Auto News 5

Cadillac's SRX has grown beyond its sporty wagon pretensions and is now targeting the heart of the luxury crossover market. The strategy seems to be working, as it's already selling much better than the outgoing model (which, we should note, won a few Automobile Magazine All-Star awards in its time), and yet, it seems Cadillac isn't quite ready to give up on having some high-roof fun. To that end, the premium model featured here has ditched the wheezy base 3.0-liter V-6 and standard front-wheel-drive configuration in favor of a turbocharged, 2.8-liter V-6 producing 300 hp and torque-vectoring all-wheel drive - the same setup found in the Saab 9-3 Aero and Opel Insignia OPC. Given these macho specs, we thought it was time to measure the SRX against the best in its class, which, in our estimation, means the Audi Q5. The Q5 won our three-way crossover shootout last year and has since become a well-regarded member of our Four Seasons fleet for its sporting demeanor, handsome exterior, and, yes, Audi-like interior. Does it have what it takes to fend off the brasher and more powerful Cadillac? Read on for our impressions.

Ford's aging Crown Victoria is barely relevant to most consumers, but cabbies and police officers across the country will bemoan its demise once production ceases next fall. The Transit Connect van may satisfy the livery fleets, but to appease law enforcement officers, Ford crafted its new 2012 Police Interceptor.inline_mediumwraptextright27176507/features/news/1003_2012_ford_taurus_police_interceptor2012-ford-police-interceptor-in-action.jpgTrue

What is it with Acura giving up on great names? This car should, by all rights, be called the Legend Type-S. Except that Acura has abandoned both of those monikers. Acura TL SH-AWD 6MT? That sounds like something an inebriated math teacher would mutter before drifting into unconsciousness.inline_mediumwraptextright32320167/reviews/driven/1004_2010_acura_tl_sh_awd_6mt1004_01_z+2010_acura_tL_sH-AWD_6MT+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

As I approached the Infiniti FX50 in the parking garage, I was relieved to see Bridgestone Blizzak snow tires mounted to the massive twenty-one-inch wheels. With six to ten inches of snow expected that night, I wanted a vehicle capable of dealing with the white stuff and the long trip home.inline_mediumwraptextright27086108/reviews/editors_notebook/1003_2010_infiniti_fx50_awd1003_05_z+2010_infiniti_fX50_aWD+passenger_side_view.jpgTrue

Months in fleet: Five
Miles to date: 8993 milesinline_mediumwraptextright26874410/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1003_2010_subaru_outback_3_6r_limited_march_update1002_03_z+2010_subaru_outback_limited+side_view.jpgTrue

One year ago was the nadir. February 2009 was the low point last winter, when auto sales all but ground to a halt. So the fact that February 2010 sales are up versus last year is good, but it's not saying much. What's more encouraging is that the percent gain over one year ago was pretty healthy: 13%. That's much better than January's 6% increase over similarly sickly 2009 totals, and close to December's 15% gain over year-ago figures. But while December sales are always goosed by the year-end deal-a-thon, February's boost seems more organic. Particularly since it was achieved despite an ongoing publicity nightmare for Toyota and, for much of the country, several days of bad winter weather. The only real qualifier for February is that it did reflect increased fleet sales (up from a very low level last winter) - and the fact that the February's annualized sales rate of 10 million vehicles is still far off the 17 million of just a few years ago.inline_mediumwraptextright24626542/features/news/1003_2010_february_auto_sales0908_04_z+2010_ford_fusion_sport_aWD+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

If small cars are particularly adept at changing direction, you might assume that small car companies can react to customer demands quickly, too. In the case of Tesla Motors, that assumption is correct. A host of updates to the Tesla Roadster addresses almost every concern we had after spending a week with the electric sports car - this Silicon Valley company is clearly listening to what people have to say.inline_mediumwraptextright32384862/green/reviews/1004_tesla_roadster_2_0_sport1004_03_z+tesla_roadster_2_0_sport+side_view.jpgTrue

It's rare to have an Audi without Quattro pass through our garage. As all-wheel drive has become synonymous with the brand, it seems a front-wheel example of any Audi is an oddity. I happened to take this front-wheel-drive A3 TDI home on the night of Michigan's biggest winter storm. With a set of Michelin winter tires on, though, I hardly noticed that I had only two wheels to power through the slippery spots. Aside from the torquey engine occasionally spinning the front wheels, the A3 was composed and stable through thick city slush and at highway speeds.inline_mediumwraptextright27080960/green/reviews/1003_2010_audi_a3_tdi_fwd_s_tronic_premium1003_01_z+2010_audi_a4_tDI_fWD_s-Tronic_premium+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

GMC has always been about "Professional Grade" trucks, but the Denali trim level takes it up a notch or two -- it's the package for people who work hard but like to do it in style, too. Now, the folks in the big trucks will get their own pampering as GMC reveals the new 2011 GMC Sierra Denali Heavy Duty.inline_mediumwraptextright28350700/features/news/1003_2011_gmc_sierra_heavy_duty2011-GMC-sierra-denali-heavy-duty-front.jpgTrue

The Venza is a perfectly nice five-passenger tall wagon, as far as space, appointments, and utility are concerned. I just don't understand why Toyota is building it. The company already had an overfull quiver of hatchback crossover things, so why add the strange-looking Venza to the bunch? Well, it turns out that Toyota sold a very respectable 54,410 Venzas last year (nearly as many as Scion's 2009 brand total), so I guess there's the answer. It saddens me, though, that consumers apparently prefer the bulky Venza alongside competent RAV4s, Highlanders, Matrixes, 4Runners, et al. instead of a more carlike, more efficient, and no longer offered Camry station wagon.inline_mediumwraptextright27087650/reviews/editors_notebook/1003_2010_toyota_venza_awd1003_01_z+2010_toyota_venza_aWD+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue