11/29/2008Ford Escape adds futuristic gadgets, antiquated brakes11/26/2008Acura’s flagship sedan gets aggressive new look If there’s one car that deserves the Most Overlooked award, it’s the Acura RL.11/23/2008An Aston Martin right for Bond The scene: A snaking road coiled around high cliffs, with three empty lanes. The soundtrack: The incredible roar of a V12 engine under full throttle, tires singing and 510 horses shrieking.11/22/2008Rare beast: Durango hybrid gets big mileage for a big SUV As if we need it, here’s more evidence that the domestic auto industry is hurting: Production of the newest and most powerful gasoline-electric hybrid sport-utility vehicles is ending this year, just a couple of months after the vehicles arrived in dealer showrooms.11/19/2008Volkswagen’s small, car-based SUV: Funny name, fun to drive Now that drivers of large SUVs have discovered that — gasp! — they use a lot of fuel, consumers are flocking to small SUVs that, predictably, need less liquid gold. So that makes Volkswagen’s first small, car-based SUV, the 2009 Tiguan, perfectly timed.11/16/2008TEST DRIVETEST DRIVE No car on today’s market is as iconic as the Porsche 911. Still carrying a rear-mounted engine and the same basic shape as the first model in 1963, it’s like a sacred cow with wheels.11/15/20082009 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited wagon: Self-assured agility CORNWALL, N.Y. — Schunemunk Mountain looms high in the autumn sky in bright orange, red and yellow. It is a splendid sight, well worth the 300-mile trip here from my home in Virginia, where similar natural beauty abounds.11/12/2008Ford Flexes its creative muscles BERLIN, N.H. — When the locals up here in the White Mountains spot a moose or a black bear, it is notable, but hardly shocking. What did stun some residents, however, was the recent sighting of a new, unknown species: the 2009 Flex. They could not believe that such a daring design came from the Ford Motor Co.11/09/2008A race car in Caddy clothing The accelerator is pinned on the floor and the speedometer is sweeping well into triple digits. Blurring along a straightaway that drops out of sight on a steep hill, the car proves capable and willing. I’m just not so sure I am. This racetrack is unfamiliar and my nerves are urging my foot to let off the gas as I hit 135 miles per hour.11/08/2008Borrego is the largest SUV from South Korean automaker Kia The Kia Borrego has strong engines, roomy, comfortable seats, top crash test ratings, plentiful features and a surprisingly quiet interior.11/02/2008BMW does diesel in a sport sedan11/01/2008Maxima combines power, luxury, new styling10/25/2008New Jeep Wrangler more refined, but still ready for the rugged ride10/22/2008Honda’s Pilot goes old-school with boxy, rugged look In the elementary school where my sister-in-law Liz teaches, she tells her students about choices and their consequences. There are no bad kids, Liz believes, but good kids can make bad choices.10/19/2008Jetta TDI is a ‘green’ machine I find the 2009 VW Jetta TDI’s lack of exceptionalism exceptional. This car is ordinary, routine, a mean of averages, a flat line on life’s electroencephalogram. It is nonprovocative right down to its brake shoes. Find the most common of gardens, and the Jetta is that garden’s variety.10/18/2008Lincoln MKS: Luxury sedan blows away the Town Car Lincoln’s new all-wheel-drive flagship sedan is easy to drive and comes equipped with the latest technology.10/15/2008Kia Rondo wagon: It was love the second time around WASHINGTON — I’ve changed. Traditional automotive luxury no longer impresses me.10/11/2008Hyundai Sonata: Sometimes vanilla hits the spot The 2009 Hyundai Sonata arrived at the office at an inopportune time. Having just spent a week and a half with the new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, a rally-bred screamer of a sedan, my driving synapses felt as if they had been on a bender at Starbucks. My first reaction to driving the Sonata? Well, the phrase “vanilla-coated tedium” popped into my head.10/12/2008SLK 350 is love at first drive The 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 is like one of those love-at-first-sight summer moments. It’s true romance, but it’s wrapped in speed-swept lines and filled with cylinders, connecting rods and sex appeal.10/08/2008Salute the new Taurus NEW YORK — The styling is governmental. It would fit nicely into any municipal, state