Automotive News, Car Reviews, and Podcast
One reason I decided to attend the Tour of Missouri bicycle race in mid-September had little to do with cycling other than it’s a form of transportation. My real reason for going was simply the continuation of my now nearly 25-year enjoyment of travel. I had never been to the state before. But I had negotiated, as the author of The Weekly Driver auto review column, to test drive a 2008 Mercury Mariner for a week.
Read moreNissan redesigned the Altima sedan last year and it received a good share of praise from buyers who liked its new sportier approach and improved comfort. With the 2008 Altima coupe, the improvements continue with more design changes.
Read moreIf you happened to be a Ford salesperson during the 1990s, chances are the Explorer was your cash cow. It didn’t take a lot of persuading to get car shoppers driving off the lot with a new one. This popular sport utility vehicle was so revered it was even outselling Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys.
Read moreI was recently driving on Interstate 5 about an hour south of Sacramento. The traffic flow was smooth and fast, and my cruise control was set slightly above 75 mph. A vehicle in the lane to my right moved ahead, the driver singled, adeptly moved into my lane and steadily advanced. My car, however, a 2007 Volvo S80, suddenly slowed.
Read moreLike other hilly Central California roads, the drive to Pacheco Pass is not drastically steep, nor is it very high at 1,300 feet of elevation. But the 14-mile stretch of state highway 152 in Santa Clara County is also challenging.
Read moreIf 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. The Sky was introduced as the manufacturer’s first “high-performance” convertible sports car as a 2007 model although it was first available in the spring of 2006. The two-seater, which shares its basic design with the Pontiac Solstice, is available in two options, the 177-horsepower base model and the 260-horsepower, turbocharged
Read moreDriving a nicely performing convertible with the top down on a sun-baked day is about as good as it gets. But the varying functionality and quality of convertible tops can easily diminish the experience. With the 2007 Eclipse Spyder, Mitsubishi is attempting to squelch the concerns of convertible buyers who may constantly wonder just how long their vehicle’s ragtop will work properly. After restyling and adding improved safety features to the Eclipse coupe for 2006, the convertible version became available for the first time this month (March, 2006). And it’s impressive. With the flick of two side easy-to-maneuver latches and
Read moreGolf to real estate, the Blackhawk Community represents different things to different people. For automotive enthusiasts, what matters is the Blackhawk Museum. It’s a testament to rare cars, Bentley to Ferrari, Packard to Duesenberg. But the museum, which opened in 1988 is more than place to gawk at some of the world’s finest cars. Instead, it’s an interactive part of the community. The museum has increasingly popular docent training program. It has also been pro-active with a three-level education program from students. The museum welcomed its 150,000th student last June. The student programs area divided into grades kindergarten through third,
Read moreThere wasn’t much to complain about with the previous Honda CR-V. It provided a keen balance of versatility, comfort and utility vehicle refinement. But with the 2007 redesign, the manufacturer has done what Honda always seems to do. It took something good and made it better. For starters, the new CR-V has a restyled exterior. Its previous boxy appearance has been streamlined with elements of BMW and Audi. The new CR-V is also three inches shorter than its predecessor, but the wheelbase and interior dimensions are nearly the same as previous models. Honda further upgraded the vehicle by removing the
Read moreThe 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 moreAnyone 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 moreEconomy class automobiles are like economy class airplane tickets. Sometimes the value outweighs the shortcomings and sometimes it doesn’t. The latter holds true for the 2007 Suzuki Forenza wagon. The largest of the Korean manufacturer’s compact cars offers an inviting price, a spacious interior and a solid list of standard features.
Read moreIntroduced 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 moreIntroduced 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 moreWith 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 moreThe 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.
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