FirstDrive


First Drive: 2011 Toyota Sienna tries to make the minivan cool

The Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan minivans revolutionized family transportation when they were introduced back in 1983. Nevermind that Volkswagon had been selling people-friendly vans for decades, it was Chrysler's "magic wagons" that came to define the minivan for Americans. With decent car-based road manners, easy-access sliding doors and clever packaging, minivans quickly replaced the station wagon as our favored Wally World-bound chariots. Minivan sales peaked at more than 1 million sales in 2002, but the following year, customers ... Read more →

First Drive: 2010 Lexus LS460 Sport Package is F-ing with perfection Frank Filipponio

When Lexus introduced the IS F, enthusiasts were suitably skeptical about the automaker's attempt to go head-to-head with the Germans. After all, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have specialized in ...

First Drive: 2010 Hyundai Tucson a green machine with few compromises Jonny Lieberman

Little more than ten years ago, the meat and potatoes of the automotive universe were C and D segment sedans. Think Corolla and Camry; Focus, Fusion and (old) Taurus; Civic and Accord. But then, ...

First Drive: 2010 Lexus GX 460 sticks to its trucky roots Frank Filipponio

The 2002 Lexus GX 470 was little more than a Toyota 4Runner with a healthy dollop of Lexus luxury on top, but at the time, it didn't have to be anything more than that. It seemed just about every ...

First Drive: 2011 Buick Regal prototype looks to be a good sport Chris Paukert

There's an odd bit of historical deja vu at work here. Back in the late '60s and early '70s, General Motors wanted to shift a few sporty-ish four-cylinder models from its Opel division into ...

First Drive: 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT is a CUV we can live with 1 month ago on Autoblog

Mitsubishi presented its best and brightest rides for us to drive over the course of an eight-hour event in the parched desert oasis of Palm Springs, CA. Everything from a tuned, 290-hp Lancer Sportback Ralliart to an electric i MiEV. And drive them we did. We rocketed up winding mountain roads ...

First Drive: SMS 570X makes 700 hp, gobs more joy 1 month ago on Autoblog

During the course of a wide-ranging, more than two-hour long conversation, we asked racing legend, aftermarket impresario and SMS namesake Steve Saleen what's the single most important thing he wants Autoblog readers to know about not only his new 700-horsepower 570X, but about SMS as a whole. ...

First Drive: 2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid is technologically impressive... but to what end? 1 month ago on Autoblog

BMW's pitch on how great the X6 ActiveHybrid is goes like this: it's the world's most powerful hybrid vehicle, fuel consumption is reduced about 20 percent compared to a similar vehicle without a hybrid drivetrain, and no matter what speed you're going, the incredibly complicated powertrain is ...

First Drive: 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG straightens up and flies right 1 month ago on Autoblog

On one hand, it may seem like an odd time for Mercedes to be jumping back into the ultra-premium end of the car market, particularly in light of its recent less-than-standouts efforts (think: McLaren SLR and the salesproof Maybach). But this isn't the case with the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. In ...

First Drive: 2011 Kia Sorento finally crosses over 1 month ago on Autoblog

Sometimes it's hard to remember what you did just yesterday, but think back to 2003 when Kia first introduced the Sorento mid-size SUV. At the time, the market was dominated by body-on-frame vehicles with real honest-to-goodness four-wheel-drive systems and rugged part-time transfer cases. The ...

First Drive: 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour goes down the road nicely... but is that enough? 1 month ago on Autoblog

We hadn't been parked but a minute or two when it happened. After about a half an hour wringing out our test subject on what few curvy stretches of road suburban Detroit had to offer, we opportunistically pulled into a roadside fruit stand to snap a few photos before our ride got any dirtier. It ...

First Drive: 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo is Stuttgart's quickest car yet 1 month ago on Autoblog

It's faster to 60 mph than a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 or Ferrari Enzo. Porsche's fastest offerings, including the Carrera GT, GT2 and road-going 911 GT1 "Strassenversion" will only see its LED tail lamps during a typical sprint. Only the unlikely – make that incomprehensible – ...

First Drive: 2010 Dodge Ram HD comes strong with more models, configurations and classier duds 1 month ago on Autoblog

Back in 1993, truck drivers had no choice but to depend on domestic automakers for work-ready pickups, and only Ford and General Motors offered competitive haulers. That all changed a year later when Dodge set the pickup truck market on its leaf springs with the introduction of its all-new Ram. ...

First Drive: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost has soul of a sports sedan, controversial looks 1 month ago on Autoblog

In 1998, Lincoln's overall sales made it the number one luxury brand in America. The Navigator, Continental and Town Car weren't exactly world beaters – let alone an enthusiast's cup of Darjeeling, but the typical Lincoln buyer was getting precisely what he or she expected: soft, cozy, ...

First Drive: 2011 Lexus LFA is wicked and this way comes 1 month ago on Autoblog

It's taken nearly four days to wrap my head around the 2011 Lexus LFA, and if I'm honest, I'm still not halfway there. The combination of a decade-long gestation, a half dozen prototypes comprised of two different materials, a high displacement V10 that cuts fuel at 9,500 RPM and a $375,000 ...

First Drive: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi drives brand out of basement, into fast lane 2 months ago on Autoblog

Shut your eyes and say the word "Suzuki" out loud. Unless you're a moto-head or one of those rare Geo Metro fanatics (they exist, trust us), the image that springs to mind isn't very nice. Odds are that the car your subconscious conjures is tiny, cheap and bizarre. It's probably named something ...

First Drive: 2010 Volkswagen Golf evolves the German hatchback 2 months ago on Autoblog

Outside of North America, the Golf has been Volkswagen's bread-and-butter model for more than three decades, making the diminutive hatch one of the best selling global vehicles since its mid-Seventies launch as the Beetle's successor. But in the States, it's a totally different story. Except for ...

First Drive: 2010 Volkswagen GTI reminds us why we like hot hatches so much 2 months ago on Autoblog

Performance Icon. That two-word phrase is bandied about so often there's hardly any meaning left in its 15 letters. After all, if a Porsche 911 is rightly referred to as a performance icon, can we call a Honda Civic Si the same? And are we talking any old 911/Civic Si, or just certain years and ...

Exclusive Drive: Iacocca 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang is one sterling 'Stang 2 months ago on Autoblog

When the phone rings and the guy on the other end asks if we want to drive a new Ford Mustang, we have to take a moment before answering. While we always enjoy the chance to pilot a new vehicle, we have to carefully consider whether we want to subject you to yet another pony car review. As we've ...

First Drive: 2010 Acura ZDX offers figure over function 2 months ago on Autoblog

Acura calls its all-new ZDX "a provocative luxury four-door sports coupe," adding that it's a "passionate getaway" vehicle designed for "a couple, their belongings, and more." The proclamation is a twist on a pitch we've heard before, yet with an even narrower segment focus. While the ...

First Drive: BMW 535i Gran Turismo evolves the wagon with clever packaging, solid dynamics and... a prehensile tail? 3 months ago on Autoblog

Evolution is a tough thing to watch – and not merely because it takes millions of years. While the developmental pace of the automobile has proven to be rather quicker than the natural world surrounding it, the car industry's recent house-on-fire rush into new niches and sub-genres has ...

First Drive: 2010 Nissan 370Z Nismo simply rocks 3 months ago on Autoblog

There's no safe way to say it: this blogger just doesn't like the 2010 Nissan 370Z very much. Sure, it's a fine sporty car that goes about its business quickly and competently, but it just leaves me cold. Yes, it can hit 60 mph in 5 seconds, hold 0.99 g on a skid pad and get around a track ...

First Drive: 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster shrugs off the convertible stigma 3 months ago on Autoblog

The first and possibly most important thing you need to know about the new 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster is that Nissan knew it'd be building a convertible from day one. Over beers and some yummy Asian food with Bruce Campbell, Nissan's VP of design, we learned that the 350Z Roadster was an ...

First Drive: 2010 Shelby Super Snake as good as a Ford Mustang gets 3 months ago on Autoblog

In just under ten months, this blogger has gone from not having been inside a Mustang in 13 years (and a used one at that), to driving, in this order, a 2010 Mustang GT, a Mustang GT with the Track Pack, a Shelby GT500 Mustang and a Roush 427R. That sequence also defines our order of favorites; ...

First Drive: 2010 Audi R8 V10 answers our power prayers 3 months ago on Autoblog

On a gravel-strewn, dead-end road 20 miles north of Sonoma, California's Infineon Raceway, the opportunity finally presents itself. We slot the R8's gated shifter into first, rev the engine to 3,500 RPM and drop the clutch. No wheel spin, no screeching tires, just an immediate and seamless ...

First Drive: Rossion Q1 is a supercar for the slightly rich 3 months ago on Autoblog

"How fast can you take it?" I ask Craig Spuhler, Rossion's technical engineer and my passenger at this particular moment in time. "About 75 mph with an 85 mph exit speed." I was behind the wheel of a Rossion Q1 winding my way up a 270-degree decreasing radius on-ramp that shoots straight onto ...

First Drive (Kinda): 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni... with Valentino Balboni! 3 months ago on Autoblog

It was eleven in the morning on a typical Thursday when my phone rang. "How'd you like to drive the Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni in Beverly Hills at 3:00 pm... with Valentino Balboni?" Aside from screaming "YES!!!" at the top of my lungs, all sorts of thoughts started to crowd ...

First Drive: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is a diamond on the rough 4 months ago on Autoblog

Although some of us have an unabashed love for all-things off-road, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor didn't register a huge blip on our collective radar. We figured it would be a performance kit that was much more kit than performance, or an off-road wunderkind that makes life a Hobbesian kind of ...

First Test: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 launch control 4 months ago on Autoblog

Aside from the addition of the Grand Sport model, the biggest upgrade to the 2010 Chevrolet Corvette lineup is arguably the addition of launch control. The Corvette is by no means the first sports car to get launch control, but judging from our first impression of it this week, it may well be the ...

First Drive: 2010 Mazdaspeed3, the five-door sports car evolved 4 months ago on Autoblog

It's easy to dismiss Mazda's "Zoom-Zoom" tagline as insufferable marketing frippery. Unlike other automakers who relentlessly cling to past motorsport achievements or well-worn brand imagery, with Mazda, there's an overwhelming sense that its U.S. arm is made up of tried-and-true enthusiasts who ...

First Drive: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport 4 months ago on Autoblog

Going into the 2010 model year, the Corvette lineup is growing to four models with the revival of the Grand Sport nameplate that slots in between the base and Z06 models. This is the third iteration of the Grand Sport, the first being a run of just five race-ready cars built by original Vette ...

Quick Spin: Aston Martin DBS Volante gives convertibles a very, very good name 4 months ago on Autoblog

When you love the performance of a particular coupe, it's not often that you get to hop in the convertible version and say to yourself, "So... you mean I can have the same thing with the top down?" But in between the tight and relentless esses of Monterey's Carmel Valley Road, that's what we ...

First Drive: 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8T adds more power and agility to the crossover party 4 months ago on Autoblog

Last month, we sampled the 2010 Cadillac SRX in naturally aspirated, 265-horsepower guise, and after a week behind the wheel we are convinced General Motors' luxury brand finally has a competitive crossover to take on the segment-defining Lexus RX. Along with Cadillac's unique angular styling ...

VIDEO: A lap of the Milford Road Course in the 2010 Corvette Grand Sport 4 months ago on Autoblog

Here at Autoblog we've been fortunate enough to have two separate opportunities to drive what is officially known as the Milford Road Course. Informally, the facility is better known as the Lutz-ring. Early this decade when Bob Lutz was lured out of retirement to provide guidance to the product ...

Quick Drive: 2010 Acura MDX gets new nose, powertrain improvements 4 months ago on Autoblog

For the 2010 model year, Acura has updated the style and substance of the MDX, revamping the exterior to tie-in with the rest of the automaker's line-up and making a few upgrades to its powertrain to keep up with the competition. Obviously, the biggest change is the adoption of Acura's new ...

Quick Drive: 2010 Acura RDX, bring on the shield 4 months ago on Autoblog

After three years on the market, the Acura RDX is getting its first comprehensive makeover for the 2010 model year. Unlike the automaker's new TSX V6, where the changes were largely restricted to the bits you don't see, the opposite is true of the RDX. Acura's cute 'ute gets a mid-cycle ...

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Autoblog Podcast #157: 'Twas a couple nights before Christmas...

Chris, Editor Paukert, and Dan send the Podcast off for the Christmas holiday in proper fashion

 
 

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