L.A. Times' Car Reviews

Electric cars are getting as cheap as gasoline rivals

What would it take to get you into an electric car today?

2014 Subaru Forester remains more rugged than refined

Subaru, long the bastion of all-wheel drive and rugged practicality, is an automaker on a hot streak. And the all-new 2014 Forester...

Rapid Review: Audi's 2014 R8 lineup gets a refresh

To look at the unique proportions of the Audi R8 -- wedge-shaped nose, short hood, large greenhouse -- it’s easy to forget this all-...

Car review: Jaguar sets bar high for 2014 F-Type

In a 1961 debut that reverberated worldwide, Jaguar pulled the covers off its E-Type coupe at the Geneva Motor Show and redefined beauty...

Ram 1500 truck gets thoughtful upgrades for 2013 model year

It looks like a truck, drives like a truck and hauls like a truck. So the 2013 Ram 1500 is, you guessed it, very much a truck.

First Times drive: 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 diesel

In the tense days of this nation’s twin gas crises in the 1970s, one automaker dominated U.S. roads with diesel cars: Mercedes-Benz....

2014 Acura RLX fails to impress when compared with its peers

Strip away the $61,345 price tag and ignore all of its competitors, and the 2014 Acura RLX isn't a bad car.

Mazda6 injects fun into a family sedan

If Mazda can't figure out a way to sell its excellent all-new sedan — the 2014 Mazda6 — the automaker should just give up...

Rapid Review: 2013 BMW X1 xDrive28i

Just because German luxury brands are bringing smaller vehicles to the U.S., that doesn’t mean they’re coming here with...

The Shelby GT350 and Focus ST: Building out Fords to a whole new level

The 2013 Shelby GT350 takes a standard Mustang GT and adds more than $40,000 in performance upgrades — bringing the whole package to...

Toyota offers little to rave about in 2013 RAV4

It's all crossovers these days.

First Times drive: 2014 Chevrolet Impala

Don't worry, baby boomers, Chevrolet hasn't forgotten about you.

Rapid Review: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Turbo Hybrid

For all the advantages of diesel cars — fuel economy, robust torque, bomb-proof durability — many U.S. buyers just aren't that...

Review: Tesla's electric Model S is a truly competitive premium sedan

The Tesla Model S may be a silent car, but other automakers will no doubt hear it coming.

Rapid Review: Chevy's 2013 Camaro ZL1 convertible

If cars were judge solely on the sounds coming from the tailpipe, the Camaro ZL1 convertible would be among finest automobiles Chevy has...

Rapid Review: 2013 Ford Focus ST

After eight years of watching Europe have all the fun with small, fast cars, we're finally getting our piece of the hot-hatch action from...

Ferrari FF review: Ferocious yet practical

In the late 1940s, Enzo Ferrari reluctantly agreed to build road cars as a way to finance his racing outfit.

Rapid review: 2013 Audi S8

That Audi would launch the fire-breathing S8 to compete with German mega-sedans, including the Mercedes-Benz S63 and the BMW Alpina B7, isn'...

Car review: Ford incorporates European flair into 2013 Fusion

It's rare to see a hint of Maserati or a dash of Aston Martin in a family sedan.

Car Review: Nissan Pathfinder takes a new road

To see theevolution of the SUV market, park the all-new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder next to its first-generation ancestor from 1985. They share...

Car review: Looks aside, Ford C-Max hybrid has leg up on Prius v

As Ford took aim at the Toyota Prius, a brand now synonymous with green motoring, it needed a car that looked the part.

Car review: Cadillac makes a right turn with 2013 ATS

Let's get down to brass tacks. Cadillac's all-new compact sedan, the 2013 ATS, is not a better car than its target, the BMW 3 Series.

2013 Audi Allroad wagon's intrepid turn

If anecdotal evidence gleaned from trips through L.A.'s moneyed coastal enclaves like Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Manhattan Beach is any...

2013 Honda Accord re-engineered into a well-rounded sedan

Honda's nerds have done it. They've cracked the code, solved the riddle, unscrambled the jumble that, until now, has perpetually...

