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Review: 2011 Lincoln MKX

Filed under: Crossover, Lincoln, Reviews, Luxury

Competing Against Edge More Than Other Luxury CUVs

2011 Lincoln MKX

2011 Lincoln MKX – Click above for high-res image gallery

With Mercury dead, hundreds of former Lincoln-Mercury dealerships will be forced to rely on Ford’s 93-year-old luxury brand to bring home the bacon alone. These dealers are nervous about their future, and rightfully so.

Every Lincoln on sale today is a gussied up version of a Ford. True, most mainstream automakers with luxury divisions, like Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura and Volkswagen/Audi, use a similar strategy of platform and technology sharing to save costs, but U.S. domestic automakers have never been particularly good at it. A Volkswagen is usually praised for being Audi-like, but a Lincoln is usually decried for being too similar to a Ford. Sharing can so easily become rebadging, and Lincoln dealers are wondering how they’ll live off a lineup of simply “more expensive” Fords.

The answer may lie in the 2011 Lincoln MKX, which is the lux version of the Ford Edge. Since the latter received a significant mid-cycle freshening for the 2011 model year, so has the former. With their first significant update since 2006, the duo is poised to upset the status quo in the premium mid-size CUV segment. We’ve already told you how impressed we are with the 2011 Edge, so you won’t be surprised to learn we feel much the same about the new MKX. The difference is that the Lincoln has a lot further to go to be competitive within the luxury CUV set. Does it succeed? Will we now praise the Edge for being Lincoln-like?

Gallery: 2011 Lincoln MKX: Review

2011 Lincoln MKX

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Review: 2011 Lincoln MKX originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX

Filed under: Performance, Hatchback, Subaru, Reviews

Measuring The Difference In Inches

2011 Subaru Impreza WRX

2011 Subaru Impreza WRX – Click above for high-res image gallery

One point three inches. How much difference can it make? That depends on what you’re measuring. If you’re comparing the 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX to the 2011, that small measurement makes all the difference in the world.

If you’re a Subie fan, you’ve already read our First Drive. The headline news for the 2010-to-2011 changeover is that the WRX gained the STI model’s widebody fenders and 1.3-inch wider track. Wanting to know whether the growth in girth made any difference to the affable and relatively affordable WRX, we decided to spend some quality time in the example you see here.

We learned plenty. Many things work well for the practical enthusiast. Others, not so much.

Gallery: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX: Review

2011 Subaru Impreza WRX

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Review: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Gran Turismo 5

Filed under: Toys/Games

Why The Most Anticipated Driving Game Ever Is Not A Must Buy

Gran Turismo 5: Review – Click above for high-res image gallery

1,000 cars. Hundreds of events. 71 track variations. Six years in development. There are lots of numbers to throw around and lots of numbers behind the latest release of Gran Turismo, the version that fans of the franchise have been aching for while suffering through delay after delay. Gran Turismo 5 is finally here, and in plenty of ways it’s the best installment that the storied franchise has seen to date.

However, it’s also the least polished release, least complete feeling and seemingly the buggiest – yes, even worse than the infamously rushed Gran Turismo 2. It’s a frustrating mix of amazing content and glaring shortcomings that will leave even the most devout GT fanboys and girls with mixed feelings. But, of course, the full story is rather more complicated than that. So let’s get to it…

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Gallery: Gran Turismo 5: Review

Gallery: Gran Turismo 5: Screen Shots

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Review: Gran Turismo 5 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SEL

Filed under: Sedan, Volkswagen, Reviews

Teasing The Faithful While Pleasing The Masses

2011 Volkswagen Jetta – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Jetta has always disguised its cost controls beneath a veneer of high quality materials and tidy manners. Interiors have been like Audis in training, with suspensions so supple the world’s largest automakers dissect the bushings to learn their secrets. This long view emphasizes the recent disappointment with this new larger, U.S.-centric Jetta.

