2009 Honda Fit: “Fit” for Today’s Economy

Though fuel prices have gone down a bit over the past few weeks, it seems “fuelish” that consumers would go back to their big SUV, gas-guzzling ways. If you need utility for five in a great, small package, you should strongly consider the 2009 Honda Fit.
 

The Fit is now in its second generation, and [...]

2009 Toyota Matrix Video

The Toyota Matrix is all-new for the 2009 Model Year. Half an inch lower, half an inch longer, and 20% lighter than its predecessor, the 2009 Matrix brings an edgy, sporty look to Toyota’s lineup with character contour lines from the grille to the tail lights.
Stay tuned for more on the 2009 [...]

2008 Volvo C30 Video

The C30, an all new vehicle from Volvo, proves that safety and sexy can co-exsist. The 2008 Volvo C30 we tested featured a 2.5 L 5-cylinder turbocharged engine that put out 227hp (a manual transmission is available but our tester was an automatic). Nothing was lost on the C30 from the styling to [...]

2007 MAZDASPEED3 Video

The MAZDASPEED3 lived up to its name when our publisher, Charlie Romero, took it out at Pocono Raceway. The SPEED3 comes with a 2.3L direct-injected turbo engine that produces 263hp. The Sport package starts at $22,935 and the Grand Touring package at $24,650. If you are in the market for a FWD [...]

The 2007 MINI Cooper: A Little More MINI

The MINI Cooper is all-new for 2007, but you’ll need a microscope and a fine-toothed comb to find out what’s been changed. Fortunately for the MINI faithful, parent company BMW decided to preserve the car’s classic appearance and leave its character essentially the same.

Iconic cult cars like the MINI live in constant peril, one [...]

2007 Toyota Prius: The Future

The Toyota Prius is the future. This may sound like an odd statement regarding a car that’s been on the worldwide market since the year 2000, but spend a little time with this hybrid machine and you’ll understand why.

The Prius was redesigned for 2004, and became a mid-size car as opposed to the 2000-2003, [...]

MAZDASPEED3 Preview From Laguna Seca Raceway

It makes a continuous low-pitched humming sound as it reaches full speed. It’s really moving while making such a sound. It climbs suddenly and sharply. It moves rapidly and swoops. It is the Mazdaspeed3, and closely matches the definition of Mazda’s marketing mantra “Zoom Zoom.” The Mazdaspeed3 is the definition of zoom.

With the Mazdaspeed3, the [...]

2007 Nissan Versa Preview

Sold in other markets as the Tiida, Nissan’s entry into the suddenly-crowded “B”-segment–think Honda Fit, Aveo, Yaris, etc.–will be the Versa for 2007. Surprisingly roomy inside, it’s one of the biggest platforms to fit into the B category.

The Versa also sports one of the largest motors in the B-segment. It’s a 122-horse 1.8-liter, and it [...]

2007 Dodge Caliber: A Crossover Hit

DaimlerChrysler sure did a 180 when they filled the happy-go-lucky little Neon’s slot in the corporate roster with the all-new 2007 Caliber. In case the commercials haven’t hammered the point home, the Dodge Boys’ new compact couldn’t be more differentiated from the “hi!”-mobile if they’d made it into a motorcycle. What used to be a [...]

2006 Audi A3 S-Line

The 2006 Audi A3 S-Line is a wagon with sex appeal. With no competition in the field from other luxury contenders, the V6 AWD wagon fills the niche of luxury and practicality plus performance. The A3 S-Line is a bit shorter than other wagons but the passengers do not suffer (just the [...]

2007 Mazda CX-7-First Look

Mazda has released details on the new CX-7 crossover SUV, a 2007 model which should be in dealerships this spring. Production of the CX-7 began last week in Hiroshima, Japan. Pricing will start at $23,750, making the curvaceous newcomer a quite comely competitor in the small SUV segment—where style is often secondary to shape.

Ahead [...]

2006 Mazda5: Pint-Sized People-Mover

Those wacky Japanese-thanks to them we get those neat t-shirts (you know, the ones that read “Super Happy Fun Boy!” or “Winning is for me #1!”), and that cool script that less-imaginative gaigin use to tattoo platitudes on themselves. We also get a glimpse of what their roadways must look like-pint-sized, grinning machines straight out [...]