Luxury car reviews

10:28 PM EDT, July 25, 2012

2013 Acura ILX light on power, driver enthusiasm

With summer barreling through the calendar faster than you can say "water wings," it's likely you have a family reunion looming on the horizon.

June 15, 2012

Mercedes SLK350 finally cleans up its act

I don't feel particularly poetic when I test-drive a car.

9:23 PM EDT, March 21, 2012

Buick Verano isn't up to running with a younger crowd

The Verano is a new compact sedan from that near-luxury nameplate, Buick. It's an impressive, competitively priced car; a stellar cut from the quiet and comfortable motoring cloth.

3:05 AM EST, November 14, 2011

Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG is a soccer mom thrill

Soccer moms in the country's more exclusive neighborhoods will rejoice at the 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, making its world debut at the L.A. Auto Show this week. Upgraded with the usual improvements to justify the R&D money, the third generation of the German manufacturer's pioneering high-performance SUV ups the fuel economy, drops some weight and significantly improves horsepower and torque -- emboldening parents of means to floor it out of schools' valet drop-offs with less guilt.

October 14, 2011

Steven Cole Smith: Lincoln MKT a loaded, likable luxury crossover SUV

There was a time when Lincoln and Cadillac were considered relatively even in the battle for the American luxury-car consumer. But General Motors gave Cadillac a shot of adrenalin about 10 years ago to update its model portfolio, and Ford has been pushing Lincoln to catch up ever since.

October 13, 2011

2012 Mercedes ML350 offers a lot of finery, a la carte

If a mid-size luxury SUV is in your fall wardrobe, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 may be the cable-knit sweater.

September 16, 2011

Mercedes ML350 BlueTEC does right by diesel

If you haven't driven one in a decade or so, forget what you thought you knew about Rudolf Diesel's 1883 invention: that diesel engines are noisy, smoky, heavy, substantially more expensive to build and slow. Though light-duty diesels haven't caught on in the U.S., there's a reason why they dominate European markets where fuel costs are about double what we pay.

August 20, 2011

Rolls-Royce test drive: 2011 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe & Ghost

It's unlike any other car on the planet.

July 7, 2011

2012 BMW 650i convertible: Muscular yet flexible

Flex. To you and me, it's just a harmless word. To the engineering team charged with producing a convertible, the very mention of flex, flexible or flexibility can cause apoplectic fits and an enraged lawn-toss of their CAD monitors.

July 14, 2011

Infiniti combines fuel economy and luxury in M Hybrid

Shuddering in anticipation of increasing federal fuel economy standards, luxury car manufacturers that traditionally paid little attention to gas consumption are finally paying heed. Take Nissan's up-market marque, Infiniti, which for 2012 introduced its first-ever hybrid, the M.

June 30, 2011

2012 Acura TL improves with makeover

In its prior incarnation, the grille was hideously toy-like. And the car, as a whole, lacked the sort of styling panache buyers of luxury sport sedans demand when they lay down $40,000-plus.

June 23, 2011

More refined Chrysler 300 is still a knockout

Five years ago, Chrysler's then-new 300 sedan walked into the ring and delivered a knockout blow to the rest of the full-size car market. Like any boxer with a chip on his shoulder, this nascent Chrysler carried itself with an air of brash cockiness that consumers flocked to in droves and critics lauded for its design.

11:29 PM EDT, May 25, 2011

2012 Audi A7 has power, tech and a style that draws double takes

A businesswoman in the parking garage was the first. The next day it was a landscaper at the gas station. Then the balding guy in the convertible, top down. Over the weekend it was four older women coming from brunch.

May 12, 2011

Bentley Continental GT geared toward wide-open spaces, including parking spots

Saying it became a chore to drive a particular car probably wouldn't catch your attention. Telling you that car was the 2011 Bentley Continental GT with a $215,675 price tag might.

March 31, 2011

Lexus CT 200h is a multifaceted hybrid

Lexus recently introduced an all-new car, the CT 200h, and it's a hybrid in more ways than one.

4:40 PM EDT, March 17, 2011

Steven Cole Smith: 2011 Chrysler 300: Sequels can be a success

Making a sequel to a big hit is tough, as anyone who paid to watch Airplane II, Blues Brother 2000 or Grease 2 can testify.

