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The CTS-V coupe is without a doubt the coolest member of the CTS family so far, although the upcoming CTS-V wagon might change my mind about that. The CTS-V sedan debuted about two years ago, perhaps a bit too quietly, but the V coupe should remind us all of how cool any flavor of CTS-V is.

It was difficult, as we arrived in balmy San Diego, to drum up much excitement over the drive that lay ahead. Not because we were about to drive a minivan, mind you, but because that minivan, the Honda Odyssey, is already so darn good. The current iteration, which dates back to 2005, is still the best in its class. By a good margin. What drama could there be regarding the new one? How about this: In an attempt to draw younger families into the shrinking segment, Honda is proclaiming the new Odyssey to be "the minivan redefined." To which our natural response is: redefined how? And why? Was Honda about to ruin a good thing in order to attract customers who would otherwise purchase one of the brand's four crossovers? As if that's not enough, we learned that engineers had the audacity to retune the Odyssey's steering for less effort. (Cue foreboding music.)

2010 Acura ZDX

We've already seen this gas-electric powertrain in the Ford Fusion Ford Fusion and the Mercury Milan, but Lincoln is upping the level of luxury with the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. With hybrid credentials and a plush interior, the gas-electric MKZ is targeting a new breed of luxury buyers that avoid conspicuous consumption for more restrained products that also reflect a social conscience. The Lexus HS250h is the only direct competitor in the mid-size luxury-hybrid space, and Lincoln thinks it has a significantly stronger proposition with MKZ's better fuel economy and lower price.

2010 Audi Q5 3.2