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…
Regular Strength CTS Still Cures The Enthusiast Itch
If you’re a regular reader of these pages then you should recall our review of the wickedly powerful CTS-V. Last fall we burned the rubber off the V’s rear tires and came away thoroughly impressed of America’s M5-fighter. Of course, 400hp, Brembo brakes and a suspension tuned at the Nurburgring tends to impress anybody. Consequently, you’ll understand our initial doubts as to the regular strength CTS’s ability to peak our jaded journalist interests. After all, it’s sans the rumbling V8 and other performance goodies that make the V so special. What could be left to impress us? Turns out, quite a lot. Read more…
Ever wonder what it’s like to be royalty?
It’s hard to imagine that kind of life — living in an opulent palace, having a courtly staff catering to your every whim, mingling with the world’s finest people, fending off the paparazzi and having your most embarrassing moments show up at the supermarket check-out line. 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…
Affordable Family Fun
If you’re a regular reader of these pages you already know that the Mitsubishi Lancer can offer serious doses of excitement when fitted with full Evolution trim. For some, however, the budget may preclude even considering an Evolution. Luckily for us enthusiasts there is a healthy amount of fun to be had for around $20,000 in the 2005 Lancer Ralliart. Mitsubishi claims the Ralliart package is “inspired by the Lancer’s rally heritage”. Although you will not find expensive goodies like a turbo or all-wheel drive, you will find enough pep to make driving feel a little less like work and a little more like fun. Read more…
When a car looks as good as the Jaguar S-Type, even the smallest hint of a styling change can be scary.
That’s why I didn’t know what to expect from the latest S-Type, which was freshened for the 2005 model year. Sandwiched neatly in Jaguar’s sedan lineup between the low-end X-Type and high-end XJ, the svelte S-Type has arguably been the company’s best looking car since it was introduced in 1999. Read more…
Every time I get behind the wheel of a Lexus, I think, “This is how all cars will feel in 10 years.”
It’s not the technology that gives a Lexus the ahead-of-its-time feel, nor is it the styling. Heck, any company can install a few gizmos in a car and call it luxury, and there are plenty of examples of cars that look cutting-edge when they’re born only to look totally ridiculous when they age.
Read more…
Muscle: German Style
Time and time again Audi/VW has shown us that they can build some pretty sweet cars. As evidenced by the A6 we tested back when the snow was still flying. The S4 is no exception to the rule, placing performance, handling, craftsmanship, and stunning good looks high on the priority list. Before I even twisted the key for the first time I could tell this car was going to be hot. Then that V8 fired and all those German stallions started to whinny; my pulse started to race! Read more…
When most people wake up in the morning, they probably don’t get excited about driving a low-priced compact car to work.
That’s only because most people don’t have a Mazda3 in their driveway.
Unlike many economy cars that are good for a daily commute but totally uninspiring from the driver’s seat, this new Mazda is actually a car you can get excited about taking for a spin every day. It’s like the Miata put on a few pounds and grew a back seat. Read more…
Ever Wonder Exactly What Dirt Cheap Means?
Chevrolet marketers knew a few years back that the upcoming Cavalier replacement was going to slide ever so slightly upscale. Sure, a base Cobalt can still be had for just north of 14k, but, nevertheless, Chevy figured there were enough potential customers out there that wanted the benefits of buying a new car but wanted to buy it for next to nothing. So the powers that be put their heads together and realized a rebadged Daewoo would be the best approach. As a result the Aveo is built in a South Korean plant and shipped to the U.S. to sell at rock bottom prices. How low are we talking here? Well, four digits low to be precise. That’s right; Chevrolet sells the cheapest new car in America because the Aveo starts at just $9,995—before any discounts. That’s pretty attractive to be certain and while we can’t say the same about the Aveo’s looks, for people on the strictest of budgets, the Aveo just may offer what they’re looking for. Read more…
