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New SuperCrew and a Standard 6.2

Nissan's Stylish Anti-Crossover Endures

70 mpg, Without Even Trying

Lots of Show, Same Go

Barney Fife, Your New Ride is Ready: Ford adds an Explorer-based model to its new Police Interceptor line

Filed under: Sedan, Toyota, Reviews, Luxury

Sexagenarians Rejoice! Your Ride Has Arrived


Have you seen the TV commercials for the 2011 Toyota Avalon? One particular 30-second spot sticks out. It's shot through a 1960's filter and features an old-fashioned voice over, cheesy elevator music and an airline pilot driving the big Toyota sedan on a cloud with a pretty flight attendant in the passenger seat. It's like something the Mad Men crew would create, minus the misogyny.

That Toyota's marketing team produced such a commercial proves they know exactly who buys the Avalon: people who were alive and watching television 50 years ago. Since a "jet-smooth ride" and "quiet cabin" don't set an enthusiast's soul ablaze, we're taking Toyota's hint and getting in the mood for our review of the updated Avalon by donning a cardigan, ordering a scotch and soda and developing a one-sided friendship with Alex Trebec. So let's phrase it in the form of a question: How good is the 2011 Toyota Avalon? Follow the jump to find out.



Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Toyota Avalon

Review: 2011 Toyota Avalon originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Senior photographer Brian Vance, who spends a lot of time in a photo locker, er, minivan, when one is in our long-term fleet, isn't impressed with the VW's brakes.

The Classic Roadster is Back with a Power-Folding Hardtop

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Toyota, Reviews

Family Vacation Tests This Minivan's Mettle


My wife and I? Not minivan people. It isn't for lack of appreciation. After all, we have three kids, so we're acutely aware of the advantages gained from lots of interior space. We get our three rows in a different form factor; one that's admittedly less practical but doesn't make us feel like we're flying the white flag of suburban surrender in the garage.

For our annual summer vacation, we decided to see how more sensible people roll. Our ride for the week was the latest monument to family-friendly practicality: the 2011 Toyota Sienna Limited (stickering at a significant $44,919 as tested). Its mission: schlep the author, his wife, our seven-year-old daughter, four-year-old son, 11-month-old son and the rather daunting pile of related detritus up to Cape Cod for a five-day getaway. Would everything fit easily? Would it actually be pleasant to drive? Would we be beset with secret minivan jealousy forever after? All those answers and more after the jump.



Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Toyota Sienna Limited

Review: 2011 Toyota Sienna Limited originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An Incredibly Confusing Smile-maker

The Fastest Production XJ Ever

If the Rogue Became a Rogue...

If the Rogue Became a Rogue...

"The 370Z looks great and considerably better than the 350Z before it."

Social Climber

Nissan's First Crossover Continues to Ripen

Ford Tries to Maintain an Edge in the Crossover Market

Ready to Defend the Class it Invented

A Solid First Effort

Filed under: Truck, Work, Dodge, Reviews, Diesel

A Work Horse You Can Live With


Big Red. Take one look at the massive red monster above and you'll understand why it picked up that nickname moments after arriving at our door. Cliched name aside, we wanted to find out exactly what one can or can't do with a truck like the 2010 Dodge Ram 3500 Heavy Duty Mega Cab. After all, a four-wheel-drive, diesel-powered behemoth doesn't come cheap, and there has to be ample justification for its existence if you're going to try and make room for one in your jumbo-sized garage. To that end, we used the beast as our daily driver for a week, and while we never once came close to reaching anything near its prodigious capabilities, we did find out what it's like to live with.

Oh, and when we sat down to put our thoughts into words, we also decided to see how many ways we could describe how large this truck really is. Read on to see how we fared.



Photos copyright (C)2010 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2010 Ram 3500 Laramie Mega Cab

Review: 2010 Ram 3500 Laramie Mega Cab originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"After a quick dash to San Diego, I can't say I'd want to travel a much longer distance in the Insight"

Filed under: Sedan, Jaguar, Reviews, Luxury

Lightweight Luxury with Style


There's a sect of motoring nihilists out there who would have us all believe there isn't a single thing in the automotive universe that hasn't been done before. It's the "Simpsons did it" meme on methamphetamines, though instead of a yellow animated family, our cast is populated by the likes of Plymouth, Cord, Studebaker, Hudson and any number of other equally innovative yet forgotten brands. Think adaptive headlights are a trick piece of tech? Think again - Willys-Knight employed a third directional headlight as early as 1928 on its 70A, and Citroën made use of similar methodology on cars like the DS and SM way back when.

Few segments seem to have accepted this grim reality quite like the luxury sedan world. Automakers that once strove to create unique products now seem to be operating from the same design template. Line up the profiles of the BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and the vast majority of the car-buying public would have no idea which car was which. Each vehicle is attractive in its own right, but we wouldn't accuse any of them possessing the same kind of gravitas as, say, a '38 Mercedes-Benz 770.

Which is one of the big reasons we're smitten with the 2011 Jaguar XJL. Whereas the only way you're going to stop traffic with a 7 Series is to put the drivers around you to sleep, the newest interpretation of the stately Jaguar flagship is the kind of beauty that sends jaws clattering across the concrete.



Photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Jaguar XJL

Review: 2011 Jaguar XJL originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Lexus, Reviews, Luxury

A Perfect Prius It Is Not


Lexus likes to say that it pursues perfection. Toyota's luxury brand has been playing the hybrid game for a while now with converted gas-powered models like the LS, GS and RX hybrids, and few would argue that these models represent the zenith of what a luxury hybrid can be. For that, Lexus finally decided to build a dedicated hybrid model from the ground up, and the result is the HS 250h.

Being that the brand's parent company builds the Prius, the industry benchmark for hybrids in terms of both fuel efficiency and popularity, Lexus has, on the one hand, a much deeper well of hybrid expertise from which to draw than its competition. On the other hand, it has the toughest act to follow in the third-generation Prius. In the minds of many, a true Lexus hybrid should be everything Toyota's magic bean is and more - it should be the perfect Prius.

Funny thing, the HS 250h is not. Lexus hasn't built an upmarket version of the Prius with the HS 250h. Perhaps realizing that after three generations creating about as perfect a parallel hybrid as there is, Lexus up and decided that its own luxury hybrid should have a different mission. Unfortunately, after a week spent behind the wheel of a 2010 HS 250h Premium, we're not still not sure what that mission is. Follow the jump to learn what else we found confusing about Lexus' latest hybrid.



Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2010 Lexus HS 250h

Review: 2010 Lexus HS 250h originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diesels versus Hybrids: Golf TDI Quattroporte Takes On the World's Most Notorious Gasoline Scrooge

Still Got It

Diesels Versus Hybrids: Which Provides the Better Drive -- and Gives the Other the Birdie?

"The ride quality is plush and the handling stable and communicative."

Less Power, Lower Price

This Boss is No Hog

Don't Call It A G37