MotorMouths

The 2012 Jaguar XKR-S makes great power with its supercharged V-8 engine and backs it up with fantastic, grippy handling. Slinky styling and a throaty exhaust make this Jaguar nearly as nice to watch from the outside as it is to drive.

The SL550 is a brilliant automobile. It costs a pretty penny, but cars like the SL550 Roadster are all about a feeling, not a value, and this Roadster feels like it’s worth it.

In 2010 we called the Sonata SE “a great value, packing in a strong assortment of standard and optional cabin tech, good looks, and performance, all while maintaining a relatively low price.” The 2012 Hyundai Sonata SE 2.0T is the same great car, but with a lot more power.

The Infiniti IPL G Coupe does what it sets out to do: improve over the performance of the standard G37 Coupe. Unfortunately, Infiniti’s first foray into high-performance variants was more of hesitant testing of the waters with a toe than a full-blown cannonball.

Combining a highly efficient hybrid power train with top-notch standard and optional cabin tech, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is both a great tech car and a great value.

With more power and refinement, the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec has grown into a genuine contender in the sports car market.

Overall, I came away from the drive impressed with the level of comfort and composure the LS presented. With this generation of Lexus, the automaker has managed to inject the LS with quite a bit of style and technology, which adds quite a bit to this model’s desirability.

Love or hate its styling, the 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe John Cooper Works is easily one of the best-performing front-wheel-drive cars we’ve tested. Unfortunately, it’s also priced about $10,000 too high.

The 2013 Nissan Rogue SV makes good use of its power with a responsive CVT. The crossover’s handling is smooth and predictable. The SL package upgrade adds a lot of tech for not a lot of money. I was totally unprepared to love this little crossover as much as I did.

The 2012 Mazda Miata Special Edition offers one of the purest driving experiences available in a new car today, but the omission of the most basic cabin-tech options severely hurts its score.

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML550 offers great power and low-speed handling like a vehicle half its size. It isn’t perfect, but it does offer a good blend of tech, performance, and luxury.

The 2012 Ford Focus Sedan SE is a good value, delivering simple yet effective cabin tech and efficient performance without lots of distracting frills.