The Crank: 2011 CAJ Best of the Best nominees released

By John LeBlanc Here’s the deal. If you’re reading my blog, it’s safe to assume that you’re one of the wisest, sharpest, most knowledgeable car enthusiasts on the planet. So it goes without reason that if yours truly is to put his name behind an annual new car award, it’s going to be the “best” […]

First Drive: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

[svgallery name=”2011_Jeep_GC_pics”] Returning to a grander Jeep More refined on-road and off-, can Jeep’s latest Grand Cherokee win back lost fans By John LeBlanc SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – It’s back to the future with Jeep’s new 2011 Grand Cherokee. Specifically, Chrysler’s off-road brand wants to party like it’s Nineteen-Ninety-Nine. That’s when its second-generation midsize SUV […]

The Crank: Ford’s New Age 2011 Explorer not all that new

By John LeBlanc After a series of unmitigated sales flops (2005 Freestyle; 2008 Taurus X; 2009 Flex,) the “all-new” 2011 Explorer will be Ford’s fourth crack in the last decade at a midsize crossover based on the old Volvo S80 chassis from the last millennium.

Comparo: 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour/Subaru Outback/Toyota Venza

[svgallery name=”2010_Car_Crossovers_hirez”] Crossover confusion Are the new Accord Crosstour, Venza, and redesigned Outback cars or crossovers? By John LeBlanc Just as new-car buyers were getting used to the idea that crossovers were car-based sport-utility vehicles, automakers have started morphing vehicles from the opposite end of the evolution cycle — turning some of their cars into […]

First Drive: 2011 Mercedes-Benz R Class

[svgallery name=”2011_R_Class_pics”] R Class gets schooled Does new looks and calling it a “crossover,” change your opinion about Mercedes’ former Grand Tourer? By John LeBlanc HOBOKEN, N.J. – You might know this New Jersey city from the classic 1950 cartoon short that matched Bugs Bunny with Hoboken Penguin, the top-hat-wearing penguin from the Brooklyn Ice […]

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