By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(March 10, 2016) The stage was set, though — at first — it appeared to be a bit lopsided. The Scion FR-S was delivered during a warm, dry week. Two weeks later, the Mazda MX-5 Miata arrived just after a storm that dumped nearly 10 inches of snow. Not exactly the best weather in which to sample a long-awaited convertible riding on summer tires.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(March 6, 2016) Let me get this out of the way right at the beginning. I’ve never been a big fan of the Cadillac Escalade. Whether it’s the size, the fact that it’s a well appointed but very expensive version of the Chevy Suburban, the hip-hop imagery, etc., etc., etc., I never could get excited about this vehicle. And while I still cannot imagine myself owning this full-size SUV, I have to admit, it has its positives.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(February 28, 2016) Don’t look now, but in the near future, your average Pony car will be a hybrid. I’m not talking full-on Prius-style hybridization here (at least not yet), but the sort of light electrification that will keep Mustangs and Camaros from being a big drain on an automaker’s CAFE plans.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(February 22, 2016) We we're there when Chevy launched the Trax in San Diego, Calif., and wondered if the city-only drive route wasn’t meant to hide a deficit under the hood. Yeah, it could pull itself up steep hills with relative ease, and there was one uphill stretch where the posted limit reached 50 mph, but we had no opportunity to get on the freeway and joust with the local traffic.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(February 15, 2016) Scion started as an attempt to interest younger buyers in the Toyota brand. When it launched in 2003, the average age of a Toyota buyer was 54 years old. No surprise, really, as Japan’s (and now the world’s) largest automaker built solidly dependable, boring cars. Without a change in attitude and product, it would miss out on engaging a generation — Gen Z, a.k.a. Millennials — that is larger than the Baby Boom generation, and will have a long-term effect on the market. This age gap was a dagger pointed at Toyota’s heart.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(February 14, 2016) There was a time not too long ago when you never went out on a road trip without bringing along your Rand McNally Road Atlas. This large format book was an invaluable addition to the typical road map, and let you plan your trip with near pinpoint precision. As long as you had the latest issue, that is.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(February 5, 2016) The original Mini Clubman was a tiny but spacious station wagon with all of the personality of the two-door, but enough room to make it practical enough for a small family. When BMW introduced a wagon version of its Mini in 2007, the personality remained, but was overpowered by styling and features that lacked needed restraint. However, like the original, the R55 Clubman was only available with front-wheel drive.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(January 23, 2016) British auto insurer Adrian Flux surveyed 1,784 British motorists to determine whether they plan to buy an electric vehicle in the next five years. The insurer of modified and unusual vehicles noted that the number of electric cars on Britain’s roads has increased to more than 40,000 from just 3,500 two years ago, and wondered if this rate of growth would continue or even increase.