Bad tech co. news sinks Nasdaq

A twitchy stock market closed lower yesterday off bad tech company news, eliminating promising gains earlier in the week, after disappointing earnings reports from major companies.

The Nasdaq composite index fell 72 points ­— 1.8 percent — while the Standard & Poors 500 and Dow Jones industrial average both dipped almost 1 percent.

"The market is in a precarious position at the moment, and overreacts to bad news far more than it did last year," said Scott Clemons, chief investment strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman.

Technology stocks fell across the board, on the back of a disappointing earnings report from Amazon.

The company fell 10 percent after telling investors that the second quarter will likely lead to an operating loss. Netflix, Facebook and Twitter also dropped yesterday.

Also contributing to the losses were renewed fears over the economic impact the conflict in Ukraine could have.

"Russian troops are massing up at the Ukrainian border, which is enough to make people nervous about anybody with business activities in Europe," said Tom Stringfellow, president and chief investment officer of Frost Investment Advisors.

The Nasdaq had been up 0.7 percent this week before yesterday.

Herald wire services contributed to this report.

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Workplace Diversity Job Fair Monday, April 28, 2014

Workplace Diversity Job Fair

Monday, April 28, 2014

10:00-4:00

Boston Marriott Copley Place

110 Huntington Ave., Boston

Job seekers, don't miss this exciting opportunity

The Boston Herald is hosting the 21st annual Workplace Diversity Job Fair on Monday, April 28. Companies from the Greater Boston area will be in attendance looking for candidates to fill positions in areas including sales, business, medical, technology and more!

Look for a special pull-out section on Thursday, April 24 for all the information you will need to make the job fair a success for you.

There is no cost or obligation for attending.

Proper attire is suggested.

The following companies are participating in the Monday, April 28 Workplace Diversity Job Fair:

• Arbour Health System
• Bay Cove Human Services
• Boston Marriott Copley Place
• BMC HealthNet Plan
• Commonwealth Worldwide
• Eliot Community Human Services
• G2 Secure Staff
• Harvard University
• Keolis Commuter Services
• Lincoln Technical Institute
• Massasoit Community College
• Mass Eye and Ear
• New England HERC
• New England Research Institute
• Northeastern University Bouve' College of Health Sciences School of Nursing
• Northeast Security
• Prudential
• Rockland Trust
• South Bay Mental Health
• U.S. Navy
• Verizon Wireless
• WGBH

The Workplace Diversity Job Fair is conducted in accordance with federal laws advocating employment for all individuals. The Workplace Diversity Job Fair is handicapped accessible. If special arrangements are required, please call 617-619-6168 no later than 2 days prior to the event.

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Stylish loft offers space to ‘park’

This Manhattan-style loft in Boston's Leather District has something rarely seen inside a residence — a custom glass garage door that separates the home office/study space from the open dining/living area.

With its authentic brick and beam feel, the loft at 111 Beach St. is stylishly put together, with shiny, 
wide-plank maple floors 
and 12-foot ceilings with 
exposed duct work.

It's on the fourth floor of an 1899 brick building converted to condos in 2004-2005, with a contemporary stone and gray metal 
facade on the first floor and a granite and wood first-floor lobby.

Unit 4H opens into a home office/study area, which could also be a nursery or even a second bedroom. It can also be closed off with the custom glass garage door.

The large open dining/living area has three large Thermopane windows, 
exposed brick walls, wood ceiling beams and columns, exposed duct work and even a built-in ironing board.

A wood column sits at the juncture of the loft's kitchen, recessed and pendant lit with light cherrywood cabinets, beige granite counters and G.E. Profile stainless-steel appliances including an electric stove, dishwasher and built-in microwave.

The brick-walled master bedroom has one window and a double-door closet with built-in storage racks, plus an additional closet outside the door.

Across the hall is a bathroom with a granite-walled whirlpool tub/shower and a black granite topped cherry­wood vanity, as well as built-in linen drawers.

Adjacent is a closet that holds the unit's stacked Bosch washer and dryer. The $367 monthly condo fee includes heat and hot water and central air conditioning.

There is no on-site parking, although a space can be had at a nearby garage for about $350 a month. But the building does have a private fitness room for residents.

The unit comes with a private storage cage in the basement.

Home Showcase

Address: 111 Beach St., 4H, Boston
Bedrooms: One plus study
Bathrooms: One
List price: $649,000
Square feet: 1,095
Price per square foot: $593
Annual taxes: $5,890
Monthly condo fee: $367 (includes heat, hot water and central air)
Location: Half block to restaurants along South Street. Two blocks to offerings in Chinatown and about a half mile to Downtown Crossing.
Built In: 1899; converted to condos in 2004-2005
Broker: Robb Cohen of Boston Realty Advisors at 617-962-0142

Pros:

• Stylishly designed with exposed duct work, maple floors
• Home office
• Study area can be closed off with glass garage door
• Reasonable condo fee includes heat, central air, hot water
• Light cherrywood cabinets, granite and stainless steel kitchen

Cons:

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Obama pushes again for minimum wage increase

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is again encouraging Congress to pass a bill raising the minimum raise to $10.10 an hour.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says increasing the pay for minimum-wage workers would help 28 million workers. He says Republican lawmakers not only don't want to increase the minimum wage, some want to get rid of it entirely.

