MotorMouths

The new Ferrari 458 Italia is a most fitting successor to the F430. On the track at Fiorano, the 458 is a treat. It feels like a race car. Response is crisp from the throttle, steering and brakes.

That the CLS has spawned copycats since 2005 proves it has a shape that didn’t need to be altered much — a point further underscored by the 2009 CLS.

The IS C is quiet and compliant, and the well-lined top doesn’t creak when it’s up, even in diagonal trips up driveways. The doors shut with a reassuring thud, and the driving position is excellent.

This Lexus is an artful balance of several key elements (luxury, hybrid powertrain, advanced technology and ecological sensitivity) all directed to form a harmonious sedan.

Tall wagon or a cross-over SUV? It doesn’t really matter. The new Toyota Venza is an impressive package, a stylish all-purpose vehicle that you might even brag about owning.

The Lexus doesn’t quite have the immediacy or feedback of Infiniti’s G37. On the other hand, the IS C has the expected Lexus quality, and it looks great, especially topless.

The 2010 Nissan Altima Sedan remains a good car, nicely updated, attractively priced and likely to stay a best-seller thanks in part to its tight structure, excellent interior room and spacious trunk.

Is the time right for Lexus’s “world’s first dedicated luxury hybrid?” Time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: a sudden spike in fuel prices will guarantee the HS 250h’s success.

The redesigned Subaru Forester is one crossover SUV that’s grown up without growing too far out, and that’s a trait we admire.

With the new Focus, Ford has kept the good (the handling dynamics) and fixed the bad (the dated interior and road noise), while frosting the deal with the reasonably priced Sync system.

As you might expect, the 2008 Cadillac STS’s new 302 bhp V-6 feels like a reasonably powerful V-8. But it’s not quite a substitute.

The Pontiac Vibe is a pretty good car thanks to a pleasing blend of comfort, refinement and practicality.