Auto News 5

One year ago, the U.S. economy was moribund with the cascading effects of the financial crisis, and auto sales were in a deep freeze. In the first month of 2010, auto sales aren't quite as bad, bouncing back a modest 6% from last January's total. Depressingly, that's less than half the year-over-year uptick seen last month: December sales saw a surprisingly healthy 15% increase over the grim prior year. One possible explanation for the weaker January numbers is that December sales were goosed by carmakers' traditional year-end sell-a-thon.inline_mediumwraptextright26825156/features/news/1002_2010_january_auto_sales1002_02_z+laFontane_cadillac+go_green_dealership.jpgTrue

You don't need a high-riding SUV or crossover to get the winter traction benefits of four-wheel drive. There are a myriad of sedans, wagons, coupes, and even convertibles that offer four-wheel drive (usually called all-wheel drive in passenger cars) either as standard or optional equipment. We've gathered up a complete list of AWD passenger cars; the list is long and the choices are many. Although the advantages of four driven wheels are obvious in slippery road conditions, the technology comes at a cost. There is usually a cost premium associated with all-wheel drive, and almost always a fuel economy penalty as well. So for each car listed, we've indicated the extra cost of the all-wheel-drive option, or the cost differential compared with the equivalent two-wheel-drive model, as well as its EPA gas mileage ratings, and the fuel economy penalty versus the two-wheel-drive version of the same car.inline_mediumwraptextright26695829/features/news/1001_awd_vehicles_winter_wondercars1001_19_z+2010_cadillac_cTS+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

I drew Lincoln's flagship when I requested something, anything, with all wheels driving to get me through an impending storm. I foolishly drove the MKS into the teeth of a Michigan snow squall to attend a Cadillac-LaSalle Club meeting in a town an hour away. Much to my chagrin, this car ate up the slippery pavement and wriggled its way through slow-moving traffic as if it were equipped with spiked treads. Actually, it was equipped with ordinary all-season radials instead of the real winter tires that are most appropriate for our crappy weather. While accelerating from stoplights and while cruising at the speed limit, this car demonstrated impeccable traction and stability. During heavy throttle indulgences, the 355-hp EcoBoost V-6 causes the front wheels to hunt and peck for the right path, but that's a minor fault considering the adverse circumstances I encountered. On several occasions, it struck me that a return to Colorado's Loveland Pass in the dead of winter would be the real acid test for the MKS (see 6versus8.com). With EcoBoost eliminating the loss of power attributable to altitude and an all-wheel-drive system where the front wheels do most of the work, I think this car climbing a snow-covered mountain might finally overcome BMW's 5-series (even one optioned up with awd).inline_mediumwraptextright32131146/reviews/editors_notebook/1001_2010_lincoln_mks_ecoboost1001_01_z+2010_lincoln_mKS_ecoBoost+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Goodbye, XLR & STSinline_mediumwraptextright27866698/reviews/driven/1001_2011_cadillac_cts_coupe1001_07_z+2011_cadillac_cTS_coupe+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

The history books would have you believe that the West was once a wild place. But if you're braving the sweltering California desert and happen upon a little town called Palm Springs, you'd never know it. The dusty bandits, merciless bounty hunters, and untamed renegades are long gone, replaced by air-conditioned cafés, opulent galleries, and swanky day spas. The only weapons in use are those rumbling under the hoods of the many exotic and classic cars cruising the boulevard. The desert people clearly favor Cadillacs over Caterhams, though - luxury rules the West now.inline_mediumwraptextright31921479/reviews/driven/1001_2010_bmw_760li_mercedes_benz_s63_amg_porsche_panamera_turbo_video1002_02_z+2010_mercedes-Benz_s63_aMG_bMW_760Li+porsche_panamera_turbo.jpgTrue

The history books would have you believe that the West was once a wild place. But if you're braving the sweltering California desert and happen upon a little town called Palm Springs, you'd never know it. The dusty bandits, merciless bounty hunters, and untamed renegades are long gone, replaced by air-conditioned cafés, opulent galleries, and swanky day spas. The only weapons in use are those rumbling under the hoods of the many exotic and classic cars cruising the boulevard. The desert people clearly favor Cadillacs over Caterhams, though - luxury rules the West now.inline_mediumwraptextright27714478/reviews/driven/1002_2010_bmw_760li_mercedes_benz_s63_amg_porsche_panamera_turbo_comparison1002_01_z+2010_mercedes-Benz_s63_aMG_bMW_760Li+porsche_panamera_turbo.jpgTrue

Although a car's exterior frequently attracts more attention than its cabin, when it came time to style the Cadillac XTS Platinum concept -- which makes its world debut at the 2010 Detroit auto show -- designers worked from the inside out.inline_mediumwraptextright26564306/features/news/1001_cadillac_xts_concept1001_06_z+cadillac_xTS_concept+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

I like wagons, but the CTS is one car that I didn't think needed a long-roof variant. For marginal volume, it seems a strange place for GM to be spending money these days, even if it is a relatively minor investment.inline_mediumwraptextright31897236/reviews/editors_notebook/1001_2010_cadillac_cts_sport_wagon_premium1001_03_s+2010_cadillac_cTS_sport_wagon_premium+side_view.jpgTrue

Cadillac's sexy new coupe is getting even racier with the high-performance 2011 CTS-V Coupe that will debut at the 2010 Detroit auto show. Powered by a supercharged V-8 making 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque, Cadillac says the newest V-series car will run to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds.inline_mediumwraptextright26454545/features/news/0912_2011_cadillac_ctsv_coupe0912_01_z+2011_cadillac_cTS-V_coupe+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue