Innehållsförteckning för September 2012 från MotorTrend

CHRYSLER is said to be working on a third model to add to its new SRT brand, which launches late this year with the 2013 Viper. A new-age SRT Barracuda will be the nascent brand’s second model. Chrysler launched its Street & Racing Technology models in the last decade as performance versions of existing models, from the Dodge Neon SRT4 to the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Dodge Ram SRT10. The 2013 SRT Viper drops the Dodge moniker. Last January, we broke news that a new pony-musclecar would join the SRT Viper in the lineup. The SRT Barracuda won’t necessitate revival of the Plymouth brand and will eventually replace the Dodge Challenger. The SRT Barracuda should appear by the 2015 model year, same as for the next-generation Ford Mustang and…

WE’VE BEEN ABLE to buy the ’13 Malibu Eco with its 2.4-liter eAssist powertrain for about half a year. The more important, mainstream version goes on sale this fall in time for head-to-head comparisons with the all-new ’13 Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima, Honda Accord, and Mazda6. Chevy has been waiting for GM’s new 2.5-liter, part of a new family of fours that rationalize North American and European engine families. The 2.5 is rated a healthy 197 hp and 191 lb-ft of torque in the Malibu. That’s 27 horses more than the ’13 Fusion’s base 2.5-liter engine makes. A 2.0-liter turbo Malibu comes a bit later, and makes an estimated 259 hp and 260 lb-ft, topping the 2.0-EcoBoost ’13 Fusion’s estimated 237 hp and 251 lb-ft. Chevy estimates a 6.3-second 0-60-mph…

TOM GALE, Chuck Jordan, James Couzens, and Albert Kahn are this year’s inductees to the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan. Gale is a friend of Motor Trend, as a regular judge on our Car of the Year awards. He joined Chrysler’s design staff in 1967 and worked there until his retirement in 2000. The radically redesigned 1971 Plymouth B-body midsize cars marked his first major design. Gale also is credited for the original Dodge Viper concept, the cab-forward 1998 LH sedans, and the 2005 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum/Charger RWD sedans released after his retirement. Concept cars include the Chrysler Atlantic, Chronos, and Portofino, and Plymouth Prowler. Charles “Chuck” Jordan joined Harley Earl’s General Motors design studio in 1949, became chief of the special products studio four years…

FORD Motor Company has opened a high-technology laboratory in Palo Alto, California, to serve as “a local touch point” for the many Silicon Valley companies and startups with which it associates. The Ford Silicon Valley Lab is focused on big data, open-source innovation, and user experience. NISSAN expects to double sales of its Leaf to 20,000 units in the U.S. this year. The automaker adds production of the electric car to its Smyrna, Tennessee, assembly plant this December. AMP Electric Vehicles says it’s converting some Federal Express step vans from diesel power to pure electric. AMP says this is part of FedEx’s efforts to lower the total ownership cost of the vans. CARROLL SHELBY’S widow, Cleo, is in a fight with his children over rights to his remains, TMZ reports.…

RATHER THAN saying what it is, the people of Cadillac are quick to note all the things the new 2013 Cadillac XTS is not. It’s not their flagship; it’s not a replacement for the DTS or the STS; it’s not directly competing with any German luxury brand; and, most of all, the car is not finished, even though it will be going on sale in the fourth quarter of this year. I’ll address all the above shortly, but first it’s my duty to tell you what the XTS is. Namely, a surprisingly good, big car, if not a bit of a head-scratcher. Due to that whole bankruptcy thing, the XTS is the first new product Cadillac has launched in three years. That’s nearly brandicide when you’re dealing in a highly…

4TH PLACE 2012 Kia Sportage Kia has a reputation for approaching any category as a value proposition. Indeed, in this test, its well-equipped $28,600 Sportage EX wore the most attractive as-tested price tag. Unfortunately for the Korean brand, the only car it “outvalued”—as in, the one most of us would buy after the Kia—was the Tiguan. Further, about the only unique amenity on the Sportage was the cooled driver’s seat—apparently the passenger can deal with a sweaty backside—though its extensive list of niceties can’t be overlooked: navigation, smart key with push-button start, backup camera, 18-inch wheels, panoramic sunroof, heated mirrors, LED daytime running lamps. Our testers all complained about suspension and chassis issues, calling the ride harsh yet poorly controlled. Kia has a knack for making a suspension too stiff…

