Archive for August, 2009
Review: 2010 Ford Fusion SE 6MT
Posted on 31. Aug, 2009 by admin.
There ain’t nothing stock about a stock car. Nowadays, there ain’t nothing standard about a “standard” transmission. How long has it been since you’ve heard that quaint sobriquet for a clutch-and-stick setup? More than ninety percent of new cars sold in the United States are self-shifters. Our oh-so-superior friends in Europe and Japan aren’t as far behind in the trend towards PRNDL hegemony as they would have us believe. Combine the weight of marketplace preference with the increasing difficulty involved in making a stick-shift meet emissions regulations, and it becomes easy to understand why manufacturers are making automatic transmissions the only choice for everything besides specialty cars. A clutch pedal is perilously close to becoming an actual luxury item in today’s market. Does that turn this twenty-two-grand base-ish Fusion into a luxury car? Hell no.
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Review: 2010 Mazda3s Sport
Posted on 28. Aug, 2009 by admin.
The Mazda3’s performance has always kept it a step ahead of the other economy cars on the market. However, as Mazda’s worked to differentiate their econobox from cookie-cutter Cobalts, Corollas and Civics visually, they’ve tweaked it from “different” to “borderline bizarre.” They say, “beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bones.” Has Mazda gone too far, or is the 2010 Mazda3s Sport still good enough underneath to make you overlook its sheet metal shortcomings?
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Review: 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring
Posted on 27. Aug, 2009 by admin.
In a very short time, Hyundai has made an amazing transformation from basket case to the automotive equivalent of a “nice girl” – dependable, easy to live with, and undemanding. But can Hyundai get its nice girls to do tequila shots and dance on tables from time to time? The conventional wisdom was that the much-heralded Genesis sedan and coupe would be the Hyundais that bucked the trend, but they were variations on the same old Hyundai theme. As it turns out, the rebel Hyundai is an unlikely one – the Elantra Touring, a five door hatchback version of the Elantra sedan. Unlike the sedan, which has all the excitement of C-SPAN, the European-developed Touring has the same eager, quick-to-corner, drive-me-until-I-cry-uncle feel that you normally find in a Mazda 3, with the interior space of a midsize sedan and hatchback practicality tossed in as part of the deal.
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PickupTrucks.com Reviews the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
Posted on 24. Aug, 2009 by admin.
Mike Levine of our sister site, PickupTrucks.com, recently had the chance to climb behind the wheel of the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor for a “cruise” over the hardscrabble terrain of Anza-Borrego State Park near San Diego. Read Levine’s full review of this Raptor first drive to find out what makes the vehicle so appealing to the truck-enthusiast crowd.
First Drive Review: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor (PickupTrucks.com)
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Clunkers Website Crashes, Dealers Get More Time
Posted on 24. Aug, 2009 by admin.
As the mad rush to cash in on clunkers came to a head this weekend, the government website that dealers use to enter paperwork and ensure their repayment of $3,500 and $4,500 incentives crashed earlier today. The deadline for all paperwork and deals is 8 p.m. EST today.
The Department of Transportation now has offered an extension until noon EST tomorrow for dealers to submit paperwork because of the computer glitches, but no new deals can take place after the original 8 p.m. deadline.
The drama only highlights the ups and downs the program has had since its launch last month. It’s expected all of the program’s $3 billion in funds will have been exhausted.
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2010 Maserati GranCabrio: First Look
Posted on 24. Aug, 2009 by admin.
Maserati has released images of its first convertible since the 2006 model year, the GranCabrio, which will go on sale in the U.S. next spring. Based on the GranTurismo, the Cabrio shares the coupe's Pininfarina styling and seating for four. Though the photos only show a top-down, buttoned-up look, Maserati says the car is a soft-top. The GranCabrio gets the 433-horsepower, 4.7-liter V-8 engine from the uplevel GranTurismo S. The car will debut in the flesh on Sept. 15 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. More images below.
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More Details Emerge On 9ff’s Modified Porsche Panamera
Posted on 24. Aug, 2009 by admin.
Porsche’s Panamera sedan has just hit the market , but already custom houses are starting their modification programs for the car. One of the most intriguing is from 9ff, the company behind other extreme Porsches such as the Veyron-rivaling GT9 supercar and the 780 horsepower 911 Turbo Cabrio . As with its previous Porsche …
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Cars.com’s College Driver’s Guide
Posted on 24. Aug, 2009 by admin.
Every year we have our editorial interns weigh in on what it’s like to be a college-age driver, car owner or perspective buyer. This year, Lauren Makholm and Emily Maters lend their expertise to our College Driver’s Guide. They look at whether college kids need a car, which car deals are available to college students, those must-have car supplies and finally, they tackle the art of the road trip. Check out all of the stories for crucial insight into the world of college-age car ownership.
Related:
Car-Themed Road Trip
Do You Need a Car?
Student Car Deals
Must-Have Car Supplies
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Video: Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Launch Control In Action
Posted on 24. Aug, 2009 by admin.
Chevrolet has unveiled series of updates for the Corvette for the 2010 model year, with changes affecting the entire lineup, from the base model all the way up to the scorching ZR1 supercar. First and foremost is the introduction of the Grand Sport Model , which returns for 2010 with widebody styling and race-bred suspension. Two new videos …
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Recall Alert: 16,000 Volkswagen, Audi Vehicles
Posted on 24. Aug, 2009 by admin.
Volkswagen has issued a recall for 16,000 Volkswagen and Audi vehicles manufactured between September 2008 and August 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall includes the 2009-10 Audi A3, 2009 Audi TT, 2009 Audi TT roadster which we reported on last week as well as the 2009 Volkswagen Eos, 2009-10 Volkswagen GTI, 2009-10 Volkswagen Jetta and 2009-10 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen.
The recall is due to insufficiently crimped connector wires in the wiring harness of a temperature sensor, which is in the direct-shift gearbox. This could cause the temperature sensor to incorrectly detect a high oil temperature in the gearbox, which could cause the gear to suddenly shift to neutral. It will also illuminate the depress-brake-pedal light, which warns the driver to apply the brakes. This could lead to a dangerous situation on the road, even possibly a crash.
Volkswagen will notify owners, inspect the direst-shift gearbox, and replace or repair the temperature sensor for free. Owners can contact Volkswagen at 800-822-8987 or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.
