Archive for November, 2011

Nissan Sentra GXE

Highs: Cabin colors dare to be ungray, overstuffed seats suggest upscale finery. Lows: Mushy handling, flexy structure, limp-handshake responses to driver inputs, and the engine is pretty trashy, too. The Verdict: Just the right couch for potatoes needing transit. The Sentra looks better on the spreadsheet, where it scores at the head of the class [...]

Benz F800 Hybrid Rolls Big, Drinks Small

STUTTGART, Germany – The ultimate expression of Mercedes-Benz’s future is found in the F800 Style. It not only represents the future of Mercedes design, it also speaks to the need to move away from conventional modes of propulsion and toward something greener. The underlying thrust behind the Style is simple. There is a growing demand [...]

Toyota’s New Rav4

Toyota debuted its second-generation RAV4 EV at a news conference at the Los Angeles Auto Show, but the automaker still has to decide on a number of issues before it introduces a production vehicle in a couple of years, including price and where final assembly will take place. A total of 35 vehicles will be [...]

More on Sienna

A week with the Sienna, I had trouble keeping it below 15. This van is not van of stop-and-go driving when it comes to fuel efficiency – something to consider when deciding if the AWD model is for you. The Sienna proved to be a comfortable companion for our regular routine, which involves shuttling around [...]

Sienna V-6

Then there’s the advertising. One only needs to look up “swagger wagon” on YouTube to find the brilliance behind Toyota’s U.S. marketing efforts. I’m not a van guy, but almost became one after watching those clips. Starting at $27,900, the van is now available with a four-cylinder engine. It’s reported to be a decent unit, [...]

The SAAB

SAAB built its reputation by offering three Swedish staples: value, efficiency and design. The new 9-5 has the design – a sleek body with hints of Saab’s history as an aircraft company – but its efficiency and value leave something to be desired. The 9-5 is Saab’s first entirely new car in more than a [...]

The Chrysler

Chrysler has removed some of the glaring reasons people did not buy its cars, and that seems to be enough. For the moment, anyway. The automaker’s sales have recovered substantially from the depths they hit after bankruptcy and years of mismanagement, but there’s much more work to do. “We dared to dream big, and delivered [...]

5 Best Truck Nominees

Small Sport Utility-Vehicle Honda CR-V Honda Element Mitsubishi Outlander Large Sport-Utility Vehicle Acura MDX Buick Rainier* Honda Pilot Isuzu Ascender Kia Sorento Land Rover Discovery Mitsubishi Endeavor Mitsubishi Montero Nissan Murano Toyota 4Runner Luxury Sport-Utility Vehicle Cadillac Escalade ESV Infiniti FX45* Land Rover Range Rover Lexus GX470 Lincoln Aviator Porsche Cayenne* Volkswagen Touareg V-8 Volvo [...]