2015 Volkswagen Golf TSI S 4-Door

New VW Golf looks old, feels new There’s a saying about everything old being new again, and the reworked 2015 Volkswagen Golf is a sterling example. The Golf and Rabbit hatchbacks have been sold by VW since 1974, this latest iteration being the seventh generation. Toyota’s Corolla is one of the few competitors to be... Continue Reading →

November 8, 2014 0

2014 Fiat 500L Lounge

Fiat goes long with 500L (get it?) to connect with more buyers Credit Fiat for quickly deducing that its cute, but diminutive, 500 runabout simply won’t do for many U.S. families. The Italian automaker that owns Chrysler needed something that would cast a wider net when trying to land more customers on our shores. Voila! The... Continue Reading →

June 20, 2014 0

2014 Mitsubishi Mirage ES

Pokey Mitsubishi Mirage offers bare bones performance Last year when I drove the 109-horsepower Nissan Versa Note I thought I’d driven the slowest accelerating car made in the past 10 years, but that was before I’d driven the new Mitsubishi Mirage. This makes the pokey Versa Note feel frisky. Mirage is a pleasant looking little hatchback... Continue Reading →

June 6, 2014 0

2014 Mazda3i 4-door Grand Touring

Mazda3 delivers good looks, modest price, driving flair The new Mazda3 is better looking than its predecessor, gets better gas mileage and still delivers driving flair, a fair accomplishment for a modestly priced family sports sedan. First, Mazda reshaped its former gaping smiling nose with this more Audi-like big grille and swept its profile lines back... Continue Reading →

February 22, 2014 0

2014 Nissan Versa Note SV

Versa is inexpensive, versatile, but extremely underpowered Rarely have I driven a car as underpowered as the Versa Note, Nissan’s new four-door hatchback version of the Versa, which debuted last year as a sedan. Naturally this is an economy model, but still, with a 1.6-liter, I4 that cranks only 109 horsepower the acceleration is lackluster,... Continue Reading →

January 1, 2014 0

2014 Ford Fiesta SE

Small cars can be fun to drive if spunky and good handling Driving small cars isn’t a turnoff to me. I enjoy their economy, their simplicity their easy handling and their low cost. But frugal needn’t mean blah, and Ford’s Fiesta has learned that lesson. It offers a spunky look and feel, good handling and an... Continue Reading →

December 31, 2013 0

2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo

Veloster Turbo rocks the entry-level market Hyundai wasn’t happy to leave well enough alone, so it went and added a turbo to its sporty coupe/hatch, the Veloster. Yes, you’ll still hear jokes about the name and its similarity to the famous dinos in “Jurassic Park,” but you won’t care. You’ll have a sporty car with... Continue Reading →

January 12, 2013 0

2013 Hyundai Elantra GT

Sporty, useful, practical, some hatchbacks have it all Hatchbacks are fantastic and Hyundai’s latest entry the Elantra GT proves the point. Sporty, useful, practical and bordering on fun to drive a hatchback often gives you more for your money than any other car design on the market. Think of crossovers as hatchbacks on steroids and... Continue Reading →