Automotive Reviews

2016 Hyundai Elantra GT: Refreshed, roomy, rough ride

Joining a competitive segment, the five-door Hyundai Elantra GT debuted four years ago. The 2016 edition has a few upgrades, including bolder exterior and interior styling, re-tuned power steering and an expanded optional technology package. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Seeking its place in the increasingly popular compact hatchback segment, the 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT is one offered with one trim. It’s a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder with 173 horsepower and six-speed manual transmission. Its new styling includes a more aggressive grille and a streamlined roof. My weekly driver featured the optional six-speed automatic transmission and a lengthy list of standard features that positions the Elantra GT well against top competitors like the top-selling Volkswagen Golf, Mazda3, Ford Focus and Kia Forte.

Read more
,

Fourteen rare cars, trucks set for online auction

Fourteen rare cars, trucks and a motorcyle, a 1927 Ford Model T Roadster to a 1994 Argo Conquest Amphibious 8×8, all located in Auburn Airpark in Auburn, California, will be auctioned beginning June 16 through the online site, www.GovLiquidation.com. According to the auctioneers, the vehicles are all in working condition. Bidding on each vehicle starts at $25. Here’s the list of vehicles: 1948 Lincoln Continental 2-Door Hard Top Coupe; 1960 Willys 4×4 Wagon; 1944 Studebaker M29-C Weasel; 1929 Ford Model A Rumble Seat Sport Coupe; 1994 Argo Conquest Amphibious 8×8; 1980 Ford Model A Shay Roadster; 1965 Ford Mustang Coupe; 1957 Chevy 2-Door Hot Rod; 1966 Ford F100; 1949 Cadillac 4-Door Sedan; 1927 Ford Model T Roadster Hemi Hot Rod;

Read more

Mazda3, Pontiac Vibe among best used cars for under 10K

Consumer Reports has plenty to say about new cars and trucks, but it also has some practical advice for buyers seeking the best used cars on tight budgets. It’s compiled a varied (and sometimes surprising) list of its top-10 best used cars for under $10,000. The publication recommends several criteria while searching for a good used vehicle. The more important: good reliability, stability control, the newest used car you can afford, buy from a reputable seller and seek the car’s past history.   Here’s what Consumer Reports writes about two of its choices, followed its top-10 list of best used cars to buy for under $10,000. 2008 MAZDA 3 The excellent Mazda 3 is one of our favorite small cars

Read more
, ,

Hello, Tesla, welcome the 2,400 hp SP-200 SIN supercar

PSC Motors in Las Vegas has announced its pending entry in the hybrid supercar business with the limited manufacture of the awkwardly titled SP-200 SIN.  The 9.0-liter V8 with a combined 2,400 horsepower has a promoted top-speed of more than 280 mph. The start-up said it will build only 35 of vehicles with a carbon fiber and composite aluminum frame.  The 1,000 gas horsepower engine will be mated to at least two electric motor that will push the vehicle to its predicted 0-60 mph acceleration in 2.6 seconds. PSC Motors said it began working on the SP-200 SIN five years ago. It has a mid-engine and is naturally aspirated. It also has an eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission with five adjustable driving

Read more
,

2016 Mazda 6: Watch out Honda Accord, Toyota Camry

It’s hard to believe the 2016 Mazda 6 marks the 14th year since the manufacturer replaced the Mazda 626 with its current midsize sedan. The current third generation debuted in 2013, and the new offering is packed with considerable improvements — particularly in the highest-level trim. The Weekly Driver Test Drive A five-passenger sedan, the Mazda 6 is offered in Sport, Touring and top-line Grand Touring trims, and my weekly driver was the latter. It has so many changes, how could it not be a new generation? For 2016, the Mazda 6 features revised front and rear styling, making it appreciably more handsome. The previous xenon headlights have been replaced with LED headlights and there’s a larger (7-inch) touchscreen interface

Read more

2015 Honda Civic EX-L Navi: Most versatile new car?

The Honda Civic has been near or at the top of compact sedan segment for so long, maybe one day an upgraded trim or a new generation of the now 46-year-old vehicle will debut that just doesn’t hold up. But it’s not the 2015 edition. New competitors — Mazda3, Ford Focus and Kia Forte — offer increasing competition. But Honda keeps tweaking the Civic lineup, including this year’s addition of the mid-range SE trim. Now in the fourth year of its ninth generation, the Civic remains among the most successful automobiles in history. It’s is available as a coupe and sedan. And it’s offered in nearly a dozen trims and in three fuel choices — gas, hybrid and natural gas.

Read more
,

Driving the Tour of California in a Lexus SUV #3

With two days remaining in the nine-day Amgen Tour of California bicycle race, I stopped for my third refuel of the trip. The 2015 Lexus NX 200t F Sport had taken me from Sacramento to Santa Clarita, and the new luxury sport utility had done well for itself. The weather in the previous week included predicted warm and windy conditions and also a two-hour trek in a nasty rainstorm near Los Angeles. The inclement conditions were only outdone by the nastiness of the mess called the Southern California freeway system. And exactly why is it that some drivers speed up when there’s standing water on the freeway and a steady cross wind? My third fill-up 12.89 gallons was priced at

Read more

2016 Volvo XC90: Style, safety in new luxury SUV

The first generation Volvo XC90 SUV was introduced in 2002. Worth the wait 13 years later is the second generation 2016 Volvo XC90. It offers a new level of sophistication and utility. The 2016 XC90 is new from badge to backup camera. It’s the first plug-in hybrid SUV offering three rows of seating for seven. Our drive with Volvo‘s mid-size SUV introduced us to a memorable luxury experience, a suite of modern safety features and superior efficiency in a package that dresses to impress. Driving Impressions Volvo is offering two versions of the redesigned 2016 XC90: the T6 and T8. The T6 AWD, on sale now, delivers 316 horsepower from a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with a supercharger and turbocharger. Power

