Mazda’s top-down toy hits 2009 with subtle changes to its face, engine, and suspension, all of which add up to make our perennial 10Bester even more appealing. Most notable, however, are sharper angles up front that mimic both the RX-8, which shares much of its platform with the MX-5 Miata, and the new wide-mouth Mazda 3. Rocker-panel cladding carries the theme to the rear, where you’ll also find new taillights.
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Already the Acura ZDX Concept is a contradiction in terms. It’s being advertised at its New York Auto Show debut as a “4-door luxury crossover coupe”. You can get away with that apparently by hiding the rear door handles in the C-pillar so it really does look like a coupe. It also allows Acura to “define” a new market segment – the coupe-appearing sedan crossover. Oh yes, high ground clearance luxury sedans (or 4-door coupes) are getting the crossover tag.
But enough marketing hooie… the ZDX looks tack sharp whatever you call it.
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Introduction
While the name and a minute number of parts remain the same, the 2009 Honda Pilot is a new vehicle. Every piece of sheetmetal and glass, every mechanical component, and every feature has been gone through yielding a just slightly larger Pilot that put all the space to use inside. And unlike many similar designs it didn’t gain too many pounds.
An eight-passenger Pilot can handle four adults and four kids easily, or four infant seats if you have the earplugs. It has useful cargo space beyond the third-row seats so you needn’t fold one to fit a cooler or week’s worth of groceries. And with six cupholders in the second row alone, eight door cargo pockets and the ability to carry a 4×8-foot sheet of building material flat inside, finding a place for everything isn’t an issue.
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Introduction
For some time, the Camry has been America’s bestselling car, although it lost that crown this summer to two cars, the smaller and more-fuel-efficient Honda Civic and Toyota’s own Corolla. The Camry is a spacious, refined, and easy-to-drive vehicle that is well made and has a solid reputation for reliability. (A few recalls on early versions of this latest generation Camry, launched in 2006 as a 2007 model, took a little luster off the car’s reliable rep, however.)
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With its hi-tech petrol-electric powerplant, the Lexus RX400h aims to be an eco-friendly large SUV.
Styling/Image
At first glance there’s little to distinguish the petrol-electric Lexus from other models in the firm’s RX line-up. There’s the same high-riding stance, long overhangs and unusually steeply raked rear. However, take a closer look at the big off-roader and you’ll notice small hybrid badges on the flanks and one on the tailgate. Overall, the design looks a little dated and lacks the visual impact of prestige rivals, such as the BMW X5 or Mercedes M-Class. Buyers can pick from five trim levels – SE, SE-L, SR, Limited Edition and Executive Limited Edition.
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