MotorMouths

Pilot, all things considered, is arguably the best bet, and its ability to address real-word needs will prove endearing over time. But it seems so cruel that Honda has made “competent” a synonym for “dull.”

The 2012 Accent subcompact is among the nicest automotive surprises in years. For the most part, it’s a classy, quick, comfy little car that responds nimbly to the driver and doesn’t leave you devastated that you didn’t buy a bigger car.

Overall, the Genesis continues to look, feel and perform like a car priced at least $10,000 more.

The 2011 Sonata gives buyers a huge amount of refinement, driving enjoyment, comfort and style for not a lot of money. And it forces other automakers to confront, and match or trump, Sonata’s package of attributes, which may be the new benchmark for midsize (roughly) family sedans.

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.

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 most exciting car yet from South Korean automaker Hyundai is the 2012 Veloster. Plenty of standard features mean you’re getting not only an unusual car but also a nicely appointed one, with unexpected highway composure.

Infiniti’s 2013 JX 35 is a big crossover SUV that breaks the brand’s self-imposed rules and gets by with the transgressions. It’s not cheap, but buyers would do well to knock on JX 35’s door and ask to come in.

The lower-price Infiniti M37 is such a well-done, satisfying machine (based on our time in a preproduction rear-drive model) that the much higher-price, well-optioned M56 seemed overdone, gratuitous, crass.

The M35h’s fuel-economy benefit doesn’t seem worth the price premium, the odd-feeling regenerative brakes and the palpable shudders when the gas engine restarted to add power whenever the electric motor summoned the cavalry.

If you need the size, can afford $60,000 or so and a big premium-fuel appetite (midteens with prayer), can live with the quirky steering and (possibly) numb brakes and like a distinctive, often satisfying machine, you might be a match for the new QX56.

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is bigger, more powerful, more fuel-efficient and lower-priced than the 2010 model it shoulders deftly aside.