2013

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2013 Scion FR-S: Not so fast, but country's best modestly priced sports car?

When Scion debuted a decade ago, the idea was to attract younger buyers to Toyota with a funky design, a modest price and a hopeful degree of hipness in lieu of acceleration or state-of-the art technology. The 2013 Scion FR-S is the first sports car for the brand, co-developed by Subaru and thus directly and unmistakably related to its close relative, the Subaru BRZ. The Scion FR-S, like its family members, is still value priced. But as a lightweight, low-center-of-gravity, classic-sports-car-steering, sleek-sport-car-designed machine, the Scion FR-S is a modern-day version of Toyota’s original “Z” cars. The Weekly Driver Test Drive It’s never been my favorite color in cars, but few vehicles attract more attention than red sports cars. My Scion

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2013 Volvo XC60: Solid sports car alternative with vast cargo room

It used to be that a need for more room called for a move to a truck-like SUV. But then vehicles such as the Volvo XC60 crossover came along, feeling much like a sports sedan but providing lots of cargo space. The 2013 XC60 drives more like a carlike compact premium crossover vehicle than a typical SUV. It continues in a variety of trim levels, starting at $34,200 for a front-wheel-drive (FWD) version and ending at $48,750 for a more powerful, deluxe, turbocharged all-wheel-drive (AWD) model. The XC60 has a non-turbocharged 3.2-liter 240-horsepower six-cylinder engine or a potent turbocharged 3-liter six-cylinder that generates 300 horsepower—or 325 if you want the higher-performance R-Design model. Any XC60 model tops 4,000 pounds, so

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2013 Tesla Model S claims Car of the Year honors

The Tesla Model S sport sedan, overcoming the financial troubles of its owner, long delays, pricing increases and bad press, has been named as the 2013 Automobile of the Year by Automobile magazine. “It’s the performance that won us over,” said the magazine’s editor-in-chief Jean Jennings when announcing the award. “The crazy speed builds silently and then pulls back the edges of your face. It had all of us endangering our licenses.”The magazine’s road-test editor Christopher Nelson was equally impressed. “Driving the Model S is decidedly not like piloting a Nissan Leaf or an electric Smart,” he said. One of Automobile’s contributors, Ezra Dyer arranged a race with a 560-horsepower, $89,900 BMW M5 sports sedan, seeing which vehicle could first

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2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid: Redesign adds further appeal to surprising sedan

By Bruce Aldrich, Contributing Edtior The 2013 Toyota Avalon will debut in December, and the fourth generation sedan has a new mission statement — excitement. The car has a entirely new look, an upgraded interior and better handling. Expect to see design cues from the Avalon in future Toyotas. The real news is the hybrid Avalon. The hybrid drivetrain is the same used in the hybrid Camry. This Synergy Drive system uses a 2.5-liter gas motor, combined with an electric motor to provide 200 horsepower. I prefer the hybrid Avalon over gas models. The hybrid does everything the gas model does, but with less drama. The constant velocity transmission (infinite gears, unlike just six in the gas car) provides perfectly

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Toyota Avalon, 2013: New design invigorates old school sedan

By Bruce Aldrich/Contributing Editor Our grandfather’s car has been reborn. For 2013, the fourth generation Toyota Avalon has been redesigned to attract people with color left in their hair. The car looks and drives better because the manufacturer’s President Akio Toyoda wants it that way. Toyoda’s goal is to put excitement into Toyota automobiles. The Avalon is the first car in the Toyota line to benefit from the new edict, and expect to see design cues from the Avalon in future Toyotas. The first thing I noticed about the Avalon is new styling. It doesn’t look like any other Toyota. The old, rounded jellybean look is gone. The new car has pronounced wheel arches, a dramatic sloping roofline and a

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Lexus GS 350, 2013: Plush new sedan ready to challenge German luxury leaders BMW, Audi

Like its siblings throughout the Lexus line-up, the GS 350 has been redesigned for 2013. The fourth generation of the upscale midsize sedan is slightly wider and taller than previous editions and it’s also touted with improved steering, more power and increase fuel efficiency. The length and wheelbase remain the same as older models and the GS 350 still features a 3.5-liter V6. But its new exterior design has resulted in 25 percent more trunk capacity, and with all of its improvements Lexus is hoping to provide more competition for the dominating German brands. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Driving the GS 350 is everything that defines a luxury sedan, and as part of Toyota‘s upscale lineup, it did little

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Volvo S60 T6, 2013: Sporty all-wheel drive T6 offers sedan at its best

The five-cylinder 250-horsepower 2013 Volvo T5 sedan I tested was very good. But I soon found the hotter S60 T6 AWD R-Design sedan almost felt like a different car. In fact, the S60 T6 AWD R-Design model is arguably the best high-performance Volvo ever. Both the Volvo T5 and T6 models have slick, virtually identical styling. But the S60 T6 AWD R-Design has a more potent six-cylinder engine. It also has a sport chassis, larger brakes and standard all-wheel drive, besides sportier interior and exterior features. A turbocharged 3-liter 300-horsepower six-cylinder is available for the 2013 S60, which has a standard turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. But the hot rod R-Design does it one better by having a 3-liter turbocharged and

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Chevrolet Corvette, 2014: Out with the old, in with the new in January 2013

The seventh generation Chevrolet Corvette will be introduced Jan. 13 in Detroit, a few days prior to the North America International Auto Show, and will feature little from previous editions of the iconic sports car that debuted in 1953. The new Corvette will have only two parts from the sixth-generation Corvette — a cabin air filter and the rear latch for the removable roof panel. The current generation Corvette, or C6, was introduced as a 2005 model. As as tease to the 2014 Corvette, the automaker revealed the vehicle’s new crossed flags logo. The new logo was selected from more than 100 logo candidates. General Motors said production of the 2014 Corvette will begin in the third quarter of 2013.

