Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category

BMW horses are thoroughbreds. Racehorses, even. I say this because each one residing under the sculpted merlot hood of our test 328i Coupe seemed so eager to blur the scenery with every prod of the accelerator. And yet they press forward with a grace and seamlessness befitting Churchill Downs.

For years auto scribes have praised BMW's inline sixes, commenting that they always feel quicker and more stout than their power and torque ratings suggest, smoother and more tractable than competitor's V-6s and fours.

With all of hype and excitement over BMW's new twin-turbo inline-six found in 335 models, I'd forgotten the power ratings for the...

BMW horses are thoroughbreds. Racehorses, even. I say this because each one residing under the sculpted merlot hood of our test 328i Coupe seemed so eager to blur the scenery with every prod of the accelerator. And yet they press forward with a grace and seamlessness befitting Churchill Downs. For years auto scribes have praised BMW's inline sixes, commenting that they always feel quicker and more stout than their power and torque ratings suggest, smoother and more tractable than competitor's V-6s and fours. With all of hype and excitement over BMW's new twin-turbo inline-six found in 335 models, I'd forgotten the power ratings for the... Read More

Rabid fans of the segment-defining Subaru Impreza WRX, which popped up around the turn of the millennium, were pretty bummed out last year when their favorite turbocharged rally-bred bad boy went all soft on them. While the interior was vastly upgraded, materials improved, and driving refinement bettered compared with the former-gen car, the '08 WRX essentially devolved into a cushy GT. It was a far cry from the old model, a tenacious warrior modeled after World Rally Championship racers.

Thankfully, Subaru listened to legions of disappointed fans, and made quick changes for 2009. The 2.5-liter boxer four has been boosted up to 265 hp (up...

Rabid fans of the segment-defining Subaru Impreza WRX, which popped up around the turn of the millennium, were pretty bummed out last year when their favorite turbocharged rally-bred bad boy went all soft on them. While the interior was vastly upgraded, materials improved, and driving refinement bettered compared with the former-gen car, the '08 WRX essentially devolved into a cushy GT. It was a far cry from the old model, a tenacious warrior modeled after World Rally Championship racers. Thankfully, Subaru listened to legions of disappointed fans, and made quick changes for 2009. The 2.5-liter boxer four has been boosted up to 265 hp (up... Read More

As long as I've written about cars and the auto industry (about a dozen years), GM has been on the verge of a comeback in the compact- to mid-size sedan segment. Quite a few different, highly heralded models have come out during this time, that I like to call “comeback kids” — the Oldsmobile Intrigue, Chevrolet Impala, Saturn L-Series, Pontiac G6, and most recently, the Saturn Aura are the ones that most readily come to mind. These are all models that, when new, were surrounded by marketing halos, critical acclaim, and lots of general hoopla at the local dealership. But by the time I found my way into these vehicles for a test... As long as I've written about cars and the auto industry (about a dozen years), GM has been on the verge of a comeback in the compact- to mid-size sedan segment. Quite a few different, highly heralded models have come out during this time, that I like to call “comeback kids” — the Oldsmobile Intrigue, Chevrolet Impala, Saturn L-Series, Pontiac G6, and most recently, the Saturn Aura are the ones that most readily come to mind. These are all models that, when new, were surrounded by marketing halos, critical acclaim, and lots of general hoopla at the local dealership. But by the time I found my way into these vehicles for a test... Read More