Reader Reviews
Test drive something recently? This is the place to post your impressions.
414 topics in this forum
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I had the most incredible test drive experience ever in my "career" as a car enthusiast! I attended the Ferrari Challenge at Infineon Raceway (formerly known as Sears Point) up in the Bay Area this weekend. Through a friend that I have at Ferrari N.A., I got to test drive a 612 Scaglietti and an F430 Spider for about 30 minutes each on roads in and around Sonoma County. And, incredibly, my friend got me two "hot laps" around the track in between races in a 612 driven by a professional Ferrari driver. 612 Scaglietti The 612 is THE Ferrari daily-driver. I was impressed by how much room was actually inside the car (it IS a big car after all....) and we had three of us …
Last reply by Camino LS6, -
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So.....was in Phoenix today for two meetings and was graced with an '08 Charger rental....800 miles on it....with the <groan> 2.7L V6 engine. This was a base car with cloth, no moonroof, and vinyl covering the steering wheel. I'm reminded of why I like the LX cars. Even in this (very) base trim, this car's overall package is hard to beat. The chassis is solid and tight as a drum, and even the base car goes around corners with almost NO body lean and a complete lack of float on the highway. What about the small V6? Let's just say it's a dog....BUT....if you drive the car like most normal people do, it's quiet, mannerly, and at light-to-part throttle, offers mo…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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What makes you shudder? The cold? Seeing something gory? Well, a Ford Focus can make me shudder. Read on and find out how. I happened onto an exceptional opportunity to rent a compact car for about $11 a day around Labor Day. One rents a category and not a car. When I arrived to the agency, I didn't see anything among the compacts that I liked. Focuses were something I was curious about and they had been evading me in rental situations, despite seeing bar codes anywhere and everywhere as I went about my daily existence. As luck would have it, a Focus was being returned as I walked out to survey the inventory one last time. "Can I have it?" "Yes, if you'…
Last reply by trinacriabob, -
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Hi all, I am writing a review of my Malibu SS sedan. I got this car about 6 weeks ago and I love it more and more every time I drive it. Lets do this by categories like Dsuupr did… Exterior- In my opinion the normal Malibu, while very solid reliable transportation is about as boring a bread and butter sedan can get. The SS looks like a completely different car. The high polish 18 inch wheels really fill up the wheel wells, and look really nice when they are clean and shinny against my car’s black paint job. The new front clip looks very aggressive with a hint of Subaru styling. The rear end looks nicer with the absence of the chrome bar, a new rear bumper and h…
Last reply by intrigued, -
I've spent years visiting various forums that catered to 3.8 powered FWD BOP products. The LeSabre T-type forum, the Bonneville forum as well as A & W body forums. A few requests, complaints or desires by various members have always seemed to be consistent...... the availability of a standard transmission on the more powerful V6 FWD offerings, lack of 2 dr coupes, more gears and exciting styling. Well the G6 GTP coupe shows someone was listening. One ivory GTP coupe showed up at our local GM dealer and my gal fell right in love with it. So the search began, we looked at red ones, green ones, silver ones, black ones, base coupes, black leather, morocco, and black clo…
Last reply by razoredge, -
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will write up later tonight when I have time. nice car, not entirely my cup of tea, good car nonetheless.
Last reply by biff, -
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On the urging of my neighbor who owns an SX4 crossover and loves it, i took out an SX4 manual sedan today. Fun car! some caveats, which I will get to. Give me a bit and I will get that up. I drove an XL7 also, but that sucked so I won't write much on that.
Last reply by regfootball, -
I never gave much thought to VW products until, when renting a full size at a local Budget years ago, I was given a Passat. I liked it more than I thought I would. I liked the user-friendliness of the dash and the controls. And I liked the flatness with which it cornered and rode. This "flatness" was more noticeable than in similarly sized Camrys and Altimas often found in the same tier of rental cars. The second and only other VW product I have driven was a VW Golf with an automatic. This was across the pond and the rental lasted 3 days. I immediately liked and disliked a few things about the Golf. I liked the dashboard and console set up, as well as the …
Last reply by trinacriabob, -
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A little over a year and 36,000 miles ago my brother and his wife decided to buy a prius. I thought I would give my impression on the vehicle this last weekend. 1st I want to start off that they traded in their 120,000 mile 1998 Oldsmobile Silhouette. During it's 120,000 miles they did have to replace the battery (90,000 miles), tires (60,000 miles), and at 115,000 miles they were having troubles with the alternator, hence why they decided to trade it in. The only other fix the van EVER had was the lumbar support piece being broken off when new. Now on to the prius. He did comment on how they are loving the space of the vehicle. They were able to load up all 3…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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2006 PONTIAC G6 V6 - 1-year Update By: ToniCipriani It's been one year and a two months on the road for my G6. Things have gone much better than the first 6 months, maybe because my car is finally broken in. Engine is a smooth cruiser, and runs leaner than last year on average. I've sort of changed my driving style a bit, and I've been hammering the engine quite often lately. Yet it still provides me a decent 10L / 100km fuel economy, in mixed driving conditions. The problems I mentioned 6 months ago seemed to have gone away, or lessened to a certain extent. The radio problem was gone, ambient temperature now reads correctly, but the engine hot crank issue seems to b…
Last reply by avant1963, -
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A couple of weeks ago, my sled, a 2008 Buick LaCrosse CX with the base 3800 V6 engine, turned ten! Both then and today, it had and has less than 70,000 miles on the odometer, respectively. I remember driving it home after being pushed by friends and family to replace its predecessor, another W body with over 270,000 original miles and reasonably hassle free service, and savoring the new car smell. Part of what pushed me was the impending cessation of Buick Motor Division’s production of the 3800 V6 engine, which I had in the previous car, albeit of Series I vintage. I had been extremely pleased with everything about that “little” engine. The other impetus was t…
Last reply by trinacriabob, -
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tested 2013 Chevy Volt base, no options. Fairly quick spin HIGHS: Major league and mature electric powertrain Electric motor kick in the pants! Accelerating and passing are nicely done Solid feel ride and handling, stable and secure Jazzy design compared to Prius Superior ride and drive to Prius Very little of the nerdiness of the Prius Hatchback utility for those that like it Cabin is not too closed off, nice view out the front when driving SUper freakin QUIET inside, and just enough powertrain noise to remind you you are in a motor vehicle. Low center of gravity, you can really feel its benefits. More or less to cut to the chase, it's a real car, and a goo…
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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Ok, this is going to be a little different. No, I did not drive it, but got to spend a decent amount of time riding in the backseat and it is pretty amazing the things you pick out about a vehicle vehicle from back there. Also, since these are the modern equivilent of a station wagon, I think this makes sense. First impression....... The materials are downright awful. Hard plastic on all rear ouch points and the seat fabric seemed overly cheap. Legroom was ok, but not great. Really, my 07 Patriot was on par with the materials found not only in the back, but most places in the vehicle. It was really pretty dreadful. he only interior high-spots were the gauges and …
Last reply by Suaviloquent, -
