Car Reviews

Ford likes the Taurus name so much that it used it on both a sedan and its new six-passenger crossover, the 2008 Ford Taurus X. In many ways, the Taurus X is a much more sensible car than a massive SUV. It’s more maneuverable, gets plenty of power from its 3.6-liter V-6, and its lower height makes access easier. And its fold-down seats mimic the utility of a minivan. Read full 2008 Ford Taurus X 4DR Wagon Review »

Currently, the cheapest Cadillac is the best one you can buy. The all-new 2008 Cadillac CTS, at the bottom of the Cadillac lineup, builds in great performance and superior cabin tech. If it had better emissions performance, it would truly hit the trifecta. Read full 2008 Cadillac CTS Review »

Scion’s marketing people like to refer to the new 2008 Scion xD as a “Little Deviant,” portraying it as car for those who refuse to follow the crowd. The xD’s exterior styling does break the mold of the rounder Scion xA that it replaces. Its large, facemask-like front end gives it a stocky, aggressive profile, while a strip of mesh and two faux air inlets struggle to suggest that the car has some performance credentials. A high beltline and Scion’s signature boxy styling treatment at the rear end ensure that no one is going to mistake this for a four-door Toyota Yaris liftback. Read full 2008 Scion xD Review »

The 2007 Saturn Aura really wants to be a European sport/luxury sedan, but its attempts fall short. It has a fairly beefy high-tech engine and paddle shifters for its six-speed automatic, which make up the sport part of the equation. However, its unruly drive train delivers more power than the car can handle. Although not really a tech feature, plastic-molded faux-stitched-leather door panels horrified us and pretend to luxury in the worst possible way. Read full 2007 Saturn Aura Review »

Looking back on 2006, we realize we have spent a good deal of our drive time this year courtesy of Nissan’s all-purpose VQ35 V-6 engine. We started the year off in the 2006 Nissan Murano, negotiated the April showers in the 2006 Infiniti M35, took our summer vacation in a 2006 Nissan Quest , whipped up some fallen leaves in the 2007 Infiniti G35, and did most of our Christmas shopping in the 2007 Infiniti M35 Sport . What better way, then, to drive out the year in the 2007 Maxima SE, Nissan’s flagship sedan sporting Nissan’s flagship V-6 engine? Read full 2007 Nissan Maxima Review »