2009 Nissan Murano: “Murano-ness” Exemplified

Driving the all-new 2009 Nissan Murano, I had a flashback to winter, 2002, when a blizzard struck the Washington, D.C. area. My niece, who suffers from Sickle Cell Anemia, was having a crisis, and had to be quickly transported to Children’s Hospital in Washington. The only problem [...]

smart fortwo: A smart Idea?

Over 25 years ago, the seeds were planted for the smart fortwo. Back then, Mercedes-Benz tabled a design that they didn’t feel could meet their stringent safety requirements with 1972 technology.

Ten years ago, technology caught up, and a creative and technical collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Swatch brought the smart fortwo [...]

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 [...]

2008 Chevrolet Malibu Video

The 2008 Chevrolet Malibu is being heralded as the vehicle that can help save the Big Three from their current slump, and well, after getting some seat time in the new Malibu, we’d be inclined to agree.

The 2008 Malibu is wrapped in a neatly styled package with a [...]

2008 Toyota Land Cruiser Video

The 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser is quite the versatile full-size SUV with a luxurious interior, a redesigned/modernized exterior, three rows of seating, and full-time 4WD. The interior of the 2008 Land Cruiser has features that luxury vehicles have made necessities, like the cooler in the center console and a [...]

2008 Mazda CX-9 First Drive Video

The 2008 Mazda CX-9 offers luxury and practicality (seating for 7) at an affordable price in the full-size SUV market. Surprisingly, since its introduction in 2007, the most popular model of the CX-9 has been the most expensive option, the $40,000 Grand Touring model. For 40 large, you [...]

2008 Toyota Sequoia First Drive

Size matters. Texans like their trucks and SUVs big, they like them powerful, and they like them tough. But, make no mistake; they also want luxury, comfort, and functionality.

A Texas family demands a lot from a full-size SUV, whether taking the kids and their friends to Friday night football, hauling [...]

2008 BMW 135i First Drive Video

Since its inception in 2004, the BMW 1 Series has generated a lot of buzz, both across the pond and right here in our backyard. But, in July 2007, when the 1 Series Coupe became a tangible reality, we only had a small inkling that the 135i Coupe would/could [...]

2008 BMW 135i Coupe On The Gotland Ring

We took the all-new 2008 BMW 135i Coupe out on the Gotland Ring in Gotland, Sweden and were quite impressed by the light-weight (3,373 lbs) sports coupe. The BMW 135i Coupe is powered by a 3.0-liter straight-six with Twin Turbo technology and second-generation direct injection (High Precision Injection). [...]

2008 Infiniti EX35 Car Review

We recently had the opportunity to drive the all-new 2008 Infiniti EX35 through Malibu’s mountains and along its coastline. The EX35, competing against the likes of the Acura RDX and the BMW X3, is a coupe-inspired crossover with an AWD or RWD platform option. Under the hood, the [...]

2008 Honda Accord: Better Than Ever

The first Honda Accord debuted in 1976 as a hatchback known for being fun to drive and reliable. The first Accord sedan bowed in 1979, and Honda has never looked back. The name Accord was derived from Honda’s effort to achieve “accord” between people, society and the automobile [...]

2008 Nissan Rogue First Drive: Scrappy Upstart Defined

Another automotive category is now filled with offerings from Japan’s Big Three automakers. Nissan has finally introduced the production version of its brand-new compact SUV, the Rogue.

Nissan invited DC-area journalists to check out their newest offering in Baltimore, setting up a group ride with a handful of Rogues, commonly [...]