Or perhaps more accurately, which of these popular SUV’s turned my crank the most after spending back-to-back weeks with them: the Acura RDX or Mazda CX-7? 

It sports a new set of clothes and a grown up demeanor, but is the TSX still Acura’s bad boy, the little sedan with attitude?

The Bottom Line

The all-new 2010 Audi A5 Cabriolet replaces last year’s A4 as Audi’s four-seat convertible in residence. Even so, the convertible A5 shares many of its mechanical bits with the A4 sedan and wagon, including its 211 horsepower 2-liter turbocharged engine. Shared styling with the A5 Coupe makes the Cabrio a real looker whether the soft top is up or down—but is it as good to live with as it is to look at? Read on.

Just a friendly reminder not to forget this 525-horsepower, $170,000 (roughly) roadster over here. It’s the red one, in case you were wondering. While you’re undoubtedly a concerned eco-citizen, focused only on driving cars that make the planet a better place to live, do take caution not to limit your appetite for Audi’s presence at the L.A. Auto Show to its “green machines,” like the Green Car of the Year, the 2010 Audi A3 TDI, or its other diesel offering, the Q7 TDI.

TechnoFile.com
Avid bicyclists, environmentalists, or weenies who don’t want to work hard may want to check out OHM bicycles, power-assisted units that certainly made the ordeal of bicycling easier for this sedentary writer/weenie.
OHM bills itself as the premium brand of power-assisted bicycles and claims to offer the only power-assisted bikes equipped with the patented “BionX” torque sensor. It’s a technology they say responds automatically to the way the rider pedals, providing a smooth, natural sensation – even, supposedly compensating if one of your legs is pedaling more strongly than the other.

Bill Reinert, the head of Toyota’s (NYSE ADR: TM) advanced powertrain research, stated that his company does not forsee the electric vehicle becoming the standard in the industry in the short-term future.

On the strength of its bold styling, interior quality and athletic handling, the Cadillac CTS sedan has been a sales success, and now its model line is expanding. For 2010, the sedan is joined by a CTS Sport Wagon, which nearly doubles the sedan’s cargo space and adds $3,000 to its base price. Often cited as Exhibit A in the case for GM’s ability to build a world-class car, the CTS is indeed exceptional, but a few performance and quality shortcomings dampen our praise of the new wagon.

The 2009 LA Auto show is now well underway and we have already seen a number of cool cars, such as the two BMW MINI concepts that we mentioned this morning. However, another car that needs a mention is the 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe. The car will enter production in just a couple of months.

What is a tune-up? Go and ask 10 vehicle owners their definition of the term and chances are there will be 10 different answers. Certainly the classic tune-up was once the heart and soul of the automotive business.

Whether high tech or low tech, there’s a gadget for just about every occasion these days. It seems that, wherever there’s a need perceived, there’s an inventor who wants to fill it.

The General Motors has launched the news mini car in india. The Car is ‘Chevrolet Beat’ . The Beat has 1.2 litre petrol engine. The Beat is available in three variants and lowest variant is Rs 3.34 lakh and highest will cost Rs 3.94 lakh.

The Chevrolet Beat has following features :

* Variants include the mid tier LS, the top end LT and the low end PS.
* ABS and Airbags in LT version
* The Car is priced cheaper to its competing models
* The 1.2 litre engine is the main highlight of beat
* The car will be soon launched worldwide.

General Motors did the North American unveiling of its new (for America) Chevy Cruze. The General says that the Cruze is a “Popular global car refined for America”. Whether that flies with the U.S. car buying public remains to be seen, but what is known is that the Cruze will supposedly get up to 40 mpg highway, and will also feature a new family of small-displacement engines, including an Ecotec 1.4L 4 cylinder turbo.

For most people, the initials “HD” have everything to do with the fidelity of their television sets, and nothing to do with automobiles. But to any Texas rancher—and a huge portion of full-size pickup buyers elsewhere in the country—those two letters represent a term that separates the men from the boys in the pickup world: Heavy Duty. The HD pickup game has stepped up in might and intensity during the last decade, with a three-way race between the Dodge Ram HD and its only rivals, the Ford F-Series Super Duty and the Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra HD twins. Fittingly, Dodge lured us into the heart of the Lone Star State—San Antonio, specifically—to sample its new Ram 2500 and 3500 HD trucks where they’re appreciated most.

Talk about making a fuel of yourself. The Dodge Dakota midsized pickup is a heavy duty beast that for 2008 is capable of driving right past the gas pump – and straight to the ethanol one.

