Cars & Motors News

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2007 Suzuki XL-7

Suzuki forsakes its image as a small car manufacturer with the introduction of the XL7 crossover SUV. The 2007 Suzuki XL7 is all-new. Save for elimination of the hyphen the 2007 XL7 only shares its name with the old XL-7.
The new XL7 is longer, wider and more powerful than the outgoing model. If its look seems faintly familiar that's because it's based on the same platform as the Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent models from GM, though it shares no sheetmetal with them. The XL7 is assembled in Canada alongside the Equinox and Torrent. The XL7's V6 engine is built in Japan, however.

The XL7 is a large mid-size SUV that offers even more space for three rows of seats with sufficient room for adults to sit in reasonable comfort in the third row. The name XL7 denotes that this Suzuki can be equipped to carry up to seven passengers. Fold all the passenger seats down, including the front one, and there's a generous amount of cargo space.

As with other crossover utilities, the XL7 offers a much smoother ride on the highway than truck-based SUVs. All-wheel drive is available, improving traction and stability in foul weather traction and on dirt or gravel roads. With one of the most powerful engines in its class, the XL7 offers decent acceleration performance yet it delivers reasonable fuel economy. It's aided by its smooth-shifting five-speed automatic.

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2007 Acura RDX

You might have assumed that Honda had already taken every combustion-powered object it owns and niced them up for its Acura brand, but as luck would have it, they missed one. That would be the CR-V, a high-riding suburban singlesmobile that proved to be a huge hit. It also proved that when a Civic looks like something else, it can fetch fatter profits.

So why not take the concept one step further? The CR-V had matured enough to serve as an Acura, and with a third-generation design coming for 2007 (now officially split from the Civic), opportunity was knocking. Besides, there's plenty of room at the shallow end of the luxury sport-utility pool, and it would be wrong to let the BMW X3 have all the fun.

So the one that got away has been recaptured, renamed, and reconditioned. Here at Acura, the RDX serves not singles, but "high-energy urbanites." Instead of grocery-getting utility, you'll hear of the ease in which it swallows mountain bikes and kayaks. Artists gave their time to style the architecture, cows gave their lives to become chairs, and 166 horsepower turned into 240.

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2007 Nissan Versa

Introduction
Small cars are back in favor, which is not surprising considering the price of gasoline. Nonetheless, many people still desire to own a car with a decent amount of interior space and adequate performance, all for a reasonable price, of course. There's nothing new about this for Europeans, as they have been used to high fuel prices for many years.
The all-new 2007 Nissan Versa arrives as an addition to Nissan's lineup and is now the smallest model you'll find in its showroom. The fact that it's partly based on the Renault Megane, a successful European small car, is a good start.

If you haven't driven a small car in some time you'll likely be pleasantly surprised at how big the Versa feels. There is decent head room, and even tall passengers will find rear seat leg room as good as that in many much larger cars or SUVs. Handling is crisp and parking is a breeze.

Initially, the Versa is only available as a five-door hatchback, but a sedan version will appear in Nissan showrooms later in the model year. Modern hatchbacks have improved considerably from the econoboxes of years gone by and the Versa is no exception with a well finished interior that includes good materials and plenty of modern conveniences and safety features.

The Versa competes with the lower priced Toyota Yaris and the more expensive Honda Fit, but it is slightly bigger than either. All three of these brand-new competitors are designed with relatively tall rooflines for increased interior comfort and visibility.

The Versa is smaller and less expensive than the 2007 Nissan Sentra, but it actually offers greater interior space and more versatility. Bottom line, the Versa is a large small car with good performance, plenty of safety features and versatility.

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2007 Saturn Sky

The folks with the friendly dealers have jumped into the sports car business and the all-new 2007 Saturn Sky is well worth a look for anyone who wants a fun, two-seat cruiser that can drop the top and let the sun shine in. It may not have quite the agility of the Mazda Miata, but the Sky is a classic sports car with classic sports car running gear: rear-wheel drive, a fully independent suspension, powerful four-wheel disc brakes, massive low-profile tires, a double overhead-cam engine, and a standard manual gearbox.
Model year 2007 will mark the start of a new era at Saturn. The GM division goes into its 15th year with a vastly expanded lineup of products, including the sporty new Sky, the attractive new Aura sedan, the Relay minivan, the Vue hybrid SUV, the Outlook large SUV, and the Red Line performance models.

