MotorMouths

We really like the 2012 BMW 328i as a luxury sedan. It’s very quick, spacious, elegant, fuel-efficient, and if we want to explore some back road, the capability is there.

Buying a large luxury sedan isn’t a rational decision at heart. No one needs a Lexus LS like they need a Toyota Camry. You just want a lavish sedan because you want it, and the new LS F Sport delivers the most compelling package that Lexus has had in a long time.

We really like the 2012 BMW 328i as a luxury sedan. It’s very quick, spacious, elegant, fuel-efficient, and if we want to explore some back road, the capability is there.

The 2013 Lexus ES is just as quiet and comfortable as its predecessor, only now it’s a little bit better. No, it’s not any quicker, but it’s more fuel-efficient. Plus, both ES models are roomier and available with more features.

It may not be able to beat the Toyota Prius V at the packaging game, but the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid is certainly the better car on the road. It’s much quicker, it handles better, it steers more precisely, and it just feels more like a real car more of the time.

The four-door BMW 6 Series is a beautiful car for sure. We’re hopeless plebeians, though, so we advise waiting until BMW puts more engine in this car and retunes the chassis underneath it to make it feel as good as it looks.

The 2013 Lexus ES is just as quiet and comfortable as its predecessor, only now it’s a little bit better. No, it’s not any quicker, but it’s more fuel-efficient, roomier and available with more features.

Buying a minivan isn’t an easy thing to do. It’s a rite of passage to the un-hip, elasticized-waist side of parenthood. However, if you’re a real car lover and you drive a 2011 Honda Odyssey with an open heart, you’re not going to choose a crossover over this van.

Driving the 2012 Mazda 3 on back roads reminds us why it remains a favorite of ours in the compact car class. The fuel mileage is for real with the new drivetrains, and unlike most other approaches to maximizing mpg, they don’t put a damper on the fun.

The A7 is pretending to be a coupe, and a particularly graceful one at that. It looks better than most luxury sedans, and it drives like a big A5. It may not be elite enough for the millionaires sunning themselves on Costa Smeralda, but it’s the classiest car in the Audi lineup.

You don’t need us to tell you that the 2010 Toyota Prius won’t stimulate your senses. The third-generation Toyota Prius is, however, a vast improvement over its forbears. It finally offers the kind of safe, predictable road manners expected of a modern car.

The Rio is compelling, and it’s downright attractive as a hatchback. Add acceptable performance and a well-tuned chassis to that package, and you have a car that takes some of the drudgery out of commuting whether you live in Seoul or L.A.