Phoenix Mint delivers high value 1937 Studebaker ambulance Not every new diecast vehicle is a muscle car or modern model. The Phoenix Mint reaches back to World War II for its vintage 1937 Studebaker Army Ambulance in 1:43 scale. Studebaker, an Indiana-based automaker that got its start by making wagons for farmers in the 1850s, was... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
2014 Chrysler Town & Country Limited
Town & Country minivan carries family, friends and stuff easily and efficiently Minivans are much maligned by the image conscious, or should we say, self-conscious car buyers. These folks let image stand in their way of buying the most family friendly vehicles on the market. This week’s Chrysler Town & Country Limited is at the... Continue Reading →
2014 Kia Soul+
Cute, youthful Kia Soul impresses on all fronts We all could use a little more Soul, and Kia is certainly doing all it can to encourage it. Kia’s Soul is one of the cutest crossovers out there and among the most economical too, both on the pricing and fuel economy fronts. I never ceased to be... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: AutoArt Mustang GT show car
Small scale Mustang GT ponies up the value, detail Ford’s Mustang turns 50 this year and you’d likely have to be dead not to know that by now. A new 2015 model is being previewed at all the major car shows now and the mainstream media has been agog over 50 years of Mustang since at... Continue Reading →
2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible
Muscular Stingray convertible opens up more ways to have fun I had to laugh at the timing. After a beautiful spring week, a “velocity yellow” Corvette Stingray convertible showed up for a test drive as snow was flying and the temperature had dropped to the mid-30s, ah Spring in Wisconsin. But by the weekend, the... Continue Reading →
2014 Toyota Venza XLE V6 AWD
Venza XLE delivers power, good looks and AWD Five years have passed since I last drove Toyota’s Venza, a crossover based on its popular Camry sedan. Not much has changed though, it’s still an attractive, competent crossover. In fact, Venza may be one of the best looking crossovers, simply because it blends the Camry’s sophisticated styling with... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Autoart 1:18 McLaren MP4-12C
Autoart nails its McLaren MP4-12C supercar Supercars are exciting because they embody the auto world’s future technology, they are, to some degree, like the old auto show concept cars, the Futurama vehicles. Today we immediately think of brands such as Lamborghini, Pagani and McLaren, swoopy cars with scissor or gullwing doors that ooze speed and... Continue Reading →
2014 Jaguar XJL AWD
Jaguar XJL extends the legend with AWD Jaguar’s image has been polished, tarnished and polished several times, but its history of racing success, generous power and spirited road manners, along with an expectation of gentlemanly comfort, endures. The restyled XJL does nothing to dispel the legend, with its muscular but trim lines, big chrome grille... Continue Reading →