or federal vehicle fleet.10/04/2008More horsepower for less money in 2009 Murano Skipping the 2008 model year altogether, the Nissan Murano sport utility vehicle is out as a 2009 model with noticeably more engine power, noteworthy ride and handling and mildly restyled body. Best of all, the starting retail price is lower than what it was for the 2007 predecessor.More horsepower for less money in 2009 Murano Skipping the 2008 model year altogether, the Nissan Murano sport utility vehicle is out as a 2009 model with noticeably more engine power, noteworthy ride and handling and mildly restyled body. Best of all, the starting retail price is lower than what it was for the 2007 predecessor.10/05/2008Ram is a pickup with muscle WASHINGTON — Sometimes, you need muscle. You need a pickup truck. You need a Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab SLT, preferably with a long cargo bed, if you can get it. If not, the short bed properly loaded will do.10/01/2008New Audi TT is bolder, sleeker If you want to see a car designed for designers, you need only turn your oversized Philip Johnson-style spectacles toward the Audi TT.09/27/20082009 Subaru Forester: Small hauler crosses the line to bigger NEWPORT, Vt. — Following the curves and dips of Lake Road in the 2009 Subaru Forester, it is hard to imagine what it must have been like on this two-lane in the 1920s, trying to outrun the feds in a big Cadillac weighed down by cases of Canadian booze.09/28/2008’09 Escape at front of its class Significant improvements in fuel economy and performance make the 2009 Ford Escape the best choice for buyers looking for an economical compact crossover SUV.09/20/2008Range Rover Sport is bargain in luxury SUV class As fuel prices have risen and sales of sport-utility vehicles have tanked this year, there have been a few bright spots for the automakers.09/21/2008Hyundai Genesis: Sensible luxury CORNWALL, N.Y.09/17/2008Saturn’s Astra has Euro style In the beginning, Saturn did battle with Japanese automakers by doing what they did — building reliable cars — but adding an ingredient they didn’t offer: dealerships committed to a no-haggle, no-hassle sales experience, with no monkey business.09/14/2008A feat of American engineering Can Americans still build a phenomenal car? One can forgive the question, since the Japanese have run away with hybrids and the Germans and Italians rule the sports-car world.09/13/2008Honda’s serious engineering makes for an impressive Acura TL DANBURY, Conn. — Engineers rule at Honda Motor Co.09/10/2008BMW X6 crossover: Graceful curves, all-wheel drive The world doesn’t need the 2008 BMW X6, a new crossover that grafts a graceful sports car body onto an SUV’s tall-boy chassis.09/07/2008Fit is a highly evolved Honda Honda is the guy selling umbrellas on the corner when it starts to rain, the lady selling flowers when you’re late for an anniversary dinner, the vendor selling fire extinguishers when your underwear bursts into flame.09/03/2008The 2009 6i Sport is Mazda’s answer to our troubled times WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — I toured this bedroom community in the 2009 Mazda 6, the latest entry in the hotly contested market for mid-size, mid-priced family sedans.08/30/2008Test Drive: Dodge Challenger SRT8 brings pony car era back for a last hurrah08/27/2008Toyota’s Scion xD is a city car with attitude There are degrees of ugliness.08/23/2008Lancer Evo casts a seductive spell Call it what you will — track car, rally car, cop bait — the 10th generation Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR is a test of willpower: Are you brave enough to drive this car to its fullest?08/17/2008Test Drive: The Toyota Matrix arrives just in time The 2009 Toyota Matrix XRS compact wagon arrived a year later than most people expected, but at the perfect time.08/13/2008Pontiac’s roadworthy G8 is right car at the wrong time08/09/2008Town and Country, Caravan offer the ultimate family room The minivan is the Rodney Dangerfield of the automotive world. Respect? Nope.08/10/2008Lincoln MKS lifts Ford image Any resemblance you see between the sophisticated and luxurious 2009 Lincoln MKS and the stultifying sedans Ford’s luxury brand has sold for the last 20 years is not coincidence.08/06/2008The least expensive Lexus is no stripped-down model Lexus positions the IS series as a BMW 3-Series fighter, and while it certainly is on paper, it doesn’t