Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Review

If you've seen my photo, you know that my boy racer days are (or should be, anyway) long over.

So imagine my surprise when, on my way to pick up my daughter from ballet, a car pulls up next to me at a stoplight and starts revving like crazy. I glance over and there are two teenage boys...in an older Mitsubishi Evolution...drooling over the new one I'm driving.

I roll down the window.

"Hey, dude! Nice car!"

(I'm still trying to figure out which would have been worse..."dude" or "sir".)

I say "Thanks, yours too.", roll up the window and accelerate normally when the light turns green. This mystifies the boys who roar ahead and fall back, finally timing things so we end up side-by-side at a stoplight about a mile further up the road. I roll down the window again.

"So, dude...wanna race?"

"No, thanks."

"But, dude! It's an EVO!"

Had the light not turned green at that very second, I probably would have gone all Ward Cleaver on them and stuff (oh, no...teenspeak is catching), explaining that flooring a lightweight car with 300 horsepower can have serious consequences as regards public safety, insurance and the privilege to hold a valid driver's license. I could even have explained that the Evo isn't a drag racer, it's a purpose-built rally car...

Look, this car is crazy fast. One-eighth throttle induces an involuntary "whoa!" the first time you do it. More than that and there are G-forces at work. This is the car that makes me glad I'm not in my 20s anymore because I'd probably be dead before I could post the review.

What impresses me most is what Mitsubishi did to transform the basic Lancer into the fire-breathing Evolution. It goes beyond a hot engine and stiff suspension. There's a brace built behind the rear seat to control (maybe eliminate is the better term) body flex. The Recaro racing seats are nothing short of awesome. And everything feels like it's been upgraded about seven classes from what you'd find in a stock Lancer.

Yes, there's a price for this kind of serious machinery...$38,290 base (a $2,000 Rockford Fosgate 650 watt audio system sent the test vehicle to a $41,740 bottom line). More than double a Lancer's sticker. If this is your type of car, then I can't imagine one better. Just be careful, okay?

Nissan Altima Hybrid Review

In the past decade or so, I've probably driven 20 or more hybrids...ten of them Toyota Priuses. But the Nissan Altima Hybrid is the only one where someone stopped me...in traffic...wanting to talk about it.

We were at a stoplight and he and his wife motioned furiously for me to roll down the window. I thought maybe I had a flat...or a fire. Nope. They noticed the rather discreet "hybrid" badge on the trunk. It was a short red light, so a short conversation.

Until the next red light...when he had more questions. It took two more stoplights (by then I'd just left the window down) for him to get to the big question:

"What kinda mileage you getting?"

I blew his mind. I told him the truth. 35 in the city.

I think he may have driven straight to the nearest Nissan dealer. If I were in the market, I might do the same thing. The Altima Hybrid is the lowest-hype, least-gimmicky hybrid out there. If there wasn't a badge on the trunk and a discreet energy management display, you'd think you were driving a regular Altima sedan.

The window sticker showed an EPA estimated 35 city/33 highway. So I figured I might get 30 or 32 if I babied it. And then, because the car is so...normal...I drove it like any other car (yes, I play a Prius like a video game, trying to squeeze the mpg number ever higher).

Son of a gun. It got 35. And I wasn't being careful.

For most people, an Altima is about the right size for a sedan...so the hybrid option makes a ton of sense...improving the gasoline version's mileage by 35%...and at a reasonable price.

The sticker starts at $25,070. Loaded with leather, heated power seats, Bluetooth, A Bose 9-speaker AM/FM/XM/6-CD/mp3 audio system, rear passenger air conditioning vents and more, the bottom line was $30,375.

Yes, it's more expensive than the gasoline version comparably equipped...but not a lot more. And it's in line with prices for a well-equipped sedan. And you can spend that much on a loaded Prius, which is a much smaller car. Nissan's hit a serious bulls-eye here. Let's hope people (like that guy in traffic) notice.

Jaguar XF/Jaguar XF Supercharged Review

As a single finger touches the button on the console, the eye is drawn to motions in the cabin...the instrument cluster lights up...the air conditioning vents in the dashboard rotate into open position and a round knob glides upward from the console where it had previously been flush with the surface.

That's the first five seconds inside the new Jaguar XF. And it's meant to send the message that, nice as it was, the English gentleman's club era is over at Jaguar. No more cars meant to evoke the 50s and 60s (or reruns of Inspector Morse on PBS).

The exterior of the XF (which replaces the S-Type) sends the same message. Leaping cat hood ornament? Gone. Round headlights and driving lights surrounding an upright radiator? History. After being accused of going way too subtle in the redesigns of the XJ and XK, Jaguar's thrown away the rules on this one. There simply never has been a Jaguar that looks like this or that embraced current technology in the cabin the way the XF does.

My first impression was that Jaguar has built their version of a Lexus, but after a second tour in the XF (this time the 420-horsepower Supercharged model), I realize that's not accurate. It's a contemporary luxury sedan that reveals the Jaguar DNA in the driving experience.

Start with the XF in its standard form. 300 horsepower is more than adequate for excellent perofrmance...and economy is enhanced by a 6-speed automatic transmission...EPA estimates 16 city, 25 highway miles per gallon. Our tester had zero options. Zero. 19 inch wheels? Standard. Paddle-shifter? Standard. 320 watt Alpine audio system? Standard. DVD nav system? Standard. And a whole bunch more at a base price of $55,200. With transportation and handling charges, the bottom line was $55,975. And the experience was that of a much more expensive car.

And then there's the Supercharged...adding 120 horsepower to the mix, it's like driving a business jet. Takeoff speeds are attainable and it's only gravity and engineering that keep it from happening. Our tester also had the incredible Bowers & Wilkins Audio system. 14 speakers...with 440 watts of Dolby Pro Logic 7.1 channel surround sound. It's incredible, pure and simple. With Audi charging north of $6,000 for its Bang & Olufsen audio system, I braced myself for the bottom line on the Supercharged.

Are you ready?

$62,000...including the Bowers & Wilkins system.

Either way you go, you can't go wrong...but if $6,000 buys you the step up to the Supercharged, that's a major deal.

The XFR? 40 horsepower and $18,000 more than the Supercharged.

What can you say about that?

Ladies and Gentlemen, Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear:

Saturn Astra XR Review

Small cars needn't be cheap. Not as in price tag, but as in materials and craftsmanship. Unfortunately, there's a history in this country of domestic automakers not doing their best work on small cars and of foreign automakers "Americanizing" the products they sell here (the low point of which had to have been the 1978 VW Rabbit and its color-keyed "Americans like this stuff" interior).

GM should be applauded for what it's done with the Saturn Astra. It has taken the car known as the Opel Astra in Germany, put it on a boat and shipped it to the States. Period. Yes, that means you actually have to read the owner's manual to find out what the symbols on the controls represent. But it also means that the controls haven't been switched out for cheaper plastics, that the suspension pieces haven't been traded for ones giving a softer ride at the expense of control and that stuff the Europeans get standard can't be made optional.

The Astra is exceptionally well-equipped. The 5-door XR comes with a 1.8 liter 16-valve four cylinder engine and a 5-speed manual, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, remote keyless entry, tire pressure monitor, a theft deterrent system, air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, power door locks, a seven-speaker AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system and 16 inch alloy wheels. The 3-door comes with all that, but with 17 inch alloy wheels.

You don't get something for nothing, of course, so the base price is where some of the competition reaches the bottom line...$16,925 for the 5-door and $17,875 for the 3-door. But stop there, with the cars as equipped, and you're about even. Our testers had upgraded sound systems, automatic transmissions and sunroofs added...the 3-door got a leather interior. If it was our money, we'd pass on all that (okay, we might spring the $595 for the Advanced Audio Package).

No, the Astra's not a pavement-burner with that 1.8 liter four...but it's more than adequate...and the EPA says both the 3-door and the 5-door will get 24 miles per gallon in the city and 30 on the highway. And they both feel like they're carved out of solid blocks of steel. German engineering and all that. GM deserves to be rewarded for leaving well enough alone with the Astra. Hopefully, hundreds of thousands of customers will do just that.

Mercedes-Benz ML 320 BlueTec Review

Noise? No.

Smell? No.

Slow acceleration? No.

Trouble passing emissions? No.

Must not be a diesel, right? Think again. Mercedes-Benz new BlueTec has done what a lot of people said was impossible just a few short years ago...passed tough new emissions testing in all 50 states without substantial and expensive reformulation of diesel fuel.

How clean is it? Well, I stood by the tailpipe of our idling ML320 test car last week and couldn't detect a trace of diesel smell.

Those tough regulations have kept many diesels off the U.S. market for the past few years. A shame, too, since diesels have huge benefits including great fuel economy and long engine life.

If you've avoided diesels like the plague since the dark days of the 1980s, when smell, slug-like 0-60 times and (in the case of GM diesels) questionable reliability were the norm, the ML320 BlueTec would be a perfect introduction to the state of the art. First, there's no waiting for the glow plugs to heat up to start (that one's been gone for a decade or more), neither the inside nor the outside of the ML320 BlueTec smells like a city bus pulling away from a stop, it doesn't clatter like diesels used to and it performs much like a gasoline-powered engine...but with multiples of torque and miles per gallon.

A gasoline-powered ML320 is probably a 16-mile per gallon vehicle in the city. The BlueTec version we tested did 23 and a half. The trip computer showed 550 miles range when we started...and it actually crept close to 600 on the freeway. Yes, diesel fuel costs more than gasoline these days, but the difference in economy tips the scale in the BlueTec's favor.

And then there's longevity. Mercedes' gasoline engines are well-engineered...200,000 miles with proper maintenance should be no sweat. A Mercedes diesel? 400,000 or 500,000 is more like it. And there are million-mile examples out there.

If you're shopping for a luxury mid-size SUV but want clean air, better mileage and a long-term payoff on your investment, the ML320 BlueTec makes a very strong case for itself.

Ford Focus Coupe Review

Just in time for rising gas prices (and tightening consumer credit), Ford has freshened the Focus Coupe.

This is a great time to have a competitive product for under $20,000 (under $18,000 is even better)...and the Focus, decently equipped, can slot in around $17,000. For that, you get a roomy (by subcompact standards) coupe with better-than-decent performance and very good fuel economy. We'd pass on the trick lighting that can make the footwells and the cupholders light up in seven different colors...but we'd definitely keep the SYNC audio system that allows you to hook up your iPod or other digital music device and then control it by voice.

We're still not getting the truly great stuff...the European Focus...but the U.S. version is way better than a lot of reviews from journalists ticked because we don't have the Euro-spec version yet would have you believe.

Ford Mustang Bullitt Review

(Note: This is a 2009 model. Read the review of the new 2010 Mustang GT here.)

If, in 1968, Ford had introduced a car that looked like the 1928 Model A, there would have been more stockholders selling shares than dealers selling cars. But pop culture is a funny thing...and a 40 year flashback can work...as long as it's the right 40 years.

The Ford Mustang Bullitt is a car that trades on two images...one, of a car...and two, of the man who drove it: Steve McQueen.

The 60s were full of cool cars on TV and in the movies, but you don't see Dodge trying to rush a Dodge Dart GTS Mannix edition to market, do you? Steve McQueen was beyond cool (for the record, I like Mike Connors, too).

If you haven't seen the movie Bullitt (is that possible?), buy it. McQueen is Frank Bullitt, a San Francisco cop and it's a good story, but the movie is best known for a 7-minute chase scene featuring McQueen at the wheel of his Highland Green Mustang GT (with decidedly non-stock wheels, blackout grille and a lack of badging) and a couple of murderous thugs with a '68 Dodge Charger.



Despite some continuity errors (the Charger loses six hubcaps and that green VW bug is everywhere), it's widely regarded as one of the best, if not in fact the best movie chase scene ever. See it once and it's burned into your brain.

