Luxury cars

Ferrari Sees (More) Red In ’07 — And It’s All Good

It would be a disastrous year for almost any other auto manufacturer. But selling 6,400 cars in a year is huge — at least for Ferrari. The Italian manufacturer announced this week that its sales total for 2007 represented a 14 percent increase from 2006. According to ANSA, the Italian News Agency, the company’s greatest success of the year came with the car maker’s announcement of its new prototype, the F430 Spider. Ferrari currently has  more than 1,850 orders for its Scuderia model, including 500 orders in the United States. The manufacturer also currently has orders for 430 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano models. The sales of the luxury car maker in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East jumped by

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Cadillac CTS, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

After its debut at the North American International Auto Show, success arrived quickly for the CTS after its public debut last August. Motor Trend magazine selected the CTS as its 2008 car of the year. After five years of the first generation CTS, it was redesigned for 2008, and it’s easy to see and feel why the car has generated glowing reviews. The base model features a 3.6-liter variable valve timing V6 with 258 hp. My weekly drive was the more powerful option, a 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 VVT engine with 304 horsepower. It has a six-speed automatic transmission, which is standard on all models. On-demand, all-wheel drive is also offered with both engines when equipped with an automatic transmission. The

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Volvo S80, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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. But for drivers in non-mountainous areas or when the weather’s often ideal, the new Volvo safety features only further complement the already hard-to-rattle Volvo reputation. Further, the S80 4-door sedan is offered at a competitive price as

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BMW X3, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review

I’ve driven the eastbound and westbound road more than 100 times en route to or departing the Monterey Peninsula. Maybe it’s the tight cement restraining barriers or what feels like an odd road camber. It’s just a winding downhill (or uphill) highway section that drives more difficultly than it should. Of course, that makes it a perfect place to test drive a vehicle. And that’s exactly what I did recently in both directions in a BMW X3. The 2007 version of the compact sport utility vehicle was restyled and its six-cylinder 3.0-liter engine features an updated transmission, increased horsepower and all-wheel drive. As stated in the car review publication, Consumer Guide, the BMW ’07 offering has been “rebadged.” It’s now

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Mercedes Benz E350 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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,

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Cadillac SRX, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Add it all up while also considering the various configurations of various manufacturers’ models and there are nearly 90 available SUVs in the United States. The 2007 Cadillac SRX 4-door wagon is listed in the premium midsize SUV category, and it offers an attractive combination of luxury, performance and styling. My weekly driver was the four-door V6 model (there’s also a V8). The V6 includes a 3.6-liter, 260-horsepower engine and a five-speed automatic transmission. The SRX already had a strong performance reputation, but its interior design and material use were often criticized. This year, the higher-grade materials are featured in its near-complete interior makeover. The  console layout and instrumentation panel and overall dash features are more attractive and more functional.

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Acura RDX, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review

“We don’t call them crossover; We call them car-based SUVs, because that’s what they are,”Gabriel Shenhar, senior auto testing engineer for Consumer Reports magazine, said in a recent article in bankrate.com. “These are vehicles that are usually derived from passenger cars, not trucks.” Crossover vehicles also often have fully independent suspensions and more adept for road travel and lighter cargo loads rather than off-road treks and heavy cargo hauls. However properly defined, Acura has entered the crossover mix with its 2007 RDX. It features all-wheel drive, a turbocharged engine, an impressive array of features and an automotive oxymoron. It’s a compact SUV that with its various “bells and whistles” options can exceed more than $37,000. My weekly driver was the

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Hyundai Azera, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

As the replacement for the XG350, Hyundai introduced the Azera earlier this year as the Korean manufacturer’s most luxurious and most expensive offering to date. Luxurious and expensive have never been synonymous with Hyundai. And with the Azera only luxurious applies. It’s a vehicle that may finally allow Hyundai to infringe on sales of the popular Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry. Even with the name change alone, the high-end Hyundai has a chance. The now-gone XG350 had its upside, but its name seemed more conducive to a robot or a vacuum cleaner, rather than a car. Although it’s hardly a household word, at least Hyundai Azera has a catchy sound. The car’s name, in fact, is based on

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Chrysler 300, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Among the most discussed and highly praised new vehicles on the road, the Chrysler 300 offers sedan fanciers sophistication, power and a lot of luxury — all packaged about as nicely as feasible. It’s as if the heavy-duty tankers of yesteryear have been given a modern-day makeover. Gone is the sluggish, gas-guzzling reputation of cruiser sedans. Instead, the new Chrysler has gone upscale and elegant as if the terms sleek and sturdy and dutiful and cruising family sedan are no longer mutually exclusive. My test drive for the week was the 300C. It featured a a 340-hp, 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with a five-speed, automatic transmission. The combination is frighteningly powerful, which I embarrassingly discovered on several occasions. At one intersection

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Volvo V70, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

It’s hard to rattle Volvo‘s reputation. The Swedish manufacturer offers nicely designed, if undistinguished, vehicles. They’re great for confident, open-road driving in any kind of weather. If a buyer’s purchase priorities are comfort, performance and safety, Volvo is a fine choice. The 2006 Volvo V70 R (station wagon) further adds to the already nice Volvo overall package with its substantial cargo room. Still, the V70 finds itself in a tough crowd among the industry’s fastest growing sales segment, the premium midsized class. It includes the Mercedes Benz E-Class, the Audi all-road Quattro, Cadillac CTS and Infiniti G35, among others. My test drive for the week was the Volvo V70 R (all-wheel drive), one of four model options including the XC70

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Acura TL, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

It’s potentially more problematic knowing the crowded, late-night return trip could include a stretch of interstate infamous for its thick, late-night fog. But visiting family outweighs the inconveniences of potential driving hassles. And if the journey is made in a vehicle with a commanding and secure road presence, such concerns are sufficiently eased. So it was during my weekly test drive of the 2005 Acura TL. The vehicle was successful for several years,  but Acura redesigned it and added more features in 2004 to offer BMW and Audi drivers another choice for a luxury sports sedan that combines performance with value. There’s little change in the TL from last year. The vehicle is based on the Honda Accord platform but

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Cadillac SRX, 2004: The Weekly Driver Car Review

So when Cadillac introduced its first car-based SUV this year, couldn’t it have  taken the lead from either the name traditionalists or the new breed of name-makers? The Cadillac Deville, Seville and Escalade are well-established vehicles, but who’s going to remember the SRX? Fortunately, an odd name is about the only thing not right with the new Cadillac. It may be the most comfortable, well-equipped and stylishly appointed SUV available. For my weekly drive, I tested the 4.6-liter, 320-horsepower, 5-speed, all-wheel drive, automatic transmission SRX. The vehicle’s light platinum exterior was well-matched with an ebony interior and the car nicely continues the manufacturer’s reputation. In short, the SRX, like other Cadillacs, has a commanding road presence. More impressive is the

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Audi A8, 2004: The Weekly Driver Car Review

If the latter is a priority, then my weekly test drive was as good as it gets. A redesign for 2004, the Audi A8 includes a 2.5-inch longer wheelbase, an inch more leg room and an increase of 20 horsepower to 330 horsepower. The engine remains the same, 4.2 liters with five valves per cylinder. A 6-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift gate replaces a 5-speed automatic. Other changes include optional 18 or 19 inch wheels instead of standard 17-inch wheels from the previous generation, and optional heated front and rear seats and steering wheel. Having not driven an Audi Quattro in its previous edition, I couldn’t make any comparisons. Nonetheless, it was hard not to be impressed with

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