Category Archives: Luxury Cars

A BMW 528i is a Superior Rental Car That Will Spoil You

BMW 528I 5

Rental cars, they’re usually total crap that you’re only willing to put up with for a few days because they serve a purpose. Some trips can really use a bright spot, though, and for us gearheads a car can be just the thing to brighten up life.

I lost both of my grandmothers this summer, within a month and a half of each other. What can I say, it hasn’t been ideal. It was just my mom and I going on the trip, out to Tucson, Arizona last weekend. My dad was away singing in China, and my girlfriend had her busiest work weekend of the year. We were flying out to Phoenix, and then driving 100 miles, or so, down to Tucson. While we were definitely looking forward to seeing my mom’s side of the family and catch up with everyone, it was still a trip meant for saying goodbye to my grandma, Jody, who we all hold very dear in our hearts.

This trip was definitely one that needed as many bright spots as we could give it. So, when the rental car lady told us we could have a BMW 528i for only $20/day more than the Chevy Malibu we had booked, we were like, “Oh hell yes!” If we were going to be cruising through the desert at high speed, we might as well aim to be as comfortable as possible.

I hadn’t even planned to do an article on this trip, but when life hands you a Bimmer….

Continue reading A BMW 528i is a Superior Rental Car That Will Spoil You

Cadillac ATS-V Review: Still GM, for better and worse

Cadillac ATS-V Review 1

This is the Cadillac ATS-V. The master form of the highly acclaimed, yet highly criticized ATS sedan. It was born to go toe-to-toe with the likes of the BMW M3 and Mercedes C63 AMG, and it looks like a pretty damn good bet in that fight.

You know what’s weird, though? After driving it, I feel the exact same way about the ATS-V that I did about each other Cadillac ATS I’ve driven. Sure, the ATS-V exists at a much higher level, but it’s relative strengths and shortcomings all fall in the same areas.

I’m amazed at how consistent the ATS lineup is, with some areas near perfection and others, well, not.

Continue reading Cadillac ATS-V Review: Still GM, for better and worse

Cadillac XT5 Review: The Cadillac of Toasters

Cadillac XT5 Review 8

The market for luxury crossovers is a heated contest between slightly different flavors of vanilla. I mean, for all intents and purposes they are all pretty much the same exact car with an inch of difference here and there. They each look a little different, but really just a little, and they all seem to have the same general checklist of features.

So how does one go about reviewing the newest crossover offering from GM’s flagship luxury brand, the Cadillac XT5?

I’m not going to waste much time blowing smoke up your ass nit-picking this and that about this car. The bottom line is its very good at being very acceptable. It’s not going to reinvent the Cadillac brand, but then again, it isn’t the car that is supposed to do that. The XT5 is a volume seller for a large market segment, one that is targeted at people who don’t really care about their cars much past their basic functionality.

Let’s be real here, crossovers aren’t cars so much as they are “transportation appliances” for people who just want to get from A to B safely and comfortably. Crossovers are exceedingly practical for all of the needs of the average person, and their larger size and higher stance makes people feel safer behind the wheel. These vehicles are tailor made for the average driver, who will be very happy with all they get from a car like this.

Naturally, social class does come into play, and that’s why the Cadillac XT5 exists for middle-upper class people who feel they’ve managed to claw their way above a plebeian Chevy Equinox.

Continue reading Cadillac XT5 Review: The Cadillac of Toasters

So I made another purchase this weekend…

Mazda NC Miata Club Edition 1

Wait, didn’t he just buy an old red Miata? Why the hell would he buy a new red Miata now?

That is the question everyone around me has been asking all weekend. Yes, I went and bought this beautiful 2014 Mazda MX5 Miata Club Edition this weekend, and no I’m not crazy, although it may seem that way to many people around me right now.

Here’s why I went and bought this car, as best as I can explain it right now.

Continue reading So I made another purchase this weekend…

Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Review: A Recipe Perfected

Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Review 4

There is absolutely no substitute for seat time when judging a car. I thought Alfa Romeo had sold themselves out when they built the 4C without the option of a manual gearbox. I mean, who on earth would want a light little sports car without a clutch pedal and a gear lever? But the truth is, building a good car is a lot like cooking a good meal. Each ingredient must be executed well in its own right, but then the most important thing is how it all comes together as a whole.

