Reviews & Test Drives

2019.03.13Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Boxster

718 Boxster GTS vs. 981 Boxster GTS: A Back-to-Back Comparison

A Chance to Ride in the 718 Boxster GTS! One Saturday in February, a friend of my husband’s took delivery of a 718 Boxster GTS. They arranged to meet at the East Rokko Observatory on Royu Driveway, where my husband would get a chance to ride along. The owner kindly suggested, “Why don’t you come along too, Mina?” I’d already asked my mother-in-law to watch the kids and had been looking forward to the day....

2019.03.13Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Boxster

Reviews & Test Drives

2019.03.02Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Panamera

Considering a Porsche Panamera (971)? What to Know Before You Buy

Before You Buy a Panamera This blog started because I’ve always loved the Panamera. These days, I write about other Porsche models too, but when I first launched the site, I wrote about the Panamera day in and day out! Lately, I’ve been getting more comments on older Panamera articles. Readers often say things like, “I had no idea the Panamera had that feature. I’m glad I found out before buying one.” So I decided...

2019.03.02Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Panamera

Reviews & Test Drives

2019.02.28Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz

AMG S63 4MATIC Coupe (C217) vs. Porsche Panamera Turbo (971): Which One Suits You?

The S63 and the Panamera In a previous article, I wrote about what it was like to own an AMG S63 Coupe. This time, I’m comparing the Panamera Turbo and AMG S63 Coupe. メルセデス・ベンツAMG S63 4MATIC クーペ （C217）を所有してみた感想 My husband had this to say about comparing the two: Since I’ve had the chance to own both a Panamera Turbo and an AMG S63 Coupe, I thought it would be interesting to compare them. But honestly,...

2019.02.28Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz

Reviews & Test Drives

2019.02.25Reviews & Test Drives, Mercedes-Benz

What It’s Like to Own a Mercedes-Benz AMG S 63 4MATIC Coupé (C217)

Goodbye, S 63 Coupé Since it was delivered last April, the AMG S 63 4MATIC Coupé (C217) has barely made an appearance on the blog. It’s a used example of a model first launched in 2014. It was delivered last April My husband usually kept the S 63 at the parking lot near his workplace, so it didn’t see all that much use. But, as it turns out, he had to part with it—with a...

2019.02.25Reviews & Test Drives, Mercedes-Benz

Reviews & Test Drives

2019.02.20Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Cayman

Porsche 718 Cayman S Review: Driving Royu Driveway in Sport Plus Mode

A Panamera Recall The other day, a letter arrived from Porsche Japan about a recall affecting the 971 Panamera. I opened it to find an explanation: “Due to incorrect programming in the electric power steering control unit, power steering assistance may be lost while driving. As a result, steering effort may increase.” I’d never noticed anything like that, so I assumed our Panamera was fine. But H. from the Porsche Center got in touch right...

2019.02.20Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Cayman

Reviews & Test Drives

2019.02.16Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Panamera

A Porsche Panamera Turbo Test-Drive Review—With a Few Things to Add

L’Operaio’s Panamera Turbo Review The other day, my husband said, “L’Operaio just posted a Panamera Turbo review on YouTube!” He promptly sat down to watch the nearly 40-minute video. As soon as he finished, he said: “Hmm… I see where they’re coming from, but that’s not quite it. I feel like they could have done a little more homework beforehand, and they don’t say much about the Panamera Turbo’s power or handling. It’s a shame,...

2019.02.16Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Panamera

Reviews & Test Drives

2019.01.18Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Cayman

Test-Driving the Porsche 718 Cayman: What’s Changed Since the 981?

A Chance to Drive the 718 Cayman Recently, our local Porsche Center—the one that always takes such good care of us—was replacing the speakers in our air-cooled 911. And, amazingly, they offered us a 718 Cayman as a loaner! That morning, after dropping our daughters off at their respective schools, I headed to the Porsche Center. When I walked inside, there it was: a brilliant blue 718 Cayman right out front. It looked incredibly cool,...

2019.01.18Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Cayman

Reviews & Test Drives

2019.01.12Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911

Does the Porsche 991.2 GT3 (Manual) Automatically Match Engine Speed on Upshifts?

My Husband’s Researching the GT3 The other day, my husband placed an order for a 911 GT3 Touring (991.2) at lightning speed. Since then, he’s been constantly researching the car at home, reading online reviews and magazine articles. I can’t help thinking, “Now that you’ve ordered it, do you really need to keep researching?” But then I remembered how, before our 971 Panamera was delivered, he ordered and devoured every magazine he could find about...

2019.01.12Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911

Reviews & Test Drives

2019.01.07Reviews & Test Drives, Nissan

My Husband Test-Drives a Nissan GT-R Black Edition: Driving Impressions and How It Compar...

Our Family at the End of 2018 At the end of last year, my daughters and I spent about a week at my parents’ house. While we were away, my husband had the freedom to take the car out on his own and enjoy a few solo drives. In fact, this has become our family’s tradition during the year-end holidays and other extended breaks. I get a chance to recharge from childcare and housework at...

2019.01.07Reviews & Test Drives, Nissan

Reviews & Test Drives

2018.12.23Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Panamera

Driving a Porsche Panamera on the Highway: Does Adaptive Cruise Control Really Improve Fu...

Taking the Panamera on the Highway I had an appointment in Nagoya on a weekday recently, so I decided to drive my Panamera from home to Nagoya via the highway. I’d always thought the Meishin and Shin-Meishin Expressways were busy with trucks and other traffic, so I wondered whether using adaptive cruise control (ACC) for the whole drive might make things easier… Then I had another idea: “What if I drive normally on the way...

2018.12.23Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Panamera