Passenger car reviews

April 19, 2012

Review: Hyundai Azera perfectly parked in large sedan segment

In a quiet, forgotten corner of the automotive landscape there is a segment of vehicle called the large sedan. These cars tilt toward luxury but have a foot firmly planted in practicality and economics.

9:25 PM EST, November 9, 2011

VW puts testosterone in revamped 2012 Beetle

You have to hand it to Volkswagen.

September 24, 2011

Charger R/T: Dodge updates its feisty family car

I'm a big fan of the Dodge Charger, and it would be on my short list of four-door sedans if I were in the market for one. But the model I recommend is the one that starts at $25,395, and comes with the excellent new 3.6-liter, 292-horsepower Pentastar V-6, Chrysler's best V-6 in — well, forever.

10:00 PM EDT, August 31, 2011

2012 Volkswagen Passat: Germany's take on a big-ol' American car

An earthquake recently cracked the Washington Monument. Billionaire Warren Buffett wants to pay more taxes. Volkswagen is building a big-ol' American car.

August 20, 2011

VW aims the new Passat squarely at Honda and Toyota

Remember the 2011 Volkswagen Passat? Sorry, trick question — there wasn't one. But there's certainly a 2012 Passat, and it's prepared to make some noise, the way the new-for-2011 Volkswagen Jetta did.

5:45 PM EST, February 7, 2011

Restyled Toyota Avalon retains old-school appeal

With the introduction of the Toyota Avalon in 1995, replacing the Cressida, the company made it very easy for customers for whom a car is essentially an appliance. Toyota gives those customers three choices: small (the Corolla), medium (the Camry) and large (the Avalon).

10:56 PM EST, December 22, 2010

Volvo S60 T6 packs sporty power and safety features

A decade in the automotive industry is like the passing of the Mesozoic era; a lot changes. In 2001, Hyundais were questionable and Toyota was infallible. Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Plymouth existed. Scion did not. So it may come as a bit of a surprise that it's been 10 years since Volvo pulled an all-new S60 out of the oven.

November 25, 2010

2011 Kia Optima drives toward top of its class

You know you like a car when the only thing you would change is the hard, uncomfortable seats.

July 1, 2010

Test Drive: 2010 Nissan Altima 3.5 SR Coupe review

Altima coupe is fun, but more sporty than sports car

Two-door coupe versions of popular four-door sedans have been fading in popularity since designers figured out how to make four doors look sexy. Gone is the Toyota Solara, a two-door Camry. Ford has never sold a two-door version of the Taurus or Fusion, and Chevrolet's Monte Carlo, essentially a two-door Impala, lives on only in the memories of NASCAR fans. Honda still has a two-door Accord, but sales pale compared to the sedan.

October 11, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Hyundai Genesis coupe

Jim Mateja: Hyundai Genesis coupe gets off to stylish start, but a little short on legroom, trunk space

The 2009 Hyundai Genesis sedan surprised many when it captured the North American Car of the Year award from the nation's automotive wordsmiths.

August 2, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Ford Taurus Limited AWD

Jim Mateja: Taurus redo aims to recapture early success

Taurus captivated the public with its weird styling when introduced for 1986 and captured the auto sales crown from the Honda Accord.

June 10, 2010

Test Drive: 2010 Volvo C70 review

C70 convertible builds solid case for Volvo

It's sobering how close Volvo and Saab came to joining Mercury, Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, Plymouth, Isuzu, Daewoo and Oldsmobile on the growing list of recently shuttered brands.

June 3, 2010

Test Drive: 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT S-AWC review

Outlander uses a lot of letters to spell OK

With its 2010 Outlander GT S-AWC, Mitsubishi explores not only the limits of alphabetical nomenclature but also whether Americans care about a crossover with a complex all-wheel-drive system designed to provide extra cornering power and traction under virtually all conditions.

3:57 PM EDT, May 6, 2010

Goofy Mitsubishi Ralliart defies convention

— Where have all the goofy cars gone? The cars that don't even make a drive-by of mainstream appeal before blasting full-throttle for weirdness. The cars that become cult favorites. Eccentric-looking and equipped with unusual features, they baffle most buyers but delight a few.

9:26 PM EDT, May 20, 2010

Mazdaspeed3: Who says a car can't be practical and fun?

Those of us who have been around for a while have learned that practicality and entertainment are often annoyingly mutually exclusive. The 2010 Mazdaspeed3 is a happy exception.

