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You might recall one of the great automotive oddities of the aughts: the Volkswagen Touareg with a 5.0-liter turbo-diesel V-10 engine, one which produced an absurd 553 lb-ft of torque but raised the price of entry for this supposedly mainstream SUV to an equally absurd $70,000. Those who closed their eyes and wrote the check invariably loved their ten-cylinder kid haulers, but you have to admit that it was a bit extreme, and eventually VW dropped the V-10 because it wasn't worth updating it to meet new American emissions regulations.inline_mediumwraptextright28127110/green/reviews/1004_2010_volkswagen_touareg_tdi1004_01_z+2010_volkswagen_touareg_tdi+taillight.jpgTrue

Jeep wants this Compass to be a small SUV competitor, but I have a hard time seeing it as much more than a Dodge Caliber compact car. It may ride a little taller, drive all four wheels, and offer high-end features like navigation, but there's not much utility here. And as the Compass combines unparalleled levels of ho-hum and ugly, it is certifiable insanity that Jeep would build even one of these cars at a price of $30,130.inline_mediumwraptextright26939030/reviews/editors_notebook/1002_2010_jeep_compass_limited_4x41002_01_z+2010_jeep_compass_limited_4x4+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

As we pull onto the highway away from Windhoek, Namibia, the first car that passes the taxi is a red Honda S2000. My taxi driver scrupulously obeys the speed limit, and we're soon passed again, this time by a black BMW M3 convertible. Then another M3 convertible goes past. The dueling M3s are soon forced to slow down as a crowd of baboons crosses the highway. BMWs negotiating a baboon chicane: Welcome to Africa!inline_mediumwraptextright26782304/features/great_drives/1003_bmw_x5_driver_training_namibia_africa1003_01_z+bMW_x5_driver_training_namibia_africa+caravan.jpgTrue