2013 Buick Encore Review: ATLANTA, GA. — Traditional Buick owners might look at the new Encore as being too small, too light. Cynics might point out the styling absurdity of putting more portholes in the hood than there are cylinders. All of those points are acknowledged, but the Buick Encore is the ideal vehicle to help Buick continue its trend of breaking from its own tradition, in quest of more …
2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 Review: There are plenty of small luxury SUVs on the market, and I sometimes I wonder what you get for that extra $15,000. A week in the Mercedes-Benz GLK350 reminded me what luxury looks, feels and rides like. A bunch of the little luxury SUVs handle pretty well and a few even look luxurious, but the GLK350 is a heck of a nice blend, and with a …
2013 Honda CR-V Review: Every once in a while I get to test a vehicle twice in a single year. This week I had the 2013 Honda CR-V AWD EX-L with navigation, just one model year newer than the CR-V tested last spring. The CR-V remains a solid compact sport utility vehicle with more horsepower than the previous generation and a more rounded look. The CR-V remains a solid compact …
2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Review: Before we get to the good stuff – and, make no mistake, the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T is, indeed, good stuff – let’s deal with the unpleasantness first. It seems Hyundai’s been overestimating the mpg talent of some of its models. If you haven’t heard, here’s the gist: On Nov. 2, Hyundai conceded that its window-sticker fuel economy estimates on some models since
Hyundai Santa Fe Review: PARK CITY, UTAH — Maybe it’s simply a translation issue, from South Korea to the United States, but the Santa Fe has never been introduced in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Nobody, however, is pleading for geographic logic in opposition to the site of Park City, Utah, complete with side trips to Sundance and the Olympic Park training facility. In setting the stage for the increased luxury …
Nissan’s Murano crossover remains a solid, quiet and comfortable family mover. While many folks buy this in front-wheel-drive form, I tested the SL model with all-wheel drive. That means it goes for nearly $41,000, which seems high, until you consider many other crossovers with luxury leanings. The tested dark metallic blue Murano started at $38,000 and ended up $40,855 with mainly a navigation system upgrade adding to the price. If …
2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek Review: Subaru has a knack for the counterintuitive. That’s an outsider’s way to describe the 2013 XV Crosstrek, an all-new entry from Japan’s master of all-wheel drive and boxer engines. But it would flummox Subaru insiders, who consider the tidy crossover to be completely in keeping with their tradition. After all, this is the company that stayed the course when the industry stampeded toward truck-based sport …
2013 Volvo S60 Review: Merging smartly into the lengthening line of modern less-is-more vehicles, Volvo brings us its 2013 Volvo S60 T5 sports sedan. The last time we looked, the S60 was a T6, an all-new 2011 model with 300 horsepower from a turbocharged, inline six-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive. It delivered 18/26 city/highway miles to the gallon and had a starting price of $38,550. It was a way of …
