Category: On The Road: Driving Impressions

Saturn's Astra replaces the Ion with refinement and style, but does it speak American English?

Saturn's Astra replaces the Ion with refinement and style, but does it speak American English?

The Lincoln MKS is the new flagship of the Lincoln brand. Larger than most premium luxury cars, MKS carries a full load of understandable and useful technology. Powered by a 273-horsepower 3.7L V6 engine, MKS is a worthy entry in the Lincoln lineup.

Audi's R8 takes AutoPacific's Detroit office by the heart and mind.

After years of reasonable success in Europe, the Smart ForTwo is finally here in the US. At least on the surface of things, the ForTwo’s arrival couldn’t be better timed. After all, in this era of $4 per gallon (and likely rising) gasoline, a fashion-forward and fuel-efficient commuter makes all the sense in the world.

Smart’s entry to the US market is a venture by Roger Penske, auto dealer extraordinaire. Though Smart is a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, the three-pointed star’s US distributor isn’t directly involved (at least not yet) in the Smart brand’s arrival in the US, though some US Mercedes-Benz dealerships have added Smart showroom areas to their dealerships. Penske knows a thing or two about smart (no pun intended) business decisions, and he obviously saw a place in the market for this chic and efficient little runabout.
So what is the ForTwo? [...]

Audi's new coupes give us a new option for luxury touring.

Nissan Murano amazes. Does just about everything very well.

Dodge challenges us to put the Challenger SRT8 through its paces. It performs admirably, modernizing the pony car formula.

Nissan GT-R Super Car does laps at Circuito Estoril in Portugal. Sightseeing with the Nissan Clipper pickup.

Hyundai updates its Sonata for 2009, making the interior a far nicer place to be and dressing up the outside with a little nip and tuck here and there.