Automedia.com - Reviews - 2008 Articles

2008 Ford Edge

There’s a lot to like about sport utility vehicles: the secure-feeling high seating position, space to tote big loads, ability to climb steep, snow-covered driveways, and their adventuresome image. But SUVs have downsides, too, not the least of which is mediocre fuel economy. The 2008 Ford Edge crossover accentuates the positives of SUVs and minimizes their negatives...

2008 BMW X6

Scientists would declare that the new 2008 BMW X6 xDrive50i and X6 xDrive35i are a new vehicular species. Football coaches would say the 2008 X6 has hit the seam in the zone defense. Marketing folks assert the 2008 X6 created a new sub-niche. However, car writers are befuddled as what to call the BMW X6...

2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

The easier you make it for people to do the right thing, the more likely they are to do so. That as much as anything explains the growing popularity of hybrid-powered vehicles in this country. We like our SUVs for their space, their image and, most of all, their go-anywhere, in-any-weather attitude. But we don’t like being on a first-name basis with the cashier at the local gas station. And many of us don’t want to be hoggish about using more natural resources than we need to. So, the end of the payment book sparked many drivers to migrate out of their large SUVs, in search of something smaller, greener and more economical. Mercury is among the happy recipients of this influx of buyers. The Mariner Hybrid is a compact SUV available in all-wheel drive ($28,945) and, as of 2008, front-wheel drive ($27,195)...

2008 Volvo XC70

Remember when Volvos were solid, safe, boxy and boring? Now they’re solid, safe and stylish, and some are downright sexy. Some have even been swift and sporty. Go figure. Now come these solid, safe, practical and attractive new midsize wagons. Built on a completely new vehicle architecture and slotted neatly between Volvo’s smaller V50 wagon and its larger, more rugged XC90 SUV (“XC” for cross-country), this third-generation V70 and its slightly taller and tougher XC70 “crossover” (CUV) derivative share major systems and components with the new-for-2007 S80 flagship luxury sedan. Volvo says they bring to market “breakthroughs,” in safety, style, luxury, driving dynamics, utility and versatility...

2008 Infiniti G37

Coupes are all about style. Why else would anyone sacrifice that second set of handy doors offered by sedans, some of which are pretty stylish themselves these days? This all-new 2008 Infiniti G37 coupe marries style to performance and a posh, sporty, functional interior, all of which raise the bar well beyond the already excellent G35 coupe it replaces...

2008 Porsche Cayenne

Plenty of Porschephiles went depressive a few years back when their favorite high-performance sports car company announced it was about to enter the SUV business. “That will damage our vaunted marque beyond recognition,” they cried in unison. After all, who would buy a pure-as-snow sports car from a showroom shared with four-door, family toting, off-road-going—yech!—trucks? Many swore that if Porsche actually did this awful thing, they would surely shop elsewhere for adrenelin-pumping, image-boosting automotive excitement...

2008 Toyota RAV4

Getting older isn’t easy, even when you’re good. Case study: the 2008 Toyota RAV4. This is year three of generation three for Toyota’s perennially popular, compact SUV. But, as it marks time between redesigns, it doesn’t have the luxury of coasting. Aside from the annual, best-in-class battle with Honda’s CR-V, there are other things to consider. Like that object growing quickly larger in the rear view mirror, the Nissan Rogue...

2008 Audi A5 3.2 quattro

Coupes are right brain buys; style plays as much of a role in their purchase as sensibility does for a sedan. With the rollout of the new A5, Audi expands its holdings in this style-conscious class from two to three. Or its that four? The all-new two-door also has a sportier sibling named the S5 (Gwyneth Paltrow’s ride in the movie “Iron Man”), so you can consider the Audi coupe count as four, or three with an asterisk. Considering that the other Audi coupes have very distinctive shapes—the swoopy R8 über car and the modern classic TT—A5 inherits some fine genetics...

2008 Saturn VUE

Except for newcomer Smart, with its comically tiny two-seat city car, Saturn boasts the U.S. market’s youngest lineup. The Sky two-seat roadster, which debuted in March 2006, is its oldest vehicle. The Aura midsize sedan, the Outlook crossover, the Opel-clone Astra small cars and this all-new Vue compact crossover have arrived in Saturn showrooms since then. Saturn’s and GM’s German Opel products now share virtually identical styling, and this ‘08 Vue not only looks like its European Opel Antara counterpart, it is essentially the same vehicle mildly modified to meet U.S.-market rules. “The 2008 Vue continues the product revitalization at Saturn,” comments Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak...

