Feature Consumer Car Reviews

2009 Volkswagen Jetta Review, by David Mathieson

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:08:15 CST

Performance: 5
Exterior: 4
Interior: 4
Overall: 4
Review Guide: 5=Perfect; 3=Good; 1=Poor

Pros: What do you like about 2009 Volkswagen Jetta?
The body is much more solid than the 99 Jetta where the rear door would vibrate when you closed the drivers door.
Mileage seems improved for highway driving.
Very secure and safe feeling when driving at 70-80 mph.
Low wind noise.
It tracks very nicely on wet road surfaces.
The 6 speed manual transmission is great and allows high speed driving at very low rpm.

Cons: How would you improve 2009 Volkswagen Jetta?
The TDI mileage in town with little traffic driving barely makes about 650KM. My old 99 Jetta TDI would consistently get 700km.
Would be nice to have your speed and time prominently displayed on the multifunction readout.
The 2010 golf has a nice white and grey background multifunction readout.
I use the car for work to move boxes, microwaves etc around and found that the trunk opening is so small now that these items would not fit so I have to sell the car and get a wagon. I also miss having the back seats fold down flat like the 2010 golf wagon.
When pressed by traffic sometimes I had trouble finding the right gear.
I find it hard to check blind spots when changing lanes.
The space under the back window is so narrow that it has little use for storing things and it is hard to clean the window.
It would be nice it the satellite radio had a larger memory because the program cuts out when you go under bridges on the highway.
The rear lights cheapen the look of the car and make it look American. I would like to see the yellow turn lamps on the back.
Watch out when you are parking near a curve as the front valance seems very low. The hood slopes down so much that it is very hard to judge how close you are to the curb when you nose in.

2009 Volkswagen Jetta Review:
The car overall is excellent value provided this model suits your life style. Make sure you test drive it thoroughly to be sure it suits your needs.

2010 Toyota Sequoia Review, by Christopher Lenney

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:11:00 CST

Performance: 4
Exterior: 5
Interior: 4
Overall: 4
Review Guide: 5=Perfect; 3=Good; 1=Poor

Pros: What do you like about 2010 Toyota Sequoia?
Plenty of power.

Red Rock leather interior is incredible.

Sound system is not bad for a factory system.

Cons: How would you improve 2010 Toyota Sequoia?
UNLOCK THE NAVIGATION!!!!!! The factory NAV is the worst NAV I have ever seen. Toyota's Legal Dept has taken over. The NAV locks out once the vehicle is in motion. So if you're on a trip (like I was last week) your passenger can't even input an address, search for food or fuel. So basically you have to pull over (which is illegal in most major interstates, not to mention very dangerous).

Gas MPG is not what is reported by Toyota. You will be lucky to get 14 MPG on highway........

The factory remote starter is a joke. After years of owning aftermarket starters, Toyota had totally dropped the ball on this one. The range of the Key Fob is very very limited, you practically have to be sitting in the truck for it to work. It only runs for 10 min before shutting off and as soon as you unlock the vehicle or open a door the thing shuts off. Bottom line....save $550 and go aftermarket.

2010 Toyota Sequoia Review:
Toyota doesn't care about its customers. I paid almost $60,000 for a vehicle, and after several calls and letters, Toyota could care less. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA after the experience I had.

2010 Ford Mustang Review, by Bronco Billy

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:27:36 CST

Performance: 4
Exterior: 4
Interior: 5
Overall: 4
Review Guide: 5=Perfect; 3=Good; 1=Poor

Pros: What do you like about 2010 Ford Mustang?
Got the 2010 after my 2006 was written off in crash full replacement insurance.

I really like the improvements made with this car interior styling and lighting larger rims and much needed electronics with sync, I know it has more horse power but I got to say my 06 seemed to do a much better burn out.

Love the new tail lights and the new seats as well.

Cons: How would you improve 2010 Ford Mustang?
Not a huge fan of the swept back rear end. Still like the look of the 06 rear end.

