07/04/2009

2010 Fusion is Ford’s best midsize sedan in decades
I didn’t think Ford could build a midsize sedan this good.

07/05/2009

Test Drive: Lexus RX350 still the tops
When Americans were gobbling up sport-utility vehicles, Toyota understood what American car executives understood: that SUV buyers liked the utility and lifestyle that an SUV allows. But Toyota realized something American automakers didn’t: that the closest most buyers get to the brush is running over a bush at the end of the driveway.

07/01/2009

Test drive: Genesis is the luxury sedan from Korea by Hyundai
The most obvious feature of Hyundai’s new luxury sport sedan, the Genesis, is also its most subtle feature: a lack of identity.

06/24/2009

Test Drive: Kia Soul may have a comical look, but it’s a serious crossover
Americans already have heartily embraced the extreme boxiness of Toyota’s Scion xB, and now two similar vehicles have joined the xB in the marketplace — the 2010 Kia Soul and Nissan Cube.

06/17/2009

The ideal Fit for moving people and cargo
Does the 2009 Honda Fit look like a great work of art? Well, it depends on what you consider beautiful.

06/13/2009

Infiniti FX50: A space-age SUV without much space
Infiniti needs to launch a space program. The brand’s alien-looking 2009 FX50 sport SUV blasts off with a 390-horsepower V-8 and seven-speed automatic to kick it into hyperdrive, but its passenger compartment is the final frontier.

06/14/2009

Test Drive: Jaguar’s ferocious new cat
The players in the super-sedan market have much in common –– gorgeous exteriors, heroic wheels and tires, state-of-the-art-electronics, and more cowhide and horseflesh than the back lot of the old Republic Pictures.

06/07/2009

Test drive: Safety is a weighty issue for the Volvo XC60 compact SUV

06/03/2009

Test Drive: The Nissan Maxima isn’t a sports cut, but almost

05/30/2009

Cars: Porsche gives the Cayenne a big dose of agility
Porsche purists need to chill here for a minute and listen up. They’ve never been too fond of the Cayenne SUV. One blogger once summed up the sports car/SUV crossbreed like this: It makes as much sense as trying to breed a snowmobile with a personal watercraft.

05/31/2009

Cars: The 2009 BMW 750Li is a spaceship on wheels
I’m quite certain that somewhere right now, emotionally shattered BMW technicians are gathering in a church basement for a support group, huddled around the cookies and the coffee urn, their hands fairly vibrating with frustration. For as well deserved as is the title Ultimate Driving Machine, BMWs also have earned the reputation as the Ultimate Hangar Queen, taking up residence in dealership service bays and sending mechanics over the crumbling edge of insanity. Hello — sob! — my name is Dieter and I’m a BMW tech. . . . Hello, Dieter, keep comin’ back. . . .

05/27/2009

Cars: VW’s Passat is a performance car for grown-ups
The Passat CC is a grown-up luxury car for drivers who want to feel like kids again

05/23/2009

Audi TTS Quattro goes fast on little gas
Chicken Little has flown the coop.

05/20/2009

Cars: Ford Flex is not your dad’s station wagon
The first time I saw the Ford Flex as a concept car, I had one thought: The station wagon is back! We’ve finally come full circle, from minivan to SUV to crossover and back to the big ’ol wagon of the ’60s and ’70s.

05/16/2009

Test Drive: Hyundai’s Elantra Touring so good you’ll be suspicious
WASHINGTON — A decade ago, I wrote several columns urging readers to take seriously Hyundai Motor, Korea’s largest auto manufacturer.

05/17/2009

New Mercedes GLK 350: Vivacious, elegant, ugly

05/13/2009

Test Drive: Chevrolet rolls out the back-to-basics 2009 Cobalt LS XFE
Tough times cause people to evaluate needs and wants.

05/09/2009

Looking for an SUV hybrid? Try the GMC Yukon
After years of imbibing on mammoth SUVs, buyers are shunning these big boys for smaller alternatives.

05/10/2009

TEST DRIVE: Breathy thunder

05/06/2009

TEST DRIVE: The mighty Mini is fun by almost any measure
At a time when automakers seem to be trying to out-mileage, out-incentive and out-downsize one-another, BMW’s Mini subsidiary has taken a different tack.

