Archive for January 2013

2013 Jaguar XF 2.0L - Partially De-Clawed, Bloody Well Domesticated - Review

2013 may well be the "Year of the Cat" with the addition of this forced-induction 4-cylinder gas-fired version of the XF executive sedan. Starting price for this exquisite feline is a palatable and competitive $46,900.
Jaguar, the Cat from Coventry (UK) with that big Tata (India) bankroll, is furiously banging on the luxury car gates. Few can resist the lines and moves of the XK-R-S near-exotic.  There are raves abound for the upcoming F-type twin-seat sports coupe. So why hasn’t the marque’s “top selling” XF executive saloon, despite some seriously... Read more »
By George Straton,
January 31, 2013 at 8:05 am • 

Two Full-Sized Americans - 2013 Ford Taurus Limited and 2013 Chrysler 300S - Review / Comparo

"Super-Size" us. (top to bottom) the 2013 Ford Taurus Limited AWD and the Chrysler 300S V6. Two full-sized American premium sedans, each priced at $40,000, well contented.
Outside North America and certain Middle Eastern kingdoms, emirates and principalities, anything sized this large wears a luxury nameplate and works in livery service. Decades of piss poor American compact and (have mercy) sub-compact cars combined set their course. A simultaneous explosion in conspicuous tastes and waists cemented their appeal. We are speaking of the... Read more »
By George Straton,
January 20, 2013 at 3:17 pm • 

2013 Volkswagen CC Sport - Planes, Trains, Automobiles - Review

The 2013 Volkswagen CC Sport, airplane watching, from a safe distance.
The last time “Drive…He Said” photographed a sporty executive sedan next to equally sleek aircraft landing at an “undisclosed” Midwestern Aerodrome  we were chastised that the license plate would be recorded for posterity. “Heck, buddy, this car belongs to the manufacturer’s press fleet.” The next time out to the airport perimeter was in the 2013 Volkswagen CC... Read more »
By George Straton,
January 16, 2013 at 4:12 pm • 
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2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport - "Compact Cross-Planetarium" - Review

The 2013 Mistubishi Outlander Sport is available with a $2K optional fixed glass panoramic roof, traced by amber LEDs. It's the next best thing to being at the planetarium. Shouldn't that also qualify the power sunshade as a "star shade?"
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – “Drive…He Said”  recently made the rounds in the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport compact crossover utility vehicle. As the heavens darkened, and we momentarily stopped in traffic, we tilted our heads back to gaze... Read more »
By George Straton,
January 9, 2013 at 4:31 pm • 

2013 Kia Optima SXL - Seeking Rarefied Air - Review

The 2013 Kia Optima SXL. "L" stands for "Limited." A letter dictated by the fully loaded $35,000 price. Ouch!
You can always count on some real cold in the atmosphere here at Drive…He Said’s” Chicago abode. Not that it would stop the 2013 Kia Optima SXL, glass roof and all, from seeking it’s own rarefied air. For the Birdwatchers Among Us: Observe and ponder the differences between the robin (not the  boy wonder) and... Read more »
By George Straton,
January 1, 2013 at 9:23 am •