Active safety systems rely on a bevy
of radar, laser, camera, and/or ultra-
sonic sensors. But while automakers
are using the same tools, they’re not
achieving the same results. Though
its usage is limited to roads GM has
laser-mapped, Cadillac’s Super
Cruise will allow for hands-free
driving. And Tesla’s Autopilot will
steer through curves for you. Good
luck trying that in a Ford or a Subaru.
The specific combination of tech-
nologies matters. According to a
2016 Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety (IIHS) study, cars with
forward-collision warning (FCW) and
automated emergency braking (AEB)
were involved in fewer rear-end acci-
dents than those with FCW alone. In
our test of AEB systems from
Cadillac, Subaru, Tesla, and Toyota,
every car could avoid a collision with
a stationary object from 30 mph, but
only the Subaru could stop from 45.
Blind-spot monitoring is a reliable
and affordable way to avoid colli-
sions. Lane-keeping systems are
more of a mixed bag; a 2018 IIHS test
of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, and
Volvo models found that the Benz
and Volvo colored inside the lines
about half the time, and BMW much
less. The two Teslas in the test per-
formed better, but we’ve yet to find a
system that can handle road irregu-
larities or inclement weather.IT DEPENDS on what you’re into. There
are people writing newsletters about com-
muter drones, though, so there’s some-
thing out there for all of us—even people
who like the Chrysler K-car.
If you Google “car shows near me,”
you’ll turn up a list of local gatherings, but
the best cars will be at national events.
Rare and expensive cars can be seen at the
annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
near Monterey, California. Other great
concours take place on Florida’s Amelia
Island and in Plymouth, Michigan.The Woodward Dream Cruise, a rolling
showcase in suburban Detroit, favors
American iron. Rather see a Volvo 240
Turbo or a Fox-body Ford Mustang? Rad-
wood, a celebration of cars and culture
from the ’80s and ’90s, has you covered.
Museums are another great way to see
exceptional cars. We suggest the Petersen
Automotive Museum in Los Angeles;
LeMay America’s Car Museum in Tacoma,
Washington; the Simeone Foundation
Automotive Museum in Philadelphia; and
the Revs Institute in Naples, Florida.
Where should I go to see great cars?
Why are
grilles getting
so big?
You might have noticed more
expressiveness on the roads lately—smiling,
grimacing, and sneering. And not from
drivers, but from cars. From the BMW
7-series to the little Mazda Miata, grilles are
growing at a rapid rate. “There’s no
functional reason why,” says Ken Saward,
director of automotive design at Mazda’s
North American studio. “Radiators have
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cars take in air from below [any way]. It’s a
design trend.” While many car noses are
[\d¼YYRQdVaU_NQN_`R[`\_`PNZR_N`N[Q
other electronic boogers, the grille’s size is
mostly due to designers emphasizing brand
identity and drawing a distinct face for the
vehicle. “Headlights don’t have to be as big
as they used to be,” adds Saward. “That
frees up some real estate, and that space
[RRQ`a\OR¼YYRQ:\`aPN_`N_RTRaaV[T
more aggressive in their design, and bigger
grilles are part of that. It’s that get-out-of-
the-way feel.”- Why is
torque
important?
Torque describes an
engine’s capacity to
do work. Without it, a
car wouldn’t move.
Torque is what makes
your stomach drop
when you stomp on
the accelerator in a
Tesla Model S. Torque
is what diesel trucks
need to move heavy
loads. And while
an engine with a lot
of torque might feel
quick off the line,
there is no speed
without horsepower.
Should I
care about
horsepower?
Are all
active safety
systems
created equal?
If you have no interest
in getting anywhere
quickly, you shouldn’t
care. But more horses
will get you from A to
B quicker. Accel-
eration tests are
essentially a measure
of power and weight:
The more power you
have, the more work
you can do in a given
amount of time. You
can have an engine
that makes little
torque but that spins
very fast and thus
makes a ton of power.
For example, the
Honda S2000’s 2.0-
liter made 240 horses
at 8300 rpm but only
153 pound-feet of
torque at 7500. With-
out much low-end
torque, the S2000 felt
slower than its quick-
for-the-era 5.4-second
zero-to-60 time.
- CAR AND DRIVER. OCT/