Review: '09 Honda Pilot SUV is a worthy contender

November 21, 2008

This was hardly the right year to introduce a new midsize SUV, what with $4 a gallon gas in the spring and a Great Depression-sized credit collapse in the fall. But car shoppers still feeling prosperous and wanting a truck will find the redesigned Honda Pilot that went on sale in May a worthy contender.

Recent columns

• 457-hp. Mercedes is all about performance pleasure

  November 14, 2008

  You'll probably guess before you climb behind the wheel of the C63 AMG that it's no ordinary Mercedes C-Class. If you haven't, the 200-mph speedometer will clinch it.

• ROAD TEST: Ford Escape a practical fit on price, fuel, ride and size

  November 7, 2008

  The new four-cylinder engine in the '09 Ford Escape isn't the quietest on the road or the smoothest at idle. Few drivers are likely to be impressed by the interior materials or be wowed by its bland styling on the sides.

• ROAD TEST: Volkswagen brings back the Jetta wagon

  October 31, 2008

  As sport utility vehicles have gotten smaller in response to rising gasoline prices, the differences between many of them and the traditional station wagon have diminished to nearly nothing in some cases.

• Mercedes' cleaner diesels impressive

  October 24, 2008

  Environmentalists never liked diesel engines very much for their air-polluting soot. And maybe you didn't either when you were gagging on the fumes of a diesel truck or bus in front of you. Or if you owned a diesel car that was noisy, smelled bad and moved slowly.

• Road test shows Hemi hybrid less painful at pump

  October 17, 2008

  These days, "Got a Hemi" also means "Got big gasoline bills." But there's a way to get that V-8 Hemi power in a full-size sport utility vehicle and still get fuel economy in the low 20s mpg: the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango Hybrids - Chrysler Corp.'s first production gasoline-electric vehicles.

• Hyundai adds near-luxury Genesis sedan to line up

  October 10, 2008

  With fewer than three months remaining in 2008, it's been a quite a year: The last games were played at Shea and Yankee stadiums, Merrill Lynch almost went broke and Hyundai - Hyundai! - introduced a $38,000 car that can become a $40,000 car with options.

• Lancer Evolution: a compelling, pricey choice

  October 3, 2008

  The Evolution versions of Mitsubishi's Lancer compact sedan are special cars for the enthusiast few, absolute dynamite to drive, laden with more technology than anyone needs unless they race or rally and with prices that can run 20 grand higher than most people would want to pay for a compact car.

• Review: Subaru Forester a good value for family wagon

  September 26, 2008

  With moderate prices, all-wheel drive and a good if not sterling reputation for quality, Subaru has found a sweet spot in a car market shifting dramatically this year amid rising gasoline prices. Through August, its sales were up by almost 6 percent, while the industry as a whole was down by more than 11 percent.

• Redesigned Mazda 6 aims for older set

  September 19, 2008

  It's unusual to hear an auto company say it wants more older buyers. Usually they're after young folks, especially trendsetter types - people who have many new cars in their futures and presumably will grow in affluence to afford increasingly more expensive ones.

• Fuel economy not enough to outweigh Aveo's shortcomings

  September 12, 2008

  Car buyers beat a path to Chevrolet's door in July and snapped up almost 1,000 more Aveos than were sold in July last year, a 17 percent increase to about 7,200 cars - in a weak market for new vehicles.

• All-around improvement for '08 Toyota Sequoia

  September 5, 2008

  Second time was the charm for Toyota Sequoia.

• Lincoln: Trying hard not to be your dad's car

  August 29, 2008

  Lincoln continues its effort to convince American drivers that it's cool to be seen in one of their cars even if they're not old enough to have fought in World War II.

• Taking the fun of TSX along with the boring

  June 13, 2008

  Lots of cars make a good first impression in the showroom and on a brief test drive. But a car you still love after a grueling day behind the wheel is a special friend and, for me the new Acura TSX that arrived in showrooms in April fell into that category.

• Kia Sorento offers traditional SUV utility

  June 6, 2008

  For those who seek the road less traveled -- or the off road less traveled, Kia offers two of the few remaining small SUVs that aren't "crossovers" -- that is, carlike and often car-based.

• Toyota’s retro-styled FJ Cruiser takes aim at the youth market

  April 7, 2006

  You might think the last thing Toyota needed in its lineup was another sport utility vehicle, what with eight already - 11 if you include Lexus models.

• Slick new Honda Si will raise the heartbeat of gearheads

  March 31, 2006

  Although car buyers by the millions drove one home, the previous-generation Honda Civic reputedly was a disappointment to enthusiast types. Most disappointing of all was the Civic that was supposed to be built for them - the Si, whose styling was uninspired and horsepower output unexciting at 160.

• New Tahoe makes driving a big truck easier, more pleasant

  March 24, 2006

  General Motors didn't make the Chevrolet Tahoe the most powerful in its class when it redesigned it for 2007: The Dodge Durango's available Hemi holds that distinction, with 335 hp. GM's own Hummer H2 has 325 hp. under its hood.

• Jeep commands a bigger SUV, but with little wiggle room

  March 17, 2006

  Among the Jeep Grand Cherokee's most likable features is how it handles: It's light on its feet, almost car-like. Another has always been its svelte shape.

• For $100G+, a yacht with radar and inflatable ‘seat bladders’

  March 10, 2006

  A new Mercedes S-Class is more than just another luxury car that most people can't afford. It usually offers a hint of what we'll find one day in cars and trucks for the rest of us.