Acura RLX, 2014: Odd-looking luxury sedan elegant, plush, pricey (video)

What should a consumer expect from a car with a starting point of just under $50,000? That’s the beginning price of 2014 Acura RLX, the new medium-sized Acura luxury sedan. The Acura RLX replaces the RL as the carmaker’s top sedan, and it’s firmly positioned against a few heavy-hitters — the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Lexus GS 350. Like its rivals, the Acura RLX has a lot to offer with a variety of trims, powerful engines and enough plushness and superior touches to make it hard not to like. For starters, it has a 3.5.-liter V6 with 310

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Driving the Tour of California #4: Divine navigation the way to go in 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

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The first few days of the Amgen Tour of California involved only 10-mile round-trip treks from San Diego to Escondido, a welcome respite from the nearly 500-mile pre-race trek from Sacramento. But the multiple-hour treks returned for stages 2 and 3 and they reiterated my appreciate for the navigation system in the 2013 Santa Fe I’m driving for two weeks and for an estimated 2,000 miles. As previously mentioned, the Digital Navigation System in the Santa Fe is arguably the best I’ve used in the 10 years I’ve been reviewing cars. It has an eight-inch screen and offers a clear

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Review: 2013 Lexus LS 460 pricey luxury sedan refined with more luxury

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Lexus turned the luxury car market upside down in America when it introduced its big LS 400 luxury sedan in 1989. Suddenly, it seemed as if you were a sap if you bought a Cadillac or Mercedes instead of the Lexus LS. It was especially true in trend-setting places such as Beverly Hills — although Lexus had no luxury car track record in America and came from Toyota, which had still had a definite economy car image. Along with the LS 400, Lexus introduced a new, smaller, less expensive Lexus sedan. Called the ES250, it was clearly a thinly disguised

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John Lennon’s rare Ferrari and his first ticket to ride set for Bonhams auction

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Nearly five decades since John Lennon received his first driver’s license and purchased his first car, a 1965 Ferrari 330GT, the former Beatle’s classic sports car will be featured at Bonhams auction July 12 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England. Lennon, who owned the classic Ferrari for about three years, paid slightly more than $10,000 for the new right-hand driver Ferrari and drove it for about 20,000 miles. Now restored to its original status, the Ferrari is expected to sell for between $275,000-$340,00 as one of only 500 330GT of its type built. According to Bohhams, the car

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Driving the Tour of California #3: Arriving in Los Angeles madness in a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

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The final stretch of my drive from Sacramento to San Diego for the start of the Tour of California took me over the steep, winding Grapevine into the hectic nature of the Los Angeles basin and finally to San Diego. How anyone can maintain their stress level commuting in the Los Angeles area on either Highway 101 or the 405 is beyond me. I’ve driven both highways in recent years at different times of the day, and it’s always madness. Unlike the aggressive driving in Europe in which drivers also have skill, many Southern California drivers appear to be motivated

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Ford pick-ups from 2008 investigated for faulty steering

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Ford is perennially the top-selling pick-up truck in the United States, but two models of the 2008 lineup are being investigated for faulty steering gear boxes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is opening a preliminary investigation into 340,000 Ford F250 and F350 Super Duty trucks from 2008 after several reported crashes. According to the NHTSA, five complaints alleging an internal failure of the steering gear box resulting in a complete loss of steering control and resulted in the the driver crashing the truck into a parked car at 20 miles per hour. A second report said failure of

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2013 Toyota Avalon: Redesigned as sleeker, lighter Lexus twin

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The revamped 2013 Toyota Avalon sedan is a far cry from the first Avalon, which debuted for 1995 as a stretched, roomy version of the Toyota Camry with a front bench seat (remember those?) and a column shifter. Toyota called it the “most American of Toyotas,” and it was sort of a Japanese Buick. The plain-looking, front-drive Avalon eventually was upgraded with such things as improved styling for 1998 and a larger V-6 for 2005. But as late as 2011 it still had a soft suspension and floaty ride, with small steering corrections needed during turnpike crosswinds and pavement changes.

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Driving the Tour of California #2: It’s time for The Grapevine in a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

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It’s nice to have friends who know cars. One friend who owns a Corvette and has rebuilt vintage Triumphs likes to look at the engine of every car I drive, even when there’s often not much to see since they’re often covered. Another friend always asks about the weight of cars since he’s a pilot and such matters are important. Another friend is keen on sound systems and other friend immediately notices the design and material quality of interiors. This friend, who owns a Subaru Outback and a vintage Volkswagen bug, took one look at the 2013 Santa Fe I’m

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Driving the Tour of California #1: On the way to San Diego in a Hyundai Santa Fe

