Automotive Reviews

Dodge Dakota, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

When regularly faced with full-sized chores, a full-size pickup is ideal. Small trucks later came along for those who still enjoyed the versatility provided by a pickup, yet preferred a vehicle that wasn’t a headache to maneuver and park. What has changed gradually is the emergence of mid-size trucks. And in the mid-1980s, Dodge was the first to design — a a new brand of pickup — the Dakota. It was introduced to admirably fill the gap between big and small. It could still carry a decent-size load, while also providing more refined ride than its heftier, older relative, the Dodge Ram. Dodge remains innovative in the mid-size truck class, becoming the first manufacturer to put a powerful V8 engine

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Ford Edge, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

A crossover is an automobile with a sports utility vehicle appearance but built upon a more economical and fuel-efficient unibody construction. But what is the Edge — a mini mini-van, a newfangled wagon or a SUV? Like other crossover SUVs, the Edge is hard to pinpoint. The Edge is categorized as a mid-sized crossover SUV and it shares the same platform with the Lincoln MKX and Mazda CX-9 crossovers, the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ sedans. And the Edge bridges the gap between minivans like the now discontinued Freestar, and truck-based sport utility vehicles such as the Explorer. The Edge is priced just below the Taurus X in Ford‘s crossover SUV lineup. The Edge debuted at the 2006

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General Motors' latest shocker: $38 million loss in 2007

How’s it possible to loss $38.7 million in a year? Not even General Motors is like sure exactly how it happened. But the world’s largest automaker has annnounced that’s the amount it lost in 2007. As a result, GM will again offer a new round of buyback offers to 74,000 hourly workers, all of whom are represented by the United Auto Workers. GM said the loss largely was due to a third-quarter charge related to unused tax credits. The 2007 loss topped GM’s previous record in 1992, when the company lost $23.4 billion because of a change in health care accounting, according to Standard & Poor’s Compustat. Excluding the tax charge and other special items, GM lost $23 million, or

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Ford Edge, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

Looking for answers, Ford did a couple of things right last year, introducing a two solid crossover sport utility vehicles that were well received. Neither the Ford Edge or its Lincoln cousin, the MKX, could halt the overall slide, but they made a difference at a time when a success story or two were desperately needed. And I must admit, a first glance at the 2008 Edge drew an appealing nod of approval and driving this car-like SUV was a pleasure as well. Keep in mind my week was spent with the all-wheel drive Edge Limited. Unveiled as a 2008 model, is is most expensive of the three available models at $32,070. The SE version, the base model, goes for

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Mazda 3, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

Although I was unaware of its popularity among women, I was about to find out as the two of them gushed over the subcompact vehicle. I’ve learned through some subsequent research that women do indeed think highly of the Mazda 3. It possesses the cute factor, which means females universally like the look of the Mazda 3, especially the bright red one driven here for a week. And though I don’t have the research to back up this statement, my guess is that men find the Mazda 3 appealing as well. Perhaps you’ve heard of the term “zoom-zoom? Well it’s not just some clever marketing ploy. The Mazda 3 definitely has some major zip. In fact, it has so much

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Recall Woes Continue For Sweden's Volvo

A Volvo spokesperson the issue is could occur 82,000 cars worldwide. The modules can be exposed to water (from rain) and sale (from snow) which can cause corrosion. The recall is in “corrosive markets,” where inclement weather is more prevalent, including the United States, Sweden, Germany, Japan, Canada, Netherlands, Russia, China and France. Last November, Volvo, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Co., recalled 56,000 cars due to two separate problems linked to airbags and engines. And in December, Volvo said it had recalled 125,000 trucks in North America due to the danger of short circuits in the lighting system that could cause fires. At the same time, Volvo recalled 49,500 cars worldwide due to a technical problem with diesel filters.

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Pontiac, Citroen Get Dubious Honors In Top-10 All-Ugly Car List

Car lists are subjective. There are best sports cars, best luxury car lists and even an extreme list like the Top-10 Ugly Cars. And since everyone is entitled to an opinion, the “All-Ugly” list is a lot of fun. Thomas Bey, writing for the web site, www.Bankrate.com, has compiled the latest Top-10 Ugly Car list. The criteria for Bey’s new list is two-fold” 1. “The ugly cars are production vehicles sold in the U.S. at one time or another; 2. “No more than one car from a manufacturer will be on the list.” Here’s Bey’s list in reverse order and a brief comment of each vehicle. 10. Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible — “To hell in a handbasket” is an expression

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CarMax Makes Fortune Magazine's Top-100 List, But Only Employees Really Know