In a dig at Republicans in Congress, Obama says they have taken more than 50 votes against his health care law but resist one vote on the minimum wage bill.

In the Republican address, House Speaker John Boehner says the federal government needs to get out of the way as small businesses try to plan for the future.

Boehner says House Republicans are pursuing economic initiatives that put jobs first.

___

Online:

Obama address: www.whitehouse.gov

GOP address: www.speaker.gov

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Strike at Chinese shoe factory ends partially

BEIJING — Most of the tens of thousands of workers who were striking at a massive Chinese shoe factory complex have returned to the job, labor activists said Saturday, enabling Adidas to resume production there.

The Germany-based athletic wear giant said workers returned Friday to its factory run by Taiwanese-owned Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings Ltd., the world's largest manufacturer of athletic shoes.

More than 40,000 workers at Yue Yuen's sprawling, multi-factory complex in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan went on strike in early April to protest underpayments into their social security and housing funds.

It was one of the largest strikes ever in China's private sector, where low-cost manufacturers are facing increasing labor activism amid a shortage of migrant workers, pushing up labor costs.

Yue Yuen makes shoes for major brands including Adidas, Nike and New Balance, which are increasingly looking to other countries to source their production.

Labor activists confirmed Saturday that most Yue Yuen workers, including those assigned to the Adidas factory, had returned to work, though about 10,000 remained on strike.

The workers have not reached a deal with Yue Yuen, which has offered to pay full contributions starting May 1. The company rejected workers' demands for a 30 percent pay raise and back payments into their social security funds.

It was unclear why most of the workers had returned to the job. Some labor activists said Yue Yuen management — assisted by police — forced the workers to return.

It was not immediately known whether Nike or New Balance had resumed production at Yue Yuen.

On Wednesday, Adidas said it was moving some of its production from Yue Yuen to other suppliers. But as production at Yue Yuen resumed Friday, Adidas said in a statement that it remained committed to Yue Yuen and "to China as a sourcing country."

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Auto review: Nissan adds economy to practicality in Pathfinder Hybrid

Take one of the best family-size crossover utility vehicles on the market, and add a gasoline-electric hybrid drive system to it, and you'll have the best of both worlds: versatility and efficiency.

That's the theory behind the all-new 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, a great people hauler that also offers decent fuel economy: up to 26 mpg combined city/highway. That's for a vehicle that can carry up to seven adults in comfort, with no compromises.

Prices begin at $35,300 for the entry-level SV front-wheel-drive version.

It's the first in a line of new hybrid models on the way from Nissan. Also planned are hybrid versions of the redesigned Rogue compact crossover, as well as the redesigned 2015 Murano midsize crossover and the Altima sedan, which plays in the same class as the Accord, Camry, Fusion, Sonata and Optima hybrids.

Nissan's crossover product planner, Scott Pak, confirmed that the new Murano, unveiled at the New York auto show, will get a hybrid version, although when it will arrive has not yet been determined.

Likewise for the Rogue and Altima, although the Rogue model probably is closer to launch. Nissan introduced the second generation of the Rogue last fall, and began production of it in the Nissan plant in Tennessee, which also makes the Pathfinder (including the hybrid) on the same assembly line. That plant also makes the Leaf electric car, and the lithium-ion batteries for it.

The Pathfinder got a complete redesign last year that turned it into a roomy, full-size crossover. It took another big leap this year with the addition of the hybrid version.

Under the hood of the hybrid is a supercharged 2.5-liter gasoline engine coupled with a 15-kilowatt electric motor, which gets its power from a compact lithium-ion battery.

Together, they provide nearly the same power as the gasoline-only Pathfinder's 3.5-liter V-6. The hybrid has a total of 250 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque, compared with 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque for the 3.5-liter.

I've tested both vehicles, and the power of the hybrid feels quite similar to that of the gasoline model, although there seemed to be more pep on take-off with the hybrid. That's because the electric motor kicks in with all of its torque right away.

At highway speeds, the hybrid has plenty of power left in reserve for passing, also thanks to the boost provided by the electric motor.

EPA ratings for the front-drive hybrid are 25 mpg city/28 highway/26 combined, compared with 20 city/26 highway/22 combined for the two-wheel drive gas model. With four-wheel drive, the hybrid gets 25/27/26, compared with 19/25/21 for the four-wheel drive gas model.

