I took a brief spin in our 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS last night and I reminded again just how much I like this five-speed manual transmission. Yes, it's matched with a 2.0-liter engine that's nothing special. But between the just-right clutch engagement and the shifter's positive feel through the gates, the gearbox is certainly up to par in the $21K Lancer -- and it's better than some of the manuals you'll find in $30K cars. I haven't driven a manual-shift Honda Civic in a while, but I can't imagine I'd like it that much better.

Heel-and-toe downshifts are rewarding in our Lancer GTS, even if you're just strolling around town, and even if the accompanying engine note is a little raucous. However, since the new 2.4-liter engine provides a useful increase in torque, and equal fuel economy, my preferred manual-shift Lancer GTS would be a 2009.

Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 15,850 miles

Our Cadillac CTS's interior is noisy. It's fine when you're driving in a straight line. (Well, except for the wind noise.) But when you're making a turn the leather creaks loudly. You hear "Creak, creak, squeak creak."  Read that part out loud, it's my best onomatopoeia.

When driving in a straight line, there is some wind noise on the highway. I think it must be the awkwardly placed side mirrors. They sit kind of high and stick out like Dumbo ears.

Other than that, I'm smitten with the CTS. Perhaps it's because I grew up around General Motors products. My father always bought Chevys. My brother had a Pontiac. I had an uncle who had a new Cadillac every two years. (We're Italian.) When I was old enough I learned to drive on our special-edition Caprice Classic. We even won a Chevette in a raffle contest once.

Now, whenever I drive the Cadillac CTS, it feels like home. It's like one of my Dad's powerful, comfortable sedans but decked out in leather. Leather that creaks, that is.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor @ 5,238 miles

Strawberry fields forever. The Hyundai Veracruz was great for taking in the sights, but not the sounds.

There's a lot to love about the 2008 Hyundai Veracruz. On my recent trip from L.A. to Carmel, Calif., and back, I experienced hour after hour of comfortable seating, intuitive controls, and DVD convenience (Hyundai even includes two sets of batteries for the headphones, which store nicely in the second-row console). But while Hyundai attempts to mimic its more expensive cousins, there's a couple things about crusing in this car that bother me.

First, I like a quiet cabin, and the Veracruz had some pronounced road and wind noise. Granted, I was moving quickly most of the time, but even at 60 mph, I felt it was noisier than I like. By 80mph, it sounded more like a wind tunnel.

Second, while I don't want a too-soft ride, the Veracruz' abilities to absorb the bumps in the road were less than ideal. Case in point:  I  I was trying to right-lane it for a while, because I had already received a speeding ticket (see below). (At least the CHP officer was nice -- he chopped quite a few miles off the ticket because we were honest about our speed. There's a lesson for you.)  But the right lane was a little rougher, presumably from all the truck traffic, and those bumps entered the cabin -- disturbing my sleeping kids. And as any parent can tell you: keeping the kids asleep is priority numero uno.

Uh-oh. Looks like someone's going to be attending traffic school.

It was the same situation over road seams, changing surface conditions, etc. The ride wasn't stiff by any means, but it became apparent that, for all the luxurious touches inside, the Veracruz can't compete on sound dampening and road feel with cars that cost more. So while it's built for family cruising, it's not exactly the ideal cruiser. This wouldn't necessarily stop me from buying one, though. Priced at $26,900 for the base model, you still get more than your money's worth. More on that, later.

- Joanne Helperin, Senior Feature Editor @ 9100 miles

Having the Mazda CX-9 and Buick Enclave as long-term cars at the same time has provided plenty of opportunity for head-to-head comparisons. Both crossovers have proven to be mile-gobbling staff favorites, but for me, I'd buy the Mazda.

I do prefer the Buick in some respects. It has better interior materials and looks nicer than our CX-9 Touring's more somber approach (a Grand Touring may have been a different story). Also, the ride is less firm and a lot friendlier on crappy highway pavement.

