Auto News 5

Seeing the Quest in person brings to mind a design executed in drywall. The sides of this van are enormous and nearly flat, a perception enhanced by the van's 6-foot 1-inch height and fact the doors wrap under the body. Even the optional 18-inch wheels look small in the wheel wells. On the plus side, the new Quest displays more design personality than the all-new Toyota Sienna and appears more cohesive than the all-new Honda Odyssey. The Sienna, however, looks a bit cleaner (if blander) because the rear-door tracks are concealed along the lower edge of the rear windows.

Miles to date: 16,954
Months in fleet: 6

Don't let the pretty face, slender daylight openings, and the Taurus nameplate (previously tacked onto Ford's mid-size model) fool you. Today's Taurus is one large barge. I was deceived until it came time to maneuver it into my garage. At 202.9 inches long-16.2 inches longer than the Lincoln MKX I recently drove, and just 10 inches shy of the outgoing Crown Victoria -- I barely had enough room to close the garage door and slip past the nose into my apartment.

BMW’s smallest offering — the 1 Series — will arrive for the 2012 model year with a short list of changes.