Some TireKicker Time Machines are well cared-for, almost museum quality pieces.
And...some aren't. But there's beauty in surviving against the odds, and this 1970 Chevy falls into that category.
5.02.2012
TireKicker Time Machine: 1970 Chevrolet Bel Air
Some TireKicker Time Machines are well cared-for, almost museum quality pieces.
And...some aren't. But there's beauty in surviving against the odds, and this 1970 Chevy falls into that category.
5.01.2012
New Car Review: 2012 Buick Verano
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| The 2012 Buick Verano. |
I sense a slippery slope ahead when I'm at the wheel of the Buick Verano. And it has nothing to do with the pavement under the tires.
Call it generational perspective. I'm old enough to remember when Buick wanted a compact car so badly that it took a 1973 Chevy Nova, made it a bit prettier (in the eyes of some beholders, anyway), a bit cushier, a bit more upscale, and sold it as the 1973 Buick Apollo.
4.30.2012
TireKicker Time Machine: 1986-89 Porsche 911
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| Front view of a classic '80s Porsche 911. |
After a much too long absence, TireKicker Time Machine is back as a regular feature...and we start with a car I literally stumbled across and photographed mere minutes ago.
4.03.2012
New Car Review: 2012 Honda CR-V
Expectations.
That's the problem Honda has at the moment. I've read a few mediocre to bad reviews of the 2012 Honda CR-V, and after a week and 500 miles at the wheel, I can tell you, they're wrong. And it stems from expectations.
Those of us of a certain age watched as Honda went from building underpowered motorbikes to two-door rollerskates like the Honda 600 to world-beating sedans like the 1980s Accords and Civics in what seemed like the blink of an eye...and maintained the edge in quality, reliability and even innovation.
For the past decade or so, Honda's been operating with different priorities, and it shows. Their cars are no longer cutting edge. The simplicity and flawless ergonomics have given way to a fascination with electronics and buttons in the cabin. I've even said it...in a lot of ways, Kia is now building what we (of a certain age) expected from Honda.
But that doesn't mean that their cars are bad...or even less competitive in their categories.
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| The 2012 Honda CR-V. |
Expectations.
That's the problem Honda has at the moment. I've read a few mediocre to bad reviews of the 2012 Honda CR-V, and after a week and 500 miles at the wheel, I can tell you, they're wrong. And it stems from expectations.
Those of us of a certain age watched as Honda went from building underpowered motorbikes to two-door rollerskates like the Honda 600 to world-beating sedans like the 1980s Accords and Civics in what seemed like the blink of an eye...and maintained the edge in quality, reliability and even innovation.
For the past decade or so, Honda's been operating with different priorities, and it shows. Their cars are no longer cutting edge. The simplicity and flawless ergonomics have given way to a fascination with electronics and buttons in the cabin. I've even said it...in a lot of ways, Kia is now building what we (of a certain age) expected from Honda.
But that doesn't mean that their cars are bad...or even less competitive in their categories.
4.02.2012
New Car Review: 2012 BMW Z4 2.8i
Pundits have been predicting the end of our second golden age of performance for quite a while now...and reason tells you they're probably right...that a combination of increasing mandated Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and just plain old pain at the pump will someday result in liters and horsepower taking a back seat to efficiency and economy.
That being the case, the news that BMW, maker of the sweetest six-cylinders on this or any other planet, was shifting to four-cylinders in some variants of some of its models, was especially worrying.
Well, stop it. Now. The BMW Z4 2.8i, the four-cylinder that this year replaces the 3.0-liter 6, is soooo good.
Remember how much we loved the Z4 3.5i last year? We love the 2.8i more.
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| The 2012 BMW Z4 2.8i. |
Pundits have been predicting the end of our second golden age of performance for quite a while now...and reason tells you they're probably right...that a combination of increasing mandated Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and just plain old pain at the pump will someday result in liters and horsepower taking a back seat to efficiency and economy.
That being the case, the news that BMW, maker of the sweetest six-cylinders on this or any other planet, was shifting to four-cylinders in some variants of some of its models, was especially worrying.
Well, stop it. Now. The BMW Z4 2.8i, the four-cylinder that this year replaces the 3.0-liter 6, is soooo good.
