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Ford Taurus Review: At Ford the
blocky, old-fashioned rear-wheel-drive behemoths, such as the LTD, were
hopelessly out of date. Enter the original “jelly bean” Taurus, which
debuted on Christmas Day 1985, and it was a blockbuster for Ford,
literally.
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2010 Ford Taurus
Mercury Milan Hybrid
Review: Many
years ago, I would accompany my (first) wife to her pottery studio,
where she not only threw new pots but also worked on earlier ones that
had partially dried. It was this crucial trimming procedure that made
them into finished art. Such is the case of Mercury’s popular
Milan midsize sedan, which has been significantly upgraded
for the 2010 model year.
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2010 Mercury Milan
Kia Forte SX Review: Normally
when you're shopping for a low-priced car you have two choices. Option
one is getting a car that has plenty of standard features, but drives
like a clunker. It may have power windows and a gazillion-watt stereo,
but what does that matter when it has a suspension from a skateboard and
an engine from a blender? Option two is getting a car that feels nice,
but comes with zero features. It might have a refined drivetrain and
silent cabin, but you'll have to pay extra for the carpeting, and pretty
much everything else.
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2010 Kia Forte SX
Mazda3s Sport Automatic Review: If
there's one word to sum up the new 2010 Mazda3, it's refinement. This
new generation of Mazda's compact car is still sporty, tossable, light
feeling, just everything you'd expect from the Zoom Zoom brand, but
there's something more sophisticated about the latest rendition that's
hard to pin down. Is it the slimmer styling, the softer ride, the
upscale cabin? Perhaps it's all of those things.
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2010 Mazda3
Nissan Maxima Review: Nissan’s
flagship has been a fun car to drive for its entire life. It may not
have been the most exciting sedan to look at sometimes, but its healthy,
happy V6 pulled it along vigorously. With a seventh generation for 2009,
the company has dumped conservatism and gone for the gold.
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2009 Nissan Maxima
Nissan Sentra Review: The
Sentra used to be Nissan's smallest and cheapest car. In recent years
it's grown bigger and become more cushy, leaving room at the bottom of
Nissan's lineup for the new Versa.
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2009 Nissan Sentra
Volkswagen Jetta TDI Review:
It's hard to believe modern diesel cars aren't more popular. That's
probably because they have a reputation for being stinky, dirty and
noisy. Back in the 1980s they used to sound like machine guns, smell
like gas stations and belch smoke like locomotives in an old Western
film. Today's newest diesels are nothing like that.
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2009 VW Jetta TDI
Mazda6 Review: About 30 seconds after
my Sangria Red Mazda6 test car entered winding, two-lane Crow Canyon
Road, I remembered why people buy Mazdas. The five-passenger family
sedan handled like a bigger version of the legendary Miata sports car.
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2009 Mazda6
Car Review:
For the many car shoppers who have no need for a lumbering SUV, desire
for a sporty two-seat sports car, or budget for upscale luxury, the
obvious choice is a nice, mid sized sedan.
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2009 Nissan Altima
Car Review: Hyundai's mid-size Sonata
sedan gets a thorough refreshing for 2009 as it faces new and improved
competition. A tweaked body matches the car's overall driving
refinement, which is especially impressive for the money. It starts
under $20,000.
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2009 Hyundai Sonata
Family Car Review: Mercury is a
hallowed name in the American automotive universe. The brand still
occupies its original role between an everyday Ford and a luxury
Lincoln. However, that space has narrowed as lesser Lincolns and fancier
Fords crowd the brand out. Sales have been less than spectacular in
recent years too.
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2008 Mercury Sable
Family Car Review: I recently had the
good fortune to spend several days in San Diego on vacation with my
family. My trusty ride was a Lightning Red 2008 Subaru Impreza, and it
was the perfect car for the job.
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2008 Subaru Impreza
Hatchback Review:
Four-dollar-a-gallon gas no longer shocks people, but is still a big
concern. And every day we hear more about the threat of global warming.
The Mazda3 is well suited to this new world as we know it today.
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2008 Mazda3 5 Door
Family Sedan Review: Volvo’s flagship
sedan, the S80, got redone for the 2007 model year, but it took until
now to get a date with one, a beautiful 2008 model. It was worth the
wait.
