Toyota Venza, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The Japanese manufacturer introduced the vehicle with hopes of attracting customers who want the comforts of a passenger car (camry) with the versatility of a sport utility vehicle (highlander). The combination defines crossover. In other words, the Venza is a modern-day station wagon. The Weekly Driver’s Ratings Acceleration (6) It’s standard for its vehicle segment, but doesn’t have the same peppiness as its primary competitors, the Mazda CX-7 or Nissan Murano. I drive often to the Monterey Peninsula and the stretch over the Pacheco Pass has a winding, hill section ideal for braking, acceleration and handling. The Venza fared well,

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Mini (John Cooper Works), 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Available in hardtop, convertible and Clubman models, the 2009 John Cooper Works further advances the Mini, now owned and marketed by BMW. It’s a compact driving machine featuring a 208-horsepower, turbocharged engine and six-speed manual transmission with larger, now standard 17-inch wheels. The Weekly Driver’s Ratings Acceleration (8) How’s 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 148 mph sound to you? Thought so. Enough said. The JWC Mini is driving nirvana. Braking/Steering/Handling (8) It’s among the smallest cars in the United States, but the Mini holds the road, steers with precision and stops with confidence, particularly the

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Pontiac Aztek's Dubious Honor: Ugliest Among Top-100 Ugly Cars

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But it also had some unique choices, Karmann Ghia to Citroen. And the top car was a beauty — the E-type Jaguar XKE. A month ago, results of the readers’ top 100 ugliest cars were released Scrolling through the list was as much fun and salivating over the most handsome cars. Telegraph readers cast votes for 309 cars for selection to the dubious 100 list, and here’s the final 20 on the all-ugly list. 20. Range Rover; 19. AMC Gremlin; 18. Nissan Micra; 17. Ford Edsel; 16. Trabant; 15. Audi Q7; 14. Triumph TR7; 13. Morris Ital; 12. Ford KA;

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Hybrid, eco-friendly, 'green cars' now mainstream

Today, owning an eco-friendly car has become mainstream—the same family down the street may still have their odd-looking hybrid, but the fraternity now includes soccer moms, bank executives and college students. Here are five distinct eco-friendly cars to consider: SmartCar: The ultra-compact ForTwo two-seater, built by a division of Mercedes Benz, was first distributed in foreign markets in 1998. Just shy of nine feet long, and slightly more than five feet wide, the ForTwo has a three-cylinder, 70-horsepower engine, and gas (premium recommended) mileage averages of 33 mpg. (city) and 41 mpg. (highway). It’s available nationwide at about seventy Mercedes

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Volkswagen Routan, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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But the Routan has no easy path among 2009 minivan comparisons. The potential market share is tight, so the Routan will have to compete against segment leader Honda Odyssey as well as Chrysler’s Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, its not-so-distant cousins. The Weekly Driver’s Ratings Acceleration (7) Superior acceleration from zero to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds, according to VW’s estimates for the top-the-line SEL versus 10.2 for the 3.8-liter S and SE engines, all with six-speed automatic transmissions. Braking/Steering/Handling (6) Moves in-and-out of traffic well and maneuvers well particularly for its size. Steering is strong and responsive.

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Hyundai unveils concept vehicle Nuvis at New York International Auto Show

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Hyundai’s all-new, homegrown Hybrid Blue Drive architecture helps define the Nuvis concept. Hyundai‘s proprietary parallel hybrid drive system mates the already fuel-efficient 2.4-liter Theta II engine to a 6-speed automatic transmission and a 30kW (205 N-m) electric motor for maximum fuel economy. Hybrid Blue Drive has an all-electric mode and a parallel drive mode, meaning the wheels are turned by power coming directly from the gasoline engine, or the electric motor, or both together, as conditions demand. This parallel hybrid drive architecture will serve as the foundation for future Hyundai hybrid drive vehicles, starting with the next-generation Sonata in the

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Honda Fit, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Add it all up, and once again Honda has taken a good car that would have fared well without upgrades and innovation and made it more attractive. It was and remains arguably the finest entry level car in the United States. It’s hard, though, to classify the Fit as entry level. It’s Honda’s smallest vehicle. Yet, with a price range from $13,950 to approaching $20,000 (with all options), it’s an entry level car on par with other brands priced well into the $20,000 range. The Fit is still fit, for sure. But it’s now a more well-rounded “athlete.” It’s hard

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Saturn Sky (Convertible), 2008: Weidel on Wheels

Needing a little “bling” in its lineup, Saturn finally convinced parent company General Motors a sports car could elicit positive results. Although the Sky convertible wasn’t exactly unique when it came out a year ago, it provided Saturn with definite eye appeal. And even if car shoppers didn’t buy it, at least they were taking a good look at the attractive Sky, a better version of the Pontiac Solstice, another GM product. The American car-buying public has a fascination for convertibles. They represent a vehicle most people feel they want, yet can’t justify the purchase, simply because in most cases

