Handy Auto Guide

Aston Martin Rapide Review - CNET UK

2010-07-31T16:20:06Z

CNET UK have published a review of the Aston Martin Rapide saloon. 'The Rapide's extra girth has presented Aston Martin with the opportunity to furnish the car with a smorgasbord of technology. Those sat in the back can busy themselves with the rear-seat entertainment package, which consists of a pair of 5-inch displays mounted on the headrests, an infrared remote control for independently controlling what's on each screen, and a pair of wireless headphones that allow your passengers to listen to a different soundtrack to the one being played over the car's loudspeakers.']]>

Read: Aston Martin Rapide Review - CNET UK

Ferrari 458 Italia First Drive - Auto Express

2010-07-30T13:37:04Z

Auto Express have published a review of the Ferrari 458 Italia supercar. 'Slide down into the driver's seat and it's hard not to feel sorry for your passenger, as the beautifully crafted cabin is designed with everything angled towards the pilot. Even changing the volume on the stereo will require them to reach across the cabin. The driving position is perfect, and switches on either side of the wheel operate the functions displayed on corresponding screens flanking the central rev counter. The left-hand read-out shows the trip computer info and status of the chassis set-up. On the right is the screen for an entertainment system and optional sat-nav, which operates much like BMW's iDrive.'

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Read: Ferrari 458 Italia - Auto Express

BMW 750Li Review - Search Chicago

2010-07-29T02:03:02Z

Search Chicago have published a review of the BMW 750Li sedan. 'Getting comfortable in the new 7-Series is no problem. The 16-way power-adjustable front seats are heated and ventilated, and can be ordered with an optional massage function. Legroom for rear passengers is outstanding; heck, the rear seats recline. The heck with a limo, tell me you are taking me to the airport in this. The latest revision to the oft-panned iDrive system, which allows drivers to control most of the car's electronics through a single rotary knob, has gotten a really nice overhaul that makes it much more intuitive and deservedly commendable (for once).'

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Read: BMW 750Li defines luxury - Search Chicago

2011 Volkswagen Jetta First Drive - LeftLane

2010-07-28T13:42:26Z

LeftLane have published their review of the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta. 'First impressions are positive. The 2011 Jetta looks great, taking away the bubbly look of the outgoing model and replacing it with a uniquely VW face. An elegantly detailed front fascia gives way to a sculpted, but simple side profile. We're less impressed with the tail, which possesses intricate tail lamps but somehow still manages an anonycar lack of distinct style. It's as though the design team ran out of ideas - neither ugly nor especially beautiful, the Jetta's tail is simply there.'

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Read: First Drive: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta [Review] - LeftLane

2011 Hyundai Equus Review - The Car Connection

2010-07-27T10:14:19Z

The Car Connection have published a review of the 2011 Hyundai Equus sedan. 'Interior room and luxury features at a value price are the killer app with the Equus, which rides more softly and looks a bit more formal than anything in the competitive field. There are no paddle shifters or a sport package--but the back seat's a pleasure palace, with available ventilated, reclining bucket seats that flank an 8-inch LCD screen and DVD player, and an available refrigerated compartment. The Equus also comes with one more killer app: ultimate customer service. Hyundai dealers will come to owners to service the car, fetching it rather than having them drop it off. They'll also deliver the new Equus with an Apple iPad that contains the owner's manual, and an application to set up service appointments.'

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Read: 2011 Hyundai Equus Review - The Car Connection

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS First Drive - Inside Line

2010-07-26T12:53:01Z

Inside Line have published their "test driven" review of the 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS. 'It's interesting to consider that the 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS now has more than twice the power of the first water-cooled 911 (the 300-hp 996-series car that appeared in 1997), and yet so fastidious has Porsche been that every single horsepower remains controllable. As a result the GT2 RS need not be an intimidating car to drive fast. Which is to say that so long as the road is dry and you don't go getting ideas about turning off the stability systems, you can drive it and enjoy almost all that it can do in fear of nothing more than a lengthy jail sentence in the unlikely event that the law ever manages to catch up with you.'

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Read: 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS First Drive - Inside Line

2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Review - CNET

2010-07-25T12:50:18Z

CNET have published a review of the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500. 'The 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 is a Mad Max kind of a car, its blower making a satisfying whine with the engine running above 5,000rpm. But you would have to be on a race track or a lone desert highway to hit that engine speed in any gear but second. With 550 horsepower, the GT500 is pure muscle. And with the SVT Performance package, you would have to be on a track to really enjoy this car. Stiffer springs and Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar G:2 tires combine to give the GT500 surprisingly good cornering capabilities. But drive over the often pitted pavement of public roads, and the car becomes a torture chamber, transferring every jolt to the passengers in the cabin.'

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Read: 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 - CNET

2010 Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi First Edition Review - Car Magazine

2010-07-24T00:36:51Z

Car Magazine have published their review of the 2010 Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi First Edition. 'Traction is peerless, thanks to Kia's new Intelligent All-Wheel Drive. The Sportage shares the architecture with Hyundai's iX35, but Kia has gone to Magna Steyr to develop this new 4wd that is said to have a much faster response than Hyundai's system. Having not tested the two back to back, we can't vouch for that yet. We can report that you won't get the wheels to slip in the dry, though, and Kia promises that CO2 and mpg are way better than before thanks to more frequent running in FWD model.'

