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2011 Tokyo Auto Salon: NISMO-Tuned Nissan Quest is a Bold Box
Ever wonder what would happen if you let a high-performance tuning company run wild on a minivan? Well wonder no longer, as Nissan‘s NISMO division has just debuted a version of the new Elgrand (sold as the Quest in North America) at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon. Already an imposing beast of a van, the…
Detroit 2011: Mazda5 Gets A Badass Makeover
‘ The Mazda5 may be about to get overshadowed by the Ford C-Max, but that doesn’t mean Mazda’s engineers can’t have fun with their venerable but well regarded compact van. Designers at Mazda’s Irvine, California studio were given free reign to design their dream Mazda5, and the vehicle above was the end result. Lowering springs…
Detroit 2011: Kia KV7 Concept the Mystery Machine for the 21st Century Scooby-Doo
If any other automaker announced they wanted to bring back the van, we would have expected something practical and utilitarian. We’d picture a family-friendly minivan or perhaps a commercial vehicle for small businesses. But when a company like Kia says it, we expect something entirely different. After all, this is the company that gave us…
Detroit 2011: Ford C-Max Marks Company’s Return To Minivan Segment
Ford‘s last minivan, the Freestar, left the market in tatters roughly 6 years ago, lagging badly behind the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. For 2011, Ford is back, with a vehicle that couldn’t be more different. The Ford C-Max ditches the Freestar’s antiquated architecture and inefficient V6 for a pair of 4-cylinders, including a 1.6L…
Detroit 2011: Ford C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi Plug-In Hit Prius Square In The Junk
Although Toyota has been hyping their new Prius MPV for months, Ford‘s announcement of not one, but two hybrid minivans is sure to take the wind out of Toyota’s sails (no pun intended). The C-Max Hybrid and Energi (Ford’s name for the plug-in variant) will be 5-seaters only, and use a lithium-ion battery pack, considered…
Detroit 2011: Ford Vertrek Previews New Escape, Kuga [Video]
As part of Ford‘s “One World” plan, a single platform will be used across all markets worldwide. While we reap the benefits with the all-new Focus and C-Max, there can be trade-offs when different markets require different attributes in a vehicle. With the Ford Vertrek Concept, unveiled today at the Detroit Auto Show, the Blue…
Chrysler Town & Country Set To Capture Minivan Sales Crown
Few people pay attention to minivans, but an interesting sales war is heating up, with what could be Chrysler’s first major sales victory in their post-bailout era. Chrysler‘s Town & Country minivan, which just underwent a pretty substantial refresh, is the leading minivan according to sales data, moving 102,495 units through November. The perennial leader,…
Ford Windstar Under Investigation Again: Rusting Subframe Linked to Crashes
After an initial investigation and then a recall on the Ford Windstar for rear axle failure, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has put the minivan on notice – again. This time NHTSA’s investigation involves the van’s subframe, which reportedly suffers from the same structural rusting as the rear axles. The NHTSA website lists…
Ford Windstar Rear Axle Failure Recall the Subject of ABC News Report [Video]
The recent death of a Massachusetts man has put the spotlight on the Ford Motor Company and its handling of the recall of its Windstar minivan. The van itself was recalled back in August due to rear axles that could snap. The vans date from 1998 to 2003 and initially Ford was reluctant to issue…
VW Bus Reunited With its Owner, 36 Years After it Was Stolen
Talk about a Christmas miracle. A VW Bus that was stolen back in 1974 is finally back with its rightful owner. Michelle Squires had parked her 1964 VW Bus at an upholstery shop in Spokane, WA., back in the 1970s when it was stolen. When the vehicle could not be found, the insurance company eventually…
2011 Ford C-Max Revealed for North America With Industry-First Hands-Free Liftgate
Ford is betting on the compact vehicle, so much so it plans to offer 10 different models based on its new compact car platform, which underpins the upcoming 2012 Focus. The latest of these is the 2011 Ford C-MAX, which will compete in the MPV segment alongside the Mazda5. Ford doesn’t call it an MPV,…
Ford Windstar Axle Recall Expanded as Mass. Man Killed in Accident
