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The 2012 Ford Taurus, depending on how it's equipped, can play several different roles. At the base level, at about $26k, the Taurus is a big-car alternative to the likes of the V-6 Honda Accord or Chevrolet Malibu. On the other hand, it could be a luxury rival to the Buick LaCrosse or Toyota Avalon. And in top SHO guise, it's a strong, tech-loaded 365-horsepower luxury performance sedan that can sticker at $45k or even higher.
From one of the front seats, the 2012 Taurus feels almost like a personal-luxury car. There are focused, defined areas for the driver and front passenger, with a wrap-around instrument panel design and a low, wide center console that firmly splits the driver and passenger sides (and actually, taking up a lot of space). The back seat is wide, with potential space for three adults, though legroom and headroom can be surprisingly tight, given the Taurus' full-size exterior. Faux-wood and chrome trim combine with good fit and finish to give it an upscale look and feel that's generally in sync with its price tag. Special badging, glossy black dash trim, and more metallic highlights inside and out help give the SHO more interior panache, while a trunklid spoiler, twin chrome exhaust tips, and different grille hint at the brawn.
The 3.5-liter V-6 that's under the hood of most 2012 Taurus models moves this big sedan plenty quick. With 263 horsepower and 249 pound-feet of torque, plus a smooth six-speed automatic, it's rarely caught flat-footed, and the paddle shifters included in SEL and Limited versions even feel a little gimmicky in such a big, comfy sedan. On the other hand, the Taurus SHO is focused around performance, with all-wheel drive and a 365-horsepower, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 capable of running this big, heavy (nearly 4,400 pounds) sedan to 60 mph in about six seconds. But possibly because of that heft, the SHO is a little less transformational than you might think—in part because the SHO puts the power to the road with such stoicism and a lack of excitement or drama.
Those worried about a pillowy, overly bouncy ride have nothing to worry about here; the Taurus rides more firmly than you might expect--taut but not too harsh, and certainly in base versions no sport sedan. But it's confidence-inspiring, with direct, precise steering and more feedback than is typical from the electric power steering.
The Taurus is strong on safety. In addition to great crash-test scores (IIHS Top Safety Pick) and the standard roster of safety features, Ford offers a collision warning system and adaptive cruise control on the 2012 Taurus, as well as Blind Spot Information and Cross Traffic Alert systems. For 2012, a side-mirror-integrated blind-spot system is standard across the model line, which does help make up for the limited visibility. The Taurus SHO also offers an optional rearview camera.As an extensively redesigned model is due for 2013, there's very little new to the Taurus lineup for 2012, other than a new color, Ginger Ale Metallic. Even in base form, the Taurus comes somewhat better-equipped than mainstream mid-size sedans. Base cars get a power driver's seat, SEL models include automatic climate control. Meanwhile, top Limited trims are the way to go if you want a loaded car, as they include showier 19-inch wheels, ambient lighting, a six-CD changer, reverse parking sensors, leather seats, and power controls for the front passenger. Ford's Sync interface for smartphones and media players is included in Limited and SHO models. Push-button start, sueded seats, and high-intensity discharge headlamps are added in the SHO.
Prior to 2011, Nissan pledged allegiance to U.S. production of its Quest minivan. The first two generations, offered from 1993 until 2002, were manufactured alongside the Mercury Villager at Ford's Avon Lake, Ohio, assembly plant. After the Nissan-Mercury deal dissolved, Nissan moved production to its Canton, Mississippi, facility, which churned out third-gen Quests from 2004 to 2009. But while U.S. production helped Americanize the Quest, Nissan never saw big sales returns, mostly due to vans that were either too small or too weird. 
Update: Reality trumps optimism. The District Court in Vanersborg, Sweden, on Thursday rejected Saab Automobile AB’s proposal for voluntary reorganization, which would cover Saab Automobile Powertrain and Saab Automobile Tools. “Saab Automobile is disappointed with the ruling and will appeal the District Court’s decision,” owner Swedish Automobile N.V. said in a press release. 
U.S. dealers sold 65 Saab 9-4xes last month. That new crossover is on model year changeover, Colbeck says, and so GM’s Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, plant is making Cadillac SRXes only, right now. Colbeck could not estimate how long it will be before Saab’s Trollhatten assembly plant restarts.
“August salaries are expected to be paid within a short time frame following court approval,” Saab says in its press release. The tough part is that while this is going on, Saab must get its suppliers on board to deliver parts.
Colbeck says he’s confident Chinese authorities will approve Pang Da and Youngman Lotus as Saab investors. Though he can’t estimate how quickly that will happen, the Chinese regulatory process is making progress. This, despite the obscurity of Youngman Lotus in the Chinese auto industry, and despite Hummer’s failure in a similar deal in early 2010. One big difference is that Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines, which makes heavy equipment and not passenger vehicles, was trying to buy Hummer.