quite make that point in person. At least until this year, when Lexus introduced the V-8-powered, 416-horsepower IS F, the first time this model has had a genuine performance version to rally around.08/03/2008New A4 keeps Audi out front In 1995, Audi was hanging by a burning thread in the U.S. Thanks to some spectacularly bad cars and a meta-scandal concerning mysterious “unintended acceleration,” U.S. sales of VW’s luxury division had spiraled down to around 7,000 cars, and it was no feat to imagine Audi exiting the American scene with its Teutonic tail between its legs. The subsequent turnaround — all those sexy and beautiful cars like the TT and the R8, the foundational leaps in technology such as direct injection, the eight wins at Le Mans, the toe-to-toeing with Mercedes and BMW, all of that — began with the release of the Audi A4.07/23/2008A high caliber compact hatchback from Chrysler07/20/2008Try to keep it under 200 Let’s take the easy question first: Is the Koenigsegg CCX worth 669,000 euros, or $1.05 million in our currently scrawny U.S. currency? For most owners of mere $200,000 Ferraris — let alone mortals with $20,000 minivans — the answer is an emphatic no.07/19/2008The ‘scowling’ Nissan Murano is betwixt and between07/16/2008Mazda5 minivan is thrifty carpooler, steady cargo hauler Sound an all-points bulletin: We’ve lost the “mini” in our minivans.07/13/2008Forester: The ice van cometh LOS ANGELES07/06/2008A ‘greener’ sport-utility vehicle Not every sport-utility vehicle is a gas guzzler.07/05/2008Low-slung Audi R8 sets a high bar for cool On a bright Saturday, I found car-vana in an Audi R8, inner peace on a suburban stretch of road.07/02/2008Mini goes for the family dollar with its Clubman Plenty of people have come this close to buying the sprightly, nano-scale Mini Cooper. And then they got a load of that back seat.06/28/2008Test drive: The 2008 Jeep Rubicon is better suited to the off-road than the urban commute When the Jeep Wrangler was redesigned for 2007, most all the attention went to the Unlimited, the extended model with, for the first time in a Wrangler, four full doors and genuine rear seats.06/29/2008Test drive: The 2009 Acura TSX has more fun with fewer horses On paper, many of us thought the pending arrival of the 2004 Acura TSX would be a bit underwhelming. It was, after all, a slightly massaged version of the European-specification Honda Accord.06/25/2008The Sorento EX, an SUV that hasn’t crossed over For those who seek the road less traveled — or the off road less traveled, Kia offers two of the few remaining small SUVs that aren’t “crossovers” — that is, carlike and often car-based.The Sorento EX, an SUV that hasn’t crossed over For those who seek the road less traveled — or the off road less traveled, Kia offers two of the few remaining small SUVs that aren’t “crossovers” — that is, carlike and often car-based.06/21/2008Test Drive: Meet the powerful Chevy Tahoe Hybrid What weighs more than 2 1/2 tons, has seats for up to nine people, looks conspicuously like a big sport-utility vehicle and yet is a gasoline-electric hybrid?06/22/2008XF recalls Jaguar’s glory days DETROIT — Whatever else you say about Ford, there’s no denying the Dearborn, Mich., automaker is a good host.06/18/2008Test Drive: Porsche Cayenne is dashing, in a boxy sort of way The idea of a Porsche sport-utility vehicle might have seemed about as incongruous as a Rolls Royce pickup truck five years ago. Some could have wondered, how can a company renowned for dashing little sports cars put its name on an SUV?06/14/2008Saturn hybrid SUV is a thrifty compromise Let’s get this out of the way first: Yes, the sensible, comparatively simple Saturn Vue Green Line is a hybrid, but it does not get the astronomical fuel economy that Toyota Prius drivers crow about.06/15/2008GT-R: Speed without fear I know what you want from me. You think I’m just your little word slave, that I’m here just to arouse you with steamy descriptions of the new and instantly legendary Nissan GT-R, like: “The acceleration of the twin-turbo, all-wheel-drive, 480-hp GT-R is much like a 50-yard field goal in the NFL, wherein your butt is the football.” Sigh. I feel so used.06/11/2008Dodge journeying away from minivan, SUV stigma Is the new Dodge Journey just another crossover? Is it a sawed-off sport-utility vehicle or a stealthy station wagon? Or is it, just possibly, a minivan in disguise?06/08/2008Gallardo