1ST PLACE 2013 Ford Escape By its nature, this segment doesn’t really have room for greatness. That said, the new Ford Escape is about as close to being great as a compact CUV is going to get. While not at the top of the pack in every aspect, the Escape does almost everything right. Take the powertrain, for example. The 1.6-liter turbo-four is one reason Ford beat Mazda for the gold medal. Evans found it a “strong little engine,” while Kiino noted that it has “great power from 2000 to 5000 rpm.” More important, unlike with the Mazda, nobody felt the Ford was low on power or struggled to accelerate. The six-speed automatic worked well, providing smooth though not particularly quick shifts. The knob-based manual shift buttons discourage the use…

IN PRACTICAL terms, the new BMW M6 convertible is an M5 with half the doors, more of the weight, and none of the roof. It uses the same 560-hp, twin-turbo V-8 that, on top of delivering more power than the outgoing V-10, returns better fuel economy, too. The drive wheels (rear) are the same, as is the seven-speed twin-clutch transmission and the Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. Also similar is the “are we really going that fast?” effect resulting from spurts of wide-open throttle. At 4490 pounds, the M6 ragtop weighs 106 pounds more than the already portly M5, and, as you might expect, it posts slightly slower acceleration numbers as a result—“slightly slower” in this case means reaching 60 mph takes two-tenths longer (3.9 seconds), albeit through a fussy…

Service life / 12 mo/ 34,506 mi Avg CO2 / 0.99 lb/mi Energy cons / 173 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $830.83 (3-oil change, tire rotation, inspection; 2-cabin-air filter; engine-air filter) Normal-wear cost / $720 (four Toyo Versado tires) “If I had my druthers, I’d change the following: 20 more hp, quicker steering, 21-gal gas tank, and DVD entertainment with a less-fussy remote.” EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 19/24/21 mpg Average Fuel Econ 19.5 mpg WITH more than 34,000 miles on the odometer, it’s almost time to say goodbye. I’m a bit sad, as I have fond memories of the boxy beast on several road trips. I will always love and appreciate what the Quest offers: room for seven, fold-flat second and third rows, power-sliding side doors,…

“The Honda Odyssey beats the minivan stereotype: It hauls like a truck, pampers like a limo, and handles surprisingly well in the corners!” Service life / 12 mo/27,764 mi Avg CO2 / 0.90 lb/mi Energy cons / 156 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $502.31 (3-oil change, tire rotation, inspection; 1-cabin-air filter , engine-air filter, trans fluid change) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 19/28/22 mpg Average Fuel Econ 21.6 mpg OUR ODYSSEY finally made it in to the local Honda dealership for a check-up, and I told the mechanic that the power doors would not close all the way when the vehicle is parked on an incline. Thankfully, I was able to replicate the problem, and the tech suspected the door tracks were in…

“Handling is disappointing, with an abundance of body roll.” Service life / 12 mo/19,957 mi Avg CO2 / 0.83 lb/mi Energy cons / 143 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $245.32 (2-oil change, inspection; 1-rotate tires, engine-air filter) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 24/29/26 mpg Average Fuel Econ 23.5 mpg THE OUTLANDER’S combination of a 148-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable automatic transmission is a bad choice. Trust me on this one—the five-speed manual gearbox is definitely the option to choose. You’ll save yourself from listening to the boomy engine tone every time you try to get any kind of acceleration. To its credit, the Mitsubishi does have numerous safety features, including standard all-disc antilock brakes, an electronic stability system, traction control,…

EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 25/30/27 mpg (gas) Average Fuel Econ 22.8 mpg “Funny, I find myself saying JUUUKE aloud each time I see one. Like a long-lost puppy, I miss my long-term Juke.”@Nate_Martinez Service life / 12 mo/24,757 mi Base price / $25,330 Options / Rear roof spoiler ($390), carpeted floormats and cargo mat ($170) Price as tested / $25,890 Problem areas / None Maintenance cost / $471.35 (3-oil change, rotate tires, inspection; 1-cabin-air filter) Normal-wear cost / $719.86 (four Bridgestone tires) 3-year residual value* / $16,797 Recalls / 2: Turbocharger boost sensor bracket and fuel pressure sensor *Automotive Lease Guide NEARLY EVERYONE knows the tale of the Ugly Duckling, or some modern version. Well, ladies and gents, meet the automotive equivalent to that heavily teased baby bird. Upon…