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There once was a time, a time when full sized family sedans were in nearly every driveway in America. During this time GM's Oldsmobile divison built a reputation for quality and performance on the name Eighty-Eight. Introduced in 1949, the Eighty-Eight was the least expensive of Oldsmobile's full size offerings for 50 years until the end of production in 1999. The following C&G Drive is on a 1988 model with the optional 3800 V6 As Dick Van Patten says so well in this 1986 commercial"Its the family car, that didn't forget the family" . My 1988 Delta 88 Royale has done just that, after nearly two decades of faithful service I can say this is one family car that did…
Last reply by trinacriabob, -
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1998 Saturn SL1 in Dark Green 1.9 liter I4 100hp 30,000 miles This car is basically featureless...manual windows,locks, and mirrors, AM/FM Stereo w/ 4 speakers, A/C , powersteering, smokers package, floormats. I've had this car since it was new...so this is a very Long-term review. Styling: I like the styling a lot. Something that you see in this car and other saturns of these years is that they stand out in the compact class. This car has a sporty look. The headlights have a sleek slim design that complement the badge in the middle. The back end could've used some more appeal and badging. Euro style tail lights do not cut it as compared to the front. Another is…
Last reply by Ravenfreak13, -
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This car was bought as a repo with 15k miles on it after someone had owned it for 6 months. This cars features include: power windows/locks/mirrors(heated), keyless entry, CD player, 6 speakers, AC, Cruise control Styling: I love the styling. The headlights accent the eggcrate grill excelently. Free flowing lines give the exterior a soft look. Wavey Tailights give a touch of sportyness. I love the short hood and tall trunk and the effect of the cab foward design. The only styling issue is the black door handles. Engine: The old engine was sufficient for this car. It was a 2.4 liter I-4 with 150 hp. Then, in 2002 I got caught in a deep puddle and my car was engulfed …
Last reply by NeonLX, -
2 of 2 - 3 day rental across the pond - Citroen C3 with automatic transmission - economy car
by trinacriabob-
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I rented 2 different vehicles lasting 3 days each back to back. I’ve already reviewed the VW Golf. The second rental car was a Citroen C3. This was because each of the rentals took place in a different overseas location. I had seen the new Citroen vocabulary on display in the atrium area of an indoor shopping center overseas years ago. I didn’t know what to think of it - both the brand and the styling were unknowns to me. The one weird feature in the ones on display was the “Airbump.” Basically, the Airbump is the proprietary name, adopted overseas in English, for the large moulded rubber insert along the side doors. It’s supposed to function like protective s…
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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Well, as I've said before, I currently own a 2001 Chevrolet Impala LS sedan, 3.8L V6, Hydra-Matic 4T65E transaxle, leather interior, sunroof, power driver's seat, steering wheel mounted radio controls, am/fm,cd,cassette. The car has 110,000 miles on it and not given me that many problems. I've had to replace the water pump and belt tensioner pulley (both were making a very slight squeal, could only be heard with a screwdriver being used as a stethiscope (sp?), the belt's been changed once, coolant flushed and refilled, hoses replaced, air, oil, fuel, and transmission filters, pcv valve every two oil changes, one set of AC Delco spark plugs, and wires, brakes all the way…
Last reply by scharmer05, -
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Review: 2001 Lincoln LS V8 The Lowdown *81,600 miles *3.9L Jaguar-derived V8 *DEW98 Platform shared with the Jaguar S-Type and the 2002-2005 Ford Thunderbird *5-speed automatic transmission (standard, not SelectShift equipped) *252 hp @ 6100 RPM / 267 lb*ft @ 4300 rpm *114.5" wheelbase / 193.5" long / 73.2" wide *3692 lb curb weight *Features: glove box 6 CD changer, power seats, power tilt & telescoping steering wheel, memory seating, heated mirrors, automatic headlights, instant fuel economy gauge, auto-dimming rearview mirror, folding rear seat, front valet key system *Safety features: traction control, rain-sensing wipers, front and side ai…
Last reply by mustang84, -
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So I swung by the auto auction Wednesday for fun and to see what they had. Most of teh stuff wasn't of any interest, but an `03 Nissan Altima 2.5 V6 did catch my eye. I decided to spend some quality time with it and see what it was like. Overall the car was in good shape. Engine ran well, interior was clean and in good shape besides a cubby door forward of the shifter that wouldn't close. Exterior was in good shape save the yellowed headlights. Fired it up, revved it some, pooped the hood and gave it a walk around. Everything looked and sounded good. They have a pretty big area where you can test drive the cars, and get them up o 40-50 mph at full throttle before …
Last reply by Daryl Z71, -
2004 Chevrolet Impala Base V6
by Guest YellowJacket894-
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On a cool February day in 2005, we purchased a slightly used Chevrolet Impala with under 15,000 miles on the odometer. Since then we've put a little over 30,000 miles on the clock and here are my impressions of the car. Although I love GM and even hope to work at Design North Studio hopefully designing a car you may even buy, I'll try to be as honest and unbiased as possible here. Our Oh-Four Impala is the most basic model you can get -- bench seat, cloth, no tach, and -- get this folks -- a casette player and no passenger-side door key slot. Doesn't get much more basic than that. The engine was the 3400 V6 engine mated to a four-speed auto transmission with a column sh…
Last reply by Polish_Kris, -
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Alright the car is comming up on one year in my ownership, i've had it since May 16th 2005, and i figured id give a review on it, and i promise to be as unbiased as i possibly can. I received the car with 5002 miles on it, now it has 13287. Ill address the miscellaneous problems first. Every now and then i do here a random rattling of something, most of the time i figure out its just one of my CD cases rattling aorund in the glove box, but occassionally it is something else, tho it seems to go away after a while. Also the sunroof occassionally cracks, not as in the glass cracks, it just makes a loud crack noise, its either something falling ontop of it or something el…
Last reply by BB_454, -
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I have an '06 HHR LT for the week here in Phoenix (3.000 miles on it) and I'm VERY impressed! The HHR is a fine ride and a nice example of how GM can do something right when they want to. This rental car is a fully-loaded HHR with the 2.4L, leather, moonroof, 17-inch wheels. Highs: Mostly (explained later) smooth and refined powertrain. Good ride-and-handling compromise. Quality feel on the road. Very usable interior roominess. Lows: VERY annoying engine/tranny whine upon any measurable acceleration. Electric steering, while improved, is still too vague and loosey-goosey. Interior fit-and-finish of plastic panels on the interior is very poor. Overall: A …
Last reply by Northstar, -
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My Summary? The GM enthusiast in me likes this car and would actually even consider purchasing one in SS trim! However, the realist in me recognizes that this car is at best a "has-been" in the marketplace and at least a solid decade behind where it needs to be in order to effectively compete in the mid-to-large sedan segment. Now my impressions....... I like the updated appearance of this car and the updated interior with quite good fit-and-finish and a more modern appearance (even if some of the trim pieces are of dubious quality.) However, actually driving this car reminds me of almost every single GM sedan I've driven in the last 20 years......and that's not…
Last reply by Intrepidation, -
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2006 Dodge Ram Mega Cab 3500 SLT This Trucks Features Include:5.9 liter Cummins HO Turbo Diesel - 6 Speed Manual Power Locks - Power Windows - Power Steering Front Center Armrest - Business Console 17" x 8.0" Steel Chrome Clad Wheels AM/FM Stereo With CD Player And Four Speakers Light Khaki Metallic Clear Coat/Color Fold Away Power Trailer Tow Mirrors - Tow Hooks Engine Block Heater Front Hood Protection Shield Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel Bright Grille Carpet Floor Covering Cruise/Speed Control Electric Shift-On-The-Fly Part-Time Transfer Case 11.50 Rear Axle 3.73 Axle Ratio Cloth 40/20/40 Bench Seat Air Conditioning Remote Keyless Entry As Picku…
