The 2010 MDX retains the 2008 model's torque-vectoring SH-AWD, adding re-tuned Active Dampers a new 6-speed, paddle-equipped automatic transmission, larger 13-inch front, 13.2-inch rear brake discs, optional 19-inch wheels and retunes the 300 HP, 270 Lb-Ft 3.7-liter V6 with a more flexible power band.

Put together, it makes the MDX both more capable and more refined. Engaging "Comfort" mode on the adaptive dampers now better isolates passengers from bumps, further differentiating it from "Sport" mode, which is still taut and controlled, delivering a near absence of body roll.

You can now click the paddles twice in rapid succession to shift down two gears at once, useful for overtaking and cornering as that sixth gear is now a very tall overdrive, spec'd to boost highway fuel economy and refinement. However, one needn't worry — the more flexible engine means sixth doesn't lack the ability to accelerate.

Engage "Sport" mode, knock it down from fourth to second, get on the accelerator and throw the MDX into a corner fast and the result is something akin to a dialed-back BMW X6. Like BMW's strangely-shaped crossover-car-coupe, there's virtually no roll or steering feel, but there's not really any understeer either. The MDX just takes corners at any speed you require of it. Thank the torque vectoring rear differential for that, although, unlike the X6, the front wheels can't push power side-to-side to really capitalize on available traction. Still, the ability to send power to the outside rear wheel in a corner greatly boosts confidence, speed and outright cornering ability. I was disappointed I couldn't convince the MDX to hang its rear out like the X6, but I suppose the desire to do that in a 7-passenger SUV is strongly indicative of its ability to push the boundaries of physics.

The tech fest continues inside with new VGA screens front (8") and rear (9"), the latter featuring a detachable remote that mimics the main HMI on the dash. Neat. There's also LED ambient lighting in high-tech blue, a backup camera with three selectable views (180 degree wide-angle, normal and one that points 90 degrees down for precise negotiation of obstacles), blind sport warnings, radar cruise control with last-second collision mitigating brakes, heated and cooled leather seats, a power tailgate, Sat/Nav with real-time Doppler radar weather maps and live traffic info, a 15 GB hard drive for storing music, full voice-controlled iPod integration with Bluetooth audio, lane guidance and a wallpaper function for the Nav screen capable of displaying your favorite cute kitten picture. Hang in there!

Bizarrely, Acura has slathered the dash and console in an ugly wood trim that isn't in keeping with the otherwise tech-focused nature of the interior.

All these interior features, 6-speed tranny and SH-AWD will also be used on the 2010 Acura ZDX.

At 7.0-seconds to 60 MPH, the new MDX is faster than V6-equipped rivals like the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7 3.2, Lexus RX350, Infiniti FX35 and BMW X5 3.0. At 16 MPG city/21 MPG highway, it's also more fuel efficient than all but the Lexus. It's expected the new MDX will start around $43,100 when it goes on sale late this year and top out around $55,000 with the "Advance" (the dynamic stuff), "Technology" and "Entertainment" packages.

The restyled MDX is also the best interpretation of Acura's otherwise awkward new design language. In fact, if we were in the market for a 7-seat luxury SUV with tiny rear seats, this would definitely be the one we'd buy. But we're not in the market for a 7-seat luxury SUV, we're in the market for cars that aren't inherently compromised by the desire to conform to the questionable fashion for tall, aggressively-styled wagons. The MDX is arguably the most fun-to-drive, most comfortable and nicest looking car in Acura's range; the problem is there's also cars in Acura's range and they should drive better and look nicer than a big honkin' SUV.

Based on the four-cylinder 2009 Acura TSX, the new year brings a more powerful engine, stronger springs and firmer dampers to the independent double-wishbone front suspension and adds more feel to the electric power steering. Both are present to accommodate the 210 Lbs of extra weight the new engine brings as well as the additional performance made possible by its 280 HP, 254 Lb-Ft 3.5-liter V6. That engine changes the weight distribution from 60/40 percent front/rear to 62/38.

Also added are a larger brake master cylinder, 18-inch wheels and all-season performance tires, larger front fascia openings for improved cooling and a V6 badge on the trunk.

Where the four-cylinder TSX is a still frugal, albeit slow (0-60 take 8.6 seconds) near-luxury car with a starting price of just $29,310, the V6 is more capable but much more expensive, starting at $34,850 and only available with a 5-speed, paddle-equipped automatic transmission. Figure on 0-to-60 MPH time in the low six-second range and the same limited top speed of 131 MPH.

Adding the "Technology Package" and its Nav system, real-time weather radar and traffic rerouting, 10-speaker stereo and GPS-linked climate control system brings the price up to $37,950. These prices are nearly exactly equal to those of the admittedly less powerful BMW 328i.

Despite its limited performance or maybe because of it, the four-cylinder TSX is a competent car to drive even if it's a bit boring. Its narrow tires and soft suspension mean the limits are relatively low, but it's naturally-balanced and light on its feet. In the quest for greater ability, the V6 sacrifices much of those qualities. The ride is much harsher, but like several recent Hondas and Acuras (the Insight and TL come to mind), that's not balanced by good body control. Drive the TSX V6 over pot holes, ruts and ridges and the steering wheel will jerk in your hands and the suspension will intrusively fail to soak up the bumps, in short it feels like a firm setup. But, drive the TSX quickly around a corner and it will roll, change direction quickly and the roll is more noticeable. Hit ridges or bumps mid corner and the body will wallow, in short, it feels like a soft setup. The end result of the revised suspension is a car that's firm when you want it to be soft and soft when you want it to be firm. Despite that flaw, the revised steering does deliver plenty of feel, which, combined with the lack of torque steer, is impressive for a front driver. Of course, the rear-wheel drive 328i has none of those problems.

The rest of the TSX is as before. It's a right-sized sedan with a little more interior room than the competition and, with the optional Technology Package, is extremely well equipped with the kind of whizz-bang gadgetry everyone but me seems to get excited about. The ELS sound system with the technology package is one of the best sound systems around and the real-time weather — with Doppler radar maps just like you get on your iPhone — is particularly neat. The seats are supportive and comfortable, the interior well constructed and the rear accommodation slightly better than competitors like that 3-series or an A4.

The thing about the V6 TSX is that it asks more questions of the platform than it answers. Sure, it's faster than the four-cylinder, but does that performance justify a price that's on par with more thoroughbred competition? Are the handling and ride sacrifices necessary to install a powerful engine in a front-wheel drive chassis justified by the increased straight line performance? If the 2009 Honda Accord Coupe V6 is faster and comes with a manual transmission, does the Acura brand really justify the premium? Would you buy a FWD Acura over a RWD BMW for the same price?

That engine is the centerpiece in a thoroughly upgraded car. Shared with the Audi S3, the 2.0-liter TFSI delivers 265 HP at 6,000 RPM and 258 Lb-Ft of torque between 2,500 and 5,000 RPM. If you think that sounds seriously flexible, you'd be right, but it's also full of character, with noticeable turbo lag at low revs and distinct turbo whistles, whine and bumps coming from under the hood. 0-60 now takes just 5.1 seconds in this Roadster, while the top speed is limited to 155 MPH.

Unlike the 2.0-liter turbo diesel in the 2009 VW Jetta TDI SportWagen we criticized a few weeks ago, the TFSI's character matches perfectly with the DSG gearbox. Here equipped with sportier programming than in that TDI, shifts are well timed and rapid in automatic mode, even more so in "Sport." In manual mode DSG is objectively more able to exploit this engine than a traditional manual (not available) would be, with upshifts occurring immediately and downshifts taking place smoothly. DSG is a true automated manual, so you have complete control over the gearbox in manual mode.

That gearbox and engine combination is actually very reminiscent of the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR in its immediacy and turbocharged character, just with a little less power.

The suspension also gets upgraded in the TTS. The whole thing is lowered 10mm, the magnetic ride dampers receive firmer tuning, all the suspension components go aluminum and the steering is made more direct and feel-full. That magnetic ride is supposed to continually adjust the dampers to better keep the tires in contact with the road and it gets a sport mode to firm things up even further. Even with the traction and stability control switched off, we struggled to get the optional summer performance tires to break traction on the road, but the sport suspension mode doesn't appear to do much aside from make the ride annoyingly harsh.

Gelled hair marketing types needn't worry, as all this extra performance and handling doesn't come at the expense of posing. The TTS is equipped with a silver grille, a lower front splitter, side skirts, silver mirrors, LED running lights, four chromed exhaust pipes, "TTS" badges front and rear, "TTS" logos on the brake calipers and is here fitted with optional 19" wheels. The power soft top on the Roadster drops quickly, better enabling you to show off your fake tan. I got more "you're a smug bastard" looks in this TT than in any car I've driven since the R8, possibly because, from the front and to laypeople, the TT is virtually indistinguishable from that car.

The TTS Roadster starts at $47,500, but equipped with the Premium Plus package, fancy leather, 19-inch wheels and Sat/Nav system seen here, the total comes to $55,075. Unusually for a performance car, the fuel economy is reasonably high: 21 MPG city, 29 highway, 24 combined. With the soft top up, the Roadster offers coupe-like isolation from noise; with it down and the rear windscreen raised, it's still a reasonably isolated place to pass time.

On the mountain roads around my secret Pennsylvanian retreat the TT demonstrated a similar ability to put the world in drama-free fast rewind as cars like that Evo. The all-wheel drive, fast steering and revised suspension conspire to seriously increase the TTs dynamic ability, if not its level of involvement. While it's drastically improved over the old model, the TTS now suffers from the same video game-like nature of other fast AWD cars like the Nissan GT-R, requiring very little of its driver even close to its respectably high limits. The 2009 BMW Z4, the TT's closest competitor on purpose and price, delivers similar pace but asks far more of its driver and for the enthusiast, is a lot more fun to drive fast as a result.

