Jeep Grand Cherokee:
No brand is more Identified with off-road adventure than "Jeep". The new "Grand Cherokee" is at the top of the line-up with a lot much more luxurious and roomy interior but also more power and, yes, enhanced on- and off-road chops. The new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 gives out 290 hp and 260 lb ft of torque, delivers 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway and will tow up to 5000 pounds. But weíd choose the 360-hp V8 for its muscle-car hustleóand take the modest fuel-economy hit. For the first time, the unibody "Jeep" uses a four-wheel suspension for enhanced steering and suspension precision. Opt for the Quadra-Lift air suspension, and the Jeep will provide five distinct suspension-height levels, with up to an impressive 10.7 inches of ground clearance. During a snow-covered sortie in Moab, Utah, the Jeep rocked and rolled its way over the worst obstacles, taking the most dangerous lines without so much as a whimper. Best thing, it can lower itself back down and provide a pillow-soft
luxury-car ride on the way home from the trailhead.
Hyundai Sonata:
In pro sport games, the MVP trophy doesn't always go to the one player with the best stats; sometimes, intangibles add up to an obvious MVP. Similarly, the Hyundai Sonata was a clear choice for the 2011 PMVóPopular Mechanics's Valueóaward. What Hyundai has achieved with the redesign of its bread-and-butter sedan is, in a word, astonishing. One glance tells much of the story, as the vehicle looks more like a luxury coupe than a midsize economy sedan. Gone is the V6, replaced with a 200-hp four-cylinder. Or opt for a turbocharged four-banger with 274 hp, which makes you forget about the lack of a V6 in the lineup. There's even a hybrid model that gets over 30 mpg. Options aside, the Sonata's standard safety equipment includes electronic stability control (ESC), traction control and antilock brakes with brake assist. Throw in Hyundai's 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty and it makes you wonder what luxury carmakers will have to do to keep calling themselves luxury carmakers.
Toyota Sienna:
While minivans are often passed over in favor of crossovers and SUVs, no vehicle is more versatile. Witness the new Toyota Sienna. It's 5 inches shorter than the Toyota Sequoia, yet the Sienna offers 39.1 cubic feet of cargo room behind the third-row seat, 20.2 more than the sport ute. Furthermore, the Sienna's seats adapt to a variety of configurations. The split third row folds flat into the recessed cargo area, and the second rowóeither singular buckets or a split benchó slides fore and aft and also folds. For 2011, Toyota offers a 2.7-liter four-cylinder and a six-speed automatic that return up to 24 mpg. The company has also aggressively restyled the van in an attempt to drop some of the mommy-mobile stigma. Need more proof that the Sienna can do it all? It tows up to 3500 pounds and is the only minivan that's available with all-wheel drive.
Lotus Evora:
What does Lotus know about handling that eludes the rest of the world? It's a question we asked ourselves after an exhilarating mountain-road romp in the new Evora. While this Lotus makes several concessions to practicality, such as a small rear seat and even cruise control, essentially it's a driver's car. And for 2011, there's nothing better on the road. Those with the means will enjoy a connection between the car and the road that borders on telepathic. The steering effort linearly increases as the cornering forces build, and the suspension impeccably keeps the tires squarely planted on the road. The result is a car with high but accessible cornering limits, a sports car that makes even novice drivers feel like heroes. Even better, the Evora smashes the notion that good handling and a supple ride are mutually exclusiveóit's cushy enough to drive to work, yet incredibly entertaining on curvy roads and racetracks.
Ford F-250 Super Duty:
When there's a heavy load to moveóand move quicklyó few vehicles will do it better than Ford's new Super Duty pickups. The heart of a truck is its powerplant, and the top choice for these rigs is the
new 6.7-liter diesel V8 that cranks out 400 hp and a pavement wrinkling 800 lb-ft of torque. That's more grunt than any other pickup or passenger vehicle sold in North America. Indeed, an F-350 dually can handle over 7000 pounds in its bed and tow more than 22,000 pounds with a fifth-wheel hitch. When the road gets muddy, there's a solid axle at each end of a 4WD Super Duty's chassisóand an optional electronic locking rear differential to split power equally to the rear wheels. The new Super Duty is exceedingly capable on the job site, but it was the truck's docile road manners that helped it win our heavy-duty pickup truck comparison test (Nov. '10). For 2011, the suspension was reconfigured to use fewer leaf springs in the back, which helps these massive trucks soak up the bumps like an F-150, and the light steering effort eases trailer backups. The Super Duty continues Ford's use of pioneering and smart options, like power-extendable towing mirrors, flip-up rear seats and an innovative productivity screen, that make the dirtiest jobs seem almost, well, fun.
Infiniti M37/M56:
Every rear-drive Infiniti since the original 2003 G35 has been exceptionally fun to driveó and to its rivals, a formidable competitor. But in terms of polish, the company's cars have lagged behind Europeans. No more. Inside and out, the 2011 Infiniti M could set new benchmarks for design. The sedan retains the taut handling of past models, but thanks to a suspension reboot, it now moves with more finesse. The M also boasts smart technology such as Lane Departure Preventionó which activates the brakes to keep the M in its laneóand the Eco Pedal, an accelerator that resists throttle jabs, reminding the driver how to save fuel. The M37's potent 3.7-liter V6 brings 330 hp, and Infiniti's new 420-hp 5.6-liter V8 is a powerhouse. Next year, the M Hybrid will be about 25 percent more efficient than the current M37óand deliver 40 more lb-ft of torque than the M56.
