2009 Nissan Versa

The Versa has received the highest possible ratings in government and insurance industry crash tests, though keep in mind that's among small cars (five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; and a quot;goodquot; rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). Versa safety features include dual-stage frontal air bags, front-seat side-impact air bags for chest protection, and roof-mounted curtain air bags for head protection.
Versa went on sale as a five-door hatchback in July 2006, with a four-door sedan following in January 2007. Combined, the sedan and hatch sold more 59,000 units in less than one model year. For 2009, Nissan has simplified the model lineup by reducing the total number of body, trim, and transmission combinations from nine to six. The Sport Package is restricted to the hatchback.
Bottom line, the Nissan Versa is a big small car with comfort, performance and versatility. It's roomy and offers good fuel economy.

2006 Land Rover Range Rover

NAPA, Calif. – Thanks to heavy rain, Land Rover provided neither an off-road course nor a racetrack on which to test the mettle of the significantly upgraded 2006 Range Rover. But, for those of us familiar with this flagship luxury SUV, driving from the urban grid of San Francisco to the winding two-lanes of northern California’s wine-growing region revealed plenty of personality changes.
The 2006 Land Rover Range Rover comes in two new flavors. In addition to a fresh base-model designation of HSE, for the first time in Land Rover’s history there is a sporty Supercharged version. Land Rover would tell you that, unlike Porsche with its turbocharged Cayenne, its flagship Supercharged model is meant to be spirited, but not racy. Additionally, its new 4WD system, borrowed from the 2005 Land Rover LR3, is not only proven, but has garnered awards in the automotive industry. Plus, Land Rover has thoroughly updated its flagship and bumped it more upscale. Sure to please both loyalists and newcomers, the 2006 Land Rover Range Rover’s changes serve each of these buyers.

2008 Kia Rio

Rio comes in a four-door sedan and Rio5 five-door hatchback versions. Last redesigned for the 2006 model year, the Rio lineup has been expanded over the past two years and now includes three trim levels for the two body styles. The Rio sedan is available as a very basic base model, as the more mainstream LX, or as the sporty SX. The Rio5 five-door hatchback comes in LX and SX trim.
These are roomy cars. The hatchback offers lots of cargo space. Rio comes standard with six airbags, a safety feature normally associated with expensive luxury cars, not subcompacts. The Rio offers agile handling, particularly the top models with their upgraded wheels and tires.
The Rio gets an EPA-rated City/Highway 27/32 miles per gallon. All models are powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder, a sophisticated, modern engine, with dual overhead camshafts and variable valve timing rated at 110 horsepower.

2008 Jeep Compass

One way to measure the value of the Compass might be to compare it to the trusty Jeep Cherokee that was enormously popular for 18 years and finally ended its run in 2001. The Compass is slightly bigger and much more comfortable than the Cherokee was 10 years ago, though without as much off-road capability.
The Jeep Compass uses DaimlerChrysler's 2.4-liter, four-cylinder World Engine, developed jointly for 21st century efficiency with Mitsubishi and Hyundai. It's a solid, sophisticated, 16-valve engine. Like other new four-cylinder engines, it is quieter and stronger than a four-banger was believed capable of being 10 years ago. It features electronic variable valve timing that continually changes the torque curve, bringing more versatility to the 165 peak pound-feet of torque, and more capability to the 172 peak horsepower. Emphasis during development of this engine was on fuel mileage; even carrying 3326 pounds, the Compass 4WD with a five-speed manual transmission delivers EPA fuel economy estimates of 22/27 mpg City/Highway.
The Jeep Compass offers an optional continuously variable transaxle, which performs like an automatic transmission. The CVT comes with the Auto Stick manual shiftgate feature for 2008. The Auto Stick enables the driver to shift up and down over six preset gear ratios, making it feel like a six-speed gearbox without a clutch pedal.
Also new for 2008, Jeep has recalibrated the engine and transaxle for improved drivability and reduced noise. Chrome interior accents brighten the 2008 models, and air conditioning and a tire-pressure monitor are standard equipment.
The safety, ride and handling of the Compass are all excellent, with a strong steel structure and well-planned subframe. Side-curtain airbags and electronic stability control with anti-rollover sensors are standard. Power windows and power door locks are optional, however. Remember manual door locks? Some cannot.
Inside, the Compass is thoughtfully designed. The instruments and controls are well placed and easy to use, though the materials feel cut rate. There's good interior space all around, with rear seats that fold flat to make about 54 cubic feet of cargo space. Options for added versatility include reclining rear seats and a passenger front seat that also folds flat, creating either a table or eight-foot-long space for storage.

