By Derek Mau

Pros

• Excellent for around town driving and taking care of all the necessary family functions
• The benefits of a hybrid without sacrificing luxury amenities
• Conservative styling upgrade easily blends in with the thousands of other Lexus RX’s on the road today
• More technology gadgets but with less driver distraction

Cons

• Batteries and electric motors add up to a serious weight penalty with regards to braking and cornering
• Electronic steering control is good for mothers on their way to PTA meetings, but not so good for relaying feedback from the road
• Horrific blind spot
• No towing capacity

The new generation Lexus RX blends the geekiness of high technology with the green consciousness of driving a hybrid car. Launched in the summer of 2009 as a successor to the RX 400h, Lexus’ new RX 450h builds on the success of the company’s first luxury hybrid SUV. Visually similar to the RX 350, the 450h has a few of its own unique styling features, including an exclusive grille, hybrid badging with blue-trimmed Lexus logos, unique front bumper, special 19-inch wheels, blue-tinted headlamps and taillamps, and optional LED headlamps.

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By Alex Kramer

Pros:

• Responsive 240 hp V6 engine
• Capable chassis and suspension
• Roomy and comfortable interior
• Good value

Cons:

• Some chintzy interior plastics
• Exterior design still needs work
• Disappointing fuel efficiency

Introduction

Trivia question: Which manufacturer produced the best-selling car in America 15 years ago? If you’re thinking Honda or Toyota, guess again. Although it seems hard to believe, given the recent collapse of the US auto industry, in 1994 the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable reigned supreme, proving that America could beat the foreign competition and build a top-rated, best-selling family sedan.

Unfortunately for Ford, the Taurus/Sable lineup gradually lost its edge and by the late 1990’s Honda and Toyota had firmly re-established their dominance in the market for mid-sized sedans, and it’s been a Camry and Accord love fest every since. Fast forward 10 years and it looks like Ford is finally ready to reclaim its title as the go-to manufacturer for quality family transportation. With the refreshed 2010 Fusion, Ford has an appealing mid-sized sedan that should make the competition more than a little nervous.

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By Bill Clark

Pros:

• New styling looks great
• It’s big
• Very well-appointed - even in base trim
• All things Subaru - affordable, practical, all-wheel drive
• Very comfortable road car

Cons

• Lethargic engine - especially at freeway speeds
• Leans like a wet noodle when pushed hard around corners

Don’t tell the Editors, but let’s just say I was less than enthusiastic when I was told I would be testing the new 2010 Subaru Legacy sedan. While I reluctantly waited outside the house for the demo vehicle to be delivered, a number of cars drove by, including a very sharp, muscular, modern-looking sedan. The sedan slows in front of me while I am taking a long look at it - ‘nice’, I think to myself. Then I notice the Subaru emblem on the front grille. Wait… What? Is that it? That’s a Subaru? Well, things are looking up! Let’s just say the word ‘new’ does not do the car justice - I’d say transformed!

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By Danny Chang

Pros
• In-your-face styling
• Plenty of power to burn rubber
• Uncontrollable urge to drive recklessly
Cons
• Very poor visibility
• Jared-from-Subway weight problem
• Less-than-impressive MPG

Introduction
I’ve been pretty stressed out lately, been very busy at work, just moved into a new house and my wife and I are expecting our first baby. Yeah, a little stressed out. So when my editor called to tell me that a 2010 Camaro SS2 was on its way, I was ecstatic! Just as Bumblebee in Transformers coming to Earth to save Sam Witwicky from the Decepticons, this silver ice metallic Chevrolet Camaro SS2 arrived to rescue me from the tense situation in my life. And just like Bumblebee and Sam, I formed an immediate bond with the SS2, with its 6.2 L V8 with SFI pumping out 426 HP paired with a 6-speed manual, capable of hitting 60 MPH in 4.9 seconds. I loved the twin black striping down the middle of this silver tester, making it a Raiders themed kick-ass Camaro.

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By Anson Tse

Pros

• Performance and value
• Solid chassis and suspension tuning
• Lots of standard features

Cons

• Manual transmission setup needs more polish
• V6 seems a bit more powerful on paper

Introduction

Hyundai has been making a pretty strong statement with its products lately. Remember the days of the Hyundai Excel? Well, times have changed. The new Genesis sedan has received accolades for going toe to toe with the best luxury sedans from Japan and Germany. Interestingly enough, Hyundai is on a mission to have pony car drivers watch out for the Genesis Coupe creeping up in their rearview mirrors. Being one of those rear wheel drive fanatics, it was time to see how the Genesis Coupe measures up.

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Pros

• 355 hp EcoBoost engine with a power band wider than the Grand Canyon
• Active Park Assist feature that works 10x better than Toyota/Lexus
• More standard luxury features than its closest competitors
• A ride quieter than Tibetan Buddhist Monastery
• No longer using switches and knobs from the Ford-Mercury parts bin

Cons

• Oversize split-bow grill is more ugly than intimidating
• Supposed to be smaller than a Navigator, but still really large

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By Mary Ellen Ash

Yays:

• Value
• Keyless remote entry and ignition
• Lots of cupholders.
• Sliding front seat arm rest for shrimp-lings like me
• Bose Stereo System
• Fold-down rear seats for excellent cargo space

Nays:

• Bluetooth system finicky
• Limited rear passenger leg-room

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Blings:

• The exterior, though simple is quite attractive.
• The interior dashboard is simple and elegant
• Seats are excellent, especially the 2nd row seats
• Handling and ride quality are good and an improvement over its Chrysler cousins
• Good power and fuel economy

Dings:

• All the knobs and electronics are Chrysler quality and not up to VW standards
• Chrysler’s “stow and go” and “swivel and go” seating options are not available
• Sliding doors are a bit noisy when opening and closing.
• There are odd, as in huge storage compartments found in the floor and on the ceiling of the Routan
• It doesn’t differentiate itself enough from the Chrysler.
• Pricing rebates and deals of VW will not be as aggressive as Chrysler’s
• It was named by the same group that gave us the Phaeton and Passat

Introduction
When a family has more than two kids in this country they tend to stray away from the VW mark. Even VW loyalists are lost to the clutches of Honda, Toyota and Chrysler minivans. The convenience of the power sliding doors is alluring and the potential of transporting part of the soccer team or the extended family is inviting.