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Read: Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi First Edition (2010) CAR review - Car Magazine

2011 Subaru WRX: STI First Drive - Jalopnik

2010-07-23T13:14:34Z

Jalopnik have published their "test driven" review of the 2011 Impreza WRX and WRX STI cars. 'Both models have undergone a significant amount of evolution in the past decade, changing for reasons both obvious and subtle. The process is fairly simple: If Subaru releases a model that its customers like, it stays the same. If people don't, the company's engineers screw with it until they do. This is not the time or place to chart the WRX's changes, but suffice it to say that they are both numerous and market-specific. On that note, three main things are changed for 2011: The WRX now sports STI-like fender flares and a wider track; the STI boasts sharper, retuned suspension; and we are once again gifted with a four-door STI sedan.'

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Read: 2011 Subaru WRX, STI: First Drive - Jalopnik

2010 Mercedes C63 AMG Review - The Truth About Cars

2010-07-22T02:50:10Z

The Truth About Cars have published a review of the 2010 Mercedes C63 AMG. 'Starting off inside, for a $66,500 (as equipped) car, the cheap plastics and lack of features are startling. The same options - or lack thereof - that greet you in a base C300 rear their heads in the C63. If you don't opt for the $3,300 multimedia package, then you are stuck with a pointless microscopic screen tucked under a manually opening storage cubby. The screen shows a digital tuning dial for the radio and provides a display for the built-in Bluetooth, but it's so small that you might as well dial on your phone. When you opt for the $375 iPod integration kit, the screen becomes an oddly placed paperweight since the iPod can only be controlled via the steering wheel.'

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Read: Review: 2010 Mercedes C63 AMG - The Truth About Cars

2010 Skoda Superb Wagon Elegance Review - Car Advice

2010-07-21T16:28:18Z

A review of the 2010 Skoda Superb Wagon has been posted over at Car Advice. 'The roof rails and chrome window surrounds imbue a sense of expense, while there are other neat touches like the car's name embossed into the headlight surround. Finished in the Platin Grey paint of our test car, it's not exactly a show stopper, but it's not an optical assault, either. It sits somewhere in the middle - bland but safe. The interior fares slightly better, with neat, wood highlights which aren't over the top, but break up the masses of grey leather and black plastic. The steering wheel's chrome upside-down arc mimicking the chrome surround on the Superb's grille is a neat touch, while the wheel-mounted buttons and scroll-wheels make it cinch to navigate through stereo and vehicle functions.'

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Read: Skoda Superb Wagon Review & Road Test - Car Advice

Volvo C70 Review - The Garage Blog

2010-07-20T14:44:27Z

The Garage Blog have published a review of the Volvo C70 convertible. 'The C70 is offered in the US and Canada with one drivetrain only. A 2.5L turbocharged inline five delivers 227hp, coupled to a five-speed automatic. This is the same drivetrain in the Volvo C30 that The Garage reviewed earlier this year. While we were a bit underwhelmed with the C30, the drivetrain suits the C70′s personality perfectly. You have power available whenever you need it, but no one will mistake the C70 for a sports car. We enjoyed our C70 over a balmy Fourth of July weekend where I live in coastal Connecticut, and it was the perfect car for top down cruising and good fun.'

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Read: Review: Volvo C70 - The Garage Blog

Renault Wind Review - The Independent

2010-07-19T14:26:45Z

The Independent have published a review of the Renault Wind coupé-cabriolet. 'So the rump is short and pert. And any residual visual bulk dictated by roof stowage is cleverly made into a styling feature, specifically a pair of buttresses tapering rearwards and downwards from the back of the cabin. Then there's the roof itself, a construction of eureka-moment cleverness. It's a one-piece panel in lightweight black plastic and glass, which hinges at the base of its rear pillars so it can do a complete backflip over the boot space before the rear cover closes over it.'

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Read: Renault Wind - The Independent

2010 Mazdaspeed3 Review - SearchChicago

2010-07-18T15:47:46Z

A review of the 2010 Mazdaspeed3 has been posted over at SearchChicago. 'At first glance you may not appreciate the 2010 MS3's all-new "happy" face. I didn't have a problem with it, though, and I certainly didn't have a problem with the rest of the car. There isn't anything in this price range (starting price is $23,195) that delivers as much fun as the Mazdaspeed3. When talking about "best bang for the buck," the MS3 is at the top of the list. Under the hood of the 2010 MS3 is a powerful 2.3-liter turbocharged and intercooled four-cylinder engine that pounds out 263 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque.'

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Read: 2010 redesign gives MS3 more bang for the buck - SearchChicago

2010 Mazda Mazda3 S Review - LeftLane

2010-07-17T14:53:56Z

LeftLane have published a review of the 2010 Mazda Mazda3 s sport sedan. 'At times, you forget the Mazda3 is a front-wheel-drive sedan. It responds so predictably and so delightfully neutrally to inputs that it feels almost like all four wheels are moving. It doesn't offer the goofy slide-ready tossability of an all wheel drive car, but that's no bad thing. Instead, it rewards the driver with a positive, immediately enjoyable experience. It's a car that isn't hard to have fun with, even on the simplest on ramp or hint of a curve in the road. As for fuel economy - well, it's not a strong point. The Mazda3 s actually has a larger fuel tank than the i: 15.9 gallons rather than a paltry 14.5. But the bad news is that the s sips fuel at a rate of 21 mpg around town and 29 mpg on the highway - our testing roughly mirrored those figures.'

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Read: Review: 2010 Mazda Mazda3 s Sport Sedan - LeftLane