2012 Honda CR-V EX-L W/Navigation

Pop the rear hatch on the Honda CR-V and you're in for a surprise: the load floor is very, very low. I went to throw some groceries in the back of the car last night and stood in the store parking lot for a minute, wondering exactly how it's possible to have such a low load floor, a fully-independent rear suspension, and all-wheel drive. 

Reach over to either side of the trunk and you can fold the 60/40 split rear seats flat with one lever pull. The cargo cover assembly is spring loaded, so it comes out of its brackets with little or no effort.

Having wrangled both a 42" television and a flat-packed television stand into a similarly sized Suzuki Grand Vitara two weeks ago, I admired the CR-V because the process of loading large items into the back -- a process that took many minutes and considerable swearing with the Suzuki -- would have taken seconds in the Honda. 

The Honda CR-V is supposed to be the benchmark of the compact utility segment, and during moments like this, when you're manhandling a 70-pound IKEA box into the back, it acts like one. Combine that with a spritely engine, good handling and ride quality, and great ease of use, and you've got a benchmark car all over again. Not bad. 

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2012 Honda Civic EX Sedan

It's funny how negative the reaction to this generation of Honda Civic has been. You'd think Honda was building a terrible Civic based on some of the press out there. The Civic is still a commendable compact car; it just isn't as impressive as the other recently redesigned cars in this class. 

Honda's decision to play it safe with the Civic may draw criticism from the press, but consumers keep buying the cars. In the first quarter of 2012, the Honda Civic handily outsold everything else in the compact class. How can the Civic succeed? It has an intuitive interior, for starters. Other compacts may offer more connectivity options, but the Civic sticks with tried-and-true buttons and knobs that are easy to use and look more modern than the equally simple controls in the Mazda 3. 

The design of the Civic is also familiar. Other compacts have upped the design game to the point of compromising visibility or usability while Honda stuck with a basic sedan shape and more timeless lines. With legendary reliability and a reasonable $21,275 sticker price, the 2012 Honda Civic EX doesn't need to offer a lot of gimmicks to attract buyers. 

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2012 Hyundai Veloster DCT

I keep hearing everyone say that the back seat of the Hyundai Veloster is usable and that may be true, but it isn't exactly inviting. I drove the Veloster on a weekend during which my husband and I were going to a Red Wings game at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit (about a 45-minute trip). We were attending the game with another couple and had offered to drive, but when they arrived at our house we opted to take their Toyota RAV4 instead of the Veloster -- the hassle in getting two adults (one of whom is about 6'2") into and out of the back seat wasn't at all appealing.

As for the styling of the Veloster -- which, lets face it, is really what it's all about - I find it pretty attractive. It looks different enough that it stands out in traffic, but it doesn't look like an oddball, plus its hatchback body style gives it added versatility for carrying larger items. However, the stylish body style promises performance that the Veloster doesn't deliver. Although the chassis, steering, and brakes all work well, the 138-hp engine just feels slow. One would hope that Hyundai will eventually offer this car with a second engine choice that will give the Veloster the performance to match its looks. 

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Dacia Duster

Value for money is a great selling tool these days, and Renault’s budget brand Dacia is ready to clean up with a range of affordable models that will arrive in the UK from next January.If you’ve been on holiday in Europe recently, you’ll probably have seen a Duster on the road. And it’s a chunky-looking thing. The squared-off shape doesn’t look like any other 4x4, and the short front and rear overhangs allow the 4WD versions to tackle tough terrain. 

Inside, the dash is Dacia’s own design, and the centre console features odd metallic brown centre trim. It’s neither wood nor metal, but it certainly stands out. 

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Lexus GS 250

Lexus’ stubborn refusal to offer a diesel GS means the cheapest way into ownership is with this 2.5-litre petrol model.Priced from £32,995, the GS 250 is much cheaper than the £44,995 GS 450h hybrid, but it doesn’t feel basic. It gets 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, while inside there’s the same leather and high-quality surfaces as in the GS 450h – and a vast digital dashboard, too. The 206bhp V6 engine is smooth and well matched to its six-speed automatic gearbox, which offers quick changes via the steering wheel paddles.Floor the throttle and it’s not as fast as the 338bhp GS 450h, but the car is still responsive.

It will go from 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds, and offers decent punch for overtaking. Around corners, the GS 250 feels much more playful than the GS 450h, and the lack of hybrid components means it’s 190kg lighter. It’s a much more agile car, and more fun as a result. Still, the GS 250 always leans towards comfort – you can play with three different driving modes, but it remains subtle even in its stiffest setting.The big drawback is running costs. The Lexus might have a ‘small’ petrol engine, but it’s no match for diesel rivals or even petrol versions of BMW and Audi executive cars. A similarly priced 530i emits 177g/km of CO2 compared to the GS’s huge 207g/km. The BMW is faster, too. Lexus expects this model to make up two-thirds of GS sales in the UK, but it needs an economical small hybrid engine if it wants to steal customers from rival prestige brands. And we’ll have to wait until next year for that.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG Tested

All vehicles—AMGs included—have their compromises and shortcomings, but Mercedes-Benz’s performance arm is on a basic philosophical plane that we very much admire: If a vehicle exists, cram more motor into it. Small, medium, and large sedans? (Plus another medium with a different roofline?) Check. Coupes? Check. Roadsters? Check. SUVs? Check. Thirty-three-year-old military vehicle? Check. Crazy-ass luxury minivan? Check. The German powerhouse hit its stride over the past five years, stuffing a 6.2-liter V-8 of its own creation into a wider variety of Mercedes-Benzes than have ever worn the badge of Aufrecht, Melcher, and Grossaspach at one time. Then, in the name of efficiency, the brand ditched that motor in favor of a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8. In doing so, AMG dropped not one horsepower and stumbled onto 185 more lb-ft of torque than its suddenly sleepy-looking 6.2 had in its strongest form. (We will for now ignore the new engine’s acoustic deficiency.)

