Archive for August, 2013
Quiz! The Mystery Cars of 1964
Everybody loves a good mystery. Well, here are five of them from the days of Beatlemania for you automotive Agatha Christies to crack.
How many of you will know them all? As Inspector Clouseau would have said (A Shot in the Dark, 1964, 102 mins.), “I suspect everyone . . . and I suspect no one.”
Scroll all the way down for the answers.
Be sure to check out the Mystery Cars of 1952 and 1975, as well. And be sure to let us know how well you did. The place to leave comments is down below.
Per Rick, you might want to get used to this view of the new Corvette. Few cars, no matter the price, are going to win a stoplight challenge against Chevy’s latest sports car.
For more background on the new Corvette, click here.
While our first post on the redesigned 2014 Corvette Stingray dealt mostly with background, stats, and descriptions, this one focuses on the driving experience. Which, when it comes right down to it, is the primary point.
Rick’s ride to Michigan was this Chrysler 300 Glacier
Compared to most people, I do quite a lot of highway driving. Unlike most people, I usually do it in silence. That would probably bore most folks on the bi-weekly, two-hour trek down to my weekend farmette, but for me, it’s a welcome chance to clear my head and think about things that matter … like how I’d spend the vacation time I rarely take. But that quiet can become lonely on a trip as long as that from Chicago to Detroit.
But for longer drives, I have a different strategy. Before I even leave the garage, I plug in my stone-aged MP3 player (I am seriously tech resistant) that contains a collection of favorite road tunes and crank up the volume. Ready to travel from Chicago to Detroit.
Quiz! The Mystery Cars of 1975
Japan’s Mitsubishi Lancer did double duty as America’s Dodge Colt
Here we’re taking the Mystery Cars quiz from Truman Era to the (Gerald) Ford years. If you missed it, check out the Mystery Cars of 1952. and the Mystery Cars of 1964. Scoring? Same as last time; we expect most car folks to pick off at least one. Serious car lovers should nail two or three, and the big-time car spotters will claim four or five. Tell us how you did.
Quiz! The Mystery Cars of 1952
Below please find five relatively obscure 1952 vehicles for you to identify. Scoring? Let’s say that we expect most car folks to pick off at least one. Serious car lovers should nail two or three, and the big-time car spotters will claim four or five. Tell us how you did. Also, if there’s a model year you’d like to see us feature for the quiz, let us know. Answers below.
Too easy? Try the Fake Model Name quiz.
The 2014 Corvette Stingray ushers in the “C7” generation of “America’s sports car”
Since the 2014 edition of the Chevrolet Corvette marks only the seventh redesign in the car’s 61-year history, it isn’t often that “America’s Only Sports Car” gets a major overhaul. As such, its designers not only have to make up ground lost to newer competitors, but vault the car far enough ahead that it won’t be terribly outdated before its next redesign – which, if history is any indication, is probably another ten years away.
2013 Hyundai Sonata Limited
Dates Tested: 7/29/2013-8/12/2013
Miles driven: 302
Base price: $25,845 (not including $795 destination fee)
Price as tested: $29,685
Options on test car: Floor mats ($110), Premium Package ($2900)
Real-World Fuel Economy: 20.6 mpg
Driving Mix: 60 percent city, 40 percent highway
Quick Hits
The Great: Great value, classy cabin, simple controls
The Good: Good power, lots of room up front
The not so good: Middling observed fuel economy, marginal adult rear head room
It’s tough to write about the Pacer. Like Edsels, Yugos, and Pontiac Azteks, the AMC Pacer is used too often, and too freely as a punch line, which is kind of a shame. To put things into perspective, Consumer Guide used the term “Futuristic” to describe the car back in 1977.
Test Drive: 2013 Nissan Leaf SL
The 2013 Nissan Leaf SL spent two weeks with the Consumer Guide staff
2013 Nissan Leaf SL
Base price: $34,840 (not including $850 destination fee)
Price as tested: $36,910
Options on test car: Floor and cargo area mats ($170), Premium Package ($1050)
Real-World Range: 85-90 miles in mild temps with occasional air conditioner use
Future Car: 2016 Volkswagen XR1
The hyper-efficient XL1 (shown here) provides the groundwork for the high-performance XR1
By Chris Poole
Volkswagen’s futuristic XL1 hybrid looks set to sire a mid-engine sports coupe with similarly high-tech, low-weight construction, plus the GTI “hot hatchback’s” lively turbo-4 engine. Though not a done deal yet, the XR1 promises Porsche 911 go—and near 60 mpg.
