The 6 Gets A 6-Speed
The Mazda6 has been a shining example of what a sport sedan from a mainstream automaker should be. We’re not talking BMW or Infiniti here. This is Mazda, purveyor of increasingly desirable, affordable cars with sporting intentions. And the 6 has been near the top of our favorite sport sedans list since its debut as a 2003 model. Since then it has offered plenty to like, (sharp style, 220hp, available manual) all for around $25k. Luckily, Mazda knows not to let a good thing go bad. So for 2005 they’ve upped the ante in the midsize sport sedan market by including the segment’s first 6-speed automatic transmission. The only people not happy about this? Mazda’s competitors. Read more…
If you’ve been waiting until Toyota introduces a new Celica to buy one, your wait is over.
The Celica is dying.
After a 35-year run as a popular sports coupe — especially popular among young buyers — Toyota announced that Celica production will end in July because of sagging sales. Read more…
If you want a glimpse at the future of automobiles, take a ride in this Lexus.
It’s not a “car of the future” in the sense of GM’s Autorama show of the 1950s, which featured cars with wild styling and out-of-this-world gizmos that never made it into your garage. Read more…
The Nicest Electric Shaver We’ve Ever Driven
GMC’s Envoy has been carrying cargo and towing trailers in its current form since the 2002 model year. During that time owners have come to like its smooth ride and responsive, fuel-efficient I6. But the competition is getting tougher all the time and more power and luxury never hurt any vehicle’s chances for continued success. To that end, GMC has applied the Denali touch to the Envoy lineup, including things like more power courtesy of a V8 and revised styling via a “Denali-style” grille insert. The changes are enough to get us curious about how well the Envoy is holding up 3 years into its model cycle. Read more…
I love old Porsches for a couple of reasons.
One, they’re the only Porsches I’ll ever be able to afford without winning the Powerball. And two, they’re so wonderfully raw and mechanically sensual that they feel alive — like a steel extension of your own body. They represent the epitome of what a sports car should be.
Read more…
Cadillac’s Monster Hit Goes Platinum
Cadillac says with the Escalade ESV Platinum they have created the ultimate full-size luxury SUV. For the time being, they’re right. If you thought a garden-variety Escalade was over-the-top in substance and style, prepare to recalibrate your substance and style meter. The ESV takes everything on the standard Escalade and makes it bigger and/or better. The most obvious modification being the Chevrolet Suburban chassis that underpins the ESV in place of the standard-length Tahoe chassis found on lesser Escalades. That modification gives the ESV an extra 22-inches of sheetmetal and 20-inches of interior length, providing substantially increased room for you and your 6-member posse. The ESV is bigger than other Escalades, no doubt, but is it good enough to warrant a $70,675 asking price? We borrowed one for a week to find out. Read more…
When it came time to design a new Pathfinder, Nissan had to satisfy two camps.
On one side were the loyalists who surely wanted the Pathfinder to be a Japanese Jeep, the kind of truck that’s reliable, affordable, rugged and capable of driving just about anywhere. They’re the kind of buyers who don’t give a rip about comfort, so long as they can traverse Death Valley without breaking a sweat. Read more…
Chevy Finally Gets On The Small Car Radar
It’s news to no one that Chevy’s Cavalier hasn’t been a class leader since, well, never. It’s always been rough, underpowered, uncomfortable and devoid of style. The only way Chevy was able to move so many was to keep its sticker price low and fuel economy high. But times change and now even the most basic new cars offer comfortable seats and decent stereos. Some, like the Mazda3, are even great looking. Bob Lutz and the leadership of Chevrolet knew their next small car had to offer more than the Cavalier ever could if they wanted buyers back in GM showrooms without baiting them with thousands of dollars in incentives. To that end, a new platform, dubbed Delta, was used and lofty goals were set for the Cobalt. We recently spent time in both the sedan and coupe versions and are happy to report that the Cobalt is no Cavalier. Read more…
Before I write about how much I love this car, I’ve got to get one thing off my chest.
I think it’s ugly.
No, make that dang ugly. Michael Moore ugly. Pontiac Aztek ugly. Roseanne Barr naked and covered in zits ugly. Read more…
American Muscle With German Training
Excitement builds as I clamber up the hill to the CTS-V parked on the crest. So docile this Caddy looks, resting on muscular haunches, flanks gleaming in the autumn afternoon sun. My pulse quickens as I stretch out my hand to the driver’s door. Heart racing I slide into the seat and twist the key, the LS6 V8 wakes from its slumber. A deep mellow pulse reverberates from the tailpipes. Buckle up; it’s time to ride! Read more…
