By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

It sounded like an idea whose time probably shouldn't have come — an entry-level Mercedes-Benz with a starting price under $30,000 with front-wheel drive and a transverse 4-cylinder engine. But here it is nonetheless, and we found that the 2014 CLA250 is the real deal.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Compact crossovers are the family station wagons of the 21st Century and Jeep has a new contemporary entry in the burgeoning segment to do battle with such heavyweights as Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Hyundai Santa Fe. Aside from the traditional seven-slot grille the 2014 Cherokee is a totally new take on the old bare bones Cherokee that exited the scene in 2002.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Porsche may have upstaged its iconic 911 with its second-generation Cayman. We discovered the 2014 Cayman, which falls under the flagship 911 in the German's sports car hierarchy, to be a wonderful companion in any situation whether cruising the Interstate from point A to point B or tackling a serious stretch of winding rural-road blacktop.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

The car formerly known as the 3-Series coupe has been reinvented and becomes the first in a new BMW lineup with a 4-Series designation, a reclassification designed to elevate the coupe into something just a bit sportier, slightly larger and with more feature content than the 3-Series. It also comes with a price starting about $2,000 higher.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

For years the compact Toyota Corolla has been widely acclaimed for its reliability, fuel economy and resale value and it has been the sedan of choice for more than 10 million buyers in the U.S. for nearly five decades since introduced in 1968.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

No vehicle even with today's advanced technologies and 21st Century engineering capability has reached what we consider the pinnacle of perfection in its respective segment, but some come remarkably close. One example: The compact 2014 Mazda3.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

The dancing hamsters have got to be loving life these days. The first Kia Soul "driven" by these amusing rodents has been transformed into a second-generation Soul that includes an upgraded interior, more cargo space, loads of desirable options, a panoramic sunroof that boldly brings the great out-of-doors in, and improved performance from a beefed up platform and a revised 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine.