In my view, the Ford Fiesta rates well against an impressive choice of recently redesigned subcompacts. Completely redesigned in 2011, Fiesta offers no significant changes for 2012. Any bugs have been worked out in the first year, yet the design is still new enough to offer the latest advances in safety and fuel efficiency. read more »

Luxury and hatchback are terms that don’t seem to belong together, but the new 2012 Audi A7 has added practicality to their latest luxury/sport sedan. We don’t expect to see many A7s at Home Depot with lumber poking out of the hatch; weekend luggage and golf clubs are more likely. The A7 is a primarily an upscale sport sedan with added functionality.

Walkaround: The Audi A7 is a handsome car with an imposing presence. There is no doubt that this is a car of substance owned and driven by people of similar means. The A7 exudes Germanic Autobahn muscularity. It looks fast even when parked. read more »

The Hyundai Accent was redesigned for 2012. It has more power, a new look, a 2.8-inch longer wheelbase, a new four-door hatchback body style (the two-door hatchback was dropped), and it costs more, but it’s still a tremendous value. The Accent is tight and well built. It doesn’t come across as a cheap car, although close inspection will reveal cost saving measures. read more »

No one can accuse Nissan of building another copycat compact SUV when it comes to the unique 2012 Juke. Nissan has one of the most extensive SUV lineups in the industry, so maybe the Juke was an attempt to fill every possible niche.

The Juke is a compact crossover SUV that leans more toward the fun, sporty side than the boring, practical side of the SUV spectrum. read more »

The 2012 Acura TSX is the brand’s entry-level car. It’s a viable contender in the compact sport/luxury sedan class. TSX prices have an $8,000 spread between the least and most expensive trim packages. We drove the top model Tech V-6, which was a fine car although not as great a value as the four-cylinder models. read more »

Completely redesigned in 2011, the 2012 Infiniti QX56 is lower, wider, and certainly more eye-catching than the previous version. And while reports of the death of the full-size SUV abound, the fact is, in spite of the segment now about a third of its former size, there are still people, businesses and families that absolutely require seven or eight passenger seats, and an 8,500-pound towing capability. read more »

The highly anticipated 2012 Fiat 500 was worth the wait, especially if you like your fun in a very compact package. Like the much pricier Mini Cooper, the Fiat 500 evokes styling cues of its progenitors (’50s/’60s Fiat 500/600 series) and wraps them around a thoroughly modern technology package. Quality and substance are a million miles away from the flimsy Fiats of old. read more »

I’ve been writing the car reviews that appear here in the Business Journal as well as a number of city and lifestyle-type magazines around the country for almost 20 years now.

Although I’m sure I’ll have lots of brand-loyalty disagreements, here’s the answers to my most frequently asked car questions based on cars I’ve either personally test-driven during the 2011-2012 model year, or am familiar with. Please note I haven’t driven nearly everything on the market, and these are in no particular order and grouped kind of — but not exactly — by price. read more »

I’ve had a number of different opportunities to put the Buick LaCrosse through its paces since it originally debuted in 2009, and every time I drive it, I like it more.

The LaCrosse marked the beginning of a more luxurious and stylish era for Buick. And with China the world’s largest potential car market, coupled with the fact the Chinese have a serious love affair with Buick read more »