Currently, the M157 twin-turbo is available in seven different Benzes. Its output varies among them. The ML tested here with the optional Performance package makes 550 hp and has its twist capped at 560 lb-ft. The latter, need we remind you, is still more than in any other SUV on the market. That prodigious output thrust the 5285-pound ML seen here to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, to 100 in 9.8, and through the quarter-mile in 12.6 at 113 mph. Given enough space, it’ll stretch its legs all the way to a governor-limited 175. (Because you and that small herd of goats you’re hauling would otherwise want to go faster.)

Faster Than We Can Count

Although the turbos muffle some of the sound of small explosions happening as many as 480 times a second, the ML was never the most vocal AMG. Its engine is, however, a very smooth device for combusting gasoline at such a furious rate. With max torque available from 2000 rpm to 5000 and horsepower peaking at 5750, the ML driver experiences one long pull from stationary to “Well, Officer, I honestly had no idea I was going that fast. The baby (goat) didn’t even wake up!” The ML63 AMG does execute fluttering burps on upshifts and some mild spitting on downshifts and overrun, though, so that those who wish they’d instead bought an E63 AMG wagon don’t trade in their M-classes immediately.

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon

PRICE AS TESTED: $109,010 (base price: $95,865)

ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 333 cu in, 5461 cc

Power: 550 hp @ 5750 rpm

Torque: 560 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:

Wheelbase: 114.8 in

Length: 189.1 in

Width: 84.3 in Height: 70.7 in

Curb weight: 5285 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:

Zero to 60 mph: 4.2 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 9.8 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 17.4 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 4.8 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 2.6 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 3.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.6 sec @ 113 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 175 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 164 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.88 g

FUEL ECONOMY:

EPA city/highway driving: 14/18 mpg
C/D observed: 13 mpg
*Stability-control-inhibited.

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2012 Jeep Wrangler

Just in time for our nation’s annual birthday hoopla, Jeep has rolled out the Wrangler Freedom Edition. The limited-run Jeep is intended as a tribute to military members both past and present. It’s based on the Sport model and available in either two-door or Unlimited four-door guise—buyers can have their Freedom in any color they want, as long as its Deep Cherry Red, Bright White, or, True Blue, which is exclusive to the Freedom edition.

Star badges with “Oscar Mike”—the traditional military slang for “on the move”—overlaid on them adorn the fenders, while stars without the script reside on the front hood and right rear-quarter panel. Standard features include black sidesteps, taillamp guards, and a Sunrider soft top with tinted rear windows.

Additional star images are embroidered with silver stitching onto the black seatbacks, and there are silver accents all over the cabin, including on a set of Mopar slush mats. Power windows and locks, remote keyless entry, and UConnect voice command are also included as standard items. Running gear is the same 285-hp, 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 found in all 2012 Wranglers.

Two-door models start at $29,090 and four-door models start at $31,595. Those are the same prices as the Sport models on which they’re based, so you’re getting the appearance goodies (and slush mats!) for no extra charge. And since patriotism is a two-way street, Jeep is donating $250 from each Freedom sold to military charities, specifically the Fisher House Foundation and the I Support Foundation. Fisher House provides hospitality services for military families to be close to a loved one during hospitalization, while I Support provides job, healthcare, and other benefits and resources to returning troops, in addition to issuing grants to over forty veteran charity organizations.

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18 Ferrari 250 GTOs in Action at 2012 Classic Le Mans

This weekend our man in Paris Alexsmolik headed over to Le Mans to attend the 2012 Le Mans Classic, an event dedicated to “classic cars” that happens every two years. Lots of nice things to see and hear, but if you had to see only one thing this year, the “GTO Tour”.

No less than 18 different Ferrari 250 GTO cars showed up at the mythical circuit! The 250 GTO is one of the most exclusive, rarest and expensive (one was sold for 35 million dollars not too long ago) car in the world. Seeing one is already quite an achievement, but seeing 18 of them, on the track is pretty unique.

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2012 Toyota Yaris Hybrid

Toyota unveiled the Yaris Hybrid at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Toyota continues its Hybrid innovation by building the first B-segment hybrid in Europe. No word yet if the Yaris Hybrid will make it to North American shores.

Performance

The Yaris Hybrid is equipped with a 1.5L gasoline engine that produces 74-horsepower and a 80-horsepower electric motor. The Yaris Hybrid stores electricity in its light weight nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The fuel consumption of the Yaris Hybrid will be around 67 mpg on the European scale.

The video below is an overview of the 2012 Yaris Hybrid.

Toyota designer Dezi Nagaya discusses the Yaris Hybrid design in the video below In the video below, you can see the Toyota booth at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show showcasing the new Yaris Hybrid.

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