THE DRIVER: The Pontiac Vibe’s twin (they’re both built in a long-term, successful joint venture by GM and Toyota in California), the Matrix was a pleasant surprise. The practical and funky wrapper means it’ll do as a cool young un’s ride, and the supple ride qualities and refined demeanor make it suitable for grownups as well. The 2.4-liter 158hp mill is strong and well-muted, but it must work hard to overcome the AWD system’s added mass, and the 4-speed auto’s rangy ratios. Grip and handling are more than adaquite for the target demo, but the fuel-saving electronic power steering removes any remaining playfulness from proceedings. The interior’s quality of material and fit/finish was a nice surprise in light of some recent Toyota missteps, and for those needing a frugal and sweet running little wagon/crossover, it’s hard not to be won over. THE BROKER: Like almost all Toyota’s, the Matrix boasts terrific resale value, and a robust track record in toughness. Add a modest price of entry and AWD to the mix and this looks to be one of the winners in the cost-per-mile stakes. THE (ROCKY MOUNTAIN) MAN: While a bit flaccid here, the Matrix ...

THE DRIVER: On the ever of Tata’s takeover of the storied—and troubled—British marque by a formal colonial underling (and owner of Tetley Tea, natch), it is fun to examine what went right, and what faired miserably, under Ford’s control. Let’s start with this: this large cat is still almost the top dog in driving deportment amongst import luxury vehicles. A spectacularly well-resolved ride compliments lithe and athletic handling. And the aging AJ-series supercharged V8 still has the moxie to move this bonded-aluminum with verve. The 6-speed tranny is terrific as well, though the ancient ‘J-gate’ shifter is not as useful as Jaguar’s newer setup. All this took place under Ford’s reign, and was part of the renaissance in driving joy courtesy of recently retired VP Richard Perry Jones. The cockpit is as refined and well wrought as ever, with inch-deep Wilton carpets, acres of buttery, piped Connolly leather, and a forest’s worth of hand-rubbed timber. Yet the ‘olde worlde’ interior architecture is at odds with the thoroughly modern mechanicals, and the almost aftermarket nature of some of the systems (with rear entertainment, you loose the center console storage, for example) one can’t help but lament ...

THE DRIVER: Gotta admit it: I like everything about this crossover except perhaps its name. It drives great—as do most new Fords—with a well-resolved ride/handling trade-off, and plenty of poop now too, thanks to the adoption of the 263hp 3.5-liter V6 and six-speed automatic. It’s suitably emphatic in acceleration, even loaded with kit and cobber. The downside is mediocre fuel economy; one has to be very disciplined to get the Taurus X anywhere out of the teens, and while this is true of most all-wheel drive vehicles (with the greater frictional losses their drivelines suffer), it’s nonetheless worthy of pause in today’s economic climate. As may be; the Taurus X offers up incredibly safe—based on crash testing—seven seat practicality and all-weather ability in a clean and contemporary package, though its perhaps not overtly butch enough looking for those afraid to be seen driving a wagon. Which is a shame, as its dynamics are superior to the more aggressive—and less practical—Ford Edge. Steering is well-weighted and linear, and while it’s not intended to be in any way sporting, it has a refined sensibility to its driving that is moves that is quite pleasurable. Ford has made ...

THE DRIVER: The Toyota/GM joint venture that produces the Vibe and Matrix is well served here. The Vibe is very comfortable, with an incredibly refined ride and low levels of noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH). It is no sportswagen, though. The four-speed automatic’s wide ratios, combined with the weight of the all-wheel drive hardware, blunt the performance served up by the smooth 2.4-liter engine (158hp & 162lbs/ft torque). And the electric power steering is videogame-like in its artificial feel. But if one adopts a more laid back driving persona, it is thoroughly engaging. And of course, very practical, with a deep load area and lots of thoughtful features—though it does need more power outlets in front for all the gizmos the target demo usually possesses. It’s nicely assembled and stylish inside as well. THE BROKER: The GM siblings in this joint venture usually suffer come resale time, compared to the mechanically identical Toyotas. Figure the Vibe will be worth roughly $1000-1500 less a year old than the Matrix. But if the rebates or special finance are there, or as a six-month old ‘program car’ (i.e. ex-rental rocket), it still makes ...

