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Mazda 5, 2012 car review

The small-but-versatile Mazda5 minivan is popular in congested European and Japanese cities, which makes one wonder why it’s overlooked in America, which has plenty of congestion. Styling sells, and the revised styling of the Mazda5 — still the only such vehicle in its class — looks sleek. The upgraded interior has a redesigned instrument panel with large climate controls, plenty of cupholders and a decent amount of interior storage areas. However, the glovebox is small and the rear sliding side doors lack storage pockets. Annoying flaw: The driver-door power window controls are too far forward, making it easy to accidentally

Honda offers greenest car in U.S. and it's a (natural) gas

With the ever-increasing debuts of green cars, Honda, not Toyota, Nissan nor Chevy is still at the industry forefront. But Honda’s marketing division just hasn’t done the PR spin as well as the manufacturers touting the Prius, Leaf and Volt. Nonetheless, the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, formerly known as the Civic GX NGV, costs about half the price to operate that gasoline cars. And for eight straight years, the Civic GX NGV has named “Greenest Vehicle” by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE). According to a report on Forbes.com via the Mother Nature Network, there are

Hyundai Equus gets 2011 top large premium car honors

Another day, another honor for Hyundai. Competing against the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series and Lexus LS, the perennial leaders, the Hyundai Equus luxury sedan has for the first time earned the top spot on J.D. Power and Associate’s APEAL (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout) Study for large premium cars. It marks the first time since the survey’s inception in 1996 that a car other than a Mercedes, BMW or Lexus has claimed the large premium category. The base starting price for the Equus is $58,900. Hyundai, which began selling cars in the United States in 1986, had its overall biggest

BMW debuts electronic concept i3 at Frankfurt auto show

BMW has joined the green car market with the i3, an all-electric small city car, and the i8, a powerful hybrid sports car featuring an electric motor with a three-cylinder combustion engine. The BMW i3 Concept, which features rear-wheel drive, is making its debut at the current Frankfurt auto show. Both cars are constructed with light-weight aluminum structures and carbon fiber bodies and will operate on smaller batteries without sacrificing efficiency. The i3 is expected to travel as far as 95 miles on a single charge; the i8 will have 21-mile range on its electric engine. BMW hasn’t announced pricing,

California gets dubious car honor — most stolen vehicles

California has it charms — beaches to quaint cities to redwood tree forests. But it also has the dubious honor — the most car thefts of any state in the country. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) released its annual list of cities with the most car thefts, and Fresno, Calif., tops the list. In fact, eight cities in the top 10 are in California, with the remaining two in Washington state. Following Fresno on the list are Modesto and Bakersfield with Sacramento Stockton and the area including San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont also on the list. Spokane, Wash., was

Chevrolet Sonic, 2012: Only U.S.-made sub-compact

The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, which replaces the South Korean-built Chevrolet Aveo, will be the only subcompact car built in the United States when it arrives this fall. The Sonic LS, which has a starting price of $14,495, has 10 standard airbags – the most of any subcompact — and has 138-horsepower 1.8-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine matched with five-speed transmission. Fuel economy projections haven’t been released for the base engine. But with the upgraded 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with six-speed automatic transmission, the Sonic is expected to get 40 mpg in highway driving. The 2012 Chevy Sonic will available in sedan and

Bugatti builds one specialty Veyron with procelain accents

Bugatti has developed a $2.2 million special edition of the Veyron Grand Sport model with porcelain accents, including a caviar tray. The L’Or Blanc, the first vehicle equipped with porcelain, according to Bugatti, is a joint effort between Volkswagen AG’s supercar brand and Berlin-based KPM. The latter company is a 248-year-old porcelain maker that traces its roots to King Frederick the Great of Prussia. The roadster, which will be shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, was recently unveiled in Berlin. “Installing porcelain in the world’s fastest convertible car seems like a pretty odd idea,” said a Bugatti spokesperson.