05/02/2009

Don’t like hybrids? This Ford Fusion will change your mind

05/03/2009

Test Drive: Pontiac’s sophisticated muscle
CORNWALL, N.Y. It pulled nicely up Mountain Brook Road in second gear, which was no small feat. Mountain Brook is steep. Its elevation has caused many transmissions to grind and whine, many engines to groan, as if they were designed only to complement this nation’s massive investment in flat surfaces.

04/29/2009

Test Drive: Luxurious Hyundai Veracruz is a true road warrior
Hyundai, the first South Korean automaker to enter the U.S. market, has come a long way since it rolled out its initial product here in 1985, the subcompact Excel hatchback.

04/25/2009

Mercedes Sport a star athlete
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class always seemed to be not only the smallest of Mercedes-Benz models but also the least like a true Mercedes. That changed in 2008 with the new C-Class, a sedan with all the goodness of a true Mercedes-Benz.

04/26/2009

Test Drive: New Z is a complete delight

04/22/2009

Test drive: Miata Sport convertible an escape machine
Sometimes, you have to escape — or at least give it a darned good try.

04/18/2009

Car Doctor: How often should oil be changed?
Q. I enjoy reading your Saturday feature each week, and I just finished reading the piece in The Journal on Feb. 28 in which someone questioned the use of recycled motor oil in their vehicle.

Test Drive: The speedy new BMW X6 SUV prizes sport above utility
BMW’s X6 is a sport-utility vehicle that, like its competitor, the Infiniti FX, puts the emphasis on sport rather than utility. But to a greater degree than the FX, the X6 sacrifices utility for style.

04/19/2009

Test Drive: Honda hybrid challenges Prius
In designing the 2010 Insight, Honda’s goal was to create a hybrid car that was not just practical, but would be priced within reach of eco-conscious buyers on a budget, providing a greener choice to customers who cannot afford a Civic Hybrid or a Toyota Prius.

04/15/2009

Lincoln luxury back on track with ’09 MKS
Once upon a time Lincoln really mattered in the world of big American luxury cars. A Continental cruised the boulevards with as much swagger as Cadillac’s Fleetwood or Eldorado.

04/12/2009

This urban wagon built for city streets, but not potholes
NEW YORK — This city is a traffic nightmare painted yellow — the hue of aggressively driven taxicabs that dominate its many ruined streets.

04/08/2009

Test Drive: The stylishly affordable Sebring

04/04/2009

Test Drive: Venza is comfort food for Toyota lovers
Don’t bother parsing it. Toyota says the name of the new Venza is a phonological construction out of the words “adventure” and “Monza,” the famous Italian racetrack. Good Lord. That’s so far-fetched you need a starship to get there.

04/05/2009

Recalibrated magic
What interests me about the 2010 Ford Mustang might not interest you. I could stay up all night reading about taller tire sidewalls and their effect on suspension settings. You? Maybe not so much. I’m positively Nelly over the car’s stiffer chassis — hubbah! — and cold air induction. You, on the other hand, might have more important things to think about.

04/01/2009

Range Rover Sport is safe, well-made guzzler

03/25/2009

Test Drive: There’s only one Cobalt to buy
General Motors should stop trying to please everybody. It’s a strategy that embraces the lowest common denominator. It’s hard to make a favorable impression when your primary objective is to avoid offending as many people as possible. You wind up pleasing no one, or next to no one, or so it seems. That much became clear to me after a week in the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS coupe, a member of a car line often overlooked or treated as pedestrian fare by the automotive media.

03/21/2009

Test Drive: Acura’s sporty TL sedan turns quite a corner

03/22/2009

Test Drive: Dodge Viper is pure hot-rod heaven
At 5,000 rpm, no one hears your screams in the venomous new Dodge Viper.

03/18/2009

Test Drive: The Subaru Outback, the original crossover, gets an upgrade for 2009

03/15/2009

Test Drive: BMW X5 SUV offers a powerful reason to go diesel

03/11/2009

Rogue crossover is Nissan’s answer to RAV4, CR-V and Outback
Although auto sales have taken a huge plunge over the past few months, including some of Nissan’s most popular models, the company’s new Rogue crossover has been one of the exceptions.

03/08/2009

Still feeling rich? Buy the big Benz
CORNWALL, N.Y. — I’ve driven poor. I’ve driven rich. It doesn’t matter the season, bad times or good, I much prefer rich.

03/04/2009

Test Drive: A loaded 2009 Volvo XC70 lacks nothing
Yes, it’s from Goteborg, Sweden, but the Volvo XC70 is the automotive equivalent of a Swiss Army knife: Capable of handling most any task, excelling at none, perhaps, but more than competent at all of them.

