looks as a BMW coupe fighter with a powerful V-6, turbo-4, and Corvette V-8 \u2014 something not even the ATS can offer. The Camaro benefits not only from Cadillac but from the General\u2019s huge tech investment as well. The Camaro\u2019s brawn is matched by tech brains with excellent 4G Wi-Fi connectivity and Apple Car Play and Android Auto ability (the latter coming in early \u201916).<\/p>\n

So what if the Camaro\u2019s last movie cameo was in a \u201cTranformers: Age of Extinction\u201d bomb. The new pony is a genuine road star.<\/p>\n

\u201915 Jeep Renegade<\/p>\n

Vehicle type:\u00a0Front-engine, front or four-wheel drive, five-passenger sport ute<\/p>\n

Price:\u00a0$18,990 base ($27,355 \u201cOmaha Orange\u201d Latitude 4×4 as tested)<\/p>\n

Power plant:\u00a01.4-liter, turbo, in-line 4-cylinder; 2.4-liter, in-line 4-cyl \u201cTigershark\u201d<\/p>\n

Power:\u00a0160 horsepower, 184 pound-feet of torque (turbo 4); 180 horsepower, 175 pound-feet of torque (2.4L)<\/p>\n

Transmission:\u00a0Six-speed manual (turbo 4-cyl engine only); nine-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance:\u00a00-60 mph, 8.6 seconds \u2014 turbo 4-cyl (Motor Trend est.); 0-60 mph, 8.0 seconds \u2014 2.4-liter 4-cyl (Motor Trend)<\/p>\n

Weight:\u00a03,044 pounds (4×2 turbo 4-cyl); 3,573 pounds (4×4, 2.4-liter Trailhawk edition)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy:\u00a0EPA 24 mpg city\/31 mpg highway\/27 mpg combined (turbo 4); EPA 21 mpg city\/29 mpg highway\/24 mpg combined (2.4L)<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs:\u00a0Jeep styling; As happy in the outback as on the road<\/p>\n

Lows:\u00a0Upright front end and broad C-pillar create blindspots; lumbar support-challenged seats<\/p>\n

Overall:\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n

\u201916 Honda Civic<\/p>\n

Vehicle type:\u00a0Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger compact sedan<\/p>\n

Price:\u00a0$19,125 ($25,535 as tested)<\/p>\n

Power plant:\u00a02.0-liter, inline-4 cylinder; 1.5-liter, turbocharged, inline 4-cylinder<\/p>\n

Power:\u00a0158 horsepower, 138 pound-feet of torque (2.0-liter); 174 horsepower, 162 pound-feet of torque (2.0-liter)<\/p>\n

Transmission:\u00a06-speed manual; Continuously variable automatic<\/p>\n

Performance:\u00a00-60 mph, 8.4 seconds (manufacturer)<\/p>\n

Weight:\u00a02,742 pounds base (2,899 EX-T trim as tested)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy:\u00a0EPA 27 city\/40 mpg highway\/31 mpg (manual, 2.0-liter gas); 31 city\/41 mpg highway\/35 mpg (CVT, 2.0-liter gas); 31 city\/42 mpg highway\/35 mpg (CVT, 1.5-liter turbo)<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs:\u00a0Super-sized rear seat; Turbo-riffic<\/p>\n

Lows:\u00a0Those plasticky, rear-duct thingies; AWD option, please<\/p>\n

Overall:\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n

\u201916 Chevrolet Camaro<\/p>\n

Vehicle type:\u00a0Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, four-passenger coupe<\/p>\n

Price:\u00a0$26,695($38,585 V-8 SS as tested)<\/p>\n

Power plant:\u00a0275 horsepower, 295 pound-feet of torque (turbo-4); 335 horsepower, 284 pound-feet of torque (V-6); 455 horsepower, 455 pound-feet of torque (V-8)<\/p>\n

Power:\u00a0158 horsepower, 138 pound-feet of torque (2.0-liter); 174 horsepower, 162 pound-feet of torque (2.0-liter)<\/p>\n

Transmission:\u00a06-speed manual; 8-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance:\u00a00-60 mph, 3.9 seconds (SS V-8, Car & Driver)<\/p>\n

Weight:\u00a03,685 pounds (as tested)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy:\u00a0EPA 19 city\/28 mpg highway\/23 mpg (V-6, automatic); 17 city\/28 mpg highway\/20 mpg (6.2L V-8, auto)<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs:\u00a0Precise handling; Corvette power<\/p>\n

Lows:\u00a0Blind spot the size of Rhode Island; useless door storage<\/p>\n

Overall:\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Were I a film reviewer, I might have gone mad by now. Consider some of the dogs that critics had tospend two hours watching in 2015\u00a0with nothing to comfort them but a bucket of popcorn. \u201cVictor Frankenstein\u201d? Dog. \u201cGet Hard\u201d? Woof woof. \u201cTomorrowland\u201d? Lord, kill me now. But I\u2019m not a movie critic, I\u2019m an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17804"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17804"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17805,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17804\/revisions\/17805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}