Car Research

The 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Crew Cab Review

Summary Review by Tess: Heavy Duty Performance and Durability

The HD in 2500HD stands for heavy duty, and that’s exactly what the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Crew Cab delivers in workload and durability. While the full-size pickup truck market is overcrowded with worthy contenders, the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Crew Cab offers buyers a winning combination of serious towing and hauling power along with a refined, comfortable interior for drivers and passengers at work or play.

Under the hood
Silverado buyers can choose between two outstanding engines. The 6.0-liter OHV V-8 gas engine features flex-fuel capability and delivers 360 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque to make it a solid performer in its class, but the 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel V-8 definitely takes towing power to the next step. This version provides 397 horses under the hood and a whopping 765 pound-feet of torque, more than enough to handle most routine towing needs. Properly equipped, the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Crew Cab can tow up to [Read More]

The 2012 BMW 135i Coupe Review

Summary Review by Tess: Leading the Way in Looks and Performance

The 2012 BMW 135i coupe offers outstanding performance in a sleek, European-styled four-seat coupe, although the rear seats are more ornamental than useful for adult passengers. Returning with few changes from the previous model year, the 2012 BMW 135i is one of the standouts in the entry-level luxury car market and offers real driving enjoyment. Buyers need not sacrifice practicality, however, as the BMW 135i delivers above average fuel economy for this competitive automotive segment.

Under the hood
The 2012 BMW 135i features a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine that produces 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque and goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in an impressive 5.0 seconds. The engine is paired with a rear-wheel drive six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed double-clutch automated manual transmission. The 135i coupe manages [Read More]

The 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sedan Review

Full Review by Andy: Moving Mainstream

What’s the difference between revolution and evolution? One letter, and success. The Subaru Impreza compact sedan is all-new for 2012. The redesign is an alleged revolution, bringing the geeky Subie one step closer to its goal of competing head-to-head with class leaders like the Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra. Certainly, many things are different: an all-new engine, fresh bodywork, and a redesigned interior. But has the Impreza merely evolved, or has it been completely transformed?

Exterior
If shoppers are looking for high style with the Impreza name, they are going to have to upgrade to the high-performance WRX trim. Otherwise, the car’s design isn’t its strong point. The 2012 Impreza Sedan is not fashionable by any means, as the sedate lines convey little sense of flair or flamboyance.

Interior
Time after time, pundits praise the Impreza sedan’s revamped interior. The clean, modern styling is simultaneously intricate and comprehensible; cubbies and controls are [Read More]

The 2012 Hyundai Sonata Review

Full Review by Andy: Making a Beeline for the Best in Class

The Hyundai Sonata underwent an ALT + CTRL + DEL in 2011. It rebooted and immediately began impressing pundits, making money on the market, and stocking its shelves with trophies. For 2012, the Sonata continues its interrupted beeline for the best in class.

Exterior
According to its creators, the Sonata has a “fluidic sculpture design.” That sounds as dull as fluid mechanics, so we’ll just call it salacious. Or better yet, ditching both the professional verbosity and the literary profundity, let’s say the Sonata is a sexy machine, sculpted with a coupe-like roofline, riffled grille and flowing character creases.

Interior
The first-generation Sonata was unimpressive in appearance. So was the second, the third, the fourth, and the fifth. Then out of nowhere, [Read More]

The 2012 Scion xD Review

Full Review by Andy: Scion’s Millennial Mobile

Sociologists have been examining members of Generation Y ever since the first babe saw the light of day in 1982. Personality tests have identified key traits, including a dependence on technology, a thirst for public approval, and the desire for perennial adolescence. When the head honchos at Toyota noticed the Millennials were old enough to beg a few bucks from their parents, they set up Scion. Scion’s entry level model is the five-door hatchback xD.

Exterior
The xD is for those who want the funky panache of an xB but aren’t in love with right angle trigonometry. It’s a little more curvaceous than its bulker sibling, and far more proportional than its reviled sire, the xA. Due to a striated design line that whips around the sides, the top half of the xD is visually distinct from the bottom, which separates the hatchback from its boxier sibling. [Read More]