Test Drive


Cornell's SAE Baja buggy helps us get even with would-be alma mater

How much horsepower do you need to have fun in a car? More is usually better, but sometimes less is okay too. Sometimes even none is enough – if you have gravity on your side. When you're running off-road through mud, rocks, up hills, crashing off of whoops and flying over jumps, you certainly can't rely on the attraction of physical bodies to get you around the course. You need power. Cornell's Baja SAE buggy admittedly doesn't have much, driven by a lowly 10-hp Briggs & Stratton that wouldn't look out of place on a lawnmower. ... Read more →

Review: 2009 Lexus IS F pursues perfection, might need more personality Michael Harley

The Lexus IS F is the sole Japanese contender in a crowd of compact high-performance sport sedans. Boasting a full complement of performance upgrades, including a 5.0-liter V8 mated to a ...

North Carolina's Supercar Sensation gets you behind the wheel without breaking the bank Noah Joseph

You've seen this concept before: Most folks can neither afford to buy exotic supercars, nor do they yearn for the headaches of ownership. But hey, it sure would be nice to get behind the wheel once ...

Ford adds charity benefit by giving $20 to cancer foundation for each customer test drive Jonathon Ramsey

Ford is making the most of having a little bit of extra fat during these lean times by sharing its fortune with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. If you test drive a Ford, Lincoln, or ...

Early Chevy Volt mule drives reveal surprisingly good stuff in Cruze bodies [w/VIDEO] Sebastian Blanco

General Motors has begun doling out test drives of its Chevrolet Volt prototypes to the salivating media. AutoblogGreen is scheduled for some time behind the wheel in short order, but some bigger ...

First Drive: 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible, MI6's sultry secretary has a new ride 8 months ago on Autoblog

As enthusiasts, many of us are quick to dismiss convertibles as the preferred conveyance for hapless poseurs (BMW M3 cabrio) or fake-bake hairdressers (Toyota Solara). And with good reason. When you lop the top off a coupe, the result is often a floppy, overweight chassis that provides all the ...

Driven: Ronn Motor Company Scorpion, the world's first 'green' supercar 9 months ago on Autoblog

Driving prototypes is practically useless. It's next to impossible to get a feel for what the production version is capable of, and you rarely get a chance to explore the limits. Our time with the Ronn Motor Company Scorpion didn't change that sentiment, but it did give us a glimpse into the ...

First Drive: 2009 Porsche Boxster S with PDK 10 months ago on Autoblog

The Italian countryside passes by in a blur. At an indicated 265 km/h (164 mph), we have hit the invisible wall. The accelerator pedal has been jammed into the carpet for the last ten seconds, yet the sleek Porsche cannot push the molecules of air away any faster. Thanks to a stiff headwind, ...

Review: 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S 10 months ago on Autoblog

A 1980 Porsche 911 SC Targa was deposited in my driveway during the spring of 1999. A good friend left it in my care while a contractor remodeled his garage. I'd never driven a Porsche, let alone a 911, but I would tend his car for three full months. With a 3.0-liter flat-6 hung way out back, ...

First Drive: 2010 Lexus RX350 and RX450h 11 months ago on Autoblog

Few vehicles have done more to establish a genre and define a brand as much as the Lexus RX. Introduced over a decade ago to suburbanite real estate agents and their Napa-weekending friends, the original RX300 helped boost Lexus sales by 60% when it hit dealers in late 1998. Over the ensuing ...

Review: 2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD 11 months ago on Autoblog

Infiniti's FX first arrived on the scene in 2003. At the time, it looked like something transported into the showroom directly from the auto show concept car turntable. While other manufacturers were delivering boxy SUVs, Infiniti presented the world a futuristic four-door crossover that was ...

Driven: 2009 Tesla Roadster v1.5 1 year ago on Autoblog

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Driven_2009_Tesla_Roadster_v1_5_Autoblog'; Last January we landed an exclusive first drive of the Tesla Roadster. We were impressed, but well aware that the particular two-gear model we drove that wet afternoon wasn't identical to the version set to land ...

