Tag Archives: Asian Cars

Opinions

Consumer Comparison 2015: Accord vs Altima vs Camry

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2015 Toyota Camry 2015 Nissan Altima 2015 Honda Accord

The Honda Accord, the Nissan Altima, and the Toyota Camry, these may seem like mundane machines, but they wage a battle royale for the hearts and minds of the average buyers that make up a huge percentage of the automotive market. And make no mistake, if you are looking to buy one of these three cars, then you are very much an average, Joe-Blow sort of car buyer. That said, do not despair at your C+ automotive clout, because you represent the very backbone of the auto industry, and you are about to make an extremely important decision.

Honda, Toyota, and Nissan are basically seen as the “sure bet” manufacturers for anyone who just wants a reliable form of transportation. That is why we grouped these sedans together. But how are you supposed to choose between three decent options that might as well be carbon copies of one another? Well, dear reader, that’s where we come in to help!

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Opinions

Cars That Should Be Made: Mazdaspeed Miata

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2016 Mazda MX5 Miata

We all know Mazda recently unveiled their new MX-5 Miata to the world. In short, it looks fantastic and it is over 200lbs lighter than the current NC-generation Miata. All should seem right with the world, but what about those of us who yearn for a faster Miata, something that will really set our trousers ablaze?

The standard Miata is a great little thing. Made out of sheer joy, the the Miata’s best trait is probably the simplicity of its experience. I wouldn’t for a single instant suggest that Mazda should change the basic Miata, no. But that doesn’t mean they cannot offer a hotter version under the Mazdaspeed nameplate.

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Automotive Lifestyle, Car Games

Our Picks, the $40,000 question

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In today’s market, $40,000 marks a sort of barrier between “normal” cars and “luxury” cars. You can basically find any sort of car for under $40 grand, so it can be argued that nobody needs to spend more than that unless they’re interested in fluff. It is a realistic budget for many middle class Americans, and that is why we have chosen to kick off our new “Our Picks” segment with it.

We will give our picks for two $40,000 budget scenarios, one as an only car, and the other as a second car. We will also give our second choices for each. Keep in mind, this is how we would spend our own money, with our rather discerning tastes in cars, and not necessarily our recommendations for more average buyers.

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Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Autocar tries out the new Lexus RC F

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Autocar’s Steve Sutcliffe takes the new Lexus RC F for a spin. Looks like a lot of fun!

-Nick

Opinions

Paul Walker’s soul wants you to sign this petition so the US can have Nissan Skylines

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Paul Walker Nissan Skyline

Petrolicious has put forth a petition to get the American government to change the DOT/EPA’s import rule from 25 years to 15 years. What this means is that instead of just being able to import R32 generation Nissan Skylines right now, we would be able to import all of the R32 and R33 generation Skylines, and even some R34 generation Skylines… as seen in The Fast and Furious movies. The rule goes far beyond Nissan Skylines, though. Just think of all the awesome cars in Europe that haven’t made their way over here to the States…. Audi RS2, soon to be Audi RS5 (B5 gen), BMW M5 Wagons, all of those wonderful hot-hatches, and even a first-generation PAGANI ZONDA.

This is really a petition to change a stupid law that needlessly infringes upon the freedom of American consumers to purchase whatever vehicle they want. It serves absolutely no safety purpose, given that all cars from 15 years ago are way less safe than newer cars. Even if you personally would not import a car, you should sign the petition out of good will to your fellow car-lovers, and in return, you will have the pleasure of seeing more beautiful Alfa Romeos roaming the streets. This change will only serve to improve everyone’s lives!

You can sign the petition HERE. All it requires is your name, email, and zip code. It take 2 seconds.

Let’s all use the power of social media to make the United States a better place!

-Nick

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

2014 Infiniti Q60 IPL Convertible Reviewed (Grade: C)

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Infiniti Q60 IPL Convertible Review

When it comes to making a car more than the sum of its parts, luxury brands like Infiniti and Audi do a very strong job. The Q60, formerly known as the G37 Convertible, is one such example. Despite having been on the market since I got my driver’s license (which feels and is a long time ago at this point), they’re still selling it and people are still enjoying new ones as if they have had them for eons. The IPL model is supposed to be a hot version aimed at the older M3, which was the benchmark at the time. Nick and I both drove it, and I wrung it out around the streets of the Seventeen-Mile-Drive to find out what this svelte convertible was capable of. I got quite a few answers, some of which were expected, some of which were desired, and a few of which were not at all what I saw coming.

