© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc. This feed is subject to our terms of use: http://www.epinions.com/help/rss_terms http://www.epinions.com/user-drive571 Recent reviews written by member drive571 en-us 121 37 http://www.epinions.com/ http://img.epinions.com/images/epi_images/logos/epinions_121.gif http://www.epinions.com/content_483004681860?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - BackgroundEvery once in a while, I test-drive a car that behaves so exactly as expected—nothing jarring, no surprises—that I forget to review it. The Mercedes E-Class is one of those cars. Like every other E Mercedes of the... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~483004681860 Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:51:26 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_483004681860?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_454434000516?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background Credit (or blame) for the current retro-ponycar craze rests squarely on Ford. Their current-generation Mustang—a deliciously authentic recreation of the 1967 model—struck a chord with the general public in 2005,... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~454434000516 Tue, 9 Dec 2008 22:51:47 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_454434000516?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_443620757124?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - BackgroundHyundai gained a foothold in the U.S. market with bargain-bin pricing, and for two decades, no evaluation of a Hyundai has been complete without taking "the deal" into account. But with each successive generation of product, the... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~443620757124 Thu, 4 Sep 2008 02:34:33 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_443620757124?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_432200912516?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background Toyota couches the new tenth-generation Corolla as a stylish and more luxurious evolution of its perenially popular economy car. &#147To look at the all-new Corolla is to witness the coming-of-age of an automotive legend,&#148... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~432200912516 Sun, 1 Jun 2008 04:10:45 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_432200912516?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_430463422084?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background No one was quite sure what would become of Toyota&#146s U.S.-only, semi-experimental Scion brand when it was launched in 2004. Toyota, for its part, expected the jellybean-like xA to be the volume seller of the line, envisioning the... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~430463422084 Sun, 18 May 2008 03:52:12 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_430463422084?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_408067608196?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background GM’s Saturn division has long gotten the short shrift in terms of product. Launched with a unique “Z-body” platform and DOHC four-cylinder engine in 1990, Saturn soon fell victim to GM’s internal... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~408067608196 Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:01:31 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_408067608196?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_407005466244?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background The trouble with redesigning an automotive icon is that, now matter how well it's done, a second-generation model can never re-create the "buzz" that surrounded its predecessor. Expectations run higher; enthusiasm runs lower... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~407005466244 Sun, 4 Nov 2007 07:44:37 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_407005466244?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_406944976516?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background Every few years, a vehicle is released that becomes the four-wheeled equivalent of Judas: everyone loves to hate it. Earlier in this decade, that vehicle was the Pontiac Aztek. Further back, the position was occupied by the Yugo,... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~406944976516 Sat, 3 Nov 2007 06:47:33 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_406944976516?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_406873869956?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background What is it with today's automotive designers copying the look of Toyota's Corolla? Oft-derided as the nadir of automotive desirability, the lowly Corolla clearly "inspired" the restyle of Volkswagen's Jetta in 2005, then did the same... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~406873869956 Fri, 2 Nov 2007 02:59:19 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_406873869956?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_406683160196?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background For years after its late-1999 debut, Ford’s Focus was critically acclaimed as one of the most competitive, fun-to-drive compacts on the market. And, for nearly as long, Ford has seemed hell-bent on trying to kill the... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~406683160196 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:40:05 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_406683160196?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_406120468100?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background As a tagline, “The Ultimate Driving Machine” sounds more than a little hyperbolic. But there’s some truth to it. Nearly every model BMW builds, from the 328i to the X5, is renowned for its smooth power,... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~406120468100 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 02:12:47 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_406120468100?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_405323550340?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background In the past five years, Mitsubishi has fielded a number of solid vehicles, each plagued by a single, crippling design flaw. To wit: the Galant sedan&#146s rear seat doesn&#146t fold. The Endeavor SUV lacks a third row seat. The swift... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~405323550340 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 05:30:10 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_405323550340?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_405091946116?