Vehicles & Gear

2013 Mazda CX-5 Crossover Brings the Zoom

The all-new 2013 CX-5 crossover utility vehicle from Mazda faces a daunting task – it is replacing not one but two models in the automaker lineup this year as both Tribute and CX-7 have received pink slips. CX-5 is also the first Mazda to take full advantage of the automaker’s new SKYACTIV technology that incorporates powertrain and chassis components working harmoniously. “The 2013 CX-5 is the vehicle compact SUV shoppers have been asking for – that only Mazda can build,” said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). “Poised to join a fast-growing and increasingly competitive segment,…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe, a Hands-On Driving Experience

As I mentioned the other day, I had the opportunity to take a trip with a couple of dozen bloggers out to Park City, Utah over the weekend to check out the new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. I described the incredible experience staying at the Montage Deer Valley resort, the awesome treatment from the hotel staff and all of the folks at Hyundai, and some of the great diversions such as trips to Sundance and Utah Olympic Park, as well as my own trail runs. What I was NOT yet able to describe was the actual drive experience. Hyundai ran…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

The 2012 BMW 650i Coupe Connects with Drivers’ Emotions

Over the course of an average Gear Diary calendar year, I drive more than 80 new vehicles for review. During that time, there are many vehicles I will not shed a tear over when it is time to relinquish the keys, as they’ve fallen just a bit short of making any sort of emotional connection with me. And then there is the BMW 650i Coupe. “I can’t find the keys;” “BMW called and said I could just keep it;” “The dog ate my homework.” (Wait, saving that last one for school this week. Sorry.) Alas, the week was over all…

Events, Vehicles & Gear

Hyundai Takes Us up the Mountain to Discover the New Santa Fe!

If you really want people to experience a new SUV, what is the best way? How about taking them up a mountainous location at about 8500 feet elevation! And if you are looking to engage with media beyond the typical automotive press, what better way than to bring in people heavily engaged in social media such as Chip Chick, GeekDad and of course, Gear Diary! That is exactly what Hyundai did to introduce their new 2013 Santa Fe. After a week of normal work with the traditional automotive press, they brought in nearly two dozen bloggers whose sites range from…

Vehicles & Gear

Two Words Came to Mind While Testing the 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid: ‘Why’ and ‘Ouch’

When I first saw the all-new ILX from Acura at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, I wondered to myself, “Why?” Acura already had the TSX sedan with premium content and an attractive appearance, so why would the “luxury” division of Honda create what appears to be a competitive model in its own stable? The new ILX is based on the Honda Civic architecture but looks little like its pedestrian counterpart. And short of calling the new Acura a modern Integra, the automaker comes close by choosing “I” for its moniker. Style-wise, the new ILX reminds me of a…

Vehicles & Gear

Stop-start Technology Making Its Way to American-Market Vehicles

Imagine this: You pull up to a stop light in rush-hour traffic and BAM – your engine stops. For many drivers this is a huge fear, but for others, this is the new normal. Regarding the latter, this is the new stop-start technology that is finding its way into new vehicles. This technology has been in vehicles overseas and is now working its way into vehicles sold in North America. “Engine stop-start isn’t a brand new technology, but the latest systems benefit from significant advances made in the last few years,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s Director of Automotive Engineering and…

Vehicles & Gear

2012 Audi A6 Blends Athleticism and Elegance

When Audi was preparing to release the seventh-generation A6 luxury sports sedan, it knew the marque was an improvement over the model it replaces. How much better? Winning the International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) for 2012 AND the coveted red dot award honoring benchmarks in quality for starters, not to mention year-to-date sales increases topping 123 percent for the model. Yeah, it’s that good. Audi’s trophy case is filling nicely since introducing the 2012 A6 model last fall, placing an emphasis on athleticism and elegance. It competes with the BMW 5-Series and E-Class from Mercedes along with the new GS…

Vehicles & Gear

Raptor vs. Rover: Ford Puts the Mars Curiosity Rover in Perspective

In playful commemoration of the successful Mars Rover Curiosity program, Ford decided to pit its best off-roader, the F-150 SVT Raptor pickup, in a side-by-side comparison with the unique machine that is now on the surface of our neighboring planet. Ford released an infographic showing each vehicle’s key features and specifications as well as a comparison in powertrains, prowess, and pricing. For me personally, I’ll take the Mars Rover as our last outing in the Raptor found us needing assistance in getting out of some ordinary East Texas mud. Sure, the Ford has air conditioning and, well, a driver’s seat,…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

Das 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 Gleiskreuzung ist Wunderbar

“Gleiskreuzung” is the German word I found when translating “crossover,” as in crossover utility vehicle. I don’t know if Mercedes-Benz used that in naming its entry luxury GLK (as they still refer to it as a sport utility vehicle), but I am sure you can see the possibility. Regardless, Mercedes gives its cute ute a major makeover for the 2013 model year (inside and out) that includes some 1,000 new parts. We recently received the 2013 GLK350, and immediately one notices the new corporate face chiseled into the body styling. The new look does, however, give an appearance of an…

Vehicles & Gear

The EV Life, One Year Later

In the summer of 2011 I penned an article centered around my daily struggles driving (and living with) an electric vehicle. I was testing a Chevrolet Volt Extended-Range Electric Vehicle and if you recall, I could not find anywhere to recharge my test unit but, in less than a year, my how things have changed. I still don’t have a home charging station but there are four public spots at the office building I frequent, two at the nearby shopping village, and I see so many popping up all over the area now. And next to those EV spaces at…

Vehicles & Gear

2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec a True Competitor

Dictionary.com defines the word “Genesis” as a coming into being, an origin or a creation. Hyundai defines Genesis as “a vehicle crafted to rival the world’s premier sport sedans.” When Hyundai introduced its new Genesis sedan lineup to the media a few years back, I wrote, “I define Genesis as the next big thing. Get ready because you are going to be seeing a lot of these cars on the road soon.” Hyundai has basically taken the design elements of the world’s leading luxury sport sedans and combined that with performance parameters of the top rear-wheel-drive models on the road…

Vehicles & Gear

First Drive: 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek

Subaru is preparing to launch the 2013 XV Crosstrek as the latest member of the All-Wheel Drive family, entering a growing yet crowded compact crossover utility segment, one Subaru already competes in with other models. Crosstrek, the made-for-America moniker added to its new global XV model, appears as an even more “cutting-edge” model for the brand, slicing another segment into bite-size pieces for the consumer. We spent a little time getting to know the new Subie on the block on the beautiful island of Oahu and despite the weather or terrain, the new XV Crosstrek performed wonderfully. Crosstrek is aimed…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco with eAssist Is a Very Mild Hybrid

For 2013, the Chevrolet Malibu enters its eighth generation and the first version released is the Malibu Eco. Let me begin by saying I love what Chevy has done with the Malibu of late. Vast improvements have been made to styling – inside and out – and the overall driving experience. It was not too long ago when the automaker gave Malibu its due attention, but for 2013 the vehicle needed to be hitched to a new global architecture as this is the model soon to be seen ‘round the world. All that said, I believe this Eco version and…

Gear Bits, Vehicles & Gear

Dragon Drive! Messaging Arrives in BMW 7 Series This Month

A short time ago we brought word that Nuance Communications, the company behind Dragon Dictation and many other voice-to-text technologies, was bringing even more woeful voice to the case through Dragon Drive! Messaging. Dragon Drive! Messaging ‘is Nuance’s new automotive-grade connected car service that lets people speak emails and text messages”. Now word comes that it will be available in the new 2012 BMW 7 Series, BMW 3 Series Touring and BMW 3 Series ActiveHybrid vehicles. Better still, the 2012 BMW 7 Series will be the first car ever to feature Dragon Drive! Messaging and it is coming to market…

