The Basics: Because of its reputation with the tuner crowd and, probably, its appearance in various racing games, the 2012 Lancer Evolution is likely by far the most easily recognized Mitsubishi in the U.S. The Lancer Evo, and the nearly look-alike (at least to the laymen) Lancer Ralliart, are performance legends to a certain set. While these two...


The Basics: The 2012 Smart Fortwo two-seater is still rare enough on American roads to be a novelty--and a toylike one at that. Don't let that put you off too much; it's a real car—competent in the city, and actually fun to drive in urban traffic. But it's definitely a car with a lot of tradeoffs, and after understanding them, many shoppers...
The Basics: It may share some of its hardware with the Toyota Yaris, but the 2012 Scion xD has a completely different reason for existing. The Yaris (which is new for 2012) is aimed mostly at those who need an inexpensive commuter appliance, while the xD aims at younger buyers on a tight budget, but in love with the idea of high style, and a high...
The Basics: The 2012 Toyota Highlander is one of the best-selling vehicles with a third-row seat, and it's easy to see why. For a base price of well under $30,000, the very substantial Highlander offers lots of usable space, a comfortable ride, and most of the features busy parents want. And for some extra loot, the Hybrid model brings fuel...
The Basics: Scion is shifting rather indiscreetly away from economy cars with its upcoming rear-drive FR-S sports coupe. But it's still focused on small cars done inexpensively, and one of its mainstays, the tC coupe, holds its entry price to under $20,000 while it tries to woo some of the performance-seekers who might be left behind by the FR-S'...
The Basics: As the flagship model in Volvo's model line, the 2012 S80 showcases the Swedish-born brand's priorities of safety and technology, along with a very different notion of interior design, and wraps it all into a very comfortable luxury-sedan package. It's been several years since the S80 has been redesigned, but even when it last was, for...





