Six short years ago, the minivan segment was thriving. Sales were a million strong and nameplates were as diverse as the sweet selections in a box of See's chocolates. From Japan (Honda Odyssey, Mazda MPV, Nissan Quest, Toyota Sienna) and Korea (Kia Sedona) to the good ol' US of A (Buick Terraza, Chevy Uplander, Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan, Ford Freestar, Mercury Monterey, Pontiac Montana, Oldsmobile Silhouette, Saturn Relay), the minivan menu offered savory -- and, let's face it, some unsavory -- choices for every mom and dad.

When we set out to photograph the 2006 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T we had several hip urban locations in mind. Our first choice was the Disney Concert Hall, a strikingly modern structure worthy of serving as a backdrop to the newly redesigned sedan, but we were chased away by a film crew already setting up shop at the Downtown L.A. landmark. Welcome to Tinsel Town.

At the age of 11, before the 2007 Saturn Sky was a twinkle in Bob Lutz's eye, a young soon-to-be writer was hauled by his father to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. With dad, older brother and the young upstart fighting 100-degree temperatures, the adventurers trudged along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in search of beauty.

Inside Line's long-term test of the 2006 Toyota RAV4 Limited is complete. Unlike many of the other SUVs in our fleet, it proved to be something of a challenge to rack up miles on the compact RAV4. It took 12 months to eclipse the 19,000-mile mark. Is this a personality thing, or is it just better suited to short-haul urban driving?

Inside Line's long-term test of the 2006 Toyota RAV4 Limited is complete. Unlike many of the other SUVs in our fleet, it proved to be something of a challenge to rack up miles on the compact RAV4. It took 12 months to eclipse the 19,000-mile mark. Is this a personality thing, or is it just better suited to short-haul urban driving?