The News Auto

by Chris Shunk on Jan 6th 2009 at 11:57AM

Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2009 Infiniti G37 Coupe

The Infiniti G35 coupe showed that Nissan’s U.S. luxury arm could compete with the likes of Mercedes and BMW. Being mentioned in the same breath as those storied brands is nice, but Infiniti isn’t looking to be class competitive; it wants to lead. Ghosn’s guys rolled out the new and improved G37 Coupe for the 2008 model year with more power and a vastly improved interior while also delivering an entry price that undercuts the popular 335i coupe by around $4,000.

The 330-hp 3.7L V6 introduced in the G37 Coupe was a big improvement over the also competent 3.5L it replaced, but the carry-over five-speed automatic was holding back Infiniti’s jewel of an engine. Nissan has rectified this shortcoming for 2009 with an all-new seven-speed slush box that promises faster shifts and improved refinement and efficiency. We got our hands on a brand new 2009 model to see if it has what it takes to put the G37 at the top of the entry-level luxury food chain. Hit the jump to see how Infiniti’s coupe performed during its time in the Autoblog Garage.

Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Infiniti G37 Coupe

Photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc.

Our Vibrant Red 2009 G37 Coupe tester tipped the sticker price scales at $44,715. It came equipped with the Journey trip package, a power moonroof, navigation system, 11-speaker Bose stereo system and a Sport package that includes magnesium paddle shifters and 10-spoke, 19-inch rims.

Some have called the exterior design of the 2009 G37 Coupe a step backwards from the previous G35, but this blogger doesn’t see it that way. The G35 employed very clean lines with handsome proportions to win over buyers, and the G37 takes that a step further with more animated sheet metal. The wheel arches, belt line, hood and hind quarters are all curvier than they were on the G35, which gives the G37 a softer and sexier profile. Infiniti designers toughened up the front end with a more aggressive lower front air dam and non-functional side vents that accentuate the car’s width. The new headlamp design is also a big improvement over the outgoing model, with the odd-looking vertical rectangles being replaced with obtuse triangles that reach back to the front wheel arches.

LEDs brighten up the view from the back and designers once again softened up the hard lines of the outgoing rear tail-lamps. One area that didn’t change much was the greenhouse, as the beautiful, flowing lines of the original look good on just about any coupe. Overall, the G37 doesn’t look too much different than the G35 it replaced last year, just enough to keep us interested.

Infiniti made lots of changes on the inside, which is also a good thing. The G35 was a bit rough around the edges, with questionable materials and an awkward, Nissan-looking layout. The newer G37 has a beautiful cabin with soft touch materials throughout. The cockpit-like layout is well thought out and requires minimum effort to find the button or switch you’re looking for.

One significant drawback to reviewing cars is that it becomes difficult getting used to different nav screens, switches, radios and redundant controls every week. The G37 was this blogger’s first Infiniti driven for any significant length of time, yet I was up to speed quicker than most cars that visit my Autoblog Garage. The redundant controls on the steering wheel are hit-you-on-the-head easy to understand and the navigation system presented zero challenges. The radio stations were even preset within a minute’s time of initial contact.

Another area of delight are the well-bolstered leather seats. We found them far more comfortable than the BMW 3-Series with extra room for a wide frame. After about two days with the G37, our only complaint concerned the lack of thigh support. Then we noticed the painfully obvious seat extenders; what a cool option. The extender can pull out an extra five inches to provide more thigh support for the long legged among us.

We’re fans of the G37’s new cabin, but not nearly as much as we enjoyed flogging one of the best mass produced V6 engines of all time. Open up the throttle at any time and instant gratification comes your way. The 330-hp 3.7L VQ engine is responsive at any speed while also providing the kind of aural feedback that makes you want to stab the accelerator whenever possible. Some high horsepower V6 engines run out of steam when pushed too hard. The 3.7L unit hiding under the G37’s hood felt more like a V8, with ample power across the entire rev range.

That power is now better transferred with the help of an all-new transmission. The new seven-speed automatic transmission is silky smooth around town, shifting seamlessly at a leisurely pace or quickly when you’re in a big fat hurry. And when it’s time to get down and dirty, switch it to manual and the paddle shifters reward you with redline acceleration and very respectable shift times. If you’re not a big fan of paddle shifters, the ones in the G37 may change your mind. We found them more engaging than most wheel-mounted units with an easy to remember right-is-up, left-is-down setup.

