consumer issues
Game On: 'Tekken 6' full of new, enhanced features
"Tekken 6"
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PSP
Genre: Fighting
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games
ESRB Rating: T, for Teen
Grade: 4 stars (out of 5)
DriveWays: Old Outback is dead, replaced by new look
The Outback is dead! Long live the Outback!
Obviously, a rallying cry like that requires explanation. Back about a decade, when Japan's Subaru had a tidy lineup of all-wheel drive sedans and station wagons.
American motorists had become infatuated with sport utility vehicles, most based on trucks. Gasoline was cheap and vehicles like the popular Ford Explorer were riding high.
DriveWays Specs: Specifications for the Subaru Outback
Specifications for the 2010 Subaru Outback 3.6R Premium four-door crossover utility vehicle.
Engine: 3.6 Liter horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, 256 horsepower.
Transmission: Five-speed automatic.
Overall length: 15 feet 8 inches.
EPA passenger/cargo volume: 105/34 cubic feet.
Weight: 3,634 pounds.
Towing capability: 2,700 pounds.
DriveWays: Specifications for 2010 Mazda CX-7
Specifications for the 2010 Mazda CX-7i four-door crossover utility vehicle.
Engine: 2.5-liter four-cylinder, 161 horsepower.
Transmission: Five-speed automatic with manual-shift mode.
Overall length: 15 feet 4 inches.
EPA passenger/cargo volume: 99/30 cubic feet.
Weight: 3,496 pounds.
EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 20/28 miles per gallon.
DriveWays: CX-7 is being jiggered downward in price and power
Mazda is making a grass is greener move with the 2010 CX-7 crossover utility vehicle.
When it was introduced in 2007, the CX-7 aspired to be a mid-level five-passenger CUV, competing then with the likes of the Acura RDX, Nissan Murano and Mercury Mariner. It pitted its 244-horsepower turbo four-cylinder engine against some competitors' six-cylinder motors.
Autosside: Details on the 2009 Nissan Cube Krom
2009 NISSAN CUBE KROM
TYPE: Front-drive, five-passenger, compact wagon.
PRICE: $19,730 base; $20,420 as tested.
WHERE BUILT: Oppama, Japan.
KEY RIVALS: Honda Element, Toyota Scion xB, Kia Soul.
POWER: 1.8-liter, 122-horsepower, DOHC 4-cylinder engineer; automatic CVT transmission.
Autos: Nissan adds Krom to its carton
There's a difference between stylish and faddish.
The Chrysler PT Cruiser is stylish.
The Nissan Cube is faddish -- unapologetically so.
As one of a series of conspicuous cartons, it shares a segment with the inelegant element from Honda and the boxy xB from Toyota's Scion youth division.
Game On: 'Borderlands' best when shared
"Borderlands"
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Genre: Action
Publisher: 2K Games
ESRB Rating: M for Mature
Grade: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Game On: 'Borderlands' best when shared
"Borderlands"
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Genre: Action
Publisher: 2K Games
ESRB Rating: M for Mature
Grade: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Autosside: Details on the 2010 Mazda Speed3 Sport
2010 MAZDA SPEED3 SPORT
TYPE: Front-drive, four-door, five-passenger, compact hatchback.
PRICE: $23,195 base, ($21,717 invoice), $25,340 as tested.
WHERE BUILT: Hiroshima, Japan.
KEY RIVALS: Dodge Caliber SRT4, Honda Civic Si, Mini Cooper S, Subaru WRX, Volkswagen GTI.
