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In days gone, muscle car wars revolved around jamming as much power under the hood as possible or setting a scorching quarter-mile time at the strip. Today, fuel economy plays an equally important part. Chevrolet fired an opening salvo by installing a potent yet thrifty V-6 into its 2010 Camaro, but Ford's firing back with its tweaked 2011 Mustang.inline_mediumwraptextright27361093/features/news/0911_2011_ford_mustang_v60912_05_z+2011_ford_mustang_v6+rear_three_quarters_view.jpgTrue

As winter approaches, we've now fit our Mazda 3 with Continental ExtremeWinterContact winter tires in preparation for the snow, slush, and ice storms that we're sure to receive. Our new tires match the stock rubber in size at 205/50TR-17 and sell for $114 each. We're used to making compromises to ride and handling when fitting our cars with snow tires, and the Continentals are no exception. The 3's sharp steering is dulled, handling is less confident, and the ride significantly choppier. "I noticed a lot more torque steer while accelerating, and the Mazda wandered on the highway, requiring significantly more corrections than when it was on the stock all-season tires," commented copy editor Rusty Blackwell. On the other hand, we're expecting these tires to be quite grippy once the snow starts flying.inline_mediumwraptextright26071445/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/0911_2010_mazda3_s_sport_5_door_november_update0911_03_z+2010_mazda3_vS_mazdaspeed3+head_to_head.jpgTrue

Drive a BMW 335d, as I just did for a week, and you don't attract a second glance. Aside from one changed letter in the badge on the trunk, there is nothing to distinguish the BMW 3 Series diesel from the multitudes of 3 Series BMWs on the road. But while the 335d does not make a visual statement, it does say a lot about its driver. It says, "I want excellent fuel economy, and I don't want to sacrifice performance to get it." In the 335d, perhaps more so than any other car on the road, you get both.inline_mediumwraptextright31452492/green/reviews/0911_2010_bmw_335d0911_02_z+2010_bMW_335d+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Honda's face-lift for the 2010 CR-V may be mild, but in my mind, it helps clean up the front fascia of the car. Not only have designers reduced the use of the argent plastic cladding along the lower edge of the front bumper, but they've also stylized the grille by widening the upper openings and removing the chrome bars from the lower section.inline_mediumwraptextright26026613/reviews/editors_notebook/0911_2010_honda_crv_exl_4wd0911_01_z+2010_honda_cR-V_eX-L_4WD+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

On September 8, 1994, BMW built its first car in North America. The event, in a new BMW Manufacturing Company (BMWMC) plant located in a former peach orchard between Spartanburg and Greenville, South Carolina, marked an early milestone on its road to becoming the first European carmaker to establish a lasting manufacturing presence in America.inline_mediumwraptextright25690844/features/news/0912_bobby_hitt_bmw_manager_of_media_public_relations0912_01_z+bMWMC_plant+south_carolina.jpgTrue

How much 911 do you need? Objectively, the difference between the 345-hp bottom-rung Carrera and the latest 500-hp Turbo is not nearly as dramatic as the numbers would suggest. With the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission set for launch control, the Turbo beats the base model from 0 to 60 mph by 1.3 seconds, according to Porsche. When you compare the manual-transmission models, the acceleration advantage shrinks to an even less meaningful one second flat. As far as top speed is concerned, the wide-body Turbo's 194 mph eclipses its slimline sibling by a relatively unsensational 14 mph.inline_mediumwraptextright31016385/reviews/driven/0912_2010_porsche_911_turbo0912_10_z+2010_porsche_911_turbo+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Leave it to SVT to create yet another product that can't be used to its full potential on public roads. Still, kudos to the group for pursuing an off-road truck instead of the traditional drag-strip special or track car. I encounter cratered, dirt roads in my daily driving more frequently than I do a 1320-foot stretch of pavement or a perfectly shaped apex with runoff strip.inline_mediumwraptextright27242932/reviews/editors_notebook/0911_2010_ford_svt_raptor0911_01_z+2010_ford_sVT_raptor+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

The technology-laden sixth edition of the BMW 5 Series sedan is perhaps the finest distillation of all that makes enthusiasts love BMWs as driver's cars, incorporating as it does myriad features intended to improve both its environmental credentials and its sporting performance qualities. Indeed, model for model, every new 5 will surpass the ability of its immediate predecessor, whether powered by gasoline or diesel fuel. Even more important, it's a good-looking machine, with beautifully refined surfaces, elegant detailing and, above all, no "funny stuff." No flame surfaces, no sow-belly side treatments, no awkward bustle back, nothing to cause a paroxysm of apoplectic fury in potential clients.