Nissan targeted the Toyota Highlander Hybrid with the design of the Pathfinder Hybrid, Nissan said. The hybrid is priced just $3,000 more than a similarly equipped gasoline-only Pathfinder, while Toyota charges a $7,000 premium for the Highlander hybrid.

Regular Pathfinder prices for 2014 begin at $28,850 for the base S version with two-wheel drive, and run as high as $41,350 for the top Platinum model with four-wheel drive.

Pathfinder hybrids have the same interior space as the gasoline versions, including ample legroom, and cargo capacity. We packed six adults into our test vehicle — including two in the third row — and everyone acknowledged having decent leg and knee room.

New for 2014 is a technology package that adds a 13-speaker Bose premium audio system with navigation, voice recognition, XM NavTraffic and NavWeather capability, Zagat Survey restaurant guide, Bluetooth streaming audio and an 8-inch color touch screen.

Our tester was the Platinum four-wheel-drive hybrid with a Platinum Package that brought a rear entertainment system. It also had roof cargo cross bars, carpeted floor mats and illuminated kick plates.

The newest Pathfinder has a unibody-style design, rather than the traditional body-on-frame arrangement of the model it replaced. It's now a top competitor in its class, which includes such stalwarts as the Highlander and Honda Pilot, thanks to its best-in-class passenger space, fuel economy and standard towing capacity.

Other competitors include the big crossovers from General Motors: the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia; and both the Ford Explorer and Ford Flex.

Riding on the same architecture as the new Infiniti QX60 (formerly JX) crossover, the Pathfinder has the same passenger capacity and a similar drivetrain as the Infiniti. The main differences between the two are the styling and the levels of standard equipment. The QX60 also got a hybrid version for 2014.

There are now five crossovers in the Nissan lineup: the subcompact Cube and Juke, compact Rogue, midsize Murano and full-size Pathfinder. All but the Pathfinder and new Rogue have five-passenger capacity. Nissan also is continuing to sell the previous generation of the Rogue for 2014, renamed the Rogue Select, starting at just over $20,000.

Our Pathfinder's optional dual panoramic moon roof extended all the way to the third row, and would have been great for viewing the recent lunar eclipse — if it hadn't been raining at the time.

Standard on our Platinum version were leather upholstery; heated and cooled front seats and heated second-row seats; heated steering wheel; power tilt-and-telescopic steering column; and keyless entry with pushbutton start.

All seating positions are suitable for adults, unlike many crossovers whose third row is intended for children or very small adults. Getting into and out of the rear and middle seats was made easier by the large rear door openings and the EZ Flex seating system, which allows the second-row seat to slide forward up to 5.5 inches, and to tilt, as well, for access to the third row.

The middle seat had a 60/40 split feature that allows a child-safety seat to remain in place on the curb side while the other side is moved forward to let the rear passengers in or out. With the third seat in place, there is 16 cubic feet of cargo space behind it. It has a 50/50 split-folding design, so either side, or both sides, can be folded down to increase cargo capacity.

Second- and third-row seats can be folded to create a completely flat load floor from the tailgate to the back of the front seats, giving the vehicle nearly 80 cubic feet of cargo space.

The tailgate flips up in one piece, and on the Platinum model, it's power-operated. A small storage area under the rear cargo floor provides a good place to hide valuables when the vehicle is parked.

Also included on our tester was the Nissan AroundView monitor, which shows up on the nav screen next to the rearview-camera display. Around View gives the driver a 360-degree bird's-eye view around the vehicle, using front, rear and side mini-cameras.

Pathfinders also come with a tire-pressure monitoring system with Nissan's Easy Fill Tire Alert, which beeps the horn when a tire being filled with air reaches its proper inflation level.

———

2014 NISSAN PATHFINDER HYBRID:

—Type of vehicle: Large, five-door, seven-passenger, four-cylinder gasoline-electric hybrid, front- or all-wheel-drive crossover utility vehicle.

—Rating: 9.3 (of a possible 10).

—Highlights: Completely redesigned for 2013, the Pathfinder adds a hybrid version for 2014. With last year's makeover, the vehicle evolved into a crossover, with three rows of seats. It has plenty of power — hybrid or gasoline only — and lots of standard and optional features.

—Negatives: Can get pricey when options packages are added.