Early reports sounded the alarm; the new Jetta is shockingly cheap. That’s a positive statement regarding the $15,995 base price, down from $17,735 for the 2010 model, and Volkswagen is touting it prominently with its “Great for the price of Good” advertising tagline. While some cry foul, sales are up. For its first month on the market, the 2011 Jetta posted 12.6 percent better numbers than the old model managed for the same month a year prior.

To achieve that sub-$16,000 number, things had to go, though good stuff remains. We wanted to give der neue Jetta a chance to wow us, so we spent a week with a Jetta 2.5 SEL to find out if it’s been overwhelmed by a too-intense focus on price.

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Gallery: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta: Review

2011 Volkswagen Jetta

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Review: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SEL originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Top Gear USA – the first episode [w/poll]

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Celebrities

Not The Original, But Not Bad, Either

Adam Ferrara, Tanner Foust, Rutledge Wood

The logo. The exotic car-filled studio. The engine block coffee table. The Stig. The Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. It all seemed so familiar. The inaugural episode of Top Gear USA aired Sunday night at 10pm EST/9C on the History Channel with a lot of what made the original British show an international hit, but without those three dynamic blokes that have made the UK version so great. Or the amazing producers who put that show together each week. Instead, we get new producers, a new set, and new promise in hosts Tanner Foust, Adam Ferrara and Rutledge Wood.

The first episode of Top Gear USA started off with a bang by transitioning from an original Shelby Cobra to the best modern interpretation of the big engine on wheels: the Dodge Viper. The American-made missile was driven by Tanner Foust who was charged with outrunning a Cobra attack helicopter. The Viper was fitted with a missile detection simulator that showed when the supercar was being missile-locked and “hit” by the chopper. To win this competition, Foust and his navigator/co-host Rutledge Wood needed to blast across town and back before being hit by the chopper three times. We won’t tell you how it ends, but we will say this first stunt showed that while the camera work and editing isn’t yet up to Top Gear UK levels of excellence, the content is still engaging and fun to watch.

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Review: Top Gear USA – the first episode [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2

Filed under: Performance, Truck, Ford, Reviews, Off-Road

Frequent Flying In Ford’s Factory Baja Blaster

2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2

2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2 – Click above for high-res image gallery

A scant 30 minutes had passed after taking possession of this 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor until we had all four of its wheels off the ground. We’d have done the deed even sooner, but our destination – a Baja-style test track in the middle of the desert outside Phoenix, Arizona – was, understandably, far enough out of town that no locals would be able to complain of excessive noise or mini dust tornadoes encroaching on their own tracts of brush-filled paradise.

2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor jump After all, the modern conveniences of day-to-day life just don’t mix with such uncivilized activities as seeing how much air you can put between your truck’s skid plates and solid ground.

And therein lies the beauty of this particular beast. Since when did such niceties as in-dash navigation with voice-activated SYNC, a leather interior with heated seats, dual-zone climate control and satellite radio count as standard equipment in a truck that was built primarily for 100-mile-per-hour blasts through the desert?

Since late 2009, actually, when FoMoCo unleashed the first version of the F-150 SVT Raptor on an unsuspecting public. Unlike all previous products from Ford’s Specialty Vehicle Team, including the F-150-based SVT Lightning, this truck does its best work once the pavement ends and the really nasty stuff begins.

It’s no secret that we’ve loved the Raptor ever since our first experience behind the wheel, and now it’s better than ever before. How so? Keep reading to find out.

Gallery: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2: Review

2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2

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Review: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack by RoadRace Motorsports

Filed under: Aftermarket, Budget, Performance, Hatchback, Suzuki, Reviews

The aftermarket put some more heat in Suzuki’s hot hatch

2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack by RoadRace Motorsports

2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack by RoadRace Motorsports – Click above for high-res image gallery

When we think of production vehicles that can double as daily drivers and weekend racers, the Lotus Exige, Mazda MX-5 Miata and Porsche Boxster come to mind. They’ve got to be light, nimble and handle the rigors of the road along with the demands of the track. That’s why we had a little chuckle when a 2010 Suzuki SX4 with “Road Race modifications” came up on our schedule for vehicles to review. When we drove the 2008 SX4 Sport, we found it to have a “sporty feel and rather quick reflexes,” but the chassis had fairly low limits and we couldn’t imagine the squat hatch being that much fun on track.

