Automotive Reviews
Christopher Jackson
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Posts by Christopher Jackson
2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
Nov 7th
When it comes time for the Big Three to roll out the big guns, no punches are pulled. Chevrolet shows off its Corvette ZR-1. Dodge unleashes the 500-horsepower Viper SRT-10. And Ford unloads the Shelby GT500.
The baddest Mustang in the land may have a back seat and a full-size trunk, but it doesn’t give up much in terms of horsepower, attitude or race-track breeding. For 2011, Ford’s Special Vehicle Team is taking things a step farther with a horsepower and torque boost, a mild diet, aerodynamic and transmission enhancements, and styling upgrades inside and out. More >
2005 Suzuki Verona
Nov 7th
The all-new Suzuki Verona is your basic Polite Family Car. It’s a conservative, low-priced alternative to the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, and that’s all it wants to be. This is Suzuki’s first entry in the midsize category, and incidentally the largest Suzuki car ever.
Under the skin, this Japanese family sedan’s got Korean DNA, borrowed from defunct-in-the-U.S. Daewoo. The Verona gets a thorough restyling, as well as the support of a larger dealer network, and keeps its attractively low price. More >
2005 Toyota Matrix
Nov 7th
The guy at the transmission shop rushed out to get a look at the Toyota Matrix. “What is it?” he asked. “It’s pretty cool. Is it a four or a V6?” A grizzled diesel mechanic had a similar reaction when he saw our dark blue test car on his lot. “Is it a four-by-four?” he asked.
Not bad curb draw for a vehicle that’s basically a glorified Corolla wagon, eh?
Oh, right, we know, it’s called a “crossover” and all sorts of other hip-sounding things, but the fact of the matter is, Toyota’s Matrix and its Pontiac sibling the Vibe are intended to do the tasks that have been falling to station wagons for years. The trouble was, a little station wagon just isn’t cool enough for the active-sports crowd to feel good about tossing bikes, boards or tents into one for a long weekend. And that’s where the Matrix comes in. It’s a station wagon at heart, but the tall-sided body and angular design are loads hipper than the average wagon could ever be. For 2005 the Matrix gets fresh styling and Toyota’s Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system. More >