From Bullz-Eye.com:
Kia is making a real splash in the mid size sedan market with the stylish 2011 Kia Optima EX. Bullz-Eye is currently testing a jet black model and having fun behind the wheel. To learn more check out our complete review shortly.
Category: Car Reviews (Page 12 of 43)
Our staff reviews the 2011 Lexus GS 450h from the interior to the exterior and much more!
The 2011 Lexus GS 450h 4DR sedan really lives up to the company’s tagline: The Pursuit of Perfection. After spending a week in this sedan we are officially huge fans of the finished product.
Exterior
You can’t help but admire the stylish, 18-inch, five-spoke wheel on the 2011 Lexus GS 450h 4DR as they set the tone for a truly classy skin. What Lexus refers to as the “L-finesse design” incorporates a 112.2-inch wheel base, long hood, and pulled back cabin with a short rear deck. The design gives the 2011 Lexus GS 450h 4DR a very powerful but elegant stance. Some of the exterior differences for the GS 450h include a blue hybrid designation on the side rocker moldings, aluminum and blue enameled rear model designation, front grille, special 18-inch light-alloy wheels, a Lexus Hybrid Drive engine cover, blue front and rear “L” logos, a blue tint to the headlamps, clear tail lamp covers and a power meter that replaces the tachometer. Combined with the incredible Obsidian Black paint job, the test model we drove was absolutely gorgeous.
Our staff member checks out the 2011 Dodge Challenger Rallye in his latest review!
The new Dodge Challenger is a car that celebrates the muscle car era in America. We were fortunate enough to drive a few of them over the course of the year. Back in January we drove a 2011 Challenger SRT8 392 out in California and we just recently test drove a 2011 Dodge Challenger RallyE, which confirmed once again that the Challenger is a truly special car.
Exterior
Our 2011 Dodge Challenger RallyE had a redline, three-coat, pearl exterior paint job with gray center racing stripes, which looked incredible together. There is no mistaking the 2011 Dodge Challenger on the road with its retro-modern styling. Also included on the Super Sport Group Challenger we drove were fog lamps, 20-inch x 8-inch aluminum chrome clad wheels, 245/45VR20 BSW all-season performance tires and a body color rear spoiler. Dodge improved on an already wonderful exterior by including dual-chromed exhaust tips in the lower rear fascia and a restyled trapezoidal front air dam. The larger opening helps keep any of the powerful engine options cool and adds a nod to the Challenger’s iconic past. A bright, racing-style fuel-filler door is also now standard.
Richard Hammond has been running a series on Top Gear’s website about his favorite cars from the past. This week was on the original Golf GTI, the first hot hatch. What makes the original GTI legendary is its simplicity: low power, low weight, Guigario design, and all fun. It was supposed to be a brief fling for VW, but turned into something much more.
Hammond sums up the GTI as:
It was pioneered by a young engineer: Alfons Löwenberg. In 1974, he got his workmates together in their spare time at Wolfsburg to work on what they called the ‘Sport Golf’. They had no idea that their creation would go on to become one of the stone-cold, rock-solid, gold-standard, class-A motoring icons. It was just a sporty version of a small car.
But it went on to have a following of a breadth and level of intensity that eclipses pop stars. Proof that they had no idea about the future comes when you learn that they planned to make 5,000 cars, and it wasn’t going to be available in right-hand drive. Just a bit of fun then, a little special. Several million later, and it’s a legend.
What the GTI proves ahead of all else is that you don’t need much to make a great car. Its modern progeny may have exponentially more power, features, and sophistication, but no one has gotten the original recipe of the GTI right. A bit of simplicity would go a long way in bringing back the feeling of the original GTI in any car trying to make an impression.
It is with this in mind that it is exciting to see hot hatch variants come out from the B segment cars, such as the Ford Fiesta and Fiat 500 Abarth since traditional C-segment hatchbacks are too big and expensive. These smaller, lighter descendants are sure to bring the fun back to a segment that takes itself too seriously.
The full article of Richard Hammond’s thoughts on the MK1 GTI can be read here.
In a recent Consumer Reports test, the new Honda Civic scored too low for them to recommend. The Honda Civic has long been a CR darling for an infuriatingly long time, until now. They report:
So what happened? The new Civic feels insubstantial with a cheap interior. You don’t get much feature content for the $19,405 that our Civic LX automatic costs, either. That’s a problem given the high bar set in this class by the new-to-market Chevrolet Cruze, the redesigned-for-2012 Ford Focus, and the redesigned-for-2011 Hyundai Elantra.
But a savvy buyer could sit in a showroom and realize those Civic shortcomings. The problems that really hurt the Civic’s score run deeper and they showed up at our test track. Stopping distances are long. The steering is lightly weighted and comes up short on feedback. Body lean appears early in the corners. The ride is marred by frequent short pitches. And road noise still remains an annoying companion.
So, why now? Well, the Civic is fresh off a lukewarm redesign that saw a few bits like the interior and exterior tweaked, while the engine and suspension were either unchanged or softened. These changes were somehow deemed sufficient against an incredibly strong field of competitors. It is almost as if Honda was a procrastinating college freshmen during finals time. They waited until the last night, got drunk, and then tried to turn in what they did last time.
The worst part of this news is the timing. The Civic’s mediocrity comes during the strongest small car market to date. The Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, are ALL better then the dowdy Civic and the geriatric Corolla. At least the Civic is still ahead of the dreadful new VW Jetta.
It is with mixed feelings that this news is viewed. It is saddening to see what was once such a fine product be tarnished by ignorant product planners. Such talent wasted. It is especially to hard to realize that what made Honda great – clean styling, great driving dynamics, in a cheap and efficient package- is gone. It is like watching your favorite sports star phone it in on the court, night after night, or like the career of LeBron James.
On the other hand, this news brings much glee. Now, it is out in the open about the Civic and Honda’s mediocrity. For far too long, they have ridden reputation and marketing to hold onto their spot in the marketplace, instead of having a superior product. The domestic and Korean competition has been leagues better, yet the ignorant car buying public refused to see the evidence. Now, there is nowhere to turn. The most objective source available has called your “tried and true choice” a turd. People will ignore the new version and instead shop for used Honda Civics or another brand.
So yes, a bit of schadenfreude is in order. It is enjoyable to see a car that was undeserving of its praise be knocked down a few pegs. It is also enjoyable to see companies like Ford, Chevy, and Hyundai receive the recognition they deserve for doing the math and making great cars. Here’s also hoping that this news spurs Honda to start making great cars again, instead of using marketing muscle to spin their way to undeserved praise.
Source: Consumer Reports
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