The Top 5 Cars for Women on the Move

Charlene Clarke, president of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists and judge for the Women’s World Car of the Year, gave us a peak of her top five cars for women who balance a hectic work life with a strong family life.

BMW 5 Series

Joint Car of the Year 2010/2011 – need I say more? I had the 535i not too long ago, and in my review of it I really did struggle to find fault with it. I loved the 5-Series so much that I needed to force myself to find fault for the sake of objectivity. So I noticed it had a massive turning circle and burnt fuel like it did not have any, but that was it. The rest of the 5-Series is nearly perfect in every department.

Citroën DS3

I remember reviewing the DS3 in the last women’sedition of Afropolitan, and the DS3 excited me immensely. I was not often given a chance by the magazine to review a car that fell into my price range, so I jumped at the chance to review the DS3. I was so impressed with it that I even considered upgrading. It is fast, fun and totally unique, and as I said in my review, it is the perfect accessory to any garage.

Subaru Forester

One of my most recent reviews, the new Forester, blew me away. My introduction to motoring journalism was behind the wheels of the entire Subaru fleet, Forester included, and such was my love for Subaru that my article won me praise from my editor and a regular place as the Afropolitan motoring man. The full review of the diesel Forester is up on the website now. A real driver’s car with go-anywhere capabilities.

Volvo XC60

The XC60 is Volvo’s SUV. One of their most popular models, the XC60 stands toe-to-toe with the best in the business. It is a solid, sexy vehicle that can take you anywhere you want with little or no hassle at all. I have yet to review the XC60, so keep visiting the site or our Facebook page for updates. I loved the S60 and C70, so I can’t see how I won’t love the XC60. I’ll probably love it more than the rest.

Kia Sportage

The Sportage was a serious contender at this year’s Car of the Year finals. Kia is taking the market by storm for its reliability and value for money. With the Kia brand doing so well, I bought myself a brand-new Cerato recently.

source - Charlene Clarke

Automobile - from old to new

An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods.

Benz "Velo" model (1894) – entered into anearly automobile race as a motocycle

The term motorcar has also been used in the context of electrified rail systems to denote a car which functions as a small locomotive but also provides space for passengers and baggage. These locomotive cars were often used on suburban routes by both interurban and intercity railroad systems.

It was estimated in 2010 that the number of automobiles had risen to over 1 billion vehicles, with 500 million reached in 1986. The numbers are increasing rapidly, especially in China and India.

The Nissan Leaf is an all-electric car

Most automobiles in use today are propelled by a internal combustion engine, fueled by deflagration of gasoline (also known as petrol) or diesel. Both fuels are known to cause air pollution and are also blamed for contributing to climate change and global warming. Rapidly increasing oil prices, concerns about oil dependence, tightening environmental laws and restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions are propelling work on alternative power systems for automobiles. Efforts to improve or replace existing technologies include the development of

Hybrid Cars - Hyundai Sonata N Toyota Camry

Toyota Camry Hybrid vs. Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

It’s style vs. substance when choosing the best hybrid family sedan

Established as a segment-leader at its launch, it’s no surprise that Toyota is pushing back against the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid with a revamped gas-electric Camry. Rivals, yes, but these green mid-size sedans take two very different approaches when it comes to everything from styling to their respective powertrains.

KNOW THE FACTS

Matching up closely in price and fuel efficiency the Toyota Camry Hybrid starts at $25,990 for the base LE while our XLE tester begins at $27,500. Both prices are comparable to various trim options of Toyota’s smaller, style-challenged Prius. As for the Sonata, its starting price is $25,850.

While the base Camry LE Hybrid averages 43-mpg city and 39-mpg highway for a combined 41-mpg, our XLE tester gets a slightly lower score at 40/38-mpg and 40-mpg combined. The Sonata Hybrid, once the segment leader, now falls slightly short at 35-mpg city and 40-mpg highway for a combined 37-mpg.

Both hybrids achieve their numbers in very different ways, though more on that later.

THE INSIDE OF ECO LUX

In the style department the Camry offers a basic Toyota touch while the Sonata is defined by Hyundai’s modern-mojo. The Camry’s interior is set up with all the no-frills necessities such as a multi-information display, dual-zone climate control, smart key entry with push button start, and bluetooth capability. Hospitable, the Camry easily accommodates five passengers and rear seating offers a fold down center armrest and dual cup holders. Lugging cargo is also made easy with a rear seat 60/40 split and trunk storage exceeds that of the Sonata.

Our XLE tester had additional accessories such as an 8-way power adjustable driver seat, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass, rear air vents, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated audio controls. For more luxury, the $3,820 Leather Package includes leather-trimmed Ultra suede heated front seats and leather door trim, as well as a few other leathery touches. The Premium HDD Navigation Package includes those items and adds more tech and safety features for $6,320. With several other packages in-between, Toyota lets customers define their hybrid for a price.

Review: 2011 Kia K5 (Optima) Korean-Spec

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The Korean word for ‘five’ sounds like “oh,” as in, “Oh, Snap!” or “OMG.” So in Korea, that makes Kia’s new K5 a “K.O.,” at least in name. But does Kia’s new Camccord fighter actually land a knockout on the all-important D-Segment, or is it a mere win by decision?

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One thing is certain: this doesn’t look like any Optima we’ve seen before. From a distance, the K5 cuts a distinctively aggressive and appealing profile. On closer inspection however, the exterior design begins to display a certain amount of visual discord. Consider the K5 an automotive Monet: gorgeous from a distance, but more than a little muddled at close quarters.

One of the biggest visual distractions is the chrome accent that runs along the top of the side windows. When that strip passes through the rear door and trunk lid openings, it creates a cacophony of cut lines that make it look a little like Chucky from the Child’s Play movies.

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A little further rearward, the design disarray continues. The Audi-inspired tail lights conspire with the trunk opening and rear bumper to create an overhang that gives the K5 an unpleasantbucktooth appearance.

The front of the car displays more design non sequitur elements. The in-vogue-for-the-moment LED positioning lights look jarring against the incandescent fog lights. The bright white light of the LEDs overpowers the yellowish light of the incandescent bulbs. Also, the positioning lights do not follow the contour of the fog lights and therefore look like an afterthought. What’s worse, lower trim level models without the positioning lights are left with a vast expanse of black plastic in their place that wouldn’t look inappropriate in a Tic Tac factory.

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Speaking of lights, another element that misses its mark is the