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Author Archives: Bob Plunkett

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Bob Plunkett is a veteran automotive reporter whose articles have appeared in industry and consumer magazines for 30 years. He currently produces syndicated automotive reports published weekly newspapers across North America, putting the reader in the driver's seat for a hands-on feel of a vehicle. An adventurer, Plunkett has raced cars, scaled mountains, dived with sharks and run on foot across entire countries to research his articles. For the decade of the 1980s he reported on automotive subjects for an Arkansas newspaper, and during that time wrote speeches for a young Arkansas governor, Bill Clinton. Today, Plunkett still writes from his Arkansas home, but he travels extensively, crisscrossing the globe to drive new cars.

2006 Chevrolet Impala Mid-Size Sedan

With a mid-size structure but full-size cabin space and seats for all in the family, the Impala line of sedans ranks among the best-selling passenger cars in America and it's also been the most popular Chevrolet. For 2006, the series gets a substantial make-over featuring sharp new exterior styling, a revamped passenger compartment with premium options like leather upholstery and innovative flip-and-fold rear seats, and new trim and powertrain choices. Read More »

2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Mid-Size Hatchback Sedan

Maxx is a four-door car similar to Malibu's sedan, yet its wheelbase stretches to add room to the rear of the cabin and there's a cascading back door in hatchback format. Maxx's back bench slides almost seven inches back and forth to vary the space for people or cargo. The back of the right front bucket also folds forward to form a flat horizontal surface, and backs of the rear bench, divided into two sections, fold on the same plane. Read More »

2006 Cadillac DTS

The DTS (DeVille Touring Sedan) of 2006 is Cadillac's new large-scale luxury sedan in front-wheel-drive (FWD) format. As replacement for Cadillac's long-standing DeVille luxury car, elegant DTS rides on a stretched platform and provides a deluxe passenger compartment lined with fancy appointments. Read More »

2006 Cadillac CTS Near-Luxury Mid-Size Sedan

This sports sedan made history in 2003 as the first RWD vehicle in Cadillac's fleet since 1979 and the first manual transmission for a RWD Caddy in 50 years. The Sigma platform features an extended wheelbase and wide track with wheels set on corners. In the five-seat cabin, the exterior theme of angular forms is expressed in monochromatic treatment. Read More »

2006 Cadillac SRX Mid-Size Near-Luxury Crossover

Cadillac's mid-size crossover SUV brings the pliable traits of a sporty car in a package that resembles either a high-hiked station wagon or a dropped-down SUV. SRX rides on the RWD Sigma architecture of CTS and STS sedans and is available with RWD or AWD mode. It feels nimble and lively with a fun-to-drive attitude. Read More »

2006 Cadillac XLR Roadster

Built on a rigid rear-wheel-drive (RWD) platform also used for the racy Corvette, Cadillac's two-seat sports car wears keen body forms in the package of a luxurious hardtop coupe that drops its lid with the push of a console switch. XLR's exterior theme of chiseled lines extends into the cockpit with sculptured bucket seats covered in leather and trimwork in polished aluminum metal plus lacquered wood. Read More »

2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse Compact Coupe

The Mitsubishi Eclipse is sexy again for 2006, offering a sleek, stylish body and strong V6 engine. As long as you're riding up front, the new Eclipse has a comfortable, well-designed, good-looking cabin. Back-seat passengers won't want to ride back there for long, though. Read More »

2006 Buick Lucerne Full-Size Near-Luxury Sedan

This big new four-door sedan with front-wheel-drive (FWD) traction replaces LeSabre in Buick's line and brings luxurious appointments and high-tech mechanical components like GM's Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) suspension and StabiliTrak skid controls. Read More »

2006 Ford Explorer Full Size Sport Utility Vehicle

While its basic, boxy shape is unchanged, the front end of Ford's all-new 2006 Explorer is slightly more aggressive. It's an example of how the Explorer is evolving into a more refined, less truck-like vehicle over time. Better materials and construction are nice to see in the 2006 Ford Explorer's interior. Ford focused on making the cabin significantly quieter for this year. Read More »