Real Wheels

Warren Brown has covered the car industry for The Washington Post since 1982.

Brown test drives all types of cars, from luxury sedans to the newest minivans and hybrids. His On Wheels auto reviews are lively, detailed accounts of cars' good and bad qualities.

Brown's Car Culture column addresses the social, political and economic trends of the industry.

Brown comes online Fridays at 11 a.m. ET to answer your questions on every aspect of the automotive industry -- from buying your dream car to the future of the internal combustion engine.

The transcript follows below.

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Sterling, Va.: I am interested in diesel as the best way to aleviate the problems with foreign oil imports. European countries have used diesel for years and even U.S. manufacturers have diesel models of almost every vehicle sold already in production for sale in Europe. Why not bring them to the U.S. market now?

Warren Brown: Good morning, Sterling.

Advanced direct-injection diesel engines are moving into the U.S. automotive maket now--albeit slowly. Volkswagen abd Mercedes-Benz, as you might expect, are the diesel vanguard. VW is introducing 50-state diesel in its Jetta TDi. I think it comes with "Add Blue" technology -- urea intoduced into the exhaust stream to help reduce tailpipe emissions. Mercedes-Benz has advance diesel with BlueTec, essentially the same end-treatment protocol. Mercedes-Benz diesels, at this point, are 45-state. 2009 and 2010 should see a greater intro of advanced diesel technology in the states.

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Fortaleza, Brazil: Happy Friday to you. What is your opinion of the Land Rover Freelander and Kia Sorrento? Has Land Rover's reputation in terms of reliability gone down? By the way, I do not find the gas prices all that high when I go back to the States, but probably because it costs over $5.50 a gallon here. Thanks.

Warren Brown: Good morning, Brazil:

I was never that impressed with the Freelander. It struck me as being something of a corporate afterthought, and not a very good one at that--some lousy fit and finish and electrical problems. The Land Rover LR2 is a substantially better product, quite worthy of consumer consideration. The Kia Sorrento, if I recall correctly, is a good, bargain-basement version of the Chevrolet Trailblazer.

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Carrboro, N.C.: Warren -- was watching the Tar Heels last night and I saw your name flash across the screen; a Ford commercial was quoting you on the topic of Ford's quality. How do you feel about being incorporated into advertising campaigns?

Warren Brown: That's perfectly fine with me as long as I'm quoted correctly, which I was in this case. But I'll know that I'm really respected when a car company quotes one of my less than kind remarks. Still waiting...

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Clinton, Md.: Could you recommend a company that will restore my magnesium wheel? Not sure if I should ask this question here.

Warren Brown: That's "restore," not "replace," right Clinton? Replace is easy. Tire Rack. Restore? The name of an excellent Maryland company comes to mind. How about E&G Classics? And, hey, turkey, why weren't you sure you could ask that question here? There's always someone somewhere in this exceedingly intelligent audience who has an answer.

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Anonymous: From an ex DC-er, still a Wheels reader: Mr Brown, first: keep up the good reviews. Your readers value them. Second, spouse and I are considering 2008 Infinite M35X and Volvo S80 w/AWD. Consumer Reports loves the Infiniti over all in that price range. What's your view? Shoud we also look at Audi A6, if Audi reliabilioty has improved. Spouse and I value reliability and cost of operating/repairs more than speeding along curving roads.

Warren Brown: Unfortunately, Anonymous, my answer is terribly biased by the absolutely wonderful experience I'm having with the larger engine M45X I'm driving now. I've also driven the 35X. Love it, too. It's probably a tad more fuel economical than the 45X. Haven't done the numbers, yet. But, geez, both cars are among the best kept secrets in the auto industry. The Volvo S80 is okay, but lacks the punch and the chutzpah of the 35X. The A6 is a truly wonderful car, a genuine redifinition of luxury, more West Coast than European. But when I price the 35X against the A6, and when I look at Infiniti's customer care record versus that of Audi in the mid-Atlantic region, I go with Infiniti.

