MotorMouths

Acura’s ILX instead comes with a handsome exterior and manageable price tag, a button-worshiping and tech-heavy interior, and a lack of space, power and aptitude for fun. There’s nothing like a neutered, well-made, conspicuously moderate car to bring the family together.

The price may seem like a lot of bananas for a car with terrible sight lines, awkward controls and a drinking habit rivaling Hemingway’s. But sit with an Aston Martin Rapide for an hour and a minute later you’ll see why it’s worth every penny.

There is much to laud about the 2012 Audi A6. It does nearly everything well, better than most of its peers, and does it in a more quiet and humble manner than its attention-grabbing kin.

Minor aesthetic foibles aside, the 2012 BMW 328i is a success because its performance and handling remain sublime. It uses as inspiration the best, and the best just happens to be itself.

It’s not necessarily the best all-around vehicle in the luxury compact SUV segment, but without question, this second-generation X3 is the fastest, sportiest and most fun to drive of its peers.

If the Verano’s value, comfort and especially its seats deserve an ode, the car’s styling deserves a eulogy. This is where the car fails. This exterior design takes precisely zero chances and reinforces the notion that a Buick is only for people who buy Ensure by the pallet.

Visually, the ATS is a win. Also laudable is how stable and solid the car feels at a variety of speeds. But its flaws reach critical mass when you get to the dashboard. Despite its flaws, the thrill of the drive is an impressive feat.

American automakers have long needed to demonstrate to consumers that the era of ambiguous identities is over. The CTS Coupe offers proof. It is by no means perfect, but it is some very sweet medicine.

The XTS is a good-looking, overly ambitious and often ineffectual entity.

The Sonic’s quiet cabin and stout exterior design combine with its relative enthusiasm for the road, especially the turbo, to push it above the Accent and Fiesta sedans. Chevy finally has a tiny winner.

While the 2011 Chrysler 300 doesn’t have the braggadocio of its predecessor, frankly it’s better off without it. In its place is a more refined, more able-bodied competitor for the full-size segment it already has on the ropes.

Behold the Dodge Dart, a sedan that starts at $16,790 and should have no trouble making friends. It’s American history riding on European success.