MotorMouths

With its new sharply tailored exterior, high class interior and sporty performance, the 2012 BMW X3 xDrive35i gets my vote for most improved SUV.

The 2012 Honda CR-V has extended its advantage with smart upgrades, measured design changes and intelligent engineering. Everybody else is still playing follow the leader.

Kia is gunning for the big dogs with the Optima Turbo. The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are the major canines in this pack, and I’d pick Optima Turbo over either one.

If you need a full-size SUV and you want luxury, the Infiniti QX is an excellent choice. Considering the size and capacity of the QX, 16 mpg city/20 mpg highway starts to look like amazing fuel economy.

The BMW 550 Gran Turismo ($63,900) and the Mercedes-Benz E550 ($57,100) had better look out, because buyers looking for luxury and space might find the sweet spot in Hyundai Equus long before they approach the $85-90,000 mark.

The Regal GS belongs in the class with the Audi, the Acura and the Lexus. It is that much fun to drive, and offers that much content for the price.

The changes that Ford has wrought to the Edge have vastly improved an already good crossover. There’s nothing as good as MyFord Touch available on the direct competitors, and there’s not a nicer interior, either.

The Sonic is safer, better and more capable than any small car yet built in the United States. The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is a small car worth buying and driving.

I grew to appreciate the Kia Sportage’s many standard features, and I was quite comfortable behind the wheel in most situations. A buyer who keeps their SUV for the long haul could be quite happy with one.

The Subaru Outback can be a daily driver in good conditions and in adverse conditions, with a sane, comfortable interior and an exterior that says “rugged” without saying “red neck.”

I really enjoyed my time in the 2011 Lexus GX 460. It made me appreciate the remarkable technological advances that have been applied to the platform. It might stand a chance of sharing a piece of the driveway, especially for long family road trips.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the new Ford Focus. Initially I was pretty skeptical but I found a fun-to-drive, technologically advanced, solidly built compact car. I wish that some of that technology didn’t come at such a premium, though.