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Volvo V70, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

It’s hard to rattle Volvo’s reputation. The Swedish manufacturer offers nicely designed, if undistinguished, vehicles. They’re great for confident, open-road driving in any kind of weather. If a buyer’s purchase priorities are comfort, performance and safety, Volvo is a fine choice. The 2006 Volvo V70 R (station wagon) further adds to the already nice Volvo overall package with its substantial cargo room. Still, the V70 finds itself in a tough crowd among the industry’s fastest growing sales segment, the premium midsized class. It includes the Mercedes Benz E-Class, the Audi all-road Quattro, Cadillac CTS and Infiniti G35, among others. My

Volvo XC-90, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Driving from Northern California to Oregon is seemingly a simple task. Find Interstate 5 and progress north for five hours or so. The road is largely well-maintained, and the normal flow of traffic is brisk. But good roads, a fast pace and few navigational tasks don’t necessarily make a long drive easy. Changing weather, drivers’ strange habits, elevation gains and the overall challenge of enduring a 300-mile drive from Sacramento can all provide obstacles. Of course, comfort, efficiency and enjoyment of the trip can also vary greatly, depending upon the vehicle used. In one recent instance, the journey was made

Honda Ridgeline, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

A friend recently made the brief comment: “You never really look at a pickup truck and say, ‘Wow! That’s a good-looking vehicle.’ I’d never thought about it his terms, but his words rang true. His comments also made me laugh because we were discussing the Honda Ridgeline, the new compact pickup truck. When I first first noticed the truck, I immediately thought, “Well, that’s the first Honda I don’t like.” Introduced last year at car shows and first made available nationwide earlier this year as a 2006 model, the Ridgeline could be categorized as the anti-pickup truck. But I didn’t

Mercury Mariner (Hybrid), 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The Mercury Mariner is among several nearly interchangeable compact sport utility vehicles. In fact, the Ford Escape, Mazda Tribune are remarkably similar vehicles, but the Mariner gains an advantage with its luxury-trimmed, hybrid edition for 2006.And it was the upgraded hybrid model I drove for my weekly test during a recent favorite journey, an estimated 500-mile round-trip excursion from Sacramento to California’s central coast. Traveling to the oceanfront cities of Santa Cruz, Aptos and Rio Del Mar not only provides a great getaway, but the route offers numerous driving scenarios — high-speed, open-road sections along Interstate 5 to winding, two-lane

Mercury Milan, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

With midsize monoliths like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry dominating the market for years, what do other manufacturers view as success with their respective offerings in the same class? It’s a crowded segment of the car market, for sure. Fourteen manufacturers are represented in the midsize class and an additional 10 are featured in the premium midsize category. Mercury hasn’t been a serious major player in either category. But like the Hyundai Sonata’s genesis a few years ago, the Milan and its close relative, the Ford Fusion, have a lot to offer against the dominating duo at a substantially

Ford Explorer (Eddie Bauer), 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Now in its 16th year, the Ford Explorer is among the country’s most enduring vehicles. It didn’t have many competitors when it was introduced as a 1991 model in March, 1990. But little could be further from the truth today in the increasingly crowded class. Still, the Explorer continues to evolve and remains remarkably popular with more than 5.5 million sold to date. For my weekly drive, I drove the redesigned 2006 Eddie Bauer 4×4 edition, one of 14 available Explorer configurations that feature four trim options and two engine sizes. With its 4.6-liter, 292-horsepower engine, the Eddie Bauer edition

Subaru Legacy GT, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The Subaru Legacy, like all of the manufacturer’s offerings, is a sure-bet for one outstanding characteristic. It has all-wheel-drive as a standard feature, and it’s quite a feature. Subarus corner and maneuver under any circumstance like no other vehicle. The ride is secure and steady, and drivers will have few worries in inclement weather, during sharp cornering or on rough roads With the 2006 Legacy, particularly the 2.5-liter GT that was my recent weekly drive, the brand’s smooth rider was nicely complemented. The vehicle has impressive acceleration, above-average ride quality and a refined quietness often reserved for higher-priced sedans. Remodeled

Hyundai Accent, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

With its new design for 2006, the Hyundai Accent is a formidable player in the compact class. It’s bigger, it has more power and it has additional safety features than its predecessor. Add Hyundai’s industry-leading warranty and the new Accent is hard to beat as an entry level vehicle that when equipped with every available option costs less than $15,000. My weekly driver was the GLS 4-door model with a four-speed automatic transmission. The Accent is also available with a five-speed manual transmission, and that’s good news for RVers since Hyundai has approved its flat-towing capabilities Both automatic and manual

Nissan Pathfinder, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

A long-distance haul means different things to different drivers. For me, on this occasion, it was a 400-plus mile trek from Redondo Beach to Sacramento, California. It was a seven-hour day in the car. The trip included the long climb over the infamous Grapevine in Southern California and plenty of flat and high-speed miles along Interstate 5. My transportation was a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder and it performed well.

Nissan Maxima, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The flagship sedan for Nissan, the 2006 Maxima is in tough company in the midsize car category — arguably the most competitive in the auto industry. The Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Volkswagen Passat are among its competitors.

Suzuki Forenza Wagon, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

As an entry level wagon, the 2005 Suzuki Forenza offers budget-minded buyers a spacious wagon with a good supply of standard features. But as a debut vehicle, it’s also unproven in the resale market and has shortcomings that ideally define its position in the marketplace. My weekly test drive was the LX wagon, one of 10 available Forenza models in 2005. The 2.0-liter, 16-value, 126-horsepower engine has a four-speed automatic transmission, the only option. The vehicle has gas good mileage estimates for its class, and the wagon accelerates adequately in city scenarios. But it’s sluggish and needs a full-throttle jolt

Suzuki XL-7, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Traveling east from Sacramento on either Interstate 80 or 50, the capital of California extends into ever-expanding suburbs. Sierra Nevada foothill communities soon follow and then respectively the well-known gambling and recreation meccas of Reno, Nev., and Lake Tahoe, Calif. Busier freeways exist, but both Northern California thoroughfares have their share of hectic commuter traffic and every other conceivable transportation concern. Both freeways therefore provide perfect arenas for vehicle testing, particularly the consistent, steady ascents into the foothills and toward ski resort elevations. There’s nothing too steep, but the steady grades can abruptly help showcase a vehicle’s power strengths or

Mitsubishi Outlander, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The 2005 Mitsubishi Outlander is the least expensive of the Japanese manufacturer’s three sports utility vehicles. It’s compact, nicely designed and offers more standard features than many SUVs nearly twice the price. But the Outlander faces a tough challenge.

Honda Pilot, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Like its popular brethren, the CR-V, Odyssey and new Element, the Pilot completes Honda’s best-buy SUV and van line. And like any of those offerings or anything else in Honda’s arsenal, it’s hard to find serious fault with the Pilot.

Ford Escape (Hybrid), 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The 2005 Ford Escape is the fourth addition to manufacturer’s SUV line, the first hybrid in the class and it makes an impressive debut. The Escape is economically and environmentally smart, and for those still unimpressed by SUVs, the vehicle could easily change their thinking. The 4-door, all-wheel drive 5-passenger rig has a 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder gas engine assisted by an electric motor.

Chevrolet Trailblazer, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

With the addition of the 5.3-liter, 325-horsepower V8 extended cab (EXT), eight Chevrolet Trailblazer models are on the road in 2005. And as the largest and most powerful Blazer available, the new EXT has plenty to offer.