by Bryan Laviolette | Sep 24, 2012
In their 2010 song “Dead or Alive on the 405,” the Gin Blossoms sang: Friday nights are red brake lights, Stuck in here like cargo Dead or alive on the 405 Traffic’s moving like a slug Dead or alive on the 405 Stuck behind a ’68 bug Los Angeles County...
by Bryan Laviolette | Sep 21, 2012
It’s good to be Kia right now. Kia and its sister company, Hyundai, have received a lot of attention lately for groundbreaking styling along with class-leading fuel economy in some segments. In fact, we’ve often said in this space that once the Koreans figure out the...
by Bryan Laviolette | Sep 20, 2012
Because 662 horsepower just isn’t enough. What other reason do you need? Shelby American will offer a new Super Snake version of the 2013 Shelby GT500, itself already the most powerful V-8 production car in the world. It will feature an optional upgrade to 850...
by Bryan Laviolette | Sep 13, 2012
Call it a good problem to have. Hyundai’s latest cars are so popular, the company is struggling to keep up with demand. And rather than milk customers for a couple extra hundred dollars on each car sold, dealers are keeping prices down so they can move more metal and...
by Bryan Laviolette | Sep 12, 2012
When planning a bladder-busting road trip, deciding which car to bring is a key decision. Let’s consider the contenders. In this corner, we have a 2013 Toyota Prius c, the new baby in the four-member Prius family of hybrids. The challenger: a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan....
by Bryan Laviolette | Sep 5, 2012
When it comes to fuel economy, hybrids are all the rage, but Mazda is showing that there may be more more than one way to solve the problem. Mazda’s new CX-5 offers the best fuel economy of any small crossover on the market. Not even the hybrids can beat it. Mazda is...
by Bryan Laviolette | Aug 30, 2012
There’s a lot to like about a powerful, somewhat rare, exotic-looking rear-wheel drive sports coupe. And did we mention that it’s relatively affordable? It seems odd that Hyundai gave the coupe the same name as the four-door with which it shares a platform, the...
by Bryan Laviolette | Aug 24, 2012
You just couldn’t do this in a regular Toyota Prius. Toyota’s new Prius v, a larger version of Toyota’s hyper-mileage halo car, showed up during moving week, as we moved 20 miles west to be closer to work and school. We repeatedly stuffed the v – essentially a wagon...
by Bryan Laviolette | Aug 22, 2012
Lincoln took the lead in a key customer satisfaction survey in the second quarter of 2012, reflecting a loyal, though dwindling core group of buyers, while at the other end of the spectrum, Chrysler continued to bring up the rear although it is showing improvement....
by Bryan Laviolette | Aug 16, 2012
Updating the best-selling of anything is fraught with peril, whether it is a car or a hammer. There’s a reason its maker sells so many, so you don’t want to get too crazy. But the competition is looking to take away that sales crown, so standing pat isn’t an option....
by Bryan Laviolette | Aug 3, 2012
Even though automakers and the government are pouring billions of research dollars into alternatives, a new report predicts that petroleum will continue to dominate the automotive market for decades to come unless a disruptive innovation is introduced. But natural...
by Bryan Laviolette | Jul 26, 2012
A thought came to mind while coming back from a meeting in downtown Detroit: At least this Scion iQ is better than a Smart ForTwo. Admittedly, it’s a low bar. In a way, it’s unfair to review these little midget cars on our wide-open American roads. But if the...