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Cars We've Driven, Cheap Fun Cars, Luxury Cars

2015 Subaru WRX CVT Automatic Reviewed (9.5/10)

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2015 Subaru WRX Review by Mind Over Motor

This is the new Subaru WRX, and it is the one without a clutch pedal. As if that doesn’t seem bad enough, it doesn’t have a dual clutch gearbox or even a traditional automatic, no, this WRX has a continuously variable transmission (CVT), like the one you might find in a Toyota Prius or a Nissan Versa. And, you know what, it’s pretty damn good.

You might think I’ve lost my mind here, but let me set things straight with a little context. I am not going to say that the CVT WRX is better than the manual WRX, because it surely isn’t for hardcore driving enthusiasts. So let’s get that out of the way right from the start. Subaru still makes a manual WRX for their existing customers, and now it finally comes as a 6-speed (Hooray!). That, however is a fairly boring story to write — the manual WRX is a lot of fun, and the Pope is still Catholic.

I wanted to drive the CVT automatic because the 2015 WRX is the first WRX to be offered without a clutch pedal since 2008, and most of us know the 2008 WRX was a total embarassment. In fact, throughout the entire history of the Subaru WRX, there hasn’t been a decent automatic version… ever. So I had a fundamental question that needed to be answered: Is the new CVT automatic WRX any good at all?

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CARS 101

Subaru WRX STI Modification Guide

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Modified 2004 Subaru WRX STI

The Subaru WRX STi is a fantastic package with solid Brembo brakes, a high-performance suspension, and around 300 turbocharged horsepower being put to the ground with pure all-wheel-drive traction. It is a deadly back road weapon as-is, but there is a lot of room for improvement should you want to take your rally car the the next level.

While better tires will improve any car, overall, the STi is already very well set up for handling and braking. To raise the excitement level, you can just dive right into adding horsepower.

This post is meant to be a generic, easy to understand guide for anyone who is looking into modifying a Subaru STi. We hope this will help save people the hassle of having to dig through online forums just to find the basic information. Look for more modification guides for other types of cars in the future.

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Car Shows

Highlights from the 2014 New York International Auto Show

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Lamborghini, Lotus, and Bugatti
Lamborghini Aventador, Lotus Evora S, and the obligatory Bugatti Veyron, of course.

We made it out to the New York International Auto Show to see some of the new cars that have come out recently. The industry has been very exciting in the last few years, as we move out of the global recession, with many great ideas taking shape, as well as a few that leave us scratching our heads.

Check out the gallery below, and let us know what you think of the new style we are trying out with some of our photos. Enjoy.

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Cars We've Driven, Road Review, Used Car Gems

The Subaru Baja From Hell, Reviewed!

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Subaru Baja From Hell by Area1320

This is a heavily modified, fire breathing example of Subaru’s lukewarm Outback-pickup-thing, which they called the Baja. It belongs to my friend, Rob, who has spent the last eight years corrupting every last inch of this once awkward and unassuming ‘Ute toward the dark side of The Force.

Why… Just why?

Because things like this need to exist. Subaru never made a blood thirsty rally version of the Baja, so Rob has taken it upon himself to make one.

What is the main thing I need to know about the Baja From Hell?

It is different, and its entire identity revolves around being so. Rob’s Baja is a car that is bursting at the seams with “special” and it has proven able to draw a sizable crowd at any sort of automotive gathering.

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Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

2014 Infiniti Q50S Hybrid, Al’s Take (Grade: A)

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20130815-Pebble Beach 2013 Thursday 392

Infiniti has been good at keeping itself in the news lately.  Last year, when they announced they would reshuffle their naming convention in their model lineup to use the word “Q” across the board, I decried the news as a poor decision which would confuse buyers and damage sales.  I’m still not sure if I said the right thing, or the wrong thing.  However, at the New York Auto Show last year, I did catch a glimpse of the new Q50, Infiniti’s replacement for the respectable G37 sedan, and took some time with it to see what it was like to sit in.  By the time Pebble Beach rolled around, Infiniti was offering this brown 2014 Q50S Hybrid for drives.  I eagerly took the keys to see what Infiniti had done with a new platform to fight the BMW 3-Series.

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Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

KAZ: Pushing The Virtual Divide – Gran Turismo Documentary

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KAZ is an inspiring documentary on the story of the Gran Turismo franchise, and its creator, Kazunori Yamauchi. Gran Turismo 3 is the game that changed my life forever and catapulted me into my obsession with cars, so it was very interesting to see how Mr. Yamauchi’s passion in many was directly founded my own passion. It is contagious for sure.

The documentary is around two hours long, but if you have the time to watch it I promise you will be captivated and inspired. This is the sort of passion we should all pursue in our lives. Enjoy!

-Nick