Read more

2015 Mazda CX-9: Power, comfort, fair price

A full-sized crossover sport utility vehicle, the Mazda CX-9 debuted in 2006 as a 2007 model. It’s been refreshed and tweaked along the way. But the original generation of the three-row, seven-passenger sport utility vehicle for 2015 remains largely unchanged from last year. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The 2015 Mazda CX-9 is offered in Sport, Touring and Grand Touring trims, and my weekly driver was the top-line Grand Touring option with front-wheel drive. It’s available with all-wheel drive and a towing package. Like all Mazdas, the CX-9 has a long list of standard features. The Sport model’s equipment includes: 18-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, three-zone automatic climate control, a tilt-and-telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel, a height-adjustable driver seat, cloth upholstery,

Read more
,

Driving the Tour of California in a Lexus SUV, #1

After driving the first three stages of the Amgen Tour of California in my weekly driver, a 2015 Lexus NX 200t F Sport, I stopped for my first refuel of the race’s 10th edition. Lexus is a sponsor of the event and it has provided vehicles for staff and media members. The Lexus NX 200t is a five-passenger, compact luxury crossover new for this year. The sport model I’m driving for 10 days embellishes the standard equipment with a half-dozen items to make the vehicle, well . . . more sporty. The upgraded features includes 18-inch wheels (instead of standard 17s) as well as summer tires, a sport-tuned suspension, transmission paddle shifter, performance gauges, upgraded interior trim and a sportier

Read more
,

2015 Toyota Corolla: Steady, enduring sedan

Following a complete redesign last year, the 2015 Toyota Corolla remains the same as its one year older sibling with a few minor exceptions. The new edition of the best-selling car in history now has a fold-down real center armrest in all trims except the base L model. The Toyota Corolla for years has had a lengthy list of standard features, and it’s now even better. The upper level trims for 2015 get the Driver Convenience package as standard equipment. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The S trim premium was my weekly test drive, and it’s most equipped of the four Toyota Corolla trims, which also include L, LE and LE Eco. All models have a four-cylinder engine. A manual

Read more

2015 Scion tC: Practical liftback with limitations

The Scion tC was unveiled by Toyota 11 years ago as a 2005 model to cater to the millennial market. It’s a thrifty, five-passenger, three-door liftback with a lot of standard features and a few available option packages. The 2015 model brings the car into its second decade as an unheralded compact with a sporty flair and a sub-$25,000 price. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Now in the second year of its third generation, the 2015 Scion tC (Touring Coupe) is offered in one trim level. Its standard equipment includes: 17-inch alloy wheels, air-conditioning, cruise control, full power accessories, a panoramic sunroof, a height-adjustable driver seat, a leather-trimmed tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, reclining and folding 60/40-split rear seats, Bluetooth phone and

Read more

Fast & Furious 7: rare car demolition derby

The completion of Fast & Furious 7 was an homage to Paul Walker, the co-lead in the just-released action movie about cars, speed and bravado. Walker died in November 2014 in a single-car crash after only portions of the movie had been filmed. And while the film pays its respects to the actor, it also continues the enduring series’ emphasis on over-the-top joy rides among 340 cars, some rare, some extraordinarily rare. The vehicles were catapulted off ramps and out of planes and smashed together at every angle imaginable. The seventh installment of the movie includes a renewed emphasis on real stunts. Only 10 percent of the action sequences are computer generated. Still, 230 of the 240 cars used in

Read more
, ,

Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, pistachios and cars

The upcoming Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao bout may be the most anticipated fight in boxing history. As such, exposure of both athletes has expanded beyond the boxing circles — and in far different ways. Pacquiao has a television commercial promoting pistachios. Mayweather is more flamboyant. He’s taken to social media to showcase his empire, including his vast collection of iconic cars. As a car collector, Mayweather isn’t in the same league as entertainers like Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld. But his choices are impressive, and certainly expensive, and easily attainable for anyone who happened to make $105 million in 2014. Mayweather likes to flaunt his cars and the other extravagant means of his life. In a recent Twitter image,

Read more

2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid gets style, still sips fuel

It wasn’t too long ago hybrid car buyers sacrificed exterior and interior design and cargo space to get superior fuel economy. The updated 2015 Toyota Camry provides another example how the segment has vastly improved. The new Toyota Camry looks like a luxury sedan and has an attractive interior. And it’s a fuel-efficient hybrid without any compromise of earlier hybrid offerings. The Weekly Driver’s Test Drive The 2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor that generate 200 horsepower combined and it’s matched with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The base Camry Hybrid LE gets an EPA-estimated 43/39 mpg city/highway. The Camry SE and XLE models earn 40/38 mpg. Beyond its vast upgrades, the 2015

Read more

2015 Honda Civic: Iconic compact still segment leader

The Honda Civic Si debuted in 1984 and continues to fare well as its settles into adulthood. It’s the sporty version of its oldest sibling, now 43 years old. But in any trim and configuration, the 2015 Honda Civic retains its status as one of the best-selling cars in history. The Weekly Driver Test Drive In the decade since The Weekly Driver debuted, I’ve driven more Honda Civics than any other car. It’s been more than a dozen so far and with gas, natural gas and hybrids engines and as coupe and sedans. The 2015 Civic Si is a reminder just how far the car has advanced since its debut in 1972 as a “box with four wheels. The 2015

Read more
Previous Next