The Basics: Hyundai’s Equus sedan is in its second year of irritating the likes of Lexus and Infiniti. A luxury sedan with all the credibility of an LS 460 or an M37, the Equus can also go toe to toe with the large luxury sedans from Germany in features and finishes–while undercutting them by thousands [...]

The Basics: Jaguar’s come a long way from its baroque recent past. Starting with the 2007 XJ and proceeding with the 2009 XF, its cars transformed from museum pieces into striking works of art. The big XJ sedan underwent the change in life in 2011, and this year it’s back in all its glory. The [...]

The Basics: The BMW 3-Series has an unparalleled reputation as the dynamic benchmark among sport sedans. Yet with increasing pressure from the market not only to bring more connectivity, technology, and style into cabins, but also to increase gas mileage, is it possible to maintain the 3’s poise while also meeting luxury-shopper expectations? Surprisingly, yes. [...]

The Basics: The current-generation BMW Z4 was introduced in 2009, but the 2012 model year sees some significant under-hood updates. The styling, however, is as conservative as ever, echoing the 6-Series lines somewhat, but upon closer inspection revealing a more sporting, purposeful demeanor. A long, low hood, short rear deck, and ground-hugging lower aerodynamic elements [...]

The Basics: The 2012 BMW X6 is, without doubt, a bit odd. As time goes on, however, much of the market has realized that it’s a good kind of odd. Marrying the looks of a coupe with the size, functionality, and utility of a luxury crossover, the X6 no longer a thing to itself, but [...]

The Basics: It took a generation, but today’s Cadillac CTS can truly bill itself as “world-class.” When it bowed in 2003, the entry-level Caddy lacked a certain refinement in styling and materials–not to mention the coupes, wagons, and super-sport derivatives that Audi, BMW, Mercedes, even Lexus already had on tap. Since it emerged in 2008, [...]

The Basics: The 2012 Hyundai Veracruz is conservative to a fault. It lacks the pizazz of a seven-seat Ford Flex or the hybrid aura of a Toyota Highlander. Instead, it executes the basics of family vehicles very well, with ample room and good safety scores occasionally tempered by its lower gas mileage and cargo space. [...]

The Basics: The GMC Sierra 1500 is part of the backdrop of middle America. Along with the Chevy Silverado and the Ford F-150, it’s been one of the top full-size trucks not just for a decade, but for decades. Redesigned in 2007, it’s still one of the better choices for truck buyers of all kinds, [...]

The Basics: Like GM’s other full-size trucks, including the Cadillac Escalade, and the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the 2012 GMC Yukon isn’t the hot seller it was a few years ago. Many families have moved on to more space-efficient and fuel-efficient crossover designs, yet it would be premature to call the Yukon out as obsolete. [...]

The Basics: The 2012 Subaru Forester is a tall, boxy crossover wagon, carrying a rugged-looking, utility-like body over somewhat sturdier passenger-car underpinnings. To us, the Forester strikes a nearly ideal balance for Snow Belt small families—with an almost incredibly roomy interior, carlike handling, standard all-weather all-wheel drive (with good ground clearance), and exterior dimensions that [...]