Ultimately, the TTS's neatest trick is that it combines Evo-like character with a more grownup-friendly package thanks to a credible design, luxurious interior and plenty of on-road refinement. You can still pose in a TT, now you're just going to have a lot more fun doing it.

Why you should buy the 2009 VW Jetta SportWagen TDI:
You want a car that's pretty fast and very frugal and your Labrador hates being left at home. You want a practical, economical family car, but you haven't been brainwashed into thinking your only option once you're pregnant with your first child is a 9-seat Suburban. You like the idea of hybrid fuel economy, but not the lackluster hybrid driving experience. You're a white lab coat-wearing teutonophile with a thing for precise oil-burners. You understand what's going on underneath the hood of a car and are able to wrap your moderately-sized intellect around the concept of DSG.

Why you shouldn't buy this car:
You eat every meal at Mickey D's and your idea of automotive excellence is a late ‘90s Buick. You think diesel is the fuel of communists. The idea of your car doing anything other than slushing its way slowly up to highway speed questions your fundamental understanding of the world. The idea of a Palin/Limbaugh ticket in 2010 has you up at night polishing your guns with excitement. You're the average driver and, like all your peers, you've subconsciously learned to fear any car that requires any thought from its driver. You know how to drive stick.

Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: No
Fashion Victims: Yes
Treehuggers: Yes
Mack Daddies: No
Tuner Crowd: No
Hairdressers: No
Penny Pinchers: Yes
Euro Trash: Yes
Working Stiffs: No
Technogeeks: No
Poseurs: No
Soccer Moms: Yes
Nascar Dads: No
Golfing Grandparents: Yes
Sheiklets: No
Very Serious Businessmen: No

Also Consider:
• the manual version
• 2010 Toyota Prius
• 2010 Honda Insight
• 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

Vitals:
• Manufacturer: Volkswagen
• Model: Jetta SportWagen TDI
• Model year: 2009
• Base Price: $23,870
• Price as Tested: $29,410
• Engine type: 2.0-Liter, 4-cylinder, in-line, turbocharged direct injection, common rail diesel
• Horsepower: 140 HP @ 4000 RPM
• Torque: 236 Lb-Ft @ 1,750-2,500 RPM
• Transmission: Dual-clutch automated manual
• Curb Weight: 3,285 Lbs
• LxWxH: 179.4" x 70.1" x 59.2"
• Wheelbase: 101.5"
• Tires: 205/44 R16
• 0 - 60 mph: 9.5 seconds (manufacturer quoted)
• Top Speed: 128 MPH (manufacturer quoted)
• EPA Fuel economy city/highway: 29/40 MPG
• Jalopnik Fuel Economy: 37.4 MPG (city/highway mix 25/75%)
• NHTSA crash test rating: ****(Driver)/****(Passenger)/*****(Side, front and rear)/**** (Rollover)

Also see:
• 2009 VW Jetta SportWagen TDI, Part One
• 2009 VW Jetta SportWagen TDI, Part Two

Exterior Design: ***
Utterly innocuous, but in a handsome way. The Jetta SportWagen's not going to offend anyone, but it's not going to set hearts alight either. Like a black jellybean with chrome accents, it's lucky that those accents actually look nice and restrained. The Jetta could fit into any crowd from a college campus to fancy valet parking.

Interior Design: ****
Initial impressions of a sterile sparseness give way to well thought-out proportions, convenient features and just the right amount of space. VW isn't the only car maker to offer a full-length sunroof, but it really helps lighten up the interior and is well worth the $1,100.

Acceleration: ***
Slow off-the-line, but 236 Lb-Ft of torque provides ample oomph for overtaking, entering freeways and exiting corners. Use the manual mode to exploit the wide powerband of the diesel engine to its fullest and the engine feels great. Leave it in auto and the transmission is was too eager to upshift, spoiling acceleration immensely. It's a torquey diesel, not a high-revving gasoline engine; rapid-fire upshifts are not what's needed here.

Braking: ****
Strong, fade-free brakes and good pedal feel result in complete confidence in the Jetta's braking ability. The DSG transmission spoils it a little bit by clunkily slamming 1st gear home as you come close to a stop and delivering unexpected levels of engine-braking once in that gear.

Ride: ****
Controlled but comfortable, you can feel the road's surface through the steering wheel but not your butt.

Handling: ***
Decent steering feel, good high-speed stability and reasonably light on its feet, the Jetta TDI is always able to do what you ask of it. It's nevertheless a bit on the boring side thanks to softish suspension tuning and a strong propensity for understeer. Competent rather than exciting.

Gearbox: *
The six-speed DSG gearbox is utterly unsuited to the Jetta TDI. Competent drivers will just buy the excellent six-speed manual version and there's no traditional torque converter auto for the huddling masses of stick shift incompetents. That means they'll be saddled with too many jerky shifts instead of smooth progress. All that's going to do is reinforce all the negative stereotypes diesel is saddled with in this country. The DSG box works much better in performance applications, where it's equipped with paddles and different tuning, allowing drivers to fully exploit a high-revving engine. Floor the throttle in the Jetta TDI and you get a succession of upshifts rather than acceleration. You and I will leave it in manual mode and appreciate the reasonably quick shifts, but Joe and Sally normal won't and it'll piss them off.

Audio: ***
The excellent interface makes up for the slightly lackluster sound. Flips through Sirius channels rapidly with full song, artist and station details appearing immediately, most other system lag for a few seconds, which makes browsing frustrating. The MP3 integration and 6-CD changer will fulfill your other musical needs admirably.

Toys: **
How much money do you want to spend? The base $23,870 car is fairly Spartan, but does include fake leather seats. Add the navigation system for $1,990 and you get a latest-gen system with an excellent interface, traffic alerts and rerouting and the above mentioned audio system. The $1,100 sunroof is great too; open wind barely disturbs the cabin and with the sun shade closed you won't even get a sunburn. The $1,100 gearbox doesn't even come with paddles. That's about all you can add except for wheels. (Hint, don't spec the DSG box and spend the money on the sunroof and driving lessons instead)

Value: ****
$23,870 for a right-sized station wagon with a fast and frugal turbo-diesel engine? Sounds good to us. Add 29 MPG city and 40 MPG highway figures and that becomes an excellent deal for high-mileage commuters, long-term owners and epic road trip-takers. The 33 MPG average TDI engine carries a $2,445 premium over the similarly spec'd 24 MPG 2.5-liter Jetta SE. Assuming 15,000 miles a year and equal fuel costs of $2.50 a gallon, you'll need to drive for five years to save money. So figure out your usage before buying if you want to cut costs.

Overall: ***
A great little wagon that's good-to-drive, frugal and unique in the market place, but it'll be spoiled for many by the crappy DSG transmission. If you want the manual, buy without hesitation, if you lost your left leg in the ‘Nam, try before you buy.

Also see:
• VW Jetta SportWagen TDI, Part One

Largely due to GM's abortive efforts with diesel in the '80s, the fuel has an extremely negative image in this country. While thrift-minded Euros have looked no further for decades, most Americans associate diesel with clouds of black smoke, rattles, poor performance and unavailability at gas stations. This created the market gap for hybrids, re-branding fuel economy with technology too complicated for most people to understand and unique styling.

The Jetta TDI seeks to put the kibosh on the rise of the hybrids by pushing traditional automotive values like performance, space, practicality and fun in a package that will still save its drivers money on fuel. Starting at just $22,270 for the sedan and $23,870 for the wagon, that's a $2,445 premium over the similarly spec'd Jetta SE. That puts it squarely in mid-spec 2010 Toyota Prius price territory, and is usefully cheaper than the $27,270 17" wheel-equipped Prius V that's actually decent to drive. Officially rated at 29 MPG city and 40 MPG highway, the Jetta TDI is considerably more frugal than the 21 city/29 highway Jetta SE.

It's fun to drive too. Making 140 HP at 4,000 RPM and 236 Lb-Ft between 1,750 and 2,500 RPM meaning the engine's flexibility and day-to-day usability far outweighs its somewhat disappointing 9.5-second 0-60 MPH time (the sedan does the same run in 8.2 seconds). You can hold high gears on country roads, using fifth for everything from fast overtaking to 40 MPH corners. The chassis returns the classic VW values of complete competence, reasonable response and a fair bit more involvement than most would expect from a compact car. It's not going to set an enthusiastic driver's heart alight, but it would give the average hoon a worthy companion.

Adding the wagon doesn't just decrease the acceleration and increase the price, it transforms the car form a less practical VW Golf/Rabbit/whatever they're calling it these days into something with a serious level of hauling ability for a relatively small vehicle. Seats down, it has 66.9 cubic feet of storage room; seats up that drops to 32.8 cubic feet (double that of the sedan) but creates space for two adults to sit in the rear in comfort with 35.5" of leg room, you could fit a third, pathetic excuse for an adult back there in a pinch. In Europe, the 2009 VW Jetta SportWagen TDI would be considered a spacious family car, it could be in America too as long as you believe in birth control and exercise.

So far, the Jetta TDI makes a convincing case for itself as a do-anything, appeal-to-anyone fuel-sipper, but then you get to the gearbox. People that prefer driving stick need read no further, a standard is fitted as standard and its six speeds are well-spaced and fun to use. But only 6% of all cars sold in America have a manual transmission and this Jetta TDI doesn't come with an auto, it comes with a DSG and an odd one at that.

In performance applications like the VW GTI or Audi TT, VW's DSG gearbox is rightly praised as incredibly quick to shift — just 8 milliseconds on a full-throttle upshift — and, when compared to a torque converter automatic, is very fuel-efficient, lightweight and loses virtually no power. Here, in the Jetta TDI, while driving fast it's no different except for the lack of paddles, manual shifting is done by moving the tunnel-mounted selector forward for up and backward for down. After driving many DSG-equipped cars it's weird not having the paddles, but you get used to it.

