Automotive Trends

Kompress This

     Let me start off on a good foot. Mercedes deserves credit for having the initiative to produce a model at a price range that is accessible to a larger crowd. Granted, the C230 Kompressor costs about as much as a mid to full-size domestic product will. However, for $25K, you can have the Mercedes name along with the attention to detail and engineering that goes along with it. Read more…

     When it comes to midsize luxury SUVs, it seems imports get all the glory. Read more…

For The Boy Racer In All 60 Year Olds   

     The side of our brain that is based in reality tells us there is probably no need for a hot-rod version of a car whose buyers are all well over the hill and don’t drive much faster than 45 mph. But on the other side of our brain, the one that has been completely consumed by horsepower and speed, we think maybe there are enough buyers to create a big-wheeled, high-horsepower full-size domestic sedan. After all, Chevrolet did it in the mid 1990s and found a loyal group of buyers who fell in love with the Corvette powered Impala SS. It’s unfortunate, but the SS isn’t around today, though Mercury thinks it can make enthusiasts lust after its 2003 Marauder the same way they did for Chevy’s long gone Super Sport. Read more…

     It’s easy to make a tough SUV for off-road driving. And it’s a piece of cake to make one comfortable like a sedan when it’s on pavement. Read more…

Jaguar’s X-Type Proves That Good Things Can Come In Small Packages

     When it comes down to it, the auto business is actually quite simple. Develop a product that can be sold for a profit and then sell as much of that product as you can for the largest possible profit. It only gets complicated when a company hits a “glass ceiling” of sorts. Like in biology, the automotive market has a carrying capacity. In other words, there are only so many consumers who can afford to drop at least $50,000 on their vehicles. And during the late 90’s Jaguar showrooms offered few choices, and none of them even close to the magic $30k mark. Jaguar decided to try something it had never done before. Combine all of the style, elegance, comfort, and prestige that make a Jaguar desirable in a package that could be sold for under 30 grand. The X-Type is that product and though its success in the sales department is not the subject of this article, its success as an entry-level luxury car is. Read more…

Comfort And Utility In Near Perfect Harmony    

     In 1997 Lincoln made its best decision in several decades by debuting a leather-lined, dripping-with-chrome version of the Ford Expedition. Lincoln’s marketers called it the Navigator and their bean counters called it the cash cow. Buyers flocked to their local Lincoln showrooms and happily forked over piles of cash for the chance to drive the biggest—and only—luxury sport utility vehicle on the road. Fast forward to 2003 when seemingly every manufacturer offers a luxury SUV, nearly all of which had eclipsed the first generation Navigator in both content and power. What’s a manufacturer to do? Raise the bar in every area, of course; and that’s precisely what Lincoln has done with the 2003 Navigator. Read more…

     Judging from its slightly revamped exterior, you might think little has changed on the 2003 Ford Expedition. Read more…

       It’s hard to imagine a vehicle less practical than the original Hummer. Read more…

       While sport-utility vehicles line the driveways of style-conscious suburban moms and dads across the country, the unabashed practicality of minivans makes them the best type of family vehicle on the road. Read more…

A Harley For Home Depot     

     At first sight the Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 demands respect and shows authority. What grabs your attention first is the outstanding two-tone paint job; black over silver metallic clear coat separated by inscribed Harley-Davidson tape. After that, your eyes have a multitude of features for which to fall upon. The massive chromed wheels demand attention, while huge Harley/Ford 100 year insignia plaques surface into sight. The new front fascia/grille/headlamps also require a closer inspection. Not only does the Harley talk the talk, but she walks the walk as well. More on that later. Read more…