2006 Subaru Legacy

 

Conservative as always, the Legacy was Subaru's flagship sedan, and retained a traditional look, despite being all-new for 2005. The 2006 Legacy was available as a sedan or a wagon and was powered by a 2.5-liter engine rated at a base 175 horsepower or 250 horsepower in GT trim.

2006 Volkswagen GTI

Volkswagen's high-performance, two-door hatchback version of the Jetta is the GTI. GTI stands for Grand Tourisme Injection. The 2006 GTI was powered by a 200-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic Direct Shift Gearbox with paddle shifters. Among its standard features were unique wheels and styling shared only with the Jetta GLI.

2006 Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible

This miniscule trunk opening is on the rear end of the New Beetle Convertible. The convertible's trunk offers 5 cubic feet of space, versus 12 in the sedan. The New Beetle had been given a minor update for 2006. Engine options included a 150-horsepower 2.5-liter 5-cylinder, or a 100-horsepower 1.9-liter TDI®, which, in the New Beetle, was supposed to deliver fuel economy of up to 58 miles per gallon, making it Volkswagen's most fuel-efficient vehicle.

2006 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

The 2006 Jetta TDI® was powered by a 100-horsepower 1.9-liter Turbo Direct Injection 4-cylinder diesel engine. Depending on the choice of a 5-speed manual or 6-speed Tiptronic® automatic transmission, this engine was supposed to deliver fuel economy of up to 36 city/42 highway. The TDI® engine, while efficient, did not meet emissions standards of all states, and thus was not available in California, New York, Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts. Other engine choices for the Jetta were a 200-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder, and a 150-horsepower 2.5-liter 5-cylinder.

2006 Volkswagen Passat

This was Volkswagen's impressive-looking all-new 2006 Passat. Powered by either a 200-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder with a 6-speed Tiptronic® automatic transmission or a 280-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 with either the automatic or a 6-speed manual. Also available with the V6 is Volkswagen's 4MOTION® permanent all-wheel drive. Other options included rain-sensing automatic wipers, Climatronic™ automatic climate control and heated front seats.

2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR

This is the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (or "Evo") MR. The MR comes with a 286-horsepower 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine with a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive.

On the rear of the roof, right above the rear window, is a series of fins that Mitsubishi refers to as a "Vortex Generator" that is intended to funnel the air off the roof to the spoiler.

2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT

This was Mitsubishi's new 2007 Eclipse Spyder GT, powered by a 260-horsepower 3.8-liter 24-valve V6 engine with traction control and 6-speed manual transmission. A 5-speed Sportronic® automatic transmission was also available. The Eclipse would also be available in GS trim, powered by a 162-horsepower 2.4-liter 16-valve inline 4-cylinder engine with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed Sportronic® automatic transmission.