Last reply by CMG, -
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Hi all, this is my initial and 8 month review on my 2006 Grand Prix. First I'll start off with the basics. - Base sedan - Power windows/locks/mirrors/driver seat - Sunroof - 6-disc in dash CD changer - Steering wheel radio controls - OnStar - Remote vehicle start - White exterior - Black and Tan two-tone interior (Ebony & Tan? I can't remember what GM calls it) The Grand Prix comes fairly well equipped even as just the basic, plain Jane Base version. Aluminum wheels, power windows/locks/mirrors are all standard. Basically just the niceties that many of us want. If the car didn't have any of the other features, I'd still have gotten it. Since…
Last reply by Oracle of Delphi, -
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I just had a new Hyundai Sonata V6 for a rental car in Atlanta and drove it 450 miles south to Tampa so I thought I'd share some of my comments...... The car had a V6, 5-speed auto, moonroof, and alloys. It was a beautiful deep, deep, midnight blue with a light grey cloth interior. The center stack trim was a "faux, carbon fiber" plastic trim that actually comes off alot better than the woodgrain I've seen in uplevel models. Trip mileage was 24.1mpg, with about 60% of the trip with the cruise set at 80mph....and the remaining 40% with the cruise set a bit higher at 85mph. Tank range was a comfortable 367 miles to fillup. The new 3.3L V6 and 5-speed combo is a rea…
Last reply by The O.C., -
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I currently have a new Monte Carlo LT with the 3900 as a rental car...... ......and I'm fairly impressed with the 3.9L VVT pushrod V6 in this car! First, let me just clarify that I HATE the exterior styling of this car (always have) and I think the interior fit-and-finish and materials is horribly unforgiveable. (As we know, the Monte Carlo does NOT share the vast majority of the MUCH nicer Impala interior upgrades.) The whole car strikes me as "typical" "old-school" GM. NOW that that's off my chest, I can say that the 3.9L in this car is the nicest execution of a pushrod V6 that I've ever seen GM accomplish. Wierd because in the G6 GTP rental I had about a …
Last reply by Carguy, -
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2006 PONTIAC G6 V6 - AN OWNER'S REVIEW By: ToniCipriani INTRODUCTION The Pontiac G6 was first released in 2005 as a replacement to the Pontiac Grand Am, Pontiac's midsize coupe and sedan. It was first debuted in concept form at the 2003 North American International Auto Show. Walking away from the excessive cladding that plagued Pontiac's image as being a "cladded Chevrolet", the Pontiac G6 was a stunner. “Clean, smooth lines” are the words best fit to describe the car. The vehicle rides on General Motor's global Epsilon midsize architecture, debuted in the Opel Vectra, and the Chevrolet Malibu in North America. It rides on a 112-inch wheelbase, shared with the Chev…
Last reply by ponchoman49, -
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Besides getting to drive this American icon, what else can you add to the experince? How about driving it in Hawaii! :AH-HA_wink: I was just on holidays in Oahu and rented this car from Ferrari Rentals (they rent a mix of high end cars at premium prices). I have never driven a Corvette and it has always been a dream of mie to do so. As an aside--I have only ridden in a Corvette once--with 3 other people--some 70's model--which I hate anyhow. So the price was high but since this is not an everyday oppourtunity I was happy to pay the high price. Hey--it's fun to look rich One of the first things I noticed was how stiff the car was. No cowl shake, no rattles and it …
Last reply by avro206, -
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I've spent about a week in a Caliber SXT rental......and this review can tag along with Cremazie's...... Let's get to the bad stuff first......I HATE the CVT (as I've hated most of them) in this car. It really seems to rob the car of power....it's awkward-feeling....and none too smooth. You really miss the kind off "step-off" from idle that you get in a torque-converter automatic. The car just kind of ooooozes away from a stop. That being said, while the car feels heavy, the engine seems to have decent power for a 4-banger in the midrange. I was surprised at how smooth the 2.0L is.....at idle and on acceleration there is very little buzz or vibration even noticeab…
Last reply by A Horse With No Name, -
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Was on vacation to New York for the weekend, got a rental Fusion to play around with. Originally I was looking for another G6, but they didn't have one. Exterior I was given an SE V6 model, the base model with an upgraded engine, and paired with a boring silver colour. But the car still looked good, as commented by my friends. For one thing it does look better than the dark side (read: *cough* *cough* Camry *cough*). Interior At first I was worried about the size of the car affecting the interior, but I was proved wrong throughout the trip. The capacity is amazing on this car. With me and my friend both being 6 foot, we both sat comfortably in the same column, wit…
Last reply by ToniCipriani, -
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Was on vacation to New York for the weekend, got a rental Fusion to play around with. Originally I was looking for another G6, but they didn't have one. Exterior I was given an SE V6 model, the base model with an upgraded engine, and paired with a boring silver colour. But the car still looked good, as commented by my friends. For one thing it does look better than the dark side (read: *cough* *cough* Camry *cough*). Interior At first I was worried about the size of the car affecting the interior, but I was proved wrong throughout the trip. The capacity is amazing on this car. With me and my friend both being 6 foot, we both sat comfortably in the same column, wit…
Last reply by ToniCipriani, -
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C&G Drives: The 2007 Jeep Compass By Brian Dreggors I could hear the lil' Jeepette screaming, "Drive me!" So I did. Today, I had the opportunity to test drive a fresh-to-the-floor 2007 Jeep Compass. For those unfamiliar, the Compass is Jeep's first foray into the highly-competitive car-based sport utility market, a market characterized by youthful looks, creative design, high utility, and affordability. How does the Compass fare? Let's go! The Basics The Compass that awaited me on the lot was a Bright Silver Metallic Limited 4x4 with 18" alloy wheels. The base MSRP for this trim was listed as $21,180, but the options (including two convenience groups, Boston Ac…
Last reply by I hope GMRULES again, -
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C&G Drives: The 2007 Saturn AURA By Brian Dreggors "Love me, love me, say that you love me." "I already sold two other XEs." -Saturn salesman That coincides with my findings, too. On the evening of the 15th, I spotted a car carrier taking about three Auras to Saturn of Clearwater. Curious, I tailed it and saw that trio of XEs join four other Auras - including an XR - delivered the night before. By this afternoon, five remained. Meanwhile, the Jeep Compass I tested a few weeks ago still sat lonely across the street. An early indication? Perhaps. We'll see whether Aura not this new midsize Saturn will really move. Let's go! The Basics My tester today was a 2007 …
Last reply by pow, -
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2008 Buell Blast Review Something Old, Something New Cheers & Gears Entering the motorcycle hobby is a strange thing. Companies, whet the appetites of riders-to-be with machines that promise warp speed acceleration, or long, chrome-laden cruisers dripping with sex appeal. But almost every Hayabusa or Harley rider has had to start with a bike that they were often glad to be rid of. Little attention is paid to the bikes that many of these riders threw their legs over for their first time. Before one may ride into the sunset on a stallion, they must first learn on a mule. At least that is how the motorcycle industry tends to view 'beginner' bikes: mules. Built…
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Review: 2nd Generation CTS Most of you know that I have recently found employment in the automotive business again. I am now working at a large Chevrolet-Cadillac dealer in New Hampshire as a sales representative. It's been a very busy week. I swapped in a 2007 Suburban LTZ for a very selective lease customer & also sold XP715's girlfriend a gently-used 2005 Pontiac G6 with the sky-view roof. Tomorrow is a really big day for me, more on that later. My computer is being difficult but I wanted to share a quick review of the 08 CTS with all of you fellow CheersAndGears members. As requested by several of you, I took another quick drive in the white diamon…
