REVIEW: 2015 Lexus NX goes bold, gets racy

Lexus continues to keep filling upscale vehicle market niches. I didn’t really expect to find a Stabilo Therm flask with a set of crystal shot glasses in the new 2015 Lexus NX, although this newest compact crossover vehicle is plenty luxurious–and practical. The luxury crossover market has been growing steadily since Lexus created that market with its 1998 RX model. With the new NX, Lexus feels that it has a good shot at attracting much-desired younger buyers–singles and couples 30- 40 years old. It’s a boldly designed crossover with either a potent turbocharged engine or fuel-saving hybrid model, along with

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2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: Quiet SUV efficiency

Now in its second year, the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is the smaller of the two Santa Fe offerings. It remains much the same as last year’s debut model with a few minor upgrades. The small, five-passenger option in Hyundai‘s restyled Santa Fe lineup, the Sport is the five-passenger version of the larger Santa Fe that replaced the poor-selling Veracruz. In addition to one less passenger and a smaller engine, the Sport is eight inches shorter than the Limited. But there are many similarities among the siblings. Most notably, the SUVs both offering a smooth ride. Hyundai‘s new design

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PREVIEW: 2015 Aston Martin Vantage S Roadster

Aston Martin will globally debut its 2015 V12 Vantage S Roadster and the carmaker’s Design Prototype 100 (DP-100) will make its North American debut during the Pebble Beach Automotive Week beginning August 14. The V12 Vantage S Roadster is equipped with the latest 565 horsepower Aston Martin AM28 6.0-liter V12 engine. It features state-of-the-art Bosch engine management, which allows the car to reach 201 mph and accelerate 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. When it arrives in markets around the world later this year the new sports car will become the luxury British marque’s most potent, fastest and fastest-accelerating series production

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2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek gets debut hybrid trim

Subaru, the manufacturer of all-wheel drive vehicles that define versatility, has long been a favorite among mountain dwellers and those who live where inclement weather is a daily routine. The carmaker’s rugged reputation expanded this year with the debut of the 2014 XV Crosstrek Hybrid. The five-passenger crossover is Subaru‘s first full hybrid, and its unveiling occurs one year after the gas-only Crosstrek joined the Subaru lineup. Read Now: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek The Weekly Driver’s Test Drive The new Hybrid, one of four available trims, starts with the standard features of 2.0 Premium and 2.0i Limited editions. The Premium model’s

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2014 Lexus LX570: Comfort, style, luxury

Some folks just gotta have a big, roomy vehicle. The 2014 Lexus LX570 SUV is a big fella, with room for eight in a luxurious cabin and all-terrain mobility. It’s plenty rugged, being based on the durable, upscale, go-anywhere Toyota Land Cruiser. Car-based crossover vehicles are capturing much of the old traditional SUV market, but the big, handsome four-wheel-drive LX570 is a reminder that some folks want–or need–a big vehicle with lots of room. With this Lexus, they get 8-passenger seating and typical Lexus luxury. A large SUV such as the four-door LX570 lets occupants sit high, with good all-around

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Never mind Tesla, Prius, Elio. Buy the Flatula Backfire

Forget the Tesla. Forget the pending Elio. Don’t even consider a Toyota Prius. The most efficient, least expensive and environmentally ideal car is the new Flatula Backfire. The Flatula Backfire runs on natural gas, much like the Honda Civic CNG. But it runs on the natural gas its passengers provide. The manufacturers are marketing the car with catchy slogans that make a lot of sense. “It runs like the wind, but it is your wind,” is clever. But more cleaver is the closing line of the video make to debut the cat to the world: “It’s not just a SmartCar,

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Lexus signs on as USA Pro Challenge official vehicle

Automobile manufacturers have long been associated with bicycle racing sponsorship. The latest carmaker to join list is Lexus. The luxury brand has been named as the official vehicle of the USA Pro Challenge. The two-year arrangement with the fourth-year race will include several components. Through the Lexus Champion Giveaway, the brand will provide the overall race winner with a three-year lease for a CT 200h hybrid. Additionally, Lexus will be the presenting partner for the Sprint Jersey, which has been worn by some of the top sprinters in the world, including Cannondale’s Peter Sagan. The USA Pro Challenge, August 18-24,

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Live from the 2013 LA Auto: New cars, concepts, pretty women

Live video footage from the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show. 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 Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.

