Automotive Reviews

BMW microcar Isetta still around 55 years after heyday

It’s not the most unique vehicle in the world, but the Isetta micro-car built in several countries and once owned by BMW, still attracts plenty of attention because of its bubble shape and diminutive size. Design by an Italian company, the Isetta was conceived because of a need for cheap, short-distance city driving following World War II. The BMW Isetta became the world’s first mass-production 3-liter car in 1955. Its low-friction, one-cylinder engine and low weight resulted in superior gas mileage — as high as 71 mpg. It is the top-selling one cylinder car in the world, with 161,728 units sold, according to Wikipedia. Matt Walsh, a friend and publisher of the irreverent cycling blog Twisted Spoke spotted a stunning

Read more

Lexus CT 200h 2011 car review

The new, compact CT 200h from Toyota’s upscale Lexus division shares its hybrid gas/electric powertrain with Toyota’s Prius. But the Prius feels like an appliance, while the CT 200h feels and drives like a luxury car. The 2011 front-drive, four-door CT 200h is the first Lexus hatchback and thus is more practical than the Prius. Also, compared to the Prius, the new Lexus has an ultra-rigid chassis, better suspension and a body that, while somewhat chunky, looks rather sporty, partly because of a rakish roofline and short body overhangs. However, a low front end (for aerodynamic efficiency) could be damaged in certain parking areas. The CT 200h was mainly designed for Europe’s narrow streets and tight parking spots, which means

Read more

Toyota Avalon 2011 car review

The 2011 Toyota Avalon could almost wear a Lexus badge. The car’s television commercials truthfully portray it as evoking a time when travel was sophisticated, elegant and comfortable. A long-distance round-trip drive from Chicago to Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay area showed the precisely built, whisper-quiet Avalon to be a soothing, long-distance cruiser. It sped along the Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania turnpikes and on regular highways and rural secondary roads in Maryland. The base Avalon costs $32,245 and the more upscale Limited version is $35,485. The 3.5-liter 268-horsepower V-6 sedan is easy on fuel for a fairly heavy full-size car. It delivers an estimated 29 mpg on the open road and 20 in town. The  regular version weighs 3,572 pounds and the

Read more

Hyundai Equus 2011 car review

Hyundai feels it’s ready for the big-time luxury sedan market with its new Equus. It’s designed to compete with the world’s top luxury sedans BMW to Mercedes-Benz to Lexus. Equus prices are $58,000 for the Signature model and $64,500 for the higher line Ultimate model. That puts it considerably below European and Japanese rivals. But resale value is a question mark. In these hard economic times, Hyundai feels that “modern premium” customers are willing to bypass products with established upscale names to get more value, no matter if it involves watches or cars. The Equus comes as a slickly styled, luxurious, equipment-loaded rear-drive V-8 model. It leapfrog’s Hyundai’s successful Genesis rear-drive sedan, which has been out two years and costs

Read more

Ford sets plans for start-stop feature throughout line

If they can put it in a golf cart, you’d think Ford can add it to a car — at least so it seems. But adding the so-called start-stop technology to all cars in Ford‘s line-up won’t be as easy as it sounds because when you turn off a car’s engine you also turn off critical functions like cabin heating and cooling. Ford‘s automatic engine shutoff technology (which turns of the engine at stoplights or and/or when the car is not moving) is already available on the Ford Fusion Hybrid, the Escape Hybrid, and some several other Ford models in Europe. Never-the-less Ford has just announced it plans to be the first U.S. car manufacturer to add its Auto Start-Stop

Read more

Kia Optima (Turbo) 2011 car review

The impressive turbocharged four-cylinder engine offered for the Kia Optima Turbo turns the standard recently introduced all-new 2011 Optima into a genuinely hot model. The two-liter engine is in the $24,495 Optima EX Turbo and the $25,995 SX Turbo versions. The standard front-drive, mid-size Optima sedan has a non-turbo 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 200 horsepower. Non-turbo Optima list prices start at $18,995 with the standard 2.4 engine. While the regular engine provides good performance, the Optima Turbo engine is a pistol. It has very efficient direct fuel injection and other nifty features, such as a turbocharger with a unique twin-scroll design. It offers better combustion efficiency and more available low-end power, compared to more traditional single-scroll turbo systems. The Turbo engine

Read more

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 2011 car review

Nearing its 60th birthday, the Chevrolet Corvette is arguably the most highly recognized and popular production sports car built in North America. The current-generation Corvette debuted in 2005, with the carmaker amending the vehicle with various trims and tweaks in recent years. For 2011, Chevy introduced a mid-step between the base model Z06 and top-of-the line ZR1. It’s a Z06 featuring for the first time an upgrade offering select ZR1 features like an adaptive suspension, grippier Michelin tires and a carbon fiber package. The result is a trio of impressive statistics: 505 horsepower, a top speed of 198 mph and the designation as the lightest Corvette at 3,178 pounds. The Weekly Driver Test Drive After reviewing around 300 cars and

Read more

Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011 car review

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee gets the upscale refinement and engineering it has deserved since its arrival in 1992. With design help from past owner Mercedes, the new model finally is a world-class SUV. Call it a Mercedes “on the cheap.” The 2011 Grand Cherokee shares its basic carlike platform with the new Mercedes ML, with such things as an all-new independent suspension, big disc brakes and a plush ride. The new rear suspension lets the spare tire be stored in the vehicle, not underneath it. This rigidly built Jeep looks much like its predecessor, with Jeep’s classic seven-slot grille, round headlights and trapezoidal wheel arches. But it’s the most luxurious Jeep ever. It is sleeker and more aerodynamic, with

