Tag Archives: horsepower

Full Review of the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze by txGarge

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The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze 2LT reviewed by txGarage

The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze 2LT reviewed by txGarage

We’ve been looking to get into the Chevrolet Cruze for a full week review for a while now. We’ve actually driven a few different models of the Cruze at some events, but have never had the time to really check out the details. Well, we finally got our hands on one, so what’d we think?

The last two times I was behind the wheel of a Cruze, one was a base and one was an eco model. Both had cloth seats and a lackluster performance. Our tester was a 2012 Cruze 2LT. This afforded us leather seats, navigation, 17” alloy wheels, remote start, and a 1.4 liter turbocharged engine matched up to a 6-speed automatic transmission. This decked out Cruze has a window-sticker of just under $24k (23,980) and is spec’d out the exact way I’d want one if I was dropping the money. But would I drop my own money for this car? Let’s get more into the driving, looks, and feel and find out. Continue reading →

Sonic the Turbo – Review of the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic 1LT TURBO

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2012 Chevrolet Sonic turbo - reviewed by txGarage

2012 Chevrolet Sonic turbo - reviewed by txGarage

First and foremost, let’s do some house cleaning. The Sonic is a replacement for the Chevrolet Aveo. Don’t look on this site for an Aveo review, because there isn’t one. I have driven a few versions of the Aveo. Back when running a small local dealership in Dallas we would stumble across an Aveo or two. This was always a tough sell as there was nothing particularly good about these cars, except maybe it’s price. I could never recommend it to anyone; not as a teenager’s first car or a cheap family car. There were just too many other products you could get that were much better.

Now we have the Sonic and GM says that it’s not really replacing the Aveo because it’s a whole new car. You see the Aveo was a car built by Daewoo and badged in the U.S. as a Chevrolet. The Sonic on the other hand is all Chevy and assembled in Michigan. So did Chevy do it right this time? Can I finally recommend a Chevrolet, compact hatchback, to friends and readers? Continue reading →

2012 Mazda 2 Full Review:

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The 2012 Mazda 2 reviewed by txGarage

The 2012 Mazda 2 reviewed by txGarage

Small, compact cars are really making a comeback in America, and we’ve driven quite a few here, including the new Ford Fiesta. The all new Mazda 2 is based on the same platform as the Fiesta, so you’d assume they are pretty similar cars. While they’re similar in size, that might just be where the similarities stop. We’ve had the opportunity to drive a few different models of the Fiesta and on every occasion we’ve come back with the same opinions. It’s a great car for the money. Lots of fun to drive on tight, twisty roads and economical. So what did we think about the Mazda 2?

Mazda obviously has roots in racing and they have been branding their portfolio to remind you of that fact. So the first area where the Mazda differs from the Ford is in the weight of the car. Mazda knows lighter is better. The Mazda 2 is only a few hundred pounds heavier than the Lotus Elise, one of the best handling and fun cars you can buy. It’s also a few hundred pounds lighter than it’s cousin, the Ford Fiesta. Continue reading →

The 2012 Honda Civic Coupe Reviewed

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2012 Honda Civic Coupe reviewed by txGarage

2012 Honda Civic Coupe reviewed by txGarage

We had a chance to do a Quick Drive review of this 2012 Honda Civic Coupe back during the Texas Auto Roundup where to be quite honest, we were fairly unimpressed at that time. It didn’t help that just before driving the Honda Civic Coupe we took the Kia Forte 5 out and thought it was everything we wanted the Civic to be. We now have this car for an extended period where we can really check it out and let you know what we think.

Exterior
At first glance it doesn’t seem like the 2012 Civic is much different looking than the 2011 model. Take a closer look though and you’ll see the lines are much cleaner and more swoopy. It’s more wedged and has a more aggressive stance making it look more sporty. After spending some time really studying the lines and design of the car I actually quite liked it. Continue reading →

2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor reviewed

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We’ve written about the relationship between Texans and our trucks before on this site and why this is such a big state for the truck and SUV market. The open country, the need to haul a trailer, and simply the internal needs for wanting to go big or go home all figure into the equation. When it comes to Ford’s new super-truck, the F-150 SVT Raptor, there has already been plenty said and written about it as it’s been out for a few years now. Border agents along the Texas border were even some of the first to put in an order for some. So as you read this, and if you live in Texas, the answer to your inevitable question is yes. Yes, if you have the means to buy one, buy it! Continue reading →

2012 Ford Focus Reviewed

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2012 Ford Fucus Titanium Sedan – Ingot Silver Metallic

The 2012 Ford Focus Titanium Sedan by txGarage

The 2012 Ford Focus Titanium Sedan by txGarage

The Ford Focus has never been that strong of a competitor in the U.S. market. Although having great success with the Focus, and growing the platform, over seas Ford neglected the Focus brand here in their home market keeping a cheaper and older platform. The enthusiast community, including us here at txGarage, have cried for years for Ford to bring the Euro market Focus here to the United States. We’ve talked about cars like the Mazda 3 and the Volvo C30 which share the Euro Focus platform and how that makes them better than the American Focus.

Well you can forget about all of that now. In 2010 Ford announced that the new Focus would be the same in the Euro market and the American market. Finally they are bringing the enthusiast car into America, but does it live up to they hype? How does the 2012 Ford Focus handle Texas and our great terrain? Continue reading →

2011 Scion tC extended review:

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2011 Scion tC Coupe extended review by txGarage

2011 Scion tC Coupe

Last year, Adam had the chance to attend the special launch of the 2011 Scion tC in Austin, Texas. He had the opportunity to spend a little time in different models of the tC, powering this little coupe through the hills and twisties in and around Austin, and published a great First Drive write-up of the car. Now, I get this car for a full week to see what it’s really all about in an everyday driving environment. Continue reading →

Hennessey Venom GT

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Hennessey Venom GT

Hennessey Venom GT

Our buddies at Hennessy announced a few years ago that they would be building a supercar of their own. Going from a tuning shop to producing your own supercar doesn’t happen overnight and now almost two years after their announcement they are telling us the car will be debuting at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010.

If you have been following the Venom GT you know it was supposed to be powered by the Viper V10, as Hennessey has a good relation with the Viper brand. We also heard that it would be weighing in at 2700 lbs with a 1,000 horsepower ratting. Now we are hearing a little different, but better, story. Hennessey is now saying that the Venom GT will be powered by a “Hennessey V8” the weight is down to 2400 lbs and horsepower is up to 1,200 bhp. This spectacular looking mid-engine supercar will be able to deliver the goods, but will it make a real splash within the supercar world? That we’ll just have to wait and see…

Let us know what you think!