Years ago, new pickup trucks had incredibly long life cycles. Ford, Chevy and Dodge would come up with new designs, then let them age for nearly a decade before they made any major changes.
Truck makers don’t have that luxury anymore. Read more…
Bringing Value To Big Crossovers
We’ve already reported that the General struck close to the bulls-eye with its first two big crossovers out of the gate, (GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook) and we’re willing to go on record saying the Buick Enclave is currently the best looking crossover in production. Since the Chevrolet brand is far and away the volume leader it should have surprised nobody when the Traverse debuted with design cues from the successful Malibu and displayed a window sticker with an impressive spec list and a very reasonable number at the bottom. The good news for GM: that’s a recipe for success. Read more…
An Entry Level Wagon That Impresses
In the American Hierarchy of Transportation the station wagon ranks just above the moped in desirability, and the entry level station wagon: just above a riding lawnmower. Nevertheless, Volkswagen continues to be one of the few automakers brave enough to offer the unloved body style in its Jetta lineup. We recently spent a week in one and came away believing what we always have: wagons offer the people and cargo capacity to meet most people’s needs and drive better than any crossover/SUV. Read more…
Pontiac Imports Some Thunder From Down Under
Before the GT hit these shores earlier this year sedan shoppers looking for a bit of excitement at the Pontiac dealer had to settle for the Grand Prix GXP. Although it does have a V8, the Grand Prix’s front wheel drive chassis and archaic transmission will not cause BMW owners to get nervous at stoplights. That might start to change as the latest (and probably greatest) Pontiac starts to populate the byways of America. See, the new G8 not only packs a seriously gutsy V8, it also offers up a great transmission to send power to the rear end of a completely modern chassis. And all that adds up to a car that can get off the line like few other large sedans, but also carve corners like a much smaller one. We’re not giving anything away by saying we like GM’s latest import (designed and assembled in Australia) but it’s not without its faults. Read on. Read more…
So Good It Nearly Makes Us Forget The Cimarron
After scooping up rave reviews, comparison test victories, and Car of the Year honors for the latest CTS you’d think Cadillac has been in the business of building superb sport sedans for decades, like BMW. Then, of course, you’d recall some previous efforts by the Wreath and Crest division. There was the Opel-based Catera in 1997, which looked and drove more like a Buick than a BMW. Back up even more to the ‘82 Cimarron, Cadillac’s rookie effort at building a small sporty sedan that was so disastrous it almost single-handedly sent the “Standard of the World” brand on a steep decline until the first-generation CTS bowed in 2002. That car was a solid attempt at buttoning down a chassis and livening up the steering like the German competition, but its uninspired styling and muddled, plasticy interior kept it from being a true competitor. Read more…
600 Miles Later We Learn What The Evo Isn’t Good At
I’ve had better and I’ve had worse. Among the worse was a three-hour cross-country van trip through Mexico in a 20-year-old van. A trip like that will make you appreciate things like suspensions, air conditioning and even the Michigan DOT. Recently I embarked on a road trip that didn’t jar loose all the fillings from my teeth but did take a toll on the overall condition of my already weakened body. Read more…
Normally when you drive a car you truly love, it’s like hot chocolate. It warms your soul, and you want to come back for more.
This car — the Audi R8 — is nothing like that. Read more…
It’s Not Easy Being Green!
The 2008 Ford Escape is like a breath of fresh air in a Ford lineup that has grown stale and boring. I dare say the Toyota Camry is more exciting than either the identity-crisised Taurus or razor bladed Fusion. Excluding the Mustang and its many special editions the bread and butter of Ford’s lineup is…well…bland. Read more…
Nissan Puts The Accord Coupe In Its Crosshairs
Nissan recently launched its revised 2007 Altima sedan complete with the requisite Hybrid model to generally positive reviews. While we haven’t driven the latest iteration of the family hauler we expect it to continue being the slightly sportier, less frumpy alternative to the Camry and Accord that it has always been. But Nissan is no longer content with simply fighting for the family sedan buyer; it wants to offer something for what it calls “typically younger, more performance-oriented coupe buyers.” And after driving it, the Camry Solara and Accord Coupe better hit the gym and get down to fighting weight because the all-new 2008 Altima Coupe offers credible performance in a body almost as sexy as the big brother Infiniti G37. Read more…
Lotus Says the S Stands for Supercharged, We’re Thinking More Like Stupefying
Lotus, like other conventional automakers who like to drop an “S” or a “T” somewhere in the name of a car to denote the presence of a supercharger or turbocharger, would have us believe that’s all the suffix represents here. But Lotus is no conventional automaker, and one run through the gearbox of the quickest Lotus roadcar available and you’ll agree that a rechristening is in order here. My dictionary says something that is stupefying will “make somebody unable to think clearly because of boredom, tiredness, or amazement”. We can testify from experience that when piloting the Exige S it’s not boredom or tiredness you’ll be feeling. Even on the mind numbing interstates of Metro Detroit, where driving joy seems a thousand miles away, you’ll be too busy avoiding pot holes and lane-drifting, slack-jawed hooligans with cell phone cameras to ever get bored. Now being unable to think clearly because of amazement, that’s something you’ll experience with every flex of your right foot. That means one thing: this must be the Lotus Exige Stupefying Edition. Read more…