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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Recently my sister leased a brand new Radiant Silver on black Altima 2.5S. It's got the CVT and intelli-key system. Its a great package, for the the 22k or 23k but compared to our 06 Malibu that was the same price, the Malibu has twice as much options. Now for what makes the Altima a deal. The interior, why boring for most I find great. Materials are top notch, especially the cloth, which is some sort of cloth and suede like material. The only downside to me actually is the headroom , from the drivers seat I feel like my head and the roof are almost touching, there is plenty of leg room but. As for the exterior, yeah it looks ALOT like the old Altima, but its still very …
Last reply by Lamar, -
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I got a chance to test drive the Saturn Astra at the Autoshow this year, here's my review. 2008 Saturn Astra - The compact that should've been here four years ago XR Model Shown - Source: GM Media For starters, this isn't a new car. It's being sold all over Europe as the Opel Astra, UK as a Vauxhall Astra. The Astra commences imports this year. I was given an Astra XE 5-door. First impression was a big wow. Compared to the Ion, this was lightyears ahead. It's a big wonder why GM didn't think of this earlier. On a first glance, it was very roomy for a compact hatchback. I adjusted my seats, and there was still some legroom at the back. The test vehicle was equ…
Last reply by A Horse With No Name, -
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Last Friday I had set up an appointment for my 10,000 mile service update on my Volkswagen Golf (Rabbit) Having made the appointment at Vordermann Volkswagen in Ft. Wayne, I decided to finally taste one of GM's German delights; the new for the U.S. Saturn (Opel) Astra. The staff at Saturn of Ft. Wayne were very courteous and personal to work with. Having explained my situation of why I ended up with a VW instead of the Astra and wanting to finally experience one, they gladly agreed to offer a test drive. A few short minutes later, a silver Astra XR 3-door pulled up in front of my Volkswagen. Talk about nice looking but subtle versus hot looking and great visual pi…
Last reply by daves87rs, -
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Test Drive of the 2008 Volkswagen Golf R32 Today in Ft. Wayne, Indiana at Vorderman Volkswagen I had an appointment to replace the signal repeater in the driver's side mirror and a cargo cover string support in the hatch. Of the three R32's on the lot, one had frequently been in the showroom but was today outside. At the vocalised nudging from my girlfriend (Heather) I requested a drive to which "my" salesman promptly approved. He got the plate, a copy of my identification, fired it up, and moved it away from the building. Even at idle oh what a sound the exhaust makes! It was that special R32 blue colour and number 36 of 5000 according to the plaque adorning the bo…
Last reply by MyerShift, -
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Bright Chrome Appearance package Cruise Control Leather wrapped steering wheel with redundant controls and bluetooth CD with USB port and AUX input jack Spare tire and wheel Ashtray and lighter Silver Moss with Ebony Sport Cloth MSRP $17,500 GM Employee price $16,125 I hit up GM's vehicle locator service on the net yesterday during my lunch break at work, and lo and behold, there was a car just about exactly like what I've been pricing out on Edmunds ever since the '09 prices have been posted, located at Red Lion Chevrolet in Red Lion, PA, about 45 minutes away from me. It's so rare to find a manual transmission car with options, and without the spoiler…
Last reply by ponchoman49, -
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I just got home from driving an '09 Focus SE coupe. For 2009, the SE is the "base" coupe trim level, but it comes pretty well equipped for about $16,800 MSRP. Black grille, darkened head- and taillamps, foglamps, low rear spoiler, and body-color power, heated mirrors and door handles lend the car a sporty look. The lack of fender vents cleans up the sides of the car. The one I drove was Brilliant Silver, with the Stone cloth interior. The paint really glistened nicely under the lights on the lot. I'd prefer the black interior, though, to better contrast with the silver center stack. The car I drove had no factory options, but was equipped just about perfectly, feat…
Last reply by Intrepidation, -
2009 Honda Fit 1 2
by ocnblu- 81 replies
- 12.3k views
Well, today after work I stopped by "my" local BPG/Honda/Acura/Suzuki dealership at the invitation of one of the salesguys to try out an '09 Fit. The car I drove was a base/manual transmission in black. Here are my impressions of the whole experience: The dealership in general has been very nice to deal with, from my first contact with my eventual Sierra salesperson over the internet, to my parting words with the Honda salesguy this evening. First off, I drove to the back of the lot, where they have a fenced-in holding yard for excess inventory. They have quite a selection already of new Fits... silver, purple, black, bright blue and orange, most with "SOLD" tags on…
Last reply by Sixty8panther, -
2009 Mazda6
by Lamar- 1 follower
- 14 replies
- 2.6k views
So since spring is upon us and today was a nice and sunny (albeit windy) day, I decided to do a little test-driving. I went to the Mazda dealership since I wanted to test drive the new Mazda6 since it's on the list as a replacement for the Maxima (the wife's car). So I got there, told the salesman which trim I wanted to drive, and we went from there. The car was the Mazda6 i Touring, which came with the 2.5L 4-cyl mill, 5-speed automatic transmission, cloth seats, and 17-inch wheels (among other things I can't remember). I chose the 4-cyl because that was the engine my wife indicated she'd rather have, so I had to see if it was going to be fun enough for me to driv…
Last reply by Lamar, -
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2010 Camaro SS Full Review By Justin Loyear Cheers and Gears Biggest Fan - Head turning looks in a comfortable package. Oh, and 426 horsepower! Toughest Critic - Premium stereo needs improvement for when you don't want to listen to the engine. _____________________________________________________________________________ <img src="http://www.cheersandgears.com/uploads/1265847896/gallery_253_27_415053.jpg" WIDTH="512" HEIGHT="340" HSPACE="15" vspace="15" align="right"> For the driving enthusiast, the automotive holy grail is a performance car that also maintains everyday practicality and affordability. With the Chevrolet Camaro Super Sport starting…
Last reply by loki, -
- 1 follower
- 8 replies
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Was in Denver for the weekend, beautiful fall weather. Since I'd sampled 3 midsize and one fullsize this year, I thought I'd rent a compact...got a black 4dr Cobalt from Thrifty. Charcoal interior. First compact I've driven since a 2dr Cobalt back in '08, also in Denver. Was a pleasant little car, nothing to complain about..seemed competent, reasonably peppy, comfortable, easy to see out of. Interesting to have the controls for the info screen (trip computer) on the steering wheel...couldn't figure out how to reset the trip odometers, though. No cruise control. The seats were firm, pretty well bolstered...wonder if they might be too firm on a long drive. See…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Picked up my rental Sat. morning at Oakland airport, a gold Malibu LT w/ black and gray cloth interior. Put 100 or so miles on it around the Bay area, driving from Oakland airport up to the hotel in Vallejo and over to the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma for Indy Car race yesterday, and up to Sonoma and Napa for some sight-seeing. I had wanted a Charger, but for a free rental, I wasn't going to complain. It was a pleasant and quiet car to drive, the interior materials pretty nice overall (soft touch on some parts of the dash), controls worked well and were intuitive, dash layout easy on the eyes and easy to use, car felt solid and well put together..doors shut w/ a nice sol…
Last reply by Robert Hall, -
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Interactive Review: 2010 Ford Edge SEL Well it's the last model year before the new Ford Edge, but since I got one for a 4 day rental with just 1,000 miles on the odometer, I thought this would still be a good candidate for an interactive review. So you have till Monday morning to get your questions in.
