The modern classic muscle car.

The Dodge Challenger brings muscle car performance and styling to everyday driving. The Challenger harkens back to 1970, and the current generation, launched as a 2008 model, amuses and delights us. For 2012, changes are primarily packaging.

The 2012 Challenger SXT name replaces SE as the entry-level Challenger. The Challenger SXT 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 produces 305 horsepower and 268 foot-pounds of torque. Added last year, the V6 engine's horsepower and smoothness were a major improvement, as was a 5-speed automatic transmission, but the Challenger is a big car so fuel economy is not its forte (EPA rated 18/27 mpg City/Highway). The base SXT comes reasonably well equipped and gives you the Challenger look and room for a modest price.

The 2012 Challenger R/T rumbles with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8. The V8 is rated at 372 hp and 400 pound-feet of torque with the 5-speed automatic, or 375 hp and 410 pound-feet of torque with the now-standard 6-speed manual. The Hemi uses a multiple displacement feature that switches off cylinders to save fuel, but EPA ratings are no better than 16/25 mpg. We think the Challenger R/T is a sweet spot in the lineup. It can be used as a daily driver with less intensity than the SRT8 (and considerable cost savings) yet it's sportier and more fun than the SXT. Challenger R/T is often compared with the Mustang GT and Camaro SS, although Challenger is a bigger car and a more comfortable cruiser.

The 2012 Challenger SRT8 392 is named after its Hemi V8's cubic-inch displacement (even though it's actually 391) and that of the legendary Hemi 392 engine of the late 1950s. The 2012 Challenger SRT8 392 comes with a 470-hp 6.4-liter Hemi V8 that includes cylinder deactivation technology. EPA ratings are 14/23 mpg. The 2012 Challenger SRT8 392 also gets a new steering wheel with heating, two-mode adaptive damping and a 900-watt Harman Kardon audio system. The SRT8 comes with big Brembo brakes, the firmest suspension and a limited-slip rear differential. We found the SRT8 392 fast and stable. It's ready to go to the track yet we think it's compliant and controlled enough that it you can drive it daily or just for weekend cruises.

The Challenger is an enjoyable muscle car. Driving it brings a smile to our face and it seems to light up others as well. Everyone seems to like the Challenger. We've driven all the models and like all of them. They all have their own merits but there are distinctions.

The cabin is mundane. Like muscle cars of the past, the Challenger is based on a sedan (the Charger) and the interior borrows heavily from existing materials. A new steering wheel for 2012 is an improvement and the new 392 sport seats hold you in place in corners and are designed to accommodate large drivers. Climbing into the back seat is a chore but once in we found it's fine for children, teens and the occasional adults.

Automobile Magazine previews the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Detroit Auto Show – 2012 North American International Auto Show Coverage – Automobile Magazine

New model packs Range Rover luxury into an urban-friendly size.

The new 2012 Range Rover Evoque is a different kind of Land Rover, aimed at urbanites who want luxury, sport-utility usefulness, and reasonable fuel economy in a compact package. The new Evoque wraps it all in a refreshingly different exterior design.

A growing segment of the market, the compact luxury SUV class is currently dominated by German offerings: BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLK, and Audi Q5. All three are bigger than this new Range Rover. Not quite 172 inches long, on a 104.8-inch wheelbase, the Evoque gives away six inches in length to the GLK, more than 10 inches to the Audi and the BMW. Evoque is closer in size to the new BMW X1 (not yet on sale in the U.S.), as well as the Acura RDX.

But while it's shorter than its key competitors, it's distinctly wider, at 77.4 inches, which is 3.3 inches wider than a BMW X3. This enhances elbow room inside. Its width and low roofline, the lowest in the class, contributes to the Evoque's athletic look and aggressive stance.

Though smaller than its key German rivals, the Evoque delivers cargo versatility with a hatchback design. Fold the rear seatbacks forward and cargo capacity expands exponentially, though to be accurate the Evoque's max cargo number, 51 cubic feet, is lower than that of the three Germans.

The Evoque's interior measures up well in terms of roominess for four passengers. All the vehicles in this class are rated for five passengers, but none of them provide anything approaching comfort for a center rear seat occupant. The Evoque's interior appointments are arguably more upscale than the others, even in base trim. That's why Land Rover applied its upscale Range Rover badge to the model.