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2008
Volvo S80 T6
Car Review:
At some point in the 1990s, entry-level luxury cars
didn't just have to be luxurious they also had to be "sporty." I'm not
sure why this happened. Perhaps it's because people who write about
cars, folks like me, tend to prefer fast, nimble cars instead of big,
plodding ones, so the car makers figured they could get better reviews
if they started copying fast cars.
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2008 Lincoln MKZ
Car Review: There was a time, not
too long ago, when American cars were designed with Jet-Puffed
suspensions designed by sadists. The cars, with very few exceptions,
would bounce along on a cushion of creme, which was great for comfort,
but unfortunately came with the side effect of making them handle like
the Lincoln Memorial.
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2008 Nissan Altima
HYBRID CAR REVIEW:
Chevrolet’s Malibu has impressed auto writers, and apparently, the
public too. It is one of the best looking new cars around, quality
appears high, and prices are still relatively reasonable. A hybrid model
should make things even better, shouldn’t it?
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2008 Chevy Malibu Hybrid
CAR REVIEW: Some
car buyers are seeking good, reliable transportation. The problem is
that if you opt to go basic, you can end up feeling like you’re stuck in
the generic aisle at Pak N Save. The answer could be the surprising
Nissan Versa.
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2008 Nissan Versa
New Car Review:
The Taurus, once the shining gem in Ford’s crown, was quietly put out to
pasture a couple of years ago. Ford brought in the Five Hundred in its
place.
New Car Review:
The Taurus, once the shining gem in Ford’s crown, was quietly put out to
pasture a couple of years ago. Ford brought in the Five Hundred in its
place.
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2008 Ford Taurus
Car Review: The two-tone interior in the new
2008 Chevy Malibu LTZ looks like it would be perfectly fitting in a
Lexus, with excellent build quality and nice feeling materials. Only
it’s better, in more ways than one.
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2008 Chevy Malibu LZT
Car Review: Ever heard of a
"sleeper", a car that looks ordinary but drives really fast? This is the
opposite, the quick-looking Mitsubishi Lancer GTS, which comes with the
wild styling but makes do with the ordinary Lancer's 152 horsepower
engine.
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2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS
Hybrid Review: If you want to enjoy
the benefits of a hybrid’s great mileage, now there’s a better way to do
it - buy the new fourth-generation 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid.
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2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
San Francisco: Every
time Hyundai introduces a replacement for a model, it ups the ante
significantly. This time, the trusty Elantra gets breathed on, and the
result is remarkable.
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2007 Hyundai Elantra
T
San Francisco: Every
brand needs a flagship, a leader, the vehicle that represents what the
company stands for. Since 1981, that has been the Maxima’s job at
Nissan. For 2007, this iconic ride gets significant tweaks to make it
even more appealing.
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2007 Nissan Maxima
San Francisco: The
Accord is Honda’s mid sized sedan and coupe that does everything well
and some things wonderfully. It is well built and reliable. It has been
their best selling vehicle year after year and manages to clean up in
the awards department - even from the automotive buff books, which are
run by folks who crave Ferraris and Corvettes.
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2007
Honda Accord
San Francisco: It would seem to be the
meeting of two great ideas, the quintessential Japanese midsize sedan
with the popular hybrid power system. The Honda Accord Hybrid, however,
disappoints, and it’s not because of the quality, it’s superb, as
always. But the car simply doesn’t save much fuel.
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2006 Honda Accord Hybrid
San Francisco: The
Saturn project is 20 years old now. In the mid 1980’s, GM proudly
unveiled a plan to build an economical small sedan that would rival the
Japanese in quality and economy, while being designed and built right
here in the good, old U.S.A. Early models lacked refinement, but sold
well, and the brand took off.
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2007 Saturn Aura
San Francisco: I spent a week with the all-new Lexus IS350.
The IS sedan is the baby
sport Lexus aimed squarely at a certain German automaker’s North
American entry level vehicle.
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2006 Lexus IS350
San Francisco: This
affordable luxury sedan, the Zephyr, is helping Lincoln shed its stodgy
image as a brand for limousine companies and AARP members. It's been a
long time since Lincoln has made a great car.
