Lexus Revamps Its Midsize SUV I find it curious that Lexus continues to go with two truck-based SUVs when the trend is to the more car-like crossovers. Of course, one explanation is that they have readymade Toyota platforms to use. In the case of the GX460, it’s the Toyota 4Runner. But no matter how you [...]
Redesigned Sienna Impresses It’s not easy to design a stylish minivan. Nissan tried it a few years ago with the Quest, and it turned out to be a flop. Now, Toyota has taken a crack at putting some style in its 2011 Sienna, and I got mixed reactions to my test car. Some liked the [...]
A Sporty Minivan? Can a minivan be sporty? Toyota thinks so. The Japanese automaker is offering a sport model of its redesigned 2011 Sienna called the SE. The SE is one of five versions of an expanded Sienna lineup. The new Siennas, even the base model LE, have a sportier look this year. (Toyota’s Calty [...]
Off-Road Better Than On-Road How times have changed. Back in the 1990s, truck-based SUVs, like the 4Runner were all the rage—everybody wanted one. Today, most people opt for the car-based “Crossovers,” like the Toyota Highlander. However, there are those who still prefer the traditional “go anywhere” sport/ute. For these folks, Toyota has a redesigned 2010 [...]
Zoom-Zoom and Room Too It’s not easy to make a large SUV look stylish, but Mazda has managed to do so with its CX9. It’s sloping hood, upsweeping beltline and open-mouth grille give this sport/ute a jaunty look. While it may appear that the CX9 is just a stretched version of Mazda’s midsize CX7, that’s [...]
The Pilot Soldiers On Unchanged Honda redesigned the Pilot for 2009, so the ’10 model carries on without change, except for some new colors. The current Pilot looks much the same as its predecessor, except for the grille and the headlights. It sports a squared-off look that is reminiscent of early SUVs from the 1990s. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
RX Hybrid Builds On Strengths This may come as no surprise, but the 2010 Lexus RX 450h hybrid doesn’t look a whole lot different than the model it replaces. In fact, if you were to just give it a casual glance, you might think you were looking at a 2009. Lexus was not about to [...]
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