First Drive: 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S with PDK 1 year ago on Autoblog

Introduced in 1963, the Porsche 911 is one of the most successful competition cars ever built. Despite its unconventional rear-engine platform, the 911 Carrera holds recorded wins in nearly every type of automotive competition. Continuously upgraded and refined, Porsche has introduced a mid-cycle ...

First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Routan 1 year ago on Autoblog

The Volkswagen Routan's "German Engineering" ad campaign has provided plenty of irony-laced comedic fodder for the Autoblog water-cooler, and VW's own press release doesn't help, heralding the Routan as "a stylish alternative to the minivan." An alternative to what? In a perfect world, VW ...

First Drive: 2008 Ford Focus ST (Euro-spec) 1 year ago on Autoblog

Save the hot hatch for last. That's what we kept telling ourselves as we wandered the Belgian countryside looking for Ford's Lommel Proving Ground. As it turns out, the facility, located next to an air force base – restricted airspace, you know – is so secret, our hosts at Ford could ...

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: 2009 Nissan Murano 1 year ago on Autoblog

It just so happens that the all-new 2009 Nissan Murano is one of those nondescript mid-size crossover utility vehicles that may blend into the crowd. Its styling is certainly modern, if not overly exciting. The cabin is accommodating, if not excessively spacious. The handling is inspiring, if ...

First Drive: 2008 Range Rover Sport 1 year ago on Autoblog

Driving a Range Rover Sport is like wearing an Izod circa 1980-anything: everybody immediately knows what you're about. And that's not a bad thing. We never wore Izods, but we'd drive this thing all day long -- and in fact, we did. The sport is supposedly the Range Rover for people who just want ...

Second Drive: Porsche Boxster RS60 Spyder 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click the image above for a hi-res gallery of the Porsche Boxster RS 60 Our colleague Chris Tutor recently took the Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder for a few quick turns around Barber Motorsports. A tad more powerful than the Boxster S, and filled with red leather, he discovered it was plenty of car ...

First Drive: 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage 1 year ago on Autoblog

2003 BMW M5. 2005 Lotus Elise. 2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage. What do these three vehicles have in common? They all occupy a space in my dream garage. Sure, I could've added a few more fantasy slots for a Ferrari 250 GTO, a Land Rover 90 and everything in between, but the Bimmer, the Lotus and ...

Review: 2009 Nissan GT-R 1 year ago on Autoblog

Nissan recently granted Autoblog four fleeting days with a red 2009 Nissan GT-R. While it seems every major automotive outlet has tested "Godzilla" on the track (including our First Drive), we chose instead to keep it on the streets to see if one of the world's most powerful and fastest ...

Autoblog's Day Off: 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click to view the '61 Alfa Giulietta in our hi-res gallery Everyone has their own idea of heaven on earth: the first snowfall, a cold beer on a hot day, a pristine azure beach... Cruising around town on a beautiful summer day in a classic Italian roadster may just be ours. There's just something, ...

Review: 2008 Audi R8 1 year ago on Autoblog

There's been considerable debate about whether the Audi R8 is a bona fide supercar, able to hang with the best and brightest from Maranello, Stuttgart and beyond. But power figures and price points don't tell the whole tale. What's been missing from most reviews is how Audi's midship ...

First Drive: the 2008 Lexus IS F 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click the image above for a hi-res gallery of Lexus IS F pics So we recently got some seat time in the Lexus IS F, and we can proudly report that it's not anything Lexus has ever been before. Does it really compare to the M3 and C63 AMG? In a ...

Autoblog drives the 2008 Honda Accord sedan and coupe 2 years ago on Autoblog

The first Honda Accord, released in 1976, had a 93.7-inch wheelbase and 68 horsepower. This latest Accord, the 7th generation, has a wheelbase nearly 17 inches longer, and 200 more horsepower. My, how you've grown. You've seen the pictures and read the releases on the new Honda Accord sedan and ...

