Published by Jason June 10th, 2008
in 4.5 Stars and Nissan.
While reviewing the Altima Coupe, I joked that, while the Sedan may be a nice kid, the Altima Coupe would always be the favorite child. Now, after a few days in the sedan, I realize I may have spoken a bit too soon.
With an entry price of just $19,000 (or up to $30,000 with all the features added), the Altima offers itself to a very wide range of buyers, and provides excellent value to all of them. The comfortable seats, well placed interior, spacious cockpit are all high-above most competitors. I personally found the interior to be among the best Nissan has ever designed. It was very well thought out, and incredibly functional while maintaining a level of comfort and everyday usability that I hope every car strives for.
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Published by Jason February 29th, 2008
in 3.5 Stars and Subaru.
I was excited to drive the all-new 2008 Impreza 4-door sedan. Recently, a friend of mine had driven WRXs and STIs through the frozen tundra of the Yukon Territory of Canada. He raved about it’s performance, on-snow driving, and how fun it was to rally those cars through breathtaking scenery. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t have the opportunity to take it through such dramatic landscapes, nor was I driving the sport-packed engines of the WRX or STI.
The introductory price of my Impreza was $17,000 and includes a 170-hp engine that is unfortunately under-powered. With such a rich heritage of rally car champions, getting into a Subaru and feeling the sluggish, unresponsive weight of the throttle disappointed much more than when driving an even more under-powered car but from a lesser pedigree. And as I remembered from driving Imprezas past, the seats were firm and uncomfortable. The final negative was the car looked and felt very cheap inside. The first glance around the cockpit revealed plastic-looking and feeling levers, knobs, and dash panels that aren’t inappropriate for an entry-level car, but again, with such a rich heritage of making great cars, it was disappointing to see how cheap this Subaru was.
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Published by Jason February 22nd, 2008
in 5 stars and Volvo.
Not long after I drove the Volvo V70, I had the opportunity to drive the XC70. It was an interesting opportunity to compare these similar cars and get a feel for the differences.
Most notably are the obvious. With over 8 inches of ground-clearance, this car sat much taller than it’s little brother. It was slightly longer in the cargo area, and it’s exterior styling was much more aggressive and macho. I’m personally a big fan of the XC styling, and think that has that little something that begs to be taken outside, run through mud puddles, stormed up to the mountain, and hosed off when home. Not to mention the addition of stock four-wheel drive on the XC70s, the differences are slightly more than cosmetic, and Volvo has provided a car worthy of the mountain in both its function and appearance.
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Published by Jason February 15th, 2008
in 4 Stars and Nissan.
The family-friendly four-door is often the forgotten sibling in households that also offer a two-seater sports coupe, and in the case of the Altima Coupe, it’s easy to see why. While technically looking related to it’s slightly larger, and more door-endowed brother, the Altima Coupe got all the looks in all the right places. The grill, the wheels, the sleek rear window, even slightly adjusted headlamps tell a story of mischief and trouble that the older, more mature four-door just doesn’t seem to know about. And I’m sure as the proud parent of the sedan, the coupe would always be the favorite child.
Driving the Altima was as rewarding an experience as I’ve had in a while. It was comfortable, thanks to nicely bolstered seats and comfortable leather. It was quiet on the highway. It was tight and agile in the corners. It was snappy and ready to go in the throttle. And starting around $21,000 (and delivering 175 hp), this was quite a car with quite an appeal for anyone willing to live with two doors. If you bump that dollar amount to the $26,000 range and get yourself a 3.5 SE, you’ll be negotiating and extra 95 horsepower, taking the total to 270. $5000 for extra luxuries and almost 100 horsepower can only be described as a win-win.
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Published by Jason February 9th, 2008
in 4.5 Stars and Volvo.
With 2008 comes a newly designed Volvo V70, and the passing of an era. Gone are the days of boxy, homely Volvos reminiscent of 20+ years in manufacturing. With the updated styling in this year’s model, Volvo has made complete its transformation into a sleek-lined car company, with the DNA of styling running through every car in its lineup.
While the 5-door wagon will never be confused with a true sport-wagon like the Mercedes-Benz AMG E-Class, or even Audi’s RS6 Avante, this wagon holds its own for blending every-day practicality while possibly looking better than any other $32,000 wagon out there (base-price). When adding in Volvo’s renown safety record, and forward-thinking features, you’re getting class, elegance, functionality, and common-sense… And did I mention looks?
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