2014

2014 Hyundai Tucson: Nimble, versatile, no flash

How convenient when the name of a car is easy to decipher. Take the 2014 Hyundai Tucson. The now decade-old sport utility vehicle is named after the city in Arizona, and that makes sense. The compact crossover, like a lot of SUVs, is versatile for active buyers. It’s a daily driver, a weekend getaway car and good for families with kids needing lifts to their activities. It’s ideal for trips to the local market. It fits the lifestyle of Arizona and plenty of other regions of the country. Hyundai has made only two generations of the Tucson, with the second and current generation in circulation since 2010. For 2014, the Tucson has received a few enhancements and the available model

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Free car giveaway: 2014 Custom Mustang GT

Modern Muscle Design (MMD) is offering the chance to drive away with its SEMA built, custom 2014 Mustang GT. AmericanMuscle and MMD collaborated on the custom design. It’s called Project MMD. Featuring more than $30,000 in aftermarket parts and the sleek, modern design MMD is known for this one-of-a-kind versatile Mustang. It’s a perfect show car or a daily driver. The winner will be selected on August 4, 20014 and will be handed the keys at the AmericanMuscle, the word’s largest all-Mustang show of August 16. Not only is this Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords (MM & FF) May 2014 Cover Car, it’s also the same build featured at Forgestar’s booth for the 2013 SEMA Auto Show. This giveaway car

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2014 BMW 4-Series: New name, more luxury, keen price

How do you top a long-successful car? Just ask BMW, which is offering a successor to its highly popular 3-Series coupe and convertible. The new 2014 BMW 4-Series coupe just may be the best reasonably priced sports coupe. It’s longer, lower and more stylish than its predecessor and is more luxurious. Indeed, the new 4-Series has more than enough pizzazz, performance and comfort to back up its rakish new body. The 4-Series coupe replaces the 3-Series coupe. It shares mechanical components with the outgoing 3-Series coupe, but is superior in many respects. The 3-Series BMW long has dominated the “Best Buy” lists of car buff magazines, and there’s no reason why the 4-Series can’t do the same. The stunning interior

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REVIEW: 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid shines

After a redesign last year, the 2014 Honda Accord, now in its ninth generation, remains much the same as the 2013 model — with one exception. After a disappointing debut as a hybrid several years ago, Honda has reintroduced the Hybrid trim. It expands Honda’s alternate engine lineup that also includes the Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid and the Honda Civic CNG (Natural Gas). The Honda Accord Hybrid is available in EX, EX-L and Touring trims. There’s also a limited edition plug-in version. The Weekly Driver Test Drive It’s no secret the original Honda Accord Hybrid wasn’t the carmaker’s most popular car. It was no doubt a quality Honda, but fuel efficiency wasn’t as superior as it could have been.

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REVIEW: 2014 Kia Cadenza joins rivals with gusto

Despite the success of the Kia Optima, the South Korean manufacturer still doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. The 2014 Kia Cadenza, a debut vehicle in 2013 as a 2014 model, should provide the carmaker with more respect as an underdog. The Kia Cadenza joins the Hyundai Genesis and Hyundai Equus as the trio of South Korean luxury cars sold in the United States. Hyundai owns Kia, and the Cadenza shares a platform with the Hyundai Azera, although the Cadenza is sportier than its cousin. The Weekly Driver Drive It was my second time with Kia Cadenza in recent months, this time with the Limited edition. Like the previous Kia I drove, the Cadenza Limited is the follow-up for the

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2014 Audi A3 gets World Car of the Year honors in NY

The 2014 Audi A3 has been named World Car of the Year over the BMW 4 Series and the Mazda 3 at the New York International Auto Show. The World Car Awards program, now in its 10th year and held in conjunction with Bridgestone Corporation, chose the 2014 Audi A3 from an original list of 24 vehicles from around world. Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, said: “The Audi A6 was the first winner of this award and we are delighted that the 2014 Audi A3 has repeated that achievement by being voted 2014 World Car of the Year.” “The Audi A3 showcases Audi’s technical competence in all aspects of carmaking, not least in the

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2014 Honda Civic: safe, reliable, fuel efficient

Honda is moving quickly to improve its popular Civic. Its update in 2012 eliminated the cost-cutting complaints about this long-popular model. The 2012 Honda Civic was far from being marginal. Like other Civics, it was safe, reliable and fuel-efficient. But it had a rather bland design, and there were complaints about its handling, steering, ride and road noise. The front-drive compact Civic is a Honda bread-and-butter car, so the automaker quickly upgraded it with a more upscale appearance, using such items a Honda Accord-style grille and new wheels, hood, trunk lid and taillights. The interior also was improved with better materials and upholstery. Among few changes for 2014 are small horsepower increases. There still are a few signs of cost-cutting.