If I had control of the Ford plant I would make the supercharger a standard option. 315hp is alright but it needs just a little more power to blow away the competition in all aspects. Add it on and charge a liitle more and everyone would be happy.

2010 Ford Mustang Review:
Mustang has stepped up the horse power with this new model and changed the styling in areas but the overall feel is still all MUSTANG. And if you are a fan of the Mustang you won't be disappointed.

Added features included new body styling and interior changes. The change of the look from the previous model is added interior lighting, which gives it a glow to the inside. Open the doors and you will know you are in the Mustang from lit door sills.

The voice recognition is a big plus to help keep your eyes on the road and with the sync there is no need to purchase aftermarket bluetooth products to us your cellphone hands free while driving it. All comes together with the 2010 model.

You won't be disappointed at all. Long live the blue oval.

2010 GMC Terrain Review, by Nelson

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:15:52 CST

Performance: 5
Exterior: 4
Interior: 5
Overall: 5
Review Guide: 5=Perfect; 3=Good; 1=Poor

Pros: What do you like about 2010 GMC Terrain?
Purchased the SLE-2 last week. Love the bold styling of the exterior makes it looks much more masculine than it's Equinox counterpart.

Interior design is fantastic. 8 speaker premium sound is well done, along with the other gadgets and gizmos.

Comfortable seating with adjustable power (and heated) cloth interior. (Prefer this over the leather. Live in a cold Canadian climate so although heating leather is nice, I find my body warms the leather before the heater.)

3/60,000km full warranty, 5//160,000km powertrain warranty and 5 year Roadside Assistance offers a nice piece of mind in purchasing a new model vehicle.

3.0L 6 cylinder at 264HP has plenty of pick up and go although I test drove the 2.4L 4 cyl, and it was more than adequate for performance.

3.0L provides comparable gas mileage to my 3.4L Pontiac Montana minivan in town and chose this engine because I needed the extra towing capacity for my boat.

Cons: How would you improve 2010 GMC Terrain?
Not really a con, but being a new vehicle, hard to find generic steel rims for this vehicle to add winter tires although the steel rims used on the Buick sedans will fit.

Remote car starter requires you lock the doors once, prior to engaging the starter. (If this is a requirement that the doors be locked, have the starter button lock the vehicle and then engage the remote start.)

2010 GMC Terrain Review:
Overall, I've had this vehicle approx 1 week and it hasn't disappointed me. Handles great for a crossover with a comfortable yet firm ride. I think GM definitely got the interior right with this vehicle and the bold exterior has had several people turn heads.

Look forward to driving it for many more years to come.

2010 Chevrolet Malibu Review, by Ed M.

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:32:48 CST

Performance: 4
Exterior: 5
Interior: 4
Overall: 5
Review Guide: 5=Perfect; 3=Good; 1=Poor

Pros: What do you like about 2010 Chevrolet Malibu?
The vehicle looks very sporty for a "Family Sedan" especially the LTZ model with its well styled 18" wheels.

The ride is very smooth, quiet and comfortable seats are a big plus.

A nice dash/cockpit layout enhanced by the excellent two tone interior and leather seating surfaces give the Malibu LTZ an air of refined sophistication.

The 2.4 ltr. engine gives the car good pep and the paddle shifter on the column adds a bit of zoom when needed.

The care handles really well almost too well due to a bit of over-steer, but is very responsive to any situation.

Test drove the Accord but decided on the Malibu due to its better interior design, roominess and overall looks of the Malibu LTZ compared with the much smaller Accord.

Cons: How would you improve 2010 Chevrolet Malibu?
As the other reviewer said the rear could be better designed, and by that only a change in the tail lights, not the shape of the rear is needed.

The car has a low opening and taller folks find it a bit difficult to enter the vehicle.

2010 Chevrolet Malibu Review:
Malibu LTZ is by far an outstanding car, many double takes are noticed while driving and the car couldn't be more comfortable. Great gas mileage makes one think they have a sort of "green vehicle" averaging up to 36 miles per gallon highway traveling at 70 mph.

Chevy has a real winner in the Malibu!!