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for Full Article
2006
Lincoln Zephyr
San Francisco: It's
been an incredible two decades for Hyundai in America. From the cheap,
humble Excel econobox to the wide range of high quality offerings today,
the people at Hyundai have toiled ceaselessly to improve their product.
Now, the new flagship Azera goes after the luxury carmakers with its
typically long feature list and affordable price.
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for Full Article
2006 Hyundai Azera
San Francisco: Volkswagen
has been hurting lately, and it's not because their cars aren't good.
Until this model year, they were just old. The last Passat debuted in
1997 as a 1998 model, so it was overdue for a redo. And that's what VW
has done, and brilliantly I would say.
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2006
Volkswagen Passat
San Francisco: Honda was the first
manufacturer to introduce a car with a hybrid engine technology to the
American market, with the tiny Insight in 1999. Honda has been building
efficient automobiles for decades, so making a hybrid version of the
Civic seems like a great idea.
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2006
Honda Civic Hybrid
San Francisco: An
athletic, feline body makes the Mazda 6 sedan look sporty without being
outrageously styled. Its precise, balanced, sports-car-like handling
makes it drive even sportier than its body suggests.
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2006
Mazda 6
San Francisco: While
many of today's cars look like they were inspired in one way or another
by designers smoking a joint, the A4 actually has an elegant,
intelligent, sophisticated look, and it looks marvelous.
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2006
Audi A4
San Francisco: Clean,
fresh styling on the 2006 Mercury Milan is similar to the Ford Fusion
but not totally identical. It's a classy looking car, with Mercury's
signature grille drawing attention to its distinctive front end.
Aluminum-look trim and a two-tone cabin make the Milan feel like a
low-priced Jaguar on the inside. It's a quiet, comfortable cabin that's
great for long commutes.
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for Full Article
2006 Mercury Milan
San Francisco: Distinctive
styling sets the 2006 Ford Fusion apart from its dull competitors. This
all-new family car is finally a legitimate competitor to the Honda
Accord and Toyota Camry, unlike the aging Taurus it's replacing.
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for Full Article
2006 Ford Fusion
San Francisco:
For what seems like forever, Honda has sold
a huge fleet of Accords to American buyers. Whatever the company puts in
the dough, this model bakes up to an almost boringly routine success
story year after year.
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for Full Article
2006
Honda Accord
San Francisco:
Mazda is becoming the company that gives you
cars you can’t find anywhere else. The brand has offered the sporty
Miata roadster for 15 years, and now sells the unique four-door RX-8
sports car. Mazda is also home to the new junior-sized Mazda5 minivan.
But just as importantly, Mazda sells the intriguing midsize Mazda6. You
can get it not only as a four-door sedan, but also as a wagon and as a
five-door hatchback. No other midsize car offers such a range.
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for Full Article
2005 Mazda6 Five Door
San Francisco:
Something truly remarkable, even
awe-inspiring, is happening at Hyundai. In 20 years in the American
market, the Korean company has gone from a provider of marginal quality
econoboxes to a producer of a range of appealing models, including a
large, handsome, powerful sedan known as the Sonata.
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2006 Hyundai Sonata
San Francisco:
Many of the bits and pieces in the 2006 A3's
cabin are the same ones found in much more expensive Audi models like
the TT and A8. Materials and build quality are second to none at this
price. It feels
like I'm in heaven - if heaven could possibly feel this good.
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for Full Article
2006
Audi A3
San Francisco:
The 2006 Volkswagen Jetta, introduced as a
mid-2005 model, is all new. It is no longer just a VW Golf with a trunk.
Styling is more conventional than previous Jettas. Read – it looks like
several of its competitors from Asia.
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for Full Article
2006
VW Jetta
San Francisco:
In the last ten years or so, change has been
constantly reforming the world around us. So it’s a good thing we got a
chance to drive Buick’s all-new 2005 LaCrosse, the car replacing the
Century and Regal.
