Jim Bray, CFP Automotive Editor

“Dumbo” Flies onto Blu-ray

Walt Disney's Dumbo is 70 years old! And for its birthday, this senior citizen of pachyderms has been given the type of loving treatment Disney Studios is known for, via a terrific new Blu-ray presentation. It couldn't be more welcome!

Ford Hones its Edge for 2011

Talk about living on the Edge! I recently got to spend more than two weeks in a pair of Ford Edges, putting some serious seat time behind me both in my neck of the woods and on a working vacation road trip. It was the first serious seat time I'd had in the Edge, a vehicle I'd been looking forward to trying since it first came out a few years ago.

Bose Enters Bluetooth Speaker Market with a Flourish

Bose's new SoundLink wireless mobile speaker brings to Android devices the type of audio quality consumers have been able to enjoy from the company's SoundDock line.

New Elantra Leaves Reviewer Elated

Who'd have thought that "Fluidic Sculpture" could be synonymous with "Great looking"? Yet when it comes to the exterior styling of the fifth generation Hyundai Elantra, that's exactly what the result is.

Reference Recordings Offer Quality Sound for Audiophiles

With the invasion of digital music files such as MP3s, tunes suddenly became more portable and convenient than ever.

Leader International Gives its Impression of a Tablet

Tablets are wonderful, and seemingly becoming about as common as PC's in the marketplace. For portability and convenience, depending on what you want to do, you really can't beat a tablet.

Ford Fusion Hybrid Seductive Temptation for the Hybrid-averse

Ford's Fusion Hybrid manages to toe the line between green and "GO!" extremely well. It's a high mileage-achieving mid-size sedan that still manages to be a compelling vehicle to drive, something that can't be said for most hybrids I've driven.

Top Gear Season 16 on Blu-ray disc

Probably the most entertaining car show on TV today, Top Gear, is shown around the world and has also spawned spinoff series. But if you really want to watch it the way it should be seen, you really should experience it on Blu-ray. How else can you chuckle at every nook and cranny of Jeremy Clarkson's face – let alone revel in the rich colors of the many vehicles they cover and the locations they inflict themselves upon on the show?

Honda Civic 2012 – A New Generation Joins a Crowded Market

Honda's classic Civic is back with a new suit of clothes for 2012, the eighth such makeover since the car came to North America in the 1970's. And it appears Honda has chosen to play it safe with this latest iteration rather than push the envelope. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, of course, especially since the Civic was a great car already. And there have certainly been copious changes and innovations over the decades since the Civic appeared on these shores as a two door coupe/hatchback. The car has definitely been a success story for Honda, and deservedly so.

Mercedes-Benz’ Slick new SLK

Mercedes-Benz sporty SLK is back with a new, third generation version that's attractive, luxurious, and fun to drive. And the two seat, retractable hard top "vario-roof" car looks and works better than ever, with a new exterior that's reminiscent of the company's SLS AMG supercar, and with enough performance and technology to please the discerning driver.

Olympus Voice Recorder Offers Three Microphones, Expandable Storage

Olympus DM-620 digital voice recorder is a powerful tool for those looking to make quality recordings away from home. Digital voice recorders have certainly carved out a niche in today's technological world and I wouldn't want to be without one. I use such devices all the time, either when I'm interviewing subjects for articles or merely to take verbal notes – for example when I'm driving a review vehicle and want to remember a point later without having to stop the car on the side of the road and scribble something down.

Livio and Verbatim Make Car Tunes More Flexible

People who want to take their own tunes into their cars have a couple of new opportunities, including one that'll let you play digital files in vehicles that don't normally have the capability. Taking along your own tunes is nothing new, of course. People have been cooking their own programming since the days of tape cassettes and even 8 Tracks to a certain extent. But with the advent of MP3 files, which can pack lots of music into a tiny amount of storage space (at the cost of "dumbed down" sound quality if you compress them too much), there has never been more flexibility, especially when you add to the mix such things as hard drive-based car audio systems.