It's while doing anything but driving fast that the DSG is problematic. Shift when the transmission's electronic brain isn't expecting it and the transition can take up to 400 milliseconds and is intrusively jerky. Leave it in auto mode, as most drivers are likely to do, and it's even worse. Upshifts come way too soon and too frequently, spoiling acceleration and overtaking ability, while downshifts don't come when expected and are, again, very intrusive, especially for the shift from 2nd to 1st. The DSG doesn't behave like an auto at low speeds, there's no creep and there's a comparatively huge amount of engine braking in 1st. Drive along at low speed, lift off the gas and you come to an abrupt halt, almost as if the parking brake has been left on.

Sport mode is a little better, moving up and downshifts up the rev range a little bit, but it still doesn't allow you to exploit the full expanse of the power band like you want to in a car this flexible.

As a test, I had my auto-only girlfriend drive the Jetta slowly down the private road her parents live on. The first time she lifted off the gas her response was "Ahhhhhh!" The DSG-equipped Jetta just doesn't behave like the average driver expects it to.

Our fear is that the DSG transmission's jerkiness; unpredictability and poor manners will combine with the average American's negative perception of diesel to turn them away from buying the car. Sure, the Continuously Variable Transmissions, on/off engines and electric motors of hybrids result in an odd drive too, but not in a way that would upset the habits of casually careless drivers, in fact the Hybrid driving characteristics play into the "my car is so high-tech I don't understand what it's doing" mindset, the Jetta DSG is just annoying in comparison.

That transmission makes it harder to make a case for the mainstream acceptance of the Jetta TDI over a car like the Toyota Prius. Even with the Jetta TDI's recent 48-state, 58.8 MPG Guinness World Record, the Prius still easily achieves more with an official rating of 50 MPG and hypermiling figures in the 60 and 70 MPG range potentially are easily achievable. Gas is typically cheaper than diesel too.

The end result is a car that we really like, a car that can competently perform everything from people hauling, moving furniture and commuting to driving fast on mountain roads, all for a reasonable price and while returning really good fuel economy. It's also a car that we'd recommend people who'll get the stick should buy. But, the Jetta TDI, when equipped with the DSG transmission, just isn't a car that we think the average American driver will like. That's a shame. Average Americans, we mean.

The thinking behind the name change is that the Mercedes range has simply grown too diverse, bewildering suburbanites from New Jersey and Florida who, inexplicably, can afford to shop in a Mercedes dealership despite lacking the mental acuity to understand the naming convention of what they're buying. The original CLK name was meant to reference the fancy CL coupe, just like the SLK was a small, cheaper, more permed take on the SL roadster. Mercedes wanted to make sure buyers are able to comprehend that this new car uses more E- than C-Class components, hence the E-Class Coupe designation.

Mercedes says the ratio of E-Class parts to "other Mercedes-Benz products" in the Coupe is about 60:40. They're happy to detail which parts are shared with E — the suspension, engines, looks and all the advanced safety features — but don't want to say where the other 40% comes from. Since the E-Class Coupe shares the C-Class's 108.7-inch wheelbase and minor interior parts, we're going to go out on a limb and say that's where the 40% originates.

That's kind of a shame, because the E-Class Coupe is noticeably less engaging to drive than the 2010 Mercedes E-Class Sedan. That's not to say it isn't competent, it's much more so than the old CLK and even the twistiest of mountain roads above Las Vegas fail to fluster it. Corners are taken with virtually no body roll, steered into with accuracy and exited with plenty of thrust from either the 268 HP 3.5-liter V6 or 382 HP 5.5-liter V8. It also hits the 130 MPH speed limiter in a picture of composure, it'd be happy there all day. It's just that none of those activities are in any way fun. You kind of get the feeling that if you're lulled into sleep by the coffin-quiet interior, the Attention Assist will conspire with the adaptive shocks, Distronic Plus with Pre-Safe Brake radar cruise control and Parktronic with Parking Guidance automatic parallel parking system to drive you home and tuck you into bed.

Of course this E-Class Coupe wasn't designed for irresponsible young hoons like me, but rather the irritatingly useless real housewives of a reality show near you. They'll go gaga over the seriously handsome new looks, including the Mercedes SLS-like grille and, since their husbands will almost certainly spec the upmarket interior, the nice pleated leather door and contrast-stitched leather seats too. They'll also love the new brushed aluminum and wood trim, the heavily contoured buckets front and rear and the very fashion conscious choice of chocolate brown plastic on the dash. In fact, they'll be so busy focusing on the bling - chromed seat handles and door jambs, pillarless windows - that they won't notice the distinctly C-Class plastics employed on the air vents, button surrounds and center console.

Constantly running late to hair appointments and charity galas, they'll prefer the V8's 391 Lb-Ft of torque that's delivered instantly anywhere in the rev range, but not the less imposing 258 Lb-Ft of the V6 since they'd have to work that engine using the manual override paddles located on the steering wheel. Doing that would likely require far too much attention, something that's reserved for cell phone conversations and molly coddling small animals, not for driving. The V8's 5.0 second 0-60 time will come in handy fleeing imagined paparazzi much better than the V6's 6.2 seconds.

It's unlikely that it'll ever be used, but the E550 also incorporates Dynamic Handling Suspension as standard. Click a cheapish button on the dash marked "Sport" and the suspension firms up noticeably, throttle response sharpens and revs are held longer. Revving the V8 results in a delightfully antisocial exhaust note from the squared off pipes.

Husbands that live by the motto, "Happy wife, happy life," will also like the new E-Class Coupe. The E350 starts at $48,050, $50 cheaper than the CLK350, while it gains a host of standard features: full-length sunroof, Comand display, driver knee airbag, pelvic airbags, Bluetooth, Agility Control and Attention Assist. The E550 starts at $54,650.

Unlike the E-Class Sedan, there's no plans to offer either a diesel or AMG version. That lack of an E63 AMG Coupe is perhaps most damning. Asked why, a Mercedes engineer responded, "Drive the V8 and tell us if you think there's a need for the AMG." Well, we've driven it and we don't think the E-Class Coupe merits a performance version. It's a very nice luxury car and a quite a looker, just not a driver's car.

Think Mercedes and images of the W123 and W124 E-classes probably pop into your head. Big, boxy and somehow superior to other luxury cars from the time, they represented a reluctance to compromise that just doesn't exist at any carmaker any more. Pull up to valet parking at a fancy restaurant in a well-maintained ‘80s E-Class and your car might still get pride of place in the parking lot. Do the same in an E28 5-series and they'll hide it round the back.

In twenty years time you might be able to do the same with this W212. It's squared off edges inside and out don't just conjure memories, but trigger the same "Mercedes" synapses in your brain. That feeling will be reinforced by the high-quality plastics and spare use of wood and aluminum trim, as well as touches like the pleated leather door panels and the longitudinally stitched and perforated seats.

That's not to say that the new E-Class does without contemporary features, in fact it has all the advanced safety tech of the S-Class packed into a more manageable package. The full list of advanced safety features is staggering: Attention Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Highbeam Assist, Parktronic Plus, Blind Spot Assist, Night View Assist PLUS, Distronic PLUS with Pre-Safe Brake, Brake Assist PLUS, Sand Assist floor mats and Agility Assist.

All those features might sound as if they're designed to remove control from the driver, but unlike other automakers, Mercedes has employed them to enhance your range of perception and increase your control of the vehicle.

Take the night vision system. Instead of just fitting the new E-Class with an infrared camera, Mercedes paints the area in front of the vehicle with infrared beams, sort of like invisible headlights. The camera, as a result, picks up a much sharper image out to a further distance. That image is then displayed in crystal clear resolution on the nav screen. A computer is capable of identifying pedestrians, placing a vibrating box around them on the screen. You don't need to stare at the screen to see them; instead it exists in your peripheral vision like an extra rear-view mirror.

The Pre-Safe Brake is also cool. For the first time, it's capable of automatically applying 100% of brake force if the forward-looking radar detects that a crash is imminent, so it won't avoid the impact, but instead acts like an electronic crumple zone, reducing the force of the impact. Because it activates only when you're .6 of a second from collision, it won't affect your ability to take evasive measures, but could instead save your life if your attention lapses.

Highbeam Assist is also impressively useful. Rather than just automatically switching between high and low beams, it instead measures the presence and location of other vehicles, adapting the beam shape and throw to provide maximum illumination at all times without irritating other drivers. Low beam output can be extended from 215 feet all the way out to 1,000 feet, massively boosting the safety of night driving.

All this technology doesn't get in the way of driving, as the new E-Class also banishes memories of the mediocre experience of recent models. While it's still no 5-series, the Mercedes has newly found something called "steering feel," which apparently has something to do with "control," which when combined with "responsive suspension" actually makes it "fun to drive." Who knew? Better yet, switching from "Comfort" to "Sport" in either the E350 V6 or E550 V8 delivers a noticeable improvement in dynamics, firmer body control and sportier shift mapping. You can also shift yourself using the wheel-mounted paddles.

Those two engine choices are your lot until November, when the 518 HP 2010 E63 AMG goes on sale. The V6 makes 268 HP and 258 Lb-Ft of torque, enough to propel the E to 60 MPH in 6.5 seconds. Unfortunately, that kind of performance requires using all of the 6,750 RPM, something most Mercedes drivers are likely reluctant to do. The 382 HP, 391 Lb-Ft V8 does a much better job of providing instantaneous shove, but comes at a $7,700 premium. The V6 returns 18 MPG City, 25 MPG highway, while the V8 delivers 16/23. We'd want to wait for the E350 BlueTEC diesel, arriving next March. It'll have 400 Lb-Ft of torque for instant overtaking, but exceeds the fuel economy of either gas engine: 24 MPG City, 33 highway.