Saturn appears poised to move upmarket into a position above Chevrolet and Pontiac, a long way from where it started. For customers, that means more choices, one-price, no-haggle car shopping, and one of the best dealer networks in the country.

The Sky convertible represents Saturn's first thrust into the sporty end of the spectrum, the Ion Red Line sedan notwithstanding. The Saturn Sky is built on GM's new Kappa platform shared with the Pontiac Solstice (and Opel GT in Europe). This new rear-drive, four-cylinder platform gave Saturn an opportunity to quickly enter this market segment, the $25,000 open-air car, which includes the Miata and the powerful Honda S2000.

The Saturn Sky comes standard with 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. A Red Line model will be added later in the model year with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine rated at a whopping 260 horsepower, more than a 50 percent increase over the standard engine. The Red Line version will come with special front and rear styling, high-performance tires, and recalibrated suspension, among other items.

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2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser

If you are of a certain age, you'll recognize the 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser as the rebirth of an icon, the Toyota FJ 40, better known in North America as the original Land Cruiser. It was a rugged, go-anywhere vehicle, a sport utility vehicle decades before the genre had a name.
You also may remember that the old Land Cruiser was the vehicle that kept Toyota viable in the North American automotive marketplace until the Japanese automaker finally figured out how to build passenger cars that Americans wanted. We don't need to tell you Toyota certainly figured out how to build vehicles Americans wanted, such as the Camry, Corolla, Tacoma, and luxurious Lexus models.

On the other hand, if you are of a significantly younger age than graybeards nostalgic for manually locking hubs, you'll see the 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser as something new and different and even unique on the road.

Or, more properly, we should say on and off the road, because while this newest Toyota was designed to appeal to a youthful and especially male audience, it also was designed to be the most capable of all Toyotas when the pavement gives way to gravel, sand, rocks and other assorted obstacles not normally found in shopping mall parking lots or between the shoulders of Interstate highways. And that's saying something, given the capability of the 4Runner and Tacoma.

The FJ Cruiser seats five. The front doors are standard, front-hinged doors. Rear-hinged access doors ease egress to the back seat and cargo area. Rear access to the cargo area is through a door hinged on the driver's side of the vehicle instead of a typical roof-hinged hatch-style closure.

We found the FJ Cruiser superb in rugged terrain but comfortable on the road. Its V6 engine is more powerful than those used in the Hummer H3 and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon.

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2007 BMW 3-Series

The BMW 3 Series coupes have been completely redesigned for 2007. These all-new, fifth-generation coupes follow on the heels the new BMW 3 Series sedans that were introduced last year.
With sleeker styling and carrying less weight than a four-door sedan, the two-door or coupe version of BMW's 3 Series model has special appeal for drivers who demand sporty driving dynamics but need a back seat and a decent sized trunk.

If you think of a coupe as merely a sedan with two less doors, you need to change your thinking as it applies to BMW. The coupe is nearly two inches longer, more than an inch trimmer and has a roofline that is more than two inches lower than the sedan's. In fact, the only exterior component the coupe shares with the 3 Series sedan is door handles, and the coupe needs only two of them, so right there, one segment of component weight is cut in half.

Handling is sharp, responsive, precise, yet the ride isn't harsh, in spite of the fact that a sport suspension comes as standard equipment.

The 2007 BMW 335i coupe features a new twin-turbocharged engine that puts out 300 horsepower, which makes for the ultimate driving machine. We found it to be an extremely responsive and pleasing car, with none of the turbo lag associated with turbochargers. Meanwhile, the 328xi features all-wheel drive, which enhances traction in wet or snowy weather. A new convertible with a retracting hardtop and the next ultra-high-performance M3 are anticipated for launch in calendar year 2007.

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2007 Ford F-150

The Ford F-150 comes in a broad range of models, yet they all seem to have nicely balanced suspensions that make them enjoyable to drive and well-designed, comfortable cabs.
They offer a quiet and refined ride over dirt roads, rough pavement and freeway slabs. Yet they also offer controlled handling, with a minimum of body roll in corners. The steering is responsive for cornering and these trucks track like a laser beam on the highway. Brakes are smooth and responsive. The big 5.4-liter V8 is smooth and quiet, and delivers quick acceleration. It's rated at 300 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque and 15/19 mpg City/Highway. The 4.6-liter V8 and 4.2-liter V6 engines perform well, also.

