Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged do-all
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 Toyota Prius v
Sep 17th
Odds are you’re either skeptical or very interested. Like the MINI (only nerdier) Toyta’s Prius is expanding to become a full line of distinctive vehicles, and that family begins, naturally, with a larger, cargo-friendly version. The Prius v is, at heart, a Prius station wagon.
The Prius comprised 53% of the United States hybrid market last year, according to Toyota. It outsells every other U.S. hybrid combined, in other words. And with gas prices still creeping ever upward, the market for fuel-efficient vehicles continues to grow. The “v” stands for “versatility” according to Toyota, though the five-door hatchback Prius would seem to be plenty versatile enough. There’s always a need for more cargo space, though, so the Prius v is longer and wider than the original. It doesn’t look it at a glance, but the Prius v is large enough to compete with cars like the Volkswagen Jetta TDI wagon, Honda CR-V and Ford Escape Hybrid. It’s also considerably more efficient than any non-hybrid SUV or crossover. More >
2011 BMW X6 M
Sep 8th
The question of what, exactly, the BMW X6 is, and how to classify it, is not made any easier with the installation of a race-bred 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8.
Really, it was already confusing enough. This big BMW’s coupe-like five-door body and sporty lines would defy convention even if they weren’t riding on a tall, SUV-like chassis with all-wheel drive. And now, a powerful engine and the performance credentials of BMW’s M division are added to the mix? I just don’t know what to think. More >