MotorMouths

It has the distinct advantages of being roomier and more powerful than rivals. In fact, among open-minded shoppers, we’d bet that it’ll be hard to justify a Corolla or Civic or Elantra after driving a Dart.

The 2012 Charger easily triumphs on its strong points: 31 mpg on the highway, a smoothness that’ll trump fancy German brands, and a level of driving satisfaction that is almost unbelievable in a big Detroit sedan.

The Chrysler 300 is an evocative and exciting alternative to Detroit rivals Lincoln and Buick and maybe Cadillac. That’s a compliment. Detroit DNA and chemistry are lures, not drawbacks.

Maybe all you need to know about the 200 drop-top is that it’s derived from the Sebring, and the overhaul had to be done quickly and on a tight budget.

Most of the time, you drive the Volt on battery power only. Some of the time, you burn gas to keep the juice flowing. No place to plug in to recharge? No problem. Fill the gas tank and drive on. How, exactly, is that anything but genius?

Sonic is a good car: useful, easy to drive, a good value. It’s just not the high-class, scintillating little scooter we were expecting. For many buyers, though, it could hit the sweet spot.

It’s hardly a stretch to call the 2013 Malibu the best modern Chevy. Styling is crisp and restrained. Interior is roomy and quiet, outfitted with classy trim. Engine’s strong.

The Eco version of the Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan is the fuel-mileage special, with space, style, satisfaction and strong mpg for a modest price. Watch out, hybrids.

The Chevy Cruze test car had its issues, but there’s plenty to like. It’s styling is sweeping enough to avoid dorkiness, normal enough to avoid exhibitionism. Stewed together, Cruze’s attributes support Chevy’s ad claim it can match or best the likes of Civic.

The 2013 Camaro ZL1 convertible is a magic carpet for wealthy folks who have thick-enough skins to shed eco-villain barbs from neighbors. Except for some really cheap-looking plastic interior trim. Chevy’s gotta do something about that.

The XTS is visually pleasant, inside and out. It is comfortable, quick, easy on fuel and technologically gee-whizzed to the gills. The main threat to success, though, seems to be that XTS might fail to fit the brand’s intended image as a perfect blend of sportiness and luxury.

Cadillac put a much-needed new engine under the hood of its SRX midsize crossover SUV, and boy, what an improvement. Smaller, but nice improvements are additional features, but the transmission still didn’t shift as quickly or smoothly as it should.