As Good as Higher Priced Sedans
No one who has driven a BMW or Audi would mistake a Chevrolet or Buick for a BMW or Audi. For that matter, no one who has driven a 2016 Honda Accord or Civic sedan would confuse a Chevrolet or Buick with one of those cars. It is not that the foreign-based companies are inarguably superior manufacturers of cars and trucks. Their products are good, yes. But so are those made by their U.S.-based rivals. The difference is attitude. For...
A Smarter, Sleeker Hybrid From Toyota
Back in the dark days of automotive history, fuel was cheap and plentiful and Detroit dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Then the Prius came along, offering the first practical hybrid solution, and became the bestselling car in California. Almost a decade later, fuel is cheap and plentiful again, and a changed world awaits the latest iteration of the world’s most successful hybrid. Since the debut of the original, the road has become busy...
Off-Road Looks, On-Road Agility
Since its rebirth in 1998, the Volkswagen Beetle has been the subject of a key question for those possessing a Y chromosome: Are you man enough to drive one? Its Hello Kitty styling is a bit emasculating. This is no small thing. While the Beetle was originally created under the auspices of the Nazi party and engineered by Ferdinand Porsche, its popularity in the 1960s came about — improbably enough for a product created by...
A Crossover That Doesn’t Stand Out
As Mitsubishi retreats from U.S. shores, cresting at 2 percent market share in 2002 before dipping to less than one-half of 1 percent since 2009, it has cast the redesigned Outlander crossover to hook budget-minded buyers looking for good warranties and better fuel economy. But those traits don’t quite appeal to the larger appetites of the American car buyer, which is why the three-row Outlander crossover and its smaller but...
Auto Review: 2016 Subaru Forester Has Power, Performance and Style
Gasoline and granola doesn’t sound like the breakfast of champions to me. But green-leaning, slightly square Subaru has long managed to whip it into a sweet mix with its gentle all-wheel-drive, fuel-sipping, earth-saving image. As you know, style-challenged Subaru puts practicality and function far above performance and pretty lines — and it works exceedingly well. For the last five years, the Japanese manufacturer has grown faster...
