First Drive

First Drive articles

2011 Volvo S60

PORTLAND, Ore. — Fun-to-drive safety has taken a quantum leap with Volvo’s all-new 2011 S60 T6 AWD four-door sedan. With its sleek roofline and sculptured lines it truly is more of a four-door coupe than a typical “family sedan.”

2011 Lincoln MKX



WASHINGTON, D.C. — For 2011 Lincoln has pulled out all the stops to prove to the Lexus RX luxury crossover and others who the real king of the hill is. To say it’s been done with style doesn’t begin to describe the ammunition Lincoln has loaded up to see the MKX through competitive comparisons.

2011 Ford Edge



NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Edge made its initial debut as a 2007 model and has become the best seller among its segment of 27 competitive crossovers with more than 400,000 sales to date. And the number one reason for purchase is styling.

2011 Saab 9-5

NEW YORK — After suffering a near-death experience at the hands of General Motors, the vaunted Saab brand has been given new life at the hands of Spyker Cars. Its first vehicle is the 9-5.

2012 Smart Fortwo Electric

NEW YORK — The 2012 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive is best described as a two-person golf cart that’s not big enough to carry any clubs. A group of auto journalists were given the opportunity to be among the first to test the all-electric car.

It can actually seat two Big & Tall guys in relative comfort. And there’s a storage area above the rear bumper that will hold a backpack and computer bag if it feels like it.

2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class

NEW YORK — Since its inception the Mercedes-Benz R-Class has always seemed like the family outsider. 

It had all the technology and luxury features one would expect from what’s often referred to as the “world’s most prestigious brand” but something seemed different. The good doctors at MB went to work and corrected the discrepancy – it had a different front-end look from its siblings.

2011 Infiniti QX

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Infiniti has stepped away from Nissan's shadow with the all-new QX56. No longer can the QX be called a rebadged Nissan. It has been reincarnated as a true luxury vehicle with a myriad of standard features and a host of optional equipment to tempt the buyer.

2011 Jaguar XJ

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — In what the Jaguar team calls a “city takeover” the new XJ is literally plastered all over Los Angeles with five-hundred billboards and wrapping every pillar at LAX

2011 Ford Mustang GT

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — It used to be that a person’s professional success was depicted by the vehicle he (or she) drove.