My next-door neighbor occasionally flags me down to check out the Ride of the Week. He recently mentioned that he prefers cars that are a bit offbeat, a sentiment I can certainly appreciate. He and I aren’t the only ones. Bruce Weiner, owner of the now-closed-to-the-public Microcar Museum in Madison, Georgia, reportedly turned to weird little cars after becoming bored […]

I opened the passenger-side door of the BMW M4 and flipped the front seat forward. My six-year-old daughter climbed into her booster seat in the back and buckled up, and I jumped in the driver seat and hit the starter. I glanced in the rearview mirror to see her expressionless face as she waited for me to get on the […]

The 2014 Scion FR-S is a real sports car. Just consider the attributes listed in the Wikipedia entry for “sports car”: small (check: the 2014 Scion FR-S is certainly not a large vehicle) usually two-seater (check: the FR-S is a 2+2, but the rear seats are tiny) two-door (check) “designed for spirited performance and nimble handling” (check: this is a purpose-built […]

This little monster is among the last of Mercedes-Benz models to receive a naturally-aspirated AMG V8. New, turbocharged motors power everything from CLA-class to S-class AMG models, and a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo makes up to 503 horsepower in the Mercedes-AMG GT sports car. The broad switch to turbocharged engines for the AMG lineup just makes this 2014 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG […]

What constitutes a luxury vehicle? Is it an esteemed nameplate with a long history of producing fine automobiles, like Mercedes-Benz or Cadillac? Is it technology like the electric propulsion system of a Tesla? Or do certain features define a luxury vehicle, like a panoramic sunroof or a heated steering wheel? If the last definition is your idea of luxury, you […]

When I heard about Ford’s new-to-the-U.S. three-cylinder EcoBoost engine available on the subcompact Fiesta, I was intrigued. The tiny, 1.0-liter turbocharged motor is lightweight yet relatively powerful, and Europeans – both auto experts and everyday drivers – have raved about it for years. But beyond this interesting engine, my expectations for the 2014 Ford Fiesta SFE were modest. This is […]

“It doesn’t have the badge.” My car recommendation to a friend flunked his test drive, even though he reported no specific dislikes about his experience behind the wheel. He wanted something swankier, and the budget allowed it. Chalk one up for the Germans. They do make a damn fine automobile. I understand the sentiment. But I also know this: for […]

Here’s a first look at the latest Ride of the Week, the 2014 Toyota Tundra 4×4 Limited CrewMax. I’ve had an opportunity to drive several Tundra models lately, including the 2013 Tundra that was the Ride of the Week back in July. But for the 2014 model year, Tundra is redesigned inside and out – although platform and powertrains remain […]

Here’s a first look at the latest Ride of the Week: the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel. A small badge that reads “2.0TD” is mounted on the decklid of this compact Chevy sedan. It’s the only indication that this Cruze runs on Europe’s favorite fuel. To the casual observer, the diesel-powered version is identical to it’s gasoline counterpart. Drivers, however, will notice three significant […]

The latest Ride of the Week is a 2013 Infiniti JX35 FWD, a three-row luxury crossover that debuted for the 2013 model year. For 2014, the JX35 becomes the QX60 to conform with Infiniti’s revised, Q-based nomenclature. A new hybrid version of the 2014 QX60 also joins the lineup soon. Priced at $42,245 including a $995 destination charge, the JX […]