Our reader reviewer set out to buy a new car and figured he would go with a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, but wanted to test-drive other vehicles in the midsize sedan segment. After taking the new 2009 Hyundai Sonata for a test drive, he was impressed enough to purchase one. A month into owning the car, he's very satisfied with his decision. Read the full review, and check out our own first-drive impressions. Post your own reader review here.
Our reader reviewer of the week didn’t start out as a super fan of the 2008 Pontiac G8, but after comparing the vehicle's power, interior and pricing, the conversion began. A few minor tweaks aside, he points to the car's ability to compete neck-and-neck with vehicles that cost tens of thousands of dollars more. Post your own review here.
This week's reviewer had to dig to find the downside to the 2008 Honda Element, but as with all cars, there were glitches and features that needed a tweak. Still, our reader reviewer gave the Element high marks on all the important, ahem, elements. As always, you can submit your own car review here.
The much-heralded Chevy Malibu faces one tough critic in Tom from Las Vegas. Overall, Tom likes his new Malibu quite a bit, but he does have a few complaints. Read his review to find out why he thinks the Malibu has some improvements to make if it wants to catch up to the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. You can also submit your own review here.
This week's reviewer hails from Chicago and decided to replace his beloved 1997 Mercury Mountaineer with an updated version from 2007. It sounds like he's missing his old gal a bit, though, because the '07 seems to lack some of his favorite features. Check out what he had to say below, and if you want to post your own car review, click here.
This week's reviewer hails from the Virginia portion of the Washington, D.C., area, which means that as a hybrid owner he can take advantage of those HOV lanes and avoid at least some of the infamous D.C. congestion. Although he wasn’t pleased with the minimal options on the base Toyota Highlander Hybrid he bought, Hybrid Believer remains satisfied with his purchase. His review is below and you can write your own car review here.
"Souldad" from Massachusetts recounts how he came to find himself driving a Ford Taurus X, his first domestic car. Beginning with a temporary drive in a Freestyle, he found himself impressed by the spaciousness and low cost. Read his full review, and submit your own here.
In this week's reader review, Brad of Colorado gives the 2008 Nissan Versa hatchback his nod, citing its reliable handling, ample legroom and loads of cargo space. He also notes the very decent gas mileage and comfortable interior design. Read Brad's full review below. You can also submit your on reader review here.
This week’s winner hails from Palm Springs, Calif., and after tooling around in the desert for about a year in a 2007 Honda CR-V, he has a few gripes about a car he claims to mostly like. Other than the floormats and interior fabric, the author, “Likes Honda and Toyota Cars,” thought the transmission ratios were out of whack. You can submit your on reader review here.
The winner of this Reader Review of the Week impressed us by taking a different perspective on shopping for a new car. Struck with the foreign idea of buying a new vehicle for more than $40,000, “Loves Technology” from Pittsburgh, Penn., wanted to take a look at all those models that were previously out of reach, price-wise. Yet with brands like BMW, Lexus and Infiniti now real possibilities, our reviewer found that perhaps there is less to a good name than he thought. The 2008 Saturn Vue not only impressed him, but he could load one up with options and still come in under the price of some of those higher-end competitors.
OK, we admit it… we’re jealous of 535 Fan from Indianapolis, Ind. He’s driving a new BMW 535i. We recently tested both the 2008 528i and 550i but not the new member of the 5 Series family with the twin-turbo six-cylinder engine. Not surprisingly, 535 Fan likes his new car very much. However, we’re not sure about his dubious claims regarding a trip through Chicago completely absent of traffic issues. Post your own consumer review here.
When we search all the new consumer reviews that come into Cars.com looking for our weekly nod at the best reader-generated comments, we’re looking for something to grab us. A BMW X3 lessee moving to a Scion xB — fully knowing the differences — and talking about his or her new ride certainly stood out this week. Phillipe from Boston, Mass., puts it all out there for us, and teaches us that fully tricking out an xB can cost you $23,000.
This week, a tall, demanding car buyer has found something that finally fits: the 2008 Honda Accord. The reason this Pennsylvania native wins the nod this week is that he goes through the reasons why his previous purchases of a Camry and 2007 Accord weren’t right for his large frame. He also points out some pros and cons that are unique to him. You can leave your own reader review for all to see here.
