Week of January 7th

1/7/13

• 2010 Ram 1500:  New interior is leaps and bounds better than the old truck. Otherwise it's a truck.
• 2005 Volvo XC90 AWD: Drives ok. Comfortable, but from the inside it feels Bigger outside.
• 2010 Lexus ES 350: If your first priority in buying a car is how nice the interior is, this is your car.

1/8/13

• 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0T: Power is much better in two wheel drive with the 2.0 Turbo engine. It drives well, but it's just too high.
• 2004 Honda Element: Great cargo box, not so great to put people in the back what with no roll down windows or anything. Honda makes better trucks than cars these days.
• 2010 Jaguar XF: Forget the ES 350, you want a GREAT interior get the XF, Huge slabs of real wood, leather everywhere, and it's damn fun to drive to boot. Look at one of these before buying a German.
• 2005 AUDI A4 Cabrio 1.8T: Lots of cowl shudder, Engine is ok, but this is still just a slightly nicer Passat. 
• 2003 GMC Sonoma: It's little, It's a Pickup, um.....yea.

1/9/13

• 2004 BMW 530i Sport 6spd: At over 100,000 miles this car still drives like a dream. This may be a perfect car. It's a shame the new 5er isn't as fun to drive as this.
• 2011 Toyota Prius: This car is just flat out cool and compitent. No it's not sporty, or cushy, but man this is what Toyota used to be about. 
• 2005 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 5spd: Great power with the 2.5 Inline-5. Exhaust tone is strange but not raspy. Cruising on the freeway at 3000 rpm however the exhaust note gets tiresome.
• 2009 Toyota RAV-4 Sport: Lots of power but for no good reason. 
• 2011 Toyota Prius: As cool as the instrument display is, I still don't like it in the middle of the dash so far away.
• 2008 Chevy Impala: It's an average car for an average american. At this point i's basically on par with the Camry. Not sure who that's damming to more.

1/10/13

• 2007 Kia Sedona LX: It's an ok minivan, no frills or fancy entertainment systems, but it will move 7 people around with minimal bitching.
• 2006 Mazda 3 2.3: Zoom-Zoom! Fun and dynamic with lots of power for cheap! Also Mazda understands you pull BACK to Upshift!
• 2011 Ford F250 Powerstroke Slam-Eagle: Every once in a while you come across somebodies  custom labor of love. Be it the bitchin van with the wizard fighting a robot dragon painted on the side and a built in water bed, or a Mustang tuned to an inch of it's life for the 1/4 mile, or in this case, a low profile towing rig pickup that has no pretension of being used anywhere the tarmac ends. All trucks for towing should be low like this. Drives great, and you don't need a drop hitch. 

That's as tall as you ever need to tow stuff.

Oh yea and wicked custom paint work UNDER the clear-coat helps too. 

This guy alone adds 200 pounds of towing capacity!

• 2005 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder: It's nice to be reminded of what cars used to feel like all low to the ground and sporty. Sure this one had no power steering, but I needed the upper body workout.

1/11/13

• 2004 Toyota 4-Runner V8: Taller and less solid feeling than the old blocky 4-Runner. Very thirsty. Still love the big, mitten workable climate controls though!

Week of December 3rd

12/3/12

• 2006 Mercedes-Benz E350: Smooth and luxurious. Overall an ideal competent car. The only issue is the brake by wire system needs a very gentile foot.
• 2011 Lexus RX 350: Big and soft, I can't compliment the style and materials of the interior more, but it can't hide that it's just a Toyota CUV.
• 2009 Lexus ES 350: Aside from the interior there is NOTHING that makes this car stand out as worth the price premium over a Toyota or Honda.
• 2002 Chevy Avalanche: If you need to tow, but don't want a Suburban or a Pickup, it's sorta there for you.
• 2008 Toyota Sienna: Real good utility, and lots of space.

12/4/12

• 2002 GMC 2500HD with a 36' race trailer: seats make it about 8 hours but after that they just loose all their support. BIG 454 V-8 doesn't even notice a 5000+ Pound trailer. Allison transmission is a MUST for towing. 24 hour round trip run, no problem, and only used 2 1/2 tanks!

WATCH out for the overhang swing!

12/5/12

• 2003 Mercedes-Benz E500 Sport: This feels more CAR than other cars. M-B has been making cars longer than anyone else, so it figures. Sport trim however seems to be a relative term.

12/6/12

• 2012 Honda Pilot: This feels like a really nice and useful SUV. Generally feels good and sturdy.
• 2011 Mitsubishi Galant: It's ok, but it doesn't stand out at all. For '11 no drive off door locks or a locking fuel door.
• 2006 Lexus RX 400h: This sits just way too high.
• 2004 Mazda 6 5Door V6: Tight and responsive, nice interior, fun to drive, auto stick goes the right way around. back to upshif, forward to downshift.

12/7/12

• 2003 Ford F-150 5sp: No A/C, no tach, 5-speed. Pure Basic TRUCK. It's refreshing to be reminded what cars were like before the standard option list exploded.
• 2009 Ford Flex Limited: Big and solid, tonnes of space, but you feel like a little kid sitting in it. It's just TOO big.
• 2007 Kia Rio LX: Great simple ride, comes bone stock empty. But, it feels better than some more expensive cars in its segment.
• 2004 Jeep Liberty: Stout and tough feeling. It does feel a bit crude however.
• 2008 Chevy Equinox Sport: HAH! "Sport"

Week of October 29th

10/29/12

• 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 SLT HD: Great power and HUGE towing Brakes!
• 2004 Ford Taurus SE: BLAH?
• 2003 Acura MDX: This is a LUXURY SUV?
• 2005 Chevy Impala: It doesn't even have a DOME LIGHT!?

