Mercedes Benz E350 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review
The first luxury car I drove was a 1973 Mercedes Benz 240 diesel. My parents bought the vehicle new in Germany, drove it around Europe on vacation and had it shipped to California.
Read moreSubaru Legacy, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review
Anyone who’s driven a Subaru knows the manufacturer’s all-wheel drive system is an industry leader. In automotive parlance, it’s the only system that combines a horizontally opposed engine with a symmetrically arranged AWD system.
Read moreFord Escape (Hybrid), 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review
Introduced in 2004, the Escape hybrid complemented Ford’s already popular compact sport utility vehicle line. The Mazda Tribute and Mercury Mariner are remarkably similar SUVs, with the Mariner also available in a hybrid model.
Read moreKia Sportage 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review
Introduced in 1995, the Kia Sportage is among the growing selection of compact crossover sport utility vehicles (SUVs) that provide good quality at a fair price. The Sportage is among Kia’s most popular models and it’s largely remained unchanged since its second generation debuted in 2005.
Read moreFord Explorer Sport Trac, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review
With popular offerings like the Dodge Dakota, Honda Ridgeline and Toyota Tacoma, the compact pickup truck market is highly competitive. Ford is in the mix, too, of course, with the Explorer Sport Trac. As such, major manufacturers in the class are constantly looking for an edge, which is all good for consumers. And which is also the reason the Explorer Sport Trac has been redesigned for 2007.
Read moreCadillac SRX, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review
The Sport Utility Vehicle market is seemingly reaching its saturation point. One national consumer automotive publication divides the market into compact, midsize, premium, large and premium large SUV categories. And there’s also the crossover category — SUVs with car-based platforms instead of truck-based platforms.
Read moreAudi A4, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review
The A4 is Audi’s top-selling line and it’s available in three different models and nearly 20 configurations in sedans, wagons and convertibles. Categorized as a premium compact car, it’s a fine choice for drivers seeking a sporty sedan that smoothly finds its way in any driving scenario via stellar steering and handling and a sophisticated design.
Read moreMazda CX-7, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review
Beyond its omnipresent "Zoom-Zoom" television commercial jingle, Mazda has a new motto: "The SUV you never saw coming. It's a trademarked slogan, but it just didn't fit with my weekly driver, a 2007 Mazda CX-7.
Read moreLincoln MKZ, 2007: The Weekly Driver
It’s not often a car gets renamed after only one year on the market. But that’s exactly what happened to the Lincoln Zephyr. It debuted in 2006 as a entry level luxury sedan and now it’s gone.
Read moreSaturn Sky, 2007: The Weekly Driver
If there’s one sure thing about the Saturn Sky, it’s the new sports car’s attention-grabbing appearance. Passersby stopped me at traffic signals and asked questions. Restaurant patrons came to my table and inquired. Neighbors wanted to know about the Sky, and even friends who care little about cars were interested.
Read moreSaturn Aura, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review
With 16 manufacturers offering midsize cars and another 10 manufacturers in the premium midsize market, newcomers in the exceedingly popular category often face rough sales roads. Saturn didn't fare well with its midsize L-Series, which was discontinued in 2004. But the General Motors division is trying again with the 2007 Aura.
Read moreAcura RDX, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review
Not even experts agree on the definition of “crossover” vehicles. But in general terms, consumers seeking the combined best components of a sport utility vehicle and a car are increasingly purchasing “crossovers.” The crossover term, however, isn’t even en vogue anymore for some industry experts. “We don’t call them crossover; We call them car-based SUVs, because that’s what they are,”Gabriel Shenhar, senior auto testing engineer for Consumer Reports magazine, said in a recent article in bankrate.com. “These are vehicles that are usually derived from passenger cars, not trucks.” Crossover vehicles also often have fully independent suspensions and more adept for
Read moreMercury Mountaineer, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review
In the 15-year span beginning in 1990, sales of sport utility vehicles grew at at alarming rate. In 1990, about 900,000 SUVs were purchased. By the end of 2004, about 28 percent of all new vehicle sales, or about 4.75 million units, were SUVs.
Read moreVolvo C70 T5, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review
Hardtop convertibles have been around periodically in the United States for about 50 years. And from the early years of Ford Fairliner to the current offerings of several manufacturers, the same question always arises: How mechanically sound is the retracting hardtop mechanism?
Read moreVolkswagen Passat, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review
Golf courses to restaurants, the quaintness of the small towns to the Pacific Ocean, there’s nothing quite like a visit to the Monterey Peninsula. But the 200-mile drive from Sacramento is also an ideal route for testing cars, particularly the 2006 Volkswagen Passat.
Read moreSaab 9-7X, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review
The oddity, of course, is that General Motors owns Saab. And for purists fond of the vehicles first offered in 1947 as a outgrowth of Swedish Aeroplane Corporation, the 9-7X SUV shares a lot with the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, Buick Rainier, GMC Envoy and Isuzu Ascender. Additionally, the 9-7X is assembled in Moraine, Ohio. Nonetheless, Saab’s maiden journey into the SUV market isn’t necessarily a bad thing just because the vehicle isn’t outright Swedish. On the contrary, the 9-7X offers a lot of Saab traits and it’s unique enough to fare well against the major players of the category — the
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