News By Topic: 2011 New Vehicle Reviews

2011 Dodge Caliber Review by Steve Purdy +VIDEO

Sep 16, 2011

Much improved inside - tepid overall By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau I'll never forget my first encounter with the new Dodge Caliber in late 2005. It was a regional press preview at a restaurant right next to the then-new Tiger Stadium in downtown Detroit. The concept version of the car was revealed at ... Continue reading

2011 Volkswagen Jetta S Review by Steve Purdy +VIDEO

Sep 12, 2011

By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau We get the feeling that Volkswagen is still trying to find itself in the U.S. market, first charming us all in the 1950s and 60s with the simple, cheap, functional Beetle, full of personality and quirkiness, then going mainstream with the conventional, but still fully Ge ... Continue reading

HEELS ON WHEELS: 2011 LEXUS IS 250 REVIEW

Sep 7, 2011

HEELS ON WHEELS By Katrina Ramser San Francisco Bureau The Auto Channel INTRO TO THE LEXUS IS 250 VEHICLE Have you got champagne tastes but a beer budget? With a starting price of $32,145, to put it plainly, the Lexus IS series are Toyota’s idea of an entry-level luxury sedan lineup. The IS 250 comes with the smal ... Continue reading

2011 Ford Explorer LTD Review and Road Test By Larry Nutson +VIDEO

Sep 6, 2011

2011 Ford Explorer LTD 4WD in Chicagoland (IMG_2212) by Larry Nutson Senior Editor, Chicago Bureau The Auto Channel “ Ford Explorer – the vehicle that defined a segment – has been completely reinvented for 2011 to raise the bar on SUV efficiency, performance, safety, technology and capability.” That ... Continue reading

2011 AUDI A8L 4.2 FSI Quattro Review by Steve Purdy +VIDEO

Sep 5, 2011

Lithe Luxury By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau You may recall we reviewed the new Audi A7 a few weeks ago calling it a "wonderful car." The good folks at Audi have smitten us again with an amazingly good, though mighty expensive, high-tech, luxury car, the A8L. ... Continue reading

2011 Audi Q5 2.0T quattro Tiptronic Review By Steve Purdy +VIDEO

Sep 1, 2011

2011 AUDI Q5 2.0T QUATTRO TIPTRONIC A Cool, Classy Crossover By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau We’re in the middle of a series of Audi products as we review the Q5 small crossover. We started with the amazing A7, then the cute and practical A3, now the Q5 and next week the big, luxurious A8L limo. A ... Continue reading

2011 Ford Fiesta SES Review By Larry Nutson +VIDEO

Aug 29, 2011

2011 Ford Fiesta SES (IMG_2115) A City-suitable Hatchback By Larry Nutson Senior Editor, Chicago Bureau The Auto Channel Various automotive pundits, analysts and experts have often said that Americans don’t like hatchback cars. Maybe that was true at some point in the not-to-distant past, but given the evidence of ... Continue reading

2012 Chevrolet Cruze Review - Cruzing to New York

Aug 29, 2011

By Thom Cannell and Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau We weren’t anticipating driving a Chevy Cruze to New York, but an offer to drive a new Chevrolet Cruze LT came from a major supplier, Honeywell Turbo Technologies. It was a welcome alternative to a tasty but comparatively sternly riding Mitsubishi L ... Continue reading

2011 Land Rover Discovery LR4 Review and Road Test By Steve Purdy +VIDEO

Aug 28, 2011

Land Rover Buyers Guide - Comparisons, Specs and Prices 2011 LAND ROVER LR4 HSE An SUV for the Sophisticated Safari-er By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau The name Range Rover brings to mind big, tough, noisy safari trucks rattling across the African savanna in search of wild game. Among British brands Ran ... Continue reading

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon: Starting at $62,990

Aug 28, 2011

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon accelerates from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.0 seconds. "The Cadillac CTS-V Wagon is a limited production offering for connoisseurs who are interested in the unique combination of V-Series performance with wagon style and capability," said Don Butler, vice president, Cadillac marketing. ... Continue reading

2012 Volkswagen Jetta SE Review - By Carey Russ +VIDEO

Aug 25, 2011

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS 2011/12 Volkswagen Jetta SE Volkswagen made a major change of direction with the debut of its latest Jetta a year ago. What had for years been positioned as an upscale alternative to the common compact and small mid-sized sedans was radically revised to be direct competition with t ... Continue reading

Heels on Wheels: 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser Review +VIDEO

Aug 22, 2011

HEELS ON WHEELS By Katrina Ramser San Francisco Bureau The Auto Channel INTRO TO THE FJ CRUISER VEHICLE The FJ Cruiser carries legendary off-road performance and much vehicle heritage with adventure seekers that know their trail rigs. As a niche SUV with an outdoor agenda, noticeable changes on this year’s model f ... Continue reading

2011 Chevrolet Volt - How Does It Drive? Review By Larry Nutson

Aug 22, 2011

2011 Chevrolet Volt - It does what it’s supposed to do very well. By Larry Nutson IMG_2052) Senior Editor, Chicago Bureau The Auto Channel The Chevrolet Volt was named the 2011 North American Car of the Year, and rightfully so. The Volt has won other awards including the 2009 Green Car Vision Award, 2011 Motor Tre ... Continue reading

2011 Subaru Forester 2.5X Touring Road Test And Review By Larry Nutson

Aug 17, 2011

2011 Subaru Forester 2.5X Touring Affordable practicality By Larry Nutson Senior Editor, Chicago Bureau (IMG_1986) The Auto Channel My scheduled drive time in a 2011 Subaru Forester fit perfectly with a road trip that would take me from the city life of Chicago on the western shore of Lake Michigan to beautiful and ser ... Continue reading

Heels On Wheels: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Review

Aug 15, 2011

HEELS ON WHEELS By Katrina Ramser Parrish San Francisco Bureau The Auto Channel INTRO TO THE OUTLANDER VEHICLE The 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander is staging itself as a smaller crossover utility vehicle with an adventurous spirit. And Mitsubishi is throwing an impressive campaign that highlights the rugged capability of the ... Continue reading