Auto News 5

I've never had the opportunity to drive an X5 xDrive30i (that's German marketing-speak for the gasoline six-cylinder version), but I'd say upgrading to this diesel is a no-brainer. For about $4000 more -- a surcharge you'll likely get back in tax rebates and fuel savings -- you have a markedly more powerful, more efficient vehicle. Like all the modern diesels we've sampled from German automakers of late, this 3.0-liter has no obvious drawbacks compared with a typical gasoline engine. There's no hesitation, no smell, no cement-truck noises. All you notice is a slightly different mechanical sound.inline_mediumwraptextright24585421/green/reviews/0908_2009_bmw_x5_xdrive35d0908_09_z+2009_bMW_x5_xDrive35d+side_view.jpgTrue

No, I didn't abandon my family to be with the Porsche Cayman S, but I was extremely tempted, taking several detours on the trip home to my tiny baby and my understanding wife. Nothing demands a joy ride like a Porsche. I know, I know: the 911 is iconically divine. But for my money, I'd rather own a Boxster or a Cayman than a tail-heavy and much more expensive 911. More specifically, I'd probably pick a Boxster S because of its opening roof and smaller price. Yet every time I see a gorgeous Cayman--or am exposed to the lusciously rumbly sound track filling its cabin--I become torn. I suppose it's very fortunate, then, that I'm not in the market for one of these cars. Sigh.inline_mediumwraptextright29346798/reviews/editors_notebook/0908_2009_porsche_cayman_s0908_20_z+2009_porsche_cayman_s+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Inside
Aside from the engine, the area of greatest improvement for the LR4 is the interior. Gone is the confusing and unintuitive infotainment system and in its place is an easy to use touch-screen unit. All of the materials used, from the dash to the door panels, are softer and more luxurious than the LR3's. There's a new steering wheel with better controls for everything from infotainment functions to the cruise control. Those very familiar with the ordering guide for the LR3 will notice two new interior colors. There are new seats for the first and second row passengers, but not for those forced to ride in the optional third row. LR4s with the optional Premium Leather pack also gain adjustable side bolsters in the front bucket seats. A new ambient lighting system uses white LEDs to highlight the metal door handles and the center console area when the headlights are on.

Months in Fleet: Five
Mileage to Date: 19,867

Months in fleet: Six
Mileage to date: 13,319

WRAP UP

I have a long history with the Quattroporte. When I first drove the Quattroporte, during its introductory media event in Florence, Italy, in March 2004, I was amazed by the styling, the energetic V-8 engine borrowed from Ferrari, the oh-so-Italian interior, and the handling, which led me and others to call the Quattroporte "the four-door Ferrari." I was not so impressed by the paddle-shifted semi-automatic manual transmission, which was extremely jerky in urban driving, with unacceptably long, rough upshifts. It was clear then that Maserati knew that the transmission would be unacceptable for many American buyers, as the QP's engineering team was interrogating the U.S. press corps for its reactions to the gearbox. The DuoSelect was great when you were driving the car at its limits on hilly Tuscan roads, I told them, but it wasn't going to fly with the country club set who would buy the car in America.inline_mediumwraptextright24732806/reviews/editors_notebook/0908_2009_maserati_quattroporte_s0908_24_z+2009_maserati_quattroporte_s+front_three_quarters.jpgTrue

Genealogy

Thanks to Buick's continued success in China, we in that backwater market known as the United States get the first new mid-size sedan from the brand in more than twenty years. And it really is new. The "W-Body" platform, which debuted in the 1988 Regal, is gone, as is the 3800 V-6 engine, which dates back to the early 1960s. Instead, we have two (soon to be three) direct-injection engines and the same architecture that underpins the highly regarded, European-market Opel Insignia.inline_mediumwraptextright29297961/reviews/editors_notebook/0908_2010_buick_lacrosse_cxs0908_03_z+2010_buick_laCrosse_cXS+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

2009 Nissan CUBE KROMinline_mediumwraptextright24731939/reviews/editors_notebook/0908_2009_nissan_cube_krom0908_01_z+2009_nissan_cube_krom+badge.jpgTrue

Through a fluke in timing or just plain luck, I'm fortunate enough to have now been behind the wheel of every single current Ferrari currently on sale. That's a rarity even for automotive journalists, and it's an honor I don't take lightly. Today's drive of the California marked a special occasion, since this was not just the only Ferrari I haven't driven, it's also an all-new kind of Ferrari.

Even though I was the very first North American journalist to drive the third-generation, 2010 Toyota Prius, that experience was limited to a few feet of travel at walking speed in a photo studio late last year. I hungered for more, in part because a brother of mine is shopping for a new car and this model is on his list.inline_mediumwraptextright24473458/green/reviews/0908_2010_toyota_prius0908_08_z+2010_toyota_prius+profile_view.jpgTrue

This may be Nissan's first graceful convertible. The 350Z convertible looked very much like a hatchet job, executed after the hatchback coupe was designed. The old 300ZX was even worse, with its basket-handle roof bar; the 240SX convertible, from the same era, was another ungainly piece, with its B-pillar stubs.

2009 Infiniti EX35

We've always applauded Acura's decision to stick with a high-revving, high-personality, high-efficiency four-cylinder in the TSX. For 2010, Acura's smallest sedan gains an optional V-6, but we're not complaining. So what gives?

Months in Fleet: 6
Mileage: 16,761

The Matrix pitches over bumps like an ox cart and suffers from torque steer even though there's not much torque to speak of, but I actually caught myself enjoying this unassuming little Toyota.inline_mediumwraptextright2009 Toyota Matrix XRS29138610/reviews/editors_notebook/0907_2009_toyota_matrix_xrs0907_02+2009_toyota_matrix_xRS+front_three_quarters_view.jpgTrue

Give Kia credit; it's not afraid to take on a monumental task. The ambitious Korean automaker didn't start selling cars in the United States until 1994, and a mere fifteen years later it offers a full range of vehicles, from the entry-level Rio sedan to the seven-passenger Borrego SUV to the spunky, funky Soul "urban passenger vehicle." As with almost every other carmaker, its sales are down this year (although Kia's 6.8 percent drop looks positively paltry compared with the double-digit dips suffered by most of its competitors). The faltering economy hasn't stopped Kia from forging ahead with its product plans, however. In fact, the automaker boasts that not only have there been no cutbacks, but in May, it spent more money marketing its products than during any other month in company history.