Since 1984, many American families have utilized the virtues of minivans as a primary mode of transportation. An efficient one-box design that was more about function than style, the venerable minivan is clinging to the last vestiges of marketshare as the crossover onslaught has reduced consumer appeal and, ultimately, minivan sales. Last year, the five …
While once only a small segment of the driving fleet, today’s compact and subcompact crossovers are now the leading automotive segment in America, displacing compact and midsize sedans like yesterday’s trash. Five-door crossovers are everywhere. Think of them while you drive — what are you meeting for traffic? Toyota RAV4s, Honda CRVs, Chevy Equinoxes and …
CUMBERLAND — Maserati claims that its new Levante SUV is “snarling responsiveness to long-distance refinement.” Built in Maranello, Italy, with a throbbing engine built by Ferrari, there is no arguing with the brand’s distinguished pedigree — even as you survey the interior and find hints of the FCA hardware used for various controls. These controls …
CUMBERLAND — In 1914, two very disparate events occurred that would make large impacts on society in American as well as automobile styles, performance and general attitudes about luxury motoring. Event one was Henry Ford gathering several friends, including at the time Thomas Edison, Firestone tire magnate Harvey Firestone, naturalist John Burroughs, plus Presidents Warren …
At the halfway pole in this year’s car sales race, it remains clear that buyers are still choosing crossovers, small wagon-ish cars and pickup trucks over conventional sedans. The American new-car market is witnessing a small downtick in annual sales this year, despite heady new products, as pundits believe that overheated borrowing, higher transaction prices, …
Sixty-one summers ago, a compact car called the Toyopet Crown went on sale in California. The four-cylinder engine provided a top speed of 78 mph for negotiating LA’s notoriously busy freeways. This $2,200 car was Toyota’s first offering in America. Last year, Toyota sold over 2.4 million new vehicles in America, making it the second …
Volvo, once a part of Ford Motor Co.’s Premier Portfolio with Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin, has aggressively moved beyond this ill-conceived marriage with the significant aid of new owner Gheely Holding’s financial resources. Selling well in China (home of Gheely) and doing better in Europe, its home turf, Volvo is doing better in …
With summer in full swing, youthful minds wander to sports cars, convertibles and top-down adventures on warm summer evenings. Unfortunately, apparently not as many “sports” long for the wind-in-your-hair thrills found in a roadster or a cabriolet, as the choices for drop-top cars is thinning each year. Fortunately, the German automakers retain a fond appreciation …
While many automakers are diving headfirst into the EV end of the automotive pool — despite modest consumer interest — Toyota is doubling down on its tried-and-true hybrid powertrain technology with its latest Corolla and RAV4 hybrid models. After a week with a brand-new XSE-trimmed RAV4 Hybrid, it is clear that this compact crossover is …
Without any doubt, today’s compact cars are the best small automobiles ever offered from the automakers. Stocked with safety gear previously reserved for luxury cars, plus creature features that buyers crave, the latest compact offerings are neither cheap nor unappealing. Unfortunately, the crossover buzz-saw has decimated car sales of all stripes; since 2010, compact car …
Decades ago, GM’s various car divisions dominated station wagon sales with an assortment of ladder frame-based, full-size, rear-drive models plus a variety of midsize front-drive wagons. Olds Vista Cruiser, Chevy Estates and Buick Roadmasters were but a few of these family vehicles that towed, worked and commuted before minivans and SUVs. Except for Volvo and …
In a segment that Ford used to dominate in the U.S. market, but abandoned in 2011, a new Global Ranger design is returning for American and Canadian buyers once again interested in smaller pickup trucks. The first Ranger appeared in 1983 and went on to achieve 29 years of market success as a decent alternative …
