Author
Casey Williams

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 [...]

2013 Volvo T6 R: A Rebel Swede

Casey Williams
When I first saw the Volvo S60 T6 R in Rebel Blue, I thought I was either going to fall in love with the color or shield my eyes — maybe both. My partner bounced from the former to the latter very quickly, but me? I like a polarizing hue and hoped the rest of the car was just as rebellious. [...]

2013 Jaguar XF Gets A Proper Engine

Casey Williams
Jaguars are about sexy style, deep-cosseted cabins, and V-12 power. Well, maybe not so much for that last one. I love the hot XFR and its 510-horsepower supercharged V8, and old Jags with their V-12s are divine, but what is this roomy cat with a four-cylinder engine? I mean, fuel economy is great, but a four-cylinder Jag? It’s like 1/3 of a proper engine! [...]

2013 BMW X1: Luxury On The Cheap

Casey Williams 1
BMW’s new X1 crossover wagon is supposedly the entry-level Ultimate Driving Machine for the upward-striding NQR40s (that’s Not Quite Rich, Under 40). The car starts at $30,650 without destination, but when our tester arrived, it stickered at $44,245! Hardly cheap. But, I’ll show you how to get a great little Bimmer much closer to the magic $30k threshold and put some money back into your skinny jeans fund. [...]

Tales Of A Jaguar From The Garden Of Good & Evil

Casey Williams 2
Since first visiting my college buddy in Savannah, Georgia early last year, I’ve made two more trips to what is arguably the most beautiful city in the South. I was there this March for the traditional greening of the fountain in Forsyth Park, saw Lady Chablis perform at Club One, drank coffee at Gallery, and ate my favorite shrimp n’ grits at Pirates House. It’s divine. [...]