We love hearing reader feedback on just-introduced models. Judging by the countless TV commercials and high traffic on Cars.com, we know the new Nissan Rogue is one of those new vehicles that have people intrigued. That’s why we’ve singled out a Miami resident who picked up a new all-wheel-drive Rogue SL, in black, for this week’s no-prize-attached award. As always, you can leave your own car reviews here.
When you think of Italian designer Pininfarina and its lengthy resume of exotic cars, including many Ferraris, Suzuki probably doesn’t come to mind. But, surprisingly, the Suzuki Forenza was partially designed by Pininfarina. Go figure. Also surprised was the author of our most recent Reader Review of the Week, aptly named “Surprised to be a Suzuki fan,” who after a recent unfortunate incident with a previous car looked to buy a used vehicle, but ended up with a new 2007 Suzuki Forenza. Read the full review below and if you want to write your own consumer review just go here.
Whenever we get a consumer review of a hot new model before we even get a stab at the car ourselves, we’re impressed. One Seattle-based WRX driver gives a really well-done take on his new purchase. He relates it to the outgoing model and talks quite a bit about its style. We always like to think we know what’s what on the style fronts, but hearing what a shopper who plunked down the cash on the car feels is always intriguing. Especially when he doesn’t like the way it looks! Find out why he bought it anyway below.
The Audi A3 has been mostly hit or miss since it debuted a few years ago. It was the first German luxury car in a while that was smaller than the entry-level sedans from Audi, BMW and Mercedes. It was attractive and seemed to offer some utility for its size, but was also kind of pricey, costing almost as much as an A4. So the natural question is, “Who buys this?” The answer is a 5-footer from Pittsburgh who is enamored with the A3’s seating position for her petite frame. Her full report, after a year of ownership, is below. We will point out, however, that the model she purchased does start at $33,980. You can leave your own Consumer Review here.
We're kind of jealous of this week's winner of the RROTW. While we get to sit behind the wheel of a BMW M3 or 335i for a week or so to review the car, Former M3 Guy from San Diego has owned both BMW two-doors in convertible form. He lists the pros and cons in his review, saying the 335i is a match for the M3 in terms of acceleration, but "probably couldn't quite keep up in the 'twisties,' but on the other hand it is a much more comfortable everyday driver." Our own Mike Hanley recently reviewed the 335i hardtop convertible, and you can find his review here.
The new Nissan Sentra has flown under the radar since its redesign this year. Sure, we’ve reviewed it and tested it on a number of occasions, but for some reason it’s still rare to see one on the street. We’re not sure what’s keeping people from buying one, but “Too Dang Hot” from Phoenix, Ariz., lays out why it was the right choice for him, or her. We liked the user review because some significant negatives are addressed along with the usual praise. To submit your own car review go here.
I really wanted to give this week’s nod to a glowing 2008 Subaru Outback owner who would totally validate my own recent purchase, but I figured our readers might be a bit tired of hearing about that particular model. Instead, I decided on this review by “IS Impressed” in Boston. He of course loves his new car, but also points out some flaws. An even-handed take on a personal ride always increases a consumer review’s chance of winning our no-prize-attached weekly award.
Regular readers already know the 2008 Saturn Vue is a completely different vehicle than the 2007 it replaces, but the everyday car shopper might still think the two are somehow related. Take our award-free Reader Review of the Week winner, “New Vue Owner,” from Maryland. He went to the Saturn dealer to drive both the ’07 and ’08 and figured it all out quite quickly. His pros and cons seem in line, too.
This week’s winner of our award-less praise owns not one Dodge Magnum, but two. The author drives a 2007 Magnum SRT8, while his wife drives a Magnum R/T AWD. If you’re that fanatical about a car model, you’re going to win this week’s nod hands down. So here’s to Trotime from Newport, R.I.
Not many people have purchased the Honda Accord Hybrid. In fact, the company recently said it has no plans to produce a hybrid version of the new 2008 model when it debuts this fall. For all those folks out there looking to buy a 2007 Accord, Ron from Pasadena, Calif., offers his take on the hybrid version he bought in February. As always, you can review your own car too, right here.