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for Full Article
2005
Buick LaCrosse
San Francisco:
After about 30 years the Mercury Montego is back. Just as it was all
those years ago the Montego is a redressed Ford Five Hundred. The
Montego does not replace anything in the Mercury line up; it’s a new
2005 model addition. Dimensionally it is very close to the old Mercury
Sable, but in just about every other way it is light years advanced.
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2005
Mercury Montego
San Francisco: If
you think hybrid cars are tiny or weak, the Honda Accord Hybrid is here
to prove you wrong. It’s actually more powerful than the normal
V6-powered model, and has fuel mileage numbers 33 percent better.
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2005
Honda Accord Hybrid
San Francisco: In
mid-year 2004, Volvo introduced its 2005 Volvo S40 entry-level car.
However, with prices starting around the $24,00 mark, “entry” hardly
fits this completely new Volvo. While the previous S40 was based on a
Mitsubishi platform, the new model shares some of its some of its
architecture with the Mazda 3 and the second-generation Ford Focus that
is now on sale in Europe.
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2005
Volvo S40
San Francisco: I had high expectations when I stepped inside the new 2005 Ford Five Hundred,
especially after seeing the hot GT and the sexy new Mustang. They prove Ford still knows
how to make cars sizzle. Thankfully, Ford gave the Five Hundred's interior proper styling.
It comes with a long list of standard equipment at a low price, offering what Ford calls
"guilt-free luxury."
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for Full Article
2005 Ford Five
Hundred
San Francisco: Suzuki, best known as a seller of small sport utility vehicles and
motorcycles, wants to sell you a good car. Billing themselves as America’s Best
Value, the company is offering the compact Forenza, to do battle against numerous
opponents, led by the highly regarded Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic.
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2004 Suzuki
Forenza
San Francisco: With all the flashy new
cars on Chrysler lots, it's easy to forget about the company's more traditional models.
The 2004 Sebring sedan doesn't have the flashy looks of Chrysler's newest models, but it's
still attractive. Its driving feel, however, is slightly unrefined compared to some of its
more recently designed competition.
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2004
Chrysler Sebring
San Francisco: Honda's latest Civic Hybrid looks like virtually every other new Civic on the
road, which is a good thing. It proves that you can be frugal, responsible, and practical
without carrying the enviro-geek stigma.
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2004
Honda Civic Hybrid
San Francisco: In my humble opinion the Toyota Prius may be the most important vehicle of
the decade, or maybe the millennium. The problem with that is the original Prius was
introduced in the last decade. Regardless of the time line the Toyota Prius is a very
important vehicle.
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2004
Toyota Prius
San Francisco: Need proof that cars don't have to be flashy to sell? Just look at the Buick
LeSabre. While the 2004 Buick LeSabre looks like one of the most boring new cars available
today, its terrific practicality and relatively low price make it a hot seller.
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2004
Buick LeSabre
San Francisco: Chevrolet is on a roll, or at least they hope they are. They are introducing
so many new models that they certainly don’t seem like the big, old, staid car
company they have been known as. In fact their new advertising slogan is Revolution,
emphasizing both Revolution and the Evolution. Time will tell if Chevrolet
is revolutionary or evolutionary. Either way, the car buying public benefits from the
choices.
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2004
Chevy Malibu Maxx
San Francisco: What a difference a decade makes. In 1994, Kia began selling cars in the U.S.
under its own name with the modest little Sephia sedan and the Sportage small SUV.
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2004
Kia Amanti
San Francisco: Suzuki equips the new 2004
Verona for an assault on the sedan market. Everybody knows the Honda Accord and Toyota
Camry reign atop the family sedan hill. They're the cream of the crop, the best of the
best, and a thousand other overused clichés.
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2004
Suzuki Verona
San Francisco: After dominating the
North American market for family sedans only to see Japan steal it like a masked bandit,
General Motors is trying to recover from lackluster sales in America. So now in 2004 say
hello to the all-new Chevy Malibu.
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2004
Chevy Malibu
San Francisco: Everybody
likes a good deal. Hyundai, Korea’s industrial giant, sells lots of cars based on
this philosophy. The company offers everything from econoboxes to sport utilities to
luxury sedans, making sure that in each case, they exceed customer expectations for the
price.
