2005 Vehicle Road Test Review Archive

2005 Volkswagen Touareg Well Nissan has sent its fraternal twins to the gym for 2005, adding size and strength in pretty much every dimension. [VW TOUAREG REVIEW] 2005 Suzuki Reno Reno has four doors for passengers and a hatch lid at the tail to access the aft cargo compartment. Its cabin is spacious with room for five on comfortable seats and lots of convenience features aboard. [SUZUKI RENO REVIEW] 2005 Kia Spectra 5 Kia calls this street-cool car the Spectra5, with that number attached to the nameplate to denote a tail-side fifth door added for accessing the aft cargo compartment. [KIA SPECTRA5 REVIEW] 2005 Nissan Xterra and Frontier Well Nissan has sent its fraternal twins to the gym for 2005, adding size and strength in pretty much every dimension. [NISSAN XTERRA AND FRONTIER REVIEWS] 2005 Nissan Altima SE-R Nissan's prime sedan scaled for the mid-size class. The SE-R trim designation Nissan reserves for sport-inspired special editions rigged with racy aero body elements and boosted power points. [NISSAN ALTIMA REVIEW] 2005 Volvo AWD V50/XC70 I f you walked around a mall and asked average people what word comes to mind when they hear the name “Volvo,” nine times out of ten—perhaps ten times out of ten—the response would be “safety.” [VOLVO V50 AND XC70 REVIEW] 2005 Mustang Convertible The magic of the Mustang’s allure starts with its shamelessly retro styling. Blatantly, lovingly and successfully retrospective of Ford’s sexy ‘Stangs of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. [MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE REVIEW] 2005 Subaru Legacy All sedans in the Legacy series employ AWD, but the device differs by type of transmission. With a standard manual shifter, the AWD has a differential that distributes engine power evenly. [SUBARU LEGACY REVIEW] 2005 Chevrolet Corvette This slinky new two-seater -- only the sixth iteration in the 52-year history of Corvette -- charges down the track with the strength of 400 horses from a new V8 engine making massive torque to spin the rear wheels. [CHEVROLET CORVETTE REVIEW] 2005 Ford Five Hundred After time behind the wheel of both Ford's new full-size Five Hundred sedan and sibling Freestyle crossover, we've concluded there's no cut and dried dividing line between the two. [FORD FIVE HUNDRED REVIEW]

2005 Hyundai Tucson The new Tucson SUV is uniquely positioned in the highly competitive compact SUV market. It offers first-class quality, size and comfort, along with one of the best warranties in the industry. [HYUNDAI TUCSON REVIEW]

2005 Kia Sportage The Kia Sportage has been absent for three years but is back with a new persona. And like the kid up the block, its act seems stitched together. But that's increasingly typical of Korean vehicles. [KIA SPORTAGE REVIEW]

2005 Volvo XC90 he current 2004 XC90 edition proved to be more successful in the marketplace than expected, but Ford, owner of the Swedish company, thought that some changes were needed to keep the momentum going. [VOLVO XC90 REVIEW]

2005 Chevrolet Cobalt ith such a compelling combination of features, value, performance and yes, quality, we can firmly assert that this is one of the best small cars the world has ever seen. [CHEVROLET COBALT REVIEW]

2005 Mercury Montego Consider Montego as a premium mid-size sedan that has the body of a mid-size model but the cabin of a big car with seats for five plus luxury gear. [MERCURY MONTEGO REVIEW]

2005 Chevrolet Uplander Chevrolet hopes to convince those looking for AWD performance and van-like seating with extra storage to consider the new Uplander sport van. [CHEVROLET UPLANDER REVIEW]

2005 Saturn RELAY Saturn offers RELAY in two different levels of trim -- designated by numbers simply as RELAY 2 and RELAY 3. Front-wheel-drive (FWD) traction is the norm for RELAY 2 as well as Relay 3, but RELAY 3 adds the option of all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction. [SATURN RELAY REVIEW]

2005 Jaguar X-Type The Sportwagon is based on the X-TYPE sedan, but with a body styling and structure all its own. Starting at the B-pillars and flowing the length of the roof to the rear tailgate the new Sportwagon offers unrivalled luxury, refinement and versatility. [JAGUAR X-TYPE REVIEW]

2005 Ford Freestyle Freestyle is the vehicle from Ford that was a long time coming in the booming crossover category, the latest must-have for any serious vehicle manufacturer. Ford's version is sandwiched between the smaller, more rugged Escape and larger, Explorer. [FORD FREESTYLE REVIEW]

2005 Volkswagen Touareg By seamlessly blending luxury features, accurate handling, and a smooth ride with traditional SUV qualities such as large cargo space, immense ground clearance, four- or all-wheel drive off-road ability, and towing capacity, the Touareg is a true standout in the SUV marketplace. [VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG REVIEW]

2005 Toyota 4Runner While the 4Runner has changed significantly over the past 20 years, it's remained true to its roots as a tough SUV capable of providing everyday transportation. With a track record of reliability and appeal, the Toyota 4Runner is a tough act to follow. [TOYOTA 4RUNNER REVIEW]

2005 Acura RL Redesigned and re-engineered for 2005, the RL sedan is arguably Acura's most stylish car ever. Its sleek lines and sporty look might even be characterized as masculine.. [ACURA RL REVIEW]

2005 Toyota Corolla XRS A new model in the Toyota's lineup for 2005, the XRS makes the bold declaration that sportiness can include practicality, safety and reliability. A regular Corolla at heart, the XRS receives several unique features. [TOYOTA COROLLA XRS REVIEW]

2005 Porsche Boxster The timbre of a Boxster engine at idle is unlike anything else on the face of the planet. If you could capture it in a bottle, wrap it in a stylish box and put it on sale, the need for Viagra would disappear. [PORSHCE BOXSTER REVIEW]

2005 Land Rover LR3 Land Rover has launched only nine new models in its 56 years, and the LR3 is the first since Ford's takeover in 2000. It's taking the place of the now-defunct Discovery in Land Rover's vehicle line-up.. [LAND ROVER LR3 REVIEW]

2005 Saab 9-2X The Saab 9-2X is a serious move on the part of this small Swedish company to enter the young, urban market. It has the looks, performance and feel of a car costing thousands more. Saab continues to gain strength now that General Motors handles the books. [SAAB 9-2X REVIEW]

2005 Ford Focus Thee 2005 Ford Focus is available in three body styles; 3-door hatchback, 4-door sedan or wagon and a 5-door hatchback. Whichever one you choose, the styling is reminiscent of last year's model, but has been upgraded nicely in both look and feel. [FORD FOCUS REVIEW]

2005 Ford Escape In today's fast-paced society, breaking away for a few minutes of solitude is more important than ever. To this end, the 2005 Ford Escape has been significantly revamped from last year's model and designed to offer a quiet ride and superior comfort in a moderately priced package. [FORD ESCAPE REVIEW]

2005 Mini Cooper Convertible When Bayerische Motoren-Werke (a.k.a. BMW) took on the resurrection of that extremely British icon, the Mini, doubts abounded. But BMW got it right as rain. Spang on. Nail on the head. And they keep scoring full points with every new move, such as offering a four-passenger topless Mini. [MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE REVIEW]

2005 Ford Mustang Every inch of Ford's famous pony car has been changed for 2005. Thanks to some automotive nipping and tucking, the new look is instant retro and instantly recognizable. [FORD MUSTANG REVIEW]

2005 Land Rover SE Land Rover has made significant progress these past years in search of reliability. With looks that emulate more expensive Range Rover and newly designed LR3, the Freelander makes a discriminating choice in the small to mid-size SUV category. [LAND ROVER SE REVIEW]

2005 Mercedes C320 Sport Coupe At first glance, the Sport Coupe gives the impression of a poor-man's Benz, but don't kid yourself; the little coupe is 100-percent Mercedes-Benz. The doors open and close with the signature bank-vault "thud," the seats are extremely supportive and covered in handsome leather.[MERCEDES C320 COUPE REVIEW]

2005 Honda Odyssey Built in Lincoln, Alabama, a small city located east of Birmingham on Interstate 20, the new Honda Odyssey once again sets the standard for drivability, design and performance. [HONDA ODYSSEY REVIEW]

2005 Nissan Pathfinder A completely new vehicle for '05, the Pathfinder offers proof of just how far Nissan has come.Their success of late has been phenomenal. A recognized leader in design and engineering, the new Pathfinder strengthens that position in the market. [NISSAN PATHFINDER REVIEW]

2005 Jaguar XK & S-Type The Jaguar S-Type and XK cars don't change much for 2005, and that's mostly a good thing. After all, the luxury cars are classy - and classic - style statements with distinctive looks that evoke Jaguar's heritage and make passengers feel special. [JAGUAR XK AND S REVIEW]

2005 Chrysler 300C The new Chrysler 300 series and specifically the new 300C, expand on all the good traits of the 300M and improving on them in every possible way. [CHRYSLER 300C REVIEW]

2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI A new era has dawned for diesel. German car makers especially are striving to erase from American memory that outdated view of diesel's drawbacks. [MERCEDES-BENZ E320 CDI REVIEW]

2005 Chevy Equinox Enter the Chevrolet Equinox, new for 2005, that the company will put into production around February. This is a new entry for GM's Amercan car division in the bread and butter "crossover" segment all auto companies strive to own. [CHEVROLET EQUINOX REVIEW]

2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible The PT convertible comes with four usable seats that sit up a bit from the floor, allowing passengers to enter and exit more easily than they can in many other convertibles where riders sit close to the floor. [CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE REVIEW]