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Ford put America on wheels after he automated Ransom Eli Olds’ simple assembly line, though non-car people often think of him as the “inventor” of the automobile. The wired industry does have a lot in common with the auto industry, including the cliché about success having many fathers.
Jobs said his ouster from Apple rejuvenated him. When he returned, Apple had negligible market share compared with PCs, but like Sloan when he hired Harley Earl in 1927 to run GM’s Art & Colour department, Jobs made style, fashion and design the signature for the computer company. Jobs’ 1927 LaSalle was his first translucent iMac from 1998, available in several deep colors when you could have any PC in any color you wanted, so long as it was dull beige.
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Is a compact hatch too small for you, but a crossover too large? Have no fear, my spatially challenged friends. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class has been designed with your exact predicament in mind. It's being billed by Benz as a premium compact car that puts practicality first, and it's coming to the U.S. next year. When Mercedes says this car is all-new, it's not messing around - the B-Class features the largest amount of changed parts of any replacement model the German manufacturer has ever introduced. There are new four-cylinder gas and diesel engines, a revised seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, and stacks of new safety kit. More important than all that, though, is the B-Class' new front-drive platform - the same chassis that will underpin the new A-Class, a small SUV, a baby CLS four-door coupe, and a mystery fifth model. So it had better be good.It's on the inside where the B-Class really ups its game. The seats slide and fold in a variety of ways, allowing you to easily cram in your particular combination of passengers and cargo, while the dash layout and materials are superb. SLS-inspired vents, made from solid chunks of metal, dominate the view, followed closely by a permanent tablet-style screen that rises out of the dash. Shell out a couple of thousand dollars and Mercedes will even hook it up with a 3G Internet connection.Topping the completely new engine lineup is a 1.6-liter direct-injection turbocharged gasoline engine available with either 122 hp in the B180 or 156 hp in the B200. That might not sound like premium levels of power, but hold on to a gear, rev it toward redline, and there's plenty of shove for overtaking and maintaining your speed on the freeway - especially in the B200. All too often, though, the turbo was caught off-boost, at which point the engine bogged down and forced us reach for a lower gear or sit patiently, waiting for the turbo to spool up. It made the B-Class feel bigger, heavier, and more cumbersome than it is.There was no such problem with the diesel engines. Both are 1.8-liter units derived from the 2.1-liter diesel engine found in the C-Class and E-Class, but modified with a shorter stroke. Available with either 109 hp in the B180 CDI or 136 hp in the B200 CDI, the extra torque meant throttle response was more instant and the engine was happier to be left in a higher gear. There's huge fuel efficiency gains too, of up to 21 percent compared to the outgoing car, helped by the addition of stop-start to every model in the range.It's a curious mix, the Mercedes B-Class. When you consider the affluent families it's aimed at, the combination of an understated exterior, high-quality interior, and impressive functionality is well-judged. Drive it in isolation, though, and you can't help wishing it had a little more to offer dynamically. But considering the badge on the hood and the fact that it has no direct premium rivals, it's hard not to see flush families snapping up the B-Class.2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class European Spec Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 5-door, hatchback 1.6L/122-hp or 156-hp, four-cylinder turbo gasoline and 1.8L/109-hp or 136-hp, four-cylinder turbodiesel 6-speed manual or seven-speed twin-clutch auto 
Los Angeles does not have the smoothest road surfaces in the world. Sure, some cars have a ride so soft and plush you barely notice the gaping seams between the concrete slabs, or the cavernous potholes. The Odyssey is not one of these vehicles. Don't get me wrong; driving this minivan is not a jarring, back-breaking experience. However, the Honda Odyssey transfers more road feel and noise than I would prefer. The suspension is stiff enough to keep this minivan from wallowing over bumps and dips, but instead I feel and hear the road, and I wish it could be quieter. I love using the Hands-free Bluetooth connection with my cell phone to make calls, but with all that interior noise, I feel like I end up yelling to get the other person on the line to hear me. Conversations with passengers tend to be at a higher decibel level, too.
When Kia first started making cars it was known for three things: soft styling, soft suspension and small seats. We have already discussed how it has dramatically changed the styling of its all new Optima, but did they do anything about the seats and suspension? Short answer, yes, but let's look at what they have done. For far too long Kia seats, specifically the seat bottoms were far too small for our larger American frames. They always felt flat with nothing to support your thighs on the sides or from beneath. It was an extreme case of sitting on the seat, not in it. But, just like the styling, Kia has completely changed its seats.Now, with the good comes the bad, and there is some bad about the Optima's seats. Kia took one page from the Germans they should have skipped, the one that says all seats that give you support must be very firm (Audi, Porsche). Now, not all the German manufacturers make their seats firm, some have managed to craft supportive seats that are also comfortable (BMW). Kia could have taken the route of the latter, but unfortunately it didn't, hence we have larger, more supportive, but hard seats.