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2004
Hyundai XG350
San Francisco: Many years ago, cars were named for noble beasts, such as Impala or Cougar.
Some were named for places, like New Yorker or Malibu. Some were even named for
astrological signs, such as Aries, and the still popular Ford Taurus. But Stratus is a
type of cloud formation.
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2003
Dodge Stratus
San Francisco: Volkswagen
has come a long ways from the early Beetle days when the choices were limited to
essentially the color. Today, VW dealers offer a large range of models from the
budget-oriented Golfs and Jetta GLs to the new Taureg SUV and the $60,000- plus Phaeton
sedan. Additionally, each model lineup includes several versions to choose from.
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2003
VW Jetta
SAN FRANCISCO: The 2003 Acura 3.5 RL is the ultimate Honda four-door sedan.
Substantially larger than the ubiquitous Accord, it is a direct descendant of the Legend,
which, along with the Integra, introduced the world to the new upscale Acura line in 1986.
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Article
2003 Acura 3.5 RL
SAN FRANCISCO: Saturn owners are among the most loyal car buyers in the industry, largely
because of the GM division’s earned reputation for consumer-friendliness with its
original S-Series. More recently it introduced the Saturn Vue to capture SUV buyers. To
capitalize on this brand loyalty a few years ago Saturn introduced its L-Series, so Saturn
buyers could move up to a larger vehicle. Now for 2003 Saturn has a new L series.
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Article
2003 Saturn L Series
SAN FRANCISCO: Have your expectations pleasantly smashed and reorganized in the
shape of the new 2003 Honda Accord. And with 240 angry HP and a 6-speed transmission this
definitely isn’t your old Accord. Expect More. Be surprised –even overwhelmed.
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Article
2003 Honda Accord
SAN FRANCISCO: Except
for maybe senior citizens, police officers and low-rider fans, the name Impala probably
envisions very fast running African animals. However, between 1958 and 1978, the Impala
was an American icon as Chevrolets top of the line model and often America’s best
selling car nameplate.
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2002 Chevrolet Impala
SAN FRANCISCO: New to the US as of last fall, the Lancer is the successor to
Mitsubishi's entry-level Mirage, which will soon become an illusion of the past.
Mitsubishi’s newest Lancer model is now the OZ Rally edition.
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2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
OZ Rally edition
SAN FRANCISCO: I
recently drove a car that surprised the heck out of me. Driving a lot of different cars
tends to make me just a little blasé. So when the Kia Optima SE V-6 was parked in front
of my house I didn’t think much about it, after all, it was just another low priced
Korean car. Sure its Magenta Red paint looked nice all shiny and new but, c’mon,
looks can be deceiving right? Wrong.
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2002 Kia Optima SE V-6
SAN FRANCISCO: Volkswagen
built its reputation on the noisy, old-fashioned, economy-oriented Beetle, but today the
company is flourishing by offering just the opposite. The new VW Passat is much closer to
a Mercedes-Benz than it is to basic transportation.
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2002 Volkswagen Passat
2001 Hyundai XG300
SAN FRANCISCO:
Hyundai, the company that built its reputation in America with inexpensive, basic
transportation, continues to surprise car shoppers. After introducing economy sedans like
the surprisingly refined Accent, sleeper sports cars like the Tiburon, and the competitive
midsize Sonata, Hyundai now debuts a flagship full-size sedan in America. Welcome the
XG300.
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2001 Hyundai XG300
2001 Hyundai Accent
SAN FRANCISCO:
South Korean automakers like Hyundai, Kia and Daewoo, relative newcomers to the American
automobile scene, are demonstrating with their lowest priced models, that inexpensive cars
do not have to be "cheap" looking or low performing. Hyundai’s new
entry-level model, the Accent, shows that you can buy a new car, and a quite capable car,
for around the $10,000 mark.
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2001 Hyundai Accent
2000 Hyundai Elantra
SAN FRANCISCO: A
funny thing happened while dropping my niece off at school one morning. As we approached a
group of her friends, turning into the parking lot, she ducked down on to the floor saying
" Oh no, I can't let anyone see me in this." Huh !!?? What was this all about?
