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Months in Fleet: One
Miles to date: 3065inline_mediumwraptextright27367793/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1003_2010_suzuki_kizashi_sls_introduction1003_z_11+2010_suzuki_kizashi_sLS_aWD+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

God bless the Chevrolet Camaro. If it weren't for the 2009 revival of the General's muscle car, we might still be driving Mustangs saddled with old, underpowered engines. But last year, the Camaro's V-6 was just 11 hp shy of matching the Mustang's V-8 output. Ford had to respond, because Chevrolet hadn't simply won the spec-sheet battle; both six- and eight-cylinder Ford engines were unreasonably crude for duty in anything claiming to be a sports car.inline_mediumwraptextright27345743/reviews/driven/1003_2011_ford_mustang1003_02_z+2011_ford_mustang_gt+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

We were already pretty familiar with the sixth-generation 5-series sedan before we drove it. The eight-speed automatic, the single-turbo in-line six, and the chassis design shared with the 7-series were all present in the Gran Turismo hatchback that we reviewed in the December 2009 issue. Although we found the 5-series GT to be sufficiently agile, deputy editor Joe DeMatio noted, "There does come a point where the GT's higher center of gravity will remind you that you're not in a 5-series sedan or wagon."inline_mediumwraptextright32536860/reviews/driven/1004_2011_bmw_535i1004_01_z+2011_bMW_535i+emblem.jpgTrue

At the end of February, we sent our 3 in for a scheduled service visit. The dealer performed an oil change, rotated the tires and inspected the battery, fluids, and belts for a total cost of $54.37. As with previous visits, everything checked out fine and our Mazda continues with a flawless reliability record and affordable dealer services. Now, with spring just showing its face in Michigan, we need to swap out the winter tires on the 17-inch aluminum wheels. In their place, we'll remount the factory Yokohama Avid S34 tires. It's been a long winter for our Mazda 3 drivers as the Continental Extreme Winter Contacts compromised ride, handling, and straight-line stability. Adding to the frustration was a relatively mild winter with only a few snow dumps where we really wanted snow tires.inline_mediumwraptextright26071457/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1003_2010_mazda_mazda3_s_sport_5_door_march_20100911_09_z+2010_mazda3_vS_mazdaspeed3+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Suzuki's Grand Vitara has to be the most under-the-radar vehicle on the market. Despite that, this is a credible entry for small SUVs. The driving experience is by no means class-leading, but it meets expectations.inline_mediumwraptextright32707524/reviews/editors_notebook/1003_2010_suzuki_grand_vitara_limited_v61003_02_z+2010_suzuki_grand_vitara_limited_v-6+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Duck your head, limbo in, probe the footwell for legroom, lower yourself carefully into the Sparco tub, stretch out, breathe out, and relax if you can. No, the Gallardo cockpit is not made for tall fatsos whose Gold's Gym membership expired in 1972. Which is a shame, because the Superleggera epitomizes luxury in a modern, laidback fashion - super, yes; leggera, less so. Almost the entire passenger cell is lined with black Alcantara, which looks and feels like suede. To reduce weight, the door panels, the transmission tunnel cover, and the seat buckets are made of shiny carbon fiber. Other nice touches include bespoke instrument faces, body-color accents like contrasting stitching and piping, aluminum pedals, and a meaty steering wheel with an ever-so-slightly squared-off bottom.inline_mediumwraptextright28529545/reviews/driven/1003_2011_lamborghini_gallardo_superleggera_lp570_406+2011-lamborghini-gallardo-superleggera-lp-570-4-front-three-quarter.jpgTrue

Buick’s latest LaCrosse is one of the new General Motors’ best success stories. Sales of the nameplate have increased dramatically, and more than one-third of all buyers are new to the General Motors family. Better yet, transaction prices are up by a whopping $8500, despite the fact that sticker prices haven’t significantly increased.

Photo Gallery: 2010 Buick LaCrosse I-4 – Buick Luxury Sedan Review – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2010 Buick LaCrosse I-4 – Buick Luxury Sedan Review – Automobile Magazine

I know this sounds like the petulant whine of a performance junkie, but why do Mitsubishi's high-performance Lancers (Ralliart/Evo) get supremely advanced, powerful four-cylinders while the Outlander is stuck with this asthmatic 3.0-liter V-6? Step on the gas, and you hear it furiously pumping air, but don't get a commensurate push in the back.inline_mediumwraptextright28512487/reviews/editors_notebook/1003_2010_mitsubishi_outlander_3_0_gt_s_awd1003_04_z+2010_mitsubishi_outlander_3_0_gT_s-AWD+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

When you look at the Infiniti EX35, what do you see? A low-slung, sporty crossover vehicle, or a tall-bodied hatchback sport sedan? During its yearlong stay at 120 East Liberty Street, our 2008 EX35 AWD Journey was perceived as both. Staffers who saw it as the former were for the most part confused and put off by the EX35, while those who viewed it as the latter were more accepting of Infiniti's niche-splitting entry.inline_mediumwraptextright32385579/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1004_2008_infiniti_ex35_awd_journey1004_01_z+2008_infiniti_eX35_aWD_journey+side_view.jpgTrue

Even with nineteen-inch wheels, the MDX rides surprisingly well, much better than our Four Seasons Audi Q5. Acura's 300-hp V-6 powers the chunky MDX with authority, and it sounds good doing so. This vehicle is a little more annoying to get into and out of than the Audi, particularly in back (with a high step-in and narrow door aperture), but cabin space is good. Of course, there is the standard third-row seat, for those who need cramped occasional quarters for two more. Massively thick pillars, large rear headrests, and a shrunken tailgate window mean rear-quarter visibility stinks, making the blind-spot warning system a near necessity. The interior is nicely finished, not a work of art but uniformly good materials quality and no fit or finish issues. Lots of buttons on the dash could be better grouped by system, but even as is, it's better than wading through onscreen menus, and there are knobs for some important functions.inline_mediumwraptextright28511614/reviews/editors_notebook/1003_2010_acura_mdx1003_03_z+2010_acura_mDX+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue