Reviews

2012 Audi A7 – Review

Jun 8 2011

2012 Audi A7 – Review

2012 Audi A7 Review
The five-door is fresh on the scene, with gorgeously sleek sheetmetal hiding an advanced supercharged engine and all-wheel drive. Inside, there is a four-place cabin loaded with luxury and some of the industry’s most innovative technology. Impressive, but that isn’t what sets the Audi apart.

While most original designs require time for familiarization, the A7 seems to be an exception. Unlike most cars that cross our paths, this new luxury hatchback welcomes occupants into one of the warmest and most inviting passenger cabins we have encountered in years. Even though it is thoroughly modern and sophisticated, all controls are intuitively placed and their operation is second nature. Everything, from throttle and steering response to passenger space and cargo utility, works exactly as one would expect it to.

This may sound crazy, but after just two minutes behind the wheel, we are as comfortable as if we were entering the tenth year of a long relationship…

Source: AutoBlog

2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Review

Jun 7 2011

2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Review

2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Review
During our weeklong stint with the 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, many friends asked an all-too-obvious question: “How does it compare to the Mitsubishi Evolution?” A fair query, as the STI vs. Evo debate is something that we’ve pondered ever since Subaru launched its street-legal rally car in the United States back in 2004.

But then a most astute car enthusiast friend asked something that continues to trigger moments of contemplation: “Wouldn’t you just rather buy a standard WRX?”

See, ever since the WRX’s major overhaul in 2009 (yes, we know the redesign happened in 2008, but the big boost in power and added suspension tuning didn’t come until one year later), the STI has been sort of a hard sell. To make matters worse, Subaru fitted the WRX with its big brother’s widebody pieces for the 2011 model year, giving the mid-grade Impreza model the appearance of a full-on Evo competitor.

Source: AutoBlog

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Review

Jun 6 2011

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Review

2012 Mercedes Benz C63 AMG Coupe Review
Let’s be honest. We all want to save our barnacled friends in the ocean and give the whole world a great big polar bear hug. But as enthusiasts, we’ve all got a char-black underbelly, too. Mercedes-Benz understands. More specifically, the folks at AMG really understand. While Daimler has been working diligently this year to reduce its offerings’ various footprints and curb their dependence on gas, the people there haven’t lost sight of the fact that, occasionally, enthusiasts need to put away their canvas Whole Foods bags and indulge their dark side a bit.

How else to explain the 2012 C63 AMG Coupe? Not only is this new coupe bodystyle more self-absorbed by definition, Mercedes has ensured it qualifies for full homewrecker status by passing over its excellent new 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 in favor of the 6.2-liter V8 it was designed to replace. But for those interested in indulging their inner baddy, this is actually a very good thing. While the modestly downsized and significantly more efficient 5.5-liter is a wonderfully flexible and more powerful thing in Benz’s spectacular new CLS63 AMG, we have yet to connect with it on the same visceral, loin-stirring level as the almighty 6.2, mostly because of its less burly soundtrack. Mercedes may have eschewed the higher-tech motor on cost-savings grounds, but it’s also the correct choice for retaining the C63′s chain-smoking sprinter character.

Source: AutoBlog

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