Given all the new features, the improved driving experience and much-improved styling and impression of interior quality, it's surprising that Mercedes is able to bring the 2010 E-Class in cheaper than the 2009 model. The 2010 E350 starts at $48,600, $4,600 cheaper, but adds standard equipment: Attention Assist, Driver Knee airbag, front pelvic airbags, and variable damping Agility Control. Combine that new price tag with all the new features and, more importantly, the newfound Mercedesness and the 2010 E-Class is an impressive package. In fact, combining all of the features of the S-Class with a cheaper price tag and, to our mind, better styling, the E-Class just became the pick of the Mercedes range and our favorite vehicle from that brand since we were riding around in the way back of a W123 wagon.

The old BMW Z4 M Coupe was one of my favorite cars. More raw and focused than just about any other BMW, under the hood was the 3.2-liter inline-six from the M3, here making 330 HP and 262 Lb-Ft of torque. Weighing just 3,230 Lbs and positioning its driver nearly over the rear axle it drove more like an unrefined, but capable, muscle car or like a slightly slower TVR Sagaris that was capably of traveling more than a mile without suffering catastrophic mechanical failure. It looked good too, the sexy hard top drawing attention away from the Z4's awkward front end and bizarre diagonal feature line aft of the front wheels. I liked it so much that I put nearly 200 miles on one of the first customer cars off the production line even though I had strict orders not to drive it at all.

In sDrive35i form — sDrive stands for standard or rear-wheel-drive — this folding hard top Z4 makes 300 HP, 300 Lb-Ft of torque and weighs 3,450 Lbs. Don't like a folding hard top? Tough. It replaces both the coupe and the convertible. Anyone that's driven BMW's 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six can see where this is going, it's an amazing engine, making everything from the 4,894 Lb BMW X6 to the 335i Coupe fast and flexible. With a manual transmission, it propels the new Z4 to 60 MPH in 5.1 seconds and onward to a limited top speed of 150 MPH. The old Z4 M was officially rated at .1 second faster to 60 MPH and was limited to a 5 MPH faster top speed. Spec the $1,525 7-speed DSG and the new Z4 will match the Z4 M's 0-to-60 time.

I'd actually pick the new Z4's turbocharged engine over the Z4 M's naturally aspirated engine. The turbo motor makes peak torque at just 3,200 RPM; the M's peaked at 4,900. That means that any gear, any speed, the new Z4 has huge amounts of shove, culminating in a still impressive top end rush. You can run a gear higher in corners, achieving the same acceleration out of them or pass cars without downshifting. It sounds just like an inline-six BMW should, too.

To make things more interesting, the Z4 sDrive35i returns 18 MPG City, 25 MPG Highway, compared to 15/23 for the Z4 M.

Last year, a Z4 M Coupe started at $50,400. Today, the 2009 sDrive35i starts at $52,475. That might not sound like a bargain, what with the give-and-take performance differences and the lack of an M badge on the new car, but when you figure in what the new Z4 offers over the old Z4 M it starts to make sense.

For one, the new Z4 is manufactured in Germany. The fit and finish and quality of materials is far beyond that of the old Z4, now on par with the 3- and 5-Series. It's also a bigger car, with noticeably more room in both the passenger cabin and trunk. Then there's the new, all-aluminum folding roof.

Up, the roof lends the Z4 all the refinement of a coupe — conversation is easy even close to the vehicle's top speed — without the traditional downsides of a folding hard top. Vision is excellent with no oversize blind spots. That's thanks to tiny rear 3/4 windows that retract into the car's body instead of the doors. There's 10.9 cubic feet of room in the trunk with the top up and a still-very-useful 6.4 cubic feet with the top stowed. That top is really good-looking too, replacing the awkward shapes of most hard tops with Gurney bubbles that mirror the hood's twin power bulges. The top's not as nice to look at as the old coupe's, but the rest of the car looks so much better the ducktail isn't missed.

Of course, like all great BMW's, the Z4 M coupe wasn't about performance numbers, it was about handling. Everyone's going to think that I'm crazy when I say this, but the 2009 Z4 has it beat there too. Where the Z4 M was a one-trick pony — great at corners, but harsh everywhere else — the new car is at least as capable without sacrificing a smooth ride. BMW's new Driving Dynamics Control helps a lot there. Controlling the gas pedal control map, engine management, stability response, electro-mechanical power steering and electronic damper control. In "Normal," it's an accomplished and comfortable boulevardier or highway mileage cruncher. Switch through "Sport" and into the not-so-uniquely named "Sport+" and out goes the stability control (traction control can be fully defeated), the steering ratio and response sharpens noticeably, the throttle responds quicker and the car carves into corners with complete confidence. In fact, Sport+ can be a bit nerve-wracking at very high speeds, likely due to the quickened steering.

Your first few corners in the Z4 will feel odd if you're coming out of a car where your rear isn't resting a couple of inches in front of the axle. What initially feels like body roll is in fact the feeling that comes from the inertial effects of sitting behind the center of gravity. Luckily, the electronic steering works exceptionally well, banishing bad memories of variable rate racks of just a model generation ago. But, there's still an an ever-so-slight sense of vagueness — you can feel what the car's doing, but it doesn't communicate every pebble you run over.

As a former BMW fan boy, I've watched in horror as its cars bloated with unnecessary technical complication, morphed into soft roaders, suffered under Chris Bangle's maniacal hand and lost the defining characteristic that once made all its cars so special: handling. While cars like the X6 are neat feats of technical wizardry, they just make no sense. Cars like the 2009 BMW 135i were just disappointing to drive. If this new Z4's anything to go by, all that complication has finally been twisted in the right direction, it's come together to create a car that doesn't wear an M badge, but still drives like one. I could learn to live with that.

Full Disclosure: Mazda flew me out to a ritzy Laguna Beach resort, fed me mountains of delicious food and allowed for carte blanche access to the minibar. It was a tiny bottle pogrom, more or less.

For those not in the know, the Bedazzler, a kitschy rhinestone-applying device that your mom probably used as an unpopularization tool, to great effect, by fastening sparkling kitty cats and ladybugs to all of your favorite tees and then sending your sparkling ass to school.

The new Mazda3 has no rhinestones or sparklecats, but the top-of-the line S Grand Touring comes loaded with automatic headlights, rain sensing wipers, bi-xenon headlamps, Adaptive Front Lighting (AFS), Dual zone climate control, heated seats, heated mirrors with integrated turn signals, Bluetooth everything, Ford-like interior lighting, leather, full-color navigation, Sirius satellite radio, 8-way power drivers seat and a blasting Bose Centerpoint sound system. These are typically features reserved for high-end Cadillacs and Lexi, right? Never on a sub-compact and surely not on a Mazda. These are the folks that have brought us the near-naked MX-5 through all these years — and it has stayed simple and beautiful. Has Mazda gone soft?

The scene is southern California. We're zooming past fields of grapes, acres upon acres of obsessively arranged rows. We're neatly packed into a Mazda3s Grand Touring GT with every widget in the book. After descending from the steep curves of the Ortega Highway, we glide to a stop at a four-way intersection and get a lay of the land. After a brief moment of stillness, our wake catches up to us and washes our noses with the scent of hot, steaming brake linings. This is to be expected as we've just hot lapped just about every cliffside curve the area of Temecula has to offer.

I'm piloting this bright red 5-door packed with auto journos. Ease into the gas, release the easy clutch and we're gone. The standard 6-speed manual clicks into each gear with just a breeze of effort, but the action is intentional and predictable. Our 167 HP 2.5 L four-pot is a rev-happy, strong mill with proper gearing, all while returning 21 MPG in the city and 29 MPG on the highway; it'll hit 60 in 7.9 seconds and continue on to a 117 MPH top speed. The other option is an anemic 148 HP 2.0 L bringing in a frugal 25 MPG in the city and 33 on the highway. Before long, we're ascending another rocky hill only to slide down the other side into another sharply graded turn. The all-season Yokohama Avis tires are squawking in displeasure as they're twisted and torqued to meet the demands of the 3,005-pound hatch. With a slight mid-turn lift throttle, the rear end comes around and tries the limits of the center dividing line, briefly chattering on the rumble strips. For a front-wheel drive car, this little hatch has plenty of rear-ended aggression. Even on some of the most treacherous mountain passes, the 3 totally resists understeer. Usually reserved for the most perfectly balanced rear-drive sports cars, the fresh 3 has excellent front bite and lightning fast turn-in. You'll actually oversteer before it'll let the front tires go. All this isn't down to any fancy new technology, just perfectly specced suspension. The single downside of the driving experience was solely attributed to the pedestrian tires. The properly calibrated suspension simply overloaded the budget-conscious Yokos to a large effect. We're hoping this malady is corrected in spades once the Mazdaspeed3 hits the scene. With this new car as a starting point, the next Speed should be an absolute terror.

As we leave the rocky driving paradise and re-enter the boring city, we get a chance to poke around the interior. Gentle curves play intricate games on the dashboard while ultimately tying everything together for the driver. Special attention was paid towards the driver's natural cone of sight as everything vital is situated within range while looking at the road. Our only major qualm with the control interface is the extremely difficult to navigate navigation and radio controls. The navigation, while a good intention, is total crap. It feels like an ancient, digitized version of Honda's "scrolling map" system of the ‘80s. The screen, even in high-contrast black and white in the lower models, offers very little information and is solely controlled by a dumpy joystick on the steering wheel. Whereas the BMW iDrive of old was overly complicated, the Mazda3's navigation is over simplified to the point of unusability. A good standard of quality would be the $100 TomTom One LE. I can safely assert that a person would be better off skipping the Nav option and sticking Tom on their dashboard. The controls for the satellite radio aren't intrinsically bad, but the one-line display is trash. You'll find yourself stumbling between stations for long minutes before eventually memorizing the 100+ station line-up for quick selection.