—Engine: 2.5-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder with electric motor

—Transmission: Continuously variable automatic

—Power/torque: 250 horsepower/243 pound-feet (hybrid, total)

—Length: 196.9 inches

—Curb weight range: 4,417-4,714 pounds

—Brakes, front/rear: Disc/disc, antilock

—Cargo volume: 16 cubic feet (behind third seat); 79.8 cubic feet (second and third row seats folded down)

—Towing capacity: 3,500 pounds

—Side air bags: Front seat-mounted; roof-mounted side-curtain for all rows

—Electronic stability control: Standard

—Fuel capacity/type: 19.5 gallons, unleaded regular

—EPA fuel economy, city/highway/combined: 25/28/26 (front drive); 25/27/26 (AWD)

—Base price: $35,300

—Price as tested, including destination charge: $48,285

———

ABOUT THE WRITER

G. Chambers Williams III has been an automotive columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram since 1994. He can be reached at chambers@star-telegram.com.

———

©2014 Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Visit Fort Worth Star-Telegram at www.star-telegram.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

—————

PHOTOS (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): AUTO-NISSANPATHFINDERH-REVIEW

_____

Topics: t000047405,t000047103,t000002537,t000002676,t000018190,t000018196,t000003086

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Auto review: McLaren 650S a step below P1, but who will know?

The envy one feels toward an exclusive $1.15 million super car is usually from the buyer's perspective. But with the 2015 McLaren 650S, it's the British sports car maker that seems to be lusting after its own, more premium creation, the P1.

Designed as a track car that's civilized enough for the street and, with its Spider version, versatile enough to allow tanning at Mach speed, the 204-mph 650S Spider is what you get when you take an MP4-12C and give it a face-lift with 25 percent new parts to make it look like the limited-production, plug-in hybrid sports car BMW i8 buyers can only covet.

A bargain, at least comparatively, the $280,225 650S Spider aspires to the P1's glamor through a front end that is literally a carbon (fiber) copy, with serpentine headlights that subliminally suggest its most appropriate terrain. While most of the body panels are the same as the 12C it's replacing, the back and sides have had their share of plastic surgery, and the results are even better than Joan Rivers.

Gone is the glass fastback of the 12C, replaced with more angular lines, a taillight assembly that flows into its shapely backside and cavernous side scoops to shove even more air into its mid-mounted engine. With the 650S, McLaren finally makes use of the tiny hole it left in the 12C's rear bumper. It now has a rear-view camera to see whatever hasn't voluntarily cleared itself upon hearing the menacing blurp and gurgle of its exhaust.

Named for its European horsepower rating, the 650S makes a less numerically marketable 641 horses, by U.S. standards. That's 25 more than the 12C, but it costs roughly 1 grand for every 1 horsepower gain from its twin-turbocharged and intercooled 3.8-liter V-8. Like the 12C — and the Ferrari 458 it's gunning for — the engine is displayed in a peekaboo rear window to show it off like the high-performance art piece it is.

From the cockpit, I was able to control the beast to the extent possible with the help of a pair of knobs that adjust the performance and suspension as independent entities. The performance knob is operated in normal, sport or track modes, each of which activates different shift points on the smooth seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission that I heard more than felt. The handling is separately adjustable in the same trio of choices.

Unique to McLaren, the handling settings operate hydraulically interlinked dampers that increase or reduce pressure as needed to affect the stiffness of the suspension and negate the need for sway bars. A Z bar on the rear end acts like a spring, working with the air brake to keep the back end planted. The air brake automatically flies up from the car's hindquarters whenever the brake pedal is stomped at speeds above 62 mph and is such a cool feature, I was tempted to drive like an idiot just to watch it move.

McLaren Newport Beach let me take the 650S Spider for a morning drive last week, My favorite combination of settings was track for the power train, to maximize grunt on takeoff, and sport for handling, so I wouldn't negate the traction and stability controls when driving the 650S the way it wants — with giddy abandon, regardless of consequence.

Fortunately, the only consequences I experienced were stares, smiles, screams, even a salute from strangers who were responding to the spectacle of a middle-aged woman driving a flaming-orange super car with the top down on an especially moneyed stretch of Southern California real estate. I couldn't have felt more like a cougar if I had spots.

The 650S is constructed form the same carbon fiber MonoCell its sister company, McLaren Racing, has used in Formula One since 1981. Isolated by an aluminum crush structure, the molded carbon cockpit is lightweight yet rigid for high-speed flogging — and muscular enough that it negates the need for the usual chassis reinforcements required when jettisoning a fixed roof for a drop-top variant.

It takes 17 seconds for the electronically operated retractable hardtop to fully lift or lower into a tonneau cover that is color-matched to the body, which, on my test car, was a shade of orange so fiery it looked combustible. The roof can be operated at speeds up to 19 mph — a split second for the 650S Spider, which accelerates all the way to 60 in 2.9 seconds.

Entering the two-seater through its dihedral doors is an exercise in contortion. Its steeply raked windshield creates a sharp angle that interferes with easy access to a car that was so low-slung I developed an appreciation for hub caps and bumpers.

