BMW X1 Video

2010 Lexus ES

The ES has gotten a facelift for 2010 and even though it is nothing earth shattering it is still worth a quick look.

Buick and Lincoln also have their sights set on directly competing with Lexus (the new Buick LaCrosse TV ad is even engaged in a marketing battle with the Lexus ES) so the ES may have an redesign in a year or two in-order to leave Buick in the rear view mirror.

For 2010 slight changes to the front fascia include a new grill, sharper lines and more bulbous taillight cases and restyled headlights. The rear has subtly revised contour lines and a chrome strip on the trunk. The new styling isn't surprising for Lexus' conservative updates which won't scare away too many customers with radical design changes.


The interior looks pretty much the same as it did in 2007 when the Lexus was restyled


The 2010 ES looks more like a Camry than last years model. This isn't surprising either as they are nearly the same car.

2010 Saab 9-5 Design Review

The new 9-5 is about to hit the US market and it looks pretty good thanks in part to it's new owner.

Fresh off the sales floor Saab is in the hands of super car maker Koenigsegg and is free from GM. One of the first cars to be redesigned back to Swedish standards is the 2010 9-5. The car has an updated, stylish and sporty look.

Though, how is the new 9-5 design differentiate itself from the old one?

In 2006 Saab redesigned the 9-5 in a bold manner. The front headlights had darker casings installed making the 9-5 look more aggressive and metal trim was installed. The taillights were not only redesigned but were also reshaped. Though, the interior still had the GM dash and it didn't quite match the exterior.

2010 9-5

The new redesign is even more bold than the previous and looks stylishly futuristic without overdoing it (a lesson learned by the lead designer of the 2002 BMW 7 ) The car sits lower to the ground and is more aerodynamic than the previous model.

The back of the car is where the design really sets itself apart from the old 9-5 design. It really doesn't look like a Saab from the back. Previous models did a good job of gradually changing the design to look updated but still like a 9-5.

The new design takes a leap from the older designs and wipes the board clean. This will be a good thing in a few years but right now it's hard for me to get used to the new rear. It looks like a Lexus LS, but it will grow with time like the front end redesign of the 2006 9-5.




The taillights have an interesting inspiration behind the design. Saab designer, Simon Padian explains the lights "have an ice like character that reflects our Scandinavian heritage." They do look a bit like ice when turned off, imaginative. Plus the wraparound taillight bar is reminiscent of the 96-97 Saab 900. Maybe an homage to the design of Saab's from the 90's?

Plus, they have an nice LED ambient lighting effect that may upstage Audi's lighting effects. The headlight has a single headlight which accentuates the shape of the headlights.
The interior is designed in typical Saab fashion; sporty and simple.

The new look is a good mix of familiar design cues and new inspired design without overdoing it; it may take a little getting used to the back though.

2010 Mercedes E-Class Review

The newly restyled Mercedes E-Class has rolled out onto showroom floors all around America and is turning heads with an all new style for 2010.

Mercedes has always been an iconic leader and technological innovator in the luxury car market. Free from Chrysler now Mercedes Benz has restyled the E-Class is a modern and artistic way that is sure to set some standards for the S and C-Class' of the future.

The new style of the E-Class does a good job of changing without changing too drastically or looking like a different car.

The new E-Class blends styling from the past with the styling of tomorrow. For example, the rear fender lines mimic the fender lines found on the original E-Class from the 1960's.

Here's a video of the lead designer explaining design philosophy:


"The redesigned midlevel luxury sedan promises blissful comfort and panache. While this might seem like nothing new for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan, the updated 2010 model impresses with slightly larger dimensions, sharper bodylines, more high-tech safety technology and a lower starting price than the 2009 model.



Slightly larger inside and out, the E-Class sedan competes against such premium models as the BMW 5 Series, Infiniti M, and Cadillac CTS. Sitting an inch lower to the ground, Sport sedans have squared-off exhaust tips, "twist" rocker panels and a grille with three horizontal bars, above a massive air intake. Luxury-model grilles contain four bars, with a smaller air intake.

Interiors feature an abundant selection of hand-polished burl walnut wood. The sedan's gearshift lever has moved from the floor console to the steering column, operated electronically. Five-level Ambient Lighting, taken from S-Class sedans, aims to reduce eyestrain. E550 Sport sedans have a three-spoke steering wheel with thumb notches (optional for E350 Sport), versus a plain four-spoke wheel for other models. Seats are 14-way power-adjustable.



Heading the list of safety features is newly standard Attention Assist, a drowsiness monitor that tries to alert a dozing driver. Steering-angle sensors consider more than 70 variables, starting with your profile, over the first 20 minutes of driving. An audible warning is accompanied by display of a coffee-cup icon. Standard enhanced Pre-Safe Braking can provide partial or full-power braking in emergencies. Nine airbags are standard, including driver's knee and pelvic bags.

Additional safety items are optional. Radar-based Distronic Plus maintains a pre-set distance from the car ahead, working like an "invisible rubber band," according to Bernhard Glaser, general manager for product management. Night Vision Assist Plus recognizes pedestrians ahead, using twin infrared beams. Adaptive Highbeam Assist provides the best possible illumination, reaching up to 1000 feet ahead. Lane Keeping Assist uses a camera above the windshield to analyze lines in road, delivering three steering-wheel vibrations when the car begins to leave its path. Blind Spot Assist monitors the area 10 feet back and 10 feet to the side.


Today's Mercedes-Benz sedans are lighter on their feet than those from a few years back, while roomy and comfortable for long-distance treks. On reasonably smooth surfaces, occupants of an E550 Luxury sedan can barely discern bumps and other road imperfections. Even when a jolt occurs, it's stifled virtually instantly, transmitting minimal annoyance to the interior.

