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Suzuki Kizashi, 2010: Roman Mica's Rambling Review

The most important part of the car is the door handle. Why? It’s the first part of the car you touch. In my case, it was love at first touch with the all new 2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS. What Suzuki has managed to build is a $20,000 car that looks and feels like a $30,000 car. For me, the mark of a good car, make that a great car, is its ability to make you feel special when you drive it. And I felt like a C list movie star in the Kizashi. The Kizashi GTS isn’t a great car

BMW, 335d, 2010: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Automotive News, Electric and Hybrid

The 2009 version I drove six months ago attracted a lot of attention. Some onlookers didn’t know a BMW diesel was available in the United States. Other car enthusiasts wondered what the odd exterior promotional decals were all about. Little has changed with the 2010 model, the second year of car in this country. Officially, there’s only one change. The 2010 model has HD radio. But the promotional decals are long gone, replaced by a BMW strong point, exterior paint colors and a well-coordinated interior. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance,

Honda Odyssey, 2011: Innovative redesign for best-selling minivan

Vans/Mini-Vans

“The all-new Odyssey is set to once again redefine the minivan segment as the ultimate family vehicle,” said Erik Berkman, vice president of Corporate Planning and Logistics for American Honda. “Never before has so much space, functionality and comfort been combined with this much style, technology and fuel economy.” Significant enhancements to the interior include a new “3-mode” second-row seat design to enhance center passengers’ comfort (Odyssey EX and above). The 2011 Odyssey is equipped with a total of five LATCH attachment points (four in the Odyssey LX), the most of any vehicle currently available on the market. The one-motion,

GM confirms first compact car in two decades with 2012 Buick Verano

Economy cars

GM, the largest U.S. automaker, said the Verano will be built alongside the Chevrolet Aveo at the factory in Orion Township, Michigan. The Verano, which means “summer” in Spanish, will be based on the recently launched 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, and will be the first compact Buick since the Skylark was discontinued 12 years ago. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION Auto Shipping Quote–Car Financing–Car Insurance Quotes–Car Loans–Online Car Insurance–Rental Cars–Used Cars The Verano, which will debut as a 2012 model, is expected to feature a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, while hybrid versions are pending. The Verano will expand GM’s lineup of fuel-efficient vehicles,

Porsche Cayenne, 2011: The Weekly Driver car review

The extensively redone 2011 Porsche Cayenne SUV finally looks like a Porsche. The bland appearance of its predecessor, however, didn’t stop it from being Porsche’s top seller here soon after it arrived in America in March 2003. Porsche always had been a sports car company, but it ignored protests from many Porsche owners and its often rabid fans when it introduced the Cayennne. But business is business, and Porsche needed the money the Cayenne would produce. Besides, it has lots of pride and was tired of seeing its sports cars sitting in garages next to expensive SUVs from competitors. As

Audi A8, 2011 review

The 2011 Audi A8 all-wheel-drive sedan has imposing styling, a fabulous interior and high-tech features that can be easily utilized if you spend some time studying them. This fourth-generation A8 — Audi’s flagship car — has a revised front end but looks basically unchanged. It continues to have the automaker’s nearly all-aluminum body/chassis structure that few Americans ever understood or fully appreciated. It makes this four-door very rigid and lighter than most rivals. The A8 is still a big guy at approximately 4,400 pounds, due partly to its all-wheel-drive hardware, and it has a longer wheelbase and overall length. It’s

Chevy Camaro gets familiar role as 2011 Indy 500 pace car

Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500 aren’t quite synonymous, but they could be considering the long relationship with between the race and the brand. A prime example will occur Sunday, May 29 when a special edition of the Chevy Camaro convertible will serve as the official pace car of the 2011 Indy 500. The special edition and its 50 pace-car replicas will help commemorate the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 and Chevrolet’s centennial year. The pace car and replicas are painted white with orange stripes and door graphics. The interior is trimmed in orange leather and the front- seat headrests

Audi A6 2012 debuts, hybrid model pending

The 2012 Audi A6, a premium-midsize sedan, has been redesigned with new styling and a new gas/electric hybrid model. Initial A6 models will come in a single 3.0T trim level with Audi‘s quattro all-wheel drive and powered by a supercharged 300-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 engine. The sole transmission is likely to be an 8-speed automatic. Due later in the 2012 model year is the A6 Hybrid. It pairs a 211-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with a battery-powered electric motor for 245 horsepower total. It’s predicted efficiency will be 38 mpg and with an expected price of about $50,000. The hybrid can

