The 2007 Dodge Nitro: A Flash From The Past

We’re not sure what to call the Dodge Nitro, but it’s the kind of quirky, no-frills vehicle that we’re glad someone had the guts to build. It shares underpinnings and engines with Jeep’s mid-size Liberty SUV, but comes in a more street-friendly flavor.

It’s unmistakably a Dodge, with the big [...]

The 2007 Kia Sorento: Rooting For The Underdog

Any observer of the automotive industry has to be astonished at the strides made by Korean automakers like Kia. They have more positive momentum than any other automakers, and continue to be great buys for consumers driven principally by value considerations. However, times are changing, and the [...]

2008 Nissan Altima Coupe First Drive

You may be wondering why Nissan is bothering to launch a new car (the Altima coupe) into the auto market when they are already doing so well. The warranty claim rate on Nissan vehicles has dropped 60% in the past two years. The company hopes to launch a [...]

The 2008 Subaru Tribeca AWD: Luxury For Less

Today, June 1st, 2007, means that I can finally talk about the new crossover SUV known as the Subaru Tribeca. “Wait, are we talking about the same Tribeca?” you might ask, a bit confused after seeing the 2008 version, understandably so, since the face of the 2008 model year (MY) [...]

The 2007 BMW 650i: The Second Coming

Excluding the M6 with its 500-hp V10, the V8-powered 650i is BMW’s top-of-the-line coupe. The 6-series returned in 2003, after being absent from the US market since 1989, and BMW enthusiasts couldn’t be happier. It has a 4.8-liter V8, making 360 horsepower and 360 lb.-ft. of torque, and [...]

2007 Toyota Highlander Limited: A Toyota To The Core

The 2007 Toyota Highlander is a Toyota through and through. It’s capable, roomy, and inoffensive. Like all vehicles from the world’s largest carmaker, it has few weaknesses, and proudly carries its vanilla personality like a war medal.

The story with the Highlander is value. Toyota doesn’t make the [...]

Interview With Nissan And Infiniti’s Larry Dominique

At the recent 2007 New York International Auto Show, I was fortunate to catch Larry Dominique, VP of product planning for Nissan and Infiniti, for a quick interview. He has been with the Nissan Brand since 1989, and before working with the Infiniti G37 Coupe, he worked with vehicles [...]

Getting Your Money’s Worth: The 2007 Infiniti M45

Being an automotive journalist, one runs of the risk of becoming a jaded car guy. Cars that look good on paper are often a disappointment on the pavement, and most cars bear the telltale signs of cost-cutting in ways that are most distressing to the enthusiast.

However, the M45 is [...]

Mercedes-Benz S550… Private Jet? Luxury Yacht? The Luxury Sedan!

In the life of every journalist, there are highlights. They may come in the form of a big scoop, or interviewing an overachiever in the field one reports on. For an automotive journalist, the ability to get up-close-and-personal – and downright intimate – with your field’s overachievers is [...]

BMW 3-Series Convertible: Worth The Wait

BMW is notoriously deliberate when it comes to releasing new models. When it comes to the 3-Series, the company’s best-selling line with a multitude of configurations, change comes out of Munich in a slow trickle.

Observers of this venerable German marque should be used to it by now: the sedan [...]

Video: Nissan’s 2007 Sentra SE-R Spec V… Road Test at the Racetrack!

Anyone can bring you a road test of the all-new Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V but a proper test of this great racer is done at a racetrack! We push the Spec V to its limits on the road course at Homestead Miami Raceway. But, we didn’t use the road [...]

2007 Mercedes-Benz CL 550: Two Door Supremacy

When Mercedes-Benz decided to redesign their CL-Class of cars, I took a long breath and wondered out loud. “How can they improve a perfect design?” came the echoes from deep within. The last CL I’d driven was the CL 65 AMG, with its hand built twin-turbo, 6.0 liter [...]