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5/9/2013
2013 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe
Base Price Range (incl. dest/del): $38,705 (C250) / $43,105 (C350)
EPA Fuel Econ(city/hwy): C250 21/31 (C250)/ 20/29 (C350)
Mercedes-Benz has long battled BMW for gay buying bucks, but even with its C-Class sedan being as good as it is, has never quite snatched the tiara from its Bavarian archnemesis, the 3-Series. One of the reasons is that the C-Class lineup was always missing our favorite kind of car, a coupe.
That changed last year when Mercedes finally introduced a two-door version of the likeable C-Class as part of the car’s mid-cycle refresh, and we just took a turn at the wheel of ...
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4/5/2013
Ford's Littlest Crossover Pours on the Fantastic... at a Price.
2013 Ford EscapeTrim level tested: Titanium, 2.0-liter EcoboostPrice Range: $23,295 (S 1.6L) — $31,195 (Titanium EPA Fuel economy (city/hwy): 21-23/28-33 mpgIntroduced way back in 2001, Ford’s little Escape crossover was one of the earliest of the “cute” crossovers. Sadly, it remained pretty much neglected since then, so by 2012, it felt older than the dead dinosaurs it was intended to save. At last, Ford rolled out a new Escape for 2013, which wears slick sheetmetal and contains a high-style, content-laden interior and is powered by a sweet and efficient four-cylinder engine. It grew up both in size ...
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3/8/2013
The 2013 VW Beetle Convertible
2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible
Base Price Range (incl. dest/del): $25,790 — $28,690EPA Fuel Econ (city/hwy): 21/27 (2.5); 21/29 (turbo); 28/41 (diesel)
Let’s get this out of the way: the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible isn’t the butchest beast on the road. It can’t stare down a Humvee nor arm-wrestle a Mustang GT. Hell, it couldn’t even spook a Miata on a moonless night. It is, however, a fun, functional and highly enjoyable convertible that’s hard to dislike. One that more than makes a case for itself on beautiful sunny days such that we Southern Californians are so lucky to ...
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10/3/2011
At around $20K, the all-new 2012 Hyundai Elantra and 2012 Ford Focus will make you proud to be on a budget
2012 Hyundai Elantra
On the Outside
The Elantra was given a name a drag queen would be proud of (seriously...say it aloud, with drama: “E-laaaahn-trah”) but with its frumpy looks, it never made much of an entrance. Until now. Adopting the swoopy, dramatic French curve-style surfaces that debuted on the redesigned Sonata last year, the 2012 Elantra looks upscale yet not staid. It is longer and larger than its predecessor, with a menacing muscularity associated more with Flava than Hyundai. Indeed, as Flava herself might say, “Werq!”
On the Inside
If you thought your eyes might get ...
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8/30/2011
Style and performance are now certifiable Volvo attributes
If you’re considering buying a BMW 3-Series or X3, you need to put Volvo’s S60 and XC60 on your list, too. Here’s why:
2012 Volvo S60
On the Outside
Volvos have been flying below the radar of late—probably because they look, well, nice. Once maligned as boxes with wheels, Volvo added subtle curvature to its form vocabulary just as every other manufacturer did the same thing. Consequently, we hardly notice them anymore. Thankfully, the S60 sedan’s most recent redesign is pretty dramatic in its stance, forms, and lamp graphics—still very Swedish, but with nary a straight line to be found. ...
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8/5/2011
Nissan Juke and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport offer big charm in little packages
We recently drove two small crossovers that are among their makers’ best and most relevant products of the year. Which is better? Neither, really: they both do provide solid, stylish transportation roughly as well as each other. One is just a little more, uh, noticeable.
2011 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER SPORT
On the Outside
Based on Mitsubishi’s likeable Lancer compact sedan, the Outlander Sport is very manageably sized considering how much stuff you can fit inside. It wears Mitsubishi’s corporate “shark nose” very well, and the stubby rear end represents the sort of kicky design needed in this class to stand ...
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