The Legacy is an overall impressive car, but as time has passed and we've clocked more than 10,000 miles, we've discovered some minor flaws. Explains exec editor Ed Loh, "Subaru, it seems, tried to stretch the dollar too far in some places, leaving the following warts uncovered. Depressing the parking brake button creates a grinding, creaking moan -- like a rusty thumbscrew being turned or a heavy iron gate being shut -- with you on the inside. Doors feel light and hollow, especially the front passenger's. Instead of closing with a reassuring clunk, they flap shut with a bonk."

Download Long Term Update 3: 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT

Given its muddied history, we'll forgive you for brushing off Dodge's latest batch of R/T models. Although the R/T badge once signified a vehicle designed to tease, excite, and appease the enthusiast, in recent years, the nameplate was haphazardly applied to almost every Dodge, many of which drove no better than their conventional cousins.

Download 2012 Dodge Avenger R/T

No new model has General Motors more concerned about the success of its launch than the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The Volt? No, as ground-breaking and politically divisive as that car is, there's little doubt Chevy will be able to sell all of them, from the 10,000 or so expected in the first year to 30,000-40,000 per year as production slowly ramps up.

Download 2013 Chevrolet Malibu

John Hennessey is no stranger to the world of auto tuning. After all, he does have a company that’s considered as one of the best in the business. The company, Hennessey Performance Engineering is so good at what it does that it was actually able to build it’s own supercar based on the Lotus Elise: the Venom GT. Not a lot of tuners can stake the same claim, too.

Download 2011 Chevrolet Corvette ZR750 by Hennessey

Next to the Veyron Super Sport Black Carbon Edition, Bugatti also brought the Veyron Grand Sport Matte White to the Shanghai Auto Show. Not much was changed for the fastest car in the world, but the new color combination adds an icy appeal to the overall look of the car.

Download 2011 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Matte White

The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta got off to an inauspicious start. When we first drove the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SEL we said, "The reason it's hard to love and fully recommend the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is because it's a step backward in a number of ways. The cost-cutting scissors were out in force this time around and it's all too obvious where money was saved."

Download Long-Term Test: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI With Nav

If General Motors has a distinctive engineering tradition it's a weird commitment to V8 front-drivers. Since the introduction of the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, GM has always had at least one V8-powered front-driver in its product line. Usually two.


Download Full Test: 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS

Somewhere east of Cape Town, South Africa, on a sinuously twisty road that hugs tall, ocean-side cliffs like a python encircling its prey, my temptation to pass a line of dawdling tourists is overwhelming. But as we pull out to pass, the passing lane abruptly ends. The serpentine road curves sharply around a bluff, momentarily blocking our view. Suddenly, an oncoming motorist appears, a few hundred yards ahead, squarely in our path. In the space of an instant, the only decision is to snap-shift down, nail the gas, crank the wheel to the left and thread a rapidly contracting needle's eye.

Download First Drive: 2007 Jaguar XK Coupe and Convertible

BMW 325xi Touring. Too small.

Audi A4 Avant. Way too small.

Audi A6 Avant. Too expensive.

BMW 530xi Touring. Way too expensive.

Mercedes-Benz E350 Touring. Way, way too expensive.

Dodge Magnum R/T. Too plasticky.

Subaru Outback. Too gimmicky.

Volvo V70. Too safe.

Mazda 6 Wagon. Too monochromatic.

Volkswagen Passat Wagon. Just right.

We hope you've enjoyed your trip through the mind of the average Volkswagen Passat Wagon buyer. Please watch your step when debraining.

Download Follow-Up Test: 2007 Volkswagen Passat Wagon 3.6 4Motion

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class will be without question a best seller for Mercedes-Benz. To match the restyled design of the all new C-Class sedan and Estate and to reach its true sales potential, Mercedes launched a huge new ad campaign. The launch from Mercedes-Benz is set to be a major campaign that accompanies the public launch of the new-generation C-Class. With its claim to be “a class ahead”, the integrated marketing campaign coolly and confidently underscores the C-Class’s ambition to lead its segment. Thanks to a newly enhanced interior, which now meets the highest standards of design and comfort, in addition to an extremely comprehensive safety package, the latest generation of the top-selling Mercedes model offers the same high level as the current luxury class vehicles – and will once again set new standards in the compact intermediate premium segment.

Download New Generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class Advertising Campaign

Throughout the economic conditions, it is interesting to note luxury car sales have been brisk as some customers were apparently able to achieve a financial footing more quickly than others. Enjoying sales up 17.1% in 2009 and 22.9% in 2010, luxury brand Audi boasts amazing US sales thanks to a desirable portfolio of vehicles. Starting with the entry-level Audi A3 before progressing right up to the supercar Audi R8, those cars as well as the choices in between is both tempting and indulging motorists. For too many, the upfront price of these vehicles leaves the inner desires of some automotive lovers unfed despite their hard work. After taking into consideration fuel, state auto insurance, as well as your whole financial well-being, the prospect of leasing a new or previously-owned Audi vehicle could be a sound opportunity to absorb the thrill of possessing German luxury. With Audi, they have been making the goal of luxury car motoring surprisingly accommodating but does require foresight.

Download Leasing Luxury, Audi Style

"What kind of car is that?"

"It's a Saturn."

"A what?"

Download First Drive: 2007 Saturn Sky Red Line

The world’s first tuned car to meet the new EURO VI exhaust emission standard comes from BRABUS . Equipped with the BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S performance kit the new Mercedes S 350 BlueTEC delivers an additional 55 hp (54 bhp) / 40.5 kW of power and a peak torque of 690 Nm (509 lb-ft). This tuning kit also makes BRABUS the first tuner to meet the strict limits of the EURO VI emission standard that won’t go into effect until 2014. In emission testing required for certification the S 350 BlueTEC with BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S remained below the EURO VI limits by 30 percent. Special versions of the BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S performance kit are also available for all four body styles of the Mercedes E 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY model and for the new CLS 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY.

Download BRABUS Creates World’s First Tuned Car to Meet the EURO VI Emission Standard

The first photos of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe have made their way onto the web.
The front of the new Mercedes C-Class matches that of the facelifted C-Class Sedan and Estate. Unique to the Coupe is that nearly everything is aft of the A-pillar. We prefer the pillarless design of other Mercedes-Benz Coupes and so we are slightly disappointed to see a B-pillar.

Download 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe First Official Photos

When discussing the new more luxurious interior of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, a few thoughts come to mind – high-quality materials and superbly finished surfaces, fine details, precise workmanship and spaciousness. The interior of the redesigned B-Class raises the bar in the compact car segment.

Download Mercedes-Benz B-Class Interior

How much will a 56.2-mpg Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard cost consumers? On average, $6714 per car (in 2008 dollars), says the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "This model requires a 20 percent PEV (plug-in electric) market share to meet the standards-drastic by any measure," CAR says in its analysis.

Download Obama's EPA Seeks 56.2 MPG By 2025