Aston Martin DB9 — The car I personally lust to own

Although I've been writing the car reviews that appear here as well as a number of city and lifestyle-type magazines around the country for going on 15 years, I am continually asked three questions — the first two being: How did I get started doing this, and what do I think is the best car.

To answer Question #1: I've always been a car guy. From the time I was a little kid, I could name every car — make model and year — on the road. Then out of the blue, a fellow named Mark Duffus walks into my office one day and asks if we publish car reviews in the Business Journal. I tell him no, but I'm certainly open to the idea. I just don't have access to the cars. He grinned, and said, “That's why I'm here.”

Mark is with Specialty Transport; a company that manages the national press fleets for numerous manufacturers. Today, Mark runs Specialty's southern California operation.

The cars do not come from local dealers, but from that press fleet — a pool of cars each manufacturer maintains specifically to be driven by automotive journalists for evaluation purposes. I mention this because it keeps reviewers from getting too cozy with local dealers and losing some of their objectivity. I get a new car every week from the press fleet managers that's been detailed and is full of gas. The manufacturers pay the insurance. I pay any tickets.

After the third review appeared, I got a call from the other major press fleet manager, Portland-based Page One Automotive, saying they'd like me to drive their cars too. It was car guy nirvana.

I’m also regularly invited on numerous press junkets, usually for the purpose of new vehicle introductions. My schedule allows me to usually accept one or two invitations a month. The manufacturers wine and dine the writers in grand style, usually, but not always, at five-star resorts, in hopes we'll pen something positive after driving their vehicles.

I've traveled to garden spots like Moab, Utah, of course, Detroit, and most recently Borrego Springs, Calif., as well as London and Paris. I've also had the opportunity to drive at Talladega Speedway, Laguna Seca and Willow Springs Raceway, Heartland-Topeka, Phoenix-Firebird and of course, Pacific Raceway — all courtesy of automakers. They're also very generous with vehicles when I'm out of town on personal business — or pleasure.

I've twice been elected president of the Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA), a non-profit trade group of professional automotive writers, and am its current treasurer. We put on what has grown into the nation's premier off-road SUV competition, Mudfest. I am also a member of the L.A.-based Motor Press Guild (MPG), and the Southeast Automotive Media Organization (SEAMO).

To answer Question #2: Although I'm sure I'll have plenty of brand-loyalty disagreements, based on what I've driven, here's my answers going into the 2006 model year:

Best Family Sedans? There's a reason the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord keep consistently battling for the top selling — and stolen — spot. But don't overlook the Ford 500 or sibling Mercury Montego, Nissan Altima, or surprisingly, the Hyundai Sonata.

   Best Luxury Sedans? Infiniti Q45, Jaguar XJ, Volvo S80, Mercedes E350, Lexus LS430, and Cadillac DTS. Another surprising qualifier and a lot less money to boot, the Kia Amanti.

   Best Performance Sports Sedans? There are so many good ones in this category, it's hard to choose because the nuances are so subtle, and it's often as much about personal style as performance.

In the compact class it's easily the Subaru WRX, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Volvo S40 and Acura TL.

Mid-size sedans include the Nissan Maxima, Cadillac CTS-V, Infiniti G35, Infiniti M35X, Volvo S60R, Jaguar S-Type-R, and the Acura RL.

Among the very best in the large luxury/performance category in my opinion, are the Audi A8, Infiniti M45, Mercedes E55AMG, and my favorite, based on my own personal sense of style, as well as all-around comfort and performance, the Jaguar XJR.

   Best Overall Sports Coupe? Again, too many that are so good, with opinions being very subjective based on your own sense of style and measures of performance. But the Nissan Z350 is an awesome performer that's been continually refined since its debut. Also on my list is the Audi TT 3.2 V6 Quattro, Mini Cooper S, Porsche 911 Carrera 4S and Mercedes SL500.

The new Ford Mustang belongs in here somewhere as well. But the new Chevy Corvette — and especially the 505-horse ZO6 — deserves some special recognition for its many refinements in comfort, utility and daily drivability, as well as, quite surprisingly, value.

But my personal favorite car — the one I lust to own — is also in this category: the Aston Martin DB9.

   Best SUVs? As with the other classes, there are lots of choices in all price ranges. Three dollar a gallon gas aside, this is perhaps the most competitive market segment of all.

In the compact class I like the Suzuki Grand Vitara, Subaru Forester, Honda CR-V, and siblings Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson. All are sensible and very functional.

In the mid-size range, winners include Toyota Highlander, Volvo XC70, Land Rover Freelander and my two personal favorites in this group, the Hummer H3 and Nissan Xterra.

At the luxury level, my first choice is still the Volvo XC90, which won Mudfest hands down the past three years running. Honorable mentions in that class: Range Rover Sport, Land Rover LR3, Porsche Cayenne, VW Touareg, Acura MDX and Hummer H2.

   Best Full-Size Pickups? For my money the Nissan Titan has edged out the longtime champ, Ford F150. After that, come the GMC Sierra, Chevy Silverado and Toyota Tundra.

   Best Mid-Size Pickups? Easily the Nissan Frontier, followed by the Toyota Tacoma.

   Best American Cars? Cadillac STS. The NorthStar engine is perhaps the best domestic powerplant built since the small-block Chevy. Runner-up, Chrysler 300C SRT8.

   Best Hybrid? A new category this year — and one I personally would like to see manufacturers get serious about instead of using it for a stop-gap while they try to make fuel cell technology viable. The big question here is battery replacement cost vs. value at replacement time — will your vehicle still be worth the cost of the battery replacement at 100,000 miles?

Toyota wins hands down in all segments from the Lexus RX400h right down to the Prius.

Honda has come on strong in this area, combining gas and electric in tandem to generate more horsepower than convential internal combustion engines, but Toyota still has the edge in my view.

Look for Nissan to compete in this segment next year — although they've licensed Toyota's technology rather than develop their own.

   Most Underrated Cars? Mitsubishi Gallant and Pontiac Grand Prix.

   Vehicles I Just Like… Because...??? Dodge Magnum, Nissan Murano, Mini Convertible, and Chevy HHR.

   My Personal Vehicles? Ford F250 4X4. My wife drives a Volvo XC90. However, I expect I'll have retired the Ford in favor of a Nissan Frontier 4X4 before you read this next year.

   Oh yeah, the answer to Question #3: The one I get asked the most — No, I don't need any help. Yes, I know, it's tough duty, but someone has to do it.