Archive for the ‘Car Publications’ Category

Sister site AllCarsElectric.com spent a day quietly blasting around New York City in a Tesla Roadster, the all-electric icon for the petroleum-free automotive movement. Site creator and New York neurologist Lyle Dennis found the Lotus Elise-based, carbon fiber-bodied roadster to be swift, tidy, easy to charge, and to offer much the same thrills provided by a petroleum-powered equivalent.

Dennis marveled at acceleration "so strong it pinned you to your seat" as well as excellent passing power at speed. He reports the 0-60 mph sprint occurs in 3.9 seconds. A single gear for the transmission and the pushback of regenerative coasting and...

Audi, the biggest defender of the oddball five-cylinder powerplant back in the 80s, plops a healthy one into its upcoming TT RS coupe that debuts at the Geneva Motor Show. The 2.5-liter unit presumably shares architecture with the VW five of the same size and powering the Rabbit/Golf and Jetta. But in TT RS tune and with a turbo, it unleashes in excess of 300 hp. And given the 2.0 turbo four's healthy torque, we expect a rather violent push in the back from this new five.

An interesting claim by Audi is the engine's "unrivalled sound." Five cylinders don't have a history of enthralling enthusiasts with their timbre. Whether the rattling...

Consumer Reports' March issue rated the 2009 Honda Fit tops in a test of five subcompact hatchbacks and sedans. Against the Chevrolet Aveo, Nissan Versa, Suzuki SX4, and Toyota Yaris, CR found the Honda presented the most compelling mix of practicality, efficiency, enjoyable driving, impressive cargo capacity and interior versatility.

"The Fit seems roomier on the inside than you might expect, with an interior that is unusually versatile and flexible--and cargo capacity rivaling that of a small SUV," said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' Auto Test Center in East Haddam, Connecticut. "Lightness and agility make the Fit...