News By Topic: Carey Russ

New Car Review: 2004 Toyota Highlander Limited 4x2

May 28, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS To say that Toyota's Highlander has been a success since its introduction in 2001 is at least mild understatement - it's the best-selling car-based SUV on the market, and the benchmark vehicle for the mid-sized, middle-class crossover class. Its on-road, all-weather comfort orienta ... Continue reading

New Car Review: 2005 Saab 9-2X

May 21, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS Saab, at the moment, is one of the ``other'' European premium brands, and probably not the one that comes to mind for most people when asked to name a European sport-luxury car maker. Saab would like to change that, and is succeeding. Sales were at record levels last year, and Saab ... Continue reading

New Car Review: 2004 Mazda3 5 Door

May 13, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS A few years ago, Mazda invented the sport-compact wagon genre with the introduction of the Protege5. For 2004, as the Mazda lineup continues to change, the Protege is history, replaced by the Mazda3. Does this mean Mazda has given up on the sport-compact wagon? Not a chance. The to ... Continue reading

New Car Review: 2004 Chevrolet SSR

May 5, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD<br> WITH CAREY RUSS<p> 2004 Chevrolet SSR Every few years one of the leading manufacturers comes out with something that captures the attention of a wide swath of Americans. Other manufacturers have had their turn in the limelight with some now well-known cars; for 2004 it's Chevrolet's turn, with ... Continue reading

New Car Review: 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx LS

Apr 22, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS - (c) 2004 - WEEK 16 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx LS A medium-sized sport-utility vehicle is useful for carrying various combinations of people and cargo, but with rising gasoline prices and low SUV fuel economy ratings that versatility can be expensive to operate. Is there another s ... Continue reading

2004 New Car Review: Toyota Camry Solara SLE V6

Apr 15, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS<br> 2004 Toyota Camry Solara SLE V6<p> ``Something for everyone.'' Is this the secret of Toyota's success? Considering the Japanese giant's comprehensive vehicle lineup, if that is not the complete secret, it is a major component. Even in a niche-market class like sports coupes, To ... Continue reading

New Car Review: 2004 Hyundai Elantra GT 5-Door

Apr 12, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD<br> WITH CAREY RUSS <p> Hyundais have come a long way since the Korean manufacturer started selling cars in the U.S. in the mid-1980s. The days as a purveyor of merely basic cheap transportation are distant history, as Hyundai has expanded upscale in recent years with vehicles like the Santa Fe SU ... Continue reading

New Car Review: 2004 Ford Freestar Limited

Apr 2, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD<br> WITH CAREY RUSS 2004 Ford Freestar Limited<p> <p>If, at a quick glance, Ford's new Freestar minivan looks like a twin of last year's Windstar, look more closely. It is more than merely an updated Windstar. Hundreds of changes to its chassis, drivetrain, interior, and safety systems were enough ... Continue reading

New Car Review: 2004 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4x4

Mar 23, 2004

SYNDICATED AUTOMOTIVE NEWS SERVICES DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS - (c) 2004 - WEEK 12 2004 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4x4 A few years ago, Toyota faced a problem. Its flagship SUV, the Land Cruiser, had moved so far upscale that a hole big enough to drive a full-sized sport-utility through was left in the company' ... Continue reading

2004 New Car Review: BMW X3 3.0i Automatic

Mar 18, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD<br> WITH CAREY RUSS <p> Twenty years ago I looked at a very special BMW for sale. It was a custom replica of a 1600ti, the predecessor to the 2002 sedan that put the Bavarian company on the US enthusiast map, and then into wider acceptance. It had just about every hot-stuff Alpina part possible. B ... Continue reading

2004 New Car Review: Nissan Pathfinder Armada LE 4x4

Mar 4, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD<br> WITH CAREY RUSS<p> With the recent introduction of its first full-sized SUV, the Pathfinder Armada, Nissan now has a comprehensive sport-utility lineup. But, other than part of its name and high-mounted rear door handles, the Nissan Pathfinder Armada has nothing in common with the familiar Nis ... Continue reading

New Car Review - 2004 BMW 530i

Feb 19, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD<br> WITH CAREY RUSS In its seven year production run, the fourth-generation BMW 5-Series, code-named E39, garnered accolades from the press and buying public alike, and was considered by many - even many competitors - to be the benchmark in the mid-luxury sports sedan class. That's a tough act to ... Continue reading

New Car Review - 2004 Mercury Monterey Premier

Feb 6, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS - (c) 2004 - WEEK 05 2004 Mercury Monterey Premier There has been a minivan in the Mercury lineup since the early 1990s, but don't confuse the new Monterey with the old Villager. They share nothing except the Mercury name. Following the evolution of the minivan, the Monterey is lar ... Continue reading

2004 Review: Subaru Impreza WRX Sport Wagon

Jan 16, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS It's winter, it's icy cold and raining heavily and driving conditions are unpredictable and exciting in the worst way. I'm driving a high-performance car, but I don't care. That car is a new Subaru Impreza WRX wagon. Sports cars are usually out of their element when the weather tur ... Continue reading

2004 New Car Review: 2004 Hyundai XG350L

Jan 8, 2004

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS 2004 Hyundai XG350L A dozen years or so ago the juxtaposition of the word ``luxury'' with ``Hyundai'' would have been cause for laughter. But the Korean manufacturer has come a long way since then, with vastly improved build quality and an impressive lineup. While not completely ab ... Continue reading