By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Ford it seems has developed the near-perfect vehicle for the small family — or for anyone who values fuel economy, decent cargo space, and a surprisingly sporty demeanor. It has the high-riding traits of a compact SUV, the practicality of a hatchback and the fuel economy of a Toyota Prius. Ford calls it the C-Max, which comes only in hybrid configuration in the U.S. with an EPA rated 47 miles per gallon in both city and highway driving.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Competition is fierce in the entry-level luxury sports sedan segment, but we found again as we have in the recent past that the Audi A4 is very capable of holding its own against such stalwarts as the BMW 3-Series, Infiniti G and Cadillac ATS.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Lexus introduced the first entry-level ES luxury sedan in 1989 and now six generations and hundreds and thousands of sales later it has rolled out a larger, more passenger friendly sedan and for the first time with both a gasoline and a hybrid variant.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

People shopping for a performance-infused sports coupe, but who aren't awed by the current crop of retro "pony cars" need look no further than the 2013 Honda Accord Coupe with the V-6 engine. The completely restyled coupe in six-cylinder guise delivers sparkling performance and handling on a par with the six-cylinder offerings from Mustang, Camaro and Challenger, but in a more sophisticated package.

By Al Vinikour
MotorwayAmerica.com

Years, or even centuries ago some military leader said, “Never go into battle without superior weaponry.” (I think it may have been the famous General Nuisance.) I thought of this recently as I was driving in one of this year’s seemingly endless array of snowstorms in southern Michigan.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Cadillac has done a remarkable job designing a new flagship sedan endowing it with a stylish exterior, a comfortable modern Cadillac-like ride, just enough performance to be satisfying, an elegant interior with first-class materials, and a gee-whiz suite of technology.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Infuse the cool retro look of the Dodge Challenger with a massive 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 and you have the benchmark for a modern-day muscle car. The 2013 Challenger SRT8 is a thrill to drive, an attention-getting conversation piece, and a surprisingly comfortable commuter car.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Honda wasted no time in refreshing its best-selling Civic compact sedan and coupe, significantly upgrading the car for the 2013 model year just 18 months after it introduced a complete redesign for 2012.