Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged AWD
2011 Mitsubishi Outlander GT
Dec 23rd
The Mitsubishi Outlander is positively begging to be noticed. It always has been. The compact crossover SUV hit the ground in with wild styling, an unusual side-hinged rear door and carlike handling courtesy of a distant kinship with the Mitsubishi Lancer. Over the years it’s adopted more of the Lancer’s good habits, like terrain-sensing all-wheel drive and powerful brakes, and for 2011 the Outlander has a new face that’s the automotive equivalent of waving a hand in the air and yelling, “Pick me! Pick me!”
There’s plenty to like about the Outlander, too; it now shares Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel drive system with the high-performance Lancer Evolution and introduces an all-new infotainment system similar to Ford’s SYNC system. All this and good road manners too? The Outlander definitely merits a closer look. More >
2010 Honda Element Dog-Friendly Edition
Dec 8th
The multi-tasking, category-busting Honda Element is no longer the only boxy, upright vehicle on the market–Scion, Nissan and Kia are fielding boxes of their own these days. The Element got in at the ground floor of more than one trend, in fact. In addition to being one of the first aggressively cubist vehicles of the new millennium, it was also one of the first crossover vehicles, combining SUV and automotive traits into a versatile package.
With the market nearing saturation with both crossovers and box-cars, does the Element, which hasn’t changed significantly since its 2003 introduction, still have anything to offer? As a matter of fact, it does. This cube has always stood out from the rest of the square cars by being larger and more capable. Thanks to reverse-opening rear doors and clever interior design, the Element does a good job of thinking outside the box, if you’ll forgive the pun. For 2010, Honda updated the Element with new “Dog-Friendly” edition designed to appeal directly to the four-wheeled family members of Element buyers. More >
2005 Honda CR-V EX
Dec 7th
When the backlash against big, gas-sucking SUVs happens and they begin to die out like the dinosaurs, we predict that the Honda CR-V will be among the survivors. In fact, Honda’s handy little errander just may be useful enough to survive a mass sport-ute extinction. This compact sport-ute is more like a tall four-wheel drive Civic station wagon than a truck. For 2005 the CR-V gets a major update, with new styling inside and out and a host of new safety features including standard side airbags.
Quiet and nimble, the CR-V has always been a suburban errand-runner’s dream. The high seating position and tall body ensure great visibility, and that hasn’t changed with the redesign. More >