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McLean, Va.: Mr. Brown: Are you going to attend the car show in some sort of public capacity this weekend? My wife and I met you and Ria at last year's car show and had a good time talking cars and future directions for the industry.

Warren Brown: Hello, McLean:

Yes, I'll be there. I've been there since Tuesday at The Washington Post booth in the main hall of the DC Convention center. I was supposed to be there today beginning at noon. But I'll get there after this chat, probably at 12:45 p.m. I'll stay until 3 p.m. or thereabouts.

My wonderful associate, Ria Manglapus, joined me Tuesday. But her Mom, the woman I call the hottest grandmother in the world, is at the Virginia Hospital Center recuperating from a hypertension incident. Around here, family comes first. Ria will join me at the show Saturday -- only if she can.

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Congressional, Md.: Is Chrysler doomed?

Warren Brown: Is Chrysler doomed?

No more than the United States. No more than the global environment. No more than peace in the Middle East.

Doom is a funny thing, you see?

We control it. We can avoid it. Or, we certainly can do something to delay its arrival and mitigate its impact.

I've met the new team at Chrysler. I'm impressed. They are all very smart, very dedicated, very innovative and determined people.

I think its flirting with personal doom to bet against people like that. I'm putting my money on their eventual success.

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Driver's Seat, Md.: Hi -- love your columns, and I read your minivan review with great interest. We're in need of a new car but don't need to herd huge numbers, so we're looking at the Mazda5 (now dubbed a "microvan"). Item of concern: lack of government crash tests, reflecting either poor sales or no complaints about its safety. Otherwise, it seems like a pretty good vehicle. Your thoughts, or should we be looking for something else?

Warren Brown: Look at something else for reasons that have nothing to do with intrinsic vehicle quality or safety.

The trouble with the Mazda5, despite Mazda's marketing boasts to the contrary, is that the Mazda5 lacks that inherent thing that makes a Mazda a Mazda. It somehow came off the computer assisted design screen and out of the factory into the market without a single ounce of Zoom-Zoom. In short, it's boring, uninteresting, woefully uninspired--which means, I suppose, that Mazda will not use these quotes in an advertisement.

But, perhaps, the company will use these:

Buy the Mazda CX7. It's small enough to suit your psyche and big enough to suit your needs. It's excellently styled, has ample utility, and it's fun to drive. But most of all, it has Zoom-Zoom and lots of it.

Caveat: The CX7 drives and feels like a sports car. Drivers love it. But some soft-bottomed passengers don't.

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Tenleytown, D.C.: Hi Warren, are you noticing any effects of the economic slowdown on the auto industry and sales yet?

Warren Brown: Hello, Tenleytown:

Yes. And I'm writing about it in this Sunday's (January 27) Car Culture column. Here's a summary:

The subprime loan, easy-credit madness that sank the housing industry is hurting consumers in the auto retail business. According to J.D. Power and Associates, we're beginning to see huge increases in longterm, high-interest car loans, including notes running as long as 72 and 84 months. You do the math. There just are not that many cars or trucks that are going to hold substantial resale value after six or seven years on the road. Many will lose all or most of their resale value by the end of the fourth or third year. That means lots of consumers being upside-down in their vehicles, owing more on them than they are worth. It's not a new phenomenon. But it's one that's growing measurably worse in these trying economic times. Fiscal discipline, anyone? Or, do we keep mainlining ESM (Economic Stimulus Methadone)? Okay, here's $800. You can't pay your mortgage. You're upside-down in your car. The health insurance company isn't paying the medical bills it said it would pay. Sorry about Katrina, New Orleans. Sorry about the insurers deep-sixing you, too. Here's a Bush-Bernanke fix. Enjoy!!

