Toyota recently announced it will discontinue its youth-aimed Scion brand, a not so surprising move for one of the world’s top automakers. One of the brand’s newest models, the 2016 Scion iA sedan, will continue as a Toyota model. But it’s not really a Toyota, either. The iA is actually built by Mazda and sold elsewhere as the Mazda2, a […]

You’ll hear no complaints from me when the Ride of the Week can make the following claim: under the hood of this little sedan is the most powerful production 4-cylinder engine in the world. The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG builds on one of the luxury brands newest models, the compact CLA sedan. It’s another so-called “four-door coupe” that joined the […]

“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 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 another flagship sedan, this time from the most celebrated American luxury automaker. The 2013 Cadillac XTS Platinum is all new, making its debut last year as a 2013 model. The big, 4-door, 5-passenger sedan is powered exclusively by a 3.6-liter V6 engine, and the test car, equipped with the top Platinum trim, also […]

The Ride of the Week is a 2013 Audi A8 L 3.0T Quattro Tiptronic, winner of the Luxury Choice award at the Greater Atlanta Automotive Media Association’s (GAAMA’s) recent Family Choice Challenge event. Media members of our organization drove and rated 21 family-oriented vehicles at our first signature event, including four contenders in the Luxury Choice category. The Audi A8 […]

Here’s a first look at the latest Ride of the Week, a 2013 Lexus IS 350. This year marks the final one for the current-generation IS. The completely redesigned 2014 model debuted at the Detroit Auto Show and is due to hit Lexus showrooms in June. So now is the last chance to buy a new, second-generation IS 350 like […]

Here’s a first look at the latest Ride of the Week, a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Turbo LTZ. If you told me just a few years ago that I could soon buy a Chevy Malibu with a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine instead of a V6, I would’ve guessed that was unlikely. If you told me that this engine would have a displacement […]

Here’s a first look at the latest Ride of the Week, a 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid. The ILX is an all-new model for Acura, the automaker’s entry-level compact sedan. The ILX Hybrid represents a first for the brand too, applying parent company Honda’s proven gasoline-electric hybrid system to improve fuel efficiency. It’s one of three available powertrains Acura offers in […]

Here’s a first look at the latest ride of the week, the 2013 Infiniti M56 Sport. Infiniti just announced it will change its model nomenclature for the 2014 model year, so this will be the last model with the M56 designation. Next year, we’ll see the M line of large luxury sedans sold as the 2014 Infiniti Q70. The current […]