Auto News 5

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

For the past decade the commercial van segment has been idle with the same stale vehicles: Ford E-series, Chevrolet Express, and Mercedes-Benz (formerly Dodge) Sprinter. So the addition of another player to the game with a whole new model is big news.inline_mediumwraptextright28357939/features/news/1003_2011_nissan_nv1003_01_z+2011_nissan_nV+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

A new seventh-generation (C7) Corvette is at least three years away. That means the current C6 Vette will have to soldier on for nine, possibly ten, full model years. To keep the old girl fresh, Chevy will continue coining limited-edition packages and model variations to juggle the storehouse of engines, transaxles, frames, bodystyles, and chassis components developed for the sixth generation.inline_mediumwraptextright28344964/features/news/1003_2011_chevrolet_corvette_z06_carbon_edition1003_01_z+2011_chevrolet_corvette_z06_carbon_edition+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

This August, Alfa Romeo will celebrate its centennial at Pebble Beach, where it is a featured marque at the Concours d'Elegance. Rumor has it that the Italians will cap off the festivities by unveiling the 4C, a compact, lightweight sports car concept. Says one insider from parent company Fiat's headquarters: "The 8C has been a very successful halo car. What we need next is a more affordable follow-up model that spreads the message over a wider customer base."inline_mediumwraptextright28091446/features/news/1004_alfa_romeos_centennial_anniversary1004_02_z+alfa_romeo_4c+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

I was part expecting and part hoping that the Transit Connect with rear windows and five seats would become a cult family vehicle for a small subset of the American population. Having driven the cargo version, I should have known better. The wagon variant is slightly more livable than the hauler with marginally reduced wind noise and far better visibility. But the rough ride, mediocre mechanicals, and Spartan interior mean it will only appeal to a handful of buyers outside of fleets.inline_mediumwraptextright27083642/reviews/editors_notebook/1003_2010_ford_transit_connect_xlt_wagon1003_04_z+2010_ford_transit_connect_xLT_wagon+profile.jpgTrue