Cars with "faces": the 5 meanest and the 5 friendliest

Maserati GranCabrio

I've always been fascinated with how designers give cars human features to appeal to buyers. Cars are an important expression of identity, and the "expression" of your car's "face" -- friendly, aggressive, athletic, or somewhere in the middle -- represents the image you want to project to the world. Click through for 5 of the meanest and friendliest car faces.

10 "hidden gem" cars I don't see enough of on the road

Cadillac CTS Coupe

I saw a Cadillac CTS Coupe in town the other day, which reminded me how well-designed it is. The wedge shape is distinct, aerodynamic, and downright sinister...love it! But I don't see enough of these cars on the road for some reason. Click through for some other examples of great cars that people should buy more of.

Tesla Model S Sighting in Santana Row

I wish I had the chance to snap more pictures - I saw a Model S in Santana Row, San Jose, CA the other night. This car is probably one of the best looking cars on the market today. I love how aerodynamic it is; there are practically no protrusions on the body (door handles, taillights, front fascia). It kind of looks like a next-gen Kia Optima, with an iPad-like dashboard that I'm sure will catch on amongst the other car manufacturers in the next 5-10 years. At ~$50k, I would seriously consider this car against buying my favorite Mercedes C/E Class, Audi S4, or Jaguar XF - for the ecological benefits, but also for the coolness factor. I was not the only one stopping and taking a picture of this car...

Test drive: A week with the Mercedes C250 in Los Angeles

Mercedes C250 in front of Hollywood Sign

If you look closely in the background, you can see the Hollywood sign, haha. I cashed in some of my Hertz points and rented a Mercedes C250 on vacation this week in LA. As a Mercedes enthusiast, I loved the car, but even if I wasn't an enthusiast, the car was a lot of fun. Click through for my review.

Studebaker Wagonaire and GMC Envoy XUV: separated at birth?

Studebaker Wagonaire

I visited the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles this week and noticed this interesting '63 Wagonaire with a retractable roof, which reminded me of GMC's failed XUV about 10 years ago. What an odd idea...why would anyone need this feature? Click through for a few thoughts.

Taillights - the best and the worst

Mitsubishi Mirage

I saw an article on Autoblog yesterday reporting that Mitsubishi was considering bringing the new Mirage (pictured above) to the US to "reinvigorate" its ailing lineup. While I agree that Mitsubishi needs to inject some excitement into its lineup, this Mirage certainly isn't going to do it. There are a lot of things I don't like about this car, but most importantly its nondescript, blobby taillights, which make the car look 10 years old. The styling of the Mirage looks instantly dated compared to other subcompacts on the market, especially those from Hyundai and Kia. The Mirage inspired me to think of some other automakers who haven't paid enough attention to taillights, and some that did. Click through for some examples:

Follow-up: The Audi A8 is understated, not boring

Audi A8

I inadvertently sparked heated debate in a few Audi forums when I included the A8 on my list of 10 boring cars, so I wanted to clarify my position. Click through for my take:

10 boring cars: neither attractive nor ugly

Acura RL / RLX

When Acura released images of the new RLX, I was disappointed. I think the swoopy character line on the sides is homely, and the rest of car is undifferentiated from a lot of the other midsize luxury cars on the market. The RLX made me think of some other cars that are neither good looking or unattractive, but rather boring. Click through for 10 examples.

What's with Lincoln's new front end?

Lincoln MKT

Lincoln has started rolling out its new front end to take the brand's design "to the next level". I don't get it, sorry. It seems like a hastily decided quick-fix that does not get to the root of the problem. Click through for more thoughts...

Review: Mercedes-Benz E350 Sedan - does it get any better?

Mercedes E350

By all accounts, I am a Mercedes fan. I love the grille and hood emblem and the prestige that the brand represents. Last weekend I treated myself and rented an E350. My expectations were fully met; click through for my impressions.