2008 Lexus IS F

If the Lexus IS F isn't the best factory hot-rod ever, it's in the top 10 of a very hallowed group...

2008 Honda Civic Si Sedan

It happens without warning. You awake one day to the shocking reality that you’re a grown-up. Or, at least, people—like your spouse, kid(s), boss, parents and banker—expect you to act a lot more mature than you feel. With the Honda Civic Si Sedan, you can fool most into believing you’re a responsible adult: What says “good citizen” better than a four-door Civic? Yet, when they’re not looking you can snap off a couple of screaming redline upshifts and hustle around a freeway on-ramp or down backcountry roads. In those moments, you can be a kid again, dreaming that Formula 1 or Indy car stardom is your destiny. Calculating mortgage refinancing—or whatever it is that grown-ups do—can wait. The Civic Si is also available as a two-door, but your anonymity is harder to maintain...

2008 Honda S2000 CR

The American Heritage Dictionary defines a sports car as an automobile equipped for racing, an aerodynamically shaped single or two-passenger vehicle having a low center of gravity with a steering and suspension designed for precise control at high speeds...

2008 Saturn Astra

Ever wonder why GM and Ford rarely bring their best European products across the pond to market here? Several good reasons: With European fuel prices way higher than ours, Euro cars typically offer smaller size, less room, less performance and fewer features, yet are priced well higher than U.S. models. (As fuel economy requirements ramp upward, this is the future for us as well.) Their roads, rules and driving conditions—and therefore buyers’ tastes—are substantially different. Dollar vs. Euro currency rates and incompatible safety and emissions standards raise costs even higher. And the few modern-day tries at Americanizing European cars for sale here—German Opel-based Saturn L-Series sedans and wagons, for example—have been unsuccessful...

2008 BMW M3 Coupe

Go from zero to jail without shifting out of third gear. Pick the wrong place and time to exercise the 2008 BMW M3 Coupe and you’ll have the opportunity to be a star on “Cops,” “Speeders,” “Inside American Jail,” or pretty much any other program on the truTV network...

2008 Pontiac G8 GT

Imagine a Pontiac Trans Am that has room for five full-size adults, one of the biggest trunks available, is faster and no more expensive. That’s the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT...

2008 Mercedes-Benz E350

It’s funny that no matter how far a manufacturer goes, they’re usually remembered for one pivotal vehicle that’s left a lasting impression in the consumer’s mind. Porsche for example, is a sports car company. Even with the Cayenne SUV and up coming Panamera sedan, to most, a Porsche is a 911. BMW made its mark in the U.S. with the small 2002 sport sedan and, even today, its spiritual successor; the 3 Series is its bread and butter...

2008 Audi R8

Say you’re a fine, upscale German car company sick of operating in the long shadows of larger rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz. You long to show them up and stick a finger in the eye of haughty sports car maven Porsche in the process. What to do?..

2008 Mercury Mountaineer

Don’t you just love great vehicle names? Names you can pronounce, understand and remember, instead of confusing alphanumeric badges. So it is on today’s Mercury cars and trucks—midsize Milan and full-size Sable sedans, compact Mariner crossover (CUV) and midsize Mountaineer SUV. The latter is not only poised and ready to take on mountain roads and trails, towing a boat, wave runners, mountain bikes or snowmobiles, but completely at home on the highway or a night on the town in style and comfort...

2008 Lincoln MKX

Many desire the capability and image of a luxury sport utility vehicle, but dislike the reduced maneuverability and fuel economy of a full-sized SUV. Even midsized SUVs have inflated to the point that they’re more than a tight fit in the average garage or mall parking space and burn fuel at a prodigious pace. For those who don’t tote a lot of people or tow extra-heavy trailers, these are too much vehicle. Instead, they need a smaller vehicle that doesn’t sacrifice style, comfort, room for stuff, or the ability to haul. That’s why Lincoln’s first crossover SUV, the Lincoln MKX, is just right for many. And why it was a sales hit in its first year. (“Crossover SUV” is what car writers call vehicles that are not traditional, truck-based SUVs, but aren’t station wagons either.)..

