The Nissan Kicks is an affordable utility vehicle for first-time car buyers. It does to the utility sphere what the Nissan Versa does in the car market, by providing a cost-effective model that blends style, utility, and comfort. With a starting price of under $20,000, the Kicks may convert not … Read more
Toyota’s C-HR delivers the goods to the compact crossover segment. Take a coupe and blend it with a crossover and out comes the Toyota C-HR. Well, not exactly. Toyota’s newest model is definitely a crossover, but with coupe-like elements. It is a styling direction advanced previously by Nissan in the … Read more
An entry-level hybrid with a fun-to-drive F Sport option. Sitting lower and coming in slightly shorter than the Toyota Prius, the Lexus CT200h (CT) is the smallest hybrid model for Toyota’s luxury brand. Now in its seventh year, the CT will soon follow the Prius and receive an update of … Read more
The Lexus ES is a luxury sedan requiring no introduction. Now in its sixth generation, the ES line is one of two models that launched the Lexus brand in 1989 (the flagship LS is the other one) and remains Lexus’ top-selling model behind the RX SUV. The ES line has … Read more
What’s big, beautiful, and seats eight? That would be the LX 570, the largest of four SUVs sold by Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand. Two hybrid variants are also available. This vehicle takes the bones of the highly capable Toyota Land Cruiser and adds Lexus panache to create one of the … Read more
Flagship CX-9 turns heads, stirs hearts. Three-row, midsize SUVs are popular models, taking over largely where minivans left off. The Mazda CX-9 is one of several models in the segment and is now in its second generation. In many ways the CX-9 is the flagship of the Mazda fleet, offering … Read more
Is the Chevrolet Camaro SS a 2+2 version of the Corvette? It sure seems that way. Both models share a 6.2-liter, V-8 engine making 455 horsepower. The Camaro has an output of 455 foot-pounds of torque; the Corvette shoots out 460 foot-pounds. In the Camaro you get a 6-speed manual … Read more
Lower fuel prices are making it difficult for consumers to justify investing in a hybrid electric vehicle. The hybrid market is taking a beating as gas prices continue to fall, dropping well below $2 per gallon in most areas. Fickle consumers that we are, our eyes are now on the … Read more
Is it possible to pay too much for a new car? Absolutely. And with the average selling price of a new vehicle coming in around $32,500, there’s a good chance that a significant number of consumers must realign their expectations or forego a new car entirely. Happily, Hyundai seems to … Read more
America’s best selling car model holds tight to its lead. A V-6 option adds performance, although it lacks the handling characteristics of a sports sedan. The 2015 Toyota Camry has an appealing visage and offers a model for a variety of shoppers, including an available hybrid edition. 2015 Toyota XSE … Read more
The Consumer Reports 2014 Annual Reliability Survey is out, what paints a highly critical and negative picture of in-car technologies, particularly infotainment systems. Such systems typically provide audio, information and navigation access, but often do not deliver as promised. Instead, users may find these systems confusing, unreliable or simply unworkable, … Read more
Second generation A3 meets an important price point. Take one look at the Audi pecking order and you’ll find a good mix of small, medium and large models. When it comes to the compact end of the market, Audi offers a two-prong approach in both the A3 and A4 sedans, … Read more
J.D. Power 2014 Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study reveals much. New car owners love their technologies, but only when they work right. Today’s cars offer a varying range of audio, communication, entertainment and navigation (ACEN) systems with hand touches, finger gestures, buttons, knobs and voice commands among the ways that … Read more