Auto manufacturers have an insatiable appetite to build cars for specific niches, but the insatiable part means all of them seem to want a vehicle for every niche. Kia is no different, and it has spent the last few years creating successful entries in the most popular and inexpensive segments, from the subcompact Rio, compact Forte, quirky Soul, and classy midsize Optima, as well as the compact Sportage and midsize …
BROOKLYN, MICH. — Every builder of a sports sedan hopes it might be comparable to the legendary BMW 3-Series. Some have come close, most haven’t. Some have missed by a mile. It may well be, however, that Lexus has just found the Holy Grail of sports sedans for 2014, with the IS 250 and IS 350. Lexus assembled some of the nation’s auto media types to sample both models of …
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — The new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck is finally here, the first new-generation Silverado in seven years, and loyal Chevy fans are sure to welcome it with a huge cheer, even while others may scoff a bit and offer the challenging question: Is it new enough? “It’s all-new from hood to hitch,” said Silverado product manager Carl Hillenbrand, sounding like he had just made up a …
The world of alternative-energy vehicles is expanding virtually by the month, or week. Hybrid vehicles, electric cars, turbo-diesels, cars with tiny gas engines, and combinations of those, such as turbo-hybrids, all seem to have validity and are marketed to be better than the others. All we know is, there is no single answer to the problem of clean and efficient running, just a number of varied answers, all contributing to …
LOS ANGELES,CALIF. — The Fiat 500 is cute, fun, efficient, and economical, but nobody would really call it electrifying. Until now. For 2014, the Fiat 500 will come in a version called the 500e, with the “e” standing for electric. Before consumers in 49 states get too excited about the 500e maybe becoming their electric car of choice, however, the car will require a little California Dreamin’ because the only showrooms it …
A prominent note in my notebook will remind me to plead with the press-fleet powers at BMW to send me the new BMW 750iL for a second test-drive week, after the persistent snow and ice of this never-ending winter finally cash in their chips. As it is, the chance to experience the many wonderful features of the car, which is BMW’s flagship of luxury and class. It’s not as though I didn’t get a chance …
It’s time for minivans to rise up and claim their rightful place at the top of the family vehicle chain. You’ve got to pity the poor minivan. Everybody who owns one appreciates it, to the point of wondering how their families could ever get along without it. But it is universally scorned, to the point of acting as though they’d never consider buying one, and even some of those who …
The Mazda 626 has always been a worthy midsize entry, just as durable though less-heralded compared to the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry. When it was renovated into the Mazda6, it moved higher on the artistic list and had an edge in sporty handling, but still didn’t match the hot-selling numbers of its competitors. Its last restyling,took the Mazda6 to a much more flowing look, although like the …
