By Don Hammonds
You may have seen all of the breathtaking reviews by car magazines, and heard all the stories about huge sales increases at Chrysler.
You probably thought, “Wait a minute. Is this the same company that built the Dodge or Chrysler that gave me so much trouble? The same company that was at death’s door a couple of years ago?  I don’t believe it.”
All we will say is, “You better believe it.” 
This is the turnaround story of the decade when …

      
By Don Hammonds
  When it comes to subcompact cars, there’s “basic”—and there’s bare bones.
There’s no denying that you won’t find a lot of fancy gimmickry and gee-whiz features on the new 2012 Nissan Versa four door, more specifically known in our tester as tne 1.6 SV sedan.  There’s no heated seats, no armrest for the driver’s right arm, no kick-ass audio system (though the one you get is just fine, thanks), etc.

But….just about all the creature comforts most people look …

By Don Hammonds
We’ll cut right to the chase.
Everything you’ve heard about the Chevy Volt is true. Satisfyingly, reassuringly true.

It is beyond a doubt the most intriguing and significant car of the year, and it deserves every award it’s gotten–and there have been several, incuding Motor Trend 2011 Car Of the Year, and the North American Car of the Year at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
It’s extraordinarily well built, beautiful inside and out, fun to drive, and economical.
   …

Mercedes-Benz has just pulled a fast one again.
The fast one in question is the new 2012 C63 AMG Coupe designed by Mercedes-AMG, sibling to the  C63 AMG Sedan.

The source of the lightning speed is the  AMG 6.3-liter , 451 horsepower V8 engine in the C63 AMG Coupe,with peak torque of  443 lb-ft. How does  from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. Top speed is 155 miles per hour. 
The car has the AMG speedshift MCT seven speed sports transmission with standard “Controlled Efficiency” …

By Don Hammonds
Do you love cars?
Well, you might want to dash off an e-mail, send a birthday card, or dash off to your local Mercedes-Benz dealership and say a heartfelt thank you.
That’s because the venerable luxury car manufacturer built the very first automobile, and we all know what came next for us car lovers–an important source of joy, personal freedom, and not a small amount of big fun, too.
As a news release from Mercedes says, ” It was on 29 …

 By John Heilig
Model: 2011 Ford Mustang GT Engine: 5.0-liter V8 Horsepower/Torque: 412 hp @ 6,500 rpm/390 lb.-ft. @ 4,250rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual Wheelbase: 107.1 in. Length X Width X Height: 188.1 x 73.9 x 55.8 in. Tires: P255/40R19 Cargo volume: 9.6 cu. ft. Fuel economy: 17 mpg city/26 mpg highway/20.2 mpg test Fuel capacity: 16.0 gal. Curb weight: 3,720 lbs. Sticker: $44,115 (includes $850 destination and delivery plus $5,420 in options) Five reasons to buy this car 1.     Iconic 2.     …

 
2011 Volvo S60: From Sweden with Style
By John Heilig
SPECIFICATIONS   Model: 2011 Volvo S60 Engine: 3.0-liter turbocharged I6 Horsepower/Torque: 300 hp @ 5,600 rpm/325 lb.-ft. @ 2,100-4,200 rpm Transmission: 6-speed automatic with manual Wheelbase: 109.3 in. Length/Width/Height: 182.2 x 73.4 x 58.4 in. Tires: P235/40R18 Cargo volume: 12.0 cu. ft. Fuel economy: 18 mpg city/26 mpg highway/21 mpg test Fuel capacity: 17.8 gal. Curb weight: 3,901 lbs. Sticker: $37,700 base, $46,200 as tested (includes $850 destination charge)  
 Five reasons to …

  Boxy, sexy, lavish and cool, small cars are big these days.
But in the midst of it all, one small car that really hasn’t changed that much in awhile just keeps right on going, winning friends, never mind all that trendy stuff that other companies are doing.
  
We’re talking about none other than the humble little Toyota Corolla, a sales champ for years and probably the most important car in Toyota’s lineup behind Camry and maybe Prius.
No, the Corolla isn’t glamorous …

The action for 2011 is–surprisingly–going to be pretty hot and heavy in the sport utility/crossover market.
And one of the products that promises to be right in the thick of things is–again, not surprisingly–Ford’s all-new 2011 Explorer, which has been redesigned from stem to stern to face an ever more competitive market.

It will join Jeep’s all new 2011 Grand Cherokee and we believe at least four or five other brands in the SUV/crossover market. Already this year, we have seen an …

Volkswagen’s turning a dramatic new page with the all new 2011 Jetta, billing the car as a way to get German style, engineering and content at a decent starting price–around $16,000, company officials said.

Volkswagen’s turning a dramatic new page with the all new 2011 Jetta, billing the car as a way to get German style, engineering and content at a decent starting price–around $16,000, company officials said.
The new Jetta, which goes on sale in October here, sure looks like it …