THE DRIVER: An oft-overlooked alternative to the ubiquitous Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, Mitsu’s entry in the compact SUV/crossover stakes deserves better sales. It is arguably the best looking, and has a commodious, well-equipped interior. In V6 form it is responsive, its torquey engine making for a sprightly all-weather mountain vehicle. But here in a four-banger version, things don’t work out so nicely. The 2.4-liter mill may be high tech in design, but it unrefined and thrashy to drive behind. This is exacerbated to a very large degree by the continuously variable transmission (CVT). While Nissan seems to have sussed out how to make this super-efficient design acceptable to people, Mitsubishi and Chrysler (which use it in the Jeep Compass and Dodge Caliber amongst others) aren’t so successful. It is slow off the mark, and makes a horrendous din as it brings the engine to its peak power range. The paddle shifters behind the wheel help, but not enough to overcome the aggravation inherent in this ill-conceived coupling. Ostensibly, the reason to use such a powertrain combo is frugality, but the test vehicle barely squeaked into the 20mpg range (perhaps because the ...

THE DRIVER: What fun! I thought. A compact BMW with all the inherent goodness of its larger siblings. I was at least partially right… Yes, the 128i steers sweetly (thanks to RWD), and has the artful balance the fabled manufacturer is renowned for. Aside from that, I admit to being quite underwhelmed. Perhaps it was the price; at thirty-eight large, there are some awful attractive options. Maybe it was the hobby-horse ride, courtesy of the short wheelbase, and in spite a tire and wheel combo that looked anemic inside the bubbly styling. Quality was fine, and the control logic was clean and intuitive in an old-school BMW manner. Yet the backseat was nigh on useless, even with my ‘vertically economical’ frame in front, and the test vehicle’s automatic did nothing but detract from the smooth strait six engine in front. And though aesthetics are a very personal matter, shouldn’t a sports coupe be sexy? Perhaps a 135i model, with its turboed torque and sports tranny would have converted me, but as is, I can’t help but conclude the 1-series is too close in price to the svelte and usefully larger 3 to make much ...

THE DRIVER: My, what a few ponies can do! The 500 was a decent effort, but the new 3.5-liter’s 250hp and extra torque are a major improvement. The loss of the CVT will be missed by no one: the new six-speed auto is a much better mate. Combined with a quiet and absorbent ride, decent handling, and upgraded interior (better materials and more audacious color choices)—that shame the Accord and Camry—and the Taurus starts to make a lot of sense. THE BROKER: Just as long as you lease or buy used, that is! Second-hand Taurus prices (like almost all American vehicles) suffer drastically due to the Detroit 3’s reliance on rental and fleet sales. And the previous Taurus’ penchant for grenading its transmission doesn’t help. THE (ROCKY) MOUNTAIN MAN: Here’s a terrific car for the person who wants out of an SUV but wants monster interior space (mafia-rated trunk, too), and the security of all-wheel drive, without even hitting $30k on a loaded example. If you need a hatch, the Taurus X is the one.

THE DRIVER: while cosmetically the 2nd gen TT is only an evolution, it belongs in another genus entirely as far as driving dynamics are concerned. A mostly bespoke aluminum structure is super rigid (no scuttle shake at all, even on the 8k0miles test car), and allows for a much better platform off of which to tune excellent body control and a decent ride (even without the magnetic damper option). Steering is light but very accurate, and the thing seems to have no body roll whatsoever. DSG is terrific as always (though it should hold gears in the manual mode), and the interior is simply scrumptious. V6 is tuneful—if too quiet—and very torquey, even off the line. THE BROKER: TTs have tended to hold their value well, and though early ones suffered teething issues, Audi’s quality strides (a 40% reduction in warranty claims from 2000) offer hope that the perceived quality is more than skin deep. THE (ROCKY) MOUNTAIN MAN: Audi’s recent (and valid, from a national sales perspective) decision to only pair Quattro with the normally aspirated six is sad. Loosing 40-50hp means a 2.0T front-driver is faster at altitude. Bring on the TT-S ...