Archive

Posts Tagged ‘family’

Video Review: 2011 Kia Optima EX

May 27th, 2011 No comments

      We have a 2011 Kia Optima in the fleet this week. We also managed a day’s reprieve from the rain. So with plenty of battery power in the camera Executive Editor Dye set out for the track to have a go in the Optima and bring you the details on why you shouldn’t be overlooking the sporty family sedan from South Korea. Read more…

Categories: Video, Video Reviews Tags: , , , , ,

2011 Hyundai Sonata SE

July 13th, 2010 No comments

 Hyundai Shakes Up The Midsize Sedan Segment With Style

     Shoppers weren’t kind to Hyundai’s Sonata in 2009. After convincing almost 150,000 people to pick one up in 2007, Hyundai saw sales drop to 120k last year. Sure, the new car market sank like Lindsay Lohan’s career during the worldwide meltdown but you must remember through it all Hyundai actually increased its sales and set a company record in 2009. Of course, if you’re a regular reader you’re enlightened enough to know the previous Sonata was about as competitive as Tiger Woods post-scandal. If you stumbled onto the site thanks to our friends at Google allow us to inform you. The Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu rule the mid-size sedan segment and sell a bazillion cars annually because they are all varying levels of good. The Sonata, even after some substantial improvements in ’09, just couldn’t compete at the same level. But Hyundai has set a course for automotive world domination, and after driving their reborn 2011 Sonata, we don’t expect them to be caught with an uncompetitive product again. Read more…

Categories: Reviews Tags: , , , ,

2010 Ford Fusion SEL

May 21st, 2010 2 comments

A Minor Refresh Makes A Major Difference

      The movers and shakers inside Ford had a great idea once upon a time ago. They decided they were going to make a family sedan that was sporty. What could go wrong? They had experience fashioning family sedans such as the Taurus, and sports cars like the Mustang. Surely they could graft the two together. After all, they were starting out with a Mazda6, an astoundingly thrilling car to drive considering it is propelled via the front-wheels. Oh sure, the result was a nice car. They made it bigger so you could stretch out. They made the suspension softer so the bumps wouldn’t fling the contact lenses from your eyes. And they made it heavier by adding fluffy foamy stuff so you can’t hear the engine noises. They made it boring…
Read more…

Categories: Reviews Tags: , , , , , ,

2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS

April 13th, 2010 1 comment

Suzuki Shoots for the Stars…Hits a Passing Comet

      In its press material Suzuki cites comparisons against the Nissan Altima and the Honda Accord. Good candidates to measure oneself against considering that the Accord has ruled the midsize sedan segment along side the Toyota Camry for some time now. But reading further we find that Suzuki not only laid the Kizashi and Volkswagen CC spec sheets side by side, they also openly challenged perspective buyers of Audi A4 and Acura TSX’s to test drive the Kizashi first. A challenge that culminated with the challengee receiving a $100 check card from Suzuki if after 10 days they decided that the Audi or Acura was right car for them instead. Bold… Read more…

Categories: Reviews Tags: , , , , ,

2010 Mazda3

March 3rd, 2010 No comments

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder…

      …And this auto scribe thinks someone whacked the 2010 Mazda3 with an ugly stick! But regardless of what I think of the wrapper the real measure is whether or not the 2010 3 follows the formula that Mazda patented with the original. That is to pack this entry-level compact hatch with as much content as they can squeeze between the sheetmetal and offer it at a value you just can’t resist. Read more…

Categories: Reviews Tags: , , , , , ,

2006 Volkswagen Jetta

February 23rd, 2010 No comments

Practical With A Buzz

    With the domestic automakers finally paying attention to their breadwinner family sedans, it is becoming increasingly necessary for the imports to keep their offerings fresh. Our first sample of the new batch, the Jetta, is setting the pace, with the Golf and Passat following any day now. Read more…

Categories: Reviews Tags: , , , , , ,

2006 Mercury Milan

February 23rd, 2010 No comments

      Welcome back, all you journalism fans. It’s time for the lightning round in America’s hot new game show, “How to Review a Mercury.”
     For the first question, pick how you’d describe the 2006 Mercury Milan.
     Choice A: “It’s the best car Mercury’s made in years.”
     Choice B: “It’s an overpriced Ford Fusion.”
     Choice C: “Is Mercury still around?” Read more…

Categories: Test Drives Tags: , , , , , ,

2006 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T Value Edition

February 23rd, 2010 1 comment

Who Needs A V6?

    The Passat used to be Volkswagen’s entry in the affordable family sedan market, but the past few years have seen the once affordable German sedan drift upwards until the current V6, and especially the former W8, landed firmly in entry-level luxury sedan territory. Add in the luxo-liner Phaeton and the plusher-than-ever Jetta and it looks like VW has forsaken its history as a builder of affordable transportation. Read more…

2006 Lincoln Zephyr and Mercury Milan

February 23rd, 2010 No comments

The Fusion Is Good, Are The Milan and Zephyr Better?

     We have driven the Ford Fusion and formed a generally positive opinion about its fresh styling, 6-speed automatic and surprisingly good road manners. It’s a competitive car at its price point and they’ve been selling well-a rare piece of good news at Ford lately. Because we liked the base model so much, we skeptically asked ourselves why people would want to pay more for the Mercury or Lincoln version of the same car. We ordered up a sample of each and gave each car a week to convince us why it’s worth the premium. Read more…

2006 Ford Fusion SEL

February 22nd, 2010 No comments

Bye Bye Bubbles

    Which came first, the razor or the car? Our crack research team dove into the history books to find out. When they reported back they all had smooth clean-cut chins and a $1,200 fuel bill. They were dismissed immediately. Read more…

Categories: Reviews Tags: , , , , ,