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

Automotive Reviews, Sport Utility Vehicles

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

Automotive Reviews, Sedans

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

Automotive Reviews, Sport Utility Vehicles

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

Automotive Reviews, Sedans

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

Economy cars, Automotive Reviews

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

Sport Utility Vehicles, Sports Cars

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. The Pathfinder, the mid-sized SUV, has now been on the market for two decades. My test vehicle was the four-wheel drive LE model (with navigation system), the most expensive of the four

Nissan Maxima, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Sedans

Yet the Maxima shows itself well in the midsize crowd with a superior interior and exterior design, comfort and myriad individualized features. My test drive for the week was SE edition, one of three Maximas available. Largely unchanged since 2004, the SE offers a powerful ride with a 3.5-liter, 24-value, 265-horsepower V6 engine. The four-door sedan has a five-speed manual transmission and more-than-adequate power. The Weekly Driver test showcased the vehicle at its finest — with one brief exception — during a weekend getaway that included myriad driving circumstances. The three-day, two-night jaunt from Sacramento to Santa Cruz, Calif., included

Suzuki Forenza Wagon, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Automotive Reviews, Pickup Trucks

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

Sport Utility Vehicles

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

Sport Utility Vehicles

In a popular category that includes best-buy choices like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester, the Outlander doesn’t offer any outstanding qualities that could sway potential buyers. My test drive for the week was the new all-wheel drive limited edition Outlander. It joins the previous LX and XLS models and features an impressive list of upgrades from previous models. All Outlanders offer a 4-cylinder, 160-horsepower, 2.4-liter engine. With its standard automatic transmission, the vehicle performs adequately in city driving. But it lacks acceleration for highway journeys, and it struggles on long inclines, even with only two adult front-seat

Honda Pilot, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Sport Utility Vehicles

Introduced in late 2003, the Pilot replaced the Passport and it shares the same basic chassis and powertrain as the MDX, the complementary choice from Honda‘s upscale Acura division. My test drive for the week was the top of the line’s EX L 4-door wagon that includes both a navigation system and second seat DVD entertainment system. With those additions, the Pilot further enhances its position at the forefront of the midsize SUV ranks that include the Ford Explorer, Nissan Murano and Toyota Highlander. The three Pilot models all offer a V6, 255-horsepower engine paired only a 5-speed automatic transmission.

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

Electric and Hybrid, Sport Utility Vehicles

Combined, it offers 155 horsepower and it’s rated at 33 mpg gallon in city driving and 29 mpg in highway conditions. That’s the best SUV mileage available. For those still new to hybrids, the Escape is another prime example of the advancement of the combined gas-electric presentation . The electric motor helps save gas by powering the vehicle at lower speeds and complementing the gas engine during acceleration. The notion of recharging a hybrid battery is no longer relevant; the system recharges the motor’s batteries when the vehicle is decelerating or coasting. Beyond its combined engine, the 2005 Escape has

Chevrolet Trailblazer, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Sport Utility Vehicles

It’s comfortable and provides a confident drive. It offers vast cargo space, has an attractive two-tone interior, a well-designed console and boasts plenty of impressive option packages. But sometimes subtle qualities or subtle deficiencies are more impressive or problematic than a vehicle’s overt characteristics. So it is with the new Blazer. While recently showing the car to several friends, one sat in the second row of seats. Surprisingly, his head easily hit the roof. My friend is 6-foot-3, and while that’s tall, he’s not a giant by any stretch. “I’ve got a Scion and there’s plenty of rear seat headroom,”

Kia Sportage, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Sport Utility Vehicles

Introduced a decade ago, the Kia Sportage was the Korean manufacturer’s second style available in the American market. It had its supporters and critics, and it eventually became the company’s bestseller. Three years ago, however, when Kia was in the midst of severe financial difficulties, the Sportage was discontinued. But behold, the Sportage is back, having undergone a vast makeover. It has the same name, but perhaps that’s the only similarity to yesteryear’s model. The new Sportage has a completely new and refined interior and exterior design, and a good supply of standard and optional features. It also has a

Honda S2000, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Sports Cars

On a warm, spring day and with a convertible top down, anyone who enjoys the combination of shifting gears, fresh air and the open road will thrive on the route. It’s a drivers’ nirvana tucked among forests of Redwood trees and rolling hills. And so it was recently when my wife and I spent a getaway weekend. We drove the segment twice en route and returning from the Mendocino/Ft. Bragg coastline to Sacramento in the Honda S2000, the 2005 edition. The two-seat convertible, unchanged from its 2004 debut, is Honda‘s only sports car, and it adds a pure-fun component to

Acura RSX, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Sports Cars

Among other improvements, some models have more horsepower, more heavily bolstered seats and an increase from 16 to 17-inch wheels. For my weekly drive, I scooted around town and on the freeway in the Type-S, the highest-performance of the RSX models. Like other Acuras, the RSX is a recommended purchase by Consumer Guide, the monthly national review magazine based in Illinois. But as much as I tried to like the RSX, several things about the vehicle just never seemed like it warranted best-buy status. There’s nothing particularly inferior about the car, but nor is any exterior or interior feature outstanding.