By Derek Mau

11 Gas Saving Tips

With gasoline and diesel prices continually rising at an astronomic rate, people are looking for ways to keep their fuel bills from devastating their already tight budget. Without investing into a hybrid or some other alternative fuel vehicle - which has an huge initial cost - you can go a little farther on that tank of gas and realize some immediate results by using some or all of the following gas saving tips. We compiled an easy list of things you can do right away and make fewer trips to the gas station.

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By Kurt Gensheimer

Blings:

• Raucous 361 HP 6.0 Liter V8 for under $30K
• Rear-Wheel Drive
• Active fuel-management system
• No Navigation

Dings:

• No manual tranny and no paddle shifters
• Oil and volt gauges out of a 1984 6000 STE
• No Navigation

Ruling: Chalk one up for the merits of Globalization. Read the rest of this entry »

by Gary Chan

Pros

• Comfortable seats
• Quiet cruising
• Smooth acceleration

Cons

• Gas mileage (no where near 27 mpg)
• Brake dive
• Plastic interior not well implemented

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The new Audi Q5:
• The Audi Q5 builds on the foundation established by the Audi Q7, and strengthens Audi’s presence in the SUV segment.
• The Audi Q5 will be offered in the USA as a 3.2 V6 FSI direct injection with quattro® all wheel drive and a six speed Tiptronic transmission.
• The Audi Q5 will be the first Audi offering with Generation 3 MMI, and navigation with real-time traffic information.

Ingolstadt – The new Audi Q5 combines the dynamism of a sports sedan with highly variable interior and versatile options for leisure-time and family use. Strong and efficient engines, quattro permanent all-wheel drive and agile running gear have been brought together to create a superior technology package for both on- and off-road driving. The sportiest SUV in its class is dynamic, multifunctional and comfortable. Read the rest of this entry »

by Alex Kramer

Screaming fast turbo-charged engine? Check. Wide grippy tires? Check. Wind in your hair convertible top? Check. Head turning design? Check. New respect for Saturn from the car enthusiast crowd? Check!

Pros:

• Grin inducing acceleration
• Well balanced suspension
• True high performance tires
• “Look at me!” exterior design
• Lots of speed for little cash

Cons:

• Automatic transmission needs a manual mode
• Finicky convertible top
• Cheap interior plastic
• No cargo room

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I admit it - I’m just a weenie when it comes to getting dirty and getting close to nature. Mountain biking may be one of my favorite sports, but a hot shower and wall-to-wall carpeting underneath my bare feet awaits me upon returning to my clean suburban home with its soft feather mattress and biodegradable citrus cleaners. Today I took the opportunity to shed my dirt phobias and got an intro to off-roading at the Toyota Trail Teams outdoor demo at the Sea Otter Classic in beautiful Monterey, CA. Essentially, the Sea Otter Classic is northern California’s largest cycling event and I was at Laguna Seca for four days covering the event for our sister sites - mtbr.com and roadbikereview.com.

Now, how does a bicycle race fit in with a car review site? Read the rest of this entry »

Troy Sumitomo, founder and president of Five Axis Design, will be making an appearance alongside a collection of his super-modified Scion showcars at the second annual Motoring ‘J’ Style show.

ALAMEDA, Calif., April 16, 2008 - Leading edge contemporary automotive stylist Troy Sumitomo will appear with a collection of his custom Five Axis Scion showcars at Motoring ‘J’ Style. Sumitomo, a California native and founder of Five Axis, has established himself in little over a decade as a rising star in the world of custom automobile design and fabrication. The one-day event, which is dedicated to Japanese car culture, will be held Saturday, May 24, at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo, Calif.

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Editor’s note: The following is a detailed review submitted by LarryQW who recently purchased a Taurus X. Larry, whose background as an engineer, family man, and avid mountain biker, gives us his impressions of the Taurus X. Larry also wrote a review of the SYNC system and will be published very soon.

Options Installed

• Navigation System
• Family Entertainment System (with rear DVD player)
• Auxiliary Climate Control
• Limited Convenience Group

Major Pros:

• good handling and power
• large flexible interior for big family and cargo
• electronics haven

Major Cons:

• cheap hard-plastic dash
• low Navigation screen
• only 2000 lb towing
• only 5.1” ground clearance

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By Twain Mein

Pros:

• Very smooth ride
• Plenty of power
• Yep-18 miles per gallon

Cons:

• Expensive
• Susceptible to winds
• WIDE

Introduction
This is GM’s bold entry into the Hybrid SUV market. At first glance, the all black beast was intimidating yet “friendly” with its hybrid decals plastered about. What would it be like?

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Auburn Hills, Mich. - Mopar® and the Mopar Underground team showcased their customized Jeep_® vehicles and Dodge trucks at Moab Jeep Safari 2008 in March.

“Jeep engineering has been coming to Moab for years. Mopar is at Moab to test, evaluate and prove the authenticity of our Mopar Performance Parts for Jeep vehicles and Dodge trucks on the most grueling off-road trails in Moab,” said Simon Boag, President – Service & Parts/Mopar, Chrysler LLC. Mopar is Chrysler LLC’s original equipment parts manufacturer and supplier.