Here we are in a brand spanking new, cute, lively, electric-green Elantra, and she feels
embarrassed?? At once, I realized that there still is an image issue in regard to Hyundai
that I feel compelled to address. So let's hop in a time machine and go back to the
mid-eighties.
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2000 Hyundai Elantra
2000 Plymouth Neon
SAN FRANCISCO: It's time to say goodbye to Plymouth, the workingman's friend since 1928. With
little to distinguish itself as part of DaimlerChrysler in the post-merger international
car market, the brand will be put to rest after the 2001 model year.
But don't despair. The new, very-much-improved 2000 Neon is here, and the last Plymouth
perfectly represents the entry-level brand in its final days. And don't worry about buying
an "orphan." Neon’s will still be sold by Dodge dealers for years to come,
and the same Chrysler dealership that sold you your Neon will still be around to service
the car.
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2000 Plymouth Neon
2000 Nissan Sentra
SAN FRANCISCO: Nissan’s entry level Sentra was completely redesigned for the 2000 model
year. While the styling is attractive, it looks like so many other cars in this class, so
it won’t get any second glances. However, buyers of cars in this low price range
usually are not after breathtaking styling, but want reliability, low initial and
operating costs, and overall good value. And here’s where the Sentra delivers.
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2000 Nissan Sentra
2000 Volvo S70 AWD
SAN FRANCISCO: Somewhere in the rugged, all-wheel drive surroundings of Torslanda, Sweden is a
manufacturing plant where employees share the same "big picture" vision for the
future. Their mission is to blend Scandinavian innovation with traditional values in the
cars they build, Volvos. They hope to help their customers live long lives and remain
Volvo owners forever. Their goal is to create fierce customer loyalty which becomes almost
subliminal, inspiring the well-known "Volvo for Life" philosophy.
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2000 Volvo S70 AWD
2000 Nissan Altima
SAN FRANCISCO: The
Nissan Altima epitomizes what we have come to expect in family-friendly sedans from Japan
- solid reliability and durability, excellent fit and finish, more than adequate though
not spectacular performance, nice but not dazzling styling, and generally good value for
the dollar. In reality, the Altima is not really a Japanese car since it is built in
America in Smyra, TN.
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2000 Nissan Altima
2000 Subaru Outback
Limited
SAN FRANCISCO: When the popular Subaru Outback was redesigned for 2000, it gained a lot. The
2000's bolder looks are spread across a three-inch-longer body mounted atop a slightly
stretched wheelbase. A new multilink rear suspension spreads more than five inches of
additional space between the wheel intrusions inside, for enough room, Subaru claims, to
handle four suitcases side by side. The 2.5-liter flat four "boxer" engine has
improved fuel mileage and acceleration, too.
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2000 Subaru Outback
Limited
2000 Ford Focus SE
SAN FRANCISCO:
With a name like Focus I suppose I could lead off with some witty pun (if such a thing
exists), like Focus on Ford. But the new Ford Focus is no joke. No way. It’s serious
business for Ford. It would be too melodramatic to say that this is a make or break car
for Ford.
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2000 Ford Focus SE
2000 Volvo S40
San Francisco: In a
world filled with miniatures, from Ritz Bits snacks to Beanie Babies to Hot Wheels, there
is now a pint-size Volvo, too. A smaller Volvo makes sense. The recognized purveyor of
safe, environmentally sensitive family vehicles wants a less-expensive car to sell to
younger singles, small families, and empty nesters. So, from the Netherlands, please
welcome the S40 sedan and the V40 station wagon.
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2000 Volvo S40
2000 Suzuki Esteem
SAN FRANCISCO: Been
looking for a good used car because you think you can't afford a brand new one. Before you
plunk down $13,000 to $15,000 for a car with many miles on the odometer, you might take a
look at the Suzuki Esteem. For about the same price, you can get zero miles and the new
car smell.
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2000 Suzuki Esteem
2000 Acura 3.5 RL
SAN FRANCISCO: The Acura 3.5RL succeeds the original Legend sedan, and flaunts a more chiseled
appearance than its predecessor. Its looks like one of the guys when placed next to the
popular Mercedes E320, BMW 528i and its fellow Japanese cars, the Lexus LS 400 and GS 300.
