2013 Ford EcoBoost System Review: Ford has made huge gains in the last few years by disciplining itself to a future where smaller engines do the work of larger ones while getting enormous improvements in fuel economy, and more such gains are coming for 2013. Would you believe a 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder engine that will propel a compact Focus with quick agility? Ford Motor Company gained enormous amounts of respect and …
2013 Scion FR-S Review: The all-new 2013 Scion FR-S is an evil twin—but in a good way. It is unquestionably a sports car, which is what was intended, but it is naughty because it comes at you in unexpected ways. Start with the basic concept. Toyota wanted to deliver a reasonably priced, rear-drive sports car for its youth-oriented Scion division, but didn’t want to go to the expense of developing …
2013 Dodge Dart Review: The 1968 Dodge Dart was forlorn but still sturdy and willing. It was a two-door, the basest of the base, with black bias-ply tires on steel wheels, tiny hubcaps and a manual gearbox with a three-on-the-tree shift lever. There was no air conditioning and only an AM radio. Its dark blue paint job had long since morphed into a mottled purple and the throw-out bearing howled …
2013 Ford Escape Review: Ford has always had a knack for doing trucks. Even some of its cars looked like trucks. The prime example was the Ford Escape. It looked like a truck-based sport utility vehicle, not unlike its bigger sibling, the Ford Explorer, though it really was a high-rider wagon, what the industry now calls a crossover. For many years, the Explorer was the best-selling mid-size SUV. Built like …
2013 Ford Escape Review: The “king” is being replaced by a better-looking, better-handling and more powerful and versatile king, and regardless of what extenuating circumstances combined to make the Ford Escape the top-selling king of the SUV industry for 2011, Ford’s timing couldn’t be better for replacing it with an entirely new Escape for 2013. Technology and a tough economy are dominating the industry, and the Escape was positioned perfectly …
2013 Ford Flex and 2013 Ford Taurus Review: They call it a freshening. But in the automobile business, it amounts to a whole lot more than plumping a pillow. It’s what the car companies do to keep their vehicles current when they’re close to halfway through a life cycle, which usually is somewhere around four or five years. In backyard mechanic terms, it would be impossible, involving sheet metal changes, …
2012 Subaru Impreza Review: I like the looks, ride and handling of the restyled 2012 Subaru Impreza. The small sedan’s chiseled nose and flattened wheel flares give it a much more exciting appearance than its predecessor. But the variable speed five-speed transmission is a stumbling block. The continuously variable transmission makes the car’s acceleration less than stellar and combines with the engine to create a whine and groan that make …
2013 Ford Flex and 2013 Ford Taurus Review: The completely redone Ford Fusion won’t reach showrooms until late summer, but its flashy restyling has been the talk of the auto show circuit. In fact, it may be the reason Ford created an all-new Taurus ahead of its time. The 2013 Taurus is a car for all reasons for those who need, or want, a large car. And it also is …