BMW’s i cars could make carbon-fiber mainstream BMW is preparing plug-in electric vehicles and hybrids as dedicated models like the i3 and i8, and as alternative powertrain versions of its mainstream cars. Ian Robertson, BMW’s sales and marketing board director, predicts the i3’s range extender engine option will be popular. “It’s a comparatively inexpensive option and I think the take will be high,” he tells Motor Trend. “Plug-in hybrid will be 15 percent, or more, of the premium segment in 10 years.” The range extender consists of a small two-cylinder engine. It doesn’t drive the wheels and doesn’t add to performance, a contrast to the combustion engine in the i8, which is geared to the wheels. The i8 can use all its power only when the engine is running. “Mainstream”…

AUTONOMOUS cars by 2022? That’s the question posed by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s (AUVSI) Driverless Car Summit held recently in Detroit. Whether you consider the idea of robotic cars fact or science fiction of the type that’s always a decade from reality, the lesson from this convention is that the technological change is inevitable. AUVSI describes itself as the world’s largest non-profit devoted to unmanned systems and robotics, including military vehicles and aircraft. Proponents of driverless cars point to reduced stress in daily commutes and more productivity. Autonomous cars also will give you more time to Google a moveable feast of websites. The online search monolith has consistently declined comment to this and other publications about its driverless car program (“Trend,” June 2011), but Chris Urmson, Google…

Three and a half weeks after the passing of Carroll Shelby, Roy Salvadori, his co-driver in the 1959 24 Hours of LeMans-winning Aston Martin DBR1, died. Salvadori was 90. If Stirling Moss is the best driver never to win the World Championship, Salvadori might be the best driver never to win a Formula 1 race. He certainly was among the most charismatic and stylish. Born in Dovercourt, Essex, England, in 1922 to Italian parents, he drove 90 Grands Prix between 1954 and 1962. Driving a Cooper in the 1961 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, Salvadori was closing in on Innes Ireland’s Lotus for the lead when the Cooper’s engine failed. Salvadori’s first F1 drive was in a Ferrari 500 at the 1952 British Grand Prix, and he went…

LETTER OF THE MONTH THE FAIRER SEX WEIGHS IN When we women wear skirts, we must watch how we get out of cars, go near creepy boys with low-held camera phones, or walk over passed-out people, lest we get a photo of our undergarments in cyberspace. Much to my surprise, you published a photo of the underbody of a beautiful MP4-12C, and I felt a little ashamed to look and like it. Poor, defenseless McLaren—her only crime being so damn good-looking. I hope you bought her dinner afterward. Kay OhashiVia the Internet Our predominantly male staff will pretend to understand these womanly plights, and we've been assured that photoman Vance was a gentleman with the MP4-12C.—Ed. Bitten by the Snake When great civilizations die, they leave behind proof of their…

CHEVROLET IMPALAS of the 1960s were immensely popular cars, for good reason. They combined youthful design with a graceful elegance that embodied the brand’s promise of offering more than you’d expect for “low-priced three” money. The car that preceded the Impala seen here was nothing like the swingin’ ’60s model, even if it looked old enough to be designed from a rejected drawing discovered in Bill Mitchell’s sock drawer. After a close look at and a short drive of the new Impala, it’s easy to predict commercial success with sales at about one-third of what they were last year. Huh? Besides being a Fleet Queen, the Lame Duck Impala was sold with the kinds of cash incentives you’d find in the trunk of Walter White’s Pontiac Aztek, if it had…

1 Volkswagen Tiguan 2 Kia Sportage 3 Honda CR-V 4 Mazda CX-5 5 Ford Escape IN THE 15-SOME YEARS that have passed since the launch of the first-generation Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, two pioneers in what would become the compact crossover segment, times have changed tremendously. Not only did someone coin the term “crossover,” but segment entries have multiplied exponentially while shedding almost all traces of their frumpy, confused origins. Of course, despite the small crossover’s continually increasing popularity, not everyone is convinced. Most car lovers continue to profess a preference for hatches and wagons, only moving to minivans with gritted teeth when more space is needed under the cover of practicality. But wagon-loving enthusiasts are a sliver of the population, while crossover-loving families continue to multiply. The segment-leading…

