Autoblog Garage


Review: 2010 Volvo XC60 delivers on looks and lux - handling, too. Nav? Not so much.

Volvo has seen better days. Just a few short years ago, the Swedish automaker was the lone bright spot in Ford's European luxury operation, boasting impressive sales and actual profits. Fast-forward to 2009, and the situation couldn't be more different. Sales are downright depressing, revenues are worse, and the automaker has a "For Sale" sign on the front lawn, yet nobody has bothered to show up for the open house. For Volvo to have a legitimate chance of survival, all future products have to be home runs, beginning with the XC60 ... Read more →

Autoblog Podcast #136 Dan Roth

What better way to kick off the weekend than Episode #136 of the Autoblog Podcast? Okay, so it's a thin excuse for delivering this edition late, but here it is. Chris, Sam and Dan congregate and ...

Review: 2010 Kia Soul deserves to be breakout hit for brand Dan Roth

Greeting the Kia Soul with low expectations didn't make sense. Perhaps the details of the funkwagon's story seemed overly familiar at first blush – Kia wants, nay, needs to be more than ...

Review: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V offers supercar performance, everyday drivability Sam Abuelsamid

Despite recent products to the contrary, when much of America thinks "Cadillac," a lot of people still recall the land yachts of the '70s and '80s. Hoods and decks marginally shorter than your ...

Review: 2010 Ford Mustang GT - A full week changes attitudes Jonathon Ramsey

We spent a few precious hours in the 2010 Ford Mustang GT toward the end of last year. More recently, we were able to get a Kona Blue model in the Autoblog Garage, and this time, we spent a full ...

VIDEO: 2009 Ford F-150 versus 2009 Dodge Ram 8 months ago on Autoblog

The pickup market may be contracting, but the trucks themselves are better than ever. Two substantially new full-size trucks have gone on sale recently, the 2009 Ford F-150 and 2009 Dodge Ram, and we've already had the chance to park both in the Autoblog Garage for a week. The F-150 tows more, ...

Review: 2009 Ford Focus SES Coupe 10 months ago on Autoblog

It's been just over a year since we reviewed our last Focus, a 2008 SES Coupe, and we were willing to bet the farm back then that its new design wouldn't go over well with buyers. But $4/gallon gas and the unexpected popularity of Ford's SYNC system have contributed to Focus sales rising 15.7% ...

In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 11 months ago on Autoblog

Back in September we reviewed the V6-powered Dodge Challenger SE, and our conclusion was that an uninspiring engine and benign handling was trumped by terrific curb appeal and an affordable price tag. The R/T model we reviewed yesterday fared even better, with a near perfect combination of ...

Review: 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T 11 months ago on Autoblog

For all the problems it faces, Chrysler has to be happy with this: the Dodge Challenger rollout has gone about as well as anyone could have hoped. Everyone wanted this car to happen from the moment it appeared as a concept back in 2006. Back then, the S197 Mustang was still new and ...

Review: 2008 Porsche Cayenne GTS 11 months ago on Autoblog

Porsche makes sports cars backed by a rich tradition and race history. The thought of something wearing the badge that's also able to cart around your family and a load of their assorted junk was once laughable. Today, of course, that thought manifests itself in the form of the Porsche Cayenne. ...

Review: 2009 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG 11 months ago on Autoblog

What a difference 20 inches and 1,000 lbs makes. The latest occupant of the Autoblog Garage is the Mercedes Benz C63 AMG. You might recall that a few months ago we tried out one of the big dogs from the Benz lineup, the S63 AMG and came away somewhat awed by the technology but distressed by the ...

Review: 2009 Mercedes SL63 AMG and SL600 1 year ago on Autoblog

Finding the ideal luxury sports car is a Goldilocks proposition: cars that fulfill either descriptive – luxury or sports – are piled high as Annapurna. For instance, the Ferrari F430 is a luxurious sports car, but it's not a luxury car. The current CL63 is a sporty luxury car, but ...