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2000 Acura 3.5 RL
2000 Chevrolet Impala
SAN FRANCISCO: Self-proclaimed as "America's Best Ride" in promotional literature,
Chevy's new 2000 Impala is sure to create showroom excitement. Impala's legacy dates back
to 1958, when Chevy introduced what would become one of its all-time favorites to hungry
American consumers. In its 13-year reign through 1971, Impala sold more units than any of
its Bowtie siblings, yet was shelved by GM in 1972 when Caprice nomenclature upended
Impala as the flagship model.
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2000 Chevrolet Impala
'99 Hyundai Sonata GLS
SAN FRANCISCO: Our test vehicle this week is the 1999 Hyundai Sonata GLS V-6, a 4-door sedan
that is sure to make both consumers and the manufacturer very happy indeed. It's
the suprise car of the year!
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'99 Hyundai Sonata GLS
2000 Buick LeSabre
SAN FRANCISCO: Before SUVs and minivans became popular, families bought family sedans. This
means a roomy, four-door sedan with a comfortable ride, powerful V8, large trunk and a
reasonably affordable pricetag. The all-new Buick LeSabre fits this description in spades!
While the LeSabre was completely redesigned for 2000, it still looks like a Buick should
look. Indeed, the restyling is so subtle that you may have to park a 1999 and 2000 model
side by side to see the differences.
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2000 Buick LeSabre
'99 Infiniti G20
SAN FRANCISCO: Since 1989, Infiniti has been Nissan's upscale line, a sports/luxury rival of
Lexus, Acura, and challenger to the premium European brands, including Mercedes and BMW.
The original G20, based on the European market Primera model, represented the bottom end
of Infiniti's line-up. Now, after a two-year hiatus, the 1999 model is, as the TV
commercial says, "designed in Japan, educated in Europe", and is, presumably,
fit for America.
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'99 Infiniti G20
'99 Mazda Protege ES
SAN FRANCISCO: Are you looking for a compact four-door sedan? Have I got a deal for you (or
rather Mazda does). The 1999 Mazda Protege ES is a worthy contender in the compact sedan
arena and it's priced very competitively at $15,555. Mazda has done a super job of
packaging just about everything you might want in a tasteful, roomy, compact sedan.
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'99 Mazda Protege ES
'99 Subaru Legacy SUS
SAN FRANCISCO: A few years ago, Subaru, which was suffering through some lean years, hit paydirt
with the Outback, an all-wheel-drive Legacy station wagon modified for off-road use. The
model became such an overwhelming hit that it drove the company into the black and
inspired Subaru to become an exclusively all-wheel-drive company.
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'99 Subaru Legacy SUS
'99 Buick Regal GS
Family Sedan
San Francisco:
How many of your remember that Buick was known as a doctor's car? That was way back, when
every General Motors division had a different intended market. Buick stood for reliability
(doctors needed a reliable car for all those house calls they used to make), stability
(who's more stable than a doctor) and respectability (ditto) without being ostentatious.
There were those who might even have called Buick dull.
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'99 Buick Regal GS
Family Sedan
2000 Dodge &
Plymouth Neon
San Francisco: In
my opinion, Chrysler stylists are the best in the business. They keep turning out great
looking cars and trucks. The 2000 Neon is the latest example. While the previous Neon,
around since 1994, was "cute", the completely restyled Neon is handsome. The Y2K
model is not only better looking; it is improved in many ways. Incidentally, more than 1.5
million 1995-99 Neons were sold worldwide, a commendable feat considering the Neon had to
go up against some pretty stiff competition in the compact car class.
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2000 Dodge &
Plymouth Neon
'99 Mitsubishi Galant ES
Sedan
SAN FRANCISCO: Mitsubishi
just might just have too much riding on its new Galant.Mitsubishi’s very future as a
car company in North America may hinge on how well the Galant sells.The pundits will give
you all kinds of reasons for Mitsubishi’s failure to find success on a par with Honda
or Toyota. Maybe it’s because way back in the beginning, they sold their product
under the Dodge and Plymouth nameplates.
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'99 Mitsubishi Galant
ES Sedan
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