The F-150 comes in six distinct variants to meet the different needs of a wide range of owners. Within those variants are three cab choices, three bed lengths, three bed styles, and a choice of powertrains. Ford claims more than 60 possible variations. All are thoughtfully designed to address the distinct needs and wants of individual buyers. The F-150 is known for its toughness, strength, and cargo capacity, while offering interior design and comfort. Its amenities show attention to detail.

The base XL is surprisingly nice inside. The FX4's optional captain's chairs are comfortable. The Lariat is classy and nicely equipped, with every known amenity. The King Ranch has a western feel that's very inviting. The SuperCrew features a back seat that's roomy and comfortable for adults. The SuperCrew offers 39.0 inches of rear legroom, compared with 32.7 inches for the SuperCab.

Ford redesigned the F-150 for the 2004 model year. Since then, the model lineup has expanded with new trim levels, variations, and specialty models. The 2007 models feature more than a dozen subtle improvements inside and out. Among them:

Seat comfort has been enhanced for 2007. A tire-pressure monitoring system now comes standard. Lariat and XLT models get new grilles for 2007. A 5.4-liter E85 flexible fuel V8 is available, and power for the 4.6-liter V8 is increased for 2007. A new DVD navigation system and Sirius satellite radio are available, and an auxiliary audio input jack is now standard on most models. Power folding mirrors are now available on 2007 FX4 and Lariat models, a useful feature for parking in tight quarters.

Towing and hauling capacities have been increased for 2007, and Ford claims the F-150 is the most capable truck in its class. Properly equipped, a 2007 Ford F-150 can tow 10,500 pounds or haul more than 3,050 pounds in the bed.

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2007 Ford Mustang

The Mustang remains one of the most widely recognized, respected, and desired nameplates in the automobile business. The Ford Mustang defined the pony-car segment in 1964; Plymouth's Barracuda may have beaten Ford to the showroom by 16 days, but it was the Mustang that set the sales records. The 'Cuda is gone now, and so are the Camaro, Firebird, Cougar, Javelin, Challenger, and every other would-be rival, leaving Ford's pony to prance alone. At least for now.
For 2007, the 210-hp Mustang V6 and 300-hp Mustang GT are joined by the new 500-hp supercharged Shelby GT500, offering its own look, tuning, and equipment.

Available in fastback coupe or convertible body styles, the Mustang V6 models make nice, stylish cruisers. The GT is an absolute hoot to drive, making all the right sounds, hanging onto corners tenaciously, and delivering thrilling acceleration performance. The Shelby GT500 adds to the fun with its near-Corvette performance. It's quite tossable, making for good sport on gymkhanas, race tracks or back roads. Its solid rear axle can get bouncy on bad pavement, and you'll want snow tires (four of them) for Northeastern or Midwestern winters.

It may be retro inspired, but the Mustang is a thoroughly modern car. Redesigned from a clean sheet of paper for 2005, today's Mustang is faster and more agile than ever. It delivers the bold styling, rear-drive performance and affordability that have been Mustang hallmarks for decades, but it's smoother and quieter and better built than older models.

Its interior looks like a throwback from the '60s, but it's functional and well finished. Granted, interior space is limited, especially given its exterior dimensions; and the back seat might better be described as a package shelf.

The Ford Mustang is an American success story. It holds true to an idea that still appeals to people of all ages, decades after the original was launched. Forty-three years after it created an automotive niche all its own, Mustang is both true to its roots and better than ever.

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2007 Nissan Sentra

Like any big family, Nissan's car line always has a baby at the bottom end. Affable, affordable, and always popular, it serves the critical role of luring in lifetime customers. Sure, it's not the lavish life of an Infiniti, but it's still a life. And now Nissan has given that life to the Versa.

As for the Sentra, this turn of events presented it with two choices: grow up or get out. So it embarked down the first path - a rather narrow one that involves distancing itself from its replacement while also steering clear of the Altima and Maxima just ahead. One can get lost in the shuffle when among four of a kind.

But what's done is done, and for the second time in a row, the Sentra went under the knife to wake up a whole size bigger than yesterday. Nissan also retired all previous engines, removed all gears from the automatic transmission, revised several components, and redecorated every inch. A big job, yes, but Nissan had help. Together with its new spouse Renault, they felt it best that the Sentra splice its genes with a car known in France as the Renault Megane. Whatever that is.

