Sedans

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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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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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Honda offering $3,000 in free gas to 2012 Civic natural gas model buyers

Honda is offering its biggest incentive for its least marketed car. Buyers of the 2012 Civic Natural Gas prior to January 2, 2013 will receive a $3,000 fuel card. The prepaid card will be good only at compressed natural gas stations run by Clean Energy Fuels, a nationwide retailer of CNG fuel, and will only given to those who buy the car at participating Honda dealers. Honda has 199 dealers in 36 states accredited to sell and service the CNG-burning Civic Natural Gas model. The new promotion, which launched Oct. 9, is available at 19 dealers in California, Washington, Utah, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio. The base price of the Honda Civic CNG it is priced about $7,000 more than a

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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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Honda recall now nearly 2 miillion in one week after CR-V window woes

Honda is recalling about 500,000 CR-V sport utility vehicles pushing the Japanese manufacturer’s potentially faulty vehicle total announced in the past week to more than nearly 1.1 million. Honda‘s latest call includes CR-Vs built between 2002 and 2006 and sold on the three continents because of issues with the vehicles’ power window switch. The company discovered rain water may enter the power window switch on the driver’s door, which could eventually cause the switch to overheat and catch fire. The automaker is recalling about 220,000 CR-V sport utility vehicles in Europe, around 268,000 units in the U.S. and less than 100 in Africa, a Honda spokeswoman said — pushing the total more than 490,000 units. There have been reports of

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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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Kia Optima Hybrid, 2012: Stylish, efficient sedan improves Korean lineup

Twelve years after the Kia Optima debuted in the United Sates with little fanfare and few sales, the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid was unveiled at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show and was available to the public one year later. The 2012 Kia Optima and the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, nearly the same as the 2011 editions, use the same powertrain, combining a 2.4-liter engine with a six-speed automatic transmission, and a 30kW electric motor and lightweight lithium polymer batteries to produce a full gasoline-electric hybrid. Key Takeaways Shared powertrain with Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: The Optima Hybrid pairs a 2.4-liter engine with a 30kW electric motor and lithium polymer batteries through a six-speed automatic, producing 206 combined horsepower. 35 city/40 highway/37

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Honda Civic Natural Gas, 2012: Only CNG car in U.S. turns age 1, still unheralded

Thirteen years after its unceremonious debut in California as the Civic GX, the rebranded Honda Civic Natural Gas vehicle has turned age 1 as the only natural gas vehicle available nationwide. Honda initially marketed the car to government agencies and commercial users. But beginning in 2005 individual consumers could also lease the car. In the fall of 2011, the Honda Civic Natural Gas received its new name and was for the first time included nationally in Honda’s marketing campaigns. For nine straight years, the Honda GX and (and now the Natural Gas) have been rated first in the “Greenest Vehicle of the Year” by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. A decade ago, the EPA first designated, the Civic

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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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Honda announces average $300 price increase on 2013 Accord models

Honda has revealed prices for the entire 2013 Accord lineup with the average MSRP about $300 more than in 2012 and with the manufacturer maintaining its current 3-year, 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper, 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain and 5-year/unlimited mileage corrosion warranty on all models. Prices for the 2013 Honda Accord sedan begin at $21,680 for the Accord LX with a 6-speed manual and extend to $33,430 for Accord Touring V6 with a 6-speed automatic — the top-of-the-line Accord. Prices for the 2013 Honda Accord Coupe start at $23,350 for the Accord LX-S 4-cylinder and top out at $32,350 for the Accord EX-L Navi V6. Standard equipment on all Accords now includes: alloy wheels rearview camera, an expanded view driver’s mirror,  Bluetooth handsfreelink, USB/iPod integration,

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Chrysler 200, 2012: Quiet, comfortable cruiser built for moderate speed