2006 Audi A8 Review, by Audi A8 Owner

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:33:28 CST

Performance: 5
Exterior: 4
Interior: 5
Overall: 5
Review Guide: 5=Perfect; 3=Good; 1=Poor

Pros: What do you like about 2006 Audi A8?
Performance.
Ride Quality.
Interior.
Comfort.
Audi Factor (Stealth + Great service = not a BMW or Mercedes).

I am going to add small details since other posters covered the big ones:
- Rear heated seats
- Sun shades
- Huge trunk
- Automatic setting for air suspension
- Audio quality even with the base Bose

Cons: How would you improve 2006 Audi A8?
<rant> The cup holders are ridiculously shallow. Why is Audi so bad at cup holders??? Dear Audi: People like to drink tall hot and cold beverages in their cars ... please put at least one engineer on this subject for more than 1 hour. Even the brand new Audis have this issue. </rant>

I would like to see Audi drop the price on adding an iPod AUX to any model that does not have it equipped. No one (fewer all the time to be fair) listens to CDs any more. $500 seems excessive to me to retrofit.

2006 Audi A8 Review:
We have owned 2 A4s (3.0 2005 Quattro and a 3.2L 2007 Quattro) and just made the leap up. I have to say I was worried about the extra size and weight in terms of fun ... but oh baby. This car sings and it is nimble. We tested a bunch of A6s and they felt like a bad compromise (sorry to A6 owners) so we went all the way to the A8. I couldn't be happier so far.

2005 Chevrolet Equinox Review, by Deb Young

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:58:25 CST

Performance: 4
Exterior: 4
Interior: 4
Overall: 4
Review Guide: 5=Perfect; 3=Good; 1=Poor

Pros: What do you like about 2005 Chevrolet Equinox?
Style.
Extra roomy interior--every time someone rides in the back seat they remark on it.
Height from ground.
Leather seats.
Love, love, love! the open space between the front bucket seats and the armrest/storage bin that folds up out of the way (perfect for stashing my purse, storing books on tape, and hiding smaller shopping bags when I leave the car).

Cons: How would you improve 2005 Chevrolet Equinox?
Visibility really sucks due to over-sized posts on either side of the windshield.
Need option to fold down head rests on rear seats to help rear visibility when rear seats are vacant.
Improve gas mileage.
Noisy ride--have to keep the sound system cranked up to hear it.
Cheap looking plastic interior, paint chipping from radio knobs.
The "?running boards?" that jut out on either side of the car. My legs ALWAYS hit them getting in/out of the car so I end up with dirt, salt, or mud on whatever I'm wearing.

The 2nd year the car went through a period of refusing to start. It was totally dead--no clicking or signs of life at all. I'd tow to the dealership and it would start fine for them. They could never find anything wrong. I think they finally got fed up with me and replaced the ignition. So far so good.

Now in year 4, I'm having a problem with the key getting stuck in the ignition. I'm not talking jiggle the steering wheel and it will slide out stuck. I'm talking I had to flag down two men in a parking lot to help me stuck. One yanked on the steering wheel while pulling on the key and the other laid on his stomach across the passenger seat pressing on the brake pedal with his hands. Somehow they got the key out. Two weeks later it happened again after dark and when I was alone. I tried the same moves they did and after several minutes the key very reluctantly and with much effort came out. I ruined my key chain I was pulling so hard. Now I'm careful to pull the key out very slowly so I can stop pulling when I feel it binding up.

The newest problems are some noises while driving especially on highway exit ramps.

2005 Chevrolet Equinox Review:
I never thought I needed or wanted an SUV until I was recovering from hip surgery. I had two requirements: the driver's seat needed to be the proper height from the ground plus I needed the slipperiness of leather seats to ease entry/exit to the car. Turns out the Equinox was the perfect height plus I could get leather seats in a reasonably priced vehicle. No more stress and strain on already painful joints. Of course, it didn't hurt I liked the look of the Equinox!

Overall, this car has worked out well for me and I'm glad I bought it.

