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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford , Mercury , Driving Click the image above for more high res pics of the 2009 Mariner Hybrid Ford took pride in being the first automaker on the planet to offer a hybrid utility vehicle when it introduced the first battery-assisted Ford Escape in mid-2004. The Escape hybrid has had mixed success over the past few years, but with gas prices hitting $4 per gallon, the Blue Oval is selling every unit it can produce. For the 2008 model year, one in eight Escape sales are hybrids, which is impressive when you consider that it averages $30,000 per vehicle. In 2006, the Escape was joined by the lower volume Mariner Hybrid, giving Ford two entries in the hybrid soft-roader market, and a green model to sell at Lincoln-Mercury dealerships. The Escape got a thorough makeover on the outside for 2008, but most of the mechanicals remain a carryover from the previous generation. For 2009, Ford finished the job on the Escape and its sheet...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford , Driving Click on the 2009 Ford Escape for a high res gallery The 2008 redesign of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner wasn't the clean-sheet redesign Ford would like people to believe. In fact, only the parts visible to the naked eye were "all new." Aside from the body and interior, the working bits that make the badge-engineered duo go were almost entirely carried over from the 2007 models. Fortunately for Ford, that oversight didn't seem to hurt sales, which increased by about ten-percent over their predecessors in a market that's down overall. For 2009, all the hardware under the skin has been either replaced or significantly refreshed. And that's a good thing. The old 2.3-liter four-pot has been superseded by a 2.5-liter unit, while the classic 3.0-liter Duratec V6 gets a major overhaul. Both engines receive a substantial boost in power and an all new six-speed gearbox to transmit it to the wheels...
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Filed under: Videos , Crossovers/CUVs , BMW , Driving Click above for high-res gallery of the BMW X6 in the wet During our recent trip to South Carolina to drive the new BMW X6 , our test loop included a stop over at Michelin's U.S. proving ground in Laurens. Two tracks were available for us on which to thrash the X6, one lined with sprinklers to wet the pavement and the other dry. Lou Ann Hammond of CarList.com shared an X6 for the test drive and she brought along a video camera. Lou Ann has now posted several video interviews on her site with BMW engineers talking about some of the technology in the X6. She also braved the passenger seat with her camera as I explored the limits of wet adhesion in the X6 and that video is online, as well. The X6 is heavy and even the most sophisticated slip control systems can't overcome the basic laws of physics. After 17 years working as an engineer on slip control systems, the most important lesson you learn is that Newton was right. Nonetheless...
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Filed under: Crossovers/CUVs , Honda , Driving Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Honda Pilot When the new 2009 Honda Pilot turned up as a concept at the Detroit Auto Show in January, most observers were decidedly underwhelmed. Unlike many other recent crossovers, notably the GM Lambdas, Honda chose to go with a decidedly more utilitarian look for the second-generation Pilot. As Honda officials explained when we gathered for a preview drive of the 2009 Pilot, they wanted to retain the "Utility" in CUV and a big part of that involved maximizing the useful interior volume within the Pilot's relatively modest exterior dimensions. That means a boxy shape that provides room for up to eight (at least as defined by the seat-belts) inside. While the Pilot won't be challenging the Buick Enclave or Mazda CX-9 for style points, it isn't too painful on the eyes. It's more a case of being almost invisible. The greenhouse is actually strongly reminiscent of the first...
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Filed under: Coupes , Crossovers/CUVs , BMW , Driving Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 BMW X6 I must be missing the gene that makes high-riding vehicles appealing to so many other people. As a car enthusiast and an engineer, I can certainly appreciate the performance that companies like BMW and Infiniti have managed to wrangle from vehicles like the X6 and the EX35. But there is absolutely nothing in the new 2009 BMW X6 that couldn't be done better in a vehicle with a normal car-like ride height. After all, who is going off-roading in one of these? The best explanation I could get out of BMW officials for the existence of the X6 is that many drivers like that commanding view of their surroundings that the elevated altitude provides. According to BMW, the X6 is designed to provide stylish coupe looks with the high performance people expect of a BMW and the utility of an SUV. As is so often the case, vehicles that try to fit too many categories at once end up not fitting any...
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Filed under: Aftermarket , Hybrids/Alternative , Wagons/Estates , Crossovers/CUVs , Subaru , Toyota , Driving , Lifestyle There are few words in the English language which can conjure up as much meaning, and likely so many memories, as these: road trip. We've all been on them before; some are the highlights of your life and some... well, not so much. But having the right vehicle can make all the difference in the world. Thule , maker of "transportation accessories", has added its name to the ever-growing list of companies that have invented an "__ of the year" award. For this particular honor, Thule has broken the automotive landscape in half, dividing its choices for the best vehicle to take a road trip in at the $30 grand mark. Without further ado, the winners are: Best road trip vehicle under $30,000: Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited Best road trip vehicle over $30,000: Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited If you really want to read all of the reasons that Thule offers...
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Filed under: Garage , Crossovers/CUVs , Nissan , Driving click above for more images from our first drive of the 2009 Nissan Murano Nissan's original Murano was a successful and difficult act to follow. The elder statesman of crossover utility vehicles saw its sales increase every year since it was introduced in 2003, but with the segment going from crowded to standing room only, Nissan realized changes were needed to compete. "Murano-ness" - that's what Jarrad Haslam, Nissan's product planner for crossovers, said the company insisted be preserved in the new version. Nissan invited us to Atlanta to sample this almost-totally-new Murano for 2009 . You'll recognize the distinctive rounded nose, sharply-raked windshield, the side glass kicked up over the rear fender, a smallish rear hatch window topped by a sliver of a spoiler, and a lower rear bumper accentuated by dual exhaust outlets. But put the 2007 and 2009 (the Murano sat out the 2008 model year) side by side...
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Filed under: Sports/GTs , Wagons/Estates , Crossovers/CUVs , Hatchbacks , Chevrolet , Driving The General has been on a roll as of late with new vehicles like the Saturn Aura, Cadillac CTS, Chevy Malibu and its line of redesigned trucks and SUVs that have been garnering good reviews and the attention of customers. We were invited to test drive the new Chevrolet HHR SS to see if they've knocked one out of the park, hit a foul or, ahem, missed the ball completely when transforming the little retro-mobile into a Super Sport. Our driving and vehicle impressions can be found after the jump, but for starters, remember these two key phrases: launch control and no-lift shifting. Intrigued? We were. Gallery: 2008 Chevy HHR SS: First Drive Continue reading First Drive: 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Tech , Crossovers/CUVs , Acura , Driving Click the RDX for a high res gallery from the track What's pictured above looks like a stylish, if conventional, compact crossover utility vehicle. As is so often the case, however, appearances are...
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