Remember how much we loved the Z4 3.5i last year? We love the 2.8i more.
3.13.2012
New Car Review: 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Premium
It's the #1 question asked by someone meeting an automotive journalist:
"What's the best car?"
Now, of course, that can only be answered with a question (or more accurately, a series of questions).
"What for?"
"What kind of driving do you do?"
"How many people do you need to carry?"
"How much stuff do you need to carry?"
"What's your budget?"
Occasionally, I'll find myself talking to someone who's really trying to choose between the Audi R8 and a Porsche 911. But 9 times out of 10, it's someone who's looking for something reliable to get to and from work that gets good gas mileage, although sometimes, they'll take their spouse and 1.7 kids on a road trip for a few days.
For many years (a couple of decades, in fact) the Honda Civic was my default, no-risk recommendation. More recently, it's been the Mazda 3. But for the past seven days (and likely for some time to come), there's a new favorite compact car here at TireKicker World Headquarters.
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| The 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Premium. |
It's the #1 question asked by someone meeting an automotive journalist:
"What's the best car?"
Now, of course, that can only be answered with a question (or more accurately, a series of questions).
"What for?"
"What kind of driving do you do?"
"How many people do you need to carry?"
"How much stuff do you need to carry?"
"What's your budget?"
Occasionally, I'll find myself talking to someone who's really trying to choose between the Audi R8 and a Porsche 911. But 9 times out of 10, it's someone who's looking for something reliable to get to and from work that gets good gas mileage, although sometimes, they'll take their spouse and 1.7 kids on a road trip for a few days.
For many years (a couple of decades, in fact) the Honda Civic was my default, no-risk recommendation. More recently, it's been the Mazda 3. But for the past seven days (and likely for some time to come), there's a new favorite compact car here at TireKicker World Headquarters.
2.29.2012
New Car Review: 2012 Nissan Murano
There is a drawback to getting it right the first time. You change at your own risk. It's often better to sit still. But then you sort of fade from consciousness.
Case in point: The 2012 Nissan Murano, which looks an awful lot like the 2002 Nissan Murano...because, well...because they got it right ten years ago. In fact, the Murano really showed the way for the entire crossover segment. To tamper with it would be to mess with success, so Nissan has simply refined the Murano constantly along the way.
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| The 2012 Nissan Murano. |
There is a drawback to getting it right the first time. You change at your own risk. It's often better to sit still. But then you sort of fade from consciousness.
Case in point: The 2012 Nissan Murano, which looks an awful lot like the 2002 Nissan Murano...because, well...because they got it right ten years ago. In fact, the Murano really showed the way for the entire crossover segment. To tamper with it would be to mess with success, so Nissan has simply refined the Murano constantly along the way.
2.28.2012
New Car Review: 2012 Chevrolet Volt
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| The 2012 Chevrolet Volt. |
Quick. Name a car George Bush (either one) owned before or after the presidency. How about Bill Clinton (okay, an El Camino with Astroturf in the rear bed is kinda hard to forget)? Ronald Reagan? Jimmy Carter? Gerald Ford?
Presidents aren't usually car guys. But President Barack Obama today (2/28/12) said when his term in office is over, he's buying and driving a Chevy Volt.
Obama's previous car choices have sent mixed signals. His last car before becoming Commander In Chief was a Ford Escape Hybrid (also a recent Bill Clinton choice)...but until he announced his candidacy in '07, Senator Obama drove a Chrysler 300C...with a Hemi...leading us to believe he might be lusting in his heart (to borrow a Jimmy Carter-ism) for the new SRT8.
But let's take the Prez at his word. What kind of car is the Volt to live with and drive?
2.27.2012
New Car Review: 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8
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| The 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8. |
It's been almost three years since our last test of a Chrysler 300 SRT8. Normally, that wouldn't allow for much in the way of changes, but the 2012 SRT8 is soooo much more car than the '09.
6.1 liters worth of V8 Hemi muscle has become 6.4. 425 horsepower is now 470 (with 470 pounds per foot of torque to back it up). The "Wow!" that involuntarily escaped your lips last time around is now more like "Whooooooaaaaa!". 60 miles an hour comes up in under 5 seconds.
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