Automotive Reviews
Four Doors
2011 Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson Edition
Jul 6th
There are cars and trucks that are blank slates, waiting for you to add your own personal touch. And then there are vehicles that come from the factory with all the attitude you could ever hope for built right in. It should come as no surprise that the Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson edition is one of the latter.
Ford’s partnership with Harley dates to 1999, and each successive edition seems to get bigger, bolder and brasher. The 2011 model is so in-your-face that you might feel compelled to take a step back, in fact. Massive wheels, a lowered stance and a custom graphics look belie the fact that this is a factory-built truck. The Harley F-150 also benefits from a significant round of 2011 upgrades to the F-150 lineup, including new engines and some tricks for improving fuel economy. More >
2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser
Jun 16th
The thing about the FJ Cruiser is that it’s not really bred for knocking about the city, even one with half-destroyed roads like Detroit. This means that its best attributes–mountain goat-like hill climbing ability, stable handling on uncertain terrain and a multi-mode four-wheel drive transfer case–could be more or less superfluous at best and cumbersome at worst. Thankfully, the FJ Cruiser manages to be an entertaining drive around town as well.
Introduced in 2006 as both a nod to the Land Cruiser’s off-roading heritage and a chance to give headaches to Jeep Wranglers, the FJ Cruiser has soldiered on without obvious changes. For 2011, a locking rear differential is standard on six-speed automatic-equipped models, and the FJ Cruiser’s annual Trail Teams Special Edition is available in Army Green with matching trim. That’s about all that’s changed. But change isn’t necessarily a good thing, considering that the FJ Cruiser has survived the collapse of the giants, as burly SUVs like the Hummer have fallen out of vogue and disappeared from the market. Of the hard-core off-roaders, this is perhaps the easiest to live with, considering its permanent hard top and four-door layout. More >
2011 Volvo S60
Jun 3rd
A sexy, ultra-modern sedan showed up in the driveway, painted a handsome metallic burnt-orange and looking like it had been driven out of a science-fiction movie set four or five years in the future. Without any overt performance styling tropes like massive fender flares or spoilers, the car communicated a quiet sense of capability that was backed up by the familiar circle-and-arrow logo in the grille. Remember when Volvos were boxy, forgettable cars?
Volvo’s S60 gets a style update for 2011, as well as a horsepower boost and a bunch of new technology. Though the tweaks are subtle, they’re telling ones, and this capable European luxury sedan is suddenly looking like a show car come to life. More >