Archive for July, 2016
Nissan’s Maxima comes standard with V6 power and stands as an upscale, sporty take on a midsize sedan. The tested top-line Platinum came to just under $41,000 including destination.
2016 Nissan Maxima Platinum 
Class: Midsize Car
Miles Driven: 804
Fuel Used: 25.8 gallons
2016 Volkswagen Passat SEL
2016 Volkswagen Passat SEL
Class: Midsize Car
Miles Driven: 553
Fuel Used: 19.6 gallons
First Spin: 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid
Already on sale, Honda’s Accord Hybrid returns for 2017 with more power, better fuel economy, and a number of new features. Prices start at less than $30,500.
Hybrids are a hard sell these days. With gas prices hovering near $2 a gallon, fuel economy isn’t the draw it was when they were closing in on $5.
1957 Imperial Ad
For whatever reason, armchair sociologists and most of the non-automotive media seem to have fixated on 1957 as a pinnacle year for almost all American human endeavors. The best fashions, kitchen-appliance designs, diner menus, and, of course, cars, are largely ascribed to this singular period.
What’s New: 2017 Nissan Pathfinder
Visual refinements to Nissan’s Pathfinder for 2017 are subtle, but other changes are not, as they include a number of safety, convenience, and infotainment additions.
Nissan’s 7-passenger midsize SUV celebrates its 30th anniversary for 2017 with a “mid-cycle” update that includes a more powerful engine, higher towing capacity, a freshened appearance, and a host of newly available features.
2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport GT
2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2.4 GT AWD
Class: Subcompact Crossover
Miles Driven: 553
Fuel Used: 22.1 gallons
1958 Dodge Ad
Question: What do the Turkish passenger ship Üsküdar, United Airlines Flight 736, and Ford have in common? Answer: All three were involved in disasters in 1958.
Not for Export: Toyota Century
2016 Toyota Century
Question: What car is always big, usually black, and almost never seen outside of its nation of origin? If you don’t have answer, it’s because you don’t know much about the Toyota Century, a vehicle as culturally engrained in Japan as Chevrolet Corvette is in the U.S.
2016 Volkswagen GTI SE in Steel Gray Metallic
2016 Volkswagen Golf GTI SE 2-Door
Class: Sporty/Performance Car
Miles Driven: 247
Fuel Used: 11.2 gallons
For a number of reasons, warm-weather states are considered more driver-friendly places to operate a vehicle.
As a Chicagoan, I take a certain amount of pride in my ability to complain about the local traffic situation. To that end, though I loathe to report that my 17-mile trip from Consumer Guide’s Chicago-adjacent office to the sleepy Northwest Suburbs can take me more than an hour on the wrong day, I feel a least at little satisfaction knowing that I am a statistical outlier.