Early in my drive, I happened upon a dead possum that, in a taller car, I would have straddled with my wheels. Doing so with the 650S, however, that possum would have been along for the ride. Luckily, the 650S is an F1 racer in street clothing, so dodging the carcass was a breeze.

Everything about the 650S is decisive as an Eton schoolmarm. Even the performance and handling knobs turn with a firm touch. The steering feels heavy, the carbon ceramic brakes heavy duty, though they aren't grabby so much as progressive.

Hailing from the land of Benny Hill, there are aspects of the 650S that seem different solely for the sake of being different, such as the seat controls, which required some groping, since they're located at the seats' fronts, not their sides. Buttons for the climate controls are, oddly, on the driver-side door — most likely because they don't fit in a slim center stack housing the fun buttons 650S drivers will want to toy with.

The 650S may be the poor man's P1, but the good news is that the financial ability to buy one means you're still quite rich — not only with money but the wealth of experience McLaren so ably provides.

———

2015 MCLAREN 650S SPIDER:

—Powertrain: Rear/mid-mounted, twin-turbocharged, port fuel-injected, 3.8-liter, V-8, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, dual-clutch seven-speed transmission

—Horsepower: 641 at 7,250 rpm

—Torque: 443 pound-feet at 3,000-7,000 rpm

—Curb weight: 3,250 pounds

—Maximum speed: 204 mph

—0 to 60 mph: 2.9 seconds

—EPA-estimated fuel economy (mpg): 16 city, 22 highway, 18 combined

—Base price: $280,225

—Price as tested (Spider version with various options): $327,945

———

ABOUT THE WRITER

Susan Carpenter writes for the Orange County Register. She may be reached at scarpenter@ocregister.com.

———

©2014 The Orange County Register. Distributed by MCT Information Services

Visit The Orange County Register at www.ocregister.com

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Auto review: New Cadillac ELR is more flash than dash

Sky-high fins clung to old Cadillacs with swaying, raucous grace.

Brash and a bit obnoxious, they gave the big, cushy cruisers the sort of strut and flash usually found in a French Quarter parade.

I remember.

As a sweaty gomer on a faded red Schwinn in the '60s, I would stop every time some sugar daddy's Caddy blew by, just hoping for a cooling whoosh from its fins.

You won't find any such excesses on the 2014 Cadillac ELR, a taut, radical new coupe full of the 21st century.

The ELR's edgy rear fenders, for instance, wear high, flat ridges on their tops, looking as if Cadillac's young skinny-tie designers just pruned the fins away.

And in effect, they did.

What we get with the ELR is a super-slinky coupe that's stylish in ways similar to the fabulously fashionable cruisers of the '50s.

But the ELR is also so self-consciously contemporary that you might one day find some pale space alien in sports coat and sunglasses behind its leather-covered wheel.

Welcome — again — to 2014.

As you probably know, the feds continue to squeeze all automakers for better fuel economy, with an astounding 54.5 mile-per-gallon requirement looming in 2025.

Consequently, Cadillac's most striking, traffic-stopping car is — hold on to your Stetson — an extended-range electric vehicle.

Does that get your heart racing or what?

As such, the ELR can run in all-electric mode for a modest 37 miles or so before needing a recharge back at the garage.

Or you can just keep driving.

When the electricity runs out, the ELR's computers seamlessly fire up a 1.4-liter gas engine that acts mostly as a generator, supplying electricity for another 300 miles or so.

Under hard acceleration, the gas engine also provides some power to the wheels, functioning then like a hybrid.

If that sounds familiar, General Motors pioneered the approach with the Chevrolet Volt, and much of the ELR's powertrain is Volt-derived — a fact likely to prove pretty controversial in the $81,000 ELR.

Few will criticize its looks, though.

Thin, vertical headlamps cut high into the front fenders of the dark red ELR I had recently, flanking a huge silver grille with a big Caddy emblem in the center.

Short overhangs front and rear emphasized the car's relatively long wheelbase, and seven-spoke 20-inch wheels wearing 245-40 tires filled the fender wells on mine.

Though the carved body looked a bit thick to my hick eyes, it was topped by a sloping, cut-down roof that gave the car good visual balance.

Best of all in back, tall, vertical tail lamps wrapped onto those flat-top fenders, vaguely evoking the fins and taillights of the past.

Although the ELR's powertrain is based on the one in the $34,000 Chevy Volt, Cadillac says the ELR gets some software tweaks that bring its total horsepower up to 217 with torque of 295 pound-feet.

Like all electric vehicles and many hybrids, the ELR starts in total silence — if it's operating in electric mode.

Mine was also fitted with an odd but effective automatic transmission that had fixed and variable-ratio modes.

With the instant torque of an electric motor, the ELR felt quicker than it was, accelerating smoothly and vigorously without any noticeable gear shifts.