goes for broke Here’s the thing about squiring around a Lamborghini Gallardo: Either you can pull it off or you can’t. And the very first time you swing out of the low-slung cockpit with a crowd around, you’ll know which camp you fall into.06/04/2008Infiniti EX35 will keep you on the straight and narrow In 1990, Toyota launched its luxury brand, Lexus, in the U.S. market, and Nissan launched its luxury brand, Infiniti. Since then, Infiniti has battled for the same sort of marketplace recognition that Lexus has long enjoyed.05/31/2008A wagon built for the suburban load WASHINGTON — We spent an attentive week in the real world driving to work, shopping malls, banks, schools and medical offices. We also did spring cleaning, which meant hauling lots of wastefully purchased stuff to the dump.06/01/2008The satisfying Corolla If the Toyota Corolla were a movie, it would be a summer blockbuster. After all, this is a car that, like a movie studio executive, lives and dies by its numbers, specifically its manufacturer suggested retail price and EPA ratings.05/28/2008Kia Sportage, a sensible SUV With gasoline prices setting new records almost daily, the auto market is ripe for manufacturers such as Kia.05/25/2008Powerful fun at a fair price Pontiac, marketed as General Motors’ performance division since the Eisenhower administration, hasn’t lived up to its own hype over the last 20 years, substituting overwrought styling for outright muscle. Exhibit A: the Aztek, an SUV that looked better if you erected the optional tent over the rear of the vehicle.05/17/2008New Malibu delivers good mileage and good looks at a good price I admit it. I had to check that there was a Chevrolet bowtie badge on the trunk lid of the 2008 Malibu.05/14/2008Is bigger better for the Santa Fe? Crossovers are the family vehicles of choice for many new-car buyers in these days of record fuel prices, and one of the best is the Hyundai Santa Fe, which entered its second generation just last year.05/10/2008Europe’s favorite SUV makes good in USA05/03/2008Consider the Aston Vantage, Mr. Bond . . . Before there was product placement, before automakers bought their way onto the big screen, James Bond drove an Aston Martin.05/04/2008A star among small cars Climbing into the Saturn Astra, which replaces the miserable Ion sedan, I close the door.04/30/20082008 Honda is the right Fit for thrifty and practical drivers Enough already. I’ve heard enough Fit witticisms to last a lifetime — from “I Fit, so you will, too,” and “It Fits like a glove” to “Skip the gym, get a Fit.”04/26/2008’08 Liberty is a wolf in new sheet metal Texas Truck Mama smiled as she pulled into the driveway in her little Mini Cooper. Parked in front of her was a considerably different vehicle, a 2008 Jeep Liberty Limited sport-utility vehicle. It was about two feet longer than her Mini Cooper, several inches taller and nearly 900 pounds heavier.04/27/2008Hybrid for the high powered Let’s face it, rather than sacrifice, we want to save the Earth at our convenience. Thus, the rise of the gas-electric hybrid car, which allows us to continue driving large vehicles while consuming less fuel.04/23/2008Escape offers reasons to crossover to the hybrid The great thing about the Ford Escape is that, unlike other small crossover SUVs, it isn’t cute. Its look is purposeful. A guy can be seen in public driving one without others questioning his manhood. A woman can get step out of it without having her womanhood questioned. It looks the part of a small, tough truck, one good enough to be competitive in any parking lot beauty pageant.04/20/2008Beginner’s luck What would you expect out of an entry-level BMW? Expect good news, because once in a while, less really is more. Once in a while, a car wows you.04/19/2008Viper has the power to bite you Call these the final days of the Horsepower Wars.04/16/2008Scion xD tones down the funk, but it’s still hip Toyota’s creation of the Scion brand seemed like a great idea. While Lexus caters to the rich and Toyota sates the masses’ appetite for mainstream transportation, Scion is supposed to tap into a contingent of young buyers with short money and a penchant for the funky. Then (goes the theory) when those Scion buyers eventually get better jobs and have their face tattoos removed, they move up the ladder to Toyota. Or to Lexus.04/12/2008Cadillac CTS is the new star in class My favorite piece of recent movie