The Italians are known for treating their cars exactly as they treat their food, as works of art. Alfa Romeos, in particular, have always had a sense of living soul, even if, at times, there wasn’t much else good about them. My friend, Evan, had an old Alfa Spider that only ever worked properly when he was taking a girl out on a date in it – now, isn’t that the most Italian thing you’ve ever heard?

Alfa Romeos are cars built on an ideology of passion and emotion first, and everything else second. Sure, in the past that has sometimes meant questionable dependability, but at least they never committed the atrocity of making life boring or mundane. Life is worth more than just living, it’s worth enjoying, and that is what Alfa Romeos are all about.

This white 4C Spider is actually the first Alfa Romeo I’ve ever driven. It marks the return of Alfa Romeo production cars to the USA, and will be soon followed by the new Giulia sedan. Being my first Alfa, I admit that I had underestimated the way they can make the ingredients of a car come together into one delicious masterpiece of a machine.

I quickly realized that the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider has something very special about it. I drove 8 very cool cars in the same weekend, including a Ferrari and some Porsches, but this Alfa 4C was the one I just couldn’t stop thinking about. Here’s why…

Continue reading Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Review: A Recipe Perfected

Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 Review: Turbocharged For Your Pleasure!

Infiniti Q50 S 3.0t Review 12

I’ve been waiting for the Japanese luxury brands to go turbo for a long time now. They’ve been keeping their cars pretty simple for years, and that’s great for reliability, but in the end, the turbo European cars were faster, a lot faster.  Well now it seems the tables have turned. Infiniti has finally joined the turbo game, and they’ve brought a ringer.

Their new 3.0L twin turbo V6 comes in two flavors, one with 300hp and one with 400hp. The first will compete directly with the existing sport sedan pack, and the second will blow them away. Even with the German’s conservative horsepower claims, none of their offerings reach the 400hp mark. That means the high-output Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 I drove here is some very serious business.

Continue reading Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 Review: Turbocharged For Your Pleasure!

2016 Mazda ND Miata Club Review: Joy On Four Wheels

Mazda ND Miata Club 1

The original Mazda Miata brought driving enjoyment to the masses. Like the great British and Italian roadsters before it, the Miata offered the full wind-in-your-hair experience, but it did so without all of the reliability problems suffered by the european cars. It was a simple, affordable, enjoyable machine. They basically materialized fun, and gave it four wheels.

Some have criticized the Miata for being soft as a sports car, though, even saying that it isn’t really a sports car at all. For the original NA Miata in stock form, I have to I agree. It’s a lot of fun, and is surely a great roadster, but a stock NA Miata lacks the handling composure that really defines a true sports car.

As the Miata has grown and evolved over the years, Mazda has worked to make it more of a sports car, while keeping it a great roadster as well. When I took the new ND Miata out for a spin, it became clear that Mazda has finally found the right balance for the total Miata experience.

In some regards Mazda has taken the Miata back to its roots. In other ways it has benefitted from many modern technological improvements. All in all, I am confident in saying that it is the best Miata they’ve ever made. Here’s why…

Continue reading 2016 Mazda ND Miata Club Review: Joy On Four Wheels

Volkswagen Touareg TDI: The Dieselgate Review

This 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI is my dad’s daily driver, and despite us owning it for nearly 5 years now, I’ve yet to do a review on it until now. But with the advent of Dieselgate, which now affects our Touareg, I figured it was time.

In the video I review the Touareg, and how it’s been for our family over the years. Then, with that in mind, I give my take on Dieselgate and what we plan to do as things progress.

I wrote an article on Dieselgate earlier, before the V6 diesel models were affected, but now that our Touareg has been drawn into it, I wanted to do show my take on the full issue on video.

Enjoy!

Here are some pics of our VW Touareg TDI shot by our friend, Dan Valanzola:

VW Touareg Diesel VW Touareg Diesel VW Touareg Diesel

-Nick Walker

2016 Volvo XC90 Review: Tell The World You’ve Made Babies In Style!

Volvo XC90 T6 AWD Inscription 1

Why does one need a seven passenger vehicle?

