The 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid is an attractive option in the hybrid sedan segment, one that is still growing despite several months of relatively stable gasoline prices. With an EPA rating of 40-mpg highway and a base price of $25,700, this vehicle warrants the hybrid buyer's consideration.

There was a point in time where the suggestion of a great looking Korean sport sedan that had the brass to back up the title would have been little more than a joke but Kia is one of the American auto industry’s most improved brands over the past few years – a fact clearly illustrated by the 2012 Kia Optima SX.

Scion has introduced its first-ever sports car: a rear-wheel drive two-door sports performance coupe jointly developed with Subaru called the 2013 Scion FR-S.

The compact sedan class is jam packed full of affordable models boasting about how they offer a blend of fuel economy and spirited driving but few are as efficient as the 2012 Mazda 3i Grand Touring featuring Mazda’s Skyactiv engine technology – offering 40 miles per gallon on the open road.

The 2012 Fiat 500 Sports comes in a high-gloss Brilliant Red, among other choices, that truly befits its flashy urban style and surprising small car performance.

The 2012 Fiat 500 Cabriolet is so stylish and cute it’s as much a fashion accessory as a comfortable, functional commuter for the design conscious urban fashionista.

Driving the 2012 Audi A3 TDI daily last week revealed it to be a comfortable if still compelling Eurowagon with performance and efficiency perfect for the commuter with a primarily intercity work routine, like exburb residents who regularly drive to and from metropolitan suburbs.

Sometimes driving is more about the passengers as was the case when I drove the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE to Wichita last week to visit Ms. Eva, a respectfully submitted pseudonym for my dear mother’s true name.

The 2012 Volkswagen Jetta TDI was among the cars driven throughout Colorado as part of the Green Car Convoy this week, a prelude to the Denver Auto Show, revealing many of the reasons the small VW is a favorite of some automotive pundits.

Hyundai’s goal with the new Veloster was to create a fun-to-drive hatchback that offered incredible fuel economy and a truly unique design, with two doors on the passenger side while just a single door on the driver’s side – and the result is a sporty 4-door hatchback that gets an impressive 40mpg on the highway that also offers easy access to the rear seat thanks to the “extra door”.

There was a point in the not-so-distant past where buying an affordable compact 5-door meant that you were sentenced to a bland, amenity-free driving experience but the 2012 Kia Rio 5-door is a great illustration of how much you can get for your money in the modern compact segment.

The key issue facing the hybrid automotive segment in North America is that hybrids can either be affordable or luxurious but with the 2012 Lexus CT200h, a new car buyer who wants the efficiency of a modern hybrid and true luxury amenities can have just that without a massive shock to the savings account – with a price starting under $30,000.

Since I first laid eyes on the Fisker Karma at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, I have been enamored with the high performance electric luxury sedan with extended range capabilities and earlier this week, I was among the first journalists to drive the production ready Fisker Karma on US soil – a drive that met every expectation that I have had for the sleek new sedan over the past 4 years.

When the Dodge Charger was reintroduced as a full sized four door sedan for the 2006 model year, some Mopar faithful grumbled about the addition of the “extra doors” but as the new Charger powers through its second generation with a sleek new exterior design – the only people who could question whether the 2012 Charger SRT8 car is deserving of the Charger name are those who haven’t been behind the wheel.