Archive for September, 2014

Topping the Toyota Sienna lineup is the all-wheel-drive Limited model.
You can deride them as boring “mom-mobiles” all you want, but the simple fact is this: There is no passenger vehicle better than a minivan at efficiently hauling around lots of people and stuff. And, today’s minivans offer a dizzying array of comfort and convenience features that can pamper (and pacify) most any family member.

Ford’s storied pony car is redesigned for 2015. Key changes include the addition of a turbocharged engine to the lineup, and a move to independent rear suspension.
April 17, 1964, is a date etched in a car-guy’s mental calendar. It was on that day that the wraps came off the first Ford Mustang at the New York World’s Fair, causing a sensation that spread far beyond the “car guy” realm. As it turned out, it wasn’t just a car that was introduced, but a whole new category, one whose name would be influenced by its original member: “pony cars.”

Cadillac’s 2016 flagship is challenged to take on the best sedans Europe has to offer. Tom thinks the new car deserves a better name.
If you don’t have a lucky number, you likely at least have a number or two you prefer to other digits. I, for example, rather like the numbers 2, 5, 14, and 21. I became aware of my fondness for these numbers one night while nursing a $2 gin and tonic at a now-defunct Iowa riverboat-casino roulette table.
Automakers like numbers, too. Many storied model names have been enhanced by a carefully placed numeric suffix. Think of such classic monikers as Cougar XR-7, Fury II, and Galaxie 500, and you get the idea.

The top-line Camry XLE V6 model comes standard with LED headlights and 17-inch alloy wheels.
There’s no question that the Toyota Camry is a sales juggernaut. It’s been the top-selling car in America for 12 years running. If the Camry were a brand all by itself, it would rank tenth among North American automakers, ahead of Subaru and Volkswagen.

The Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk had a base price of $3095 for 1963.
Note: This article is reprinted from the August 2014 issue of Collectible Automobile
The Studebaker name persisted in new-car showrooms until 1966, but the end of automaking as the company had known it for decades really came in 1963. A steady decline from the production peak in 1950 had gained an unmitigated momentum by the time the Sixties dawned. When Studebaker lost $25 million on automotive operations in ’63, the corporation closed its main factory in South Bend, Indiana, and shifted assembly of only its highest-volume car line to a smaller, cheaper-to-run plant in Canada to live out the brand’s last few years.

If this were a 6-car list, the Chrysler Imperial Coupe shown here would have made the list. The Imperial Sedan, however, just made the top 5.
I’ll just admit it. I chose 1974 because I wanted to get a car other than a Cadillac or Lincoln on the list. If you check out our The 5 Most Expensive Cars of 1972 post, you’ll a lineup of comprised entirely by cars of those makes.

Consumer Guide’s test Tucson arrived in top-line Limited trim. With destination charge, our test crossover listed for $29,850.
2014 Hyundai Tucson Limited FWD
Miles Driven: 408
Fuel Used: 19.8 gallons
Driving mix: 55% city, 45% highway