2010 Model Reviews

Outback Goes Crossover Subaru is on a roll. The Japanese automaker was one of only three car companies (along with Hyundai and Kia) to increase sales in the U.S. in 2009. Furthermore, they are off to a good start this year. Their redesigned Outback has been named Motor Trend’s “2010 SUV of the Year.” And [...]

A Fusion By Another Name If you have read my review of the Ford Fusion Hybrid, you already know a lot about the Mercury Milan Hybrid. The Fusion and the Milan are corporate twins. The Fusion Hybrid has gotten the recognition (“North American Car of the Year”) but whatever can be said about the Fusion, [...]

The SHO’s Back On The Road After a layoff of some 10 years, the Taurus SHO has returned to the Ford lineup. The SHO, which stands for Super High Output, is the performance model in the Taurus line. It’s a sport sedan geared for those who enjoy spirited driving, but also need a full-size car [...]

An Electronic Treasure Trove and More The Mercedes E550 is a rolling treasure trove of high-tech wizardry. This car has every type of driver aid imaginable. Features that started on the big S-Class have now migrated to the new E models. Some, like the Pre-Safe system and Attention Assist are standard. Pre-Safe prepares the car [...]

Escape Hybrid Leads in Fuel Efficiency If you are looking for best gas mileage in an SUV, look no further than the Ford Escape Hybrid. It gets between 31 and 34 miles per gallon of gas. But this excellent fuel economy comes at a cost. The base price for the Escape Hybrid is just shy [...]

Ford’s “Car of the Year” The Ford Fusion hit the jackpot for awards this year. The Hybrid model was named “North American Car of the Year” by a panel of 49 auto journalists in Detroit, and the Fusion (all models) was named Motor Trend’s “2010 Car of the Year.” One of the reasons Motor Trend [...]

2010 TL Gets 6-Speed Manual I don’t know if the styling of the Acura TL has grown on me in the last year, or whether my test car, which was painted white, made the design look more subtle. From some angles the TL is quite attractive, but that massive nose is a polarizing styling cue. [...]

A Junior Version of the Evo I’ll never forget the last Lancer Ralliart that I drove—it got me a speeding ticket. Of course, I can’t really blame the Ralliart, but it did bring out the boy-racer in me. The latest Ralliart will do the same, and I have to admit to some difficulty curbing my [...]

Sized To Challenge Accord and Camry The last generation Mazda6 was a fun car to drive, but it’s sales were lackluster, compared to the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord. One of the reasons for this was size—the 6 wasn’t as large as those segment leaders. Another problem was that the Mazda’s engines weren’t as [...]

Has Ford Reinvented the Station Wagon? Ford says the Flex “dares to be different.” There’s no question about that. This vehicle is definitely not a minivan, and it is not exactly an SUV either. In some ways, it reminds me of an old-time station wagon. Ford calls it a “Crossover, ” but however you define [...]