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2007 Hyundai Santa Fe

Introduction
Hyundai is on a roll. Its vehicles are proving to have the reliability and quality people expect from Japanese cars. The Hyundai Santa Fe is all-new for 2007 and early indications are that it could be a true alternative to the Toyota Highlander.
The Santa Fe is a so-called crossover SUV, meaning it's built like a car, using unibody construction instead of the body-on-frame construction of a traditional truck. It's a practical vehicle for everyday use.

Completely redesigned, the new 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe is attractive. It blends into the suburbs nicely, shedding the quirky looks of last year's model. It's larger than before and now offers third-row seating, for up to seven passengers. The five-passenger arrangement offers much more cargo space, however. The new Santa Fe is smooth and quiet and handles well on winding, paved roads. Yet it retains Hyundai's value quotient.

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2007 Cadillac Escalade

Luxury SUVs have gained widespread popularity in the United States, thanks in no small part to Cadillac's most conspicuous display of worldly opulence, the Escalade. The 2006 Escalade is all-new, more decadent than ever, with even more power, more luxury features and bolder styling than any American sport-utility vehicle in history. In addition to providing five-star comfort, it's goal is to be the ultimate symbol of power and achievement, a mansion on wheels. And in that respect, it succeeds.
The Escalade is offered in three distinct models; the standard Escalade is a full-size sport utility sharing the same architecture (and roughly the same dimensions) as the Chevy Tahoe. The Escalade ESV is the Suburban-sized model, sharing the latter's architecture. Finally, the Escalade EXT is a sport utility/pickup combination that quickly converts from a pickup with an enclosable eight-foot bed to a five-passenger luxury vehicle, basically, Cadillac's interpretation of the Chevy Avalanche. All three feature a high-performance, 403-hp 6.2-liter V8 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that includes manual shift control (a rarity in this class). The standard Escalade comes with rear-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive while the ESV and EXT come only with all-wheel drive.

Built on GM's robust new full-size truck platform, the Escalade, ESV and EXT make excellent tow vehicles. At the same time, they're roomy and luxuriously appointed, letting them haul family or friends or business associates in real comfort. The 6.2-liter V8 supplies serious power for surprisingly quick acceleration, along with strong torque for towing. On the road, all three Escalades are smooth and stable, nicer in ride than base Tahoe or Suburban models but taut and well-controlled (by full-size SUV standards) for surprisingly good handling.

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2007 Subaru Legacy

Two years ago, Subaru moved upscale with the Legacy sedans and wagons. For 2007, the carmaker hits its stride with premium technology, including and upgraded engine and a sporty new Legacy GT spec.B.
The 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer engine has been upgraded to an impressive degree, with the introduction of a technology that's currently only available on some BMWs and Ferraris. Called Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-Drive), it allows a driver to twist a knob to select one of three engine performance levels: Intelligent (economy), Sport (sport) and Sport Sharp (high performance).

The Legacy GT spec.B is much like the WRX is to the Impreza, except it's far more refined; it's a gentleman's sports sedan, complete with a navigation system, exotic sound system and charcoal leather seats with smoky blue suede-like Alcantara inserts. It also has a six-speed gearbox, Bilstein suspension and wide, low-profile summer performance tires on 10-spoke, 18-inch alloy rims.

The Legacy still comes in tamer versions, each with Symmetrical All-wheel-drive, standard on all Subaru models. The GT Limited uses the same engine as the spec.B, but an excellent five-speed automatic transmission is available, and its suspension is not so aggressive.

If you're not excited by all this performance, and simply want the trusty, reknowned around-town Subaru, there's still the Legacy 2.5i Sedan, non-turbocharged, which hasn't changed much from 2006, other than the addition of a 60/40 fold-down rear seat with trunk pass-through. The Legacy 2.5i harks back to the Subarus we know and love.

And of course there are the extremely popular wagons. The Legacy Limited and Outback wagons use the turbocharged engine with SI-Drive, but there's still the bread-and-butter Legacy 2.5i wagon that remains one of the best values in versatile transportation.