02/28/2009

For Jeep lovers, the new Liberty feels just fine
Look what’s happened to the Jeep Liberty — it’s all grown up. The Liberty now sports an adult set of clothes, eschewing the rounded sheet metal that characterized the 2007 model.

03/01/2009

Road Test: Chevy’s family-friendly crossover
If I had a family and their gear to schlep around, the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse would be a prime candidate for filling the driveway. Like its prime competitors — the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander and Ford Flex — the Traverse offers front-or all-wheel drive, three rows of seats and oodles of features that would keep any nuclear family happy.

02/25/2009

Cars: Hyundai hits luxury market with smooth, economical Genesis
Usually, car companies plaster their new vehicles with brand logos and name badges.

02/21/2009

Cars: Ford rolls out updated hybrids
News that gasoline prices have begun edging back up after weeks of unprecedented declines doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ll see $4 a gallon or even $3 anytime soon.

02/22/2009

Test drive: Toyota Land Cruiser is overqualified
At a reunion a while back, a former classmate rushed up excitedly to say hello. But the fellow had put on so many pounds I had to shoot a furtive glance at his “Hello! My Name Is . . .” tag.

02/18/2009

The 2009 Impreza: For driving buffs on a budget

02/14/2009

2009 Civic Si sedan has a sporty side

02/15/2009

Plug-in Tesla sports car goes like the wind
WASHINGTON — Let us begin with definitions.

02/11/2009

Test drive: The Nissan Maxima gets leaner, and lighter on its feet
Times are tougher than boiled brisket.

02/07/2009

Acura TSX: An Accord with better looks and manners
Call it the girth of a nation.

02/04/2009

Test Drive: Toyota Corolla gets you there
The new 2009 Toyota Corolla is the most sensible car I’ve ever driven. From stem to stern, the fuel-efficient compact sedan contains all the whimsy and fun of a prescription for antacid.

02/01/2009

Test Drive: Ford F-150 is full of features
In recrafting the 2009 Ford F-150, Ford sweat the details, and it shows.

01/28/2009

TT 3.2 Quattro a luxury worth dreaming about

01/25/2009

’09 Aveo is inexpensive gas-sipper
Tough economic times call for frugal transportation, so it’s no wonder that Chevrolet’s smallest car is getting a new look for 2009.

01/24/2009

New Lotus smaller, lighter but a lot more fun
Colin Chapman, the racecar builder and founder of Lotus, followed a straightforward path to high performance: ignore the horsepower wars and focus on keeping weight low.

01/17/2009

H3T is the littlest Hummer truck
This just might be the ultimate off-road pickup.

01/18/2009

Toyota’s Venza: A thoroughly likable, luxury station wagon
CONWAY, N.H. — A newborn could have reached high school in the time — almost 14 years — it took Toyota to get the concept behind the 2009 Venza into dealerships. But Toyota customers seeking a fresh-feeling blend of style, comfort and practicality may find it was worth the wait.

01/14/2009

Test drive: Hyundai Santa Fe offers value, fuel efficiency
With gasoline now at a national average of around $1.70 a gallon, fuel economy might not be at the top of everyone’s list of considerations in choosing a new vehicle, as it was in July when prices topped $4.

01/11/2009

Ford hybrid delivers the mileage
As much as I hate to disturb our national mood of decline, a new car from Ford provides some good news regarding the auto industry. The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, and its twin, the Mercury Milan Hybrid, are mid-to-full-size sedans that seat five in surprising comfort and offer a full-size trunk measuring around 12 cubic feet. They measure 190.6 inches and weigh a goodly 3,720 pounds. The gas-electric output is 191 horsepower and 0-60 mph acceleration is under 9 seconds.

01/10/2009

370Z’s ‘SynchroRev Match’ transmission is like butter

01/07/2009

Test drive: Lincoln new MKS luxury sedan is one comfy, quiet ride
Let’s get this out of the way first: This is the Lincoln MKS, the company’s new flagship sedan.

01/03/2009

Test Drive: Updated Subaru Forester is bigger, handles better
Known for being a practical, affordable vehicle, the Subaru Forester is more so for 2009.

01/04/2009

Test Drive: Infiniti M35-S: Luxury in bad times
There’s nothing like a recession to make you appreciate a luxury automobile, especially one that comes fully equipped with apparent virtue.

12/31/2008

Kia Borrego’s pitch: Bargain-priced luxury
The word “luxury” is often overused. Consider a luxury apartment — have you ever seen a rental advertised as “ordinary” or “run-of-the-mill”?

