2013 Volvo S60 Review: PARK CITY, Utah — It was a new-car introduction, but it was timed perfectly to coincide with the opening of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Volvo introduced the 2013 version of its Volvo S60 midsize sedan, reasserting its base turbocharged 5-cylinder model with an impressive all-wheel drive system during a three-day odyssey of extensive mountain driving and assorted Olympic connections. Volvo brought out the latest model of …
2013 Acura RDX Review: The 2013 Acura RDX is more spacious, more luxurious feeling and a better all-round performer than its predecessor, which was no slouch. The interior is roomy, comfortable and quiet. Its power hatch welcomed a big load of luggage. Everything looks and feels right for a small to mid-size crossover. At its base is solid performance that any luxury crossover owner would want. The 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 …
What a difference a transmission makes. Americans overwhelmingly prefer automatics, by a ratio of more than nine to one over manuals. These days there are a variety of choices: the familiar automatic with four, five, six, seven and even eight speeds; the continuously-variable, which uses belts and pulleys—or, in some cases, gears—to seamlessly transfer engine power to the wheels, and several types of automated twin-clutch or sequential gearboxes that operate …
2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG Review: Believe it or not, in this era of hard times, the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street, there still are multitudes of people out there with a lot of money. They are not movie stars, corporate titans or professional athletes, but people you likely have never heard about. They are people who spend six-figure sums at high-end auctions to buy 1970s-era muscle cars that can …
2012 Honda CR-V EX-L Navi Review: Prescience is everything in the motor vehicle business. If you can divine what will attract future customers, success is guaranteed. Honda accomplished that with its CR-V compact sport utility vehicle. When it was introduced as a 1997 model, there was nothing quite like it on the market—a tall, car-based wagon that nowadays would be referred to as a crossover. Equipped with front-wheel drive or …
Midsize luxury sedans are almost as plentiful as pumpkins are in fall.The 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD Advance test car even looked a bit autumnal in its sparkling Mayan Bronze paint job. This is the top of the TL line and a fine driving car with a sporty edge. TL, which competes with the likes of BMW’s 3 Series, Mercedes’ C Class, Infiniti’s G sedan and Lexus’s ES models, comes in …
The 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 clearly is a muscle car. This beast looks the part with sculpted metal – bulging fenders and hood with deep troughs, scooped out door panels and a spoiler on the trunk. But it’s the power the SRT8 packs under the hood that will stress your tendons. The Charger is powered by a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 with 470 horsepower and similar torque rating. Dodge lists the …
In the near-luxury car corral, it has become an article of faith that you cannot simply ride with the herd; you need a spirited showoff to rope in the customers. Thus it is that BMW has its high-performance M versions of the 3-Series and 1-series. Similarly, there is an AMG version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and an S version of the Audi A4. Acura chips in with its SH-AWD sibling …