Tochigi test-drive: Nissan GT-R 2 years ago on Autoblog

Although the reveal of the Nissan GT-R is less than two months away, details surrounding the coupe's performance prowess have mainly centered on speculated stats and spy shots showing a Porsche 911 Turbo in tow around the Nurburgring. According to an interview with an unnamed test-driver in Japan's ...

The good life: getting gifts for test-driving luxury cars 2 years ago on Autoblog

Giving buyers an incentive to test drive a car is an old tactic, but usually these were limited to small gifts or vouchers of nominal value. With competition in the high-end luxury market heating up, automakers are now moving to more elaborate ways to attract the well-heeled. Take Maserati for ...

VIDEO: Sentra SE-R hot laps with Tommy Constantine 2 years ago on Autoblog

During last week's ride and drive of Nissan's new Sentra SE-R, we were assigned instructors to ensure we didn't pull a Griffin and understeer one of their new rigs into a wall. There were several instructors from the local school on hand to give us a familiarization lap around Homestead, but there ...

30 Minutes with the 2007 Lincoln MKX 3 years ago on Autoblog

Recently we had the opportunity to spend some time behind the wheel of the new 2007 Lincoln MKX crossover. This is a critical vehicle to the brand as it works to establish credibility and build brand equity in the luxury crossover market against competitors such as the Lexus RX and Infiniti ...

Slummin' it: Chrysler execs testing used vehicles 3 years ago on Autoblog

Thinking that top executives had perhaps gotten out of touch with what the real world buyer of their cars is experiencing, Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda is sending 250 top executives out to test drive some used cars. He has them driving three-year-old DaimlerChrysler products because he wants them to ...

Atari challenges gamers to design their perfect car 3 years ago on Autoblog

Legendary video game firm Atari is celebrating its latest driving simulator with its 'Test Drive Unlimited - Be a Car Designer' sweepstakes. The contest challenges car buffs, gamers, designers and artists to create their own dream car. The prize? The winner will receive $2,500, and their design ...

Chrysler Imperial concept test drive leaves more questions than answers 3 years ago on Autoblog

To say that Chrysler Imperial concept's debut at this year's Detroit Auto Show caused a mixed reaction among attendees and readers would be an understatement.  Thus, we followed Matt Nauman's test drive of the concept with keen interest, to see if it might sway our staff's opinion one way ...

BMW dealership opens inside Kansas mall 3 years ago on Autoblog

We’ve all seen cars displayed in malls. Well, Baron BMW of Merriam has taken what it considered as the “next logical step," opening up a BMW showroom in the Oak Park Mall in the city of Overland Park, Kansas (pictured is the Merriam dealership). Like a conventional dealership, ...

SHIFT_first drive: 2007 Nissan Altima 3 years ago on Autoblog

Once again the boys and girls over at Inside Line have sold their souls to the devil in order to gain access to a preproduction version of the 2007 Nissan Altima before the car even debuted at the New York Auto Show last week. Their initial impressions of Nissan’s most significant sedan are ...

GM set to open Las Vegas "autotainment" park 3 years ago on Autoblog

"The Drive," GM's outdoor "autotainment" driving experience is set to open in Las Vegas at the Sahara Hotel & Casino April 10, and GM wants you to start planning it into your next trip to Sin City. The Drive includes two separate driving courses on the 11-acre site, a ...

What to do in Indianapolis this Sunday 3 years ago on Autoblog

Picture this - you're in Indy for the NCAA Final Four and you've spent Saturday watching the semifinals, and the finals aren't until Monday. So what do you do on Sunday? Well, Pontiac (maker of the "Official Performance Machines of the NCAA") has just the thing - the "Pontiac ...

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Autoblog Podcast #156: Paukert comes back for more! 

Chris, Dan, and Editor Paukert chat and give each other grief. Merriment ensues.

 
 

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