MotorMouths

The 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI is a honey of a cruiser, despite flaws. And it has a spacious interior. And, while not cheap, it is pretty reasonable. And it has elegant styling that probably will wear well on the eye.

When a car’s as close to the family sedan sweet spot as Hyundai’s 2011 Sonata is, you have to be careful about jazzing it up. If you live where the road surfaces are bad, you’ll wish you bought a softer-riding machine. Otherwise, prepare for automotive delight.

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.

Hyundai needed a small crossover-utility vehicle to get U.S. buyers to pay attention in a market segment dominated by Honda CR-V, Ford Escape and Toyota RAV4. The new Tucson could be the new champ among small SUVs.

The CX-5, a technical stunner, isn’t likely to be a home run among small SUVs. Short take: Handles great; needs more power. But there are many aspects that make CX-5 worth considering.

Numbers and hard data are helpful in judging a car, but the real chemistry happens – or fails to – when you settle into the driver’s seat. That’s when Golf’s satisfying road feel makes it shine, especially so in the TDI.

Ford Motor remade its Escape compact SUV so thoroughly that only the name and one engine carry over into the 2013. It’s a sexy-looking, comfy package that could use a little more drivetrain refinement.

In addition to the sweet outside appearance, Evoque has such a classy, comfy interior that the vehicle almost could have square wheels and a steam engine, and you wouldn’t care. And the four-cylinder has enough beans to move the grin meter.

On balance, Test Drive is happy to forgive the interior faults because the Jetta TDI is roomy and comfy, and the engine’s personality quickly makes the car such a pal.

Overall, the Mazda3 was fun, generally satisfying, and reasonably comfy and roomy, and a nice reminder that attention to the proper details can make mainstream cars drive as nicely as premium sports sedans.

Fix a few things and the Suzuki SX4 SportBack’s a strong contender for best of its class — if a jolly time is higher on your list than a dirt-cheap price.

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.