2010 GMC Terrain Review, by Cathy

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:53:35 CST

Performance: 5
Exterior: 4
Interior: 5
Overall: 5
Review Guide: 5=Perfect; 3=Good; 1=Poor

Pros: What do you like about 2010 GMC Terrain?
I like the interior design. It has a modern feel to it.
The standard back-up camera is great.
The estimated gas mileage on the 4 cyl. is impressive.

Cons: How would you improve 2010 GMC Terrain?
The back end looks like a minivan.
No home link. :(
The chrome latch on the dash compartment reflects the sun.
I wish it had dual zone air.
Wish I could have added the chrome package to the SLT-1 like is available for the Equinox.

2010 GMC Terrain Review:
I have ordered the SLT-1 Terrain. It has been over a month and they just started to build it this week. I am very excited to get it. (hopefully only a couple more weeks) I ordered the brownstone interior sight unseen and have now seen pictures of it finally. I think I made a mistake there.

I debated between the Terrain and the Equinox, but let my husband decide which he liked better. I was happy to get the extras that the Terrain offers standard over the Equinox.

After driving a Tahoe for the last 8 years, I look forward to getting descent gas mileage on my 80 mile roundtrip drive to work.

We added the DVD entertainment system for my "special needs" son even though no one could tell us anything about it. That is one drawback about ordering a vehicle when it FIRST comes out! (along with picking an interior color you regret)

We looked at all the comparable SUVs and I am expecting to be thrilled with my choice.

2009 Chevrolet Silverado Review, by CPT

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:43:25 CST

Performance: 5
Exterior: 5
Interior: 5
Overall: 5
Review Guide: 5=Perfect; 3=Good; 1=Poor

Pros: What do you like about 2009 Chevrolet Silverado?
Size.
Interior Room (Crew Cab).
Ride Quality.
6-Speed Transmission.
5.3L AFM/Flex Fuel Motor.
Bluetooth. Factory Remote Start.
Stereo System (Don't have Bose).

Cons: How would you improve 2009 Chevrolet Silverado?
Outer Trim Material on Seats (Catches Fuzz from Clothing).

2009 Chevrolet Silverado Review:
Bought New about 8-Weeks ago, LOVE IT! Love the Hydraulic Body Mounts on the Crew Cabs make for a fantastic Riding Truck. Love the 6-Speed Transmission and the Range Selection Ability. Really Enjoy how wonderfully the Bluetooth System works.

Put about 6000 miles on the truck so far and haven't reset my AVG. Fuel Economy since the day I pulled out of the dealership, at 17.5. Once I get the first oil change should go up some more but I do drive in the city a lot and on the HWY I'm running 75-80 MPH. But when I get on the back roads running steady for some time between 55 and 65 it starts climbing up...

Overall I love the truck, much nicer ride and power than the 2001 I owned a few years ago.

Already thinking about the next one I'm going to buy!!!

2006 Saab 9-7X Review, by nab kundu

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:47:54 CST

Performance: 3
Exterior: 3
Interior: 3
Overall: 3
Review Guide: 5=Perfect; 3=Good; 1=Poor

Pros: What do you like about 2006 Saab 9-7X?
I like the styling of the vehicle and like the fact that it comes with the hitch as standard.
I also like the dashboard of the vehicle as well as the stiffer ride vs. a Trailblazer.

Cons: How would you improve 2006 Saab 9-7X?
I wish that the rear suspension as it raises the rear of the truck was quieter and would like to have seen a more significant change in terms of the actual gauges (they are exactly like the Chevy and GMC).

I also would like to have seen a rain sensing sunroof that could close on it's own.

An mp3 jack would have been great.

More storage up front as well.

2006 Saab 9-7X Review:
Overall, the vehicle has been good, however, we have had to change the rear suspension once because the right side of the rear would not rise to the proper ride height and the vehicle always sat as if it had a flat rear right tire. I was told this is a common problem on the vehicle.

I do like the 6 and feel comfortable with the reliability to date. I was afraid of buying the v8 as this was Saab's first v8 and I was concerned that it may still not be as good as the standard GM 6.