The Mazda3, after all the sliding around the mountains and poking the interior, leaves us feeling a bit Bedazzled. Imagine your favorite tee, maybe some vintage shirt in perfect condition. A Boz Scaggs screen print. The shirt fits perfectly, great fabric and impresses the ladies in the way only Scaggs could. Overnight, your mom snags your Scaggs out of the closet and molests it with one of her many Bedazzlers she's collected over the years. You end up wearing the tee to school without noticing her sparkly edits. Your friends quickly catch on, and shockingly, they applaud your fresh taste and daring fashion. You feel slightly cheap and ultimately sullied. Boz was so fresh before the Great Sequinning. Now, people only pay attention to the flashing adornments stuck to his once naturally beautiful eyes.

The new Mazda3 is a bit like that tee. In its previous iteration, it was a superb driver's car with very little in the way of excessive creature comforts. The weight and price was kept very low for the offering and enthusiasts quickly picked up on its winning formula en masse. What was once a stellar econobox still is, but now it doesn't hide its substance beneath a bland exterior. While that incredibly fun, economical chassis is still there and responsive as ever, the superfluous accessories tacked onto it are achieving greater fanfare than the car itself. As stated previously, we're staring towards the future for the return of the Speed3, which should herald the same car - plus power, minus fluff. The Great Undazzling, if you will.

Asked on May 18, 1999 what my favorite movie was I, like many of my contemporaries, would have had an easy answer: Star Wars. Just one day later, with the release of Phantom Menace, that answer would change forever. It didn't make sense. Episode I, compared quantitatively to its predecessors and, according the huge amount of buzz surrounding it, must have been a much better movie. It had a bigger budget, benefited from modern technology, had really neat imaginary creatures and action-packed space battles. So what changed? Well, the environment in which the space fairy tale existed had, in 22 years, become much more sophisticated. Audiences wanted to experience something new in the same way the original film had been unprecedented for its time. Instead, George Lucas contented himself with producing a fancy new version of the same old schlock. That, and Anakin was really irritating.

With the $22,995 V6-equipped 2010 Chevy Camaro LS producing 304 HP, nearly as much as the V8-engined 2010 Ford Mustang GT, and the 426 HP 2010 Chevy Camaro SS starting at just $30,995, initial impressions of GM's new muscle car are extremely good. It's faster than its competitors and benefits from more svelte looks than the Dodge Challenger and less familiar styling than the 2010 Mustang. It's even more fuel efficient, with the V6 returning an impressive 17 city, 29 highway MPG-rating, while the V8 returns 16/25 MPG when equipped with the slightly higher-geared automatic transmission.

But this Camaro's also supposed to be about more than just numbers (click here for our 2010 Chevy Camaro Numbers Comparison) for one very important reason: it's based on the 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP. When we drove that car last November, we couldn't believe that a $40,000 Pontiac was like the new E39 M5, only better. That impression was the result of a driving experience that wasn't so much about the 415 HP Corvette-derived LS3 V8 as it was the car's subtle ability to read your mind, then react to what you wanted faster than we thought possible from a big sedan. In short, the G8 GXP is a handler before it's a muscle car and that's saying something for a vehicle that can hit 60 MPH in 4.7 seconds.

The opposite is true of this new Camaro. Based on an updated version of the G8's Zeta platform (here called Zeta II), the Camaro gets a 2.5" shorter wheelbase thanks to bringing the front wheels forward 6", then moving the A-pillar rearwards 3.5" to create a longer hood and new front suspension chosen to make that hood lower. Unlike the class-defining Mustang, suspension is also independent all the way around. The V6 starts with GM's FE2 coil-over suspension package, before moving up to standard FE3 on the V8-equipped SS. Wheels start out at a smaller-than-GXP 18x7.5" on the base LS, before moving up to a standard and massive 20x8" front, 20x9" rear on the SS. The G8 GXP's are 19x8". Most of the SS's standard equipment is available optionally on the V6 models, while the RS-package essentially looks like an optioned-up SS, but with a V6 under the hood.

Somehow, all those changes translate into an experience that's no less capable — in fact the Camaro SS is 11-seconds faster around the famed Nurburgring than the G8 GXP — but a lot less involving. Where the G8 GXP is all about including you in the driving, requiring and enabling you to aggressively wring the most out of its chassis, the Camaro SS doesn't seek to make the driver a crucial part of its equation. It makes the classic American muscle car mistake of confusing grip — of which it has plenty — with handling. Throw the two cars into a second or third gear (oh how we love big V8s) 90-degree bend and the Pontiac will encourage you to explore the limits of the rear tires adhesion using your right foot and communicative steering, the Chevy will push its vague front robbing you of speed. Sure, you can get on the throttle half way around and step the rear out, but not with the same degree of control the Pontiac delivers. The Camaro does bring one huge improvement over its platform-mate: there's virtually no body roll under any circumstances.

Well that and the incredibly successful styling. Chevy knows it looks good too, displaying a level of self-assuredness that would be absurd in any other segment. Here's a great example. Our co-driver asked a GM engineer whether the new Camaro increases "length or girth?" His straight-faced response? "It increases opportunity." Cocky, right? But they're right. Where the G8 looks like a rental car, the ZR1 looks like a bass boat enthusiast won the lottery and the CTS-V, even with its classy chrome mesh grille, looks like a tuner conversion, the Camaro strikes exactly the right balance between the mass appeal of its aggression and a more sophisticated retro futurism that successfully references the original while adapting wholly new forms that are completely contemporary. Even though we've been staring at pictures of it for what seems like years, in person it's still surprising how good it looks.

If you've been following Jalopnik or even had a conversation with me at any point since last August, you're probably bored to death with hearing about how good GM's latest crop of performance cars are. The 2009 Corvette ZR1 is the best car I've ever driven, the 556 HP Cadillac CTS-V is an utterly awesome performance sedan and you've already been reading about the G8 GXP. So it comes as a surprise that Chevy's flag-waving everyman muscle car doesn't live up to those driving standards. Sure it's stinking fast, but it doesn't make exploiting that performance rewarding in the way all the above did so well. It doesn't so much defy convention, as drive like you'd expect a Camaro would, a really good Camaro.

The other defining characteristic of the Camaro's driving experience is the interior. Hop in one and like a classic Camaro, the first impression is of claustrophobia. It feels like Chevy's designers have purposefully set out to make the interior, which is actually surprisingly large with adequate space for four adults, feel surprisingly small. Most of that comes from the slit-like windshield; its top sits at about the height of your forehead, something that will be familiar to Lotus Exige owners. Out through that narrow strip of glass, the hood bulge and fenders are prominently visible, accentuating the power under the hood. Unlike the Exige, there's almost 8.5" of vertical seat movement to accommodate a wide range of drivers. All of them will end up with their head in the exact same place: about a half inch from the ceiling as that's the only position that affords adequate forward visibility. Strangely, the wheel and instruments sit very high, never affording the wheel-in-lap arrangement that I prefer, even with the seat all the way up and the wheel all the way down.

That interior is also going to be a bugbear for the Camaro. While the overall shapes are appealing, the materials are mostly cheap plastic, even on the big knobs that you use to adjust the HVAC and stereo (Nav isn't an option). A huge swath of that cheap plastic runs from the steering wheel all the way to the right door. The standard-on-SS auxiliary gauges, mounted down low in front of the gear lever, are largely worthless on the move due to their positioning, but look really cool, providing a false sense of driver/machine integration that just isn't born out in the driving experience. Believe it or not, the 2010 Mustang with a few options is actually a nicer place to spend time.

On initial impressions and despite a spec sheet that strongly claims otherwise, I'd tip the hat in the Mustang's favor when it comes to driving enjoyment too. To create it, Ford engineers essentially took the old model and made it as good as they possibly could. The result is, for the first time, a Mustang that's as much about going around corners as it is about acceleration, which is good, because the Camaro SS leaves it for dead in a straight line. Despite the Mustang's live rear axle, which never really manifests any limitations on the road, the 'Stang is ligher on its feet than the Camaro and has considerably more steering feel. The Camaro's is dead on center, never really manages a huge amount of feel in general and is overly light. It's so light, that it's possible that the engineers that drove it around the Nurburgring did so one-handed.

The much-touted performance of the V6-equipped Camaro doesn't live up to its Mustang GT-killing hype. While GM has gone to great lengths to make it as visceral as possible — the crisp exhaust note sounds almost as good as a 370Z — its flat torque curve leads to a somewhat uneventful feeling of acceleration, especially out of faster corners where the Camaro's prodigious 3,780 Lb curb weight leaves you with foot flat on the floor, wanting for more. Nor does the V6 manifest a handling advantage over the V8, even when equipped with all the RS options. Its steering still lacks feel and it becomes harder to push the car around corners using the throttle.

GM's Hydra-Matic SL50 6L50 6-speed automatic gearbox does however do an excellent job of keeping the V6 on the boil, particularly in "sport" mode. Its one of the quickest-to-shift slushboxes we've experienced and never seems to find itself in the wrong gear. In fact its so good that it renders the steering wheel-mounted shift buttons largely irrelevant. The 6L50 is clearly better than any of the Camaro's domestic rivals.

Look at the value-for-money and the performance numbers of the Camaro combined with its Dragon-tastic looks and you can't help but feel GM has a winner on its hands. It'll beat its competitors hands down, not only in a numbers-based pissing contest, but also in the public's imaginations: an advantage presented by its futuristic-yet-retro styling. It's exactly the car GM should be making, a car that will sell; it's just not the unprecedented new experience that we were hoping for, it's not a real driver's car. With the Camaro, GM has chosen to stick with the muscle car archetype rather than push the limits of what's possible, it's not likely to win many conquests from more adept sportscars like the 370Z, Audi TT and BMW 3-series as Chevy hopes it will. The result, like the new Star Wars films, is a product that will undoubtedly be a commercial success, just perhaps not a timeless classic like the original, a product that will blend in with, rather than stand out from, its rivals.