May 6, 2010

Ford is thinking big with its little Fiesta

Whether it's date night at the El Pollo Loco or trading clothes at a swap, it's never been so hip to live econo. Now Ford is hoping to capitalize on the trend with a new take on an old car designed for the fashionably frugal — and young.

January 11, 2009

Jim Mateja: TL joins Acura's AWD charge

The flagship Acura RL sedan now has an all-wheel-drive companion for 2009: the midsize TL sedan that adds AWD for security when roads are wet and snowy and sure-footedness when they're dry.

March 4, 2010

Test Drive: 2010 Nissan Altima 2.5 S sedan

Jim Mateja: Revamped 2010 Nissan Altima retains good looks, affordability

A variety of vehicles have enjoyed their day in the sun: Wagons until they gave way to minivans, which gave way to SUVs, which bowed to crossovers.

January 19, 2010

Jim Mateja: Volkswagen GTI appeals to fast crowd

The Volkswagen GTI is an acquired taste, like skydiving, bronco riding, sword swallowing or watching the Cubs and Bears.

January 10, 2010

Test Drive: 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour review

Jim Mateja: Honda keeping upscale in-house

An upscale Honda Accord.

October 18, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi

Jim Mateja: Suzuki Kizashi is big on excitement, accessories

Kizashi!

October 4, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Subaru Legacy

Jim Mateja: A better Legacy for Subaru buyers

All you have to do is ask.

September 13, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS

Jim Mateja: LaCrosse leading off new Buick lineup

General Motors' cupboards aren't bare.

August 16, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Ford Mustang V-6 Premium convertible

Jim Mateja: Mustang slow out of gate

Chevy Camaro made its long-awaited return for the 2010 model year, prompting Ford to tweak Mustang. Who says you can't teach a 45-year-old pony new tricks?

May 31, 2009

Test Drive: 2009 Nissan 370Z coupe

New 370Z flashes Japanese muscle

Chevy has the Camaro; Ford, the Mustang; Dodge, the Challenger.

May 16, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Honda Insight EX

Greater Insight

Honda offered the first hybrid in the U.S., the Insight, which bowed in December 1999.

May 10, 2009

Test Drive: 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring

Elantra Touring does most everything right

The 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show in February is now in showrooms, a sporty hatchback companion to the somewhat more formal compact Elantra sedan.

March 22, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Chevy Camaro

Jim Mateja: Camaro-o-h-h-h: Coupe hits showrooms

PLYMOUTH, Mich.—Three years since the concept bowed at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, the Camaro coupe hits showrooms this week.

February 22, 2009

Jim Mateja: Even non-hybrid Fusion a pleasant diversion

The 2010 Ford Fusion offers all the flavors.

June 1, 2008

Test Drive: BMW X6 35i review

Jim Mateja: Strange BMW straight out of X-Files

The BMW X6 looks like a military weapon, with a front end that appears ready to take a chomp out of anything that gets in its way.

August 31, 2008

Test Drive: 2009 Acura RL

Jim Mateja: Electronic wizardry comes standard on 2009 Acura RL

If you want to know what the weather will be three days from now or whether there's an accident three blocks from here, the 2009 Acura RL is at your service.

December 28, 2008

Test Drive: 2009 Toyota Matrix

Jim Mateja: Unearthing the secrets of the Matrix

The Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe are fraternal twins, basically the same car with different looking skin.

November 30, 2008

Test Drive: 2009 Pontiac G5

Jim Mateja: Pontiac builds m.p.g. excitement

Pontiac has trouble deciding what it wants to be when it grows up.

August 17, 2008

Test Drive: 2009 Honda Pilot

Jim Mateja: Unyielding Pilot running on all 3, 4, 6 cylinders

When a vehicle controls the number of cylinders in use based on its need for more or less power, you'd think the automaker would shout it from the highest mountain—especially with gas prices rising like CEO salaries.

June 8, 2008

Test Drive: 2009 Toyota Corolla

Jim Mateja: Corolla at 40: A little wider, more solid

The Toyota Corolla has survived more than 40 years since its 1968 U.S. debut.

April 5, 2008

Test Drive: 2009 Mitsubishi Galant

Jim Mateja: Mitsubishi's gallant effort comes up short

Sometimes it takes more than a pretty face and shapely body to attract attention—at least in the auto industry.