Weekend Driver San Diego

The Viper is coming back. Here’s the latest from the UK Top Gear. http://topgear.tumblr.com/post/20586517013/meet-the-new-viper-now-with-more-civilization

In case you’re in the market for a fine, new car, US News and World Report is out with its top picks for new cars, online at http://usnews.com/cars-money.  The magazine says the list helps average Joes and Janes find the right car for the money. Here’s the list. 2012 BEST CARS FOR THE MONEY AWARDS   [...]

I really had mixed feelings about the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Here’s a beautifully and very distinctively styled car, equipped with an eager 3.8 liter V-6 engine that puts out a V-8-like growl, six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters pushing power to the rear wheels, big brakes and sticky tires that keep the car on the [...]

It’s been a wet winter, which means our local desert is ready for a show. And for all of you with all-wheel-drive SUVs, its time to exercise those transfer cases. Spring in the desert, especially in rainy years such as this one, means the usual grays and reds of the sand and hills are accented [...]

Holy Studebaker… the Forester has Hill Holder. One of those features going way back to Stude is a gizmo that engages the brake when the clutch is depressed while sitting on a hill. It keeps the car from rolling backward during that frantic takeoff from stop on assent. Imagine my surprise when I found it [...]

For my upcoming column, a trip out to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the folks at Nissan were nice enough to loan me a 2009 Xterra for a week. I had an enjoyable week with the Xterra, which I respect for its honesty as a genuine sport-ute, not just a giant station wagon. The Xterra’s [...]

My ride for this drive was an ’09 Mitsubishi Galant Sport, a spiffy trim version of the marque’s midsize flagship. A capable freeway cruiser, it was easily surprised on the curves but quickly recovered. Of course, it’s not a sports car, but this is one of the sleepers in the market. Assembled in exotic Normal, [...]