In fact, though, it would struggle to out-accelerate a four-cylinder Honda Accord, getting to 60 mph in an unremarkable 8.1 seconds, according to Car and Driver. (In all-electric mode it's even slower, requiring 9 seconds to hit 60.)

Around town, in "sport" mode, the ELR felt adequate — and looked great.

The ride tended toward stiff, but it was controlled and well-damped.

But like Cadillacs of old, the 4,000-pound ELR, bulked up by its lithium-ion battery pack, preferred straight lines to curves.

Though equipped with a better suspension than the one under the Volt, the ELR was still essentially an overweight front-wheel-drive coupe.

If pushed hard, it would start to understeer, feeling twitchy in fast, sweeping curves as its front wheels threatened to let go.

Also, the regenerative brakes could be abrupt, particularly in traffic. They seemed slow to respond to initial presses on the brake pedal, but then grabbed hard.

That was unfortunate because, like most modern Caddies, the ELR had decent steering — light and quick with fairly good road feel.

Just drive it slowly. Electric cars typically have no vibration or noise and whisper down the road like the regal land yachts of the past.

Or you could pause to admire its fine interior.

The rich tan interior in mine was not marred by a single piece of black plastic.

Beginning with the padded, stitched geometric-shaped dash, the inside of the ELR was a sea of tans and browns.

Stuck in the middle of that dash was a large center stack with an eight-inch touch screen and Cadillac's controversial CUE climate and audio controls.

CUE uses various horizontal bars to "control" items such as fan speed and stereo volume.

You're supposed to gently slide your finger across them to change a setting. But they are so overly sensitive that you often get full-blast or nothing.

Give me buttons and knobs any day.

Still, the smooth light tan seats looked sumptuous with sectioned centers and decent bolsters.

Likewise, the door panels were stitched in tan velour on top with wood trim beneath that and a padded, light tan center panel and armrest.

A fairly broad console ran all the way back into the rear seats, splitting them into two finely stitched buckets.

Just ignore them. Positioned at a slight incline to compensate for the sloping rear window, the seats are difficult to squeeze into and offer tight leg- and headroom once you finally get in.

Actually, all of that seemed appropriate. Let's be honest here: The ELR looks like a million bucks and functions at something less than $80,000.

If you prefer to run on strictly electric and live in the suburbs, plan on recharging the ELR every night or two, a process that will take at least 12 hours using a standard 120-volt household outlet.

And if you're OK with allowing the on-board engine-generator to supply the electric motor, you will get about 33 miles per gallon, which these days is middling at best.

But you can be sure of this: Almost nothing on the road, regardless of cost, will look better.

And what is that worth in style-conscious Dallas?

———

2014 CADILLAC ELR:

—Type of vehicle: Four-passenger, front-wheel-drive extended-range electric coupe

—Fuel economy: Equivalent of 82 miles per gallon in electric range; 33 mpg with the gas generator running

—Weight: 4,054 pounds

—Engine/motor: AC permanent-magnet synchronous electric-drive motor working with a 1.4-liter four-cylinder gas engine for a combined 217 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque

—Transmission: Automatic with fixed- and variable-ratio modes

—Performance: 0 to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds in combined electric/gas mode; 9 seconds in electric only

—Base price, excluding destination charge: $75,000

—Price as tested: $80,680

SOURCES: Cadillac division of General Motors; Car and Driver

———

ABOUT THE WRITER

Terry Box writes for the Dallas Morning News. He may be reached at tbox@dallasnews.com.

———

©2014 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by MCT Information Services

Visit The Dallas Morning News at www.dallasnews.com

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Redesigned Camry, Sonata debut as competition heats up

The battle for buyers of family sedans — already the most competitive U.S. auto segment — will heat up this fall when Toyota and Hyundai launch dramatically restyled versions of their respective offerings, the Camry and the Sonata.

A decade ago, the default choices in this biggest slice of the auto market were the Camry and Honda's Accord, but the competition has grown fierce in the past five years. Automakers can't afford a misstep with a new model, and they can't fall behind with a dated model.

That's why Toyota and Hyundai debuted redesigns of their flagship sedans at the New York International Auto Show last week — even though the current version of the Camry is just 2 years old and the current Sonata launched as a 2011 model. Car companies typically wait five years between redesigns.

"The market is evolving faster, and consumer patience for vehicles that have not changed is dropping," said Karl Brauer, an analyst with auto information company Kelley Blue Book.

The Camry has been the nation's bestselling passenger car for a dozen years, but its lead over competitors is narrowing. Through the first three months of this year, Toyota sold about 94,000 Camrys. That leads the Nissan Altima by about 5,000 sales and the Honda Accord by about 15,000 sales.

But the Accord's market share is growing. When commercial sales to rental car companies and other fleet customers are subtracted, the Honda actually beat the Toyota last year, Brauer said.

