Epinions Recent Reviews for drive571

Challenger: Big Power, Big Style, Big Size… Big Deal?

Tue, 9 Dec 2008 22:51:47 GMT

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,...

Elantra: A Comfortable, High-Quality Transportation Appliance.

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 02:34:33 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - BackgroundHy
undai
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,...

2009 Toyota Corolla: Once "The Lexus Of Econocars," Today’s Corolla Is Just… A Toyota.

Sun, 1 Jun 2008 04:10:45 GMT

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. “To look at the all-new Corolla is to witness the coming-of-age of an automotive legend,”...

Economy, Value Mark xD As The Sensible Scion.

Sun, 18 May 2008 03:52:12 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background No one was quite sure what would become of Toyota’s 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...

2008 Astra: Better Late Than Never.

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:01:31 GMT

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...

2008 Scion xB: 2008 Scion xB: This One’s For Grown-Ups.

Sun, 4 Nov 2007 07:44:37 GMT

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...

Compass: What Hath Jeep Wrought?

Sat, 3 Nov 2007 06:47:33 GMT

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,...

How's The New WRX? Erm... It Kinda SUX.

Fri, 2 Nov 2007 02:59:19 GMT

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...

2008 Focus: What Was Ford Thinking?

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:40:05 GMT

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...

Z4 Coupe 3.0si: Sweeter the Second Time Around.

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 02:12:47 GMT

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,...

2008 Lancer: A Competitive Compact In Search Of An Engine.

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 05:30:10 GMT

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’s rear seat doesn’t fold. The Endeavor SUV lacks a third row seat. The swift...

2007 MINI Cooper S: "Let's Motor!" Becomes "Let's Mute 'Er!"

Mon, 8 Oct 2007 15:44:03 GMT

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...

2007 Sentra: Shift_Happens.

Sun, 7 Oct 2007 03:50:10 GMT

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...

2007 Tahoe: You Want Fries With That?

Mon, 1 Oct 2007 04:16:29 GMT

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’s. The flavors aren’t very sophisticated—we’re talking ladder frames, live rear axles, and...

Red Pill? Blue Pill? The Matrix's Designers May Have Had Too Many Of Both.

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:10:53 GMT

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 “hip” alternative to the Corolla—the two cars share a platform,...

Mazda 3 Revisited: Still The Class Of The Compact Class?

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 19:42:34 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background With fewer annual sales than the Civic and Corolla, Mazda’s 3 is still something of a niche player in the small-car class. But you’d never know it from trawling Epinions and other automotive sites, where praise for this model...

Patriot: Any Substance Beneath The Stylish Off-Road Wrapper?

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:14:18 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background Throughout the rapid expansion of the SUV segment, Jeep has distinguished itself by producing “real” SUVs: rugged, truck-based, and off-road-ready. For 2007, Jeep is backpedaling a bit on that angle, adding a pair of...

Sonata: The Best Of The Budget Camry-and-Accord Alternatives.

Tue, 4 Sep 2007 17:52:36 GMT

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...

A True Off-Roader; Shoppers Seeking A Stylish "Cruiser" Should Think Twice.

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 21:05:08 GMT

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—that of the...

Fusion: A Viable Budget Alternative to the Camry and Accord

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 01:31:06 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” might as well be Ford’s 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...

Monte Carlo: The Ol' Bait-And-SSwitch

Wed, 6 Jun 2007 14:54:46 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” has long described Chevy’s 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...

A Sedan With A Strong Personality; Reactions Will Split Accordingly.

Sun, 3 Jun 2007 05:25:59 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background I must admit to harboring a certain distaste for the Dodge brand in recent years. It’s nothing to do with the vehicles; it’s the attitude—or, rather, the ATTITUDE! You know what I’m talking about:...

2007 Camry Trades Some Substance For Style, But Remains Solid Value.

Thu, 24 May 2007 21:02:07 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background Although I’ve driven numerous Camrys over the years—and my father actually bought one, an SE V6, in 2005—I’ve never brought myself to write a review of this popular model. The reason is, well, what has made this car...

VW Rabbit: A Jetta By Any Other Name...

Wed, 23 May 2007 03:35:19 GMT

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’s disastrous, eye-straining redesign that has readers dropping their subscriptions like hot potatoes...

Better Than Expected. But, For Most Buyers, Not Better Than The Competition.

Tue, 22 May 2007 01:11:15 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author drive571 - Background Buicks, in general, tend to be unexciting cars. The most interesting thing about the LaCrosse is that its name is Quebecois slang for, ah, autoerotic activity. Actually, scratch that. The most interesting bit is that GM...