Auto News 5

We apologize to you, dear reader, that the ninth update on our Four Seasons Mazda CX-5 is a bit late. You see, we were waiting for the car to return from its post-deer repairs so that we could inform you of, well, the damage. What can you expect the damage to be to your (and your insurance company's) wallet after hitting a deer? Depending on the severity of the collision, your costs may vary, but you'll no doubt be interested to know that our total was just shy of $10,000. Ouch.

Six years is the standard life span for a new car design, but the current Subaru Forester, which went on sale in early 2008, is being ushered off stage one year early. This is despite the fact that the departing Forester has sold much better than its gawky, wagonlike predecessors and even in its last year accounted for nearly a quarter of the brand's volume. The new Forester, wisely, does little to threaten that success, instead largely building on the previous car's strengths, the better to face the fleet of big-name competitors in this ever-more-popular segment.