Just as it enters its fourth year, the Subaru Crosstrek drops its “XV” designation. As for the model at hand, a 2015 edition was the subject of a weekly test drive. Take a look at Subaru’s entry-level SUV line up and this niche automaker is well represented. The Subaru Forester … Read more
Ah, naming convention changes. Lincoln has done it. Cadillac is doing it…again. And Infiniti has also accomplished a change in its own model nomenclature. Car manufacturers, especially luxury brands, have been realigning model names to reflect a more Eurocentric alphanumeric pattern. The change is meant to advance product uniformity, but … Read more
The Chrysler 200S supplies premium features to the product line. Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne did in 2014 to the Chrysler marque something that should have been accomplished decades earlier: he officially reassigned Chrysler to mainstream brand status, moving it away from its previous premium standing as a one-time direct … Read more
Automotive analysts drive me nuts! Well, not all — after all, I am an analyst myself. What infuriates me is when any purported expert or analyst takes data and uses that to argue a point, a baseless one in particular. For example, some people are pointing to Cadillac’s current sales … Read more
There are no lack of SUVs on the market and Nissan itself is well represented. From its diminutive Juke to its burly Armada, there is something for everyone — six lines of utility vehicles to choose from. A Nissan Murano was a recent weekly driver, a five-passenger midsize crossover SUV. … Read more
The Buick brand is enjoying a not-so-quiet renaissance, one where its entire fleet has been overhauled in the space of four years. This transformation has updated the marque with products better suited to attract younger buyers, consumers who are more likely to stay with the brand than the 70-something owners … Read more
You can get big V-8 power in the Chrysler 300, but a standard V-6 may meet your expectations for this full-bodied, traditional rear-wheel drive sedan. The current generation is based on its own architecture, forever severing its earlier Mercedes connection. Hundreds of cars have come and gone in my press … Read more
In the Hyundai pecking order, the Azera sits between the midsize Sonata and the luxury Genesis sedan. That placement means that this large sedan has intense competition coming from below and above as well as from its competitors. The Hyundai Azera continues to fall far short of sales projections, missing … Read more
These are heady days for the auto industry as an assortment of muscle cars influence the market. The Ford Mustang is one such model and an international contestant at that. Few vehicles have ever achieved the historical significance and the signature cachet of the Ford Mustang. Since its introduction on … Read more
Wagons have not sold well in the United States, but that isn’t stopping Swedish automaker Volvo from introducing a variant to its V60 sport wagon. This lifted wagon comes with skid plates to provide better off-road duty when needed. Take a Volvo V60 wagon and put it on steroids and … Read more