Luxury Vehicles


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    Even before my week's test with the 2008 Cadillac CTS began, I knew the car was special. A neighbor who never says anything about the cars I drive was enthused. "So what did you think? Would you buy one? he asked.

    Audi A4, 2008: The Weekly Driver

    Since its debut a decade and a half ago, the Audi A4 has built a reputation as a versatile entry-level luxury car. It’s strong on design, with superb handling and personality.

    The Audi 4 offers a lot to different car buyers. Not many vehicles in the same class are offered as a sedan, convertible and wagon, and that’s another strong trait for the vehicle often credited with jettisoning Audi out of its sales slump and image problems in the late 1980s and early 1990s.


    The World's Ten Most Expensive Cars

    There are expensive cars and then there are cars so expensive only a small percentage of the car-buying public could ever realistically consider purchasing.

    Bugatti to Ferrari, Rolls Royce to Maserati, here are capsuled descriptions of the world's 10 most expensive cars.

    Since its inception in 1986, the BMW M3 has had a rich lineage It's included distinct concepts and designs and distinct names from the original E30 M3 to the current M3 2008.

    The current model is the vehicle's fourth generation, and it's designed and manufactured by BMW M GmbH with hopes of infusing the manufacturer's legacy with continued high performance, comfort and safety — BMW signature traits.

    Saab 9-3, 2008: The Weekly Driver

    Starting its second half-century, Saab remains an attractive niche choice for car buyers seeking alternatives to commonplace Germany and Japanese offerings. With the 2008 9-3, the Swedish manufacturer deserves to further improve its positioning in the entry level luxury market.

    My recent test vehicle was the standard, 2.0T (turbocharged) edition. There's also a new all-wheel drive option and the limited edition Turbo X with larger wheels, lower suspension, a rear spoiler and more horsepower.  (Only 600 will be available in the United States.)

    Cadillac CTS, 2008: The Weekly Driver

    A mid-size entry level luxury car, the Cadillac CTS was introduced in 2003 as a replacement for the Catera. Five years, later it's become the manufacturer's first success story in recent market campaign to sell vehicles to younger buyers.

    The CTS, in fact, is credited with rekindling the popularity of the Cadillac, whose sales dipped heavily in the 1990s in favor or Lexus, BMW and Mercedes.

    Volvo S80, 2007: The Weekly Driver

    I was recently driving on Interstate 5 about an hour south of Sacramento. The traffic flow was smooth and fast, and my cruise control was set slightly above 75 mph.

    A vehicle in the lane to my right moved ahead, the driver signaled, adeptly moved into my lane and steadily advanced. My car, however, a 2007 Volvo S80, suddenly slowed.

    The adaptive cruise control, one of several new safety features for Volvo, determined the driver of the vehicle now perhaps 50 yards in front of me had changed lanes without the proper minimum distance.  As such, my cruise control automatically disengaged.

    It's an alarming feeling at first, but it's one more reason why Volvo owners think they're getting among the safest cars on the road. The Swedish manufacturer offers some of the more popular vehicles in areas where inclement weather rules, like Sweden.


    The first luxury car I ever drove was a 1973 Mercedes Benz 240 diesel. My parents bought the vehicle new in Germany, drove it around Europe on vacation and had it shipped to California.

    I was 18 at the time, and when my father let me take the car to the market or when we took the car on father-son journeys, life couldn't have been better.

    Mercedes had more luxurious cars then, just as the manufacturer does today. But more than 30 years after driving father's Benz, I owned a 1979 Mercedes Benz, a 280CE, for several years. It wasn't the same, of course. It was more than 25 years old and had its issues. But it was  Mercedes, I could afford it, and had the same interior and exterior color as my dad's car, and that made it all good.

    That's also plenty of fodder to explain my fondness or Mercedes Benz automobiles, and it's among the reasons I can't help but like the 2006 Mercedes Benz E350.


    Audi A4, 2007: The Weekly Driver

    The A4 is Audi's top-selling line and it's available in three different models and nearly 20 configurations in sedans, wagons and convertibles.

    Categorized as a premium compact car, it's a fine choice for drivers seeking a sporty sedan that smoothly finds its way in any driving scenario via stellar steering and handling and a sophisticated design.

    But not everything is quite right with the A4 and its price point, particularly considering several option packages, provides more than one reason to consider other manufacturers' offerings.


    Lincoln MKZ, 2007: The Weekly Driver

    It's not often a car gets renamed after only one year on the market. But that's exactly what happened to the Lincoln Zephyr. It debuted in 2006 as a entry level luxury sedan and now it's gone.

    In its place as a renamed, restyled and more powerful entry level luxury sedan is the MKZ. And, as the adage goes, what difference a year makes.

    The MKZ is everything the Zephyr wasn't. It has more horsepower, more interior space (15.8 cubic feet in the trunk, for example), an attractive redesign (including a pronounced chrome front grill and other chrome trim) improved interior refinements and a better warranty.


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