Ford’s Flex has a new heart this year, new motivation for both the vehicle and perhaps for those interested in buying it. It’s Ford’s Ecoboost technology, which includes the company’s new twin turbo 3.5 liter V6 that Ford says delivers V8 power with V6 fuel economy. It’s a peach of a system and it produces 355 horsepower, which Ford says is 35 percent more than that of the base Flex’s V6, and 350 ft.-lb. of torque, up 41 percent.

By Joe Wiesenfelder, Cars.com
The debate over whether the Ford Mustang should be called a muscle car or a sports car is a long-standing — and pointless — one, but I think the 2011 model’s new drivetrains and chassis refinements give fodder to both sides of the argument.

With a new 305-horsepower V-6 engine and new six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, the V-6 model rivals the 315-hp 2010 Mustang GT’s V-8. The 2011 GT, with its 412-hp V-8, moves into an entirely different class. Despite the increases, gas mileage is also up across the board, including an amazing EPA-estimated 31 mpg highway for the V-6 automatic.

Honda says the 2010 Insight is the “hybrid for everyone,” but trying to appeal to everyone is a bit too high a mark for this car. For 2010, Honda reintroduced the Insight, a designated hybrid hatchback, which has only the name in common with that of its predecessor, the first hybrid in the U.S.

Tokyo-based Honda Motor, a manufacturer of cars, is considering the launch of electric cars in the US, Japan and Europe.

Reportedly the company said that the slow progress in setting up hydrogen fueling stations could limit the sale of its fuel-cell vehicles, and that it may need pure electric cars to meet tough regulations in California.

The 2010 Jeep Patriot is mechanically similar to both the more softly styled Jeep Compass and the more carlike Dodge Caliber, but the Patriot gets boxier, chunkier styling that both looks better and is more functional than either of its platform-mates.

When you’re driving around in an SUV, it’s a good bet that you’re not going to get the best mileage numbers. My test drive of the 2009 Jeep Liberty just happened to fall on Earth Day, which made me even more aware of its 15/21 mpg city/highway rating.

The Lexus GS model was redesigned in 2006, and is one of Toyota’s most advanced vehicles in technology. For 2009 there have been no significant changes made to the GS luxury sedan. I have to admit I was not all that excited when I found out I would be getting the Lexus GS450h ($56,550) to test drive for the week In the past, the Lexus sedans I have tested have been too soft for my taste. I have a fondness for the German luxury sedans that are built for the kind of roads and driving I do in the Denver area near Evergreen.

The Lexus LX 570 is the latest iteration of a vehicle that really began life decades ago as the Toyota Land Cruiser wagon – a fine vehicle then and today. The current version features a bigger and more powerful engine, more interior volume, more technology and more luxury appointments than you can shake a stick at. 

The first time I drove the Mazda CX-7 I was impressed. The 7 looked very good, drove more like a car than a four-wheel drive, was practical in the cabin, and finished to the standard you expect when you slide in behind a Mazda badge.

The more I drove it, mostly the more I liked it. There was a bit of delay in response from the turbocharged petrol engine, but nothing major. And it was more than compensated by the grip in corners and the way the CX-7 responded to the wheel.  It felt like Mazda had made a major breakthrough on the people mover front.

Mazda introduced its 2011 Mazda 2 to North America at this week’s L.A. Auto Show. And possibly a new take on brand rebadging.

Historically, Mazda and Ford have been good practitioners of sharing platforms, chassis, engines and other components, without it being immediately obvious to the consumer.

An all-new, four-seat Mercedes-Benz E Class convertible will be unveiled next month at the Detroit Auto Show and go on sale in the United States about mid-year.

Essentially a soft-top version of the new E Class coupe, the rear-wheel-drive convertible will have two new features that will make it comfortable for top-down motoring throughout the year.

Over at Mercedes-Benz, they take their flagship S-class very seriously. As the halo car for a brand represented by a star, the S had better shine pretty bright in its segment—a segment full of customers who are as diverse as they are discriminating. 

Front-wheel drive is a funny thing. When originally introduced during the Thirties in the Cord 810 (then later in the awesome supercharged 812) and the Citroën Traction Avant, FWD was hailed as a major breakthrough, a wondrous technological innovation that allowed for lower ride height and greatly increased passenger space. 

Back in November 2008 we posted some news about the 2010 Nissan Cube, which included U.S. specs and photos. This was followed with news about Nissan Cubes and Clarion’s MiND device in July 2009, so today we thought it’s about time we updated you.