Mercedes-Benz offers U.S. buyers a choice of two engines, both available in either Luxury or Sport trim level. In E550 sedans, a 5.5-liter V-8 again develops 382 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque, driving a seven-speed automatic transmission. E350 sedans contain a 3.5-liter V-6, still rated at 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet.

Estimated fuel economy is 18/25 miles per gallon (city/highway) for V-6 models, and 16/23 mpg for E550 sedans. Mercedes-Benz's transmission can skip as many as three gear ratios when downshifting, depending on the situation. A Hold function prevents "creep" at stoplights. Instead of coil springs, an Airmatic air suspension is installed on all V-8 sedans.

Transmission downshifts with the V-8 engine are not only impressively smooth, they happen promptly. Gear changes are hardly discernible. Expect assertive, refined acceleration at any speed. On certain surfaces, one Luxury sedan experienced slight steering-wheel vibration; other models felt fine.


Luxury-sedan steering feels too light and slow-responding to suit some drivers, so that sedan doesn't feel wholly comfortable on curves, or even some straight-aways. Shoppers who favor the most confident control might prefer a Sport V-8, which sticks to the pavement with greater tenacity. Steering feels a tad tauter, more in accord with directional changes.

As expected, response is more ordinary in a V-6 model: sufficiently strong, but lacking the V-8's finesse. Still, the V-8 commands a hefty extra cost. In any version, seats keep you neatly in place. Front space is ample all around, though headroom could be a tad higher. The center controller knob isn't easy to make out, but must be studied.

On sale since June '09, the rear-wheel-drive 2010 E350 sedan has a Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price of $48,600 (plus $875 destination charge). That's actually $4,600 lower than the equivalent 2009 model. Choosing an E550 raises the tariff to $56,300; plus another $2,500 if you want 4Matic all-wheel drive. All-wheel drive sedans go on sale in September, followed in November by the superstar 518-horsepower E63 AMG sedan. Mercedes-Benz also intends to introduce a BlueTec diesel sedan next spring.

AutoMedia boasts more than 60,000 pages of original articles, including more than 2,100 features researched and written by leading automotive experts, covering car buying, maintenance and technology. For automotive advice you can trust, read more about the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan, including the latest pricing, rebates and incentives, photo galleries and more, along with details on all Mercedes-Benz Models."

2010 Ford Taurus Review

Despite all the problems US automakers are having The new 2010 Ford Taurus was revealed earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show. It first caused a stir when photos were leaked all over the web.

Along with the brand new Taurus is the return of the Taurus SHO after a 10 year disappearance. The new Taurus didn't cause as much press as the return of the SHO, yet despite the brand new redesign do Ford's new Taurus' live up to their heritage?

Despite the US auto bailout fiasco the new Taurus is an improvement over the 2008-2009 Taurus. The new design of the Taurus might fall a bit short of living up to it's heritage and appears to be taking styling cues from the Camry and Accord.

When viewed from the side the car looks alright and seems to blend in with the other cars on the road, a good point for a family sedan.


The front end is styled appropriately with in terms of the headlights and grill, (depending on what model you're looking at though.) It's not too bold, but not too boring. In fact the front end looks very much like the Toyota Camry's front end. That could be a good thing considering Toyota has many most American auto consumers attention.

The headlights while similar to the Camry are a hat tip to the 1992-1995 headlights upon closer inspection.

But the SHO has an electric shaver style grill that is a bit flashy and may be more appropriate if it were black.


The interior also appears to be another good thing about the new Taurus (depending on what model again though) The interior appears more luxurious and seems to be competing with luxury cars such as the Lexus GS, LS and the Audi A6. Ford seems to be trying re-brand the car as a full size luxury car. [Aside: Why can't the Taurus stay an affordable family sedan without having an identity crisis?]

The interior of the SHO comes with seating reminiscent of the early SHO's from the 80's and 90's, a nice new retro detail.

The interior materials appear to have improved over more recent years. When I drove a rental in 2005 the interior was made of low grade plastic and was an obvious downgrade over the 2000-2003 interior. The wood components of the dashboard on the 05 Taurus were not wood, but instead plastic.

Now the new Taurus has leather seats in all models and a stylish LED dash on the SEL model.

Now a few bad points.

Alan Mulally said with the release of the 2008 Ford Taurus (and trying to do some PR cleanup after attempting to kill off the Taurus and Sable) "People just want the name."

He was wrong when he looked at their sales figures. People didn't want the Ford 500 to be renamed the Taurus and the Montego to suddenly become the Sable. They wanted the real things made with the quality they used to have, if not better.

Unfortunately, Ford killed off the Sable again. The last true Sable rolled off the assembly line in 2005. [Aside: with this being last year for the Grand Marquis and Mountaineer it seems Mercury is going the way of Oldsmobile]


Also, the rear taillights while interesting have a cheesy chrome strip around them. In fact the rear reminds me of the Ford Flex combined with the new Lincoln MKZ. The rear looks a bit chinsey, a bit out of sync with the Taurus styling history. Also, it appears similar to the Honda Accord rear. Though big rears are back.

Finally, it has a side flare, an unnecessary styling trend.

Overall the new Taurus is not a bad car and is an improvement over the last generation but compared to the design evolution of the 1986-2006 Taurus' the current Taurus seems to be having a bit of an identity crises. Is it trying to be luxury? Family sedan? Sport sedan? It is a modern improvement over the last generation but needs a few tweaks to make it a top selling sedan again.