5:22 PM EST, January 27, 2011

Test Drive: 2011 Lincoln MKX AWD

Bells, whistles and bliss

Lincoln is well on its way to sowing confusion with its vehicular alphabet soup of models consisting of the MKS, MKT, MKZ and MKX.

January 27, 2011

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG: Efficiency and performance in a breathtaking package

When it comes to luxury sport cars, efficiency and performance have been terminally at odds. Twinning the two ideas is akin to pulling together the polarized ends of a magnet. But with its CLS 63 AMG for 2012, Mercedes-Benz has, mein gott, done it.

September 23, 2010

Hyundai enters luxury-car category with 2011 Equus

There's something wrong about a pair of 7-year-olds lounging like sultans in the back of a $60,000 luxury vehicle, downing Go-Gurt from an armrest mini fridge, watching Godzilla on a private screen enhanced with 17-speaker surround sound, and bicker-battling over a remote control that commands a rear-seat massage feature.

7:40 PM EDT, September 16, 2010

Cadillac CTS-V coupe: What planet is this car from?

We're cruising down Florida's Turnpike in the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V coupe when a teenager in a thoroughly hot-rodded, custom-painted Honda pulls alongside, gives the CTS-V coupe a long, hard look, then speeds away, a "thumb's up" emerging from the Honda's sunroof.

2011 Bentley Mulsanne exudes exclusivity

September 9, 2010

CAR REVIEW

2011 Bentley Mulsanne exudes exclusivity

"I love that car," sighed the rookie valet at the Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica.

September 16, 2010

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe: Unmistakably American

It appears Cadillac's design studio has finally found a remedy to U.S. automakers' inferiority complex. For decades, the neurosis has afflicted the studios of Detroit, causing them to turn out bland, awkward or copycat designs, while their German and Japanese counterparts created strong visual identities unique to their brands.

7:13 PM EDT, August 19, 2010

BMW 750Li xDrive: Money does buy happiness

For a driving enthusiast the classic problem with luxury cars has been that while the passengers may be delighted with their coddling the driver risks death by ennui, a lingering and horrible way to go. But luxury cars are becoming more entertaining to drive and one of the best examples is the 2010 BMW 750Li xDrive.

New Buick LaCrosse satisfies, even with smaller engine

7:15 PM EDT, September 7, 2010

Test Drive: 2010 Buick LaCrosse review

New Buick LaCrosse satisfies, even with smaller engine

The Buick LaCrosse, which was new last year, is now confronting competitors such as the Lexus ES 350 and Acura TL with a new and unconventional weapon: a smaller engine.

April 1, 2010

2011 Regal has what it takes to be a contender

" Buick Is Back!" shouts the cover of Motor Trend magazine, the first time since 1982 the enthusiast publication has featured a Buick on the cover.

June 24, 2010

More than $60,000 for a Ford Mustang?

Let's address this and get past it quickly. There have been more expensive Mustangs, but they were all race track-ready cars. Truthfully, this one is pretty close to being a racer. And since it's the best Mustang I've ever driven, and that includes all those race track-only models, the price seems -- well, still expensive. But justifiable.

Mercedes E350: Last large wagon standing

July 1, 2010

Test Drive: 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 Wagon review

Mercedes E350: Last large wagon standing

It is not often one gets to drive a species that — at least in the U.S. — is endangered. But I am. It is a station wagon, a segment that is being virtually wiped out by sport-utility vehicles and crossover car-like SUVs.

7:33 PM EDT, June 9, 2010

Auto review: Aston Martin Rapide

Albert Einstein once described his theory of relativity by saying: "When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it's longer than any hour."

May 25, 2010

BMW makes driver feel like one hot mama

At first glance, I was the most impractical choice for test driving the 2010 BMW 335i coupe. The four-seater is sporty, small and only has two doors with a small back seat. I'm slow and large (I'm nine months pregnant as I write this) with two small children in large convertible child-safety seats. But having me test drive this car was a genius move on the MotherProof.com's Chief Mama Kristin Varela's part. I got to have one last sports-car "hurrah" before my third child comes and I can no longer fit my family into a car this small, and if I can make this car work for me, you know it would be a dream for someone without all of my accoutrements.

May 13, 2010

HS250h a little less Lexus, a lot less Prius

It's revealing that for a few days in early May, the top item on Lexus' media Web site was a report touting the progress Lexus and Toyota have made in handling product recalls. "Remedies," as Toyota calls them, have been performed on more than 3 million vehicles for sticking accelerators and floor mats that can trap accelerator pedals, plus some modifications to anti-lock brake systems.

December 17, 2009

Test Drive: Bentley offers it all, for a lot

Once in a while, life serves up one of those little disconnects that reminds you of an old dubbed-into-English Japanese horror movie, where the actors' lips seem to be saying one thing, their voices something entirely different.

2010 Ferrari 458 Italia: Dashing through the snow in a wicked red sleigh

3:53 PM EST, February 18, 2010

Test Drive

2010 Ferrari 458 Italia: Dashing through the snow in a wicked red sleigh

MARANELLO, Italy — Snow is a beautiful thing.

December 27, 2009

From Dec. 27, 2009

Jim Mateja: 4-door Panamera is still all Porsche

Many years ago, a novelty was hidden in the bowels of the original McCormick Place for Chicago Auto Show visitors to find: a weird four-door Chevrolet Corvette. Even weirder is why anyone would do such a thing.

BMW 550i Gran Turismo blends attitude with luxury

February 25, 2010

Test Drive: 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo

Jim Mateja: BMW 550i Gran Turismo blends attitude with luxury

It's called a "refined, elegant SAV," which in BMW speak means a sports-activity vehicle with an attitude toward luxury and performance.

March 18, 2010

Test Drive: $2.2 million gets you this — a 2010 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport

The toll booth attendant leaned out of her cage, looked the car over, and said, "The guy in front of you told me your car costs a million dollars."

Raft of upgrades paired with lower cost give Cadillac SRX a major boost

February 11, 2010

Test Drive: 2010 Cadillac SRX

Jim Mateja: Raft of upgrades paired with lower cost give Cadillac SRX a major boost

Cadillac's chances of deposing the king of luxury crossovers is a lot better now that consumers, the media and even the government have taken to labeling Toyota as a villain, the role those same consumers, media and government bestowed on General Motors the last few years.

January 28, 2010

Jim Mateja: Acura ZDX loaded with luxury

Acura waved the magic wand and turned a sport ute into a sedan.

November 15, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 coupe

Jim Mateja: E coupe a near coup for Mercedes

With the auto industry undergoing an overhaul, it is a good time to freshen product lines.

November 8, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Audi A5 quattro cabriolet

Jim Mateja: Audi A5 cabriolet turns up the heat

It will warm back or butt like many others, but what sets the Audi A5 cabriolet apart is that it will warm your melon as well.

November 1, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Lexus IS250C

Jim Mateja: Entry-level Lexus IS carries hefty fee

The Lexus IS sedan gets a sib for 2010, a retractable hardtop version that gives the luxury automaker an entry-level coupe and convertible for the first time.

Jaguar XFR: An $80,000, high-performance missile

October 25, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Jaguar XFR sedan

Jim Mateja: Jaguar XFR: An $80,000, high-performance missile

Piloting a machine powered by a supercharged 5-liter, 510-horsepower V-8 able to burst from a standing stop to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, with a top speed of 155 mph, won't win over many, if any, environmentalists.

Lexus HS250h saves gas costs for those who can easily afford to buy it

September 27, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Lexus HS250h

Jim Mateja: Lexus HS250h saves gas costs for those who can easily afford to buy it

In its quest to "minimize emissions and maximize mileage," Lexus is offering its first 4-cylinder econocar for the well-heeled, the 2010 HS250h.

September 20, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Lexus LX570

Jim Mateja: Lexus LX570 has it all, for a price

It can pilot the family on the open road or climb a hill and ford a stream, while cooling a couple cans of pop and a sub sandwich for either.

June 21, 2009

Jim Mateja: Aston Martin or Rolls? It's Dad's choice

What better once-a-year salute to dads than a pair of once-in-a-lifetime machines: the Aston Martin DB9 Volante and the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

May 24, 2009

Test Drive: 2010 Bentley GTC Speed

Bentley GTC Speed lives up to name

Tears welled up in our eyes after slipping behind the wheel of the Bentley GTC Speed.

BMW 335 diesel delivers power, range without raising a stink

April 12, 2009

Test Drive: 2009 BMW 335d

Jim Mateja: BMW 335 diesel delivers power, range without raising a stink

When putting fuel-efficient vehicles on a shopping list, most wouldn't mark down any BMWs, which are better known for 0-to-60-m.p.h. performance than for sipping liquid energy.

April 5, 2009

Test Drive: 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet

Jim Mateja: Porsche 911 Carrera a guilty pleasure

Tired of all the dreary news?

BMW wagon's power, perks come at a price

March 15, 2009

Test Drive: 2009 BMW 535i xDrive wagon

Jim Mateja: BMW wagon's power, perks come at a price

Most automakers turned to SUVs and crossovers to carry a load of people and their possessions because most people want a machine far more stylish than a station wagon.

9:29 AM EST, March 5, 2010

Test Drive: You can’t copy BMW’s ride

You'd think it would be easy for other manufacturers to copy – just buy a BMW, dismantle the suspension and duplicate it, and you could match the ride and handling. But for reasons I can't explain, BMWs still feel like BMWs, unmatched for road feel and the ability to offer both a comfortable ride on the highway, but still make you feel like you last name is Andretti on winding backroads.

March 8, 2009

Test Drive: 2009 Audi A4

Jim Mateja: Bigger A4 not better in every way

Audi followed the accepted formula in redesigning its compact A4 sedan.

February 8, 2009

Jim Mateja: Neither mud nor gravel nor snow will stop LR2

Before turning to Washington, Ford turned to India for help.

January 18, 2009

Jim Mateja: Arguments for H3T piling up

It wasn't until the snow topped 14 inches that Ma Nature took a nap and let mortals undo the damage.

January 11, 2009

Jim Mateja: TL joins Acura's AWD charge

The flagship Acura RL sedan now has an all-wheel-drive companion for 2009: the midsize TL sedan that adds AWD for security when roads are wet and snowy and sure-footedness when they're dry.

December 14, 2008

Jim Mateja: 6 degrees of zoom, zoom from top-of-the-line Mazda sedan

Within an hour of taking to the road in the 2009 Mazda6, we were stopped by a 20 something and then a 50 something, both asking whether it behaved as good as it looked.

December 7, 2008

Test Drive: 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320

Jim Mateja: Mercedes singing the BlueTEC with ML

Now that the petroleum industry has cleaned up its act, the auto industry has, too.

October 26, 2008

Test Drive: 2009 Acura TSX

Jim Mateja: Acura weds luxury and economy in TSX

The host of first-class amenities from power moonroof to leather heated seats to automatic climate control leaves no doubt that the Acura TSX is a luxury car.

Electronic wizardry comes standard on 2009 Acura RL

August 31, 2008

Test Drive: 2009 Acura RL

Jim Mateja: Electronic wizardry comes standard on 2009 Acura RL

If you want to know what the weather will be three days from now or whether there's an accident three blocks from here, the 2009 Acura RL is at your service.

August 24, 2008

Test Drive: 2009 Hyundai Genesis

Jim Mateja: Genesis of a luxury car from Hyundai

Hyundai first made a name for itself in the U.S. in 1986 with a subcompact $4,995 Excel. After some fits and starts, Hyundai is ready to go upscale with a full-size $40,000 Genesis flagship for 2009.

July 13, 2008

Test Drive: 2009 Lincoln MKS

Jim Mateja: MKS gives luxury a voice at Lincoln

Lincoln has launched a new flagship: the 2009 MKS.

June 15, 2008

Test Drive: 2009 Jaguar XF

Jim Mateja: Ta-ta to Ford, hello winsome Jaguar

The time spent feeling sorry for Tata lasted only as long as it took to stroll around the 2009 Jaguar XF much less before slipping onto the sumptuous leather seats and watching the gearshift dial rise from the center console.