2008 Lexus ES 350 Review

I love me a Lexus. Don't know why, but I always have. Just love the cars. Even carry around these silly
promotional pens the guy at the dealership gave me in my glove box last time I was there. Well i don't carry them because I like the cars so much as I need a pen in my car and I happen to have that one in there ;).

In spite of all the ads you see showing premium-badged sedans blazing down a deserted twisty road, not everyone in the upper-income brackets is a race driver wannabe looking to double his heart rate every time he gets behind the wheel. To the contrary, there are plenty of people who prefer something different when they're in the car -- a more soothing experience when dealing with traffic-clogged commutes, nerve-frazzling construction zones and fussy kids on the way to school. For this silent majority, there's the 2008 Lexus ES 350. full review

2008 Volvo C30 Review

Sitting back in my
recliner and looking at some of the latest reviews for automobiles out there I saw this silly little car and decided to see what people thought about it. Not sure what I make of it. I don't especially like the look of cars like this, but I guess it must have a market. Volvo's are after all built like trucks. Just not sure THIS is the Volvo I'd be interested in.

Think "Volvo" and what comes to mind? "Safety"? Check. "Swedish luxury"? Check. "Expensive"? Likely, at least if you consider around $30,000 for the entry-level models and more like high 30s and up for most models to be expensive. "High-performance, low-cost premium hatchback"? Um, Swedish humor, right?full review

2008 Jaguar X-Type Review

I suppose as Jaguars go this one is on the lower end of the price scale, but still a sexy car either way. One that will surely play well with your nutritional supplements and healthy lifestyle.

The Jaguar X-Type has always seemed like a television spin-off of a popular film. And not in a good, "M*A*S*H" sort of way. Rather, more along the lines of "My Big Fat Greek Life" or "RoboCop: The Series." All the things that made the big-budget versions a success leave something to be desired in a smaller, less expensive medium, especially when it comes to production values. Although the 2008 X-Type tries its best to act the part of a baby Jaguar XJ, it ultimately feels like a lesser car half-heartedly tarted up with wood, chrome and leaping-cat hood ornament. full review

Reviewing Vehicles Online Before the Test-Drive

It always makes a lot of sense to do a bit of market research when you are looking to purchase a new vehicle. I try to give quite a few reviews here with links to places that provide several for the same vehicle. Why waste your time test driving everything under the sun, when you can read a few reviews first and narrow down your search quite a bit? I know driving around new cars is fun, but seeing what an array of experts say first can save you a lot of time that you may not have. So hopefully, I can get as many reviews here as possible on all sorts of vehicle so that you can get a better idea of where to start.

2007 Ford 500 Review

After giving you a review of the gigantic Yukon XL, I decided it was time to give you something that is more of the luxury sedan image. Like buying
discount furniture you have to check out some of the more economical cars if you don't have the scratch to put into Gigantor, the Yukon. This car isn't exactly cheap, but compared to the Yukon it is a bargain price.

A full-size car for the modern era, the 2007 Ford Five Hundred is designed both for traditional large-sedan buyers and for families seeking a less expensive alternative to SUV ownership. Introduced for the 2005 model year, the Five Hundred succeeds on many fronts. It offers an expansive cabin, and with more than 40 inches of legroom in both the front and rear, there's ample room for four or five adults. There's plenty of room for their luggage as well, as trunk space measures 21 cubic feet, which is equal to what Ford's Crown Victoria offers. full review

2008 GMC Yukon XL Review

Been doing a bit of the review thing the last few days since so many are coming out lately I guess. This is the time of year when you get to see all the new models being showcased so I figured I would try and get some of the better reviews up and let people see what is happening in the world of automobiles in the upcoming year. This is one of those vehicles that are great for tailgating when you have your
Giants tickets for the NFL season. Pack this bad boy full of stuff and just get ready to party.

The real Yukon is a pretty XL place. It's bigger than California, has a much larger population of moose than people and was founded...(to read the complete review click Here.)

Go Silver

The concept of investing in precious metals is not a new one. It has long been thought that precious metals are the only true investment and that the tangible good itself is one of the least risky of all. For over 30 years, the Monex companies have been America’s silver and precious metals investment leader. Monex Deposit Company can purchase silver or other precious metals for immediate personal delivery or arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository.

Investments in silver are at a point where there is more demand that there is supply. This means that the value of it is going to increase in almost every case. Demand for silver has exceeded production every year since 1990, and continues to follow this trend. If there were ever a time to invest in this precious metal it would be now.

2008 Ford Fusion

Felt like putting up a review of this car because I have a friend who wants to take a look at one this year. They are either going to splurge on a new car, or some home theater chairs, but they may as well get a bit of info on both for now from people that have had a chance to take a look at one already.

Ford's midsize family cars have typically been comfortable and safe, although not up to the class leaders in terms of performance and refinement. A few years ago, the company brought the Fusion to market, intent on improving its competitiveness in the segment. Based on a larger version of the Mazda 6 platform, the Fusion combined the 6's athleticism with more passenger room than its Japanese cousin. full review

2008 Chevy Corvette Review

Alright...let's get back to the fancy cars. When you roll into a concert with your Hannah Montana tickets you want to look good. This is one of those cars that will make you look like a celebrity when you go to watch one.

