MPU 300x600
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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 »2012 Acura TSX Special Edition Review
Since the demise of the ground-breaking NSX sports car and the discontinuation of the razor sharp Integra Type R, Acura has become an invisible brand to enthusiasts. But for 2012, the luxury division of Honda has introduced a sports-flavored Special Edition version of their most affordable TSX sedan that will have erstwhile marque supporters rallying for a closer look. The TSX SE is Acura’s best shot at a sports sedan. Unlike any other product in the company’s extensive line, this one is available with a manual transmission 6-speed.
Read More »2012 Toyota Prius c Review
The Prius is the Japanese version of the Swiss Army Knife. You can buy a lot of different versions to fit your needs. There’s original Prius, which Toyota now terms the “liftback” model in order to distinguish it from the recently introduced “V” version, a stretched model with roomier interior. Now a third version is coming on line called “c” for city transport. The Prius c is a smaller and significantly lighter offspring of the world’s most successful hybrid vehicle. It weighs nearly 600 pounds less than any other Prius, and costs significantly less as well.
Read More »2012 Porsche Cayman R Review
Porsche has been building category killing cars for 62 years. Back in the 50s and early 60s, the 356 topped the sports car world. Since 1964, the 911 has been the sports car of choice for wealthy enthusiasts. But Porsche has always offered less expensive alternatives to the 911 such as the 912 in the 60s, 914 in the 70s, 944 and 968 in the 80s and 90s, Boxster since 1997, and Cayman since 2008.
Read More »2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 Review
Chrysler’s storied 300 Series “Letter Cars” from the Fifties and Sixties were forerunners of the muscle car era. With them, Chrysler concocted the classic performance formula of cramming a huge V8 into a family sedan body, then upgrading suspension, brakes, and tires to match. The latest 300 SRT8 is a remarkable sedan, in every way the deserving heir to Chrysler’s long and proud tradition of letter car 300s.
Read More »2012 Honda CR-Z EX Review
By David Colman Pros: Nimble, Cheap, Fun Cons: Poor rear vision, Under-tired, Stainable seat material The automotive world changes so fast that most products lose their identity over an extended period of time. For example, the Honda Civic has morphed from a sub-compact to a compact, while the Honda Accord has transitioned from a compact […]
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