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REVIEW: Maturity arrives for 2014 Kia Soul

Nearly a decade after the Honda Element debuted, the Kia Soul joined a few other brands in the car-in-a-box lineup in 2010. The niche group gained a lot of attention, good and bad, for their uniquely styled exteriors. But the 2014 Kia Soul is now maturely immersed in the auto scene. It’s no longer a novelty item, especially since gaining its first redesign. New this year is increased attention to the quality of the materials used in the interior as well as improved cargo space, now 61 cubic feet. The Kia Soul has always offered a hefty list of standard

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2015 Toyota Yaris debuts as Euro-styled entry level sedan

The 2015 Toyota Yaris has debuted with a new European-themed design, several new additional interior and exterior features and a manufacturer’s suggested retail price range from $14,485 to $17,620. The price range extends from three-door L with a manual transmission ($14,485) to the five-door SE with a four-speed automatic ($17,620). Like like the previous-generations, the 2015 Toyota Yaris comes in 3-door and 5-door liftback configurations. It features an aggressive new look with a horizontal chrome grill treatment that appears to continue into the headlamp. The 1.5-liter, 16-valve, four-cylinder DOHC engine equipped with variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) produces 106

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REVIEW: 2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport . . . prestige

Owners of the new 2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport sedan could compete with the fairly common Audi, BMW and Mercedes mid-size sedans owned by neighbors—although most would know little or nothing about the Vsport. Oops, there goes the “foreign prestige” factor for Vsport owners. Well, bunk. The $59,995 Vsport four-door (not to be confused with the Cadillac CTS-V) can match prestigious foreign rivals. It’s little known that, while Cadillac virtually dominated the American luxury car market by 1950, an independently entered stock 1950 Caddy finished tenth in the 24-hour race at Le Mans, France, competing against the world’s top sports cars.

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Cars of the Tour de France, old and new

Bugatti, Citroën, Peugeot and Renault are current major car automakers in France. And with the exception of Bugatti, the French highways and country roads are often crowded with offerings from the other three carmakers now all more than 100 years old. Skoda, the Czechoslovakian carmaker, is the official car supplier of the Tour de France. But other than official race vehicles, Skoda models are scarce in the country, although, of course, not as scarce as Bugatti models. In the early years of the Tour de France, cars traveling with riders were loaded down with spare parts, not only for cyclists’

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BMW joins massive airbag recall list

More than 1.5 BMW 3 Series vehicles from 2000 to 2006 are being recalled to replace passenger-side front airbags, the luxury carmaker announced. The manufacturer said the recall is a “voluntary precautionary measure” aimed at minimizing the risk of faulty airbag activation. This issue is airbag supplied to BMW by Tokyo-based Takata Corporation. The airbag could rupture under certain circumstances, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. If the rupture occurs, shards could fly out and cause injury. Several other automakers since 2009, including Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota, have recalled 10 million vehicles affected by

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PREVIEW: 2015 Aston Martin, more power, more luxury

Aston Martin, the luxurious British sports car manufacturer  long associated with James Bond films, has unveiled the 2015 V12 Vantage S Roadster. The new sports car, available globally at dealerships later this year, will become the luxury British marque’s most potent, fastest and fastest-accelerating series production roadster. Equipped with the latest 565 horsepower Aston Martin AM28 6.0-liter V12 engine, featuring state-of-the-art Bosch engine management, the car is capable of reaching 201 mph and sprinting from rest to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. The car’s new car’s gearbox, the Sportshift™III ASM (auto-shift manual) transmission, is engineered to exploit the full sporting

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REVIEW: 2014 Porsche Cayman S lighter, faster

The new Porsche Cayman S edges even closer to the venerable Porsche 911. The first Porsche Cayman model blew me away when I drove it during a media preview through twisting mountain roads in northern Italy in late 2005. Now the lighter, faster third-generation Cayman is here as a redesigned 2014 model with features including sleeker styling, a longer wheelbase, classier interior and power gains. The new mid-engine, rear-drive Cayman looks significantly different than the Boxster and the last-generation Cayman. Precise lines and sculpted edges complement the lowered, lengthened profile. There’s a 2.4-inch longer wheelbase (97.4 inches) for greater high-speed

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REVIEW: 2015 Lexus NX has wild, fun new look

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The 2015 Lexus NX, the new entry level sport utility vehicle from the upscale division of Toyota, will debut in the United States in December in two versions. The NX stands for “Nimble Crossover.” It fits. The NX 200t has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The NX 300h hybrid will features a new transmission that splits the hybrid battery into two pods for better weight distribution. The result: a more efficient use of cabin space. Built on a Toyota RAV4 platform, the Lexus NX more resembles a sports car more than an SUV and both models of all-weather drive (AWD).

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