Auto News & New car review

I’m glad to see Nissan recant the original Murano’s quasi-experimental dashboard for something more old-school. Quality is everywhere: Soft-touch panels overlap each other with nary a gap in between, and the center controls look like the ones in the Infiniti G35. Very impressive. The leather upholstery feels like an Infiniti’s, too, which will probably irk your neighbor who spent thousands more on his EX35.

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Competes with: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Volkswagen R32
Looks like: Demonic hatchbacks have a new hero
Drivetrain: 305-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with six-speed manual
Hits dealerships: Early 2008

It’s rare when two classically opposed models debut at the same time. The Subaru WRX STI hits the show floor at the same time as its archrival, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. That’s like debuting the new Camaro alongside the new Mustang. The differences between the two, however, have never been more clear: The Subaru is a hatchback, while the Mitsubishi is a sedan.

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When I drove a Buick Terraza around Berkeley last fall, I was overwhelmed by the sense of occasion that came with it. The car had so much ghetto cachet I almost fell in love with it. It reinforced all of the car enthusiast prejudices I harbored about minivans (i.e., they suck). And for that, I thanked it. The Toyota Sienna, on the other hand, proved to be a bigger challenge. Each time I wanted to hate some aspect of the minivan, I found myself pleasantly surprised. I don’t think I’m giving anything away saying right from the outset that the world’s most boring carmaker has made the best example of the world’s most boring type of car.
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Spring: the season of love, flowers and convertibles. As warmer weather approaches, car dealers put away the 4?4 SUV’s and pull the drop-tops from the back of the lots in the hopes of snagging passersby wanting a vehicle to celebrate the (global?) warming weather. Pontiac tempts buyers with the G6 GT Hardtop Convertible while Chrysler lures in the public with the newly-introduced Sebring Limited Hardtop Convertible. As the only American-branded four-passenger hardtop convertibles, which one truly deserves your hard-earned income? Or should both be tossed into the bonfire of the vanities?
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