Copyright 2012 The New York Sun Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:38:26 -0500 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Motoring :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/motoring admin@nysun.net (Seth Lipsky) webmaster@nysun.com en-us JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/revenge-of-the-family-car/70988/ Fri, 8 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST The station wagon was supposed to be relegated to the dustbin of history. The heyday of the faux wood-paneled family truckster coincided with a time in American life when the Brady Bunch wasn't yet in reruns and the gas crisis — the first one, that is — hadn't affected society's penchant for large, body-on-frame automobiles. With the introduction of the 2008 Outback, however, we're told that this is now a "wagon-only" vehicle line. Subaru's announcement seems a bit peculiar at first, but it's... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/lady-liberty/70612/ Fri, 1 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST Khaki pants and TV dinners aren't the only staples of military life that the intrepid veterans of World War II introduced into mainstream society. America can also thank the U.S. Army for giving us the Jeep. In 1941, the military received an order of 1,500 light reconnaissance vehicles known as the Willys Model MA. An improved version, the MB, soon appeared on the front lines, but for reasons nobody knows for sure, soldiers began calling it a Jeep. It stands to reason that as the world became... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/when-concept-becomes-reality/70181/ Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Chrysler has conquered the final frontier in the quest to produce the ideal environmentally friendly car. On paper, at least. The sleek ecoVoyager ranks among the best vehicles unveiled at this week's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It boasts great lines and a luxurious, spacious cabin designed to evoke a private jet. Its power source is based on a compact lithium-ion battery pack and is supplemented by the latest hydrogen fuel cells. The ecoVoyager ends the complaint that... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/with-sporty-hummer-the-good-times-roll/70180/ Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Another notable concept vehicle coming out of Detroit is the Hummer HX. General Motors is extending this brand with impressive results. With gas prices as high as they are, the idea behind this concept Hummer is to make it smaller and more fuel-efficient without losing either its mean looks or its magnificent off-road presence. The HX concept treads brazenly into the open-air SUV territory that Jeep has closely guarded over the years. This Hummer has removable door and roof panels, and even... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/even-auto-racing-goes-green/69747/ Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Here's a first: Officials at the American Le Mans Series announced this week that they've asked none other than the Environmental Protection Agency to develop protocols and criteria for a 1,000-mile "green" race this fall. The Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta, the so-called American version of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France, is based on the French race's guiding concept: exotic prototype and production-based sports cars competing in four different classes on the track at the... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/king-of-the-road/69752/ Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Automakers have been promising us a revolution for some time now. If this week's auto show in Detroit is any indication of things to come, then it seems they took the word "revolution" quite literally. Don't get us wrong. Sometimes returning to one's roots is the best decision. Especially when the company is Ford and the revolution centers 'round the GT500. Previews at the North American International Auto Show had been all too predictable this year. Alternative-fuel engines come in cars we... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/drawing-board-driving-appeal/69356/ Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST The mantra among speed enthusiasts, especially Porsche aficionados, is that the no-frills car is the one that has the best chance of winning the race. So we were fascinated by this week's announcement out of Stuttgart that Porsche is planning (hold on to your socks for this one) a four-door hybrid model. The lasting appeal of Porsche traditionally rested on distinctively styled coupes with throaty, straight six engines that could, with the addition of a skillful driver, outrun and outmaneuver... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/satellite-radio-unveils-its-threat-matrix/69363/ Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST If it's January, and you're in Detroit, then you're most likely an intrepid member of the automotive press corps in town for the North American International Auto Show. And if it happens to snow next week — as it usually does in Detroit in January — then the purveyors of the Threat Matrix will have a field day demonstrating their technology to auto columnists. Threat Matrix is the name of the real-time weather-tracking service behind XM Satellite Radio's new NavWeather feature. The same folks... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/crash-test-dummies-become-more-lifelike/68923/ Fri, 4 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Pin-up girls aren't the only ones getting silicone implants. Ford Motor Co. is working with prominent hospitals to develop more lifelike abdominal inserts for pediatric crash-test dummies. "The major focus [with crash dummy testing] has always been on head and chest injuries," the senior technical leader with Ford's Passive Safety Research and Advanced Engineering Department, Steve Rouhana, said. "But the lack of an abdomen is not just a matter of priority. We really didn't have the technology... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/campaign-trail-escape-tale/68930/ Fri, 4 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Ford Motor Co. is using the hype surrounding the presidential primary season to tout its new sport utility vehicle, the Escape Hybrid. Ford is running a print advertisement in several Capitol Hill publications, such as Roll Call, the Hill, and Politico, that claims the SUV is a favorite of many presidential contenders and their campaign staffs. "We may not know where all the candidates stand, but we know where a lot of them sit," the advertisement reads. Ford's campaign for the "green" Escape... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/forward-felines/68681/ Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST A commercial for one of the most eagerly anticipated television programs of the past week promised to divulge the exact whereabouts of large, black Jaguars along the Eastern Seaboard. The TV special, which detailed the possibility that a large cat might be attacking dairy cattle in the hills of West Virginia, turned out to be a disappointment for motoring enthusiasts. We're far more interested in black Jaguars with purrs that emanate from finely tuned V8 engines. This beloved British motorcar... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/great-white-way/68457/ Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST For the first time in nearly a decade, silver doesn't take the gold. DuPont's latest Global Automotive Color Popularity Report finds that white has edged out silver as the top car color of choice, reflecting a growing trend among home furnishings and fashion that favors a return to minimalism. Popular culture's embrace of the white-on-white look — not seen to this extent among home furnishings and cars since the height of the Reagan administration — also suggests that hot new colors will soon... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/cadillac-rivington-dodge-morningstar-coming/68461/ Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST We asked readers of Motoring+ a couple of weeks ago to come up with car nameplates based on New York City locations. The Subaru Tribeca SUV and the Buick Park Avenue luxury sedan are two popular models that originally inspired the request for suggestions. We were most impressed by the creative submissions of Jim S. and his friends from Brooklyn. In fact, we think certain automakers would do well to hire these guys. Luxury Nameplates Albemarle: After Albemarle Road, Brooklyn Astor: Place... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/on-the-island-road-to-paradise/68075/ Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST One of the peculiar developments of late-20th-century society is the proliferation of the all-inclusive vacation resort. You might call it the "McDonaldization" of luxury travel: Wherever you go, you rest assured that there's a meticulously maintained hotel and resort facility with predictable meals, predictable leisure activities, and predictable crowds. The architecture of these places can best be described as "Disneyland meets Venetian palazzo." And in these pastel-colored villas, rotund... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/cool-kind-of-hybrid/67707/ Fri, 7 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) is an adrenaline junkie's best friend. The Canadian company manufactures and markets really cool vehicles that send adventurous riders cruising over just about every type of terrain. There are Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft and sport boats, and the always-dependable Evinrude outboard engines. They also produce Can-Am all-terrain vehicles, as well as ultralight aircraft engines. Even dyed-in-the-wool New Yorkers, for whom Central Park... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/would-anyone-buy-a-chevy-avenue-d/67713/ Fri, 7 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST It's always fun to see a Subaru Tribeca drive by the headquarters of The New York Sun, which, of course, is in TriBeCa. The same goes for spotting a Buick Park Avenue or a Chrysler Fifth Avenue in those fashionable uptown neighborhoods. Automakers want the right people buying their cars, and geographical names often lend a hand in those marketing efforts. It's no wonder that upscale soccer moms in the trendy streets of TriBeCa have flocked to Subaru's smart-looking crossover sport utility since... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/cobra-copies/67315/ Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST Racing legend Carroll Shelby sold his very own Shelby Cobra 427 for a whopping $5.5 million at auction earlier this year. That astronomical sum settled any doubts that the iconic 1960s roadster is the most collectible of vintage automobiles. The big issue facing the new owner is common among Cobra enthusiasts: Drive it or not? When a car is valued in the millions of dollars, the risks involved with taking it out for a spin — a wayward pebble nicking the paint job, for instance — are often too... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/gentlemen-start-your-engines/67331/ Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST The Nextel Cup Series winner, Jimmie Johnson, returned to Midtown on Wednesday morning for Nascar's 27th annual Champions Week and led a victory lap around Times Square. Mr. Johnson, who is the first Nascar driver to win back-to-back championships in nearly 10 years, took the wheel of his No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet to lead the top 10 drivers of the 2007 Nextel Cup Series down Broadway and onto 42nd Street. From there, the stock cars took a left on Madison Avenue and another left on 53rd Street... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/bringing-the-test-drive-to-you/66899/ Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST Long live experiential marketing. That's the message coming from the savviest branding and marketing experts these days, as companies are learning how to target an audience of potential customers even before they pitch their products. The managing director of Strat@comm, the transportation-focused Detroit subsidiary of Fleishman-Hillard, Kim Skeltis, says that mass marketing might work well for certain items, but not for big-ticket purchases like automobiles. Ms. Skeltis says that her firm... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/morphed-into-movie-stars/66900/ Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST Movie directors don't commonly scope out automobile showrooms when looking for the stars of their next films. So when the director Michael Bay began poking around General Motors's design studio in Los Angeles, GM executives knew they had a sterling marketing opportunity on their hands. Mr. Bay directed "Transformers," last summer's blockbuster action movie based on the eponymous 1980s Hasbro toy line. Besides familiarizing a new generation of American boys with the age-old battle between the... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/pivo-forward-looking-concept/66549/ Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST All concept cars are supposed to be forward-looking. But the designers at Nissan have unveiled a model that takes this idea to new levels. Nissan's Pivo is a three-seat electric-car concept that features a cabin mounted on a wheelbase in such a way that it can revolve 360 degrees. This nifty design allows the driver never to have to drive in reverse. Part of the charm of Pivo comes from the fact that a renowned Japanese artist, Takashi Murakami (the subject of a major retrospective now on view... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/supercar-is-here/66563/ Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST Ever hear the reasoning behind the belief that you're better off winning the bronze medal than the silver one? It goes something like this: While the silver medalist will always be frustrated that he didn't come away with the gold, the bronze medalist is content that he's even on the podium in the first place. Japan's version of the Big Three automakers is a good example of this phenomenon. Although Honda and Toyota have battled for supremacy (and national bragging rights) over the past... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/when-left-is-right/66191/ Fri, 9 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST It's difficult to experience everything Ireland has to offer from the window of a tour bus. That sort of reasoning is what encourages an American tourist to rent a car and take to the open road. But it's only when he actually gets into the car and realizes that the steering wheel isn't where it's supposed to be that the real action begins. Dodging tractors and barreling over hedgerows — not to mention driving head-on into oncoming traffic — is the kind of spectacle that the people of Ireland... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/front-seat-driver/65745/ Fri, 2 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST One of Columbia Business School's most well-received student presentations on pricing strategies started out something like this: Imagine you're a Westchester surgeon who's surrounded by friends and colleagues driving big Mercedes-Benz sedans. Those S600s are terrific cars, but you want to drive something better, something more distinctive than what all your cohorts in Scarsdale and Harrison and Katonah have in their garages. For about $50,000 more than the top-of-the-line Mercedes, you can be... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/ford-sync-feature-brings-microsoft-on-board/65746/ Fri, 2 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST If you stuck Bill Ford and Bill Gates in a room together and didn't let them out until they came up with a neat automotive computer device, Sync would be the result. Ford's Sync is a new in-car communications and entertainment system that integrates every telephone and music player a family can muster on a road trip into one central system. Better yet, it harnesses the power of voice activation, a car technology that's existed since the late 1970s but without any decent applications – until now... