in the autoblog garage


Review: 2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost turns it up to 11

We were headed on a road trip, because that's what you do when the summer draws to a close and something as gigantic as the Ford Flex rolls into your driveway. Destination: Brooklyn. Five miles into the journey, the Sony audio system belts out the Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn," and the two sub-five-year-olds in tow agree. But we had an ace up our sleeve: our Flex SEL tester was packing a six-shooter augmented by Ford's EcoBoost turbo system, good for another 100 horsepower over the standard model. If the trip was going to be ... Read more →

Review: 2009 Audi Q5 3.2 Quattro is crossover magic - at a cost Dan Roth

Quality costs. Ask a recording engineer. For the same money you'll burn on a pile of inexpensive, non-serviceable gear whose greatest virtue is that "it works," you could alternatively purchase one ...

First Drive: 2010 Porsche Panamera a 4-door sedan 78 years in the making Michael Harley

Porsche invited us to Germany to be one of the first to drive its all-new Panamera, the company's first four-door sedan. We spent three days assailing the Bavarian Alps, streaking across the ...

Review: Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe goes quick, just don't look back Sam Abuelsamid

Climb into the Pontiac Solstice Coupe and there's an unsettling feeling of familiarity. We've been here before. And after driving off, it all begins to gel, although it has nothing to do with our ...

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 Lexus IS F pursues perfection, might need more personality 5 months ago on Autoblog

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 quick-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission, the 416-horsepower sedan blasts to 60 mph in well under ...

Review: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V offers supercar performance, everyday drivability 5 months ago on Autoblog

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 average aircraft carrier, and Sedan de Villes and Fleetwoods serving as hearses or transportation for ...

Review: 2009 Toyota RAV4 Sport strikes agreeable balance 5 months ago on Autoblog

The small crossover segment, where the neo-sorta-trucks live, is one of the hottest battlegrounds for consumer dollars. Small skirmishes go on in the border regions; confused vehicles don't know whether to be mud-slingers with brash attitudes or optioned-up urban sophisticates. Toyota's RAV4 ...

Review: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 goes to Hell and back 6 months ago on Autoblog

Torque is good. More torque is better. And when you have more than 600 lb-ft of the stuff at your disposal with just a tip of your right toe, life is fantastic. Now, if it would just stop raining, things would be perfect. Such is life with the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. As the old saying ...

Review: 2009 Audi A4 3.2 Quattro, too good for its own good 6 months ago on Autoblog

Like nearly every other automotive outlet on the planet, we've become increasingly enamored with Audi's recent product portfolio. From the A3 to the S8, the Q7 to the R8, with all the accolades Audi's received you'd think the crew from Ingolstadt simultaneously cured cancer, rid the world of ...

Review: 2009 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track - but what if you don't have a track? 6 months ago on Autoblog

In the 23 years since Hyundai first entered the U.S. market, the Korean automaker has come a long away. What began as a budget-oriented brand for those who couldn't afford the higher-priced products from Japan has evolved into a credible contender in virtually every segment that it competes. In ...

Review: 2009 Toyota Land Cruiser - A SUV good enough for Dr. Evil and his wife 6 months ago on Autoblog

Once upon a time, if you were expecting company and they drove a Toyota Land Cruiser, you'd have Teva prints in your carpet and the smell of patchouli filling your house. Their refrigerator cheese selection probably included one with the word "Whiz" in it, and if things got too warm, your ...

Review: 2009 Nissan Maxima, return of the four-door sports car? 6 months ago on Autoblog

Once upon a time, labeling anything other than a two-door, two-seater a "sports car" would have been anathema to enthusiasts. And calling a mid-size sedan by the same name would have been utterly absurd. But when Nissan originally slapped the 4DSC ("four-door sports car") label on the Maxima 20 ...

Review: 2009 BMW 335d proves 'Efficient Dynamics' more entertaining than it sounds 7 months ago on Autoblog

In recent weeks, America's comparatively stratospheric price of diesel fuel has slid back down to achieve parity with the price of conventional gasoline. One might think this development means it's a great time to invest in a new oil-burner for the driveway, but the reality is that unless ...

Review: 2009 Nissan Cube S is unbalanced, in a good way 7 months ago on Autoblog

One of our favorite cars last year was a cream-colored, Japanese Domestic Market (JDM), second-generation Nissan Cube that the Japanese automaker loaned us for a few days of commuting and assorted daily driving duties. It was a fantastic car, with excellent styling, the ingenious e-4WD system, ...

Review: 2009 Mazda6 s Grand Touring 7 months ago on Autoblog

With a tagline like "Zoom Zoom", Mazda has given itself the mandate that every one of its vehicles must be fun to drive. While that standard is more easily met with dedicated sports cars like the RX-8 and MX-5, infusing the essence of Mazda's marketing pitch into CUVs, economy cars and family ...

Review: 2009 Toyota Venza is one surprisingly slick wagonoid 7 months ago on Autoblog

The wagons we all know, love and grew up with gradually fell out of favor as the minivan took hold in the '80s. Led by Chrysler's practical little boxes, the van became the king of Mt. People Mover, only to be usurped by the SUV, which took the wagon formula and added a heaping dose of ...

