Reviews : Car Reviews And News

When Toyota announced that it was bringing a proper Corolla hatchback to market in the US a couple of months ago, I was pretty excited. The idea that the company might be jumping into the hot hatch arena to take on the Civic is something gearheads are surely stoked about.

Photos by Sam Bendall The sun is shining, the temperature is promenading toward 70 degrees, the Pacific breeze dances across my face with a dash of salt to its aroma. It’s a perfect Wednesday morning in Southern California when suddenly every other person walking, jogging or driving along Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica has his or her smartphone camera locked on me and the supercar I’m driving: a Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster cloaked in a hue of orange called “Arancio Argos.”

While the current generation Toyota Avalon is a very nice car indeed, frankly it’s a bit dull. Sure, it’s smooth and quiet, but with its average buyer being in the mid-60s, it’s never really been designed to thrill.

Hot on the heels of our review of the utterly enormous Mercedes-Benz AMG Petronas F-1 paddock by LEGO, with it’s richly detailed shop space and cleverly equipped camera gear, comes a far simpler LEGO kit for auto enthusiasts.

The first time I laid eyes on the Mercedes-Benz E400 Coupe at last year’s Chicago Auto Show, I absolutely fell in love with the styling of this elegant vehicle, both inside and out. From its muscular and confident stance, to its dramatic faceted grille, the E400 just exudes substance and power from every angle.

Just a few weeks back, I had the opportunity to live with the 2018 model of the RAM 1500 Limited, and thought it was an excellent and very comfortable premium truck. Now, I’ve driven the 2019 model, and it’s even better than before in many ways.

We are two years away from 2020, and despite what we thought when we were kids, we’re nowhere close to flying cars, or even Back to the Future-like hoverboards. The Cubs did win the World Series, so the future doesn’t seem that far-fetched any longer.

A few months back, I spent a day or so driving the new Toyota Camry lineup, and overall was very impressed with the progress that Toyota has made in turning its trusty sedan into a truly desirable car.

When I was recently handed some life-changing health news, along with a phone call a few weeks later explaining my grandmother’s passing, I flat-out lost all hope, and everything in my life was suddenly put on hold.

Despite their growing availability, many people still feel that plug-in hybrids are a waste of resources and money, a sentiment that automakers like Kia are working hard to to amend. Unassuming from head to tail, and stuffed with all manner of “Eco-minded” engineering, the Optima PHEV plays Korean counterpart to Hyundai’s Sonata plug-in, both of which come powered and packaged in a very similar manner.

“There’s no such thing as a bad car nowadays,” the experts say, “Hell, just look at how good Korean cars have become over the years!” This may be true now, but back in 2005 I would have been far more prone to disagree.

I’m often asked the question: who would buy a $50,000 or $60,000 pickup truck? I think the answer is pretty simple – the head cheese… the leader of the pack… the boss. If you’re running a construction crew or you own your own farm, you want a vehicle that is both highly functional, but also provides the creature comforts that you deserve at this point in your career.

You might think I’m trying to pull a fast one over on you if you look at this review. I did, in fact, review a very similar car late last year when my review of the BMW440i ran right here on 95Octane.

If there were but one unsung automotive love song, it would be the one composed for the Infiniti brand. While other luxury automakers are busy vying for waltzes with high-brow buyers, the opulent Nissan counterpart bides its time, a ravishing wallflower with fire in its eyes.

When you think back just a few years, Jaguar was almost exclusively a maker of luxury sedans like the XF and XJ. Fast forward to 2018, and the Brits not only make one of the best sports cars on the road, but they’ve released not one, but two crossover SUVs.