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You’re Buying WOT? $29,000 Sporty Midsize Sedans

January 23, 2012

File:2012 Toyota Camry SE -- 10-19-2011.jpg

As soon as Motor Trend’s latest comparison of sporty midsize sedans was published on the homepage, the WOT staff decided to capitalize on the article’s popularity by writing a blog asking readers which V-6 or turbocharged four-cylinder midsize sedan they might consider. The latest You’re Buying WOT? blog features an exhaustive selection of vehicles, helping to remind some of midsize contenders that aren’t written about as often as the Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, and Volkswagen Passat.

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Long-Term Test Verdict for 2011 Infiniti QX56 – Escalating the Lux-ute Standard

January 20, 2012
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Name-brand devotees of the gargantuan-size luxury-ute class are missing out. Sure, the Cadillac Escalade has the chrome-tastic appeal and pop culture status to keep units of the nearly 6000-pound SUV moving out of dealerships, but many wealthy buyers might not realize what other gems exist in the stratospheric $60,000-$100,000, seven-to-eight-passenger luxury-SUV class.
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MT Staff Picks: The Best and Worst Cars We Drove in 2011

January 17, 2012

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Another of the many end-of-2011 blogs pitched to other editors on Motor Trend’s WOT blogs, this controversial post asked many editors — myself included as the third contributor — to comment on the best and worst vehicles they’d driven throughout 2011. I’m privileged to drive and review anything at all, and this proved to be a bit of a challenge.
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Styling Size-Up: 2012 Buick Verano

January 14, 2012

2012 Buick Verano Front Side View

The Refreshing or Revolting series consistently become the most popular posts on Motor Trend’s WOT–Styling Size-Up is the brand’s latest expansion, covering vehicles that have no direct and recent automotive predecessor. One of the first vehicles featured in this styling analysis blog series was the enigmatic 2012 Buick Verano compact luxury sedan.

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Holiday Creativity: Selections from 20 Special End-of-Year Motor Trend WOT Blogs

January 11, 2012

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Motor Trend’s increasingly popular WOT daily news blogs cruised through the end of December without much trouble in part due to more than 20 posts I brainstormed, assigned, and in 10 cases, wrote. Many of the engaging posts relied on data and information that could only have come from Motor Trend, like…

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Motor Trend COTY 2012 Contender: 2012 Volkswagen Beetle

January 8, 2012

A certain four-letter word — cute — must be a dirty one for Volkswagen designers who spent time preparing the new Beetle. (Not the New Beetle; the new Beetle.) Volkswagen’s modern, second-generation interpretation of the original Beetle was designed to be less cute and more masculine, in an attempt to attract male buyers who might otherwise consider a Scion tC, Ford Mustang V-6, or Mini Cooper. It’s styling that distinguishes the VW Beetle from those cars.

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Motor Trend COTY 2012 Contender: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350

January 7, 2012

File:2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 BlueEFFICIENCY (R172) roadster (2011-08-16) 02.jpg

The new Mercedes-Benz SLK debuts with magic. Well, with Magic Sky Control. The technology is the latest in a series of drop-top advances from the German automaker in the last 10 years. First, we saw the Airscarf air vents integrated into the last-gen SLK’s headrests, then the trick air splitter appeared on the E-Class cabriolet.

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Motor Trend COTY 2012 Contender: 2012 Dodge Charger

January 6, 2012

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Eight-speed automatic! Eight-speed automatic! Just take a look at the comments of testers who drove the Dodge Charger V-6 with the new eight-speed automatic, and it’s difficult to miss the enthusiasm for one of the most obvious issues rectified with the new Charger.

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Motor Trend COTY 2012 Contender: 2012 Mitsubishi i MiEV

January 5, 2012

2012-mitsubishi-i-electric-car-north-america-version-2

When the second-generation Honda Insight debuted, it instantly became the least-expensive hybrid available in the U.S., undercutting the Toyota Prius by a significant margin. That wasn’t enough to transform the Honda into a sales success story, and we can’t help but see similarities with the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i MiEV.

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Refreshing or Revolting: Hyundai Sonata vs. Hyundai i40 sedan

November 25, 2011

Hyundai-i40-front-view

Hyundai blasted onto the American midsize sedan scene with the 2011 Sonata, a car that has proven bold enough to capture the attention of those who would have previously only considered a Camry or Accord. By now, we’re familiar with the 2011 and 2012 Sonata’s curves but is the grass greener on the other side?

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