MotorMouths

With the Optima SX Turbo GDI, Kia have a contender that surpasses many others in the segment and offers plenty of goodies that inspire the boy and girl racer in all of us.

The 2012 Mazda3i Touring Skyactiv hatchback is a pure, simple and fun compact car that gets among the best fuel economy this segment has seen.

With great tracking over quickly changing switchbacks and off-camber turns, it is clear that Ford is really on to something here. The Fiesta appears to be a genuinely fun, practical and premium-feeling car that can be had without breaking the bank.

We thought the Cadillac CTS coupe was the best Cadillac we have ever driven. Until we drove the CTS-V Coupe. It’s become the second best. With a powerful engine, great handling and excellent interior, it has all you could possibly ask for in a high performance coupe.

MINI Coopers have long had a reputation for providing the most fun you can have in a car with your clothes on. The new MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 (a mouthful) continues that practice and can take you more places to boot.

Perfect for those who think the S-Class too large, and the E-class too small, the 2012 Mercedes CLS550 is the middle child that never seems to put a foot wrong.

Good looks, performance and quality make the Fusion more of a contender than ever, although a fully loaded Titanium model can come with a rather cheeky price tag. If this isn’t 2013’s most-improved new car, we’re not sure what is.

The wrapper might be bigger and more tweaked than ever, and there’s no shortage of marketing-oriented design, but this latest 3-Series seems to live up to its heritage. BMW continues its line of impressive road cars that feel at home both on the street and the track.

Our brief drives revealed that Hyundai has reached a new milestone. After years of playing catch up, and then a brief period of being equal to its foes, the Sonata is now the one to beat for mainstream refinement in the family sedan class.

Nissan’s 370Z Nismo is an attractive and spritely performer, with great handling, and power underhood.

It seems these days, that at Ford, good enough really isn’t. They have offered up a round of improvements on their already well-received line of Super Duty trucks that makes them a necessary piece of equipment.

BMW’s new Sun God, the 6-Series Convertible, is the perfect vehicle with which to worship the rays, sand, water and sky.