3RD PLACE 2012 Honda CR-V “Feels like the old CR-V, but 10 percent better,” said Scott Evans of Honda’s fourth-generation crossover. Given that the “old” CR-V won a 2010 comparison against the likes of the GMC Terrain, Hyundai Tucson, and Subaru Forester, a 10 percent improvement for the 2012 model isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But in this field, with fresh entries from Ford, Kia, and Mazda, not to mention a face-lifted VW Tiguan, 10 percent wasn’t quite enough for the CR-V to retain its top spot. Lieberman dubbed the Honda “the winner from the B-pillar back,” thanks to a slick one-pull folding back seat, a flat floor, and a low cargo load height. So, if you deem the front seat less important than what’s behind them, the CR-V is…

IT’S TEMPTING to dismiss the Pagani Huayra as another fringe hypercar—another exclusive, expensive, pointless toy for the collector who’s bored with his Ferraris and wants to tool around to the country club in something his rich pals don’t have. Tempting, that is, until you drive it. The Huayra (say why-rah) is the follow-up to the Zonda, the debut model from self-taught supercar auteur Horacio Pagani. It features an all-new chassis with a central monocoque made from titanium-infused carbon fiber, and the wheelbase has been stretched 2.75 inches over the Zonda. The suspension is pure race car stuff: control arms milled from billets of a copper-rich aluminum alloy called Avional, with pushrod-actuated Ohlins shocks. The carbon bodywork was styled by Pagani himself, and features active aerodynamics—flaps at each corner of the…

THE MALIBU Eco’s party line will go something like, “See (even more of) the USA in your (newest) Chevrolet.” Its claimed 585-mile highway range carries it more than 40 miles farther than the last-generation Malibu. Chevy’s important midsizer runs the most recent iteration of the belt-alternator-starter mild hybrid system, christened eAssist. An electric motor is driven off the 2.4-liter engine’s ancillary belt, and control electronics decide when to phase in the motor to directly help the engine. Our car whirred off an 8.5-second 0-60-mph run—a good half-second quicker than its 140-pound-lighter, non-hybrid 2010 Malibu LT predecessor. The electric motor spins as needed, and you’ll most likely feel it in action if you take off quickly from a light after the engine has automatically stopped. The start/stop is among the most…

Base price $35,795 Price as tested $50,870 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ 23/34/27 mpg “Randy Pobst says my long-term 328 is a great-handling car. High praise from a Daytona 24-Hour winner.” When I showed up at the launch of the BMW 3 Series earlier this year, I was ready to be disappointed. I didn’t care much for the car’s new nose, and I knew from experience that the new turbocharged 2.0-liter wasn’t a redline screamer like the old I-6 BMW that fanboys and auto journalists are still writing poems about. Then I drove it, and as I wrote in the First Test, I was wrong. The 328i is plenty quick and exceptionally fun to drive fast and hard. No, the turbo four doesn’t like having its neck wrung like the…

“I’m banking on the Detroit Bureau’s Passat TDI to better the Jetta in achieved fuel economy. 1 extra hwy mpg can make a difference.” Service life / 12 mo/36,643 mi Avg CO2 / 0.56 lb/mi Energy cons / 85 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 (2-oil change, inspection; 1-rotate tires, fuel filter, cabin filter) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 30/42/34 mpg Average Fuel Econ 39.5 mpg I’VE BEEN trying out a set of brand-new Toyo Proxes 4 Plus tires for kicks, and they’ve been working well. Performance all-season rubber is a hard sell from a pure “performance” standpoint, but the tires are quiet and don’t appear to incur any sort of fuel-economy penalty over the factory low-rolling-resistance Hankook Optimo H725As. I can’t complain…

“Most days, on my way to work, I pass a red Evoque with a white top. Its driver and I always exchange a subtle nod.” Service life / 2 mo/ 7860 mi Avg CO2 / .98 lb/mi Energy cons / 171 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 18/28/22 mpg Average Fuel Econ 19.7 mpg I RECENTLY took the Evoque on its maiden camping voyage. Rear seats down, with two nights’ worth of camping gear crammed into the SUV’s rather small cargo hold, I set the nav for the Santa Ynez Valley of California’s central coast, and took the Range Rover up Figueroa Mountain Road. Halfway up the road, just below treeline, I encountered a small but steep barren…

