New Posts Coming

Hello readers I would like to apologize for the delay in car reviews. I will be making appointment to review the Dodge Dart and the Dodge Charger. These review will hopefully come before the end of the month so keep checking back or subscribe so you can check those out :)

2012 Chevy Sonic

Chevy Sonic

The Chevrolet Sonic is all new to Chevy, the only relations it has with the Chevy Aveo is putting it out of its misery. The Aveo had a bad rep of being cheap and good for nothing but a rental car. So let’s see if the brand new Chevy Sonic can get the nightmare of the Aveo out of our heads.

Styling

I like the look of the Sonic. It has an aggressive look and in my opinion comes in second in its class to looks. I like the two large grilles and how they match so perfectly with the headlights, and the headlights are greatly complemented by the perfectly sculpted hood. I am not a big fan of hatchbacks but this car in hatchback form is decent but you still won’t find one in my drive way. The sedan on the other hand looks awesome from the back but I feel like this car still has an Aveo look, and if you are going to keep the look it doesn’t make much since to change the name. The inside is very basic but nice. There are tons of hard plastics but if you check the others in this class that is all you’ll see.  The placement of buttons is wonderful but there is not an available nav and as we all know I think every interior looks better with a screen.

Trims

The sonic has a lot of trims, so many that it could make your head spin so I will break them down a little more than I usually do. They have the 1LS and the 2LS, the only difference is the 1 is manual and the 2 is automatic, the rest of the standard features are the same. The next step up is the 1LT and 2LT, and again the only difference is 1 equals manual and 2 equals automatic. I do not know why they do not just let you option the automatic on but anyway they do the same thing on the next level up the 1LZ and 2LZ.  Every trim on this car has a manual version and ten airbags which by the way is a lot for such a tiny car.

2012 Chrysler 300

Chrysler 300

            The Chrysler 300 first model year was 2005, and believe it or not it’s in 2012 it is only in its second generation. So let’s see how Chrysler planned to improve their only mid-size sedan.

Styling

            The 300 looks a lot different from its second generation but still holds the 300 family appearances. The front end of this car looks wonderful. In my opinion the 300 has the second most beautiful head lights, right behind Audi.  The hood of the 300 is wonderfully sculpted and lines seemed to be perfectly placed. It is a good thing that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder because I think the back of the 300 looks awful and it’s enough to make me not want it in my driveway. I do not like the slim fake Cadillac tail lights, and it’s even worse with that ugly silver white stuff around the tail light. I liked the first generations tail lights a lot better. I also do not like the overly sculpted trunk lid. To me it looks like Chrysler just tried too hard. With that out of the way the inside of this car is extraordinary.  It has lots of soft touches and it is one of the few cars that make wood trim looks good. The inside of this car looks so good to me that it almost made up for the ugly tail end. The Oversized head-unit and good quality knobs this car has one of my favorite interiors.

2012 Scion TC

Scion TC

            The Scion TC first smacked the pavement back in 2004. In my opinion it didn’t change much in its second generation. Watching other reviews and hearing other people talk they seem to see a difference but to me it looks like your average TC. If they did do any changing it wasn’t huge.

Styling

            I just love the styling of the TC, it’s just wonderfully done. I am a fan of thin headlights and grille, which this car flaunts as it heads down the road. Then when it passes you it blesses you with elegance of perfectly places square taillights. I have always been impressed with the look of the car. Although the outside is wonderful it doesn’t quite make it to the inside. The interior looks kind of childish to me. The bubble looking rings that they call speakers on the doors don’t help along with the over-simplistic layout of the dash. Now with that out of the way the steering wheel is fantastic, one of my favorite of the competition. Another note to add is this car is not meant for five people, even though the website claims it is, but that shouldn’t bother most people. If you are looking at a car like this you probably don’t have a lot of passengers or you have another car that can seat five people.

2012 Chevrolet Cruze

Chevrolet Cruze 

              The Chevrolet Cruze is a new car to Chevy’s line up. It replaces the Aveo this year and with the new name it can set up its own reputation.

 Styling 

              The Cruze is a very handsome car. It has a bold front end with a grill split by the Chevy bow tie and decently sized head lamps. The tail has a chrome strip in between perfectly shaped tail lights. All in all this car makes statements that I usually don't hearing from this American car company. The Inside of the Cruze is also very well done. The screen is nice and high and the layout is relatively simple. There are a lot of plastics but that is what you should expect in this class.

Trims

The Cruze has a total of four trims. The base trim is the LS and then you have 1LT, 2LT, and the LTZ. Then they have an ECO trim which is a super fuel efficient engine.

Power-Train

The Cruze has two engines. There is the 1.8 liter I-4 that gives you 138-hp and 123 foot pound of torque and the 1.4L turbocharged the has 138-hp with 148 foot pounds of torque.