But even before the big scene, McQueen and the Mustang peg the cool-meter. There's just something that says...yeah, he'd drive that car. And he's so cool, we'd all like to have it rub off on us.

Ford tried a Bullitt edition a few years ago, before Mustang's re-design...and it didn't really work. But now that Mustang looks like a Mustang again, the effect is dead-on. It's achieved by taking a Mustang GT Premium coupe (base price $27,020) and adding the Bullitt Package (interior revisions including a 60s-era Ford font on the gauges, 3.73 limited slip axle, 18" wheels that look like the movie car's mags, and packed exhaust tips for $3,310).

In reality, you get a better car than McQueen drove. This one's faster, can actually go in directions other than a straight line, and comes with the killer Shaker 500 audio system, including AM/FM and an mp3 capable 6-disc CD changer. Our tester also had Sirius Satellite radio. Steve was stuck with just AM (though KFRC and KSFO in 1968 weren't exactly punishment).

And you'll get way better mileage, even if you drive it like Steve...the EPA says 15 city, 23 highway. All for a price of $34,705 as tested. So, go buy the movie and then go test drive one of these...and then tell me with a straight face you're not at least tempted.

Toyota Prius Review

Once strange, the shape of the second-generation Toyota Prius hybrid is now instantly familiar...the Beetle of the new milennium. Given how many have been sold and are on the street, it's hard to remember that Toyota was taking a big chance a few years ago with a radical design. In fact, they were. In 2004, they sold 54,000 of them. Last year, it was 181,000...with 190,000 expected to leave dealer lots in calendar 2008.

Sales figures aren't the only thing that has grown on the Prius...so have sales prices. The 2004 model was a loss leader at $20,000 base...and most buyers kept it simple. The Prius we drove recently started at $23,770 and got the $5,925 Touring package. That's leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel, voice activated DVD GPS navigation, a 9-speaker JBL audio system with AM, FM and a 6-CD changer with mp3 and WMA capability, satellite radio capability (though not an actual XM subscription), Bluetooth hands-free phone capability (again, it's prep, not the actual system), vehicle stability control, backup camera and more.

Bottom line: (insert drum roll here): $30,554. Now, that was helped by an Extra Value Package discount of $1,750...dropping the final price to $28,804, but there's still an element of sticker shock in knowing that this car can now break 30 grand.

Beyond that, it's the same as it ever was...roomy beyond its exterior dimensions, extremely safe (four-star frontal, rollover and rear seat side crash ratings, five stars for front-seat side crashes), and very economical. The EPA's new methodology for estimating fuel economy gets the Prius down from its original pie-in-the-sky 60 MPG to a much more achievable 48 city/45 highway.

If you like this Prius, now's the time to buy. The third-generation arrives sometime next year as a 2010 model. Early photos suggest it will look the same, but different...and price creep is inevitable.

Infiniti M35 Review

Some guys like convertibles. Some like coupes. I like 'em all, but I have a strong appreciation for sedans. Not only do you get practicality, you also get the most structural rigidity...which translates into security, handling and feedback.

Infiniti's M35 is a jewel, pure and simple. After 15 years of an automotive identity crisis, Nissan's upscale division has found its place in life the past 5 years or so...making Acura salesmen work harder. A silky smooth 275-horsepower 3.5 liter V6 with a five-speed automatic move the M35 with authority...and still deliver 16 city MPG and 23 highway, according to the EPA.

If you bought one without options, it would cost $43,050 and you'd be getting an exceptionally well-equipped car. But step up to the option list and the car gets better. $1,650 buys a sport package with rear active steering, a sport-tuned suspension, alumnium trim and 19 inch wheels. The Technology Package is $3,350 and stirs in a Hard Drive Navigation System with touchscreen, a lane guidance system to tell you when you're drifting over the lines on the pavement, XM NavTraffic (providing real-time traffic information on the nav screen), a rear view camera, voice recognition, an interface system for iPod and a 9.3 gigabyte hard drive for storing your favorite music.

Total price: $48,765. Read the sticker first and maybe you'll say "ouch." Drive the car and you'll be figuring out your loan payments within minutes.