tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:23:28 +00004RunnerNASCARDTSpedestrian detection535iVWScionMKXDoor LockZ4KizashiGNXGMSiennaRX 350iPodVolvoYarisRegalTruck2011 Ford FiestaToyotaLegacyFiestaSedan DeVille2002tii528iStation WagonEdgeS60Chargerswagger wagonSubaruCCDodgeNHTSA2011 Scion tCPickupGeneral MotorsMaximaLincolnSRXSuzuki2011 BMW Z4Continuously Variable TransmissionConsumer ReportsSonataDieseldetroit free pressBMWJettaRAM 3500HondaAllan MulallyMinivanWal-MartNational Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationSajeev Mehtaford fiestaSedanInfinitiCTS Sport WagonSUVNissanCX-7SRT-8ElvisM37SRX TurboToyota RecallLexusAudi A42011 Toyota RAV4FordVersaPassatChevroletSmall SUVChryslerFitAvalonCX-9128iXTSAudi2011 Suzuki KizashiSentra240CivicEscaladeBoulevard BuickAveotCHyundaiMKTMazdabrake fluidCTSCorollaThe Truth About CarsMyTouchSignal HillCrossoverCadillacLand CruiserChapman BMWJBLFat ElvisBuickVolkswagenA4fuel pumphttp://topblogracing.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (inen)Blogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-8301336060269316819Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:23:00 +00002012-08-27T17:23:28.478-07:00SonataDoor LockHyundaiSedan  Moving Intelligence (you can register for withdraw) reports that Hyundai is suspending sales of the just-introduced 2011 Sonata because advance door bosom modules can put. 5,000 of the vehicles, which arrived in showrooms 2 weeks ago, are in the U.S. and so far, exclusive active 1,300 in buyers' hands. Parts module tug dealers origin tomorrow and Hyundai says the sales hold present end as http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2012/08/hyundai-halts-sales-of-2011-sonata.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-9195276677529059231Mon, 06 Aug 2012 03:38:00 +00002012-08-05T20:38:49.023-07:00DodgeDieselRAM 3500TruckPickupChrysler What you see is the new Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie Crew Cab in its natural environment. The 3500 is a one-ton pickup...the kind of thing best suited for hauling huge horse trailers (or Brahma bull trailers) around. The ideal rodeo vehicle. In fact, I would have said that the market for this was pretty well limited to the horses for business and/or pleasure set until I drove it. You see, http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2012/08/dodge-ram-3500-laramie-crew-cab-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-9115797983965208720Mon, 06 Aug 2012 03:37:00 +00002012-08-05T20:37:44.557-07:00CTS Sport WagonStation WagonGMCadillacGeneral MotorsCTS For a country that invented the station wagon and pretty much couldn't live without it for 30 years after World War II, America has shunned the concept...while Europe has bought in big, producing some wonderfully useful, sporty wagons. Now, Cadillac, never a station wagon builder in the glory days (unless you count ambulances and hearses),  has decided to get in the game by taking its http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2012/08/cadillac-cts-sport-wagon-review-manual.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-9211888494206749461Tue, 17 Jul 2012 03:20:00 +00002012-07-16T20:20:30.873-07:00pedestrian detectionVolvo before I have mixed feelings on this one, part of me thinking that the driver should determine when to brake (having assessed what's around him) and the other part acknowledging the intent and likely reduction of car-pedestrian accidents. Your thoughts and comments are welcome. Volvo S60 Pedestrian Detection download here manual and informationhttp://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2010/06/volvo-s60-pedestrian-detection.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-6574428965831147923Tue, 17 Jul 2012 03:16:00 +00002012-07-16T20:16:08.565-07:00Sajeev MehtaLand CruiserSUV4RunnerElvisToyotaFat ElvisThe Truth About Cars  Monumental. The exact gear promise that struck me as I walked up to the 2010 Toyota 4Runner the day it was dropped off. What was erst the paradigm for concentrated SUVs has packed on the pounds and the new styling is same putting enarthrosis pads on top of all that mass. No, it's not conscionable me. Turns out Sajeev Mehta over at The Feminist Roughly Cars content the selfsame thing...he http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2010/07/2010-toyota-4runner-sr5-4x4-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-450679130304905403Sun, 01 Jul 2012 04:24:00 +00002012-06-30T21:24:00.194-07:00MazdaCX-9Crossover As the tide turns from traditional truck-based SUVs, a lot of people are discovering the larger crossovers (sport-utes based on car, rather than truck, platforms). It's turning into a crowded field (including four from General Motors alone)...but there are standouts, and one is the Mazda CX-9. As noted in previous entries here at TireKicker, Mazda doesn't make bad cars. And the CX-9, http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2010/09/mazda-cx-9-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-2667713658542340513Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:51:00 +00002012-06-29T07:51:00.691-07:00PassatVWCCVolkswagenSedan I wonder if Volkswagen appreciates the irony of the new CC. Six years ago, the company introduced the Phaeton, a big luxury sedan with a price tag starting around $65,000 and running all the way up to $95,000 (a hundred grand with tax) for a 12-cylinder model. It was a monumental flop, yanked summarily from the U.S. market after only a couple of seasons (it is still sold in Europe and is http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2010/09/volkswagen-cc-sport-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-7984454546718366014Wed, 27 Jun 2012 23:03:00 +00002012-06-27T16:03:00.696-07:00DodgeSRT-8ChargerNASCARChrysler Never underestimate the power of something that looks this mean. It's kinda easy to do, given that the Dodge Charger has been with us for 5 years now and a new one's on the way. We've seen it too many times in airport car rental lots and giggled as Mark Harmon and the gang on NCIS make the 6-cylinder ones they drive try to look menacing. But five minutes in a Charger SRT-8 is enough tohttp://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2010/09/dodge-charger-srt-8.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-1823494189565928383Tue, 26 Jun 2012 22:36:00 +00002012-06-26T15:36:00.267-07:00LegacySubaruSedan Subaru has made its place in the automotive world the past 35 years or so by being the Japanese SAAB. Quirky, yet loveable...attracting a small but devoted following. Attempting to go mainstream is part of what very nearly killed SAAB, so there's precedent for concern every time Subaru gets a bit more normal. Except that Subaru's managed it quite well...first with the Outback, then http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2010/09/subaru-legacy-25-i-and-36r-limited.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-27659249536556392Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:10:00 +00002012-06-21T17:10:00.365-07:00MazdaSmall SUVCX-7 As impressed as I am with the Mazda CX-9, the smaller Mazda CX-7 may be the better vehicle for the largest number of people. Shorter and seating five rather than seven, the CX-7 is a strong alternative to small SUVs and more expensive crossovers. Mazda's attention to detail and focus on fun are what seal the deal. Not to mention economic factors. Opt for a CX-7 and $22,340 buys you a 16http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2010/10/mazda-cx-7-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-4532422923602169367Wed, 20 Jun 2012 23:27:00 +00002012-06-20T16:27:00.299-07:00Minivanswagger wagonSiennaToyota All too often, advertising is better than the product. The advertising is great. I love the whole "Swagger Wagon", "Mommy Like" and "Daddy Like" thing. The product is better. You see, to me, minivan haters have it wrong. At least from a standpoint of timing. 15 years ago, minivans were dreadful. The original Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth vans were expanding...and not gracefully. GM http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2010/09/2011-toyota-sienna-le-se-and-limited.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-2141425902000353871Tue, 19 Jun 2012 22:27:00 +00002012-06-19T15:27:00.109-07:00ford fiestaHondaYarisCorollaAveoCivicWal-MartFordFitFiesta2011 Ford FiestaChevroletSentraToyotaJettaVolkswagenVersaNissan                    When I wrote the first drive impressions of the 2011 Ford Fiesta and promised a full review soon, I had no idea that TireKicker would be taking an unexpected two week vacation...but we did and now we're back and item one has to be to fill in the blanks left by the early look at this very significant car for Ford. The basic first impressions (a quantum leap forward for http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2010/12/2011-ford-fiesta-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-5714390509759299857Tue, 19 Jun 2012 12:20:00 +00002012-06-19T05:20:00.125-07:00FordConsumer ReportsMKXMyTouchCrossoverAllan MulallyEdgeLincoln Okay, this is trouble. Consumer Reports has pulled its "Recommended" status from the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers because the new MyTouch telematics system is "unwieldy, difficult to use and requires drivers to take their eyes off the road.  More than one Detroit insider had said this day was coming, that Ford boss Allan Mulally's one weak spot was his belief, forged in http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2011/01/ford-edge-lincoln-mkx-lose-cr.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-7493420514302715372Mon, 18 Jun 2012 03:07:00 +00002012-06-17T20:07:00.823-07:00MaximaSedanNissan About 20 years ago, before my TireKicking days, I worked at KTVK in Phoenix with a reporter named Jay DeDapper. Jay seemed even in those pre-cyber days to have his own Bluetooth and Twitter connections in his brain. He'd know about the best new restaurant in any major city 30 seconds before it opened. He'd have read the latest book about...well, anything...cover to cover while the Barnes &http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2011/01/nissan-maxima-35-sv-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-1743610982602153726Sun, 17 Jun 2012 01:42:00 +00002012-06-11T18:00:12.709-07:00Audi2011 Suzuki KizashiKizashiSuzukiContinuously Variable TransmissionA4Audi A4 See that car with the European plate carving up that winding road?  Audi A4, maybe? Well, unless you're oblivious to headlines, you know already that not only is that not an Audi or any German car, but a Suzuki. The good news is that the Suzuki Kizashi is all the things no one ever thought about Suzuki. The bad news is the word needs to spread more. We'll start here. We gothttp://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2011/04/2011-suzuki-kizashi-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-528016315572327080Sun, 17 Jun 2012 00:40:00 +00002012-06-11T17:58:09.297-07:00VolvoS60240 Volvo's been going out of its way to brand the new S60 as "The Naughty Volvo" (see video above). Guess it depends on your definition of  "naughty". The S60 is not for kids, it's fast and fun, it's shapely.....                                          The days of the boring Volvo are dead, let's give the marketing people that much.  And that's on looks alone. In a week at the http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2011/02/volvo-s60-t6-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-5776258195470659056Sat, 16 Jun 2012 00:54:00 +00002012-06-15T17:54:00.483-07:00528i535iDTSBMWXTSGMCadillacGeneral MotorsCTS Cadillac's upcoming XTS sedan will not only replace the DTS, but the STS as well. What's an STS? Can't blame you...this is another strong sedan that's been neglected in the marketing department and overshadowed by its smaller (and brilliant) sibling, the CTS. And that's a shame, too....because while the STS never really got to be the BMW 5-Series killer many had hoped it would be, it's ahttp://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011-cadillac-sts-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-5276611016524885564Thu, 14 Jun 2012 02:24:00 +00002012-06-13T19:24:04.982-07:00GMSRXSRX TurboCadillacGeneral Motors Fun is fun, but if nobody's showing up for the party, well..... GM Inside News says it's confirmed that Cadillac is dropping the Turbo model of its SRX crossover. Goodbye, 300 horsepower. But also goodbye, 15 miles per gallon city. Which might have a lot to do with it. As might the publicity garnered last spring when more than one of those turbo engines did its impression of a grenade http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2011/01/cadillac-kills-srx-turbo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-3119930778021184284Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:29:00 +00002012-06-13T07:29:00.756-07:00DTSSedan DeVilleEscaladeCadillac Eras end. Driven by changing tastes and the aging of customers, Cadillac will stop making and selling the big DTS sedan (the modern-day version of the Sedan DeVille) at the end of the 2011 model year.  It will be replaced by the XTS, a car that will almost certainly be targeted to the tastes of Baby Boom luxury car buyers...and thus, at Lexus, Audi and BMW. It's easy for Boomers to ignore andhttp://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2010/11/2011-cadillac-dts-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-1864182469539392043Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:26:00 +00002012-06-13T07:26:15.970-07:00AvalonToyota RecallToyotafuel pumpbrake fluid Just when the hysteria over unintended acceleration died down for lack of any evidence, Toyota has a real problem on its hands...a huge recall of a million and a half vehicles worldwide for brake fluid and fuel pump issues. Details from the Associated Press via The Detroit News.http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2010/10/toyota-recalls-15-million-cars.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-8726765540024741456Mon, 11 Jun 2012 03:07:00 +00002012-06-11T17:49:43.446-07:00MaximaSedanNissan About 20 years ago, before my TireKicking days, I worked at KTVK in Phoenix with a reporter named Jay DeDapper. Jay seemed even in those pre-cyber days to have his own Bluetooth and Twitter connections in his brain. He'd know about the best new restaurant in any major city 30 seconds before it opened. He'd have read the latest book about...well, anything...cover to cover while the Barnes &http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2011/01/toyota-takes-on-sync.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-3424084356618144410Sun, 10 Jun 2012 12:51:00 +00002012-06-11T17:50:24.320-07:00GNXRegalGMdetroit free pressBoulevard BuickGeneral MotorsSignal HillBuick Boulevard Buick in Signal Hill, California has probably seen its share of slow-moving units over its 50 years in business...but why has this brand-new 1987 Buick Regal GNX stayed on the showroom floor for almost half that time? The fascinating story from the Los Angeles times via The Detroit Free Press.http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2011/01/showroom-new-24-year-old-buick.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-5089045626650961089Sat, 09 Jun 2012 22:55:00 +00002012-06-11T17:46:31.540-07:00FordMKTStation WagonCrossoverLincoln From the back, in black, it looks like a 1940's hearse. For several thousand dollars less, you can get a Ford Flex...which is what this is based on. The above two lines are the sum total of the downside to the Lincoln MKT. There's a ton of upside. First of all, for better or worse, Lincoln's breaking some styling rules and creating distinctive automobiles. And since the new http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2011/03/lincoln-mkt-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-4320177556863570035Fri, 08 Jun 2012 02:12:00 +00002012-06-11T17:45:05.957-07:00InfinitiM37 It's all about the curves. No, you haven't logged on to Playboy's home page by mistake. But words like "sexy" and "voluptuous" just might get used in the next few paragraphs. Infiniti, the near-luxury division of Nissan that originally tried to sell us cars by showing us pictures of trees and running water in its TV commercials (just no cars), has finally realized that cars, at their http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2011/04/infiniti-m37-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972879895760568925.post-3449405673408635147Thu, 07 Jun 2012 02:40:00 +00002012-06-11T17:42:41.125-07:00RX 350Lexus   The shape is instantly recognizable. It's the vehicle that started the whole luxury-crossover segment more than a decade ago...looking much like it does today.  Sure, there have been refinements. That's what's kept the Lexus RX 350 at the top of its game...but the fact that the basic design is within walking distance of what it was in the late 90s is testament to just how right Lexus http://topblogracing.blogspot.com/2011/04/2011-lexus-rx-350-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (inen)