Still, we were curious how a hopped-up SX4 would perform, particularly in 2010 MY guise, which adds seven additional horsepower (143 to 150 hp) and a six-speed manual transmission. Suzuki has billed its new five-door as a worthy competitor to the world’s best hot hatches, but can it really deliver a world-class combination of practicality and sportiness? With several days of Southern California’s back roads marked down on our schedule, we aimed to find out.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack by RoadRace Motorsports

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Review: 2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack by RoadRace Motorsports originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Nissan Rogue

Filed under: Crossover, Nissan, Reviews

A Good Option Among Many Gets a Little Better

2011 Nissan Rogue – Click above for high-res image gallery

We don’t envy the hordes of product planners working in the auto world. America’s concept of quality transportation seems to shift with the seasons, leaving analysts scrambling to anticipate amorphous market demands while automakers fill barely justifiable voids in their product line. If you need proof, look no further than the scorching hot CUV segment. Buyers have developed a seemingly unquenchable thirst for small, car-based high riders, and nearly every automaker sports at least one tall hatch in their lineup.

Nissan hopped on the small crossover train belately in 2007 when it introduced the Rogue as a 2008 model. The pint-sized ‘ute borrowed plenty of styling cues from the likes of the larger Murano and came equipped with an efficient and capable drivetrain built to suit a variety of tastes. But that was three years ago. In order to keep the Rogue as fresh as possible until a full-on next-generation model arrives, the company has rolled out a mildly updated version for 2011. It may not be the front-runner in its class, but the refreshed 2011 Rogue promises to hit all of the same notes that American buyers are singing right now. We spent a week with one to find out.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Rogue: Review

2011 Nissan Rogue

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Review: 2011 Nissan Rogue originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Ford Edge Limited

Filed under: Crossover, Ford, Reviews

Ford Masters The Mid-Cycle Refresh

2011 Ford Edge

2011 Ford Edge – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s one thing for an automaker to develop a single great vehicle. After all, even a blind squirrel can score the occasional nut. But to gain a loyal customer base, automakers must string together a consistent cadence of winners. When CEO Alan Mulally joined Ford Motor Company in 2006, he inherited a product lineup with only two true champions: the F-Series pickup and the iconic Mustang. Over the next four years, Mulally and his team concentrated on getting the company leaner and meaner while improving quality and streamlining its product offerings.

At the same time that Ford was trimming costs and eliminating waste, it was also producing more competitive products. The 2010 Taurus was a step in the right direction. The 2010 Fusion won Motor Trend Car of the Year. The 2011 Mustang GT got the engines it needed to beat up on the pony car competition. And buyers are spending top dollar to get optioned-up 2011 Fiesta hatchbacks and sedans. The Blue Oval has been firing on all cylinders, and the company’s newest offering, the 2011 Edge, is supposed to extend Ford’s seemingly unbreakable streak. Will updated looks, new engines and a completely overhauled interior get the Edge on buyers’ short lists? We spent a week in a loaded 2011 Edge Limited to see for ourselves.

Gallery: Review: 2011 Ford Edge

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Review: 2011 Ford Edge Limited originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Porsche puts all new model plans under review

Filed under: Porsche, Rumormill

Porsche Badge

According to Autocar magazine, Porsche chairman Matthias Müeller has announced that the German automakers plans for future models are currently being put on hold. This includes both a small, sub-Boxster roadster and the Cajun small crossover. The company needs to review currently proposed new models and see where they fit into the current lineup of Porsche vehicles. A business case needs to be presented and many questions have to be answered before Porsche proceeds. The planned strategic review is understood to not impact revisions of models that are currently in production.

This is not to say the vehicles won’t be built. Müeller says the ideas for both of the smaller Porsche models are still very much alive, but each design needs to make financial sense. The business cases will be presented and the questions will be answered, with a decision-due date set for the end of this year.

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Porsche puts all new model plans under review originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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