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/saab-preferred-by-preppies-yearning-to-break-free/65305/ Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST Saabs look the way they do because aerospace engineers founded the company. Today this fact is what a Saab driver might use to explain the look of his car. Not too long ago, the typical owner of a Saab didn't explain anything to anyone. That's because there's always been a slightly edgy character to both Saabs and their drivers. (Well, at least in the sense that L.L. Bean fans from New England can be edgy.) Poke around Edgartown in the summer and Stowe in the winter. You'll find that Saab... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/equinox-drives-home-fuel-cell-strategy/65308/ Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST GM hopes people will stop asking who killed the electric car. This week the company unveiled an ambitious test-drive program, Project Driveway, to highlight its work with fuel cell technology. "Project Driveway" is lending 100 New York-area families a Chevrolet Equinox outfitted with a fuel cell propulsion system. For the next three months, the drivers will have one place – a new hydrogen refueling station in Westchester – to fill up. But the 350-mile range means there will soon be a bunch of... Special to the Sun http://www.nysun.com/motoring/seatbelt-lock-has-lots-of-fans/64915/ Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST There's nothing Bruce Mather loves more than to take his daily driver through the most challenging racetracks he can find on the Autocross circuit. He's been able to push his BMW 5-series sedan well past the 130 mile-per-hour mark, just one of many stories he'll trade with other amateur race-course drivers. An ongoing issue that often came up in conversation with fellow racers was how tough it was to steer through tight curves without wearing the over-the-shoulders harness typically used by the... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/hummer-for-alpha-males/64930/ Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST Brand extensions are always fun to watch. They're especially entertaining in the case of Hummer, a sport utility vehicle whose reputation is based on sheer size and intimidation. Start with the fact that the first extension of the brand, the Hummer 2, was a smaller, more civilian-friendly version of the military Humvee. True, the H2 was a behemoth, but anyone who ever drove one knew in the back of his mind that he was settling for something smaller and less intimidating than the assault tank... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/out-with-the-duck-in-with-the-v/64432/ Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST Most of the radical (and, indeed, welcomed) Cadillac makeover has passed. But for the auto nut and aesthete alike, there are subtle redesigns that are still popping up in the 2008 models. First, a little refresher course: Remember the upbeat advertisements for the Cadillac Catera in the late '90s? They included Cindy Crawford and an animated duck that jumped out of the traditional Cadillac crest. The Catera was the last of the sporty Cadillacs without a chiseled, angular look. It was also among... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/cadillac-finds-its-world-car-in-the-cts/64440/ Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST The luxury sports sedan segment was always supposed to be the exclusive arena of the Europeans. But when competition developed on a world scale, it came from the Japanese in the 1980s with the market entr้e of high-end brands such as Lexus and Infiniti. For decades, American automakers accepted the idea that certain segments of the market were simply unattainable. And this sentiment went both ways: Could you imagine BMW going neck and neck with Chevy and Ford with its own half-ton pickup truck?... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/jaguars-sophisticated-xkr-attracts-internet-elites/53326/ Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EST The guys who read Wired magazine — at least the guys we know — tend to idolize Mr. Spock and just about anything else associated with "Star Trek." They also enjoy talking about computer software and playing "Dungeons & Dragons." An exciting bunch! Here is what's fascinating about this "nerd" demographic: Jaguar wants them. This is the same Jaguar Cars Ltd. that the young, stylish racing enthusiast William Lyons (certainly no nerd) founded in 1922 in the northern English town of Blackpool... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/porsche-dressed-up-for-racing-success/52909/ Fri, 20 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EST The German word for racing, Rennsport, is where Porsche got the name for its new roadster, the GT3 RS. The idea here — or at least it's what they'd have us believe — is that there are two kinds of racing: The first, American, involves lots of colorful baseball caps, trailer homes, and Confederate flags. The other kind of racing is what Europeans prefer. Anyone who's been to Le Mans, France, for the "24 Heures" knows that race-courses aren't perfect ovals: They're meant to wind through medieval... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/maseratis-manhattan-debut-for-gran-turismo/52442/ Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EST The world's most exotic sports cars typically make their debuts in Geneva, Switzerland. But Maserati unveiled its new Gran Turismo in New York City last week in its Park Avenue showroom. Good choice. This area of Midtown has no shortage of young investment bankers with Christmas bonuses still burning holes in their suit pockets. For a quick, one-time payment of just $120,000, they can burn rubber, as well — on every road the Northeast can deliver. One such banker ducked into the showroom last... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/buick-super-makes-a-comeback/52013/ Fri, 6 Apr 2007 17:09:25 EST There's a mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper who stands for truth, justice, and the American way. He has wavy dark hair, blue eyes, and horn-rimmed glasses. He gets his share of Superman jokes. There's another iconic American known for its Super name and making waves in Metropolis these days. Buick last week announced it was reviving its Super distinction (after 50 years) on its top-of-the-line Lucerne and LaCrosse sedans. The first Buicks with the Super designation... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/chryslers-three-screen-minivan/52014/ Fri, 6 Apr 2007 17:11:45 EST The sniveling, spoiled children of America are indebted to the ingenious engineers and designers at Chrysler for this latest development: Each seating row in the new Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country has its own multi-media screen to watch movies, play video games, or (for boring adults) to download driving directions to the next destination. Indeed, the wheels on the bus continue to go ‘round and ‘round. But at least those not wishing to hear that annoying childrens' song... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/from-drawing-board-to-showroom-floor/52015/ Fri, 6 Apr 2007 17:13:05 EST When our neighbor Joe Rocco saw a photograph of Chevrolet's Camaro concept car, he said that he'd buy one if the company actually decided to build it. One year later, the New York Auto Show will feature the convertible version of that Camaro concept. Many devotees of the Camaro, like Mr. Rocco, will be lining up to buy this beauty: Chevy recently announced it will put the muscle car into production for the 2009 model year. Part of the appeal of concept cars is the "if only" factor. They're... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/motoring/52016/ Fri, 6 Apr 2007 17:17:54 EST The New York International Auto Show has set the standard for motoring cool for more than a century. This year, automotive enthusiasts are in for the best show yet: Nearly every automaker in the world will be in town with more unveilings and concept cars than ever. Manufacturers pay a lot of attention to discerning New York crowds. And auto fans here aren't afraid to share their opinions. Judge for yourself. The show begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday, April 15th at the Javits Center... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/university-of-land-rover/52017/ Fri, 6 Apr 2007 17:19:42 EST Outdoorsmen appreciate the beauty of western North Carolina for the endless hiking trails they use to explore the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains. Architectural historians flock to the area to stay in the shadow of George Vanderbilt's 250-room chateaux, the legendary Biltmore House. Golfers, of course, love Asheville because they are surrounded by some of the best courses in the country. I enjoy all of these pursuits, but the first thing I remember about my visit to the Biltmore Estate & Winery... WARREN BROWN http://www.nysun.com/motoring/2006-se-charger-detroit-yells-a-rowdy-howdy/18511/ Fri, 12 Aug 2005 00:00:00 EST I'm a good ol' boy from Louisiana who despises the Confederate flag and doesn't think much of General Robert E. Lee. But I've long kept a die-cast model of "the General Lee" on my desk, replete with its rooftop rebel banner, big "01" side-panel markings and racing-orange exterior paint. The General Lee is a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T, the motorized star of "The Dukes of Hazzard" TV comedy, aired on CBS from 1979 to 1985. I loved that car - a quintessential Detroit muscle machine, heavy on power but... WARREN BROWN http://www.nysun.com/motoring/2006-mazda5-a-snug-minivan-built-for-city-agility/18174/ Fri, 5 Aug 2005 00:00:00 EST Small has a chance to make it big in America. Consider the 2006 Mazda5, a minivan that is "mini" in the truest sense of the word. It is built for the city. It fits neatly into tight spaces. It presents no visual obstruction to other drivers. It can carry six passengers and judicious amounts of their stuff. The Mazda5 also fits into tight pocketbooks, starting at less than $20,000. For families with small children, it offers as much utility as the Mercedes-Benz R350, a minivan that has a base... WARREN BROWN http://www.nysun.com/motoring/2006-mercedes-benz-r-cass-grand-sports-tourer-r/17810/ Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. - Field owners live better than field hands. That epiphany came to me during a drive of the 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class Grand Sports Tourer, a name as imposing as some of the palaces occupying this landscape of wealth. Workers tending the grounds of those estates refer