Test Drives

Test Drives2010 Kia Magentis: Taking simplicity too far3.5/5
Despite a style makeover two years ago, the Kia Magentis still finds itself far from the limelight. Indeed, those in the hunt for an intermediate sedan tend to look to the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, among others. Even the Hyundai Sonata, which shares several mechanical …
Test Drives2010 Lexus LS460 Sport: Posuer or Powerhouse?4.0/5
Lexus is a marvel of marketing wizardry. Although having been beat to the punch by more than a few decades, the upscale Japanese brand leveraged Toyota’s reputation for safety, reliability and build quality against a uniquely luxurious design ethos that compromised nothing in its pursuit of motoring bliss. If only …
Test DrivesThe 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser: Tough Truck or Tonka Toy?3.5/5
There are, in this country, many people that discount the practicality of the modern SUV. Pointing out their apparently unnecessary size and oftentimes relatively exorbitant fuel economy, these pious Prius proponents too easily turn their noses up at anything possessing of a tall ride height and off-road tires. And they’re …
Test DrivesJack Of All Trades: Infiniti's 2010 EX4.5/5
There’s something about Infiniti’s EX35. Perhaps it’s the crossover’s affable, approachable nature or perhaps it’s the ultra-practical size and layout, but whatever it is, the EX35 is quite simply one of the best vehicles I’ve ever driven. Perhaps a bit of backstory is in order. Raised into a family that …
Test Drives2010 Subaru Legacy: Engineering Excellence4.0/5
Should you ever have the good fortune of visiting one of the major manufacturers’ development facilities, you’re eye will no doubt wander over the various hulking forms hiding beneath shapeless sheets. Cast about like discarded toys, they can be found nearly everywhere; parked in neat lines outside nondescript hanger bays, …
Test DrivesGerman for "Why?" The 2010 BMW X6 M4.0/5
It sounds like the world’s largest sportbike; an exercise in mimicry from the reverse-flow turbocharged V8. With the familiar lights of the George Massey tunnel flashing across the sculpted hood at an impossible pace as the blood red BMW surges forward, surfing a wave of auditory ferocity. And all of …
Test DrivesThe 2010 Subaru Legacy/Outback: An easy choice4.5/5
Subaru, the Japanese automaker, has revamped its two intermediate models, the Legacy and the Outback, for 2010. Both versions have good sales figures, but neither quite lives up the competition’s updated models given that this category has seen innovation after innovation as manufacturers continue to improve their products. Two vocations …
Test DrivesBMW X6M: Impractical meets fun4.0/5
Anyone who is even the slightest bit practical wouldn’t buy a sports car, a $1.5-millon home or a $5,000 Armani suit. However, with the economic crisis supposedly drawing to an end, luxury goods are selling very well (though perhaps not at the same pace as before). Among these great-for-the-ego-but-hopelessly-useless luxury …
Test DrivesAudi A4 Avant: A winter trek to Europe
It is often said that European cars – the best ones, anyway – are even more fun to drive in the Old World than they are on our roads. Our contributor Jacques Wong had the chance to drive an Audi A4 Avant during a tour of three European countries last …
Test DrivesSweatpants on Wheels: The 2010 Lincoln MKT3.5/5
When I drove Ford’s Flex last year, I came away with a pretty healthy respect for a car that was intended to do little more than give would-be minivan buyers a slightly cooler option. With seven comfortable seats, and enough attention to detail to satisfy an Olympic figure skating judge, …
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