Automotive Reviews
Five Doors
2012 Honda Pilot
Jan 21st
Honda’s Pilot comes off as family-values motoring at its finest. It’s big and purposeful, with a blocky design that’s more curb appeal-friendly than a minivan’s but enough smooth edges that it’s not mistaken for a self-indulgent, fuelish SUV. Those slab sides also project an impression of strength and a willingness to protect the seven passengers within.
And that’s just from the outside. An environment-friendly 3.5 liter V6 engine, generous safety and comfort features and improved fuel economy for 2012 are on hand to put the Pilot near the top of any family’s list. More >
2012 Mazda5
Nov 16th
You’re busy. You’re active. It seems like your every waking hour is sometimes focused only on Doing Things. Well, Mazda’s got a vehicle you might want to look into. The Mazda5 is a micro-minivan whose entire purpose in life is to serve as a mobile headquarters for activities of all kinds. From shopping trips to sporting events, cross-country drives to cross-town moves, the redesigned Mazda5 is prepared for just about anything. These days, it looks snazzier doing it too, thanks to a liberal application of Mazda’s flowing, organic styling.
Though the Mazda5 is sort of a three-quarter scale model of a minivan, it’s still subject to the same influences of that particular market, and these days, it’s not enough to be a big box on wheels. Minivans have discovered style in the past year or three, and the Mazda5 was quickly lost in the shuffle, even as a unique vehicle. More >
2011 Lexus RX 450h
Oct 31st
Appreciating the Lexus RX 450h requires a keen sense of the subtle. What Lexus has done with this vehicle is taken the relatively simple process of propelling a car down the road, made it impossibly complex, and then refined it so that it seems simple again.
Confused? Just check out the power-flow display on the dash, a prominent feature in all of the Toyota/Lexus family hybrids. The complicated dance of electric and gasoline power, battery charging and regenerative braking as well as engine shutoff and re-start, is evident only in the constantly changing power-flow arrows of the display. Without it, you’d never know what this luxury hybrid crossover was up to.