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Ford Shelby GT500


Some cars are forgettable -- those metal boxes on wheels that simply get you from A to B. Then there are cars that you'll never forget -- the special ones that take your breath away. With its aggressive styling and an engine that can impress even the most jaded automotive enthusiast, you'll never forget the 2012 Ford Shelby.
The Ford Mustang has already been our top pick among the muscled-up pony cars, and the GT500 simply cranks up the power to supercar levels. With 550 horsepower underfoot, this mega Mustang spanks Dodge Challengers and Chevrolet Camaros in the quarter-mile. The Shelby furthers its lead when the road begins to twist, thanks to a well-tuned suspension and sticky supercar tires.
With a price tag approaching $50,000, though, supremacy doesn't come cheap. That's more than double what the plenty capable 305-hp Mustang V6 costs and almost $20,000 more than the already raucous Mustang GT. That's a lot of scratch for a Mustang, especially one stuck with an interior not much different from a well-equipped Mustang GT. Unimpressive interior materials and a tilt-only steering wheel are even more glaring oversights at this price.
But on the whole, these are minor blemishes next to everything that's great about the 2012 Ford Shelby GT500. It's a quicker thrill than the Camaro and the Challenger, and its backseat makes it more practical than a Corvette. No doubt it will be a fond deathbed memory for those lucky enough to own one.

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class


 Few cars offer the variety of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. There are four different body styles, four different engines, two sub trim levels and a multitude of options. Throw in the similar CLS sedan with its coupe-style roof and the family grows even further. Yet throughout this family, there isn't a bad apple in the bunch. Quite the opposite, really, as each E-Class iteration managed to earn the title Edmunds Recommended in our annual buyer's guide. Be it sedan, coupe, convertible or wagon, the E-Class is one of the finest cars on the road.
For 2012, they all get even better. With the exception of the carryover E350 Bluetec and its V6 turbodiesel, every E-Class has received a new engine that's more powerful and more economical. The gasoline-powered E350 now features a direct-injection 3.5-liter V6 that bumps output up to 302 horsepower from its previous 268. The E550's V8 gets a more radical change, switching to a turbocharged, smaller-displacement mill that cranks out 402 hp and 443 pound-feet of torque. This V8 has also been  paired with standard all-wheel drive this year in the sedan package, but if tire-blazing action is your thing, the E550 coupe and convertible still send their power rearward.
And let's not forget the maximum-performance E63 AMG. This year it gets a new engine: a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 good for 518 hp (the same as last year) and 516 lb-ft of torque (a lot more than last year). The E63 AMG Wagon also re-emerges for 2012, satisfying the small but wonderfully nutty subset of drivers who demand sports car performance and grocery-getting utility in one high-class package.
Overall, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class remains a top choice against a plethora of competitors, including those from Audi (A5, A6, S5), BMW (3 Series coupe and convertible, 5 Series, M5), Infiniti (M37 and M56), Jaguar (XF) and Porsche (Panamera). It's hard to argue against any of these, but the E-Class provides the unmistakable Mercedes virtues of meticulous engineering and a driving character that strikes a wonderful balance between responsive performance and handling. If your only choice is figuring out which of the many E-Class variants to get, we wouldn't blame you.

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Toyota Land Cruiser SUV

Land Cruiser has evolved over time from a basic four-wheel-drive utility vehicle in its early years to an upscale eight-passenger sport utility vehicle (SUV) sold in 188 countries. Yet, this iconic vehicle has retained a loyal following as it remains true to its off-road heritage with uncompromising go-anywhere capability.


For the 2013 model year, Land Cruiser receives exterior and interior styling enhancements. Additionally, Land Cruiser will now come with all features as standard equipment, including new driving performance features, and an array of significant safety and convenience features. Among the many popular features that were formerly available as options, but are now standard, are rear-seat DVD entertainment system, color-keyed rear spoiler, rain-sensing windshield wipers, center-console cooler box, headlamp cleaners, leather-trimmed steering wheel, multi-information display, voice and Bluetooth® hands-free controls, leather-trimmed shift lever and heated second row seats. Toyota’s Premium Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Navigation with Entune multi-media system and JBL® audio is also standard.


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Ford Fiesta 1.6L Sport Ti-VCT


This Fiesta is powered by a 1.6l Duratec Ti-VCTwhich has a four (4) cylinder DOHC 16V engine which pumps out 122 (90 KW) ps at6300 rpm while max torque is 148nm at 4300 rpm. Mate this to the 6-SpeedPowershift® Automatic Transmission with dual-clutch technology and you get fuelefficiency and loads of torque when you want a more spirited drive! Who saysyou can’t have your cake and eat it?

The sealed transmission requires no maintenanceaccording to Ford so you don’t need to go change your gear oil every 20,000kmor face the consequences if you forget.

For you women drivers, there’s even the HLA orHill Launch Assist system which holds the car steady in D for a couple ofseconds when you’re on a slope. No more panicking when having to stop on JalanMaarof during a traffic jam.

Ti-VCT (Twin Independent Variable CamshaftTiming), gives up to 4.5% fuel efficiency, 7% peak power and 5% low speedtorque. Working like a ratchet, the one-way valves allow precise timing ofcamshaft events, continually optimizing timing to provide maximum output orfuel economy, based on driver input.


