Jim Prueter

Ford EcoSport fails to make its case against excellent competitors

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By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(November 21, 2018) Today, 70 percent of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. are non-sedans; most of those are SUVS. Consumers are flocking to SUVs and pickup trucks, and manufacturers are busy filling that demand with new products of all sizes. To that end, earlier this year Ford began selling its first subcompact crossover utility vehicle in the U.S., EcoSport (pronounced “echo-sport”).

2019 Mercedes Benz S 560 4Matic — Benchmark of automotive excellence

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By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(November 18, 2018) The S-Class sedan, a benchmark of automotive excellence, is not only the flagship of Mercedes-Benz, it arguably makes a strong case for the “best car in the world.” The S-Class dates back to 1972, with the most recent generation introduced for 2014 with a mid-cycle refreshing completed for 2018. At first glance, it appeared little was changed.

Hyundai’s first performance car — Capable and then some

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By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(November 8, 2018) Just this last spring, Hyundai introduced the second-generation Veloster to the media in Austin, Texas, a city that takes colossal pride in proclaiming itself the weirdest city in the country. We came away overwhelmingly impressed with the ferocious new styling, the significantly upgraded cabin, advanced technology and standard safety features, and the more powerful 201-horsepower R-Spec turbo engine.

All-new 2019 VW Jetta — Perfectly sufficient for most drivers

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By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(November 1, 2018) Lately, Volkswagen, the people’s car brand, has been spending a lot of time and effort on their excellent SUV products like the recently introduced mid-sized Atlas and completely restyled and redesigned compact Tiguan. They’ve also been making a lot of noise relative to their goal of rolling out 80 new electric cars across its multi-brand group within the next six years. VW says they will invest more than $24 billion in that effort.

All-new X2 — Another reason why we can’t get enough BMWs

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Jim Prueter

By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(October 22, 2018) The newest Bimmer in the German automakers lengthy lineup of luxury crossovers is the compact X2. It’s essentially a sportier, funkier, sleeker and slightly less roomy version of the company’s X1 subcompact crossover.

All new RDX: Good enough to finally benchmark class superstars?

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Jim Prueter

By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(October 12, 2018) RDX is Acura’s premium compact to mid-sized crossover utility vehicle that first arrived for 2007. With its turbo-powered engine and upscale appointments, it was an enjoyable vehicle to drive but, unfortunately, didn’t catch on with the car-buying public. Later, the second-generation RDX added more luxury and a standard 279-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 engine. But it was predominantly a gussied up Honda CR-V, sharing the same basic chassis architecture.

2019 Honda Insight — The third time’s the charm

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Jim Prueter

By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(October 4, 2018) It comes as a surprise to most people that Toyota Prius wasn’t the first hybrid electric vehicle sold in the U.S. Rather, it was the Honda Insight, an odd looking three-door, two passenger hatchback that arrived in 1999 as a 2000 model, seven months earlier than the Prius. Fuel economy estimates under then-current EPA standards were 61 mpg city, 70 mpg highway, and 65 mpg combined.

2018 Audi A5 Sportback — The audacity of Audi

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By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(October 3, 2018) Most fans of Audi already know they make a terrific A5 model as a two-door coupe or convertible. But for 2018, they’ve expanded the A5 moniker to include the all-new S5 Sportback and the A5 Sportback tested here, by concocting a four-door hatchback that mimics the look of its larger upmarket A7 hatchback.

2018 Mercedes AMG GLC43 Coupe — Impressive new SUV

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Jim Prueter

By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(September 27, 2018) Pick any vehicle in the Mercedes-Benz portfolio of product offerings and chances are, there’ll be a performance-oriented AMG version from which to choose. In fact, the Barons of Bavaria have currently attached the AMG badging to over 40 vehicles, including 11 SUVs. Two of the most recent additions are the compact GLC43 and GLC43 coupe.

New 'Bullitt' recalls the most famous car chase scene ever filmed

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By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(September 24, 2018) It was 50 years ago when, on the streets of San Francisco, some guy named Steve McQueen made film history, starring as tough-guy police Lieutenant Frank Bullitt in the aptly named action thriller “Bullitt.” While I personally found the movie cinematically a bit tedious (I consider “Papillion” to be McQueen’s magnum opus), the movie’s 10-minute chase scene, exquisitely filmed with real cars and no special effects, has become the stuff of legend.