Review: 2009 Chevy Cobalt SS Turbo 1 year ago on Autoblog

The first-gen Cobalt SS failed to deliver with a supercharged 2.0L Ecotec four-cylinder producing 205 horsepower and a cast of supporting components that did little to hide the Cobalt's rental car roots. But then something entirely unexpected happened. The GM Performance Division completely ...

Review: 2008 Chevy Corvette Z06 1 year ago on Autoblog

I received an Indy 500 poster on my birthday in 1986 that featured a Yellow C4 Corvette pace car leading the pack. My dad hung the poster above my bed, and I can honestly say that I stared at it every night for years. The Corvette was my dream car for my entire childhood, but as an adult I ...

Review: Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 1 year ago on Autoblog

As we all know, there are supercars, and then... there's the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640. It has been called old and overweight, it has been called impractical and overpriced, it has been called out for its propensity to make 10-year-old boys lick its windows. When we got word that the LP640 ...

Review: 2008 Mitsubishi Evolution X MR 1 year ago on Autoblog

Here's a revelation: being stuck in traffic sucks. And it's even more infuriating behind the wheel of an Evo. Despite what some scribes might lead you to believe, the Evos of yore (VIII and IX) weren't deplorable daily drivers. Granted, Mitsu's engineers erred on the stiff side with the Evo's ...

Review: 2008 Hyundai Accent SE 1 year ago on Autoblog

Dismal little car. That's what you'd hear 20 years ago when the conversation turned to Hyundai. The Excel wasn't as terrible as a Yugo, or even as horrifically unreliable as sneering Peugeots, but it wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms. Back then, even Japanese brands were still targets of ...

Review: 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged 1 year ago on Autoblog

Ford Motor Company sent Jaguar packing this year when it sold the storied English automaker, along with Land Rover, to Indian mega corp. Tata. On its way out the door, Jaguar took something special: the XF sedan. Its entire development process having been carried out under the stewardship of ...

Review: KITT Shelby GT500 KR 1 year ago on Autoblog

At age 8, I had a bed time that ranged from 8:30-9:00 PM. That time went unmodified for years, until my dad decided that I could stay up once a week to watch a new show called Knight Rider. It featured my favorite new car at the time; the Pontiac Firebird. The original KITT was black, looked ...

Review: 2009 Dodge Journey R/T 1 year ago on Autoblog

The 2009 Dodge Journey carries the size and shape of a typical crossover, and it has seating for seven and all the amenities you could possibly ask for at $30,000. On paper, the Journey has a plenty of things in its favor, yet we had our doubts. First off, it looks a lot like the Dodge ...

Review: 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG [w/VIDEO] 1 year ago on Autoblog

There was a time when what we might call super-sedans were largely the province of a dedicated cadre of aftermarket tuners. Companies like Brabus, Alpina and, of course, AMG would generally start with mid-sized German sedans and transform them into something truly special. AMG in particular ...

Review: 2008 Mercedes SLK55 AMG 1 year ago on Autoblog

It sits there, all tension and sinew, ready to pounce on lesser cars. Start it up and it barks with a clear V8 voice that thumps off the neighbor's house, setting them discreetly peeking from behind their lace curtains. This is an SLK? Oh yeah. No longer a blocky Benz with dwarfism, the SLK55 ...

Review: 2009 Ford Flex Limited [w/VIDEO] 1 year ago on Autoblog

When the Ford Fairlane concept bowed in Detroit in 2005, it proved that Ford could design a stylish crossover recognizable from a mile away. Unfortunately, Ford didn't exactly have a stellar record of bringing hot concepts to market, so expectations were low that we would ever see the Fairlane ...

Review: 2009 Lincoln MKS 1 year ago on Autoblog

The 2009 Lincoln MKS may be the marque's last chance at establishing a distinct image after two decades of struggling to find its identity. At one time Lincoln, like its counterparts at Cadillac, stood apart from lesser vehicles with unique styling, powertrains and features that clearly ...