to them as "property." Likewise, they've reduced the haughty nomenclature of the R-Class to "minivan" and "wagon," as in "looks like a minivan to me." But neither the sprawling mansions nor the R-Class... WARREN BROWN http://www.nysun.com/motoring/2006-mitsubishi-eclipse-gt-v6-sports-car/17445/ Fri, 22 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Sometimes, you change the music. I did. I found a castaway compact disc in my bedroom library, an album of reworked jazz, blues, and swing classics called "The Supper Club" - all performed and arranged by saxophonist Sonya Jason. It was a beautiful collection of warm melodies and hot tunes, including "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" by Duke Ellington and Bob Russell, "Summertime" by George Gershwin and Dubose Heyward, and "When Sunny Gets Blue" by Jack Segal and Marvin Fisher. It... WARREN BROWN http://www.nysun.com/motoring/2005-kia-spectra-sx-a-sensible-alternative-to/17086/ Fri, 15 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Highway running was good at 33 miles a gallon. We wanted better. We switched off the air-conditioner to squeeze more miles from the tank. That was in the 2005 Kia Spectra SX compact sedan, one of a series of cars I've been driving over recent months on the theory that no one has to spend extra money for an electric/gasoline hybrid vehicle to get a good, fuel-efficient family automobile. It's not that I'm against hybrids. It's just that I'm allergic to hype, especially the kind that... WARREN BROWN http://www.nysun.com/motoring/nuts-bolts-2006-toyota-highlander-hybrid/16427/ Fri, 1 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - I like the mid-size Toyota Highlander sport-utility vehicle. It's a quality act. But I prefer it with the traditional gasoline engine. That's because I've driven the 2006 front-wheel-drive electric-gasoline hybrid version, and I can't figure out why I should pay $7,000 more for it than I'd pay for the equally enjoyable gasoline only model. I've tried to keep an open mind on this. But $7,000 can buy a lot of gasoline. If a company wants me to pay $7,000 more for its product, there... WARREN BROWN http://www.nysun.com/motoring/2005-audi-a6-42-quattro-over-the-top-technology/16058/ Fri, 24 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - We met as strangers and remained that way. It happens. Sometimes, there is no communication between car and driver. There is a profound disconnect. But that sort of thing often occurs in nondescript economy cars. My estrangement came in the padded luxury of the 2005 Audi A6 4.2 Quattro sedan. It was a matter of dealing with too much. In its obsessive bid to become a high-end automobile manufacturer, Audi has abandoned simplicity in pursuit of excess. The company says it is offering... WARREN BROWN http://www.nysun.com/motoring/2006-subaru-b9-tribeca-vitamin-b9-for-the-suv/15265/ Fri, 10 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST Conventional wisdom says this is not the season for sport-utility vehicles. Gasoline prices are rising. Truck sales are tanking. The anti-SUV choir is reveling in refrain: "Told you so, told you so, SUVs are going to go." It seems prophetic - like pride coming before the fall, the high and the mighty brought down low, the wages of sin finally paid. The SUV appears moribund. Those who were praying for its demise are preparing its requiem absent mourning. They would be wiser to postpone the... WARREN BROWN http://www.nysun.com/motoring/2005-kia-sportage-back-from-charm-school/14856/ Fri, 3 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST MONTGOMERY, ALA. - Critics said I was too kind to the original Kia Sportage sport-utility vehicle, introduced in 1995.They had a point. It was a tiny thing built body-on-frame in the manner of a traditional truck. That construction, combined with the first Sportage's short wheelbase, made for a less-than-comfortable ride. The Sportage was boxy. Interior and exterior styling was dated. And the vinyl fittings in its passenger cabin were neither supple nor subtle. They were unmistakably... ALAN WELLIKOFF http://www.nysun.com/motoring/ford-freestyle-mercurial-if-not-quite-a-mercury/11525/ Fri, 1 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EST Freestyle. Sure, it's a name implying a certain versatility, but it's also one from which you can infer something of this vehicle's mercurial nature. Based on the same Volvo-developed platform as was the Ford Five Hundred, you can reasonably view the Freestyle as the Five Hundred's car-like station wagon. Looking at it, though, we see a midsize SUV; inside, it resembles a seven-passenger minivan. In fact, Mercury's minivan, the Monterey, also uses the Freestyle chassis. The Freestyle's free... ALAN WELLIKOFF http://www.nysun.com/motoring/ford-five-hundred-a-revival-with-many-virtues/11196/ Fri, 25 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST Back in the days of deep-offset hypoid axles and Cruise-O-Matic drives, Ford would offer up the suffix 500 to denote a chrome-clad exaltation of the previous year's line-topper. Thus, the Fairlane sired the Fairlane 500 and the Galaxie gave way to the Galaxie 500. The Galaxie 500 would go on to take on an XL designation, an example of the runaway badging that once brought us a Ford LTD Crown Victoria LX. No matter: Weighing down a fender with a string of names long enough to embarrass an exiled...