Test Drive: Jaguar F-Type V6S vs Porsche Boxster S Head to Head

Picking a convertible can be a very emotional undertaking. You want to find something that is fun to drive, offers great flexibility, yet is not likely to to present too many reliability challenges. Recently, I did back-to-back tests of the newest entry to the luxury convertible class, the Jaguar F-Type, and the class standard bearer, the Porsche Boxster S. The Jag, with its sensuous shape and screaming exhaust system is a hot car and should serve as further indication that Jaguar is serious about a comeback after years of being relegated to the also-ran category. Its recent efforts, starting with the introduction of the XF sedan, the revised XJ, and now the F-Type definitely cemented Jaguar's place back in the minds of luxury buyers. However, is this new effort a good enough car to knock off Porsche, still one of the most beloved brands among car buyers in the US? Porsche's Boxster and 911 are frequently touted as being the ideal of what sports car owners look for in their rides, can the F-Type, which is aimed squarely between the two P-Cars, deliver a solid enough blow to keep it in contention?

Test Drive: 2013 Porsche Boxster S 6MT

Update: See how the Boxster S performed head-to-head against the all new Jaguar F-Type V6S.

Sometimes, you get into a car and it just feels familiar. Those sensations that you first experienced when you drove the various predecessors of such a car come flooding back and it only take moments to settle into a comfortable oneness with the car. Porsches, more than any other brand I have driven, seem to be able to capture that exact emotion. Heck, if you look at them, it seems that they are engineered around that concept, with the heritage of early 911s still clearly evident in even the latest model. Even the less expensive Boxster exhibits this character. I first drove a first-generation Boxster many years ago and even back then, the car was hugely impressive and really set a new bar for performance from convertibles. When I finally got around to testing this latest version, I was pleased to discover that this Porsche absolutely lives up to expectations. However, the competition has gotten significantly better in the more than a dozen years since the Boxster was originally introduced. So is the Boxster still king of the performance heap?

Test Drive: 2013 Nissan Rogue S AWD

I swear that it is not my intention to be hard on the folks at Nissan. My last few reviews and posts have all put Nissan in a less than positive light, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for the company that dared to defy convention and introduce the likes of the GT-R to the United States. However, while the GT-R is an incredible piece of engineering, most of the rest of the Nissan line-up leaves something to be desired in one way or another. My most recent experience with a Nissan product was during my trip back to the Washington D.C. area and was cut short by an ill-timed bit of misfortune.

Upon arriving at the rental counter to pick up my car, I was presented with a fairly fresh 2013 Nissan Rogue S AWD. Looking at the odometer, it registered just over 13000 miles, but I figured that this should be a fairly uneventful trip. Talk about being spectacularly wrong...

Test Drive: 2013 Mini Cooper S

See how the Mini Cooper S performed against its competitors in our Hot Hatch Comparison.

MSRP: $24,000
Price as tested: $31,200 


I admit that I have never driven a Mini before in my life. The car has never really interested me that much because I have always viewed the Mini Cooper as a cutesy chick car. My female neighbor owns one, and my fiancée thinks they are adorable. Of course, my image of the car has been built on the base model Mini Cooper, and not the sporty S model. Seeing as how I was already in the neighborhood, I figured I would just drop in, test it, and see if it could change my perception of the Mini Cooper.

Test Drive: 2013 Nissan Altima S CVT

Update: See how the Nissan Altima did in our 2013 Mid-Size Family Sedan Comparison.

Less than a decade ago, Nissan got a second chance at life. After spending much of the 1990's struggling with some completely mediocre products, French manufacturer Renault swooped in and completely restructured the ailing Japanses automaker. Carlos Ghosn, who became Chariman and CEO, orchestrated a massive turnaround that not only saved Nissan from going the way of the dodo, but actually produced a number of major commercial successes in the form of a reinvigorated Nissan Fairlady Z and a completely revised Infiniti luxury brand.

However, over a decade after the near-death experience, it appears that Nissan has once again resumed some less than healthy habits. The time spent with the 2013 Nissan Altima S summoned up the familiar bile of mediocrity that nearly ruined Nissan before the alliance with Renault. This entry into what is easily one of the most crowded, though important, segments of the automotive marketplace should be a product that Nissan can be proud of, especially as it is likely to represent a large portion of Nissan sales in any given year going forward. Yet, if this is the kind of product that Nissan wants to put forward as being representative of the brand, then perhaps we should pull the plug now and spare ourselves further agony.