2013 Bentley Continental Review: Nobody gets a pass any more. This applies even to the folks who cater to the recently derided one percent—that is, the people who own most of the wealth. It is the reason that a company like Bentley of Great Britain, whose customers are solidly insulated from the 99 percent, cannot be profligate even as it seeks to deliver the finest goods available. It is a …
2013 Dodge Dart Review: AUSTIN, TEXAS — Chrysler’s new-car stable was so desperate for a compact car that the bar was pretty low for the 2013 Dodge Dart to hurdle. For example, imagine that to be successful you only had to pick two of the following assets: A. good looks, outside and inside; B. tight build quality; C. excellent fuel economy; D. reasonable base price; E. performance that is pleasingly …
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 …
2012 Chrysler 300 Review: With the demise of the Lincoln Town Car and its corporate siblings, the Mercury Grand Marquis and Ford Crown Victoria, we’re witnessing the vanishing of an era. The American automobile scene once was dominated by elephantine rear-drive sedans and station wagons with big-bore engines—imported from Detroit, as the advertising slogan asserts. Now, with only a couple of exceptions, they are gone. Ford’s biggest sedans are the …
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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 …
Tags : FamilyFriendly | Sedan | |
2012 Toyota Camry Review: Toyota’s Camry is a stellar execution of style, substance, value and reliability. However, style only came to the table last year when Toyota broke its Camry mold with a new, more stylish body after years of ho-hum sameness. It’s hard to blame Toyota for sinking into a styling funk on North America’s bestselling car for roughly a decade. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But …
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 …
