INDIANAPOLIS — Honda found out the hard way that just because it put a fancy suit and snooty logo on the working-class Civic didn’t make a luxury car.  We’re talking about the ILX, which shares architecture and assembly space with the venerable compact Honda.  Early ILXs were noisy, rode harsh, and weren’t up to their price.  In fact, many felt the Civic Si was a better all-around car for less coin.  For 2016, the ILX trades sass for substance.

HOUSTON — It’s no big secret that the Escalade from Cadillac and the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban SUV’s share the same roots.  That’s a common occurrence in the automotive world.  Historically, critics have asserted that there was not enough difference between the Cadillac and the Chevy products to justify the price spread.  Finally, with this latest generation of the Escalade, those concerns can be put to rest.  The new Escalade is now its own vehicle.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Audi Q3 2.0T Premium Plus Quattro Tiptronic is a mouthful of name for a compact crossover. On some versions, Audi actually manages to include much, but not all, of this information on the rear liftgate. Breaking down this nomenclature tells us that it’s Audi’s all-new entry-level crossover.

AUSTIN, Texas — Manufacturers apparently put credence in the old refrain that American drivers don't buy wagons because the segment is almost non-existent in the U.S. We think this "wagon is a dirty word" perception would be relegated to the dustbin of forgotten automotive lore if  car buyers could get behind the wheel of the all-new Volkswagen Golf SportWagen.

PHOENIX — Has Dearborn-based Ford Motor Company re-invented the crossover with the introduction of the new 2015 Edge? Perhaps not, but undeniably the Edge has gone through many changes with new technologies, additional driver assist/user friendly features, updated engine options and an enhanced level of styling and craftsmanship that raises the bar in the mid-sized segment.

DETROIT — This is a funny little car. Though a mechanical carry over, the refreshed styling has given the Yaris a cheeky look that is youthful and —from the front — a bit avant-garde. You either love it or hate it, and I found it stopped just short of going over the top. Being a Toyota, reliability isn’t a problem, though — by the same token — it’s also not very likely to have much of a personality or be terribly fun to drive.

HOUSTON — The BMW X5 is the luxury SUV with the soul of a performance sedan. That was true when it first rolled out at the turn of the century, and it remains true today. It just so happens that it maintains its all-weather, all-capable, cargo-hauling soul as well. Powered by a diesel-fueled 6 cylinder engine, it also manages a highly respectable 27 mpg, making the X5 a luxury leader in every sense.

MIAMI — Although it’s likely some people will be impressed as you pilot around a Benz SUV; in truth, you will be much more dazzled by the Mercedes-Benz M-Class from behind the wheel than those gawking at it from the curb will be. This is particularly true if it’s the highly contented ML400 like the one in which I recently cruised the streets of South Florida.

INDIANAPOLIS — With each generation, Mercedes claims the C-Class is more sophisticated, more upscale, and just more of everything.  That was true when the 1994 C-Class replaced the 190E and it’s true as the fourth-generation supplants the third.  You often hear these cars compared to the flagship S-Class.  Beyond hyperbole, those comparisons bear truth.

DANA POINT, Calif., — Many automakers have tried but not one has succeeded in changing the driving public’s perception of minivans. They are considered dowdy vehicles for people who are laden with kids and have no lives of their own. Minivans are thought to be the lone vehicle that people buy not because they want to but because they need to.