Automotive News, Car Reviews, and Podcast
By Jeff Weidel As someone whose first two vehicles were Volkswagens, I remain a fan of the German automaker, and I’m not alone in my admiration. Volkswagen rose to prominence in the 1960s and continued to grow for two decades. The line began to falter in the early ‘90s, but Volkswagen has refocused and made a successful turnaround.
Read moreAutonet Mobile has announced an agreement with Cadillac to equip beginning in April the CTS Sports sedan with full internet access via its new WiFi router.
Read moreBy Jeff Weidel When Ford unveiled the Escape eight years ago it offered an extremely functional compact sport utility vehicle, and it was an instant hit. The Escape had impressive sales for the next several years, but Ford made a giant tactical error. It didn’t offer any major improvements, and competition grew and gained ground.
Read moreAfter a year’s hiatus for a redesign, the CTS-V returns in 2009 to the Cadillac stable as a powerful midsize sedan. It’s all high-performance and hi-tech and luxury options en masse for the well-heeled brand with the big tradition. There’s a lot at stake for the new Cadillac, particularly since one of its sibling has claimed recent car-of-the-year honors.
Read moreThe Lexus IS350 debuted in 2006 and is still in its first edition. For 2009, one of the brand’s two premium midsize cars has a few minor mechanical changes, including a more advanced stability control system. The interior and exterior designs also received a slight styling makeover.
Read moreJaguar, the recently purchased offering of Tata Motors, Ltd., and Buick, the longstanding General Motors nameplate, have unseated Lexus as the most dependable automotive brands, according to J.D. Power & Associates.
Read moreThe two best movies I’ve seen recently, Frozen River and Wendy and Lucy, are great films because the directors and actors have great skills telling stories. Both films also feature important cameo appearances by two unheralded cars. A Dodge Spirit (circa 1990-1995) is the car of choice in Frozen River. A 1988 Honda Accord has a serious, but unspoken part (of course), in Wendy and Lucy.
Read moreCar and Driver Magazine’s editors know of what they write. Each January, the magazine publishes its top-10 car list. The criteria for the selection involves a unique set of rules beyond performance, value and reliability:
Read moreBy Jeff Weidel While Honda and Toyota deservedly receive praise for their competent vehicles, Nissan has resided quietly in the shadows. But test driving Nissan vehicles during the past 10 years has made me appreciate the high quality of the lesser-revered Japanese automaker.
Read moreBy Jeff Weidel While most manufacturers are creating a sleek crossover sport utility vehicle or remodeling an existing offering, Kia has introduced the 2009 Borrego, its first truck-like sport utility vehicle. Has Kia made a mistake or is the Korean manufacturer dumb like a fox?
Read moreThe redesigned 2009 Nissan Maxima has morphed well into its seventh generation. And it’s the edition that’s the most wonderfully confusing of the model’s long-time tagline, “four-door sports car.”
Read moreConsumer Reports has selected the 2009 Toyota Prius (Touring) as best overall value among 300 American and foreign cars reviewed. The Lexus LS 460, Mini Cooper, Infiniti G37, and Toyota Highlander are among the top cars of 2009 as rated by Consumer Reports.
Read moreDiesel-fueled automobiles have been fixtures in Europe for years, but the trend has never been embraced in the United States. The U.S. government has always been cautious with regard to diesel fuel and its reputation for high particle emissions.
Read moreBy Jeff Weidel Declining minivan sales doesn’t mean people movers are outdated. School carpools and youth sports teams still need transportation versatility and large families require seven-passenger vehicles. Understanding the concept, Chrysler came out with the Dodge Journey for 2009.
Read moreIt’s no surprise. The Toyota Prius is again the leader in fuel efficiency among 2010 cars, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.
Read moreFar too few new American cars average more than 30 mpg. But the 2009 Nissan Altima hybrid is in the small fraternity and that means it warrants extended consideration.
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