Automotive Reviews

2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: Improved underdog

It’s been 13 years since the Mitsubishi Outlander joined the sport utility vehicle segment. Different trims joined the lineup in three generations, but nothing has drastically changed, including in the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. Tte Outlander replaced the Montero and the former has improved with each generation and trim. Mitsubishi has diligently attempted to penetrate the stronghold Honda, Mazda, Toyota and Ford have in the segment. But the Outlander, despite some good features, remains an underdog. The Weekly Driver Test Drive It’s been two years since I last drove a Mitsubishi Outlander and now I’ve driven two within a few months and they’re largely the same. This time around, it’s the smaller Sport model and the compact crossover’s top-end 2.4

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2016 Honda Pilot: New inside, out for top-level SUV

Now in its 14th year, the Honda Pilot has finally come of age. It’s always been Honda’s largest sport utility vehicle, with the word utility translating into big, boxy and boring. With Toyota, Hyundai and others offering increasingly strong competition, the 2016 Honda Pilot is in the first year of its third generation. It’s sleeker, lighter, more attractive inside and outside and has an array of new standard and optional features. The Weekly Driver Test Drive As a three-row SUV, the 2016 Honda Pilot is available in five trims, including my weekly driver, the top-line Elite. It’s the only trim with seven-passenger capacity, one less than its stablemates. The reason: Among many nifty features, the Elite has second-row captain’s chairs

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2016 Toyota Highlander (Hybrid) poised, pricey

The Toyota Highlander hybrid debuted in the United States in 2005, five years after the gas model. The idea was to help ease a major concern among potential sport utility vehicle owners — lousy gas mileage. It worked. As a holdover from last year’s top-rated offering, the 2016 Toyota Highlander hybrid is a three-row, midsize SUV. It’s powered by a 3.5-liter V6 and three electric motors that combine for 280 horsepower. It features a continuously variable transmission and is standard with all-wheel drive. Seven-passenger seating is standard, too, with two captain’s chairs in the second row and a 60/40-split bench in the third row. The Weekly Driver Test Drive My test vehicle was the Limited Platinum trim, the higher level

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2016 Chevrolet Malibu: Still riding the sedan wave well

Now in the fourth year of its eighth generation, the Chevrolet Malibu dates to 1964. And like other vehicles with long histories, the Malibu has come a long way since it was named after the surfing-oriented city along the California coastline. The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, however, is much the same as last year’s model, but it’s without a few items. The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine is no longer available and xenon headlights and a few other more minor equipment features have been discontinued. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The midsize sedan segment is among the most competitive in the industry, dominated by Japanese vehicles and vastly improved competitors from South Korea. So where does the Chevrolet Malibu, now more than 50

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2016 Yukon Denali: Big, badass, defies logic

The 2016 Yukon Denali includes a host of new technology, safety and convenience upgrades, further embellishing the already massive and plush sport utility vehicle. The GMC Denali lineup debuted in 1999 as full-sized SUVs to compete against the Lincoln Navigator unveiled one year earlier. The addition of the top-line Yukon badge began in 2001. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Where do you start with a 6.2-liter, 420-horsepower V8 with 20-inch wheels, an onyx-colored exterior, an equally dark interior and dark-tinted side windows? The 2016 GMC Yukon (XL) resembles a hearse on steroids. More importantly, the Denali not only looks menacing, it’s intimidating to drive — at least at first. Its length (18 feet, 8 inches), width (6 feet, 8 1/2

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2016 Scion iM: Say hello, bye to worthy budget hatchback

The Scion iA and its sibling, the Scion iM, are new vehicles for 2016 and soon they’ll be gone. The Scion iA is a sporty entry level sedan; the Scion iM is a five-door hatchback. The duo was manufactured, like all Scions since the brand debuted 13 years ago, to appeal to millennials. But it didn’t work to the company’s expectations. And now some of the brand’s offerings will be discontinued, while others will be absorbed and continued in the Toyota lineup. The Scion iA and iM are among models that will be transferred to Toyota. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The Scion iM is a four-cylinder, 16-valve, 1.8-liter, 137 horsepower, five-door hatchback with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

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2016 Toyota Corolla: Special Edition Honors 50th Birthday

Who could have known that 50 years ago, a little econobox on wheels would become the best-selling car in history? That would be the Toyota Corolla, now a half-century old. The 2016 Toyota Corolla, two years removed from a redesign, represents the milestone with its usual array of trim levels plus a Special Edition. Last year, the minor additions to the Corolla included a fold-down real center armrest in all trims except the base L model and a Driver Convenience package as standard equipment. New Corolla Honors Sedan‘s Legacy The Weekly Driver Test Drive The Special Edition was my weekly test drive, an homage to the brand and limited to 8,000 units. Its basic are the S Plus trim, plus

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2016 Mazda CX-3 debuts well in tough small SUV field

Among the newer car industry segments, the subcompact crossover is chock full of worthy vehicles, including the new 2016 Mazda CX-3. It’s the younger stablemate of the still-toddler CX-5 and it joined an expanding, diverse field that also features the new Honda HR-V, Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade. The 2016 Mazda CX-3 ideally helped define the segment. It featured the maneuverability of a hatchback with the expanded (but not too large) size of a crossover SUV. The Weekly Driver Test Drive As per the manufacturer’s lineup-wide signature, the 2016 Mazda CX-3 has a long list of standard features, all offered in three trims. My weekly driver was the top-line Grand Touring trim, which, of course, featured the standard equipment of

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2016 Honda HR-V: Compact SUV adds to brand’s legacy

