By Al Vinikour 
MotorwayAmerica.com

Many vehicles have famous names — like Mustang and Corvette. However, only one is known by single letter — Nissan’s legendary “Z” sports car. From day one it has conveyed a macho image but unlike most other vehicles in the segment, the Z is affordable.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

In the 1980s Nissan proclaimed its upscale Maxima a “premium four-door sports car.” It came with a healthy-for-the-time V-6 engine and a manual shifter for those of the sporting set. The Maxima is still the company’s flagship, but it now offers more luxury than sportiness.

Nissan still builds what many consider a family sports sedan — perhaps the sportiest of all the popular mid-sized brands — but it no longer wears the Maxima emblem. Altima has inherited the sports sedan tagline.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

If you’ve crossed Mitsubishi off your shopping list when looking for a compact sedan or hatchback, you may be making a mistake.

We understand how easy it has become to overlook this Japanese automaker that has fallen on hard times in the United States. With every passing month it seems that Mitsubishi's market share shrinks. You say, thanks but no thanks, you will stick with successful entities such as Toyota, Honda and Nissan.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

When we get a hybrid or other high-mileage vehicle to test drive we have a different goal than perhaps most automotive reviewers. We try to get the worst mileage possible driving with all our bad habits on display.

Sounds crazy huh? But we already know the EPA mileage numbers — which are fairly accurate since the government revised its criteria in 2008 — and we’ve usually already read that some journalist has achieved super out-of-this-world numbers trying to outdo every other writer.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Mercedes-Benz has brought its class act to the compact luxury crossover segment. The German automaker is late to the party, but its entry — the 2010 GLK350 — is enticing from styling to build quality to abundant features, and that’s good.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Mazda hit all the right notes with its first-generation Mazda3 compact sedan and hatchback, introduced for the 2004 model year. The Japanese automaker created a refined, stylish, well made, fun-to-drive compact that for six years has rivaled everything in its class.

Usually during a car’s five-or-six year life cycle, sales peak in the second or third year and start falling off; but people have discovered that Mazda uncharacteristically sold as well in its sixth year of existence as its first.

By Al Vinikour
MotorwayAmerica.com 

Last week I drove to Chicago to attend the Midwest Automotive Media Association’s Fall Rally and I was able to put a lot of miles on the 2010 Lincoln MKT. I can’t think of driving a better-riding, luxury-laden and quiet vehicle for over five hours and putting on almost 350 miles than this all-new addition to the Lincoln stable.

By Al Vinikour 
MotorwayAmerica.com

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

We found the revitalized 2010 Lincoln MKZ a very livable, competent entry-level luxury sedan that answers all the relevant questions.

By Al Vinikour
MotorwayAmerica.com  

For as long as I can remember I’ve heard the philosophy: you pay for what you get! Like everything else in my life I put this on the back burner, figuring I’ll make up my own pearls. However, I’ve been test-driving a Lexus GS 450h, the hybrid model of the Lexus GS mid-sized luxury sedan. Previously I’d not been a big fan of hybrids. I am now, because “You pay for what you get.”