Chrysler 200 – Little Big Car

Chrysler's new 200 could be the perfect vehicle for Doctor Who, if the popular BBC sci-fi show character were ever to look for a conventional mode of transportation. Why? Well, despite it being a rather conventional four door sedan it's similar to the Doctor's preferred method of transportation – the TARDIS – because it appears bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Okay, that may be an optical illusion, but hop inside this midsize sedan and you're in a roomy cabin that feels even roomier than it is.

The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions – Error Correction

It was one of the most anticipated film series in the history of cinefantastique when it hit Blu-ray in 2010, but some fans were disappointed that it was only the shorter theatrical versions, and even they had their issues. Now, however, it appears Alliance Atlantis has listened to the fans because they've released this new boxed set of all three of Peter Jackson's classic films in all their extended glory, and all of them look and sound fantastic.

Mazda’s Fun Fours – SPEED3 and MX-5

Mazda's MAZDASPEED3and MX-5 are definitely a couple of "Zoom-Zoom" treats for fine, summer driving. And what could be more fun than that after a seemingly endless winter and wet spring? The nice thing is that, thanks to the SPEED3's "conventional" four door wagon configuration, and the MX-5's snug retractable hardtop, they'll also provide entertaining drives in the winter.

Acer Iconia Tab – iPad Competitor with a Familiar Face

More and more companies are getting into the tablet market, trying to snag some of the profits Apple is snaring with its iPad. Most of these are fairly straightforward tablets, flat panels with big touch screens that use either Apple's iOS or Android. I've been playing with an Acer Iconia Tab that's a different kettle of fish to such pads, however. Acer's Iconia W500-BZ607 is more like a two piece netbook PC than a tablet. It also eschews Apple and Android operating systems, instead offering consumers the familiar Windows 7 system, so there isn't much of a learning curve if you're a Windows user already. Not only that, but the thing should run all your favorite Windows apps as well, so you shouldn't have file compatibility problems, either.

Kia Optima a Real Deal

Kia definitely seems to be throwing down the gauntlet, and if they keep making cars like the new Optima, other manufacturers had better be looking over their shoulders. The Optima really knocked my socks off when I drove it for a week recently; it not only looks great, it drives well and has just about every technological toy and/or tool you can imagine, short possibly of the ability to drive itself. Maybe they're holding that back for 2012…

Subaru Legacy, Nissan Rogue – Affordable All-wheel Drive

All-wheel drive can come in a handy if you're looking for the most traction or flexibility in where you can take your vehicle – such as in snowy climes or to off-road locations. Nothing is free, of course, and all-wheel drive technology also adds weight and complexity to a vehicle, and any time you add something to a basic vehicle you can assume the price is going to go up as well. Fortunately, all-wheel drive doesn't have to break the bank, as witnessed by the two vehicles under discussion in this column: the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Legacy.

Samsung Galaxy Tab – an iPad Killer? - And Scuplteo’s Mini-Me Statues - Micro Yourself!

It seems as if everyone and his dog is trying to get a slice of the tablet market Apple created with the introduction of the iPad. Imitation, it seems, truly is the sincerest form of flattery. One of the leading contenders is Samsung's Galaxy Tab, with which I got to spend a couple of weeks recently. I bought an iPad 1 when the iPad 2 came out and Apple cut the price for the old one, and I absolutely love it. In fact, I rarely use my netbook any more; the only thing I really miss is the ability to download pictures and voice files to it from my other devices. Well, that and Flash, of course.

VW Jetta Diesel – Cheap on Fuel, Big on Torque

Pump pain. It's the ache you feel at the sight of your bank account being depleted of vital resources by the vital resources your vehicle burns if it's to be of any use to you. The quest to minimize pump pain is one of the great pastimes these days. How do you stretch that fuel dollar so you can afford other necessities of life, like groceries?