We know we’re supposed to be concerned about global warming–or global climate change, since that covers just about anything that happens–if for no other reason than it looks good, as Automotive News editorial director Peter Brown advised GM major domo Bob Lutz. Apparently one needn’t believe in global warming as long as one doesn’t say so. Or else people who think they’re being green won’t buy your cars. To paraphrase Henry Ford, truth is bunk. more

Posted in Al Gore, environment, global warming by admin on April 23rd, 2008

As mentioned in our first look at the Tundra, Toyota pulled off the gloves with their new full-sized pickup and made it just as big as its USA nameplate rivals and even went so far as to begin manufacturing them in Texas, of all places. And Toyota isn’t just going after the recreational pickup truck owner, someone moving up from the Tacoma or another mid-sized Japanese pickup. Toyota engineers and designers slogged through construction sites and dodged cowpies to find what real truck users needed. After all, the casual driver can use a work-ready pickup, but someone who needs a work truck can’t make do with less. At least not for very long.

So the Tundra had to meet the standards of the work truck user and in fact, go beyond them to earn the trust of those who depend on their truck for a living.

We can’t give you the answer to that question. We can, however, report on what it’s like to use Toyota’s work-ready pickup on a day-to-day basis. Our tester was a 2008 Toyota Tundra CrewMax SR5 4×4, a big white - did we mention is was big? - pickup with the optional off-road suspension.

We discovered that it was big - did we say so? - but overall not a bad place to be. See what we mean in our authentic carbuzzard.com review of the 2008 Toyota Tundra CrewMax SR5 4×4. And be sure to tell us (look down this page) what you think.

Posted in Toyota, Tundra, car review, pickup, road test by admin on April 17th, 2008

It’s not officially so, but the C in CX-7 could stand for “crossover” because if there’s anything that not anything—not a car, not a van, not an SUV—it’s this particular vehicle. Although it’s based on a car platform, as all good crossovers are, the Mazda CX-7 is no ersatz SUV. We’ll posit, however, that the CX-7 is heavy on the “sport” with at least as much utility as most SUVs.

How many other SUVs…OK, crossovers…have forged crankshafts and connecting rods? OK, a couple of German crossovers, perhaps, but definitely not in this price category. It could be argued that the CX-7 is a class of one, and in its class, teacher’s pet.

 Climb aboard and see what we mean. Read the authentic carbuzzard.com 2008 Mazda CX-7 Grand Touring AWD new car review, then tell us what you think.

Posted in CX-7, Mazda, car review, road test by admin on April 16th, 2008

We just road tested 2008 RX-8 is the 40th Anniversary Edition, and for many carmakers that would mean a few commemorative badges here and a special interior and exterior colors, and perhaps exclusive wheels. Well, the anniversary RX-8 has those, but Mazda has also upgraded the suspension beyond the top-of-the-line Grand Touring model and added a urethane foam-filled suspension cross member. In other words, there’s meat to go with those potatoes., or whatever the equivalent analogy would be in Japanese.

 To say that we like the Mazda RX-8 would be an understatement. We’re confessed g-force junkies around these parts and the RX-8 is capable of providing g’s in all four directions. But rather than repeat all that here, read the authentic carbuzzard.com review of the Mazda RX-8 40th Anniversary Edition, then come back and tell us what you think.

Posted in Mazda, RX-8, car review, road test, sports car by admin on April 10th, 2008

Not a Buzzard’s Eye View in the past month? My, we have been lazy, haven’t we?

Well, actually not, because in addition to the usual updating with the more important new car, SUV, truck, van and crossover reviews on the web, we’ve also been busy producing our own reviews, dabbling in video and completing some freelance jobs on the side. For some of the latter—well, not written this month but now in Consumers Digest on better newsstands everywhere—is a review of what’s new in car interiors.

But for the month of March, we’ve posted reviews on:

2008 Cadillac CTS 3.6L DI AWD

2008 Dodge Avenger R/T AWD

2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4×4 Diesel

2008 Lexus LS460L

2008 Mazda Mazda3 S 4-door sedan

2009 Toyota Matrix XRS 

Rather than link to those here we’ll send you to our carbuzzard.com review page that lists not only these but all carbuzzard.com reviews.

We promise to do better in keeping up with posting “blog items” here on carbuzzard.com, but you’ll have to promise to visit more often. OK?

Posted in car review, road test by admin on April 1st, 2008