Last reply by SAmadei, -
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Rented a truck today from U-Haul, drove 12 miles around town moving some furniture to the storage unit. Was going to rent a van, but was concerned it wouldn't clear going into the underground storage unit facility entrance (7' 6") Driving impressions--smooth, quiet around town. 1st time I've driven a full size pickup in years. Plenty of space in the bed. Forgot that Ford did away w/ the quarter windows and rear-opening doors on the regular cab w/ the last restyle. Huge C-pillars, slight blind spot in backing up. The tailgate when open must be 3 feet off the ground, had to use a stepladder when getting in and out of the bed loading sofas, coffee tables, etc. Ultra b…
Last reply by Robert Hall, -
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So I spent the last two weeks of Dec 2009 in Kauai. Upon my late arrival at the airport with the family and kids in tow, I headed off to the Hertz Rental desk. Being a large group of people getting off the bus and pulling luggage, I told the wife and kids to get everything and I would go grab the car since I had a gold membership, so it should be instally ready. WRONG, Some how HERTZ LOST my info and did not have a car on their reader board, so off to the desk I went to talk to the lady. She reviewed the reservation, due to budget I had taken an Impala for the 5 of us. All adults she realized as the wife and kids walked in with the luggage in tow. Since things were …
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Picked up a gold '10 Fusion SE from Alamo at Denver International Airport Friday morning, put about 200 miles on it this weekend around the city, suburbs, and freeways. It and 3 HHRs were sitting in the 'fullsize' row. None are fullsize, but that's the way it is w/ rental cars.. Overview: A smooth and quiet midsize sedan, pleasantly put together, clean exterior styling, clean interior design, decent materials for the price point (what do these go for, $20k or so?). Pluses Very quiet. Sitting at a light w/ the HVAC and radio off, it's dead silent. As quiet as a hybrid. Only the tach gives away that it is idling. Drives smoothly. The faux brushed aluminum dash …
Last reply by Robert Hall, -
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- 3 replies
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So while visiting my wife's family in Middle of Nowhere, Virginia, I went to the local Ford dealer to look at the Fusions that they had. We saw several Fusion SEL models (all 4cyl), a couple of SEs, and a Sport. The salesman came out to talk to us ("us" being me, my wife, and her cousin and cousin's husband). We made the usual salesman-customer talk, and then he asked if I wanted to take one of the cars out for a little bit. Now you know I couldn't pass that up... We chose one of the SELs, black on black. Remember a few months ago that I test-drove the '09 Mazda6 i and came away impressed with the dynamics. Now was my chance to compare the first cousins... The in…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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I put a couple hundred miles on a metallic black w/ charcoal cloth interior '10 Taurus SEL in Orange County (Ca) over the weekend. Picked it up Friday afternoon at John Wayne airport (after some confusion w/ Thrifty-I'd reserved a Charger, almost had an Impala that was low on gas, then got the Taurus). Had a nice mix of freeway gridlock driving, city driving, beach town driving, winding roads, etc. The car had 28,xxx miles. Impressions: Big, solid car. Love the dash design and detailing. Lots of useful cubbholes, cupholders, etc. One of nicer cloth interiors I've seen recently. Wished it had a sunroof since it was dark inside. Positives: Very comfortable. Dis…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Had to beat the deadline and do my auto show test drive to get my 50 bucks. So i went to my local Ford dealer last saturday. Considering I just bought the cobalt, and really should be getting out of my Taurus X for financial reasons, I really wasn't shopping cars. Just wanted the 50 bucks. But i hadn't driven an 010 Taurus yet. I had driven a Flex once, but very briefly and it was AWD. I have had a Ford 500 and currently the Taurus X so its kind of like dating your girlfriends sister or cousin or mom. "It's all going to feel the same". IYKWIM.....LOL. I really wanted to test the more basic trims because if i do buy again anytime in my life that would be the trims…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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So my parents just got a new Fusion SE. They were longtime GM owners who were very dissapointed when GM got rid of Olds. They sucked it up and moved onto Saturn, leasing an Aura 3.6 XR. The had mixed feelings about the car and not wanting to buy a Malibu since it was virtually the same car as the aura but still wanting to drive a Domestic they ended up giving the Fusion a shot. I bombed around it in giving my Mustang the night off last weekend and here's what I took away. (keep in mind i drive an 05 Mustang GT and owned an 06 Malibu SS before that. Also I have extended driving experience in The Aura XR) Specs: Fusion SE - 2.5 I4 175 hp 172 torque 6 speed auto. Sil…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Test Drive: 2010 Volkswagen Golf 2.5 and Jetta TDI Stock Image Shown Got out in the cold yesterday and took out a couple VW's. A 2010 3 door Golf 2.5 / manual and a 2010 Jetta TDI / manual. I wanted a Golf TDI but none was available. I will add more to this tomorrow, since i forgot to get this up earlier Saturday evening. You would be surprised to know that I think my preference of the two is the gas model. I have driven the TDI Jetta now with the manual and the DSG and neither time did I come away thinking I would enjoy the vehicle long term, when i began to consider the main benefit of the diesel is basically fuel mileage....a benefit that comes at a greatly …
Last reply by regfootball, -
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...JUST SAY NO.......... this one will be quick. 2010 Hyundai Elantra BLU 5 speed (no A/C) HIGHS peppy engine light clutch decent shifter feeling of interior space (no claustrophobia) convenient and simple climate control decently quiet nice armrest handy window switches decent interior space for the type of car LOWS sea of gray, swirling acres of death inspiring plastic lower seat back dug into my back, seat was not shaped well mouse fur driving position is kind of like driving a bus or a Kia Rondo. no radio (this could be positive if you want your own) no A/C steering wheel is so bulbous its like it's going to birth a baby in your lap. In fact the …
Last reply by regfootball, -
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I went by the Hyundai/Subaru/Mazda store today specifically to look at the Genesis Coupe. They had 3 on the lot (and 1 more that was out on a test-drive when I got there) but the one I was immediately drawn to was a Lime Rock Green 2.0T. There was a red 3.8 on the lot too, and 306hp is obviously better than 210, but I drove the green one anyways, since I was most interested to see how Hyundai does a turbocharged 4cyl. The other one was a Nordschleife Gray 4cyl manual, it was the best looking of the bunch. First Impression: The is a very attractive car in person. Its well proportioned and inoffensive, while the window dip at least keeps things interesting. Inside th…
Last reply by Dragon, -
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quick summation JUST SAY NO. MSRP a little under 23. White, front drive 2.4 CVT. Highs - better than expected engine performance, better than anticipated CVT behavior, solid 'trucklike' (Jeeplike?) feel, feels robust and secure (or did it just feel porky), steering that was decently quick, decent gauge layout and controls, seat was ok in terms of comfort, gets out of its own way (with a lot of groaning), basically sounds like you are driving a tractor. Lows - rear seat accomodations are a bit of a joke, so is cabin with, so is the cargo space, lots of road noise, lack of powertrain refinement, cheap interior, whole thing feels 15 years old, oddly quirky styling of Je…
Last reply by A Horse With No Name, -
- 1 follower
- 13 replies
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Picked up a white Mazda6 at Port of Columbus Airport in Columbus, Ohio Thursday afternoon, dropped it off this afternoon. White w/ charcoal cloth interior. Put about 250 miles on it driving from Columbus to Cleveland (went to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum) then down to the family farm in Tuscarawas County and back to Columbus.. Nothing really to complain about...plenty of power for a 4cyl, quiet, smooth. Comfortable, good outward visibility. Reasonable controls. No steering wheel adjustment, though I was able to adjust the seat to my liking. No MP3 jack that I could find. Didn't like the red lit gauges at night. Turn signal control was counter-intuitive…
Last reply by Robert Hall, -