That has prompted Toyota to ratchet up the discounts. Through the first three months of this year, Camry sales incentives averaged just over $3,200, almost $500 more than the industry average for the midsize sedan segment, according to ALG, a consulting firm that estimates used-car values for the leasing business. The Camry's average transaction price was $24,039, about $800 less than the segment average, ALG said.

Although Toyota sold more than 400,000 Camrys last year — about 16 percent of the midsize sedan market — consumers have requested improvements, said Bill Fay, general manager of Toyota's U.S. sales division.

"They wanted a more emotional styling and a better interior," Fay said.

Buyers also are looking for Toyota to continue to make improvements in ride, handling, technology and safety, he said. Often criticized for producing boring cars, Toyota challenged that notion with the Camry's new design.

The automaker's designers and engineers re-imagined nearly every exterior surface of the car, Fay said.

"Only the roof remains unchanged," he said.

With its new look, Toyota's designers worked to make the previously pedestrian Camry far more muscular.

The hood has four sculpted lines that trace back to the windshield and provide a sense that the car is in motion. Lines on each side of the Camry convey the same effect. The aggressive front bumper features a wider and more prominent trapezoidal grille shape, making the car look more securely planted on the road.

"You expect to have some sort of minor freshening at the three-year mark, where the Camry is now, but I was surprised to see such a substantial change. That has not been in the playbook for Toyota," said Jake Fisher, automotive director of Consumer Reports. "They are feeling the competition."

He likes the new styling and believes it will resonate with consumers.

To improve driving dynamics, Toyota bolstered the chassis and body structure with additional spot welds to improve rigidity and ride quality. It also retuned the suspension to give the Camry's handling a sportier feel.

Toyota engineers improved the window and door seals to reduce wind and road noise. The Camry's interior is upgraded with more soft-touch materials.

Because Toyota has led this segment for so long, other automakers "know they have to beat Camry at its own game" if they want to make inroads, said Tom Libby, an IHS Automotive analyst. "That drives incredible product redesigns and is great for the consumer."

That's exactly what Hyundai is doing with the redesign of its Sonata sedan.

"It feels more substantial and more luxurious," said Brauer of Kelley Blue Book. "The look of the interior components is great. The car is really well done."

The new version continues Hyundai's value strategy of packing the vehicle with features and pricing it below major competitors such as the Camry and Accord, he said.

Although Hyundai studied the ride and steering of Volkswagen's Passat sedan, its benchmark for this segment is the Accord.

The Honda "has set the segment ablaze and is leading in retail sales," said John Shon, manager of product planning for the Sonata.

Designers wanted to give the car a premium ride quality with improved steering response and reduced cabin noise, he said.

The Hyundai sedan follows the same "Fluidic Sculpture" design language that the South Korean automaker introduced with the outgoing Sonata five years ago. But the new version has a more refined, gentler look that gives the Sonata a statelier stance. Hyundai is clearly leaning toward luxury over sport with the new look.

For shoppers looking for expressive over conservative, the automaker will offer a Sonata Sport version with a more aggressive front grille and bumper, side rocker extensions and side chrome molding.

Hyundai is packing the frame of the new model with advanced high-strength steel — a move the automaker said improves ride quality and crash test performance.

Like the previous generation, the Sonata will come equipped only with four-cylinder engines. The main power plant is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 185 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. There's also a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine option that produces 245 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque.

The automaker has redesigned the inside of the cabin to give the Sonata more room than most of its competitors. The car will qualify as a "large" vehicle rather than a midsize sedan under the Environmental Protection Agency classification.

On the technology front, Hyundai is putting Apple's CarPlay system into the Sonata. The system will give iPhone users access to car-safe apps on the 8-inch touch screen in the dashboard. Users of the iPhone 5 and above will be able to make calls, use maps, listen to music and access messages through their device.

Toyota and Hyundai expect their sedans will be their bestselling vehicles this year. Fay said the new version of the Camry will enable it to repeat as the nation's top-selling passenger car for a 13th consecutive year.

"Toyota will remain under pressure to keep that car at the top of the sales chart," Brauer said. "They will have to utilize sales incentives and fleet sales, but that is going to hurt the resale value of the Camry, which has been one of Toyota's traditional strengths."

Other automakers won't sit still, said Shon, the Sonata product planner. "Everyone brings their A game into this segment."

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©2014 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by MCT Information Services

Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com

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Auto review: Jaguar F-Type a worthy heir to fabled E

Fifty-three years ago, in the afterglow of its 1961 debut, Enzo Ferrari described the Jaguar E-Type as "the most beautiful car ever made." That's right, Mr. Ferrari.

Today, 50 years after I lusted after this sleek and unique Jag, 50 years after Jan and Dean sang of the duel between the XKE and a Corvette Stingray on Sunset Boulevard's "Dead Man's Curve," comes the 2014 Jaguar F-Type.