A sublime powertrain means little if the underlying platform can’t cut the mustard, so the Infiniti team rolled up its sleeves and improved upon the already respectable FM platform for this generation of the G coupe. The Nissan/Infiniti rear-drive platform already performed admirably in the G35, but the platform was lowered, widened and stiffened by 36% to give it the athletic ability to compete with the best of this breed. It doesn’t take long to notice the improvement, either. It would take a far more competent driver than I to achieve significant body roll when diving into a hard turn on city streets.

Some sport coupes with stiff underpinnings reward on the track but punish your rear around town. The G37 doesn’t fit that description. It’s docile enough when running errands that it won’t wear you out, though with this much power and poise at your finger tips, we can’t promise that you won’t be frustrated.

If it sounds like we like we really like the G37 coupe, you’re reading the same review we wrote. It has the power, handling and luxury appointments to compete with pretty much any vehicle in the sport coupe market, which is saying a lot considering the German competition. The G37 coupe also wins points for anyone who wants their car to stand out in a crowd. It doesn’t try to look like a Mercedes, BMW or Audi, and we think it’s all the better for it. The G37 gives you most of the precision and power of the 335i for the price of a well equipped 328i, while also sparing you iDrive and the smallish seating surfaces. That’s enough to make the G37 coupe a winner in our estimation.

Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Infiniti G37 Coupe

Photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc.

by Sam Abuelsamid on Jan 6th 2009 at 7:02PM

Click above for a high-res gallery of the (apparently D.O.A.) Suzuki Kizashi

Reports of the premature death of the Suzuki Kizashi are apparently… premature. After a story surfaced yesterday detailing Suzuki’s cancellation of its mid-sized sedan program, the scribes at Automotive News went to the source to get the details. Suzuki spokesman Jeff Holland told AN, “The production version will debut at this year’s New York auto show in April.” So there. When the Kizashi concept was revealed at last year’s New York show, it garnered a fair amount of praise thanks to the sedan’s swooping lines and road-hugging proportions. The Kizashi has been spied doing laps around the Nurburgring and for a mainstream mid-size sedan that can’t be a bad thing.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Suzuki Kizashi in Germany

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]

WASHINGTON January 6, 2009: Octillion Corp. (OTCBB: OCTL), a next-generation alternative and renewable energy technology developer, today announced the appointment of energy-capture experts and engineers, Mr. Stuart Brown, PhD, MBA, and Mr. Brian S. Hendrickson, to the Company’s Advisory Board.

Dr. Stuart Brown and Mr. Brian S. Hendrickson are published authorities in the field of energy harvesting, and are credited with numerous inventions, innovations, and patents in several engineering applications, including the capture of wasted energy for generating electricity — a key objective in Octillion’s research and development of technologies to generate electricity from the wasted energy of moving vehicles.

Engineers envision that wasted kinetic energy from the movement of an estimated 6,000,000 trucks and 250,000,000 cars on America’s roadways could serve as a potential source for generating valuable electricity, the fastest growing form of end-use energy in the world. Octillion’s engineering teams have designed specific systems and patent-pending technologies to enable the capture of such wasted energy of vehicles in motion for converting it into electricity.

In recent weeks, the Company has accelerated its engineering efforts and unveiled early details of its designed energy capture systems, which engineers anticipate are manufacturable, reliable, and resistant to damage from vehicles, road debris or weather. Among key feature considerations of the systems are the important ability to:

• Adapt to the unique characteristics of different vehicles to optimize the amount of energy captured;
• Reduce or avoid potentially undesirable effects on safety, comfort of vehicle occupants, and the stability of cargo;
• Adaptively monitor or regulate the speed or acceleration (or deceleration) of vehicles.

Incorporating these important features, Octillion recently filed several patents with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as part of the Company’s initiative to build its intellectual property portfolio and protect its future commercial rights as inventor-developer of these new technologies.

[View Octillion’s December 16, 2008 press release, unveiling key features of the Company’s energy capture system and related patent filings: http://www.octillioncorp.com/OCTL_20081216.html]

“As an early inventor, innovator, and commercial player in this space, we’re committed to making every effort to successfully advance our transformational energy harvesting technologies towards prototyping, and ultimately, along the commercialization path,” stated Mr. Meetesh V. Patel, Esq., President and CEO of Octillion Corp.

“In order to meet our goals, we’ve recently accelerated our engineering efforts, undertaken the aggressive build-out of our intellectual portfolio, and now bolstered our Advisory Board with the addition of energy-capture experts, Dr. Stuart Brown and Mr. Brian Hendrickson. I’m honored to welcome them to our team.”

