Archive for June, 2014
2015 Ford Transit
Ford’s ubiquitous E-Series vans are a familiar sight on American roads, but that’s soon to change. The long-running E-Series is finally being retired, and the all-new Ford Transit van is being launched at dealerships in the U.S. and Canada this summer. The European look of the Transit is no accident. As a product of Ford’s “One Ford” plan to leverage the company’s global assets, the Transit’s design was a collaboration between Ford of North America and Ford of Europe. Though its looks might seem jarring to those accustomed to the old-school layout of the E-Series, the Transit offers a level of fuel economy, tractability, comfort, and configurability that the old van could never hope to match.
2003 Pontiac Sunfire
It’s said that you can’t make a first impression twice. It’s for that reason that when we meet people we care to impress we take pains to look good. We dress smartly, we’re cautious about what we say and how we say it, we may even worry about our posture.
Ford Sharpens the 2015 Edge
2015 Ford Edge
Since its introduction for 2007, the Edge has been a popular member of Ford’s three-vehicle midsize crossover lineup. Although it’s the smallest and least expensive of the trio, the company says it attracts a somewhat upscale audience. And that’s what Ford is aiming to keep with a slick redesign that adds a stronger engine choice, an upgraded interior, and more high-tech features – including one that’s an industry first.
Corvette Fun Facts: C4 (1984-1996)
1986 Corvette
The fourth generation of “America’s Sports Car,’ known casually as C4, was rolled out for the 1984 model year. Most Corvette fans are well acquainted with the C4 cars, as they represent one of the biggest technological leaps forward in the car’s long history. Here we track the year-by-year changes to the C4 ‘Vette, and pass along a few fun facts along the way.
Test Drive: 2015 Kia K900
Consumer Guide’s test Kia K900 Arrived in Luxury V8 guise. The bottom line on our K900 was $66,400 including the extensive VIP Package ($6000), and destination charge.
2015 Kia K900 Luxury V8
Dates tested: 5/29/2014-6/12/2014
Miles Driven: 349
Fuel Used: 23.2 gallons
Real-world fuel economy: 15.0 mpg
With MKC, Lincoln targets customers looking at the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLK.
Lincoln, one of the last luxury holdouts to the compact-crossover game, joins the fast-growing segment this summer with an upmarket model based on the hot-selling Ford Escape.
Going on sale in June, the 2015 Lincoln MKC offers numerous premium touches not available on the Escape, along with a larger, more powerful EcoBoost engine. MKC starts at $33,995 plus $895 destination, which – although $3000 north of the most expensive Escape – makes it what Lincoln says is the lowest entry point among premium-class competitors.
Bad Car Names Part 3: The 80s
Daihatsu Charade
It wasn’t just automotive branding; the Eighties were rife with questionable marketing efforts. Unloaded on a largely dismissive public were the Betamax-format VCR, Colgate Kitchen Entrées (really), and Joanie Loves Chachi. Still, we can forgive such flops, as the buying public can be unpredictable when it comes to technology, food, and entertainment. But carmakers—well, by the Eighties they’d been making and selling cars for most of a century.
Future Car: 2018 Honda Accord
First seen at the Beijing Auto Show in 2012, the Honda Concept C may give us a feel for what the next U.S.-market Accord will look like.
By Jim Gorzelany
Honda’s top-selling vehicle, the Honda Accord, should receive a complete redesign for the 2018 model year, but we don’t anticipate the automaker will veer far from what’s been a successful direction for this midsize sedan and coupe combo. We expect the next-generation Accord will continue to offer a winning combination of commuter-friendly performance, a comfortable and spacious interior, good fuel economy and sufficient–though perhaps not class-leading–features, all at competitive pricing. A fuel-saving Accord Hybrid, and an even more frugal plug-in Accord Hybrid sedan will likely continue in the lineup. The question is whether Honda will be satisfied playing the perennial number two to the top-selling car in the U.S., the Toyota Camry, or will it pull out all the proverbial stops to gain segment supremacy?
Review Flashback! 1985 Buick Riviera
1985 Buick Riviera
It happened to the Ford Thunderbird in 1980, and it was about to happen to General Motors’ “E-Body” cars in 1986–a downsizing so dramatic and so incredibly unpopular as to render classic model names moot in the eyes of new-car shoppers.