Sometimes we see a reader review that is so spot on we wonder if we wrote it ourselves. After having the 2007 Kia Spectra in the Cars.com fleet recently, we pretty much agree with everything Idaho Guy from Boise, Idaho — shocker — is saying. Of course, we didn’t have as much real-world driving time and mileage figures. Nor do we usually name our test vehicles. Here’s to Phil, the winner of our no-prize attached Reader Review of the Week:
The best no-prize award in the automotive blogosphere finds its way to Canada this week. Glenn, a new Saturn Outlook owner, left an informative missive about his new mode of transportation. We always find it interesting to hear real-world stories about the first 500 miles driven or trips to camping sites. You can read Glenn’s full consumer review below, and you can write your own review here.
This week we’re pointing out not just one but two of our consumer reviews as the best of the week. The first is from an enthusiastic 2007 Chevrolet Silverado owner from Ohio who rates the new model compared to his 2005. The reader even gives us some small negatives he found.
We also had to add a review from “Car Obsessed” in Orange County, Calif., talking about his new 2007 Jaguar XKR. Sorry, we just couldn’t let that one slip by. Their full reviews are below.
We’ve been so busy around here lately we’ve neglected our favorite no-prize-attached award, the Reader Review of the Week. This week we found an interesting report from EA in Anaheim, Calif., about a new 2007 Nissan Xterra. While it may not be the newest design on the block, it’s one of those vehicles from whose owners we’re constantly hearing loyal expressions of love. It seems like EA is a new one of those.
Yes, yes we know: The new Acura MDX was just featured in our Suburban Dad vs. Urban DINK post a few weeks back, but the “Ski Family” from Lake Tahoe submitted an MDX review that was the best consumer review of the week. The family traded in a 2004 Acura MDX for the new model, so it may help persuade other previous MDX owners and fill them in on changes to the navigation system, the loss of the roof rack and other useful tidbits.
You can submit your own car review any time right here.
There are a few trends we notice around the office about car shoppers and the folks who write in to us or who we meet on the street. One of those repeated comments we hear comes from Hyundai owners about how great their cars are; it’s almost gushing. This week’s top reader review comes from such a person. Don from Providence, Rhode Island, echoes many of the comments we get in his review of the 2007 Hyundai Sonata and, therefore, he gets the nod this week even if he is a little too positive. You can submit a car review of your own here.
Since it’s a busy news day at Cars.com, we went with a short but sweet review this week. Sean from Bergen County, N.J., gives a brief report on his new Suzuki SX4, which we have for you below. After checking out the past SX4 reviews left by our readers, though, we can honestly say there is some interesting feedback from all of them regarding different transmission and trim levels. You can read them all here, and check out Sean’s award-winning comments below. Don't forget you can write your own car review anytime.
We’ve missed a week or two because of auto show scheduling, but we’re back with a take on the Lexus RX 400h hybrid SUV from a reader in Rockville, Md. We know, we’re suckers for the hybrid reviews, but almost all of them articulately point out why they decided to take the plunge and buy an alternative vehicle despite the added cost. Thankfully, our friend Rockville1 also gives his or her real-world fuel economy. As always, you can write your own car review right here.
Companies like GM and Ford may be abandoning the minivan, but it’s still a competitive segment, especially among import brands. Last year, Hyundai introduced its first minivan, the Entourage.
In his expert review of the Entourage last summer, Cars.com’s own Joe Wiesenfelder said it is “a model that impresses not only shoppers who are unfamiliar with the brand, but also those who have followed the South Korean brand’s improvements and growth.” That certainly seems the case in this week’s top consumer review by a Toyota Sienna owner going by the name of “Long Term Toyota Customer.” He or she was impressed by the Entourage during a four-day trial and pointed out many pros and cons compared to the Sienna.
Long Term Toyota Customer’s review is below. You can write your own car review right here.
This week our winner was an easy choice. In the history of our award-less award we haven’t found a more thorough review than Chance of Indiana’s take of the 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid. The really cool thing about Chance’s report is that he had a 2003 Civic Hybrid and details the difference in the two models in a number of criteria and he does so in an exact manner. You can read Chance’s full review below and if you want to write a review of your own car you can go here.
