By David Colman

For: : Lithe Lines, IKEA Interior, Wheel-spinning Power
Against: Touchy Clutch Tip-in, Nil Rear Seat Headroom

Volvo’s been down this road before. Forty years ago, they took their 2 seat sports car, the P1800, added 2+2 seating, station wagon storage accessible through a hatchback, and called the result the P1800ES. They resurrected that once successful formula by bringing the C30 to market several years ago. In 2012 form, the C30 has matured into a very handsome, useful and affordable hatchback. Volvo’s frequent forays into worldwide sedan racing have yielded dividends in refashioning the C30’s aerodynamic contours. These racing program refinements, called “R-Design” tricks, contribute new front and rear spoilers as well the honeycomb front grill. With the help of this trim package, the C30 presents one of the loveliest silhouettes on the road. Its appearance is as memorable as that of the P1800ES was in its day.

Let’s get acquainted with the C30 by climbing aboard for a test hop. You’ll need to drop down and in because the C30 is only 57 inches tall. Immediately impressive is the R-Design two-tone look of the interior, with front and rear seat cushions split into dazzling black and cream segments. Flop into the deep front buckets, and they feel even more supportive than they look. But if you’re climbing into the back seat, the drill is more complicated, First, use the handy seat-top button to slide the front seat forward. Then tilt the front seatback forward, push the safety harness aside, duck your head way down, and twist yourself into one of the two rear seats. Once ensconced back there, you’ll love the lounge chair seating position, and appreciate the big window next to your head, but rue the lack of headroom due to the C30’s sloped roofline.

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By David Colman

For: Practical, Affordable, Made in USA
Against: Limited Side Vision

The best way to learn about a car’s aerodynamic efficiency is to wash it by hand. Does your sponge snag on trim? Does the car’s shape shed water or retain it? When I finished washing and drying this nifty little Buick sedan, I was impressed by the unimpeded flow of its skin, the cleanly sculpted face it presents to the wind. Good mileage figures (21 MPG City/32 MPG Highway), as well as a sepulchrally quiet interior, bear testament to the efficacy of the Verano’s air management program.

A lot of keen features belie the Verano’s bargain basement price of $25,965. Cabin furnishings head the list of surprises, with leather trim, dual zone climate control, express window lefts at all 4 doors, and 3-month free XM Satellite Radio subscription, all making for driving satisfaction. Best of all, the Verano, which is based on Chevy’s Cruze platform, uses a superior engine unavailable in the Cruze. That would be Buick’s Ecotec 2.4 liter, 4-cylinder unit good for 180hp. Coupled to its standard 6-speed automatic, this engine provides quietly adequate motivation under all circumstances. Leave the floor mounted stick in Drive, and the Verano will putter around town in high gear while returning excellent mileage. But if the sporty mood overtakes you, slap the stick into its manual gate and tap it backwards for downshifts, forward for upshifts. Buick doesn’t give you steering wheel paddles, but their absence is moot because the floor shift method works so dependably.

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By David Colman

For: Understated Good Looks, Practicality, Road Burner
Against: Weenie-looking Brake Discs Revealed by 19” Rotor Wheels

For German manufacturers, the most important racing championship in the world is the DTM. In English, that acronym translates into “German Touring Car Championship,” and every win in this series bestows bragging rights on the company that finishes first. For years now, the winning company has been Audi, and the winning car has been the A4. After spending a week in a well optioned A4, it’s not hard to see why this model wins the DTM so often, over fierce competition from Mercedes, Opel, and now, BMW. A properly equipped A4 is one of the best sports sedans in the world, and also one of the most affordable.

Over the years, the A4 has grown marginally in size, to the point where it’s now nearly as large as its bigger brother, the A6, once was. With an overall length of 185” and a wheelbase of 110” the A4 serves well as a 5 passenger sedan, with enough trunk space and interior room to keep all occupants happy on long trips. Given its 16.9 gallon tank, and highway mileage of 31 MPG, the A4 is capable of traveling over 500 miles between refills. If your A4 is equipped like our test car, you will relish every one of those miles. Let’s start with the base price of just $33,300. That buy-in gets you the base powerplant, a 2.0 liter, turbocharged in-line 4 cylinder motor that produces enough horsepower (211hp) and more than enough torque (258 lb.-ft.) to cope with any driving need. The base package also includes an ultra slick-shifting 6-speed manual gearbox, with well-defined gates between gears, well-chosen gear ratios, and an easily modulated clutch that makes choosing a gear a joy rather than a chore.

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By David Colman

For: Luxo Cockpit, Huge Torque, Precise Handling
Against: Beats Every Prius to the Pump

I’ve got shocking news for all you homegrown Mopar fans. Ask me if the new R/T’s “got a Hemi in it?” and my answer will be “Si” because the 5.7 liter, 370hp Hemi comes from Mexico. The 5-speed automatic gearbox it’s attached to comes from Germany, “Ja.” And the assembly point for this all-American muscle car? Why, Brampton, Ontario, Canada, “eyh.” Oh yes, for the record, let’s not forget that Italy’s Fiat now owns Dodge, “grazie.” Make no mistake, the Charger R/T is still a primo muscle car, but heritage and inspiration aside, the USA no longer counts quite so heavily in the build equation.

