Test Drives, Trends & Events

The Chevrolet Stingray concept car - A vision of the future Corvette?

Auto show season is officially upon us and to kick things off the NADAguides.com team traveled to the 2009 Orange County Auto show. Most of the automakers save their big product reveals for a little later in the year at shows like the LA, Chicago, Detroit, and New York event. This year however the Anaheim convention center is filled with some great concepts and a few surprises. More...

A rugged and polarizing iconic SUV, the classically styled Land Rovers of years past show case a tough exterior design contrasting a civil interior fit for the Queen. The Defender series is the best representation of this style and was brought into the United States starting in 1993. The rest of the world was able to enjoy this vehicle when it was introduced back in 1983, ten years prior. At that time, the vehicles were not called Defenders but they were simply referred to by their wheelbase length. One lucky Floridian managed to import and register a 1983 Land Rover One Ten, and is now offering this extremely clean example for sale. More...

The 2009 Land Rover LR2

Instead of a home makeover show, I would like to see a car makeover show. Not of the “Pimp My Ride” variety, but one where a manufacturer takes a vehicle and transforms it into something better. They turn it into a vehicle that is both better looking and performing. Land Rover had done just that. In 2005, they sent their Freelander to SUV modeling school and it came out the other side as the 2008 LR2. I have the key fob to a 2009 Land Rover LR2 HSE and I am ready to see how she struts. More...

The 2009 Infiniti FX50 is a crossover SUV that thinks (and acts) like a sports car.

Close your eyes and stick out your hand. I am going to put a set of keys in your palm and give you some quick stats about which car they belong to. A seven-speed automatic transmission with manual mode and downshift rev matching. This is linked to a 5.0L DOHC V8 engine pushing out 390 horses and 369 lb-ft of torque to an Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system. Dual stainless steel exhaust pipes bellow out a raucous symphony and large brakes to bring the large wheels and tires to a stop. What kind of car is this? Trick question, it’s not a car; it is the 2009 Infiniti FX50 – a luxury crossover SUV. More...

When I think of Audi, I think of the blazing fast R8 or the family friendly A4 or A6. Regardless, I think of a sporty German automobile. After recently visiting Germany, I was surprised how many Audi, BMW and Mercedes served as taxis or delivery vehicles. In the States, we view the Lincoln Town Car as our domestic chariot to and from the airport; however, our German friends like to put a little more sport into their “service” vehicles. To be honest…rolling through Germany in an A6 was pretty nice.

So, to kick-off our 2009 Car of the Month program, we wanted to find a vehicle that was slightly off the radar, yet combined sport, utility and luxury making it an all around daily driver. Look no further than the 2009 Audi Q7! More...