Read more
,

Lexus announces price, gas mileage for new hybrid

Lexus has announced the price, gas mileage and other specs of its new 2011 CT 200h hybrid, available at dealerships in March 2011 as the manufacturer’s fifth hybrid. The CT 200h will have the luxury industry’s best at 42 mpg and a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $29,120. The CT 200h emits approximately 60 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new car, and has EPA-estimated ratings of 43 mpg city and 40 mpg on the highway utilizing regular 87-octane gasoline. Moreover, the CT 200h can be operated in a switchable EV mode which generates zero emissions. In addition to the EV and Normal drive modes, the CT 200h offers Sport and Eco modes which can help enhance either

Read more
,

Hyundai, VW share top 2011 safety institute honors

Hyundai and Volkswagen combined to earn 18 of 66 Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the independent nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to reducing the incidents on American highways. Hyundai and Volkswagen each had nine winning models, the most of any manufacturer. The IIHS introduced more difficult standards for 2010, adding roof strength to its criteria by testing protection in rollover crashes. “In just a year, automakers have more than doubled the number of vehicles that meet the criteria for Top Safety Pick,” said Adrian Lund, the Institute president. “That gives consumers shopping for a safer new car or SUV — from economy to luxury models — plenty of choices to consider in most dealer showrooms.

Read more

Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang 2011 Car Review

Legendary champion racer/performance car builder Carroll Shelby first built affordable “Shelby GT350 Mustang” models, based on the then-new production Mustang, in 1965. The car was so fast, it even beat Corvettes on tracks. And now a good GT350 is a prized collector’s item that costs at least several hundred thousand dollars. Shelby is still with us as of this writing, feisty as ever at nearly 90, and must be very proud of the muscular-looking 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang. It’s the latest in a series of Ford Shelby GT500 models built in the last few years, and is by far the best. Some feel that it’s the greatest Mustang ever. An honorable mention is the Mustang GT500 Shelby 1967, a

Read more

Nissan Rogue 2011 car review

Now in its fourth model year as a compact sport utility vehicle, the Nissan Rogue is the smaller sibling of the Murano crossover. It comes standard with front-wheel drive (all-wheel drive is an option) and a four-cylinder, 170-horsepower engine. For 2011, the Rogue has refreshed styling, several new colors and features for the first time Bluetooth and a USB port. It’s available in three trims, S, SL and Krom — the sport model. The new styling includes a new front fascia with fog-light cut-outs, a redesigned chrome grille, the addition of chrome trim on the lower door edges, a revised rear spoiler, and a new chrome bar above the rear license-plate holder. Eight paint colors are now available, twice as

Read more

Honda Accord 2011 Car Review

The Honda Accord, now 35 years old, is in its eighth generation and with much of its tenure as arguably the most reliable, unwavering sedan in automotive history. In likely the most competitive car segment, the Accord continues its stellar reputation in 2011 with five sedan trims available and three coupe siblings in the mix. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Although much of the Honda Accord has remained the same since the current edition was introduced in 2008, my weekly test drive was the SE model Special Edition. For the vehicle’s standard price, the Special Edition package ($1500 value) is included at no charge and features: leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and driver’s two-way power lumbar control.

Read more

Bugatti remains world's fastest production car for 2011

Forbes loves car lists, the most expensive to most economical and worst gas guzzlers to safest machines on the road There are exceptions, but Bugatti makes most lists, including fastest production car for 2011. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is the fastest production car in the world for 2011 just as it was for 2010 or at least at its quickest top speed for the last six months. Here’s Forbes description of the Veyron’s speed. “It’s worth repeating. The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is the fastest production car in the world — faster than an underwater torpedo or a bullet train. “Racer Pierre-Henri Raphanel proved it in July, when he pushed the speedometer of this third and final edition

Read more

Bugatti, Koenigsegg, Maybach top 2011 most expensive cars

Forbes loves to report on all things expensive, particularly cars. The business publication’s online version just published its list of the most expensive cars for 2011, the Bugatti Veyron to the Rolls Royce Phantom. The publication wrote in its introduction: “These cars have the über-engineered carbon fiber bodies, obscene amounts of horsepower and excessive creature comforts (silver champagne flutes and lambswool carpeting, anyone?) that draw big price tags.” “To compile our list of the most expensive cars going on sale next year, we scoured price lists from well-known manufacturers like Bugatti, Rolls-Royce and Maybach, and from lesser-known companies like Saleen and SSC. Some expected entrants (Aston Martin, Spyker, McLaren) didn’t quite have the stuff to make our list. Others, like

Read more

Bugatti debuts online design your own Veyron configurator

Bugatti, the elite Italian manufacturer of the Veyron 16.4 and its exclusive siblings, has launched a new online configurator that allows hobbyists and high-rollers the opportunity to design their own cars. Available for the standard Veyron and open top Grand Sport models, the configurator option has one downside — it’s addictive. To configure a Bugatti, visit the web site: www.bugatti.com. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore

Read more
Previous Next