Reviews & Test Drives

2022.11.10Reviews & Test Drives, Mercedes-Benz

Test Drive Review of the Mercedes-Benz GLS580｜How Does the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL Perform?

GLS580 4MATIC My younger brother, who occasionally appears on this blog, bought a car as usual. This time, it’s the Mercedes-Benz GLS580 4MATIC Sport Chauffeur Package. As of the time of writing this blog, the GLS580 has already been removed from the Japanese lineup, and currently, the only new models available are the GLS400D and the AMG GLS63. Previously, I considered purchasing the GLS400d and even test drove it. At that time, I was somewhat...

2022.11.10Reviews & Test Drives, Mercedes-Benz

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.10.12Reviews & Test Drives

Test Drive of the New Chevrolet Corvette (C8)｜Beyond All Expectations

The Coolness of American Sports Cars I haven’t been able to travel recently due to COVID, but I usually go on business trips to the U.S. once or twice a year. Whenever I do, I always rent a slightly higher-grade car and try to travel by car as much as possible. For example, I’ve done grand tours from LA to Las Vegas and then to San Francisco, which is one of the pleasures of business...

2022.10.12Reviews & Test Drives

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.09.29Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

MINI JCW (MINI John Cooper Works) Test Drive Review

MINI John Cooper Works The other day, a friend purchased a BMW MINI JCW (John Cooper Works), and I had the chance to take it for a test drive. This time, I wanted to review it with as few preconceptions as possible, so I didn’t do any prior research before the day arrived. The JCW I saw for the first time had a completely different vibe from a regular MINI. The first things that catch...

2022.09.29Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.09.21Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Macan

Test Drive Report of the New Macan (3rd Generation Base Model)｜Winding Roads & Summary

Testing the New Macan (3rd Generation) on Winding Roads Continuing from the previous article, this is a review of the new Macan (3rd generation). This time, I’m reporting on my impressions when taking the Macan onto winding roads. When you think of the Macan, it’s a very sporty SUV, and calling it merely sporty doesn’t do it justice—it’s a car with the athleticism that makes you want to call it a ‘sports car’. The strong...

2022.09.21Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Macan

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.08.20Reviews & Test Drives

Test Drive of Mercedes-Benz GLB200d 4MATIC: Engine Sound, Suspension, and Handling (Part 2)

Following up on the previous test drive of the Mercedes-Benz GLB200d 4MATIC: Differences from the GLA (Part 1), here is the second part of the report. GLB200d 4MATIC GLB200d Engine Sound One more notable point about the GLB’s engine is the sound it makes when revved. At first, since it’s a diesel engine, I thought it would either be simply quiet or just noisy, but it’s neither. The engine produces a sound that’s clearly audible...

2022.08.20Reviews & Test Drives

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.08.18Reviews & Test Drives, Mercedes-Benz

Test Drive of Mercedes-Benz GLB200d 4MATIC｜Differences from GLA and More (Part 1)

GLB200d 4MATIC The other day, a friend of mine purchased a GLB200d 4MATIC, so I had the chance to test drive it. Actually, I had previously test driven my younger brother’s GLA200d 4MATIC. At that time, I was impressed by the engine and body’s rigidity, and the stability at high speeds was amazing. The handling was very sporty, but at town speeds, I felt the rear suspension was a bit bouncy over uneven roads and...

2022.08.18Reviews & Test Drives, Mercedes-Benz

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.07.13Reviews & Test Drives, Mercedes-Benz

Test Drive of the Mercedes-Benz E200 Coupe: Differences from the S Coupe and BMW Coupes

[TOC] Luxury Coupe When I think of the E-Class coupe, I recall the 1993 movie “The Firm” where Tom Cruise’s character drove a 300CE. Although it was a cabriolet, it was a luxury coupe from Mercedes’ mid-size class (W124 generation) at the time, and I remember having a strong admiration for it during my student days. Since then, I have driven Honda’s Legend Coupe (KA8), and more recently, the R129 SL500 and AMG S63. I...

2022.07.13Reviews & Test Drives, Mercedes-Benz

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.07.06Reviews & Test Drives, Mercedes-Benz

Father is Mercedes, Mother is Porsche! Test Driving the AMG-Tuned E60 Based on the Merced...

Parents Are Porsche and Mercedes 500E Are you familiar with the Mercedes W124 E-Class model called the 500E (later known as the E500)? This W124 E-Class, the ancestor of today’s E-Class, originally came in versions like the 230E and 300E, but the 500E was created specifically to house the V8 engine from the then top-tier Mercedes sports car, the SL500. The development of the 500E was handled by Porsche’s Weissach engineering center, and part of...

2022.07.06Reviews & Test Drives, Mercedes-Benz

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.04.10Reviews & Test Drives

Test Drive of the Bentley Continental GT Convertible｜Enjoying the Power and Composure of...

Continental GT I had previously test-driven the Bentley Continental GT when considering replacing my Panamera. That was the W12 coupe, and the test drive was in the city, but this time, I had the opportunity to drive the W12-powered convertible on mountain roads. From my earlier city drive, the impression was that it felt sportier than the typical Bentley image. The basic ride quality was quite similar to the Panamera Turbo I was driving at...

2022.04.10Reviews & Test Drives

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.02.03Reviews & Test Drives, Volkswagen

Test Driving the Volkswagen Golf R (Golf 7): What Sets It Apart from the Standard Golf?

Volkswagen Golf There’s a car we once had at home that I deeply regretted letting go. Even now, my wife and I often say, “That car was really well made, wasn’t it?” That car was the Volkswagen Golf. Back then, I drove the Golf 7 Early Model ALLSTAR, a special edition that was a slightly upgraded version of the 1.2 base grade. It was an incredibly versatile car, perfect for everything from daily commuting and...

2022.02.03Reviews & Test Drives, Volkswagen