With performance that rivals $200,000 exotics, the current-generation Chevrolet Corvette is -- at one-fourth to one-third the cost -- the buy of a lifetime for many sports car enthusiasts. In keeping with tradition, there are a variety of Corvettes offered, including the base removable-top coupe, a convertible and the ferocious Z06, a fixed-roof coupe that boasts a track-ready suspension and 7.0-liter V8 that thumps out a tire-melting 505 horsepower. And the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette only gets better thanks to more power, additional refinement and more standard features. full review

2008 Mazda CX-7 Video Review

Unless you have a rugged notebook you won't be able to read this on in your hot tubs because it is a video review!

This week’s road test involves a good long road trip with a 2008 Mazda CX-7 crossover sport-utility (CUV) on a Colonial American history tour of the Williamsburg, Virginia area including Jamestown (celebrating its 400-year history) and Yorktown. These three locations make an historic triangle where a scholar could literally make a career, or where parents have a chance to pique the curiosity of their youngsters - or bore them to tears, depending on the kid.

We’re anticipating about 12 hours for the freeway drive but we’ll stop in Washington DC (at about 10 hours) for the night so we can spend the day doing a few things in the nation’s capitol. The first leg of the drive was an easy jaunt through Cleveland and Breezewood. The CX-7 is a good freeway cruiser, with enough power to keep up easily with brisk traffic in spite of having just four cylinders. Cops everywhere convinced us to set the cruise control with the handy steering wheel-mounted buttons. The Mazda held its speed precisely even up and down the steep hills. See video review

2007 BMW M6

Seeing all these reviews for these high priced cars makes me want to get into some sort of
addiction treatment program. Feels like I am addicted to these things. The 2007 BMW M6 is no different. This car is awesome and I think I may buy a couple just for fun. Yeah...I need addiction treatment.

Most BMWs have a businesslike demeanor. Like a high-powered corporate executive, they're excruciatingly quick-witted, measured in their movements and speech, and somehow always at the top of their game when competitors come knocking. However, the 2007 BMW M6 takes that archetypal Bimmer personality and twists it into a demented hooliganism. It's not just that it's the quickest car in the BMW lineup or that this coupe and convertible duo will keep pace with all sorts of Italian exotica. It's the suffocating clouds of tire smoke the V10-powered M6 leaves in its midst as driver and passenger bask in its top-grade leather interior. At the $100K mark, few cars approach this level of decadence. full review

Garage Storage Solutions

The garage is where the man goes when he wants to be around his own stuff. At least that's where I go when I want to be alone with my tools. Problem is that I have so many tools that I don't have enough space out there to play with them all. Not to mention the random household items that have no business being out there in the first place. I like to have some good storage solutions out there to keep the stuff I don't want getting in my way in. Get the can goods out of my workspace please. Yeah...I have cans of nails and screws around too, but I may as well just sort that stuff into a nice storage device I suppose. The CarGutGarage.com is exactly the place that has those storage solutions we need.

Manheim and AutoTrader Publishing Host First-ever "Green" Vehicle Sale

After putting on those maternity clothes and thinking about the life your child will have when they come into the world, know that the "Green Vehicle" coalition is working to make that a better world.

Manheim and AutoTrader Publishing will co-host the first-of-its-kind "green" vehicle sale on October 10 at Manheim Seattle (previously called South Seattle Auto Auction). The sale is designed to give dealers direct access to fuel-efficient vehicles to help meet the rising demand by their customers for more eco-friendly vehicles.

Fuel-efficient vehicles that get better than 30 mpg, including hybrids, will be offered for sale at the 10-lane facility located in Kent, Washington. "We're seeing a greater demand for fuel-efficient vehicles from our dealers than ever before. This sale gives our customers convenient access to the inventory they need to address changing remarketing trends," said Julie Picard, general manager at Manheim Seattle. more

2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe Review

Check this bad boy out. This is one of those you can start to think about once you are no longer buying baby clothes and spending all your money on your kids.

Check out the review and an excellent slideshow here:

Sink your right foot to the wood in a new Dodge Viper and — Hello, hyperdrive. Pulling hard in 1st is all about maintaining restraint. Too much gusto and the rear tires lose bite, but get it right and this Snake-Skin Green Viper will distort long-to-short like a carnival mirror. Straight sections of pavement are devoured in voracious gulps and belching exhaust rips. At full lunge, this 600-horsepower monster pummels the senses with thrust and a cacophony of exhaust blat that deafens passengers and onlookers alike. The Viper is all-consuming, compelling and corrupting — look out, Z06. Full review

Buh-Bye DaimlerChrysler; Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting to Decide on Renaming as Daimler AG

Taking time out from their real estate hunting, Daimler Chyrsler shareholders held a meeting that will change the name of the company. The Board of Management and the Supervisory Board of DaimlerChrysler AG will today recommend to the Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting that the name of the Group be changed to Daimler AG following the disposal of 80.1% of its stake in Chrysler Holding LLC.

According to the text of his speech, Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG and Head of Mercedes Car Group, will explain to the approximately 6,000 shareholders the rationale behind the decision to rename the company. According to Zetsche, a clear distinction should be made between the corporate brand Daimler and the Group's various product brands. Wherever the focus is on the Group as a whole, the company wants to present itself consistently as Daimler, for example in its dealings with political decision-makers and the general public, in the financial markets, in its relations with the business media, and as an employer. The company also aims to present itself as Daimler in all areas where several brands are involved, thus providing an umbrella designation for all of the individual product brands. full story