Luxury Cars

"The difference between men and little boys is the price of their toys."

Fast Cars

"Everything in life is somewhere else, and you get there in a car."- E.B. White

Car Technology

"And I, I took the road less traveled by. I was using a GPS system."- Robert Brault

Green Cars

"Environmentally friendly cars will soon cease to be an option ... they will become a necessity."- Fujio Cho

Safe Cars

"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves." - Albert Einstein

Thursday, November 26, 2009

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXL

Buick is trying it's best to get out of the bad vibe it has recently experienced. Bankruptcy and bail-out are not the two news stories your customers want to remember when they visit your authorized dealers. But that's the fact Buick has to live with and try to make it up with a good car. The good news is, it has already started with the 2010 Buick LaCrosse CXL.


At first glance the CXL is a behemoth vehicle. Weighing 4,196 lbs, the car aims to give its best when it comes to space while sacrificing weight. Fortunately, this technique works as the car has very impressive legroom. But the apparent impressive legroom has sacrificed the trunk. The space at the back only yields 13.3 cubic feet which is easily defeated by any car in its category. Speaking of interior, the seating design of the car is a little bit off especially for the driver because of the seating angle. But a little adjustment will bring the setting to driver's preferences.

There are also two sides of the coin in the car's engine. The basic CXL only has 252 hp coming from 3.0 liter V6. This power is only for leisure, flat land travel. For those who think they will be trudging hills and challenging road, the upgrade version of 3.6, V6 is the better option. This type of engine is even fitting for 18-inch chromed wheels as the engine yields power.

Overall, Buick has certainly produced a good car in CXL. It does have it's drawbacks but that should not discourage anyone to opt for this vehicle.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Petrol or Diesel?


The vehicle’s fuel type (Petrol or Diesel) is a very important factor that should be considered by any car buyer. There are pros and cons in each of fuel type that will affect the driving experience as well as financial decision of the car owner.

Vehicles with petrol fuel engines are highly recommended for car buyers who intend to use the car for only a few years. The main advantage of this vehicle is that it doesn't require extensive maintenance and very friendly to the pocket. However, petrol fuelled vehicles can easily depreciate which means the car purchased this year could experience drastic devaluation next year. Cars based on petrol also consume more fuel compared to diesel.

Diesel based engines, on the other hand are ideal for those who want to use the car for a very long time. The value of the vehicle will still decline but will most likely be sold at a higher price compared to petrol. Vehicles on diesel are also more fuel efficient and can be powerful especially on low gears. However, the car can be a bit expensive and maintenance is more demanding which means extra spending for the car buyer.

To summarise, vehicles with diesel engines are recommended for those who wanted to stay with their car for many years. It may be expensive but its resale value doesn't go down fast. Gasoline engine vehicles, on the other hand are perfect for low mileage drivers because they're inexpensive and the maintenance and servicing are also more affordable compared to diesel.

Friday, November 13, 2009

2009 Honda S2000 Review

The Honda S2000 was first revealed in 1999 and although it did not make a mark on the entire car industry, it has made a statement on what a roadster should be - comfortable, providing ease of control and a whole lot of speed. Just limit the seats to two passengers and add a retractable roof.

The latest iteration of S2000 is almost anti-climactic to the current trend of roadsters especially on the interior. While others are boasting the latest in technology, the 2009 Honda S2000 does not feature anything except for a decent stereo in the dashboard. But don't mistake the roadster to have a bad interior. The seats are still some of the best in the industry. The retractable roof is not outstanding (electric roof) but there's no need to worry on how they are positioned.

Honda opted to keep the engine configuration of the 2008 S2000: 2.2, 16-Valve, 4 Cylinder engine. As expected this engine can be a beast on a light roadster. It can reach up to 8,000 RPM, which means the roadster can easily beat anyone in an open road. Controlling the car is no problem but as a roadster, you have to be experienced to control this high speed vehicle.

But the most impressive feature of the vehicle is its price. It's listed at $35,700 which is a great deal compared to other popular roadsters. There are currently only 1,000 2009 Honda S2000 available. Getting your hands into one of these can be challenging but there's always a next year.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

2010 Suzuki Kizashi Review

The 2010 Suzuki Kizashi is the latest offering from the Japanese based car-maker to the US that should compete well with other midsized vehicles. Unlike the previous Suzuki models, the designs were aggressively revamped which means it doesn't have those unique features of the past models that actually made the brand a bit undesirable.
Kizashi’s exterior is very simplistic but that's actually a good thing for Suzuki. Instead of making the driver stand-out in a bad way because of the design, the car became a standard mid-size. The extended front and well-designed, larger rear is also a plus point because of the large trunk.
The inside design of the vehicle doesn't provide any wows but it has a better legroom compared to other mid-sized cars and previous Suzuki versions. The plastic feel of the dashboard for media control is not that good but reacts fine if you really don't aggressively change channels.
Under the hood, the car will give you 2.4 liter with 4 cylinder engine. Not much power to be expected from the car but it can reach 60mph in less than 8 seconds. It comes with 6-speed transmission in any design (Manual, AWD and CVT).
What made the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi a good car is actually the driving experience. The car was tested in Germany and US so that it can work in various driving conditions. The shifters are a bit far especially on pushing but that disadvantage can be ignored if you regularly use the car.
Set to come out later in 2009, basic configuration for the Kizashi should be within the $21,000 to 22,000 price range.

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