Five is more than four. Of course we all learned this early on in grade school but that point was reinforced recently as I spent a week with the 2015 Kia Forte5, the sport wagon version of the Forte sedan. The new Forte5 is certainly more than its four-door sedan counterpart and the number of doors is only the beginning.
Just when you thought station wagons had gone the way of the Dodo bird, Volkswagen releases a new model – dubbed SportWagen – and releases it on the family of vehicle that brought home the 2015 North American Car of the Year crown, the VW Golf. The V-dub Golf S-dub arrived earlier this year and it replaces the Jetta SportWagen.
While U.S. consumers eagerly await the arrival of Ford’s global rally car, the Focus RS, we enjoy zipping around town (or the track) in the sport tuned Focus ST that received some upgrades for the 2015 model year. We spent time recently checking out the updated driving dynamics (steering and suspension) along with styling changes inside and out.
Let me just get right to it, I was absolutely skeptical about this product when I first read the press release – a power bank that will jump start your car. Really. I can charge my cellphone OR jump my car if the battery dies. Really. The Gooloo GF01 Jump Starter Power Bank works, folks. Really.
Hyundai (rhymes with fun-day) is launching an all-new 2016 Tucson Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle and this third generation model is hands down the best yet. The new ride is longer and wider and is stretched between the wheels and features an all-new array of powertrains (including a turbo) making the new Tucson one of the best compact crossovers period.
It’s been a while since I last tested the Ram 1500 pickup and in that time little has changed. The Ram light duty trucks received serious enhancements back then and for 2015 there are only a couple of things to talk about as being new over that last article. This time around we tested the Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4×4.
We told you about Ford upgrading the 2015 Expedition SUV last year and we gave you first drive impressions on it’s Lincoln counterpart. Recently we spent time with the long wheelbase version of Ford’s largest land yacht and put the EcoBoosted Expedition EL Limited through its paces and we can tell you wholeheartedly it is grandbaby tested and grandbaby approved.
I think most folks (people like me anyway) remember the BMW 2002 from several decades back. The German automakers has resurrected the iconic 2 Series when they introduced an all-new Coupe last year that hit the streets in the form of the 228i and M235i as the successors to the 1 Series Coupe in this subcompact sport class.
Chevrolet recently pulled the curtain back on a couple of new models headed into showrooms this winter. Actually, these are all-new versions of current models – the Camaro Convertible and the Chevy Cruze – and they will be arriving soon as 2016 models. Each gets new design inside and out, updated technologies, and the latest, most economical powertrain offerings.
In my first trip out to to San Francisco, I had the task of covering a very fun event. Ford’s “Further With Ford 2015”. It’s the fifth edition of the event, the first being in San Francisco. And to be completely honest I had a ball. So much so, I have #FordTrends as a favorite hashtag on Instagram and Twitter now.
Leading motor company Ford Motors, ahead of their 5th annual trend conference, Further with Ford, has announced a handful of the first apps to be compatible with AppLink for SYNC 3, their latest update to their platform.
Has Dodge created the best musclecar ever built in the form of its new Challenger SRT Hellcat? Yes. And no. Purists will argue the supercharged 707hp beast must have a manual transmission to be the ultimate street car, but those folks dwell in the past. The world has evolved and so, too, must we. Welcome to 2015.
This is a big year for Dodge passenger cars. New sheet metal, new engines, new excitement. As we build up to the arrival of the baddest of the bad, we spend time behind the wheel of the totally redesigned 2015 Dodge Charger sedan. Redesigned from nose to tail, the big car still carries the vision of the Dodge brothers.
Sometimes when the weekly review vehicle arrives in my driveway I just sit and scratch my head and wonder why it is in the press fleet. Case in point, the new 2015 Chevrolet City Express. Similar to the Ram Promaster City Wagon we reviewed recently, automakers are addressing the urban utility van segment, which apparently was underserved.
Midsize sedans dominate the list of best-selling vehicles each year right after pickup trucks. Names like Accord and Camry are household institutions. But did you know Subaru has been selling a vehicle in this segment too? It’s called Legacy, and it is completely redesigned for 2015. It features the largest interior in its segment and all-wheel drive is standard.
JBL has been a leading name in audio for years, and the name that became famous at rock arenas and concert halls also brings spectacular sound reproduction to your automobile. JBL offers a host of car audio products and recently sent along the GX600C component system for us to test and what a treat for our ears it was.
What do Thor’s hammer, Orrefors Crystal, a large touchscreen display, sumptuous leather, diamond cut controls, integrated child booster seats, and access to the great outdoors have in common? They can all be found in a new luxury midsize SUV, the 2016 Volvo XC90.
When the 2015 Honda CR-V compact crossover utility vehicle arrived a while back I realized it has been quite some time since I had tested this model. The vehicle itself has been around for 17 years and has become the best-selling model in its class. For 2015 the CR-V receives some significant mid-cycle upgrades, most notably under the hood.
As I mentioned previously in this series on Car Audio, I test a lot of premium factory car stereo systems, and while I am impressed with the quality they achieve I have found they still cannot stand up to the sound quality of aftermarket components installed properly. If you are ready to upgrade that factory stereo system, read on.
If I had to choose just one word to describe the all-new 2015 Volkswagen Golf R – the fastest and most powerful Golf from VW yet – I’d use stunning. This new hot hatch, based on the new seventh-generation Golf, is stunning to look at, stunning to drive (especially in “race” mode) and stunning to learn the window sticker price.
In the first part of this series on Car Audio I discussed basic terminology and history of radios in the automobile. This part takes a look at the types of music sources, and the music itself, that we play in our vehicles. Regardless of what type of car stereo equipment you employ in your vehicle, it all begins with music.