News By Topic: Carey Russ

2005 New Car Review: Mazda6 Sport Wagon

Jan 7, 2005

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS 2005 Mazda6 Sport Wagon Here's the scenario: you consider yourself a car enthusiast, and so prefer a car that is entertaining and fun to drive. You've had sport-oriented cars all of your driving life. Handling and power, in good balance, are important to you. But now you need somet ... Continue reading

Car Review: 2005 Cadillac STS V8

Dec 30, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS Cadillac is serious about playing in the international luxury car league, and none of its products demonstrate this more than the 2005 STS. The new STS shares about three letters with the previous Seville STS, otherwise it is a very different machine, and a uniquely American interp ... Continue reading

Car Review: 2005 Scion xB

Dec 24, 2004

2005 Scion xB DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS In answer to your question, yes, it is the box it came in. ``It'' in this case being the Scion xB. And the xB is also interesting because it's a true cross-cultural phenomenon. ``Scion'' is defined by Webster as ``descendant or child.'' It's also the newest brand from ... Continue reading

Car Review: 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD

Dec 16, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD It's time to welcome third-generation Grand Cherokee. It builds on the strengths and success of its eminently-successful, class-benchmark forebears. Only the model designations - Laredo and Limited - remain the same. With growth of more than three inc ... Continue reading

Car Review: 2005 Jaguar XK8 Convertible

Dec 13, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD<br> WITH CAREY RUSS <p> 2005 Jaguar XK8 Convertible<p> If a classic design is one that is timeless, one that doesn't depend on having style-of-the-minute looks to turn heads and gather looks of approval, then the Jaguar XK8 is a modern classic. By the standards of the contemporary auto industry, i ... Continue reading

Car Review: 2005 Audi A6

Dec 5, 2004

By Carey Russ There are probably reasons that I'm not a product planner. Consider the Audi A6, for instance. The most recent iteration set a stunning new direction in style when it was introduced for the 1998 model year, and not only do its elegantly-rounded neo-Bauhaus lines still look fresh, they have spawned a host ... Continue reading

Car Review: 2005 Chrysler Crossfire Limited Roadster

Nov 26, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS Chrysler broke new ground when it introduced its Crossfire sports coupe last year, and keeps momentum for 2005 with significant additions to the line. Or maybe that should read ``significant reductions,'' as the most immediately noticeable addition is the removal of the top, to for ... Continue reading

Car Review : 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD

Nov 10, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS It's supposed to be ``The Year of the Car'' at Ford, and the Blue Oval folks have plenty of interesting new products to support that slogan. But that may be by was of compensation, for in the recent past ``Ford'' has been nearly synonymous with ``SUV.'' Its Explorer virtually defin ... Continue reading

2005 Car Review: Toyota Corolla XRS

Oct 28, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS 2005 Toyota Corolla XRS ``High-performance Toyota Corolla.'' Sounds like a classic oxymoron, a combination of contradictory words, right? The Corolla has an enviable reputation for reliability and solid construction, very positive attributes in the compact sedan class, where depend ... Continue reading

Car Review: 2005 Ford Escape XLT 4WD

Oct 21, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS 2005 Ford Escape XLT 4WD The 2005 model year sees the first major changes to Ford's popular Escape mini-SUV since its introduction four years ago. Most immediately noticeably, the styling has been freshened, not an uncommon occurrence for any car or truck after a few years. But tha ... Continue reading

Car Review: 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Limited Wagon

Oct 14, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS Maybe it was the change in advertising campaigns. When Subaru used Australian actor Paul Hogan for the Outback program - ``Outback'' being the Australian term for wilderness - Subarus were cheekily irreverent, and poked fun at large SUVs. Now Subaru's ad spokesman is bicycle racer ... Continue reading

New Car Review: 2005 Ford Focus ZX4 ST

Sep 30, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS As part of Ford's ``Year of the Car'' program for 2005, the sporty Focus has gotten a makeover. Mid-product cycle styling freshenings are common in the industry, but, although the styling is indeed freshened, the most important changes to the `05 Focus are not visible. The model li ... Continue reading

New Car Review: 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT

Sep 23, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS It's hard, now, to imagine life without minivans. Over twenty years and ten million of its own minivans ago, the then-Chrysler Corporation (now Chrysler Croup of DaimlerChrysler) invented the genre, and full-size station wagons were history. Being number one makes one an inviting t ... Continue reading

New Car Review: 2004 Kia Amanti Sedan

Sep 18, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS In many ways it is an automotive version of the classic immigrant story: foreign auto manufacturer comes to America at the bottom of the market and works its way up. Some succeed, some fail. The Europeans paved the way in the 1950s, with mixed long-term success. There are a few ver ... Continue reading

New Car Review: 2005 Mercedes-Benz C320 Sport Sedan

Sep 9, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS Mercedes-Benz was one of the first luxury automakers to realize that it needed to make its products attractive to a new generation, and it has been one of the most successful at this difficult task. A line once noted for conservatively-severe, squarely Teutonic styling has become m ... Continue reading