Category Archives: Luxury Cars

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars, Used Car Gems

Test Driven: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro SS (9/10)

4 Comments

Chevrolet Camaro SS

At the airport terminal, having just arrived in Jacksonville Florida for our weekend at Amelia Island, we came to the the point in our travels where it was time to rent a car. The attendant asked us, in an ever so friendly manner, “Now, what are you boys in town for this weekend?” We told her about the car shows on Amelia Island, and a smirk came to her face. She had us right where she wanted us and she damn well knew it. “Well, have I got something extra special for you then. Are you Ford or Chevy fans?” We opted for Chevy. “Well guess what. I just happen to have a pretty little yellow Camaro SS on the lot for you”. We exchange glances, and then she said, “It’s normally pretty expensive, but I can give it to you for an extra $20 a day.” Considering we had booked an economy car, liable to be a Chevy Spark or some other gutless mode of transportation, it was a very solid offer. We accepted, and went out to the parking lot to see if the car was actually an SS. To our surprise it was, bright and yellow as described, with a big V8 under the hood. So with that we loaded up our bags, and set off in our 400hp rental car.

Continue reading Test Driven: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro SS (9/10) →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars, Used Car Gems

Test Driven: 2010 VW CC 2.0T (10/10)

9 Comments

Volkswagen CC front

Volkswagen had a bit of genius when they built the CC. Obviously they took the coupe-sedan idea from the Mercedes CLS, but unlike the Mercedes, the CC was generally affordable. It sold like hotcakes because, while underneath it was just a VW Passat, its exterior appearance was nothing short of magnificent. Now many of the early CCs are coming off lease, and are available on the secondhand market for what seems to be a great value. So now the question is, what lies under the CC’s pretty facade, and is it worth spending your money on?

I should disclose that I am considering getting myself a CC like this one, so this drive was as much for me personally, as it was for this article. I love having two sports cars, my Subaru STi and Mazda Miata, but lately I have wanted something a bit more comfortable for daily driving. It would be nice to have a car I could go places in, and not have a little devil on my shoulder, constantly telling me to break the law. That said, I don’t want some gutless econobox either, I want a proper luxury car.  Continue reading Test Driven: 2010 VW CC 2.0T (10/10) →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars, Used Car Gems

Test Driven: Lotus Elise (9/10)

2 Comments
Photo by Santiago Heyser

This isn’t a car you are looking at, at least not by most modern definitions. Colin Chapman, the founder of Lotus, had a famous philosophy for building a car, “Simplify and add lightness”. The idea was that in racing, having a lighter car made for a faster, better handling machine. In the context of a modern road car, things don’t get much lighter, or simpler than a Lotus Elise. Most car buyers these days want all kinds of fancy features that add weight and complexity to a car. They want big leather couches to relax in, they want to text and check Twitter while on the move, and then they all want the car’s safety systems to save them when their own inattention to driving causes a massive accident. The Elise has none of these things, and it appeals to a more competent, more serious sort of driver. So, here in 2013, if this Lotus Elise is not a bonafide “car”, what is it?

Continue reading Test Driven: Lotus Elise (9/10) →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars, Used Car Gems

Test Driven: 2011 BMW E90 335d (10/10)

19 Comments

BMW 335d 1
The 335d was a bit of an oddball on the American market. It was the highest performing diesel version of the E90 3 Series, and BMW sought to see how Americans would receive a top range diesel car. Diesels are huge in Europe, but have a much smaller market share here in the States. Considering that, along with the fact that the 335d was a higher-end model 3 Series, it comes as no surprise that they were not BMW’s biggest seller. That means that today, here in 2013, 335ds are rather uncommon on the used market. It also means that we have to change the way we look at the car now that it is only available pre owned.

Those people who did buy 335ds will absolutely swear by them. To most uneducated Americans the notion of diesel power evokes thoughts of black smoke and the loud rattle of a dump truck. Anyone with actual experience in a modern diesel car will tell an entirely different story. They will tell you about the solid performance, and incredible fuel economy, about a car that both runs clean, and is great fun to drive. Diesels like the 335d are sort of a insider secret in America, those who know, know, and those who don’t know waste their money on (mostly) gutless hybrid cars.

I had driven a 335d once before, but only very briefly. I decided to go out and try another one for two reasons: First, to see how it fairs in the context of the used market. Second, to compare it to the new F30 3 Series that I reviewed recently. Lets face it, BMWs are very overpriced brand new, with all kinds of options that nickel-and-dime you to death. A smart car buyer knows that BMWs should be purchased secondhand, with low mileage and some remainder on the factory warranty. By doing this, you save yourself the vast depreciation that comes from spending so much on all of those fancy options, as well as the BMW brand mark up. I will go into the specifics of this for the 335d later on All you need to know for now is that 335ds are currently right in the sweet spot of the secondhand BMW market.

