The Crank: Is Toyota finally getting it “right”?

By John LeBlanc Another week, another rash of bad news for Toyota, eh? Last Tuesday, the Japanese automaker was suffering from one of America’s most well respected consumers’ group warning not to buy one of the company’s Lexus 2010 GX 460 SUVs because of a tendency to get a little loose in the corners. Okay […]

The Crank: U.S. magazine issues “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk” on 2010 Lexus GX 460

By John LeBlanc For the first time since the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited SUV, the U.S. based Consumer Reports magazine has deemed a new car a “safety risk”: the 2010 GX 460. The Lexus SUV’s electronic stability control program failed to keep the vehicle in line during a severe handling maneuver, allowing it to slide […]

The Crank: Is Acura’s new TSX Sport Wagon good enough?

By John LeBlanc We—as in myself and many of The Crank faithful—appreciate a good sports wagon like wine lovers enjoy a good pinot noir. Either as a slightly more practical alternative to a more confining sports sedan, or a more fun-to-drive diversion from the cute-ute herd, sports wagon fans, there are many.

Does Volvo’s turning Chinese ensure its survival?

By John LeBlanc Here we go again. For the second time this year, a beloved Swedish auto brand has been sold off. But given the initial news that after a long courtship China’s Geely has finally put pen to paper on acquiring Volvo from Ford, the Swedish brand’s survival looks more promising than sister Swedish […]

Will going electric ever make automotive sense?

By John LeBlanc We’re hearing — and seeing — a lot this year about the electrification of the car. And not just from boutique, low volume companies like California’s Tesla, which has only sold about 1,000 copies of its $125,000 Roadster since going on sale two years ago. Huge, mainstream global automakers like Toyota, Mitsubishi, […]

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