MotorMouths

Ferrari has positioned the 458 very effectively against an onslaught of new competitors trying to dethrone it, specifically the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and the upcoming McLaren MP4-12C. Yes, the latest Ferrari is that good

At a time when the world’s economy is in shambles and fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are on everyone’s minds, there remains only one car that ticks all the enthusiast boxes without setting off a single alarm. That’s the Volkswagen GTI. Once again, it’s Automobile Magazine’s Automobile of the Year.

The level of performance and driving pleasure in the Ferrari 458 Italia is nothing short of extraordinary. Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, and Aston Martin engineers have their work cut out for them.

The level of performance is astounding for the price. All of the fuss you’ve seen from the automotive media is justified; the Nissan GT-R is one of the great performance stories of our time.

The Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, seems to be the wrong car for our times, but how can something that brings so much pleasure to others be considered a selfish indulgence?

The 2010 Toyota Prius joins the new Honda Insight and the new Ford Fusion Hybrid to prove that hybrid cars don’t have to be soulless appliances for eco-weenies.

The 2011 Infiniti QX56 has a great powertrain. Off-the-line throttle response is satisfying, and ride comfort is impressive on the QX56, though, especially on smooth pavement.

The Mercedes-Benz E350 cabrio that we drove provided the sort of relaxed, luxurious, isn’t-life-grand top-down experience that M-B open-top cars have offered sybarites since the Jazz Age.

Unapologetically and unequivocally, Hyundai has taken off its gloves. Its new Genesis is a no-holds-barred assault on luxury and near-luxury sedans from Japan, America, and Europe.

But the XFR doesn’t feel or behave like an English car that’s trying to ape a German car; it feels and behaves like an XF, a car that we greatly admire.

The new 2010 Honda Insight is a bargain hybrid. It’s not as roomy or sumptuous as the Civic Hybrid, the Toyota Prius, or the new Ford Fusion Hybrid, but it costs less.

We came away very impressed by the 2009 Audi Q5. It clearly has surpassed the aging BMW X3 in terms of exterior styling, interior ambience, drivability, and comfort.