Chevrolet Volt 2011 review: kudos, warts, puzzlement

As senior editor for High Gear Media, John Voelcker has written what The Weekly Driver believes is the definitive review of the 2011 Chevy Volt. He praises and criticizes it. And he finds the Volt puzzling. Voelcker, whose work has appeared in many print and online publications, is a commentator on National Public Radio and for other broadcast outlets. He was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the International Motor Press Association. Voeckler has reviewed about a dozen hybrid vehicles. He recently evaluated the Volt for five days, driving it more than 700 miles. Here’s a capsule of

Toyota Corolla, 2011: World's best-selling car 'refreshed'

Not very excited by cars? Just looking for a comfortable, economical sedan with long-term durability? The 2011 compact Toyota Corolla might be for you. It’s hard to go wrong with the front-drive Corolla, which in various forms over the years has outsold the Ford Model T and rear-engine Volkswagen Beetle. The Corolla arrived as a $1,700 two-door rear-drive model with 60 horsepower in 1968. More than 30 million have been sold worldwide. The 2009 Corolla was slightly revised, and the 2011 model has freshened front and rear styling, along with interior design updates. Changes were made to the front and

Volkswagen Beetle is back with big, bad 2012 model

Sixty-three years after its iconic legacy began, the Volkswagen Beetle is back. The 2012 edition, the third generation of one of the best-selling cars in history, is debuting simultaneously this week in media days at the New York Auto Show, Shanghai Auto Show and Berlin Auto Show. Launched in the U.S. in 1949, the car has had two distinct tenures. It in first 30 years, more than five million were sold in the United Sates until it was discontinued in 1979. The second generation Beetle sold just under 500,000 units in the U.S. from 1998-2010, increasing to what Volkswagen reports

Dodge Grand Caravan 2011: Quick, overhauled, carlike

Some thought Sport Utility Vehicles and the newer car-based crossovers would eliminate minivans, but they remain too handy to die. While the minivan market isn’t as big as it once was, Dodge’s redone 2011 Grand Caravan minivan and redesigned minivans from Toyota, Honda and Nissan show automakers have confidence folks will continue to be drawn to minivans that provide much-needed room and a carlike driving experience. Dodge’s entries long led minivan sales, and this automaker has made major improvements to its 2011 front-drive Grand Caravan model to stay competitive with large Japanese rivals. List prices for the roomy Grand Caravan

Chevrolet Malibu, 2013: New style, better gas mileage

Chevrolet introduced the 2013 Malibu ECO, the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan in its 100-year history, at the recent New York International Auto Show. It features eAssist “light electrification” technology engineered to deliver an estimated 26 mpg in city driving and 38 mpg on the highway without compromising performance. The ECO is based on the 2013 Malibu sedan, which will be sold in nearly 100 countries on six continents. Sales of the new Malibu begin with the ECO model in the United States in early 2012. The Malibu LS, LT and LTZ trim level offerings join the ECO in summer 2012.

Dealers begin taking orders for 2012 Chevy Volt

Chevrolet dealers in every state can begin taking orders for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt. The starting price of the new model is more than $1,000 less than the 2011 edition, the manufacturer announced. The suggested retail price for Volt will start at $39,995 (or $32,495 assuming a full federal tax credit of $7,500, which is subject to the customer’s eligibility). The price includes an $850 destination freight charge but excludes tax, title and license fees. The lower base price is possible in part because of a wider range of options and configurations that come with the expansion of Volt production

Hyundai Sonata, 2012: Better mpg, more standard features

Hyundai, the hottest-selling manufacturer in the United States, has further intensified the midsize sedan segment by increasing gas mileage and including Blue Link as a standard feature on the 2012 Sonata. Blue Link® from Hyundai provides up-to-the-minute traffic and weather information and is a lifeline to emergency services and roadside assistance. Synched to a smart phone, Blue Link will let the owner know where their Sonata is in a crowded baseball stadium parking lot or shopping center. In addition to Blue Link, the 2012 Sonata will feature more safety, technology and convenience offerings including, HD Radio Technology and new seven-inch

Chevrolet Sonic, 2012: Only U.S.-made sub-compact

The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, which replaces the South Korean-built Chevrolet Aveo, will be the only subcompact car built in the United States when it arrives this fall. The Sonic LS, which has a starting price of $14,495, has 10 standard airbags – the most of any subcompact — and has 138-horsepower 1.8-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine matched with five-speed transmission. Fuel economy projections haven’t been released for the base engine. But with the upgraded 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with six-speed automatic transmission, the Sonic is expected to get 40 mpg in highway driving. The 2012 Chevy Sonic will available in sedan and