http://www.thecarconnection.com/reviews Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:14:41 -0500 Car Reviews -- Get the consensus and opinions from TheCarConnection and from around the Web on your favorite car. Lifestyle/Fashion http://static.thecarconnection.com/website/tcc-feed.jpg http://www.thecarconnection.com/reviews http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038481_chrysler-expands-its-ram-fleet-with-fiat-doblo-compact-van http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038481_chrysler-expands-its-ram-fleet-with-fiat-doblo-compact-van Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:20:00 -0500 Over the past year, we've spoken a good bit about the 2010 Ford Transit Connect. Our own John Voelcker gave it a positive review after his test drive last May, and the fuel-efficient van aims to be a major contender in the American market. But before long, the Transit Connect will have some spirited competition: yesterday, Fiat announced plans ..]]> http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/ford_flex_2010 http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/ford_flex_2010 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:44:00 -0500 2010 FORD FLEX STYLING | [9 out of 10] Jalopnik: "looks pretty cool" Automobile Magazine: "quirky, modern" Car and Driver: "Ramrod upright" Edmunds: "Rolling stare magnet" If there's one thing that's indisputable about the 2010 Flex, it's that nothing else on the road looks quite like it. The only place you will find some hereditary ...
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]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037806_want-to-remote-control-your-minivan-check-the-app-store http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037806_want-to-remote-control-your-minivan-check-the-app-store Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:51:00 -0500 It's official: "There's an app for that" has become the most annoying catchphrase of 2009 (on par with 2001's "You are the weakest link"). And yet, we have to admit that there are beaucoup apps out there -- some of them quite good. For example, developers at Appirion UG have developed a program that turns the iPhone into a remote control for a ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036646_for-meals-on-wheels-hungry-bears-prefer-minivans http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036646_for-meals-on-wheels-hungry-bears-prefer-minivans Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:34:00 -0400 If you're eyeing your next vehicle with the classic American family road trip in mind--perhaps a visit to your favorite national park out West--you might want to consider this: Hungry bears overwhelmingly prefer minivans for their next fix. For reasons not fully understood, at one of the country's most popular national parks, your chances of a ..]]> http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/honda_element_2010 http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/honda_element_2010 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:00:00 -0400 2010 HONDA ELEMENT STYLING | [7 out of 10] Car and Driver: " Honda has retooled its Maytag-square Element to be more urban-hipster chic" ConsumerGuide: "Simple, convenient climate and audio controls" Edmunds: "One of the most distinctive and useful shapes on the road" The 2010 Honda Element still makes a style statement that's ...
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]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036389_2010-honda-element-lives-up-to-its-pet-pawtential http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036389_2010-honda-element-lives-up-to-its-pet-pawtential Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:47:00 -0400 Thanks to its easy-clean cargo floor and tall, versatile layout, the Honda Element has been a longtime favorite for dog owners. Yet the number of official pet-friendly accessories for the Element, along with most other popular dog-haulers, has been surprisingly limited, leaving families to search for aftermarket solutions--or simply ..]]> http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/dodge_grand-caravan_2010 http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/dodge_grand-caravan_2010 Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:56:00 -0400 2010 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN STYLING | [7 out of 10] Car and Driver: "boxy styling doesn't do anything for the mom-mobile reputation" Motor Trend: "actually looks mean looming up in a rear view mirror" MotherProof: "it's not exactly warm and inviting" The 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan is the latest example of a fundamentally sound idea that ...
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]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035963_honda-skydeck-concept-coming-to-tokyo-motor-show http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035963_honda-skydeck-concept-coming-to-tokyo-motor-show Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:45:00 -0400 Hybrids are becoming increasingly common in compact and mid-size sedans, and even in some SUVs, but so far, hybrid minivans haven't caught on. Honda may be hoping to change that with a new concept called the Skydeck. Though it's still just a design study according to Honda, it does show that the company's IMA hybrid system is easily adapted ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035388_driven-mazda-premacy-hydrogen-re-hybrid http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035388_driven-mazda-premacy-hydrogen-re-hybrid Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:34:00 -0400 Mazda hasn't ignored the possibility of a hydrogen economy, but it's taken a quite different path than other automakers with its hydrogen test vehicles, like the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid. Instead of using costly fuel cells, it's focused its hydrogen efforts around a rotary internal combustion engine fueled with hydrogen. The Japanese ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035268_chrysler-throws-caution-to-the-wind-jumps-back-into-leasing-game http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035268_chrysler-throws-caution-to-the-wind-jumps-back-into-leasing-game Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:17:00 -0400 Moving cars out of factories and off dealer lots is the fundamental premise of the industry, whether it's done by sales, leases or fleet deals. But when your company is threatened by inevitable bankruptcy and low resale value makes leasing a costly proposition for the manufacturer, some corners must be cut. That's what Chrysler did earlier ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034829_sprinter-van-sprints-from-dodge-back-to-mercedes http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034829_sprinter-van-sprints-from-dodge-back-to-mercedes Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:25:00 -0400 It's official; as of January 1, 2010, the much-loved Sprinter van, made by Daimler, will once again have the three-pointed star in the U.S.--and be sold by Mercedes-Benz rather than Dodge. Automotive News reports that the Sprinter will be sold by 120 appointed dealerships as part of Daimler Vans USA, a new entity that shares its corporate ..]]> http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/mazda_mazda5_2010 http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/mazda_mazda5_2010 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:55:00 -0400 2010 MAZDA MAZDA5 STYLING | [7 out of 10] Edmunds: "the functionality of a minivan but without the minivan stigma" ConsumerGuide: "The 2009 Mazda 5 is largely unchanged" Cars.com: "looks sporty" Mazda introduced the Mazda5 to the U.S. market in 2006, and the 2010 Mazda5 has changed little since then. Variously described as a ...
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]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034443_chrysler-dumps-lifetime-powertrain-warranty http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034443_chrysler-dumps-lifetime-powertrain-warranty Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:54:00 -0400 Chrysler's lifetime powertrain warranty won't be a part of the new Fiat-owned operation, but there's a new warranty poised to take its place: a 5-year, 100,000-mile offer that sticks with the car. The warranty change is effective with all 2010 model-year cars and trucks. There's a strong argument to be made that even the lifetime powertrain ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034380_ford-testing-car-to-grid-communications-for-plug-in-hybrids http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034380_ford-testing-car-to-grid-communications-for-plug-in-hybrids Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:31:00 -0400 It's one of the primary concerns of the electric-vehicle revolution: how do we charge so many cars, and still keep that electricity (relatively) inexpensive? Ford hopes it may have an answer in the form of its new vehicle-to-grid communication technology. Allowing the owner to program the car's recharge cycle - including overall duration and ..]]> http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/honda_odyssey_2010 http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/honda_odyssey_2010 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:48:00 -0400 2010 HONDA ODYSSEY STYLING | [7 out of 10] Cars.com: "Even five years into this generation, the overall design still feels contemporary." MotherProof: "subtle backlighting creates an elegant view of the instrument panel" Car and Driver: "Now there's a minivan we don't mind driving" Autoblog: " Honda has dressed up the Odyssey with ...
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