Let’s be clear about something right up front. With few exceptions, I think the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan might just be the perfect small crossover SUV. It might not share the bulletproof dependability ratings of a Subaru Forester or a Toyota RAV4, but it gets a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and
2012 Chevrolet Traverse Review – A Solid, Safe, Stylish, and Sensible SUV
When it comes to buying a family vehicle, parents often look for something safe, something roomy, something dependable, something capable in a variety of weather conditions, and something that delivers genuine value. If it also happens to be stylish, well, that’s a bonus.
Top Crash-Test Scores
The 2012 Chevrolet Traverse is one solution to the family transportation conundrum that meets almost
2012 Nissan Sentra – An Appliance by Any Other Name
If you were to look up the word “appliance” in a car-themed dictionary, a photograph of the Nissan Sentra would likely be used to illustrate the term, as applied to the automotive market. This is surprising from a company that has typically positioned itself as the exciting Japanese brand, a company that uses “Shift” as a marketing tagline, a
2012 Nissan Frontier – Elimination of Rangers Opens New Frontiers for Nissan
The last Ford Ranger rolled off an assembly line at the end of 2011. The workhorse Ranger, a popular choice for companies and businesses because it was cheap and reliable, joins the Dodge Dakota, Mazda B-Series, Mitsubishi Raider, and Subaru Baja in the big scrapheap in the sky, leaving four compact or midsize trucks on the market. You’ve got the
2012 Ford Focus SE Hatchback – Narrowing Focus Reveals a New Favorite in the Small Car Class
When last we test drove the redesigned 2012 Ford Focus, our sample was a sedan all decked out in Titanium trim and equipped with a full load of features. At that time, we said the Focus possessed tremendous realized – and unrealized – potential, and our primary complaints centered on the
2012 Lincoln MKS – All the Right Boxes are Checked, But…
The Lincoln MKS is the flagship sedan for this luxury division of the Ford Motor Company, a big, comfortable, American car hailing from Chicago, conservatively styled and understated in its expression of luxury. It shares its component set with the Ford Taurus, and that
2012 Infiniti FX35 Review – Not the Right Ride for Goldilocks
If Goldilocks were to visit three different Japanese luxury-brand dealerships, she would probably declare the Lexus RX to be too soft, the Infiniti FX to be too hard, and the Acura MDX to be just right.
2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo Review – The Bug Gets Its Man Card
When I was a little boy, I had a black Volkswagen Beetle toy. It was made by Tonka in the days when model cars and trucks were made of pressed steel instead of injection-molded plastic, and that big black Bug was one of my favorites. It disappeared for good sometime after my
2012 Volkswagen Passat Review – VW Gives “Americanizing” Another Shot
During the Arab Oil Embargo of the early 1970s, my father bought a 1974 Volkswagen Sun Bug, which was the venerable Beetle equipped with styled steel wheels and a sunroof. It was a manual, it was his daily commuter, and despite its sunshine-gold paint job I thought our new Sun Bug was really cool, partially because the downtown Chicago dealership
