Volkswagen has been in a state of quiet desperation of late. While sibling/subsidiary Audi is reaping the benefits of a successful bid to compete on an equal footing with high-lux brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, VW itself has seen sales slump by 20% or more. Most of that slide was due to an aging [...]
Continue reading: Onward, Soldier! VW’s New Jetta 2.5 for 2005
It was this reporter’s birthday, and one of the last weeks of warm sun and late days–the kind of week that just begs for a fun car. Perhaps it was kismet that the all-new Miata–the newest version of the car that practically *invented* fun–was in our driveway. Perhaps it was the pleading emails we sent [...]
Continue reading: Improving on an Original: All-New ‘05 Mazda MX-5 Miata
Every brand has one–the staple seller; the for-the-masses car on which a corporation’s fortunes rest. Audi’s bread-and-butter line, the A4 comes in sedan, two-door convertible and wagon variants. Of course, with the falling value of the dollar eating profits and ever-encroaching competition from Japanese, German and even American luxury brands, the A4 is more [...]
Continue reading: All-Wheel Driven (to Succeed): Audi A4 2.0T Quattro
Seems as if every other article in the Auto pages is proclaiming the passing of one or another of the old Big Three. And it’s true; 2004 was not a good year for American auto manufacturers. General Motors and Ford have been hit particularly hard, as for years executives have been forced to watch sales [...]
Continue reading: Star for the North: The All Wheel Drive 2005 Cadillac STS-4
I’d never seen a trail like it. After a couple days of melting snow, the mud at the Summit Point Raceway off-road course was soupy and slick, and deep as a moat in places. The rocks looked like boulders, right there in the middle of what was laughingly called a ‘road,’ and the ruts seemed [...]
Continue reading: 2005 Nissan Xterra: Getting Dirty to The EXTREEEME!
Ford Mustang: always an American icon, it was entirely redesigned and re-engineered for 2005, becoming by all accounts one of the best new cars of the model year and an outstanding sporty-car sales success – the likes of which Ford Motor Company hasn’t seen since the original, 41 years ago. We love the Ford Mustang. [...]
Continue reading: 2005 Ford Mustang GT Convertible: High Speed Fun in the Sun
Volvo, the Swedish brand known for putting occupant safety above all else, has done well in North America trading on its traditional strengths. Staid and solid – if a bit boxy and boring – over the past four decades, Volvo has had little trouble attracting enough of a slice of the safety-conscious American consumer market [...]
Continue reading: The 2005 Volvo S40: Ford Gilds a Lily
When Nissan threw their hat into the full-size pick-up ring, they didn’t tip toe around the competition – they came out swinging and aiming square for the jaw. Today and no longer a rookie, the Nissan Titan hasn’t lost any of its passion – Nissan introduced a host of subtle improvements and refinements intended to [...]
Continue reading: 2005 Nissan Titan: Make Room At The Top
If you’re over 30, you can be forgiven for missing the ‘buzz’ surrounding Toyota’s new youth-oriented Scion brand–after all, they’re not marketing to you. The line, first populated by funky little econobox xB and xA models, is aimed squarely at twenty-something and younger buyers, many of whom will be plunking down their first new-car dough [...]
Continue reading: 2005 Scion tC: Scion’s Latest & Greatest-The Versatile tC
Subaru’s station in the automotive world has been one of moderate but low-key success, but that’s a situation the brand is looking to change. Often overshadowed, at the low end by high-volume makes like Toyota and Honda and at the top by leather-clad luxury car purveyors like Lexus and Audi, the spunky Japanese brand hasn’t [...]
Continue reading: Driven at All Corners: The 2005 Subaru Legacy & Outback
As car guys working for an automotive publication, we’re regularly asked, “Which cars excite you this year?” And while the question is well-intentioned, it’s often a difficult one to answer. Does the person want to know about performance cars? Dream cars? Everyday cars? We sat down and asked ourselves which cars were exciting enough to [...]
Continue reading: Seven Cars to Watch in 2005: Quick Reviews & Previews
We climbed into the premium, leather-adorned cockpit, fiddled with an array of dials and switches, ran through our checklists, adjusted the radio and tightened our seatbelts. We were cleared for take-off, and as we applied full-throttle, a big grin drew its way across our passengers’ faces. As we approached cruising speed, we activated the ventilated, [...]
Continue reading: 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton W12: Cleared For Take Off
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