Honda set to debut 2012 CR-V fourth generation

Honda recently debuted a “concept” of its popular CR-V SUV, the fourth edition of which will be officially unveiled Sept. 22 at the Orange Country (California) International Auto Show and available at U.S. dealers by the end of the year. The 2012 Honda CR-V will feature a more aggressive design, sculptured body lines and a bolder front with thick three-bar grill and deeply-set headlamps. The vertical rear taillights of previous CR-V models have also been embedded deeper into the design of the vehicle, with a more three-dimensional style – although this is a concept vehicle, previous models have proved almost

President Obama: New automotive decree: 54.5 mpg by 2025

President Obama has announced a proposal with the backing of car manufacturers from General Motors to Ford and Hyundai to Toyota to improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles to 54.5 mpg by and substantially reduce green house gas emissions by 2025. Chrysler, BMW, Honda, Jaguar/Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Volvo also approve the plan, which means it will affect more that 90 percent of all vehicles sold in the United States. The announcement extends a 2009 agreement with the auto industry to improve fuel efficiency in the next five years. Fuel efficiency is currently controlled by the Corporate

Saab 9-5, 2011 car review

The redone 2011 Saab 9-5 Saab can hold its own with top European sports/luxury sedans. The Swedish automaker once had a reputation for being a capable but offbeat (by U.S. standards) outfit with a distinguished aircraft design background. I once roared across Sweden in a new Saab turbocharged model on a media trip and toured the plant where Saab built jet fighter airplanes. General Motors bought part of Saab years ago, then purchased the entire outfit —leaving it pretty much alone during most of its ownership. That allowed Saab to continue making cars considered out of the mainstream by many

Nissan Versa, 2012 car review

The reasonably priced second-generation 2012 Nissan Versa Sedan offers good value. While lively, it’s no thrill. It just provides solid basic, comfortable transportation. Nissan is mainly aiming the new Versa Sedan at single 25-29 year-old college graduates with no children. However, Nissan said at a preview of the car in Seattle the new car also should appeal to older buyers on budgets who want a roomy, economical compact car. The front-drive Versa looks more aerodynamic than distinctive. But it has clever, more-efficient packaging. Automakers strive to make new editions lighter. But the new Versa sedan is fully 150 pounds lighter

Acura TL, 2012 car review

The aggressive, blunt styling of the Acura TL has given way for 2012 to a smoother, more mainstream look. The nicely built car’s controversial front “beak” is gone, replaced by a reshaped fascia with a smaller grille. The rear also has been revised, with new bumpers, reshaped taillights and a thinner trunk edge. The car’s front overhang has been reduced, which helps give the car a lower, wider appearance. Adding to a sporty look are prominent dual exhaust outlet tips and body color door handles. The TL is a sleek four-door sedan offered with front-wheel drive or Acura’s advanced “Super

Subaru Forester 2011 car review

I recently was in the left front seat of an older Subaru Forester at highways speeds, but with no steering wheel in front of me. Not to worry. I was in Australia, where the steering wheel is on the right side and vehicles are driven in the left lane. My daughter was at the wheel. I recently tested a 2011 Forester four-door small SUV (or “crossover,” if you will) after returning to America. This third-generation Forester, which was new for 2009, is appreciably larger in every dimension than the last generation model, with a roomier back seat. It’s styling is

Bugatti outdoes itself with Veyron with porcelain caviar tray

Bugatti has developed a $2.2 million special edition of the Veyron Grand Sport with porcelain accents, including a caviar tray. The L’Or Blanc, the first vehicle equipped with porcelain, according to Bugatti, is a joint effort between Volkswagen AG’s supercar brand and Berlin-based KPM. The latter company is a 248-year-old porcelain maker that traces its roots to King Frederick the Great of Prussia. The roadster, which will be shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, was unveiled last week in Berlin. “Installing porcelain in the world’s fastest convertible car seems like a pretty odd idea,” said a Bugatti spokesperson.

Driving the Tour de France: Country roads in my Renault

ST. FLOUR, France — The Tour de France Road Book, distributed to the media at the start of the race, features the history of each starting and finish city, extensive maps how to get from the start to the finish each day and a wealth of other details about the race. It’s difficult to maneuver around France during the race with the book, and I suspect nearly impossible to do without the book. Direct and indirect route options are provided for each stage, with the direct option usually the route of course. It’s sometimes longer but quicker. But the off-course

Driving the Tour de France: Skoda to Renault to Peugeot

CAP FREHEL, France — 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