Car review: 2013 Lexus ES' styling gets an adrenaline shot

If your radio dial has ever tripped across an easy-listening station promising all the best the adult-contemporary genre has to offer,...

Porsche Boxster S burns through canyons, cash

Porsche has a new roadster out, the 2013 Boxster S. It's faster, more handsome and more practical than ever before, yada yada yada, they...

2013 Cadillac XTS sedan falls short of its flagship status

Cadillac's all-new flagship sedan, the XTS, is apparently a little confused about the difference between intern and interim. You and I...

Car review: 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...

Car review: 2013 Mercedes SL550 is pedestrian-friendly excellence

If Europeans didn't walk so darn much, the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550 might be a better-looking car. Clearly they don't appreciate the...

Car review: Nissan loads Altima with style, substance

You're not going to see Lindsay Lohan crash a 2013 Nissan Altima into the back of a garbage truck. Your 10-year-old won't be hanging a...

Car review: 2013 Ford Escape thwarted by high tech

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "To be simple is to be great." Memo to the minds behind Ford's 2013 Escape: Read more Emerson.

Car review: Bugatti Veyron leads entrants in 200-mph supercar club

Life is different driving 200 miles an hour.

Saturday Drive: 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra Mk II

The car: 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra Mk II

Saturday Drive: Icon FJ40

The car: 2012 Icon FJ40

Saturday Drive: 2012 Tesla Model S

The car: 2013 Tesla Model S

Saturday Drive: 2012 Volkswagen Golf R

The car: 2012 Volkswagen Golf R

Saturday Drive: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth

The car: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth

Saturday Drive: The story behind 'The Avengers' Acura NSX

If you were one of the 18 billion people who went to see "The Avengers"recently, you probably noticed the film concludes with Robert...

Saturday Drive: 2012 Aston Martin DBS Carbon Edition Volante

The car: 2012 Aston Martin DBS Carbon Edition Volante

Saturday Drive: 2012 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid

The car: 2012 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid

Saturday Drive: 2013 Nissan GT-R

The car: 2013 Nissan GT-R

Saturday Drive: 2012 Buick Regal GS

The car: 2012 Buick Regal GS

Saturday Drive: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

The car: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

Auto review: 2013 Subaru BRZ is an honest-to-goodness sports car

You look fat in that. Of course I'll be late. Your baby reminds me of Gollum's uncle.

Review: Infiniti JX offers comfort even in the third row

Jerry Seinfeld once said, "There's no such thing as fun for the whole family." Ask anyone who has tried cramming himself or his kin into the...

Review: Hyundai Azera perfectly parked in large sedan segment

In a quiet, forgotten corner of the automotive landscape there is a segment of vehicle called the large sedan. These cars tilt toward luxury...

Car review: Mazda builds fun, efficiency into CX-5 compact SUV

If there's an ideal vehicle for every buyer, consider matching Mazda's 2013 CX-5 with Zeus or better yet, his kids' baby sitter.

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...

Car review: Porsche 911 takes an evolutionary leap

One hundred years from now, when auto historians go all Charles Darwin dissecting the evolution of Porsche's 911 sports car, they may notice...

Saturday Drive: 2012 BMW 335i

The car: 2012 BMW 335i

BMW 328i takes new path, raises the bar

Imagine if Orson Welles was expected to improve on "Citizen Kane" every six years, or if Kobe Bryant's contract demanded that every time...

2013 Lexus GS 350's passion found in its performance, not looks

Like first-timers at a key party or a cheesehead's trek to Lambeau, Lexus is on a quest for passion and it couldn't come at a more...

Car review: 2012 Subaru Impreza adds fuel economy

The recipe for Subaru's compact Impreza is getting a rewrite for 2012.

2012 Honda CR-V sports all-new looks inside and out

If one of your New Year's resolutions was to be more honest and you just bought Honda's new 2012 CR-V, you may be up a creek without a spark...

