MPU 300x600
MPU 300x600 - 2
2013 Dodge Dart Review
Okay, let’s get the important stuff out of the way upfront. No, it doesn’t have a Slant Six under the hood, a push button automatic on the dash, or Tinker Bell script reading “Dart” on the rear fender. The new Dart is the first offspring of the US government-brokered shotgun marriage between Chrysler and Fiat. Fiat, which owns Alfa Romeo, supplies the Dart with a stretched Alfa Giulietta platform
Read More »2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible Review
To give you some idea of how rare this car will someday be, my test Camaro, finished in Silver Ice Metallic, and built in June of 2012, carried a VIN number whose last 5 digits read 00081. A VIN Number that low borders on prototype/pre-production status. It’s hard to top that for rarity! And better yet, at $65,800, this Camaro is also a stunning bargain.
Read More »2012 Ford Edge 2.0L Review
At $38,910, Ford’s EcoBoost Edge pushes the price envelope for a 4 cylinder SUV with front-wheel-drive. Base price on the Edge is $34,915. But by the time you’ve added the $995 optional 2.0 liter EcoBoost engine, new for 2012 and featuring direct injection, the $485 Vision Package (with blind spot monitoring), the numerical keypad Driver Entry Package
Read More »2013 Ford Mustang V6 Review
Most people think V-8 when they think Ford Mustang. To be sure, the brand’s identity is based on the architecture of the 8 cylinder engine. But with gas nudging the $5 per gallon mark, maybe it’s time to rethink the basic Mustang equation. Back in 1964, when Ford introduced the Mustang, the base model’s inline 6 cylinder engine was a weak-kneed shadow of the optional V8.
Read More »2012 Volkswagen Golf R 4-Door Review
After a hiatus of 4 years, VW has reintroduced the R brand Golf to their model lineup for 2012. Formerly called the R32, the name has been shortened to R because the 3.2 liter V6 which propelled the R32 has been discarded in favor of a turbo 2.0 liter inline 4. The new motor, which the Golf shares with Audi’s TT, produces 256hp and 243 lb.-ft. of torque
Read More »2013 Nissan 370Z Touring Review
Nissan’s marquee sports car gets better every year. The improvements for 2013 are relatively minor, but enticing nonetheless. A revised front fascia houses new daytime running lights, and if you order the Sports Package ($3,030), the RAYS forged wheels differ in appearance from earlier versions with thinner spokes revealing newly painted red brake
Read More »2012 Chrysler 200S Review
The memorable 200S is Chrysler’s satisfying replacement for its eminently forgettable Sebring line. When fitted with the company’s all-purpose 3.6 liter V-6 engine, the 200S is an understated sports sedan capable of chasing down much more expensive products from Germany, Italy and Japan. For those of you who enjoy driving, but don’t need to make an audacious
Read More »2013 Lexus ES 300H Hybrid Review
The ES 300h gets a legitimate 40 mpg in a package that’s luxurious, comfortable and actually pretty fun to drive. Highlights are the seamless hybrid integration, interior and sound system quality.
Read More »2013 Porsche Boxster Review
Up Front Disclaimer: there’s a 1998 Porsche Boxster in my garage. Because it’s fitted with a factory hardtop, the soft top almost never goes down. During the week I spent with this latest Boxster, the soft top hardly ever went up. In its day, my ’98 Boxster was a great sports car, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the Porsche that goes by that name today
Read More »2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupe Review
Five years have elapsed since BMW introduced their stunning 4-door “CL” coupe study at the Shanghai auto show in 2007. The hallmarks of that China show design by Adrian van Hooydonk, which paid tribute to BMW’s treasured CL coupes of the Seventies, were its expansive glass area, six foot width, and exceptionally large wheels and tires
Read More »2013 Ford Fiesta SES Review
The newly reissued Fiesta is small, practical, affordable, and cute. But along with those virtues, it also never lets you forget that it is cramped and underpowered. On the positive side of the ledger, the Fiesta is short enough to slip into any parking spot you can find. It’s even a pleasure to parallel park since side and rear vision is unrestricted. Its diminutive 98 inch
Read More »2012 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4×4 Review
Sometimes it takes an old school truck like this Tacoma to reaffirm that the simple virtues are best. Take the key to the Tacoma, for example. It’s small, light weight, and unpretentious looking. And you actually need to insert it into a slot on the steering column and twist it clockwise to start the Tacoma. After testing an endless stream of keyless entry vehicles
Read More »2013 Infiniti IPL G Coupe Review
In order to keep pace with the high performance niche market created by BMW (M brand) and Mercedes-Benz (AMG brand), Infiniti introduced their own line of tweaked models (IPL brand) last year. IPL is shorthand for Infiniti Performance Line, and like its competitors from M and AMG, IPL means more power, better handling, and more driving fun. It also means more expensive.
Read More »2012 Fiat 500 and 500 Gucci Video and Review
The 2012 Fiat 500 is a car that manages to deliver driving passion and excitement with 101 horsepower. That is a new paradigm and that is an exciting development today. In this polarized nation of exciting V8s and gutless hybrid cars, the Fiat 500 stirs the pot and says: “Hey, I can be fun to drive, help the environment and not put you in debt all in one package.”
Read More »2013 Nissan 370Z Sport Review
Just like the Porsche 911, Nissan has raised the level of performance and comfort through the years while paying tribute to its Spartan roots.
Read More »