Category Archives: Cars We’ve Driven

This is our road test section. We use whatever means we can to get whatever cars we can.

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

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

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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?

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Cars We've Driven, Everyday Normal Cars

Test Driven: Buick Verano Al’s Take

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Buick has not had the best reputation with smaller cars.  Their most recent entry, the Skylark, turned a once great name into one best remembered for being an elderly librarian’s best friend and a speed demon’s worst enemy on I-95.  However, Buick’s fortunes have turned around a lot in the past two years or so, with newfound success in the larger and smaller portion of the premium midsize market and a newfound lease on life.  So, I took this white Verano you see here for a spin in South Florida to see if it was up to the hype. Continue reading Test Driven: Buick Verano Al’s Take →

Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars

Test Driven: 2012 Audi A7

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Four-door coupes are one of the fastest-growing segments in this country.  Mercedes started the ball rolling with the CLS, and as of now, the other two German luxury brands have answered the call with interpretations of their own.  BMW recently launched the 6-Series Gran Coupe, while Audi started selling their entry last year, the A7.  Towards the end of December 2011, my father and I stopped by the local dealer and drove this stunning white example to find out how good the A7 is. Continue reading Test Driven: 2012 Audi A7 →

Cars We've Driven, Everyday Normal Cars

Test Driven: Toyota Prius C (9/10)

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Toyota Prius C: Small Car, Big City

This was my first time driving a Prius of any sort, although I have driven other hybrids. The Prius is special though because society has made into the poster child for the green car movement. The Prius C is the newest, smallest member of the Prius family, and it is selling like hotcakes right now. Like many car guys, I have always had a good deal of contempt for the Prius over the years for various reasons, but I figured it would be a good idea to at least go try one out for myself before closing the book on the car for good. What lay ahead tuned out to be an interesting experience.    Continue reading Test Driven: Toyota Prius C (9/10) →

Cars We've Driven, Used Car Gems

Test Driven: 2004 Pontiac GTO

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The three letters “G-T-O” are legendary in automotive culture. They stand for “Gran Turismo Omologato”, an Italian phrase which means “Grand Touring Homologation”. Ferrari is the most famous manufacturer to use this phrase, as the famous 250GTO entered history as one of the most famous and sought-after Ferraris ever built. The other manufacturer to use this acronym heavily was General Motors during the same time period. From 1964 to 1974, Pontiac built its GTO, at first just an option package on the midsize Tempest, then later on a fully-fledged model. The GTO kicked off the muscle-car era, an era that went down as one of the most famous in American automotive history, but died in 1974 as a flabby memory of its former self, downgraded to an option on the Ventura (Pontiac’s Chevy Nova clone). But, in 2004, GM decided to bring back the name, 30 years later. They took the Holden Monaro, slapped a new front and rear end on it, moved the steering wheel, and gave it a few Pontiac badges. I took this used 2004 model to the streets to see if it was any good.

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Cars We've Driven, Used Car Gems

Test Driven: 2000 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor

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The cops have had an interesting automotive history in this country.  Chrysler had a great grip on the market until the Eighties, then Chevy, and now Ford.  But, the Crown Victoria, Ford’s greatest offering to the altar of the fraternal order of police, died on September 15, 2011, after being in production for over three decades.  It’s not the best looking ride in the stable, and it certainly isn’t the one that gets all the girls.  But, it’s got room for six, eight cylinders, rear wheel drive, and a reputation for working around the clock and then some.  I grabbed the keys to this decade-plus old detective’s chariot and asked myself a very good question: Can a modern-day Blues-Mobile be worth 3 grand? Continue reading Test Driven: 2000 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Test Driven: 2012 BMW 135i

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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, Used Car Gems

Test Driven: 2009 Chevrolet HHR SS (6/10)

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The HHR is a car that is definitely overlooked by most people. It was a reaction to the Chrysler PT Cruiser, but it took GM 5 whole years before it was in showrooms. The HHR was often referred to as a small SUV, but honestly its proportions are only slightly larger than those of a Mazda3, and it lacks the ground clearance of a true crossover. It is a bit of an oddball car, and it looks like an old milk truck to boot. That however does make it more interesting than the average car, especially the SS, where Chevy decided to throw in the same turbocharged 2.0L motor from the Cobalt SS. In fact I got the idea to do this review off of a whim when a bright red HHR SS pulled up next to me at a light. The car looked cool, and it peaked my interest enough that I went out and found one to test drive.   Continue reading Test Driven: 2009 Chevrolet HHR SS (6/10) →

Cars We've Driven, Used Car Gems

Test Driven: 2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT

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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 →

Cars We've Driven, Used Car Gems

Test Driven: 2000 Cadillac Eldorado ETC

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“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.

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Cars We've Driven, Used Car Gems

Test Driven: 2009 Pontiac G8 GT

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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.

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Cars We've Driven, Road Review

Test Driven: 1995 SAAB 900 S

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On the left is the owner, Adam Schaffer.

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 →