An investigation and eventually a recall on snapping rear axles on Ford’s Windstar minivan wasn’t enough to save the life of Sean Bowman of Massachussetts. A 28 year-old father of two and Coast Guard veteran, Bowman’s family received an official recall notice in the mail from Ford a week after the he had died in…
Chrysler Recalling 370,000 Minivans Regarding Airbag Defect
If you own a 2008 Chrysler Town & Country or Dodge Caravan, you may want to keep an eye on your mail come February. That’s when Chrysler will begin notifying some 367,000 minivan owners about a recall that involves unwanted airbag deployment. A water leak caused by an improperly applied HVAC hose grommet can cause…
2011 Toyota Sienna Recalled for Brake Issues, But Not What You Think
Toyota has just announced a recall for it’s new ‘Swagger Wagon’ Sienna minivan for an issue related to the braking system. Unrelated to any past brake recalls the recall involves the parking brake bracket that could become damaged by repeated use of the foot-actuated parking brake pedal. Toyota warns that damage to the bracket could…
Mazda5 Fuel Pump Concerns Spark Recall
Mazda‘s diminutive minivan, the Mazda5, is the latest car to fall victim to the recall machine, this time a faulty fuel pump being the culprit. Water that remains in the fuel pump may corrode the electrical connectors for the electrical harness. Should the part fail, the engine may stall and be unable to restart, which…
A.R.T Tunes Mercedes Viano, Makes it One Awesome Van
Well here’s something different. If you just so happen have to be stuck with a minivan, you might as well get a luxurious one that looks cool, right? Mercedes-Benz recently released the Viano Van in Europe and German tuning house A.R.T. is releasing a Viano tuning program for early next year. The tuning program transforms…
Acura ZDX Is America’s Most Expensive Vehicle To Insure
A report by insurance comparison website InsWeb suggests that the priciest car to ensure in America isn’t a Nissan GT-R or some other foreign exotic favoured by the young and reckless, but the strange looking Acura ZDX crossover. According to the site, there is little data on the ZDX, as few people have bought one,…
Buick GL8 Minivan Makes Its Debut For Chinese Market
In the Chinese market, Buick is kind of a big deal. Driven by emperors in pre-Communist times, the brand has carved itself a nice as a premium automaker that’s still accessible to the middle class. Most of their products are carried over from the American market (though built locally), but some, like the GL8 minivan…
2012 Mazda5 Priced From $19,990
The re-designed Mazda5, the smallest minivan available for sale in North America, will go on sale with a base price of $19,990 starting in January of 2011. The Mazda5 will come in three trim levels, with the base trim being Sport, Touring being the mid-level and Grand Touring acting as a top of the line…
Volkswagen Microbus Rumors Surface Yet Again
Even though it’s spawned various stillborn re-incarnations, the VW Microbus may be returning thanks to executives within Volkswagen pushing for a concept that evokes the iconic utility vehicle. Klaus Bischoff, head of design for Volkswagen, stated that the 2001 Microbus concept did not make it to production due to cost factors, but noted there was…
Ford Transit Connect XLT Is A Domestic Swagger Wagon
The Ford Transit Connect XLT has taken off with the commercial vehicle set, and even non-car-loving folks have come to know them for their distinctive shape, calling them “bread vans” or “ice cream trucks”. Ford seems to have finally listened to the internet and produced an honest civilian version of the Transit Connect, and it looks pretty…
LA 2010: 2012 Mazda5 Gets New Look, Larger Engine
After the car first broke cover in Euro-spec form at the Geneva Auto Show, Mazda has finally rolled out the second-generation of its Mazda5 model at the LA Auto Show. The car’s clever packaging has yet to catch on, which is surprising when it delivers as much space as a mid-size crossover and comes with…
LA 2010: 2011 Nissan Quest is Anything But Square [Video]
Nissan has completely revamped its Quest minivan for 2011, getting away from its quirky ugly past and moving towards Toyota’s “Swagger Wagon” Sienna when it comes to road presence and interior luxury. Powered by Nissan’s 3.5L V6 (what else?) the van makes 253-hp and will start at a rather competitive $27,750. Features of the new…
LA 2010: Nissan Quest Is A Challenger For Swagger Wagon Supremacy [Video]
The 2011 Nissan Quest may not be the official holder of the “Swagger Wagon” title, but it looks pretty damn good. On sale in early 2011, the new Quest is a radical departure from the old model, which was as exciting as vegan meatballs. All the usual minivan conveniences are present, like flat-folding seats, power…