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2014 Lexus ES 350: Seductive, smooth luxury sedan

There were many skeptics when Lexus introduced its auto line to America around 1990, but it was an instant success. In recent years, Lexus slipped in popularity as rival automakers introduced alluring entry level luxury sedans. But the carmaker is holding its own in the growing entry luxury market with its posh, decently priced 2014 Lexus ES 350. The $35,470 ES has been with us in various forms in the entry luxury market for approximately 25 years. The original model had a standard V-6 when rivals had four-cylinder engines. The ES 350 was given a thorough redesign for 2013 and thus has no major changes for 2014. New are LED fog lamps, bamboo interior trim, heated/ventilated seats in perforated NuLuxe

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2014 Hyundai Sonata: Firmly in family sedan mix

Now in the fourth year of its current generation, the 2014 Hyundai Sonata is no longer an outsider trying to find a sliver of the market share. The Sonata is well established and holds its own in the crowded pack of family sedans like the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry and Mazda 6. While not a newbie in 2014, the Sonata has been tweaked enough to stay fresh. The changes include: driver-selectable steering effort, a sport-tuned exhaust (SE 2.0T only), available xenon headlights and LED taillights (Limited only), a ventilated driver seat (Limited) an optional blind-spot monitoring system, an improved stability control system and two new touchscreens. The interior styling has also been refreshed, and Hyundai has

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Lexus, Mazda shine in 2014 Best Family Car list

A family car once meant a station wagon or a lackluster, underpowered box-like sedan. No more. For 2014, U.S. News & World Report has selected performance cars and family oriented cars that are perfectly capable for single drivers. The magazine (and its corresponding online edition) has selected the best vehicles for families in 19 categories, compact cars to minivans, hatchback to luxury cars. The 2014 Mazda6, the Best Midsize Car for Families, and the 2014 Mazda3, the Best Compact Car for Families, both have performance that car reviewers love. That performance comes in addition to available high-tech safety features, like forward collision warning and lane departure warning, as well as spacious cabins most car critics agree feel upscale. The Honda

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Tesla, Toyota Prius among most fuel-thrifty 2014 cars

It’s easy to list the most fuel-efficient cars and truck simply by miles per gallon. But listing the most fuel-sipping vehicles in categories is more comprehensive. Kelley Blue Book assembles a lot of car lists each year, but its most efficient car list for 2014 is arguably its most informative. The list ranges from cars under $20,000 to truck-based SUVs and electric cars to sports cars. Here’s what Kelley Blue Book wrote about the Toyota Prius c One, the most fuel efficient car in the United States with a sticker price of less than $20,000: “The littlest Prius has a strong family resemblance to the full-size Prius and a name that has earned green cred over the years. Delivering 50

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2014 Infiniti Q60: Power, comfort, hefty price

Infiniti changed the name of its vehicles throughout the brand last year. The 2014 Infiniti Q60 Coupe Journey is the new name for the 2013 G37 Coupe. But that’s about all that’s changed in the upscale coupe from a year ago. It’s performance and luxury oriented, but like a lot of sports coupes, space and practicality aren’t strongest attributes. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The four-seat 2014 Infiniti Q60 coupe is available in five trims: the Q60 Journey, the base model Q60 AWD, Q60S 6MT and Q60 IPL. There’s also a Q60 convertible. My weekly driver was the Journey. It’s a powerful machine with a 3.7-liter V6 with 330 horsepower, and it comes standard with a seven-speed automatic transmission and

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2014 Lexus RX 450h: Ideal upscale family car

Lexus is intelligently — and profitably — expanding its product line with vehicles such as its well-engineered 2014 RX 450h hybrid. The refined gas-electric crossover is well-developed, with good performance, sparkling fuel economy, carlike comfort and maneuverability and roominess. No wonder it’s among Lexus’s top-selling models. The RX 450h is priced at approximately $46,310 to $47,810 and has standard all-wheel drive and a smooth continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that can be manually shifted and put in driving modes ranging from “Economy” and “Sport” to  “Snow” and “EV.” The RX 450h got numerous improvements for 2013, so there are no significant updates for the 2014 model. This vehicle is more tried-and-true than ever. The 450h uses a 3.5-liter V-6 with

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2014 Ford Fusion Energi: Euro-styled hybrid surprises

Now slightly more than a year old, the Ford Fusion Energi, a gas plug-in electric hybrid, further adds to the Fusion hybrid lineup. The family debuted in the spring of 2009 as 2010 models for Ford and Mercury. The latter brand is gone, but the Fusion hybrid is now available in eight trims. The 2014 Fusion Energi can travel 21 miles in pure-electric mode and as far as 620 miles total before the battery needs recharging or the gas tank filled. Recharging is estimated at seven hours with 120-volt outlet or 2 1/2 hours with 240 volts. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Plenty of hybrids look like cars I don’t want to own. The original Toyota Prius comes to mind.

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2014 Hyundai Equus: More luxury, less cost

Some people wonder if they’re paying too much for a luxury car. The Hyundai Equus provides solace. The South Korean carmaker lacks the prestigious name of rivals such as BMW and Mercedes, but there’s not much in a name these days besides snob appeal when it comes to foreign luxury sedans. The smart money thus might be tempted to bypass competitors of Hyundai’s flagship Equus sedan and save approximately $20,000 by buying the Equus and putting the money in blue-chip investments. The 2013 Equus was fine in most respects, but has been upgraded for 2014, although the rear-drive car still doesn’t offer all-wheel drive. It has a new front bumper, fascia and grille, new side mirrors and taillight graphics, standard

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2014 Volkswagen Passat: Near luxury, value priced

It doesn’t seem like the 2014 Volkswagen Passat is the family sedan’s 41st year in production. Maybe it’s because it’s also been known around the globe by a half-dozen other names — Dasher, Quantum, Santana, Corsar, Magotan and Carat. The sixth and current generation debuted in 2011 and was named the 2012 Motor Trend Car of the Year. The Passat has a unique position the auto industry. Despite its Tennessee assemblage, it’s the only European-engineered family sedan in the segment. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Offered in four models 2.5L, 1.8T, TDI and V6 models, the 2014 Volkswagen Passat is further categorized in four trims, Wolfsburg, SE, Sport and SEL. The latter trim, with the new, more fuel-efficient 1.8-liter, 170-horsepower,

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