2007 Honda CR-V

2007-honda-cr-v2.jpgYou’ll find Honda most often on or near the bull’s-eye, what with the Accord, the Odyssey, the Civic, and the CR-V all nailing their targets through the crosshairs. From the center, Honda believes, there’s no direction to go but off the mark, which is why the 2007 CR-V remains pretty much what a CR-V has always been: an inexpensive five-seat duffel bag on wheels. Continue reading 2007 Honda CR-V

Volkswagen Barbie Beetle

volkswagen-barbie-beetle.jpgIn a word, the New Beetle is cute. Okay, the Turbo is reasonably fun, and the not-for-US-sale RSi was a hairy-enough beast that the flower vase could have been replaced with a holster, but this erases all of it. The lug nuts are pink. Does that mean your little sister will learn to change a tire? Maybe that’s what this is: an educational opportunity aimed at involving more women in the ownership experience.

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2009 Lotus Esprit

2009-lotus-esprit.jpgLotus has a checkered history — quite apart from its seven Formula 1 World Championships. The road-car and engineering businesses have gone through periodic crises, and since Colin Chapman, the founder and inspiration of Lotus, died in 1982, the company has had three different owners: General Motors, Romano Artioli’s Bugatti, and Malaysian automaker Proton today. Continue reading 2009 Lotus Esprit