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Audi A7 — Great looks with dynamics to match

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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman
 
If we were forced to pick the best brand car-for-car — bottom to top — it would have to be Audi. The German company continually amazes with its quality vehicles from one end of its lineup to the other. Driving the stylish all-new 2012 Audi A7 fastback sedan only reinforced our opinion of the brand.
 
Audi has entered the relatively new segment of luxury hatchback sedans that has few members, namely the Porsche Panamera and the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo. The Mercedes CLS550 has the same swept-back styling, but has a traditional trunk.

Honda Civic — Still offers a bang for the buck

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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

The Honda Civic has been one of our favorite compact cars standing head and shoulders above the competition in several areas including styling, build quality, driving dynamics and resale value. For years the Civic was in a league of its own.
 
Now Honda has released an all-new ninth-generation Civic and it remains an appealing brand. After initial drives of all models with the exception of the natural gas edition, and after spending time on home turf with a top-line sedan, we continue to believe the Civic a “can’t go wrong” purchase.

Ford Focus — A world car at home in North America

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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Ford knocked it out of the park 12 years ago with the first Focus compact car, a car that was clearly an equal to the best that the industry had to offer at the time. But Ford allowed its advantage to slip away over the years failing to make the necessary investment to keep up with the competition.
 
Now we have a new Focus, a “world car” sold in virtually every market including North America, Europe and Asia that puts Ford back at the top tier of the compact segment. The 2012 Focus is stylish, well made, endowed with up-to-date technology, engaging to drive, and fuel efficient. 

Mazda5 — The essence of a 'mini' van

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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

The Mazda5 is currently the only vehicle in the U.S. that truly lives up to the name “minivan.” The standard minivans of today are big vehicles, nothing mini about them, designed to haul large numbers of passengers and large amounts of cargo.
 
The thing is not everyone looking for some extra space needs the size, large price tag and diminished gas mileage that the standard-sized minivans offer. But they desire the space and utility of a minivan design. The Mazda5 has all the traits of a typical minivan including sliding rear doors, a third-row seat, rear seats that fold flat creating a large cargo area, and the driving dynamics of a car.

Ford Mustang GT Convertible — Get saddled up!

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By Al Vinikour
MotorwayAmerica.com

Is there no end to where Ford Motor Company will go that allows so many to find the Fountain of Youth that eluded Ponce de Leon? The latest example is the 2012 Mustang Convertible.

Those of us of a “certain age” vividly recall the original debut of the 1964 Mustang at the New York World’s Fair. It begat generations of personalized sporty-type cars and Ford hasn’t let off any in developing new head-turners.

Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport Coupe — Getting into the game

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By Al Vinikour
MotorwayAmerica

There’s a great line in the movie Patton where George C. Scott and his battle staff are being attacked by some enemy aircraft while they’re sitting in a meeting with their British counterparts. After a few minutes of this Patton said, “That’s about enough!” and proceeds to walk outside, take out his pistol and shoot at the aircraft as they made their next run.
 
This scenario must have occurred to Mercedes-Benz management as they have sat back for years watching sales for smaller luxury coupes going to BMW. Truth was, Mercedes didn’t have one. They do now and while late getting into the game they sure are making up for lost time.

Fiat 500 — It's amour

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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

 We could see purchasing a 2012 Fiat 500 just to be different, perhaps even envied in some circles. It has that cool factor that comes — rarely — with some new and much-anticipated or much ballyhooed vehicles such as the first New Beetle when it hit the streets more than a decade ago.
 
But more than that — and there has to be more than that to maintain a long-term relationship, at least long enough to pay off the loan — the Fiat 500 proved to be just downright fun to drive.

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport — Really cool when dressed-up

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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Mitsubishi has created some interesting television ads that depict its Outlander Sport tackling the dangerous Yungas “Death Road” in the mountains of Bolivia and setting “world records” on a frozen Canadian lake.
 
Mitsubishi’s ad agency has come up with these attention-getting TV spots, but a reality check is in order — the Outlander Sport is no Jeep Wrangler when it comes to conquering gravel roads with 1,000-foot drop-offs and it is probably no more adept at driving backwards on snow or doing figure eights on ice than most of its competitors.

Ford Transit Connect — A new way to work

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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

 When it hit the U.S. market two years ago as a 2010 model, the Ford Transit Connect had an instant audience. It was sure to be an overnight success. And for the most part it has filled the needs of thousands of people.
 
The rather strange looking van with its sliding minivan doors and high-roof cargo bay is a compact work truck that offers small business owners — or bigger businesses that don’t need large vans — a fuel-efficient, spacious alternative to the gas-guzzling standard-sized van that in many cases is more than the flower shop, pet store or appliance repair business needs.

Dodge Durango — Very well done

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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman 

The full-sized Dodge Durango sport utility departed the scene a couple of years ago, a member of the body-on-frame SUV segment that was immensely popular in the ’90s and the early years of the 21st Century.
 
Those traditional SUVs live on with such names as Tahoe, Suburban and Expedition.
But they have been steadily replaced — and in many cases downsized — by unibody-platform vehicles that carry less weight, offer improved fuel economy, and display vastly improved handling traits.
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