The Fast Lane Car

Review: Does the 2012 Buick LaCrosse with eAssist make driving a hybrid cool?

Remember the furious phoenix (or was it a chicken) that adorned the hood of Pontiac’s Trans Am? Yeah you do. You’ve conjured up that image faster than I can type Smokey and the Bandit. Now, did the original angry bird also make you think of Buick’s 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist? The old Trans Am and its garish décor popped into my head while driving the new LaCrosse. Because the Buick delivers some of the current automotive era’s excitement—hybrid technology—about as quietly as the Trans Am’s beast was loud. But after 1,400-plus miles in the LaCrosse, I have mixed feelings about Buick’s stealth approach.

Review: The 2013 Lexus GS350 & GS450h is now more fun & luxurious to drive

LAS VEGAS—Lexus is out to change its image with sportier models such as the new GS350 gas-engine sedan, which goes on sale in February as a 2013 model, and the new GS450h gas-electric hybrid sedan that follows shortly.

The two models represent, as Lexus puts it, a “new signature design philosophy.” Lexus is well known for its posh, comfortable, upscale cars, but they aren’t much fun. There’s a trend toward sportier luxury autos that provide more driving kicks.

Hence, Lexus says it’s developed the GS to compete with such autos as the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz  E350. Lexus hopes to annually sell 20,000 to 25,000 of the new GS models.

Video: 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport vs Mercedes-Benz E350 vs BMW 535i race track review

The new 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport is taking direct aim at both the new Mercedes-Benz E350 and the new BMW 535i.

We recently had a chance to drive all three cars on the race track in Las Vegas to compare how well the newest and perhaps sexiest Lexus does against these two very well regarded and long established German luxury performance sedans.

The German cars have a long tradition of performance and luxury while the Lexus is the relative newcomer to the group.

But 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport has now been completely reworked to sharp performance point.

Check out this first drive review of the 2013  Lexus GS 350 F Sport as we test all three cars head to head.

Video: Top 5 mid-sized sedans reviewed, driven and tested

What's the best mid-sized sedan that you can buy today?

We at The Fast Lane car are lucky to drive a different car every week so we've had the chance to review, test and  drive many of the best mid-sized sedans on the market this year.

In a crowded field of popular cars, a few stand out above the rest.

Here are the top 5 mid-sized cars that we've reviewed, tested and driven in 2011.

2012 Nissan Altima 2.5 S video review: As popular as Vanilla ice cream

The 2012 Nissan Altima 2.5 S is like Vanilla ice cream.

It is smooth, easy to drive, and a bit boring. 

The Altima competes in a very tough crowd that includes the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry. So is being Vanilla enough to take on the competition?

We recently had a chance to test and review the basic vanilla model of the Altima and we came away with a split decision.

Solid, basic, economical and reliable transportation or a fuddy-duddy car in need of a makeover?

Check out this first drive video review below to find out.

A Romantic Ride in Croatia in the new 2012 Bentley Continental GTC

To understand the new 2012 Bentley Continental GTC first you must make a trip to the Body Assembly Hall at Crewe, England, the factory where these magnificent automobiles are handcrafted. Bentley Motor Cars, in operation since 1919, started off with the 1920 2 Litre, a vehicle which went on to win the Le Mans in 1924. “Bentley’s have been making beautiful history ever since,” explained our guide, Slim, who has been employed with Bentley for 40 years.

True to Bentley style, the facility, which has 4226 employees that help produce around 150 cars a week, maintains the standards that have been the company’s benchmark. “We still do clay modeling and we still use the human ear to detect engine sounds,” Slim explained.

“Last year we had 8,000 visitors to this site. And most people say that Bentleys are not expensive enough after seeing this process,” he quipped. Truth is, sales are up. In 2010, sales were up 11%, to 5,117, over the previous year’s sales of 4,616. In 2011, global year-to-date sales are up 33% to 5,379 from 4,056.

Review: The 2012 Mercedes CLS63 AMG kicks sand in the face of all lesser cars

One glance at the revised 2012 Mercedes CLS63 AMG should tell you this is one very fast, luxurious car. It looks expensive and IS expensive at $94,900—without desirable options. Along with a destination charge, they pushed the price of my new test CLS63 AMG to $112,585.

This four-door sedan has coupe-like styling, which was pioneered by Mercedes in 2006 with the original CLS and has been copied by other automakers. 

Some may feel that the revised styling of the 2012 CLS63 AMG is overly aggressive, compared to the2011 model’s “softer” styling. But, what the heck, this thing is designed for aggressive driving.

That said, the new upright grille treatment meets new European-mandated pedestrian safety regulations.

2012 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 video Review: The most feared car of all

The 2012 Hyundai Genesis is one of the most feared cars in the auto industry. For a base price of $34,000 you get all of the luxury that once was the sole domain of car companies like Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.

You also get a 333 HP engine that pulls like a steam locomotive.

You also get all of the features usually associated with luxury cars including lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, heated and cooled driver's seat, as well as heated passenger and rear seats.

You also get soft leather over almost every surface with traditional French stitching.

Check out this fast take video review as we show you why the 2012 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 is one of the most feared cars in the auto industry.

Video review: Can the 2011 Jaguar XJL beat a sports car in straight line?