The snappy styling descends almost undiluted from the concept vehicle Land Rover unveiled at the 2008 Detroit auto show. The show car was a three-door hatchback, a body style that made it all the way to production, and one not offered by any of the Germans.

There's also a more practical five-door model. It's essentially the same size as the three-door version, and Land Rover expects that it will account for about 80 percent of the Evoque's U.S. sales.

Beyond the visual distinction, the Evoque differs from its competitors in three key areas. The first is under the hood. Other Range Rovers are propelled by V8 engines. The Evoque employs a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder adapted from Ford's Ecotec 2.0-liter, allied with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The engine is rated for 240 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. A four-cylinder engine is a first for Range Rover. Even the Land Rover LR2, the entry-level product for the brand, has a six-cylinder engine, as do most of the competing models from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.

On the other hand, the Evoque's tidy dimensions pay off with low curb weight (by class standards), which adds up to a respectable power-to-weight ratio and respectable fuel economy ratings: 18 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, according to the EPA.

The second area where the Evoque stands out from its Germanic rivals is when the pavement ends and there's no more road. With a sophisticated full-time four-wheel drive system, good ground clearance, and a short wheelbase, the Evoque can tackle some pretty tough off-road terrain.

That sustains Land Rover's tradition of exceptional go-anywhere proficiency, an area of performance that's absent in the pedigrees of its competitors, which have no off-road pretensions whatsoever.

The final distinction reflects the parent company's confidence in the Evoque's unique proposition. It comes to the market with the highest price tag in its class.

New V6 and 5-speed automatic improve streetability.

The 2012 Jeep Wrangler is a game-changer because of its new powertrain that moves Jeep out of the dark ages. It's the Pentastar V6, new last year to Chrysler, named one of Ward's 10 Best Engines for 2011. The new engine makes considerably more power with slightly better fuel mileage, an EPA-estimated 17 City/21 Highway mpg. It's smaller, lighter, and more advanced than the engine it replaces.

A smooth new 5-speed automatic transmission for 2012 replaces last year's inadequate 4-speed. The transmission is well behaved and doesn't hunt for gears. It was designed for use with Chrysler's 5.7-liter Hemi engine, so it maintains Jeep-like industrial strength. A Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon is rated to tow 3500 pounds.

The 2012 Wrangler Unlimited four-door is totally civilized, thanks partly to the smoothness of the new engine. The Pentastar block was designed to have accessories bolted to it, to reduce vibration. This pays off with a smooth and silent interior, even at 80 mph in the hardtop Wrangler. The Wrangler Unlimited corners well. The Wrangler Unlimited is built on a wheelbase that's 21 inches longer than that of the regular Wrangler.

The soft top that comes standard slides and folds horizontally on the roof, leaving the occupants further protected by door and window frames, although there's already a rollbar. The available removable hardtop comes off in 3 pieces, like T-tops and a sunroof over the rear seat. With T-tops removed, at 65 mph it beats you up; but with the top on it feels smooth at 75 and beyond.

In the popular two-door Wrangler there's very little storage space behind the rear seat, so four people with four medium backpacks is filled to overflowing. But if it's just you and some stuff, the rear seat can be removed, creating a spacious 61.2 cubic feet of cargo space. Same with the four-door Unlimited, making 87 cubic feet.

Wranglers are available with all the electronic trimmings, including a $1035 Media Center with navigation and touch screen, but the screen doesn't work well with the simple rough Jeep; for starters, with the top removed, the screen is erased by the sun. It's a challenge to tune the radio by touch-screen in a bouncing Jeep.

Even with 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, the Wrangler has to work hard on two-lanes. But a lack of neck-snapping acceleration must be compared to what it had before. And if it weren't an aerodynamic brick, it wouldn't be a Jeep. There are seven boxed crossmembers in the chassis adding strength but weight. The Rubicon with 5-speed automatic weighs an anvil-like 4130 pounds.

Riding a Rubicon in Oregon's Tillamook Forest, we tackled a trail that looked impossible for a vehicle off the showroom floor. Later, another Wrangler Rubicon scarcely broke a sweat on rocky trails crossing peaks in Washington's Cascades. Our passenger, a former Wrangler owner, was astonished by the comfort level.

