Automotive Reviews

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Ford F-150 will again lead U.S. vehicle sales 2012

With the end of the year near, the automotive industry will soon again tally its numbers and the best-selling car list will reveal how much has changed and how much the habits of the public have changed in the past 12 months. Just as it has been for many years, the Ford F-Series will again be the best-selling vehicle in the United States in 2012. The Chevrolet Silverado and Ram Pickup will again likely be in the top 10 and the Toyota Camry should retain its perch as the country’s best-selling car. But will green cars be represented in the top-20 for 2012? And will the Hyundai Sonata continue its strong sales year in December to not only boost Hyundai’s

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2013 Honda Odyssey Review: Large luxury sedan disguised as a hip minivan

The Honda Odyssey is now 20 years old and for 2013, the hugely popular family van is in the third year of its fourth generation. The current style, unveiled at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, features a sleek modern exterior design. It’s decidedly non-minivan. The 2013 Honda Odyssey features a 24-valve, 248-horsepower engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. It has 0-60 mph acceleration in 7.9 seconds and comfortable seating in three rows and for seven adults. There are a few minor changes, but mostly adding features of the more expensive trims as standard on lower-level trims. The Weekly Driver Test Drive As I did with the 2012 model, my weekly driver in the 2013 edition was also the five-door Touring

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2013 Mazdaspeed3 Review: Fun, value-priced pocket rocket

The 2013 Mazdaspeed3 compact hatchback is for those who like fast, responsive small cars, but don’t want to give up a good dose of practicality. The well-equipped front-drive Mazdaspeed3 is a far cry from the standard front-drive Mazda3, which is a pleasant, practical hatchback reasonably enjoyable to drive. The $24,200 Mazdaspeed3 looks like it’s spoiling for a fight. New for 2013 are items including 40-series tires on 18-inch “gunmetal” alloy wheels, black outside mirrors, a two-tone rear roof spoiler and rear lower valance. New for the interior is a $2,485 Technology Package that includes a blind-spot monitoring system, full-color touchscreen navigation system, HD radio, Pandora audio application, SMS test message audio delivery and voice reply. It also contains a pushbutton

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Tesla raises prices, offers new warranties for 2013

Tesla, the high-performance, all-electric sports car manufacturer, will increase prices of the four versions of its 2013 Model S luxury sedan by $2,500 beginning January 1, 2013. New prices are $59,900 for the base version with a 40-kilowatt-hour battery pack, $69,900 for the mid-range 60-kWh model, $79,900 for the top-end 85-kWh level and $94,900 for the Performance model, which also uses the 85-kWh pack. Tesla buyers who make a deposit after January 1 will get a premium – 12-way adjustable heated front seats — without charge. Extended warranties, maintenance Telsa has also announced prices for its replacement battery packs and a new warranty program. Replacement battery costs: 40 kWh ($8,000), 60 kWh ($10,000) and 85 kWh ($12,000). New warranty option

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Chevy Spark all-electric version scheduled for summer 2013 debut

An all-electric version of the Chevrolet Spark, which has 130 horsepower and is powered by an electric motor and a 20 kWh lithium ion battery, will go sale next summer in California, Oregon, Canada and in South Korea, where it’s manufactured. General Motors didn’t disclose the range of the electric Spark, but said the electric version of the popular entry level car, will accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than eight seconds. The price of the Spark also hasn’t been released, but it will be eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit. The gas-operated Spark starts at $12,245, while the electric could cost nearly double the amount of its sibling. According to the Chevrolet, which is showcasing the Spark at

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2014 Honda Accord plug-in hybrid rated at 115 mpg(e)

The Honda Accord plug-in hybrid, which will debut January 15 at dealerships in California and New York, will be priced from $39,780 and is expected to compete with the Toyota Prius, Chevy Volt and just released Ford Energi. The Ford Fusion is priced ($39,495), while the Volt is priced at $39,145. The Toyota Prius begins at $32,000. According to information released at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which continues through January 9 at the LA Convention Center, the EPA rates the new Honda at 115 MPGe in electric mode. The Chevy Volt is rated at 98 MPGe, and the Prius Plug-in at 95 MPGe. Ford has promoted the Fusion Energi at “over 100 MPGe.” The new Accord Plug-In will achieve

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2013 Volkswagen CC Review: Elegant, keen engineering, strong performance

Styling of the elegant-looking Volkswagen CC has been sharpened for 2013, and it’s been given a third rear-seating section, making it a five-seater. The 2013 CC looks sharper, with new front and rear styling. And its new bi-xenon headlights are styled after those of Volkswagen’s costly Euro-market Phaeton. They look as if they could light up a Super Bowl game. Also new are LED taillights. The CC resembles a coupe with its flowing roofline and swept back rear windows. This four-door looks low-slung and is 188 inches long. But it’s rather narrow, as if built for European roads. The low front end can easily be damaged, and thick front roof pillars partially obstruct visibility when turning street corners. The old

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LA Auto Show, 2012: On the way home in a 2013 Toyota Prius c

My long haul returning to Sacramento from the LA Auto Show tested the limits of my weekly driver, the 2013 Toyota Prius c. I left Los Angeles just after 3 p.m. and arrived just after 11 p.m. Minus three stops, it was about seven hours of driving time, including the northbound negotiation of The Grapevine along Interstate 5. The north-south route negotiating the infamous mountain pass seemed more ominous than the drive to my Hollywood hotel, about eight miles from the Los Angeles Convention Center. And there were a few reasons: It was nightfall, there was sporadic rain and crosswinds and Interstate 5 had more than its usual massive amounts of 18-wheeler truckers and their varying driving habits. As a

