It sure has been a while since I've posted here. This semester has turned out to be massively crazy and busy. I'm co-editor of TNJN Radio, the internet radio podcasting section of the Tennessee Journalist. We've got six shows covering everything from news, travel, and opinions, to music, sports, and automotive topics.
Three times a week, TNJN Radio broadcasts 10-15 minute news segments covering local, regional and national news. It seems to be going really well and the students participating are enjoying the experience.
As for myself, I produce all the shows by establishing the live stream via TalkShoe.com and later uploading a higher quality podcast version of each show. I'm also a co-host of Car Nuts on Campus. Us four guys talk about industry news, events, new product releases, product reviews, and tech tips on anything automotive. To give the show a little 'street cred,' ASE-certified mechanic Justin Moore serves as our in-house expert.
Test drives are becoming a weekly part of the 'duties' we perform at Car Nuts. We've gone to a handful of dealerships around Knoxville to get a feel of what's available to the college demographic. This week proved to be one of the more exciting testing days.
At Cat Nuts, we try to concentrate on vehicles in the price range of regular college students and the recent college grad. This week we trekked down to Grayson Hyundai to check out the Hyundai Accent, Elantra Touring, and the Genesis Coupe.
Because I showed up a little late, I didn't get to drive the Accent, but drove the Elantra Touring and (most importantly) the Genesis Coupe. All the guys were very impressed with the strides in quality Hyundai has made in the past few years. The fit and finish of the cars is on par with the current American offerings from Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet.
The list of standard features for each car was quite long, especially considering the sticker prices. The base Elantra Touring sells for around $18,000. For that, you get bluetooth, iPod connectivity, voice activated controls, steering wheel controls - along with a host of other goodies.
Of course, the guys of Car Nuts was most interested in the Genesis Coupe. Bathed in a loud lime green, our tester was a 2.0T with the optional automatic transmission. The car first grabs your attention with its swooping, hand carved body lines and proper coupe styling that looks like nothing on the road today (looking past the paint color, of course).
Even with the little seat time I got, I was very impressed with the power output of the 2.0T, the handling and braking of the Genesis Coupe. Hyundai did their homework with this one and you can feel it the moment you set in the car.
The seats are heavily bolstered and form-fitting; the center stack is a no-nonsense cluster of buttons and useful information; and the quality of materials are much improved over Hyundais of yesteryear. Driving the car was an inspiring experience that made me want to own a racetrack...or at least have access to a twisty backroad. However, even on the short loop around town, we were able to find interstate on-ramps that were quite fun.
Acceleration was surprisingly strong for having 4 medium sided adults in the car. I'm not going to say how quickly it accelerates, or how easy it is to get a tire loose, or how easily it surpasses the triple-digit mark on the speedo - but I will say the Genesis Coupe is a fine example of an inexpensive sports car. I'll leave the rest up to your imagination as you watch this video.
Also on today's wish list was the 2010 Ford SVT Raptor. Unfortunately, we didn't get to drive the truck but just sitting behind the two tone leather-wrapped steering wheel while looking over the massive expanse of hood was enough to spark visions of tearing through the desert at 80 mph.
We were also impressed with Ford's Sync system. The salesman showing us around was using the system with a thick southern accent filled with 'umms' and missing 'g's. It never failed to guess what he wanted. Pretty sweet.
And so, this week ends on a couple positive notes thanks to Hyundai and Ford. Hopefully, we'll get behind the wheel of a Raptor and a Genesis Coupe 3.8, but until then, I can be satisfied with today's happenings.
And so, this week ends on a couple positive notes thanks to Hyundai and Ford. Hopefully, we'll get behind the wheel of a Raptor and a Genesis Coupe 3.8, but until then, I can be satisfied with today's happenings.
