Car of the Month
Each month, MotorWeek host John Davis selects a vehicle to highlight that has the potential to be a game-changer, sets a new benchmark in its class, or exemplifies the latest trend in the automotive world.
2013 Nissan Altima 8.01.2012
Nowhere in the automotive business is the competition more intense than among mid-size family sedans. Every full-line automaker has at least one entry, all trying to unseat a pair of industry stalwarts; the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. In recent years several competitors have made significant inroads including the Hyundai Sonata, Ford Fusion, and the Nissan… Read More
2013 Scion FR-S 7.01.2012
The 2013 FR-S is Scion’s first rear-wheel-drive car and makes one heck of a first impression. With an aggressive front end and angular headlights glaring back at you, this coupe comes ready to rock. The dual exhaust around back reinforces that message, and another: this is no ordinary Scion. Light on its feet, this sport coupe wrangles up 200 horsepower and makes… Read More
2013 Ford Escape 6.01.2012
The Ford Escape was not the first compact crossover on the road, that honor falls to the Toyota RAV4. However, with over two million sales over the last 12 years, the Escape’s success has been a key to the rapid growth of the small utility market. But, anyone familiar with the previous Escapes will find the all-new 2013 model a huge departure. Gone is the boxy… Read More
2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco 5.01.2012
Up until just a few years ago, Detroit auto companies were making big profits by catering to America’s taste for larger SUVs and trucks, fueled by the free flow of relatively inexpensive gasoline. But, this false prosperity caused the companies to put a low priority on designing cars for the volume family sedan market. There were still lots of great sedans… Read More
2012 Fiat 500 Abarth 4.01.2012
When the Fiat brand returned to the U.S. market last year after nearly a generation of absence, there was high hope that it would make a huge splash with its smallest car, the 500. The Fiat 500 offered a cute to see, and fun to be seen in, Italian engineered 3-door coupe that was also cheaper than the similarly sized MINI Cooper. While we found the 500 lived up… Read More
2012 Buick Verano 3.01.2012
Buick has been working overtime to transform its image from the “old man” car brand of yore, to a much younger demographic in both age and style. So far, all of its new larger products, Enclave, LaCrosse, and Regal have by and large hit the spot with good vibes from the press and public alike. But not all young, upwardly mobile buyers are into large or even… Read More
2012 MINI Cooper Coupe 1.31.2012
Ever since the “new” MINI Cooper arrived for 2002, car writers have searched for the proper words to describe driving one of the world’s smaller car lines. While MINI products are micro-compact in size, the brand does not make entry level lethargic gas misers. In fact, MotorWeek described the 2002 MINI Cooper as akin to motoring about in a square-cornered, hard… Read More
2012 Mazda3 SKYACTIV 12.31.2011
One of the most unexpected outcomes of the rush by automakers toward hybrids and battery powered cars is the emergence of advance technology that makes the tried-and-true internal combustion engine competitive in fuel economy. Mazda, for one, is determined to forgo mass electrification of their products, at least until they have gotten every last MPG possible out… Read More
2012 Honda CR-V 12.01.2011
The all-new, fourth-generation, 2012 Honda CR-V is more of an evolution than a revolution. That’s easy to understand as Honda decided not to mess with a winning formula. But even for the CR-V, it takes constant tinkering to stay on top. For 2012, the exterior has taken a fresher turn. Styling is now far more engaging. But, Honda resisted the trend toward making… Read More
2012 Chevrolet Sonic 11.01.2011
The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic subcompact series replaces the Korean-built Aveo. And like the Aveo, its basic design was conceived in the Far East. But that ends any comparison between the two cars. The Sonic is a clean sheet design that’s not only built in the U.S.A., it targets America’s youngest car buyers like no Chevrolet before it. To that end, both the Sonic… Read More