BUGATTI still has about 80 available order slots for its Veyron Gran Sport and Gran Sport Vitesse, and has more than that left to manufacture. There remains about a year and a half’s worth of work for the factory. After that? The Galibier sedan, but it’s unlikely to be ready in that timeframe. The car was first shown as a concept to potential owners in fall 2009. Many of them requested changes to the interior to make something more distinctive and luxurious. A year later, Wolfgang Duerheimer took over from Franz-Josef Paefgen as Bugatti president (and Bentley CEO), and insisted on major body and engineering changes. Now he has departed to run Audi’s R&D, leaving Bugatti and Bentley with yet another new boss, Wolfgang Schreiber. He was brought in when…

CHEVROLET’S new A-segment Spark enters the North American market as possibly the cheapest brand-new car with four useful seats. It’s certainly the only A-segment hatchback with four doors. Competitors are the cute, fashionable, and relatively expensive Fiat 500; the ultra-modern Scion iQ with its surprisingly skittish dynamics; and the Smart Fortwo, the car that serves as a great argument in favor of the commuter biking movement. With a base price of just $12,995, the Chevy Spark is far cheaper than all but the base Fortwo. The rear seat has generous headroom and pretty good legroom, with a necessarily short seat cushion. The car is tall—1 inch taller than the already upright Sonic B-car. With the Spark’s rear seats up, there’s not much more cargo space than in the Fortwo. But…

ETERNAL fledgling automaker Saab was given up for dead more than half a year ago, nearly two years after former owner General Motors sold it to Victor Muller’s Spyker. Now, after GM refused to let prospective buyer Zheijiang Youngman Lotus have access to Saab’s GM-based 9-4x and 9-5 models, a new electric car company backed by a Chinese-Japanese investment group has agreed to buy most of the automaker’s assets. The new company, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), has signed a purchase agreement with the receivers of the Saab automobile bankruptcy to pay for the main assets of Saab Automobile AB, Saab Automobile Powertrain AB, and Saab Automobile Tools AB. The deal does not include Saab Automobile Parts AB or the intellectual property rights for the Saab 9-5, according to a…

“SOME OF MY ROSTER I’VE DRIVEN—AND LIKE IMMENSELY. AS FOR THE OTHERS, WELL, I LOOK FORWARD TO EXPERIENCING WHAT I PROJECT WILL BE STANDOUTS.” WITH THE 2013 model year fast upon us—turn to page 90 for a look at all the offerings—I got to thinking: Which of the 160-plus new rides will make the biggest impact, in terms of sales, brand image, or segment domination? To keep my list to a reasonable numeration, I figure my “Top 13 of 2013” makes sense, or at least has a nice ring to it. Some of my roster I’ve driven, and like immensely. As for the others, well, I look forward to experiencing what I project will be standouts. So without further ado… Family Matters. (1) Ford Fusion: With swoopy, coupelike lines, the…

AS CLEAN-SHEET designs go, this one was penned on a bleached satin king-size. It’s Silicon-Valley-fresh: no precedents or paradigms to shift, and the air is filled with fresh thinking. Elon Musk’s goal in founding Tesla here in 2003 was to hasten the transition to affordable carbon-free transportation. His foundling company learned to crawl and walk first, bolting electric drivetrains into some 2250 Lotus Elise rolling chassis, and now with the 2012 Model S, the pace is picking up to a healthy saunter, leading up to next year’s production “run” of 20,000 cars. Musk’s goal for the Model S? “To be the best car in the world, and to show that an electric car can be the best car in the world.” You’re probably snorting and rolling your eyes at the…

5th Place 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan "Show me the money” is an oft-used movie quote, and if you want to see the Tiguan’s money, it’s under the hood, not on it. There were two things we all agreed on when it came to the VW: All the value is in the drivetrain, and the price tag is rather steep. “Where’s the value? You’re paying for an engine here and nothing else,” associate editor Rory Jurnecka opined. Executive editor Ron Kiino agreed. “Powertrain is great. This is what you’re really paying for.” It certainly is a good powertrain. The Tiguan was the quickest to 60 mph (by more than half a second) and through the quarter mile. Editors loved the smooth, torquey engine and its quick- and smooth-shifting six-speed automatic. But we…

