Review: 2009 Toyota Venza

Toyota wants the Venza to be something smaller than a RAV4 but not quite a station wagon, as station wagons are disliked in the United States. Regardless of what its genre is called the Venza is a very functional something, available with two different engines and two driveline configurations, all wrapped in a pretty package. Despite all bad press Toyota has received lately, the Venza just maybe a shining star amongst otherwise gray appliances we have come to expect from Toyota in recent years. … Continue Reading

Review: Dyson DC31 Vacuum Cleaner

Until now, if you wanted to properly vacuum your car you had two choices: go to a car wash and pay $0.50 per minute and hope that the vacuum you have chosen actually works (it’s a real crap shoot) or you bought your own shop vac, which was the size of a Saint Bernard and is as portable. Sure, there are small the cigarette lighter powered vacuum cleaners, but usually they are not worth the box they come in. … Continue Reading

2010 Lexus RX350 – quick spin

Thanksgiving* may be the perfect holiday – it happens to be the longest weekend, has no religious connections, you don’t have to give gifts.  All you have to do is eat and watch football – perfect indeed. Thanksgiving is also a damn good reason to meet up with people you haven’t seen in a while and of course check out their new cars!

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A family friend, Mark who happens to be an MD bought this new RX350 based on my recommendation; he was looking for a solid, reliable, quiet and comfortable ride which he’d keep for some time. Just about any car enthusiast will tell you that almost all Lexus and Toyota cars are dull and boring to drive. Personally, I think of them as quiet and comfortable and that’s just what the RX350 is. It is something you slip into at the end of a hard day and drive yourself home at a leisurely pace and relax, almost oblivious to the 20-mile back up in front of you; the enthusiast next to you in the Z350 with lightened flywheel and a set of coilovers does not get that same calming feeling, and he isn’t moving any faster either. … Continue Reading

Ford versus Chevy, like never before

Like it or not, the world of automobiles is changing. It is a common belief amongst some that the automobile is due for a revolution. Some say that the internal combustion engine is a crude device whose time has come, that it is a pollutant, that it makes us dependent on foreign oil, and that it kills polar bears.

Within the last few years the U.S. Government began a strong push toward electric vehicles and auto manufacturers have complied. Recently I had the opportunity to get a glimpse at our future by checking out the latest electric prototypes from Ford and Chevrolet. … Continue Reading

Quick Look: Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon

You hear all this stuff about GM going into and out of bankruptcy, closing down plants, Congressional hearings, and all that other business/lawyer mambo-jumbo. With all that going on, evidently everyone is missing the fact that GM, along with Ford, has recently introduced a number of really nice products. For a brief minute, let’s ignore all those politics and let’s just look at the damn cars!

To some, The CTS Sport Wagon maybe an answer to a question that no one asked, but is it really? After all, the market for such vehicle is very slim and historically cars such as the 2002-2005 Lexus IS300 SportCross have never really taken off. When asked about the predicted sales of the Sport Wagon, Cadillac representative gave a range of 5000-6000 and while that may not seem like a lot, there is a but. This sales figure is for the U.S. market only and the CTS is a global platform. In other parts of the world where smaller station wagons are preferred over bigger SUVs the Cadillac may do very well as it has a lot going for it. … Continue Reading

Driving Jaguar’s new XFR, on the Road and on the Track

I have recently had the opportunity to drive the new Jaguar XFR on the road and on a race track. With the XFR competing directly against the BMW M5, which I have also had the opportunity to drive on the track and on the street, it only made sense to evaluate the XFR while using the M5 as a measuring stick. Due to the large amount of BMW content on this site, some may call me a BMW fanatic, but the truth is that so much of the automotive industry does in fact look to and follow the BMW concept. Below is a look at what makes the M5 unique and what Jaguar is trying to capture with the XFR, does it work? … Continue Reading

BMW X6 M – First Street Pictures and Ride

Some time ago I wrote about the new BMW X6-M that I had an opportunity to check out. What I was not allowed to do until now however, was show the pictures I have taken that day and write about the very brief ride I had in the vehicle. … Continue Reading

BMW X6 M – Tech Review and Opinion

You’ve seen the BMW mini-site, you kind of know the details. Here is my quick take on the vehicle, having seen it in person. E30 M3 owners and other M-faithful, fasten your seat belts.

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Ownership Experience: 2005 Mazda RX-8

I have to admit, I had some pre-conceived notions about Mazda’s current rotary ship.  First there was the media-blitz about them not making the HP figures they were advertised with, then of course there is the big fat question mark of how you can classify this car? With technically 4-doors, is it really a  sports car or a sports sedan?  Perhaps it’s neither, but does it really matter what it is? It’s a Mazda RX-8. It’s fun, it’s quick, and it’s for the vehicularly-focused to fully appreciate, and live with it. … Continue Reading

Car Review: 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser

When I was about 17, I said to myself “when Toyota comes out with a proper Jeep Wrangler-like vehicle, I’ll be the first one to buy it!”. This was of course in my days of ignorance with respect to older Land Cruisers, 4Runners and such. Anyway, the present question is, would the FJ Cruiser be a good vehicle for me at this point and time in my life? It’s got a lot going for it… and a lot going against it. … Continue Reading