INSIDE LINE

Road Tests

All Road Tests

  • 2011 Infiniti M56 First Drive

    Road Test

    2011 Infiniti M56 First Drive

    29 Ratings | 28 Comments

    Remember Zevolution? It was a derogatory term in the car biz that described the gradual, inexorable inflation of a car's curb weight and silhouette, predicated. . .

    1883

  • 2011 Buick Regal First Drive

    Road Test

    2011 Buick Regal First Drive

    11 Ratings | 22 Comments

    We say that it's the first drive of the 2011 Buick Regal and it is, mostly. Sort of. You see, one of the vehicles that we recently drove around southeastern. . .

    1883

  • 2010 Lexus GX 460 First Drive

    Road Test

    2010 Lexus GX 460 First Drive

    51 Ratings | 29 Comments

    Load up the 2010 Lexus GX 460 with all of its options and you get no fewer than five onboard cameras looking out for you. One watches the lane ahead, another. . .

    1883

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt First Drive and Video

    Road Test

    2011 Chevrolet Volt First Drive and Video

    6 Ratings | 5 Comments

    Bookmark this URL and check back on Monday, November 30 to read Inside Line' s first drive of the all-new production-ready 2011 Chevrolet Volt . Chevy's Volt. . .

    1883

  • 2009 Campagna T-Rex 1400R Full Test and Video

    Road Test

    2009 Campagna T-Rex 1400R Full Test and Video

    5 Ratings | 7 Comments

    On the great list of things we must have in our lifetime the 1,125-pound, 197-horsepower, 2009 Campagna T-Rex three-wheeler ranks just below chrome underwear and. . .

    1883

  • 2010 GMC Terrain Full Test and Video

    Road Test

    2010 GMC Terrain Full Test and Video

    27 Ratings | 21 Comments

    Platform sharing is badge engineering's younger, more sophisticated sibling. Done right, platform sharing can create drastically different vehicles from the same. . .

    1883

  • 2010 Hennessey HPE700 LS9 Camaro First Drive and Video

    Road Test

    2010 Hennessey HPE700 LS9 Camaro First Drive and Video

    14 Ratings | 10 Comments

    It's the most obvious combination since the invention of the word "duh." Throw the supercharged, 6.2-liter LS9 V8 from the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 into the nose. . .

    1883

  • 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 First Drive

    Road Test

    2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 First Drive

    13 Ratings | 14 Comments

    The BMW X6 coupe-ute is already a plenty weird thing. The X6 M is weirder still, adding incomprehensible performance capability to this plenty weird thing (to say. . .

    1883

  • 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Full Test and Video

    Road Test

    2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Full Test and Video

    16 Ratings | 41 Comments

    It's a sound product-planning formula to follow, and we endorse it: a special, limited-edition car with the looks and the hardware of an almost unattainable top-shelf. . .

    1883

  • 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia First Drive

    Road Test

    2010 Ferrari 458 Italia First Drive

    25 Ratings | 18 Comments

    Ping open the driver-side door — it's a high-pressure die-cast piece, all metal and yet light as carbon fiber and it does indeed open with a resounding ping .. . .

    1883

  • 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon Full Test and Video

    Road Test

    2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon Full Test and Video

    32 Ratings | 42 Comments

    We're stopped in traffic when a clunker of a Corolla slots up on our right and comes to a stop. Odd behavior, really, as that lane has a green arrow, while our. . .

    1883

  • 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG First Drive

    Road Test

    2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG First Drive

    20 Ratings | 28 Comments

    Did someone shorten the straightaway between Turn 11 and the start-finish line here at Laguna Seca? The track also seems strangely narrower since our last visit,. . .

    1883

Overview

Road Tests

At Inside Line, one of the most enjoyable parts of our job involves road tests. Primarily these are broken into two categories: First Drives and Full Tests.

A First Drive road test is typically scheduled when a manufacturer is introducing a new model or an update of an existing model. We receive an invitation to attend a special introduction for the media and one of our writers goes to see the vehicle and drives it. The manufacturer gives a presentation outlining its thought processes involving the vehicle's development and what it hopes to accomplish in the market, and then writer will then drive the vehicle. Later heżll write a road test article that combines an overview of the design, engineering and technology with driving impressions.

When the vehicle finally enters production (usually within three to four months), we acquire an example from the manufacturer that represents finalized specifications. We will typically keep it for about two weeks and run it through a rigorous testing regimen put together by our team of test-drivers and engineers. We'll take it to the test track, measure and weigh it, and then acquire handling, braking and performance figures using our highly specialized equipment. In addition, weżll take photographs and video of the vehicle, and then several editors will evaluate it. One editor will write the Full Road Test, presenting another mechanical overview but with emphasis on the results of testing as well as the driving impressions acquired by our staff. We'll also discuss the way the vehicle stacks up against its competition in terms of features, performance and price.

ExpandOverview Expand Collapse

Advertisement

Advertisement