2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contender: Hyundai Genesis
Yogi Berra’s great line, “deja vu all over again,” has often been repurposed to automotive occasions, but it’s hard to think of a better one than this case of the new Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan. Way...
View Article2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contender: Jaguar XF
Sexy, slick, and inherently British in philosophy, the all-new 2009 Jaguar XF represents cool elegance in a gorgeous, modern wrapper with an equally gorgeous, modern cabin. It offers a level of...
View Article2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contender: Lincoln MKS
Lincoln’s new MKS not only replaces the long-running Town Car, it turns its flagship formula back to front. For the first time in its 90-year history, Lincoln’s top-step sedan is based on front-drive...
View Article2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contender: Mazda6
The previous-generation Mazda6 was a Motor Trend favorite, but the category it played in has since matured around it. The Camry, Accord, and others got larger, more powerful, and were endowed with more...
View Article2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contender: Nissan GT R
The last time a Nissan, at least one that came from an official U.S. showroom, was judged against such niche exotics as, say, a Ferrari or a Lamborghini was…never. Until now. The Nissan GT-R puts...
View Article2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contender: Nissan Maxima
The new 2009 Nissan Maxima has been completely redesigned, making its overall size shorter and wider, with many handling improvements coming as a result of a lighter and stiffer (by 15 percent)...
View Article2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contender: Pontiac G8
The Pontiac G8 GT easily beat its close competitor and sibling to the 2005 Car of the Year Chrysler 300, the Dodge Charger, in our April 2008 comparison. It’s a high-value sporty sedan, the rear-drive...
View Article2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contender: Toyota Corolla
In the world of compacts, the 2009 Toyota Corolla, a presence in the U.S. since 1968, is automotive royalty. With every generation, the Corolla further solidifies its reputation of reliability and fuel...
View Article2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contenders: Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe
Things don’t start well for Toyota’s new, second-generation 2009 Toyota Matrix (sister car to the Pontiac Vibe). “Hard to tell which engine — the 1.8L or the 2.4 — is under the hood, and I’m not sure I...
View Article2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contender: 2009 Volkswagen CC
Yes, beneath the 2009 Volkswagen CC’s, low four-door coupe bodywork inspired by the Mercedes-Benz CLS (many prefer the VW) lurks the humble transverse-engine DNA of the workhorse...
View Article2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year Contender: Dodge Ram
The new 2009 Dodge Ram now offers three different cab configurations, with the addition of an all-new Crew Cab model. In the past, Ram 1500s offered only a Regular Cab and Quad Cab model (the MegaCabs...
View Article2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year Contender: Ford F 150
Ford claims it sells more of its F-150 half-ton pickups to work and commercial customers than its competitors do, and Ford predicts this segment will grow to 45 percent of F-150 sales. Toward that end,...
View Article2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year Contender: Hummer H3T
The 2009 Hummer H3T is possibly the last, and by default the best Chevy-based Hummer. It rides on the crude Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon crew cab architecture (with a wheelbase stretched nearly eight...
View Article2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year Contender: Suzuki Equator
When is a Suzuki not a Suzuki? When it’s a Nissan, of course. Say hello to the 2009 Suzuki Equator, Suzuki’s new compact truck, which is essentially a rebadged Nissan Frontier, a pickup that bowed in...
View Article2010 Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year: The Contenders
As we were running through the list of vehicles eligible for the 2010 Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year award, I realized with a shock that only one – Toyota’s new 4Runner — came anywhere near what...
View Article2010 Car of the Year The Year the Car Biz Changed
The past 12 months has been truly apocalyptic for the auto industry. GM, once the proud symbol of American enterprise and the very engine room of American capitalism — broke; Chrysler, the scrappy...
View ArticleCars And Politics
I fully expected the Chevy Volt to be a controversial COTY. After all, the Volt started life as an Old GM project, and arrived fully formed as a symbol of the New GM, carrying all the emotional and...
View ArticleA TDI to Die For: VW Passat Diesel is a Totally Desirable Iteration
What’s the difference between a car you love and car you can’t live without? Answer: 30 horsepower and 22 lb-ft. Such is the case for the Volkswagen Passat TDI and me. If you missed our recent...
View ArticleDriven to Deliver: We Drive Everything at Car of the Year
It’s a simple but powerful premise. To truly be experts on automobiles and the automotive industry, my staff and I must drive cars, not just Wikipedia them or kick their tires at auto shows. We must...
View ArticleShock Therapy: Is America Ready for an Electric Car of the Year?
“I’ve seen your ‘Car of the Year’ announcement and realize how fully and completely hollow your rag is. You pass your biases off as fact and outright lies to push your liberal agenda. The Volt is...
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