To put it bluntly; the average guy was about as likely to purchase a previous-gen Volkswagen Beetle as he was to schedule a mani-pedi and DVR The View. Volkswagen knew this and as a result has done a commendable job at injecting some testosterone into the 2012 Beetle Turbo that we recently sampled. Of course we like the 2.0-liter turbo that is rated at 200 hp in this application, but we especially like the cooperative 6-speed manual, 19” wheels and sensitive brake pedal. This Beetle is a joy to motor around town in and far more skilled than its predecessor at managing coiled back roads. The body rolls a bit more than we’d like when pushed, but the suspension takes a nice set in the corners and the ride is one of best in the $25k class. The interior is a monumental improvement over the New Beetle and we like the fake carbon fiber accented dash and moderately bolstered seats. Rear headroom and cargo capacity are never going to be the Bug’s strengths but if you like the new look—and we do—you’ll enjoy driving the Beetle enough that jabs from your buddies won’t even bother you. Read more…
The most potent Golf in Volkswagen showrooms has a lot going for it. The iconic shape still offers an airy cabin with plenty of headroom, a useable rear seat once you climb back there (or choose the 4-door and make it easy) and family-friendly hatchback utility. VW’s beloved 2.0-liter turbo engine has been cranked up to 11 and now sends 256 hp to all four wheels and the only way you can get it is with a proper 6-speed manual. The Lamborghini-esque steering wheel makes you feel like you’re in something from the other end of Volkswagen’s empire and our Sunroof & Nav trim came with exactly zero options. So why can’t we recommend it to driving enthusiasts? Because at $36k the hardware isn’t enough to justify the premium over other thrill machines like the brilliant Scion FR-S and even Volkswagen’s own legendary GTI, which will get you 85% of the R’s performance for a whole lot less outlay. And it’s not anywhere on our top 10 priorities list, but even then, 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway is pretty hard to swallow from a 4-cylinder in twenty-twelve. If your best memories have always been in Golf’s you’ll love everything about this one just as we did. Everything but the price, that is.
We’ve already given the Kia Optimaour stamp of approval, but now that the even more efficient Hybrid version has spent some time in our fleet we thought it warranted another trip in front of the Automotive Trends’ cameras. You should watch the video for the full story but if you simply must have a spoiler the best thing about the Optima Hybrid is the 6-speed automatic and the worst has got to be the terrible stereo featuring the most frustrating preset setup we’ve encountered in recent memory. How can they be that bad, you ask? Watch the video, we say.
The Veloster is the answer to Hyundai critics who, until recently, declared that the company could produce no original designs and instead took the lazy approach of borrowing several themes from other automakers and mixing them into one car, usually with dull results. Obviously that charge can’t be leveled at the surprisingly original and pleasantly sporty Veloster. There’s nothing out there with the same combination of concept car flair like the center exhaust tips and functional enhancements like the second door on the passenger side. It’s a look we were immediately won over by, but after a week of living with the sport coupe would we still be smitten? You’ll have to watch our video review for that answer. Read more…
After enough time has passed a name starts to mean something, so just as we never expect to find a Corvette emblem on anything but a low-slung two-seater, we didn’t think we’d see the venerable Range Rover name attached to anything but a high-riding luxurious box driven by enough mechanical four-wheeling hardware to make short work of even the most demanding wilderness. But here we are raving over the newest Range Rover and, as you can see in our video review, the most exciting crossover in 2012 is anything but a box. Read more…
BMW continues to develop great products in all classes but enthusiasts fear that in the age of turbochargers, dual-clutch transmissions, electronic driver’s aides of every kind and rapidly ballooning curb weights the ultimate driving machine perfected during the ’90s may soon be a thing of the past. Which is why we were heartened to recently find a base model 128i in our fleet. The smallest car in the BMW lineup is also the most traditional with straight forward styling and a tall greenhouse reminiscent of the legendary 2002. Under the hood is a silken 3.0-liter straight-six pushing 230 hp through a six-speed manual and out to the rear wheels. There are no buttons to adjust steering feel or suspension compliance. It’s just classic BMW-goodness that will delight the enthusiast on every drive. We speak for fans of the Ultimate Driving Machine the world over when we say: BMW, please don’t stop offering cars like this. Read more…
Quite honestly we’ve been smitten with the Veloster since the very moment Hyundai rolled it out on the floor of the 2011 NAIAS as a concept. To say that there are some pretty big expectations placed on this little hatch / coupe would be an understatement. Let us explain.
The cat’s out of the bag. We like the Nissan Quest. But before the comments flood in saying that we have sold our enthusiast soul to the transportation devil let’s first examine why we like this minivan. It’s good at what it does…period. Would we prefer a station wagon over this hauler of the soccer team? That goes without saying, but when it comes to upright rolling family boxes, the Nissan edges ahead.
We don’t get many surprises in the AT Garage these days. By the time a vehicle is teased and then detailed down to parts numbers in a thorough press release and then bestowed with a gala auto show debut we’ve pretty much formed an opinion. Which is how we came to assume the Nissan Juke was an ity-bity engined, cramped-cabin crossover abomination that puts the ugly in really, really ugly. Turns out only the last part is true, and even then the ugly is pretty much confined to one side. So what changed our tune? Read on. Read more…
We don’t get many surprises in the AT Garage these days. By the time a vehicle is teased and then detailed down to parts numbers in a thorough press release and then bestowed with a gala auto show debut we’ve pretty much formed an opinion. Which is how we came to assume the Nissan Juke was an ity-bity engined, cramped-cabin crossover abomination that puts the ugly in really, really ugly. Turns out only the last part is true, and even then the ugly is pretty much confined to one side. So what changed our tune? You’ll have to watch to find out. Read more…
