About Jamie Doyle

Introduced last year for the 2014 model year, BMW’s F32 series replaces the E92 platform, otherwise known as the 3-Series coupe and convertible. The 3-Series from now on will remain exclusively as a 4-door line, meaning this new generation of two-door BMWs is called the 4-Series. As the name implies, the 4 offers more than the 3 it takes over from and is not just a mere update. The 4-Series is lower, wider, longer … [Read more...]

It really had been a sad few years for new sports car buyers, especially since 2008. There were good sports compacts out there (Mazdaspeed 3, Golf GTI, Civic Si), but all were front-drive with rather pedestrian roots. There were also quite a few proper rear-drive sports cars, but unless you wanted to spend Nissan Z or even Porsche Boxster money, the only choice was the ubiquitous Mazda Miata. The Honda S2000 and … [Read more...]

For 2013, GM added quite a bit of flair to the Camaro lineup. Overall, changes were limited mostly to the improved suspension and nicer interiors, but they also introduced the exciting ZL1 Convertible to the public along with the fabulous 1LE, a true driver's Camaro that we tested in the summer. That doesn't mean that the designers and engineers took a break, however, as last year's New York Auto Show brought even … [Read more...]

Our review of the Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn made us realize just how easy it is to like a nice, well thought out pickup, so it was with more than a little excitement that we got to have a crack at another one. This time, the machine in question was the all new 2014 GMC Sierra. Our test truck was a 1500 SLT with crew cab, four-wheel-drive, and the towing package. GM claims that a slight majority of GMC owners … [Read more...]

We previously tested Cadillac's new full-size luxury sedan, the XTS. As a Cadillac, it surprised us because there was front or all-wheel drive instead of rear-drive, a somewhat ordinary V-6 instead of a big V-8, and almost none of the sporty bravado that has characterized several of the company's other recent models. We liked the very well-executed interior and ample space, but otherwise weren't blown away. … [Read more...]

The FX is now in its tenth and final year, as Infiniti's mid-size crossover for 2014 has been dubbed the QX. During its decade-long production run, the FX has shown us that something that something classified as a crossover doesn't have to be agonizingly boring, and even in this last batch of 2013 models they've added some excitement to an otherwise pretty bleak class of car. The most interesting addition has to be … [Read more...]

Now in its seventh generation and called the B17, the Nissan Sentra is of course a long-standing staple in the compact car market, but it has also always lived in the shadows of the Civic and Corolla. The 2014 version is nothing revolutionary and certainly isn't going to rock the compact car status quo, but it still gives you a lot for the money and despite a few shortcomings it is a perfectly capable car with good … [Read more...]

The Nissan Versa is what it is. Now in its all new 2014 design, it represents the modern automobile at one of the most basic levels. It doesn't make your pulse race when you look at it, the interior doesn't make you feel in any way special, and driving it doesn't make for any sort of occasion. It is surprisingly cheap, though, and that's why the Versa has been selling rather well in the entry-level segment. … [Read more...]

It's no big news that Subaru really knows how to make a car. As far as good all-rounders that can haul a lot of stuff, take whatever mother nature throws at them, last forever and be had at an attractive price, it doesn't get much better. Particularly for people in winter climates, Subaru's bread and butter all-wheel-drive has been praised and celebrated for years. And for those who are just a tad bit more … [Read more...]

NISMO has actually been around since the 1980s, but only recently has the name worked its way into mainstream car culture. An abbreviation of Nissan Motorsport International Limited, this naturally racing-oriented branch of Nissan is now expanding its presence to more street cars, and with products like this Juke and the 370Z NISMO, it's becoming a Japanese equivalent of BMW's M and Mercedes-Benz's AMG. And like … [Read more...]

The Japanese had already turned the US car market on its head in the 1970s, and by the mid-'80s they were ready to take things a step further by offering not just eco-boxes and the occasional sports car, but also world-class luxury vehicles. Honda was the first, launching Acura in 1986, but Toyota and Nissan weren't too far behind. In 1989, Nissan launched Infiniti with two models, the Q45 and the M30, for the 1990 … [Read more...]

Ram is Chrysler's newest brand that focuses on trucks. The big, towing, working, manly kind of trucks. Ram isn't exactly new, though, is it? Their models are ones we are all quite familiar with already, so it's pretty much a case of Chrysler just taking away the "Dodge" part of the name. The 1500 half-ton especially has been a familiar sight everywhere from hauling hay bales at ranches to pulling trailers at race … [Read more...]

The Pathfinder is a long familiar name in utility and sturdiness. Its very name implies forging trails ahead and going the road less travelled. Over recent years, though, the Pathfinder has gotten softer, less rugged, and more appealing to suburban housewives than anyone thinking about going off road. For 2013, we have the new fourth generation Pathfinder, and Nissan is describing it as the "perfect family adventure … [Read more...]

The Infiniti QX is now in the third year of the current design, and it’s still as imposing as ever. What do we mean by that? Well, the main takeaway from the QX is its incredible size. It looks huge. It feels huge. It is huge. But that’s not all there is to it with the QX. In a lot of ways it makes the most of all that bulk, and the total package is a luxurious, tractable and strong machine. We were able to test its … [Read more...]

The new Z-Car has been with us since 2002, and though it's never made as much of a splash as its ancestor the 240Z, it's sold quite well and outlasted Japanese peers like the Honda S2000 and the Mazda RX-8, all the while maintaining relevance in the performance car market. Part of the reason why Nissan is able to do this is with the various special and limited editions of the 350 and 370Z they've come out with over … [Read more...]