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Tested..... 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander ES. Gray / black cloth. Demo.....6-7k on the odo. 4 cylinder motor, front drive, CVT transmission. Lightly optioned. MSRP more than 21,500 but less than 22,000. Highs- Room and Space - cargo and passengers Seating comfort, first two rows. Seat adjustments, both rows, including recline and fore/aft in the second row. Engine does well at highway speeds, once underway and crusing. Excellent visibility overall and fairly airy cabin by today's standards. Decent gauge layout, convenient and simple radio and climate controls. Steering wheel feels real nice with nice feeling function buttons. Fold and tumble second row seats for max …
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Well, I had to trip it this weekend, 1000 miles and didn't want to take the Aztek. That, and the Aztek and Taurus X would net about 20 mpg on the trip. So I did the math and decided to rent a car. I made the reservation for a full size and Hertz, thinking I would get what I wanted, a Chevy Malibu. Of course, you can only bet, not choose, and I got STUCK with a new (200 miles on the odo) Nissan Altima S. 4 cyl, white. Gonna go retrieve it soon and do part of the trip this evening. I am not that upset about the Altima, since my main motive was to save gas. I understand the Altima with CVT gets really good highway mpg and in that regard it should be bang on for the t…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Back-to-Back: 2010 Chevrolet Traverse 2LT and 2010 Honda Odyssey EX-L Silver Spring, MD—Yesterday, my parents and I went out to buy my mom a new car. Her Venture hit 105,xxx miles recently and still had a lot of life left, but the problems were beginning to add up, especially since the intake manifold had begun to fail. Rather than sinking $2000 into a car that was only worth about $4000 anyways, they decided the time had come. We narrowed the choices down to a Traverse 2LT or an Odyssey EX-L, and went to a nearby autopark in Montgomery County to sample both. Our first stop was the Chevrolet dealer. They had an incredible selection, ranging from the base LS to t…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Test drove a new 2010 Subaru Legacy base and 2010 Ford Fusion SE today. Both with four cylinder and manual trans. Since I rarely finish what i start, I will try to just be more brief than usual. Since I drove them back to back it is interesting to have them to compare to each other. First off, the 2010 Ford Fusion SE. 2.5l 4 6 speed manual trans. The car was not equipped with the 18" wheels and Monochrome sport package and what i presume to be tighter suspension. I was disappointed that I could not try that. I have driven the 2010 Fusion this exact way before but figured it would be ok to drive it again. The Fusion is a known commodity and everyone I think will a…
Last reply by Cory Wolfe, -
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Tested - blue 2010 Suzuki Kizashi AWD SE 23,800 MSRP +/- HIGHS 'very good' driving dynamics CVT! 'more power than you can expect' 'right size' packaging big trunk soft touch interior surfaces quality touch points MEMORY SEATS at 24k? syling including interesting exhaust features comfortable seats cabin audio (SE system is good, adding the rockford fosgate sub allows for mirror shaking bass) dual zone climate paddle shifters on the SES, responsive manual shifting price, warranty nice trunk back seat is surprisingly accomodating unique in the crowd steering tightens up nicely at speed engine has unexpected grunt! (will put you in your seat if you work th…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Driven 2010 VW Tiguan S manual trans, FWD, Black w/ Charcoal cloth 17" wheel option MSRP 24,400 +/- Highs Room and Space, both rows, lots of it. Could serve as family transport. Upright seating, good cabin visibility. Nice center armrest. Most cabin ergonomics and controls are good. Nice dead pedal. E Brake. Very good 'Pre 2011 Jetta' VW plastics, textures. Well trimmed cargo area. second row seat slides forward if need be. Tiguan has a very compact footprint Good power rating on the engine Quick steering ratio. Decent and comfortable ride. Heft and quality build feel. 2nd gear is a good gear for fast speed building in urban driving. 4th gear is a great…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Driven, Buick Regal CXL and CXL Turbo. More specifics later. Drove each of them. I will rate highs and lows as they pertain to both or to each of them. I will rewrite this more legibly as I have more time. HIGHS "Right size" car "Intimate" but not "claustrophic" interior cabin Lots of standard content quiet tuned! (let's have a conversation, honey) Styling, inside and out Solid build quality, inside and out Comfortable seating, very adjustable power seats Genuinely sophisticated and quality demeanor gauges and displays are dead on in the perfect spots. fantastic 'touch points' (stalks, door pulls, wheel, SWAC, center stack, shifter) steering wheel, with on…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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For the last week because of not having a single drivable car in the driveway, I've had a white diamond '11 STS as a rental. Taking it back to Enterprise tommorow. First impressions: Smooth. Quiet. Comfortable. Good exhaust roar when I put my foot down. Like the color combination--white diamond w/ two-tone tan interior. I've always liked the exterior design of the STS, crisp and clean..not as aggro as the CTS, but definitely a Cadillac. This is the first current Caddy I've driven, have driven an '00-02 vintage DTS and a few mid-late '90s era deVilles. Seats are adjustable and comfortable, not sport seats, but wide enough for fat American behinds (my size 40 fi…
Last reply by z28luvr01, -
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Did the Beetle Friday, so i will do the Camry today. The Camry is the better halves so yesterday was my first time actually driving it, though I have rode in it quite a few times since we got it. Anyway: 2011 Camry LE 2.5 4/6 speed auto Price: 9900 64k miles Ok, long story short. i don't feel a need for a long review. he Camry is what it is and nothing more. I have come to the conclusion it has a mission and does i well. It is big, roomy, all-day comfortable and buttery smooth in in all of it's moves. The ride, the lazy handling, the numb steering, the utter quiet, the fact that every control is placed perfectly to fall in hand with…
Last reply by Stew, -
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I had the chance to check out the new Cruze the other day, inside and out. I was unable to get a test drive in, however, as they were closed (and were irresponsible enough to leave it unlocked). Let me start by saying this, I was shocked by the car in a few different ways. The first of which, is the exterior impression. As I walked up to it, I was under the impression this was just a base model. Once my eyes wondered over to the window sticker, clearly, it was nothing of the sort. This one was priced at $24k and some change. The exterior is sorely lacking in details. There was nothing to show this wasn't just a tame, pedestrian model. It wasn't until you looked inside, …
Last reply by regfootball, -
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- 5 replies
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So this afternoon, after my wife's OB appointment, I decided we would take the opportunity to do something we hadn't done together in quite some time: go visit a car lot. The intended target: the 2011 Chrysler 300C. We got to the lot and saw about 6 or 7 300s there, most of which were Cs. About five minutes into our browsing (which mainly consisted of my wife listening to me ramble on about stuff), a salesman came out and asked us what we were interested in. I told him we were looking at the 300 and the Charger (which was true, but I had seen the latter already). After explaining many of the new features to us -- mainly the adaptive cruise control, the adaptive HIDs,…
Last reply by Maxy, -
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TESTED 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan Express FWD MSRP 24,830 +/- 3.6 Pentastar v6 6 speed automatic HIGHS powertrain revised interior including good controls and ergonomics things like gauges, radio, climate control, shifter, vastly improved and deliciously simple interior space, duh, it's a huge box decent ride and handling, does not feel like a barge decently quiet inside not terrible visibility considering a big beast of a van lots of folks like STO N GO updated styling outside looks less dowdy, the grille and rear in particular are nice improvements price! / get more value than the price LOWS considering price point, not a bunch really a little bit more noi…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Stopped by the Ford store after work this evening. They had two Fiestas; a ghastly green SE five-speed with no options for around $15,000 and a black SE with Sport/SYNC and PowerShift for $2K more. I chose the black car because it was already outside and, frankly, it looked so much better. The car was "only" an SE but it didn't feel like it was missing any content. It had nice 15" alloys, same as the ones on the Euro Fiesta; kinda cheapo looking LED DRLs; power everything except the seats; and buttons on the steering wheel for SYNC. The only missing features I'd want are 17" alloys (the current Focus SES has nice charcoal ones) and maybe manumatic control for the automat…
Last reply by pow, -
