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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Iron Mike loses his rifle ... again Commissioner's race: Ankerberg touts financial expertise Commissioner's race: Moro lauds energy efficiency jobs Commissioner's race: Dyer wants to attract high-tech jobs Applegate Dam hydroelectric project dead in water Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Iron Mike loses his rifle ... again Emergency services Ashland's Iron Mike statue has its gun stolen Hoppe and Peterson at it again in Jackson County judge's race Motorcycle crash southwest of Grants Pass kills one Politics and Elections Commissioner's race: Ankerberg touts financial expertise Commissioner's race: Moro lauds energy efficiency jobs Commissioner's race: Dyer wants to attract high-tech jobs Hoppe and Peterson at it again in Jackson County judge's race Oregon gubernatorial candidates debate in Medford Education Foundation kicks off ambitious 'Count Me In' fundraising campaign 100 hours and counting SOU students protest university's free-speech zone Boys & Girls Clubs bursting at the seams Phoenix High School restores homecoming parade Environment Applegate Dam hydroelectric project dead in water Fear of orphaned cubs nixes new spring bear hunt Josephine County ballot measure would ban commercial and government pesticide use Low water exposes Emigrant Lake's past Wagner Creek work would restore streambank State news Nation - World Obituaries Alvin Simmons Death Notices James Waldo Littlefield Francis Bagley Cecile (DeLozier) Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Junior Steelheads down Spartans Panthers rumble past Axemen Ashland defeats Marist in OT in boys soccer Raiders record sixth straight win Big finish gives Putnam piece of lead Varsity 541 College Sports Raiders record sixth straight win Will Petersen have same magic against Ducks? 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The best way to store your books A list to help you get ready for winter How to create a fashionable painted floor cloth Dear Monty: 7 prepping tips for home showings Health Community blog: My New Best Selling Book Dr. Jeff Hersh: The enterovirus is not new Dr. Murray Feingold: The first successful uterus transplant Health Watch: Skip the energy drink and reenergize naturally Officials warn of frauds touting fake Ebola cures Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs Religion Briefs Religion Briefs Religion briefs First Church of Nazarene plans cleanup Milestones and Achievements Southern Oregon Pride parade celebrates gay marriage ruling New Arrivals Still stifling laughter 40 years after 'Young Frankenstein' New Arrivals Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Yu's Yummy Yan's offers great take-out A cappella fellas sing for schools Theater's haunted house not for faint of heart Tutunov Piano Series begins at SOU Third Fridays in downtown Medford Theater Camelot presents 'The Lion in Winter' 'Carnage' is short, smart, darkly funny Randall Theatre presents 'Blithe Spirit' A tribute to a great lyricist 'Mrs. Mannerly' is a matter of manners Music A cappella fellas sing for schools The Farr Side: Bryan Adams releases album of influential hits Tutunov Piano Series begins at SOU Benefit for Nita Day at The Wild Goose Cafe in Ashland Call for musicians Community Events Theater's haunted house not for faint of heart Third Fridays in downtown Medford Works in progress Southern Oregon Pride Festival celebrates diversity Greater Medford Multicultural Fair Dining Yu's Yummy Yan's offers great take-out Agave offers tasty tacos Asian cuisine for all seasons at Misoya Bistro Spoons 'Get Giddy' at Porters Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Ashland's Iron Mike statue has its gun stolen ... Oregon gubernatorial candidates debate in Medford ... Elk season starts damp but not snowy ... Ashland's Iron Mike statue has its gun stolen ... Oregon gubernatorial candidates debate in Medford ... Elk season starts damp but not snowy ... Silvio Calabi: Nissan's Taxi of Tomorrow By Silvio Calabi More Content Now MailTribune.com By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Oct. 6, 2014 @ 6:52 am Updated Oct 6, 2014 at 6:53 AM By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Oct. 6, 2014 @ 6:52 am Updated Oct 6, 2014 at 6:53 AM » Social News New Yorkers remember Michael Bloomberg, the mayor who gave up the job last year only because he couldn’t run for office a fourth time, as a highly capable administrator and/or a tiresome do-gooder who wanted to regulate everything from trans-fats and soda pop to guns and circumcisions. When the Big Apple’s taxis came under