Automotive Reviews
Archived
Back-catalog of reviews written before 2008.
2005 Ford F-350 Super Duty Crew Cab
Jan 8th
Not many people have a use for a piece of equipment as serious as one of Ford’s Super Duty pickup trucks. That doesn’t stop plenty of people who don’t need ‘em from buying them, of course, but that’s between them and their credit cards. For the Super Duty’s many loyal, hard-working customers, Ford has introduced a round of revisions and updates that should keep the Super Duty on top of the best-seller list.
Before we noticed the new design and refinements to our test truck, however, we noticed the color. This just might be one of the most overwhelmingly yellow vehicles ever built. The hue is called “Screaming Yellow,” to be specific. Unfortunately you can’t get this cool color unless you’re in Texas, Colorado or California; it’s part of the special “Amarillo” edition, of which just 1500 will be built. Luckily, the rest of the new Super Duty’s good points are available to all. More >
2005 Jaguar S-Type
Dec 31st
It gets bandied about so often that it’s practically a cliché, but it’s true that there’s nothing quite like a Jaguar.
Now, that’s technically true about any car, but in Jaguar’s case it’s an especially distinguishing feature. Among luxury cars and luxury sport sedans, the competition is so fierce that the constant application of “me-too” features and the latest fashionable design tweaks results in a trend toward homogeneity. It’s easy to drive coast-to-coast in an Acura, Infiniti, Volvo or Mercedes, but often a bit difficult to find anything like a personality. Not so with Jaguar. For better or for worse, the British manufacturer’s products stand apart from the luxury car herd, and always have. The 2005 S-Type is no exception to this rule. From its retro-influenced styling to its fluid grace on the road, the S-Type still stands out, even though it’s been around since 1999 without major design changes–and even though Detroit is hip-deep in the things these days, since all the Ford executives are driving them. More >
2005 Land Rover LR3 HSE
Dec 31st
It’s not hard to imagine the all-new Land Rover LR3 as a simple appliance. Get one in basic white or upscale silver and park it at the back of the garage between the full-suspension mountain bike and the carbon-fiber kayak. “That? Oh, that’s our LR3,” owners would say. “We use it when we have to go someplace that our SUV can’t.”
Looking like an avant-garde refrigerator (and not in a bad way), the LR3 replaces the Discovery in Land Rover’s U.S. lineup. Overseas, it’s still called the Discovery, but apparently Land Rover’s U.S. arm preferred the technical sound of the alphanumeric name. This all new mid-size sport-ute is a true seven-seater, and ditches the Discovery’s solid axles in favor of a smoother-riding independent suspension. Don’t worry, though, Land Rover isn’t going soft on us. The LR3 just might be more capable off-road than its rugged predecessor, and it could take days to describe each and every feature of this Swiss Army truck. We’ll just hit the highlights. More >