Amazingly, it is the legendary British company's first new two-seat sports car since the famous E-Type. One can only imagine the smile on Enzo's face somewhere along that racetrack in the heavens.

It is wonderfully sculpted with headlamps that sweep up and over the fenders and a sleek profile with wheel wells that tightly surround the 20-inch wheels.

And while Jaguar folks say the F-Type isn't meant to be a celebration of the E, there are some hints of the old DNA in the rear. Check out the uplifted quad tailpipes, the rounded body panels and the accents on the circular taillights. Eh, Enzo?

Make no mistake, though, the E-Type and F-Type are from different eons. As one might expect with the benefit of today's technology, the F-Type would embarrass the old E with its raw speed and handling.

It is fast and fun — with a reminder from its growling exhaust — and yet it is well behaved on the road for commutes, too.

Even the base F has a supercharged V-6 that puts out 340 horses with 332 pound-feet of torque. The F-Type S bumps up the power to 380 horsepower and gets you to 60 mph under 5 seconds.

But the big bruiser is the F-Type V-8: a 5.0-liter supercharged machine that cranks out 495 ponies and 460 pound-feet of torque. That's sufficient to fly you to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, Jaguar says.

To let everyone know how many horses you are riding, the engine snorts and belches like a dragon — and that's on the regular setting. Push a little button on the console (the icon looks like a pair of eyeglasses but they're exhausts) and it really gets crazy. The wife doesn't like the racket, so for her, it was a turnoff. But for most, it will elicit a grin and a nod.

An 8-speed automatic is standard on all F-Types, sending the power smoothly and efficiently to the rear wheels. While a manual is not available, the automatic does come with manual levers to take more control, but it's hardly worth it. The automatic is right-on in its decisions.

Out on the road the F-Type is a rewarding experience. Acceleration is brisk, as the numbers indicate, but it also feels tight and true. Shifts are lightning-quick, especially when you turn the dial to the "dynamic" mode. There's also a racing mode for track-like sprints, and the more practical rain/snow mode.

Steering is nicely weighted and offers decent feedback, and the F-Type's cornering is reasonably flat and balanced — perhaps not by Porsche standards, but the Porsche is smaller and notoriously nimble. The Jag, even with its aluminum body, weighs nearly two tons.

This Jag feels tight, too, especially for a roadster, which can be prone to creaks and rattles. The soft top comes down in just 12 seconds and can be accomplished while on the move — up to 30 mph. That's handy for those who live in rainy-season regions, where a shower can come on quick and unexpected.

Inside, adjustable bolsters on the sport seats tuck you in as snugly for the twisty roads. Leather seats are soft and supple, too. Black seats are complemented by bold, red stitching.

Headroom is good; legroom is OK. At 6-foot-1, I was comfortable. Anyone taller might require a fitting before closing the deal.

Ambient lighting, neatly concealed under the door and center console, adds a classy touch. And materials are clearly upscale and rich-feeling.

Unusual — and cool — features include the start button that pulsates red, seemingly showing the cat's impatience to hit the road, and the AC vents that rise from the dash when the engine starts.

A handle flanks the center console so the passenger can hang on with both hands while gasping through the countryside en route to the bed and breakfast.

Oh, better pack light for those weekenders: 6.9 cubic feet of trunk space doesn't go far. Small suitcases maybe, or duffle bags even better due to the odd, angular shape.

Protecting occupants are side air bags and rollover bars — although stability and traction control systems are in place to avoid the need for those rollover bars.

Options include parking sensors with rear cross-traffic warning, blind-spot monitor and adaptive headlights.

The F-Type comes in three trims, and the base is well equipped with bi-xenon headlights, leather and suede upholstery, full power accessories and a manually-deployable rear spoiler.

F-Type S adds a more powerful six-cylinder engine, 19-inch wheels instead of 18-inch, adaptive suspension and selectable driving modes that control throttle, steering and tranny responses.

The top-of-the-line F-Type S gets the V-8 engine, 20-inch wheels, high-performance brakes and 12-way adjustable seats.

Add to all that several premium option packages plus an available performance package that includes the active exhaust control button, top-line brakes and a 14-speaker Meridian audio system.

How well this sports car compares to the likes of Mercedes SL63 or the Porsche 911 is one for the testing teams at the major magazines and websites. But I can tell you can't have more fun than in the F-Sport.

It will draw grins and compliments and thumbs-up. And, yes, I expect Enzo Ferrari would be giving his nod of approval from above.

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2014 JAGUAR F-TYPE V-8 S:

—Base price, excluding destination charge: $69,000

—Price as tested: $92,895

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©2014 The Miami Herald. Distributed by MCT Information Services

Visit The Miami Herald at www.miamiherald.com

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