Review: 2010 Ford Mustang GT - A full week changes attitudes 7 months ago on Autoblog

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 week exploring the car's metropolis manners in between long rounds in the saddle, throwing the car ...

Review: 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 7 months ago on Autoblog

In many ways, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is one of the best vehicles in Chrysler's lineup. Along with the Wrangler, it packs real off-road capabilities into an angular, no-nonsense body. It's an authentic Jeep, first and foremost, and makes no excuses for being anything another than a full-fledged ...

Review: 2009 Nissan 370Z 8 months ago on Autoblog

The first Datsun 240Z rolled into American showrooms in 1969. Four decades later, we've got our hands wrapped around the thick, leather, multi-function steering wheel of its direct descendant, the all-new 370Z. With a 332 hp V6 and a six-speed manual transmission directing power to the rear ...

Review: 2009 Infiniti M35 8 months ago on Autoblog

The traditional definition of a Q-ship is a vessel that appears harmless, yet harbors deadly weaponry. Infiniti's M-series fits that description rather well. Around since 2006, the M35 isn't new to the scene, but for 2009, the M has emerged from dry-dock with a series of upgrades to help lure ...

Review: 2010 Ford Fusion Sport 8 months ago on Autoblog

When Ford introduced the Ford Fusion back in 2005, the Blue Oval's midsize sedan was a pleasant surprise. Ford delivered vastly improved quality while also offering impressive driving dynamics, room for five adults and a choice of four- and six-cylinder engines. The Fusion put Ford back into ...

Review: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 9 months ago on Autoblog

The car as we know it is being redefined. Hybrids have reintroduced electrons to the driving experience, and the rumble, shake and shimmy of the internal combustion engine is being muffled and, in some cases, even silenced by cars like the Toyota Prius, 2011 Chevy Volt and Tesla Roadster. ...

Review: 2009 Chevy Tahoe LTZ 6.2L 4x4 9 months ago on Autoblog

For a long time, gas prices in the United States were literally cheaper than dirt. Seriousl – check out the price of a bag of top soil at your local home improvement store. With such low fuel prices, the cost of operating a motor vehicle was really not much of an issue for most Americans. ...

Review: 2009 Ford F-150 Platinum 4x4 9 months ago on Autoblog

The Blue Oval delayed the introduction of its all-important 2009 Ford F-150 by two months late last summer. The company claimed it could save some cash by postponing the pickup's launch, but in the interim, the cost to fill up the F-150's biggie-sized tank was slashed in half. The delay ...

Review: 2009 Honda Pilot Touring 9 months ago on Autoblog

My family has fallen in love with Bruno. Yes, we named it. Clearly, the Honda Pilot has left an impression. Size is the first thing you notice, solidity the second – there's not a whiff of the gelatin-jiggles that afflict most of this CUV's body-on-frame competitors. The Pilot is also ...

Review: 2009 Dodge Charger SXT 3.5 9 months ago on Autoblog

It's been almost a year since a Dodge Charger passed through the Autoblog Garage, and this go-around was very different from the last. Comparedto our last Charger, this one is positively subtle. Last time around, we sampled one of Dodge's police car demonstrators decked out in full law ...

Review: 2009 Dodge Ram Laramie Crew Cab 4X2 9 months ago on Autoblog

Many consider the Dodge Aries K and Dodge Caravan the most important Chryslers of the past 30 years. We agree those two vehicles were a huge part of keeping the Pentastar in business, but we'd add the 1994 Dodge Ram to the list, as well. Dodge wasn't even competitive in the lucrative full-size ...

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% ...

Review: 2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD 10 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 ...

Autoblog Podcast #106 11 months ago on Autoblog

Has it really been a month of podcasts already? Alex Nunez and editor Neff join Chris and Dan for Autoblog Podcast Episode 106. Hilarity ensues as we cover the bailout (what else?) and try to touch on a couple other issues before finally deflating like a punctured balloon at the 64-minute mark. ...

Review: 2009 MINI Clubman John Cooper Works 11 months ago on Autoblog

The names MINI and John Cooper have been intertwined for more than 40 years and now they are closer than ever. When British race car and engine builder Cooper prepped the original MINIs for the Monte Carlo rally back in the 1960s, he helped cement the iconic status of the little car. When the ...

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: BMW X6 XDrive 35i 11 months ago on Autoblog

You know things have gone awry when BMW now offers three different flavors of non-cars, all of them antithetical to the Bavarian brand's classical claim to fame. The X6 is the latest addition to the range, joining the X3 and X5, and BMW is calling it a Sports Activity Coupe, creating an acronym ...

In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD 11 months ago on Autoblog

2008 has been a busy year for Acura's design and manufacturing engineering staff. It's not often that a brand refreshes its entire sedan lineup in the span of just over six months. Of course, in Acura's case that only amounts to three cars, but includes two completely redesigned cars with the TL ...

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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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