Toyota Corolla

2012 Toyota Corolla

            Toyota has been giving birth to Corolla since 1966. They have been known to live forever. The Corolla is in its 11^th generation and with the years devoted to perfecting it, this car should be perfect.

Styling

            The Corolla has a decent look. It’s simple yet tasteful with the normal size head lights and normal size grille. The rear end is not all that daring but looks great. I feel it could do without the chrome strip. Fog lamps to the front and spoiler on the back are little things that go along way with the style of this car. The inside of the car is also simple yet tasteful. The entune system makes for a better view of the inside, but without it it’s still nice.

More Reviews

         Hello Readers,
                        I am pleased to tell you that I have just got out of Toyota's Corolla, Scion's TC, and Chevy's Cruze and I am very happy to announce that there reviews will be up soon. Keep an eye open for them :)

2012 Chrysler 200

Chrysler 200

            The Chrysler 200 is in its first generation and it looks very promising. The 200 replaces the Sebring and may by itself go a long way toward bolstering this automaker’s reputation.

Styling

            The Chrysler 200 is a stylish car. The front end is elegant with curved lights and nicely proportioned grille. I often find chrome can easily make a car look gaudy but Chrysler put the chrome in all the right places. The tail end of the car is also wonderful, with the taillights on both sides of a tasteful streak of chrome which in my opinion looks fantastic. I also love the inside of the 200; the interior is very simple but from the driver’s seat the seat is eye-candy. The view looks a lot better with the navigation system, but as you should know by now I am a navi fanatic so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Another thing that I love about the inside of this car is the steering wheel. Not many steering wheels appear as a strong point but the 200’s wheel noticeably is a perfect fit for this car.

Trims

            There are four trims with the 200. The LX, Touring, Limited, and the Sporty S trim. The LX trim is your typical bottom trim. The Website can be a little confusing but don’t be fooled you cannot get a nav in this trim; it is a very basic car. The Touring and the Limited are supposed to be the middle trims, but I would consider Limited as the top. The S trim is Chrysler’s power-packed trim like Dodge’s R/T and they shouldn’t even be compared with the other trims, because the engine is bigger and the price a lot higher.

Upcoming Posts

                                                           Hello Readers



          I am writing to let you know that I have two more reviews coming up. The Mitsubishi Lancer and The Chrysler 200. Tune in on Sunday to read my reviews.

2012 Honda Civic

2012 Honda Civic

            Honda has been selling Civics since about 1973, and the 2012 is the ninth generation. After the testing the Ford Focus I thought that I should go for the Honda Civic because this is the perfect car. They are known to be reliable, good driving, and they live forever.

Styling

            The Honda Civic has really gone bland. It has always lacked style but now they took bland to a whole new level. They have dulled down the tail end and made the front end more aerodynamic that gives the car an average look, which to me is actually refreshing. It is really nice to be able to choose a car that isn’t pretentious looking with huge bubble lights and small rear windows. I think that it is great to be able to choose your average, normal car. I have never been a fan of the two dashboard thing that the Civic has going on, but plenty of people love it, and it is very functional. But I think it is very displeasing in appearance.

2012 Ford Focus

2012 Ford Focus

           The Focus has been in Ford’s line-up for a while and is now in its third generation. I have heard lots of hype about this latest version and decided that it will be the first car for TheCarHandbook. I went into the dealership for the ‘dealership experience’ to determine for myself how great the Ford Focus really is.

Styling

The Ford Focus exterior isn’t impressive to me. I am not a fan of the big upper lip look in the front or the way lower grille swops up to the smaller main grille. But the interior is a different story. I found it to be very functional and comfortable, except for the stubbiness of the armrest. I happen to sit very close to the wheel so I couldn’t rest my arm on the armrest because it wasn’t long enough. But this may not be an issue for most people. The view from the Focus was expansive and I like the little mirrors inside of the side mirrors. It does take a little adapting to but it is very handy when you do.                                                    

Welcome To The Car Handbook (TCHB)

Hello Car Lovers and New Car Buyers,

 Welcome to The Car Handbook. The Car Handbook is a brand new blog that I created to provide readers objective information on all automobiles.  Below you will see a list of car logos ranging from z-a - yeah I know, backwards but hey, I have to keep you on your toes somehow.  Anyway, when I place a review the logos will be clickable and they will bring you my connecting blogs. Each manufacturer will have its own connecting blog under The Car Handbook.  So here is an example: this blog link is TheCarHandbook.blogspot.com and if you click on the Acura logo it will bring you to TheCarHandbook-Acura.blogspot.com. 

I hope that you find all of this information interesting and useful and that you follow the main blog and the blog of your favorite manufacturer.  If you have any question or have any request of cars to review please let me know.