Consumer Issues
BMW embellishes the X3
By RICHARD WILLIAMSON
Four years after the launch of its popular X5 sport utility vehicle, BMW introduced the smaller X3 in late 2003.
Like its big brother, the X3 was golly-gee sporty, with a racing roofline that set the SUV apart from your typical Chevy Trail Blazer or Ford Escape.
To nourish the egos of targeted buyers, BMW further distinguished the X3 with the designation SAV instead of SUV.
2007 BMW X3
2007 BMW X3
TYPE: All-wheel-drive, five-passenger, compact sport utility vehicle.
PRICE: $36,800 base ($33,670 invoice).
WHERE BUILT: Austria.
KEY RIVALS: Lexus RX 330, Mercedes-Benz M-C
Hispanic consumers vulnerable to swindles
By MATT CHISMAR
Con artists devising methods to swindle consumers is nothing new, but Spanish-speaking victims, particularly undocumented immigrants, are more at risk than non-Hispanic whites, according to fraud experts contacted by Hispanic Link News Service.
Their view is supported by a 2004 Federal Trade Commission study which found that Hispanic consumers are twice as likely to be subject to fraud as non-Hispanic whites.
Despite a few quibbles, 'Madden 07' is a great game
By CHRIS CAMPBELL
("Madden NFL 07." Platforms: Xbox 360, GameCube PlayStation 2, Xbox, PSP, PC, DS. Genre: Sports. Publisher: EA Sports. ESRB Rating: E for Everyone. Grade: 3.5 stars, out of 5)
The Madden football franchise is almost as much a cultural event as it is a video game.
'Dirge' moves a little too slowly for gamers
By JUSTIN HOEGER
("Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII." 2 stars. Publisher: Square Enix. System: Sony PlayStation 2. Price: $49.99. Age rating: Teen)
"Dirge of Cerberus" should have been a slam dunk as a continuation of the story laid down in "Final Fantasy VII" for the original PlayStation and its DVD sequel earlier this year, "Advent Children." Instead, it smells of squandered potential.
The game is effective in some ways, focusing on one of the game's most mysterious and popular characters, Vincent Valentine.
