Honda’s Accord has become a generic family sedan in America, a car that’s a good value, an excellent performer, but does not stand out. You may never notice the 2013 model, but you may want to own one. While Toyota has added a touch of styling flair to its formerly vanilla Camry and Ford has leapt forward with its new Fusion design, Honda stays with its safe, bland look, coupled …
2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo Review: Hyundai wasn’t happy to leave well enough alone, and added a turbo to its sporty coupe/hatch, the Veloster. That makes for a sporty car with reasonable power and an attractive entry price. The Veloster Turbo starts at $21,950 with a twin-scroll turbo that creates up to 201 horsepower from the rather tame 138 the base model offers. It’s the same 1.6-liter direct-injected engine, but with …
2013 Audi S5 Cabriolet Quattro Review What’s more fun than a sports coupe? Well, a convertible version of a sports coupe with a supercharged V6 and all-wheel drive. That’s what you get with Audi’s S5 Cabriolet Quattro. The S5 comes as either a coupe with solid top or cabriolet, meaning it has a soft convertible top. The price starts at $50,900 for the coupe, with manual transmission and the super …
2013 Volkswagen CC When Volkswagen launched its sporty CC in 2009 it went head-to-head with its own Passat, which was then a dowdy midsize sedan that was in need of a restyling. Now, Passat is coming off a face-lift last year to thin its body to blend more with the other midsize sedans that sell well: Toyota’s Camry, Honda’s Accord, Ford’s Fusion and Chevrolet’s Malibu. So the CC, which VW …
Chevrolet continues to impress with nearly every new model, or revamped model it launches, and the latest Chevy Malibu is no exception. The tweaked styling makes the Malibu more like a Camry, especially from the rear. To me, that’s a good thing as the current Camry is the most stylish it has been in years. I tested a sharp-looking metallic crystal red Malibu in 1LZ trim, which is near the …
Lexus GS450h Review: Lexus’ new GS450h midsize luxury hybrid offers smooth, quiet operation, and there isn’t much more anyone would need in a luxury car. The ride is smooth and controlled, the engine gives it plenty of power when needed and handling is responsive, if not sports car precise. The interior is swathed in leather and luxury and styled to impress any of your non-luxury-car owning friends. The exterior is …
Chevrolet’s Spark is a confusing car. Why? Chevy has a perfectly fine entry-level car, the Sonic. Why it felt a need to go bargain basement with its Spark, a Daewoo designed four-door micro or city car, seems like a decision from the pre-bankruptcy General Motors. The Spark is small, riding on a 93.5-inch wheelbase and weighing just 2,269 pounds in 2LT trim, as I drove it, with a four-speed automatic …
Volvo has been a master of wagons for decades, and the sturdy, boxy 240S sets the standard for upscale suburban transport. So it’s no surprise when its tall wagons, the XC crossover, push that bar higher to give the Lexus RX 350 a run for its money. The XC does so with a good deal of style and luxury. The tested Volvo XC60′s shoulders are broad and well sculpted with …