Mr. Stuart Brown, PhD, MBA & Mr. Brian Hendrickson:
Engineers, Inventors and Energy Capture Experts.

Dr. Stuart Brown and Mr. Brian S. Hendrickson are published authorities in the field of energy harvesting, and are credited with numerous inventions, innovations, and patents in several engineering applications, including the capture of wasted energy for generating electricity.

Working with the Office of Naval Research, recent advances by Dr. Brown and Mr. Hendrickson in harvesting energy from motion were featured in the September 2008 issue of Mechanical Engineering Magazine, an award-winning publication of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), published since 1880. The featured article titled, “Harvest of Motion,” highlighted their unique skills in energy harvesting by way of the development of a small-scale device which uses human motion to generate five-times greater power output (per volume) than conventional energy harvesting systems.

Recently, Mr. Hendrickson and Dr. Brown co-authored an article titled “Motion Energy Harvesting Using Catch-and-Release Mechanism” for the Proceedings of the 2008 ASME Energy Sustainability Conference.

Dr. Stuart Brown is currently managing partner of Veryst Engineering, LLC, a respected Boston-based engineering firm with expertise in energy capture technologies. Prior to founding Veryst Engineering, Dr. Brown was director of the Boston Office of Exponent, Inc., a leading engineering and scientific consulting firm with over 90 scientific and engineering disciplines and approximately 800 staff. Previously, Dr. Brown served on the faculty of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Brown earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, an M.B.A. in Business Administration, a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and an A.B. in English Literature.

Mr. Brian Hendrickson is currently an engineer with Veryst Engineering, LLC. His expertise includes systems design, modeling, and prototyping electromechanical devices. Mr. Hendrickson has lectured on renewable energy and has assistant taught graduate and undergraduate courses in mechanical and electrical engineering at Dartmouth College.

Mr. Hendrickson holds a B.E. in Mechanical Systems from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College and a B.A. in Engineering Sciences.

by Noah Joseph on Jan 6th 2009 at 8:31AM

Everyone’s broke. Gas prices keep rising and falling. America’s three largest manufacturers of recreational vehicles are losing money like their pockets are full of holes. Perfect time to invest.

Well, it is if you’re Warren Buffett, the richest man in the world, who has made an art out of “buy low, sell high.” Through his holding company Berkshire Hathaway, the Texas-based legendary Omaha investor has invested some $40 million in Middlebury, Indiana’s Coachmen Industries, makers of the Viking line of motor homes. The move is diametrically opposed to that of fellow American investor Kirk Kerkorian, who is rapidly divesting from America’s automakers. Prospects in the RV market hardly look any better than Detroit’s – projections place sales next year at their lowest in 18 years – but sooner or later, they’ll recuperate. You can bank on that…Warren Buffett certainly is.

[Source: Edmunds Auto Observer | Image: Alex Wong/Getty]

SEE ALSO: Plug-in 2008 Video Coverage

SAN JOSE, Calif.–Coulomb Technologies today announced the first availability of the ChargePoint™ Network for plug-in vehicle owners. Developed to be the world’s easiest and yet most advanced vehicle charging infrastructure, the ChargePoint Network is designed to provide drivers of plug-in vehicles convenient, affordable, and safe access to public charging. Subscribers can sign up for options to fit their lifestyle including a limited time offer “Basic Access” subscription plan, which includes free charging through 2009.

Consumers subscribe to the ChargePoint Network and receive a ChargePoint Smart Card that allows them to charge their car at any Smartlet™ Charging Station nationwide. The first ChargePoint charging stations are now installed and available for charging in downtown San Jose, with many more to roll out in the coming weeks. To locate available charging stations, visit www.mychargepoint.net and click “Find Stations”.

“2009 is the year of the emergence of smart electric vehicle charging infrastructure,” said Richard Lowenthal, CEO of Coulomb Technologies, “and we are thrilled to be part of San Jose’s progressive Green Mobility initiative. We value learning from the experience of early adopters of the electric vehicle movement. In anticipation of the rollout of a nationwide network of charging stations, we encourage people to visit the ChargePoint website, learn about the Coulomb Technologies network of smart charging stations, and provide feedback and suggestions.”

“Electric vehicles are a key component of San Jose’s Green Vision goals to be the world leader in clean tech innovation and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and our dependence on foreign oil,” said Chuck Reed, Mayor of the City of San Jose. “We are delighted to partner with Coulomb to provide this demonstration charging network and help create the infrastructure to transform the way residents drive.”

