Reviews

2014 Mazda6 iSport Sedan Is Practical, Fun, Sexy, And Affordable? Are They Insane?

James Hamel 5
When you road-test new cars for a living you start to notice that most automakers send journalists test models that are loaded to the gills with every available feature, gizmo, and gadget. It’s rare to find a brand confident enough in the quality of its product to let it stand up purely on the merit of how well it drives. Many cars try to win you over with things like value, grins per mile, and a bit of exterior style — which never hurts. Luckily, the 2014 Mazda6 has all these attributes in spades — and what’s under the hood ain’t so bad, either. [...]

2013 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro: Can It Still Compete With Younger Rivals?

James Hamel
Audi has one of the most expansive line-ups of niche luxury models in the industry, but when it comes right down to it, nearly one out of every two Audis sold is the comparatively “bread and butter” model known as the A4 sedan. But don’t think we’re likening Audi’s hottest worldwide seller to a piece of stale toast and unsavory buttery topping that just refuses to melt or spread properly. If there’s one thing we’re sure of around here, it’s that no Audi is anywhere near the equivalent of automotive prison food. [...]

That’s So Gay: 2013 Lexus RX350

Sam Gomez 3
2013 is proving to be the year of the LGBT. The U.S Supreme Court can’t stop talking about us, and neither can liberal Washington or intolerant Washington. Everywhere you look, there are “known homosexuals”, as the more flamboyant of us were called generations ago. Heck, we even have an openly gay NBA player to look up to (literally, at seven feet). Indeed, we are the new ‘it’ girl of the post-Law and Order generation. [...]

2013 Buick Encore: A Compact Crossover With The Soul Of A Buick

Jeff Stork 1
When I first saw the new Buick Encore, it seemed to me to be the answer to a question that nobody had asked: “Is there really a place in the market for a compact Buick crossover?” Based on the GM Gamma II platform — also shared with the Chevy Sonic — the little bubble of a Buick is an adaptation of the Opel Mokka, and is about to go on sale as the Chevrolet Trax in markets outside North America. First impressions made me wonder if GM’s little Korean crossover was little more than an exercise in badge-engineering. [...]

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. [...]