Exploring the performance side of the Lexus house. Think “Lexus” and the usual terms such as “luxury” and “quality” come to mind. “Fuel efficiency” and “value” are other hallmarks of Toyota’s 25-year-old luxury brand. What does not come to mind all that often is “performance” or at least not to … Read more
Small sedan provides big value. The Toyota Corolla may offer the best bang for the buck, a five passenger front-wheel drive sedan that can be had for under $20,000. Corolla is the best selling vehicle of all time, a compact model that competes against the Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Volkswagen … Read more
Latest edition Toyota Avalon hits all the right marks. After three consecutive weeks of driving hybrid electric vehicles, little did I know that the best one would be saved for last. While the Toyota Prius and the Lexus CT 200h both have a place among hybrids — the Prius for … Read more
A North American sedan with European roots. In 2013, GM sold more than 9.7 million vehicles worldwide for one of its best years ever. Its Buick brand contributed over 1 million sales, nearly matching Opel, and behind Chevrolet. China is the biggest market for Buick. In the United States, … Read more
Lexus has taken its own approach to the premium/luxury segment. Its model line is composed mostly of a variety of sedans and utility vehicles, each powered by a gasoline engine. There is nary a diesel found in its North American lineup. Instead, Lexus serves up five hybrid models to demonstrate … Read more
Second-generation model makes a luxury statement. Hyundai offers four medium to large sedans, more than any other brand. The Korean manufacturer has steadily expanded its product line to provide incrementally larger and more luxurious vehicles beginning with the midsize Sonata and extending to the larger Azera, the still larger Genesis, … Read more
Imagine the frustration at GM when the feedback trickling in for the all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu was lukewarm at best. Six years after releasing a stunningly improved and widely acclaimed midsize sedan, the next generation model was faulted by some critics for its exterior styling, its uninspiring dashboard layout and … Read more
The Hyundai Sonata is not the best selling vehicle in the midsize segment. That honor belongs to the Toyota Camry. As a matter of fact, the Sonata trails the Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and the Ford Fusion. And at present, it is running neck and neck with the Chevrolet … Read more
The attainable sports car: 2014 Subaru BRZ. One week with the Subaru BRZ has changed my mind about small, sports cars. Not that my mind had been set in stone mind you, rather I’ve always had my eye on larger and pricier models, well-equipped sports coupes that start around $40,000 … Read more
The current Infiniti QX60 is the former JX35. Infiniti has changed its model naming convention by assigning a “Q” or a “QX” to precede the two-digit name for every vehicle that it sells. The “Q” precedes every car model, the “QX” designation is for its utility vehicles. Thus, a 2013 … Read more