Author
Casey Williams

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Offers Real Luxury

Casey Williams
Real luxury is never having to worry about where the road will lead. While my partner was slaving away doing bank duty last weekend, I took the re-invigorated 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee to my favorite road. I’ve traveled this sliver of pavement since I was a baby, but apparently the state had other plans for my day. There was a detour. I paid it no mind, swerved around the barricades, and hit the gas with full confidence the Jeep could handle anything in its way. [...]

2013 Volkswagen Tiguan Explains Itself

Casey Williams
How do I explain the Volkswagen Tiguan? First, that’s a made-up name that supposedly conjures an image of a snarling tiger mixed with a slithering iguana. Is it meant to be a menacing meat-eater or an aquarium pet for the reptile-obsessed? Maybe you put the tiger in the tank and an iguana in the boot? It’s all so confusing. Fortunately, it’s easier to get a fix on the machine itself. [...]

Come Fly With Me: The 2014 Chevrolet Impala LTZ Channels Sinatra

Casey Williams 1
Frank Sinatra never owned a Chevy Impala, but that hasn’t stopped Chevrolet from using his recording of Cole Porter’s “Fly Me to the Moon” in commercials. The clips feature a sexy man, dressed in a trendy suit, playing golf, and taking his wife to a drive-in movie while Sinatra croons “Let me play among the stars, let me see what spring is like on a Jupiter and Mars” in the background. All that makes sense with the new Impala. [...]

Fiat 500L Adds Portals Without Losing Its Sexy Italian Flair

Casey Williams 2
While the styling seems to mimic the Mini Countryman, the 500L is obviously from the Fiat family, given its big round headlamps, stubby nose, and rounded taillamps. Designers make a big deal about the car’s nearly 360-degree visibility, made possible by wide expanses of glass. Most trim levels exhibit a clean Italian aesthetic, but the Trekking model was given the mini-SUV treatment for American sensibilities. [...]

2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI Solves The Riddle

Casey Williams
At your local VW dealer, you can get a Passat with a 170 horsepower, 2.5-liter, five-cylinder engine or a 280 horsepower, 3.6-liter VR6, but that’s so common. The real auto enthusiasts and tree-clingers among us will opt for the 2.0-liter four-cylinder Clean Diesel that grunts out 140 horsepower and 236 ft-lbs of torque. And why not choose the six-speed manual transmission to achieve 31/43 mpg city/hwy.? As loony as it sounds, a TDI with a manual transmission is a pretty sporty ride. My partner is rarely one to fight for driving rights on long trips, but he refused to hand over the helm. Diesel driving is intoxicating [...]