Auto Digest

Getting the mail at the neighborhood box cluster often elicits comments about the car we are driving. We have a few neighbors who know we write about cars, but there are others that probably think we are car dealers (or drug dealers that can afford to buy new cars each week).

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- I am a Buick owner, and have been since 1989 when my husband and I walked into the San Francisco auto show and the first car we saw on the rotating pedestal was a Buick Reatta. With its unique clean styling, the sporty two-passenger coupe, grabbed my attention and I went down to the Buick store the following week and bought the one they had on their pedestal.

Ford has come up with an absolutely fantastic solution for those who enjoy the size and versatility of a utility vehicle, but demand the fuel economy of a smaller car.

When it comes to vehicle usefulness, it's impossible to find a vehicle with the capacity, comfort and capabilities of a minivan. Unfortunately, minivans have been painted with the "soccer mom" stigma that has turned many trendy families away in favor of sport utes or more recently crossovers.

Initially, we wondered about the wisdom of Audi building the A7.   The company already had a beautiful selection of impressive sedans: A4, A6, and A8.  However, the A7 was of that new breed of sedans first created when Mercedes-Benz introduced the world’s first four-door coupe under the CLS badge.  The good looks and sporty styling of the CLS have since been mimicked by Porsche, Jaguar XJ, Aston Martin and several others.   Audi was a little late to the show, but they made a grand and elegant entry.

From first glance, the Lexus CT 200h gets high marks for styling. The five-door hatchback wears a stylish European look that sets it apart from the crowd of other smaller hatchbacks and sedans.  The distinctive style comes from the drawing pencils of the Lexus L-finesse design school.  It’s most noticeable in the sculpted front grille and fascia area and the complex “C” pillar treatment that is unlike any other hatchback.