Automotive Reviews

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Honda CR-V, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

It seems only a short time ago when Honda introduced its first Sport Utility Vehicle to American buyers. But it’s now been a decade, and the CR-V, its first offering, has been revamped several times — sometimes subtly, other times drastically. Another model revision is set for 2007. But that’s not to discredit the current model. The 2006 CR-V (Compact Recreational Vehicle) model is spacious, thoughtfully designed and versatile as a family car for weekend projects, a youth sports team transporter, a sporty work vehicle and well-suited for recreational getaway weekends. In short, it’s an ideal, economical SUV. My weekly driver model was the SE 4-door with all-wheel drive (Honda calls its system is Real Time 4-Wheel Drive.), It’s among

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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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Honda Odyssey, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Since its 1999 debut, the Honda Odyssey has been at the front of the minivan ranks. It combines superior styling, functionality and versatility. And it performs like a sedan masquerading as an eight-passenger van. The 2006 edition only further solidifies the vehicle’s pedigree. Much of the Odyssey’s current styling and improvements were added in 2005. And there was no reason to mess with a good thing. In short, the Odyssey’s cavernous interior space, its well-designed seat configuration and overall comfort are hard to beat. My test vehicle for the week was the Touring Edition, one of seven available Odysseys, and the most expensive. The minivan has a huge price range, with the LX model offered at $25,195 and the Touring

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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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Volvo XC-90, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Driving from Northern California to Oregon is seemingly a simple task. Find Interstate 5 and progress north for five hours or so. The road is largely well-maintained, and the normal flow of traffic is brisk. But good roads, a fast pace and few navigational tasks don’t necessarily make a long drive easy. Changing weather, drivers’ strange habits, elevation gains and the overall challenge of enduring a 300-mile drive from Sacramento can all provide obstacles. Of course, comfort, efficiency and enjoyment of the trip can also vary greatly, depending upon the vehicle used. In one recent instance, the journey was made appreciably easier and enjoyable in a 2006 Volvo XC90, the first and only sports utility vehicle offered by the Swedish

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Honda Ridgeline, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

A friend recently made the brief comment: “You never really look at a pickup truck and say, ‘Wow! That’s a good-looking vehicle.’  I’d never thought about it his terms, but his words rang true. His comments also made me laugh because we were discussing the Honda Ridgeline, the new compact pickup truck. When I first first noticed the truck, I immediately thought, “Well, that’s the first Honda I don’t like.” Introduced last year at car shows and first made available nationwide earlier this year as a 2006 model, the Ridgeline could be categorized as the anti-pickup truck. But I didn’t know that until my weekly test drive. The Ridgeline just doesn’t look like a Honda, and it looks more futuristic

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Mercury Mariner (Hybrid), 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The Mercury Mariner is among several nearly interchangeable compact sport utility vehicles. In fact, the Ford Escape, Mazda Tribune are remarkably similar vehicles, but the Mariner gains an advantage with its luxury-trimmed, hybrid edition for 2006.And it was the upgraded hybrid model I drove for my weekly test during a recent favorite journey, an estimated 500-mile round-trip excursion from Sacramento to California’s central coast. Traveling to the oceanfront cities of Santa Cruz, Aptos and Rio Del Mar not only provides a great getaway, but the route offers numerous driving scenarios — high-speed, open-road sections along Interstate 5 to winding, two-lane steep mountain inclines and descents on single-lane roads. The Mariner is available with three engine options, with the hybrid teaming

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Mercury Milan, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

With midsize monoliths like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry dominating the market for years, what do other manufacturers view as success with their respective offerings in the same class? It’s a crowded segment of the car market, for sure. Fourteen manufacturers are represented in the midsize class and an additional 10 are featured in the premium midsize category. Mercury hasn’t been a serious major player in either category. But like the Hyundai Sonata‘s genesis a few years ago, the Milan and its close relative, the Ford Fusion, have a lot to offer against the dominating duo at a substantially lower price. The Milan replaced the Sable in 2006 and it gives Mercury its first modern stylish sedan. It’s a

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Ford Explorer (Eddie Bauer), 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Now in its 16th year, the Ford Explorer is among the country’s most enduring vehicles. It didn’t have many competitors when it was introduced as a 1991 model in March, 1990. But little could be further from the truth today in the increasingly crowded class. Still, the Explorer continues to evolve and remains remarkably popular with more than 5.5 million sold to date. For my weekly drive, I drove the redesigned 2006 Eddie Bauer 4×4 edition, one of 14 available Explorer configurations that feature four trim options and two engine sizes. With its 4.6-liter, 292-horsepower engine, the Eddie Bauer edition is formidable. Its power — increased from 239 horsepower in the 2005 model — is impressive. It takes you authoritatively