However, the CX-9's nimble steering and slightly smaller size (specifically the three-inch difference in width) makes it feel less cumbersome when driving around town. Its transmission is also quicker to downshift and I appreciate the automanual override provided (with preferred - + arrangement). Lastly, the CX-9 fits me like a glove. The telescoping wheel goes way out and the front of the height-adjusted seat pushes up high, providing my long legs with ample support. It's not that I'm not comfortable in the Enclave (or any of the GM triplets), but the CX-9 fits me better than 95 percent of all other cars.

If the CX-9 didn't exist, I'd probably pick the Enclave (or rather the Acadia) as an easy favorite. But the CX-9 does exist.

James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 14,766 miles

Let's be clear: I like driving the Smart Fortwo, and I'll have the next 11 months to expound on that. It's not that I think the car's automated manual transmission is great. It's just that a liberal dose of throttle followed by a prudent lift will get around many a minor inconvenience... and surprise unsuspecting 3 Series drivers.

But today I want to talk armrests. The Smart doesn't have one in the center. So here's how I get around that. I travel with this big old-school CD case (probably holds 50 or 100 CDs) and after I select my music, it becomes my elbow cushion.



Erin Riches, Senior Editor

Not sure what you're looking at? I recently discovered the trick to unlocking all of the navigation system menus while our 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI is moving.

I find it extremely frustrating that some navigation systems, like the one found in our Subaru, will lock out 90% of the menu functions once the vehicle is in motion. Want to program in a new destination? Pull over and stop. Want to change the route from "quickest" to something more scenic? Pull over and stop. What if you're mired in traffic, late, on a highway with no shoulder, or simply want to keep going? Tough.

And this remains the case whether you have a perfectly capable passenger riding shotgun next to you to press the buttons or not. A passenger can read regular maps while underway, and AAA gives them away to members for free. Tell me why I should pay one or two grand for one of these, again?

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I recently took a road trip in our 2008 Hyundai Veracruz, and did the "Wow, cool!" thing when I discovered the "Cool Box" in the front row's center console.

We opened the vents to test it out. But our "test sandwich" covered the vents, which prevented the cool air from circulating, defeating the purpose. Perhaps mayo-based sandwiches aren't its strengths, which is too bad if you're on a long road trip. The cool box is good enough for a closed can of soda or two, but an open can would have spilled. In the end, most people will end up using it for storage, in which case, it works just fine.

-- Joanne Helperin, Senior Features Editor @9022 miles

The 2008 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe is, well, it's cute. That's what everyone told me this weekend. A few people asked if it was electric, one guy even called it sporty. I didn't have the heart to tell them that  there's nothing I like about it. Except it's easy to park. Yeah, yeah.

The most utterly confounding part of this car is its godawful transmission. If you have anything resembling a weak stomach, stay away, because this car evokes the first-time driver learning how to shift. And not getting the hang of it. The shifts are really that awful. It jerks and stutters like a punch-drunk boxer if left to its own devices, so the real answer is to self-shift, using the handy-dandy shift paddles (as seen above).

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If you focus on the Big Things when evaluating our long-term 2008 Ford Focus you get all caught up in the whole ancient chassis thing. But if you focus on the little things it doesn't get much better. For instance, immediately after getting behind the wheel several weeks ago I confirmed that the "new" Focus doesn't have a telescoping steering wheel. This is doubly disappointing because it used to have a telescoping wheel, so while the Focus' chassis dates from the Clinton Administration, this "little thing" has gotten worse.

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Shocker of the weekend – the X5 4.8i is not for the slight of wallet. The 200-mile round trip to mom’s house on Sunday required 12.5 gallons of gas. That’s 16mpg for the mathematically challenged. Not terrible for a 5,333 pound vehicle driven with little regard for mileage, but given its need for premium fuel, it was a $50 trip.

Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor @ 8,434 miles