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2005 Suzuki Swift
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With one of the most inappropriate names ever for a car-the Swift has always been more sluggish than quick-it's hard to take this subcompact too seriously, especially since Suzuki is little more than a bit player in both Europe and Japan, even in the minicar m... more |
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2005 Subaru Legacy 3.0 Spec B Wagon
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The Subaru Legacy 3.0R Spec B AWD Touring Wagon is another tongue twister from Subaru, and sadly one that we won't see in the U.S. anytime soon. It uses a 245-horsepower flat six (a version of this engine is available in the U.S. only in the tall Outback model... more |
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2005 Peugeot 1007
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Just 147 inches long, this two-door city car is a new departure for Peugeot.... more |
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2005 Opel Astra GTC
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Just like Ford with the Focus, Opel has injected some sex appeal into the cheapest version of its big selling Astra sub-compact. The GTC (for Gran Turismo Compact) is a sleek three-door hatch that has a 0.6-inch lower roofline and unique sheet metal to differe... more |
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2005 Mercedes-Benz A-Class
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When it debuted seven years ago, the A-class should have been feted for taking a radical new look at how passenger cars were designed: Instead, Mercedes suffered a huge public embarrassment because the A-class failed a Swedish magazine's collision avoidance pr... more |
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2005 Honda FR-V
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Based on the CR-V platform, the FR-V is another of those mini-minivans that have taken the European market by storm. Drawing from the lead of the ugly but well packaged Fiat Multipla, the FR-V has two rows of three seats, giving seating for six and lots of lug... more |
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2005 Ford Focus Euro
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While American buyers will likely not see a new Ford Focus until 2010, a totally reworked version-in three-door coupe, five-door hatchback, sedan, and wagon forms-goes on sale in Europe in early 2005. The car has been such a huge success for Ford that the new... more |
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2005 Citroen C2 VTS
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The awfully cute C2 finally gets some fangs with the introduction of the VTS, Citroen's first hot hatchback since the Saxo VTR/VTS was laid to rest more than a decade ago. At least one old British coot on our staff has fond memories of the even older AX GT, a... more |
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2005 Volvo XC90 V-8
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Someone at Volvo apparently ate some bad herring few years back and decided that what this quirky, solid, and safe company needed was a V-8-powered SUV. While it isn't the route that one might have envisioned for the Swedes, the end product makes sense; the he... more |
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2005 Toyota Prius GT
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From the "answer to the question nobody asked" file comes the Prius GT. For the one tree hugger who bought one of these tip-toeing fuel misers and wished for better handling and power, the Prius GT gets bigger wheels and tires and a lot of stickers. If each st... more |
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