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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 Ford Freestyle Wagon

A sharp body on Ford's Freestyle crossover vehicle looks too tall to be a station wagon but too squatty to be an SUV. Just like the rest of the vehicle, the styling is a compromise. The Freestyle's cabin is laid out like an SUV with three rows of roomy seats, but it has the high-quality materials and construction you'd normally expect in a nice sedan. Read More »

2006 Acura TSX Compact Sports Sedan

Keen new exterior lines define the 2006 issues of Acura's compact-class sports sedan with a fresh front fascia and integrated foglamps, swoopy side sills plus new nine-spoke alloy wheels. The five-seat cockpit -- with bolstered sport bucket seats clad in perforated leather -- also gets a make-over this year. Read More »

2006 Acura RSX and Type-S Compact Hatchback Sports Coupe

The raucous two-door sports hatchback coupe by Acura fits in the compact class and comes in two flavors with a base edition and the high-performance Type-S. Both stock a twin-cam 2.0-liter four-in-line engine. In base trim the plant achieves 155 hp in 2006 and ties to a five-speed manual transmission or optional five-speed Sequential SportShift automatic. Read More »

2006 Audi A3 Near-Luxury Compact Wagon

Audi's A3 has been available in Europe since the 1990's but was only introduced to North America in May of 2005. Resembling parent company Volkswagen's Golf (only bigger and more refined), the A3 is a great medium between station wagon and sports sedan. Read More »

2006 Los Angeles Auto Show Debut and Concept Vehicles

Debut Vehicles 2006 Audi Q7 2006 BMW M6 2006 Bugatti Veyron 2006 Ferrari F430 Pista 2006 Fisker Latigo 2006 Fisker Tramonto 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder 2006 Maserati Quattroporte GT 2006 Maybach 57S 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2006 Porsche Cayman S 2006 Spyker C12 LaTurbie 2006 Spyker C8 Laviolette 2007 Volkswagen Eos 2006 Volkswagen GTI Concept Vehicles Audi Q7 Hybrid Audi Shooting ... Read More »

2006 Audi A6 Mid-Size Luxury Sedan

Audi's previous A6 was a real looker, but the all-new 2006 model is even better. A huge grille gives it a style like no other car on the road, and the overall look is both sophisticated and athletic -- exactly like the car itself. Every piece in the A6's cabin feels like it was fitted by an expert jeweler. High-quality materials and outstanding construction prove that Audi is still making some of the best car interiors in the world. Read More »

2005 Jaguar S-Type Mid-Size Luxury Sedan

Jaguar's designers made plenty of small changes to the S-Type's curvy body for 2005, but the overall look is only subtly different from the previous model. A new VDP Edition makes the S-Type's interior more luxurious than ever, with rich burl walnut trim, soft leather, and contrast piping on the seats. Read More »

2005 Lexus ES 330 Mid-Size Luxury Sedan

While the styling is only a slight evolution from the 2004 model, the 2005 ES 330 continues the Lexus tradition of bodies that look subtly luxurious. Several leather color choices and two types of real wood trim make the Lexus 2005 ES 330 cabin even more luxurious than before. It also adds steering wheel controls, optional voice navigation, and satellite radio compatibility. Read More »

2005 Jaguar XJ8 Full-Size Luxury Sedan

Jaguar's XJ8 has everything a great luxury sedan should -- performance, comfort and style. After debuting as an all-new model in 2003, Jaguar now offers the XJ in a long-wheelbase version, shown here, for $2,000 more. Rear-seat legroom is limo-like in the new long-wheelbase XJ8. With fold-down meal trays and an optional DVD player with video screens in the headrests, it's like flying first class on the highway. Read More »