Sedan of Elderly Leisure
Just two years ago this sedan would have been revolutionary in the family sedan market. Its extra-large proportions, elevated ride height, spacious interior and availability of all-wheel drive put this sedan into an SUV-like category when you consider all of these features’ marketability. Perhaps this is why the Five Hundred just doesn’t get the heart racing; we expect these niceties in all too many vehicular categories in this day and age. Read more…
The G6 Makes Pontiac Competitive In Small Cars Again
With the G6, Pontiac is setting a new direction for its vehicles. No longer will they be superfluous designs with yesterday’s dynamics but clean, contemporary vehicles with varying degrees of the driving excitement Pontiac is supposed to offer. Thanks mostly to heavy incentives, the Grand Am sold in healthy numbers, but it wasn’t a vehicle that could take on today’s ever-more-impressive small car competition. Thankfully, when it came time to replace the Grand Am, GM started with its excellent Epsilon architecture and built from there. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that when you build with better components, you end up with a better vehicle. That’s exactly what Pontiac has done. Read more…
When Chrysler introduced the Pacifica in 2004, it was a fantastic family vehicle with only one problem.
Many families couldn’t afford it.
Chrysler tried to make the Pacifica an upscale station wagon with leather seats, fancy technology, and lots of luxurious features to guarantee people knew that Chrysler was now owned by Mercedes. It was a great vehicle — still is — but its starting price over $30,000 was more than many families could stomach. Read more…
A Homerun Even Without The Hemi
The Hemi-powered Chrysler 300C has been subject to media exposure approximately equal to Scott Petersen being on trial during a Janet Jackson half-time show. Lesser (read: V6-powered) 300s, however, have garnered the equivalent of a below-the-fold sidebar about the best M.C. Hammer tune. We nonetheless know that a healthy number of 300s are being sold sans Hemi power and that there are plenty of people out there who lack the desire (hard to believe) or means (more likely) to buy a top-of-the-line 300C. It is for these people that The Left Lane is challenging the status quo and reviewing a mid-level run-of-the-mill 300 Touring. OK, you know us better than that. Truth is we tried everything this side of bribing Dieter himself (all right, we tried that too) to get our hands on a tire-melting Hemi-powered 300C. The problem was that everyone else in our industry wanted one too. Our Chrysler PR guy suggested a week in the 300 Touring instead. He was confident that the Touring would be sufficient to win us over. He was right. Read more…
I had high expectations when I stepped inside the Ford Five Hundred, especially after seeing the hot GT and the sexy new Mustang. They prove Ford still knows how to make cars sizzle.
This big sedan, though, left me feeling lukewarm after a week behind the wheel. It’s not a bad car — certainly an improvement over the stale Taurus — but it lacks the pizzazz Chrysler has created with its 300C masterpiece.
Sadly, it could have been so much better. Read more…
With the way minivans have improved in the past 20 years, it’s amazing you don’t see more of them on the road.
Case in point: The 2005 Chrysler Town & Country.
Far from a breadbox on wheels — as the original Chrysler minivans felt like — the Town & Country provides one of the most comfortable and convenient ways to haul a family around town or across the country. Sure, you might hear a few “soccer mom” jokes along the way, but you can’t argue with the sheer practicality that this minivan offers. Read more…
Cross Sport Mini Something-Or-Other
You know it’s bad when even the minivans don’t want to be known as minivans. GM is calling these latest renditions, crossover sport vans. No, the minivan segment is seeing nowhere near the booming growth it was in the early 90’s. However, this practical method of mobility still has many great functionality purposes. Like it or not, the minivan is still the more economical and practical way for getting the kids to and from soccer practice, much more so than dad’s full-size V8 SUV. Read more…
With all the flashy new cars on Chrysler lots, it’s easy to forget about the company’s more traditional models.
Just drive by a dealership, and you’ll see what I mean. There are stylish 300Cs, sporty PT Cruiser convertibles, gorgeous Crossfires, and fancy Pacificas, all of which scream for attention with gaudy styling and prime placement on nearby billboards. Like the head cheerleader at a school dance, they’re hot and they know it.
Read more…
After dominating the North American market for family sedans only to see Japan steal it like a masked bandit, General Motors is trying to recover from lackluster sales in America thanks to a string of bland products.
I know, I know. You’ve heard it before — probably more times than you care to count — but it looks like an American company finally found the right formula for beating the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. It’s just the new Chevrolet Malibu, but listen up. This could be a sign of big things to come. Read more…