Mayor Bloomberg’s eye, the city first demanded that its cab operators replace their big old Ford Crown Victoria sedans, New York’s iconic yellow cabs, with lean, clean hybrids. Some taxi companies did; others squawked about the cost of buying and maintaining hybrids. Then Ford euthanized the Crown Vic, and the city launched its Taxi of Tomorrow competition. The winner would get an exclusive contract, starting in 2013, to sell and service taxicabs in NYC for 10 years. With nearly 14,000 cabs roaming the city, this would be a billion-dollar plum for whoever came up with the best, most city-, operator- and passenger-friendly clean-sheet design. Ford, Nissan and an Indian company called Karsan made it to the finals with vehicles based on small utility vans. Mayor Bloomberg ultimately awarded the prize to Nissan for its NV200 Taxi, shown here. Then he left office, and the manure hit the impeller. Think it’s tough to ban 24-ounce sugary drinks and 30-round ammo magazines? Try locking all automakers but one out the world’s most lucrative market niche. Try telling cab companies they have no choice in what they buy. Try holding any new mayor to the old mayor’s promises. Lawyers, judges, politicians, federal, state and city agencies and the public immediately lined up on every imaginable side of the brouhaha, which is now ping-ponging through the courts. Meanwhile, the Big Apple remains wide open, with some 39 different vehicles from nine makers approved as official yellow cabs. And Nissan—having plowed a reported $50 million into the NV200T, and plenty annoyed—is now selling its prize-winning taxi to whoever wants it. Nissan is also letting journalists drive it, which is why the cabbies around here, 300 miles from Ground Zero, are giving me the stink-eye this week. The NV200 Taxi has a small footprint, but you can’t miss it. It’s tall and boxy and bright yellow, with a cool light bar on top and lots of logos and lettering: NYC, METERED FARE, FLAT RATE TO JFK and so on. People stare and then want to know if it’s fun to drive. Heck, no — it’s a taxi — but it’s a functional work of design, a London hack brought into the 21st century. Open the big doors on each side (they slide instead of swinging out, so no fear of scooping up bicyclists) and a step emerges from under the sill. There’s ample room for three passengers in the back and one up front, and luggage inside the bread-van doors at the back. The bench seat is comfortable, the huge floor is flat, and you can almost stand up in there. The seatbelt buckles are bright yellow, so drunks can find them, and there are curtain-type airbags in the headliner. (Nissan says the NV200 is the only NY cab that’s crash-tested with its taxi equipment, including the driver’s partition, installed.) The upholstery looks like leather, but it’s a breathable, anti-microbial fabric that doesn’t absorb nasty odors (those drunks again) and cleans easily. There is an enormous sunroof for gawking at Manhattan landmarks. Passengers get their own air-conditioning along with grab handles, a TV with a remote, two USB ports, a 12-volt outlet, an intercom for yelling at the driver, and of course a cash slot and a credit-card reader. The driver gets all that’s needed for a long day on the streets, from easy steering and an overtime-worthy seat to excellent visibility, oversize mirrors and a backup camera. The fleet owner should be pleased too: The 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic play well together (24 mpg in traffic, double the Crown Vic’s efficiency), and with every option the NV200T lists for just under 30 grand. That’s two-thirds the price of a London cab. Better taxis at better prices — exactly what Mayor Bloomberg wanted. Now let’s see how the big-city politics play out. In the meantime, I’m going to drive down to the airport and see if I can make a few bucks. Likes Maneuverability Passenger space and comfort Value for price Dislikes 15-inch wheels smaller than NYC potholes Backup camera view too restricted No stop-start (or hybrid option) Silvio Calabi reviews the latest from Detroit, Munich, Yokohama, Gothenburg, Crewe, Seoul and wherever else interesting cars are born. Silvio is a member of the International Motor Press Association whose automotive reviews date back to the Reagan administration. He is the former publisher of Speedway Illustrated magazine and an author. Contact him at [email protected]. By Silvio Calabi More Content Now MailTribune.com By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Oct. 6, 2014 @ 6:52 am Updated Oct 6, 2014 at 6:53 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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