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2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been the sales leader in luxury sedans for four decades. The outgoing model remained the segment leader in sales even after seven years on the market. Indeed, half of all the cars priced over $100,000 sold in the U.S. are still S-Class Benzes. That tells you something about the reputation of Mercedes-Benz's most expensive, most elaborate sedan.
Now, Mercedes has introduced an all-new S-Class. The exterior design, the interior design, and the onboard controls systems are entirely new, and all of the safety systems have been upgraded and even further integrated. Only a few parts and systems carry over from the previous-generation models, such as the air suspension system, the seven-speed automatic transmission, and most of the safety systems.

Competition among the best of the mainstream luxury cars is tough, but Mercedes may have risen to the top of the class with this ninth generation of S-Class models.

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2007 Jaguar XK-Series

The outgoing Jaguar sports car, the XK8, is 10 years old, and in its later years, had become a patchwork as new technologies like satellite radio, navigation and airbags had to be adapted to it. Its V8 horsepower number began with a 2 instead of a 3, putting it way behind the competition. There were new safety and emissions goals to be met. So they threw out the XK8 and replaced it with a brand new car from the ground up, the first aluminum-chassis sports car in Jaguar's six decades of production. They've changed the name, too, in the process, from XK-8 to XK 4.2.
The all-new 2007 Jaguar XK 4.2 is the successor to every XK dating back to the first one in 1948 and, as such, it is Jaguar's franchise player. The XK's main competitors are the Mercedes-Benz SL, the BMW 650, and the Cadillac XLR.

The new XK is a tasty combination of Jaguar style, traditional British luxury car touches like wood, leather, and quietness, with every system in and under the car updated and improved to meet that very serious competition. It's design, while very, very pretty, is derivative of all previous generations since the XK-E, with some Aston Martin and Ford design cues thrown in (Jaguar's Scottish chief designer Ian Callum designed both the Aston Martin DB-7 and DB-9 sports cars).

As with the last generation, the new 2007 Jaguar XK will come as both a coupe and a convertible, now with a disappearing top that hides behind the second row of seats under a steel cover, instead of piled up under a tonneau cover.

Riding on a much longer wheelbase, the 2007 XK offers substantially more interior space than the 2006 model. The new seats are more comfortable, the gauges are nicer and everything works better. Benefiting from the lightweight chassis, the 4.2-liter V8 propels the XK from 0 to 60 mph in less than six seconds, Jaguar says. Its rigid chassis and the latest CATS adaptive suspension provides a smooth ride and demonic cornering, coupled with accurate steering and powerful brakes.

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2006 BMW 6-Series

The 2006 BMW 6 Series delivers stellar performance, brilliant handling and that arrow-like stability that defines BMW. It's a premium grand touring car and is available as a coupe or convertible.
The 2006 models bring a slight change in 6 Series nomenclature and more of what we like best in this car: power. Thanks to a new engine, the 645Ci Coupe and 645Ci Convertible have become the 650i, respectively. The new 4.8-liter V8 is slightly larger than its predecessor with 10 percent more horsepower and torque. (Apparently 648i didn't have quite the ring as 650i.)

Other changes for 2006 include new wheel designs, new exterior colors and some interesting, if minor, tweaks inside. Active Steering, a high-tech BMW system appreciated by some driving enthusiasts and hated by others, is now a stand-alone option and no longer required as part of the popular Sport Package.

The coupe and convertible are essentially hard- and soft-top versions of the same car. Bristling with the latest technology, they are not simply two-door versions of BMW 5 Series sedans. The 6 Series is a modern interpretation of the classic GT, or Gran Turismo.

While both the coupe and convertible have a back seat that can fit small people in a pinch, they are really intended to move two people and their belongings in high comfort and style, safely, at truly impressive velocity. The 6 Series offers more luxurious accommodations than BMW's Z4 sports car, yet with higher performance, more agility and sportier styling than the 5 Series sports sedans. BMW's corporate design themes, panned by many in recent years, seem to fit better on the long, low 6 Series.

All 6 Series buyers now get complimentary high-performance driving instruction at the BMW Performance Center in South Carolina. It's a nice ownership perk, because the 650i Coupe and 650i Convertible each qualify as an ultimate driving machine, and the chance to try them on a track will be well-appreciated. Yet either can be driven all day in the most mundane driving situations in perfect comfort. These cars might just represent a well-respected automotive marque at its very best circa 2006.