Who doesn’t like the original Mini? It’s cute, but not girly. Sporty – but not overbearingly macho. A six foot man can drive it – and not look (or feel) silly driving it. So can his five-foot-five daughter. Or her 65-year-old grandmother. The Mini is also inexpensive – around $19k to start, which is...
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Safety still sells – problem is, everyone’s selling it – not just Volvo. That’s why Volvo’s gone sporty to an extent that’s truly startling in the context of Volvos-gone-by. A quick reference to put the matter in context: In the late ’70s, Volvo built cars like the 240 wagon – a big, slow, slab-sided...
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Buick sells a lot of cars – but mostly (historically) to people who might be buying their last car. It’s the same problem Cadillac had; and the same problem Ford’s Lincoln brand still has. Buick seems to be turning away from the Metamucil Set with models like the new turbo Regal GS – which...
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Here’s an example of the importance of cross-shopping: The 2012 Infiniti G37 coupe – rear-wheel-drive, standard 330 hp V-6, seven-speed transmission and 0-60 in 5.6 seconds – starts at $37,800. For about the same money you could buy a Mercedes C250 ($37,220) and take home four cylinders, 201 hp and 0-60 in 7.4 seconds....
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The 2013 Chevy Malibu is the first “normal” car to come standard as a hybrid car. Two non-hybrid versions will be arriving later this summer, but for the moment, if you want a Malibu, you’re looking at a hybrid Malibu Eco. It’s an interesting strategy. But is it sound policy? One of the Malibu’s...
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There are three main players in the 1500 series pick-up market: Chevy’s Silverado, the Ford F-150 and the Dodge Ram 1500. Why choose the Chevy? I can come up with two pretty solid reasons: Its Corvette-descended family of overhead valve (OHV) V-8s are proven performers – powerful, durable and much simpler in layout –...
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The Hummer may be history but there are still ways to stick your finger in the eye of political correctness. Such as buying an Infiniti Q56. It is Elvis in full rhinestone flower, circa ’74 and the Hawaii special. A no-holds-barred, joltin’ juggernaut of gaudiness. A 14 MPG, $60,000 spectacle of unashamed consumption –...
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It’s amazing they haven’t outlawed the Wrangler. “They” being the dumbing-everything-down busybodies in DC who operate on the principle that most people are too stupid to deal with any situation on their own and therefore must be protected (for their own good, naturally) against the possible repercussions of any low-IQ move by anyone. Of...
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This one’s pretty easy.  Because there’s only one. One compact crossover SUV with a four-cylinder engine and a $15k starting price that’s available with a two-speed transaxle and Low range gearing. One small SUV that has the gear to go off-road – but won’t eat you alive with gas bills on-road. It’s the Jeep...
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Competition is good – but not always necessarily for the seller. When Nissan introduced the Maxima back in 1981, the idea of a “four door sports car” – as the car would soon be styled in TV and print ads – was a new idea. Or at least, not a common one. The Maxima...
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