KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii — Almost everything about Lexus’ new flagship coupes screams “irresistible.” Inspired by the 2012 LF-LC concept car, the LC 500 and LC 500h hybrid have presence and savoir-faire that are nearly off the charts. At the recent media introduction of the all-new Lexus LC500 on the Big Island of Hawai’i, Lexus executives made it abundantly clear that their objective is for the words “boring” and Lexus never to be used in the same sentence.

PHOENIX — When shopping for a new car, the Mitsubishi brand is one that seldom bubbles to the top of consumers’ consideration set. That isn’t a surprise, since the Japanese automaker has little relevancy compared with stalwarts like Toyota, Honda, Nissan and others. Mitsubishi has had an on-again, off-again approach, with a complicated marketing history.

PHOENIX — When it comes to pioneering vehicles that get exceptional fuel economy, Toyota is the world’s leader, with more than 25 years of alternative fuel vehicles under its belt. Product offerings include the gas-electric hybrid, plug-in hybrid and even a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle in a few select markets.

INDIANAPOLIS — Every generation of entry-level compact Mercedes endured criticisms.  My grandmother loved her 1987 190E and drove it 170,000 miles, but that car received constant carping from journalists for its cramped interior, underpowered engine, and supposedly low-rent interior materials.  Having driven many 190E miles, the first two were correct, but the last is nonsense.  I’ve heard similar carping about today’s compact Mercedes, the CLA250.

PHOENIX — When it comes to shopping for compact sedans, most buyers immediately think about small-car stalwarts like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, with good reason. They have an excellent reputation for quality construction, reliability, and bang for the buck — and those manufacturers spend a lot of money on advertising.

GOLDSBORO, N.C. — Before I could shut the car off coming back from a routine errand the neighbor lady was tapping on the passenger window asking if I would take her 14-year-old son for a ride. "He''s been dying to ride in that car, he loves cars and this is one of his favorites," she implored. So off we went in the 2017 Audi R8, which also garnered a lot of attention from adults during our test week.

INDIANAPOLIS — I remember when Hyundai occupied a little erector set of a display in the basement of Cobo Hall during Detroit’s North American International Auto Show.  Clearly, the Korean automaker has traveled great distances in the past couple of decades; it’s now one of the most respected global players.  It’s also come a long way since it launched the Genesis sedan in 2008 with a sub-$35,000 sticker.  Now a separate brand, Genesis goes after an elite class of luxury buyers with the G90.

PHOENIX — The Q50 is a compact entry-level luxury sedan and Infiniti’s best-selling vehicle. Introduced for the 2013 model year, it replaced the popular Infiniti G37 sedan. We weren’t fond of the new Q50 when it was introduced, and felt Infiniti took a step backward from both the G37 it replaced and competitors in the segment like Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Jaguar XE and Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedans.

PHOENIX — Ford has made some key changes to the Fusion for its 2017 mid-cycle refresh, upping its game in the mid-sized hybrid sedan segment. While Ford decided not to make major changes to the overall looks of the Fusion, there is an all-new front end including new LED headlamps with LED accent strips. The grille is essentially the same shape, albeit smaller, with new options and fog lamps on the lower valance. The look is definitely sleeker and more aggressive.