The Charger enjoyed a styling renaissance in 2011, when new sheet metal gave it a scowling catfish face, flame surfaced flanks, and LED head and taillight clusters. All these revisions appeal to the nasty and the Narcissistic in us alike. The latest iteration of the Charger is visually compelling, especially in R/T form, with massive 20 inch alloys completing the Tonka Toy look. For 2012, Dodge has finished the makeover by redoing the interior with a very satisfying combination of expensive looking leathers, suedes and surface treatments that remove Charger from the airport rental fleet and elevate it to the exotic loan portfolio.

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By David Colman

For: Hard-Edged Driver’s Package
Against: Goofy Top-Down Trunk Space

Even in Vibrant Red, Infiniti’s G37 Convertible looks innocuous enough to be confused with other low boiling point drop tops like Chrysler’s 200, VW’s Eos and Volvo’s C70. But unlike that trio of rather lethargic performers, the G is more wolf than sheep because it’s based on the Nissan 370Z, its hereditary brother. Thus, when you’re feeling the urge to crank on the speed, the G Convertible is more than up to the task because it shares its 3.7 liter V6 with Nissan’s ultra-quick 2-seat Z car. The G’s standard 7-speed automatic gearbox insures there’s a cog for every situation. Finding the right one is as easy as blipping the elephant-ear sized magnesium paddles fitted to the steering column (not the wheel), or popping the floor-mounted stick fore and aft. When dropping down a gear, you’ll instantly slot into the appropriate lower gear set, thanks to rev-matching throttle blips provided automatically on each downshift.

If you opt for the $1,700 Sport Package, 19 inch alloys replace the standard 18 inch wheels. Ultra-sticky Bridgestone RE050A tires (225/45R19 front, 245/40R19 rear) mounted on smoked chrome 19 inch alloys afford excellent bite when cornering hard. Sport brakes and sport-tuned steering further elevate the driving experience. Although the G remains softly suspended for a comfortable ride, the extra body roll in switchback maneuvers never seems to detract from grip level at the Bridgestones’ contact patches. When pressed hard, the normally benevolent G morphs into a surprisingly adept back road tiger. Just be sure to deactivate the Traction Control System (TCS) via a dash-mounted button, located rather inconveniently out of sight left and below the steering column. Otherwise the TCS nanny will interrupt your progress at the most inopportune moments.

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Pros

• Spacious cabin
• Good on-demand V6 power and smooth Continuously Variable Transmission system
• One-touch power sliding doors and lift gate
• Distinct styling sets it apart from the competition

Cons

• Distinct styling is not for everyone
• Distance between rear captain’s chairs too wide to attend to baby
• Only one screen for the rear seat passengers

Let’s play word association- I say sexy, you say…soccer moms? If that was the first thought that entered your mind, then do I have a vehicle for you. Nissan has introduced the new 2011 Quest with bold styling that sets it apart from the rest of the box-on-wheels crowd. I can’t tell you how many looks I got in the local high school parking lot last weekend. When one speaks of minivans these days, the Honda Odyssey, the Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan and the Toyota Sienna come to mind. Rarely does the Nissan Quest enter the fray. That’s probably due to the fact that the previous Quests were less than popular with American buyers.

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By David Colman

For: Third door, Brilliant seating front and rear, Neat looks
Against: Down on power, Goofy gearing

Don’t confuse Veloster with Velocity. The newest Hyundai has plenty of attributes, but speed isn’t one of them. The shortfall in the urge department can be traced to the engine’s modest horsepower, compounded by poor gear ratio selection. The direct injection, 1.6 liter straight 4 makes 138hp, and more importantly, just 128 lb.-ft. of torque at a screaming 4,850rpm. So you need to wring the Veloster’s neck to get it motivated. But the 6-speed manual transmission in our test car had a very short first gear, which was all done at 31mph. When you upshifted to the much taller second gear (good for 58mph), the little coupe fell flat on its face because engine revolutions dropped precipitously, from 6,000rpm to just 3,500rpm. Ironically, despite the fact that Hyundai gives you six gears, 5th and 6th are so close together that when you shift from one to the other at 70mph, engine speed only varies by 400rpm. Clearly, some ratio rearrangement needs to take place in the manual transmission in order to extract better performance in the lower gears.

Other than that shortfall, the Veloster is an ingenious package, with a third door on the passenger side that allows 2 adults to clamber into the surprisingly roomy rear seat. Mazda developed their RX-8 along similar lines, but unlike the RX-8’s tomb-like and airless back seat, the Veloster is designed to accommodate real people. If you intend to carry passengers in the back seat, be sure to order your Veloster with the $2,000 optional “Style Package,” which includes a “Panoramic Sunroof” that extends from the windshield header all the way back to the rear seats. This giant greenhouse really opens up what would otherwise be a claustrophobic interior. In addition, back seaters get to enjoy lounge slouch seating, and an extended upper rear window that sheds even more light on their seating position.

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By David Colman

For: Stand Alone Looks, Opulent Front Cabin
Against: Bus-Like Steering,  Wheel Position

In contrast to their family-sized SUV, the X5, BMW considers the X6 to be a “personal” sports ute, meaning it’s designed primarily for two, with a nod to accommodating four in a pinch. You can thank the X6’ severely sloping roofline for the reduction in passenger (and cargo) carrying capacity. That fastback roof is not the only feature that differentiates the X6 from the X5. The X6 also sells for a substantially higher premium than its more utilitarian stablemate. Base price for the X6 we tested is $58,900, versus $48,095 for a comparable 3.0 liter turbocharged X5.

Of course, $58,095 is just the starting point for the X6, because you’ll want to personalize your ride with a host of pricey options. Ours had the following extras appended to its bottom line: Cold Weather Package for $750, Premium Package (Rear View Camera, Keyless Entry, 4-Zone Climate Control, Navigation) for $3,500, Premium Sound Package for $1,500, Sport Package (Adaptive Drive, 19 inch Alloys) for $4,600, Multi-Contour Seats for $950, and Technology Package (Auto Hi-Beams, Side View Camera and Head-Up Display) for $1,700. Throw in a few less consequential extras like a Space Saver Spare ($150) and Running Boards ($300) and you’vegot yourself a $73,825 vehicle.

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By David Colman

For: Efficient engine, Loaded with expensive interior features
Against: Zoom-Zoom free zone

Mazda bills itself as the “Zoom-Zoom” car company, with such tag lines as “Always the soul of a sports car” and “At Mazda, we believe if it’s not worth driving it’s not worth buying.” The company’s biggest selling model, the Mazda3, in the newly available Skyactiv form we tested, leaves plenty more room for zoom. If this hatchback hides the soul of a sports car, its location is a mystery.

Granted, Mazda offers the Mazdaspeed3 for dedicated sporting enthusiasts. This delightful pocket rocket boasts 263hp from its turbocharged 2.3 liter engine. But what about the 155hp engine in our test Mazda3? On paper, the new SKYACTIV-G formula looks good, with super high compression ratio (12:1), 4 into 2 into 1 exhaust, and special anti-knock design measures. But the 2 liter, four cylinder engine simply doesn’t produce enough urge to make this Mazda fun to drive. Is it worth sacrificing performance for stupendous mileage? The SKYACTIV engine returns 28 MPG in city driving, and 39 MPG on the highway, but it does so at the cost of indifferent straight line performance. Step on the throttle in any of the 6 gears provided and the Mazda3 responds with a disconcerting lack of action. If acceleration is important, order your 3 with an available 2.5 liter, 167hp engine, or opt for the Mazdaspeed3.

For those of you unconcerned by such shortfalls in advertising promise, the Mazda3 5 Door GT is an otherwise pleasant excursion into practical motoring. You can carry 5 adults in the airy and spacious cabin. The two up front find themselves lounging in comfort unheard of in this price class. Both front seats have 5 position rheostats for heating, and both are finished in glove leather. The driver’s seat features 8-way power adjustment, and the leather wrapped steering wheel telescopes and pivots through a full range of travel. The Grand Touring package also includes a small Navigation screen, a 265 watt Bose Surroundsound system, and Bluetooth phone connection. For a car costing just $22,800, the amenity li st is surprisingly well padded and complete.

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By David Colman

For: Epic Redesign, New Sporting Tack for MB
Against: Steering Wheel Obscures Speedo, Imprecise Throttle Tip-In From Standing Start

Historically, Mercedes products have enjoyed genetic markers that distinguish the brand. Bank vault construction, sumptuous seats and Baroque trim flourishes are descriptors that come to mind. Even blindfolded, you could climb into any Mercedes and tell that you weren’t in a BMW or a Lexus. But along with the Mercedes positives tagged a number of negatives, like weightiness, complexity, and dulled reflexes that drove potential customers into competitors’ showrooms. Mercedes has answered many of those issues by redesigning their C Class Coupe for 2012.

From the outside, the new Coupe is distinguished by the deftness of its visual language. Mercedes stylists have concocted a benchmark treat, with swooping roofline and crisp flank creases emphasizing the car’s low 55.8 inch height. There’s a delicacy inherent in the new coupe’s design that has been absent from Mercedes products since the SL 230 debuted nearly half a century ago. The lighter touch is also evident once you slip inside the cabin. The standard front sports seats are less monumental than before, more cosseting than ever. Though reduced in visual mass, the driver’s seat offers 10-way power adjustment, 4 modes of lumbar support, and 3 memory settings (for seat, mirror and steering wheel position).

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