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Hybrid Cars
Friday, 24 May 2013 19:30
The Basics: A frontrunner in the luxury SUV segment, the 2012 BMW X5 continues to prove its value, moving forward for the new model year with minimal updates. Given its handsome styling, ample space for five passengers, and luxurious interior, that's a good thing. Styled with BMW's brand aesthetics up front, but with a more masculine appeal...
The Basics: The Fit is Honda's entry-level model (and lowest-priced model) in the U.S., and it perhaps comes closest to emulating what the Civic used to be: well-configured, affordable transportation with a fun-to-drive edge. While the Civic has become somewhat larger, softer, and more anonymous in look and feel over the years, the smaller...
The Basics: The Honda Pilot might at first glance look like yesterday's news—the kind of ruggedly styled, truck-based SUV that's gone out of favor. But in truth, it's one of the better choices for everyday, on-the-road family use—especially if you're the type to eschew minivans—and the overtly boxy body yields an especially...
The Basics: The Tribeca is Subaru's mid-size crossover—a little larger than the automaker's rugged Outback wagon, and as the name hints, a little more urbane in purpose. That's the idea, but in reality it's hard to see why to choose the 2012 Subaru Tribeca over the Outback if they're beside one another at the dealership. While at the time...
The Basics: The 2012 Subaru Outback, largely unchanged in its third year, sits right in the mid-size sport utility class, though whether it's a wagon or a crossover utility can be endlessly debated. It competes with five-seat utilities from the Toyota Venza and Volvo XC60 to the brawnier but less capacious Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Outback's...
The Basics: Compact crossovers--cute-utes, if you want--make up a crowded field, one with some strong sellers among them. The Ford Escape is 11 years old, and it's still a huge hit. Honda's CR-V lingers near the top ten of sales charts, too. For years, Hyundai's entry in the class was the underwhelming Tucson, but in 2010, it was redesigned...
The Basics: The 2012 Subaru Forester is a tall, boxy crossover wagon, carrying a rugged-looking, utility-like body over somewhat sturdier passenger-car underpinnings. To us, the Forester strikes a nearly ideal balance for Snow Belt small families—with an almost incredibly roomy interior, carlike handling, standard all-weather all-wheel...
The Basics: For more than a decade, the Toyota Prius has been the public face of hybrid cars. A new, third-generation model was completely redesigned for 2010 to offer more features and even higher gas mileage. Now, for 2012, the Prius name expands beyond the iconic hatchback to include two new models. The 2012 Toyota Prius hatchback hardly...
The Basics: Unique in Audi's range as a mid-engine supercar, the R8 has built its reputation from scratch in just a few short years. Despite not having the track record of Lamborghini or Ferrari in supercar construction, Audi has put the Italians and everyone else on notice.For 2012, the R8 is available in three core guises: the Spyder...
The Basics: The 2012 Lexus HS 250h hasn't exactly set the sales charts on fire, and with the arrival of the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid last year, it lost its title as the luxury hybrid sedan with the highest gas mileage. Introduced as a 2010 model, it uses some parts from the iconic Toyota Prius hybrid, along with a larger 2.4-liter four-cylinder...
The Basics: New in 2011, the GMC Terrain comes back for the 2012 model year with minor changes, mostly to its infotainment systems. The Terrain is the junior member of the GMC family, the smaller of its two crossovers (the Acadia is the other). A close relative of the Chevrolet Equinox, the Terrain shares most of the Chevy's good points,...
The Basics: No question about it, the Jeep Liberty is boxy and rugged. And while we're becoming accustomed to seeing carlike vehicle masquerading in trail clothes, that's not at all the case here: The 2012 Jeep Liberty remains mostly truck. But for families who plan on spending most of the time on pavement—and with the trail-focused...
The Basics: While the pedestrian Subaru Impreza sedan and hatchback were thoroughly updated for 2012, the hot-rod Impreza WRX and STI models soldier on with the older and proven body style for another year. Both were restyled last year, with more aggressive styling and substantial suspension and running gear changes, so they're far from...
The Basics: The all-new 2012 Buick Verano certainly isn't the first compact sedan from Buick. But while past lackluster efforts have been merely badge-engineered versions of Chevrolet models, GM argues that the Verano is something markedly more luxurious—and worth the extra few thousand over the nearly identically sized Chevrolet Cruze....
The Basics: After a long drought without new products, the minivan segment saw every one of its competitors replaced or refreshed in the 2011 model year. That's epic change--or so it seems. For the best sellers--Sienna, Odyssey, the Chrysler minivans--the changes were more updates than reinventions. Not so for the Nissan Quest, which changed...
The Basics: The Nissan Murano's grown popular because it has so few of the usual tired SUV cliches. It's a five-seater without much off-road ability or towing capacity, and it's stylish, too--almost to a fault. The Murano is a good-looking tall wagon, and ties together its sheetmetal and its cabin in a convincing way. This generation's much...
The Basics: Do you love the Porsche Boxster's performance, styling, and price, but want a hard top? If so, the Cayman is what you're looking for. It's built on the same basic architecture, and in many ways, it's a great stand-in for its bigger, more expensive brother, the 911. Few changes arrive for the 2012 model year, though a new Cayman R...
The Basics: The Ford Expedition is trucky, conservative, mammoth as it's always been--and that's why it's still around, now that other full-size SUVs have fallen from orbit, or failed to launch at all. The Expedition's selling much more slowly than it ever has, but it's still one of the better choices for those who need to tow and haul. The...
The Basics: Standing as one of the few stalwarts of the old guard of full-size SUVs, the stately Lincoln Navigator carries a full load of passengers readily, yet just as easily takes on the truck-like duties of towing. As a truck-based SUV, the Lincoln Navigator hasn't seen a need to change its appearance much over the years. It retains its...
The Basics: The 2012 Nissan Sentra is a compact sedan that appeals to shoppers looking for a practical, affordable, economical small sedan. Just below the Altima mid-size sedan yet a little more substantial and refined than the Versa sedan, the 2012 Sentra hits a size and price sweet spot also occupied by the likes of the Honda Civic, Toyota...
The Basics: The 2012 Lexus RX 350 plays it safe and comfortable in the luxury crossover segments. It's been a longtime favorite because of its smooth performance and pleasant looks, not to mention Lexus' reputation for dealer service and reliability. It's essentially unchanged for the new model year, as is the case with its hybrid companion,...