Nik J Miles

Archive for the ‘Cars’ Category

Austin, TX – My wife Barbara and I have been reviewing new vehicles for more than 20 years, and since 1994, we have reviewed every new Kia model coming to the United States.  Looking back over the years there is one clear trend – every new Kia model and new generation has been a significant improvement over any of the previous models.

The constant improvement resulted in sales gains, which in   turn has allowed Kia to have an ambitious growth program.  In September 2009, they announced they would introduce nine new products in just three years.  In addition, in November 2009, Kia opened a $1 billion plant in WestPoint, Georgia.  Read the rest of this entry »

 MINI planners have been busy again this year first producing a new coupe, and now a fun, open top, two-seat roadster.

The MINI Roadster becomes the sixth model in the British premium carmaker’s current line-up and promises to add a new level of fun to the brands already go-kart like driving image.

Covered by a classic manually operating soft-top, the MINI Roadster can be opened or closed quickly with the flick of a wrist to adapt to weather conditions or the driver’s mood. Read the rest of this entry »

New York City — For years, the Subaru Impreza has been one of the best of the compact cars sold in the American market.  It has developed a reputation as a safe, comfortable all-weather vehicle with near bulletproof reliability, which has garnered it the highest level of brand loyalty.

However, with the exception of the WRX and STI models, which are standouts because of their outstanding performance, the Impreza lacked the pizazz to set itself apart from the crowd of compacts. The styling was “ho-hum” and fuel economy was “so-so”. Read the rest of this entry »

Portland, Ore – If he were alive today, Shakespeare would probably ask the question like this, “To buy an electric vehicle or not to buy an electric vehicle that,  is the question.”

Now electric cars are still very much niche vehicles with limited numbers, limited charging facilities and of course, limited range.

For early intenders, that want to help protect the environment or avoid buying foreign oil, the few electric vehicles (EV) on the road make a big statement, but many are also requiring a big price. Read the rest of this entry »

Kennebunkport, Maine – My drive route from Kennebunkport to the infamous Mount Washington takes my driving partner and me through the scenic New England countryside populated with quaint towns and villages, sampling roads originally cut through ancient forests before cars were invented.

While the routes we drove may have dated back a couple hundred years, the cars we were driving were the latest Mercedes-Benz C-Class offerings including a redesigned version of the sedan and the awesome new C-Class AMG.  However, the big news is the very first C-Class coupe; Wow, it’s gorgeous!

The coupe’s extreme wedge-shaped silhouette ties the distinctive Mercedes-Benz radiator grille, long hood, steeply raked windshield and standard Panorama sunroof to a very short trunk lid covering an 11.7 cubic foot cargo space.  Combined with large tires, which are pushed to the four corners of the car, the distinctive coupe looks both aggressive and elegant. Read the rest of this entry »

 ”Verano: Buick’s first compact luxury sedan”

Much more than simply an entry-level vehicle

New York City, NY – Buick’s all-new Verano is the brand’s third new model to bow within the last two years, and it’s also the first compact entry into the luxury market segment for the GM marque. It is the latest model to represent Buick’s product renaissance, which began with the Enclave crossover, and was followed by the new LaCrosse luxury sedan and the Regal Sport sedan.

Read the rest of this entry »

Portland, Ore. – “And now for something completely different!”

Hyundai designers must have had that famous line from the British television comedy series, Monty Python’s Flying Circus in mind when they started work on their newest compact coupe, the Veloster, because it’s “completely different.”

There are three-door and five-door hatchbacks, but the Hyundai Veloster is the first four-door hatch back I can recall.  Envision one door on the driver’s side of the car and two doors on the passenger side and of course the hatchback door.   It’s unusual, but it looks good and works great! Read the rest of this entry »

Traverse City, Mich. – I am a Buick owner, and have been since 1989 when my husband and I walked into the San Francisco auto show and the first car we saw on the rotating pedestal was a Buick Reatta.  With its unique clean styling, the sporty two-passenger coupe, grabbed my attention and I went down to the Buick store the following week and bought the one they had on their pedestal.

Most of the insurance companies say the Reatta is a sports car because it has two seats, but it is in no way a sports car…it is a luxury sports coupe.  The Reatta is not very fast and it doesn’t handle particularly well, especially comparing it to the new cars of today. Read the rest of this entry »

Yountville, Calif. — Since we started reviewing cars more than 20 years ago, we’ve watched Volvo go through an interesting metamorphosis.  During that time, Volvo has continued to be the undisputed safety leader with a steady flow of innovations.   Fortunately, for consumers, other manufacturers have embraced much of the new technology with their own applications in something of a ‘follow-the-leader’ response. 

Unfortunately, for Volvo, being the safest car on the lot doesn’t always trump sexy styling, performance and gadgetry for most people.  Volvo understands that, so during that same period we’ve seen an increased emphasis on styling, performance and innovation, in addition to still leading the safety parade. Read the rest of this entry »

            Hyundai continues to amaze us with each new product introduction.  The most consistent thing has been that each time a new generation model arrives it represents a significant leap forward in innovation, quality and design.

If for no other reason than design, the fifth generation Elantra is yet another major advancement in the Hyundai lineup – a direct result of Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design principles.  That means a sophisticated look and design worthy of a much more expensive model. There is no confusing the distinctive Elantra silhouette when one goes by, except perhaps with the larger and slightly older the Hyundai Sonata sibling.  The attractive lines actually help efficiency with a slick 0.28 coefficient of drag.  The front end also gets Hyundai’s distinctive family hexagonal grille and swept-back headlights. Read the rest of this entry »