Review: 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid [w/VIDEO] 1 year ago on Autoblog

Ford took pride in being the first automaker on the planet to offer a hybrid utility vehicle when it introduced the first battery-assisted Ford Escape in mid-2004. The Escape hybrid has had mixed success over the past few years, but with gas prices hitting $4 per gallon, the Blue Oval is selling ...

Review: 2008 Saab Turbo X 1 year ago on Autoblog

Turbocharging has been as much a part of Saab's DNA for the last three decades as jets. Saab didn't invent turbocharging, but the Swedish brand has probably embraced it more completely than other carmaker. With 2008 marking the 30th birthday of the first production Saab 99 Turbo, the gang in ...

Review: 2008 Toyota Yaris Liftback 1 year ago on Autoblog

Read a few car reviews and it's easy to walk away with the impression that we're a jaded lot; only interested in performance, luxury, and price. Any vehicle that doesn't have stupendous amounts of the first two for the tiniest pile of the latter gets kicked to the curb. It's true, driving cars ...

Review: 2008 Audi RS4 1 year ago on Autoblog

My buddy Chris was beaming as his body pressed into the two-tone Recaro on the passenger side. "This thing is completely unbelievable," he said, his voice a blend of awe and disbelief. Around us, the scenery flicked by as the crisp Sunday morning air was sucked in through the open windows. The ...

Review: 2008 MINI Cooper Clubman 1 year ago on Autoblog

"You want a large for $.25 more?" That's what the popcorn drone behind the concession counter asks when you order a medium Coke at the movies. You may not need it, but hell, it's offered, so you pull the trigger. The same thing is happening in auto showrooms. Why settle for just an Escalade ...

In the Autoblog Garage: Harley-Davidson Night Rod Special 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click on the image for more high-res shots of the Night Rod Special Harley-Davidson and the cruiser segment in general is currently being forced into the realization that such bikes are often considered playthings by their owners. Sure, there are plenty of die-hard HD fanatics who ride their bikes ...

Review: 2008 Suzuki XL7 1 year ago on Autoblog

Suzuki's swapped the ladder frame architecture of the past to create a more civilized XL7, a welcome change from the Vitara roots of the original. The XL7's unitized Theta II platform, on loan from General Motors, also serves as the basis for the Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent. Suzuki ...

In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Shelby GT500 Mustang Sometime around late 2003, I first saw the car that was at that time still known as Condor. Condor was the Ford internal code name for the SVT version of the yet to be publicly shown S197 Mustang. At that time, most everyone ...

In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Mustang Bullitt - Video edition 1 year ago on Autoblog

Autoblog drives the 2008 Bullitt Mustang The Ford Mustang has been the lone-surviving pony car since the last Camaro hit the chopping block back in 2002. Even though the Blue Oval no longer had any competition in the rear-wheel-drive muscle car market, the Mustang was given a major overhaul for the ...

In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 F-350 King Ranch [w/VIDEO] 1 year ago on Autoblog

Autoblog drives the 2008 F-350 King Ranch Dually It isn't very often we get the opportunity to drive a vehicle with four wheels at the rear axle, so we were more than happy to parade around town with a completely loaded 2008 F-350 King Ranch for a week. With $4.20 per gallon diesel and an average ...

Review: 2008 Saturn Astra XR 1 year ago on Autoblog

Enthusiasts here in the States have long wondered why they couldn't buy Ford and GM small cars from Europe, and at least part of the answer has been that Americans don't want to pay big bucks for premium small cars. Spiking gasoline prices have quelled that argument, and fuel economy is now ...

In The Autoblog Garage: 2008 Honda Accord Coupe 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Honda Accord Coupe Honda's Accord has grown at every redo since the model's inception, and this latest version is no different. We've already tried out the sedan, so we borrowed the two-door version to sample the Coupé lifestyle, wherein you ...

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Autoblog Podcast #151: With Car and Driver's Eddie Alterman

Eddie Alterman wades in with Sam, Chris, Dan, and Jonny to talk about SEMA and other recent events.

 
 

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