First Drive: 2011 Honda CR-Z

2011 Honda CR-Z – Click above for high-res image galleryLet's get this out of the way right now: the 2011 Honda CR-Z is not a CRX redux. To compare the two – no matter how much Honda may want to – is to misunderstand the former and besmirch the latter. No, the hybrid CR-Z is an entirely different beast. Despite its three-door shape and two-seat configuration, it has about as much in common with the O.G. hatch as a big-screen remake of your favorite childhood TV show. The basic components are there, but the whole concept has been throttled to within an inch of its life with high-tech gadgetry, odd casting decisions and a questionable demographic. But to Honda's credit, its rhetorical comparisons to the CRX have died down considerably...

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2011 Hyundai Sonata Officially Revealed: First High-Res Photos and Details

.fullpost{display:inline;} Who would have imagined a few years back that there would be so much interest in a new generation of the Hyundai Sonata that it would be totally justified for us to stay up until the early morning hours to write a post on the car... But times change, GM went in and out of bankruptcy protection, the Fiat Group acquired Chrysler and surprise, surprise, Hyundai overtook the Ford Group in the first half of the year to become the world's fourth largest automaker. So there you have it. But let's wind back back to the Sonata. After more leaks than a New Orleans levy, the Korean maker formally introduced the four-door sedan in its home market today. "The Sonata will set a new standard for world class mid-size...

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Review: 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition juggles fun and frugality

2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition – Click above for high-res image galleryStation attendant: "You sure you wanna put diesel in that?"Me: "Yeah."Attendant: "It doesn't look like a diesel."Me: "That's kinda the point."And so it goes. That wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last that we got quizzical looks when grabbing a plastic glove and topping up the 14.5-gallon tank on our Salsa Red 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition tester. After all, when you think diesel, a body-kitted sports sedan doesn't spring to mind. Particularly in the U.S., where (Cliche Alert!) old-school oilburners conjure the soot-covered nostalgia of smoke-belching Benzes, dirty shoes, smelly hands and searching for the appropriate pump at truck stops....

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