Ok, I have changed my mind about the Chevy Volt. Well, some of my mind… . It is, no doubt about it, a brilliant piece of engineering. Where a Toyota Prius can be coaxed to roll along on electric power alone at up to about 25 MPH for a few brief moments before the...
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The Mazda Miata is – apparently – the perfect car. Or at the very least, an ageless and endlessly appealing car. It is still selling well, despite no major changes in several years – and despite being not much different, really, in 2012 than it was waaaaay back in 1989 when the first one...
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The Lexus GX460 is kind of plain for a $50,000-plus SUV. It doesn’t flash its wares – its MSRP – like a Vegas escort service “date.” This is a good – or bad – thing, depending on what you want from a $50,000-plus premium SUV. If you want a lower profile on the outside,...
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Before the tsunami hit Japan earlier this year, the expectation was that Acura was going to release an all-new MDX in early 2012 – maybe even late 2011. Now it appears that the next redesign won’t see daylight until next summer/fall, when it will debut as a 2013 model. So the 2012 MDX will...
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If you buy a new Saab 9-5, you will be one of 806 people in the U.S. (so far, as of this writing in late 2011) to own one. That means only about 16 other people in each state have the same car as you. It’s possible you’ll go months before you see someone...
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It’s hard to believe but the Toyota Prius has been around for a decade now. It is both the first successful mass-market hybrid and – by far – the best selling hybrid. Arguably, because it’s the only hybrid that makes any sense. Critics will say the car’s ongoing popularity is due mostly to greenie-geek...
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There is some good news out there. Even as the stock market tanks (again), we’re living in exceptionally good times as far as new cars are concerned. Performance cars especially. The “base” versions are getting to be as or even more powerful than the top-of-the-line versions were as recently as five or ten years...
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BMW’s 3-Series coupe/convertible is a car that many car lovers dream about. Most of these dreamers, unfortunately, awake in the morning to the harsh reality of the Three’s economic inaccessibility: A 335i convertible is a $52k car; the base model hardtop 328i coupe starts at almost $38k. $44k for the more powerful 335i. But...
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Kia is not fooling around. Korea’s other automaker has a surprise on deck for 2012 that should make econo-compact buyers smile – and will definitely make competitors sweat. Two surprises, actually… . WHAT IT IS The Forte is Kia’s entry-level compact car. It’s available in regular sedan, hatchback sedan and coupe (which Kia spells...
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Honda’s Civic is the grandaddy of them all – the first Mass Success Japanese economy car that kicked in the door for the rest of them and, arguably, ushered in a transformation of the American car marketplace. It appeared (in the U.S.) in 1972 and soon captured American buyers’ affection – and brand loyalty...
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