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Hyundai‘s expanded lineup in recent years has received vast praise for its value, warranty and workmanship. It all adds up to increased visibility and sales for the South Korean manufacturer in the madness of the ever-complex auto industry. Arguably the most competitive auto segment is the growing SUV and crossover market, where Hyundai‘s Santa Fe is an emerging option. I’ll be reviewing the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe (Limited) for the next two weeks during the Tour of California. The professional bike race is now in its eighth year and features Tour de France-caliber riders, Olympians and world titlists from many

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Car Review: 2014 Acura RLX, Plush, Powerful, Pricey

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It wasn’t too many years ago when $30,000 was the launching pricepoint for purchasing an entry-level luxury car. Now, $30,000 is about the average price of a new car in the United States. So what should a consumer expect from a car with a starting point of just under $50,000? That’s the beginning price of 2014 Acura RLX, the new medium-sized Acura luxury sedan. It replaces the RL as the carmaker’s top sedan, and it’s firmly positioned against a few heavy-hitters — the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Lexus GS 350. And like its rivals, the Acura RLX has

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2014 prices unveiled for enduring Chevrolet Corvette coupe, convertible

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The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, the iconic sports car that debuted in 1953 and has been produced in seven generations, will be priced beginning at $51,995 for the coupe and $56,995 for the convertible. The respective MSRP prices for the coupe and convertible include a $995 destination fee but exclude tax, title, and license. Standard features on the all-new 2014 Corvette Stingray include: * Seating with lightweight magnesium frames for exceptional support, and eight-way power adjustment; * Five-position Drive Mode Selector that tailors up to 12 vehicle attributes; * New seven-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Matching; * 6.2L LT1

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Ford Transit Connect 2014: More cargo space, more passenger friendly

The 2014 Ford Transit Connect is more than just a compact utilitarian van-wagon ideally suite for small businesses, florists and taxi cab companies. The recently unveiled new model has seven seats and achieves an estimated 30 mpg in freeway driving. A 1.6-liter turbocharged engine or 2.5-liter, four cylinder, both six-speed automatic transmissions, is offered in the still commercially-oriented Transit Connect. It has more more than 100 cubic feet of cargo space. Transit Connect 2014 models are available in several sizes, with two wheelbase lengths, five-and seven-passenger interior layouts, and in XL, XLT and Titanium series levels. Options include a full

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Ferrari rules (what else?) at Ferrari Challenge at Sonoma Raceway

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Started 20 years ago by Ferrari North America, the Ferrari Challenge affords its customers the opportunity to appreciate their cars in competition while racing against other Ferrari owners on tracks throughout North America. The Challenge began with the then-current Ferrari 348. When newer models arrived — the 355, 360 and F430 — they were included.  Since 2011, the 458 had been the Ferrari of choice in the Challenge. Ferrari cars racing in the series are prepared and maintained for competition by authorized Ferrari dealers, many of whom have formed racing teams for the series. All images © Bruce Aldrich, Sonoma

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MotoGP: Fast, furious, fantastic at Laguna Seca (video)

MotoGP is motorcycle racing’s most prestigious circuit. It’s still early in the 2013 season, but the series’ annual stop at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca — the halfway point of the season — is just around the next corner. In fact, hospitality and VIP suites tickets are now available for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, featuring the MotoGP World Championship, scheduled July 19-21, at the famed the Monterey Peninsula facility. What’s MotoGP all about? Friend Mike Kahn, owner of the Sacramento internet consulting firm Frog Stone Media, www.frogstonemedia.com, attended the event in 2012 and made the video below. Riders representing

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2013 Buick Encore: Versatile crossover joins crowded SUV field

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The new 2013 Buick Encore is the automaker’s first small crossover vehicle. It comes with front-or all-wheel drive and has luxury, nimble handling, four-door hatchback versatility and decent fuel economy. The Encore also has just adequate open-road acceleration from its small, turbocharged and intercooled four-cylinder 1.4-liter engine. It’s fairly heavy at 3,180-3,309 pounds, so Encore buyers shouldn’t expect it to be a fireball with its 138-horsepower engine. Rather, it’s meant to give miles per gallon, not mph. Still, the Encore is fun to drive. It’s nimble, and my all-wheel-drive test Encore tenaciously gripped the road despite some body lean. The

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Lexus IS sedans for 2014: New design, new technology, wicked new grille

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The newly desiged 2014 Lexus IS sedans, which will feature revamped seats, technology upgrades, more interior and cargo room and a wicked-looking futuristic front grille in a sport trim, will debut in the summer of 2013 and with priced ranging from $35,950 to $41,700. The Lexus IS 250, powered by a 2.5-liter V6 delivering 204 horsepower and 185 lb.-ft. of torque, will have a base MSRP of $35,950 for RWD and $38,485 for AWD. The IS 350, which produces 306 horsepower from its 3.5L V6 power plant, will have a starting MSRP of $39,465 for RWD and $41,700 for AWD.

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