2008 Archives - Page 4 of 4 - The Weekly Driver

Dodge Avenger RT, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

Shopping for a Dodge Stratus and can’t find the 2008 model? Call off the search, the Stratus is no longer part of the Dodge lineup. After selling nearly 100,000 units in 2005, sales of the Status dropped nearly in half in 2006. That was enough to convince parent company Chrysler it was time to pull the plug on the modest, mid-size sedan. It was a necessary if Dodge wanted to stay competitive in the mid-size sedan classification. Dodge filled the opening with the Avenger. It’s a catchier name and Chrysler hopes the vehicle will also attract more buyers. The larger dimensions – 2.5 more inches of headroom, 1.2 inches greater shoulder room, and 2.5 inches higher — are definite factors

Sedans

Subaru Legacy, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

When discussing the Subaru lineup the first thing often mentioned is the all-wheel drive capability, because a foul-weather vehicle is always desirable in many regions of the country. Every Subaru is equipped with a traction-grabbing advantage that makes many drivers like me anxious to take a journey into the high country. However, this review of the Subaru Legacy Limited will be restricted to uninspired trips around South Placer County in Northern California. Sound dull? Some weeks are like that, especially the days following Christmas this year when the weather was damp, dreary and staying indoors seemed like a pretty enticing thing at the time. Despite the lack of driving challenge, I did learn more than a few things about the

News Service, Sport Utility Vehicles, Sports Cars

Consumer Reports Selects Its Top-10 Cars For 2008

Small sedan: Hyundai Elantra, Cost: $18,000 — “The Elantra is a well-rounded small car that provides good fuel economy, a comfortable ride and an interior that’s quiet, roomy and well-equipped.” (TheWeekly Driver.com comment: I drove a 2007 Elantra about 1,000 miles from San Jose to Los Angeles to Sacramento. It performed surprisingly well, particularly over the ominous Grapevine on Interstate 5.) Midsize SUV: Hyundai Santa Fe, Cost: $22,000-$31,000 — The recently redesigned Santa Fe performed better than the Honda Pilot in Consumer Reports’ testing. “It provides a quiet and roomy interior, excellent fit and finish, a refined powertrain, a relatively good ride and an optional third-row seat.” Pickup: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab, Cost: $27,000 to $39,000 — The Silverado

Electric and Hybrid, Sedans

Chevy Malibu, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Chevrolet wants the Malibu to compete with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, and that’s a hefty task. With its hybrid, new for 2008, the Malibu features GMC’s “mild hybrid system” rather than its dual mode full hybrid system. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars And when compared to other hybrid offerings, the Malibu goes in reverse before it finds forward gears. The reason: Early mileage reports for the hybrid are about two percent higher than to 22 to 27 mph for the gas engine Malibu. That’s little to boast about particularly when you’re trying to compete established brands. The hybrid’s configuration is a 36-volt electric motor

Pickup Trucks

Dodge Dakota, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

When regularly faced with full-sized chores, a full-size pickup is ideal. Small trucks later came along for those who still enjoyed the versatility provided by a pickup, yet preferred a vehicle that wasn’t a headache to maneuver and park. What has changed gradually is the emergence of mid-size trucks. And in the mid-1980s, Dodge was the first to design — a a new brand of pickup — the Dakota. It was introduced to admirably fill the gap between big and small. It could still carry a decent-size load, while also providing more refined ride than its heftier, older relative, the Dodge Ram. Dodge remains innovative in the mid-size truck class, becoming the first manufacturer to put a powerful V8 engine

Sport Utility Vehicles

Ford Edge, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

A crossover is an automobile with a sports utility vehicle appearance but built upon a more economical and fuel-efficient unibody construction. But what is the Edge — a mini mini-van, a newfangled wagon or a SUV? Like other crossover SUVs, the Edge is hard to pinpoint. The Edge is categorized as a mid-sized crossover SUV and it shares the same platform with the Lincoln MKX and Mazda CX-9 crossovers, the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ sedans. And the Edge bridges the gap between minivans like the now discontinued Freestar, and truck-based sport utility vehicles such as the Explorer. The Edge is priced just below the Taurus X in Ford‘s crossover SUV lineup. The Edge debuted at the 2006

Sport Utility Vehicles

Ford Edge, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

Looking for answers, Ford did a couple of things right last year, introducing a two solid crossover sport utility vehicles that were well received. Neither the Ford Edge or its Lincoln cousin, the MKX, could halt the overall slide, but they made a difference at a time when a success story or two were desperately needed. And I must admit, a first glance at the 2008 Edge drew an appealing nod of approval and driving this car-like SUV was a pleasure as well. Keep in mind my week was spent with the all-wheel drive Edge Limited. Unveiled as a 2008 model, is is most expensive of the three available models at $32,070. The SE version, the base model, goes for

Sedans

Mazda 3, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

Although I was unaware of its popularity among women, I was about to find out as the two of them gushed over the subcompact vehicle. I’ve learned through some subsequent research that women do indeed think highly of the Mazda 3. It possesses the cute factor, which means females universally like the look of the Mazda 3, especially the bright red one driven here for a week. And though I don’t have the research to back up this statement, my guess is that men find the Mazda 3 appealing as well. Perhaps you’ve heard of the term “zoom-zoom? Well it’s not just some clever marketing ploy. The Mazda 3 definitely has some major zip. In fact, it has so much

