2011 Nissan 370Z TouringA serious sports car with a very stout chassis. Our test car’s white exterior over a black and orange interior made for a very sharp color combination. This is a serious sports car, with a very stout chassis, nicely communicative, precise steering, great body control, and excellent roadholding and grip. What we’ve also got is a VQ-series [...]

First Drive: 2012 Toyota Prius VToyota finally introduces the second Prius body style. You know what the Toyota Prius is and all that it stands for. The third generation of the iconic hybrid vehicle debuted two years ago. Now we’ve driven the Prius v, which Toyota unveiled at last January’s 2011 Detroit auto show. It’s the first time that Toyota [...]

First Drive: 2012 Volkswagen PassatThe price of mainstream. This isn’t a sales projection, nor is it the validation of a business case. An Automobile Magazine review isn’t the place for that. As automotive savants, we — and presumably you, too — are more interested in a car’s merits as a car, independent of where it’s built, how it’s advertised, and [...]

First Drive: Fiat 500 CabrioSkinny-jeans looks, relaxed-fit personality. You’d think automakers would realize by now that you can’t make a cheap car appealing just by parking it in a cool place. Did anyone, for instance, ever go home from a Toronto Blue Jays game and decide to buy a Pontiac G5 just because GM had stuck one in the outfield [...]

2011 Ford Explorer XLT 4WDExplorer isn’t the radical reinvention Ford makes it out to be. It’s easy to get caught up in the details with this new Explorer, as there are many little annoyances that detract from the core functions of this car. Unfortunately, even when you look at the big picture, the Explorer feels like less than what was [...]

First Drive: 2012 Porsche Panamera S HybridA controversial powertrain for a controversial sedan. The Porsche Hybrid badge isn’t a joke. Though some may consider an eco-minded Porsche an oxymoron, the engineers in Stuttgart have already proven that their hybrids are driver’s cars and don’t stray far from the brand’s performance ethos. Porsche is quickly embracing hybrid technology with cars like [...]

2011 Dodge Charger R/T Max – AWDIt’s got American swagger, sure, but it’s also got finesse, style, and elegance. I still clearly remember the day in December 2008 that I first saw the vehicle that would be the 2011 Dodge Charger. Chrysler was on the verge of closing its doors for good and invited a small group of journalists and [...]

2011 Kia Sportage EX 4×4 – Four Seasons Update – May 2011First impressions are in. Months in service: One Miles to date: 4033 Photo Gallery: 2011 Kia Sportage EX 4×4 – May 2011 Update – Automobile Magazine 2011 Kia Sportage EX 4×4 – Four Seasons Update – May 2011 | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

By Design: Bertone Jaguar B99Consider this a template for the future. It’s not that we are offended by it or against it — it is just not for us.” So said Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar’s recently recruited global brand director, referring to the Bertone B99 concept shown at Geneva in March. Big mistake, in my opinion. The B99 looks more like [...]

2011 Chevrolet Volt“Your mileage may vary” has never been truer. Now that the much-anticipated and much-discussed Chevy Volt is finally out and about in the real world (on sale in seven states currently, and available in all 50 by the end of the year), we can get a better idea of what it’s really like to live with. I recently [...]