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 BMW 650i Gran Coupe Review: At the risk of sounding emotionally shallow, let’s be honest. What we’re concerned with here is looks. Under its gorgeous skin, the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe is, essentially, a 5 Series sedan, sharing 5’s wheelbase and most of its greasy stuff. It’s a Bimmer that, ironically, owes its existence to Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Porsche, three BMW rivals that offer sexy sedans designed to …
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — During three restyling generations over the last seventeen years, the Toyota Avalon never distinguished itself as a dazzler, even though it never qualified to be an ugly duckling, either. Its heritage was as an elongated Camry-with-bling, but that image will be shattered forever by the 2013 Avalon, which soars, swan-like, with a combination of stunning attractiveness with breakthrough engineering. First impression is striking, particularly for a …
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 …
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 …
2013 Lexus LS Reviews: BIRMINGHAM, MICH. — There can be no better measuring stick of how far the Lexus brand has come in its 13-year history than working through all the various models until you come face to face with the new 2013 Lexus LS sedans. The new car is loaded with all the imaginable electronic gizmos and features for which Lexus has become known, and it is fully pleasurable …
2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 Review: Never mind the tussle over whether the glass is half empty or half full. To hear the Mercedes-Benz people tell it, the 2013 GLK’s glass is full to the brim. That’s despite the fact that the company’s smallest SUV is only about half new. Mercedes says it’s been redesigned, but it is what the vehicle business calls refreshed, usually done half way through a model’s life …
2013 BMW 3-Series Review: A lot of things can change between the time you test a car at its new-car introduction and the time you get to spend a week living and/or coexisting with the same car. The BMW 3-Series, however, always seems to be the exception that proves the rule. When BMW introduced the 3-Series, I wrote that it wasn’t fair; the car had to generate rave reviews, because …