Range Rover Evoque is cool and sophisticated

If the parking lot were high school, the all-new Range Rover Evoque would throw the best parties, vacation in places we mispronounce and...

Chevrolet Sonic is a sound subcompact

This may come as a surprise to some motorists, but Chevrolet, a brand celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, has only now figured...

Hyundai Veloster is filled with value but low on power

Hyundai Motor Co. recently put on sale its all-new Veloster three-door coupe, and without pledging any affinity for their music, the car...

Volkswagen puts testosterone in revamped 2012 Beetle

You have to hand it to Volkswagen.

Scion 2012 iQ review: Everything's compact except the price

When thinking about the all-new iQ microcar's origins, imagine engineers at Scion and parent company Toyota Motor Corp. grabbing a shrink...

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.

2012 Camry: Sharper angles, but nothing edgy in this update

Say you wake up tomorrow and decide you want to learn to play tennis. Maybe you like Serena Williams' method of anger management, or perhaps...

2012 Audi A6 is ready for the limelight

Poke around a little into the biographies of history's well-known names and you'll find a few who had siblings whose own successes were...

2012 electric Coda sedan: Not showy but packed with substance

When electric car maker Coda Automotive Inc. introduces its first model this year, the independent Southern California manufacturer will...

2012 Volkswagen Passat: Germany's take on a big-ol' American car

An earthquake recently cracked the Washington Monument. Billionaire Warren Buffett wants to pay more taxes. Volkswagen is building a big-ol'...

Toyota ratchets up the room with 2012 Prius v

As the world's first mass-produced gasoline-electric car, the Toyota Prius has become the iPod of hybrids. More than 2 million of these...

Sorry, VW, but Hyundai Accent is 'the people's car'

Apologies and all due respect are in order to a certain German automaker, but it seems the term "the people's car" has been appropriated...

2012 Mazda5: A multi-utility vehicle that's budget-friendly

Never underestimate the significance of doors. More specifically, the significance of sliding side doors on a type of vehicle that doesn't...

Mercedes Benz SLK350: Remodeled roadster is well-rounded for 2012

The Mercedes Benz SLK is and always has been the pied-a-terre of the company's lineup.

A Charger for road and track

There will always be a segment of the driving public that feels an undeniable need for speed.

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is an elegant off-road dominator

Imagine Batman and the Joker are interested in fractional ownership of the same pickup truck. The caped crusader would want it all-black,...

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...

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,...

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...

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....

Outlander Sport shows Mitsubishi is driven to compete

The relative rarity of Mitsubishi cars these days confirms the company's status as an underdog automaker. Mitsubishi ranks sixth out of...

Nissan takes wrong turn on Quest

Nissan nails unconventional. One has only to spend some time driving the all-electric Leaf, the spunky Juke crossover or the anomalous...

Countryman is a more grown-up Mini but still playful

Back in the day, vintage Minis were so narrow they could drive on sidewalks. They were so short, the only view out the driver's side...

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...

2012 Honda Civic is a model of extreme sensibility

It depends perhaps upon one's affection for cars, but the biggest compliment to be paid to the 2012 Honda Civic is its utter lack of flash.

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...

Garia LSV offers electric luxury at 25 mph

As gas prices escalate toward $5 a gallon, one novel fuel saver is generally overlooked: the street-legal golf cart.

BMW's X3 xDrive35i is an SUV that acts like a sports car

Your life is about to change, and your sports car is terrified.

With B-Class F-Cell, Mercedes rolls out an impressive steppingstone

The only Mercedes hatchback on the U.S. market, the 2011 B-Class F-Cell, wouldn't be recognizable as a Benz if it weren't for its premium...

Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet combines open air with utility

Convertibles aren't known for their utility. Cars that can be driven as open-air vehicles or hermetically sealed at the push of a button...

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.

2012 Fiat 500 adds Italian style to subcompact class

My first reaction upon seeing the new Fiat 500 was "Ciao bello!" It's about time a little Italian style entered the subcompact...

Chrysler finally has a mid-size contender

Before Chrysler's new 200, the company's mid-size car was on its deathbed.

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