By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

The technologically advanced sporting nature of the new muscular M would not suit the needs of any number of people; their needs being for more sedate mid-sized luxury as found in the Lexus ES and GS, the current Cadillac STS, and the Lincoln MKS.

Comfort and refinement are demanded at the price-point of mid-sized luxury shoppers. This in no way implies that the revised M is not comfortable or superbly refined. It is. But it also possesses a sporty driving experience that would be wasted on the “comfort” crowd. In fact, the M’s stiffer ride compared to many other luxury nameplates might be a turn off.

 By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

In designing its all-new Grand Cherokee, Jeep had two distinct goals.

The first was to build an engaging family hauler to compete with the vast array of compact and mid-sized crossover products now available and thereby gain a bigger slice of the segment pie.

The second was to keep Jeep’s vaunted off-road “Trail Rated” capability intact, a trait not found in most crossovers, which are simply minivan and station wagon replacements for suburban families.

By Al Vinikour 
MotorwayAmerica.com

GM’s Cadillac Motor Division once had a tag line that read, “Cadillac…Standard of Excellence Throughout the World.” It might want to think up a new slogan, something like, “Cadillac…Supersonic Luxury.”

By Al Vinikour 
MotorwayAmerica.com

Many things will make a believer out of someone but the best way I know of is to experience something first-hand. Thus, when tasked with “field testing” the 2011 Nissan Leaf, dubbed the world’s first affordable, zero-emission car, I was skeptical because all one hears is “Green,” or "Environmental Friendly.”

 By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Minivan sales are going to rebound.

That’s not our prediction or a proclamation by automotive experts although sales of the people movers have been on the upswing. That’s the prediction of the Japanese Big Three (and Chrysler Group). They are voting with their pocketbooks, betting billions of dollars on the once-healthy segment returning to a semblance of its former glory.

 By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Land Rover in 2006 added a stylish high-performance model to take on competitors such as the BMW X5, Mercedes M-Class, Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg.

The goal with the Range Rover Sport, now entering its sixth model year, was to plug a hole in the British brand that has been known for decades as offering an unsurpassed combination of ultimate luxury and off-road toughness.