2008 Toyota Avalon

The Avalon has been reclassified from a full-size sedan to midsize in the premium class, even though the exterior and interior dimensions are identical to last year’s model. Well known for its comfortable, smooth and quiet ride, the performance quality has been enhanced with a new six-speed transmission and improved brakes. There are four models available. The base MSRP for the XL model is $27,075 and the Limited starts at $34,415...

2008 Subaru WRX STI

Calling the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI “practical” is much like saying Eli Manning has a nice personality. While both statements are accurate, it’s more appropriate to first reference the outstanding performance of each. On the other hand, the well informed already know Manning was the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 Super Bowl and that the 305-horsepower all-wheel-drive 2008 Impreza WRX STI is wickedly fast...

2008 Lincoln Mark LT

Those above a certain age will remember Ford's Ranchero and some other car-based pickups of many years ago. While their styling was appealing, their function was not. In trying to double as both car and truck, they ended up not very useful as either...

2008 Lincoln Town Car

Lincoln has been making a major comeback in sales, market share and image thanks to such excellent new products as the MKZ "entry luxury" sedan, the Lincoln MKX "crossover" SUV and the soon-to-arrive, larger MKS sedan. But fans of traditional American luxury cars no doubt rejoice that Lincoln's iconic full-size, full-frame Town Car still graces Lincoln-Mercury showrooms...

2008 MINI Clubman

The new Clubman is more MINI. Or is that less?..

2008 Ford Focus Sedan

Transportation, recreation, communication. Three concepts, formerly distinct, but lately related, as the lines blur between work and play, home and away. Originally, cars were conveyances, something to get us from place to place. But increasingly, that view of auto as rolling appliance is being crowded out by a different take...

2008 Nissan Frontier

Imagine having a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III as your private airplane. Your friends would be mightily impressed that you had the ability to haul either some 100 paratroopers or an M1A2 Abrams tank. But some might snicker behind your back when you spend far more time flying alone in a huge, expensive, thirsty airplane. For the vast majority of truck owners, driving one of today's full-sized—which are really super-sized—trucks is similar to having a military transport as a personal aircraft...

2008 Ford Taurus X

When Ford introduced its roomy new full-size Five Hundred sedan for 2005, it also brought forth a kissing-cousin crossover-utility vehicle (CUV) on the same Volvo-derived architecture, and they named it Freestyle. Problem was, the generally fine Five Hundred quickly got lost in America's sea of look-alike sedans, and the space-efficient three-row Freestyle found itself too often confused with Ford's slow-selling Freestar minivan...

2008 Chevrolet Malibu

Malibu is a high-buck ocean-side neighborhood northwest of Los Angeles. It is also Chevrolet's bread-and-butter midsize sedan. When GM introduced "intermediate" autos, between big cars and compacts, in the 1960s, Chevy's was called Chevelle, and Malibu was its top-of-the-line model. The Chevelle name later went away, but Malibu has stuck ever since...

2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac

The ideal vehicle would be much like a Hasbro Transformer for grownups. It would turn into a pickup for the Saturday morning run to the home improvement store. Then it would become an SUV and carry four USSSA youth baseball players and their equipment (including the mandatory array of $400 bats) to an afternoon game. That evening, the vehicle would convert into a smooth-riding sedan for the drive to dinner. The next weekend, it would grow into a beast of burden, able to haul and tow enough gear and big-boy play toys for a serious back-county adventure far from paved roads...

2008 Toyota Tacoma

Most of the truck buzz at Toyota in recent times has been tied to Tundra. The company rattled the Big Three's cage, rolling out a full line of full-size trucks, to go head to head in the marketplace...

2008 Scion tC

Scion's small family of small cars includes the entry level, hatchback xD, the boxy, funky xB, and the sporty tC coupe. Of the three, you could argue that the tC has the toughest row to hoe. For one thing, the two-door coupe segment is notoriously small and fickle. Ditto for hatchbacks, at least in this country. And, its price point (MSRP $17,620 (manual), $18,420 (automatic), means that it has one foot in the entry level market and the other in the compact sport coupe segment...

