It’s fair to say that the folks at Audi have found their styling muse. After we swooned over the shape of the new S5 coupe, Audi basically added two doors to the design and called it the A4. It’s less zoomy-looking than the coupe, but it’s still sexy—unmistakably Audi—and won’t be confused with any other Auto Union offerings. But unlike BMW’s wild leap off the styling reservation, the A4 doesn’t jump out visually as a significant departure from Audi’s evolutionary progression that started with the first A4. Way back in 1996, we liked that first A4 well enough to have awarded it 10Best Cars honors three years running.
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Acura kicked its sleepy RL in the fanny with a 2005 redesign that ended the era of the Japanese Lincoln. Stone-sharpened styling, a 300-hp V-6, and a newfangled, yaw-inducing all-wheel-drive system suddenly made the RL a switchback hound among $50,000 luxury sedans.

Dandelions grew at dealers. Sales have slipped every year since 2005, to a low of 6262 cars last year. Meanwhile, arch-rival Lexus outsold the RL by more than three to one with its similarly priced GS350.

Instead of a kick in the pants, Acura is trying a frying pan to the face. The rearranging of the RL’s kisser for ’09 nudges it back toward Lincoln-like lassitude, with a squared-up nose, monster grille blade, and puffed-out front shoulders. Augmented by injections of chrome and bright plastic, the front and rear ends bristle with new bling.

Always the small fry in its class, the RL now evinces a more imperious—Imperial? New Yorker?—look, especially on its 18-inch wheels (17s were standard before). It’s a mirage; the dimensions barely change. The revised sheetmetal and bumpers add 2.2 inches to the overall length, but the cozy 110.2-inch wheelbase, tight back seat, and modest 13-cubic-foot trunk remain. The long list of standard equipment carries over, so look very close to see the new RL’s interior upgrades, including a fancier shifter and new front buckets with greater adjustability. A new interior noise-canceling system really does suck up the road rumble. Read more »

The model lineups of luxury automakers are fairly predictable. The six-cylinder is the entry-level car and the bestselling. The V-8 is a more powerful, higher-performing version and costs more. Then there’s Lexus, which until now had reversed this logic with its GS, a competitor to the BMW 5-series, Mercedes E-class, and Infiniti M35/M45.

The most powerful model in the lineup was a hybrid, the GS450h, making 339 horsepower. The V-6–engined GS350 made 303 horses, and the V-8 GS430 was good for just 290 in 2007. Recognizing that buyers of the V-8 GS might want more firepower for their money, Lexus has now rectified this anomaly by fitting the GS with the 4.6-liter V-8 and eight-speed automatic transmission from the big LS460. Hence, we have the GS460 shown here, with 342 horsepower, a comfortable buffer of 39 horses over the GS350 (and 52 more than the GS430).

The extra ponies are good for a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.5 seconds, 0.2 quicker than the last GS430 we tested and identical to the GS450h. Over the standing quarter-mile, the advantage extends to 0.2 second over the GS450h and 0.5 second over the GS430. We managed 16 mpg with the 460, 1 mpg worse than in the 430 and four fewer than in the 450h.
In most regards, the GS460 is a nice piece. The interior is skillfully wrought, the car is beautifully built, and the powertrain is a gem. As long as the road is smooth, it’s a serene ride, but sealed cracks and potholes in the pavement kill the serenity. Even in its soft setting, the adjustable suspension can’t compensate for the reinforced sidewalls of the Dunlop run-flat tires. Read more »

For 2009, Hyundai took its satisfying Sonata mid-size sedan—already a more-than-credible alternative to the segment’s entrenched big dogs—and endowed it with more power and refreshed styling inside and out. As enthusiasts, however, we were most interested in what they’d done to improve the “sporty” SE trim, namely whether or not it’s actually sporty.

It’s No Hyundai Quattroporte, But It’s Better than Before

The SE is obviously no sports car, but it does now boast a bit more enthusiasm in its footwork. Previously more of an appearance package than anything else, the 2009 SE rides on all-season rubber (Kumho Solus KH16 tires) but gets a unique state of tune for the control-arm front and multilink rear suspension.

Other than the suspension upgrade, the $1600 increase for the SE model also includes 17-inch aluminum wheels, a power driver’s seat, steering-wheel audio controls, and a telescoping steering wheel. Read more »

Mitsubishi knows the name Ralliart isn’t spoken with much reverence among American gasoline punks. That should change. Mitsubishi has watched Subaru ring up healthy sales with the mid-grade WRX, which neatly slots between the 87-octane Impreza and the high-test STI.

Now the Lancer Ralliart is being sent in to bridge the same wide chasm separating the $18,915, 168-hp Lancer GTS from the $33,615, 291-hp Evolution GSR. This time it’s not just a paint-and-trim poseur. Lancer Ralliart retail prices should start at $27,000, which buys a 237-hp turbo 2.0-liter, all-wheel drive, and a twin-clutch automated manual six-speed, the only transmission available.

It trucks to 60 mph in a spirited 5.5 seconds, quicker by 0.3 than our last WRX wagon. The Ralliart also carves a road pleasantly with well-weighted steering, stout brakes, and a paddle-shifted transmission with quick, snag-free gear changes. The Ralliart’s main limitations are body roll, a trade-off for tolerable ride, and overwhelmed 215/45 Yokohama rubber mounted on 18-inch rims. They squeal early and often, and the grip too quickly melts into understeer. Note the unspectacular 0.80-g skidpad performance and 184-foot stopping distance. Read more »