The recruit, face painted, a full pack strapped to his back and rifle in hand, shouts out, “Good morning, first sergeant.” I’ve never been in the military, but from the stories I’ve heard from friends who served, it’s not quite what the commercial represents. Which brings me to the announcement this week of Fortune Magazine’s list of the “100 Best Companies To Work For.” Only the employees of the companies know for sure. But in terms of the automotive industry, the Fortune list may provide an insight into part of the problem for the workforce employed by auto working manufacturers and their affiliated companies. Only one automotive industry company, CarMax, made the list — at No. 46. Based in Richmond,

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Hyundai Earns Three Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Awards

For the first time, three Hyundai models have earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award. The Hyundai Veracruz and Santa Fe received awards in the midsize SUV segment and the Hyundai Entourage in the minivan segment. All winning vehicles are recognized for their ability to protect people in front, side and rear crashes. This marks the third straight the Entourage has received the highest honor — the IIHS Top Safety Pick award in the minivan category. All three vehicles also earned five-star crash test ratings, the highest government rating under NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program, for both frontal and side impact. Top Safety Pick awards recognize vehicles that do the best job of protecting people

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Subaru Debuts Redesigned 2009 Forester At Detroit Auto Show

Subaru of America, Inc., has introduced the redesigned, third-generation 2009 Forester, a crossover built on the manufacturer’s strong reputation for safety, dependability and versatility. The 2009 Subaru Forester expands that reputation. It features a bolder, more SUV-like design, and advancements in safety technology, comfort, and driving dynamics. The unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show occurred about three months before the Forester will arrive at dealerships nationwide. As with all Subaru models, the 2009 Forester comes equipped as standard with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. The new 2009 Forester again blends positive SUV attributes, including a high seating point and interior versatility with passenger car comfort, handling and fuel efficiency. The 2009 Forester is built on an all-new platform featuring a 3.6-inch longer

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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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Ford Escape, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Ford debuted a smaller, less expensive alternative to The Explorer, its vastly popular sports utility vehicle, in 2001. In North America, it was called The Escape and in Europe it was called The Maverick. The new compact SUV was developed in conjunction with Mazda, which in turn is owned in principle by Ford. Thus, the Escape, the Mazda Tribute and Ford’s Mercury division SUV, the Mariner, are not surprisingly quite similar. A hybrid version of the Escape was introduced in 2004 and this year with the 2008 model, the Escape and its SUV siblings have all been redesigned. Why? The SUV market has expanded so dramatically in recent years, even industry leaders have had to adjust to retain their share

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California Fuel Cell Partnership: Worthy Of A Good Look Or Visit

The Sacramento Auto Show was largely underwhelming this year. Electrical difficulties prompted the shut down of two display building at Cal Expo. And manufacturers’ presentations were uninspired – like the reps were going through the motions of presenting new vehicles for the umpteenth time — which they were. There were a few exceptions, including the display and energy of the presentation at the California Fuel Cell Partnership booth. The California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) is a collaboration of 34 organizations that believe fuel cell vehicles powered by hydrogen have the potential to change the future of transportation. The CaFCP web site, www.cafcp.orfg, provides information about the progress that CaFCP’s automotive, energy, fuel cell technology, government and associate members are making

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Mazda RX-8, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Sports cars are rarely known for comfort or convenience. But Mazda does a good job of overcoming the stigma with the RX-8. It’s a coupe with four doors (sort of) and it’s about as comfortable as sports cars get. Mazda further differentiates itself in the sports car class via its signature rotary engine. It’s the system that replaces pistons pumping in cylinders with triangular rotors spinning in oval chambers. My weekly driver was the 2008 Grand Touring model, the most expensive of the three options, including the Sport and Touring. Each has a 1.3-liter, 232-horsepower engine with a six-speed manual transmission or a 1.3-liter, 212-horsepower engine with a six-speed automatic transmission. (The automatic allows manual shifting via floor lever or

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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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Volkswagen Convertible, 2007: Weidel on Wheels

Even though the Beetle is still loved by women, the luster has worn off over the past decade even for the fairer sex. The Beetle has become commonplace and there is no big fuss or heads turning when the little “bug” is cruising down the road. When Volkswagen came back with the Beetle after a near 20-year departure in 1997, no hype was required for the unveiling. It seemed like every woman I knew was enamored with the endearing little Beetle, which became part of a successful retro campaign that drifted through the auto industry. Even my then 7-year-old daughter made it clear this was the car she wanted. Yet when I was driving the VW convertible last month, my

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