Even before GM killed Pontiac it was focusing the brand more tightly on performance cars like the Solstice and G8. So the Pontiac Torrent was replaced by the GMC Terrain and the Vibe was rumored to be in its final generation. With Pontiac winding down, the Vibe is now definitely in its final model year. But while the Terrain fits… More →
Month: January 2010
NAIAS 2010: XTS, a Cadillac Avalon?
Back in the early 2000s Cadillac excited driving enthusiasts by pledging to become a world-class luxury car manufacturer by spending billions to develop all-new rear wheel-drive cars that shared little with other General Motors product. Problem was, aside from the CTS these new models sold poorly, and GM ran out of money. So, for at least the next five years,… More →
NAIAS 2010: an appealing Chevrolet Aveo
At NAIAS this year, General Motors introduced a redesigned Chevrolet Aveo. With the even smaller Spark on the way, the Aveo is growing a bit. The car was introduced in concept RS form, with large brakes, even larger wheels, upholstered instrument panel, and centrally-mounted dual exhaust tips. The concept is powered by a 138-horsepower turbocharged four. This engine seems much… More →
Consumer Guide ceases print publication
Back in 1983, when I first became strongly interested in cars, I saw Consumer Guide’s annual guide to car prices on a newsstand while on a family trip from Virginia to South Carolina, and bought it. There have been a number of printed car price guides over the years, but I always strongly preferred Consumer Guide’s format, which printed all… More →
NAIAS: Buick Regal GS
Continuing my brand by brand coverage of NAIAS… BMW introduced the ActiveE, an all-electric 1-Series coupe. It looks much like a 1-Series coupe with bizarre graphics. BMW claims 0-60 will be under 9 seconds and range will be 100 miles. I’ll be more excited when one’s available for purchase and I can drive one. Which won’t be this car, but… More →
Best bit of the new Audi A8: seat controls
Audi and BMW have been competing to see who can offer the largest number of seat adjustments in their large luxury sedans. A major challenge: how to make all of these adjustments easy to control. Previous solutions, especially that on the previous generation BMW 7-Series, have made it difficult to figure out–and then remember–how to make some of the less… More →
NAIAS 2010 impressions: Audi A8 best in show?
I attended the 1.5 press days of the North American International (i.e. Detroit) Auto Show earlier this week. You’ll find detailed coverage on many other sites. Here I’ll just post a few of my personal impressions, covering the makes in alphabetical order. First, a general comment. Like last year, but perhaps to an even greater degree, the auto show had… More →
Sibling rivalry: new Kia Sorento severely undercuts Hyundai Santa Fe
The first-generation Kia Sorento was an oddity: a conventional body-on-frame SUV that was positioned to compete with car-based crossovers. As such, it was not competitive. While it had a nice interior and major advantages in towing and off-roading, the first Sorento could not match the car-based competition in terms of ride, handling, or fuel economy. A second-generation Sorento is now… More →
2010 Jaguar XJ pricing — a bargain?
Jaguar has redesigned its flagship XJ from time to time, but has not deviated from the basic lines of the classic Series III sedan. Until now. Though structurally based on the previous generation sedan, the redesigned 2010 XJ looks nothing like its predecessors. In addition, Jaguar has loaded the new car with high-tech features, some of them not yet available… More →