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Goleta, Calif.: Last week you said Ford was building cars as well as anyone, including the Japanese. I dunno. Two weeks ago I rented a Ford Taurus and was savagely disappointed. It was slow, spongy and moved with the alacrity of an oil tanker. In short, it was a dog. Here's the problem: I'm 50, and for my entire driving life the Big 3 have been building cars of aggressive mediocrity: dull, uninspired and of dubious quality. I know you have a fondness for the domestics, but the fact is that the market has punished the Big 3. Yes, Toyota has had its share of problems and I'm disappointed in its direction (see: Tundra), but people are buying Japanese because they've had superior experience with their cars -- not because Consumer Reports said they should. I'm from a union family and I hope the Big 3 get it together. Some of their products look promising, but it's going to take awhile to prove they're building good cars again.

Warren Brown: Dear Goleta:

I don't know any of the details of your rental, nothing about the vehicle-maintenance competence of the rental agency, nor the actual condition or previous customer use of the vehicle you rented. Therefore, I will accept your statement of disappointment at face value.

But your assertion that the Big 3 have been building vehicles of "aggressive mediocrity" for an entire generation is provably wrong--by sales and market share histories, global and North American defect reports, vehicle-use longevity histories, and U.S. recall rates. And I did not even get into the well documented Japanese consumer complaints against the product quality and safety, or the lack thereof, of companies we hold so dear in the United States, especially on the West Coast.

That the Big 3 made some egregious product errors over the years is inarguable. They did. They paid for it. That the Asians and Europeans somehow avoided making many of the same human errors, that they are somehow completely free of such errors today while their American rivals stumble along, is absolute nonsense. I'd be willing to compare industry and product case histories with you or anyone else anytime, anywhere, under any venue. Are you game?

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Springfield, Va.: A follow-up question on your economic downturn comment -- does that mean that there are/will be deals to be had on new cars? I am fortunate enough to not need a new car or, more importantly, 84-month financing, but if the right deal came along, I'd consider giving up my 10+ year old car.

Warren Brown: Yes, absolutely.

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Charlottesville, Va.: Warren: If you don't like the "ESM," the return address is on the envelope. Invoking Katrina? Way to conflate issues. It's a joke to say that $600 or $1,200 won't help. If that were true, then those receiving it might as well tear the check up. Unlikely they'd do that, don't you think?

Warren Brown: The only correct thing you said, Charlottesville, is that those receiving ESM might as well tear the checks up if the only thing they're going to do with them is turn around and spend them to no good end, just to keep consumer spending up. Frankly, lower income and middle income people should be insulted. Here's why: This is what our well paid government economists and media pundits said:

The stimulus package works best if given to lower-income and middle income people. Why? Because, unlike wealthier people who tend to save it, or to invest it wisely, those lower income folks will go right out and spend it.

Think about that:

The lower income people will spend it.

Wealthy people will save it.

Hmmmmmmm...

Is that why the wealthy people are wealthy?

As for New Orleans.

Ha!

Here's your ESM check.

Sorry that we did nothing to rebuild your house.

Sorry that we did next to nothing to rehabiltate your levies.

Sorry that we've done next to nothing to rebuild your school system or your community, that we've done nothing to rebuild your economy, provide decent jobs.

After all, we don't want to "conflate" issues here.

Here's your ESM check.

Mardi Gras is just around the corner.

Hell, dudes, time to let the good times roll!

Go out... and spend!

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Elkridge, Md.: Dear Warren, I'd like to be able to search your auto reviews by make and model instead of looking at the title of each one. Thanks.

Warren Brown: Thank you.

And thank all of you.

I'm off to the D.C. convention center.

Should get there by 1 p.m.

Visit me and the other Posties in the main hall.

Thanks for today's production Amy and Matt.

Thanks for everything, Ria.

Eat lunch. Give the lovely Lola a kiss for me.

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washingtonpost.com: You can search for Warren's reviews by type, and then by make and model under each type, starting here: Browse Reviews by Type

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Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.