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| How can you NOT like cars? Unless you're Ralph Nader or recently got hit by one, you probably like cars. The only question is to what extent? Do you like cars inasmuch as they keep you dry and get you from point A to point B (and on weekends, point C)? Or do you like cars because they exhault style, grace, and power and are a symbol of economic prosperity in the U. S. of A? Well, I'm the latter, which is also why I'm such a fan of American cars. Hey, if I wanted a cheap, reliable little box to drive around in, I'd get a Toyota or a VW. But I want something big and powerful with lots of gimmicky luxury features. I want a Caddy, not a Lexus; I want a Buick, not a Volkswagen; I want a Pontiac, not a Nissan - I want a real car! *steps off of soapbox* |
| The Latest Car News |
| My "Best" List |
| Best Economy Car: Kia Rio The Good: Its simply the cheapest car you can get in America (~$9000 out the door). Doesn't look so bad either. The Bad: It has no tachometer. So what? Well, if you want the manual, shifting can get pretty edgy. Its also a Kia, so you get what you pay for. Stupid Fact: The Rio is actually derived from the same platform Kia used for the real sad Ford Aspire. A Rio wagon is also available this year, called the Cinco (Cinco=5...for 5 doors...wow!) |
| Best Midsize Car: Buick Regal GS The Good: Pretty affordable (tops out at ~$28,000), decent handling, huge trunk, comfy interior. Plus, the awesome 240-hp supercharged engine gives you the added fun of embarrasing a BMW driver who can't shift. The Bad: Its an older design, introduced as a 1997 1/2 model and Buick didn't change a whole lot since. Stupid Fact: Based on the W-Body, which makes it a sister car to the Impala, Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, and Intrigue, all of which offer the same sort of content in different sheetmetal. |
| Best Fullsize/Near-Lux Car: Pontiac Bonneville SSEi The Good: Huge trunk, huge interior, all sorts of gadgets (Heads-up Display, load-leveling suspension, etc.), excellent 240-hp supercharged engine, streamlined design. The Bad: Its pricey (~$34,000 loaded), but when compared to an ES300 or an Acura TL, its worth it. Stupid Fact: GM took a stock Bonnie, modified the engine, and ran it at 204 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. |
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| CAR OF THE WEEK |
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| All photos on these pages are property of their respective sources. All Rights Reserved |
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| Click on the Cutlass to go to my GM page... |
| For what happened at the 2001 Tampa Bay Intl. Auto Show, click here...well, not here, but here |