The 2016 Honda HR-V, the newest and smallest of the manufacturer’s successful lineup of sport utility vehicles, debuted last year. It joined the increasingly competitive subcompact SUV segment that includes newly en vogue vehicles like the Nissan Juke, Mazda CX-3 and Fiat 500X. The Honda HR-V (Hi-rider Revolutionary Vehicle) also joined the Honda CR-V (Compact Recreational Vehicle), and the Honda Pilot in the manufacturer’s SUV lineup. The Honda Element, a fourth SUV option, ceased production a few years ago. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Available in three trims, my weekly driver was the top-line EX-L. Like all Honda vehicles it featured a lengthy list of standard equipment. It’s complemented by a 1.8-liter, 16-valve, 4-cylinder engine with 141 horsepower and a

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President Obama smooth, Seinfeld sputters in Corvette

Congratulations to Jerry Seinfeld for cruising around the White House driveway with President Obama in a 1963 Corvette Stingray. It was the opening episode of the seventh season of the clever program “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.” It only could have gone worse if the car didn’t start. Like Seinfeld’s comedy act and his longstanding television program, the mini-series on the Crackle network is about nothing except if you like vintage cars, comedians, coffee and the relationship Seinfeld has with his comedian friends. It’s often brilliant, but it wasn’t this time. President Obama may like Seinfeld, but he doesn’t appear to be the comedian’s friend. As a fan of both the President and Seinfeld, it was first time I’ve watched

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TheWeeklyDriver.com names Best 12 Vehicles of 2015

For the ninth straight year, TheWeeklyDriver.com has selected its Best 12 Vehicles of the Year. Ford, Honda and Hyundai each have two vehicles on the 2015 list, which this year has expanded from the usual top-10 list to a dozen selections. As editor and publisher of the TheWeeklyDriver.com since 2004, I fully reviewed 38 cars and trucks with 2015 model years. I also drove a half-dozen other cars briefly at manufacturer preview days. This year’s list has expanded to a dozen vehicles for one simple reason: Manufacturers keep making better machines. For the first time since the end-of-the-year list began, our list includes a pick-up truck. For the 2014 list, we selected a single top vehicle, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

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2016 Kia Optima further challenges Accord, Camry

Since its debut in 2000, the Kia Optima has made steady, small progress to loosen the dominance of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry in the midsize sedan market. With the debut of the fifth generation 2016 Kia Optima, the South Korean upstart can no longer be considered a fringe offering for the budget-minded car buyer. While sharing the platform of the 2015 Hyundai Sonata, the 2016 Kia Optima features a host of new exterior and interior design offerings, including a new trim, the 1.6T or turbocharged inline four-cylinder. The new model is also slightly longer, wider and taller than its predecessor. And there’s more interior legroom and headroom and more cargo space. It’s a family sedan with a hint

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2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata: Lighter, faster, more fun

A guy in a shopping center parking lot looked over at me and said, “Nice car.” He then pointed to his identical 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata parked about 50 feet from my test vehicle. “You’re taller than I am,” I replied. “Is it hard for you to get in and out of the car?” “I’m 6-4 and it is, but it’s worth it,” the guy responded. And so it is for Mazda MX-5 enthusiasts. The best-selling roadster in history has a new generation for 2016 and it’s among the most talked about vehicles in the industry. The Weekly Driver Test Drive With its new lighter and slightly less powerful approach, the 2016 Mazda MX-5, a two-seat roadster, is powered by

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LeBron James, Kia team up for three new K900 ads

LeBron James has continued his relationship with Kia with three new advertisements. The 11-time NBA All-Star and the South Korean carmaker hope the campaign showcase the brand’s top-of-the-line K900 is “Fit For A King.” The three spots with James as the ambassador for Kia‘s luxury sedan are titled ”Ten Mil,” “1000%” and “Spaceship.” In the campaign, James assembles a team of experts in his garage command post to help prove he drives a Kia K900 by responding to the following real tweets: * “I’ll bet anyone $10,000,000 that LeBron doesn’t roll up to the games in a Kia.” * “There’s a thousand percent chance that there’s a zero percent chance that LeBron drives a Kia.” * “LeBron drives a Kia

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2016 Chevrolet Volt named Green Car of the Year

Five years after it won for the first time, the Chevrolet Volt has been named the Green Car of the Year for the second time. The 2016 edition was honored at the Los Angeles Auto Show in the 10th edition of the award presented by the Green Car Journal.The Chevrolet Volt was given the award in recognition of improvements to every aspect of the extended-range hybrid that debut in 2011. In presenting the award, judges note the Chevrolet Volt for its: “sleek and sporty design, more energy-dense batteries, new electric motors, and quicker acceleration.” The Chevrolet Volt has a more efficient 1.5-liter engine-generator that creates onboard electricity to power the Volt’s motors for a total 420 miles.The Volt beat a field of finalists

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2015 Ford C-Max: Underdog hybrid still chasing Prius (VIDEO)

Ford isn’t the only manufacturer attempting to infiltrate the hybrid segment dominance of the Toyota Prius. But three years ago it started its best effort, the highly touted Ford C-Max hybrid-only line-up. Ford’s marketing plan included a motto directly pointed at Toyota. It promoted the debut 2013 C-Max as “a hybrid that drives and looks like a real car.” Like previous years’ models, the 2015 Ford C-Max is true to the carmaker’s claim. It looks and drives like a non-hybrid. It’s available as a gas-electric hybrid as the Energi, a plug-in hybrid. The Ford C-Max hasn’t significantly dented the Toyota Prius market share, but it’s like its main competitor in two respects. It’s not available in a gas-only model, much

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