The 2011 Jaguar XJL is a very big luxury sedan with a very big 385 HP 5.0L V8 engine.

Sitting in the roomy back seat of the stretched Jag can be an absolute treat with fine leather seats and plenty of leg room to stretch out and get comfy. The 2011 Jaguar XJL will easily transport a British royal or a London businessman across town in silent, modern luxury.

However is the back seat the best place to be in the Jaguar XJL? Perhaps it is better to drive than to ride in this newest luxury Jaguar.

In other words, does driver of the XJL have all the fun?

There's no doubt that the Jaguar can get mighty frisky when the road turns twisty. In fact the Jaguar XJL is one of the most engaging big luxury sedans sold today with precise steering, solid straight line stability, and of course plenty of power to put the common cars in their place.

But how fast can this big cat sprint from 0 to 60 MPH? Will it keep up or even beat sports car?

Check out this first drive review below to find out.

Old or new cars: Which are faster?

Are new cars getting faster? We decide to find out by drag racing three generations of the same car.

In this "just for fun" video we take three similar Audis with quattro all-wheel-drive, and put them to the nose to tush drag race test.

What's the fastest Audi A6 Quattro? Is it the 2000 twin turbo charged A6, or perhaps the next generation 2005 normally aspirated A6, or is it the brand new and supercharged 2012 A6 Quattro?

Just for fun we decided to find out by drag racing the last three generations of the Audi A6 Quattro in our TFLcar Nose to Tush Drag Race.

Check out to see how your favorite Audi A6 did in the video below.

BTW: Nathan shows up with a surprise at the end of the video that you'll want to see.

2012 Audi A6 versus BMW 535i review: And the best luxury sedan is...

The new BMW 535i has always been the benchmark for all other mid-sized luxury sedans.

But for 2012 the all new Audi A6 is taking direct aim at the BMW buyer as well as the 535i. The Audi brings to the table a 310 HP supercharged powerplant, an 8 speed automatic transmission and of course Quattro all-wheel-drive.

But to not to be outdone the BMW has all of the same stuff, but instead of a supercharged engine it comes with a turbo 3.0L that puts out 300 HP.

So which one is the better car?

Follow on twitter @TFLcar or watch latest car review videos on YouTube.

Top 10 reasons why the 2012 Buick Regal GS is the sweetest Buick – ever

I was pissed off. Roman Mica (TFLCar.com’s headmaster) told me he made arrangements for me to go to a “fun” Buick press event. I was dumbstruck.

What the? Fun in a Buick…was he kidding?

It’s not that I hate the brand. Buick has always been one of the best automotive branches for quality and reliability in GM’s tree. “Youthful,” “fun,” “energetic” and “cool” was never part of the Buick lexicon. That didn’t stop Buick from trying - hell, they had Tiger Woods drive a few – right?

I thought Roman was mad at me for making fun of Barry Manilow or show tunes.

Forget the image of the past. This new Buick is so impressive I wondered why Cadillac didn’t snap it up to build a baby brother to the CTS-V. Seriously, it’s THAT good and I have been eating crow since my first solo drive up in beautiful Northern Michigan. This car made me ask, “Why aren’t more GM products built this way?”

Review: The 2011 Infiniti G37 sedan kicks sand in the face of the Audi A4 & BMW 3-Series

The “G” sedan from Nissan’s Infiniti luxury division compares favorably with top sports/luxury sedans.

The 2011 G sedan comes as the G37 with a 3.7-liter V-6 that produces 328 horsepower or as the new G25, which has a 2.5-liter V-6 with 218 horsepower. That engine is from Nissan’s Japanese-market Skyline model.

The G25 has the same exterior, interior and chassis as the G37, which means it has the same slick body but low front end that can be damaged by high curbs if a driver isn’t
careful.

The G25 does 0-60 mph in 7.3 seconds. That’s hardly crawling, but is nearly two seconds slower to 60 than the thundering G37, which has a great exhaust sound under full throttle. 

Review: The new 2012 Volkswagen Passat is larger, roomier and cheaper than previous model

Volkswagen is shooting for higher U.S. sales, so it has thoroughly Americanized its slow-selling Passat for 2012.

The new model is larger, roomier and comes in a variety of trim levels. It costs thousands less than previous Passats. And it’s built strictly for the U.S. market in a new Chattanooga, Tenn. plant—although Volkswagen notes that the car has “German engineering and sophistication.”

The new front-wheel-drive Passat sedan is stylish in an understated manner, and thus turns few heads. But it’s wider and considerably longer than previous Passats. Two tall adults can stretch in back, and the trunk is huge, although its high liftover can make  loading cargo a bit difficult.

Video review: Is the 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8's bite as bad as its bark?

The 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 is all about style, attitude, and luxury.

But is the new Chrysler 300 SRT8 bite as bad as it's bite when you get the car on the track?

Recently we had the chance to drive the new 300 on both the freeways of Los Angeles and the race track. Unlike the old car the 2012 300 has been given a serious helping of European panache by the folks at Fiat that now own Chrysler. But deep down inside the 300 SRT8 is still as American as Chicago style pizza.

But how does this unique blend of old and new world design world when the rubber meets the road? 

Watch this TFLcar first drive video below and find out.