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Acura sets car industry precedent with new safety rankings

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Acura has become the first automobile manufacturer to simultaneously earn top government and IIHS safety ratings for every vehicle in its line-up. In late March, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as part of its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing, awarded the 2009 Acura TL performance luxury sedan a 5-Star rating — its top rating — for side impact crash safety for both front and rear passenger seating positions. In November 2008, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the 2009 Acura TL performance luxury sedan its top safety rating of “GOOD” for Frontal Offset Crash Test,

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Shelby, Tesla, Datsun (?) among world's top-10 fastest electric cars

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“Below, we’ve listed the world’s top 10 fastest electric cars, based on the best available information (and a little creative license). Note that our criteria does not take into account a variety of important factors like charging time, availability and cost. All cars are simply ranked by the time it takes them to get from 0-60 mph. “Most of the machines shown here are either not available or otherwise out out of the realm of possibility for most, but then again, so are most high-performance gas-powered cars, but that doesn’t keep us from admiring them.” And here’s the list: 1.

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Ferrari unveils new web site with Formula 1 season

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As one of the first companies to build a presence on the ‘net in the early 1990s, Ferrari’s goal now is to ensure the millions of tifosi and enthusiasts who log on to the Ferrari website each day will live the Ferrari experience online. Through its new www.ferrari.com portal, Ferrari now offers site visitors to the site now enjoy more content and a better internet relationship with Ferrari headquarters in Maranello, Italy.  The new sites boasts a wide range in a revised and freshened graphic design and unique content. Apart from its numerous interactive sections with exclusive images and dedicated

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Tesla debuts prototype of Model S, its new, all-electric sedan

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Founded in 2003, Tesla‘s debut vehicle is the $109,000 Roadster sports car. The 300th Roadster was recently delivered to its owner and the waiting list includes more than 1,000 wannabe owners. The Model S, which Tesla touts as the first mass-manufactured all-electric car, will cost $57,400, or $49,900 after tax credits. Elon Musk, Tesla Motors’ chief executive, and chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, debuted the Model S to a gathering and industry analysts and the media March 26 in Hawthorne, Calif. According to a report in the New York Times, Musk said, “When gas savings are taken into account, buying

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Mercedes Benz Will Unveil New Hyrbrid In 2009

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Based on the S350, the S400 BlueHYBRID uses a 3.5-litre engine, an additional magneto-electric motor, and a seven-speed automatic transmission configured for the hybrid module. The system is a mild hybrid, with the electric motor boosting the gasoline engine during acceleration, along with an auto-stop function that switches off the engine when stopped, such as at traffic lights. Mercedes-Benz said its high-voltage lithium-ion battery is the first worldwide to be introduced in a series-production vehicle. When compared to a conventional nickel/metal hydride battery, the new battery has a higher energy density, better electrical efficiency, more compact dimensions and lower weight.

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Volkswagen Tiguan, 2009: Weidel on Wheels

As someone whose first two vehicles were Volkswagens, I remain a fan of the German automaker, and I’m not alone in my admiration. Volkswagen rose to prominence in the 1960s and continued to grow for two decades. The line began to falter in the early ‘90s, but Volkswagen has refocused and made a successful turnaround. In the past decade, Volkswagen has kept rolling out hits. The latest is the 2009 Tiguan, a compact sport utility vehicle recently driven for a week. Like many of its predecessors, the Tiguan has received high marks in many areas. It’s understandable because VW is

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Cadillac, Autonet debut new Wifi router for 2009 CTS sedan

The companies jointly debuted the new router at the New York International Auto Show, April 10 – 19 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. The partnership will deliver the first internet entertainment system for Cadillac, and one of the first in the luxury auto market. Branded as Cadillac WiFi by Autonet Mobile, the system is based on the company’s latest generation mobile router, a new smaller unit that allows consumers to easily transfer it from car to car via a new docking station. The system is one-third smaller and incorporates an internal WiFi antenna which fits the sleek new Cadillac

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Tata Nano: New York Times test drives India's new $2,000 'People's Car'

The Times had its reporter, Nick Kurczewski, in Pune, India, to test drive the Nano. It’s the estimated $2,000 car some industry experts believe could be as important to the automotive industry as the Ford Model-T and the Volkswagen Beetle. “The Nano has a 32-horsepower, 624-cc, 2-cylinder engine mounted in the rear. Access is given to the engine via a removable panel underneath the foldable rear seat. Despite being a fraction of the size of most economy-car engines, the all-aluminum engine provides reasonable pep. Engine noise is also far less than one might imagine given the size and simplicity of

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