Automotive Reviews
Christopher Jackson
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Posts by Christopher Jackson
2010 Honda Element Dog-Friendly Edition
Dec 8th
The multi-tasking, category-busting Honda Element is no longer the only boxy, upright vehicle on the market–Scion, Nissan and Kia are fielding boxes of their own these days. The Element got in at the ground floor of more than one trend, in fact. In addition to being one of the first aggressively cubist vehicles of the new millennium, it was also one of the first crossover vehicles, combining SUV and automotive traits into a versatile package.
With the market nearing saturation with both crossovers and box-cars, does the Element, which hasn’t changed significantly since its 2003 introduction, still have anything to offer? As a matter of fact, it does. This cube has always stood out from the rest of the square cars by being larger and more capable. Thanks to reverse-opening rear doors and clever interior design, the Element does a good job of thinking outside the box, if you’ll forgive the pun. For 2010, Honda updated the Element with new “Dog-Friendly” edition designed to appeal directly to the four-wheeled family members of Element buyers. More >
2005 Ford Ranger Edge Tremor
Dec 8th
Consider the case of the Ford Ranger. It’s old. It’s outdated. Every other compact pickup truck on the market has grown larger, more powerful, and more refined in recent years, and some of them have gone through an entire generation or two since the last significant update to the Ranger in 1993 or so. And yet every time we slip behind the wheel of a Ranger, we’re struck by the just-rightness of it. Has Ford really been neglecting its compact truck for the past decade, or have they chosen not to mess with a good thing?
Ranger STX pictured.
For 2005, another round of evolutionary changes includes skid plates for 4×4 models and new 15″ and 16″ wheels. That’s it? Yup. The compact pickup market has softened in recent years, eaten up by SUVs and increasingly people-friendly full-size trucks, and the Ranger still manages to outsell its competitors. It’s been the best-selling compact pickup for seventeen years, so clearly Ford’s done something right. More >
2006 Hyundai Sonata
Dec 8th
Don’t call this an “impressive effort,” because it’s the real deal. Hyundai knows what it’s doing, and the all-new Sonata is merely impossible-to-ignore evidence of this fact. This completely redesigned sedan aims to do nothing less than go after the heart of the family sedan market. Flashy and dripping with sex appeal it’s not, but the 2006 Hyundai Sonata is nonetheless a big deal, because it represents just how good the low-priced Korean offerings have become.
Is Hyundai ready to challenge Toyota and Honda on the turf they helped create? Compared to its predecessor, the new Sonata is larger, more stylish and more powerful. Park it next to an Accord or Camry and it fits right in; the bargain-basement look and feel of past Hyundais is long gone. The Sonata is also built in the United States, at Hyundai’s brand-new Montgomery, Alabama plant. More >