By RICHARD WILLIAMSON, Scripps Howard News Service
Autosside: 2010 Range Rover SUV
2010 RANGE ROVER SUPERCHARGED
TYPE: Five-passenger, four-wheel-drive luxury sport utility vehicle.
PRICE: $95,125 base with destination; $111,425 as tested.
WHERE BUILT: Solihull, England.
KEY RIVALS: Mercedes-Benz M-Class; Porsche Cayenne; BMW X5; Infiniti QX 56.
Autos: Range Rover gives the world a comfort zone
History is wasted on those who lack a sense of irony.
That one of the symbols of British privilege should end up in the hands of an Indian company is rich, indeed. But there it is: Tata Motors, based in the former colony, now owns and seeks to save Land Rover and its companion marquee Jaguar, keeping Brits employed in Solihull and Coventry.
Autosside: 2010 Lincoln MKS
2010 LINCOLN MKS
TYPE: All-wheel-drive, five-passenger, full-size sedan.
WHERE BUILT: Chicago.
PRICE: $47,760, $825 destination charge.
KEY RIVALS: Cadillac CTS, Lexus LS 460, Infiniti M, Acura RL, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5-Series, Audi A6.
POWER: 3.5-liter, 355 horsepower, EcoBoost V6; six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission.
Autos: Lincoln's flagship these days is the MKS sedan
Ford's Lincoln luxury division was once known for names like Town Car, Mark IV and Continental.
Now, the marque has gone the way of Cadillac in seeking to emulate European and Japanese luxury brands with enigmatic code names like MKS, MKT, MKX and MKZ.
Autosside: Details on the 2009 Nissan Cube Krom
2009 NISSAN CUBE KROM
TYPE: Front-drive, five-passenger, compact wagon.
PRICE: $19,730 base; $20,420 as tested.
WHERE BUILT: Oppama, Japan.
KEY RIVALS: Honda Element, Toyota Scion xB, Kia Soul.
POWER: 1.8-liter, 122-horsepower, DOHC 4-cylinder engineer; automatic CVT transmission.
Autos: Nissan adds Krom to its carton
There's a difference between stylish and faddish.
The Chrysler PT Cruiser is stylish.
The Nissan Cube is faddish -- unapologetically so.
As one of a series of conspicuous cartons, it shares a segment with the inelegant element from Honda and the boxy xB from Toyota's Scion youth division.
Autosside: Details on the 2010 Mazda Speed3 Sport
2010 MAZDA SPEED3 SPORT
TYPE: Front-drive, four-door, five-passenger, compact hatchback.
PRICE: $23,195 base, ($21,717 invoice), $25,340 as tested.
WHERE BUILT: Hiroshima, Japan.
KEY RIVALS: Dodge Caliber SRT4, Honda Civic Si, Mini Cooper S, Subaru WRX, Volkswagen GTI.
Autos: Mazda keeps pricing steady on 2010 Speed3
When you're in hot pursuit of trend-setting enthusiasts, you can't afford to let your looks slip, especially in the automotive world.
So, Mazda is pursuing the pocket-rocket cognoscenti with a redesigned Speed3 intent on zooming to the front of the popular pack.
Autos: New Legacy is larger than any of its predecessors
Twenty years after launching its Legacy, Subaru is stretching the concept of an all-wheel-drive sedan in the redesigned 2010 edition.
Now in its fifth generation, the new Legacy is larger than any of its predecessors, providing a luxurious level of standard equipment and new power options from the well-regarded boxer engines.
Autosside: 2010 Subaru Legacy 3.6R
2010 SUBARU LEGACY 3.6R
TYPE: All-wheel-drive, five-passenger, mid-size sedan.
PRICE: $24,995 base, $27,995 as tested.
WHERE BUILT: Lafayette, Ind.
KEY RIVALS: Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Honda Accord, Ford Taurus, and Chevrolet Malibu.
POWER: 3.6-liter, DOHC, 6-cylinder Boxer engine; five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
