Auto News 5

Reports of the minivan's death have been greatly exaggerated. Even in a dreadful 2009, the segment managed more than 400,000 sales. That's way down from its heyday but still more than double the volume of, say, the hotly contested luxury compact crossover segment.inline_mediumwraptextright2011 Toyota Sienna SE27546328/reviews/driven/0912_2011_toyota_sienna035-Sienna-SE.jpgTrue

Expanding its premium trim line, GMC is adding a new Acadia Denali model for 2011. Marked with unique exterior cues and an upgraded interior, the Acadia Denali will stand at the top of the Acadia line in both price and luxury.inline_mediuminlinewithtextright27535045/features/news/0912_2011_gmc_acadia_denaliParagraphImage.jpgFalse

The Tribeca is not aging well. It's loose and rattly and coarse and rough-riding. The boxer engine has sufficient power but doesn't sound great. The navigation system is positioned too far away from both the driver and the passenger. The interior is cramped for both front-seat and middle-seat passengers, not to mention the extremely cramped third-row seat. There is absolutely no driving joy to be had here, utility is severely compromised, and it's not pretty, so all you're left with are Subaru reliability and the benefits of standard all-wheel drive. These are nice things to have, but there are way too many other seven-passenger crossovers that have not only those attributes but also some performance, some crispness, some ride quality, and some visual pizzazz.inline_mediumwraptextright31486206/reviews/editors_notebook/0911_2010_subaru_tribeca_touring0911_17_z+2010_subaru_tribeca_touring+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

What a hard act to follow. The last all-new 7-series, the 2002 745Li, was welcomed into the automotive world with about as much warmth and adoration as a 41-pound newborn baby girl with sixteen middle fingers and a full beard. And it merited about as much media coverage. Incensed enthusiasts on Internet forums called for BMW design director Chris Bangle's head. The BMW faithful stumbled around dealerships breathing into paper bags to allay attacks of hyperventilation. Somewhere, someone passed out at the mere sight of the bulbous trunk lid. OK, perhaps not. But even we shockproof editors at Automobile Magazine were perturbed by the styling.

As a person who enjoys doing small-scale outdoorsy work or towing the odd small camper, car, or boat, I really like "small" trucks like this Toyota Tacoma, the Nissan Frontier, and the Dodge Dakota, among others. Compared with their full-size kin, such pickups are generally more economical both in initial cost and upkeep, and they're more reasonable daily drivers. This particular Tacoma, however, sports a ton of options and costs nearly $8000 more than a base crew-cab Tacoma. I must admit, though, that its most costly option, a TRD off-road package, makes this Toyota a more desirable truck to me, as it's equipped with lots of four-wheelin'-friendly additions, such as a locking rear differential, skid plates, tow hooks, and an off-road-spec suspension. It's no Ford Raptor, but I'm sure this Toyota could get the job done on most trails that aren't super hard-core.inline_mediumwraptextright27436390/reviews/editors_notebook/0912_2009_toyota_tacoma_double_cab_4x4_v6_sr5_trd0912_06_z+2009_toyota_tacoma_double_cab_4x4_v6_sR5_tRD+front_passenger_interior.jpgTrue

Months in fleet: Two
Miles to date: 2788inline_mediumwraptextright26288537/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/0912_2010_subaru_outback_36r_limited_december_update0912_02_z+2010_subaru_outlook_36R_limited+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

It's interesting to read David Zenlea's complaint about the location of the volume knob, because in our Four Seasons review of the 2005 Audi A6, we declared that placement to be a brilliant piece of ergonomic design. Sure, if you don't drive an Audi every day you might have a hard time finding the control, but with familiarity you'll see that its placement is exactly where your right hand naturally falls. For me, the placement if perfect, but to each his own, I suppose.inline_mediumwraptextright31490505/reviews/editors_notebook/0911_2010_audi_a6_30_tfsi_quattro0911_19_z+2010_audi_a6+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

For most manufacturers, 2009 was a wretched year they'd like to forget, but Hyundai has been able to capitalize on the economic misery and grab a big chunk of market share. Where will additional gains come from in 2010? One place is likely to be the small SUV arena, where Hyundai's Tucson has been an underachiever, selling fewer than one-tenth as many as the segment-leading Honda CR-V.