It seems Cars.com readers are really getting into writing their own reviews. Each new review we read — of the hundreds that come in each month — offers a unique perspective on a car that you can’t get from just one expert review. For example, this week’s winning review was written by a former Honda S2000 owner calling himself Calpilot7 from Houston, who moved into a much more practical Honda Civic Si Sedan. This illustrates the common occurrence of someone staying with the same automaker, but enjoying the move from a sports car to something less sporty.
This week we picked a recent review of the 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander. The compact SUV faced off with the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V in a recent Cars.comparison and held its own against the two major players in the segment. It looks like consumers agree, seeing as we’ve received a few emails from fans of the new model. One more fan is Margrudis of Houston. He delivers a to-the-point review below that is mostly glowing, though he also points out a few minor drawbacks.
This week we discovered by far the best review submitted by any Cars.com user so far. Allan from Acton, Mass. delivers an eloquent “defense” of the all-new Jeep Wrangler he recently bought. We’re currently working on full reviews of the 2007 Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited, but until then Jeep enthusiasts can sit back and relish in this submission or write their own.
It was pretty tough to pick a winner for our no-prize-attached Reader Review of the Week award this Halloween week. After sifting through dozens of new submissions, we thought we were being treated to tricks galore, especially after not one but two confused entries stated that the B in BMW stood for British, as in British Motor Works. We’re hoping they’re not the people responsible for BMW’s Wikipedia entry.
Luckily we received one treat in our search, from Thomas in Miami, Fla. Thomas just bought a new 2007 Ford Explorer and details why he made the switch from a Bavarian Motor Works 3 Series to Ford’s bread-and-butter SUV. Read the full review below, and if you really want to help us out please contribute a review of your own vehicle right here.
This week we get some real-life feedback from a new Toyota RAV4 owner who opted for the four-cylinder model. Since Cars.com recently tested the V-6 RAV4, this is a good way to hear from someone who opted for the less powerful version and find out why.
Lou B. from Fayetteville, Ark., gets the nod this week because of his real-life feedback of both the buying and driving experience. You can read and submit your own new- or used-car review any time.
It isn't often we get reader reviews for older cars, but sometimes those are the most important types. Owners can discuss repair issues and long-term reliability in a way no professional auto reviewer can touch. That's exactly what J. Harv from Northern Pennsylvania does. Harv's 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue is well past its golden years, but still chugging along. Kudos to Harv for pointing out specific reliability problems and even some daily maintenance issues:
"It was difficult to keep the trim clean. This dark dust would tend to get around the door handles/lock areas and power window switches. I've also noticed this with the Alero's. If you wipe it down once a month or so it isn't that bad."
Overall, Harv seems happy with the purchase:
"I was surprised in how much power the engine still had with the high mileage, and that it lasted as long as it did with all the abuse I put it through."
Click here to see the full reader review. If you haven't already done so, write one for your own car.
This week's top reader review comes from Dale Carnegie of Texas. Dale recently bought a 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid and explains how well the mileage is holding up to the EPA estimates on the window sticker. As we continue to discover the best reviews submitted by our readers, we're continually impressed by the honest feedback. Dale doesn't give his Escape a free pass on interior or steering feel, and for his fine reporting we award him the no-prize-attached Reader Review of the Week honor. Keep reading for his full review.
A few months back, Cars.com launched reader reviews, where anyone under the sun can write a critique of their own car, truck or SUV. We realized that many people would rate their beloved daily drivers with five stars across the board, but there are a lot of astute readers out there leaving insightful commentary that other shoppers can learn from. As an editorial staff, we don’t live with the cars we review for more than a week, so hearing from real buyers allows everyone to learn about real-world mileage, reliability and overall satisfaction.
Today we’re debuting a “Reader Review of the Week” award here on KickingTires. Unfortunately, there’s no trophy or prize money, just the satisfaction of knowing your review will help other shoppers during their research.
This week’s winner is JM94 from Germantown, Md., who reviewed a 2006 Subaru Outback.
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