Auto News & New car review

Crossover vehicles, named for crossing over the line between car and sport utility vehicle, have been around for 10 years. Using the same type of unit-body construction as a car, crossover SUVs are generally lighter and more fuel efficient than traditional truck-based SUVs that use a heavier body-on-frame design. Read the rest of this entry »

Unveiled at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show, the new 2008 Mercury Sable offers customers a sophisticated new look inside and out, a significantly quieter cabin, a more plush ride and a more powerful 3.5-liter V-6. Read the rest of this entry »

This little kei wagon on Matchbox-sized wheels is the Honda Zest Sports G (Dynamic Special), and yes, that parenthetical appears to be part of the official name. What makes it more dynamic and special than the regular Zest Sports? Read the rest of this entry »

Like a little brother wanting so much to emulate his bigger bro, Volkswagen wants its image to be more like that of its upscale sibling — Audi. It’s certainly not a bad aspiration, but when the company goes hog wild, as it did with the super nice but super expensive Phaeton luxury sedan, VW loses touch with the populace. The 2008 Volkswagen Eos, however, strikes a happy medium between being just the “people’s car” and a true luxury vehicle with a luxury price tag. Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to full-size SUV ownership, well, you really have to want it these days. Driving a large and imposing vehicle isn’t as much of an image enhancement as it was a decade ago, and depending on where you live, spending $70 to fill the tank is a distinct possibility. That said, the current population of large, truck-based sport-utilities is as impressive as it has ever been. Incremental improvements in driving dynamics and interior packaging have made these heavyweights quite easy to live with on a daily basis. Read the rest of this entry »

The Lincoln MKS, an all-new luxury sedan, goes on sale in early 2008 as a 2009 model.

Positioned as Lincoln’s flagship luxury sedan the MKS is bigger than the MKZ, and Lincoln is calling it a full-size luxury sedan.

The MKS is a V6-powered, front-wheel-drive car. All-wheel drive will available. Its 3.7-liter V6 delivers 270 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. No V8 is available. The MKS shares its basic structure with the Ford Taurus (formerly known as the Ford 500), a modified Volvo platform. Read the rest of this entry »