New models

We zipped around the city and flogged the 2008 Acura RDX through the hills, and in all areas found it an enjoyable ride. Its compact SUV-style body offers practical interior space while giving it carlike maneuverability. With the tech package, Acura throws in just about every cabin gadget imaginable, from an excellent-sounding stereo to its full-featured navigation system. However, while the RDX maneuvers like a car, it drinks gas like a large SUV. We also eagerly await the day that Acura redesigns its dashboard and reduces the ridiculous number of buttons.

Read the review.

Last year we tested the 2008 Subaru WRX and were left hoping the STI version would make up for the suburbanization of the model. Well, the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI arrived in our garage and set all our worries to rest. From our first look at the STI parked in our garage, we could tell that it was a pit bull compared with the cocker spaniel-like standard WRX. The smooth sides of the standard WRX get bulked out by meaty fenders on the STI, wide enough to make room for the 245/40R18 Dunlop Sport 600 summer tires wrapped … Read more

Considering the youthful nature of the 2008 Honda Element SC's intended market, it is surprising the car doesn't offer more in the way of modern electronics. Like the Scion xB, the Honda Element appeals to people who can appreciate an offbeat styling. Unlike the xB, the Element doesn't offer navigation, video screens, or even iPod integration.

The original Honda Element was intended for outdoorsy people who would load it up with surfboards and mountain bikes, while the newer SC trimmed Element goes for the urban crowd already enamored with the Scion xB. You could argue that an … Read more

Right on the heels of our 2008 Volvo V70 review comes the 2008 Volvo XC70, basically the same car but with some off-road gear. The V70 impressed us with its performance and considerable high-tech safety options, and the XC70 has similar attributes, but where the V70 was definitely asphalt-bound, the XC70 feels as if it could go anywhere.

The XC70 is raised up higher than the V70 and has all-wheel drive. Other than that, it uses the same engine and transmission. Its cabin electronics options are all the same as with the V70. Where our V70 tester was stripped down, … Read more

After months of making the rounds at every conceivable auto show, the 2008 Mini Cooper Clubman is finally on sale in the U.S.

The wagon-style Clubman is billed as a roomier car that still maintains the personality of the original Mini. To some, it seems like a perfect combination of form and function. But for me, the idea of a big Mini just seems ... well ... against what makes a Mini a Mini. One thing's for sure: the Clubman just seems to be one of those cars that people either love or hate.

Part of the point of making … Read more

As a fan of the predecessor to this current M3, the e46, I was skeptical about driving what some called a heavy, underpowered car that didn't quite live up to its ancestors' legacy. A few die-hard enthusiasts, amid cracking tired Bangle jokes that are oh-so-five-years-ago, called it the MPIG, bemoaning the addition of more sensors and high-tech gadgets that added weight and deterred DIYers. And I almost bought into it.

Sure, I'll never love the look of the car like I love the e46. But the new M3 is, for better or worse, one of those cars you … Read more

The 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid gave us a strong sense of d?j? vu. We read the accolades accorded to the gas-only version, the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, after its launch late last year, which reminded us of the good press received by the Saturn Aura the year before. And the Malibu Hybrid, with its belt alternator starter (BAS) hybrid system, reminded us of the mild hybrid system of the Saturn Aura Green Line. It seems that GM pioneered a good car launch story with the Aura, and chose to repeat it with the Malibu this year. We've started taking … Read more

Acura has lifted the veil a bit higher on its forthcoming redesigned TSX sedan, which is set to debut at next month's New York auto show. The updated model will get a host of Acura's most advanced technology features, including the availability of a navigation system with real-time traffic, and the AcuraLink weather system, both of which will also come to the 2009 RL. Also migrating down the Acura model lineup is the ELS/Panasonic surround sound audio system, which we saw in the Acura RDX and MDX SUVs. In the TSX, the ELS system will be available … Read more

The premium sports-sedan market is generating a lot of competition for the 2008 Audi A4. With a recently updated 3-Series from BMW, a totally revamped C-Class from Mercedes Benz, and respectable contenders from Infiniti, Acura, and Lexus, the current Audi A4 is beginning to look a little out of its depth. The bread-and-butter of Ingolstadt's model lineup is itself due for a complete overhaul later this year. From a technology perspective, we're expecting to see some of the goodies that so impressed us recently in the 2008 Audi A5. We are particularly eager to see the departure of … Read more