Well, maybe you’re popular and have a lot of friends. Or, perhaps more likely, you haven’t been using condoms, but still won’t pull out before the job is done, because that would be disgracefully un-Patriotic. You wouldn’t want to disappoint Uncle Sam now, would you? Of course not.

But now you find yourself surrounded by screaming little bastards of various sizes, and you need a vehicle that can fit everyone, together, all at once… what joy! The car had better be extra comfortable too, because, with all that screaming in the back, it certainly won’t be easy to relax while you drive.

You could buy a minivan, but that’s just demeaning to your character. I mean you’re clearly an attractive person because you’ve been able to make lots of babies. So why buy a car that will turn you into a shmuck now?

You don’t want to sell out, and the best news is you don’t have to. There are plenty of nice and stylish SUVs out there that you will be delighted to drive the family around in. And Volvo has just brought a formidable new player to the game…

Meet the all-new 2016 Volvo XC90, which is a completely new flavor from the previous XC90. Where the old XC90 was too soccer-mom-ish, maybe a small step up from a minivan, the new XC90 is a suave and luxurious SUV. Eager to compete at the top, it’s new sense of style on the surface also comes with many clever improvements underneath. What we have here might be the most interesting 7 seater on the market.

Driving Impressions

I took a camera along for the ride, so you can see my realtime reactions to the car for yourself.

Continue reading 2016 Volvo XC90 Review: Tell The World You’ve Made Babies In Style!

Road Review: 2015 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT/RS Convertible (Grade: C)

As most of you all know, I spent a weekend in Florida in February. When you’re in South Florida, mass transportation is not really a “thing” like it is in the Northeast where I live year-round. When you’re staying with family and need to get around, a rental car is job number one, considering that at my age, it wouldn’t be right to rely on others for getting places. As a result, I embarked on a journey to find a decent deal on a cheap rental. It took just five minutes to figure out that as an AAA member, I could get deals on rentals—and Thrifty was only more than willing to provide. When all the papers were signed, I had spent just 400 dollars—on a convertible. In South Florida, where this rental level is always a high-demand product, I expected to be priced out of the market. Instead, I got one for the price of a subcompact at a five-day rate. Suckers…giving a 25-year-old a convertible that said “Ford Mustang or similar.” Thrifty said, “Take any Ford Mustang you want.” I looked for twenty minutes, then had to ask “Where’s the Mustangs?

They had none left (Thrifty, advertise what you have, not what you don’t), but when I asked the old man at the counter in the lot about the Cadillac CTS and the Camaro convertible sitting front of the booth, he simply said after checking my reciept from the counter, “Just take it, no extra charge.” I dropped my luggage and jacket in the trunk, threw the Camaro in gear, and set off to my grandmother’s condo. As I drove it from Fort Lauderdale International to the great city of Boca Raton (where I was the youngest man driving a convertible for miles and miles), I asked myself a question: “Can the V6 Camaro Convertible be a lot more than just a rental car, or only that?” A few days, a tank of gas, plenty of bugs in the mouth, and a few beers later, I had found an answer. Continue reading Road Review: 2015 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT/RS Convertible (Grade: C)

2015 Cadillac CTS Vsport Review

Cadillac CTS Vsport Front

This is effectively an incognito BMW E39 M5, only even more well-rounded. It is the Cadillac CTS Vsport, not to be confused with the CTS-V, which is Cadillac’s full-throttle, “still hard as a rock after 4 hours” experience.

The CTS Vsport is very much its own thing, not just some “Diet CTS-V” with less calories. If the CTS-V is a big honking hamburger, then the CTS Vsport is grilled salmon filet. It is an entirely different flavor from the V, so get that comparison out of your head from the get-go.

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2015 Kia K900 Reviewed (7/10)

Kia K900 Front

This is Kia’s new K900, and it costs $60,000… that’s right, $60,000… for a Kia. That sounds outrageous, I know, and it may even be enough to render any of the K900’s good attributes irrelevant. But I’ve always been a fan of giving the benefit of the doubt to anyone willing to try their best, so it was with that mindset that I took the wheel of this white Kia K900.

So what do you get for your $60 grand?

Continue reading 2015 Kia K900 Reviewed (7/10)