Auto News 5

Months in fleet: Eight
Miles to date: 22,755

Eight years ago, when the first Cayenne was introduced, the concern among the sports car community was whether an SUV should wear the prestigious Porsche badge, whereas Porsche's main concerns seemed to be making sure the Cayenne had Porsche-like performance and real off-road capability. Today, we've either accepted or become inured to the idea of a Porsche SUV, and Porsche's focus for the Cayenne also has changed. Its buyers don't care about off-roading, so for the second-generation Cayenne, Porsche's aim was to improve efficiency while enhancing performance.

Months in fleet: One
Miles to date: 4265

Even though the FJ Cruiser is a stale model in Toyota's lineup, it's still fun to slap on a new package that appeals to the off-road enthusiast crowd. This particular FJ is wearing the Trail Teams Special Edition package ($6695 mind you), which consists mainly of exterior features like: unique Sandstorm paint, blacked-out hood, sideview mirrors, and grille. But my favorite is the black, beadlock-look wheels with beefy BFGoodrich all-terrain rubber. It really sets it apart from other FJs on the road-or trail more like it. The package also comes with a locking rear differential, backup camera integrated into the rearview mirror, and Bilstein shock absorbers.

Every carmaker with noble aspirations should buy one of these to store in a hermetically sealed case labeled Gold Standard of Driving Excellence. Withdrawal would be authorized for any employee hoping to understand the notion of entertainment behind the wheel. The 128i is reasonably affordable and a practical performer for a wide range of customers. But it especially stands out in the traits that matter to those who regard driving as an art. Steering and braking feel are superb. The clutch, the shifter, and the throttle are so well orchestrated that anyone with basic coordination can operate them smoothly and efficiently. The flaws and foibles that make many of today's stick-shift alternatives annoying at times are conspicuously absent here. Whoever coined the term "Joy" to sum up the essence of a BMW must have enjoyed many happy miles in a 128i.

The only way you could have avoided the massive pickup truck war that has been raging in Detroit for the past few years is if you happened to be living under a rock. If one automaker unveils a new truck, the other two must respond immediately. Last year Dodge, er, Ram unveiled new heavy duty trucks and only held the spotlight for a few months before Ford showed off a revised Super Duty. Now the truck world has come full circle as GM's revised Sierra and Silverado HD twins are starting to arrive at dealerships.

Ask most Americans what single word comes to mind when they think of Volvo, and they are likely to say, “safety.” No other automaker has so burned the safety message into our brains than Volvo has over decades of advertising and brand management. Naturally, Volvo continues to capitalize on that reputation with the all-new 2011 S60, which integrates more active and passive safety systems than ever before, including a groundbreaking new pedestrian-protection system.

The Mercedes-Benz R-class was introduced in 2005 amid high expectations, but sales have been disappointing-particularly recently. In 2009 the Mercedes GL-class SUV outsold the R-class five-to-one, and the M-class outsold it by a factor of nine. Now coming up on the six-year mark, the R-class might be expected to undergo a full redesign, but instead the 2011 model is getting new sheetmetal only from the A-pillar forward, along with minor equipment revisions, and carryover powertrains.

Months in fleet: 5
Miles to date: 16,356

Months in fleet: seven
Miles to date: 19,590