About Coulomb Technologies, Inc.

Coulomb Technologies, headquartered in Campbell, Calif., offers a family of products and services that provide a plug-in vehicle charging infrastructure, which includes Smartlet Networked Charging Stations ranging in capability from 110V 15A to 220V 80A AC charging to 120KW DC charging. Coulomb applies networking technology to the challenge of charging electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in order to fuel the electric transportation industry. Coulomb’s ChargePoint Network addresses the needs of drivers, utilities, governments, and parking space owners. For more information, please visit www.coulombtech.com.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., January 6, 2009 : TechTeam Global, Inc. , a worldwide provider of information technology, enterprise support and business process outsourcing services, today announced the renewal of its Global Single Point of Contact (SPOC) contract with Ford Motor Company, under which TechTeam provides support services for Ford Motor Company’s IT infrastructure.

TechTeam provides service desk, deskside support, service management, infrastructure management, and identity and access management services for Ford Motor Company in North America, Western Europe and Asia, including a recent expansion into Australia and New Zealand. To enable the best possible balance of service and value, TechTeam will leverage additional blended-shore delivery from the Philippines and Romania. These sites demonstrate the company’s commitment to cost-effectively supporting its multi-national customers. This international operation will handle support-related requests from Ford Motor Company locations around the world.

The renewal of TechTeam’s support services enables Ford Motor Company end users and suppliers to rely on a single point of contact for the resolution of IT support incidents, which are resolved, tracked and analyzed using common global best practices. Through this arrangement with TechTeam, Ford Motor Company and its entities benefit from vendor accountability, a sharpened focus on incident avoidance, increased customer satisfaction and substantial cost savings.

“This enhanced service delivery model gives Ford the flexibility to expand globally, while realizing significant business value operationally,” said Gary J. Cotshott, President and CEO of TechTeam Global, Inc. “TechTeam has had a 29-year partnership with Ford Motor Company. This close collaboration allows us to continue bringing the most effective support services to Ford, in this case by leveraging our operations in the Philippines and Romania to provide lower cost service delivery.”

TULSA, Okla., January 6, 2009: Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. today announced that, based on preliminary estimated results, it ended the year with an unrestricted cash balance in excess of $210 million, approximately the same balance the Company reported on September 30, 2008. During the fourth quarter, operating losses and changes in working capital were offset by the benefit of a $100 million cash dividend from the Company’s vehicle finance subsidiary that was paid in November 2008.

“These are uncertain times in the overall economy and particularly in the automobile and travel industries. Ending the quarter with estimated unrestricted cash of over $210 million and tangible net worth provides us with financial capacity to continue to execute our strategic plans over the coming months as we, and the entire rental car industry, deal with a less robust overall economy and a difficult used vehicle market,” said Scott L. Thompson, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Consistent with its previously disclosed outlook, the Company estimates that it will incur a fourth quarter non-GAAP pre-tax loss significantly in excess of the prior year’s fourth quarter loss, resulting in a non-GAAP pre- tax loss for the year.

“As anticipated, the fourth quarter was extremely challenging due to current economic conditions. Based on preliminary data, our results were negatively impacted in the areas of utilization, rate per day and vehicle depreciation costs. Although we will end the quarter with a loss, our results were in line with expectations. The management team’s focus is cash flow and we have made good progress in that area while also reducing our overall cost structure to position the Company for the anticipated challenges of 2009,” said Thompson.

The above data relating to year-end results are preliminary estimates based on information available at this time. The Company will release its fourth quarter and full year results in February 2009.

MELBOURNE, Australia, January 6, 2009: Subaru achieved a remarkable annual milestone of 11 consecutive years of record sales, according to official VFACTS figures released today.

Sales of 38,492 Subarus have distinguished the Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive company in a difficult market where many competitors are in decline.

Subaru sales for 2008 were up 0.1 per cent in an industry that dropped 3.6 per cent.

Subaru’s core strength was underlined by the success of new generation Forester, which regained its position as the country’s best-selling Compact SUV, with best-ever sales of 14,423 in 2008, up 14.9 per cent.

Nick Senior, Managing Director, Subaru Australia, said: “The tough economic times are proving the value of Subaru ownership to many thousands of customers who are recognizing the benefit of great retained value, engineering, safety and durability.

“We will continue to reinforce these messages in 2009 with some exciting developments that we expect to attract new customers to the brand and while strengthening the advocacy of our existing customers.”

Forester sold 1262 in December, with new generation Impreza also a popular choice, selling 931, taking its annual total to 11,607 - up 6.9 percent over 2007.

Tribeca sales of 95 giving it yearly sales of 1651, was up 31.2 per cent over the previous year.

Annual Outback sales of 4379 combined with Forester to give Subaru a commanding 22 per cent of the Compact SUV segment.

The Subaru annual total was rounded out by 6432 Liberty sales.

MOUNT WAVERLEY, Australia – January 6, 2009: Mazda Australia retailed 79,826 new vehicles in 2008, eclipsing the previous record of 77,734 set in 2007.

Mazda retained its position as Australia’s fourth biggest automotive brand and best-selling full-line importer with a 7.9 per cent share of the new vehicle market (up from 7.4pc in 2007). Mazda’s 0.5pc market share growth was the one of the highest posted by a top-ten brand.

Mazda ended 2008 with a new December benchmark (6,641 retails, 8.7pc share) and tightened its grip on fourth outright.

“This is a strong result for Mazda, especially in such challenging times,” said Mazda Managing Director Doug Dickson. “Mazda outperformed the market by 6.3pc, and was one of only two brands in the top ten to post significant year-on-year growth.”

Mr Dickson contributed Mazda’s record-breaking 2008 performance to Mazda’s strong product portfolio which continues to offer the right mix of style and substance at affordable prices.

“Our Stylish, Insightful and Spirited passenger cars underpinned Mazda’s eighth year of growth in the last nine. Mazda’s CX range of SUVs and BT-50 light commercial came close to setting an all-time LCV record for Mazda, too.”

The Mazda3 small car came close to posting its best year ever in its fifth and last full year on-sale. Mazda3’s 33,755 retails made it the third best-selling car in 2008, and contributed to Mazda’s unprecedented 10.2pc share of the passenger car market.

Mazda2 was another stand-out performer for the Hiroshima carmaker. The Mazda2 3-door and Mazda2 5-door – named 2008 World Car of the Year – posted 15,797 retails, up more than 70pc year-on-year.

The Mazda2, Mazda3 and Mazda6 were all among the top three in their respective passenger car segments.

Mr Dickson also recognised the “fundamental contribution Mazda’s dealers made to the brand’s success in 2008″.

He said Mazda would use the strong foundation laid by 2008 to combat the tough economic conditions expected in 2009. “With our current range of exciting and affordable new cars, and new models like the new-generation Mazda3 and new MX-5 roadster, we’re confident 2009 will be a good year for Mazda in Australia.”

Genesis narrowly outpoints Lexus ES 350 to take top spot

YONKERS, N.Y., January 5, 2009: The Hyundai Genesis outscored four competitors to become Consumer Reports top-rated vehicle in the competitive “Upscale Sedan” category. The Genesis, which achieved an “Excellent” overall road test score, now outranks 12 vehicles from Lexus, Acura, Lincoln and others including the Lexus ES 350.

The Genesis’ performance in CR’s battery of tests solidifies the automaker’s reputation as a builder of high-quality vehicles in several diverse automotive segments. Previously, Consumer Reports named two Hyundais, the Elantra and Santa Fe, as “Top Pick” vehicles in the small sedan and midsize SUV categories respectively.

“The Hyundai Genesis rivals high-end luxury sedans but costs considerably less,” said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center in East Haddam, Connecticut. “Its luxurious and spacious interior and quietness far transcend its relatively modest price.”

The Genesis was tested against four other new or redesigned upscale sedans — the Acura TL, Nissan Maxima, Pontiac G8 and Lincoln MKS — for the February issue of Consumer Reports. Prices ranged from $33,660 for the Pontiac to $40,880 for the Lincoln.

Two other vehicles in the test group also earned Excellent overall road test scores, the TL and Maxima. The G8 and MKS achieved Very Good overall scores.

The eight other vehicles in the Upscale Sedans category including the ES 350, Toyota Avalon, Buick Lucerne and Saab 9-5, were all tested previously.

In addition to the five upscale sedans tested, CR also purchased and tested the Jaguar XF luxury sedan. Though it obtained a Very Good overall score, it still ranked near the bottom of the group of 12 luxury sedans that Consumer Reports has rated.

But the redesigned Honda Pilot has slipped from being one of Consumer Reports’ top-rated three-row SUVs to midpack. The Pilot now ranks eleventh out of seventeen midsized, three-row SUVs that have been tested by CR.

Full tests and ratings of all six sedans appear in the February issue of Consumer Reports, which goes on sale January 6. The reports are also available to subscribers of www.ConsumerReports.org. (Road test vehicles of recently tested vehicles are also available free at CR’s web site.)

The issue also contains a report on the conversion of a hybrid Toyota Prius to a plug-in hybrid. Consumer Reports chose a Hymotion L5 conversion kit sold by A123 Systems, which the company claims can yield more than 100 mpg. Fuel economy in CR’s converted Prius jumped from 42 to 67 mpg overall for the first 35 miles of driving. At almost $11,000, the plug-in conversion clearly won’t save consumers money overall. However, the technology itself proved viable.

The TL is the only vehicle in this month’s test group that is Recommended by Consumer Reports. CR only Recommends vehicles that have performed well in its tests, have at least average predicted reliability based on CR’s annual Car Reliability Survey of its more than seven million print and web subscribers, and performed at least adequately if crash-tested or included in a government rollover test.

CR doesn’t have reliability data yet on the Genesis, MKS, Maxima, G8 and XF.

Spacious and well appointed, the rear-wheel-drive Genesis offers good value and is a compelling alternative to luxury vehicles costing thousands more. This car’s forte is swaddling passengers in silence. The engine sounds polished and road noise is strikingly absent. The interior rivals those of the very best luxury cars, with its optional stitched-leather dashboard facing and consistently high-quality materials. The only real drawback is its ride, which can be unsettled at times and doesn’t live up to the standards set by other luxury cars. The Genesis 3.8 ($36,000 Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price as tested) is powered by a 290-hp, 3.8-liter V6 that feels quick and smooth and delivers a decent 21 mpg in CR’s own fuel-economy tests. The six-speed automatic transmission provides smooth, quick shifts. Braking is excellent.

The redesigned Acura TL is a nice car, with responsive handling, a slick powertrain and commendable fuel economy. But when compared with the previous TL, which was CR’s Top Pick in this segment for years, the latest generation is not as impressive. Vague steering saps the fun out of its handling, the trunk opening is small, and other competitors have roomier rear seats. The base-model TL ($35,715 MSRP as tested) is powered by a 280-hp, 3.5-liter V6 that delivers excellent acceleration and a respectable 23 mpg overall on premium fuel. The five-speed automatic transmission is both quick and smooth. Brakes are excellent overall.

The Maxima is a quick car, but it doesn’t add much over the less costly Nissan Altima overall. While it’s pleasant, it falls short in some ways. Handling is responsive, but at low speeds the steering is overly light. The car is quiet and the ride is decent. But the new coupe-like silhouette compromises visibility, trunk room, and rear-seat comfort. The Maxima 3.5 SV ($33,700 MSRP as tested) is powered by a 290-hp, 3.5-liter V6 that gives the car quicker acceleration than some V8s. Expect 22 mpg overall on premium fuel. The continuously variable transmission works very well overall; it’s also the only one available. The Maxima’s brakes are very good overall.

As a bargain sports sedan that can challenge the performance of models from BMW and Mercedes, Pontiac’s G8 is a success. It handles and rides as well as the best cars in its class. The G8 GT’s acceleration is very impressive, with a zero-to-sixty time of 5.7 seconds. But the downside of that is poor fuel economy — at just 17 mpg overall on regular fuel. The G8 GT ($33,660 MSRP as tested) is powered by a huge 361-hp, 6.0-liter V8 engine that makes it blisteringly quick. The smooth six-speed automatic transmission with a tall sixth gear makes highway cruising relaxed. The brakes are very good overall. (A 256-hp, 3.6-liter V6 with a five-speed automatic is also available in the base G8, but CR didn’t test it because a more powerful V6 with a six-speed automatic will arrive in 2010.)

In the tradition of large domestic luxury cars, Lincoln’s MKS is built for pampering, not for spirited driving. Handling lacks agility, and the engine is too noisy for a car in this class. The interior amenities and finishes are pleasant, but the MKS feels too much like the Ford Taurus, on which it is based, to justify its luxury price tag. The MKS ($40,880 MSRP as tested) is equipped with a 273-hp, 3.7-liter V6 engine that performs well, but is not as quick or smooth as its competition in this class. CR measured its fuel economy at just 20 mpg overall on regular, which is not impressive. The six-speed automatic transmission is not as slick as most in this class. Brakes are very good overall.