“Never buy a French car unless you in fact live in France,” I remember a journalist writing during the ‘80s, when Renaults and Peugeots were tossing parts, reliability, and market share like shucked snail shells. This
In “smart – small car, big deal” from Motorbooks, there’s a chapter titled, “The USA In Six Days: Laredo to Bemidji.” During early testing of the Smart, engineers drove the little cars from Texas to
Since the stubby little things first hit U.S. streets just over a year ago, I’ve heard the same question over and over again: “Have you driven a smart car yet?” And I had to reply that no, I hadn’t
The Scion tC is one part commuter, one part sports coupe, and one part fashion accessory. This hat trick of urban usefulness is often the recipe for a car that does all things but excels at none of them.
Seriously funky styling always gets you noticed, but it rarely guarantees best-seller status. Cars like the Honda Element, Chrysler PT Cruiser and Volkswagen New Beetle have brought show-car styling to the masses,
I must admit I’m not in my 30’s, or 40’s for that matter however, I will admit driving this sporty little coupe made me drift slightly back in time. And did I mention this feeling
Much more likely than the GM/Segway P.U.M.A. to find its way into American garages during the next couple of years, the Scion iQ concept is already on European streets under the
A few years ago, when Toyota launched the Scion brand, they hoped to stake a claim on a very large, very young, car-buying audience. They marketed on the down-low. They offered
A long time ago – well, it was actually 2004 – Toyota decided to give up on the younger buyer.
Instead, it birthed a new Scion division
Toyota’s youthful Scion brand busted out of the box with, well, a box. The xB was as square as the earth is round, but all of that slab-sided real estate made the perfect canvas for drivers wanting to customize
A number of manufacturers refuse to call them wagons. But vehicles that look curiously like station wagons of old are making an astounding comeback, particularly among the European entry-level luxury ranks.
Load up the kiddies, the Cannondales, the kayaks and blast them to Hades - Saab has the most evil-looking wagon since George Barris created The Munsters’ Koach. Although the Saab doesn’t run on embalming
To help put an exclamation point on the 30th anniversary of its high-performance turbocharged engines, Saab has introduced the Turbo X. This limited-edition 9-3 features a more powerful engine,
Maybe we've just been talking to too many Saab fans, but everyone seems to hate the new Saab 9-7X. It's an obvious part of the platform-sharing trend at General Motors, it's true,
Well, if we knew the answer to that, we’d probably be making a great deal more money than we do now. "Rightness" is an X-factor that dances in and out of the grasp of every automotive engineer.
Ram Power Wagons have a well-earned reputation for being indestructible and as off-road capable as a full-size, heavy-duty truck has a right. Re-introduced in 2010, and updated for 2011, the latest edition lives up to its reputation.
Porsche’s product development cycles are unlike other manufacturers. They introduce few models and keep them in circulation for many years. That necessitates an occasional upgrade of a current model.
When I was starting out as an auto writer, the annual introduction of new Porsche 911 models always confused me. To my untrained eye, the new models often
If there’s such a thing as an all-around supercar, the Porsche 911 has held that title for several decades running now. In production and constantly evolving since 1963, the 911
“I didn’t know Porsche made a four door,” said a friend after gazing at our Panamera S.
With a 400-hp V-8 under the long nose and a 7-speed, dual-clutch Porsche
Thanks to its door count (four as opposed to two) one might be tempted to dismiss Porsche's Panamera sedan as a poseur in the sports car arena. Yes, the idea of a four-door Porsche takes some
You can no longer argue that Porsche is a slave to the concept of two-passenger sports cars. No siree. Porsche had purists rummaging through the medicine cabinet for their Prozac
In the human experience there’s nothing quite like the first time, for anything. And so it is with launching for the first time the 500-horsepower 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo outfitted with the
Pickups are a way of life for many people, whether it is for recreation, work, farm & ranch, or simply because a driver likes them. Pickups have improved in recent years,
It was about this time fourteen years ago when my college roommate – an electrical engineering student – and I departed our fraternity in Flint, MI to drive the 45 minutes to a non-descript facility in Troy
100% electric drive system is first zero-emission winner in award’s history
Ward’s today announced that Nissan LEAF’s 100-percent electric,
Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today announced that the 2012 Nissan NV, the company’s first entry into the commercial vehicle market in the United States will start at
As gas prices and fuel economy standards rise during this decade, there can be no doubt that the compact crossover market is going to take off like a rocket.
This crazy bug-looking mini-crossover pulled up in front of the United terminal at the airport, looking like a vision with its California plates and West Coast style. Its design draws from motorcycles and rally cars, but is most remembered by
Nissan’s gone Rogue for the second time!
There, now that I have your attention, let’s look into the second-
Delivery to corporate, governmental and local authority users starts late July; Sales to individuals to start April
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation today, on
Things have been rather quiet at Mitsubishi in these times of economic turmoil. The folks at the diamond-star brand seem to be battening down the hatches and weathering
If you’ve crossed Mitsubishi off your shopping list when looking for a compact sedan or hatchback, you may be making a mistake.
Mitsubishi’s reputation for building fun vehicles was mostly made on the suspension of several generations of Eclipse and Lancer models, but probably not by supplying engines
I recently had a new 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer for a test drive. But this was no ordinary Lancer. This was a Sportback Ralliart model, complete with enough racing features to
My, Mitsu, what a big mouth you have.
All four different trim levels of the compact Outlander
There comes a times when you want more, but not too much… when you want power, handling, sportiness, and yes, some practicality, but not at the expense of comfort, usability and price.
I have a five-year-old son. I happen to think he’s pretty cute, a comedic genius, and an excellent athlete. But I am never more proud of him than when he spouts off his automotive knowledge.
It’s a tale of two cities.
In Goldsboro (NC) four dreary days filled with off-and-on rain and cool temperatures had us longing for some sunshine and warmth.
Despite reasonable pump prices, fuel economy remains high on the list of sought-after features for new-car shoppers. For those whose gotta-have list also includes sporty and fun to drive,
The BMW Group will be the world's first manufacturer of premium automobiles to deploy a fleet of some 500 all-electric vehicles for private use in daily traffic. The MINI E will be powered by a
How do you improve upon the fun-to-drive genius that is a MINI Cooper? This car’s tossable suspension, funky styling and excellent fuel economy make it one of the better all
The all new MINI Countryman, MINI’s biggest and boldest model, will make its U.S. debut during the New York International Auto Show.
MINI USA ANNOUNCES A NEW MEMBER OF THE MINI FAMILY
MINI Paceman Concept Confirmed As Basis For New Production Model
And the Marquis stands alone. With the discontinuation of the Ford Crown Victoria in the consumer market, Mercury’s Grand Marquis is the last survivor in a family lineage that
You may have noticed that the Mercury Sable was not only a bit geriatric, but was also a staple of the nation’s rental fleets. This fact has not slipped by the product planners at Mercury.
We were intrigued during a visit to New York City by the large number of Ford Escape Hybrid taxis plying the streets of Manhattan.
Three of my favorite mid-size cars are the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ that are all based on the excellent Mazda6 architecture. The same platform spawned
The Ford Escape has proven over nearly a decade of production to become one of the most popular compact SUVs of all time by combining tough style, spirited on-road performance,
With the industry tightening belts and nameplates being retired left and right, it comes as a bit of a surprise to see that Mercury’s still around. That’s not to say that the brand has no right to live; thousands
