Author
Casey Williams

2012 Lexus CT200h: Great Car, But Engineers Need To Sweat The Details

Casey Williams
Two of my favorite Lexus models of all time are the 2002 IS300 wagon and the current HS250h. The wagon was arguably ugly, but I liked the size, sporty feel, and impeccable build quality. It was also a little out of the Lexus mainstream, which added cachet. Despite its high price, the HS250h has a luxurious leather-lined cabin that also taps the tech genies for a powerful hybrid system, heads-up display, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and a space shuttle’s worth of toys. Put them together, and you get something like the CT200h. [...]

2012 Hyundai Accent

Casey Williams
I’m driving along in the all-new 2012 Hyundai Accent, enjoying the crisp handling, hearing the solidness of the body structure, and appreciating how the powertrain does its thing. Then it hits me, “This is the entry-level Hyundai!” It is a suave little fuel-sipper that won’t put you out on the street – unless you want to be. [...]

2012 Infiniti G37 IPL Coupe

Casey Williams
I enjoy the Nissan 370Z, but its hyper-tweak personality can wear me out. Revving the engine to a scream and lighting up the tires makes me giddy, but constantly getting thrashed by the suspension is a bit much. I can think of a number of more entertaining ways to get thumped that don’t require a sports car. Coffee down the front of my shirt, throbbing headache, sore – never mind. There’s not even a rear seat. Point is, I could go for sports car fun without all of the sports car drama. [...]

2013 Chevrolet Malibu ECO

Casey Williams
Chevy’s Malibu will be “lightly electrified” when re-designed for 2013. “What in batteries does ‘lightly electrified’ mean,” you may ask? Apparently, “hybrid” was too much for the last Malibu to live up to. Its system was expensive and did little to wean the car off fossil fuels. Re-booted and uplifted, the 2013 Malibu ECO with eAssist benefits greatly from junk, err lithium-ion batteries, in the trunk. [...]

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550

Casey Williams
My partner thinks the CLS is sexy – he calls it the “moon car” – while I appreciate its accentuated rear fenders, a throwback to mid-century Mercedes-Benz “Adenauer” sedans, and grille lifted from any number of sporting Mercedes since the 1955 300SL Gullwing. It looks smokin’ on its set of 18-inch AMG alloys. Some people don’t understand the CLS, but the ‘four-door coupe’ bodystyle has been copied for cars as diverse as the Porsche Panamera, Audi A7, Volkswagen CC, and Hyundai Sonata. [...]

2012 Nissan 370Z Roadster

Casey Williams
When the previous-generation Nissan Z was delivered to me for the first time, the gentleman who handed me the keys was wearing a half-cup of coffee. As I soon discovered, the sport suspension package was stiffer than the Ingalls’ Conestoga on Little House on the Prairie. By the next morning, I was also sporting a mocha latte. I hoped the latest 370Z Roadster would be kinder on clothing. [...]