Toyota Camry

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Hyundai XG350, 2004: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Introduced in September 2000, the Hyundai XG350 is the first vehicle offered by the Korean manufacturer that approaches the $25,000 price range. In each of its four editions, new features have been added as the vehicle attempts to find a niche among its the high-selling competitors — the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. My test vehicle for the week showcased the four-door XG350 at its best. While its primary competition is more popular for good reason, the top-of-the-line Hyundai has a good list of attractive features. Unfortunately, it also has a list of needed improvements. With a new exterior design, including restyled bumpers, headlights, taillights, and grille, the four-door sedan has a finished, if basic, style. Car manufacturers seemingly like

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Mitsubishi Galant, 2004: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Like other manufacturers, Mitsubishi faces a formidable task in the midsize car class. The Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are among the country’s most popular vehicles, so how can others find a niche? Mitsubishi’s approach for 2004 was to increase the dimensions, offer new styling and add more horsepower to the Galant. The manufacturer’s simple hope is to provide a competitive alternative to the mainstream same-class offerings. Considering the strong resale value of Honda and Toyota and the less-than-stellar resale history of Mitsubishi, however, any buying-pattern shift would be a lofty goal. But the Galant does well, with three quirky disappointments. For a variety of reasons, I’ve had an increasing number of weekly test drives that included round-trip, 400-mile treks

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Honda Accord, 2004: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The trunk was open when one friend walked past and the hood was popped open when two other friends meandered by my 2004 Honda Accord. “If I took off my front wheel, OK maybe both wheels, I could my bike in the trunk, no problem,” one friend said. “That’s a spacious trunk for a mid-sized car.”My two other friends were more impressed with the powerful and efficiently designed engine. “Look where everything is; It’s good access, for sure,” he said. “Even if you know nothing about cars, you can find everything. It would be hard to put the oil where the transmission fluid goes. And it’s like what we used to call a ‘Muscle Car’ engine when we were growing

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Honda Accord, 2003: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Nearly three decades after its debut, the Honda Accord has maintained its mass appeal. Among the country’s best-selling cars, it combines good value, dependability and efficient economy of design. Driving appeal, of course, is paramount for any vehicle’s success, and the 2003 Accord continues to deliver. With the Accord, the comfort is not unlike the driving equivalent of wearing a favorite pair of jeans. It’s comfortable and welcomed in most circumstances — just like soft denim. The test-driven, 4-door Accord EX, the model’s seventh generation in 28 years, included a 5-speed automatic transmission and a 160-hp, 16-valve, 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine. The blue/gray exterior (its official color is “eternal blue pearl”) was nicely complemented by gray leather seats. The look and

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