Sport Utility Vehicles

Ford Escape, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Ford debuted a smaller, less expensive alternative to The Explorer, its vastly popular sports utility vehicle, in 2001. In North America, it was called The Escape and in Europe it was called The Maverick. The new compact SUV was developed in conjunction with Mazda, which in turn is owned in principle by Ford. Thus, the Escape, the Mazda Tribute and Ford’s Mercury division SUV, the Mariner, are not surprisingly quite similar. A hybrid version of the Escape was introduced in 2004 and this year with the 2008 model, the Escape and its SUV siblings have all been redesigned. Why? The SUV market has expanded so dramatically in recent years, even industry leaders have had to adjust to retain their share

Sedans, Sports Cars

Mazda RX-8, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Sports cars are rarely known for comfort or convenience. But Mazda does a good job of overcoming the stigma with the RX-8. It’s a coupe with four doors (sort of) and it’s about as comfortable as sports cars get. Mazda further differentiates itself in the sports car class via its signature rotary engine. It’s the system that replaces pistons pumping in cylinders with triangular rotors spinning in oval chambers. My weekly driver was the 2008 Grand Touring model, the most expensive of the three options, including the Sport and Touring. Each has a 1.3-liter, 232-horsepower engine with a six-speed manual transmission or a 1.3-liter, 212-horsepower engine with a six-speed automatic transmission. (The automatic allows manual shifting via floor lever or

News Service

Cadillac CTS, 2008: The Weekly Driver (Video)

A mid-size entry level luxury car, the Cadillac CTS was introduced in 2003 as a replacement for the Cimarron. Five years, later it’s become the manufacturer’s first success story in recent market campaign to sell vehicles to younger buyers. The CTS, in fact, is credited with rekindling the popularity of the Cadillac, whose sales dipped heavily in the 1990s in favor or Lexus, BMW and Mercedes. After its debut at the North American International Auto Show, success arrived quickly for the CTS after its public debut last August. Motor Trend magazine selected the CTS as its 2008 Car of the Year. After five years of the first generation CTS, it was redesigned for 2008, and it’s easy to see and

Luxury cars, Sport Utility Vehicles

Cadillac CTS, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

After its debut at the North American International Auto Show, success arrived quickly for the CTS after its public debut last August. Motor Trend magazine selected the CTS as its 2008 car of the year. After five years of the first generation CTS, it was redesigned for 2008, and it’s easy to see and feel why the car has generated glowing reviews. The base model features a 3.6-liter variable valve timing V6 with 258 hp. My weekly drive was the more powerful option, a 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 VVT engine with 304 horsepower. It has a six-speed automatic transmission, which is standard on all models. On-demand, all-wheel drive is also offered with both engines when equipped with an automatic transmission. The

Sport Utility Vehicles

Saturn Vue, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Instead, Saturn wanted more success in the compact SUV segment and redesigned the Vue. The 2008 edition, nearly identical to its global counterpart, the Opel Antara, further establishes the Vue’s reputation. It offers a smooth, steady ride and superior handling and steering. The new Vue also has a new Euro-style look with sleek exterior curves and improved cabin quality. But in its early versions, the Vue was a lot cooler. It had a retro look with white background on instrumentation dials, for instance, and unique netting on map and accessory side door bins. Nonetheless, with the 2008 edition, the Vue is likely to turn a few more heads and it’s a more comfortable vehicle than its predecessor. My weekly test

Sport Utility Vehicles

Honda Element, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

More important, Honda doesn’t make a car without a plan. The Element was introduced as an urban utilitarian vehicle with hopes it would appeal to younger drivers seeking pickup truck cargo space in an enclosed area. The vehicle has attracted a young crowd to some degree, but the average buyer’s age is surprising. After its first year on the road, the average purchaser’s age was 43, according to J.D. Power & Associates. Regardless of age, Element owners are largely those who seek a vehicle with easy access to cargo areas for sporting equipment, groceries, luggage and work supplies. In the first extended trek in my weekly test drive four years ago, I drove the four-wheel drive EX model. It had

Sport Utility Vehicles

Mercury Mariner, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

So in a category that includes more than 25 choices, how does the Mariner find its share of the market? During the recent inaugural Tour of Missouri bicycle race, I drove the 2008 Mariner Premier with all-wheel drive nearly 1,000 miles in eight days. While crossing the state West to East on primarily high-speed highways, the Mariner performed well under nearly ideal late summer conditions. The highway speed limit varies in Missouri, but I often used the cruise control (inset switches at the nine p.m. location of the steering wheel) and set it at the flow of traffic about 5 mph above the maximum. It worked with ease and was one of the smoother cruise control systems I’ve tested. The

Sedans, Sports Cars

Nissan Altima, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The two-door features unique body panels that share only the hood. Additionally, the wheelbase and overall length has been shortened and it the coupe has an upgraded suspension. The result is a Euro-styled machine that garners further attention from passersby and deserves even more consideration after its driven. The 2008 Altima sedan will be available in four trims, but only the coupe is currently available in the new year’s model, and it has two options. My test vehicle was the 2.5 liter, 4-cylinder with 175 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. There’s also a 3.5-liter V6 option with 270 horsepower. A hybrid model will debut after the new year. The V6, 3.5-liter Altima must be exceedingly quick, because my test