Photography credit: Wetzel Tucker

Full Disclosure: Maserati wanted me to drive the new Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S so badly they flew me out and put me up in a nice hotel to make sure I wrote about it. Also, they fed me pasta. But not very much of it.

"Maserati! Maserati!" There's always going to be something about a bright red Italian supercar that excites nearly everyone's internal teenager. Unfortunately today, we only seem to be exciting Italian teenagers.

Some things about Italy will never change. The maze-like medieval towns will always be unnavigable, teenagers will always love cars and something on those cars, in this case the Sat/Nav, will never work as expected. But some things will change.

Maserati's of old, including previous incarnations of the Quattroporte have, as if honoring a point of national pride, been deeply flawed vehicles. Build quality has been a bugbear ever since Citroen bought it in 1968. In my lifetime they've never driven particularly well. The fifth generation of the Quattroporte addressed the former, but always delivered a confused mix of performance and luxury. Neither big enough to make a reasonable case against a far cheaper S-Class or 7-series, nor fast enough to compete with still cheaper cars like the XJR, S8 or S63 AMG. The Sport GT S changes that.

These improvements don't necessarily change the opinions of the residents of the towns on the route chosen by Maserati or their local law enforcement officials who, besieged by three previous waves of international journalists, are noticeably aggrieved by our presence (we hear the Chinese are mostly to blame). The most immediately obvious advantage the 2009 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S has over the regular S isn't the single-rate Bilstein dampers, the blacked-out grill and headlights or even the 20" wheels, but the volume of the exhaust through the new dual-oval exits. In Sport mode this is a seriously loud car, belying the luxury of its Alcantara-clad interior and the class of its updated exterior. If the color red could be embodied by a sound, this would be it. Angry looks match the angry noise.

That sound isn't the only reason I'm in Sport mode - pushing the button opens two valves in the exhaust, essentially creating straight through pipes - it also delivers improved throttle response, much quicker shifts from the auto box, increased propensity for kick down, rev-matched downshifts and permanent control of the gear position through the bigger wheel-mounted paddles. The Quattroporte drives and sounds so good in Sport that it's nearly unconscionable to try it otherwise.

Driving again and again through the narrow alleys and back streets of Ravenna, the bright red Maserati and I are starting to draw the wrong sort of attention. The unmuted growl of the 4.7-liter Ferrari-sourced V8 reverberates off the ancient walls. Children are grabbed by stern-faced mothers blocks away as I accelerate harder and harder. Cyclists pull over and dismount at the sound of my approach. Traffic stops. Everyone's pissed off, including me. The reason I'm driving like a dick is because the SatNav system is completely and hopelessly lost, unable to find a restaurant just 80 miles from the place where it was installed. That and I really have to pee. The only people that appear to benefit from all this are the gathering crowds of pubescent males, as indicated by their excited repetition of the brand in question and the puzzled looks on their faces as they realize the unholy racket is coming from a four-door luxury car.

The first thing you have to do with this Maserati is throw away any number comparisons. With 433 HP, 391 lb-ft, a 0-to-60 time of 5.1 seconds and a 178 MPH top speed, the $133,700 Sport GT S isn't notable next to the $126,000 S63 AMG's 518 HP, 465 lb-ft and 4.5 seconds. Nor is it much next to the regular $125,750 Quattroporte S, it only makes about 8 HP more at the very top of the 7,500 RPM rev range.

But this Maserati isn't about numbers, it's about experience. Look at the dyno chart below. It's peaky in ways that don't look promising on a 4,387 lb car purporting to offer luxury accommodation for five. But, equipped with the new faster throttle response, louder exhaust and improved gearbox you end up reveling in each one of those revs, not wanting for low-end torque or more power, but more road on which to use what's available.

Also changed is the suspension. Gone is Maserati's flawed Skyhook adaptive suspension- which never really handled nor rode well - replaced instead with stiffer, single-rate dampers and lowered ride height. It doesn't sound like much and you might think the ride would be even worse, but that's not borne out on the road.

With my right foot buried in the carpet at over 160 MPH over some of rural Italy's roughest, most uneven roads the Sport GT S is utterly composed, delivering Porsche-like confidence and Ferrari-like sound. Braking hard into the 90 degree left at the end of the straight, the newly feel-full steering tells me exactly how fast I can push the front through the corner, the rear snapping wide as soon as I get back on the power.

As you're probably guessing, it was driving like this that drew the attention of the Carabinieri. Well, not specifically my driving, but the cumulative misbehavior of several nation's car journalists combined with the particularly disrespectful brand of hoonage demonstrated by American hacks abroad. Exiting a 50 Km/h limit just outside a small village, I tear past a blue and white Alfa and its comically dressed counterparts. Luckily they're outside the car drinking a coffee from a roadside stand. Staying on the power over a hill and round a corner, I don't see them again. The next journalist along, a dapper Peruvian gentleman, wasn't so lucky.

Initially threatened with jail time, the overweight female officer soon softened on him. Why? He flirted with her shamelessly.

Italy's not the same as it used to be. The cops'll pull you over while driving a fast Italian car. But, if it's the Quattroporte Sport GT S, that car will be a lot better than cars from that country used to be. Gone is the grand illusion and poor reality of past vehicles, present is a reality that although high-priced, at least finally lives up to the promise of glamorous looks, a storied history and an exotic name.

Remember the South Park episode "Smug?" All the uppity environmentalists drove around in whooshy little cars that looked like generic versions of the Toyota Prius. That distinctive shape has come to define the Hybrid vehicle in the American psyche more by luck than intention; Toyota arrived at the shape for the Prius by working out the most aerodynamic way to package a traditional five-passenger vehicle. The result looked like no vehicle before it. The 2010 Honda Insight takes the same approach and, unsurprisingly, arrives at a very similar answer. The Prius is actually more aerodynamic than the Insight (.26 Cd vs. .28), despite the latter’s slightly smaller frontal area, overall size and a significant effort invested by Honda in areas like the partially flat undertray. If anything, the Honda’s the better looking car, benefiting from its five year younger age, sharper lines and more refined detailing.

In that South Park episode people drove Hybrids because they wanted to feel “like they were doing something.” No one seemed to have any idea what that meant. They didn’t want to make any sacrifices to achieve whatever that “doing something” was, but they sure wanted their discretionary purchases to reflect their willingness to do it. What the Insight seeks to do is give people a way to be “a part of the solution, not the problem” for less sacrifice.

As you’d expect, a significant portion of that reduced sacrifice comes from the pricepoint. Honda hasn’t yet released an official price, but its own hints and informed speculation pegs it somewhere in the $18,500 neighborhood. That’s a reasonably large difference from the current 2009 model Prius, which starts at $22,000. If Honda can maintain that price differential, or maybe even increase it when the 2010 Toyota Prius is launched, it’ll have a significant advantage over the segment leader.

But does the Honda offer less due to the lower price? Yes and no. The big question is fuel economy. In this, the Honda appears to fail. The Insight hasn’t been EPA tested yet, but Honda estimates the results will be 40 MPG city, 43 highway, 41 combined. The 2009 Prius is officially EPA rated at 48/45/46. It’ll be interesting to see how big that gap is when the 2010 Prius is revealed. Of course, the $2,500 price differential will buy an awful lot of gas.

But neither is the Toyota Prius is the most economical vehicle on the block. According to hypermiler Wayne Gerdes from CleanMPG.com, Honda’s own European Civic I-CTDI is capable of returning significantly better fuel economy than either hybrid. Wayne managed to get 69.9 MPG out of the Insight while driving through a suburban area without using any of his extreme hypermiling techniques like massively over-inflated tires or coasting with the engine off. We’re hypermiling neophytes with barely a fleeting interest in fuel economy, yet last year we saw 73 MPG from a Honda Civic I-CTDI.

Honda’s decision to offer the less fuel efficient Insight in America as opposed to the Prius-killing Civic diesel can only have been made for one reason: Americans wanted the less efficient vehicle.

That’s not to say that the Insight isn’t a good car. It is, and that, in our minds, is its biggest success. Drive a Prius for any reason other than decent mileage and you’ll be massively disappointed by the experience. It’s not all that slow, but it is unresponsive and wallowy. The brake pedal feels weird due to the regenerative system and the whole thing is just sorta lacking. In contrast, the Honda is actually somewhat fun to drive. I mean, we’re not talking Civic Type-R levels of hoonage potential, but imagine a little bit heavier Honda Fit and you wouldn’t be far off. The Insight actually weighs 2,723 Lbs, the current Prius weighs 2,921 and the Fit weighs 2,359. Initial strangeness comes from the CVT, which, due the minimal amount of lightweight sound deadening used, leads to a raucous engine. Put your foot down and the tinny sounding note invades the cabin at a steady rate, it doesn’t sound like normal acceleration. Honda doesn’t quote a 0-60 time yet, but expect it to be in 11-12 second range.

Other than that, the fancy powertrain is virtually unnoticeable. Honda has gone to great lengths to seamlessly integrate the 1.3-liter i-VTEC gasoline engine and 10-kilowatt electric motor, you’ll have to be paying attention to the gauges to tell when one is working and the other’s not.

The Insight is also a remarkably practical vehicle given its overall size and low roofline. The giant hatch lifts to nearly vertical, revealing a capacious trunk and 60/40 seats that fold nearly flat. Rear legroom is a little cramped for adults and a little smaller than the Prius, but the Insight has 1.5cubic feet more cargo room than the larger Prius. All the hybrid gubbins are cleverly integrated and stowed under the spare tire, which is under the flat cargo floor. The fuel tank is under the rear seats.

