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 November 5th

11/5/12

• 2002 Ford Explorer: This is really the Big Mac of vehicles. Nothing offensive, nothing interesting.
• 2004 Lexus RX330: Not so hot, more sort of a Toyota+
• 2010 Lexus RX350: Much nicer than the 04, interior is way better, as is the gearing.
• 2003 Dodge Ram 2500HD SLT 4x4: BIG TRUCK!
• 2002 Ford Taurus SES: The Airbag cover and steering wheel are one piece, meaning when the airbag goes off the whole steering wheel must be replaced. Reprehensible.

11/6/12

• 2007 Nissan 350Z: Comfortanble even for long trips like the one this went on over 200 miles. Great engine response!
• 2004 BMW 760i Sport: The bones of this car are amazing! Smooth V-12, Tight Sport suspension, but the interior and trim seems to be very sensitive to abusive owners.

Power like getting a shove by the hand of god.

11/7/12

• 2008 Porsche Cyanne Turbo: Gobs of power, but why not just get the Touareg?
• 2006 BMW M6 Convertable: I think it's MORE fun as a convertable! BIG OPEN AIR POWER!

11/8/12

• 2000 Lexus RX300: Nice for 2000, didn't age very well.
• 2005 BMW 545i Sport: This really does drive better than a non-sport 545. Good tight turn in, Firmer ride.

11/9/12

• 2004 Toyota Corolla S: Well built, but not powerful enough to deserve an "S".
• 2004 Ford Escape Limited: Nice unibody CUV, not as "delicate" as the japanese CUVs.
• 2000 Volvo S80: Big and solid, Swedish cars have a very common feel. Just Solid.

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 September 10th

9/10/12

• 2001 Toyota Camry LE: Bland, but not sloppy.
• 2006 Buick Terraza: Lower rent Minivan, Blah....
• 2009 BMW X6 5.0 Twin-Turbo: POWAH!!!! I still don't get it though?
• Mercedes-Benz C240: Very Meh...may as well get a Camry.

9/11/12

• 2006 Acura TSX: Tight, Responsive, Low drivetrain inertia. Like, but TINY.
• 2004 AUDI A4 Quattro 1.8T: Great drive. I really like the solid 'CLICK' of the buttons.
• 2006 Lincoln Mark LT: WHY? Total Shit for it's price.

9/12/12

• 2005 Chevy Equinox: I suppose it is at least unoffensive, but competent.
• 2007 Cadillac Escalade: Intoxicating Exhaust sound. The Perfect long haul towing machine. Everything I hated about the Lincoln Mark LT I love in this.
• 2010 Lexus RX350: Toyota makes an Ok unibody truck. So save your money.

9/13/12

• 2001 Nissan Altima SE: Great turn in, good dynamics. Mazda isn't the only game in town it seems.
• 2004 Volvo V40 Wagon: Built like one big machined piece of billet steel! Solid, positive feel, super stiff and confident brakes. -LOVE-
• 2009 Lexus ES350: Still just an Avalon with a nicer interior.
• 2003 Chevy Avalanche: Great tow vehicle for the price, But THIRSTY!

9/14/12

• 2009 BMW 328i: Freude am Fahren!
• 2011 Ford Ranger Sport 4x4: Good light truck.
• 2008 Honda Accord 4dr: Better than Toyota, but still kinda dull.