They were pretty good looking cars, but neither the Saturn or the Pontiac were that well-executed. The engines were powerful, but not very refined. The top was fussy, build quality was...inconsistent. Choosing between this and the Mazda was easy unless you only cared about horsepower.

I just hope they don't become a DSG (S tronic, whatever) only lineup in the US while continuing to offer manuals in other markets.

I think the retractable screens are still better than the fixed-but-not-integrated-properly ones, like in the CLA. It looks like the driver attached a 3 year old Garmin to a mounting clip they glued to the dash.

Sorry, dude. No manual:

Also the decade groups would be much easier to identify on the x-y plots if the colors were in gradient/decade order, i.e. red for the 50s, orange for the 60s, yellow for the 70s and so on.

If you can buy a car that looks just as good as the MKZ, is similarly equipped to the MKZ, and drives exactly the same, if not a little better than the MKZ for $10,000 less, why would you buy the MKZ? There just isn't enough differentiation to justify it. Just because the Fusion is a great car doesn't mean it can move…

This is an awesome QOTD. The answers are so entertaining!

It's not really a looker, but "most ugly thing on the planet"? Have you seen a SsangYong?

Also the Space Exploration Vehicle is pretty awesome...

I am glad that Honda is at least notifying owners and offering to correct the problem. It shows that they are going to great lengths to do right by their customers even when a problem is small.

Wait, explain how the USDM Jetta and Passat are like the Mazda 3 and 6? My impression was that we're getting the same 3 and 6 as the rest of the world (equipment levels are market-specific, of course), not totally different cars that happen to share (some) drivetrains. Don't get me wrong, DSG, TDI, and the 2.0 TSFI…

This. My mom bought one (she decided the BRZ was too low for her to get in and out of with dignity), and two of my friends almost bought them. Definitely followed closely by the Impreza hatch and the Honda Fit.

Fifth Gear did a test of the collision mitigation systems on a Volvo V40, Mercedes S-Class, and the VW Up! a year or two ago. I was surprised that the S-Class' system didn't intervene with enough braking, especially compared to the V4o, but maybe Mercedes' system is designed to leave it mostly up to the driver to…

Some systems don't work above or below a certain speed threshold, depending on how they're designed. The most sophisticated systems can track obstacles that might enter your path from the sides (e.g. bikes, pedestrians) as well as monitor cars in front of you at all speeds and can bring the car to a stop. Most only…

That first ad would work so well for something truly world-class. Tesla should steal that ad for the Model S. Trying to sell a beige mid-size SUV that's a massaged version of the previous generation with that imagery is just awful.

In the same vein, I think this Volvo ad really conveys why someone (in 1990) should buy a Volvo by trading on the spirit of the brand. Volvo is obviously not a brand that traded on a sporty driving experience, so they didn't show race cars or talk about handling, but it makes you think "hmm, maybe I should buy a…

This. While you can exit without braking before exiting the highway, that's only true if traffic on the frontage road isn't backed up, and if conditions are dry. Also, you'll terrify your passengers. The only way to comfortably handle those ramps is by reducing speed to 45-50 before exiting the road.

This is the question I've been bleating out for so long. In the US, it used to be that 0-60 in 8.5 seconds was "good" or even "quick" but now is considered average, at best. God forbid it takes 10 seconds to get to 60, that's a dead giveaway that your car is a POS.

How did you even find these? They are incredibly bizarre, but still entertaining. Also, as much as I like the Honda Fit, everything on that car is really thin, even though it has 400 pounds on the Echo.

If you're correctly assessing your risk exposure (and risk tolerance). There are plenty of guys (not to be sexist, but it is mostly guys) who ride without a helmet or any protective gear, so clearly being on something unsafe doesn't automatically make someone a careful and courteous driver.