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LA Auto Show: On the way in a 2013 Toyota Prius c #3

The final leg of my trip from Sacramento in a 2013 Toyota Prius c took me over the infamous Grapevine, from North to South, and into the heart of the beaten down mecca called Hollywood eight miles from the LA Auto Show. I’d driven for a total of about eight hours (including few brief stops) and covered 392.9 miles and averaged 44.6 mpg. The EPA averages for the Prius c hybrid are 50 mpg (city) and 46 mpg (highway). My biggest concern for the long haul in the hybrid subcompact was the incline over the Grapevine and its notorious stretches where 18-wheelers are forced to the right-hand lane(s) with heavy loads.  It’s on the same sections where drivers of powerful

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LA Auto Show: On the way in a 2013 Toyota Prius c, #2

Nearly 312 miles into my trip Tuesday (Nov. 27) from Sacramento to Los Angeles en route to the Los Angeles Auto Show in my 2013 Toyota Prius c weekly driver I stopped for gas. It was about 10 miles before the beginning of the gnarly, always aggressive ascent over the Grapevine, North to South, on Interstate 5. The Prius had fared well for more than five hours, but the major task of driving to Los Angeles was just a few minutes away. The car may or may not have needed a break, but I certainly did. The new Prius has a handy set of dashboard driving functions accessible on the steering wheel buttons. In addition to the standard setting, which

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LA Auto Show: On the way in a 2013 Toyota Prius c, #1

The 2013 Toyota Prius c, which joined the Prius family earlier this year, is among five finalists for Green Car of the Year honors at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Which means it made perfect sense to drive one to the show. Which is exactly what I’m doing. The easy-to-use navigation system in the Prius c (the lowercase “c” is for “city”) dialed in the route from my home in Sacramento to Los Angeles as 380 miles and the time en route as 6 hours and 4 minutes. The route is primarily south on Interstate 5. I left at 6:10 a.m. today and stopped at a truck stop rest area just north of Westley, about two hours into the trip.

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2013 Cadillac XTS Review: New sedan best Cadillac ever?

The all-new 2013 Cadillac XTS is a big front-wheel or all-wheel-drive sedan based on the Buick LaCrosse and upcoming Chevrolet Impala. It replaces Cadillac’s DTS and STS models and is arguably the best Cadillac sedan ever. The XTS is handsome, despite a stubby hood. Its clean, elegant design doesn’t have the many sharp angles and creases found on other Cadillacs. The uptown interior is deathly quiet. It has everything from comfortable seats and easily read gauges to soft-touch, high-quality materials, with either wood or metal. No cheap plastics here. The XTS stresses technology, luxury and prestige, with no pretensions to directly compete with stiffer German luxury-performance models. In short, the XTS is largely its “own man” and leaves Caddy models

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2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 Review: Classic ride, style for newly designed SUV

Now in its third year, the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK350, the German automaker’s smallest sport utility vehicle, received a makeover. Improvements include more horsepower, better acceleration, revamped power steering, a more elegant interior design and a handful of new standard and optional features. The exterior improvements include new headlights and front bumper, as well as LED taillights and running lamps. The rear has also been redesigned with shades of bottom-heavy family sedans of yesteryear. All improvements were warranted because the segment has plenty of competition, including luxury people mover stalwarts like the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Lexus RX350. The Weekly Driver Test Drive With its new a 305-horsepower direct-injection V-6, 34 horsepower from 2012, the improved Mercedes has a lot

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Nissan Versa keeps Cheapest Car in the U.S. title for 2013

It’s about five times more expensive than the Tata Nano, but the Nissan Versa maintains its unique position in the automotive industry. Including a $790 destination charge, the 2013 edition of the subcompact sedan is the cheapest new car in the United States with a beginning price of $12,280. The Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Sonic all have entry level prices of less than $15,000. But the Nissan Versa retains its current status despite an increase of $1,100 from the 2012 model. The top-of-the-line 2013 Nissan Versa sedan starts at $17,380, including shipping, which places it higher than comparable models of key competitors from Hyundai, Ford, Chevrolet and Honda. Nissan recently announced improvements for the updated 2013 Nissan Versa include a

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2013 best sedans: Ford Fiesta to Audi A8

Sedans are arguably the most competitive car segment, and the uniqueness of the Edmunds.com list for 2013 is that Toyota, which manufacturers the Camry and Corolla, both perennially among the top-10 selling cars in the United States, is not on the  recommended list in any sedan price category. None of the members of the Toyota Prius family of hybrid cars are on recommended sedan list, either, although Toyota products are listed in other recommended categories. Here’s the top-three in eight price categories for Edmunds.com, the online automotive information resource guide headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Under $15K Chevrolet Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent Under $18K Mazda 3, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus Under $25K Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Ultima Under

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2013 Volkswagen Golf R Review: Turbo hatchback a smooth, powerful, fast gem

The new hot rod Golf R hatchback is for driving enthusiasts and is unchanged from its 2012 debut. Demand was strong for last year’s model, so Volkswagen said the R is being offered again in 2013 in limited numbers. The R is the heir to the 2004 and 2008 Golf R32 models. It’s up against formidable rivals such as the BMW X128i, Ford Focus ST, Mitsubishi Evo, Mazdaspeed3 and Subaru WRX STI . The Golf R’s turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder is the most powerful Golf engine ever offered in the United States. It’s a gem that produces 256 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. The smooth engine features dual overhead camshafts, 16 valves, variable valve timing and direct fuel injection. Throttle

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