DRIVEN TO DRIVE

Archive for the ‘TEST DRIVE AND REVIEWS’ Category

2008 Mazda 5 GT

In my quest to find a new car, bearing in mind I was very intrigued by the styling and practicality of the Mazda 5, I’d walk up to people who were getting in or out of a Mazda 5, and ask them about their vehicle.  I’m not shy in this respect.  One lady cut me off in a parking lot, and when I parked I walked over to her.  She was very apologetic, but I assured her, it wasn’t a problem – after all it was 8:45 in a Tim Horton’s parking lot and vehicles were juggling for parking spaces.  I asked how she liked the Mazda as I was interested in buying one.  She gave me the 5 minute tour and how she loved the space.  She had the second row seats folded flat and the extended cargo space was stacked to the roof with merchandise. Read the rest of this entry »

What an ideal moment – me, a Subaru Forester and Lady Gaga. Okay, the Subaru was real but I had to settle for Lady Gaga’s album, “The Fame Monster”, but it did afford me the opportunity to experience the Forester’s sound system performance. For a vehicle with only 4 speakers, the sound is particularly good. Those who like to experience their music by making a vehicle’s body panels reverberate, or feel the need to destroy their hearing in the process may find the sound delivery comes up a little short, but for those of us who prefer to hear music rather than having its effects tugging on our internal organs, will appreciate the good clean sound. Read the rest of this entry »

The other day I picked up a Subaru Forester. My first question was – “So where is the Sumo wrestler?” Okay, it didn’t come with one so one less mouth to feed, but what did it come with?

First it came with the heart and soul of Subaru. As I’ve mentioned many times before, Subaru beats its own path – marches to a different drummer as it were. It doesn’t get caught up in the oft times and seemingly frivolous one-upmanship rivalries seen in other parts of the automotive market. Subaru has its own philosophy when it comes to vehicle design and as a result, it has captured a niche market and a dedicated following – a following incidentally, which is growing as a very steady rate. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Subaru Forester – Images by Michael A. Coates

SCORE - 7.7

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS is essentially a very nice car.  It’s well built and performs admirably. But it has its quirks, and it takes time to adjust to them.  But overall I was impressed, not only be the functionality but by the quality.  This car could have/should have scored a higher mark and would have had it not been for a few, let’s say, items that have room for improvement 

Don’t forget that these ratings are somewhat subjective – however we do strive to be fair. Therefore readers should not get themselves in a tizzy if their opinions differ.

So in conclusion, here is the score card for the 2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS –

Click here to see rating system

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse –

• Exterior Styling –  8.5
• Interior Styling –  8.5
• Passenger Comfort – 7.5 (8 for front seat passengers – 7 for rear seat passengers)
• From The Driver’s Seat – 7 (could have been an 8 if it wasn’t for the weird mirrors and huge “A” pillar
• Performance and Handling – 8
• Practicality and Versatility – 7  (Low door frames make it difficult for passengers to enter and exit, plus small access to trunk).
• User Friendliness – 8 (This was a bit of an enigma – once a person has become familiar with the vehicle, it is user friendly, but there is a steep learning curve.  This core is based upon knowning what everything is all about).
• Quality of Materials and Workmanship – 8.5
• Active and Passive Safety – 6  (While the Buick LaCrosse scored well in safety, having optional airbags is a huge no-no)

Over all 7.7