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popped into the honda dealer yesterday as friday night i saw a new odyssey in the wild. It sure looks like a new age techno barge out and about. Actually, it trailed behind a ford edge in a line of cars, in motion it sort of looked like a stretched and pulled and lowered edge with a kim kardashian bigg butt....... it definitely looks better than the current crop of minivans including Honda's own. It's sort of clumsy look keep the rest of it in check from looking 'too sporty'. I will say this, even with its clumsiness and questionable detailing, its probably the most appealing minivan out there, looks wise. And the minivan segment is taking off again, so has Honda h…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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After my Friday nighttime shots of the first 2011 Hyundai Elantra to arrive at our dealership, posted here: ...I was down again with my Sonata customer to go over her books (Trailblazer EXT -> '11 Sonata, talk about doubling fuel economy...) yesterday, so I had a few minutes of daylight time with the Elantra. Wow to the looks, again, and as expected, the paint quality, fits and so forth. It's a Hyundai, and though I've not driven it yet, what a looker for the class. This first one we've received is a Limited with the Nav, meaning fully loaded (even heated rear seats) with a sticker of $22830. In that regard, and size/pricing, it already seems to fit perfectly well …
Last reply by caddycruiser, -
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2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited automatic 6 speed EPA 29/40, MSRP 20,830 (I think) silver w/ gray interior. HIGHS snappy, smooth engine responsive and well spaced automatic trans. no shift delays, it bangs them out. No Cruze thing here. very usable and effective manumatic large interior with great space front and rear in all dimensions center stack shaped to allow a bit extra drivers knee room attractive, well laid out, and convenient gauges, radio, center stack, and other switches and controls gauge and center stack illumination is fantastic superb steering wheel, with nicely lightly weighted and responsive quick steering to go with handy and organized armrest a…
Last reply by daves87rs, -
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I got a chance to test drive the Hyundai Sonata AND Tucson a couple days ago. This evening another Sonata test drive. Long story made short to ignore, I am actually am shopping for something of a vehicle so usually when I drive stuff for entertainment but these two vehicles were actually on my 'i would consider this'. Generally i sometimes don't finish these reviews so I will try to be quicker about this. Everyone is aware that Hyundai is growing more and more as a player in the market and each new release is making big / waves in the segment it is in. My last frame of reference for driving a Hyundai was a rental Sonata a couple years ago and while I felt it decently …
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Simply put, fantastic. You're in shock as to how it can be such a nice cabin for 23 grand. The leather is nice. The plastic is 'very good'. Colors (tan interior), textures, nothing stands out as a sore thumb. Its a markedly better cabin than the cousin Hyundai Sonata, even. Room and space, all good. A bit of a lowrider, but it is a sedan. The dash layout is simply refreshing in the current sea of murk. A nice modern interpretation of what a wraparound dash would be in 2011. The radio and climate control take a little work to remember but it's all laid out nicely. Honestly, I am shocked. And I am supposed to now look at the Cruze's sticker and not bust out into …
Last reply by regfootball, -
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I know y'all have been waiting for this one (right). I did this one a couple weeks ago. Let me explain. I was at a used dealer scoping out something and they had a used 2011 Kia Sedona cranberry red sitting there. Always sort of looking at family cars, I asked if I could grab some keys and so I took it for a quick spin. Reason: I had read that the Sedona had inherited the revisions to the corporate Kia v6 as well as the 6 speed automatic. So I wanted to see how refined and what sort of nuts it had since i had read an article about it recently. HIGHS Strong, smooth powertrain Space Value for the dollar 'Good' level of refinement Visibility Decent basic interio…
Last reply by Maxy, -
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Tryin to catch up on reviews! Today I had some free time cuz the wife took the day off so I spun out to survey the new 2011 Kia Sorento. For 2011, Kia has updated one of their signature and most popular models by moving to a new platform that is car / crossover based in hopes of giving the Sorento a more modern crossover appeal. This is what renewed the interest for me in the vehicle. That, and very attractive pricing and value in addition to handsome, if a bit bland, new styling. For me in particular, having two crossovers in the garage (Aztek, one of the original crossovers, and a Ford Taurus X), i feel I am the type of shopper companies target with these kinds of …
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Test- black 2010? Kia Soul Sport, black, red interior. 4 speed auto. Price was like close to 21 grand. Highs Terrific driver and passenger space and seat comfort. Rear seats are even comfortable and seem to have good space. Nice interior materials and plastics....even the red color looked fantastic in bright sun, textures looked rich and detailed and very little offensive gloss. Ergonomics, everything is laid out nicely and all switches and buttons felt great. Climate controls are very nice! Radio fairly easy to search songs on the flash drive when using SWAC and buttons on the radio. Seating position is nice, not SUV high, and a more chairlike than a car. Inter…
Last reply by A Horse With No Name, -
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Tested..... 2011 Kia Sportage base. White / black cloth. 4 cylinder motor, front drive, 6 speed manual transmission. MSRP it was like around 20. Highs- Room and Space - Driver and front passenger have ample space. Rear seat is good for kids and teens if legs not too long. Lots of width. Styling - very attractive styling on the exterior (although the base model wheels were a bit of a dud). Decently attractive dash. Features - fairly well equipped even as a base model, USB, bluetooth, SWAC, power everything (some) Ergonomics - steering wheel is nice and falls into hand and gauges are decent to look into. Armrest and drink holders and window switches laid out nicel…
Last reply by A Horse With No Name, -
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Driven 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE fwd babyish blue CVT 24+/- MSRP (including several add on packages primarily with extra trim and stuff) HIGHS Excellent front row seats. Great cloth, perfectly shaped, very adjustable, lots of leg, shoulder and hip room. Great cockpit, great view of gauges, steering wheels falls to hand perfectly, window switches etc. Large and useful side view mirrors. Great view out the front. Nice gauges, simply and easy climate controls with auto temp. Option package added illumination, cool shift knob, and piano black trim. Overall interior dash and door plastics and trim are very good. Nice looking rig, not freakish. Plastic fr…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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will get this review up later
Last reply by A Horse With No Name, -
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Tested, base 9-5 sedan...MSRP roughly 40k (closeout price roughly 30k), 2.0 turbo 4, 220hp, 6 speed man.... HIGHS Smooth engine and powertrain Nice shifter and clutch, nice knob to grab and hold. Good cabin room front and back Borderline sexy exterior style Lots of equipment Saab starter button now between the legs....er, seats......! That Eurocar smell inside..... Big trunk that is nicely appointed. Drivers seat is widely adjustable and generally comfortable. Other seats are pleasing firm. Decent visibility out the front and sides, under the premise of a car with not very large side glass. Dash layout, which differs from the Regal, is not too bad of a layout…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Yesterday I went to the AltCar expo in Santa Monica, CA, where manufacturers were showing off their alternative fueled vehicles: GM - Volt, Cruze LTZ, Silverado Hybrid, Equinox Fuel Cell Nissan - Leaf Honda - Civic Hybrid, Civic CNG, FCX Clarity Toyota - Prius Plug-in, Highlander Fuel Cell Mercedes - B-Class Fuel Cell Kia - Borrego Fuel Cell CODA - EV sedan Ford and Toyota dealers - their respective hybrids VW dealer - Jetta SportWagen TDI and Golf TDI Others - EV fortwo clone, X-Prize vehicles, etc. GM had two Volts there, one silver and one black. They were offering test-drives, but there was a 100 person waiting list, so I only rode in the backseat. Overall…
Last reply by pow, -