10/31/12

• 2004 Volkswagen Jetta: Like putting on a well worn pair of boots. The MkIV aged real well, except for that "soft touch" plastic. That stuff should be banned.
• 2005 Mitsubishi Endeavor: CUV, it sits like a chair, rides like a box.
• 1979 Honda Trail 90: It's like a scooter meets a mountain goat. Can't wait to ride it to work in the spring. 100 MPG!

It does however need a bit of work to be road legal again.

11/1/12

• 2005 Subaru Baja: Feels lighter and more responsivethan the Outback. I want this turbo engine in my Outback. "Metal" trim instead of "wood" so you know it's "tougher".
• 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse SE: Too much form over function. Like an "idea" of the old Eclipse, but only visually. Quick initial turn in, but then washes out, back end does nothing, it's just allong for the ride.
• 2007 Nissan 350Z: Very track oriented car. Stiff and well planted; good power anywhere in the rev range.

It's like a car version of Mega Man.

• 2005 Ford Explorer XLT 4x4: Meh...

11/2/12

• 2006 Saturn Ion: Tight, much more euro than the old Saturns.
• 2005 Ford Explorer: Bleh, so middle of the road. When it's not flipping off it.
• 2011 Volvo C70 T5: Incredibly solid for a hard top convertible. Good power and good auto transmission
• 2009 Volkswagen CC: Too tiny inside. Ok Headroom, but the door entry is way too low, I hit my head EVERY TIME.

Week of October 1st

10/1/12

• 2008 Ford Taurus SEL: Overall great car, great engine, but why does it have an SUV sitting position?
• 2005 Honda Element: HUGE INSIDE! Good ride. Better than the CR-V!
• 2007 Toyota Highlander: Good solid SUV without trying to be a "Truck".
• 2002 BMW 330Xi: the E46 is the perfect BMW. Great even at 100,000 miles!
• 2006 Cadillac CTS: Soft ride, but defiantly a Cadillac.

10/2/12

• 2002 Toyota Hilux 4dr. SE5: Fantastic near the floor seating position. Comfortable for 200 Miles! Smooth and stable.

10/3/12

• 2006 Chevy Impala LTZ: Poor design, piss poor build quality, wont keep a lane. OK design and build ethic for a small pickup truck, NOT for a family sedan at its price.
• 2006 Chevy Cobalt: Great economy car. Seems like it was built with the same budget as the Impala. Good for something in the economy car segment, not so much for something the size of the Impala.
• 2005 Ford F-150 4x4 Crew Cab: Essential Truck, but trying to be too big.

10/4/12 

• 1998 Ford Taurus V6: It's old, but it's not bad.
• 2003 Chevy TrailBlazer: truck.

Something seem ODD to you?

• 2006 Ford Fivehundred AWD: A pretty nice car ruined by a terrible seating position.
• 2007 Chevy Malibu LS: It's a car. No frills, no panache, but it's a car and it's good at being a car.

10/5/12

• 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer EvoX SE: Long trip out to Butler, PA. Totally worth the risk of a triple digit ticket. Bit thirsty at a highway mileage of 18 MPG. Truly more racecar than road car, but still comfortable driving at high speeds on regular roads.

Bye Evo! 

• 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid: Battery gives this car great balance. Drivetrain is fantastic and smooth. Cool to go 35 MPH on just electric, but needs some kind of pedal feedback so you know when it will go into engine mode.
• 2007 Honda Accord: This is a much better car when it's not trying to be "Sporty". Avoid the V6.

Week of September 24th

9/24/12

• 2006 Pontiac G6: Interior is more enjoyable and driver oriented than the Chevy. Why did they kill Pontiac?
• 2008 BMW 328i: Aged very well.

9/25/12

• 2008 Ford F-350 Turbo Diesel: Big MotherF&*^ng truck! Like the truck version of the Dash-8. Fun to make it burp black smoke!
• 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Wagon 2.5S: Love me some Wagon. Light steering though.
• 2005 Mercedes-Benz ML350: More minivan than "SUV". Long unpleasant brake throw. Not Impressive.

9/26/12

• 2008 Pontiac G6 V6: I could recommend this over a bone stock 328i, but bad MPG!
• 2007 Toyota Camry: Can you say bland?
• 2007 Infinity G35X: Excellent fit and finish, comfortable, powerfull, great balance, Just loose the silly clock.

9/27/12

• 2001 Chevy Impala LS V6: It has a wing on it from the factory. "Sporty" HAH!
• 2001 BMW 740iL: Still a great engine, but does not take well to owner abuse.
• 2004 Nissan Xtera: GREAT! Japanese light trucks ROCK!

9/28/12

• 2003 Chevy S-10: Beautifully utilitarian, but low on power.
• 2009 Land Rover Range Rover Sport: So big and cushy , But is it an off-road vehicle or what?
• 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer EvoX SE: F-ing WOW!! It may be boy racer crude, but it has stunning sharp turn in. More race car than street car!

With Double Clutch Gearbox too!