Sam Moses, Author at NewCarTestDrive

Sam Moses has been an automotive journalist for nearly 20 years, and before that a motorsports writer for 17 years, and before that a motorcycle journalist. As deputy editor at Autoweek, he received automotive journalism’s prestigious Ken Purdy Award. Moses is the author of four books, including the classic racing memoir, Fast Guys, Rich Guys and Idiots. His current blockbuster is a parenting memoir, It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This: The Dream Lives of Papa Madre and the AngloArabian Brothers.

Moses began his journalism career covering grand prix motorcycle racing in Europe. He was a staff writer for Sports Illustrated for 17 years, where, for stories, he climbed Yosemite’s El Capitan; crewed in the Trans-Pacific sailboat race; hunted alligators in the Bayous and bobcats in the Allagash; dived off the cliffs at Acapulco; rode shotgun in a P-51 in the Reno Air Races; set the world motorcycle speed record for 24 hours at Daytona with four others; co-drove in La Carrera Panamericana, the revival of the 1800-mile Mexican Road Race from Guatemala to Texas; descended the remote and treacherous River of Doubt in the Brazilian Amazon, retracing the 1914 expedition of Theodore Roosevelt; and put the first free ascent up the sheer face of the mysterious 16,000-foot Carstensz Pyramid in New Guinea, led there through the jungle with his two partners by erstwhile cannibals.

An avid kiteboarder, Moses lives in the Columbia River Gorge. He remains a racer, competing in vintage races in his thundering ex-NASCAR Oldsmobile, once driven by the late, great Dale Earnhardt.

Reviews by Sam Moses

2019 Cadillac ATS

For 2019 the Cadillac ATS becomes a coupe-only nameplate; it’s no longer offered as a sedan. This cutting of two doors is just a prelude to cutting the car altogether. The...
2018 Kia Niro

The Kia Niro was introduced as a new vehicle for 2017, a compact gas-electric hybrid wagon. For 2018, a plug-in hybrid version has been added. All come with front-wheel drive. All-wheel...
2017 Cadillac ATS

The Cadillac ATS is an all-American car, in coupe or sedan form, as good as the best of the German sports sedan or coupes. The 2017 Cadillac ATS, the fourth year...
2017 Nissan 370Z

The Nissan 370Z is an icon. Name another sports car that was a sensation from the gate, nearly 50 years ago, and is still around in a shapely form that’s true...
2017 Nissan GT-R

The Nissan GT-R, with its twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6, is one of the world’s highest performing sports cars. Name the cars that can match its acceleration of zero to sixty in 2.7...
2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The 2017 Mercedes-Benz E 300 sedan is all new. It’s bigger, better looking, more efficient and more substantial than before. It’s more technologically advanced than the flagship S-Class, with more infotainment...
2017 Audi Q7

The all-new 2017 Audi Q7 marks the second generation of this full-sized all-wheel-drive crossover, a derivative of the trendsetting Volvo XC90 for its tall sportwagon design. With its sophisticated suspension, lighter...
2016 BMW M5

If you slice your butter with a chainsaw, you would have liked the hardcore original BMW M5 from the 1980s. The M5 used to be king of the sports sedan, but...
2016 Cadillac CTS-V

The biggest and best Cadillac news for 2016 is the revival of the epic CTS-V, with its chart-busting supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine from the Corvette ZO6, making 640 horsepower and blowing...
2016 Chevrolet SS

The Chevrolet SS is a full-size four-door sports sedan with one engine, a huge 6.2-liter V8. There’s really only one competitor to the SS, and it’s a worthy one, a Dodge...
2016 Cadillac CTS

The rear-wheel-drive Cadillac CTS, now in its third and best generation, plays in a prestigious field, including the Jaguar XF, Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The Cadillac holds...
2016 Subaru BRZ

The Subaru BRZ is pure, and that can’t be said about many cars. Toyota and Subaru developed a rear-wheel-drive coupe that delivers a true sports car driving experience, while keeping it...
2016 BMW X4

Overview BMW didn’t invent the coupe crossover but has committed to it, most recently with the X4, following the larger X6. It’s basically an X3 with a tapered roofline, a stylized...
2016 BMW Z4

Overview The BMW Z4 is more stylish cruiser than high-performance sports car, heavier and less athletic than the redesigned Porsche Boxster. It’s a rear-wheel-drive roadster with retractable hardtop roof: quick, pleasant...
2016 Volvo XC70

Overview The Volvo XC70 Cross Country has the most traditional design among a thoroughly updated Volvo lineup. The XC70 is a boxy wagon built on the full-size S80 sedan platform. The...
2016 Fiat 500

Overview The Fiat 500 is five years old, which means it has caught up to its personality. Owning a Fiat 500 is like having a five-year-old boy (or tomboy) at his...
2016 Fiat 500L

The Fiat 500L is a tall compact car, with the Kia Soul, Honda Fit, and Mini Countryman as its competitors. Beyond the name, it shares very little with the regular Fiat...
2016 Jaguar XF

Overview The all-new 2016 Jaguar XF is a luxury midsize sedan that competes with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, and Cadillac CTS. The first generation ran from 2009...
2016 Ford C-Max

Overview The Ford C-Max is a compact hatchback hybrid, like the Prius liftback or Prius V wagon. The C-Max is built on the Focus platform, and is in the fourth year...
2016 Honda Pilot

The Honda Pilot is all-new for 2016. No longer square, the shape of the 2016 Honda Pilot is smooth and pretty. The new Honda Pilot is a bit longer, narrower and...