Auto News 5

Months in Fleet: Nine
Miles to Date: 31,967inline_mediumwraptextright23526259/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/0912_2009_bmw_750li_december_update0906_02_z+2009_bMW_750Li+rear_three_quarters_view.jpgTrue

Subaru bills the 2.5GT as its "enthusiast" model, and although it's not quite as fun as a WRX, it is by far the most enjoyable Legacy I've sampled in many years. There's no discounting the power offered by the turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four, but mating it to a six-speed transmission is simply brilliant. Other midsize cars may offer manual transmissions, but they're only available on lower trim models that focus more on thrift than on thrust.inline_mediumwraptextright27444079/reviews/editors_notebook/0912_2010_subaru_legacy_25gt_limited0912_03_z+2010_subaru_legacy_25GT_limited+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Months in Fleet: 11
Mileage: 28,931inline_mediumwraptextright25689467/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/0912_2009_hyundai_genesis_4_6_december_update0910_02_z+2009_hyundai_genesis_46+side_view.jpgTrue

Months in fleet: 11
Miles to date: 21,966inline_mediumwraptextright25873865/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/0912_2009_honda_fit_sport_5_door_december_update0911_03_z+2009_honda_fit_sport+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

I was a bit shocked by the seats that look as if they were inspired by red pleather pants. It amazes me that car companies employ people who specialize in interior colors and materials and then deliver something like this. In addition to the fashion faux pas, these seats also look to be showing quite a bit of wear with just 9000 miles on the odometer.inline_mediumwraptextright26049494/reviews/editors_notebook/0911_2010_ford_fusion_sport_awd0911_09_z+2010_ford_fusion_sport_aWD+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR
RATING: 3.5 Out of 5 Starsinline_mediumwraptextright27389044/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1001_2008_mitsubishi_lancer_evolution_mr_wrapup1001_10_z+2008_mitsubishi_lancer_evolution_mR+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Like Rusty, I'm close to the target demographic of the Mazdaspeed 3. I've certainly sung its praises in the pages of Automobile and on these Web pages, and all of that has been well-deserved. But if given the choice, I'd put my own money towards the base Mazda 3 without a second's hesitation.inline_mediumwraptextright26071454/reviews/editors_notebook/0911_2010_mazda3_vs_mazdaspeed30911_08_z+2010_mazda3_vS_mazdaspeed3+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Months in Service: Eight
Mileage to Date: 20,389inline_mediumwraptextright27421657/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/0912_2010_nissan_gtr_premium_december_update0912_08_z+2010_nissan_gtR_premium+side_view.jpgTrue

I find it funny that Hyundai, a Korean car company, is using "Blue" to identify its most fuel-efficient cars. This move reminds me of the Volkswagen BlueMotion models and the AdBlue name for diesel-exhaust after-treatment fluids, both of which are very German. Identifying products as "blue" makes me think of a marine application, and the label could be confusing for consumers who are looking for products to help save the environment, which are more typically referred to as "green."inline_mediumwraptextright27300631/reviews/editors_notebook/0911_2010_hyundai_elantra_blue0911_06_z+2010_hyundai_elantra_blue+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

The three volume German premium brands are about to introduce electric mobility from the top down - in new models like the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics, the electric Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, and the Audi E-tron. We got an early turn in the E-tron, which aims at the niche currently owned by the Tesla Roadster.inline_mediumwraptextright31379283/green/reviews/1001_audi_etron_plugin1001_01_z+audi_e-Tron+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Months in fleet: One
Miles to date: 3648inline_mediumwraptextright31468374/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/0911_2010_audi_q5_3_2_november_update0911_05_z+2010_audi_q5_3_2+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

This is the first modern Bentley I've ever been excited about. Part of the appeal of the Supersports we're testing lies in the fact that virtually everything on the car is black, that the seats feature manual adjustments, and that the materials covering every inch of the interior are as soft and luxurious as it gets. The rest of the Supersports' appeal is apparent as soon as you put even the smallest amount of pressure on the accelerator pedal.inline_mediumwraptextright26065190/reviews/editors_notebook/0911_2010_bentley_continental_supersports0911_08_z+2010_bentley_continental_supersports+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue