Don’t pay any attention to the calendar.

It’s 2011 already for car buyers, car nuts and everybody else who ever loved a set of new wheels.
And we at Automobile Journal have something new for you, starting with the new model year. It’s the Automobile Journal Buyer’s Guide, chock full of information, pictures, and lots of interesting news about all the new cars and trucks for this season.
 Over the next week or two, you will see batches of new stories about the …

Model: Suzuki SX4 SportBack
Engine: 2.0-literf DOHC I4
Horsepower/Torque: 150 hp @ 6,200 rpm/140 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Wheelbase: 98.4 in.
Length/Width/Height: 162.8 x 69.1 x 62.2 in.
Tires: P205/50R17
Cargo volume: 15.5/43 cu. ft. (rear seat backs up/down)
Fuel economy: 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway/19.2 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 13.2 gal.
Curb weight: 2,723 lbs.
Sticker: $18,513 ( $524 in options, no destination charge)
The Bottom Line: The SX4 SportBack is a small boxy “crossover” with a buzzy engine that does little to enhance Suzuki’s improving reputation.
Suzuki earned …

There are always two sides to everything, right? Well, the truth is there are many more than that! To keep our car reviews innovative and well-rounded, we are providing you with not just one, but two points of view on the same exact vehicle – Her and His perspectives.

SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Honda Accord Crosstour 4WD
Engine: 3.5-liter V6
Horsepower/Torque: 271 hp @ 6,200 rpm/24 lb.-ft. @ 5,000 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Wheelbase: 110.1 in.
Length/Width/Height: 196.8 x 74.7 x 65.7 in.
Tires: P225/60R18
Cargo volume: 25.7/53.9 cu. ft. (rear seats up/down)
Fuel economy: 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway/17.6 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 18.5 gal.
Curb weight: 3,887 lbs.
Sticker: $36,930 (includes $710 destination and handling charge)

The Bottom Line: With the Crosstour, you get all the advantages of an Accord with the plus of a hatchback (albeit a stylish hatchback) for added …

A funny thing called niches is making life awfully interesting these days for car shoppers.
It used to be that you got a mid sized intermediate, a compact or sub compact or a full-size luxury car.
No more.
Now there are entry level compacts, sports compacts, and luxury compacts, for instance.

We say all this to help describe our reactions to the 2010 Volkswagen Golf. It’s anything but a basic, entry level compact, like say a Hyundai Elantra or Chevy Cobalt. In terms of …

SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Mazdaspeed3 Sport
Engine: 2.3-liter turbocharged 4
Horsepower/Torque: 263 hp @ 5,500 rpm/280 lb.-ft. @ 3,000 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Wheelbase: 103.9 in.
Length/Width/Height: 177.6 x 69.7 x 57.5 in.
Tires: P225/40R18
Cargo volume: 17.0/42.8 cu. ft. (rear seat backs up/down)
Fuel economy: 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway/22.3 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 15.9 gal.
Curb weight: 3,245 lbs.
Sticker: $23,195 (includes $750 delivery, processing and handling fee plus $1,895 in options)

The Bottom Line: Despite the fact that the Mazdaspeed3 is designed to appeal to a different demographic than the one I …

Remember that cool little Lexus hybrid compact you heard about at the North American International Auto Show?

Well, it’s going into production. Lexus introduced its production version of the five door hybrid compact, to be called the Lexus CT 200h premium compact hybrid, at the Geneva Auto Show media days event.  And best of all, it is almost identical to the beautiful compact seen at the Detroit show.
This car will provide a number of advantages to Lexus. First, it adds luster …

Kia’s latest, the Ray Concept, bowed at the Chicago Auto Show, with a sleek, voluptuous design penned by the company’s Irvine California-based Kia Design Center America.
It’s a looker—but we have a sneaking suspicion Kia expects you to remember this one for something other than its visual charms.
You see, it’s is designed to be powered by an all-aluminum 153-horsepower Gasoline Direct Injected (GDI) 1.4-liter engine mated to a permanently-engaged fixed ratio Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), used in combination with a 78kw …