RideLust

Thumbs Up: Slightly quicker than the car it replaces.

Thumbs Down: Missing the magic that made the previous car great.

Buy This Car If: You want a sporty commuter with bulletproof reliability.

To understand the history of the 2012 Honda Civic line, you need to take a step back in time to 2009. In what most would agree was the bottom of the current worldwide financial collapse, Honda was smack dab in the middle of the new Civic’s redesign. As the outlook for the worldwide automotive industry grew darker by the day, Honda’s president, Takanobu Ito, was forced to decide between continuing the Civic’s planned redesign or cutting it short. Ito opted for the financially sensible option, and chose to bring the car to market with few significant changes and quite a bit of cost-cutting. The result is a new generation of Civic that simply hasn’t lived up to the legacy of former Civics models. Read More…

Thumbs Up: A lot of content for the price.

Thumbs Down: Plastic upholstery, marginal fuel economy

Buy This Car If: You need a small SUV on a tight budget

If you’re shopping for a compact SUV or crossover, chances are good you’re looking at the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV 4. While both start at a reasonable price, by the time you add in options like a navigation system, they can quickly jump beyond the reach of a family on a tight budget. What if we told you there was another Japanese SUV alternative, with a modest sticker price and a seven-year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty? Read More…

Thumbs Up: German car luxury, Japanese car price

Thumbs Down: Option packages quickly add up

Buy This Car If: You want luxury and reliability at a reasonable price point

There are things in life that require a bit of experience, or maturity, to appreciate. Caviar is a good example, as is a fine single malt scotch. It isn’t that you can’t develop a liking for either at a younger age, it’s just that you don’t necessarily appreciate them as much as someone who’s been around the block a time or two. Read More…

Thumbs Up: Fast, comfortable and quiet; a GT car with a bargain price tag.

Thumbs Down: Improved automatic transmission still disappoints.

Buy This Car If: You’re looking for a solid bargain in a luxury sport sedan.

It’s easy to jump on the Honda / Acura bashing bandwagon these days, and many critics feel that Honda has lost its way. While concessions were made to get the new Civic to market at a certain price point, in a certain time frame, the 2012 Acura TL is proof that the automaker still listens to its customers and still builds aspirational cars. Read More…

Thumbs Up: Value for the money, AWD traction.

Thumbs Down: Marginal fuel economy, fake wood trim.

Buy This Car If: You want a midsize sedan alternative to the usual suspects.

Subaru has always been one of those brands that enjoys tremendous popularity, but only in certain regions. The Northeast, for example, loves its Subarus, as does Colorado. Here in Florida, Subarus aren’t as common, and in California they’re fairly uncommon (since everyone in California drives a BMW or a Prius). If you’re sensing a theme here, you’re correct. Read More…

Are you down on your luck, unemployed and in a general state of disarray? Well if you are then this 2000 model Toyota Corolla is calling your name. With features like a 9.6 second 0-60 mph time, right hand turning capabilities and interior fabric that’s smooth to the touch, this 11-year old Grandma car may just be the ticket to keeping you in therapy for the long run. Is it pretty? No. Is it quick? No. Does it portray confidence and dignity to all those who see it? Hell no… However, if you’re looking for a slow, reliable transportation that get so-so fuel mileage with minimal creature comforts then this little bad boy may just be your perfect ride.

Source: Youtube.com

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Every once in a great while a car comes along that winds up defining a segment. For some the term “hot rod” automatically refers to a 1932 Ford Coupe. For others, mention “first car,” and the Volkswagen Beetle comes to mind. For sport compacts, it may be the Honda CRX Si. The 2012 Hyundai Veloster has that kind of potential, too, even if the segment it will come to dominate hasn’t yet been clearly defined. Read More…

Thumbs Up: The least expensive RWD luxury car we can name.

Thumbs Down: Won’t amuse enthusiasts, no folding rear seats.

Buy This Car If: An Infiniti G37 sedan doesn’t fit the budget.

Back in 2004, I nearly bought an Infiniti G35 sedan. I was impressed by the car’s power and handling, and remember thinking about what a bargain it represented compared to the BMW 3 Series or the Audi A4. Ultimately, I bought the BMW, which turned out to be the worst car I ever owned; in retrospect, I’d have been much happier with the Infiniti G35. Read More…

Thumbs Up: Crossover utility, car-like ride; model spans a variety of price points

Thumbs Down: Pseudo-luxury touches not needed, confusing infotainment interface

Buy This Car If: You live where it snows and don’t want an SUV or crossover

The Outback saved Subaru, at least in the United States. Back in 1995, American buyers wanted SUVs, not compact sedans and wagons. Gas was cheap and the SUV represented an American ideal: the ability to go anywhere, in any weather across (nearly) any terrain. So what if most SUV owners never traversed anything more rugged than a gravel parking lot; the very idea that they could represented freedom, and nothing is more American than that. Read More…

Thumbs Up: Surprising handling and more-than-adequate power

Thumbs Down: Styling Can be an acquired taste

Buy This Car If: You want a sport sedan but need a crossover

In the gospel according to gearheads, it is written that all crossover vehicles must be blandly-styled boxes, with no more driving excitement than a four cylinder Buick LaCrosse. Crossovers, after all, are the new station wagons: designed to haul families and their stuff from place to place, with near-zero focus on making the drive entertaining for the person behind the steering wheel. While most can be ordered with rear-entertainment systems to keep the kids pacified, most do nothing at all to amuse the driver. Read More…