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background If you spend enough time hanging around hard-core driving enthusiasts, you’ll find that they tend to anticipate ground-up redesigns of their favorite models with fear and trepidation, not excitement. The reason? Over the... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~405091946116 Mon, 8 Oct 2007 15:44:03 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_405091946116?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_404982173316?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background Nissan has been figuratively on fire for the last few years, introducing one hit model after another and successfully reinventing itself as a sportier, more stylish alternative to Honda and Toyota. But even the smartest companies... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~404982173316 Sun, 7 Oct 2007 03:50:10 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_404982173316?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_404519358084?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background When it comes to family transportation, full-size SUVs are something like a super-sized Big Mac dinner at McDonald&#146s. The flavors aren&#146t very sophisticated&#151we&#146re talking ladder frames, live rear axles, and... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~404519358084 Mon, 1 Oct 2007 04:16:29 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_404519358084?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_404134268548?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background In automotive circles, Toyota is highly regarded for its smart business strategies. As such, the Matrix is something of a puzzle. Introduced in 2003 as a &#147hip&#148 alternative to the Corolla&#151the two cars share a platform,... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~404134268548 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:10:53 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_404134268548?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_404029804164?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background With fewer annual sales than the Civic and Corolla, Mazda&#146s 3 is still something of a niche player in the small-car class. But you&#146d never know it from trawling Epinions and other automotive sites, where praise for this model... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~404029804164 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 19:42:34 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_404029804164?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_403012292228?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background Throughout the rapid expansion of the SUV segment, Jeep has distinguished itself by producing &#147real&#148 SUVs: rugged, truck-based, and off-road-ready. For 2007, Jeep is backpedaling a bit on that angle, adding a pair of... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~403012292228 Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:14:18 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_403012292228?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_402411392644?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background "Rethink performance," reads the ad copy, floating over a stark metallic cityscape. "Rethink comfort," it continues, following the curve of a vehicle's fender. "Rethink everything;" fade out. This sort of slick marketing... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~402411392644 Tue, 4 Sep 2007 17:52:36 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_402411392644?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_377696128644?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background When Toyota first showed the FJ Cruiser concept at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show, the company had no intention of actually producing it. The FJ was simply a styling exercise, a radical shell fitted to an existing chassis&#151that of the... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~377696128644 Sun, 17 Jun 2007 21:05:08 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_377696128644?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_374501969540?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background &#147If you can&#146t beat &#145em, join &#145em&#148 might as well be Ford&#146s tagline for the Fusion. After letting its once-cutting-edge Taurus rot on the vine for a full decade, Ford found itself without the resources to... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~374501969540 Mon, 11 Jun 2007 01:31:06 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_374501969540?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_372375981700?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background &#147Win on Sunday, sell on Monday&#148 has long described Chevy&#146s approach to selling the Monte Carlo. And, for nearly as long, production Monte Carlos have borne little resemblance to their racing namesakes. While the Monte... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~372375981700 Wed, 6 Jun 2007 14:54:46 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_372375981700?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_370780180100?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background I must admit to harboring a certain distaste for the Dodge brand in recent years. It&#146s nothing to do with the vehicles; it&#146s the attitude&#151or, rather, the ATTITUDE! You know what I&#146m talking about:... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~370780180100 Sun, 3 Jun 2007 05:25:59 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_370780180100?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_366530629252?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background Although I&#146ve driven numerous Camrys over the years&#151and my father actually bought one, an SE V6, in 2005&#151I&#146ve never brought myself to write a review of this popular model. The reason is, well, what has made this car... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~366530629252 Thu, 24 May 2007 21:02:07 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_366530629252?linkin_id=8003929 http://www.epinions.com/content_365735546500?linkin_id=8003929 rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background I noticed something funny when I opened my December 2006 issue of Car & Driver. Well, two things. One was the magazine&#146s disastrous, eye-straining redesign that has readers dropping their subscriptions like hot potatoes... http://www.epinions.com/content/submit.html/comment_~365735546500 Wed, 23 May 2007 03:35:19 GMT http://www.epinions.com/content_365735546500?linkin_id=8003929