Colorado Review

I recently got a chance to drive the Chevrolet Colorado. First impressions for the exterior was the bold front end. It has a real rugged look that also appeals to both the working class, as well as customer truck modifiers. Also, the Colorado is larger than the S-10 it replaces in Chevy's line up. The interior has a good amount of space. However the interior is very much a truck, no unnecessary extras, very basic GM. The Colorado come standard with a 2.9-liter, 185-horsepower four-cylinder engine. A 242-hp, 3.7-liter five-cylinder engine is optional. Both these engine combos link up to either a 4 speed automatic or a 5 speed manual gearbox. Chevrolet offers Z85 heavy-duty and Z71 off-road packages that add a torsion-bar front suspension with heavier-duty shocks. There's also the street-oriented Xtreme Package, which features a lowered, performance-tuned suspension, 18-inch wheels and performance tires, and cosmetic modifications. Until 2007 the four-cylinder engine displaced 2.8 liters and made 175 hp, while the five-cylinder was a 3.5-liter good for 220 hp. Also, some personal reviews I found question the reliability of this truck, so be warned.

-Pricing

$15,195 - $25,100

-Personal Note

It's a fun to drive aggressive looking work, or sport truck. Although lacking in the power front and with no V6 option, it's not going to kill it on the track. This truck can get the job done for light duty work, The interior is no thrills as compared to other trucks in it's class. However the price is right in my mind, I would not mind owning this truck.

Mazda 3 Review

This car is great buy. In comparison to Volkswagen the Mazda 3 gives you more bang for the buck. They come sporting either a 2.0L 4 cylinder with 148 hp, or a 2.3L with 156hp. Available in 2 different packages an 'i' package which is the base model with a 4 speed manual gear box, or the 'S' Package which comes with the 5 speed automatic. Also available is a 5 speed manual. The 3 comes complete with an amazing sound system. And for the price range of about $13,282 - $20,196 you can't really go wrong.

Oops, did I forget? The 3 is also available as the Mazdaspeed 3, with 263 turbo charged 2.3L engine. Look out over priced GTi's, this car can move and handle. Not to mention the 6 speed gearbox will put a smile and anyone's face lucky enough to drive it! Zero-to-60 time is published to be 5.9 seconds, and top speed is a governed 155mph. The bottom line on the 3 is $26,870.

-Note
With 81,000K on my mazda 3, I can speak for the reliability first hand when I say this car seems to last!

10th Birthday for the Bug!

As you may or may not know. It's the new Beetle's 10th. The New Beetle was released in 1998, removing the Cabrio from the product line. Many people were thrilled by the return of the bug as sales have shown. With total U.S. sales exceeding 500,000 units as of April 2008. The Bug has also seen updates as this time passed, with the 07 release of the updated Beetle sporting a 2.5L engine and new styling ques and bolder lines.

The DSG transmission

The DSG transmission was developed by VW & Audi. This is an amazing transmission. It delivers more power to the wheels than a standard automatic transmission. That is mostly due to the fact, it's not really an automatic transmission at all. The DSG is actually more like 2 3 speed manual transmissions in one. There is no clutch on the DSG transmission it's controlled electronically. When starting from idle the transmission is in 1st and 2nd gear, however the clutch is engaged on second gear. The vehicle takes off in first gear and when it is ready to go into secondary gear the clutch is applied to the first transmission and automatically swaps to 4th gear, as the 2nd transmission is engaged. The result of this technology is a faster gear change than any human can do. According to Audi, the A3 runs 0-60 in 6.9 seconds with a 6-speed manual and 6.7 seconds with the 6-speed DSG. When down shifting the DSG transmission the transmission goes into neutral with clutch applied and matches engine speed according to road speed then engaged downward gears flawlessly. The automatic feature has a regular drive function for normal driving. As well as a sport feature which lets each gear rev out longer, important for vehicles such as the 2.0T GTi, since the turbo is more effective at higher RPMs. To shift the DSG gear box into manual feature you slide the gear selector over to the right, and either use the slap shifter feature, or the paddle shifters located on the steering wheel.



- Personal Thoughts

With a transmission like the DSG, why would any sports enthusiast still want a regular manual transmission, the DSG is faster at the track, and more convenient around town. Some people will still prefer the manual transmission to have more say to the vehicle's input but the DSG has it covered. It's very fun to drive vehicles with the DSG, flawless shifts, and a lot of fun with the paddle shifters. Great Transmission!!

Eos Review

The name Eos refers to the Greek goddess of Dawn, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. Siblings of Eos are the sun god Helios and the mood goddess Selene. Eos rises each morning and rides ahead if Helios ' journey across the sky in her own chariot to announce the day. With the newest convertible. You can ride embracing the sky's of day and night much as the goddess Eos, in your chariot. The Eos is a hard top convertible. Retracting the roof is as easy as pushing a button. The Eos is built at the Auto Europa factory in Palmela Portugal

-Specs
The Eos is available with 2 engine options. The standard 2.0 FSI Turbo sporting 200hp. Or the much more sporty 3.6L 250hp engine with throaty exhaust note. Transmission options include tip tronic 6 speed automatic of the sport 6 speed manual gear box. In addition to the standard safety features the Eos has to offer. included is the roll over protection in the rear seats. In the event of a roll over the roll over bars extend from behind the rear headrests to maintain a safe cabin for the occupants. A wide array of auto equipment is also available including navigation and the amazing Dynaudio sound system

-Personal Thoughts
Very fun car to drive. Seats four people comfortably. The Eos sports a very fun loving suspension with great ride quality, very stable for a convertible thanks to tons of work done from the R&R department in chassis rigidity. Typical interior that, again I could do without, but some love it. As is my biggest complaint with most of the VW line up... The price tag. I mean VW is "the peoples car" but this is one person who can't afford it!


-Pricing
Pricing for the US market will run about $28,990 - $38,100 depending on options

The optional 3.6L engine with 250 hp.

Aries Spears At Stress Factory

This weekend 5/09 and 5/10 Aries Spears Will be at the stress factory in New Brunswick NJ. Aries Spears was born in chicago and raised in NJ. He is most known for his rolls on Mad TV portraying characters such as Bill Cosby, Jesse Jackson And Mike Tyson to name a few. He was also in countless films. If you are intrested in attending.

click here for more information.

Tiguan in action

Here is a clip of the Tiguan in action just to prove it's more than just another non-functional wanna be SUV...