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Quick Drive: 2011 VW Jettas SE with convenience automatic - SEL manual Some comments will be together but others will address the different trim levels. HIGHS 'classic' (cough) and 'safe' (cough), ok, we'll call it 'tidy' styling decent amount of KIT for the price more then deserved AMOUNT of power German 'engineering' is prevalent....regardless of where it was built cabin space and trunk space go beyond what is expected in class. leg room is abundant all around. non invasive cabin. solid road feel. good steering feel (with exception noted below) good road trip car, cruises nicely at high speed (with exception noted below) good transmissions nice feel…
Last reply by William Maley, -
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This is going to be fairly brief in comparison to my words about the Cruze. Namely, I did not spend as much time looking the Jetta over and did not have my camera with me. In addition, it still had all the factory protective coverings over much of it. Let me start off with a few words about the exterior. It's not as bland in person. Alot of the little details hide themselves in pictures. I was pleasantly surprised. It's still a very conservative design, but that's something VW has always honed and is present on my favorite, the MK3. In that regard, its a very well done design. It's much more modern and contemporary than the MK5 Jettas that sat beside it. Those, in compar…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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As you all know I recently purchased a 2012 Beetle Turbo. The reasons i went with the Beetle is because I needed something with decent fuel mileage and got a great deal. It helps that it is somewhat unique and is a really good driver. Basics: 2012 Beetle Turbo 2.0T/6 speed manual Base turbo (18 inch instead of 19 inch rims, no fender audio or sunroof, etc, etc) 53k miles when purchased, now a little over 55k Dealership had to replace all brake rotors and pads because they were shot Price $10,900 Exterior: It is a Beetle and unabashedly so. I really like this generation. I was never a big fan of the New Beetle, but I…
Last reply by Stew, -
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C&G Preview: 2012 Chevrolet Sonic vs 2012 Hyundai Accent With just about every new vehicle introduction this auto show season (save for the Camaro ZL1 and SRT-8 Mopars), it took no longer than 30 seconds to hear the words "fuel economy" come out of the mouths of the speaker once each press conference started. This being mainly a GM site, I figured it might be a good idea to look at the car curerntly slated to carry the fuel economy torch for the company - the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic - and compare it to another new-for-2012 B segment car that made its debut this season - the Hyundai Accent. Why the Accent, and not the old standards Fit and Yaris? Because Hyundai s…
Last reply by MyerShift, -
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Instead of the Impala (I've had 3 as rentals this year), I moved up a class at the counter and chose a 300 over the LaCrosse. Had a silver 2012 Chrysler 300 with 795 miles on it when I picked it up Friday night in San Jose. Drove to Monterey and got to drive on a mix of freeway, two lane roads, and city streets around the Monterey Bay area over the weekend. Impressions: Smooth, quiet, solid and hefty. Even w/ the V6, it moves out at a reasonable pace...sticks to the road well for its size. Outward visiblity is pretty good, better than the similarly sized Taurus I drove last year IIRC. Great lights at night (xenon, I believe) Comfortable, adjustable seats. Lots…
Last reply by Robert Hall, -
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So my family got 2 new cars which I got to sample when I went to visit recently. My parents traded in their 2010 Fusion SE on an Escape XLT (FWD and 2.5 liter 4 banger.) They loved their fusion but my dad has MS and needs something that can transport a scooter. They got the escape on clearance for 19k (25k msrp.) Its a solid little truck and they got the 17 inch chrome wheels which really look good on it. No other options besides that. You can tell the platform's a little long in the tooth, it has a solid ride but at the occasional expense of ride quality. It won't win any drag races with the 4 cylinder but it's well geared and reasonably peppy. My brot…
Last reply by hyperv6, -
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A couple weeks back or so I managed to wind up testing a couple Fiats. Probably don't have much time here.... Fun car, better than I thought (the stick at least). Really would be a decent enjoyable car for someone who could live with the size. Car seems well made and is very affordable. The Pop I drove was a 5 sp manual. Due likely to the light weight of the car, the 100hp +/- motor kept the car on the beat and I didn't really miss a 6 speed much. Ride was fairly decent and the car did not crash on bumps. Interior was classy cute and was pretty comfy for the size. The clutch path and operation was hard to get used to and really it's an ergonomic issue. I'm sure …
Last reply by A Horse With No Name, -
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Since Zipcar now offers Focii, and since that's a vehicle I would seriously consider, I thought I'd borrow one for 2 hours while they're still mint, and see what's what. 2012 Focus SEL 5-door - $21,XXX (no options) and 700 miles on the odo PROS: silent engine, low NVH, very polished powertrain overall good build quality; not VW solid but still feels very substantial high-quality switchgear (solid buttons, switches, knobs) SEL gets soft upper door panels = nice supportive and comfy front buckets (even without sport seats) seats keep you fresh after a long drive superb tracking and stability; great on LA freeways, not perturbed by expansion joints, wind, uneven sur…
Last reply by A Horse With No Name, -
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Got a real brief drive in a 12 Focus. Hadn't drove one yet. Wowzers, nice! Quick notes: HIGHS: Sweet cabin. Nice plastics and design. Comfy seats. Great dash. Zippy, thought the dual clutch auto was alright! MyFord Touch has lots of features........ Sweet handling, nice ride Feels premium "Intimate" LOWS: MyFord Touch I can see, can be super buggy and a pain. Way too many buttons all around. Buzzy engine.....should be smoother Back seat looked tight, not as tight as I thought though (too) "intimate" for some Ford is putting money the hood of these now.....sweet little cars! I thought I would like a Cruze.....but......... Can't wait to see how the Fus…
Last reply by riviera74, -
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I picked up my weekend rental this morning..my neighborhood Enterprise was out of luxury cars, so I ended up w/ a silver w/ tan leather interior Yukon. It's the first GMT-900 SUV I've driven. So far, so good. Smooth, comfortable, quiet. About the only nitpick is I haven't found an ideal seat/wheel/pedal position..the steering wheel goes up/down, but no telescoping. Even w/ the seat all the way back (long legs), the pedals seem too close and the wheel too far away...got to fiddle w/ it some this afternoon after work before I hit the road. The various controls are familiar late model GM, quite similar to the Impalas I've driven. Will post more after I get back …
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - CheersandGears.com Nov 30th 2012 Friday Night from 5pm to 9pm Dougs Cadillac of Seattle had their anual Customer Appreciation party with Wine, Woman and Cars! We were entertained by the local Seattle Big Band and Ball Room Dancing while enjoying excellent seafood, Cold cut meats, rice dishes, cheeses to go with the Wine and Beer. The only requirement was to bring a bag of non perishable food to donate to Food LifeLine of Seattle. The night started for me at 5pm and a test drive in the ATS AWD. This was an amazing car for me. At 6'6" tall I was still able to find a comfy seat position that allowed me to drive and realize …
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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2012 Passat SEL TDI 33,+/- MSRP and 2012 Passat SE 5 cylinder, 25,8xx MSRP HIGHS -stately exterior, looks more expensive than class competitors -large car -classy interior (see commentary) -simply laid out and functional interior -huge inside, by all metrics...leg, head, shoulders, it's all good. -big trunk -nice feeling controls -well organized under the hood (including insulation on battery) -SE trim level better than expected, on par with class -SEL has decent plood and nice seat accents, even SE interior in black is alright with pleather -TDI has some snort (see comments) -TDI, DSG functions pretty well -TDI, you really have little idea you are driving …
Last reply by regfootball, -
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DRIVEN 2013 Buick Encore FWD Leather 1.4t MSRP about 31 geezles HIGHS Snazzy looking, great styling job on a very challenging package Nice interior, nice leather and plastics, nice dash, nice design Lots of interesting detail inside, snazzy displays and gauges Dashtop screen is surprisingly effective Popular crossover friendly seat height and step in Very good view all around (surprisingly open cabin for a current crossover) Extremely parkable A very good amount of room inside in the passenger compartment, GM does not typically package interior space real effectively For the most part, pretty quiet inside in most driving Good steering feel and an oh so I wanna…
Last reply by GMTruckGuy74, -