Continue reading Test Driven: 2011 BMW E90 335d (10/10) →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Test Driven: 2013 Cadillac XTS-4 Platinum (6.5/10)

1 Comment

Cadillac hasn’t really been the “Cadillac of cars” since the mid 1960s. Even though their tag line is “The Standard Of The World”, anyone who’s been paying attention knows that they are really going through a renaissance after around 30 years of terrible products. The triumphant V16 cruisers, which made Cadillac’s name, are distant memories of the past, and even the classic finned cars are now over half a century old. The 2013 XTS is Cadillac’s new flagship model, replacing both the STS and DTS in the lineup. There has obviously been lots of talk about Cadillac’s CUE infotainment system because the XTS is the first to feature it, but my purposes going into this drive were focused on one thing: has Cadillac made a world-class luxury car, or is the XTS more of the same?

Continue reading Test Driven: 2013 Cadillac XTS-4 Platinum (6.5/10) →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Test Driven: 2012 BMW 135i

1 Comment

BMW has made its fortune on being a performance brand, and the 135i is the cheapest way to get the N55B30 engine in BMW’s lineup.  The 1-Series has been around since 2008 in America, and has been reasonably successful in the USA.  Since I felt like seeing what the turbocharged inline six felt like in BMW’s lightest 4-place car, the 1-Series was a natural fit.  I was not disappointed. Continue reading Test Driven: 2012 BMW 135i →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Test Driven: Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic

3 Comments

I got bored watching the Detroit Lions get beaten to a sad, bloody pulp on Thanksgiving by the Green Bay Packers, so I decided to go take something for a drive.  Thanks to a close friend of my uncle, I obtained the keys to his personal Mercedes E350 4Matic, a car that’s quite successful around my hometown in northern New Jersey.  So, in the interest of asking why people love these cars so much, I took half an hour out of Turkey Day and had myself a drive of this black Benz. Continue reading Test Driven: Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic →

Cars We've Driven, Everyday Normal Cars, Luxury Cars, SUVs and Crossovers

Test Driven: 2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid

Leave a comment

I’ve gotten used to hybrids in the four years I’ve driven them.  They aren’t glamorous, they aren’t designed to make you feel like Ayrton Senna in the mountains, and they’re certainly not designed to tow a boat.  That is, of course, until General Motors decided otherwise.  Meet the Cadillac Escalade.  It’s the most expensive, most blinged-out, and most conspicuous SUV GM offers, and it now comes as a hybrid.  I wonder what Greenpeace thinks?  Well, in reality, I don’t give a damn what they think, so I decided to see what this V8-powered mild hybrid, full-size, full-frame truck was all about at the Radnor Hunt Concours last September. Continue reading Test Driven: 2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Test Driven: 2011 SAAB 9-3X SportCombi

Leave a comment

On December 18th, Saab Automobile filed for bankruptcy, bringing its 64 year offbeat history to an unfortunate end.  Saab enthusiasts are some of the most vocal and most possessive of their brand, and undoubtedly, they will mourn the loss of this name.  Around Thanksgiving weekend, I decided to add another car to my wagon test–Saab’s own wagon, the 9-3 SportCombi.  At the moment, it’s the only wagon Saab sells in the United States, and when I got to the dealer, the car I drove was already discounted by $9,000.  This amount is no misprint–and any new car marked down this much is either a demo, or the dealer seriously needs it off the lot (in this case, the latter).  But, when I started the engine, I forgot about Saab’s financial woes, and asked myself this question:  Despite all the gloom and doom, is this car actually worth buying right now? Continue reading Test Driven: 2011 SAAB 9-3X SportCombi →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Test Driven: 2011 BMW 328i xDrive Sportwagon

Leave a comment

The 3-Series has been BMW’s best-known and most well-respected model since it caught on in the United States back in the 1980s.  The formula has changed somewhat and the models available are far more extensive than its launch decades back, but the basic idea hasn’t changed–a compact sports sedan with enough appeal and value to draw in the masses and show them how a car is supposed to perform.  The E90 design, first introduced back in 2006, is nearing the end of its life on this planet, and as of now, I am unsure that this model, the station wagon, will continue in the United States.  With that in mind, I took the wheel of the white estate car seen here. Continue reading Test Driven: 2011 BMW 328i xDrive Sportwagon →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Test Driven: 2012 Audi A6 3.0T (10/10)

Leave a comment

Audi is all over the news right now because they have been extremely active in producing new models and technologies. While much of this is all new stuff not seen before, Audi seems to have not lost touch with the models that make up their backbone. The A6 is has been revamped for 2012 and may be the best A6 yet.        Continue reading Test Driven: 2012 Audi A6 3.0T (10/10) →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Test Driven: Acura TSX Wagon

3 Comments

Acura seems to have a very different approach to the luxury car market than its Japanese luxury car kin, and it’s paid dividends for them over the years.  While Lexus and Infiniti chase the big boys in Germany, Acura goes after the lower priced market and does a good job of offering a slick alternative to the norm.  The TSX, while in every other part of the world a Honda Accord, is Acura’s entry-level model, but this is no bad thing.  Since I wanted to try the wagon out for the sake of a family member who may need one in the near future, I got a set of keys and took a black TSX Tech Sport Wagon for a drive. Continue reading Test Driven: Acura TSX Wagon →