Automotive Wallpapers: August 2010

Sunday, August 29, 2010

2010 Suzuki Kizashi - Four Seasons Update - July 2010

We've had our hands on our Four Seasons Suzuki Kizashi for five months, and in that same span of time, Suzuki has managed to sell only 2410 examples. On the one hand, that's understandable, given the company's limited dealer network (we count only 370 showrooms in the United States), but on the other hand, it's puzzling. The Kizashi is quite a compelling package, and as staffers continue to note, it's all we really need in a small car.

2011 Toyota Sienna XLE

By Evan McCausland, Eric Tingwall, Rusty Blackwell, Amy Skogstrom, Jennifer Misaros

As a child of the minivan era, I've always respected these vehicles for their excellent versatility. To wit, I used the Sienna to pick up a new dining table and six chairs, still boxed, and the Toyota swallowed all contents fairly easily and without having to fold the middle-row seats (which can't fold down into the floor anyway). Once I unloaded the furniture, I marveled at how far the middle seats can slide back and forth.

2010 Volkswagen CC Sport

I really admire the Volkswagen CC's premium interior, practical-yet-engaging powertrain, and reasonable price. Well equipped in its base trim and starting at $28,560, I think of the CC as an Audi A4 with a $5000 discount. The slick-shifting six-speed manual and willing-to-rev 200-hp four-cylinder are a joy to work quickly. There are some interior bits here shared with $18,000 Golfs, but they still meet the class standard in a $30,000 sedan; this is how VW earned that reputation for fabulous interiors, by creating shared parts that are at-home in the most expensive vehicle they're used in.

First Drive: 2011 Volvo S60

Ask most Americans what single word comes to mind when they think of Volvo, and they are likely to say, “safety.” No other automaker has so burned the safety message into our brains than Volvo has over decades of advertising and brand management. Naturally, Volvo continues to capitalize on that reputation with the all-new 2011 S60, which integrates more active and passive safety systems than ever before, including a groundbreaking new pedestrian-protection system.