Events, Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

GoFurther with Ford Trend Conference 2012, My Experience

Last week I had the opportunity to be among 250 guests brought to Dearborn, Michigan by Ford; we spent 2 1/2 days seeing what they’re up to, learning a bit about their philosophy and, of course, checking out some of their latest vehicles. Usually, when attending such a junket, you’d expect to find one or two really good nuggets, a few sessions that were quite good, and a few duds. You’d also expect to have a few logistical glitches along the way. Having now had a bit of time to digest everything that we saw and did over those days,…

Vehicles & Gear

First Drive: Forget-Me-Not 2013 Lexus ES 350 and ES 300h

“Impossible to ignore, impossible to forget.” That is the marketing phrase Lexus is using to launch the next-generation ES premium midsize sedan. The 2013 model ES will arrive as the sixth generation of the popular model line. Once a sales leader in the segment, Lexus is pinning its hopes of returning to the top with the new ES that includes – for the first time – a hybrid variant. Lexus anticipates the luxury market to grow this year, especially the entry luxury segment where the ES resides. Currently it has a 17 percent market share between its CT 200h, IS…

Events, Vehicles & Gear

My Day at the Ford Testing Track

I’ve spent the last three days with Ford in Michigan. We learned about their green tech, their company philosophy, and much more. The complete writeup is on the way, but I wanted to get this post and video up now before I leave. Why? Because I got to spend the morning with Ford at their test track driving some of their newest vehicles. There’s the Raptor, which was awesome off-road. Then there was the Interceptor. It is super-fast and a lot of fun to drive. Finally I got to take a Mustang GT out on the course. I had fun,…

Vehicles & Gear

First Drive: 2013 Nissan Altima

Quick, name the No. 2 best-selling car in America last year. Difficult, isn’t it? I, for one, did not realize the Nissan Altima was the second-best selling car in the U.S. in 2011, nor have I really given it much thought (or digital ink) save for the coupe we took to New Orleans a couple of years ago. Altima has been on sale here in the states for two decades now and for 2013 Nissan has decided to lean a little heavier towards revolutionary (as opposed to evolutionary) for what will be the fifth-generation of the car. Granted, they have…

Vehicles & Gear

2012 BMW X3 ‘Simply The Best’

I know what you’re thinking, “Oh, here we go, another fanboy litero-gasmic rambling extolling BMW as the king of the blah, blah, blah…” Yep. Only I am not your typical “drank-the-Bimmer-koolaid” automotive journalist, in fact, it took me a long time to even recognize some of BMW’s prowess in the driving arena, and I still believe there are many other vehicles out there in their respective categories that outshine these Bavarian crèmes. Not so in the case of compact crossovers. After a week with the new BMW X3 I believe this is the best little CUV on the market today….

News & Features, Vehicles & Gear

Ford Opens Silicon Valley Lab, Enshrines SYNC in Computer History Museum

There has been quite a bit of technology news coming from Ford over the past week including its announcement of the new Silicon Valley Lab opening and its SYNC system being enshrined in the computer museum. Founder namesake and Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford was on hand in California to participate in both events saying, “We have been innovating for more than a century at Ford, but we acknowledge we don’t have a monopoly on creativity. Our new office will complement our existing research efforts by allowing us to tap into the region that has been driving consumer technology forward…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2012 Kia Rio Review

For the last several days, I have had the opportunity to tool around in a 2012 Kia Rio. It’s a cute, sporty, very compact car, and it has been quite a difference from my usual car, a Toyota Prius, and Sarah’s car, a Volkswagen Jetta. It has a lot of impressive features, and a few things I found to be annoying. Read on to learn more! So, let’s start with the basics. This is what Kia calls an “entry-level” car, and it retails for around $18,000, making it very affordable. Now, to get the price that low, there are certain…

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