12/27/2008

’09 Audi A4 is result of 30 years of constant refining
The 2009 Audi A4 is the culmination of a 30-year strategy by VW’s luxury brand, and it was worth the wait.

12/24/2008

Test Drive: The impressive Hyundai Genesis is cut-rate luxury

12/20/2008

TEST DRIVE: ML320 CDI brings diesel economy to Mercedes class act
I refuse to go down the path of juvenile humor simply because the magic ingredient in Mercedes-Benz’s new California-legal diesels, such as the ML320 CDI, is urea — which also happens to be the magic ingredient in urine. That’s rule No. 1.

12/21/2008

Saturn crossover is family friendly
Crossover utility vehicles continue to pour onto the market, giving Americans an array of choices of these popular new family haulers.

12/17/2008

TEST DRIVE: Penny-pinching reins in ’09 Ford Focus SES coupe
WASHINGTON — Somewhere between birth and what is now the possible demise of the domestic automobile industry, “American” became a bad word.

12/14/2008

VW’s 4Motion: It’s a coupe; no, it’s a sedan

12/13/2008

Test Drive: The new Dodge Ram pickup truck is just as tough, but not as rough
With Chrysler’s sales plunging 35 percent in October, its future is hardly so bright that it needs shades. How bad are things? Well, while the company pursues merger talks with General Motors, its best hope for quick sales is the Dodge Ram — an updated pickup truck.

12/14/2008

VW’s 4Motion: It’s a coupe; no, it’s a sedan

12/13/2008

Test Drive: The new Dodge Ram pickup truck is just as tough, but not as rough
With Chrysler’s sales plunging 35 percent in October, its future is hardly so bright that it needs shades. How bad are things? Well, while the company pursues merger talks with General Motors, its best hope for quick sales is the Dodge Ram — an updated pickup truck.

12/14/2008

VW’s 4Motion: It’s a coupe; no, it’s a sedan

12/10/2008

Test drive: Nissan GT-R is a humble supercar
With a thrust of the right foot, I send a liberal hit of high-test gas to the twin-turbo engine and the car blasts forward. Pressed against the back of my seat, I marvel at the source of this explosive power: a $70,000 Nissan.

12/07/2008

M3 is BMW’s mobile missile
Driving the latest cars is one of those jobs that prompt people to offer to assist me in my work.

12/06/2008

The 2009 Corvette ZR1 is big, smooth and ferociously fast
Dear Future: We’re really, really sorry. Kinda got carried away, what with all the petroleum and all. You’re probably wishing that we had saved a few barrels of oil for you, for airline travel and making fertilizer. And those little plastic swim fins would come in handy, now that Greenland has melted.

11/29/2008

Ford Escape adds futuristic gadgets, antiquated brakes

11/26/2008

Acura’s flagship sedan gets aggressive new look
If there’s one car that deserves the Most Overlooked award, it’s the Acura RL.

11/23/2008

An 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.

11/22/2008

Rare 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.

11/19/2008

Volkswagen’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.

11/16/2008

TEST 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.

11/15/2008

2009 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.

11/12/2008

Ford 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.

11/09/2008

A 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.

11/08/2008

Borrego 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.

11/02/2008

BMW does diesel in a sport sedan

11/01/2008

Maxima combines power, luxury, new styling

10/25/2008

New Jeep Wrangler more refined, but still ready for the rugged ride

10/22/2008

Honda’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.

10/19/2008

Jetta 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.

10/18/2008

Lincoln 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.

10/15/2008

Kia Rondo wagon: It was love the second time around
WASHINGTON — I’ve changed. Traditional automotive luxury no longer impresses me.

10/11/2008

Hyundai 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.

10/12/2008

SLK 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.

10/08/2008

Salute the new Taurus
NEW YORK — The styling is governmental. It would fit nicely into any municipal, state or federal vehicle fleet.

10/04/2008

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.

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.

10/05/2008

Ram 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.

10/01/2008

New 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.

09/27/2008

2009 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.

09/20/2008

Range 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.

09/21/2008

Hyundai Genesis: Sensible luxury
CORNWALL, N.Y.

09/17/2008

Saturn’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.

09/14/2008

A 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.

09/13/2008

Honda’s serious engineering makes for an impressive Acura TL
DANBURY, Conn. — Engineers rule at Honda Motor Co.

09/10/2008

BMW 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.