Model Tested: 2015 Subaru WRX Premium Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged flat four-cylinder Boxer design Transmission: Sport Lineartronic automatic, all-wheel-drive EPA Ratings: 19/City—25/Highway—21/Combined Base Price: $29,695 As Tested: $30,490 Performance: 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft torque Ample power and torque for sporty performance Great all-wheel-drive easily handles available power Very responsive CVT automatic with paddle shifters Suspension […]
Auto
Posted inAuto Talk, Blog
New 2015 Volvo XC90 Launch now Underway
One of Volvo’s’ most anticipated car launches of recent years — the all-new XC90 – has officially begun. Consumer insights have led to the development of many of the interior features of this all-new SUV — including style details first previewed in three award-winning concept cars. These features highlight Volvo’s new design language, which is […]
Posted inBehind The Wheel
The Original Hybrid Still Tops the Charts
After 12 years and more than 3 million vehicles sold worldwide — half of them in the United States — the venerable Toyota Prius remains the most popular hybrid vehicle on the planet. Now in its third generation, the Prius first debuted in 2000 as a 2001 model. It was redesigned for 2010, and the […]
Posted inBehind The Wheel
2014 Honda Ridgeline
Model Tested: 2014 Honda Ridgeline SE Engine: 3.5-liter SOHC V-6 Transmission: 5-speed automatic EPA Ratings: 15/City—21/Highway—17/Combined Base Price: $37,505 As Tested: $38,335 Performance: Strong, smooth Honda V-6 power Car-like ride Locking differential for heavy-duty 4×4 use Good size for in town maneuverability Comfort: Excellent leg and headroom front and rear Adult-size rear seat Driver power […]
Posted inBehind The Wheel
2014 Honda Accord Hybrid
Model Tested: 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring Engine: 2.0-liter DOHC 4-cylinder and 124 kW electric motor Transmission: Electric Continuously Variable Transmission EPA Ratings: 50/City—45/Highway—47/Combined Base Price: $34,905 As Tested: $35,695 Performance: Strong acceleration and torque thanks to electric motor Seamless transitions between power modes Powerful, but compact hybrid system Comfort: Two temp heated front seats […]
Posted inBehind The Wheel
2014 Jaguar F-Type: The F Is For Fantastic
By Bruce Caldwell It took five decades for Jaguar to market a successor to the iconic sixties E-Type, but the all-new 2014 Jaguar F-Type is a noble heir. The new F-Type is a serious performance car that’s also gorgeous. The 2014 Jaguar F-Type has all the benefits of a half-century of technological innovations packed into […]
Posted inBehind The Wheel
2014 Dodge Durango: Muscular, But Refined SUV
By Bruce Caldwell The 2014 Dodge Durango Limited AWD is a great SUV that manages to be both muscular and refined. The model has been around since 1998 and gone through a couple iterations. The present version debuted in 2011 and has been refreshed for 2014. The 2014 Durango shares much with its corporate sibling, […]
Posted inBehind The Wheel
Jeep Cherokee All-New for 2014
This year marks the return of the classic Jeep Cherokee nameplate. Retired in 2001, the Cherokee was the dominant yuppie-soccer moms’ SUV of choice in the late 1980s and early ’90s. The all-new Cherokee is totally different. It boasts a pretty fair amount of all-terrain capability for a small crossover SUV, and since it shares […]
Posted inBehind The Wheel
2014 Mazda CX-5: A Very Efficient SUV
By Bruce Caldwell The Mazda CX-5 was new for the model year 2013, so the early arriving 2014 CX-5 is more of an engine and technology update than a whole new vehicle. What Mazda has done is take an already excellent crossover SUV and refine it with a more powerful 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. We were […]