The Insight’s other big trick is the Eco Assist system. Like Ford with its Fusion Hybrid, Honda has acknowledged that drivers are the biggest determining factor in its vehicles’ ability to sip gas. The Eco Assist system helps drivers drive more economically by giving them the information and encouragement to do so, but also employing an Econ mode that provides a little help on the way. That gauge set isn’t quite as informative as the Fusion Hybrid’s Smartgauge system, nor a sexy, but it is more intuitive, using a simple speedo backlight that glows green when you’re being responsible, fading to dark blue as you use more fuel. There’s also a complicated, and somewhat tacky system of growing leaves that help track your overall performance.

The Econ button is capable of making the Insight about 10% more efficient on its own. Think of it like Prozac for cars, evening out the peaks and valleys of your throttle inputs, turning the engine off earlier when coming to a stop, running the A/C more efficiently and telling the cruise control to use less throttle. It’s a welcome aid for when you don’t want to pay attention to driving slowly, while the gauges should train drivers to do exactly that in the long term.

Unlike that South Park episode, we don’t think this hybrid is going to lead to a Smug attack capable of destroying the world. Rather, it’s going to allow people who want to be seen to drive a hybrid a cheaper way to have their supposedly green credentials immediately recognized by like-minded hypocrites while giving buyers a better driving, more practical vehicle than they likely bargained for. Is it going to save the world? No. But it is going to cash in the well-intentioned, but ultimately misguided desire a lot of people have to do so in a big way.

Sure, we still liked offerings from both the Far East and Europe, but, overwhelmingly, our favorites hailed from Detroit. Believe it or not, there was a discussion earlier this year as to the appropriateness of having a road test editor who was so anti-American cars. That’s no longer a topic of conversation; check out the 11 most popular reviews, listed in reverse order below, and I think you’ll see why.

Click on the images below to read the stories.

11.) 2009 Acura TSX

Jalopnik's Take: Ray summed up the TSX in four words: "competent yet remarkably boring." I’d add “the most attractive use of Acura’s buck-toothed front end, but that’s not saying much.” According to Acura, the TSX’s buyer is looking for a well-made, fully-featured, reliable vehicle. While we acknowledge that many people fit that profile, we don’t.
How Many Readers: 20,464
How Much: $29,160
How Many Horsies Under The Hood: 201

10.) 2009 Honda Fit

Jalopnik's Take: I had to choose between driving this, or the ZR1. You might be surprised to hear that I thought about that for more than 10 seconds. The Fit’s always been the fun choice for those needing a practical small car on a budget. John Krewson found that, for 2009, it’s ramped up that practicality without sacrificing too much in the way of fun. He also made friends with it. He’s a bit weird.
How Many Readers: 24,860
How Much: $14,550
How Many Horsies Under The Hood: 117

9.) 2008 Smart ForTwo

Jalopnik's Take: I get really fed up with people’s preconceived notions about cars. More people have more preconceived notions about the little Smart than just about any other car, so I wrote this one to address those notions. In hindsight, I probably should have provided more justification for the “it’s not gay” part.
How Many Readers: 24,964
How Much: $18,500
How Many Horsies Under The Hood: 70

8.) 2009 BMW X6

Jalopnik's Take: This one was a complete surprise. BMW’s range has really lost its “Ultimate Driving Machine” edge. They don’t steer that well anymore, they’re not that involving. Bizarrely, despite its complete absence of steering feel and complete reliance on involvement-removing performance aids, the X6 is really fun to drive. It’s the size of a Suburban, but goes like an M3. You sit 10-feet off the ground, but there’s no dive and no roll. The X6’s capacity for cornering is unlimited. When the torque vectoring differential BMW calls Xdrive trickles down to a more obvious performance application it’s going to be big news. Mark my words.
How Many Readers: 26,616
How Much: $63,225
How Many Horsies Under The Hood: 300

7.) 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

Jalopnik's Take: Ray ordered me to win the mileage challenge Ford held for journalists. So I did, getting 43.8 MPG driving through LA traffic. Most journalists got between 32 and 37 MPG, which is more realistic for the average driver. That’s only part of the story however, the Fusion Hybrid is good-looking, good to drive and, for the class, has a nice interior. All that’s wrapped up in a reasonable price tag. It’s not the kind of vehicle we fall asleep dreaming about, but it is the kind of vehicle people are going to buy in big numbers.
How Many Readers: 27,344
How Much: $27,270
How Many Horsies Under The Hood: 191

6.) 2009 Subaru Forester

Jalopnik's Take: the Forester was always the anti-SUV, all capability and no pretense. For 2009 it gains a tall, SUV-style body, which, too many, is a huge step in the wrong direction. Despite this, it retains all of the utility it’s become famous for while proving fun to drive both off-road and on.
How Many Readers: 27,439
How Much: $26,195
How Many Horsies Under The Hood: 224

5.) 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

Jalopnik's Take: We didn’t actually drive the Raptor — no one outside Ford has yet — but we did ride in one and, as you’d expect from a beefed-up off-roader built for speed, it was awesome. I’m looking forward to driving this more than any other vehicle in 2009.
How Many Readers: 29,968
How Much: n/a
How Many Horsies Under The Hood: 400

4.) 2009 Cadillac CTS-V

Jalopnik's Take: Cadillac reps had to order me out of the CTS-V after nearly four hours of continuous lapping at Monticello Motor Club. Combing detuned versions of the motor, brakes and suspension from the ZR1 with one of the nicest luxury sedans on the market is a winning formula, out M-ing or AMG-ing all comers. If Gawker paid me more, I’d buy one of these to live in.
How Many Readers: 30,531
How Much: $60,355
How Many Horsies Under The Hood: 556

3.) 2007 Honda Civic 2.2 CTDI Vs. 2007 Audi Q7 4.2 TDI

Jalopnik's Take: A real slap on the head moment, this. Guess what? Diesels are great to drive and can deliver ridiculously good mileage. While trying kinda hard (sticking to speed limits, no aero mods) we got 72.4 MPG highway from the Civic and 33.2 MPG from the 550 Lb-Ft Q7. Yes, that’s ridiculous, and no, we don’t know why you can’t buy them here.
How Many Readers: 35,410
How Much: n/a
How Many Horsies Under The Hood: 326-Q7, 138-Civic

2.) 2010 Ford Mustang

Jalopnik's Take: I’m not what you’d call a Mustang Person. I don’t watch televised sports. I don’t own a single pair of cotton hammer pants. But, when equipped with the optional Track Pack, the 2010 GT won me over. Know the romantic image saying “Ford Mustang” conjures up somewhere in the back of your mind? The one involving the PCH and lots of cheesy helicopter shots? The 2010’s handling, looks and driving experience finally live up to that.
How Many Readers: 36,148
How Much: $27,995
How Many Horsies Under The Hood: 315

1.) 2009 Corvette ZR1

Jalopnik's Take: The most anticipated car of the year lived up to the hype by being faster, better handling and more involving than anyone could have possibly hoped. I’ll remember the day I spent driving it at the Lutz Ring as one of the highlights of my career and, to this day, have a hard time conveying the experience in words. The ZR1 single-handedly convinced me that the American car industry has a bright future; there’s no better car made anywhere in the world.
How Many Readers: 77,053
How Much: $103,300
How Many Horsies Under The Hood: 638

Halfway through a day's lapping, halfway around the Lutz Ring and full throttle at the top of third gear is bringing me and a red ZR1 into a 180-degree corner way too fast, while the blind crest just before it — taken at maximum power and maximum cornering — has us way off line too. In any other supercar, especially one as hairy as a Viper or as rear-engined as a 911, this would be a serious moment, probably resulting in one of my notorious off-track excursions. But today I can just haul on the brakes all the way through turn-in and up to the apex and then get back on the power — hard. The result: sweaty palms instead of trashed carbon fiber body work.

The first thing you need to do with the ZR1 is throw out any preconceived notions you have about it. Isn't it just a more extreme Z06 with 131 more horsepower or an answer to a question no one asked? No. It's a comprehensively re-engineered vehicle that shares little in feel with either the standard Corvette or the Z06, outperforming both on the track, obviously, but also, surprisingly, on the road. How? A remarkably civilized yet awesomely powerful engine; an easy-to-use gearbox; compliant-yet-capable suspension; and a chassis that simply overachieves at any task you give it.

While based on the standard car's LS3 V8, the ZR1's LS9 makes its power with the aid of a Roots-type supercharger whose intercooler cover is visible through the tacky Lexan hood window. With 638 HP and 604 lb-ft of torque, its speed should come as no surprise, but its character will. Equipped with a dual-mode exhaust, there's little hint of its performance at low speed, the RPMs dipping if you pull away on light throttle. Up to 2,500 RPM (about all you need on the road — it delivers 320 lb-ft at 1,000 RPM), it feels like something that belongs in a big German luxury car. It's torquey, quiet and, combined with the ZR1's 3,364 lb curb weight, it makes driving effortless.

It's when you begin to climb into higher RPMs at larger throttle openings that the LS9's performance reveals itself in its absurd volume. A second exhaust valve opens, taking the engine note from refined to apocalyptic. The all-consuming sound focuses your attention on nothing but the road in front of you. But it lacks any aural indication of its supercharger. For reasons that escape us, the Corvette engineers went through elaborate steps to eliminate the whine, even doubling the number of teeth on the lobe drive gears to move their sound beyond the human ear's range of perception. Tap into the loud zone and everything in front starts to come at you very fast. 300 HP arrives at just 3,000 RPM before peaking at 6,500, leaving 100 RPM before the redline. The close-ratio gearbox (unique to the ZR1) means shifts come fast, but the wide spread of power and torque means you can leave it in third for pretty much anything above 30 MPH.

Like the engine, that gearbox does little to hint at the ZR1's ultimate performance. A twin-disc clutch leads to easy pedal throw, while a precise gate makes finding gears simple. This isn't a fire-breathing monster, but instead a car anyone could drive competently — even for long distances (it's comfortable) or at high speeds (its limits are so high that you need to try very hard to find them).