2008 Acura TL Type S

Since its introduction in 1995, the Acura TL has been an upscale mainstay in the midsize market. Wrapping bulletproof mechanicals in a classy package, Acura's top seller is a perennial favorite of buyers in the near luxury segment. Cars in this class have always provided traditional, top shelf amenities. More recently, this sector has also sprouted a separate branch with a sportier bent. Acura competes on both fronts, with the luxury oriented TL and the performance influenced TL Type-S...

2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz's previous-generation C-Class cars have been its most successful. As the company's smallest and most affordable U.S.-market entries, they are its natural best-sellers and compete well against "entry luxury" sedans from the likes of BMW, Acura, Audi, Lexus, Infiniti and Cadillac...

2008 Hyundai Azera

When Hyundai introduced the Azera as a 2006 model, it wasn't the first upscale sedan sent to U.S. dealerships by the South Korean automaker. That distinction goes to the XG series, first seen as the XG300 in 2001, then given more power as the XG350 a year later. Both models sought to give Hyundai shoppers a step up from the slightly smaller, value-priced Sonata...

2008 Jeep Liberty

Even though every vehicle is technically an "it," not a he or a she, some can display a distinct gender bias. Here's an interesting example: The first-generation Jeep Liberty was a tad more popular with the distaff side—60 percent of its buyers were women. That doesn't surprise us, as it had that "cute ute" demeanor, unlike its more rugged Wrangler relatives. Although a capable rig, the first Liberty looked dainty by comparison, with a perky persona enhanced by its wide-eyed headlights...

2008 Honda Element

When the first Element rolled out in 2002, Honda got a surprise. Aimed at young, outdoor actives, the boxy-bodied SUV proved more popular with Baby Boomers than it did with the Boomer's babies...

2008 Ford Expedition

Those who can't understand the still-substantial demand for large sport utilities have never needed one. The simple fact is that, if you have a serious amount of people and stuff to haul and/or tow, there is no good alternative...

2008 Ford Ranger

Ford's compact Ranger pickup debuted as a 1983 model and won its first award that year as Off-Road Magazine's "4x4 Truck of the Year." Another came three years later when Ranger was named Petersen's 4-Wheel and Off Road magazine's "4x4 of the Year." Then, a full decade after its birth, Truckin' magazine named Ranger "Pickup of the Year."..

2008 Nissan Altima

Nissan's Altima, a worthy alternative in a midsize car market led by Toyota's Camry, Honda's Accord as well as new domestics Chevrolet Malibu and Ford Fusion, is the number three Japanese automaker's best-selling vehicle in the United States. The sedan was redone for 2007, the Hybrid (which mates Toyota's Synergy drive system to Nissan's own four-cylinder engine) was launched (in California and other wannabe "green" states) in January 2007, and the strikingly styled coupe was added for 2008...

2008 Ford Mustang GT

Mustang was a marketing success from the get-go. Here was a car so in tune with its times that it grabbed a whole generation by the lapels and shook them up. The clean, cool styling of the first, 1965 models got buyers to nibble. But what really hooked them was the menu. Mustang's long-as-your-arm option sheet allowed people to personalize their rides, depending on tastes and budget. The combination of a hot looking car, a nice price and a have-it-your-way marketing approach made for record-breaking sales. By the time Mustang hit its second anniversary, over one million had rolled off the assembly line and into American driveways...

2008 Honda Ridgeline

While crossover designs are the all the rage for SUVs, this concept is also trickling into the pickup truck market. The Honda Ridgeline is a good case in point. Conventional wisdom tells us that a truck should have a big V8 engine and a body-on-frame construction. Anything else just can't cut it, right? Well, Honda is anything but a conventional company, having developed a number of breakthrough engineering achievements over the years—the CVCC engine, robotic technology, and a new low-emissions diesel, to name just a few. So when news of a pickup truck from this innovative company leaked, nobody was surprised by its unusual design, combining pickup practicality with agile, car-like handling...