2009 Subaru Forester

The 2009 Subaru Forester's improvements for 2009 go well beyond new styling inside and out. The car is based on an all-new platform that is stronger, improving both safety and drivability. Prices start at $20,660 for a base Subaru Forester 2.5X to $28,660 for a 2.5XT Limited. Prices include a $665 destination charge. There are two engine and transmission choices: The Subaru Forester 2.5X, 2.5 Premium and 2.5 Limited all come with a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter flat-four that produces 170 horsepower and sends it to all four wheels either through a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. The Forester 2.5XT and 2.5XT Limited have a 224-hp turbocharged version of the same engine, routed through a four-speed automatic transmission.
With room for five, decent if not stellar off-road ability and a very large and usable cargo area, the Subaru Forester is a good choice for those looking for a crossover that isn't as ubiquitous as the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4. It's even fun to drive, especially in the lower trim levels, which can be equipped with a manual transmission. We wish the turbocharged Subaru Forester XT models were available with a manual gearbox, and that the interior had more soft-touch plastics, especially on the door tops. That aside, the 2009 Subaru Forester is a good call and competitively priced.

2008 Acura RDX

The Acura RDX is all about sporty driving, which is why it uses a turbocharged four-cylinder engine to make its hearty 240 horsepower. This is the first turbocharged engine that Acura has produced. It's 2.3 liters, and comes out of the Acura TSX, with many changes making a completely different powerband.
Proving its commitment to sport, the RDX uses a sequential five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, a firm independent suspension made for cornering, and Acura's patented SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system, which delivers a higher proportion of power to the outside rear wheel under hard cornering, thus keeping the car in line.
Proving its commitment to luxury, the RDX comes trimmed in leather, no cloth interior is available, and it comes standard with other luxury touches, such as a power moonroof and dual-zone climate control.
In short, the RDX is designed for drivers who do not want to compromise cornering for a comfortable ride (hence, the firm suspension), but want upscale accommodations. It also needs to be someone who doesn't care about dramatic or distinctive styling, because the RDX closely resembles the Honda CR-V. Women, who normally go for the Acura approach of combining a silky-smooth ride with performance, will want to think twice about the RDX, given its firm suspension.
The RDX was launched as a 2007 model, and changes for 2008 consist of upgrades. The Bluetooth hands-free phone interface comes standard on 2008 models. Also standard are a two-way position driver's seat memory and an auto-dimming day/night rearview mirror. A new exterior color, Polished Metal Metallic, is available. If you are in Hawaii, lucky you, and now your RDX will have access to the navigation system's 1.7 million city and street names along with access to AcuraLink Satellite Communication System with Real Time Traffic. The Real Time Traffic system now covers 76 major metropolitan areas with the addition of 32 more for 2008.

2009 Ford Flex

The 2009 Ford Flex is a three-row crossover utility vehicle capable of carrying up to seven passengers. It's available in three different trim levels, two of which can be ordered with all-wheel drive. The base Ford Flex SE model costs $28,995 – including $700 destination –comes with the same 262-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission available in all Ford Flex models. All-wheel drive is only available on the more expensive Ford Flex SEL ($32,770) and Limited ($35,405) models for an additional $1,850.
The 2009 Ford Flex SE is nicely equipped, considering it's the base model. Standard features include a reverse sensing system, six-way power driver's seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel with cruise and audio controls, and rear-seat air conditioning. The Flex SEL adds standard heated leather seats with 10-way power adjustment for the driver, dual-zone automatic climate control, an upgraded audio system, and fake wood trim. The Limited adds to that with standard driver's seat memory, standard Sync (Ford's voice-activated in-car mobile phone and audio system), ambient lighting, wood inlay on the steering wheel and laminated front glass for a quieter ride. Options include a trailer towing package for $570; Flex SEL models offer a $985 Convenience package that bundles a power liftgate, power pedals with memory; SEL and Limited models can be equipped with the multi-panel Vista Roof for $1,495, a refrigerator between the rear seats for $760, and a navigation system for $2,375.
Overall we're quite fond of the 2009 Ford Flex. It offers up unique styling in the segment, but without sacrificing the utility one expects from a vehicle of this sort. The Ford Flex is roomy, comfortable and looks good. It has lots of different options to keep shoppers satisfied by customizing their Flex to their individual tastes. We wish the fuel economy were better, and are guessing that if you skip the all-wheel drive (we don't think it's necessary in this vehicle) and go easy on the throttle, gas mileage would probably improve. In the test car we drove, we also found a few fit and finish issues, and wished some of the interior plastics were better. Regardless, this is one big crossover SUV that's definitely worth a close look.