In fact, the only thing detracting from the ZR1's grand touring credentials is the interior. The only options on the $103,300 car are an awful set of chrome wheels and the 3ZR upgraded interior package, which succeeds in moving the interior from cheap and nasty into luxurious bass boat territory with more embroidered ZR1 and Corvette logos than my fragile mind could comprehend. We have a hard time accepting the 'value' excuse; for this kind of money we'd no longer like to feel like a Jeff Foxworthy punchline. An automatic transmission is, thankfully, not an option.

The ZR1's road ability is boosted by the two-mode magnetic damping. Select "Touring" on the center-mounted ride-control knob, and, while it can't hide that the ZR1 wears 335/25-20s on the rear, it rides comfortably enough to make you forget you're driving something capable of lapping the Nurburgring in 7:26.4. The damping adjusts itself near-instantaneously to maintain grip on rough surfaces. You won't feel this happen, but you will notice how unflustered the ZR1 is no matter how crappy Michigan roads may be.

The real magic of the ZR1 isn't that it's capable of any of the above, though. It's that it will make you forget all of its intimidating performance figures and fancy technology the second you take a corner at speed. Despite all the headline numbers, this car isn't about power, it's about handling.

Built on the same aluminum-intensive chassis with fancy magnesium bits as the Z06, the ZR1 uses independent suspension all-round, but here it arrives with bespoke tuning capable of coping with the 1.05 lateral Gs the purpose-made Michelins make possible.

Conventional wisdom states that a front engine, rear-wheel drive car capable of these numbers should be incredibly difficult to drive, with a significant predisposition toward slamming into immovable objects, backward. In fact, before driving the car, Ray and I discussed whether or not the ZR1 was set to become the cheapest way to kill an inexperienced driver quickly, but that's simply not the case. It's so competent a car that it makes the 638 HP feel unremarkable. Two people went off-course the day I was at the track, but both did so because they got intimidated by the sheer speed at which they were traveling. Had they simply looked where they wanted to go, instead of off into the grass, the Corvette ZR1 would have made it around the corner — the same nasty off-camber, downhill one both times — much faster than they were actually traveling.

This is only my second track day since getting the cast off and I'm still not back to full health. And, I hate to admit it, but I'm a little more cautious than I used to be. The Lutz Ring is also an incredibly intimidating track. Jim Mero, the guy with the 'Ring record, described it as the best possible preparation for his attempt as it packs all the German track's challenges into a space not two miles long. That includes the lack of run-off — guardrails line the track's fastest corner and you need to get within a couple inches of them to be really fast. But two laps into my first session and I'm ringing the car out in second and third gear. No matter the speed or the amount of ill-advised braking, it turns in and holds a line without drama and accelerates out under full throttle without stepping wide. In fact, it rapidly becomes apparent that, without intentionally trying to do so, I'm incapable of making the ZR1 misbehave. Even topping out the suspension over the track's two jumps then slamming hard on the massive ceramic brakes just as the car regains traction fails to make it lose composure. Just like the two guys who went off, I'm unable to reprogram my brain enough to accept the ZR1's ludicrous speed. This is the first car I can say this about in a long, long time — the ZR1 is too fast for me.

That's not to say I can't enjoy it. This isn't a PlayStation game. The ZR1 is a rear-wheel drive car that needs significant driver input in order to make it around a track or down the road quickly. It's that involvement, not just ultimate speed, that is its reward. Even if it provides you with better tools to do so than anyone else, the Corvette ZR1 still challenges you to try and exploit its performance; it's the level of that challenge and the level of involvement required to meet it that makes the ZR1 truly special.

Photography: Alex Conley

Editor's Note of Thanks: Thank you Sun-Sentinel for not knowing what midnight means!

Of course it's another kind of ugly people are concerned about today. Heading southwest down a remote road on Vancouver Island in an American-plated WRX, I'm not exactly behaving like an ambassador for my country. These are some of the most challenging roads in North America, winding their way through the coastal mountains along ancient logging trails, the road bears the ravages of harsh winters; its two lanes rippled, rutted and patched beyond repair, concrete barricades serving as buffers when the going gets too rough.

Unlike the firmer, louder and more focused 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, the new 265 HP WRX eats all this up. As untroubled by the bumps as it is by the limited passing opportunities afforded by the few straights — after all, double yellows are just lines painted in the road — it leaves law abiding traffic in the wake of its new, louder exhaust.

A year ago this wouldn't have been the story we would have written. A competent but uninspiring drive, the 2008 model forsook performance for practicality in an attempt to broaden the brand's performance appeal. It didn't work, the WRX's traditional focus and involvement were mistakenly left out, resulting in a car that alienated its core audience while retaining enough awkwardness to miss the mass market, too. That car lives on in the form of the 2009 Subaru Impreza 2.5 GT, a car the company expects to make up only a small fraction of Impreza sales. Meanwhile, the WRX has been rethought from head to toe. Gaining better judged, firmer suspension all-round, thicker anti-roll bars, STI seats and most important of all, an STI-spec turbo. The WRX now hits 60 in 5.4 seconds before reaching 140mph (limited) and will retail for "under $25,000."

All of this works to create a faster, better handling, more controlled car that encourages the kind of three-figure, "sure, we can make it" passing that's proving so unpopular with the locals. Stopping for a quick opportunity to mark my territory behind a tree, the 10 cars that were just passed all at once get a chance to catch up and let me know just what they think of my bad behavior. I probably shouldn't have passed them all again within the next mile, but then America's honor was at stake; we do have a reputation to maintain.

But it wasn't just passing for passing's sake. My assholery had a purpose: to find corners unencumbered with traffic. Where the STI's suspension only really works on reasonable surfaces and requires a huge amount of belief in the ultimate ability of its vague chassis, the WRX revels in reassurance, never feeling like it'd be possible to run out of grip, even on the worst surfaces Canada could throw at it. You can thank Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive for this. Sure, it's nothing new, but unlike both the STI and 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo MR, here it's tuned for the road, not the track. In that environment, it means more speed, more involvement, more fun and an increased propensity to seek out corners with enough room to exploit it. While this on-road ability does lead to decreased on-the-limit track performance when compared to the other cars, it makes the WRX faster, more involving and more rewarding in the environment where it will be driven most. Or here in Canada, where we probably shouldn't drive again for a while.

So a friend and I left for that imaginary line cutting across the middle of the state that heads into the untamed wilderness known as "up north." The Tahoe Hybrid was ostensibly built to make such trips easier. Haul the family to the lake in comfort, all while getting 22 MPG. It made sense two years ago when the GMT900 hybrids were in the design phase, gas was $2.50 a gallon, and credit was cheap. But summer 2008 is shaping up to be one of cottage foreclosures and deferred vacations, a vastly different scenario into which these beasts have been thrust.

On the highway, the Tahoe's manners are impeccable, at least for a nearly three-ton vehicle. It's exactly what we've come to expect from a GMT900 truck: A massive, comfortable cruiser that loafs along at 1,800 RPM requiring only minimal input from the steering wheel and even less from one's brain. The highway manners of the nav system, on the other hand, were awful. The interface was a pain to use, options were difficult to find, and the system's idea of the "fastest" way to and from our destination was laughably wrong.

Encountering a few hundred of the lake faithful in a traffic jam near Saginaw, the hybrid's uniqueness began to show. Puttering bumper-to-bumper at about 20 MPH, the engine drops out with a slight shudder and the Tahoe hums along in pure electric mode, smoothly and silently. Until the brakes are applied, anyway: At that point, the regenerative braking leads to an unexpected off-throttle deceleration effect—kind of like engine braking in a manual transmission vehicle. It's not exactly refined, but one gets used to it and learns to anticipate the effect.

When traffic opens up again, a push on the throttle brings the 6-liter Vortec V8 back into action, with the transition between electric and gas marking itself with another slight shudder. A Prius owner might consider the whole thing obtrusive, but the driveline machinations are reasonably imperceptible. At least to the occupants of the Tahoe, that is — everyone else knows exactly what's going on thanks to no fewer than nine different hybrid badges, stickers, and emblems on our tester.

As we turned off the main highway onto the back roads near Mio, and then onto dirt tracks for the final 20 miles of our journey, the Tahoe continued to impress. The suspension soaked up rough terrain without complaint, the interior remained smooth and quiet, and when the going got slow, we slipped into golf-cart mode, gliding past startled deer while the onboard computer bragged about its nearly 22 MPG average.

Green credentials notwithstanding, the Tahoe Hybrid is truly a mammoth, a soon-to-be-extinct lumbering giant that looks at the same time contemporary and horribly passé. It has no place to go; the market window for a full-size SUV that gets 20 MPG closed somewhere around the $3.50-per-gallon point, leaving the Tahoe Hybrid and its GMC Yukon brother outdated before they ever hit the road.

"But it's a hybrid, so it must be environmentally sound, right?" No. A 50% improvement in mileage vs. the straight gasoline-powered Tahoe is a damn impressive feat, but 21 city/22 highway isn't good enough anymore. Conventional minivans do better than that (combined) and carry just as many people, yet even their sales are sinking because their size and mileage simply doesn't cut it these days.

The real nail in the coffin, though, is the $52,780 sticker price on the Tahoe Hybrid we tested. Yeah, it was outfitted with everything except 4WD, but that's the only way they come. "Base" price for a Tahoe Hybrid is still tickling $50,000. Why didn't Chevy offer a cloth-seat, no-nav basic Tahoe Hybrid for, say, $38k? They would have if volume sales were really what they were interested in.

But they weren't. The Chevy Tahoe Hybrid is a marketing gimmick, both for General Motors and the handful of McMansion dwellers who might actually take one home from a dealership. And, unfortunately for both of them, this particular electric car has already been killed by yet another ebb in the American tide of conspicuous consumption.

(All photos copyright Jalopnik/Andrew Stoy)

Also see:
2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid, Part Two