Chrysler significantly redid its aged Sebring model for 2011 and renamed it the “200.” The 2012 version with the optional hardtop and strong V-6 make it a pleasant cruising convertible, and it’s virtually unchanged for 2013. The front-drive, two-door Chrysler 200 convertible with its cloth power top starts at $26,995, but you get far more than open-air driving with it. Standard items include a six-speed automatic transmission instead of the dated entry level 200’s four-speed automatic, power driver seat, climate and cruise controls, adjustable wheel with audio controls, keyless entry and power windows and mirrors. The 200 convertible is offered with a marginal 2.4-liter, 173-horsepower four-cylinder or a smooth 3.6-liter, 283-horsepower V-6, which provides fast merging and passing. The four-cylinder

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Acura ILX, 2013: Luxury, performance, strong value for new sedan

A new model for Honda’s upscale brand, the 2013 Acura ILX is the carmaker’s smallest offering as an entry level luxury vehicle. It’s only been available in the United States since May, 2012. Six models are offered: a base five-speed automatic, five-speed auto with premium package, five-speed auto with technology package, six-speed manual with premium package, a base hybrid and a hybrid with a technology package. The hybrid models are Acura‘s first and feature a 1.5-liter four-cylinder with a gas/electric powertrain. The 2013 ILX in one respect made an inauspicious debut: Combined with its distant 2012 Honda CR-V sibling, the manufacturer recalled 172,000 units because of faulty door latches. The Weekly Driver Test Drive As a luxury sedan priced at

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Subaru Legacy, 2013: Overlooked sedan offers good value, great safety

Many mid-size sedan buyers act like lemmings, continually buying the same make of vehicle year after year. Otherwise, a lot more Subaru Legacy mid-size sedans would be bought. Rivals to the Legacy — essentially an overlooked gem — include the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Most receive far more advertising and have a considerably larger owner body. Not that Subaru hasn’t been around for decades. It began to get its feet as a small, cramped front-wheel drive model that nevertheless was rugged. It became a favorite for rough New England winters, and for years was known as a “New England” or “Northeast” car. Few Americans knew it scored well in tough European rallies. Subaru began switching from inexpensive  economy cars

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Kia Optima Hybrid, 2012: Mixes racy style with economy, comfort

The 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid gas-electric sedan offers a good combination of comfort, practicality, style, performance and high fuel economy. The mid-size Optima Hybrid is rather large, as are many current mid-size sedans, and its racy-looking body has a roomy interior. However, the coupe-like styling results in narrow rear door openings and poor visibility through the rear window. (The optional rear camera display thus is a good idea.) The small rear “lip” spoiler is so nicely integrated into the styling that you have to look twice to notice it. But too bad the gas/electric hybrid system prevents use of dual exhausts with shiny outlet tips—always a nice touch for a racy-looking car. Although the trunk is generally large, with a

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Hyundai Sonata, 2012 2.0T: Spacious, better gas mileage for stylish sedan

Now in the second year of its sixth generation, the Hyundai Sonata is a midsize family sedan. It has steadily advanced in its highly competitive segment and is no longer a fringe alternative to the automotive mainstream represented by the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. With its redesign in 2011, the Sonata had its most successful year (225,961 units sold). It was the first time a Hyundai model sold more than 200,000 units in a year, and the stellar year vaulted the Sonata into 11th on the season-end, best-selling list where Honda, Ford, Nissan and Toyota all had sedan entries. The 2012 Hyundai Sonata, therefore, largely remains the same as last year (why tinker with success?) with only a few

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Hyundai Sonata 2012: Value-priced, performance-oriented family sedan

The mid-size Hyundai Sonata is the automaker’s top-selling car with swoopy styling, a roomy interior and muscular performance from the turbocharged version. The front-drive Sonata sedan is sold with either a 198-horsepower (200 with dual exhausts) 2.4 liter four-cylinder engine or a 274-horsepower turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder in the 2.0T. A 206-horsepower gas-electric hybrid version also is offered. The 2011 Sonata set the large, generally conservative and cut-throat mid-size car segment on its head with new, head-turning styling, roominess, good fuel economy and upscale nature. Not to mention Hyundai’s 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Turbocharged Family Car Keeping everything up to date, power was transmitted through a new six-speed automatic transmission replacing a five-speed automatic. A six-speed manual was—and is—still offered, but only

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