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Fiat 500, 2013: Plenty of 'Pop' in entry level soft top

I drove the Fiat 500 hatchback when it debuted and was generally impressed. The hot rod Abarth version arrived later and was even more fun. But I didn’t get a 500C “Pop” Cabrio model with its quasi-convertible sliding power soft top until late summer. While small, the front-drive, two-door 500 is practical enough, although the rear seat area is hard to reach despite long doors. Moreover, the backseat is only suitable for children, pets or cargo that doesn’t fit in the trunk. Rear seatbacks can be flipped forward to increase cargo space, although they don’t sit perfectly flat when folded. The 500 is fun to drive, and the 500C Cabrio model with its long sliding soft top should make it

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Hyundai Elantra Coupe, 2013: Strong new contender in crowded segment

As North American Car of the Year in 2012, the Hyundai Elantra one year later remains largely the same vehicle. It’s value priced and while not outstanding in any single category, its very good status is so many categories vaults it to the top of the sedan segment. The Elantra Coupe joined its much older relative (the Elantra is now in its fifth generation) for 2013. It’s largely the same as the Elantra sedan with two exceptions. It has two doors and it has some minor exterior trim tweaks. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The Elantra Coupe is comfortable, which can’t be said for many coupes that showcase performance and treat other areas as after thoughts. My two-door test Elantra

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If sex sells, 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe commercial works

The Netherlands, as does much of Europe, has a different outlook on sexuality and sensuality. In this instance, it’s a steaming, campy 45-second television commercial for Hyundai. TheWeeklyDriver.com can’t help it. We like it. But overt sensuality in a commercial called UpSkirt? We’ve got stunning models, long legs, a dripping ice cream cone, beads of sweat and a sultry voice moaning sultry lyrics. It doesn’t quite fit the car. But who cares? The commercial is fun. And if that helps Hyundai promote its cars, why not? And guess what? The commercial isn’t broadcast in the United States. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver

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2013 Volvo T5 S60: Sporty, quick-steering, traditionally solid, safe

Some may still think the 2013 Volvo S60 T5 sedan is among the first sporty Volvos sold in the United States because of the automaker’s long-lingering stodgy image. Volvo actually has built several sporty cars since it offered its conservatively styled 1956-58 PV444 family model here, complete with a strong dual-carburetor engine and a stick shift with a floor shifter. It was a practical auto, but could beat sports cars on race tracks. However, most sporty Volvos have flown under the general public’s radar. It generally was known as a conservative model with a heavy emphasis on safety features. The station wagon version was especially popular. The redesigned 2011 S60 Volvo four-door sedan went a long way to help break

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Hyundai sets price for 2013 Azera, joins siblings with slight increase

The success of Hyundai continues, but in 2013 the Hyundai Azera will join siblings Elantra, Equus, Geneis 5.0 R-Spec, Santa Fe and Tucson with a slight price increase. The 2013 Azera will have a sticker price of $33,125 (including an $825 destination charge), a $250 increase from 2012. The new Azera is a carryover model from 2012, and with the 2013 model it’s priced less than 2013 Nissan Maxima but higher than the 2013 Chrysler 300 and 2013 Ford Taurus.The new prices for the Elantra, Equus, Genesis 5.0 R-Spec, Santa Fe and Tucson have already been announced. As a new model in 2012, the Hyundai Azera featured a Lambda II 3.3-liter GDI engine, six-speed transmission, 293 horsepower, nine standard airbags;

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Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion lead best mpg list for 2013 family sedans

Midsize family sedans comprise a huge chunk purchases amongnew car buyers, and gas mileage is a top priority whether consumers are considering Kia, Toyota, Ford or Hyundai. Ryan ZumMallen of High Gear Media has compiled a list of Best Mileage Midsize Family Sedans for 2013. The list includes a wide-ranging selection of gas and hybrid models as well as expected and surprising models that share at least one common trait — practicality. Here’s the list and a brief assessment of High Gear Media’s assessment of the 2013 Toyota Prius, the No. 1 most fuel efficient family sedan.“Despite the industry’s repeated attempts to knock it off the throne, the Toyota Prius still reigns supreme when it comes to fuel efficiency. What’s

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Audi Allroad, 2013: New luxury car has many shades of wagon, crossover, sedan

After a seven-year absence, the 2013 Audi Allroad makes its return to the United States as a luxury vehicle and as a unique combination of a sporty wagon and versatile sporty crossover. The reason for the Allroad’s non-specific categorization is multi-fold. How is it possible to categorize a front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon with a turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, direct fuel injection and an eight-speed automatic transmission with a manual shifting mode? The Weekly Driver Test Drive Like all Audis, the Allroad is a driver’s delight. I wish I would have had a long highway trip planned to further experience its open-road comfort and competent handling. While sleekly titled as an all-road vehicle

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Chevrolet Spark, 2013: responsive mini-car cheap, fast, well-equipped

Not long ago, nobody predicted Chevrolet would sell an urban commuter mini car with a small 1.25-liter engine designed almost expressly for younger folks who encounter lots of crowded big-city driving. But the new 2013 Chevy Spark is such a car. It’s a front-drive, four-door hatchback approximately two inches shorter than a Mini Cooper. It looks as if it were squashed between two full-size Chevrolets of the early 1970s. The original version of the Spark is on sale in Europe, Asia, Australia, Mexico and South America. While this type car is supposed to be base, affordable transportation for countries with marginal roads and sky-high fuel prices, the U.S. version of the Spark is modified with stiffer front dampers, larger wheels

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