MPU 300x600
MPU 300x600 - 2
2012 Infiniti QX56 4WD Review
Only ex-tank commanders or moonlighting semi drivers will find this QX to be beautiful. But if beauty is as beauty does, then a lot of potential buyers who need to tow trailers or haul lots of people will also discern the inner beauty of the QX. Let’s start with trailer towing, a task for which this Infiniti is ideally suited. Since it’s based on Nissan’s rugged Titan truck platform, and powered by a 5.6 liter V8, you’ve got enough horsepower (400hp) and torque (413 lb.-ft.) to pull 8,500 pounds of deadweight.
Read More »2012 Infiniti M Hybrid Review
This car pretty floored us. Infiniti M Hybrid did not get us all excited in the email exchanges but as soon as the car was delivered to us, it was a week of bliss. They styling is simply incredible as it has leapfrogged all other Infinitis and all other hybrids before it. Driving it was a delight as this hybrid seems to have all the torque of a V10 engine. But then it really has the economy of a small car so you can have fun burning up the tires or hypermiling a getting over 30 mpgs.
Read More »2012 Volvo C30 T5 2-Door Hatchback Review
Volvo’s been down this road before. Forty years ago, they took their 2 seat sports car, the P1800, added 2+2 seating, station wagon storage accessible through a hatchback, and called the result the P1800ES. They resurrected that once successful formula by bringing the C30 to market several years ago
Read More »2012 Buick Verano FWD 1SL Review
The best way to learn about a car’s aerodynamic efficiency is to wash it by hand. Does your sponge snag on trim? Does the car’s shape shed water or retain it? When I finished washing and drying this nifty little Buick sedan, I was impressed by the unimpeded flow of its skin, the cleanly sculpted face it presents to the wind
Read More »2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo Review
VW has gone to great lengths to distinguish this 21st Century Beetle from its immediate predecessor, the 20th Century New Beetle. The New Beetle hit the market in 1998, and has had a very successful sales run for the past 13 years. Now, the Newest Beetle debuts as a 2012 model available in 2 versions, base (with 2.5 liter, 5 cylinder engine) and Turbo (with 2.0 liter inline turbo 4).
Read More »2012 Audi A4 2.0 Sedan Review
For German manufacturers, the most important racing championship in the world is the DTM. In English, that acronym translates into “German Touring Car Championship,” and every win in this series bestows bragging rights on the company that finishes first. For years now, the winning company has been Audi, and the winning car has been the A4
Read More »2012 Dodge Charger R/T Road & Track Review
I’ve got shocking news for all you homegrown Mopar fans. Ask me if the new R/T’s “got a Hemi in it?” and my answer will be “Si” because the 5.7 liter, 370hp Hemi comes from Mexico. The 5-speed automatic gearbox it’s attached to comes from Germany, “Ja.” And the assembly point for this all-American muscle car?
Read More »2012 Infiniti G Convertible Review
Even in Vibrant Red, Infiniti’s G37 Convertible looks innocuous enough to be confused with other low boiling point drop tops like Chrysler’s 200, VW’s Eos and Volvo’s C70. But unlike that trio of rather lethargic performers, the G is more wolf than sheep because it’s based on the Nissan 370Z, its hereditary brother. Thus, when you’re feeling the urge to crank on the speed
Read More »2012 Nissan Quest 3.5 LE Review
The 2012 3.5 Le is loaded at $42k msrp. It comes with everything so there are no annoying packages that add another $5-10k to the price. This is a true contender to the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna vehicles in this category. There is no better family vehicle than the minivan as far as space and convenience goes.
Read More »2012 BMW X6 and X5 xDrive 35i Review
In contrast to their family-sized SUV, the X5, BMW considers the X6 to be a “personal” sports ute, meaning it’s designed primarily for two, with a nod to accommodating four in a pinch. You can thank the X6’ severely sloping roofline for the reduction in passenger (and cargo) carrying capacity. That fastback roof is not the only feature that differentiates the X6 from the X5.
Read More »2012 Mazda3 5 Door Grand Touring SkyActiv Review
Mazda bills itself as the “Zoom-Zoom” car company, with such tag lines as “Always the soul of a sports car” and “At Mazda, we believe if it’s not worth driving it’s not worth buying.” The company’s biggest selling model, the Mazda3, in the newly available Skyactiv form we tested, leaves plenty more room for zoom. If this hatchback hides the soul of a sports car, its location is a mystery.
Read More »2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 Review
Historically, Mercedes products have enjoyed genetic markers that distinguish the brand. Bank vault construction, sumptuous seats and Baroque trim flourishes are descriptors that come to mind. Even blindfolded, you could climb into any Mercedes and tell that you weren’t in a BMW or a Lexus. But along with the Mercedes positives tagged a number of negatives, like weightiness, complexity, and dulled reflexes
Read More »2012 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Review
Last Summer I was treated to a hot lap around Infineon Raceway’s 2.2 mile IndyCar short course in the works-prepared Cadillac CTS-V competing in SCCA’s World Challenge series. Driven by top GM racing pilot Andy Pilgrim, the CTS-V left an indelible impression on me of noise, heat and prodigious speed. So it was with whetted anticipation that I took delivery of a 2012 CTS-V for a one week test drive.
Read More »2012 Honda Civic Si Review
The Honda Civic first appeared in 1973 as the no-frills economy car Americans needed due to climbing gas prices. In the mid 80’s Honda offered a spiced-up version called the ‘Si’ which added horsepower and handling improvements to the lightweight Civic, proving that a practical car could also be fun to drive. It turned out to be a winning formula and the Si badge has been in Honda’s line ever since. The 2012 Si showcases 30+ years of evolution in the breed, and as we had hoped, this is the best Si yet.
Read More »2012 BMW X3 xDrive35i Review
The North Main exit from Southbound I-680 in Walnut Creek is a prodigious feat of engineering. It’s a perfectly banked, 2 lane wide off ramp that reverses direction 180 degrees, lasts nearly a quarter of a mile, and tests handling like no other piece of road in the Bay Area. Late one night, in light traffic, I tossed BMW’s turbocharged, all-wheel-drive X3 into the endless North Main sweeper, not expecting a whole lot of grip from either the top heavy SUV, or its all-season Goodyear tires.
Read More »