<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1" ?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>washingtonpost.com - On Wheels</title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/business/columns/autos/brownwarren?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><description>On Wheels</description><language>en-us</language><ttl>15</ttl><image><title>washingtonpost.com</title><width>140</width><height>20</height><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com</link><url>http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/hp/image/wp_web.gif</url></image><item><title><![CDATA[As Cool as a Spring Breeze]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56206-2005Apr15.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56206-2005Apr15.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Spring smells better with the top down. There is the scent of flowering plants mixed with tailpipe exhaust, the odor of freshly mowed lawns accented by gasoline vapor; and in Northern Virginia neighborhoods where modest old homes are being razed and replaced by mini-mansions, there is the slightest hint of sawdust floating in the air with bee pollen.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Pickup Line With Potential]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36997-2005Apr8.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36997-2005Apr8.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[There are many pickup trucks in this little town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are Chevrolets, Fords, Dodge trucks  --  and an occasional model from Nissan or Toyota. The theme is clear: This is American pickup-truck country.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[The 'M' Stands for Mmmm]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19052-2005Apr1.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19052-2005Apr1.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Luxury is not an inherent enemy of common sense. The two need not be at odds with each other. In fact, something wonderful happens when they both just get along.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Just Enough Bad Attitude]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1263-2005Mar25.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1263-2005Mar25.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[NEW YORK<br>You need a truck in this city. You need something with a tough suspension, a hard body and a nasty attitude.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Good Driving for the Real World]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46855-2005Mar18.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46855-2005Mar18.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[SAN DIEGO<br> At times along Interstate 8, running east of this city, you realize that horsepower is an illusion. The more of it you have, the more you think you're in control. But the truth is that you're in control of nothing, not even the illusion.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dancing With a Rare Beauty]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26957-2005Mar11.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26957-2005Mar11.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[CORONADO, Calif.<br>Value has two faces. The one better known is basic, common, practical. It offers much, costs little. It's an easy buy for the masses.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Driving Past Europe]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7373-2005Mar4.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7373-2005Mar4.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Prestige is overrated, which is not the same as saying it's unimportant. It matters as long as people think it matters, which is why it's overrated. Many people have inflated opinions of themselves and the things that furnish their world.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Stalwart Son of a Cavalier]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53844-2005Feb25.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53844-2005Feb25.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Give me warm socks, a great sweater and a good pair of jeans or khaki pants. Put me in tough, comfortable shoes. It matters not whether their tops are leather or canvas as long as their bottoms are rubber with grip.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[A More Refined Green Machine]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34882-2005Feb18.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34882-2005Feb18.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[One way to get people to pay higher prices for new technology is to cover it with luxury. Car companies have done this for decades, which is why items such as automatic transmissions and power steering first appeared on high-end automobiles.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gilding the Station Wagon]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17276-2005Feb11.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17276-2005Feb11.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[I'm having second thoughts about "Zoom-Zoom," the Mazda Motor Corp. theology that says all sedans, minivans, sport-utility vehicles and station wagons must have the soul of a sports car.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Take This Animal Out to Run]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63987-2005Feb4.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63987-2005Feb4.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The best times are early weekend mornings when traffic is light, the road is clear. But there are serendipitous workday hours, too, usually between 1 and 3 p.m., when Interstate 66, heading west, offers beautiful driving.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[An SUV Package Worth Opening]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44937-2005Jan28.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44937-2005Jan28.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[I don't know how long Hyundai Motor Co. can continue doing what it's doing. But I'm sure the Korean car company's rivals are hoping that it will stop -- and soon.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Well-Dressed, but Still a Workhorse]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27196-2005Jan21.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27196-2005Jan21.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[There is a difference between the ruling and working classes. I can explain it in terms of limousines and pickup trucks.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Add Sunshine, Be Stirred]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10232-2005Jan14.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10232-2005Jan14.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[SANTA MONICA<br>It's hard to love a convertible in wind and rain, hard to enjoy it in a land of sodden hills ready to tumble with the next downpour.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Pleasantly Dressed to Impress]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56904-2005Jan7.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56904-2005Jan7.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[LOS ANGELES<br>The 2005 Mercedes-Benz C240 4Matic wagon makes sense here -- but not because people in this city of endless highways need all-wheel-drive vehicles.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[From a Rumble to a Gentle Purr]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36742-2004Dec30.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36742-2004Dec30.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[It began with a rumble, in the manner of a person awakening from a deep sleep with a heavy cough. I did not like this.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Minus Style Points, It's Still a Winner]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22791-2004Dec23.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22791-2004Dec23.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[It is a frequent query: "What is your favorite car? Which do you love most?"]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Subtly Sexy, Satisfyingly Solid]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8214-2004Dec17.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8214-2004Dec17.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Of all the current mid-size family sedans, many of them indistinguishable in exterior design and equally bland in performance, I'd really rather have the 2005 Buick LaCrosse CXS.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Heavy Only on Its Curb Appeal]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55612-2004Dec10.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55612-2004Dec10.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The 2005 Porsche Cayenne Tiptronic has a curb weight -- the total factory weight minus passengers and cargo -- of 4,785 pounds. For District residents, that means it will be able to escape the city's higher excise taxes and registration fees on what the D.C. government calls "large, luxury SUVs" -- sport-utility vehicles weighing 5,000 pounds or more.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Power Trip, With Trimmings]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32738-2004Dec3.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32738-2004Dec3.html?nav=rss_business/columns/autos/brownwarren</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:25:57 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[I must return the wireless headphones. They belong to the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited sport-utility vehicle we drove to New York over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.]]></description><author> Warren Brown</author></item></channel></rss>