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Chevy Sonic Sedan


The Sonic's 1.4-liter turbocharged4-cylinder notches a horsepower rating of 138 with a substantial 148 lb-ft ofpeak torque between 1850 rpm and 4900 rpm. Engine power is on par with theclass-leading Hyundai Accent's 138 hp 4-cylinder and exceeds the Honda Fit's117 hp as well as the Ford Fiesta's 120 hp. It's the impressive level ofturbocharged torque, however, that means the Sonic, unlike many rivals, neverfeels overworked.

The Sonic's turbocharged 4-cylinderas well as its 1.8-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder also power the ChevroletCruze sedan. The turbocharged Sonic engine mates to a 6-speed manualtransmission. An automatic isn't offered with the turbocharged engine, but the1.8-liter engine is available with either a 6-speed automatic or a 5-speedmanual.

While we appreciate the 1.4T combowith the stick shift, it would be nice if a six-speed automatic was available.Without it, unless you drive stick you don't get anywhere near the claimed 40mpg numbers. Instead, the 1.8L engine gets 25 mpg city and 36 mpg highway forthe 5-speed manual and 25/35 for the 6-speed automatic.

While the turbocharged enginedoesn't toss occupants deep into the seatbacks, it does translate intoadmirable fuel economy. During a 40-mile trek with speeds in the 65 mph range,our test car's mpg readout (located within a rectangular pod-shaped display)hovered around 39 mpg. In continual stop and go city driving, the mpg variedbetween 27 and 34.7.


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Mercedes-Benz E63


This is an E-Class, after all, andit comes with the requisite luxury touches -- high-quality materials,soft-touch plastics, and most importantly, extensive sound deadening -- thatcompletely skew the perception of speed by eliminating pesky things like windand road noise. "Go Directly to Jail" velocities come surprisinglyeasily and with no warning, especially with your foot planted firmly on theaccelerator. Imagine, if you will, a gas pedal attached to a string, and on theother end of that string are a bull's nether regions. Be gentle and there willbe no trouble; be aggressive and there goes the china shop -- and your license.Usually, staring at the speedometer is a bad idea. In the E63, it's almost anecessity.


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Volkswagen CC


As Volkswagen takes dramatic steps to make itslineup more attractive to Americans, it is making its lineup simply lessattractive. The new Jetta andPassatare both bigger and cheaper than the cars they replace, but they're alsorather boring looking. Boring is a word nobody would use to describe the VolkswagenCC, until maybe now. VW will be showing off an updated CC at the L.A. auto showlater this month, and the good news is that the sultry sedan gets a bit more standardcontent. The bad news is it now wears VW's new corporate grille.

We Saw This Coming
The old CC's plunging, double-height grille isgone, replaced by a piece that looks as if it were plucked right off of the2012 Passat. Likewise, the head- and taillights have been reshaped from thesculpted fare on last year's model into larger, simpler units. That this wouldhappen was obvious when we spied a camouflaged CC out testing this past summer.It's not ugly, and the net effect is not as bad as we'd feared, but the new,simpler shapes up front rob the car of some of its glamour. If the lights aretoned down, at least their illumination power has been cranked up: adaptivebi-xenon headlights and LED taillights are now standard.

Fortunately, little else changes for the CC. Its 200-hp,turbocharged 2.0-liter four and available 280-hp, 3.6-liter narrow-angle V-6engines will carry over. Unlike the Passat, which moved to a larger platform inits 2012 redesign, the CC remains on the old architecture. Volkswagen isn'ttalking pricing yet, holding that information until closer to the March 2012on-sale date, but don't expect any major changes. The current CC starts justbelow $30,000 when equipped with the 2.0-liter turbo and a manual transmission,and reaches all the way up to $41,210 for an Executive model equipped with4Motion all-wheel drive and the V-6. Even with a little less glam, it'll be anenticing package, but c'mon, VW. You didn't have to do this.


http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2013-volkswagen-cc-auto-shows
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Kia Forte

 
The 2012 Kia Forte ranks 9 out of 41 AffordableSmall Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 31 published reviews andtest drives of the Kia Forte, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

Other than an engine that doesn’t pack a punch,reviewers say there is little they don’t like about the 2012 Kia Forte. 

More than anything else, reviewers appreciate the2012 Forte’s versatility and practicality that will appeal to a range ofshoppers. The Kia Forte is available in three body styles (sedan, coupe andhatchback), has an interior that’s comfortable for four (five is a squeeze) andhas good fuel economy. Add to that a standard features list that includesBluetooth, satellite radio and a USB port for an iPod, and reviewers say the2012 Kia Forte is one of the best options on the market for shoppers who want aquality car that won’t break the bank.

But the 2012 Forte won’t impress budding race cardrivers because even the sport-tuned SX trim is a bore. Reviewers suggestshoppers check out the Mazda3 and Ford Focus, which are significantly more funto drive, but say shoppers who want a small car with a low price and a lot ofstandard features should stick with the Forte.

The 2012 Kia Fortecomes in three body styles: sedan, coupe and hatchback. The sedan is availablein LX, EX and SX trims, while the hatchback and coupe are only available in thehighest two trims. For 2012, the hatchback is not available with a manual transmissionand the EX gains a tilt and telescopic steering wheel


http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Kia_Forte/
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