Fuel Infection
Automotive Reviews
2011 Honda Odyssey
0368 days
Within twenty-four hours of receiving the Honda Odyssey to evaluate, I had rescued an interesting-looking leather chair from a trash pile in Detroit, taken a sixty-mile road trip, and hauled 4×8 sheets of drywall. Who says minivans are only useful for soccer moms?
That’s always been the beauty of the minivan. Sure, most of them are pressed into service as mom-taxis, but in reality it’s a mobile command center, and Honda’s new-for-2011 Odyssey takes that role very seriously. Whether it’s hauling kids or camping gear, the Odyssey is ready to work with a lower, wider body and a more powerful, more fuel-efficient engine. (more…)
2011 Kia Sportage
0390 days
Man, do you remember the first Kia Sportage? Like the Suzuki Vitara and Toyota RAV4, this compact SUV started life as a two-door, bare-bones, ultra-compact trail crawler of questionable merit. Look at it now! The Sportage is all grown up, with four doors and a handsome, modern body that marks it as a member of the growing compact crossover market. Everything but the name has changed.
To give Kia’s new do-all a workout, I took it right out of its urban-erranding environment and used it for a roadtrip halfway across the country. It’s not unthinkable that a crossover might be pressed into service for long-distance trips, after all; the more carlike ride and better fuel economy than the average SUV mean that it’s actually a decent choice. (more…)
2011 Hyundai Equus
0404 days
All those old adages about it being good to exceed your perceived limits are true. Going above and beyond what you’ve done before adds a zest to life that can’t be found in less ambitious pursuits.
Just ask Hyundai. The Korean manufacturer, once known for selling the cheapest cars in North America, has just thrown down a challenge to Mercedes and Lexus…and the truly amazing thing is that it’s not a hollow threat. The Hyundai Equus is here, and it’s a bona fide competitor to the ultra-luxurious executive transporters by the German and Japanese marques that have controlled the market since they pushed Cadillac and Lincoln out of the nest a few decades back. (more…)