Car Reviews and Ratings

2006 Mercedes AMG S65 Review

By Jay Shoemaker
July 23, 2008 - 1,071 views

America has the hots for hybrids. On the flip side of high gas prices, the value of any vehicle with fuel economy below 20 mpg has collapsed. Brand new "gas guzzlers" sit on dealer lots collecting incentives, rebates, finance deals and dust. The price of used fuel-suckers has dropped by 25 percent in the last four months, and THEN the rest. This is the perfect time to shop for a twin-turbo twelve-cylinder behemoth.

2006 Mercedes AMG S65 Review continued »

2006 Mercedes AMG S65 rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Mercedes-Benz | 50 comments

2008 Audi Q7 4.2 Premium Review

By Frank Williams
July 21, 2008 - 785 views

Full disclosure: I really like Audis. I own two of them: an A4 Avant and an A4 Cabriolet. So when Audi offered me the chance to review a Q7, Ingolstadt's answer to "how late can you be to an SUV party and still not wonder why you bothered to show up in the first place," I said game on. After all, it's an Audi. What's not to like? 

2008 Audi Q7 4.2 Premium Review continued »

2008 Audi Q7 4.2 Premium rating summary and performance review

Posted in Audi | Car Reviews | 33 comments

2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 V6

By Justin Berkowitz
July 18, 2008 - 2,073 views

In 2002, my friend Patrick threw a glass ashtray at me in a bar in Boston. “Berzerkowitz!” he barked, celebrating the successful hit right in the middle of my forehead. That’s how he said hi. The next morning, once he sobered up, and my face still hurt like a sonofabitch, we went for a ride in the car he rented for the weekend. “It’s the most generic car I have ever driven,” Pat told me from the driver’s seat of a Hyundai XG350L.

2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 V6 continued »

2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 V6

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 81 comments

2008 HUMMER H3 Alpha Review

By P.J. McCombs
July 16, 2008 - 440 views

There I was, minding my own business on the Internet, when HUMMER sauntered up and threw me against a locker. “Alpha stole your virtual girlfriend. And your real one,” grumbled the ever-subtle brand’s banner ad. Okay, HUMMER, I’ll bite (so to speak). Who’s Alpha, what’s he got that I haven’t? And— most importantly— how is this going to delay the inevitable fizzling of your fifteen minutes?

2008 HUMMER H3 Alpha Review continued »

2008 HUMMER H3 Alpha rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Other | 69 comments

2009 Infiniti FX50 Review

By Jonny Lieberman
July 14, 2008 - 1,127 views

I lusted after Infiniti’s “Bionic Cheetah” from the moment I saw the renderings in a buff book (remember those?). After climbing behind the wheel of the first-gen FX, I knew that if I ever needed an SUV without cargo space or off-roadabilty, the FX45 was the truck crossover for me. For one thing, it was carved from a block of sex. For another, the stiff-legged handling was righteous. But there's a new sheriff in high center of gravity town: the FX50. Can Infiniti’s new model match the moves, let alone the lines, of it's much admired (by me anyway) predecessor? Well, lemme tell ya...

2009 Infiniti FX50 Review continued »

2009 Infiniti FX50 rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Infiniti | 48 comments

2009 Bentley Continental GTC Review

By Mike Solowiow
July 11, 2008 - 703 views

"OMG! It's Paris Hilton's car!" The bikini-clad blond with waiting-for-a-nuclear-blast sized sunglasses was impressed by the big black Bentley. "How much does it cost?" "How fast does it go?" "How did you get one?" An Abercrombie of bathing suits gathered around the British-built German car in the late summer sun. I didn't have the heart to tell them they were worshipping a false idol. So what if the Bentley Continental GTC is a four-wheeled Poptart, famous for being famous? Discretion is the better part of valet parking. I'd save my bubble-bursting for the Best and Brightest. And here you are. And here we go...

2009 Bentley Continental GTC Review continued »

2009 Bentley Continental GTC rating summary and performance review

Posted in Bentley | Car Reviews | 39 comments

2008 Lexus IS250 Review

By Megan Benoit
July 9, 2008 - 2,391 views

The Lexus IS250 is a chick car. Funny that. Its predecessor, the IS300, was such a guy car. In fact, every time I see a male of the species behind the wheel of a Lexus IS, I check my theory by scoping the badge. Sure enough: it's an IS350. Strange. The IS250 is a great entry-level luxury car. While it's slower than the 350, not everyone can afford to pay that much needs that sort of power. So why aren't more guys driving one?

2008 Lexus IS250 Review continued »

2008 Lexus IS250 rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Lexus | 64 comments

2008 Porsche 911 GT2 Review

By Sajeev Mehta
July 7, 2008 - 490 views

There I was cutting, clipping and carving corners in the ultimate Porsche 911, balancing the need for speed with self-control. I felt like an Olympic skier or Iron Chef. But there was an element missing from the GT2 experience, a deficiency that niggled like a loose ski boot or a nicked Shun Santoku. Torque. As in instant-on shove. Porsche's brilliant 3.6-liter boxer engine has too much boost and not enough low-end grunt. But isn't perfection standard in a Porsche, especially for one that costs $197,000?

2008 Porsche 911 GT2 Review continued »

2008 Porsche 911 GT2 rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Porsche | 40 comments

2008 Audi R8 Long Term Test

By Jay Shoemaker
July 5, 2008 - 369 views

I've been pining for the Audi R8 since I first laid eyes on the "Le Mans" show car five years ago. Last February, I test drove Audi's 911 redo in Vegas (baby). Although I found the R8 lacked some of the the Porsche Turbo's user-friendly OMG WTFitiude, Audi gave their everyday supercar a far more appealing wrapper than the ass-engined Nazi slot car (thank you P.J. O'Rourke). Yes, I knew the movie Ironman would define R8 ownership for non-owners. But I was willing to take the risk of being associated with an actor who's spent more time in rehab than any five celebutantes you can name. So I placed an order and arranged for delivery of my R8 at the Neckarsulm factory.

2008 Audi R8 Long Term Test continued »

Posted in Audi | Car Reviews | 24 comments

1997 General Motors EV-1 Review

By Michael Posner
July 4, 2008 - 376 views

Ten years ago, my local electric company invited me to participate in a two-week test of the then-new General Motors EV-1 electric car. After some detailed vetting, including a ten page questionnaire and a long focus group (with the de rigueur one-way mirror), I was selected to receive an electric-powered GM two-seater. For those of you who wonder who killed the electric car, it was me. 

1997 General Motors EV-1 Review continued »

Posted in Car Reviews | 148 comments