The Wrangler is no gas-mileage champ. Running it hard, it averaged 18 mpg for us. It's EPA estimated at 17/21 mpg Wrangler and 16/20 mpg Unlimited.

After 25 years in the U.S. market, the Nissan Pathfinder will cease being the capable body-on-frame SUV it is today and instead become a seven-passenger crossover in its next generation. Showing off the future of the nameplate is the Nissan Pathfinder Concept bowing at the 2012 Detroit auto show. Though some may have a hard time accepting the switchover, they’ll have to get used to it, as the concept previews the 2013 Pathfinder set to hit Nissan dealers in the fall.

Photo Gallery: First Look: Nissan Pathfinder Concept – 2012 Detroit Auto Show – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Look: Nissan Pathfinder Concept – 2012 Detroit Auto Show – Automobile Magazine

New subcompact is sporty yet sensible.

The Chevy Aveo is dead. But don't shed any tears. The subcompact perhaps best known by frequenters of rental-car lots has been supplanted by the sharper, nimbler Chevrolet Sonic sedan and hatchback. Built on a new General Motors global platform, the new Sonic wields universal underpinnings wrapped in a package that's decidedly American. We found the Sonic a nicely designed subcompact with spritely driving dynamics.

The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, particularly the five-door hatch, has an urban vibe, which Chevy PR folks were eager to point out by unveiling the Sonic in an underground garage in San Francisco amidst a background of pseudo-slummy graffiti, spray-painted by an artist flown in (we won't say “imported”) from Detroit. Sharp creases, exposed headlamps and motorcycle-inspired design cues set the Sonic apart from others in the segment, while good fit and finish and standard forged alloy wheels, even on the base model, keep it from looking cheap.

Powering the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic sedan and hatch is either a 1.8-liter naturally aspirated engine or a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, both which make 138 horsepower. Transmission choices for the standard 1.8-liter engine are a 6-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual; the 1.4-liter turbo is available with a 6-speed manual or an automatic, the latter on late-production 2012 models.

Those who drive hilly terrain need not fear, as Sonic comes standard with a hill-hold feature on both transmissions (especially welcome on the manual gearbox). When the driver is stopped and releases the brake pedal, the brakes electronically hold the car in place for two seconds, thanks to a sensor that detects the tilt of the body when the car is stopped on a slope.

The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic comes standard with 10 airbags, including seat-mounted thorax side-impact, head curtain and knee airbags. Other nice touches not often found standard on a sub-$15K car include a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and 60/40 folding rear seats. The Sonic tops out at about $19,500, which will get you extras like a sunroof, heated seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

We found the handling of the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic vastly improved over the Aveo, thanks to increased body stiffness and strength. Corvette engineers helped to tune the MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension for the U.S. market to strike a balance between fun and comfortable. The Sonic is also quieter than its predecessor. Surprisingly, Chevy engineers say the Sonic's rigidity and cabin quietness are aided by its alloy wheels (which come standard), as opposed to the steel wheels most often found on base subcompacts. However, the Sonic uses front disc brakes and rear drums, the latter the norm for the class because they are less expensive than rear discs.

We think the Chevrolet Sonic has an edge over the Toyota Yaris and the Honda Fit when it comes to sporty driving, although we think the Ford Fiesta and Mazda2 offer good driving dynamics and respectable quality at similar prices. Although it was penned in Korea, the Sonic is built at GM's Lake Orion, Michigan, plant, which we think makes the Sonic the only subcompact built in the U.S.

I like the fact that, when I got in the Murano, the ergonomics were all so transparent. I needed to adjust the sideview mirrors, and my left hand went up to the door panel and immediately found an easy-to-use twist dial for adjusting the mirrors. I needed to adjust the steering wheel, and my left hand immediately found a power tilt-and-telescope button on the left side of the steering column. I needed to adjust the seat, and my left hand then immediately found the seat control on the outboard edge of the seat bottom, and there was no fumbling around trying to figure out how to use it; it was immediately obvious. I wanted to turn on the seat heater, and I found the seat heater button in a microsecond. I wanted to hook up my phone to Bluetooth, and that took only about 15 seconds. These things go a long way toward everyday usability.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Nissan Murano LE AWD – Editors’ Notebook – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 Nissan Murano LE AWD – Editors’ Notebook – Automobile Magazine