Auto News 5

For nearly two decades, the Toyota Camry, the Honda Accord, and the Nissan Altima have been slugging it out atop the mid-size car segment. After so many years of close combat, it's only natural that the feud has spilled over into a new arena -- tall wagons.

Twelve, size small
Looking at it in pictures and on paper, it may be difficult to really get excited about the Aston Martin V12 Vantage. Sure, it's gorgeous and has a beautifully balanced V-12 under the hood, but it's also the final homogenization of the Aston Martin coupes: three models with the same look, the same architecture, and now the same engine.

Every once in a while, a car comes along that makes you scratch your head a little. Look at the pictures of the 2011 Nissan Juke and stop scratching your head. If you've ever complained about all cars looking alike, here's your big, Nissan-badged can of shutyourmouth.

Mileage To Date: 11,707

I was on the Ford Flex EcoBoost launch in Boulder, Colorado where we got to steer these crossovers around mountain bends. The low ride height gives the Flex a serious handling advantage over the other crossovers in this class. The turbocharged Flex offers some serious grip and power. Of course, this is still a big, heavy crossover riding on relatively soft springs, so it does lean in turns.

We've got just less than a month before our Mazda 3 leaves our Four Seasons fleet. In eleven months we've accumulated 24,554 miles and lots of driving impressions - most of them positive.

Months in Fleet: Five
Mileage to Date: 10,326 miles

Sadly two of my three days in this car were pouring rain, and all three days saw unseasonably low temperatures. Still, I made the most of it, making sure the top was down whenever possible.

Chevrolet hasn’t even acknowledged its existence, but the engineers at Ford’s Special Vehicle Team know that a supercharged Chevrolet Camaro Z28 is on its way. That car could be the first direct competitor to the Ford Shelby GT500, as its closest competitors today either come up short in horsepower (Dodge Challenger SRT8, Camaro SS) or fit into an entirely different class of car (Chevrolet Corvette). To combat the Camaro Z28 before it even arrives, Ford has freshened its hottest Mustang, making it a leaner, more powerful, and more agile muscle car.

The Sorento's strengths lie in its interior and its powertrain. The exterior styling doesn't do much for me, and the chrome wheels, part of the Limited package, are garish. The exterior isn't offensive, but it utterly lacks distinction.