VW felt they had to offer a minivan in their line-up so they partnered with Chrysler for the task. Designing and building their own van did not support the economics and timing, so Volkswagen worked with Chrysler to create their version of the Chrysler Town and Country or Dodge Caravan.

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By Twain Mein

Pros

• Safety features
• Roominess
• Handling and comfort
• Beautiful interior
• Incredible acceleration
• Outward visibility

Cons (not many but…)

• It’s expensive
• Fan noise from the A/C and seat coolers
• Small side view mirrors
• Fuel economy; averaged 13.5 mpg

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By Alex Kramer

Not content with simply having some of the finest luxury sports cars on the planet, Aston Martin has upped the ante in open-air motoring with its new DBS Volante convertible. Like the DBS Coupe (featured in the recent James Bond movie, “Quantum of Solace”) on which it is based, the DBS Volante is a statement in automotive design, combining supercar performance, sculpted elegance, and unbridled luxury.

We were fortunate enough to be invited to test the DBS Volante on a nice late-summer day, perfect for some top-down driving. Although we could only spend a short amount of time behind the wheel, a brief spin in the hills outside of Los Gatos, CA, confirmed that this is truly one of the finest automobiles on the road today.

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Review by Danny Chang

Pros

• Available with AWD
• Passes agility tests better than a Border Collie
• Gets you from point A to point B
• Don’t have to look for the bus pass
• Way better than a Yugo

Cons

• Slightly more powerful than a lawnmower
• Unimpressive styling even with new aero kit
• Underwhelming MPG

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Orange oil-infused tires are the new green for saving the environment

Yokohama has introduced a new tire model that replaces 80% of the petroleum based products that used to make up a tire’s composition with non-petroleum based products. The new dB Super E-spec passenger tire uses Yokohama’s Super Nano-Power Rubber compound and Advanced Inner Liner to create a tire that is 80% petroleum free, performs better than conventional tires made of vulcanized rubber, and has ultra-low rolling resistance.

The new Yokohama orange oil-infused tire is their first product designed specifically for hybrid automobiles. Introduced in Japan in 2007, the dB super E-spec reconciles the conflict between low rolling resistance - key to delivering improved fuel economy - and superior grip in both wet and dry conditions while offering the quiet, comfortable ride that compliments the silent driving characteristics of hybrids. This translates directly into improved fuel economy as rolling resistance can account for up to 20 per cent of the friction that a vehicle must overcome when moving.

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>> Review by Peter N. >> Photographs by Derek Mau

Pros:

• Small, zippy driving experience
• Cool cockpit design
• Good iPod integration
• Low road noise

Cons:

• Ultra-stiff suspension setup
• Small trunk
• No rear leg room

Introduction
I recall on one of my first trips to Europe coming across a Mini Cooper parked in the street. I was awestruck that anyone would sell, let alone buy, such a small car. We took photos of it to prove to our friends how small European cars were. It really lived up to name. This was back in the 80’s, so it was one of the “original” Mini Cooper designs. Ever since BMW re-launched the MINI Cooper line in 2000, I’ve always wanted to see how the brand that builds the ultimate driving machine would recreate an ultra-small British car. As it turns out, just about what you would expect: a small but very sporty car that is simple, but well done.

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In 2008, Suzuki came out ready to brawl in the sport compact class with a four-door, sport-oriented sedan, the SX4 Sport. This pugsly fighter came rumbling onto the street scene with front-wheel drive instead of power robbing AWD, a sport-tuned suspension that rides lower than its more sedate siblings, 17 inch wheels, and an aero kit to give it a lower ride height. Suzuki even fitted a rear crossbrace in the sedan’s trunk for a 15 percent increase in structural rigidity over their corresponding hatchback model. The little sedan, with sporty aspirations, was outfitted with a 2.0L powerplant capable of producing 143 hp and 136 lb-ft of torque — all in an affordable package.

With the 2010 SX4 SportBack model, Suzuki wanted to spice up the hatchback version of the SX4 Crossover using a similar formula as the SX4 Sport sedan. The parasitic all-wheel drive system was replaced by more efficient front-wheel drive, a slightly larger and more powerful engine became standard, and an aero kit complemented with 17 inch wheels and tires developed by Dunlop specifically for the SX4 Sport completed the makeover. A peek inside this fancy crossover five-door reveals an all-new instrument cluster, aluminum-look trim accents (including the pedals), and integrated nav-system.

Drive-off video of the 2010 SX4 SportBack after the jump

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By Alex Kramer

Pros:

• 236 lb ft of torque!!
• Smooth shifting 6 speed manual transmission
• Perfectly tuned chassis and suspension
• Outstanding fuel efficiency

Cons:

• Squeal-happy tires
• Spartan interior

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