By Don Hammonds
I like small.
Always have, always will.  But I like my small cars to be distinctive, quick, practical, and wouldn’t mind at all if they were also sexy too.
Well, I think I’ve found a car that meets most of my needs: 2012 Kia Soul!  By the way, that exclamation point is actually the model name.  It takes a while to understand Soulspeak, but hey, it’s cool. And all good. No worries.

And in case you don’t know, Kia is just …

By Don Hammonds
 
    If there was a wish list for cars, one that would be right up there–at least for us at Automobile Journal – is a hybrid powered wagon.
    Think about it.
     Wagons are cool theses days, whether you’re talking about a new one or classic one built in the sixties. And hybrids? Also cool. And standing to get cooler by the second as gasoline prices head for new heights unseen by any of us in our worst nightmares. Can you …

     By Don Hammonds
 You don’t need to be told that the auto market these days is a crowded one.
We don’t know of any niche in the market that hasn’t already been filled many times over, or any segment that’s been left unnoticed by carmakers.
But that means tons of money needs to be spent on marketing if terrific cars are to be noticed at all by the general buying public. And Audi’s really cool A3 2.0 TDI FWD S-Tronic, with a 140 …

By John Heilig  
SPECIFICATIONS
 
Model: 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart
Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged DOHC I4
Horsepower/Torque: 237 hp @ 6,000 rpm/253 lb.-ft. @ 3,000 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters
Wheelbase: 103.7 in.
Length/Width/Height: 180.4 x 69.4 x 59.3 in.
Tires: P215/45R18
Cargo volume:
Fuel economy: 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway/23.5 mpg test
Fuel capacity:
Curb weight:
Sticker: $31,755 (includes $760 destination and handling charge, $3,100 Ralliart package)
 
Five reasons to buy this car
1. Fun to drive
2. Relatively economical on long trips
3. Excellent power
4. Excellent handling
5. Four-door sports car
 
The …

 
By Don Hammonds
One of the hardest things for most car lovers is what happens when you become a parent.
Minivan, here we come.  hello, boring three-box sedan. You know what we mean, right?
Help’s on the way for upwardly mobile families and car lovers everywhere in the form of the 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon. Boring it’s not. Gorgeous it is. And plenty fun to drive, too.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts, we want to get one thing off our …

      By Donald Hammonds
 The  first impression you have of  Nissan’s all new 2011 Quest can be summed up in one word: Big.
It’s really not any bigger than other minivans, but the design sure makes it look more massive. It’s  a square-shouldered, unapologetically masculine look that immediately sets it off from other minivans. You won’t be mistaking this one for anything else.

  Come to think of it, that could be said about the last generation Quest,  but that model was, well, unconventional inside and out …

By Don Hammonds
I think I’ve gone to minivan heaven.

I just finished testing Toyota’s new 2011 Sienna minivan, and it’s a winner for so many reasons it’s hard to know where to begin. But generally, this seven passenger Sienna XLE all-wheel drive minivan has everything I’ve ever wanted on a family hauler, except for a hybrid engine to really boost the mileage. The all-wheel drive feature–an exclusive with Sienna–is worth the price of admission alone for snowy Pittsburgh.
The new Sienna has terrific …

Looking for something way cool?
We at Automobile Journal have been hearing rumors that Volkswagen was about to bring back its beloved Microbus van that was a rolling icon of the days of flower chidren, hippies and Janis Joplin.
Now we have evidence, courtesy of the Geneva International Auto Show and VW, that the rumor is likely true.

VW is displayng the Bulli, a retro flavored, yet utterly contemporary van concept  that will bring back memories for a lot of babyboomers– and ptoetntially …

By John Heilig
   Model: 2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite
Engine: 3.5-liter V6 Horsepower/Torque: 248 hp @ 5,700 rpm/250 lb.-ft. @ 4,800 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic Wheelbase: 118.1 in. Length/Width/Height: 202.9 x 79.2 x 68.4 in.
Tires: P235/60R18
Cargo volume: 38.4/93.1/148.5 cu. ft. (3rd row seats up/down/2nd and 3rd row seats down)
Fuel economy: 19 mpg city/28 mpg highway/20.0 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 21.0 gal.
Curb weight: 4,560 lbs.
Sticker: $44,030 (includes $780 destination and handling)  
 Five reasons to buy this car 1. Could be the best minivan on …

 
By Don Hammonds
Nissan  strengthened its growing reputation for design innovation and daring at the media days presentation at the Los Angeles International Auto Shgow.
   With models ranging from an unsual world’s first all wheel drive cabriolet, to to a sedan concept that is almost sure to influence future design at the brands, Nissan had some of the most unusual and interesting products displayed for the media.
First among the products likely to get a lot of attention in days to come is …