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Subaru Legacy GT, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The Subaru Legacy, like all of the manufacturer’s offerings, is a sure-bet for one outstanding characteristic. It has all-wheel-drive as a standard feature, and it’s quite a feature. Subarus corner and maneuver under any circumstance like no other vehicle. The ride is secure and steady, and drivers will have few worries in inclement weather, during sharp cornering or on rough roads With the  2006 Legacy,  particularly the 2.5-liter GT that was my recent weekly drive, the brand’s smooth rider was nicely complemented. The vehicle has impressive acceleration, above-average ride quality and a refined quietness often reserved for higher-priced sedans. Remodeled in 2005, this year’s Legacy is available in five configurations. With its newly lifted valve system, the horsepower and torque

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Hyundai Accent, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

With its new design for 2006, the Hyundai Accent is a formidable player in the compact class. It’s bigger, it has more power and it has additional safety features than its predecessor. Add Hyundai‘s industry-leading warranty and the new Accent is hard to beat as an entry level vehicle that when equipped with every available option costs less than $15,000. My weekly driver was the GLS 4-door model with a  four-speed automatic transmission. The Accent is also available with a five-speed manual transmission, and that’s good news for RVers since Hyundai has approved its flat-towing capabilities Both automatic and manual transmission Accents are equipped with 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder engines that have been improved by six horsepower in 2006 to 110 horsepower.

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Nissan Pathfinder, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

A long-distance haul means different things to different drivers. For me, on this occasion, it was a 400-plus mile trek from Redondo Beach to Sacramento, California. It was a seven-hour day in the car. The trip included the long climb over the infamous Grapevine in Southern California and plenty of flat and high-speed miles along Interstate 5. My transportation was a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder and it performed well. The Pathfinder, the mid-sized SUV, has now been on the market for two decades. My test vehicle was the four-wheel drive LE model (with navigation system), the most expensive of the four available models. Several top manufacturers’ current SUV models are seemingly interchangeable, and that includes Pathfinder and its top competitors, the

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Nissan Maxima, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Yet the Maxima shows itself well in the midsize crowd with a superior interior and exterior design, comfort and myriad individualized features. My test drive for the week was SE edition, one of three Maximas available. Largely unchanged since 2004, the SE offers a powerful ride with a 3.5-liter, 24-value, 265-horsepower V6 engine. The four-door sedan has a five-speed manual transmission and more-than-adequate power. The Weekly Driver test showcased the vehicle at its finest — with one brief exception — during a weekend getaway that included myriad driving circumstances. The three-day, two-night jaunt from Sacramento to Santa Cruz, Calif., included trips in both directions on Highway 17. The 27-mile stretch between San Jose and Santa Cruz is considered among the

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Suzuki Forenza Wagon, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

As an entry level wagon, the 2005 Suzuki Forenza offers budget-minded buyers a spacious wagon with a good supply of standard features. But as a debut vehicle, it’s also unproven in the resale market and has shortcomings that ideally define its position in the marketplace. My weekly test drive was the LX wagon, one of 10 available Forenza models in 2005. The 2.0-liter, 16-value, 126-horsepower engine has a four-speed automatic transmission, the only option. The vehicle has gas good mileage estimates for its class, and the wagon accelerates adequately in city scenarios. But it’s sluggish and needs a full-throttle jolt on the steady highway inclines or in a quickly needed lane-change situation. The Forenza wagon isn’t particularly quiet on the

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Suzuki XL-7, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Traveling east from Sacramento on either Interstate 80 or 50, the capital of California extends into ever-expanding suburbs. Sierra Nevada foothill communities soon follow and then respectively the well-known gambling and recreation meccas of Reno, Nev., and Lake Tahoe, Calif. Busier freeways exist, but both Northern California thoroughfares have their share of hectic commuter traffic and every other conceivable transportation concern. Both freeways therefore provide perfect arenas for vehicle testing, particularly the consistent, steady ascents into the foothills and toward ski resort elevations. There’s nothing too steep, but the steady grades can abruptly help showcase a vehicle’s power strengths or weaknesses. In my recent test drive of the 2005 Suzuki XL-7, the new midsize SUV offered by the Japanese manufacturer,

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Mitsubishi Outlander, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

In a popular category that includes best-buy choices like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester, the Outlander doesn’t offer any outstanding qualities that could sway potential buyers. My test drive for the week was the new all-wheel drive limited edition Outlander. It joins the previous LX and XLS models and features an impressive list of upgrades from previous models. All Outlanders offer a 4-cylinder, 160-horsepower, 2.4-liter engine. With its standard automatic transmission, the vehicle performs adequately in city driving. But it lacks acceleration for highway journeys, and it struggles on long inclines, even with only two adult front-seat passengers. Steering and handling are adequate and the automatic transmission shifts smoothly. Mitsubishi’s all-wheel drive system is a plus and

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