2008 Ford Fusion

Ford's midsize Fusion hit the streets in 2005 as a 2006 model and has accumulated more than a few kudos for value, quality, and safety. Now in its junior year, Fusion gets more standard features—including anti-lock brakes (ABS) and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)—plus the (optional; standard on SEL) wondrous new Ford SYNC "total connectivity" communication and entertainment system that enables hands-free integration of Bluetooth-enabled cell phones and portable media players into its audio system via wireless technology and USB connectivity. Other notable optional new features include reverse sensing, a door-mounted keyless entry keypad and interior ambient lighting...

2008 Hyundai Santa Fe

First unveiled for the 2001 model year, the Santa Fe was Hyundai's first sport-utility vehicle. By the time it was redesigned and enlarged for 2007, such car-based SUVs were being called "crossovers." Meanwhile, a smaller Tucson had debuted in 2005. Reaching a step further, early in 2007, the South Korean automaker unleashed the larger Veracruz, for a total of three SUVs in the U.S. market...

2008 Ford F-150

Ford F-Series pickups, in all their many variations, have been America's bestselling full-size pickups for 30 years and the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for 25 years. But as the competition heats up in this still-giant segment of the business, Ford truck engineers have been working overtime to stay ahead of the game...

2008 Volkswagen R32

R32 is to GTI as GTI is to Golf. Which is to say, the R32 is based on the GTI, which is in turn based on the VW Golf. Golf is Volkswagen's high-utility, two-door, front-drive hatchback. Traditionally, Americans haven't embraced this body style, a fact that makes as much sense to Europeans as their fascination with Jerry Lewis does to us. We've always liked hatchbacks (Jerry Lewis, not so much) because they're efficient. The angular lines make the most of their dimensions, so even a compact car can be larger inside than the outside would suggest...

2008 Audi TT

It's the world's easiest compliment: "Have you lost weight—" No surer way to flatter most people and the closer they are to middle age the greater the flattery. Looks aside, there are a lot of practical reasons for losing weight. Eradicating that extra baggage allows us to become more efficient machines. We move better, look better...

2008 BMW 528i

Change doesn't have to be dramatic to be meaningful. Despite revised front and rear styling, for instance, the 2008 5 Series sedan doesn't look markedly different. BMW calls it a "significant freshening." Under the hood, though, six-cylinder models have earned a major power boost—now considered the most powerful six-cylinder sedans and sports wagons to date. BMW also notes that interiors have been "thoroughly revised."..

2008 Buick Enclave

Buick is about to become the next comeback kid among U.S. automotive brands. Now the best-selling marque in China (really!), Buick made BIG news here this August by tying for first with Toyota's luxury Lexus brand in J.D. Power's 2007 vehicle dependability study (VDS), which looks at customer-reported problems after three years of ownership...

2008 Buick LaCrosse Super

Three seasons back, for the 2005 model year, Buick launched the LaCrosse midsize sedan. Edging aside the long-lived LeSabre, the front-wheel-drive LaCrosse came with a choice of two V-6 engines. Aimed at reasonably well-off families, not unlike Buicks of the distant past, the LaCrosse was the first of several models meant to establish a new direction for the century-old company...

2008 Cadillac CTS

Ever notice how auto reviewers can't report on any new luxury sport sedan without comparing it to a BMW? That makes sense because BMW essentially invented the luxo-sport sedan segment and has continually improved its cars to maintain its lead ever since. But BMWs have also grown increasingly expensive, so luxo-sport shoppers with open minds and more modest budgets may be open to viable alternatives, of which there are several, from two other German makers, three upscale Japanese and (at the moment) this one domestic brand...

2008 Chrysler Town Country

Minivans are a little like punching bags: Certain critics keep trying to count them out. Quite a few consumers shun them in favor of presumably tougher SUVs and crossovers. Yet, minivans keep bouncing back from every assault, continuing to attract 1.1 million common-sense buyers every year...

2008 Dodge Avenger

Chrysler's Dodge division has been launching hot new models in a variety of sizes and segments, beginning with the Magnum wagon and carrying through to the full-size Charger sedan (on the same capable rear-drive platform), the front-drive Caliber compact and the jeep-based Nitro midsize truck. All share the trademark Dodge-brand boldness in styling and attitude...

2008 Dodge Dakota

Ever since 1987, pickup-truck users who didn't need a full-size model like the Dodge Ram could opt instead for the smaller Dakota series. Considered a compact that measures closer to midsize dimensions, Dakota has long been the only smaller pickup to offer the option of V-8 power...

2008 Dodge Viper

There's a very slight right-hand kink in the front straight at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). It's barely noticeable even in something as fast as a 2000 Porsche 911. Experienced performance drivers negotiate it while scanning gauges, tightening shoulder harnesses, or sticking their left hands out the window to grab a bit of cooling 130-plus-mph breeze...

2008 Ford Escape

Times change. So too do buyer preferences. When the Ford Escape made its debut (as an early 2001 model), the small utility segment was selling about 800,000 units per year. Now, as the latest generation Escape rolls out (as an early 2008), that market has virtually doubled in size. When the first Escape appeared, compact sport-utility vehicles were mostly just that—sport utes on a smaller scale. These days, the lines have blurred between car and truck in the SUV segment. Under the broad banner known as crossovers, we find everything from tall, all-wheel-drive station wagons to scaled down, truck-based SUVs. Count the 2008 Escape on the truck side of that continuum. Escape hits the sweet spot for most buyers in this market. It emphasizes on-road driving, but has the capability of pulling light off-road duty, too...

2008 Ford Escape Hybrid

Chocolate without the calories. Beer without the belly. Given the choice, we'd all like to be able to indulge without consequences. But the reality is that sometimes we have to compromise. In recent years, many drivers have wished they could keep their big SUVs, but their monthly gas bills argued otherwise. So, reluctantly, they moved down in size to economize. These days, technology adds to our options, so the compromising needn't be so demoralizing. Case in point—the Ford Escape Hybrid...

2008 Ford Super Duty F-450

Competition is fierce in the pickup truck world, even more so in the big-truck realm. Ford has done something superior with their new 2008 F-Series Super Duty and created a big truck dynasty—something durable, an enduring answer for those in need of a big truck. As such, the Ford Super Duty has gilded the marketplace; its presence on the worksite does not go un-noticed. It's towed itself into toy-hauler history, and broadly affected the trends of design and function for all heavy-duty pickups. And now comes the Ford F-450 pickup with more capability than any pickup truck ever before...

2008 Ford Taurus

Ford's original Taurus sedan and wagon, launched in 1985 as '86 models, were a revelation. Compared to the bland, boring, often quality-challenged entries occupying other domestic showrooms at the time, they (and their Mercury Sable platform mates) burst onto the scene with ground-breaking looks, reasonably athletic dynamics and a new "Quality Is Job One" corporate attitude that was more than an advertising slogan...

2008 GMC Acadia

Most crossover buyers come from the ranks of the former SUV owners. We've reached the point where many of these people may be looking at what's in their driveway the way we look at the stuff in the back of our closets. You know—"What was I thinking when I bought that?" Well, when big SUVs were in fashion they were just that—fashion. For every person who took full advantage of the size and off-road prowess of the traditional SUV, there were four people who didn't...

2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid

While Honda and Toyota paved the way for hybrid powertrains at the turn of the current century, the domestic automakers—Ford, GM, DaimlerChrysler—sat out the emerging race for gasoline/electric vehicles. GM had leased a batch of full-electric EV-1 models in the 1990s. Electric-powered small trucks turned up, too. But hybrid propulsion was basically left to the imports...

2008 Honda Accord

One journalist at a press introduction of the all-new 2008 Accord asked why in the world, in an era of increasing fuel economy consciousness, Honda had made it bigger than the previous model. "Was the old one inadequate?" he demanded incredulously. "Did customers complain it was too small?" After all, the two most significant factors in vehicle fuel efficiency are size and weight (followed by aerodynamic shape and powertrain technology)...

2008 Land Rover LR2

Like Jeeps in America, the vehicles manufactured in Britain by Land Rover have long qualified as icons of adventure. More than half a century ago, Land Rovers were already trekking through African safaris and enduring desert marathons. The company produces a full-size Range Rover as well as a Range Rover Sport and a lower-cost, midsize LR3...

2008 Mazda CX-9

With mottos coming and going from automakers, it's refreshing when one sticks around for a while. It makes sense, especially when you have one that works for you. For example, if we say "Oh what a feeling" you instantly say Toyota, even though they haven't used that line in decades. More successful is "The Ultimate Driving Machine" owned by BMW, and the friendly "Zoom-Zoom," which has become Mazda's mantra in the last few years...

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS

What do compact cars and NASCAR have in common? Pit strategy, perhaps. Sometimes, a racer running in mid pack will roll the dice, coming in on a different pit stop sequence than his competitors. If you catch a break—say a caution flag appears—and the next thing you know, you're out on the track running up front, while some of your competitors are stuck in the pits. That's a best-case scenario for the Mitsubishi Lancer. It comes to market all-new for 2008, which is a refresh year for much of the competition...

2008 Nissan Rogue

Slipping successfully into a new niche isn't always easy, even if the market appears to have space for another entrant. Small "crossover" vehicles have become a hot item lately, but Nissan has not participated in that segment, concentrating instead on its larger, more conventional SUVs...

2008 Nissan Titan

If any vehicle these days is aptly named, it's Nissan's full-size pickup truck. Introduced for the 2005 model year, the Titan is, well, virtually titanic in dimensions. Actual measurements might not differ much from those of rival pickups, wearing import or domestic nameplates, but nearly every Titan looks the part of an imposing truck. This fourth season for Titan is a "minor change year," said marketing manager Orth Hedrick. Even so, three new models have been added to the lineup...

2008 Pontiac Solstice GXP

It's too soon to tell if there's a new sheriff in town. But, the first year sales success of the Pontiac Solstice is, at the very least, a wake-up call for the sports car market. After 17 years at the top of the top-down charts, the Mazda Miata was outsold in its segment in 2006 by the newcomer Solstice (19,710 to 16,897). Pontiac celebrated the victory with the addition of a second, Solstice model for 2007. And, what better way to celebrate success than with excess. Most notable among the features of the new GXP was the mass infusion of horsepower. Pontiac upped the under-hood ante by 47 percent. The four-cylinder, 2.0-liter Ecotec engine was turbocharged to the tune of 260 horsepower (@5,300 rpm) and 260 lb. ft. of torque (@2,500 rpm)...

2008 Scion xB

If car designs mirror social trends, then Toyota's redesign of the Scion xB is tantamount to an outlaw that's gone straight. Kind of like when Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid got jobs as payroll guards—but without the irony and humor...

2008 smart fortwo

To many motorists' eyes, current car models tend to run together. Because it's not so easy to tell them apart, differences tend to be minor...

2008 Toyota Highlander

Toyota created the car-based crossover (CUV) by lifting the boring body off its Corolla sedan, replacing it with a tiny SUV-looking body and calling it RAV4. Honda quickly countered with its Civic-based CR-V. Then Toyota defined today's high-image CUV by grafting a rounded tall-wagon body onto its mid-size Camry platform to create the Lexus RX300. The Highlander that arrived in 2001 was the more affordable Toyota-brand version of that, and the Highlander Hybrid that followed in 2005 was America's first hybrid with available seating for seven. Now every major maker has a variety of CUVs in all shapes and sizes. So with increasingly stiff competition coming from all directions, it was time for Toyota to redo its Highlander...

2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2

Sequels and spin-offs share the same problem. No matter how good the movie, how successful the sitcom, they sit in the shadow of the originals they follow. Lost is the ability to take us by surprise. As with media, so with motorcars. Volkswagen rolled out the first generation of its Touareg SUVs in 2003. The new, 2008 models are in showrooms now. Touareg 2 is very good, but despite VW's claim of more than 2,200 new parts, it's more of a model refresh than it is a clean-sheet makeover. And therein lies the marketing dilemma. In the Land of the Attention Deficit Disorder, subtlety's a hard sell. If it's not a new plot, how do you get people to pay attention to the sequel?..

2008 Volvo C30

Because Volvos have long been known for safety and common-sense virtues, it's easy to forget the Swedish company's early history with more entertaining machines. Early in the Sixties, Volvo launched a P1800 series of two-passenger sports cars to complement its practical PV544 and 122S sedans. In 1971, the two-seater evolved into the P1800ES, a squareback coupe with long quarter windows and a frameless glass hatch. Just over 8,000 were built, and no more than 1,800 ever reached the U.S. With its new front-wheel-drive compact C30, Volvo is clearly looking back to that P1800ES; but also forward, entering an unfamiliar market niche...