Auto News 5

Maybe it was those Superbowl ads. Or, more likely, it was the release of some pent-up demand-particularly on the truck side, where business owners last year had all but shut down new-vehicle purchasing. After a fairly healthy start in January, sales acceleratd to a seasonally adjusted annual clip of better than 13 million units, which is better than we've seen in the last two years, save for during the Cash-for-Clunkers giveaway in summer 2009. Overall, the industry bettered the sluggish pace of last February (2010's weakest month) by 27%.

The Audi A3 has almost everything I want in a new car. Its TDI engine is both economical (with a 34 mpg combined EPA rating) and responsive, with a decent amount of power and lots of torque. All-wheel drive would be nice, but with how well this car handled on snowy roads I really didn't miss it all that much, plus the added weight of the all-wheel-drive system would likely drag down fuel economy. The car is small but not cramped, and the handy wagon configuration means that you can still haul bulky items in the rear cargo compartment with the second row folded. The interior is nicely laid out and seemingly designed for someone my size. Still, at almost $33,000, this car is hardly inexpensive. And that's without the $6500 it would cost to add a panoramic sunroof, a sport package, MMI navigation, and a premium package. No wonder it's not flying off dealer lots.

Months In Fleet: 12
Miles to date: 32,328

Given all of the turmoil Saab went through in the past year it is amazing the company is still alive. At this year's Geneva Motor Show, the Swedish company has shown that it is reinvigorated and ready to flourish. Leading the charge of the new Saab is the PhoeniX concept.