2014 Scion iQ Expert Review: New Car Test Drive
The following review is for a 2012 Model Year. There may be minor changes to current model you are looking at. New microcar big inside, small outside. Introduction The latest addition to Toyota's younger, funkier brand is the pint-sized 2012 Scion IQ microcar. Scion, which boasts the youngest customer base in the industry, is hoping the IQ will be snatched up by hip, trend-setting city-dwellers seeking easy maneuverability and admirable fuel economy. Although one would expect cars in this segment to be hopelessly cheap-looking, the Scion IQ does a decent job striking a balance between quality and economy. Bold exterior styling, consistent with the Scion brand, helps to fend off any would-be bullies. But let's be clear, you're not going to look macho driving down the road in a Scion IQ. But at least it won't look like you're piloting a rollerskate, either. Powering the 2012 Scion IQ is a 1.3-liter, four-cylinder engine...
By AOL Posted Saturday, May 25, 20132014 Hyundai Equus Expert Review: New Car Test Drive
The following review is for a 2013 Model Year. There may be minor changes to current model you are looking at. Large luxury sedan offers value. Introduction The Hyundai Equus is a large luxury car built on the same platform as the midsize Genesis sedan. Equus takes features and interior materials to the next level, with refined, sophisticated driving characteristics designed to appeal to prestige buyers looking for a roomy freeway cruiser. Like many other luxury cars, Equus is rear-wheel drive. Power for the Hyundai Equus comes from a 5.0-liter V8 engine that makes 429 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. Aided by an 8-speed automatic transmission, Equus achieves a EPA fuel economy rating of 18 miles per gallon Combined city and highway. When the Equus launched two years ago, many scoffed at the notion that the Korean carmaker could produce a luxury sedan on par with the likes of BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and Infiniti. ...
By AOL Posted Saturday, May 25, 2013
2014 Subaru Outback Expert Review: New Car Test Drive
The following review is for a 2012 Model Year. There may be minor changes to current model you are looking at. Superb all-weather wagon. Introduction The Subaru Outback wagon is a superb vehicle on dirt and gravel roads, in the snow, heavy rain, or anything that calls of traction and sure-footedness. Equipped with all-wheel drive, the Outback is ready for active outdoor use. Outback was redesigned for the 2010 model year. Changes since then have been modest. 2012 Subaru Outback models offer an Alloy Wheel Package with fog lights and cold-weather equipment. Audio systems have been upgraded on 2012 Outback Premium and 2012 Outback Limited models. The Outback suspension, transmission and all-wheel-drive system are geared for control, comfort and stability on gravel roads and in inclement weather. All Subaru models are all-wheel drive, aiming for sure handling and traction in marginal conditions. They are most p...
By AOL Posted Friday, May 24, 20132014 GMC Sierra 2500HD Expert Review: New Car Test Drive
The following review is for a 2012 Model Year. There may be minor changes to current model you are looking at. Professional capability, Cadillac comfort. Introduction The GMC Sierra HD line of heavy-duty pickups was reengineered for 2011, with a new frame, new front and rear suspensions, bigger brakes, more powerful Duramax 6.6-liter turbo diesel and a luxurious new top-line Denali. As a result, changes for 2012 are minor: The 2012 Sierra HD Work Truck now comes with cruise control and a spare tire lock as standard, vertical camper mirrors standard on 3500 Work Truck, and a new HDD navigation system with AM/FM/SiriusXM stereo with CD/DVD player, MP3 compatibility and USB port available on middle trim levels. GMC Sierra HD heavy-duty pickups are well-suited for real-world use and abuse. They can haul tons of brick and cement and tow the concrete pump, then turn around to be used for a night on the town or grocery shopping while the f...
By AOL Posted Friday, May 24, 2013
2014 Subaru Legacy Expert Review: New Car Test Drive
The following review is for a 2012 Model Year. There may be minor changes to current model you are looking at. All-wheel drive gives this sedan great all-weather capability. Introduction All-wheel drive makes the Subaru Legacy an excellent choice for anyone who wants a midsize sedan capable of handling the worst weather. These cars are particularly enjoyable to drive through the mountains where winding roads may be dry, wet, icy or covered with snow. However, responsive handling, respectable performance and handsome styling make the Legacy enjoyable to own even when the sun is shining and the roads are dry. All Legacy models are sedans. If you want a wagon, check out the Outback. Among midsize sedans, the Legacy doesn't seem overly large, thanks to relatively short overhangs front and rear and a coupe-like roofline. Distinctive styling helps the Legacy stand apart from other midsize sedans. Aggressive wheel arches...
By AOL Posted Thursday, May 23, 2013
2013 Chevrolet Spark Expert Review: New Car Test Drive
New subcompact is a good city car. Introduction While ranchers are ranging their pickup trucks all around the county and den mothers are hurrying the family SUV up and down the suburbs, urban-nauts, those stressed-out dwellers deep in the heart of the city, are just trying to find a parking spot. The automotive needs of people in large cities sound plainly un-American. To them, the smaller, more nondescript and unobtrusive a car, the better. If it doesn't have to go to the overpriced inner-city gas station often, better still. And if it can haul several adults on occasional trips to the outer society, it's everything an urban-naut can ask. Carmakers like Chevrolet have offered a long, mildly successful cavalcade of small cars, but nothing as small as the Chevrolet Spark, which is a genuine mini car two inches shorter than a Mini Cooper. Chevrolet isn't expecting to sell millions of Sparks in the U.S., but it has already sold 6...
By AOL Posted Thursday, May 23, 2013
2014 Chevrolet Spark Expert Review: New Car Test Drive
The following review is for a 2013 Model Year. There may be minor changes to current model you are looking at. New subcompact is a good city car. Introduction While ranchers are ranging their pickup trucks all around the county and den mothers are hurrying the family SUV up and down the suburbs, urban-nauts, those stressed-out dwellers deep in the heart of the city, are just trying to find a parking spot. The automotive needs of people in large cities sound plainly un-American. To them, the smaller, more nondescript and unobtrusive a car, the better. If it doesn't have to go to the overpriced inner-city gas station often, better still. And if it can haul several adults on occasional trips to the outer society, it's everything an urban-naut can ask. Carmakers like Chevrolet have offered a long, mildly successful cavalcade of small cars, but nothing as small as the Chevrolet Spark, which is a genuine mini car two inches short...
By AOL Posted Thursday, May 23, 2013
2014 BMW 328 Expert Review: New Car Test Drive
The following review is for a 2012 Model Year. There may be minor changes to current model you are looking at. The all-new 328i and 335i are great sports sedans. Introduction BMW has completely redesigned its 3 Series sedans and the new ones are better than ever. The 2012 BMW 3 Series sedans are slightly bigger, slightly faster, slightly more fuel-efficient than last year's models. They are more technologically advanced yet the technology doesn't get in the way of their being the ultimate driving machine. In short, the new BMW 328i and BMW 335i sedans improve on the previous versions in every way. The 2012 BMW 3 Series sedans represent the sixth generation of these cars. The 3 Series began with the 1975 BMW 320i, a small, premium sports sedan that appealed to the young and upwardly mobile. The groundwork had been laid here in the U.S. by the popular BMW 2002 and related models that came before. You could even...
By AOL Posted Thursday, May 16, 2013
2014 Acura ILX Expert Review: New Car Test Drive
The following review is for a 2013 Model Year. There may be minor changes to current model you are looking at. New Acura wraps premium persona in a smaller package. Introduction The Acura ILX is a new nameplate for Honda's upscale division, a front-wheel-drive compact sedan conceived to give potential buyers an entry into the premium car class at sub-luxury prices. The 2013 ILX essentially replaces the slightly larger TSX as the division's most affordable offering, the first Acura with a sub-$30,000 base price since the 2009 model year. While it's all-new to Acura, there is much about the new ILX that is adapted from the Honda inventory. Specifically, the basic platform, model lineup, and powertrains all began with the latest Honda Civic sedans. But this is not to say the ILX is basically a rebadged Civic: there are as many hardware distinctions as there are similarities. For example, while the basic ILX shares the standar...
By AOL Posted Thursday, May 16, 2013
2014 Audi R8 Expert Review: New Car Test Drive
Subtle changes produce a stellar result. Introduction The Audi R8 is the sporty spearhead of the Audi lineup. Its beauty and handling prowess have been well documented, and subtle tweaks make the 2014 Audi R8 even better. Audi named the R8 after its Le Mans-winning sports car, bringing the first road car R8 to the market in 2007. Originally only available with a 4.2-liter V8, in December 2008 Audi unveiled the 5.2-liter V10 model that was based on the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 engine. The V8 delivers 430 horsepower, the V10 525 hp. For 2014, a new model arrives on the block boasting 550 hp: the 2014 R8 V10 Plus. Both the V8 and V10 are available as a Coupe or Spyder, with the V10 Plus only offered as a Coupe. The R8 V10 Plus is faster, lighter, with carbon ceramic brakes coming as standard. All R8 models are brilliant machines to drive. They are track-munching animals, yet at the same time able to handle a...
By AOL Posted Wednesday, May 15, 2013