2005 Archives - The Weekly Driver

Toyota reveals massive recall involving 7.4 million cars, trucks dating to 2005

Toyota has added another massive component to its more than three years of quality control issues by recalling 7.4 million cars and trucks globally for potential fires involving faulty power-window switches and including 2.5 million vehicles sold in the United States. The recall affects cars made between July 2005 and May 2010, including Camry and Corolla sedans and RAV4 sport-utility vehicles sold in Japan, North America, Europe, China, the Middle East and Oceania. Japan’s biggest automaker called the latest recall its largest in history. Toyota globally recalled 7.7 million vehicles in 2009 and 2010 because of faulty floormats, but the automaker categorized that occurrence as a “safety campaign.”Toyota, which said it knows of no accidents or deaths stemming from the

Used Cars

Nissan Versa (2009), Ford Escape (2005) Among Cars.com Best Used Cars For About $10,000

In the writers’ words: “Whether it’s a weekday commuter or a Saturday grocery-getter, drivers need their set of wheels, but the average price of a new car — $28,929 including financing, according to Comerica Bank’s latest Auto Affordability Index — is awfully high for many people. “Not to worry; we’ve singled out some good buys for you. With reliability, safety and bottom-dollar value in mind, we looked at new and late-model used cars whose retail values hover around $10,000. We crunched reliability and crash-test scores. We considered standard and optional safety features and looked at how easy it is to find cars with those options. Finally, we considered gas mileage along with our own qualitative impressions — things such as

Automotive Reviews, Pickup Trucks

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 on the steady highway inclines or in a quickly needed lane-change situation. The Forenza wagon isn’t particularly quiet on the

Sport Utility Vehicles

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 weaknesses. In my recent test drive of the 2005 Suzuki XL-7, the new midsize SUV offered by the Japanese manufacturer,

Sport Utility Vehicles

Mitsubishi Outlander, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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 passengers. Steering and handling are adequate and the automatic transmission shifts smoothly. Mitsubishi’s all-wheel drive system is a plus and

Sport Utility Vehicles

Honda Pilot, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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. The HP total represents an increase of six percent from the 2004 model, further adding to the vehicle’s status among

Electric and Hybrid, Sport Utility Vehicles

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

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 a larger base engine (28 more horsepower than in ’04) and its interior and exterior styling has been “tweaked” to

Sport Utility Vehicles

Chevrolet Trailblazer, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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,” my friend quickly commented. The quick analysis made a good point. As the largest and most powerful Blazer available, shouldn’t

Sport Utility Vehicles

Kia Sportage, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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 few nice, thoughtful, if small, considerations that could allow the small to well infiltrate the marketplace. My test vehicle for

Sports Cars

Honda S2000, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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 the popular manufacturer’s line of efficient, well-designed sedans, SUVs, vans and hybrid vehicles. For my weekly drive, I had the

Sports Cars

Acura RSX, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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. The Acura RSX is grouped with the Mini-Cooper and the Scion tC in the sporty/performance category. As such, they shouldn’t

Luxury cars, Sedans

Acura TL, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

It’s potentially more problematic knowing the crowded, late-night return trip could include a stretch of interstate infamous for its thick, late-night fog. But visiting family outweighs the inconveniences of potential driving hassles. And if the journey is made in a vehicle with a commanding and secure road presence, such concerns are sufficiently eased. So it was during my weekly test drive of the 2005 Acura TL. The vehicle was successful for several years, but Acura redesigned it and added more features in 2004 to offer BMW and Audi drivers another choice for a luxury sports sedan that combines performance with value. There’s little change in the TL from last year. The vehicle is based on the Honda Accord platform but

Sport Utility Vehicles

Honda CR-V, 2005: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The bench is five-feet long, but with a little twist here and a turn there it fit lengthwise. It was tight, but at 60 inches long it was secure in the back compartment, and the tailgate and rear window closed securely. Sport Utility Vehicles are designed for versatility, but transporting the cumbersome outdoor piece provided a nice example of the new CR-V’s ever-expanding uses. The 200-mile round-trip, primarily freeway miles, also provided plenty of time to experience the vehicle’s all-wheel drive system. It’s called Real Time AWD, and it offers fine handling and traction. The roads were dry on our outbound trip and periodically wet on the return voyage. It didn’t make any difference. The drive was smooth and comfortable,