Tony Swan
With well over three decades of experience, Tony Swan is one of America’s senior automotive journalists. His resume includes staff positions with a number of wheels-related publications: AutoWeek, Cycle World, Car and Driver, and Motor Trend, where he was editor-in-chief during the early 1980s. Swan has also served as automotive editor for Popular Mechanics and Better Homes and Gardens, as well as a five-year stint as Auto Critic for the Detroit Free Press. In addition, he has accumulated a long list of freelance credits, including Road & Track, GQ, Popular Science, New Car Test Drive, and the New York Times.
He is a winner of the Ken Purdy award, regarded as America’s highest honor for automotive journalism, and a four-time winner in the annual International Wheel Awards, sponsored by the Detroit Press Foundation.
Wheels are also central to Swan’s recreational activities. He has been active in sports car racing at amateur and semi-professional levels since 1980, and continues to hold a Sports Car Club of America National Competition license. His on-track achievements include three SCCA Divisional championships, five appearances in the annual SCCA National Championship Runoffs, and participation in 35 24-hour races.
Born in Minneapolis, Swan attended the University of Minnesota, and began his journalistic career as a sports writer with the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He is a founding member of the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury, and is headquartered in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Reviews by Tony Swan
-
2015 Nissan Versa Note SR
Like a clever chef who keeps creating new versions of the same basic dish, Nissan has been adding variations to its Versa Note subcompact five-door hatchback, and the 2015 Nissan Versa...
-
2014 Mazda 3
Redesigned for 2014, Mazda3 is Mazda’s entry in the overflowing compact class, offered in four-door sedan and five-door hatchback body styles. The Mazda 3 is the company’s perennial bestseller, and the...
-
2014 Acura RLX
The Acura RLX is the brand's new top-of-the-line sedan, replacing the discontinued RL and conceived to give Honda's luxury division increased traction in the heart of the luxury segment. It's a...
-
2013 BMW X1
Popular in Europe after going on sale there three years ago, the BMW X1 subcompact SUV is now available in the U.S. Based on the BMW 1 Series sedan, the X1...
-
2013 Mini Paceman
Mini has become one of autodom's foremost illusionists, using essentially the same silk handkerchief and top hat to conjure up new tricks, each a variation on its predecessor, each a surprise....
-
2013 Nissan Pathfinder
A fixture in Nissan's product lineup for more than 25 years, the fourth generation Pathfinder has evolved from the cheeky adolescent Hardbody of 1986 to the mature parental unit of 2013....
-
2014 Chevrolet Stingray Convertible
An all-new seventh-generation 2014 Chevrolet Corvette goes on sale this fall. Chevrolet unveiled a convertible version at the March 2013 Geneva auto show. Like the new coupe, it revives the mid-1960s...
-
2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but for automotive designers it can also be a huge pain in the gluteal region. When your design is so cool that it...
-
2014 Kia Sorento
Kia Sorento benefits from a major update for the 2014 model year. Technically, the 2014 Sorento represents a mid-cycle freshening; the previous generation made its appearance for the 2011 model year....
-
2013 Dodge Dart
If you're old enough to remember the Carter administration, the name may be familiar but that means you're beyond the target demographics for the Dart revival. A fixture at the entry...
-
2013 Infiniti JX
The 2013 Infiniti JX is a totally new mid-luxury crossover sport-utility with three-row seating. The JX is larger than the five-seat Infiniti FX but smaller than the eight-seat Infiniti QX. The...
-
2012 Audi Q5
Audi is a latecomer to the luxury crossover game, but the company's engineering and product planning staffs seem to have used their late arrival to good advantage. The second of Audi's...
-
1995 Chevrolet C/K
As with life, variety is the spice of trucking these days. Pickups, particularly full-size, come in more shapes, sizes and capacities than any other kind of vehicle. The Chevrolet/GMC Truck C/K...
-
1997 Acura 3.0 CL
Folks who favor road rockets like the BMW M3 coupe pooh-pooh the Acura 3.0CL for lack of character. Others have criticized its pricetag, and for a shortage of doors–in other words,...
-
1995 Toyota 4Runner
Although Toyota has added a luxury edition and a new trim stripe or two, the 4Runner rolls into the new model year virtually unchanged. That’s because there’s an all-new 4Runner just...
-
1998 Nissan Altima
This is a lot tougher than it may seem on the surface. After all, when a designer creates a flop, the responses are pretty clear-cut. You either get to work on...
-
1998 Honda Prelude
Completely redesigned last year, the Honda’s hot rod enters 1998 unchanged except for the addition of one new exterior color. Nothing unusual in that. Manufacturers rarely make many changes in the...
-
1997 Jeep Cherokee
The Jeep Cherokee is a case study in how long a solid design can remain viable, even when some of its elements have become dated. When it was introduced back in...
-
1998 Isuzu Rodeo
More for less. If there’s one single theme that sums up the entire 1998 new model lineup, this is it–better vehicles at better prices–and the new Isuzu Rodeo is a good...
-
1998 Chevrolet Corvette
What could possibly be cooler than a new C5 Corvette? You guessed it: a new C5 Corvette Convertible, one of the most formidable blends of performance, panache, and price on this...