Automotive Trends

A 2005 Ford Mustang GT gallops off the line!

2005 Audi S4, a sports car in business atire.

The Original Standard of the World Crossover

     The last SUV to occupy this space was lauded for not compromising, for retaining its body-on-frame roots, and for its V8 strength. But that SUV also felt more at home at a rodeo vs. Rodeo (pronounced Roe-day-oh, they tell me) Drive. However you say it, the Cadillac crossover is a compromise. A little bit of this, a little bit of that and whammo, a CTS off its diet. Read more…

Just Say No To Blurring Lines

    Standing tall and proud the Explorer in no way tries to blend into the ranks with the ever increasingly popular crossover vehicle. The Explorer was one of the first SUV’s to define the segment and bring it to its prime. Then gas jumped over $3 per gallon and the weak kneed suddenly lost interest in filling the 25+ gallon fuel tanks these barges carry. Read more…

Look What Santa Left Me!

    Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but really Santa, an automatic? Actually, the more perplexing thing is why would anyone in the GM media relations department decide to loan out a Corvette in Michigan in December? Our only conclusion was that the coordinator was on vacation in sunny California, and well, it’s dry there. Fortunately for you, your faithful AT staff is reluctant to pass up horsepower of large proportions and thus, brought to you its 400 gift-wrapped stallions. Read more…

2005 Mazda3 playing in the park!

2005 GMC Envoy Denali strikes a pose.

Finished with the Show Stoppers already? Never fear, AT’s faithful photog has plenty of pictures to salivate over from this year’s NAIAS!

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Sedan of Elderly Leisure

    Just two years ago this sedan would have been revolutionary in the family sedan market. Its extra-large proportions, elevated ride height, spacious interior and availability of all-wheel drive put this sedan into an SUV-like category when you consider all of these features’ marketability. Perhaps this is why the Five Hundred just doesn’t get the heart racing; we expect these niceties in all too many vehicular categories in this day and age. Read more…

Second Time Around, Twice The Charm

    Recently we had the chance to sample two cars in Mazda’s lineup that, while unique in their own regards, still carried a bit of familiarity with them. The Mazda6 and MPV have both been welcomed into our fleet in the not so distant past, but we again open arm embraced these two like long lost friends. The MPV has little news to speak of since our last rendition in ’04, while the 6 5-door is altogether a different model in the 6 family. Speaking of families, that is exactly who we put to work in these vehicles. Lets check them out! Read more…