2ND PLACE 2013 Mazda CX-5 “SkyActively slow!” I shouted during my loop in the newest soft-roader from Mazda. Admittedly, not only is my phrase not very funny, but this comparison test isn’t the first time I’ve uttered it. The CX-5 is really slow, especially in passing situations. Why? Well, it’s because Americans are allergic to premium fuel. In Europe, the CX-5 is available with a 14:1 compression ratio engine, but Mazda gives the U.S. a 13:1 ratio motivator that drinks 87 octane, and, as a result, is really slow. Besides being slow, it's a great little trucklette. Like seemingly all Mazdas, the CX-5 focuses on the sporty side of driving first and everything else second. “Sweet, sporty chassis. Great steering feel, good balance, loads of grip. Really does feel like…

KEY 5M 5-speed manual 6A 6-speed automatic 7-sp auto-cl man 7-speed twin-clutch manual 8-sp twin-cl man 8-speed twin-clutch manual BMS blindspot monitoring system rear cam rear view camera FWD front-wheel drive AWD all-wheel drive RWD rear-wheel drive S standard O optional N/A not available Acura ILX Base Price: $26,795-$29,795 Body Type: Sedan What’s New: The new ILX compact luxury sedan is positioned as the gateway to the Acura brand. Variety is key for this new model, because whether buyers are practical, sporty, or eco-conscious, the ILX caters to them with three powertrain options. Acura’s new text messaging function, which works when a smartphone is connected via Bluetooth, helps drivers keep their eyes on the road. Driver’s Choice: The 201-hp, 2.4L with 6M and aluminum pedal covers. Base Engine: 2.0L/150-hp/140-lb-ft I-4…

Base price $20,720 Price as tested $25,645 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ 27/36/30 mpg “I owned a Subaru Legacy Outback from 1999-2009 so I’m eager to compare the two experiences. The familiar whine of the engine takes me back.”@MT_Royer If you’re going to work at Motor Trend, you’d better be ready to hit the road running. Our latest recruit had barely 20 miles under its belt before a pair of baseball-loving art directors hijacked it for a long weekend of watching spring training in Arizona. Welcome to the big leagues, kid. The Sage Green kid in question comes fresh from the factory line in Gunma, Japan. Let’s have a look at our new prospect. The Sport model already comes well-equipped, but we added a moonroof and GPS navigation with LCD…

Service life / 4 mo/6774 mi Avg CO2 / 0.80 lb/mi Energy cons / 139 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 Normal-wear cost / $0 “Back in the LT Passat after a week filled with 500-plus-hp cars. Miss the sounds but not the trips to the gas stations and potential legal issues.”@MT_MikeFebbo EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 22/31/25 mpg Average Fuel Econ 24.3 mpg ONE OF the toughest parts of my job—and yes, there are several—is trying to convince people that the value of a car is not necessarily found in the spec chart. When talking about our long-term VW Passat, one of the first things that comes up is the 0-60-mph time of 9.0 seconds. A few people have said they would never consider the…

“Hyundai added adjustable lumbar support as standard on the 2013 Elantra Limited, addressing one of my bigger complaints.” Service life / 9 mo/19,593 mi Avg CO2 / 0.72 lb/mi Energy cons / 126 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $289.13 (2-oil change, tire rotation, inspection; 1-engine-air filter) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 29/40/33 mpg Average Fuel Econ 26.8 mpg WITH THE ELANTRA remaining the same competent commuter that it’s been since day one, I’ve decided to revisit its Bluetooth system. As I pointed out months ago, connecting a phone to the Elantra is easy, thanks to its intuitive touch-screen-based menu. There’s even a button that takes you right to the phone-menu screen where you can look at your pairings and connections, among other things.…

“Forget the first-gen X3—the work BMW did on the second-gen model is award-worthy. Maybe we need a ‘Transformation of the Year’ contest.”@carloslago Service life/ 14 mo/31,937 mi Avg CO2/ 0.89 lb/mi Energy cons/ 155 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved problems/ None Maintenance cost/ $0 (oil change, inspection) Normal-wear cost/ $0 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ: 19/25/21 mpg Average Fuel Econ 21.7 mpg HONESTLY, my expectations for the X3 were low. They were based on not-so-fond memories of the first-generation model, which felt like a low-rent 3 Series maneuvering on unsteady stilts. But this second-generation model? I’m just as charmed with the smallish SUV with more than 30,000 miles on the odometer as I was when I picked it up. It’s plenty powerful—who needs a turbo, 300 hp xDrive35i?—and it handles surprisingly well…