With the Nissan Cube release in the UK this January, the reviews have been flowing. The popular Parkers site – car reviews and news - has taken a first look at the Nissan Cube, although they quickly point out that different versions of the Cube have been on sale in Japan for over 10-years.

Mark Hinchliffe road tests and reviews the 2010 Porsche GT3 at its Australian preview, prior to it arriving here next year.

Owners of the current Porsche GT3 can breathe easy despite the next-generation GT3 arriving on the scene in January.  The coming model has minimal styling differences, ensuring that the previous model doesn’t dramatically drop resale value.

Pontiac’s little wagon is back, with new looks, new features and new power. It’s a nice car, too, roomy and reasonably fun to drive.

When James Dean set out to a race in Salinas, California, on that fateful morning of September 30, 1955, he and his beloved Porsche 550 Spyder were already viewed by many as icons. Of course, in years to come, iconic status would be cemented for both Dean and Porsche, with the German company becoming known as the quintessential sports-car manufacturer. So on our maiden voyage with Porsche’s newest, lightweight 2011 Boxster Spyder—said to be a successor to the 550 Spyder, as if there really could be such a thing in modern times—it seemed only fitting to ditch the planned press-trip route and hustle from Carmel, California, to the Dean memorial in Cholame, some 150 miles distant.

Model Strengths:
• Unmistakable Styling, Porsche-standard Performance and Luxury, Seating for Four In Well-appointed Interior.

Model Overview:
The Panamera fills the gap in Porsche’s line between sports cars and the Cayenne SUV, offering high speed touring for four in a comfortable and spacious package. It’s especially wide at 76 inches, and its 195 inch length and 55.8 inch height make for plenty of interior space, and its rear hatch gives good access to its 15.7-cubic feet of storage space. Flop the seatbacks down, and there’s room for 44.6 cubic feet of luggage.

While the name Saab is also associated with cool jet fighters such as the Gripen, when it comes to the Saab 9-3 Aero sedan, the Swedish manufacturer’s automotive offerings are far more down to earth.

The Saturn Astra, according to a radio commercial in my neck of the woods, is the top selling car in Europe.

Really? It’s certainly not a “disAstra”, but the bestselling car of any sold in all of Europe? I don’t get it. 

The 2010 Subaru Legacy’s redesign has been long overdue.  Its sophisticated new look is sleek, but as Mom always says it’s what’s on the inside that counts. The sedan’s redesign added nearly 4 inches of legroom for the second row, and the car’s now wider across, which increases shoulder and hip room in the front and rear seats. The redesigned Legacy isn’t a head-turner per se, but it’s sharp enough to get you through any valet station with your head held high.

Alongside the new Subaru Liberty, the MY10 Outback will also hit the showrooms across the country this week with a new look, more room and many new features.

It’s not surprising at all that the smallest, least expensive vehicles typically get short shrift on features. You won’t find power windows or mirrors, central locking, air conditioning, or even sound systems on some of the most affordable versions of the cheapest models. But while most automakers also skimp on safety features for these most frugal rides—either making them optional or not available at all on base models or so-called value-leaders—there are a couple of gems for 2010 that don’t make those compromises.

Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division for Toyota Sales U.S.A., met with reporters in Detroit Monday to talk about NUMMI, floor mats, and corporate President Akio Toyoda quoting the book, “How the Mighty Fall.” First, though, let’s get to the crux of the Q&A—will the rear-drive FT-86 sports coupe developed with Subaru be sold in North America as a Toyota, or as a Scion?

TechnoFile.com
If you’re looking for a small, economical car that’s also a real blast to drive, you can’t go far wrong with the Volkswagen Golf GTI.
When the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada named the GTI as its 2010 Canadian Car of the year, I didn’t agree. I thought it should have gone to the Porsche Panamera, because it was a completely new car – as opposed to the GTI’s being merely another generation of a long-running vehicle – and it had represented a bigger risk for its company.

FOLLOWING REPORTS in June that Volkswagen was investigating a stake in Suzuki, The Japanese carmaker’s CEO Osamu Suzuki confirmed today that no deal has been discussed.

VOLVO IS REPORTEDLY preparing an all-electric concept car for next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show, however the Swedish automaker says there are no immediate plans to bring the technology to its road cars.

Stockholm - Swedish heavy-vehicle maker Volvo on Tuesday posted a second-quarter pre-tax loss of 7,7 billion kroner (993 million dollars) due to continued weak demand in its main markets. In the corresponding business period last year, the Volvo Group, which does not include the Ford-owned car division, posted pre-tax income of 7.4 billion kronor.