Jeep can be considered the inventor of the SUV in America. The Wrangler, still in production today, is a reminder of where the original SUV came from. The TJ model, produced from 1997-2006, is, in my opinion, the best interpretation and the best mix of modern technology and old-style design, with time-tested engines, classic styling, and unlimited ability to go anywhere. Continue reading Secondhand Saint: Jeep Wrangler TJ
The WRX can be considered a car that turned Subaru’s image in America around virtually overnight. Once a seller of slightly staid, yet nearly unbreakable AWD sedans and wagons, they are now a seller of reasonably priced AWD vehicles and rally sport specials such as the Impreza WRX, STi, and the Legacy 2.5GT. By 2005, every single model Subaru built had the turbocharger option available, as Subaru saw fit to make the WRX’s legacy work across the board. The Forester, a Subaru staple since 1995, received the turbo engine in 2004. The example I drove was a 2004 2.5XT Limited with about 80,000 miles, in average shape. Continue reading Test Driven: 2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT
On Sunday, I was fortunate enough to have someone at the Subaru booth at the Fort Lauderdale International Auto Show unlock the Subaru BRZ for me to take a video and a few extra pictures. Pictures are available after the jump. As of Tuesday, we know that orders are being taken now, and production will be starting soon. Sales will start sometime next month, or in early May.
Albert S. Davis Continue reading Subaru BRZ at the Fort Lauderdale International Auto Show
“And best of all…it’s a Cadillac!” Those words certainly meant something back in the days of 8-tracks, pimpmobiles, and Gerald Ford. But, now is the time of iPods, hybrids, and Barack Obama. So, I wanted to know if this 10 year old Cadillac Eldorado was in any way still a great cruiser. I grabbed the golden keys and started her up. Cadillac has not produced the Eldorado since 2002, and only recently started producing two-door coupes again with the CTS Coupe.
I saw this very cool Jeep on George Street before leaving for Spring Break on Friday.
Spotted by: Albert Davis
Pontiac’s long history came to an end in 2009 amidst GM’s bankruptcy and Pontiac’s lack of distinction within the General Motors family. But, the announcement came at at time when Pontiac began to distance themselves from the GM marching order, and a few years before had started producing some models with some real “driving excitement”. The GTO, which was a bit of a market fluke, may not have looked the part of a muscle car, but certainly went like one. The Solstice, the General’s answer to the Miata, hit the streets in 2006, after a very positive reception on the auto show circuit. On the heels of the Dodge Charger (and the renaissance of the big RWD-V8 American sedan), Pontiac launched the G8 in 2008, right when I turned 18–and I kept going back to the local Pontiac dealership waiting for one to arrive.
Today is a special sort of day. It’s Leap Day, a day which comes around once every four years–February 29th. And Ferrari got it into their heads to pick today to show off their third new car in 4 years, the replacement for the highly-regarded flagship GT car, the 599 GTB. That car has gone through various variations (the 599 HGTE, 599XX, GTO, and SA Aperta, among others), and now Ferrari has the new replacement, the F12 Berlinetta. In so many words, this new Ferrari is going to blow the roof off the place. Hit the jump for more. Continue reading Ferrari’s got a brand new bag. Some thoughts on the new F12 Berlinetta.
Back in 2009, The Truth About Cars editor Jack Baruth wrote an article on how the Japanese auto industry is losing its heritage to the point where its products are a shell of what they used to be. He talked about how Honda had lost its roots as a maker of cars with flair and engineering excellence, and how Nissan and Toyota were becoming too close to one another on retail lots. He reposted it on their website (thetruthaboutcars.com) and I found it to still be relevant today. But, in these three years, a few things have changed in the market. My question is this: Does Baruth’s argument still hold water, and is there any more evidence to support his side of this debate? I took a look into what the market is like today, and there are arguments for both sides. Continue reading 3 years on, are the Japanese still lost in the dark?
On January 3rd, all the sales results for each major car brand sold in the United States were made public for the month of December, and consequently, the entire previous year. For the most part, 2011 was an excellent year for sales in the auto industry, a big step in the right direction since the turmoil of 2009. There were of course, some nasty issues that clearly affected sales across the board, but this year, only a select few CEOs should really need a drink today. So, let’s take a look at these numbers and see what falls out of the tree. Continue reading Some thoughts on the past year’s sales.
As most of our readers remember, I tested out a new Saab 9-3X wagon and found it to be lacking in any features that made it stand out from its competitors. But, Saab has always marched to the beat of its own drum (which, ironically, led it right to the poorhouse), for better or for worse. My Aunt’s family lives in Albany, NY, and they have owned this red 900 hatchback since it was new, and they won’t get rid of it. It’s rusty, it’s crusty, and it has 174,000 miles on it. But, I approached it with a question: How good is a 17 year old Saab that’s spent most of its life in the Rust Belt? On a cold night in December, my uncle tossed me the keys and I found out. Continue reading Test Driven: 1995 SAAB 900 S
The Camry is probably the one vehicle everyone who loves cars could care less about 100% of the time. In essence, it’s vanilla-flavored vanilla, with no other description. But, everyone’s either sat in one, ridden in one, or driven one at some point, including me. My daily driver up until very recently was a tan 2007 Hybrid. It still, though, outsells everything in its segment and all of its competitors use it as a benchmark. The 2007-2011 Camry was a true bestseller and sent everyone back to the drawing board. But, it’s new again this year, so I took the wheel of this slick SE V6 and asked this question: Will it repeat the trick it made back in 2007? Continue reading Test Driven: 2012 Toyota Camry SE V6
Back in the fall at the Radnor Hunt Concours, I took an opportunity to drive a couple of new Cadillacs. Most of you know I drove an Escalade Hybrid, but the real treat was to yet again sample that great-tasting supercharged V8 which lies in the engine compartment of the CTS-V. In this case, the test car was the deep gray sedan you see above. It had a few options that the coupe I drove back in June did not, so I took it for a drive (on much different roads than the coupe) around the rolling hills of Pennsylvania’s countryside. Continue reading Test Driven: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan
Mind Over Motor 