By Roger Boylan

GM offers three versions of this pleasant vehicle: the working-stiff’s Chevrolet Equinox (previously reviewed in these pages), the fancy-pants Cadillac SRX (actually on a premium version of this platform shared with the recently deceased Saab 9-4x), and the present, modestly upscale iteration, the GMC Terrain, which was my ride for a week. (The also recently deceased Saturn Vue was another close relation.)  While the vehicle may be similar in feel and specs to its relatives, at least GM has made it look completely different from the Equinox – for better or worse.

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By Kevin Miller

Nissan’s Versa has been a solid entry in the low-cost, entry-level car segment, with a base version of the first-generation Versa sedan actually claiming the title of cheapest car available with its $9995 base price. While that price didn’t include much standard equipment (like air conditioning or a radio), more expensive versions with more generous equipment levels (including features like keyless entry/go and leather-wrapped steering wheel) were available, though with such an inexpensive starting point the Versa was always a Spartan vehicle.

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By Kevin Gordon

I have a confession. I stereotype drivers. More specifically, I stereotype drivers of luxury cars. Sadly, my innate judgement doesn’t just stop at brand, it extends to model. Every time I see a BMW 328i coupe, I assume that the driver decided that they liked the image of the car, but little about the way it actually drives. I probably give Audi drivers the harshest judgement of all. There are some exceptions to this; if you drive an early Audi S4 Avant, I instantly want to be your friend despite any moral shortcomings you may have.

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By Kevin Gordon

There is a wonderful trend happening in the automotive world. Small cars no longer need to be automatically considered economy cars. The team at Autosavant has now had a chance to sample most of the cars in this class and if you read them you’ll notice they are some of the most positive words we put to pixels around here. The Hyundai Accent would like to add its name to that list. The recently redesigned Accent wears a family familiar face and carries an impressive options list. Read on for our full impression and to see if the Accent has graduated from the economy class. Continue Reading

By Chris Haak

As one of the first journalists to drive the Buick Regal on US soil back in 2010, I was impressed by the car’s taut handling, above-average interior, and attention to detail. In particular, I was most smitten by the Regal Turbo, which adds a sizable dollop of horsepower and a much-improved power delivery over the base 2.4 liter four.

For 2012, the Regal lineup grows by two, with a performance variant, the GS, taking the top spot with its 270 horsepower 2.0 liter turbo four, and the new eAssist, which we’re here to talk about today, assuming the model’s fuel-economy leadership crown.

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By Roger Boylan

All hail Prius V! Actually, that’s “V,” the letter, not the Roman numeral. The various trimlines of the Toyota Prius were once designated in dynastic fashion—Prius I, Prius II, etc.–but the new V designates “versatility,” or “versatile.” Certainly not “Vroom.” Of course, the Prius was never intended to be a driver’s car.Toyota’s market demographic is the no-nonsense general public with a penchant for frugality and right thinking and no interest in cars except as A to B appliances. With over 2 million Prii sold since 2001,that seems to be a good business model.

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By Chris Haak

Cadillac calls itself the “New Standard of the World” these days.  I suppose the implication is that the old standard of the world, when Cadillac made The. Best. Car. In. The. World. is of another era, and expectations are different today.  For what GM and some buyers see as a “luxury” brand, it’s curious that Cadillac doesn’t even sell what many would consider a true luxury car.  Though Cadillac is without a luxury flagship for the foreseeable future, at least we get a performance flagship. One that can stand toe-to-toe with the best of what the rest of the world offers. That’s the CTS-V.

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By Roger Boylan

Last year I reviewed a Toyota Camry SE V6 with pleasure. Since then, Toyota has completely redesigned its bread-and-buttermobile, so a week in a brand-new, jet-black Camry SE V6 seemed like a good idea. Well, what’s it like, you ask, breathless with anticipation? Good, is the answer.  No: Better than good. The old one was good enough to almost put a smile on my jowly visage. The new one’s better. It ups the ante to a broad grin. I really liked the new Camry.

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By Kevin Miller

The letter R used to carry a lot of weight at Volvo. The designator for Volvo’s highest performance cars, the R line reached its apogee in model years 2004-2007, when the S60R and V70R were 300 HP, AWD Volvos with Volvo’s first electronically-damped 4C suspension, available manual transmissions, large Brembo brakes, blue-faced instruments, full-leather upholstered seats in custom-colored interiors. Envisioned as halo cars, the R series were the most powerful Volvos ever produced, but they never sold in large numbers, and the erstwhile performance moniker was quietly shelved when the vehicles on which they were based ceased production.

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By Roger Boylan

Last year I tested the 2011 Yaris, and liked it. This year I spent a week with the redesigned 2012 Yaris, and liked it even more. Why? Because, as Toyota tells us in its advertising slogan for the new Yaris: “It’s a car!” Say what?

Sometimes, given the ubiquity of Toyotas in the U.S., it’s hard to remember that the company is, after all, Japanese, and that Japan is the birthplace of joyously nonsensical pseudo-English that, in the realm of car names alone, has given us gems such as the Mitsubishi Mini Active Urban Sandal, the Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard and the Mazda Bongo Friendee. See, this is what you get when you don’t hire gaijin proofreaders to check your English, Toyoda-san! Perhaps “it’s a car!” has a deep, emotional resonance in Japanese, but a quick phone call to a native speaker Stateside might have obviated considerable silliness.

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