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by Francis Cebedo

Blings:

• Smooth and powerful V6 powerplant
• Supple ride quality combined with above-average handling abilities
• Excellent interior design and construction
• Very good steering wheel and dashboard controls in terms of ergonomics and quality
• Microsoft SYNC
• Third row seats are comfortable and easy to access.
• Third row seats fold down flat and disappear into the floor area
• Rear passenger center console is big and convenient
• 2nd row passenger heated seats is a nice touch
• Sound system and integrated DVD system works very well
• Very quiet interior
• Instructions for folding down the seats are printed right on the seats

Dings:

• Top of the dashboard is hard plastic and not up to par at this price level
• Chrome wheels look cheap
• Exterior styling is bland and uninspired.
• Material for the back of the third row seats should be a more robust material than the carpet offered.

Ruling:

This is one of the finest US cars we’ve driven. Crossover, XUV, SAV,or whatever you want to call it, this is a fine automobile. Its form is adapted to the active family lifestyle and it works. It seems like cars are finally maturing as the Taurus X just transports the family in comfort through all the activities through all weather conditions. We’ve driven minivans, SUVs, wagons and trucks. This form of vehicle crosses all borders and works very well.

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Initial quality of Ford domestic vehicles (Ford, Lincoln, Mercury) is now close to the level of Toyota and Honda. Hard to believe isn’t it? Overall, Ford vehicle quality has improved 8% over the past year, according to a study conducted by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, MI. In addition, every new car and truck, including the 2008 Ford Focus, launched with improved quality versus its previous generation.

RDA’s report “2008 U.S. Global Quality Research System” study was commissioned by Ford and tends to predict how the automakers will perform in the closely watched study on new-car quality by J.D. Power and Associates.

Read the following press release by Ford to learn more details.

EMPLOYEES ARE ‘DRIVE ONE’ STARS AS FORD TOUTS ITS LEAD IN QUALITY, SAFETY, ‘GREEN’ AND SMART TECHNOLOGIES

• Ford introducing comprehensive new marketing platform called “Drive One”
• Effort showcases Ford’s leadership in quality, safety, “green” and smart technologies
• Ford employees to star in TV and web advertising, which begins Tuesday during American Idol

DEARBORN, Mich., April 7, 2008 – Ford employees will be the stars this week on American Idol, as the company introduces a new and far-reaching marketing initiative called “Drive One” to underscore to consumers its leadership in quality, safety, “green” and smart technologies.

New broadcast, print and digital media will highlight the company’s new products and major accomplishments through Ford employees’ voices and their stories.

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Audi, the inventor of TDI, is preparing to launch a diesel offensive in the North American market. The brand with the four rings will introduce the world’s cleanest diesel to the U.S. market in early 2009, almost simultaneous with its introduction in Europe. The 3.0 TDI with its ultra low emission system, which fulfills the world’s most stringent emission standards, will first be offered in the Audi Q7 and then in the new Audi A4 at a later date.

The ultra low emission system ensures that the engine conforms with the limits included in the LEV II Bin 5 standards that apply in all 50 U.S. states. Engine features optimize the combustion process along with engine emissions, while a cleaning system reduces nitrogen oxide exhaust emissions by up to 90%.

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A few months ago we had the opportunity to get a close look at the Chevy Volt Concept and speak with key people surrounding the project. Whenever GM releases news that the Volt is getting closer to its 2010 production date, we get all tingly inside. Basically, GM announced Thursday that it’s going to test lithium-ion batteries, the core of hybrid vehicles, at the end of April. It has already constructed a test vehicle with the battery system to be installed. The battery power alone is predicted to develop the speed of 40 miles.

A little back-story:
To help spur battery research, GM selected two companies to provide advanced lithium-ion batterypacks: Compact Power, which would use cells made by its parent company, LG Chemical, and Continental Automotive Systems, which would use cells made by A123Systems. GM established a more close-knit relationship with A123Systems so that the two companies could co-develop a Volt-specific battery cell. On January 31, 2008, A123 and Continental delivered their first prototype to GM’s European test facilities.

GM executives report that battery technology will have a large impact in determining the success of the car.

General Motors said it will have the Volt on the market in 2010. The initial production run for first year of sales of the Volt is most likely 10,000 vehicles. Lutz has indicated a target retail price of at least $30,000 and more likely something nearer $40,000.

The following is a press release from General Motors:

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by Francis Cebedo

Setting the bar… that’s what the Honda Accord specializes in and that’s exactly what it does with the new 2008 Honda Accord EX-L

I’ve driven the past four generations of Honda Accords and was not to eager to try out the new 2008 model. They had a tendency to keep going and going in a utilitarian but uninspiring way.

But when I got this new Accord for review, I was stopped in my tracks. It is gorgeous inside and out. It seems that Honda has really put in an effort to build cars that have a personality. They do their job well but now they’re interesting and inspiring to drive. Then Honda Element, Odyssey and Fit are fine examples of this.

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