The new beauty queen among sedans (or wagons, if you’re our tech department).
As a stylistic distinction, the term “four-door coupe” has edged perilously close to cliché territory, and we’re grateful that Audi has managed to avoid reveling in it in connection with the new A7, although the company does still use the terminology.
Keep Reading: 2012 Audi A7 3.0T Quattro – Short Take Road Test
Tags: Audi, Audi A7, German, luxury, performance testing, sedan, supercharged |
We appreciate the new six-speed automatic more than the tiny styling tweaks.
We tend to like Acuras. They usually offer decent handling (the company’s torque-vectoring Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive system only helps), a high level of technology, and good value relative to the German luxury brands. Since the current-generation TL was introduced in 2008, though, we’ve been unable to get over a couple of significant shortcomings: an automatic transmission that missed the six-speed boat—making do with only five forward ratios—and that awful beak. For 2012, Acura has attempted to address these complaints.
Keep reading: 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD – Short Take Road Test
Tags: Acura, Acura TL, Japanese, luxury, performance testing, sedan |
Jeep’s black sheep gets updated, but remains unpleasant.
A platform mate to the Jeep Patriot and Dodge Caliber, and an affront to the ruggedness cultivated by Jeep’s iconic and more capable models, namely the Wrangler. A more cohesive nose (hood, fascia, grille, fenders, and headlights) inspired by the Grand Cherokee makes the Compass a bit more attractive for 2011, while a much-needed interior refresh adds a new multifunction steering wheel, a redesigned center stack, and a few soft-touch trim pieces. An optional 70th Anniversary package—as found on this example—adds commemorative badging inside and out, 18-inch wheels with all-season Goodyears, leather-trimmed front seats, Chestnut interior accents, and special floor mats.
Keep Reading: 2011 Jeep Compass Limited 70th Anniversary Edition – Short Take Road Test
Tags: 2011 Jeep Compass, crossover, SUV |
It’s been a long time since we’ve driven a small car this sweet.
The bottom line, up top: The new Ford Focus is the best small car for sale in America today. The sedan pummeled four other runabouts in a recent comparison test, a victory made more impressive by the goodness found across a segment historically filled with what could generously be described as “total crap.” The 2012 Focus is so excellent, in fact, that just one small car beats that comparo-winning Focus, and that’s the one tested here: an SE hatchback with a five-speed manual transmission.
Keep Reading: 2012 Ford Focus SE Hatchback Manual – Short Take Road Test
Tags: American, Ford, Ford Focus, Ford Focus SE, hatchback, performance testing |
More horsepower and less weight add up to a winning combo in the Cayenne S.
If you were among the more than 280,000 buyers around the globe who didn’t get worked up when Porsche introduced its first-ever SUV, now you have a reason to be upset—not because all of the hateful stares from purists have finally become too much, but because the second-generation Cayenne is so much improved over the first.
Keep Reading: 2011 Porsche Cayenne S – Short Take Road Test
Tags: crossover, German, luxury, performance testing, Porsche, Porsche Cayenne, Porsche Cayenne S, SUV |
Scion’s two-door is perfect for learning to drive a manual—but little else.
What Is It?
It’s the cheapest version of the most mundane Scion. Opting for the manual instead of settling for the automatic saves you $1000. While the tC was redesigned for 2011, it takes a real Scion fan (um, anybody? Hello?) to tell the difference. The look is little changed, but every body panel is in fact new, and the result is a rounder, sleeker overall shape.
Keep Reading: 2011 Scion tC Manual – Short Take Road Test
Tags: hatchback, Japanese, performance testing, Scion, Scion tC, sport compact |
The Mustang’s 5.0 V-8 finds its way into the F-150, losing some horsepower in the transition.
What Is It?
It’s the country-music version of “rollin’ in my five-point-oh.” Included in the F-150’s new engine portfolio for 2011 is this 5.0-liter V-8 borrowed from Vanilla Ice’s new Mustang GT. Here, the motor makes 360 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, some 52 hp and 10 lb-ft less than in the Mustang—presumably, it is detuned to make room for more expensive options like the 6.2-liter V-8 and 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6. But floor the accelerator, and the speed and sound of this F-150 will have you feeling like you’re wheeling a 2+2.
Keep Reading: 2011 Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4×4 5.0 V8 – Short Take Road Test
Tags: Ford F-150, Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4 5.0 V8, pickup, truck |
The Mustang’s 5.0 V-8 finds its way into the F-150, losing some horsepower in the transition.
What Is It?
It’s the country-music version of “rollin’ in my five-point-oh.” Included in the F-150’s new engine portfolio for 2011 is this 5.0-liter V-8 borrowed from Vanilla Ice’s new Mustang GT. Here, the motor makes 360 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, some 52 hp and 10 lb-ft less than in the Mustang—presumably, it is detuned to make room for more expensive options like the 6.2-liter V-8 and 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6. But floor the accelerator, and the speed and sound of this F-150 will have you feeling like you’re wheeling a 2+2.
Keep Reading: 2011 Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4×4 5.0 V8 – Short Take Road Test
Tags: Ford F-150, Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4 5.0 V8, pickup, truck |