Sedans, New Car Reviews

2010 Acura TL 6-Speed

Monday, January 4th, 2010

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. Folks [...]

2010 Mazda6

Monday, December 14th, 2009

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 powerful. [...]

2009 Infiniti G37 Sedan

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Better Than Ever
When I first drove the Infiniti G sedan in 2003, I was blown away. This car had excellent power, phenomenal handling, sleek styling and a reasonable price. I nearly bought one. Had I done so, that 2003 model would still be sporty enough to contend in today’s market. However, Infiniti didn’t rest on [...]

2009 Nissan Versa

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Stripped Versa Is A Good Value
When I learned that the new base model of the Versa was coming my way, I had trouble suppressing a groan—I was not enthused. But when the car arrived, I was pleased to see that it looked a lot like the higher priced Versa sedans. It had full-size wheel [...]

2009 Honda Civic Hybrid Review | Buyer Guide

Monday, June 15th, 2009

Does The Civic Hybrid Have a Future?
With the introduction of the new Honda Insight hybrid, you have to wonder what the future might hold for the Civic Hybrid. The Insight is more stylish, and almost the same size. More importantly, the Insight costs up to $3850 less than the Civic.
However, some buyers might be [...]

2009 BMW M3 Sedan Review | Buyer Guide

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

Sports Car Performance, Everyday Usability
The BMW M3 coupe and convertible are sports car that many driving enthusiasts would give their eyeteeth to own. But supposing you’re a hot shoe with a family, and really need a sedan. Well, now you can buy an M3 with four doors. After a hiatus of over a decade, BMW [...]

2009 Lexus LS600h L Review | Buyer Guide

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

Luxury and Low Emissions
If you’re a person who wants V-12-type power in your luxury sedan, but low tailpipe emissions as well, Lexus has a car for you. That is if you have 100 grand to spend. The car is the LS 600h L. It’s the hybrid version of the full-size Lexus LS 460 L—the stretched [...]

2009 Acura RL Review | Buyer Guide

Friday, May 1st, 2009

Looking For Respect
The Acura RL has been the Rodney Dangerfield of the Mid-Premium Luxury segment—it’s gotten no respect. Competitors, like the Lexus GS350 and the Infiniti M35, have sold three times as well. There are several possible explanations for this—some say the styling was too bland—others criticized the lack of a V-8 option. Whatever the [...]

2009 Infiniti M45 Review | Buyer Guide

Friday, May 1st, 2009

An Overlooked Gem
The Infiniti M35 and M45 may be the best mid-size luxury cars that get overlooked by new-car shoppers. Competitors, like the BMW 5-Series and the Mercedes E-Class, top the wish list for most buyers. Yet, the Infiniti M is a perennial favorite of Consumer Reports, and a car that garners high marks from [...]

2009 Volkswagen CC Review | Buyer Guide

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

The Volkswagen CC Is About Style.
The new Volkswagen CC is a real head-turner. Taking a page out of the Mercedes playbook, Volkswagen has introduced a slinky version of it its top-of-the-line sedan. The 2009 CC, which stands for Comfort Coupe, is nor really a coupe at all, but a Passat four-door with a coupe-like [...]