dialogue comes from the animated tour de force Ratatouille.04/13/2008GT2: Not for the faint of heart You may recall from psychology classes the name Harry Harlow, a controversial researcher known for his wire monkey-surrogate mother experiments.04/09/2008Sable is back with a lot of car for the money Shoppers can get a lot of car for the money with the 2008 Mercury Sable.04/06/2008Explore in style Modern-day explorers like to travel in style, and nobody does that any better than Land Rover.04/05/2008A simple, sophisticated, graceful Audi Beautiful, sophisticated and dynamic, the 2008 Audi S5 sport coupe is the car that finally fulfills Audi’s promise. The powerful coupe’s sleek styling and superb handling lay the groundwork for a line of new Audis that may challenge BMW as the premier luxury-performance brand.04/02/2008RX-8 rotary sports coupe handles well in bad weather, too WASHINGTON — Little things are important. Consider the matter of tires and my subject car, the 2008 Mazda RX-8 sports coupe that really isn’t a coupe, because it has four doors and seats for four people.03/29/20082008 Saturn Vue: The Germans get it right The English have an automotive lexicon all their own, including terms like “bonnet” for hood, “saloon” for sedan and, one of my favorites, “tickover” for idle. Another phrase, “cheap and cheerful” — mentally supply a chirpy British accent — describes a car that doesn’t cost much but is pleasant and enjoyable nonetheless.03/26/2008Nissan’s new compact SUV is a likable Rogue Imagine that you’re charged with naming Nissan’s new compact SUV, one that does battle with such SUVs as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Saturn Vue, Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner.03/22/2008Chevy’s winning wagon If there were ever a car to make you long for summer evenings, picnics and drives to the beach, it’s the 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS.03/23/2008More Mini for the money It’s my considered opinion that the BMW Mini Cooper is the most successful car design of the last 20 years. What can touch it? Here’s a car that puts a spearmint thrill through you every time you turn the key, a larking, capering, glass-and-steel nymph that nicks past other traffic as if everyone else were mired in molasses. On top of the giddy charge of merely wheeling the thing, you’ve got this utterly charismatic styling, a po-mo masterpiece, a rolling tribute to the iconic Mini (1959 to 2000) designed by Alec Issigonis and built by the British Motor Corp. That’s Sir Alec to you, you peon.03/19/2008They don’t get much bigger, or better, than Sequoia Trundling down the street with three tons of curb weight and a profile big enough to block out the sun, the 2008 Toyota Sequoia large SUV takes some getting used to.03/16/2008Cut to the chase in the Bullitt Not to go all Pauline Kael on you, but Bullitt — the 1968 crime drama starring a Ford Mustang GT390 and some guy named Steve McQueen — is a fairly tedious bit of Aquarian cinema: the chicka-chicka-waah soundtrack, the inscrutable plot, the anaerobic dullness of every second that McQueen is off-camera.03/15/2008Redesigned Impreza is a rally racer’s dream come true The most fun I’ve ever had on four wheels was piloting a Subaru Impreza WRX STI during a two-day rally race.03/12/2008Infiniti EX35 built for lots of driving and a bit of hauling NEW YORK — A long road trip in a premium vehicle was a good way to end the old year and begin anew. For the drive, we chose the 2008 Infiniti EX35 Journey, a luxury crossover-utility model that was big enough to accommodate a party of five, but small enough to escape the $10-a-night surcharge that many New York garages apply to mid-size and larger sport-utility vehicles.03/09/2008Hear Lexus Roar03/05/2008Mercedes C-Class: A haven when the going gets rough Commuters, pick your weapons. We all know that charging to and fleeing from work is a daily battle, executed in the dawn and dusk, and made even worse by winter weather.03/01/2008Suzuki Grand Vitara with a V6 starts at just under $20,000 It’s easy to forget about the Suzuki Grand Vitara when shopping for a new sport-utility vehicle, unless you’re a big budget watcher.03/02/2008An earnest mid-size economy car MILL VALLEY, Calif.02/24/2008Smart Fortwo: A wee bit of fun “Know then thyself, presume not God to scan;02/22/2008Saturday Cars: Stick to the track with Honda’s S2000 CR roadster I got beaten up
