pow

I wouldn't be surprised if transaction prices exceed those of the Avenger. Glad to see Chrysler are moving away from such crappy cars.

Agreed, the Astra wagon looks better; there's always something awkward about a hatchback (especially one that's designed for space efficiency and is consequently relatively tall) converted into a sedan. The Buick front and rear fascias are overdone, too, IMO.

Checked out a production-ready Model S at the Tesla store in Palo Alto last weekend. Looks awesome, great tech, lots of attention to detail... only complaint I have is that rear headroom is a bit limited with that sloping roof. It's a rather large and imposing vehicle up close, about 4" larger than a 5-series, said the salesperson. The cool thing is that there's an integrated charger built into the car, so you don't need a pricey home charger built into your garage. A normal 240-volt dryer socket is all that's needed for Level 2 charging.

Nice. Too bad Ford isn't in, because Siri is so much more useful than angry SYNC lady.

Yup, Infinitis lease well. Even as a lame duck, G25x has a 59% residual (3 years). The base rate is just .00008, and you can get a good chunk off MSRP. In related news, a Regal is only worth 45% of MSRP after 3 years, making for pricey leases. :/

Infiniti G has great steering feel. I test drove one, and just three minutes in, its RWD roots and higher quality "premium" nature (in contrast to the Altima) were apparent. The driving position and all the primary controls, particularly the steering and brakes, were very BMW-like. It was a revelation after test-driving a FWD Volvo S60 T5, which, while likable, is so wrong in every way. G25 has better NVH than G37, and I'm Captain Slow, so I didn't mind the lack of speed. For most folks, a G31 would probably be the ideal compromise between smoothness, power, and economy.

Article says 2013, title reads 2012. 2013 goal is realistic; 2012 goal won't be possible considering mass deliveries don't begin until later this month. Speaking of Tesla, some of their cool robots at Fremont in action:

Eh, I test drove a non-turbo one with a manual and thought it was a POS. Looks good but drives like an Accent. An econobox with interesting styling.

That begs the question: why buy an Escalade when you can buy a similar Tahoe for about $30K less?

The current RR has the best interior of any vehicle sold today; should be interesting to see how (or if) they can top that.

Perhaps a 3rd customer, that would spend $50-100k on a high lux, high mpg hybrid. You know, rich eco enthusiasts, like half of hollywood. Tesla Model S is sold out til the end of 2013.

MPG itself is a desirable attribute much like horsepower. Lexus hybrids should focus on having maximum efficiency while retaining adequate performance.

The Brits sure like their aluminium...

Hope the new 2.5 is vastly improved over the current 2.4 DI in terms of NVH. The current motor, while smooth, sounds whiney--not sporty at all.

This will be interesting to watch. Personal mobility pods can be like monorails without as great of an infrastructure cost. In many ways, it's a hybrid between rail and automobile. It's like rail in that you won't have to look for parking or operate the vehicle, and it's like the automobile in that you don't have to be with other passengers, still insulated from society in your little metal and plastic cocoon. Its environmental impact will probably be somewhere between the two.

I expect the base MSRP to be low... like very close to $30K. The 2.5L can compete against vehicles like TSX, while the 2.0T goes head to head with 328i and A4.

I don't have the moonroof and have a good six inches of headroom at 5'11". I'd say definitely don't get the moonroof if headroom is a concern, though I haven't tried it out myself. My seat's all the way down to the floor, though I like sitting low. The base radio interface comes from the Fiesta and I agree, the SYNC/MyFord (not MyFordTouch) is a must. After 6,000 miles, a few comments: - Yeah, six gears would be nice; the revs are low on the highway, but ratios could be closer, especially from 1-2 and 2-3. - Throws are crisp and precise, but I wish they weren't as "two step" (the level of resistance changes going into neutral and then into the next gear). Shorter throws might help with that. - Car tracks superbly, in part because of the EPS tuning. The steering really tightens up on center at speed. But at lower speed, changing radii turns, the resistance feels a bit unnecessary, and I'd rather see that resistance replaced with more steering feel. - Clutch among the best I've tried. - You can tell the engine is DI; not really a concern because all DI engines sound like this. But 2.0 liters is quite large for a 4-cylinder, and you can occasionally feel the vibrations at idle. NVH is not as refined as VW/Audi 2.0T or the i-VTEC in the old 2.0 Civic Si, but it does make a nice, albeit muted, growl at low-to-medium RPM / heavy throttle situations. - Ergonomics and utility works for me. Was able to fit two medium sized bikes (wheels still on) with the seats down, and all the controls make a lot of sense once you learn them. Everything is within an easy reach. - Occasional buzzes from interior pieces when the car is cold and while going over certain surfaces. Not cool. Overall, I'm happy with my purchase. While not perfect, I like it more than anything else in its class. The world car qualities (without the made-in-Germany pricetag) was what made me interested in the car. I like the whole Ford global DNA to its design, perceived qualities, overall feel, and driving dynamics: quieter, more substantial, and more composed than a typical Japanese car (Mazda3, Civic, Impreza), while being more tactile and lively than, say, a Cruze. Looking forward to driving the ST when it comes out, and offering a 1.6 EcoBoost with six-speed manual in the US makes a lot of sense down the road.

I acquired a new-to-me GMC Denali today... probably not what you're thinking, though. Hint: It fits in the back of my Focus.

Prius has the highest loyalty rate of any midsize car at ~40%. Most other hybrids are either too new to have next-generation replacement models (e.g., Fusion Hybrid), or they have been discontinued because they never caught on to begin with (e.g., AURA Hybrid).

Down the road they're going to also make an EV version with the Leaf's powertrain.

The speckled floor and matching yellow stitching are nice touches. I do like how the divider window and fee meter are integrated into the design; doesn't look like afterthoughts. The Transit Connect is cooler looking as a car, but this has way better passenger ingress/egress and space.

The new front is nice, but the rest looks incredibly dated. Those new wheels look horrid; they remind me of those from a 2001 LeSabre. Plastic-looking wood on the doors is pretty gross too...

Dayum. I love the roof and all the other details... as well as the overall profile. Good to hear it's got a BMW range extender. In terms of design, Fisker is much more imaginative than Tesla.

Wow, that's really aggressive for an ES...

If the Rover 75 were still around, this would be its replacement.